_Of the wonderful effects of divine love._
*_Christian._ I PRAISE thee, O heavenly Father, Father of my Lord Jesus
Christ, for that thou hast vouchsafed to remember me a poor creature.
O Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, thanks be unto thee, who,
with thy comfort refreshest me, unworthy of all comfort.
I ever bless and glorify thee, with thy only begotten Son, and the Holy
Ghost, for ever and ever.
*O Lord God, the holy lover of my soul, when thou shalt come into my
heart, all that is within me will rejoice.
Thou art my glory and the joy of my heart.
Thou art my hope and refuge in the day of my tribulation.
2. But because I am still weak in love, I have need therefore to be
strengthened and comforted by thee.
Visit me therefore often, and instruct ♦me with thy holy discipline.
♦ “we” replaced with “me”
*Deliver me from evil passions, and heal my heart of all inordinate
affections; that being healed within, I may be made fit to love, strong
to suffer, and constant to persevere.
3. _Christ._ Love is a great thing, which alone maketh every burden
light, and beareth all the vicissitudes of life.
*For it carrieth a burden without a burden, and maketh every thing that
is bitter, sweet and savoury.
The love of Jesus impelleth to do great things, and stirreth up
continually to desire greater perfection.
Love will be aloft, and not kept down with any earthly thing.
Love will be free and loose from all worldly affection, lest its inward
sight be hindered, lest it be entangled by any temporal prosperity, or
subdued by adversity.
*Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing is stronger, nothing higher,
nothing more large, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller nor better in
heaven or in earth.
Because love is born of God, and cannot rest but in God, above all
creatures.
4. He that loveth, flieth, runneth and rejoiceth; he is free and not
bound.
*He giveth all for all, and hath all in all; for he resteth in the
supreme One, from whom all good proceedeth.
He respecteth not the gifts, but turneth himself above all goods unto
the Giver.
Love often knoweth no measure, but is inflamed above all measure.
*Love feeleth no burden, weigheth no pains, desireth above its strength;
complaineth not of impossibility; for it thinketh all things possible.
*It is therefore able to undertake all things, and performeth and
bringeth many things to pass; whereas he that doth not love, fainteth
and sinketh under them.
*5. Love watcheth, and sleeping sleepeth not.
*Being tired is not weary, straitened is not pressed: frightened is not
disturbed: but like a lively flame, it bursteth out aloft, and securely
passeth through all.
If any one loveth, he knoweth what this meaneth.
The ardent affection of the soul crieth aloud in the ears of God,
when it saith, _My God, my love, thou art wholly mine, and I am wholly
thine_.
*6. _Christian._ Enlarge me in love, that with the inward mouth of my
heart I may taste how sweet it is to love, and to be melted and swim in
thy love.
Let me be possessed by love, mounting above myself with excessive
fervour and admiration.
Let me sing the song of love, let me follow thee on high, my beloved:
let my soul die away in thy praise, rejoicing through love.
*Let me love thee more than myself, and not myself but for thee, and
all in thee that truly love thee, as the law of love commandeth, which
shineth out from thee.
*5. _Christ._ Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, and delightful:
strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, manly; and never
seeking itself.
For where one seeketh himself, there he falleth from love.
*Love is circumspect, humble, and upright: not soft, nor light, nor
attending unto vain things; but sober, chaste, constant, quiet, and
guarded in all the senses.
Love is subject and obedient to superiors, vile, and despicable to
itself, devout and thankful unto God, trusting and hoping always in him.
*8. He that is not ready to suffer all things, and to stand to the will
of his beloved, is not worthy to be called a lover.
A lover ought to embrace willingly all that is hard and distasteful for
his beloved.