January 7

For the love of Christ constraineth us.—2 Corinthians 5:14.

LOVE is a prevalent affection, stronger than death; and kindness is the greatest endearment of love. Now the Lord Jesus expressed such admirable love to us, that being duly considered, it can not but inspire us with love to him again, and with a grateful desire to please him in all things. He descended from heaven to earth, and delivered himself to a shameful death, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. And what argument is more powerful to cause in us a serious hatred of sin, than the consideration of what Christ hath suffered to free us from the punishment and power of it? If a man for his crimes were condemned to the galleys, and a friend of his who had been extremely injured by him, should ransom him by a great sum; when the guilty person is restored to liberty, will he not blush for shame at the memory of what he hath done? But how much more, if his friend would suffer for him the pains and infamy of his slavery? If any spark of humanity remain in him, can he ever delight himself in those actions which made such a benefit necessary to him? Now we are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from our vain conversation, (the most sordid and deplorable captivity,) but with the precious blood of Christ, as a Lamb without blemish and without spot. And is it possible for a Christian to live in those sins for which Christ died? Will not love cause an humble fear, lest he should frustrate the great design, and make void the most blessed effect of his terrible sufferings? Why did he redeem us with so excellent a price from our cruel bondage, but to restore us to his free service? Why did he vindicate us from the power of the usurper to whom we were captives, but to make us subjects to our natural prince? Why did he purify us with his most precious blood from our deadly defilements, but that we might be entirely consecrated to his glory, and be fervent in good works? What can work upon an ingenuous person more than sense of kindness? What can oblige more strongly to duty than gratitude? What more powerful attractive to obedience than love? This pure love confirms the glorified saints for ever in holiness. For they are not holy to obtain heaven, because they are possessed of it; nor to preserve their blessedness, because they are past all hazard of losing it; but from the most lively and permanent sense of their obligations, because they have obtained that incomparable felicity by a gift never to be reversed, and by a mercy transcendently great. And the same love to God that is in the saints above in the highest degree of perfection, and makes them for ever to glorify him, will, proportionably to our state in this life, cause us to observe his commands with delight and constancy. A true Christian is moved by fear, more by hope, most by love. "For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge: that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."