and all his paine and labour at an end who would not reioyce to arriue vnto that finall end for which he was created who would not reioyce in going to take possession of his inheritance and such an inheritance and to the fruition of all this happines the clew of death doth lead vs Psal 126.3 Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum ecee haerediras Domini we cannot come to the possession of our eternall good but through the port of death and therfore the wiseman says that the Iust man hopes in his death Prou. 14.32 Sperat Iustus in morte sua it being the scale and ladder by which he climes to heauen and it is also the comfort of our banishment Psa 100.2 Psallam intelligam in via immaculata quando venies ad me Aug. tra 9 super epist 10. which words S. Augustin doth thus explicate my thought and my desire ô Lord is to conserue my selfe vnblemished all my life and to make this care my song of which the burthen shall be Lord when shall this banishment haue end when shall I be recalled out of this exile into my loued Country Lord when will you come to me when shall I go to you Psa 41. â— Quando veniam apparebo ante faciem Dei O Lord when shall I haue my fill of seing you O how that houre lingers Oh whatioy what rauishing ioy shall then ouerflow my heart when they shall tell me that this houre is come Laetatus sum in his quae dista sunt mihi Psal 121.1 2. â— in domum Domini â—bimus Stantes erant pedes nostri in atrij tuis Hierusalem I already imagine my selfe to be standing among the Quiers of Angels and blessed soules enioying you ô Lord for euer more Amen THE XXI CHAPTER Wherâ—n that which hath been said is coÌ„firmed with some examples SImon Metaphrastes in the life of S. Iohn the Almner Simon Metaphrastes Archbishop of Alexandria doth recount how a certaine rich man had a sonne whom he loued dearly who to obteine of God for to conserue him in life and health beseeched this holy Saint to pray for him and withall gaue in a great summe of gold to bestow in Almes vpon the poore for that intention the Saint did as he desired and at the end of thirty dayes the sonne of the rich man dyed hereupon the Father afflicted himselfe aboue measure firmely beleeuing that the prayers of the Saint and the Almes which he had giuen had nothing auailed him The holy Patriarch vnderstanding of his griefe prayed for him and desired of God that he would comfort him God heard his prayer and one night sent an Angell in a humane shape vnto the said rich man who told him that he must know how Almighty God heard the prayer which was made for his sonnes life and that through the efficacy therof his soÌ„ne was now liuing a Saint in heauen that it was necessary for his saluation to leaue the world so timely as he did since if he had liued he would haue proued a wicked man and haue lost all partage in the ioyes of heauen he added moreouer that he must belieue that there is nothing which happens in this life which is not so ordained by the particular prouidence of God although the causes of his iudgments are vnknowne to men that therfore men were not to suffer themselues to be transported with inordinat griefe but receaue all that comes and is sent vnto them by God with a peaceable heart and with an equall mind with this heauenly instruction the Father of the diseased youth remained much comforted and encouraged in the seruice of God In the Theban History is recorded a singular fauour which S. Maurice Captaine of the Theban band His The. bea li. 2. c. 10. did to a certaine Lady much deuoted to him This Lady hauing but one sonne vnto the end that together with his yeares he might grow vp in good and vertuous manners did when his childhood had scarcely resigned to youth dedicate his riper yeares vnto the Monastery of S. Maurice vnder the care and discipline of those Religious men as it was the custome of those holy times the Fathers of S. Maurus Placidus and other Romane gentlemen in the age of S. Benedict hauing done the like as also in later times Theodora mother of S. Thomas of Aquin and the Counts of Aquin his brothers disposed in like manner of him in the Monastery of Mont Cassinus This Ladies sonne was brought vp in the said Monastery both in learnig vertue and monasticall discipline In all which he profited wonderously was already well forward in musicke in so much as he sung in the Quire with the other Religious for sweenes of voice inferior vnto none when a light feauer tooke him out of this life The wofull Mother at the first newes growne but to sadly acquainted with griefe came to the Church and accompanied her sonnes funerall to the graue sheding infinite teares although they all sufficed not to wash away the sorrow of his losse which shee freshly euery day renewed with lamenting ouer his Tombe in most pittious maÌ„ner and much more was her griefe increased when in the time of the diuine office shee heard the rest of the Religious sing and misled her sonnes voyce among them which vsed to be the gratefullest of them all This Lady perseuering thus in her sad obsequies not only by day in the Church but in her owne house by night without admitting or taking any rest at all once ouercome by wearines fell a sleep when the holy Captaine S. Maurice appeared vnto her and said woman why dost thou weepe so incessantly the death of thy sonne admitting no measure in thy teares no coÌ„fort to thy heart Vnto whom shee answered all the dayes of my life will not suffice vnto my boundlesse sorrow therfore whilst I liue I will neuer cease to lament my only sonne neither shall these eyes of mine vphold from weeping till death doth close them vp and my desolate soule doth leaue to dwell in a body so dolorous the Saint answered her woeman I say vnto you do not mourne nor deplore your departed sonne as dead for dead he is not but liuing and liuing with vs in heauen enioying eternall life and that thou mayest know the truth of all I say rise presently and go to Mattins and there thou shalt heare the voyce of thy deceased sonne singing the diuine office among the other Religious men neither shalt thou only enioy the contentment of it this day at Mattins but at all other times when thou shalt be present there at the Diuine office leaue of weeping then and impose an end vnto thy teares for thou hast more cause of gladnes then of griefe The Lady awaking expected with much longing the houre of Mattins to be assured of the truth of her vision which yet but faintly she gaue credit to the houre at last
of the bolt of death when sicknesse oppresseth him when his fits redouble is in great dread and feare seing he hath a cauterized conscience which makes him stand in dread that euery thing is messenger of death and comes to carry him downe to the eternall fire of hell But he who is not pricked with these stings of conscience receaueth comfort from it as knowing his liberty to be intended by it and that he is to depart vnto eternall rest and to a pleasure that neuer shall haue an end Let vs do then as becomes good Religious and we shall not only find no difficulty in conforming our selues vnto the will of God concerning the hower of death but also reioyce in it and beseech God with the Prophet to deliuer vs from this prison Psal 141.8 Educ de custodia animam meam lead my soule out of this prison S. Gregory on these words of holy Iob Et bestias terrae non formidabis Greg. li. 6. moral c. 6. iust is namque initium retribution is est ipsa plerumque in obitu securitas mentis saith that to haue this cheerfulnes this rest Iob. 5.21 this security of conscience in the hower of death is a beginning of the recompence of the Iust and that they begin as then to tast a drop of that delicious peace which shall afterwards like a mighty riuer ouerflow their soules and therby already relish their happines wheras on the contrary the wicked in that article begin to haue an essay of their hell and torment through those pangs and remorses which they feele as then So as it is a happy signe to desire death and to reioyce in it Climac c. 6. S. Iohn Climachus and S. Ambrose esteeme him worthy of great praise who euery day expects to dy and him to be no lesse then blessed and a Saint who euery hower wisheth for death and so we see that those holy Patriarchs of the old Testament had the same desire accompting themselues no other then Pilgrimes and strangers on the earth and to haue here no setled biding place Ad hÄ™br 11.14 Confitientes quia peregrini hospites sunt super terram as S. Paul hath hath admirably well obserued Qui hac dicunt significant se patriam inquirere and therby they gaue sufficiently to vnderstand how much they desired to be free from this banishment and this was the reason why the Royall Prophet sighed Heu mihi quia incolatus meus prolongatus Psal 119.5 Woe is me that my soiourning is prolonged and if those antients Fathers expressed themselues to be all of this desire in such a time when the gates of heauen were shut and when they could not haue present accesse vnto it how much more are we to wish for it now heauen is opened and the soule pure from sinne goes directly to enioy Almighty God THE XX. CHAPTER Of some reasons and motiues which may iuduce vs holily to desire a lawfull death VNto the end that we may better and with more perfection conforme our selues vnto the will of God as well in life as death we will set downe some motiues and reasons which may induce vs to desire to dy as our better choyce the first reason which we may haue to wish for death is to decline the labours which are incident to this life seing that the wiseman saith Eccl. 30 17. Melior est mors quà m vita amara death is better then a bitter life We see worldly people for this cause often to desire to dy and beseech it of God and they may do it and not sinne in it seing that in fine the calamities of this life are so numerous and great that to auoid them it is lawfull to desire to dy One of the reasons which the Saints giue why God sends so many afflictions to man is because there should not be to straight an affiance betwixt the world and him that he might not so passionatly affect this life but that we should bestow our whole heart and loue vpon the other sighing after it Vbi non erit luctus Apoc. 21 4. neque dolor erit vlira when there shall be no plaints nor any griefe no more S. Augustin saith that our Lord hath pleased out of his infinit goodnes mercy Aug. ser 37. de saÌ„ctis qui est 1. in festo oÌ„niuÌ„ SS that this life should be but short quickly at an eÌ„d since it is so troublesom that the other which we hope for should be eternall to the end that the paine should endure but a while and the ioy and contentment for euer more S. Ambrose saith tantis malis haec vita repleta est Ambr. ser super c. 7. Iob. 10.2 vt comparatione eius mors remedium putetur esse non paena this life is replenished with so many euills as in regard therof death is accompted a remedy and not a paine as seruing to bring to end so many miseries and calamities It is true notwithstanding that worldly people do often sinne herein through their impatience with which they do receiue aducersities and in their manner of demaunding of God to dy with plaints and discontents but should they require it peaceably and with due submission saying O Lord if you shall please to take one out of these miseries that time which I haue liued sufficeth me I haue no desire for to prolonge my dayes they should commit no sinne in doing it Secondly one may desire to dy and this with more perfection that he might not see the troubles and persecutions of the Church and the continuall offences which are committed against Almighty God as we see the Prophet Elias to haue done who behoulding the persecution of Achab Iezabel how they distroyed the Altars and murthered all the Prophets of the true God and for the same cause were in pursuite of him enkindled with a zeale of the honour of God and considering himselfe not able any waies to remedy it he retired himselfe into the desert and sitting downe vnder a tree Petiuit animae suae vt moreretur ait 3. Reg. 19.4 sufficit mihi Domine tolle animam meam neque enim melior sum quà m patres mei he desired for his soule to dy and said it sufficeth me ô Lord take my soule for I am not better then my Fathers were I haue liued long enough ô Lord take me out of this life that I may not see so many euills and offences as are committed against thee And that valiant Captaine of the people of God Iudas Machabeus said Melius est nos mori in belâ—o 1. Mach. 3.39 quà m videre mala gentis nostrae Sanctorum it is better for vs to dy in warre then to see the euills of our people the Saincts and he vsed this motiue to exhort and encourage them to fight We read in the life of S Augustin August that the Vandals passing out of Spaine
into Africke and wasting all sparing not man nor woman Clergy or secular neither children nor old age a came at last to lay downe their siege before Hippo where he was Bishop with a mighty Army beleagering it about S. Augustin seing so great affliction the Churches without Clergy Citties vninhabited priuate houses destitute wept bitterly in that old age of his and assembling the Clergy he said vnto them I haue prayed vnto God to deliuer yâ—â— from these dangers or to giue you patience or lastly to take me out of this life that I may not liue to see so many calamities the last of these three God hath granted me and presently he fell sicke in the third month of the siege of that disease wherof afterwards he dyed And we read in the life of our B. F. S. Ignatius an other example almost like to this Lib. 4. c. 16. vit S. P. Ignatij This is a perfection proper vnto the Saints so to resent the calamities of the Church and the sinnes which are coÌ„mitted against the Maiesty of Almighty God as rather to desire to dy then indure the sight therof There is yet an other reason both excellent good and of great perfection to desire to dy and begge it at the hands of God which is that we may be free and no more subiect to offend him for it is most certaine that so long as we are in this life we can haue no assurance from falling into mortall sinne as being not ignorant that others who haue receaued more fauours and graces from God Almighty then we who were truly Saints and great Saints to haue come to fall and this is one reason which makes the seruants of God both liue in greater feare and most earnestly desire to dy If it be lawfull for one to wish that he had neuer been borne or neuer had being on the conditioÌ„ he had neuer sinned how much more reason hath one to wish to dy seing that sinne is a farre greater euill then to haue no being and it is better neuer to haue been then to haue sinned Math. 26 14. Bonum erat ei si natus non fuisset homo ille it had been better saith our Sauiour speaking of him who sold him and betrayed him that he had neuer been borne and S. Ambrose explicating this of Ecclesiastes Et laudaui Ambr. s 18. in ps 118. Eccl. 4.2 3. magis mortuos quà m viuentes feliciorem vtroque iudicaui qui necdum natus est saith Mortuus praefertur viuenti quia peccarâ— dâ—finit mortuo praefertur qui natus non est quia peccare nesciuit he who is dead is preferred to him who liueth because he ceaseth to sinne any more and he who was neuer borne is preferred vnto the dead because he neuer knew what it was to sinne wherfore it were an excellent exercise to actuate our selues whilst we are in prayer in this deuotion Domine ne permittas me seperari à te Lord do not permit me to be seperated from thee ô Lord if there is no remedy but I must offend thee take me away presently rather then leaue me in the occasion of offending thee for my part I desire not life but only to serue thee with it and if I may not vse it to thy seruice I care not for it this were an exercise most pleasing vnto God and most profitable to our selues since herein we exercise both an act of griefe an acte of detestation of sinne an acte of humility and of the loue of God and it is a request of the most gratfull thing which we can require of Almighty God It is recounted of S. Lewis King of Frăce S. Ludo Rex Gal. liae that his Mother Blanch would say somtimes vnto him I had rather my sonne see the dead before mine eyes then euer in mortall sinne and this her wish and desire was so acceptable vnto God and so much force had this her blessing of him that it is reported of him how in all his life he neuer committed any mortall sinne and who knoweth but the same petition and desire should worke produce the like effect in vs. And which is yet more we may wel wish for death not only to free ourselues from mortall sinnes but also to eschew veniall which we so abound with in this miserable life and that because it becometh a seruant of Almighty God not only to stand resolued rather to dy then commit a mortall sinne but euen to loose his life rather then to tell an vntruth which is but a veniall sinne And whosoeuer should giue his life for such a cause as this S. Tho. 2.2 q. 124 a. 5. ad 2. should dy a Martyr Now it is most certaine that we caÌ„not liue without committing many veniall sinnes septies enim cadet Iustus Prou. 24.16 the Iust doth fall seauen times that is to say very often and the longer you liue the oftner shall you fall Neither do the seruants of Almighty God desire to dy to be deliuered only from veniall sinne but euen to see themselues exempt and free from their many faults and imperfections and so numerous tentations and calamities as they experieÌ„ce daily wherfore that holy man said well 〈◊〉 de â—pis O Lord what do I suffer when being in my prayer thinking on heauenly things a wholl band of carnall things present themselues before me Alas what a kind of life is this where tribulations and miseries are neuer wanting where all is set with snares and compassed with enimies for when one tribulation or tentation goeth away another cometh yea and during the first conflict also many others come one after an other vnlooked for how can a life be lâ—â—ed that hath so many afflictions and is subiect to so many calamities and miseries how is it called a life that begetteth so many deaths and plagues We read of a great Saint that she was vsed to say that if she might haue her choice of any thing shee should choose nothing but death because by means of it her soule should be freed from feare of euer doing any thing which might bring hinderance vnto pure loue And in this manner there seemes to be more perfection to desire to be out of this life for to decline veniall sinnes faults and imperfections then to shune the falling into mortall ones and that because one may be moued to desire to be out of the occasion of committing mortall sinne more for feare of hell and out of selfe loue and interest then for the honour of God but to be so inflamed with the loue of God as to wish rather to dy then commit a veniall sinne or fall into faults and imperfections supposes a great purity of intention and is a point of high perfection But some one will say I desire to liue vnto the end to make satisfaction for the faults and offences which I haue committed vnto which I answere that if in prolonging our
life we did go still cancelling our passed faults without adding to them new It were a good desire but you do not only not discharge the old but continue still heaping vp new debts as long as you remaine in life wherby the account which you are to make growes euery day more heauy on your soule and so your obiection hath no force at all S. Bernard sayes excellent well Bernar. c. 2. med Cur ergo tantopore vitam istam desideramus in qua quanto amplius viuimus tanto plus peccamus quanto est vita longior tanto culpa numerosior Why do we desire this life so much in which the longer we liue the more we sinne the longer our life is the more numerous are our faults And S. Hierom writeth Hier. ep ad He. liod what is the difference do you thinke saith he betwixt him who dies yong and old no more but only this that the more aged of them doth beare the burthen of more sinnes out of the world with him then he who dyeth yong and hath more to answer and giue accompt to God Bern. de interiori domo c. 25. And so S. Bernard in this point doth take a better resolution and hath a saying of himselfe which in him was humility in vs would be but truth Vâ—uere erubesco quia parum proficio mori timeo quia non sum paratus malo tamen mori mis ricordiâ— Deime committere commendare quià benignus misericors est quà m de malà mea conuersatione alicui sâ—andalum facere I am ashamed to liue saith he because I make so litle profit I feare to dy because I am not prepared not with standing I had rather dy and commit and commend my selfe vnto the mercy of God seing he is gratious and mercifull then be the cause of scandalizing others through my euil conuersation and this is an excellent resolution M. Auila Master Auila said that whosoeuer should find himselfe but reasonably prepared ought more to wish for death then longer life by reason of the great danger in which we liue which wholly ceaseth when we come to dy Quid est mors nisi sepultura vitiorum Ambro. de bono mortis c. 4. virtutum suscitatio What is death saith S. Ambrose but a sepulcher of â—ices and a resurrection of vertues All these reasons and motiues to wish for death are passing good but that which is the most eminent in perfection of all is that which S. Paul the Apostle had to see himselfe with Christ whom he loued so teÌ„derly Ad Philip 1.23 Desiderium habens dissolui esse cum Christo ô blessed Saint what defire is this of yours why do you wish so much to be loosed from the boÌ„ds of flesh blood perhaps to auoid labour no assuredly but on the contrary Ad RoÌ„ 5.3 Gloriamur in tribulationibus your glory consists therin wherfore then to decline sinne neither is this the cause Certus sum enim quia neque mors Ad RoÌ„ 8.38 39. neque vita poterit nos separare à charitate Dei he was confirmed already in grace and knew he could not loose it and therfore in that perticular he had no cause to feare In fine what is it that makes you so much desire to dy that I may see my selfe with Iesus Christ and this purely out of loue to him Quia amore langueo CaÌ„t. 2.5 he languished with loue he sighed after his beloued and all delay seemed long vntill he might enioy his wished presence S. Bonauenture of three degrees which he makes of the loue of God placeth this the last and highest Bonau tra 6. relig c. 11.11 13. The first is to loue God aboue all other things and so to loue the things of the world as not to commit any mortall sinne for them or transgresse any of the Commandements of God this is that which our Sauiour said to that young man of the Ghospell Si vis ad vitam ingredi Math. 19 17. serua mandaâ— if you desire to enter into eternall life keepe the Commandements and this is necessary for all The second degree of loue and Charity is not only to content our selues with keeping the Commandements of God but to adde vnto them the counsells which is proper vnto Religious men who procure to do not only that which is good but also that which is better and of more perfection conformable to this passage of S. Pâ—â—l vt probetis quae sit voluntas Dei bona Ad RoÌ„ c. 2. beneplacens perfecta that you may proue what is the good and acceptable perfect wil of God The third degree of Charity saith S. Sonauenture is tanâ—o affectu ad Deum aestuare quod sine ipso quasi viuere non possis to burne with such an ardent affection and loue to God as in a nanner not to be able to liue without him And hence it is that a soule desireth so â—uch to be free and loosed from the prison of its body to be with Iesus Christ wishing its banishmeÌ„t at an end the wal of its body which seperats it from the fight of God to be disâ—olued and crumbled into dust Such as these saith he had nâ—ed of patience for to liue life being so distast full to them and death the obiect of their inflamed desire We read in the life of our B. F. S. Ignatius Lib. 5. c. 1 vitÄ™ S. P. Ignatiâ— that he desired most ardently to be deliuered from the Iaile and prison of his body and that his soule had so great a longing to see Almighty God as he neuer thought of death but his eyes were ouerflowne with teares out of pure gladnes and delicious ioy But it was moreouer obserued that he was not thus inflamed with the desire of that soueraigne good for his owne sake that he might go to rest and the ioy of that all beatifying vision but much more that he might behould that most blessed glory of the most sacred humanity of our Lord whom he did loue so desire and tenderly Like as men here on earth do vsually reioyce to see some friend whom they deerly esteem loue most cordially aduanced to some eminent dignity so did our B. Father desire to see himselfe with Iesus Christ purely for loue of him without once thinking on his owne interest and felicity which is the highest and the most perfect act of Charity which we can exercise In this manner the memory of death will not only not be bitter to vs but it will bring vs great content and delight do but ouerpasse it with your thought consider how within few dayes you shall be in heauen enioying that which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor which could euer sinke into the thought of man and so all shall be conuerted into ioy and gladnes Who would not reioyce when the terme of banishment were out
Exultate iusti in Domino Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitiones cordis tui Reioyce in our Lord and exult ô yea iust and glory all you of a right heart Yea righteous exult in our Lord. Reâ—oyce in him and in his infinit goodnes and he will graunt you the petitions of your owne heart or rather all which you shall desire and stand in necessity of For this is a prayer by which without setting your selfe to pray you pray and God heareth the desires of your heart to shew how much he is delighted with this prayer of yours And the Apostle S. Paul writing to the Philippians saieth Ad Phil. 4.4 reioyce alwaies in our Lord Gaudete in Domino semper and thinking it not sufficient to haue said it once he adds iterum dico gauâ—ete I say againe to you reioyce And this was the ioy which informed the sacred Virgins purest heart when in her Canticle shee said 〈◊〉 1. â—â— Et exultauit spiâ—itus meus in Deo salutari meo and my soule hath exulted in God my saluation And with this ioy likewise was our B. Sauiour Christ replenished when as the sacred Euangell testifieth of him exultauit Spiritu Sansto he reioyced in the holy Ghost Luc. 10.21 And the roy all Prophet said that the ioy and contentment was so passing great which his soule receaued from the consideration of the great felicity glory of God and so becoming it was for euery one to reioyce in that infinit goodnes which is in him as euen the soules ioy out of its aboundance had influence into his body and set his flesh on fier with the same loue of God Psal 83.3 Cor meum caro mea exultauerum in Deum viuum my heart flesh haue exulted in the liuing God and in an other place Psal 34.9 Anima mea exultabit in Domino delectabitur super salutari tuo omnia ossa mea dicent Domine quis similis tibi my soule shall reioyce in God and be delighted with the Author of it saluation and all my bones shall say ô my Lord who is like to thee And because this loue is a thing so celestiall and diuine our Mother the Church directed by the Holy Ghost in the beginning of her Canonicall howers inuiteth vs by this Inuitatorium to loue out Lord in this manner to reioyce to triuÌ„ph in his endles perfection and it is the beginning of the 94. Psalme Psal 94.1 2. Venite exultemus Domino iubilemus Deo salutarinostro praeoccupemus faciem â—ius in confessione in Psalmis iubilemus ei come all and reioyce in our Lord and sing canticles of iubilation to his eternall praise who is our saluation seing he is God and a mighty Lord and King aboue all Gods veing the sea is his and he made it and his hands haue founded the dry Land Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus Rex magnus super omnâ—s Deos c. Quoniam ipsius est mare ipsâ—fecit illud aridam fundauerunt manus eius for this reason and the same end the holy Church concludeth all it Psalmes with this versicle Gloria Patri silio Spiritui Sancto Sicut erat in principio nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen this is that entrance into the ioy of our Lord which our Sauiour spoke of in the Ghospell Mat. 25.21 Intra in gaudium Domini tui where we are made partakers of the insinitioy of God by reioycing delighting our selues with him for his glory beauty and riches all infinit Now to the end that we may take pleasure in this exercise and endeauour to proceed alwaies therin with this cheerfulnes and ioy it will much helpe vs to consider how good God is how faire how glorious in all which he is so passing infinit that his only vision doth render those who do enioy it blessed in so much as should but the damned in hell once haue a glimps of him all their paine and torments would be turned to ioy Hell would be changed to a Paradyse Ioan. 17.3 Hâ—e est autem vita aeterna vs cognoscunt te solum Deum verum saith our Sauiour Christ in the Euangell of Saint Iohn This is eternall life that they know thee the only true God this is that which maketh them blessed and that not only for a day or yeare but for eternity in such manner as neuer to be satiat with seing God but the delight therof shall be alwaies new vnto them according to that of the Apocalyps Apo. 14.3 Et cantabunt quasi canticum nouum they shall alwaies sing as if their song were new This seemeth to me sufficiâ—tly to declare the infinit goodnes beauty and perfection of God but notwithstanding there is alwaies somewhat to adde yea infinitly more God is so faire 3. Th. 1. p. q. 26. ar 2. so glorious that euen in seing himselfe he is made happy so as the glory and felicity of God is to see loue himselfe Imagin therfore what reason we haue to be glad and to reioyce in a goodnes beauty and glory so infinitly great as to fill with delicious content the whole Citty of God rendring all the Citsens blessed who inhabit it euen God himselfe happy in knowing and louing of himselfe THE XXXIV CHAPTER How we may yeâ— farther extend this holy exercise WE may yet farther dilate and enlarge our selues vpon this subiect in descending to the consideration of the most facred humanity of Christ our Lord from the contemplation of his diuinity obseruing the great dignity and perfection therof and from thence receauing particular pleasure and delight in that the sacred humanity of Christ is so highly exalted and straitly vnited to his diuinity that it is enriched with all abouÌ„dance of grace and glory that it is the instrumeÌ„t of the diuinity to exploit those highest mysteries of the sanctification and glorification of all the elect and impart those supernaturall gifts and graces which God distributeth and bestoweth on men And finally we are to reioyce receaue exceediog pleasure from euery particular of the perfection and glory of the most blessed soule and sacred body of our Redeemer Iesus Christ insisting therupon with a truly viscerall loue delectation In such manner as the Saints do contemplate him and the sacred virgin beheld him on the day of his glorious resurrection rising from death so bright and triumphantly in fine with such affection as the holy Patriarch Iacob did declare Gen. 4â— 38 when as the scripture saieth hearing that his soone was yet liuing and Lord of all Egypt he was surprized with so excessiue â—oy that his decayed spirits being reuiued therby he said it is sufficient if my sonne Ioseph liueth I desire no more then only to go and see him and then I shall be content to dy And we may extend this exercise vnto the glory of the immaculate virgin and all the