119 Book II. Lool:i~g unto :fefm. Chap. 2 .Seer.~. ------------------------------~~ othor? that this fruit doth fpring from the fenfe ofour election. Bernard obferves, who is righteous but he that requiterh the lvvrof qod with love againe? -n:hich is never done, except the holy Ghcft · Bmt.Epift.107 revcale unto aman by fmth qods ttern11/l purpofe concerning his future falvation And hence it is that the heart is mofi in frame when · it is 11 con!i.dering-the eternalllove of God in Chrifr : ~s .David faid of JonAthlfn, thou haft beene vcrJ p!Mfant to me, thy low to me · s · L was wonder~'ull, fo a poore foule gathering up all the goodnefs of ~ lm.r.z."• J • God in that eternity, and feeding upon it, and the varieeie ofit .it breaths out in that expreffion, thou haft beene very plet.tfant tom; 0 God, thy luve to me hath beene wonderfuil. 0 my foule thaf thou couldft fo live by faith on thefe eternall palfages, as that thou mighteft attaine to the highefi fruits offaith, riot onely to love God and Chrifr, but to love them with a burning love, with a mighty love, fuch a love as !yes in the mofr vigorous profecution after Jefus Chrifi, and in the moll: faithfull refignation of thy felfe to God; fuch a love as workes the moft delightfull afpeCl: ofGod and Chrift, as makes a man ·to behold God and Chrifl: with all cheerefulnefs;fuch_ a love as workes a man to extoll; the praifes of God. 0 in thefe lunges I yes th~ ftrength oflove. But alas ! this is,or at leafr this ihould be thy grief, that thou canft not love fo well,and fo warmely_as thou art beloved ~ Chrifr ~~t.S. 14; comes towards thee slrJ.pping lik§ the H11rt , or Roe on the MountaineJ of [pices , but thy love toward Corift is creeping like the wprme in the unwholfome valley. Indeed the heft affections have their fits of fwooning; it may be for the prefent thy I ove is cold: 0 but come up to this fire, confider how God and Chrifr loved thee in every ofthefe.- · 1 . His proietl:to fave i:hy foule fprung out of his love .: love was the firft wheele that fet all the eternall·works ofGod a going; what was that great defigne ofGod, but onely an exprefilon of his lover it was his pleafure to communicate f1imfelfe, and the rife of that colllmunication was his love: , 2. The Counfels ofGod were all in love; had not love beene as Prejident of the c.ounfel'~< where hadfl: thou been<!? when all the attributes ofGod were at a frand, it was the love ofGod.in-Chrift _chat refolved the queftion for thy falvation. . 3· The foreknowledge ofGod was a. foreknowledge of love . ~:!Vi approbation ~- in his etcrnall love he embraced thee as liiS . - . . -·- --- - --·-- - - . ~!Y~?. -
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