11. Yet lackest thou one thing, whosoever thou art, that to a deep humility, and a stedfast faith, hast joined a lively hope, and thereby in a good measure cleansed thy heart from its inbred pollution. If thou wilt be perfect, add to all these charity; add love, and thou hast the _circumcision of the heart. Love is the fulfilling of the law, the end of the commandment._ Very excellent things are spoken of love; it is the essence, the spirit, the life of all virtue. It is not only the first and great command, but it is all the commandments in one. Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are amiable or honourable; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, they are all comprized in this one word, love. In this is perfection and glory and happiness: the royal law of heaven and earth is this, _Thou shalt love the_ Lord _thy_ God _with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength_. 12. *Not that this forbids us to love any thing besides God: It implies, that we _love our brother also_. Nor yet does it forbid us (as some have strangely imagined) to take pleasure in any thing but God. To suppose this, is to suppose the Fountain of holiness, is directly the author of sin: since he has inseparably annexed pleasure to the use of those creatures, which are necessary to sustain the life he has given us. This therefore can never be the meaning of his command. What the real sense of it is, both our blessed Lord and his apostles tell us too frequently and too plainly to be misunderstood. They all with one mouth bear witness, that the true meaning of those several declarations, _The_ Lord _thy_ God _is one_ Lord. _Thou shalt have no other Gods but me; Thou shalt love the_ Lord _thy_ God _with all thy strength; thou shalt cleave unto him_; The _desire of thy soul_ shall be _to his name_: is no other than this. The one perfect Good shall be your one ultimate end. One thing shall ye desire for its own sake, the fruition of him that is all in all. One happiness shall ye propose to your souls, even an union with him that made them: the having _fellowship with the Father and the Son_: the being _joined to the_ Lord _in one spirit_. One design ye are to pursue to the end of time, the enjoyment of God in time and in eternity. Desire other things, so far as they tend to this. Love the creature――as it leads to the Creator. But in every step you take, be this the glorious point that terminates your view. Let every affection, and thought, and word, and work, be subordinate to this. Whatever ye desire or fear, whatever ye seek or shun, whatever ye think, speak, or do, be it in order to your happiness in God, the sole end as well as source of your being.