BOOK 2. FROM ETERNITY.
CHAPTER 2.
2.2.6. Of Loving in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Loving in Jesus in that respect.
We must love Jesus, as carrying on that great work of our salvation in that eternity. And this is the fruit, or effect of faith, if once we believe, that all those designs and transactions were for us, even for us; O then how should we but love that God, and love that Christ, who thus first and freely loved us? God loved us before we loved him, for he loved us in that eternity before all worlds; surely then we are bound to love him, first and above all things. As the diamond formeth and fashioneth the diamond, so love formeth and fash ion eth love, or as fire eonverteth fewel into fire, so this ancient love of God and Christ may well cause our love again. O Christ! didst thou not love us? Who doubts it, that but reads over the project, council, foreknowledge, purpose, decree and covenant of God and Christ? Who doubts it, that but reads the eternal design of God, that Christ should go out of himself, and suffer an extasy through the vehemency of his love? That Christ should so far debase his Majesty, as to die for us, that we might not die but live with him? O then, how should this but kindle in our hearts a most ardent love towards God and Christ? What more effectual motive to work man's love than to be prevented by the love and bounty of another? That this fruit doth spring from the sense of our election. Bernard observes, Epist. 107: "Who is righteous, but he that requiteth the love of God with love again? Which is never done, except the Holy Ghost reveal unto a man by faith God's eternal purpose concerning his future salvation." And hence it is, that the heart is most in frame, when it is a considering the eternal love of God in Christ: as David said of Jonathan, "Thou hast been very pleasant to me, thy love to me was wonderful," 2 Sam. i. 26. So a poor soul, gathering up all the goodness of God in that eternity, and feeding upon it, and the variety of it, breathes out in that expression. "Thou hast been very pleasant to me, O God, thy love to me hath been wonderful," O my soul, that thou couldst so live by faith on these eternal passages, as that thou mightest attain to the highest fruits of faith, not only to love God and Christ, but to love them with a burning love, with a mighty love, such a love as lies in the most vigorous prosecution after Jesus Christ, and in the most faithful resignation of thyself to God; such a love as works the most delightful aspect of God and Christ, as makes a man to behold God and Christ with all cheerfulness; such a love as works a man to extol the praises of God. O in these hinges lies the strength of love.
But alas! this is, or at least this should be thy grief. That thou canst not love so well, and so warmly as thou art beloved. Christ comes towards thee, "Skipping like the hart, or roe on the mountains of spices," Cant. viii. 14. But thy love toward Christ is creeping like the worm in the unwholesome valley. Indeed the best affections have their fits of swooning; it may be for the present thy love is cold: O but come up to this fire : consider how God and Christ loved thee in every one of these.
1. His project to save thy soul sprung out of his love: love was the first wheel that set all the eternal works of God a going; what was that great design of God, but only an expression of his love? It was his pleasure to communicate himself, and the rise of that communication was his love.
2. The councils of God were all in love. Had not love been as president of the council, where hadst thou been? When all the attributes of God were at a stand, it was the love of God in Christ that resolved the question for thy salvation.
3. The foreknowledge of God was a foreknowledge of love and approbation : in his eternal love he embraced thee as his own: he foreknew thee, i.e. of his free love he set thee apart to life and to salvation; "God hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world," Eph. i. 4. He chose us in Christ, but not for Christ; nothing at all moved him to elect thee, but his own good pleasure and free love.
4. The purpose of God was a resolution of love; it speaks of his love to be a constant, settled, abiding love: no unkindness shall alter it: "For having loved his own, he loves them unto the end," John xiii. 1. Nay, he loves them without end: from everlasting to everlasting.
5. The decree of God was an order (as I may call it) or an act of love, to give in that grace unto his elect, which before all time he decreed should be an effectual means to bring them unto glory.
6. The covenant betwixt God and Christ was an agreement of love: God and Christ struck hands to save our souls; grace was given in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim. i. 9. Grace was given us, that is, the gracious love and favour of God in Christ was given us before all secular times. This was God's meaning from everlasting, this was the design, yea, the greatest design that ever God had, to set out the infinite glory, and the riches of his love in Jesus Christ. No question but he had other great designs in doing such great things as he hath done: but above all the designs that ever God had in all his works, this is the chief, to honour his mercy, to glorify the riches of his love and grace: had it not been for this he would never have made the world; and therefore in that world to come, it will be the delight of God, to show his saints and angels what he is able to do for a creature; yea, he will to all eternity declare to them, to what an height of excellency and glory, his love and mercy able to raise poor souls; so that the very saints and angels shall admire and adore, and magnify the name of God everlastingly for it.
O my soul, canst thou ponder on this, and not love him dearly, who hath thus loved thee? Come, "stir up the gift that is in thee;" if thou art a Christian, thou hast some sparks, though now (it may be) under the ashes: come rub, chaff and warm thy affections at this fire: love, like a watch must be wound up, or else it will fall downwards: what dost thou? "Why standest thou idle in the heat of the day?" Christ hath fire in his hand, it is but looking up, and reaching out thy hand to take it from him: O take it with both thy hands and be thankful for it. Prayer, ejaculation, contemplation, judicious observation of the Spirit's season, are the best instruments to kindle this fire of love in thee.
And methinks thy heart should begin now to melt, methinks it should receive more easy impressions from the object before it: methinks these eternal works and acts of God and Christ towards thy poor soul should begin to overcome thee, and to burn thy heart as with coals of juniper. Cant. vi. 5. and viii. 6 . Why, Lord, is it thus? Was I elected from all eternity in Christ? Was I ordained to a glorious inheritance before there was a world? Was this business to make me happy, one of the chief deep councils of God? Was this one of the works of his wisdom that he was exercised about before the world began? Was this the great design of God in making the world, and in making heaven, that place of glory, to glorify himself, and to glorify such a poor wretch as I am? O then how should this but mightily inflame my heart with the love of God, and love of Christ? How should I choose but say, as the martyr did, "Oh that I had as many lives, as I have hairs on my head, to lay them down for Christ?" Ah what flames of divine affection, what raptures of zeal, what ravishments of delight, what extasies of obedience can be enough for my blessed God and dearest Redeemer?