Treatise on the Love of God

The meditations of St. Francis of Sales on the loving nature of God and the Holy Spirit contain abundant spiritual insight - this edition contains all twelve of his books, complete and unabridged with annotations.

A superb compendium of thoughts which examine the multi-faceted nature of holiness in the Christian religion, the Treatise on the Love of God is lauded for its immense expressions of emotional and spiritual depth. The supreme will of God, acting in myriad ways, is shown to be the origination of all love on the Earth, divined to humanity by the Son of God and in the words and lessons of the Holy Bible.

The author discusses topics such as God's influence over his creations, the manner in which men often shun or repulse the love of God, and how such love - when accepted - can progress a living soul's fulfilment. Following the lessons of God will result in benevolence, yet such a following requires humbleness: we must concede to God being the source of all that is good, loving and worthy in the universe.

For the author, the attainment of closeness with the divine is both the highest good and the highest pleasure. The love that flows from the being of God, and how prayer is the ideal means of realizing such a beneficence, are steps on each human soul's unity with the Lord. Contemplating what constitutes the divine, and following the instruction received during the reading of God's words, are crucial parts of spiritual direction as interpreted by St. Francis.

For St. Francis, spiritual growth proceeded on a series of levels. The initial stages consist of good deeds and adherence to a moral code, regular church attendance, and a basic knowledge of the holy precepts of Christianity. These are the founding basis upon which the higher tiers described in this text, whereby one attains - with time and dedication - a measure of understanding and affinity with the holy love of God and Jesus Christ.

This edition contains all twelve books in their entirety, together with helpful notes of scriptural references. The translation of the books into modern English was accomplished by Henry Benedict Mackey, an English priest and scholar whose piety and knowledge of the saintly virtues allowed for accuracy and authenticity.