THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE.

 

FEBRUARY 7

 
Thou hast left thy first love.
Revelation 2:4

 
THIS is the very solemn charge.
 
Let us ask, is it brought against us?
 
Our first love was Jesus.
 
When we felt our lost condition,
  when we saw the danger
    to which we were exposed,
  we were directed to him;
    he received us graciously,
    he pardoned our sins,
    he introduced us to his Father,
and we enjoyed peace.
 
This filled us with love;
  we admired his dealings,
  we adore his person,
  we espoused to his cause,
  we united with his people,
  we fearlessly professed his name, and
     consecrated ourselves to his service.
 
Our love to Jesus at first was warm and strong.
 
We thought nothing too hard to undertake for him,
  we considered nothing too valuable
    to surrender to him,
  we felt we could suffer in his cause, and
    die for his name, if required.
 
But we have declined since then, and,
  if Jesus is still the object of our love,
    we do not love him as we did.
 
He deserves our love more than ever.
 
He asked our love, for he prize it.
 
    But, at last!
The world has such power over us,
   temporal things so powerfully affected less,
   that we sometimes question whether
      we love him at all.
 
Oh Saviour ==
 

Give me thy pardoning love to feel,

And freely my backsliding heal,

   Repair my faith decay;

Restore the sweetness of thy grace,

Reveal the glories of thy face,

  And take my sins away.

 
James Smith 1849