364 SERMONS upon Serm.42è fanlïification of the Spirit. If we turn .e Wheel round, the Wheel of neceffity mutt run round. If God loveth us Eternally, we mutt be Holy. There is not only a ne- ceffrty of Precept, but of Confequence ; he hath not only commanded it, but it muff be fo. ZJf 2. It comtnandeth God's Love, that you may admire it. Remember it is eter- nal, of an old ftanding 5 and all that is done to us in time, are but the Iffues and Fruits of Eternal Love. I. It is Eternal, as Ancient as God himfelC There was no time when God did not think of us and love us : we are wont to prize an ancient Friend ; the oldeft Friend that we have is God ; he loved us, not only before we were lovely, but before we were at all ; he thought of us, before we could have a thought of him ; in our In- fancy we could not fo much as know that he loved us ; and when we came to Years of Difcretion, we knew how to Offend him, before we knew how to love him and ferve him. Many Tunes God is not in all our Thoughts, when he is thinking how to biefs us, and coo us good. Let us meafure the (host fcantling of our Lives with Eternity, wherein God (heweth Love to us. We began but as yefterday, and are Sinners from the Womb; the more liberal we find God to be, the more obftinate are we, yet he repenteth not of his Ancient Love. Certainly if God (hould flay till he found caufe of Love in us, we fhould never be loved. 2. Look to the Effe &s of his Love in time. We receive new Effeets of his Love every day, but all cometh ottt of his ancient and eternal Love in Chriff : tho the Ef- fe&s be new, the Love is ancient. It is good fometimes to trace God in the Paths of his Love; by what firange Providences our Parents came together, that we might have a being ! how wonderfully were we preferved, that we might not be cut off in our natural Effate ! How were we converted many times, when we did think of no fuch Matter ? Everlaffing Love fets it felf awork. Jer. 31.3. I have loved thee with an everlafting Leve ; therefore with loving- kindnefi have I drawn thee. What could move God, when Pail was in the heat of his Perfecution ? How wonderfully did God take us in our Month ! fend Afi &ions to flop the courfe and career of Sin ! r Cor. I I. 32. For when we are judged, we are chaflned of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the World. How many Difappointments did we meet with in a carnal Conde ! As David faid to Abigail, a Sam. 2 g. 32, 33. Bled be the Lord God of Ifrael, which fern thee this day to meet me. And blefed be thy Advice, and bled be thou which haft kept me this day from coming to flied Blood, and from avenging my felf with mine own Hand. O how fweet is it to fee Eternal Love in all that befalleth us ! It will be our Specula- tion in Heaven, we (hall know as we are known, and be able to interpret all the Wind- ings and Circuits of Providence. Z1fe 3. It fhameth us, that we adjourn and put off our Love to God till old Age ; when we have fpent our flrength in the World, and wafted our felves in Satan's Work, we dream of a devout Retirement. O confider, God's Love to us is as ancient as his Being ; and are not we afltamed that we fhould put off God till the latter and more decrepid part of our Lives ? It is a commendation to be an old Difciple ; and God loveth an early Love. Jer. 2. 2. Thus faith the Lord, I remember thee, the lndnefi of thy Youth, the Love of thineEfpoufals, before our Affe &ions are proflituted to other Ob- je &s. Under the Law, the firff- Fruits were the Lord's, he ( hould have the Firfi. God's Children are wont to return Love for Love, and like Love ; therefore let it be as Ancient as you can : Do not fay, Art thou come to torment me before my time ? and dream of a more convenient Seafon. ZJfe 4. It teacheth us to difclaim Merit. a. God's Love was before our Being and Aéiing. Paul, out of a lefs Cireumftance, concludeth Ele&ion not to be of Works. Rom. 9. t 1. For the Children being yet un- born, neither having done Good or Evil, that the Pirpofe of God according to Elation might fiend, not of Works, but of him that calleth, it was faid, The Elder (hall ferve the T'onn- ger. God's Ele&ion is before all A &s of ours; therefore we deferve nothing, but all is from God. It is not a thing of Yefterd'ay; our Love is not the oaufe of God's, nei- ther is it a fit Reward and Satisfa &ion. Ohjelf. But doth not God forefeeour good Works, or at leali Faith and final Perfe- veranee ? He knewwho would believe the Gofpel, who would live Holy, and who would remain in their Sins.
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