A Mark of the New Birth.
By John Wesley
A SCRIPTURAL mark of those who are born of God, and the greatest of all, is love, even the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto them. Rom. 5:5. Because they are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father! Gal. 4:6. By this Spirit, continually looking up to God as their reconciled and loving Father, they cry to him for their daily bread, for all things needful, whether for their souls or bodies. They continually pour out their hearts before him, knowing they have the petitions which they ask of him. 1 John 5:15. Their delight is in him. He is the joy of their heart; their "shield," and their "exceeding great reward." The desire of their soul is towards him; it is their "meat and drink to do his will;" and they are satisfied as with marrow and fatness, while their mouth praiseth him with joyful lips. Ps. 63:5. And, in this sense also, "Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." 1 John 5:1. His spirit rejoiceth in God his Saviour. He "loveth the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." He is so "joined unto the Lord," as to be one spirit. His soul hangeth upon him, and chooseth him as altogether lovely, "the chiefest among ten thousand." He knoweth, he feeleth what that means, "My Beloved is mine, and I am his." "Thou art fairer than the children of men; full of grace are thy lips, because God hath anointed thee forever!" Ps. 45:2. The necessary fruit of this love of God, is the love of our neighbor; of every soul which God hath made, not excepting our enemies, not excepting those who are now despitefully using and persecuting us—a love whereby we love every man as ourselves, as we love our own souls. Nay, our Lord has expressed it still more strongly, teaching us to "love one another, even as he hath loved us." Accordingly, the commandment written in the hearts of all those that love God, is no other than this, "As I have loved you, so love ye one another." Now, "herein perceive we the love of God, in that he laid down his life for us." 1 John 3:16. "We ought," then, as the apostle justly infers, "to lay down our lives for the brethren." If we feel ourselves ready to do this, then do we truly love our neighbor. Then "we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." Verse 14. "Hereby know we" that we are born of God, that we "dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." Chap. 4:13. For "love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." 1 John 4:7. But some may possibly ask, Does not the apostle say, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments?" 1 John 5:3. Yea, and this is the love of our neighbor also, in the same sense as it is the love of God. But what would you infer from hence? That the keeping the outward commandments is all that is implied in loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, and soul, and strength, and in loving your neighbor as yourself? That the love of God is not an affection of the soul, but merely an outward service! And that the love of our neighbor is not a disposition of heart, but barely a course of outward works! To mention so wild an interpretation of the apostle's words, is sufficiently to confute it. The plain, indisputable meaning of that text is, this is the sign or proof of the love of God, of our keeping the first and great commandment, to keep all the rest of his commandments. For true love, if it be once shed abroad in our heart, will constrain us so to do; since whosoever loves God with all his heart, cannot but serve him with all his strength. A second fruit then of the love of God (so far as it can be distinguished from it), is universal obedience to him we love, and conformity to his will; obedience to all the commands of God, internal and external; obedience of the heart and of the life; in every temper, and in all manner of conversation. And one of the tempers most obviously implied herein is, the being "zealous of good works;" the hungering and thirsting to do good, in every possible kind, unto all men; the rejoicing to "spend and be spent for them," for every child of man; not looking for any recompense in this world, but only in the resurrection of the just.—Wesley.