who have nothing but what is in, and of the world, whofe whole lyes in evil.

2. Our love is confequential in both thefe regards. 1. In refpect of the love of God. Never did creature turn his affections towards God, if the heart of God were not firft fet upon him. 2. In refpect of fufficient caufes of love. God must be revealed unto us as lovely and defireable, as a fit and fuitable object unto the foul to fet up its reft upon, before we can bear any love unto him. The faints, in this fenfe, do not love God for nothing, but for that excellency, lovelinefs, and defireablenefs that is in him. As the Pfalmift fays in one particular, Pfal. cxvi 19. I love the Lord becaufe! fo may we in general, we love the Lord becaufe! Or as David in another cafe, what have I now done, is there not a caufe? If any man enquire about our love to God, we may fay, what have we now done, is there not a caufe?

3. They differ in this alfo. The love of God· is like himself, equal, conftant, not capable of augmentation, or diminution: our love is like ourselves, unequal, increafing, wanting, growing, declining His like the fun, always the fame in its light, though a cloud may fometimes interpofe: ours, as the moon, hath its enlargements and ftreightnings..

1. The love of the Father is equal, &c. whom he loves, he loves unto the end, and he loves, them: always alike. The ftrength of Ifrael is not a man. that he should repent. On whom he fixes his love, it is immutable: it doth not grow to eternity, it is not diminished at any time. It is an eternal love, that had no beginning; that fhall have no ending; that cannot be heightened by any act of ours, that cannot be leffened by any thing in us; I fay in itfelf

it is thus, otherwise in a twofold regard it may admit of change.

1. In refpect of its fruits; it is (as I faid) a fruitful love, a love of bounty. In reference unto those fruits, it may fometimes be greater, fometimes less: its communications are various. Who among the faints, finds it not? What life, what light, what ftrength fometimes? and again how dead, how dark, how weak, as God is pleased to let out, or to restrain the fruits of his love? All the graces of the Spirit in us, all fanctified enjoyments whatever, are fruits of his love. How variously thefe are difpenfed, how differently at fundry feasons, to the fame perfons, experience will abundantly testify. 2. In refpect of its difcoveries and manifeftati

ons.

He fheds abroad his love in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft, Rom. v. 5. gives us a fenfe of it; manifefts it unto us. Now this is various and changeable, fometimes more, fometimes lefs: now he fhines, anon hides his face, as it may be for our profit. Our Father will not always chide, left we be caft down; he doth not always fmile, left we be full and neglect him, but yet still his love in itfelf is the fame. When for a little moment he hides his face, yet he gathers us, with everlasting kindness.

Object. But you will fay, this comes nigh to that blafphemy, that God loves his people in their finning, as well as in their strictest obedience; and if fo, who will care to ferve him more, or to walk with him unto well pleasing?

Anf. There are few truths of Christ, which from fome, or other, have not received like entertainment with this. Terms and appellations are at the will of every impofer, things are not at all varied

by

by them. The love of God in itself, is the eter nal purpose and act of his will. This is no more changeable, than God himself. If it were, no flesh could be faved: but it changeth not, and we arë not confumed. What then, loves he his people in their finning? Yes, his people, not their finning. Alters he not his love towards them? Not the purpofe of his will, but the difpenfations of his grace. he rebukes them, he chaftens them, he hides his face from them, he fmites them, he fills them with a fenfe of indignation; but woe, woe, 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 those which feem to be the most genuine iffues thereof. But will not this encourage to fin? He never tafted of the love of God, that can feriously make this objection. The doctrine of grace may be turned into wantonnefs, the principle cannot. I fhall not wrong the faints, by giving another anfwer to this objection. Deteftation of fin in any, may well confift with the acceptation of their perfons, and their defignation to life eternal.

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 fland. What poor creatures are we? how unlike the Lord and his love? unftable as water, we cannot excel; now it is, though all men forfake thee, I will not, anon, I know not the man. One day, I fhall never be moved, my hill is fo ftrong; the next,. all men are liars, I fhall perifh. When ever was the time, where ever was the place, that our love was one day equal towards God?

And

And thus thefe argreements, and difcrepancies, do farther defcribe that mutual love of the Father, and the faints, wherein they hold communion. Other inftances as to the perfon of the Father I fhall not give, but endeavour to make fome improvement of this, in the next chapter.

CHA P. IV.

Inferences on the former doctrine concerning communion with the Father in love.

H

AVING thus difcovered the nature of that diftinct communion which we have with the Father, it remaineth that we give some exhortations unto it, directions in it, and take fome obfervations from it.

1. First, then, this is a duty wherein it is most evident that Chriftians are but little exercised, namely in holding immediate communion with the Father in love. Unacquaintedness with our mercies, our privileges, is our fin, as well as our trouble, We hearken not to the voice of the Spirit, which is given unto us, that we may know the things, that are freely beftowed 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 faints are experimentally acquainted with this privilege, of holding immediate communion with the Father in love? with what anxious doubtful thoughts, do they look upon him? what fears, what queftionings are there of his good will and kindness? At the best, 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 communication: but the free fountain' and fpring of all, is in the bofom of the Father, John i. 2. Eternal life was with the Father, and is manifefted unto us. Let us then,

1. Eye the Father as love; look not on him as an always lowring Father, but as one moft kind, and tender. Let us look on him by faith, as one that hath had thoughts of kindness towards us from everlasting. It is mifapprehenfion of God, that makes any run from him, who have the least breathing wrought in them after him. They that know thee will put their truft in thee. Men cannot abide with God in fpiritual meditations. He loofeth fouls company by their want of this infight into his love. They fix their thoughts only on his terrible majesty, severity and greatness, and so their fpirits are not endeared. Would a foul continually eye his everlasting tenderness and compaffion, his thoughts of kindness that have been from of old, his gracious acceptance, it could not bear an hours abfence from him; whereas now perhaps, it cannot watch with him one hour. Let then this be the faints firit notion of the Father, as one full of eternal free love towards them: let their hearts and thoughts be filled with breaking through all difcouragements that lye in the way. To raife them hereunto, let them confider.

1. Whofe love it is? It is the love of him who is in hinfelf all fufficient, 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 reft with delight and complacency to eternity. He is fufficient unto his

own