Soliloquium animæ. The sole-talke of the soule. Or, a spirituall and heauenlie dialogue betwixt the soule of man and God. Which, for the great affinitie it hath with other bookes of the auctor published heeretofore in our natiue tongue, is now entituled The fourth booke of the Imitation of Christ. Translated and corrected by Thomas Rogers. Neuer before published.

CHAP. 13.

1. How, and when the soule and God are vnited together. 2. The miserie where God is not present.

MY Soule cleaueth vnto theea

O my God, the true comforter, thou kno∣west how thou likest me well, and how I take pleasure dai∣lie to be talking with thee secretlie alone.

But where maie I seeke thee, if happelie I do misse thee for an hour? who shall bring mee vnto thee?

Thou art God aboue all thingsb; and I beneath all things a miserable man. Thou art in heauenc, and I in the world. Thou art most high, but I am poore, and a begger.

Who euer hath measured the di∣stance betweene heauen and earth? Far asunder be theie: but farder art thou fro mee, ô God.

Who therefore shall vnite mee to thee? either thou must doo it, or none can.

But if thou wilt, it maie speedelie be doon. And thou knowest, how of my selfe I maie easelie fall: but that I doo stand, and go forward, it is of thy goodnes.

So that my soule dependeth vpon the grace of thy spirit, and of the in∣fusion of thy speciall fauor.

I•• thou command, it shall be lifted vp from earth: but if thou turne a∣waie thy face, it shall be greatlie troobled.

But of thy woonted fauor and mercie receaue mee; and let thy right hand guide mee wonderfullie vnto thee.

Heare this, all yee peopled, giue eare all yee that dwell in the world; for it is an easie thing with God to bring it to passe, as it is written, that the rich and poore maie be all one.

I am poore, and lack manie things; but this my God is rich, and wanteth nothinge.

And although no great experi∣ence, yet I haue an vndoubted te∣stimonie to prooue that the soule through grace maie be vnited to God.

My beloued is mine, saith hef, and I am his, he feedeth among the lilies.

This is the testimonie of the frende, and his dearling; of the bridegroome, and the spouse: and it is a verie fit, and a strong testimonie of the holie lawe.

The next is like to thisg: I will that theie all maie be one, as thou, ô father, art in mee, and I in thee.

Behold the notable testimonies of two bookes, whereby it plainelie appeareth, that the soule, through speciall grace from aboue, maie bee linked familiarlie vnto God.

And although it rarelie come so to passe: yet is it deerelie to be ac∣compted of, and not altogether vn∣knowen to the louer. And againe, though verie hardlie: yet may it fall out.

The soule therefore so conioined to God, let no man dare to separat, or to trooble.

If thou doost woonder at this mar∣uelous vnion, woonder thou and maruell at the excellencie of his goodnes, and at the strange and sin∣gular vniting of the humane bodie (to his Godhead.)

Hee maie doo what he will, which onlie dooth great woondersh.

If thou lookest for merits, you

shall finde it is his good pleasure to haue it so.

O sweete societie with Christ, and vnder the wings of Christ!

O gratious coniunction, full of loue, and sweetenes of the holie Ghoste, the which is perceaued bet∣ter than vttered!

These things belong vnto the soule that is estranged from all worldlie matters, and is not delighted with this present life: but is carried aloft in godlie meditation.

The more the louer knoweth this, the more am I ignorant. Notwith∣standing, gladlie would I bee in pre∣sence when the deuout soule is in such an happie case.

And then is she so, when the spouse and she is together at the noone daie. But then it fareth ill with her, and that verie ill too, if it happen that Iesus bee awaie; if the perfumes of grace run not from aboue; if no plea∣sure she take in the holie Bible; if it bee irksome for her to continue in praier and godlie meditation; if the cloudes of the hart be so thick, and hurtfull cogitations doo so preuaile, that theie cannot be restrained, but do labor to ouerwhelme in a manner

all the former good things.

O Lord God, whie doost thou so? What plaie is this? O blessed Iesus, what meane you heereby?

If it were not offensiue to thine honor, I could wish to haue farther communication betweene thee, and thy beloued.

Forsomuch as she is so greatlie desirous of thy gratious presence, whereby she may be nourished with chaste delightes, I doo much muse whie sometime you suffer her to fit so desolate. Thou passest by, and go∣est thy waie, as though she had no desire vnto thee. But she is alone all pensiue. For thus she saith in effecti, With my soule haue I desired thee in the night.

It is night with her, when thou, the true light, art not present. So that she praieth for thy presence, that the darkenes of sinne compre∣hend her not. For she feeleth mani∣fold discommodities when thy gra∣tious visitation is taken from her. For, had she not suffered somewhat, she had neuer so earnestlie cried vn∣to thee.

Another also, which was before said, cried thusk, My soule cleaueth

vnto thee.

But I thinke no trouble is or see∣meth so troublesome to her, as the want of thy presence.

And no maruell, if through this want the waieward soule doo lan∣guish awaie in sorow. For thou art verie hardlie found at anie time, and being found, she reioiceth at thy re∣turne, hoping to spend the daie me∣relie with thee: but thinking little of thy departure, she suspecteth no aduersitie to come. But, handling another matter secretlie, thou often takest thy flight.

For thou departest suddenlie out of her hands, when she cannot laie holde vpon thee.

I doo praise thee, but in this how shall I praise thee? If thou hast anie praise and sweetenes, whie doo you seeme to forgoe it in this deed?

If thou wert not, she might be of∣fended. But she can take none of∣fence at thee, who so mightelie doost loue her.

If therefore anie good reason be signified vnder that lesson, ô God showe it mee.

For gladlie would I vnderstand the same: neither do I thinke it vnneces∣sarie

to learne though it be but little.

Because no man of himselfe can behold thy secret iudgements: but it is thy light which dooth both in∣lighten darke, and driue awaie hurt∣full things.

What therefore may the cause be that sometime so secretlie you with∣drawe your selfe from the soule, she not witting thereof?

Doo you loue her, or no? If you doo loue her, then whie do you leaue her, my beloued? If you loue her not, whie then haue you visited her be∣fore time? Againe, if you loue her not, whie doo you make returne, whie knock you at the doore, whie enter you in againe? What, is it of lightnes that you doo so both go and returne? God forbid.

But so often change dooth not a little greeue her; yea much it dooth disquiet her. Yet the griefe would be the lesser, if thou wouldest saie plain∣liel, I doo goe, and will come vnto you; your harts shall reioice, and your ioie no man shall take from youm.

But now you cast out neuer a by∣word; onlie she thinketh vpon that speech, which she well perceaueth to be performed in her selfe, how Iesus

hid himselfe, and went out of the Templen.

A fewe things I haue against you, but my complaint dooth spring out of a good roote. I humblie request to be instructed, I loue not to contend.

And therefore, when occasion ser∣ueth, make answere I beseech you.

Also let the godlie soule saie for her selfe somewhat for her learning.

Likewise make you answere bold∣lie when your part requireth.

O my soule, answere thou thy be∣loued boldlie. For thy freend will pa∣tientlie heare, and meete thee with milde words, that you maie suffer none hinderance.

For if hee bee not thy comforter, who will comfort thee? And who more fauorablie will beare thine in∣firmitie, than hee which beareth all things, and yet is not burdened? And to whome more safelie can you reueale your miserie, than to him which perfectlie knoweth all things? o Or in whome maie you put more confidence, than in the truth which deceaueth notp?

Now, if anie stranger, or one that is not a freend to the spouse, shall heare these things, let him be driuen

from the doores. But if hee loue the spouse, if he be faithfull, if deuoute and spirituall, let him haue free in∣gresse.

If hee bee a keeper of a good con∣science, a louer of virtue and disci∣pline; if hee bee pure in hartq, and cleere in iudgement; if humble in himselfe, and good towards others; if he can neither wickedlie carpe at, vanelie extoll, rashlie reprooue, im∣pudentlie maintane, nor proudlie commend things; but contrariwise if he haue learned both, the things which hee conceaueth not, to reue∣rence, and also rightlie to interpret obscure and mysticall matters, let him haue entrance, and heare the communication. For the affection of the hart through the sound of words ought to be noted rather than the qualitie of voices.

And therefore tell me, ô soule, how doost thou feele thy selfe wanting now the grace of thy beloued? I for my part doo see that hardlie I can take it well, if he keepe himselfe long awaie: and I conceiue the like of you.

If you thinke good let vs sit heere together, and confer we heereof to our comfort.

Notes

• a

  Psal. 63, 8
• b

  Isai. 46, 9
• c

  Matth. 6. 9
• d

  Psal. 49, 1
• e

  Psal. 50, 11 12
• f

  Sal S. 2, 16
• g

  Ioh. 17, 21
• h

  Psal. 136, 4
• i

  Isai. 26, 9
• k

  Psal. 63, 8
• l

  Ioh. 14, 28
• m

  Ioh. 16, 22
• n

  Ioh. 8, 59
• o

  Ecclus. 23 verse 19
• p

  Iohn. 6, 14
• q

  Matth. 5, 3