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 a soule in Charitie makes progresse in it. CHAPTER. III.

1. LEt's make vse of a Parabole THEO: seeing it was a methode that pleased the Soue∣raigne Maister of Loue, which we are to teach. A great and braue King hauing espoused a most a∣miable young Princesse, and hauing on a certaine day led her into his secret Closet, there to con∣uerse with her more at his pleasure; after some dis∣course, he saw her by a certaine sudden accident fall downe as dead at his foote. Alas! he was ex∣treamely astonished at this, and it did well nigh put him also into a sownd; for she was dearer to him then his owne life. Yet the same Loue that gaue him this assault of griefe, did fourthwith giue him strength to sustaine it, and put him into action, to th'end that with an incomparable prom∣ptitude he might remedie the euill of the deare

Companion of his life: so that with a nimble speede opening a Dresser which stood by, he takes a cordiall water infinitly precious, and hauing fil∣led his mouth with it, by force he opēs the closed lippes and teeth of his well-beloued Princesse, thē breathing, and spurting the precious liquor which he held in his mouth, into his poore Loues, who lay in a sownd; and poureing the rest of the glasse vpon her nose, her temples, and about her heart, he made her returne to her selfe and senses againe; that done, he helpes her vp softely, and by vertue of remedies, doth so strengthen and bring her to life, that she begins to stand, and walke fairely with him; but in no sort without his helpe for he goes assisting and sustaining her vnder the arme, till at length he laied to her heart an Epetheme so precious, and of so great vertue, that finding her selfe entirely restored to her wounted health, she walkes all alone, her deare Spouse not now sur∣taiening her so much, but onely holding her right hand softly betwixt his, and his right arme folded vnder hers, and vnder her breasts. Thus he enter∣tained her, ād with all did her foure good offices: for 1. he gaue testimonie that his heart was louin∣gly carefull of her. 2. he neuer desisted to solace her. 3. if she felt any touch of her former faintnesse returne, he would sustaine her. 4. if she light in∣to any rough and difficile way, he would be her support and staie; And in Ascēts, or whē she would make a little more hast, he would lift her vp, ād po∣werfully succour her. In fine he staied by her with a cordiall regard till night approached, ād thē also he would assist in cōueying her, to her royall bed.

2. The iust soule is the Spouse of our Sauiour, and because she is neuer iust, but when she is in charitie, she is also neuer spouse but she is led into the sacred Closet, of those delicious perfumes, mentioned in the Canticles; Now, when the soule thus honored, commits sinne, she falls as dead of a spirituall faintnesse; and this is truely an vnex∣pected accident: for who would euer haue thought that a Creature would haue forsaken her Creator and soueraigne Good, for things so slight as the baites of sinne? Certes the Heauens are astonished at it, and if God were subiect to passions, he would fall downe in a sownd at this mishappe, as when he was mottall he died vpon the crosse for our Redemption. But seeing it is not now necessa∣rie that he should imploy his loue to dye for vs, when he seeth the soule ouerthrowne by sinne, he commonly runs to her succour, and by an vnspeak∣able mercy, laies open the gates of her heart, by the stings and remorses of conscience, which cō∣ming from the diuers lightes and apprehensions which he cast's into our hearts, with healthfull motions, by which as by an odoriferous and vitall water he makes the soule returne home to her selfe, and senses. And all this THEO: God works in vs without our helpe, his amiable Bountie pre∣uenting vs with his sweetenesse. For euen as our languishing Bride had remained dead in her sownd, if the king had not assisted; so the soule would remaine lost in her sinne if God preuented her not. But if the soule thus excitated, adde her consent to the feeling of Grace, seconding the in∣spiration which preuented her, and receiuing the

aides and remedies requisite, prouided for her by God; he will fortifie her and conduct her through the diuers motions of Faith, Hope, and Penance, euen till he restore her to her true spirituall health which is Charitie. Now in her passage frō vertue to vertue, by which he disposeth her to Loue, he doth not conduct her onely, but in such sort sustaine her, that as she of her side walkes what she is able, so he of his part supports and sustaines her, and it is hard to saie, whether she goes, or she is carried: for she is not so carried that she goes not, and yet she goes so, that if she were not carried, she could not goe at all. So that to speake Apostolically, she must saie; I goe, not I alone, but the Grace of God with me.

3. But the Soule being entirely restored to her health, by the excellent Epitheme of Charitie which the Holy Ghost infuseth into her heart, she is then able to goe, and keepe her selfe vpon her feete of her selfe, yet by vertue of this health, and this sacred Epitheme of holy Loue. Wherefore though she be able to goe of her selfe, yet is she to rende the glorie thereof to God, who bestow∣ed vpon her a health so vigourous, and manlie: for whether the Holy Ghost doth fortifie vs by the motions which he doth imprint in our hearts, or he doth sustaine vs by the Charitie which he doth infuse into it; whether he doth succour vs by manner of assistance, in lightening and carrying vs; or that he doth strengthen our hearts by poureing into them fortifying and quickening Loue; We al∣wayes liue, goe, and operate, in and by him.

4. And although by meanes of Charitie poured

into our Soules, we are able to walke in the pre∣sence of God, and make aduancement in the way of Saluation, yet so, as that the Goodnesse of God doth still assist the soule whom he hath daigned with his Loue, continually holding her with his holy hand: For so 1. he doth better make appeare the sweetenesse of his loue towards her. 2. he goes still more and more encouraging her. 3. he giues her comfort against depraued inclinations, and euill customes contracted by her former sinne. 4. and finally, he maintains and defends her from temptations.

5. Doe not we often see THEO: that sound and lustie men must be prouoked to employ their strength and power well, and as one would saie must be drawen by the hand to the worke? So God hauing endewed vs with Charitie, and in it, with force and sufficiencie to gaine ground in the way of perfection; his Loue doth not permit him to let vs march all alone, but makes him put him∣selfe vpon the way with vs, it vrgeth him to vrge vs, and doth sollicite his heart, to sollicite and driue forwards ours to make good vse of the Cha∣ritie which he gaue vs, repeating often by meanes of his inspirations, S. PAVLES Aduertisements: See that thou receiue not heauenly Grace in vaine, while you haue time; doe all the good you can; runne so as you may winne the goale. So that we are often to thinke, that he iterats in our eares, the words which he vsed to the good Father ABRA∣HAM: walke before me and be perfect.

6. But principally the speciall assistance of God is requisite for the soule endewed with Chari∣tie,

in her enterprises which are sublime and extra∣ordinarie: for be it that Charitie, though very weake, doth sufficiently incline vs, and vnlesse I be deceiued, afford force inough to performe the workes necessarie to saluatiō. yet so, that to aspire to, and vndertake excellent and extraordinarie a∣ctions, our hearts stād in neede of putting on, and heateing, by the hand and motion of this great heauenly Louer; as the Princesse in our Parable, although restored to health, could not ascend, nor haue gone fast, had not her deare Spouse re∣leeued and strongely sustained her. To this Pur∣pose, S. ANTONIE, and Simeon Stylite, were in the Grace of God ād Charitie, whē they did designe so high ēterprises: as also the B. mother S. TERESA whē she made her particular vow of obediēce: S. FRAN∣CIS, and S. LEWES, when they vndertooke their iorney beyond sea for the aduancement of God's glorie: The B. ZAVERIVS when he consecrated his life to the Indians conuersion, S. CHARLES in exposing himselfe to serue the pestiferous, S. PAV∣LINE, when he sould himselfe to redeeme the poore widowes child; yet neuer had they dared so hardie and generous enterprises, if God, to that Charitie which they had in their hearts, had not added speciall forces, inspirations, inuitations, and lights, wherby he did animate and push them forward to these extraordinarie essaies of spiri∣tuall valour.

7. Doe you not marke the young man of the Ghospell, whom our Sauiour loued, and who cō∣sequently was in Charitie? certes he neuer dream'd of selling all he had, to giue it to the poore, and fol∣low

our Sauiour: nay though our Sauiour had giuen him such an inspiration, yet had he not the courage to put it in executiō. In these great works THEO: onely inspirations are not sufficient, but further we must be fortified, to be able to effect that which the inspiratiō inclines vs to. As againe in the fierce assaultes of extraordinarie tēptations, the speciall and particular presence of heauenly succours is altogether necessarie. For this cause, the holy Church makes vs so frequently crie out: Excite our hearts ô Lord, preuent our actions by breathing vpon vs; and in aiding vs, accompanie vs; O Lord be prompt to helpe vs, and the like; therby to obtaine grace to be able to effect excel∣lent and extraordinarie works, and more fre∣quently and feruently to exercise ordinarie ones: as also more ardently to resist smale temptations, and more valliently to encounter great ones. S. ANTONIE was assailed by a hideous legion of Di∣uels, whose rage hauing a long time sustained, not without incredible paine and torment; at length he espied the couer of his Cell deuided, and a heauenly raie enter the breach, which made the blacke and disordered Route of his enemies vanish in a moment, and deliuered him of the paine of his wounds receiued in that schirmish, whence he perceiued God's particular presence, and casting out a grone towards the brightnesse; where wast thou ô good IESVS, quoth he, where wast thou? why wast thou not here from the beginning to haue remedied my paine? It was answered him frō aboue, Antonie, I was here: but I expected the euent of thy combat: And sithens thou behaued

thy selfe brauely and valiently, I will be thy con∣tinuall aide. But in what the valour, and courage of this braue spirituall Combatant did consist, he himselfe, another time declars, that being set vpon by a Diuell who professed to be the Spirit of fornicatiō, this Glorious Sainte after many words worthy of his great courage, fell a singing the 7. verse of the 115. Psalme.

Th'eternall God is my defence, In him it is I stand: I weigh no enemies pretence, I dread no hostell band.

And our Sauiour reuealed to S. CATHERINE of Sienna, that he was in the midst of her heart in a cruell temptation she had, as a Captaine in the midst of a Fort to hold it; and that without his succour she had lost her selfe in the battell. It is the like, in all the hote assaults which our enemie makes against vs: and we may well saie with IA∣COB, that it is the Angell that doth warrant vs in all, and sing with the great king DAVID.

The Pastour who doth guid my way, Is God, who rules this ROVND. VVhile I to his commands obey, At wish, all things abound: VVhen he behoulds my soules destresse Her Anguish, griefe, or care, His Goodnesse grant's a quick redresse

And th ruines doth r••paire.

So that we ought often to repeate this exclama∣••ion and Praier.

••o houre want I thy Bounti's hand, Each where I'm garded by thy Grace, That in thy heauen••y PROMISED LAND, Obtaine I might a MANSION PLACE.