asts; and is still emptying itself of all superfluity of
naughtiness, and purging out all vanity and filthiness, that there may be
more room for his Majesty. And then love dwells in God, in his love and
grace, in his goodness and greatness. The secret of his presence it
delights in. Now this mutual inhabitation, in which it is hard to say
whether the Majesty of God does most descend, or the soul most ascend,
whether he be more humbled or it exalted, this brotherly love, I say, is
the evidence and assurance of it. "If we love one another, God dwells in
us, and his love is perfected in us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in
love dwelleth in God, and God in him," 1 John iv. 12, 16. For the love of
the image of God in his children, is indeed the love of God whose image it
is, and then is the love of God perfected, when it reacheth and extends
from God to all that is God's, to all that hath interest in God--his
commandments, (1 John v. 3. "This is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments, and his commandments are not grievous," 1 John iv. 21, "And
this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother
also,") his children, (1 John v. 1, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the
Christ is born of God, and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth
him that is begotten of him,") his creatures, (Mal. ii. 10, "Hath not one
God created us, why do we deal treacherously every man against his
brother?") The love of God being the formal, the special motive of love to
our brethren, it elevates the nature of it, and makes it divine love. He
that hath true Christian love, doth not only love and compassionate his
brother, either because of its own inclination towards him, or his misery
and necessity, or his goodness and excellency. These motives and grounds
do not transcend mere morality, and so cannot beget a love which is the
symptom of Christianity. If there be no other motives than these, we do
not love so much for God as for ourselves; for compassion interesting
itself with another man's misery, finds a kind of relief in relieving it.
Therefore the will and good pleasure of God must be the rule of this
motion, and the love of God must begin in it and continue it. And truly
charity is nothing else but divine love in a state of condescent,(416) so
to speak, or the love of a soul to God manifested in the flesh. It is that
love moving in a circle from God towards his creatures, and unto God
again, as his love to