To be near unto God - pagina 196
Then it becomes the shamefacedness of the thief, who returns what he had stolen and makes no boast of merit; but prays to be forgiven. This is what the prophet calls "to lay God upon the heart." Love is a tender, touching emotion, which needs symbols. This gave rise in olden times to the custom among lovers to wear each It meant that one other's picture on the heart. had given the other heart and hand, and that now one wears this symbol on the heart as a continual warning not to let the heart, thus sealed, for a moment go out to another, but to keep it faithfully for the one that is loved. And to lay God upon the heart means that the choice has been made, that the heart has been given to God, and that now the symbol of God's name is placed upon it, to seal the heart for God, and closely to guard the heart for God and God alone. The case remains always the same. It is not to love God in order to bring him something, but to lose self in God because we belong to him, and because b}^ this consecration of ourselves to him alone, can the end of our oxistenco be realized. To do all this, not in the mechanical form of a calculation, but through the losing of self in the ecstacy of tenderest love, is the first and great commandment; this is to know the Lord, to feel oneself as a child with his Father, and to be inwardly consumed by the love of God which is poured out into our hearts. The question remains, how many there are, even among the pious in the land, who in this way have laid God upon their heart? 192
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.
Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 januari 1918
Abraham Kuyper Collection | 620 Pagina's
Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 januari 1918
Abraham Kuyper Collection | 620 Pagina's