That Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, who was the Father’s delight, yet, not withstanding, could rejoice in the habitable places of the earth, and so love poor, bad and miserable men, yet enemies, that he gave himself for them, that God so loved that he gave his Son, and Christ so loved that he gave himself a sacrifice for sin, both for me and others, O! who should not or will not be compelled, in beholding this mirror of incomparable and spotless love to love others?
1st John 4:9-11
“In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
Ephesians 5:2
“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor,”
especially when he seems to require no other thing, and imposes no more grievous command upon us for recompense of all his labor of love.
John 8:34-35
“A new commandment I give you, That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”
If all that was in me did not alienate his love from me, how should any thing in others estrange our love to them? If God be so kind to his enemies, and Christ so loving that he gives his life for his enemies to make them friends, what should we do our enemies, what to our friends? This one example may make all created love to blush and be ashamed. How narrow, how limited, how selfish is it?
This common domain work modernized in few places by this site.
Mercy Triumphs! 