All other graces are eclipsed by Love. Love is the
soul of religion, and is that grace which truly constitutes a Christian.
Love is the Queen of the graces — it shines and sparkles in God's eye as
the precious stones did on the breastplate of Aaron.
The antecedent of love is knowledge; the Spirit
shines on the understanding, and reveals the wisdom, holiness, and mercy
of God — and these become the loadstone to draw out the affections to
God. Such as know not God, cannot love him. If the sun is
set in the understanding, there will be night in the affections.
Love makes all our services acceptable; it is not
duty — but love to duty, which God delights in; therefore serving and
loving God are put together.
Love is the only grace that shall live with us in
Heaven; there we shall need no repentance, because we shall never sin;
no faith, because we shall see God face to face — but love will abide
forever. "Love never fails," but shall outlive all the graces, and run
parallel with eternity.
O preserve your love to God, keep it flaming on the
altar of your heart! Love is like oil to the wheels — it quickens us in
God's service. Does love grow cool? Make use of ordinances as sacred
fuel to keep the holy fire burning.
Love facilitates duty; it is like wings to the bird,
like sails to the ship; it carries the soul on swiftly and cheerfully in
our way to glory. Love is vigorous, as well as active; it despises
dangers, it tramples on difficulties; like a mighty torrent, it carries
all before it.
Faith itself has no beauty, unless it works by love.
The tears of repentance are not pure, unless they flow from the spring
of love. Love is the jewel which Christ's bride wears — it is the
diamond in the ring of all the graces of the Spirit. Not if you work
miracles — but if you love one another, is to be the badge of
discipleship. Love is the golden clasp which fastens hearts; the
indissoluble cement that binds Christians to each other.
Love is a grace that dwells not always at home — but
goes abroad to seek the sorrowful, and aid the miserable.
Love reveals the soundness of faith — as the even
beating of the pulse shows the healthy state of the body.
Christian love renders the gospel lovely in the eyes
of the world. It was an honor to the religion of Christ in ancient times
when the heathen could say, "See how these Christians love one another!"
Blessed sight to behold Christians linked together with the silver links
of charity! The Church is Christ's temple, the saints are living stones:
how beautiful is this temple when the stones of it are cemented together
with love!