affirmation As the Father hath loved mee so have I loved you In which are two thingss observable One that our Saviour loveth his disciples that believe on him and love him and this put downe inclusively as a thing so known to them that it needed no affirmation The other that our Saviour soe loves them as the Father loves him so that heere are two things affirmed I. Christ his love to believers II. The peculiarity and manner of his love to them whence spring two observation to veiw Obs 1. That Iesus Christ hath loved and doth love all that in the Heavenly call are brought in to believe on him and love him and that with such an apearing and manifested love that they may know hee loves them whence the affirmation is heere about the kind and manner of his love and not simply of his love as knowing they did not question that For that is soe abundantly testified that unlesse they close their eyes and harden their harts they cannot but know and believe that he loves them and that he loves them much I. In that he tooke our very nature upon him and was made flesh yea for our sakes tooke such flesh and bloud as wee have subject to weaknesse paines and death and so not only being God became man but being in the forme of God equall with his father in glory and majestie hee our case requiring it became not only man but in fashion as a man in forme of a servant in the likenesse of sinful flesh as a worme and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people for our sakes and was not this great love Ioh. 1.14 Heb. 2.14 Phill. 2.7.8.9 Rom. 8.3 Psal 22.6 II. In that hee also in this meane shape in our nature and stead became under the law for us and so in the same bond with us and took upon him our dept and had all our sins imputed to him and was made sin for us and so though he was innocent yet he bare the imputation and the shame and ignominy of all our sins and who can deny but this great love Rom. 3.19 Gall. 4.4 Isa 53.6.12 2. Cor. 5.19.21 Psal 40.11 Heb. 12.2 III. In that he also bare the strokes suffered the punishment and curse and died the death that was due to us and so rose againe acquit of all our sins and a victorer over curse and death and presented himself to his father as the ransome and propitiation for our sins and heerin appeares great and true love endeed Isa 53.4.5.7.8 1. Pet. 2.24 and 3.18 1. Tim. 2.6 Gall. 1.20 IV. In that he hath left his Gospell and received spirit to send forth to make knowne this grace that men might come in and receive it and procure mercy and patience waighting and leading to repentance that wee might repent and believe and so partake of this grace and this is love endeed Rom. 10.18 Psal 68.18 Rom. 2.4 V. In that he hath done all this for us freely while wee not only did not deserve it but were even sinners ungodly and his enimies yet so great his love that far lesse then this is hardly to be found among friends and no greater can be required in us to a friend then he shewed to us when wee were enimies to him Oh love without comparison 1. Pet. 3.18 Isa 53.2.3.4 Ioh. 15.13 Rom. 5.6.7.8.10 Coll. 1.20.21 In all which the believer may see love abundantly manifested to him and this knowne and believed there needed no such particular affirmation that he loved them for they see and believed it in his becoming the propitiation for their sins so as there is no cause to doubt of his love 1. Ioh. 3.16 and 4.10.16 Gal. 2.20 Object Iesus Christ hath so loved all men as to take their nature beare their sins and die their death and give himself a ransome for them and become the propitiation for their sins and procureth patience and mercie with some light at some time to lead them to repentance 1. Tim. 2.5.6 1. Ioh. 2.2 Ioh. 1.9 Therefore all men may know themselves so loved of Christ as well as believers Ans The proposition is True but the inference false for though it be True that he hath so loved all men Ioh. 3.16.17 And hath beene witnessing this his love to them in some measure Act. 14.17 More clearly where the sound of the Gospell comes 2. Cor. 4.13.14 Yet all men have not faith 2. Thess 3.2 The men of the world harkening to the enchantments and delusiones of Satan believe not the goodnesse of God no not where the Gospell comes and so have wrong thoughts of God and either regard him not at all but go one in serving their lusts Psal 14.1.2 and 50.21 and 10. Or else if they thinke of his wrath they suppose to apase him by some other satisfaction and righteousnesse Rom. 9.30.31 and 10.1.2.3 And so they lie in wickednesse 1. Joh. 5.19 And so though love of compassion be towards them as it is to all not given over to Satan yet they not believing it is not manifest to them and so they lying in unbeliefe they are under wrath and condemnation because of their unbeliefe Ioh. 3.18.36 And therefore cannot in their unbeliefe know themselves so beloved of Christ But such as through grace believe they have seene and knowne and believed this love of Christ in all the before-said five respects whence it s rightly said to be manifested to them and through this knowledge and faith they come to receive and have a tast of his first loving them 1. Ioh. 4.10.16.19 and 5.20 And are therthrough brought to depend on him and love him and desue to be conformed to him Rom. 5.5.11 Tit. 3.4.7 1. Pet. 2.3.9 And thus though such love hath shewed it self in Christ for all men yet it is not so manifested to nor knowne and believed of such as lie in unbelieve and so they have it not but the believers know this great love in believing and so have it and yet this is not all but it is farther evidenced to them VI. In that when God by his Spirit did through the Gospell evidence Christ and this his love and the fulnesse of grace and truth in him to them and so made him to appeare so glorious to them that it made all other excellencies as drosse to them and drew their desires after him and so caused them to come in and submit to him and desire to be found in him and enjoye him Isa 55.5 Ioh. 1.14.17 and 6.44.45 Phill. 3.7.8.9 Though then they were found in their owne bloud and filth so as they could not endure the stinch of their owne filth nor the sight of their owne blacknesse and bloudinesse Ezek. 16.1.9 Isa 64.6 Yet then did not he cast them away but washed them with his bloud spake peace to their hart Ioh. 6.37.45 Rev. 1.5 Heb. 12.24 And though they wore found some thing stubborne untoward and gainsaying yet did not he faint nor give over but
24. Coll. 3.1 12. Gall. 5.22 23. Phill. 2.1 6 12 13 14 15 16. 1 Thes 5.11 14 23. And so to hasten to the comming of Christ waiting for him to perfect and fit them for it Tit. 2.11 12 14. 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Pet. 3.11 And because they know the love of Iesus Christ their life to be so great to them they esteeme highly of his word and Spirit and the ordinances which in his word he hath apointed them and wherein they may testify submission to him and considence in and love to him Psal 119.138 139 140. and 143.10 and 84. to the end And soe waite through the Spirit to receive all help for all things needful to perfect them from him through his word and Spirit and in fellowship with him and his chosen ones in use of his apointments Isa 26.7.12 Gall. 5.5.6 1 Ioh. 1.3 4. Psal 100.4 5. And therefore will not turne aside for helpfulnesse to dead images or devices and traditiones of men knowing that in so doeing they should sit loose from him their head and dishonour him as wanting love or Spirit and procure to themselves blasting and witherdnesse in their life and love and darkenings in perceiption of his love which is their life Psal 115.1 14. Coll. 2.6 8. 9 10 16 23. 1 Ioh. 5.20.21 Psal 30.5 12. Gall. 6.8 II. This manifested love of Christ doth Admonish those that believe in Christ and love him I. In all conditiones and how-ever things apeare to sence yet to acknowledge him to have loved us and to be loving and gracious to us to be good and to doe good and praise him for his kindnesse and wonderfull works waiting on him for his goodnesse to be shewne us in due time Psal 73.1 and 145. to the end Phill. 4.4.7 Psal 107. to the end 1 Thes 5.18 Lam. 3.26 31. Let hoe affliction cause us to murmur against him or be jealous of his love for that is great wee have cause to be jealous of our own love and he might say to us wherein have you loved mee and wee might be silent but yet he accepts and remembers the small fruites of his Spirit in us and forgets not the love of our espousealls though it were but the fruites of his own first discovered love Cant. 5.1 Jer. 2.2 Heb. 6.10 1 Ioh. 4.19 And shall wee for a little hideing and silence of his or a few afflictions from him call in question al his love and in beholding the fulnesse of others say to him wherein hast thou loved us far bee it from us hee can not but behold it as an evill in us that he hath so loved us as to take our nature beare out sins suffer our curse and give himselfe a ransome for us and become the propitiation for our sins and al this for us while we were his enemies and yet we to say wherein hast thou loved us If thou say hee hath so loved al men yet I pray the consider he hath not so made it known to al men and sweetned the knowledge thereof to their harts as he hath done to thee they are thy Brethren created by the same God purchased by the same Lord and of as good nature parts and other naturall qualificationes and performances as thou and no worse then thou wert yet he suffers them to lye in darknesse and to rest upon such mountaines of worldly riches friends fleshly wisedome or self wrought righteousnesse as he hath blasted and will bring downe and as will fayle them But he hath discovered to the the mountain of Israel and brought thee out of darknesse into light and gained thee to himselfe with the knowledge of his love soe manifested that himselfe might be thy mountaine thy peace thy righteousnesse thy life and hath often made thee tast his goodnesse and is now but confirming thee to him in his crosse and death that thou mayest partake of his resurrection and life and wilt thou so forget all his goodnesse as to say wherein hast thou loved mee Oh doe not so let us not so ill-requite him as for any thing to be offended in him Mall 1.1 6. Rom. 6 3 5. 2 Cor. 4.10 11. Phill. 3.10 14. II. To learne of Christ to love others as wee have been and are loved of Christ Jesus to love such as are yet enimies to us and know not Christ with the love of compassiones as Christ did us when we were enimies to him without partaking of their sins or delightfull fellowship with them in their wayes to use meekenesse patience and long-suffering to them and pray for them and seeke to overcome their evill with goodnesse Mat. 5.44 45. Rom. 12.17 21. Tit. 3.2.3 4. 1 Pet. 2.22 23 24. To love believers with love of delight exercising bowels of mercies to them bearing their infirmities and burthens having fellowship with them continuing in Brotherly love Coll. 3.12 16. Rom. 14 and 15. 1 Pet. 4.10 11. Heb. 10. and 13 1. But this with other uses do more fully flow from the next observation joyned to this III. This love of Jesus Christ so manifested may bee a ground of exortation to us to mind and heed wel this his love that we may be more abundantly firmed in the beliefe heeroff it beeing the ground of our believing and that which believed doth facillitate our beliefe of that more abundant love that followeth to be spoken of Rom. 5.1 5 10 11. and 8.31 36. Gall. 2.20 And while there remayneth doubtfulnesse in this there can be no stabillity in the beliefe of that which followeth now to be spoken of in the next observation Joh. 3.12 and 6.61 62 63. II. Obse That Iesus Christ loveth those that believe in him and love him even as the Father hath loved him In which observation there is something closely intimated namely That the love of Jesus Christ and so of God the Father in and through him to such as believe in Jesus Christ and love him is a speciall and peculiar love above all that love in which he loveth any other of the sous of men Deut. 7.6.7 Truth it is he loveth all the sons of men till they become of the seed of the Serpent with the love of compassion and willingnesse to have them come in to him Psal 145.8 9. Pro. 8.4 5 31. Joh. 3.16 17. 1 Tim. 1.15 Yea even while they are sinners and know him not and while he is angry with them for not believing on him Rom. 5.6 8 10. 1 Joh. 2.2 and 4 10. Joh. 3.18.36 And this their not knowing and not believing this his love and goodnesse is that which holds them in impenitency and under sin and in wickednesse still Psal 9 10. Rom. 2.4.5 Joh. 16.8 11. 1 Joh. 5.19 20. 2 Thess 2.8 But such cleare and powerfull discovery of his love and goodnesse as doth cause the hart so to know believe and acknowledge the same that one is overcome thereby to believe on him and love him is a speciall and peculiar in his love
not only love and grace with generall effects but a special favour and speciall gift of grace Mat. 16.16.17.18 1 Pet. 1.21 1 Joh. 4.16 19. and 5.20 Tit. 2.11 12. and 3.3 4 5. Eph. 2 8. Above that which apertaines to al men 2 Thess 3.2 And this peculiar love is heere closely intimated of which is already spoken in the former observation And something in this observation is fully and plainly expressed namely such a peculiar love as is not peculiar only in respect of the manifestation and discovery thereof as before mencioned but it is peculiar also in it selfe such as never was is or shall be to any but them and such as they are Psal 132.13.14.15 and 148.14 and 149.4 Deut. 33.26.29 And soe it is peculiar both in the love it self and also in the manifestation of it Ioh. 14.17.21.22.23 16.27 The fruites whereof come through his advocation joyned with his propitiation which advocation is peculiar for them that believe in him and love him Ioh. 17.9 10 20 27. 1 Ioh. 2.1 And this peculiar love with such peculiar manifestation is significantly called the favour to his people the good of his chosen and the enjoyment of it the gladnesse of his nation Psal 106.4 5. And this is a peculiar love above all the love he beareth to any other of the sons of men in which also he makes them a peculiar people to himself 2 Pet. 2 9. And of this love is the observation now in hand which cannot be better expressed then in the words of our saviour himself which also is the proof thereof As the Father hach loved mee so have I loved you In which for our better understanding and usefulnesse there are three things contained to be viewed and heeded of us I. The first intimated as denied by none viz. the Father hath loved Iesus Christ his son II. The second to be inquired into in other his sayings which giveth light to that affirmed viz. how the Father hath loved Iesus Christ his son III. The third expresse viz. the affirmation it self as the Father hath loved mee so have I loved you I. For the first that the Father hath loved Iesus Christ his son and so loveth him is expresly affirmed Ioh. 5 20. The Father loveth the Son but an explication is to many more needfull in this then a proofe least the conceptiones of some bee too scant in this matter in which wee are not to consider Iesus Christ only as the second person of the three and so the son in respect of the devine nature without consideration of the flesh that once was to be and now is taken and so of the love only in which the three persons in one God delight in each other and so God hath all fulnesse of delight in himself but wee are to consider the second person the son of God as once he was to take and now hath taken flesh and so as he was found in our nature and stood as the publick person in the roome of all and became the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and the Advocate for believers the king priest and prophet and the head and Husband of the church as he was vile and dispised in the account of men and yet a lover of men and so approved of the father and so hath the father loved him as hee is such a one Pro. 8.22 23 30. Mat. 12.18 Mat. 3.17 and 17 5. Yea he loved him in his laying downe his life and making the propitiation Ioh. 10 17. Phill. 2 7 11. As also in his ministration Mat. 17 5. And in receit and approbation of those given him in the heavenly call Isa 42.1 2 8. Ioh. 16 27. And Iesus Christ thus considered as he tooke our nature and wrought for us the father hath loved him Isa 53 1 2 6 11.12 II. For the second thing how the father hath loved Iesus Christ his son and our saviour it is beyond conception and expression of mortals though some what thereof may be conceived and expressed as the scripture declares Eph. 3.18.19 And so according to the measure of light given wee may consider it two wayes I. Negatively Not with a worldly and humane love such as is in the men of the world and as the men of the world testify their love who desire for and wish unto and to their abillity confer upon those whom they most love most of the honours riches authority powre liberty pleasures and good report among men that is in this world and the things thereof Hest 6.6 9. Dan. 6.1 2 3. Gen. 41.39.44 Of this love is not heere-ment but of the love heere-ment it may be said as of the peace Christ giveth it is not such us the world hath and giveth nor so given Ioh. 14.27 For in these things the father did not set forth his love to lesus Christ his son and our saviour but abased him in all such things for worldly honours he was not sild with but abused in the meanenesse and contemptiblenesse of his birth in respect of parentage and place Luk. 2.4 7. In his exile after his birth into a strange countrie Mat. 12 13 15. In the place of his longest aboad and bringing up not in the famous city of Ierusalem but in Galilee out of which they used to say there ariseth no prophet Ioh. 7.52 In the manner of his life before his ministration a carpenter Mark 6.3 In the places of his ministration not alwayes in the temple and Sinagogues or houses of the rulers and Pharisees but often in other houses and in the houses of the Publicanes and in the wildernesse and on the mountaines and by the sea-side and in sishers ships Mat. 9 10 and 5 and 15 32 33. In his disciples and attendants on his ministration unlettered fisher-men a Publican a Canaanite c. Mat. 4.18 and 9 9 and 10 1 10. And his hearers and followers a despised people Ioh. 7.48 49. As for worldly riches hee was not furnished but in that respect very pore Mat 8.20 and 17 27. As for humane and outward authority offices and powre from and among men he had none Mar. 11 28. Luk. 12.13 14. Ioh. 18 36. As for humane repute and good report among men of most credit and esteeme in the world and their followers he was by them defamed reproached and slandered and that many wayes they defamed him by his parentage and kinred this the carpenters son c. Mat. 13 55 56 57. And by his trade he had used before his ministration Mar. 6.3 This the carpenter and by his not having beene trayned up at scooles whence hath this man these things c. Mat. 13 54 57. Mar. 6 2 3. And by his want of outward and pompous authority among men this fellow Ioh. 9.29 And not only defamed but also slandered him for his conversation with men to be a gluttonous person and a wine bibber and a friend of Publicanes and sinners Mat. 11.19 For his readinesse