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1. TO acquire Charity which we call Love, we must earnestly de∣mand it of God; besides, wee ought frequently to desire it: Finally, we must labour serious∣ly therein, and act on our part what wee are able. These are three points which I am to ex∣plicate,
2. To affect God with a su∣pernaturall Love, is a pure gift of God: Wherefore I advise
you to beg it of him continually. And the first thing you are to aske of him, is, that you may love him, as he would have you, conformable to your obliga∣tion.
3. When I say continually, I meane that the most usual Pray∣er you are to make, and the grace which you ought to de∣mand still of God, is to have Charity and Love: for if you possesse this love, you have all, and if you want it, whatsoever else you may have, is of no va∣lue, saith the Apostle.
4. When you heare it so often mentioned, that we ought to per∣forme acts of the love of God, let not that produce a beliefe in
you, that it is in our own power, without grace, to love God with such a love as we owe him: For it is so sublime a thing to love God, as it transcends all the po∣wer of Nature. It is requisite, that God by his grace unite his power unto our whole faculties; to inable us, to forme one sin∣gle act of the love of God. And indeed there is a necessity of Gods giving us his grace, & love, for our loving him, because of our selves we are unable to doe it, without his assistance, and we render our selves unworthy of it by our sins.
5. I will not then enjoyn you to make often acts of the love of God; but say onely, that you
must often request this love, and dispose your selfe to receive it. And above all you are to annihi∣late in your soule, as much as you can possibly, all that may divert God from giving you this love, or hinder the love of God from raigning in your heart. This is the most impor∣tant point; for to implore the love of God, and to live quite contrary, is but to mock, and deride him.
6. It is not enough to aske it of God, but you must likewise desire it fervently: And surely I wish, that this desire may be great in your soule, that it may be the powerfullest of all your inclinations, and the most lively affection which raignes in you:
For to desire love is a strong disposition unto love. And truly one can hardly desire the love of God, without a present concession of it.
7. Nay, I could wish for the benefit of your soule, that you had no other desire, then to love God, and please him in all things, and that every moment you did awaken in your self this desire of loving God. O what great things would he operate in you! Surely your life would be pleasing, and all things out of God indifferent to you. Endea∣vour that your exercises of piety and the most usuall occupations of your soule, even when you are distributing Almes, be with
an intention to increase this de∣sire, to nourish and practice it. I meane that all your employ∣ments, and exercises of vertue, should be either fruits of love, or meanes to attaine unto the love of God. Above all in the use of the Sacraments I wish you to retaine this pure intention; for if at any time you are to seek the means of acquiring the love of God, it is by receiving the holy Sacraments, principally that of Confession and Communion. Wherefore when you Confesse, and Communicate, endeavour that it may be alwayes with this love, and with an intention there∣by to introduce the love of God.
8. It imports you very much, to have a good and pure intenti∣on in all that you shal doe. Now the Intention which I wish you alwayes to have, is to act and suf∣fer all for the pure love of God; for God ought to be the object and end of your life and actions. There are some who regard their proper interest, and doe every thing to the end they may merit. I doe not condemne them, but I advise not you to proceed in this manner; for it is a mercena∣ry intention: I contrariwise con∣jure you to doe nothing, but for the pure love of God. If you doe all for God, God will doe all for you; if you give all unto God, he will give himselfe entirely un∣to
you, and that ought to suffice you.
9. In few words, I desire that Charity and Love may be the object of all your actions, the subject of your imployments, & the most ordinary exercise of your life and piety. Surely if you have a fervent desire to love God, all this will be easie to you, and by the same degrees as this desire shall increase, by the same you will advance in the love of God and Vertue.
10. It is not enough to de∣mand & desire the love of God, you must cooperate also in this point. I will recommend onely two things unto you, and in my opinion they will suffice.
11. The first is, that you be ve∣ry carefull to keep your consci∣ence pure and free from sin, and above all ingrave in your soule this disposition, which ought to remaine alwayes in the centre of your heart, to wit, that for no worldly respect you offend God, and that neither the goods nor evils of this life procure you to doe any thing against the Com∣mandments of God: My mea∣ning is, that neither the love nor feare of men, nor the world or mutuall complacency draw you to offend God, how little soever it be.
12. The other point which I would recommend unto you, is, the giving your heart wholly un∣to
God; for it is created onely for him. By your heart I under∣stand your love, and I meane that you beware of fixing your selfe unto the Creature by love and affection: And I intend by this Creature, the world, tem∣porall goods, and all earthly things.
13. I know very wel, that you cannot live without love; but that which I recommend unto you, is the remaining in the world, and in the use of crea∣tures, without placing your heart and affection on them: But since you ought to love God, who is infinitely amiable, and cōmands you to love him above all things, there is nothing difficult in this,
which I propose to you; for there is nothing sweeter or more facile then Love, and I only beg of you to prefer God above all creatures: is there any thing more reasonable?
14. Remember this principle, which is alwayes veritable, that a foule by the same degrees she fastens her selfe by love unto the creature, by the same doth she loosen and seperate her self from God; and as much as she sever's her self from the creature, so much doth she unite her self, and approach unto God. Consider well this maxime, to reap pro∣fit by it; for if you will love God with your heart, and if the desire which you have to love
God, be sincere, you will be ve∣ry carefull not to adhere unto any creature; which is all I re∣commend unto you.
15. But in this point of the love of God, beware of being like unto the Jewes and Phari∣sees, who Fasted, Prayed, gave Almes, and bare on their fore∣heads, the written Law of Moses; and yet their hearts were wholy alienated from God you must needs understand my meaning without farther explanation.
19. Take heed also, that you resemble not those who speak much, and do little: Fi∣nally, be not like unto the Sa∣maritans, who adored Idols and the true God in one and t••…••…
same Temple. To love God and the Creature both together, are things incompatible; for true love is neither partiall nor divi∣ded; but intire, cordiall, and perfect. Still call to mind, that the heart of man is created who∣ly for God, And he ought to love God alone, or if he love any other thing, let it be for? God, and in order to God.
17. I do not doubt, but that you will meet at first with some difficulties in these practices, but do not think, that before the Judgment. of Almighty God, you can be exempt from paine and labour: On the contrary you ought to animate your self; for love and charity, which gives
us God, and opens Paradise to us, deserves well, that we labour seriously to acquire it, and that we be very careful to conserve it, if God vouchsafe to bestow it on us.
18. To assist you in the ac∣quisition of charity, or rather to dispose you to receive it from the hand of God, I conceive it fit for you to practice the three ensuing Acts, which I am going to set before you.
19. The first is, that you enter into the poor & simple thought of that love and charity which Jesus Christ hath for you, or else consider, how the Son of God is all love: Then stay as little as you please upon this
thought, adore in your heart this love of Jesus with an hum∣ble respect. After this, you of∣fer your self unto Christ Jesus, and give your self intire to Him; open your heart to Him, to the end he may infuse into it, the spirit of love, even as he posses∣seth the plenitude thereof, and according to the intention he hath, that you should love God.
20. The second is, that you renounce cheerfully all that di∣verts you from loving God, and beseech Christ Jesus to indue you with a hatred, against all that is opposite unto this love, or which may separate you from God.
21. The third is, that you
resolve to be very circumspect, to avoide all that hinders you from loving God. Now, no∣thing is a greater obstacle to it, then mortall sinne, and the love of Creatures. And to aide you herein, entertain your self some∣times in thoughts which may produce love in you: At least, endeavour as much as you may, that no day passe away without some spirituall Lecture, which may incourage you in these pra∣ctices of love and charity. You may perform these three acts in the form which I am going to prescribe you.
22. My Lord, and my God! I adore you as the increated love; I give my self unto your
love, to bear the effects thereof, in what manner you shall please, and I renounce all that is repug∣nant in me to the love which I owe you. Be pleased, to gives me only the grace, that I may di∣vest my self of all that is oppo∣site unto your love; and that henceforward, I may accept of nothing which is averse unto it.
23. I particularly recommend unto you this last exercise, in as much as the eternall Father bestows nothing on us, but by his Sonne, especially no Graces and Vertues; And because our works have no other merit before God, then what they receive from Jesus Christ, I say that in this ex∣ercise, you should give and offer
your selfe unto Christ Jesus, to the end he may bestow on you what is necessary, and set on your workes and good intenti∣ons, the price and value which they are to beare in the sight of God: finally, that you may re∣duce into act the desire you have of loving God.
24 Moreover when God is pleased to confer any grace on us, he would have us to coope∣rate with it; & without this co∣operation his gifts arc fruitlesse. Now we begin to cooperate, when we give our selves unto Jesus Christ, to beare the effects of the vertue which we desire of him, and when we renounce all that is repugnant to it, These are the reasons which invite mee
so earnestly to recommend unto you this exercise.
These are the few entertain∣ments which I purpose to pre∣sent unto you, concerning the acquisition & practice of Cha∣rity. Let us treat now of Prayer.