infirmities that are
in it. And thus, what in the desire and endeavour of love on our part, and
what in the acceptation of what is done on his part, "love is the
fulfilling of the law." It is an usual proverb. All things are as they are
taken; "Love is the fulfilling of the law," because our loving Father
takes it so, he takes as much delight in the poor children's willingness,
as in the more aged's strength, the offer and endeavour of the one
pleaseth him, as well as the performance of the other.

The love of God is the fulfilling of the law, for it is a living law, it
is the law written on the heart, it is the law of a spirit of life within.
_Quis legem det amantibus? Major lex amor sibi ipsi est._ You almost need
not prescribe any rules, or set over the head of love the authority and
pain of a command, for it is a greater law to itself. It hath within its
own bosom as deep an engagement and obligation to any thing that may
please God as you can put upon it, for it is in itself the very
engagement and bond of the soul to him. This is it, indeed, which will do
him service, and that is the service which he likes. It is that only
serves him constantly and pleasantly and constantly; it cannot serve him
which doth it not pleasantly, for it is delight only that makes it
constant. Violent motions may be swift, but not durable; they last not
long. Fear and terror is a kind of external impulse that may drive a soul
swiftly to some duty, but because that is not one with a soul, it cannot
endure long, it is not good company to the soul. But love, making a duty
pleasant, becomes one with the soul. It incorporates with it and becomes
like its nature to it, that though it should not move so swiftly, yet
moves more constantly. And what is love but the very motion of the soul to
God? And so till it have attained that, to be in him, it can find no place
of rest. Now this is only the service that he is pleased with, which comes
from love, because he sees his own image in it; for love in us is nothing
else but the impression and stamp that God's love to us makes on the
heart. It is that very reflection of that sweet warm beam. So then when
his love reflects back unto himself carrying our heart and duty with it,
he knoweth his own superscription, he loves his own image in such a duty.
"If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and
we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," John xiv. 23. Here
now is