The second Argument enforcing love, is the excellency of this grace, it is a lovely grace;* all the other graces seem to be Eclipsed, unless love shine and sparkle forth in them. Faith itself hath no beauty unless it work by love; the tears of repentance are not pure unless they flow from the spring of love. Love is the Jewel Christs Bride wears, it is the Diamond in the ring of the graces; love is [Greek or Hebrew], as Chrysostom calls it. This is the grace that seasons all our actions and makes them savoury; love is aroma, amp; opo balsamum, it is like musk among linen which perfumes it. So love makes all our Religious services [Greek or Hebrew], a sweet Odour to God, Ephes. 5.2. Prayer is compared to incense, Psal. 141.2. Now ⟨p. 619⟩incense if it be laid on the Altar, and have no fire put to it, doth not smell so sweet; the incense of Prayer doth not cast such a fragrant smell, unless kindled with this fire of love; love is the badge and cognizance of a true Saint: Joh. 13.35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye love me another: not if ye work miracles, but if ye love one another; by this livery ye are known to belong to me. St. Bernard calls love ros gratiae, the sweet dew that distils from a Christian, and refresheth all whom it drops upon; love is the golden clasp that knits hearts, it is opus signinum, the cement that solders Christians together; it is [Greek or Hebrew], the bond of perfectness, Col. 3.14. if this bond be broken, all falls to pieces. Love is radix omnium bonorum; it is [Greek or Hebrew], the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10.* All the duties of the first and second Table, Piety toward God, and Equity towards our neighbour, are comprehended in this, Thou shalt love.
The second Argument enforcing love, is the excellency of this grace, it is a lovely grace;* all the other graces seem to be Eclipsed, unless love shine and sparckle forth in them. Faith itself hath no beauty unless it work by love; the tears of repentance are not pure unless they flow from the spring of love. Love is the Jewel Christs Bride weares, it is the Diamond in the ring of the graces; love is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, as Chrysostom calls it. This is the grace that seasons all our actions and makes them savoury; love is aroma, amp; opo balsamum, it is like musk among linnen which perfumes it. So love makes all our Religious services 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, a sweet Odour to God, Ephes. 5.2. Prayer is compared to incense, Psal. 141.2. Now ⟨p. 619⟩incense if it be laid on the Altar, and have no fire put to it, doth not smell so sweet; the incense of Prayer doth not cast such a fragrant smell, unless kindled with this fire of love; love is the badge and cognizance of a true Saint: Joh. 13.35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye love me another: not if ye work miracles, but if ye love one another; by this livery ye are known to belong to me. St. Bernard calls love ros gratiae, the sweet dew that distills from a Christian, and refresheth all whom it drops upon; love is the golden clasp that knits hearts, it is opus signinum, the cement that soders Christians together; it is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the bond of perfectness, Col. 3.14. if this bond be broken, all falls to pieces. Love is radix omnium bonorum; it is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10.* All the duties of the first and second Table, Piety toward God, and Equity towards our neighbour, are comprehended in this, Thou shalt love.
- *Color gratiae purpurcus ob scurior esset, si n•n charitate vestiretur. Ber.
- *Omne praeceptum ad charitatum refertur. Aug.
