Ver. 32. the 8thCbapter to the ROMAN S. 329 he fpare not thee. Chrift was only a furety for finners, thou art an obltinate and unre- claimed (inner. 3. Improve this to patience under poverty: If God hath dealt fparingly with us in the matters of this world, yet he hath been bountiful in his Song more in your fouls, rho lets in your houfes 5 he that fpared not his Son, doth with him freely give us all things; fo under afiaion by death; the death of friends ; thou art apt to fay, I cannot fpare filch a child, or yokefellow, or relation, when Godfeemeth to be about to take them away; God will not (pare them, tho you cannot or will not; but you cannot fay, God doth not love us or them; God loved Chrift, yet will not fpare him. 4. And epecially Jhoeld this be improved to give us great boldnefi and encouragement in .Prayer. t. Becarrfe God loveth us. Ufually, when we come to God in prayer, we draw an ill piáure of him in our minds ; as if he were all wrath and vengeance, and unwilling to be reconciled to man, or brought to it with much difficulty ; therefore it concerneth us .to obviate this prejudice, and to conceive of God in prayer, as one that loveth us ; we have gained a great point, when we can come with this thought into his pretence; I am now praying to a God that loveth me, and will do me good 5 yes, you will fay, if r could come to that, I had gained a great point indeéd; but what hindreth, when Chrift came on purpofe to Brew the love and lovelinefs of God to us ? for our redemption came firft out of the Borom of God ; and Chrifts miffron into the world, and. dying for finners, was the fruit of his love;and mainly it ferved for this end, to give us a full detponftration of the love of God, and his pity to the loft world of finners, that when our guilt had made him frightful to us,wc might not fly from him as a condemning God, but love him and ferve him, and pray to him as one willing to be reconciled to us; light and heat are not more abundant in the Sun, than love is in God; what hindreth then, but that you come with this thought ? But how thall I know that he loveth me ? What things may affure me of it ? What faith the,Text ? Godfparednot hi, own Son, bet deli- vered him up for us all. There is,I confefs, a twofold love ; his general love, and his fpecial love ; his general love, which intendeth benefits to us ; and his fpeciat love; which put - tech us in poffeflion of them ; his general love to the loft world, and his love and mercy to in particular, giving us the faving benefits purchafed for us, and intended to us. r. His general love to the loft world; that is a great thing The Devil feeketh to hide the wonderful love Of God revealed in our Redeemer, that we may (till fraud aloof from God, as more willingto puni(b, than to fave; and many poor dark creaturesgra- tille his defign and aim ; are (till locking figns and tokens of. Gods love, or fomething in themfelves to warrant them to come to God by Chrift, and to perfwade us that we (hall be welcome if we do Co; and becaufe they cannot find any thing, in themfelvés; that he will admit them, they are troubled; but All this while, they are but Peeking the Sun with a candle : What greater evidence of Gods willingneB to. receive you; than the death of Chrift, than the invitations of the Gofpel ? this is alone above all evidences of his love, He fpared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. But herein we are like theyewe, who when they had teen many wonders wrought by Chrift, would (till have a new fign ; the greateft figs is given already, Chrifts dying for a fin- ful world. Men and Angels cannot find out a fign, pledg, and confirmation of the love of God above that; yet if that be not enough, we have another fign, the promi- fes and invitations of the Gofpel, which (hew his willinguefs to welcome (inners; falva- lion is offered not to named,but defcribed perlons ; therefore if we are willing to come under thefe hopes upon Chrifts terms, thefe muff fatisfie our fcrupulous minds, that there is no bar put to us, but what we put to our felves by our refuting the grace, as God offereth it. Certainly Gods love and mercy to mankind is our (irft motive, and his willingnefs to impart good things to them upon his own terms; and Cutely, he is well pleafed with our acceptance of them 5 'cis true'eis laid, r John 4. 19. We love him becarife he loved us fr.fl. But the firlt motive to draw our hearts to him,. is not his fpe- cial elefhive love to us aboveothers,for that we cannot know till we love him ; but his common love and mercy to finners, and that was manife(ted in Chrifts being lent as a propitiation for our fins, and not for ours only, but for the fins of the whole world; I John 2. 2. This is that which is propounded tous to recover and reconcile our Ale- hated and eftrauged affeltions to God, 2 Cot. 5. 19. God was inchriifl reconciling the world to bimfelf. This grace God offereth to us as well as to others, natri:ly, that God 9 T for
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