good of himself as says the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. Not that we are sufficient to think any thing of our selves as of our selves but our Sufficiency is of God This takes away Presumption and that he can do all things through Christ more fully and perfectly than by himself the Apostle being witness I can do all things in him who strengthens me This takes away Despair which two things to wit Presumption and Despair are very noxious to spiritual Persons and often impugne them also ever before God to acknowledge not only how vile he is but also how vile he may be and might have been if God had not prevented and this takes away all swelling Pride And that God will exact an Acconut of all Evil committed and all Good omitted and all Graces neglected both for himself and for the Community this gives just Fear Also to receive all Good as from God giving it and this excludes false Love and infers Gratitude And to receive all Evil as from God graciously permitting it for our Profit and this infers Patience The more any one profits in these the more he tends to a spiritual Life and grows and is confirmed in it He has an Argument of true Spiritual Life whose Spirit absolutely over-rules the Flesh who is as sensible of any spiritual Damage as corporal and as much shuns the Place Time and Persons where and by whom he may be hurt in Spirit as where he may be hurt and incommodated in Body and as speedily takes care to cure his Spirit as his Flesh yea has so much more care of his Spirit as his Spirit is more worthy than his Body He also has an Argument of true spiritual Life who is as much delighted in spiritual Food as in corporal and does as unwillingly neglect at any time his spiritual Food as his corporal and does as orderly take it as his corporal and does as much compel himself to it when he has no Appetite as sick Persons are compelled to corporal Food when they loath it Another Argument of spiritual Life is if a man be as diligent about his Spirit as about his Flesh if he be as ready to obey in all things his spiritual Physician for the health of his Spirit and Soul as the corporal Physician for the Health of his Body if he be as solicitous to get the Grace which he wants in Prosperity and Adversity which he wants towards Friends and towards Enemies which he wants when he is praised and when he is dispraised which he wants alone before God and which he wants amongst Men as he is sollicitous about Flesh and Fish or about Summer and Winter Garments if he labour as much to get multiply conserve and profitably to expend spiritual gifts as a secular Person does concerning temporal goods and is so much more diligent about his Spirit than his Body by how much his Spirit is more worthy than his Body Concerning all these things the Apostle says Rom. 8. They who walk according to the Flesh savour the things of the Flesh But they who walk according to the Spirit savour the things of the Spirit An Argument of a carnal Life is to live according to the Rule of the Flesh St. Augustin He lives according to the Flesh who lives according to himself that is goes whither he will sleeps when he will and as long as he will speaks what he will and to whom he will and when he will eats and drinks when he will and as much as he will laughs and takes filthy Pleasure amongst whom he will and when he will In fine whatsoever is sweet to his Smell he seeks it whatsoever is soft to his sense of touching whatsoever is delightful to his Eyes whatsoever is pleasing to his Body he exercises and follows it as he will and when he will because he carnally wills all things lawful and unlawful He is delighted in fine Cloaths Horses and Arms as he will and when he will And so he lives and is delighted not according to God but carnally and fulfills all the desires of the Flesh as he will and when he will Another Argument of a carnal Life is Liberty of Tongue whence follows a Distraction of Heart according to that James 1. If any man think himself to be religious not bridling his Tongue but seducing his own Heart this mans Religion is vain Therefore it is written Prov 21. He who keeps his Mouth and his Tongue keeps his Soul from Straits chap. 18. Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue CHAP. XXIX Of Maturity TRUE Maturity is when all the Affections and Forces of the Soul are unanimously gathered up into God Hereby the Mind is restrained from Vanity and the five Senses from their Allurements but when the Soul recedes from that blessed Union forthwith it is entangled with diverse Vanities for all things under Heaven are Vanity as says Ecclesiastes ch 1. The most holy Example of our Lord Jesus ought to induce us to true Maturity concerning whose Seriousness St. Augustin writes thus We read that our Lord Jesus was sad wept was weary from travelling suffered Reproaches and Injuries Spittle Whips the Cross but we never read that he laughed or enjoyed the Prosperity of this Life Hence all the Elect rejoyce in themselves when they begin to be wearied with the Adversities of the World and not to be vainly deceived with any of it's Prosperities knowing that there is another Life to follow Also because the Holy Scripture much dispraises Dissolution and Laughter according to that Eccles 2. I looked upon Laughter as an Error and to Joy I said why art thou in vain deceived And Prov. 14. Laughter shall be mingled with Grief and Joy ends in mourning And the Psalmist speaks thus to the Lord Psal 30. Thou hast hated those who occupy themselves in deceitful Vanities without Profit And especially the Commination of our Lord Jesus Luke 6. Woe unto you who now laugh because ye shall lament and weep Also because it much withdraws any one from the Familiarity of God and obstructs the Perception of Divine Graces He has an Argument of true Maturity who neither by idle Words nor by Deeds nor Signs nor dissolute Gate nor by any other Behaviour provokes others to Levity but always in himself and others from his Heart detests Dissoluteness He avoids all places where are occasions of Levity and all dissolute Company that he may conserve Maturity knowing That he who will touch Pitch shall be defiled thereby Eccles 13. And he who converses with dissolute Persons will not avoid Dissoluteness Such an one was B. Job who was so mature and sober that dissolute Persons avoided his Presence as he himself says chap. 29. The Young men saw me and hid themselves And he had such a custom of Maturity that if the contrary were seen in him no body would believe it whence he says in the same Chapter If at any time I laughed at them they did not believe me and
or desire to Please or Liberty or some other Delight moves one to hear Confessions or to some other Spiritual Work here it is hardly discerned which of these most affects the Mind of him that labours or Works yet it is an evident sign that some of the forementioned Inducements do more move than God and the Salvation of Soul when one hears more willingly the Rich Noble Young and Beautiful than the Poor Ignoble Old and Deformed And when one is Delighted to be oftner and longer with those than with these and perhaps with less Fruit when notwithstanding they have as Holy Consciences as those or more Holy and are as obedient or more to Counsels as they and as much or more study perfection as they and as much or more please God as they Witness S. James Chap. 2. Has not God chosen the Poor in this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which God has promised to those who love him but ye have dishonoured the Poor To wit not regarding him in whom notwithstanding Christ is chiefly honoured As it is said in an Homily upon that Honour all men It is evident that in their Works many more seek themselves than God For those Works which have Labour and also some Comfort as are Preaching Confessing Governing and such like although there be great Danger in them yet every one is ready to undertake them But those Works which have only Labour and no Comfort in them as Fasting Watching Disciplines and such like although there be no danger in them yet every one avoids them as much as he can CHAP. XXVII Of Liberty TRUE Liberty is not to be tyed with the Bonds of Sins which do indeed bind us according to that Pro. 5. The transgressions of the Wicked apprehend him and he shall be bound with the cords of his Sins And indeed make him a slave according to that Jo. 8. Every one who commits Sin is a Slave of Sin For to sin is not Liberty nor any part of Liberty as saies S. Anselm but it 's the worst kind of Servitude From this kind of Servitude no Body is freed but by the help of the only Son of God as himself testifies If the Son shall have made you free ye shall be free indeed In the same Chapter He has true Liberty who is not taken with the desire of Temporal Things nor with the Praise nor with the Favour of men nor with self-complacency or displeasure of others nor with Carnal Friendship or servile Fear nor with the delight of Transitory Joy The consideration of the Divine Order which would have man to be Free ought to move us to the love of true Liberty in sign whereof he has given man free Will in this especially making him like to himself that he can be forced by none as neither can God be forced by any one That free Will God bestowed upon man saying in Ecclesiasticus Chap. 15. God made Man from the Beginning and left him in the hand of his own Counsel And a litle after He has set before thee Water and Fire to which thou wilt stretch forth thy hand Before man is Life and Death Good and Evil What he pleases shall be given unto him He is undoubtedly in the way to true Liberty who ties himself by the inviolable observance of the Divine Precepts and counsels his own Vows who refrains his Mind and Senses from pleasure who employs the members of his Body in no unlawfull things who heartily loves the Yoke of Obedience who labours with all his Might how he may please God The more any one applys himself to these things the sooner he obtains true Liberty and is more strongly rooted in it But who in this World freely does his own Will in all things as much as he can he is intangled in divers Snares of the Devil and when he thinks himself most free then is he most strongly and surely held in the Slavery and Captivity of the Devil He has an Argument of true Liberty who desires none of those things which alienate and estrange the Mind from the familiarity of God such are Superiority frequent Employment in exterior things too great Solicitude for the Commodities of the Flesh dissolution of Mind distraction in diversity of Business temerarious discussion of the Life and Conscience of others excusing or diminishing our own Defects Manifestation or Aggravation of the Defects of our Neighbours Another Argument of Liberty is a secure Confidence of Mind concerning the Remission of ones Sins both as to the blame and pain of them proceeding from a fervor of Heart which sometimes burns in the Heart as Fire in a Furnace which makes a Man who was before cold and languid hot and inflamed in Prayer which Fervor consumes all the stain and pain of Sin as Fire burns out the rust of Iron He has an Argument of Servitude and Captivity who detests the Yoke of Obedience who abhors charitable and brotherly Correction who daily contrives Revenge of the Injuries he suffers who is affected with Humane Praise and Favor who knowingly and pertinaciously employs himself in something which is against God and his own Conscience or against the Will of his Superiors who is delighted in the Reception or Collation of certain little Gifts or amicable Letters whence a Wise man says To receive Gifts is to sell ones Liberty And Job chap. 15. Fire shall consume their Tents who willingly receive Gifts That is the Fire of false love and consequently a Band of Servitude follows that Love Concerning him who gives Gifts Solomon says Prov. 22. He shall get Victory and Honor who gives Gifts but he takes away the Soul of the Receiver All these things take away a Mans Liberty from him and reduce him to a miserable Servitude for he cannot in Freedom of Spirit attend to God who is taken up with such things CHAP. XXVIII Of Religion TRUE Religion or Spiritual Life as St. James says ch 1. is To visit the Fatherless and Widdows in their Affliction and to keep ones self undefiled from this World He keeps himself undefiled from this World who absolutely renounces all secular manners and avoids as much as he can both carnal and spiritual Sins The Profit of a truly spiritual Life ought to move us thereunto concerning which the Scripture says Jo. 6. 'T is the Spirit which gives Life the Flesh profits nothing And that of the Apostle Rom. 8. They who are in the Flesh cannot please God Moreover he who would indeed become spiritual ought to fly and hate carnal Commodities that is detest carnal Desires which war against the Soul as says S. Peter 1 Ep. 2. and desire Asperities and carnal Incommodities for these conserve Grace as Thorns defend Herbs in a Garden for Grace flows out through the Mouth Eyes and Ears And as Fire and Water cannot be together so neither can carnal and spiritual Pleasure according to St. Bernard He must also know that a Man can do no
but himself and earnestly desires to be despised by all and greatly rejoyces when he is despised Such an one never fears Reproaches because he loves no Glory There is one who wickedly humbles himself and his inward parts are full of Deceit Eccles 19. But the truly humble says S. Bernard desires to be reputed vile not humble He who loves Humility ought to plant the Root of Humility in his Heart that is to acknowledge his own Frailty He ought to acknowledge not only how vile he is but also how vile he may be Yea also how vile he would be this very day unless God Almighty did violently restrain him from sinning and substract Temptations from him There every one may know himself and how that of his own Frailty he is disposed to fall into the Abyss and Gulf of all Vices according to that Thy Humiliation is in the middle of thy self Mich. 6. A frequent Exercise in humble Offices begets true Humility the holy Scripture testifying that he shall never attain the Vertue of Humility who shuns humble Works True Humility is cherished by this that a man truly and indeed acknowledge that he cannot overcome any Temptation carnal or spiritual of himself and that he is not able to do the least Good and acceptable Work to God without the special Assistance of Jesus Christ It is a sign of true Humility when a man so far depresses himself that he judges himself unworthy of all Grace nor dare he desire any Grace and if any Grace without his Desire flow in upon him from God he receives it with Fear nay he judges it more laudable to want the Grace of God than to have it which he has so often divers ways demerited and defiled and which he never enjoyed according to God's Appointment Also it is a Sign of true Humility always to seek the lowest Place the meanest Companions the humblest Office and the poorest Cloaths The Pride of the mind may be discerned two ways By an outward Argument according to that The Cloathing of a Man and his Laughter and his Gate shew what he is Eccl. 19. as a good or bad Tree is known by good or bad Fruit because all Works proceed from the Heart or Thought as says S. Augustin as a sweet or stinking Breath exhales out of a sound or corrupted Stomach as out of good or bad Spices laid up in it and as a wanton Eye is the Messenger of an unchaste Heart according to St. Augustin so outward Signs betray mens Intentions Pride is discerned by an inward Argument when one in his Heart takes pleasure in himself and prefers himself and desires to be preferred before others and when in his Deeds he desires and affects to please men Such an one is very unlike our humble Master Jesus Christ who neither pleased himself as St. Paul testifies but expected the Reproach of Men and Misery nor came to rule but to be subject as himself testifies Matth. 20. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve Therefore such a Master dissipates the Bones of Scholars who seek not to please God but Men who as the Psalmist testifies shall at length be confounded because God has despised them Psal 53. CHAP. III. Of Obedience to God TRue and perfect Obedience to God is when a Man diligently and often considers what in every Time and Place would best please God and what the wise God has especially ordered him to do and this with all his Might he always endeavours to fulfill Of Obedience to Superiors But true Obedience to the Vicars of Jesus Christ to wit Superiors is when the Subject faithfully and willingly performs what is most contrary to his Inclination never manifesting by any Sign Word or Deed that he has an Aversion from that he is commanded But there true Obedience cannot be seen where the Subject contrives the Precept and himself suggests the Work which he would gladly do St. Augustin testifying He is thy best Servant O Lord who does not desire to hear from thee what he would but rather would that which he shall hear from thee The truly obedient never expects an absolute Command but only knowing or believing the Will of his Superiour he fervorously executes it as if it were a Precept after the Examample of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom the Will and good Pleasure of his Father was the highest Command The truly obedient never disposes of his own Actions nor does he judge according to his own Sense nor does he declare his own Sense to any one concerning his own Actions seeing he has neither Will nor Nill but simply and securely he commits to God and his Superiour the entire Disposal of himself The truly obedient does not discern betwixt Good and Evil As Abraham when God Almighty commanded him to kill his Son did not discern whether it was good or evil nor does he discern betwixt good and better For he always judges that to be best which is commanded even when it is doubtful unless the Command should appear manifestly to be sinful for then according to S. Gregory We must know that never any ill thing must be done for Obedience but sometimes a good thing we are a doing ought to be intermitted for Obedience The same S. Gregory says moreover But because sometimes the desireable things of this World are commanded and sometimes the contrary It is greatly to be remarked That Obedience sometimes if it have any thing of it's own 't is of no value and other times unless it have something of it's own 't is little worth for when the agreeable things of this World are commanded a higher place for example He who out of Obedience accepts of these things he evacuates in himself the Virtue of Obedience if he also aspire after these things by his own proper Desire For he does not guide himself by Obedience who in accepting the grateful things of this Life serves the Lust of his own Ambition Again when the despicable things of this World Disgraces and Contumelies are commanded unless the Soul of it self desire these things it lessens to it self the merit of Obedience because forced and unwilling it descends to those things which are despised in this Life And a little after Obedience therefore in things that are displeasing it ought to have something of it self and again in those things that are pleasing it ought not by any means to have any thing of it self To the end that in things that are displeasing it may be so much more glorious by how much it is joyned to the divine Disposition even with Desire And in things that are pleasing it may be so much more true by how much it is more heartily separated from the present Glory which it partakes by the Divine Order The motive of true Obedience is the exact Obedience of Jesus Christ who was obedient in all things not only to God his Father saying Notwithstanding not my Will but thine be done Luke 22. but
their Heads plucked off and the tops of their Hands and Feet cut off were tormented alive in Brazen Pots 2 Machab. 7. And Eleazarus would not dissemble to eat unlawful flesh but said he would rather go down to the grave 2 Machab. 6. He has true Constancy who never ceases from the Divine Praises According to that Psal 33. I will bless the Lord at all times his Praise shall be ever in my mouth c. Nor does he cease from a fervent Desire of profiting For S. Leo Pope testifieth None of us is so perfect and holy but he may be still more perfect and more holy And also Then we begin to be in danger of growing worse when we cease to desire to grow better We ought to be incited to true Constancy by the Constancy of Martyrs and especially of Virgins who in their frail Sex by their Constancy deserved eternal Glory But we ought much more to be moved to Constancy by the Pertinacy of Jews Hereticks and other perverse men in their Wickednesses who for their Perfidiousness and Pertinacy in their Iniquities are grievously tormented in their Consciences here and expect more grievous Torments both in Soul and Body hereafter An Argument of true Constancy is when one neither for loss of Life nor Goods ceases from those things which are pleasing to God So Tobias ceased not to bury the Dead for which thing King Sennacherib had taken away all his Goods and moreover had commanded him to be killed Tob. 1.2 So Daniel did not cease to pray Dan. 6. So the Apostles after the Resurrection of Christ our Lord ceased not from the Manifestation of his Name neither for whipping nor for the Fear of Death Peter and John saying to their Adversaries If it be just in the sight of God to hear You rather than God judge Ye Act. 4. Peter also and the Apostles said unto them Act. 5. We must obey God rather than Man It is an Argument of Inconstancy when any one departs from the way of Justice to obtain the Favour of Men or some temporal Gain as Balaam did who for the Gifts and Friendship of Balack would curse the People of Israel against the Commandment of the Lord Numb 22. Or for fear of parting with temporal Goods as that rich man who went sad away from our Lord Jesus when he counsell'd him Perfection for he had many Possessions and Riches which he loved Matth. 19. Or for fear of corporal Sufferings as the Apostles all fled away from their beloved Lord Jesus Christ Mat. 26. But Mattathias contemning the Honour which was shewn him by the Messengers of King Antiochus and the Gifts that were promised him forsaking all fled into the Mountains that he might keep the Law of his Lord. Also neither the Desire of Favour nor the fear of Temporal Losses withdrew him from the way of Justice 1 Mach. 2. In like manner neither did the fear of corporal Sufferings withdraw St. Stephen from the just way but looking up to Heaven amidst Showers of Stones he remained fixed in Christ Acts 7. In like manner also Paul who said Acts 21. I am ready not only to be bound but also to dye at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus CHAP. XVII Of Liberality TRUE and perfect Liberality is when any one cheerfully administers temporal Relief to all that are in Need according to his Power yea also being required he willingly communicates spiritual Goods to all those who want them in confessing and preaching in giving Counsel and Instruction nor is he ready only to assist those who desire such things but also even to those who do not desire and care not for his Instruction and Preaching according to the Apostle Opportunely and Importunely 2 Tim. 4. Yea to the unwilling and to those who know nothing of it he communicates Prayers Sighs and Tears before God Nor is the truly Liberal satisfied with this unless he moreover wholly spend himself in Study Meditation and in other holy Works continually for the Salvation of his Neighbours To this Liberality we ought to be induced by a desire of Conformity to God who does so continually impart his gifts temporal and spiritual to all even to those who do not ask them and above all these things communicates the Flesh and Blood of his most beloved Son Jesus Christ Nor does it satisfie him simply to give his Gifts unless also he give himself without Measure in every Gift He commends his Liberality that denies his Gift to none though never so much his Enemy yea very often by Night and by Day he imparts his Gifts to every one tho' he be never so much offended by any one In this he approves his Liberality that whensoever he finds any Opportunity in a Receiver he can by no means contain himself from permitting an immediate Efflux of spiritual gifts from him although by his infinite Wisdom he foreknows that he who receives those Gifts will shortly lose them or immediately defile them or fight against him with those very Gifts It ought to move us hereunto that what we give is not our own but anothers and the Proverb tells us we may cut large Thongs out of another's Hide Whence S. Chrysostom Thou oughtest not to be so sparing even of thine own but when thy Lord's Goods are committed to thee why so tenacious why so close fisted An Argument of true Liberality is when any one cheerfully gives what he has to those who are in Need without any Desert of theirs freely and without hope of Recompence or Return so our Lord Jesus gave both himself and all he had and this is the top of Perfection Nor does it satisfie the truly Liberal to give his Goods in time of Necessity he offers himself even unto Death for the Salvation of his Neighbours as S. John teaches us saying 1 John 3. By this we have known Gods Love because he has laid down his Life for us and we ought to lay down our Lives for our Brethren To this Superiours are more especially obliged This Liberality the Apostle had saying 2 Cor. 12. I will most willingly spend my self and be spent for your Souls The same says also 1 Cor. 15. Brethren I die daily for your Glory That is I suffer Dangers of Death The truly Liberal without hopes of Recompence or Return gives whatsoever he is whatsoever he has and whatsoever he can do to God to the eternal Encrease of his Divine Praise to all Angels and Saints to their perpetual Joy and Exultation to all Sinners to their Conversion to all the Just and Perfect to the Conservation and Confirmation of their Perfection to all in Purgatory to the Mitigation and Abbreviation of their Pains An Argument of false Liberality is when any one gives that he may be praised by others or least he should be worse esteemed others giving or that he may be freed from the Clamors of the Poor and then he loses both his Gift and Merit He also is falsly liberal
annihilation of ones self and a due reverence of Heart So David magnified the Gifts of the Commandments of God saying Psal 118. I have loved thy commandements above Gold and Topaz Stones And Solomon extolled the gift of Wisdom saying Pro. 8. Wisdom is better than all the most pretious Riches and every thing that is desirable cannot be compared unto it He has true Gratitude who thinks himself unworthy of all the Gifts of God And by how much he reputes and judges himself more unworthy of the Favors of God by so much the more does the Gratitude of his mind increase For all those things which thou hast given us O Christ thou requirest nothing of us but that we would be saved and thou also giving this very thing as it were thankest the Receivers S. Chrysostom The consideration of the Giver ought to move us to Gratitude who is Omnipotent the most Noble the most Loving the most Faithfull the Best the most Happy and the most Perfect Also the greatness of the Gifts For there is no gift so small eirher corporal or spiritual which comes from God in which the immense God is not included with all his Divine Virtue the affection also of the giver is to be pondered For he does not give himself by halves or with Indignation that he may be freed of us but out of all his Divine Desire out of all his Love and Goodness the profit also of the Gifts is to be considered For he gives every one of them that we may know love and enjoy him and to make us happy We ought to weigh also what it is that compels him to give not the fear of any Evil or hope of any Good nor any Vertue of ours but his own immense and eternal Goodness Our Unworthiness also ought to be reflected on who are not worthy even of our very Life nor have we deserved to be even Worms amongst his other Creatures The profit also of Gratitude ought to move us hereunto for it opens the Fountain of Deity and moves God to pour out himself upon us as Ingratitude dryes up the Founof the Divine Deity the dew of Mercy the streams of Grace The greater Gratitude there is in the Soul the more apt it is to receive Grace and the more the All-bountiful God is compell'd to give it He has an Argument of true Gratitude who having maturely pondered all the above mentioned motives to Gratitude reverently receives the Divine Graces and with all his Heart gives thanks for them all litle and great and having received them from his most Loving Lord with his utmost endeavour strives to keep them undefiled For how was the gift of the Friend gratefull which was not gratefully received and which was so soon Voluntarily defiled and lost Nor do we need Gratitude only for those things which are to our Comfort but also for those which are to our Affliction for God gives both out of the same Goodness and Charity Hence Tobias sayes Ch. 11. I bless thee O Lord God of Israel because thou hast chastized me and thou hast saved me For in order to equal Grace in this Life and Glory in the other God gives Devotion to men and permits Tribulation to happen to them or for their gteater Profit as he permitted to Job who said Chap. 2. If we have received good things from the hand of God why should we not receive Evil As if he should say we ought gratefully to receive both CHAP. XXVI Of Zeal of Souls TRUE and perfect Zeal of Souls is when one by holy Meditations by fervent Desires by Tears Prayers Watchings Fastings by Preachings by Confessions by Counsel by Instruction and by other good Works labours for the Salvation of Souls Now how great this Grace is Venerable Bede thus describes What Grace is more sublime and what Conversation more grateful to God than theirs whose daily Business it is to convert Souls to the favour of their Maker and always to be encreasing the Joy of the celestial Country by their frequent Acquisition of faithful Souls Also St. Gregory says There is no such Sacrifice to the omnipotent God as is the Zeal of Souls And this in regard of the Image of the B. Trinity imprinted upon Souls The Example of Jesus Christ ought to move us to the Zeal of Souls who all his Life long with so great Fervor thirsted after the Conversion of Sinners and the Perfection of those that were good that for the Recovery of lost Souls he offered his particular Members to particular Torments and at last his very Life to a most shameful Death as St. Bernard testifies So great was his Zeal for the Reconciliation of Man that he did not attend his own Stipend so he might gain the lost Sheep O! How great is the Dignity of Souls and how great is the Zeal of God for Souls for whose Redemption the Son of God offered all his precious blood to God his Father when notwithstanding one drop of such precious blood would have sufficed for the Redemption of all mankind as saies S. Ambrose and especially when hereby no happiness could accrew to him nor decrease from him This nobiliy of Souls the Wisdom of God knew which is unknown to us which S. Bernard laments saying Alas how title do we remark the Nobleness of the Soul which being present the Body lives whose absence proves what its presence gave Which God so much esteemed that he gave his only begotten Son for it which the Devil so much prized that he offered the whole world for it He has an Argument of true Fervor who neither regards his own Life nor Body so he may gain Souls to Christ This Zeal David had when he said Who may give me that I may dy for thee O Absalon my Son my Son Absalon 2 Sam. 18. And the Apostle when he saies 2 Cor 12. I most willingly will spend my self and be spent for your Souls 1 Cor. 15. Brethren I dy dayly for your Glory that is I suffer the dangers of Death And S. Dominick when he would have sold himself for a certain Captive detained by the Saracens And again for another who remained amongst Hereticks for want of necessary sustenance Whom notwithstanding the wise God hindred from being sold for the Salvation of many Souls He has an Argument of false Fervor who in his Spiritual Works is more solicitous for gifts than for Souls Such is not the Devil who was figured in the King of the Sodomites who said to Abraham Gen. 14. Give me the Souls take the rest to thy self And he who labours more for the Friendship or Favor of Men than for their Sanctity and Perfection such an one cannot say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. I seek not yours but you But it is to be noted that whensoever two things move to any Work to wit God and somewhat else it is hard to discern which moves most For example the Salvation of the Soul and the hope of Gain or Favor
he reveal his secret to his Servants But he revealed all his Will and all Perfection to his Apostles by his only begotten Son as he says Jo. 15. All things whatsoever which I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you To the end that they might reveal the same to Posterity which also they have faithfully done For their sound went out into all the Earth and their Words unto the ends of the World Psal 18. But amongst the Apostles he revealed and declared his greatest Secrets to S. John the Evangelist and to S. Paul Amongst other things he revealed to them the eight Beatitudes saying Mat. 5. Blessed are the poor in Spirit c. Blessed are the Meek c. which Beatitudes contain in them great Perfection and declare the perfect Will of God There is a difference betwixt Contemplation Meditation and Cogitation for in Cogitation the Mind wanders in Meditation it finds out something in Contemplation it admires Cogitation is without Labour and without Fruit Meditation is with Labour and with Fruit Contemplation is without Labour and with Fruit. We are brought to the Contemplation of God by three Degrees concerning which St. Gregory The first is That the Soul recollect it self to it self The Second is that it see it self what it is thus recollected The Third is That it arise above it self and submit it self attending to the Contemplation of it's invisible Maker But it can by no means recollect it self to it self unless it have first learnt to restrain the Phantasms of terrestrial and celestial Images from the Eye of the Mind unless it have learnt to reject and trample upon whatsoever shall occur to it's Thought from the corporeal Sight Hearing Smelling Tasting or Touching that it may seek it self such within as it is without those for whilst it thinks upon those things it turns over within it self as it were certain shadows of Bodies Therefore all those things are to be driven away from the Eyes of the Mind by the hand of Discretion that the Soul may consider it self such as it is created under God above the Body that being vivificated by the Superior it may vivificated the Inferior which it administers We often will consider the invisible nature of Almighty God but we are not able and the Soul wearied with those difficulties returns to it self and makes to it self of it self degrees of Ascensions that first of all if it be able it may consider it self and then find out that Nature which is above it as far as it is able But if our Mind shall be dispersed in carnal Images it is by no means sufficient to consider it self or the Nature of the Soul because by as many Thoughts as it is lead it is as it were blinded by so many Obstacles The first Degree therefore is that the Soul c. The Motives to Contemplation are the ineffable Sweetness which is there perceived the admirable Perfection which is there learn'd the principal of all Beatitude which is there found for the Fountain of all Beatitude the most High God is there known and what is known that is loved and what is truly loved is desired and laboured for that it may be obtained and what is industriously laboured for that is at length acquired and when at length it shall be acquired it is possessed with endless Delight Of this St. Bernard A Soul which has once learnt of our Lord and has received of him to enter into her self and in her most inward recesses to pant after the presence of God and to seek his Face alwayes for God is a Spirit and they who seek him must walk in the Spirit and not in the Flesh that they may live according to the Flesh Such a Soul I say I know not whether she would count it more horrible and painful to experiment Hell it self for a time than after having tasted the Sweetness of this spiritual Study to go out again to the Allurements or rather to the Troubles of the Flesh and to return to the insatiable Curiosity of the Senses Ecclesiastes saying chap. 2. The Eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the Ear with hearing For hear an experienced man what he says Thou art good says he O Lord to those who hope in thee to the Soul which seeks thee From this Good if any one should have endeavoured to have averted that holy Soul I believe he would hardly have taken it otherwise than if he should have seen himself to have been cast out of Paradise and from the very Entrance of Glory Hear yet another like unto this My Heart says he has said to thee my Face has sought thee thy Face O Lord will I seek Whence he said But it is good for me to adhere to God And also speaking to his Soul he says Be converted O my Soul into thy Rest because the Lord has done well unto thee I say therefore unto you that there is nothing which one who has received this Favour does so much fear as lest being left by the Divine Grace it should be necessary for him to go out again to the Consolations yea the Desolations of the Flesh and again to suffer the Tumults of his carnal Senses In this Contemplation was St. Augustin when he said But it displeased me that I lived in the World and it was a great burden to me my sensual Desires not now inflaming me as they were wont with the hope of Honour and Money to endure that so grievous Servitude For now those things did not delight me by reason of thy sweetness and of the beauty of thy House which I loved He has an Argument of true Contemplation who is weary of living in this miserable World saying with B. Tobias chap. 3. It is better for me to dye than to live And with H. Job chap. 10. My Soul is weary of my Life And with St. Paul Rom. 7. Vnhappy Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death And he who thirsts after the Fountain of Life saying with the Psalmist As the Hart thirsts after Fountains of Water so thirsts my Soul after thee O God Psal 41. Whence St. Gregory A contemplative Life is to retain indeed in the heart the Love of God and our Neighbour but to rest from exterior Action and to inhere only in the desire of the Creator so that nothing is now to be done but all Cares being trampled under Foot the Soul burns with desire to see the Face of it's Creator so that now it knows how to bear with Grief the weight of the corruptible Flesh and with all it's Forces to desire to be present amidst the sweet-singing Quires of Angels and to be mixed with the caelestial Citizens to rejoyce before God for eternal Incorruption He has an Argument of false Contemplation who holds something concerning God or some Perfection of God contrary to the Holy Scriptures which notwithstanding he temerariously defends by Reasons And hence came Heresies of