each PERSON difiinilly. 21 5 it not ? What life, what light, what ftrength fometimes? and again how dead, how dark, how weak, as God is pleafed to let out, or to refirain the fruits of his love ? All the graces of the fpirit in us. all fandified en- . joyinent whatever, are fruits of his love. How varioufly . thefe are difpenfed, how differently at fundry feafons, to the fame perfons, experi- ence will abundantly tefttfy. 2.] In iefpe& of' Its difcoveries and manifeftations. He 'beds abroad bis love in our hearts by the Holy Ghoff, Rom. v. g. gives us a fenfe of it ; ma- nifefts it unto us. Now this is (a) various and changeable, fometimes more, fometimes lefs: Now he thins anonhides his face, as it may be for our profit. Our Fatherwill not always chide, leaft we be call down; he Both not always finite, leaft we be full and negled him, but et (till his love in its felf is the -fame. When for a little momenthe hides his face, yet he gathers us witheverlafling kindnefs. Objea. But you will fay, This comes nigh to that blafphemy, that God loves his people in their finning, as well as in their ftri&efì obedience, and if fo, who will care to ferve him more, or to walk with -him unto well pleating? Anfw. There are few truths of Chrift which from forne, or other, have not received like entertainment with this, Terms and appellations are at the will ofevery impofer, things arenot at all varied by them. The love of God in it felf, is the eternal purpofe and ad of his will. This is no more changeable, than God himfeif. If it were, no flelh could be faved, but it(b) changeth not, and we are not confumed. What then, loves he his people in their finning? Yes, his people, not their finning. Altem (c) he not his love towards them? Not the purpofe of his will, but the .difpenfations of his grace. He rebukes them, he chaftens them, he -hides his face from them, he (mites them, he fills them with a fenfe of indignation; but woe, woe, would it be to us, fhould he change in his love, or take away his kindnefs from us. Thofe very things which feem to be demonflrations of the change of his affections towards his, do as :clearly proceed from love, as thofe whichdeem to be the moll genuine iffues thereof. But will not this encourage to fin ? He never tatted of the love ofGod, that can ferioufly make this objedion. The dodrine of grace may be turned into wantonefs, the principle cannot: I fhaiT1 not wrong the faints, by giving other anfwer to this objection. Deteftation of tin in any may well confift "with the acceptation of their perfons and .defgnation to life eternal. . But now, our love to God is ebbing and flowing, waining and increa- fing. We lofe our firfl love, and we grow again in love. Scarce a day at a hand, What poor creatures are we? how unlike the Lord and his love? Unftable as water, we cannot excel; now it is, Though all ovenforfake thee, Iwill not, anon, I know not the man. One day, I lhall never be moved, my hill is fo ftrong, the next, all men are lien, I' than perifh. When ever was the time, where ever was the place, that our love was one day equal towards God ? And thus thefe agreements, and difcrepancies, do farther defcribe that mutual love of the Father, and the faints, wherein they hold communion. Other inftances as to the perfon of theFather 1 1há11 not give, but endea- vour to make fome improvement of this, in the next chapter. (a) Pfal. xxxi. a6. Ixvii. r. caio. cause. Pfal..xiii. a.. nova. 9. xxx, 7. lxxxviü. 14 Ira. viii. 17. (b) Mal, it 6. (a) Pfal. oasis. -n. Heb. sa. 7, 8. Revel. iii. a9. Ira. Ivii. '7. Job el: a. PIA. vi. 6. Pfal, xxxviii. 31 4, 5. &c. (A) Revel. ii. 5. Epbef. ao. 16, a7, r8,19. C H A P.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=