Chap.~. Sed:.2. LggkJwg unt1 1tfus. Book.Il. 97 0 mufe , and meditate , and ponder on this love ! it couuines in it thefe particulars : as,I. The Eternal good will of God: what elfe is the love ofGod towards the Eled: , but his e-verlafting good will to fhew them mercy , to dp them good , and to fave their foules? hence the Angels fung that antheame L lc. . " . ,at Chri(ts birth, glory to God in the higheft, and on ·earthpeace , u '•If· · · good will towards men. 2 •. The Eternal pleafure and dehght of ' God to the fonnes of men; the greateft delight that God hath, or ever had it is in communicating himfelf to his Son firftly, and next un~o his Saints: nay, fuch ddight he takes in letting out his mercy to his Saints : as that he was well-pleafed with the death of his own Sonne, as a meanen;:onducing thereunto. 0 wonderful ! one would think that the death of Chrift iliould be th~ moft abhorring to the heart ofGod of any thing in the world , and yet faith the Scripture, it pleafed tke LQrd to bruife , hi.m ; he took a pleafure and delight in the very brufing of]efus Ifa.f l·liJ.,: Chrift: iheLordfawthiswastheway for him to communicate himfelfin the fulnelfe of his grace unto his Saints , and thereforc: though it coft him fo dear as the death of his own Sonne, yet he was well- pleafed with it. 3. '!his love of God contain~_ in it fl fore-knowledge and approbation of all thofe effects ofhts love, \yhether they be temporal concerning this life, or Eternal . concerning the life to come. Concerning thefe effects r Joh.J .1 ; ofhislove, faith {ohn, behold what manner of love tpe Fathtr · h.tth beflowed upon us , that we_jhould be called the fonnes of God. tf· d_ Behold it, ftand amazed at it, that children of wrath fhould become the fonnes of the moft High God ': for a beggar · on the dunghill ,a vagabond , a runnagate from God,a: prodigal, a {hanger to God, whom the Lord had no caufe to think on , to ~e made a Son ofGod Almighty , 0 divine love! Paufe awhtle, and inufe on. this ! 0 my foule , that qod iliould fore.- kn~w t~e~ from.all Eternity with a knowl~dge oflove and appro· bauon,tt Is admtrable to confider,! fay it is admirable to confider. . 4. <;onfider the purpofe of God concerning thy falvation: . Godha:hnotappointed (or purpofed) ustfJwrath, b11t to obt;rin 1 Thc.f,5 ·9· (al-1/atJon by our Lord Jeftu Chrifl . As when we have a will to d? ~?Y thing'. there followes upon this in the mind ·a fctled pur- · pof~ ~o effect tt; fo when God hath loved fome ·to life, there is · ~~God. a fetl~d purpofe of bringing them to it : tf,llt the purp~Je . 0 4
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