feelest in thy Soul during thy holy Retyrement or at other time some delicious whispers of thy beloved Espouse yet art thou wholly ignorant what will befall thee the next moment how long or short thy life will be whē where by what disease or misfortune Death will seize upon Thee in what condition of grace or sin it will summon Thee before Gods barr therto heare the sentence then to passe over Thee consequently that as long as thou art in this life thou art never certainly assured of thy Eternall Salvation This ought to be a strong motive of humiliation vnto Thee Almighty God hath from all Eternity chosen some to be heires of his glory permitting others yet doth not any one know to what ranck he belongs when or by what means he shall come thither till it pleaseth God to cite us forth this world assume us to his heavenly Paradice which evidently layeth open our great Ignorance proves our unchangable dependance on the hidden disposition of the Divine Will Is not this enough to humble the haughtiest spirit in the world Wherefor in whatsoever degree of contemplation vertue or spirituall greatnesse thou art thou must hūbly acknowledg thy universall dependance on Gods gracious inspirations help And that therefor thou oughtest not to judge any one whom through Gods permission thou maist see fall into some abominable sin being thou art not thy selfe assured how long thou shalt stand in thy duty to God or how soon that person may arise again through Gods Grace aiding to a timely profitable Repentance Have a care therefor Philothea thou standest fast in the waies of God working thy Salvation with a filiall humble feare reflecting continually on thy own Nothing the streight dependance thou hast on the grace Mercies of JESUS CHRIST who having redeemed Thee from the tyranny of Satā made Thee capable of life everlasting with himselfe will not be wanting to the compleating that great work of thy Eternall Salvation if thou dost humbly trust in him say then with a lively faith In Thee O Lord have I hoped I am not confounded I have put my trust in Thee have found help AFFECTION Ah my Soul wherein canst thou now glorie Art thou placed in the family of Gods servāts Hast many good Notions Divine Motions in thy breast Dost thou through some strong helps of heavenly Grace delightfully performe hard painfull duties All this is very good but alas thou knowst not how long this will endure whether for a yeer or a day or even the next Moment Whether thou beest confirmed in grace listed amongst the number of the Elect or worthy of Love or hatred Thou knowest nothing of all this Even so it is for thou O my God art a most glorious pure Father of spirits wilt still be worshipped in feare trembling However although thou shouldest persecute me till Death I will trust in Thee even at the gates of Hell I will not abandon my hopes in thy Mercy RESOLUTION I will cast my selfe into the sea of Gods aboundant Mercies therein fix the Auchor of my hopes relying firmely on his undeceiving promises saving helps of Grace therefor I will annihilate my selfe in the consideration of his holy decrees living in perpetuall feare of his judgments concerning me Nor will I onely become humble in the sight of God who knows the vilenesse of my body wretchednesse of my Soul with whatever shal befall either for time Eternity but I will also willingly become contemptible in the Eies of all Creatures contenting my selfe with the lowest place meanest fare vilest Employments accounting my self the unworthyest of all will ever say with the Holy Prophet I am a worme not a Man the Outcast of Men the Offcast of the Vulgar THE EVENING EXERCISE FIRST DISCOURSE Our Weaknesse to good IF thou desirest Philothea to enter the depth of thy own Nothing thou must make yet a further search into the motives of humbling thy selfe before God Wherefor having now waded through the vast Seas of thy vilenesse in body wretchednesse in Soul wonderfull ignorance of thy future state of life happinesse discourse further on thy Naturall weaknesse to performe good vpright actions Ever since through our disobedience to Gods holy Commandements we departed from his Temple sanctifyed Citty of Hierusalē fell into the hands of spirituall murderers we have had many deep wounds and deadly soares in our Souls whereof though some have beē oft cured by CHRISTS healing Sacraments yet doe they often break out fester through the disorders of our Sinfull lives others remaining for ever uncurable during this mortall life whereby we are wholly unable without the perpetuall help of our charitable Samaritan JESUS CHRIST either to discerne the way that leads back to God or securely to walk towards him in this our Pilgrimage to heavenly Perfection Our manifold doubts mistakes errours in the knowledge of Divine even Morall truths Actions our passionate affections to present sensible delights the variety distractions of our fading slippery life the Excellēcy of Gods waies those thoughts works whereby we walk in them purchase a blessednesse which he alone can bestow on us shew evidently that God liveth in an Unaccessible Light not to be viewed with an Eie not yet cleansed by divine Faith nor to be aspired unto without that Hope which He only can inspire into us nor in the least degree to be purchased or pretended to without the speciall guifts of inherent sanctity other supernaturall helps of cleering Lights cooperating Graces bestowed bountifully on us so that we can neither doe any thing worthy his acceptation or think on him according to his Majesty or even say one word of him as we ought in order to our Everlasting happinesse without his speciall inspirations conduct assistance Wherefore as thou art by Nature a meer Nothing by sin worse then Nothing so without the liberall guift of Gods aiding Grace thou canst doe nothing If then thou perhaps art sometimes raised up in the Contemplation of God his glory those allureing traces whereby he leads his servants to the love of eternall good things yet maist thou not take complacence therein without an humble submission to Gods vnknown will towards thee or esteeme thy selfe by them to be in a setled condition of Holinesse for if thou wer't as easily thou maist be deprived of those Lights of Graces thou now hast thy Soul would become as dark thy actions as imperfect as any others These Divine helps so necessary to us and so much above our reach ought profoundly to humble us in the presence of God whom we must ever worship as a liberall free Giver as oft as we receive any favour from him still remembring that the Apostate Angels our First Parents lost themselves by a Complacence in their own naturall
glorious how pleasant how delightfull is the Kingdom of the Saints where Thou O God happy in thy selfe art the happinesse of thy glorifyed servants No greife all content is there where thou dost abide through a fulnes of their Love ever flowing towards thee Oh that thou would'st transport me forth of this kingdō of darknesse misery that I may with a fixed Eie ever behold Thee the Light which no darknesse comprehends possesse Thee the Peace that surpasses all Imagination then will the rowlings longings of my faynting heart have an End it will appear in me that I have been in a Region of Light Peace am full of both I in Iustice shall appear in thy sight shall be satiated when thy Glory appears Amen NINTH DAYES VOYAGE Repose of the soul in God THE MORNING EXERCISE FIRST POINT The soul hidden in God CONSIDERATION COnsider That Beginners in the Contemplative life goe frō Creatures to God admiring loving Him by the beauty lovelynesse discoverd in them Proficients look on God as he is revealed by divine faith by that dimme light make pleasant sallies towards him by acts of admiration love restlesse desires to live move in by to God But they who are now happily arrived to the state of Perfection which thou aymest at Philothea in this thy solitary Pilgrimage doe contemplate Gods Majesty Beauty Glory as if cleerly revealed seen in Himselfe by an Illapse of God into the sanctifyed soul of the soul into God in whom she hides herselfe reposeth without disturbance enjoyes a fulnesse of content without wandring abroad Thus S. Paul even in this life could say that his life was hidden with CHRIST in God that his conversation was even then in heaven having placed his happinesse in spirituall divine actions wherby his soul ever moved towards God emptyed its selfe into him concealing himselfe from the World by bearing with ioy the Miseries mortifications therof contrary to the custome of those who living in the World live wordly And thus the lives of the Saints have been ever accounted folly their deaths dishonourable whereas they live with in God a divine life contented to know love move in him according to the lights helps received from him It is in our power Philothea through divine helps to lead this hidden life in God have our conversation in heavē even abiding or Earth in our mortall flesh but thou must then be very pure holy having thy Soul cleansed from all sin sinfull inclinations pressing towards earthly satisfactions for no spot or stain enters that beautifull cleer region of the Saints Thou must also be cloathed with the garment of Charity towards all cōply with divine Inspirations putting on JESUS Christ by imitatiō of his mortifications prōptnesse in obeying his counsells Thus abiding in the world thou wilt not be of the World or be known by it having not its livery on nor performing its actions But God will acknowledge thee to be his in whom thou now livest hast a Divine Being in Him therefor maist say I live now not in my selfe but in God my life my sweet repose my finall happinesse AFFECTION O admirable sweetnesse of this Divine Being of the Soul hidden from the World in God! even in this life thou maist ascend thither my Soul quitting earthly conversation comforts passing the Starrs transported above the Quires of glorious Angels drowning thy selfe in the Abysse of Gods infinite Essence O who will give me the wings of a Dove I will fly repose in God My heart hath desired his face my Soul covets his presence O beautifull Face O delicious presence O rich aboad in God in the fulness of the Saints only the clean of heart may abide there RESOLUTION I will hide my selfe from the world casting off its livery which are worldly vain actions abandoning all earthly conversation which may soyle my heart And I will henceforth live in God by contēplating his Glory performing heavenly actions ordring my whole life according to his holy Will not regarding what passeth here on earth as if not att all belonging to Me or the life of One hidden living in God Oh that my Soul were swallowed up in that Divine Sea God in Me I in God besides Nothing As I began from Thee so will I end in Thee O End without End SECOND POINT Search of God in God CONSIDERATION COnsider That being now entred into God there as Moses on Gods Holy Mountain hidden in a Divine Mist we must search into him endeavour to discover plainly what he is how amiable is his hidden beauty we so thirst to behold enjoy This must be performed by an act of pure Contemplation without depending on created Images or discourse of reason but as if the Eie of the Soul were dazled with the beams of Gods Divine unaccessible Light diffused through that Mist She must simply consider God to be so full of Majesty so Good so Glorious that he can never be seen loved or admired as he is or we ought so that what ever we conceive of him is far beneath the Excellencies of his Being what ever we admire in him he is incomparably more admirable how ever we love him he is infinitely more amiable lovely desirable although each one should love him as much as all the Saints Angels together can for a whole Eternity love him Wherefor the amorous soul will be ever busied in searching into God discovering his hidden perfections in that divine Mist being unable to discern cleerly even what she there already sees therefor cryes out to God Shew me thy face And although she therein feeles a most excessive sweetnesse ioy yet she is ignorant both what it is whence it comes therfor acknowledges him to be infinitely more excellent delightfull then she is able to expresse or imagine as it hapned to S. Paul in his divine rapture If thou wert extrem hungry Philothea didst stand betwixt two tables loathing the meat of the one not permitted to tast of the other what conflicts would'st thou then feele Thus it will be if the soul be hidden in this divine Mist for being wearied with the search of her beloved in created Likenesse not permitted to contemplate the naked Essence of God in its selfe cleerly though present with her she still inquires after him loaths the obscurity wherein she is through her own weaknesse thirsts to be filled with a cleer Vision full Fruition of God in himselfe oft looks forth to make a better discovery of him entertains all his inspirations as so many Whisperings of her Espous sighs amorously for his delaying the comfortable Revelation of himselfe to her as one drunk with love sends messages to him by all she meets that She lanquishes with Love AFFECTION
fire since I am ignorant of thy wonders wrought in my own Spirit so nigh intimate to Me I have too late considered thee O Ancient beauty shining in all creatures I have too slowly given Eare to Thee who speakest to me by all creatures by thy Guifts dost incessantly call upon Me to admire love Thee the Giver of all Thou hast engraven the light of thy face upon Me O Lord thereby given gladnesse in my heart RESOLUTION I will hence forth preserve Gods sacred Image by him self Imprinted in my soul frō being soyled or blasted by sinfull affections that therin as in a cleer Myrrour I may contemplate his Majesty beauty amiablenesse admire him in all the perfections of my body mind order all the powers endowments of both to the execution of his Will aspire to an endlesse conjunction with that divine Exemplar wherby so many rich beautifull Coppies have been drawn Therefor all thy Works in me shall confesse unto thee they shall tell the glory of thy kingdom shall speak the greatnesse of thy power THE EVENING EXERCISE FIRST DISCOURSE God speaks by his Son Incarnate GOd formerly spoke to Man by his Prophets in figures riddles now in his own Son by whom as God he in the beginning made all things now as Visible in our Mortall flesh discovers the breadth length height depth of all divine Mysteries of grace glory that we may comprehend with all the Saints his exceeding great Love towards us may be replenished with the fulnesse thereof If God descends to us taking our Nature we should by contemplation of the Incarnate Word ascend to God drown our selves in the Sea of his Essence therefor JESUS CHRIST by his gracious Doctrine and efficacious examples is the Way we must walke in our Pilgrimage to heavenly Perfection his sacred life Crosse was the book of all the Saints unlesse we bath our hearts in the bleeding wounds of this Lamb slayn for our sins we may have no part in the Tree of Life planted in the paradice of God This Union of God Man in One Person shows gods Infinite Power Mans Redemption through CHRISTS sorrows suffrings speak him an Abysse of Wisedom the Guift of his only Son in our Weak nature to dignify save sanctify it declares his Wonderfull Bounty Thus Philothea we have accesse to the Divinity of God by the Humanity of JESUS CHRIST in whom he has reveal'd the treasures of all divine knowledg Love Now therefor clime up Mount Calvary there contemplate this Man of sorrows fastned to the Tree of shame See who 't is that suffers The Creator of all things the Saviour of Men Angels the Rewarder of all good evill deeds What his condition Gods only Son an Innocent Man one that loves us dearly To what end to free us from the tyranny of satan to sanctify our sinfull hearts to restore us to our lost seats in Gods glorious kingdō What were his torments Much sorrow in the Garden many stripes in Hierusalem a shamefull death upon the Crosse And what profit thence Therby is declared the detestablenesse of sin expiated by this bloudy sacrifice the dreadfulnesse of hell fire extinguisht by that precious bloud the obstinacy of sinners still crucifying in them selves the son of God by their ungratitude the Amiablenesse of Vertue recommended to us with so many sighs teares drops of bloud the Ioyes of Heaven recover'd at so deer a rate our Duty to God through Mercy giving his only Son to us through Justice sacrifyzing that Son for us through Wisdom exalting him from the Crosse to an equallity of glory att his Right hand where we shall hereafter find him if we now follow him COLLOQUIE Thy words are living full of force O Lord more peircing then a two edged sword Oh that thou wouldst awake my slumbring soul deep wound my spirit with admiration of thy boundlesse Love in the humble Incarnation gracious Doctrine moving Examples bitter passion of thy beloved Son My habitation rest shall henceforth be in thy sacred Wounds O Saviour of the World by them I will find entrance to thy bowells of Mercy there discover the overflowings of thy Love-swelling heart towards sinners thy hidden Divinity for by these we have plentifull redemption strong helpes fulnesse of hopes Oh stretch forth thy arms once streached on the Crosse for me embrace my soul languishing to be with Thee Then will I live dy in thy wounded heart by that Gate enter into the citty of my God find whom my soul loveth SECOND DISCOURSE God reveales himselfe HAving now passed by all Creatures who are the Guards of our Earthly Citty in the search of thy Beloved clime up Philothea the mountain of Visions approach Gods Flaming Bush of reuealed Mysteries harken what he there speakes to Thee of the Majesty of his own Essence the Beauty of his heavenly Kingdom the Glory of his blessed Attendants wherby to enflame thy amorous heart with new desires of Communion in happinesse with the already glorifyed Saints Angels Divine Scripture as Gods book discovers those Excellencies of God which reason reaches not he only inspires who invites the humble to ascend higher Hence as from the fountain of Paradice stream forth four sacred delicious Rivers not to be waded through without Divine Helps History describes Gods Wonders to his chosē people wherby to draw their hearts sweetly from things of this world Allegories teach what we must beleive of God Tropes inform us of what must be done or omitted in order to the joyes of Heaven but the pleasant streames of Anagogies which are greatest deepest doe wonderfull enlighten heat raise our spirits up towards God there fix our thoughts loves where our hopes are already placed This Mysticall river empties it selfe in the vast Sea of the Divinity where God One in Essence Three in Persons within himselfe Infinite in Being Happinesse all perfections receives no addition of Good from our best Endeavours nor any detriment by overflowing to us communicating his greatest Guifts amongst us He without change or labour knows produces governs all things in all times places leading each by their speciall wayes to their last Ends. In his glorious Kingdom he is environed with many millions of immortall blessed Spirits who divided into nine Quires make up the Heavenly Hierarchy of Saints Angels happy in the Vision possessiō of God are distinguished by their proper Excellencies of nature grace glory wherin there is no temptation sin or misery feared nor fulnesse of happinesse joy or peace wanting to them all enjoying God in him possessing what soever may compleat the delightfulnesse of that glorious blessed state which Neither Eie has seen nor tongue can rehearse nor can the heart of Man conceive COLLOQUIE Oh how