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You want me to tell you why God is to be loved and
how much. I answer, the reason for loving God is God
Himself; and the measure of love due to Him is
immeasurable love. Is this plain? Doubtless, to a
thoughtful man; but I am debtor to the unwise also.
A word to the wise is sufficient; but I must
consider simple folk too. Therefore I set myself
joyfully to explain more in detail what is meant
above.We are to love God for Himself, because of
a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable,
nothing more profitable. When one asks, Why should I
love God? he may mean, What is lovely in God? or
What shall I gain by loving God? In either case, the
same sufficient cause of love exists, namely, God
Himself.
And first, of His title to our love. Could any
title be greater than this, that He gave Himself for
us unworthy wretches? And being God, what better
gift could He offer than Himself? Hence, if one
seeks for God's claim upon our love here is the
chiefest: Because He first loved us (I John 4.19).
Ought He not to be loved in return, when we think
who loved, whom He loved, and how much He loved? For
who is He that loved? The same of whom every spirit
testifies: 'Thou art my God: my goods are nothing
unto Thee' (Ps. 16.2, Vulg.). And is not His love
that wonderful charity which 'seeketh not her own'?
(I Cor.13.5). But for whom was such unutterable love
made manifest? The apostle tells us: 'When we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
His Son' (Rom. 5.10). So it was God who loved us,
loved us freely, and loved us while yet we were
enemies. And how great was this love of His? St.
John answers: 'God so loved the world that He gave
His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life'
(John 3.16). St. Paul adds: 'He spared not His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all' (Rom. 8.32);
and the son says of Himself, 'Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends' (John 15.13).
This is the claim which God the holy, the
supreme, the omnipotent, has upon men, defiled and
base and weak. Some one may urge that this is true
of mankind, but not of angels. True, since for
angels it was not needful. He who succored men in
their time of need, preserved angels from such need;
and even as His love for sinful men wrought
wondrously in them so that they should not remain
sinful, so that same love which in equal measure He
poured out upon angels kept them altogether free
from sin. |