The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 607

THE SUFFERING OF LOVE

567

world was offended by it, could not bear it, counted it as mortal hatred; for He denied it its joys and sinful pleasures. He did not even smile when it was full of laughter, but when it begged for His applause He had only rebuke. He prevented the Jerusalem aristocrat from being a Pharisee, and the worldling from being a Sadducee. His whole appearance was a living protest against the world's regime. Hence the world opposed Him, treated His Love Of course, if He had as hatred, and returned it with contempt. only lamented when it mourned, or danced when it piped unto Him in the market-place, it

He

loved

it

would have

built

Him

a throne.

with a holy love and yielded not to

its

But since

entreaty, there-

fore it beat Him, embittered His life, and covered Him with shame and mockery. And when He persisted to love and admonish, it pronounced its " Anathema," and the planting of the cross on Calvary was only a question of time. And what it did to Jesus it has done to all His followers. He that yields is tolerated. He that makes room for the world's spirit receives burning of incense. He that makes compromise with it may be assured of honor and glory but he that refuses to compromise, loving the world with holy love, must sooner or later experience its wrath. God's people in every place and nation have ever sung: " Many are the afflictions of the righteous." Every age has its martyr-history. And the best ages of our race, in which the Holy Spirit exerted His mightiest power, are but the times when the noblest and godliest saints suffered crudest tortures and endured greatest wrongs. ;

Cause for love's suffering

lies in its origin.

Since

it is

the Holy

who radiates its heat in the heart, and keeps its fire burning from moment to moment, the unholy hate and reject it. Spirit

Love can because "

it

bear, but not tolerate, all things.

does not tolerate the worldly

it

bears sufferings,

but the cry of moderation " never tempts it to quench the hatred has entered the conflict with unholiness. For real

mildness " and

with which

It

"

love is also real hatred.

hate energetically.

But

He if

that loves feebly or falsely can not

ardent, animating love reigns in your

heart, then hatred reigns with

hates the ugly.

spirit;

He

that loves

it.

He

that loves the beautiful

harmony hates

discord.

In like

manner, he that has fallen in love with holiness has conceived by the Holy Spirit an equally strong hatred for all unholiness. Love

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