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
that thou shouldest magnifie him That thou shouldest set thy Heart upon him That thou shouldest visit him every Morning But if we should place Man in an higher Degree and consider him as a Servant yet still Gods Love looseth not its Lustre because at best we are but unprofitable Servants Luke 17.10 If we should do all that we are commanded we do but that which was our Duty to do and which we owe to God upon the Right of Creation yet we merit nothing God hath no Advantage or Profit by our Service Job 22.2 3. Can a Man be profitable unto God What gain is it to him that thou makest thy ways perfect If Man at best be so far below the Desert of God's Love How great will this Love appear if we consider Man as sinful Thus we are become Enemies not only breakers of his Law but opposite thereto and withal were helpless and could do nothing for our selves Both these the Apostle takes Notice of Rom. 5.6 as a transcendant Manifestation of God's Love and ver 8. God commendeth his Love to us 2. The Scriptures set forth the greatness of Gods Love by the great and wonderful Benefits bestowed on us We usually measure Love by the Fruits of it The Fruits of Gods Love cannot be numbred particularly the Promises are so loaden with them that they are justly called exceeding Great and Precious Promises In the gross They are things that pertain unto Life and Godliness 2 Pet. 1.3 All spiritual Blessings in heavenly Places Eph. 1.3 The Blessings of this Life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 All that is within the Circumference of Grace and Glory Psalm 84.11 3. But above all Gods Love is magnified by the Method which his Infinite Wisdom pitched upon for the bringing about his Purpose of Love this was the sending Christ to Die for Sinners This was such an adorable Mystery of Wisdom and Love that the Angels desire to look into it Christ himself speaks of it as transcendant beyond Comparison God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son c. John 3.16 and in 1 John 4.9 10. The Apostle represents it as the most glorious Publick Manifestation of Love In this was manifested the Love of God towards us because that God sent his only Son into the World Herein is Love c. II. The second thing that I am to explain and prove is That this Love of God is Vnchangeable It is frequently called an Everlasting Love Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an Everlasting Love His Mercy endureth for ever Having loved his own he loved them unto the end John 13.1 And it must needs be so if it be considered 1. That Gods Nature is Unchangeable God asserts it Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not Psalm 102.25 26. The Heavens and the Earth shall perish but thou shalt endure Thou art the same and thy Years shall have no end James 1.17 With God is no variableness neither shadow of Turning The Unchangeableness of Gods Nature is evident by the very Light of Reason All that believe the Existence of God will yield that Deus est ens necessarium Independens God is a necessary and Independant Being That God is Self-existent is an Original and Fundamental Idea which we are to have of God This Monsieur Abbadie proves in his Vindication of the Christian Religion Sect. 2. Cap. 2. And from this necessity of his Being he deduceth his Immutability For if God depend not upon any other Being nor receive any thing from any other Being his Essence cannot then be varied And if his Nature is Unchangeable his Will is also Unchangeable It is true God doth sometime change his Promises and Threatnings but his Purposes he changeth not Mutat Sententiam sed non Decretum Men usually change their declared Purposes because all Men are Liers and so break their Promises or they Promise without due Consideration and when any thing happens which they foresaw not they repent But it cannot be thus with God My Counsel shall stand I have purposed it I will also do it Isa 49.10 11. The Reason of this we have in Numb 23.19 God is not a Man that he should lie neither the Son of Man that he should repent 2. That Gods Love is Unchangeable will further appear if we consider that his Love is bottomed upon a certain Foundation His own free Purpose and Christs Purchase This Reason the Apostle doth not obscurely suggest in the Text None can separate us from Gods Love because it is a Love to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Had it been built upon the sandy Foundation of our Merit we might have feared the failure of it upon every miscarriage or failure of Duty III. The Third Thing to be explained is 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 those that are in Christ For 1. Those that are in Christ being reconciled and pardoned may be assured that however God may change his Countenance toward them yet he will not change his Heart He may be angry but Anger and Love are consistent All Men may be convinced of this Parents may be angry with their Children and yet love them It is true that Parental Corrections will be grievous to ingenuous Children they will mourn under them and thus God's Anger will be an heavy Burden to his Children as their Complaints and Sorrows do abundantly Witness Yet God would have us to consider his Love in his Rod Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth To be without Chastisement is an Evidence that we are Bastards and not Sons God may be angry but he never changeth his Love into hatred 2. The greatest outward Afflictions are so managed by God that if we could duely observe his dealings with us we might perceive his Love intermixed with the Lashes of his Rod. All the while he manifests a fatherly Pity and Compassion Fury is not in him He hath a gentle Hand to the weak He remembers their Mold and Fashion They have also secret Supports and seasonable Deliverances 3. All these Distresses are so far from separating his Children from his Love that as he orders them they Work together for their good Their Graces are hereby exercised encreased and made bright as your Vessels are by scouring So that their Distresses yield the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness to those that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 They are hereby brought into nearer Communion with God and at last he lifts up the Light of his Countenance upon them like clear shining after Rain 4. It is further evident that all outward Troubles cannot separate them from the Love of God because he doth evidently strengthen their Hearts under them so that they prevail not to draw them off from God This Argument the Apostle fixeth on a Demonstration of what he had asserted In all these things we are
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
say Oh! What manner of Love is this that we who were afar off both in respect of sinful Indisposition and Enmity should be made so near as to become Children That we should be changed in the Spirit of our Mind That we should by the Spirits leading Teaching and Influence be made conformable to the Image of Christ and so be made Partakers of a Divine Nature and should have the Spirit by whom we were wrought up to this very thing to be our constant Tutor and Guide 2. By the Spirit another Advantage is given ver 15. The Spirit is to us a Spirit of Adoption that is a childlike Disposition to Love God to depend upon him with a child-like Trust and â—onfidence and in an humble boldness â—nd freedom being made Children God would not have us to Act under a â—â—avish Principle of Fear which is a Spirit of Bondage but by a free and â—ngenuous Love 3. The Spirit is also a Spirit of Witness and Assurance ver 16. The Spirit 〈◊〉 self beareth Witness with our Spirit â—â—t we are the Children of God It is â—ecessary that Children should know their Father it conduceth much to their Comfort and Government This the Apostle urgeth upon the youngest Christians as their Priviledge and Advantage 1 John 2.13 I write unto yoâ— little Children because ye have known thâ— Father The Spirit assists the Witnesâ— of our Conscience clears our Doubâ—â— and gives comfortable Satisfaction These Advantages we have by the Spirit and all these are necessarily contained in the Priviledge of Sonship Secondly Another Advantage by thâ— Priviledge of Sonship is noted ver 1â— If Children then Heirs The same Loâ— that makes us Children provides an 〈◊〉 heritance for us This Inheritance 〈◊〉 Apostle magnifies 1. As Glorious atâ— Great so Glorious that though 〈◊〉 must suffer as Christ did before 〈◊〉 come to the full Possession yet the Glâ—ry of that Inheritance is so great thâ— our Sufferings are never to be mentioned nor compared to the Glory that is 〈◊〉 be revealed ver 18.2 Because thâ— Certainty of that Inheritance adds 〈◊〉 small Lustre to the Glory of it Thâ— Apostle shews us that the Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have a full Certainty of it and 〈◊〉 live and rejoice in the Constant 〈◊〉 Comfortable Expectation of it 1. Not only by an Argumentation â—awn from our present Pressures and â—lictions for so the whole Creation â—aneth and expecteth a Freedom ver 〈◊〉 22. But 2. We have the Pledge and Earnest 〈◊〉 First-Fruits of it already ver 23. 〈◊〉 3. The Spirit helps forward and â—â—â—vens our Hopes We groan within â—â—â—selves and to help us further our â—â—â—pes are stronger by the Spirits Assiâ—â—e in our Prayers 〈◊〉 By directing us to the Matter fit 〈◊〉 prayed for We know not what we 〈◊〉 pray for as we ought we are not â—â—â—petent Judges of what is fit for us By exciting our Desires to an earâ—â—ess even groanings that cannot be 〈◊〉 which is the Spirits Intercessiâ—â—â— us ver 26. So that by our Prayâ—â—â— our Hopes are confirmed our Deâ—â—â— come from himself he knows and 〈◊〉 them and returneth the Answer 〈◊〉 Prayers in inward Strength and Consolation ver 27. He that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mind of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God Thirdly Another Advantage of Sonship is also mentioned ver 28. All things shall Work together for Good Children expect Good and not Huâ— from Parents So our Sonship assurâ—â— us that whatever Troubles or Distresses we may meet with they shall at laâ—â— by Gods over-ruling Disposal Woâ—â— out our Advantage Oh what mannâ—â— of Love is this that we should be maâ—â— the Children of God! We have theâ—â— by the Gift of the Spirit to lead anâ— teach us until Christ be formed in 〈◊〉 and as a constant Guide of our Way And hereby also we have free aceess 〈◊〉 God and Dependance on him 〈◊〉 have also the comfortable Witness 〈◊〉 our Interest in Divine Love and Fâ—ture Happiness in the Enjoyment 〈◊〉 God And by the same Spirit we havâ— our Taste of Heaven on Earth rejâ—â—cing in the Hope of the Glory of Godâ— and in the mean time our Troubles be come our spiritual Advantage I now take hold on the Opportunity which these Considerations offer me to urge you to a serious Contemplation of Gods Love to us Let your Thoughts be taken up with the Wonders of Divine Love 1. You will find that all the Saints that have exercised their Thoughts upâ—â— this Subject have run themselves inâ—â— Wonder and when they have â—ought and spoken all they could 〈◊〉 have left the Rest to silent Admiâ—ion This you may observe in our â—essed Apostle in ver 31. of this â—ghth Chapter What shall we then â—â—to these Things It is not only an â—ontroulable Certainty that he means â—o can contradict or say ought against â—se things But an Expression of the â—ccountable vastness of the Matter â—â—ch exceeded his Thoughts and Utâ—ance What Tongue what Words 〈◊〉 fully declare his Love The Apostle John expresseth a tranâ—â—rt of Admiration in these Words 〈◊〉 â—ohn 3.1 Behold what manner of Love 〈◊〉 Father hath bestowed upon us There â—othing among Men that can be likened unto it if that Priviledge and the Persons upon whom it is bestowed be considered For Vs who were Rebels and Enemies in our Minds by wicked Works to be made Sons Is this the manner of Men Saul was convinced of Davids great Love to him by this Consideration 1 Sam. 24.19 If a Man find his Enemy will he let him go well away It is not usual for Men so to do but much less usual is it for Men to heap kindnesses upon Enemies God's Love to us far exceeds all that can be found among Men. David in Psalm 36. find some dark Resemblances whereby to erpress the extent of Gods Mercy anâ— Faithfulness They are as high aâ— Heaven ver 5. Thy Mercy is in thâ— Heavens and thy Faithfulness reacheâ—â— unto the Clouds ver 6. Thy Righteousness is like the great Mountains 〈◊〉 Judgments are a great Deep But wheâ— he comes to speak of Love he finds 〈◊〉 above Comparison and speaks of it aâ— an unexpressible Excellency ver 7. How excellent is thy Loving Kindness O God! 2. Least some should imagine that such Expressions of Admiration are only the high flights of some peculiar Favourites and that Christians of the common Rank are not much concerned herein because it may seem to be above their reach I shall in a few plain Interrogations suggest to you some Things in Gods Love which will appear to be wonderful to all First Who can tell the First spring of Love in God What Extrinsical Motive could possibly have a bending influence upon the Divine Will Who â—uth been his Counsellor Or who could oblige him by any Gift Rom. 11.34 Secondly Who can give an Account of Discriminating Love Why was Jacob loved and not Esau The Apoâ—â—le resolves it