CLARIFICATION OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER
We do not always know clearly, and we never know with perfect certainty, at least “with the certainty of faith", whether we have the true love of God necessary for salvation. However, we have many signs of it. Among these the most sure and almost infallible sign appears when some great love for created things opposes itself to the designs of God’s love. Then, if divine love is in the soul, it displays the greatness of its influence and authority over the will. It shows effectively that it not only has no master but not even an equal. It represses and overthrows all opposition and makes its intentions obeyed.
The unhappy band of diabolical spirits, having rebelled against their Creator, wanted to draw to their faction the holy company of blessed spirits. Then the glorious St. Michael aroused his companions to the loyalty they owed to their God. He cried out with a loud voice, but in an angelic manner, throughout the heavenly Jerusalem: “Who is like God?" By this word he overthrew the traitor Lucifer with his followers who wished to make themselves equal to the Divine Majesty. From this, it is said, St. Michael’s name was given to him, since Michael simply means, “Who is like God?" When the loves for created things want to draw our spirits to their side, to make us disobedient to the Divine Majesty, if the great divine love is found in the soul, it assumes command, like another St. Michael, and secures the powers and faculties of the soul in God’s service by this loyal cry, “Who is like God? What goodness is there in creatures to draw the human heart to rebel against the supreme goodness of its God?"
Joseph was a saintly and courageous man. When he realized that the love for his mistress tended to the ruin of the love he owed to his master he said: “Ah! may God keep me from violating the respect I owe my master who trusts me so much. How then can I commit this crime and sin against my God? (Gen 39:9). Take note, Theotimus, that there are three loves in the heart of this amiable Joseph: he loves his mistress, his master and God. But when love for his mistress opposes love for his master he leaves it at once and flies, as he would have forsaken his master’s love if it had been contrary to the love of his God. Among all the loves, the love of God must be so much preferred that one is ready to give up all the others for it alone.
Sarah gave the servant Hagar to her husband Abraham so that she might give him children, in accord with the lawful custom of those days. But when Hagar had conceived she greatly despised her mistress Sarah. Till that time it was not easy to discern which was Abraham’s greater love, that which he had for Sarah or that which he had for Hagar. Hagar shared marital rights with him, just as Sarah did, and had, moreover, the advantage of fertility. But when these two loves came into comparison, the good Abraham showed clearly which was the stronger. No sooner had Sarah complained that Hagar despised her than he replied: Hagar, your slave-girl, is in your power; do with her as you please (Gen 16:6). From that time, Sarah so troubled poor Hagar that she was forced to run away.
Divine love is quite willing that we have other loves. Often we cannot easily discover which is the chief love of our heart. Many times this human heart draws most affectionately the love of creatures into its complacency. So on many occasions it multiplies much more the acts of its affection for the creature than its acts of dilection towards its Creator. Yet all the time sacred love does not cease to excel all the other loves, as the events show, when the creature is opposed to the Creator. Then we take the side of sacred dilection, submitting to it all our other affections.
There is often a difference, among created things, between greatness and goodness. One of Cleopatra’s pearls was worth more than our highest mountain which is much greater in size: the one has more bulk, the other more value. The question is asked: which is the greater glory for a ruler, that which he gets in war by arms or that which he receives in peace by justice? It seems to me that military glory is greater, but the other is better. So also among instruments, drums and trumpets make more noise, lutes and spinets more melody. The sound of the former is more strong, that of the other more sweet and spiritual. An ounce of balm does not spread as much fragrance as a pound of lavender oil, but the scent of balm is always better and more pleasant.
Theotimus, it is true that you see a mother so occupied with her child that it seems she has no other love than that. She has eyes only to look at it, a mouth only to kiss it, a breast only to give it milk, no other care but to bring it up. It appears that her husband is nothing to her in comparison to this child. But if it came to making a choice as to which one she would lose, then it would be clearly seen that she values her husband more. Although her love for the child is more tender, more pressing and more passionate, the other love is more excellent, stronger and better. So it is when a heart loves God in respect of his infinite goodness. With even a small portion of this excellent love, it will prefer God’s will to all things. In all the events it meets, it will give up everything to remain in the favour of the Supreme Goodness from which nothing whatever can separate it. This love of God does not always affect and melt the heart as do the other loves. Yet at times it performs actions so noble and excellent that one of them alone is worth more than ten million of the others. Rabbits are incomparably fertile. Elephants never have more than one calf at a time, but that little elephant alone is of greater value than all the rabbits in the world. The love we have for creatures often abounds in the many things it produces. But when sacred love acts, its work is so eminent that it surpasses all. This is because it gives God the preference in everything without reserve.