22 OCTOBER (PREACHED 1770)
God’s love known only in Christ
‘And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.’ Luke 9:35
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Ephesians 3:1–21
This is my beloved Son. By this you must learn to estimate the love of God to sinners. When St Paul is speaking of this love, he often labours for words, though he exhausts the power of language. His expressions are strictly true, or rather too low and faint to do justice to the subject, upon a supposition that Jesus is that excellent and glorious person, the beloved Son of God; but upon any other scheme his language must appear excessive, hyperbolical and idolatrous. But St Paul’s views were right, and therefore we can easily conceive why the holy angels looked down with wonder, and learn the brightest discoveries of God in his dealings with his church. For he has so loved it as to give his only begotten Son to redeem it from ruin. That God is good may be easily proved from his works of creation, of providence—but his love is only to be known in Christ. They who refuse to give Jesus the glory due to his name, can never entertain due apprehensions of the love of God. On the other hand, if this love of God in this unspeakable gift does not affect you with wonder and draw forth your love to him, though you may have been brought up with right notions and may confess Christ in words, be assured you have not as yet received the true knowledge of him.
FOR MEDITATION:
My guilt is cancelled quite, I know,
The love I owe for sin forgiven,
And satisfaction made;
For power to believe,
But the vast debt of love I owe,
For present peace, and promised heaven,
Can never be repaid.
No angel can conceive.
That love of thine! thou sinner’s Friend!
Witness thy bleeding heart!
My little all can ne’er extend
To pay a thousandth part.
SERMON SERIES: ON THE TRANSFIGURATION, NO. 9 [2/4]
Milo 