A treatise of the loue of God. Written in french by B. Francis de Sales Bishope and Prince of Geneua, translated into English by Miles Car priest of the English Colledge of Doway

Of the conueniencie betwixt God and man. CHAPTER. XV.

1. AS soone as a man takes the Diuinitie into his consideratiō with a little attētion, he feeles a certaine delightfull leaping of the heart, witnessing that God, is God of man's heart, and that our vnderstanding is neuer so filled with pleasure, as in this consideration, the least know∣ledge wherof, as saieth the prince of Philoso∣phers, is more worth then the greatest of other things, as the least Sunne beame is brighter, then the greatest from the Moone, or starres; yea is more lightsome then the Moone, and starres alltogether, so that if any dreadfull accident as∣saie our heart, it hath presently recourse to the Di∣uinitie, protesting therin, that when all other things faile him, that onely stands his friend, and when danger threateneth, that onely is his soueraigne good, and can saue and war∣rant him.

2. This confidence, this pleasure which man's heart naturally takes in God, can spring from

no other roote then from the conueniencie which is betwixt God and man's soule, a great, but se∣crete conueniencie; a conueniencie which each one knowes, but few vnderstands; a conuenien∣cie which cannot be denied, nor yet be well foun∣ded; we are created to the similitude and like∣nesse of God: what is this to saie? if not, that we haue an extreamely great proportion with the di∣uine Maiestie.

3. Our soule is spirituall, indiuisible, immor∣tall, vnderstands, willeth, and that freely, is capa∣ble of discourse, iudgment, knowledge, and of vertues, in all which it resembles God. It is all in all, and all in euery part of the bodie, as the Diuinitie is all in this our All, and all in euery part therof: man knowes and loues himselfe by acts produced, and expressed by his vnderstanding, and will, distinguished in them selues; remaining notwithstanding inseparably vnited in the soule, and in these faculties from whence they proceede. So the Sonne proceedes from the Father, as his knowledge expressed; and the Holy Ghost, as loue expired, and produced from the Father and the Sonne: both the Persons being distinct in them selues, and from the Father, and yet inse∣parable and vnited, or rather one same sole, sim∣ple, onely, indiuisible Diuinitie.

4. But besides this conueniencie of simili∣tude, there is an incomparable correspondence betwixt God and man, by reason of their recipro∣call perfection, not that God can receiue any per∣fection from man, but because, as man cannot be perfected but by the diuine Bountie, so the di∣uine

Bountie can scarcely so well exercise it's per∣fection out of it selfe, as vpon our humanitie, th'one hath great want, and capicitie to receiue good; th'other great abundance, and inclination to bestow it: nothing is so agreeable to pouertie as a liberall abundance, nor to a liberall abun∣dance, as a needie pouertie, and by how much the good is more abundant, by so much more strong is the inclination to poure fourth, and communi∣cate it selfe: By how much more the poore man is in want, by so much greater is his appetite to re∣ceiue, as an emptie thing to fill it selfe. The concurrence then of abundance and pouertie, is most sweete and agreeable: nor could one almost haue discerned, whether the abounding good hath a greater contentment in opening, and com∣municating it selfe; or the needie and indigent good in receiuing and drawing to it selfe; if our Sauiour had not saied, that there is a greater felici∣tie in giuing then in receiuing: but where there is more felicitie, there is more satisfactiō, and there∣fore the diuine bountie receiues greater pleasure in giuing, then we in receiuing.

5. Mothers haue sometimes their breasts so fruitfull and abundant, that they cannot containe, but giue them some child to sucke, and though the child draw the pappe with great ardour, yet doth the Mother giue it more ardently, the sucking child pressed by it's necessitie, and the nourishing Mother pressed with her fecundi∣tie.

6. The sacred Spouse wished for the holy kisse of vnion: ô saieth she, let him deigne me

a kisse of his mouth. But is there Sympathie e∣nough ô thou Beloued of the Beloued betwixt thee and thy heauēly Spouse, to come to the vnion which thou desirest? I quoth she, giue me this kisse of vnion ô thou deare friend of my heart, for thy dugges are better then wine, though per∣fumed with excellent odours. New wine works and boyles in it selfe by vertue of it's good∣nesse, and cannot be contained within the peece, and thy dugges are yet better, they presse thy breast with continuall shuttings pouring out their superabundant milke, as wishing to be discharged of it: and to draw the children of thy heart to sucke them, they poure out a more po∣werfully drawing odour then all the odours of perfums, so that THEOTIME we stand in neede of Gods abundance being poore and needie, but Gods abundance hath no neede of our pouertie but by reason of the excellencie of his perfection, and bountie. Bountie, which is not at all bettered by communication: For it doth acquire nothing in pouring it selfe out of it selfe, but contrariwise giues: but our pouertie would remaine abiect and miserable, if it were not enriched by the diuine abundance.

7. Our soule then seeing that nothing can per∣fectly content her, and that nothing the world can afforde, is able to fill her capacitie, considering that her vnderstanding hath an infinite inclination still to know more; and her will an vnwearied ap∣petite to search and loue good: hath she not rea∣son to crie out. Ah, I am not then made for this world! There is a soueraigne good on which I de∣pend,

an infinite workman who hath impressed in me this endlesse desire of knowing, and this insa∣tiable appetite: and therfore I must tend and ex∣tend my selfe towards him, to vnite and ioyne my selfe to his bountie, to whom I appertaine and am; Such is the sympathie betwixt God and mans soule!