Morning, December 20
Go To Evening Reading
“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.”
Jeremiah 31:3
Sometimes the Lord Jesus tells his Church his love thoughts. “He does not think it enough behind her back to tell it, but in her
very presence he says, ‘Thou art all fair, my love.’ It is true, this is not his ordinary method; he is a wise lover,
and knows when to keep back the intimation of love and when to let
it out; but there are times when he will make no secret of it; times
when he will put it beyond all dispute in the souls of his people” (R. Erskine’s Sermons). The Holy Spirit is often pleased, in a most gracious manner,
to witness with our spirits of the love of Jesus. He takes of the
things of Christ and reveals them unto us. No voice is heard from
the clouds, and no vision is seen in the night, but we have a testimony
more sure than either of these. If an angel should fly from heaven
and inform the saint personally of the Saviour’s love to him, the evidence would not be one whit more satisfactory
than that which is borne in the heart by the Holy Ghost. Ask those
of the Lord’s people who have lived the nearest to the gates of heaven, and they
will tell you that they have had seasons when the love of Christ towards
them has been a fact so clear and sure, that they could no more doubt
it than they could question their own existence. Yes, beloved believer,
you and I have had times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
and then our faith has mounted to the topmost heights of assurance.
We have had confidence to lean our heads upon the bosom of our Lord,
and we have no more questioned our Master’s affection to us than John did when in that blessed posture; nay,
nor so much: for the dark question, “Lord, is it I that shall betray thee?” has been put far from us. He has kissed us with the kisses of his mouth, and killed our doubts
by the closeness of his embrace. His love has been sweeter than wine
to our souls.