Relation of Love and Law in God.
By McCook
THE planet is held in its sphere by two influences, one impelling, the other staying it. So it is with moral beings; they are drawn by love, but it is love regulated by law. It is well that the earth should have an attraction toward the sun, without which it would wander into an outer region of coldness, darkness, and destruction; but were there no restraining power, it would be drawn into the sun's atmosphere, and be consumed by his heat. In like manner, moral excellence implies of necessity these two things, love and law; the one to attract, the other to guide in the right path. It is not easy to embody in human conceptions, and to express in human language, the relation of law and love. We know that the two are closely connected. Their connection is in God, the source of both. Even as God is the origin of all other things, of nature, of force, of matter, of mind, so is he also the origin of love and law. All these streams, if we follow them up sufficiently far, carry us to the fountain. Love is the refreshing water; the law is the channel for it to flow in; and the spring is the bosom of God. "Let us love one another, for love is of God." Charity is the highest of all the graces. "There abideth these three, faith, hope, and charity; but the greatest of these is charity." But then charity never tries to set itself above law; if it did so, it might work only mischief. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Love takes the form of a commandment. When asked by the lawyer, "Which is the great commandment of the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; this is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Thus indissolubly are charity and commandment joined in Scripture. It is love that makes us like unto God, who is love; but the love of God is a love regulated by eternal justice. We cannot by any process of analysis get rid of either of these elements. Defective systems of ethics arise from omitting one or the other, or not giving each its due place. A stoic, a pharisaic morality leaves out love, and presents only the expressionless form of law. Utilitarianism leaves out eternal and unchangeable obligation, and offers a flexible morality, suiting itself to supposed results. . . . Yes, but whence this word "ought," so full of meaning? Why should I love any one but myself? Our deepest nature gives the response, and will continue to do so, whether we attend to it or not. All this implies that alongside of love there is law, commanding and demanding. Far as the eye can reach, the two are seen to run parallel. I do not say that they never meet, for they meet in the nature of God and of all holy beings. And, though often dissevered here, they will meet at last in the character of saints in Heaven, with whom love will be law, and law will be love. "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." There is no propriety in drawing invidious comparisons as to the relative importance of the two. It might be argued that law is the higher; for it commands love, says when it is to flow, and where it is to stay. But then love is the very end for which the law exists; the end of the commandment is charity. Law without love is a mere form without life; love without law is a life without a body in which to reside. Law without love is a channel without a stream; love without law may be a stream, bursting forth and spreading destruction. Let the two revolve round each other like binary stars, each with its own color, the one the complement of the other. Let Righteousness stand forever on the pedestal on which he has been set up, with his high look and unbending mien, the master and the guardian; and ever beside him, beneath him, and leaning upon him, yet beautiful and graceful as he, let there be seen Love, with smiles upon her face and gifts in her hands.—McCook.