Cevenanl of Grace~ 35 · for ever. So it was neceffary, they fhould have one to reprefent them, taking burden on him for them all. Lajlly, They were confidered withal as the objeCl:s 9f eternal, fovereign, and free love, given to Chrifi: 1 by his Father. The Father loved them, John xvii . 23. and therefore gave them to Chrifi, Ver. -6. The Son loved them, Eph. v. 2. and accepting of the gift, . r.eprefented them in the covenant, as a father his own ·· children, Ifa. ix. 6. ' His name fhall be called- ·The everlafiing Father.' Compare' Heb. ii. 13. 'Be– hold I, and the children which God bath given me.' . It was owing to this free love, and mere goo_d-plea– fure, that they, and not others in the fam~ condem– nation, by the breach of the .firfi covenant, were re– prefented and contraCted for, by ]efus Chriil: in the fecond ; that their names were put in the eternal con- , traCl:, while the names of others were left out. They were the Father's choice, and hi5 own choice ; fo he became their Reprefentative. · _From what 'is faid concerning the party reprefented · and contracted ·for, we may make ·the following inferences. _ - In f. 1. T .here'_s a fovereigri freedom of the love of Go_d appearing in the fecond covenant, the covenant of grace. . And it ap.pears efpecially in two things. (x.) In .that there was a love towards fallen man, and not towards fallen angels, Tit. iii. 5· whereby ic came ' · to pafs, that men, and not devils, were taken hold / of, reprefented, and ,contracted for , by Jefus Chrifi, in the covenant, Heb. ii. 16. Doubtlefs be could have contraCted for the one, as well 'as for the other ( but fovere ignty pa!fed by fallet~ angels, aqd caught ho.ld of men ; howbeit the former were, in their own na- . ture, ~he more worthy and excellent creatures. But in all the difpenfa-tion of grace, t~ere~s no~ refpeCt to creature-worth : all is owing to the mere good plea– fure of God, who' bath mercy on whom .he will have mercy. ' ( 2.) It appears, in th~t there was an electing - C 3 · love
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