than this. It alone distinguishes the sons of Spirit is called in the sacred books the gift of
ON THE TRINITY. Tg,
Cuap. XIX. ] follows, the apostle had mentioned the love of God, not that by which we love Him, but goods so great bring no one to eternal life! But love or charity itself,—for they are two names for one thing,—if he have it that does not speak with tongues, nor has the gift of prophecy, nor knows all mysteries and all knowledge, nor gives all his goods to the poor, either because he has none to give or because some necessity hinders, nor delivers his body to be burned, if no trial of such a suffering overtakes him, brings that man to the kingdom, so that faith itself is only rendered profitable by love, since faith without love can indeed exist, but cannot profit. And therefore also the Apostle Paul says, '*In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love:''5 so distinguishing it from that faith by which even "'the devils believe and tremble.''® Love, therefore, which is of God and is God, is specially the Holy Spirit, by whom the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by which love the whole Trinity dwells inus. And therefore most rightly is the Holy Spirit, although He is God, called also the gift of God." And by that gift what else can properly be understood except love, which brings to God, and without which any other gift of God whatsoever does not bring to God?
that by which He ''loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiator for our sins,''* and thereupon had exhorted us also to love one another, and that so God would abide in us, —because, namely, he had called God Love; immediately, in his wish to speak yet more expressly on the subject, '' Hereby," he says,
know we that we dwell in Him, ahd He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.'' Therefore the Holy Spirit, of whom He hath given us, makes us to abide in God, and Him in us; and this itis that love does. Therefore He is the God that is love. Lastly, a little after, when he had repeated the same thing, and had said ''God is love,'' he immediately subjoined, ** And he who abideth in love, abideth in God, and God abideth in him;'' whence he had said above, '' Hereby we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit." He therefore is signified, where we read that God is love. 'Therefore God the Holy Spirit, who proceedeth from the Father, when He has been given to man, inflames him to the love of God and of his neighbor, and is Himself love. For man has not whence to love God, unless from God; and therefore he says a little after, '* Let us love Him, because He first loved us.''?? The Apostle Paul, too, says,
CHAP, 19.—THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CALLED THE
GIFT OF GOD IN THE SCRIPTURES. BY THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MEANT 'THE GIFT WHICH IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY
The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.''3
SPIRIT IS SPECIALLY CALLED LOVE, ALTHOUGH NOT ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE TRINITY
CHAP. 18.—NO GIFT OF GOD IS MORE EXCEL-
LENT THAN LOVE.
IS LOVE.
33. Is this too to be proved, that the Holy Spirit is called in the sacred books the gift of God? If people look for this too, we have in the Gospel according to John the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, who says, '* If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink: he that believeth on me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.'' And the evangelist has gone on further to add, '* And this He spake of the Spirit, which they should receive who believe in Him.''® And hence Paul the apostle also says, '* And we have all been made to drink into one Spirit."*9 The question then is, whether that water is called the gift of God which is the Holy Spirit. But as we find here that this water is the Holy Spirit, so we find elsewhere in the Gospel itself that this water is called the gift of God. For when the same Lord was talking with the woman of Samaria at the well, to whom He had said, '* Give me
32. There is no gift of God more excellent than this. It alone distinguishes the sons of the eternal kingdom and the sons of eterna!
perdition. Other gifts, too, are given by the Holy Spirit; but without love they profit nothing. Unless, therefore, the Holy Spirit is so far imparted to each, as to make him one who loves God and his neighbor, he is not removed from the left hand to the right. Nor is the Spirit specially called the Gift, unless on account of love. And he who has not this love, '' though he speak with the tongues of men and angels, is sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal; and though he have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and though he have all faith, so that he can remove mountains, he is nothing; and though he bestow all his goods to feed the poor, and though he give his body to be burned, it profiteth him nothing.'"'* How great a good, then, is that without which
5 Gal. v. 6. 7 Acts viii. 20. 6 Jas. ii. 19. 8 John vii. 37-39. 9 x Cor, xii. 13.
2 x John iv. 7-19. 1 John iv. ro. 41 Cor, xiil. 1-3. 3 Rom. v. 5.