For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Having weighed the whole creation against the love of God, and added such as are visible and such as are perceptible only by the mind—angels and powers and dominions—and to the present, hoped for, blessings (as well as threatened punishments also; for by depth, as I apprehend, he signals hell, and by height the kingdom of heaven) and moreover everlasting life and eternal death; and seeing that even then this scale is lightest in the reckoning, he seeks for something else to be cast in. And finding nothing, he frames into his account all creation in great variety and even then does not find all these together capable to be weighed against the love of God. For it is fitting, he says, not to love Him on account of His promises of blessings, but to desire them for His sake. For neither if a man be sincerely well-disposed towards one who is rich, does he love him for the abundance of his wealth; but from his very affection towards him, loves also the possessions belonging to him. And in like manner the holy apostle declares, I would not choose to inherit the kingdom of heaven, and all visible and invisible creation, and as many such again twice or thrice multiplied, apart from the love of God. But if any person was to lay before me present and future distresses, present and eternal death, and the most protracted punishment in hell, together with the love of Him, with readiness and welcome would I choose these in preference to the former splendid and glorious and unspeakable objects devoid of love for Him. Therefore let us both pray and strive that which we also may possess, so that following in the footsteps of the apostles, we may be made sharers thereby in the footsteps of the apostles through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the thrice-holy Spirit, belong glory and majesty, now and ever, unto endless ages. Amen.
Having weighed the whole creation against the love of God, and added such as are visible and such as are perceptible only by the mind—angels and powers and dominions—and to the present, hoped for, blessings (as well as threatened punishments also; for by depth, as I apprehend, he signals hell, and by height the kingdom of heaven) and moreover everlasting life and eternal death; and seeing that even then this scale is lightest in the reckoning, he seeks for something else to be cast in. And finding nothing, he frames into his account all creation in great variety and even then does not find all these together capable to be weighed against the love of God. For it is fitting, he says, not to love Him on account of His promises of blessings, but to desire them for His sake. For neither if a man be sincerely well-disposed towards one who is rich, does he love him for the abundance of his wealth; but from his very affection towards him, loves also the possessions belonging to him. And in like manner the holy apostle declares, I would not choose to inherit the kingdom of heaven, and all visible and invisible creation, and as many such again twice or thrice multiplied, apart from the love of God. But if any person was to lay before me present and future distresses, present and eternal death, and the most protracted punishment in hell, together with the love of Him, with readiness and welcome would I choose these in preference to the former splendid and glorious and unspeakable objects devoid of love for Him. Therefore let us both pray and strive that which we also may possess, so that following in the footsteps of the apostles, we may be made sharers thereby in the footsteps of the apostles through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the thrice-holy Spirit, belong glory and majesty, now and ever, unto endless ages. Amen.
Theodoret of Cyrus, "The Letter to the Romans" on Romans 8:38-39
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