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 seruile Feare remaines toge∣ther with holy Loue. CHAPTER. XVII.

1. And albeit that the Lady we spoke off will not leaue her needle in her worke after it be once perfected, yet as longe as there remaines any thing to be done about it, if any other occur∣rence hinder her, she will leaue the needle sticking in the Pincke, the Rose, or Paunsie which she embroders, to find it in a readinesse when she re∣turnes to her worke. In like manner THEO: while the Diuine Prouidence is about the embroderie of vertues, and the worke of Diuine Loue in our soules, there is alwayes a mercinarie or seruile loue left in thē, till Charitie being come to perfe∣ction, doth take out this pricking needle, and put it vp as it were in her Clue. In this life therefore wherein our Charitie shall neuer come to that perfection, that it shall be exempt from perill, Feare is alwayes necessarie, and euen while we daunce for ioye with Loue, we must tremble with apprehension by Feare.

In Feare aduise of what thou tak'st in hand, Serue, and reioyce in him that raignes aboue, Reioyce in him, yet ioyfull firmly stand In lowlinesse of heart, in trembling loue.

Our great Father ABRAHAM sent his seruant ELIEZER to choose a wife for his onely sonne ISAAC: Eliezer wēt and by diuine inspiration made choice of the faire and chast REBECCA whom he carried away with him. But this wittie Damsell forsooke ELIEZER, as soone as she met with ISAAC, and being conducted into SARAS chamber, she re∣mained his spouse for euer. God doth often send seruile Feare, as another ELIEZER, (and Eliezer, is interpreted God's assistance) to treate the mar∣riage betwixt it selfe and sacred Loue. And though the soule be brought vnder the conduct of Feare, it is not that Feare meanes to espouse her; for in effect, as soone as the soule meets with Loue, she vnits herselfe vnto him, and quits Feare.

2. Yet as ELIEZER after his returne remained in Isaac his house, at his and Rebeccas seruice, so Feare hauing led vs to holy Loue, it remaines still with vs, to serue both Loue and the louing soule as occasion serues. For though the soule be iust, yet she is oft set vpon by extreame temptations, and Loue as couragious as it is hath enough to doe, to sustaine the assault by reason of the disad∣uantage of the place wherein it is, which is the va∣riable heart of man, subiect to the mutinie of the passions. In that case therefore THEO: Loue em∣ployes Feare in the fight, making vse of him to re∣pulse the enemie. The braue Prince IONATHAS, going to giue a charge vpon the Phylistians, a∣midst the obscuritie of the night, would haue his Esquire with him and those that he killed not, his Espire killed. And loue enterprising some difficult thing, makes not vse of his proper motiues onely,

but also of the motiues of seruile and mer∣cinarie feare; and the temptations which Loue ouerthrowes not, Feare defeates: If a temp∣tation of Pride, auarice or some voluptuous plea∣sure make head against me; Ah! shall I saie, it is possible, that for things so vaine, my soule would quit the grace of her well-beloued? but if this will not serue, Loue will call Feare to his aide: ah dost thou not see miserable heart, that by se∣conding this temptation, the horrible flames of Hell doe waite vpon thee? and that thou loosest the eternall inheritance of heauen? a man makes vse of all things in extreamities: as the saied IO∣NATHAS did, when passing the sharp Rockes, which were betwixt him and the Phylistians he did not onely make vse of his feete, but as well as he could, scrambled, and ramped with his hands. Euen therefore as the Mariners, who lanch out vnder a fauorable gale, and in a fit season, doe yet neuer leaue behind them their cables, ankers, and other necessaries against stormes and tempests: so though the seruant of God enioye the sweete repose of holy Loue, he must neuer be vnprouided of the Feare of Gods iudgments, to helpe himselfe there∣with amōgst the outrages and assaults of tempta∣tions: besids that as the skin of an aple, which in it selfe is of small estimation, is yet very vsefull for the conseruation of the aple which it coue∣reth; so seruile feare, which in it selfe is but of a meane condition in respect of Loue, is yet very profitable to its conseruation, during the dan∣gers of this mortall life. And as he that presents a Pomegranade, doth onely present it in respect of

the grains and iuyce contained with in it, and yet giues it in the pille, as a certaine dependance of it; Euen so, though the holy Ghost, amongst his sacred gifts bestowes a louing Feare vpon the hearts of his friends, that they may feare God in pietie, as their Father and Spouse, yet doth he also adde to that, a mercinarie and seruile Feare, as an accessarie to the other, which is more excellent: so Ioseph presenting his Father with many loades of the riches of Egipt, gaue him not onely the trea∣sures, but withall, the asses that brought them.

3. Now albeit that mercinarie and seruile Feare be very necessarie for this mortall life, yet is it vnworthy of any part in the immortall, where there shall be an assurance voyd of Feare, a Peace without opposition, a repose free from care; yet shall the seruices which this seruile and mercina∣rie Feare made Loue, be there rewarded; so that these Feares, though as another Moyses and Aaron they enter not into the LAND OF PROMIS, yet shall their posteritie and workes enter: and as for a Filiall, and the Feare of Spouses, they there shall haue their rancke and place, not to cause any dif∣fidence or perplexitie in the foule, but to make her admire and reuerence with submission the in∣comprehensible maiestie, of this omnipotent Fa∣ther, and this Spouse of glorie.

The Loue to God we beare Is full of purest Feare: His Feare and Maiestie Dures for eternitie.