of God’s melting love to burn off any sin and the barriers of the world that keep him
from enjoying God.^63 Further, wounding the soul increases its desire for God.
According to Ambrose, grace serves an important function in his
understanding of desire. Desire originates not in the soul of the seeker but rather is
initiated by God, “thou hast given me a kiss of thy mouth, and now I pant to be united
to thee in a more consummate marriage; thou hast given me a tast, but my appetite
and desire is not thereby diminished, but enlarged.”^64 Obviously the desire to long
“after Christ” should be guided by him “whose heart is ever panting and longing after
us.”^65 God’s grace is revealed in the comments on Psalm 63:1, “violent affections
[are those] that God puts into the hearts of those who seeke him in sincerity and
truth.”^66 Ambrose recognizes his need and inadequacy as he confessed, “[o] where be
those holy fits, those pangs of love, those love-trances, those Seraphical flames of
conjugal affection, which made the spouse cry out, I am sick of love?”^67 Aware of
both his necessity for increased love and desire as well as the challenges and barriers
that could diminish his yearning Ambrose cries out for God’s assistance, “I desire, but
help thou my faint desires; blow on my dying spark, it is but little; and if I know any
thing of my heart, I would have it more; oh that my spark would flame! why Lord I
desire that I might desire; oh breath it into me, and I will desire after thee.”^68 Related
to this deep yearning for Jesus Ambrose quotes Bernard, “he that thirsts let him thirsts
(^63) The flame of God’s love was a common image in medieval writers. (^) See McGinn,
Growth of Mysticism 64 , 59-61, 192, 298, 302, 309, 392-4.
65 Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus, 212.^
66 Ambrose, Looking Unto Jesus, 975.^
67 Ambrose, Prima, Media, Ultima (1654), 35.^
(^68) Ambrose, Ambrose, Looking Unto JesusMedia (1657), 233. , 979^. cf. p. 321-2.