But the greatest of these is charity, Love. 1 Corinthians 13:13. Therefore let all your things be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14. In case they shall be done in God, who is love, and shall follow us, and be rewarded eternally. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. Romans 13:8.
’ The debt of love can never be discharged by alms-givings, or greater acts of charity. Having done all these, we still owe ourselves and our whole substance to God, to offer it up to his service whenever he should be pleased to require it of our hands; for we can call nothing our own. Whatever we reserve as our own against his will, is laid up as a great treasure of trouble and vexation, which gives much more uneasiness than comfort to our minds.
O let thy love our hearts constrain!
Jesus, the crucified,
What hast thou done our hearts to gain?
Languished, and groaned, and died.
Who then would now refuse the way
Where Jesus’ footsteps shine?
Who would not own the pleasing sway
Of charity divine?
Love is the grace that keeps her power,
In all the realms above;
There faith and hope are known no more,
But saints for ever love.