36. THE ESSENCE OF GOD, WHICH IS THE DIVINE LOVE AND THE DIVINE WISDOM
We made a distinction between the Being (Esse) and Essence of God, because there is a distinction between God's Infinity and His Love, and the term infinity is applicable to God's Being and the term Love to His Essence. As stated above, God's Being is more universal than His Essence; and in the same way His Infinity is more universal than His Love. For this reason 'infinite' is the adjective appropriate to the essentials and attributes of God; all of these are called infinite, thus the Divine Love is infinite, the Divine Wisdom is infinite, and so is the Divine Power. It is not that God's Being existed before His Essence, but it enters into His Essence as an adjunct which is inseparable, directing, forming and at the same time raising it to a higher plane. This section of the chapter will be discussed under separate headings as before.
(i) God is Love itself and Wisdom itself, these two making up His Essence.
(ii) God is Good itself and Truth itself, because Good refers to Love and Truth to Wisdom.
(iii) Love itself and Wisdom itself constitute Life itself, or Life in itself.
(iv) Love and Wisdom are one in God.
(v) The essence of love is loving others than oneself, wishing to be one with them and devoting oneself to their happiness.
(vi) These properties of the Divine Love were the reason the universe was created, and are the reason it is preserved in existence.
These headings must now be discussed one by one.