“No one should permit himself to hate even his enemies. If you give way to this feeling on some occasions, it will arise of its own accord on others. If you hate your enemies, you will acquire a nasty habit of mind which, by degrees, will break forth on your friends, or on those who have no feelings for you one way or the other.”
Plutarch
“Love is the Queen of the Graces. It outshines all the others, as the sun outshines the lesser planets”
Thomas Watson
“Without love, an outward deed has no value, but anything that is done from love, even if it is tiny and trivial, is entirely profitable, because God measures the love behind a person's act rather than the act itself. He does a great deal, who loves a great deal. He does a great deal, who does something well. He does well who works for the good of all, rather than his own private interests.”
Thomas a Kempis
“Christian love is by no means so plentiful as it might be, nor holy living, either. Is not this the thing that weakens the preaching of the gospel – the want of living the gospel? If all the professed Christians really walked as Christ walked, would not the salt have more effect upon the corrupt mass? We preach here in the pulpit; but what can we do, unless you preach yonder at home? It is you preaching in your shops, in your kitchens, in your nurseries, in your parlours, in the streets, which will tell on the masses. This is true preaching, the best preaching in the world, for it is seen as well as heard. I heard one say he liked to see men preach with their feet; and this is it, “they ought also so to walk even as Christ walked.‘ No testimony excels that which is borne in ordinary life.’”
C. H. Spurgeon
“Many say that Christ, having by force driven the buyers and sellers out of the temple, we also may use force against the enemies of God's Word. But Christ did many things which we neither may nor can do after Him. He walked upon the water, He fasted forty days and forty night, He raised Lazarus from death, etc.; suchlike we must leave undone. Much less will Christ consent that we by force attack the enemies of the truth; He commands the contrary: ‘Love your enemies, pray for them that vex and persecute you.’”
Martin Luther
“No matter how low down you are; no matter what your disposition has been; you may be low in your thoughts, words and actions; you may be selfish; your heart may be overflowing with corruption and wickedness; yet Jesus will have compassion upon you. He will speak comforting words to you; not treat you coldly or spurn you, as perhaps those of earth would, but will speak tender words: words of love, affection and kindness. Just come at once. He is a faithful friend, a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”
D.L. Moody
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"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:7-10