cole taken from vpon the Altar seconding in this sort his desire The Myrrhe-tree bringeth fourth her gumme and first liquor by way of sweate and transpiration but that she may be well deliuered of all her iuyce she must be helped by incision So the diuine loue of S. FRANCIS appeared in his whole life in manner of sweate for all his actions sauored nothing else but heauenly loue But to make the incomparable abundance of it plainely appeare the diuine Seraphin came to giue the incision and wounds And to th' end it might be knowen that these wounds were woundes of heauenly loue they were made not with iron but with raies of light ô deare God THEO how louing a paine aÌ„d how painefull a loue was this for not onely at that instant but eueÌ„ his whole life after this poore Saint went pining and languishing as being very sicke of loue 6. B. PHILIPE NERIVS at fourescore yeares of age had such an inflammation of heart through diuine loue that heate making way by the ribbs did greatly dilate them and broke the fourth and fift to receiue aire and be refreshed B. STANISLAVS BOSCA a young youth of fourteene yeares was so assaulted by the loue of his Sauiour that diuers times he fell downe in a sownd and was constrained to applie linnen dept in cold water to his breast to moderate the violencie of the burning which he felt To conclude THEOT how doe you thinke that a soule who hath once a little wishedly tasted diuine consolations can liue in this world so full of miseries without almost a continuall paine and languishing That great man of God S. ZAVERIVS hath often bene heard laÌ„ching out his voice to heaueÌ„ thinking him selfe all alone in these termes Ah my God doe not for pitie doe not beare me downe with so great abundance of consolations or if through thy infinitâ— goodnesse it will please thee to make me so abound in delights take me to Heauen for he that hath once tasted thy sweetenesse must necessarily liue in bitternesse while he doth not enioye thee And therefore when God hath somewhat largely bestowed his heauenly sweetes vpon a soule and after withdrawes them he wounds her by the priuation and she vpon it is left pining and sobbing which Dauid Alas the day when shall I see Thy sweete returne my heart shall free Out of her painefull panges And with the Apostle Vnhappie man that I am who will deliuer me out of the bodie of this mortalitie The end of the sixt Booke THE SEAVENTH BOOKE OF THE VNION OF THE SOVLE WITH HER GOD WHICH IS PERfected in Praier How loue vnits the soule to God in Praier CHAPTER I. I. WE speake not here of the generall vnion betwixt God and the soule but of certaine particular actes and motions which the soule recollected in God makes by way of Praier to be more and more vnited and ioyned to his diuine Goodnesse for in good-south there is difference betwixt ioyning and vniting one thing to another and thrusting or pressing one thing against or vpon another because to ioyne or vnite it is onely required that the one be applied to th' other so that they touch and be together as we ioyne vines to Elmes and Iasmins to the crosse-barrs of Arbors which are made in gardens But to thrust and presse together a strong application must be made which doth encrease and augment the vnion so that to thrust together is to ioyne strongly and closely as we see Iuie ioyned to trees which is not vnited onely but pressed so hard vnto them that it euen penetrats and enters into their barke 2. The comparison of little childrens loue towards their mother must not be left out by reason of its innocencie and puritie Behold then this fine little child to whom the mother being set downe presents her Pape it casts it selfe sodenly into her armes gathering and foulding all its little bodie into her bosome and louely breast and see the mother as mutually receiuing it close and as it were glewe it to her bosome and ioyning her mouth to it 's kisse it But see againe this little babie allured with it's mothers huggings how for it's part it doth concurre to this vnion betwixt his mother and it For it doth also as much as possibly it can shut and presse it selfe to it's mothers breast and cheeke as though it would wholy diue into and hide it selfe in this delightfull wombe whence it was extracted Now THEO in this case the vnion is perfect which being but one proceedes notwithstanding from the mother and the child yet so that it hath it's whole depâ—ndance of the mother for she drewe the child to her she did first locke him in her tresses pressed him to her breast nor had the babe such force as to betake and locke himselfe so hard to his mother yet the poore little on doth for his part what he can and ioynes himselfe with all his force to his mothers bosome not consenting onely to the delightfull vnion which his mother makes but contributing with all his heart his feeble endeauours which are so weake that they seeme rather to be essaies of an vnion then an vnion it selfe 3. Thus theÌ„ THEO our Sauiour shewing the most delightfull bosome of diuine loue to the deuote soule he drawes her wholy to himselfe gathers her vp and doth as it were fould all her powers in the bosome of his more theÌ„ motherly sweetenesse and then burning with loue he thrusteth ioyneth presseth and glueth her to the lips of his delightes and to his delicious breastes kissing her in the holy kisse of his mouth and making her taste his dugges more sweete theÌ„ wine The soule allured with the delightes of these fauours doth not onely consent and prepare her selfe to the vnion which God maketh but in the strife of her heart doth cooperate endeauouring more and more to ioyne and locke her selfe to the Diuine Goodnesse yet in such sort that she doth ingeniously acknowledge that her vnion and tye to this soueraigne sweetenesse is wholy dependant of Gods operation without which she could not so much as make the least essaie imaginable to be vnited vnto him 4. When wee see an exquisite beautie beholden with great ardour or an excellent melodie heard with great attention we are wount to saie such a beautie holds the Spectators eyes glued vnto it such a melodie holds their eares fastened and that such discourse doth rauish the Auditours hearts what is it to hold the eyes glued the eares fastened to rauish the heart but to vnite and closely to ioyne the senses and powers whereof one speakes to their obiectes And the soule is pressed and ioyned to her obiect when she doth intensely affect it that pressing being no other thing then the progresse and aduancement of the vnion and coniunction We make vse of this word in our tongue in morrall matters He presseth me to doe this or he presseth me to staie that is he doth not meerely vse
faith ch 13. 121 Of the feeling of the Diuine loue which is had by faith chap. 14. 126 Of the great feeling of loue which we receiue by holy hope chap. 15. 130 How loue is practised in hope ch 16. 133 That the Loue which is practised in hope is very good though imperfect cha 17. 137 That loue is exercised in penance and first that there are diuerse sorts of penance ch 18. 141 That Penance without loue is imperfect ch 19 146 How there is mixture of Loue and sorrow in Contrition chap. 20. pag. 148 How our Sauiour louing inspirations doe assist and accompanie vs to faith and charitie chap. 21. 154 A short description of Charitie cha 22. 159 THE TABLE OF THE Third Booke OF THE PROGRESSE AND Perfection of Loue. THat holy loue may be augmented still more and more in euery of vs. chap. 1. pag. 162 How easie our Sauiour hath made the encrease of loue ch 2. pag. 166 How a soule in Charitie makes progresse in it chap. 3. pag. 170 Touching holy perseuerance in sacred Loue. ch 4. 178 That the happinesse to die in heauenly Charitie is a speciall gift of God chap. 5. 182 That we cannot attaine to a perfect vnion with God in this mortall life ch 6. 186 That the Charitie of Saints in this mortall life doth equalise yea sometimes passe that of the Blessed chap. 7. pag. 189 Of the incomparable loue of the mother of God our B. Lady chap. 8. 191 A Preparation to the discourse of the vnion of the Blessed with God chap. 9. 196 That the precedent desire shall much encrease the vnion of the Blessed with God ch 10. 200 Of the Vnion of the Blessed soules with God in seeing the Diuinitie chap. 11. 202 Of the eternall vnion of the blessed spirits with God in the vision of the eternall birth of the Sonne of God chap. 12. pag. 206 Of the vnion of the Blessed with God in the vision of the Holy Ghost's production ch 13. 209 That the Light of Glorie shall concurre to the vnion of the Blessed with God chap. 14. 213 That there shall be different degrees of the vnion of the Blessed with God chap. 15. 215 THE TABLE OF THE Fourth Booke OF THE DECAY OR RVINE of Charitie THat while we are in this mortall life we may loose the loue of God chap 1. pag. 219 How the soule waxeth coole in holy Loue. chap. 2. pag. 223 Hâ—w we forsake heauenâ—y loue for that of Creaturs chap. 3. pag. 227 That heauenly loue is lost in a moment chap. 4. pag. 232 That the sole cause of the decay and slackening of Charitie is in the creaturs will chap. 5. pag. 235 That we ought to acknowledge the loue we beare to God to be from God chap. 6. pag. 239 That we must auoide all curiositie and humbly repose in Gods most wise prouidence chap 7. pag. 244. An exhortation to the affectionat submission which we are to make to the Decrees of the diuine prouidence chap. 8. pag 249 Of a certaine remainder of loue which oftentimes stayes in the soule t at hath lost Charitie chap. 9. pag 254 How dangerous this imperfect loue is chap 10. pag 258 A meanes to discerne this imperfect Loue. chap. 11. pag. 260 THE TABLE OF THE Fift Booke OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL EXERcises of holy loue performed by complacence and beneuolence OF the sacred Complacence of loue and first in what it consisteth chap. 1. pag. 264 How by holy complacence we are made as little children at our Sauiours breasts chap. 2. pag. 269 That a holy complacence giues our heart to God and makes vs feele a continuall desire in enioying him chap. 3. pag. 274 Of a louing condoling by which the complacence of loue is better declared chap. 4. 280 Of the commiseration and Complacence of loue in our Sauiours Passion chap. 5. 284 Of the Loue of Beneuolence which we exercise towards our Sauiour by way of desire chap. 6. 288 How the desire to exalte and magnifie God doth separate vs from inferiour pleasures and makes vs attentiue to the Diuine perfections chap. 7. 291 How holy Beneuolence doth produce the Diuine well-beloueds Praises chap. 8. 294 How Beneuolence makes vs inuoke all Creaturs to God's Praise chap. 9. 300 How the desire we haue to praise God makes vs aspire to heauen chap. 10. 303 How we practise the Loue of Beneuolence in the praises which our Sauiour and his mother giue to God chap. 11. 307 Of the soueraigne praise which God giues vnto himselfe and how we exercise Beneuolence in it chap. 12. pag. 312 THE TABLE OF THE Sixt Booke OF THE EXERCISES OF HOLY Loue in Praier A Description of mysticall Diuinitie which is no other thing then praier chap. 1. pag. 317 Of Meditation the first degree of Praier or mysticall Diuinitie chap. 2. 323 A description of contemplation and touching the first difference that there is betwixt it and meditation chap. 3. pag. 329 That loue in this life takes his origine but not his excellencie from the knowledge of God chap. 4. 331 The second difference betwixt meditation and contemplation chap. 5. 336 That we doe contemplate without paine which it a third difference betwixt it and meditation chap. 6. 340 Of the louing recollection of the Soule in Contemplation chap. 7. 345 Of the repose of a soule recollected in her well-beleeued chap. 8. 350 How this sacred repose is practised chap. 9. 354 Of diuers degrees of this repose and how it is to be conserued chap. 10. 357 A continuation of the discourse touching the diuers degrees of holy repose and of any excellent abnegation of a mans selfe practised therein chap. 11. 360 Of the melting and liquifaction of the soule in God cha 12. pag. 365 Of the wound of loue chap. 13. 370 Of some other meanes by which loue wounds the heart chap. 14. 375 Of the amourous languishment of the heart wounded with loue chap. 15. 380 THE TABLE OF THE Seauenth Booke OF THE VNION OF THE SOVLE with her God which is Perfected in Praier HOw loue vnits the soule to God in Praier chap. 1. pag. 388 Of the diuers degrees of the holy vnion which is made in Praier ch 2. pag. 395 Of the soueraigne degree of vnion by suspension or rauishment ch 3. 400 Of Rapture and of the first species of the same chap. 4. pag. 406. Of the second Species of Rapture ch 5. 409 Of the signes of a good Rapture and of the third species of the same ch 6. 412 How Loue is the life of the soule with a continuation of the extaticall life ch 7. 417 An admirable eâ—â—â—ertation of S. Paule to the extaticall and supernaturall life ch 8. 420 Of the supreame effect of affectiue loue which is the death of Louers and first of such as died in loue chap. 9. pag. 425 Of some that died by and for Diuine Loue. chap. 10. pag. 429. How some of the heauenly Louers died euen of Loue. ch 11 pag 431.
these Motiōs were Affections of the Intellectuall or Resonable appetite not Passions of the Sensuall 2. How often doe we feele Passions in the sensuall appetite of desires contrarie to the Affectiōs which at the same time we perceiue in the Reasonable appetite or will The young man mentioned by S. HIEROME did fairely with his teeth cut of his tongue and spet it in the face of that accursed woman which inflamed him to carnalitie did he not testifie therby an extreame Affection of Displeasure in his will contrarie to that Passion of Pleasure which by force she made him feele in his Concupistible or sensible Appetite How often doe we tremble amidst the dangers to which our will brought vs and makes vs remaine How often doe we Hate the Pleasure wherin the sensuall appetite delightes it selfe and Loue the Spirituall good wherin it is disgusted In this confisteth the warre which we daiely experience betwixt the Spirit and Flesh betwixt our exteriour Man which depends of Sense and our interiour which depends of Reason betwixt the old Adam which followeth the appetits of his EVE or Concupiscence and the new Adam which doth second heauenly wisdome and holy Reason 3. The STOIKES as S. AVGVSTINE deliuers denying that a wise-man hath Passions doe confesse notwithstanding as may Appeare that he had affections which they termed EVPATHIES or Good Passions or else CONSTANCIES with CICERO for they saied the wiseman did not Couit but will onely was not Light of heart but Setledly ioyefull that he had no Feare but onely a Foresight and Precaution so that he was not moued but by Reason and according to Reason for this cause they peremptorily denied that a wise-man could euer be Sorrowfull that being caused by present Euill whereas no Euill can befale a wise-man syth that no man is hurt but by himselfe following their MAXIME And certes THEOTIME they did not amisse to holde that EVPATHIES or Good Affections reside in the Reasonable part of man but they erred much in auerring that there were no Passions in the Sensitiue part and that Sorrow did not touch a wisemans heart For omitting what they them selues had experienced in this behalfe as hath bene touched by this meanes they might conclud that wisdome might depriue one of Mercy which is a vertuous sorrow touching our hearts and working thē to a desire to deliuer our neighbour from the euill which he endureth Nor doth EPICTETES the best mā amongst the Pagās follow this errour that Passions doe not make Insurrections in a wiseman as S. AVGVSTINE doth witnesse showing further that the dissension of STOIKES and other Philosophers about this subiect was but a meere dissension in words and strife in language 4. Now the Affections which we feele in Our reasonable part are more or lesse Noble and Spirituall according as their Obiect is more or lesse Sublime and as they are in a more eminent degree of the mind for some of them proceede from the Discourse which we make following the Experience of Sense others are formed by a Discourse drawne from Humane Sciences others rising from a Discourse which is made according to Faith and finally there are some which haue their Origin from the simple Taste and Repose which the Soule hath in Veritie and the will of God The first are called Naturall affections For who is he that doth not naturally desire Health commoditie of Meate Drinke and Cloth Sweete and Agreeable conuersation The second are named Reasonable as being altogether founded vpon the spirituall Knowledge of Reason by which our will is excited to seeke the Tranquillitie of the minde morall Vertues true Honour a Philosophicall Contemplation of heauenly things The third sort of Affections are termed Christian because they issue from Discourse deriued from the Doctrine of our Sauiour Christ which causeth in vs a Loue of voluntarie Prouertie perfect Chastitie the Glorie of Heauen But the Affections of the supreeme degree are instiled Diuine and Supernaturall because God himselfe doth poure them into our hearts and they ayme at and tend to him without the helpe of any Discourse or naturall Light as it is easie to conceiue and we will hereafter speak of the Restes and gustes which are practised in the Sanctuarie of the soule And these supernaturall Affections are principally three the Loue of the mind towards the beautie of the mysteries of faith a Loue towards the profit of things promised vs in the other life and a Loue towards the soueraigne Bountie of the thrice holy and eternall Diuinitie How the Loue of God doth rule ouer other Loues CHAPTER VI. 1. THe will doth gouerne all the other faculties of mans Soule yet is she gouerned by her Loue which makes her such as he is Now of all loues that of God holds the Septer and hath a commanding authoritie so inseparably vnited vnto him and so proper to his nature that if he be not Maister he ceaseth to be and perisheth 2. ISMAEL was not Coheire with Isaac his younger brother ESAV was appointed to be his younger brothers seruant IOSEPH was not onely honoured by his brethren but euen by his Father yea and his Mother also in the person of BENIAMIN as by dreames in his youth he had foreseene Certes it is not voide of mysterie that the youngest of these brethren bore away the aduantage from the eldest Diuine Loue is truely the last begotten of all the Affections of mans heart For as the Apostle saieth that which is Naturall is first and that which is spirituall is after But this last borne inherites all the authoritie and Selfe-loue as an other ESAV is deputed to his seruice and not onely all the other motions of the Soule as his brethren doe adore and are subiect vnto him but also the Vnderstanding and will which are to him as Father and Mother All is subiect to this heauenlie Loue who will either be King or nothing who cannot liue but reigne nor reigne if not in a soueraigne manner 3. ISAAC IACOB and IOSEPH were supernaturall children For their Mothers SARA REBECCA and RACHEL being sterill by nature conceiued them by the grace of the Diuine Bountie and for this cause they were established Maisters of their brethren so diuine Loue is a child of miracle syth that mans will cannot conceiue it if it be not poured into our hearts by the holy Ghost And as supernaturall it must preside and reigne ouer all the affections yea euen ouer the Vnderstanding and will 4. And be it there are other supernaturall motions in the soule Feare Pietie Force Hope as ISAAC and BENIAMIN were Supernaturall children of RACHEL and REBECCA yet is diuine Loue still Maister Heire and Superiour as being the Sonne of promise syth that in vertue of it heauen is promised to man Saluation is showen to Faith prepared for Hope but is giuen onely to Charitie Faith points out the way to the Land of Promisse as a Pillar of cloudes and fire to wit CLEARDARKE Hope doth feede vs with
it cannot be a simple Complacence but must needes be a motion proceeding from it 8. Now this motion caused by Complacence dures till the Vnion or Fruition and therefore when it tends to a present Good it hath no other effect then to put forwards apply ioyne and look the heart to the thing beloued which by this meanes it enioyes and thervpon is called Loue of delight or Complacence because as soone as it is begotten of the first Complacence it ends in the second which it receiues in being vnited to it's obiect But when the Good towards which the heart is turned inclyned and moued is distant absent or that so perfect an vnion cannot yet be made as is desired then the motion of Loue by which the heart doth tend aspire and make towards this absent obiect is properly named Desire For desire is no other thing then an appetite lust and coueting of things aymed at but not yet obtained 9. There are yet certaine other motions of Loue by which we desire things that we neither hope for nor pretend in any sort as when we saie why am I not now in heauen I wish I were King I would to God I were Younger I wish I had neuer offended and the like These indeede are desires but imperfect ones which in proper speach as it seemes might de called wishes and indeede these affections are not expressed in manner of Desires for when we expresse our true Desires we saie I Desire but when we signifie our imperfect Desires we saie I should or I woud Desire we may well saie I would Desire to be young but we doe not saie I Desire to be young seeing that this is not possible and this motion is called a halfe Desire or as the Schoolemen terme it a Velleitie which is nothing elsse but the beginning of a Desire without effect for that the will perceiuing that she cānot attaine vnto that obiect by reason of impossibilitie or extreeme difficultie she stops her motion and ends it in this simple affection of Velleitie as though she should saie this Good which I behould and cannot Hope for is truely very agreeable vnto me and though I cannot will or Hope for it yet so my affection stands that if I could will or Desire it I would willingly Desire and will it 10. To be short these halfe conceiued Desires or Velleities are onely a little Loue which is called Loue of simple approbation because without all pretention the soule approues the Good she knoweth and wanting meanes to Desire it in effect she protesteth she would willingly Desire it and that it is truely to be Desired 11. Nor is this all THEOTIME for there are Desires and Velleities which are yet more imperfect then those we haue spoaken of for so much as their motions are not staied by reason of impossibilitie or extreeme difficultie but by the incompossibilitie they haue with other Desires or wishes more powerfull as when a sickeman Desires to eate MVSHROMES which though he haue at his will yet will he not for all that eate thē fearing therby to impare his Health ād who decernes not two Desires in this partie th' one to eate MVSHROMES th' other to be cured but because the Desire of Health is greater it doth block vp ād suffocate the other in such sort as it can produce no effect IEPHTE had a Velleitie to conserue his daughter but this not being compatible with a Desire he had to keepe his Vow he made an election contrarie to his Velleitie to wit to sacrifice his daughter and had a halfe wish or Velleitie of that which he desired not which was to conserue his daughter PILATE and HERODE had Velleities th' one to diliuer out SAVIOVR th' other his PRECVRSOR but because this was incompatible the one with a Desire to please the IEWES and CAESAR the other HERODIADAS and her daughter these wishes were vaine and fruitlesse Now according as the things incompatible with that which we would are lesse amiable the Velleities are lesse perfect syth they are stopped and as it were stifled by so weake opposits So the wish which HEROD had not to beheade S. IOHN was more imperfect then that of PILATS to free our SAVIOVR For the one feared the calumnie and indignation of the people the other to contristate one sole woman 9. The Velleities which are hindred not by impossibilitie but by incompatibilitie with stronger Desires are called indeede Desires but vaine stifled and vnprofitable ones Following the Velleitie of things impossible we saie I would but cannot And following the Velleitie of things possible we saie I wish but I will not VVhat that conueniencie is which doth excite loue CHAPTER VIII 1. VVE saie the eye seeth the eare heareth the tongue speaketh the vnderstanding discourseth the memorie remembreth the will loueth Sure t' is notwithstanding that it is the whole man to speake properly who by diuerse Faculties and different Organs workes all this varietie of operations man also then it is who by the affectiue Facultie named the will doth tend to and please himselfe in Good and who hath so great a sympathie with it as being the Source and Origine of Loue. But they did farre misse the marke who beleiued that Resemblance was the onely Conueniencie which produced Loue For who knowes not that crasie old men doe tenderly and dearely loue little infants and are reciprocally loued of them that the wise loue such as are ignorant if they finde them docile and the sick their Phisitions And if we may draw any argument from the image of Loue which is found in things without sense what resemblance can draw the Iron towards the Adamant hath not one Adamant more resemblance with an other or an other stone then with Iron of a diuerse kind and though some to reduce all Conueniencie to a Resemblance would assure vs that Iron drawes Iron and the Adamant the Adamant Yet are they to seeke for their reason why the Adamant doth more powerfully draw Iron then Iron doth Iron it selfe But I pray you what similitude is there betwixt Lime and water or betwixt water and a Sponge and yet both of them drinke water with a quenchlesse desire testifying an excessiue insensible Loue towards it T' is the like of humane loue For sometimes it takes more strongly amongst persons of contrarie qualitie then those who haue a great Resemblance Conueniencie then which causeth Loue doth not alwayes consist in Similitude but in the Proportion Reference and correspondance betwixt the Louer and the Beloued And to this effect it is not resemblance which moues the sickmans affection to the Doctour but a correspondance of the ones necessitie with the others sufficiencie for that the one can afford the assistance which the other stands in neede of as againe the Doctour loues the sickman knowing him to be his patient as vpon whom he hath power to exercise his facultie the olde man loueth children not by sympathie but for that the great simplicitie
the call and sleepe againe seeing we were called onely to th' end we should rise We cannot hinder that the inspiration thrust vs not on and consequently put vs not into motion but if as it driues vs forwards we repulse it by not yeelding our selues to its motion we then make resistance so the winde hauing seased vpō ād mounted our Apodes will not beare thē vp very farre vnlesse they display their winges and cooperate raising themselues and soaring vp a loft into the aire toward which the winde began their motion but if contrariwise taken as it happens with some pray they espie vpō the ground or befium'd with their delay there in lieu of seconding the winde they keepe their winges foulded and doe cast themselues againe vpon the earth they receiued indeede the motion of the winde but in vaine sith they did not helpe themselues therby THEO inspirations doe preuent vs and euen before they be thought on make themselues be felt but after we haue felt them it is in our hand 's either to consent to them to second and follow their motiō or else to dissent and repell thē They cause themselues to be perceiued by vs without vs but without vs they doe not force consent Of the first feelings of loue which diuine inspirations cause in the soule before she yet receiue faith CHAPTER XIII 1. THe winde that raiseth the Apodes blowes first vpon their fethers as parts most light and capable of agitation by which it giues the beginning of motion to their winges extending and displaying thē making vse therof as of a hold by which it may sease the birds and waft them into the aire And if they thus mounted doe cōtribute the motiō of their winges to that of the winde the same winde that first enter'd their motion will still ayde them more and more to fly with ease Euen so my deare THEO when an inspiration as a sacred gale blowes vs forward in the aire of holy loue it first laies at our will and by the sense of some heauenly delectation moues vnfolds and extends the naturall inclination which she hath to good so that it serues it selfe of this inclination as a hold to fasten vpon the soule and all this as I haue saied is done in vs without vs for it is the diuine fauour that doth preuent vs in this sort But if our will thus holily preuented perceiuing the winges of her inclination moued displaied extended stirred and agitated by this heauenly winde doe in any measure contribute her consent ah how happie she is THEO for the same inspiration and fauour which hath seased vs mixing their action with our consent animating our feeble motions with their vigour and giuing life to our weake cooperation by the puissance of their operation they ayde conduct and accompanie vs from loue to loue euen vnto the act of most holy faith requisite for our conuersion 2. Sweete God THEO what a consolation it is to consider the sacred methode with which the Holy Ghost pouers into our soules the first rayes and feelings of his light and vitall heate O IESVS how delightfull a pleasure it is to marke how the diuine loue goes by little and little by degrees which insensibly become sensible displaying his light vpon a soule neuer disisting till he haue wholy couered it with the splendour of his presence endewing it in the end with the perfect beautie of his day ô how cheerefull faire amiable and agreeable this day-breake is Neuerthelesse true it is that either this breake of day is not day or if it be day it is but a beginning day a rising of the day and rather the infancie of the day then the day it selfe In like manner without doubt these motions of loue which forerunne the act of faith requisite to our iustifition are either not loue properly speaking or but a beginning and imperfect loue They are the first verdant blossomes which the soule warmed with the heauenly Sunne as a mysticall tree begins to put fourth in spring time which are rather presages of fruite then fruite it selfe 3. S. PACOMIVS as then a young souldier and ignorant of God enrolled vnder the colours of the armie which CONSTANCE had leuied against the Tyrant MAXENTIVS came with the Companie with whom he was to lodge nigh a little towne not farre distant frō Thebes where not onely he but all the armie were in extreame want of victualls which the inhabitants of the little towne hauing vnderstoode being by good fortune Christians and consequently friendly and charitable to their neighbours they sodainly succoured the souldiers in their necessitie and that with such care courtifie and affection that PACOMIVS was strucke with admiration therat and demāding what natiō it was that was so bountifull amiable and gracious it was answered him they were Christians and enquiring againe of what law and manner of life they were he learned that they beleeued in IESVS CHRIST the onely sonne of God and did good to all sorts of people with a firme hope to receiue euen of God himselfe an ample recompense therof Alas THEOT the poore PACOMIVS though of a good nature was then laied a sleepe in the beed of his infidelitie and behould how vpon a sodaine God was present at the port of his heart and by the good example of these Christians as by a sweete voice he calls him awakes him and giues him the first Feelings of the little heate of his loue for scarcely had he heard as I haue saied the sweete law of our Sauiour intimated till filled with a new light and interiour consolation retiring himselfe a part and hauing for a space mused he lifted vp his hands towards heauen and with a profound sigh fell into this speach Lord God who made heauen and earth if thou deigne to cast thine eies vpon my basenesse and miserie and giue me the knowledge of thy diuinitie I promisse to serue thee and obey thy commandements all the daies of my life From this praier and promisse the loue of the true good and pietie did so encrease in him that he ceased not to practise a thousand thousād acts of vertue 4. Verily me thinkes I see in this example a Nightingale who waking at the peepe of the day begins to stirre vp and strech her selfe vnfould her plumes skipe from branch to branch amidst the thickets and chirpe out her delicious notes For did you not note how the good example of the charitable Christians did excitate and stirre vp by manner of surprise the blessed PACOMIVS Truly the amaisement of admiration wherwith he was taken was no other thing then his awaking At which God touched him as doth the Sunne the earth with a raie of his heate which filled him with a great feeling of spirituall pleasure For which cause PACOMIVS did a little diuert himselfe To th' end he might with more attention and facilitie recollect and relish the grace he had receiued withdrawing himselfe to thinke thervpon then he extends
are good for the beginning of ChristiaÌ„ wisdome coÌ„sisting of penance but he who deliberatly would not attaine to loue the perfectioÌ„ of penaÌ„ce should greatly offend him who ordained all to his owne loue as to the end of all things 4. To coÌ„clude the penaÌ„ce which excluds the loue of God is infernall like to that of the damned The repeÌ„tance which doth not reiect the loue of GOD though as yet it be without it is a good penaÌ„ce but imperfect and caÌ„not giue saluatioÌ„ vntill it attaine loue aÌ„d ioyne it selfe vnto it So that as the great Apostle saied that though he should deliuer his bodie to be burnt aÌ„d all his goods to the poore wanting charitie it should be vnprofitable vnto him so we may truly saie that though our penaÌ„ce were so great that it should cause our eies dissolue into teares aÌ„d our hearts breake with sorow without the sacred loue of God all this were nothing auailable to eternall life How there is mixture of Loue and sorrow in Contrition CHAPTER XX. 1. NAture did neuer that I know coÌ„uert fire into water though diuers waters are coÌ„uerted into fire yet God did it once by miracle for as it is writteÌ„ in the booâ—â— of MACHABIES when the childreÌ„ of Israel were coÌ„ducted into BabiloÌ„ in the time of SEDECIAS the Priests by HIEREMIES couÌ„sell hide the HOLY FIRE in a vallie in a drie well aÌ„d vpoÌ„ their returne the children of those that had hid it went to seeke it following the directions their fathers had giuen them and they found it conuerted into a thike water which being drawen by them and poured vpoÌ„ the sacrifices according to NEHEMIAS his ordinance as soone as the sunne beames had touched it it was conuerted into a great fire 4. THE amoÌ„gst the sorrowes of a liuely repeÌ„taÌ„ce GOD doth ofteÌ„ put in the botome of our heart the sacred fire of loue this loue is conuerted into the water of teares they by a secoÌ„d chang into a greater fire of loue Thus the famous PENITENT-LOVER loued first her Sauiour that loue was coÌ„uerted into teares and those into an excelleÌ„t loue whence our Sauiour told her that many sinns were pardon'd her because she loued much And as we see fire doth turne wine into a certaine water called AQVA-VITAE which doth so easily coÌ„ceiue fire that it is also term'd hot so the consideration of the soueraignly amiable Bountie offended by sinne doth produce the water of holy Penance and thence the fire of Diuine Loue doth issue properly term'd AQVAVITAE or hot water Penance is indeed a water in it's substance being a true dislike a reall griefe and repentance yet is it hot for that it containes the propertie of Loue whence it springs and giues the life of Grace So that PenaÌ„ce hath two effect's by sorrow and detestation it seperats vs froÌ„ sinne aÌ„d the Creaturs and by loue it reunits vs to God at once reclaiming vs froÌ„ siÌ„ne in qualitie of repentance and in qualitie of Loue reuniting vs to God 5. Yet will I not affirme that the perfect loue of God by which we loue him aboue all things doth alwayes preceede this repentaÌ„ce nor that this repentance doth alwayes preceede this loue for though it doth happen so many tymes yet so as that otherwhiles also at the same instant that diuine loue is conceiued in our heart penance is coÌ„ceiued by loue and often times penance entring into our heart loue doth enter with it and as when ESAV came out of his mothers wombe IACOB his twinne-brother held him by the foote to the end that their births might not onely follow the one the other but also might hold and entangle one an other so repentance rude and rough in regard of it's sorrowe was first borne as another ESAV and loue sweete and gracious holds him by the foote and doth cleeue so vnto him that their birth was one sith the end of the birth of repentance was the beginning of that of perfect loue Now as ESAV did first appeare so repentance doth ordinarily make it selfe to be seene before loue but loue as another IACOB although the younger doth afterwards subdue penance conuerting it into consolation 6. Marke I praie you THEO the well-beloued MAGDELEINE how she weepes with loue they haue taken vp my Sauiour quoth she melting into teares and I know not where they haue put him but hauing by teares and sobbs found him she holds and possesseth him by loue Imperfect loue desires and requires him penance doth seeke and find him perfect loue doth hold and tye him Euen as it is saied of the Ethiopian Rubies whose fire is naturally very blew but being dipped in vineger it shins and casteth out its cleare raies for the loue which goeth before repentance is ordinarily imperfect but being steeped in the bitternesse of penace it gaines strengh and becomes excellent loue 7. Yea it happens some times that penance though imperfect containes not in it selfe the proper action of loue but onely the vertue and proprietie of it you will aske me what vertue or proprietie of loue can repentance haue if she haue not the action GOD's goodnesse is the motife of perfect repentance whom it displeaseth vs to haue offended now this motife is for no other reason a motife then that it doth stire and moue vs. But the motion which the diuine goodnesse giues vnto the heart which considers it can be no other then the motion of loue that is of vnion And therefore true repentance though it seeme not so and though we perceiue not the proper effect of loue receiues alwayes motioÌ„ from loue and the vnitiue nature therof by meanes of which she doth reunite and reioyne vs to the diuine goodnesse Tell me I praie is it the propertie of the ADAMANT to draw and ioine iron vnto it selfe Doe we not see that iron touched with the ADAMANT without either it or its nature but onely its vertue and attractiue power doth notwithstanding draw and vnite vnto it an other iron So perfect repentance touched with the motife of loue without hauing the proper action of loue leaues not to haue the vertue and qualitie therof that is an vniting motion to reioyne and reunite our hearts to the diuine will But you will replie what difference is there betwixt this vniting motion of penance and the proper action of loue THEO the action of loue is indeede a motioÌ„ to vnion but it is performed by complacence wheras the motion of vnion which is in penance is not done by way of complacence but by dislike repentance reparatioÌ„ reconciliation for so much therefore as this motion doth vnite it is indued with the qualitie of loue in so much as it is bitter and dolorous it receiues the qualitie of penance and in fine by its naturall condition it is a true motion of penance yet so as it retaines the vertue and vniting qualitie of loue 8. So Treacle-wine is not so named for that it doth containe the proper Substance of
and perfection not vnlike vnto Bees who hauing their extraction from honie haue also their foode from it 2. Wherefore like as Pearls are not onely bred of dew but fed also with it the Mother-pearls to this end opening their shels towards Heauen to begge in a manner the droppes which the fresh aire makes fall at the breake of the day so we hauing receiued Faith Hope ād Charitie of the heauenly Bountie we ought alwaies to turne and bend our hearts thitherwards thence to obtaine the continuation and augmentation of the same vertues O Lord doth the holy Church our mother teach vs to saie giue vs the encrease of faith hope and charitie And it is done in imitation of those that saied to our Sauiour Lord encrease faith in vs and following the counsell of S. PAVLE who assures vs that God onely is able to make all grace abound in vs. 3. It is God therefore that giues this encrease in consideration of the imploimēt which we make of his grace as it is written to him who hath that is who doth imploy the fauours receiued more shall be giuen and he shall abound Thus is our Sauiours exhortation practised Heape vp treasurs in heauen as though he should saie to your precedent good workes adde still new ones for Fasting and Almes deedes are the peeces wherof your treasurs are to consists Now as amongst the treasurs of the Temple the poore widdowes mite was much esteemed and as indeede by the addition of many little peeces the treasurs waxe great and a greater value is set vpon them so the least of little good workes though performed euen somewhat coldly and not according to the whole latitude of the Charitie which is in vs is agreeable to God and esteemed by him In such sort that though of themselues they cannot cause any encrease in the precedent loue being of lesse force then it yet the Diuine Prouidence waighing and out of his goodnesse highly prising them doth forthwith reward them with encrease of Charitie for the present and for the time to come with a more ample glorie in heauen 4. THEOT the delicious honie is the Bee 's Maister-peece nor yet is their waxe therefore neglected but is an honour to their labours Louing hearts ought to endeuour to bring forth workes full of feruour and of high value to the end they might puissantly augment Charitie yet if they bring forth some of lesser value they shall not loose their recompence for God will take them in good part that is to saie he will therby loue them a little more Nor doth God euer loue a soule that is in Charitie more without bestowing also vpon her more Charitie our loue towards him being the proper and speciall effect of his loue towards vs 5. By how much more liuely we looke vpon our picture in a looking glasse by so much more attentiuely it lookes vpon vs againe and by how much more louingly God doth cast his gracious eies vpon our soule which is made to his Image and liknesse our soule mutually with so much more attention and feruour is fixed vpon the Diuine Goodnesse answering according to her littlenesse all the encrease of Diuine Loue which this soueraigne sweetenesse work 's in her The Councell of Trent saieth thus If any saie that iustice receiued is not conserued yea that it is not augmented by good workes in the sight of God but that workes are onely the fruites and signes of iustification acquired and not the cause of its encrease let him be accursed Doe you marke THEO how iustification wrought by Charitie is augmented by good works and which is to be noted by good works without exceptiō for as S. Bernard saieth excellently well vpon another passage nothing is excepted or nothing is distinguished the Councell speakes of good workes indistinctly and without reseruatiō yet giues to vnderstand that not onely the great and feruent but also the little and faint workes doe cause the encrease of Charitie but the great ones in a greater manner the little ones in a lesser 6. Such is the loue which God beares to our soules such his desire to make vs encrease in the loue which we owe to him The Diuine sweetenesse renders all things profitable vnto vs takes all to our aduantage and turnes all our endeuours though neuer so faint and of low condition to our gaine 7. In the commerce of morall vertues little works bring no encrease to the vertue whence they proceede but contrariwise if they be very little doe impaire it for a great Liberalitie doth perish while she is busied in bestowing things of smale value and of liberalitie becomes niggardnesse But in the traficke of vertues which issue from God's mercy and especially from Charitie euery worke returnes profit Nor is it strang that sacred Loue as king of vertues hath nothing either great or smale which is not amiable sith the Baulme tree prince of sweete trees beares neither barke nor leafe that is not odoriferous and what could loue bring fourth that were not worthie of loue or did not tend to loue How a soule in Charitie makes progresse in it CHAPTER III. 1. LEt 's make vse of a Parabole THEO seeing it was a methode that pleased the Soueraigne Maister of Loue which we are to teach A great and braue King hauing espoused a most amiable young Princesse and hauing on a certaine day led her into his secret Closet there to conuerse with her more at his pleasure after some discourse he saw her by a certaine sudden accident fall downe as dead at his foote Alas he was extreamely astonished at this and it did well nigh put him also into a sownd for she was dearer to him then his owne life Yet the same Loue that gaue him this assault of griefe did fourthwith giue him strength to sustaine it and put him into action to th' end that with an incomparable promptitude he might remedie the euill of the deare Companion of his life so that with a nimble speede opening a Dresser which stood by he takes a cordiall water infinitly precious and hauing filled his mouth with it by force he opēs the closed lippes and teeth of his well-beloued Princesse thē breathing and spurting the precious liquor which he held in his mouth into his poore Loues who lay in a sownd and poureing the rest of the glasse vpon her nose her temples and about her heart he made her returne to her selfe and senses againe that done he helpes her vp softely and by vertue of remedies doth so strengthen and bring her to life that she begins to stand and walke fairely with him but in no sort without his helpe for he goes assisting and sustaining her vnder the arme till at length he laied to her heart an Epetheme so precious and of so great vertue that finding her selfe entirely restored to her wounted health she walkes all alone her deare Spouse not now surtaiening her so much but onely holding her right hand softly
admirable in their Maiestie if they were set at a lesse distance with our capacitie 4. Let vs crie out then THEO in all occurrences but let it be with an affectionat heart towards the most wise most puissant and most sweete prouidence of our eternall father O the depth of the riches wisdome ād knowledge of God O Sauiour IHESVS THEOT how excessiue are the riches of of the diuine goodnesse His loue towards vs is an incomprehensible Abisse whence he hath prouided for vs a rich sufficiencie or rather a rich abundance of meanes proper for our saluation ād sweetely to applie them he makes vse of a soueraigne wisdome hauing by his infinit knowledge foreseene and knowen all that was requisite to that effect Ah what can we feare nay rather what ought not we to hope for being the children of a father so rich in goodnesse to loue and desire to saue vs so vnderstanding to prouide meanes cōueniēt so wise to applie thē so good to will so cleare sighted to ordaine and so prudent to execute 5. Let vs neuer permit our minds to flutter by curiositie about Gods iudgemēts for as little Butterflies we shall burne our wings ād perish in this sacred flame These iudgmēts are incōprehensible or as S. GREGORIE Nazianzen saieth inscrutable that is one cannot search and sound the motiues the meanes and wayes by which he doth execute and finish them cannot be discerned and knowen And though the power of smelling be neuer so perfect in vs yet shall we at euery turne be at default not finding the sent for who can penetrate the sense the vnderstanding and intention of God Who was euer his Consellour to know his purposes and their motiues or who did euer preuent him with seruice Is it not he contrariwise who doth preuent vs in the benedictions of his grace to crowne vs with the felicitie of his glorie ah THEO all things are from him as being their Creatour all things are by him as being their Gouernour all things are in him as being their Protectour To him be honour for euer and euer Let vs walke in peace THEO in the waye of holy loue for he that shall enioye diuine loue in dying after death shall enioye loue eternally Of a certaine remainder of loue which oftentimes stayes in the soule that hath lost Charitie CHAPTER IX 1. THe life of a man who languishing on his deathes bed by little and little decaies doth hardly deserue to be termed life sith that though it be life yet is it so mingled with death that it is hard to saie whether it is a death as yet liuing or a life dying Alas how pitifull a spectacle it is THE but farre more lamentable is the state of a soule which vngratfull to her Sauiour goes hourely backward withdrawing her-selfe from God's loue by certaine degrees of indeuotion and disloyaltie till at length hauing quite forsaken it she is left in the horrible obscuritie of perdition and this loue which is in it's declining and which fades and perisheth is called imperfect loue because though it be entire in the soule yet seemes it not to be entirely that is it hardly keepes in the soule any longer but is vpon the point of forsaking it Now Charitie being separated from the soule by sinne there remaines oftentimes a certaine resemblance of Charitie which doth deceiue and put vs into a vaine muse and I will tell you what it is Charitie while it is in vs produceth many actions of loue towards God by the frequent exercise whereof our soule gets a habit and custome of louing God which is not Charitie but onely an impression and inclination which the multitude of actions leaues in our hearts 2. After a long habit of preaching or saying Masse deliberatly it happens often that in dreaming we vtter and speake the same things which we would saie in preaching or celebrating so that custome and habit acquired by election and vertue is in some sort afterward practised without election or vertue sith the actions of such as sleepe generally speaking haue nothing of vertue saue onely an apparent image and are onely the similitudes or representations thereof So charitie by the multitude of actes which she produceth doth imprīt in vs a certaine facilitie to loue which she leaues in vs euē after we are depriued of her presence I remember when I was a young scholler that in a village neare Paris there was a certaine well with an ECHO which would repeate the words that we pronoūced by it diuers times And if some Idiote without experience had heard this repetition of words he would haue beleeued that there had bene some bodie in the botome of the well who had done it But we had euen then knowen by Philosophie that none was in the well to reiterate our words but that there were onely certaine concauities in some one whereof our voices were assembled ād not finding through passage least they might altogether perish and not imploy the force that was left them they produced secōd voices ād they gathering together in an other cōcauitie produced a third the third a fourth ād so consequetly to the eleauenth so that those voices heard in the well were not now our voices but resemblances and images of the same And indeede there was a great difference betwixt our voices and those For when we made a long continuance of words we had but some few of them rendred by the ECHO shortning the pronunciation of syllables which she slightly passed ouer with tones and accents quite different from ours nor did she begin to forme her words till we had quite pronounced them In fine they were not words of a liuing man but as one would saie the words of any emptie and vaine Rocke which notwithstanding did so well counterfeit man's voice whence she sprung that a simple bodie would haue bene misled and beguiled by her 3. Now this is it that I would saie when holy CHARITIE meets a pliable soule wherein she doth long reside she produceth a second loue which is not a loue of Charitie though it issue from Charitie but it is a humane loue which is yet so like to Charitie that though she leaues behind this her picture and likenesse which doth so represent her that one who were ignorant would be deceiued therein not vnlike to the birds on Zeuxis his painted raysins which they deemed to be true raysins so generally had Art imitated nature And yet there is a faire difference betwixt Charitie and humane loue which she doth beget in vs for the voice of Charitie doth pronoūce denoūce and worke in our hearts Gods Commandments humane loue which remaines after her doth indeede pronounce the commandments and denounceth sometimes all of them yet doth neuer effect them all but some few onely Charitie doth pronounce and put together all the sillables that is all the circumstances of Gods commandments humane Loue alwayes leaues out some of them especially straightnesse and puritie of
to the end I may praise thy holy name the iuste expects me till thou restorest vnto me my desired repose Behold THEO I beseech you this soule who as a heauenly Nightingale shut vp in the cage of his bodie in which it cannot at wish sing the benedictions of his eternall loue knowes that he could better recorde and practise his melodious ditties if he could gaine the aire enioye the freedome and societie of other Philomels amongst the gaie and flowrie hillockes of the Land of the Blessed and thence he cries alas o Lord of my life ah by thy wholy sweete bountie deliuer my pouertie out of the cage of my bodie free me from this little prison to th' end that released from this bondage I may flie to my deare companions who expect me aboue in heauen to make me one of their Quiers and enuirone me with their ioye the Almightie according my voice to theirs I with them will make vp a sweete harmonie of delicious aires and accēts singing praising and blessing thy mercy This admirable Saint as an Orator who would end and cōclude all he had saied in some short sentence made this the happie periode of all his wishes and desires whereof these last words were a Breefe Words to which his soule was so fixed that in breathing them he breathed his last My God THEO what a sweete and deare death was this a happily louing death a holily mortall loue How we practise the LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE in the praises which our Sauiour and his mother giue to God CHAPTER XI 1. VVE ascend then stepe by stepe in this holy exercise by the creaturs which we inuite to praise God passing from the sensible to the reasonable and intellectuall and from the Church militant to the triumphant in which we raise our selues vp to the Angels and Saints till aboue them all we haue met with the most sacred virgin who in a matchlesse manner doth praise and magnifie the Diuinitie more highly holily and deliciously then all the other creaturs together are able 2. Being two yeares agoe at Milan whither the veneration of the fresh memorie of the great Archbishope S. CHARLES had drawen me with certaine of our Church-men we heard in diuers Churches diuers sorts of musike but in a Monasterie of Nunnes we heard a Religious woman whose voice was so admirably delicious that she alone filled our minds with more delight incomparably then all the rest together which though otherwise excellent yet seemed they to serue onely to giue luster and raise the perfection and grace of this singular voice So THEO amongst all the Quires of men and Angels the most sacred Virgine's loftie voice is heard which raised aboue all renders more praise to God then doe all the other creaturs And indeede the Heauenly king inuites her to sing in a particular manner shew me thy face saieth he my well-beloued let thy voice sound in my eares for thy voice is entirely sweete and thy face wholy faire 3. But the praises which this Mother of honour and faire dilection together with all the creaturs giues to the Diuinitie though excellent and admirable come yet so short of the infinite merite of Gods goodnesse that they carrie no proportion with it and therefore albeit they meruellously please the louing heart 's holy beneuolence to the well-beloued yet doe they not saciate it Wherefore it goes forward and inuites our Sauiour to praise and glorifie his eternall Father with all the Benedictions which a Sonnes loue can fournish him withall And then THEO the soule is put to silence being able onely to admire O what a Canticle is this of the Sonne to his Father ô how faire this deare well-beloued is amongst all the children of men ô how sweete is his voice as issuing from the lipps vpon which the fulnesse of grace was poured All the others are perfumed but he is the perfume it selfe the others are embaumed but he is Baulme poured out the eternall receiues others praises as smells of peculiar flowres but vpon the odour of the praises which our Sauiour giues him doubtlesse he cries out ô these are the odours of my sonns praises as the odour of a field full of flowres which I haue blessed I my deare THEO all the Benedictions which the Church militant and triumphant offers to God are Angelicall and humane benedictions for beit they are addressed to the Creatour yet proceede they from a Creature but the Sonns are diuine for they doe not onely tend to God as the others but they flow from God the Redeemour being true God they are not onely diuine in respect of their end but of their beginning diuine because they tend to God diuine because they issue from God God prouokes the soule endewing her with sufficient grace for the production of other praises But the Redeemour being God produceth his owne himselfe and thence they are infinite 4. He that in a morning for a good space hauing heard in the neighbour woods the sweete chaunting of a great companie of Canarie birdes Linnets Goldfinches and such like little birdes should in the end heare a Maister Nightingale who in perfect melodie would fill the aire and eare with her admirable voice doubtlesse he would preferre this one grouie Chaunter before the whole Quires of the others So hauing heard all the praises which so many different sorts of of creaturs in emulation of one another renders vnanimously to their Creatour when at length one markes that of our Sauiour they find in it a certaine infinitie of merite valour sweetenesse which passe all hope and expectation of heart and the soule as awaked out of a deepe sleepe is then sodenly rauished with extreamitie of the sweetenesse of that melodie ah I heare it ô the voice the voice of my well-beloued The Queene-voice of all voices a voice in comparison wherof all the other voices are but a dume and sad silence See how this deare friend doth spring out see how he comes tripping ouer the mountaines transcending the hills his voice is heard aboue the Seraphins and all other creaturs he hath the sight of a Goate to penetrate deeper then any other the beautie of the Sacred obiect which he desires to praise He loues the melodie of the glorie and praise of his Father more then all the rest and therefore he takes his Fathers praises and benedictions in a straine aboue them all Behold this diuine loue of the Beloued as he is clothed in his humanitie making hīselfe to be seene through the holes of his wounds and his open side as by windowes and as by lattises by which he lookes vpon vs. 5. Yes The Diuine Loue being seated vpon our Sauiours heart as vpon his royall Throne beholds through the passage of his pearced side all the hearts of the sonnes of mē for this heart being the king of hearts keepes his eye still fixed vpon hearts But as those that looke through a lattise doe plainely discouer others and yet are not
God What is she this might one saie of her who ascends though the Desert as a cloud of perfumes of Mirrhe of incense and of all the pouders of Perfumers and indeede it was the desire of secrecie that moued her to make this petition to her Spouse come my well-beloued let 's goe into the fieldes let vs soiourne in the village for this reason the heauenly spouse is stiled Tourtle a birde which is delighted in shadie and solitarie places where she makes no other vse of her voice but for her deare mate ether in life wooeing him or after his death plaining him For this respect in the Canticles the diuine Spouse and the heauenly Spouse represent their loues in a continuall discourse and if their friends men and women doe sometimes speake in it t' is onely by the by without interrupting their speach Hence the Blessed mother S. TERESA of IESVS found in the beginning more profit in the misteries where our Sauiour was most alone as in the Garden of Oliuet and where he expected the Samaritaine for she thought he being alone would with more ease admitt her into his companie 8. Loue loues to be secret yea though Louers haue no secret to impart yet are they delighted in speaking secretly and it is partly if I be not deceiued because they will speake onely to themselues nor doe they thinke to speake to themselues onely while they speake high partly for that they doe not deliuer coÌ„mon things in a coÌ„moÌ„ maÌ„ner but by particular wayes and such as relish the affection with which they are spoken Loue language for the words is comon yet in manner and pronounciation is so particular that none but Louers vnderstand it The name of a Friend vttered in common is no great thing but being spoken a part secretly in the eare it imports wonders And by how much more secretly it is spoken the signification is so much more delightfull O God what a difference is there betwixt the lâ—nguage of the auncient Louers of the Diuinitie Ignatius Cyprian Chrysostome Augustine Hilarie Ephrem Gregorie Bernard and that of lesse louing Diuines We vse their very wordes but with them they were words full of fire and the sweetes of Loues perfumes but with vs they are cold giuing no sent at all 9. Loue speakes not onely by the tongue but by the eyes by sighes couÌ„tenances yea it makes vse of mute silence in lieu of words My heart hath saied vnto thee ô Lord my face hath sought thee ô Lord I will search after thy face My eyes haue failed saying when wilt thou comfort me Heare my praier ô Lord and my demaund heare with thy eares my teares Let not the aple of thy eye cease to speake saied the desolate hearts of the inhabitants of Hierusalem to their owne Citie Doe you marke THEO how the silence of afflicted Louers speakes by the aple of their eyes and their teares Certainly the cheife exercise in mysticall Diuinitie is to speake to God and heare God speake in the bottom of the heart and because this discourse passeth in secrete aspiratioÌ„s aÌ„d inspirations we terme it a silent conference The eyes speake to the eyes and the heart to the heart and none vnderstands what passeth sauing the sacred louers who speakes Of Meditation the first degree of Praier or mysticall Diuinitie CHAPTER II. 1. THis word is frequent in the holy Scrip. and imports no other thing then an attentiue and reiterated thought apt to bring forth good or euill affections In the 1. Psalme the man is saied to be blessed whose will is in the way of our Lord and in his law will meditate day and night but in the 2. Psal why did the Gentils rage and people meditate vaine things MEDITATION therefore is made as well for euill as good ends Yet whereas in the holy Scripture the word MEDITATION is put ordinarily for the attention which we haue to holy things to th' end to stirre vs vp to loue them it hath as one would saie bene canonized by the common consent of Diuines with the word ANGELL and ZEALE as contrariwise the word DEMON or DIVEL hath bene defamed so that now when one names meditation we vnderstand a holy thinge and that by which we begin mysticall Diuinitie 2. Euery meditation is a thought but euery thought is not meditation for we haue thoughtes to which our mynd is caried without aime or pretention at all by way of a simple musing as we see flies flie from one flowre to an other without drawing any thing from them And be this kind of thought as attentiue as it may be it can neuer beare the name of meditation but must be called a simple thought Sometimes we consider a thinge attentiuely to learne it's causes effectes qualities and this thought is named studie in which the mynd is like locustes which promiscuously flie vpon flowres and leeues to eate them and nourishe themselfes thervpon but when we thinke of heauenly things not to learne but to loue them that is called to meditate and the exercise thereof Meditation in which our mynd not as a flie by a simple musing nor yet as a locust to eate and be filled but as a sacred Bee flies amongst the flowres of holy mysteries to extract from them the honnie of Diuine Loue. 3. So diuers meÌ„ are alwayes dreaming aÌ„d busying themselues in vnprofitable thoughtes without knowing in a manner what they thinke vpon and which is admirable they are onely attentiue for want of attention and would be rid of such thoughtes Wittnesse he that saied my thoughtes waste themselues tormenting my heart Others there are that studie and by a most laborious trade fill themselues with vanitie not being able to withstand curiositie But few there are that meditate to kindle their heart with heauenly loue In fine thoughtes and studies may be vpon any subiect but meditation in our present sense hath reference onely to those obiectes whose consideration tend's to make vs good and deuote So that meditation is an attentiue thought iterated or voluntarily intertained in the mynd to excitate the will to holy affections and resolutions 4. Verily the holy word doth admirably well explicate by an excellent similitude wherin holy meditation consisteth Ezechias when he would explicate in his Canticle the attentiue consideratioÌ„ which he had of his annoyes I will crie saieth he like a young swallow and meditate as a doue for my deare THEO if euer you tooke notice of it the younge swallows doe gape wide in their chirping and contrariwise the doue of all the birdes doth murmur with her neb shut and clos'd rowling her voice in her weesell and and crope nothing passing outwardly but a certaine resounding or eccho-like sound and this close murmuring doth equally serue her in the expression of her griefe and loues Ezechias then to shew that in his calamitie he made many vocall Praiers I will crie saieth he as a younge swallow opening my mouth to lay before God in many
soule saieth she melted as soone as my well-beloued spoke The loue of her Spouse was in her heart and breast as a strong new wine which cannot be contained within the peece For it ouerflowed one euery side and the soule being led by her loue after the Spouse had saied thy breastes are better then wine streaming out precious ointments she addes Thy name is oile poured-out and as the Spouse had poured out his loue and soule into the heart of the Spouse so she againe turnes her soule into the Spouse his heart and as we see a honie-combe touched with a hote sunne-beame goe out of it selfe forsaking its forme doe also flowe on that side where the sunne toucheth it so the soule of this louer runns that ward where her well-beloued is heard going out of her selfe and passing the limits of her naturall beeing to follow him that spoke vnto her 3. But how is this sacred liquifaction of the soule into the well-beloued practised An extreame complacence of the Louer in the thing beloued begets a certaine spirituall impotencie which makes the soule not finde any more power to remaine in her selfe And therefore as dissolued Baulme that hath no more firmenesse or soliditie she permits her selfe to slide and runne into the thing beloued for she neither casteth her selfe by way of iaculation nor locks her selfe by way of vnion but lets her selfe gently glide as a liquide and fluent thing into the Diuinitie which she loues And as we see cloudes which thickned by the winde at Noonetide resoluing ād turning into raine cannot containe themselues but doe fall and showre downe and mixe themselues so inly with the earth which they moisten that they become one thing with it so the soule which though otherwise in loue remained before in her selfe goes out by this sacred liquifaction and saintly flowing and forsakes her selfe not onely to be vnited to the well-beloued but to be entirely mingled and moistened with him 4. You see then deare THEOT that the liquifaction of a soule into her God is a true extasie by which the soule trenscendes the limits of her naturall behauiour being wholy mixed absorpt and engulfed in God Hence it happens that such as attaine to these holy excesses of heauenly loue afterward being come to themselues can finde nothing in the earth that can content them and liuing in an extreame annihilation of themselues remaine much weakned in that which toucheth sense ād haue perpetually in their hearts the B. Mother Teresa her Maxime ALL THAT IS NOT GOD IS NOTHING And it seemes that such was the louing passion of the great friend of the well-beloued who saied I liue now not I but IESVS-CHRIST in me and our life is hid with IESVS-CHRIST in God For tell me I praie you THEOT if a drope of Elementarie water throwne into an Ocean of liue water were liuing could speake and declare it's condition would it not crie out with ioye O mortalls I liue indeede but I liue not I but this Ocean liues in me and my life is hidden in this Abisse 5. The soule that runnes into God dies not For how can she die by being shut vp in life but she liues without liuing in her selfe because as the starrs without loosing their light shine not in the presence of the Sunne but the Sunne shines in thē and they are hid in the light of the Sunne so the soule without loosing her life liues not being mixed with God but God liues in her Such as I thinke were the feelings of the great S. PHILIPPVS NERIVS and S. FRANCIS ZAVERIVS when ouercloied with heauenly consolations they petitioned to God that he would withdrawe himselfe for a space from them sith his will was that their life should a little longer appeare vnto the world which could not be while it was wholy hidden and absort in God Of the wound of loue CHAPTER XIII 1. All these termes of loue are drawne from a certaine resemblance which is betwixt the affections of the minde and the passions of the bodie GRIEFE FEARE HOPE HATRED and the rest of the affections of the soule enters not into the heart but when loue doth drawe thē after it We doe not hate euill but because it is contrarie to the Good which we loue We feare future euill because it will depriue vs of the good we loue Though an euill be extreame yet doe we neuer hate it but according to the opposition it hath to the good which is deare vnto vs. He that doth not much affect the Commonwealth is not much troubled to see it ruin'd He that doth not much loue God doth also not much hate sinne LOVE is the first yea the Source and origine of all the Passions And therefore it is LOVE that first enters the heart ād because it doth penetrate ād that well nigh to the very bottome of the will where his seate is we saie he wounds the heart It is sharp-pointed saieth the Apostle of France and enters the heart most deeply the other affections doe also enter but by the meanes of loue for it is he that pearcing the heart makes passage The onely point of the dart woundeth the rest of it doth but enlarge the wound and encrease paine 2. Now if it wound it doth consequently put vs to paine Pomegranats by their vermillion colour by the multitude of their cornes so close set and rancked and by their faire crownes liuely represēting as S. GREGORIE saieth most holy Charitie all redde by reasō of her ardour towards God crowned with the varietie of all vertues and who alone doth beare away the crowne of eternall reward 's but the iuice of Pomegranats which as we know is so delightfull as well to the sound as sicke is so compounded of sweete and soure that one can hardly discerne whether it delights the taste more by it's sweetish tartnesse or tarte sweetenesse Verily THEOT Loue is in like sorte bitter-sweete and while we liue in this world it hath neuer a sweetenesse perfectly sweete because it is not perfect or euer purely saciated and satisfied and yet it leaues not to be maruelous agreeable to the tartnesse thereof correcting the Lusshiousnesse of it's sweetenesse as the sweetenesse thereof sharpens the delight of it's tartenesse But how can this be there haue bene young men seene enter into conuersation free sound and frolicke who not taking care of themselues plainely perceiued lōg before they could get cleare that loue making vse of glaunces gestures words yea of the haire of a weake and fraile creature as of so many darts had smote and wounded their poore hearts so that you shall see them sorrowfull sad and dismaied Why I praie you are they sorrowfull With out doubt because they are wounded and who hath wounded them LOVE but loue being the child of Complacence how can it wounde and aggreeue Sometimes the beloued obiect is absent and then my deare THEO Loue woundes the heart by the desire which it excits which while it
cannot be saciated it doth much torment the mind 3. If a Bee had stung a child it were to sweete pourpose to saie to him ô my child the very Bee that stung thee is the same that makes the honie which likes thee so well for it is true might it replie her honie is very pleasant to my taste but her sting is painefull and while her sting stikes in my cheake I shall neuer be at rest and doe you not marke that my face is all swollen with it THEO Loue is indeede a Complacence and by consequence very delightfull so that it leaues not in our heart the sting of desire for when it leaues it there is left with it a great paine True it is this paine proceedes from loue and therefore is an amiable and beloued paine Heare the painfull yet louelie eiaculations of a royall Louer My soule thrisleth after her strong and liuing God Ah! when shall I come and appeare before the face of my God my teares haue bene bread to me night and day while it is saied vnto me where is thy God And the sacred Sunamite wholy possessed with dolorous loues speaking to the daughters Alas saieth she I coniure you if you meete my beloued tell him my griefe because I languish with the wound of loue Delaied hope afflicts the soule 4. Now the painfull wounds of loue are of diuers sorts 1. The first touches that loue giues our heart are called wounds because the heart that was sound entire and it 's owne before it loued being strook with loue begins to separate and diuide it selfe from it selfe to giue it selfe to the beloued obiect nor can this separation be made without paine seeing paine is no other thing then a separation of liuing things that were vnited 2. Desire doth incessantly sting and wound the heart in which it is lodged 3. TAEO speaking of heauenly loue in the practise of it there is a kind of wound giuen by God himselfe to the soule which he will perfect for he giues her admirable feelings and incomparable touches of his soueraigne goodnesse as pressing and soliciting her to loue him and then she forcibly bears herselfe vp as to soare higher towards her diuine obiect but lighting short not being able to loue with proportion to her desire ô God she feeles a paine without paragon At the same instant that she is powerfully drawen to flie towards her deare and well beloued she is powerfully retained and cannot flie as being chained to the seruile miseries of this mortall life and out of her owne impotencie she wisheth the winge of the doue to flie to her repose but finds it not So that she is roughly tormented betwixt the violencie of her desires and her owne impotencie ô miserable wretch that I am saied one of those that had tried this tormēt who will deliuer me from the bodie of this death And then if you marke it THEO it is not the desire of a thing absent that doth wound the heart for the soule perceiues that her God is present he had already led her into his wine celler planted vpon her heart the banner of loue but howbeit though already he see her wholy his he vrgeth her and from time to time toucheth her with a thousand thousand darts of his loue shewing her by new meanes how much more louely he is then he is beloued And she who hath not so much force to loue as loue to force her selfe seeing her forces so weake in respect of the desire she hath to loue him worthily to whose worth no force of loue can reach alas she finds her selfe stroock with an incomparable torment for in the same measure that she sobbs out more deeply the longings of her coueting loue the panges of her paine are augmented 5. This heart in loue with God desiring infinitly to loue sees notwithstanding that it can neither loue nor desire sufficiently Now this vnaccomplished desire is as a dart in the breast of a generous spirit yet the paine which proceedes from it is amiable because whosoeuer desires earnestly to loue loues also earnestly to desire And would esteeme himselfe the most miserable man aliue if he did not continually desire to loue that which is so soueraignely good Desiring to loue he receiues delight but louing to desire he is paied with paine 6. Good God THEOT what am I going to saie The Blessed in heauen seeing that God is more to be beloued then they loue him would sownd and eternally perish with a desire to loue him more if God's holiest will did not impose vpon theirs the admirable repose which they enioye for they so soueraignely loue this soueraigne will that the desire thereof doth quiet theirs and God's contentment doth content them being willing to be limited in their loue euen by that will whose Goodnesse is the obiect of their loue If this were not their loue would be equally delicious and dolourous delicious by the possession of so great a good dolourous through an extreame desire of a greater loue God therefore continually drawing arrowes if we may saie so out of the quiuer of his infinite beautie wounds the hearts of his Louers making them clearely see that they doe not loue him nigh so much as he is worthy to be beloued what mortall soeuer desires not to loue the Diuine goodnesse more loues him not enough sufficiencie in this diuine exercise doth not suffise him that will make a stand in it as though it suffised him Of some other meanes by which loue wounds the heart CHAPTER XIV 1. NOthihg doth so much wound a louing heart as to perceiue another heart wounded with the loue of it The Pellican builds her nest vpon the ground whence serpents doe often sting her younglings Now when this happens the Pellican as an excellent naturall Phisition with the point of her beake doth woūd her poore younglings on euery side to cause the poyson which the Serpents sting had spred ouer all the bodie to depart with the blood and to get out all the poison she lets out all the blood and consequently permits the little troope of Pellicans to perish in this sort but seeing them dead she wounds her selfe and spredding her blood ouer them she doth reuiue them with a more new and pure life her loue wounded them and fourthwith by the same loue she wounds her selfe Neuer doe we wound a heart with the wound of loue but we our selues are straight wounded with the same When the soule sees her God wounded by loue for her sake she receiues from it a mortall wound Thou hast wounded my heart saied the heauenly Spouse to the Sunamite and the Sunamite cries-out tell my well-beloued that I am wounded with loue Bees neuer wound but themselues are wounded to death And we seeing the Sauiour of our soules wounded by loue for vs to death and death of the crosse how can we but be wounded with him yea I saie wounded with a wound so much more dolorously
amiable as his was amiably dolorous nor can we neuer loue him as his loue and death requireth There is yet another wound of loue when the soule knowes well she loues God and he treates her in such sort as though he knew not she loued him or were diffident of her loue for then my deare THEO the soule is put into an extreame anguish it being insupportable vnto her to see or perceiue any apparence that God distrusts in her The poore S. PETER found his heart full of loue towards his Maister and his Maister making shew not to know it Peter quoth he dost thou loue me more then these Ah Lord saied the Apostle thou knowest I loue thee But Peter dost thou loue me replied our Sauiour My deare Maister saied the Apostle truely I loue thee thou knowest it But this so cote Maister to proue him and as shewing a diffidence of his loue Peeter saied he dost thou loue me Ah Sauiour thou woundest this poore heart who much afflicted cries out louingly yet dolorously Maister thou knowest all things indeede thou knowest well I loue thee Vpon a certaine day while a possessed person was exorcised the wicked spirit being vrged to tell his name I am quoth he that accursed creature DEPRIVED OF LOVE and S. CATHARIN who was there present sodenly perceiued all her bowells moued and disordered in onely hauing heard these words PRIVATION OF LOVE pronounced for as the Diuels doe so hate the diuine loue that they quake in seeing the signe of it hearing it named that is in seeing the crosse or be a rāg the name of IESVS pronoūced So such as doe entirely loue our Sauiour doe tremble with griefe ād horrour when they see any signes or seen by worde that doth brīg to mīd the priuatiō of this holy loue 2. S. PETER was certaine that God who knew all could not be ignorant how much he was loued by him yet because the repetition of this demaund Peter dost thou loue me hath some apparence of diffidence S. PETER is much afflicted in it Alas the poore soule that is resolued rather to die then offend her God and yet feeles not a sparke of feruour but contrariwise an extreame coldnesse which doth so benume and weaken all her parts that she frequently fals into very sensible imperfections this soule I saie THEO is all wounded for her loue is exceeding dolourous to see that God doth not seeme to see that she loues him leauing her as one that appertaines not to him and she apprehēds that amidst her defaults distractions and coldnesse our Sauiour doth strike her with this reproach how can'st thou saie that thou loue'st me seeing thy minde is not with me which is as a dart of sorrowe through her heart but a dart of sorrowe which proceedes from loue for if she loued not she would not be afflicted with the apprehension she hath that she loues not 3. Sometimes loue doth wound vs in the very memorie we haue that there was a time in which we loued not our God O how late I haue loued the auncient and new beautie saied that Saint who for thirtie yeares was Hereticke Life past is a horrour to his life present who passed his life past without louing the Soueraigne Goodnesse 4. Sometimes loue doth wound vs with the meere cōsideration of the multitude of those that doe contemne the loue of God so that hereby we sownd with griefe as he who saied my Zeale ô Lord hath withered me with griefe for that my enemyes haue not kept thy lawe And the Great S. FRANCIS thinking he had not bene heard wept vpon a day sobed and lamented so pitifully that an honest man ouer hearing him ranne to his succour as thinking some had offered to kill him and finding him all alone asked of him why dost thou crie so heard poore man Alas quoth he I weepe to thinke that our Sauiour endured so much for the loue of vs and none thinkes of it and hauing saied thus he begun againe to weepe and this good mā fell also a sobbing and weeping with him 5. But howsoeuer this is admirable in the woundes receiued from the diuine loue that their paine is delightfull and all that feele it consent to it and would not change this paine for all the pleasures of the world There is no paine in Loue or if any it is a beloued one A Seraphin on a day holding a golden arrowe from the heade whereof issued a little flame he darted it into the heart of the B. Mother Teresa and offering to drawe it out this virgine seemed to haue her bowells drawen from her the paine being so excessiue that she had onely force to cast out weake and smale sighes but yet it was a paine so amiable that she desired neuer to be deliuered of it Such was the arrowe that God sent into the heart of the great S. CATHARIN of Genua in the beginning of her conuersion whence she became another woman dead to the world and things created to liue onely to her Creatour The well-beloued is a posie of bitter Myrrhe and this posie is also the well-beloueds who remaines dearely seated betwixt the breastes of his well-beloued that is the best-beloued of all the well-beloueds Of the amourous languishment of the heart wounded with loue CHAPTER XV. 1. IT is a thing sufficiently knowne that humane loue doth not onely wound the heart but euen weaken the bodie mortally because as passions and the temperature of the bodie hath a great power to encline the soule and draw her after its so the affections of the soule haue great force in stirring the humours and changing the qualities of the bodie but further loue when it is violent doth beare away the soule to the thing beloued with such impetuositie and doth so wholy possesse her that she is deficient in all her other operations be they sensatiue or intellectuall so that to feede and second this loue the soule seemes to abandon all other care all other exercises yea and her selfe too whēce Plato saied that Loue was poore trent naked barefoote miserable without house that it laie without dores vpon the hard ground alwayes in want It is poore because it makes one quit all for the thing beloued It is without a house because it vrgeth the soule to leaue her owne habitation to follow hī cōtinually whō she loues It is miserable pale leane and ruinous for that it makes one loose sleepe meete and drinke It is naked and barefoote sith it makes one forsake all other affections to embrace that of the thing beloued It lies without vpon the hard ground because it laies open the heart that is in loue making it manifest its passions by sighes plaintes praises suspicions iealousies It lies all along at the gate like a begger because it makes the louer perpetually attentiue to the eyes and mouth of the beloued hanging continually at his eares to speake to him and begge of him some fauours wherwith it is neuer saciated
Now the eyes eares and mouth are the gates of the soule In fine the condition of its life is to be still indigent for if euer it be saciated it leaues to be ardent and consequently to be loue 2. True it is THEO that Plato spoke thus of the abiect vile and foule loue of worldlings yet are the same properties found in diuine and celestiall loue For turne your eyes a litle vpon those first Maisters of christian doctrine I meane those first Doctors of holy Euangelicall loue and marke what one of them who had laboured the most saied vntill this houre saieth he we doe both hunger and thrist and are naked and are beaten with buffets and are wanderers we are made the refuse of this world and as the drosse or skume as though he had saied we are so abiect that if the world be a Pallas we are held the sweepers thereof if the world be an aple we are the parings What I praie you had brought them to this state but Loue It was Loue that threwe S. FRANCIS naked before his Bishop and made him die naked vpon the ground It was Loue made him a begger all his life It was Loue that sent the great S. FRANCIS ZAVERIVS poore needie torne vp and downe amongst the Indians and Iaponians It was Loue that brought the great Cardinall S. CHARLES Archbishop of Milan to that extreamitie of pouertie amidst the riches which he had by the right of blood and his dignitie that as Maister Panigaroll the eloquent Orator of Italie saied he was as a dogge in his Maisters house eating a peece of bread drinking onely a little water and lying vpon a little strawe 3. Let vs heare I beseech you the holy Sunamite who cries almost in this manner although by reason of a thousand consolations which loue giues me I be more faire then the rich Tents of my Salomon I would saie more faire then heauen which is the lifelesse Pauillion of his royall Maiestie seeing I am his liuing Pauillion yet am I black torne squalled and spoiled with so many wounds and blows giuen me by the same Loue ah respect not my heu for I am truely browne because my beloued who is my Sunne hath streamed the raies of his loue vpon me raies which by their light doe illuminate yet by their heate I am sunn-burnt and made brownish and touching me with their splendour they haue berefte me of my colour The passion of loue hath done me too much honour in giuing me a Spouse such as is my King but the same passion which is a mother to me seeing she alone gaue me in mariage not my merits hath other children which doe wonderfully assault and vexe me bringing me to such a langour that as of one side I am like to a Queene who is beside her king so of the other side I am as a Vineyard-keeper who in a miserable cabinet lookes to a vine and a vine that is not his owne 4. Truely THEOT when the wounds and strokes of loue are frequent and strong they put vs into lāgour and into Lou's well-beloued sicknesse Who could euer describe the amourous langours of a S. Catharin of Sienna and Genua or a S. Angelo Folini a S. Bernard a S. Francis And as for the last his latter dayes were nothing but teares sighes plaints langours pinings Loue-traunces But in all this nothing so strange as the admirable communicatiō which the sweete IESVS had with him of his louing and precious paines by the impression of his wounds and Stigmats THEO I haue often pondered this wonder and haue made this conceipt of it This great Seruant of God a man wholy Seraphicall beholding the liuely picture of his crucified Sauiour represented in a glittering Seraphin which appeared vnto him vpon the Mount-Aluernus grewe softer then is imaginable taken with a soueraigne consolation and compassion For beholding this bright Myrrour of loue which the Angell could not saciate himselfe in beholding alas he sownded with delight and contentment but seeing also the liuely representation of the markes and woundes of his Sauiour crucified he felt in his soule the impetuous sworde which stroke through the sacred breast of the Virgin-Mother the day of the Passion with as much inward griefe as though she had bene crucified with her deare Sauiour O God THEO if the picture of Abraham fetching deaths blow ouer his deare onely-begotten to sacrifice him a picture drawen by a mortall hand had the power to soften and make weepe the Great S. GREGORIE Bishop of Nisse as often as he beheld it ah how extreamly was the Great S. FRANCIS softened when he beheld the picture of our Sauiour offering himselfe vpon the Crosse A picture which not a mortall hand but the Mistresse hand of a heauenly Seraphin had drawen and copied out of the originall it selfe representing so to the life and nature the heauenly king of Angels brused wounded murdered crucified 5. His soule then being thus mollified softened and almost melted away in this deare paine was therby greatly disposed to receiue the impressions and markes of the loue and paine of his soueraigne louer for his Memorie was wholy engaged in the remembrance of this Diuine Loue his imagination forcibly applied to represent vnto himselfe the wounds and wane blowes which his eyes then saw so perfectly well expressed in the present picture The Vnderstanding receiued from the Imagination infinitly liuelie Species And finally loue imploied all the forces of the will to take pleasure in and conforme her selfe to the Passion of her well-beloued whence without doubt the soule found herselfe trāsformed into a second Crucified Now the soule as the forme and Mistresse of the bodie exercising her authoritie vpon it printed the paines of the wounds with which she was strook in the partes correspondant to those wherein her Louer endured them Loue is admirable in edging the Imagination to penetrate to the exteriour Labans yewes while they were a ramming had so strong an imagination that it hit home vpon their Lambkins with which they were to make them become white or motley according to the rods they beheld in the troughs where they were watered And women with child hauing their Imagination refined by loue imprinte what they list vpon the child's bodie A strong Imagination makes a man waxe white on a night disturbing his health and humours Loue then droue out the inwarde torments of this great Louer S. Francis and wounded the bodie with the dart of sorrowe with which he had wounded the heart But loue being within could not well make the holes in the flesh without and therefore the burning Seraphin comming to helpe darted the raies of so penetrating a light that it really printed in the flesh the exteriour woundes of the Crucified which loue had imprinted interiourly in the soule So the Seraphin seeing Isaie not daring to speake because he perceiued his lips defiled came in the name of God to touch and purifie his lips with a burning
hands eleuating his eyes towards Heauen raising his voice very high and pronouncing by way of iaculation with great deuotion these words of the CaÌ„ticles the last which he had expounded Come vnto me my dearly beloued and let vs goe toge-into the fields All the Apostles and in a manner all the Martyrs died in Praier The Blessed and Venerable Bede hauing foreknowne by reuelation the time of his departure went to Euensong and it was vpoÌ„ the Ascension day and standing vpoÌ„ his feete leaning onely vpon the rests of his seate without any disease at all ended his life with the end of the Euensong as it were directly to follow his Maister ascending vnto Heauen there to enioye the bright morning of eternitie which knowes no euening Iohn Gerson Chancellour of the vniuersitie of Paris a man so learned and pious that as Sixtus Senâ—nsis saieth one can hardly discerne whether his learning outstripped his pietiâ— or his pietie his learning hauing explicated the fift proprietie of diuine loue recorded in the Canticle of Canticles three dayes after making shew of a very liuely countenance and courage expired pronouncing and iterating by way of iaculatorie Praier these holy words drawen out of the same Canticles ô God thy loue is strong as death S. MARTINâ— as is knowen died so attentiue to the exercise of his deuotions that he could not speake another word S. Lewis that great king amongst Saints and great Saint amongst kings being infected with the plague praied still and then hauing receiued his heauenly VIATICVM casting abrode his armes in maÌ„ner of a Crosse his eyes fixed vpon Heauen yeelded vp the ghost ardently sighing out these words with a perfect confidence of loue ah Lord I will enter into thy house I will adore thee in thy holy Temple and blesse thy â—ame S. PETER Celestine wholy possessed with afflictions which one can scarcely speake off being come to the periode of his daies began to sing as a sacred Nitingale the last Psalme making these louing words the close of his life and song LET â—VERY SPIRIT PRAISE OVR LORD The Admirable S. EVSEBIVS surnamed the stranger deceased vpon his knees in feruent Praier S. PETER Martyr writing with his owne finger and blood the Confession of Faith for which he died and vttering these words Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit And the great Iaponian Apostle S. FRANCIS Zauerius holding and kissing the image of the Crucifix and repeating at euery turne of a hand this Eiaculation of heart O IESVS the God of my heart Of some that died by and for diuine Loue. CHAPTER X. 1. All the Martyrs THEO died for the Loue of God for when we saie many died for the faith we meane not that they died for a dead faith but for a liuely faith that is quickned by Charitie And the confession of Faith is not so much an act of the vnderstanding and of Faith as of the will and of the Loue of God And thus the great S. PET R conseruing Faith in his heart the day of his Maisters did yet quit Charitie refusing in words to professe him to be his Maister whom in heart he acknowledged to be such But there were yet other Martyrs who died expressely for Charitie alone as our Sauiours great Forerunner who was martyred for brotherly correction and the glorious Princes of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVLE but especially S. PAVLE was put to death for hauing reclamed those women to a pious and pure life whom that infamous Nero had wrought to lewdnesse The holy Bishops Stanislaus and S. THOMAS of Canterburie were slaine for a matter that touched not Faith but Charitie In fine a great part of sacred Virgin-Martyrs were put to slaughter for the Zeale they had to conserue their Chastitie which Charitie had caused them to dedicate to their heauenly Spouse 2. But there are some of the Sacred Louers that doe so absolutly giue themselues ouer to the exercises of Diuine Loue that holy fire doth wast and consume their life Griefe doth sometimes so long hinder such as are afflicted froÌ„ eating drinking or sleeping that in the eÌ„d weakened and wasted they dye whervpon it is a common saying that such died of Griefe but it is not so indeede for they died through euacuation and defect of strength True it is sith this faintnesse tooke them by reason of griefe we must auerre that though they died not of griefe yet they died by reason of griefe and by griefe so my deare THEO when the feruour of holy loue is great it giues so many assaults to the heart so often wouÌ„ds it causeth in it so many langours so ordinarily melts it and puts it so frequently into Extasies ad Raptures that by this meanes the soule being almost entitely occupied in God not being able to affoâ—d sufficient assistance to nature coÌ„ueniently to disgâ—st and nourish the sensible and vitall spirits begâ—n by little aÌ„d little to faile liâ—e is shortned and death approcheth 3. O God THEO how happie this death is How delightfull is this loue-dart which wounding vs with the incurable wound of heauenly loue makes vs for euer pining and sicke with so strong a beating of the heart that at length we must yeeld to death How much doe you thinke did these sacred langours and labours vndergone for Charitie shorten the dayes of the Diuine Louers S. Catherin of Sienna S. Francis Little Stanislaus Bosca S. Charles and many hundreds more who died in their youth Verily as for S. FRANCIS from the time he receiued his Maisters holy Stigmats he had so violent and stinging paines gripes conuulsions and deseases that he had nothing left on him but skinne and bones and he seemed rather to be an Anatomie or a picture of death then one liuing and breathing How some of the heauenly Louers died euen of Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. All the Elect then THEO deceased in the habit of holy loue but further some died euen in the exercise of it some againe for it others by it But that which belongs to the soueraigne degree of loue is that some die of loue aÌ„d theÌ„ it is that loue doth not onely wouÌ„d the soule aÌ„d thereby make her languish but doth euen pearce her through hitting directly on the midst of the heart and so deeply that it forceth the soules depaâ—ture out of the bodie which fals out in this manner The soule powerfully drawen by the diuine sweetenesse of her Beloued to complie of her part with his deare allurements forcibly springs out and to her power tends towards her desired attracting friend and not being able to draw her bodie after her rather then to staie with it in this miserable life she quits it and gets cleare lonely flying as a faire doue into the delicious bosome of her heaueÌ„ly Spouse She throwes her selfe vpon her Beloued and her Beloued doth draw and force her to himselfe And as the Bridgroome leaues Father and mother to adheare to his deare Bride So this chaste Bride
to Egipt ād from Egipt to Iudea Ah who can then doubt but this holy Father being come to the period of his dayes was reciprocally borne by his diuine Nurse-child in his passage from this to another life into Abrahams bosome to translate him from thence to Glorie in the daie of his Ascension A Saint that had loued so much in his life could not die but of loue for his heart not being able to loue his deare IESVS so much as he desired while he continued amongst th◠distractions of this life and hauing alreadie performed the dutie which he ought to his non-age what remained but that he should saie to the Eternall Father O Father I haue accomplished my charge and then to the Sonne ◠my child as thy heauenly Father put thy tender bodie into my hands the daie of thy cōming into this world so doe I render vp my soule 〈◊〉 thyne this daie of my departure out of this world 2. Such as I conceiue was the death of this great Patriarch a man elected to performe the most deare and louing offices that euer was or shall be performed to the Sōne of God saue those that were done by the Sacred Spouse the true naturall mother of the saied sonne of whom it is not possible to make a conceit that she died of any other kind of death then of loue A death the most noble of all and consequently due to the most noble life that euer was amongst creaturs A death whereof the very Angels would desire to die if die they could If the primatiue Christians were saied to haue but one heart and one soule by reason of their perfect mutuall loue If S. Paule liued not himselfe but IESVS CHRIST liued in him by reason of the close vnion of his heart to his Maisters wherby his soule was as dead in the heart which it quickened to liue in the heart of the Sauiour which it loued O Good God how much more true it is that the Sacred Virgin and her Sonne had but one soule one heart and one life so that this heauēly mother in liuing liued not but her sonne liued in her She was a mother the most louing and the most beloued that euer could be yea louing and beloued with a loue incomparably more eminent then that of all the Orders of Angels and men like as the names of an onely Mother and an onely Sonne are names passing all other names in matter of loue and I saie of an onely mother and an onely Sonne because all the other sonne◠of men doe diuide the acknowledgment of their production betwixt their Father and mother but in this sonne as all his humane birth depēds of his mother alone who alone contributed that which was requisite to the vertue of the holy Ghost for the cōception of this heauenly child so to her alone all the loue which sprung from that production was rendred as due In such sort that this Sonne and this mother were vnited in an vnion by so much more excellent as her name in loue is different and aboue all other names for which of the Seraphins can saie to our Sauiour thou art my true Sonne and as such I loue thee And to which of his creaturs did our Sauiour euer saie Thou art my true mother and as my true mother I loue thee Thou art my true mother entirely myne and I am thy true sonne wholy thyne And if a louing seruant durst and did indeede saie that he had no other life then his Maisters Alas how confidently and feruently might this mother proclame I haue no life but the life of my Sonne my life is wholy in his and his wholy in myne for there was not a meere vnion but an vnitie of hearts betwixt this mother and this sonne 3. And if this mother liued by her Sonns life she also died of her Sonns death for such as is the life such is the death The Phenix as the report goes growen very aged gathers together in the top of a mountaine a quantitie of aromaticall woods vpon which as vpon he bed of honour she goes to end her dayes for when the Sunne being at his highest doth streame out his hotest beames this most singular bird to contribute the aduantage of action to the Sunns ardour ceaseth not to beate with her wings vpon her bed till she haue made it take fire and burning with it she consumes and dies in those odoriferous flames In like manner THEO the virgin Marie hauing assembled in her heart all the most amiable Mysteries of the life and death of her sonne by a most liuely and continuall memorie of them and withall RECTA LINEA receiuing the most ardent inspirations which her Sonne the Sonne of Iustice darted vpon mortalls euen in the heate of his charitie And further of her part making a perpetuall motion of Contemplation in the end the sacred fire of this heauenly loue did wholy consume her as an Holocaust of sweetenesse so that she died of it her soule being altogether rauished and transported into the armes of her Sonns loue O death louingly vitall ô Loue vitally mortall 4. Many sacred Louers were present at our Sauiours death amongst whom such as did most loue did also most greeue for Loue was then sleeped in griefe and griefe in Loue and all such as were feruent in loue towards their Sauiour fell in loue with his passion and paine But the sweete mother who passed all in loue receiued a deeper wound from the sword of griefe then all the rest Her Sonns paine was then a sharp sword which rāne through his mothers heart it being glewed ioyned ād vnited to her sonns in so perfect an vnion that nothing could hurt the one which did not as deeply hurt the other Now this motherly heart being in this sort wounded with loue did not onely not seeke to haue her wound cured but euen loued her wound better then all cures dearely conseruing the darts of sorrow which she had receiued in her heart because it was loue that shot them at her and continually desiring to die of thē as her sonne died thereof who as the holy Scripturs and all the Doctours doe witenesse died amidst the flames of Charitie a perfect HOLOCAVST for all the sinnes of the world That the Glorious virgin died of an extreamely sweete and calme loue CHAPTER XIV 1. OF one side it is saied that our B. Ladie reuealed to S. Mathilda that the sickenesse whereof she died was no other thing then an impetuous assault of loue Yet S. Brigit and S. Iohn Damascen doe witnesse that she died an exceeding peaceable death and both are true THEOTIME 2. The starres are wonderfull delightfull to behold and cast out pleasing shines yet if you haue noted it they bring forth their rayes by way of gatterings sparklings and dartings as though they were deliuered of their light by trauell at diuers essayes whether it be that their weake light cannot keepe a continuall equalitie of action or
heart for the obstinacie of the Iewes 2. Yet be sinners neuer so obstinate let vs neuer desist to aide and assist them for what doe we know but they may doe pennance and be saued happie is he that can saie to his neighbour as did S. Paule I haue neither ceased night nor day to admonish euery of you with teares and therefore I am cleare of your blood for I haue not bene sparing in denouncing vnto you Gods good pleasure in euery behalfe So lōg as there remaines any hope that the sinner will amend which alwayes remaines as long as life we must neuer reiect him but praie for him and assist him as farre forth as his miserie will permit 3. But lastly after we haue wept ouer the obstinate and performed towards them the good offices of Charitie in essaying to reclame them from perdition we must imitate our Sauiour and the Apostles that is we must remoue our mind from thence and place it vpon other obiects and imployments more to the aduancement of Gods glorie We were first saied the Apostles to the Iewes to announce the word of God vnto you but whereas you reiect it and make your selues vnworthy of the raigne of IESVS-CHRIST we will betake our selues to the Gentils The kingdome of God saieth our Sauiour shall be taken from you and shall be giuen to a nation that will make some profit of it Nor can one indeede spend much time in bewailing some few without loosing time fit and necessarie to procure the saluation of others It is true indeede the Apostle saieth that the losse of the Iewes is a cōtinuall corrasiue vnto him yet he spoke it in no other sense then we saie that we praise God continually for we meane no other thing thereby then that we praise him very frequently and in euery occasion and in the same manner the glorious S. Paule felt a continuall griefe in his heart caused by the Iewes reprobation for that in euery occasion he bemoaned their mishape 4. For the rest we must for euer adore Loue and praise God's reuenging and punishing IVSTICE as we loue his MERCY being both daughters of his goodnesse For as he is good yea soueraignly good he makes vs good by his grace by his IVSTICE he punisheth sinne because he hates it and he hates it for that being soueraignly good he hates the soueraigne euill which is iniquitie And in conclusion note that God doth neuer otherwise withdraw his MERCY from vs then by the iust vengāce of his punishing IVSTICE nor doe we euer escape the rigour of his IVSTICE but by his iustifying MERCY and howsoeuer whether he punish or gratifie vs his good pleasure is worthy of adoration loue and euerlasting praise So the Iust who sing the praises of Gods MERCY for such as haue wrought their owne saluation shall reioyce euen in seeing Gods vengance The Blessed shall with ioye approue the Sentence of the Reprobats damnation as well as that of the Elects saluation And the Angels hauing exercised their Charitie towards those that they had in keeping shall remaine in peace while they see them obstinate yea euen damned We are therefore to submit our selues to the Diuine will and kisse the right hand of his MERCY and the left hand of his IVSTICE with an equall Reuerence How the puritie of Indifferencie is practised in the actions of holy Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. THe most excellent Musician of the Vniuersitie and one that had a skeelfull hād vpō the Lute became in time so deadly deafe that his hearing serued him for nothing yet ceased he not for all that to sing and to handle his Lute marueilous delicatly by reasō of the perfect habite which he had therein whereof his deafenesse did not depriue him But taking no pleasure in his song nor yet in the sound of his Lute as being depriued of his hearing he could not perceiue the sweetenesse and delight of it so that he neither sung nor plaied saue onely to content a Prince whose natiue subiect he was and whom he infinitely desired to please as hauing an infinite obligatiō vnto him for his breeding from his childhood Hence he tooke an incomparable delight to delight him and when his Prince made shew to be delighted in his musike he was rauished with delight But it happened sometimes that the Prince to make triall of this louing Musician's loue gaue him order to sing and presently vpon it leauing him there wēt a hunting yet the desire which this Chaunter had to accomplish his Maisters desires made him continue his musike as attentiuely as though his Prince had bene present though in very deede he had no content in his owne song for he neither had the pleasure of the Melodie whereof his deafenesse depriued him nor the content of pleasing his Prince who being absent could not enioye the sweetenesse and pleasure of the ayre which he sung My heart to sing is readie and dispos'd A hymne in honour of thy name compos'd My soule and spirit ardently essayes To sing thy praise Vp then my glorie vp and quit thy rest In Harpe ād Psaltere let our lord be bles't Mans heart is the true Chaunter of the Canticle of sacred Loue himselfe the HARPE or PSALTER Now ordinarily this Chaunter is his owne auditorie taking a great pleasure in the Melodie of his song I meane our heart louing God doth taste the delights of this Loue and takes an incomparable contentment to loue so louely an obiect Marke I praie you THEO what I would saie The Little young Nightingales doe first essaie a beginning of song by imitating the old one but hauing got skill and passing Maisters they sing for the pleasure which they take in their owne song and doe so passhionatly addict themselues to this delight as I haue saied in an other place that by striuing to send out their voice their weseele bursting they send out their life So our hearts in the beginning of deuotion loue God that they may be vnited and become gratefull vnto him and imitate him in that he hath loued vs for all eternitie but by little and little being formed and exercised in holy Loue they are imperceptibly changed and in lieu of louing God to please God they begin to Loue him for the pleasure they take in the exercises of holy Loue and insteede of falling in Loue with God they fall in Loue with the Loue they beare him and stand affected to their owne affections not taking any more pleasure in God but in the pleasure they take in his Loue contenting themselues with this Loue because it is theirs that it is in their heart whence it proceedes for though this sacred Loue be called the Loue of God because God is loued by it yet it is also ours we being the Louers that Loue by it And herevpon we come to chang for insteede of louing this holy Loue for that it tends to God who is the beloued we Loue it because it proceedes from vs who are
of Angels For while this Loue liues it raignes and bears the Scepter ouer all the affections making his will preferre God before all things indifferently vniuersally and absolutely Of two degrees of perfection in which this Commandement may be kept in this mortall life CHAPTER IV. 1. VVHile the great king Salomon enioying as yet the Spirit of God cōposed the sacred Canticle of Canticles he had according to the permission of those ages great varietie of dames and damsells dedicated to his Loue in diuers conditions and qualities For 1. there was one that was his singularly deare and wholy perfect one most rare as a singular doue with which the others entred not into comparison and for this reason she was called by his owne name SVNAMITE 2. There were sixtie which next to her had the first ranke of honour and estimation and were called Queenes Besids which there were thirdly Fourescore Dames which were not indeede Queenes yet were companions of his Royall bed in qualitie of honorable and lawfull friends 4. and lastly there were young damsells without number reserued in expectation as a seedeplat to succeede in the places of the former when they should fall into decaye Now by the IDEA of that which passed in his Palace he described the diuers perfections of soules who in time to come were to adore Loue and serue the great PACIFICALL KING IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour amongst which there are some who being newly freed from sinne and resolued to Loue God are yet Nouices Apprentises tender and feeble So that they Loue indeede the Diuine sweetenesse yet with such mixture of other different affections that their sacred Loue being as yet in its Nonage they Loue together with our Sauiour many superfluous vaine and dangerous things And as a PHENIX newly hatch't out of her sinders hauing as yet her plumes tender and nice and hauing on her first downes can onely essay a short flight in which she is rather saied to hop then to flie so these tēder and daintie young soules newly borne of the ashes of their Penance cannot as yet take a high flight and sore a aboue in the aire of holy loue beīg held captiues by the multitude of wicked inclinations and depraued customes in which the sinnes of their life past had left them They are yet liuing quickned and feathered with Loue yea and with true Loue too else had they neuer forsakē sinne yet with a Loue as yet feeble young and enuironed with a number of other Loues and which cannot produce fruite in such abundance as otherwise it would doe if it had the full possession of the heart in its hands 2. Such was the Prodigall Sonne when quitting the infamous cāpanie and custodie of swine amongst which he had liued he returned into his fathers armes halfe naked all to be dabed durted and stinking of the filth which he had contracted in the companie of those vncleane beasts For what is it to forsake the swine but to reclame ones selfe from sinne and what is it to returne all ragged tattered and stinking but to haue our affections engaged in the habits and inclinations which tend to sinne yet was he possessed of the life of the soule which is Loue. And as a Phenix rising out of her ashes he finds himselfe newly risen to life He was dead quoth his Father and is returned to life he is reuiued Now Salomons Friends were called young daughters in the Canticles for as much as hauīg tasted the odour of the Spouse his name which breathes nothing but Saluation and Mercy they Loue him with a true Loue but a Loue which is as themselues in its tender age for euen as young girles doe Loue their husbands well if they haue them yet leaue not off much to affect their toyes triffles ād companions with whom they were wont desperatly to loose themselues in playing dancing and fooling in busying themselues with little birds little dogges squirills and the like bables So the yoūg and Nouice-soules haue truely an affection to the sacred Spouse yet admit they with it a number of voluntarie distractions and incumbrances so that louing him aboue all things they doe yet busie themselues in many things which they Loue not like him but besids him out of him and without him for as small irregularities in words in gestures in clothes in pastimes and fond trickes are not properly speaking against the will of God so are they not according to it but out of it and without it 3. But there are certaine soules who hauing alreadie made some progresse in the Loue of God haue also cut off the affections they had to dangerous things and yet doe entertaine dangerous and supersluous Loues because they Loue with excesse and Loue that which God ordaines they should Loue with a Loue too nice and passionate It stood with Gods pleasure that ADAM should loue EVE tenderly yet not in that degree of tendernesse that to content her he should haue violated the order giuen him by his Diuine Maiestie He loued not then a superfluous thing nor a thing in it selfe dangerous but he loued it superfluously and dangerously The loue of our Parents friends and Benefactours is in it selfe according to GOD yet we may affect it with excesse as we may also our vocations be they neuer so spirituall and our exercises of deuotion which yet we ought so greately to affect may beloued inordinatly to wit if we preferre them before obedience or a more generall good or in case we loue them in qualitie of LAST END being the onely meanes and furtherances to our finall pretention which is DIVINE LOVE And those soules which Loue nothing but that which God would haue them to Loue and yet doe exceede in the manner of louing doe truly Loue the Diuine Goodnesse aboue all things yet not in all things for the things which not onely by permission but euen by command they are to Loue according to God they doe not onely Loue according to God but for other causes and motiues which though indeede they be not contrarie to God yet are they out of him so that they resemble the Phenix who hauning gotten her first feathers and beginning to waxe strong doth forthwith hoist her selfe vp into the open aire yet is not long able to continew flight but is forced to light often vpon the ground to take breath Such was the poore young man who hauing from his tender age obserued Gods Commandements desired not his neighbours goods yet affected his owne too tenderly So that when our Sauiour gaue him Counsell to giue them to the poore he became sad and melancholie He loued nothing but that which he might lawfully loue but he loued it with a superfluous and too obliging an affection It is plaine therefore THEO that these soules loue too ardently and with superfluitie yet loue they not the superfluities but onely the thing which is to be loued And herevpō they doe enioye the marriage bed of the heauenly Salomō
she is forced to vnwearie her selfe she will onely cleeue by the smale twigs of trees vpon which she hangs in the aire out of which or without which she can neither flie nor repose And euen so these great soules doe not in very deede Loue the Creaturs in themselues but in their Creatour and their Creatour in them But if they cleeue to any creature by the law of Charitie it is onely to repose in God the onely and finall aime of their Loue. So that finding God in the Creaturs and the Creaturs in God they Loue God indeede not the Creaturs as they that fishing for Pearles find them in their shelles doe esteeme their fishing made for pearles onely 4. For the rest I doe not thinke that there was euer any mortall Creature that loued the heauenly Spouse with this matchlesse Loue so perfectly pure except the Virgin who was his Spouse ād Mother both together but cōtrariwise as touching the practise of these foure differences of Loue on can hardly be any long time without passing from one of them to another The Soules which as young wenches are as yet intangled in diuers vaine and dangerous affections are not sometimes without hauing the most pure and excellent touches of Loue but being but glimpse and passing lightnings one cannot therevpon rightly saie that such soules are got out of the state of young girles which are Nouices and Printises It happens also sometimes that the soules that are in the degree of onely and perfect Louers doe much relent and waxe cold yea euen to the committing and falling into troublesome veniall sinns as may be gathered by many bitter contentions stirred vp amongst Gods great seruants yea euen amongst some of the Diuine Apostles who as we cannot denie fell into some imperfections by which notwithstanding Charitie was not violated yet the feruour thereof was troubled Howbeit whereas ordinarily those great soules loued God with a Loue perfectly pure we are not to denie that they were in the state of perfect Loue. For how oft doe we see that good trees though they neuer bring forth any venemous fruit yet doe they produce raw and vnripe ones corrupted with misseltoe or mosse So the great Saints neuer fell into mortall sinne yet fell they easily into fruitlesse actions and such as are greene bitter harsh and ill tasted And as euen in these circumstances we must confesse that those trees are fruitfull otherwise they could not be called good so are we in no sort to denie that some of their fruit was fruitlesse For who cā denie that the misseltoe and mosse of trees is an vnprofitable fruit and who can also denie that smale angers and minute excesses of ioye of laughter of vanitie and of other the like passions are vnprofitable and vnlawfull motions and yet the Iust man brings them forth seauen times a day that is very often That the Loue of God aboue all things is common to all Louers CHAPTER VI. 1. Though there be so sundrie degrees of Loue amongst true Louers yet is there but one Commandement of Loue onely which doth generally and equally oblige euery one with a wholy like and entirely equall obligation though it be differētly obserued and with an infinite varietie of perfections there being peraduenture was few soules found in earth as Angels in Heauen perfectly equall in Loue seeing that as one starre differs from another in brightnesse so shall the Blessed in their Resurrection where euery one sings a Canticle of Glorie and receiues a name knowen to none but to him that receiues it But what degree of Loue is it to which the Diuine Commandement doth equally vniuersally and continually oblige all 2. It was a peece of the holy Ghosts prouidence that in our ordinarie version which his Diuine Maiestie hath canonized and sanctified by the Councell of Trent the heauenly Commandement of Loue is expressed in the word DILECTION rather then by the word LOVE for albeit that DILECTION be a kind of Loue yet is it not a simple Loue but a Loue of choice and election which sense the word it selfe carries as the glorious S. THOMAS doth note for this cōmandemēt doth inioyne vs a Loue chosen out of thousands like to him to whom it is due who as the beloued Sunamite markes him out in the Canticles is one elected out of thousands It is Loue that is to haue power ouer all our affections and is to raigne ouer all our passions and that which God exacteth of vs is that of all our Loues his may be the most cordiall bearing rule ouer our heart the most affectionate possessing our whole soule the most generall applying all our powers the highest replenishing our whole heart and the most solide exercising all our strength and prowise And whereas by this we doe choose and elect God for the Soueraigne obiect of our soule it is a Loue of Soueraigne Election or an election of Soueraigne Loue. 3. You are not ignorant THEO that there are diuers species of Loue as for example there is a fatherly Loue a brotherly Loue a filiall Loue and a nuptiall Loue a Loue of societie of obligation of dependance and an hundred more which are all different in excellencie and so proportioned to their obiects that scarcely can they be applied or appropriated to any other He that should affect his Father with the Loue of a brother onely should come short of his dutie He that should Loue his wife in qualitie of a Father onely he should not loue her sufficiently He that should loue his Lackey as his owne child would be esteemed impertinent Loue is as honour for as honour is diuersified according to the diuersitie of excellencies to which it is attributed so Loues are diuers according to the diuersitie of the GOOD which is loued Soueraigne honour is due to Soueraigne Excellencie and Soueraigne loue to the Soueraigne Good The loue of God is a loue without comparison because the goodnesse of God is incomparable Harke Israel Thy God is the sole Lord and therefore thou shalt loue him with thy whole soule thy whole vnderstanding thy whole strength For God is the onely Lord and his goodnesse is infinitly aboue all goodnesse and he is to be loued with a loue which is eminent excellent and puissant beyond all comparison It is this supreame loue that placeth God in such esteeme amidst our soules and makes vs repute it so great a happinesse to be gracious in his sight that we preferre him before and loue him aboue all things Now THEOT doe you not plainly see that he that loues God in this sort hath dedicated his whole soule and strength to God sith for euer and in all occurrences he will preferre Gods honour before all things keeping himselfe in a readinesse to forsake the whole world to preserue the loue which is due to the Diuine Goodnesse And in somme it is the loue of Excellencie or the Excellencie of loue which is cōmanded to all mortalls in generall and
thee more then my selfe since I am wholy thyne and in thee 6. And in case there were or could be some Soueraigne GOOD whereof we were independent yet so as that we could vnite our selues vnto it by loue we should euen be incited to loue it more then our selues seeing that the infinitie of it's sweetenesse would be still Soueraignely more powerfull to allure our will to it's loue then all the other yea euen our owne proper GOODS 7. But if by imagination of a thing impossible there were an infinite goodnesse whereof we had no dependance at all and wherewith we could haue no kind of vnion or communication we should yet verily esteeme it more then our selues For we should plainely know that being infinite it were more estimable and amiable then we and consequently that we should make simple wishes to be able to loue it Yet properly speaking we should not loue it sith that loue aimes at vnioÌ„ and much lesse can we haue Charitie towards it since that Charitie is a Friendshipe and Friendshipe cannot be vnlesse it be reciprocall hauing for it's grownd-worke COMMVNICATION and VNION for it's end This I saie for certaine chimericall and vaine wits who vpon impertinent imaginations doe role melancolie discourses vp and downe their mind to their owne maine vexation But as for vs THEOT my deare friend we see plainly that we cannot be true men without hauing an inclination to loue God more then our selues nor true Christians without practising this inclination Let vs loue him more then our selues which is to vs more then all and more then our selues Amen for true it is How holy Charitie brings forth the loue of our neighbour CHAPTER XI 1. AS God created man to his owne Image and likenesse so did he ordaine a loue for man to the image and resemblance of the loue which is due to his owne Diuinitie Thou shalt loue saieth he thy Lord thy God with all thy heart it is the first and greatest commandement And the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe Why doe we loue God THEO The cause why we loue God saieth S. BERNARD is God himselfe as though he had saied we loue God because he is the most soueraigne and infinite Goodnesse And why doe we loue our selues in Charitie surely because we are the Image and liknesse of God And whereas all men are indewed with the same dignitie we loue him also as our selues that is in qualitie of the most holy and liuely Image of the Diuinitie for it is in that qualitie THEO that we belong to God in so strict an aliance and so amiable a dependance that he makes no difficultie to be called Father and to call vs children It is in this qualitie that we are capable to be vnited to his Diuine essence by the fruition of his soueraigne bountie and felicitie It is in this qualitie that we receiue his grace that our spirits are associated to his most holy spirit aÌ„d made in a maÌ„ner participaÌ„t of his Diuine nature as S. LEO sayeth And therefore the same Charitie which produceth the acts of the loue of God produceth withall the acts of the loue of our neighbour And euen as Iacob saw but one ladder which reached from Heauen to earth by which the Angels did as well descend as ascend so we see that one same charitie extends it selfe both to the loue of God and our neighbour raising vs to the vnion of our spirit with God and yet brining vs back againe to a peaceable and quiet â—ocietie with our neighbours Yet with this difference that we loue our neighbour in that he is created to the Image and likenesse of God to haue communication with the Diuine bountie participation of grace and fruition of glorie 2. THEO to loue our Neighbour in Charitie is to loue God in man or man in God It is to loue God for his owne sake and the creature for the loue of him The young Tobie accompained with the Angell Raphael hauing met with Raguel his Father to whom yet he was vnknowen Raguel had no sooner set his eyes vpon him saieth the Scripture but turning himselfe towards his wife Anne looke looke quoth he how much this youÌ„g man doth resemble my cosen and hauing saied thus he saied vnto theÌ„ whence come you youthes my deare bretheren at which they replied We are of the Tribe of Nephtali of the Captiuitie of Niniuie and he saied vnto them doe you know my brother Tobie yes Sir we know him replied they and Raguel beginning highly to commend him the Angell saied vnto him Tobie of whom you speake is this youths owne Father with that Raguel stept towards him and kissing him with many teares and haÌ„ging vpon his necke blessing haue thou my sonne quoth he because thou art the sonne of a good and most vertuous man and the good woman Anne his wife and Sara his daughter began to weepe through tendernesse of affectioÌ„ Doe not you note how Raguel embraced the little Tobie cherished kissed and wept with ioye vpon him whom he knew not Whence proceeded this Loue but from old Tobie his Father whom this child did so much resemble Blessing hasie thou quoth he but why not truly because thou art a good youth for that as yet I know not but because thou art sonne and like to thy Father who is a very good man 3. Ah good God THEOT when we see our neighbour created to the Image and likenesse of God ought we not to saie one to another Obserue and see this creature how it resembles the Creatour ought we not to cast our selues vpon it cherishe it and weepe ouer it with loue ought we not to blesse it a thousand and a thousand times And why this For the loue of it no verily for we know not whether it be worthy of loue or hatred in it selfe but wherefore theÌ„ O THEO for the loue of God who hath framed it to his owne similitude and likenesse and consequently hath endowed it with a capacitie to be partaker of his goodnesse in GRACE and GLORIE For the loue of God I saie from whom it is whose it is by whom it is in whom it is for whom it is and whom it resembles in a most particular manner Wherevpon the diuine loue doth not onely often times command the loue of our neighbours but it selfe produceth it and poures it into man's heart as his resemblance and Image for euen as man is the Image of God so the sacred loue of man towards man is the true picture of the heauenly loue of man towards God But this discourse of the loue of our neighbour requires a whole Treatise a part which I beseech the Soueraigne Louer of men to inspire into some of his most excellent seruants since the top of the loue of the Diuine Goodnesse of the heauenly Father consisteth in the perfection of the loue of our brothers and companions in earth How loue produceth Zeale CHAPTER XII
adhered and ioyned himselfe so neerely indissolubly and infinitly to our nature that neuer was any thing so straightly ioyned and pressed to the humanitie as is now the most sacred Diuinitie in the person of the Sonno of God 4. he ranne wholy into vs and as it were dissolued his greatnesse to bring it downe to the forme and figure of our littlenesse whence he is instyled a Source of liuing water dewe and rayne of Heauen 5. He was in extasie not onely in that as S. DENIS saieth by the excesse of his louing goodnesse he became in a certaine manner out of himselfe extending his prouidence to all things and beeing in all things but also in that as S. Paule saieth he did in a sort forsake and emptie himselfe drayned his greatnesse and glorie deposed himselfe of the Throne of his incomprehensible Maiestie and if it be lawfull so to saie annihilated himselfe to stoope downe to our humanitie to fill vs with his Diuinitie to replenish vs with his goodnesse to rayse vs to his dignitie and bestow vpon vs the Diuine beeing of the children of God And he of whom it is so frequent written I LIVE SAIED OVR LORD pleased afterwards according to his Apostles language to saie I liue now not I but man liues in me man is my life and to die for man is my gaines my life is hidden with man in God He that did inhabit in himselfe lodgeth now in vs and he that was liuing froÌ„ all eternitie in the bosome of his eternall Father becomes mortall in the bosome of his temporall mother He that liued eternally by his owne Diuine life liued temporally a humane life And he that from eternitie had bene onely God shall be for all eternitie man too so did the loue of man rauish God and draw him into an Extasie 6. Sixtly how ofteÌ„ by loue did he admire as he did the Centurion and the Cananee 7. he beheld the young man who had till that houre keept the Commandements and desired to be taught perfection 8. he tooke a louing repose in vs yea euen with some suspension of his senses in his mothers wombe and in his infancie 9. he was wonderfull tender towards little children which he would take in his armes and louingly dandle a sleepe towards MARTHA and MAGDALEN towards Lazarus ouer whom he wept as also ouer the Citie of Hierusalem 10. he was animated with an incoÌ„parable Zeale which as S. DENIS saieth turned into iealousie turning away so farre as he could all euill from his beloued humane nature with hazard yea with the price of his blood driuing away the Deuil the Prince of this world who seemed to be his Corriuall and Competitor 7. He had a thousand thousand languors of Loue for from whence could those Diuine words proceede I haue to be baptised with a baptisme and how am I straitened vntill it be dispatched The houre in which he was baptised in his bloode was not yet come and he languished after it the loue which he bore vnto vs vrging him therevnto that he might by his death see vs deliuerâ—d from an eternall death He was also sad and sweate blood of distresse in the garden of Oliuet not onely by reason of the exceeding griefe which his soule felt in the inferiour part of reason but also through the singular loue which he bore vnto vs in the superiour portioÌ„ thereof sorrow begetting in him a horrour of death yet loue an extreame desire of the same so that there was a hote combat and a cruell agonie betwixt desire and horrour of death vnto the shedding of much blood which streamed downe vpon the earth as from a liuing source 8. Finally THEO this Diuine Louer died amongst the flames and ardours of Loue by reason of the infinite charitie which he had towards vs and by the force and vertue of Loue that is he died in Loue by Loue for Loue and of Loue for though his cruell torments were sufficient to haue kild any bodie yet could death neuer make a breach in his life who keepes the keyes of life and death vnlesse Diuine Loue which hath the handling of those keyes had opened the Port to death to let it sacke that Diuine bodie and dispoyle it of life Loue not being content to haue made him mortall onely vnlesse it had made him die withall It was by choice not by force of torment that he died No man doth take my life from me saieth he but I yeeld it of my selfe and I haue power to yeeld it and I haue power to take it againe He was offered saieth Isaie because he himselfe would and therefore it is not saied that his Spirit went away forsooke him or separated it selfe froÌ„ him but coÌ„trariwise that he gaue vp his Spirit expired rendred vp the Ghost yeelded his Spirit vp into the hands of the eternall Father so that S. ATHANASIVS remarketh that he stooped downe with head to die to the end he might consent and bend towards deaths approch which otherwise durst not haue come neere him and crying out with a lowde voice he gaue vp his Spirit into his Fathers hands to shew that as he had strength and breath enough not to die so had he so much Loue that he could no longer liue but would by his death reuiue those which without it could neuer eschew death nor pretend for true life Wherefore our Sauiours death was a true sacrifice and a sacrifice of Holocaust which himselfe offered to our Sauiour to be our Redemption for though the paines and dolours of his Passion were so great and violent that any but he had died of them yet had he neuer died of them vnlesse he himselfe had pleased and vnlesse the fire of his infinite Charitie had consumed his life He was then the Priest himselfe who offered vp himselfe vnto his Father and sacrificed himselfe in Loue to Loue by Loue for Loue from Loue. 9. Yet beware of saying THEOTIME that this death of Loue in our Sauiour passed by way of rauishment for the obiect which his Charitie had to moue him to die was not so amiable that it could force this heauenly soule therto which therefore departed the bodie by way of extasie driuen on and forced forwards by the abundance and force of Loue euen as the Myrrhetree is seene to send foorth her first iuyce by her onely abundance without being strayned or pressed according to that which he himselfe saied as we haue noted No man taketh my life away from me but I yeelded it of my selfe O God THEO what burning coles are cast vpon our hearts to inflame vs to the exercise of holy loue towards our best Sauiour seeing he hath so louingly practised them towards vs who are his worst seruants The Charitie then of IESVS-CHRIST doth presse vs. The end of the Tenth Booke THE ELEAVENTH BOOKE OF THE SOVERAIGNE authoritie which sacred loue holds ouer all the vertues actions and perfections of the soule How much all the vertues are aggreeable
the perfections which she meetes withall as it finds greater perfections it doth great lier perfect them like as suggar doth so season conserued fruits with its sweetnesse that sweetening them all it leaues euery of them different in relish and sweetenesse as they haue a diuers taste in their owne nature Nor doth it euer render the Peech and the Nut so sweete and pleasing as the Appricot and the Myrabolan plumme 5. True it is notwithstanding that if the Loue be ardent powerfull and excellent in a heart it will also more enrich and perfect all the vertuous workes which shall proceede from it One may suffer death and fire for God without Charitie as S. PAVLE presupposeth and I declare elswhere by better reason may one suffer them hauing a little charitie Now I saie THEO that it may come to passe â—hat a very little vertue may be of greater value in a soule where sacred Loue doth feruently raigne then Martyrdome it selfe in a soule where Loue is languishing feeble and slow As the least vertues in our B. Lady in S. IOHN in other great Saints were of greater price before God then the greatest of diuers inferiour Saints as many little eiaculations of Loue in Seraphins are more inflamed then the greatest in the Angels of the last orders as the singing of a young Nightingale is incomparably more harmonious then that of the finest Goldfinch 6. PIRCIVS towards the end of his dayes painted onely in little formes and trifeling things as Barbar's and Cobler's shops little Asses loaden with grasse and the like triuiall toyes which he did as PLINIE coniectures to lay his great renowne whence in the end he was called the Painter of small wares and yet the greatnesse of his art did so appeare in his small workes that they were sould at a higher rate then others greatest peaces Euen so THEO the little simplicities abiections and humiliations in which the great Saints tooke so great content to hide themselues and put their hearts into Harbour against vaine glorie hauing bene practised with a great excellencie of the Art and ardour of heauenly Loue were found more gratefull in the sight of God then the great and illustrious workes of diuers others which were performed with little Charitie and deuotion 7. The sacred Spouse doth wound her Spouse with one of her head haires of which he makes so great accompt that he compares them to the flockes of the Goates of GALAAD and hath no sooner commended the eyes of his deuote Louer which are the most noble parts of the face but presently he fals a praising her head haire which is the most fraile vile an abiect That we might learne thereby that in a soule taken with holy Loue actions that seeme very poore are highly agreeable to the Diuine Maiestie Of the excellent worth which holy Loue bestowes vpon the actions which issue from it selfe and to those which proceede from other vertues CHAPTER VI. 1. BVt you will aske me what this worth is which holy Loue bestowes vpon our actions ô God THEO I Verily I should not dare to speake it if the Holy Gost himselfe had not declared it in expresse termes by his Apostle S. Paule who saieth thus That our tribulation which is presently momentarie and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glorie in vs. For the loue of IESVS let vs ponder these words Our tribulations which are so light that they passe in a moment worke in vs the solide and stable weight of glorie I beseech you behold these wonders Tribulation produceth glorie lightnesse giues weight moments worke eternitie But what is it that can enrich these fleeting moments and light tribulations with so great worth Scarlet and purple or fine crimson violet is a precious and royall cloth yet not by reason of the woole but the die Christian workes are of that worth that Heauen is giuen vs for them but THEO it is not in that they proceede froÌ„ vs and are the woole of our hearts but because they are died in the blood of the sonne of God I meane for so much as our Sauiour doth sanctifie our workes by the merits of his blood The twigge of a vine vnited and ioyned to the stocke being not forth â—ruit in it's owne vertue but in vertue of the stocke Now we are vnited by Charitie vnto our Redeemour as members to their head and thence it is that our fruit and good workes drawing their worth from him doe merit life euerlasting AARONS rod was withered and incapable of it selfe to bring forth fruit but as soone as the name of the high priest was written vpon it in one night it brought out leaues flowres and fruit We in our selues are withered bowes vnprofitable fruitlesse not being sufficient to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God who hath made vs meet and fit ministers of his will and therefore as soone as by holy Loue the name of our Sauiour the high Bishop of our soules is engrauen liâ—â— our soules we begin to beare delicious fruits for life euerlasting And as seedes which of them selues doe onely bring forth vnsauorie Melons would bring forth sugared and musked ones if they were steeped in sugared or musk't water so our soules which of themselues are not able to proiect one onely good thought towards God's seruice being watered with holy loue by the holy Ghost which doth inhabite vs they produce sacred actions which doe tend and doe carrie vs to immortall glorie Our works as proceeding from our selues are but miserable reeds yet these reeds become gold by Charitie and with the same we suruey the Heauenly Hierusalem which is giuen vs by that measure for as well to man as Angels glorie is distributed according to Charitie and her actions So that men and Angels measure is one and the same and God both hath and will reward euery one according to his works as all the holy Scripture doth teach vs which assignes vs the felicitie and eternall ioyes of Heauen in reward of the labours and good works which we haue practised in earth 2. A magnificent reward and such an one as doth sauour of the Maisters greatnesse whom we serue who in truth THEO if so he had pleased might most iustly exact our obedience and seruice without proposing vnto vs any prize or reward at all since we are his by a thousand most legitimate titles and that we can doe nothing that is worth any thing but in him by him for him and dependently of him Yet did not his Goodnesse so dispose but in consideration of his sonne our Sauiour he would deale with vs at a set price receiuing vs at wages and engaging himselfe by his promise vnto vs that our hire yea an eternall one shall answere to our workes Nor is it that our seruice can either be necessarie or profitable vnto him for when we shall haue accomplished all his commands we are yet to professe in a most humble
Maiestie then our crucified Maister 's crowne of thornes his scepter of a Reed his robe of scorne which they put vpon him and the Throne of his Crosse vpon which the sacred Louers had more content ioye glorie and felicitie then euer Salomon had in his Iuerie Throne 5. So is Loue often times represented by the Pomegranate which taking proprieties from the Pome-granate-tree may be saied to be it's vertue as also the gift thereof which out of Loue it offers to man and its fruit sith that it is eaten to refresh mâ—ns taste and finally it is as it were its glorie and Beatitude bearing the crowne and diademe How diuine Loue makes vse of all the passions and affections of the soule and reduceth them to her obedience CHAPTER XX. 1. Loue is the life of our heart and as the couÌ„terpoise giues motioÌ„ to all the moueable parts of a cloke so doth Loue giue all the motioÌ„ the soule hath All our affections follow our Loue and according to it we desire we reioyce we hope we dispaire we feare we take heart we hate we flie we sorrow we fall into choler we triuÌ„phe Doe not we see men who haue giuen vp their heart as a prey to the base and abiect Loue of women that they haue no desires but according to this Loue they take no pleasure but in it they neither hope nor dispaire but for this subiect they neither dread nor enterprise any thing but for it they are neither disgusted with nor flie from any thing saue that which doth diuert them from this they are onely troubled at that which doth depriue them of it they are neuer angrie but out of iealousie neuer glorie but in this infamie 2. The like may be saied of couetous misers and glorie-hunters for they become slaues to that which they loue and haue neither heart in their breast nor soule in their hearts nor affections in their soules saue onely for this 3. When therefore Diuine Loue doth raigne in our hearts it doth in a kinglike manner bring vnder all the other Loues and consequently all the affections thereof for as much as naturally they follow loue this done it doth tame sensuall Loue and bringing it to subiection all the sensuall passions doe follow it For in a word this sacred Loue is the soueraigne water of which our Sauiour saied he that shall drinke of this water shall neuer thirst No surely THEO he that hath Loue in a certaine abundance he shall neither haue desire dread hope courage nor ioye but for God and all his motions shall be quieted in this onely celestiall Loue. 4. Diuine Loue and selfe loue are in our hearts as IACOB and ESAV in the wombe of REBECCA there is a great antipathie and opposition betwixt them and doe continually presse on vpon another in the heart Whereat the poore soule giues an outcrie alas wretch that I am who will deliuer me out of the bodie of this death that the onely Loue of God may peaceably raigne in me Howbeit we must take courage putting our trust in our Sauiours word who promiseth in commaÌ„ding and commandeth in promising victorie to his Loue and he seemes to saie to the soule that which he caused to be saied to REBECCA two nations are in thy woÌ„be and there shall be a diuision betwixt two people in thy intrailles the one shall surmount the other and the elder shall serue the younger for as Rebecca who had onely two childreÌ„ in her wombe whereof two people were to descend was saied to haue two nations in her wombe so the soule hauing two loues in her heart hath consequently two great troopes of motions affections and passions and as Rebecca her two children by the contrarietie of their motions made her suffer great conuulsions and paines of the wombe so the two loues of our soulâ— puts our heart as it were into trauaill And as it was saied of Rebeccas two children that the elder should serue the younger so was it ordained that of these two loues of our heart the sensuall should serue the spirituall that is self-selfe-loue should serue the Loue of God 5. But when was it that the eldest of thaâ— people which was in Rebecca's wombe serued thâ— youÌ„gest Surely it was onely wheÌ„ Dauid ouercame the Idumeans in warre and that Salomon ouerruled them in time of Peace When shall it then be that sensuall loue shall serue Diuine Loue It shall then be THEO when armed Loue being arriued at Zeale shall by mortification subiect our passions but principally when aboue in heauen Blessed Loue shall possesse our whole soule in peace 6. Now the meanes whereby Diuine Loue is to subiect the sensuall appetite is like to that which IACOB vsed when for a good presage and beginning of that which was afterwards to come to passe ESAV coÌ„ming out of his mothers wombe IACOB held him by the foote as it were to trample vpon to suppliant and keepe him vnder or as they saie to keepe him tyed by the foote after the manner of a Hauke such as ESAV was in qualilitie of a hunter and as he was a fierce man For so holy Loue perceiuing some passion or naturall affection to rise in vs must presently catch it by thâ— foote and order it to his seruice But what is it to saie take it by the foote it is to bind it and bring it downe to a râ—solution of seruing God Doe not you see how Moyses transformed the serpent into a rod by taking her onely by the tayle euen so by bestowing a good end vpon our passions they turne vertues 7. But what methode are we then to obserue to order our affections and passions to the seruice of Diuine Loue Methodicall Phisitions haue alwayes this APHORISIME in their mouthes Tâ—at contraries are cured by their coÌ„traries tâ—â— Alchymists haue another famous sentence contrarie to this Saying that like are cured by their like Howsoeuer we are certaine that two contrarie things make the light of the starrs disappeare to wit the obscuritie of nightly foggues and the greater light of the sunne and in like manner we doe fight against passions either by opposing contrarie passions or greater affections of the same sort If any vaine hope present it selfe vnto me my way of resistance may be by opposing vnto it this iust discouragement O senselesse man vpoÌ„ what foundatioÌ„ dost thou build this hope dost thou not see that the great one to whom thou dost aspire is as neere to his graue as thy selfe Dost thou not know the instabilitie weaknesse and imbecillitie of the spirit of man To day his heart in whom thy pretentions are is thyne to morrow another carries it away from thee vpon what then is this hope grounded Another way of resisting this hope is to oppose to it another more strong hope in God ô my Soule for it is he that deliuers thy feete out of the snares neuer did any hope in him and was confounded throwe thy thoughtes vpon eternall and permanent
its vâ—rtue and beare its influence vpon the actions which we practise afterwards but so farre forth as in the exercise of them we applie the motiue of Loue in particular by dedicating them in a speciall manner to the glorie of God Yet doe all confesse with SAINT BONAVENTVRE who hath the generall approbation of all in this behalfe that if I haue determined in my heart to giue an huÌ„dred crownes for Gods sake though afterwards I make the distribution of this somme at leasure hauing my mind distracted and without attention yet is all the distribution made through Loue because it proceedes from the first proiect which Diuine Loue made me make of giuing the whole 6. But I praie you Tâ—EO what difference is there betwixt him that offers an hundred crowneâ— to God and him thâ—t offers to him all his actions truly there is none at all but that the one offers a somme of money the other a somme of actions And why I praie shall they not then be doth esteemed to make the distribution of the parcells of the somme in vertue of their first purpose and fundamentall resolutions And if one that distributs his crownes without attention be not depriued of the influence of his first purpose why shall not the other in the distribution of his actionâ— enioye the fruit of his first intention He that purposely hath made himselfe a louing seruant of the Diuine goodnesse hath by consequence dedicated all his actions to the same goodnesse 7. Grounding vpon this truth euery one should once in his life make a good recollection thereby to cleane his soule from all sinne and vpoÌ„ it to make an inward and solide resolution to liue wholy to God as we haue giuen instructions in the first part of the Introduction to a deuote life And afterwards at least once euery yeare to make a suruey vpon ones conscience and a renouation of the first resolution which we haue put downe in the fift part of the same booke to which in this behalfe I remit you 8. Certes SAINT BONAVENTVRE doth auoutch that a man that hath gotten so great an inclination and custome of well doing that he doth it frequently without any speciall intention looseth not the merits of such actions which are enriched by Loue from whence they spring as from their roote and originall source of thire blessed habit facilitie and promptitude Of certaine other meanes whereby we may applie our workes more particularly to the Loue of God CHAPTER IX 1. VVHen the Pea-hen hatcheth her egges in a white place her youÌ„g ones are also white And when our intentions are in the loue of God when we proiect some good worke or vndertake some certaine vocation all the actions which doe issue thence take their worth and deriue their nobilitie from the Loue whence they descended for who doth not see that the actioÌ„s which are proper to my vocation and requisite to my designe doe depend of this first election and resolution which I made 2. Yet THEO one must not staie there but to make an excellent progresse in deuotion we must not onely in the begining of our conuersion and afterâ—ards once euery yeare addresse all our life and actions to God but we must euen offer them vnto him euery day following the morning exercise which we haue taught Philothie for in this dayely renewing of our oblation we spread the vertue and vigour of our loue vpon our actions by a new application of our heart to the Diuine glorie by meanes whereof it is still more and more sanctified 3. Besides this let vs an hundred and an hundred times a day applie our life to Diuine Loue by the practise of iaculatorie praiers eleuations of the mind and spirituall retreats for thâ—sâ— holy exercises casting and bearing vp our minds to Gâ—d doe also in the end draw all our actions thither and how should it come to passe I praie you that a soule which doth euery moment dart vp herselfe at the Diuine Goodnesse and which doth incessantly breath words of Loue to th' end she may keepe her heart continually lodged in the bosome of her heauenly Faâ—her should not be thought to doe all her good workes in God and for God 4. She that saieâ—h ah Lord I am thyne my beloued is wholy myne and I am wholy his My God thou art my all O IESVS thou art my life ah who will doe me the fauour that I may die to my selfe to th' end I may liue onely to thee O to loue to goe to die to a mans selfe ô to liue to God! ô to bee in God! ô Lord whatsoeuer is not thy very selfe is nothing to me She I saie doth she not continually dedicate her actions to her heauenly Spouse ô how blessed is the soule who hath once stripped and perfectly resigned herselfe into the hands of God Almightie whereof we spoke before for afterwards she will onely neede one little sight aÌ„d view of God to renew and confirme her stripping resignation and oblation together with her Protestation that she will haue nothing but God and for God and that she neither loues herselfe nor any other thing in the world but in God and for the Loue of God 5 The exercise then of continuall aspirations is very proper for the application of all our works to Loue. But principally it is abundantly sufficient for the small and ordinarie actions of our life for as for heroicall workes and maters of consequeÌ„ce it is expedient if we intend to make any great profit to vse the ensuing methode as I haue alreadie giuen a touch elsewhere 6. Let vs in these occurreÌ„ces eleuate our heart aÌ„d spirit to God let vs burie our consideration and exteÌ„de our thoughts into the most holy and glorious eternitie let vs behold how in it the Diuine goodnesse did tenderly cherish vs preparing all conuenient meanes for our saluation and progresse in his Loue and in particular the commoditie to doe the good which doth at that present presente it selfe vnto vs or to suffer the euill which befalls vs. This done displaying if we may so saie and eleuating the armes of our consent let vs embrace dearely feruently and most louingly as well the good which presents it selfe to be done as the euill which we are to suffer in consideration that God willed it so from all eternitie to please him and to obeye his prouidence 7. Behold the great S. CHARLES when his Diocese was infested with the plague he lifted vp his heart to God and beheld attentiuely that in the eternitie of Gods Prouidence this scourge was determined and prepared for his flocke and that the same Prouidence had ordained that in this their scourge he should take a most tender care to serue solace and cordially to assist the afflicted sith that in this occurrence he chanced to be the Ghostly Father Pastour and Bishope of that Prouince Wherevpon representing vnto himselfe the greatnesse of the paines toyles and hazards which he was necessarily