Use 5. And let it likewise breed conjideiice in ns to God, in all our miseries, both for pardon of sin, help in distress, and comfort in sorrows, because he ' loves us freely,' and did love us whilst w-e were enemies. Make, therefore, upon all occasions, the apostle's use of it. ' For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life,' Rom. v. 10.
' I will love them freely.'
In the next place, from hence we observe another point, which neces- sarily foUoweth upon the foniier, — that God did not then begin to lore them, when he said, ' / ivill lore them freely ;'' but to discorer that lore unto them, which he carried unto them from all eternity. For instance hereof, St Paul was beloved of God, ere God manifested his love unto him ; as he testifieth to himself, that the discover}' of this fi-ee love was, ' when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his son in me," &c., Gal. i. 15, 16. So the apostle blesseth God, in his salutation unto them, ' who had blessed them w'ith all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,' Eph. i. 3, But whence fetcheth he the ground hereof ? ' According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundatiom of the world, that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love,' verse 4. We need not multiply places more to prove it. Our adversaries would fain seem to clear God only in all,'"' and so shroud their arguments under such needless pretences, shift off aU places, name we never so many, with their strong heads, distinctions, and sophisms. But God will one day give them no thanks for their labour : the will of God (how unequal soever in our eyes, who cannot with our shallow conceits sound the depth of such mysteries) being ground enough to justify all his actions whatsoever. We will therefore come to some reasons of the point.
Reason 1. Because irhatsoever is in God, manifested in time, is eternal and everlasting in him, xritliout beginning and ending ; for whatsoever is in God is God. God is not loving, but love, 1 John iv. 8 ; and he is not only true, but truth itself, John xiv. 6. He is not wise only, but wisdom itself, 1 Cor. i. 24. And therefore his love, discovered in time, must needs be from all eternity.
Secondly, If God did then first begin to love us, when he manifested his love unto us, then there should be a change in God, because he should love them now that he did not formerly love. As we see, those who loved Paul after his conversion loved him not before. There was then a change in the church. In which case, if God should so love, he should be change- able, and so be like unto man.
Thirdly, And then, again, Christ's prayer, John xvii., makes it clear that the love of God beginneth not with the manifestation thereof ; for Christ there, knowing all the Father's secrets, as coming out of the bosom of the * That is, ' would fain seem only to clear God in all.' — G.
320 THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON VI.
Father, intimates the contrary, where he makes one end of his prayer for them to be, ' That the world may know that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me,' John xvii. 23. Now, how he loved Christ is also shewed a little after, ' For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world,' verse 24. Therefore the saints and children of God are loved with an everlasting former love, not beginning at that instant discovery thereof.
Use 1. The use hereof is, first of all, against those who measure God's love and favour by their orm feeling, because, as God loved them before, so he loves them as well and as dearly still ; when he hideth his face from them, as when he suffered his lovingldndness to shine most comfortably upon them. He loved- Christ as dearly when he hanged on the tree, in tor- ment of soul and body, as he did when he said,' This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased,' Mat. iii. 17 ; yea, and when he received him up into glory. The sun shineth as clearly in the darkest day as it doth in the brightest. The diflerence is not in the sun, but in some clouds which hinder the manifestation of the light thereof. So God loveth us as well when he shineth not in the brightness of his countenance upon us as when he doth. Job was as much beloved of God in the midst of his miseries as he was afterwards when he came to enjoy the abundance of his mercies. Job xlii. 7.
' I will love them freely,' &c.
The last point which we gather from hence, as a special ground of com- fort, is this,
That this free love and favour of God is the cause of all other mercies and free favours, irliercby he discovereth his love unto us.
(1.) It is the cause of election, ' Even so, then, at this present time also there is a remnant, according to the election of grace,' Rom. xi. 5. So (2.), For vocation. When the apostle had shewed that the Ephesians were saved by gi-ace, he adds, ' That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus,' Eph. ii. 7. He afterwards sheweth, when this grace began first to have being, ' For we are his workmanship, created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk therein,' Eph. ii. 10. (3.) Forgiveness of sins. ' In whom we have a redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' Eph. i. 7. So (4.), For the (jrace of love. ' We love him because he loved us first,' 1 John iv. 19. (5.) For jxistification and sanctification. It is said * that Christ hath loved us.' Why ? ' For he hath washed us from our sins in his own blood,' Rev. i. 5 ; and St John saith, ' He hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.' [1.] Kings to fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil. [2.] Priests to teach, instruct, reprove, and comfort ourselves and others by the word of God, and then to ofler up the sacrifice of a broken heart, in prayers and praises. AU comes from freedom of love. (6.) So every good inclination comes hence, ' for it is God which worketh in us, both to wiU and to do of his good pleasure,' Phil. ii. 13. So (7.) Every good ivork. ' For we are his worlunanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which he had before ordained that we should walk therein,' ' for by grace ye are saved,' saith he, ' through faith,' Eph. ii. 8, 10. So (8.) For eternal life. The apostle sheweth, ' It is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,' Rom. vi. 23.