The Rise Race and Royalty of the Kingdom of God, Part 2 (3 of 5)

The Rise Race and Royalty of the Kingdom of God · Part 2 (3 of 5)

p. 356There are two Promises made to Abraham concerning his Seed; one, th… they shall be, as the Stars of Heaven for number; the other, that they shal be, as the Dust of the Earth for Multitude.

The Seed is Christ. The Lord Jesus one Seed in all the uncreated Glories, which are fixed, as innumerable Stars in the Heaven of the Divine Nature▪ The Lord Jesus is the same Seed in the Dust here below, sown in the form … Flesh, and Dust.

When the Lord Jesus cometh in the Power of the Gospel into any Heart this one Seed at once shineth down from all those Glories of the God-He… above, and springeth up out of the Dust here below. It awakeneth itself fro… above and below. It meeteth with, receiveth itself, and twisteth into … with itself, the Glory from on high, and the Dust from beneath. It continually ascendeth, and descendeth into its own Bosom, and feasteth itself eternally upon itself with all Divine Substance, and Sweetness.

I have endeavoured to draw aside the Curtain from this Scripture, to sh… you the Joy, and Glory of the Lord in the Gospel, the Unity of God, … the Fountain of Love with him in that Unity.

Let me add one Scripture to this to bring in more Spiritual Light into a Roo… so rich in, so full of Heavenly Beauties. It is that Rom. 4. 16. It is of Gra… that it may be sure to the Seed. You, whose hearts the Love of God in Ch… hath touched from Heaven, that you pant after the Water-brooks, and Fou… tain of this Love opened in the Bosom of the Lord Jesus; why come y… not to your Saviour, that you may drink abundantly of the Divine Love Are you discouraged, and driven away by the sense of your own unworth… ness, and weakness, by unbelief? Hear, and believe, and come with bold… to the Fountain of Love. Love is made sure, and tyed fast from the Thron p. 357of Love in Heaven to the Hearts of Believers on Earth by a three-fold Cord.

1. Cord. The first Cord is the Promise. By the immutable tie of a Promise in which it is impossible for God to lie, hath he assured, and secured his Love to thee. The two chief Attributes of God, on which all the rest wait, in which they are comprehended are Goodness, and Truth. Both these must fade, and pass away, before one tittle of the Promise can fail of its accomplishment. For Goodness maketh the Promise: but Goodness, and Truth both are obliged to the keeping of it.

2. Cord. The second Cord is Grace. The Promise is of Grace, that it may be sure. You, who are apt to despair of Love, and Blessedness let down from Heaven into your Souls by the Golden Line of a Promise, because your hearts are unfit Mansions to entertain such Heavenly Guests, hear, and consider this: As the Beams of the Sun descend upon the Earth, infuse a precious vertue into it, quicken, and call up the vertue, and Seeds of the Sun there, make it green flourishing, and fruitful; yet lean not, depend not at all upon the Earth; but have their root in the Bosom of the Sun above, from which they shoot themselves down into the lap of the Earth: so the Promises of the Gospel, as B…ams of Eternal Love, are fixed in the Sun of the Divine Nature, as their Heavenly root. From that they are bred, by that they are nourished, and maintained. This S…n poureth them down upon thee to enlighten, enliven, and transform thy earthly, carnal heart into a Spiritual, and Heavenly Garden. But these Beams, that come to warm, and beautify thee, lean not at all upon any thing in thee. They depend singly, and entirely upon their proper Sun, which is Love, the heart of God.

3. Cord. The third Cord is the Seed. That the Promise may be sure to the Seed. Lawyers say, that no gift by any deed is good without a consideration: They say also, that there is no consideration, which bindeth more, than that of Fatherly affection; when a deed runneth in those words: I out of my Fatherly affection give to my Son, &c.

This is the consideration in the New Testament the Love of a Father. All the Promises of Grace, and Glory, of Heaven, and Earth, Time, and Eternity are made to the Seed.

The ground of a Fathers Love is the Unity. A Father loveth himself in his Seed. His Seed is one with himself. The Seed lay first in the Father. It cometh forth from the Father. It is one Nature with the Father, and beareth the Image of the Father before him. The same Seed in the Father is the Father, and the Son in the Son. All Relations, the Loves, and Sweetnesses of all Relations are Unions, that is, Participations, and branches of Unity. Paternity, the Relations, and Love of a Father is Unity, the Root, and Head of all Unions, Relations, and Loves.

The Philosopher teacheth us, that the reason of a Fathers Love to his Children is Self-love, and the Love of Immortality. He seeth himself everfresh, p. 358and flourishing, propagated to Immortality in his Off-spring. All numbers are said to be the first Unity multiplied. Each number springeth from Unity, is made up of Unities, consisteth in an Unity. Thus God is one in his Seed. The Seed is the Unity of God multiplying itself into many Self-Images in the same Divine Nature, in the same Essential, and Eternal Image, the Lord Jesus. Is not the Promise now sure, when it is to the Seed, in which the Unity of God, the Love-spring of Eternity, is the Band of Love?

I have not yet sounded the Sea of Sweetness opening itself to us in this Scripture: Now a Mediator is between Two: but God is One.

God is said to have created all things by Jesus Christ; Ephes. 1. 9. To have made all things by him, and in him, Colos. 1. 16. God then is One in Nature, and in Grace, in the new Creature, and in the first Creation. There is one Seed of both, the Lord Jesus. All things were made by him, and without him was nothing made, that was made, John 1. 2. As no Wheat springeth without a grain of Wheat cast into the ground, as no Rose groweth without the Seed of a Rose: so no Flower of Divinity, no Divine Work, no Divine Image cometh forth any where, in this World, or that which is to come without the Divine Word, the Seed of God, which was in the Beginning with God, and was God.

Acts 17. 24. St. Paul maketh this his great Argument to convince the Athenians, and to persuade them to Faith in Jesus Christ, the Unity of the Divine Seed. They feel after him, saith he, if so be they may find him; although he be not far from every one of us. In him we live, and move, and have our Being; as in our proper Seed and Element. For as one of your own Poets hath said: We also are his Off-spring. The Apostle in the Authority, and with the Seal of the Holy Ghost confirmeth the Testimony of Nature to this Truth; the Unity of the Divine Seed in Nature. God is One not in Regeneration only, but in the Creation also. We also are his Off-spring.

Thou, who art hitherto Earthly, and Natural, an outcast of Nature, cast down to the nethermost parts of the Earth in Lusts, Unbelief, Blindness of Mind, Hardness of Heart, Profaneness, Enmity, seek thou also after God, feel after him. Thou also mayest see him, and feel, and find him in every motion, in every act, and part of thy Life, in every point of thy whole Being. Every Motion, Act, and Part of thy Life, every Point in thy whole Being is that Field, in which is hid the Treasure of the Divine Being, Beauty, and Blessedness. Thou livest, and movest, and hast thy Being in him He liveth, and moveth and hath his Being in thee. He is thy Seed in thee. For thou also art his Off-spring.

Believe the Love of God, open all the parts of thy Being, and Powers of thy Soul to take in this Love. Thou hast in thee the band of the Love-union, the Divine Love-spring, the Unity of the Divine Seed. For thou also art his Off-spring.

Blessed is he, who believes, and seeks for this Pearl more than Silve and p. 359diggeth for it more, than for hidden Treasures. Blessed is he, who findeth it, and goeth, and selleth all that he hath to purchase it. Thou hast this Pearl in thine own Field, the Divine Seed in thine own Soul, and Being.

Let this be the only Seed in thy Soul. Then hast thou sold all for it. Then will it spring up into a living Palace of one Immortal Pearl in thee, which God himself, and all Glorious Spirits will inhabit together with thee, filling it with the sweet Lights of their Divine Beauty, with the Eternal Flames of their Divine Loves, and Joys.

Obj. But you may say; if this be so, why are not all saved? If all be of one Seed, which is Christ, why doth not one Life of Grace, and Glory spring up in all from that one Seed?

Ans. My Answer to this Objection shall be a threefold use; a Reproof to Sinners; a Root of Comfort; a Reason for Holiness.

Use. 1. A Reproof to Sinners. The Sin of the Devil was the first, and Fountain Sin: In that therefore the evil Nature of Sin in the whole Kind, and in every individual Act is most manifest. St. Jude painteth it out in its black, and bloody colours after a most lively manner, Jude 6. The Angels not keeping their first Principle (foreign) and forsaking their proper Habitation foreign. O Man! Thy God is thy first Principle. Thou didst stand in him, as in thy Root. Thou wert filled with Sap from him. Thou didst partake of the Fatness, and Sweetness of the Divine Nature. Thou wert a flourishing and fruitful Tree. All the Birds of Heaven; the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Angels delighted to sit, and Sing in thy Branches. All visible things rested under thy Shadow. How art thou fallen to the ground? How dost thou lie withered, and dead upon the face of the Earth? No good thing cometh near thee. Sin hath done this. Thou hast not kept thy first Principle.

O Man! The Divine Image was thy proper Habitation. This Image in thy Person was a Sun of Beauty shining in every part of it; and a Shield of Power defending it on every side. In this Image all Blessed things were united to make a Paradise for thee, which thou didst carry about in thine own Person, as thy proper Form, thine inseparable Habitation, like to God, who carryeth his own Heaven into every place with him. Alas! Thou art now naked in the Eye of God, and all the Creatures. Thou art exposed to shame, to every storm of Rage, Malice, and Wrath from all. Sin hath done this. By Sin thou hast forsaken thine own, thy proper Habitation.

Beware, O Men! Of the Evil of Sin. You cast out anew the Divine Seed out of your Garden by every new act of Sin. You cut off anew the Divine Form, Flower, and Fruit from every Plant in your Garden by every new Act of Sin. As oft as you Sin; so oft you make a fresh wound upon the Divine Unity, you make it to bleed afresh, and dye in your Persons.

But besides this there is yet a greater Evil in Sin. The Seed of God is one, the Divine Unity, the Love-spring of Eternity. The Seed of the Serpent p. 360the Devil is Enmity, the Hellish Spring of Hate and Death. Every Sin is this Seed of the Serpent in thee, Enmity to the Heavenly Seed, the Unity of God.

In the Law the Jews were forbidden to seethe a Kid in his Mothers Milk for the Cruelty, and Unnaturalness. O the cruelty of every Sinner in every act of Sin! O the unnaturalness! Thou makest a Fire of the Kid, that thou mayst burn its Mother in it. Thou changest the natural Image, the natural Life in thee into a fire of Wrath, and Lust, to burn up, and consume in it the Heavenly Seed, out of which it springeth.

Solomon in his Proverbs telleth us, that he, who curseth his Father, and despiseth his Mother; the Ravens of the Valleys, and the young Eagles shall pick out his Eyes. This hath its highest truth here: go on in Sin. But know, that now in each Act of Lust, of Wrath, of Profaneness, of Unbelief, thou offerest despight to, thou cursest, thou killest the Seed of God in thy self, the Divine Unity, the purest, and perfectest Love, thy Father, which hath begotten thee, and thy Mother, which bare thee, which brought thee forth. What will thine End be? The Ravens of the Vallies, and the young Eagles; Unclean, and devouring Spirits from Hell below, Spirits of blood, of death, of horrour, and slaughter shall eat thy Flesh, consume all the Light of Life, and Beauty in thee, shall swallow up thy Spirit into the Bottomless Pits of Darkness, Dread, and Death within themselves.

Use. 2. The Root of Comforts in Believing; the Root of Faith, that we may believe, and have Comfort is the Divine Unity. The Unity of God is thy Seed in thee. The Seed is one, and that one Christ. The Unity of God is the highest, and purest Love. The Unity of God, Divine Love is the Seed of all Things, thy Seed. Believe this Love, believe in this Unity, that is in Christ, who is this one Seed of Love. Let these Arguments persuade thee to believe.

1. Argu. The Unity of God is the Fountain of Love. The Unity is the Simplicity, the Purity of the Divine Nature. God in the nakedness and simplicity of his Divine Essence is Love. Lean, stay thy self upon this Rock of Eternity, the Divine Unity, Simplicity, Purity of Love.

2. Argu. The Unity of God is Love; How strong is this Love? All the Attributes, Powers, Excellencies, Vertues of the God-Head are united, and centred in Love. How great is the force of Divine Love? What is its Vertue, its Excellency, its Sweetness? O Almighty, O Supream, O Soveraign Love! All Things Good, Great, and Divine are joyned, and raised to the highest point of Unity in Love. God assembled all the Powers, and properties of the Creation, all the Angels, the Persons in the Trinity to form a shadow of the Divine Nature in the first Man; saying; Let us make Man. O Man! All the Beauties, Blessedness, and Treasures of the Divine Nature are gathered together into one Sun of Divine Love to make thee new, no more a Shadow, but a Sun in this Sun, a Light in this Light of Eternal Love. Open thine Eye, and thine Heart to this Love by believing it.

p. 3613. Argu. Power consisteth in Unity. The Supreme Unity, which is Love, is then Almighty, the Supreme, and Soveraign Power. Is any thing impossible to Almighty Love? Is any thing too hard for it? What change is there, from Darkness to Light, from pollution to Purity, from profaneness to Piety, from the hardness of a Stone to the softness, and sweetness of a Dove, from a Devil to a Blessed Angel, from a Hell to a Heaven, which Almighty Love cannot make in thine Heart, in a moment, with one cast of its Eye upon thee?

4. Argu. A simple Unity is Infinite: It is ever, every where the same. Nothing boundeth it, because it is itself alone, and there is no other thing besides itself together with it, to give an allay to it, or confine it. This is the Infiniteness of the Divine Unity. This Unity thus Infinite is Divine Love.

Come, whoever thou art; Believe, and cast thy self, thy Hopes, thy Fears; thy Griefs, thy Joys; thy Sins, thy Graces into this Abyss, this Sea of Love, which hath no Bottom, nor Shore. This will receive them all. This will swallow them all up into its sweet, and shining Depths. This will cover them all with its own rich, and glorious Floods, as Waters cover the Sea.

Come, Believe, and cast thy self, all thy Relations, the delights of thine Eyes, the dear, and pleasant things of thine Heart, thy whole Spirit, Soul, and Body into this Infiniteness of Divine Love. Thou shalt find them after many days, to day, immediately, eternally sporting themselves in this great and wide Sea of Love.

Love in the Person of the Lord Jesus descended to the nethermost parts of the Earth, and ascended above all Heavens, that it might fill all. Behold now a Deluge of Divine Love in the Resurrection of thy Jesus. Love, as a manifold Fountain of a great Deep from below breaketh up, and breaketh open itself. Love poureth down itself thorow all the Windows of Heaven opened upon thee. Thus the Floods of Love increase, rise higher, and higher till they cover the tops of the highest Mountains of Guilt, or Despair, of Desire, or hope in thy Spirit: Only do not thou stop these Fountains of Love from below, shut not these Windows of Heaven above to thy self by thy unbelief. Love in the Person of the Holy Ghost by the mouth of the Psalmist cryeth unto thee; Open thy Mouth wide, and I will fill it. Open all thine outward, and …nward senses; open all the Powers, and Faculties of thy whole Man to take …n this Love. Open them yet wider, wider still. Take in still more of this Love. When thou art full of Love to thine utmost Capacity; still that Love, which remaineth is infinitely more, infinitely sweeter, than all that, which thou hast taken in.

5. Argu. That One Seed, the Divine Unity is thy Seed in thee, that is, Love …tself, the first, the highest Love. Thou also art his Off-spring. No Man ever hated his own Flesh. Can a Mother forget her Child? saith the Holy Ghost. Divine Love is the Seed▪ out of which thou springest. Divine Love is thy Father, p. 362which hath begotten thee; thy Mother, which hath brought thee forth. Can Love itself hate its own Birth, and Branch? Can Love itself forget its own Child, the Child of Love?

The Prodigal returned first to himself; then he thinketh of his Father, and of Heaven; then his Father, meet…th him, kisseth him, bringeth him home, entertaineth him with the best Garment, with Feasts, with Musick, with an Universal Joy.

O Prodigal! Thou hast wasted thy Beauty, thy Strength, thy Parts, thy Comforts, thy flourishing hopes among Harlots, in lewd Company, and Conversation. Thou feedest among Swine upon Husks, and thou starvest in the midst of the Swine, for want of Husks. O Prodigal! The Divine Unity, the Seed of God, Eternal Love is still thy true self, which lyeth below all these disguises of Darkness, and Deformity; as Jesus Christ lay sleeping at the bottom of the Ship, which was ready to sink by the violence of the Storm. Thou art the Seed of God. For thou also art his Off-spring. Thou art the Seed of Love. For God is Love.

O Prodigal! Open the Eye of thy Spirit. Believe, and see Divine Love awakening, and appearing in thee, as thy true self to thy self. Feel it drawing thee by a sweet and irresistible force to itself, that is, to thy self, from whence thou hast so long wandered in a strange Form by the Sorcery of Sin, and the Devil. Believe, and see Divine Love, in the true Forms of thy Father, and of Heaven opening their Bosom again to thee, sending forth a vertue of Heavenly Love from themselves, with which they touch thy Heart, soften i…, melt it into kindly repentings, a lovely shame, and tears of Love; kindling sweet desires, lively hopes, and ardent longings in thee after thy Father, and Heaven thine own Country.

Believe, and see Divine Love, thy Father coming into the midst of the Swine to thee, carrying thee in a rich Chariot made of his own Bosom, and Embraces, heaping kisses upon thee, as he carryeth thee. So Love bringeth thee home to its own House, the Heavenly Palace of Love. There Divin… Love cloatheth thee with the best Garment, its own Native, and Divine Loveliness: Love feasteth thee with its own Joys, as they have sprung up thorow a Death for thee into a Resurrection for thee also. Love sweetneth, heightneth all thy entertainment with its own Musick resounding with a Divine Harmony from all Heavenly Hearts, all Glorified Spirits round about thee, yea, from all things in Heaven, and Earth tuned by the Eternal Spirit of Love itself, and plaid upon in a most exact, and charming Consort.

Return then to thy true self, thy Father, and to Heaven: Heavenly Love is all these. It is also thy way to these; thy Light, and thy Life in the way. Believe: Say not now; O that I could believe, and repent! Heavenly Love will form itself into inward Divine Meltings, Repentings, Acts of Faith, and of all Grace in thee. Look to this Love, and live Eternally in the Bosom of p. 363Love. The Unity of God, which is Love is thy Root, which will rise up unto a Divine sap, and form itself into all Divine Fruit in thee if thou wait for it. For thou art the Off-spring of God.

Use. 3. The Unity of God is the Root, and Reason of Holiness. The Unity of God is the Fountain of Love, of all Grace, and Comfort in the Gospel The Promises are all made to this one Seed, which is Christ in the Unity of the Spirit, in the Unity of the Divine Nature. Thou hast then no further any part, or portion in the promises of the Gospel, or the Comforts of Love, than thou abidest in the Unity of Christ, and of the Spirit. It is the Seed of Love, which is a Holy, and Divine Seed; it is the Life, and Fruit of this Seed, on which, as on the Fleece of Gide…n, all the Dew of Divine Blessings falleth. Every other Seed with its Life, and Fruit is, as the Mountains of Gilboah, on which no Rain, or Dew of any Divine Grace, or Promise descendeth. Abide then in this Love, which is the Holy Seed in thee; bring forth the Fruits of this Love in thy whole Life. So shalt thou be Blessed in thy Seed, and in thy Deed. I have now finished the third Argument for the confirmation, and explication of the third Description of Divine Love which was this; The Love of God is the God of Love. For the Unity of God is the most high, and holy Love. I pass now to the fourth, and last Argument.

4. Argu. The Mystery of the Trinity is a Mystery of Divine Love. This is the fourth Argument to prove, that God is Love.

The Divine Philosopher defineth Love to be a Birth in a Beautiful Subject. As the New Hierusalem is said to come down out of Heaven, a Bride ready trimmed: so out of the Bosom of Divine Love opening itself, as a Heaven cometh forth the Divine Loveliness, the Garden of Heaven, the Heavenly Paradise. This is the Heavenly Bride. In this Garden Love planteth, and maketh to grow all Beautiful, and Divine Images, all Heavenly Pleasures, and Joys.

Divine Love, and the Holy Trinity agree in this, that they are a Birth, and a Marriage both in one. This Mystery is figured in Paradise in the first Man. Adam bringeth Eve forth from himself. Then Adam bringeth forth all Living in and by Eve. Adam first bringeth forth Eve, the Beautiful Image of himself, and of that Paradise, which he then comprehended, and carryed about with him in his own Person. Then he brought forth all Beautiful Images of Humane Life, and Humane Nature in this Beautiful Subject by the Love-union of a Paradisical Marriage.

In like manner the Supream Love first bringeth forth the Supream Loveliness, the Image of itself. Then it marryeth itself to this Beautiful Image, and bringeth forth in the Bosom of it all Lives, Loves, Lovelinesses. Delights, and Glories.

Thus Divine Love is a Trinity. There are three in Divine Love. 1. The Love-spring, or the Divine Fountain of Love. 2. The Love-Birth, or the Divine Birth, and Image of Love, the Supream Loveliness. 3. The Love-union, the Divine Union between these two, the Sacred Fountain, and the Beautiful p. 364Image. These are the three Properties in Divine Love, which are all one Love; as there are three Persons in the Divine Nature, which three are one God. In Love, and in God these three are the same Divine Love, the same Divine Nature standing in distinct and opposite Relations to itself, within itself, infinitely above all things without itself. These Relations are in both the same.

1. The God-Head in the Fat…er is Divine Love in the Fountain, the Love-spring of Eternity.

2. The God-Head in the Son is Divine Love in the Birth, or Image, the Love-Birth of Eternity.

3. The God-Head in the Holy Ghost is Divine Love in its Marriage-Union between the Love-Spring, and the Love-Birth, the Love-Union in Eternity.

See, how God being Love is compleat in Eternity by being within himself a Birth, and a Marriage, which Two include all Beauties, Sweetnesses, and Blessed…ess…s, all the Beautiful, Sweet, and Blessed Fruits of Love.

Learn here, how Honourable Marriage is, and to keep the Bed of Love undefiled. God hath Sealed upon it the Image of the most Holy, and Blessed Trinity, the Trinity of Divine Love, the Trinity in the Divine Nature.

Marriage in Paradise was the fairest, and fullest Figure of the highest and sweetest Mystery in Heaven, the Ever-Blessed Trinity. The Jews, and Gentiles before the coming of the Lord Jesus were for the most part strangers to the Doctrine of the Trinity. They were therefore loose, and dissolute in the rites of Marriage. They made nothing of Fornication, and very little of Adultery. The Lord in the Revelation of the Gospel at once unvaileth the glorious face of the God-Head in the most Blessed Trinity; and discovereth the sweet, and beautiful Figure of it in the Holy State of Marriage.

Our Saviour by the Appearance of the Divine Nature in its numbeless Glories shining thorow every Created Form in his own Mysterious Person, as thorow their proper Figures, and Images hath restored all things. He hath restored Marriage not only to its primitive institution in Paradise, but to its Eternal Pattern, and Original in Heaven, the high, and holy Trinity. Preserve carefully this Marriage-Glory pure from Lusts, untroubled by passions: So shall you see with the Joy of Paradise the sacred Impression of that supream Mystery of all Divine Loves, Lovelinesses, and Delights the Trinity in the Divine Nature set, as the Seal of Eternity upon it. So shall you draw down the Trinity itself with all its secret, and sacred Treasures of Blessedness to inhabit with you in it. Blessed are they, who hold the Band of Marriage undefiled, unbroken in the sweet, and beautiful Type, in the Glorious Truth of the Heavenly Unity in the most Blessed Trinity.

We have said something in general to shew, how the Mystery of the Trinity is a Mystery of Divine Love. Let us launch a little further into this Sea of unexpressible Sweetnesses, and Beauties by contemplating this God-Head of pure loves in the several Persons of the Trinity.

p. 3651. The God-Head in the first Person; the Father is Divine Love in its Fountain. The Father in the Trinity is the Love-spring in Eternity: A D… vine plenitude, or fulness, an unfathomable deep of Divine, and Unexpressible Sweetness ever rising up, ever flowing, overflowing all things; this is the Sacred Person of the Father in the Trinity, this is the Sacred Spring of Divine Love in Eternity; and this is that Fountain so dear to you, O ye Saints! out of which you all are made to drink that Sacred Fountain of Free-Grace.

I shall endeavour to open this beloved Fountain, the streams of which are the Life, Love, and Joy of all things in Heaven above, and on the Earth below by three precious inlets into it.

1. Inlet. The Person of the Father is Divine Love in its Glory. St. Paul speaking of the Father terminateth all the mysteries of the Gospel in the Glory of his Grace, as the Beginning, and the end of them all, the sweet, and shining Sea, from which they come, into which they all run again.

Grace is the name of Love in its Freedom, Sweetness, and Fulness. Every thing is in its Glory, in its Fountain. For there it is fairest, freshest, sweetest, and fullest. Love is in its Fountain in the Person of the Father. For there Love is in its Glory. There is a Three-fold Crown; the Marriage-Crown; the Crown of a King; the Crown of a Conqueror. There is accordingly a Three-fold Glory. 1. There is the Glory of Beauty. This is that of the Sun which sendeth forth his Beams thorow all things, and outshineth all things among the Earthly, and Heavenly Bodies. 2. There is the Glory of Soveraignty, which ruleth over all. 3. There is the Glory of Victory, which subdueth all things to itself, and maketh every thing an Ornament to its Triumph.

This Three-fold Crown doth Love wear, this Three-fold Glory is it cloathed with in the Person of the Father. It is the Eternal Sun, which enlightneth, enliveneth, sweetneth, cheareth all things by its Beams sent forth thorow all from the heights of the Heavens above to the depths of the Sea, and the center of the Earth below. It also infinitely surmounteth all things in Beauty, and Sweetness; as it shineth Eternally. It is the great King, that swayeth, and ruleth all every where by its Golden Scepter. It is the Glorious Conqueror, which pierceth deep into the hearts of all, which subdueth all to itself by its flaming Sword of Paradise turning every way. By this Sword it cutteth off, and consumeth all Flesh, and Earth, to keep that out of Paradise, and from the Tree of Life. By this Sword it refineth, and converteth all into a pure, and Heavenly Flame, into Spirit. So it bringeth them into Paradise, to the Tree of Life in the midst of it. Every thing every where doth Victorious Love make the Subject of its Conquests, and the Ornament of its Triumphs.

This is Divine Love in its Glory, in its Fountain. This is the Divine Nature in the Person of the Father. This is the Glory of Free-Grace.

2. Inlet into the Fountain of Divine Love. All the Riches of Love are p. 366seated in the Person of the Father. The Apostle applyeth the Riches of Grace to the Father, Ephes. 1. 7. According to the Riches of his Grace. Three things meet in Riches, Preciousness, Plenty, Power. Every thing is purest, and so most precious; every thing is most united, and so most plentiful, and so most powerful; every thing thus is richest in its Fountain. The first Person is the Fountain of Divine Love. For in him are the riches of Grace. Love is Richest in the Father. The heart of the Father is the Treasury of Love. No where is Love so pure, so unal…ayed, so precious, as in the heart of the Father. Traffick, O Man, for the Treasure of this Love with all thy faculties, with all that thou hast, and art. This Merchandise is beyond that of Gold, and Rubies: Traffick to this Coast of Spices, to this Land of rich, and precious Cordials, the Land of the purest Love, the heart of the Father. No where is Love so plentiful, in such abundance, as in the heart of the Father: The heart of the Father is infinitely larger than the Sea: yet doth Love cover it, as waters do the Sea, where it is deepest, when it is fullest. Cast thy world of Sins, O guilty Soul, with all thy Mountains of guilt into this Sea of Love. Love shall cover them, that they shall never appear more. If thou seek for them, thou shalt not find them. Come, drink thy fill of Loves, O dry, and thirsty Soul, from this rich, and full Spring in the heart of the Father. Come, thou most insatiate Soul, cast thy self into this full Sea of Loves in the Bosom of the Father, hath thy self, roul thy self in the midst of its rich Billows, which rise as high as Heaven. No where is Love so powerful, so irresistible, so full of vertue, as in the heart of the Father. Wash thy heart in this Fountain, and it shall be healed of the Leprosy of every Lust. Lay thy heart down in this Spring in the Bosom of the Father, and all its hardnesses shall be dissolved. Drink in these waters of Love fresh from the heart of the Father, and it shall be a powerful Cordial in thine heart. It shall restore thy Life, thy Strength, the complexion of thy Soul, thy Beauty, thy Spirits, thy Joys as at first, as in Paradise, as in Heaven, as in thine Eternal Original.

3. Inlet. The Father in the Trinity is the Fountain of all Relations, and so the Fountain of Love. Father is the sweetest of all Names, the Name of the highest, tenderest, purest, and most perfect sweetness. A Father is the first Relation, and the Fountain of all Relations. Adam was first a Father, then a Husband. So the Humane Nature from him streamed forth into Husband, and Wives, Sons, and Daughters, Brethren, and Sisters, into all Degrees of Kindred, Allyances, and Friendships.

Ephes. 3. 15. St. Paul saith, that from the Father the whole Family in Heaven, and Earth is named. Some render that word Family, the Fatherhood, or Paternity, foreign. All Fathers in that Relation, all the Fatherhoods, and Paternities of every Father in Heaven, and Earth lyeth first in that first Father, the first Person in the Trinity, as in their Fountain.

What comfort is this to every tender, careful grieved Father of every sick, p. 367sinful, or lost Child. The true Father to thy Child, which acteth the part of the Father behind the vail of the shadowy Father in thee, is the Father in the Trinity. He is the strength, sweetness, and truth of the Relation every where. The Paternity, the Fatherhood every where is named from him.

But if we take the word according to our Translation, it affordeth us the same sweet sense more fully. The whole Family in Heaven, and Earth is named from him, from the Father of our Lord Jesus. A Family is a chain of Relations, which are as so many Links in the chain fastned one to another, Father, Mother, Husband, Wife, Brother, Sister, Children, Friends. All these are named from the Eternal Father. All these sweet, dear names of Union, of Love, agree first, most properly, most truly to him, who is the Supream Unity, the Original, and Fountain of all Unions, of all Love. All these are named from him. He is the true Parent in the Parents, the true Child, Husband, Wife, Brother, Sister, Friend in thy Child, thy Husband, thy Wife, thy Brother, thy Sister, thy Friends. He is descended into all these, shadoweth himself under them, subsisteth, as the truth, and substance in them. It is this descent of his in them, this Presence, and Appearance of his, which giveth these names to them. Love is either the Relation itself, or the Blood, which runneth along in the vein of every Relation. Every Relation is a Union. Every Union is Love in its proper kind, and degree. The Original, the Fountain of all Unions, of all Loves, of all Relations is the Supream Unity, which is the Father, the first Person in the Trinity. All Relations in Heaven, and Earth, all Unions are broken pieces of the great Diamond of Divine Love. The Father is this great Diamond of Divine Love, Entire, Eternal, the first, and highest Unity, in which all Unions lie together undivided, compleat, making up one Sweetness, which hath the names, and rellishes of all sweetnesses, which giveth name, and rellish to every sweetness, which is above all names, and rellishes, unexpressible, incomprehensible. This is the Love-spring in the Trinity of Divine Love. This is the Father in the Trinity of the Divine Nature.

Use. 1. Give all Glory to Free-Grace. Ascribe all Riches to it. Set your Love upon it. This is the Fountain of Divine Love in the Bosom of the Father. This is the Fountain of Israel. This is the Fountain of the God Head. This is your own, your only Fountain, O Saints! All your streams of Life, Grace, Comfort, Glory arise out of this Love-spring in Eternity, which is the heart of the Father. This is the Fountain, this is the Father of Jesus Christ, your Fountain, and Father in him.

He that hath drunk the Waters of Life, and Love from this Well, will never thirst more after any other Waters, or drink of any other Spring. We read in Numbers of a Well in the Wilderness, which the Princes digged with their Staves, and sung to it; Spring O Well. O wandring Souls, behold your Well, which is before you in every Wilderness. The Prince of Life, your Jesus hath dig'd, and opened it for you from the depths of the God-Head p. 368with the Staff, the Scepter of his Spirit. Look to no other Fountain. But sing continually to this; Spring O Well; Spring O thou heart of the Father; Spring in mine heart; Spring with streams of Divine Truth; Spring with streams of Divine Strength; Spring with streams of Divine Joy; Send forth thy streams over all my Soul, and Body; Make all my powers, and parts to sing like the Garden of Eden! O thou Fountain of Gardens, My Prince hath dig'd, and opened thee in my heart, O thou heart of the Father, with the Staff of his Spirit. Open mine Eyes, O Blessed Spirit, that by thee I may see this Fountain, which by thee is opened in me!

It was at the Fountain, that Jacob, and his beloved Rachel first met. The Daughters of Laban came thither to water their Flocks. But the Well had a great stone upon it, which they could not move. Jacob rolled away the Stone, and watered their Flocks for them: From thence they brought Jacob to their Fathers House, knew him for their neer Kinsman, and were marryed to him. It is at this Fountain of Free-Grace, that the Lord Jesus, and the elect Soul first meet. Sin, Death, and Wrath make the Stone, which cover this Spring. The Lord Jesus rolleth away this Stone, that thou, and all thy Fathers Flocks with thee, all the Principles, and Powers of Life in thee may drink of this Well. Here the Lord Jesus looketh upon thee, and loveth thee. Here he maketh himself known to thee, to be thy Brother, and taketh thee to be his Bride: From this Well he goeth home with thee unto thy Fathers House, into thine heart, into thy natural Spirit, and thine Earthly Image, in these to marry thee to himself, to make the fruitful to Eternal Glory, to enclose this door of thy natural Spirit with Boards of Cedar, a Divine Beauty, Sweetness, and Incorruptibility, to build upon the wall of thine Earthly Image, a Palace of Silver, into which he will invite his Father, the Holy Angels, all glorified Spirits to feast, and inhabit with himself, and thee.

There was often contention for Wells between the Servants of Abimelech, and the Servants of Isaac. These digged them, and the others stopped them up. Contend, O Believers, for this your Well of Free-Grace: Suffer no Aegyptians, or Philistines, to stop it up by casting in the Earth, or Stones, and Rubbish of Free-Will, of any Wisdom, Work, or Worth in the Creature. As Earth cast into a Spring defileth it: so by every thing of the Creature mingled with the Waters of this Fountain, they lose their clearness, their sweetness, their vertue.

Keep this Spring of the Fathers heart, of Free-Grace pure. So shalt thou see a clear, shining deep of Divine Sweetnesses without any Bottom, the Glorious Deep of Eternity itself. In the clearness of this Spring shalt thou see thine own Face. From the freshness of this Spring thou shalt drink in perpetually new Floods of all living Sweetnesses. With the pure Waters of this Spring thou shalt preserve thine heart ever new, ever soft, ever flourishing with all Joys, ever fruitful in all Graces. O Saints! Keep this Love-Spring, the Fountain of Free-Grace open, keep it pure in your Spirits.

p. 369Use. 2. Learn this Divine skill, O Christians, which comprehendeth all the rich mysteries of the Gospel in it. Rise up new every moment with all things round about you out of this Fountain of Love in Eternity, the Bosom of the Father. Return again every moment with all your troop into this Fountain of Love, the Bosom of the Father. Lay your selves down for ever here Here alone is Jesus Christ in his naked Beauties, nakedly embraced.

Seek, see, and enjoy all your pleasant Relations, all pleasant Unions in this Unity of Divine Love, the heart of the Father, as in their proper Fountain. Here is the Truth, here is the Life of them all, in their Original. Here they are unchangeable. Here they are, as Sun-beams, before they come forth, descend, divide, grow shadowy, and fading.

As we keep Flowers fresh by setting their stalks in Water: So say of all your Relations in their shadows on Earth, of all your sweet things with their Sweetnesses; Who is their Father? Answer thy self; The Fountain of Love. Then keep them with their stalks in this Fountain. So shall they be ever fresh, ever sweet to thee.

2. Person. The Love-Birth. God is Love. The three Persons in the Trinity are Love in a three-fold Form, and Property, or in a threefold Distinct, and opposite Relation to itself, within itself, for the enjoyment of itself in the secret of Eternity, abstracted from all Creatures, infinitely before them, and above them. I have spoken of the first Person in this Trinity of Divine Love, the Father, the Fountain of Love in Eternity. I come now to speak of the second Person.

The God-Head in the second Person is Divine Love in its Eternal Birth, and Image, The Fountain of Divine Love, which is the Father, bringeth forth from itself, within itself an Eternal Birth, the compleat Image of itself, the Supreme Loveliness, and Beauty. This is our Jesus in the Bosom of the Father.

I shall endeavour to draw the Curtain from before this Blessed, and Glorious Birth of Divine Love, the Beloved, the only one of all Holy, and Heavenly Spirits. I shall endeavour to set this most desired, and most pleasant Person our Lord Jesus before the Eyes of your mind by five Characters, or Marks. The second Person in the Trinity is. 1. The Birth, or Image of Divine Love. 2. The First. 3. The Fairest. 4. The Freshest. 5. The Fullest Birth, and Image of Divine Love.

1. Character. The Lord Jesus is the Birth, or Image of Divine Love. The Heathen in their Divinity tell us of two Twin-Loves in Heaven, which exactly answer one the other. Thus Love, which is the Divine Nature, subsisteth in two Forms, two Persons, the Father, and the Son, which are two Loves, and the same, equally compleat, equally loving, equally lovely, equally beloved. Adam in Paradise brought forth Eve to be ever before him, a meet help for him. So the Father, and Fountain of Love bringeth forth in its own Bosom this Son of Love, this Divine Image of Love, to be ever before it, a meet help p. 370to it, that Love in this entire Image of itself may perfectly behold, possess, enjoy, and multiply itself to Eternity.

Mat. 3. 17. The Father speaketh to Jesus Christ from Heaven: This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Jesus Christ is the Supreme object of Divine Love, the Supreme Loveliness, and so the Birth, or Image of Divine Love, the Son of Loves. In Divine things every faculty, or power brinketh forth its proper object, which is its perfection from itself, within itself, that it may be independent, and undivided in all its Joys, in all its Glories. The Divine understanding is the Sun, and Spring of Divine Truth, which is the light of its Life, its Object, and its Beauty. The Divine Will is the center of all Divine goodness, which is its proper Object, and Crown. There it Eternally riseth up. There it Eternally resteth. So Divine Love in the Person of the Father is the Parent, and the Bridegroom of the Divine Loveliness in the Person of the Son. This is my Beloved Son, saith the Father from Heaven, in whom I am well pleased. All the Joys of the Father are full; all his pleasures compleat here. All Seeds of Love in the heart of the Father are here sprung up into the fair Flowers of all Beauty, into the ripe Fruit of all delights within his own Bosom in the Person of Christ. This is the only Birth, Image, and Object of the Father, the Love-Spring; its Birth, and its Bride within itself. The Father, the Love-Spring bringeth forth this Love-Birth, and lovely Image, the Son of Love; that Love may be both, a Bridegroom, and a Bride to itself.

The Persian Prince called Alcibiades his Garden of Pleasure. The Father in the Trinity is the Fountain of Love: The Son is the Garden of Love rising up within this Fountain. Here the Father of Love soweth all the precious Seeds of Divine Love. Here so soon, as they are sown, they spring up into ripe Fruits, of which the Father eateth, and with which he delighteth himself in his Garden. This is the Circle of Eternity; Love Eternally sowing the rich Seeds, Eternally feasting upon the ripe Fruits of Divine Love in his Garden of Love.

Use. 1. Christians, seek your selves, your Love-Birth in this Eternal Love-Birth of the Son. Seek the Original, and true Image of your selves in this Eternal Image of Divine Love. See your selves, seeds of Love sown in this Garden of Love from Eternity; ripe Fruits of Love flourishing in it Eternally. This is the dearest Jewel of a Saint; that Jewel, which the Saints wear in their Bosom, next their heart, with the sight of which they renew their vigour, and their beauty, recreate all their spiritual senses; I mean the rich Jewel of Electing Love, the Love of Election. In this Jewel a Believer seeth with the Eye of his Faith God the Father, the Fountain of Love in Eternity, God the Son an Eternal Birth of Divine Love from this Fountain, an Eternal Image, an Eternal Garden of Divine Love in this Fountain; himself born in this birth of Love, himself a lovely Image in this Image of Love, himself a p. 371Tree of Love in this Garden of Love. Blessed is he, who hath this Testimony in his heart, and from Heaven, that he was born here; that here he rose up first out of the heart of the Father; that here he first appeared to the Eye of the Father; that here the Father set his Love upon him, and took pleasure in him. He hath saved us, saith St. Paul of the Father, Not according to works which we have done, but according to his own purpose, and Grace given to us in Jesus Christ before the World was, 2 Tim. 1. 9. Grace given to us in Christ before the World was. See your Love-birth in the Eternal Love-birth of the Lord Jesus, O Believers. His purpose, and Grace given to us in Jesus Christ before the World was. See the Fountain of Divine Love in the heart of the Father his purpose, and all the Births, all the Images, all the Gardens of Divine Love rising up from the sweet, and blessed depths of that Fountain, all comprehended in that only Birth, that only Image, that only Garden of Divine Love, the Lord Jesus.

Use. 2. Seek this Love-Birth in your selves. When it pleased the Father to reveal his Son in me; saith St. Paul speaking of the new Birth in himself. When the Father openeth himself, as a Fountain of Divine Love in your Spirits; when the Lord Jesus ariseth up, and appeareth to you, as the Birth, and Image of Divine Love within this Fountain; when your selves appear in him one Love-Birth in this Fountain of Love together with him; then may you rejoice, and say; now I live; now I am new-born from the Love-spring on high, in the highest Glory. You that have the mystery of this Divine Birth revealed in you, who see the Garden of Love flourishing in the midst of the Fountain of Love within you; retire into this Fountain, into the Garden in the Fountain, the Lord Jesus in the Bosom of the Father. Walk there, solace your selves there, hide your selves among the Trees of Divine Loveliness, and Love from the strife of Spirits. Here you shall be fed with the Fruit from these Trees, until the storm of Wrath be over past.

2. Character. The Son of God is the first Birth of Divine Love. It is said of him, Mic. 5. 3. His goings forth are from everlasting. The goings forth of the Lord Jesus the first Birth, and Image of Divine Love from the Bosom of the Father, the Fountain of Love are Eternal, without Beginning. The goings forth of the Light, which is the first, the beautiful Birth, and Image of the Sun, were from the beginning of the Creation. So soon, as the Sun had a being, it had Beams. There was no moment, in which the Sun was without its circle of Beams, no more, than the Beams were without the Sun. In like manner the Lord Jesus, who is the Light, the Brightness, the Beautiful Image of Divine Love had his Birth from Eternity together with the Being of the Father. This Fountain in Eternity was no more without this Image the circle of all its Beauties shining in the midst of it, than this living, and lovely Image of all Glories was without its Fountain, from the unsearchable depth of whose Divine sweetnesses it riseth up continually. The Father is no more p. 372without the Son, than the Son without the Father. Both are from Eternity, both equally Eternal in this sacred Mystery, and Trinity of the Divine Nature, of Divine Love.

Prov. 8. This Son of Love is brought in speaking of himself, and his Father: Before the Mountains were formed, ere yet the foundations of the Earth were laid, I was before him, as one brought up with him, his delight day by day. Before all the Creatures in Eternity, the Lord Jesus alone was with the Father, and none other besides him. He was bred up together with him, the Lamb, the lovely, the beloved Birth, and Object of all his Loves, the delight of his Eyes, that fed at his Table, and lay in his Bosom. If you ask now▪ what the Father did, before he made the World; the answer is full, and sweet▪ the Father in the infiniteness of Eternity brought forth Jesus Christ, delighted himself in Jesus Christ, the only Birth of all his Love, and Desires, the entir… Image of all his Loves, and Joys.

Use. If you would be Holy, Heavenly, and Happy, if you would be perfect in all Graces, Joys, and Glories, as your Heavenly Father is perfect: … like him in this. He is taken up with his Son Jesus alone before, above a Creatures in Eternity. Let this Jesus as he is the Birth, and Image of all D…vine Loves in the Father the Fountain of Love be your only one, the … Birth, and beautiful Image of your Spirits, continually before you, bred … with you into every Age, Form, and State, your only delight day by da▪. This is the first Bir… of Love, the Birth of Love in Eternity. All those Birth of Love, and lovely Images, which are in the Creature Shadowy, Finite, F…ding are here Substantial, a Spiritual, and Heavenly Substance, Infinite, Endles… Ever-flourishing.

3. Character. The Lord Jesus, as he is the second Person in the Trinity is the fair… Birth of Divine Love. We read, 1 Cor. 13. 5. Love behaveth not itself unseem… doth nothing uncomely. The word uncomely, signifieth a want of Proportion. Ha…mony, Order, Figure, which make all Beauty, and Musick every where. Lo… can conceive, can form nothing within itself, can bring forth nothing fro… itself, but its proper Object, its proper effect, which is suitable to it. … is Loveliness, and Beauty. As the Trees of Paradise had their Seed in them so every Birth of Love is in every part full of the Seeds of Love, by which begetteth Love again; full of the Beams of Love, which kindle the swe… heat, and fire of Love. This is loveliness, which soweth the Seeds of Lo… and sendeth forth the Beams of Love into Spirits round about it. As the … the Supreme Eye of the visible World is to the Light: so is Love, the Ey… and heart of Eternity to loveliness. Loveliness is the proper Emanation, … Image of Love, by which it planteth itself in all Eyes, and Hearts, attract… all things into the Golden Circle, and Center, into the Glorious Palace of … Blessed, and Eternal Unity in itself, which is itself.

Love then bringeth forth Loveliness, and Beauty; the Divine Love, al… p. 373vine Loveliness, and Beauty; the Supreme Love, the Supreme Loveliness, and Beauty. So the Lord Jesus is Beauty itself, a Divine… Beauty, the Supream Beauty, the fairest Birth of Love, being the first, the only Birth of the Father, the Fountain of Divine Love, Love at the highest, Love in its first Sweetness.

John 1. 14. We, saith the Holy Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ, saw his Glory, the Glory, as of the Only-begotten Son of God. The Son of God is the only Birth of Love from the Father the Fountain of Love, in two respects; Comparatively; Comprehensively. First, The Lord Jesus is the only Birth, and Image of Divine Love Comparatively for his excelling loveliness. We saw his Glory, as the Glory of the Only-begotten of the Father. So great a Glory shineth in his Person, as darkneth all other Beauties, all other Births, and Images of Love, maketh them quite to disappear, and seem none at all. Secondly, Our Beloved Jesus is the only Birth, and Image of Divine Love Comprehensively. All his Saints are in thine hand. All Holy Births, and Images of the Father, the Spring of Love in Eternity; all Divine Lovelinesses the works of this curious Workman; all the Jewels of Beauty framed by the skill of the first, and Supreme Love in the heart of the Father, all are comprehended in this Birth, and Image, all adorn the Person of Jesus Christ, are there in their highest lustre, and take their Beauty from him. Thus is the Son of God the fairest Birth, and Image of Divine Love.

Use. 1. O Sinners! This is that Jesus, who wooeth you, the fairest of all things, Beauty itself, the Divine, the Supreme Beauty. Object no more against him, and your union with him. Obj. 1. Say not, you are unworthy of him, it cannot be, that he should love Creatures so unlovely as you are. Ans. He, who would be your Bridegroom, will be your Beauty. What Bosom of the Highest, and Divinest Love are you not fit for, when he, who is the Highest, and Divinest Beauty is your Loveliness? What stains can appear in you, when the fairest Image from the Fountain of Love comprehending in itself innumerable Glories, all Divine, all Supreme, descendeth upon you, and wrappeth you up entirely in itself? Obj, 2. Say not, you are unfit, you cannot believe his Love, you cannot love him again, you shall never be pure, and lovely like him, to please him, to honour him. Ans. He, who offereth himself to be your Beauty, and Loveliness, will be your Lover, your Bridegroom. This Glorious Spirit the Life of all Divine Loveliness will be the Husband of your Spirits. All your Fruit shall be from him. He, who is the fairest Birth, and Image from the Fountain of Love, will be the Birth of all Spiritual, and Heavenly Beauties in you, of all Graces, Comforts, and Glories. He will be the lovely Image springing up, the root of Love, the heart of the Father into your whole Spirit, Soul, and Body. Object then no more. Make plain his way. Lay open your hearts to this Jesus, who cometh to be a Divine Beauty to thy Person, a Divine Bridegroom to thy Spirit, the Divine Birth of Faith, of Love, of all Graces, Glories, Joys, and Immortality in thee. He will be better to thee than all thy p. 374Righteousness; sweeter to thee than all thy Lusts; Lovelier than all the Idol… of thine Eyes, and Heart; Fruitfuller than all thine hopes.

Use. 2. O Saints! Behold another of your rich Jewels. See here that Jewel, which when you wear, filleth Heaven, and Earth with the brightness, and sweetness of its light round about you; dazleth, blindeth, and confoundeth the Devils, that they cannot come near you to hurt you; attracteth, and draweth down the Angels from Heaven to gaze upon you, to admire you, to attend round about you, to encompass you, whithersoever you go; yea, allureth, ravisheth the heart of the Father himself, to come, and inhabit in you, saying in his Songs of Love: This is my Beloved Birth, my Beloved Bride, in whom my Soul is well pleased. What is this Jewel of the Saints? It is the Righteousness of thy Justification. What is the Righteousness of a Saints Justification? It is this Jesus the fairest Birth of Divine Love, the fairest Image of all Loveliness in the Eternal Fountain of Love, the Bosom of the Father uniting himself to thee, and making himself thy Loveliness, making thee one fair Image of Divine Love, one Divine, and Supreme Beauty with himself. By vertue of this union thorow Faith; whereever he is seen, thy Person is seen together with that fairest Image of Divine Love in the Fountain of Love. Wherever thou art seen rightly, there together with thee, and in thy Person is seen this fairest Image of Divine Love in the open Fountain of Love, the Fathers Bosom. Thou art the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ; Thou art the Birth, and Image of Divine Love in the fairest Birth, and Image of Divine Love in the midst of the Fountain of Love.

This is thy Beauty, thy Beloved, thy Jesus, O Believer. Trust thy self to the perfection, and covering Glory of his Loveliness. Lie down in the Bosom of his Beauties. Seek all Births, and Images of Love, which ever have been, are, or can be dear to thy Soul in his Face the immortal Seat, and Eternal Spring-season of thy self, and them.

4. Character. The Lord Jesus is the freshest Birth, and Image of Divine Love, that is, of the Divine Nature. The Father, the Love-Spring in Eternity speaketh to the Son, his Love-Birth thus: To day have I begotten thee, Psal. 2. The principal, and terminating sense of these words is the Eternal Generation of the Son in the Trinity. Eternity is one continued day, ever present, never past, never to come, above all Succession. So is the Generation of this Love-Birth ever perfect, ever present, never past. This is true from one end of Eternity to the other, if we may so speak of that, which hath neither Beginning, nor End, to day hath the Father begotten the Son. Eternity is Indivisible. All Acts, all Joys, all Things of Eternity are together at once, in one.

There are three Rules, which our Divines lay down concerning this Act of the Generation of the Son by the Father in the Trinity.

1. Rule. This Birth of Divine Love is perfect from Eternity, perfectly p. 375sprung up, perfectly brought forth from the Fountain of Love, the Bosom of the Father. The reason of this is the Unity of the Divine Essence. The Divine Nature, the Essence of Love, the God-head is one, equally Eternal in the Father, and the Son▪

2. Rule. The Lord Jesus the lovely Image of D…vine Love is ever in the Birth, ever newly rising up out of the Fountain of Love to Eternity. For the Act of Divine Generation, of the Divine Birth in the Mystery, and Trinity of Divine Love is Eternal, one continued Act from Eternity to Eternity.

3. Rule. This Birth, and Image of Divine Love, the Son ever lyeth in its Fountain, the Bosom of the Father. This ariseth from the Unity of the Essence, and the Union of the Persons in this glorious secret of Eternal Love. These Love-Persons in the same Love-Substance are ever distinct, never divided.

Hose. 6. 3. The coming forth of Christ, as the anointed, and anointing of Divine Love, is said to be, as the Morning. The Love-Birth of our Jesus is in this sense, as the Morning. It is ever new, ever fresh, ever pleasant, as the lovely Summer-Morning in its first Sweetnesses, and Light, in its Virgin-Purities, and Pleasures. It was a Divine Sentence of a Holy, and learned Bishop in the primitive times: All that God doth from Eternity to Eternity, is the bringing forth of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is at once a lovely morning for new, and fresh Sweetnesses; ever a glorious noon for the height of his Beauties, and the brightness of his light. He is a lovely Rose ever in the Bud, ever full-blown.

Use. 1. Chuse Christ: Refuse the Creature. Take into your Bosom this Love-Birth of the Father. Cast out of your Bosom your own Love-Births in the Creature. All these are Flowers, which wither, and dye away, either upon their stalk, or in your hand. Every thing of the Creature declineth so soon, as it cometh to its height. The Lord Jesus is ever the same, ever full, ever fresh, a fruitful Autumn, and a floury Spring both in one continually. This is your Inheritance Incorruptible, Undefiled, that passeth not away, 1 Pet. 1.

Use. 2. Ever believe, as freshly, as freely, as at the first moment of your Conversion, as in the first Act of Believing. The Lord Jesus the ground and object of your Faith is ever fresh, ever new. All thy Sins against the Spiritual Marriage-Bed of thine Heavenly Bridegroom in thine heart can make no impression upon him. He is New-born to thee from the unsearchable depths of Divine sweetness in the heart of the Father every moment. He springeth up a new Love-Birth in the Fountain of Love every moment with all his lovelinesses fresh, fair, and full, like a Rose new-blown; as if now alone they had first appeared.

5. Character. Jesus Christ in the sacred Trinity is the fullest Birth, and Image of Divine Love from the Father, the Fountain of Love. Our Saviour is called The Power of God, 1 Corin. 1. Whatever the Father hath brought forth from the Eternal spring of Love, of the God-Head; whatever he doth, wh…ever he p. 376shall, or can bring forth to Eternity, all is comprehended in this Love-Birth, in this Glorious, and full Image of Love, of God, Jesus Christ.

The Father, the Fountain of Love, the Supream Unity bringeth forth itself into all variety in this full Image of himself, his Son, that he may rest in his Son, that his Joy may be full in him.

As the Father is the first Unity: so the Son is the first distinction, or variety. The first is the highest distinction, and variety, the fullest distinction, and variety; the Fountain of all distinctions and varieties. As the Father is the Unity of Love, the Love-spring; so the Son is the variety of Love, the entire Image of all Loves, and Lovelinesses. All things in Heaven, in Earth, and under the Earth lie together here in this Image, in the perfect Harmony of the Supreme Love, and Beauty, according to their proper distinctions, as Branches of the first, the fairest, and the fullest variety.

Use. 1. With all thy stock of Life, and abilities, Traffick for this great, and rich Pearl the Lord Jesus. His price is beyond that of Rubies. All thy desires cannot equal him. All Prices are comprehended in his Price. All precious things are in this Pearl. O that we understood with Spiritual Hearts, that we saw with Spiritual Eyes, that we rellished with a Spiritual tast this Love-Birth, this Image of Love, this variety of Love, the first, the full distinction, and variety, the Fountain of all distinctions, and varieties in the Person of Christ, we should then rejoice to see each dear, or displeasing object, each state, and circumstance of Life in its proper, and distinct Form, a distinct Form, a distinct Spirit of Divine Love, and Beauty, immortal shining in this Eternal Spirit; in this Heavenly Image; Love, and Loveliness itself; the first, the fullest variety, all variety in one entire, and All-glorious Form, the Fountain of variety, which is our Jesus. Ignatius being to die, said: Let Sword, Fire, wild Beasts, the Cross, breakings of all my bones, tortures thorow all my body▪ so I may find Christ, so I may gain Christ. If thou hast Jesus Christ, he is thy Garland; and all these are sweet-smelling, Immortal Flowers in thy Garland; he is thy Crown, all these are precious Stones, and Jewels in thy Crown. A Sword in Christ is a living Form, and penetrating power of Divine Love, dividing between Flesh, and Spirit, the Bone, and the Marrow in thee; piercing to the Bottom of thine heart, to open the Fountain of Eternal Life, and Joy… in thee. The fire springing up in this Love-Birth is a flame of Love working thee into one Heavenly flame with itself, and to this end embracing thee, winding itself into all the secrets of thy Body, and Soul. The Teeth of wild Beasts appearing in this Image of Divine Love are the Eternal Spirit, the Spirit of Love feasting upon thee, and then feasting thee upon itself. The Cross in this Garden of Love is a Tree of Eternal Love, thou art the fair, and sweet Fruit upon this Tree. The breakings of Bones looked upon in this mysterious Glass of all varieties, the Eternal Word, the Eternal Image of Love are no Wounds, but Divine Anointings. The tortures of the whole p. 377Body are the costly perfume of Love poured forth upon the head of the Sacrificer, and running down all along to the hem of his Garments.

Use. 2. Hast thou Jesus Christ? Care for nothing more in him are all things given thee richly to enjoy. If he be come to thee, look for no other thing. There is nothing can come after h…m. He is the full Birth, and Image of Divine Love. The vanity, and emptiness of the Creature is expressed by Solomon after this manner: What is that, which hath been? It is that, which is; and what is that, which is to come? It is that, which hath been, It is named already It is man.

So do thou express the variety, and fulness of Jesus Christ. So quench all other Loves in thee. What is that, which hath been? It is that, which is. What is that, which shall be? It is that, which hath been. It is all named in Jesus Christ. If thou hast Jesus Christ, thou art rich to God, thou hast all his Treasure. Now sing thy Soul to a Divine sleep, and rest in the Bosom of Divine Love with these words: go to rest, O my Soul. Thou hast all good things laid up for thee in the Person of thy Jesus to Eternity. The Bosom of the Father, the Fountain of Love is opened in thee. The Lord J…sus, the full Birth, the full Image, the full variety of Love springeth forth from this Fountain for thee.

Poets say, that every Spring hath at the bottom of it a palace of Pearl, in which the Divinity, the God of this Spring dwelleth. God the Father is the Fountain of Love. The Lord Jesus riseth up in the rich depths of this Fountain, as the Palace of Eternity, composed of all variety in most precious Forms, and Figures; furnished with, inhabited by all variety in all Beautiful, and Heavenly Images; in the dress of all Divine entertainments; in the form of all Glorious, and Eternal Spirits flowing continually with all manner of Sweetnesses. O Saint! O Believer! Thou hast this Fountain, this Palace continually open in thee. Open thou the Eye of thy Faith. Look upon the Treasures of it; if thou canst number them, if thou canst comprehend them. Separate thy self through desire kindled in thee by the strength of thy Faith, and thy Love. Descend into this Fountain. Dwell for ever in this Palace, and intermeddle with, enjoy all substance.

I have spoken of the two first Persons in the Trinity, I come now to the third.

3. Person. The Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Trinity is the Love-union between the Love-Spring, and the Love-Birth; the Father, and the Son. The Holy Ghost h…th his name from Breathing. Eternal Love distinguishing itself into two Persons, the Father, and the Son, from both these by a conspiration of Love doth breath forth itself into one third person, the Holy Spirit, in which they both stand two distinct Persons in one third Person, which is the Love-union, the golden Marriage knot of them both. The Holy Spirit is frequently expressed in Scriptures by an Ointment. Several rich Spices breath forth themselves into one costly ointment. Th… Spices all meet in one precious Form, in which they still retain their own distinct forms; the sweetnesses, and vertues of p. 371the several Spices breath forth themselves into one pleasant perfume, in wh…ch all the several sweetnesses remain distinct, mutual penetrating, and infusing each the other in that one sweetness distinct from them all. So the Father, and the Son by the force, and mystery of Divine Love, breath forth themselves into one distinct Person, the Holy Ghost, in which they also remain distinct, distinctly, and mutually, penetrating, possessing, enjoying the Persons of each other, with their Properties, Powers, Sweetnesses, and Beauties in that one. Thi… one is distinct from both, because it comprehendeth both distinctly in one. This is the Love-union between the Fountain, and the Birth, or Image o… Divine Love.

It is a saying, which Thomas Aquinas citeth from St. Austin: Whatever there is of Sweetness, of Pleasantness, of Complacency, of Delight, of Joy, of Love, of Loveliness, of Agreeableness, of Suitableness, of Harmony any where; it is the Holy Ghost. The reason is this: All Colours with their several Beauties are the mixtures of shade, and light. Children are the Parents united. So every thing of Love, or Beauty; every Divine Work, and Operation thorow Heaven, and Earth is the Love-union between the Father, the Fountain of Love, and this lovely Image, which is both the Birth, and the Bride of Love, of the Father. All Pleasa…tness, all Divine Acts of Creation, and Providence with their several Lights, Lives, Loves, and Vertues are this Love-union in its lovely extent, and vast variety. The Psalmist saith of God: Thou hast stretched out the Heavens by thy Breath, by thy Spirit. The Heavens are the Beauty, the Pleasantness, and Joy of the Divine Appearance, and the Divine Operation, which is the Love-Image, and the Love-Birth every where.

Use. 1. Pray, O Christians, for the Heavenly Eye-salve of the Holy Ghos… to anoint the Eyes of your minds. What Blessed sights shall you then see every where? What Heavenly Visions of Divine Love, and Beauty upon the Spiritual Bed of Eternal Love shall you meet with in every object? In even work of God, in every act of Providence you will see the high, and gloriou… Trinity; the adored, and amiable mystery of Eternal Love; the three Beau…tiful, and Blessed Persons of this Trinity, of this mystery; the Father, … Fountain of Love, the Son the Fathers Lovely Birth, Bride, in their Love-union, on their Heavenly Marriage-Bed figuring themselves, and shining wil… the naked, substantial Glory thorow the Figure. You will say to the sweetne… of every Flower, to the Beauty of every prospect in your walks: this is th… Love-union between the Father, and the Son; this is the fruit of the Marriage-Bede, on which the Father of Loves, and his Lovely Image his Son, a… his Bride lie eternally embracing each other. This is th… perfume, this is th… lustre of the holy Spirit. You will say of every Sickness, Sorrow, and Death▪ Here also is the Love-union. These also are Love-Births, Love-Images fro… the Marriage-Bed of Love in Eternity. These also are Doves with Wings … Silver, and Feathers of Gold from that Mother-Dove, the Holy Spirit, … p. 379Love-Marriage between the Father, and the Son in the most holy Trini… ▪

Use. 2. Give Glory to the Persons of this blessed Trinity, to this myste…y of Divine Love continually. Dost thou perceive any good principle in Grace, or nature putting forth itself in thee. Give thanks, and say: This is the Father, the Fountain of Divi…e Love opening himself, and springing in … Dost thou feel any sweet Appearance of Truth, or Goodnes, Light or Love in thy Spirit? Rejoyce, and say, this is the Son, the Love-Birth, the Love-Image, the Lord Jesus rising up from his Fountain, the Bosom of the Father in me. If there be any Vertue, any Power, any Pleasantness, any Joy, any Life of Love: lift up thine heart, and hands on high, say: This is the Love-union, the Love-knot in the most high, and Holy Trinity; this is the Holy Spirit, the Marriage Bed of the Eternal Bridegroom, and Bride, the Father of all Loves, the Image of all Lovelinesses. This is thy high, and Heavenly Marriage-Bed, which is now Green, flourishing, and fruitful in me.

Use. 3. Let this be the mark, at which thou aimest, O Believer, to be taken up into this Love union, into this Eternal Marriage-Bed; to be one with the Father, and the Son, as they are one in the Unity of the Spirit.

I have now finished the last Argument for the confirmation of that proposition, God is Love. The Argument was this; The mystery of the Trinity is a mystery of Divine Love. Let me conclude this Argument with one general Use.

Use. Hold fast the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Study it with humble, pure, Spiritual understandings, with the Scriptures in your Eye, as your mark to guide you in your way, with the Holy Ghost in your heart, as your Light of Life, to discern your mark, your way, and your end.

It is a deep, and Divine contemplation, that of a Learned, Acute, and Hea…enly Person: God hath two Boxes, in which he hath laid up his Jewels; the …ncarnation, and the Trinity. God hath opened one Box, the Incarnation. There we have seen rich, and sparkling Jewels in the union between the Di…ine and Humane Nature here below, God manifested in …. But O! What …ewels shall we see, what Loves, what Glories, what Unions, when God, shall open his other Box of the Trinity, when we shall see God justified in the …pirit?

The Trinity is the Supream, the Soveraign mystery of the Gospel; the …undation of fair Colours, upon which all evangelical mysteries are built; …e Fountain in Eternity, from which they slow. Then shall we understand … mysteries, when God shall take the vail from before this, which is the entire, … clear-shining Face of the God-Head. Here is the Supream Unity▪ the Foun…in of all Love, Life, and Light. Here is the variety of Love, and of Life, … its fairest Light, in its first, and fullest Image. Here is the Love-union, the … Treasury, the curious Spring, the golden Band of all Unions, Motions, …easures, and Joys. Blessed is he, who with Eyes washed in this Fountain p. 380looketh into it, seeth himself, and all Divine Mysteries there Unvailed. So▪ Austin wished to have seen Christ in the Flesh. O how much more Divine, and Blessed a Spectacle is it to see Christ in the Spirit, that is, in the Glory of the

Trinity, the Three Persons in One with all their Eternal Beauty, fully, and freely displayed. Pray for, Wait for, Look up continually into the Heights, and Lights o… the Spirit for this sight.

I have now brought to an End my last Description of Divine Love, which is the Divine Nature. God is Love. I will seal up this Sweet, and Soveraign Truth of the Gospel with One Use.

Use. If you will be Children of God, be Children of Love. God is Love. Love is the Divine Nature in God, and in all His Holy Ones. 1. Beware of Lust, the Corruption of Love. 2. Beware of Passion the Contrariety to Love.

1. Beware of Lust the Corruption of Love. The Corruption of the best Thing is the Worst. All Lust is Love degenerated, Love Corrupted. Love is the Best of all things. Love in its purity, at its Height, is the Godhead in God. Lust is the Formality, and Essence of the Devil, as he is a Devil. St. Jude teacheth us; that fleshly Lusts are the similitude of that First sin of the Faln Spirits, which made them of Angels Devils.

Ixion in the Poets loved a Goddess, in the place of whom he embraced a Cloud formed into the Shape of a Divine Beauty. Thus he became the Father of the Centaures, half Men, half Beasts. Then he was cast into hell where he is fastened to a Wheel turning continually round, on which he is tormented day, and night. This P…rab…e is meant of thee, O Lustful Spirit: Thou wert made for Divine Love, f…r the Love of the Divine Beauty. Thus hast changed, this Love into various Lusts. Thou defi…est thy self with Shadows, Clouds of Darkness formed into the Empty Snapes of Beauty. Instead of the Divine, and Humane Nature in the Blessed Harmony of an Immortal Union, all thy Births, all thy Production are Horrid hateful monsters; Man, Beast, and Devil all in One Spirit, in One Person. Thy end is the Endless Circle of thy Lusts, and of the Divine wrath, as the Wheel of Eternity, a Wheel of Fire, holding thee fast tied to it, and torturing thee without any Rest, or Period.

2 Beware of Passion the Contrariety to Love. Sampson tied Foxes together by their Tails with Firebrands between them. So he sent them forth to burn up the standing Corn of the Philistines in the Fields. O men! when ye fall from the Wisdom of God into the Subtlety of the Serpent, you become Foxes, not Men. Your Lusts, your Carnal Interests are your Tayls, by which you are tied together in all your Unions, and Commerce; your Passions are Fire-brands fastned to your Tayls. Thus the Devil sendeth you forth to deface, and consume the Beauties, the Peace, the Comforts each of other, of the whole Creation round about you. Behold the true Figure of Passionate Persons, whose Wrath, Envy, Hatred, Malice are Fire-brands Kindled from Hell, p. 381and fastned to their Lusts, as to their ta…ls, in which they carry them burning about thorow all things.

In the Holy of Holies was placed a Mercy-Seat all of Beaten Gold, the Throne of Grace, the Throne of Love. Out of this Throne of one piece with it, rose up two Cherubims of Beaten Gold. They stretched forth their Wings they set their faces one to the other. They together looked down to the Mercy-Seat. This is the Heavenly Figure of your Christ, and you, O ye Children of Love, in your Love-Union, and Spiritual Communion. God in Christ, Christ in the Glory of the Father is the Golden Mercy-Seat, the Throne of Love. The Saints are the Cherubims, the Children of Love rising up from the Throne of Love, of one piece of Gold, of one Love-Spirit with it. With their Faces, their Divine part they look one to another, and maintain a mutual society. They spread their Hearts, their Spiritual understandings, their Spiritual affections to each other, and so meet, so embrace. With united Spirits they look down to the Throne of Love in the midst of them, out of which they grow up together, from which they continually draw fresh Beams, fresh Love, life, and Joy.

O Saints, O Holy Souls be rooted in Love, grow up out of this Throne of Love, Shine forth with Faces of Love, spread forth wings of Love. Be in all things one piece, one pure Gold of Divine Love with the Throne of Love, the Divine Nature. For God is Love.

I am now come to the period of my discourse upon the first part of my Doctrine; The Love of God.

The second part is the Effusion, or pouring forth of Divine Love.

I shall express this to you by six Properties. The Love of God is poured forth in Jesus Christ. 1. Freely. 2. Purely. 3. Plentifully. 4. Powerfully. 5. Essentially. 6. Eternally.

1. Property The Love of God is poured forth in Jesus Christ freely. 2. Sam. 7. 21. David is brought in, as a Type of Jesus Christ. He sitteth in the Temple be…ore the Lord, when he was setled in his Kingdom, and at the height of his Kingly Glory. Thus Jesus Christ sitteth upon his Throne in the highest Heavens before his Father. He discourseth to his Father of the wonders of his Fathers Love, and his own Glory. What is my Fathers House, that thou hast brought me hitherto? v. 18. I was a Man, a poor Creature, a Worm of the Earth, Earthy, as the Dust of the Earth, as low, as the neathermost parts of the Earth, as low, and naked, as the first principle of the first Creation, when the Earth was empty, and void, when darkness covered the face of it: This was my Fathers House. Yet thou hast brought me hitherto, thou hast brought me to thy right Hand, far above all Principalities, and Powers, all Heavens to thy Throne. Thou hast given me a new Name above every Name, a Name, that eminently comprehendeth all Names in it; a Name, that infinitely transcendeth all Names. Thus Love is poured forth in Christ.