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ters P he not his Love towards them? Not the purpose of his will, but the difpenfations of his Grace. He rebukes them, he chaftens them, he hides his face from them, het fmites them, he fills them with a fenfe of indignation; but wo, wo would it be to us, fhould he change in his love, or take away his kindness from us: Thofe very things which feem to be demonftrations of the change of his Affections towards his, do as clearly proceed from Love, as thofe which feem to be the moft genuine Ifues thereof. But will not this encourage to fin? He never tafted of the Love of God, that can seriously make this objection. The doctrine of Grace may be turned into wantonefs, the Principle cannot: I fhall not wrong the Saints, by giving other answer to this objection. Detestation of fin in any may well confift with the Acceptation of their perfons, and their defignation to life eternal. §. 28. But now,our Love to God,is ebbing and flowing, waining and increafing. We lofe our firft Love, and we grow again in Love. Scarce a day at a ftand. poor creatures are we? how unlike the Lord and his Love? unstable as Water, we cannot excel: now it is! tho all men forfake thee, I will not: anon, I know not the man. One day, I fhall never be moved, my hill is fo strong; the next, all men are lyers, I fhall perish, When ever was the time, where ever was the place, that our love was one day equal towards God?

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And thus thefe Agreements, and difcrepancies, do farther describe that Mutual Love of the Father, and the Saints, wherein they hold Communion. Other Inftances as to the Perfon of the Father I fhall not give, but indeavour to make fome improvement of this in the next Chapter.

P Pfal. 39. 11. Heb. 12. 7, 8. Revel. 3. 19. Ifa. 8. 17. Ifa. 57. 17. Fob 6.3. Pfal. 6.6. Pfal. 38. 3, 4, 5, &c. & Revel. 2. 5, 3.2. Ephef. 3. 16, 17, 18, 19.

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CHAP. IV.

Inferences on the Former Doctrine concerning Communion with the Father in Love.

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Aving thus difcovered the nature of that Diftinst Communion which we have with the Father, it remaineth that we give fome Exhortations unto it, Directions in it, and take fome Observations from it.

§. 2. 1. First then, this is a Duty wherein it is moft evident that Christians are but little exercised, namely in holding immediate Communion with the Father in Love. Unacquaintedness with our Mercies, our Priviledges, is our fin, as well as our Trouble. We hearken not to the voice of the Spirit, a which is given unto us, that we may know the things that are freely bestowed on us of God. This makes us go heavily, when we might rejoice; and to be weak, where we might be strong in the Lord, How few of the Saints are experimentally acquainted with this Priviledge, of holding immediate communion with the Father in Love; with what anxions doubtful thoughts, do they look upon him? what fears, what queftionings are there, of his good-will and kindnefs? At the beft, many think there is no fweetness at all in him towards us, but what is purchased at the high price of the blood of Jefus: It is true, that alone is the way of Communica tion: but the free Fountain and Spring of all, is in the bofom of the Father, b Eternal life was with the Father, and is manifefted unto us; Let us then,

S. 3. 1. Eye the Father as love; Look not on him as an always lowring Father, but as one most kind, and tender. Let us look on him by faith,as one that hath had thoughts of kindness towards us from everlasting, It is misappre henfion of God, that makes any run from him, who have

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a 1 Cor. 2. 12. b Zán, The Te's Tov marieg nỳ spansgóðu ver 1 Foby 1.2. c Pfalm 103.9. Mic. 7. 18

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the leaft breathing wrought in them after him. They that know thee will put their trust in thee. Men cannot abide with God in fpiritual Meditations; He loofeth Souls Company by their want of this infight into his Love. They fix their thoughts only on his terrible Majefty, severity and Greatness, and fo their Spirits are not endeared. WouldTM a foul continually Eye his everlasting tenderness and compaffion, his thoughts of kindness that have been from of old, his prefent gracious Acceptance, it could not bear an hours abfence from him; whereas now perhaps, it cannot watch with him one hour. Let this then be the Saints first Notion of the Father, as one full of eternal, free Love towards them. Let their hearts and thoughts be fill'd with breakings through all difcouragements that lie in the way. To raise them hereunto, let them Confider

S. 4. 1. Whofe love it is? It is the Love of him who is in himself Alfufficient, infinitely fatiated with himself and his own Glorious Excellencies and Perfections. Who hath no need to go forth with his love unto others, nor to feek an Object of it without himself, There might He rest with delight and Complacency to Eternity. He is fufficient unto his own love, He had his Son, alfo his Eternal* Wisdom to rejoice and delight himself in from all Eternity, Prov. 8. 30. This might take up and fatiate the whole delight of the Father: But he will love his Saints alfo. And it is fuch a love, as wherein he feeks not his own Satisfaction only, but our good therein alfo. The love of a God, the love of a Father, whofe proper outgoings are kindness and Bounty.

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§. 5. 2. What kind of Love it is? and it is, 1. Eternal. It was fixed on us before the of the World: before we were, or had done the least good, then were his thoughts upon us, then was his delight in us, Then did the Son rejoice in the thoughts of fulfilling

optime in Dei filium quadrat patris dea שעש ועים יום וום *

licias. Mercer in loc. d Rom. 9. 11, 12. Acts 15, 18, 1 Tim. 2, 19. 1 Tim.2. 19. Prov, 8, 31. ferem. 31. 3.

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his Fathers delight in him: Prov. 8. 30. Yea the Delight of the Father in the Son there mentioned, is not fo much his abfolute delight in him, as the exprefs image of his Perfon, and the brightness of his Glory, wherein he might behold all his own Excellencies and perfections; But with refpect unto his love, and his delight in the Sons of men. So the order of the words require us to underftand it: Iwas daily his Delight and My delights were with the Sons of Men. That is, in the thoughts of kindness and Redemption for them: and in that refpect alfo, was he his Fathers delight. It was from Eternity that he laid in his own bofom a defign for our happiness. The very thoughts of this, is enough to make all that is within us, like the babe in the womb of Elizabeth, to leap,for joy. A fenfe of it cannot but proftrate our fouls to the lowest abafement of an humble holy Reverence, and make us rejoice before him with trembling.

§. 6. 2. Free. He Love us because he will; there was, there is nothing in us, for which we fhould be beloved. Did we deferve his Love, it must go lefs in its valuation. Things of due debt, are feldom the matter of thankfulness: but that which is Eternally antecedent to our being, must needs be abfolutely free in its refpects to our well being. This gives it life and being, is the Reafon of it, and fets a price upon it. Rom. 9. 12 .Ephef. 1. 3.4. Titus 3.5. Jam. 1. 18.

S. 7. 3. f Unchangeable. Though we change every day, yet his Love changeth not, Could any kind of provocation turn it away, it had long fince ceased, Its unchangableness is that which carrieth out the Father, unto that infiniteness of patience and Forbearance (without which we die, we perish 2 Pet. 3. 9. ) which he exercifeth towards. And it is,

e Mat.11.25,26. Hoc tanto Hus: fordet natura fine gratia. Fames 1. 17. Hof. 11.9.

tam ineffabili bono, nemo inventus eft digProf. de lib. Arb. ad Ruff. f Mal. 3. 8.

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§. 8. 4. Distinguishing. He hath not thus loved all the world. Jacob bave I loved, but I hated Efan; why Thould he fix his love on us, and pafs by millions from whom we differ not by Nature: that he should make us fharers in that, and all the fruits of it which most of the great, and wifemen of the world are excluded from: I name but the heads of all things. Let them enlarge, whose hearts are touched.

Let,I fay,the foul frequently Eye the Love of the Father, and that under these Confiderations: they are all foulconquering and endearing.

§. 2. 2. So Eye it, as to receive it; unless this be added,all is in vain as to any Communion with God. We do not hold Communion with him in any thing, untill it be received by faith. This then is that which I would provoke the Saints of God unto, even to believe this Love of God for themselves, and their own part; believe that fuch is the Heart of the Father towards them, accept of his witness herein. His Love is not ours in the sweetness of it, until it be fo received. Continually then act thoughts of faith on God, as Love to thee, as embracing thee with the Eternal free Love before defcribed. When the Lord is by his word, prefented as fuch unto thee, let thy mind know it, and affent that it is fo; and thy will embrace it, in its being fo; and all thy Affections be filled with it, Set thy whole heart to it. Let it be bound with the cords of this Love. If the King be bound in the Galleries with thy Love, fhouldst thou not be bound in Heaven with his ?

§. 10. 3. Let it have its proper fruit and Efficacy upon thy heart, in returns of Love to him again. So fhall we walk in the Light of Gods Countenance, and hold holy Communion with our Father all the day long. Let us not deal unkindly with him, and return him flighting for his

g Rom. 9. 12. Omnia diligit Deus, quæ fecit & inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationales de illis eas amplius quæ funt membra unigeniti fui. Et multo magis ipfum unigenitum : Auguft. h Ephef.2.3. i Matth. 11. 26,27. 1 Cor.1.20. k1 Fob:4.16. 1Cant.7.5.

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