Chap·2.Secr.l. Book II. 43 mither go>d, nor evil. Affnre thy felf, the Lord works not. without previiion ortore– knowledge of the thing effected; that cannot be 10 God, wlHch IS not to be found m a wife ond orudcnr ml.ll; he that builds anhoufe lmh the frame of it fit£1: in himfelf: and the Pfalmifl tells thee, thatthe eyes of Cod didfee thy fubftance yet being unperfell: in thu P.al. '39· 16, boo!z.of knowledge were allt~y members written, when as yet there was.non~ of them! yea, R.om. 9 • 13 • he knew thee with a knowledge of iingular love; he embraced thee m h1s Eternalloye, .as it is written, 'lacob h~ve lloved, bttt Efauhave I hated: I will notfay;that this love was aCtually beflowed on thee till due time, yet it was prepared for thee from all Eternity: and hence it is called, an everlafting love ; The Lord ht~th appeared of old umo me, Jer. 3 ,. 3 . (aying, I have loved th2C tvtth an everlajfmg love,therefore wuh lovmg kj_ndnefs have I drrnvn thee. 0 mufe, and meditate, and ponder on this love! it contains in it thefe particulars: as, 1 • The eternal good will of God : what elfe is the love of God rowards the Elect, bur his everbfling good will to thew them mercy: to do them gooJ, and to fave their fouls( .,k. '· 1 • hence 1!1e Angels fnng that Antheam at Chnlhbmh, 6/ory to God m the higheft,'and on L · 4· earth pence,go•d will ro•••~dJ men. 2. The Eternal pklfure and delight ofGod in .'he foils ofmen; the grtate{\ dehght that God harh, or ever had. 1t JS 111 commumcatmg himf~lf to his SJn fir[lly_. and next unto his Saims: nay, fuch delight he t~kes in !erring out hi, mercy to bis Satnts: as that he was well-pleafed With the death ot Ius own Son, as 2 means conducing thereunto. 0 wonderful! one would tlunk that thed<Jth of Chri!l: JlJOu!d be the m~ll abhorring to the heart of God of any thing in the world, a.od yet faith the Scripture, It pleaftd rhe Lqrd to bruife him; be took a pleafure and delight in the Ifa. >3 10, very brufing of Jefus Chrifl: the Lord f1w. this was the way tor 1lim to communicate himfelf in t~l< fulnefs of his grace unto his S1ints, and therefore though it cofl him fo dear as the death of his own· on, yet he was weli-pleafed with it. 3. This love of God conrains in it afore-knowledge and approbJrion of all thofe effects of his love, whether they be temporal concerning this life, or Eternal concerning the life to come. Concerning thefe effects of bis love, faith ?ohn, Behold what manner of love the Father hathbejfdlved up- 1Iohn 3 , i, on us, that we jhould be called the .foas of God. q. d. Behold it, !l:and amazed at it, that children of wrath 010uld become the fons of the mofl h1gh God: for a beggar on rhe dunghil , a vagabond, a runnagate from God, a prodigal, a flranger to God, whom the Lord had no caufe to think on, to be 1mde a Son of God Almighty, 0 divine love! Paufe awhile, and mufe on this! 0 my foul, that God 010uld fore-know thee from all Eternity with a knowledge of love and approba:ion, it is admirable to confider, I fay it is admirable to confider. 4 Confider the purpofe of God concerni~g thy falvation: God h•th not appointed (or purp:>fed) 11s wrath, bm to obtain J.zlvcttion by our Lord 'fefiH Chrift. As when we 1 TOef.> l>• have a wiJJ ro do any thing, there follows upon this in the mind a fet!ed purpof_, to effe:'l: it; fowhen God !llth loved, fo:ne ro life, t!we is in God a fet!cd·purpofe of bringing ibem tO it: th.,t th: fiirpo(e of God uccording to de-'lion miglu ftand, or be fare; it im-·1\om. 9' [If ports Gods flabi!ity, and ilead inefs, and con(rancy, and firmnefs in Caving fouls. There is much inconflancy and ficklcnefs in the love of man, or in the love of a woman, but · the love of God to his people is a fleady love ;, aft/" Brid,groom rejoyccth over the Bride, c fo :fl>allthy God r(o)ce over thee; not only fo doth thy God, but fo jh.1/l thy God re'oyce 1 a. 62 5 · over ther. Gods pUl·pofes are wituout any alteration, the love ofChrifl after thoufands of years is flillas the love of a Bridegroom upon the wedding day; indeed thenordinanlr love is hot, and appears much; fo is Chrifls love, )lnd fo is Gods love ever- hot; t~ere ~s no momem of time froat Eternity to Eternity wherein God rejoyceth not over hts Satms, as the Bridegroom over his Bride; not only :is an husband over his wife, but as a Bndegroom over his Bride, we may fay of this purpofe of God, ru it WM in th: begmn:ng, u now and C'Ver Jball be world without end. Omy foul mufe, and medita1eon this pm·pofe of God, and by confeqttence on thef~tre , , mer~tes of Davtd; 1t may be 1t IS not always alike fure to rhee ; the love of God as the r,a.~, · i· lh1111ng.of the Sun cloth not always in rhe frui:s ofit 01ining out fo glorioully, but the Sun keeps hts ~ourf: 111 afieady way: wuat though it be fometimes douded ? what though at limes lt flune not fo glonoully as at htgh-noon? yet tbe P"'Pofc of God according to Eleflion n-mjf_ftand. All theDev1ls mhell cannor fruflme Gods purpofe concerning only one foul: . . ' l>im "'the Fatlms lVIII which fcn.t me (faith Chrifl) tbat of ali ll'hich he bathgiven me I {ha~tld lo)n 6. 39' life none. 5· Confider Gods-decree concerning thy fouls falva:ion, and the means to it. A> the G 2 plll·pofe
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