their sweetness is so pleasing to us. Marriage, saith
[6326] Gualter, detains many; "a thing in itself laudable, good and
necessary, but many, deceived and carried away with the blind love of it,
have quite laid aside the love of God, and desire of his glory. Meat and
drink hath overcome as many, whilst they rather strive to please, satisfy
their guts and belly, than to serve God and nature." Some are so busied
about merchandise to get money, they lose their own souls, whilst
covetously carried, and with an insatiable desire of gain, they forget God;
as much we may say of honour, leagues, friendships, health, wealth, and all
other profits or pleasures in this life whatsoever. [6327]"In this world
there be so many beautiful objects, splendours and brightness of gold,
majesty of glory, assistance of friends, fair promises, smooth words,
victories, triumphs, and such an infinite company of pleasing beauties to
allure us, and draw us from God, that we cannot look after him." And this
is it which Christ himself, those prophets and apostles so much thundered
against, 1 John, xvii. 15, dehort us from; "love not the world, nor the
things that are in the world: if any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him," 16. "For all that is in the world, as lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, is not of the Father, but
of the world: and the world passeth away and the lust thereof; but he that
fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever. No man, saith our Saviour, can
serve two masters, but he must love the one and hate the other," &c.,
_bonos vel malos mores, boni vel mali faciunt amores_, Austin well infers:
and this is that which all the fathers inculcate. He cannot ([6328]Austin
admonisheth) be God's friend, that is delighted with the pleasures of the
world: "make clean thine heart, purify thine heart; if thou wilt see this
beauty, prepare thyself for it. It is the eye of contemplation by which we
must behold it, the wing of meditation which lifts us up and rears our
souls with the motion of our hearts, and sweetness of contemplation:" so
saith Gregory cited by [6329]Bonaventure. And as [6330]Philo Judeus seconds
him, "he that loves God, will soar aloft and take him wings; and leaving
the earth fly up to heaven, wander with sun and moon, stars, and that
heavenly troop, God himself being his guide." If we desire to see him, we
must lay aside all vain objects, which detain us and dazzle our eyes, and