Twenty-sixth Day.—Love of Jesus Christ.
1. Nothing was ever purchased at so dear a rate as my soul. A divine life was given to redeem it. I deserved hell: justice cried out for punishment; but Christ would listen only to the emotions of his heart: it pleaded in my behalf, and I obtained forgiveness. If I return him not life for life, the least I can do is to return him love for love.
2. The dog that I feed, watches, caresses, and attends me: Jesus has given his blood for me, and continues to give me himself; yet I am still insensible. Learn, then, ungrateful soul! learn, I say, thy duty from a brute! thy dog is thy teacher and thy judge. If his example reform not thy heart, thou art more brutal than he.
3. We can feel for our friends; we are not insensible of the good they do us; we pique ourselves upon gratitude. Shall we then be ungrateful only to Christ? Shall he alone find us hard-hearted? Had we ever a friend that sacrificed himself for us?
Beg the love of Jesus from Jesus himself. Without his grace we shall never be able to love him.
"If any one love not the Lord Jesus,
let him be accursed."
1 Corinthians vi.
"If I belong to him entirely for having created me, what shall I add for having been redeemed, and redeemed in so excellent a manner?"
St. Bernard.
Twenty-seventh Day.—Love of our Neighbour.
1. If we love not our neighbour, we cannot love God. Whatever good we do, is to no purpose, if we do not love our brethren. Even martyrdom itself will not avail us, without charity.