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in the Soul
of
Ma1t.
37
the object to anfwer the vafinefs of its ca–
pacity.
So eager and violent a pailion
cannot but ,fret and torn1ent the fpirit,
where it finds not wherewith to fatis(y its
cravings. And indeed fo- large and
un–
bounded is its nature,- that it 1nuft be
cx–
treinely pinched and
firaitcned,
when
confined to any creature: nothing belo\v
an infinite good c,an · afford it ro0n1
to
fl:retch itfelf, and exert its vigour ·and ac1-i–
vity. What is a little
ikin
deep beauty,
or.
fon1e fmall degrees of ·goodnefs,
to
n1atch or fatisfy a paffion that was n1ade
for God; defigned to en1brace an infi nite
good? No wonder lovers do fo hardly fuf–
fer any rival, and do not defire
tha~
others
ihould approve their paffion by in1itating
it.
They know the fcantinefs and narrownefs
of the good which they love, that
it
can–
not fuffice two·, being in effeCt too little
for one.
Hen~e
love
'which is jlrong as
death,
occafioneth
jea!oufy ·whi-ch is cruel
.as the gra7.:e;
the coals whereof are coals
of fire which hath a 1nofi violent flame.
But divine love bath no _mixture of this
gall. · When once the foul is fixed on that
fupreme and all-fufficient good, it finds fo
n1uch perfeCtion ·and goodnefs, asCloth not
only
anfwer and
fatis~"y
its affecrion, but
1u.afier
and
overpower
it
too;
it
finds all its
, D
loYe