'"What shall I render unto the Lord for all His
benefits towards me?" (Ps. 116.12). Reason and natural justice alike
move me to give up myself wholly to loving Him to whom I owe all that I
have and am. But faith shows me that I should love Him far more than I
love myself, as I come to realize that He hath given me not my own life
only, but even Himself. Yet, before the time of full revelation had
come, before the Word was made flesh, died on the Cross, came forth from
the grave, and returned to His Father; before God had shown us how much
He loved us by all this plenitude of grace, the commandment had been
uttered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul and with all thy might" (Deut. 6.5), that is, with all
thy being, all thy knowledge, all thy powers. And it was not unjust for
God to claim this from His own work and gifts. Why should not the
creature love his Creator, who gave him the power to love? Why should he
not love Him with all his being, since it is by His gift alone that he
can do anything that is good? It was God's creative grace that out of
nothingness raised us to the dignity of manhood; and from this appears
our duty to love Him, and the justice of His claim to that love.'
