Fii^st, The love here intimated is absolutely the most eminent and transcendent love that ever God showed or bare towards any miserable creature; yea, the intention of our Saviour is so to set it forth, as is apparent by the emphatical expression of it used in this place. The particles " so,"' " that," declare no less, point- ing out an eximiousness peculiarly remarkable in the thing whereof the affirmation is [made], above any other thing in the same kind. Expositors usually lay weight upon almost every particular word of the verse, for the exaltation and demonstration of the love here mentioned. " So," that is, in such a degree, to such a remarkable, astonishable height: " Ood," the glorious, all-sufficient God, that could have manifested his justice to eternity in the condemnation of all sinners, and no way wanted them to be partakers of his blessed- ness: " loved," with such an earnest, intense affection, consisting in an eternal, unchangeable act and purpose of his will, for the bestow- ing of the chiefest good (the choicest effectual love) : " the world" men in the world, of the world, subject to the iniquities and miseries of the world, lying in their blood, having nothing to render them commendable in his eyes, or before him : " that he gave," did not, as he made all the world at first, speak the word and it was done, but proceeded higher, to the performance of a gi'eat deal more and longer work, wherein he was to do more than exercise an act of his almighty power, as before; and therefore gave " his Son;" not any favourite or other well-pleasing creature; not sun, moon, or stars; not the rich treasure of his creation (all too mean, and coming short of expressing this love) ; but his Son : " begotten Son," and that not so called by reason of some near approaches to him, a,nd filial, obedien- tial reverence of him, as the angels are called the sons of God ; for it was not an angel that he gave, which yet had been an expression of most intense love ; nor yet any son by adoption, as believers are
824 THE DEATH OF DEATH. [BOOK IV.
the sons of God ; but his begotten Son, begotten of his own person from eternity ; and that " his only -begotten Son;" not any one of his sons, but whereas he had or hath but one only-begotten Son, always in his bosom, his Isaac, he gave him: — than wliich how could the infinite wisdom of God make or give any higher testimony of his love? especially if ye will add what is here evidently included, though the time was not as yet come that it should be openly expressed, namely, whereunto he gave his Son, his only one ; not to be a king, and worshipped in the first place, — but he " spared him not, but delivered him up" to death "for us all," Rom. viii. 82. Whereunto, for a close of all, cast your eyes upon his design and purpose in this whole busi- ness, and ye shall find that it was that believers, those whom he thus loved, "might not perish," — that is, undergo the utmost misery and wrath to eternity, which they had deserved, — "hut have everlasting life," eternal glory with himself, which of themselves they could no way attain ; and ye will easily grant that "greater love hath no man than this." Now, if the love here mentioned be the greatest, highest, and chiefest of all, certainly it cannot be that common affection towai'ds all that we discussed before; for the love whereby men are actually and eternally saved is greater than that which may consist with the perishing of men to eternity.
Secondly, The Scripture positively asserts this very love as the chiefest act of the love of God, and that which he would have us take notice of in the first j)lace : Rom. v. 8, " God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while Ave were yet sinners, Christ died for us;" and fully, 1 John iv. 9, 10, " In this was manifested the love of God toward 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 propi- tiation for our sins." In both which places the eminency of this love is set forth exceeding emphatically to believers, with such expres- sions as can no way be accommodated to a natural vclleity to the good of all.
Thirdly, That seeing all love in God is but velle alicui honum, to will good to them that are beloved, they certainly are the object of las love to whom he intends that good which is the issue and effect of that love ; but now the issue of this love or good intended, being not i^erishivg, and ohtainiiig eternal life through Christ, happens alone to, and is bestowed on, only elect believers: therefore, they cer- tainly arc the object of this love, and they alone; — which was the thing we had to declare.
Fourtldy, That love which is the cause of giving Christ is also always the cause of the bestowing of all other good things: Rom. viii. 32, " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"