The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1889-04-03
LOVE

This familiar word and its cognates
occur over three hundred times in the
Bible, and more frequently than for any
other purpose, to set forth the wonderful
interest God has in lost sinners of man
kind. Thus it is written "Godso loved
the world that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever beieveth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting
life. (John iii l6 } Again: God com
mendeth his love toward Us in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for US. :"
(Rom. v: 8 } Then: Behold what man
ner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God q John iii l.)
1t Is one of the strongest affections of
our nature, and exerts over man larger
control than any other. This seems also
to be true of God; it was his sovereign,
infinite love that led him to plan and
make sacrifices for the redemption of
man; indeed, this attribute so belongs to
his nature, that it is written God is
love" q John iv: g. And it is said
of the love of Christ that it "passeth
knowledge" (Eph iii: 49, Such Is the
wonderful nature of this love of the God
head, that as Samuel Rutaerford we'll
said, it can enable man - triumph in
losses, prisons, sorrows, ezileo, disgrace,
and laugh and rejoice 10 lth. No
motive power can equal it IN "a effect on
human hearts. The apostlr P;,, tells of
it's great power on himself wrote.
'The love of Christ constr usth u5. He
had been hard-hearted pareecutor, and
in defiance of the principi of right and
mercy, he hate1 men and women, com
mitting them to prison, because they
loved the Saviour and testified to his
grace. But he has now apprehended the
same love, and he is constrained by it to
brave persecution, and even death, by
telling of its wondrous power What
mean ye, he said to his friends who were
trying to persuade him to avoid danger
in the great work which he had under
taken, what mean ye to weep and break
my heart; for am ready not to be bound
only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the
name of the Lord Jesus. Acts xxi 13 J
And hundreds of years before this the
Psalmist had like experience when he
wrote "Thy loving kindness is better
than life: my lips shall praise thee;" and
thousands and thousands IN every age OF
the church, as they contemplated the di-
vine love shining in Redemption plan,
have been led to say, from heart almost
bursting with love, with the Psalmist:
20 love the Lord, all ye his saints, for the
Lord preserveth the faithful" or with the
apostle Paul II am persuaded that
neither death nor lite, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things
| present, nor things to come, nor height
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall
be able to separate Us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord -
| Well might DR.. Guthrie say of this love
of Christ: II can measure parental love
how broad, how long, sad how strong
and deep it Is; it is ieep sea which
mothers can only fatho but the love
displayed on yonder hill I'D bloody cross.
where Gods own Son is perishing for us,
no man nor angel has line to measure.
The circumference Of the earth, the alti.
tude Of the sun, the distance OF the plan
ets-these have been determined; but the
height, depth, breadth and length of the
love of God passeth knowledge Reader,
has this love been shed abroad in your
heart? If not, mediate on Gods won.
deriul love to you, until you can say,
love God who first loved me. q John
iv i9)-Rev. 4. Rjtchs, Ph.D.