Love is a holy state of the soul, disposing it to value the knowledge of God above all created things. We cannot attain lasting possession of such love while we still have a passionate attachment to anything earthly.

Love is begotten of dispassion, dispassion of hope in God, hope of patient endurance and long-suffering; these of all-embracing self-control, self-control of fear of God, fear of faith in the Lord.

If you have faith in the Lord you will fear punishment, and this fear will lead you to control of the passions. Once you control the passions you will accept affliction patiently, and through such acceptance you will acquire hope in God. Hope in God separates the intellect from every earthly attachment, and when the intellect is detached in this way it will acquire love for God.

He who loves God values knowledge of God more than anything created by God, and pursues such knowledge ardently and ceaselessly.

Blessed is he who can love all men equally. He who loves God cannot help loving every man as himself, even though he is grieved by the passions of those who are not yet purified. But when they amend their lives, his delight is indescribable and knows no bounds.

A soul filled with thoughts of sensual desire and hatred is unpurified. If we detect any trace of hatred in our hearts against any man whatsoever for committing any fault, we are utter strangers to love for God.