Wesley Corpus

2. But what kind of love is that whereof the Apostle is speaking throughout the chapter Many persons of eminent learning and piety apprehend that it is the love of God. But from reading the whole chapter numberless times, and considering it in every light, I am thoroughly persuaded that what St. Paul is here directly speaking of is the love of our neighbour. I believe whoever carefully weighs the whole tenor of his discourse will be fully convinced of this. But it must be allowed to be such a love of our neighbour, as can only spring from the love of God. And whence does this love of God flow Only from that faith which is of the operation of God; which whoever has, has a direct evidence that, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself." When this is particularly applied to his heart, so that he can say with humble boldness, "The life which I now live, I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me;" then, and not till then, "the love of God is shed abroad in his heart." And this love sweetly constrains him to love every child of man with the love which is here spoken of; not with a love of esteem or of complacence; for this can have no place with regard to those who are (if not his personal enemies, yet) enemies to God and their own souls; but with a love of benevolence, -- of tender good-will to all the souls that God has made.