THE LOVE OF GOD by R. C. F.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 6, 1860

THE LOVE OF GOD.

By R. C. F.

I NEVER had such striking views of God's infinite love as I have had of late. O his condescension and pity towards the poor fallen race of man, seem so unspeakably great. Only think of the vastness of God's creation! This planet we inhabit is but an atom weighed in the balance of the universe, yet the Lord Jehovah looks down from the height of glory upon us, and with yearning pity for the works of his hands, waits to manifest his love in our hearts. O the forbearance and longsuffering of God! O what tender compassion dwells in the bosom of the Saviour! How many years we have barred the door of our hearts against him! How oft we have shut our ears against his pleadings, and listened with willing hearts to the whispers of pride, self-love and ambition, and cherished those scorpions in our bosoms till our tender Friend was grieved away. O it was not till we had cast these from our embrace, that we found a welcome for the meek and lowly One, the "Man of sorrows." But when we had given him a place in our hearts how true and precious a friend we found Him to be.

How compassionate He is to our weakness. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth

them that fear him." O how tenderly he soothes our sorrows! And when we trust ourselves perfectly to his loving guidance, how tenderly he bears us over the rough places that seem almost impassable, and the pitfalls into which our weary feet seem almost ready to slide. O where shall we find such a friend as Jesus? Our earthly friends love us it is true, but he loves us infinitely more. They sympathize with our griefs, and we with theirs; but the Saviour needs not our love, yet he loves us with a depth and tenderness inconceivable. Our earthly friends may die and leave us, they may be absent from us, or circumstances may render them powerless to aid us in time of need, but Jesus is a friend that never fails us. His love never grows cold. His constancy never wavers. He is always at hand when we need his aid; in our hours of trouble we can always flee to his sheltering arms. "Come unto me" he says, "all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart."

O let us wear the yoke of Christ! Yield like little children to his loving guidance, and we shall surely "find rest to our souls." We shall realize in its fullest sense, that "wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." God will give us to drink of the fountain of infinite love, and grant us a foretaste of the joys that await us in his everlasting kingdom.

O precious Friend! never to be prized enough. How sweet to rest helplessly in thy love! How great a privilege to trust in the strength of Omnipotence! We are weak and ignorant and unworthy, and can do nothing of ourselves; but Jesus is everything we need, and he does everything for us. He is our wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Let us trust him, then, for perfect freedom from sin, and let us prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God; that we may be found not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith, and be counted worthy to escape those things that are coming to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Kingston, Wis.