9. To as little purpose does he talk of _fighting the fight of faith_, as vainly hope to attain the crown of incorruption (as we may, lastly, infer from the preceding observations) whose heart is not circumcised by love. Love cutting off both the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, engaging the whole man, body, soul and spirit, in the ardent pursuit of that one object, is so essential to a child of God, that “without it, whosoever liveth is counted dead before him.” _Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, and have not love, I am as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so as to remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. Nay, though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing._
10. Here then is the sum of the perfect law, this is the true _circumcision of the heart_. Let the spirit return to God that gave it, with the whole train of its affections. _Unto the place from whence all the rivers came, thither_ let them flow again. Other sacrifices from us he would not; but the living sacrifice of the heart he hath chosen. Let it be continually offered up to God through _Christ_, in flames of holy love. And let no creature be suffered to share with him: for he is a jealous God. His throne will he not divide with another: he will reign without a rival. Be no design, no desire admitted there, but what has him for its ultimate object. This is the way wherein those children of God once walked, who being dead, still speak to us, “Desire not to live but to praise his name; let all your thoughts, words and works, tend to his glory. Set your heart firm on him, and on other things, only as they are in and from him.” “Let your soul be filled with so entire a love of him, that you may love nothing but for his sake.” “Have a pure intention of heart, a stedfast regard to his glory in all your actions.” “Fix your eye upon the blessed hope of your calling, and make all the things of the world minister unto it.” For then, and not till then, is that _mind in us which was also in_ Christ Jesus, when in every motion of our heart, in every word of our tongue, in every work of our hands, we “pursue nothing but in relation to him, and in subordination to his pleasure:” when we too, neither think, nor speak, nor act, to fulfil our own _will, but the will of him that sent_ us: when whether we _eat or drink, or whatever we do, we do all to the glory of_ God.