A heavenly conference between Christ and Mary after His resurrection. Wherein the intimate familiarity,…

4. Christ doth this for to set a greater price upon his presence, when he comes to make his presence highly valued, when he doth discover himself. Desiderata diu magis placent, Things long desired please more sweetly. And things, when wanted, are ingratiated to us, as warmth after cold▪ and meat after hunger; and so ⟨p. 25⟩in every particular of this life. And therefore God to set a greater price on his presence, and that he would be held more strongly, when he doth reveal himself, he defers a long time. That is one reason why he did defer revealing himself to Mary, that she might have the more sweet contentment in him, when he did reveal himself, as indeed she had. Long deferring of a thing doth but enlarge the soul. Want enlargeth the desire, and capacity of the soul, so doth love. Now when we want that we love, that emptieth the soul marvellously much, it mortifieth affection. When God keeps off a long time, and we see it is God only must do it, then the affection is taken off from earthly things, and the heart enlarged to God by love, and the want of the thing we love. And therefore we set a price on the thing; so that we are wonderfully pleasing to God. It is very beneficial to our selves. What lost Mary by it? so shall we lose nothing. We have it at last more abundantly; We have it as a mighty favour. Mary taketh this as a new blessing all together. ⟨p. 26⟩When things are kept long from us, & God only must discover. When the heart is kept from second causes, the heart is enlarged. Certainly, this comes from God, and God should have all the glory of it. God is wise, and therefore makes us to stay a long time for that we do desire.

4. Christ doth this for to set a greater price upon his presence, when he comes to make his presence highly valued, when he doth discover hims•lf. Desiderata diu magis placent, Things long desired please more sweetly. And things, when wanted, are ingratiated to us, as warmth after cold▪ and meat after hunger; and so ⟨p. 25⟩in every particular of this life. And therefore God to set a greater price on his presence, and that he would be held more strongly, when he doth reveal himself, he defers a long time. That is one reason why he did defer revealing himself to Mary, that she might have the more sweet contentment in him, when he did reveal himself, as indeed she had. Long deferring of a thing doth but inlarge the soule. Want inlargeth the desire, and capacity of the soul, so doth love. Now when we want that we love, that emptieth the soul marvellously much, it mortifieth affection. When God keeps off a long time, and we see it is God only must do it, then the affection is taken off from earthly things, and the heart inlarged to God by love, and the want of the thing we love. And therefore we set a price on the thing; so that we are wonderfully pleasing to God. It is very beneficiall to our selves. What lost Mary by it? so shall we lose nothing. We have it at last more abundantly; We have it as a mighty favour. Mary taketh this as a new blessing all together.