Charity and Its Fruits (continued)
human life, though diversified in its modes and forms. It is further true of the Christian graces,
3. That they all have the same root and foundation, namely, the knowledge of God's excellence. — The same sight or sense of God's excellency begets faith, and love, and repentance, and all the other graces. One sight of this excellence will beget all these graces, because it shows the ground and reason of all holy dispositions, and of all holy behavior toward God. They that truly know God's nature will love him, and trust in him, and have a spirit to submit to him, and serve, and obey him. "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee" (Psa. 9:10 ). "Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him" (1 John 3:6 ). "Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God" (1 John 4:7 ). It is also true of the Christian graces,
4. That they all have the same rule, namely, the law of God. — And therefore they must be linked together; for, seeing they all have respect to this rule, they all tend to confirm the whole of the rule, and to conform the heart and life to it. He that has a true respect to one of God's commands, will have a true respect to all; for they are all established by the same authority, and are all jointly an expression of the same holy nature of God. "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all; for he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law" (Jam. 2:10 , 11 ).
5. All the Christian graces have the same end, namely, God. — He is their end, for they all tend to him. As they are all from the same source, rising from the same fountain; and all stand on the same foundation, growing from the same root; and are all directed by the same rule, the law of God; — so they are all directed to the same end, namely, God, and his glory, and our happiness in him. And this shows that they must be nearly related, and very much linked together. And once more, it is true,