2 1 o Moti1Jes unto t!Je Lo-ve ofC!Jrifl. ... them on whom it was placed. In the purfuit of it he under·· went every thing, that is evil in his own Perfon, and we receive every thing, that is good in the favour of God, and eternal Bleifednefs. On _the account of thefe t_hings, the Apofile afcribeth a conflraining, Power unto the Love ofChrift, 2 Cor. 5·14. And · if it conftraineth us unto any return unto him, it cloth fo un– to that ofLove in the firft place. For no fuitable return can be made for Love but Love, at leaft not without it. As Love ·cannot be purchafed, for ifa man wouldgive al/ the fu/Jflance of his houje for Love, it wouldutterly be contemn-et4 Cant.8. 7 . fo ifaman would give all the world for a requital ofLove, without Love, it would be defpifed. To fancy th~t all the Love ofChrift unto us, confifts in the precepts and ·promifes of the Gofpel, and all our Love unto him, in the obfer·vance ofh-is commands, without a real Love in him unto our Per• fons like that ofaHusband unto aWife, Ephef. 5. 2 5. 26. or an holy affeCtion in our hearts and minds unto his Perfon, is to overthrow the whole Power of Religion, to, defpoil it ofits Life and Soul, leaving nothing but the carkafs ofit. This Love unto Chrift, and unto God in him, becaufe of his Love unto us, is the principal infiance of Divine Lo·ve, the Touchfione ofits reality and fincerity. Whatever men ma~ boafi of their affectionate endearments unto the Di – rvine Goodnefs, ifit be not founded in a fenfe of this Love of Chrift and the Love of God in him, they are but empty noti– ons they flouriih withal, and their deceived hearts teed upon afl1es. It is in Chrifi alone that God is declared to beLove, without an apprehenfion whereof, none can lo·ve him as they ought. Inhim alone,that infinite GooJnefs which is the pecu" liar Objeer of Divine Love, is truly reprefented unto us, without any fuch deceiving Phantafms, as th~ workings of fancy, or depravationofReafonmay impofeupon us. And on him'
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