"For he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law."
7. Having frequently spoken of the character and fruits of love, it is
unnecessary to introduce the subject here. The topic is sufficiently
treated in the epistle lesson for the Sunday preceding Lent. We will
look at the command to love, in the Law of God. Innumerable, endless,
are the books and doctrines produced for the direction of man's
conduct. And there is still no limit to the making of books and laws.
Note the ecclesiastical and civil regulations, the spiritual orders
and stations. These laws and doctrines might be tolerated, might be
received with more favor, if they were founded upon and administered
according to the one great law--the one rule or measure--of love; as
the Scriptures do, which present many different laws, but all born of
love, and comprehended in and subject to it. And these laws must
yield, must become invalid, when they conflict with love.
Of Love's higher authority we find many illustrations in the
Scriptures. Christ makes particular mention of the matter in Matthew
12, 3-4, where David and his companions ate the holy showbread. Though
a certain law prohibited all but the priests from partaking of this
holy food, Love was empress here, and free. Love was over the Law,
subjecting it to herself. The Law had to yield for the time being, had
to become invalid, when David suffered hunger. The Law had to submit
to the sentence: "David hungers and must be relieved, for Love
commands, Do good to your needy neighbor. Yield, therefore, thou Law.
Prevent not the accomplishment of this good. Rather accomplish it
thyself. Serve him in his need. Interpose not thy prohibitions." In
connection with this same incident, Christ teaches that we are to do
good to our neighbor on the Sabbath; to minister as necessity demands,
whatever the Sabbath restrictions of the Law. For when a brother's
need calls, Love is authority and the Law of the Sabbath is void.
8. Were laws conceived and administered in love, the number of laws
would matter little. Though one might not hear or learn all of them,
he would learn from the one or two he had knowledge of, the principle
of love taught in all. And though he were to know all laws, he might
not discover the principle of love any more readily than he would in
one. Paul teaches this method of understanding and mastering law when
he says: "Owe no man anything, but to love one another"; "He that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law"; "If there be any other
commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"; "Love worketh no ill to his
neighbor"; "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Every word in this
epistle lesson proves Love mistress of all law.
9. Further, no greater calamity, wrong and wretchedness is possible on
earth than the teaching and enforcing of laws without love. In such
case, laws are but a ruinous curse, making true the proverbs, "summum
jus, summa injustitia," "The most strenuous right is the most
strenuous wrong"; and again, Solomon's words (Ec 7, 17), "Noli nimium
esse justus," "Be not righteous overmuch." Here is where we leave
unperceived the beam in our own eye and proceed to remove the mote
from our neighbor's eye. Laws without love make the conscience timid
and fill it with unreasonable terror and despair, to the great injury
of body and soul. Thus, much trouble and labor are incurred all to no
purpose.
10. An illustration in point is the before-mentioned incident of David
in his hunger. 1 Sam 21, 6. Had the priest been disposed to refuse
David the holy bread, had he blindly insisted on honoring the
prohibitions of the Law and failed to perceive the authority of Love,
had he denied this food to him who hungered, what would have been the
result? So far as the priest's assistance went, David would have had
to perish with hunger, and the priest would have been guilty of murder
for the sake of the Law. Here, indeed, "summum jus, summa
injustitia"--the most strenuous right would have been the most
strenuous wrong. Moreover, on examining the heart of the priest who
should be so foolish, you would find there the extreme abomination of
making sin where there is no sin, and a matter of conscience where
there is no occasion for it. For he holds it a sin to eat the bread,
when really it is an act of love and righteousness. Then, too, he
regards his act of murder--permitting David to die of hunger--not a
sin, but a good work and service to God.
11. But who can fully portray this blind, perverted, abominable folly?
It is the perpetration of an evil the devil himself cannot outdo. For
it makes sin where there is no sin, and a matter of conscience without
occasion. It robs of grace, salvation, virtue, and God with all his
blessings, and that without reason, falsely and deceitfully. It
emphatically denies and condemns God. Again, it makes murder and
injustice a good work, a divine service. It puts the devil with his
falsehoods in the place of God. It institutes the worst form of
idolatry and ruins body and soul, destroying the former by hunger and
the latter by a terrified conscience. It makes of God the devil, and
of the devil God. It makes hell of heaven and heaven of hell;
righteousness of sin, and sin of righteousness. This I call
perversion--where strictest justice is the most strenuous wrong.
To this depravity Ezekiel has reference (ch. 13, 18-19): "Thus saith
the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the women that sew pillows upon all elbows,
and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt
souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for
yourselves? And ye have profaned me among my people for handfuls of
barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die,
and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my
people that hearken unto lies." What is meant but that the blind
teachers of the Law terrify the conscience, and put sin and death in
the place of grace and life, and grace and life where is only sin and
death; and all for a handful of barley and a bit of bread? In other
words, such teachers devote themselves to laws concerning strictly
external matters, things that perish with the using, such as a drink
of water and a morsel of bread, wholly neglecting love and harassing
the conscience with fear of sin unto eternal death; as Ezekiel goes on
to say (verses 22-23): "Because with lies ye have grieved the heart of
the righteous, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of
the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be
saved alive; therefore ye shall no more see false visions, nor divine
divinations: and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye
shall know that I am Jehovah."
12. Mark you, it is making the hearts of the righteous sad to load
them with sins when their works are good; it is strengthening the
hands of the wicked to make their works good when they are naught but
sin. Relative to this subject, we read (Ps 14, 5): "There were they in
great fear; for God is in the generation of the righteous." That is,
the sting of conscience fills with fear where there is neither reason
for fear nor for a disturbed conscience. That is feared as sin which
is really noble service to God. The thought of the last passage is:
When they should call upon God and serve him, they fear such conduct
is sin and not divine service; again, when they have need to fear a
service not divine, they are secure and unafraid. Isaiah's words (ch.
29, 13) are to the same effect: "Their fear of me is a commandment of
men which hath been taught them." Always the perverted people spoken
of corrupt everything. They confidently call on God where is only the
devil; they refrain in fear from calling on God where God is.
13. Such, mark you, is the wretched condition of them who are blindly
occupied with laws and works and fail to comprehend the design of law
and its mistress Love. Note, also, in the case of our miserable
ecclesiasts and their followers, how rigidly they adhere to their own
inventions! Though all the world meet ruin, their devices must be
sustained; they must be perpetuated regardless of bodily illness and
death, or of suffering and ruin for the soul. They even regard such
destruction and ruin as divine service, and know no fear nor remorse
of conscience. Indeed, so strongly entrenched are they in their
wickedness, they will never return from it. Moreover, should one of
their wretched number be permitted to alleviate the distress of his
body and soul--to eat meat, to marry--he is afraid, he feels remorse
of conscience; he is uncertain about sin and law, about death and
hell; he calls not on God, nor serves him; all this, even though the
body should die ten deaths and the soul go to the devil a hundred
times.
14. Observe, then, the state of the world; how little flesh and blood
can accomplish even in their best efforts; how dangerous to undertake
to rule by law alone--indeed, how impossible it is, without great
danger, to govern and instruct souls with mere laws, ignoring love and
the Spirit, in whose hands is the full power of all law. It is written
(Deut 33, 2), "At his right hand was a fiery law for them." This is
the law of love in the Spirit. It shall regulate all laws at the left
hand; that is, the external laws of the world. It is said (Ex 28, 30)
that the priest must bear upon his breast, in the breastplate, "the
Urim and the Thummim"; that is, Light and Perfection, indicative of
the priest's office to illuminate the Law--to give its true sense--and
faultlessly to keep and to teach it.
15. In the conception, the establishment and the observance of all
laws, the object should be, not the furtherance of the laws in
themselves, not the advancement of works, but the exercise of love.
That is the true purpose of law, according to Paul here, "He that
loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law." Therefore, when the law
contributes to the injury rather than the benefit of our neighbor, it
should be ignored. The same law may at one time benefit our neighbor
and at another time injure him. Consequently, it should be regulated
according to its advantage to him. Law should be made to serve in the
same way that food and raiment and other necessaries of life serve. We
consider not the food and raiment themselves, but their benefit to our
needy neighbor. And we cease to dispense them as soon as we perceive
they no longer add to his comfort.
16. Suppose you were to come across an individual foolish enough to
act with no other thought than that food and clothing are truly good
things, and so proceed to stuff a needy one with unlimited food and
drink unto choking, and to clothe him unto suffocation, and then not
to desist. Suppose to the command, "Stop, you have suffocated, have
already over-fed and over-clothed him, and all is lost effort now,"
the foolish one should reply: "You heretic, would you forbid good
works? Food, drink and raiment are good things, therefore we must not
cease to dispense them; we cannot do too much." And suppose he
continued to force food and clothing on the man. Tell me, what would
you think of such a one? He is a fool more than foolish; he is more
mad than madness itself. But such is about the character of our
ecclesiasts today, and of those who are so blind in the exercise of
law as to act as if works were the only requisite, and to suffocate
body and soul, being ignorant that the one purpose of law is to call
forth the exercise of love. They make works superior to love, and a
maid to her matron. Such perversion prevails to an extent distressing
to think of, not to mention hearing and seeing it, or more, practicing
and permitting it ourselves.
17. The commandment of love is not a long one; it is short. It is one
injunction, not many. It is even not a commandment, and at the same
time is all commandments. Brief, and a unit in itself, its meaning is
easily comprehended. But in its exercise, it is far-reaching, for it
includes and regulates all commandments. So far as works are enjoined,
it is no commandment at all; it names no peculiar work. Yet it
represents all commandments, because properly the fulfilment of all
commandments is the fulfilment of this. The commandment of love
suspends every commandment, yet it perpetuates all. Its whole purpose
is that we may recognize no commandment, no work, except as love
dictates.
18. As life on earth apart from works is an impossibility, necessarily
there must be various commandments involving works. Yet Love is
supreme over these requirements, dictating the omission or the
performance of works according to its own best interests, and
permitting no works opposed to itself.
To illustrate: A driver, holding the reins, guides team and wagon at
will. If he were content merely to hold the reins, regardless of
whether or no the team followed the road, the entire equipage--team,
wagon, reins and driver--would soon be wrecked; the driver would be
lying drowned in a ditch or a pool, or have his neck broken going over
stumps and rocks. But if he dexterously regulates the movement of the
outfit according to the road, observing where it is safe and where
unsafe, he will proceed securely because wisely. Were he, in his
egotism, to drive straight ahead, endeavoring to make the road conform
to the movement of the wagon, at his pleasure, he would soon see how
beautifully his plan would work.
19. So it is when men are governed by laws and works, the laws not
being regulated according to the people. The case is that of the
driver who would regulate the road by the movements of the wagon.
True, the road is often well suited to the straight course of the
wagon. But just as truly the road is, in certain places, crooked and
uneven, and then the wagon must conform to the course and condition of
the road. Men must adapt themselves to laws and regulations wherever
possible and where the laws are beneficial. But where laws prove
detrimental to men's interests, the former must yield. The ruler must
wisely make allowance for love, suspending works and laws. Hence,
philosophers say prudence--or circumspection or discretion as the
ecclesiasts put it--is the guide and regulator of all virtues.
20. We read in a book of the ancient fathers that on a certain
occasion of their assembling, the question was raised, which is really
the noblest work? Various replies were given. One said prayer, another
fasting; but St. Anthony was of the opinion that of all works and
virtues, discretion is the best and surest way to heaven. These,
however, were but childish, unspiritual ideas relating to their own
chosen works. A Christian views the matter in quite a different light,
and more judiciously. He concludes that neither discretion nor
rashness avails before God. Only faith and love serve with him. But
love is true discretion; love is the driver and the true discretion in
righteous works. It always looks to the good of the neighbor, to the
amelioration of his condition; just as the discretion of the world
looks to the general welfare of the governed in the adjustment of
political laws. Let this suffice on this point.
21. But the question arises: How can love fulfil the Law when love is
but one of the fruits of faith and we have frequently said that only
faith in Christ removes our sins, justifies us and satisfies all the
demands of the Law? How can we make the two claims harmonize? Christ
says, too (Mt 7, 12): "All things, therefore, whatsoever ye would that
men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the
law and the prophets." Thus he shows that love for one's neighbor
fulfils both the Law and the prophets. Again, he says (Mt 22, 37-40):
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God ... thy neighbor as thyself. On
these two the whole law hangeth, and the prophets." Where, then, does
Paul stand, who says (Rom 3, 31): "Do we then make the law of none
effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law." Again
(Rom 3, 28): "We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith
apart from the works of the law." And again (Rom 1, 17), "The
righteous shall live by faith."
22. I reply: As we have frequently said, we must properly distinguish
between faith and love. Faith deals with the heart, and love with the
works. Faith removes our sins, renders us acceptable, justifies us.
And being accepted and justified as to our person, love is given us in
the Holy Spirit and we delight in doing good. Now, it is the nature of
the Law to attack our person and demand good works; and it will not
cease to demand until it gains its point. We cannot do good works
without the Spirit and love. The Law constrains us to know ourselves
with our imperfections, and to recognize the necessity of our becoming
altogether different individuals that we may satisfy the Law. The Law
does not exact so much of the heart as of works; in fact, it demands
nothing but works and ignores the heart. It leaves the individual to
discover, from the works required, that he must become an altogether
different person. But faith, when it comes, creates a nature capable
of accomplishing the works the Law demands. Thus is the Law fulfilled.
So Paul's sayings on the subject are beautiful and appropriate. The
Law demands of us works; it must be fulfilled by works. Hence it
cannot in every sense be said that faith fulfils the Law. However, it
prepares the way and enables us to fulfil it, for the Law demands, not
us, but our works. The Law constrains us--teaches us that we must be
changed before we can accomplish its works; it makes us conscious of
our inability as we are. On the other hand, love and works do not
change us, do not justify us. We must be changed in person and
justified before we can love and do good works. Our love and our works
are evidence of justification and of a change, since they are
impossible until the individual is free from sin and made righteous.
23. This explanation is given to enable us to perceive the true nature
of the Law, of faith and of love; to ascribe to each its own mission;
and rightly to understand the Scripture declarations in their
harmonious relations that while faith justifies, it does not fulfil
the Law, and that while love does not justify, it does fulfil the Law.
The Law requires love and works, but does not mention the heart. The
heart is sensible of the Law, but love is not. Just as the Law, in
requiring works before faith exists, is a sign to the individual
leading him to recognize his utter lack of faith and righteousness,
and to conclude he is conquered, so love in its fulfilment of the Law
after faith intervenes is a sign and a proof to the individual of his
faith and righteousness. Law and love, then, witness to him concerning
his unrighteousness or his righteousness. After faith comes, love is
evidence of righteousness. Before faith, man is sensible of the Law's
oppression because he knows he does not possess what the Law requires.
And the Law does not require a changed heart, but works. Love and
works do not effect the fulfilment of the Law; they are themselves its
fulfilment.
24. Now, though faith does not fulfil the Law, it contains that which
effects its fulfilment; it secures the Spirit and love whereby the end
is accomplished. On the other hand, if love does not justify us, it
makes manifest the faith whereby we are justified. Briefly, as Paul
says here, "Love is the fulfilment of the law." His thought is:
Fulfilment of the Law is one thing, and effecting or furnishing its
fulfilment another. Love fulfils the Law in the sense that love itself
is its fulfilment; but faith fulfils it in the sense that it offers
that by which it is fulfilled. For faith loves and works, as said in
Galatians 5, 6, "Faith worketh through love." The water fills the
pitcher; so does the cupbearer. The water fills of itself; the
cupbearer fills with the water--"effective et formaliter implere," as
the sophists would say.
25. Faith is ever the actor, and love the act. The law requires the
act and thus forces the actor to be changed. The Law is then fulfilled
by the act, which, however, the actor must perform. Thus Paul rejects
the fancies of the sophists, who in the matter of love would make a
distinction between the external work and the inner affection, saying:
"Love is an inner affection that loves our neighbor when in our heart
we wish him well." Its expression in works, however, they call the
fruit of love. But we will not discuss this idea. Note, Paul terms
love not only an affection, but an affectionate good act. Faith and
the heart are the actor and fulfiller of the Law. Paul says, "He that
loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law." And love is the act, the
fulfilling; for he says, "Love is the fulfilment of the law."
26. Another question arises: How can love for our neighbor be the
fulfilment of the Law when we are required to love God supremely, even
above our neighbor? I reply: Christ answers the question when he tells
us (Mt 22, 39) the second commandment is like unto the first. He makes
love to God and love to our neighbor the same love. The reason for
this is, first: God, having no need for our works and benefactions for
himself, bids us to do for our neighbor what we would do for God. He
asks for himself only our faith and our recognition of him as God. The
object of proclaiming his honor and rendering him praise and thanks
here on earth is that our neighbor may be converted and brought into
fellowship with God. Such service is called the love of God, and is
performed out of love to God; but it is exercised for the benefit of
our neighbor only.
27. The second reason why God makes love to our neighbor an obligation
equal to love to himself is: God has made worldly wisdom foolish,
desiring henceforth to be loved amid crosses and afflictions. Paul
says (1 Cor 1, 21), "Seeing that in the wisdom of God the world
through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through
the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe."
Therefore, upon the cross he submitted himself unto death and misery,
and imposed the same submission upon all his disciples. They who
refused to love him before when he bestowed upon them food and drink,
blessing and honor, must now love him in hunger and sorrow, in
adversity and disgrace. All works of love, then, must be directed to
our wretched, needy neighbors. In these lowly ones we are to find and
love God, in them we are to serve and honor him, and only so can we do
it. The commandment to love God is wholly merged in that to love our
neighbors.
28. These facts restrain those elusive, soaring spirits that seek
after God only in great and glorious undertakings. It stops the mouths
of those who strive after greatness like his, who would force
themselves into heaven, presuming to serve and love him with their
brilliant works. But they miss him by passing over him in their
earthly neighbor, in whom God would be loved and honored. Therefore,
they will hear, on the last day, the sentence (Mt 25, 42), "I was
hungry, and ye did not give me to eat," etc. For Christ laid aside his
divinity and took upon himself the form of a servant for the very
purpose of bringing down and centering upon our neighbor the love we
extend to himself. Yet we leave the Lord to lie here in his
humiliation while we gaze open-mouthed into heaven and make great
pretensions to love and service to God.