The Visible Signs of Love for God
Condensed from Thomas Watson's "Ten Commandments"
He who loves God, desires to be much in his presence; he loves the
ordinances [the Word, prayer, worship, the Lord’s table]; they are the glass
where the glory of God is resplendent; in the ordinances we meet with him whom
our souls love; we have God’s smiles and whispers, and some foretastes of
heaven. Such as have no desire after ordinances, have no love to God.
He who loves God cannot find contentment in anything without Him. Give
a hypocrite who pretends to love God corn and wine, and he can be content
without God; but a soul fired with love to God, cannot be without Him. A
gracious soul can do without health, but cannot do without God, who is the
health of his countenance.
He who loves God hates that which would separate between him an God,
and that is sin. Antipathies can never be reconciled; one cannot love health
but he must hate poison; so we cannot love God but we must hate sin, which
would destroy our communion with Him.
He who loves God demonstrates great sympathy with Him. Friends that
love grieve for the evils that befall one another. If we have true love for
God we cannot help but grieve for those things which grieve Him, we shall lay
to heart His dishonors; the luxury, drunkenness, contempt of God and religion.
He who loves God labors to make Him lovely to others. He not only
admires God, but speaks His praises, that he may allure and draw others to be
in love with Him.
He who loves God weeps bitterly for His absence. One cries, ‘My
health is gone!’, another ‘My estate is gone!’, but he who is a lover of
God cries, ‘My God is gone! I cannot enjoy Him who I love.’ What can all
worldly comforts do, when once God is absent.
He who loves God is willing to do and suffer for Him. He subscribes to
God’s commands; he submits to His will. If God commands him to mortify sin,
love his enemies, be crucified to the world, he obeys. It is a vain thing for
a man to say that he loves God, and slight His commands. If God would have him
suffer for Him, he does not dispute but obeys. Love made Christ suffer for us,
and love will make us suffer for Him.
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