III. The Reasons why Love to God is so great, and high, and necessary a thing, and so much esteemed above other Graces, are: 1. It is the motion of the soul that tendeth to the End: And the End is more excellent than all the Means as such. 2. The Love, or Will, or Heart is the Man: where the Heart or Love is, there the Man is: It is the fullest resignation of the whole man to God, to Love him as God, or offer him the Heart. God never hath his Own fully, till we Love him. Love is the grand significant vital motion of the soul, such as the Heart, or Will, or Love is, such you may boldly call the man. 3. The Love of God is the perfection and highest improvement of all the faculties of the soul, and the End of all other Graces, to which they tend, and to which they grow up and in which they terminate their operations. 4. The Love of God is that Spirit or life of moral excellency in all other Graces in which (though not their form, yet) their acceptableness doth consist: without which they are to God as a lifeless Carrion is to us. And to prove any action sincere and acceptable to God, is to prove that it comes from a Willing Loving mind; without which you can never prove it. 5. Love is the commander of the soul: and therefore God knoweth that if he have our Hearts, he hath all: For all the rest are at its command: For it is as it were, the nature of the Will, which is the commanding faculty; and its Object is the Ultimate End which is the Commanding Object. Love settleth the mind on Thinking, the tongue on speaking, the hands on working, the feet on going, and every faculty obeyeth its command. 6. The obedience which Love commandeth participateth of its nature, and is a ready, cheerful, sweet obedience, acceptable to God, and pleasant to our selves. 7. Love is a pure, chaste and cleansing grace; and most powerfully casteth out all creature1 pollution from the soul: The Love of God doth quench all carnal sinful love; and most effectually carrieth up the soul, to such high delights, as causeth it to contemn and forget the toys which it before admired. 8. The Love of God is the true acknowledging and honouring him as good. That blessed Attribute, his GOODNESS, is denied or despised by those that Love him not. The Light of the Sun would not be valued, honoured or used by the world, if there were no eyes in the world to see it.
III. The Reasons why Love to God is so great, and high, and necessary a thing, and so much esteemed above other Graces, are: 1. It is the motion of the soul that tendeth to the End: And the End is more excellent than all the Means as such. 2. The Love, or Will, or Heart is the Man: where the Heart or Love is, there the Man is: It is the fullest resignation of the whole man to God, to Love him as God, or offer him the Heart. God never hath his Own fully, till we Love him. Love is the grand significant vital motion of the soul, such as the Heart, or Will, or Love is, such you may boldly call the man. 3. The Love of God is the perfection and highest improvement of all the faculties of the soul, and the End of all other Graces, to which they tend, and to which they grow up and in which they terminate their operations. 4. The Love of God is that Spirit or life of moral excellency in all other Graces in which (though not their form, yet) their acceptableness doth consist: without which they are to God as a lifeless Carrion is to us. And to prove any action sincere and acceptable to God, is to prove that it comes from a Willing Loving mind; without which you can never prove it. 5. Love is the commander of the soul: and therefore God knoweth that if he have our Hearts, he hath all: For all the rest are at its command: For it is as it were, the nature of the Will, which is the commanding faculty; and its Object is the Vltimate End which is the Commanding Object. Love setleth the mind on Thinking, the tongue on speaking, the hands on working, the feet on going, and every faculty obeyeth its command. 6. The obedience which Love commandeth participateth of its nature, and is a ready, chearful, sweet obedience, acceptable to God, and pleasant to our selves. 7. Love is a pure, chaste and cleansing grace; and most powerfully casteth out all creature1 pollution from the soul: The Love of God doth quench all carnal sinful love; and most effectually carryeth up the soul, to such high delights, as causeth it to contemn and forget the toyes which it before admired. 8. The Love of God is the true acknowledging and honouring him as good. That blessed Attribute, his GOODNESS, is denyed or despised by those that Love him not. The Light of the Sun would not be valued, honoured or used by the world, if there were no eyes in the world to see it.
- 1Austin ([…]all▪ 9. i• John) having showed that among men it makeeth no one, beautiful to Love one that is beautiful, saith [Anima nostio soeda est per in•quitatem: amando Deum pulchra •ffici•ur: Qual•s am•r qui •edda• pulchrum amantem? Deus semper Pater est: amavit nos faedos, ut ex saedis faceret pulchros: Pulchri erimus amando enim qui pulcher est. Quantum in •e crescit Amor, tantum crescit pulchritudo; Quia ipsa Charitas animae pulchritudo est.Austi• (〈…〉all▪ 9. i• Iohn) having shewed that among men it makeeth no one, beautiful to Love one that is beautiful, saith [Anima nostio soeda est per in•quitatem: amando Deum pulchra •ffici•ur: Qual•s am•r qui •edda• pulchrum amantem? Deus semper Pater est: amavit nos faedos, ut ex saedis faceret pulchros: Pulchri erimus amando enim qui pulcher est. Quantum in •e crescit Amor, tantum crescit pulchritudo; Quia ipsa Charitas animae pulchritudo est.
