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

That there shall be different degrees of the vnion of the Blessed with God. CHAPTER. XV.

1. NOw this light of Glorie, THEO: shall be the measure of the sight and contempla∣tion of the Blessed, and according as we shall haue lesse, or more of this holy splendour, we shall see more or lesse clearely, and consequently more, or lesse happily the most holy Diuinitie, which as it is beholden ād diuersly looked vpō, so it will make vs diuersly glorious. Certes in this heauenly Para∣dise, all the SPIRITS see all the Diuine Essence,

yet no one of them, nor all of them together, doth or can see it entirely. No, THEO: for God being most singularly one, and most simply indiuisible, one cannot see him, without seeing all: But being infinite without limite, without bounds or mea∣sure at all in his perfection, there neither is, nor can be any capacitie out of himselfe, who can euer totally comprehend, or penetrate the infinitie of his Goodnesse, infinitly essentiall, and essentially infinite.

2. This created light of the visible Sunne, which is limited and finite, is in such sort all seene of all those that doe behold it, that it is neuer totally seene of any one of them, nor of all to∣gether; It is in a manner so with all our senses. Amongst many that heare excellent musike, though all of them heare it all, yet some heare it not so well, nor with so much delight as others, ac∣cording as their eares, are lesse, or more delicate. MANNA had all tasts to all that eate it, yet diffe∣rently, following the diuersitie of their appetits who tooke it, yet was it totally tasted of none for it had more different tasts, then the Israelits had varietie of gusts. THEO: we shall see, and taste in heauen, all the Diuinitie, but neuer any of the Blessed, nor all together, shall euer see or taste it totally. This infinite Diuinitie shall still haue in∣finitly more excellences, then we sufficiencie, and capacitie: and we shall haue an vnspeakable content to know, that after we haue satiated all the desire of our heart, and fully replenished the capacitie thereof in the fruition of an infinite good which is God; neuerthelesse there will re∣maine

in this infinitie, infinite perfections to be seene, enioyed, and possessed, which his diuine Ma∣iestie knowes and sees, it onely comprehending it selfe.

3. So fishes enioye the incredible vastnesse of the Ocean; but neuer any fish, nor yet all the multitude of fishes euer sawe all the armes of the Sea, or wet their sinnes in all its waters. Birds doe sport in the open aire, at their pleasure, but neuer any birde, nor yet all the flok's of birds to∣gether did euer beat with their winges all the re∣gions of the aire, or arriue at the supreame region of the same. Ah THEO: our soules shall freely, and according to the full extēt of their wishes, swime in the Ocean, and soare in the aire of the Diuinitie, reioycing eternally, to see that this aire is so infi∣nite, this Ocean so vast, that it cannot be measured by their winges; and that enioying without all re∣serue, or exception, all this infinite Abisse of the Diuinitie, yet shall they neuer be able to equalize their fruition to this infinitie, which remaines still infinitly infinite beyond their capicitie.

4. And at this the Blessed SPIRITS are rauished with two admirations, first at the infinite beautie which they contemplate, secondly, at the Abisse of the infinitie, which remaineth to be seene in this same beautie. O God how admirable is that which they see! but ô God how much more ad∣mirable is that which they see not! And notwith∣standing, THEO, the most sacred beautie which they see being infinite, it doth entirely satisfie and satiate them, and enioying it with content, ac∣cording to the rancke which they hold in heauen,

because God's amiable prouididence hath so de∣termined it, they conuerte the knowledge they haue of not possessing, or not being totally to possesse their obiect into a simple compla∣cence of admiration, in which they haue a soue∣raigne ioye to see that the beautie they loue is so infinite, that it cannot be totally knowen, but by it selfe: For in this doth the Diuini∣tie of this infinite Beautie, or the Beautie of this infi∣nite Diuinitie consist.