faith. It is the
belief that sooner or later the emancipated being must return to the
most worthy. And who is the most worthy? Is it not he who wished to
be loved with liberty?

Nevertheless, let us well weigh the meaning of this important word _his
equal_, and all the dangers it may contain. It is as if this creator
said to the creature, whom he has made and is now emancipating, "Thou
art free; the power under which thou hast grown up holds thee no more:
being away from me, and attached to me now only by the heart and
memory, thou mayest act and think elsewhere, nay against me if thou
wilt!"

This is what is so sublime in love; and the reason why God pardons it
so many weaknesses! It is because in this unlimited disinterestedness,
wishing to make a free being and to be loved freely by it, it creates
its own peril. The saying, "You may act elsewhere," contains also "to
love elsewhere," and the chance of losing the object. That hand, so
weak before, but now strengthened and made bold by all the cares of
affection, receives the sword from love: even would she turn it against
him, she can; there is nothing to hinder her, for he has reserved
nothing for himself.

Pray let us exalt this idea, and extend it from the love of woman to
universal love, to that which makes the life both of the world and of
civil society.

In the world, it calls incessantly from kingdom to kingdom the
ever-quickening life, which receives the flame, and goes on rising. It
raises from unknown depths beings which it emancipates, and arms with
liberty, with the power of acting well or ill, and even of acting
against him, who creates them, and makes them free.

In the civil world, does love (charity, patriotism, or whatever they
call it) do anything but this? Its work is to call to social life and
political power whatever is yet without life in the city. It raises up
the weak and poor in their rough path, where they crawl on their hands
and feet against destiny, and bestows upon them equality and liberty.

The inferior degree of love is a desire to absorb life. Its superior
degree is to wish to exalt life in energy and fruitfulness. It
rejoices in raising, augmenting, and creating what it loves. Its
happiness is to see a new creature of God rise under its influence, and
to contribute its aid to the creation, whether it be for good or for
ill.

"But is not love, with this disinterestedness, an uncommon miracle?
One of those very sh