Heautonaparnumenos

I come now to make amends in speaking more briefly of the Third Theological Virtue, and that is, Love or Charity. ¹That this Virtue is totally built on Self-denial, if not the very same with it, appears plainly from the Natural effect of Love in General, which is to resign up its proper Interest, and place it in another: Hence we say, Animus est ubi amat, non ubi animat; The mind is where it loves, not where it lives. ²Hence Love is called vinculum unionis, and to that the Apostle alludes, when he calls it the Bond of Perfectness. God so loved the world, says our Saviour, that He gave His only begotten Son for us. He, as it were, gave up His Interest in His Son, to procure an Union with us. In another place, He says, Greater love then this ha's no man, ³then to lay down his life for his friends. May we not say, Greater Self-denial then this no man can show? surely, we may; for it appears by that verse following our Text, that to lose ones life is one of the greatest acts of Self-denial. This then is the great commendation of Self-denial, that it is, not Faith alone, nor Hope alone, but the love of God, the Bond of them; That Love of which St. Paul gives so vast commendations, amongst which one is, that it seeks not its own; ⁴That Love by means whereof Faith producing its works becomes to tum Christiani, the Total of a Christians Duty. By this means it is, that Love climbs up even into Heaven it self; whereas Faith, that, shall cease, when once we come to Vision; Hope, ⟨p. 14⟩that, shall be explete, when once we come to Fruition: But Self-denying Love is strong as Death, ⁵that therefore shall be perfected, not abolished, when once we come to Union; Then when our corrupt selves shall be swallowed up of Perfection, and God shall be All in all.

I come now to make amends in speaking more briefly of the Third Theologicall Vertue, and that is, Love or Charity.