05. The Tests of love to God
The Tests of love to God
Let us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden.
1. The first fruit of genuine love to God—is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love—his thoughts are ever upon the object of his love. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of God. "When I awake, I am still with You!" (Psalms 139:18). The thoughts are as travelers in the mind. David’s thoughts kept on the heaven-road, "I am still with You!" God is the treasure, and where the treasure is, there is the heart. By this we may test our love to God. What are our thoughts most upon? Can we say we are ravished with delight, when we think on God? Have our thoughts got wings? Are they fled aloft? Do we contemplate Christ and glory? Oh, how far are they from being lovers of God—who scarcely ever think of God! "God is not in all his thoughts" (Psalms 10:4). A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts. He never thinks of God, unless with horror, as the prisoner thinks of the judge!
2. The next fruit of of genuine love to God—is desire of communion with Him. Love desires familiarity and fellowship. "My heart and flesh cry out for the living God" (Psalms 84:2). King David being debarred the house of God where the tabernacle was, the visible token of His presence, he breathes after God, and in a holy pathos of desire, cries out for the living God. Lovers desire to be conversing together. If we love God we prize His ordinances, because there we meet with God. He speaks to us in His Word—and we speak to Him in prayer. By this let us examine our love to God. Do we desire intimacy of communion with God? Lovers cannot be long away from each other. Such as love God have a holy affection for Him—and desire to be with Him. They can bear the lack of anything—but God’s presence. They can do without health and friends, they can be happy without a full table—but they cannot be happy without God. "Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the grave" (Psalms 143:7). Lovers have their fainting fits. David was ready to faint away and die, when he had not a sight of God. They who love God cannot be contented with having ordinances, unless they may enjoy God in them; that would be to lick the glass, and not the honey.
What shall we say to those who can be all their lives long without God? They think that God may be ignored: they complain they lack health and trading—but not that they lack God! Wicked men are not acquainted with God. How can they love Him—who are not acquainted with him! Nay, which is worse, they do not desire to be acquainted with Him. "They say to God, Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways" (Job 21:14). Sinners shun acquaintance with God, they count His presence a burden; and are these lovers of God? Does that woman love her husband, who cannot endure to be in his presence?
3. Another fruit of of genuine love to God—is grief for sin. Where there is love to God—there is a grieving for our sins of unkindness against Him. A child who loves his father, cannot but weep for offending him. The heart which burns in love—melts in tears. Oh! that I should abuse the love of so dear a Savior! Did not my Lord suffer enough upon the cross—but must I make Him suffer more? Shall I give Him more gall and vinegar to drink? How disloyal and hypocritical have I been! How have I grieved His Spirit, trampled upon His royal commands, slighted His blood! This opens a vein of godly sorrow, and makes the heart bleed afresh. "Peter went out, and wept bitterly" (Matthew 26:75). When Peter thought how dearly Christ loved him; how he was taken up into the mount of transfiguration, where Christ showed him the glory of heaven in a vision; that he should deny Christ after he had received such amazing love from Him, this broke his heart with grief—he went out, and wept bitterly. By this let us test our love to God. Do we shed the tears of godly sorrow? Do we grieve for our unkindness against God, our abuse of His mercy, our non improvement the talents which He has given us? How far are they from loving God—who sin daily, and their hearts never smite them! They have a sea of sin—and not a drop of sorrow! They are so far from being troubled, that they make merry with their sins. "When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice!" (Jeremiah 11:15). Oh wretch! Did Christ bleed for sin—and do you laugh at it? These are far from loving God. Does he love his friend—who loves to do him an injury?
4. Another fruit of genuine love to God—is courage. Love is valorous—it turns cowardice into courage. Love will make one venture upon the greatest difficulties and hazards. The fearful hen will fly upon a dog or serpent—to defend her young ones. Just so, love infuses a spirit of gallantry and fortitude into a Christian. He who loves God will stand up in His cause, and be an advocate for Him. "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). He who is afraid to own Christ, has but little love to Him. Nicodemus came sneaking to Christ by night (John 3:2). He was fearful of being seen with Him in the day time. Love casts out fear. As the sun expels fogs and vapors, so divine love in a great measure expels carnal fear. Does he love God—who can hear His blessed truths spoken against and be silent? He who loves his friend will stand up for him, and vindicate him when he is reproached. Does Christ appear for us in heaven—and are we afraid to appear for Him on earth? Love animates a Christian, it fires his heart with zeal, and steels him with courage.
5. The fifth fruit of of genuine love to God—is sensitiveness. If we love God, our hearts ache for the dishonor done to God by wicked men. To see piety and morality broken down—and a flood of wickedness coming in; to see God’s name dishonored—if there is any love to God in us, we shall lay these things to heart. Lot’s righteous soul was "vexed with the filthy lives of the wicked" (2 Peter 2:7). The sins of Sodom were as so many spears to pierce his soul. How far are they from loving God, who are not at all affected with His dishonor? If they have but peace and trading, they lay nothing to heart. A man who is dead drunk, never minds nor is affected by it—though another is bleeding to death by him. Just so, many, being drunk with the wine of prosperity, when the honor of God is wounded and His truths lie a-bleeding, are not affected by it. Did men love God, they would grieve to see His glory suffer, and piety itself become a martyr.
6. The sixth fruit of genuine love to God—is hatred against sin. Fire purges the dross from the metal. The fire of love purges out sin. "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols!" (Hosea 14:8). He who loves God, will have nothing to do with sin, unless to give battle to it. Sin strikes not only at God’s honor—but His being. Does he love his prince—who harbors a traitor to the prince? Is he a friend to God—who loves that which God hates? The love of God and the love of sin, cannot dwell together. The affections cannot be carried to two contrarieties at the same time. A man cannot love health and love poison too. Just so, one cannot love God and sin too. He who has any secret sin in his heart allowed, is as far from loving God as heaven and earth are distant one from the other.
7. Another fruit of genuine love to God—is crucifixion to the world. He who is a lover of God—is dead to the world. "The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14). That is, "I am dead to the honors and pleasures of the world." He who is in love with God is not much in love with anything else. The love of God, and ardent love of the world—are incompatible. "If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). Love to God swallows up all other love—as Moses’ rod swallowed up the Egyptian rods. If a man could live as high as the sun—what a small point would all the earth be. Just so, when a man’s heart is raised above the world in the admiring and loving of God, how poor and diminutive are these things below! They seem as nothing in his eye. It was a sign the early Christians loved God, because their property did not lie near their hearts; but they "laid down their money at the apostles’ feet" (Acts 4:35).
Test your love to God by this. What shall we think of those who have never enough of the world? They have the cancer of covetousness, thirsting insatiably after riches: "That pant after the dust of the earth" (Amos 2:7). "Never talk of your love to Christ," says Ignatius," when you prefer the world before the Pearl of price!" Are there not many such, who prize their gold above God? If they have a good farm—they care not for the water of life. They will sell Christ and a good conscience for money. Will God ever bestow heaven upon those who so basely undervalue Him, preferring glittering dust before the glorious Deity? What is there in the earth, that we should so set our hearts upon it? The devil makes us look upon it through a magnifying glass! The world has no real intrinsic worth, it is but paint and deception.
8. The next fruit of genuine love to God—is reverential fear of God. In the godly, love and fear kiss each other. There is a double fear arises from love.
(1.) A fear of displeasing. The spouse loves her husband, therefore will rather deny herself than displease him. The more we love God, the more fearful we are of grieving His Spirit. "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9). When Eudoxia, the empress, threatened to banish Chrysostom; "Tell her" (said he) "I fear nothing but sin!" That is a blessed love which puts a Christian into a hot fit of zeal, and a cold fit of fear, making him shake and tremble, and not dare willingly to offend God.
(2.) A fear mixed with jealousy. "Eli’s heart trembled for the ark" (1 Samuel 4:13). It is not said, his heart trembled for Hophni and Phinehas, his two sons—but his heart trembled for the ark, because if the ark were taken, then the glory was departed. He who loves God is full of fear lest it should go ill with the church. He fears lest worldliness (which is the plague of leprosy) should increase; lest popery should get a footing; lest God should go from His people. The presence of God in His ordinances is the beauty and strength of a nation. So long as God’s presence is with a people, so long they are safe; but the soul inflamed with love to God fears lest the visible tokens of God’s presence should be removed. By this touchstone let us test our love to God. Many fear lest peace and trading might leave them—but not lest God and His gospel might leave them. Are these lovers of God? He who loves God is more afraid of the loss of spiritual blessings than temporal blessings. If the Sun of righteousness removes out of our horizon, what can follow but darkness? What comfort can an anthem give, if the gospel is gone? Is it not like the sound of a trumpet at a funeral?
9. If we are lovers of God—we love what God loves.
(1.) We love God’s WORD. David esteemed the Word, for the sweetness of it—above honey (Psalms 119:103), and for the value of it—above gold (Psalms 119:72). The lines of Scripture are richer than the mines of gold. Well may we love the Word; it is the pole-star which directs us to heaven, it is the field in which the Pearl of great price is hidden. That man who does not love the Word—but thinks it too strict and could wish any part of the Bible torn out (as an adulterer did the seventh commandment), he has not the least spark of love in his heart.
(2.) We love God’s DAY. We do not only keep a sabbath—but love a sabbath. "If you call the sabbath a delight" (Isaiah 58:13). The sabbath is that which keeps up the face of religion among us; this day must be consecrated as glorious to the Lord. The house of God is the palace of the great King, on the sabbath God shows Himself there through the lattice. If we love God we prize His day above all other days. All the week would be dark if it were not for this day; on this day manna falls double. Now, if ever, heaven gate stands open, and God comes down in a golden shower. This blessed day the Sun of righteousness rises upon the soul. How does a gracious heart prize that day which was made on purpose to enjoy God in.
(3.) We love God’s LAWS. A gracious soul is glad of the law because it checks his sinful excesses. The heart would be ready to run wild in sin, if it had not some blessed restraints put upon it by the law of God. He who loves God, loves His law—the law of repentance, the law of self-denial. Many say they love God but they hate His laws. "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" (Psalms 2:3). God’s precepts are compared to cords, they bind men to their good behavior; but the wicked think these cords too tight, therefore they say, "Let us break them!" They pretend to love Christ as a Savior—but hate Him as a King. Christ tells us of His yoke (Matthew 11:29). Sinners would have Christ put a crown upon their head—but not a yoke upon their neck! He would be a strange king—who would rule without laws.
(4.) We love God’s PICTURE, we love His image shining in the saints. "Everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too" (1 John 5:1). It is possible to love a saint—yet not to love him as a saint; we may love him for something else, for his ingenuity, or because he is affable and bountiful. A beast loves a man—but not as he is a man—but because he feeds him, and gives him provender. But to love a saint as he is a saint, this is a sign of love to God. If we love a saint for his saintship, as having something of God in him, then we love him in these four cases.
(a) We love a saint, though he be poor. A man who loves gold—loves a piece of gold, though it is wrapped in a rag. Just so, though a saint is in rags, we love him, because there is something of Christ in him.
(b) We love a saint, though he has many personal failings. There is no perfection here on earth. In some, rash anger prevails; in some, fickleness; in some, too much love of the world. A saint in this life is like gold in the ore, much dross of infirmity cleaves to him—yet we love him for the grace that is in him. A saint is like a fair face with a scar—we love the beautiful face of holiness, though there is a scar in it. The best emerald has its blemishes, the brightest stars have their twinklings, and the best of the saints have their failings. You who cannot love another because of his infirmities, how would you have God love you?
(c) We love the saints though in some lesser things they differ from us. Perhaps another Christian has not so much light as you, and that may make him err in some things; will you presently unsaint him because he cannot come up to your light? Where there is union in fundamentals, there ought to be union in affections.
(d) We love the saints, though they are persecuted. We love precious metal, though it is in the furnace. Paul bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus (Galatians 6:17). Those marks were, like the soldier’s scars, honorable. We must love a saint as well in chains, as in scarlet. If we love Christ, we love His persecuted members.
If this is love to God, when we love His image sparkling in the saints, oh then, how few lovers of God are to be found! Do they love God, who hate those who are like God? Do they love Christ’s person, who are filled with a spirit of revenge against His people? How can that wife be said to love her husband, who tears his picture? What greater crime than holiness—if the devil is the judge! Wicked men seem to bear great reverence to the departed saints; they canonize dead saints—but persecute living saints. In vain do men stand up at the creed, and tell the world they believe in God, when they abominate one of the articles of the creed, namely, the communion of saints. Surely, there is not a greater sign of a man ripe for hell, than this—not only to lack grace—but to hate it.
10. Another blessed sign of genuine love to God—is to entertain good thoughts of God. He who loves his friend interprets what his friend does, in the best sense. "Love thinks no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:5). Malice interprets all in the worst sense; love interprets all in the best sense. Love is an excellent commentator upon God’s providence; it thinks no evil. He who loves God, has a good opinion of God; though He afflicts sharply—the soul takes all well. This is the language of a gracious spirit: "My God sees what a hard heart I have, therefore He drives in one wedge of affliction after another, to break my heart. He knows how full I am of the cancer of covetousness, or the swelling of pride, or the fever of lust—therefore He gives me bitter remedies, to save my life. This severe dispensation is either to mortify some corruption, or to exercise some grace. How good is God, who will not let me alone in my sins—but smites my body to save my soul!" Thus he who loves God, receives all of God’s dealings in the best sense. Love puts a good gloss upon all God’s actions. You who are apt to murmur at God, as if He had dealt ill with you—be humbled for this; say thus with yourself, "If I loved God more, I would have better thoughts of God." It is Satan who makes us have high thoughts of ourselves, and hard thoughts of God. "But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" (Job 1:11) Love takes all in the fairest sense; it thinks no evil. "Then Job fell to the ground in worship and said, ’Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’ In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." (Job 1:20-22) "It is the Lord’s will. Let him do what he thinks best." (1 Samuel 3:18)
11. Another fruit of genuine love to God—is obedience. "He who has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me" (John 14:21). It is a vain thing to say we love Christ—if we slight His commands. Does that child love his father, who refuses to obey him? If we love God, we shall obey Him in those things which cross flesh and blood. (1.) In things difficult, and (2.) In things dangerous.
(1.) In things difficult. As, in mortifying sin. There are some sins which are not only as near to us as our garment—but dear to us as our eye. If we love God, we shall set ourselves against these, both in purpose and practice.
Also, in forgiving our enemies. God commands us upon pain of death to forgive. "Forgive one another" (Ephes. 4:32). This is hard; it is crossing the stream. We are apt to forget kindnesses, and remember injuries; but if we love God, we shall pass by offences. When we seriously consider how many talents God has forgiven us, how many affronts and provocations He has put up with at our hands; this makes us write after His copy, and endeavor rather to bury an injury, than to retaliate it.
(2.) In things dangerous. When God calls us to suffer for Him, we shall obey. Love made Jesus suffer for us. "Because of His great love for us." (Ephesians 2:4) "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail." (Lamentations 3:22) Love was the chain which fastened Jesus to the cross; so, if we love God, we shall be willing to suffer for Him. Love has a strange quality, it is the least suffering grace, and yet it is the most suffering grace. It is the least suffering grace in one sense; it will not suffer known sin to lie in the soul unrepented of, it will not suffer abuses and dishonors done to God; thus it is the least suffering grace. Yet it is the most suffering grace; it will suffer reproaches, bonds, and imprisonments, for Christ’s sake. "I am ready not only to be bound—but to die, for the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 21:13). It is true that every Christian is not a martyr—but he has the spirit of martyrdom in him. He says as Paul, "I am ready to be bound." He has a disposition of mind to suffer, if God calls him to suffer.
Love will carry men out above their own strength. Tertullian observes how much the heathen suffered, for love to their country. If the spring head of nature rises so high, surely grace will rise higher. If love to their country will make men suffer, much more should love to Christ. "Love endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7). Basil speaks of a virgin condemned to the fire, who having her life and estate offered her if she would fall down to worship the idol, answered, "Let life and money go, welcome Christ!" It was a noble and zealous speech of Ignatius, "Let me be ground with the teeth of wild beasts—if I may be God’s pure wheat." How did divine affection carry the early saints above the love of life, and the fear of death! Stephen was stoned; Luke was hanged on an olive tree; Peter was crucified at Jerusalem with his head downwards. These divine heroes were willing to suffer, rather than by their cowardice to make the name of God suffer. How did Paul prize his chain that he wore for Christ! He gloried in it, as a woman who is proud of her jewels! And holy Ignatius wore his fetters as a bracelet of diamonds. "Not accepting deliverance" (Hebrews 11:35). They refused to come out of prison on sinful terms, they preferred their innocence before their liberty. By this let us test our love to God. Have we the spirit of martyrdom? Many say they love God—but how does it appear? They will not forego the least comfort, or undergo the least cross for His sake. If Jesus Christ should have said to us, "I love you much, you are dear to me—but I cannot suffer for you, I cannot lay down my life for you," we would have questioned the genuiness His love. And may not Christ suspect us, when we pretend to love Him, and yet will endure nothing for Him!
12. He who sincerely loves God—will endeavor to make Him appear glorious in the eyes of others. Such as are in love will be commending and setting forth the amiableness of those people whom they love. If we love God, we shall spread abroad His excellencies, that so we may raise His fame and esteem, and may induce others to fall in love with Him. Love cannot be silent. We shall be as so many trumpets, sounding forth the freeness of God’s grace—the transcendence of His love—and the glory of His kingdom. Love is like fire—where it burns in the heart, it will break forth at the lips. It will be elegant in setting forth God’s praise. Love must have vent.
13. Another fruit of genuine love to God—is to long for Christ’s appearing. "Henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me, and not for me only—but for those who love Christ’s appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). Love desires union; Aristotle gives the reason—because joy flows upon union. When our union with Christ is perfect in glory, then our joy will be full. He who loves Christ loves His appearing. Christ’s appearing will be a happy appearing to the saints. His appearing now is very comforting, when He appears for us as an Advocate (Hebrews 9:24). But the other appearing will be infinitely more so, when He shall appear for us as our Husband. He will at that day bestow two jewels upon us! His love; a love so great and astonishing, that it is better felt than expressed. And He will also bestow His likeness upon us! "When he shall appear, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:2). And from both these, love and likeness, infinite joy will flow into the soul! No wonder then, that he who loves Christ longs for His appearance. "The Spirit and the bride say come; even so come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:17; Revelation 22:20). By this let us test our love to Christ. A wicked man is afraid of Christ’s appearing, and wishes He would never appear; but such as love Christ, are joyful to think of His coming in the clouds. They shall then be delivered from all their sins and fears, they shall be acquitted before men and angels, and shall be forever translated into the paradise of God!
14. Genuine love to God—will make us stoop to the lowest offices. Love is a humble grace, it does not walk abroad in state, it will creep upon its hands, it will stoop and submit to anything whereby it may be serviceable to Christ. As we see in Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, both of them honorable people—yet one takes down Christ’s body with his own hands, and the other embalms it with sweet odors. It might seem much for people of their rank to be employed in that service—but love made them do it. If we love God, we shall not think any work too low for us, by which we may be helpful to Christ’s members. Love is not squeamish; it will visit the sick, relieve the poor, wash the saints’ wounds. The mother who loves her child is not squeamish; she will do those things for her child which others would scorn to do. He who loves God will humble himself to the lowest office of love to Christ and His members.
These are the fruits of love to God. Happy are they who can find these fruits so foreign to their natures, growing in their souls.