THE LOVE OF GOD by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 9, 1871

THE LOVE OF GOD.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

BY ELD. D. M. CANRIGHT.

TEXT: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1.

John exclaims, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” John was the beloved disciple. He it was who leaned on Jesus’ breast. He it was whom Jesus loved. He seems to have drank deeper into the spirit of love and tenderness than any of the other apostles. He is always talking of love. So fully does he become possessed of this idea, that he exclaims, “God is love.” As he has a view of God’s great tenderness and affection for us which he hardly knows how to express, he exclaims, “Behold, what manner of love!”

In his gospel, chapter 3:16, he breaks out thus: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” Yes; God so loved poor, sinning, erring, yet repenting, men, as to adopt them, and call them his sons. We will try to illustrate it:

In a certain village there is a little boy, the child of poverty. He is covered with rags and filth. He is ignorant and untaught. He is despised by all the children of the town. One day, a rich nobleman passing through the town has his attention called to him; takes him into his carriage and takes him home with him. He puts off his rags, clothes him well, is kind to him, sends him to school, and does all he can for his improvement. Indeed, he soon adopts him, and makes him heir with his own children. How truly we might say in this case, “Behold, what manner of love this man has bestowed upon that boy, that he should call him his own son!”

This may well illustrate our condition and God’s love to us. We were poor sinners, covered with filth, iniquity, and with nothing good about us. Isaiah thus forcibly describes a sinner as he appears in the sight of God, Chap. 1:5, 6: “Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more, the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” What a terrible picture this is! From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head, is nothing but wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores. A man in this condition physically would be in a terrible situation indeed.

This is the way that the sinner and unregenerated man appear in the eyes of a good and holy God. In Jer. 17:9, the prophet exclaims, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” This is verily true of every human, carnal heart. Not only is the heart full of deceit and subtlety, but it is desperately wicked.

Paul thus enumerates the works of the flesh, Gal. 5: 19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like.” Not that any one heart perhaps is guilty of all these crimes; but yet each one has more or less of them. These fruits naturally grow upon the unconverted heart. But God is holy and pure. He hates all manner of sin with perfect hatred. Yet notwithstanding all this, God’s compassion and mercy were touched by our terrible condition, and it has led him to pity us, and to help and save us; and this too before we showed any signs of repentance or turning to God.

Paul thus states God’s wonderful love to us: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8. It takes little effort for a friend to love a friend, or to do good to those who first do good to us; but to love an enemy, and one who is in disgrace and poverty; one who can in no way help us to love such a man, under such circumstances, and sacrifice our pleasure for his good, this is a test of love which the world seldom gives. But in this manner has God loved us. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Such proof has God given of his love that we cannot question it. It led him to deliver up his own Son, the darling Son of his bosom, to suffer agony and death for us. This must have been a sacrifice on the part of God far beyond our power to comprehend.

I once read of a king who made a law against adultery. Whoever should be found guilty of it, should have both his eyes plucked out. The first offender was his own son. What now should he do? His love for his son was great; but he also loved truth and justice. He could not allow his law to be disregarded, the offense must be punished that others might fear. What did he do? He took his son and plucked out one eye, and then had one of his own eyes put out, instead of his son’s other eye. What love this manifested for that guilty son! Could that son doubt that his father had deep affection for him? The great God has given similar proof of his love for guilty man. He delivered up his Son. Ought this not to touch our hearts and lead us to love God?

The illustration of the prodigal son, in Luke 15, most forcibly shows God’s mercy and love for repenting sinners. No sooner did the prodigal come to himself, and start to go to his father, than his father, seeing him a great way off, ran and fell on his neck and kissed him; and did more for him than he asked or expected. Christ gives this parable to teach us how willing God is to pardon those who truly repent.

Christ’s love for his people is as deep as that of his Father, and as thoroughly tested. Think of what he has suffered for us. Says the prophet: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Isa. 53:3, 4. All this he truly suffered. He did it willingly, without a murmur, that we might be made whole. He ever manifested a most tender and sympathetic spirit. When Jerusalem had rejected him and was about to crucify him, instead of feeling a spirit of bitterness or revenge toward them, he pitied them. His tender heart was touched and melted; and he wept over them, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.” Matt. 23:37. Notwithstanding all their hardness of heart, he shed tears for them. See him at Lazarus’ grave with Martha and Mary. They were in affliction, they were bereaved. As he beheld them, it touched the tenderness of his soul. His heart was moved. He groaned in his spirit, and wept with them. What a sight! The Son of God in tears, unfeigned tears that were shed in sympathy with the passing sorrows of human hearts. When Peter denied him, and sinned so grievously, how did the Lord remember him? He turned and looked upon Peter. That look of tenderness and pity melted Peter’s heart. This was all the reproof he gave him. He did not lay it up and sharply rebuke him afterward. He accepted Peter’s repentance, and did not chide him with it afterward.

The psalmist exclaims, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; for he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.” Can we really believe this? and is it verily true that the great God pities his humble saints as a father pities his children? We know how easily the heart of a kind parent is touched for his children when they come to him with repentance and confession. The psalmist continues: “For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.” God does make allowance. He is acquainted with all our weaknesses, and considers us in mercy. Of Christ, Paul says: “Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” Heb. 2:17, 18. He is a merciful high priest. He is able to succor them that are tempted because he himself has been tempted. Again Paul says: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 4:15, 16. Christ can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and our weaknesses. We have weak points, points where Satan frequently attacks us, and often successfully, and we are betrayed into sin. Then we sorrow for it, feel ashamed, and think that perhaps God can no more hear us. Can our High Priest sympathize with us in this? Paul assures us that he can. God knows our frame. Christ has been tempted as we. He knows the power of temptation, and the weaknesses of the flesh. He pities us when we are betrayed into sin, and is ready to intercede for us when we repent. How this should encourage us to return unto God, and never give up trying.

In Isa. 63:9, the prophet says of the people of God, “In all their afflictions he was afflicted.” What testimony from the Spirit of God! Can our hearts believe it? When Paul was persecuting the followers of Christ, Jesus says, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Mark, he does not say, Why persecutest thou my followers? No; but, Why persecutest thou me? It was Christ that he was persecuting. Christ felt for his brethren. This is just as true of his followers now as then. In another place, he says: “He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye.” Zech. 2:8. What figure could express greater care than this? If there is one that expresses more tenderness, perhaps it is Isa. 49:14, 15: “But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Nature does not furnish a figure that could more forcibly illustrate the love of God for his people than this. Can a woman forget her darling babe? We all know the deep, the undying, love of a mother for her child. She will watch it every moment. She will go hungry and tired, weary and sleepless; she would lay down her life for it. Is it in pain? she suffers too. Can she forget it a moment? God says they may forget; yet will I not forget thee.

Poor, doubting, faithless soul, take courage, and believe the word of God. God loves you, and has the tenderest care for you. Do not grieve him by unbelief, by distrusting his affection for you. Trust him with all your heart. Nothing can please him more. Believe in his promises, cast yourself upon his mercy, confide in him, and you will find that the everlasting arms are underneath you.

Such declarations as these that we find in the word of God ought to move our hearts, and would if they were not hardened by sin. May the Spirit of God come into them, and soften them, that they may appreciate God’s love. Paul realized this when he said, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Rom. 2:4. Yes; it is the love of God that leads man to repentance.

Paul, the apostle, suffered the privation of friends, of home, and of every earthly comfort, and all that the world holds sacred, bearing his back to receive stripes, and giving himself a martyr for Christ. What led him to this? He tells it in one short sentence. Says he, “The love of Christ constraineth us.” 2 Cor. 5:4. Could we get a proper view of the love of God and of Christ for us—could our souls be open to view it—I am sure that our hearts would be melted like wax by it. We would count all our sufferings nothing; we would be ashamed of our murmuring.

Dear reader, have you tasted of the love of God? has your poor heart felt its warming influence? If not, you have never known what joy is. The peace that you might have, you have never felt. Come and taste and see that the Lord is good. The sentiment of my heart is so fully expressed in the following lines that I transcribe them as an appropriate conclusion to the foregoing thoughts:

“Oh! for a glance of heavenly day To take this stubborn heart away, And thaw with beams of love divine This heart, this frozen heart of mine. “The rocks can rend, the earth can quake, The seas may roar, the mountains shake, Of feeling all things show some sign, But this unfeeling heart of mine. “To know the sorrows thou hast felt, O Lord, an adamant would melt; Yet I can read each moving line, And nothing moves this heart of mine. “Thy judgments, too, which devils fear (Amazing thought), unmoved I hear. Goodness and wrath in vain combine To stir this stupid heart of mine. “But something yet can do the deed, And that blessed something much I need. Thy Spirit can from dross refine, And melt and change this heart of mine.”