1 T. Davies.
i26 EVERLASTING LOVE
2. Nothing but lovingkindness can draw men to goodness. No coercive force — only the force of love — can bring the sinner into repentance and faith — the repentance that shall not be repented of, and the faith that will secure the favour of God. It would be an easy matter for God to crush the sinner, and deprive him of every facility for sin ; but it is a different matter to crush his sin and the desire which fosters it. The sinner may quail in the presence of God's displeasure, or he may cease altogether from sin by reason of the abuse and the destruction of natural force ; but there is no virtue in his tremor; there is no faith in his weakness. The sinner must be made willing to part with his sin. The power to effect this comes from God, but it can be applied only when the willing cry rends his heart — " Lord, save, or I perish."
Tj I understand the word " drawn " to be used here as the opposite of " driven." I take the meaning to be, " It is because I love you that I do not force you ; I desire to win by love." We often express surprise that human life does not reveal more traces of God's omnipotence. We see the visible universe subject to inexorable law and yielding submissively to that law. But man does not yield submissively ; he resists the will of the Eternal. Why should he be allowed to resist ? Is he not but an atom in the infinite spaces — these spaces that obey the heavenly mandate ? Why not put down his insane rebellion and crush his proud will into conformity with the universal chorus ? The Bible gives its answer. It is because love is incompatible with the exercise of omnipotence. Inexorable law can rule the stars ; but the stars are not an object of love. Man is an object of love, and therefore he can be ruled only by love — as the prophet puts it, " drawn." Nothing is a conquest for love but the power of drawing. Omni- potence can subdue by driving — but that is not a conquest for love ; it is rather a sign that love is baffled. Therefore it is that our Father does not compel us to come in. He would have us " drawn " by the beauty of holiness ; therefore He veils all that would force the will.1
■[J Two beautiful allegories by the late Mr. Munro, The Journey Home and The Dark Mountains, describe a certain Palace of Un- belief, belonging to Azrael, the Prince of Darkness. It has no background ; its motto is : " Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." Here the careless revellers are disturbed by the sudden arrival of an unlooked-for visitor. His name is Conscience. He
1 G. Matheson, Thcmghts for Life's Journey, 70.
JEREMIAH xxxi. 3 127
is pale and stern, with the starry crown of Truth upon his white forehead. All shrink back trembling at his approach, as though from the angel of death himself. Yet he does not win the wanderers back to the narrow way. They do but shudder for a moment at the awful vision. Then, once more, they strive to drown the new like the old cares, in mirth and debauchery. But ere long another unbidden guest enters Azrael's palace. His head is crowned not with stars but with thorns. His eye tells not of wrath, but of mercy. His words are words of love unspeakable — the love that in Gethsemane and on Calvary showed itself stronger than death. And that mighty love prevails. The fetters of lust and selfishness and pride are broken, and the prisoner is free.1
3. God's love is truly personal ; it is the love of one loving heart for another. When God is speaking to the Jewish nation, He very often, and as a rule, addresses them as if they were one person. Was it that He always saw Abraham in them ? Was it that He always saw the Messiah in them ? Or is it the language of affection ? The more earnest we are in anything, the more we point our words. And so God, gathering in the wide circum- ference of His comprehensive love for every Jew, in every age, to the centre of a single man, says, " I have loved thee." For with God the capacity of love is universal. It embraces all. Yet it individualizes all. It is to you and to me, and all who believe in Him and look to Him as a Father. How personal always was the ministry of our Lord ! " Come unto me." " Take up my cross." " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? "
IT God's love is like His sunlight, diffused throughout the heavens, catching the heights of the hills and crowning them with ruddy gold and clothing them in purple. So it seems to us an easy and a natural thing for God to love some people ; outstanding men and women whose goodness might make them dear to Him. But this is not all that the sun does. It climbs higher that it may creep lower — down the hillsides farther and farther, until it lifts the mists of the valley and covers the meadows with its glory : and kisses the daisy and fills its cup with gold, and puts energy and strength into its very heart. God loves the good, the true, the pure, but His love rises higher that it may come down lower ; and He loves me — me.2