98 c ADeclaration of the GloriousM Ir ST E RY objeft ofall love antecedently unto the entrance of fin and mifery. In them, in God under thofe confiderations might the foul of man find full fatisfaetion as unto its prefent and future blefíednefs. But finte the pafüng of fin, mifery, and death upon us, our love can find no atniablenefs in any goodnefs, no reit, complacency and fatisfaftion in any, but what is ef- feltual in that grace and mercy by Chrift, which we ftand in need of, for our prefent recovery and future reward. Nor doth God require of us that we Ihould love him otherwife but as he is in Cbrifl reconciling the world unto himfelf. So the apoftle fully declares it. In this was manífefl the love of God towards us, becaufe that Godfent his only begottenSon into the world, that we might live through him: herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins. Andwe bave known and believed the love that God bath to us: God is love, and be that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, r John iii. 9, ro, ---rd. God is love, of a nature infinitely good and gra- cious, fo as to be the only objeft ofall divine love. But this love can no Way be known, or be fo manifefled unto us, as that we may and ought to lovehim, but by his love in Chrift, his fending ofhim, and loving us in him. Before this, without this, we do not, we cannot love God. For herein is love, not that we loved God, hut that he loved us, andfent his Son to be the propitiationfordur fins. This is the caufe, the fpring and foun- tain ofall our love unto him. They are but empty notions and imagina- tions, which fome fpeculative pet-Cons pleafe themfelves withal], about love unto the divine goodnefs abfolutely confidered. For however infinitely amiable it may be in it felf, it is not fo really unto them, it is not faired unto their fine and condition, without the confideration of the communi- cations of it unto us, in Chrift. Thefe things being premifed, we may confiderthe efpecial nature of this divine love, although I acknowledge that the leak part ofwhat believers have an experience of in their own fouls, can be expreflèd at leak by me. Some few things I !hall mention, which may give us a fhadow of it, but not the exprefs image ofthe thing it !elf. r.) Defireof unionand enjoyment is the firff vital all of this love. The foulupon the difcovery of the excellencies of God, earneffly defires to be united unto them, to be brought near unto that enjoyment of them where- of it is capable, and wherein alone it can find reif and fatisfaction. This is effential unto all loves it unites the mind unto its objeft, and relis not but in enjoyment. God's love unto us arifeth out of the overflowing of his own immenfe goodnefs, whereof he will communicate the fruits and effefs unto us. God is love, and herein is love, not that we lobed God, but that helovedus, and fent his only begotten Son. Yet alfo doth this love of God tend to the bringing of us unto him, not that he may enjoyus, but that he be enjoyed by us. This anfwers the defire ofenjoyment in us, Jobxiv. 15. thou¡lhait call me (that is, out of the duff at the lak day)thou wilt bave a defire to the work ofthy bands. God's love will not reif, until it bath brought us unto himfelf. But our love unto God arifeth from a fenfe of our own wants, our infufftciency to come unto reif in our felves, or to attain unto bleffednefs by our own endeavours. In this date feeing all in God, and expelling all from the fuitabelnefs of his excellencies un- to our reif and fatisfadion, our fonts cleave unto them,with a defire of the neared union whereof our natures are capable. We are made for him, and cannot refi until we come unto him. Our goodnefs, extended not unto God; we cannot profit him by any thing that we are, or can do. Wherefore his love unto us bath not ref-
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