Centuries of Meditations

85

That the Soul shineth of itself is equally manifest, for it can love with a love distinct from God’s. It can love irregularly; and no irregular love is the love of God. It can forbear to love while God loveth. It can love while God forbeareth. It can love a wicked man, wickedly and in his wickedness. This shows plainly that it can love regularly, with a love that is not merely the reflection of God’s. For which cause it is not called a mirror, but esteemed more, a real fountain. Cant.: My love is a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. That is, shut up like a letter, and concealed yet: but in the Kingdom of Heaven, her contents and secrets shall be known, and her beauty read of all men. Her own waters whence she should receive them: it is most admirable, considering the reality and beauty of them: But in this God hath magnified His infinite power, that He hath made them. Made them freely, made them her own, out of herself to flow from her: creatures as it were to which herself gives their existence. For indeed she could not love, were not her beams of love her own. Before she loves they are not, when she loves they are. And so she gives them their being. Being Good herself because she can love: Who else would be a dry and withered stick, having neither life nor value. But now she can exalt a creature above all the things in Heaven and Earth, in herself: esteem it most dear, admire it, honour it, tender it, desire it, delight in it, be united to it, prefer it, forsake all things for it, give all things to it, die for it. It can languish after it when absent; take pleasure in it when present; rejoice in its happiness, live only to it, study to please it, delight in suffering for it, feed it with pleasures, honours, and caresses, do all things for its sake, esteem gold and pearl but dross in comparison, lay crowns and sceptres at its feet, make it a lord of palaces, delight in its own beauties, riches, and pleasures, as they feed only and satisfy its beloved; be ravished with it. It can desire infinitely that good things should be added to it. And all this shall we enjoy in every soul in the Kingdom of Heaven. All there being like so many Suns shining upon one. All this goodness is so like God’s, that nothing can be more. And yet that it is distinct from His, is manifest because it is the return or recompense of it: the only thing which for and above all worlds He infinitely desires.