Chapter 29.—We are to Desire and
Endeavor that All Men May Love God.
30. Now of all who can with us
enjoy God, we love partly those to whom we render services, partly
those who render services to us, partly those who both help us in
our need and in turn are helped by us, partly those upon whom we
confer no advantage and from whom we look for none. We ought to
desire, however, that they should all join with us in loving God,
and all the assistance that we either give them or accept from them
should tend to that one end. For in the theatres, dens of
iniquity though they be, if a man is fond of a particular actor,
and enjoys his art as a great or even as the very greatest good, he
is fond of all who join with him in admiration of his favorite, not
for their own sakes, but for the sake of him whom they admire in
common; and the more fervent he is in his admiration, the more he
works in every way he can to secure new admirers for him, and the
more anxious he becomes to show him to others; and if he find any
one comparatively indifferent, he does all he can to excite his
interest by urging his favorite’s merits: if, however, he meet
with any one who opposes him, he is exceedingly displeased by such
a man’s contempt of his favorite, and strives in every way he can
to remove it. Now, if this be so, what does it become us to do
who live in the fellowship of the love of God, the enjoyment of
whom is true happiness of life, to whom all who love Him owe both
their own existence and the love they bear Him, concerning whom we
have no fear that any one who comes to know Him will be
disappointed in Him, and who desires our love, not for any gain to
Himself, but that those who love Him may obtain an eternal reward,
even Himself whom they love? And hence it is that we love even
our enemies. For we do not fear them, seeing they cannot take
away from us what we love; but we pity them rather, because the
more they hate us the more are they separated from Him whom we
love. For if they would turn to Him, they must of necessity love
Him as the supreme good, and love us too as partakers with them in
so great a blessing.