each PERSON Albany. 241 And on this ground it is, that if all the world fhould (if I may fo fay) fet themfelves to drink free grace, mercy and pardon ; drawing (a) water continually from the wells of falvation; if they Mould fet themfelves to draw from one fingle promife, an Angel ftanding by, and crying, Drink o my friends, yea drink abundantly, take fo much grace and pardon as (hall be abundantly fudìcient for the world of fin which is in every one of you; they would not he able to fink the graceof the protnife one hairs breadth, There is enough for millions of worlds if they were, besaufe it flows into it from an infinite bottomlefs fountain. Fear not, o worm Jacob, I am God and not man, is the bottom of tanners confolation. This is that head of gold mentioned, Cant. v. 11. that inoft precious fountain of grace and mercy. This infinitenefs of grace in refpeft of its fpring and fountain will anfwer all objections that might hinder our fouls from drawing nigh to communion with him, and front a free embracing of him. Will not this fuit us in all oitr diftreffes? what is our finite guilt before it? thew me the frnner that can fpread his iniquities to the dimennons (if I may fo fay) of this grace? Here is mercy enough for the greateft, the olden, the ftubbornelt tranfgrelfor, Why will you dye, o ye hoofe of Ifrael ? Take heed of them who would rob you of the deityof Chrift, if there were no more grace for me, than what can be treatisred up in a meer man, I fhould rejoyce my portion might be under rocks and mountains. Confider hence Its eternal, free, unchangeable love. Were the love of Chrift unto us, but the love of a ulcer man, thn' never fo excellent, inno- cent and glorious, it matt have a beginning, it mutt have an ending, and perhaps be fruidef . The love of Chriftt in his human nature towards his, is exceeding intente, tender, precious, companionate, abundantly heig':ttned by a fence of our miseries, feeling of our wants, experience of our tempta- tions, all flowing from that rich flock of grace, pity and companion, which on purpofe for our good and fupply, was bellowed on him. But yet this love, as fuels, cannot be infinite, nor eternal, nor from it felf abfolutely unchangeable. Were it no more, tho' not to be parallelled, nor fathomed, yet our Saviour could not fay of it, as he doth, "Limy father loveth me, fo have I loved you, Job. xv. 9. His love could not be compared with, and equalled unto the divine love of the father, in thofe properties of eternity, fruitfulnefs, and nchangeablenefs, which are the chief anchors of the foul, rolling it felf on the bofom of Chrift. But now [1.3 It is eternal. Come ye near unto me, hear you this, I have not, faith he, fpeken fiotn the beginning in ferret, from the time that it was, there am I, and now the Lord Godand his fpirit bath feet nie, Ifa. xlviii. 16. He him- felf is yefterday, to day, and for ever, Heb. xiii. 8. and fo is his love, being his who is alpha andomega, the firft and the laft, the beginning, and the ending, which is, whichwas, and which is to come, Revel. i. r r. [2.J Unchangeable. Our love is like our felves; as we are, fo are all our affe&ions, fo is the love of Chrift, like himfelf, we love one, one day, and hate him the next, he changetb, and we change alto; this day he is our right hand, our right eye, the next day cut him off, pluck him out, Gen. iv. 14,15. Jens Chrift is ftill the faine, and fo is his love, In the beginning he laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of his bands, they fhall petzfh but he remaineth, they fhall all wax old as dodo a gar- ment, and as a velure fhall he fold them up, and they fhall be changed ; but be is the fame, and his years fail not, Heb, i. io, i r, 12. He is the Lord, and he changetb not, and therefore weare not confumed. Whomhe loves, he loves unto the end, Mal. iii. 6. 7oh. xiii. i. His love is fuch as never had beginning, and never (hall have ending. P p p [3] It (a) Cao,. v, i. na. iv. t. Revel. xnO, 17. Joh. vä.37, io.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=