to the EPHESIAN S. as that what was done to them, he reckons done to himlelf; lo between God and "-A-Y> us alto: Thim they were, faith Chri!l:, a11d tho~t gavcft the11t me: They are more Sm,, Xli. God's therefore, than Chrifr's ; or fir!l: God's, and then given unto Chrifl : ~ Therefore in lfa. 63. 9· ], all their Ajjiiflio1Z he is faid to be ajjii{fed. Yea, the Salvation of his People God accounts his Salvation, lfo. 49· 6. Thou fba!t be ( fpeaking of Chri!l: ) my Salvation 1mto the end of the Earth. And tho God loverh himfelf with a natural Love, yet this his Love to us is now in a manner naturalized, becaufe he is become a Father to us. He was happy in himfelf, and might be fo without us for ever; yet now he fpeaks, as if that the want of us would make him imperfect, Who fbaU Jeparate 111 fro!Jt the Love of God? The word implies a feparation, like the rending of the Soul from the Body ; and as the Soul would be imperfect without the Body, fo the Love that God bears us would make him fo too, if there could be a feparation. Therefore in Zeph. 3· 17. he is faid to ref1in hh Love; if he enjoyed us not he would never be at reil: elfe. To thefe kind of exprefiions, my Brethren, dorh the Scripture rife. And fo much now for having opened this, Hi1 great Love wherewith he loved tt! : His Luve, a Love that is pr.oper unto God, which therefore mu!l: needs be thus great, as you have heard it opened to you. The greatnetS of this Love, in refpect of his.giving Chri!l: to be our Head, and carrying us to, and giving of us Heaven, and the like, that follows after, and I !hall fpeak to them in their feafon and order. I have done, you fee, with that which is the main Foundation, viz. For the great Love wherewith he loved 111: I lhould have firfl handled the fir!l: Claufe in the Verle, viz. f!"t God who i1 rich in Mercy ; .but ym1 may remember, I told you, .that Love was m thiS, to have the prehemmence,' becaufe it was an atl: of Love fir!l: taken up, and this great Love is that which guides, and !l:irs up, manageth, and fpends, and draw• out all the Riches of Mercy that is in God, towards us, when we were deadin Sins and TreJPaJfl1. Now then there mull: be fomething faid to tha~, that He is rich in Mercy : 'B11t God ( faith he) who ;, rich ;, Mercy. Thefe words (for the opening of them,) may be confidered two ways: I. In their relation or reference, in the Apoflle'' fcope here. 2. Simply, as they are in themfelves. I. In their relation or reference, they do fir!l: hold forth, that to fave us, all the Riches of Mercy that are in God were neceffary. · Had not God been thus rich in Mercy, and born fo great a Love to us, we had not been quickned, fuch w.as our mifery, and fuch was our condition. They do imply, fecondly, That all the Riches of Mercy that are in leod, and all in God, did move him thus to be merciful, and to be gracious to us. And then, thirdly, That where God doth love, there he will fi1ew forth to the uttermo!l:, all thofe Riches of Mercy that are in him, he will fpend them all to fave us, he bath engaged them all : God, faith he, who i1 rich in Mercy, fur hh great Love wherewith he loved tn, even when we were dead in Si111 andTreJPalfu, hath quick_ned 111, and faved 111. 2. ·If ·you take the words limply in themfelves, they import two things: 1. That God is of a merciful Nature and Difpofition. ~. That there are Riches of Mercy in that Nature of his. The words imply both : . Firlt, I fay, that he i• merciful in his Nature and Difpofition; which I argue from two things in the Text, and in the Context. Firlt,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=