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of God, as himself expressed it to Moses; " I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy." Rom. ix. 15. He declares that he will actually extend mercy to those on whom he had determined to bestow it. Moses told the Israelites the same truth, when he would have them to abstain from idolatry, and serve the true God who had chosen them as his peculiar people. "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor chuse you, because ye were more in number than any people:-but because the Lord loved you." Deut. vii. 7, 8. To these declarations agree the words of the Apostle, 1 John iv. 10. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us." ver. 19. "We love him, because he first loved us."

FAITH and good works foreseen have been, by some, considered as the moving cause or reason of this love. But no connection of things can be conceived more preposterous than this. God could foresee no such qualities in any of Adam's lapsed offspring, but as fruits of his own love. The first and greatest fruit of the love of God, is the gift of his own Son to be their Surety-Mediator. By his obedience to death he opened a channel for communicating to them the Spirit, by whom faith and all principles of holiness are wrought in sinners. We are saved through faith; but it is not of ourselves, being the gift of God. Besides all good works must proceed from love which is the fulfilling of the law; but this love is the fruit of God's love to us: for we love him, because he FIRST loved us." 1 John iv. 19. If God's love was the moving cause of giving his only begotten Son to suffer and die for sinners, the same love will induce him, along with Christ to bestow on them all things; among which we may certainly reckon faith and good works. He therefore works in his people

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both to will and to do of his good cution of the designs of his love. beautifully expressed by the Apostle in his prayer for the Thessalonians; "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work." 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17.

3. It is discriminating love. It distinguishes its peculiar objects from others. It has already been observed that no quality existed in the objects that could attract this love: when, therefore, a selection is made, it is not owing to any thing more amiable in the objects chosen than in them that are not chosen.

THE first view that we have of this love as discriminating is, in drawing a line of distinction between lapsed angels and fallen man, in general. No selection is made from among the former, to be redeemed from sin and misery. No surety is appointed for them, and no covenant entered into on their account. They are reserved in chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. The human nature is preferred to the angelic; not, however, on account of any discriminating considerations in the condition of men, as sinners. Men have indeed presumed to assign reasons of this discrimination, taken from what they apprehend to be peculiarly aggravating in the sin of angels, as the cause of their rejection. This is being wise above what is written, as the Scriptures no where insinuate any such thing, or lay down any premises from which such an inference can be drawn. Besides the same reason ought to apply to fallen man; and those whose sins are more heinous would be rejected, and others, whose sins are less heinous, elected: But this does not hold in fact. In this case as in the

other, the reason assigned by Christ will hold. "Even so, O Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight."

AMONG the lapsed sons of Adam, this love fixes upon some and passes over others, whilst there is no difference in their condition, as sinners. These were chosen in love and in Christ as their elect and covenant-head, through whom they were to enjoy eternal salvation. This discrimination is stated by the Apostle, Rom. ix. 11, 12, 13. "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might standJacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Thus grace was given them in Christ, before the world began.

THE discriminating nature of this love is more eminently displayed in their effectual calling and justification. They are favoured with the enjoyment of the means of salvation, which are rendered effectual by grace, in producing this change. They are delivered from spiritual death, born of the water and Spirit, and adopted into the family of God; while others are left in the kingdom of Satan, and under the power of sin. As the design of this love was to save them, so God commences that work in their conversion, and justification, and carries it on in their sanctification. "They were predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son; and chosen to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." Their sins are pardoned, their persons are made righteous, and they are constituted heirs of everlasting life. "Whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Their natures are renewed, their state is changed, their souls are filled with spiritual peace, and they enjoy the happiest intercourse with God; while others are entire strangers to all these things. "In this way God saves

them, and calls them with an holy calling, not ac cording to their works, but according to his own pur pose and grace, which was given them in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. i. 9.

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AT the last day the final discriminating display of this love will be made. Then the work of grace will be consummated, every imperfection will be removed, all the effects of sin will have ceased, and the objects of this love will have reached a glorious assimilation to the Son of God, both in their souls and bodies. prepared for entering upon the possession of the heavenly inheritance, and stationed on the right hand of the Judge, distinguished from those on the left, they shall receive the honourable, and long-wished-for sentence, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Those on the left shall hear their awful doom from the lips of the Judge, according to their charac"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." These shall then go into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal."

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4. THIS love displays wonderful condescension. Here the infinite distance of the parties, and God's absolute independence of the creature are to be considered. When two persons of the same rank love each other, there can be no condescension; as in the case of the divine persons, who are in all respects equal, and love each other. Also where persons are under obligation to love one another, though they may not, in every respect, be equal, there cannot be condescension in their love. It is no condescension in angels to love men, though they are beings of a higher order; nor in kings to love the meanest of their subjects, though they

are raised above them, because it is their duty: nor would it be condescension to love the meanest believer, an ulcerated Lazarus, though he were none of their subjects.

SINNERS are infinitely below God; nor is he under any obligation to love them. As creatures, the distance between God and them is infinite. The relation between them is that of Creator and creatures. That relation obliges them to love him, but cannot be said. to oblige him to love them, though he cannot but approve of his own work. This distance appears more strikingly, from the consideration of their being sinners. In this view, there is not only a distance but an opposition: sinners are traitors and rebels. In such a case, and indeed in any case, they can do God no favour, they can give him no counsel, no aid, nor can they confer on him any honour. They act a very opposite part. Their wills are contrary to his; they are dispo sed to oppose him in all his designs, and they disho nour him in all that they do. None of these consider. ations induce God to exclude sinners from a share in his love. Here are objects exceedingly forbidding, and hateful, in every point of view opposed to God, and ene mies to his glory; yet on them has he fixed a sovereign and unchangeable love. The prophet Ezekiel, chap. xvi. at the command of God, describes, very emphatically, this deplorable state of sinners, and the astonishing condescension of the divine love towards them. "In the day that thou wast born," says he in the name of God,“ navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed with water to supple thee: thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. No eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out into the open field, to the loathing of thy

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