not thereby made worthy of our loue As nothing doth more become a sort of beggers children whom some rich and noble person should so loue as to adopt them his sonnes and fellow-heires then to loue dearely and intirely among themselues so is it a most seemely thing that we should follow God in this loue and imbrace them with true and feruent loue whom he hath made fellow-heires with vs yea and in our loue we must keepe the same order which the Lord obserueth Be yee mercifull as your Father is mercifull Our loue ought to resemble Gods for kinde and order Luke 6.36 saith our Sauiour As the same mercy is to be shewed by vs not for measure degree but for kinde which God sheweth so must wee tread the same steps for order wherein our heauenly Father doth goe before vs. There is no creature specially of those that are seruiceable to vs but we must be louing and kinde thereto Shewing kindnesse to beasts more to men most 〈◊〉 the godly A righteous man doth regard the life of his beast Prou. 12.10 Next all men must be loued but as God doth embrace his elect with a singular loue aboue other men so must wee be more especially affectioned toward the godly as Paul doth direct vs Gal. 6.10 Doe good to all men but especially vnto them which are of the hous-hold of faith 2 Our loue to God aâ—â— our 〈◊〉 neighbour â—pâ— getâ—â—rom Gods loue to vs. Secondly this point touching Gods loue toward vs doth shew whence it is that our loue to God our neighbour is engendred euen hence doth it proceed from Gods louing of vs. Saint Iohn 1. Iohn 4.12.16 doth proue and conclude that wee are in God and haue the knowledge and faith of Gods loue to vs euen from our loue to God and our Brethren For God is loue yea that maine and vast sea of loue from whom all those streames and riuelets of loue that are in men do issue and flowe If vvater bee vvarme and doe heate We are this way key cold vnlesse God warme vs. it is not of it selfe for it is an extreame cold element but by vertue of fire in some sort dwelling in it which the Philosopher cals the excesse of heate So the holy loue of God and our brethren cannot kindle of it selfe in our hearts which are most auerse there from but must come from God who is loue himselfe dwelling and residing in vs and our taste of this infinit fauour vnto vs. As Saint Iohn saith plainely 1. Ioh. 4.19 that we loue God and so our neighbours because he loued vs first The cold and frozen earth cannot cherish the trees and plants with any kindly heate and iuice except it first bee thawed and warmed with the aspect of the sunne shining on it and approaching to it And so the loue of God looking out vpon vs in Iesus Christ must first melt our frozen and warme our cold hearts before we can shew and put forth any affection or worke of loue to God and our brethren Nor is this point needlesse to be knowne A point needfull to bee knowne For if we know it not we shall neither giue praise to God vvhen this affection sparkleth in vs nor know when it is frozen whither to repaire that it may bee reuiued and inflamed in vs. 3. The folly of the world which hateth most whom God loueth Thirdly from this loue of God to his we may take notice of the folly of the world For they hate there most where the Lord loueth most I saith our Sauiour Iohn 17.14 haue giuen them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world c. The more loue God doth manifest vnto any in giuing them his word and grace to obey and imbrace it the more the hatred of the world doth boyle and breake out against them Water for the contrarietie that it hath with fire A note of their comitie against God and the godly doth hisse spet and sputter not onely vvhen fire falleth into it but if any thing throughly heated with the fire catch it And whence is this in worldly men but from their aduerse disposition to and hatred of God that they hate the dearest people of the Lord and those in whom his grace is most apparant In Princes Courts are not they rebellious spirits and foolish men And the next way that professe open and mortall hatred to the greatest Fauorites of the King Doe they not take the right way to ruinate themselues and their estates Such as are politiquely wise and intend to rise to any matters or estate in the Court will rather obserue the Kings speciall fauourites loue them and insinuate into their acquaintance So is it a most sottish folly in men of the world to hate the Lords holy and deare children For be they sure that the Lord vvill hold them as they are enemies to him to kâ—ep th mselues from all blessings that they shaâ—l want many a bleâ—sing from the King of Heauen which the prayers of the godly vvould obtaine for them Yea Nâ—y to ruinate themselues many plagues will light vpon them in this respect If they will be wise for their soules and bodies too it is their best vvay to loue and embrace with all kindnesse the people of God which God vvould take as a token of loue to himselfe and they should haue the benefit of their prayers vvhich can obtaine great things from God It followeth that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne Doct. 3. Gods dearest loue is manifest not in outward things but in Christ giuen vs. OBserue heere wherein the speciall loue of God consisteth not in health wealth honours countenance libertie and such like but in the gift of Christ As his loue towards his was exceeding great yea infinite so hee had no better way to euidence this loue but by the gift of his Sonne By this therefore doth the word of God in sundry places commend to vs the loue of God God setteth out his loue vnto vs saith Paul Rom. 5.8 that while we were sinners Christ died for vs. So 1. Iohn 4.9 In this appeared the loue of God toward vs because God sent his onely begotten Son into the world c. God did manifest and magnifie his loue in nothing so as in the gift of his Sonne vnto vs All his other loue in distributing vnto vs wealth No other loue at he last comfortable without it libertie honour and pleasures is more then we are worthy of but it hâ—d beene poore and cold loue in respect of any good and comfort to vs-ward without Christ giuen vs. Wherin therfore doth Paul place Ephes 2.7 the exceeding riches of Gods grace and kindnesse but in Iesus Christ that is in this that he hath giuen vs Christ without whom notwithstanding all the worlds good and glory Bâ—â— we most miserable there is no brute beast nay there is
some present that they were not of his sheepe That is wilsome say because they would not beleeue Ans Nay rather because they were not his sheepe they beleeued not as there appeareth And at the last iudgement we shall know that there is difference betwixt goates and sheepe Some third signification then is to be inquired which wee shall see by comparing 1. Iohn 4.14 and Mat. 1.21 to be the people of God whom hee saueth in the world and to note no more Hee is the Sauiour of the world But it noteth Gods people in the world saith Iohn and who or what is this world that he saueth All men Not so but his people as in Mathew is expounded Thou shalt call his name Iesus For he shall saue his people from their sinnes Which all are not But all are Christs people Answ If his Kingdome of power be considered it is true but not so of his kingdome of grace His people in this regard are described T it 2.14 1. Pet. 2.9 But onely the Elect. to bee a peculiar and chosen people Diuers Faâ—hers call the dispensation committed to Christ Oeconomia which noteth a domesticall regiment ouer the hous-hold of faith And thus Austen often construeth the word world pro mundo seruandorum mundo redemptionis For the world of the saued ones the world of the redeemed to which is opposed mundus damnandorum et perditionis the world of the damned or lost wretches And so on the seuenteenth of Iohn verse 23. that the world may know c. Thaâ— is saith Camerarius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those which are saued in the world Called the world for three causes And there are three reasons why the Church of God the bodie of Christ which only belongeth to saluation is called by the name of the world 1. They haue their particular vniuersalitie For all kindes and all times haue made vp this number Secondly now the fulnesse of time approached that the Church was to become Catholique in regard of place The whole world after a sort was to goe into it not the Iew and Grecian only but euen thâ— Scythian and Barbarian too Thirdly in respect of their state before they are effectually called and actually made the sonnes of God For before this they walke after the course of the world Ephes 2.2 So then the true meaning of these words is this God so loued his people chosen to saluation through the world that he gaue his Sonne that they should not perish but haue life euerlasting The which vvords fitly cast themselues for matter into these three points Three points of this Scripture 1. The speciall loue of God toward his God so loued the world Secondly the effect of his loue that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne Thirdly the end that whosoeuer beleeueth in him might haue life euerlasting First I will giue the instructions which offer themselues to our consideration in the two first members Secondly I wil come and peruse the words more particularly Doct. I. God doth beare a speciall loue to his The first doctrine is intimated in the first word So. So God loued the world For heere is insinuated so much That the Lord regardeth his with an especiall fauour To vnderstand this the better wee must see how the comparison standeth God loueth all his creatures and hateth as the Wiseman speaketh nothing he hath made For to loue is nothing but to will well and to doe well to any Now the Lords goodnes is ouer all God is generally good to all creatures More specially to Man For in him we liue euerything hath life motion and being from him Act. 17.28 He doth preserue the very beast Psa 36.6 But much aboue all other creatures doth hee loue mankinde The arguments whereof are Foure signes thereof First his long sufferance toward vs Secondly his indulgent grant of the vse of his creatures whereof we haue made our selues iustly vnworthy Act. 14.17 Thirdly that Christ took not the nature of Angels but hath assumed into one person with his Godhead the seede of Abraham Fourthly that hee doth vouchsafe the Gospell of his Sonne to all mankinde But though his mercie is ouer all and aboue other creatures shewed vnto man yet the loue vvherewith these are embraced But his loue toward his elect is most entire aboue al. compared vvith that loue wherewith he hath his children accepted through Christ is called hatred and therefore CHRIST setting down this doth by this word So make a distinction of this kindnesse and loue from all other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul who sounded deepely both our miserie in our selues and happinesse in Gods loue when hee commeth to consider this loue to his in CHRIST doth raise his stile as if no vvords were sufficient to expresse it as may bee seene Ephes 1.6 But specially Ephes 2.4 7. where this his kindnesse toward vs in Christ is called great loue rich mercie Yea and more the exceeding riches of Gods grace Most rich And speaking of Gods loue in Christ for this and the loue of Christ because God was in Christ may and doth sound all one as Rom. 8.35 The question being asked Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ The answere is nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ verse 39. making them to bee the same speaking I say of this loue he doth wish the Ephesians might be able to know the same though indeed passing knowledge Pasâ—ing knowledge Ephe. 3.19 where he maketh it to be a loue incoÌ„prehensible much more vnspeakeable It is therfore compared with the loue of a Father Psa 103. Most affectionate 13. As a father hath coÌ„passion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him And preferred before the most tender bowels of a mother Esa 49.15 Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet I will not forget thee And as it is most rich and aboundant so it is a loue no lesse sure and constant And constant for it hath for its ground onely the good pleasure of God Rom. 9.11.15 and therefore shall neuer change nor can be altered Vses 1. From gods loue to vs we must learne the loue of our brethren For the vse hereof First Gods example in morall duties is euery where made to vs a patterne of imitation Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.26 Wee therefore from this loue of God toward vs must learne to loue one another as Iohn doth vrge it on vs 1 Iohn 4.11 Beloued if God loued vs nay so loued vs that is with so admirable and superaboundant loue wee ought to loue one another For what are wee too good to loue there where God himselfe doth loue and that with maruellous loue aboue all creatures or doth God bestowe such singular loue on any man who is
foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 Wherefore Gods loue hath been toward vs from all eternity Now loue as wine doth receiue the greater prayse by the age of it old wine is the best and antient loue is the most approued How much doe we esteeme of such a friend as hath borne vs good will for some twenty or fourty yeares together The more reckoning should we make of Gods loue which hath been eternall Then also it is most free And most fâ—ee for before Christ wee were enemies to God there was nothing to be seene in vs but sinne and misery nor any thing to draw Gods affection toward vs but his own free and good pleasure now that loue which we haue deserued we the lesse esteeme but such loue as is freely conferred on vs we do make more store of And this is the excellency of Gods loue vnto vs that it is most free and gratious no way procured by our selues who were children of wrath no nor by Christ himselfe in the first motion of it but it did giue Christ as a pledge thereof and a meane to make way more plenâ—ifully to poure out it selfe vpon vs. Fourthly 4. Doct. Our redemption by Christ doth best of all manifest Gods loue Whereas God louing vs giueth Christ vnto vs wee are to obserue that this course of redeeming vs by Christ is most answerable agreeable with the loue and grace of God True it is if Gods absolute power be considered and the freedome wherewith hee inclined to all which from eternity he decreed we may say Another way was possible but this most fit hee could haue taken another course for our redemption But if a way be considered wherein his iustice eâ—pecially his loue might be made manifest this is of all most fit and expedient For it followeth as heâ—re you see on Gods loue as if loue it selfe had designed it and he hath chosen this way who as hee is most powerfull so is not his wisdome any whit inferiour to his power And that this point may bee the more cleared as also that we may see that when Paul falleth into the argument of Gods loue hee doth not without cause speak so loftily we will sift these words somewhat more narrowly Setting ouâ— Gods loue in foure circumstanceâ— Wherein foure circumstances are to be noted whereby the loue of God is much amplified First the partie louing Secondly those that are loued Thirdly the thing giuen Fourthly the manner of giuing First in this that God loueth 1. In â—oâ— who first sought loue when wee gaue the â—â—â—st offence his exceeding grace is not a little commended For when two men are at variance if the partie wrongfully offended do seeke him who gaue him the offence how is his meekenesse and gentlenesse thereby declared Euen thus the case standeth twixt God and vs we had prouoked his displeasure he procureth our reconciliation and attonement And for this cause our righteousnesse and Redemption is said to be made of God to vs. 1. Cor. 1.30 Saint Iohn also expending and weighing this thing doth from it magnifie the loue of God 1. Iohn 4.10 In this is loue not that wee loued God but that he loued vs. Secondly 2. In the persons loued vâ—z our selues being sinners his enemies to consider the persons loued is no lesse argument whereby this loue may be extolled For whoÌ„ loued God Vs saith Iohn Being now like the world no better then the Reprobates when our deeds words and wisest thoughts were enmitie against him then I say did God regard vs. From hence Paul bringeth in the loue of God most gloriously cloathed saying that it was great loue and rich mercy in God that he did then quicken vs when we were dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephes 2.4.5 And Romanes 5.7 from hence also doth hee extoll it In this God setteth out his loue vnto vs that when we were his enemies Christ died for vs. The third circumstance is the thing giuen 3. In the thing giuen viz the onely begotten Sonne of God that is in this word the only begotten which is a vvord putting a difference betwixt this person and any other Euery where in Scripture excellent priuiledges are bestowed on Gods children but so that Christ hath still the preheminence Wee call God Father as Christ teacheth vs Mat. 6.9 and this Abba Father is the voice of the Spirit which is in vs. Gal. 4 6. Yea so did the Church when this spirit of adoption was not so plentifully powred out Isay 63.16 Thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not But Christ calleth God as the Iewes rightly gather Iohn 5.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is his owne his proper father Vnto whom God is a proper father in such a sort as no man else did or could otherwise they would not so haue stormed at him So wee by nature are the sonnes of wrath yet by faith we haue this priuiledge to be the sonnes of God Iohn 1.12 But Christ is called his owne proper Sonne He is Gods proper Sonne Rom. 8.32 who spared not his owne Sonne So we are begotten not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh Iohn 1.13 but God of his owne will by the word of trueth hath begotten vs. Iam. 1.18 And oneâ—y begotten Not because of the strange framing of his humane nature As Seruetus falsely But Christ is the only begotten euen from the Father Ioh. 1.14 Where by the way we may not vnfitly consider Seruetus his exposition who saith that Christ is said the onely begotten of God onely in regard that his humane nature was framed in a sort proper to himselfe But this is but a fiction For first consider what it is to beget and Christ cannot in regard of the humane nature be said begotten To beget is ex substantia gignentis proferre simile secundum substantiam that is Out of the substance of the begetter to bring forth a like thing according to its substance But now the humane nature and diuine essence are wholly different Secondly he should rather in this respect be the onely begotten of the holy Ghost For that person immediately and determinatiue did frame of the substance of the Virgin that immaculate masse and vnite it to the diuine nature Thirdly Adam and Eue might thus as well be said the onely begotten of God who were after a proper manner made of God Fourthly Christ as man hath alwaies beene held as without father and ergo vnbegotten For these two stand in relation one to the other Fiftly the Scripture auoideth this phrase saying of Christ Iohn 1.14 that he was made flesh and Rom. 1.3 made of the seede of Dauid and Galathians 4.4 made of a woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometime vsed but it signifieth nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be borne Mat. 2.1 and so Ialad is vsed answerably with the Hebrew If this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
where I liue It were happely more credit for mee to make this whatsoeuer satisfaction out of mine owne stocke but it will bee your greater gaine that I doe it out of anothers purse Mine owne would proue but short pay and copper coine whereas what heere I haue borrowed to tender vnto you is currant and pure gold of Gods sanctuary which if it please you to put it vp will adde some good increase to your spirituall treasure of sauing knowledge What on my part is wanting in performance I will make vp with my harty desires and prayers for your prosperous state in the world and spirituall welfare in the Lord. At the Free-schoole in Cranebrooke in Kent December the 14. 1618. Your Worships in all Christian seruices J. E. THE MIRROVR OR MIRACLE OF GODS LOVE VNTO THE WORLD OF HIS ELECT IOHN 3.16 For God so loued the world that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life THERE is no wisedome to bee compared with the knowledge of God in Christ The excellency of the knowledge of Christ This hath not a few Arguments to commend it 1. Cor. 2.7 Ioh. 17.3 It is not simply wisedome but Gods wisedome in an eminent and high degree wrapped and folded vp in a mysterie which all men cannot conceiue It is a secret hidden wisedome and that not lately deuised but thought on of old resolued and decreed by God euen before his purpose to create the world for a more speciall aduancement vnto glory Yea to know God in Iesus Christ is life it selfe that life which is euerlasting which it bringeth vs not onely in a sure hope and expectation but in some fruition of it in the foretaste and first fruits therof I haue therefore made choice of this place as in which both God our louing Father and Christ the gift of his grace are vnfoulded vnto vs. But before we come to handle the words themselues it is fit by obseruing their coherence to know the true scope they aime at and if any thing bee obscure to vnfould it The coherence of the words The dependance they haue on the former words is on this sort Christ in the verse immediately going before gaue this out generally That whosoeuer beleeueth shall haue life euerlasting Now the Iewes giuen to emulation might thinke much that the priuiledge of life should bee communicated with the vncircumcised Gentiles Christ therefore meeteth with this corruption Which come in to meete with a scandall of the Iewes and confirmeth the vniuersality of that proposition with this reason What GOD proposeth as his end shall certainely be My counsell shall stand and I will do whatsoeuer I will Isay 46.10 But God hath set downe with himselfe this end in giuing his Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth shall haue life Ergo Whosoeuer beleeueth shal haue life euerlasting The Minor is in these words of my Text the conclusion in the fifteenth verse the proposition is from elsewhere to be gathered and supplied In the words there is onely one phrase of speech that doth neede to be vnfoulded that is what is meant by the world Their sense Theophylact giueth two significations of this word What is meant by the world in the eleuenth of Iohn the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the whole vniuerse The other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is men worldly minded Some taking it in the former sense very largely Not all mankinde aâ— some thinke though not for the vniuersalitie of the creature yet for all men vniuersally giue these two interpretations of it The first thus God so loued all men that he vouchsafed to giue and offer his Sonne in the preaching of the Gospell vnto all according to those places Goe teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 Preach the Gospell to euery creature Marke 16.15 A trueth I confesse but not meant in this place For heere is not meddled with the Ministerie but the Decree of God and manner of our Redemption is manifested And when wee come to handling of those words of giuing the onely begotten we shall see that agreeably vnto the context they are to be taken in another sense The second exposition is that God so loued all that hee gaue his onely Sonne to death of purpose and effectually for all But this is false For euen this one reason ouerthroweth it For God did not purpose the saluation of all mankinde by Christ Whatsoeuer the Lord purposed Christ perfectly performed I haue finished the worke thou gauest mee to doe Iohn â—7 4 But Christ did neither make intercession nor dye for all Ergo. The first is proued Iohn 17.9 Since Christ did not intercede for all mankinde c. I pray not for the world That is say some not that they should continue in worldly courses Ans There is an opposition betweene the world and those that were giuen vnto Christ which plainely sheweth that hee doth exclude the world from the benefit of his prayers as being none of those which were giuen him by his Father which opposition doth also inferre and inforce thus much that if in one member as for them which thou gauest me persons namely Gods elect are meant as is most euident then in the other we are to vnderstand not worldly courses not approued of God but men passed by neglected of him But this prayer is not made by him as Mediatour Euen when he prayed as Mediatour Ans Thiâ— sh ft is vtterly ouerthrowne by the context of this Chapter For this was made when the houre of his offering vp approached was as it were the sanctification of himselfe thereunto was not made for a few godly but all that euer should beleeue verse 20. Which Cyril saith to be put in least that the high Priest and Mediatour of our soules should not seeme to intercede for vs. Pontifex mediatar animaruÌ„ nostrarum pro nobis minime interrogare videretur And the iudgement of Cyril is that he maketh this prayer as Mediatour on the ninth verse of this Chapter Where hee hath these words Christus suos a non suis separans pro his qui verbum audierunt qui iugum susceperunt rogat quorum Mediator atque Pontifex est istis tantummodo mediationis bonum non iniuria attribuens that is Christ separating his from those that were not his doth pray for those which heard his word which had taken his yoke on them not vniustly bestowing the benefit of his mediation onely on those whose Mediatour and high Priest he is Not did die for all mankinde but his sheepe onely The second thing that he died not for all appeapeareth Iohn 10. verse 15. I lay downe my life for my sheepe Yea but may it be said all are his sheepe Ans Not so For his sheepe haue their note and name giuen â—â—em of separation from others which are not so Secondly in the twenty sixt verse hee saith to
not the vilest and basest creature on the earth but it is in more happy state and condition then we are Vses 1 We erre to doubt of Gods loue vnder the Crosse The vse of this briefely is to take away the scandall of the Crosse and comfort vs therein For vvee when euill doth whip vs the Crosse lies heauy on vs and some bitter cup is measured out vnto vs morning by morning beginne to question Gods loue and thinke that vvee are not beloued of him But wee goe by a vvrong line and false rule For wee must looke off from these things and examine whether hee hath giuen CHRIST vnto vs or no. If wee finde this onely begotten Sonne reuealed in vs Specially if wee know haue Christ wee may then assure our selues that vvee are loued of GOD and that euen with this speciall loue Who is the sole â—â—râ—est of Gods loue CHRIST is the surest yea the onely pledge of Gods loue whom if wee haue bestowed on vs let other matters goe as they may wee neede not to doubt but that wee are of Gods best and dearest fauourites 2. They dream who presume on Gods loue for their worldly prospâ—ritie Secondly this may serue to quell and pull downe that vaine prefidence that is in many vvho vpon the bare enioyment of outward things in great plenty presume themselues to bee most deepely in the Lords fauour and before others in that point For this is a most fond presumption and meere delusion to build our hopes of Gods loue on such sandie grounds No man can know whether GOD loue or hate him by these outward things Eccles 9.1 In â—â— ir â—uffe without Christ they are but as traitours without a Pardon frolick ng it by the Kingâ— patience Were it not fond for a Traitour to presume of the Kings Mercie that hee doth let â—im in the Tower take his reuenues enioy his Lady and children ride his great Horse and vse what Lordly sports hee please Can any thing assure him of this gracious mercy of his Prince but his pardon sent vnto him vnder the Kings hand and Seale So haue thou as much of this vvorldly happinesse as thou canst wish be thou for outward things the mirrour and enuie of the vvorld yet art thou neuer the farther in the fauour of GOD. Thou standest but as a condemned Traitour before him vnlesse thou finde that hee haue giuen CHRIST vnto thâ—e to bee thy peace and thy attonement Onely so farre as thou hast the knowledge of of this Iust One imparted to thee as thou doest loue him and his Gospell as by faith hee is become thine so farre canst thou haue any assurance of Gods loue and mercy All other things notwithstanding No better thâ—â— Cain without Christ giuen to thee it is no better with thee then Cain or Iudas nay then vvith the Diuell himselfe Nay then the Diuell who is the Prince of the world and hath the glory and happinesse of it aboue the greatest Monarch of the earth Doct. 3. God doth loue his before Ch i st be giuen to die for them Thirdly since God out of loue to his giues Christ for their redemption obserue that there is a loue of God to his now in misery before Christ himselfe cometh in as Mediator for them Loue though in God it is but one most simply as himselfe is most simply one Gods loâ—e twofold A latter ensuing of Christs deâ—th Mâ—nifest in our iustâ—fiâ—ation yet for the change that it maketh in the creature and to help our weake vnderstanding a former and a latter loue and grace may be considered For there ariseth a grace of God vnto vs from the bloud of Christ in which mercy this new testament of giuing to vs beleeuing iustification vnto life is stricken Therefore Christ is called the Mediatour of the new testament Heb. 9.15 12.24 his bloud the bloud of the newe testament Mat. 26.28 And of this grace that place in the third to the Romanes verse 24. may bee vnderstood where the Apostle saith that wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus And reconciliation And in this respect the scripture putteth our reconciliation to God in the death of Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 Eph. 2.16 Rom. 3.25 and elsewhere But now these places must not be so vnderstood as if the Lord within himselfe before entirely hated vs but therefore these phrases are vsed because that in Christ that former loue of God springeth forth which while iustice was vnsatisfied might not bud out but lay hid and couched A former loue shewing it selfe in the gift of Christ For there was a loue to vs before Christ of which here is spoken and the effect whereof the giuing of Christ himselfe is heere affirmed A kinde-hearted father doth oft beare a secret and inward affection toward an vngratious sonne whom he hath cast out from him as Dauid toward Absalom 2 Sam. 13.39 14.1 c. though he will not suffer it to appeare till by the suit and request of som friend whom perhaps himselfe suborneth he bee reconciled to his sonne no lesse was there in God a hid loue toward vs before Christ which the Lord would not suffer to break forth to our knowledge till Christ by his death had made our peace for vs. Neither need we feare the putting of contrary wils in God by this meanes Before whom God was estraâ—ged from vs in regard of sin but did loue vs as foreknowne of himselfe for though as we were in a sort our owne worke through sinne in regard of iustice hee did stand separated and estranged from vs yet as wee were his worke or rather as he had of his gratious pleasure foreknowne vs he loued vs and in loue elected vs and therefore nothing hindreth but that his immutable fauor in these respects might be still continued toward vs and so it was For as his iustice for sinne held vs vnder wrath and death so his loue worketh another way taking vs out of the hand of iustice by giuing his only begotten in whom iustice and mercy doe kisse each other And to say that the Lord altogether hated vs in himselfe vntill Christ made intercession is such an assertion as we shall be easily inforced to reuerse For Christ made intercession called or vncalled if called there was great loue in the Father calling him to do such a kinde office for vs. If we say vncalled we goe against the Scriptures of the old and new testament in which nothing is more euidently taught then the calling anointing and the sending of the sonne by God the father The vse to commend Gods loue as very antient This now ought to make Gods loue the more deare and pretious vnto vs as being very antient and freely borne toward vs antient I say for we are loued of God before Christ was appointed our Mediatour who yet was ordained before the