The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 554

LOVE

514

And

rather the reverse.

still

she stays, she perseveres, not only

from a sense of duty, but attracted by the misery and desolation This is indeed the effect of a higher love, which of the sufferer. flows from the Fountain of Eternal Love. That nurse exhibits devotion to the invisible, apprehension of the spiritual. And altho God has so constituted our nervous system that suffering causes us discomfort, that the sight of pain affects us painfully, so that from a mere fellow feeling we are instantly ready to bear relief to the sufferer, yet that higher form of love usually rises from the lower nervous life to a higher expression which is

impossible without an inward operation of grace. It

thus prepares the

way

for the highest love, that directs itself

not only to the invisible things, but to the Invisible One, attracting the soul toward

Love

itself

Him

And

with irresistible drawings.

only then

is

reached.

The Word Thou

God is Love, and the Spirit's testimony "Amen, not in us, but in Thee, O Eternal

declares that

says in every heart:

There is no love that does not spring from mystery that men and angels fail to fathom. Who ever expressed its perfection in words? Who does not realize that it is a harmony marvelously beautiful, blessed, and divine which the confused ear of the creature can not fully appreciate.^ Men confess it, drink in its sweetness and loveliness the heart is blessed and cherished by it but after the bliss is tasted and the cup taken from the lips, we know no more of the nature of Love than the babe that has enjoyed love at his mother's breast. We can not describe or analyze it; we can not fathom or penetrate its hidden essence. It takes possession of us, pervades us, refreshes us; but as the wind, of which we know not whence it cometh and whither it goeth, so in our best moments are the wonderful drawOne.

Thee

!

"

art Love.

And

this is a

;

;

ings of the Love of our God. is

eternal as

to

come

God

Himself.

It is

not created nor conceived.

Love was never outside

of

It

Him, so as

Him from elsewhere; nor for a single moment throughHe without it. Without bearing in Himself deep, Love, without being Love, He can not be our God. to

out eternity was eternal

Superficial minds, however, conceive of the

forgiving sin

allow war.

;

Love

as too good to tolerate suffering

;

of

God only

But the Word teaches that the Love of God

Love, intolerant of

evil, for its

own sake causing

as

too peaceable to is

a holy

the sinner to suffer

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen