indiuisible Perfection distinctly and perfectly all other Perfections in an infinitly excellent and eminent manner to which our thoughts cannot raise themselues At least in some sort to speake of God we are forced to vse a great number of names saying that he is GOOD WISE OMNIPOTENT TRVE IVST HOLY INFINITE IMMORTALL INVISIBLE And certes we saie true God is all this together because he is more then all this that is to saie he is in so pure excellent and eleuated a manner that in one most simple perfection he containes the Vertue Vigour and excellencie of all perfection 3. So Manna was one onely meate which containing in it seâ—fe the tast and vertue of all other meats one might haue saied of it that it had the tast of Lemmons Melons Raysins Prunes and Peares yet might one truelyer haue saied that it had not all these gusts but one onely which was properly it's owne containing notwithstanding in it's vnitie all that was agreeable and to be desired in all the diuersitie of all other gusts As the hearbe DEDECATHEOS which as PLINIE saieth curing all deseases is neither Rubarbe Sene Rose Betonie or Bugle but a pure simple which in the onely simplicitie of it's proprietie containes as much vertue as the mixture of all the other medecins O Abysse of diuine Perfections how admirable thou art to possesse in one onely PerfectioÌ„ the Excellencie of all Perfection in so excellent a sort that none can comprehend it but thy selfe 4. We will saie much saieth the holy Scripture of this matter and yet shall alwaies come short in wordes the somme of all discourse is that he is all things If we glorie to what purpose shall it be for the Almightie is aboue all his workes Blessing our Lord exalte him as much as thou can'st for he passeth all Praise In exalting him take breath againe marrie wearie not your selfe in it for you shall neuer be able to comprehend him No THEOTIME we can neuer comprehend him syth as S. IOHN saieth he is larger then our heart Yet neuerthelesse let each Spirit praise our Lord calling him by all the most eminent Names which may be found And for the greatest Praise we can render vnto him let vs confesse that neuer can he be sufficiently praised And for the most excellent Name we can attribute vnto him let 's protest that his name passeth all Names nor can we worthily name him That in God there is but one onely Act which is his proper Diuinitie CHAPTER II. 1. THere are in vs great diuersitie of Faculties and Habits which doe produce great varietie of actions and they also an incomparable number of workes For in this manner the Faculties of hearing seeing tasting touching mouing ingendering nourishing willing and the Habits of speaking walking playing singing sowing leaping swimming are diuerse as also the actions and workes which issue from these faculties and Habits are much different 2. But it is not the like in God for in him there is One onely most simple infinite Perfection and in that Perfection one onely most sole and most pure Act yea to speake more sainctly and sagely God is one sole most soueraignly indiuisible and most indiuisibly soueraigne Perfection and this Perfection is one sole most purely simple and most simply pure Act which being no other thing then the proper diuine Essence it is consequently euer permanent and eternall Neuerthelesse miserable Creaturs that we are we talke of Gods Actions as though dayly done in great quantitie and varietie knowing yet the contrarie But our weaknesse THEOTIME forceth vs to this for our Speach can but follow our Vnderstanding and our Vnderstanding the customarie passage of things with vs. Now for as much as in naturall things there is hardly any diuersitie of workes without diuersitie of Actions when we behould so many different workes so great varietie of productions and the innumerable multitude of workes of the diuine Puissance we deeme forthwith that this diuersitie is caused by as many Acts as we see different Effects and we speake of them accordingly for our more ease and to conforme our selues to the ordinarie practise and custome we haue to vnderstand things and yet doe not we in this violate Truth For though in God there is no multitude of Actions but one sole act which is the Diuinitie it selfe this Act notwithstanding is so perfect that it comprehends by manner of Excellencie the force and vertue of all the Acts which might seeme requisite to the production of all the diuerse Effects we see 3. God spoake but one word and in vertue of that in a moment the Sunne Moone and that innumerable multitude of Starres with their differences in brightnesse motion and influence were made He spoake and scarcely yet begun Behould a perfect worke was done One of Gods wordes filled the aire with birds and sea with fishes made spring from the earth all the plants and all the beasts we see For though the sacred Historian accommodating himselfe to our fashion of vnderstanding recounts that God did often repeate that OmnipoÌ„tent worde according to the dayes of the world's Creation neuerthelesse properly speaking this worde was purely one so that Dauid termes it a Breathing or Aspiration of the diuine Mouth that is one onely Touch of his infinite will which so powrefully with his vertue doth bedewe the varietie of things created that therby we conceiue them as multiplied and diuersifiied into differences proportionable to the Effects though indeede it is most indiuisible and most simple So doth S. CHRYSOSTOME marke that which MOYSES made many wordes off describing the Creation of the world the glorious S. IOHN expressed in a worde saying that by the worde that is by this Eternall worde which is the Sonne of God all was made 4. This worde then THEOTIME being most simple and most indiuisible produceth all the distinction of things being inuariable produceth all good changes and in fine being permanent in his Eternitie giueth succession vicissitude order rancke and season to all things 5. Let vs imagine I pray you of one side a Painter drawing the picture of our Sauiours Birth and I writ this in the Feast dedicated to this holy Mysterie doubtlesse he will giue a thousand and a thousand touches with his Pencill and will not onely imploy daies but euen weekes and monthes to perfect this Table as the varietie of persons and other things which he will there represent shall require But on the other side let 's behould a Stamper of picturs who hauing spred his leafe vpon the grauen Planch of the Natiuitie giuing but one onely stroke of his Presse and in that onely touch THEOTIME he will perfect his worke and presently he will take off his picture gratfully representing in a faire and smouth cut all that ought to be imagined according to the sacred Historie and though in one motion he performed the worke yet it carrieth a great number of personages and other different things each one well distinguished in
be idle he vrgeth vs by this generall commandement to imploy it and to th' end this commandement might haue effect he furniseth euery liuing creature abundantly with all meanes requisite thervnto The visible Sunne toucheth euery thing with his liuely heate and as the common louer of things belowe doth impart vnto them requisite vigour to produce And euen so the diuine goodnesse doth animate all soules and encourage all hearts to her loue none at all being shut vp from her heate The eternall wisdome sayeth Salomon preacheth in publicke she makes her voice resoūd amōgst the places she cries ād recries before the people she pronoūceth her words in the gates of the Citie saying ô children how long will it be that you will loue your infancie how long will fooles desire hurtfull things and the imprudent hate knowledge Conuert your selues returne to me vpon this aduertissement ah behould how I profer you my spirit and I will shew you my wordes And the same wisdome pursueth in EZECHIEL saying Let no man saye I am dead in sinne and how cā I recouer life againe Ah no! for harke God saieth I am liuing and as true as I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and liue Now to liue according to God is to loue and he that loues not remaines in death See now THEOTIME whether God doth not desire we should loue him 2. But he is not content to denounce in this manner publickly his great desire to be loued so that euery one might receiue a part of the seedes of his loue but he goes euen from doore to doore knocking and beating protesting that if any one open he will enter and suppe with him that is he will testifie all sorts of good will towards him 3. But what would all this saie THEOTIME but that God doth not onely giue vs a meere sufficiencie of meanes to loue him and in louing him to saue our selues but euen a rich ample and magnificent sufficiencie and such as ought to be expected from so great a bountie as his The great Apostle speaking to the obstinate sinner Dost thou contemne saieth he the riches of the bountie patience and longanimitie of God art thou ignorant that the benignitie of God doth draw thee to penāce But thou according to thy hardnesse ād impenitēt heart dost heape vp against thy selfe anger in the day of Anger My deare THEO God doth not therfore exercise a meere sufficiencie of remedies to conuert the obstinate but imployes to this end the riches of his bountie The Apostle as you see doth oppose the riches of God's goodnesse against the treasurs of the impenitēt hearts malice and saieth that the malicious heart is so rich in iniquitie that he despiseth euē the riches of Gods mildnesse by which he drawes him to repentance and marke that the obstinate doth not onely contemne the riches of God's goodnesse but euē riches attractiue to repentance Riches wherof one cānot well be ignorant verily this rich heape and abundant sufficiencie of meanes which God freely bestoweth vpon sinners to loue him doth appeare almost through the whole Scripture For see this diuine Louer at the gate he doth not simply beate but stayes beating he calls the Soule goe to rise my well-beloued dispach put thy hād to the locke to try whether it will open When he preacheth amidst the places he doth not simply preach but goes crying out that is he continues his crie and when he proclaims that euery one should conuert themselues he thinkes he hath neuer repeated it sufficiently Conuert your selues conuert your selues doe penance returne to me liue why dost thou die ô house of Israel In conclusion this heauenlie Sauiour forgets nothing to shew that his mercyes are aboue all his workes that his mercy doth surpasse his Iudgment that his Redemption is copious that his loue is infinite and as the Apostle saieth that he is rich in mercy and by consequence that his will is that all men should be saued none perish How the eternall loue of God doth preuent our hearts with his inspirations to th' end we might loue him CHAPTER IX 1. I Haue loued thee with a perpetuall charitie ād therfore haue drawen thee vnto me hauing pitie and mercy vpon thee and againe I will reedifie thee and thou shalt be built againe virgin of ISRAEL These are God's wordes by which he promiseth that the Sauiour coming into the world shall establish a new raigne in his Church which shall be his Virgin-spouse and true spirituall Israëlite 2. Now as you see THEOT it was not by any merit of the workes which we had done that he saued vs but according to his mercy his auncient yea eternall charitie which moued his diuine Prouidence to draw vs vnto him For if the father had not drawne vs we had neuer come to the Sonne our Sauiour nor consequently to saluation 3. There are certaine birds THEOT which Aristotle calls Apodes for that their legges being extreamly short and their feete feable they haue no more vse of them then though they had none at all so that if at any time they light vpon the groūd they are caught neuer after being able to take flight because hauing no seruice of their legges or feete they haue no further power to rayse and regaine themselues into the ayre but remaine there peuling and dying vnlesse some winde fauorable to their impotencie sending out his blastes vpon the face of the earth sease vpon them and beare them vp as it doth many other things For then making vse of their winges they correspond to this first touch and motion which the winde gaue them it also continewing it's assistance towards them bringing them by little and little to flight 4. THEO Angels are like to the birds which for their beautie and raritie are called birds of Paradice neuer seene in earth but dead For those heauenlie spirits had no sooner forsaken Diuine loue to be fixed vpon Selfe loue till sodainely they fell as dead buried in Hell seeing that the same effect which death hath in men seperating them euerlastingly from this mortall life the same had the Angels fall in them excluding them for euer from eternall life But we mortalls doe rather resemble Apodes For if it chance that we quitting the ayre of holy and diuine loue fall vpon the earth and adheare to creaturs which we doe as often as we offend God we die indeede yet not so absolute a death that there resteth in vs no motiō together with legges and feete to wit some weake affectiōs which enableth vs to make some essaies of loue yet so weakly that in trueth we are impotēt of our selues to reclaime our hearts from sinne or restore our selues to the flight of sacred loue which catifs that we are we haue perfideously and voluntarily forsaken 5. And truely we should well deserue to remaine abandoned of God sith we haue disloyally abandoned him but his eternall charitie doth often not
ABRAHAMS bosome after this child 3. Commiseration is also great according to the greatnesse of their sufferances whom we loue for how little soeuer the frieÌ„dshipe be if the euells which we see endured be extreame they cause in vs great pitie This made Cesar weepe ouer Pompey and the daughters of Hierusalem could not stay themselues from weeping ouer our Sauiour though the greater part of them did not much affect him as also the friends of IACOB though wicked friends made great lamentation in beholding the dreadfull spectacle of his incomparable miserie and what a stroke of griefe was it in the heart of IACOB to thinke that his deare child was dead of a death so cruell as to be deuoured by a sauage beaste But besids all this commiseration is much strengthened by the presence of the obiect in miserie this caused the poore Agar absent her selfe from her languishing sonne to disburden her selfe in some sort of the compassionate griefe which she felt saying I will not see the child die as contrariwise our Sauiour weepes seeing the sepulchre of his well-beloued Lazarus and beholding his deare Hierusalem And the good IACOB was struck with griefe when he saw the bloodie Robe of his poore little IOSEPH 4. Now as many causes also doe augment complacence As a friend is more deare vnto vs we take more pleasure in his contentment and his good doth enter more deeply into our heart which if it be excellent our ioye is also greater but if we see our friend while he enioyes it our reioycing becomes extreame When the good IACOB knew that his sonne liued ô God what ioye his heart returned home he reuiued yea as one would saie returned to life But what is this he reuiued returned to life THEO SPIRITS die not their proper death but by sinne which seperateth them from God who is their true supernaturall life yet die they sometimes by anothers death and this happened to IAGOB of whom we speake for loue which drawes into the heart of the louer the good and euill of the thing beloued the one by complacence the other by commiseration drew the death of the louely IOSEPH into the louing IACOBS heart and by a miracle impossible to any other power but loue the minde of the good Father was full of the death of him that liued and raigned deceiued affection forerunning the effect 5. But as soone as he had knowen that his sonne was a liue Loue who had so long detained the presupposed death of the sonne in the good Fathers heart seeing that he was deceiued speedely reiected this imaginarie death and made enter in its place the true life of the saied sonne Thus then he returned to a new life because the life of his sonne entred into his heart by complacence and animated him with an incomparable contentment with which finding himselfe satisfied and not esteeming any other pleasure in comparison of this it fufficeth me saieth he if my child IOSEPH liue But when with his proper eyes he experienced his deare childs greatenesse in Gessan hanging vpon him and for a good space weeping about his necke ah now saieth he I will die ioyfull my deare SoÌ„ne sith I haue seene thy face and thou dost yet liue ô God what a ioye THEO and how excellently expressed by this old man For what would he saie by these words now I will die contented sith I haue seene thy face but that his content was so great that it was able to render death it selfe ioyfull and agreeable being the most discomfortable and horrible thing in the world Tell me I pray you THEO who hath more sense of IOSEPHES good he that enioyes it or IACOB who reenioyes it Certainly if good be not good but in respect of the content which it affordeth vs the father hath as much yea more then the Sonne for the sonne together with the dignitie of VICE-ROY whereof he is possessed hath coÌ„sequently many cares aÌ„d affaires but the Father doth enioye by Complacence and purely possesse all that good is in this his sonnes greatenesse and dignitie without charge care or trouble I will dye Ioyfull saieth he Alas who doth not see his contentment if euen death cannot trouble his ioye who can euer chang it if his content can liue amidst the distresses of death who can euer bereeue him of it Loue is strong as death and the ioyes of loue doe surmount the anoyes of death for death caÌ„not kill but doth reuiue them so that as there is a fire which miraculously is feed in a fountaine nere Greenoble as I surely know and S. AVGVSTINE doth attest so holy Charitie is so strong that she doth nourish her flames and consolations in the saddest anguishes of death and the waters of tribulations cannot extinguish her fires Of the commiseration and Complacence of loue in our Sauiours Passion CHAPTER V. 1. VVHen I see my Sauiour vpon the mouÌ„t Oliuet with his soule sad euen to death O Lord Iâ—SVS saie I who could haue borne these sorrowes of death in the soule of life if not loue who mouing commiseration drew thereby our miseries into thy soueraigne heart Now a deuote soule seeing this abisse of sorrow and distresse in this Diuine louer how can she be without a holily louing griefe But considering on the other side that none of these her well-beloued's afflictions proceede from any imperfectioÌ„ or want of force but from the greatnesse of his most deare loue she cannot but melt with a holily dolorous loue so that she cries out I am blacke with griefe by compassion but I am faire with loue by Complacence the anguishes of my well-beloued haue changed my hew for how can a faithfull louer see him so tormented whom she loues more then her life without becomming appalled withered and dried vp with griefe Nomades tents perpetually exposed to the outrage of weather and warrs are almost still beaten and couered with dust and I open to sorrows which by commiseration I receiue from the excessiue suffrances of my diuine Sauiour I am quite couered with anguishe and split with griefe but because his griefes whom I loue proceede from his loue as much as they afflict me by compassion they delight me by Complacence For how must not a faithfull louer needes haue an extreme coÌ„teÌ„t to see her selfe so much beloued of her heauenly Spouse And hence the beautie of loue appears in the foulenesse of griefe And though I weare mourning weedes for the Passion and death of my King deformed and blacked with griefe yet am I not without an incomparable delight to behold the excesse of his loue amidst the panges of his sorrowes And the tents of SALOMON brodered and wrought with an incomparable diuersitie of worke was neuer so goodlie as I am content and consequently sweete amiable and agreeable in the varietie of the essaies of loue which I feele amongst these griefes Loue doth equalize the louers ah I see this deare louer who is a burning fire in a thornie
consolatioÌ„s or else to be occupied in vaine delight farre remote from true Loue and to mistake the honie of Heraclea for that of Narbone Of the perplexitie of the heart in Loue which doubts whether it please the Beloued CHAPTER XI 1. THe Musician which I mentioned being fallen sicke tooke no delight in his owne musicke saue onely that now and theÌ„ he perceiued his Prince attentiue to it and please himselfe in it O how happie is the heart that Loues God without pretence of any other pleasure then a strife to please God for what more deare and perfect pleasure can a soule euer take then that which is takeÌ„ in the Diuine pleasure Yet this pleasure to please God is not properly Diuine Loue but the fruit thereof which may be separated from it as the Lemmon from the Lemmon tree For as I haue saied our Musician did continually sing without reaping any contentment of his song whereof his deefenesse made him incapable and often also did he sing without hauing the pleasure to please his Prince who after he had giuen him Order to begin would withdraw himselfe or goe a hunting neither taking leasure nor pleasure to heare bim 2. O God while thy benigne looke doth testifie vnto me that thou art pleased in the song of my Loue ah how I am comforted for is there any pleasure comparable to the pleasure of pleasing thee But when thou turnes thyne eyes from me not daigning me a feeling of the delightfull fauour of the complacence which thou takest in my song good God what panges my soule endures without leauing off for all that â—â—â—ally to Loue thee and continually to sing the Hymne of thy Loue not for any delight she finds in it for she finds none at all but for the pure Loue of thy will 3. I haue seene a sicke child of that disposition that he would couragiously haue eaten whaâ— his mother presented him though with an incredible loathing for a pure desire he had to giue her content In this case he eate his meate without taking any pleasure in it yet not without a pleasure of a higher rate and ranke which was the pleasure of pleasing his mother aÌ„d in perceiuing her coÌ„tent But another who without seeing his mother by the meere knowledge he had of her desire tooke all that was brought to him by her order he eate without any pleasure at all for he neither had the pleasure of eating nor yet the contentment to see his mother pleased but did it onely purely and simply to doe her will The contentment of our Prince who is present with vs or of any partie that we Loue earnestly makes watchings paines and trauailles delicious and begets in vs a Loue of perill But nothing is so discomfortable as to serue a Maister that knowes it not or at least if he know it yet giues no signe that he takes it in good part Loue must be strong in this occurrence because it runnes alone without being sustained by any pleasure or pretention 4. Thus it comes to passe often times that we haue no consolation in the exercise of holy Loue for that being like deafe singers we heare not our owne voices nor eÌ„ioye the melodie of our soÌ„g yea further we are pressed with a thousand feares frighted with a thousand false Alarmes which the Enemye giues round about our heart suggesting that peraduenturs we are not in grace with our Maister and that our Loue is fruitlesse yea that it is false and vaine since it brings forth no comfort And then THEO we labour not without pleasure onely but with an exceeding distresse being neither able to discouer the profit of our labours nor his contentment for whom we labour 5. But that which in this case doth augment our difficultie is that euen the Spirit and highest part of Reason cannot all asswage our griefe for this poore superiour portion of Reason being beset round about with the suggestions of the enemie she is euen all in teares and hath her hands full in keeping the GARD least sinne by surprise might get consent so that she can make no SALLâ—â— to disengage the inferiour part of her Spirit And albeit she haue not lost heart yet is she so desperatly set at that though she be not guiltie of fault yet is she not free from paine for that her griefe might be full she is depriued of the generall consolatiâ—n which doth ordinarily accompanie vs through all the other calamities of this life to wit hope that they will not be of long continuance but will haue an end so that the heart in these spirituall troubles falls into a certaine impotencie of thinking to see an end of them and consequently of hoping to be eased of its burden Faith indeede which resides in the top of the Spirit assures vs that these troubles will haue end and that one day we shall enioye expected repose But the lowdnesse of the shoutes and outcries which the Enemie makes in the rest of the soule about the inferiour Reason's Quarter will scarely permit the aduise and Remonstrance of Faith to be heard And we haue our Imagination filled with this heauie presage Alas I shall neuer be ioyfull 6. O God my deare THEO now it is that we are to shew an inuincible courage towards our Sauiour seruing him purely for the Loue of his will not onely without pleasure but euen floting in the midst of sorrows horrours astonishments and assaults as did his glorious mother and S. IOHN vpon the day of his passion who amongst so many blasphemies sorrows and deadly disasters remained constant in Loue yea euen in thaâ— instant in which our Sauiour hauing drawen all his holy ioyes to the very top of his Spirit left no ioye or consolatioÌ„ at all in his heauenly couÌ„tinaÌ„ce and when his eyes languishing and couered with the darke vaile of death did onely cast vpon them a looke of sorrow as did the Sunne send out beames of horrour and daunting darknesse How the soule amidst theâ—â— interiour anguishes knowes not the Loue she beares to God and of the Louely death of the will CHAPTER XII 1. THe night before the great S. PETER was to sufâ—er Martyrdome an Angell came to the Prison and filled it with splendour awaked S. PETER made him arise girt himselfe put on his shooes and clothes freede him of his bonds and shackles drew him out of Prison and led him through the first and second garde till he came to the iron gate in the high way towards the towne which opened at their coÌ„ming and hauing passed a streete the Angell left the glorious S. PETER in full libertie Behold a great varietie of very sensible actions and yet S. PETER who was at the first awaked did not apprehend that which was done by the Angell was done indeede but esteemed in â—n imaginarie vision He was awake and yet did not thinke so he put on his clothes and shooes not knowing that he had done it he walked and yet
iust man turne from his iustice by sinne God will no longer remember the iustice and good works which he hath done But yet if this poore fallen man doe afterwards rise and returne into Gods grace by penance God will thinke no more of his sinne and not remembring his sinne he will turne mindfull of his former good works and of the reward which he promised them since sinne which alone had blotted them out of the diuine memorie is wholy raysed out abolished annihilated so that in that case God's Iustice doth oblige his Mercy or rather his Mercy doth enforce his Iustice to looke a new vpon their precedent good works euē as though he had neuer forgottē thē otherwise the sacred penitent had not dared to saie to his Maister render vnto me the ioye of thy saluation and confirme me with thy principall spirit for as you see he doth not onely require a newnesse of heart and spirit but he pretends to haue the ioye rendred vnto him which sinne had bereft him off Now this ioye is no other thing then the wine of heauenly Loue which doth reioyce mans heart 3. It fares not alike with sinne in this behalfe as with the workes of charitie for the iust mans workes are not blotted out abolished or annihilated by the commission of sinne but are onely forgotten marry the sinnes of the wicked are not onely forgotten but are euen raysed out clenged abolished and annihilated by holy penāce wherevpon the sinne that is committed by the iust man doth not cause the sinne that was once pardoned to liue againe because it was entirely annihilated But when loue returnes into the penitent soule it makes her former good works returne to life againe because they were not abolished but onely forgotten And this obliuion of the works of the iust man who hath forsaken his iustice and charitie consisteth in this that it made them vnprofitable while sinne made him vncapable of eternal life which is their fruit and therefore as soone as by the returne of Charitie he is rancked againe with the childen of God and thereby made capable of immortall glorie God recals to mind his auncient good works and they become againe fruitfull It were not reasonable that sinne should haue as much power ouer Charitie as Charitie hath against sinne For sinne is an issue of our infirmitie Charitie proceedes from God's power If sinne abound in malice to ruinate vs Grace doth superabound to worke the reparation and God's Mercy by which he blots out sinne doth rayse it selfe continually and becomes gloriously triumphant ouer the rigour of Iudgement whereby God had forgotten the good workes which went before sinne In this sort in the corporall cures which our Sauiour did by miracle he did not onely restore health but withall added new benedictions making the cure farre passe the desease so bountifull is he to man 4. I neuer saw red nor heard that waspes oxebees flies and such other little hurtfull creatures being once dead did reuiue and returne to life againe but that the vertuous and harmelesse honie Bee can rise againe it is a common report and I haue often red it It is saied these are Plinies words that if one keepe the dead bodies of the drowned bees all the winter with in the house and expose thē to the sunne beames the spring following couered ouer with ashes of the figue tree they will rise againe and be as good as euer That iniquities and sinfull workes cā returne to life after they haue once bene drowned and abolished by penance truly my THEO neuer for as muche as I know did the Scripture or any Diuine saie it yea the contrarie is authorised by holy writ and by the common consent of Doctours But that good works which like vnto the sweete Bee doe compound the honie of merite being drowned in sinne can afterwards regaine life when couered with the ashes of penance they are exposed to the sunne of grace and Charitie is held and cleartly taught by all the Diuines nor are we to doubt but that they become profitable and fruitfull as before When Nabuzardan destroyed Hierusalem and Israel was led in captiuitie the holy fire of the Altar was hid in a well where it was turned into mud but this mud being drawen out of the well and exposed to the sunne after their returne from Captiuitie the dead fire kindled againe and the mud was turned into flames When the iust man is made slaue to sinne all the works of his life are miserably forgotten and turnd into durt but being deliuered out of Captiuitie to wit when by penance he returnes into grace with heauenly Charitie his former good works are drawen out of the well of obliuion and touched with the raves of heauenly mercy they returne to life and are conuerted into as cleare flames as euer to be sacrificed on the sacred Altar of the diuine approbation and to be restored againe to their wonted dignitie price and value How we are to reduce all the exercise of all the vertues and all our actions to holy Loue. CHAPTER III. 1. BRute beastes though they know not the end of their actions doe indeede tend to their end but pretend it not for to pretend is to tend to a thing by purpose before we tend to it in effect They cast as it were their actions towards their end yet forecast they not but follow their instinct without election or intention But man is Maister in such sort ouer his humane and reasonable actions that in them all he proposeth some end and can direct them to one or many particular ends as he pleaseth for he can change the naturall end of an action as when he sweares to deceiue another whereas contrariwise the end of an oath is to hinder deceite He can also adde another end to the naturall end of an action as when besides the intention of succouring of the needie which is the end of Almes-deedes he adds the intention of obliging the needie to render him like for like 2. Now we adde sometimes a lesse perfect end thē is the end of our actiō sometimes we adde an end of equall or like perfectiō sometimes also an end that is more high and eminent for besides the assistāce of the poore which is the principall ēd of Almes-deedes may not one pretend 1. to gaine his affection 2. to edifie his neighbour 3. to please God which are three diuers ends whereof the first is the least the second is not much better the third farre exceeding the common end of almes deeds So that as you see we haue power diuersly to perfect our actions according to the varietie of motiues ends and intentions which we haue in doing them 3. Be good Exchangers saieth our Sauiour Let vs be carefull therefore THEO not to change the motiues and ends of our actions but for our profit ād aduātage ād to doe nothing in this trafike but by good order and reason Behold for exāple this or that man who
its vâ—rtue and beare its influence vpon the actions which we practise afterwards but so farre forth as in the exercise of them we applie the motiue of Loue in particular by dedicating them in a speciall manner to the glorie of God Yet doe all confesse with SAINT BONAVENTVRE who hath the generall approbation of all in this behalfe that if I haue determined in my heart to giue an huÌ„dred crownes for Gods sake though afterwards I make the distribution of this somme at leasure hauing my mind distracted and without attention yet is all the distribution made through Loue because it proceedes from the first proiect which Diuine Loue made me make of giuing the whole 6. But I praie you Tâ—EO what difference is there betwixt him that offers an hundred crowneâ— to God and him thâ—t offers to him all his actions truly there is none at all but that the one offers a somme of money the other a somme of actions And why I praie shall they not then be doth esteemed to make the distribution of the parcells of the somme in vertue of their first purpose and fundamentall resolutions And if one that distributs his crownes without attention be not depriued of the influence of his first purpose why shall not the other in the distribution of his actionâ— enioye the fruit of his first intention He that purposely hath made himselfe a louing seruant of the Diuine goodnesse hath by consequence dedicated all his actions to the same goodnesse 7. Grounding vpon this truth euery one should once in his life make a good recollection thereby to cleane his soule from all sinne and vpoÌ„ it to make an inward and solide resolution to liue wholy to God as we haue giuen instructions in the first part of the Introduction to a deuote life And afterwards at least once euery yeare to make a suruey vpon ones conscience and a renouation of the first resolution which we haue put downe in the fift part of the same booke to which in this behalfe I remit you 8. Certes SAINT BONAVENTVRE doth auoutch that a man that hath gotten so great an inclination and custome of well doing that he doth it frequently without any speciall intention looseth not the merits of such actions which are enriched by Loue from whence they spring as from their roote and originall source of thire blessed habit facilitie and promptitude Of certaine other meanes whereby we may applie our workes more particularly to the Loue of God CHAPTER IX 1. VVHen the Pea-hen hatcheth her egges in a white place her youÌ„g ones are also white And when our intentions are in the loue of God when we proiect some good worke or vndertake some certaine vocation all the actions which doe issue thence take their worth and deriue their nobilitie from the Loue whence they descended for who doth not see that the actioÌ„s which are proper to my vocation and requisite to my designe doe depend of this first election and resolution which I made 2. Yet THEO one must not staie there but to make an excellent progresse in deuotion we must not onely in the begining of our conuersion and afterâ—ards once euery yeare addresse all our life and actions to God but we must euen offer them vnto him euery day following the morning exercise which we haue taught Philothie for in this dayely renewing of our oblation we spread the vertue and vigour of our loue vpon our actions by a new application of our heart to the Diuine glorie by meanes whereof it is still more and more sanctified 3. Besides this let vs an hundred and an hundred times a day applie our life to Diuine Loue by the practise of iaculatorie praiers eleuations of the mind and spirituall retreats for thâ—sâ— holy exercises casting and bearing vp our minds to Gâ—d doe also in the end draw all our actions thither and how should it come to passe I praie you that a soule which doth euery moment dart vp herselfe at the Diuine Goodnesse and which doth incessantly breath words of Loue to th' end she may keepe her heart continually lodged in the bosome of her heauenly Faâ—her should not be thought to doe all her good workes in God and for God 4. She that saieâ—h ah Lord I am thyne my beloued is wholy myne and I am wholy his My God thou art my all O IESVS thou art my life ah who will doe me the fauour that I may die to my selfe to th' end I may liue onely to thee O to loue to goe to die to a mans selfe ô to liue to God! ô to bee in God! ô Lord whatsoeuer is not thy very selfe is nothing to me She I saie doth she not continually dedicate her actions to her heauenly Spouse ô how blessed is the soule who hath once stripped and perfectly resigned herselfe into the hands of God Almightie whereof we spoke before for afterwards she will onely neede one little sight aÌ„d view of God to renew and confirme her stripping resignation and oblation together with her Protestation that she will haue nothing but God and for God and that she neither loues herselfe nor any other thing in the world but in God and for the Loue of God 5 The exercise then of continuall aspirations is very proper for the application of all our works to Loue. But principally it is abundantly sufficient for the small and ordinarie actions of our life for as for heroicall workes and maters of consequeÌ„ce it is expedient if we intend to make any great profit to vse the ensuing methode as I haue alreadie giuen a touch elsewhere 6. Let vs in these occurreÌ„ces eleuate our heart aÌ„d spirit to God let vs burie our consideration and exteÌ„de our thoughts into the most holy and glorious eternitie let vs behold how in it the Diuine goodnesse did tenderly cherish vs preparing all conuenient meanes for our saluation and progresse in his Loue and in particular the commoditie to doe the good which doth at that present presente it selfe vnto vs or to suffer the euill which befalls vs. This done displaying if we may so saie and eleuating the armes of our consent let vs embrace dearely feruently and most louingly as well the good which presents it selfe to be done as the euill which we are to suffer in consideration that God willed it so from all eternitie to please him and to obeye his prouidence 7. Behold the great S. CHARLES when his Diocese was infested with the plague he lifted vp his heart to God and beheld attentiuely that in the eternitie of Gods Prouidence this scourge was determined and prepared for his flocke and that the same Prouidence had ordained that in this their scourge he should take a most tender care to serue solace and cordially to assist the afflicted sith that in this occurrence he chanced to be the Ghostly Father Pastour and Bishope of that Prouince Wherevpon representing vnto himselfe the greatnesse of the paines toyles and hazards which he was necessarily
hath conâ—racted with his wheÌ„ by the impositioÌ„ of my haÌ„ds he receiued the Caracter of Episcopall dignitie to the great happinesse of the Diocese of Belley and to the honour of the Church besids a thousand bands of a sincere friendshipe which tyes vs together permits me not to speake with credit of his workes amongst which this Parenetique of Diuine Loue was one of the first sallies of the incomparable fulnesse of wit which euery one admires in him Further we doe see a goodlie and magnificeÌ„t Pallace which the R. Father Laurence Paris a Capucine Preacher erected in the honour of heauenly Loue which being finished will be a compleat course of the Art of louing well And lastly the B. Mother Teresa of IESVS hath written so accuratly of the sacred motions of Loue in all the bookes she hath left vs that a man is astonished to see so much eloquence masked in so profound humilitie so great soliditie of wit in so great simplicitie and her most learned ignorance makes the knowledge of many learned men appeare ignorant who after a great tormoile in studies blushe not to vnderstand that which she so happily puts downe touching the practise of holy Loue. Thus doth God raise the Throne of his Power vpon the Theather of our infirmitie making vse of weake things to confound the strong And be it my deare Reader that this Treatise which I now present come farre short of those excellent workes without hope of euer coÌ„ming nigh theÌ„ yet haue I such confidence in that paâ—re of heauenly Louers to whom I dedicate it that it may be some wayes seruiceable vnto thee and that there thou shalt meete with many wholsome coÌ„siderations which thou shouldst not else where so easily find as againe thou maist els where find many rare things which are not here Yea me thinkes my designe fals not in with theirs saue in generall in so much as the glorie of Diuine Loue is all our aimes But this you shall know by reading it Truly myne intention was onely simply and nakedly with art or varnish to represent the Historie of the Birth progresse decaye operations proprieties aduantages and excellencies of heauenly Loue. And if besids all this thou findest somwhat else they are certaine superfluities which are hard for such an one as my selfe who write amidst many distractioÌ„s to auoyd Howbeit I hope nothing therin shall be without some profit Nature her selfe who is so skilfull a work woman proiecting the production of grapes produceth withall as by a certaine prudent inaduertance such an abundance of leaues and vine-branches that there are very few vines which are not in the season to be pruined and cut Writers often are handled to harshly the Censures that are made of them being precipitated ordinarily with more impertinencie then they practised imprudence in taking vpon them to publish their writings Precipitation of iudgment doth greatly endaÌ„ger the Iudges coÌ„science and the innocencie of the Accused Diuers doe write foolishly and diuers also doe censure grosly The sweetnesse of the Reader makes his reading sweete and profitable And my deare Reader to haue thee more fauourable I will here render thee a reason of some passages which might peraduenture otherwise put thee out of humour Some peraduenture may apprehend that I haue saied too much aÌ„d that it was not requisite to bring downe the discourse euen from its heads But I am of opinion that heauenly Loue is a Plant like to that which we call Angelica whose roote is no lesse odoriferous then the bole and branches The 4. first bookes and some chapters of the rest might without doubt haue bene omitted to the liking of such soules as onely seake the practise of holy Loue yet all of it will be profitable vnto them if they behold it with a deuote eye While others also might haue disliked not to haue had the whole continuance of that which belongs to the Treatise of Diuine Loue. Certes I tooke as I ought into my consideration the condition of the wits of this age wherein we are It doth much import one to know in what Age he writs I cite the Scripture sometimes in other termes then are found in the vulgar Edition O good God my deare Reader doe me not therefore the wrong to thinke that I would goe from that Edition ah no for I know the Holy Ghost hath authorised it by the Holy Councell of Trent and that therefore all of vs ought to stick to it but contrariwise I make no other vse of the other versions but onely to serue this when they explicate and confirme the true sense therof For example That which the heauenly Spouse saieth to his Spouse THOV HAST WOVNDED MY HEART is wonderfully cleared by the other version THOV HAST TAKEN AWAY MY HEART or THOV HAST SNACHED AWAY AND RAVISHâ—D MY HEART That which our Sauiour saieth BLESSED ARE THE POORE OF SPIRIT is much amplified and declared by the Greeke BLESSED ARE THE BEGGARS OF SPIRIT and so of others I haue often cited the sacred Psalmist in verse and it was done to recreate thy mind and through the facilitie which I found in it by reason of the sweete translation of Philipe de Portes Abbot of Tiron which notwithstanding I haue not precisely followed yet not out of any hope I had to be able to doe better then this famous Poet. For I should be too impertinent if neuer hauing so much as thought of this kind of writing I should pretend to be happie in it in an age and condition of life which would oblige me to retire my selfe from it in case I had euer bene engaged therein But in some places where the sense might be diuersly taken I followed not his verse because I would not follow his sense as in the Ps 132. where he hath taken a latin word for the fringe of the garment which I apprehended was to be taken for the coler wherevpon I translated it to myne owne mind I haue saied nothing which I haue not learn't of others yet it is impossible for me to remember wheÌ„ce I had euery thing in particular But beleeue it if I had drawen any great peeces of remarke out of any Authour I would make a conscience not to let him haue the deserued honour of it and to deliuer you of a suspition which you may conceiue against my sinceritie in this behalfe I giue you to know that the 13. Chap. of the 7. booke is extracted out of a Sermon which I made at Paris at S. IOHN'S in Greue vpon the feast of the Assumption of our B. Ladie 1602. I haue not alwayes expressed how one Chapter followes another but if you marke you will easily find the connection In that and diuers other things I had a care to spare myne owne labour and your patience After I had caused the IntroductioÌ„ to a deuote to life be printed my Lord Archbishope of Vienna Peter villars did me the fauour to unite his opinion of it in termes
feeblenesse and tendernesse of the one doth exalt and make more apparant the prudence and assurance of the other and euen this dissimilitude is agreeable on the other side children loue olde men because they see them buisie and carefull about them and that by a secret instinct they perceiue they haue neede of their directions Musicall concord stands in a kind of discord in which vnlike voices doe correspond making vp altogether one sole Close of proportion as the dissimilitude of precious stones and flowres doe make the gratefull compositiō of Imbosture and Diaprie so Loue is not caused alwayes by Resemblance and Sympathie but by Correspondance and Proportion which consisteth in this that by the vnion of one thing to another they may mutually receiue one anothers perfection and so be bettered The head doth not resemble the bodie nor the hand the arme yet they haue such a Correspōdance and are seated so neerely together that by their mutuall neighbourhood they doe meruelously enterchāge perfection so that if these parts had each one a distinct soule they would haue a perfect mutua◠Loue not by Similitude but by Correspondance which they haue in their mutuall perfection For this cause the melancolie and ioyefull soure and sweete haue often a correspondance of mutuall affection by reason of the mutuall impressions which they receiue one of an other by which their humours are reciprocally moderated But when this mutuall Correspondance meetes with similitude Loue without doubt is engendred more efficaciously for Similitude being the true picture of Vnitie when two like things are vnited by a proportion to the same end it seemes rather to be an Vnitie then an Vnion 11. The Sympathie then betwixt the Louer and the Beloued is the first source of Loue and this Sympathie or Conueniencie consisteth in a Correspondance which is no other thing then a mutuall aptitude making things proper to be vnited and mutually to communicate their perfections but this will be cleared in the processe of this booke That loue tends to vnion CHAPTER IX 1. THe great Salamon in a delitiously admirable ayre doth sing our Sauiours loues and those of the deuote soule in that diuin worke which for it's excellent sweetnesse is instyled the Canticle of Canticles And to rayse our selues in a more easie flight to the consideration of this spirituall loue which is exercised betwixt God and vs by the correspondance which the motions of our hearts haue with the inspirations of his diuine Maiestie he makes vse of a perpetuall representation of the loues of a chaste Shepheard and shamefast Shepheardesse Now making the Spouse or Bride first begin the parlie by manner of a certaine surprise of loue he makes her at the first onset lance out her heart in these words let him deigne me a kisse of his mouth Doe you marke THEOTIME how the soule personated by this Shepheardesse doth pretēd no other thing by the first expression of her desire thē a chast vnion with her spouse protesting that it is the highest ayme of her ambition and onely thing she breathes after For I pray you what other thing would this first sigh intimate Let him deigne me with a Kisse of his mouth 2. A Kisse from all ages as by naturall instinct hath bene imployed as a representation of perfect loue that is the vnion of hearts and not without cause we send out and muster the passions and motions which our soule hath common with brute beasts by our eyes eye-browes forehead and countenance in generall by his face a man is knowē saieth the Scripture and Aristotle giuing a reason why ordinarily great mens faces onely are pourtrated t' is saieth he that the countenances teach what they are 3. Yet doe we not vtter our discourse nor the thoughts which proceede from the spirituall portion of our soule called reason by which we are distinguished from Beasts but by words and in consequence by helpe of the mouth in so much that to poure out ones soule and scatter ones heart is nothing else but to speake Poure out your hearts before God saieth the PSALMIST that is expresse and turne the affections of your hearts into words And SAMVEL'S pious Mother pronouncing her praiers allthough so softly that one could hardly discerne the motion of her lips I haue poured out saieth she my heart before God in this wise one mouth is applyed to another in kissing to testifie that they desire to poure our one soule into the other reciprocally to vnite them in a perfect vnion and for this Reason in all times and amongst the most saintly men the world had the kisse hath bene a signe of loue and affection and such vse was vniuersally made of it amongst the auncient Christians as the great S. PAVLE testifieth when writing to the ROMAN'S and CORINTHIANS he saieth Salute mutually one another in a holy kisse And as diuerse doe witnesse IVDAS in betraying our SAVIOVR made vse of a Kisse to discouer him because this diuine SAVIOVR was accustomed to kisse his Disciples when he met them and not onely his Disciples but euen little Children whom he tooke louingly in his armes as he did him by comparison of whom he so solemnely inuited his APOSTLES to the loue of their Neighbours who as IANSENIVS reporteth was thought to haue bene S. MARTIAL 4. Thus then the Kisse being a liuely marke of of the vnion of hearts the Spouse who hath no other pretention in all her endeuours and pursuits then to be vnited to her beloued let him kisse me saieth she with a kisse of his mouth as if she had cryed out so many sighes and inflamed grones as my heart incessantly sobs out will they neuer impetrate that which my heart desires I runne alas shall I neuer gaine the prise for which I lance my selfe out which is to be vnited heart to heart spirit to spirit to my God my Spouse my life when will arriue the happie houre in which I shall poure my soule into his heart and that he will turne his heart into my soule that we may liue inseparable in that happie vnion 5. When the holy Ghost would expresse a perfect loue he alwayes in a manner makes choice of the word Vnion or Coniunction amongst the multitude of the faithfull saieth S. LVCKE there was but one heart and one soule our SAVIOVR praied for all the faithfull that they might be but on same thing SAINT PAVLE doth aduertise vs to conserue vnitie of minde by the vnion of peace These Vnities of heart soule and spirit doe signifie the perfection of Loue which ioynes many soules in one for so it is saied that IONATHAS his soule was glewed to DAVIDS that is to saie as the Scripture addeth He loued DAVID as his owne soule The great APOSTLE of FRANCE as well according to his owne Dictamē as that of HIEROTHEVS who he citeth writeth I thinke a thousand times in one Chapter OF DIVINE NAMES that Loue is of a Nature vnifying vniting referring recollecting
into a more noble and eminent estate they are as much Angels by the operation of their soule as men by the substance of their Nature and are either to be instiled Humane Angels or Angelicall men On the contrarie side those that enticed with sensuall pleasurs giue them selues ouer to the enioying of them descend from their middle condition to the lowest of brute Beasts and merit as well to be called Brutall by their operations as men by Nature vnhappie to be out of themselues for no better end then to enter into a condition infinitly vnworthy of their naturall estate and calling 7. Now according as the Extasie is more great either aboue or below vs by so much it doth more hinder the soule to returne to her selfe and produce contrarie operations to the Extasie in which she is so those Angelicall men which are rauished in God and heauenly things during their Extasie doe quite loose the vse of the attention of sense motion and all exteriour actions because their soule to th' end she may applie her vertue and actiuitie more entirely and attentiuely to that diuine obiect doth retire and withdraw it from all her other faculties wholy to deturne them from thence And in like manner brutish men rauished by sensuall pleasure especially by that of sense in generall doe wholy loose the vse of reason and vnderstanding because their miserable soules to haue a more entire and attentiue gust of their brutall obiect doe diuert themselues from spirituall operations to giue themselues with more vigour to brutall and bestiall ones mystically imitating herein the one HELIAS taken vp in the fierie Chariot to the Cōpanie of Angels th' other NABVCHODONOSOR debased to the ranke of brute beasts 8. Hence then I saie that when the Soule practiseth Loue by actions of sense so that she is carried below her selfe it is impossible that therby the exercise of her Superiour loue should not be so much the more weakned In such sort that true and Essentiall loue is so farre from being ayeded and conserued by the vnion to which Sensuall loue tends that it is impared dissipated and perisheth therby IACOBS Oxen plowed the ground as long as the idle Asses fed by them eating the pasture dew to the labouring Oxen. As long as the Intellectuall part of our soule is employed in honest vertuous loue vpon any obiect worthy therof it comes to passe often times that the senses and faculties of the inferiour part tend to their proper vnion and graise thervpon though Vnion be onely due vnto the Heart and Soule which alone is able to produce true and Substantiall Loue. 9. HELISEVS hauing cured NAMAN the SYRIAN pleasing himselfe in the obligation he had put vpon him refused the gold money and other moueables which were offered him But his trustlesse seruant IESSE running after him demanded and tooke against his Maister pleasure that which he had refused Intellectuall ād cordiall loue which either is or should be the Maister of our Heart doth refuse all sorts of corporall and Sensible Vnions and is contented with good-will onely but the powers of the Sensitiue part which are or should be the Hand-maids of the Spirit doe demande seeke after and take that which reason refused and without her leaue doth make after their abiect seruile and dishonorable loues as another IESSE violating the puritie of their Maisters intention to wit the Spirit And in what proportion the Soule doth conuert her selfe to such grosse Vnions in the same she doth diuert her selfe from the delicate Intellectuall and cordiall vnion 10. You see then planely THEOTIME that these Vnions which tend to Sensible Complacence and passions are so farre from producing or conseruing Loue that they doe greatly hurt and render it extreamely weake So when the incestuous AMMON who languished and died as it were in the Loue of THAMAR had once arriued at these Sēsuall and Brutall Vnions his heart was so robbed of Cordiall loue that neuer after he could endure to see her but with indignitie pushed her out violating no lesse cruelly the Right of loue then he had impudently stained that of blood 11. Basill Rosmarie Marigouls Isope Cloues Camimell Nutmeygs Lemmans and Muske put together and incorporated doe yeeld a truly delightfull odour by the mixture of their good smells yet not nigh that of the water which is thence distilled in which the sweetes of all these Ingredients squised from their bodies are mixed in a more excellent manner meeting to the making vp of a most perfect odour which doth penetrate the sense of smelling farre more liuely then it would if together with the waters the bodies of the Ingredients were found mingled and vnited So loue may be found in the Vnions of sensuall powers mixed with the Vnions of intellectuall powers but neuer so excellently as then when the sole Heart and Courage abstracted from all corporall affections vnited together doe purifie and Spiritualize Loue. For the sent of affections by such mixture is not onely sweeter and better but more liuely actiue and solide 12. True it is that many hauing rustike earthy and vile hearts doe put a rate vpon Loues as vpon pieces of gold where the most massiue and weightie are the best and most currant for so their opinion goes that Brutish loue is more strong because it is more violent and turbulent more solide because more grosse and terreane greater because more sensible and rough but contrariwise Loue is as fire which by how much more it's matter is delicate by so much the flames are more cleare and faire which cannot be better extinguihed then by depressing them and couering them with earth for in like manner by how much more abstract and spirituall the subiect of loue is by so much his actions are more liuely subsistent and permanent nor is there a more easie way to ruinate it then by prostituting it to vile and terreane actiōs The difference as S. GREGORIE saieth betwixt spirituall and corporall pleasurs is that corporall ones beget a desire before we obtaine them and being obtained a disgust but spirituall ones contrariwise bring disgust before we haue them and being had pleasure so that brutall loue which thinkes by the Vnion which he maketh with the Beloued to perfect and crowne his desires finding that to the contrarie he destroieth them in ending them is left in disgust of such Vnion Which moued the great Philosopher to saie that almost euery beast after the enioying of his most ardent and pressing corporall pleasure remaines sad mournefull and astonished as a Marchant who hauing fed him selfe with hope of great gaines doth finde his hopes frustrated and his barke engaiged in a rude Hauen whereas Intellectuall loue finding in the Vnion made with her obiect contentment passing his hopes accomplishing in the surplus his complacence he continewes it in vniting himselfe and continually doth further vnite himselfe in continuing it That there are two portions in the soule and how CHAPTER XII 1. VVE haue but
puts them by the practise of holy loue 3. In heauen THEO the louing attention of the blessed is firme constant inuiolable and cannot perish or decrease their intention is pure and freed from all mixture of any inferiour intention In some this felicitie to see God clearely and loue him vnchangably is incomparable And who would euer compare the pleasure one might take by sea if any can be had to liue amidst the dangers continuall torments agitations and mutatiōs which there are to be endured with the content of a royall Pallace where all things are at a wish yea where delights doe incomparably passe our wishes 4. There is then more content pleasure and perfection in the exercise of sacred loue amongst the heauenly inhabitants then in that of the pilgrims of this poore land some notwithstanding haue bene so happie in their pilgrimage that they passed in Charitie diuers of those Saints who were already possessed of the eternall Countrie for certainly it were strang that the Charitie of a great S. IOHN of the Apostles and Apostolicall men were not greater yea euen while they were detained heare belowe then that of little children who dying in the onely grace of Baptisme enioyed immortall glorie 5. It is not ordinarie that shepheards are more valiant then soldiers and yet the little shepheard DAVID cōming into the Armie of ISRAEL foūd that euery one was more expert in the vse of armes then he neuerthelesse he was more valiant then all they Nor is it ordinarie that mortalls haue more charitie then the immortall and yet there haue bene some mortalls inferiour in the exercise of loue to the immortall who notwithstanding haue gone before them in charitie and habits of loue And as making comparison betwixt hote iron and a burning lampe we saie the iron is hotter yet the lampe is clearer and lighter So if we parallel a glorious child with S. IOHN as yet prisoner or S. PAVLE a captiue we shall saie that the child in heauen hath more brightnesse and lightnesse in his vnderstanding more heate and exercise of loue in the will yet S. IOHN or S. PAVLE had euen in earth more fire of Charitie and heate of loue Of the incomparable loue of the mother of God our B. Lady CHAPTER VIII 1. BVt what or whersoeuer I speake my meaning is not to make comparison with the most Sacred virgin Mother our B. Lady ô God no FOR SHE IS THE DAVGHTER OF INCOMPARABLE DILECTION the onely doue the most perfect spouse Of this heauenly Queene from my heart I pronounce this louing and true thought that at least towards the end of her mortall daies her charitie passed that of the Seraphins for though many Daughters heaped together riches she surpassed the all The Saints and Angels are but cōpared to starrs and the prime of those to the fairest of these but she is faire as the moone as easie to be singled and discerned from all the Saints as the Sunne from the starrs And yet I thinke further that as the Charitie of this MOTHER OF LOVE excells that of all the Saints of heauen in perfection so did she exercise it more perfectly yea euen in this mortall life neuer offending venially as the Church esteemes she had then nor change nor stop in the way of Loue but by a perpetuall aduancement ascended from Loue to Loue. She neuer felt any contradiction of the sensuall appetite whence her Loue as a true SALOMON reigned peacebly in her soule and was exercised at her pleasure the virginitie of her heart and bodie was more worthy and honorable then that of Angels So that her spirit not diuided or separated as S. PAVLE saieth was occupied in diuine thoughts to please her God And in fine a mothers loue most pressing actiue and ardent an vnwearied and insatiable loue what could it not work in the heart of such a mother and for the heart of such a sonne 2. Ah! doe not saie I pray you that this virgin was subiect to sleepe no saie not so THEO for doe you not see that her sleepe is a sleepe of Loue so that it is euen her Spouse his will that she should sleepe so long as she list ah take heede I coniure you saith he that you awake not my well-beloued till she please No THEO this heauenly Queene neuer slept but of loue sith she neuer gaue repose to her precious bodie but to reenforce it the better thence to serue God which is a most excellent act of Charitie for as the great S. Augustine saieth Charitie doth oblige vs to loue our bodies conueniently in so much as they are necessarie to good works as they make a part of our person and as they shall be participant of eternall felicitie Certes a Christian is to loue his bodie as a liuing Image of our Sauiour incarnate as issue of the same stocke and consequently of his kindred and consanguinitie especially after we haue renewed the alliance by receiuing really the diuine bodie of our Redeemour in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar and when by Baptisme Confirmation and other Sacraments we haue dedicated and consecrated our selues to the Soueraigne Goodnesse 3. But for the B. Virgine ô God with what deuotion was she to loue her virginall bodie not onely because it was a sweete humble pure bodie obeissant to diuine Loue and wholy embaumed with a thousand sacred sweetes but also for that it was the liuely source of our Sauiour's and did so strictly belong vnto him by an incomparable dependance For which cause when she gaue her angelicall bodie to the repose of sleepe goe to aied she repose ô TABERNACLE OF ALLIANCE ARKE OF SANCTITIE THRONE OF THE DIVINITIE ease thy selfe a little of thy wearinesse and repaire thy forces by this sweete repose 4. Besides deare THEO doe you not know that bad dreames voluntarily procured by the dayes depraued thoughtes are in some sort sinnes in so much as they are dependances and executiōs of the precedent malice euē so the dreames which proceede from the holy affections of such as are a wake be reputed vertuous and holy O God THEO what a consolation it is to heare S. CHRYSOSTOME recounting on a certaine day to his people the vehemencie of his loue towards them the necessitie of sleepe quoth he pressing my eye-lids the tyrannie of my loue towards you doth excite the eyes of my mind and euen while I sleepe me thinks I speake vnto you for the soule is wonte in sleepe to see by imagination what she thought in the day time so while we see not one an other with the eyes of flesh we supplie it with the eyes of Charitie O sweete IESVS what dreames was thy sacred Mother to haue when she sleept her heart watching Did she not dreame that she had thee yet folded in her wombe as thou wa'st for nine monthes space or else hanging at her breasts and pretily pressing the sacred nible of her virginall dugge Ah what sweetenesse was in this soule
loyall feeling we are to thanke God for it For this feeling is alwayes good howbeit we are to keepe our selues betwixt a confidence and diffidence hoping that by Gods grace we should doe in the occasion that which we imagined and yet still fearing that following our ordinarie miserie peraduenture we should performe nothing but loose courage but if the diffidence should waxe so excessiue that it seemed to vs that we should neither haue force nor heart and thereby we should fale into dispaire vpon the subiect of imaginarie temptations as though we were not in Charitie and in Gods grace then in despight of our feeling and discouragement we were to make resolution of a great fidelitie in all occurrences euen to the temptation which troubles vs hoping that when it shall happen God will multiplie his grace redouble his succours and afforde vs all necessarie assistāce and while he giues vs not the force for an imaginarie and vnnecessarie warre he will giue it vs when it comes to the deede For as many haue lost courage in the assault so many haue also lost feare and haue taken heart and resolution in the presence of danger and difficultie which in their absence they had neuer done And so many of Gods seruants representing vnto themselues absent temptations haue bene affrighted at them euen almost to the loosing of courage which when they saw present they behaued themselues couragiously Finally in the amazements which rise from the representation of future assaults when we apprehend that our heart failes vs it is sufficiēt that we haue a desire of courage and confidence that God will bestowe it vpon vs when time shall exact Nor had SAMSON alwayes his strength but it is noted in the Scripture that the Lion of Tamathas vines comming towards him furiously and roring the Spirit of God seased him that is God gaue him the motion of a new force and a new courage and he tore the Lion in pieces as a Gote and in like manner when he defeated the thousand Philistians which thought to haue defeated him in the field of Lechi So my deare THEO it is not necessarie that we haue alwayes the sense and motion of courage requisite to surmoūt the roring Lion which goeth roring hither and thither to deuoure vs this might administer vs occasion of vanitie and pre umption It is sufficiant that we haue a good desire to fight valliently a perfect confidence that the holy Ghost will assist vs with his helping hand when occasion shall present it selfe The end of the fourth Booke THE FIFT BOOKE OF THE TVVO PRINCIPALE EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE performed by complacence and beneuolence Of the sacred Complacence of Loue and first in what it consisteth CHAPTER I. I. LOVE as we haue saied is no other thing then the motion and gliding of the heart towards good by meanes of the complacēce which one takes in it so that complacence is the great motiue of loue as loue is the great motion of complacence 2. Now this motion is practised towards God in this manner We know by faith that the Diuinitie is an incomprehensible Abisse of all perfection soueraignely infinite in excellencie and infinitly soueraigne in boūtie And this truth which faith teacheth vs is attentiuely considered by meditation beholding the immensitie of goods which are in God either in grosse by assembling all the perfections or in particular by considering his excellences one after another for exāple his All-power his All-wisdome his All-goodnesse his Eternitie his Infinitie Now when we haue brought our vnderstanding to be very attentiue to the greatnesse of the Goods that are in this diuine obiect it is impossible but our will should be touched with complacence in this good and then we vse the libartie and power which we haue ouer our selues prouoking our owne heart to answere and strengthen this first complacence by acts of approbation and reioycing O saieth the deuote soule in this case how faire thou art my well-beloued how faire thou art thou art wholy desireable yea thou art desire it selfe Such is my well-beloued ād he is the friend of my heart ô daughters of Hierusalem ô blessed be my God for euer who is so good ah whether I liue or die too happie I am in knowing that my God is so rich in all Goodnesse that his Goodnesse is so infinite his infinitie so good 3. Thus approuing the good which we see in God and ioying in it we make an act of loue which is called complacence for we please our selues in the diuine pleasure infinitly more then in our owne and it is this loue which rendred so much content to the Saints when they could meete with the perfections of their well-beloued and which caused thē to pronoūce with so much delight that God was God Goe to knowe saied they that our Lord is God ô God my God my God thou art my God the God of my heart and my God is the part of myne inheritance for euer He is the God of our heart by this cōplacence sith by it our heart doth embrace him and makes him it 's owne he is our inheritāce because by this act we enioye the goods which are in God ād as from an inheritance we haue from it all pleasure and content by meanes of this complacence we drinke and eate spiritually the perfections of the Diuinitie for we make them our owne and draw them into our hearts 4. IACOBS owes drew into their entrals the varietie of colours which they saw in the fountaine wherein they were watered when they were a rāming for in effect their young lambes were therevpon spotted so a soule taken with the pleasing complacence which she takes in considering the Diuinitie and in it an infinitie of excellences she drawes the colours thereof into her heart that is to saie the multitude of wonders and perfections which she doth contemplate and makes them her owne by the contentment which she takes therein 5. O God what ioye shall we haue in heauen THEO when we shall see the well-beloued of our hearts as an infinite sea whose waters are perfection and goodnesse Then as Harts much pursued and spent putting their mouthes to a cleare and coole fountaine doe draw into thē the coolenesse of these faire waters so our hearts after so many languishments and desires meeting with the strong and liuing source of the diuinitie shall draw by their complacence all the perfections of the well-beloued and shall haue the perfect fruition of them by the ioye which they shall take in them replenishing themselues with those immortall delightes and in this wise the deare Spouse will enter into vs as into his mariage bed to communicate his eternall ioye vnto our soules according as he himselfe saieth that if we keepe the holy law of his loue he will come and seiourne with vs. Such is the sweete and noble robberie of Loue who without vncolouring the well-beloued doth colour it selfe with his colours without disrobing him inueste
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
amiable as his was amiably dolorous nor can we neuer loue him as his loue and death requireth There is yet another wound of loue when the soule knowes well she loues God and he treates her in such sort as though he knew not she loued him or were diffident of her loue for then my deare THEO the soule is put into an extreame anguish it being insupportable vnto her to see or perceiue any apparence that God distrusts in her The poore S. PETER found his heart full of loue towards his Maister and his Maister making shew not to know it Peter quoth he dost thou loue me more then these Ah Lord saied the Apostle thou knowest I loue thee But Peter dost thou loue me replied our Sauiour My deare Maister saied the Apostle truely I loue thee thou knowest it But this so cote Maister to proue him and as shewing a diffidence of his loue Peeter saied he dost thou loue me Ah Sauiour thou woundest this poore heart who much afflicted cries out louingly yet dolorously Maister thou knowest all things indeede thou knowest well I loue thee Vpon a certaine day while a possessed person was exorcised the wicked spirit being vrged to tell his name I am quoth he that accursed creature DEPRIVED OF LOVE and S. CATHARIN who was there present sodenly perceiued all her bowells moued and disordered in onely hauing heard these words PRIVATION OF LOVE pronounced for as the Diuels doe so hate the diuine loue that they quake in seeing the signe of it hearing it named that is in seeing the crosse or be a rāg the name of IESVS pronoūced So such as doe entirely loue our Sauiour doe tremble with griefe ād horrour when they see any signes or seen by worde that doth brīg to mīd the priuatiō of this holy loue 2. S. PETER was certaine that God who knew all could not be ignorant how much he was loued by him yet because the repetition of this demaund Peter dost thou loue me hath some apparence of diffidence S. PETER is much afflicted in it Alas the poore soule that is resolued rather to die then offend her God and yet feeles not a sparke of feruour but contrariwise an extreame coldnesse which doth so benume and weaken all her parts that she frequently fals into very sensible imperfections this soule I saie THEO is all wounded for her loue is exceeding dolourous to see that God doth not seeme to see that she loues him leauing her as one that appertaines not to him and she apprehēds that amidst her defaults distractions and coldnesse our Sauiour doth strike her with this reproach how can'st thou saie that thou loue'st me seeing thy minde is not with me which is as a dart of sorrowe through her heart but a dart of sorrowe which proceedes from loue for if she loued not she would not be afflicted with the apprehension she hath that she loues not 3. Sometimes loue doth wound vs in the very memorie we haue that there was a time in which we loued not our God O how late I haue loued the auncient and new beautie saied that Saint who for thirtie yeares was Hereticke Life past is a horrour to his life present who passed his life past without louing the Soueraigne Goodnesse 4. Sometimes loue doth wound vs with the meere cōsideration of the multitude of those that doe contemne the loue of God so that hereby we sownd with griefe as he who saied my Zeale ô Lord hath withered me with griefe for that my enemyes haue not kept thy lawe And the Great S. FRANCIS thinking he had not bene heard wept vpon a day sobed and lamented so pitifully that an honest man ouer hearing him ranne to his succour as thinking some had offered to kill him and finding him all alone asked of him why dost thou crie so heard poore man Alas quoth he I weepe to thinke that our Sauiour endured so much for the loue of vs and none thinkes of it and hauing saied thus he begun againe to weepe and this good mā fell also a sobbing and weeping with him 5. But howsoeuer this is admirable in the woundes receiued from the diuine loue that their paine is delightfull and all that feele it consent to it and would not change this paine for all the pleasures of the world There is no paine in Loue or if any it is a beloued one A Seraphin on a day holding a golden arrowe from the heade whereof issued a little flame he darted it into the heart of the B. Mother Teresa and offering to drawe it out this virgine seemed to haue her bowells drawen from her the paine being so excessiue that she had onely force to cast out weake and smale sighes but yet it was a paine so amiable that she desired neuer to be deliuered of it Such was the arrowe that God sent into the heart of the great S. CATHARIN of Genua in the beginning of her conuersion whence she became another woman dead to the world and things created to liue onely to her Creatour The well-beloued is a posie of bitter Myrrhe and this posie is also the well-beloueds who remaines dearely seated betwixt the breastes of his well-beloued that is the best-beloued of all the well-beloueds Of the amourous languishment of the heart wounded with loue CHAPTER XV. 1. IT is a thing sufficiently knowne that humane loue doth not onely wound the heart but euen weaken the bodie mortally because as passions and the temperature of the bodie hath a great power to encline the soule and draw her after its so the affections of the soule haue great force in stirring the humours and changing the qualities of the bodie but further loue when it is violent doth beare away the soule to the thing beloued with such impetuositie and doth so wholy possesse her that she is deficient in all her other operations be they sensatiue or intellectuall so that to feede and second this loue the soule seemes to abandon all other care all other exercises yea and her selfe too whēce Plato saied that Loue was poore trent naked barefoote miserable without house that it laie without dores vpon the hard ground alwayes in want It is poore because it makes one quit all for the thing beloued It is without a house because it vrgeth the soule to leaue her owne habitation to follow hī cōtinually whō she loues It is miserable pale leane and ruinous for that it makes one loose sleepe meete and drinke It is naked and barefoote sith it makes one forsake all other affections to embrace that of the thing beloued It lies without vpon the hard ground because it laies open the heart that is in loue making it manifest its passions by sighes plaintes praises suspicions iealousies It lies all along at the gate like a begger because it makes the louer perpetually attentiue to the eyes and mouth of the beloued hanging continually at his eares to speake to him and begge of him some fauours wherwith it is neuer saciated
persuation and intreatie but doth it euen with earnestnesse and strife as did the Pilgrimes 1. Emaus who did not onely petition to our Sauiour but euen pressed and vrged him by force and compelled him by a gentle violence to remaine in their lodging with them 5. Now in Praier this vnion is often made by manner of little yet frequēt ierts and aduancings of the soule towards God and if you take notice of little children vnited and ioyned to their mothers breastes you shall see them euer and anone pressing and ioyning themselues by little iertes which the pleasurs they take in sucking makes them giue so the heart vnited to God in Praier makes often times certaine surcharges of vnion by motions which doe more closely presse and ioyne it to the diuine sweetenesse As for example The soule hauing made a long demoure in the feeling of the vnion wherby she sweetely tastes how happie she is to be Gods in fine augmenting this vnion by a cordiall pressing and ierting forwards I Lord will she saie I am thine all all all without reserue or else ah Lord I am so verily and will be daily more and more or else by way of Praier O sweete IESVS ah drawe me still more deeply into thy heart to the end thy loue may deuoure me and that I may be swallowed vp in thy sweetenesse 6. But at other times the vnion is made not by iterated ierts but by way of a continued insensible pressing and aduauncing of the heart towards the diuine Bountie for as we see a great and heauie masse of leade brasse or stone though not thrust doth so presse cleeue to and sinke into the earth where it lies that at length it is found buried by reason of the inclination of its waightie poise which makes it incessantly tend to the center so our heart being once ioyned to God if without being distracted it remaine in this vnion it sinkes still deeper by an insensible progresse of vnion till it be wholy in God by reason of the holy inclination giuen it by loue to be continually more and more vnited to the soueraigne Goodnesse For as the great Apostle of France saieth Loue is a vnitiue vertue that is it bringes vs to a perfect vnion with the soueraigne Good And sith it is a doubtlesse truth that Diuine loue while we are in this life is a motion or at least an actiue habit tending to motiō euen after it hath attained simple vniō it ceaseth not to act though imperceptibly still more and more to encrease ad perfect it 7. So trees that require to be transplanted as soone as that is done they sprede their roots and lodge them deeper in the bosome of the earth which is their element and nourishment nor doth any perceiue this while it is a doing but onely after it is done And mans heart transplanted out of the world into God by celestiall loue if it doe earnestly practise Praier certes it will continually extend and ioyne it selfe to the Diuinitie vniting it selfe more and more to Gods Goodnesse but by imperceptible grouths whose progresse one can hardly discouer while it is doing but onely when it is done If you drinke any exquisite water to wit imperiall water the simple vnion thereof with you is instantly made vpon your receiuing of it for the receiuing and vnion is all one in this behalfe but afterwards by little and little this vniō is encreased by an insēsibly sensible progresse for the vertue of this water penetrating the parts will comfort the braine sttengthen the heart and will disperse its force through the spirits 8. In like manner a taste of loue for example that God is good hauing got entrie into the heart it doth presently make an vnion with this Goodnesse but being held a while as a precious perfume it penetrats euery parte of the soule poures out and dilats it selfe in our will and doth as it were incorporate it selfe with our spirit ioyning and locking it selfe more nerely to ech part of vs and vniting vs to it And to it this which the great Dauid doth teach vs when he compares his sacred words to honie for who knowes not that the sweetenesse of honie is vnited more and more to our senses by a continuall encrease of sauorinesse while holding it a pritie space in our mouth or softly swallowing it the relish thereof doth more deeply penetrate our Taste And in this wise the taste of the diuine Goodnesse expressed in this word of S. BRVNOS O BOVNTIE or by these of S. THOMAS MY LORD MY GOD or these of MAGDALEN AH MAISTER or these of S. FRANCIS MY GOD AND MY ALL this taste I saie hauing bene kept a while in a louing heart it is dilated dispersed and sinkes into the Spirit by an inward penetration and doth more and more perfume it with it 's sent which is no other thing then to encrease the vnion in the nature of a precious oyntment or Baulme which falling vpon cotten doth so sinke into and vnite it selfe to it by little and little that in the end one will not easily saie whether the cotten is perfumed or it is perfume or else whether the perfume is cotton or the cotten perfume O how happie is the soule who in the peace of her heart doth louingly conserue the sacred feeling of Gods presence for her vnion with the diuine Goodnesse shall haue continuall though insensible encrease and shall throughly water the spirit with infinite sweetenesse Now when I speake of the sacred taste of Gods presēce I doe not meane it of a sensible taste but of that which doth inhabit the top and Supreame point of the Spirit where heauenly Loue doth raigne and keepe his principall exercises Of the diuers degrees of the holy vnion which is made in Praier CHAPTER II. 1. SOmetimes the vnion is made without our cooperation saue onely by a simple consent permitting our selues to be vnited to the Diuine Goodnesse without resistance as a little child in loue with his mothers breastes ād yet is so weake that he cannot moue himselfe towards them nor to cleeue to her being there onely he is glad to be drawen into his mothers armes and to be pressed by her to her breasts 2. Sometimes we cooperate when being drawen we willingly runne to second the force of Gods Goodnesse which drawes vs and lockes vs to him by loue 3. Sometimes we apprehend that we begin to vnite and ioyne our selues to God before he ioyne himselfe to vs for that we feele the action of the vnion of our part without perceiuing that which God doth on his side which yet doubtlesse doth alwaies preuent vs though we doe not alwaies perceiue his preuention for vnlesse he vnited himselfe to vs we should neuer vnite our selues to him he alwaies choseth and laieth hold on vs before we chose or laie hold one him But when following his imperceptible touches we begin to vnite our selues vnto him he doth often make the progresse
S. BERNARD S. FRANCIS S. CATHERIN of Genua or of Sienna were yet in this world and were fallen a sleepe being wearied with their many labours taken for the loue of God Propose to your selfe on the other side some good soule yet not so holy as they that were in the Praier of Vnion at the same time I would aske you THEO who is more vnited ioyned and fastened to God whether these great Saints that sleepe or that soule that praies Certes those are the admirable louers for they haue more Charitie and their affections though in some sort a sleepe are so engaged and tyed to their Maister that they cannot be separated from him But you will saie vnto me how can it be that a soule in Praier of Vnion euen vnto Extasie should be lesse vnited vnto God then such as sleepe be they neuer so Saintly Why marke what I tell you THEO that soule is more aduanced in the Exercise of vniō those in the vnion it selfe these are vnited not vniting thēselues being a sleepe but she is vnited ād is in the actuall practise ād exercise of vniō 8. Moreouer this exercise of vnion with God may euen be practised by short and passing yet frequent eiaculations of our heart to God by way of Iaculatorie Praier made to this purpose Ah IESVS who will giue me the grace to be one soule with thee In fine Lord reiecting the multiplicitie of creaturs I desire thyne onely vnitie O God thou art the onely vnitie and onely one necessarie for my soule Alas deare friend of my heart vnite my poore lone soule to thy most singular Bountie Ah thou art wholy myne when shall I be wholy thyne The Adamant drawes and vnites iron vnto it ô Lord my Adamant be my draw-draw-heart locke presse and vnite my heart for euer vnto thy Fatherly breast Ah sith I am made for thee why am I not in thee Dip this drope of Spirit which thou hast bestowed vpon me into the Sea of thy Goodnesse from whence it flowed Ah Sauiour I seeing that thy heart loues me why doth it not force me to it I desiring it should be so Drawe me and I will runne seconding thy draughtes to cast my selfe into thy Fatherly bosome from whence euerlastingly I will not departe Of Rapture and of the first species of the same CHAPTER IV. 1. AN Extasie is called a Rapture for as much as God doth therby draw and reare vs vp to himselfe and a Rapture is termed an extasie in that we doe by it goe and remaine out of and aboue our selues to be vnited to God And although the touches by which God drawes vs be admirably sweete gustfull and delicious yet by reason of the force which the diuine Beautie and Bountie haue to drawe vnto them the attention and application of the mind it seemes that it doth not onely raise vs but that it doth rauish and beare vs a way As contrariwise by reason of the most free consent and ardent motion by which the soule rauished rūnes after the diuine touches she seemes not onely to mount and eleuate her selfe but that she doth breake out of her selfe and cast her selfe into the very Diuinitie It fals out after the same manner in the most infamous extasie or abominable Rapture of the soule who by the baites of brutall pleasures is degraded of her spirituall dignitie and placed below her naturall condition for in so much as she doth willingly follow this accursed pleasure and doth precipitate herselfe out of herselfe that is out of her spirituall estate she is saied to be in a sensuall Extasie but for as much as the sensuall baites and inticements doe forceably drawe her and as it were traile her into this vile and base condition she is saied to be rauished and transported because these beastly delightes doe depose her from the vse of reason and vnderstanding with so furious a violence that as one of the greatest Philosophers saieth a man in this case seemes to be fallen into the falling sicknesse so is the mind swallowed vp and as it were lost O men how long will you be so made as to debase your naturall dignitie voluntarily precipitating your selues and discending to the condition of brute beastes 2. But my Deare THEO as touching sacred Extasies they are of three kindes the one belongs to the Vnderstanding th' other to the Affection and the third to the Action The one is in Splendour th' other in feruour the third in the worke the one is made by admiration th' other by deuotion and the third by operation Admiration is caused in vs by the approch of an vncoth Truth which we neither know nor yet hope to know and if the vncoth Truth we meete with be accompaned with Beautie and Goodnesse the admiratition which proceedeth from it is vety delicious So the Queene of Saba finding more true wisdome in Salomon then she had imagined was filled with admiration And the Iewes experiencing in our Sauiour more knowledge then euer they had beleeued they were taken with a great admiratiō When therefore it pleaseth the Diuine Goodnesse to illuminate our heart with some speciall light wherby it is raised to an extraordinarie and sublime contemplation of heauenly Mysteries then discouering more beautie in them then it could haue imagined it fals into Admiration 3. Now admiration of pleasant things doth closely fixe and glew the mind to the thing admired as well by reason of the excellent beautie which admiration discouers vnto it as also by the noueltie of this excellencie the vnderstanding neuer thinking to haue gazed enough vpon that which it neuer sawe before and yet is so agreeable to the viewe Sometimes also besides this God doth impart to the soule a light not onely cleare but euen encreasing in clearenesse as the breake of the day and thē as such as haue found a goldē Myne doe still breake more earth still to finde more of that wished mettle so the vnderstanding doth still diue deeper and deeper into the consideration and admiration of his diuine obiect for euen as admiration was the cause of Philosophie and the attentiue studie of naturall things so it was the cause of Contēplation and mysticall Diuinitie ād whereas this admiratiō being strōg keepes vs without our selues ād aboue our selues by a liuely attētion and applicatiō of our vnderstāding to heauēly things it carries vs cōsequētly into Extasie Of the second Species of Rapture CHAPTER V. 1. GOd drawes mens minds vnto him by his soueraigne Beautie and incomprehensible GOODNESSE which two excellences are but one Supreame Diuinitie most singularly faire and good together Euery thing aimes at GOOD and FAIRE euery thing lookes that way and are stirred and staied by it GOOD and FAIRE is desirable amiable and deare vnto all for it all things doe and will whatsoeuer they will or doe And FAIRE because it doth attract and recall all things to it selfe the Grecians giues it a name which signifies to recall In like manner
his owne will and shall haue onely one Mistresse regent and vniuersall will which shall quicken gouerne and direct all soules hearts and wills and the name of honour amongst christians shall be no other but THE WILL OF GOD IN THEM a will which will rule ouer all wills and transforme them all into herselfe so that the will of Christians and the will of Christ are but one onely will which was perfectly verified in the primitiue Church when as saieth the glorious S. Luke in the multitude of the faithfull there was but one heart and one soule for he meanes not there to speake of the heart that animats our bodie nor of the soule which doth animate the heart with a humane life but he speakes of the heart which giues our soules a heauenly life and of the soule that animats our hearts with a supernaturall life the singular hearts and soules of true Christians which are no other thing then the will of God Life saieth the Psalmist is in the will of God not onely for that our temporall life depends of the diuine pleasure but because our spirituall life is placed in the obseruance thereof wherby God liues and raignes in vs making vs liue and subsist in him Contrariwise the wicked from ages that is alwayes haue broken the yoake of the Law of God and haue saied I will not obay wherevpon God saieth that from their mothers wombe he named theÌ„ Transgressours aÌ„d Rebells and speaking to the king of Tyria he doth reproch him that he had placed his heart as the heart of God for a reuoulting spirit will haue his heart to be its owne Maister and his owne will to be Soueraigne as the will of God He will not haue the Diuine will to raigâ—e ouer his but will be absolute and without controwle O eternall God doe neuer permit that But effect that not my will but thine be done Alas we are in this world not to worke our oâ—ne but the will of the Bountie which put vs there It was written of thee ô Sauiour of my soule that thou didst the will of thy eternall Father and by thy soule her first humane act of willing at the instant of thy conception thou didst louingly embrace this law of the diuine will and placedst it in the midst of thy heart there to raigne and haue dominion for euer Ah who will blesse my soule with the happinesse to haue no will but the will of God! 7. Now when our Loue is exceeding great towards Gods will we are not content to do the Diuine will onely which is signified vnto vs by the Commandements but also we put our selues vnder obedience to follow counsells which are onely giuen vs to the more perfect obseruing of the Commandements to which they haue a certaine reference as S. THOMAS saieth excellently well O how excellent is his obseruance of the prohibition of vniust pleasurs who at once doth renounce the most iust and legitimate delights How farre is he froÌ„ coueting another mans Goods who doth reiect all riches yea euen such as holily he might haue conserued How farre is he froÌ„ preferring his will before Gods who to performe the will of God doth submit himselfe to the will of a man 8. Dauid vpon a day was in his Campe and the Philistian Garrison in Bethleem now he made a wish saying ô that some would present me with a draught of water out of the Cisterne which stads at BethleeÌ„s Port And behold he had no sooner saied the word but three braue Caualeers did set out prepared theÌ„selues for the exploit passed through the enemies troupes weÌ„t to the Cisterne of Bethleem drew water and brought it to Dauid who seeing the hazard to which these gentlemen had exposed themselues to content his appetite he would not drinke that water purchased at the perill of their blood and life but poured it out in sacrifice to the eternall God Ah marke I beseech you THEO the feruour of these Caualeers to their Maisters seruice and liking They fled and broake the rankes of their enemies with a thousand dangers of loosing themselues to complie with one onely simple desire which their king intimated vnto them Our Sauiour wheÌ„ he was in this world declared his will in diuers occurrences by way of Commandement in others he onely signified it by way of desire for he did highly commend chastitie Pouertie Obedience and perfect resignation the abnegation of ones owne will widdowhoode fasting ordinarie Praier and what he saieth of Chastitie that he that could winne the prise should beare it away he saied sufficiently of all the other Counsells At this desire of his the most generous Christians put themselues vpon the Course and maugre all opposition restlesse lust and difficulties they haue arriued at holy perfection submitting themselues vnder the strict obseruance of the kings desires and by this meanes beareing away the crowne of Glorie 9. Verily as witenesseth the Diuine Psalmist God doth not onely heare the Praiers of his faithfull but euen their very desire and the meere preparation of their hearts to praie so fauorable and forward he is to doe the will of those that Loue him And why shall not we then by reciprocation be so iealous in the point of performing Gods holy will that we should not onely effect his Commands but euen that also which we know he liketh and wisheth Noble soules neede no other spurre to the vndertaking of a designe then to know it is the desire of their Beloued My soule saied one of them dissolued when I heard my beloued speake That the contempt of Euangelicall Counsells is a great sinne CHAPTER VIII 1. THe words in which our Sauiour exhots to pretend and tend to perfection are so forcible and pressing that we cannot dissemble the obligation we haue to engage our selues in that designe Be holy saieth he because I am holy He that is holy let him be yet more sanctified and he that is iust let him be yet more iustified Be perfect as your heauenly Father is perfect For this cause the great S. BERNARD writing to the glorious S. GVARINE Abbot of Aux whose life and miracles haue left so sweete an odour in this Diocese the iust man quoth he doth neuer saie enough he doth still hunger and thrist after Iustice 2. Truly THEO as for temporall goods nothing doth suffice him who is not sufficed with that which is sufficient for what can suffice a heart that holds not a sufficiencie sufficient but touching spirituall goods he that is sufficed with that which doth suffice hath not that which doth suâ—fice since a true sufficiencie in diuine things consisteth partly in desire of abundance God in the beginning commaÌ„ded the earth to bring forth greene herbs such as seedeth and that euery tree should beare fruite hauing seede each one according to his kind 3. And doe not we see by experience that plaÌ„ts and fruits are not come to their full groth and maturitie till they begin to seede
sodaine for it is often a trike of the enemye to moue vs to vndertake and begin many desines to th' end that ouerwhelmed with the multiplicitie of businesse we might accōplish nothing but leaue all vnfinished yea sometimes he doth suggest vnto vs a desire to vndertake to begin some excellent worke which he foresees we will not accomplish to deturne vs from prosecuting a worke lesse excellent which we had easily performed for he cares not how many purposes and onsets be made so that nothing be effected He will not hinder the mysticall women that is the Christian soules to bring forth men-children no more then Pharao did prouided that their groth be preuented by slaughter Contrariwise saieth the great S. Hierome amongst Christians we doe not so much note the beginning as the end One must not eate so much that he cannot disgest it The Spirit of guile stayes vs in the beginnings and makes vs content with the florishing spring-time but the Diuine Spirit neuer moues vs to reflect vpon our beginnings saue to attaine the end neuer to make vse of the flowres of the spring but with intention to enioye the ripe fruites of the Summer and Autumne 2. The great S. THOMAS is of opinion that it is not expedient to make many consultations and long deliberations touching the desire one feeles in himselfe to enter into a good and well ordered Religion and not without reason For Religion being counselled by our Sauiour in the Gospell what needs much consultation It is sufficient to make one good one with a few friends who are prudent and conuersant in such a businesse and such as may assist vs to make a short and solide resolution But after we haue once deliberated and resolued as well in this matter as in any other that appertaines to Gods seruice we must be constant and vnuariable without permitting our selues to be shaken by any apprehēsion of a greater good for oftentimes saieth the glorious S. BERNARD the Diuell makes vs rūne the riot and to draw vs from the effecting of one good he proposeth vnto vs some other good that seemes better which after we haue set vpon to diuert vs from that againe he presents a third being willing that we should often begin so we neuer come to an end Nay one is not euen to goe from one order to another without very waightie motifes saieth S. THOMAS following the Abbot Nestorious cited by Cassian 3. I will borrow a fine similitude of S. Anselme writing to Lanzon As a plant often transplanted can neuer take roote nor consequently come to perfection and rēder the wished fruite so the soule that doth transplant her heart from one desine to another cannot profit nor come to the true groth of her perfection since perfection is not found in beginnings but in accomplishments Ezechiel's holy beasts went whither the ouer bearing-furie of their spirits carried them nor did they in going looke backward but each of them went on out right before them Wee are to goe whither the inspiration moues vs not turning about or returning backe but tēding thither whither God hath turned our face without looking ouer our shoulder He that is in a good way let him worke his saluation It happens sometimes that we forsake the good to seeke the better and that hauing forsaken th' one we find not the other Better is the possession of a smale treasure alreadie found then the pretention of a farre greater which is yet to be sought for The inspiration is to be suspected which moues vs to quit a present good which we enioye to purchase a better we know not when A young Portugaise called Francis Bassus was admirable not onely for Diuine eloquence but also for the practise of vertue vnder the discipline of S. PHILIPE NERIVS in the Congregation of the Oratorie at Rome Now he perswaded himselfe that he was inspired to leaue this holy Societie to put himselfe in a formall Order which also he resolued vpon But the B. PHILIPE being present while he was receiued into the order of S. DOMINIKE he wept bitterly Wherevpon being demanded by Francis Marie Tauruse who was afterwards Archbishop of Sienna and Cardinall why he shed teares I deplore quoth he the losse of so many vertues and indeede this young man who did so excell in wisdome and pietie in the Congregation after he was become a religious man was so inconstant and fickle that tossed with many desires of noueltie and change he gaue afterwards great and grieuous scandall 4. If the Fowler goe straight to the Partridge nest she will come before him and coūterfaite her back to be broken or that she is lame and raysing her selfe vp as though she would take a great flight she will tumble downe of a sodaine with show that she is able to doe no more to th ēd that the Fowler being busied in looking after her whom he thinks with ease to catch may not light on her little ones in the nest but as soone as he hath pursued her a while and thinkes he is vpon the point of catching her she escapes by flying away So the enemye seeing a man by Gods inspiration vndertake a profession and manner of life most proper for his aduancements in heauenly Loue persuads him to enter into some other way more perfect in appearance but hauing put him out of his first way he makes him by little and little apprehend the second way impossible proposing a third that so keeping him occupied in the cōtinuall enquirie of diuers and new meanes of perfection he may hinder him from making vse of any and consequently from attaining the end which he seekes for which is perfection Young hounds loose the sent at euery double and rūne counter but the old and well sented hounds neuer rūnes counter but keepes still the same sent they are vpon Let euery one then hauing once found out Gods holy will touching his vocation stick to it holily and louingly practising therein fitting exercises according to the order of discretion and with the Zeale of perfection Of the vnion of Mans will to Gods in the inspirations which are contrarie to the ordinarie Lawes and of the peace and tranquillitie of heart the second marke of Inspiration CHAPTER XII 1. THus then THEO we are to behaue our selues in the inspirations which are no otherwise extraordinarie then in that they doe moue vs to practise ordinarie Christian exercises with an extraordinarie feruour and perfectiō but there are other inspirations called extraordinarie not onely because they make the soule passe the bonds of an ordinarie proceeding but also moue a man to actions contrarie to the lawes rules and common customes of the most holy Church and which therefore are more admirable then imitable The holy Damsell called by the Historians Eusebia the strang left Rome her natiue soyle and putting her selfe in mans attire with two girles more tooke shipe to goe by Sea to Alexandria and thence to the I le of Co where
the Loue that strikes straight through afflictions towards the will of God walkes in assurance For affliction being in no wise amiable in it selfe it is an easie thing to Loue it onely for his sake that send 's it The hounds in spring time are euery foote at default finding hardly any sent at all because the hearbes and flowres doe then smell so freshly that the freshnesse put downe the rowt or sent of the Hart or hare In the spring time of consolations Loue is scarcely acquainted with Gods pleasure because the sensible pleasure of the consolation doth so allure the heart that it troubles the attention which it ought to haue to the will of God S. CATHARINE hauing from our Sauiour her choice of a Crowne of gold or a crowne of thornes choosed this as better suteting with Loue. A desire of sufferance saieth the B. ANGELA FOLIGNY is an infallible marke of Loue and the great Apostle cries out that he glories onely in the Crosse in infirmitie in persecution Of the vnion of our will to the Diuine will in spirituall afflictions by resignation CHAPTER III. 1. THe Loue of the Crosse makes vs vndertake voluntarie afflictions as for example fasting watching haire-shirts and other tamings of the bodie renouÌ„ce pleasures honours aÌ„d riches aÌ„d loue in these exercises is very delightfull to the beloued yet more when we receiue with patience sweetenesse and mildnesse the paines torments and tribulations by reason of the Diuine will which sends vs them But Loue then is at its hight when we receiue afflictions not with patience and sweetnesse onely but we doe euen cheerish loue and embrace theÌ„ in regard of the Diuine will whence they proceede 2. Now of all the essayes of perfect Loue that which is practised by the repose of the mind in spirituall tribulations is doubtlesse the most pure and highest The B. ANGELA OF FOLIGNY makes an admirable description of the interiour panges which sometimes she felt saying that her soule was tortured like to one who being tyed hand and foote should be hung by the necke without being strangled but should hang in this estate betwixt death and life without hope of helpe and neither being able to keepe herselfe vpon her feete nor assist herselfe with her hands nor crie out nor yet sigh or moane So it faires THEO the soule is sometimes so ouercharged with interiour afflictions that all her faculties and powers are oppressed by priuation of all that might releiue her and by apprehension and impression of all that might attristate her So that at the imitation of her Sauiour she begins to be troubled to feare to be disamayed and at length to waxe sad with a sorrow like vnto that of one dying Whence she may rightly saie My soule is heauie euen to death and with her whole hearts consent she desirs petitions supplicats that if it be possible this Calice may passe hauing nothing left her saue the very supreame point of her Spirit which cleeuing hard to the Diuine heart and will saieth in a most sincere submission O eternall Father ah not myne but thy will be done And which is diligently to be noted the soule makes this resignation amidst such a world of troubles contradictions repugnances that she doth euen hardly perceiue that she makes it at least it seemes to her to be done so coldly that it is not done from her heart nor as it were fitting since that which passeth there in fauour of the Diuine will is not onely done without delight and contentment but euen against the pleasure and liking of all the rest of the heart whom loue permits to bemoane her selfe at least to moane that she cannot bemoane herselfe and to sigh out all the LAMENTATIONS of IOB and Hieremie yet with charge that a sacred peace be still conserued in the very bottome of the heart in the highest and most delicate point of the Spirit and this submissiue peace is not tender or sweete nor yet in a manner sensible though otherwise sincere stroÌ„g inuincible aÌ„d full of Loue aÌ„d it seemes to haue betakeÌ„ it selfe to the very eÌ„d of the Spirit as into the dungeoÌ„ of the Fort where it remaines corragious though all the rest be taken and pressed with sorrow And by how much the more Loue in this case is depriued of all helpes forsaken of all the aide of the vertues and faculties of the soule by so much it is more to be prised for conseruing constantly its fidelitie 3. This vnion or conformitie to the diuine pleasure is made either by a holy resignation or a most holy indifferencie Now Resignation is practised with a certaine force and submission one would willingly liue in lieu of dying yet since it is Gods pleasure that die we must we yeeld to it We would willingly liue if it pleased God yea further we would willingly that it were his pleasure to prolong life we die willingly yet more willingly would we liue we departe with a reasonable good will yet would we stay with a better IOB in his afflictions made an act of resignation since we haue receiued the good saied he from the hand of God why shall we not sustaine the the toyles and vexations which he doth send vs marke THEO how he speakes of sustaining supporting enduring as it hath pleased our Lord so was it done our Lords name be praised These are the words of resignation and acceptance by way of sufferance and patience Of the vnion of our will to Gods will by Indâ—fferencie CHAPTER IV. 1. REsignation preferrs Gods will before all things yet doth it Loue many other things besides the will of God but Indifferencie passeth Resignation for it Loues nothing but meerely for the Loue of Gods will in so much that nothing at all can stirre the indifferent heart in the presence of the will of God True it is the most indifferent heart in the world may be touched with some affection while yet it discouers not where the will of God is Eliezer being come to the fountaine of HaraÌ„ had a full view of the virgin Rebecca aÌ„d without doubt saw her too too faire and pleasing howbeit he staied himselfe in an indifferencie till he knew by a signe from God that the Diuine will had ordained her a wife for his Maisters sonne for then he presented her with the eare-iewels and bracelets of gold Contrariwise if IACOB had onely loued in Rachel the alliance with Laban to which his Father Isaac had obliged him Lya had bene as deare vnto him as Rachel they being doth Labans daughters and consequently his Fathers will had bene as well fulfilled in the one as in the other But because beyoÌ„d his Fathers will he coueted to satisfie his owne liking taken with the beautie and louelinesse of Rachel he was troubled to Espouse LYA yet by resignation tooke her against his owne liking 2. But the indifferent heart stands not thus affected for knowing that tribulation though she be hard-fauered as another LYA leaues
heart for the obstinacie of the Iewes 2. Yet be sinners neuer so obstinate let vs neuer desist to aide and assist them for what doe we know but they may doe pennance and be saued happie is he that can saie to his neighbour as did S. Paule I haue neither ceased night nor day to admonish euery of you with teares and therefore I am cleare of your blood for I haue not bene sparing in denouncing vnto you Gods good pleasure in euery behalfe So lōg as there remaines any hope that the sinner will amend which alwayes remaines as long as life we must neuer reiect him but praie for him and assist him as farre forth as his miserie will permit 3. But lastly after we haue wept ouer the obstinate and performed towards them the good offices of Charitie in essaying to reclame them from perdition we must imitate our Sauiour and the Apostles that is we must remoue our mind from thence and place it vpon other obiects and imployments more to the aduancement of Gods glorie We were first saied the Apostles to the Iewes to announce the word of God vnto you but whereas you reiect it and make your selues vnworthy of the raigne of IESVS-CHRIST we will betake our selues to the Gentils The kingdome of God saieth our Sauiour shall be taken from you and shall be giuen to a nation that will make some profit of it Nor can one indeede spend much time in bewailing some few without loosing time fit and necessarie to procure the saluation of others It is true indeede the Apostle saieth that the losse of the Iewes is a cōtinuall corrasiue vnto him yet he spoke it in no other sense then we saie that we praise God continually for we meane no other thing thereby then that we praise him very frequently and in euery occasion and in the same manner the glorious S. Paule felt a continuall griefe in his heart caused by the Iewes reprobation for that in euery occasion he bemoaned their mishape 4. For the rest we must for euer adore Loue and praise God's reuenging and punishing IVSTICE as we loue his MERCY being both daughters of his goodnesse For as he is good yea soueraignly good he makes vs good by his grace by his IVSTICE he punisheth sinne because he hates it and he hates it for that being soueraignly good he hates the soueraigne euill which is iniquitie And in conclusion note that God doth neuer otherwise withdraw his MERCY from vs then by the iust vengāce of his punishing IVSTICE nor doe we euer escape the rigour of his IVSTICE but by his iustifying MERCY and howsoeuer whether he punish or gratifie vs his good pleasure is worthy of adoration loue and euerlasting praise So the Iust who sing the praises of Gods MERCY for such as haue wrought their owne saluation shall reioyce euen in seeing Gods vengance The Blessed shall with ioye approue the Sentence of the Reprobats damnation as well as that of the Elects saluation And the Angels hauing exercised their Charitie towards those that they had in keeping shall remaine in peace while they see them obstinate yea euen damned We are therefore to submit our selues to the Diuine will and kisse the right hand of his MERCY and the left hand of his IVSTICE with an equall Reuerence How the puritie of Indifferencie is practised in the actions of holy Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. THe most excellent Musician of the Vniuersitie and one that had a skeelfull hād vpō the Lute became in time so deadly deafe that his hearing serued him for nothing yet ceased he not for all that to sing and to handle his Lute marueilous delicatly by reasō of the perfect habite which he had therein whereof his deafenesse did not depriue him But taking no pleasure in his song nor yet in the sound of his Lute as being depriued of his hearing he could not perceiue the sweetenesse and delight of it so that he neither sung nor plaied saue onely to content a Prince whose natiue subiect he was and whom he infinitely desired to please as hauing an infinite obligatiō vnto him for his breeding from his childhood Hence he tooke an incomparable delight to delight him and when his Prince made shew to be delighted in his musike he was rauished with delight But it happened sometimes that the Prince to make triall of this louing Musician's loue gaue him order to sing and presently vpon it leauing him there wēt a hunting yet the desire which this Chaunter had to accomplish his Maisters desires made him continue his musike as attentiuely as though his Prince had bene present though in very deede he had no content in his owne song for he neither had the pleasure of the Melodie whereof his deafenesse depriued him nor the content of pleasing his Prince who being absent could not enioye the sweetenesse and pleasure of the ayre which he sung My heart to sing is readie and dispos'd A hymne in honour of thy name compos'd My soule and spirit ardently essayes To sing thy praise Vp then my glorie vp and quit thy rest In Harpe ād Psaltere let our lord be bles't Mans heart is the true Chaunter of the Canticle of sacred Loue himselfe the HARPE or PSALTER Now ordinarily this Chaunter is his owne auditorie taking a great pleasure in the Melodie of his song I meane our heart louing God doth taste the delights of this Loue and takes an incomparable contentment to loue so louely an obiect Marke I praie you THEO what I would saie The Little young Nightingales doe first essaie a beginning of song by imitating the old one but hauing got skill and passing Maisters they sing for the pleasure which they take in their owne song and doe so passhionatly addict themselues to this delight as I haue saied in an other place that by striuing to send out their voice their weseele bursting they send out their life So our hearts in the beginning of deuotion loue God that they may be vnited and become gratefull vnto him and imitate him in that he hath loued vs for all eternitie but by little and little being formed and exercised in holy Loue they are imperceptibly changed and in lieu of louing God to please God they begin to Loue him for the pleasure they take in the exercises of holy Loue and insteede of falling in Loue with God they fall in Loue with the Loue they beare him and stand affected to their owne affections not taking any more pleasure in God but in the pleasure they take in his Loue contenting themselues with this Loue because it is theirs that it is in their heart whence it proceedes for though this sacred Loue be called the Loue of God because God is loued by it yet it is also ours we being the Louers that Loue by it And herevpon we come to chang for insteede of louing this holy Loue for that it tends to God who is the beloued we Loue it because it proceedes from vs who are
him to be vnited vnto him and enioyâ— his Loue But all in vaine she shall be as a womaÌ„ who in the panges of child-birth after she haue endured violent paines cruell conuulsions and intollerable panges dies in the end without being deliuered For as soone as the cleare and faire knowledge of the heauenly Beautie shall haue penetrated the vnderstandings of those infortunate wretches the Diuine Iustice shall in such sort depriue the will of her force that she can in no wise loue this obiect which the vnderstanding shall propose vnto her and make cleare to be so amiable and this sight which should beget in the will so great a Loue in lieu thereof shall engender an infinite desolation which shall be made eternall by a memorie of the Soueraigne Beautie they saw which shall for euer liue in these lost soules a memorie voyd of all good yea full of vexations paines torments and endlesse desperations For so much as in the soule shall be found both an imposiblitie yea and a dreadfull and euerlasting auersion and repugnance to loue this so wishfull an Excellencie So that the miserable damned shall liue for euer in a desperate rage to know so soueraignely amiable a perfection without all hope of euer being able to enioye or loue it because while they might haue loued it they would not they shall burne with a thrist so much more violeÌ„t by how much the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of this source of waters of eternall life shall more egge their ardour they shall die immortally as dogges of a famine by so much more vehement by how much their memorie shall more sharpen the insatiable crueltie thereof by calling to mind the heauenly banquet of which they were depriued The damned soules in foming rage Shall wither vp and drie away And nothing shall their griefe asswage VVhat ere their daring hearts essaye I dare not affirme for certaine that the view of Gods Beautie which the damned shall haue in the maÌ„ner of a flash of lightning shall be as bright as that of the Blessed yet shall it be so cleare that they shall see the sonne of maÌ„ in his Maiestie they shall see him whom they pierced and by the view of this glorie shall learne the greatnesse of their losse Ah if God had prohibited man to Loue what a torment would that haue bene to generous hearts what paines would they not vndertake to obtaine permission to Loue him DAVID entred into a very dangerous Combat to gaine the kings daughter and what did not IACOB doe to espouse RACHEL and the Prince SICHEM to haue DINA in marriage The damned would repute them selues Blessed if they could entertaine a hope euer to Loue God And the Blessed would esteeme themselues Damned if they harboured a thought that they should euer be depriued of this sacred Loue. 4. O Good God THEO how gustfull is the sweetenesse of this Commandement seeing that if it pleased the Diuine will to giue it to the damned they would in a moment be deliuered of their greatest misfortune and since the Blessed are not Blessed but by the practise of it ô heauenly Loue how louelie thou art in the fight of our soules And blessed be the Bountie of God for euer who so earnestly commands vs to Loue him though his Loue be otherwise most to be desired and necessarie to our Happinesse and that without it we must necessarily be vnhappie That this Diuine Commandement of Loue tends to Heauen yet is giuen to the faithfuâ—l in this world CHAPTER II. 1. If the law be not iÌ„posed on the iust maÌ„ because he preuenting the lawes and without the laâ—es sollicitation doth performe Gods will by the instinct of Charitie which raignes in his soule how free are we to esteeme the Blessed in Heauen from all commandements since that from the possession of the Bountie and Beautie of the Beloued in which they are a sweete yet ineuitable necessitie to Loue for euer the most holy Diuinitie doth streame out and runne vpon their hearts We shall Loue God aboue THEO not as being tyed and obliged by the law but as being allured and rauished with delight which this so perfectly an amiable obiect shall yeeld vnto our hearts Then the force of the Commandement will cease to the end it may giue place to the force of contentmentâ— which shall be the fruite and crowne of the obseruance of the Commandement We are therefore ordained to the contentment which is promissed vs in the immortall life by meanes of the Commandement giuen vnto vs in this our mortall life in which truely we are strictly bound to obserue it because it is the fundamentall law which the KING IESVS deliuered to the Citizens of this militant HIERVSALEM whereby they may merite the BVRGVERSHIP and ioye of the triumphant HIâ—RVSALEM 2. Certes aboue in heauen we shall haue a heart free from all passions a soule purified from all distractions a Spirit infranchised from contradictions and forces exempt from opposition and therefore we shall Loue God with a perpetuall and neuer interrupted affection as it is saied of the foure sacred beasts which representing the Euangelists doe incessantly praise the Diuinitie O God what a ioye when we being established in those eternall Tabernacles our Spirits shall be in this perpetuall motion in which they shall enioye the so much desired repose of their eternall dilection Happie who in thy Mansion liue And in all Seasons praises giue But we are not to aime at this Loue so exceedingly perfect in this life of death for as yet we haue neither the heart nor the soule nor the Spirit nor the forces of the Blessed It is sufficient for vs to Loue with all the heart and force which we haue While we are little children we are wise like little children we speake like children we Loue like children but when we shall come to our perfect groth aboue we shall be quit of our infancie and Loue God perfectly Yet are we not for all this THEO during the infancie of our mortall life to leaue to doe our best according as it is commanded since it is not onely in our power but is also most facile the whole Commandement being of Loue and of the Loue of God who as he is soueraignely good so is he soueraignely amiable How notwithstanding that the whole heart is imployed in sacred Loue yet one may Loue God diuersly and also many other things together with him CHAPTER III. 1. HE that saieth all excluds nothing and yet a man may be wholy Gods wholy his Fathers wholy his mothers wholy his Princes wholy his coÌ„mon-wealth's his children's his friend 's so that being wholy euery on 's yet he is wholy to all which happens for that the dutie by which a man is wholy on 's is not contrarie to the dutie by which a man is wholy an others 2. Man giues himselfe wholy by loue and with proportion to his loue he bestowes himselfe He is therefore in a soueraigne manner giuen to God when
he loues the Diuine Bountie Soueraignely And hauing once made this kind of donation of himselfe he is to loue nothing that can remoue his heart from God Now neuer doth any loue take our hearts from God saue that which is contrarie vnto him 3. SARA is not offended to spie ISMAEL about her deare ISAAC while his dalliance with ISMAEL is not to slight or disparage her nor is God offended to see other loues liue in vs besids his while we doe conserue for him the reuerence and respect due vnto him 4. Verily THEOT in heauen God will giue himselfe wholy to all and not by halfs since he is a WHOLE that hath no parts yet will he giue himselfe diuersly and with varieties equall to the varietie of the Blessed for though he giue himselfe wholy to all and wholy to each one yet will he neuer giue himselfe totally neither to any one in particular nor to all in generall And we shall giue our selues to him according to the measure in which he giues himselfe to vs For we shall see him indeede face to face as he is in his Beautie and shall loue him heart to heart as he is in his Bountie yet all shall not see him with an equall brightnesse nor loue him with an equall sweetenesse but euery one shall see and loue him according to their particular portion of glorie which the Diuine Prouidence hath prepared for them We shall equally all haue the fulnesse of Diuine Loue marry that fullnesse shall be vnequall in perfection The honie of Narbone is sweete and so is also that of Paris both of them are full of sweetenesse but the one of a sweetenesse better finer aÌ„d more vigorous and though both of them be entirely sweete yet is neither of them totally sweete I doe homage to my Soueraigne Prince as also to him that is next vnto him I present therefor my loyaltie as well to the one as to the other of them yet doe I present it to neither of them totally For in that which I exhibit to my Soueraigne I doe not exclud that which is due to his vaâ—sall next to him nor doe I in this includ that Wherefore it is no wonder if in Heauen where these words THOV SHALT LOVE THE LORD Tâ—Y GOD WITH ALL THY Hâ—ART shall be so excellently practised there be great differences in loue sith we see such diuersitie euen in this mortall life 5. THEO not onely of such as loue God with all their heart some loue him more and some lesse but euen one and the same doth oft passe himselfe in this soueraigne exercise of louing God aboue all things Appelles did at sometimes haÌ„dle his Pencell better then at others sometimes euen out striping himselfe For though commonly he put all his art and all his attention to draw out ALEXANDER THE GREAT yet did he neuer employe it so totally and entirely that he had not yet other tricks of art by which though he neither put to 't more skill nor more affection yet he did it more liuely and perfectly He alwayes imployed all his wit to the good performance of this Table of ALEXANDER because he vsed it without reserue yet sometimes he did it with more grace and felicitie Who knowes not that we make progresse in this holy Loue aÌ„d that the end of Saints is crowned with a more perfect loue theÌ„ their beginning 6. Now according to the phrase of holy Scripture to doe a thing with all ones heart imports onely to doe it willingly and without reserue O Lord saieth Dauid I haue sought thee with all my heart Lord heare me and the holy WORD testifieth that he had truely followed God with his whole heart and yet not withstanding all that it affirmes also that Ezechias had not his equall amoÌ„gst all the kings of Iuda neither before nor after him that he was vnited to God and straied not from him Afterwards treating of IOSIAS it saieth that he had not his fellow amongst all the kings either before or after hiÌ„ that he returned to God with all his heart with all his soule with all his force according to the whole law of MOYSES nor did there any that followed him rise like vnto him Marke then I praie you THEO marke how DAVID EZECHIAS and IOSIAS loued GOD with all their hearts and yet not all three with an equall dilection because some of them had not their like in this Loue as the Sacred Text witnessed All the three loued him each of them with all their heart yet did nere a one of them seperatly nor all three ioyntly Loue him totally but euery one in his particular way so that as all the three were a like in this that they gaue their whole heart so were they vnlike in their manner of deliuering it yea there is no doubt at all but that DAVID taken a part was farre different from himselfe in this Loue and that with his second heart which God created pure and cleane in him and his right Spirit which he renewed in his bowels by holy Penance he sung the Canticle of Loue farre more melodiously then euer he had done with his first heart and Spirit 7. All true Louers are equall in this that all giue all their heart to God and with all their force but vnequall in the diuersitie of giuing it whence one giues all his heart with all his force yet lesse perfectly then the others Some giues it it all by Martyrdome all by virginitie all by puritie all by action all by contemplation all by a pastorall function and though all giue it all by the obseruance of the Commandements yet doth some one giue it with lesse perfection then the others 8. EueÌ„ so IACOB hiÌ„selfe who was called the HOLY-of-GOD in DANIEL and whoÌ„ God protesteth that he loued confesseth ingeniously that he had serue LABAN with all his strength and why did he serue LABAN but to obtaine RACHEL whom he loued with all his forces He serues LABAN with all his forces he serues GOD with all his forces he Loues RACHEL with all his forces he Loues GOD with all his forces yet Loues he not RACHEL as GOD nor GOD as RACHEL He Loues GOD as his God aboue all things and more then himselfe he Loues RACHEL in qualitie of a wife and as himselfe he Loues God with an absolute and soueraignely supreame Loue and RACHEL with the cheefest nuptiall Loue. Nor is the one of the Loues contrarie to the other since that of RACHEL doth not violate the priuiledges and soueraigne aduantages of the Loue of GOD. 9. So that our Loue to God THEO takes its worth from the eminencie and excellencie of the motiue for which and according to which we Loue him in that we Loue him for his soueraigne infinite goodnesse as God and according as he is God Now one drope of this Loue is better of more force and value then all the other Loues that can euer enter into the hearts or amongst the Quires
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
and are so capable of the impressions of heauenly loue that to make them participate in its Sanctitie they neede onely to be by it that is neare a heart which loues God So to make grapes tast like Oliues it is but planting the vine amongst the Oliue-trees for by their onely neighbourhoode without euer touching one another these plantes doe mutually enterchange fauours and properties so great an inclination and so strict a conueniencie is there betwixt them 2. Certes all flowres except those of the tree called the Pensiue Tree and others that are monstres in nature all I saie are gladded displayed and embellished at the Sunnes approch by the vitall heat which they receiue from his rayes But all yellow flowres and especiall that which the Grecians terme HELIOTROPIVM and we TVRNE-SOLE are not onely gladded ād pleased with his presence but euen follow his beames allurement by an amiable winding about to looke and turne themselues towards it euen from the rysing to the setting So all vertues doe receiue a new lustre and an excellent dignitie by the presence of holy Loue but Faith Hope the Feare of God Pietie Penance and all the other vertues which of their owne natures doe particularly tend vnto God and to his honour doe not onely receiue the impression of Diuine loue whereby they are eleuated to a great value but they hang wholy towards him associate themselues with him following and seruing him in all occasions for in fine my deare THEO the holy word doth attribute a certaine sauing sanctifying force and proprietie to Faith Hope Pietie Feare of God to Penance which is an euidence that those vertues are of great price and being practised by a heart in Charitie they become more fruitfull and holy by excellencie then the others which of their owne nature haue not so great an agreement with heauenly Loue. And he that cries if I had all Faith euen in such a measure that I could transport mountaines and should want charitie I am nothing doth sufficiently shew that with Charitie this faith would be very fruitfull Charitie then is a vertue without compare which doth not onely adorne the heart wherin she is but with her meere presēce doth also blesse ād sanctifie all the vertues which she meetes therein embalming and perfuming them with her celestiall odour by meanes whereof they are raysed to a high rate in the sight of God which yet she performes farre more excellently in Faith Hope and other vertues which of them selues doe naturally tend to pietie 3. Wherefore THRO of all vertuous actions we ought most carefully to practise those of Religion and Reuerence towards diuine things those of Faith of Hope and the most holy Feare of God taking occasion often to speake of heauenly things thinking and sighing after eternitie frequenting the Church and Diuine seruice making pious lectures obseruing the ceremonies of christian Religion for sacred Loue is fed according to its hearts desire in these exercises and doth in greater abundance streame out its graces and proprieties vpon them then it doth vpon those vertues which are purely naturall like as the heauenly rainebow makes all the plantes vpon which it lightes odoriferous but the Asphalatus incomparably more then all the rest That Diuine Loue doth yet more excellently sanctifie the vertues which are practised by his ordinance and Commandment CHAPTER IV. 1. THe faire RACHEL after an earnest desire of issue with her deare IACOB was by two meanes made fertill whence also she had children of two sundrie kinds for in the beginning of her marriage seeing she could haue no children of her owne bodie she made vse of her seruant BALA as it were by loue which she drew into her societie by the exercise of the functions of marriage saying vnto her husband I haue here my handmaide BALA take her in wedlocke and companie with her that she may beare vpon my knees and I may haue children of her and it fell out according to her desire For she conceiued and brought forth many children vpon RACHELS knees who receiued them as though they had bene truely her owne since they were begotten by two bodies whereof IACOBS belonged to her by the right of marriage BALA'S by the dutie of seruice and againe because the generation was effected by her order and will But she had afterwards two other children without her command or order which were conceiued begot and sprung from her owne bodie at her owne bent to wit Ioseph and the beloued Beniamin 2. I must tell you now THEOT that Charitie and holy loue a thousand times more faire then Rachel married to mans heart doth incessantly wish to produce holy operations And if in the begining she her selfe cannot bring forth of her owne extraction by the sacred vnion which is singularly proper vnto her she cals the other vertues as her faithfull handmaids makes them cōpanions with her in marriage commanding the heart to make vse of them and beget holy operations of them yet operations which she doth adopt and repute her owne as being produced by her order and commandment and of a heart which belongs vnto her sith as we haue formerly declared Loue is the Maister of the heart and consequently of all the acts of other vertues made by his consent But further heauenly Charitie hath two acts which are her owne issue properly and are of her owne extraction the one is EFFECTIVE LOVE who as another IOSEPH vsing the fulnesse of regall authoritie doth subiect and range the troopes of our faculties powers passions and affections to Gods will that it might be loued obeyed and serued aboue all things by this meanes putting the great celestiall commandment in execution Thou shalt loue thy LORD thy GOD with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy Spirit with all thy strength The other is AFFECTIVE OR AFFECTIONATE LOVE who as a little Beniamin is exceedingly delicate tender pleasing and amiable but in this more happie then Beniamin that Charitie his mother dies not in his birth but as it were gaines a new life by the delight she takes in it 3. Thus then THEOT the vertuous actions of the children of God doe all belong to Charitie some of them because they sprung from her owne wombe others because she sanctifies them by her quickning presence and finally others by the authoritie and commāde which she exerciseth ouer the other vertues whence she made them spring And these as indeede they are not so eminent in dignitie as the actions which doe properly and immediatly issue from Charitie so doe they incomparably passe those which take their whole sanctitie from the presence and Societie of Charitie 4. A great Generall of an Armie hauing gayned some renowned bataile will without doubt haue all the glorie of the victorie and not without reason for he himselfe will haue fought in the forefront of the armie essaying many braue feates of armes he will haue rancked his troopes ordained and commanded all that was
truth or a most true humilitie that indeede we are most vnprofitable and vnfruitfull seruants to our Maister who by reason of his essentiall superabundancie of riches can haue no profit by vs but conuerting all our works to our owne aduantage and commoditie he makes vs serue him with as little profit to him as much profit to our selues who by so small labours gaine so great rewards 3. He was not then bound to paie vs for our seruice if he had not passed his promis for it yet doe not thinke THEO that he would so manifest his goodnesse in this promise as to forget to glorifie his wisdome yea contrariwise he did most exactly obserue the rules of equitie mixing comelinesse with liberalitie in an admirable manner for though our works are indeede very small and in no wise for their quantitie cōparable to Glorie yet in regard of their qualitie they are very proportionable therevnto by reason of the Holy Ghost who by Charitie dwelling in our hearts workes them in vs by vs and for vs in so exquisite a manner that the same workes that are wholy ours are more wholy his sith as he doth produce them in vs so we againe produce them in him as he doth them for vs so we doe them for him as he operats them with vs so we cooperate them with him 4. Now the holy Ghost doth dwell in vs if we be liuely members of IESVS CHRIST who herevpon saied vnto his Disciples He that abids in me and I in him he brings forth much fruit and it is THEO because he that abids in him is made partaker of his diuine Spirit who is in the midst of mans heart as a liuing fountaine of water springing vp vnto life euerlasting so the holy oyle which was poured vpon our Sauiour as vpon the head of the Church militant and triumphant doth spread it selfe ouer the societie of the Blessed who as the sacred beard of this heauenly Maister is continually fastened to his glorious face and doth drope vpon the companie of the faithfull who as clothes are ioyned and vnited by loue to the Diuine Maiestie the one and the other troope being composed of naturall brethren hauing hereby occasion to crie out Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell in one as oyntment on the head which ranne downe vpon the beard the beard of Aaron which ranne downe vpon the hemme of his garment 5. Our works therefore as a little corne of mustard are in no sort comparable in greatnesse to the tree of glorie which they produce yet haue they the vigour and vertue to worke it for that they proceede from the holy ghost who by an admirable infusiō of his grace into our hearts makes our works his and yet withall leaues them our owne since we are members of one head whereof he is the Spirit and ingraffed in a tree whereof he is the sape and whereas he doth in this sort act in our actions and we after a certaine manner doe operate or cooperate to his operation he leaues vs to our part all the merite ad profite of our seruices and good workes and we againe leaue him all the honour and praise thereof acknowledging that the beginning the progresse and the end of all the good we doe depends of his mercy by which he hath come vnto vs and hath preuented vs he came into vs and assisted vs he came with vs and conducted vs finishing what he had begun But ô God THEO how mercifull is this Bountie vnto vs in this diuision we render him the glorie of our praises alas and he giues vs the glorie of his possession In somme by these light and passing labours we obtaine goods permanent for all eternitie Amen That perfect vertues are neuer one without the other CHAPTER VII 1. The heart is saied to be the first part of a mā which receiues life by the vnion of the soule and the eye the last as contrariwise in a naturall death the eye begins first to die the heart the last Now when the heart begins to liue before the other parts be animated life is feeble tender and imperfect but still as it gets further possession in the other parts of the bodie life is more vigorous in each part but particularly in the heart and we see that life being interressed in any one of the members it is weakened in all the rest If a mans foote or arme be agreeued all the bodie is disseased stirred troubled and changed If our stomake paine vs the eyes voice and countenance are sensible of it Such is the agreement amongst all the parts of man for the enioying of this naturall life 2. All the vertues are not gotten in an instant but one after another as reason which is as the soule of our heart rids it selfe now of one passion now of another to moderate and gouerne them and ordinarily this life of our soule takes it's beginning in the heart of our passion which is Loue and branching it selfe ouer all the rest it doth euen quicken the very vnderstanding by contemplation as contrariwise morall or spirituall death makes its entrie into the soule by the consideration Death enters by the windowes saieth the sacred Text and its last effect is to distroy the good Loue which once perishing all our morall life is dead in vs so that though me may indeede haue some vertues seperated from others yet are they but at most languishing imperfect and weake vertues since that reason which is the life of our soule is neuer satisfied or at ease in a soule vnlesse it occupie and possesse all the faculties and passions of the same and being once agreeued or hurt in any one of our passions or affections all the rest loose their force and vigour and strangly doe pine away 3. Marke THEO all the vertues are vertues by the proportion or conformitie they haue to reason and an action cannot be named vertuous if it proceede not from the affection which the heart beares to the decencie and beautie of reason Now if the loue of reason doe possesse and animate the mynd it will be obedient to reason in all occurrences and consequently will practise all the vertues If IACOB loued RACHEL in respect that she was Laban's daughter why did he despise LIA who was not onely the daughter but euen the eldest daughter of the saied LABAN But because he affected RACHEL by reason of her beautie he could neuer equally loue the poore LIA though a fruitfull and wise maide not being so faire in his eye He that loues a vertue for the loue of the reason and decorum that shines in it he will loue them all since he will find the same motiue in thē all and he will loue each of them more or lesse as reason shall appeare in them more or lesse resplendēt He that loues Liberalitie and not Chastitie shewes sufficiently that he loues not liberalitie for the beautie of reason for that is
that all humane actions might be duely fashioned to naturall honestie and felicitie But besids all this God to enriche Christians with a speciall fauour he makes a supernaturall fountaine rise vp vpon the very top of the superiour part of the spirit which is called Grace and doth indeede comprehend faith and Hope yet it consists of Charitie which doth purifie the soule from sinne and then doth adorne and embellish her with a most delightfull beautie and finally doth spreed her waters ouer all the faculties and operations therof to endow the vnderstanding with a celestiall Prudence the will with a holy Iustice the concupiscible Appetite with a sacred Temperāce and the Irascible Appetite with a denote Force to the end that mans whole heart might tend to the supernaturall honestie and felicitie which is a vnion with God And if these foure streames or flouds of Charitie doe meete with any one of the foure naturall vertues in the soule they bring it to their obedience mixing themselues therewith to perfect it as perfumed water doth perfect naturall water being mingled together But if holy Charitie poured out in this manner meete with none of the naturall vertues in the soule she alone doth all their operations as occasion requires 2. Thus heauenly Loue finding sundrie vertues in S. PAVLE S. AMBROSE S. DENIS S. PACOMIVS poured vpon them a delightfull light reducing them all to his seruice But the Diuine Loue finding no vertue at all in S. MARIE MAGDALENE S. MARIE EGIPTIACA the good Thiefe and a thousand the like penitents who had bene great offenders did the office and worke of all the vertues becōming patient sweete hūble ād liberall in them We sowe great varietie of seeds in Gardens and couer them with earth as burying them till the Sunne preuailing makes them rise againe and as one would saie doth resuscitate them in the production of their leaues and fruit which haue new seede euery one in his kind so that one onely heauenly heate doth cause all the diuersitie of productions by meanes of the seede which it finds hid in the bosome of the erath Verily my THEO God hath sowen in our hearts the seeds of all vertues which are yet so couered with our imperfections and weaknesse that they did not at all or at least scarce appeare till the vitall heate of holy Loue came to quicken and resuscitate them by them producing the actions of all vertues So that as Manna contained in it selfe the sundrie tastes of all meates and left a relish thereof in the Israelits mouthes euen in like manner heauenly Loue comprehends in it selfe the diuers perfections of all the vertues in so excellent and high a sort that it produceth all the actions in time and place according to their occurrences IOSVE did valliantly defeate God's enemyes by his good command ouer the armies which were put in his hands But Samson defeated them yet more gloriously who by his owne hand slew thousands with the iawe bone of an asse IOSVE by his command and good order making vse of the valour of his troopes wrought wonders But SAMSON by his owne force alone wrought wonders IOSVE had the strength of many soldiers vnder him but SAMSON had it in him and could alone performe as much as IOSVE together with many soldiers Holy loue is excellent in both these wayes for finding some vertues in a soule and ordinarily it finds at least Faith Hope and Penance it quickens commands and happily imployes them in God's seruice and for the rest of the vertues which it finds not it performes their worke all alone hauing more strength alone then they haue all together 3. The great Apostle doth not onely saie that Charitie giues vs Patience Benignitie Constancie Simplicitie but he saieth that Charitie it selfe is patient benigne constant And it is the propertie of the supreame vertues amongst men and Angels not onely to direct the inferiour vertues in their operations but also to be able themseues to doe what they command others The Bishope giues the charge of all the Ecclesiasticall functions to open the Church to reade exercise preach baptize sacrifice communicate and absolue therein and he himselfe also cā doe and doth all this hauing in himselfe an eminent vertue which comprehends all the inferiour vertues So S. THOMAS vpon that which S. PAVLE assures vs to wit that Charitie is patient benigne strong Charitie saieth he doth doe and accomplish the works of all the vertues And S. AMBROSE writing to DEMETRIAS cals Patience and the rest of the vertues members of Charitie And the glorious S. AVGVSTINE saieth that the Loue of GOD comprehends all the vertues and doth all their operations in vs heare his words That we saie that vertue is deuided into foure he meanes the foure Cardinall vertues we saie it in my opinion by reason of the diuers affections which proceede from Loue. So that I would make no doubt to define those foure vertues thus Temperance is a Loue which giues it selfe entirely vnto God Fortitude is a Loue which doth willingly support all things for Gods sake Iustice is a Force which serues God onely and therefore disposeth iustly of all that belong vnto man Prudence is a Loue that makes choice of things proper to vnite it selfe vnto God and reiect such things as are contrarie to it He therefore that hath Charitie hath his soule inuested with a faire wedding garment which like vnto that of IOSEPH is wrought with the varietie of vertues or rather it hath a perfection which containes the vertue of all the perfections and the perfection of all the vertues whence Charitie is patient and benigne She is not enuious but bashfull she commits no leuities but is prudent she is not puffed vp with pride but is humble she is not ambitious or disdainefull but amiable and affable she is not eager in exacting that which belongs vnto her but free and condescending She is not irritated but is peaceable She thinkes of no euill but is gentle She doth not reioyce in euill but in the truth and with the truth she suffers all she easily beleeues all the good which one can tell her without all headinesse contention or diffidence She hath a firme hope of her neighbours good without euer distrusting to procure his saluation she sustaines euery thing expecting in peace that which is promised her And in conclusion Charitie is that pure inflamed gold which our Sauiour coūselled the Bishope of Laodicea to buy containing the price of all things and which cā doe and doth all things That vertues haue their worth from sacred Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. CHaritie is then the band of perfection since in it all the perfections of the soule are assembled and contained and without it one cānot onely not haue the full assemblie of vertues but euen not so much as the perfection of any one of them If the cemente and morter which should tie together the stones in the wall be awanting the whole edifice goes
happie and his life blessed ô what a blessed life saith S. AVGVSTINE which to flie we flie to death If it be blessed why doe you not remaine in it So that Captaine of the Stoicks who was so greartly extolled amongst those cruell and profane people for hauing slaine himselfe in Vtica to auoyd a calamitie which he reputed vnworthy of his life performed it with so little true vertue that as S. AVGVSTINE saieth he did not testifie that he had a courage that would eschew dishonour but a weake soule which had not the heart to expect aduersitie For if he reputed it a dishonorable thinge to liue vnder Caesars coÌ„mand why had he commanded to hope in Caesars mercy why did he not aduise his sonne to die with him if death were better aÌ„d more honorable then life He killed himselfe then because he either enuyed Caesar the glorie to haue power to pardoÌ„ him or for that he apprehended it a disgrace to liue vnder a Conquerour that he hated wherein he may be commended for a stout and bigge heart yet not for a wise vertuous and stayed Spirit The crueltie which is exercised out of choler in cold blood is the most cruell of all it is the like in despaire for the most slow deliberate and resolute is the lest excusable and the most desperate And as for LVCRECIA that we may not forget the vallour of the lesse vallourous Sexe Either she was chast when TARQVINIVS did force and violate her or she was not If LVCRECIA was not chast why is the chastitie of Lucrecia commended If Lucrecia were chast and vnspotted in that occurrence was it not an vnworthy fact in Lucrecia to murther the innocent Lucrecia If she were adulterious why so much extolled If honest why was she slaine I But she dreaded dishonour and reproch from such as might haue thought that the dishonour which she suffered by force while yet she liued had bene willingly suffered if she had after daigned to liue She was afraied the world would iudge that she complied with the sinne if that which was villanously coÌ„mitted against her had bene patiently supported by her And must we then to auoyd shame and reproch which depends vpon the opinion of men oppresse the innocent and kill the iust must we maintaine honour at vertues â—ost and reputation with hazard of iniustice Such were the vertues of the most vertuous Pagans towards God and towards themselues 3. Touching the vertues that belong to our neighbours euen by their lawes they trod them shamefully vnder foote yea the principall of them Pietie For Aristotle the greatest wit amongst them doth pronounce this most horrible and violent sentence Touching the exposing that is the abandoning of children or their education let this be the law that nothing is to be kept that is depriued of any member touching other children if they be prohibited by the lawes and customes of the Citie to forsake their children and that the numbers of any ones children doe so encrease on him that he hath more by halfe then his meanes will keepe he is to preueÌ„t and to procure an aborsement Seneca that so renowned a wise man we kill monsters saieth he and such of our children as are manke weaklings imperfect or moÌ„strous we reiect and abandone So that it is not without cause that Tertullian doth reproch the Romans with the exposing of their children to the mercy of the waters to the cold to famine to dogs and this also not by the extreamitie of want for as he saieth the Presidents and Magistrats themselues practised this vnnaturall crueltie ô good God THEO what kind of vertuous men were these And what was their wisdome who taught a wisdome so cruell and brutall Alas saied the great Apostle thinking themselues wise they became senselesse and their foolish heart hath bene darkened and deliuered vp into a reprobate sense Ah what a horrour it is that so great a Philosopher should aduise aborsement It is a forerunning of manslaughter saieth Tertullian to hinder a child conceiued to be borne and S. Ambrose reprehending the Pagans for this barbarousnesse they depriue by this meanes saieth he their children of life before they are yet possessed of it 4. And if the PagaÌ„s haue at any time practised any vertues it was most ordinarily in regard of wordly glorie and consequently they had onely vertue in action but neither the motiues nor inteÌ„tion thereof nor is vertue true vertue vnlesse it haue a right intention The Pagans force was built vpon humane auarice saieth the Councell of Aur but the strength of Christians is established by heauenly charitie The Pagans vertues saieth S. AVGVSTINE were not true but onely resembled Truth as not hauing bene practised to their true end but for pretentions that vanish away FABRITIVS shall be lesse punished then CATAZINE not that he was good but because this was worse Not that FABRITIVS had any true vertues but because he was not so farre distant from them So that the Pagans vertues at the day of Iudgment will be a kind of defence to them not that they can be saued thereby but that they may be lesse daÌ„ned one vice was blotted out by another amongst the Pagans one vice making place to another without leauing any place at all to vertue And out of vaine glorie onely they repressed auarice and many other vices yea sometimes through vanitie they despised vanitie wherevpon one of them who seemed to be least vaine trampled with his feete Plato's finely made bed what dost thou DIOGENES saied PLATO vnto him I tread vnder foote Plato's pride quoth he It is true replyed PLATO thou treadst vpon it but with another pride Whether SENECA was vaine may be gathered out of his last words for the end crownes the worke and the last houre iudgeth all ô what vanitie being at the point of death he saied vnto his friends that be could not till now sufficiently thanke them aâ—â— that therefore he would leaue them a Legacie part of that which was most gracious and excellent in him and which if they carefully kept they should receiue great honour by it adding that this magnificent Legacie was no other thinge then the picture of his life Doe not you marke THEO how his last breathing stinke of vanitie It was not the loue of honestie but the loue of honour which pricked forward those wise worldlings to the exercise of vertue and indeede their vertues were as different from true vertues as the honour of honestie and the loue of merite is different from the Loue of reward Those that serue their Prince for their owne interest doe ordinarily performe their dutie with more solicitude ardour and feeling but such as serue out of Loue doe it more nobly generously and therefore more worthily 4. Carbunckles and Rubies are called by the grecians by two contrarie names to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of fire aÌ„d without fire or else inflamed and without flame They
as the bad but in the good it is moderated by submissioÌ„ and resignatioÌ„ to the will of God as is seene in Tobie who redred thaÌ„kes to the Diuine Maiâ—stie for all the aduersities wherewith he was afflicted and in â—OB who blessed the name of God in theÌ„ and in Daniel who turned his sorrowes into songes Now contrariwise in worldlings the same sorrow is an ordinarie dish with theÌ„ aÌ„d is changed into loathsomenesse dispaire madnesse for they reseÌ„ble Apes aÌ„d MoÌ„kies which are still peeuish sad and sottish in the wayning of the Moone as againe in the new of the Moone they hop dance and doe their apish trickes The worldling is froward harsh bitter and melancholie in the ebbe of his terreane prosperities but while they flowe he is almost continually in his brauado's iocund and insolent 6. Certes the sorrow of true Repentance is not so much to be termed sorrow as a dislike sense or detestation of sinne a sorrow which is neuer either harsh or peeuish a sorrow which doth not benume the mind but makes it become actiue prompt and diligent a sorrow which doth not abate the heart but doth reliue it by praier and hope and makes it make the stirrings of the feruour of deuotion a sorrow which in the hight of its bitternesse doth produce the sweetenesse of an incomparable consolation following the Precept of the great S. Augustine Let the penitent sorrow continually but let him also continually reioyce therein Sorrow saieth CassiaÌ„ which doth worke solide Penance and the wishfull repentaÌ„ce whereof a man doth neuer repeÌ„t him is obedient affable humble milde sweete patient as issuing and descending from Charitie so that extending it selfe to all the paine of the bodie and contrition of the heart it is in a certaine sort ioyfull quickned and streÌ„gthned with the hope of profit it retaines all the sweetenesse of affabilitie and longnanimitie as enioying the fruits of the holy Ghost recited by the holy Apostle now the fruits of the holy Ghost are Charitie Ioye Peace Longanimitie Goodnesse Benignitie Faith Mildnesse Continencie Such is true Repentance and such the good sorrow which is not properly sad or melancholie but onely attentiue and addicted to detest reiect and hinder the malice of sinne for the time past and time to come And indeede we meete often with Penetents sollicitous troubled impatieÌ„t mournefull soure groaning disquiet harsh and melancholie which are in the end found to be fruitlesse and are not followâ—d with any true amendement because they proceeded not from the true motiues of the vertuâ— of Penance but from naturall and selfe-loue 7. The sorrow of the world worketh death saieth the Apostle THEO we must be therefore carefull to auoyd and reiect it aâ—cording to our power if it be naturall we are to keepe it backe by withstanding its motions and by diuerting them by exercises proper for that end and by vsing the remedies and manner of liuing which the Phisitions shall aduise If it proceede from temptation we must fully disclose our heart to our Ghostly Father who will prescribe vs the meanes to ouercome it according to that which we haue deliuered touching this point in the fourtâ— Part of the Introduction to a deuote life If it be accidentall we must haue recourse to that which is saied in the eight booke to th' end we may see how delightfull temptations are to the sonns of God and that the greatenesse of our hopes in the eternall life to come all almost doe make all the passing euents of this mortall life of no consideration 8. For the rest amongst all the melancholies which can happen vnto vs we are to make vse of the authoritie of the superiour will to doe all thâ—t it is able in the behalfe of diuine Loue. Certes there are actions which haue so great a dependance of the corporall disposition and complexion that it is not in our power to doe them at our pleasure for the melancholie man cannot for his heart keepe neither his eyes speach nor countenance in the same grace and sweetenesse which they would haue if he were quit of this bad humour yet may he well though not with a grace speake gracious good and courtious words and may doe on despite of his inclination by force of reason what is conuenient in words and in the works of Charitie sweetnesse condescendance It is pardonable in a man not to be continually iocund for a man is not Maister of mirth to haue it when he list but he that is not continually gentle tractable and condescendant is not excusable for it is alwayes in the abilitie of our will nor is there any other thing required therevnto but a resolution to surmount the contrarie humour and inclination The end of the eleauenth booke THE TVVELFTH BOOKE CONTAINING CERtaine aduises for the progresse of the soule in holy Loue. That our progresse in holy Loue doth not depend of our naturall complexion CHAPTER I. I. A Famous religious of our age hath written that our naturall disposition doth much conduce to contemplatiue Loue and that such as are of an affectiue and louing nature are most proper for it Now I suppose his meaning is not that sacred Loue should be distributed to men or Angels in sequell and yet much lesse in vertue of their naturall conditions nor that he would saie that the distribution of diuine Loue is made to men according to their naturall qualities and abilities for this were to belye the Scripture and to violate the ecclesiasticall rule by which the Pelagians were declared Heretikes 2. For my part I speake in this Treatise of supernaturall Loue which God out of his goodnesse doth poure into our hearts and whose residence is in the supreame point of the Spirit a point which is aboue all the rest of our soule and is independant of all naturall complexion and withall though the soules that are inclined to Loue haue on the one side a certaine disposition which make theÌ„ more proper to loue God yet one the other side they are so subiect to set their affection vpon louely creatures that their inclination puts thâ—m iâ— as much danger of being diuerted from sacred Loue by a mixture of other Loues as they haue a facilitie in desiring to Loue God for the dangâ—r of louing amisse is annected to the facilitie of louing It is true that soules of this composition being once well purified from the loue of câ—â—atures they worke wonders in sacred Charitie Loue finding a great case to dilate it selfe in all the faculties of the heart and from thence proceeds a delightfull sweetenessâ— which appeares not in those whose soules are pâ—euish harsh melancholie and churlish 3. Neuerthelesse if two parties the one whereof is louing and sweete the other harsh and â—oure by nature had an equall Charitie they would loue God equally yet not both alike The heart naturally sweete would loue more easily more amiably more sweetely though neither more solidly nor yet more perfectly but the
loue that should spring vp amongst the brambles and repugnances of a harsh and drie nature would be more braue and glorious and withall more delightfull and gracious like to the other 4. It imports not much then whether one haue a naturall inclination to loue when supernaturall loue is handled by which one works onely supernaturally Onely this THEO I would willingly crie out to all men ô mortalls if you haue hearts addicted to loue alas why doe you not pretend celestiall and Diuine Loue But if you be harsh and hard hearted alas poore peopâ—â— sith you are depriued of naturall Loue why doe you not aspire to supernaturall Loue which shall be louingly bestowed on you by him who so holily calls you to loue him That we are to haue a continuall desire to loue CHAPTER II. 1. LAy vp treasures in heauen one treasure is not sufficient to the liking of this Diuine Louer but he desires we should haue it in such aboundance that our treasure should be coÌ„posed of many treasures that is to saie THEO that we are to haue an insatiable desire of Louing God adding continually loue vpon loue What is it that doth so much presse the Bees to encrease their honie but the loue they beare to it ô heart of my soule who art created to loue the infinite good what loue canst thou desire but this loue which is the most to be desired of all loues Alas ô soule of my heart what desire canst thou loue but the most louely of all desires ô Loue of sacred desires ô desires of holy Loue ô how much haue I desisired to desire your perfections 2. The disgusted sickman hath no appetite to eate yet hath he an appetite to haue an appetite he desires no meate yet he desires to haue a desire THEO to know whether we loue God aboue all things is not in our power vnlesse God himselfe reueale it vnto vs yet we may easily know whether we desire to loue him aÌ„d perceiuing the desire of holy loue in vs we know that we begin to loue It is our seÌ„suall aÌ„d animall part which couets to eate but it is our reasonable part that desires this appetite and because the sensuall part doth not alwayes obeye the reasonable part it happens that we desire an appetite and yet haue it not 3. But the desire of louing and loue depend both of the same will Wherefore as soone as we haue framed a desire of louing we begin to haue some Loue and euer as this desire encreaseth loue also encreaseth He that desires Loue ardently shall shortly loue with ardour ô God THEO who will make vs so happie as that we may burne with this desire which is the desire of the poore and the preparation of their heart whom God doth willingly heare He that hath no assurance to loue God is a poore man and if he desire to loue him he is a beggar but a beggar in that bleessed beggarie of which our Sauiour hath saied Blessed are the poore of spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen 4. Such an one was S. AVGVSTINE when he cryed out ô to loue ô to walke ô to die to a mans selfe ô to come to God! Such S. FRANCIS his saying let me die of thy Loue ô thou friend of my heart who hast daigned to die for my Loue Such S. CATHARINE of GENVA and S. TERESA when as spirituall Does panting and dying with the thirst of Diuine Loue they sighed out this voice ah Lord giue me this water 5. Temporall couituousnesse by which we doe greedily desire earthly riches is the roote of all euill but spirituall auarice whereby one doth incessaÌ„tly sigh after the pure gold of Diuine Loue is the roote of all good He that doth desire to Loue well doth search it well and he that doth search it well doth find it well and he that hath found it out he hath found the source of life whence he shall draw the saluation of our Lord. Let vs crie night and day THEO come ô holy Ghost fill the hearts of thy faithfull and kindle in them the fire of thy Loue. ô heauenly Loue when wilt thou fill my soule That to haue the desire of saâ—red Loue we are to cut of all other desires CHAPTER III. 1. VVHy doe hounds thinke you THEO more ordinarily loose the sent or straine of the game they runne in the spring time then in other times it is as the Hunters and Philosophers saie because the grasse and floures are then in their vigour so that the varietie of smells which they send out doth so fill the hounds sense of smelling that they can neither take nor follow the sent of their game amongst so sundrie â—ents which the earth doth euaporate Certes those soules that doe abound still in desires designes and proiects doe neuer desire the holy celestiall loue as they ought nor can perceiue the delightfull straine and sent of the Diuine beloued who is compared to the Roe or to the little Faune of the Do. 2. Lilies haue no season but growe soone or late as they are deeper or lesse deepe set in the ground for if they be thrust three fingers onely into the ground they will presently florish but if they be put 6. or 9. fingers into the earth they come vp later proportionably If the heart that pretends Diuine Loue be deeply engaged in terreane and temporall affaires it will bud late and with difficultie But if it haue onely so much to doe with the world as its condition requires you shall see it blosome timely in Loue and send out a delicious odour 3. For this cause the Saints betooke themselues to deserts that being freede from worldly solicitudes they might more ardently bestowe themselues in the exercise of holy Loue Hence the sacred Spouse shut the one of her eyes to th'ed that she might fixe the sight of the other alone more setledly and withall aime more directly at the very midst of her Beloued's heart which she desires to wound witâ— loue And for this same reason she keepes her haire so plaited and foulded together in tresses that she seemes to haue one onely haire which she makes vse off as of a chaine to bind and beare away her Spouse his heart whom she makes a slaue to her Loue. 5. They that desire for good and all to loue God shut vp their vnderstanding from worldly discoursâ—s to imploye it more feruently in Diuine meditations and doe gather vp all their pretentions into that onely one pretention of onely louing God Whosoeuâ—r he be that desires any thing which he desires not for God doth in that lesse desire God 5. A Religious man dâ—manded of B. Giles what he could doe most gratefull to God and he answâ—red him by singing one to one that is one onely soule to one onely God So many desires and Loues in our heart are as many children vpon one dâ—gge who while they can not all sucke at once they thrust to it now one
now another by emulation making it in the end waxe withered and drie He that aimes at heauenly Loue must carefully reserue his times his spirit and affections for it That our lawfull occasions doe not hinder vs to practise Diuine Loue. CHAPTER IV. 1. CVriositie ambition disquiete together with inaduertance and inconsideration of the end for which we are in this world are cause that we haue a thousand times more impediments then affaires more hurrying vp and downe then worke more lets then businesse And these are the MAZES THEOT that is she witlesse vaine and superfluous vndertakings into which we runne our selues which doe hinder the loue of God not the true and lawfull exercises of our vocations DAVID and after him S. Lâ—WIS in the presse of his perils toyles and trauaills which he endured as well in peace as in warrs did not cease to sing from his heart What doe the Heauens admire Sauâ— God that I desire To what saue God beneath Can heart aspire or breath 2. S. BERNARD loosed not a foote of the progresse which he desired to make in holy Loue though he were in the Courts and Armies of great Princes where he laboured to bring matter of staâ—e to the seruice of Gods glorie he changed his habitation but he changed not his heart 3. And to vse his owne words these changes passed in him but were not caused by him sith that though his imployments were much differeÌ„t yet were all imployements indifferent to him and he different from them all not receiuing the colours of his affaires and couersations as the CAMELION those of the place where she is but remayning still wholy vnited to God still white in puritie still read with Charitie still full of humilitie 4. I am not ignorant THEOT what the wise mans counsell is He flies the CaÌ„pe the Court and Courtly strife Who seakes to sowe the seedes of holy life Vertue we see doth cause the soules encrease Faith and Pietie daughters are to peace And the Israelites had good reason to excuse theÌ„selues to the Babylonians who vrged them to sing the sacred Canticle of Sion Ay me but in what musike shall we sing In this sad sâ—yle and ruthfull banishment A Sions songe to Sions heauâ—nly King A Sions songe of heauenly wonderment But doe not you also marke that those poore people were not onely amoÌ„gst the Babylonias but were euen their Captiues Whosoeuer is a slaue to Courtly fauours issues in law and honour in warrs ô God all is past with him he hath no leasure to sing the Hymne of heauenly Loue. But he that is onely in the Court in warrs or in the Sessions-houses because his dutie calls him th ther God is his aide and the heauenly sweetenesse is as an EPITHEME vpon his heart to preserue him from the plague which raignes in those places 5. While the plague pestered the Milaneises SAINT CHARLES neuer made difficultie to frequent the infected houses and to touch the infected persons Yet THEO he onely frequented and touched them so farre forth as the necessitie of Gods worke required nor would he for a world haue thrust himselfe into danger without necessitie least he should haue commited the sinne of tempting God So that he was neuer touched with any infection Gods Prouidence conseruing him who reposed so pure a confidence in â—t that it had no mixture either of feare or forwardnesse In like manner God takes a speciall care of those who goe not to the Court Sessions or warre but onely to complie with the necessitie of their dutie and in that case a man is neither to be so scrupulous as to abandone good and lawfull affaires by not going nor yet to be presumptuously pushed forwards with a desire of going thither or staying there without the expresse necessitie of his dutie and affaires A delightfull example vpon this subiect CHAPTER V. 1. GOd is innocent to the innocent Good to the good cordiall to the cordiall tender towards such as are tender and his loue makes him often times vse certaine sacred and daintie deuises towards the holy soules which out of a louing puritie and simplicitie behaue themselues as little children about him 2. Vpon a day S. FRANCISCA was reciting our Ladies office and as it commonly happens that if there be any businesse to be done all the day long it presseth most in the time of Praier This good Ladie was called in her husbands name about a houshold affaire and foure sundrie times thinking to goe on with her office she was called from it againe and constrained to leaue off in the same verse till at length this blessed affaire for which they had so importunely interrupted her praier being finished returning to her office she found the verse which she had so often left off by obedience and begunne againe by deuotioÌ„ all written in faire golden letters Which her deuote Companion Madame Vannocie swore she saw written by the Saints deare Angell gardian to whom also S. PAVLE did afterwards reueale it 3. O what a sweetenesse is this THEOT of the heauenly Spouse towards this sweete and filiall louer We see notwithstaÌ„ding that euery ones necessarie imployments according to their vocation doth ot diminish Diuine Loue but doth euen encrease it and as it were doe gildâ— the deuote worke The Nightingale loues her owne melodie no lesse when she makes her rest 's then when she sings Deuote hearts loue not Loue lesse when they are distracted in exteriour necessities then when they praie Their silence their speach their action and their contemplation their imployments and their rests doe in them equally sing the Hymne of their Loue. That we are to imploye all the occasions that are presented in the practise of Diâ—ine Loue. CHAPTER VI. 1. THere are some soules that make proiects vnto themselues to doe excellent seruices to our Sauiour by eminent actions and extraordinarie sufferances but actions and sufferances whole occasion is not present nay nor peraduenture neuer will be present and vpon this they apprehend that they haue done a great matter in loue in which yet they are often deceiued As it appears by those who as they themselues thinke embrasing in desire greate future crosses doe vehemently flie the burden of such as are present though lesser Is it not a fearefull temptation to be so valiant in imagination and so cowardly in execution 2. Ah God preserue vs from those imaginarie feruours which doe often bread a vaine and secreete selfe esteeme in the botome of our hearts Great works light not alwayes in our waye but euery moment we may practise little ones with excellencie that is with a great Loue. Behold this Saint I beseech you who bestowes a cup of cold water vpon the ouerheated passinger he doth but a small matter in outward shew but the intentioÌ„ the sweetenesse the Loue with which he doth giue life to his worke is so excellent that it turnes this simple water into water of life and life euerlasting 3.