Ver. 3 2. the 8th Chapter w the ROMANS. 327 God is in good earneff with you, or he would never have made fuch provifiion. In fhorr, he would never have given up Chrift to be betrayed, and fentenced and crucified, and to dye for a finful world, if he had not been ip good earnelt in his love. 2. Becaufe Chrifi is thegreatefi and moll precious gift; And Cutely God that bath given fo great abenefit as his own Son, will he flick at leiTer things ? He that bath given a Pound, will henot givea farthing? Hath he given Chrift, and will he not give pardon to cancel our defe &s, and grace to do our duty ? Comfort to fupport us in our af$iftions ? Sup- plies to maintain and proteti us during our Cervices ? and finally, will he not reward us after we have ferved him ? Reconciliation by his death is propounded as a more difficult thing than falvation by his life, Rom. 5. so. Two things breed confidence; the fidelity of God, and his liberality ; his liberality in his gifts, and his fidelity in his promil s; his giving up Chrift to die for us, is a pledg of both : This was the greateft promife, the exhibition of the Mef iah ; and this was the greateft gift ; All other gifts fall Ihort of this, and do not beget fuch a confidence and hope. In Creation God gave you a reafona- ble Nature, fuch a Life as is the Light of man; but in Redemption, to snake way for a Divine Nature, he path given us his Son, and giveth us many outward bleffings in his daily Providence; which are in their kind beneficial to us, and tokens of his goodnefs ; but they are notaffurances of his Cpecial Love, Ecclef 9. r. Na man knome:h love or ha- tred by all that is before him. I have Riches, Honour, E(teem, Food, Rayment, I cannot therefore conclude God loveth me : I am poor, and of uded, therefore God hateth me ; thefe are weak and ill grounded concluGons ; he hath given me his Son, and wafhed use in his blood, and pardoned my fins, and healed my nature, therefore he bath loved me ; this is the right arguing ; in short, other benefits may be comprehended, we know their worth, nature, benefit and ufe 5 but this Curpafeth knowledg, we cannot exprefs nor conceive fufli,aently the value andgreatnefs of it ; in other benefits we (land in- debted to God for Come outward gifts, Corn, and Wine, and Oil, great parts, under - ftanding. Here, Deumdebemus, we (land indebted fora perfon of the Godhead. 3. .Tis a gift in order o other thing:: and therefore he will compleat that gift. Chrift cometh not to us empty handed; his perfon and benefits are not divided; he came to purchafe all manner of benefits and blef ings for us, not only to raife our wonder and aflonifbment by this great aû of his condefcending love, but to puocure the favour of God, the Image of God, the everlifting fruition of the glory of God : Now will God by anantecedent bounty lay the foundation fò deep, and withhold the confequent boon - ty,which is the upper building,for which this fonndatien was intended ? Shall fogreat a price be paid, and we obtain nothing ? 'Tis faid of the fooli(h builder, after he had laid the foundation ; This man began to build, and etas not able to finijh , Luke Lk 29, 39. Surely the wife God will faith what he hath begun, if we be qualified, and do not pone- re obicem, (hut up the way by our incapacity. 4. God may now do us good without any impeachment of honour; His Juftice and Holi= nefs is fufficiently demonfirated, Rom. 3, 25, 26. Whom God hath fit forth to be a propiti- ation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs, for the remion of fns ; to de- clare I fay,at this time his righteoufnefs, that he might be jail, and the ju.Cfifrer, of him that believeth en Jefas. The authority of his law is kept up, Gal.¢. 4, 5. But when the fulnef of time was come, God fentforth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem; them that were under his law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons. The truth of his threatning doth not altogether fall to the ground, Gen. 2. t 7. In the day thou eatelf thereof, thou flialt frrely dye. Therefore all is made eafie and commodious to our thoughts; and we can with the more confidence wait for what God bath promifed, 4. Becaufe the giving of Chrift fhewetb how freely God will give all things to ni. He gave Chrift unasked, and unfoughe to ; in this intlance we fee not only his infinite and great love, but his free and undeferved love, Rom. 5. 8. God commended his love towardi sss,in that, while we were yet 'inners Chrift died for the ungodly. And v. TO. It hen see were enemies; non invocantibus, fed provoeantibus Deus f feofferte, faith Bernard. When the world had corrupted their way, and call off God ; then Chrift died for us, even for them that were neither loving, nor lovely ; a conlideration to fupport our confidence, notwithftanding the fenfe of our unworthinefs. 4. Who have an interell in Chris, and may reafon thus within themfelves ; fomething feemethtobe implied in that, (hall he not a f Cwoávaÿ together with his's give us all things? They that have an aûual intereft in Chrift ; others have but the offer upon condition y they are invited, but you may be affured, x: VOA
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