Bishop Challoner's Meditations - Tuesday After the Fourth Sunday

ON LOVING GOD WITH OUR WHOLE HEART

Consider first, that the first sacrifice which divine love calls for by this great commandment is that of our heart. My son, 'give me thy heart,’ says the wisdom of God, Prov. xxiii. 26. This sacrifice must be of the whole heart, and in the nature of a holocaust, that is, of a sacrifice in which the whole victim is given to God without reserve, being first slain and then laid upon the altar of God, and there consumed with fire; even with that fire which originally came from heaven, Levit. ix. 24, and which was commanded to be kept always burning upon God’s altar. Wherefore, in this mystical sacrifice of love, this heart of ours, in order to be made a holocaust, should also first be slain, that is, should first die to itself; and to all its disorderly affections, by mortification and self-denial, and so be laid on God’s altar, to be wholly dedicated and consecrated to him; and to evaporate, as it were, to him in the flames of divine love, which is the true fire that comes down from heaven to carry us up thither, and which ought always to be kept burning in the mystical temple of God in our souls.

Consider 2ndly, how just, how reasonable, how necessary it is that we should love our God with our whole heart, so as to give no part of it away from him, since it belongs wholly to him by all manner of titles. He made our heart for himself; to be the eternal seat and the living temple of his love, and he has given it a certain longing after him, together with an immense capacity of love, which nothing less than God can fill or satisfy. He has shed his own most precious blood to purchase our heart, to cleanse it for himself; and to fill it with his love. It has been solemnly dedicated, sanctified, and consecrated to him at our baptism. He has sent his divine Spirit to take possession of it, to make it his kingdom, and to establish his throne in it. It must then be a most crying injustice if we offer to alienate any part of our heart from him who claims it all upon so many titles. O Christians! let us give him what is his without reserve; let us divert no part of this small heart of ours away from the immense Lord of heaven and .earth; it would be a sacrilege to attempt it.

Consider 3rdly, that the love of God will not admit a divided heart, he will not suffer a rival in his kingdom, a partner in his throne, or an idol in his temple. Our God is a jealous God, and therefore, if we follow any other lovers, we lose his love and drive him away from us. Alas! my soul, who is this that thou would’st associate with God in thy heart? Is it thy worldly pride, thy carnal affections, thy sensual inclinations? Assure thyself this love cannot endure such company as this. Or is it some favourite creature, which thou art unwilling to dislodge from the place it has occupied in thy heart? Ah! the bed is too narrow, it will not hold two, thou must either part with the creature or the creator. He loves God too little who loves anything else with him, which he does nor love in him for his sake, and with subordination to the love of him.

Conclude to love thy friend in God, and thy enemy for God’s sake, and all such things as thou mayest lawfully love, according to the measure and rule prescribed by divine love; and thus no love of the creature will take off any part of thy heart from the love of the creator - thus thou shalt love him with thy whole heart.