to the E P H E S l A N S. 149 ~ And let me likewifc lay this fecond thing of it: That that Love, which God ~ did firll: take up, in the firll: acl of it, it was as great as all acts tranfient for ever can exprefs, or vent to etermty; tt ts great Love therefore. I fay, all the ways and acts that God cloth to eternity, they are but meer expreffions of that Love which he at firll: took up. Cht~ll:, and Heaven, and whatever elfe God lbews you of Love and Mercy, in this World, or in the World to come, they all lay in the womb of that firll: act, of that Love he took up, whcrewrth he loved 11<. God was not drawn on to love us, as a Man is, who firll: begins to love one, and to fet his heart upon him, and then his heart being engaged, he is drawn on beyond what he thought, and is enticed t<;> do thus and thus, beyond what he firfl: intended : No, God ts not as Man herem, but as k_nown unto God are aU hrs Work_; ji"om· the beginning of the World ; fo is all his Love that he meant to bellow. ' And he took up Love enough at firil:, as he lbould be venting of all fort of ways that he bath taken to do it, unto eternity. For there is no new thing to God, if there fhould be any one thought or degree of Love rife up_ in his heart afterwards, whtch was not there at firil:, there lbould be fame new thtng in God. And the reafon is clear by this too, that !l'e cloth love out cf his own Love,therefore his Love at the very firll: dafh,when he firll: began to love us,was as perfect as it will be when we arem Heaven. When Adant fell, God was not then drawn out to give his Son; no, we are not fo to conceive it, God had all before him from everlall:ing. And this, I lay, is eafily manifell:ed;. for the fidl: act of his Love was the womb of his giving Chrift, God fo loved the World, that hegave his Son. Therefore the Scripture makes all the Grace that ever we !ball have, to be given us at the very firll:, when God firil: loved us, 2 Tim. 1. 9· According to tbe Grace of God, which was given m afore the World began. And in Rom. 1 1. 29. fpeakinv, of Election, (as he had done all along the Chapter before) he faith, The Gifts of God are witho11t repentance. He gave all in the firft atl, when he firft chafe us, and never repenteth of it. Election, I fay, is exprefs'd to us by all that God means to bePcow upon us atlually, to eternity, for ever and ever, which he hath prepared for them that love him; fo the Phrafe is, I Cor. 2. 9· And v. 12. We have received the Spirit of God, that we may, k_now the things which [are fi'eely given J 11< of God; that is, given us, when he firil: fct his heart upon us. My Brethren, when God firPc began to love you, he gave you all that he ever meant to give you in the h1mp, and eternity of time is that in which he is retailing of it out. I will be gracio11< to whom I n>ill begracious, And then all the goodnefs that he means to communicate to them, unto whom he is thus gracious, is a paffing before them even unto eternity : Firll:, the giving' cif his Son, be came firft in the Train ; and then the giving of his Spirit, and then Grace and Glory ; and whatever variation of Glory there is that is to come, it is all but the paffing on of the Train, it is all but the communicating- of that goodnefs of his, which he did ordain, the firil: time he thought on thee, to love thee. · There is an empbatieal word in the Text, this word 711lMijv .x,«,.,,, [great Love,] (as your great Criticks obferve, and fo theSeptuagint eonftantly ufeth it,) which cloth not fignify that God loves us often, or that his Love is reiterated, but that he loves us with one entire Love. TheArminians would make theLove ofGod in– campleat, and never eompleat till one comes to die; but it is not a ~atter of that nature, it is not as Sanctification, that admits degrees in us, but it is of the nature of thofe thmgs that confill: in indivifibi!i. I will give you that place for tt, ~fa/. 138. 8. The Lord, f.1tth he, will perfect that whirh roncerneth me. In 2 Tb1f. What God did intend to David from everlafting at once, he is perfecting of it in},' 1} 1 ;: Jt 15 him : There is, faith he,_ a great deal of Mercy yet to come, God hath not :~-.,fd,";,: half-done wtth me, he wtll pe&B: trat which concerns me, and he is perfectidg of it to everlall:ing; for fo it follows, Thy · 1\ferry, 0 Lord, endureth for ever. God bath fet up (as I may fo fpeak) an Idea in his own heart, what a brave creature he will make thee, and how he will love thee, and all that ever he cloth or will do, it is but a perfecting of that Idea, and of that Love wherewith he loved thee fi·om ever!ail:ing. The Mercies of God are C1id to be many, you read often of themm the Plural ; but his Love is faid to be but one, becaufe he loved us with one entire act, even from eternity. Yea,
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