II44 Book.V. Looking unto ~e{us. Cbap.z.Se~.6 1John _.. 8. , love as in it felf; for God is love, he is elfentially love; and therefore admits of no degrees ; yer in refpect: of the fenfe, or manife(tarion of this love of Chri1t, there muH needs be a differ~nce; rhusiihe loved his Spoufe on e.uth, how much more will he love her when his Bride in h~aven ? If he loves us while fim1ers, and enetpies ro his ho1inelfe, how m~ch more will . he love us, when we are fonnes, and perfe8:ed Saum in glory? he th.lt could fpread his armes, and open his heart on · the~ Crojle, will he nor rhen open armes, and heart, and all ro ·rhem rh.1r reicne wirh him in his Kingdome? if in chis life fuch is loves puillance , that we ufually fay of Chrifr , though the head 6e in hea1,·en, yet he hath left his heart on e rth w.'th Jinners; what !hall we fay of Chri(t in ~lory, where love like tpe Sunne ever ftands in the Zenith ? where tl e eternal God is the fouies e_t ·erlafting refuge, and underneath are his evetlaHing armes? 2; AndifChrill: love thus; how !hould we love again for fuch a love? Lord, what a fumme of love are w,e indebted to thee? is it polt1ble that ever we ihould pay rhe debt? c,m we love as high, ~s deep, as bro,1d, as long as love it felfe, or as Chrill himfelfe ? no , no ; · all we can do is but ro love a little ; and oh that in the conlideration of his love we could love a little in linceriry l Oh that we were but able feelingly to fay, why Lord I love tf:ee, I feel I love tlee, even ,u I [eel 1 lo 1- e my fi·iend, or :u I .feel 1lne mJ felf• . Such arouments of love have been Lud before us, as thott now I know no n~ore; we have feen whole Chrill cap-ape; we have heard of the loves of Chrill from eternity ro eternity_; we have ~,1d aview o~ the everlaHing Gofpel or'Jefus Chnft, wherem h1s love 1s ~eprefented to us as hot as de,uh , or as the Barnes of God; and do we not yet love him? hath ChriH: all this while opened his breafl: and heart tq .us' raying) ji-iends' dnes) come in) _and dwell in tl:e • hr;le>" o.f this rockj And do we fcratch hts breaH ? do ~ye -tu.me our backs upo» him , and require his love wiEh1iarred? furdy this is more than finne; for what is finne but a t,ranfgreffion of the Law ? but this Iinne 1s both a tranfore!Tion of Law and Gofpel. what? to fpurne asainfr the ~~arme bowels of love? to fpit on grace ? to d1fdain him
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