And being restrained, it by degrees becomes passive, till it is only the shadow of Love.
The history of this is that many Loves become reduced to one Love. They become: love of Order; love of Self; love of Other; love of Money; love of Country; love of God. The history of this is that Reason cannot compare love for love. Reason must decide on one and from that one justify all others.
The history of this is written in Paradise Lost, and the Governor or Reason is call'd Messiah. And the original Archangel, or possessor of the command of the Heavenly Host, is call'd the Devil or Satan, and his children are call's Sin and Death. But in the book of Job, Milton's Messiah is called Satan. For this history has been adopted by both parties. It indeed appear'd to Reason as if Desire was cast out; but the Devil's account is that the Messiah fell, and formed a Heaven of what he stole from the Abyss. This is shown in the Gospel, where he prays to the Father to send the Comforter, or Desire, that Reason may have Ideas to build on; the Jehovah of the Bible being no other than he who dwells in flaming fire. Know that after Christ's death, he became Jehovah. But in Milton, the Father is Destiny, the Son a Ratio of the five senses, and the Holy-ghost Vacuum! Note. The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels and God, and at liberty when of Devils and Hell, is because he was a true poet, and of the Devil's party without knowing it.