Ver.26. the 17th Chapter of St. J O H N. 383 Pit. He loved his Church, and fanétified it 5 Ephef. 5. 25, 26. Chrift loved the Church, and gave himfelf fbr it, that he might fanttify and cleanfè it with the mashing of Water by the Word. Rev. r.5. To him that loved us, and waffled us from our Sins in his own Blood. Our Holinefs is not the Caule of Love, but the Fruit and Effe& of it. There can be no other Reafon for any thing we receive. So, 2 Theff2.i6. Now our Lord 3efes Chrift himfelf, and God even our Father who hath loved us, and hath given Hi evert f ing Confola- tion, and good Hope through Grace, &c. There was no other caufe, there could be no other cause 5 not neceffrty of Nature, moral Rule, or any former Merit and Kindness, Not neceffity of Nature, God hath always the fame Love; Not bound by any exter- nal Law and Rule 5 Who can prefcribe to him ? Not by any Merit or Debt, becauCe of the Eternity of his Love, antecedent to all Ads of the Creature. There (/would be no other Reafon for the Honour and Majclty of God, and our Comfort. 2. That we have not only the Blessings and Benefits, but the Love it felt í John 3. 1. Behold, what manner of Love is this that the Father hath bellowed upon us, that we fhould be called the Sons of God ! not (hewed us, but bellowed upon us. We have Bief- sings from his Heart, as well as his Hand 5 by his Bleflìngs in us, his Love is in us 5 we may gather thence, that we are beloved of God, and no Benefit is to be valued, unle1 God's Love be in it. What good will the pollefiìon of all things do us, if we have not God himfelf? The Love is more to be valued than the Gift, whatever it Be. God giveth this Love to none but fpecial Friends, he giveth his outward Love to Enemies. He accepterh not our Duties, unleCs our Hearts be in them, and our Love be in them 5 fo, we fhould not be satisfied, till we can fee Love in the Blefiìngs that we receive from God, that they come from his Heart, as well as his Hand. There are Chaftifements irí Love, and Bleffings given in Anger, fatted with a Curti.. 2. Obferve 5 That the Love wherewith thou haft loved nie, may be in them. He had be- fore raid, Thou haft loved them as thou haft loved me : now, let this Love be in them. The Love of God is fometimes raid to be in Christ, foinetimes in us. Sometimes in Christ Rom. 8.39. Nor height, nor depth, nor anyother Creature, fhàll be able to fopirate us fern the Love of God which is in Chrifi lefts our Lord. Sometimes in us, i John 4. 9. La this was manifified the Love ofChri towards us, , & cb,,, zit x ç iv x¡ïiv, becaule that God feet his only, begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him. We Are the Objects, and Chrift is the Ground. To make it lure, it is in Christ 5 and to make it fweet and comfortable, it is in us. God doth not love us in our felves out of Chrift,' there would be no ground and reafon for his Love, but in aunt 5 and there is an eter- nal Caufe and Reafon why he thould love us. 3. Obferve 5 There is a Love of God towards us, and a Love of God in ús. So Zanchy citing this Text. HisrLove, erga nos, towards us, is from all Eternity 5 his Love in nobis, in us, is in time. There differ, there was a Love of God towards us 5 fo he lo- ved us in Chrilt before the Foundation of the World, tho we knew it not, felt it not. But now this Love beginneth to be in us, when we receive the Effeas of it, and God breaketh open the Sealed Fountain. t John 4. 16. And we have known and believed the Love that God bath tows. And therefore it mull be di(linguifhed. God's Love from Everlalting was in Purpose and Decree, not actual : Rom. 9. r t. That the purpose of God according to Elellion might f and. So, Ephef. e. II. Being predeftinated according to the purpofe of him that worketh all things after the Counsel of his Will. We are loved front Eternity, but not justified from Eternity. Certainly the Elea are in a different condi- tion before and after Calling. z Cor. 6. r r. Such were fame of you, but ye are wafbed, but ye are fantlifted, but ye are jufified in the Name of the Lord jells!, and by the Spirit of our God, Secret Things belong to God, but revealed Things to us. Whatever Thoughts God path towards us, yet we know it not till his Love be in us. We are to judg of our Effaces according to the Law. It is true, God is refolved not to profecute his right againft a Sinner that is Elea, but he is not actually acquitted from the Sentence of the Law, till he aaually believeth. We are not qualified to receive a legal dif- charge from the condemnation of the Law, till we be aaually in Chrift : Rom. 8. T. There is no condemnation to them that are in Chris lefis. And whatever God's Purpofes may be towards us, we cannot but look upon our felves as under a Sentence of Con- demnation 5 and Children of Wrath, Eph. 2. 3. that is the misery of our prefent Efface. Before we know God as a Father in Christ, the Love of God is towards us, but not in us. 4. Obferve
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