We must love because of the excellency of this grace! It is a lovely grace. All the other graces seem to be eclipsed unless love shines and sparkles forth in them. Faith itself has no beauty unless it works by love. The tears of repentance are not pure unless they flow from the spring of love. Love is the jewel Christ’s bride wears. It is the diamond in the ring of graces. This is the grace that seasons all our actions and makes them savory. Love is like musk among linen that perfumes it. So love makes all our religious services a sweet odor to God (Eph 5:2).

—Thomas Watson (1620-1686)