gree of Union and every Degree of Likeness is a Degree of Love; and it can endure any thing but the Difpleafure and the Abfence of its Beloved. For we are not to ufe God and Religion as Men ufe Perfumes, with which they are delighted when they have them, but can very well be without them. True Charity is Amoris ut reftlefs till it enjoys God in fuch Inftances in which morfum qui it wants him: It is like Hunger and Thirst, it muft verè fenteris. be fed or it cannot be anfwered; and nothing can fupply the Prefence, or make Recompence for the Ab fence of God, or of the Effects of his Favour, and the Light of his Countenance.

7. True Love in all Accidents looks upon the be loved Perfon, and obferves his Countenance, and how he approves or difapproves it, and accordingly looks fad or cheerful. He that loves God is not difpleafed at thofe Accidents which God chufes, nor murmurs at thofe Changes which he makes in his Family, nor envies at thofe Gifts he bestows: But chufes as he likes, and is ruled by his Judgment, and is perfectly of his Perfuafion, loving to learn where God is the Teacher, and being content to be ignorant or filent where he is not pleased to open himself.

tinens eftos.

8. Love is curious of little Things, or Circumftan- Plutarchus ces and Measures, and little Accidents, not allowing citans carmen to itself any Infirmity which it ftrives not to mafter, de fuo Apelline, adjicit ex aiming at what it cannot yet reach, defiring to be Herodoto quafi of an Angelical Purity, and of a perfect Innocence, de fuo, De es and a Seraphical Fervour, and fears every Image of os meum con Offence; is as much afflicted at an idle Word as fome at an Act of Adultery, and will not allow to itfelf fo much Anger as will difturb a Child, nor endure the Impurity of a Dream. And this is the Curiofity and Nicenefs of Divine Love; this is the Fear of God, and is the Daughter and Production of Love.

The Meafures and Rules of Divine Love.

But because this Paffion is pure as the brightest and fmootheft Mirrour, and therefore is apt to be fullied

with every impurer Breath, we must be careful that our Love to God be governed by thefe Measures.

1. That our Love be fweet, even and full of Tranquility, having in it no Violences or Transportations, but going on in a courfe of holy Actions and Duties which are proportionable to our condition and prefent ftate; not to fatisfie all the Defires, but all the Probabilities and Measures of our Strength. A new Beginner in Religion hath paffionate and violent Defires: But they must not be the measure of his Actions: But he muft confider his Strength, his late Sickness and State of Death, the proper Temptations of his Condition, and ftand at firft upon his Defence; not go to ftorm a strong Fort, or attack a potent Enemy, or do Heroical Actions, and fitter for Giants in Religion. Indifcreet Violences and untimely Forwardnefs are the Rocks of Religion, against which tender Spirits often fuffer Shipwreck.

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2. Let our Love be prudent and without Illufion that is, that it exprefs itself in fuch Inftances which God hath chofen, or which we chufe ourselves by Proportion to his Rules and Measures. Love turns into Doting when Religion turns into Superftition, No Degree of Love can be imprudent, but the Expreffions may: We cannot love God too much, but we may proclaim it in undecent Manners.

3. Let our Love be firm, conftant and infeparable; not coming and returning like the Tide, but defcending like a never-failing River, ever running into the Ocean of Divine Excellency, paffing on in the Chanels of Duty and a conftant Obedience, and never ceafing to be what it is, till it comes to what it defires to be; ftill being a River till it be turned into Sea and Vaftnefs, even the Immenfity of a Bleffed Eternity.

Although the confideration of the Divine Excellencies and Mercies be infinitely fufficient to produce in us Love to God, (who is invifible, and yet not diftant from us, but we feel him in his Bleffings, he dwells in our Hearts by Faith, we feed on him in the Sacrament, and are made all one with him in the Incarration and Glorification of Jefus ;) yet that we may

the

the better enkindle and encrease our Love to God, the following Advices are not useless.

Helps to encrease our Love to God, by Way of
Exercife.

1. Cut off all earthly and fenfual Loves, for they pollute and unhallow the Pure and Spiritual Love. Every Degree of inordinate Affection to the things of this World, and every Act of Love to a Sin is a perfect Enemy to the Love of God; and it is a great Shame to take any Part of our Affection from the Eternal God, to beitow it upon its Creature in Defiance of the Creator; or give it to the Devil, our open Enemy, in Difparagement of him who is the Fountain of all Excellencies and Celestial Amities.

1

2. Lay Fetters and Restraints upon the imaginative and phantaftick Part; because our Fancy being an im perfect and higher Faculty is ufually pleafed with the Enternainments of Shadows and Gauds; and because the things of the World fill it with fuch Beauties and phantaftick Imagery, the Fancy prefents fuch Objects as amiable to the Affections and elective Powers. Perfons of Fancy, fuch as are Women and Children, have always the most violent Loves: But therefore if we be careful with what Reprefentments we fill our Fancy, we may the fooner rectifie our Loves. To this Purpose it is good that we tranfplant the Inftru→ ments of Fancy into Religion: And for this Reason Mufick was brought into Churches, and Ornaments and Perfumes, and comely Garments, and Solemnities, and decent Ceremonies, that the bufie and lefs difcerning Fancy being bribed with its proper Objects may be inftrumental to a more celestial and Spíritual Love.

3. Remove Solitude or worldly Cares, and Multitudes of fecular Bufineffes: For if these take up the Intention and actual Application of our Thoughts and our Employments, they will alfo poffefs our Paffions, which if they be filled with one Object, though ignoble, cannot attend another, though more excellent.

We

We always contract a Friendship and Relation with those with whom we converfe: our very Country is dear to us for our being in it; and the Neighbours of the fame Village, and thofe that buy and fell with us, have feized upon fome Portions of our Love: and therefore if we dwell in the affairs of the World, we fhall alfo grow in love with them; and all our Love, or all our Hatred, all our Hopes, or all our Fears, which the eternal God would willingly fecure to himfelf, and esteem amongst his Treasures and precious things, fhall be spent upon Trifles and Vanities.

4. Do not only chufe the things of God, but fecure your Inclinations and Aptneffes for God, and for Refigion. For it will be a hard thing for a Man to do fuch a perfonal Violence to his first Defires, as to chuse whatfoever he hath no Mind to. A Man will many times fatisfie the Importunity and daily Solicitations of his first Longings: and therefore there is nothing can fecure our Loves to God, but ftopping the natural Fountains, and making Religion to grow near the first Defires of the Soul.

5. Converfe with God by frequent Prayer. In particular, defire that your Defires may be right, and love to have your Affections regular and holy. To which Purpofe make very frequent Addreffes to God, by Ejaculations and Communions, and an affiduous daily Devotion: Difcover to him all your Wants, complain to him of all your Affronts; do as Hezekiah did, lay your Misfortunes, and all your ill News before him; fpread them before the Lord; call to him for Health, run to him for Counfel, beg of him for Pardon and it is as natural to love him to whom we make fuch Addreffes, and of whom we have fuch Dependences, as it is for Children to love their Pa

rents.

6. Confider the Immenfity and Vaftnefs of the Divine Love to us, expreffed in all the Emanations of his Providence; 1. In his Creation; 2. In his Conferva tion of us. For it is not my Prince, or my Patron, or my Friend that fupports me, or relieves my needs; but God, who made the Corn that my Friend fends me,

who

who created the Grapes, and fupported him who hath as many Dependences, and as many natural Neceffities, and as perfect Difabilities as myfelf. God indeed made him the Inftrument of his Provi dence to me, as he hath made his own Land or his own Cattel to him: With this only Difference, that God by his Miniftration to me intends to do him a Favour and a Reward which to natural Instruments he doth not. 3. In giving his Son; 4. In forgiving our Sins; 5. In adopting us to Glory; and Ten Thou fand times Ten Thoufand little Accidents and Inftan ces happening in the doing every of the fe; and it is not poffible but for fo great Love we should give Love again, for God we fhould give Man, for Felicity we fhould part with our Mifery. Nay, fo great Sic Jefus di is the Love of the Holy Jefus, God Incarnate, that xit S. Carpe he would leave all his Triumphant Glories, and die apud Dionyfium Epift. ad once more for Man, if it were neceffary for procuring Demephalum Felicity to him.

In the Ufe of thefe Inftruments Love will grow in feveral Knots and Steps, like the Sugar Canes of India, according to a Thoufand Varieties in the Perfon loving; and it will be great or lefs in feveral Perfons, and in the fame, according to his Growth in Chriftianity: But in general difcourfing there are but two States of Love, and thofe are Labour of Love, and the Zeal of Love: The first is Duty, the fecond is Perfection.

The two States of Love to God.

The leaft Love that is must be obedient, pure, fimple and communicative: That is, it muft exclude all Af fection to Sin, and all inordinate Affection to the World, and must be expreffive according to our Power in the Inftances of Duty, and must be Love for Love's Sake: And of this Love Martyrdom is the highest Instance, that is, a Readinefs of Mind rather to fuffer any Evil than to do any. Of this our Bleffed Saviour affirmed, That no Man had greater Love than this: that is, this is the higheft Point of Duty, the greatest Love that God requires of Man. And yet he that is the most imper

fect