Ten Springs of Spiritual Comfort
Ten Springs of Spiritual Comfort flowing into the Hearts of the Lovers of Christ.
Do you love the Lord Jesus? Then you are a blessed soul!
Do you love Christ? Then you are a happy man!
Do you love him who is Lord, and Jesus, and Christ? Then rejoice in your love. For great is the difference between . . .
the lovers of pleasures —and the lovers of Christ;
the lovers of the world —and the lovers of Christ;
the lovers of sin —and the lovers of Christ.
The lovers of pleasure shall be filled with pain—when their pleasures are gone! But not so to the lovers of Christ—for their eternal love to Christ will be eternal pleasure to them.
The lovers of the world shall lose all that they love! Though they do not love to lose—yet they shall certainly lose all they love! But not so to the lovers of Christ—for they love and long to see him; and in seeing him forever, shall have and love him forever.
The lovers of sin shall be condemned for their love—and must go to their lodgings in Hell, where love is forever a stranger! But not so to the lovers of Christ—they shall be taken up to their mansions in Heaven, and shall dwell in light, and life, and love forever—where love shall shine and sparkle in light and life for evermore.
Now we believe, but do not see Christ—for we walk by faith, and not by sight. Though we have not seen him—yet believing, we love him! Believing and loving without seeing—brings rejoicing, unspeakable and full of glory. Oh, what will that joy then be, when believing shall be turned into seeing; when we shall not believe and love—but see and love! That joy which now proceeds from believing and loving is unspeakable—but that joy which shall flow from seeing and loving is inconceivable: "Whom having not seen you love, in whom, though now you see him not—yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory!" 1 Peter 1.8.
I promised to show you the comfort, the blessings and the joy, which love to Christ will bring unto you. But I confess plainly that I am perplexed. It is above my shallow understanding!
Here is a depth which I cannot sound it!
Here is a height which I cannot reach it!
Here is a length and breadth which I cannot compass.
As in the love of Christ unto the believing soul—so in the love and joy that proceeds from the love of the believing soul to Christ; the one is without measure—and the other is above measure. How shall I speak that which is unspeakable? How shall I utter that which is unutterable? Will you excuse me then, if I do not accomplish what I did purpose to do? And will you loose me from my promise, when what I promised, I find, upon the attempt of performance—it is above my power? Or will you hold me to do, because I promised, what I am not able?
If so, will you pardon my weakness, wherein I shall come short, if I tell you a way whereby you yourselves shall be able to supply my defect? That is, "Do you so believe and love—that you might feel what I cannot speak; and find that by experience—that which cannot be uttered by expressions; and taste that in yourselves—which I cannot declare with my tongue.
The tongue is the instrument of taste, as well as of speech; and if you would know the sweetness of honey, you might do it better with the tasting of your own tongue than by the telling of mine. But yet, that you may see my will to attempt where I lack power—I will not be altogether silent concerning these unspeakable things. For as we should labor to know the love of Christ to us, which surpasses knowledge, Ephesians 3.19 —so we may endeavor to declare things that are unspeakable! To speak things that are unspeakable is impossible; but to speak something of things unspeakable, (wherein I must acquiesce)—is feasible. Though I do not undertake to bring you all things speakable concerning these unspeakable things—but these few things which follow:
1. Love to Christ is an evidence of the sincerity of your hearts, and of the truth of your conversion.
He who loves the world most—is a worldly man.
He who loves his pleasure most—is a voluptuous man.
And he who loves Christ with a supreme love—is a gracious, upright man! "The upright love you!" Song of Songs 1.4. Such love to the second Adam is not found in any man who is still growing upon the old stock of the first Adam. This love to Christ was not born with us—but wrought in us when we were born again. This new love only is in the new creature—love to Christ is an evidence of your saving interest in Christ. Such supreme love to the Lord Jesus—was never found in any heart which is only carnal. The proof therefore of this supreme affection—will be a demonstration of your spiritual renovation. Christ sifting Peter concerning his sincerity after his fall, when sifted by Satan—inquires after his love to him, John 21.15-17. Romans 8.28.
2. All the promises of the covenant of grace shall be made good to all those who sincerely love the Lord Jesus. These promises are so many , so great , so precious —and all are sure to the lovers of Christ. God in the covenant of grace, has promised that he will be your God—and all that is contained in that promise is unspeakable; for it is more, than that he will be your Friend, your Father, or your bountiful Benefactor. God has promised . . .
the pardon of all our sins,
that he will justify us,
that he take away the old heart, and give us a new one. He will take away the hard and stony heart—and give us a soft and fleshy heart,
that he will give us his Holy Spirit—to help, to quicken, to guide, to comfort us,
that he will give us persevering grace, "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good, but I will put my fear in their hearts—that they shall not depart from me!" Jeremiah 32.40.
If God neither turns away from his sincere people, nor they from God—then their perseverance is sure. All is secured by the promise of God. Now these promises concern the lovers of God and Christ, and to them shall be performed: "O Lord God of Heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy for those who love him, and observe his commandments" Nehemiah 1.5.
There are promises to those who love God and Christ—and there are promises for the performance of those promises to such: "Know therefore, that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him, and keep his commandments!" Deuteronomy 7.9. He did, he does—but how long will he do so? "To a thousand generations!"
But what will he do to them that do hate him? What? Read and tremble, you who are haters of God and Christ! "He repays those who hate him to their face, to destroy them!" verse 10. He will not be slack to him who hates him—he will repay him to his face!
3. Supreme and sincere love to Christ, is an evidence of God's special and sincere love to you. How gladly would you know that God loves you—and Christ loves you! Then you say that you would not care, though all the wicked in the world should hate you!
If I knew that God loved me—it would . . .
resolve my doubts,
expel my fears,
lighten my burdens,
sweeten my mercies,
make me cheerful under all crosses,
be a cordial to me in sickness, and
be life to me in the gates of death!
Can you prove you sincerely and supremely love Christ? Then I can prove that both God and Christ love you; for your love to God and Christ—is the fruit and effect of God's and Christ's love to you. God loved you first—or you had never have loved him at all. God loves us with a first love; never any went before God and Christ in love. We love with a following love. "We love him—because he first loved us!" 1 John 4:19.
And now what spiritual comfort —what heavenly joy —what ravishing delights —might a lover of Christ take in this, that Christ is a lover of him, because his love is such that is above all expression, and beyond all conception, and above all comparison! "May you have the power to understand, as all God's people should—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is! May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully." Ephesians 3:18-19.
The properties of Christ's love will make your joy to be abundant.
1. Christ loves his lovers with a FREE love. You had motives to love Christ—his beauty, his wisdom, his fullness. The necessity you had of him, the good you expected by him—were attractives of your love to him. But what was in you to move Christ to love you—when you were spiritually deformed, polluted, guilty, condemned, poor, full of running sores, and wallowing in your blood? "And when I passed by you, and saw you polluted in your own blood—I said unto you, when you were in your blood, Live! Yes, I said unto you, when you were in your blood, Live!" "And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine!" Ezekiel 16:8
As he has mercy—because he will have mercy; so he loves—because he will love: "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people—but because the Lord loved you!" Deuteronomy 7.7-8.
2. Christ loves his lovers with a PURE love. The love of most people is selfish love—loving others for their own selfish ends. And, indeed, there was something of self in your loving Christ, that you might be pardoned by him, and justified, and saved by him. But what can Christ gain by loving you? What advantage redounds to him? What profit has he thereby?
3. Christ loves his lovers with an UNPARALLELED, MATCHLESS love. Great was the love of Jonathan and David, great is the love of tender parents to their children; but Christ's love is greater than all! "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends!" John 15.13.
4. Christ loves his lovers with a CONSTANT, ABIDING love—for it is eternal and unchangeable. The love of creatures is fickle and wavering love. It sometimes fades and fails while they live. It dies with them when they die. But the love of Christ is without end—he lives forever, and he will love forever! Neither our love to him, nor his love to us—dies when we die. After death we love him more than ever, and he manifests his love to us more than ever: "I have loved you with an everlasting love!" Jeremiah 31.3.
4. Christ makes the hearts of his lovers—the seat and place of his special residence. Lovers love to dwell together—and Christ has prepared mansions for us that we might dwell with him hereafter. But Christ, through the greatness of his love, being impatient of so long absence until we come to be present with him in Heaven—makes our hearts a mansion for himself, that he might dwell with us on earth, until we are lodged with him in glory! "If a man loves me, he will keep my words—and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him!" John 14.23. Oh blessed change!
When you did not love Christ—then Satan, the world, and reigning sin, had their abode in you. These were the lodgers in your heart, and had the best room, and chief seat in your affections. While you were in the world, and not in Christ—the world was in you, and not Christ. While you were in your sin, your sin was in you, as lord and ruler. But now you have changed your love. You have changed not only the lodgers, but the governors and rulers of your heart—for now the Father has come, and the Son has come, and the Holy Spirit has come, and have taken up their abode in you. Will God dwell in hearts of clay? Yes, if love to him dwells there!
5. Christ will manifest himself unto his lovers! He will reveal his love, and that in the worst condition you can be in.
While you are in prosperity—many may manifest much love to you. But when you are afflicted, distressed, and stand most in need of their help and love—they will withhold their love from you!
But Christ, who dwells in the hearts of his lovers, is to them a bosom Friend —that he makes the time of their greatest troubles and distresses, to be the time of the discoveries and manifestations of his love! "In all their afflictions, he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old," Isaiah 40.9.
And if he withdraws, and for a time conceals his love—it is to make them more earnest in seeking after him, and for fuller discoveries of his love to them afterwards, "All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves! I looked for him but did not find him. I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him. The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. "Have you seen the one my heart loves?" Song of Songs 3:1-3.
6. All things shall work together for the good of those who love God, and Jesus Christ. Nothing shall befall them, but first or last shall further them in their way to Heaven, and tend to their advantage. Many things seem to be against you—but all shall work for you. If you are in prison for righteousness sake—then your heart shall be more enlarged. If you lose the things of the world—then your heart shall be the more set on the things of Heaven. If you are sick and weakly—it shall quicken you, and stir you up to make more haste to get ripe for Heaven. If you are poor in the world—it shall further your riches in grace. Whatever your cross is—it shall increase the weight of your crown! "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8.28.
7. Sincere love to Christ is a mighty help against apostasy. If a man is a professor—and a lover of the world; a professor—and a lover of pleasure, of his own ease, and life, more than of Christ; when these come in danger, to keep them, he parts with Christ. But he who loves Christ above all, will part with all to cleave to Christ. Love to Christ has carried his people through great difficulties and dangers! Out of love to Christ—they have despised the allurements, and laughed at the affrightments of this world! They have gone through shame and reproach, endured stripes and imprisonments, bonds and bondage, and death itself! "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation—will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!" Romans 8:35-39
If any leave Christ—it is for lack of love to Christ; for so far as love prevails—we shall, in greatest troubles and sufferings for him—cleave unto him.
8. The lovers of Christ shall be always under his eye for good. He will be looking upon them, in order to the showing mercy unto them. He looks upon the lovers of the world and sin —with an eye of judgment and indignation. He looks and takes notice of their sinful love. He looks, and is angry with them for such love.
But he looks upon his lovers with an eye of compassion, to pity and to care for them: "Look upon me, and be merciful unto me, as you do unto those that love your name," Psalm 119.132. God does so—it is his way, his manner and custom of dealing so, with such as love him. It is not a strange thing to God, nor a thing that he does but now and then—but it is his daily custom to look upon his lovers, and show them mercy: "The Lord preserves all those who love him—but the wicked (those who do not love him) will he destroy!" Psalm 145.20.
9. The lovers of Christ have great preparations made by God himself, for their happiness in the eternal world. For all the lovers of the world , and sin , and vanity —wrath and Hell are prepared! But for the lovers of Christ, such things are prepared as transcend . . .
the most refined mind to conceive,
the most eloquent tongue to express,
or the ablest pen to describe!
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined—what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.
1. The eye of man has seen admirable things, coasts of pearl, golden mines, stately monuments, kingly palaces, costly raiments—but never has eye seen such things as God has prepared for them that love him.
2. The ear has heard of more than the eye has seen. Many hear of the joys of Heaven, whose eyes shall never see them.
3. The mind of man can conceive more than the eye has seen, or the ear has heard. It can imagine . . .
all pebbles to be pearls,
all the earth to be a silver heap,
the sea to be liquid gold,
the air transparent crystal,
every candle to be a star!
And if all these were so, they would be but as . . .
a grain of sand, compared to a mountain,
a beam of light, compared to the sun,
a drop, compared to the ocean,
a grain, compared to a golden mine—
when compared with the things that are prepared for such as love God and Christ! For those things are . . .
so great—that they cannot be measured;
so many—that they cannot be numbered;
so precious—that they cannot be valued;
so durable and lasting—that they will never be ended!
They exceed our faith! They are beyond our hope—and above our desires! They might be possessed hereafter—but they cannot be comprehended here, because . . .
for sublimity —they are incomprehensible,
for transcendence —they are inexplicable,
for glory —they are unutterable,
for sweetness —they are inconceivable,
for sureness —they are unquestionable,
for fullness —they are immeasurable,
for firmness —they are unmovable,
for lastingness —they are unchangeable!
(1.) For God has prepared and promised an eternal KINGDOM to those who love him! "Hearken, my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world—to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?" James 2:5. A kingdom is the top of worldly honor! When those who love Christ shall be in Heaven—they shall be in their kingdom, far surpassing all other kingdoms, for it is the kingdom of God!
Other kingdoms are but the kingdoms of men —but theirs is the kingdom of Heaven! Other kingdoms are but the kingdoms of this world —but theirs is an everlasting kingdom! Other kingdoms in their greatest flourishing—are near to withering, and that which lasts longest will have an end.
(2.) God has prepared a CROWN OF LIFE for his lovers! "Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised for those who love him!" James 1.12. It is a crown of glory! 1 Peter 5.4. It is a crown of righteousness! "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all who love his appearing!" 2 Timothy 4:8.
(3.) God has prepared an ETERNAL INHERITANCE for his lovers! All Christ-lovers are heirs, and their inheritance is incorruptible and everlasting! There is no end of it—and they shall live to enjoy it for ever. It is undefiled—there is no spot nor stain in it—there is no sin nor sorrow, no grief nor groans, no troubles nor terrors, to molest and disquiet them. It is unfading—it is always in the flower—it always blossoms. There is summer, without winter; spring, without autumn. It is safe in itself, it is reserved in a sure hand, in God's own keeping. It is sure to us—we are kept by the power of God! The inheritance is reserved for us! We are preserved by God, that no force nor fraud shall make his sincere lovers come short of it!
The place where an inheritance lies, adds to the valuation of it—it is in Heaven! There is no place like Heaven, and there is no inheritance like that which lies in Heaven.
(4.) God has prepared glory for the lovers of his Son! Glory which now is a mystery—and is to be revealed, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us!" Romans 8:18.
It is eternal glory! 1 Peter 5:10.
It is an eternal weight of glory! 2 Corinthians 4:13.
10. The grace of God shall be with the sincere lovers of Christ. Grace signifies sometimes the favor of God—and sometimes the good things which proceed from his grace and favor; so that both the good-will and kindness of God, and all manner of good that is the fruit of God's special favor, necessary to the life of grace and glory—shall be to the lovers of Christ: "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen." Ephesians 6.24.