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 the desire to exalte and magnifie God, doth separate vs from inferiour plea∣sures, and makes vs attentiue to the Diuine perfections. CHAPTER. VII.

1. LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE, then causeth in vs a desire more ād more to increase the cō∣placence

which we take in the Diuine Goodnesse and to effect this encrease, the soule doth carefully depriue her selfe of all other pleasure, that she may giue herselfe more entirely to take pleasure in God. A religious man, asked S. GILES, one of the first, and most holy Companions of S. FRAN∣CIS in what worke he could be most agreeable to God: he answered, in singing one to one, which after explicating; giue alwayes, quoth he, all your soule, the onely one to God, who is one. The soule doth glide through pleasures, and the diuer∣sitie of them doth distract and hinder her, that she cannot attentiuely attend to the pleasure which she ought to take in God. The true Louer hath scarcely any pleasure, but in the thing beloued. The glorious S. PAVLE reputed all things as durt or dung, in comparison of his Sauiour. And the sacred Spouse is entirely for her well-beloued. And if the soule that stands thus holily affe∣cted, meet with creaturs neuer so excellent, yea though they were Angels, she makes no delay with them, saue onely to be helped and aduanced in her desire. Tell me then, saieth she to them, tell me I coniure you: haue you not seene him, whom my heart loues? The glorious Louer MAGDELEN met the Angels at the sepul∣chre, who doubtlesse spoke to her angelically, that is, deliciously, desirous to appease her griefe, but contrariwise, wholy ruthfull, she could take no kind of content, neither in their milde words, nor in the glorie of their garments, nor in the hea∣uenly grace of their gesture, nor in the wholy lo∣uely beautie of their featurs, but couered with

tears, they haue taken away my Maister, saieth she, and I know not where they haue put him. And turning about she saw her sweete Sauiour, but in forme of a Gardener, wherein her heart cā∣not be at repose: for full with the loue of the death of her maister; flowres she will haue none, nor consequently Gardeners; she hath with in her heart the crosse, the nailes, the thornes, she seakes her crucified Lord: ah my deare Maister Gardener, saieth she, whether peraduenture haue you not planted my well-beloued deseased Lord, amongst your flowres as a Lillie, crusshed and withered? Tell me quickly, and I will carrie him away. But no sooner had he called her by her name, but wholy melting with delight. ô God, saieth she, maister! Nothing can content her, nor Angels cō∣panie delight he, no nor yet her Sauiours, vnlesse he appeare, in that forme in which he had stolne her heart. The kings could not content them∣selues, neither in Hierusalems goodlinesse, nor in the Courts magnificence, nor in the starres splen∣dour: Their hearts searching the little caue and child of Bethleem. The MOTHER OF FAIRE DILE∣CTION, and the Spouse of most holy Loue, cannot stay amongst their parents and friends, they still walke on in griefe, enquiring after the onely ob∣iect of their delight: The desire to encrease holy complacence, cuts of all other pleasure, to th'end it may with more feruour practise that, to which diuine beneuolence doth excite.

2. Now, more to magnifie the soueraigne well-beloued, the soule goes still pursuing his face, that is, with an attention daily more carefull and fer∣uent,

she notes euery particularitie of the beau∣ties, and perfections which are in him, making a continuall progresse in this pleasing inquirie of motiues, that might perpetually presse her to a greater complacence in the incomprehensible goodnesse which she loueth. So DAVID, in many of his heauenly Psalmes, doth cote by parcells the workes and wonders of God. And the sacred Spouse, rangeth in her diuine Canticles as a well ranked armie, all the perfections of her spouse in their order, to prouoke her soule, to a holy com∣placence, thereby more highly to magnifie his excellencie, and withall to winne euery crea∣ture, to the loue of her so louely a friend.