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

That our lawfull occasions doe not hin∣der vs to practise Diuine Loue. CHAPTER. IV.

1. CVriositie, ambition, disquiete together with inaduertance and inconsideration of the end for which we are in this world, are cause that we haue a thousand times more impediments then affaires; more hurrying vp and downe, then worke; more lets then businesse: And these are the MAZES, THEOT: that is, she witlesse, vaine, and superfluous vndertakings into which we runne our selues, which doe hinder the loue of God, not the true and lawfull exercises of our vo∣cations. DAVID and after him S. L••WIS, in the presse of his perils, toyles, and trauaills which he endured, as well in peace, as in warrs, did not cease to sing from his heart.

What doe the Heauens admire Sau•• God, that I desire? To what, saue God, beneath Can heart aspire▪ or breath?

2. S. BERNARD loosed not a foote of the pro∣gresse which he desired to make in holy Loue, though he were in the Courts and Armies of great Princes, where he laboured to bring matter of sta••e to the seruice of Gods glorie; he chan∣ged his habitation, but he changed not his heart.

3. And to vse his owne words, these changes passed in him, but were not caused by him, sith that though his imployments were much differēt, yet were all imployements indifferent to him and he different from them all, not receiuing the colours of his affaires, and couersations, as the CAMELION, those of the place where she is; but re∣mayning still wholy vnited to God, still white in puritie still read with Charitie, still full of humilitie.

4. I am not ignorant THEOT: what the wise mans counsell is.

He flies the Cāpe, the Court, and Courtly strife Who seakes to sowe the seedes of holy life: Vertue we see, doth cause the soules encrease, Faith and Pietie daughters are to peace.

And the Israelites had good reason to excuse thē∣selues to the Babylonians, who vrged them to sing the sacred Canticle of Sion.

Ay me! but in what musike shall we sing In this sad s••yle, and ruthfull banishment, A Sions songe to Sions heau••nly King, A Sions songe, of heauenly wonderment?

But doe not you also marke, that those poore people were not onely amōgst the Babylonias, but were euen their Captiues. Whosoeuer is a slaue to Courtly fauours, issues in law, and honour in warrs, ô God, all is past with him, he hath no leasure to sing the Hymne of heauenly Loue. But he that is onely in the Court, in warrs, or in the Sessions-houses because his dutie calls him th ther, God is his aide, and the heauenly sweetenesse is as an EPITHEME vpon his heart, to preserue him from the plague which raignes in those places.

5. While the plague pestered the Milaneises, SAINT CHARLES neuer made difficultie to fre∣quent the infected houses, and to touch the infe∣cted persons. Yet THEO: he onely frequented and touched them, so farre forth as the necessitie of Gods worke required, nor would he for a world haue thrust himselfe into danger without necessi∣tie, least he should haue commited the sinne of tempting God. So that he was neuer touched with any infection, Gods Prouidence conseruing him, who reposed so pure a confidence in ••t, that it had no mixture either of feare or forwardnesse. In like manner, God takes a speciall care of those who goe not to the Court, Sessions, or warre, but one∣ly to complie with the necessitie of their dutie; and in that case, a man is neither to be so scrupu¦lous, as to abandone good and lawfull affaires, by not going; nor yet to be presumptuously pushed forwards with a desire of going thither, or staying there, without the expresse necessitie of his dutie and affaires.