particularly of the exceeding greatnesse of the inestimable divine piety For all things are common to all in respect of him who is all in All For there the Virgin shall rejoice at the merit of the holy Widdow there the Widdow shall rejoice at the priviledge of the Chast Maid There the Confessors shall be made glad at Triumph of the Martyr there the Martyr shal dance for joy at the Crown of the Confessors there the Prophet shall give thanks for the pious and holy conversation of the Patriarchs there the Patriarchs shall be glad for the faith and speculation of the Prophets there the Apostles and Angells shall rejoice at the merit of all that are inferiour unto them there all the inferiour shall make joy for the glory of all those that are above them For from that tye and bond of holy and perfect Charity it shall come to pass that every one shall have that within another which he hath not of his own merit SOVLE O Man as yet these are not sufficient to ease my mind wherefore I pray thee do not pass over to explicate some things particularly and distinctly of the forsaid banquet MAN O My Soule Thou hast known that as wee are able though unperfectly we resound or Eccho forth the high mysteries of God nor is it a wonder seeing we are very unapt to understand how should we be sufficient to speak when those things which blindly we contemplate are truer then they can be understood and they are more truly understood then they can be expressed by words Notwithstanding that I may not protract thee too long heare what my Intellect imagineth although as yet my affection tasteth but little I think that those seaven Sons of whom we have before mentioned are all the Saints and Elect spirits of God the heirs and sonnes of the most Omnipotent Father These do make banquets every one at appointed time when they feed one another with Heavenly joyes wherein of their own merits every one particularly no preferre or give most delicious dishes according to the Glory bestowed on them In the first day therefore the first begotten that is that number of Heavenly Angells who not unworthily are entitled the first borne because they are the first in Creation and consersation with God from whom they have never departed by sinne but alwayes with constant Charity have cleaved unto God the Father and before all have happily possessed that blessed Heritage of the Celestiall Kingdome These O my Soul bestow upon thee in that feast divers delicious and pretious dishes when every order doth administer particular Joyes from that which it more excellently hath received of his reward Now weigh O my soule what dainties those high Seraphicall spirits bestow on thee who are so nigh unto the eternall Father that there are no other spirits as a Medium between him and them who do more immediatly contemplate him and more perfectly enjoy his eternall good things What joy thinkest thou do these give of the noblenesse of nature what of the clearnesse of Contemplation what of the sincerity of love These therefore that is those that are nominated Seraphims do adorne this banquet with the ardour of divine Charity The Cherubims with the splendour of eternall cleerness The Thrones with the equity or uprightness of the divine Majesty Dominations also glorifie this banquet by the excellency of ruling over others The Principalities by the magnificence of taking charge or councelling the inferiours The Angells by the authority of expelling evill and maligne spirits The Arch-Angells by the dignity of declaring high mysteries The Angells by the Agility of reveiling the lesser secrets of the divine knowledge Behold thou seest how every one particularly doth feed the minds of the Saints with Celestiall joyes with such things which they have received in that Celestiall Court Nor is it to be marvelled at that these spirits do give unto us for our joy these things before spoken of and many other as yet more unknown unto us who so faithfully so sweetly and so lovingly do guard and preserve us in this vale of tears and with all their power earnestly desire to bring us to that Country of eternall beatitude St. Bern. O if any one could know in what manner they prevent us the chiefest being joyned to the singers in middle of the young Virgins playing on Timbrells hee should see forthwith with what care or with what respect they are amiddest them singing are present with them praying are in them meditating are over them or remaine with them reposing are present with them for their help O Empty and â—â—ngerstarven soule if thou couldest but inwardly receive one crumme falling from the Table of their Lord in this Banquet I think from that present thou wouldest impapatiently endure this peregrination I think if thou hadst but tasted one drop of the Wine of their drink thou wouldest loath and disdaine all the sweetness of this world St. Greg. in his Morals if the heart understand by tast once be fastened in celestial things it is by and by discerned how abject and base those things are which before seemed of great account O my beloved soule what shall I say of the Banquet of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Virgins which by other six Sonnes are not unworthily prefigured For every one of these will render so many dishes in this feast as he had vertuous works in this life And who is able to declare how great joy every soule shall receive of the most perfect humility of the holy Patriarchs of the most certaine confidence of the Prophets of the most ardent charity of the Apostles of the couragiousnesse and patience of the Martyrs of the Piety and clemency of the Confessors of the Chastity and continency of the Virgins and the same Saint Gregory saith Truly my voice and tongue faileth In a Homily on St. Luke because my understanding is not able to comprehend how great joy it is to be present with the Quires of Angells to assist with the most blessed spirits the Glory of our Creatour to discerne the countenance of God present to see the unlimited light to be affected with no feare of death to rejoyce and be glad at the gift of perpetuall incorruption O how happy will that day be unto thee when thou shalt returne to the Heritage of thy Fathers and when thou shalt be received of them all with an inestimable joy and happily brought into the bed of the highest King Rouze up thy selfe O my soule and with that famous Queen of Sheba ascend into that Heavenly Hierusalem with the perfumes of vertue with the treasures of good works with great preparations of Celestiall desires and diligently contemplate every particular and behold that truth exceedeth fame that the glory exceedeth all report if perhaps by the greatnesse and noblenesse of admiration thou canst be ravished of thy humane spirit and after a certaine wonderfull manner be transformed into a divine spirit
turne thy face from me For though I have Judged my selfe unworthy to eat of the bread of thy Children yet I have expected with earnest desire to eat at the least of the Crummes falling from their Table but alas though with with open mouth I have earnestly expected yet I have alwayes been frustrated MAN O My soule the former things which thou hast most lamentably complained of happen by a two fold reason Sometimes of the very pious and wholsome dispensation of the divine goodnesse In his Morals Whereupon Saint Gregory The just God is wont to deferre the complaints of them that Petition him for a time that their desires might encrease to that end they may rather be heard for their good by how much the sooner they are not heard at their desire Holy desires encrease by delayes Item in Homilia for if they faint at the denyall thereof they were not desires For although God of his goodnesse is most clement notwithstanding sometimes it happeneth that he protracteth that which he most willingly would give that thou mayst learne earnestly and ardently to desire great things and more carefully to preserve them obtained with thanksgiving Also sometimes he prolongs his benefits by reason of the inordinate disposition of the Asker Hee is altogether our of the way that thinketh any one can mix that Heavenly sweetnesse with this dust that divine Balsome with this poisonous joy those Graces of the Holy Ghost with the allurements of this World But now O my soule that I may not longer keep thee in dalliance nor longer afflict thee by expectation cleanse thy understanding from vaine and unprofitable Phantasies from naturall and curious reasons from extravagant and overmuch curious employments in the sciences Also cleanse thy affection from sinne from the sequell of sinne and from the occasion or cause thereof Lift up thy reason dilate and declare thy affection enter into the joy of thy Lord which neither Eye in this life hath perfectly seen nor eare hath heard nor hath it ascended into the heart of man Be vehement therefore O my soule in the love and desire of the supernall life of the Saints where there is action not laborious rest not Idle or slothfull where there is life without defection or revolt divine prayse without cessation Haec Aug. Saint Bern. Rejoyce therefore and be glad and consider the reward of thy labour which truly is so much that it cannot be numbred so great that it cannot be measured so pretious that it cannot be terminated SOVLE O Man thou hast now spoken much in generall tell me I pray thee of all in particular because wee understand those things better which are particularly distinguished then those which a generally related MAN O My Soule What can I say when I behold the future joy Now I almost faint with admiration because the joy shall be within us and without us under us and over us nigh us and round about us Thou shalt therefore rejoice in all thou shalt rejoice of all Thy joy I beleive is prefigured in the Apocalipse by that blessed woman which was clothed with the Sun and the Moon was under her feet and a Crown of twelve Stars about her head This woman as I think is a blessed Soule the Daughter Bride and Queen of the eternall King A Daughter by the Creation of Nature a Bride by the Adoption of Grace a Queen by the Collation of Glory This Soule is well sayd to be clothed with the Sun because shee is adorned with the Splendor of divine cleerness crowned with the Dignity of eternall felicity In which happiness for the speciall comliness there are 12 Joyes figured by the Stars by which the Celestiall happines is beautified and adorned These joyes O my Soule thou oughest dayly devoutly to contemplate seek no consolation of thy present misery sojourning in hope patiently and joyfully to sustain all tribulation of this present life O my Soul thou shouldst not be perplext if evil men flourish in this world and thou sufferest Beda that they shall rejoyce and that thou shalt be vexed Alas wicked men have no share in the celestiall joy neither shouldest thou care if thou shouldest have no share in this world but by the hope of that joy at which thou aimest thy Affection may joyfully and patiently endure whatsoever hapneth to thee in the way of adversity Haec Beda St. Ber. O my Soul if at any time worldly joyes the false glory the short and frail power thereof delight thee recall thy mind from them and thou wilt esteem all as dung St. Hierom. Run therefor O my Soul not with the paces of the body but with affection and desire because not only the Angells and Saints but also the Lord and Master of Angells and Saints epxects thee God the Father expects thee as his most beloved Daughter God the Son expects thee as his sweetest Bride God the Holy Ghost expects thee as one most dearly beloved unto him God the Father expects thee that he may constitute thee the Heir of all good things God the Son expects thee that hee may offer thee to God the Father as the fruit of his Nativity and the price of his most precious blood God the Holy Ghost expects thee that he may make thee partaker of his eternall Beatitude and Swetness That most blessed Family of all the Celestiall Spirits of the eternall King do expect thee that they may receive thee into their Colledg therefore desire thou their Society above all things thou shouldest come thither with great modesty if thou hadst loved it in this vale of tears As often therfore as the vain Ambition of this VVorld delighteth thee as often as thou shalt behold any glorious Creature therein presently fly up to Heaven and begin to be what thou art to be Truly I beleive O my Soule if thou wouldest continually keep these heavenly joyes in thy mind thou wouldest build a certain Suburbs of the celestiall Kingdome in his Exile wherein dayly thou mightest spiritually by Assay taste that eternal sweetness for when we settle in our thoughts any thing that is eternall even then we dwell not in this world but in Heaven So great O my Soul is the force of thy love that thou livest there more truly where thou lovest by contemplation then where thou art but by Essence This O most dear Soul is the kingdome of God which is within us which alas we miserably neglect when outwardly we are given to idle and vain things We disperse St. Grego our selves abroad in not caring for the Kingdom of God which is within us we seek abroad for Consolation frome idle things and deceitfull Fopperies so that now wee have lost the Devotion of our ancient Religion even so that we retaine not the forme thereof Thou therefore O my Soule the Daughter of the Eternall King hear with a devout mind and incline thy Eare to holy and health-bringing councells Behold by
contemplation the comfort of the Celestiall Kingdome forget by contempt and detestation thy People and thy Fathers house that is to say the World the Devill thy selfe and vain Ambition See therefore and devoutly consider how those divine and Heavenly Spirits which have escaped the danger of this present life and misery although they can never convert themselves from that splendour of that eternall Sonne sometimes notwithstanding they convert the light of their contemplation to things below them sometimes to things above themsometimes to things interiour somtimes to things exteriour They convert themselves I say to things below them and rejoyce for three reasons First That they have overcome by the divine power such impious horrible and cruell enemies Secondly that they have avoided all their defects and sins either by the divine wisdome or long ago have amended their faults transgressions Thirdly That they have escaped such lamentabe and eternally interminable torments by the divine mercy and clemency O my Soul With how great Joy thinkest thou do they daily rejoice when they perceiue so many to be overcome of the flesh the world and the devill so many to be defiled with such diversity of sins of which they shall never obtain pardon so many without end eternally to be damned Truly then I beleive to have passed from death to life redoubleth the joy of life O Lord God if the danger in war be now so greivous how great shall the joy be in Triumph when after the world is overcome and utterly vanquished wicked Pharoah and his Army being drowned in the Red Sea all the Elect shall hold their Timbrels playing singing praising and blessing our Lord saying with one voice Let us sing unto our Lord for glorious c. Then two Cherubims shall be framed that is to say two quiers of the elect to wit the Innocenes and Penitents the one answering the other Holy Holy Holy Lord God of the Sabboth Holy God the Father that hast powerfully delivered us from the world the flesh and the devill Holy God the Son which hast so wisely justified us both from the sinne and punishment Holy God the Holy Ghost which hast so mercifully preserved us from the Eternall Torments All the Earth is full of his Glory who hath called us from the misery of the world to the joyes of the celestiall Kingdome O my Soule what a one shall that day be unto thee when thou shalt be assumed into this quier when all thy torments if thou shalt live well if thou wilt patiently suffer shal be converted into Eternall Jubisee Then thou shalt praise with exultation the Lord thy God for all these things saying I will sing the mercies of our Lord for ever Then which Song according to Saint Aug. that is fung to the praise of the glory of Christ by whose precious blood wee are delivered nothing shall be more pleasant to that City nothing more sweet Thou therefore when thou art tryed with Temptations when thou art overcom with Persecutions and when thou art molested in this World with divers Tribulations then mentally fly into Heaven and consider that this is no other thing but the Subject of eternall joy and then the consideration of the Reward lesseneth the violence of the punishment If we would consider what and how great the Rewards are which are promised us in Heaven all things on Earth would seem vile in our mind and truly not only the goods which delightfully we possesse but also the evills which lamentably wee sustain The troubles of this world are not equivalent to the fault past which is forgiven to the present Grace which is bestowed and for the future glory which is promised which thou then O my Soul with joy shalt possess when thou perfectly understandest that thou hast lived in the world with so great danger wherewith the most are oppressed that thou hast overcome the deceitfull wiles of Satan wherewith many are deceived that thou hast escaped the eternall torments wherewith innumerable are afflicted CHAP. II. Of the ineffable Delight SOVLE O Man how sound and wholsome is thy Consolation for when I consider these things which thou hast proposed by hope I receive very much comfort But O Lord God what thinkest thou shal then that be when I shall truly possess that which now I but hope for MAN O My Soule These are but little which thou hast heard yea comparatively they are as none which thou hast mentally perceived but erect the eyes of thy understanding a little and weigh and devoutly consider how great the joyes are which thou shalt perceive by these which are nere unto thee Attend therefore and consider the beautiful place which the divine wisdome hath built for thee Consider also the delicate food the curious bravery the precious Treasure which the eternal power hath gathered for thee Consider likewise the renowned Colledge with whom thy mind shall eternall rejoice by the divine clemency O my Soul consider how glorious how renowned how gladsome that house of God is the Heavenly City the secure mansion the Countrey coutaining all that delighteth Consider how clear how light how glorious that City is which needeth neither Sun nor Moon that they may shine therein but the Lord himselfe the Sun of Justice the Candor of Eternall light is the light thereof and the Lamb is the Lamp thereof O my Soule consider how high and how spacious how fair and how beautifull how comely and how renowned that City is which the most blessed Trinity of himself adorneth O City of God how glorious are the things which are spoken of thee O Israel how magnificent is the house of God and great is the place of his possessions O my Soule contemplate there the Tabernacles of the Patriarcks and Prophets the Habitacles of the Apostles and Martyrs the stately and lofty Chambers of the Confessors and Virgins the Palaces of the most heavenly Spirits that most beautifull Throne of the most blessed Trinity O my Soul though thou art here corporally yet be there mentally O my Soul fly over all things search all things visit all things enter into all the Gates in order untill thou shalt come into the Palaces of the highest King let thy mind St. Aug. be there and here shall be thy rest O my Soule willingly endeavour to be stayed willingly to be conversant in that holy City because there is life without death youth without old age light without darknesse peace without disturbance For my People shall sit in a Tabernacle of confidence and in a rich rest saith our Lord. Secondly consider the delicate food the curious bravery and the pretious treasure And who shall there be out food but that most blessed Lamb that pure and Immaculate Jesus the Son of God the Father of whom they shall administer most excellent dainties to the holy spirits in all sufficiency very excellent truly of the most pure humanity but most of the more then most blessed Divinity For then the soule
Soliloquies Meditations and Prayers of St. Bonaventure Cross fecit THE SOLILOQUIES OF St. BONAVENTVRE Containing his four MENTAL EXERCISES AND Also his Treatise called A Bundle of Myrrh Concerning THE PASSION OF OUR SAVIOUR With XIII Spirituall Exercises of the said St. Bonaventure London Printed for H. Twyford and R. Wingate 1655. The Epistle to the Reader upon the Soliloquy of S. BONAVENTURE THIs little work which is no less full of learning then devotion ministreth most copious matter to him that is willing to cherish the light of contemplation and the fire of charity For the Authour induceth the Soul and the inner Man interchangeably the one asking and the other answering and with very many sentences of holy Fathers being intermixed of which as he sayth he hath compiled this Treatise This hee saith that he may easily teach every one how by mentall Exercise converting the eye of contemplation unto those things which are within him unto those that are without him unto those that are below him and to those things that are above him the mutable good being despised he may pursue the Immutable Eternall good with all the perfection of his mind For this Soliloquy hath many things taken out of that work of Hugo de S. Victore de Arrha Animae to which it is very like The Sum of the 4. Mental Exercises of this little Work are as followeth The First Exercise HOw the Soul ought by Mentall Exercise to reflect the Beams of Contemplation to those things which are within her that she may see how she is formed by nature deformed by sinne and reformed by Grace The Second Exercise How the Soul by mentall Exercise ought to convert her Contemplation to to those things that are externall that she may know how unstable worldly wealth is how mutable worldly Excellency is and how miserable worldly magnificence is The Third Exercise How the Soul by mentall Exercise ought to convert the Rays of contemplation unto those things that are below her that she may understand the inevitable necessity of mans death the formidable austerity of finall judgement the intollerable pain of infernall punishment The Fourth Exercise How the Soul by mentall Exercise ought to convert the light of Contemplation unto those things which are above her that she may know and understand the inestimable value of celestiall joy the unspeakable delight and the interminable Eternity The Preface I Bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith that ye be rooted and grounded love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Eph 3.14 to the 20. Paul the Apostle the Vessel of eternall Election the Treasury of divine Sanctification the Mirrour and Example of heavenly contemplation in his former words sheweth us the Beginning Object and Fruit of mentall Exercise For mentall Exercise to the end it may become pious and wholsome it is necessary that it have a power supernaturally strēgthening a wisdom regulating and a clemency comforting let therefore the devout Soul inflamed with the love of divine contemplation bow the knees of her mind before the Throne of the most blessed and Incomprehensible Trinity let her humbly knock and discreetly desire The strengthening power of God the Father lest wearied with labour she be seduced The directing Wisdome of God the Son lest seduced with error she wander from the truth The comforting Piety and Clemency of the Holy Ghost lest overcome with wearisomness she faint For every good thing that is given and every gift that is perfect is from above descending from the Father of lights and according to S. Augustine all our good is either God or from God he therefore in the beginning of every good worke is fit to be implored from whom originally every good thing proceedeth by whom every good thing exemplarly is produced and to whom every good thing finally is addressed This is that ineffable Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which the Apostle speaks of when he saith I bow my knees c. unto that place That ye may be able Secondly he sheweth the Object of this wholsome mentall Exercise The Object truly of the Exercise of a devout mind is said to be internall and externall superior and inferior For the devout Soule ought by mentall exercise to reflect the light of contemplation first to her interior thoughts that she may know 1. How she is formed by Nature 2. Deformed by sin 3. Reformed by Grace Secondly she ought to convert the light of contemplation unto those things which are without her that shee may know 1 How unstable worldly wealth is 2 How mutable worldly Excellency is And 3 How miserable worldly Magnificence is Thirdly she ought also to convert the light of her contemplation unto those things that are below her that she may understand 1 The inevitable necessity of mans death 2 The formidable austerity of finall Judgement 3 The intollerable paine of infernall punnishment Fourthly she ought to convert the light of Contemplation unto those things that are above her that she may know and tast 1 The inestimable value of Heavenly Joy 2 The Ineffable delight And 3 The Interminable Eternity This is that blessed Cross terminated with foure ends whereon O Devout Soule thou oughtest continually by meditation to suffer with thy most sweet Bridegroom Christ Jesus This is that fiery Chariot consisting of foure wheels wherewith thou oughtest dayly in contemplation to mount up unto the Palace of Heaven to find out thy most faithfull friend This is that foure-fold Region East West North South which thou O my Soule oughtest daily by Perigrination to enter into and to seek and find out therein by speculation thy most dearest beloved that thou mayest say with the spouse In my Bed I have sought him by night whom my soule loved These foure the Apostle seemeth to insinuate when he addeth That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height The fruit of this wholesome Exercise if it be worthy and laudably put in practise is eternall felicity which is the best and fairest thing and of it selfe most sufficient wanting no other thing besides it selfe Wherein we shall see and shall love shall call upon and laud in Eternity and beyond Eternity him that is blessed for ever This fruit the Apostle promiseth when he concludeth his speech saying That ye mighe be filled with all the fulnesse of God Wee shall then find this fulnesse when God shall be to our will plenty of Peace to our reason fulnesse of light to our
and noble I am afraid that by so much the offence is so much the more dangerous by how much the Excellency of him who is offended is the greater I much feare that the Injurie is by so much the worse by how much greater the benefits of him have been whom I have wronged Alas Alas O Lord my God I now weigh by the dignity of thy substance the vilenesse of my malice by the comelinesse of Nature I know the deformity of sinne by the remembrance of Benefits received are manifested the Ingratitude of my Actions Wo is me miserable soule now I see now I know that whatsoever I have received for the use of life of the chief Giver I have miserably imployed them to the abuse of sinne and wickednesse The tranquillity of humane peace I have converted to the use of vaine security the Pilgrimage of the Earth I have loved as if it should be my perpetuall Habitation the health and beauty of body I have subjected to the servitude of my pleasure the abundance of plenty I have consumed not for the necessity of my body but to the superfluity of my miserable covetousness Faire weather and refreshing Aire I have abused to serve me for the love of earthly delights I feare alas and much doubt least these become Instruments of my punishment which did serve as evill Instruments to my vices MAN O My Soule in some sort I now perceive that thy knowledge is good For I perceive by thy words that my admonition hath not been in vaine It seemeth to me by the divine power thou art somewhat enlightned and moved by the touch of the true light Because according to Saint Greg. in his Morals Every one whilst he is illuminated by the touch of the true light he is showed from whence that Justice is whereby he is enlightened what that sinne is whereby he is blinded From whence holy men by how much the higher they profit in the dignity of vertues with GOD by so much more clearly they discerne themselves to be unworthy for they when they approach nearest unto the light do more plainely perceive what lay hid within them CHAP. II. How vitiously the Soule is deformed by sinne MAN THerefore O my soul if being touched with the light of truth thou know thy dignity which hitherto thou hast not considered if thou understandest the same whereby thou hast offended thy Creator and hast seen how gratiously thou art framed by Nature So now how vitiously thou art deformed by sinne St. Ansolme Bring to thy own memory O wearisome and miserable soule thy enormous offence and conduct it even to Heaven with sorrow and lamentation Consider O my soule who hast forsaken God and being an Adultress unto Christ what thou hast done Thou hast forsaken thy chast love in Heaven hast despised thy maker hast cast of thy Spouse hast offended thy God thou hast irreverently used thy holy Angel Guardian Thou wast once the Temple of God the Spouse of Christ the Closset of the Holy Ghost Whence is this suddain and quick change of a Virgin of God thou art made corrupted of Satan of a spouse of Christ the Execrable Whore of the Devillâ— Remember O my Soule for what thou hast sould thy beauty for what thou hast cast away thy honour for whom thou hast so filthily defiled thy comlinesse how great a good thou hast sould at so vile a rate O my soule why hast thou robbed thy self of so many good things wherefore hast thou in vaine deprived thy selfe of such honours why hast thou neglected so many good works hast lived so many years so many dayes so many houres without fruit SOVLE I Acknowledge St. Bern. O man that thou speakest truth and not unworthily reprehendest me of so great a Transgression O Lord my God how many times have passed that I behold wherein I have lived before thee without fruit how shall I subsist how shall I be able to lift up my face before thee in that great and terrible Examen when thou shalt command all my dayes to be numbred seeking fruit therein O Lord God why have I at any time omitted thee to be conversant in my heart to embrace thee with all my mind to be delighted with thy sweetnesse Where then were all my internall thoughts when they were not with thee when every Creature hath from thee whatsoever he hath desireable laudable or delectable Alas O Lord now I understand but blush to confess the forme and comlinesse of Creatures have deceived my Eye and I have not considered that thou art more beautifull then all Creatures to whom thou hast communicated but one drop of thy inestimable beauty For who hath adorned the Heaven with starrs the Aire with Birds the Water with Fishes the Earth with Plants and Flowers Men in body with divers complexions in mind with divers Vertues Are not O most mercifull Father these Troops of Heavenly Spirits by thee adorned with divers gifts O good Jesu the fountaine of all pulchritude pardon me miserable soule that I have so lately known and so slowly loved thy beauty wherefore I have most miserably erred The sweetnesse also of the Creatures have deceived my tast and I have not considered that thou art far sweeter then honey For thou hast given to honey and every Creature its sweetness yea thine also and there is not any other sweetnesse or delight in any Creature but the little demonstration of thy sweetnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee whence it comes to passe that the sweetnesse of all the Creatures if any one truely consider it is to no other end but to invite us to thy Eternall sweetnesse O Jesu the fountaine of all sweetnesse and Piety pardon me that I have not observed thy inestimable and mellifluous sweetnesse in the Creature nor tasted them with the affection of my internall mind wherefore I have most miserably erred and gone astray and I have filled my soule till now with the Husks or drasse of Swine But alas I feare as yet I have not been fed with the Bread of thy Children therefore I have alwayes remained empty and Hunger-starven in the delights of the World St. Gregory Because we will not inwardly tast of thy prepared sweetnesse therefore we hunger-starved and miserable Creatures are in love with our own penurie and wants O most sweet Jesus S. Aug. in his Booke of Confessions now I see now I acknowledge that all sweetness which is not from thee hath been to me a great affliction and misery For thou O most mercifull God even in my sins wast alwayes present with me most piously sustaining all my wicked and evil delights imbracing them with thy most bitter griefs teaching me by thy stripes that if I would have delight without bitternesse I could not have it but in thee O Lord. But alas I have not understood this learning therefore have I erred yet in my evill delights I have alwaies feared the
betrayer I have feared the accuser I have feared the Reprehender I have sometimes feared my Conscience I have oftentimes feared Infamy I have sometimes feared Hell and yet alas miserable Soule that I am amongst so many miseries I have not changed nor forsaken my own will The odour also of the Creature hath deceived my smell and I have been ignorant O good Jesus that thy odour doth savour sweeter then all Aromaticall things O good Jesus the fountain of all odour whose sweetness doth make me continually to run and incessantly to labour after thee Pardon me that so late I have known thee so slowly have run after thee in the savour of thy Oyntments I think notwithstanding and by this I do not excuse my selfe that the odour of that heavenly storehouse is not mixed with this earthly stench wherewith I was infected The fals and deceitful sound of the Creatures hath also deceived my hearing and I have not knowne nor perceived How sweet thy words are to the Palate of thy Elect. How pleasant thy Councels are to the cares of thy friends How light thy Commandements are to the hands of thy Saints O Jesus the Fountain of wisdom the Author of knowledge the Giver of chaste Councell make me yet now at least to hear thy voice let thy voice sound in my eares With how great bitterness do I call to mind that I was deceived by that most miserable voice of those that sung and said Come let us enjoy the good things that are let us crown our selves with Roses before they wither and let not the flower of our time pass us let us fill our selves with precious wine and the best ointments let us every where leave signes of our joy and gladness This voice I have heard and have not understood nor considered that all things are vain and to be laughed at For all these and the like suddenly have slipped away and vanished like a shaddow For what have all these vain things brought to their lovers What profit then have they had in those things wherein now they are confounded and ashamed of O Lord my God the light of my heart the food of my soule the vertue affecting my minde I did not love thee yet I fornicated without thee and those that fornicated with mee they cried ha ha The friendship of this world is fornication without thee O what is more miserable then a miserable man that shows not mercy to himselfe But in all these things thou O most loving God wert alwaies present with me I have often heard thy voice I have perceived thy wholsome inspiration but never consented O how often hast thou inspired this most wholesome counsel to me Thou hast sinned forbear leave and blush To which I â—iserable soule have followed the custome of St. Augustine in his booke of Confessions Sometimes I have answered drowsily O Lord expect me a while suffer me a little now I will rest from vanity now I will blush at my naughtiness I will forsake all vaine and worldly things But alas that little that now had neither meane nor measure and it was too long protracted This sloath is a thing Item Augustinus that murthereth many eternally and for ever detains them in sins who do not correct or apply themselves to the voice of our Lord. They heare truely the voice of secret inspiration but do not amend their life saying to morrow to morrow and suddenly the doore is shut and the sinner remains without even without the Arke of the Celestiall Countrey croaking with the voice of a Crow for his sinnes because he would not lament and mourne with the Dove Alas how their owne felicity hath prostrated many men worse in sinnes Saint Greg. their continuall peace hath made many men sluggish and thereby the wicked enemy hath presently more greivously afflicted them by how much longer by the use of quiet he hath found them negligent For whom God doth longer suffer that they may be converted Item Gregorius the more grevously he condemneth them not being converted But O man that I may more perfectly and manifestly discover to thee the story of my unhappinesse all these were not sufficient to make me enough unhappy but alas to make my damnation the greater worldly delicatnesse did too miserably deceive my touch and I was ignorant O Good Jesu that thy embraces were so sweet thy touch so chast thy Familiarity so delightfull For when I shall love thee I am cleane when I touch thee I am chast when I shall receive thee J am a Virgin Thy Embraces O most sweet Jesus do not maculate but purisie thy touch doth not defile but sanctifie O Jesu the fountaine of all sweetnesse and delight pardon me that so lately I have believed how much purity how much dignity how much sweetnes the left hand of thy Eternall wisdome and knowledge hath when it is under my head that is my reason and the right hand of thy clemency and affection when it shall embrace me that is my Will Woe is me miserable soule what can be ever proved so sweet so pleasant so delightfull and healthfull as to rest betwixt the Armes of such a Spouse happily to repose within the kisses of so great a King and friend This sweetnesse the devour soule perceived when she wished saying Lee him kiss me with the kisses of his lips Had the devout soule ever tried these delights when inflamed with love she prayed and almost fainting for the desire of her beloved saying O that thou wert as my Brother that sucked the breasts of my Mother when I should find thee without I would kisse thee yet I should not be despised I would lead thee and bring thee into my Fathers house and into the bed of her that bare me There thou shalt instruct me and I will cause thee to drink of spiced Wine and of the juice of my Pomegranates In the Canticles Who is able to declare but he that in spirit had tasted how much sweetnesse and devotion this discourse containeth when he well considereth and is rightly nourished with a devout mind wherefore I leave the Exposition to the devout soule But O Lord God if these be so sweet to our thinking of them how sweet are they to them that taste them if so pleasant to him that reads them how comfortable will they be by affection to them that feel them make me O most sweet Jesu inwardly to tast that by love Saint Aug. which outwardly I tast by thought make me to perceive by affection what I perceive by my understanding Ah O most sweet Jesu peirce the marrow of my soul with the healthfull shafts of thy love that it may truely burne languish and melt and may faint only with the desire of thee and may desire to be dissolved and to be with thee Let it alwayes hunger after thee only the bread of Celestiall life who descendest from Heaven Let it thirst after thee the Fountaine of life the
if thou lovest Heavenly things how is it now that thou remainest not in Heaven who art in this life resembling celestiall spirits SOVLE ALas Alas now miserable and unhappy that I am know perceive my selfe for a long season to have been miserably blinded who for so long a time knowingly have erred in temporall and earthly things entangling my selfe by love in worldly and base things from which I have received very little comfort but much grief and some confusion but very little joy yet various and often great sorrow of heart Tell me therefore I pray thee O man what is that Heavenly consolation and how by any means I may be able to attaine to it in this vale of teares and misery What is that which I find in my God when so willingly and so easily I contemne all things for him when I say within my self with joy O God of my heart O God my portion for ever What is that which I tast in that most short houre in my beloved when with all my strength I desire joyfully and heartily to endure all sharp bitter and austere things for him and say It is good for me to cleave to God And who shall seperate me from the charity of Christ MAN O My Soule this consolation according to Saint Bern. is nothing else but a certaine love of Devotion proceeding from the hope of Pardon and tast of the good though but little and a most certaine sweet Delectation wherewith our bountifull God recreateth the afflicted soule whereby the soule is invited to seek God and is vehemently provoked to a divine love Hugo de S. V. O my soule what thinkest thou is so sweet and so pleasant that is accustomed to move the devout soules in the remembrance of their beloved and so sweetly affect them that now they altogether begin to be rapt and alienated from themselves The conscience is exhilerated and the memorie of all their greifs is forgotten The mind rejoyceth the understanding waxeth cleare the heart is illuminated and the affection is made jocund Now they know not where they behold themselves and as though the embraces of love hold something within them and they are ignorant what it is and yet they earnestly desire with all their force to retaine it The mind delightfully struggles in some sort least it should depart from it as though it should find the end of all its desires therein St. Bern. Sometimes as though Hood winckâ— O good Jesu thou sendest me desiring thee into the mouth of my heart yet to know what it is that I feel it is not lawfull for me For truely I perceive a savour being so comfortable a sweetnesse that if is were perfected in me I should seek nothing else Is not this the Jubilee of the heart St. Gregory Jubilee is said to be an unspeakable joy of the mind which cannot be hidden nor uttered in words Yer notwithstanding it may be shown by some motions though not expressed by any proprieties Wherefore the Psalmist saith Blessed is that people that knoweth Jubilation He doth not say who speaketh but who knoweth because Jubilation truly may be known by the understanding but cannot be expressed by word or speech St. Bern. For when I perceive this savour thou sufferest me by no sight of the Body by no sense of the soule by no understanding of the Spirit to consider what it is when I shall receive it and am willing to ruminate thereof and to judge the sweetness of it it presently slideth away yet truly I swallow it in hope of eternall Glory but by long ruminating of the vertue of its operation I desired to infuse it into all the veins and marrow of my soule as though it were a certaine vitall Juice that it might deceive it of all other affections and it might only savour that but presently it hasteneth away and when with Inquisition or acception or the sight there of I gladly desire more strictly to commit some formall imprinted lineaments thereof to memory or otherwise to help my forgetfulnesse by writing by experience I am compelled to confesse that of the Gospell Thou knowest not from whence it cometh or whither it goeth What Declaration O my Soul dost thou think is there so sweet and so pleasant Truly this is the divine consolation SOVLE O Man who will bestow this upon me that this so un-experienced a consolation may enter into my heart that I may forget my miseries and may despise worldly comfort and may happily begin to be estranged from my selfe MAN O My soule Great is that which thou desirest it is an inestimable gift which thou wishest for wherefore as I suppose it cannot be obtained by humane endeavour it can scarcely be gotten but by humble prayers to God and of those that are worthily disposed by the only grant of divine mercy For all Gold in comparison of it is but as a little sand and silver compared to it is accounted as nothing SOVLE O Man tell me I desire thee what manner a one ought that disposition to be wherewith the affection of him that prayes ought to be disposed for obtaining of it MAN OF this matter much might be spoken of them that have tryed it but that I acknowledge my self unexperienced yea I blush to speak a few things Wherefore I feare least it should be objected against me Wherefore dost thou relate what thou hast not tasted Wherfore like an unworthy man dost thou praise what thou art ignorant of SOVLE O Man fear not but with reverence and Humility devoutly propose what thou hast both heard and read For there are many that have to the profit of others determined of great and high matters which they have not learned of their own experience but by the knowledge of others MAN NOw I shall speak with some boldness for those abilities which lack of knowledge denieth Charity supplieth Wherfore as I think so I relate I think under favour of a better Judgment if thou wilt prepare thy self to tast this Celestiall Sweetness thou oughtest to be cleansed exercised and lifted up In the first this Heavenly sweetness is smelled in the second is is tasted and in the third somtimes even to inebriation it is taken and swallowed up First I say thou oughtest to be cleansed from sins from inordinate affections from temporall consolation and from the inordinate love of Creatures because according to St. Bernard he erreth altogether that beleiveth that he is able to mixe the Celestiall sweetness with this dust that divine Balsom with this venemous Joy those Graces of the Holy Ghost with the Allurements of this world But after the Soule shall bee purged by such things cleansed from tear-distilling grones and purifyed by sorrowfull sobbings because as St. Aug saith it is convenient that that mind should always find sorrow in it self who forsaking his Creator did alwaies seek joyes in himselfe and in the Creature Excellently therfore St. Gregory in his Morals speaketh of that Sentence of Job
shall enter in to tast the Divinity shall go forth to tast or assay the humanity and she shall find a Pasture full of all sufficiency and satiety O how blessed are they that shal be called to the marriage e-Supper of the Lamb. There also a blessed life is drunkin its fountaine Whereupon sometimes part thereof is sprinkled as it were on this our humane life whereby we may become in temptations stronger mere Juste temperate and wiser There alwayes thirst and satiety are joyned together but after a wonderfull manner necessity shall be far from thirst and loathing far from satiety For they shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house and thou shalt give them to drink of the Torrent of thy pleasure according to the Prophet SOVLE ANd when shall this be MAN I Beleive nor before that time Manciple untill when that sweet dispenser of the highest King the splendour of the Paternall glory the candour of the eternall light the Figure of the divine substance the mirrour without spot of the extraordinary Godlike clearnesse on whom all those celestiall spirits desire to look when such a one and so great a one shall gird himselfe and shall make them to sit down and personally passing by them shall minister unto them O my soule here devoutly consider how great joy those good spirits shall then conceive of so stupendious a dignity of him that serves them of so admirable a charity of every particular companion banqueting of the plenty of very delitious dainties of the numerous Assembly of the servitours of the sweet sounding-Eccho of the Musicall Instruments and of others playing singing and praysing the King of Glory God the Son of God In this great Celestiall and admirable banquet thou shalt hear Angels rejoycing Virgins dancing Apostles singing Martyrs sporting Confessors praysing Patriarchs and Prophets making merry all the Saints and Elect of God unanimously collauding the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and with one voyce saying Holy Holy holy Lord God of Sabath all the Earth is full of thy Glory O how glorious is that Kingdome wherein all the Saints raigne with Christ cloathed with white stoles following the Lamb which way soever he shall go O my soule how can there be the want of any good when there is such variety of matter for the rejoycer For then shall be opened all those treasures of the Eternall God where there are all riches all delights laid up and divers and pretious gifts shall be given to every one according to their deserts But if yet these are not sufficient consider in the third place all the Colledge of Saints nere unto thee which the Divine clemency hath assembled together for an addition of thy beatitude Because the possession of any Good is not pleasant without a Companion as saith Seneca See then what tongue or what vnderstanding is able to conceive how great the joyes are of that supernall City to be present with the Quiers of Augels alwayes to assist with the most blessed Spirits the glory of our Creator and never to depare from the most blessed society of them but continually with them and of their joy to rejoyce for ever Saint Anselme For there all are known of every one there every one are known of all Nor shall it be a secret to any of them to know of what Country of what Nation of what kindred every one is borne For there shall be so blessed and perfect a charity of the Just that every one of them will love his Neighbour as much as himselfe Whereof that inestimable good shal follow that every one shall so rejoyce at the joy or good of another as though it were of his own merit Therefore when there is such an innumerable number of the Elect who thinkest thou is sufficient to declare the joy of the blessed St. Hierome describing these Joyes saith Go forth I pray hee O my soule In the end of an Epistle to Eustochius a little from the Pavilion of thy body that standing in the doore thou mayest perceive the Glory of God passing by and before thy eyes describe the reward of thy present labour What a day shall that be unto thee when out Lord shall meet thee accompanied with his Heavenly Quier when the Spouse himselfe shall meet thee with all his Saints saying Arise come make hast my beloved my deare my Dove now the Winter is over the shower is gone and past Then the Angels shall admire at thy Glory saying Who is this that ascendeth from the desert flowing with delights and leaning on her beloved The Daughters of Sion shall see thee and praise thee Then those 144 thousand in sight of the Throne and Elders shall hould their Harps and sing a new song Then thou shalt flye securely into the embraces of the Spouse saying with Jubilation I have found him whom my Soule loveth I have held him and will not let him depart Haec Hieronimus Then those seven Sonnes of that great Job who is more excellent then all that remaine in the blessed Easterne Region every one on his proper day shall make Feasts and shall invite thee their Sister thee their Companion And every one of them shall say unto thee Drink now and sit down with pleasure for thou hast found favour of the highest Prince And thou shalt answer with Joy saying I will drink and become merrier because to day my soule is magnified more then all the dayes of my life O truely unheard of magnificency O joyfull and pleasant Excellency the like whereof was never heard on Earth I beleive that all the Pompe of this World in comparison thereof would scarce be as a little drop SOVLE O Man now I have long held my peace now I haue been sufficiently silent because those things which thou hast proposed I have heard with exceeding much delight and admiration Do not prolong me I pray thee but expound to me more particularly and perfectly something of this banquet of the Heavenly spirits for that a little before thou hast touched something thereof but hast passed them over toe quickly MAN O My Soul I would rather again passe over with silence what thou requirest then with a polluted tongue utter the least thing of the Celestiall secret mystery yea or conceive in mind because I that am alas as yet too often entangled with worldly superfluous things that am alas as yet with other worldlings fed O pitty with husks of swine I very much blush and am confounded to discourse of such familiar operations of the divine Spirit Yet because I am not able to contradict thy pious desires I will speak breifly what some times the Holy Ghost instigating me though unworthy I often mentally thinke of For although in that celestiall Court where fulness of all good is perfectly in all of them although there for the difference of merits some things are bestowed in excellency yet nothing shall be possessed according to Sr. Gregory there