Letter, Sala Balust no. 18. To a Lord of great quality

I Have received your lordships letter, I have read it, and I have understood it; and I hope, our lord hath mercy for you in store. For it is no great wonder, that his greatness should do favour to one who deserves it not; since he hath done it so often, to such as have deserved the express contrary. I am not sorry a whitt, that your lordship is afraid of death; for although this fear be a thing painful, there is no hurt for a man to apprehend it; and many times it is sent by our lord; to the end, that, by the spur of fear, we may be urged on to do that, which we will not do, for the spur of love. And he as being a father of mercy, useful to guide those affairs, in such an admirable manner; as that, both fear, and hope, may help us to ride that way, which it is necessary, for him to prepare, and to make plain; and in fine thus fear, serves for many good purposes, and it is hurtful for none.

I desire, that your lordship, would command that house to be built, where your pages are to be lodged. As also, that you would defrey the cost of those arms, and horse, wherewith those towns of yours are charged. I wish more over, that you would not cause any sumptuous , or furniture, or such like things to be provided now. Besides if you remember any thing which you may have won ill at play, which either is not restored, or else not lost again to the same parties, I advice you to make restitution thereof. And, forasmuch as the men, who are Lords of states, as your Lordship is, are not able to reach to the knowledge of all the wrongs which may be done to others by you, Noah nor yet your servants (through their negligence) I could wish, you would command it to be published, in all the Churches of your state, that whosoever had received any wrong by you, should declare the same, and that satisfaction should be given him. And you shall do well, to appoint the Prior of Saint Dominique, and the Pastor of your Church where you dwell, and some man learned in the laws; who knows the affairs of your state, to hear, and see what were fit to be done. Some particular causes your Lordship shall do well to hear yourself, (though it should be of some trouble to you) that so they may not say elsewhere, that this course puts you to more pain, than it doth. I desire by all means, that all this may be done; for it seems to me to be a fit remedy of all those wrongs, which may concern your neighbours; & now, it is as easy to do it well as it vill be hard, if it be adjourned, till after this life. Let it be no impediment to this, that the world may chance not to like it; since he, who respects the pleasure of God, will easily despise, that of the world.

As for that person, with whom your lordship willed me to speak, I have not done it yet: for, I have now kept my bed ten or twelve days together, But yesterday, I rose, and I will take great care to do what you command very shortly: and you shall know what I find.

Since you went from hence, our lord hath been pleased to give me a much more particular care to recommend you into the hands of his mercy. I did not then, understand the cause, it is like to be this that there is more need thereof. Be it what it will, your lordship is to animate yourself with new courage, to offer yourself up to the will of our lord: like one who performs service to his father who is some great man, whom he love's much: your lordship was not borne for yourself, but for God. For even before you were borne, you were already purchased by Jesus Christ, who bought us, with himself (a price of inestimable value) to the end that we, who live, might as S. Paul sayeth, not live to our-solues, but to him. Who is he, that will pretend to remain his own, now that he sees himself to have been bought, by Almighty God, and by the price of God himself?

There are men, who offer themselves to the loss of their lives in some war for slight causes: and shall we be so destitute of courage: as not to give ourselves to God? he gave himself for us, into the hands of those base executioners: and shall not we adventure to put ourselves into his? He did it, that he might die: and we are to do it, that we may live.

I would not have your lordship to be niggardly herein, but make now this account. There is a God; and for that misery, which he hath endured for me; and for those sins which he hath forgiven me, and for those blessings which he hath vouchsafed me; I own myself to him, three thousand times over. If hitherto I have not given him, the entire dominion over myself, I am sorry for it. From this instant I give myself free; and without any impediment, or obligation otherwise; that he may treat me wholly, according to his will; and that mine, may submit itself, to his, as well in the doing of any thing which he commands, by his holy law: as in the suffering of any affliction, which he shall either continue, or add to me. Where can I be kept better, then in the hands of God, into which I put myself? since he suffers not his creatures to be lost: and was content to lose his life, that I might be enabled to do this. He would not ask it of me, if he did not like it: and he would not take pleasure in itt, if he did not desire it. For it is not a proceeding for God to use, to desire us to give him that, which he hath no mind to receive, any more, than it is his custom, to command that we ask, and yet he forbear to give. And since he hath notified his dear will to us, wherewith he desires our good, and consequently that we may be his: let us not doubt to belcive, but that he, (who is so careful to demand, and he who demands with the menace of hell, if it be not granted, and with promise of the kingdom of heaven if it be) will not be slack in receiving that very thing, which he demands.

Let it not seem to your Lordship, that the sins of your former life, aught to divert you, from this amorous embracement of Almighty God: since he stands crying out to a sinner, with his arms all open, and since he doth so, before the sinner calls on him. For thus he saith. Fornicata es cum amatoribus multis, jerem 3. tamen revertere ad me, & ego suscipiam te. Thou hast committed fornication with many lovers: but yet return to me, and I will receive thee.

The shepherd will not easily be weary in seeking his lost sheep, nor the falconer in procuring to recover his hawk; and when he finds her, he takes her: and returns home, with much joy.

I say this, because by what I conceive of your lordship, you are endued with a greater measure of the knowledge of yourself, then of the knowledge of God: and therefore, that you will be more subject to fear, then to hope, and love, I wish you not to retract the ill opinion you have of yourself: confess, and believe, that you have cause: and do not seek to remove your fear, with false hopes, and lies: to diminish your miseries, by that means. This would not indeed prove any diminution, but an addition of one mischief, upon the back of another, and the latter, would be worse than the former; and an impediment, in steed of a remedy: since God never grants his pardon and mercy, but to such a one, as understands his own misery.

But believe, that as we are more wicked, than we can arrive to know: so is God more good, than we can possibly imagine. Another kind of hart hath he, than we conceive, and especially in pardoning: which men know very ill how to do, because they know not well how to love. And from hence it grows, that they are not able to reach, to that height of mercy, which God vouchsafes to sinners. For as they know nothing by experience of themselves, but anger, against such as offend them (and if they pardon, there yet remains a thousand relics of the disgust, and withal a great cooling of theyre love) therefore do they judge of God, as they would do of themselves; and if they say with theyre mouths, that there is difference between God and man, and that they forgive as well as they can, yet their hearts do not beat to the same time. When your lordship's sons shall be more grown, and shall have given you some disgusts; you will have had some sent, and taste of this.

The father doth not unlove the son, although that son make him angry; but he corrects him, and still carries the hart of a father towards him. And so is our lord wont to proceed; and whensoever the sinner hath a mind to return to him, he refuses not to receive him into his paternal hart.

Yea and even when he returns not, he is desiring that he would return: and all his sins are not able to quench this desire in him, fort his love is that which still exceeds.

Now we gain this love, and this retreat, in to the hart of God, by him, who is the Mediator between God, and men Jesus Christ our lord. Who being the natural son, did gain the adoption of sons for us: and that God should have the hart of a father towards us, his sons; whensoever we would dispose ourselves to enjoy this benefit, by means of penance, and the Sacraments. This love, is as the root, from whence it proceeds, that Almighty God is content to expect us, to call us, to receive us, to pardon us, and to save us. For if we consider well, the hart, and love, wherewith this favour is done us; it will enamour us, and oblige us more to him, than the favour itself, which he affords, what a thing is it, that God doth so much love man, as through the much love he bears him, and notwithstanding the great offences which man commits against him, he yet doth not take this love from him; nor doth it ever make him say, I will love such a one no more, though he come to me again: I will not seek him out, nor will I send to entreat him; that he may return to my house. He saith no such thing as this. But that persevering love, doth still burn with a lively flame; and this so very clearly, that as these great waters of his torments, could not so quench them, as to make him forbear to dye for us: so neither can the much greater waters of our sins, extinguish this inflamed charity of God towards us. But it remains ever conqueror, both in his pains, and in our offences: sussering there, and forgiving here. He who shall wonder at this, will have reason. For it would be a wonderful thing, if this kind of love were showed, even from an inferior, to a superior; or at the most, from but an equal, to an equal. Butt now, this love from God to man, is more than wonderful. And yet, on the other side, he who shall not believe it, in respect that it is so strange a thing, puts a great affront upon Almighty God, since he believes it not, because it is so wonderful a work.

Whereas, on the other side it is as clear way whereby to know the works of God; if they be so great, as to make such wonder, as know them. For if he be wonderful, his works are also to be so. And if the rest of his works be wonderful, these of his love, are wonderful in the highest degree: forasmuch as they spring, out of his goodness: in the manifestation whereof, he takes more delight, and glory, and uses it more, then in the manifestation of the other attributes. As the Prophet David saith, Miserationes eius super omnia opera eius. His mercies are over all his works. How ill therefore are they advised, who refuse to believe that which God doth, because it is much; and who refuse to expect, and hope, because that which he promises is much: comparing, and parallelling the great acts of God, by the so short measure of theyre own poor understanding.¹

The woman of Samaria, cannot arrive to know, how Christ our lord can come by any water: and much less, John. 4. how he can bestow any such water, as that whosoever drank thereof should thirst no more. But our lord saith, that the wo●man knows not the gift of God, nor who it is that advices her to faith, and penance: and who is ready to infuse the holy Ghost, into her hart. And so, there are still, men so cowardly, and weak in faith, that they cannot believe any thing of God, but only in conformity with theyre own poorness. Placing theyre eyes upon theyre little strength, and theyre little desert: and so like beasts of earth they creep upon the earth, and rise no higher.

But he that looks upon God, who gives us his son, who is his love, and who sweetness God to wards us; and in whom he is so highly content, and in whom his divine eyes take delight, how can he doubt, of that hart, but that it will be favourable to us, when we call upon it, with penance; and pitiful in all those necessities, which may occur to us. He therefore who knows this, and desires it as he ought, may well hope, that he shall have it. And with having that, he hath all good; and will have nothing to fear, as that slave must do who wants love.

Make therefore haste, to love this Lord, who love's you so much; and hath conserved you so well. And if ever you had a desire to reform yourself, and to follow our Lord yet closer, besure that you renew it, and increase it now. For our Lord commanded twice, that his people should be circumcised.

Once when he enjoined Abraham, to do it; and the second time, ●osue 5 when he brought joshua into the land of promise. The first, signifies the first coming of a man, from a worldly, and wicked life, to follow the way of the will of God, which is the straight way; especially in the eyes of the world. The second is, when God will carry a soul to his kingdom, and then he commands it, to behold itself with new fervour; and to amend itself, and to cut of all superfluity; to the end, that, with purity, and joy, it may expect that crown of a kingdom, which the goodness of God hath prepared for his servants. Your Lordship must use to confess and communicate often; for it is a thing, which gives most strength, and comfort, to hear the sentence of our absolution, and to receive our Lord Jesus Christ into our bosoms. You must pray, and read, and give alms, and do whatsoever other good work, our Lord shall inspire you to. And let me know how the world goes with you. And if your Lordship recover your health, we will yet remain with having put our soul well in order; and with having gotten strength against fear. The Holy Ghost, that great comforter, which through Jesus Christ our Lord, was given to such as are well disposed, to receive it, dwell ever in your Lordship, and teach you how you may best please him, and guide you, by the right way. Amen.²

Footnotes

1. Psal. 144. ↩

2. Gen. 17. ↩