438 A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE.
from earth to the ffravo ; and now he is risen, he is all in haste, ho makcth no stay, because his manner of despatch is, to help and comfort by the ministry of others. Go quickly ; do not stand embracing of me, but ' go and tell my brethren.'
Obj. But why then do not we find comfort sooner, that are afflicted ?
Ans. Beloved, where is the fault ? Is it in Christ ? You stand out at staves-end* with Christ; you will not embrace comforts when they be oflered, or else you be not sufficiently humbled ; for he is wise as he is swift, he knoweth which be the best times.
You see then that Christ, so soon as ever it is fit for him, he will come. If he should come sooner, he would come too soon ; if afterward, it would be too late. Ho is the best discerner of times and seasons that can be, and therefore wait his leisure. If thou want comfort, humble soul, whoso- ever thou art, wait his leisure. Certainly he knoweth the best time, and when the time is come, he will come. ' He that will come shall come,' Heb. X. 37, there is no question of that.
Now as he sent her in all haste, preferring it before any compliment to his own person, so it is a constant love. As it is a quick love that God bears to his children, so it is a constant, invincible love. They had dealt most unbrotherly with him, for every one had forsaken him, and Peter had denied him ; yet, ' Go tell my brethren.' One would think this water would have quenched this fire ; this unkind and unbrotherly dealing would have quenched this love in Christ's breast. It is true, if it had been the mere love of man, it had been something ; but it was the love of an infinite person, that took our nature out of love, and therefore it was a constant and invincible love. Nothing could conquer it, not the thoughts of their unkind dealings, no, not their denying and forsaking of him. But still, * Go tell my brethren.' * Love is strong as death,' Cant. viii. 6. Death could not hold Christ in the grave, but love held him on the cross. When he came to the work of our redemption, love then held him on earth ; but when he was in the gi-ave, it brake through all there. Indeed, it was stronger than death, in Christ.
Quest. Why is Christ's love so constant, so invincible, that nothing can alter it ?
Besohdion. The ground of it is, it is free love. He fetcheth the ground of his love from his own heart ; not from our worthiness or unworthiness, but from his own freedom, and God's eternal purpose. God hath purposed to save so many, and those and no more he giveth to Christ to save. And God looketh on his own purpose, Christ's free love, and that is the ground of all. And therefore whom he loveth he loveth to the end, because he looked on us in his election. The Lord knoweth who are his ; the founda- tion is so sure, if once we be God's we are ever God's. f For Christ looks on us in God's election. Therefore, if ever he sheweth his love to us, once his love and for ever his love. If anything in man could hinder it, it would have hindered it at our first conversion, when we were at worst, even enemies ; if nothing could hinder it then, what can hinder it afterwards ? as the apostle reasoneth strongly : Rom. v. 10, if we be reconciled by his death, much more will he save us by his life. *If when wo were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, now much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.' If when we had no c;oodness, but opposition and rebellion in us, we were saved by his death,
* That is, = at a distance, or on ceremony. — G.
t In margin here, ' Fundamenta tamen slant inconcussa Syonis.' — G.
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Christ is much more able to save us now by his life, triumphing over death and being glorious in the heavens.
Obj. Oh but, saith the poor soul, I am a poor weak creatui'e, and ready to fall away every day.
Ans. Ay but Christ's love is constant. ' "VNTiom he loveth he loveth to the end.' What saith the apostle ? Rom. viii. 38, ' Neither things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ ;' and therefore be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might ; do not trust to yourselves, nor trouble yourselves for things to come. If you be free from guilt of former sins, never question time to come. God is unchangeable in his nature, unchangeable in his love. He is ' Jehovah, I am,' always ; not ' I was or will be,' but ' I am always.' If ever he loved thee, he will love thee for ever. You see the constancy of Christ's love, ' Go tell my brethren.' Now when they had most deeply offended him, they were renegadoes, having all left him ; and then when he had most need of their comfort, being in greatest extremity; and yet ' Go tell my brethren.'