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Bowen's Daily Meditations
Devotional: July 22nd

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"Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us." - Ephesians 5:2.

That is to say, carry on the life which Christ lived. In him love made its advent to the earth; and the prayer recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John, shows plainly that the idea of the Saviour was not that that divine love should take its departure with him from the earth, but that it should abide and have an inextinguishable life in his disciples, from generation to generation, until he should come again. This, then, is your vocation. To walk by faith, and to walk in love, let these things be one in your experience.

What a sublime mission! God on his throne in heaven is love. Love is with him enthroned in heaven; love, in you, wanders over the earth. The whole universe is made for the manifestation of his love; and the universe, as much of it as you will, exists for the manifestation of your love. It is the law of all created essences; and let there only be in you divine love enthroned, and the whole creation will answer your glance, and say to you, " Here am I." It must wait upon you, for it must wait upon love. You are the follower of Christ; consequently you live to love.

You are, however, surrounded by a world of unloving and unlovely beings; and how can you walk in love here? Consider that formerly you found no difficulty in loving yourself; in spite of all the repulsive things you knew about yourself, you went on loving yourself, with an unwavering steadfastness. Consider, again, that Christ sets you the example. Does it become you to be more fastidious than he is? Is the servant greater than his Lord? Do you presume to despise what he regards? Did he bring too much love down from heaven, and must you send some of it back? Consider, again, does it appear wrong that you should be loved? Does a little satisfy you? Would you have your brethren make light of the command to love you? Again, is there any better way of bringing men to be lovely, than this very way of love? Finally, Is there any habit more enriching and gladdening to your own nature, than this sacred habit of love?

You may well say that you have not attained, neither are already perfect. Nothing less is solicited at your hands, than that you should give Christ’s mighty love an unlimited range of your nature.

" I cannot tutor my affections," you say; " I cannot by any word of command constrain my heart to love." Well, then, try this way. Be filled with the knowledge of Christ’s love to you. Feed upon this food; the table is spread, and there is no stinted supply. Love to him will follow without difficulty. Then, as he is in heaven and his people are on earth, love him in them. In them he is near.

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