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 Meditation the first degree of Praier, or mysticall Diuinitie. CHAPTER. II.

1. THis word is frequent in the holy Scrip. and imports no other thing, then an at∣tentiue, and reiterated thought, apt to bring forth good or euill affections. In the 1. Psalme, the man is saied to be blessed whose will is in the way of our Lord, and in his law will meditate day and night: but in the 2. Psal: why did the Gentils rage, and people meditate vaine things: MEDI∣TATION therefore is made as well for euill as good ends. Yet whereas in the holy Scripture, the word MEDITATION is put ordinarily for the at∣tention which we haue to holy things, to th'end to stirre vs vp to loue them, it hath, as one would saie, bene canonized by the common consent of Diuines, with the word ANGELL, and ZEALE, as contrariwise the word DEMON or DIVEL, hath

bene defamed so that now when one names medi∣tation, we vnderstand a holy thinge, and that by which we begin mysticall Diuinitie.

2. Euery meditation is a thought, but euery thought is not meditation; for we haue thoughtes, to which our mynd is caried without aime or pre∣tention at all, by way of a simple musing, as we see flies flie from one flowre to an other, without drawing any thing from them: And be this kind of thought as attentiue as it may be, it can neuer beare the name of meditation; but must be called a simple thought. Sometimes we consider a thinge attentiuely to learne it's causes, effectes, qualities; and this thought is named studie, in which the mynd, is like locustes, which promiscuously flie vpon flowres, and leeues, to eate them and nou∣rishe themselfes thervpon: but when we thinke of heauenly things, not to learne but to loue them, that is called, to meditate: and the exercise thereof Meditation: in which our mynd, not as a flie, by a simple musing, nor yet as a locust, to eate and be filled, but as a sacred Bee flies amongst the flowres of holy mysteries, to extract from them the hon∣nie of Diuine Loue.

3. So diuers mē are alwayes dreaming ād busying themselues in vnprofitable thoughtes, without knowing in a manner what they thinke vpon; and which is admirable, they are onely attentiue for want of attention, and would be rid of such thoughtes. Wittnesse he that saied: my thoughtes waste themselues, tormenting my heart. Others there are that studie, and by a most laborious trade, fill themselues with vanitie, not being able

to withstand curiositie. But few there are, that meditate, to kindle their heart with heauenly loue. In fine, thoughtes, and studies may be vpon any subiect, but meditation in our present sense, hath reference onely to those obiectes, whose conside∣ration tend's to make vs good and deuote. So that meditation is an attentiue thought iterated, or vo∣luntarily intertained in the mynd,, to excitate the will to holy affections and resolutions.

4. Verily the holy word, doth admirably well explicate by an excellent similitude wherin holy meditation consisteth. Ezechias when he would explicate in his Canticle, the attentiue con∣sideratiō which he had of his annoyes: I will crie, saieth he, like a young swallow, and meditate as a doue: for, my deare THEO: if euer you tooke notice of it, the younge swallows doe gape wide in their chirping; and contrariwise, the doue, of all the birdes, doth murmur with her neb shut and clos'd, rowling her voice in her weesell and and crope, nothing passing outwardly but a cer∣taine resounding or eccho-like sound, and this close murmuring, doth equally serue her in the expression of her griefe and loues. Ezechias then to shew, that in his calamitie, he made many vo∣call Praiers; I will crie, saieth he, as a younge swallow, opening my mouth, to lay before God in many lamētable voices; and to testifie also that he made vse of holy mentall prayer, he addes, I will meditate, as a doue winding and doubling my thoughtes within my heart, by an attentiue consideration, to excite my selfe to blisse and praise the soueraigne mercy of my God, who hath

brought me backe from deaths gate, taking cō∣passion of my miserie. So, saieth Isaie, we will roare or rustle like Beares, and meditating we will mourne as Doues, the rustling of Beares doth re∣semble the exclamations which are made in vocall praier, and the mourning of Doues, is compared to holy meditation. But to the end it may appeare that Doues doe not onely mourne in occasions of griefe, but euen of loue also and ioye, the sacred Spouse describing the naturall spring-time, to ex∣presse the graces of the spirituall spring-time: the Turtles voice, saieth he, hath bene heard in our land, because in the spring the Turtle begins to waxe hote with loue; which by her more frequent song she testifieth: and presently after, my Doue shew me thy face, let thy voice resound in my eares; for thy voice is sweete, and thy face comely and gracious. He would saie THEO: that the de∣uote soule is most agreeable vnto him, when she presents her selfe before him, and meditats to heate her selfe in holy spirituall loue, as doe Doues to stirre vp their mates to a naturall loue. So he that had saied, I will meditate as a Doue, putting his conceite into other words: I will recall to mind, saieth he, all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule: for to meditate, and to recall to mind to th'end to moue affection, are the same thing. Hence Moyses exhorting the people to re∣call to mind the benefits receiued of God, he addes this reason, to th'end you may obserue his commandements, walke in his wayes, and feare him. And our Sauiour himselfe gaue this com∣mand to Iosue: thou shalt meditate in the booke

of the lawe, day and night, that therby thou mayest obserue and doe that which is written in it; which in one of the passages, is expressed by the word MEDITATE, is declared in the other, by RECALL TO MIND. And to shew that an iterated thought, and meditation, tend to moue vs to affections, resolutions, and act••ons; it is saied as well in the one as the other passage, that we must recall to mind, and meditate in the law, to obserue and practise it. In this sense the Apostle exhorts vs saying think diligently vpon him who sustained of sinners such contradiction against himselfe, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. When he saieth think diligently, it is as though he had saied, meditate: but why would he haue vs to meditate: the holy passion? not that we should waxe learned, but that we should become patient, and constant in the way of heauen.

5. Meditation is a mysticall ruminating (re∣quisite that we might not be found vncleane,) to which one of the pious shepherdesses that follow∣eth the sacred Sunamite inuits vs; for she assures vs that holy write, is as a precious wine, worthy to be drunk, not onely by the Pastours and Do∣ctours, but also to be diligently tasted, chewed and ruminated, as one would saie: Thy throte, saieth she, wherein the holy words are formed, is a best wine worthy of my well-beloued, to be drunk with his lippes, and ruminated with his teeth. So the Blessed Isaac, as a neate and pure Lambe, to∣wards night went out into the fields, to recollect, conferre, and exercise his Spirit with God, that

is, to praie and meditate.

6. The Bee flies from flowre to flowre in the spring time, not at all aduētures, but of pourpose; not to be recreated onely in the verdant diapring of the fieldes, but to gather honie, which hauing found, she suckes, and lodes her selfe with it, thence carying it to her hyue, she accommodates it artificially, separating the waxe from it, therof makeing the combe to reserue honie for the en∣suing winter. Such is the deuote soule in medita∣tion: she passeth from mysterie to mysterie, not at randome, or to solace her selfe onely in viewing the admirable beautie of those diuine obiectes, but deliberatly and of set pourpose, to find out motifes of loue, or some heauenly affection; and hauing found them, she drawes them to her, she relisheth them and lodes her selfe with them, and hauing brought them home, and placed them in her heart, she selectes that which she finds most proper for her aduancement, storing herselfe with fit resolutions against the time of temptation. Thus the celestiall Spouse, as a mysticall bee, flies to the Canticle of Canticles, now vpon the eyes, now vpon the lippes, cheekes and head haire of the well-beloued, to draw from thence the sweet∣nesse of a thousand passions of loue; to this effect, noting in particular whatsoeuer she finds rare. So that inflamed with holy loue, she speakes with him, puts interrogatories to him; she harkes sighes, aspires, admires; as he of his part fills her with delight, inspiring her, touching and opening her heart, and streaming into it brightnesse, lighte and sweetenesses with-out end, but in so secrete a

manner, that one may rightly saie of this holy conuersation of the soule with God, as the Holy Text saieth of God's with Moises: that Moises being sole vpon the tope of the mountaine, he spoke to God, and God answered him.