Untitled - Saints' Books

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Non
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Not
INSTR. x.] The Love of God. 391
among creatures; keep yourself
alone merits all your love. It was this that Blessed
Egidius meant by the words una, uni, that is, the one
soul which we have, we ought not to divide, but give
entirely to that one God whose love for us exceeds the
love of all others, and whose claims to our love surpass
the claims of all.
alone for that God who
II.
Means to be Employed for belonging Entirely
to God.
i. DESIRE FOR PERFECTION.
Let us now see what a priest must do in order to be
long entirely to God. First of all, he must have a great
desire of sanctity: For the beginning of her is the most
true desire of discipline. Holy desires are the wings with
1
which souls fly to God: But the path of the just, as a
shining light, goeth forward, and increaseth even to perfect
day? The way of the just is like the light of the sun,
which from his rising increases as he advances in his
course; but, on the other hand, the light of sinners, like
that of the evening, constantly grows more dim, until it
is entirely lost, so that the miserable beings no longer
see where they are going: The way of the wicked is dark
some; they know not where they fall?
Miserable, then, the man who is content with his con
duct, and seeks not to advance.
to advance is to
go backward,"
5
has said,
4
says St. Augustine. And St. Gregory
he who remains in a river without making an
effort to make way against the current,
shall be carried
1 "
Initium enim illius, verissima est discipline concupiscentia."
Wisd. vi. 1 8.
2 "
lustorum autem semita, quasi lux splendens. procedit et crescit
usque ad perfectam diem." Prov. iv. 18.
Via impiorum tenebrosa; nesciunt ubi corruant." Ib. 19.
"
4 progredi, reverti est."
Ep. 17, E. B. app.
5 Past. p. 3, c. i.