Love Divine, Title page – Table of contents
THEOPHILVS, OR LOVE DIVINE. A TREATISE CONTAINING FIVE DEGREES, FIVE MARKES, FIVE AIDES, OF THE LOVE OF GOD. Tranſlated by Richard Goring, out of the third French edition: renewed, corrected and augmented by the author M. Peter Moulin, Preacher to the reformed Church of Paris.
LONDON, Printed for Samuel Macham, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Pauls churchyard, at the ſigne of the Bul-head. 1610.
To my Worſhipful good Friend M. George Hakewill, Batchelor of Diuinitie, and Fellow of Exeter Colledge in Oxford.
SIR, when you firſt wiſhed me to reade this Diſcourſe, (cō mending it as a worke, no leſſe ſcholerlike then religious) I was thinking how I might ſome way requite with ſomewhat more then verball thankfulnes, your kind fauors & good wiſhes towards me. But hauing peruſed the ſame, I thought I could not better employ my time of ſmall emploiment, then to tranſlate the ſame, as being a ſubiect fit for all men ſeriouſlie to meditate vponupon, ſupplying with my willing but poore endeuour, that which you could hauehave better poliſhed; and I dare ſay willinglie would, by reaſon of your familiar acquaintance with the Author, if your leiſure might hauehave ſerued you to hauehave taken it in hand your ſelfe. Therefore as you commended it vntounto me, for a peece neatly and eloquentlie done in the originall: ſo ſurelie it did rauiſh me in the reading, as being a moſt worthie theame; and hath emboldned me to recommend it backe againe vntounto you, thus homelie apparelled in our mother tong; in which it can leeſe but litle grace, being in it ſelfe ſo gracious as it is. Suffer it therfore I pray you (if it be not too full of defects) to paſſe vnderunder your name, who beſt deſerue herin, if ought there be deſeruing. For mine owne part, I wil onlie ſay, I hauehave ſtriued to ſhew ſome part of the paines, I would gladlie take to do you anie pleaſing ſeruice in requitall of your manie fauours; which I will pray you ſtill to continue, as I will alwaies endeuor to be thankfull, and constantlie rest
Your very affectionate and much bounden Rich. Goring.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE Ladie Anne D' Allegre, wife vntounto the high and mightie Lord Monſieur de Fervaques, Marſhall of France, and the Kings Lieutenant in Normandie.
MAdame: The Apoſtle vntounto the Hebrewes teacheth vsus, that within the Ark of the couenant there was a cruſe full of Manna and Aarons rod.Heb. 9. 4. God thereby inſtructing vsus, that he hath not onelyonly a care of the nouriſhing of our ſoules, but to correct vsus for our ſins alſo: and that he hath giuen vsus together with the bread of his word, his rod of afflictiōs. The one nouriſheth vsus, the other exerciſeth vsus: the one inſtructeth vsus, the other reformeth vsus: the one teacheth vsus to do the will of God, the other maketh vsus to renounce our owne: both equally effects of his louelove. For God humbleth vsus by afflictions, and pricketh the ſwelling of our pride. He cutteth & loppeth vsus, to the end we may bring forth the more fruite. He filleth vsus with bitterneſſe in this life, to the end we might long for the life to come. For thoſe whom God afflicteth grieuouſly in this world, leaue it with leſſe griefe. And indeed if the childrē of Iſrael, being come out of Egypt, after hauing endured there ſo many afflictions, did notwithſtanding grieue, and oftentimes mutined to returne thither againe: how much more had they grieued if they had ſuffered nothing? Adde hereunto, that God who hath formed vsus to feare him, knoweth that our prayers are ſlacke and cold in proſperitie, as proceeding from a ſpirit that is cooled by ſucceſſe, and which are endited by cuſtom. The cries which our owne will produceth are feeble, in compariſon of thoſe which griefe expreſſeth. There is nothing ſo ſtrong as neceſſitie: nothing ſo ingenious to pray well as ſorow, which in an inſtant formeth the ſloweſt tongues to a holy eloquence, and furniſheth vsus with ſighes which cannot be expreſſed. It is not then in anger that God afflicteth vsus; but becauſe that ſinne is a kind of falling ſickneſſe, God ſtriketh and afflicteth vsus to awaken vsus. His beatings are fatherly corrections: if he vſed vsus otherwiſe, we ſhould not be his childrē. For if a man ſeeing two children a fighting, doe chaſtiſe one for the ſame, without touching the other; the ſtanders by, without further knowing him, preſume that it is his father: ſo God correcteth as his children thoſe which he embraceth with a fatherly louelove.1. Pet. 4. 17. He beginneth his chaſtiſings at his owne houſe. Now if Ieſus Chriſt (as ſaith the Apoſtle) hath learned obediēce by the things which he hath ſuffered, Heb. 5. 8.although he were the Son: how much more ought wee to bow downe our neckes vntounto Gods corrections, & humble our ſelues in his preſence, rather then to kicke againſt the prick, or to make the afflictions which are bitter enough of themſelues, to be yet more bitter by impatiēce? None can make a white haire become blacke with all his care: but well may he make his blacke haire becom white through his vnprofitable diſcontent. It is euer better to follow, then to be dragged on, aboue all when God conducteth vsus: for if the way through which he leadeth vsus be thornie, yet is it ſtraight.
Now when I caſt mine eye vponupon all the remedies of afflictions, I find there are three things which may aſſwage griefe; time, reaſon, and the feare of God. For length of time mitigateth ſorow, and cloſeth vp the wound, yea euen in the weakeſt ſpirits, and moſt vncapable of conſolation: but reaſon eſteemeth this remedie too long, and vnworthy of a couragious man; for wearineſſe of weeping is a poore remedie. The feare of God doth more: for as to appeaſe griefe, reaſon ſtayeth not for time, ſo the feare of God ſtayeth not for reaſon; but before that reaſon can bring in her conſolations drawne from the ineuitable neceſſitie of euils, or from the vnprofitableneſſe of teares, that reſolueth promptly vponupon the louelove of God, who chaſtiſeth vsus for our good: ſo as in ſteed of caſting forth complaints, it findeth out occaſion of thankſgiuing, and formeth not only vntounto patience, but alſo vntounto ioy, as acknowledging amongſt his afflictions certaine ſignes of Gods louelove.
Theſe documents Madame, are ſo much the more familiar vntounto you, as you hauehave had often experience of them, and who being paſt her apprētiſhip in afflictions, hauehave carefully ſought out the lenitiues which Gods word doth furniſh vsus withall: which, beſides that ſobrietie and modeſtie which ſhineth in you, and hath altogether eſtranged you from the vanitie which now a daies reigneth in the world, hauehave taught you to ſolace your ſelfe with God. But take heed alſo leſt you ſuffer your ſelfe to be ouerwhelmed with ſorow, and make pietie the nurſe of diſcontēt. Inueterat griefs do often turne into habit, and old wounds become freſh with too much handling; which me thinks is aboue all verie vnfitting your nature, whoſe meeknes and gentlenes ſo pleaſing vntounto all, is much more at accord with ioy. Shall it be ſaid, that the great viuacity of ſpirit which God hath giuē you, ſerueth you but to feele griefe more ſenſibly? or that God hath made you great, that your teares might hauehave the greater fall? Time which eaſeth the moſt ignorant people of their euils, cannot it finiſh the ſighes of a perſon whom God hath ſo much enriched with his knowledge? Shall it not be better to ioy in future good things, which are great and certaine, then to afflict our ſelues for euils paſt, which are remediles? Herein ſurely God is offended, if in worldly croſſes we find more occaſion of griefe, then matter of ioy in heauēly riches. And wrongfully do we complaine of our afflictions; ſeeing we hurt our ſelues, we doe vnderhand as it were confeſſe, that God hath not afflicted vsus enough. The Pſalmiſt ſaith indeed, that God putteth vp our teares into his bottels, as precious things: but he ſpeaketh of teares bred of repentance, or of griefe, to ſee God blaſphemed and deſpiſed amongſt men. For God gathereth not vp obſtinate tears, which extending themſelues beyond their limits, occupie the time due to conſolation. How many times (giuing your ſelfe to reading) hauehave you bedewed the holie ſcripture with your teares, and yet this booke containeth the matter of our ioy? And in the booke of Pſalmes, the tunes wherof you louelove, and yet much more the matter, where you ſee your own picture, and the anatomie of your inward affections: HaueHave you not obſerued that all the Pſalmes which hauehave their beginnings troubled, and whoſe firſt lines containe nothing but profoūd ſighes and broken complaints, do end in delight, and termes which witnes contentment and peace of conſcience? Let your tears Madame, be formed vponupon this example, and let them end in ſpirituall ioy. Let your faith raiſe her ſelfe from vnderunder her burthen, and let the ſluces of afflictions, which God hath ſtopped her courſe withal, make her to runne forth with the greater impetuouſnes: let her take ſtrēgth from reſiſtance. Hereunto the meditation of Gods graces will much ſerue you: the which if you coū terballance with your euils, they will mightily weigh them downe. The onelyonly attention of future glorie, which you apprehend by faith, can it not digeſt all bitterneſſe? That faith which filled the Martyrs with ioy in the midſt of their preſent torments, may ſhe not in our reſt comfort vsus againſt the memorie of paſſed euils. And you who acknowledge what ſeruitude thoſe people liue in, which are dragged into perdition by the inuiſible chaines of opiniō and cuſtome: can you ſufficiently magnifie the grace which God hath giuen you, in honoring you with his alliance; and enlightning you with his truth? Yea, and in your life time, how many of Gods aſſiſtances, how many difficulties happily ouergone? God hauing giuē you the grace to be alone in your family an example of conſtancie and holy perſeuerance in the profeſſion of his truth, hauing made you great, that in the contradiction of the world, you might be an example of firmeneſſe and conſtancie. And yet admit your wounds were more grieuous, as taking all at the worſt, our liues being ſo ſhort, they cānot long laſt: for you are not troubled to ſeeke conſolations againſt death, ſeeing that death it ſelfe is a conſolation vntounto vsus. For God if he receiue the ſighs which wee powre foorth in our praiers, much more regardeth he the ſighes which our ſoules giuegive vp vntounto him in our deaths. Which being a place of ſhelter, and which putteth our ſoules into ſecuritie, we ought not onelyonly looke for his coming, but euen go forth to meete him: haſtening his comming by our deſires, by the example of S. Paul, Phil. 1. 23.who ſaith, that his deſire tendeth to diſlodge, and be with Chriſt. And to ſay with Dauid: Pſal. 42. 2.O when ſhall I preſent my ſelfe before Gods face? For our ſoules being bound vntounto our bodies by two bonds, wherof the one is naturall, and the other voluntarie: if through hatred and contempt of life preſent, we vntie the voluntary bond, waiting the time when God ſhall breake the naturall, death then coming ſhall find the buſineſſe begun, and our ſoules prepared to this diſſolution.
Theſe cogitations Madame, and ſuch like, hauehave hitherto giuen you conſolation: the which although you be ſufficiently prouided of, and hauehave alwayes readie, many ſpirituall remedies, yet you borrow from other the receipts; and hauehave thought that I could contribute ſomething to your conſolation. And to this effect hauing heard talke of ſome of my Sermons vponupon the LoueLove of God, you would needs make vſe of the power you hauehave ouer me, demanding them of me in writing; knowing well, that of the diſcontentments of this life, there is no ſuch gentle remouall as the louelove of God, or more ſtronger remedy then that he loueth vsus. Herefrom I drew backe a long time, partly through idleneſſe accompanied with ſome other diſtractions: partly through feare, apprehending your iudgement, which far ſurpaſſing ordinarie ſpirits, feedeth it ſelf not vponupon vulgar meates. At length, after long delay, being not any longer able to ſtriue againſt your inſtant requeſts, which are vntounto me as ſo many commandements, I hauehave let this diſcourſe come forth in publick, vnderunder the protection of your name, to the end that the imperfections thereof may likewiſe be imputed vntounto you, and that you might beare alſo a part of the blame, for hauing aſſiſted at the birth of that which ought not to hauehave ſeene the light: but I ſhall be eaſily excuſed, as hauing obeyed you. For honor ſhal it euer be vntounto me, to execute your cōmandements, and to employ my ſelfe to do you moſt humble ſeruice, as being your
Moſt humble and moſt obedient ſeruant Peter du Moulin.
A Table of the Chapters, and principall points contained in this Treatiſe of the LoueLove of God.
OF true and falſe louelove. Chap. 1. fol. 1.
Fiue degrees of the louelove of God. Chap. 2. fol. 24.
1. Degree to louelove God, becauſe of the good he doth vsus, and which we hope to receiue of him. fol. 28.
2. To louelove God for his own ſake, becauſe he is ſoueraignlie excellent, and chieflie to be beloued. fol. 45.
3. Not onlie to louelove God aboue all things, and more then our ſelues: but alſo not to louelove anie thing in this world but for his ſake. Fol. 67.
4. To hate our ſelues for the louelove of God. Fol. 79.
5. Is the louelove wherewith we ſhall louelove God in the life to come. Fol. 94.
Of the marks and effects of the louelove of God. Cha. 3. Fol. 102.
1. Marke is, that it extinguiſheth all voluptuous louelove. Fol. 105.
2. That it is the peace and tranquillitie of the ſoule. Fol. 122.
3. That it is charitie to our neighbours. Fol. 136.
4. And the pleaſure to cōmunicate often with God. Fol. 153.
5. It is the zeale of the glorie of God. Fol. 184.
Fiue meanes or aids to inflame vsus in this louelove of God. Chap. 4. Fol. 202.
1. Meanes is the image of vices. Fol. 206.
2. The choiſe of friends. Fol. 215.
3. The hatred of the world Fol. 226.
4. Prayer. Fol. 238.
5. The hearing and reading of the word of God. Fol. 254.