MEDITATIONS FOR EVERY DAY IN PASSION WEEK: MONDAY by JOHN BYROM

BEHOLD the tender love of God!—Behold
The Shepherd dying to redeem his fold!
Who can declare it?—Worthy to be known—
What tongue can speak it worthily?—His own:
From his own sacred lips the theme began,
The glorious Gospel of God's love to man.

So great, so boundless was it, that he gave
His only Son—"And for what end?"—To save;
Not to condemn; if men reject the light,
They, of themselves, condemn themselves to night;
God, in his Son, seeks only to display,
In ev'ry heart, an everlasting day.

"God hath so shewn his love to us," says Paul,
"Even yet sinners, that Christ died for all:"
Peter, that "God's all gracious aim is this,
"By Christ to call us to eternal bliss:"
Of all th' inspir'd to understand the view
LOVE is the text, and LOVE the Comment too;

The ground to build all faith and works upon;
For @3God is Love@1, says the beloved John:
Short word, but meaning infinitely wide,
Including all that can be said beside;
Including all the joyful truths above
The pow'r of eloquence, for "God is Love."

Think on the proof that John from Jesus learn'd,
"In this was God's amazing love discern'd,
"Because He sent his Son to us; that we
"Might live thro' Him." How plain it is to see
That, if in this, in ev'ry other fact
Where God is agent, love is in the act!

Essential character, (whatever word
Of diff'rent sound in scripture has occurr'd)
Of all that is ascrib'd to God; of all
That can by his immediate will befall:
The Sun's bright orb may lose its shining flame,
But love remains unchangeably the same.

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