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The Great Commandment
(by Thomas Watson)
"You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart."
God will have the whole heart.
We must not divide our love between Him and sin.
The true mother would not have the child
divided, nor will God have the heart divided;
it must be the whole heart.
We must love God for Himself,
for His own intrinsic excellencies.
We must love Him for His loveliness.
It is a harlot's love to love the
pay more than the person.
Hypocrites love God because He gives
them food and wine: we must love God
for Himself; for those shining perfections
which are in Him.
Love to God must be active in its sphere.
Love is an industrious affection; it sets the
head studying for God, hands working, and feet
running in the ways of His commandments.
It is called the labor of love. 1 Thess. 1:1-3
Mary Magdalene loved Christ, and poured her
ointments on Him. We think we never do
enough for the person whom we love.
If we love God, our desire will be after Him.
He who loves God, breathes after communion
with Him. "My soul thirsts for the living God."
People in love desire to be often together.
He who loves God, desires to be much in His
presence.
He who loves God cannot find contentment
in any thing without Him. Lovers faint away
if they have not a sight of the object loved.
A gracious soul can do without health,
but cannot do without God.
If God should say to a soul that entirely loves
Him, "Take your ease, swim in pleasure, solace
yourself in the delights of the world; but you
shall not enjoy My presence:" this would not
content him.
No, if God should say, "I will let you be taken
up to heaven, but I will retire into another room,
and you shall not see my face;" it would not
content the soul.
It is hell to be without God!
There can be no golden joy in the soul
without God's sweet presence and influence.
He who loves God, weeps bitterly for His absence.
Mary comes weeping, "They have taken away my Lord."
One cries, "My health is gone" another, "My
estate is gone" but he who is a lover of God,
cries out, "My God is gone! I cannot enjoy
Him whom I love." If Rachel mourned greatly
for the loss of her children, what can shadow
out the sorrow of that Christian who has lost
God's sweets presence?
Let us be persuaded to love God with
all our heart and might. O let us take
our love off from other things, and
place it upon God!
Love is the heart of Christianity, the fat of
the offering; it is the grace which Christ
inquires most after. "Simon do you love me?" John 21:15.
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