Moses wrote in the law, God made man in His image and likeness.’’
Gen. 1. 26
Mark, I beg you, the distinction of this saying; God the omnipotent, unseen, unfathomable, ineffable, unsearchable, when making man of clay, ennobled him with the distinction of His image. What comparison has man with God? What is there between earth and spirit? For God is Spirit.’’Ioann. 4. 24
It is a great dignity that God bestowed on man the image of His eternity and the likeness of His character. A grand distinction for man is the likeness of God, if it be preserved; but again, it is great damnation to defile the image of God. For if he prostitutes for the opposite employment what he has received from the breath of God, and corrupts the blessing of his nature, then he perverts the likeness of God and destroys it as far as in him lies; yet if he employs the virtues planted in his soul to a proper end, then he will be like to God. So whatever virtues God sowed in us in our original state, He taught us in the commandments to restore the same to Him. This is the first, To love our Lord with the whole heart,’’Matt. 22. 37
since He first loved us’’Ioann. 4. 10
from the beginning and before we were. For the love of God is the restoration of His image. But he loves God who observes His commands; for He said, If you love Me, keep My commands.’’Ioann. 14. 15
This is His command, a mutual love, according to that saying, This is My command, that you love one another, as I also have loved you.’’Ioann. 15. 12
But true love is not in word [only,] but in deed and in truth.’’Ioann. 3. 18
Therefore let us restore to our God, our Father, His own image undefiled in holiness, since He is holy, according to that saying, Be ye holy, since I am holy;’’Lev. II. 44
in love, since He is love, according to that saying of John, God is love;’’Ioann. 4. 8
in righteousness and truth, since He is righteous and true.Let us not be the painters of another's image; for he is the painter of a despot's image, who is fierce, wrathful, proud. For just as false knowledge is detected, so a false image also is discovered as a phantom. For truth is distinguished from falsehood, justice from unrighteousness, love from ill will, enthusiasm from carelessness, rectitude from wrong, affection from pretence, and both paint some images upon us, which are mutually opposed. For righteousness and unrighteousness, peace and disagreement, are opposed to one another. Then lest perhaps we should import into ourselves despotic images, let Christ paint His image in us, as He does by saying, My peace I give you, My peace I leave to you.’’
Ioann. 14. 27
But what advantage is it for us to know that peace is good, if it is not well preserved? For each best gift is usually the frailest, and the most valuable things require the more care and surer keeping; for a thing is over-frail that is lost by light talk, and perishes with the slightest injury of a brother. There is none you do not injure when you fawn upon him; and you flatter none when you disdain him. For if you say, Fool, you [have both broken peace, and] are made liable to hell fire.’’Matt. 5. 22
Thus those who practise the consummation of brotherly love must beware of speaking as they please, and of moving the tongue to follow the motion of their mind, when it is not only for hurtful words, but even for idle ones, that we shall render an account.’’Matt. 12. 36
Wherefore we must make it our practice not to linger over much speaking, but to say the barest minimum. For there is nothing more pleasant for men than to speak of and take interest in the concerns of others, and to utter idle words everywhere, and to criticize the absent; and thus those who cannot say, The Lord has given me a discerning tongue, that I can support him who is weary with a word,’’Isa. 50. 4
should keep silence, and if they say anything, let it be peaceable. For however wise a man may be, he offends less with few speeches than with many; for when each lies, curses, criticizes, he cuts his throat with his own sword. But what else would our enemies have desired for us, save that we should fall under our own arms? Do not criticize, [says the Scripture,] lest you be exterminated.’’Ps. 36. 8-9
See what is done in the works of unrighteousness; dwelling and planting, which we scarcely plant with long and daily labours, are exterminated with one word of criticism, and what can scarcely be established by lengthy toil is overthrown by the onset of a single speech. Then let each beware, lest for an angry criticism his root be exterminated from the land of theIt is a dangerous dwelling, my dearest friends, in which these things are not shunned. For if, [as the Apostle says,] you envy one another and bite one another, [criticize one another, I say,] see that you be not wasted by one another.’’
Gal. 5. 15
For if he who loves not is in death’’1 Ioann. 3. 14
, where shall he be who criticizes? There is more need in this for tears than words. For what has the law of God commanded more carefully or more fully than love? And seldom do you find any so doing. What shall we say for excuse? Can we really say, It is troublesome, it is hard? Love is no trouble; love is more pleasant, more healthful, more saving to the heart. For if the heart has not become enervated in its vices, love is its own health, besides being what is dear to God; yet nothing is dearer to God than love, especially spiritual love, since it is the sum of His law and of all His commands, according to that saying of the Apostle, But he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.’’Rom. 13. 8
But he who has fulfilled the law by the practice of love has eternal life, as John also says, Brethren, we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren; for he who loves not is in death. Yet if any man hates, he is a murderer. But you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.’’1 Ioann. 3. 14-15
Then we must either be occupied with nothing except love, or we must hope for nothing except punishment; for love is the fulfilment of the law,’’Rom. 13. 10
and with this may that Righteous One deign to inspire us richly, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who deigned to be offered as the Author of peace and God of love, to Whom is the glory unto ages of ages.