(2.) This love of Christ unto the church is singular in all those qualifications which render love obliging unto reciprocal affections. It is so in its reality. There can be no love amongst men, but will derive something from that disorder which is in their affections in their highest actings. But the love of Christ is pure and absolutely ffee from any alloy. There cannot be the least suspicion of anything of self in it. And it is absolutely undeserved. Nothing can be found amongst men that can represent or exemplify its freedom from any desert on our part. The most candid and ingenuous love amongst us is, when we love another for his worth, excellency, and usefulness, though we have no singular benefit of them ourselves ; but not the least of any of these things were found in them on whom he set his love, until they were wrought in them, as effects of that love which he set upon them.
Men sometimes may rise up unto such a high degree and instance in love, as that they will even die for one another ; but then it must be on a superlative esteem which they have of their worth and merit. It may be, saith the apostle, treating of the love of Christ, and of God ill him, that " for a good man some would even dare to die," Rom.
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V. 7. It must be for a good man — one who is justly esteemed "com- mune bonum," a public good to mankind — one whose benignity is ready to exercise loving-kindness on all occasions, which is the estate of a good man ; — peradventure some would even dare to die for such a man. This is the height of what love among men can rise unto ; and if it hath been instanced in any, it hath been accompanied with an open mixture of vain-glory and desire of renown. But the Lord Christ placed his love on us, that love from whence he died for us, when we were sinners and ungodly ; that is, every thing which might render us unamiable and undeserving. Though we were as deformed as sin could render us, and more deeply indebted than the whole creation could pay or answer, yet did he fix his love upon us, to free us from that condition, and to render us meet for the most intimate society with himself Never was there love which had such effects — which cost him so dear in whom it was, and proved so advantageous unto them on whom it was placed. In the pursuit of it he underwent everything that is evil in his own person, and we receive everything that is o-ood in the favour of God and eternal blessedness.
On the account of these things, the apostle ascribeth a constraining power unto the love of Christ, 2 Cor. v. 14. And if it constraineth us unto any return unto him, it doth so unto that of love in the first place. For no suitable return can be made for love but love, at least not without it. As love cannot be purchased — " For if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be con- temned," Cant. viii. 7, — so if a man would give all the world for a requital of love, without love it would be despised. To fancy that all the love of Christ unto us consists in the precepts and promises of the Gospel, and all our love unto him in the observance of his commands, without a real love in him unto our persons, like that of a " husband unto a wife," Eph. v. 25, 26, or a holy affection in our hearts and minds unto his person, is to overthrow the whole power of religion — to despoil it of its life and soul, leaving nothing but the carcase of it.
This love unto Christ, and unto God in him, because of his love unto us, is the principal instance of divine love, the touchstone of its reality and sincerity. Whatever men may boast of their affectionate endearments unto the divine goodness, if it be not founded in a sense of this love of Christ, and the love of God in him, they are but empty notions they flourish withal, and their deceived hearts feed upon ashes. It is in Christ alone that God is declared to be love ; without an appre- hension whereof none can love him as they ought. In him alone that infinite goodness, which is the peculiar object of divine love, is truly represented unto us, without any such deceiving phantasms as the workings of fancy or depravation of reason may impose upon us. And on him doth the saving communication of all the effects of it
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depend. And an infinite condescension is it in the holy God, so to express his " glory in the face of Jesus Christ," or to propose himself as the object of our love in and through him. For considering our weakness as to an immediate comprehension of the infinite excellen- cies of the divine nature, or to bear the rays of his resplendent glory, seeing none can see his face and live, it is the most adorable effect of divine wisdom and grace, that we are admitted unto the contempla- tion of them in the person of Jesus Christ.