gracious principle is wrought in us we must ultimately determine it hither we are made to partake in this Grace because God hath appointed us to it and the reason why we were so appointed was because it so pleased God Mat. 11. 25. 26. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight God therefore tells Israel that he loved them because he loved them Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you because ye were more in number c. but because the Lord loved you In timating that the motive of this love was noâ— where to be sought out of himself and on this account God assigns our effectual calling to a love of his own that never had any beginning Jer. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee and needs must it be so for he is the first cause and last end of all things Rom. 11. ult Of him and through him and to him are all things Nor could his Grace be otherwise absolutely free and soveraign as the Gospel every where assures us that it is 8. All the engagements by which our love is excited to act upon him are from his first loving of us As there is the planting of saving grace in us in our Renovation by which a principle is infused into us enabling and disposing of us to love him so there are the attractives by which this principle is drawn forth into act which are so many motives to stir up this love in us for our love of God is not a bruiâ—ish passion but it is acted with the highest reason and all the reasons of it are found in his love to us he therefore thus draws us in order to our following of him Cant. 1. 14. Draw me we will run after thee and the way in which he allures us is by his love Hos 11. 4. I drew thee with the cords of a man with the bands of love Now there are principally such things as these the consideration and belief whereof attract the love of our Souls to God 1. It was this love that appointed us to be the heirs of Salvation The Word of God doth frequently express our Salvation under the consideration of an Inheritance and so all the claims that we can make to iâ— must be in way of Heirship and we are not born heirs to it by a natural birth but are introduced into it by a voluntary Adoption we had in our selves no more of right to it than the Devils nor could we make out a better claim to it than the rest of Apostate mankind we were common heirs with them of the same destruction Eph. 2 3. Being children of wrath by nature even as others We therefore come to have a right thereto according to appointment 1 Thes 5. 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ. Nor can there be a greater obligation upon us to love God than the consideration of this eternal design to think that God had such a thought of good will for us when he proposed no such favour for millions as good and as well deserving as we and this is owing to his love 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God And sure this love must be more ancient than ours to him who but the other day hated him and were his Enemies 2. This love provided Christ to purchase Salvation for us Such was our unhappy condition by the Fall that there could be no salvation for us but by a satisfaction made to offended Justice which Attribute must not in the least vail its glory in this affair or so much as stoop to mercy in it If God will save us he must provide a Jesus for us one that can save us from our sins The Law must have a reparation made for the violation of it our contracted Guilt must be expiated we cannot do this for our selves thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of oyl will not do it there must a Surety interpose to undertake this none could do it but the Son of God he must be made Sin and a Curse for us he must have all our Iniquities laid upon him and by his stripes we must be healed the case was reduced to this exigence either God must destroy us everlastingly for our sins or do the execution upon his own Son in our stead nothing else would have done Certainly then here was love unparallel'd Christ himself expresseth it as that which exceeds all comparison Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son And the Apostle thought it to be an argument which could not be over strained in the exercise of our faith for the obtaining of alâ— the good that is laid up in the promise Rom 8 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things and the consideration of it will be further amplified by observing that this was done for us before we had any love for him not only was it agreed upon in the eternal compact that Christ should in fulness of time come and work out salvation for us but the thing it self was accomplished on ouâ— account during our being his enemies Rom. 5. 8 10. God commends his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son 3. This love hath revealed Christ to us as an Object suitable for us to trust in for salvation As it exceeded the reach of any created understanding to find out the way of salvation by Christ the thing it self being a mystery of Infinite wisdom so the Revelation or declaration of him to sinful men is of God alone It is his Gospel in which Christ is published there it is that we are acquainted with his Person and Offices his undertaking and accomplishment his Incarnation subjection to the Law and making satisfaction to it for us how acceptable his Redemption was to his father how sufficient it was for us to procure peace and life for us there it is that we are acquainted how and assured that he is able to save all those to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. How many nations are there in the world that hear nothing of him and thereupon they perish unavoidably for lack of vision Certainly this good news is a token of Gods good will it is he who sends it unto us and treats with us in it They that bring these glad tidings are his Ambassadors 2 Cor. 5. 20. We are Ambassadors for Christ as if God did beseech you by us It is a treaty of peace and reconciliation which is opened
to all and his tender mercies are over all his works And Acts 14. 17. He left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness And there is an Especial love of his that we are told of which he bears only to some and in comparison with which others are said to be hated according to Rom. 9. 13. Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated and it appears in those peculiar favours which he hath laid in for and bestows upon them of which we have such observations Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. 1 Joh. 4 9. In this was the love of God manifested towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and this is the love that we are now considering of and is intended in our Text which if we run up to the top of it is nothing else but that good will of his by which he purposed to bestow all saving good upon us There is a natural love which we ascribe to God by which he loveth himsâ—lf eternally being his own last end and with this love every Sacred Person in the undivided Trinity love each other and there is a voluntary love which we conceive in him which must needs flow from his good pleasure for we are told Rom. 9. 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy And such must be all â—e love which he bears to the Creature since â— being and all that he doth to it or for it â—rive from his holy pleasure Who doth all things â—ording to the Counsel of his will Eph. 1. 11. And â— was this love that procured our Salvation Gal. â— 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me 2. That by our loving of God we must understand â—at Cordial respect which we have for him where â— we have chosen him for our portion and are enâ—ely devoted to his fear Love in us is an Afâ—ction leading us in pursuit after Union to the object â— it in order to our having intimate Communion â—ith it for love is a Closing Affection and â—rrieth us forth after that which we love That â—hich attracts our love to it is the Goodness â—hich we apprehend to be in the object of it â—hich renders it a thing lovely the discovery â—â— which goodness made to the Understanding â—oves on the Judgment and by that on the â—eart and draws it out after it Now the exâ—ession of this love is in a suitable respect that â—e shew to the object of it and is accordingly â—iversifyed as there is a different reference or reâ—tion that we bear to it the love therefore â—â— Parents to their Children and of Children â—â— their Parents doth not shew it self after the â—me manner There are therefore these two â—ings wherein our real love to God appears Viz. In our renouncing of all other things â— him chusing him alone for our portion aâ— accordingly depending upon him for all whâ— we can say as the Church Lam. 3. 24. The Lâ— is my portion saith my Soul therefore I will hopâ— him And as the Psalmist Psal 62. 5. My Sâ—â—ait thou only upon God for my expectation is frâ— him And in our submitting our selves wâ— greatest willingness and delight to his Servicâ— Christ therefore directs to this as the Evideâ— oâ— our love Joh 14 15. If ye love me keep â— Commandments Love is therefore used in â— Scriptures to express all that Obedience whâ— we pay to God in studying and practising uâ—versal conformity to his revealed will Thiâ— rooted in our hearts by the delight we have his precepts when we can say with him Râ— 7. 22 I delight in the Law of God after the inwâ— man And it is exerted in our life when â— devote our whole man to New Obediencâ— When we love the Lord our God with all our heâ— and all our soul and all our mind Matth. 22. â— It nâ—w â—â—llows that we proceed to the reâ—lâ—tion of the Case and we may take it upâ— the following Propositions 1. This love of ours with which we love God not barely a Natural Affection or a Moral Prâ—ciple in it but a Grace of the Spirit The â—tural affection indeed is the Subject of it in â—hich it is rooted but we must distinguish beâ—â—een the affection it self and the love which â— rooted in it Love hath Good for its Object â—nd such as the good is so is the love denomiâ—ated We love the things that are suited to â—ur inclinations and hence there is in Unreâ—enerate mâ—n a Carnal Love which inclines them â—â— the gratification of their carnal Lusts and so â—e objects which are suited thereto attract â—eir love There is a Natural Love in men to â—ch persons or things as are agreeable to their â—atures and there is a love to the things that â—â—e Morally Good and Honest which some Unâ—onverted men have in them and it proceeds â—om a principle of Morality which either reâ—ains in them notwithstanding the fall or hath â—een acquired by them but none of these aâ—ounts to the love which we are now in the Consideration of There is then a Divine Love which carries men out to God and to Heavenly things and fixeth them there and â—is flows from a special gracious principle inâ—sed into the man by the Spirit of God and can â—laim its Original from no other it is thereâ—ore called one of the fruits of the Spirit and â—â— the first named Gal. 5 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love c. This love of God indeed was â—onnatural to man in his state of integrity being â—ne of those Graces of Sanctification which were concreated in him and belonged to thâ— Image of God which was at first put upon hiâ— and adorned him This love was active aâ— vigorous in man before such time as he had â— praâ—ed himself by Sin and none of the Commâ—â— were grievous to him 2. The Apostasy robbed man of that holy love God which was at first planted in him This it â— when it stript him of the Image of God in whâ— this and all the other Graces of Sanctificatiâ— were contained When man put off the Imaâ— from him all that was Spiritual or Theologicâ— good in him went with it So that every Uâ— regenerate man if he will say the Truth mâ— confess of himself entirely as Paul doth of hiâ— self in respect to his worser part Rom. 7. â— In me that is in my flesh there dwells no good thiâ— Man who at first loved God as his last end aâ— chief good now ceaseth to do so and there is nâ— one spark of that primitive love left in him â— is said of every natural man that the love of â— Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. The Affectiâ— of love abides in the man it being essential his Humanity and inseparable from it but
hath shifted objects and exchanged God for â— Creature Unconverted men are said to Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 2 Tiâ— 3. 4. And hereupon that is one title put upâ— ungodly men Rom. 1. 30. Haters of God that their first love in respect of the object on which it was placed is turned into hatred 3. This love must be again recovered by the man in order to his being made to enjoy God and to be happy in him It is certain that mans true happiness consists in his enjoying of God who is the only adequate object of felicity no other can make a suitable and sufficient portion for the reasonable Creature to be far from God is to be miserable indeed Psal 73. 27. For lo all that are far from thee shall perish In his favour there is life his loving kindness is better than life it self Now God is a portion for none but those that love him it is by love that we come to have Communion with him which is our blessedness Prov. 8. 17. I love them that love me Hatred keeps the Sinner at a distance from God and there is a fearful Curse out against all such Psal 21. 8. c. Thine hand shall find out all thine Enemies thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven c. Whereas there is a great Blessing in store for such as love him Psal 5. 11 12. Let them that love thy name be joyful in thee for thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as a shield It therefore infinitely concerns us all to see that the love of God dwells in us and this is it which the Apostle prays for in their behalf 2 Thes 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God 4. It utterly exceeds the power of man to recover this Principle and the activity of it Of the Natural mans inability to exert any truly Gracious action the Scripture abundantly informs us Josh 24 19. Ye cannot serve God Rom. 8. 7 8. The Carnal mind is Enmity against God for it is noâ— subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves Now this defect ariseth from the loss of the Image of God on his Heart and his incapacity of getting it again by any Endeavour of his own Because he hath not a root of Grace in him therefore he cannot act Graciously for noâ— Effect can exceed the Vertue of its Cause And because there is a contrary Principle in him which reigns over every Faculty and Power within him he therefore is not able to withstand it Indeed he cannot so much as desire to Love God much less is he able to restore this Grace to his heart again The Will therefore as well as the Deed must be of his operation in us Phil. 2. 13. It is God who worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure The restoring of lost Grace to fallen man is a work of Omnipotency and therefore none but he who is Almighty is able to do it in us it is therefore compared to a Creation 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness hath shined in our hearts c. And to a Resurrection Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Love is a thing that is not to be purchased all that a man would offer for it will be despised Cant. 87. Which may be interpreted as well of our loving God as of his loving us 5. This love is a saving gift and therefore must have God for its Author It is one of those things which we are told do accompany Salvation Heb. 69. and is therefore called a fruit of the Spirit in the fore cited Gal. 5. 22. This love is an effect of the New birth whereof God is the Author 1 John 4. 7. Love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God And indeed it being one of the Graces of Sanctification it must needs proceed from Gods Efficiency for it is he that Sanctifieth us 1 Thes 5. 23. And the wonderful change that is made in the man by it must force us to say of it behold the finger of God To see one who the other day despised God had no desire after him had him to depart from him chose carnal objects lying vanities rather than him â—ay hated his counsels and was full of all prejudices against him now to love him to chuse him to embrace him to forsake all for him to submit to him and delight in his Service is a thing of which no other account can be given but that God hath created him a new in Christ Jesus that he hath given him another and a Neâ— heart or otherwise it could never have been 6 There was nothing in us that could move Goâ— to produce this saving quality in us In all voluntary actions which are done by a Rational Agent we are wont to enquire after the Impulsivâ— cause of them or what it was that moved anâ— engaged him so to do and by such measure as these are we necessitated to conceive of God Works of Efficiency It is a demonstration oâ— Gods wonderful love to us that he will put principle of Sanctification into us and therebâ— restores us from death to life and whence was that he so did or what was it that induceâ— him hereunto Certainly it could not be froâ— any loveliness that he saw in us for there waâ— none we had nothing in us that was desirâ—ble but every thing was hateful the Image God which once was our beauty and ornâ—ment was gone and the Image of Sin whicâ— is our shame and vileness was contracted anâ— by virtue of it we were every way abominâ—ble when therefore God speaks of doing sucâ— things for backslidden Israel he would havâ— them to take that humbling remark upon iâ— Ezek. 36. 22. Thus saith the Lord I do not thâ— for your sakes Oh house of Israel but for mine holy names sake c. Nor was he moved hereto by our requests and prayers it was not because we in sense of our folly and misery sought relief of him that his bowels earned towards us for he himself saith Isa 65. 1. I am sought of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not and though he hath declared in Ezek. 36. 37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Yet his preventing grace producâ—th this in us otherwise we should never have thus enquired after him but abode in our distance from him 7. Hence the spring or rise of all this must be from his love or good will to us When we have searched into all the causes of Regeneration in which this