I answer, 1. The apostle speaketh of the children of God, and children will love their father. What more natural ? what mor& kindly ? They are regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit for this end : Gal. iv. 6, ' Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into, your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' An heart inclined to God cannot keep away from him.
2. Of children that belong to the gospel dispensation. Now they that love God are the only gospel christians, being deeply possessed with that love which God hath showed to us in Christ : 1 John iv. 19, ' We love him because he loved us first.' Now we see greater reasons of loving God, and are taught a more perfect way of loving God. We know God more, and feel more and taste more of his love : Luke vii. 47, ' Wherefore I say unto thee. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much ; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.'
3. This gospel estate we enter into by faith. Now faith is such a believing of God's love to us in Christ as giveth us a lively sense of it in our souls. It is not a bare apprehension, a hearsay-knowledge, but a taste that we have by faith: 1 John iv. 16, 'And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us ; ' and 1 Peter ii. 3, ' If so be ye have 'tasted that the Lord is gracious.' Whatever of the love of God faith apprehendeth and feeleth, begetteth love again, Gal. v. 6. Knowledge and faith and hope are but the bellows to keep in this holy fire, to work our hearts to love God.
4. This faith is the fruit of effectual calling, which is a great expres- sion of God's love to us who were so unworthy, 2 Tim. i. 9, and passing by thousands and ten thousands who were all as good as we, and we as deep in the common pollution as they, and in outward respects were far better and more considerable, great, wise, and learned : 1 Cor. i. 26, ' Ye see your calling, brethren, that not many wise men after the flesh, not many noble, are called.' And called us to such dignity and honour and blessedness : 1 Peter iii. 9, ' Knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing ; ' 1 Thes. ii. 12,
282 SERMONS UPON ROMANS vni. [Ser. XXXVIII.
' That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called us to his king- dom and glory.' It was not our will nor our worth that moved him, but his own love. Now this love calleth for love again : God loveth first, best, and most ; but yet we should love as we can, love to our utmost ; that which was begun in love on God's part should be accom- panied with love on ours.
5. This effectual calling is the fruit of God's eternal purpose, which he purposed in himself, to save us by Christ. Vocation is actual election, the first eruption and breaking out of his eternal purpose. For as God distinguished us from others who lay in the same polluted mass of mankind by the purpose of his grace before time, so he actually calleth us out from others in time, to be a people to himself; therefore vocation is called election, John xv. 19. Now in God's free election we have the clearest view of his love and our great obligations to God. And therefore what should more excite our love and grati- tude ? This was ancient love before we or the world had a being ; it was the design God travailed with from all eternity. And who are we, that the thoughts of God should be taken up about us so long ago ? It is love purposed and designed ; his heart is set upon it to do us good ; it was not a thing of chance, but forelied and fbre-ordained. If one doth us a kindness that lieth in his way, and when opportunity doth fairfy invite him, he is friendly to us ; but when he studieth to do us good, it is more obliging. This is a feast long in preparing, to make all things ready for our acceptance, therefore this calleth for love.
6. This purpose is followed with his watchful and powerful provi- dence, guiding and ordering all things, that it may not miscarry and lose its effect, which is as great and sensible an argument of the love of God as can be propounded to us : Job vii. 17, 18, ' What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him ? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him ? and that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment ? ' If a prince should form the manners of a beggar's child, and watch him at every turn, it would be a great condescension. When others are spilt on the great common of the world by a looser providence, they are a peculiar people, who have a special interest in his love and care, and his charge. Now the scrip- ture delighteth to suit qualifications and privileges : Ps. xxxi. 14, ' I trusted in thee, 0 Lord ; I said. Thou art my God ; ' Isa. Iviii. 13, 14, ' If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, not finding thine own pleasure, not speaking thine own words ; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and 1 will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the lieritage of Jacob thy father, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it ; ' Ps. xci. 1, 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.' So here, God's love, expressed in his mindfulness and vigilancy over our affairs, should excite our love to him again, and our love wUl be highly recompensed by his care and mindfulness of us.