Love Plighting Troth

1 Samuel 20:17—“And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.”

Why so many sermons on Jonah, and so few on Jonathan? Are the cross-grained more worthy of study than the gentle and generous? This noble prince counted it his joy to further the interests of the man who was to be preferred before him. There was something very beautiful in Jonathan, and this came out in his unselfish, magnanimous love of David. How much more beauty is there in the unparalleled love of Jesus to us poor sinners!

I. GREAT LOVE DESIRES TO BIND ITSELF TO THE BELOVED ONE. “Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him.”

The covenant was made, not so much because of their mutual love, but because Jonathan loved David. “Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women”: 2 Samuel 1:26.

1. Jesus bound himself to us by covenant bonds. He undertook the charge of us as our Surety in the covenant of grace.

   • He entered into our nature to represent us, thus becoming the second Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:47.
   • He pledged himself to redeem us with the sacrifice of himself. “He loved me, and gave himself for me”: Galatians 2:20.
   • He took us into union with himself. “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones”: Ephesians 5:30.
   • He has bound up our future lives with his own. “Your life is hid with Christ in God:” Colossians 3:3. “Because I live, you shall live also”: John 14:19; “Father, I will that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am”: John 17:24. “You in me and I in you.” Seven golden words.
   • He has made us share in all that he has, changing garments with us, as in this narrative. 1 Samuel 18:4.
   • He could not come nearer to us, or he would.
   • In all these covenant deeds he proves his perfect love.

2. Jesus would have us bound to him on our part: therefore he would have us,—

   • Submit ourselves to the saving power of his love.
   • Love him for his great love; even as David loved Jonathan.
   • Own that we are his by choice, purchase, and power; and do this deliberately and solemnly, as men make a covenant.
   • Join ourselves to his people; for he reckons them to be himself.
   • Show kindness to all who are his, for his sake; even as David was good to Mephibosheth. 2 Samuel 9.
   • More and more merge our interests in his, and find our gain in advancing his honor. 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15. “Bound in the bundle of life with the Lord your God”: 1 Samuel 25:29. What an expression! Yet how true!

3. If this be our Lord’s desire, shall we not fulfill it?

   • Let the bonds be mutual and indissoluble. Song of Sol. 2:16.

Let us accept the priceless gifts of the Prince, and then give ourselves to him without reserve.

Let us love him as we love ourselves, for he loved us better than himself. Matthew 27:42.

Let this be a time of love, a season for renewing our vows, a time of fuller self-merging into Jesus. Galatians 2:20.

II. GREAT LOVE DESIRES RENEWED PLEDGES FROM ITS OBJECT. “Jonathan caused David to swear again.”

Not out of selfishness, but from a sacred jealousy. “The Lord your God is a jealous God.” See also Canticles 8:6.

It is the only return love can receive. We can love Jesus, we can do no more. “O love the Lord, all you his saints”: Psalm 31:23.

It is for our highest benefit. Bound to the horns of the altar we are free. Wedded to Christ we are blessed.

We are so chill already that we have need to renew the flame of affection with fresh coals of loving communion.

We are so tempted and assailed that the more solemnly and the more often we renew our vows, the better for us.

We are most unhappy if drawn aside: every backsliding is misery. Therefore, let us be bound firmly to our Lord.

Hence he invites us to new pledges. Song 4:8.

Our first surrender was attended with a solemn dedication.

Our baptism was his own appointed token of our being one with him in his death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 6:4.

Our communions should be hallowed renewals of our covenant.

“Let every act of worship be, Like our espousals, Lord, to you; Like the dear hour when from above,

We first received your pledge of love.”

Our restorations from sickness ought to be remembered with special praise, and we should pay our vows in the presence of the Lord’s people. Psalm 116:8, 14.

Our fresh conditions should be attended with extraordinary devotion. Removal, promotion, marriage, birth of children, death of relatives, &c., are notable seasons for re-dedication.

Our times of spiritual revival, when we are full of hearty fellowship with the Lord and his saints, should be new departures.

Come and let us renew our loves at this good hour.

Let us get alone, and express our pure desires before our Well-beloved, when only he can hear.

Let us think of some special act of devotion by which to express our affection, and let us carry it out at once. Have we no alabaster box? Can we not wash the Beloved’s feet, and kiss them with reverent affection?

Windows Of Agate

A little girl was playing with her doll in a room where her mother was busily engaged in some literary work. When she had finished her writing, she said, “You can come now, Alice, I have done all I want to do this morning.” The child ran to her mother, exclaiming, “I am so glad, for I wanted to love you so much.” “But I thought you were very happy with dolly.” “Yes, mother, I was, but I soon get tired of loving her, for she cannot love me back.” “And is that why you love me—because I can love you back?” “That is one why, but not the first or best why.” “What is the first and best why?” “Because you loved me when I was too little to love you back.” Mother’s eyes filled with tears as she whispered,—“We love HIM because HE first loved us.”

Lord Brooke was so delighted with the friendship of Sir Philip Sydney that he ordered to be engraved upon his tomb nothing but this—“Here lies the friend of Sir Philip Sydney.”

Christ and the believer that loves him live as if they had but one soul between them. It is not the distance between earth and Heaven that can separate them: true love will find out Christ wherever he is. When he was upon the earth, they that loved him kept his company; and now that he is gone to Heaven, and out of sight, those that love him are frequently sending up their hearts unto him. And, indeed, they never think themselves intelligent in anything that is worth the knowing, until they have made their souls much acquainted and familiar with their crucified Savior, 1 Corinthians 2:2.—“The Morning Exercises.”

“Love you me?” “Feed my sheep.” It was a tender act on our Lord’s part to allow Peter three times to speak his love, and then all the rest of his life to exercise that love by giving him work to do. Jesus, the Friend, asks thrice, and then appoints a token: Peter, out of sincere love, answers thrice, and renders the life-long token. Love is conspicuous on either side.

Saints are to look upon themselves as wholly the Lord’s, in opposition to all competitors. The Lord will not divide with rivals; if you take him these must go. The soul until it comes within the covenant is in a restless case, like a bee going from flower to flower, or a bird from bush to bush; but when it is married to Christ it is settled with him, and breaks its league with all others.

Remember, the covenant you have entered into is an offensive and defensive league. You are to have common friends and common foes with the Lord. His people must be your people, and his enemies your enemies.

Remember that your ears are bored to the Lord’s doorposts, you have opened your mouth to the Lord, and you cannot go back. You must be his without end, and without interruption. It is a laudable practice of saints to go over the bargain again, hold by it, seal it afresh, and evermore look at themselves as the Lord’s. There is a backsliding disposition in the best; but a renewal of our covenant is an antidote for this poison. Moreover, he who has truly made such a covenant has given himself to Christ without reserve, and has put a blank into the Lord’s hand, saying, with Paul, “Lord, what will you have me to do?” This is well-pleasing unto our God.—Thomas Boston.