Of the love of God

CONTENTS. BOOK I. INTRODUCTION TO THE WHOLE TREATISE. I. How, in order to the perfecting of human nature, God has committed the government of all the soul's faculties to the will 1 II. Of the different ways in which the will rules the powers of the soul 3 III. How the will contests the sensuous appetite 5 IV. Love governs all the affections and passions, and even the will, although that in its turn governs love 8 V. The affections of the will 10 VI. How the love of God predominates over all other love 12 VII. What love is 14 VIII. What that attraction is which excites love 18 IX. Love tends to union 20 X. The union which love seeks is spiritual 21 XI. There are two parts of the soul 26 XII. In these two parts of the soul there are four different degrees of reason 29 XIII. Of different kinds of love 31 XIV. Charity synonymous with love 33 XV. The adaptation between God and man 34 XVI We have a disposition to love God above ail things 36 XVII. Nature alone cannot love God in all things 37 XVIII. Our natural inclination to love God is not without its use 39 BOOK II. THE ORIGIN OF DIVINE LOVE. I. God's Perfection is manifold yet one 41 II. God's sole action is His Divinity 43 III. Of Divine Providence 45 IV. God's supernatural Providence over man 48 V. God's Providence has provided a plenteous redemption for man 50 VI. The special favours bestowed in the redemption of man by God's Providence 52 VII. The marvellous variety of graces which God vouchsafes to men in His Providence 53 VIII. How greatly God desires our love 55 IX. How God's Eternal Love draws our hearts to love Him 58 X. How we often reject God's inspirations, and refuse to love Him 60 XI. It is from no lack of Divine Love if we are not filled with love XII. God leaves us wholly free to follow or reject His leadings 65 XIII. The first feelings of love which Divine Grace kindles in the soul before it attains to faith 68 XIV. How love is accepted by faith 70 XV. How largely holy hope feeds love 72 XVI. How love is carried out by hope 74 XVII. The love which comes of hope is good, albeit imperfect 77 XVIII. Love is to be found in penitence 79 XIX. Penitence without love is imperfect 81 XX. How love and grief are mingled in contrition 82 XXI. How our Lord's Love draws us on to faith and charity 86 XXII. What charity is 88 BOOK III. THE PROGRESS AND PERFECTION OF LOVE. I. How Divine Love may be continually growing in us 90 II. How easy our Lord has made the growth of love 92 III. How the loving soul advances in love 94 IV. Of perseverance in this holy love 98 V. The privilege of dying in holy love is a special gilt of God 101 VI. We cannot attain to the perfection of unitive love of God in this mortal life 104 VII. The charity of saints in this life may equal, or even sometimes exceed, that of the blessed 105 VIII. The matchless love of the Mother of God 107 IX. What is the union of the blessed with God? 110 X. Past earthly longing will greatly increase the union of the blessed with God 112 XI. The union of the blessed with God through His vision 1x3 XII. The eternal union of the blessed with God through the vision of the Eternal Birth of the Son of God 115 XIII. The union of the blessed with God through the vision of the Holy Ghost's Procession 116 XIV. The holy sight of glory will tend to unite the blessed with God 117 XV. There will be sundry degrees in the union of the blessed with God 118 BOOK IV. THE DECAY AND RUIN OF CHARITY I. We may lose the love of God so long as we are in this life 121 II. How the soul's love grows cold 124 III. How we forsake Divine for earthly love 126 IV. Divine Love may be lost in a iqoment 128 V. The only cause of failure and slackness in charity lies in man's will 130 VI. Whatever love we bear to God is His Gift 132 VII. It is our part to shun idle curiosity, and humbly acquiesce in God's All-wise Providence 135 VIII. The loving submission which we owe to the decrees of God's Providence 139 IX. There is a certain form of love which yet lingers in the soul which has lost Divine Charity 141 X. The danger of this imperfect love 143 XI. How to distinguish this imperfect love 145 BOOK V. THE TWO CHIEF ACTS OF DIVINE LOVE, WHICH ARE COMPLACENCY AND BENEVOLENCE I. Wherein the complacency of holy love consists 147 II. This holy complacency renders us the babes of Christ 150 III. The love of complacence turns our hearts to God, and gives a perpetual longing after Him 152 IV. The loving sympathy which attends the love of complacency 155 V. The sympathy and complacent love found in the Passion of our Lord 158 VI. The love of benevolence we practise towards our Lord through desire 159 VII. The desire to exalt and magnify the Lord draws us from inferior pleasures, and fixes our mind on His Divine Passion 161 VIII. How the love of holy benevolence tends to the praise of the Dear Lord 163 IX. The love of benevolence makes us call upon all creation to join in praising God 166 X. The desire to praise God makes us long after Heaven 167 XI.