Friday after the Fourth Sunday — On loving God with our whole Strength

Consider, first, that the great precept of divine love claims also our whole strength: Thou shall love the Lord thy God with thy whole strength. As then, by virtue of the command ments of loving God with our whole mind, we are bound to give him our thoughts; so, by being commanded to love him w'ith our whole strength, we are to give him also our words and actions. We ourselves are his, and that by many titles; we are made by him alone, and for him alone; and therefore, as the whole fund is his, so also ought the whole produce; as the tree is his, so ought all the fruit to grow for him; it would be a crying injustice to alienate it from him. Wherefore, the love of God is not only to reside in our heart, to reign in all the powers of our soul, and to fill our mind, but ought also to show itself in our whole con versation, and to regulate all our words and actions, so as to give to each one of them its due perfection. And this is loving God with our whole strength.

Consider, secondly, that the true love of God is like a fire which cannot lie idle; neither does it content itself with affection only; it always proceeds to effects. It works great things, when occasion and opportunity serve; and, when these are wanting, it will dc wonders at least, by the perfection it will give even to the least and most ordinary of our actions. This constant aiming at perfection, in our daily and ordinary actions, is one of the most important lessons of a spiritual life, and is the true practice of loving God with our whole strength. Now this perfection of our ordinary actions depends upon the purity and perfection of the intention from which these actions flow. The intention is pure, when it aims at God done; it is perfect, when it does all for the love of God, and for the greater glory of God. Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God, says the Apostle, 1 Cor, x. 31. The meanest action in life is ennobled by this intention; it becomes even an act of divine love, and a new step to unite the soul with God. So that the readiest way to come to love God with all our strength, is to direct the whole body of our common actions to him by the pure and perfect intention of ever doing his holy will, and procuring in all things his greater glory.

Consider, thirdly, that, in order to love God with all our strength, by the perfection of our ordinary actions, besides this purity of intention, which ought both to go before, and to accompany all we do or say; we should also labour, in the progress of all our actions and conversations, to season them, as it were, ahd to sanctify them, by the exercise of frequent aspirations of divine love. This may be practised by often turning our souls, on every occasion, to our Beloved, considered as intimately present within us; by longing after him, offering our whole selves to him, rejoicing in his glory, begging for the advancement of the kingdom of his love, lth in ourselves, and in the whole world, and lamenting to see him every where so much offended, and his love so much slighted, &c. Nothing contributes more to advance the soul in the love of God, than a diligence in this exercise.

Conclude to season all thy actions, in this manner, with divine love, both by beginning them with a pure intention of the glory of God, and accompanying them with frequent acts of love; \hus thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole strength.