ent by belief of the truth, and
receiving of Christ into the heart, there is but one commandment behind,
and it is not grievous, viz., love me, and love one another; love me, and
live unto me. This is an easy yoke; and there is good reason for it,
though it had never been required to love him, and live to him, who loved
not his life unto the death for us. There is mention made only of
brotherly love here, but certainly the other love to God flowing from the
sense of his love, is the right wing of the soul, and brotherly love the
left; and by these the pious soul mounts up to heaven with the wings of an
eagle. The love of our brother is but the fruit and consequent of this
love, but it is set down as a probation, and clear evidence of the love of
God in our souls.

Love is commanded as the very sum and substance of the whole law, as the
fountain of all other duties. Things are compacted in their causes, and
lie hid within the virtue of them. Truly this is the way to persuade and
constrain you to all the duties of godliness and righteousness, of piety
towards God, and charity towards men,--if once we could fasten this chain
of affection upon your hearts, and engage your souls by love to God and
man. We cannot but beat the air, while we seek to persuade you to the
serious practice of religious duties, of prayer in secret and in your
families, of reading and meditation upon the word, of sanctifying the
Sabbath, of dealing justly and moderately with all men, of sobriety and
temperance in your conversation, of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
of walking humbly with God and towards men, of restraining and subduing
your inordinate lusts and passions; I say, it is almost in vain to press
these things upon you, or expect them from you, till once the Spirit of
power and love enter into your hearts; and indeed the spirit of love is a
powerful spirit, the love of God possessing the heart within, cannot but
conform all within and without to his love and good pleasure. Love only
can do these things which are pleasant in his sight, for it doth them
pleasantly, heartily, and cheerfully; and God loves a cheerful giver, a
cheerful worshipper. Brotherly love is rather expressed, because little or
not at all studied by the most part. Other duties to God, if men come not
up in practice to them, yet they approve them in their soul and mind. But
there is scarce a notion of the obligation of charity and love towards our
brethren, yea, not