receaue all things as being sent vs from the hand of God by what way soeuer they arriue vnto vs. For it is he who doth direct them so One of those renowned Fathers of the desert was wont to say that a man should neuer attaine true quietnes and content vntil he could perswade himselfe that there was no body els in the world but God and he Doroth. doct 7. And S. Dorotheus says that those aūtient Fathers were very conuersant in receauing all things as coming from the hand of almighty God how sleight so euer they were in themselues and in what manner so euer they chaunced to them and that by this meanes they attained vnto a great quietnes and peace leading euen in their mortall bodies heauenly liues THE II. CHAPTER Wherein the second foundation is more amply declared IT is a verity so confirmed by holy scripture that all afflictions and euills which happen vnto vs for punishment of our sinnes are procecding from the omnipotent hand of God that it were needles for vs to spend more time in proofe therof did not the diuell seeke to obscure it with his malicious craft seeing from an other verity which we affirmed to be infallibly true to wit that God is neither Author nor cause of sinne he infers a false and lying conclusion in perswading some that how euer those harmes which a◠incident vnto vs by naturall causes and by creatures deuoid of reason as sickness◠famine sterility and the like are all proceeding from the hand of God seing that they commit no sinne in what they do neither is it possible they should in tha◠they are incapable of sinning neuerthele◠those harmes and domages which arriu◠vnto vs through the faults of others a when any one doth strike and wound or robbe and iniure me are not proceeding from the hand of God neither hapning through his appointment and prouidence but through the malice and peruersity of the others will which errour and such who receaue not euery thing as coming from the Almighty hand of God Doroth. doct 7. S. Dorotheus doth excellently reprehend where he sais We when we heare any word spoken against vs or chaunce to be iniured of any one do imitate dogs who when any one throwes a stone at them not regarding him who threw it do runne and bite the stone so we consider not God Almighty to be him who procured vs this affliction to clense vs from our sinnes but straight runne vnto the stone which is to wreake our anger on our neighbour To free vs from this errour as also to ground vs surely in the Catholicke truth the Diuins consider in the sinnes which man comits two thinges which do concure the one is the motion and exteriour acte the other the disorder of the will whereby we come to transgresse the comaund of God Of the first God is the Author and of the second man Let vs put the case on entring into quarell with an other kille him vnto the killing of him there is required that he lay hand to his sword that he lift it vp that he let fall his arme and giue the blow with diuers other naturall motions which may be a part considered by themselues without the disorder and commotion of that mans will by whose interuention that other man is kild and of all these motions by themselues and considered apart God is the Author and produceth them as he doth all other effects in creatures deuoid of reason seing that as nothing of it selfe without the helpe of God can put it selfe in acte or motion so also without him this man could not haue stired his arme nor handled his sword and more ouer these naturall actes in thēselues are not bad seeing that if a man should make vse of them in his defence in a lawfull warre or as executioner of Iustice and so kill an other he should cōmit no sinne but of that fault which is in the disorder of the will by which this wicked wretch cōmits that outrage and of the disaray of reason God is not the cause how euer he permit it in that he could haue hindered it and yet out of his iust iudgments doth not They vse to declare this by a comparison a man hath a wound in his foot and by reason therof he haults the cause why he doth go vpon his foot is the vertue and motiue power of the soule but the occasion of his lamenes in his wound and not the vertue of his soule so likewise in those actiōs by which men come to sinne God is the cause of the action but the defect and sinne proceeds meerly from the mans free will So that although God neither is nor can be the Author of any sinne yet we are assuredly to hold that all the euill inflicted on vs for punishment of our sins whether they arriue by intermission of causes naturall or els by vnreasonable creatures by what way or in what manner so euer they are directed are all proceeding from the hand of God and so ordained by his high prouidence it is God alone who lifts vp that hand which strikes you moues that tongue which reuiles and iniurs you si erit malum in ciuitate quod Deus non fecerit says the Prophet Amos Amos. 3 6. is there any euill in the Citty that God hath not done the holy scripture is full of this verity attributing all the euill which one man doth to an other vnto God saying that God alone is Author of it In the second booke of the Kings God tooke the inflicting of that punishmēt vpō himselfe where with he punished Dauid by meanes of his sonne Absalon for that adultery and murther which he had committed saying Behould I will raise vp against thee 2. Reg. 12.11 a plague from thine owne house and bereaue thee of thy wiues before thine eyes giue them to thy neighbour thou hast committed this thy wickednes in priuat but I will bring to passe that which I haue said in the sight of all Israell and in the face of the sunne whence also it is that those impious Kings who with great pride cruelty did execute most cruell vengeance on the people of God were called by the holy Scripture instruments of the diuine Iustice Isai 10.5 wo vnto Assur the rod of my fury and of Cyrus King of Persia by whom God purposed to punish the Chaldeans he sais Isa 45.1 cuius apprehendi dexteram whose right hand I haue laid hold of S. Augustin herupon discourseth excellent well Aug. su psal 73. their impiety saith he is become as the axe of God they are made the instrumēt of the angry but not the kingdome of the well pleased God vsually doth as we see men to do a man sometimes when he is angry will snatch vp some rod which lies next at hand perhaps some twig or other with which he beats his sonne and afterwards casting his rod into the fier
discours't at large vnto him on this subiect saying amongst many other things Behold my sonne when any thing chaunces among the heathens otherwise then they desire they become straight waies troubled but it becomes vs who know that God directs and gouernes all to be in continuall quiet and repose and vnderstaÌ„d sonne that this is so hapned for your greater good for if the disputation had been to morrow there had passed many things aboue your vnderstanding which now in the meane time I will so informe as you shall receaue both much content and profit when the day of disputation comes I will conclude with a domesticall example Lib. 2. c. 16 vitae P N. Ig. in vita P. Francisci Xauerij which is recorded in the life of our B. Father in which appear's most apparently this diuine prouidence wherof we speake and it is concerning the departure of S. Xauerius towards the east Indies The meanes by which he came to be designed for that expedition are most worthy of consideration Our B. F. S. Ignatius designed for that mission F. Simon Rodriguez F. Nicholas Bobadilla F. Simon as that time was much crazed with a Quartane Ague yet notwithstanding without delay he embark't himselfe for Portugall F. Bobadilla was aduertised by letter that he should leaue Calabria and repare presently to Rome he came but so weakned with the Iourney and those extreeme wants which he had suffered vpon the way and withall so ill disposed in one of his leggs that it was necessary he should remaine sometime vnder cure after his arriuall to Rome and Don Petro Mascaregna's hast calling away for Portugall S. Ignatius of necessity was to take a new resolution the Embassadour still vrging for an other Father and substitute by happy aduenture S. Xauerius in Bobadilla's place It might seem that by reason F. Bobadilla was named for that Iourney and not S. Xauerius and that he was only because of the Embassadours necessity of departure substituted into the others place that his designement for that expeditioÌ„ was by meer hazard thought vpon but there was no chauÌ„ce in it but only the particular prouidence of God which had determined to make him the glorious Apostle of those Easterne parts moreouer when they were arriued in Portugaell the Portugezi considering the great profit which they did entred vpon a resolution to detaine them both there neither could they be so wholly drawne from it as not to keepe the one whilst the other should be suffered to goe on his voyage to the Indies Looke here how things seeme to goe by chaunce neuertheles vnto God there is nothing casuall in the end the expedition to the Indies fell vnto S. Xauerius lot because the will of God had so disposed of it as a thing the most conferring to his glory and the saluation of so many soules Let men proiect and designe things as they please and take that way to effect them as they fancy best but God will make vse of those meanes which they inuent to put his owne ends in execution and order all as shall be most expedient and to his greater glory Besides these examples and others the like which the holy scripture affords vs and which we daily see and experience aswell in our selues as others it is requisit that we proceed by the way of prayer and consideration to confirme and imprint in our hearts this happy coÌ„fidence Neither are we to impose an end vnto this exercise vntill we sensibly perceaue in our hearts this familiar and filiall confidence in God And be assured that the greater this your confidence shall be wherby you cast your selfe as it were into the armes of God the more and greater shal your security be and on the contrary you shall neuer arriue vnto true peace and quietnes of mind vntill you haue attained this filiall coÌ„fidence seeing that without it there is no thing so slighâ— and little which hath not force to dismay and trouble you Let vs therfore resolue to cast and commit our selues with all speed into the hands of God and to place our assuraÌ„ce in him following that counsell of the Apostle S. Peter Omnem solicitudinem vestram proijcientes in eum 1. Petâ—i 5.7 Psal 54.23 quoniam ipsi eura est de vobis casting all your solicitude in him because he hath care of you and the Prophet says Iacta super Dommum curam tuam ipse te enutriet cast all the care of your selfe vpon God and he will nourish you O blesled Lord you haue tendred me so much as to deliuer ouer your selfe for my sake without any reseruation into the hands of those cruell tormenters for to do with thee whatsoeuer their strangly ingenious malice could inueÌ„t Iesum vero tradidâ— voluntaâ—â— eorum Luâ—â— 23. â—â— what wonder is it then if I do put and resigne my selfe intirely into those not cruell but deare charitable hand of thine for to do with me whatfoeuer thou shalt please when I am most certaine that thou wilt do nothing but what may be best and most conuenient for me Let vs become iointpartners in that contract which our Blessed Sauiour made with S. Catherine of Siena Our Lord at sundry times indeared this Saint vnto him with most sweet priuacy inriching her noble soule with many high graces and fauours among the rest one and a most particular one was that one day appearing vnto her he said filia cogita tu de me ego cogitabo continenter de te my daughter do thou thinke of me and I will haue perpetuall thought of thee O blessed accord ô happy exchaunge ô rich gaine of our soules This bargaine God is ready to make with euery on of vs do but lay aside the thought of your selfe and the solicitude of things and the more you shall forget your selfe to thinke and confide in God the greater charge and care shall God Almighty haue of you Who is there who would not with all his soule accept a condition so delicious and auailable as the Spouse in the Canticles glories to haue made with her beloued CaÌ„t. 7.10 Ego dilecto meo 〈◊〉 ad me conuersio eius I to my beloued and his regard is to me THE XII CHAPTER How great profit and perfection it is to apply prayer vnto this exercise of the conformity with the will of God and how we are so long to descend vnto particulars vntil we arriue vnto the third degree of the said conformity IOhn Rusbrock a very learned spirituall man Rusbroc in â—â—ne operum suorum writs of a certaine Virgin who in rendring an accouÌ„t of her prayer vnto her Ghostly Father a great seruant of Almighty God and a man of high contemplation with earnest desire to be instructed by him told him that her exercise in her prayer was on the life and passion of our Sauiour Christ and the profit which she reaped from thence was the knowledge of her selfe and of her
passions and defects as also a sorrow and compassion for the paine and sufferance of our Sauiour Christ her Confessor told her that all this was good but yet on without much vertue might be liuely toucht with tendernes and compassion of the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ like as we see the naturall loue and affection which one beares an other doth make him haue a deepe resentment of his friends misery and aduersity The Virgin then demaunded of him whether the daily deploring of our sinnes were a true deuotion or no he answered it was good but not the perfectest seeing that euill naturally brings with it a hatred of it againe she asked him whether it were a true deuotion to thinke often on the paines of hell and the glory of the Blessed he answered t' was likewise good but as farre from being the best as the former was seeing that nature its selfe by a certaine instinct doth commonly abhorre and fly from all paine and torment and loues and seekes after that which may bring vs to content and glory as when you see but the picture of some faire pleasant Citty you desire presently to inhabit it This did exceedingly grieue the holy Vigin and left her much disconsolate and sad in that shee knew not which way she might best apply her exercise of prayers to be most pleasing to Almighty God Not long after there appeared to her an Infant of exquisit beauty to whom when shee had related the cause of her sadnes adding withall it was so great that none could comfort her The Child did tell her she should forbeare to say so since he himselfe both could and would comfort her therfore go said he vnto your Ghostly Father and declare vnto him that true and solid deuotion doth consist in the abnegation and contemning of ones selfe as also in an intire resignation into the hands of God aswell in aduersity as prosperity in being straictly vnited by loue to God in euery thing The Virgin with â—oyfull cheer went presently vnto her Ghostly Father to informe him of all this who no sooner heard her but he answered this this is that indeed to which you are to apply your prayer seing that heerein consists the true charity and loue of God and consequently our profit and perfection It is recounted of an other Virgin that our Lord tought her to insist long time together vpon these words Refert Bloâ— ca. 11. mon spirit O Lord your will be done one earth as it is in heauen and we read of S. Gertrude that inspired by God Almighty shee repeated without any intermission those words of our Sauiour Lucae 22 42. Not my will ô Lord be done but thyne three hundred sixty fiue times together and she vnderstood that it was a deuotion most gratfull to Almighty God Let vs then imitate these examples and directing all our prayers vnto this end go forward couragiously in this exercise Now that we may the better and with greater profit doe it we are to presuppose two things The first is that this exercise is of greatest necessity in time of aduersity and wheÌ„ we haue any difficulty to ouercome vnto the conquest whereof is required a conflict against flesh and blood for in these occurrances there is greatest need of vertue and in such times as those the loue which we beare vnto God Almighty doth more manifestly appeare Euen as a King in time of peace by obliging his soldiers by his liberality doth shew the affection which he beares to them and they in the time of warre in fighting dying for him do shew the loue and loyall respect which they haue to him So in the time of spirituall ioy and consolation the King of heauen giues vs to vnderstand how dearly 〈◊〉 tenders vs and we in the time of desolation aduersity do more shew forth our affection vnto his seruice then we are able to do whilst we are in comfort and prosperity M. Auila to 2. ep fol. 20. Master Auila says exâ—ellent well that to render thanke to God in time of consolation is common vnto all but to blesse and praise him when we are oppressed with tribulation and aduersity is only proper to the good and perfect and a most harmonious musicke to the eares of God And he adds that in the midst of aduersity only to say I render you thanks ô Lord blessed be God or the like is of more worth merit then thousands of thanks and benedictions in time of prosperity and in this sense the holy Scripture compares the iust vnto the carbuncle Eccl 32.7 Gemmula carbunculâ— in ornamento auri because that this pretious stone giues greater lustre by night then in the shining day so in like manner the faithfull and true seruant of God Almighty shines and shewes forth more clearly what he is in the cloudy night of tribulation then in the bright sunne shine of prosperity And therfore the holy Scripture praiseth holy Toby so much Tob. 2.14 for that he although God permitted him to fall into sundry calamities and lastly had depriued him of his sight yet neuer proceeded in his sadnes against Almighty God nor remitted any thing of his former fidelity and obedieÌ„ce to his Diuine Maiestie but he remained alwaies immoueable rendring equall thanks to God his whole life long aswell for his blindnes as for the faculty of sight Iob 1.21 as holy Iob in his affections had done before This saith S. Augustin is that which we are to indeauour to imitate vt in cunctis idem sis Aug ad fratres in HereÌ„ ser 4. tam in prosperis quam in aduersis that as well in prosperity as aduersity we remaine alwaies the same Siâ—ut manus quae eadem est cum in palmam extenditur cum in pugnum constringitur Like as the hand is alwaies the same as well when we span it out as when we clutch our fist so likewise the seruant of Almighty God ought alwaies to be at quiet in the interior of his soule how euer he may seeme to the exterior shew to be perplext and sorrowfull And if it be true which is reported of Socrates Socrates refert Cicero lib. 13. Tuscula questio that in the greatest diuersity of fortune he was alwaies one and that he was neuer obserued to exceed a moderation in his mirth or sorrow Nec hilariorem quisquam nec tristem Socratem vidit aequalis fuit in tanta inaequalitau fortunae vsque ad extremum vitae what extraordinary thing were it in vs who are both Christians and Religious men to indeauour to aspire to a perfection vnto which a Heathen had arriued before vs. Secondly we are to know that it is not sufficient to haue this conformity with the will of God in Generall seeing it will be no hard matter to attaine it so for who is there that will not say he desires that the Diuine will be performed in euery thing
and sanctity but the holy man had not liued fower dayes in this manner freedome but he found the tranquility and peace of his soule sensibly diminished and in lieu thereof a great lisquietnes and perturbation in his mind whereupon he went to S. Francis againe and desired him with much earnestnes that he would appoint him to liue in some certaine place Couent and not leaue him any more vnto his owne free choyce assuring him that he could find no rest nor comfort in such a wild and vnlimited obedience Good religious men ought to haue no peace and contentment in performing their owne wills and so consequently to haue no desire to remaine and dwell in this Colledge or in that in this or the other Prouince but they are to expect vntill holy obedience do take them by the haÌ„d and dispose of them according as she pleases as knowing that such is the will of God in which they are only to take all pleasure and content THE XIV CHAPTER Of that indifferency and conformity with the will of God which Religious men are to haue concerning those offices functions in which obedience shall imploy them WE ought likewise to haue this indifferency resignation wherof we haue spoken in all those functions and offices in which we may be imployed by obedience we perceaue well how many and diuers those offices and functions are in a Religious Order and each one in particular is to go considering of them vntil we haue brought ourselues vnto an indifferency for all Our B. Father says in the constitutions and we haue it likewise in our Rules that in exercising abiect and humble offices we are more readily to accept of those from which we haue the greatest auersion if it should be inioyned vs to exercise our selues in them we haue most need of resignation anâ— indifferency in point of these meaner and abiect offices by reason of the naturall repugnanâ—e which we haue against them and therefore he doth more and shewes a greater vertue and perfection who offers himselfe vnto God to performe these offices then he who should make choyce to do more high and honourable ones If one whâ— had a great desire to serue some noblemaÌ„ should present his seruice in such manner vnto him as to remaine all his life his drudge or lakie if he should thinke it fit it is most apparant that he should do more and declare a greater will to serue that nobleman then one who should make offer of himselfe to be hiâ— Gentleman of the horse or steward of his house since this is rather to demaund a benefit then present his seruice and more ouer the others affection to his seruice would appeare the more if offering himselfe vnto those humble offices he had sufficient tallent to perfâ—rme more honourable ones And it is euen so in Religion if you should offer vp your self to God saying ô Lord I desire to serue you in quality of Preacher or Diuinity Master the matter were not much seing these high and honourable offices vse for themselues to be sought after and desired and therfore you declare in this no great desire of seruing God but when you offer your selfe to serue all the daies of your life in the house of God in coÌ„temptible base offices repugnant vnto sense then you doe giue a testimony indeed of the great desire you had to serue almighty God and this desire would be the more gratefull meritorious the more sit and able you were for the discharge of higher functions And this were enough to stire you vp to the desire of humble and abiect offices and to seeke after them especially seing indeed that in the house of God there is no office which is vile and abiect for as they say commonly if in the pallace of an earthly King there is nothing accounted base but his title ennobleth all and there is great account made of seruing him in the meanest quality how much more ought we to esteeme of all things belonging to the seruice of God to serue whom is properly to raigne S. Basile to stire vs vp vnto the affectionate loue of humble and abiect offices sets the example of our Sauiour before our eyes who as we read in the holy scripture did imploy himselfe in the like offices as in washing the feet of his Apostles and not only in that but also for a long time together in seruing his most holy Mother and S. Ioseph being subiect and obedient vnto them in all whatsoeuer they commaunded him Et erat subditus illis From the twelfth yeare of his age vntill he was thirty yeare old the holy scripture makes no other meÌ„tion of him but only this that he was subiect vnto them which the holy Fathers considering do excellent well infer that in that time he serued and helped them in many lowly and humble offices as considering their pouerty we may piously imagine Ne dedignetur facere Christianus quod fecit Christus let not a ChristiaÌ„ much lesse a Religious maÌ„ thinke much disdaine to do those things which Christ hath done since the sonne of God hath not refused to imploy himselfe in these contemptible offices for the loue of vs let not vs make any difficulty to be exercised in them for the loue of him although we should continue in them all our liues But to come nearer yet vnto our purpose one of the principall reasons and powerfulst motiues which should incite vs to accept with great readines whateuer office obedience should impose vpon vs is to consider that it is the will of God because as we haue said heretofore it ought to be all our comfort and consolation in all our imploiments that we performe the will of God in doing them this is that alone which ought to suffice and content a soule it is the will of God that for the present I should do such a thing behould now you know the pleasure of God and are not to seeke after any thing besides seing there is nothing better or more sublime then the will of Almighty God Whosoeuer should go on in this manner would not esteeme it to import any thing whether they enioyned him this or that to do or imployed him in an eminent or abiect office since there would be no difference vnto such an one S. Hierome relates an example very fitly seruing for this present subiect he sayes that visiting those holy MoÌ„ks who liued in the desert he saw one whom the Superior had commaunded both for his owne aduancement in perfection as also to giue an example of obedience vnto the younger sort of Religious to carry twice a day a mighty stone three miles vnto no other end and for no other profit but to obey and mortify his proper iudgment and this had he already done for eight whole yeares together This saith S. Hierom would appeare vnto those who do not know the true value of the vertue of obedience and haue not
Exultate iusti in Domino Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitiones cordis tui Reioyce in our Lord and exult ô yea iust and glory all you of a right heart Yea righteous exult in our Lord. Reâ—oyce in him and in his infinit goodnes and he will graunt you the petitions of your owne heart or rather all which you shall desire and stand in necessity of For this is a prayer by which without setting your selfe to pray you pray and God heareth the desires of your heart to shew how much he is delighted with this prayer of yours And the Apostle S. Paul writing to the Philippians saieth Ad Phil. 4.4 reioyce alwaies in our Lord Gaudete in Domino semper and thinking it not sufficient to haue said it once he adds iterum dico gauâ—ete I say againe to you reioyce And this was the ioy which informed the sacred Virgins purest heart when in her Canticle shee said 〈◊〉 1. â—â— Et exultauit spiâ—itus meus in Deo salutari meo and my soule hath exulted in God my saluation And with this ioy likewise was our B. Sauiour Christ replenished when as the sacred Euangell testifieth of him exultauit Spiritu Sansto he reioyced in the holy Ghost Luc. 10.21 And the roy all Prophet said that the ioy and contentment was so passing great which his soule receaued from the consideration of the great felicity glory of God and so becoming it was for euery one to reioyce in that infinit goodnes which is in him as euen the soules ioy out of its aboundance had influence into his body and set his flesh on fier with the same loue of God Psal 83.3 Cor meum caro mea exultauerum in Deum viuum my heart flesh haue exulted in the liuing God and in an other place Psal 34.9 Anima mea exultabit in Domino delectabitur super salutari tuo omnia ossa mea dicent Domine quis similis tibi my soule shall reioyce in God and be delighted with the Author of it saluation and all my bones shall say ô my Lord who is like to thee And because this loue is a thing so celestiall and diuine our Mother the Church directed by the Holy Ghost in the beginning of her Canonicall howers inuiteth vs by this Inuitatorium to loue out Lord in this manner to reioyce to triuÌ„ph in his endles perfection and it is the beginning of the 94. Psalme Psal 94.1 2. Venite exultemus Domino iubilemus Deo salutarinostro praeoccupemus faciem â—ius in confessione in Psalmis iubilemus ei come all and reioyce in our Lord and sing canticles of iubilation to his eternall praise who is our saluation seing he is God and a mighty Lord and King aboue all Gods veing the sea is his and he made it and his hands haue founded the dry Land Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus Rex magnus super omnâ—s Deos c. Quoniam ipsius est mare ipsâ—fecit illud aridam fundauerunt manus eius for this reason and the same end the holy Church concludeth all it Psalmes with this versicle Gloria Patri silio Spiritui Sancto Sicut erat in principio nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen this is that entrance into the ioy of our Lord which our Sauiour spoke of in the Ghospell Mat. 25.21 Intra in gaudium Domini tui where we are made partakers of the insinitioy of God by reioycing delighting our selues with him for his glory beauty and riches all infinit Now to the end that we may take pleasure in this exercise and endeauour to proceed alwaies therin with this cheerfulnes and ioy it will much helpe vs to consider how good God is how faire how glorious in all which he is so passing infinit that his only vision doth render those who do enioy it blessed in so much as should but the damned in hell once haue a glimps of him all their paine and torments would be turned to ioy Hell would be changed to a Paradyse Ioan. 17.3 Hâ—e est autem vita aeterna vs cognoscunt te solum Deum verum saith our Sauiour Christ in the Euangell of Saint Iohn This is eternall life that they know thee the only true God this is that which maketh them blessed and that not only for a day or yeare but for eternity in such manner as neuer to be satiat with seing God but the delight therof shall be alwaies new vnto them according to that of the Apocalyps Apo. 14.3 Et cantabunt quasi canticum nouum they shall alwaies sing as if their song were new This seemeth to me sufficiâ—tly to declare the infinit goodnes beauty and perfection of God but notwithstanding there is alwaies somewhat to adde yea infinitly more God is so faire 3. Th. 1. p. q. 26. ar 2. so glorious that euen in seing himselfe he is made happy so as the glory and felicity of God is to see loue himselfe Imagin therfore what reason we haue to be glad and to reioyce in a goodnes beauty and glory so infinitly great as to fill with delicious content the whole Citty of God rendring all the Citsens blessed who inhabit it euen God himselfe happy in knowing and louing of himselfe THE XXXIV CHAPTER How we may yeâ— farther extend this holy exercise WE may yet farther dilate and enlarge our selues vpon this subiect in descending to the consideration of the most facred humanity of Christ our Lord from the contemplation of his diuinity obseruing the great dignity and perfection therof and from thence receauing particular pleasure and delight in that the sacred humanity of Christ is so highly exalted and straitly vnited to his diuinity that it is enriched with all abouÌ„dance of grace and glory that it is the instrumeÌ„t of the diuinity to exploit those highest mysteries of the sanctification and glorification of all the elect and impart those supernaturall gifts and graces which God distributeth and bestoweth on men And finally we are to reioyce receaue exceediog pleasure from euery particular of the perfection and glory of the most blessed soule and sacred body of our Redeemer Iesus Christ insisting therupon with a truly viscerall loue delectation In such manner as the Saints do contemplate him and the sacred virgin beheld him on the day of his glorious resurrection rising from death so bright and triumphantly in fine with such affection as the holy Patriarch Iacob did declare Gen. 4â— 38 when as the scripture saieth hearing that his soone was yet liuing and Lord of all Egypt he was surprized with so excessiue â—oy that his decayed spirits being reuiued therby he said it is sufficient if my sonne Ioseph liueth I desire no more then only to go and see him and then I shall be content to dy And we may extend this exercise vnto the glory of the immaculate virgin and all the