Motives unto the Love of C/;rift. 109 allay. There cannot ce the leafi fufpition of any t~ing of felf in tt. And it is abfolutely undefervecl. Norhmg can be found amongfl: men that can reprefent or exerrplifie its free· dom from any defert on our part. The moft candid ~nd ir:– genious Love amongfl: us, is when we love another tor hts worth, excellency and ufefulnefs, though we have noJingu– lar Benefit of them our felves. But not the leafi of any of thefe things \Yere found in them on whom he fet his love; until they were wrought in them, as effe_cts of that Love which he fet upon them. . - Men fometimes may rife up unto fuch an high degree and infl:ance in Love, as that they will even die for one another. But then it mufi be on a fuperlative eil:eem which they have of their worth and merit. It may be, faith theApo11:le, treat– ing of the Love of Chrift, and of God in him, that for a good man even one would clare to d;e, Rom. 5· 7· It muft be for agoodman, one who is juil:ly eil:eemed commune bonum, a publick good to mankind; one whofe Benignity is ready to exercife loving kindnefs on all occaf10ns, which is the eftate ofa good man ; peradventure fome would e'ven dare to dye for fuch a man. This is the height of what Love among men can arife unto; and if it hath been inftanced in any, it bath been accompanied with an open mixture of ~ain glory, and defire of renown. But the Lord Chri{l: placed his Love on u.r, that Love from whence he died for us, when • we were jinnets andungodly; that is, every thingwhich might render us Un(\miable and undeferving. Though we were as deformedas fin could render us, and more deeply inde6ted than the whole Creation could'pay or anfwer, yet did he fix his Love upon us, to free us from that condition, and to ren– der ·us meet for the mofl: intimate fociety with himfelf. Ne– ver was there Love which had fuch effects, which cofihim fo dear in whom it was, and proved fo advantagious unto E e · "them
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