of the PERSON of CHRIST. 93 Father. The perfon of Chrift in his divine nature is the adequate'óbjed ofthat love of the Father which is ad intra, a natural neceffary aft ofdivine effence in its diftinet perfonal exiftence: and the perfon of Chrift as in- carnate, as cloathed with humane nature, is the firft and full objeft of the love of the Father in thofe as of it, which are ad extra, or are to- wards anythingwithout himfelf. So he declareshimfelf in the profpect of his future incarnation and work. Behold myfervant whom I uphold, mine eleif in whom my foul delighteth, Ifa. xlii. r. The delight -of the foul of God, his reft and complacency, which are the great cffeâs of love, are in the Lord Chrift as his deft and fervant in the work of mediation. And the teftimony hereofhe renewed twice from heaven afterwards, Mat. iii. 17. Lo a voice from heaven, faying, This is any belovedSon in whom I am well pleafed; as it is again repeated, Mat. xvn. 5. All things are difpofed to give a due fenfe untous, ofthis love of God unto him. The teftimo- ny concerning it is twice repeated in the fame words from heaven, and thewords of it are emphatical unto the utmoft of our comprehenfion. My Son, my fervent, mine cieli, my beloved Son in whom I refi, in whom I de- light, and am well pleafed. It is the will of God to leave upon our hearts a fenfe of this his love unto Chrift; for this voice came from heaven, not for his fake who was always filled with a fenfe of this divine love, but for ours that we might believe it. This hepleaded as the foundation of all the truft repofed in him, and all the power committed unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and bath given all things into his band, John iii. 35. The Father loveth the Son, and fheweth him all things that bimfelf cloth, Johnv. 20. And the fenfe or due apprehenfion of it, is the foundation of chriftian religion. Hence he prays that we may know that God bath loved him, Johnxvii. xg,--. z6. In this fenfe, the perfon of Chrift is the irehov ihnlosAv, the firft recipient fubjeti of all that divine love, which ex- tends it felfunto the church. It is all , the whole ofit, in the firft place fixed upon him, and by and through himis communicated unto' the church. Whatever it receives in grace and glory, it is but the dreams of this foun- tain; love unto himfelf. So he prays for all his difciples, that the love, faithhe, wherewith thou hafi loved me, may be in them, and I in them, John 17. 26. They can be partakers of no other love, neither in it felf nor in its fruits, but that alone wherewith the Father firft loved him. He loveth him for us all, and us no otherwife but as in him. Hemakes us accepted in the beloved Ephef. i. 6. He is the beloved of the Father, xaT lrçogñv; as in all things he was to have the preheminence,. Col. i.18: The love of the body is derived unto it from the love unto the head. And in the love of him doth God love the whole church and no otherwife. He loves none but as united unto him, and participant ofhis nature. Where- fore the love.ofthe Father unto the Son, as the onlybegotten, and the ef- fential image of his perfon, wherein the ineffable delight of the divine nature' doth cónfift, was the fountain and caufe of all love in the creation, by. an .aft of the will of God for its repefentation. And the love of God the rather unto the perfonofChrift as incarnate, being the firft adequate objeft of divine love wherein there is any thing ad extra, is the fountain andefpecial caufe of all gracious love towards us and in us. And our love unto .Chrift being the only outward exprelfion and reprefentation ofthis love ofthe Father unto him, therein confifts the principal part ofour renovation into his image. Nothing renders us fo like unto God as our love unto Jefus Chrift, for he is the principal objeft of his love; in him doth his foul reft, in him is he always well pleafed. Wherever this is wanting, whatever there npy be betides, there is nothing of the image of A a God.
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