The Vicarious Power of Love
“Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.” — Acts iii. 19.
The important word here is one which I think has escaped the commentators; it is the little word “from.” What the writer wants is not merely a refreshing sense ot Christ’s presence; it is that Christ’s presence may be a centre of radiation — may refresh unrefreshing things. What the writer desires is the imparting of a vicarious glory to things not naturally glorious. Do you know anything which can do that? Do you know anything that can impute its own righteousness to everything else? I know of only one such influence; it is the power of a loved presence. Love has not only a beauty of its own, but a power of beautifying other objects, of refreshing unrefreshing things. Love imputes to all things its own righteousnesJS. When I am refreshed by the sense that a loved presence is near, the world is refreshed along with me. Nature and I sing together. Not only her great things sing; her meanest products are glorified. The mosses, the lichens, the grasses, the common turf beneath my feet, are afire and ablaze with thoughts unspeakable. With a loved presence by my side the long way is made short, the muddy way is made clean. Yesterday I walked alone along the road and found it interminable; to-day a presence is by my side and the journey is too brief. Yesterday I grumbled at the drenching rain; to-day it is pouring faster, but I am going to the presence of the loved, and I say, “It is but a little shower.”
Jesus, Lover of my soul, I ask of Thee more than Thy hymnist asked. It is not enough for me to fly to Thy bosom — to hide there from the rolling waters. I should like the rolling waters to be made musical by Thy presence. It is not enough that I should nestle close to Thy beauty. I should like Thy beauty to radiate to the things around me. I often ask the imputation of Thy righteousness to myself; and it is well. But I want more than that from Thee, my Christ. I want Thy righteousness imputed to many things from which I flee — to all but sin. I want my love for Thee to glorify my world. May Thy presence brighten my environment! Send me love’s vicarious joy! Let my gladness concerning Thee put me in spirits all round! From Thy presence may all presences be refreshed! Give the sun a new lustre, the stars a new glitter, the flowers a new glow! Light the prosaic days, the common ways! Illuminate the household drudgery; gild the daily toil! Through every act of mine may Thy love-song be ringing! Through every sight of mine may Thy presence be winging! Through every walk of mine may Thy fountain be springing! Through every night of mine may Thy dear voice be singing! So shall I be refreshed “from the presence of the Lord.”