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

How much God desires, we should loue him. CHAPTER. VIII.

1. ALthough our Sauiours Redemption be ap∣plyed vnto vs, in as many different man∣ners, as there be soules; yet so notwithstanding that the vniuersall meanes of our Saluation, is Loue, which goes through all, and without which nothing is profitable, as elsewhere, we shall de∣clare. The Cherubin was placed at the gate of the

earthlie Paradice with his firie sword, to teach vs that none shall enter into the heauenlie Paradice, who is not pearced through with the sword of loue. For this cause THEOTIME the sweete IESVS who bought vs with his blood, desireth infinitly that we should loue him, that we might eternally be saued, and desires we might be saued, that we might loue him eternally, his loue tending to our saluation, and our saluation to his loue. Ah saieth he, I came to put fire into the world, to what end, but that it should burne; But to set out more to the life the vehemencie of his desire, he com∣mandeth vs this loue in admirable termes. Thou shalt loue saieth he the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soule, with all thy force, this is the first and greatest Commandement. Good God THEOTIME how amourous the diuine heart is of our loue, had it not bene sufficient to haue published a permission, by which we might haue had leaue to loue him: as LABAN permitted Iacob to loue his faire RACHEL, and to gaine her by seruices? ah no! he made a further declaration of his amourous passion of loue to vs, and com∣mandes vs to loue him with all our powre, least the consideration of his maiestie, and our mi∣serie, which puts vs in so great a distance, and ine∣qualitie, or other pretext whatsoeuer, might di∣uert vs from his loue: In which THEOTIME he well shewes that he did not leaue in vs a naturall inclination to loue for nothing: For to th'end it might not be idle, he vrgeth vs by this generall commandement to imploy it, and to th'end this commandement might haue effect he furniseth

euery liuing creature abundantly with all meanes requisite thervnto. The visible Sunne toucheth euery thing with his liuely heate, and as the com∣mon louer of things belowe, doth impart vnto them requisite vigour to produce. And euen so the diuine goodnesse doth animate all soules and encourage all hearts to her loue, none at all being shut vp from her heate. The eternall wisdome sayeth Salomon preacheth in publicke, she makes her voice resoūd amōgst the places, she cries ād re∣cries before the people, she pronoūceth her words in the gates of the Citie, saying ô children how long will it be, that you will loue your infancie? how long will fooles desire hurtfull things? and the imprudent hate knowledge? Conuert your selues, returne to me vpon this aduertissement; ah! behould how I profer you my spirit, and I will shew you my wordes. And the same wisdome pursueth in EZECHIEL saying. Let no man saye I am dead in sinne, and how cā I recouer life againe? Ah no! for harke, God saieth, I am liuing, and as true as I liue, I will not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and liue. Now, to liue accor∣ding to God, is to loue, and he that loues not remaines in death; See now THEOTIME whether God doth not desire we should loue him.

2. But he is not content to denounce in this manner publickly his great desire to be loued, so that euery one might receiue a part of the seedes of his loue, but he goes euen from doore to doore, knocking and beating; protesting that if any one open, he will enter, and suppe with him; that is, he will testifie all sorts of good will to∣wards

him.

3. But what would all this saie THEOTIME but that God doth not onely giue vs a meere suffi∣ciencie of meanes to loue him, and in louing him to saue our selues: but euen a rich, ample and magnificent sufficiencie, and such as ought to be expected from so great a bountie, as his. The great Apostle speaking to the obstinate sinner; Dost thou contemne, saieth he, the riches of the bountie, patience and longanimitie of God? art thou ignorant that the benignitie of God doth draw thee to penāce? But thou according to thy hardnesse ād impenitēt heart, dost heape vp against thy selfe anger in the day of Anger. My deare THEO: God doth not therfore exercise a meere suf∣ficiencie of remedies to conuert the obstinate, but imployes to this end the riches of his bountie. The Apostle as you see doth oppose the riches of God's goodnesse, against the treasurs of the impe∣nitēt hearts malice, and saieth, that the malicious heart is so rich in iniquitie, that he despiseth euē the riches of Gods mildnesse, by which he drawes him to repentance: and marke, that the obstinate doth not onely contemne the riches of God's goodnesse, but euē riches attractiue to repentance, Riches, wherof one cānot well be ignorant: veri∣ly this rich heape, and abundant sufficiencie of meanes which God freely bestoweth vpon sinners to loue him, doth appeare almost through the whole Scripture. For see this diuine Louer at the gate, he doth not simply beate, but stayes beating; he calls the Soule, goe to, rise my well-beloued, dispach, put thy hād to the locke to try whether it

will open: When he preacheth amidst the places, he doth not simply preach, but goes cry∣ing out, that is, he continues his crie, and when he proclaims that euery one should conuert them∣selues, he thinkes he hath neuer repeated it suffi∣ciently. Conuert your selues, conuert your selues, doe penance, returne to me, liue, why dost thou die ô house of Israel? In conclusion this heauenlie Sauiour forgets nothing, to shew that his mer∣cyes are aboue all his workes, that his mercy doth surpasse his Iudgment, that his Redemption is co∣pious, that his loue is infinite, and as the Apostle saieth, that he is rich in mercy, and by conse∣quence, that his will is, that all men should be saued, none perish.