Difference between revisions of "The Second Requisite of this Love."
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Latest revision as of 23:39, 4 March 2020
The Second Requisite of this Love.
This love to Christ includes and implies the illumination of the understanding, to see and discern this matchless goodness in Christ. Though knowledge is not love—yet it is necessarily prerequisite to it, for this love is not blind. What we do not know—we cannot love, nor desire: "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says unto you, give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water!" John 4:10.
You might love an unseen Christ, but you cannot love an unknown Christ: "Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not—yet believing," (and faith includes knowledge,) "you rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory!" 1 Peter 1.8.
The prophet Isaiah, speaking of graceless men as disliking, not desiring, nor loving Christ—brings them in as saying, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him!" Isaiah 53:2
What! No loveliness in Him who is "the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of His person!" Yes! there was, there is—but they had no eyes to see it! It is as if a blind man should say the sun is dark, because he has no eyes to behold it's light. It was, because in seeing—they did not see. How could they look upon Him with an eye of love—when they did not discern Him with an eye of faith?
But a holy soul, whose eyes are opened, sees that superlative goodness, beauty, and excellency in Christ—that all other things, which are good with an inferior goodness—seem to him as dross and dung! "But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish," things cast to dogs, or dog's-food, "that I may gain Christ!" Philippians 3:7-8
The holy man, whose mind is savingly enlightened, can say: I see that goodness in the Savior, which far surpasses all the goodness of the creature! Though the stars in the coldest night might be seen—yet when the sun arises, they all disappear. Just so, in the night of ignorance, when my mind was blind, my heart hard, and my affections frozen—I was bewitched with the goodness of riches, of honors, and of worldly pleasure. Yet when the Sun of righteousness with His radiant rays shined into my soul, and with His warming influences thawed my benumbed frozen heart—when Christ the day-star arose in my soul—then, O then, the glory of these things which once dazzled my eyes, presently vanished and withered away! Then, when once I had got a view of Christ's transcendent loveliness—in comparison to Christ—I saw . . .
an emptiness and vanity, in all the creature's fullness;
beggary, in all the world's nobility;
shame, in all the world's glory;
poverty, in all the world's riches;
the world's greatest resplendent luster, to be darkness;
the world's wisdom, to be folly;
the world's beauty, appeared to me no better than deformity!
Section 4. The Third Requisite.
Love to Christ includes a discovery of Christ unto the soul, as the most suitable good. A thing is desirable, because it is suitable. Our desires do not make the goodness of the object—but the suitableness of the object allures our desires and love.
Suitableness is the ground of love. A thing might be good in itself, yet, if we apprehend no suitableness in it to us—then the love of our hearts is not upon it. Therefore, in pain, and sickness, a man judges ease and health to be better for him than gold and silver—because they are more suitable. A man in hunger and thirst, esteems bread and water to be better than honors and pleasures—because they are more suitable.
Love to Christ is grounded on the soul discerning the suitableness of Christ unto him. He says,
"Food is not more suitable to a hungry man,
nor medicine to a sick man,
nor clothing to a naked man—
than Christ is to me, a poor, sinful, and lost man—an undone, perishing, and damned man! For . . .
I am naked—and He will give clothe me with His perfect righteousness,
I am blind—and He will restore my sight,
I am enslaved to sin and Satan—and He will give me liberty,
I am lost—and He will save me,
I am guilty—and He will pardon me,
I am polluted—and He will cleanse me,
I am an enemy to God—and He will reconcile me,
I am ignorant—and He will teach me,
I am indebted—and He will be my Surety,
I am poor—and He will make me wealthy to all eternity,
I am a stranger to God—and He bring me into acquaintance with Him,
I am unfit for Heaven—and He will make me fit to be partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light.
What shall I say?
Though I have riches—then I might be damned.
But if I have Christ—then I shall be saved!
Though men admire me—yet God might loathe me.
But if I have Christ—then the Lord will love me!
Though I prosper in the world, in all my pomp—I might be walking in the way to everlasting misery!
But if I have Christ—He will lead me in the paths unto eternal glory!
Look, O my soul, look round about you, and you shall find none so suitable to you, as the lovely Savior. Then He alone shall have my best love. Is there none for me like Him? Then I will fix my love on Him!