The divine life in three treatises

Though he have the perfect Love of perfect soul•, he knoweth the little spark in my breast, and despiseth not my weak and languid Love: Though I injure and dishonour him by Loving him no more; though I oft forget him, and have been out of the way when he he hath come or called me; though I have disobediently turned away mine ears, and unkindly refused the entertainments of his Love, and unfaithfully plaid with those whose company he forbade me, he hath not divorced me, nor turned me out of doors. O wonderful! that Heaven will be familiar with Earth! and God with man! the Highest with a worm! and the most Holy with an unconstant sinner! Man refuseth me, when God will entertain me: Man, that is no wiser or better than my self. Those that I never wronged or deserved ill of, reject me with reproach: And God whom I have unspeakably injured doth invite me, and entreat me, and condescendeth to me, as if he were beholden to me to be saved: Men that I have deserved well of, do abhor me: And God that I have deserved Hell of, doth accept me. The best of them are briars, and as a thorny hedge, and he is Love, and Rest, and Joy: And yet I can be more welcome to him, though I have offended him, than I can to them whom I have obliged: I have freer leave to cast my self into my Fathers arms, than to tumble in those briars, or wallow in the dirt. I upbraid my self with my sins, but he doth not upbraid me with them. I condemn my self for them, but he condemns me not: He forgiveth me sooner than I can forgive my self: I have peace with him, before I can have peace of conscience.

Though he have the perfect Love of perfect soul•, he knoweth the little spark in my breast, and despiseth not my weak and languid Love: Though I injure and dishonour him by Loving him no more; though I oft forget him, and have been out of the way when he he hath come or called me; though I have disobediently turned away mine ears, and unkindly refused the entertainments of his Love, and unfaithfully plaid with those whose company he forbad me, he hath not divorced me, nor turned me out of doors. O wonderful! that Heaven will be familiar with Earth! and God with man! the Highest with a worm! and the most Holy with an unconstant sinner! Man refuseth me, when God will entertaine me: Man, that is no wiser or better than my self. Those that I never wronged or deserved ill of, reject me with reproach: And God whom I have unspeakably injured doth invite me, and intreat me, and condescendeth to me, as if he were beholden to me to be saved: Men that I have deserved well of, do abhorre me: And God that I have deserved Hell of, doth accept me. The best of them are bryars, and as a thorny hedge, and he is Love, and Rest, and Joy: And yet I can be more welcome to him, though I have offended him, than I can to them whom I have obliged: I have freer leave to cast my self into my Fathers arms, than to tumble in those bryars, or wallow in the dirt. I upbraid my self with my sins, but he doth not upbraid me with them. I condemn my self for them, but he condemns me not: He forgiveth me sooner than I can forgive my self: I have peace with him, before I can have peace of conscience.