Sweete thovghtes of Iesvs and Marie, or, Meditations for all the feasts of ovr B. Saviovr and his B. Mother togeither with Meditations for all the Sundayes of the yeare and our Sauiovrs Passion : for the vse of the daughters of Sion : diuided into tvvo partes / by Thomas Carre ...

THE SECONDE MEDITATION FOR THE SAME SVNDAY.

Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart &c.

THE FIRST POINT.

CONSIDER in what manner, and with what measure we ought to loue our Lord God. And we are told by S. Bernard that the measure of louing God is to loue him without measure: from our whole harte; saith our blessed Sauiour, by placing all our affections vpon him. With our whole soule; not permitting any of the passions to contest with it. With our whole mynd; by making choyce of the best meanes ima∣ginable, to accomplish his blessed will in the most perfect manner that man is ca∣pable off here belowe.

[Affection.] This is the onely thinge, my soule, wherin there can be noe excesse. He is infinitly more louely, then we are able to be louinge. O what a happinesse it is to be oppressed with the abundance of goodnesse. Lets dilate our narrow hartes; dare as much as we are able: breath

after him incessantly; and yet humbly acknowledge that we fall infinitly shorte of what is due: saying with S. Augustine let me loue thee, ô Lord, as much as I wishe, and as much as I ought: wherin, that I may not fayle, proue, as the Authour of the precept, so the giuer of the grace to per∣forme it: giue what thou commandst ô Lord, and command what thou wilt.

THE SECONDE POINTE.

And the seeonde (commandement) is like to this: Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe.

CONSIDER that our B. Sauiour, had noe sooner established that right of loue which is indispensably due to his heauenly Father, but he falls vpon the dutie of his adoptiue brethren to one ano∣ther, which he also places in loue; saying: thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. With this difference notwithstanding: that the measure of the loue of God, is, to loue him without measure: and the measure of the loue of our neighbour, is, to loue him as our selues: that, ought to be exhibited to God, because he is infinitly Good: this, to our neighbour (be he good or

badd) because it was commanded vs, by an infinite Goodnesse.

[Affection.] O deare God how good thou art, to men of right hartes! O diuine wisdome, how wisely, and sweetly thou disposest of all thinges! My soule, if man had bene left to wishe what he would, what other lawe could he haue wished, then what he has, a lawe of loue? Wher∣in God and mans interests are so wouen togeither, that the one will not be admit∣ted without the other. In vaine doe we professe to loue God, if we hate our neigh∣bour, whom he commands vs to loue. Nay, saith the louing S. Augustine, this must be putt downe for a certaine truth, that there is noe surer way to attaine to Gods fauour then the loue of man to man. Ama & fac quod vis.