---------- -·------- nook 11, r.Lcolung unto ']Jefu.s. Clnp.2 .SeCl.6. -rcad~s the ecernal de!igne of God , that Chri!l !hould go out of himfdf, and futfer an ex<,he throu~h rl!e vehemency of !m love? that Clmft ll10uld fo far abare his Majeli a; r? dy_e for,., , that we might not dye, but live with him? 0 then how l!tould thi, b!t kmole m our hearts a rno!l: ardent love towards God and Chn!l:? what more dfectuall motive to work mans lo'e, then to be prevented by the love and b:;unty of another> Tl!at this fruit doth fpnng from the fcnfe of our ele.9ion, Jieraard obf<rves tvho -· righrcot:$bur he rh.1t rrqu.iteth the love of C~od with love agaiu? which is never don;, cxce; lkr.·:.Ep;.wj. the .holy Ghojf rcve~l~ nmo a man by [ atth C~ds eternal purp_ofe. concer:1ing_ his fmrtrefal– Vdll on . And hence 1t_1s that the heart IS _moll: m frame wheu tt ts a cor.ftdamg the eternal lo\e of God li1 Chnfl:: As D,md fatd of Jonathan, thon haft beert wry ple4{.1nt to me th)' loue to me waswonderful\ fo a poor foul gathering up all the gvodnefs of God in tha~ , 5Jm. 1 ,, 6 • etenllty, and fe~dmg upon tt,and the vanety oftt, tt breaths out 111 rim exprellion, thou h41bem Vtr)' pleafant to me 0 G'od, rhy love to me hath beerr tvonderfull. 0 my foul that thou couldtl fo ltve by fatth on thefe eternal palTages , asthat thou mightefl: attaine to th• higbell_ fruits of faith, not onel y to love God and Chrifl:, but to love rbem with aburning love, wtth a 1111ghty luve, fuch a love as Iyes in the mofl: vigorous profecmion after Jefus Chrifl: , and in themoft faithful refignation ofthy felf to God; fuch a love as works the mofl dehghtful afpect of God and Chriil:, as makes a man to behold God and Chrill with all cheerfulnefs; fuch a love as works a man to extoll the praifes of God . 0 in thefe things lyes the flrength of love. Cant 8. t4. But alas! this is , or at leaft this flwuld berhy grief, that thou canft notlove fo well and fo warm!y as thou art beloved: Chri!l: comes towards thee skippin,g Irk§ the Ha,./ or Roeon tha /J-formtaims offpices, but thy love toward Chrifl: is creeping like the worm~ in the unwholfome valley. Jndeed the bell: afftdions have their fits of fwooning: it may be for the prefent thy love is cold: 0 but come up to this fire,conftder how God and Chrifl loved thee in every oftbefe. - I. His project to fave thy foule fprung out ofhis love : love was the firfl wheele that fer all rhe ~ternall ;vorks of God a &oing ; what was that· ~rear deligne of God, bm ondy an exprellwnofh1s love? tt was Ius plea.fure to commumcate l)tmfelf, and the rife ofthat communication was his love. · 2. The Connfels of God were all in love; had not love been as Prefidenr ofthe Coun– fel, where hadfl: thou been? when all rbe attributes of God were at a Hand, it was tltelove of God in Chrifl that refolved the quefl ion for thy falvation. 3· The foreknowledge of God was a foreknowledge of love and approbation: in Lis Ephd.r+ eternal love he embraced thee as his own; he forekr.ew thee, (i.) ofhis free love he fet thee apart to life and to falvation; G'od hath chofen liS in Chri.ft before thefoundation ofthetvorld: he chofe us in Chrifl, but not for Chrill; nothing at all moved him to elect thee but his own good pleafare and free love. John 13 • 1 • 4- The purpofe of God was a refolution of love, it fpeaks his love to be a conUanr, fetled, abiding love; no unkinr!nefs flrall alter it, for having loved hti own, he loves them unto the md, nay, he loves them )'lithout end, from everlafling to cverlalling. 5. The decree of God was an order (as I mall call it) or an act of love, to give in time that grace unto his elect, which before all time he decreed llwu!d be an effectual means to bring them unto glory. • Tim. 1 • 9 . 6. 1 he covenant betwixt God and Chrill was an agreement of love: God and Chrm ftrack hands to fave our foules; grace was given us in Chri.ft Jefw bcfr.rethn,·odd brg_a11. Grace was given us, that is, rhe gracious love and favour of God m Clu1fl was gtven usbefore all fecular times. This was Gods meaning from everbfling , this wasthe dehgne, yea the greatdl defigne that ever God had, to fer out the infinite glo:y, and the riches of his love in Jefus Chrift. No quellion but he had other great de!tgnes m dourg fuch great things as he bath done; but above all the defignes char ever God !:ad m all ht> works, this is the chiefe,to honour hts mercy, to glonfy the nches of hts love and _grace: had it not been for 1his he wouW never have made the world; and tfrerefore tn th~r world to come it will be ~he delight of God to llrew his Saints and Angels what he ts · able to dQ for a ue, 1 n 1 re; yea, he will to all ~ternity declare to them, tojwlm an he1gh; ofexcelletKie and glory his love and mercy rs able to ratfe poor foulcs, fo that the v<~) S1tn.ts a11d AngelsOtall a<'imire,and adore,& magntfie the Name of God everlal\tngly for,;t; 0 my foul canf1: thou ponder on this, and not love him dearly who h"s thus loved rh · Comt j/ir "P' hte grfir thu is in thee· if thou an a Chriflian thou hafl fame fpark 1 s_, ' . ' b h c d I a: "'' ns an liS cho11gh no·.v (it may be) undenhe afl•e•: come ru ,c a.e, an warm t 1Yauec.to fire;
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