inquiry after these six things What these Gospel-Believers are Method 1. that have a Gospel-right to promises What these promises are unto which Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right Whether Gospel Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises How Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises Why Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises What use may be made of this That Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises What these Gospel-Believers are that have a Gospel-right to promises I would hope to arrive thee at a Discovery of a Gospel-Believer under a Discussion of a Gospel-Faith There is the Habit of Faith and the Act of Faith There 's the Habit of Faith There 's the Seed of Faith or Faith in the Seed The Heart that 's the Soil and Grace that 's the Seed Being born again 1 Petr. 1.23 not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Grace is the Seed Faith is a Grace if no thee Grace for 't is the leading Grace the Grace that lead the Van of all other Graces Grace is the Seed and this is incorruptible As there is no Grace in Sin so there is no Sin in Grace There 's the Act of Faith As there is the Habit of Faith so there is the Act of Faith Gal. 5.6 As there is the work of Faith so there is a working-Faith But Faith which worketh by Love But what manner of Faith Question is this Faith 'T is a Faith that hath Christ for Object Solut. 1 That He might be just Rom 3.26 and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus This Faith hath Christ but not the lying vision of the heart for its Object 'T is a Faith of the Operation of God Faith is a work but 't is Gods work Col. 2.12 'T is expresly called a Faith of the Operation of God As Faith is Gods will so 't is Gods work 'T is a Faith that 's wrought not only by the power of God but by the exceeding greatness of Gods power And what is the super-eminent magnitude of his power to us-ward Eph. 1.19 20. who believe according to the working of the might of his power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead There is concerned in the working of Faith a power aequivalent unto and aequipollent with that power which gave a Resurrection to Christ Jesus 'T is a Faith that hath a Train of good works Jam. 2 18. Shew me thy Faith without thy works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works By works I mean works from a right Principle to right Ends that is works from a gracious Principle to a gracious end works from a Principle of the Grace of God to a promotion of the Glory of God Now though such works are not Essential unto Faith yet they are Evidential unto Faith though they are not the Essence of a lively Faith yet they are the Evidence that Faith lives Jam. 2.26 For as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without works is dead also This is a Gospel-Faith and he or she that hath this Faith is a Gospel-Believer What these promises are unto which Gospel-Believers have a Gospel right Promises they say are Absolute or Conditional Absolute promises are Spiritual Absolute and Caelestial As Grace and Glory Redemption and Remission Sanctification and Salvation Conditional promises are temporal Conditional and corporal As Health and Honour Prosperity and Plenty Seed and Substance c. But in short there 's a three fold promise Civil Religious and Divine Civil This is a word passed from Man to Man Civil A Civil promise is a word passed from Man to Man for the performance of some lawful thing as in Contracts and in other affairs Thus Laban made promise to Jacob to give him his Daughters Thus Saul made promise to David not to hurt him and hunt his Soul to take it Thus also Jonathan made promise to David 1 Sam. 19.1 2 3. Religious This is a word passed from Man to God Religious A religious promise is a word passed from Man to God concerning some Duty relating to his Honour This is called a Vow If a Woman also vow a vow unto the Lord. Thus the Psalmist Psa 66.13 14. I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my vows Which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Divine This is a word passed from God to Man Divine A divine promise is a word passed from God to Man concerning the fulfilling of some Good or removing of some Evil Spiritual Psa 119.38 49 50. or Temporal Stablish thy word unto thy Servant who is devoted to thy Fear Remember thy word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me Now Gods promises are Legal or Evangelical Legal Do this and live Thus God passed his word Legal to give eternal life and Creature-Comforts upon condition of performing the Law Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandement with promise But these are not the promises Eph. 6.2 spoken off in the Text To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made Evangelical Thus when God passeth his word freely to give Evangelical freely to give Christ and together with Christ all things freely to give Whereby are given unto us but what promises yea precious promises yea great 2 Pet. 1.4 and precious promises yea exceeding great and precious promises Now these are they they are Gospel-promises unto which Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-Right Of these my Text speak To Abraham and his Seed were the promises mâ—de Whether Gospel-Believers have a Gospel Right to Gospel-promises It were no hard Task to produce a cloud of witnesses But in the mouth of two or three shall every word be established Gal. 3.22 For instance The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by the Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Now Gal. 4.28 we Brothren as Isaac was are the Children of promise How Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-Right to Gospel-promises Through Grace Free-Grace gives a right to the promise Through Grace Promises are Donatives they are free gifts Gal. 3.18 If the Inheritance be of the Law then 't is no more by promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Here the Inheritance is given that is under promise and the promise is given under which the inheritance is God gave it to Abraeham by promise Through Christ Christ is he first and great Heir Through Christ he is Heir of all things and through â—im Believers inherit the pronise 'T is the Prince of life â—hat gives a propriety in the promise of life For this cause Heb. 9.15 â—e is the Mediatour of
to God for Man so theâ— is a sanctification wrought by God in Man If the Blood oâ— Bulls and of Goats and thâ— ashes of an Heffer sprincklinâ— the unclean sanctified to thâ— purifying of the flesh Heb. 9.13 14. Hoâ— much more shall the blood 〈◊〉 Christ who through the eternâ— Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Here 's purging and purifying here 's sanctifying and spiriting unto Service but how through blood That is through an Application of Christs blood and this application is through Faith For the Apostle wordeth it Rom. 3.25 Whom speaking of Christ God hath set forth or so ordained to be a propitiation or mercy-seat but how through Faith in the Blood So that all arrive at a Satisfaction with respect to Justification and Sanctification concerning this Blood Christ was satisfied in shedding his Blood God was satisfied in Christs shedding his Blood And Man is satisfied because interessed in this Blood that was shed being delivered not from a Conscience of Sin only but from a Conversation of Sin also And washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Why Christ washeth from Sin in his own Blood Christ washeth from Sin in a two fold Respect in respect of the Necessity of it anâ— in respect of the commodity by it Reasons In respect of the Necessity of it It is expedient that one should dye for the People and that the whole Nation perish not There 's a Necessity of Christs Blood and that for these two Reasons among others Because Man had sinned Man is defiled and therefore Man must be washed Every man in a state of Nature is a Bartimeus the Son of the unclean as the word signifieth Oh Soul here 's thy pedigree though an Emperor was thy Father yet Adam was thy Grand-Father To this purpose the Apostle speaks Wherefore Rom 5.12 as by one Man sin entred into the World and Death by Sin and so death passed upon all Men for that all have sinned Or in whom all have sinned so the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every Man and Woman living in the Region of depraved Nature is a Nero a Sinner as the word signifie Man is defiled and that from Head A Capitead Calcew to Foot that as the Philosopher saith concerning the Soul it is in every part where there is Life there is the Soul Tota in toto â—ota in qualibet parte for the Soul is the Life so what ever is in us and commeth from us and is acted by us receive a defilement from us Sin is like a Leprosie over the whole man like a Gangrene spreading over the whole Soul There is therefore a necessity of Christs Blood in order to Pardon and in order to Purity Because God would be satisfied God is infinite in his Attributes as well as in his Essence Justice is one of Gods Attributes and God will not loose one of his Attributes If Man sin God will avenge this sin upon the Person or upon the Passover As Man had sinned so God would be satisfied yea satisfied the same way he was offended 1 Cor. 15.21 By Man came Death by man came also the Resurrection of the dead In respect of the Commodity by it The Blood of Christ is advantagious in a manisold respect At this Door of Christs Blood enters Redemption Is not Redemption a great thing to be rescued out of the hands of the roaring Lyon is not this a great Mercy This is through Christs Blood Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption but how through his Blood At this Door of Christs Blood enters Remission Is not Remission a great thing Pardon of Sin is not only a singular but also a plural Mercy Heb. 9.22 this Remission is through Christs blood Without shedding of blood no Remission At this Door of Christs Blood enters Access to God Is not Access to God a great thing Access to a mortal Monarch is eyed as a great thing but what is Access to an immortal God then Sin had set God and Man at an infinite distance Christs Blood bring these together The Apostle speaking of Christs preaching Peace to them which were asar off and to them which were nigh subjoins joins this Eph. 2.17 18. For through him we both have an Access by one Spirit unto the Father At this Door of Christs Blood enters Acceptance with God There 's an Acceptation through Christ and his Blood as to Person and as to Performance There is through Christs Blood an Acceptation as to Person Man was indebted and the Blood of Christ went to pay the Reckoning Eph. 1.6 Ye are bought with a price Christs Blood went for pay To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved There is through Christs Blood an Acceptation as to Performance As God hath respect to the Person of an Abel so to the Oblation of an Abel but respect to both through Christ Christ is a merciful and faithful high Priest Heb. 2.17 in things partaining to God to make riconciliation for the Sin of the People At this Door of Christs Blood enters Salvation Is not Salvation a great thing Is not this worth the hearing worth the having Is not Damnation a bitter Pil a bitter Potion This Salvation is through Christs 〈◊〉 from Wrath and from 〈◊〉 〈…〉 If the wrath of a King be as the Messenger of death 〈◊〉 what 's the wrath of a God then the wrath of the God of Gods then Christ by his blood saveth from wrath Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our Justification From Sin As the Blood of Christ saveth from the Guilt of Sin so from the Filth of Sin He shall save the People from their Sins Mat. 1.21 As Christ is a Saviour for Sin so from Sin What Vse may be made of this Lastly that Christ washâ—th from Sin in his own Blood Here are three uses USE Caution Comfort Counsel Now this Use hath a double Aspect By way of Caution and looks unto the washed and unwashed Now if so there must be a distinct discussion in a way of Caution Art loved To the washed and washed be cautioned then against sinning for Christs Blood must go for washing Beloved what all the water in the Sea cannot do the Blood of Christ can do If thou beest washed from Sin 't is by Christs Blood What Man in his wits will be lavish of his blood Oh what Soul in love with Christ being loved of Christ will be lavish of Christs Blood Soul if there be sinning by Thee and Mee his Blood must go for washing Hath not Christ bled enough already when he hath bled to death to an accursed death but must he bleed again That as he was pierced again must he bleed again Jo. 20.27 Come Thomas reach hither thy hand and thrust it into
my side I was once pierced and wilt thou pierce me by thy unbelief a second time So shall we bleed Christ again Oh take heed of sinning for Christs Blood must go for washing That as it is said Take â—eed to thy self Diut 4.9 and keep thy Soul diligently So take heed of sinning for Christs Blood go for washing Oh Soul if thou hast any love for thy Saviour love for thy Soveraign love for thy Soul when thou findest any Corruption bubling within then let this Text ring iâ— thine ears Who loved us aâ—d wâ—shed us from our Sins in his own Blood Oh Soul when thou findest a Temptation presented A Snare on Mizpah Hos 5.1 and a Net spread upon Tabor then say with Joseph Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Did Christ do and shall I sin Did Christ dye and shall I fin Is Christ washing and shall I be sinning Oh who should sin and cause Christ to pay so dear for it Who loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Art not washed be cautioned then against denying the efficacy of Christs Blood To the unwashed As the Papists lead from the Blood of Christ to the blood of Hales and Becket So there is a Generation of a late Edition Cousin-Germans to the Papists who lead from the blood of Christ to the blood in themselves They say Haldo's Key c. p. 63. that the blood of Christ is the Life of Christ that is the power of the light in them They say that Salvation Purification and Reconniliation they are not by that Blood of Christ shed on the Cross but by that blood of the Spiritual Body of flesh blood and bones which they say Christ descended in and which they say is in every one of them as really as in that Man who was the Son of Mary By this it seems that Salvation is by no other blood but what is in themselves But let God be true and every Man in this matter a Lyar. The Blood of Christ must needs be efficacious for 't is called the Blood of God Feed the Church of God Act. 10.28 which he lead purchased with his own Blood 'T is not then a blood in themselves but was a blood in Himself and this was the Blood which was let out and trickled down upon the Cross One little Drop says Luther of Christs blood is of more worth then Heaven and Earth What is the blood of a Grape the blood of a Son yea of an only Son to the blood of the only begotten Son of God yea to the blood of that Christ 1 Tim. 3.16 who is God manifest in the flesh The Soul may feel yea the Soul must feel himself to stand in excessive need even of the least drop of Christs blood for the washing away of his Sins And washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Art loved be joyous then thou art universally washed from thy Sins By way of Comfert in Christs Blood Christ saith to every believing Saint and sanctified Believer as he did to Peter He that is washed needeth not one to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean Jo. 13 10. but not all Is clean every whit is wholy or universally clean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Greek Now Soul art loved and out of love washed and that universally go not then away with thy Countenance sad Oh but as Rebecca said I may say If things be so Object 1 Gen. 25.12 why am I thus If I be universally washed what mean those corrupt Inmates and cursed make-bates within what mean that pride and passion within what mean that wantonness worldliness within what mean that Unbelief and Misbelief within Oh Sir if I be universally washed what mean these vain and vile Thoughts within what mean those hard and high Thoughts within what mean those brutish and blasphemous Thoughts within If things be so Solut. why am I thus A Soul washed by Christ may be considered two wayes in his Justification and in his Sanctification In his Justification Now Justification is formally inherently and materially in Christ Thus a loved Soul stands compleatly and perfectly washed in Christs own blood Thus a loved Soul is compared unto the Sun which is without spots Thou art all fair Cant. 4.7 my Love and there is no spot in thee Thus a loved Soul is presented by Christ without spot or wrinkle or any such thing For this is the Doctrine which the Apostle preacheth Eph. 5.25 and I blesse God that I do believe what he preach In his Sanctification Thus a loved Soul is black Cant. 1.5 I am black but comely oh Daughters of Jerusalem Comely as to Justification black as to Sanctification Look not upon me because I am black Cant. 1.6 because the Sun hath looked upon me A loved Soul is compared to the Sun which is without spots as to his Justification but unto the Moon which is full of Spots as to his Sanctification Oh but I cannot believe Object 2 that I am washed from all Sin Though I may be washed from the Sin of my youth yet not from the Sin of my old age Oh though I may be washed from open Sins yet not from secret Sins Oh though I am not so profane as I was and so polluted as I was yet this I find that when I would do good evil is present with Oh this lay near my heart Rom. 7.19.21 The good I would do I do not but the evil that I would not do that do I Canst not believe an universal washing Solut. 1 know that the Author of Faith is the Actor of Faith Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith Here Faith being a principal grace is Synecdochically put for all Grace Christ must not only work Faith but set Faith a work or thou wilt not believe an universal washing When thou wouldest do good is evil present with thee So it is with Me. May not I say with a holy Reverence as Christ did to the Scribes and Pharisees Joh. 8.7 He that is without Sin among you let him first cast a stone at her So that Person that do not find evil present with him when he would do good let him first cast a stone at Me and at Thee Thou art universally washed if loved though thou dost not believe it If washed from one Sin washed from all Sins that is thou art washed from all Sin in point of Justification and thou art washing from all Sin in point of Sanctification Christs blood extend to the washing away of all Sin 1 Jo. 1.7 If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have Fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sins Oh but Object 3 though there be silence now there may be Suffring ere
is a so doing Matth. 24.46 Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he commeth shall find so doing It is as true there is a so reading Acts 8.30 Understandest thou what thou readest Mar. 13.14 And let him that readeth understand If therefore thou wouldest so read look unto Christ For Jo. 15.5 without him thou canst do nothing And to the Spirit For that searcheth all things yea 1 Cor. 2.10 the Depths of God Now Isa 50.4 that he who hath the Tongue of the learned and knows how to speak a word in season to him that is weary may signally bless thy Reading unto Receiving and Rellishing and Remembring humbly and heartily prayeth READER Thy Friend and Servant for Jesus sake Richard Mayhew Vox audita perit sed Litera scripta manebit LOVING and WASHING Rev. 1.5 part thereof Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood BEloved As Genesis begins so the Revelation ends this Book of God the holy Scriptures of Truth The ending part of this Book is called Apocalypse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the revelation of a secret from a greek word which signifie to reveal a secret Though the Old and New Testament make but one Book yet there are many Books in the Old and the New Testament that contribute to the making up of this one Book Now this Book of the Revelation is the last but not the least of the New Testament In the Title of this Book you have an Account of the matter contained therein Vers 1. 'T is called a Revelation The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him that is which God committed unto him as man for he had it of himself as God In the Context you have the Person saluting the Persons saluted and the Salutation it sâ—lf The Person saluting That 's John But what John was He It was that John that had such intimacy with Jesus that John that lay so much in the Bosom of Jesus as if he could not live out of it that John that appeared to be an Euangelist in his Gospel an Apostle in his Epistles and a Prophet in this Book of the Revelation John The Persons saluted These are the seven Asiatick Churches John To the seven Churches in Asia The Salutation it self Herein you have The Matter of it Grace and Peace Grace be unto you and Peace Grace and then Peace not Peace and then Grace that 's the best wear in the World for it weares not out in wearing if once 't is ever though it may decay it cannot dye Grace and Peace Grace be unto you and Peace Grace and then Peace the Sun and then the Light Peace peace of Conscience and that 's an Anticipation of Glory a Heaven begun here Grace be unto you and Peace the Sun and the Light too the Fire and the Heat too Grace and Peace too that 's the subject Matter of the Salutation The Original of this Matter Here 's Grace and Peace but where may they be had Rev. 1.4 former part whence are they derived where do they Center from whom are they communicated from the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Father Son and Spirit From the Father Grace be unto you and Peace but from whom Rev. 1.4 mid part from him which is and which was and which is to come i. e. from the Father from him whose name is Jehovah Exod. 6.3 But by my name Jehovah was I not made known unto them Which name Jehovah signifie no less then this which was and is and will be From the Spirit And from the seven Spirits Rev. 1.4 later part which are before the Throne That is if I mistake not from the Spirit called seven Spirits in regard of his manifold graces which wrought so powerfully in those seven Churches as if a particular Spirit had been in each Church Seven Spirits seven is a note of perfection John speaking of the Lamb Rev. 5.6 Christ Jesus saith having seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth From the Son And from Jesus Christ where may this Grace be had From Jesus Christ the God of Grace and the God of Peace Now follows a Description of Christs person He is thee faithfull witness One that fully and truly revealed Gods will by himself and his Apostles He is thee first begotten of the dead That is he is the first that arose from the dead to go to Heaven Enoch and Elias saw not death the first death they made a leap over the Grave and were translated they were taken into Heaven but they dyed not Others were raised and lived here but died after neither are their Bodies yet in Heaven Christ therefore is called the first begotten because the bodily life which we had by Generation is restored by the Resurrection And he is called the first begotten of the dead because he had the first corporal Resurrection given as Head of the Body the Church There are some that dyed and went to Heaven as to Soul but not as to Body there are two Enoch and Elias that dyed not and are gone to Heaven Soul and Body but for one that dyed Christ is that onely one that 's gone to Heaven Soul and Body He is thee Prince of the Kings of the Earth Ye have an Emphasis upon every distinct branch of the Description thee faithfull witness thee first begotten and thee Prince the King of Kings unto him all the mighty Monarchs of the World shall strike Sail and at his Feet shall they all cast their Scepters when he shall personally return from Heaven to Earth and be gloriously crowned where he was ignominiously crucified Thus John speak of Jesus by way of Emphasis Eminency and Excellency concerning Grace and Peace they being both in him formally Râ—v 1.5 as in the Subject of them and causally as in the Fountain of them that is in short Christ is the God and Giver of Grace and Peace which arrives me at my Text Vnto him who loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Beloved in this Text you have the Person and the Praedicate The Person Him or who that is Christ Unto Him The Praedicate Who loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Now here in you have The great Affection of the Person that 's Loving Who loved The greatest Demonstration of this Affection that 's washing And washed who loved and washed Loved and then washed not washed and then loved And herein you have The Persons that are washed Us. But who are these These properly are the seven Churches for unto these do John write and of these do John speak Us I say these expressively but not exclusively that is Us and all that have obtained like precious Faith with us as the grand Apostle of the Circumcision wordeth it 2 Petr. 1.1 That from which they are
washed Sin yea Sins Who loved us and washed us from our Sins That by which they are washed Blood not water but Bood yea his Blood yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own Blood or the Blood of himself in his own Blood or the Blood of himself Who loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood The words thus divided from them these Meditations may be deduced That Christ hath a peculiar People Meditations and a peculiar love for his peculiar People Us Not All but Us not Most but Us not every Individual but Us and these loved who loved Us. That Christ washeth whom he loveth and that from their Sins in his own Blood And washed us from our Sins in his own Blood That Christ hath a peculiar People Meditat. 1. and a peculiar Love for this peculiar People I begin with this and shall engage it as I am more or less under a divine Gale and Gust Now if the most excellent Glory please to smile a Methodical Discourse unto spiritual Advantage I shall digest my Discourse into this Method Inquiring Whether Christ hath a peculiar People Whether Christ hath a peculiar Love for this peculiar People What use may be made of this That Christ hath a peculiar People and a peculiar Love for his peculiar People Whether Christ hath a peculiar People That God and Christ have a People a peculiar People a People above any other People a People above all other People is evident Thus God and Christ had under the Old Testament witness these places Thou art a holy People unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar People unto himself abâ—ve all the Nations that are upon the Earth Deut. 14.2 The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar People as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandements Deut. 26.18 Thus God and Christ also had under the New Testament wisness these places Who gave himself for us that he might reaeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 But ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises or vertues of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 But take one place more which comprehend the peculiar People of God and Christ both under the Old and New Testament For Jah hath chosen to himself Jacob and Israel for his inheritance Psalm 135.4 So that what was promised under the Old Testament is performed by Christ in redeeming and purifying his peculiar People under the New Whether Christ hath a peculiar Love But 2. for this peculiar People Beloved I shall endeavour an evincement of this Truth in giving you a Tast of what manner of Love Christ hath to his People As Christ hath a peculiar People which I have already proved so he hath a peculiar Love to this peculiar People now this will appear by the Quantity or Measure of it and by the Quality or Manner of it In reference to the Measure of it There 's the Affection of Love which is natural and the Grace of Love which is supernatural There 's the Affection of Love and that 's natural This is or ought to be in all Men or Women Hath not the Husband a natural Affection to the Wise and Children Hath not the Wife a natural Affection to the Husband and Children The Apostle Rom. 1.31 reckons and ranks those among capital and cardinal Sinners that are without natural Affection There 's the Grace of Love and that 's supernatural Now the Grace of Love is in Christ formally and causally Formally Love is in Christ as the subject of it 1 Jo. 4.8 he is the God of it God is Love Not onely lovely and loving but Love in the Abstract God is Love Jo. 1.1 Christ is God In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God As is the Height of the Lover so is the Height of the Love The Moralists judge of the Magnitude of Crimes by the Persons against whom they are committed And as it was said of Gideon as the Man is so is his Strength Thus it may be said of Christ as He is Isa 9.6 so is his Love but he is wonderfull his name shall be called wonderfull so is his Love as his name is wonderful so is his Love Christ is a Bundle of Love all the dispersed Excellencies and Loves that are in the World meet in him as all the Lines meet in the Center Causally Love is in Christ as the Fountain of it Beloved As Christ is the God of Love so he is the Giver of Love to this my Text speaks who loved us In reference to the Manner of it But 2. As this appears by the Quantity or Measure of it so it appears by the Quality or Manner of it Now in a Discussion of the Manner of Christs Love to his peculiar People there will be a Discourry of it to be a peculiar Love But what Manner of Love Question is Christs Love What manner of Love Solution is Christs Love is that the Question What manner of Love Give me leave then to say 't is much more easie to say what it is not then what it is My Line is too short to sound this Bottom what 's a Muscle-shel to empty an Ocean In Christ there are deep Riches that cannot be sounded and rich Deeps that cannot be exhausted I shall therefore promise but a Tast of this Love Christs Love is attracting Love Attracting 'T is no more connatural to the Loadstone to draw Iron to it then for the Love of Christ to draw Love out of the Christian 'T is said of Mary Magdalene Luk. 7.4.7 that much was forgiven her for she loved much Not that her much Loving was the cause of her much Forgiving but Christ forgiving her much she loved much Hos 11.4 I drew them with Cords of a man with bands of Love As the Banner Christ display so the Cord by which he draw is Love His Love hath a Magnetick vertue Christs Love is abounding Love Abounding Had David a Cup running over Oh what hath Christ then the Lord of David But David saith Psal 23.5 Thou preparest a Table before me in the presence of mine Enemies thou anointest mine head with Oyl my Cup runneth over Beloved The Cup of Christs Love is not only full but it runs over This Nilus overflows her Banks in Winter as well as Summer Christ loveth his as he loveth himself Yea he seemeth to love his above himself for he loveth them and out of Love dyeth for them I lay down my life for the Sheep Je. 10.15 Now hath not Christ a peculiar People and is not this a peculiar Love that he hath for this peculiar