# Of the Imitation of Christ/Book III/Chapter V

CHAPTER V.
OF THE WONDERFUL EFFECT OF DIVINE LOVE.
BLESS Thee, O Heavenly father, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, for that Thou hast vouchsafed to remember me a poor creature.
O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, thanks be unto Thee, Who sometimes with Thy comfort refreshest me, unworthy as I am of all comfort.
I will always bless and glorify Thee, with Thine only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, for ever and ever. Ah, Lord God, Thou holy lover of my soul, when Thou comest into my heart, all that is within me shall rejoice.
​Thou art my glory and the exultation of my heart: Thou art my hope and refuge in the day of tribulation.
2. But because I am as yet weak in love, and imperfect in virtue, I have need to be strengthened and comforted by Thee; visit me therefore often, and instruct me with all holy discipline.
Set me free from evil passions, and heal my heart of inordinate affections; that being inwardly cured and thoroughly cleansed, I may be made fit to love, encouraged to suffer, steady to persevere.
3. Love is a great thing, yea, a great and thorough good; by itself it makes everything that is heavy, light: and it bears evenly all that is uneven.
For it carries a burden which is no burden, and makes every thing that is bitter, sweet.
The noble love of Jesus impels a man to do great things, and stirs him up to be always longing for what is more perfect.
Love desires to be high, and will not be kept back by anything low and mean.
Love desires to be free, and estranged from all worldly affections, that so its inward sight may not be hindered; that it may not be entangled by any temporal prosperity, that it may not be subdued by any adversity.
Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing more courageous, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller nor better in heaven and earth; because love is born of God, and cannot rest but in God, above all created things.
4. He that loveth, flieth, runneth and rejoiceth; he is free and is not bound.
​He giveth all for all, and hath all in all; because he resteth in One High above all things, from Whom all that is good flows and proceeds.
He respecteth not the gifts, but turneth himself above all goods unto the giver.
Love oftentimes knoweth no bounds, but is fervent beyond all measure.
Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself and all things possible.
It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things, and brings them to a conclusion, where he who does not love, faints and lies down.
5. Love watcheth, and, sleeping, slumbereth not.
Though weary, love is not tired; though pressed, it is not straitened; though alarmed, it is not confounded: but as a lively flame and burning torch, it forces its way upwards, and securely passes through all.
If any man love, he knoweth what is the cry of this voice. For it is a loud cry in the ears of God, this ardent affection of the soul which saith, "My God, my Love, Thou art all mine, and I am all Thine."
6. Enlarge Thou me in love, that, with the inward palate of my heart, I may taste how sweet it is to love, and to be dissolved, and as it were to bathe myself in Thy love.
Let me be possessed by love, mounting above myself, through excessive fervour and admiration.
Let me sing the song of love, let me follow Thee, ​my Beloved, on high; let my soul spend itself in Thy praise, rejoicing through love.
Let me love Thee more than myself, and love myself only for Thee; and in Thee all that truly love Thee, as the law of love commandeth, shining out from Thyself.
7. Love is active, sincere, affectionate, pleasant, and amiable; courageous, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, manly, and never seeking itself.
For in whatever instance a person seeketh himself, there he falleth from love.
Love is circumspect, humble, and upright; not yielding to softness, or to levity, nor attending to vain things; it is sober, chaste, steady, quiet, and guarded in all the senses.
Love is subject, and obedient to its superiors; unto itself mean and despised, unto God devout and thankful, trusting and hoping always in Him, even then when God imparteth no relish of sweetness unto it; for without sorrow none liveth in love.
8. He that is not prepared to suffer all things, and to stand to the will of his Beloved, is not worthy to be called a lover of God.
A lover ought to embrace willingly all that is hard and distasteful for the sake of his Beloved: and not to turn away from Him for any contradictions.