2IÓ OJCOMMUNION with God, as a Father, John xiv, 5, 6. that is, as love. And by doing fo . he gives us the relt which he protnifeth : for the love of the Father is the only refs of the foul. It is true, as was faid, we do not this formals in the firft inftant of believing. We believe in God through Chrif} i Pet. i. 21. Faith feeks out refs for the foul. This is prefented to it by Chrift, the mediator, as the only procuring caufe. Here it abides not, but by Chrift it bath an accefs to the Father, Ephef. ii. 18. into his love, finds out that he is love, as having a dehgn, a purpofe of love, a good plea- fure towards us from eternity ; a delight, a complacency, a good will in Chrift ; all catite, of anger, and averfatiodbeing taken away. The foul being thus by faith through Chrift, and by hito brought into the bofom of God, into a comfortable perfuafion, and fpiritual perception and fente of of his love, there repofes and refis it felt. And this is the firft thing the faints do, in their communion with the Father, of the due improvement whereof more afterwards. (2.) For that fuitable return which is required, this alto, in a main part of it, beyond which I(hall not now extend it, confifteth in love(a). God loves, that he may be beloved. (b) When lte'comes to command the re- turn of his received love to compleat communion with him, he fays, 1tiÿ Son, give tine thy heart, Prov. xxiii. 26. thy affe&ions, thy love. Thou limit love the Lord tby God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy ffrengtb, and with all thy mind, Luke x. 27. this is the return that he demandeth. When the foul fees God in his difpenfationof love, to be love, to be infinitely lovely, and loving, refis upon, and delights inhim as fuch, then hathit communion with him in love. This.is love, that God loves us firft, and then we love him again. I 11101 not nowgo forth into a defcription of divine love; generally, love (e) is an affeftion of 'union and nearnefs, with complacency therein. So long as the Father is looked on, under any other apprehenfions,but only as ailing love upon the foul, it breeds in the foul a dread and averfation (d). Hence the flying, and hiding of tanners in thefcriptures. But when he who is the Father, is confidered as a Father, ailing love onthe foul, this (e) raifes it to love again. This is in faith, the ground ofall acceptableobedience, Dent. v. so. Exod. xx. 6. Dent. x. 1a. xl. s. xiii. 13: 3. Thus is this whole hufinefs flared by the apoffle, Ephef. i. ç According as he bath chofen us in himbefore thefoundation ofthe world,that wefhould be holy and without blame before him in love. It begins in the love of God : and ends in our love to him. That is it which the eternal love of God aims at in us, and works us up unto. it is true ; our univerfal obe- dience falls within the compafs ofour communion with God: but that is with him as God, our blefted fovereign lawgiver, and rewarder; as he is the Father, our Father in Chrift, as revealed unto us to be love, above and contrary to all the expe&ations of the natural man, fo it is in love that we have this-entercourfe with him. Nor do I intend only that love, which is as thelife and form ofall moral obedience; but a peculiar delight and acquiefcing in the Father revealed effectually as love unto the foul. That this commdnion with the Father in love may be made the more clear and evident, I fhall Phew two things. (a) Deut. vi. 4, 5, 6. (b) Amor fuperne defcendens ad divinam pulcritudinem omnia COnvocat Proclua lib. de Anima fry' Dam. 29. (r) Unio- fubftantialis eft caufa amoris fa, ip- Gus, fimilitudinis eft cauta amoris alteriu's; fed unio realis quam amans quwit de re amata, eft effeetus amoris Th. ca. q. 58. a. 3 Jot. xxii. 5. xxiii. r1. Nehem. i. s. _CO Pfal xvüi. xxii. 23. levti as. cxvi, E. a Cor. ii. 9. Jam.i. 12. Ira. v. vi. 6. atch. xxii. 37. Rom. viii. 28: [1.] Wherein
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