A rule of good life: written by the mellifluous doctor S. Bernard (monke and abbot of the holie order of S. Benet) especiallie for virgins, and other religious woemen; and may profitably be read likewise by all others, that aspire to Christian perfection. Faithfully translated into English by the R. Father Antonie Batt, monke of the holie order afore-said, of the Congregation of England

Of the loue of God. CHAPT. XII.

OVr Lord Iesu•• Christ saieth in the Gospell: * If any man loue me, he will keepe my word, and my father will loue him, and we will come to him and will make abode with him. Likewise the Apostle S. Iohn saieth: * Let vs therefore loue God, because, God first hath loued vs. (1. Io. 14.) He that loueth God will craue pardon for his sinnes, and containe himselfe from them. Most deare sister, loue God and call vpon hin for saluation, because loue is life and hatred is death. God will not onely haue himselfe loued with wordes, but with a pure heart, and good workes. He loueth not God, that contemneth Gods commaundements.

The mind of a man, that loueth God, is not in earth, but in heauen: because it alwaye•• desireth heauenly things. I ad∣monish you, most deare sister, that you loue God aboue all things: because he hath loued you aboue all things.

We ought to loue God more then our parents. Why? Because God hath made vs, and our patē••s with his owne handes, that is, by his owne power and puissance: as it is written:* He made vs, and not we our selues. (Psa. 99.) Christ hath g••uen vs more then our parē••s, and for this cause we ought to loue Christ more then our parents. It is a foolishnes to loue any thing more then God: because he that loueth any creature more then the Creator, doth sinne. And he that prefer∣reth the loue of any creature before the loue of the Creator, doth erre. God there∣fore ought to be loued of vs aboue all things. Say, I pray you ô honest virgin,

with loue and affection towar••s Christ: * My beloued to me, and I to him, who feede••h among the lil••es till the day breake ād the shadowes decline. O spouse of Christ, say yet more plainely, I beseech you: let my be loued be linked to me in the bond of loue and charitie, and let me be conioyned, and coupled to him by the interchange of mutual amitie. Who feedeth among the lilies; that is to say, is delighted and solaced among the white and odoriferous vertues of the Saincts and amidst the quires of virgins, till the day breake, and the shadowes decline: vntill the cloudes of this pre••ēt life passe and the day appeare, that is, vntill that clearenes of blisse come, which shall continue for euer.

Most deare sister, it is iustice to loue God wth our whole heart, and to adhere to him with out whole will, who is the chiefest good. To loue the chiefest good

is the chiefest beatitude. He that loueth God, is good: if good, then likewise blessed. By how much the more a man loueth God, by so much the more he shall be blessed. Loue is the speciall and proper vertue of the Saincts. My most louing sister in Christ, I haue said this, that no loue of the world may separate you from the loue of Christ. O spouse of Christ, I yet further entreat you, that you will tell vs something of the loue of your celestial bridegroome. * A bundle of myrrhe my boloued is to me he shall abide betweene my breastes. The place of the heart is betweene the breastes, that is betweene the pappes: my beloued therefore shall abide betweene my brea∣stes; that is, the memorie, affection, and loue of Christ Iesus my bridegroome, shall alwayes be betweene my breastes, that is, in my heart. So that at all times, aswell in prosperitie, as in aduersitie,

I will call to memorie all the benefits which he hath bestowed vpon me: be∣cause he hath loued me, and died for me; and hath ascended into heauen; and to the end I may come vnto him, he daily calleth me, saying: * Come from Libanus my spouse, come from Libanus, come: thou shalt be crowned. (Cant. 4.) Let the left hand of my bridegroome (Christ Iesus) be vnder my head, that is to say: let the guift of the holy Ghost, during this present life, rest in me: and let the vnderstanding of the holy scriptures be in my mind, that I may know him, and perfectly loue him: (Cant. 2.) that is to say, make me to attaine to eternal felici∣tie.

O most deare sister, desire the hand∣maides of Christ that are with you, and say to them: * Stay me vp with flouers, compasse me about with apples because I Languish with the loue of my beloued

bridegroome Christ Iesus (Cant. 2.) O you my sacred sisters who alreadie loue Christ aboue all things, and preferre nothing before his loue, stay me vp with the examples of your good workes: and shew me how I may be able to find Christ my beloued, because I languish through his loue, This loue is sweete, this languishing is delightfull; this sicknes is sacred; this affection is chast, this coniunction is vndefiled; this copu∣lation is vncorrupted; this embracing is vnspotted. And you ô sacred sisters, stay me vp with flowers, that is, with the examples of your holy conuersation, because I languish through the loue of my bridegroome.

Most chast virgin, you truly languish through the loue of Iesus Christ your bridegroome, if you despise and cōtemne all earthly things for the loue of him. Verily you lie sick in the bed of contem∣platiō, if you loue Christ aboue all thīgs.

You are truly sick for the loue of Christ, if you loue heauenly thing••, more then earthly, You truly lie sick and lan∣guishing for the loue of Christ, in the bed of internal loue and sweetnes, if you be strong in good workes, and weake in worldly businesses.

My most deare and louing sister, if you loue Christ with your whole heart, and preferre nothing before the loue of him, you shall reioyce with the same Christ Iesus your bridegroome in his heauenly kingdome. If you imitate Christ sincere∣ly and loue him vnfeined by, you shall without all doubt reioyce with him in his heauenly countrie: and shall follow him with the holy virgins whither soe∣uer he goeth. If you adhere to Christ with all deuocion, and sigh to him day and night in this present world, without doubt you shall reioyce with him in his heauenly pallace: and shall sing sweet

hymnes vnto him among the quires of virgins as it is written:

Thou feeding there, where lillies spring, While round about thee Virgins daunce: Thy spouses doost to glorie bring, And them with high rewards aduāce. The Virgins follow in thy wayes, Whither so euer thou dost goe: They trace thy steps with songs of praise And in sweet hymnes, thy glorie show.

This I haue said, (most deare sister) to the end you should loue Christ aboue all things, and preferre nothing before his loue. I desire you, be loued sister, that you will admit no swetnes besides Christ seeke no loue besides Christ, and loue no beautie besides Christ. Weepe and la∣ment for the loue of Christ your redee∣mer, vntill you see him raigning at the right hand of his heauen by Father. A∣men.