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 the louing recollection of the SOVLE IN CONTEMPLATION. CHAPTER. VII.

1. I Speake not here, THEO: of the recollection by which such as are about to praie, vse to place themselues in God's presence, entring into themselues, and, as one would saie, retiring their soule with in their heart, there to speake with God: For this recollection is made by Lous commaund, which prouoking vs to praie, moues vs to serue our selues of this meanes to praie well, so that we our selues are cause of this retiring of our soule. But the recollection of which I meane to speake, is not made by lous commaund, but by loue it selfe: that is, we doe not make it by free choise, it nor being in our power to haue it when we please, not depending of our care: but God, at his pleasure works it in vs, by his holy grace. He, saied the B. Mother Saint Teresa of IESVS, who wrote, that the Praier of Recollection,

is made as when an VRCHIN or TORTIS doe drawe themselues together, saied well, sauing that these beastes drawe themselues vp when they please, whereas recollection is not in our will, but onely when it pleaseth God of his grace to be∣stowe it vpon vs.

2. Now thus it is done. Nothing is so naturall to good, as to draw and vnite vnto it selfe such things as are sensible of it, as doe our soules which draw continually and tend towards their treasure, that is towards that which they loue. Herevpon it fals out sometimes, that our Sauiour doth imperceptibly poure into the bottome of our hearts, a certaine agreeable sweetenesse in argumēt of his presence, and then the powers, yea the very exteriour senses of the soule, by a certaine secrete contentment doe turne it vpon that inward part, where the most amiable and dearest spouse is lod∣ged: For as a young swarme of Bees, while they are ready to take flight, and chang their coun∣trie, is recalled by the softe sound of a bason, the smell of Metheglin, or else by the sent of some odoriferous hearbs, so that they staie by the in∣ticements of these sweetes, and enter into the hyue prepared for them: So our Sauiour pronouncing some secret word of his loue, or pouring out the odour of the wine of his dilection more deli∣cious then honie, or else streaming the perfumes of his garments, that is some sense of diuine conso∣lations in our heartes, and therby making them perceiue his most gratefull presence, he drawes vnto him all the faculties of our soule, which ga∣ther about him, and staie in him, as in their most

desired obiect. And as he that should cast a peece of an Adamant amōgst many needles, should in∣stantly see them turne all their pointes towards their well-beloued Adamant, and hang vpon it: so when our Sauiour makes his delightfull pre∣sence to be felt in the midst of our heartes, all our faculties turne their points that way, to be vni∣ted to that incomparable sweetenesse.

3. O God saieth then the soule, imitating S. AVGVSTINE whither doe I wander searching thee? ô infinite Beautie; I sought thee with out, and thou wast in the midst of my heart. All Magda∣lens affections, and all her thoughtes were scatte∣red about the Sepulcher of her Sauiour, whom she went questing here and there: and though in∣deede she had found him, and he spoke to her: yet leaues she them disperced, because she doth not perceiue his presence; but as soone as he had cal∣led her by name, behold her gathered together, and laied fast at his feete: one onely word, puts her into Recollection.

4. Propose to your selfe, THEOT: the most holy Virgin our Lady, when she had conceiued the Sonne of God, her onely Loue; the soule of this well-beloued mother doth wholy recollect it selfe about this well-beloued child; and because this heauenly friend, was harboured in her sacred entrals, all the faculties of the soule doe gather thēselues within thēselues, as holy bees into their hyue wherein their honie was. And by how much the diuine greatnesse was by māner of speach more restrained ād lessened in the virginall wombe, by so much her soule did more dilate it selfe ād magnifie the

praises of that infinite clemencie, and her Spirit within her bodie lept with ioye (as S. IOHN in his mothers wombe in presence of his God) which she felt. She lanched not her affections out of her selfe, sith that her loues, her delightes were in the midest of her sacred wōbe. Now this same con∣tentmēt may be practised, by imitatiō, amōgst such as hauing communicated, doe perceiue by the cer∣taintie of faith, that which neither flesh nor blood, but the heauenly Father hath reuealed vnto them, that their Sauiour, is in bodie and soule present, by a most reall presence to their bodie and soule in the most adorable Sacrament: for as the Mother-pearle hauing receiued the fresh morning drops of dewe, doth shut her selfe, not onely to conserue them pure from all mixture of sea-water, but also for the delight she taks to feele the gracious fresh∣nesse of this gift from heauen; so it fals out with diuers holy and deuote soules, that hauing recei∣ued the Blessed Sacrament, which containes all the dewe of heauēly benedictions, their soule shutteth it selfe, and all her faculties are retired, not onely to adore this soueraigne king, newly present by an admirable presence in their breastes, but also for the incredible consolation, and spirituall re∣freshing which they receiue, to perceiue by faith the diuine shute of immortalitie within them; where you are diligently to note, THEO: that in∣deede all this recollection is made by loue, which perceiuing the presence of the well-beloued by the baits it castes in the midest of the heart, doth ga∣ther and drawe all the soule towards it by a most amiable inclination, most sweete turning, and

most delicious winding of all faculties towards the well-beloued, who drawes them vnto him by the force of his sweetenesse, with which he drawes, and ties the heart, as bodies are drawen by materiall ropes, or bands.

5. This sweete recollection of our soule in her selfe, is not onely made by the apprehension of Gods presence in the midst of our heart, but euen by placing our selues in any manner in his sacred presence. It happens often times, that all our inte∣riour powers doe gather and shut themselues vp in them selues, vpon an extreame reuerence and sweete feare, which doth sease vpon vs, in consi∣deration of his soueraigne Maiestie, who is pre∣sent with vs, and beholds vs; So that, notwithstan∣ding we are distracted, if the Pope, or some great Prince should appeare, we recall our thoughtes and reflect vpon our selues, that we may be pre∣sent to our selues and respectiue. The blew Lillie, or flowerdeluce is saied to shut it selfe at the sight of the Sunnes approach; because by his bright∣nesse it doth shut and locke it selfe vp within it selfe, in whose absence it remaines desplaied, ād opē all the night. The like happēs in this recollectiō of which we speake: for vpō the onely presēce of God or feeling we haue that he beholds vs, either from heauen, or from any other place out of vs, though as then we thinke not of the other presence, by which he is in vs, our powres and faculties doe assemble, and gather together within vs, out of respect to his diuine Maiestie, which loue makes vs feare, with a feare of honour and res∣pect.

6. Verily I was acquainted with a soule, to whom as soone as one mentioned any mysterie or sentence, which put her a little more expressely then ordinary, in minde of the presence of God, either in confession or priuate conference, she would so deeply ēter into her selfe, that she could hardly recouer her selfe to speake and make an∣sweare; so that outwardly she remained as one de∣stitute of life, and all her senses were absorpt, till her Spouse permitted her to returne, which was sometime sooner, sometime later.