03.02. The Touchstone of LOVE
02. The Touchstone of LOVE
’Faith works by love’ — and if our faith is true, it will show itself in feelings and acts of love. Do we believe in a person, so as to trust him implicitly, and take him as our guide, and follow him as our leader? If we are persuaded of his wisdom, his integrity, and his affection towards us — then we shall also love him.
How was it with regard to our Lord? When He came among us on His errand of love — there were many who saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. But still there was here and there a loving heart that responded to His love. They rallied around Him. They gave Him their whole hearts. They sacrificed everything for His sake — father and mother, children and possessions — they left all to follow Him!
We can imagine how these His disciples hung upon His lips — how they drank in His words of wisdom — how sweet His companionship was to them — how they ran to Him in every difficulty, and poured all their sorrows into His sympathetic ear. He was unlike any other friend, for He was always accessible. He had a heart to feel for them, and power to relieve them — whenever they came to Him. He had right counsel for every case — and a remedy for every ill. Those two or three years which they spent in His society must have been years of much blessedness and peace. Every day they must have grown in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Their state of mind was somewhat different from ours — and yet not altogether so. It was different, inasmuch as they saw Him — but we see Him not. It was the same, inasmuch as they loved Him, and we may love Him too. And surely to love a seen Savior, and to love an unseen one, equally requires grace.
You may think it was far easier for Matthew and John, for Lazarus and the Marys, to love Christ, and to follow in His footsteps — than it is for us. They could behold Him with their bodily eyes. They could read His character, which was ever open to their view. They could put themselves in His actual presence. Was it not easy then for them to love Him — far easier than for us? No, I believe not; for the same preparation of heart was needed in their case, as in ours. The same power was needed to bend their wills, and attract their affection. That saying of our Lord’s was as true of them, as of ourselves, ’No man can come unto me, except the Father who has sent me, draws him.’ Indeed there is a special blessing promised to us, who are debarred from the privilege which the early Christians, the Apostles for instance, enjoyed; for you remember what our Lord said to Thomas, ’Because you have seen me — you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen — and yet have believed.’
Some kinds of love are natural to us. The mother loves her child, even though that child may be unlovely, and even repulsive. Yet the mother loves it with all its bodily deformity, or mental weakness. We love our relatives too — no one can take their place in our affections. We love our country — the fairest land is not to be compared with it. And if there is one spot in the wide world which is dearer to us than any other, it is the home of our birth, of our childish days, and of our riper years. The love of these is, I say, natural to us. The brute animals share it with us in a measure. The fierce lioness is tender over her young. The swallow in its migrations remembers its nest, and year after year returns to it. The dog follows the steps of its master, and mourns at his grave, as for a lost friend. But the love of One who is unseen is not of nature’s teaching, but of grace. It must be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us. God Himself must plant it within us. Heavenly love is the most powerful and permeating grace which can possess the soul. Even natural love is a charming and beautiful feature in the character — how much more that love which is spiritual and heaven-born. It has been said, ’The soul in which this commanding affection is lacking, may now and then breathe out a rich tone, and sound its snatches of broken melody; but it is a lyre without its chief string, an organ with its central octave silent.’
Now, this feeling of love must be cultivated by us. We must ask God to take away our naturally hard and worldly heart, and to give us a new heart — -tender, loving, and trustful. This blessed gift is obtained by Prayer — by direct application to God. And when obtained, it must be nurtured and kept alive by those means of grace which He has provided for us, such as . . .
private communion with God;
meditating on the Savior’s love;
drawing near to Him, as to a friend;
meeting Him where He loves to meet us, in His House, and at His holy Table.
Thus, and thus only, can we love our unseen Lord, and grow in His love day by day.
Indeed faith and love are very close companions. One cannot exist without the other. We must believe in Jesus — or we cannot love Him: ’Whom having not seen, we love; in whom, though now we see him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.’ The soul which so believes in Jesus, cannot fail to love Him. It is true that the eye is the ordinary door, by which love enters into us — and in one sense it is so also spiritually, in the case of the true Christian, for he loves his Lord, believing on Him, that is seeing Him with the eye of faith. Yes, faith is the eye which pierces the clouds, and discovers Christ! Faith is the eye of the new creature.
Faith is also the hand that lays hold of Him, the grip that embraces Him, the foot that follows Him. Many people read in the Gospel a glowing description of Christ; they find there a beautiful picture of Him — but there they stop. But something more is needed, even faith. For faith believes this report, and beholds this picture — and so lets in the love of Christ to the soul. Faith, in fact, is the parent, the groundwork, of love — the door by which alone it gains an entrance into the soul.
I have said that this feeling of love must be cultivated. It must be fostered and nurtured in the soul. It is a most precious possession — but how can it be obtained? How can this holy feeling of love be acquired?
’Love (says the Apostle) is of God.’ It comes from Him. It is a heaven-born gift. It must be ’shed abroad in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Most clearly then it must be sought by Prayer. We must plead for it with the Great Giver. We must apply earnestly for it. And oh that a spark may come down from Heaven, and light up a pure flame within our souls! But in addition to Prayer, for the cultivation of this grace — we shall do well also to practice Holy Meditation. Try to realize the fact that God loves you — that Christ loves you. This will, above all things, awaken within your soul a love towards Him. ’We love him — because he first loved us.’ Certainly we ought to love God; and we shall love Him, if our hearts are right with God. Love begets love. Love is the motive power within us. Love melts the frozen and pent-up streams, and makes the waters flow. Heavenly love is the master-key which unlocks our closed hearts. In fact, let anyone be fully persuaded of the exceeding loveliness of God’s character, and of His special love to us — and this will effectually win him over, and make him give his whole heart to God. This should be our feeling — God loves me! Jesus loves me! Therefore I will no longer live for sin and for the world — but for Him. ’The love of Christ constrains us.’ It is a strong magnet, drawing us to Him. But there is another important point; namely, that if this love is genuine, it will be effectual. What, then, will be the effect of the true love of God in our souls? I might mention many most blessed effects — but I will confine myself to three.
First, if the love of God reigns supreme in our hearts — it will effectually drive out every intruder. It is utterly impossible that the love of God — and also the love of sin or the world, can exist in the same soul. The sins to which we once clung — will forthwith be expelled; and the trifles for which we had once so greedy an appetite — will lose their charm; for God has better pleasures for our enjoyment.
Again, God’s love in our hearts will be found to be the mightiest power to insure obedience. When our Lord invites us to make a sacrifice, and to suffer for Him, the world pronounces such a command to be intolerable. But love is prepared to obey. When He says, ’Take my yoke and my burden upon you’ — then love instantly makes the yoke easy, and the burden light. For we all know that on the back, as it were, of love — a burden loses more than half its weight, and that the work which is done for love becomes a pleasure and a delight. Love welcomes hardships, and glories in tribulation.
Why is it that the slave, who has gained his freedom, still works for his former master? Why does that mother watch so tenderly over her sickly child, counting days of anxiety and nights of watching, as nothing? It is in both cases, love. And so, if we love God, our great delight will be to work for Him, and to do His will.
Further, this love of God will incline us to live very near to Him, the life of a true disciple. Are you prepared to do this? Is it possible for any one of my readers — whether he is a person surrounded by worldliness, or one immersed in business, or a boy or girl at school — is it possible for such a one to live a holy and pious life? Thank God, it is possible — and if I could know your heart, there may be at this moment an earnest desire in you to live such a life.
Well, there is much to be done. There is a battle to be fought, and a victory to be won. But you will say, ’I have but little strength.’ I know it is so. But what may not be accomplished by a loving heart, which, conscious of its own utter weakness, clings to the Almighty Savior, and borrows power from Him! I can do all things through Christ, who strengthened me!
Go forward then, dear reader, full of faith, full of trust, looking up to Him who loves you, and giving yourself to Him who is the Hope, and Strength, and Life of your Soul!