thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Delight Then Thy selfe I would hate mine owne soule saies Bernard if I found it any where else then in the Lord and in his loue So that it is not enough for thee to delight but thou must delight thy selfe that is thy soule Saying with the blessed Virgin My soule doeth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour Otherwise as Diues did see Lazarus a farre off lying in Abrahams bosome beeing himselfe all the while tormented in hell and hauing not so much as one drop of water to coole his toÌ„gue so eueâ— in laughing the soule may be sorrowfull The wretched soule of a sinner may see the face a farre off laughing and lying as I may say in Abrahams bosome beeing it selfe all the while tormented as it were in hel and hauing not so much as one drop of delight to asswage the sorrowes of it And like as Sampsons lyon had great store of honie in him but tasted no sweetnesse of it euen so if thou reioyce in the face and not in the heart thou maiest well perhaps haue great store of honie in thee to delight others but thou canst neuer taste the sweetnesse of it to delight thy selfe Therfore saies the princely prophet O taste and see how sweet the Lord is It is not enough for thee to see it a farre off not haue it as Diues did or to haue it in thee and not to tast it as the lyon did but thou must as well haue it as see it and as well tast it as haue it O taste and see saies he how sweete the Lord is For so indeede Christ giueth his Church not onely a sight but also a taste of his sweetâ—nsse A sight is where he saies thus We will rise vp earely and goe into the vineyard and see whether the vine haue budded forth the small grapes and whether the Pomegranâ—ets flourish There is a sight of the vine A taste is where he saies thus I will bring thee into the winseller cause thee to drinke spiced wine and newe wine of the Pomegranneâ—s There is a taste of the wine The Church not onely goes into the vineyard and sees the wine but also goes into the wine-seller and tastes the wine But yet thou must goe further then this before thou canst come to thy selfe For there are diuers degrees of tastes The Egyptians in their Hyroglyphickes when they would describe an vnperfect taste paint meate in the teeth when a more perfect taste the beginning of the throat Such an vnperfect taste had the Israelites of the sweetnes of God God was most sweete vnto them when he gaue them quailes to eate Yet while the meate was but in their teeth the wrath of God was kindled against them There is the meate in the teeth an vnperfect taste But the spouse of Christ hath a more perfect taste of the sweetnesse of god For likening him to an apple tree she saies I delight to sit vnder his shadow his fruit is sweet vnto my throat There is the beginning of the throat a more perfect tast But notwithstanding all this thou art not yet come to thy selfe Therefore this taste must not content thee because this tast cannot delight thee For thy delight must not sticke in thy teeth or in thy throat but as a cordiall thing it must goe downe to thy very heart That thou maiest say with the Psalmist My heart and my flesh not my flesh onely but my heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing God And againe Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Nowe thou art come to thy selfe For that which is within thee is thy selfe and all that is within thee is all thy selfe So that thy selfe all thy selfe is delighted in the Lord when as that which is within thee and all that is within thee praise his holy name O howe happie art thou when thou knowest this Iubile this ioyfulnesse when thou hast a secret sence an inward feeling of it when euery motion of thy minde is an influence of Gods spirit when thy wil his word play togither as Isaack and Rebecka did For then surely thou doest build to thy selfe desolate places Desolate places I say that all other things may be silent to thy soule nay that thy very soule may be silent to it selfe yea that there may be a silence in heauen answerable to the silence of thy soule when thou doest delight thy selfe in the Lord. Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Thy selfe Lastly In the Lord. Gregorie saies thus The minde of man is fed with the infinit light and loue of God and so being lifted vp farre aboue it selfe doeth now disdaine to stoupe downe so lowe as â—o it selfe And therefore doeth not delight it selfe in it selfe but delights it selfe in the Lord. Hereupon a father saies O lord graunt that I may know my selfe and know thee That knowing my selfe and thee I may loath my selfe in my selfe and delight my selfe onely in thee Truth indeede O man so thou oughtst to doe saies God For if thou didst know thy selfe and me then thou wouldest displease thy selfe and please me But because thou knowst neither thy selfe nor me therefore thou dost please thy selfe and displease me But the time shall come when thou shalt neither please thy selfe nor me Not me because thou hast sinned not thy selfe because thou shalt be burned So that then thou shalt please none but the deuill both because thou hast sinned as he did in heauen and also because thou shalt be burned as he is in hell Therefore he that delights himselfe in himselfe delights not himselfe but onely the deuill in himselfe Whereas on the other side he onely delights himselfe which not onely delights himselfe but addes also In the Lord and so delights himselfe in vertue delights himselfe in godlines delights himselfe in God himselfe This Christ â—ignifieth when speaking of his spouse he saies Who is shee which câ—mmeth out of the wildernes abounding in delights leaning vpon her â—â—â—beloâ—ed He that leanes vpon himselfe can neuer abound in delights but he alone aboundeth in delights which leaneth vpon his welbeloued So did S. Paul I haâ—e laboured more then they all saies he There he aboundâ—th in delights Yet not I but the grace of God which is in me There he leaneth vpon his welbeloued And again I can doe al things saies he There he aboundeth in delights In him that strengtheneth me There he leaneth vpon his welbeloued In one word when as he saies He that would reioyce and glorie let him reioyce and glorie in the Lord it is all one as if he should haue said He that would abound in delights let him leane vpon his welbeloued Let him delight himselfe in the
Hearts delight A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls crosse in London in Easter terme 1593. By THOMAS PLAYFERE Professour of Diuinitie for the Ladie Margaret in Cambridge HINC LVCEM ET SACRA POCVLA ALMA MATER CANTABRIGIA PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINter to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1603. And are to be sold in Pauls Churchyard at tâ—â—â—igne of the Crowne by Simon Waterson To the most victorious vertuous and puissant Prince King IAMES the first King of England Scotland France and Ireland defendour of the faith all earthly and heauenly happines GLorious gratious It is our crowne and the highest toy of our heart that the crowne of this kingdome is to be set vp on your royall head Otherwise nothing in the world could haue coâ—nâ—eruail'd th' excessiue sorrow that her late Maiestie departing hence left behind her but the vncomparable ioy and triumph which your expectation sent before you and now your princely presence bringeth with you When Salomon after his father Dauid was annointed king they blew the trumpet and all the people said God saue king Salomon and reioyced with great ioy so that the earth rang with the sound of them We haue thought no trumpets no proclamations no bonefires no bells sufficient neither haue we heard the earth onely ring-out but also the heauens redouble and â—ccho-backe againe the acclamations and applauses of all men which hauâ— showted and said God saue King Iames. Now also when your Highnes approacheth nearer the straight charge which hath bin publikely giuen to the contrarie cannot restraine your people but that out of all countries shires they runne and flocke together to behold and attend your Maiestie as some bright and beautifull starre which by his diuine-sweete influence worketh a generall prosperitie and peace For what loy all subiect doth not blesse God and blesse himselfe that he liues to see this happie time which was feared would prooue full of great disorder and trouble so wisely and wonderfully caried God as it were from heauen stretching out his holy hand and holding the mindes of all men in aâ—e and obedience as that in it the peaceable vniting of two mightie kingdomes maketh vs inuincible against all our enemies and all our enemies contemptible to vs Wherefore at this time when all your liege people striue to shew the gladnesse of their hearts by tendring such seruices as are sutable to their possibilitie and performance I also among the rest haue taken occasion humbly to dedicate vnto your Maiestie such a poore present as I had in a readines Assuring my selfe that as none are more familiar with God then godly Kings so no treatises can be more welcome to godly kings then such as may draw them into greatest familiaritie with God And I doubt not but that your Highnes hauing hitherto had your heart's desires giuen you because you haue delighted in the Lord wil here after if it be possible much more delight in the Lord that he may yet giue you more desires of your heart Nay I am so farre from doubting of this that I dare be hold to conclude with the Psalmist The King shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy saluation Thou hast giuen him his hearts desire and hast not denied him the request of his lippes For thou shalt preuent him with the blessings of goodnes and shalt set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head His honour is great in thy saluation glorie and great worship shalt thou lay vpon him For thou shalt giue him euerlasting felicitie and make him glad with the ioy of thy countenance And why Because the King putteth his trust in the Lord and in the mercie of the most High he shall not miscarie Your Maiesties most devoted and obedient subiect THOMAS PLAYFERE THE TEXT Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Psal. 37. 4. SAint Iohn saies in one place Loue not the world nor the things of this world if any man loue the world the loue of God is not in him So may I say delight not in the world nor in the things of this world if any man delight himselfe in the world he cannot delight himselfe in the Lord. Therefore saith Martial an auncient Bishop What haue we to doe with the delight of the world You may call it as you will pleasure if you will pastime if you will mirth if you will gladnes if you will ioy if you will but in Gods dictionarie it hath no such name In the holy Scripture it is otherwise called It is called Adams goodly apple which beeing eaten depriued him of Paradise Esaus red broth which being supt vp bereaued him of his birthright Ionathans sweete honie-combe which beeing but tasted was like to cost him his life the whore of Babylons golden cup which filled her full of all abhominations the traytour Iudas sugred sop which made a way for the deuill to enter into him the prodigall childes wash or draffe which he most miserably swilled vp with the swine Thus is all the delight of the world called in Gods dictionarie which is the holy Scripture It is called Adams apple Esaus broth Ionathans combe Babylons cup Iudas soppe the prodigall childs swill So that all this delight is no delight Or suppose it were yet certainly it shall not giue thee the desires of thy heart Nay it shall be so farre from breeding thee those ioyes which thy heart most desireth that it shall bring thee those torments which thy heart most abhorreth It may saith Chrysostome delight thee perhaps for a while but sure it shall torment thee for euer As any sollide bodie though it haue neuer so faire a colour as crimson or carnation or purple or skarlet or violet or such like yet alwaies the shadowe of it is blacke so any earthly thing though it haue neuer so faire a shew yet al waies the shadow of it is blacke and the delight thou takest in it shall prooue to be grieuous in the ende Therefore Philo calleth it a sweet bitter thing As that little booke in the Reuelation was sweete in the mouth but bitter in the bellie so all worldly delight is a sweete bitter thing sweete in the beginning but bitter in the ending Which they of Ierusalem had experience of For beeing giuen to transitorie pleasure they are saide to be made drunken with wormewood Now we know that drunkennesse is sweete but wormewood is bitter And such a sweete bitter thing such a druÌ„kennes of wormwood is all the drunken delight of the world So that as one said Call me not Naomie but call 〈◊〉 Mara call me not sweete but call me bitter so must we call worldly delight not Naomie but Mara because it is nothing so much Naomie sweete and pleasant at the first as it is Mara and Amara bitter and loathsome at the last Like to a song of the Syrens which are mentioned in the prophecie
Lord. Let the Saints reioyce in ioy let them delight in delight He that delights in an earthly thing delights in vanitie he delights not in delight But he onely delights in delight which makes God onely the ground of his delight According to that of Prosper That alone is eternall delight which is grouÌ„ded vpon the eternall good Vpon him that is onely good and saith to Moses I will in my selfe shew thee all good Euery thing that is honest euery thing that is profitable euery thing that is pleasant is onely to be found in the Lord. As that Manna had all manner of good tasts in it so the Lord onely hath all manner of good things all manner of true delights in him Therefore the Church hauing first bestowed the greatest part of Salomons song altogether in commendation of the beautie and comelines of Christ at length concludeth thus Thy mouth is as sweete things and thou art wholly delectable how faire art thou and how pleasant art thou O my loue in pleasures So that when I seeke my loue my Lord then I seeke a delight a light that passeth all lights which no eye hath seene I seeke a sound an harmonie that passeth all harmonies which no eare hath heard I seeke a sent and a sauour that passeth all sauours which no sense hath smelt I seeke a relish and a tast that passeth all tasts which no tongue hath tasted I seeke a contentment and a pleasure that passeth all pleasures which no bodie hath felt Nay I cannot hold my heart for my ioy yea I cannot hold my ioy for my heart to thinke that he which is my Lord is now become my father so that he which was offended with me for my sinnes sake is now reconciled to me for his sonnes sake To thinke that the high Maiestie of God will one day raiâ—e me out of the dust and so that I which am now a poore worme vpon earth shall hereafter be a glorious Saint in heauen This this makes me delight my selfe in the Lord saying O thou that art the delight of my delight the life of my life the soule of my soule I delight my selfe in thee I liue onely for thee I offer my selfe vnto thee wholly to thee wholly one to thee one onely to thee only For sup pose now as S. Iohn speaketh the whole world were full of bookes and all the creatures in the world were writers and all the grasse piles vpon the earth were pennes and all the waterâ— in the sea were ynke yet I assure you faithfully all these bookes all these writers all these pennes all this ynke would not be sufficient to describe the very least part either of the goodnes of the Lord in himselfe or of the louing kindnes of the Lord towards thee Wherefore Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Thus much for the precept in these words Delight thy selfe in the Lord. The promise followeth First And he shall giue thee Well saies Leo Loue is the greatest reward of loue that either can be or can be desired So that though there were no other rewarde promised thee for delighting in the Lord but onely the delight it selfe it were sufficient For the benefit is not Gods but wholly thine God is neuer a whit the better for thy delighting thy selfe in him If thou be righteous what doest thou giue him or what doeth he receiue at thy hands Thy delight may perhaps reach to the saints which are in the earth but it can neuer reach to â—he Saints which are in heauen and much lesse can it reach to God which is the Lord of heauen Nay I will say more If thou shouldst giâ—e God whole riuers full of oyle whole houses full of gold for neuer so little a droppe of this delight it would be nothing Thy gift would be nothing to his gift thy oyle and golde would be nothing to his oyle of gladnesse Yet behold the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the lord He hires thee and giues thee wages not to doe himselfe good but to doe thy selfe good And here he promiseth to reward his owne mercies as if they were thine owne merits And as though the benefit were not thine but wholly his so he chaungeth the words and for Thou shalt giue him saies He shall giue thee But this he doeth as Augustine testifieth Not by the loue of errour but by the errour of loue For the loue of errour is mans Rhetoricke it is a figure which man often vseth Humanum est errare But the errour of loue is Gods Rhetoricke it is a figure which God often vseth Diâ—inum est amare Especially it is a diuine thing to loue so dearely as God loueth vs. Who though he doe not loue to erre yet he doeth erre for loue Counting and calling that which is onely our commoditie his owne commoditie So Christ is said to be fed amongst the lylies The lylies of the fieldes are the millions of the angels or of all those which lead a pure and an angelicall life These indeede Christ feedeth He feedeth them in the greene pastures and leadeth them forth by the waters of comfort Yea not onely he feedeth them but also by this figure the error of loue he is said to be fed with them Because though he for his part haue little neede I wis to â—e fedde yet it is as great a pleasure to him to feed theÌ„ as if he were fedde himselfe among them So likewise he saies If any man open the doore I will suppe with him and he with me We indeede sup with Christ. Generally whensoeuer he giues vs grace to feele in our affections the rauishing ioyes of the spirit As when he saies I haue eaten my honie combe with my hony I haue drunken my wine with my milke eat you also O my friendes drinke and make you merie O my welbeloued But more especially we suppe with Christ when he cals vs to the holy Communion and biddes vs to the Lords supper For then he staies vs with flaggons and comforts vs with apples with apples and flaggons with bread and wine with his owne deere bodie and his owne pretious blood Thus do we suppe with Christ. But how doth Christ suppe with vs Is it possible possible that he which shall neuer hunger or thirst any more possible that he which is fulnes it selfe in whome all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily dwelleth Is it possible I say that he should stand without knocking at the doore as a begger to get a meales meate of vs Yea sure doubt you not It is possible enough By a certaine figure I weene you call it the errour of loue that 's it by this figure the errour of loue it is a very possible thing nay it is a very easie thing to doe yea it is a very great pleasure to him to doe it Behold
heart is sufficiently refreshed and fedde But as God onely feedeth the heart so God only filleth the heart For the heart of man as for the manner of diet it is like the heart of a lyon so for the bignesse of it it is like the heart of the Ibis Orus Apollo writeth that the Egyptians when they would describe the heart paint that bird which they call the Ibis Because they thinke that no creature for proportion of the bodie hath so great a heart as the Ibis hath But me thinkes they might better paint a man Because no creature no not the Ibis it selfe hath so great a heart as a man hath For the eie is neuer filled with seeing nor the eare with hearing and much lesse the heart with desiring But euen as the Poets faine that the fiftie daughters of king Danaus killing their husbands are inioyned for their punishment in hell to fill a tunne with water that is bored full of holes which though they labour neuer so much about it yet they can neuer bring to passâ— semblably he that would goe about to fill his heart with worldly delightes were as good poure water into a fiue as we say for any pleasure he shall haue after all his labour and paines Salomon hauing had a long time tryall of all transitorie pleasures at length frankly confessed that they were so farr from being a contentation to his heart that they were a very great vexation to his spirit Nay Alexander though he had conquered the whole world yet still he said with the king of Spaine Non sufficit arbiâ— yea in the ende he grew to be very malecontent and found himselfe greatly greiued because there were not forsooth many more worldes for him to conquer By which example of Salomon and Alexander though otherwise a heathen it doth plainly appeare that if it had pleased God to haue created as many worlds as there are creatures in this one world which he might haue done with the least word of his mouth yet this infinite number of worldes which should haue beene created could not haue filled the verie least heart of any one man without the creatour himselfe This Orontius an excellent Mathematitian sheweth who describing the whole world in the forme of an heart leaueth many voide spaces in his heart which he cannot fil vp with the world For as a circle can neuer fill a triangle but alwaies there will be three empty corners in the triangle vnfilled if there be nothing els to fill it but the circle so the round world which is a circle can neuer fill the heart of man which is a triangle made according to the image of the Trinity but alwaies there will be some emptie corners in the triangle of the heart vnfilled if there be nothing els to fill it but the circle of the world Onely the glorious trinitie filleth the triangle of the heart and filleth euery corner of it and filleth euery corner of it fuller then it can possibly hold For suppose almightie God should now worke a miracle and giue some one man a heart as large and as huge not onely as all the hearts of all the men that euer were are or shall be but also as all the affections of all the angels and heauenly powers aboue yea I will say that which shall be yet much more maruelous if this one heart were so great that it could at one instant actually containe in it more corporall and spirituall things then are in all the deepes beneath in the vallies in the mountaines and in all the heauens aboue yet as true as God is in heauen this so large and so huge a heart could not be able to hold the very least part of the perfection of God but if one droppe of his deitie and glorie were powred into it by and by it would burst in a hundreth pieces and flie a sunder as an old vessel filled with new wine O what a wonderfull strange thing is this what shall we deuise to say of it Ten thousand worlds cannot fill one heart and yet ten thousand hearts cannot hold one God Therefore as much as one heart is too good and too great for ten thousand worlds so much is one God too good and too great for ten thousand hearts So fully doth the Lord nothing but the Lord feed and fill thy soule and giue thee all nay more then all thy heart can desire Wherefore Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Thus much for the promise in these words And he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Now then deare brother Delight and not delight onely but Thy selfe also and not thy selfe onely but In the Lord also Delight thy selfe in the Lord and againe I say Delight and againe I say Thy selfe and againe I say In the Lord. Delight thy selfe in the Lord. O remember for the loue of God remember this worthie sentence of an ancient father Let all creatures seems vile vnto thee saies he that onely thy creat our may seeme sweet vnto thee Armenia a noble ladie beeing bidden to king Cyrus wedding went thither with her husband At night when they were returned home her husband asked her how shee liked the bridegrooâ—e whither shee thought him to be a faire and beautiful prince or no Truth saies shee I know not For all the while I was forth I cast mine eyes vpon none other but vpon thy selfe So basely did this noble ladie esteeme of king Cyrus beautie who was the Monarch of the world in respect of that entire good will and affection shee bare to her husband which was so great that her eyes could neuer be from him And so must we set God alwaies before our eyes and not once looke aside or be enamoured with any gaud of worldly glorie but despise euery blaze of beautie whatsoeuer that may draw vs from beholding our heauenly husband and delighting onely in him which is fairer then the children of men S. Paul beeing rapt vp to the third heauen knowes not whither it were with the bodie or without the bodie And because we should marke it well once he sets it downe twise That he was rapt vp to the third heauen he is sure that he heard words which no man can vtter he is sure that he was exceedingly delighted in the Lord he is sure But whither his bodie were with him or no he knows not So much did he forget and neglect euen his owne bodie which is so neere and so deare a thing in comparison parison of that incomparable delight which then he tooke in the Lord. S. Peter seeing but a glimps of Christs glorie vpon mount Tabor stood so astonished and amazed with it that he was in a sort beside himselfe when he was at that time beside Christ. Master saies he it is good for vs to be here As if he should haue said Nowe farewell Galilie and all my goods farewell
of Esay A Syren is a monster of the sea the head whereof resembleth a virgin but the feete a fish And such a monster is all worldly delight the head whereof the beginning allureth vs as an amiable virgin but the feete the ende deuoureth vs as a rauenous fish Therefore as Vlysses stopt his eares and bound himselfe to the mast of the ship that he might not heaâ—e the Syrens song so must we stoppe our eares and refuse to heare the voice of these charming Syrens charme they and sing they neuer so sweetly yea we must bind our selues to the mast of the shippe that is to the crosse of Christ euery one of vs saying with our heauenly Vlysses God forbid that I should delight in any thing but in the crosse of Christ by which the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world For the world and all worldly delight is likened to a hedgehogge A hedgehogge seemes to be but a poore silly creature not likely to doe any great harme yet indeede it is full of bristles or prickles whereby it may annoy a man very shrewdly So worldly delight seemes to be little or nothing dangerous at the first yet afterward as with bristles or pricks it pearceth through the very conscience with vntollerable paines Therefore we must deale with this delight as a man would handle a hedgehogge The safest way to handle a hedgehogge is to take him by the heele So must we deale with this delight As Iacob took Esau that rough hedgehogge by the heele in like sort we must take worldly delight not by the head but by the heele considering not the beginning but the ending of it that so we may neuer be deceiued by it For though it haue a faire shew at the first yet it hath a blacke shadow at the last though it be sweete at the first yet it is bitter at the last though it be drunkâ—nnes at the first yet it is wormewood at the lastâ— though it be Naomie at the first yet it is Mara at the last though it be a song at the first yet it is a Syren at the last though it be a silly hedgehogge at the first yet it is a sharpe prickle at the last Wherefore delight not thy selfe in the world for it shall not giue thee the desires of thy heart but Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Here is a precept here is a promise A precept in these wordes Delight thy selfe in the Lord. First delight then thy selfe lastly in the Lord. A promise in these words And he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart First he shal giue thee then the desires lastly of thy heart Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart First Delight Well saies Synesius The spirit of God as it is a cheereful thing it selfe so it maketh all them chearefull which are partakers of it Indeed the wicked coÌ„tinually mourn and lament There was a great crie in Egypt because in euery house among them there was some one or other of their first borne dead But the voice of ioy and gladnesse is in the tabernacles of the righteous They euermore delight in the Lord. I read of one Leonides a captaine who perceining his souldiers left their watch vpon the citie walles and did nothing all the daie long but quaffe and tipple in alehouses neere adioyning commanded that the alâ—houses should be remooued from the place where they stood and set vp close by the walles That seeing the souldiers would neuer keepe out of them at the least wise they might watch as well as drinke in them So because pleasure we must needs haue we cannot be kept froÌ„ it god hath appointed that we should take Delight enough and yet serue him neuer a whit the lesse For it is no part of Gods meaning when thou enterest into his sweete seruice that thou shouldst abandon all delight but onely that thou shouldst change the cause of thy delight That whereas before thou diddest delight in the seruice of sinne now thou shouldest delight as much or rather indeed a thousand times more in the seruice of the Lord. It was not Gods will that Iâ—aak should be sacrificed but onely the ramme And so God would haue vs sacrifice onely the ramme that is all rammish and rancke delight of the world But as for Isaack he must be preserued still and kept aliue Isaack in whome Abraham did see the day of Christ and reioyced Isaack that is all spirituall laughter all ghostly ioy all heauenly delight For as no man might come into the court of Ashuerus which was clothed in sackcloath so no man may come into the court of our king which is clothed in sackclâ—ath and hath not on the wedding garment of ioy and delight in the Lord. Which is the cause why Christ calleth the assemblies of the faithfull Quires of Campes A quire sâ—ges a Campe fights How then may these two agree together Very well in the godly For the godly when they fight most stoutly against the enemie then they sing most merily vnto the lord WhereupoÌ„ Gregorie saith I admire king Dauid a great deale more when I see him in the quire then when I see him in the campe when I see him singing as the sweete singer of Israel then when I see him fighting as the worthy warriour of Israel For fighting with others he did ouercome all others but singing delighting himselfe he did ouercome himselfe Eueâ— as his sonne Salomon saies for him speaking to Christ. Turne away thine eies from me for they doe ouercome me they wound my heart they make me sicke for loue When Dauid fought with others he ouercame others he wounded others he made others sicke but when he daunced before the Arke and delighted himselfe he was ouercome himselfe he was wounded himselfe he was sicke himselfe But feare you nothing I warrant you this sickenesse will doe him no harme I will plaie still saies he that others may stil play vpon me For it is good sport wheÌ„ God is delighted though Michol be displeased So that of Dauids sicknes we may say as Christ said of Lazarus sicknesse This sickenesse is not vnto death but for the glorie of God And therefore it is for the glorie of God because it is for the loue of god For Dauid is sicke no otherwise for loue of the sonne of God then God is sicke himselfe for loue of the sonne of Dauid This is my beloued sonne saies he in whâ—me I am delighted This is my beloued sonne there he is in loue In whome I am delighted there he is sicke for loue Which is the cause why he commandeth vs also to be delighted in his loue For as a double desire is loue so a double loue is delight And therefore he saies not simply loue him but he delighted in his loue Delight
saies he I stand at the dore and knâ—cke if any man heare my voice and open the dâ—re I will come in vnto him and will suppe with him and he with me Well then how doth Christ suppe with vs Christ suppeâ— with vs when we entertaine him as Marie did with the salt teares of repentance griefe and as Lot did with the sweete bread of sinceritie and truth For the salt teares of our repentance are the onely drinke which Christ will drinke with vs. And the sweete bread of our sinceritie is the onely bread which Christ will eate with vs. But what meate hath he to his bread I haue a meate saies he which you know not of My meate is to doe the will of him that sent me In the volume of thy book it is written of me that I should doe thy will O my God it is my delight it is meate and drinke to me to doe it And as it is meate to him to doe it himselfe so is it meate to him to see vas doe it Then doth he suppe with vs. And this is the first seruice But what hath he for a second course A dish of apples gathered of the tree of life For toward the latter ende of the supper when they come to their fruit a Christian saies to Christ O my welbeloued I haue kept for thee all manner of apples both old and neâ— Contrition humiliation denying of thy selfe mortificatioÌ„ of the old man these are old apples Sobrietie innocencie holines of life viuification of the new man these are new apples And when a Christian feasts feedes Christ with such diuers and daintie fruits of righteousnes then he saies to him O my welbeloued I haue kept for thee all manner of apples both old and new But what musicke hath â—e now We must needes haue some musicke Christ cannot suppe without musick Drinke and bread and meate and apples will make him but a slender supper except we mend it all the better with musicke This must be the very best part of the supper For a câ—Ì„â—ort of musitians at a banquet is as a signet of Carbuncle set in gold and as the signet of an Emrod well trimmed with gold so is the melodie of musicke in a pleasant banquet Therefore when Christ supps with vs we must be sure he haue musicke We must welcome him and cheare him vp with psalâ—es and hymnes and spirituall songes singing with a grace and making melodie in our hearts to God Thus doth Christ sup with vs. But nowe to returne to the maine point againe from which we haue a little digressed As else where by the errour of loue Christ is said to be fedde among the lylies whereas indeede onely he feedeth the lylies and to suppe with vs whereas indeede only we suppe with him so here by the same figure he is said to reap commoditie by thy delight whereas indeede onely the commoditie is thine all the commoditie all the benefit is onely thine Yet to see the admirable loue of God he saies not Thou shalt giue him but He shall giue thee Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart And he shall giue thee Then The desires He that loues to desire God saies Bernard must also desire to loue God Then he shall haue neither sacietie nor yet anxietie Neither sacietie because he loues to desire Nor yet anxietie because he desires to loue Thus doth the Church Let him kisse me saies shee with the kisses of his mouth Let him not smite me but kisse me not once but often not with the kisses of his feete but of his mouth not of any of his prophets mouthes but of his owne mouth Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Here are many desires Here indeede shee loues to desire But it followeth For thy loue is better then wine The person is suddenly changed Before it was more strâ—ungely in the third person Let him and his mouth Nowe it is more familiarly in the second person For thy loue for thy loue is better then wine Here is but one loue Here onely shee desires to loue For as the curtaines of the tabernâ—cle were coupled and tyed together with â—aches and strings so that one curtain did drawe another and all the curtaines did draw togither to couer nothing else but the tabernacle after the same sort the desires of the godly are coupled and tyed together so that one desire drawes another and all their desires draw togither to make them couet nothing else but God And euen as lacob when he held the angel in his armes stood vpon one foote and halted vpoâ— the other foote so he that embraceth God can doe nothing with that halting foote which before carried him to the desire of the world but standeth onely vpon that sound foote which now carrieth him wholely to the desire of God And like as all the streets of Ierusalem fing Hallelâ—ia so all the desires of them that are delighted in God are referred to God There are many â—â—reates in Ierusalem yet there is but one Halleluia which is sung in all those â—â—reates In like sorte there are many desires in a godly man yet there is but one thing God only which is desired in all these desires For these desires as the kisses of Christ come all from one loâ—e these desires as the curtaines of the tabernacle are all tyâ—d togither with one string these desires as the goings of Iacob stand all vpon one footâ— these desires as the streets of IerusaleÌ„ sing all one Halleluia So that if thou looke into his desires that delighteth in the Lord thou shalt see no inâ—quitie no contradiction in them But if thou looke in to his desires that delighteth in sinne thou shalt say with the Psalmist I see iniquity and contradiction in the city For as Manasses was against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses and both of them against luda so the desires of the wicked are contrarie to God and to themselues All their desires are contrarie to all gods desires Manasses Ephraim are both against Iuda There 's iniquitie Some of their desires are contrarie to othersome of their desires Manasses is against Ephraim and Ephraim is against Manasses There 's contradiction Therefore the desires of the wicked beeing so contrarie to God and to themselues their desires are not giuen to them but they are giuen to their desires Because though they loue to desire God yet they doe not desire to loue god Though they care not how much God doe for them yet they care not how little they doe for God But as for the godly they are not giuen to their desires but their desires are giuen to them Because not onely they loue to desire God but also they desire to loue God And so all their desires being as it were but one desire al agreeing in one God when they haue
fellow Disciples and all my friends farewell wife all the world so I may inioy this heauenly sight and be continually thus delighted in the Lord. Holy Ignatius going to his martyrdome was so strangely rauished with this delight that he burst out into these wordes Nay come fires come beasts come breaking of all my bones come racking of my whole bodie come all the torments of the deuill togither vpon me come what can come in the whole earth or in hell either so that I may inioy Iesus Christ and may be continually delighted in the Lord. And so must thou deare brother insult ouer all creatures and exsult only in thy creatour Thou must contemne all beautie as Armenia did yea thine owne bodie as Paul did yea all the world as Peter did yea thy very life as Ignatius did and be content to doe any thing though it were to be torne and pulled in a thousand peeces or for a time if it were possible to suffer al the paines which the fiends and furies of hell can inflict vpon thee so as in the end thou maiest delight either the Lord in thy selfe or thy selfe in the Lord. Then then He shall giue thee and not He shall giue thee onely but The desires also and not The desires onely but Of thy heart also Then he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart And againe I say He shall giue thee and againe I say The desires and againe I say Of thy heart Then he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Then though thou haue a long time plaied the vnthrift and wasted all thy goods in the world yet if with the lost childe thou returne home againe to thy fathers house he shall graunt thee thy hearts desire and receiue thee with minstrelsie and dauncing and all manner of festiuall ioy and that plentie of bread which nourisheth euery hired seruant in his house shall much more feede thee which art his louing child vnto euerlasting life Then though all the leekes and onyons of Egypt which is the world haue failed thee yet if with Israel thou depend onely vpon God he shall distill the dewe of his grace into thy heart and lay aside a chosen raine for thee and cause thee to drinke of the sweete christall streams of his pleasure and giue thee to eate of that hidden and heauenly Manna which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it Then though all the clothes and couerings in the world cannot keepe thee warme yet if with Dauid thou be a man according to Gods owne heart he shall send thee that mysticall Abishag which shall comfort thy heart and make thee hot and feruent in spirit which shall renue thy strength and make thee yong againe and lustie as an Eagle Then though thou haue a long time lost thy labour in seruing Laban which is the world yet if with Iacob thou returne home againe to thy fathers house god shall meete thee by the way and as the Prophet Osey speaketh he shall allure thee as thy paramour and lead thee into the wildernesse and there speake according to thine own heart friendly and louingly vnto thee And euen as louers are oftentimes disposed for the nonce to take a fall of one another the stronger of the weaker so God shall wrestle a fall with thee as he did with Iacob and yeeld so much in loue to thee as that he shall suffer thee to giue him the fall and to preuaile against him Iesus what exceeding loue is this why are we not euen nowe in the name of God inflamed with the loue of God and wholly rauished with delight in the Lord At least wise I maruell what a mischeife many base minded worldlings meane that they had rather feed vpon the huskes of hogges then the bread of maÌ„ that they had rather eate the ony ons of Egipt then the manna of heauen that they had rather lie acold frozen and shiuering in sinne then be reuiued and cherished by Abishag that they had rather take vnsupportable paine to serue Laban then take vnspeakeable pleasure to serue God Fy vpon it what a vile folly is this what a starke madnes is this what is this els but to be euen bodily tormented whereas they might be most spiritually delighted what is this els but to goe out of one hell into another hell where as they might goe out of one heauen into another heauen For why do you beloued why doe you tell me so much of I know not what of a worme that neuer dieth of a fire that neuer is quenched of a lake that burneth with brimstone of weeping and gnashing of teeth Thus I tell you good christians and I tell you truly and God in heauen heares what I say though you heare me not I tell you as loud as euer I can that to serue sinne so slauishly to please the deuill so wretchedly to delight in the word so brutishly as many men doe this is worse then all wormes worse then all fires worse then all lakes worse then all weeping worse then hell it selfe Whereas on the other side to serue God to please God to delight in God to reioyce solace thy soule in the Lord which hath alwaies giuen thee and will alwaies giue thee the desires of thy heart this is better then all treasures better then all crownes better then all kingdomes better then all immortalitie better then heauen it selfe This this it is which shall bring thee out of one paradise into another paradise 1. Reg. 1. 40. TanquaÌ„ claruÌ„ ac beneficum â—ydus Sen. de Clemen l. â— c. 3. Nulli ita deo familiares sunâ— sicut boni reges Emissenus Dom. 21. post â—enâ—ecost Psal. 21. 1. a Quid ad noâ— delectatio msidi â—pist ad Toloâ— cap. 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Lamen 3. 15. e 〈…〉 f chap. 13. v. 22. g Si de Vlysâ—e illo refert fabula quòd 〈◊〉 arboâ—â—â—s religatio de peâ—iculâ— liberavit quaÌ„tò magis cruciâ— arbâ— c. Ambr. serm 55 h Esa. 14. 23. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Psal. 118. 15. l Aelianus in varia histo l. â— cap. 14. m Ester 4. 2. n Châ—ros castrorum Can. 6. 12. o Dauid salâ—antâ—m plus stupeo quâ—m pugnantem Moral l. 27. cap. 27. p 〈◊〉 4. 6. q Ludam inquit vt illudar Bonus luduâ— quo Michol iâ—ascitur dâ—us delectâ—tur â—reg Mag. r Ioh. 11. 4. s Math. 17. 5. t Prou. 5. 19. u 〈…〉 x Proâ— 14. 13. y 2. Cor. 5. 12. z Can. 7. 12. a Can. 8. 2. Orâ—s Apollo b Nuâ— 11. 〈◊〉 c Can. 2. 3. d Non â—st strepitus oris sed â—â—bilus cordis non â—onus labiorum sâ—d motus gaudiorum concordia voluntatum non conâ—onantia vocum e Psal. 84. 3. f Psal. 103. 1. g Cum scis iubilationem Psal. 89. 15. h Greg. Moral Iob. 3. 14. i Reu. 8. 1. k Gustâ— incircumscripti luminis anima paâ—citur supra se elata ad seipsam re â—abi dedignatur k Nouerim me nouerim te l 〈…〉 m In letitia letentur psal 68. 3. n Aeterna exultatio est qnâ—â— bono 〈◊〉 â—terno o Exod. 33. 19. p Quâ—re 〈◊〉 bonum in quo sunt omniâ— bona sufficit Aug. Med. q Sapi. 16. 20. r Totum toti â— vnum vni vnicum vnico s Dilectionisâ—ulla maior expetenda est â—enumeratio 〈◊〉 ipsa diâ—ectio Ser. 7. de â—â—eiu t Iob. 35. 7. u Psal. 16. 2. x Non 〈◊〉 a more sed 〈◊〉 moâ— is â—rorâ— Deciuit 〈◊〉 liâ—◠〈◊〉 cap. 6. y It is mans propertiâ— to erre z It is Gods propertie to louâ— a Can. 2. 16. b Lilia agro rum millia angelorum c 〈…〉 uerso pascere sit ei paâ—ci Bernard Cant. seâ—m 7â— d Reu. 3. 20. e Cant. 〈◊〉 f Can. 7. 13. Omnia pomâ— vetera nova Vulgata trans g Ecclesiasticus cap. 32. vers 5. Col. â— 16. h Qui amat desiderare desideret amare De amore dei cap. 3. vid. Gregorium Moral â— 18. c. 28. i Cant. ◠〈◊〉 k Psal. 119. 20 Concupiuiâ— desiderare â—sal 119. 20 l 〈…〉 m Gâ—n 32. 31. n Tobiâ—s 13. 18. Psal. 55. 〈◊〉 o 〈…〉 p 〈◊〉 1. 24. q Domine anâ—e te omne desideâ—ium meâ—â—sal 38. 10 â—am vâ—ima perfectio ipsius animz deus est centrum locusque natuâ—alis omnium desideriotum â—ius r Viri desideriorum Dan. 9. 23 s Daniel 3. 25. t Mark 9 4. u Ioh. 14. 21. x Mendicus dei Greg. y Luk. 16. 25. z 〈…〉 a Fecisti nos domine ad te ideo inquiâ—â—um â—st cor 〈…〉 b Psal. 22. 16. c Querula pâ—nitus 〈◊〉 abunda est donec ad â—um à quo oriâ—inaliter exiit triumphali virtute reuertatur d 〈◊〉 12. 3. e Vi amoris in deum tanquam in centrum propriuÌ„ mouetur vt in ipso summé delectetur f Math. 2. 9. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ude 13. h Psal. 57. 8. i Quia dominuâ— reddidit te â—ibi Psal. 116. 7. k Concupisciâ— deficie â—sal 〈◊〉 2. l Psal. 132. 4. m Prou. 2â— 26. n Iob. 14. 8. o 2. Cor. 12. 9. p â—sal â—4 â—2 q Psal. 73. 25. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈…〉 Psal. 17. 16. s 〈◊〉 28. 1. t Esa. 40. 6. u Psal. 107. 5. x Mark 6. 39. y 〈…〉 z 〈…〉 Eccles. 1. 8. a 〈…〉 b All the whole world 〈…〉 c 〈…〉 d Behold the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee 1. Reg. 8. 27. e Deâ—s maior est cor de nostro 1. Ioh. 3. 20 d 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉