## Treatise on the Love of God

## by

## St. Francis de Sales

## Christian Classics Ethereal Library

## About Treatise on the Love of God by St. Francis de Sales

## Treatise on the Love of God Title:

## http://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/love.html URL: Francis de Sales, St. (1567-1622) Author(s): Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Publisher: New York: Benziger Brothers, ca. 1884 Print Basis: Copyright Christian Classics Ethereal Library Rights: 2000-05-20 Date Created: All; Classic; Christian Life; Proofed CCEL Subjects: BX2179 LC Call no: Christian Denominations LC Subjects: Roman Catholic Church Meditations. Devotional readings. Spiritual exercises, etc.

p. ii About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1 Introductory Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1 Cover Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2 Frontispiece. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3 Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5 Dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 6 Translator's Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 23 Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 57 Dedicatory Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 58 Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 68 Book I. Containing a Preparation for the Whole Treatise.. . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 68 Chapter I. That for the Beauty of Human Nature God has Given the Government of All the Faculties of the Soul to the Will. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 69 Chapter II. How the Will Variously Governs the Powers of the Soul.. . . . . p. 71 Chapter III. How the Will Governs the Sensual Appetite.. . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter IV. That Love Rules over All the Affections, and Passions, and Even Governs the Will, Although the Will Has Also a Dominion over It.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 74 Chapter V. Of the Affections of the Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 76 Chapter VI. How the Love of God Has Dominion over Other Loves.. . . . . p. 77 Chapter VII. Description of Love in General.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 80 Chapter VIII. What Kind of Affinity (Convenance) It Is Which Excites Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 81 Chapter IX. That Love Tends to Union.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 83 Chapter X. That the Union to Which Love Aspires Is Spiritual.. . . . . . . p. 86 Chapter XI. That There Are Two Portions in the Soul, and How.. . . . . .

p. 89 Chapter XII. That in These Two Portions of the Soul There Are Four Different Degrees of Reason.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 91 Chapter XIII. On the Difference of Loves.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 92 Chapter XIV. That Charity May Be Named Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 93 Chapter XV. Of The Affinity There Is between God and Man.. . . . . . . .

p. 94 Chapter XVI. That We Have a Natural Inclination to Love God above All Things. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 96 Chapter XVII. That We Have not Naturally the Power to Love God above All Things.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 97 Chapter XVIII. That the Natural Inclination Which We Have to Love God Is not Useless.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 100 The Second Book. The History Of The Generation And Heavenly Birth Of Divine Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 100 Chapter I. That the Divine Perfections Are Only a Single But Infinite Perfection.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 102 Chapter II. That in God There Is But One Only Act, Which Is His Own Divinity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 104 Chapter III. Of the Divine Providence in General.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 106 Chapter IV. Of the Supernatural Providence Which God Uses towards Reasonable Creatures.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 108 Chapter V. That Heavenly Providence Has Provided Men with a Most Abundant Redemption.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 110 Chapter VI. Of Certain Special Favours Exercised by the Divine Providence in the Redemption of Man.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 112 Chapter VII. How Admirable the Divine Providence Is in the Diversity of Graces Given to Men.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 114 Chapter VIII. How Much God Desires We Should Love Him.. . . . . . . .

p. 116 Chapter IX. How the Eternal Love of God Prevents Our Hearts with His Inspirations in Order That We May Love Him.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 118 Chapter X. How We Oftentimes Repulse the Inspiration and Refuse to Love God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 119 Chapter XI. That It Is no Fault of the Divine Goodness if We Have not a Most Excellent Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 121 Chapter XII. That Divine Inspirations Leave Us in Full Liberty to Follow or Repulse Them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 124 Chapter XIII. Of the First Sentiments of Love Which Divine Inspirations Cause in the Soul before She Has Faith.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 126 Chapter XIV. Of the Sentiment of Divine Love Which Is Had by Faith.. . .

p. 128 Chapter XV. Of the Great Sentiment of Love Which We Receive by Holy Hope.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 129 Chapter XVI. How Love Is Practised in Hope.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 131 Chapter XVII. That the Love Which Is in Hope Is Very Good, Though Imperfect.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 133 Chapter XVIII. That Love Is Exercised in Penitence, and First, That There Are Divers Sorts of Penitence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 135 Chapter XIX. That Penitence Without Love Is Imperfect.. . . . . . . . . . .

p. 136 Chapter XX. How the Mingling of Love and Sorrow Takes Place in Contrition.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 139 Chapter XXI. How Our Saviour's Loving Attractions Assist and Accompany Us to Faith and Charity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 141 Chapter XXII. A Short Description of Charity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 144 Book III. Of The Progress And Perfection Of Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 144 Chapter I. That Holy Love May Be Augmented Still More and More in Every One of Us.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 146 Chapter II. How Easy Our Saviour Has Made the Increase of Love.. . . . . p. 148 Chapter III. How a Soul in Charity Makes Progress in It.. . . . . . . . . . . p. 151 Chapter IV. Of Holy Perseverance in Sacred Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 153 Chapter V. That the Happiness of Dying in Heavenly Charity Is a Special Gift of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 155 Chapter VI. That We Cannot Attain to Perfect Union with God in This Mortal Life.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 157 Chapter VII. That the Charity of Saints in This Mortal Life Equals, Yea Sometimes Surpasses, That of the Blessed.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 158 Chapter VIII. Of the Incomparable Love Which the Mother of God, Our Blessed Lady, Had.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 160 Chapter IX. A Preparation for the Discourse on the Union of the Blessed with God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 162 Chapter X. That the Preceding Desire Will Much Increase the Union of the Blessed with God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 163 Chapter XI. Of the Union of the Blessed Spirits with God, in the Vision of the Divinity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 165 Chapter XII. Of the Eternal Union of the Blessed Spirits with God, in the Vision of the Eternal Birth of the Son of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 166 Chapter XIII. Of the Union of the Blessed with God in the Vision of the Production of the Holy Ghost.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 168 Chapter XIV. That the Holy Light of Glory Will Serve for the Union of the Blessed Spirits with God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 169 Chapter XV. That There Shall Be Different Degrees of the Union of the Blessed with God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 171 Book IV. Of The Decay And Ruin Of Charity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 171 Chapter I. That as Long as We Are in This Mortal Life We May Lose the Love of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 173 Chapter II. How the Soul Grows Cold in Holy Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 175 Chapter III. How We Forsake Divine Love for That of Creatures.. . . . . . p. 177 Chapter IV. That Heavenly Love Is Lost in a Moment.. . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 178 Chapter V. That the Sole Cause of the Decay and Cooling of Charity Is in the Creature's Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 180 Chapter VI. That We Ought to Acknowledge All the Love We Bear to God to Be from God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 183 Chapter VII. That We Must Avoid All Curiosity, and Humbly Acquiesce in God's Most Wise Providence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 185 Chapter VIII. An Exhortation to the Amorous Submission Which We Owe to the Decrees of Divine Providence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 188 Chapter IX. Of a Certain Remainder of Love That Oftentimes Rests in the Soul That Has Lost Holy Charity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 189 Chapter X. How Dangerous This Imperfect Love Is.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 191 Chapter XI. A Means to Discern This Imperfect Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 193 Book V. Of The Two Principal Exercises Of Holy Love Which Consist In Complacency And Benevolence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 193 Chapter I. Of the Sacred Complacency of Love; and First of What It Consists.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 195 Chapter II. How by Holy Complacency We Are Made as Little Infants at Our Saviour's Breasts.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 197 Chapter III. That Holy Complacency Gives Our Heart to God, and Makes Us Feel a Perpetual Desire in Fruition.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 200 Chapter IV. Of the Loving Condolence by Which the Complacency of Love Is Still Better Declared.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 202 Chapter V. Of the Condolence and Complacency of Love in the Passion of Our Lord.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 204 Chapter VI. Of the Love of Benevolence Which We Exercise towards Our Saviour by Way of Desire.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 205 Chapter VII. How the Desire to Exalt and Magnify God Separates Us from Inferior Pleasures, and Makes Us Attentive to the Divine Perfections.. . .

p. 207 Chapter VIII. How Holy Benevolence Produces the Praise of the Divine Well-Beloved.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 209 Chapter IX. How Benevolence Makes Us Call All Creatures to the Praise of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 211 Chapter X. How the Desire to Praise God Makes Us Aspire to Heaven.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 212 Chapter XI. How We Practise the Love of Benevolence in the Praises Which Our Saviour and His Mother Give to God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 214 Chapter XII. Of the Sovereign Praise Which God Gives unto Himself, and How We Exercise Benevolence in It.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 217 Book VI. Of the Exercises of Holy Love in Prayer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 217 Chapter I. A Description of Mystical Theology, Which Is No Other Thing Than Prayer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 220 Chapter II. Of Meditation the First Degree of Prayer or Mystical Theology.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 223 Chapter III. A Description of Contemplation, and of the First Difference That There Is between It and Meditation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 224 Chapter IV. That Love in This Life Takes Its Origin but Not Its Excellence from the Knowledge of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 226 Chapter V. The Second Difference between Meditation and Contemplation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 228 Chapter VI. That Contemplation Is Made Without Labour, Which Is the Third Difference between It and Meditation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 230 Chapter VII. Of the Loving Recollection of the Soul in Contemplation.. . .

p. 232 Chapter VIII. Of the Repose of a Soul Recollected in Her Well-Beloved.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 234 Chapter IX. How This Sacred Repose Is Practised.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 235 Chapter X. Of Various Degrees of This Repose, and How It Is to Be Preserved.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter XI. A Continuation of the Discourse Touching the Various Degrees of Holy Quiet, and of an Excellent Abnegation of Self Which Is Sometimes Practised Therein.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 240 Chapter XII. Of the Outflowing (escoulement) or Liquefaction of the Soul in God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 242 Chapter XIII. Of the Wound of Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 244 Chapter XIV. Of Some Other Means by Which Holy Love Wounds the Heart.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 246 Chapter XV. Of the Affectionate Languishing of the Heart Wounded with Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 251 Book VII. Of the Union of the Soul with Her God, Which Is Perfected in Prayer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 251 Chapter I. How Love Effects the Union of the Soul with God in Prayer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 254 Chapter II. Of the Various Degrees of the Holy Union Which Is Made in Prayer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 256 Chapter III. Of the Sovereign Degree of Union by Suspension and Ravishment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 259 Chapter IV. Of Rapture, and of the First Species of It.. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 260 Chapter V. Of the Second Species of Rapture.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 262 Of the Signs of Good Rapture, and of the Third Species of the Same.. . .

p. 264 Chapter VII. How Love Is the Life of the Soul, and Continuation of the Discourse on the Ecstatic Life.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 266 Chapter VIII. An Admirable Exhortation of S. Paul to the Ecstatic and Superhuman Life.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 268 Chapter IX. Of the Supreme Effect of Affective Love, Which Is the Death of the Lovers; and First, of Such As Died in Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 270 Chapter X. Of Those Who Died by and for Divine Love.. . . . . . . . . . . p. 271 Chapter XI. How Some of the Heavenly Lovers Died Also of Love.. . . . .

p. 273 Chapter XII. Marvellous History of the Death of a Gentleman Who Died of Love on Mount Olivet.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 275 Chapter XIII. That the Most Sacred Virgin Mother of God Died of Love for Her Son.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 277 Chapter XIV. That the Glorious Virgin Died by and Extremely Sweet and Tranquil Death.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Book VIII. Love of Conformity, by Which We Unite Our Will to the Will of God, Signified unto Us by His Commandments, Counsels and Inspirations.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 280 Chapter I. Of the Love of Conformity Proceeding from Sacred Complacency.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 281 Of the Conformity of Submission Which Proceeds from the Love of Benevolence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 283 Chapter III. How We Are to Conform Ourselves to That Divine Will Which Is Called the Signified Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 284 Chapter IV. Of the Conformity of Our Will to the Will Which God Has to Save Us.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 286 Chapter V. Of the Conformity of Our Will to That Will of God's Which Is Signified to Us by His Commandments.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 288 Chapter VI. Of the Conformity of Our Will to That Will of God Which Is Signified unto Us by His Counsels.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 290 VII. That the Love of God's Will Signified in the Commandments Moves Us to the Love of the Counsels.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 292 Chapter VIII. That the Contempt of the Evangelical Counsels Is a Great Sin.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter IX. A Continuation of the Preceding Discourse. How Every One, While Bound to Love, Is Not Bound to Practise, All the Evangelical Counsels, and Yet How Every One Should Practise What He Is Able.. . .

Chapter X. How We Are to Conform Ourselves to God's Will Signfied unto Us by Inspirations, and First, of the Variety of the Means by Which God Inspires Us.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter XI. Of the Union of Our Will with God's in the Inspirations Which Are Given for the Extraordinary Practice of Virtues; and of Perseverance in One's Vocation, the First Mark of Inspiration.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter XII. Of the Union of Man's Will with God's in Those Inspirations Which Are Contrary to Ordinary Laws; and of Peace and Tranquility of Heart, Second Mark of Inspiration.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 303 Chapter XIII. Third Mark of Inspiration, Which Is Holy Obedience to the Church and Superiors.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 305 Chapter XIV. A Short Method to Know God's Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 307 Book IX. Love of Submission, Whereby our Will is United to God's Good-Pleasure.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 307 Chapter I. Of the Union of Our Will to That Divine Will Which Is Called the Will of Good-Pleasure.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 308 Chapter II. That the Union of Our Will with the Good-Pleasure of God Takes Place Principally in Tribulations.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 311 Chapter III. Of the Union of Our Will to the Divine Good-Pleasure in Spiritual Afflictions, by Resignation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 312 Chapter IV. Of the Union of Our Will to the Good-Pleasure of God by Indifference.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 314 Chapter V. That Holy Indifference Extends to All Things.. . . . . . . . . . .

p. 315 Chapter VI. Of the Practice of Loving Indifference, in Things Belonging to the Service of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 318 Chapter VII. Of the Indifference Which We Are to Have As to Our Advancement in Virtues.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 320 Chapter VIII. How We Are to Unite Our Will with God's in the Permission of Sins.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 322 Chapter IX. How the Purity of Indifference is to Be Practised in the Actions of Sacred Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 323 Chapter X. Means to Discover When We Change in the Matter of This Holy Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 325 Chapter XI. Of the Perplexity of a Heart Which Loves Without Knowing Whether It Pleases the Beloved.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 327 Chapter XII. How the Soul amidst These Interior Anguishes Knows Not the Love She Bears to God: and of the Most Lovefull Death of the Will.. . . . .

p. 328 Chapter XIII. How the Will Being Dead to Itself Lives Entirely in God's Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 330 Chapter XIV. An Explanation of What Has Been Said Touching the Decease of Our Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter XV. Of the Most Excellent Exercise We Can Make in the Interior and Exterior Troubles of This Life, After Attaining the Indifference and Death of the Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 334 Chapter XVI. Of the Perfect Stripping of the Soul Which Is United to God's Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 337 Book X. Commandment of Loving God Above All Things.. . . . . . . . . . .

p. 337 Chapter I. Of the Sweetness of the Commandment Which God Has Given Us of Loving Him Above All Things.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 339 Chapter II. That This Divine Commandment of Love Tends to Heaven, Yet Is Given to the Faithful in This World.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter III. How, While the Whole Heart Is Employed in Sacred Love, Yet One May Love God in Various Ways, and Also Many Other Things Together with Him.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 342 Chapter IV. Of Two Degrees of Perfection with Which This Commandment May Be Kept in This Mortal Life.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 344 Chapter V. Of Two Other Degrees of Greater Perfection, by Which We May Love God Above All Things.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 347 Chapter VI. That the Love of God Above All Things Is Common to All Lovers.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 348 Chapter VII. Explanation of the Preceding Chapter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 350 Chapter VIII. A Memorable History to Make Clearly Understood in What the Force and Excellence of Holy Love Consist.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 353 A Confirmation of What Has Been Said by a Noteworthy Comparison.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 355 That We Are to Love the Divine Goodness Sovereignly Above Ourselves.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 356 Chapter XI. How Holy Charity Produces the Love of Our Neighbour.. . . . p. 358 How Love Produces Zeal.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 359 Chapter XIII. How God Is Jealous of Us.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 362 Of the Zeal or Jealousy Which We Have for Our Lord.. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 364 Chapter XV. Advice for the Direction of Holy Zeal.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter XVI. That the Example of Certain Saints Who Seem to Have Exercised Their Zeal with Anger, Makes Nothing against the Doctrine of the Preceding Chapter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 370 Chapter XVII. How Our Lord Practised All the Most Excellent Acts of Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 374 Book XI. Sovereign Authority Which Sacred Love Holds over All the Virtues, Actions and Perfections of the Soul.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 374 Chapter I. How Agreeable All Virtues Are to God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 376 Chapter II. That Divine Love Makes the Virtues Immeasurably More Agreeable to God than They Are of Their Own Nature.. . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 378 Chapter III. That There Are Some Virtues Which Divine Love Raises to a Higher Degree of Excellence than Others.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 379 That Divine Love More Excellently Sanctifies the Virtues When They Are Practised by Its Order and Commandment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 381 Chapter V. How Love Spreads Its Excellence Over the Other Virtues, Perfecting Their Particular Excellence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chapter VI. Of the Excellent Value Which Sacred Love Gives to the Actions Which Issue from Itself and to Those Which Proceed from the Other Virtues.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 386 Chapter VII. That Perfect Virtues Are Never One without the Other.. . . . . p. 388 Chapter VIII. How Charity Comprehends All the Virtues.. . . . . . . . . . . p. 391 Chapter IX. That the Virtues Have Their Perfection from Divine Love.. . .

p. 393 Chapter X. A Digression upon the Imperfection of the Virtues of the Pagans.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 396 Chapter XI. How Human Actions Are Without Worth When They Are Done without Divine Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 398 Chapter XII. How Holy Love Returning into the Soul, Brings Back to Life All the Works Which Sin Had Destroyed.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 401 Chapter XIII. How We Are to Reduce All the Exercise of Virtues, and All Our Actions to Holy Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 403 Chapter XIV. The Practice of What Has Been Said in the Preceding Chapter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 404 Chapter XV. How Charity Contains in It the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.. . . . .

p. 406 Chapter XVI. Of the Loving Fear of Spouses; a Continuation of the Same Subject.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 408 Chapter XVII. How Servile Fear Remains Together with Holy Love.. . . . .

p. 410 Chapter XVIII. How Love Makes Use of Natural, Servile and Mercenary Fear.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 413 Chapter XIX. How Sacred Love Contains the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost, together with the Eight Beatitudes of the Gospel.. . . . . . . . . . .

p. 415 Chapter XX. How Divine Love Makes Use of All the Passions and Affections of the Soul, and Reduces Them to Its Obedience.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 418 That Sadness Is Almost Always Useless, Yea Contrary to the Service of Holy Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 421 Book XII. Containing Certain Counsels for the Progress of the Soul in Holy Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 421 Chapter I. That Our Progress in Holy Love Does Not Depend on Our Natural Temperament.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 422 Chapter II. That We Are to Have a Continual Desire to Love.. . . . . . . .

p. 423 Chapter III. That to Have the Desire of Sacred Love We Are to Cut Off All Other Desires.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 424 Chapter IV. That Our Lawful Occupations Do Not Hinder Us from Practicising Divine Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 425 Chapter V. A Very Sweet Example on This Subject.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 426 Chapter VI. That We Are to Employ in the Practice of Divine Love All the Occasions That Present Themselves.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 427 Chapter VII. That We Must Take Pains to Do Our Actions Very Perfectly.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 427 Chapter VIII. A General Means for Applying Our Works to God's Service.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 429 Chapter IX. Of Certain Other Means by Which We May Apply Our Works More Particularly to the Love of God.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p. 431 Chapter X. An Exhortation to the Sacrifice Which We Are to Make to God of Our Free-Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 433 Chapter XI. The Motives We Have of Holy Love.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 434 Chapter XII. A Most Useful Method of Employing These Motives.. . . . . p. 435 Chapter XIII. That Mount Calvary Is the Academy of Love.. . . . . . . . . . p. 436 Other Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 451 Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 451 Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 454 Latin Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 454 French Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 455 Index of Pages of the Print Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .