Christ and "has a warm heart, God will seldom allow him to lack a blessing.
Hengstenberg shrewdly remarks, that Christ's emphatical question about love to Himself, and omission of any question about love to Qod, is strong indirect pl-oof of Christ's divinity.
(b) True love to Christ is chiefly to be seen in usefulness to others, in doing as Christ did, in walking in His steps, in labor- ing to do good in this bad world. He that talks of loving Christ, and idles on through life, nev^er trying to do good to others, is deceiving himself, and will find at length that he had better never have been born.
(c) A vast amount of so-called Christianity is perfectly use- less in the sight of God, and will only add to people's condem- nation. Church-goers and chapel-goers, who are content to at- tend services and hear sermons, but know nothing of fervent love to Christ's person, and never lay themselves out to imitate Him, are in the broad way that leads to destruction.
Rollock observes, " A profane man or woman will say, • I love God ; ' but if it manifest not itself in an action, thou art but a liar, and lovest Him not. Faith and love must ever utter themselves in good actions. Hast thou gotten a heart, hands, and feet ? Do some good. Otherwise, if thou doest never a good deed, thy profession of faith and love is vain."
He also says, — " The pastor is not worth a penny who strives not to get a sense of the love of Christ into his heart. There are so many difficulties and impediments cast before a pastor, when he is about to discharge his duty, that he never can be able to overcome them, except he both love the Lord, and be sensible of the Lord's love to him. If the Apostles and mar- tyrs had not loved Jesus exceedingly, they would soon have fainted."
Leighton observes, " Love is the great endowment of a true pastor of Christ's flock. He says not to Peter, ' Art thou wise ? or learned ? or eloquent ? ' but * Lovest thou Me ? ' Then, * feed.' Love to Christ begets love to His people's souls, which are so precious to Him, and a care of feeding them."
Scott observes, " Those who have been greatly tempted, and have had much humbling experience of their own sinfulness, and have had much forgiven them, generally prove the most tender, compassionate, and attentive pastors, of weak, bruised, and trembling believers/'
(d) The true test of reality in our religion is to be able to appeal confidently to God's knowledge of our hearts. It mat- ters nothing what friends, and relatives, and fellow-worship- pers, may think and say of us. They may praise us, when we do not deserve it, or condemn us, when we are innocent. It matters nothing. If we have the witness of our own hearts,
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