will, by loving whatsoever God loves, and nothing else.... He
enjoys a boundlesse liberty and a boundlesse sweetnesse, according to
his boundlesse love. He enclaspeth the whole world within his
outstretched arms, his soul is as wide as the whole universe, as big as
yesterday, to-day and for ever. Whosoever is once acquainted with this
disposition of spirit, he never desires anything else; and he loves the
'life of God' in himself, dearer than his own life."--_Id._, p. 56.

And finally in the _Imitatio Christi_:--

"They that willingly and freely serve Me shall receive grace for grace.
But he who desires to glory in things out of Me, or to take pleasure in
some private good, shall not be grounded in true joy, nor be enlarged
in his heart, but shall many ways be encumbered and straitened.... And
if heavenly grace enter in and true charity, there will be no envy nor
narrowness of heart, neither will self-love busy itself. For Divine
charity overcometh all things and enlargeth all the powers of the
soul."--_De Imitatione Christi_, iii. 9.

We conclude, then, that self can never measure the length and breadth
of the Divine love, and run in the way of His commandment. We need God
to make us understand God; we must be in union with Him in order to
obey Him. Distances on the earth may be measured by a foot-rule or a
surveyor's chain, but to measure the spaces between the stars we must
have a base-line in the sky. Only by being partakers of the Divine
nature can we live out the Divine life; and no man knoweth the Father
save the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him.

V

HE RESTORETH MY SOUL

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord;
Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs.

"He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest
thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee.
He saith unto him, Feed My sheep.

"He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?
Peter was grieved because He saith unto him the third time, Lovest thou
Me? And he saith unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest
that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep."--JOHN xxi.
15-17.

The whole story contained in these verses carries us back in thought to
the time when Peter denied the Lord. They contain the first recorded
wor