July 13

"We love, because He first loved us."—1 John 4:19 (R.V.).

LOVE the gift becomes love the debt. The great, profound, sublime affection of God my Saviour—I am to reproduce it in my own degree; I am to manifest it in turn.

My love should have the same objects as God's. To what does His grace travel forth, eager to help and bless? To the misery and peril of perishing men, and to the sadness and broken-heartedness of His own children. So my love must strive and pray for the redemption of the sinner, and for the comfort of the saint.

And my love should be the same in character with God's. It ought to shrink from no effort, no sacrifice, no martyrdom. I must not weep over the distresses of sufferers who have no existence, or whom at least I am doing nothing to aid. My affection must go out to actual living men, surmounting every barrier to get close to them, bearing with them in unconquerable patience though they disappoint its hopes.

And my love should seek the same goal and end as God's. It will not be content with conferring outward help and temporal blessing. It will long and labour to lift one soul and another to the loftiest heights—to forgiveness, to peace, to holiness, to the hope of glory, to where I am seated myself in the redeemed household of my Lord and King.

I wonder whether this is the heart which beats within me, and which animates all I say and do. The golden sun may mirror itself in a raindrop, till the raindrop flashes like a diamond; and my redeeming God is to have His miniature in me.