CONSIDERATION XXXII
The Love of God
"We love Him because He first loved us." i S. John iv. 19.
First Point.
Consider, in the first place, that God deserves to be loved by you, since He loved you first, that you might love Him, and He has been the first of all to love you. " I have loved thee with an everlasting love." (Jer. xxxi. 3.) The first to love you on earth, were your parents, but they did not love you before they knew you; but God loved you before you had any being. When neither your father nor your mother were in the world, God loved you; when the world was not even created, God loved you. And how long before the creation of the world did God love you? Perhaps a thousand years or ages. There is no need to reckon years and ages. Know, that God has loved you from eternity. " I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn Thee." (Jer. xxxi. 3.) In short, God has loved you since He has been God; as long as He has loved Himself, He has loved you. Therefore S. Agnes had good reason to say, " I am prevented by another love." When the world and the creature demanded her love, she answered, " No, O world; no, O creature, I cannot love you. My God has been the first to love me, and it is therefore right that I should consecrate my love to God alone."
Thus, my brother, from eternity has thy God loved you, and from love alone, has selected you from the number of many men that He could have created, and has given you being and a
