to the E P H E S I A N S. 1 57 a world of difficulties to run through, which yet his Love fhould overcome. Saith ~ he in Car.t. 8. 6, 7· (and he fpeaks of his Love, having fetus as a Seal upon his ~ Arm, having this Seal, The Lord k_nows who are his.) Love is~<jlrong as death. Many Waters cannot quench Lovo, neither can the Floods drown it. They are therefore called the jitre Mercies ofDavid. And you know howDavid put them to the Trial and how he put God to it. What difficulties doth the Love of God overcome'? do but confider. The purpofes of his fecret Will tOwards us do overcome all the difficulties of his revealed Will, and thofe were enow. He had given a Law ofhis revealed Will, and he had faid, that Heaven and Earth fhould pals away before one tittle of that fhouid perifh ; and,that the Soul that finned fhould die; and all had finned and tranfgrefled this Law. But now though all were fafr locked up under this, yet Love breaks open all, for it is an invincible Love·. That fecret Purpofe of his, I fay, overcomes that revealed expreffion of his, which had [o many bolts and bars to it, all the Threatnings and Curfes of the Law; and finds out a way to reconcile all. And the way whereby he did it, it was an infinite difficulty : For God to overcome his own Heart ! do you think it was nothing for him to put hi1 Son to death? When Chirfr_came t'?die, wl~at a difficulty did he overcome? do you thmk it was nothmg for him to give up himfelf and his Soul to the Wrath of his Father? Father, faith he, ifit be pojfible, let this Cup pafl; fave them, if it be poffible, Come other way: why God's Love overcame it, and Chrifl:'s Love overcame it, his Love would not permit him to think of any other courfe; it was an invincible Love. When he comes to call us, bath he nodifficulties which Love overcometh? A Man bath lived twenty, thirty,forty years in Sin, Love overcomes it : We were dead in Sins and TreJPajJes, yet fur the great Lo,ve wherewith he loved '"'' he quick_ned ""· When we have been dead, and dead forty years in the Grave, that, Lo, hejlinf<sth, then cloth God come and conquer us; it is an invincible Love. After our calling, how do we provoke God ? what a world ofdifllculties do we run through? fuch Temptations, that if it were po!fible the EleCt fhould be deceived. It is fo with all ChriCl:ians ; no righteous Man but he is[carcely faved, and yet faved he is, becaufe the Love ofGod is invincible, it overcomes all difficulties. Still, as the Apofile faith in Rom.8. 35,37. WhofhaU feparate t11from the Love ofGod? fballlife, or death,&c. In all theft, faith he, weare ntore thanConquerort; There is an Invinciblenefs; but how? through him thatloveth m, fo it follows: and mark that Particle, it is becaufe his Love is an Invincible Lovethat cloth thus make us to be Conquerors; becaufe that that Love is as frrong as Death, therefore neither Death nor Life ; it is as Cl:rong as Hell, therefore neither Hell nor Devils fhall be able to feparate. Nay, where there is but a mention made by way of Suppofition, or by way ofOJ!ery, Whether God will part with, or cafl: off any of his People or no? You fhall find that he throws it away with the highe!l: indignation, his Love is fo great. 'Paul cloth but put the ~e!l:ion, becaufe he knew Men would put it in, Rom. I I. I. Hath God caft atvay hn People? How cloth the Holy Ghofl: anfwer it? God forbid, faith he: he fpeaks with the highe!l: dcte!l:ation, that there fhould be any fuch thought in God. Even as in another place in the fame Epifile, Chap. 6. I. Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound? 0 God forbid. He throws it away with all the indignation that can be; and God may allow the one, affoon as do the other. He throws it away, I fay, with the highe!l: indignation that ever fuch Suppofition could be made, that God fhould have fuch a thought. He is (o poffefr with love to his People, that he will hear nothing to the contrary : Who jhalllay any thing to the charge of God"s Elel1? faith the Apofile; it is God that juflijieth: and it is their being EleCt that carriesit. Yea, his Love is fo !l:rong, that if there be any Attefl:ation (the ApoCl:le makes the Suppofiuon, who jhalllay any thing to their charge? Sin or Devil? ) that ifat any time Sin or Devil come to accufe, it moves God to ble!s ; His Love is (o violent it is fo fet, that he takes occafion to blefs fo much the more. In Dmt. 23. 5· whe~ /3alaamwould lay fomething to the charge of the EleCt People ofGod there, and accufe them, and curfe them, what faith the Text? Neverthelef the Lord thy God would not hearken 1111to 'Balaam, he would not hear of it; and, not only fo, but the Lord thy God turned the Curfe into a B!elfing unto thee; and why? Becaufe the Lord thy God loved thee. His Love was fo ilrong as it over-ruled all the Accufations 'Balaam could make, and all hisCurfes. Even as a King that loveth his Favourite, if
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