Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 2
CAP. II. Of Gods love.
GOd loveth himself first, and most, as the cheifest good: and all other good things, as he communicates with them lesse, or more, the effects of his own goodnesse. And from this infinit love of his own infinit goodnesse is it, that he so severely punisheth some Creatures, though the Work of his own Hands, which he alwaies loveth. For, first, The Creature by sin violating Gods Holinesse, and despising his authoritie in his righteous Commandments, and so going on in impenitencie, and unbelief; and withall, it being impossible, that Gods love of his own Holinesse, and Iustice, and the honour of the same; and the love of the Creatures happinesse (so obstinatly dishonouring him) should stand togither: it cannot be, but that the latter must give way to the former, and greater; and the Creature (so sinning) become miserable; rather then God forgetfull of his own honour and glorie.
God reveales his glorious Majestie in the highest Heavens; his fearfull Iustice in the Hell of the Damned: His wise, and powerfull Prouidence is manifest through-out the whole World; but his gracious love and merciemercy in, and unto his Church here upon Earth; which he therefore hath chosen, and taken near unto himself, that in it might be seen the riches of his glorious grace. And albeit all things in God are infinit, and one; yet are the effects of his love more wonderfull, and excellent, then of any other his Attributes; as appeares in that his greatest, and strangest work of giving his only begotten Son to the cursed death of the Crosse, for his Enemies, out of his love and merciemercy. This the Scriptures (and worthily) call a great mysterie, 1 Tim. 3.and which, for the rarenesse of it, was not onelyonly hidden from the Sons of Men, but also from the verie Angels in theirEph. 3. 1 Pet. 1. perfection of created knowledg. Which manifold grace, and wisdom of God they therefore desire to look into, and learn by the Church.
Love in the Creature ever presupposeth some good, true, or apparent in the thing loved; by which that affection of union is drawn, as the Iron by the Load-stone: But the love of God on the contrarie, causeth all goodScaliger. wrought, or to be wrought in the Creature. He first liveth vsus in the free purpose of his will, and thence worketh good for, and in us; and then loves us actually for his own good work, for, and in us: and so still more, and more, for his own further work. And hence ariseth the unchangablenesse of Gods love towards us, because it is founded in himself, and in the stablenesse of the good pleasure of his own will. And although the arguments of comfort be great, which we draw from the certain knowledg of our love to him; yet are those infinitely greater, which are taken from the consideration of his love to us; as being not onelyonly the ground of the other; but in him also infinite, and vnchangable. And hereupon it was, that the Sisters of Lazarus seeking help for their sick Iohn 11.Brother sent Christ word; not that he, who loved him (though that were not nothing) but that he whom he loved, was sick.
As by the hand of a friend reached unto us we are made partakers of the strength of his whole body, to hold, or help us up: so by the hand of the love of God reached down from Heaven, in the Gospel, we become interessed in the most comfortable apprehension, and happy use of all other his attributes whatsoeuer. The more wise, powerfull, holy, glorious, eternall, and infinite God is, the more happy are we by means of his love, and mercy in Christ; which moveth him to use, and improve them all for our good, and to communicate them with us, as his friends, in theirPhil…. effects, so far as serves for our happinesse. He whom God loves though he know it not, is an happy man: He that knows it, knows himself to be happy. Which caused the Apostle to make in his own name, and in the names of all the beloved of God, that glorious insultation over all theRom. 8. enemies of his, & their happines, that they could not seperate him, or them (not from the power, or wisdom, or holinesse; but not) from the love of God, which is in Christ Iesus. From this love of God, as from a Spring head, issueth all good both for grace, and glory. Yea by it (which is more) all evill by all Creatures intended, or done against us, is turned to good to us. By it our afflictions work together with our election, redemption, vocation, &c. for our good. By reason of it the stones of the Feild are at league with us, & the Iob 5.beasts of the Feild at peace with us: yea even the very Sword that killeth us, the Fire that burneth us, and the Water that drowneth us, is a kinde of Spirituall, and invisible league with us, to do us good. VponUpon the knowledg of this love of God shed abroad into▪ our hearts by the Holy Ghost, is laid the foundation, and ground-work of whatsoever good thing we return again unto God, with acceptation at his hands. VponUpon this we do build our Faith, and confidence in him: By this our cold and frozen hearts are not onelyonly thawed, but inflamed also with love again to him, and to men for him: As the Earth being heated by the beams of the Sun beating upon it, reflecteth heat again towards the Heavens, & upon all the bodies between it, and them. Lastly, from hence arise all the pleasing services, wherewith we present his Majesty. For howsoever we ow our selvs, and whatsoever we are, or can do, vntounto him, as our gracious, and powerfull Creatour, & absolute Lord; yet can we do nothing heartily, & as we ought, but from the Faith, & feeling of his love in Christ, & by the motion of the Spirit of a sound minde given unto us. But being once2 Cor. 3. drawn sweetly by the coards of Gods goodnes, & love, we readily, & pleasingly follow after him; as being debters, and Austin.constrained, not by necessity, but (wch binds more strongly) by love
The tokens of this love of God in Christ are not onelyonly by us highly to be prized, but carefully to be discerned; lest we bring our selves into a fools paradise, and grow presumptuously secure; which is the fore-runner of suddain, and certain destruction. We must therefore in this scrutiny neither trust our selvs, nor any other creature, but God alone in the testimony of his Word, & Spirit, which1 Cor. 2. knows, & makes known the minde of God; and by which we may unerringly learn; First, what the tokens of his love are; and secondly, who they are which partake of them; and thirdly, that we our selvs are of that blessed number. Now, amongst them all, there is none so certain, and infallible (though those of feeling be more joifull) as the gracious work of true repentance in the mortifying of the Rom. 8. Gal. 5.old man in his sinfull affections; and in the quickning power of Christs Spirit to willing (though weak) obedience to all Ps 119.Gods Commandments. As we may certainly know, that the Sun shines, by the beams, and heat thereof below, though we climbe not into Heauen to see: so may we hauehave certain knowledge of Gods gracious love towards us, without searching further then our own hearts, and waies; and by finding them truly, and effectually turned from sin to God.
As God may so far hate some evill in a person (for example, the Adultrie of David, and other sins accompanying it) as to punish the same severely in this World; and yet not hate the person himself: so may he, on the other side, love some good in a man, so far, as to reward it highly in this life: and neverthelesse, not love, but hate, the person-in whom it is found; as may be seen in the zeal of Iehu for the Lord against wicked Ahab, and2 King. 9. and 10. his House. And if our narrow, and partiall hearts can, upon occasion, hold and preserve this difference between persons, and things; how much more may, and doth the same right well stand, with the distribution of rewards, and punishments made by the most holy, and wise God? As then, when the Lord manifests some signes of his anger at us, and hatred against the evils in us; we must take heed we conclude not presently, that therefore we in our persons are hated of him, and cast-awaies; except the evils raign in us without repentance: so must we, on the other side, take more care (considering how by selflove we are commonly in more danger thereof) that we c…oclude not of the love of God towards our persons, from everie effect of some kinde of love, and likeing of some particular good things in us; and not except those good things be such, as make us good also; as Faith and holines do; trans-forming us, as it were, into their Nature, and kinde: as in the Parable of the Wheat, and Tares, the good Math. 13.Seed is expounded the Children of the Kingdom because they grow of the good Seed of the Gospel; and by their regeneration, as it were, turn verie Word and Spirit.