love is the performance of duty,
Man. Ah, my Creator, reach out thy right hand to the work of thy hands, that I may not swerve from thy commandments. Oh, that my ways may be directed to keep thy justifications, for my will is in the law of the Lord. But alas, unhappy man that I am, I am delighted with the law according to the inward man; but I see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind; so that the good which I will I do not, but the evil which I will not; so prone are the thoughts of a man to evil from his youth, and the corruptible body a load upon the soul. How, then, shall I love thee as thou wouldst and shouldst be loved? For the measure of loving thee should be without measure, because thou exceedest all measure.
Christ. My commandments are not grievous, much less are they impossible; for my yoke is sweet, and my burden light. If thou believe not me, thou wilt be convinced by so many thousands of my faithful ones, who have adhered to me with their whole heart. Nay, even boys and young virgins will shame thee, who are weak by their sex and age. Behold how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints! For my love they crucified their flesh with its desires, they trampled upon the world and all its allurements, threatenings and all kinds of torments they boldly despised, they manfully overcame Satan; and thus, embracing my yoke with joy, they followed me, their Redeemer, with their whole heart. And wilt not thou be able to do what those did?
Man. These are they that fly like the clouds, but I am weak and lame, and creep upon the ground. Their virtue was exceedingly strengthened, and I cannot attain to it.
Christ. Then contemplate, my son (I speak as a man, because of the infirmity of thy flesh), those who are wise to do evil, and rejoice when they have done it; and also the bullocks of Ephraim taught to love to tread out corn, I mean, the children of this world. Behold how actively they run and toil, how they torment themselves, and all to acquire a few earthly goods that soon must perish! How and why is it that they are in their generation stronger than the children of light? Why, when they thus yield their members to serve iniquity to iniquity, canst not thou yield them to serve justice to sanctification? Try at least, and make though it were but a little exertion, and thou wilt find for thyself much rest. Then
