fire kindled, so that all wondered.' For then the soul shines forth, and the love of God grows in it greatly. 2. We must be patient in suffering. It is plain that our love is not lessened, but rather increased, by going through great sufferings for one whom we love. 'Many waters cannot quench charity; neither can the floods drown it' (Cantic. viii. 7). That is to say, love is not destroyed by many tribulations. As a workman loves the work most which has cost him most pains, so holy men, who bear great trials for God, are more rooted in His love. In like manner, the more that the faithful suffer for the sake of God, the more does His love lift them up above earthly desires. We read in Genesis (vii. 17), 'The waters increased, and lifted up the ark on high from the earth.' The waters here signify sorrow and pain; the ark signifies the soul of the just man, or the whole Church of God. Prayer. O Holy Ghost, give me Thy love, and give me strength to keep it and use it. Thou art sweet and mighty in all Thy gifts; but Thy greatest gift is charity. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by Thee, O Holy Ghost, who art given to us. O Spirit of healing, let me be always diligent in listening to the word of God; for that word is a bright fire, and by it souls are kindled. The hearts of the two disciples burned within them when Jesus spoke to them by the way, and opened to them the Scriptures. Bless the words of all preachers, O Spirit of life, that by them many hard hearts may be softened, and many dark hearts kindled to the love of God. Help me to think, O Blessed Spirit, as much as I can, of God. He has shown me boundless mercy; He has saved me from many dangers; He has promised me the beatitude of heaven. May I love Him for all that He has done, and for all that He has promised; but may I love Him still more for Himself. Thou, O Holy Ghost, art God. O sweet Spirit, cut my heart away from pleasures that perish in the using, so that it may cling more closely to Thee. No one can love God and the world at the same time. As love of the creature dies out in the soul, so the love of God brightens in it. O Spirit of light, be to me a sun of splendour, and drive far from my heart all darkened clouds and all shadows of gloom. O my Sanctifier, my patient God, give me patience that I may bear all things for Thy love, and suffer all things according to Thy will. As we suffer, so shall we be glorified; and as we carry the Cross, so shall we be crowned. This is the gift of Jesus, who sent Thee to His Church. Bring me, O Spirit of love, to the company of those blessed ones who, having come out of the great tribulation, and having washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb, are for ever before the throne of God, serving Him day and night in His temple. CHAPTER IV. OF THE LOVE OF GOD. BEFORE His Passion, our Lord, being asked by one of the scribes, a doctor of the law, which was the greatest and first commandment, answered (St. Mark xii. 30), 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength.' Among all the commandments this is the most useful, the greatest, and the grandest. That can be seen at once, for in this commandment all the others are fulfilled. I. For the perfect fulfilling of this command, four things are needed. 1. A ceaseless remembrance of the kindnesses of God. All that we have comes from Him; whether it be outward things, or our bodies, or our souls. It is our duty, therefore, to use all creatures for His glory, and to love Him with a perfect heart. Very thankless must he be who does not love any one of whose kindnesses he thinks. Turning such thoughts over in his mind, David said, (1 Par. xxix. 14), ‘All things are Thine; and we have given Thee what we have received at Thy hand.' Because of this it is said in his praise (Ecclus. xlvii. 10), 'With his whole heart he praised the Lord, and loved God that made him.' 2. Meditation on the perfection of God. Since God, as St. John says (1 Ep. iii. 20), 'is greater than our heart,' it follows that we do not give Him enough, even if we serve Him with our whole heart and with all our strength. So it is said in Ecclesiasticus (xliii. 30-37), 'What shall we be able to do to glorify Him? for the Almighty Himself is above all His works? The Lord is terrible and exceedingly great, and His power is admirable. Glorify the |