296 / 504
C.
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Do
a!of
Perf,of
Sts
its
ufefulnes
to
promote
Gofp Obedience.
240
to
her
fucking Child,
of
a
Mother to the fruit
of
her
Wombe
?
Oh
that
mea
fhould dare thus foolilhly
to
charge the Almighty ,
to
afcribe
fuch
a
barren
fruitleffe Love
to
him,
who
it
Love,
towards
his
Children, who are
as
the
Ap-
ple
of
his
eye,
his
deare and
tender
ones
, as
would be
a
perpetuall blot and
fraine
tp
any earthly
Parent,
to
have righteoufly afcribed
to
him ; I
fay
then;
our
Dot-trinegives
the
Love
of
God
the
Glory
of
its
fruit
fi
1nefe.
It
aflèrts
it
to
be fuch
a
Fountaine-love, as
from whence continually ftreames
of
Grace,
kindneffe, mercy, and Refrefhment doe flow: becaufe
he
loves
us
with
e-
verlaf
ing Love,
therefore he
drewes
us
with
Loving.
kindneffe,
Ier.30.
i,
2,
front
that
Love
proceeds continuall
fupplies
of
the
Spirit
and Grace,by which thofe,
of
whom
it
is Paid,
they
abide;
are preferved lovely, and
fit
by him
to
be
be..
loved.
It
tells us,
that
becaufe
God
loves
his
people,
therefore are they
in
his
hand. Deut:33. 3.
It
declares
it
to
be
fuch a Love,as
is
the
Wombe
of
all
mer-
cy: whence pardon,
healing, recovery from wounds
,
ficknefl'es,
and dying
pangs
doe continually
flow;
A
Love upon
the
account whereof, the
Perfons
loved
may make conclufion,
that
they
fha11
lack
nothing.
Pfa1.23.s.
A
Love
whole fruitfulneffe
is
fubfervient
to
its own conftancy , preferving
the
Saints
fuch,
as
he may
ref
unchangeably. Rom.8.29,
30.
A
Love, whereby God
fngs
to
his vineyard,
watches over
it
,
and
waters
it
every moment.
Ifa. 27. 2,3.
And now what flint almoff in
the
Rock of
frone,
would
not
be foftned, and
diffolved by this Love
?
When we
shall
think,that
it
is
from the Love
ofGod,
that
our
wafted portion bath been
fo
often renewed,
that
our dying
Graces
have
been fo often
quickned, our
dreadful! back-
flidings
fo
often healed,
our
breaches
and
decayes
fo
often repaired, and the pardon of our innumera-
ble
tranfgreffions
fo
often fealed,
unleffe we fuck
the
breaths
ofTygers,
and
have
nothing
in
us
,
but
the nature
of
Wolves and uncleane
Beafts ,
can
we
hold out
againff
the
Tweet,
gracious powerftill,
effe&uall influences ,
that
it
will have upon our
foules;
Thus
I fay
, doth the
Do&rine,
which we
have
in
hand,
let out the. Love
of
God unto
us
in his
eminent endearing properties,
wherein, he being embraced
through
Chriff,
a
Foundation
is
laid, and
emi-
nent
promotion
given
unto the
Holinefhe
and Obedience,
which he
requireth
ofus.
2.
This Dòffrine
renders
Jefus
Chrift lovely
to
our
foules,
to the
foules
of
4. 17.
Believers;
It
reprefents
him
to
them,
as
the standard
bearer to ten
tho
:find,
as
one
altogether
lovely: As
exceeding defireable
in
the
work
of
his
oblation,
lovely and amiable
in
the work
of
his Interceffion,
as
bath been
manife-
fted.
1.
It
imports
him as
one, who
in his
death hath
made
an
end
oftheCon-
troverJy
between God and our
foules. Dan.
9.39,
Becoming our peace. Eph.2.
54.
having obtained
for
us
Eternal!
Redemption.
That
he
hath not
fúffered all
that
forrow,
anguifh, paine,
torment,
dereli&ion,
whereunto for our
fakes
he
was
given up,
and
willingly expofed himfelfe,
for
an
uncertaine end, not
fighting,
in
.his de.eth,as
one
beating the
ayre,
nor
leaving
his
wòrke
in
the
duff,
to
be trampled on, or taken up,
as
it
feemes
good
to
us,
in
our polluted,
darke, deadeftate
of
nature:
But
bath
filled
it with
fuch
inimortall
feed,
that
ofit
lelfe, by
it Idle,
and
its
own uncot
juerable
Efficacy,
it bath
fprung up,
to
the bringing
forth
of
that
whole
fruit intended
in
it,
and the accomplifh-
ment
of
all
the
ends aimed
at
by it.
That
is,
that
it
(hall
certainely and
in-
fallibly bring
all
thofe
to God,
for whom he offered, by
SanCtifying,
Juflify-
ng,
arid
preferving
them, through the
Communication
of
his
owne
Spirit
and Grace
to
them,
for
that
end and
pu
rpofe,
All
his
Promifes being
yea
and
Amen, in
him,
confirmed by
his
death
2
Cor.
1.20.
Heb. IO.
52,13,14,15;16.
Some
ofthofe,
whoindeed abafe
the
Truth
We
have
inaftedon,pretend
to
grant,