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| No Gift of God is More Excellent Than Love.
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Chapter 18.—No Gift of God
is More Excellent Than Love.
32. There is no gift of God more
excellent than this. It alone distinguishes the sons of the eternal
kingdom and the sons of eternal 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.”1012
How great
a good, then, is that without which 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:”1013
so
distinguishing it from that faith by which even “the devils
believe and tremble.”1014
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 in us. And therefore most rightly is the Holy Spirit,
although He is God, called also the gift of God.1015
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?E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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