On Thy Love
“God is Love.” — 1 John iv. 16.
“The only real mystery of the Bible,’, says an old writer, “is a mystery of Love.” “God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son!” What! that for a lost and rnined world, the Prince of life should leave the bosom on which He had been j)illowed from all eternity! and expire by an ignominious death on the bitter tree! Love unutterable! unspeakable! The reflection of the skeptic of a bygone age may have formed at times the musing of better minds, “It is far too great — it is far too good to be true!” Infinite Majesty compassionating infinite weakness! The great Sun of heaven, the Fountain of uncreated light, undergoing an eclipse of darkness and blood for the sake of a taper that glimmered in nothingness in His beams. “God so loved the world.” Man never caK get further in the solution of the wondrous problem. Eternity itself will form a ladder — the saints climbing step by step in its ascending gloriesbut, as the prospect widens, each new altitude will elicit the same confession,” the Love of Christ, which passeth
My soul! seek to enter into the secrets of this love of thine adorable Redeemer. Before all time that love began. We have glimses of it bursting out from the recesses of a bypast eternity — “Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing alway before Him!” And “when the fulness of the time was come,” though foreseen were all His untold sufferings, nothing would deter Him from pursuing His anguished path — ‘’ He set Plis face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem;” — nay.
as if longing for the hour of victory, He exclaimed, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it be accomplished!”
Think of that love now! — the live coals in the censer of old — a feeble type of the burning ardor of affection still manifested by our Great High Priest within the veil, in behalf of His own people. There He bears the name of each indelibly engraven on His breastplate; “loving them at the beginning. He will love them even unto the end !-’ Earthly love may grow cold and changeable, or it may die. Not so the love of this” Friend of friends.” It is strong as death — surviving death — nay, deathless as eternity. Listen to His own exponent of its intensity: “As the Father hath loved me so have I loved youP’’ “You see in Him,” says a pious wi’iter, “an ocean of love without bottom, without bounds, overflowing the banks f heaven, streaming down upon this poor world to wash away the vileness of man!”
Blessed Jesus! how cold, and fitful, and transient has been my love to Thee in comparison of Thy love to me! Bring me more under its constraining influence! May this be the superscription on all my thoughts and my actions — my occupations and my time: “I am not my own — Lord, I am Thine!” How can I love Thee enough, who hast so loved me! My life shall henceforth be one thank-offering of praise for Thy redeeming mercies.
Standing this night on the shores of this illimitable ocean — surveying its length and breadth — every wave murmuring, “Peace on earth and good-will to men.” —
♦*I WILL BOTH LAY MK DOWN IN PEACE AND SLEEP; FOB THOU, LORD, ONLY MAKE8T ME DWELL IN SAFETY 1”
iintir iigp.