______________ ._.,_ _____ ' ' ____ ............. _ .. ..... Chap.2.Se&.6 ·Looking ur;to 1ifm, Book IV· was a greater love of God, to take our nature, then !!mply to ·fave our fouls; for a King to difpenfe with the Law, and by hia own prerogative to fave a mortherer from toe gallows,is not fuch an act of love and mercy as to take the murtherers cloaths, and to weare them as his richefr livery? why, God in taking our nature bath don(! thus, and more fhen thLJ>; he would not fave us by his meere prerogative, but he takes our cloaths, our ftefb, and in that flefu he pe.rfonates us, and in that flefu he wi~l dye for us, that we might not dye, but live through him for evermore. Surely this Wai love, that God will be no more God (as it were) !imply, but he will take up another nature, rather then the brightndfe of his glory !hall undo our fouls. . 339 It will not be amiffe (whildl: I am endeavouring to draw a lyne ofGods love in Chri£1:, from firfr to tail: in faving fouls) thac here we look back a little, and fummarily contract the paffages oflovef~om that eternity before all worlds, u_mo this prefent. 1. God had an eternal defigne to dtfcover his infinite love to tome befides himfelfe, 0 the wonder of this ! was there any r\eed or neceffity offuch a difcovery ? though God was one, and in Dtus unus Iictt that ref peel: alone (as we may imagine) yet God was not folitary. fol~r, n_on in that eternity within his own proper effence or hlbfl:ance, ther~ (oJuarms. were three divine perfons, and betwixt them there was a bleffed commanication oflove; C.hri~ on earth could fay, I am not alone, bec.:tufe the Father is with me; and then before earth was, might the Father fay, 1 am not alone, for the Sonne is with me; and the Joh.t6.3t Son might fay, 7 am nor alone, f or the Father.i s with me; and the noly Ghoft might fay, I am not alBne, for both the Father and the Sonne are with me ; though in that eternity there was no creatLJre to whom thefe three perfons fhould communicate their love, yet was there a glorious communication, and breaking out of love from one to another; before there was a world, the Father, Son, and holy Ghofr, did infinitely glorifie themfelves, {oh. 17. 5· Joh, 17 . ). Surely they loved one another, and they rejoyced in the fruition of one another, Prov. 8. 30. what need then was there of theProv. 8.3o; tlifcovery ofGods love t? any one befides himfelfe r 0 my foul, I know no heceffity for 1t, only thus was the plea fur~ of God . Even fo hther, f or fo it feemed good in thy fight: fuch was th~ love of god , that it would not containe it felfe wirhin Xx 2 th~t
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