Lord. Let the Saints reioyce in ioy let them delight in delight He that delights in an earthly thing delights in vanitie he delights not in delight But he onely delights in delight which makes God onely the ground of his delight According to that of Prosper That alone is eternall delight which is grouÌ„ded vpon the eternall good Vpon him that is onely good and saith to Moses I will in my selfe shew thee all good Euery thing that is honest euery thing that is profitable euery thing that is pleasant is onely to be found in the Lord. As that Manna had all manner of good tasts in it so the Lord onely hath all manner of good things all manner of true delights in him Therefore the Church hauing first bestowed the greatest part of Salomons song altogether in commendation of the beautie and comelines of Christ at length concludeth thus Thy mouth is as sweete things and thou art wholly delectable how faire art thou and how pleasant art thou O my loue in pleasures So that when I seeke my loue my Lord then I seeke a delight a light that passeth all lights which no eye hath seene I seeke a sound an harmonie that passeth all harmonies which no eare hath heard I seeke a sent and a sauour that passeth all sauours which no sense hath smelt I seeke a relish and a tast that passeth all tasts which no tongue hath tasted I seeke a contentment and a pleasure that passeth all pleasures which no bodie hath felt Nay I cannot hold my heart for my ioy yea I cannot hold my ioy for my heart to thinke that he which is my Lord is now become my father so that he which was offended with me for my sinnes sake is now reconciled to me for his sonnes sake To thinke that the high Maiestie of God will one day raiâ—e me out of the dust and so that I which am now a poore worme vpon earth shall hereafter be a glorious Saint in heauen This this makes me delight my selfe in the Lord saying O thou that art the delight of my delight the life of my life the soule of my soule I delight my selfe in thee I liue onely for thee I offer my selfe vnto thee wholly to thee wholly one to thee one onely to thee only For sup pose now as S. Iohn speaketh the whole world were full of bookes and all the creatures in the world were writers and all the grasse piles vpon the earth were pennes and all the waterâ— in the sea were ynke yet I assure you faithfully all these bookes all these writers all these pennes all this ynke would not be sufficient to describe the very least part either of the goodnes of the Lord in himselfe or of the louing kindnes of the Lord towards thee Wherefore Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Thus much for the precept in these words Delight thy selfe in the Lord. The promise followeth First And he shall giue thee Well saies Leo Loue is the greatest reward of loue that either can be or can be desired So that though there were no other rewarde promised thee for delighting in the Lord but onely the delight it selfe it were sufficient For the benefit is not Gods but wholly thine God is neuer a whit the better for thy delighting thy selfe in him If thou be righteous what doest thou giue him or what doeth he receiue at thy hands Thy delight may perhaps reach to the saints which are in the earth but it can neuer reach to â—he Saints which are in heauen and much lesse can it reach to God which is the Lord of heauen Nay I will say more If thou shouldst giâ—e God whole riuers full of oyle whole houses full of gold for neuer so little a droppe of this delight it would be nothing Thy gift would be nothing to his gift thy oyle and golde would be nothing to his oyle of gladnesse Yet behold the bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the lord He hires thee and giues thee wages not to doe himselfe good but to doe thy selfe good And here he promiseth to reward his owne mercies as if they were thine owne merits And as though the benefit were not thine but wholly his so he chaungeth the words and for Thou shalt giue him saies He shall giue thee But this he doeth as Augustine testifieth Not by the loue of errour but by the errour of loue For the loue of errour is mans Rhetoricke it is a figure which man often vseth Humanum est errare But the errour of loue is Gods Rhetoricke it is a figure which God often vseth Diâ—inum est amare Especially it is a diuine thing to loue so dearely as God loueth vs. Who though he doe not loue to erre yet he doeth erre for loue Counting and calling that which is onely our commoditie his owne commoditie So Christ is said to be fed amongst the lylies The lylies of the fieldes are the millions of the angels or of all those which lead a pure and an angelicall life These indeede Christ feedeth He feedeth them in the greene pastures and leadeth them forth by the waters of comfort Yea not onely he feedeth them but also by this figure the error of loue he is said to be fed with them Because though he for his part haue little neede I wis to â—e fedde yet it is as great a pleasure to him to feed theÌ„ as if he were fedde himselfe among them So likewise he saies If any man open the doore I will suppe with him and he with me We indeede sup with Christ. Generally whensoeuer he giues vs grace to feele in our affections the rauishing ioyes of the spirit As when he saies I haue eaten my honie combe with my hony I haue drunken my wine with my milke eat you also O my friendes drinke and make you merie O my welbeloued But more especially we suppe with Christ when he cals vs to the holy Communion and biddes vs to the Lords supper For then he staies vs with flaggons and comforts vs with apples with apples and flaggons with bread and wine with his owne deere bodie and his owne pretious blood Thus do we suppe with Christ. But how doth Christ suppe with vs Is it possible possible that he which shall neuer hunger or thirst any more possible that he which is fulnes it selfe in whome all the fulnes of the Godhead bodily dwelleth Is it possible I say that he should stand without knocking at the doore as a begger to get a meales meate of vs Yea sure doubt you not It is possible enough By a certaine figure I weene you call it the errour of loue that 's it by this figure the errour of loue it is a very possible thing nay it is a very easie thing to doe yea it is a very great pleasure to him to doe it Behold
seruant depart in peace because mine eies haue seene the prince because mine eies haue seene thy saluation Euen as one good heart saies for all O Lord how amiable are thy dwellings Salomon had goodly buildings but they were nothing to thy dwellings My soule fainteth and faileth for them It fainteth before I see them and it faileth when I haue seene them then I am quiet enough then I can desire to see no more For like as Noahs doue could finde no rest for the sole of her foote all the while she was flickering ouer the flond till she returned to the arke with an oliue branch in her mouht so the heart of a christian which is the turtle doue of Christ can find no rest all the while it is houering ouer the waters of this world till it haue siluer wings as a doue and with the oliue branch of faith flie to the true Noah which signifieth rest till Iesus Christ put forth his holy haÌ„d out of the arke and taking this heart into his hand receiue it to himselfe Euen as one good heart saies for all I will not climbe vp into my bedd nor suffer mine eies to sleepe nor mine eielidds to slumber nor the temples of my head to take their rest vntill I find a tabernacle for the Lord an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob Vntill I find that my heart is not in mine owne hand but in Gods hand vntill I find that God dwelleth in me and I in him vntill I find that my soule is a tabernacle for the Lord and my heart is an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob I cannot rest saies he But when I find this once when I come to Noah in the arke when I delight my selfe in the Lord then I will climbe vp into my bedd and suffer mine eies to sleepe and mine eie-liddes to slumber and the temples of my head to take their rest But what 's the reason of all this I am somewhat bold to aske because I would be glad to know what 's the reason I say that the bull can neuer be quiet till he come to the staule that the bucket can neuer be quiet till it come to the water that the needle can neuer be quiet till it come to the north poole that Ionas can neuer be quiet till he come to the sea shore that Nicaula can neuer be quiet till she come to Salomon that Noahs doue can neuer be quiet till it come to the arke that mans heart can neuer be quiet till it come to God The reason of it is this When God created heauen and earth he rested not in the heauen or in any heaueÌ„ly thing not in the earth or in any earthly thing but onely in man which is both A heauenly thing for his soule and an earthly thing for his bodie As soone as he had made man he kept a sabboth and rested Euen so the heart of man resteth not in the earth or in any earthly thing not in the heauen or in any heauenly thing but onely in God which is lord of both Lord of heauen and earth Lord of soule and bodie As soone as it commeth to God and delighteth in him it keepeth holy-day and resteth Gods heart neuer resteth till it come to man mans heart neuer resteth till it come to God For as god saies to man My sonne giue me thy heart so man saies to God my lord giue me thy selfe For euen as the hart desireth the water-brookes so longeth my heart my soule after thee ô God Therefore ô God giue me thy selfe Shew me thy selfe and it sufficeth me For thou onely O Lord art indeede as thou art called in Hebreâ— Shâ—ddai all-sufficient yea more then sufficient Thy very grace is sufficient for me But thou O Lord doest giue both grace and glorie Therefore whome haue I in heauen but thee and whome haue I in earth but thee Thou onely giuest grace in earth so that I haue none in earth but thee And thou onely giuest glorie in heauen so that I haue none in heaueÌ„ but thee O what a sweet friend is this What a sweete friend is God our good friend which onely feedeth and filleth the heart He onely feedeth it in earth filleth it in heauen feedeth it with grace and filleth it with glorie For euery thing hath a kind of foode proper vnto it Offer a lyon grasse he will neuer eate it offer him flesh he will eater it Why so Because that is vnnaturall this is naturall to him So offer the heart of a Christian which is couragious and bold as a lyon offer it all the glorie of the world which is as the flower of grasse it is neuer a whit the better Offer it Christ who saies My flesh is meate indeede then it is satisfied Therfore one saies The lyons want and suffer hunger but they that feare the Lord want no manner of thing that is good The lyons such lyons as haue no grace but grasse onely to feede vpon they want and suffer hunger Hungrie and thirstie their soule fainteth in them But they that feare the Lord such lyons as by faith feede vpon the flesh of Christ delight in the Lord feede vpon God they are fat and well liking they want no manner of thing that is good For as the people sitting vpon the grasse and feeding vpon the bread were all satisfied so these lyons are all satisfied because sitting vpon the grasse of the world yea not onely sitting vpon it but also treading vpon it and trampling it vnder their feete they feede onely vpon the bread of life For these lyons can easily conceiue that if at that time fiue loaues beeing blessed by our Lord did satisfie fiue thousand then much more our blessed Lord himselfe can satisfie euery heart which hungreth and thirsteth for him Therefore these lyons saue the very fragments of this feast and keepe them in their hearts as in baskets knowing that all the grasse of the world cannot doe them halfe so much good as the very least crumme of Christs comfort For so one lyon saies among the rest My soule refuseth comfort But when I remember God I am delighted As if he should say I haue a lyons heart in me my soule refuseth to feede vpon the grasse of the world it goes against my stomack I cannot brooke it I cannot digest it that 's but a cold comfort My soule refuseth all such comfort But when I remember God I am delighted Though I cannot see God presently before me yet if I doe but remember him if doe but meditate of him if I doe but thinke of him if I doe but dreame of him I am delighted Though I caÌ„not haue a whol loafe yet if I can get but a fragmeÌ„t if I can get but a shieue if I can get but a morsell if I can but any little crumme of comfort that falls from the table of the Lord my
fellow Disciples and all my friends farewell wife all the world so I may inioy this heauenly sight and be continually thus delighted in the Lord. Holy Ignatius going to his martyrdome was so strangely rauished with this delight that he burst out into these wordes Nay come fires come beasts come breaking of all my bones come racking of my whole bodie come all the torments of the deuill togither vpon me come what can come in the whole earth or in hell either so that I may inioy Iesus Christ and may be continually delighted in the Lord. And so must thou deare brother insult ouer all creatures and exsult only in thy creatour Thou must contemne all beautie as Armenia did yea thine owne bodie as Paul did yea all the world as Peter did yea thy very life as Ignatius did and be content to doe any thing though it were to be torne and pulled in a thousand peeces or for a time if it were possible to suffer al the paines which the fiends and furies of hell can inflict vpon thee so as in the end thou maiest delight either the Lord in thy selfe or thy selfe in the Lord. Then then He shall giue thee and not He shall giue thee onely but The desires also and not The desires onely but Of thy heart also Then he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart And againe I say He shall giue thee and againe I say The desires and againe I say Of thy heart Then he shall giue thee the desires of thy heart Then though thou haue a long time plaied the vnthrift and wasted all thy goods in the world yet if with the lost childe thou returne home againe to thy fathers house he shall graunt thee thy hearts desire and receiue thee with minstrelsie and dauncing and all manner of festiuall ioy and that plentie of bread which nourisheth euery hired seruant in his house shall much more feede thee which art his louing child vnto euerlasting life Then though all the leekes and onyons of Egypt which is the world haue failed thee yet if with Israel thou depend onely vpon God he shall distill the dewe of his grace into thy heart and lay aside a chosen raine for thee and cause thee to drinke of the sweete christall streams of his pleasure and giue thee to eate of that hidden and heauenly Manna which no man knoweth but he that receiueth it Then though all the clothes and couerings in the world cannot keepe thee warme yet if with Dauid thou be a man according to Gods owne heart he shall send thee that mysticall Abishag which shall comfort thy heart and make thee hot and feruent in spirit which shall renue thy strength and make thee yong againe and lustie as an Eagle Then though thou haue a long time lost thy labour in seruing Laban which is the world yet if with Iacob thou returne home againe to thy fathers house god shall meete thee by the way and as the Prophet Osey speaketh he shall allure thee as thy paramour and lead thee into the wildernesse and there speake according to thine own heart friendly and louingly vnto thee And euen as louers are oftentimes disposed for the nonce to take a fall of one another the stronger of the weaker so God shall wrestle a fall with thee as he did with Iacob and yeeld so much in loue to thee as that he shall suffer thee to giue him the fall and to preuaile against him Iesus what exceeding loue is this why are we not euen nowe in the name of God inflamed with the loue of God and wholly rauished with delight in the Lord At least wise I maruell what a mischeife many base minded worldlings meane that they had rather feed vpon the huskes of hogges then the bread of maÌ„ that they had rather eate the ony ons of Egipt then the manna of heauen that they had rather lie acold frozen and shiuering in sinne then be reuiued and cherished by Abishag that they had rather take vnsupportable paine to serue Laban then take vnspeakeable pleasure to serue God Fy vpon it what a vile folly is this what a starke madnes is this what is this els but to be euen bodily tormented whereas they might be most spiritually delighted what is this els but to goe out of one hell into another hell where as they might goe out of one heauen into another heauen For why do you beloued why doe you tell me so much of I know not what of a worme that neuer dieth of a fire that neuer is quenched of a lake that burneth with brimstone of weeping and gnashing of teeth Thus I tell you good christians and I tell you truly and God in heauen heares what I say though you heare me not I tell you as loud as euer I can that to serue sinne so slauishly to please the deuill so wretchedly to delight in the word so brutishly as many men doe this is worse then all wormes worse then all fires worse then all lakes worse then all weeping worse then hell it selfe Whereas on the other side to serue God to please God to delight in God to reioyce solace thy soule in the Lord which hath alwaies giuen thee and will alwaies giue thee the desires of thy heart this is better then all treasures better then all crownes better then all kingdomes better then all immortalitie better then heauen it selfe This this it is which shall bring thee out of one paradise into another paradise 1. Reg. 1. 40. TanquaÌ„ claruÌ„ ac beneficum â—ydus Sen. de Clemen l. â— c. 3. Nulli ita deo familiares sunâ— sicut boni reges Emissenus Dom. 21. post â—enâ—ecost Psal. 21. 1. a Quid ad noâ— delectatio msidi â—pist ad Toloâ— cap. 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Lamen 3. 15. e 〈…〉 f chap. 13. v. 22. g Si de Vlysâ—e illo refert fabula quòd 〈◊〉 arboâ—â—â—s religatio de peâ—iculâ— liberavit quaÌ„tò magis cruciâ— arbâ— c. Ambr. serm 55 h Esa. 14. 23. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Psal. 118. 15. l Aelianus in varia histo l. â— cap. 14. m Ester 4. 2. n Châ—ros castrorum Can. 6. 12. o Dauid salâ—antâ—m plus stupeo quâ—m pugnantem Moral l. 27. cap. 27. p 〈◊〉 4. 6. q Ludam inquit vt illudar Bonus luduâ— quo Michol iâ—ascitur dâ—us delectâ—tur â—reg Mag. r Ioh. 11. 4. s Math. 17. 5. t Prou. 5. 19. u 〈…〉 x Proâ— 14. 13. y 2. Cor. 5. 12. z Can. 7. 12. a Can. 8. 2. Orâ—s Apollo b Nuâ— 11. 〈◊〉 c Can. 2. 3. d Non â—st strepitus oris sed â—â—bilus cordis non â—onus labiorum sâ—d motus gaudiorum concordia voluntatum non conâ—onantia vocum e Psal. 84. 3. f Psal. 103. 1. g Cum scis iubilationem Psal. 89. 15. h Greg. Moral Iob. 3. 14. i Reu. 8. 1. k Gustâ— incircumscripti luminis anima paâ—citur supra se elata ad seipsam re â—abi dedignatur k Nouerim me nouerim te l 〈…〉 m In letitia letentur psal 68. 3. n Aeterna exultatio est qnâ—â— bono 〈◊〉 â—terno o Exod. 33. 19. p Quâ—re 〈◊〉 bonum in quo sunt omniâ— bona sufficit Aug. Med. q Sapi. 16. 20. r Totum toti â— vnum vni vnicum vnico s Dilectionisâ—ulla maior expetenda est â—enumeratio 〈◊〉 ipsa diâ—ectio Ser. 7. de â—â—eiu t Iob. 35. 7. u Psal. 16. 2. x Non 〈◊〉 a more sed 〈◊〉 moâ— is â—rorâ— Deciuit 〈◊〉 liâ—◠〈◊〉 cap. 6. y It is mans propertiâ— to erre z It is Gods propertie to louâ— a Can. 2. 16. b Lilia agro rum millia angelorum c 〈…〉 uerso pascere sit ei paâ—ci Bernard Cant. seâ—m 7â— d Reu. 3. 20. e Cant. 〈◊〉 f Can. 7. 13. Omnia pomâ— vetera nova Vulgata trans g Ecclesiasticus cap. 32. vers 5. Col. â— 16. h Qui amat desiderare desideret amare De amore dei cap. 3. vid. Gregorium Moral â— 18. c. 28. i Cant. ◠〈◊〉 k Psal. 119. 20 Concupiuiâ— desiderare â—sal 119. 20 l 〈…〉 m Gâ—n 32. 31. n Tobiâ—s 13. 18. Psal. 55. 〈◊〉 o 〈…〉 p 〈◊〉 1. 24. q Domine anâ—e te omne desideâ—ium meâ—â—sal 38. 10 â—am vâ—ima perfectio ipsius animz deus est centrum locusque natuâ—alis omnium desideriotum â—ius r Viri desideriorum Dan. 9. 23 s Daniel 3. 25. t Mark 9 4. u Ioh. 14. 21. x Mendicus dei Greg. y Luk. 16. 25. z 〈…〉 a Fecisti nos domine ad te ideo inquiâ—â—um â—st cor 〈…〉 b Psal. 22. 16. c Querula pâ—nitus 〈◊〉 abunda est donec ad â—um à quo oriâ—inaliter exiit triumphali virtute reuertatur d 〈◊〉 12. 3. e Vi amoris in deum tanquam in centrum propriuÌ„ mouetur vt in ipso summé delectetur f Math. 2. 9. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ude 13. h Psal. 57. 8. i Quia dominuâ— reddidit te â—ibi Psal. 116. 7. k Concupisciâ— deficie â—sal 〈◊〉 2. l Psal. 132. 4. m Prou. 2â— 26. n Iob. 14. 8. o 2. Cor. 12. 9. p â—sal â—4 â—2 q Psal. 73. 25. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈…〉 Psal. 17. 16. s 〈◊〉 28. 1. t Esa. 40. 6. u Psal. 107. 5. x Mark 6. 39. y 〈…〉 z 〈…〉 Eccles. 1. 8. a 〈…〉 b All the whole world 〈…〉 c 〈…〉 d Behold the heauens and the heauens of heauens are not able to containe thee 1. Reg. 8. 27. e Deâ—s maior est cor de nostro 1. Ioh. 3. 20 d 〈…〉 e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉