Chapter 9

That one of the principal remedies for the conquering of this Enemy, is the exercise of devout and fervent Prayer, whereby we may find gust in divine considerations, which maketh us abhor all worldly pleasures.

IN one of the former¹ Chapters it was told thee, what a strong, and well tempered weapon Prayer is, for the fight against this vice, yea although the prayer be not of so great length. Thou shalt now understand, that if this prayer be devout, and long continued; and such, as wherein gust is taken, according to that divine sweetness, which it imparted to some; such prayer I say, is not only a weapon, wherewith to fight, but even outright to cut the throat of this bestial vice. For the soul, wrestling, hand to hand with God, (by the arms of her devout affections and thoughts) doth obtain of him in particular manner, as another jacob, that he bless her, with a multitude of graces, and with a profound internal sweetness. Hereupon she remaineth strucken in the thigh, which signifieth sensual appetite; this, growing to be mortified in such fort, as that from thenceforth, she goeth lame on that side; and she remaineth lively & strong, in her spiritual affections, being signified by the other thigh, which was untouched.

For, as the delightful gust of flesh and blood, maketh us lose all gust and strength of spirit; so if once we come to have gust in spirit, the gust of all flesh and blood, grows highly unsavoury. Sometimes² the delightful sweetness, which a soul, being visited by God doth taste, is so great, that the body cannot bear it; and the same body remaineth so weak, and so defeated, as it might be, at the end of some corporal infirmity, which had held it long. Though at other times it happeneth, that by the strength, which is received by the soul, even the very body also is assisted, and recovers new forces. Making some experience, in this exile of hers, of that which she is to find in heaven, when the soul being happy, in God, & full of inexplicable delights, there shall result into the body, both strength and joy, and other most precious endowements, which our Lord will then impart.

O sovereign Lord, and how³ mightily without excuse, hast thou made the fault of them, who for the seeking of delight in creatures, are content to forsake, yea & to offend thee; whilst yet every one of the delights that be in thee, are so massive, as that all they, which are in the creatures, being summed up into one, are, in comparison of thine, no better than pure, and perfect gall. And this is so, with great reason. For the delight or joy, which is taken from any thing, is but the fruit of that thing, whatsoever it be; and such as the tree is, the fruit is also. Therefore, is the joy, which is derived from creatures, but short, and vain, and filthy, and compounded with sorrow; because the tree, from whence it is gathered, is subject to the same conditions. But the joy which is in thee, O Lord, what imperfection, or decay can it be subject to? Since thou art eternal, quiet most simple, most beautiful, immutable, & a Good, which is infinitely complete.

The⁴ taste which a partridge hath, is of a partridge; & the gust which a man hath of any creature, savours of the creature; and he that can say, who thou art O Lord, can say, of what taste thou art. Above all understanding, is thy being; and so also is that sweet delight of thine, which is kept, and hidden up, for them that fear thee; and who, to enjoy thee, do, with their hearts, renounce the gust of creatures. An infinite good thou art; and so are thy delights, also infinite. And therefore, although the Angels of heaven, and the happy souls of men living there; are ever to remain, enjoying thee; (and⁵ that, with a proportion of strength, which thou hast given them for that purpose, which is not small) and although incomparably, many more were added also to them, that in like manner they might enjoy thee; and that, with much greater strength than now they have; yet so boundless is that sea of thy divine sweetness, as that (they all, waving, and swimming, as being full, & even inebriated with those delights) there doth yet remain, so much more thereof to be enjoyed; as that if thou, O Lord Omnipotent, with the infinite powers which thou hast, didst not possess and enjoy thyself; those delights would carry with themselves a kind of complaint, in that there would be want of such, as might enjoy, all that, which is there, to be enjoined.

And thou, O most wise Lord, understanding, (as being our Creator) that our inclination carrieth us to a love of rest, and joy; and that a soul is not able to continue long, without a search of some consolation, either good or bad; thou⁶ dost invite us, by those celestial delights, which are in thee; that so we may not cast ourselves away, upon the pursuit of sinful pleasure in thy creatures. Thy voice it is, O Lord, Come unto⁷ me, O all you that labour, and are loaden, and I will refresh you. And thou didst command, that this should be proclaimed in thy name O all you that are thirsty, come to the waters. And thou hast made us know. That⁸ there are delightful joys, in thy right hand, which continue to the end & that of the same river of thy delight, (not by any limited tax, or measure) thou givest to thy servants to drink, in thy kingdom. Yea sometimes thou vouchsafest, a taste of some part thereof, to thy friends, even whilst they are yet on earth; to whom thou sayest, Come⁹ eat, and drink, and be inebriated, O you, my dearest friends. All this thou dost, O Lord, through a desire of drawing them to thee, by means of joy, whom thou knowest to be so affected to it.

Let no man therefore, lay the least imputation upon thee, O Lord, as if there were any want of goodness in thee, to be loved, or of true delight to be enjoyed; and let him never be hunting, after any pleasing, or delightful conversation out of thee; since the reward which thou wilt give to thy servants, is to bid them, Enter into¹⁰ the joy of their Lord. For of the same plate, and out of the same cup, whereof thou eatest, and drinkest, they shall eat, and drink; and of the same which thou enjoyest, they shall enjoy; for thou hast already invited them, to eat at thy table, in the¹¹ kingdom of thy Father.

What canst thou have here to say,¹² O thou carnal man; thou who art, in so high a measure, deceived, as that thou arivest, to prise these filthy pleasures, of flesh and blood (which base, and wicked persons, and even the very beasts of the field, enjoy) more, than that sovereign sweetness, which is in God; and which is enjoyed, by the Saints, and by the Angels, and by God himself, the Creator of them all. It is a business belonging to beasts, which thou dost so prise, and love; and thy passions, are no better then very beasts. And so often dost thou cast, the most high God, under the feet, of thy most vile beasts; as thou dost offend him, for carnal pleasures Fly therefore, O thou Virgin, from a thing so infamous as this; and ascend thou up, to the mount of prayer; and beseech our Lord, that he will give thee some taste of himself, that thy soul, being strengthened by the sweetness, that distils from him; thou mayst despise those dirty pleasures, which inhabit flesh and blood. Then wilt thou have a cordial, and deep compassion, of them, who go casting themselves away through the besenes of the dirty valleys, of a bestial life. And¹³ being all amazed, thou wilt cry out, O you men, and what is it that you lose? And for what? The most sweet God, for most stinking flesh, & blood? And what pain do they deserve, for so¹⁴ false weights and measures, but eternal torment; and of that, they shall infallibly be sure.

Footnotes

1. Read this chapter with extraordinary attention; & be sure to bless God, for the great, & sweet goodness of his, towards mankind; and let it help thee to hate all bestial pleasure. ↩

2. See how God useth his true servants. ↩

3. How inexcusable they are, who leave God, for the love of creatures. ↩

4. The delights of this world, are all but lies. ↩

5. The joys of heaven are so great● as that no soul, would be able to subsist in them, if it were not supernaturally enabled to it, by Almighty God. ↩

6. God is so dearly good, that even in this life, he puts his faithful servants, into a kind of paradise. ↩

7. Matt. 11. ↩

8. Is●. ●s. ↩

9. Can●. 5. ↩

10. Matt. 20. ↩

11. Luc. 21. ↩

12. Harken to this, for he speaks home to thee; if it be to thee. ↩

13. Thou hast a hart of stone, if this do not move thee. ↩

14. False weights, are an a●h●min ●ion to God: and how false are these, which make vain & empty creatures, to outweigh, the God of eternal glory. ↩