Exhortation to Stir up Love Toward Jesus

from The Christians Reasonable Service by Wilhelmus á Brakel

It can be deduced from the foregoing what it is that stirs up love, and what is to be observed to that end.

(1) You must believe that He loves you and acknowledge every true grace to be evidence of His love toward you.

(2) You must continually separate yourself from everything and only find delight and satisfaction in love toward Jesus.

(3) You must surrender your all to Jesus, without holding anything back, and offer yourself and all that you have to Jesus, declaring a willingness to do without it for His sake.

(4) You must declare Jesus' beauty and preciousness to others, to the end that they also would begin to love Jesus—and that He thus shall be loved by many.

(5) You must joyfully wear His livery, being desirous for everyone to know that you have Jesus as your Lord. Furthermore, if anyone were to do anything toward Jesus which would be disadvantageous, he will have us with soul and body as his opponent, and we shall defend His honor with all that we have.

(6) With tender carefulness you must be on guard against that which displeases Him and endeavor to please Him, to be conformed to Him, and to resemble Him in His nature.

(7) You must take time to delight yourself in mutual love, and if some estrangement has occurred and darkness has come, you must endeavor to restore familiarity.

(8) You must yearn, and stir up this yearning time and again—to depart and be with Christ—doing so by continually reflecting upon what will be above and how sweet it will be to always be with the Lord. Amen.