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"Love thy neighbour."
Perhaps he rolls in riches, and thou art poor, and
living in thy little cot side-by-side with his lordly
mansion; thou seest every day his estates, his fine
linen, and his sumptuous banquets; God has given him
these gifts, covet not his wealth, and think no hard
thoughts concerning him. Be content with thine own lot,
if thou canst not better it, but do not look upon thy
neighbour, and wish that he were as thyself. Love him,
and then thou wilt not envy him.
Perhaps, on the other
hand, thou art rich, and near thee reside the poor. Do
not scorn to call them neighbour. Own that thou art
bound to love them. The world calls them thy inferiors.
In what are they inferior? They are far more thine
equals than thine inferiors, for
"God hath made of one blood all people that dwell upon
the face of the earth." It is thy coat which is
better than theirs, but thou art by no means better than
they. They are men, and what art thou more than that?
Take heed that thou love thy neighbour even though he be
in rags, or sunken in the depths of poverty.
But, perhaps, you say, "I
cannot love my neighbours, because for all I do they
return ingratitude and contempt." So much the more room
for the heroism of love. Wouldst thou be a feather-bed
warrior, instead of bearing the rough fight of love? He
who dares the most, shall win the most; and if rough be
thy path of love, tread it boldly, still loving thy
neighbours through thick and thin. Heap coals of fire on
their heads, and if they be hard to please, seek not to
please them, but to
please thy
Master; and remember
if they spurn thy
love, thy Master hath not spurned it, and thy deed is as
acceptable to him as if it had been acceptable to them.
Love thy neighbour, for in so doing thou art following
the footsteps of Christ. |
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No neutralities can exist
in religion. We are either ranked under the banner of
Prince Immanuel, to serve and fight his battles, or we
are vassals of the black prince, Satan. "To whom
belongest thou?"
Reader, let me assist you
in your response.
Have you been
"born again"? If you have, you belong to Christ,
but without the new birth you cannot be his.
In whom do you trust?
For those who believe in Jesus are the sons of God.
Whose work are
you doing? You are sure to serve your master, for he
whom you serve is thereby owned to be your lord.
What company do
you keep? If you
belong to Jesus, you will fraternize with those who wear
the livery of the cross. "Birds of a feather flock
together." What is your
conversation? Is it heavenly or is it earthly?
What have you learned of
your Master? — for servants learn much from their
masters to whom they are apprenticed. If you have served
your time with Jesus, it will be said of you, as it was
of Peter and John, "They took knowledge of them, that
they had been with Jesus."
We press the question, "To
whom belongest thou?" Answer honestly before you give
sleep to your eyes. If you are not Christ's you are in a
hard service — Run away
from your cruel
master! Enter into the service of the Lord of Love,
and you shall enjoy a life of blessedness. If you
are Christ's let me
advise you to do four things. You belong to Jesus —
obey
him; let his word be
your law; let his wish be your will. You belong to the
Beloved, then love him;
let your heart embrace him; let your whole soul be
filled with him. You belong to the Son of God, then
trust him; rest nowhere but on him. You
belong to the King of kings, then
be decided for him.
Thus, without your being branded upon the brow, all will
know to whom you belong. |
