' I will love them freely.' That which, first of all, we observe hence is thus much, that God loves his peo])le freely. So saith the apostle, * God commendcth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ; much more being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him,' Rom. v. 8, 9. The like we have in Ezekiel. Saith God, ' Therefore, say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes, 0 house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen whither ye went,' Ezek. xxxvi. 22. Adam when he had sinned that main, great sin, what did he ? Fly from God, ran away ; and when God called to him, and debated the matter with him, he accused God, and excused himself, Gen.
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iii. 12, 13. Yet for all this God pitied him, and clothed him, and made him that promise of the blessed seed. What desert was there here in Adam ! nay, rather the quite contrary ; yet God loved him freely. The same may be said of SI Paul, for the time past a pei'secutor, what deserving was there in him ? None at all ; yet he found God's free love in his con- version ; for, saith God to Ananias, ' He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,' Acts ix. 15. Here was no deserving in St Paul, but God's free election, which in time took place. Acts ix. 5. And so we may say of the prodigal, having spent all, his father pardoned all, and loved him freely, Luke xv. 20.
Reason 1. The reason hereof is, because it is his name and nature to he gracious, and to love freely ; and whatsoever is God's nature, that hath a freedom in the working.
Bi'oson 2. Because no creature can deserve anythinr/ at GocVs hands. (1.) Because by nature we are all God's enemies ; and therefore what can ene- mies deserve ? Nothing but wi'ath and vengeance. (2.) K we have any graces, they are the gift of God ; and therefore we deserve nothing by them, they being of his own gift. So St James speaks, ' Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down frorn the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning,' James i. 17. And St Paul saith, ' That of him, and through him, and to him, are all things,' Rom. si. 36. What should follow hereupon ? ' To him be glory for ever,'
Use 1. This, in the Jirst place, serves for reproof of our adversaries of the Romish Church, who say that God loves us for something foreseen in us, which is good, or for somewhat which in time we would do to deserve favour at his hands. But both are false. The cause of love is free from himself; for, ' when we have done our best,' yet, saith the Holy Ghost, ' we arc unprofitable servants.' Luke xvii. 10.
Use 2. Secondly, It is for reproof of God's own dear children, w'ho, because they find no deserving in themselves, are therefore discouraged at the sight of their own unworthiness ; whereas, quite contrary, the sight of our own un- worthiness should make us the more fit subjects for Christ's free love, which hath nothing to do with them that stand upon deserving. Many of God's dear childi-en are troubled wdth temptations, doubts, and fears of God's love and favour towards them, because they expect to find it in the fr'uits of grace, and not in free grace itself. If we would have any sound peace, let us look for it in free grace. Therefore the blessed apostle, in the entrance of his salutations in his epistles, still joineth grace, and then peace, to shew us that if we look for sound peace, we can nowhere find it but in grace. We would find peace in the grace that is in us, but it is labour in vain, for we shall never find it but in fi-ee grace.
Use 3. Hence we may also be comforted in the certainty of our salva- tion; for that grace, and love, and favour-, whereby we are saved, is in God, not in us. Now, whatsoever is in him is immutable and sure. So saith the apostle, ' Nevertheltds, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his ; and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity,' 2 Tim. ii. 19. Where speaking of election, which comes from the fr'ee love of God, he makes that a sure foundation to build on. If there be a reformation ' to depai-t from iniquity,' we may be comfortably assured of our salvation. And as it is with election, so is it with all the other fruits of God's love : vocation, adoption, justification, and perseverance. The foundation of God, fastly
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sealed in the way of holiness, stands good and sure in all, Rom. iii. 24 ; John xiii. 1.
Use 4. This further teacheth us tlinnkfulness tinto God, who hath so freelj' loved us ; for if there were deserving on our part, what place were left for thankfulness ? We know, one who deserves nothing, and hath small matters bestowed upon him, at least will be thankful for such favours. But when one is so far from deserving anything, that by the contrary he deserveth all plagues and punishments, hath yet many and abundant mer- cies bestowed freely upon him, this doth exceedingly provoke (especially a generous spirit) to a suitable thankfulness, as much as may be.