The eight consideration

THe eight cōsideration is this: yt albeit, there are many other which also are beloued of christ Iesu, yet ye loue yt he sheweth to them, nothing minisheth his loue towards you, as if there were no moe beloued of him in all ye kinde of mā. This may euidently be shewed vnto you by this exāple folowing. If before any Image of our sauior were disposed & set in a long rowe many glasses, some great and some litlle, some high and some lowe, a conuenient distance from the Image, so that euerie of them myght receiue a presentmēt of the Image, it is no doubt but in euerie of these glasses should appeare the verie likenesse of the same Image I will not say but this lykenesse should be longer in the great glasses then in the lesse, and clearer in the better clensed glasses, and in them that were nigh vnto the Image, then in the other that were not so well clensed, & much farther of. But as to the likenesse it selfe it shall be as full and as whole in euerie one glasse as though there were but one. Now to my purpose, if you consider lykewise that all ye good soules that be scourged from deadly sinne, be in the maner of glasses set in an order to receiue the loue of our sauiour Christ Iesu. Such soules as by true pennaunce doing, by sighing, by wéeping, by praying, by watching by fasting, & by other lyke, be ye better scoured and clensed from the spottes and mallice of deadly sinne, they bée the brighter glasses and more cléerly receyue this loue, & such also be néere vnto our Sauior, for nothing putteth vs farre from him but onely sinne. And therefore they that haue more diligently scoured their soules from the rust of sinne, be néerer vnto him, then the other that so haue not done. Such soules also as of their parte enforce them selues to a great loue and to a more ample feruor, they doe inlarge the capacitie of their soules, to receyue a more large abundaunce of loue agayne, those that lesse enforce them, haue a lesse capacitie in receyuing, and therfore so much the lesse they receyue of this loue. Euen as a man that openeth his bosome wyde and enlargeth it, is more able to receiue a greater thing into it, then hée that doeth not. But yet as I haue sayde before of the glasses, euery one of the soules receyue as full and as whole a loue of Iesu Christ, as though there were no moe soules in all the world but that one alone, for the loue of Christ Iesus infinite. And therfore whē innumerable of soules haue euerie one of them receyued as much the loue of Christ Iesu, as to euerie one of them is possible, yet hath he still in him self loue suffitiēt for infinite moe, & this his loue therby is not in any point diminished nor lessened, though it be deuided vnto many be ye number of them neuer so great. None of them yt be beloued receiue ye lesse bicause of the multitude of his fellowes, nor if he had no moe but him selfe he shoulde not thereby haue any more abundance of loue to his parte, but according to the clēsing and capacitie of his soule & nighnesse vnto Christ, his parte in loue shall be the lesse or more. Wherefore good sister I pray you bée you dylygent to scoure your soule cleane, and to enforce your soule on your parte feruently to loue your spouse Christ Iesu, and drawe nygh vnto hym with entiere deuotion, & then vndoubtedly you shall be partener to ye more plentuous aboundaunce of his loue, notwtstāding any other multitude which beside is beloued of him, for he neuerthelesse is as studious of you, and as mindfull, & as feruēly careth for your weale, as though ther wer no mo beloued of him but you alone in all thys world.