love. Let him love his brother, and he will loved, let us love one another: for love is of
ON THE TRINITY. 123
Cuap. VIII.]
who have been dead four days; but He says, **Learn of me; for Iam meek and lowly in jheart.'' For humility, which is most solid, is more powerful and safer than pride, that is most inflated. And so He goes on to say, itself to be a word, unless it indicates that it does indicate something; so love also loves indeed itself, but except it love itself as loving something, it loves itself not as love. What therefore does love love, except that which we love with love? But this, to begin from that which is nearest to us, is our brother. And listen how greatly the Apostle John commends brotherly love: '' He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.''* It is manifest that he placed the perfection of righteousness in the love of our brother; for he certainly is perfect in whom ''there is no occasion of stumbling.'' And yet he seems to have passed by the love of God in silence; which he never would have done, unless because he intends God to be understood in brotherly love itself. For in this same epistle, a little further on, he says most plainly thus: '' Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." And this passage declares sufficiently and plainly, that this same brotherly love itself (for that is brotherly love by which we love each other) is set forth by so great authority, not only to be from God, but also to be God. When, therefore, we love our brother from love, we love our brother from God; neither can it be that we do not love above all else that same love by which we love our brother: whence it may be gathered that these two commandments cannot exist unless interchangeably. For since '' God is love,"' he who loves love certainly loves God; but he must needs love love, who loves his brother. And soa little after he says, *' For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ''?9 because the reason that he does not see God is, that he does not love his brother. For he who does not love his brother, abideth not in love; and he who abideth not in love, abideth not in God, because God is love. Further, he who abideth not in God, abideth not in light; for 'God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.''* He therefore who abideth not in light, what wonder is it if he does not see light, that is, does not see God, because he is in darkness? But he sees his brother with human sight, with which God cannot be seen. But if he loved with spiritual love him whom he sees with human sight, he would see God, who is love itself, with the
And ye shall find rest unto your souls,''? for '' Love? is not puffed up;''3 and '' God is Love;"+* and '' such as be faithful in love shall rest in' Him," ® called back from the din which is without to silent joys. Behold, '**God is Love:"' why do we go forth and run to the heights of the heavens and the lowest parts of the earth, seeking Him who is within us, if we wish to be with Him?
CHAP, 8.—THAT HE WHO LOVES HIS BROTHER,
LOVES GOD 5 BECAUSE HE LOVES LOVE ITSELF,
WHICH IS OF GOD, AND IS GOD.
12. Let no one say, I do not know what I love. Let him love his brother, and he will love the same love. For he knows the love with which he loves, more than the brother whom he loves. So now he can know God more than he knows hig brother: clearly known more, because more present; known more, because more within him; known more, because more certain. Embrace the love of God, and by love embrace God. That is love itself, which associates together all good angels and all the servants of God by the bond of sanctity, and joins together us and them mutually with ourselves, and joins us subordinately to Himself. In_ proportion, therefure, as we are healed from the swelling of pride, in such proportion are we more filled with love; and with what is he full, who is full of love, except with God? Well, but you will say, I see love, and, as far as I am able, I gaze upon it with my mind, and I believe the Scripture, saying, that ''God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God;"'" but when I see love, I do not see in it the Trinity. Nay, but thou dost see the Trinity if thou seest love. But if I can I will put you in mind, that thou mayest see that thou seest it; only let itself be present, that we may be moved by love to something good. Since, when we love love, we love one who loves something, and that on account of this very thing, that he does love something; therefore what does love love, that love itself also may be loved? For thatis not love which loves nothing. But if it loves itself it must love something, that it may love itself as love. For as a word indicates something, and indicates also itself, but does not indicate inner sight by which He can be seen. Therefore he who does not love his brother whom
I Matt. xi. 28, 29. 3 1 Cor, xili. 4. 4x John iv. 8. 6 Wisd. iii. 9.
2 Charity.--A.V. 5 Abide with.-—-A.V. 7 1 John iv. 16, to x Johni. 5. 8 x John ii. 10. 9 1 John iv. 7, 8, 20.