Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3339
“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given unto us.” Romans 5:5.
As one reads the opening verses of this Chapter, one cannot help saying, “What marvelous treasures are those which belong to the people of God!” Hezekiah took the Babylonian ambassadors through all his varied treasure houses and herein he did evil—but if you can conduct your mind through the spiritual treasure houses and the minds of your friends in the same direction, you will do well. What is the wealth of God’s people? Who can count it? It is wondrous and beyond conception! The Apostle seems to have taken up a whole handful of brilliants in the first verses of this Chapter and he now holds them up, one by one, and lets them glitter in the light, no not merely a handful plucked at random, but they seem to be striving together, for one follows on after the other! “Therefore” is the link which connects justification with “peace,” and then there is a connection between this “peace” and “access,” and from this “access” to God we go on to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” And when we have got as far as this string of pearls, the Apostle adds, “And not only so,” and then he holds up a cluster—and when he has spoken of them he adds that “tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and”—another, “and”—“experience hope,” and then another, “and”—“and hope makes not ashamed.” And then at the end of this string ofjewels he brings up the language of the text—“Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given unto us.”
I suppose the allusion in the text is to the pouring out of water—the love of God being to us like a spring shut up, a fountain sealed until the Holy Spirit comes—and then the love of God flows in, a pure and crystal stream being shed abroad in our hearts!
But perhaps another figure may suit us as well tonight. The love of God is comparable to precious spikenard, but it is in the alabaster box. The Holy Spirit opens that box and then the sweet perfume is “shed abroad” in our hearts, not merely “shed,” but, “shed abroad.” Not only poured out as the oil was on Aaron’s head, but running down to the skirts of his garments and perfuming all the room, just as it did in his case.
Now observe, to some extent we can shed abroad the love of God in this house. While the preacher is preaching of it, there will be a sweet savor Christ. There is, as it were, a spiritual perfume in the assembly of the righteous whenever Jesus Christ is spoken of, for, “Your name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love You.” But the text means something more than this. It is the love of God shed abroad, not in the assembly, but in the heart. The one is the aggregate, but this is the individual and personal sense of it—not in the house, I say, but in the heart! The preacher sheds abroad this love when he preaches of Christ, but he cannot shed it abroad in the heart. He can only speak of it. He cannot bring it home to your own personal realization. It must be shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit, but if it once gets there, the sweet perfume of it is always recognized by your inner man. It is not the preacher—neither is it the letter of this Book—it is the Holy Spirit who most graciously comes there to shed abroad the love of God in your heart! Oh, see, then, how much we are indebted to the third Person of the blessed Trinity! With what reverence should we always speak of Him! With what rapture should we love Him! With what devotion should we adore Him! The love of God, itself, is, even to us, as spikenard unperceived until He brings it to the spiritual senses and makes it sweet to us! The love of God is like light to a blind eye until the Holy Spirit opens that eye! It is like food and raiment to a dead man until the Holy One of Israel comes and gives us life to enjoy these mercies. Oh, then, may the Holy Spirit now be here in each one of us, to shed abroad the love of God in our hearts!
I shall first, then, and for a very little time, speak of the precious ointment which is here said to be shed abroad, namely, the love of God. Secondly, upon the shedding of it abroad. Thirdly, upon the blessed results of its being shed abroad in the heart and then, fourthly, upon some matters which tend to hinder our enjoyment of the shedding abroad of this love in our hearts. First, let us speak of—
I. THE PRECIOUS OINTMENT WHICH IS HERE SPOKEN OF—“the love of God.” Now, although I have to speak of this, yet it is a thing which, as to its essence, is not to be spoken of. It is to be enjoyed and to be felt, but no words can convey its unmistakable sweetness!—
“The love of Jesus, what it is None but His loved ones know.” No words, either of the pen or the tongue will ever be able to convey it either to hearer or reader. We receive the love of God doctrinally and I think we do well to do so. We may speak of it in various theological senses. We may declare the love of God to be in some respects universal—for, “His tender mercies are over all His works” and, “the Lord is good to