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I. A Famous religious of our age hath written that our naturall disposi∣tion doth much conduce to con∣templatiue Loue, and that such as are of an affectiue and louing na∣ture, are most proper for it. Now I suppose his
meaning is not, that sacred Loue should be distri∣buted to men or Angels, in sequell, and yet much lesse in vertue, of their naturall conditions; nor that he would saie, that the distribution of diuine Loue is made to men, according to their naturall qualities and abilities: for this were to belye the Scripture, and to violate the ecclesiasticall rule, by which the Pelagians were declared Here∣tikes.
2. For my part, I speake in this Treatise of su∣pernaturall Loue, which God out of his goodnesse doth poure into our hearts, and whose residence is in the supreame point of the Spirit; a point which is aboue all the rest of our soule, and is in∣dependant of all naturall complexion; and withall, though the soules that are inclined to Loue, haue on the one side a certaine disposition, which make thē more proper to loue God, yet one the other side, they are so subiect to set their affection vpon louely creatures, that their inclination puts th••m i•• as much danger of being diuerted from sacred Loue, by a mixture of other Loues, as they haue a facilitie in desiring to Loue God: for the dang••r of louing amisse, is annected to the facilitie of lo∣uing. It is true that soules of this composition being once well purified from the loue of c••••a∣tures, they worke wonders in sacred Charitie, Loue finding a great case to dilate it selfe in all the faculties of the heart: and from thence proceeds a delightfull sweeteness••, which appeares not in those whose soules are p••euish, harsh, melancho∣lie, and churlish.
3. Neuerthelesse if two parties, the one whereof
is louing and sweete, the other harsh and ••oure by nature, had an equall Charitie, they would loue God equally, yet not both alike. The heart naturally sweete, would loue more easily, more amiably, more sweetely, though neither more solidly, nor yet more perfectly; but the loue that should spring vp amongst the brambles and re∣pugnances of a harsh and drie nature, would be more braue and glorious, and withall more de∣lightfull and gracious, like to the other.
4. It imports not much then, whether one haue a naturall inclination to loue, when superna∣turall loue is handled, by which one works onely supernaturally. Onely this, THEO: I would wil∣lingly crie out to all men, ô mortalls if you haue hearts addicted to loue, alas why doe you not pre∣tend celestiall and Diuine Loue! But if you be harsh and hard hearted, alas poore peop••••, sith you are depriued of naturall Loue, why doe you not aspire to supernaturall Loue, which shall be louingly bestowed on you by him, who so holily calls you to loue him?
1. LAy vp treasures in heauen, one treasure is not sufficient to the liking of this Diuine Louer, but he desires we should haue it in such aboundance, that our treasure should be cōposed
of many treasures, that is to saie, THEO: that we are to haue an insatiable desire of Louing God, adding continually loue vpon loue. What is it that doth so much presse the Bees to encrease their ho∣nie, but the loue they beare to it! ô heart of my soule, who art created to loue the infinite good! what loue canst thou desire, but this loue, which is the most to be desired of all loues? Alas, ô soule of my heart, what desire canst thou loue, but the most louely of all desires? ô Loue of sacred desires! ô desires of holy Loue! ô how much haue I desi∣sired to desire your perfections!
2. The disgusted sickman hath no appetite to eate, yet hath he an appetite to haue an appetite: he desires no meate, yet he desires to haue a desire. THEO: to know whether we loue God aboue all things is not in our power, vnlesse God himselfe reueale it vnto vs; yet we may easily know whe∣ther we desire to loue him; ād perceiuing the desire of holy loue in vs, we know that we begin to loue. It is our sēsuall ād animall part which couets to eate, but it is our reasonable part that desires this appetite, and because the sensuall part doth not alwayes obeye the reasonable part, it happens that we desire an appetite, and yet haue it not.
3. But the desire of louing and loue depend both of the same will: Wherefore as soone as we haue framed a desire of louing, we begin to haue some Loue; and euer as this desire encreaseth, loue also encreaseth. He that desires Loue ardent∣ly, shall shortly loue with ardour. ô God THEO: who will make vs so happie, as that we may burne with this desire, which is the desire of the
poore and the preparation of their heart whom God doth willingly heare! He that hath no assu∣rance to loue God, is a poore man, and if he de∣sire to loue him, he is a beggar, but a beggar, in that bleessed beggarie, of which our Sauiour hath saied, Blessed are the poore of spirit, for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen.
4. Such an one was S. AVGVSTINE, when he cryed out, ô to loue! ô to walke! ô to die to a mans selfe! ô to come to God! Such S. FRANCIS, his saying, let me die of thy Loue ô thou friend of my heart, who hast daigned to die for my Loue, Such S. CATHARINE of GENVA, and S. TERESA when as spirituall Does panting and dying with the thirst of Diuine Loue, they sighed out this voice, ah Lord! giue me this water.
5. Temporall couituousnesse by which we doe greedily desire earthly riches, is the roote of all euill; but spirituall auarice, whereby one doth in∣cessātly sigh after the pure gold of Diuine Loue is the roote of all good. He that doth desire to Loue well, doth search it well; and he that doth search it well, doth find it well; and he that hath found it out, he hath found the source of life, whence he shall draw the saluation of our Lord. Let vs crie night and day, THEO: come ô holy Ghost, fill the hearts of thy faithfull, and kindle in them the fire of thy Loue. ô hea∣uenly Loue! when wilt thou fill my soule?
1. VVHy doe hounds, thinke you THEO: more ordinarily loose the sent or straine of the game they runne, in the spring time then in other times? it is, as the Hunters and Phi∣losophers saie, because the grasse and floures are then in their vigour, so that the varietie of smells which they send out, doth so fill the hounds sense of smelling, that they can neither take nor follow the sent of their game, amongst so sundrie ••ents which the earth doth euaporate. Certes those soules that doe abound still in desires, designes, and proiects, doe neuer desire the holy celestiall loue as they ought, nor can perceiue the delight∣full straine, and sent of the Diuine beloued, who is compared to the Roe, or to the little Faune of the Do.
2. Lilies haue no season, but growe soone or late, as they are deeper or lesse deepe set in the ground: for if they be thrust three fingers onely into the ground, they will presently florish, but if they be put 6. or 9. fingers into the earth, they come vp later proportionably. If the heart that pretends Diuine Loue, be deeply engaged in ter∣reane and temporall affaires, it will bud late, and
with difficultie: But if it haue onely so much to doe with the world, as its condition requires, you shall see it blosome timely in Loue, and send out a delicious odour.
3. For this cause the Saints betooke them∣selues to deserts, that being freede from worldly solicitudes, they might more ardently bestowe themselues in the exercise of holy Loue: Hence the sacred Spouse shut the one of her eyes, to th'ed that she might fixe the sight of the other alone more setledly, and withall aime more directly at the very midst of her Beloued's heart, which she desires to wound wit•• loue. And for this same reason, she keepes her haire so plaited and foulded together in tresses that she seemes to haue one onely haire which she makes vse off, as of a chaine, to bind and beare away her Spouse his heart, whom she makes a slaue to her Loue.
5. They that desire for good and all to loue God, shut vp their vnderstanding from worldly discours••s, to imploye it more feruently in Di∣uine meditations, and doe gather vp all their pre∣tentions into that onely one pretention of one∣ly louing God. Whosoeu••r he be that desires any thing, which he desires not for God, doth in that, lesse desire God.
5. A Religious man d••manded of B. Giles, what he could doe most gratefull to God, and he answ••red him, by singing one to one, that is, one onely soule, to one onely God. So many desires and Loues in our heart, are as many children vpon one d••gge, who while they can not all sucke at once, they thrust to it, now one, now another,
by emulation, making it in the end waxe withered and drie. He that aimes at heauenly Loue, must carefully reserue his times, his spirit, and affe∣ctions for it.
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.
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.
1. THere are some soules that make proiects vnto themselues to doe excellent seruices to our Sauiour, by eminent actions, and extraor∣dinarie sufferances: but actions and sufferances, whole occasion is not present, nay nor peraduen∣ture neuer will be present; and vpon this they ap∣prehend that they haue done a great matter in loue, in which yet they are often deceiued. As it appears by those, who, as they themselues thinke, embrasing in desire greate future crosses, doe ve∣hemently flie the burden of such as are present,
though lesser. Is it not a fearefull temptation to be so valiant in imagination, and so cowardly in exe∣cution?
2. Ah God preserue vs from those imagina∣rie feruours, which doe often bread a vaine and secreete selfe esteeme in the botome of our hearts. Great works light not alwayes in our waye, but euery moment we may practise little ones with excellencie, that is with a great Loue. Behold this Saint, I beseech you, who bestowes a cup of cold water vpon the ouerheated passinger, he doth but a small matter in outward shew, but the inten∣tiō, the sweetenesse, the Loue, with which he doth giue life to his worke, is so excellent, that it turnes this simple water into water of life, and life euerlasting.
3. The Bee doth pickle vpon the Lilie, the Flower-deluce, the Rose; yet they get as ample a prey vpon the little minute Rosmarie flowres, and Thyme, yea they draw not onely more honie from thence, but euen better honie for in these little vessells the honie is locked vp more closely, yea and is better kept therein, Certes in the low and little workes of deuotion, Charitie is not onely practised more frequently, but ordinarily more humbly too, and consequently more fruitfully, and holily.
4. These condescendances to others humours these supportations of the clownish and trouble∣some actions and behauiours of our neighbour, these victories ouer our owne humours and pas∣sions; these renounciations of our lesser inclina∣tions, these endeauours against our owne auer∣sions
and repugnances, this heartie and sweete acknowledgment of our owne imperfections, the continuall paines we take to keepe our soule in an equalitie, this loue of our owne abiection; the gentle and gracious acceptance which we make of the contempt and censurs of our condition, our life, couersation and actions, THEO: all these things are more profitable to our soules, then we can conceiue, so that holy Loue haue the husban∣ding of them, but we haue told Philothie this alreadie.
1. OVr Sauiour, as the auncients report, was wount to saie to his, be skil••ull exchangers. If the pistoll be nor good gold, if it want weight, if it be not bet to lawfull coyne, it is cast backe as not currant: if a worke be not of a good SPE∣CIES, if it be not adorned with Charitie, if the in∣tention be not pious, it shall not be admitted a∣mongst the good workes. If I Fast, but yet out of sparingnesse, my fast is not of a good SPECIES; if it be out of temperance, and yet I haue some mor∣tall sinne in my soule the worke wants weight; for it is Charitie that giues poise to all that we doe: if it were onely through conuersation, and to ac∣commodate my selfe to my companions, the worke is not stamped with an approoued intentiō; but if I fast out of Temperance, and be in God's
grace, and that I haue an intention to please his Diuine Maiestie, by this Temperance, tha shall be currant money, fit to augment in me the treasure of Charitie.
2. To doe little actions with a great puritie of intention, and with a will addicted to please God, is to doe them excellently, and then also they doe greatly sanctifie vs. There are some that eate much and yet are still leane, thinne, and languishing, be∣cause their power of disgestion is not good; others there are who eate little, and yet are alwayes in good plight, and vigorous, because their stomake is good. Euen so there are some soules, that doe many work••s, and yet encrease but little in Charitie, because they doe them either coldly and negligently; or by an naturall instinct and inclina∣tion, more then by Diuine inspiration, or hea∣uenly heate; and contrariwise others there are who doe but few good workes, marry they doe them with so holy a will and intention, that they make a wonderfull aduancement in charitie, they haue but a few Talents, yet they husband them so faithfully, that their Maister doth largely re∣reward them for it.
1. All that we doe, and whatsoeuer we doe in word or deede, let it all be done in the name of IESVS CHRIST, whether you eate, or you drinke, or you doe some other thing, doe all to the
glorie of God, these are the words of the Diuine Apostle which as th•• great S. THOMAS saieth, in explicating them, are sufficiently practised, when we haue the habit of holy Charitie, whereby though we haue not an expresse and set purpose to doe euery worke for the loue of God; yet is that intention couertly contained in the vnion, and communion which we haue with God, by which all the good we can doe, is dedicated toge∣ther with our selues to his Diuine Goodnesse. It is not necessarie that a child which liues in his Fa∣thers house and vnder his directions, should de∣clare that all that he gets is gotten to his Father; for sith his person belongs to his Father, all that depends of it will also belong vnto him. It is suffi∣cient also that we be Gods children by Loue, to make all that we doe, be entirely directed to his glorie.
2. It is true then THEO: as I haue saied else∣where, that euen as the Oliue-tree set neere vnto the vine, doth impart vnto it its sauour, so Cha∣ritie being neere the other vertu••s, it doth cōmu∣nicate vnto them her perfection: Yet true it is al∣so, that if one engraffe a vine vpon an Oliue-tree, it doth not onely more perfectly leaue in it its taste, but makes it also participat of its sape. Nor be you content to haue Charitie, and toge∣ther with it the practise of vertues, but ende∣uour that it may be by it and for it that you pra∣ctise them, that they may be rightely ascribed vnto it.
3. When a Painter doth hold and leade an ap∣prentise his hand, the strokes that he makes, are
principally attributed to the Painter, because though the Prentise indeede contributed the mo∣tion of his hand, and the application of his Pen∣sell, yet the Maister also for his part, did so mingle his motion with that of the Apprentises, that gi∣uing the impression therein, the honour of what∣soeuer is good in the stroke, is especially ascribed to him, though yet the Prentise is also praised, by reason of the pliablenesse with which he accom∣modated his motion, to his Maisters direction: ô how excellent vertuous actions are, when Di∣uine Loue doth imprint his sacred motion vpon them, that is, when they are done by Loues mo∣tiue, but this happens differently.
4. The motiue of Diuine Loue doth poure fourth a particular influence of per••ection, vpon the vertuous actions of those that haue in a spe∣ciall manner dedicated themselues vnto God, to serue him for euer. Such are Bishops and Priests, who by a Sacramentall consecration, and by a spirituall Character, which cannot be blotted our vowe themselues as stigmatized and marked ser∣uants to the perpetuall seruice of God. Such are Religious who by their vowes either solemne or simple, are sacrificed vnto God, in qualitie of li∣uing and reasonable Hosts. Such all those that doe betake themselues to pious Congregations, dedi∣cated for euer to Gods glorie. Further such are all those that of let purpose, doe procure in them∣selues, deepe and strong resolutions to follow the will of God, making for this end a recollection for some dayes that they may stirre vp their soule by diuers spirituall exercises to the entire refor∣mation
of their life, a holy methode, and ordinarie amongst the auncient Christians; but since, almost quite left of till the great seruant of God Ignatius de Loyola, brought it into vse againe, in the time of our Fathers.
5. I know well, that some are of opinion that this generall oblation of our selues doth not ex∣tend its v••rtue, and beare its influence vpon the actions which we practise afterwards, but so farre forth, as in the exercise of them, we applie the motiue of Loue in particular, by dedicating them in a speciall manner to the glorie of God. Yet doe all confesse with SAINT BONAVENTVRE, who hath the generall approbation of all in this be∣halfe, that if I haue determined in my heart to giue an hūdred crownes for Gods sake, though afterwards I make the distribution of this somme at leasure, hauing my mind distracted and with∣out attention, yet is all the distribution made through Loue, because it proceedes from the first proiect which Diuine Loue made me make of gi∣uing the whole.
6. But I praie you T••EO: what difference is there betwixt him that offers an hundred crowne•• to God, and him, th••t offers to him all his actions truly there is none at all, but that the one offers a somme of money, the other a somme of actions. And why I praie shall they not then be doth estee∣med to make the distribution of the parcells of the somme, in vertue of their first purpose, and fun∣damentall resolutions? And if one that distributs his crownes without attention, be not depriued of the influence of his first purpose, why shall
not the other in the distribution of his action•• enioye the fruit of his first intention? He that purposely hath made himselfe a louing seruant of the Diuine goodnesse, hath by con∣sequence dedicated all his actions to the same goodnesse.
7. Grounding vpon this truth, euery one should once in his life make a good recollection, thereby to cleane his soule from all sinne, and vpō it, to make an inward and solide resolution to liue wholy to God, as we haue giuen instructions in the first part of the Introduction to a deuote life. And afterwards at least once euery yeare, to make a suruey vpon ones conscience, and a reno∣uation of the first resolution, which we haue put downe in the fift part of the same booke, to which in this behalfe I remit you.
8. Certes SAINT BONAVENTVRE doth auoutch, that a man that hath gotten so great an in∣clination and custome of well doing, that he doth it frequently without any speciall inten∣tion, looseth not the merits of such actions, which are enriched by Loue, from whence they spring, as from their roote and originall source of thire blessed habit, facilitie, and promptitude.
1. VVHen the Pea-hen hatcheth her egges in a white place, her yoūg ones are also white. And when our intentions are in the loue of God, when we proiect some good worke, or vndertake some certaine vocation, all the a∣ctions which doe issue thence take their worth, and deriue their nobilitie from the Loue whence they descended: for who doth not see, that the actiōs which are proper to my vocation, and re∣quisite to my designe, doe depend of this first ele∣ction and resolution which I made.
2. Yet THEO: one must not staie there; but to make an excellent progresse in deuotion, we must not onely in the begining of our conuersion, and after••ards once euery yeare, addresse all our life and actions to God, but we must euen offer them vnto him euery day, following the morning exer∣cise which we haue taught Philothie; for in this dayely renewing of our oblation, we spread the vertue and vigour of our loue vpon our actions, by a new application of our heart to the Diuine glo¦rie, by meanes whereof it is still more and more sanctified.
3. Besides this, let vs an hundred and an hun∣dred times a day, applie our life, to Diuine Loue, by the practise of iaculatorie praiers, eleuations of the mind, and spirituall retreats: for th••s•• holy exercises casting and bearing vp our minds to G••d doe also in the end draw all our actions thither: and how should it come to passe I praie you, that a soule which doth euery moment dart vp herselfe at the Diuine Goodnesse, and which doth inces∣santly breath words of Loue, to th'end she may keepe her heart continually lodged in the bosome of her heauenly Fa••her, should not be thought to doe all her good workes in God, and for God?
4. She that saie••h ah Lord, I am thyne, my beloued is wholy myne, and I am wholy his; My God thou art my all. O IESVS thou art my life: ah who will doe me the fauour, that I may die to my selfe, to th'end I may liue onely to thee. O to loue! to goe! to die to a mans selfe! ô to liue to God! ô to bee in God! ô Lord whatsoeuer is not thy very selfe is nothing to me. She, I saie, doth she not continually dedicate her actions to her heauenly Spouse? ô how blessed is the soule, who hath once stripped, and perfectly resigned herselfe into the hands of God Almightie, whereof we spoke before, for afterwards, she will onely neede one little sight ād view of God, to renew and con∣firme her stripping, resignation, and oblation, to∣gether with her Protestation that she will haue nothing but God, and for God; and that she nei∣ther loues herselfe nor any other thing in the world, but in God, and for the Loue of God.
5, The exercise then of continuall aspirations is very proper for the application of all our works to Loue. But principally it is abundantly sufficient for the small and ordinarie actions of our life; for as for heroicall workes and maters of consequēce, it is expedient, if we intend to make any great profit, to vse the ensuing methode, as I haue alrea∣die giuen a touch elsewhere.
6. Let vs in these occurrēces eleuate our heart ād spirit to God, let vs burie our consideration, and extēde our thoughts into the most holy and glo∣rious eternitie; let vs behold, how in it, the Diuine goodnesse did tenderly cherish vs, preparing all conuenient meanes for our saluation and pro∣gresse in his Loue, and in particular, the commo∣ditie to doe the good which doth at that present, presente it selfe vnto vs; or to suffer the euill which befalls vs. This done, displaying, if we may so saie, and eleuating the armes of our consent, let vs em∣brace, dearely, feruently, and most louingly, as well the good which presents it selfe to be done, as the euill which we are to suffer, in consideration that God willed it so from all eternitie, to please him, and to obeye his prouidence.
7. Behold the great S. CHARLES, when his Diocese was infested with the plague; he lifted vp his heart to God, and beheld attentiuely, that in the eternitie of Gods Prouidence, this scourge was determined, and prepared for his flocke, and that the same Prouidence had ordained, that in this their scourge he should take a most tender care to serue, solace, and cordially to assist the af∣flicted, sith that in this occurrence, he chanced to
be the Ghostly Father, Pastour, and Bishope of that Prouince. Wherevpon representing vnto himselfe the greatnesse of the paines, toyles and hazards which he was necessarily to vn∣dergoe in that behalfe, he sacrificed himselfe in spirit, to Gods good pleasure, and dearely kissing this his Crosse, he cryed from the botome of his heart, to the imitation of SAINT ANDREW, I salute thee ô precious Crosse, I salute, thee ô blessed tribulation; ô holy affli∣ction how delightfull thou art, since thou didst issue from the louing breast, of the eternall Father of mercy, who willed thee from all e∣ternitie, and did ordaine thee for my deare people and me! O Crosse, my heart willeth thee, sith the heart of my God hath willed thee; ô Crosse my soule doth cherish and em∣brace thee, with her whole affection?
8. In this sort are we to vndertake affaires of greatest consequence, and the sharpest tri∣bulations, which can befall vs. But if they prooue to be of long continuance, we must from time to time, and very frequently, ite∣rate this exercise, that we may more profita∣bly continew our vnion to Gods good will and pleasure, pronouning this short, yet who∣ly Diuine Protestation of his Sonne, yes ô eternall Father! I will it with all my heart, because so it was pleasing in thy sight, ô God, T••EOTIME, how rich this pra∣ctise is?
1. I adde to the sacrifice of S. CHARLES, that of the great Patriarke Abraham, as a liuely image of the most strong and loyall loue, that could be imagined in any creature.
2. Certainly he sacrificed the strongest naturall affections that possibly he could haue, whē hearing the voice of God which said vnto him, Leaue thy coūtrie and thy friends and thy Fathers house, and goe into the land which I will shew vnto thee, he presently departed, and with speede put himselfe vpō the way, without knowing whither he was to goe; the loue of his deare countrie, the delightfull conuersation of his neere allie, the pleasures of his Fathers house did not stagger him, he departs with an ardent boldnesse, and goes whither it shall please God to codduct him. What an abnegation, THEO: what renunciation was this? one cannot perfectly Loue God, vnlesse he forsake the affe∣ction to momentarie things.
3. But this was nothing in respect of that which he did afterwards, when being twice called by God, who, seeing his promptitude in answearing, saied vnto him. Take ISAAC thyne onely sonne: whom thou louest, and goe into the Land of vi∣sion,
where thou shalt offer him in Holocaust, vpō one of the mountaines which I will shew vnto thee; for behold this great man, how he sodainely departs with his so much beloued, and so worthy to be beloued Sonne, goes three dayes iorney, comes to the foote of the mountaine, leaues there his seruant and asse, lodes his sonne Isaac with woode necessarie to the holocaust, reseruing himselfe to carrie the sword and fire; and as he ascends the mountaine, his tender child saied vnto him, Father, and he answered him, what wouldst thou child? Looke, saied the child, be∣hold the woode and fire, but where is the victime of the holocaust? To which his Father replied, God will prouide the victime of the Holocaust, my child; and in the meane while, they arriued at the top of the designed mountaine, where Abraham presently erected an Altar, lays the woode in order vpon it, binds his Isaac, and puts him vpon the fu∣nerall Pile; extends his right hand, layes hold of, and drawes out his sword, lifts vp his arme, and as he was readie to dispatch the blow, to sacrifice the child, the Angell cried from aboue, Abraham, Abraham, who answeres, I am here Lord, and the Angell saied vnto him; doe not kill thy sonne, it is sufficient, now I know thou fearest God, and hast not spared thy sonne for my sake. Vpon this Isaac is vntyed, Abraham takes a Rame which he sound hanging by the hornes in the brambles, and sacrificed him.
4. THEO: he that sees his neighbours wife to couet her, hath alreadie cōmitted adult••rie in his heart; and he that binds his sonne to sacrifice him,
hath alreadie sacrificed him in his heart. Behold then, for Gods loue, what a Holocaust this holy man offered in his heart! an incomparable sacri∣fice, a sacrifice that one cannot fully estimate, nor yet praise to the full. O God who is able to dis∣cerne, which of the two loues was greater, Abra∣hams, who to please God, sacrificed his sonne so amiable, or the childs, who to please God is wil∣ling to be sacrificed, and to that end permits him∣selfe to be bound, and extended vpon the woode, and as a tender lambe, peaceably attends deathes blow, from the deare hand of his good Fa∣ther.
5. For my part I preferre the Father for his longanimitie: yet dare I with all boldly giue the prize of magnaminitie to the sonne: For on the one side, it is indeede a miracle, yet not so great a one, that Abraham alreadie old and accomplished in the science of louing God, and frotified by the late vision and word of God, should giue this last essay of loyaltie, and loue, towards a Maister whose sweetenesse and prouidence he had so oftē perceiued and tasted. But to see Isaac in the Spring of his age, as yet a meere Nouice and Apprētise in the art of louing God, offer himselfe vpon the onely word of his father, to the sword and the flame, to become a Holocaust of obedience to the Diuine will, is a thing that passeth all admi∣ration.
6. Yet of the other side, doe you not see THEOT: that for the space of three dayes, Abra∣ham doth tosse and turne in his soule the bitter thought, and resolutiō of this sharp sacrifice. Doe
you not take compassion of his Fatherlie heart, when ascending alone with his sonne, the child, more simple then a Doue saied vnto him, Father where is the victime? and he answered him, God will prouide for that my sōne. Doe you not thinke that the sweetenesse of the child carrying the woode vpon his shoulders, and piling it after∣wards vpon the Altar, made his fathers bowels melt away with tendernesse? ô heart which the Angells admire, and God magnifieth! O Sauiour I••SVS, when shall it then be that hauing sacrificed vnto thee all that we haue, we shall also offer vp vnto thee all that we are? When shall we offer vn∣to thee, our freewill the onely child of our soule? when will it be, that we shall extend and tye it vpon the Altar of thy Crosse, of thy thornes, of thy lance, that as a little Ewe, it may be a grate∣full victime to thy good pleasure, to burne and die in the flame, and with the sword of thy Di∣uine Loue.
7. O Freewill of my heart, how good a thing were it for thee to be bound and extended vpon the Crosse of thy Heauenly Sauiour? How desi∣rable a thing it is to die to thy selfe, to burne for euer a Holocaust to the Almightie? THEOT: our Freewill is neuer so free, as when it is slaue, subiect to the will of God, nor euer so a slaue, as when it serues our owne will. It neuer hath so much life, as when it dies to it selfe, nor euer so much death, as when it liues to it selfe.
8. We haue freedome to doe good or euill; yet to make choyce of euill, is not to vse, but to abuse our freedome. Let vs renounce the accursed liber∣tie,
and let vs for euer subiect our free-will to the rule of heauenly Loue, let vs become slaues to Loue, whose seruants are more happie then kings. And if euer our soule should offer to imploye her libertie against our resolutiōs of seruing God for euer and without reserue; ô in that case for Gods sake, let vs sacrifice our freewill, and make it die to it selfe, that it may liue to God. He that in res∣pect of selfe loue will keepe it in this world, shall loose it in respect of eternall Loue in the other world; and he that for the loue of God shall loose it in this world, shall cōserue it for the same loue in the next. He that giues it libertie in this world, shall find it a slaue in the other, and he that shall make it a seruant to the Crosse in this world, shall find it free in the next, where being drunk vp in the fruition of the Diuine goodnesse, libertie will be conuerted into loue, and loue into libertie, but libertie of an infinite sweetenesse, without violēce paine, or repugnance at all: we shall vnchangeably loue the Creatour and Sauiour of our soules.
1. SAINT BONAVENTVRE, Father Granado, Father Lowis of Po••t, Stella haue suffi∣ciently discoursed vpon this subiect. I will onely somme vp, the points which I haue touched in this Treatise.
2. The Diuine Goodnesse considered in it selfe, is not onely the first motiue of all, but with∣all the greatest, the most noble and most puis∣sant: For it is that which doth rauish the Blessed and crowne their Felicitie. How can one haue a heart, and yet not loue so infinite a goodnesse? This subiect is in some sort proposed in the 1. and 2. chap. of the 2. booke, and from the 8. chap. of the 3. booke to the end, and in the 9. chap. of the 10. booke.
3. The 2. motiue is that of Gods supernatu∣rall Prouidence, creation, and conseruation, to∣wards vs, according as we haue saied in the 3. cha. of the 2. booke.
4. The 3. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence ouer vs, and of the Redemption which he prepared for vs, as it is explicated in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chap. of the 2. booke.
5. The 4. motiue is to consider how God doth practise this Prouidence and Redemption, giuing euery one the grace and assistance which is requisite to their Saluation, which we handle in the 2. booke from the 8. chap. and in the 3. booke from the beginning till the 6. chap.
6. The 5. motiue is the eternall glorie, prouided for vs by the diuine goodnesse, which is the ac∣complishment of Gods benefits towards vs, and is in some sort touched from the 9. chap. to the end of the 3. booke.
1. NOw to receiue from these motiues a pro∣found and powerfull heate of loue, we are, after we haue once considered one of them in cō∣mon, to applie it in particular to our selues: For example: O how amiable this great God is, who out of his infinite goodnesse gaue his sonne for the whole worlds redemption? alas I, for all in ge∣nerall, but also for me who am the first of offen∣ders! Ah, he hath loued me! yea I saie, he hath loued euen me, yea euen me my selfe, such as I am; and deliuered himselfe to death for me.
2. Secondly we must consider the Diuine be∣nefits in their first and eternall source. O God, T••••O: what loue can we haue sufficiently worthy of the infinit goodnesse of our Creatour, who frō all eternitie determined to create, conserue, go∣uerne, redeeme saue, and glorifie all in generall and in particular? Ah what was I then, when I was not? my selfe I saie, who now being some thing, am yet but a simple and poore worme of the earth; while yet God from the Abisse of his eter∣nitie, thought thoughts of benediction in my behalfe? He considered and designed, yea deter∣mined the houre of my birth, of my baptisme, of all the inspirations that he would bestow vpon
me; in a word, for all the benefits which he would doe and offer me; alas is there a sweetenesse like to this?
3. Thirdly we must consider the Diuine bene∣fits in their second meritorious source; for doe you not know, THEO: that the high Priest of the law, wore vpon his backe and bosome the names of the children of Israel, that is, the precious stones, vpon which the chiefe of the Israelites were engrauē? Ah behold IESVS our High Priest, and consider him from the very instant of his con∣ception, how he bore vs vpon his shoulders, vn∣dertaking the charge, to redeeme vs by his death, and death of the Crosse. ô THEO: THEO: this soule of our Sauiour knew vs all by name and sur∣name: but especially vpon the day of his passion, when he offered his teares, his praiers, his blood and life for all, he breathed in particular for thee these thoughts of loue. Ah my eternall Father, I take vpon me and to my charge, all poore THEO: sinns, to vndergoe torments and death, that he may be freed from them, and that he may not pe∣rish but liue. Let me die, so he may liue; let me be crucified, so that he may be glorified, ô the soue∣raigne Loue of IESVS his heart, what heart can euer blesse thee, so deuotely as it ought.
4. So within his fatherly breast his Diuine heart foresaw, disposed, merited, and obtained, all the benefits which we haue, not onely in gene∣rall for all, but also in particular for euery one; and his sweete dugges prouided for vs the milke of his motions draughtes, inspiratiōs, and sweete∣nesse, by which he doth draw, conduct and nurish
our hearts to eternall life. Benefits doe not in ••••ame vs, vnlesse we behold the eternall will, which ordaines them for vs, and the heart of our Sauiour that merited them for vs, by so many paines, es∣pecially in his death and passion.
1. NOw in finall conclusion, the death and Passiō of our Sauiour, is the sweetest ād yet most violent motiue, that cā animate our hearts in this mortall life. And it is the very truth, that my∣sticall Bees, make their most excellēt honie, with∣in this Lyon's woūd; of the Tribe of Iuda, but che∣red rent and torne vpon the Mount of Caluarie: and the children of the Crosse glorie in their ad∣mirable Probleme, which the word vnderstāds not. O••t of all deuouring death, r••se the life of our consolation, and out of death which is the strongest of all things, the honie sweetenesse of our loue did issue. O IESVS my Sauiour, how amiable is thy death, since it is the soueraigne effect of thy Loue.
2. And indeede aboue in heauenly glorie, next to the motiue of the diuine goodnesse knowne ād cō∣si••er••d in it selfe, that of the death of our Sauiour, shall be the most powerfull to rauish the hearts of
the Blessed with the loue of God: in signe whereof MOYSES and HELIE in the Transfiguration, which was a scantling of glorie, spoke with our Sauiour of the Excesse, which he was to accomplish in Hie∣rusalem: but of what excesse, if not of that ex∣cesse of Loue, by which life was forced from the Louer to be bestowed vpon the beloued? So that in the eternall Canticle, I imagine that ioyfull accla∣mation will be iterated each moment.
L••ue IESVS, liue, whose death doth prooue, What is the force of heauenly loue.
3. THEO, the mount Caluarie is the mount of Louers. All loue that begi s not from our Sauiours Passion, is friuolous, and dangerous. Accursed is death without the Loue of our Sauiour. Accursed is Loue, without the death of our Sauiour. Loue and death are so mingled in the passion of our Sa∣uiour, that one cannot haue the one in his heart without the other. Vpon Caluarie one cānot haue life without Loue, nor loue without the death of our Redeemour. But out of that, all is either eter∣nall death, or eternall Loue; Christian wisdome, consisteth in making a good choice, and to assist you in that, I vndertook•• this Treatise, my TH••O:
While this short day doth last, Make choice, ô man thou mayst, To liue eternally; Or else for ere to dye. It is the Heauens Decree There should no middle be.
O eternall Loue, my soule doth desire and make choice of thee eternally, ah come ô holy Ghost, and inflame our hearts with thy Loue, Either loue or die, die or loue: To die to all other Loue, to liue to that of IESVS, that we may not eternally die; but that liuing in thy eternall loue, ô Sauiour of our soules, we may eternally singe VIVE IESVS. I loue IESVS, liue IESVS whom I loue, I loue IESVS, who liueth and raigneth for euer and euen. Amen.
4. These things THEO: which by the grace and helpe of Charitie, haue bene written to your Cha∣ritie I beseech GOD they may take roote in your heart, that this Charitie may find in you, the fruits of holy workes, not the leaues of prayses. Amen. God be blessed. Thus I shut vp this whole Trea∣tise, in the words with which S. AVGVSTINE ended his admirable sermon of Charitie, made before an illustrious assemblie.