22. But the pleasure of the
Creator, of which is written, “And from the river of Thy pleasure
wilt Thou give them to drink,”2687
is of
far other
kind, for it is
not, like us, a creature. Unless then its
love be given to us from
thence there is no source whence it may be in us. And consequently,
a good will, by which we
love God, cannot be in man,
save in whom
God also worketh to will. This good will therefore, that is, a will
faithfully subjected to
God,
2688
a will set on
fire by sanctity of
that ardor which is above, a will which
loves God and his
neighbor
for
God’s sake; whether through
love, of which the
Apostle Peter
makes answer, “
Lord, Thou knowest that I
love Thee;”
2689
whether
through
fear, of which says the
Apostle Paul, “In
fear and
trembling
work out your own
salvation;”
2690
whether through
joy, of which he
says, “In
hope rejoicing, in
tribulation patient;”
2691
whether
through
sorrow, with which he says he had great
grief for his
brethren;
2692
in
whatever way it
endure what
bitterness and
hardships soever, it is
the
love of
God which “endureth all things,”
2693
and which is not shed abroad in
our
hearts but by the
Holy Spirit given unto us.
2694
Whereof
piety makes no manner of
doubt, but, as the
charity of them which holily
love, so the
patience of them which piously
endure, is the
gift of
God. For it
cannot be that the
divine Scripture deceiveth or is
deceived, which
not only in the Old Books hath
testimonies of this thing, when it
is said unto
God, “My
Patience art Thou,” and, “From Him is
my
patience;”
2695
and where another
prophet saith,
that we receive the spirit of fortitude;
2696
but also in the Apostolic writings
we read, “Because unto you is given on behalf of Christ, not only
to believe on Him, but to suffer for Him.”
2697
Therefore let not that make the
mind to be as of its own merit uplifted, wherewith he is told that
he is of Another’s mercy gifted.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
