Then if we consider ourselves, this must be so. Alas ! we are not objects of God's love in ourselves, nor cannot be ; but in some other that is loved first. For what are we ? And what is the glory to which God loves us ? To love such as we to such glory, and to free us from such misery due, it must be by another foundation than ourselves. Therefore God's good pleasure is founded upon his Son Christ. This is a clear point. The Scripture beats much upon it. He is our elder brother, and we must be conformed to him.
Use. To make some use of it.
First of all, then, we see here that all that are not in Christ lie open to
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the vengeance and wrath of God. His good will towards men is only in Christ.
Again, If all God's good will and pleasure bo in Christ, as our high priest, without whom wc can offer no sacrifice, as we know whatsoever was not offered by the high priest it was abominable, therefore we should look to God in Christ, love God in Christ, perform service to God in Christ, pray to God in Christ, give thanks to God in Christ, desire God in Christ to make all things acceptable for Cbrist's sake, because it is in Christ that God hath any good will and pleasure to us.
It is a point of marvellous comfort, that God's love and good pleasure is so well founded, as in Christ. He loves Christ eternally, and sweetly, and strongly. Is not God's love to us the same ? Doth he not love us with the same love that he loves his Son ? He loves his mystical body with one love, that is Christ, head and members : John xvii. 23, ' That the love thou bearcst to me may be in them.' What a sweet comfort is this ! God loves Christ and me with one love. He loves me strongly, and sweetly, and constantly, as he doth his own Son. His love to me is eternal, because the foundation of it is eternal. It is founded upon Christ. The love of a prince, if it be founded on a favourite he loves dearly, must needs be firm and strong. Now God's love to Christ is ardent, and strong, and sweet, as possibly can be conceived. Therefore it is so to us, his good will to us being founded on Christ.
Why should a believer fear that God will cast him away ? He will as soon leave his love to his own Son, as to us, if we continue members of his Son. It is an undefeasible love. It is a point of wondrous comfort. * What shall separate us,' saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 35, ' from the love of God founded in Christ ? neither things present, nor things to come, nor life, nor death, nor anything.' Many things may sever the soul and body, but there is nothing in the world but sin, that shall sever either soul or body from the love of God in Christ, because both body and soul are mem- bers of Christ. Therefore let us treasure it up as a point wondrous com- fortable.
To come to an use of trial, how shall we know whether God's good will be to us in Christ or no ? How shall I know that he loves my person, that I am in the state of grace and' love with him ?
The Holy Ghost must ascertain this. For as the work of salvation was so great, that only God could satisfy God, so the doubts of man's heart, and the guilt of his conscience when it is upon him, and the fear of God'a wrath upon just guilt, is such that God miist assure him that God is recon- ciled to him. God the Son must reconcile God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost must seal and ascertain this to the soul. The soul will never be quiet, before it see and know in particular God reconciled in Christ. The Spirit that is God, that is above conscience, must seal it to the soul, being above conscience. He can set down and quiet our conscience. Now this Spirit that worketh this in us, and assures us of God's good pleasure, it alters and changeth our dispositions, that we shall have a good pleasure in God, for there is a mutual good pleasure. God hath a good pleasure in us as his, and we have a good pleasure in God wrought by the Spirit. The Spirit not only witnesseth, but worketh this sweet and gracious disposition to God. God delights in us, and we in God. God delights in the church above all things. The church is his wife and spouse, his body, his friends, his children, and those that have the Spirit of God delight in them too. Ps. xvi. 3, ' All my delight is in the excellent ;' and Prov. viii. 31, * My
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delight is in the sons of men,' saith Christ ; which he shewed by taking the base nature of man upon him. So all that have the Spirit of Christ delight in the church and people of God : ' All my delight is in the saints on earth,' Hosea ii, God saith his delight is in his church. So all that have the Spirit of God, they delight in the people of God.