Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 57
JOHN 17.26.
And will declare it.
AND thus far of the firſt part of our Saviours reſolution, to make a further declaration of his Fathers Name, in reference to his Apoſtles and Diſciples then about him; I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it further to them, to the very ſame men.
Proceed we to the Second Member of his Reſolution, to make a further delaration of his Fathers Name in reference to other men, to whom he had not yet at all declared it. I have declared unto them thy Name, to theſe Apoſtles and Diſciples now about me, and will declare it further yet to other men both in the preſent and the future ages. This act of mine ſhall be a conſtant and continued act; as long as there are any people in the world, I will not ceaſe declaring of thy Name to them. And ſo accordingly the point ſhall be;
DOCTRINE. That Jeſus Chriſt will be continually making further declarations of his Fathers Name, to other Nations, and to other perſons, to the end of the world.
He will be ſtill declaring it to thoſe that have not heard of it, that have not been acquainted with his Fathers name: Teaching new ſcholars ſtill to ſpell it and to underſtand it, in every Generation while the World endureth. And as he is a King for ever, as long as there are any further people to be ruled: and as he is a Prieſt for ever, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, Pſal. 110.4. as long as there are any further people to be ſaved and redeemed: So he is a Prophet for ever, as long as there are any further people to be taught. Every age ſhall have experience of the bleſſed fruits of the Prophetical Office of Chriſt, in giving ſome the knowledge of his Fathers Name, who till then were ſtrangers to him.
For clearing of the point, I ſhall a little more diſtinctly ſhew you, that Jeſus Chriſt will be continually making further Declarations of his Fathers Name. In the firſt place to other Nations: And in the ſecond place to other perſons to the end of the world.
Jeſus Chriſt will be continually making further declarations of his Fathers Name to other Nations. He had declared it only to the people of the Jews, when he put up this ſupplication to his Father in my Text. Some Proſelytes of other Nations there might be among the Jews, who were partakers of his publique teaching: but certainly he had revealed his Father to no other Nation but the Jews only. For his Commiſſion was confined to them, as he profeſſed to the Canaanitiſh woman, Matth. 15.24. I am not ſent but to the loſt Sheep of the houſe of Iſrael; I am to be my Fathers Meſſenger to them, and none but them immediately in my own perſon. If I go further, I exceed my bounds; For till the reſurrection of our Saviour, the partition-wall between the Jews and Gentiles was not broken down: And ſo accordingly he preacht not peace, he did not manifeſt that ſweet part of his Fathers Name to thoſe that were afar off, neither by himſelf, nor by his Miniſters, till after that time, as the Apoſtle Paul inſinuates, Epheſ. 2.14, 15, 16, 17. And therefore when he ſent forth his Apoſtles, Mat. 10.5. his expreſs injunction was, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go ye rather to the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael. Which courſe or method the Apoſtles in the firſt place very carefully obſerved, as you may ſee, Act. 13.15. It was neceſſary, ſaith Paul and Barnabas to the Jews, that the Word of God the Goſpel (in which the Fathers name is manifeſted and made known to men) ſhould firſt of all be preached unto you.
But ſince that time he hath declared it by his Miniſters to other Nations. To whom his laſt Commiſſion was, Go into all the world, and preach the Goſpel to every creature, Mark. 16.15. Go ye and teach all Nations, Mat. 28.19. And in purſuance of this Commiſſion and command of his, even the Apoſtles while they lived, did ſpread it far and wide. The Scripture ſtory ſeems to hint it to us, Mark. 16. ult. where after the forementioned Mandate of our Saviour, it is immediately obſerved by the Evangeliſt, that they went forth and preached everywhere. And the Apoſtle Paul reporteth, that himſelf alone had filled with the Goſpel all the Countrey from Jeruſalem, even round about unto Illyricum; yea, that he ſtrived to preach it where Chriſt was not ſo much as named, Rom. 15.19, 20. You may ſuppoſe the reſt of the Apoſtles were not idle in their places: The ſtories of the Church give in ſome Teſtimonies to it; For Stapleton reports of Thomas that he preached to the Indians; and Clemens ſaith there is no Nation, either Grecian or Barbarian, among whom prayers are not made in the Name of Jeſus: And ſo to whom God is not manifeſted as a Father in his Son Chriſt. But yet we are not to conclude from this, an univerſal Declaration of the Name of God to every people, Iſland, Nation in the world, in the times of the Apoſtles. For ſince their dayes, Chriſt hath revealed it to many Countries, and to many people.
And yet at this day there are many Nations that have not heard of God in Chriſt; That Name of his hath not been declared to them: But to them he will declare it before the conſummation of the world; they ſhall all hear of it; The Goſpel (ſaith our Saviour) ſhall be preached to all the world, and then ſhall the end come, Mat. 24.14. So it behoveth that remiſſion ſhould be preached in his Name, and that among all Nations, Luk. 24 47. There is a fulneſs of the Gentiles yet to be brought in, by this diſcovery of the Fathers Name: which Chriſt will certainly accompliſh in his own time; He hath begun of late to manifeſt it to the Indians in America, and he will certainly go on with that work, till all the People, Languages, and Nations in the world do ſerve the Lord: till the ends of all the world do turn to him, and all the Kindreds of the earth do worſhip before him: And till he be Governour in all Nations, Pſal. 22.27, 28. You ſee then Jeſus Chriſt will be continually making further Declarations of his Fathers name to other Nations: ſtill it is, I have declared it, and I will declare it, with reference to other Nations.
And ſo it is with reference to other perſons, in thoſe Nations where it is declared already. He hath declared it unto ſome, and will declare unto others ſtill, in every age to the end of the world. There will be ſome elect continually to be brought in by this means. Some to be added to the Church, ſome to be joyned to the body myſtical, untill the diſpenſation of the fullneſs of time which the Apoſtle mentions, Eph. 1.10. when all things ſhall be gathered into one, which are in heaven, and which are on earth. So that you ſee my brethren, Jeſus Chriſt will be continually making further declarations of his Fathers Name to other Nations and to other perſons. But how will he make theſe further declarations? Brethren, he will not do it in his own perſon, or by his own immediate voyce: But he will do it other wayes.
1. By his written word and Miniſters in all ages: for that which they declare in his name and by authority from him, Jeſus Chriſt himſelf declares. To this end Chriſt hath ſet ſome in the Church, ſome Miniſters of all ſorts, as the Apoſtle tells us, 1 Cor. 12.28. And that is out of all diſpute in the univerſal Church, which is not limited to any Countrey, or to any age. That ſo there might be continually ſome in all Churches and in all ages, to publiſh what is to be manifeſted of his Father. And hence ſaid Chriſt to his Apoſtles, Mat. 28.20. Lo, I am with you to the end of the world. They were not to continue for their own parts by many hundred years ſo long: And therefore it muſt alſo ſtretch to thoſe who were to follow them in the office, and the work of Goſpel preaching, till it be publiſhed univerſally to all Nations, in the outward promulgation, and in the inward and effectual revelation to all perſons to whom it is appointed ſo to be revealed: Which was not done, you know, by the Apoſtles: it was but begun by them, and muſt be carrried on, till it be finiſhed, by other Miniſters to the end of the world. And therefore when our Saviour Chriſt aſcended, and conſequently could no longer teach his Church immediately in his own perſon, he gave gifts unto men, ſuch gifts as he never gave before: And he gave ſome Apoſtles, Prophets, Evangeliſts: Some temporary, ſome perpetual, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry. How long? Till we all come (all that are choſen, whether Jews or Gentiles) in the unity of the Faith, unto a perfect man. So that the Miniſtry ſhall be continued, till all be gathered into Chriſt, that ſhall be gathered, and that is till the end of the world.
2. Chriſt makes theſe further declarations of his Fathers name in every age; by his ſpirit. As he declares it outwardly to other perſons by his word, ſo he declares it inwardly to other perſons by his ſpirit, to his elect in every age to the end of the world. And therefore when our Saviour Chriſt withdrew his corporal and fleſhly preſence, he ſent his ſpirit down to teach his people, to lead them into all truth: And by that ſpirit he declares his Fathers name, and will do to the worlds end. And he aſſured his Apoſtles in the place even now alledged, Mat. 28.20. when he was even about to leave them, as to his fleſhly preſence with them, Lo, I am with you alwayes, viz. by my ſpirit, to the end of the world. That is, with you and ſuch as you are, with you and your Succeſſors ſtill in every age, as long as the world endureth. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations, and my ſpirit ſhall be with you: So that what you teach all without, he ſhall teach my elect within, powerfully and with ſucceſs, till the laſt man be gathered in: And then ſhall the end come.
Is it ſo that Jeſus Chriſt will be continually making further declarations of his Fathers name to other Nations and to other perſons to the end of the world? Ʋse Then let us ſeriouſly conſider what our dutie is in reference to this work, (which will be beautifull and glorious beyond all compariſon) and what Chriſt expects of us. If he will do as he hath ſaid, let us examine what we are to do, and what duty lyeth upon us, (relating to it) in the mean time. And here I ſhall propound a few things.
1. Let us give him ſo much credit as to believe what he hath ſpoken. And though it ſeem improbable that Chriſt ſhould manifeſt his Fathers name to all Nations: That all the Countreyes in the world ſhould come to know him, and to be acquainted with him: yet ſeeing Chriſt hath undertaken it, and bound himſelf by faithfull promiſe to his Father, that as he hath declared his name already, ſo he will be continually making further declarations of it to other perſons and to other Nations, let us ſay Amen to it. As Mary ſometimes, when ſhe had ſtaggerd at the difficulty of the Promiſe, at length recovered out of that fit of unbelief, and ſet the ſeal of faith to it, Be it according to thy word.
2. Let our hearts be full of hope, in reference to this buſineſs. Since Chriſt hath undertaken it, let us expect the execution of it. Our Saviours words (my brethren) are a promiſe to the Father, what he will do in after times for his people: Saith he, I will declare thy name to them. And therefore as it is our duty to believe the promiſe, ſo to expect the good things promiſed. To be continually in a waiting frame, looking and harkning after the accompliſhment of this eximious work of his, ſpying if we can ſee the day break, and the Fathers name ſhine forth to other Nations, who never had a glimſp of it by any Goſpel Revelation, till in the end from the riſing of the Sun unto the going down of the ſame, his name be great among the Gentiles, according to that Propheſie relating to theſe latter times and ages of the world, Mal. 1.11.
3. Let us ſtrive with Chriſt in prayer, that he would make good the word that he hath ſpoken to the Father before ſo many witneſſes. Oh my beloved, when ye look on many Heathen Nations that yet are overwhelmed in ignorance and Egyptian darkneſs, that yet know nothing of the Fathers name; when you look on many Chriſtians in profeſſion, that yet are even in as bad a caſe as they, ſome of which it may be have relation to your ſelves: go to Jeſus Chriſt and ſay, O Lord, thou haſt profeſſed that thou wilt declare thy Fathers name to other perſons, and to other Nations, to the end of the world. Lord, there are ſuch Nations, there are ſuch perſons who yet are ſtrangers to the Father; who know no more of God in Chriſt, then the very beaſts that periſh: O be intreated to declare thy Fathers name to them. Lord, manifeſt the Father to them, that they may know him to ſalvation.
4. Let our hearts be full of joy while we are looking forward to the accompliſhment of this work. O let it chear our ſpirits, under all the ſinking damps and deep diſcouragements that are upon them, in relation to the Church, to think in what a bleſſed ſtate and glorious poſture ſhe will be, when Chriſt ſhall have declared his Fathers name to all the Nations under heaven, when the Jews ſhall be converted, and when the fulneſs of the Gentiles ſhall come in: Oh my beloved, that will be a joyfull time indeed. Its true, thoſe times, my brethren, ſhall be very comfortable and full of gladneſs many wayes. And this is not the leaſt, that people ſhall be brougbt in to the knowledge of the Lord out of all the quarters of the world, and that by heaps and multitudes. And when they come, th… ſhall be brought with gladneſs and rejoycing, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, Pſal. 45.15. With gladneſs and rejoycing ſhall they be brought. And truly they that have the happineſs to live in thoſe dayes, cannot but be extreamly taken with it, when they behold the Fathers name declared to the people of the Jews, and to ſuch multitudes of Nations of the Gentiles, ſo that they ſhall come thronging in ſo faſt as if they were in haſte to be acquainted with him, and to know more of him: Oh they will be an end at this, and their hearts will leap within them. There was never ſuch a time ſince the foundation of the world, nor ſhall be till that bleſſed ſeaſon come: and therefore let our ſouls rejoyce in the foreſight of it, though we never live to ſee it.
And thus far of our Saviour faithfullneſs, in the delivery of his Fathers Errand, in the diſcovery of his Fathers name to his people. He hath been faithfull and will be faithfull in it. In the remainder of the verſe, he ſhews the end and reaſon of it, why he hath been ſo, and will be ſo, That the love wherewith thou haſt loved me, may be in them, and I in them.
It is a very great queſtion, whether believers be intended here to be the objects, or the ſubjects of the love our Saviour mentions. Whether the name of God be manifeſted to them to this end, that they may be beloved by him, or to this end that they may love him. I muſt acknowledge, all Interpreters almoſt that I have ſeen, make them the objects, not the ſubjects of this love, That the love wherewith thou haſt loved me may be in them; That is, ſay they, may reach to them, or come to them: their meaning is ſo as to lay hold upon them, and embrace them. In plainer terms, that thou maiſt love them with the love wherewith thou haſt loved me, with the very ſame affection.
Againſt this Expoſition there are two Exceptions, to which I muſt confeſs I know not how to give a cleer Solution. For Firſt, If this were the intention of our Saviour, I have declared unto them thy name, that thou maiſt love them, he would have ſaid in probability, That thy love may be towards them, or That thy love may be upon them, rather then That thy love foreign (as here we have it) may be in them. This is a ſtrange expreſſion to ſay My love is in a man, when my intention is, I love him, or I have ſet my love upon him. But ſecondly, if when our Saviour Saviour ſaith that thy love may be in them, his meaning be, That thou maiſt love them: how ſhall this be the end of his forementioned delaration of his Fathers name, as it is cleerly made in this place? I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou haſt loved me, may be in them: That thou maiſt love them with the love wherewith thou haſt loved me. Doth Chriſt declare his Fathers name to men, his love, his mercy to this end that he may love them? Is this a proper means to that end? for God to be made known to men, that God may love them whom he is made known to? Brethren, God doth not love men becauſe his name is manifeſted and declared to them, but men love him upon that ground, and for that reaſon: the declaration of his name to them, is a means to make them love him.
And therefore I muſt needs crave leave to think the latter Expoſition probable, by which believers are made the ſubjects of the love here mentioned, I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou haſt loved me may be in them as in the ſubjects of it: That the love which is originally in thy ſelf as in the fountain (as all other graces are) may be communicated and diſpenſed from thee to them, and become inherent in them.
You know my Brethren, we are ſaid to be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. not by participation of the eſſence, but by communication of the properties of God, when the communicable properties of God, as holineſs and love and wiſdom, are diſpenſt to us. So here our Saviour prayes his Father, that the love wherewith he hath loved Chriſt, may be given down from him into the hearts of his people, that they may have that very property in them alſo.
And to this end ſaith Chriſt, I have declared thy name, thy mercy, goodneſs, love to them, that this love may be wrought in them. That by this means their hearts may be enflamed, and filled with the love of thee: That they may have the love of thee in them, as the Apoſtle hath the very Phraſe, 1 John 3.17. How dwelleth the love of God in him? So here, that the love wherewith thou haſt loved me, that very property may be in them, by way of derivation from thee, and that by the revealing of thy name to them.
If this be our Saviours meaning, as I can ſee no other for the preſent, the Obſervations will be two. Firſt, The love which is in true believers, comes from God. The love wherewith true believers love, is in a ſenſe the ſame wherewith God himſelf loves: Or the love wherewith God loves, is in a ſenſe in true believers. Secondly, The declaration of the Fathers name to them, is the great means that begetteth love in them.
DOCTRINE. The love which is in true Believers comes from God.
The love wherewith he loveth, is in them, ſaith our Saviour in my text. viz. by way of diſpenſation from him. Love is originally, primitively and eſſentially in the Lord, and from him it is given down into the hearts of true believers. This is part of the divine nature, which they are made partakers of, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Pet. 1.4. This is a print of his Image, whereby they are conformed to God, and made ſuitable to God, when they love as he doth; And conſequently, as he is, ſuch are they in this world. So that when an enlightned eye looks firſt on God, and ſees that he doth love, that he is love, and then looks on the believer, and ſees this grace of love communicated and diſpenſed from God to him, he finds that he is ſuch a one as God is: That he is like God in this world, though he ſhall be better like him in the world that is to come: This is a beam of his light (as other ſaving graces are) it comes down from the Father of lights, as the Apoſtle James ſpeaks, Chap. 1.17. And as the ſtars ſhine with a borrowed Luſter, even ſo do believers too. If there be this, or any other brightneſs in them, it is a beam of the divinity, a ſtreak and ray of the divine glory. They ſhine becauſe their light is come, viz. from God, and the glory of the Lord is riſen upon them, Iſa. 60.1. And in a word this is a ſtream of his fountain, which runs down from God to us: All our freſh ſprings are in him, as the Prophet David ſpeaks, Pſal. 87.7. and conſequently all our ſtreams of living waters are from him. Firſt the ſprings of our ſtreams are in him, and then the ſtreams of his ſprings are in us. The love wherewith he loveth, is in us.
So that God doth not only teach us love, as the Apoſtle ſaith, ye are taught of God to love, 1 Theſ. 4.9. but more then ſo, he gives us love. He doth not only teach it as a Maſter, but he beſtows it as a Donour and Diſpenſer; Yea, as a Donour of himſelf to us; for when he gives us love, he gives us down himſelf in ſome meaſure; And therefore by this love he is ſaid to dwell in us; Mark that Expreſſion of the Apoſtle John, 1. Epiſt. 4.10. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him, God is love properly, eſſentially (for whatſoever is attributed to God is God,) and he is the Original and Fountain of that love that is communicated to the Creature, and by this love he dwells in us. So that whoever hath this love in him, hath God in him; God in the beam, as we are wont to ſay; The room that hath the beam in it, hath the Sun in it; That place of the Apoſtle John is full, 1 Epiſt. 4.7. Love is of God, ſaith he, and every one that loves is born of God, while he participates in this of Gods nature, even as the Son is made partaker of the nature of the Father. The Point you ſee is fully proved, The love which is in true believers, comes from God.
Reaſon. And it muſt needs be ſo, becauſe it is not, neither can it be originally in, or of, or from our ſelves. The heart of man is naturally averſe, yea even abhorrent from the Love of God: And therefore in the ſtate of nature, men are ſaid to hate God, Rom. 1.30. as in divers other places of the Scripture. Indeed it ſeems to be a little ſtrange that men ſhould naturally hate the chiefeſt good: And true it is, that nothing apprehended and preſented under the notion, reaſon, and the name of goodneſs can be hated and abhorred: But yet the chief good, looked upon as evil, either in it ſelf, or elſe to him that ſo conceives and apprehends it, may under ſuch a notion be ſo far from being loved as that indeed it may be hated. And thus it is with all unſanctified men. So that of our ſelves you ſee it is impoſſible to have the love of God in us.
But whence muſt we have it then, if we be partakers of it? The Apoſtle clearly ſhews us, Jam. 1.17. Every good and perfect gift is from above. From above, what's that? why it cometh down from the Father of lights, that is, from God who is the fountain of it. And if every gift be from him, every good and perfect gift, then ſurely love which is in ſome reſpect the choiceſt of all other guifts (as the Apoſtle ſhewes at large) is from him too. The love which is in true believers, comes from God.
But yet this Caution let me interpoſe, before I come to application. You muſt not apprehend the love which is in true believers, to come immediately from God, without the uſe of ſecond means, as ſome have ſeemed to infer from that place of the Apoſtle, 1 Theſſ. 4.9. As touching love you need not that I write to you; for you your ſelves are taught of God to love. As if his meaning were, I need not teach it you at all, I need not ſtrive to work it and beget it in you, by my preaching; for you are taught immediately of God himſelf. Whereas indeed he ſpeaks comparatively, not as though they had no need at all of his inſtruction, but not ſuch need as many other men who were not taught of God to love. As ſuch expreſſions are very uſual in the Scripture, which in ſhew are univerſal, yet to be underſtood ex parte, and in compariſon, as that for inſtance, John 9.4. If ye were blind, ye ſhould have no ſin, ſaith Chriſt; none in compariſon, not ſimply none. But as for love, that it is mediately wrought by means, as by the preaching of the Goſpel, is very manifeſt by this, that the Apoſtles, Paul and John eſpecially, do ſo frequently and earneſtly perſwade and preſs to it: which they need not to have done, if God did work it in the hearts of his people immediately by the teaching of his ſpirit. Indeed my brethren, every ſaving grace flows clearly from the upper ſpring, but yet there are ſome pipes that carry and convey it down to us, as the Word and Ordinances and the like. And he that lives above them, lives above grace too. And therefore in my text, our Saviour makes his declaration of his Father name, by himſelf and his Apoſtles and their Succeſſors in the Church, the means of working love in the hearts of his people; I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou haſt loved me may be in them
Now is it ſo my brethren, that the love which is in true believers comes Ʋſe 1 from God? Here then we are directed where to go, and to whom to have recourſe for this grace. If any man lack wiſdom, ſaith the Apoſtle, let him ask it of God. And ſo ſay I in this caſe, If any man want love to God, or to his Brethren, let him ask it of God. Let him go to God the Fountain and the ſpring of it, and beſeech him earneſtly to give it down to poor creatures. If we find our hearts are cold and dull and flat, if they be not inflamed with the love of God, let us entreat him to kindle them at his fire. Let us begg him that the love which is in him may be in us. Let us pray with the Apoſtle, The Lord direct our hearts unto the love of God, 2 Theſſ. 3.5. They cannot find the way themſelves; the way of peace, and ſo the way of love, they have not known. Now the good Lord himſelf direct them, and guide them into that way. It cannot chooſe but be a pleaſing and a lovely ſuit indeed, to be importunate with God to make us love him and to endear our hearts to him. A man would think that ſuch a ſweet requeſt as this ſhould not be turned off with a denial. And that we may the rather ſtruggle in it, I ſhall propound two things.
1. Love as it comes from God, ſo it is in ſome reſpect the chiefeſt thing that comes from God. It is a grace of the firſt magnitude, and therefore it is placed firſt by the Apoſtle in that Catalogue of his, Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the ſpirit is love, and then joy, and other graces. It is an excelling gift: and therefore the Apoſtle Paul to ſhew the matchleſs worth and the ſurpaſſing value of it, admits a kind of Solaeciſm in his diſcourſe, and makes it better then the beſt of gifts, 1 Cor. 12. ult. Covet, ſaith he, and covet earneſtly the beſt gifts. And then immediately annexeth a diſcourſe of love, and touching that he ſaith, I ſhew unto you a more excellent way.
Indeed it is of greater latitude then other graces, it runs through every precept of the Law of God. For love is the fulfilling of the Law, and that no other grace is. It is of greater power then other graces, for it ſets them all on work. And hence the acts of other graces are frequently aſcribed to love, as 1 Cor. 13.4, &c ſhe hopeth, ſhe believeth, &c. It is of greater permanency then other graces, then faith, or hope. And other graces without love are nothing, as the Apoſtle ſhews at large in that Chapter.
2. And as love is the chiefeſt thing that comes from God, ſo it is the chiefeſt thing that conformeth us to God. It makes us like him more then other graces do. God is not ſaid in Scripture to be faith, or hope, or patience, but he is ſaid in Scripture to be Love. If we believe, God doth not ſo: if we hope, God doth not ſo: if we ſuffer quietly, God doth not ſo: Indeed he ſuffer not at all, either by way of paſſion or compaſſion. But if we love, my brethren, ſo doth God. In this we do as God himſelf doth. And therefore we may pray for this, (my brethren) in another way then we may pray for other graces, according to the pattern in my Text. We cannot pray to God, Lord grant us that the faith which is in thee, may be in us: Lord grant us that the hope which is in thee may be in us; But we may pray, Lord grant us that the love which is in thee, may be in us; That the love wherewith thou loveſt, may be given down to us.
Ʋſe 2 Is it ſo that the love which is in true believers, comes from God? If then we have the love of God in us, let us remember whence it came, and to whom the glory of it ought to be returned. We can hate God of our ſelves, but we can never love him of our ſelves. So that if there be any ſpark of the love of God in us, we may be confident that it was kindled at his fire. And therefore let it be continually working upward, upward ſtill, yea, let it never leave aſcending till it have joyned it ſelf unto that infinite and endleſs flame, from which it iſſued and proceeded.