January 29, 2011

How excellent is His love?

"This love of Christ to his people, both designs and effects the greatest good to those he loves. Among creatures there is a deal of love to little purpose. Either they intend but little by their love; or if they do design it, their love cannot reach it. But the greatest good, eternal life, is not only intended by Christ in his love to his people, but it is surely attained. All that Christ loves, are saved: why? because his love is saving. Salvation is designed by this lover, and is perfected by this love.

Application
Let me therefore exhort you to love Jesus Christ. Is his heart set upon having all his people with him where he is? Surely we ought to return love to him back again. Most of those that pretend to the name of christian, think they make some conscience of it as being a most just debt and duty to him; and will be ready to say with Paul, 'If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha," 1 Cor. xvi 22. But as the love that Christ bears to his people, is not so well known and believed as it ought to be; so the love his people owe to him is not so well paid as it ought to be."


--Robert Traill, Sixteen Sermons on the Lord's Prayer, pp.111

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