whereof are the parties between whom this Covenant was made NOw I come to the Text it self the contents whereof as you see is an Oath wherein we are to consider both the parties between whom it was made and also the tenor of the Oath it self The parties as well him that sweareth viz. The Lord God of Israel as he to whom the Oath was made viz. Abraham our Father Concerning the tenor we are to know That whereas some Oaths are assertory wherein some truth is avouched others promissory wherein some promise is made this is of the latter sort containing the promise of a gift for so he saith That he would give us This gifs is twofold viz. Redemption in those words That we should be delivered from the hand of our enemies and the fruit and end of our Redemption which is the true worship of God in those words That we should worship him c. which worship of God is set forth both by the parts and properties thereof The parts are two Holiness and Righteousness for by Holiness we are to understand the duties of the first Table which we owe unto God and by Righteousnesse the duties of the second Table which we owe unto man The properties are three The first respecting our enemies from whom wee are deliveâ—ed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without fear of them the second respecting God in the words before him the third respecting the continuance all the dayes of our life The first of these is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spirituall security the second is uprightnesse and sincerity the third is constancie or perseverance Of these in order Concerning the party which did swear we are to consider these three things 1. By whom hee sware 2. How or after what manner 3. To what end For the first it is the manner of men in their oathes to swear by a greater But the Lord when he made this Covenant with Abraham because he could not swear by a greater he sware by himself Heb. 6. 13. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord c. Gen. 22. 16. Concerning the manner we may gather by that which the Lord requireth in our oathes what he performed in his own Ier. 4. 2. There are three properties required in an Oath Truth Iudgement and Righteousnes Truth opposed to falshood oâ— perjury Iudgement to rash and common swearing Righteousnesse to unjust and unlawful oaths For the first that the Lord did swear in Truth it is most certain because it is impossible that the Lord in his promise and in his oath should lye Hebr. 6. 18. and therefore we may be assured of that wherewith Micah concludeth his prophecy Mic. 7. 20. that the Lord will undoubtedly performe his mercy which by oath he promised to Abraham From whence we may learn this most profitable instruction That seeing the oath of the Lord whereby he promiseth to give to all them that are delivered from the hand of their spirituall enemies that is to all that are redeemed by CHRIST grace to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse is infallible we should therefore be carefull to bring forth these fruits of our redemption otherwise we can have no assurance that we are the redeemed of the LORD Yea on the contrary it may be verified of us that if we do live in sin and do not at the least desire and endevour to serve God in the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse it is as certain as the Oath of God is true that as yet we have no part in the redemption wrought by CHRIST And the reason hereof is evident for to be a servant of sinne and to be redeemed from the bondage of sinne are things repugnant and imply a contradiction For whom Christ the Sonne of God maketh free they are free indeed Joh. 8. 36. but he that is a servant of sin is not freed indeed Now every one that committeth sin as habituated in sin that is in whom sin raigneth he is the servant both of sin Ioh. 8. 34. and of Satan 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Secondly in Iudgment a man is said to swear in judgment when he sweareth advisedly upon just and necessary occasion for Oaths are then only good when they are necessary This necessity of the Lords Oath ariseth from our weakness and infidelity who will not beleeve the Lord without an Oath and therefore the Lord in great mercy to relieve our infirmities hath confirmed his Promise which in it self needeth no confirmation as being truth it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6. 16. more abundantly then otherwise needed by Oath which as it argueth our great corruption so it ought to be a remedy for the same It is great infidelity not to beleeve the Word and Promise of God but greater not to beleeve his Oath In not beleeving his Promise thou makest him a lyar 1 Iohn 5. 10. In denying credit to his Oath dost thou make him any better then a perjured person And yet this is the estate and condition of many professing the Name of Christ. God hath swoâ—n and will not repent That to those whom he Redeemeth grace shall be given to worship him in holiness and righteousness These men do not so much as desire care or endeavor to worship God in holiness and righteousness but live in sin and go on in sin without repentance and yet for all this they will needs perswade themselves that they are the Redeemed of the Lord contrary to the express Oath of God Thirdly in Righteousness men are said to swear in righteousness when that which they promise by Oath is lawful and good and this goodness is measured by the reference which it hath to the glory of God and good of man Neither doth the Lords Oath want this property for what could be either more glorious to himself or more profitable unto us then that which by this Oath is promised For as touching the glory of God among all the works which God ever wrought there is not any that setteth forth more the glory both of his Mercy and of his Justice then the work of our Redemption with the fruits thereof For hereby appeareth his mercy to be such as that rather then he would suffer us most miserable sinners to perish in our sins he gave his own and his only begotten Son to die for us His justice such that rather then he would suffer the sins of his own elect children to go unpunished he hath punished them in the death and sufferings of his only begotten Son And if you consider our profit it is evident that as hereafter you shal hear in the things promised by this Oath our happiness doth consist Neither doubt I to affirm that by the things promised in this Oath our estate becometh better then that which we lost in Adam Adam though he were just stood righteous before God but in his own righteousness but we being redeemed by Christ stand righteous before God in the righteousness of Christ which far
Prince Ioh. 12. 31 and God of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. under whose subjection the whole world of the wicked lyeth 1 Ioh. 5. 19. who is the powerful Prince of the aire working effectually in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. carrying them away captive to do his wil. 2 Tim. 2. 26. This servitude to sin and Sathan the mystery of our redemption doth presuppose For if we were not captives we needed not to be redeemed And he doth therefore redeem us that we might serve him and therefore before he doth actually redeem us we cannot serve him in holyness and righteousness Socondly we are by nature the children of wrath Ephes. 2. 3. and enemies yea rebels against GOD. And therefore until we be reconciled unto him by the death of Christ and justified by faith through redemption wrought by Christ we cannot do any thing which may be acceptable to God for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. The person must be accepted before his actions can be accepted And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Now if this be so that we cannot serve God or do any thing that shal be accepted of him unleâ—s we be first redeemed justified and reconciled to him how doth it behoâ—e every one that hath not yet obtained these graces to labour for them above all thâ— things in this world For until then he doth nothing but sinn and by multiplying sinns he doth hoard up wrath against the day of wrath The means of Gods part is the preaching of the Gospel which is therefore called the ministry of reconciliation which God hath committed to the Preachers thereof by whom as his Embassadors in Christs steed he intreateth you to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. The means on our part are faith prayeâ— and repentance For if thou dost truly and by a lively faith effectually believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Saviour of all that believe in him thou art bound to believe also or else thou makest God a lyar that he is thy Saviour and so believing thou art justified and being justified by faith thou shalt have peace with God Secondly if the Lord who is the party offended and needeth not thy friendship desiâ—eth thee to be reconciled unto him wilt not thou who art the offendor who also without his favour shalt perish eternally wilt not thou I say by hearty and earnest prayer deâ—iâ—e him to be reconciled unto thee Now if 〈◊〉 dost by the prayer of faith desire God to be reconciled unto thee what should hindâ—â— thy reconciliation when thou destrest 〈◊〉 of God which God by his Ministers desireth of thee But unto these two we must add the duty of repentance For if we continue in sinn without repentance and please our selves in â—â—â—pleasing God how can we perswade our sâ—lvâ—s that we desire to be reconciled unto him And if we do not desire to be reconciled then are we the professed enemies of God for whom remaineth the fearful expectation of that judgment which shaldestroy the adversaâ—â—â—â— of God Heb. 10. 27. So much of the order Now we are to speak of the concurâ—â—nce of these two graces For when the Lord sweareth that to those whom he redeemeth and justifieth he wil give grace to worship him in holyness and righteousness from hence we do necessarily collect that sanctification is an unseparable companion of justification and that no man can have assurance that he is justified unless he be in some measure sanctified Let no man therefore deceive himself with a vain profession of an idle and dead faith 〈◊〉 2. 14. for unlesse thou doest at the least desire and endevour to worship God in holnesse and righteousnesse it is as certain as the oath of the Lord is true that as yet thou art not justified nor actually made partaker of the redemption wrought by Christ. It is true that our Saviour Christ in the dayes of his flesh did redeem us meritoriously paying a ransome sufficient for all that should beleeve in him but none are actually made partakers of this Redemption but they to whom it is applyed and it is applyed only to those that truly believe and true faith purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. and worketh by love Gal. 5 6. and is to be demonstrated by good works 〈…〉 faith as all those are which truly believe in him in them Christ dwelleth by his Spirit for Rom. 8. 9. they are not his who have not his Spirit applying unto them not only the merit of his death to their redemption and the benefit of his resurrection to their justification Rom. 4. 25. but also the vertue and efficacie of his death to mortifie their sinnes Phil. 3. 8 9. and of his resurrection to raise them to newnesse of life so that for whose sinnes Christ died they die to their sinne and for whose justification he arose they also rise to newnesse of life The Apostle Rom. 6. 3. 4. affirmeth that those who have been baptâ—zed into CHRIST were baptized into his death and resurrection that as CHRIST did die and rise againe so they also die to sinne and rise to a newnesse of life 2. CHRIST was given unto us by his Father not only to be our justification and redemption but also our Sanctification 1 Cor. 1. 30. Neither did hee come with blood alone or with water alone 1 Iohn 5. 6. But as Saint Iohn in his Gospell carefully observeth as a thing most remarkable Iohn 19. 34 35. He came both with water and with blood with the blood of redemption to expiate the guilt of our sins and with the water of ablution or sanctification to cleanse us from the corruption 1 Iohn 5. 6. And in respect of both his blood doth cleanse us from all our sins 1 Ioh. 1. 7. from the guilt perfectly in our justification from the corruption in part and by degrees in our sanctification See Hebr. 9. 14. 3. Whosoever are the sons of God by adoption as all those are Io. 1. 12 13. that truly believe they also are his sons by regeneration 4. The same is implied in the benefit of Redemption whereby Christ our blessed Saviour doth not only redeem us from the guilt of sin which bindeth men over to damnation but also from the bondage of sinne that howsoever sinne doth remaine in the faithfull yet it shall not reigne in them Rom. 6. 14. nor have dominion over them For they that practise sinne are the servants of sinne Iohn 8. 34. and of Satan 1 Ioh. 3. 8. in them sin reigneth and therefore they are not by Christ redeemed from the bondage of sinnâ— For whom the Sonne maketh free they are free indeed Ioh. 8. 36. 5. The same is proved by the nature and property of a true faith For faith is a grace of regeneration which the Spirit of God when he doth regenerate us ingenerateth in us wherby as we are justified alone because no other
to undergo the wrath of God in our steed the fear whereof when he was in that grievous agony caused him to sweat great dropps of blood Luke 22. 44. and the sence thereof on the Cross being in his own sence as a man forsaken of God made him cry out My God my God why hast thou for saken me Mat. 27. 46. The acknowledgment of this wonderful love of Christ ought first to work in us a love in some measure answerable to his that as he gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. 2. so we should present our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto him which is our reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. And as he gave himself for us so should we bâ—willing and ready if occasion serve to lay down our lives for him the rather because he hath promised that whosoever shal lose his life for his sake and the Gospels shal save it Mar. 8. 35. We owe our selves unto Christ in a double or treble respect first for that in our creation he gave us to our selves secondly because in our redemption when we were lost he restored us to our selves thirdly when in restoring us he gave himself for us For our selves given and restored we may and ought to give and render our selves but what retribution shal we make him for himself For though we should give and render our selves to him or for him a thousand times yet what are we to him As Bernard sweetly argueth Lib. de delig Deo Secondly we are to imitate our blessed Saviour as the Apostle exhorteth us in respect of his love shewing it self in his wonderful humiliation and obedience for us Phil. 2. 5. Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Iesus who being God coequall with his Father for our sakes abased himselfe to become man and being man humbled himself not only to all active obedience performing all righteousness as being made subject to the Law for us but also to the passive obedience being obedient to death even the death of the Crosse and all this for us men and for our salvation Thus you have heard the love of the Father in giving his Son and the love of the Son in giving himself for us whereunto we may add the love both of the Father and the Son in sending the Holy Spirit the Spirit of love to accomplâ—sh our redemption and also of the Holy Ghost who furnisheth with his graces and furnished sendeth forth the Embassadours and Ministers of God committing unto them the meanes of our salvation in and by which hee having united us to Christ and made us partakers of him he worketh effectually in the hearts of Gods chosen all those saving and sanctifying graces wherby they are not only entiâ—led unto Gods Kingdome but also fitted and prepared for the same But as in the work of our Redemption we have observâ—â— the 〈◊〉 love of God so in the second place we are to observe his infinite justice manifested in the same For such is the justice of God that rather then he would suffer the sins of his own elect children to go unpunished he hath punished them in the death of his only begotten Son The consideration whereof ought to strike a terror in them that do not believe nor repent For if God punished the sins of the faithful in Christ what shal become of them who have no part in Christ Undoubtedly every sin as it deserveth death so is it punished with death either with the death of Christ in the behalf of them that believe or with the death of the parties themselves who are not in Christ. And as it ministreth terror to the wicked so it affordeth singular comfort to the faithful who are in Christ. For they may from the consideration of this justice of God safely conclude that to them being in Christ there is not only no condemnation but not so much as any punishments so properly called which in order of justice is inflicted by way of vengeance to satisfie the justice of God For Christ having fully satisfied the justice of his Father in the behalf of all them that believe it cannot stand with the justice of God to punish the same sins in the party which he hath already punished in Christ. The children of God are indeed subject to manifold afflictions which are mala poenae but unto them the nature of them is changed so that they be not punishments to them but either fatherly chastisements for when we are judged 1 Cor. 11. 32. that is afflicted for our sins we are chastised of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world or else trials for their good Thirdly we observe how heynous and how detestable our sins are in the sight of God the guilt whereof could not be expiated nor the justice of God satisfied nor his wrath for them appeased by any other means but by the most precious blood of the eternal Son of God That both in respect of our sins past we should be touched with remorse when we consider that by our sins we nayled our Saviour to the Cross to which end we are to pray that the Lord would pour upon us the spirit of grace and supplication that when we look upon him whom we have pierced we might lament and mourn as a father mourneth for his only son and also in respect of the time to come we should not be animated to commit any sin as being smal seeing there is none so smal but the price of it was the precious blood of Christ none so light but that if we be not eased from the burthen of it by the merits of Christ it is of sufficient weight to presse us down to hell The third thing to be considered in the doctrine of Redemption are the enemies from whom we are delivered which are not carnall as the Jews imagine dreaming that their Messias should be a temporal Monarch who having subdued their enemies which held them in subjection should restore the Kingdom to Israel but spirituall And these are the Law sin death and the devill the Laâ— being the strength of sinne sinne the sting of death and death the power of the devil from the hand that is from the power of all which our Saviour Christ hath delivered us If it be demanded why among the enemies I do not reckon the world I answer if by World be meant worldly desires as 1 Ioh. 2. 15 16. they are comprehended under the title of sin if wicked worldlings they are but the feed of the Serpent and the instruments of the Devill And in both senses not only our Saviour hath overcome the world for us Ioh. 16. 33. but the faithfull also in and by him 1 Ioh. 4. 4. and 5. 4 5. The Law by reason of our transgression is an enemy unto us whether we consider the yoke of the Ceremonial Law or the bondage wherein the Morall Law did hold us
grace doth concurre with it to the act of justification So are we sanctified in part â—â—gether with other graces and therefore is never severed from the grace of regeneration or from other sanctifying and saving graâ—â—â— and further it is the property of faith having justified us inwardly to purifie the heart Act. 15. 9. and outwardly to work by love Gal. 5. 6. Therfore though to the act of justification neither outward obedience nor inward graces do concur with faith as any cause thereof Yet in the subject that is in the party justified they must and do concur as necessary fruits of a true and lively faith without which it is dead Iam. 2. 20. And therefore a true lively justifying faith is also a sanctifying faith Now both from the order and conjunction of these graces we may infer a singular consolation to all the trueâ— Children of God For if there be such a conjunction between these two graces of justification and sanctification that whosoever hath the one hath also the other and who hath not both hath neither then it followeth necessarily that as he that is justified is also sanctified So he that is sanctified is also justified and if the order between them be such that a man cannot serve God in the duties of sanctification untill he be justified nor cannot worship God aright untill he be redeemed from his spiritâ—all enemies then it followeth 〈◊〉 that they who are in any true measure sanctified are also justified that they who sincerely desire and endevour to walk in the obedience of Gods holy will making conscience of their wayes are redeemed from the hand of their spirituall enemies And not only may we from our sanctification come to the certain knowledge of our justification but also we may thereby make our calling and our election sure For dost thou professing the true faith endevour to keep a good conscience and to walk uprightly before God then it is certain that thou art justified by a true faith art thou justified then 〈◊〉 is certain that thou art effectually called art thou called according to Gods purpose then without doubt thou art elected art thou elected then undoubtedly thou shalt be saved Seeing then such singular comfort â—â—setâ— from the leading of a godly and upright 〈◊〉 as that thereby we may make our calling and election sure hereby we should all of us be excited to the study of godlinesse and practise of piety for the greatest comfort that we can have in this life is to be 〈◊〉 of our election and salvation But to the knowledge of our election we cannot come 〈◊〉 by any thing going before as the cause thereof but à posteriori by the effects The sâ—ries or chaine of the degrees of salvation may not unfitly be compared to Iacobs ladder which reached from the earth to heaven the lowest step whereof in this life is our sanctification whereon if we can set our foot we may from thence arise to our justification and from thence to our effectuall calling and from thence to our election But if we will without ascending by these degrees take upon us to conclude the certainty of our election we shall be like him that being to go up a ladder would strive at the first to set his foot on the highest step of the ladder neglecting the lower degrees CHAP. V. Of the parts of the gift severally and first of Redemption NOw we are to speak of the parts severally and first of redemption in these words That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Where wee are to note Three things 1. The parties that are redeâ—med 2. The party by whom and after what manner 3. The parties from whom our enemies 1. The parties redeemed are We who have Abraham to our Father that is to say the faithfull not all men but those only that believe For so God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosâ—ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3. 16. Thus he is said to have saved his people from their sins Matth. 1. 21. to lay down his life for his sheep Iohn 10. 15. to have given himself for his Church Ephes. 5. 25. that he might redeem us from all iniquity and might purifie to himself a peculiar people Titus 2. 14. The Prophet Esay teâ—tifieth that Christ by his knowledge that is by the knowledgement of him which is faith shall justifie many Esay 53. 11 12. for he shall bear their iniquities and that he bare the sin of many and our Saviour himselfe Matth. 26. 18. that his blood was shed for many for remission of sins It is true that Christ his death is a sâ—fficient price of ransome for the sinnes of the whole world Yea of more worlds if there were more then one for his blood and his sufferings whereby he redeemed us were the blood and sufferings of him that was and is God Act 20. 28. but yet they are effectual only to those that do believe Arg. 1. For if Christ had redeemed all men then all should be saved 1. For all that are redeemed are also justified and all that are justified shal be glorified 2. For for whom Christ died for them he hath satisfied the justice of his father so that there is no condemnation to them whom Christ hath redeemed 3. For whom Christ dyed them by his death he reconciled to God now they who when they were enemies were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled 〈◊〉 be saved by his life Arg. 2. Neither may we think that Christ would die for them for whom he would not pray But for the world faith he Iohn 17. 9. that is for the company of the 〈◊〉 and reproâ—atâ—s I pray not but for them whom thou hast given me out of the world Arg. 3. But if the Oath of an honest man ought to be the end of controversie much more ought the Oath of God in this place end this controversie concerning universall redemption For God hath sworn that to so many as he redeemeth he wil give them to worship him in holsness and righteousness But the greater part of mankind have never the grace to worship God in holyness and righteousness and therefore to them the benefit of redemption doth not belong Now when we do profess our selves to be the redeemed of the Lord we do withall confess that in our selves we are bondmen and servants whom Christ came to redeem out of this bondage But howsoever all will challenge to themselves the benefit of Redemption yet how few in comparison do acknowledg their bondage But like the unbelieving Iews when our Saviour promised them liberty profess that they never were in servitude Iohn 8. 33. and so bewray themselves not to be redeemed But this humble conceipt of our selves before our Justification is necessary for us if either we would seek to Christ or have him to respect us For if by nature we be not
in bondage what need we a redeemer If not lost what need we a Saviour Mat. 9. 12. The whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentauce Mat. 9. 13. to preach redemption to the Captives Luke 4. 1â— and to save that which was lost He was given unto us of his Father to be our wisdom our lustification our redemption our sanctification our life our salvation 1 Cor. 1. 30. If therefore we would be made partakers of these benefits we must acknowledg our selves to be fools in spiritual things that in him we may become wise guilty of death damnation that in and by him we may be absolved and justified defiled and polluted with sin that by him we may be sanctified dead in sin that in him we may be quickned and revived lost that in him we may be saved captives and bondmen that by him we may be redeemed 2. As touching the party by whom we are redeemed the text saith he would give us that we should be redeemed which in the beginning of this Psalm is more plainly expressed Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people or as the words are hath wrought redemption to his people How By raising an horn of salvation that is a mighty saviour For us who according to the flesh was the Son of David The father therefore redeemeth us by giving his son for us the son redeemeth us by giving himself to be a price of redemption for us 1 Tim. 2. 6. The holy Ghost also redeemeth us when working in us the grace of â—aith he applieth unto us the benefit of redemption The father redeemeth as the gracious Author and Donor the Son as the meritorious worker the holy Ghost as the effectual applier The good wil and love of God the Father is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or antecedent moving cause the death and obedience of Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or meritorious cause the application of the holy Ghost is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or effectual cause by which we are made actually partakers of redemption which is the grace wrought by Christ proceeding from the love of the father 2 Cor. 13. 14. applied unto us by the communion of the holy Ghost Now here are divers things to be observed 1. The infinite and unspeakable love of God the father in giving his only begotten Son and of God the Son in giving himself for us and of God the holy Ghost the spirit of grace in communicating unto us the mercy and love of God and the merit and vertue of all that Christ did or suâ—â—ered for us For the first herein is love saith the beloved Apostle not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes 1 John 4. 10. So God loved the world so infinitely so unspeakably so beyond all comparison that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Ioh. 3. 16. And again Ro. 8. 32. that he spared not his own son but delivered him up for us al. But her in especialy god mendeth his love towards us that whilest we were sinners and by sin enemies Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. 10. If this love of God be shed abroad in our hearts by his holy spirit Rom. 5. 5. that is if by the Holy Ghost working in us faith we are truly perswaded and assured of it these effects wil follow 1. that we shal love God again the beams of his love inflaming our hearts and reflecting back some heat of love For therefore do we love God because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. Magnes amor is amor Love is the loadstone of love The woman in the Gospel who had many sins remitted did therefore love much Luk. 7. 47. If it be demanded why and how we should love God I answer with Bernard Libâ—de dilig Deum initio Causa diligendi Deum Deus est modus sine modo diligere God is good without measure and without measure he hath loved us therefore without measure if it were possible we ought to love him But though we cannot do so yet we ought to love him with all our heart with all our soul and with all our might Lev. 6. 5. Mat. 22. 37. Or if we cannot do so by reason of the flesh yet at the least with an upright soul and a sincere heart to the uttermost of our power And this our love we must express by keeping his commandements Ioh. 14. 15. Exod. 20. 6. and that willingly For this saith Saint John is the love of God 1 Ioh. chap. 5. ver 3. that we keep his Commandments and his Commandements are not grievous 2. We shal love our neighbour for the Lords sake it is the use which S. Iohn makeâ—h in the place even now cited 1 Ioh. 4. 10. 11. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the prâ—pitiation for our sins Beloved saith he if God so loved us we ought also to love 〈◊〉 another 3. The perswasion of this love of God affordeth unto us singular comfort in divers respects As first in afflictions For therefore do we glory in afflictions Rom. 5. 3 4 5. knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given 〈◊〉 us that is because by faith wrought in us by the holy Ghost we are perswaded of the love of God in Christ which love God commendeth towards us in that when we were sinners Christ died for us The second comfort If God did so love us when we were his enemies much more when by Christ we are become his friends For if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shal be saved by his life The third comfort If God so loved us that he spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shal he not then with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. all things that be expedient for us 2. The love also of God the Son exceedeth all knowledg Ephes. 3. 19. who so loâ—ed the Church that he gave himself for it Eph. 5. 25. who so loved us that he washed us from our sins in his own blood Apoc. 1. 5. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay down his life for his friends Iohn 15. 13. But Christ our sweet Saviour being not only man but God also gave himself not for his friends but for his enemies and that not to a commoâ—and ordinary death but to the most painful most shameful and most accursed death of the Cross and not only to fuffer a corporall death but also in his soul