The Life of Faith. fion of Love ; and Benevolence, or a purpofe to give benefits, is but the fruit of it. But if any will needs call the Benevolence alone by the name ofLove, we deny not in that fente that God loveth Saul a perfecutor, as well as Patel an Apofile ; is that his purpofe to do himgood is the (ame. O''ajed. God torah us in Chriff, andfor his rigbteoufnefs, and not only for our oan inherent bélrnefs. Anfw. t. The Benevolence of. God is exercifed towards us in and by Chrifi; and thefruits ofhis Love are CbriJt himfelt, and the mercies given us with Cnirilt, and by Chr:ft. And out Portion, and Juffiftcation, and Adoption, and Accepta, ce is Ly bit meritorious righteoufnees : And it is by biro that we arc poffeffed with Gods Spirit, and renewed according to his Imagc,in Wifdom, and Righteoufnefs, and Holinefs And all this relative and inherent mercy we have as in Christ, related to him, without whomwe have nothing: And thus it is that we arc accepted and beloved in him, and for his righteouihefs. But Chrifi did not die or merit to change Gods Nature, and make him more indifferent in his "Love to the holy and the unholy, or equally to the more holy, and to the lets holy. But his complacency is (till in no man further than he is made truly amiable in his real holintfs, and his relation to Chrift,and to the Father. (The Doc`arine of Imputation is Opened before.) John 16. 27. TheFarber hinifelf lovethybu, becaufe ye have lovedme, andbelieved, &c. And t 4.2 1. He tbat loveth me, ¡hall be loved ofmy Father As God loved us with the loveofbenevolence, and fo muchcomplacence as is before defctibed before we loved him (t John q.. to. Ephef. 2. 4.) fo he now loveth us compla- centiaily for his Image upon us, and fo much of his grace as is found in us ; and alto for our relation to his Son, and to him felt, which we (land in by this grace : But as he loveth not Soul a perfecutor, under the notion ofafulfiller, of his -,Law in Cbrift ; foneither doth he love David inhis fin, under the no tion of one,that is without fin, andperfef, as having fulfilled the Law in Chrifi : But fo loveth him inChrift, as topardons his fin,- ánd make him more lovely in hitrifelf, by creating a clean heart, and renewing a right : fpirit ,within,. kim, for the fake of the fatisfaQion and msrit3 of' Chtift Z z a ;Prop. 363
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