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If you love me?
From Spurgeon's, "Christ's People- Imitators of Him"
'For Christ's sake', endeavor to be like him.
Oh! could I fetch the dying Jesus here,
and let him speak to you!
My own tongue is tied this morning, but I would make
his blood, his scars, and his wounds speak.
Poor dumb mouths, I bid each of them plead in his behalf.
How would Jesus, standing here, show you his hands this
morning! "My friends," he would say,
"behold me! these hands were pierced for you;
and look here at this my side-
It was opened as the fountain of your salvation.
See my feet; there entered the cruel nails.
Each of these bones were dislocated for your sake.
These eyes gushed with torrents of tears.
This head was crowned with thorns.
These cheeks were smitten;
this hair was plucked;
my body became the center and focus of agony.
I hung quivering in the burning sun; and all for you,
my people.
And will you not love me now?
I bid you be like me.
Is there any fault in me?
Oh! no.
You believe that I am fairer than ten thousand fairs,
and lovelier than ten thousand loves.
Have I injured you?
Have I not rather done all for your salvation?
And do I not sit at my Father's throne, and even now
intercede on your behalf?
"If you love me," -Christian, hear that word;
let the sweet syllables ring forever in your ears,
like the prolonged sounding of silver-toned bells-
"if you love me, if you love me, keep my commandments."
Oh, Christian, let that "if" be put to you this morning.
"If you love me."
Glorious Redeemer! is it an "if" at all?
Precious, bleeding Lamb, can there be an "if?"
What, when I see your blood gushing from you- is it an "if?"
Yes, I weep to say it is an "if."
Often my thoughts make it "if,"
and often my words make it "if."
"Yes, I love you, I know that I love you.
Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you," the
Christian can say.
"Well, then," says Jesus, looking down with a glance of
affectionate approbation, "since you love me, keep my
commandments."
O beloved, what mightier reason can I give than this?
It is the argument of love and affection.
Be like Christ, since gratitude demands obedience;
so shall the world know that you have been with Jesus.
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