*Love feeleth no burden, weigheth no pains, desireth above its strength; complaineth not of impossibility; for it thinketh all things possible. *It is therefore able to undertake all things, and performeth and bringeth many things to pass; whereas he that doth not love, fainteth and sinketh under them. *5. Love watcheth, and sleeping sleepeth not. *Being tired is not weary, straitened is not pressed: frightened is not disturbed: but like a lively flame, it bursteth out aloft, and securely passeth through all. If any one loveth, he knoweth what this meaneth. The ardent affection of the soul crieth aloud in the ears of God, when it saith, _My God, my love, thou art wholly mine, and I am wholly thine_. *6. _Christian._ Enlarge me in love, that with the inward mouth of my heart I may taste how sweet it is to love, and to be melted and swim in thy love. Let me be possessed by love, mounting above myself with excessive fervour and admiration. Let me sing the song of love, let me follow thee on high, my beloved: let my soul die away in thy praise, rejoicing through love. *Let me love thee more than myself, and not myself but for thee, and all in thee that truly love thee, as the law of love commandeth, which shineth out from thee. *5. _Christ._ Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, and delightful: strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, manly; and never seeking itself. For where one seeketh himself, there he falleth from love. *Love is circumspect, humble, and upright: not soft, nor light, nor attending unto vain things; but sober, chaste, constant, quiet, and guarded in all the senses. Love is subject and obedient to superiors, vile, and despicable to itself, devout and thankful unto God, trusting and hoping always in him. *8. He that is not ready to suffer all things, and to stand to the will of his beloved, is not worthy to be called a lover. A lover ought to embrace willingly all that is hard and distasteful for his beloved. CHAPTER VI. _Of a proof of a true lover._ _Christ._ SON, thou art not a valiant and prudent lover. _Christian._ Wherefore, Lord? _Christ._ Because thou givest over thy undertakings for a small difficulty, and too greedily seekest after comfort. A valiant lover standeth firmly in temptations, and giveth not credit to the crafty persuasions of the enemy. 2. A prudent lover considereth not so much the gift of his lover, as the love of the giver. He regardeth the love more than the value, and valueth his beloved above all his gifts. A generous lover resteth not in the gift, but in me above every gift. 3. Know that thy ancient enemy doth ever strive to hinder thy desire to good, and to divert thee from all religious exercises; to wit, from the devout memory of my passion, from the profitable remembrance of thy sins, from the guard of thine own heart, and from the firm purpose of profiting in virtue.