and this is one of the greatest instances and arguments of our love that God requires of us, This is love, that we keep his commandments, [Love is obedient.]

2. It does all the intimations and secret significations of his pleasure whom we love: and this is an argument of a great degree of it. The first instance is that it makes the love accepted: but this gives à greatness and singularity to it. The first is the least, and less than it cannot do our duty: but without this second we cannot come to perfection. Great love is also pliant and inquisitive in the instances of its expression.

3. Love gives away all things, that so he may advance the interest of the beloved person: it relieves all that he would have relieved, and spends itself in such real significations as it is enabled withal. He never loved God that will quit any thing of his religion to save his money. Love is always liberal and communicative.

4. It suffers all things that are imposed by its beloved, or that can happen for his sake, or that intervene in his service, cheerfully, sweetly, willingly, expecting that God should turn them into good, and instruments of felicity. Charity hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1. Cor. xiii.) Love is patient and content with any thing, so it be together with its beloved.

5. Love is also impatient of any thing that may displease the beloved person, hating all sin as the enemy of its friend; for love contracts all the same

relations, and marries the same friendships and the same hatreds; and all affection to a sin is perfectly inconsistent with the love of God. Love is not divided between God and God's enemy: we must love God with all our heart, that is, give him a whole and undivided affection, having love for nothing else but such things which he allows, and which he commands or loves himself.

6. Love endeavours forever to be present, to converse with, to enjoy, to be united with its object, loves to be talking of him, reciting his praises, telling his stories, repeating his words, imitating his gestures, transcribing his сору in every thing; and every degree of union, and every degree of likeness, is a degree of love; and it can endure any thing but the displeasure and the absence of its beloved. For we are not to use God and religion as men use perfumes, with which they are delighted when they have them, but can very well be without them. True charity is restinstances in which it

less till it enjoys God in such wants him it is like hunger and thirst, it must be fed or it cannot be answered *; and nothing can supply the presence, or make recompence for the absence of God, or of the effects of his favour, and the light of his countenance.

7. True love in all accidents looks upon the beloved person, and observes his countenance, and how he approves or disapproves it, and accordingly looks sad or cheerful. He that loves God is not displeased at those accidents which God chooses, nor murmurs at

* Amoris ut morsum qui verè senserit,

those changes which he makes in his family, nor envies at those gifts he bestows: but chooses as he likes, and is ruled by his judgment, and is perfectly of his persuasion, loving to learn where God is the teacher, and being content to be ignorant or silent where he is not pleased to open himself.

8. Love is curious of little things, or circumstances and measures, and little accidents, not allowing to itself any infirmity which it strives not to master, aiming at what it cannot yet reach, desiring to be of an angelical purity, and of a perfect innocence, and a seraphical fervour, and fears every image of offence; is as much afflicted * at an idle word as some at an act of adultery, and will not allow to itself so much anger as will disturb a child, nor endure the impurity of a dream. And this is the curiosity and niceness of divine love; this is the fear of God, and is the daughter and production of love.

The Measures and Rules of Divine Love

But because this passion is pure as the brightest and smoothest mirror, and therefore is apt to be sullied with every impurer breath, we must be careful that our love to God be governed by these measures.

1. That our love be sweet, even, and full of traṇquillity, having in it no violences or transportations, but going on in a course of holy actions and duties which are proportionable to our condition and present state; not to satisfy all the desires, but all the pro

* Plutarchus citans carmén de suo Apolline, adjicit ex Herodoto quasi de suo, De eo os meum continens esto.

babilities and measures of our strength. A new beginner in religion hath passionate and violent desires : but they must not be the measure of his actions: but he must consider his strength, his late sickness and state of death, the proper temptations of his condition, and stand at first upon his defence; not go to storm a strong fort, or attack a potent enemy, or do heroical actions, and fitter for giants in religion. Indiscreet violences and untimely forwardness are the rocks of religion, against which tender spirits often suffer shipwreck.

2. Let our love be prudent and without illusion: that is, that it express itself in such instances which God hath chosen, or which we choose ourselves by proportion to his rules and measures. Love turns into doating when religion turns into superstition. No degree of love can be imprudent, but the expressions may we cannot love God too much, but we may proclaim it in indecent manners.

3. Let our love be firm, constant, and inseparable; not coming and returning like the tide, but descending like a never-failing river, ever running into the ocean of divine excellency, passing on in the channels of duty and a constant obedience, and never ceasing to be what it is, till it comes to what it desires to be; still being a river till it be turned into sea and vastness, even the immensity of a blessed eternity.

Although the consideration of the divine excellencies and mercies be infinitely sufficient to produce in us love to God, (who is invisible, and yet not distant from us, but we feel him in his blessings, he dwells

in our hearts by faith, we feed on him in the sacrament, and are made all one with him in the incarnation and glorification of Jesus ;) yet that we may the better enkindle and increase our love to God, the following advices are not useless.

Helps to increase our Love to God, by way of Exercise.

1. Cut off all earthly and sensual loves, for they pollute and unhallow the pure and spiritual Love. Every degree of inordinate affection to the things of this world, and every act of love to a sin is a perfect enemy to the love of God; and it is a great shame to take any part of our affection from the eternal God, to bestow it upon its creatures in defiance of the creator; or give it to the devil, our open enemy, in disparagement of him who is the fountain of all excellencies and celestial amities.

1. Lay fetters and restraints upon the imaginative and phantastic part; because our fancy being an imperfect and higher faculty is usually pleased with the entertainments of shadows and gauds; and because the things of the world fill it with such beauties and phantastic imagery, the fancy presents such objects as amiable to the affections and elective powers. Persons of fancy, such as are women and children, have always the most violent loves: but therefore if we be careful with what representments we fill our fancy, we may the sooner rectify our loves. To this purpose it is good that we transplant the instruments of fancy into religion: and for this reason music was brought into churches, and ornaments