(1.) Because it is an act suited unto that glorious excellency of his nature wherein he is love; for " God is love," 1 John iv. 8, 9. And the first egress of the divine properties must, therefore, be in an act of communicative love. And whereas this election, being an eternal act of the will of God, can have no moving cause but what is in him- self,— if we could look into all the treasures of the divine excellen- cies, we should find none whereunto it could be so properly ascribed as unto love. Wherefore, —
(2.) It is styled love, because it was free and undeserved, as unto anything on our part ; for whatever good is done unto any alto- gether undeserved, if it be with a design of their profit and advan- tage, it is an act of love, and can have no other cause. So is it with us in respect of eternal election. There was nothing in us, nothing foreseen, as that which, from ourselves, would be in us, that should any way move the will of God unto this election; for whatever is good in the best of men is an effect of it, Eph. i. 4. Whereas, therefore, it tends unto our eternal good, the spring of it must be love. And, —
(3.) The fruits or effects of it are inconceivable acts of love. It is by multiplied acts of love that it is made effectual ; John iii. 1 6 ; Jer. xxxi. 3; Eph. i. 3-5 ; 1 John iv. 8, 9, 16.
2. This is the eternal spring which is derived unto the church through the mediation of Christ. Wherefore, that which put all the design of this eternal love of the Father into execution, and wrought out the accomplishment of it, was the love of the Son, which we inquire after; and light may be given unto it in the ensuing observations : —
(1.) The whole number or society of the elect were creatures made in the image of God, and thereby in a state of love with him. All that they were, had, or hoped for, were effects of divine goodness and love. And the life of their souls was love unto God. And a blessed state it was, preparatory for the eternal life of love in heaven.
(2.) From this state they/eZ^ hy sin into a state of enmity with God ; which is comprehensive of all miseries, temporal and eternal.
(3.) Notwithstanding this woful catastrophe of our first state, yet
IN HIS LOVE AS MEDIATOR. SSS"
our nature, on many accounts, was recoverable unto the enjoyment of God ; as I have at large elsewhere declared.
(4.) In this condition, the first act of love in Christ towards us was 'vapiti/ and compassion. A creature made in the image of God, and fallen into misery, yet capable of recovery, is the proper object of divine compassion. That which is so celebrated in the Scripture, as the bowels, the pity, the compassion of God, is the acting of divine love towards us on the consideration of our distress and miseiy. But all compassion ceaseth towards them whose condition is irrecoverable. Wherefore the Lord Christ pitied not the angels that fell, because their nature was not to be relieved. Of this compassion in Christ, see Heb. ii. 14-16 ; Isa. Ixiii. 9.
(5.) As then we lay under the eye of Christ in our misery, we were the objects of his pity and compassion; but as he looketh on us as recoverable out of that state, his love worketh in and by delight It was an inconceivable delight unto him, to take a prospect of the deli- verance of mankind unto the glory of God ; which is also an act of love. See this divinely expressed, Prov. viii. 30, 31, as that place hath been elsewhere explained.^
(6.) If it be inquired, whence this compassion and delight in him should arise, what should be the caiise of them, that he who was eter- nally blessed in his own self-sufficiency should so deeply concern him- self in our lost, forlorn condition ? I say it did so merely from the infinite love and goodness of his own nature, without the least pro- curing inducement from us or any thing in us. Tit. iii. 5.
(7.) In this his readiness, willing-ness, and delight, springing from love and compassion, the counsel of God concerning the way of our recovery is, as it were, proposed unto him. Now, this was a way of great difficulties and perplexities unto himself, — that is, unto his per- son as it was to be constituted. To the di\dne nature nothing is grievous, — nothing is difficult; but he was to have another nature, wherein he was to undergo the difficulties of this way and work. It was required of him that he should pity us until he had none left to pity himself when he stood in need of it, — that he should pursue his delight to save us until his own soul was heavy and soiTowful unto death, — that he should reheve us in our sufferings by suffering the same things that we should have done. But he was not in the least hereby deterred from undertaking this work of love and mercy for us ; yea, his love rose on this proposal like the waters of a mighty stream against opposition. For hereon he says, " Lo, I come to do thy will, O God ;" — it is my delight to do it, Heb. x. 5-7; Isa. 1. 5-7.