{"author":"Historical editor/translator (individual note author unspecified)","date_end":1888,"date_label":"1888 (historical English edition; physical printing year uncertain)","date_start":1888,"edition_year":1888,"edition_year_basis":"Historical American edition preface dated 1888; physical printing year not established","id":"ws-library-full-note:2fbbcd477e0290a372c8:cite_note-2","is_genuine_commentary_verified":false,"license_url":"https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Wikisource:Reusing_Wikisource_content","public_import_allowed":true,"publication_location":"source-library","record_type":"editorial-footnote","references":[],"rights_approved":true,"section":"Tractate 65, editorial note cite_note-2","semantic_kind_reviewed":false,"source_context":["felt by adulterers and adulteresses, by fornicators and prostitutes, and all others who are knit together by no human relationship, but by the mischievous depravity of human life. Christ, therefore, hath given us a new commandment, that we should love one another, as He also hath loved us. This is the love that renews us, making us new men, heirs of the New Testament, singers of the new song. It was this love, brethren beloved, that renewed also those of olden time, who were then the righteous, the patriarchs and prophets, as it did afterwards the blessed apostles: it is it, too, that is now renewing the nations, and from among the universal race of man, which overspreads the whole world, is making and gathering together a new people, the body of the newly-married spouse of the only-begotten Son of God, of whom it is said in the Song of Songs, “Who is she that ascendeth, made white?” Made white indeed, because renewed; and how, but by the new commandment? Because of this, the members thereof have a mutual interest in one another; and if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; and one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. For this they hear and observe, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another:” not as those love one another who are corrupters, nor as men love one another in a human way; but they love one another as those who are God’s, and all of them sons of the Highest, and brethren, therefore, of His only Son, with that mutual love wherewith He loved them, when about to lead them on to the goal where all sufficiency should be theirs, and where their every desire should be satisfied with good things. For then there will be nothing wanting they can desire, when God will be all in all. An end like that has no end. No one dieth there, where no one arriveth save he that dieth to this world, not that universal kind of death whereby the body is bereft of the soul; but the death of the elect, through which, even while still remaining in this mortal flesh, the heart is set on the things which are above. Of such a death it is that the apostle said, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” And perhaps to this, also, do the words refer, “Love is strong as death.” For by this love it is brought about, that, while still held in the present corruptible body, we die to this world, and our life is hid with Christ in God; yea, that love itself is our death to the world, and our life with God. For if that is death when the soul quits the body, how can it be other than death when our love quits the world? Such love, therefore, is strong as death. And what is stronger than that which bindeth the world?"],"source_library_url":"/library/2fbbcd477e0290a372c8/#ws-library-full-note:2fbbcd477e0290a372c8:cite_note-2","source_url":"https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nicene_and_Post-Nicene_Fathers:_Series_I/Volume_VII/Gospel_According_to_St._John/Part_65#cite_note-2","translator":"James Innes","verification":{"proof_file":"raw/review/heading-library-note-batch-0066/proof-records.jsonl","proof_file_sha256":"cb669cd6269f4ca0fcfd1dd5c0fe3a7556905d618ad7ad83700fbfdabbdb43ef","proof_record_id":"ws-library-full-note:2fbbcd477e0290a372c8:cite_note-2"},"verified":true,"work":"Tractates on the Gospel of John","work_id":"augustine-john-tractates"}