"SO"

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD. That love of God is a very wonderful thing, especially when we see it set upon a lost, ruined, guilty world. What was there that God should love it? no fragrant flower grew in that arid desert, enmity towards Him, hatred of His truth, disregard for His word, unthankfulness, these were the thorns and briars which covered the waste land, no desirable thing blossomed there. Yet, God loved the world says the text so loved it that even the writer of the book of John could not tell us how much, but so greatly, so divinely did He love it that He gave His Son, His only Son to redeem the world and to gather out from it a people to His praise.
Whence came that love? Not from anything outside of God Himself, He loves because it is His nature to do so. God is Love. As I have already said nothing upon the face of the earth could have merited His love, though there was much to merit His displeasure. This stream of love flows from it's own secret source in the eternal Deity and it owes nothing at all to any earth-born rain or rivulet, it springs from beneath the everlasting throne. God loved because He would love. He has so much love that He must needs let it flow forth to a world perishing by it's own wilful sin. And when it flowed forth it was so deep, so wide, so strong, that even inspiration could not compute it's measure and therefore The Holy Spirit gave us that great little word SO and left us to attempt it's measurement, according as we perceive the love of God more and more.

Rivers Of Life

"He that believeth on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
Note the plentitude of it, the figure would have been a surprising one if it had said"a river" but it is not so; it says "rivers." Ah you say "I have not reached to that."A point has been reached when you know and regret and confess failure. If you had said "I have all things and abound" I would have had reason to suppose that you will never obtain the fulness of the blessing.
But if you know something of your failure, then the Lord can lead you forward. It may be that the spirit of life that comes forth of you is but a trickling brooklet, or even just a few tiny drops; be sure to confess that and you will be on the way to a fuller blessing.
What a word this is "rivers of living waters"! and see how spontaneous it is "out of the midst of him shall flow."no pumping is required, nothing is said about machinery and hydraulics, the man does not need exciting and stirring up, but just as he is, influence of the best kind just flows out of him.
Did you ever hear a great hubbub in the morning, a great outcry, with trumpets and drums? and you ask "what is it?" and a voice replied "the sun is about to rise, and he is making a great noise about it so that we will be aware of it" no, no, he just shines.
Even so the genuine christian just goes about flooding the world with blessing, and far from claiming attention for himself it may be that he is unconscious of what he is effecting. God so blesses him that his leaf does not wither and whatsoever he doeth it prospers, for he is like a tree planted planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth it's fruit in it's season.His verdure and his fruit are the natural outcome of his vigorous spiritual life. Oh the blessed spontaneity of the work of grace when a man or a woman gets into the fulness of it, they seem to eat and drink and sleep eternal life, and they spread the savour of salvation all around. And this is to be perpetual, not intermittent springs which burst forth and flow in torrents then cease,
every day, in summer in winter by day by night, wherever they are they are a blessing.
I hope I hear many sighs, I hope I hear friends saying "oh I wish that I could get to that."
I want you to attain the fulness of the favour. I pray that we may all get it.

STRONG IN FAITH

Christian, take good care of your faith for remember faith is the only way whereby thou canst obtain blessings. If we want blessings from God, nothing can fetch them down but faith.
Prayer cannot draw down answers from God's throne except it be the earnest prayer of the man who believes.
Faith is the angelic messenger between the soul and The Lord Christ in glory, if that angel be withdrawn we can neither send up prayer nor recieve the answers.
Faith is the invisible telegraph wire which links earth and heaven on which God's messages fly so fast that before we call, He answers, and while we are yet speaking He hears us. But if that telegraph wire is cut, how can we recieve the promise? Am I in trouble? I can get help for trouble by faith, Am I beaten about by the enemy? I can find refuge beneath the wings of faith, but take faith away and in vain do I call to God, for there is no path betwixt my soul and heaven.
Faith links me to the great King and clothes me with the power of God. Faith engages on my side the all-powerful Jehovah, it ensures every attribute of God most high in my defence and enables me to defy the host of hell. Faith makes me to march triumphantly over the necks of my enemies. But without faith I can recieve nothing from my Lord. Let not him that wavereth-who is like a wave of the sea-expect that he will recieve anything from The Lord.
So then beloved watch well thy faith for with it thou canst win all things, however poor you are,
but without it, though thou be the wealthiest man in England, thou canst obtain nothing.
If thou canst only believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.

The doctrine of a risen Saviour is exceedingly sweet and precious, it is the corner-stone of the entire building that is the church, it is the key-stone of the arch of our salvation.
It would take a volume to set forth all the streams of living water that flow from this one sacred source. Jesus a-risen from the dead and alive forever more. But to know that He is risen, and to have fellowship with Him as Risen Lord, communing with Him by possessing a risen life ourselves, seeing Him leave the tomb by leaving the tomb of worldliness, this is sweeter and more precious still. The doctrine is the basis of the experience, but as the flower is lovelier than the root, so is the experience of fellowship with the risen Saviour more lovely than the doctrine itself. I would have you to believe that Christ arose from the dead and sing about it, and get all the joy and comfort that the well attested and witnessed to fact affords, but I beseech you rest not contented even there. Though you cannot see Him as the disciples did, yet I bid you aspire to see Him by the eye of faith; And though like Mary Magdalene you may not touch Him you can talk with Him and walk with Him in newness of life.
To know a crucified Saviour as having crucified with Him all my sins, this is high knowledge, but to know a risen Lord as having justified me, as having bestowed upon me new life making me a new creation through His own life, this is a grand style of experience, short of that ought none to be satisfied.
May you both "know Him" and know "the power of His resurrection."
Why should newly alive souls in Jesus wear the grave clothes of worldliness and unbelief? Arise for He is risen.