Gen. 1. o6. Tit.3-4r1:1 4 o. 11. HoC " · 3· Dent. 32.1 J, 12. 1loolling unto jjcfug. Chap.2.Setl.6. SECT. VI, Of foving JefU! in th'a~ re[pefl. 6. LEt us love lefU!_ as carrying on tl\isgreatwo~k of ouDfalvation in his intercefsion. Now two thu1gs more efpedally will exctteour love. r. Chrilt's love to us. 2. Our propriety i~ Chrilt: For the firfi, many ael~ of Chrift's love have appeared before, and every one ts fuffictentto draw our loves to hm1 again. As __ _ r. He l1ad an eternal love ro mat\; he feafl:'ed himfelf on the thoughts of love de– lig~r, and free-grace to~an from all eternity·; fince God was God ( 0 boundlefs du– rauon) the ~ord Jefus m a man_ner was Jov_rng and long~ng f?r the dawning of the day– of the Creatton ; he was (as 1t we-re) wuh chtld of mfimre love to man before he made rhe world. Some obferve, that the firfi words which ever Chrill wrote were, Love t• believers: and thefe \liere written with glory, for it was before gold vlas and they were written upon his bofotn, for then other books were nor. ' 2. In the beginning of time he loved man above all creatures, for after he had made them all, he then fpeaks as he ne_v~r did before, Let I« mak; man in our image, after our t.k§neji, and let htm have dominton over the ftjh of the Jet~, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cartel, and ever all the eari!J; and though man at that very intlant un– made himfelf by fins Chrift's love yet was not broken off, but held forth in a promife ull the day of performance, T!.e [Cfd of the woman ]hall bmife the Serpents head, and in thy feed jhal/ all the Natims of the earthbeblejfed. 3. In the fulnefs of time his. love was manifelted ; the feed then blolfomed, and (he birth came out in a!\ high e.xprelfioo of love; the man-child, the love of Chrilt was born, and faw the light. .After that (faith the Apoftle ) the kjndnefi arid love of God om· Saviour towards man appeared. I fhall not need fure !o .'nUance in fucceedini!f palf•gts: fo far as we have gone we have clearly feen Chnlt s hfe was a perfect mir– ror of nls love ; as there is no beam in t·he Sun in which there is no light, fo there was no a-& in the life of Chri~, but. to ~ fpiritual eye it fhines with the light of love. But alidve all, 0 the love of Chnfl: m hts de·at.b! ask a MalefaC!or if the Princes Son fi10uld go to his Father, and fay, Father, I confefi thi< rvretch bath deferved to dye, bui I fee a willingnefi in thee that he Jhould live; only 1percewt it flick! with thy ju– ftice; why, for that, F~ihef, here 1 am; and to fatiofte thy juftice I will dye my felf, onfJ let till< poor wretch live to the glory of thine, and my fr(e gr.1ce. Ask (I fay) the MalefaC!or what kind of love were this? Sutcly Chtilt dyed for our fins, and Chrifi rofe again for our juil:ification, and he afcended, and fate down at God's righ~ hand, and fent down his holy Spirit, and all for us ; there was not one palfage in all thefe tranfaelions, but held forth the breakings and breathings out of a fuong fi~e of love. 4· At this time there is a coal of burning love in the breafi of Chrifi : tbis fire was indeed from everlafiing, but the flames are as hot this day as ever ; now it is that Cllriil: loves, and lives; and wherefore lives? but only to love us, and to intercede for us. Chrifi makes our falvatit>n his conftant calling; he is ever at his work, Tefter– day, and to day, and for ever: there is not oc~ hour in the day, nor one day in a year, nor one year in an age, wherein Chrift is not bufie with his Father in this hea– venly imploymeht of interceding for us. He loved us before he died for us, his love being the caure why he died for us ; and he loves us Jlill, in that now he intercedes for U5 : it is as much as to fay, Chiijf bath loved m, and he repents not of his love : love made him dye for us, and if it were to do again, he ~ould dye over again, yea if our fins had fo required, that for every eleel petfon Chnfi mull have dyed a feveral death, love, love would have put him willingly upon all thefe. deaths; 0 the loves of Chrift towards our poor fouls ! If I might but ll:ay, and take fome turns in this large Field of love, how many thoufands of particulars might I draw out of Scripture ex– preffing Chrift's love to us in this refpeC!? though he be mHeaven, yet by venue of l1is inrcrceffion he bears us in his hands: yea, be leads us by the hand, and arms too, I tnuxht Ephraim rogo, taking them by their arms, bl4t 1hey k._new not that I healed them; he dandles us on his knees; he bears us on his wings; .As an Eagle jlirretb Hp her nejl, futterelhovcr her )'oung, fpreadeth abrMd her wings, tak£th them, and bearerh them oJZ her
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