because the Love of God is a noble Subject and so vasily large that our Thoughts cannot reach it to any suitable Comprehension nor can our Tongues express the Breadth Length Depth and Heighth of it Eph. 3.17 So that when we have said all we can there is still Matter for more I shall now add something to what was spoken which was the less because I was forced to be short to give Room for the Funeral which waited our Attendance upon it All that I shall now add shall be I. To speak something in General of the Love of God II. To set before you the wonderful Priviledges and Advantages that flow in upon us from the Fountain of Divine Love And then III. To recommend the Contemplation of Gods Love to you that your Thoughts may be taken up with the Wonders of it I. In General the Love of God is not a meer Quality in God but his very Essence God is Love 1 John 4.8 This Love in God is a necessary result of his Goodness which is his very Nature There is none Essentially Absolutely and Perfectly Good but God Mat. 19.17 This Goodness God lets forth to all Creatures yet not with an Equality but so as might best shew forth his Soveraignty in doing with his own as he pleased And his Wisdom in adorning the World with a beautiful variety of Creatures of differing Perfections according to their different Kinds and Uses Hence it is usual to distinguish the Goodness of God into First A General Goodness to all Creatures All that he Created he saw was very Good And ever since he is good to all and his Mercy is over all his Works His Mercy is in the Heavens Angels share in it Psalm 36.5 And extends over all the Earth He preserveth Man and Beast ver 6. Secondly A Special Goodness to Man Though he be little if compared with the Infinite Perfections of the glorious God that it is a Wonder that God should be mindful of him Psalm 8.4 Much more that he should magnifie him Job 7.17 Yet is he so exalted above all his Fellow-Creatures of the Inferiour World that he is made but a little lower than the Angels and Lord of the Works of his Hands ver 5 6. of Psalm 8. Nor hath God left himself without a Witness of his singular Care and Providence over him in that he doth good and gives us Rain and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness Thirdly There is a most special Goodness to his chosen Servants which David in Contradistinction to the two former calls Loving Kindness How excellent is thy Loving Kindness Psal 36.7 This most special Goodness is called Love which being understood in a most special Sense differs from that common Goodness which God imparts to his Creatures in that it signifies Gods special Delight and readiness to communicate and unite himself to the Object Loved Though this Love hath not properly different Degrees in God for none of his glorious Attributes admit of a more or less yet the Scriptures give us leave to make a Distinction in Compliance to the weakness of our Understandings So that usually the Love of God is said to be Threefold 1. A Love of Benevolence Gods Eternal Good Will this Christ speaks of John 3.16 God so loved the World c. And this is there spoken of as Antecedent to his giving Christ and as a Cause of it This Text is perplexed with Controversie because of the general Word the World which some labour to stretch so as to comprehend every Man But avoiding the Controversie we may understand the Text thus God so pitied lost Mankind Gentiles as well as Jews that he would not that all should perish but that a Community a World of Elect ones should through Faith in Christ obtain Everlasting Life 2. A Love of Beneficence which signifies the Acts of Love brought forth in Time after we had a Being in pursuance of his Eternal Purpose and Good Will Thus Christs Death our Justification and Sanctification are the Manifestation and Application of his Love and called so Eph. 5.25 Rev. 1.5 3. A Love of Complacency by which God rejoyceth over those that are in his Way and Method brought home to Christ This is fully expressed in John 14.21 23. Besides the Love of Benevolence My Father and I will manifest a more intimate Love and kind Familiarity Though I purposely avoided the abstruse and difficult Questions about Gods Love yet these Distinctions are necessary for the answering some Objections which might arise in your Hearts about the Unchangeableness of Gods Love The Love of Complacency and Beneficence admits of Variations of less or more being but Manifestations and Emanations of Divine Love upon us when yet his Love of Benevolence is the same II. The next thing I promised was a further account of the Priviledges and Advantages which accrew to us by the Love of God which are so great and numerous that I cannot reckon them up in order to you I must take up with that of David Psalm 40.5 6. Thy Thoughts to us-ward cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred I will therefore in this Matter closely follow the Footsteps of those two great Apostles the great Admirers and Preachers of Gods Love The Apostle John in 1 John 3.1 reduces all the Priviledges of Love to this one That we should be called that is have Power and Right to be the Sons of God as John 1.12 This if rightly studied will appear to be so great a Love as cannot be fully expressed but to be left to Admiration Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us The Apostle Paul in this Eighth Chapter of the Romans doth as it were Comment upon and explain that of 1 John 3. in pursuit of that grand Conclusion Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus That the Odours of this precious Oyntment might be further diffused for the Refreshment of all that are in Christ which he describes by the Power and Influence of the Holy Spirit over them he sets himself to declare the Priviledges of such and fixeth first upon our Sonship ver 12. As the Apostle John did but he endeavours a more particular Enumeration of our Priviledges yet so that he reduceth them all to this of our being the Children of God The Advantages which he insists upon arising from this grand Priviledge are Three First If we are Sons we partake of the Spirit of our Father and this we do several Ways 1. We are Led by the Spirit ver 14. Whether we read the Verse backward or forward it holds true As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God And as many as are the Sons of God have been and shall still be led by the Spirit Let us take in this Consideration together with that of Sonship and then
TIMOTHEUS MANLOVE Med licentiatus Divini animi nuncius et interpres non ineligans Imortalitatis animae non ita pridem vindex Iam conscius August 3 Anno DomÌ„ 1699. Aetat vero 37 Proematuro fato cessit THE COMFORTS OF Divine Love Preach'd upon the Occasion of the much Lamented DEATH Of the Reverend Mr. Timothy Manlove With His Character Done by another Hand LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chapel And Sarah Button Bookseller at New-Castle upon Tyne 1700. A Short Character of Mr. Timothy Manlove HE was a Man of a fine Complection and comely Aspect Of pregnant Parts and a ready Wit which made his Conversation very pleasant and ingaging He had a clear Head and an admirable Capacity and Skill to digest things in their proper exactest Order His Judgment was correct and solid his Memory strong and tenacious his Invention so fruitful and ready as always to furnish him with a copiousness of Words to express himself by and his Expressions were full and well Chosen He was considerable in his Learning which he was improving in daily Being designed for a Physician before he studied Divinity he had attained to a great Skill in the Niceties of that Art and practised it with Ease as well as Success He was every way qualified as a Divine He had all the Accomplishments of a Preacher and the Graces of Pulpit-Oratory An excellent Mien a free Elocution an unaffected Gravity and a becoming Seriousness all which set off what he delivered with very great Ornament His Voice was clear and regular strong and lively and exactly modell'd into a sweet harmonious Pronunciation And as he had the Voice of a Divine Charmer so he charmed wisely He did not amuse his Hearers with a Train of Pompous Words but edify'd them with plain practical Discourses most suitable to the Noble Simplicity of the Gospel He had a great Sense of Religion upon his Mind and especially a composed reverent and heavenly Deportment in Prayer in which his very Look as well as Expressions did excite to the most serious Devotion There never seemed to be a cloud either upon his Thoughts or Affections in his Publick Exercises He had flame and vigour to bear him out to the Last and he rather chose to leave off with Affection than to proceed with Flatness The Last Day he appeared in Publick he was observed in Prayer to have the most profound Thoughts and exalted Expressions of the Divine Attributes and in his Last Sermon with the most affectionate sacred Eloquence he displayed the Happiness of Heaven Preaching from Heb. 2.3 upon the Doctrine of the Great Salvation that Christ came to declare to the World which within a few Days after he left his mournful Hearers to apply TO THE READER THE following Discourse was Preached without the least Thought of offering it to Publick View And yet I was perswaded to yield to the Publication of it to prevent the Printing of more imperfect Notes The Excellency of the Subject sets it above all the supposed Ornaments of the Finery of Words or Rhetorick The great thing that I minded in the Preaching it was only to Represent it in plain Intelligible Words To have attempted any thing more would have been a wrong to the Matter which hath so great a Lustre in it self that it needs to borrow nothing from Art And if any thing of that had been offered it would have had no better Success then the laying the Dawbery of Paint upon a Resplendent Diamond which would cloud and darken its Refulgent Brightness Now Reader since thou hast it in thy Hand do not seek for that which was never intended Thee but consider seriously the Matter and work it upon thy Heart till thou be rooted and grounded in a deep Sense of Gods Love that so thou maâ—st be filled with Love to Him This is a Subject worthy of thy Study and hath in it such admirable Variety as will make it always Pleasant without Weariness and will also furnish Thee with a Cordial in thy deepest Spiritual Distresses That this little Discourse may be thus useful to Thee is the Earnest Prayer of The unfeigned Desirer of thy Spiritual Happiness R. Gilpin SERMON I. ROM VIII 35 36 37 38 39. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword As it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the slaughter Nay in all things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. MY last Discourses to you were an Explication of that great Command and Counsel of our Blessed Lord Jesus Of striving to enter in at the strait Gate In my Directions to you for your regular pursuit of this important Charge among other things I recommended to you the Apostle Paul's Prescription Gal. 5.16 Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh It was my Purpose at this Time to have made a further Progress in that Matter but having received an Intimation that my dear Brother and Fellow Labourer now Deceased had found such Comfort in his Meditations on this Scripture in his Prospect of Death that he expressed his Desires that his Funeral Sermon might be upon this Text His pious Desire that others might â—e comforted with the Comfort where with he was comforted of God prevailed with me though upon a short Warning to turn my Thoughts to this Scripture and the rather because your Hearts being softned by this mournful Providence the Truth contained iâ— this Text might possibly make the deeâ—er Impression upon you I cannot let you into the full Understanding of the Apostles Triumphant Conclusion except I lead you to the first Rise and Head of it In ver 1. He give us the Consequence of his former Doctrine he had largely asserted and proved in the foregoing Chapters That we are justified by Grace and freed from the Law From these Truths he lays down this comfortable Conclusion as most evident and certain There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus This Conclusion is full No Condemnation neither by God nor Law nor Conscience and it is universally true to all that are in Christ But because this Conclusion is the Corner-stone and must sustain the weight of all the superstructure he first limits it to those that are in Christ and explains what he means by giving them their true Character They walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Next he proves his Assertion by its Parts 1. That there is no Condemnation to such This he argues in the
Four following Verses His Argument is this the condemning Law is superseded he grants there was a Covenant of Works which being broken was to us a Law of Sin and Death It charged us with Sin and that dueness of the Curse But then he shows there is another Law which he calls a Law of the Spirit of Life that is a Covenant of Grace promising Life as also the Assistance of the Spirit And this Law being a remedying Law sets us free from the former 2. The Limitation and Character of the Persons to whom this Freedom is limited he proves and explains in the following Verses shewing that it must be the natural Genius and Temper of those that are in Christ to mind the things of the Spirit as those that are after the Flesh will naturally mind the things of the Flesh ver 5. From the great Love of God and the sure Foundation of it he proceeds to make some Inferences as 1. That then we are Debtors to God in point of Holiness ver 12. and in ver 31. He heaps up many Inferences of Consolation 1. That if God be thus engaged to be for us as our Father and Protector none can be against us to our hurt 2. He infers that seeing God hath given us Christ we may expect what ever shall be necessary for the Compleatment of our Happiness 3. He infers that the malicious or erronious Accusations of Men are of no Consideration ver 33. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect Because 1. There is no Tribunal but Gods and if he acquit us 't is no matter who Condemns us 2. Christ did all his Work of Redemption compleatly ver 34. Not only Dying but Rising again to make Intercession for us 4. Hence he infers in a Triumphant Assurance the impossibility of our Separation from the Love of God ver 35. Who shall separate us from the Love of God c. That the Strength of this Inference may more fully appear I shall distinctly Note these Particulars 1. The Subject spoken of The Love of God Whether it be God's Love to us or our Love to God is questioned some think both are intended and that it is impossible that it should fail on either Part. But surely Gods Love to us is chiefly intended For on our part in it self it 's too possible that under such Temptations our Love and Faith might fail But the impossibility ariseth from God's Will He will not suffer our Love to fail So that ultimately the not failing of our Love is resolved into Gods unchangeable Love And beside the Expressions of the last Verse of this Chapter The Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord doth clearly Point at Gods Love to us 2. The next thing asserted is our Non-Separation from this Love The Word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same Word that is used Mat. 19.6 with respect to the Jewish Divorces So that the meaning is Though Gods Love may sometime be hidden yet there will never be a Divorce or Eternal Separation 3. The Impossibility of this Separation appears in this Discourse two Ways 1. By an Enumeration of those things that might seem possible to effect a Separation but cannot these the Apostle ranges into Two Classes 1. No kind or degrees of Sufferings Here he reckons up several hard things Shall tribulation distress c 2. No outward Powers Neither fear of Death nor hope of Life nor Devils nor persecuting Rulers nor heighth of Advancement nor depth of Ignominy and Reproaches and least any thing else should be pretended he adds nor any other Creature as an c. including all 2. The Impossibility of this Separation is imply'd in his manner of speaking by continued Interrogation Who shall separate As also by his Assurance I am perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it sometime signifie no more than a Moral Perswasion yet here it signifies undoubted Assurance like the Phrase in Rom. 14.14 and 2 Tim. 2.12 I know and am perswaded The Doctrine I shall now draw out of these Words is this The Consideration of the Infiniteness and Vnchangeableness of God's Love is sufficient to guard our Hearts from all Affrightments that may arise from all that may befal us in this World To make way for the Application of this Truth I shall explain and prove these Three Things I. That God's Love to Elect Believers is Infinite II. That this Love of God is Vnchangeable III. That the Consideration of Gods Infinite and Unchangeable Love is a sweet Cordial in all Distresses and a Guard against all Affrightments of Fear to all that are in Christ I. That God's Love to Elect Believers is Infinite admirably Great All Gods Attributes even those that are called Communicable such as his Power Wisdom Justice Love c. are in God infinitely eternally and unchangeably His Love therefore in Scripture is crowned with the Epithite Great His great Love wherewith he loved us Eph. 2.4 His Love his Power his Understanding are commensurate with his Infinite Greatness Thus David argues Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great Power his Vnderstanding is Infinite But that we might have a more easie Satisfaction and Apprehension of the Love of God the Scripture commends the greatness of Gods Love to us under Three Considerations The First is by comparing the wonderful Greatness of God with the Object of his Love This Consideration Holy David insists on Psalm 113.4 5. The Lord is high above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on High That is He is so great that his merciful regard of the highest created Beings Things in Heaven much more of the lower World Things on Earth is so far below his glorious Greatness that it is a kind of abasement to him to behold them ver 6. He humbleth himself to behold the Things that are in Heaven and in the Earth He humbleth himself to behold these things that are so far below him That would be a strange unaccountable Love that should make a great Prince set his Heart upon a Worm or Fly to regard feed and watch over it and we are as mean if compared to an Infinite God The Nations are as the drop of a Bucket or the small Dust of the Ballance They are counted to him as nothing and if any thing can be lower less than nothing Isa 40.15 17. The Inhabitants of the Earth are but as Grashoppers ver 22. This Consideration was David's Meditation in Psalm 8. when his Thoughts were upon the Wing mounting upward toward the excellent Glory of the Divine Majesty he almost looseth the sight of Man What is Man v. 4. At last his Contemplation carries him to an Admiration of Gods Love and Care over so low a Creature What is Man But oh how great is God's Love in being mindful of him so as to visit him Which is further explained by Job 7.17 What is Man
more than Conquerors It 's a glorious Victory to stand in an Evil Day when Satan hath drawn up all his Forces against us 'T is a glorious Victory not only to escape without Loss but to gain by his Opposition thus we out-shoot him in his own Bow And all this sine Labore Sudore easily through Divine Assistance 5. All these Troubles do not so much as render us less Lovely in Gods Eyes God is not as Man Men judge often by outward Appearance Gods Children are often blackened with false Accusations and Reproaches but God will not judge them according to Men's Misrepresentations You have a clear instance of it in that Scripture which hath been so much abused He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath be seen perversness in Israel The meaning is not that the Omniscient God doth not see or that an Holy God cannot be angry at the Transgressions of his People But thus we are to understand it Balaam was upon a Design of cursing Israel Balak would have represented them as a Company of Robbers that came to destroy and invade a Country that was not their own but being not able to prevail he gives this for a Reason That God would not judge of them as they had represented them nor deal with them according to their Desires and Condemnation 6. The Consideration of Gods Love hath a Power in it to sweeten our greatest Afflictions and to take out the sting and venom out of the worst of out Troubles If we have Gods Love we have more than all the World can give us it will counter-ballance all Troubles and make up all Losses of outward Comforts Having explained these three Thing I shall conclude with some Applicatory Inferences suitable to the present mournful Occasion As 1. If the Love of God be such a Cordial and Guard let it be our great endeavour to get an Interest in this Love This is the one thing necessary If any ask How must this be done I shall only tell them they must seek to be in Christ The first Application of this Love is made in Conversion though Gods Purpose of loving was before Yet we were Children of Wrath till God by Conversion and the new Birth translate us from the Power of Darkness to the Kingdom of his Dear Son then and not till then is Gods gracious Purpose brought into Act. 2. Let us adore admire and meditate upon Gods Infinite Unchangeable Love And this not only in General but in a Particular Application of it to our selves as the Apostle Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me 3. 'T is most natural to infer from Gods great Love to us That it is our Duty and should be our Care To walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Col. 1.10 4. If the Love of God be so great a Cordial and Guard against our Fears we should make use of it as such and oppose our Fears by the Consideration of it This was David's Shield and Buckler on all such Occasions Psalm 23.4 He resolves against his greatest Fears in a confident Reliance on Gods Love and Presence Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no Evil for thou art with me Yea in Troubles that carry the appearance of Gods Chastisements he is relieved by the Apprehension of Gods Love Psalm 49.5 15. Wherefore should I fear in the Days of Evil when the Iniquity of my heels shall compass me about For God will redeem my Soul from the Power of the Grave 5. Let us not mourn as those that have no Hope for the Death of Godly Persons They Die in Gods Love and Death is so far from separating them from the Love of God that it 〈◊〉 Gods Porter to open the Door of Eternity to them and so to give them a◠immediate entrance into the full Enjoyment of his Love When Death hath done its worst they that enter into Rest go off with Triumph O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 6. This may be a Caution against the usual Presumptions of Men who are apt to be too bold in interpreting Gods Providences in the Death of his Servants They are too sawcy and bold with God when they take upon them to assign a Reason why God takes any of his Servants out of the World and so determine what Gods Design is in so doing It hath pleased God Almighty and the All-wise Disposer of all things to make another Breach upon us 'T is not long since he took Mr. Pell from us and now he hath called home Mr. Manlove both of them excellent Men worthy Ministers of the Gospel singularly both of them fitted with Abilities for their Work They were successively my Dear Brethren and Fellow-Labourers in this Part of Gods Vineyard It must be acknowledged that it is a stroke to be lamented and if we look upon the present Providence we may have some Cause to fear that when God is discharging his Servants from his Work and paying them their Wages That he may shortly break up his House with us Let none rejoyce at it nor say Aha so would we have it Neither should others Despond Who knows the end of the Lord 'T is easie for him to make up our loss if we submissively wait for him If his Love be unchangeable to single Persons we may conclude it will be so to faithful Churches There are I hope many of you that hear me that can stand forth and Witness that you have seen his Power and Glory in his Sanctuary You have felt and tasted the Power and Goodness of God in your Conversion quickning and Comforting in his Ordinances in this Place And I hope that Christ who delights to walk among his Golden Candlesticks will not now separate us from his Love nor remove the Candlestick out of its Place SERMON II. ROM VIII 35 36 37 38 39. Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword As it is written For thy sake we are killed all the Day long we are accounted as Sheep for the slaughter Nay in all things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. THIS Scripture I opened to you the Last Day upon a special Occasion which I then acquainted you withal That Discourse had the better Part of that Entertainment which the Apostle Paul's had at Athens Acts 17.32 I have not heard nor believe that any here had such slight Thoughts of Gods Love to Man as to mock at the Discourse yet I have met with some that desire to hear again of that Matter I need not repeat what hath been spoken But