t 86 The Nature,Operations andC4ufes ofDilJine Lo1Je; pleafe themfelves withall, about Love unto theDivineGood– nefs abfolutely -conftdered. For however infinitely amiaple it may be in it -felf, it is not fo really .unto them, it is not fuited unto their fiate and condition, without the conlidera– tion of the communications of it unto us, in Chrifr. · , 4· Thefe things being premifed, we may confider the efpecia! Na-ture ot this Divine Love, although I acknowledge . ·that the leafi part of what Believers have an experience of in their own fouls, can be expre«ed at leafi by me. Some ·few things I fhall mention, which may give us a fhadow of it, but not .the exprefs Imageof.thething it felf . I. Dejire ofVnion and Enjoyment is the firfi vital Act of this Love. The foul upon the Oifcovery of the Excellencies of God, earnefily defires to beunited:unto them, ~~~,b~bro;ught ·nea·r unto that EAjoyment 0f them whereof it ,is .capable, -and wherein alone it can find .re£1: and fatis£a6l:j0a. •\ T:b.is is ~ffential unto -all Leve ;' it unites .the. Mind.u·nto 'its ,Qbjefr, -and 1'efts not but in Enj0yment. .G0ds Leve 1.mt0 .u-s ar.ifeth ·out ofthe·overflowing·ofhis o;vvnimmenf~Goo<d;ne1S, where– ·of he will c0mmunicate the ·fruits and .effeCts ,un.t.o us. God is Love;, and:her-ein 'is Love, not1that·:we lovedGod., B,\1t .that ·he 1 loved us, and fent fuis .onlyJiegotten. Son. ·~\et alf0 .~loth thisIiove of ·God tend to 'tlte bringing ·of us unt-J) ,h.im, n0t 'that he may enjoy us, but that ;he :ma:y ·he ~n-j~ed .by ijS. This'anfwers d1edefireofEnjoyment ·in:us__, Job 14- 15. ihou fhalt eal! me (that i-s out of the dufi: atthe)a{Lday) thou wilt -have a d~{tre •to ·fl;.e wurk ofthy hqnds. GQds . ~--<j:!ve. -will ,n~t ·reil, until·it hatlYhrought us unto.himfet£ But ·o~rLGVte-un· ·to Go.d ari(eth:from a 1€nfe ofour 'own-wan~s, our .io.fuffici· ·ency to come unto refl: in our felves, or to attain unto' ~Bleffednefs by our own endeavours. In this ftate·feeinga/tin '{jot(,. ··and ex-peering -all from tpetfuitablenefs .o£his exeell,encies. ,l}11· 'to our refi arili~f~iSfafrioh, our fouls deav~ unto,J:b,~,m, WJ.t..h.a: ' delire
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