"THE RICHES OF LOVE"
"May be able to comprehend...what is the...depths, and height; and to know the love of Christ" (Eph. 3:18-19)
INTRO.: A song which encourages us to comprehend what is the depths and height of the love of Christ is "The Riches of Love" (#447 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written by Henry Burns Hartzler, an American minister in the Evangelical Association (predecessor to the United Methodist Church). He served as Chief Editor of The Evangelical Messenger, the official English-language periodical of his denomination, with offices in Cleveland, OH, under Bishop Wesley Matthias Stanford. Afterwards Hartzler became one of Mr. D. L. Moody's co-workers in the great training schools at Northfield, MA, and 1894 wrote a book, Moody in Chicago, Or, The World's Fair Gospel Campaign: An Account of Six Month's Evangelistic Work in the City of Chicago and Vicinity During the Time...by Dwight L. Moody and His Associates. In 1902 Hartzler also became a Bishop of the Evangelical Association. Other works by him include a book of Poems and the introduction to Hints on Bible Marking which he co-wrote with Joseph Berg Esenwein.
Another of Hartzler's hymns, "My Precious Bible," beginning, "Like a star of the morning in its beauty," with music by Edmund Simons Lorenz, has been used in many of our books. The tune (Treasures) for "Riches of Love" is credited to N. B. Sargent. I have been able to find no further information concerning this composer. An arrangement of the song for male quartet was copyrighted by Hope Publishing Co. in 1912, so the song itself must have existed before that time. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the male quartet version appeared in the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 edited by E. L. Jorgenson. Today this same version may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church and the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed. both edited by Alton H. Howard; and the 1978/1983 Church Gospel Songs and Hymns edited by V. E. Howard; in addition, Sacred Selections contains an arrangement for full four part harmony by the editor Ellis J. Crum.
The song reminds us that the riches of love are greater than all the wealth of this world.
I. Stanza 1 tells us that we can have riches of love more valuable than the treasures of earth
"The treasures of earth are not mine; I hold not its silver or gold.
But a treasure far greater is mine; I have riches of value untold."
A. In a very real sense, the treasures of earth do not belong to us but, like the cattle on a thousand hills, to God: Ps. 50:7-10
B. Many times, like Peter, we may not have silver or gold: Acts 3:6
C. However, whether we have a lot or a little of this world's goods, we can have the riches of love: Rom. 11:33
II. Stanza 2 tells us that the riches of love will outlast the treasures of earth
"The treasures of earth must all fail, Its riches and honor decay;
But the riches of love that are mine, Even death cannot take them away."
A. The treasures of earth must all fail because they will be destroyed when the Lord returns: 2 Pet. 3:10
B. Even before them, the riches and honor of this world are subject to decay: Matt. 6:19-20
C. However, the riches of love cannot be taken away because if we are rich toward God we are storing up a good foundation for the time to come that we might lay hold on eternal life: 1 Tim. 6:17-19
III. Stanza 3 tells us that the treasures of earth are but dross compared to the riches of love
"Compared with the riches of love, The wealth of the world is but dross;
I will seek but Christ Jesus to win, And for Him I count all things but loss."
A. The wealth of the world is but dross because not all the gold and silver on earth can redeem us: 1 Pet. 1:18-19
B. Therefore, we must seek Christ Jesus to win because only through Him can we come to the Father: Jn. 14:6
C. But to do so, we must count all things of this earth as loss: Phil. 3:4-9
IV. Stanza 4 tells us that we need to take of the riches of love rather than the treasures of earth
"Come, take of the riches of Christ; Exhaustless and free is the store.
Of its wonderful fullness receive, Till you hunger and thirst nevermore."
A. The riches of Christ are a free gift: Rom. 5:15-17
B. Therefore, we must come to Him to receive of its wonderful fullness: Jn. 1:14-16
C. When we do this, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we shall be filled: Matt. 5:6
CONCL.: The chorus continues to emphasize the importance of the riches of Christ Jesus over the gold and weath of this world.
"Oh, the depth of the riches of love, The riches of love in Christ Jesus!
Far better than gold or wealth untold Are the riches of love in Christ Jesus."
It seems as if one of the devil's greatest tools to corrupt the minds of mankind through the years has been the love of money. How much simpler and better our lives would be if we could make sure that we understand the superiority to all the things in this world of the "Riches Of Love."