THE love of God and the love of the creature are essentially different. The creature loves, that he may fill himself; God loves that He may fill the object of His affection. The love of the creature goes abroad and says, I am empty! I am empty! and I want that object to fill me up. But the love of God cries out, I am full! I am full! Bring the empty creatures to me, that I may eternally fill them from Myself. Divine Power,—make them ready for me! Mercy,—look for them, that I may satisfy them!
Men love those that are like themselves, God loved sinners who were utterly dissimilar to Him; these He loved to change them into His own image. Though the objects of God’s love were perfectly worthless in themselves, His love raised them to the greatest worth. They were vile and wretched,—precious in no eyes but in those of Divine Love; but then, love gave the Son for them,—“Who loved me, and gave Himself for me,” saith Paul. What wert thou worth, Paul? In Law I was worth nothing but hell; but in the hands of Mercy I became worth the blood of the Redeemer. In the scale of Justice, I was of no weight; but in the scale of Love, I weighed down the Son of God Himself!—David Charles, Wales.