Ver. 3 6, 37. the 8tb Chapter to the R OMAN S. 37 3: 'Tis a connant, and an immutable love, jer. 31. 3. With an.everlafling love have I loved thee. Gods Iove is a love of perpetuity, or eternity His love and affe &ion core tinueth Rill the fame to us, and (hall do fo for ever. God referveth a liberty in the Co' venant, r. for corre &ion, Pfal. 89. 32, 33. Thenwill 1 vi (it their travfgrejJons With the rod, and their iniquity with gripes: Neverthelefi my loving- kinclnefr will I not. utterly take from him, nor frsf r my faithfulnef to fail. The Iharpe(i rods, and fowereft (tripes, do (land with loving - kindnefs to them; yea, are rather effe&s of his love, than hatred. But thisNew- Covenanolove is immutable: 4. 'Tis an operative and effe&ive, not an idle and hidden love. If Chrins love were only an aff'edion in the heart, a well-wilhing love, there were lets comfort in it but 'tis a love that breaketh forth in a &ion and real performance. He will readily do good to his people whom he loveth ; not only hereafter, when he will accomplifh our glo- rious hopes ; But now his love is not without effe &s. Two I [hall mention. t. His ordering all difpenfations of providence for our good ; this God doth for them that love him, Rom. 8. 28. And furely'tis a great tenimony of his love to us. They know nothing in Religion, that know not that Chrifts external Government is neceffary to the prefervation of the faints, as well as his internal grace, See Pfal. 25. 3. Let none that wait on thee be aJ amed: let them be afhamed that tranfgrefr without caufe. I Cor. no. 13. There bath no temptation takenyou, but fuch as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not futer you to be tempted above what ye are able, but will with the temptation alfo make a way to efeape, that ye may be able to bear it. He withdraweth temp - tations,that they May not be too ftrong for feeble fouls, and caufe defpondeney in them : And moderateth our afiliâions, that they may not trouble or dilçourageus, but only corred, and keep us from fecurity, vanity, and contempt of holy things. Thefe temp- tations by troubles and af[iiûions, are let loofe to check other temptations, to ambition, worldlinefs, and fenfuality; but when they are like to prove temptations themfelves,, the love of Chrift is much Been in his wife and gracious mitigation, and removal of them. . 2. The affiances of his Grace, or'the operations of his Spirit. Surely the property of love is, velle amato bonum. And God giveth the true good to his children ; The good we are capable of in this life, is the gib- of his fandifying Spirit. Tempted fouls find it a needful benefit; and when they Peek it, will Chrift deeny it to them? No, he hath affured them of the contrary, Match. 7. 9, io, ri. Or what man is there ofyort, whom if his fón ask bread, will he give him a Ilene? Or if he ark fr/h, will be give him á ferpent ? If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your, children, how much more (hall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him ? God will i not deal worfe with his children, than men do with theirs; and that good thing s the Spirit, Luke r I. 13. U S E, r. Information. i. That we cannot fecure our felves by our felves. The Devil is too thong an ene- my for finful, lapfed men to deal withall ; he conquered us in innocency, and what may he not do now when we are divided in our felves, and have fomething in us on both fides? Much earililinefs, carnality, aVerfnefs from God, as well as love to him; Therefore we fubfift every moment by the love of Chrin, who became the Captain of our falvation, Heb. 2. ro. and in whofe caufe we are ingaged, and who giveth us the holy Spirit to move us to good, and to reftrain us from evil. 2. What confidence we have, or may have in Chrift. The Saints overcome by his love; and if you will adhere to him in the greaten hazards, will he fail you ?'Surely he is kind to his people, and hath given not only fach affurance of it in his promifee, but fach experience of it in the courfe of his difpenfations, that we are hill encouraged to wait upon him. He is willing to help his people, for he loveth them; he is able and fufficient, for infinite power is at the beck of his love: And you have tryed him, and be never forfook you; will he fail at lait? Was all this to trepan then into a de. ceitful hope? 3. flow little we fhould fufpe& his love , when to appearance all things go againn us. There are two difpenfations Chrift ufe4h ; either difappointing the temptation ; or nrengehning his people under it. For the fire, we have caufe tó blefs him, and ma- ny
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