Of Cod's government, 25o. And no wonder if he prefer it alto for duration ; For Love is Heaven or felicity it felf, yea fotnewhat higher than felicity as fuck. For as God is our End for and in himfelf, above the ratio flicitatis, fo God is ourEnd as he is to be loved : And God the Vltimate Objeá, and Love the Vltimate WI, andGods Love communicated perfeïfly to us, andGods Will pleafed in all this, are the inadequateConceptions which make up the Ultimate End, fuppofing the perfe&ion of Nature, and of the Intelleçh in the fight of God, asfubfervient hereunto. 255. Man therefore bath a degree offruition, or attainment of his UltimatetEnd in this life, fo far as he bath a delightful love of God : Though this bebut the foretaft andFirftfruits. 252. Therefore it is not by Faith only that we know what Heaven is, and are drawn to Peek it and hope for it: but alto by this earne,fl and foretall of love 5 which worketh by a fpiritaal gull and fweet inward experience. The Intelle& firft bathFaith, and theWill bath Love; And apromifeand earnefl is more apromife alone. . 253. When Faith hath wrought this holy Love in the Soul, it doth as muchif not more to keepus from Apoftacy than Faith it felf. There- fore manyunlearned Chriftians, by the power ofholy Love, Rand fart, when fubtile difputing.Doûors may cleave to the world , and fall away. 254. Though it be an ill expreffionof thofe School-men that fay, Love is theform of every Grace, that which I fuppofe theymean is true : that love being thefinal Grace, the reft as they are means to it, or thedills and expreffions of it, are what they are partly in that gelation : The means is a means only by its Aptitude to the end 5 And is never loved (as fuch) for it felf, but for the end : And what the effe l bath, it hath from its efficient Catife. And it is true, that noFaith, no Fear, no Obedience, no Praife, "no Suffering is further accepted of God, and apart of true fiolinefs, nor will prove our Salvation, than it par- ticipateth ofpredomiriant love to God. But this predominant Love is always an evidence of Life. 255. Qu. What if a manfhouldby Faith in chrifi be brought to the love ofGod, and afterfall awayfromFaith inChr, andyet retain his love to God, would that love fave him? Anf When you can prove that ever there was fuch a roan, I will anfwer you. Till then fuchfalle fuppofrtions are no otherwife to be anfwered , than by telling you , that if God fhould permit a man to fall from Chrift, that man would lofe the Spirit of Chrift, and the fight and fenfe of all Gods Love and Goodnefs mani- fefled in Chrift, and in all the Work of Redemption 5 And therefore he would lofe the love ofGod. 256. Howfar Holinefs is the defign of Chriflianity, I have opened in a fmall 2'raáate on that Queflion 5 And how far San&ification is to be preferred before Pardon as fuch, and yet Chrift'sGlory in pardoning us, I have (hewed there and in my Confefon, and therefore will not here repeat it. SECT.
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