444 The Spiritual Man
glory of God has blinded his physical eyes. Furthermore, a person
who experiences such .love as this becomes humble as though he has
dried up before men.
The nature of God’s love is unchangeable. Ours alternates all too
readily. If it is our habit to love God with our own affection we shall
turn cold towards Him whenever we are unhappy. We shall lose our
own love should we have to go through a long period of trial. Our
affection towards God will recede when we cannot obtain the
pleasure we expect, because we love Him with our own love and for
our own sake. If it were God’s love it would remain in the condition
of loving Him through every circumstance. “For love is strong as
death, jealousy is cruel as the grave... Many waters cannot quench
love, neither can floods drown it” (S. of S. 8.6,7). The believer who
genuinely loves God will persist in loving Him regardless what he
encounters or how he feels. A soulical affection ceases when the
movement of emotion ceases; but a spiritual affection is strong, ever
unrelenting, for it never relinquishes.
The Lord frequently leads the saint through painful experiences in
order that he may not love the Lord for his own sake. When one
loves with his own affection and for his own sake he can only love
when he senses the affection of the Lord. However, one who loves
with God’s love and for His sake will be made by God to believe in
His love rather than to feel it. At the beginning of a Christian life the
Lord uses many ways to attract the believer to, and to assure him of,
His love. Later, He desires to guide him further on by withdrawing
the feeling of love while leading him on into believing His heart of
love. Please note that that first step of being attracted by the feeling
of the Lord’s love is necessary for the believer’s subsequent deeper
walk with the Lord, because unless he has been drawn by the Lord’s
love he shall be powerless to forsake all and follow Him. During the
initial stage on a Christian’s spiritual path the feeling of the love of
the Lord is vital and helpful, something to be sought diligently. After
an appropriate time, though, he ought not cling to such feeling, for to