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Chapter 86

Of the great love wherewith our Lord doth behold such as are just; and of the much that be desireth to communicate himself to creatures; and to destroy our sins, which we must behold with detestation, that God may look upon them with compassion.

NOw that thou hast understood the speed, wherewith God heareth the prayers of such as are just; it remaineth for thee to know, the great love, wherewith he beholdeth them; that1 so he may entirely perform in himself, that of hearing, and seeing, which he commandeth of us. The eyes of our Lord, saith David, are upon the just to deliver them from death; but the face of our Lord is upon the wicked, that he may cast out the memory of them from the earth. Hereby it appears, that our Lord placeth his eyes, upon the just, as the pastor doth upon his sheep, that they may not perish. And so also, doth he place them upon the wicked, to the end that they may not pass, without the punishment which their sins deserve. Two2 things there are in us; one which God made, and that is the creature, consisting of a Body and Soul, with all the good that we have; the other, which ourselves did make, and that is sin. Now if we did not accompany that good which we have of God, by somewhat else which is an evil of our own, there could be nothing in us, which our Lord would behold with the eyes of Anger, but only of Love; since it is a natural thing for any cause, to love the effect of itself. But now, though we have defiled, and destroyed, that, which the beautiful God had made fair in us; yet will he not totally cast us off. Nor can our wickedness, hinder his supereminent goodness; which (for the recovering of that which he made good, resolveth to destroy that evil, which ourselves did make. For3 if we see, that this corporal sun, do, with so liberal a hand, impart itself; and goeth as it were inviting men, to receive it, & bestoweth light, and heat, upon all them who give no impediment thereunto; yea & when they do, yet doth it, as it were, even become obstinate in making them, remove the same; and if it meet with any chink, or cranny, how little so ever, it doth by that, convey itself, and fill the whole house full of light; what shall we say of that supreme divine goodness, which, with so great anxiety, as it were, and force of love, doth go circling round about the creatures; that he may bestow himself upon them, and fill them with lively, and divine splendours? What occasions doth he seek of doing good to men? And to many, for some small services, he hath vouchsafed to do no small favours. What entreaties doth he use to them, who depart, that they will return again? What imbracementes doth he give them, when they come back? What seeking of such as are lost? What addressing such as are gone astray? What pardoning of sins, without reproach? What joy in restoring men to salvation? Letting them know, that he more desireth to grant a pardon, than they care to sue it out. And therefore it is, that he saith to sinners, Why4 will you needs dye? Know, that I desire not the death of a sinner, but that he may return, and live. Return to me, and you shall live.

Our5 death consisteth in our departure from God, and therefore to return to him, is to live. Whereunto we are invited by Almighty God, whose principal intention, is not, to lodge the eyes of his wrath upon the work of his hands, which is ourselves; but upon the work of ours, which are our sins. These would God fain destroy, if we did not hinder him; but this we do, when we love our sins; giving them life by our love, which, by being loved, do murder us. And so great is the hunger which that sovereign bounty, hath towards the destruction of our wickedness (to the end that so, his creature may not be destroyed) that6 when soever a man will; and how oft soever he will, and how great soever the sins be which he hath committed; if he will dispose himself to do penance, and to beg pardon of our Lord; for his part, he is ready to receive us. Forgiving that which we have deserved; curing that which we made sick; straightening that which we made crooked; and giving us grace to abhor those things, which formerly were by us beloved. Yea in such sort doth he destroy our wickedness, and divide it from us; that David7 saith, Look what distance there is, between the rising, and setting of the Sun, so far hath he separated our sins from us.

So that the beginning, and first pace that the eyes of God do make, is not against the man, whom he created; but against the sin, which we committed. And whensoever he looketh upon a man to his destruction; it is then, when the man will not suffer him, to execute his wrath against sin, which he would8 fain destroy. But man would needs continue in sin; & give life to that which destroyed himself, and displeased God. It is therefore but reason, that his death remain alive; and that his life be for ever dead; since he would not open the gate to him, who for love, and with love, both could, and would have murdered his death, and endued him with life.

But some will say, what remedy shall I meet withal, that God may not behold my sin, to punish; but that he may look upon his creature to save it. S. Augustine9 doth briefly, and truly answer thus: Let thyself look upon thy sins; that is, do thou consider them, and do penance for them, and God will not see them; but if thou cast them behind thy back, then will God place them, before his face. David did beseech our Lord, to forgive his sins, saying thus: Have10 mercy on me, O Lord, according to thy great mercy; and he also said, Turn thy face O Lord from my sins. But what did he allege towards the obtaining of so great a favour? Nothing less, than any service that he had done. For he well knew, that if a servant should commit a treason, against his Lord; his services would not be considered, though he should have served many years before, with diligence. For if he served before, he was obliged so to do; and he brought not his Lord in debt thereby; but his treason is the thing, that must be thought of, which he was bound not to have committed; and therefore by paying that which he did owe before, he came not to ransom himself from that penalty, which afterward he incurred. Neither yet did David offer sacrifices; as well knowing, that God takes no pleasure11 in the burning of beasts. But he who could find no remedy, either in services that were passed, or in pious external works which then were present, did find it, in an humbled, & contrite hart. And he desired to be pardoned, upon this ensuing reason, For I know my wickedness, and my sin doth ever stand before mine eyes. An admirable power, did God give to this our beholding, and profoundly sighing for our sins; since Gods seeing of them, doth follow, to the end that he may dissolve them. And we converting our eyes with grief, towards that, which we did wickedly commit; he converteth his, towards the salvation, and consolation of him, whom he did create.

Footnotes

  1. God heareth & seethe our prayers, as he requireth us to look up to him, & to give ear to his holy inspirations. ↩

  2. What God made and what we make. ↩

  3. An excellent comparison, set forth with great life of circumstance. ↩

  4. Ezech. 33. ↩

  5. Note this excellent consideration. ↩

  6. Let all the Angels praise our Lord, for so infinite goodness. ↩

  7. Psal●. 102. ↩

  8. By drawing that soul to penance. ↩

  9. Harken to the great and good S. Augustine. ↩

  10. Psal. 50. ↩

  11. Unless it were accompanied by a penitent & Religious hart; for if it were, it was acceptable to God in the old law, for so himself had ordained. ↩

Chapter 88 of 115