nderful delight and certainty. GOD is light and
burning. Light clarifies our reason; burning kindles our will, that we
desire naught but Him. Love is a life, joining together the loving and
the loved. For meekness makes us sweet to GOD. Purity joins us to GOD.
Love makes us one with GOD. Love is the beauty of all virtues. Love is
the thing through which GOD loves us, and we Him, and each one of us
loves others. Love is the desire of the heart, aye thinking on that it
loves; and when it has that it loves, then it joys and nothing can make
it sorry. (Love is yearning between two, with lastingness of thoughts.)
Love is a stirring of the soul for to love GOD for Himself, and all
other things for GOD; the which love, when it is ordained in GOD, it
does away all inordinate love in anything that is not good. But all
deadly sin is inordinate love for a thing that is naught: then love puts
out all deadly sin. Love is a virtue which is the rightest affection of
man's soul. Truth may be without love: but it cannot help without it.
Love is a perfection of learning, virtue of prophecy, fruit of truth,
help of sacraments, establishing of wit and knowledge; riches of pure
men; life of dying men. So, how good love is. If we suffer to be slain;
if we give all that we have, (down) to a beggar's staff; if we know as
much as men may know on earth, all this is naught but ordained sorrow
and torment. If thou wilt ask how good is he or she, ask how much he or
she loves; and that no man can tell. For I hold it folly to judge a
man's heart; that none knows save GOD. Love is a righteous turning from
all earthly things, and is joined to GOD, without departing, and kindled
with the fire of the Holy Ghost: far from defiling, far from corruption,
bound to no vice of this life. High above all fleshly lusts, aye ready
and greedy for the contemplation of GOD. In all things not overcome.
The sum of all good affections. Health of good manners; goal of the
commandments of GOD; death of sins; life of virtues. Virtue whilst
fighting lasts, crown of over-comers. Mirth[4] to holy thoughts. Without
that, no man may please GOD; with that, no man sins. For if we love GOD
in all our heart, there is nothing in us through which we serve sin.
Very love cleanses the soul, and delivers it from the pain of hell, and
from the foul service of sin, and from the ugly fellowship of the
devils; and (out) of the fiend's son, makes GOD'S son, and partner of
the heritage of heave
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