The one perfect Good
Not that this forbids us to love anything 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 anything but God. To suppose this is to suppose that the Fountain of holiness is directly the author of sin, since he has inseparably joined 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 is no other than this.
The Lord your God is one Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4). You shall have no other gods but me (Exodus 20:3). You shall love the Lord your God with all your strength. You shall cleave to him. The desire of your soul shall be to his name.
The one perfect Good shall be your one ultimate end. One thing you shall desire for its own sake, the fruition of him who is all in all.
One happiness you shall propose to your souls, even a union with him who made them, the having fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3), the being joined to the Lord in one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). One design you 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, let this be the glorious point that terminates your view. Let every affection, and thought, and word, and work be subordinate to this. Whatever you desire or fear, whatever you seek or shun, whatever you think, speak, or do, let it be in order to your happiness in God, the sole end, as well as the source, of your being.
1771 text
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.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 17 in the 1771 Works. Romans 2:29. Saint Mary's, Oxford, 1 January 1733.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.