euen as the flame began to sease hpon her the Eagle came in with a quicke flight and beholding this vnlooked for and sad spectackle strooke through with griefe she loosed her talons let fall her prey and spred herselfe vpon her poore beloued Mistresse and couering her with her wings as it were to defend her from the fire or for pities sake to embrace her she remained there constant and immoueable couragiously dying and burning with her the ardour of her affection not giuing place to the ardour of flames and fire that by that meanes she might become the VICTIME ād HOLOCAVSTE of her braue and prodigious loue as her Mistresse was already of death and fire 3. O THEO to what a high flight this Eagle moues vs our Sauiour hath bred vs vp from our tender youth yea he formed vs and receiued vs as a louing Nource into the armes of his Diuine Prouidence euen from the time of our Conception Not beeing yet thy holy hand did make me Scarce borne into thy armes thy loue did take me He made vs his owne by Baptisme and by an incomprehensible loue doth tenderly nourish both our bodie and soule to purchace vs life he suffered death and with his owne flesh and blood hath fed vs Ah what rests then my deare THEO what Conclusion are we to draw from hence but onely that such as liue should liue no more to them selues but to him that died for them that is to saie that we should consecrate all the moments of our life to the Diuine Loue of our Sauiours death bringing home to his glorie all our preys all our conquests all our actions all our thoughts and affections Let vs behold THEO this heauenly Redeemour extended vpon the Crosse as vpon a funerall Pile of honour where he died of Loue for vs yea of loue more painefull then death it selfe or a death more pleasant then loue it selfe Ah doe we not spiritually cast our selues vpon him to die vpon the Crosse with him who for the loue of vs freely died I will hold him should we saie if we had the Eagles generositie and will neuer depart from him I will die with him and burne in the flames of his loue one and the same fire shall consume the Diuine Creatour and the miserable creature My IESVS is wholy myne and I am wholy his I will liue and die vpon his breast nor life nor death shall euer separate me from him Thus is the holy Extasie of true loue practised while we liue not according to humane reason and bent but aboue them following the inspiration and instinct of the heauenly Sauiour of our soules Of the supreame effect of affectiue loue which is the death of Louers and first of such as died in loue CHAPTER IX 1. LOue is strong as death death doth seperate the soule of him that dies from the bodie and from all earthly things Sacred loue doth seperate the Louers soule from the bodie and all earthly things nor is there any other difference sauing that death doth that in effect which loue ordinarily doe onely in affection I saie ordinarily THEO because holy loue is sometimes so violent that euen in effect it causeth a separation betwixt the bodie and the soule making the Louers die a most happie death much better then a thousand liues 2. As it is proper to the Reprobate to die in sinne so is it proper to the Elect to die in the Loue and Grace of God yet in a different manner The iust man neuer dies vnprouided for to haue perseuered in Christian Iustice euen to the end was a good prouision for death He dies indeede sometimes sodainely or a sodaine death For this cause the most wise Church in her Litanies doth teach vs not onely to demand to be deliuered frō sodaine death but sodaine ād vnprouided death It is no worse for being sodaine if it be not withall vnprouided If some weake and common soules had seene fire frō Heauen fall vpon the great S. SIMEON Stilits head and kill him what would they haue thought but thoughts of scandall yet are we to make no other conceit of the matter then that this great Saint hauing perfectly sacrificed himselfe to God in his heart already wholy consumed with loue the fire came from Heauen to perfect the Holocauste and entirely burne it for the Abbot Iulian being a dayes iorney off saw his soule ascend to Heauen and thervpon caused incense to be offered in thankesgiuing to God The Blessed man Good Cremonius on a certaine day set vpon his knees most deuotly to heare Masse rose not at the Ghospell according to custome whēce those that were about him looked vpon him and perceiued he was dead There haue bene in our time most famous men for vertue and learning found dead some in the confession seat others while they heard the Sermon yea some haue bene seene falling downe dead at their going out of the Pulpet where they had preached with great feruour and all these deaths were sodaine yet not vnprouided And how many Good people doe we see die of Apoplexies Lethargies and a thousand other wayes very sodainely others of madnesse and frensie without the vse of reason and all these together with children who are baptised died in Grace and consequently in the Loue of God But how could they die in the Loue of God since they thought not of God at the time of their departure 3. Learned men THEO loose not their knowledge while they are a sleepe for so they would be vnlearned at their awaking and be forced to returne to schoole The like it is of all the habits of Prudence Temperance Faith Hope and Charitie They are continually in the iust mans heart though they be not alwayes in action While a man sleeps it seemes that all his habits sleepe with him and when he awakes awake with him So a iust man dying sodainely or oppressed by a house falling vpon him kill'd by Thunder or stifled with a catarre or else dying out of his senses by the violence of a hote Ague dies not indeede in the exercise of holy Loue yet dies he in the habit thereof wher-vpon the wise-man saieth if the iust-man be preuented by death he shall be in a place of refreshing for it sufficeth to obtaine eternall life to die in the state and habit of loue and Charitie 4. Yet many Saints haue departed this life not onely in Charitie and with the habite of heauenly loue but euen in the act and practise thereof S. AVGVSTINE deceased in the exercise of holy contrition which cannot be without Loue. S. HIEROM in exhorting his deare children to the loue of God their neighbours and vertue S. AMBROSE in a Rapture sweetely discoursing with his Sauiour immediatly after he had receiued the holy Sacrament of the Altar S. ANTONIE of Padua after he had recited a hymne of the glorious virgin-mother and while he spoke with great ioye to our Sauiour S. THOMAS of Aquine ioyning his
resisted the glorious S. PETER his Superiour in his face Certes euery one is not a S. PAVLE to know how to doe those things in the nicke But hot harsh presumptuous and reprochfull spirits following their owne inclinations humours auersions and the high conceits they haue of their owne sufficiencie draw the vaile of Zeale ouer their iniquitie and vnder the name of this sacred fire permit themselues to be burnt vp with their proper passions It is the Zeale of the health of soules that makes the Prelatshipe be sought after if you will beleeue the ambitious man that makes the Monke ordained for the Quire course about if you will giue credit to his disquieted spirit that causeth all those censures and murmuratiōs against the Prelates of the Church and tēporall Princes if you will giue eare to the arrogant You shall heare nothing frō him but Zeale nor yet see any Zeale in hī but onely opprobrious and rayling speaches hatred ād rācore disquiete of the heart and tōgue 5. Zeale may be practised three wayes first in exercising high actions of Iustice to repell euill and this belongs onely to publike officers to correct censure and reprehend in the nature of a Superiour as Princes Prelates Magistrats Preachers but whereas this office is worshipfull euery one will vndertake it euery one will haue a fingar in it Secondly one may vse Zeale in actions of great vertue for the good example of others by suggesting the remedies of euill and exhorting men to applie them by working the good that is opposite to the euill which we desire to banish which is a thing that belongs to euery one and yet it hath but few vndertakers Finally the most excellent vse of Zeale is placed in suffering and enduring much to hinder or diuert euill and scarce will any admit this Zeale A specious Zeale is all our ambition vpon that each one willingly spends his talant neuer taking notice that it is not Zeale indeede which is there sought for but glorie ambition's satisfaction choler churlishnesse and other passions 6. Certainly our Sauiours Zeale did principally appeare in his death vpon the Crosse to distroy death and sinne in men wherein he was soueraignly imitated by that admirable vessell of election and dilection as the great S. GREGORIE Nazianzen in golden words represents him for speaking of this holy Apostle he fights for all saieth he he poures out praiers for all he is Zealously passionat towards all he is inflamed for all yea he dared yet more for his brethren according to flesh so that if I may dare also to saie it he desires through charitie that they might haue euen his owne place nere our Sauiour O excellencie of an incredible courage and feruour of Spirit He imitats IESVS CHRIST who became a curse for our Loue who put on our infirmities and bore our deseases Or that I may speake a little more soberly he was the first after our Sauiour that refused not to suffer and to be reputed wicked in their behalfe Euē so then THEO as our Sauiour was whip't condemned crucified as man deuoted bequeathed and dedicated to beare and support all the reproches ignominies and punishments due to all the offenders in the world and to be a generall sacrifice for sinne being made as an ANATHEMA forsaken and left of his eternall Father so according to the true doctrine of this great Nazianzen the glorious Apostle S. PAVLE desired to be loden with ignominie to be crucified left abandoned and sacrificed for the sinnes of the Iewes that the curse and paine which they merited might fall vpon him And as our Sauiour did so take vpon him the sinnes of the world and became a curse was sacrificed for sinne and forsaken of his Father that he ceased not continually to be the well-beloued Sonne in which his Father pleased himselfe So the holy Apostle desired indeede to be a curse and to be separated from his Maister to be left alone to the mercy of the reproches and punishments due vnto the Iewes yet did he neuer desire to be depriued of Charitie and the grace of God from which nothing could separate him that is he desired to be vsed as one separated from God but he desired not in effect to be separated or depriued of his Grace for this cannot be piously desired So the heauenly Spouse confesseth that though loue be strong as death which makes a separation betwixt the bodie and the soule Yet Zeale which is an ardent loue is yet stronger for it resembles Hell which separats the soule from our Sauiours sight but it was neuer saied nor can euer be saied that Loue or Zeale was Like to sinne which alone separats from the grace of God And indeede how could the ardour of Loue possibly make one desire to be separated from grace since Loue is grace it selfe or at least cannot consist without grace Now the Zeale of the great S. PAVLE was in some sort practised by the little S. PAVLE I meane S. PAVLINE who to deliuer a slaue out of bondage became himselfe a slaue sacrificing his owne libertie to bestow it vpon his neighbour 6. Happie is he saieth S. AMBROSE who knowes the gouernment of Zeale The Deuil will easily scofe at thy Zeale if it be not according to science let therefore thy Zeale be inflamed with Charitie adorned with science established in cōstancie True Zeale is the child of Charitie as being the ardour of it Wherefore like to Charitie it is patient benigne not troublesome nor contentious not enuious or spightfull but reioycing in Truth The ardour of true Zeale resembles that of the huntsman being diligēt carefull actiue industrious and eager in the pursuit but without choler anger or trouble for if the huntsman's labour were cholerike harsh and wayward it would not be so earnestly loued and affected Zeale in like manner hath extreame feruours but such as are constant solide sweete laborious equally amiable and infatigable whereas contrariwise false Zeale is turbulent confused insolent arrogant cholericke wauering no lesse impetuous then inconstant How our Sauiour practised all the most Excellent acts of Loue. CHAPTER XVII 1. HAuing spoken at large of the acts of Diuine Loue that you may more easily and holily conserue the memorie thereof I present you with a collection or abridgement of it The Charitie of IESVS CHRIST doth presse vs saieth the great Apostle Yea truly THEO it doth force or vse a violence against vs by its infinite sweetenesse which shines in the whole worke of our Redemption wherein appeared the benignitie and loue of our Sauiour towards men For what did not this Diuine Louer doe in matter of Loue 1. he loued vs with a LOVE OF COMPLACENCE for his delightes were to be with the children of men and to draw man to himselfe becōming man 2. he loued vs with a LOVE of BENEVOLENCE enriching man with his diuinitie so that man was God 3. he vnited himselfe vnto vs in an incōprehensible coniunctiō whereby he
the botton of nature till she met with her obiect which sodenly excited and in a sort awakened strikes the stroke and turnes the yong Partridge's appetite to her former dutie T is the like THEOTIME of our heart which though it be couied nourished and bred amongst corporall base and terreane things and in a manner vnder the winges of nature notwithstanding at the first view it takes of God vpon the first intelligence it receiues of him it 's Naturall and prime inclination to loue God which was dull and imperceptible doth waken in an instant and of a sodaine appears as a sparke from amongst the finders which touching our will lanceth her with Supreame loue dew vnto the Soueraigne and prime principale of all things That we haue not naturally the power to loue God aboue all things CHATPER XVII 1. THe Eagle hath a good heart and that seconded with a strong winge for flight yet hath she imcomparably more sight then winge and doth cast with quicker dispatch and in further distance her eye then her bodie so our soules animated with an holy naturall inclination towards the Diuinitie hath farre more light in her Vnderstanding to see how much it is amiable then force in her will to loue it in effect For sinne hath much more debilitated mans will then dimmed his Reason and the rebellion of the sensuall appetite which we call Concupiscence doth indeede disturbe the Vnderstanding but it is quite contrarie to the will stirring vp against it seditions and reuoults so that the poore will wholy infirme and shaken with continuall assaults which Concupiscence waigeth against her cannot make so great progresse in diuine Loue as Reason and Naturall inclination suggesteth that she ought to doe 2. Alas THEOTIME how faire arguments not onely of a great knowledge of God but also of a great inclination towards him haue those great Philosophers SOCRATES PLATO TRISMEGISTVS ARISTOTLE HIPPOCRATES SENECA EPICTETES left behind them SOCRATES the most laudable amongst them came to the cleare knowledge of the vnitie of God and felt in himselfe such an inclination to loue him that as S. AVGVSTINE witnesseth many were of opinion that he neuer had other ayme in teaching morall Philosophie then to purifie their witts for the better contemplation of the Soueraigne good which is the most indiuisible Diuinitie And for PLATO he doth sufficiently declare himselfe in his definition of Philosophie and of a Philosopher saying that to doe the part of a Philosopher is nothing else but to loue God and a Philosopher no other thing then A Louer of God What shall I saie of great ARISTOTLE who so efficaciously proues God's vnitie and spoake so honorably of it in diuerse occurrences 3. But ô eternall God! those great witts which had so great knowledge of the Diuinitie and so great a propension to loue it wanted all of them force and courage to loue it well indeede By visible things they came to the inuisible things of God yea euen to his eternall vertue and Diuinitie saieth the Apostle in so much as they are inexcusable as hauing knowne God and not hauing glorified him as God nor rendred him thankes Indeede they glorified him in some sort attributing vnto him the soueraigne Titles of honour yet did they not glorifie him as they ought that is they glorified him not aboue all things not hauing the heart to ruinate Idolatrie but cōmunicated with it detaining Veritie which they knewe prisoner by iniustice in their hearts and preferring the honour and vaine repose of their life before the honour due vnto God they vanished in their owne knowledge 4. Is it not great pitie THEOTIME to see SOCRATES as PLATO reports speake vpon his death-bed concerning the Gods as though there had bene many he knowing so well that there was but one onely Is' t not a thing to be deplored that PLATO who vnderstoode so clearely the truth of the Diuine vnitie should ordaine that sacrifice should be done to many Gods And is it not a lamentable thing that TRISMEGISTVS should so basely lament and plaine the abolishment of Idolatrie who in so many occasions had spoaken so worthily of the Diuinitie But aboue all I admire the poore good man EPICTETES whose words and sentences are so sweete in our tongue translated by the learned and faire Plume of the R. F. D. IOHN of S. FRANCIS Prouinciall of the Congregation of the FVLIANS in GAVLE not long agoe exposed to our view For what a pitie was it I pray you to see this excellent Philosopher speake of God some times with such gust feeling and Zeale that one would haue taken him for a Christian comming from some holy and profound meditation and yet againe at diuerse times mentioning the Pagan Gods Alas this good man who knewe so well the vnitie of God and had so much gust in his bountie why had he not a pious iealousie of the diuine honour to th' end not to flatter or dissemble in a matter of so great consequence 5. In somme THEOTIME our catiue nature disinabled by sinne is like our countrie Palme-trees which in deede make some imperfect productions and as it were essayes of fruite but to beare entire ripe and seasoned Dates is reserued for a better Climate for euen so certes mans heart doth naturally produce certaine Onsets of God's loue but to proceede so farre as to loue him aboue all things which is the fullnesse of loues grouth due vnto this Supreame goodnesse this is proper onely to hearts animated and assisted with heauenly grace being in the state of holy charitie and this little imperfect loue of whose touches nature in her selfe is sensible is but a will without will a will that would but will not a sterill will which doth not produce true effects a will sicke of the Palsie which seeth the healthfull Pond of holy Loue but hath not the strength to throw herselfe into it to conclude this will is an abortiue of the good will and hath not necessarie life and generous vigour to preferre God in effect before all things Whervpon the Apostle in person of the sinner cries out There is will in me but I find not the meanes to accomplish it That the naturall inclination which we haue to loue God is not without profit CHAPTER XVIII 1. BVt seeing we haue not power naturally to loue God aboue all things why haue we naturally an inclination to it Is not Nature vaine to incite vs to a Loue which she cannot bestow vpon vs Why doth she moue in vs a thirst of a precious water wherof she cannot make vs drinke Ah THEOTIME how good God was with vs the perfidiousnesse which we did commit in offending him deserued truely that he should haue depriued vs of all the markes of his beneuolence and of the fauour which he deigned to our nature when he imprinted vpon her the light of his diuine countenance and indued our hearts with a ioyfulnesse to perceiue themselues inclined to the loue of the diuine
betwixt his and his right arme folded vnder hers and vnder her breasts Thus he entertained her ād with all did her foure good offices for 1. he gaue testimonie that his heart was louingly carefull of her 2. he neuer desisted to solace her 3. if she felt any touch of her former faintnesse returne he would sustaine her 4. if she light into any rough and difficile way he would be her support and staie And in Ascēts or whē she would make a little more hast he would lift her vp ād powerfully succour her In fine he staied by her with a cordiall regard till night approached ād thē also he would assist in cōueying her to her royall bed 2. The iust soule is the Spouse of our Sauiour and because she is neuer iust but when she is in charitie she is also neuer spouse but she is led into the sacred Closet of those delicious perfumes mentioned in the Canticles Now when the soule thus honored commits sinne she falls as dead of a spirituall faintnesse and this is truely an vnexpected accident for who would euer haue thought that a Creature would haue forsaken her Creator and soueraigne Good for things so slight as the baites of sinne Certes the Heauens are astonished at it and if God were subiect to passions he would fall downe in a sownd at this mishappe as when he was mottall he died vpon the crosse for our Redemption But seeing it is not now necessarie that he should imploy his loue to dye for vs when he seeth the soule ouerthrowne by sinne he commonly runs to her succour and by an vnspeakable mercy laies open the gates of her heart by the stings and remorses of conscience which cōming from the diuers lightes and apprehensions which he cast's into our hearts with healthfull motions by which as by an odoriferous and vitall water he makes the soule returne home to her selfe and senses And all this THEO God works in vs without our helpe his amiable Bountie preuenting vs with his sweetenesse For euen as our languishing Bride had remained dead in her sownd if the king had not assisted so the soule would remaine lost in her sinne if God preuented her not But if the soule thus excitated adde her consent to the feeling of Grace seconding the inspiration which preuented her and receiuing the aides and remedies requisite prouided for her by God he will fortifie her and conduct her through the diuers motions of Faith Hope and Penance euen till he restore her to her true spirituall health which is Charitie Now in her passage frō vertue to vertue by which he disposeth her to Loue he doth not conduct her onely but in such sort sustaine her that as she of her side walkes what she is able so he of his part supports and sustaines her and it is hard to saie whether she goes or she is carried for she is not so carried that she goes not and yet she goes so that if she were not carried she could not goe at all So that to speake Apostolically she must saie I goe not I alone but the Grace of God with me 3. But the Soule being entirely restored to her health by the excellent Epitheme of Charitie which the Holy Ghost infuseth into her heart she is then able to goe and keepe her selfe vpon her feete of her selfe yet by vertue of this health and this sacred Epitheme of holy Loue. Wherefore though she be able to goe of her selfe yet is she to rende the glorie thereof to God who bestowed vpon her a health so vigourous and manlie for whether the Holy Ghost doth fortifie vs by the motions which he doth imprint in our hearts or he doth sustaine vs by the Charitie which he doth infuse into it whether he doth succour vs by manner of assistance in lightening and carrying vs or that he doth strengthen our hearts by poureing into them fortifying and quickening Loue We alwayes liue goe and operate in and by him 4. And although by meanes of Charitie poured into our Soules we are able to walke in the presence of God and make aduancement in the way of Saluation yet so as that the Goodnesse of God doth still assist the soule whom he hath daigned with his Loue continually holding her with his holy hand For so 1. he doth better make appeare the sweetenesse of his loue towards her 2. he goes still more and more encouraging her 3. he giues her comfort against depraued inclinations and euill customes contracted by her former sinne 4. and finally he maintains and defends her from temptations 5. Doe not we often see THEO that sound and lustie men must be prouoked to employ their strength and power well and as one would saie must be drawen by the hand to the worke So God hauing endewed vs with Charitie and in it with force and sufficiencie to gaine ground in the way of perfection his Loue doth not permit him to let vs march all alone but makes him put himselfe vpon the way with vs it vrgeth him to vrge vs and doth sollicite his heart to sollicite and driue forwards ours to make good vse of the Charitie which he gaue vs repeating often by meanes of his inspirations S. PAVLES Aduertisements See that thou receiue not heauenly Grace in vaine while you haue time doe all the good you can runne so as you may winne the goale So that we are often to thinke that he iterats in our eares the words which he vsed to the good Father ABRAHAM walke before me and be perfect 6. But principally the speciall assistance of God is requisite for the soule endewed with Charitie in her enterprises which are sublime and extraordinarie for be it that Charitie though very weake doth sufficiently incline vs and vnlesse I be deceiued afford force inough to performe the workes necessarie to saluatiō yet so that to aspire to and vndertake excellent and extraordinarie actions our hearts stād in neede of putting on and heateing by the hand and motion of this great heauenly Louer as the Princesse in our Parable although restored to health could not ascend nor haue gone fast had not her deare Spouse releeued and strongely sustained her To this Purpose S. ANTONIE and Simeon Stylite were in the Grace of God ād Charitie whē they did designe so high ēterprises as also the B. mother S. TERESA whē she made her particular vow of obediēce S. FRANCIS and S. LEWES when they vndertooke their iorney beyond sea for the aduancement of God's glorie The B. ZAVERIVS when he consecrated his life to the Indians conuersion S. CHARLES in exposing himselfe to serue the pestiferous S. PAVLINE when he sould himselfe to redeeme the poore widowes child yet neuer had they dared so hardie and generous enterprises if God to that Charitie which they had in their hearts had not added speciall forces inspirations inuitations and lights wherby he did animate and push them forward to these extraordinarie essaies of spirituall valour 7. Doe you not
this good soule she hath much desired and endeauored to infranchish her selfe of choler wherein God hath assisted her for he hath quite deliuered her from all the sinns which proceede froÌ„ choler she would die rather then vtter one onely iniurious word or to let slipe any showe of hatred And yet she is subiect to the assaults and first motions of this passion which are certaine iertings stirrings and sallies of an angrie mind termed in the Caldaicall Paraphrase SHRVGGINGS saying shrugge but sinne not whereas our sacred version saieth Be angrie but sinne not which in effect is the same thing for the Prophet would onely saie that if anger surprise vs stirring vp in our hearts the first shruggings of sinne we should be carefull not to let our selues be carried further into the passion for so we should offend and though these first stirrings and shruggings be no sinne yet the poore soule that is oft set hard at by them doth trouble afflict aÌ„d disquisquiet herselfe reputing her sorrow a sacrifice to God as though it were the Loue of God that prouoked her to this sorrow And yet THEO it is not heauenly Loue that causeth this trouble it neuer being offended but at sinne it is selfe-Loue that desires to be freed from the paines and toyles which the assaults of anger drawes vpoÌ„ vs. Nor is it the offence that offends vs in these stirrings of anger there being none at all committed it is the paine we are put to in resisting that disquiets vs. 4. These rebellions of the sensuall appetite as well irascible as concupiscible are left in vs for our exercise to th' end we might practise spirituall valour in resisting them They are they Philistians against whom the true Israelits are still to fight but shall neuer put them to flight they may weaken them but neuer quite ouerthrow them They liue with vs and neuer die but with vs. They are truly execrable and detestable as being bred by sinne and fed of sinne whence as we are termed earth because we take our descent from earth and to earth runne back againe so this rebellion is named sinne by the great Apostle as being issue of sinne and drawing still that wayward though it neuer makes vs guiltie vnlesse we second and obey it wherevpon the same Apostle doth exhort vs that we permit it not to raigne in our mortall bodie to be subiect vnto it He prohibits vs not to feele but onely not to consent to it He doth not ordaine that we should hinder sinne to enter into vs but he commands that it should not raigne in vs It is in vs when we feele the rebellion of the sensuall appetite but it doth not raigne in vs vnlesse we giue consent vnto it The Phisitian will neuer giue order that the sicke of an ague should not be drie for that were too great a follie marrie he will tell him that though he be drie he must abstaine from drinking No man will be so mad as to bid a woman with child longe for no extrauagant things for it is not in her power well may one desire her to discouer her longings to th' end that if she longes for hurtfull things one might diuert her imagination least the phantasie might get dominion ouer her heart 5. The sting of the flesh forerunner of Satan did rudely treate the good S. PAVLE to haue inâ—â—ted him into the precipice of sinne The poore Apostle endured this as a shamefull and infamous wrong and therevpon termed it a boxing or buffetting and petitioned to God to be deliuered of it but he heard from God Paule my grace is sufficient for thee for vertue is perfected in infirmitie whereat this holy man submitting himselfe willingly then quoth he will I glorie in myne infirmities that the vertue of Christ may dwell in me But take notice I beseech you that there is sensuall rebellion euen in this admirable vessell of Election who in ruÌ„ning to the remedie of Praier doth teach vs that we are to vse the same armes against the temptatioÌ„s we feele Note further that God doth not alwayes permit those cruell reuoults in man for the punishment of sinne but to manifest the force and vertue of the Diuine assistance and grace Finally marke how we are not onely not to be disquieted in our temptations and infirmities but are euen to glorie to be infirme that therby Gods vertue may appeare in vs sustaining our weeknesse against the force of the suggestion and temptation for the glorious Apostle cals the stingings and shooting of the impurities which he endured his infirmities and yet he saieth he glories in them for be 't that he felt them by his miserie yet through Gods mercy he consented not to them 6. Certes as I haue alreadie saied the church condemned the errour of certaine Solitarists who held that we might be perfectly deliuered euen in this world of the passion of Anger Concupiscence Feare and the like It is Gods will we should haue enemies and it is also his will that we â—hould repulse them Let vs theÌ„ behaue our selues couragiously betwixt the one and th' other will of God enduring with patience to be assaulted and endeauoring with courage by resistance to make head against the assaults How we are to vnite our will with Gods in the permission of sinne CHAPTER VIII 1. GOd doth soueraignely hate sinne and yet he doth most wisely permit it to leaue reasonable creaturs free in their actions according to the condition of their nature and to make the good more commendable while hauing power to transgresse the law they doe not for all that transgresse it Let vs therefore adore and blesse this holy permission But since the Prouidence which doth permit the sinne doth infinitly hate it let vs also detest and hate it desiring with all our heart that sinne permitted may not be committed And in sequele of this desire let vs make vse of all the meanes possible to hinder the birth groth and raigne of sinne imitating our Sauiour therein who neuer ceaseath to exhort to promise to menace to prohibite to command and inspire vs to turne our will from sinne so farreforth as is possible without depriuing vs of libertie But when the sinne is once committed let vs endeauore what we are able to haue it blotted out as our Sauiour who assured Carpus aboue mentioned that if it were requisit he was readie to suffer death againe to deliuer one onely soule from sinne But if the Sinner waxe obstinate let vs weepe THEO moane praie for him together with our Sauiour who hauing all his life time shed an aboundance of teares vpon sinners and such as did represent theÌ„ died in the end his eyes full of teares his bodie goarie with blood lamenting the losse of sinners This affection touched Dauid so to the quicke that he fell into a traunce vpon it I haue sownded saieth he for sinners abandoning thy law And the great Apostle protest's that a continuall sorrow possesseth his
conserue life after Charities death who gaue them life The Lake which profane authours doe commonly call Asphalitus and sacred authours MARE-MORTVVM hath so heauie a curse put vpon it that nothing that is put into it can liue when the fish of Iordaine doe come neere it they die vnlesse they speedily returne backe against the streame The trees vpon the brims of it produce nothing aliue and though their fruit be in apparance and autward shew like to the fruits of other countries howbeit when on puls them they are found to be skinne and core being full of asshes which flie away in the wind These be the markes of infamous sinns for the punishment whereof this Coūtrie which was peopled with three populous Cities was of old conuerted into a pit of filth and corruption and nothing was deamed better to represent the mischeife of sinne then this abominable Lacke which had its origine from the most execrable disorder that could be cōmitted by mans bodie Sinne therefore as a dead and mortall sea kills all that comes neere it nothing is found liuing in the soule which it possesseth nor all about it O God THEO nothing for sinne is not onely a dead worke but is withall so infections and venimous that the most excellent vertues of the sinfull soule doe produce no liuing action And though the actions of sinners haue oftentimes a great resemblance with those of the iust man yet are they indeede barkes onely stuffed with wind and dust whē they are truely looked into and are rewarded of God onely by some present benefits which are bestowed vpō thē as vpon the chambermaids children yet are they such barkes as neither are nor can be so tasted and relished by the Diuine Iustice as to be rewarded with an eternall crowne they die vpon the trees and cannot be conserued in the hand of God being voyd of true worth as it is saied in the Apocalypse to the Bishop of Sardis who was reputed a liuing tree by reason of diuers vertues which he practised and yet dead he was for that being in sinne his vertues were not true liuing fruits but dead barkes glorious to the eyes but no wayes sauorie to the palate so that we may all cast out this true voice following the holy Apostle without Charitie I am nothing nothing doth profit me and with S. AVGVSTINE saie Giue Charitie to a heart and all doth profit depriue it of Charitie and nothing doth profit it I meane towards life euerlasting for as we haue saied the vertuous works of sinners are profitable to our temporall life But my deare THEO what doth it profit a man to gaine all the world temporally if he loose his soule eternally How holy Loue returning into the soule doth reuiue all the works which sinne had slayne CHAPTER XII 1. THe works then of a sinner while he is depriued of Charitie are not profitable to eternall life and therevpon they are called dead works whereas contrariwise the good works of the iust man are saied to be liuing for that the Diuine Loue doth animate and quicken them with its dignitie And if afterwards they loose their life and worth by sinne they are held to be workes that are deaded extinguished or mortified onely but not quite deade especially in the Elect for as our Sauiour speaking of the little Tabitha Iarus his daughter said she was not dead but slept onely because she continued dead so small a time till she was resuscitated that it seemed rather to be a sleepe then a true death So the works of the iust man but especially of the elect who by the commission of sinne dyeth are not called dead works but onely deaded mortified stounded or put into a trance because vpon the next returne of holy Loue they either ought or at least may reuiue and returne to life againe Sinn 's returne depriues the soule and all her workes of life the returne of Grace doth restore life to the soule and all her actions A sharpe winter doth dead all the plants of the fields so that if it continued still they would still continew in the state of death Sinne the sad and daunting winter of the soule doth quayle all the holy workes that it finds there in and if it did alwayes continew neuer would any thing recouer either life or vigour But as in the returne of the pleasant spring not onely the seedes which are sowē by the helpe of this delightfull and fruitfull season doe gratefully bud and blossome euery one in his kind but euen the old plants which the rigour of the winter past had bitten withered and deaded waxe greene and doe resume new force vertue and life So sinne being blotted out and the grace of Diuine Loue returning into the soule the new affections which this spring of grace doth bring doe blossome and bring forth ample merites and blessings but the works that are dried vp and withered by the rigour of the winter of sinns ouer passed as being deliuered from their mortall enemye resume their force waxe strong and as risen from the dead they florish a new and store vp merits for the eternall life Such is the omnipotencie of Diuine Loue or the Loue of the Diuine omnipotencie If the impious turne away himselfe from his impietie and shall doe iudgement and iustice he shall viuificate his soule conuert and doe penance for all your iniquities and iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you saieth our Lord. And what is that iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you but that the ruine which it made shall be repaired So besides a thousand courtisies that the prodigall sonne receiued at his Fathers hands he was reestablished euen with aduantage in all his ornaments graces fauours and dignities which he had lost And IOB that innocent picture of a penitent sinner did in the end receiue the double of that which he had Verily it is the Councell of Trēts desire that we should encourage the penitents that are returned into fauour with God allmightie in these words of the Apostle Abound in euery good worke knowing that your labour is not vnprofitable in our Lord for God is not vniust to forget your worke and the Loue which you haue showen in his name God then doth not forget the works of those who by sinne hauing lost loue recouers it againe by penance Now God is saied to forget our workes whē they loose their merite and sanctitie by sinne committed and he remembers them when they returne to life and vigour by the presence of holy Loue. So that amongst the faithfull it is not necessarie to the reward of their good works as well by the encrease of grace and future glorie as by the enioying of life euerlasting in effect that one fall not into sinne but it is sufficient according to the Councell of Trent that one depart this life in God's grace and charitie 2. God hath promised an eternall reward to the works of a iust man but if the