DIVINE PERFECTIONS THE OBJECT OF OUR LOVE. 151
unto him ? Wherefore, at our first creation, and in our primitive condition, love was the very soul and quickening piinciple of the life of God ; and on our adherence unto him thereby the continuance of our relation unto liim did depend. The law, rule, and measure of it was, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul." For this end did God create this affection in us. Not only our persons in their nature and being, but in all their powers and faculties, were fitted and j^repared unto this end, of living unto God, and coming unto the enjoyment of him. And all their exer- cise on created objects was to be directed unto this end. Where- fore, the placing of our love on anything before God, or above him, is a formal expression of our apostasy from him.
2. Divine excellencies are a proper, adequate object of our love. The will, indeed, can adhere unto nothing in love, but what the understanding apprehends as unto its truth and being; but it is not necessary that the understanding do fully comprehend the whole nature of that which the will doth so adhere unto. Where a disco- very is made unto and by the mind of real goodness and amiable- ness, the will there can close with its affections. And these are apprehended as absolutely the most perfect in the divine nature and holy properties of it. Whereas, therefore, not only that which is the proper object of love is in the divine excellencies, but it is there only perfectly and absolutely, without the mixture of anything that should give it an alloy, as there is in all creatures, they are the most suitable and adequate object of our love.
There is no greater discovery of the depravation of our natures by sin and degeneracy of our wills from their original rectitude, than that — whereas vfe are so prone to the love of other things, and therein do seek for satisfaction unto our souls where it is not to be obtained — it is so hard and difiicuJt to raise our hearts unto the love of God. Were it not for that depravation, he would always appear as the only suitable and satisfactory object unto our affections.
3. The especial object of divine, gracious love, is the divine good- ness. " How great is his goodness, how great is his beauty \" Zech. ix. 17. Nothing is amiable or a proper object of love, but what is good, and as it is so. Hence divine goodness, which is infinite, hath an absolutely perfect amiableness accompanying it. Because his goodness is inexpressible, his beauty is so. " How great is his good- ness, how great is his beauty!" Hence are we called to give thanks unto the Lord, and to rejoice in him — which are the effects of love — ^because he is good, Ps. cvi. 1, cxxxvi. 1.
Neither is divine goodness the especial object of our love as abso- lutely considered ; but we have a respect unto it as comprehensive of all that mercy, grace, and bounty, which are suited to give us the
152 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
best relief in our present condition and an eternal future reward. Infinite goodness, exerting itself in all that mercy, grace, faithfulness, and bounty, which are needful unto our relief and blessedness in our present condition, is the proper object of our love. Whereas, there- fore, this is done only in Christ, there can be no true love of the divine goodness, but in and through him alone.
The goodness of God, as a creator, preserver, and rewarder, was a sufficient, yea, the adequate object of all love antecedently unto the entrance of sin and misery. In them, in God under those conside- rations, might the soul of man find full satisfaction as unto its present and future blessedness. But since the passing of sin, misery, and death upon us, our love can find no amiableness in any goodness — no rest, complacency, and satisfaction in any — but what is effectual in that grace and mercy by Christ, which we stand in need of for our present recovery and future reward. Nor doth God require of us that we should love him otherwise but as he " is in Christ recon- cihng the world unto himself." So the apostle fully declares it: " In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dweUeth in God, and God in him," 1 John iv. 9, 10, 16. God is love, of a nature infinitely good and gracious, so as to be the only object of all divine love. But this love can no way be known, or be so manifested unto us, as that we may and ought to love him, but by his love in Christ, his sending of him and loving us in him. Before this, without this, we do not, we cannot love God. For " herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." This is the cause, the spring and fountain, of all our love to him. They are but empty notions and imaginations, which some speculative persons please themselves withal, about love unto the divine goodness absolutely considered. For however infinitely ami- able it may be in itself, it is not so really unto them, it is not suited unto their state and condition, without the consideration of the com- munications of it unto us in Christ.