seate there to reside aÌ„d to cause her to affect aÌ„d loue her God aboue all things ô how happie is the soule wherin this holy loue is spred sith that together with it all good doth arriue The end of the 2. booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE PROGRESSE AND PERFECTION OF LOVE That holy loue may be augmented still more and more in euery of vs. CHAPTER I. 1. THE holy Councell of Trent assures vs that the friends of God proceeding from vertue to vertue are day by day renewed that is encreased by good works in the iustice which they receiued by God's grace and are more and more iustified according to those heauenly aduertissements he that is iust let him be more iustified And he who is holy let him be more sanctified Feare not but thou maiest be iustified euen vntill death the path of the iust is aduanced and encreaseth as a resplendant light euen till it be cleare day with charitie doing right encreasing in all things in him who is the head of all IESVS-CHRIST And I beseech you that your charitie doe more and more encrease All these are sacred wordes out of DAVID S. IOHN ECCLESIASTES and S. PAVLE 2. I neuer heard of any liuing creature whose grouth was not bounded and limited saue onely the Crocodile who from an extreamly little beginning neuer ceaseth to growe till she come to her end representing equally in this the good and the wicked for the arrogance of such as hate God swells continually saieth the great kind DAVID and the good doe encrease as the breake of the day from brightnesse to brightnesse and to staÌ„d long at a staie in one estate is a thing impossible he that gaines not looseth in this traficke he that ascends not descends vpon this ladder he that vanquisheth not in this battell is vanquished we liue amidst the dangers of the warrs which our enemie doth wage with vs if we resist not we perish and we cannot resist but we ouercome nor ouercome without triumphe for as saieth the glorious S. BERNARD it is written in particular of man that he neuer remaines in one state he doth necessarily either goe forward or returne backward Euery one runns but one onely beares away the prize runne so as you may obtaine it Who is the prize but IESVS-CHRIST And how can you attaine him if you follow him not But if you follow him you shall march and runne continually for he neuer makes staie but continues his course of loue and obedience euen vntill death and death of the crosse 3. Goe then saith S. BERNARD goe I saie with him goe my deare THEO and admit no other bounds then those of life and as long as it remaines runne after this Sauiour but runne ardently and louingly for what better will you be to follow him if you be not so happie as to ouerta him Let vs heare the Prophete I haue inclined my heart to doe thy Iustifications eternally he doth not saie that he will doe them for a time onely but euerlastingly and because he desires eternally to doe well he shall haue an eternall reward Blessed are they who are pure in the way who walke in the law of our Lord accursed are they who are defiled who walke not in the law of our Lord It is onely a saying of the Diuell that he will sit vpoÌ„ the Norh Vnworthy man wilt thou sit downe ah knowest thou not that thou art vpon the way and that the way is not made to sit downe but to goe in and so to goe in that to goe is to passe on the way And God speaking to one of his greatest friends walke saieth he before me and be perfect 4. True vertue hath no limits she findes still PLVS VLTRA but especially holy Charitie which is the vertue of vert es and hauing an infinite obiect might be capable to become infinite if she could meete with a heart capable of infinitie nothing hiÌ„dering this loue to be infinite saue the coÌ„dition of the will which receiues it and is to become actiue by it which as it is cause that neuer any shall see God as much as he is visible so neuer any shall be able to loue him as much as he is amiable The heart which could loue GOD with a loue equall to the diuine Goodnesse should haue a will infinitly good which caÌ„not be but in God Charitie then in vs may be perfected eueÌ„ to infinitie but exclusiuely that is Charitie may become more and more and still more excellent yet neuer infinite The Holy Ghost may eleuate our hearts and apply them to what supernaturall actions it shall please him so they be not infinite for betwixt little an great things though the one exceede the other neuer so much there is still some proportion prouided alwaies that the excesse of the thing which doth exceede be not infinite but betweene finite and infinite there is no proportioÌ„ nor can there be any made vnlesse either the finite thing be raised to infinitie or the infinite brought downe to finitie which is impossible 5. So that euen the Charitie which is in our Redeemour as he is man though greater then Angell or man can comprehend yet is it not infinite of it selfe and in its owne being but onely in the estimation of the dignitie and merite therof as being the charitie of a diuine Person who iâ—â—eâ—â— eternall Sonne of the omnipotent Father 6. Meane while it is an extreame honour to the soule that she may still grow more and more in the loue of her God as long as she shall liue in this miserable life And by vertues new ascend To a life that knowes no end How easie our Sauiour hath made the encrease of loue CHAPTER II. 1. DOe you see THEO this glasse of water or this peece of bread which a holy soule giues to a poore bodie for Gods sake it is a smale matter God-wot and in humane conceipt hardly worthy of consideration God notwithstanding doth recompence it and forthwith for it doth giue some encrease of Charitie the Gotes haire which aunciently was presented to the TABERNACLE was taken in good part and had place amongst the holy Offerings and the little actions which proceede froÌ„ Charitie are agreeable to God and meritorious for as in the happie ARABIA not onely the plants which are by nature odoriferous but euen all the others are sweete participating the felicitie of that soyle so in a charitable be â—e not onely the workes which are excellent in their owne nature but euen euery little action doth relish the vertue of holy loue and hath a good odour before the maiestie of God who in consideration thereof doth augment charitie And I saie God doth it because Charitie doth not produce her owne encrease as doth a tree who by her owne vertue doth thrust and branch out her boughes but as Faith Hope and Charitie are vertues which haue their origine from the diuine goodnesse so thence also they draw their encrease
Treacle for there is none at all there but it is so called because the plant of the vine hauing bene steeped in Treacle the grapes and vines which sprung from it drew into them selues the vertue and operation of the Treacle against all sorts of poison we must not therefore thinke it strang if penance according to the holy scripture doe blot-out sinne saue the soule make her gratefull to GOD and iustifie her which are effects appertaining to loue and seeme not to be attributed to any saue it for though loue it selfe be not alwaies found in perfect penance yet its vertue and proprieties are alwaies there conueied thither by the motife of loue whence it sprung 9. Nor must we admire that the force of loue should spring out of penance before loue be there formed sith we see that the reflection of the sunne beames beating vpō a looking glasse heate which is the vertue and proper qualitie of fire gaines by little and little so much force that it begins to burne before it haue yet well produced the fire or at least before we perceiued it for so the holy ghost casting into our vnderstanding the consideration of the greatnesse of our sinns for that by them we haue offended so soueraigne a Bountie and our will receiuing the reflection of this knowledge repentance by little and little groweth so strong with a certaine affectiue heate and desire to returne into grace with God that in fine this motion becomes so compleate that it doth burne and vnite euen before the loue be fully formed which notwithstanding as a sacred fire is immediatly in that moment kindled so that repentance neuer comes to the point of burning and reuniting the heart to God which is her vtmost perfection but she find's her selfe wholy conuerted into fire and flames of loue the end of the one giuing the other a beginning yea rather the end of penance is within the beginning of loue as ESAV his foote was within Iacobs hand in such sort that as soone as ESAV ended his birth Iacob begun his the end of the ones birth being ioyned tyed and which is more enuironed with the beginning of the others for so the beginning of perfect loue doth not onely follow the end of pennance but doth euen cleaue and tye it selfe to it and to containe all in one word this beginning of loue doth mixe it selfe with the end of repentance and in this motion of mixture pennance and contrition merits life euerlasting 3. Now because this louing repentance is ordinarily practised by eleuations and raisings vp of the heart to God like to those of the auncient penitents I am thine ô Lord saue me haue mercy vpon me for in thee my soule doth confide saue me o Lord for the waters doe ouerwhelme my soule Vse me like one of thy hirelings Lord be propitious to me a poore sinner It is not without reason that some haue saied that Praier did iustifie for the repentant Praier or the suppliant repentance raising vp the soule to God and reuniting it to his goodnesse without doubt obtaines Pardon in vertue of holy loue which giues the sacred motiō And therefore we ought to be furnished with such iaculatorie praiers made in manner of louing repentance and desire aiming at our recōciliatiō to God to th' end that by the meanes therof laying before our Sauiour our tribulation we may poure out our soules before and with in his pitifull heart who will receiue them to mercy How our Sauiour louing inspirations doe assist and accompanie vs to faith and charitie CHAPTER XXI 1. FRom the first awaking from sinne or infidelitie to the finall resolution of a perfect beleefe there often runneth a great deale of time in which we may praie as we haue seene S. PACOMIVS doe and as the father of the poore Lunatike who by S. MARKES relation giuing assurance he beleeued that is that he began to beleeue knew with all that he beleeued not sufficiently wherevpon he cried out Lord I beleeue yet help my incredulitie as though he should haue saied I am now no more in the obscuritie of the night of infidelitie the raies of your faith doth already touch vpon the Orizon of my soule yet doe I not euen yet beleeue so much as were conuenient it is yet an infant knowledge and mixed with darknesse ah Lord helpe me S. AVGVSTINE also doth solemnly pronoūce this remarkable word But harke ô man and vnderstand art thou not drawene praie that thou may'st be drawen in which his intention is not to speake of the first motiō which GOD work 's in vs without vs when he excites and awakes vs out of the sleepe of sinne For how could we demand to be awaked seeing no man can praie before he be awaked but he speakes of the resolution which a man vndertakes to become faithfull For he esteemes that to beleeue is to be drawen and therefore he admonisheth euen such as were exercised in faith to demand the gift of faith and indeede none could better know the difficulties which ordinarily passe betwixt the first motions that God works in vs and the perfect resolution of perfect beleefe then S. AVGVSTINE who hauing had so great a varietie of touches by the words of the glorious S. AMBROSE by the conferance he had with Potitian and a thousand other meanes vsed notwithstanding so many delayes and had so much paine to resolue so that more truely to him then any other might haue bene applyed that which he afterwards saied to others Alas AVGVSTINE if thou be not drawen if thou beleeue not praie that thou maist be drawen that thou maist beleeue 2. Our Sauiour drawes hearts by the delight that he giues them which makes them find the heauēly learning sweete and agreeable but till this sweetenesse haue engaged and assured our will by his amiable bonds to draw it to the perfect agreement and consent of faith as GOD is not deficient in exercising his goodnesse vpon vs by his holy inspirations so doth not our enemie cease to practise his malice by temptations In the interim we remaine in full libertie to consent to the diuine drawghtes or to reiect them for as the Sacred CONC of TRENT hath clearely resolued If any one should saie that mans freewill being moued and incited by GOD doth cooperate in nothing by consenting to GOD who did moue and call him to the end he might dispose and prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of Iustification and that he could not consent though he would verily he should be excommunicated and reproued by the Church But if we doe not repulse the grace of holy loue it doth dilate it selfe by continuall encrease in our soules till they be entierily conuerted like to great riuers which finding opē plaines spreed themselues still gaining ground 3. And if the inspiration hauing drawen vs to faith find no resistance in vs it drawes vs euen to penance and charitie S. PETER as an Apode helpt vp by an inspiration
marke the young man of the Ghospell whom our Sauiour loued and who coÌ„sequently was in Charitie certes he neuer dream'd of selling all he had to giue it to the poore and follow our Sauiour nay though our Sauiour had giuen him such an inspiration yet had he not the courage to put it in executioÌ„ In these great works THEO onely inspirations are not sufficient but further we must be fortified to be able to effect that which the inspiratioÌ„ inclines vs to As againe in the fierce assaultes of extraordinarie teÌ„ptations the speciall and particular presence of heauenly succours is altogether necessarie For this cause the holy Church makes vs so frequently crie out Excite our hearts ô Lord preuent our actions by breathing vpon vs and in aiding vs accompanie vs O Lord be prompt to helpe vs and the like therby to obtaine grace to be able to effect excellent and extraordinarie works and more frequently and feruently to exercise ordinarie ones as also more ardently to resist smale temptations and more valliently to encounter great ones S. ANTONIE was assailed by a hideous legion of Diuels whose rage hauing a long time sustained not without incredible paine and torment at length he espied the couer of his Cell deuided and a heauenly raie enter the breach which made the blacke and disordered Route of his enemies vanish in a moment and deliuered him of the paine of his wounds receiued in that schirmish whence he perceiued God's particular presence and casting out a grone towards the brightnesse where wast thou ô good IESVS quoth he where wast thou why wast thou not here from the beginning to haue remedied my paine It was answered him froÌ„ aboue Antonie I was here but I expected the euent of thy combat And sithens thou behaued thy selfe brauely and valiently I will be thy continuall aide But in what the valour and courage of this braue spirituall Combatant did consist he himselfe another time declars that being set vpon by a Diuell who professed to be the Spirit of fornicatioÌ„ this Glorious Sainte after many words worthy of his great courage fell a singing the 7. verse of the 115. Psalme Th' eternall God is my defence In him it is I stand I weigh no enemies pretence I dread no hostell band And our Sauiour reuealed to S. CATHERINE of Sienna that he was in the midst of her heart in a cruell temptation she had as a Captaine in the midst of a Fort to hold it and that without his succour she had lost her selfe in the battell It is the like in all the hote assaults which our enemie makes against vs and we may well saie with IACOB that it is the Angell that doth warrant vs in all and sing with the great king DAVID The Pastour who doth guid my way Is God who rules this ROVND VVhile I to his commands obey At wish all things abound VVhen he behoulds my soules destresse Her Anguish griefe or care His Goodnesse grant's a quick redresse And th ruines doth râ—paire So that we ought often to repeate this exclamaâ—ion and Praier â—o houre want I thy Bounti 's hand Each where I 'm garded by thy Grace That in thy heauenâ—y PROMISED LAND Obtaine I might a MANSION PLACE Touching holy perseuerance in sacred Loue. CHAPTER IIII. 1. EVen as a tender mother leading with her her little babe doth assist and support him according as neede requires letting him now and then aduenture a step by himselfe in plaine or lesse dangerous way now taking him by the hand to weeld him now taking him vp in her armes and bearing him so our Sauiour hath a continuall care to conduct his children that is such as are in Charitie making theÌ„ walke before him reaching them his hand in difficulties and bearing them himselfe in such paines as he sees otherwise insupportable vnto theÌ„ which he declared by ISAIE saying I am thy GOD taking thee by the hand and saying feare not I haue helped thee So that with a strong courage we must haue a firme confidence in God and his assistance for if we faile not to second his Grace he will accomplish in vs the happie worke of our Saluation which he also began working in vs both the VELLE and PERFICERE as the Holy Councell of Trent doth assure vs. 2. In this conduct which the heauenly sweetenesse daignes to our soules from their entry to Charitie vntill their finall perfection which is not finished but in the period of life doth the great gift of Perseuerance consist to which our Sauiour annecteth the greater gift of eternall glorie following that which he saieth he that shall perseuer to the end shall be saued for this gift is no other thing then a setting together and a continuing of the diuers supports solaces and succours wherby we continew in the Loue of God till death as the education breeding and feeding of a child is no other thing theÌ„ the many cares aides and succours aÌ„d other offices befitting a child exercised and continued towards him till he grow to yeares in which he shall not neede them 3. But the continuance of succours and helpes are not equall in all those that perseuer for in some it is short as in such as were coÌ„uerted a little before their death so it happened to the good Thiefe so to the Sergeant who seeing S. IAMES his constancie made forthwith profession of Faith and became a companion of the Matyrdome of this great Apostle so to the glorious Porter who kept the 40. Martyrs in SEBASTE who seeing one of them loose courage and forsake the crowne of Martyrdome did put himselfe in his place aÌ„d at oÌ„ce became Christian Martyr and Glorious so to the Notarie of whom mention is made in S. ANTONIE of Padua his life who hauing all his life bene a false villaine yet died a Martyr And so it hapned to a thousand others whom we haue seene and red that they died well after an ill life And as for these they stand not in neede of a great varietie of succours but vnlesse some great temptation crosse their way may performe this short perseuerance by the onely Charitie giuen then and by the aides by which they were conuerted For they arriue at the PORT without sailing and finish their pilgrimage in one onely iumpe which the puissant mercy of God made them take in so due time that their enemies saw them triumphe before they stroke so that their conuersion and perseuerance were scarcely distinguished and if one would be exact in the proprietie of words the grace which they receiued of God wherby they attained as soone the issue as the entry of their pretentions could not well be termed Perseuerance though otherwise holding in effect the place of perseuerance in that it giues saluation we comprehend it vnder the name of Perseuerance Now in others Perseuerance is longer as in S. ANNE the Prophetesse in S. IOHN the Euangelist S. PAVLE the first Hermite S. HILARION S. ROMWALD S FRANCIS
of Paula and they stood in neede of a thousand sundrie kinds of assistāces according to the varietie of the aduenturs of their Pilgrimage and the sharpnesse of it 4. Howbeit Perseuerance is a gift the most to be desired of any thing we can hope for in this life and which as he Councell of Trent saieth we cannot haue but from the hand of God who onely can assure him that stand's and helpe him vp that falls Wherfore we must incessantly demand it making vse of the meanes which our Sauiour hath tought vs to the obtaining of it Praier Fasting Almes deedes frequenting the Sacraments conuersation with the good the hearing and reading of pious lessons 5. Now sithens the gift of Praier and deuotion is liberally granted to all thar freely doe consent to diuine inspirations it is consequently in our power to perseuer Yet not so that I would hence inferre that Perseuerāce hath her beginning from our power for contrariwise I know she doth spring from God's mercy whose most precious gift she is but I would saie that though she doth not proceede frō our power yet comes she within the compasse of it by meanes of our will which we cannot denie to be in our power for be it that Gods grace is necessarie for vs to will to perseuer yet is this will in our power because heauenly grace is neuer manting to our will while our will is not wanting to our power And indeede according to the great S. BERNARD'S opinion we may truely saie with the Apostle That neither death nor life nor Angels neither depth nor hight can separate vs from the Charitie of God which is in Iesus Christ no for no creature can take vs away by force from this holy Loue but we onely can forsake and abandon it by our owne will nor is there any other thing in this behalfe to be feared 6. So THEO following the aduise of the holy Councell we ought to place our whole hope in God who will perfect the work of our Saluation which he hath begun in vs if we be not wanting to his grace for we are not to thinke that he who saied to the Paralitike goe and sinne not gaue him not also power to auoide that which he did prohibit him and surely he would neuer exhort the faithfull to perseuer if he were not ready to furnish them with power required therto Be faithfull till death saied he to the Bishop of SMIRNA and I will giue thee a crowne of Glorie be diligent and remaine in faith labour couragiously and comfort your selues doe all your workes in Charitie runne so that you may obtaine the Prise We must eftsonnes with the great king demand of God the heauenly gift of Perseuerance and hope that he will grant it vs. Doe not permit thy seruant 's fall O Lord my onely HOPE my ALL In th-winter of this mortall day But when vntired time shall hasle To render back to th-earth the waste Of what I was be thou my stay That the happinesse to die in heauenly Charitie is a speciall gift of God CHAPTER V. 1. VVHen the heauenly king hath brought the soule which he loueth to the end of this life he doth not cease to assist her also in her blessed departure by which he drawes her to the mariage bed of eternall glorie which is the delicious fruite of holy Perseuerance And then deare THEO this soule wholy rauished with the loue of her well-beloued putting before her eyes the multitude of fauours and succours wherwith she was preuented and helped while she is yet in her pilgrimage she doth incessantly kisse this sweete helping hand which cōducted drew and supported her in the way and confesseth that it is of this diuine Sauiour that she holds her felicitie seeing he had done for her all that the Patriarch IACOB wished for his iorney at such time as he saw the Ladder to heauen O Lord saieth she then thou wast with me and guided me in the way by which I came Thou fedst me with the bread of thy Sacraments thou clothed'st me with the wedding garment of Charitie thou hast happily conducted me to this MANSION OF GLORIE which is thy HOVSE ô my eternall Father What remaines ô Lord saue that I should protest that thou art my God for euer and euer Amen O God my Lord my God for euer deare Thy hand hath bene my stay thy sacred grace My surest Guide and did me vpwards reare To the honour of thy heauenly MANSION PLACE Thus then we walke to eternall life for the accomplishment of which the Diuine Prouidence ordained the number distinction and succession of graces necessarie to it with their dependance of one another 2. He willed first with a true will that euen after the sinne of ADAM all men should be saued but vpon termes and by meanes agreeable to the condition of their nature endewed with free-will that is to saie he willed the saluation of all those that would contribute their consent to the graces and fauours which he prepared offered and distributed to this end 3. Now amongst these fauours his will was that VOCATION should be the first and that it should be so accommodated to our LIBERTIE that we might at our pleasure accept or reiect it and such as he saw would receiue it he would furnish with the sacred motions of PENANCE and determined to giue Charitie to such as should second these motions to those againe that were in Charitie he purposed to supplie with helpes necessarie to PERSEVERANCE and to such as should make vse of these diuine helpes he resolued to impart finall Perseuerance and the glorious FELICITIE of his eternall Loue. 4. And thus we may giue a reason of the order which is found in the effects of PROVIDENCE tending to saluation descending from the first to the last that is from the fruite which is GLORIE to the roote of this faire tree which is our Sauiours REDEMPTION For the Diuine Bountie doth follow MERITS with GLORIE CHARITIE with merits PENNANCE with CHARITIE OBEDIENCE to the first Vocation with Penance The VOCATION with obediēce to the vocation and our Sauiours REDEMPTION with a vocation vpon which Iacobs mysticall ladder doth rest as well towards heauē it ending in the louing bosome of the eternall Father in which he doth receiue and glorifie the Elect as also towards the earth being planted vpon the besome and pearsed side of our Sauiour who for this cause died vpon the Mont-Caluarie 5. And that this continuance of the effects of Prouidence was thus ordained with the same dependance which they haue of one another in the eternall will of God the Holy Church in the preface of one of her solemne Praiers doth witnesse in these words O ETERNALL and Almightie God who art Lord of the liuing and dead and art mercifull to all those whom thou foreseest are to be thine by faith and works as though she had acknowledged that Glorie which is the encrease and fruite of Gods Mercy towards
accords best with the will of God But in little and dayly exercises wherein the fault is nether of moment or irreparable what neede is there to chant a QVANTA PATIMVR by engaging ones attention in importune consultations To what end should I put my selfe vpon the racke to learne whether God would rather that I should saie the Rosarie or our Ladies Office since there can be no such difference betwixt them that a GRAND-IVRIE should be impannelled vpon it That I should rather goe to visite the sicke in the hospitall then to VESPERAS That I should rather goe to a Sermon then to a Church where there are Indulgences commonly there is no such remarkable thing in the one more then the other that the matter requires any great deliberation we must walke simply not subtily in those occurrēces and as S. BASILE freely doe that which licks vs best without wearying out our wits loosing our time and running hazard of disquiet scruples and superstitiō Now my meaning is alwayes where there is no great disproportion betwixt the two workes and where there occurrs no circumstance more considerable in the one then th' other 5. And euen in matters of moment we are to vse a great humilitie and not to thinke we can fish out Gods will by force of examination and subtilitie of discourse But hauing implored the light of the holy-Ghost applied our cōsideration to the search of his good pleasure taken our Directours counsell and of two or three spirituall persōs more if they chāced to be there we must absolutly resolue and determine in the name of God neuer after to call our choice in question but deuotely peaceably and constantly to vndergoe and improue it And albeit that the difficulties temptations and the diuersitie of euents which crosse the execution of our designe might make vs doubt whether we had made a good choice yet must we remaine constant not waighing all this Yea we are to consider that if we had made an other choice we had peraduenture bene an hundred times worse besides that we wot not whether it be God's will that we should be exercised in consolation or desolation in peace or in warre The resolution being once holily vndertaken we are neuer to doubt of the holinesse of the execution for vnlesse it be our fault there can be none to doe otherwise is a notable marke of selfe-Loue of childishnesse or bransicknesse The end of the eight booke THE NINGTH BOOKE OF LOVE OF SVBMISSION WHEREBY OVR WILL IS VNITED to Gods Of the vnion of our will to the will of God which is the WILL OF GOOD PLEASVRE CHAPTER I. I. NOthing excepting sinne is done but by the will of God called an absolute will and of GOOD PLEASVRE which cannot be hindred by man and which is not knowen vnto vs but by the effects yet being arriued they make manifest that God willed and determined them 2. Let vs conside◠in grosse THEO all that hath bene is and shall be and rauished with amazement we shall be forced to crie out with the Psalmist O Lord I will praise thee because thou are abundantly magnified thy works are wonderfull and my soule doth acknowledge thē very much thy knowledge is become admirable of me it is made great nor can I reach to it And from thence we passe on to a most holy Complacence reioycing that God is so infinit in WISDOME POWER and GOODNESSE which are the three Diuine Proprieties whereof the world is but a small taste or scantling 3. Let vs behold men and Angels and all the varietie of nature qualities conditions faculties affections passions graces and priuiledges which the diuine Prouidence hath established in the innumerable number of those heauenly INTELLIGENCES and humane creaturs vpon which Gods IVSTICE and MERCY is so admirably practised and we cannot containe our selues from singing with ioye full of respect and louing dread True Iustice and true Iudgment are The obiect of my dittie VVhich vnto thee I offer dare Most iust and full of pitie THEO we are to take an exceeding complacence to see how God exerciseth his MERCY by the sundrie benefits which he doth distribute amongst men and Angels in heauen and earth And how he practiseth his IVSTICE by an infinit varietie of paines and chastisements for his IVSTICE and MERCY are equally amiable and admirable in them selues since both of them are no other thing then the same most singular Goodnesse and Deitie But the effects of his Iustice being alwayes sharpe and and full of bitternesse to vs he sweetens them with the mixture of the effects of his MERCY conseruing the greene Oliue amidst the waters of the Deluge of his iust indignation and giuing power to the deuote soule as to a chast doue to find it in the end prouided alwayes that like to the doue she doth louingly meditate So death afflictions anguishes labours whereof our life is full which by Gods iust ordinances are the punishments of sinne are also by his milde MERCY made ladders to ascend to Heauen meanes to encrease grace and merits to obtaine Glorie Blessed is pouertie hunger thirst sorrow sicknesse persecution death for in truth they are the iust punishments of our faults yet punishments so seasoned or to vse the Phisitions terme so aromatized with Diuine sweetenesse benignitie and clemencie that their bitternesse is best beloued A strang yet a true thing THEO if the damned were not blinded with the obstinacie and hatred which they conceiue against God they would find consolation in their torments and see the Diuine MERCY admirably dispersed amongst their eternally-tormenting flames So that the Saints considering on the one side the torments of the damned so horrible and dreadfull they praise Gods IVSTICE in it and crie out thou art iust ô Lord thou art iust and iustice for euer raignes in thy iudgments But seeing on the other side that these paines though eternall and incomprehensible come yet farre short of the crime and trespasse for which they were inflicted rauished with Gods infinite MERCY ó Lord will they saie how good thou art since in the very heate of thy wroth thou canst not keepe in the torrent of thy MERCYES that it streame not its waters into the deuouring flames of Hell Goodnesse o Lord hath not thy soule forsooke Euen while thy iustest iustice vengeance tooke Midst hellish flames nor could sterne ire represse The torrent of thy wounted graciousnesse Thou still pour'st out and still dost enterlace Thy wrothfull strokes with strikes of grace And then turning our eyes vpon our selues in parcular and finding in vs diuers interiour and exteriour goods as also a greatest number of interiour and exteriour paines which the Diuine Prouidēce hath prepared for vs according to his most holy IVSTICE and MERCY and as opening the armes of our consent we doe most louingly embrace all resting in Gods most holy will and singing vnto him by way of a Hymne of an eternall repose Thy will be done in earth as it is in