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DIvinity teacheth us that there is nothing more hidden, yet nothing more known than the God whom we adore; his Es∣sence fills the world, and his Immensity is such as he can produce no∣thing which he encloseth not; all creatures
are the Images of his greatness, and the proofs of his power; one cannot see them without knowing him; and they by their motions discover unto us what the Pro∣phets have declared unto us in their Wri∣tings; yet is there nothing more secret than he,* 1.1 he is every where, and he is no where; he makes himself to be felt, yet will not suf∣fer himself to be touched; he environeth us, yet will not permit us to approach him; all people know he is, and no Philosophers know what he is. The belief that we have, that he is, is so ingraven in the very ground∣works of our Essence, as to eface it, were to annihilate our selves; yet cannot our un∣derstanding comprehend him; and this Sun casts about so much light as dazles the eyes that would behold him. Though love be but a Passion of our Soul, yet hath it this advantage common with the Divine Es∣sence, that it is as secret, as it is publick; and that there is nothing in nature more e∣vident, yet nothing more hidden. Every one speaks of Love as of the soul that pre∣serves the Universe, and as the secret knot which entertains the Society of the world; our desires declare it, and a man that wish∣eth, witnesses his love; our hopes divulge it, and all our Passions do discover it, yet
is it retreated too within the bottom of our hearts; and all the marks that it giveth of its presence, are as many clouds which hide it from our understandings; men feel the power thereof, yet cannot explain its Es∣sence; even they who live under its Empire, and who reverence the Laws thereof, are ignorant of its nature.
Poets who interest themselves in its greateess,* 1.2 will have it pass for a god; lest men may blame the violence of Love, they give it a stately name, and endeavour to ex∣cuse the true fury thereof by a false Piety. The Platonicks make Love a Spirit, and at∣tribute unto it so absolute a power over the Passions, as they will have even Hatred it self to obey its Will,* 1.3 and will have Hatred change all her Rage into Mildness, that she may please Love. The Stoicks term Love a Fury, and judging of its nature by its effects, they cannot believe that that moti∣on of our soul be well ruled, which is as direful to us as Hatred, and which hath so little government, as it most commonly of∣fendeth even those whom it intendeth to oblige. The Peripateticks dare not give it any name at all,* 1.4 for fear of being mistaken; and Aristotle, who defineth the most hidden things, contents himself with the description
thereof, leaving us in a despair how to know a Passion which he knew not: Some∣times he terms it sympathizing, sometimes an inclination, sometimes a complacency, and teacheth us by these different terms, that the nature of Love is no less obscure, than is the nature of the Soul.
Amongst so many doubts, some Philo∣sophers affirm, that it is the first impression which the Bonum sensible makes in the heart of man, that 'tis a pleasing wound which man hath received from a fair Object, that it is the Beam of a Sun which warms him, that it is a Charm whose virtue is at∣tractive, and that it is the first motion which carries him, either to what appears to be good, or to what truly is so. But if I may be permitted to differ from common opini∣ons, that I may follow the more true, I will say that Love is all the Passions; that accor∣ding to its different conditions it hath diffe∣rent names, but that custom hath so pre∣vailed, as in its birth it beareth the most glorious name; for when an inclination is formed in the heart, and that a pleasing ob∣ject doth with delight stir up the Will, we call it Love; when it sallies forth from it self to join with what it loves, we call it Desire; when it grows more vigorous,
and that its strength promiseth good suc∣cess, we call it Hope; when it encourageth it self against the difficulties it meets with∣al, we call it Choler; when it prepares to fight, and seeks out weapons to defeat its enemies, and to assist its Allies, we call it Boldness. But in all these conditions 'tis still Love; the name which Philosophers have given it in its birth, agrees not less with it in his progress; and if when but a Child, it merit so honourable a title, it de∣serves it better when it is grown greater by Desires, and strengthened by Hopes. 'Tis true that Loves first condition is the rule of all the rest, and that as all rivers derive their greatness from their Spring-head, all the Passions borrow their strength from this first inclination which is termed Love; for as soon as it is taken with the beauty of an object, it kindles its desires, excites its hopes, and carries the fire into all the passions which hold of its Empire: 'tis in the Will as in a Throne, where it gives orders to its sub∣jects; 'tis in the bottom of the soul as in a strong Hold, from whence it inspireth courage into its souldiers; 'tis like the heart which giveth life to all the members, and the power thereof is so great as it cannot be well expressed by any example. Kings oft
times meet with disobedience in their sub∣jects; the most valiant Commanders are sometimes forsaken by their Souldiers, and the heart cannot always disperse its spirits throughout all the members of the Body; but Love is so absolute in his dominion, as he never finds any resistance to his will; all the Passions get on foot to execute his com∣mandments, and as the motion of the Moon causeth the ebbing and flowing of the Sea, so doth the motions of Love cause peace, or trouble in our soul.
* 1.5Now this Love, the nature whereof is so hidden, hath divers branches; and may be divided into natural and supernatural; the latter is that which God disperseth into our wills, to make us capable of loving him as our Father, and of pretending unto glory as to our inheritance; the former is that which Nature hath imprinted in our souls, to fa∣sten us to those objects which are delight∣ful to us; and this is divided into spiritual and sensible love; spiritual love resides in the will, and rather deserveth to be stiled a Virtue than a Passion; sensible love is in the lower part of the soul, and hath so much commerce with the Senses, from whence he borrows his name, as he always makes impression upon the Body; and this it is
which is properly termed Passion. In fine, these two lovers are divided again into two others; the one of which is called the love of Friendship, the other the love of Interest. The first is the more noble, and he who is touched therewith, respecteth nothing but what may be advantageous to whom he loveth;* 1.6 he wisheth him well, or procu∣reth what is good for him; and having no consideration but honour, and his friends content, he sacrificeth himself for him, and thinks himself happy if he lose his life, to assure his friend of his affection. This noble Passion is that which hath done all the glorious actions which are observed in History; 'Tis she that hath filled Tyrants with admiration, and who hath made these enemies to Society, wish to love, and to be beloved; judging aright that Soveraigns are better guarded by their friends than by their souldiers, and that all their forces were but weak, were they not supported by the love of their Subjects.* 1.7 The second sort of Love, which we term the love of Interest, is as common as unjust; for the greatest part of affections is grounded upon utility, or upon pleasure; those who suffer themselves to be carried away thereby, have not so much friendship as self-love,
and if they will speak their minds,* 1.8 they will confess that they love themselves in their friends, and that they love them not so much for any virtue, which they observe in them, as for the good they hope to reap by them; thus we may see that such like af∣fections last no longer then they are either useful, or pleasing; and that the same interest which gave them life, makes them die; they betake themselves to the fortune, not to the person, and these are commerces which last no longer than they are entertained by hopes of profit or of pleasure.
Of so many sorts of love which Philoso∣phy hath marked out unto us, we will here consider none but that which resides in the inferior part of the soul; let it have either virtue or interest for its foundation. And since we know the nature thereof, we will examine the qualities; the first whereof is, that it always seeks what is good, and ne∣ver betakes it self to an object, which either is not good, or appears not so to be; for as nature is the workmanship of God, she can∣not have strayed so much out of the way, but that she must preserve some remainder of his first inclinations, insomuch as ha∣ving been destinied to enjoy the Summum bonum, she longs after it; by an error which
may very well be excused, she fastens her self to all that hath but the likeness thereof, and by an instinct, which remains in her, though in disorder, she suffers her self to be charmed by all things which have in them any thing of beauty or of goodness. As if she had found what she seeks after, she in∣discreetly betakes her self thereunto, and by a deplorable misfortune she oft-times takes a falshood for a truth; she committeth Ido∣latry whilst she thinketh to perform actions of Piety; and attributing that unto the work, which is only due unto the work∣man, she runs into the same error which a lover should do, who by a strange malady should forget the Mistress which he vows service to, and passionately adore her Pi∣cture. This fault ought rather to be impu∣ted to man, than to his love; for love being blind follows his inclination, not being able to discern between appearances and truth, he loves the good which offers it self unto him; that he may not miss of what he looks for, he betakes himself to what he finds; and is only to blame in being too faithful; but man cannot excuse his sin, since Reason is his guide, and that he may learn by her, that all those goods which are touched by the senses, or are the objects of
the senses, are but the shadows of that which he ought to love. He must correct his love, and keep it from betaking it self to objects, which though they be indeed beau∣tiful, are not the Soveraign good, or Sum∣mum bonum which he seeks after. When he thinks the qualities they are endued withal may work a change in him, he might shun them as snares, and use violence upon him∣self to get free from the creatures, lest they make him forget his Creator.
From this propriety of Love ariseth a se∣cond, which is, that he never is at quiet, but goes always in pursuit of what he loves; for seeing so many shadows of that supream beauty which he adores, he is always in action, leaving one to take another, he seeks in all, what he cannot find in one alone; and his change is not so much a proof of his fickleness, as of their vanity; he becoms wise at his own cost; when he meets not with what he expects in the beauty which he idolatrizeth, he repents him of his fault, & betakes himself to another subject, which he is forced to forgo again, because he en∣joys but one part of that universal good wherewithal he is taken; his inconstancy would last as long as his life, did not reason teach him, that what he covets is invisible,
and that the abiding place wherein we are, is not destined for the passion, but for the hope thereof; he then sets at nothing what he so much esteemed, and considering that natural beauties are but steps whereby to raise us to supernatural beauty, he loves them with reservedness, and useth them as means whereby to purchase what he seeks after.
The powerful impression which this beauty makes upon Love, causeth Loves third propriety, which is, that he cannot live in quiet, and that being solicited by his desires, he is always busie; he is of the nature of the constellations, which are in a perpetual motion; the end of one trouble is the beginning of another; and he hath not so soon ended his first design, but he frames a second; he is like those conquerors, who egged on by ambition, prepare always for new combats, never tasting the pleasure of victory. I cannot therefore approve of the Poets invention, who have feigned Love to be the son of Idleness;* 1.9 for if his genealogy be true, we must confess he is not of his mo∣thers humour. That unfortunate Poet, who was Loves Martyr, and who saw himself justly persecuted for having forged Wea∣pons against womens Chastity, avows that
this passion is working; and that it is so far from being at rest, as it obligeth its par∣takers to be souldiers; and that to love, a man must resolve to wage war. Hence it is that St. Augustin mixing sacred Love with prophane, makes them both equally ope∣rative, and acknowledgeth that a true affe∣ction cannot be idle. Ambition, which is the love of honour, is a good proof of this, since it makes such impression upon the hearts of those that are ambitious, as they have not much more rest than have the damned, and that they are always cause of more trouble to themselves, than to those whom they oppress. Avarice, which is the love of money, doth authorize this truth no less than doth Ambition, since those wretch∣men which are therewithal possessed, rend up the bowels of the earth that they may not be unuseful, and seek out Hell before their death, that they may not be exempt from pain whilst alive. This propriety is so peculiar to Love, as it is not found in any o∣ther of the Passions. For though our de∣sires be the first rivulets that derive from this Spring-head, yet do they give us some respit; and when they are weary of seeking after a far distant good, they suffer us to take a little rest; we oft-times dry our tears, and
if we make not peace, we conclude a truce with our sorrow; we do not always medi∣tate upon revenge, and choler as so much less lasting as it hath more of impetuosity and violence. Our hatred is sometimes laid asleep, and requires a new injury to awaken it; our joys are so short, as the longest of them endure but for a moment, and they love idleness so much, as they cease to be pleasing when they begin to be operative. But Love is always in action, it tarries not till age give it strength to work, it form∣eth designs as soon as it is born; though abandoned by desires and hopes, it ceaseth not to think of what it loveth, and to enter∣tain it self to no purpose with the thought of good success, which it never shall enjoy. In fine, activity is so natural unto it, as the life thereof consists in motion; and as the heart, it ceaseth to live when it ceaseth to move.
From hence proceeds its fourth propriety, which is the strength which doth accom∣pany it in all its designs; for though but new born, it is vigorous, if true; and giving proofs of its courage, it tameth Monsters, which it is not yet acquainted withal; it measures its strength by its desires, & thinks it self able to do whatsoever it will; it is not
astonished with difficulties: If one pro∣pound them to Love, that they may stay the careir thereof, he thinks 'tis done to try its Will, and solicited by glory it endea∣voureth to overcome them: Love neither accepts of, nor makes excuses. It will try all its forces before 'twill acknowledge an im∣potency, and it doth oft-times overcome enemies, which the most generous virtues durst never set upon. Hence it is that the holy Scripture compares it to death, not only for that it separateth us from our selvs, to join us to the things we love; but be∣cause nothing can resist it; for of so many pains which Divine Justice hath found out,* 1.10 wherewith to punish us, there is none, but death, which we may not defend our selves from. We save our selves from the in∣juries of the Weather by Cloaths and Houses; we overcome the Barrenness of the Earth by our excessive labour; we cor∣rect nourishments by the help of Physick; we reduce wild Beasts to our obedience by art or forces; we oft-times turn our pains in∣to pleasure, and we draw advantages from the misery of our condition, which we should not have found in the state of Inno∣cency. But nothing can resist death; and though Physitians have found out secrets to
prolong our lives,* 1.11 yet do they in vain seek out means to defend themselves against death, which makes havock throughout the whole earth, pardons neither age nor sex; and Palaces, which are environed with so many guards, cannot keep Kings from the reach thereof: So Love finds no difficulties which it overcomes not, no pride which it lays not low, no power which it tameth not, nor no rigour which it doth not allay.
Briefly, by another propriety which is not less considerable than the former, Love charmeth troubles, mingleth pleasures with pain; and to encourage us to difficult acti∣ons, finds out inventions to make them ei∣ther pleasing or glorious. Hunting is rather a business than a diversion, 'tis an image of war; and men who pursue wild Beasts, seem as if they studied how to overcome their e∣nemies; the Victory is therein doubtful, as well as in combates; and honour is therein purchased sometimes by the loss of life; yet all these troubles are the hunters pleasures, and their passion to this Exercise makes them term that a pastime which Reason would term a punishment. There is no∣thing of delight in war, the very name there∣of is odious; were it not accompanied with injustice, disorder, and fear, it would not∣withstanding
have horrors enough to asto∣nish all men; death makes her self be there seen in a thousand different shapes; there is no exercise in war wherein the danger doth not exceed the glory; and it never furnish∣eth souldiers with any actions which are not as bloudy as glorious; yet those that love it, make it their delight, they esteem all the deformities thereof beauties,* 1.12 and by an inclination which proceeds rather from their love than from their humour, they find delight in dangers, and taste the plea∣santness of peace in the tumults of war. This it is which made St. Augustine say, That Lo∣vers troubles are never troublesom, and that they never find pain in serving what they love, or if they do, they cherish it.
But we shall never make an end if we would observe all the proprieties of Love; I therefore pass on to the effects thereof, which being so many pictures of Love, will represent unto us its nature,* 1.13 and will disco∣ver unto us what it is able to do. The first of its miracles, is that which we call Exta∣sie, for it frees the Soul from the Body which she inanimates, that she may join to the Object which she loveth; it parts us from our selves by a pleasing violence; and what the holy Scripture attributes to the
Spirit of God, befals this miraculous divi∣sion; so as a lover is never at home with himself; if you will find him, you must seek him in the person that he adores.* 1.14 He will have people know that contrary to the Laws of wisdom, he is always without himself; and that he hath forsaken all care of his own preservation; since he became a slave to love. The Saints draw their glory from this extasie, and truth it self, which speaks by their mouths, obligeth them to confess, that they live more in Jesus Christ, than in themselves. Now as a man must die to himself, to live in another, death accom∣panieth this life; and as well sacred as pro∣phane lovers cannot love unless they be bound to die. 'Tis true that this death is ad∣vantageous to them, since it procures unto them a life wherewithal they are better pleased than with that which they have lost; for they live again in those that they love; by a miracle of love, they, like the Phenix, take life again from their ashes,* 1.15 and recover life in the very bosom of death. He who doth not conceive this truth, cannot under∣stand those words, by which S. Paul teacheth us, that we are dead unto our selves, and a∣live in Jesus Christ.
This effect produceth another, which is not much less admirable; for as lovers have
no other life than what they borrow from their love, it infallibly falls out that they transform themselves thereinto, and that ceasing to be what they were, they begin to be that which they love; they change con∣dition as well as nature, and by a wonder, which would surpass all belief, were it not usual, they become like unto that which they cherish. 'Tis true that this power shines much more gloriously in divine than in prophane Love; for though Kings a∣base themselves in loving their Subjects, and that they forgo their greatness, as soon as they engage themselves in friendship, yet do they not raise those up into their Throne whom they love. Jealousie (which is inse∣parable from Royalty) will not suffer them to give their Crown away to him who pos∣sesseth their heart. But if they should arrive at this excess, the Maxim would only be true in them, and their Subjects could not change conditions by the force of their love, for the love of greatness makes not a Soveraign, nor is a man the more accommo∣dated though he love riches; the desire of health did never yet cure a sick man; & we have not found, that the bare Passion to know, hath made men wise. But divine Love hath so much power, as it raseth us up above our selves, & by a strange Metamorphosis it
makes us be that which it makes us love; It renders the guilty innocent; it makes slaves children, changeth Demons into Angels; and that we may not diminish the virtue thereof, whilst we think to heighten it, let it suffice to say, that of men, it makes Gods.
It doth not therefore become us to com∣plain of our misery,* 1.16 and to accuse our Cre∣ator, for not having equalled our condition to that of Angels; for though those pure spirits have great advantages over us, and that we hope for no other good than that which they possess, yet are we happy e∣nough, since we are permitted to love God, and that we are made to hope, that our na∣ture being by love transformed into his na∣ture, we shall lose what we have of mortal, and perishable, to acquire what is incorrup∣tible and eternal. This is the Consolation of divine Lovers, and this is the only means how to aspire, without blame, to that hap∣piness, which Lucifer could not do, but with impiety. I cannot end this Discourse with∣out justly reproaching those that whilst they may love God, engage their affections on the earth, or on earthly things, and de∣prive themselves of that immense felicity which divine love promiseth them; for in loving of the creatures, they cannot share in
their perfections, without doing the like in their defaults; after having laboured much they oft-times change an obscure and pea∣ceable condition, into a more glorious, but a more dangerous one. So there is al∣ways hazard in the love of the creatures, and the advantage that may be drawn from thence, is never so pure, but that it is ming∣led with somewhat of misfortune. For what∣soever passion we have for the creature, we are not sure the creature hath the like for us; yet this miraculous change, which pas∣seth for the principal effect of love is made in this mutual affection, and in this cor∣respondency of friendship. But we run not these hazzards in consecrating our love to God; his perfections are not accompanied with faults; and we know it cannot be dis∣advantageous to us, to make a change with him. Our love is never without this ac∣knowledgment, since it is rather the effect than the cause of his, and that we love not him, till he hath first loved us. He is so just as he never denies our affection the recom∣pense which it deserves; he is not like those misbelieving Mistresses, who a∣mongst the numbers of their Lovers, prefer him who is best behaved, before him that loveth best; in the commerce which we
hold with him, we are sure that he that hath most charity, shall have most glory, and that in his Kingdom the most faithful lover shall be always the most honoured.
Qui ubique est, nullibi est.
Deum esse a∣morem tu••pi∣ter vitio favens finxit libido, quoque liberi∣or foret, titu∣lum, furori, nu∣minis falsi ad∣didit. Sen. in Hipolyto.
Odium{que} pa∣rit, cum jussit amor, veteres cedunt ignibus irae. Idem ibid.
Idem est exitus odii & amoris insani. Sen. 6▪ Benefic. c. 25.
Charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus per Spiritum san∣ctum, qui da∣tus est nobis. Rom. 5.
Amor amici∣tiae & amor concupiscentiae In quid ami∣cum paro? Ut habeam possim, pro quo mori, ut habeam quem in auxilium se∣quar, cujus me morti oppo∣nam & impen∣dam. Ep. 9.
Qui amicus esse coepit, quia expedit, place∣bit ei aliquod pretium contra amicitiam, si ullum in illa placet pretium praeter ipsam.
Ista quam tu describis, ne∣gotiatio est, non amicitia, quae ad com∣modum acce∣dit, Sen. Ep. 9.
Habet omnis amor vim su∣am, nec potest vacare amor in anima amantis Aug. in Psal. 121.
Magnum ver∣bum fortis ut mors; Dilectio magnificentius exprimi non potuit fortitu∣do charitatis; quis enim mor∣ti resistit •• ig∣nibus, undis, ferro,, potesta∣tibus, Regibus resistitur, venit una mors, quis ei resistit? ni∣hil est illa for∣tius, propterea viribus ejus charitas com∣paratur. Aug. in Psal 121.
Et quia ipsa charitas occi∣dit quod fui∣mus, ut simus quod non era∣mus, facit in nobis quan∣dam mortem dilectio: ipsa morti erant mortui quibus Apostolus di∣cebat, mortui estis, &c. Idem ibid.
Nullo modo sunt onerosi labores aman∣tium sed etiam ipsi delectant sicut venanti∣um, piscanti∣um; interest ergo quid a∣metur, nam in eo quod a∣matur, aut non laborantur, aut labor ama∣tur. Aug.
Extasim facit amor, amato∣res suo statu dimovet, sui juris esse non finit, sed in ea quae amant penitus trans∣fert. Dionis. De Divin. No•• min. c. 4.
Vivo autem jam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus. Gal. 2.
Mortui enim estis, & vi••a vestra est ab∣scondita cum Christo in Deo Col. 3.
Quid enim refert natura esse quod po∣test effici vo∣luntate. D. Chrys. De laud. Paul. Hom. 6.