Thomas Traherne · 3 of 19

The First Century · Part 3

Here you learn all patience, , self-denial, courage, prudence, zeal, love, , contempt of the world, , , modesty, fidelity, constancy, , contentation, , and thanksgiving: With whatsoever else is requisite for a Man, a Christian, or a King. This Man bleeding here was tutor to King Charles the Martyr: and Great Master to St. Paul, the convert who learned of Him activity, and zeal unto all nations. Well therefore may we take up with this prospect, and from hence behold all the things in Heaven and Earth. Here we learn to imitate Jesus in His love unto all.

LORD JESUS what love shall I render unto Thee, for Thy love unto me! Thy eternal love! Oh what , what ardour, what humiliation, what reverence, what joy, what adoration, what zeal, what thanksgiving! Thou that art perfect in Beauty, Thou that art the King of Eternal Glory, Thou that reignest in the Highest Heavens camest down from Heaven to die for me! And shall not I live unto Thee? O my Joy! O my Friend! O my life and my all! I Thee let those trickling drops of blood that ran down Thy flesh drop upon me. O let Thy love enflame me. Which is so deep and infinite, that Thou didst suffer the wrath of GOD for me: And purchase all nations and Kingdoms to be my treasures. O Thou that me from Hell, and when Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers; what shall I do unto Thee? What shall I do for Thee, O Thou preserver of Men? Live, Love, and Admire; and learn to become such unto Thee as Thou unto me. O Glorious Soul; whose comprehensive understanding at once contains all Kingdoms and Ages! O Glorious Mind! Whose love extendeth to all creatures! O miraculous and eternal Godhead, now suffering on the cross for me: As Abraham saw thy Day and was glad, so didst Thou see me and this Day from all Eternity, and seeing me wast Gracious and Compassionate towards me. (All transient things are permanent in God.) Thou settest me before Thy face forever. O let me this day see Thee, and be united to Thee in Thy Holy Sufferings. Let me learn, O God, such lessons from Thee, as may make me wise, and blessed as an Angel of GOD!

Why, Lord Jesus, dost Thou love men; why are they all Thy treasures? What wonder is this, that Thou shouldst so esteem them as to die for them? Shew me the reasons of Thy love, that I may love them too. O Goodness ineffable! They are the treasures of Thy goodness. Who so infinitely lovest them that Thou gavest Thyself for them. Thy Goodness delighted to be communicated to them whom Thou hast saved. O Thou who art more glorious in Goodness, make me abundant in this Goodness like unto Thee. That I may as deeply pity others misery, and as ardently thirst for their happiness as Thou dost. Let the same mind be in me that is in Jesus Christ. For he that is not led by the spirit of Christ is none of His. Holy Jesus I admire Thy love unto me also. O that I could see it through all those wounds! O that I could feel it in all those stripes! O that I could hear it in all those groans! O that I could taste it beneath the gall and vinegar! O that I could smell the savour of Thy sweet ointments, even in this Golgotha, or place of a skull. I pray Thee teach me first Thy love unto me, and then unto mankind! But in Thy love unto mankind I am beloved.

These wounds are in themselves orifices too small to let in my sight, to the vast comprehensions of Thine eternal love. Those wounds engraven in Thy hands but shady impressions, unless I see the Glory of Thy Soul, in which the fullness of the GODHEAD dwelleth bodily. These bloody characters are too dim to let me read it, in its lustre and perfection till I see Thy person, and know Thy ways! O Thou that hangest upon this Cross before mine eyes, whose face is bleeding, and covered over with tears and filth and blows! Angels adore the Glory of Thy GODHEAD in the highest heavens. Who in every thought and in every work didst Glorious things for me from Everlasting. What could I, O my Lord, desire more than such a World! Such Heavens and such an Earth! Such beasts and fowls and fishes made for me. All these do homage unto me, and I have dominion over them from the Beginning! The Heavens and the Earth minister unto me, as if no man were greater, but I alone. I willingly acknowledge it to be thy Gift! thy bounty unto me! How many thousand ways do men also minister unto me! O what riches hast Thou prepared out of nothing for me! All creatures labor for my sake, and I am made to enjoy all Thy creatures. O what praises shall I return unto Thee, the wisdom of the Father, and the brightness of the glory of His Eternal Goodness!, Who didst make all for me before Thou didst me.

Had I been alive in Adam’s stead, how should I have admired the Glories of the World! What a confluence of Thoughts and wonders, and joys, and thanksgivings would have replenished me in the sight of so magnificent a theatre, so bright a dwelling place; so great a temple, so stately a house replenished with all kind of treasure, raised out of nothing and created for me and for me alone. Shall I now despise them? When I consider the heavens which Thou hast made, the moon and stars, which are the works of Thy fingers: what is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that Thou visiteth him! Thou bast made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honour. O what love must that needs be, that prepared such a palace! Attended with what power! With what wisdom illuminated! Abounding with what zeal! And how glorious must the King be, that could out of nothing erect such a curious, so great, and so beautiful a fabric! It was glorious while new: and is as new as it was glorious.

But this is small. What O my Lord, could I desire to be which Thou hast not made me! If Thou hast expressed Thy love in furnishing the house, how gloriously doth it shine in the possessor! My limbs and members when rightly prized, are comparable to the fine gold, but that they exceed it. The topaz of Ethiopia and the gold of Ophir are not to be compared to them. What diamonds are equal to my eyes; what labyrinths to my ears; what gates of ivory, or ruby leaves to the double portal of my lips and teeth? Is not sight a jewel? Is not hearing a treasure? Is not speech a glory? O my Lord pardon my ingratitude, and pity my dullness who am not sensible of these gifts. The freedom of thy bounty hath deceived me. These things were too near to be considered. Thou presentedst me with Thy blessings, and I was not aware. But now I give thanks and adore and praise Thee for Thine inestimable favors. I believe Thou lovest me, because Thou hast endued me with those sacred and living treasures. Holy Father, henceforth I more desire to esteem them than Palaces of Gold! Yea, though they were given me by Kings, I confess unto Thee that I am richer in them. O what Joy, what Delight and Jubilee should there always be, would men prize the Gifts of God according to their value!

But what creature could I desire to be which I am not made? There are Angels and Cherubim. I rejoice, O Lord, in their happiness, and that I am what I am by Thy and favour. Suppose, O my Soul, there were no creature made at all, and that God making Thee alone offered to make thee what Thou wouldst: What could Thou desire; or what wouldst Thou wish, or crave to be? Since GOD is the most Glorious of all Beings, and the most blessed, couldst thou wish any more than to be His IMAGE! O my Soul, He hath made thee His Image. Sing, O ye Angels, and laud His name, ye Cherubims: Let all the Kingdoms of the the Earth be glad, and let all the Host of Heaven rejoice for He hath made His Image, the likeness of Himself, His own similitude. What creature, what being, what thing more glorious could there be! God from all Eternity was infinitely blessed, and desired to make one infinitely blessed, and desired to make one infinitely blessed. He was infinite Love, and being lovely in being so, would prepare for Himself a most lovely object. Having studied from all Eternity, He saw none more lovely than the Image of His Love, His own Similitude. O Dignity unmeasurable! Triumph, O my Soul, and rejoice for ever! I see that I am infinitely beloved. For infinite Love hath exprest and pleased itself in creating an infinite object. God is Love, and my Soul is Lovely! God is loving, and His Image amiable. O my Soul these are the foundations of an Eternal Friendship between God and Thee. He is infinitely prone to love, and thou art like Him. He is infinitely lovely and Thou art like Him. What can more agree than that which is infinitely lovely, and that which is infinitely prone to love! Where both are so lovely, and so prone to love, joys and affections will be excited between them! What infinite treasures will they be to each other! O my God Thou hast glorified Thyself, and Thy creature infinitely, in making Thine Image! That is fitted for the Throne of God! It is meet to be Thy companion! It is so sublime and wonderful and amiable, that all Angels and Men were created to admire it: As it was created to admire Thee, and to live in communion with Thee for ever.

Being made alone, O my soul, thou wouldst be in thy body like God in the World, an invisible mystery, too great to be comprehended by all creatures. Thou wouldst have all the Goodness of God towards thee to enjoy, in that thy Creation. Whatever is in Him would be thy Treasure. But had He determined to create no more: there had been no witnesses of thy Glory, no spectators of thy communion with God, no other treasures beside God and thou. One would think those were sufficient. But Infinite Goodness loves to abound, and to overflow infinitely with infinite treasures. Love loves to do somewhat for its object more than to create it: It is always more stately being surrounded with power, and more delightful being inaccessible in a multitude of treasures, and more honourable in the midst of admirers; and more glorious when it reigneth over many attendants. Love therefore hath prepared all these for itself and its object. And because it is always more great by how much the greater they are that minister unto it, it maketh its attendants the most Glorious that can be, and infinitely delighteth in giving them all with all its treasures to its beloved. Had God created thee alone He had not been so good as He is. He is good to innumerable millions now whom He createth besides. And He glorifieth His eternal Wisdom, in making His goodness unto all them wholly thine, and wholly infinite unto each of them, yet wholly and solely thine in all. Friendship will manifest itself in doing all it can for its beloved. Since therefore God will make some other creatures, what kind of creatures doth thy Soul desire? Wish wisely thou shalt receive a grant. Since Love is so sweet, and thou art by God’s Love so infinitely exalted: what canst thou desire but creatures like unto Thy creator? Behold therefore Angels and Men produced by His goodness and made to delight thee.

O Adorable ! What hast Thou done for me? Thou hast made me the end of all things, and all the end of me. I in all, and all in me. In every soul whom Thou hast created, Thou hast given me the Similitude of Thyself to enjoy! Could my desires have aspired unto such treasures? Could my wisdom have devised such sublime enjoyments? Oh! Thou hast done more for us than we could ask or think. I praise and admire, and rejoice in Thee who art infinitely infinite in all Thy doings.

But what laws O my Soul wouldst thou desire, by which the lives of those creatures should be guided towards Thee? A friend commandeth all in his jurisdiction to love his friend; and therein supremely manifesteth his love. God Himself exalteth thee, and causeth thee to reign in His soul. He exalteth thee by His laws and causeth thee to reign in all others. The world and souls are like His, thy heavenly mansions, The Law-giver of Heaven and Earth employeth all His authority for thee. He promoteth thee in His eternal palace, and maketh thee His friend, and telleth His nobles and all His subjects, Whatsoever ye do unto him ye do unto Me. Joseph was not so great in Pharaoh’s Court, nor Haman in the court of Ahasuerus, as thou art in Heaven. He tendereth thee as the apple of His eye. He hath set His heart upon thee: Thou art the sole object of His eye, and the end of all His endeavours.

But what life wouldst thou lead? And by what laws wouldst thou thyself be guided? For none are so miserable as the lawless and disobedient. Laws are the rules of blessed living. Thou must therefore be guided by some laws. What wouldst thou choose? Surely since thy nature and God’s are so excellent, the Laws of Blessedness, and the Laws of Nature are the most pleasing. God loved thee with an infinite love, and became by doing so thine infinite treasure, Thou art the end unto whom He liveth. For all the lines of His works and counsels end in thee, and in thy advancement. Wilt not thou become to Him an infinite treasure, by loving Him according to His desert? It is impossible but to love Him that loveth. Love is so amiable that it is irresistible. There is no defence against that arrow, nor any deliverance in that war, nor any safeguard from that charm. Wilt thou not live unto Him? Thou must of necessity live, unto something. And what so glorious as His infinite Love? Since therefore, laws are requisite to lead thee, what laws can thy soul desire, than those that guide thee in the most amiable paths to the highest end? By Love alone is God enjoyed, by Love alone delighted in, by Love alone approached or admired. His Nature requires Love, thy nature requires Love. The law of Nature commands thee to Love Him: the Law of His nature, and the Law of thine.

There is in love two strange perfections, that make it infinite in Goodness. It is infinitely diligent in doing good, and it infinitely delighteth in that Goodness. It taketh no pleasure comparable in anything to that it taketh in exalting and blessing. And therefore hath it made thee a comprehension infinite to see all ages, and an affection endless to love all Kingdoms, and a power fathomless to enjoy all Angels. And a thirst insatiable to desire and delight in them. And a never-wearied faculty all-sufficient to love; number, take in, prize, and esteem all the varieties of creatures and their excellencies in all worlds, that thou mayest enjoy them in communion with Him. It is all obligation, that He requires it. What life wouldst thou lead? Wouldst thou love God alone? God alone cannot be beloved. He cannot be loved with a finite love, because He is infinite. Were He beloved alone, His love would be limited. He must be loved in all with an unlimited love, even in all His doings, in all His friends, in all His creatures. Everywhere in all things thou must meet His love. And this the Law of Nature commands. And it is thy glory that thou art fitted for it. His love unto thee is the law and measure of thine unto Him: His love unto all others the law and obligation of thine unto all.

His nature requireth that thou love all those whom He loveth, and receive Him in all those things wherein He giveth Himself unto thee. Their nature loveth to be beloved and being amiable require love, as well as delight in it. They require it both by desert and desire. Thy nature urgeth it. For without loving thou art desolate, and by loving thou enjoyest. Yea by loving thou expandest and enlargest thyself, and the more thou lovest art the more glorious. Thou lovest all thy friends’ friends; and needest not to fear any dearth of love or danger of insufficiency. For the more thou lovest thy friend, thy Friend, the more thou lovest all His Friends. Which showeth the endless proneness of love to increase and never to decay. O my Soul thou livest in all those whom thou lowest: and in them enjoyest all their treasures.

Miraculous are the effects of Divine Wisdom. He loveth every one, maketh every one infinitely happy and is infinitely happy in every one. He giveth all the world to me, He giveth it to every one in giving it to all, and giveth it wholly to me in giving it to every one for everyone’s sake. He is infinitely happy in every one as many times therefore as there are happy persons He is infinitely happy. Every one is infinitely happy in every one, every one therefore is as many times infinitely happy as there are happy persons. He is infinitely happy above all their happiness in comprehending all. And I, comprehending His and theirs, am Oh, how happy! Here is love! Here is a kingdom! Where all are knit in infinite unity. All are happy in each other. All are like Deities. Every one the end of all things, everyone supreme, every one a treasure, and the joy of all, and every one most infinitely delighted in being so. All things are ever joys for every one’s sake and infinitely richer to every one for the sake of all. The same thing is multiplied by being enjoyed. And He that is greatest is most my treasure. This is the effect of making Images, and by all their love is every Image infinitely exalted. Comprehending in his nature all Angels, all Cherubims, all Seraphims, all Worlds, all Creatures, and GOD over all Blessed for ever.

Being to lead this Life within, I was placed in Paradise without, with some advantages which the Angels have not: And being designed to immortality and an endless life, was to with God from everlasting to everlasting in all His ways. But I was deceived by my appetite, and fell into Sin. Ungratefully I despised Him that gave me my being. I offended in an apple against Him that gave me the whole world: But Thou O Saviour art here upon the Cross suffering for my Sins. What shall I render unto Thee for so great a Mercy! All thanksgiving is too weak, and all expression too feeble. I give Thee myself, my Soul and Body I offer unto Thee. It is unworthy of Thee, but Thou lovest me. Wash me with Thy blood from all my Sins: And fill me with Thy Holy Spirit that I may be like unto Thee. So shall I praise Thy Name acceptably for ever more. Amen.

And now, O Lord, Heaven and Earth are infinitely more valuable than they were before, being all bought with Thy precious blood. And Thou, O Jesus, art a treasure unto me far greater than all those. At what rate or measure shall I esteem Thee? Thou hast restored me again to the friendship of God, to the enjoyment of the World, to the hope of Eternal Glory, to the love of Angels, Cherubims, and Men. To the enjoyment and obedience of Thy Holy Laws: which alone are sweeter to me than the honey and the honeycomb, and more precious than thousands of gold and silver. Thou hast restored me above all to the Image of God. And Thou hast all Ages and Kingdoms for me alone, who am commanded to love them as Thou dost. O that I might be unto them as Thou art! O that I might be unto Thee as Thou art to me, as glorious and as rich in Love! O that I might die for Thee! O that I might ever live unto Thee! In every thought, in every action of my life, in every moment I bless Thee for renewing the old commandment; upon new obligations among Sinners,— As I have loved you, so do ye also love one another. O let Thy love be in me that Thy joy may be fulfilled in me for evermore.

Now O Lord I see the greatness of Thy love wherewith Thou diedst. And by Thy actions more than by Thy sufferings admire Thee. But henceforth I will more admire Thee by Thy sufferings; for considering that such actions went before; what love must move Thee to come into the place of guilty Sinners!

Lord I lament and abhor myself that I have been the occasion of these Thy sufferings. I had never known the dignity of my nature, hadst not Thou esteemed it: I had never seen or understood its glory, hadst not Thou assumed it. Be Thou pleased to unite me unto Thee in the bands of an Individual Love, that I may ever more live unto Thee, and live in Thee. And by how much the more vile I have been, let my love be so much, O Lord, the more violent henceforth, and unto Thee. O Thou who wouldst never have permitted sin, hadst Thou not known how to bring good out of evil, have pity upon me: hear my prayer. O my God since pity embalms love, let Thine come enriched, and be more precious to me, miserable Sinner. Let the remembrance of all the glory wherein I was created make me more serious and humble, more deep and , more pure and holy before Thee. And since the World is sprinkled with Thy blood, and adorned with all Kingdoms and Ages for me: which are Heavenly Treasures and vastly greater than Heaven and Earth, let me see Thy glory in the preparation of them, and Thy goodness in their government. Open unto me the Gate of , that I may enter in to the New Jerusalem.

My Lord, Thou head of the Holy Catholic Church, I admire and praise Thee for purchasing to Thyself such a glorious Bride and for uniting us all by the blood of Thy Cross, I Thee let my love unto all be regular like Thine, and pure, and infinite. Make it Divine and make it Holy. I confess I can see, but I cannot moderate, nor love as I ought. I pray Thee for Thy loving kindness sake supply my want in this particular. And so make me to love all, that I may be a blessing to all: and well pleasing to Thee in all, Teach me wisdom, how to expend my blood, estate, life, and time in Thy service for the good of all, and make all them that are round about me wise and holy as Thou art, That we might all be knit together in Godly Love, and united in Thy service to Thy Honour and Glory.

My excellent friend, you see that there are treasures in Heaven and Earth fit to be enjoyed, besides those of King’s Courts, and Taverns. The joys of the Temple are the greatest joys were they understood; they are the most magnificent, solemn and divine. There are glorious entertainments in this miserable world, could we find them out. What more delightful can be imagined, than to see a Saviour at this distance, dying on the Cross to a man from Hell, and to see oneself the beloved of God and all Kingdoms, yea, the admired of ages, and the heir of the whole world? Hath not His blood united you and me, cannot we see and love and enjoy each other at a hundred miles distance? In Him is the only sweet and divine enjoyment. I desire but an amiable Soul in any part of all Eternity, and can love it unspeakably: And if love it, enjoy it. For love implies pleasure, because it is ever pleased with what is beloved. Love God and Jesus Christ and Angels and Men, which you are made to do as naturally as the sun is made to shine, and the beauty of the dwelling in you will make you my delight, the treasure of the Holy Angels. You will at last be seen by me and all others, in all your thoughts and in all your motions. In the mean time, delight only in the love of Jesus, and direct all your love unto Him. Adore Him, rejoice in Him, admire His love and praise Him; secretly and in the congregation. Enjoy His that are round about you, make yourself amiable that you may be admitted to their enjoyment, by , temperance, modesty, humility, , chastity, devotion, cheerfulness, gratitude, joy, thanksgiving. Retire from them that you may be the more precious, and come out unto them the more wise. So shall you make the place wherein you live a nest of sweet perfumes, and every Soul that is round about you will be a bed of Honour, and sweet repose unto you.

My goodness extendeth not to Thee, O Lord, but to Thy , and to the excellent in the Earth in whom is all my delight. To delight in the of God is the way to Heaven. One would think it exceeding easy and reasonable to esteem those whom Jesus purchased with His precious blood. And if we do so how can we help but inherit all things. All the of all Ages and all Kingdoms are His inheritance, His treasures, His jewels. Shall they not be yours since they are His whom you love so infinitely? There is not a cup of cold water given to a disciple in the name of a disciple, but He accepteth it as done to Himself. Had you been with Mary Magdalen, would you not have anointed His feet, and washed them in tears, and wiped them with the hairs of your head? His poor servants, His contemptible and disguised members here upon earth are his feet, yea more the apple of His eye: yea more for He gave His eyes and heart and hands and feet for them. O therefore universally in all places tender them, and at all times be ready and willing to minister unto them. And that with infinite joy, knowing the excellency of your duty. For you are enjoying the world, and communicating yourself like God unto them. You are laying up treasure in Heaven, and enlarging your Soul, beautifying your life, and delighting the Holy Angels, offering up sacrifices unto God, and perfuming the world; embracing Jesus Christ and caressing your Saviour, while you are dispensing charities among them. Every alms deed is a precious stone in the Crown of Glory.

But there are a sort of meet to be your companions, in another manner, but that they be concealed. You must therefore make yourself exceeding virtuous that by the very splendour of your fame you may find them out. While the wicked are like heaps of rubbish, these few jewels lie buried in the ruins of mankind: and must diligently be digged for. You may know them by their lustre, and by the very desire and esteem they have of you when you are virtuous. For as it is the glory of the sun that darkness cannot approach it, because it is always encompassed with its own beams; so it is the privilege of Holy Souls, that they are always secure in their own light, which driveth away devils and evil men: and is accessible by none, but lovers of virtue. Beginners and desirers will give you the opportunity of infusing yourself and your principles into them. Practicers and growers will mingle souls and be delightful companions. The sublime and perfect, in the lustre of their spirit, will show you the Image of Almighty God and the joys of Heaven. They will allure, protect, encourage, comfort, teach, honour and delight you. But you must be very good, for that is the way to find them. And very patient to endure some time, and very diligent to observe where they are.

They will praise our Saviour with you, and turn the world into Heaven. And if you find those of noble and benevolent natures, discreet and magnanimous, liberal and cheerful, wise and holy as they ought to be, you will have in them treasures greater than all relations whatsoever. They will exchange Souls with you, divide estates, communicate comforts, counsels and honours, and in all tenderness, constancy, fidelity, and love be more yours than their own. There are exceeding few such Heavenly Lovers as Jesus was, who imparted His own soul unto us. Yet some may doubtlessly be found. And half a dozen such as these wisely chosen will represent unto us the New Jerusalem, entertain us always with divine discourses, please us always with Heavenly affections, delight us always with melody and praise, and ever make us near unto our Saviour.