“THE” BELOVED OF GOD!!!

The GRAND INQUIRY is then, how shall I KNOW that I am one of “THE” BELOVED of the Lord? The NATURAL MAN never minds the love of God; he FLATTERS HIMSELF he LOVES God NATURALLY, that the love of God is a plant that grows in NATURE’S GARDEN; BUT a SPIRITUAL PERSON does not so. What does the king take notice of me? does the king look pleasant up|on me in a drawing-room? am I called to wait upon him? am I beloved of this, and that, and the other person? if I am, let God go, I care not; if I have but the love of this and that courtier, I care not whether God loves me or no; THIS WILL NOT DO for an AWAKENED SOUL; and THEREFORE the grand enquiry, and INE PROOF of a person's BEING AWAKENED is, HOW shall I KNOW whether God loves me or not? why try; I am persuaded of it, that we may as well know that God loves us, and we love God, as we may know that the sun shines at noon-day; how shall I know it but by the effects of this love, by the fruits of it? That great man, Dr. Watts, who was called the sweet singer of Israel, says, "we should go first to the grammar-school of faith and repentance, before we go to the university of predestina|tion:" whereas the devil would have them go first to the university, to examine whether they were elected or rejected, or no: they should do as a good woman once did, when satan tempted her, and wanted to distress her, that there were but few to be saved; she said, if there were but two to be saved, she would strive to be one of them. Surely I am belov|ed of the Lord, if my natural enmity against the Lord is slain. How do I know I love a person? how can you prove that you love me? why, say you, I hated you the other day: how many people met I with the other day, that could a few weeks ago have pulled me out of Tottenham-court, but God has over|come their hearts. The person now 〈◊〉 his former enmity, and when that enmity is removed, and you are reconciled to them, cannot you know that you love them? and if God has removed that enmity to Christ out of your hearts, surely you are one of the beloved of the Lord. We are the beloved of the Lord, if we are brought to abhor and renounce that which stands between us and the Lord; I mean, our cursed self-righteousness. BY GEORGE WHITEFIELD