endeuored himselfe to precipitate them which seeing he could not so quickly performe he fumed in himselfe and curst them till at length lifting vp his head towards Heauen he espied the sweete and most coÌ„passionate Sauiour of our soules moued with an extreame pitie and compassion of that which passed rysing from his Throne and descending to the place where the two poore miserable wretches were stretch towards them his helping hand as also the Angels round about them did catching hold of them to hinder them from falling into this dreadfull Gulfe and in Conclusion the amiable and milde IESVS turning himselfe to the stormie CARPVS hold CARPVS saied he henceforth beate vpoÌ„ me for I am readie to suffer oÌ„ce more for maÌ„s saluation and it should be pleasant vnto me if it could be performed without the offence of other men as for the rest aduise with thy selfe which thou likest better to be in this gulfe together with these serpents or to liue with Angels who are so great friends to men THEO the holy man CARPVS had iust reason to be zealously moued at these two men and his Zeale had but rightly raysed his stomacke against them but being once moued he left reason and Zeale behind him ouer ruÌ„ning the bounds and limits of holy loue and consequently Zeale which is loue in its heate Anger changed the hatred of sinne into the hatred of the sinner and the most mild Charitie into an outragious crueltie 6. Some there are of that disposition that they thinke one cannot be very Zealous vnlesse they be very angrie thinking that nothing is done well vnlesse all be spoyled whereas contrariwise true Zeale rarely makes vse of choler for as we neuer applie the lance and the fire to sicke but in meere extreamities so holy Zeale doth not imploie choler but in extreame necessities That the examples of diuers saints which seemed to exercise their Zeale with Anger make nothing against the aduise of the precedent Chapter CHAPTER XVI 1. IT is true indeede my deare THEO that MOYSES PHINEES HELIE MATHATIAS and diuers great seruaÌ„ts of God made vse of choler to exercise their Zeale in sundrie remarkable occurrences yet note also I praie you that those were great personages who could well manage their choler not vnlike to that braue Captaine of the Ghospell who saied to his soldiers goe and they went come and they came but we who are in a manner all but a kind of poore people we haue no such power ouer our motions our horse is not so well broken that we caÌ„ both spurre and make him stope at our pleasure Old and well trayned hounds doe come in or fall off according to the huntsmans call but vntrayned younge hounds doe disordely flie out The great Saints that haue trayned vp their passions in a continuall mortification by the exercise of vertue can at euery turne of a haÌ„d turne and winde their passions giuing the scope or gathering theÌ„ vp at their pleasure But we who haue vnbridled passions young or at least mistaught we cannot giue bridle to our anger but at great perill of disorder for hauing once gotten head one cannot restrayne and order them as were fitting 2. S. DENIS talking with that DEMOPHILVS who would haue giuen the name of Zeale to his rage and furie he that would correct others quoth he must first beware that anger doe not turne reason out of the power and Dominion wherein God hath established it ouer the soule aÌ„d that it doe not stirre vp a reuoult sedition and confusion within our selues so that we doe in no sort approoue your impetuosities to which you were pricked forward with an vndiscreete Zeale though you should a thousand times repeate PHINEES and HELIE for the like words did not please IESVS CHRIST being spoken to him by his Disciples who were not yet made partakers of this sweete and benigne spirit PHINEES THEOT seeing a certaine accursed Israelite offend God with a Moabite slew them both HELIE foretold the death of OCHOSIAS who wrothfull at this presage sent two Captains one after another with fiftie men a peece to take him and the man of God made fire descend from heaueÌ„ which deuour'd them Our Sauiour on a day passing through Samaria sent into a towne to take vp his lodging but the inhabitants knowing that our Sauiour was a Iewe by nation and that he went to Hierusalem they would not lodge him which S. IOHN and S. IAMES seeing they saied vnto our Sauiour shall we commande the fire to descend and burne them And our Sauiour turning towards them chid them saying you know not what spirit moues you to this the Sonne of man came not to distroye soules but to saue them This it is then THEOT that S. DENIS would saie to DEMOPHILVS who alleaged the example of PHINEES and HELIE for S. IOHN and S. IAMES who would haue imitated PHINEES and HELIE in making sire descend from Heauen vpon men were reprehended by our Sauiour who gaue them to know that his Spirit and Zeale was sweete milde and gracious which rarely made vse of wroth or indignation but onely in some circumstaÌ„ces where there was no other hope left to preuaile S. THOMAS of Aquine that great Starre of Diuinitie being sicke of the desease whereof he died at the Monasterie of Fossanoua of S. BERNARDS order the Religious besought him to make them some short expositioÌ„ vpon the CANTICLE OF CANTICLES to the imitation of S. BERNARD and he answered them Deare Fathers giue me a S. BERNARDS Spirit and I will interprete this diuine Canticle as did S. BERNARD so verily if one should saie to one of vs small miserable imperfect and wretched Christians serue your selues of Anger and indignation in your Zeale as did PHINEES HELIE MATHATHIAS S. PETER and S. PAVLE we ought to replie giue vs the Spirit of perfectioÌ„ and pure Zeale with the interiour light which those great Saints had and we will arme our selues with choler as they did It is not a common performaÌ„ce to discerne when and in what measure we are to be angrie 3. Those great Saints were immediatly inspired by God and therefore might boldly imploye their anger without perill for the same Spirit which did embolden them to this exploite did also gouerne the raynes of their iust wroth least they might out raye their prefixed bounds An Anger that is inspired or excited by the holy Ghost is not now the anger of a maÌ„ and it is mans wroth that we are to be â—ware of because as S. IAMES saieth it worketh not God's Iustice And indeede when those worthy seruants of God made vse of anger it was in so sollemne occurrences and vpon so inordinate crimes that there was no danger that the punishment should passe the fault 4. Are we thinke you to take libertie to iniurie sinners to blame nations to controll and censure our Conductors and Prelats because S. PAVLE once cals the Galatians senslesse represents to the Candiots their lewde inclinations and
resisted the glorious S. PETER his Superiour in his face Certes euery one is not a S. PAVLE to know how to doe those things in the nicke But hot harsh presumptuous and reprochfull spirits following their owne inclinations humours auersions and the high conceits they haue of their owne sufficiencie draw the vaile of Zeale ouer their iniquitie and vnder the name of this sacred fire permit themselues to be burnt vp with their proper passions It is the Zeale of the health of soules that makes the Prelatshipe be sought after if you will beleeue the ambitious man that makes the Monke ordained for the Quire course about if you will giue credit to his disquieted spirit that causeth all those censures and murmuratiōs against the Prelates of the Church and tēporall Princes if you will giue eare to the arrogant You shall heare nothing frō him but Zeale nor yet see any Zeale in hī but onely opprobrious and rayling speaches hatred ād rācore disquiete of the heart and tōgue 5. Zeale may be practised three wayes first in exercising high actions of Iustice to repell euill and this belongs onely to publike officers to correct censure and reprehend in the nature of a Superiour as Princes Prelates Magistrats Preachers but whereas this office is worshipfull euery one will vndertake it euery one will haue a fingar in it Secondly one may vse Zeale in actions of great vertue for the good example of others by suggesting the remedies of euill and exhorting men to applie them by working the good that is opposite to the euill which we desire to banish which is a thing that belongs to euery one and yet it hath but few vndertakers Finally the most excellent vse of Zeale is placed in suffering and enduring much to hinder or diuert euill and scarce will any admit this Zeale A specious Zeale is all our ambition vpon that each one willingly spends his talant neuer taking notice that it is not Zeale indeede which is there sought for but glorie ambition's satisfaction choler churlishnesse and other passions 6. Certainly our Sauiours Zeale did principally appeare in his death vpon the Crosse to distroy death and sinne in men wherein he was soueraignly imitated by that admirable vessell of election and dilection as the great S. GREGORIE Nazianzen in golden words represents him for speaking of this holy Apostle he fights for all saieth he he poures out praiers for all he is Zealously passionat towards all he is inflamed for all yea he dared yet more for his brethren according to flesh so that if I may dare also to saie it he desires through charitie that they might haue euen his owne place nere our Sauiour O excellencie of an incredible courage and feruour of Spirit He imitats IESVS CHRIST who became a curse for our Loue who put on our infirmities and bore our deseases Or that I may speake a little more soberly he was the first after our Sauiour that refused not to suffer and to be reputed wicked in their behalfe Euē so then THEO as our Sauiour was whip't condemned crucified as man deuoted bequeathed and dedicated to beare and support all the reproches ignominies and punishments due to all the offenders in the world and to be a generall sacrifice for sinne being made as an ANATHEMA forsaken and left of his eternall Father so according to the true doctrine of this great Nazianzen the glorious Apostle S. PAVLE desired to be loden with ignominie to be crucified left abandoned and sacrificed for the sinnes of the Iewes that the curse and paine which they merited might fall vpon him And as our Sauiour did so take vpon him the sinnes of the world and became a curse was sacrificed for sinne and forsaken of his Father that he ceased not continually to be the well-beloued Sonne in which his Father pleased himselfe So the holy Apostle desired indeede to be a curse and to be separated from his Maister to be left alone to the mercy of the reproches and punishments due vnto the Iewes yet did he neuer desire to be depriued of Charitie and the grace of God from which nothing could separate him that is he desired to be vsed as one separated from God but he desired not in effect to be separated or depriued of his Grace for this cannot be piously desired So the heauenly Spouse confesseth that though loue be strong as death which makes a separation betwixt the bodie and the soule Yet Zeale which is an ardent loue is yet stronger for it resembles Hell which separats the soule from our Sauiours sight but it was neuer saied nor can euer be saied that Loue or Zeale was Like to sinne which alone separats from the grace of God And indeede how could the ardour of Loue possibly make one desire to be separated from grace since Loue is grace it selfe or at least cannot consist without grace Now the Zeale of the great S. PAVLE was in some sort practised by the little S. PAVLE I meane S. PAVLINE who to deliuer a slaue out of bondage became himselfe a slaue sacrificing his owne libertie to bestow it vpon his neighbour 6. Happie is he saieth S. AMBROSE who knowes the gouernment of Zeale The Deuil will easily scofe at thy Zeale if it be not according to science let therefore thy Zeale be inflamed with Charitie adorned with science established in cōstancie True Zeale is the child of Charitie as being the ardour of it Wherefore like to Charitie it is patient benigne not troublesome nor contentious not enuious or spightfull but reioycing in Truth The ardour of true Zeale resembles that of the huntsman being diligēt carefull actiue industrious and eager in the pursuit but without choler anger or trouble for if the huntsman's labour were cholerike harsh and wayward it would not be so earnestly loued and affected Zeale in like manner hath extreame feruours but such as are constant solide sweete laborious equally amiable and infatigable whereas contrariwise false Zeale is turbulent confused insolent arrogant cholericke wauering no lesse impetuous then inconstant How our Sauiour practised all the most Excellent acts of Loue. CHAPTER XVII 1. HAuing spoken at large of the acts of Diuine Loue that you may more easily and holily conserue the memorie thereof I present you with a collection or abridgement of it The Charitie of IESVS CHRIST doth presse vs saieth the great Apostle Yea truly THEO it doth force or vse a violence against vs by its infinite sweetenesse which shines in the whole worke of our Redemption wherein appeared the benignitie and loue of our Sauiour towards men For what did not this Diuine Louer doe in matter of Loue 1. he loued vs with a LOVE OF COMPLACENCE for his delightes were to be with the children of men and to draw man to himselfe becōming man 2. he loued vs with a LOVE of BENEVOLENCE enriching man with his diuinitie so that man was God 3. he vnited himselfe vnto vs in an incōprehensible coniunctiō whereby he
cannot be saciated it doth much torment the mind 3. If a Bee had stung a child it were to sweete pourpose to saie to him ô my child the very Bee that stung thee is the same that makes the honie which likes thee so well for it is true might it replie her honie is very pleasant to my taste but her sting is painefull and while her sting stikes in my cheake I shall neuer be at rest and doe you not marke that my face is all swollen with it THEO Loue is indeede a Complacence and by consequence very delightfull so that it leaues not in our heart the sting of desire for when it leaues it there is left with it a great paine True it is this paine proceedes from loue and therefore is an amiable and beloued paine Heare the painfull yet louelie eiaculations of a royall Louer My soule thrisleth after her strong and liuing God Ah! when shall I come and appeare before the face of my God my teares haue bene bread to me night and day while it is saied vnto me where is thy God And the sacred Sunamite wholy possessed with dolorous loues speaking to the daughters Alas saieth she I coniure you if you meete my beloued tell him my griefe because I languish with the wound of loue Delaied hope afflicts the soule 4. Now the painfull wounds of loue are of diuers sorts 1. The first touches that loue giues our heart are called wounds because the heart that was sound entire and it 's owne before it loued being strook with loue begins to separate and diuide it selfe from it selfe to giue it selfe to the beloued obiect nor can this separation be made without paine seeing paine is no other thing then a separation of liuing things that were vnited 2. Desire doth incessantly sting and wound the heart in which it is lodged 3. TAEO speaking of heauenly loue in the practise of it there is a kind of wound giuen by God himselfe to the soule which he will perfect for he giues her admirable feelings and incomparable touches of his soueraigne goodnesse as pressing and soliciting her to loue him and then she forcibly bears herselfe vp as to soare higher towards her diuine obiect but lighting short not being able to loue with proportion to her desire ô God she feeles a paine without paragon At the same instant that she is powerfully drawen to flie towards her deare and well beloued she is powerfully retained and cannot flie as being chained to the seruile miseries of this mortall life and out of her owne impotencie she wisheth the winge of the doue to flie to her repose but finds it not So that she is roughly tormented betwixt the violencie of her desires and her owne impotencie ô miserable wretch that I am saied one of those that had tried this tormēt who will deliuer me from the bodie of this death And then if you marke it THEO it is not the desire of a thing absent that doth wound the heart for the soule perceiues that her God is present he had already led her into his wine celler planted vpon her heart the banner of loue but howbeit though already he see her wholy his he vrgeth her and from time to time toucheth her with a thousand thousand darts of his loue shewing her by new meanes how much more louely he is then he is beloued And she who hath not so much force to loue as loue to force her selfe seeing her forces so weake in respect of the desire she hath to loue him worthily to whose worth no force of loue can reach alas she finds her selfe stroock with an incomparable torment for in the same measure that she sobbs out more deeply the longings of her coueting loue the panges of her paine are augmented 5. This heart in loue with God desiring infinitly to loue sees notwithstanding that it can neither loue nor desire sufficiently Now this vnaccomplished desire is as a dart in the breast of a generous spirit yet the paine which proceedes from it is amiable because whosoeuer desires earnestly to loue loues also earnestly to desire And would esteeme himselfe the most miserable man aliue if he did not continually desire to loue that which is so soueraignely good Desiring to loue he receiues delight but louing to desire he is paied with paine 6. Good God THEOT what am I going to saie The Blessed in heauen seeing that God is more to be beloued then they loue him would sownd and eternally perish with a desire to loue him more if God's holiest will did not impose vpon theirs the admirable repose which they enioye for they so soueraignely loue this soueraigne will that the desire thereof doth quiet theirs and God's contentment doth content them being willing to be limited in their loue euen by that will whose Goodnesse is the obiect of their loue If this were not their loue would be equally delicious and dolourous delicious by the possession of so great a good dolourous through an extreame desire of a greater loue God therefore continually drawing arrowes if we may saie so out of the quiuer of his infinite beautie wounds the hearts of his Louers making them clearely see that they doe not loue him nigh so much as he is worthy to be beloued what mortall soeuer desires not to loue the Diuine goodnesse more loues him not enough sufficiencie in this diuine exercise doth not suffise him that will make a stand in it as though it suffised him Of some other meanes by which loue wounds the heart CHAPTER XIV 1. NOthihg doth so much wound a louing heart as to perceiue another heart wounded with the loue of it The Pellican builds her nest vpon the ground whence serpents doe often sting her younglings Now when this happens the Pellican as an excellent naturall Phisition with the point of her beake doth woūd her poore younglings on euery side to cause the poyson which the Serpents sting had spred ouer all the bodie to depart with the blood and to get out all the poison she lets out all the blood and consequently permits the little troope of Pellicans to perish in this sort but seeing them dead she wounds her selfe and spredding her blood ouer them she doth reuiue them with a more new and pure life her loue wounded them and fourthwith by the same loue she wounds her selfe Neuer doe we wound a heart with the wound of loue but we our selues are straight wounded with the same When the soule sees her God wounded by loue for her sake she receiues from it a mortall wound Thou hast wounded my heart saied the heauenly Spouse to the Sunamite and the Sunamite cries-out tell my well-beloued that I am wounded with loue Bees neuer wound but themselues are wounded to death And we seeing the Sauiour of our soules wounded by loue for vs to death and death of the crosse how can we but be wounded with him yea I saie wounded with a wound so much more dolorously
euen as the flame began to sease hpon her the Eagle came in with a quicke flight and beholding this vnlooked for and sad spectackle strooke through with griefe she loosed her talons let fall her prey and spred herselfe vpon her poore beloued Mistresse and couering her with her wings as it were to defend her from the fire or for pities sake to embrace her she remained there constant and immoueable couragiously dying and burning with her the ardour of her affection not giuing place to the ardour of flames and fire that by that meanes she might become the VICTIME ād HOLOCAVSTE of her braue and prodigious loue as her Mistresse was already of death and fire 3. O THEO to what a high flight this Eagle moues vs our Sauiour hath bred vs vp from our tender youth yea he formed vs and receiued vs as a louing Nource into the armes of his Diuine Prouidence euen from the time of our Conception Not beeing yet thy holy hand did make me Scarce borne into thy armes thy loue did take me He made vs his owne by Baptisme and by an incomprehensible loue doth tenderly nourish both our bodie and soule to purchace vs life he suffered death and with his owne flesh and blood hath fed vs Ah what rests then my deare THEO what Conclusion are we to draw from hence but onely that such as liue should liue no more to them selues but to him that died for them that is to saie that we should consecrate all the moments of our life to the Diuine Loue of our Sauiours death bringing home to his glorie all our preys all our conquests all our actions all our thoughts and affections Let vs behold THEO this heauenly Redeemour extended vpon the Crosse as vpon a funerall Pile of honour where he died of Loue for vs yea of loue more painefull then death it selfe or a death more pleasant then loue it selfe Ah doe we not spiritually cast our selues vpon him to die vpon the Crosse with him who for the loue of vs freely died I will hold him should we saie if we had the Eagles generositie and will neuer depart from him I will die with him and burne in the flames of his loue one and the same fire shall consume the Diuine Creatour and the miserable creature My IESVS is wholy myne and I am wholy his I will liue and die vpon his breast nor life nor death shall euer separate me from him Thus is the holy Extasie of true loue practised while we liue not according to humane reason and bent but aboue them following the inspiration and instinct of the heauenly Sauiour of our soules Of the supreame effect of affectiue loue which is the death of Louers and first of such as died in loue CHAPTER IX 1. LOue is strong as death death doth seperate the soule of him that dies from the bodie and from all earthly things Sacred loue doth seperate the Louers soule from the bodie and all earthly things nor is there any other difference sauing that death doth that in effect which loue ordinarily doe onely in affection I saie ordinarily THEO because holy loue is sometimes so violent that euen in effect it causeth a separation betwixt the bodie and the soule making the Louers die a most happie death much better then a thousand liues 2. As it is proper to the Reprobate to die in sinne so is it proper to the Elect to die in the Loue and Grace of God yet in a different manner The iust man neuer dies vnprouided for to haue perseuered in Christian Iustice euen to the end was a good prouision for death He dies indeede sometimes sodainely or a sodaine death For this cause the most wise Church in her Litanies doth teach vs not onely to demand to be deliuered frō sodaine death but sodaine ād vnprouided death It is no worse for being sodaine if it be not withall vnprouided If some weake and common soules had seene fire frō Heauen fall vpon the great S. SIMEON Stilits head and kill him what would they haue thought but thoughts of scandall yet are we to make no other conceit of the matter then that this great Saint hauing perfectly sacrificed himselfe to God in his heart already wholy consumed with loue the fire came from Heauen to perfect the Holocauste and entirely burne it for the Abbot Iulian being a dayes iorney off saw his soule ascend to Heauen and thervpon caused incense to be offered in thankesgiuing to God The Blessed man Good Cremonius on a certaine day set vpon his knees most deuotly to heare Masse rose not at the Ghospell according to custome whēce those that were about him looked vpon him and perceiued he was dead There haue bene in our time most famous men for vertue and learning found dead some in the confession seat others while they heard the Sermon yea some haue bene seene falling downe dead at their going out of the Pulpet where they had preached with great feruour and all these deaths were sodaine yet not vnprouided And how many Good people doe we see die of Apoplexies Lethargies and a thousand other wayes very sodainely others of madnesse and frensie without the vse of reason and all these together with children who are baptised died in Grace and consequently in the Loue of God But how could they die in the Loue of God since they thought not of God at the time of their departure 3. Learned men THEO loose not their knowledge while they are a sleepe for so they would be vnlearned at their awaking and be forced to returne to schoole The like it is of all the habits of Prudence Temperance Faith Hope and Charitie They are continually in the iust mans heart though they be not alwayes in action While a man sleeps it seemes that all his habits sleepe with him and when he awakes awake with him So a iust man dying sodainely or oppressed by a house falling vpon him kill'd by Thunder or stifled with a catarre or else dying out of his senses by the violence of a hote Ague dies not indeede in the exercise of holy Loue yet dies he in the habit thereof wher-vpon the wise-man saieth if the iust-man be preuented by death he shall be in a place of refreshing for it sufficeth to obtaine eternall life to die in the state and habit of loue and Charitie 4. Yet many Saints haue departed this life not onely in Charitie and with the habite of heauenly loue but euen in the act and practise thereof S. AVGVSTINE deceased in the exercise of holy contrition which cannot be without Loue. S. HIEROM in exhorting his deare children to the loue of God their neighbours and vertue S. AMBROSE in a Rapture sweetely discoursing with his Sauiour immediatly after he had receiued the holy Sacrament of the Altar S. ANTONIE of Padua after he had recited a hymne of the glorious virgin-mother and while he spoke with great ioye to our Sauiour S. THOMAS of Aquine ioyning his
our fâ—â—ble â—ight cannot constantly and steaddily behold them by reason of the great distance So ordinarily Saints that die of loue experience in themselues a great varietie of accidents and symptomes thereof before they come to their eÌ„d many sobings many assaults many extasies many laÌ„guors many agonies and one would thinke that their Loue brought forth their happie death by trauell and 〈◊〉 endeuours which happens by the weaknesse of their loue which is not as yet perfectly perfect so that it cannot continew affection with an equall steadfastnesse 3. But in the B. Virgin it was a quite other thing for as we see the faire AVRORA encrease not at diuers essayes and ierts but by a coÌ„tinued dilatation and encrease which is in a sort insensibly sensible so that she is indeede seene to encrease her light yet so softly that no interruption seperation or discontinuation can be apprehended therein So God's loue did euery moment encrease in the Virginall heart of this glorious Ladie but by a gentle smooth and continued encrease without agitation tosse or violence at all Ah no THEO we must not admit any forcible agitation in this celestiall loue of the virgins motherly heart for loue of it selfe is sweete gracious peaceable and calme And if it doe sometimes assault and make force against the mind it is because it meetes with opposition But when the passages of the soule lye open to it without oppositioÌ„ or coÌ„tradiction it peaceably makes progresse with an incoÌ„parable sweetenesse Thus then holy loue exercised its force vpon the virginall heart of the Sacred mother without force or violent boisterousnesse because it found therein neither stop nor staie For as we see great riuers froth and flash back againe with a great noise in craggie corners where the points or shelues of rockes doe oppose themselues and hinder the waters course while contrariwise they dâ—ie smoothly without violence glid and steele ouer the plaines So diuine Loue meeting with many impeachments and oppositions in humane hearts as in truth all hearts haue them though differently makes force fighting against naughtie inclinations beating the heart thrusting the will forwards by diuers shuggs aÌ„d sundrie essayes to make way be made to it selfe or at least to ouerpasse the obstacles But all things in the B. Virgin did helpe and second the course of heauenly loue making in her a greater progresse and encrease then in all other creaturs yet a progresse that was infinitly sweete peaceable aÌ„d calme No she sownded not with loue or compassion at the foote of her crucified sonne though there she had the most hote aÌ„d stinging fit of loue that euer heart could thinke for though it was an extreame fit yet was it equally strong and sweete powerfull and calme actiue and peaceable composed of a sharpe yet sweete heate 4. I doe not denie THEO that there were two portions in the B. Virgins soule and consequently two appetits the one according to the Spirit and superiour reason the other according to sense and inferiour reason so that she could feele the oppositions and contrarieties of both the appetits for this trouble did euen our Sauiour her sonne endure But I affirme that all affections were so well ordered and â—anged in this heauenly mother that diuine Loue did most peaceably exercise in her its power and dominion without being troubled by the diuersitie of wills and appetits or contrarietie of the senses because the oppositioÌ„s of the naturall appetite and motion of the senses did neuer come to be so much as a veniall sinne but contrariwise all these were holily and faithfully imploied in the seruice of diuine Loue for the exercise of other vertues which for the most part cannot be practised but amongst difficulties oppositions and contradictions 5. Thorneâ— in the common opinion are not onely differeÌ„t from flowers but contrarie to them and it seemes it were better if there were none in the world which made S. Ambrose thinke that but for sinne there had bene none at all But yet â—ith there are some the carefull husbandman doth fetch profit out of theÌ„ making there hedges and inclosurs about his closes and springing trees being their defence and rampire against cattell So the Glorious virgin hauing had a part in all humane miseries sauing such as doe directly tend to sinne she imploied them most profitably to the exercise and encrease of holy vertues of Hope Temperance Iustice and Prudence Pouertie Humilitie Sufferance and Compassion So that she was so farre from hindring that she did euen assist and strengthen heauenly loue by continuall exercises and aduancements And in her Magdalen did not trouble the attention wherewith she receiued from her Sauiour the impressions of loue for all Martha's heate and sollicitude She hath made choice of her Sonn's loue and not any thing doth depriue her of it 6. The ADAMANT as euery one knowes THEO doth naturally draw Iron vnto it by a secreet and most wonderfull vertue yet 5. things there are which doe hinder this operation 1. a too great distance 2. a DiamaÌ„t interposed 3. if the IroÌ„ be greesed 4. if it be rubbed with an onyon 5. if it be too waightie Our heart is made for God who doth continually allure it neuer ceasing to throw his baits into our hearts But fiue things doe hinder the operatioÌ„ of his draughtes 1. Sinne which puts vs at a distance with God 2. affection to riches 3. sensuall pleasures 4. Pride and vanitie 5. self-loue together with the multitude of inordinate passions which it brings forth and are to vs an ouercharging load bearing vs downe But none of these hindrances had place in the Glorious virgins heart 1. she was perpetually preserued from all sinne 2. perpetually most poore of heart 3. perpetually most pure 4. perpetually most humble 5. perpetually a peaceable Mistresse of all her passions and exempt from the rebellion which self-loue raiseth against the loue of God And therefore as Iron if it were quit of all obstacle yea euen of its owne waight were powerfully yet softely aÌ„d with aÌ„ equall draught drawne by the AdamaÌ„t yet so that the draught should still be more actiue and forcible as they came nearer the one to the other and the motion nearer to its end So the most holy Mother hauing nothing in her which hindred her Sonns diuine Loue she was vnited vnto him in an incomparable vnion by gentle extasies without trouble or trauell Extasies in which the sensible powers ceased not to performe their actions without disturbing the vnion of the mind as againe the perfect application of her mind did not much diuert her senses So that this virgins decease was more sweete then could be imagined drawen delightfully by the sent of her Sonns perfums and she most amiably springing after their sacred sweetenesse euen into the bosome of her Sonns Bountie And albeit this holy soule did extreamely affect her most holy most pure and most amiable bodie yet did she forsake it without paine
1. AS Loue rends towards the Good of the thing beloued either by taking delight in it being obtained or in desiring and pursuing it not being obtained So it brings forth hatred by which it flies the euill which is contrarie to the thing beloued either in desiring and striuing to be quit of it being alreadie present or in absence by essaying to diuert and hinder its approch But if euill can neither be hindred to approch nor be remoued loue at least leaues not to make it be hated and detested When loue therefore is seruent and is come to that hight that it would take away remoue and diuert that which is opposite to the thing beloued it is termed Zeale So that in proper speach Zeale is no other thing then loue in its ardour or rather the ardour that is in loue And therefore such as the loue is such is the Zeale which is in ardour If the loue be good the Zeale is Good if bad the Zeale is also bad Now when I speake of Zeale I meane to speake of iealousie too for iealousie is a SPECIES of Zeale and vnlesse I be deceiued there is but this onely difference betweene them That Zeale hath a respect to all the Good of the thing beloued with intention to remoue the contrarie euill from it but iealousie eyes the particular good of friendshipe to th' end it might repulse all that doth oppose it 2. When therefore we ardently set our affections vpon earthly and temporall things beautie honours riches Place That Zeale that is the ardour of that Loue ends ordinarily with enuie because these base and vile things are so little limited particular finite and imperfect that being possessed by one another cannot entirely possesse them So that being communicated to diuers each one in particular hath a lesse perfect communication of them But when we loue in particular to be ardently beloued the Zeale or ardour of this Loue turnes into Iealousie because humane friēdshipe though otherwise a vertue hath this imperfection by reason of our weaknesse that being diuided amongst many euery ones part it lesse Wherevpon the ardour or Zeale we haue to be beloued will not permit corriualls and companions which if we apprehend we haue we presently fall into the passion of Iealousie which indeede doth in some sort resemble enuie yet is farre an other thing 1. Enuie is alwayes vniust but iealousie is sometimes iust so that it be moderate for haue not such as are married good reason to looke that an others shareing with them doe not cause their friendship's decrease Enuie makes vs sorrowfull that our neighbour enioys a like or a greater good then we though he diminish not that which we haue one iot But iealousie is in no wise troubled at our neighbours good so it touch not vpon our coppie-hold for the Iealous man would not be sorrie that his companion should be beloued of others so it were not of his owne Mistresse Yea properly speaking a man is not iealous of Competitours till he apprehend that he himselfe hath alreadie atchiued the friendshipe of the partie beloued And if there be any passiō that preceedes this it is not iealousie but enuie 3. We doe not presuppose any imperfection in the partie we enuie but quite contrarie we apprehend that he hath the good which we doe enuie in him Marry we presuppose that the partie whereof we are iealous is imperfect fickle subiect to corruption and change 4. Iealousie proceedes from loue enuie comes from the defect of Loue. 5. Iealousie neuer happens but in matter of Loue but enuie is extended to all the subiects of good to honours to fauours to beautie And if at any time one be enuious of the affection which is borne to another it is not for loue but for the profit that is in it The Enuious man is not a whit troubled to see his fellow in grace with his Prince so that he be not in occurrences gratified and preferred by him That God is Iealous of vs. CHAPTER XIII 1. GOd saieth thus I am thy Lord thy God a iealous God Our Lord is called Iealous God is iealous then THEO but what is his iealousie verily vpon the first sight it seemes to be a iealousie of Concupiscence such as is a husbands ouer his wife for he will haue vs so to be his that he will in no sort haue vs to be any others but his No man saieth he can serue two Maisters He demands all our heart all our soule all our spirit all our strength for this very reason he is called our spouse our soules his Spouses And all sorts of separations from him are called fornication Adulterie And indeede it is high reason that this great God singularly good should most entirely exact our whole heart for our heart is but little and cannot store vs with loue enough worthily to loue the Diuine Goodnesse is it not therefore conuenient that since we cannot afford him such a measure of Loue as were requisite that at least we should afford him all we are able The GOOD that is soueraignely louely ought it not to be soueraignely loued and to loue soueraignely is to loue totally 2. Howbeit Gods iealousie of vs is not truely a iealousie of concupiscence but of SOVERAIGNE FRIENDSHIPE for it is not his profit that we should loue him but ours Our loue is vnprofitable to him but to vs gainefull and if it be agreeable to him it is because it is profitable to vs For being the Soueraigne GOOD he takes pleasure to communicate himselfe by loue without any kind of profit that can returne to him thereby whence he cries out making his complaint of sinners by way of iealousie They haue forsaken me me that am the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged vnto themselues Cisterns broken Cisterns that are not able to hold water marke a little THEO I praie you how this Diuine Louer doth delicatly well expresse the nobilitie and generositie of his Iealousie they haue left me saieth he me that am the Source of liuing water I complaine not that they haue forsaken me in respect of any damage that their reuoult can draw vpon me for what worse is a liuing spring that men will not draw water at it will it therefore leaue to glide and slide ouer the earth but I am sorrie for their misfortune that hauing left me they haue busied themselues about wells without water And if by supposition of an impossible thing they could haue light vpon some other fountaine of liuing water I should easily endure their departure from me since I pretend nothing in their loue but their owne good but to forsake me to perish to flie from me to fall headlong is that which doth astonish and offend me in their follie It is then for the loue of vs that he desires that we should loue him because we cannot cease to loue him but we begin to be lost nor withdraw any part of our affection from him but we