How Much Do You Love Christ?

Thomas Vincent---

"It is observed, and it is greatly to be lamented that there is of late - a great decay in the power of godliness among those who are sincere. And is not this decay most evident in the great decay of love, even in true Christians unto Jesus Christ? Are you not dwarfs in comparison to others from past generations, or even in your own generation? Are you not babes in Christ and weaklings in your love to Christ?"

"Is it not evident that you have but little love to Christ, when he is but little in your thoughts and meditations? Does not your lack of thoughts of Christ prove your lack of love? The 'thoughts' are the handmade of love. Where love is strong and ardent, there - many thoughts will be attending upon it. But will not your hearts tell you that your thoughts of Christ are very few. You can think often of your food, but how little do your thoughts feed upon Christ who is the bread of life. You can often think of your clothing and what to wear, but how little do you think of the robes of Christ's righteousness? You can think often of your earthly friends, but how little do you think of Jesus Christ - your friend in Heaven? Objects of sense are often not only in your eyes, but also in your thoughts. But how little is Christ entertained in your thoughts, who is the object of faith?"

"Moreover, does it not argue of little love to Christ that you speak so little of Him, and for Him, in your conversations? If you had much love to Christ, would not this love breath forth more in your conversations? You can readily speak of yourselves, and you often speak directly or more subtly about yourselves, which reveals your great self-love. But how little to you commend your Lord and Master and extol his excellencies with your lips? Is this not evidence that you have but little love for him in your hearts? You can readily discourse of news and public occurrences (which is lawful and needful as long as due limits are observed), but when you leave Christ quite out of your conversation, it shows that you have not an abundance of love to Him, because "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". Such as have much love to pleasures; we are often speaking of that subject. Such as love their friends; much will often be speaking of and commending them, when you are not in their company. Which is why, when you speak such little of Christ, it is a sign that you love Him but little."

"And likewise, does not the small amount of zeal which you have for Christ's honor in the world, argue that you have but little love to Him? Where is your activity for Christ to promote his interest among those relations and friends that you have made acquaintance with? Do you labor all you can to bring others into the way of God and into acquaintance with Christ? If you truly loved Christ, you would be like the disciple Phillip who sought out his brother Nathaniel, found him and said: "we have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth - the son of Joseph".'

"And in the same way, does not the fact that you spend very little time in private bible reading and devotion - argue your small affection unto Christ? Will not your closets or other retiring places witness how little you are in secret prayer and conversation with Christ? Brief and straightened prayer in secret, argues a heart that is brief and straightened in love to Jesus Christ. Does not your backwardness to the exercise of this love to Christ show the weakness of your love?"

"How slow of heart are you to the love of Christ; how hard to be persuaded. You need not be persuaded to love your wives if they are kind and helpful. You need not be persuaded to love your children if they are pretty and show potential. You need not be persuaded to love your friends if they are friendly and faithful, and yet whatever attractions of love there are, the most strong of any are in Jesus Christ. Yet, you are backward to this love."

"Need I say more to convince you that you have but little love to Christ?"

(Thomas Vincent "The True Christian's Love to The Unseen Christ")