#18 ✞ 28 Motives to Love Jesus!

28 Motives to Love Jesus!

(Thomas Doolittle, “Love to Christ Necessary to Escape the Curse at His Coming!” 1693)

#18. Can you do anything less than love Jesus–and can you do anything more? 

Jesus has done such great things for you, is it not a small thing that Jesus should have your love in return? If Jesus had asked you to lay down your life for Him, had He called you to give your bodies to be burned for Him–would you not have done it? How much more when He says, “just let your hearts but burn in love unto Me”–when that burning will not be painful, but delightful! 
When Naaman came to the prophet to be cleansed of his leprosy, being directed to go and wash in the Jordan that he should be clean–in anger he went away. But his servant came to Him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when He says unto you–wash, and be clean?” In the same way, if Jesus had required some great thing, that you might escape great torments, and be partaker of His great salvation–would you not have gladly done it? How much rather, then, when He says, “Love Me, and be saved?”
When you have received a great kindness from a friend whom you cannot repay, do you not say, “I cannot do less than love him”. Yet this small thing of loving Jesus is of greater value to Him than all else. You pray to Him, but to love Him is better. A heart full of love means more to Jesus than a thousand prayers full of the most eloquent expressions, without love. You study His Word, but to love Him is better. You might suffer for Him, but to love to Him is better. Should you give all your goods to the poor, and your body to the fire for Him–yet to give your heart and to love Him is still better. And, indeed, except all the former things proceed from love and are accompanied with love–they are not pleasing to Jesus.