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

A delightfull example vpon this subiect. CHAPTER. V.

1. GOd is innocent to the innocent, Good to the good, cordiall to the cordiall, tender towards such as are tender, and his loue makes him often times vse certaine sacred and daintie deuises towards the holy soules, which out of a louing puritie, and simplicitie behaue themselues as little children about him.

2. Vpon a day S. FRANCISCA was reciting our Ladies office, and as it commonly happens, that if there be any businesse to be done all the day long, it presseth most in the time of Praier; This good Ladie was called in her husbands name about a houshold affaire, and foure sundrie times thin∣king to goe on with her office she was called from it againe, and constrained to leaue off in the same verse, till at length this blessed affaire, for which they had so importunely interrupted her praier, being finished returning to her office, she found the verse which she had so often left off by obe∣dience, and begunne againe by deuotiō, all written in faire golden letters. Which her deuote Compa∣nion Madame Vannocie swore she saw written by the Saints deare Angell gardian, to whom also S. PAVLE did afterwards reueale it.

3. O what a sweetenesse is this, THEOT: of

the heauenly Spouse, towards this sweete and fi∣liall louer! We see notwithstāding that euery ones necessarie imployments according to their voca∣tion, doth ot diminish Diuine Loue, but doth euen encrease it, and as it were doe gild•• the de∣uote worke. The Nightingale loues her owne me∣lodie no lesse when she makes her rest's, then when she sings. Deuote hearts loue not Loue, lesse when they are distracted in exteriour necessities; then when they praie. Their silence, their speach, their action, and their contemplation, their imploy∣ments and their rests, doe in them equally sing the Hymne of their Loue.