Deuteronomy 6:5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. In this publication of His law God clothes Himself with this title, "The Lord thy God" — I. With reference to His gracious, external interpositions in behalf of that people. II. To intimate the gracious tendency of this seemingly severe revelation. III. And its connection with the offer and communication of God according to the method of His grace. But there are two inferences falsely made from this preface which ought to be avoided. 1. That an assured apprehension of God, as ours, is the beginning of religion, and that this must go before all beneficial knowledge of God and His law, whereas there must be a spiritual knowledge of God and His law in the order of nature necessarily antecedent to any such apprehension of God, otherwise we have no just ideas of Him whom we apprehend (but embrace an idol), nor of the footing on which we do apprehend Him. 2. That, after reconciliation with God, a man hath nothing to do with His law.To overturn such fancies it is to be observed that the doctrine of the law of God is to be learned — 1. In subserviency to the glorification of God by the exercise of justifying faith in Jesus Christ. 2. For the government of one who is justified in walking towards heaven. It is chiefly in order to the first of those uses, to awaken men to flee to Christ, that I mean to speak at this time from the text. There are no Christians on earth exempted from the necessity of exciting themselves to faith in this way, unless there are Christians whose faith needs not to be increased or exercised. I. I am to OPEN THE SOURCES OF THE OBLIGATION OF THE LAW OF GOD AS THEY ARE EXHIBITED IN THIS EXPRESSION OF THE TEXT, "The Lord our God is one Lord." Two preliminary observations may here be mentioned. (1) That the grounds of the obligation of the law of God upon intelligent creatures are of an unsearchable and incomprehensible nature. I mean not that it is impossible for us to have a sufficient knowledge of this matter. If this were the case, it would be vain to say anything on this subject. But I mean that, after the greatest progress in such resources, faith must be maintained as to the immensity of the glory of God as surpassing all knowledge. (2) That there is in us an exceeding great strength of spiritual darkness or blindness in this matter. They only who have a deep and tender sense of these two things, their own blindness and the mysterious sublimity of these subjects, have such a humility of mind as is suitable to such inquiries. 1. It appears from the text that the chief source of the obligation of the law of God must be searched for and found in God Himself. (1) It is evident, from the nature of the demands of the law of God, that they cannot be justified, unless on supposition of there being such things in the nature and character of God as do of themselves entitle Him to such service. (2) The certainty of this truth concerning the origin of the obligation of the law of God appears from the consideration of the penalty annexed to the violation of this law. (3) Every other argument enforcing the law of God derives its chief force from its connection with this primary source of moral obligation. Because I am created a reasonable being I am bound to love God. But whence is it that my reasonable nature is a precious benefit? Is it not because hereby I am capable of the sight and enjoyment of God in His infinite beauty? In this view the benefit of creation may be said to be infinite. (4) This is expressly adduced in the Scripture as the foundation of the authority of the law of God. So, in the preceding chapter, "I am the Lord thy God." The first and radical idea is, "I am Jehovah." I am what I am. (5) Obligations to obedience from consideration of Divine judgments and mercies are expressly resolved into this when the knowledge of God's being what He is is spoken of as the issue of these things, as is manifest (Ezekiel 28:22-26). 2. It appears from the text that the sources of the obligation of the law of God are to be found in those excellences of the Godhead which are most peculiar and distinguishing. Here it is to be considered that the excellences of God are justly distinguished into those which are called communicable and those which are called incommunicable. With respect to both these sorts of excellency He is incomparable. As to those which are called communicable excellences, because some degree of something like them is imparted to other beings, God is distinguished from His creatures by the degree and manner in which He possesses these excellences. But the most distinguishing quality of the manner in which God possesses communicable perfections is their being united with His incommunicable glories. It is by these last that God is chiefly distinguished from other beings, that He hath an immense fulness of such kinds of beauty as in no degree can be found in any created being. 3. It may also be inferred from the text that the obligation of the law of God is primarily derived from those excellences of the Godhead which chiefly constitute the harmony of all Divine excellences, or the bond of union, in consequence of which all the fulness of the Godhead is one whole. "The Lord our God is one Lord" — that is, in the midst of the immense variety of excellences which are found in Him, there is a marvellous unity and harmony, so that there is no division, jarring, or separation, but one glorious whole, in which all things are compacted. 4. The source of the obligation of the law of God lies in that one essence which is equally and fully possessed by each of the three persons in the Godhead. Application: 1. Beware of despising these truths as abstruse and unintelligible. 2. I call and invite every one of you to employ Jesus Christ, the Prophet of the Church, to instruct you savingly in these things. 3. Let those who have been called into the light attend to these exhortations (1 Peter 2:1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 11, 12). II. TO GIVE A GENERAL EXPLICATION OF THE NATURE OF THAT LOVE TO GOD WHICH IS DEMANDED AND PRESCRIBED IN HIS LAW. Here the following preliminary remarks are to be attended to: 1. That we are now to speak of the love of God not as it is found in saints on earth, mingled with contrary corruptions, but as it is prescribed in the law of God, and as it is found in such creatures as are perfectly conformed thereto. 2. It is difficult for us to attain just and lively conceptions of the nature of this perfect love, because we never had any experience of it — no, not for a moment. 3. Such a knowledge of it is attainable as is sufficient to answer the purposes of the glory of God which are intended to be answered in this life, such as to excite high thoughts of the glorious excellences of God as appearing in His law, to discover the preciousness of the righteousness of Christ, the imperfection of our present attainments, the necessity of progress, and the amiableness of that state of perfection which is the "prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 4. Our thoughts may be assisted and elevated on this subject by considering the highest attainments of Christians on earth, and adding perfection of purity and continuance thereto.I shall now apply myself to the direct consideration of this most fundamental subject, namely, "What is that perfection of love to God prescribed in His holy law?" 1. What are those views and character of God in which He is contemplated while perfect love is exercised? (1) I observe that God in the whole of His character, so far as in any degree revealed to the creature, is the object of perfect love. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all — no spots or blemishes, nothing to allay or abate the splendour of His amiableness. "He is altogether lovely."(2) More particularly He is so in His incommunicable fulness of excellence, beauty, and perfection. (3) In His communicable perfections. Whatever amiableness is found in the creation, so far as is consistent with infinite perfection, is found in God in a Divine manner. (4) As He is the author of all that is good in the creation. (5) As He is the last end of all, for the sake of whose glory all things exist and all events happen. (6) As He is the benefactor, lover, and judge of intelligent, created beings. (7) As He is the enemy and avenger of evil. (8) As He is the supporter and recompenser of good. (9) In His unknown, hidden, and unsearchable fulness, which is implicitly loved. 2. The different motions of the faculties of the soul in bringing forth the actings of this love may be represented in this order. (1) The first principle of spiritual motion being the will, or the soul, as choosing and inclining itself towards what is suitable to its taste and inclination, so in this perfect love there is a Divine instinct and disposition of the will by which the whole soul is turned towards God. (2) Hereby the faculties of the understanding are stirred up to inquire after God. (3) There is a disposition to faith concerning what God is, before the soul sensibly sees Him. (4) And to seek and take in that marvellous light by which He is sensibly discovered. (5) Then the will, having, by means of the understanding, found its object, embraces it, and rests in it in such actings as are afterwards to be mentioned. (6) Then the understanding is stilted up to go forward in taking in more of God, and this awakens new actings of the will, and these, again, new exertions of the understanding. 3. In the course of these motions of the faculties of a perfect creature, the various acts of love in their distinct kinds and in their connection with each other are brought forth. (1) Esteem, which is the accounting a thing valuable, excellent, precious. (2) Desire, as to present enjoyment and the securing endless possession, and hence valuing the intimations of Divine love, etc. (3) Delight, complacency, rest. (4) Zeal; delighting in the honour of God. Benevolence. (5) Self-denial; preferring the interest of God to ourselves. Disposition to suffer for Him. (6) Undervaluing the whole creation in comparison of Him. (7) Loving the creation in subordination to Him. Thus the creation is first thrust away; and then embraced. (8) Gratitude for the person's self and others. (9) Disposition to acts of worship and beneficence, in which this love appears clothed with its fruit. Application: 1. Give glory to God, the author of this law. 2. See the greatness of our fall from a state of perfect, uninterrupted love to a state of enmity. 3. See the preciousness of that redemption by which men are restored to a state of perfect, endless conformity to this spotless standard. (John Love, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. |
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