As the Gospel is glorious upon the consideration of the revelation or discovery which is made therein of Jesus Christ, in respect of the excellency of his Person and perfections, so likewise it is glorious as it reveals or makes known his glorious love to the children of men.
Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is glorious love.
1. From the earliness of it, he loved us from everlasting. "We love him because he first loved us." He loved us when we had no love to him; nay, when we were his enemies and hated him, 1 John iv. 19.
2. Christ's love is a glorious love upon account of the freeness of it; there was no constraint laid upon him to fix his eye upon fallen man, the soul is Christ's own free and voluntary choice, and he doth not begrudge us his love, he doth not think he is too high, too rich, too honourable, or too good for poor sinners, Hos. xiv. 4.
3. Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is a glorious love, in that it is a drawing, engaging, or attracting love, it is like Elijah's mantle which he cast upon Elisha; Christ's love hath a kind of compulsion in it, not by violence but by sweet influence, Hos. xi. 3, 1 John iv. 19, 1 Kings xix. 20.
4. Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is a glorious love, in that it is an undeserved love, an unmerited love. Where is the soul that can say it deserves Christ's love? some will say, O such a person is worthy, she deserves and merits your love, but it cannot be said so here, Luke xiv. 23.
5. Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is a glorious love, in respect of the strength of it; what Solomon speaks of love, is true in respect of Christ, " his love is stronger than death," Cant. viii. 6.
1. Consider from whence it brought him.
2. Consider whither it brought him.
3. Consider how it stripped him and disrobed him.
4. Consider what he endured and underwent, as the effect of his great love and affection.
5. Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is a glorious love, because it is a matchless love, it is wonderful, it is so deep no finding of a bottom, so long no measuring of it; none ever loved as Christ loved us. "He hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Eph. iii. 17—19, Rev. i. 5.
6. Christ's love is a glorious love, in at it is a conjugal or an espousal love. Christ loves not as a master loves his servant, nor (only) as the father loves his dear child, but as a bridegroom his spouse, the choice and delight of his heart, or as a man loves his dear wife.
7. Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is a glorious love, in that it is an abiding and eternal love; nothing can separate the soul from Christ's love; "Having loved his own that were in the world, he loved them unto the end," Rom. viii. 35, John xiii. 1.
8. Christ's love is a glorious love, because it is a love of complacency, he takes delight in his love, and in the soul beloved. Christ loves all men with a love of pity, but he loveth his elect with a love of complacency.
9. Christ's love held forth in the Gospel is glorious love, because it draws forth or doth beget glorious love in the soul to him; the love which is in us to him, is but the glorious effects of his love to us. It makes us to love him so as to admire him, not being able to set his worth and excellency forth: glorious love causeth a longing and languishing until the soul enjoy Christ, it is with the soul as it was with Ahab touching Naboth's vineyard. Christ runs much in the mind and thought of such; yea, and it makes them willing to go through hardships and diificulties for him as Jacob did for Rachel; such will abide with Christ in adversity as Jonathan did with David, it carries the soul to love Christ above all other things, Cant. v. 16.
Glorious love is attended with fruit, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep,"—" If you love me, keep my commandment," John xx. 16, xiv. 15.
Such delight in Christ's presence, and greatly prize every token of his divine love and grace, and mourn at Christ's absence; nothing will comfort if Christ be gone. Glorious love leads the soul to visit Christ often, and to love them that he loves, and long to look for his appearing.
—Benjamin Keach
