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First. The original is God: and the notion of a Deity includes infinite perfections, so that it necessarily follows that he hath no need of the creature's service to preserve or heighten his felicity. "If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?" Job 35. 7. From eternity he was without external honour, yet in that infinite duration he was perfectly joyful and happy. He is the fountain of his own blessedness, the theatre of his own glory, the glass of his own beauty. One drop increases the ocean, but to God a million of worlds can add nothing. Every thing hath so much of goodness as it derives from him. As there was no gain to him by the creation, so there can be no loss by the annihilation of all things. The world proceeded from his wisdom as the idea and exemplar, and from his power as the efficient cause; and it so proceeds from him, as to remain more perfectly in him. And as the possession of all things, and the obedience of angels and men is of no advantage to God; so the opposition of impenitent rebels cannot lessen his blessedness. "If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? or, if thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him?" Job 35. 6. The sun suffers no loss of his light by the darkness of the night, or an eclipse, but the world loses its day if intelligent beings do not esteem him for his greatness, and love him for his goodness, it is no injury to him, but their own infelicity. Were it for his interest; he could by one act of power conquer the obstinacy of his fiercest enemies. If he require subjection from his creatures, it is not that he may be happy, but liberal, that his goodness may take its rise to reward them. Now this is the special commendation of divine love, it doth not arise out of indigency as created love, but out of fulness and redundancy. Our Saviour tells us there is "none good but God," Mat. 19. 17. not only in respect of the perfection of that attribute, as it is in God in a transcendent manner; but as to the effects of his goodness, which are merely for the benefit of the receiver. He is only rich in mercy, to whom nothing is wanting, or profitable. The most liberal monarch doth not always give, for he stands in need of his subjects. And where there is an expectation of service for the support of the giver, it is traffic and no gift. Human affection is begotten, and nourished by something without; but the love of God is from within the misery of the creature is the occasion, but the cause of it is from

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himself. And how free was that love, that caused the infinitely blessed God to do so much for our recovery, as if his felicity were imperfect without ours!

It doth not prejudice the freeness of redeeming mercy, that Christ's personal glory was the reward of his sufferings.

It is true, that our Redeemer for the "joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12. 2. But he was not first drawn to the undertaking of that hard service by the interest of the reward. For if we consider him in his divine nature, he was the second person in the Trinity, equal to the first; he possessed all the supreme excellencies of the Deity; and by assuming our nature, the only gain he purchased to himself was to be capable of loss for the accomplishing our salvation. Such was the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." 2 Cor. S. 9. And although his human soul was encouraged by the glorious recompence the Father promised, to make him King and Judge of the world; yet his love to man was not kindled from that consideration, neither is it lessened by his obtaining of it. For immediately upon the union of the human nature to the Eternal Son, the highest honour was due to him. When the first-begotten was brought into the world, it was said, "Let all the angels of God worship him." Heb. 1.6. The sovereign power in heaven and earth was his inheritance, annexed to the dignity of his primogeniture: "the name above every name” was a preferment due to his person: he voluntarily renounced his right for a time, and appeared in the "form of a servant" upon our account, that by humbling himself he might accomplish our salvation. He entered into glory after a course of sufferings, because the economy of our redemption so required; but his original title to it was by the personal union. To illustrate this by a lower instance: the mother of Moses was called to be his nurse by Pharaoh's daughter, with the promise of a reward, as if she had no relation to him. Now the pure love of a mother, not the gain of a nurse, was the motive that inclined her to nourish him with her milk. * Thus

* Christus enim per naturam bonus non propter præmii cupiditatem; ideo passus est, quia benefacere eum delectavit, non quia incrementum gloriæ ex sua passione quærebat. Ambros.

the love of Christ was the primary active cause that made him liberal to us of his blood; neither did the just expectation of the reward take off from it.

The sum is this : the essence of love consists in desiring the good of another without respect to ourselves; and love is so much the more free, as the benefit we give to another is less profitable, or more damageable to us. Now among men it is impossible that to a virtuous benefactor there should not redound a double benefit.

(1.) From the eternal reward which God hath promised. And,

(2.) From the internal beauty of an honest action, which the philosopher affirms, doth exceed any loss that can befal us. For if one dies for his friend, yet he loves himself most, for he would not choose to be less virtuous than his friend, and by dying for him he excels him in virtue, which is more valuable than life it. self. But to the Son of God no such advantage could accrue; for being infinitely holy and happy in his essence, there can be no addition to his felicity or virtues by any external emanation from him. His love was for our profit, not his own.

The freeness of God's mercy is evident by considering there was no tie upon him to dispense it. Grace strictly taken differs from love: for that may be a debt, and without injustice not denied. There are inviolable obligations on children to love their parents; and duty lessens desert: the performance of it doth not so much deserve praise, as the neglect merits censure and reproof. But the love of God to man is a pure, free, and liberal affection, no way due. “ The grace of God, and the gift by grace hath abounded unto many.” Rom. 5. 15. The creation was an effusion of goodness, much more redemption. “ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.”. Rev. 4. 11. It is grace that gave being to the angels, with all the prerogatives that adorn their natures: it is grace that confirmed them in their original integrity. For God owes them nothing, and they are nothing to him. It was grace that placed Adam in paradise, and made him as a visible God in the lower world. And if grace alone dispensed benefits to innocent creatures, much more to those who are obnoxious to justice: the first was free, but this is merciful. And this leads to the second consideration, which exalts redeeming love.

" It is the grace

Secondly. The object of it is man in his lapsed state. In this respect it excels the goodness that prevented him at the beginning. In the creation as there was no object to invité, so nothing repugnant to man's being and happiness: the dust of the earth did not merit such an excellent condition as it received from the pure bounty of God; but there was no moral unworthiness. But the grace of the gospel hath a different object, the wretched and unworthy, and it produces different operations, it is healing and medicinal, ransoming and delivering, and hath a peculiar character among the divine attributes.

It is goodness that crowns the angels, but it is mercy, the sanctuary of the guilty, and refuge of the miserable, that saves man. The scripture hath consecrated the name of grace in a special manner, to signify the most excellent and admirable favour of God in recovering us from our justly deserved misery. We are “justified freely by his grace,” Rom. 3. 24. “By grace we are saved.” Eph. 2. 5. « Grace and truth is come by Jesus Christ.” John 1. 17. of God that brings salvation.” Tit. 2. 11. And this is gloriously manifested towards man in that, I. Considered in himself he is altogether unworthy of it. 2. As compared with the fallen angels, who are left under perfect irremediable misery.

First; man considered in himself is unworthy of the favour of God. The usual motives of love are,

1. The goodness of things or persons. This is the proper allective of the rational appetite: there is such a ravishing beauty in it, that it powerfully calls from affection. When there is an union of amiable qualities in a person, every one finds an attractive.

2. A conformity in disposition hath a mighty force to beget love. Resemblance is the common principle of union in nature : social plants thrive best when near together : sensitive creatures associate with those of their kind. And love, which is an affectionate union and voluntary band, proceeds from a similitude of wills and inclinations. The harmony of tempers is the strongest and sweetest tie of friendship.

3. Love is an innocent and powerful charm to produce love : it is of universal virtue, and known by all the world. * None

* Tibi monstrabo amatorium sine medicamento, sine herbis, sine ullius 18neficæ carmine, ši vis amari ama, Senec.

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are of such an unnatural hardness, but they are softened and receive impression from it. Now there are none of these inducements to incline God to love man.

(1.) He was utterly destitute of moral goodness: as the exact temperament of the body, so the order and beauty of the soul, was spoiled by sin. Nothing remained but deformity and defilements. The love of God makes us amiable, but did not find us so. Redemption is a free favour, not excited by the worth of him that receives it, but the grace of him that dispenses it ; “ Herein God commended his love to us, that while we were sinners Christ died for us.” Rom. 5. 8. Our goodness was not the motive of his love, but his love the original of our goodness.

(2.) There is a fixed contrariety in the corrupted nature of man to the holy nature and will of God : for which he is not only unworthy of his love, but worthy of his wrath. We are opposite to him in our minds, affections, and actions : a strong antipathy is seated in all our faculties. How unqualified were we for his love? There is infinite holiness in him, whereby he is eternally opposite to all sin, yet he expressed infinite love to sinners in saving them from misery.

(3.) 'There was not the least spark of love in man to God: notwithstanding his infinite beauty and bounty to us, Rom. 5. 10. yet we renewed acts of hostility against him every day. And it was the worst kind of hostility arising from the hatred of God, Rom. 1. 30. and that for his holiness, his most amiable perfection: yet then in his love he pitied us. The same favour bestowed on an enemy, is morally more valuable than given to a friend. For it is love that puts a price on benefits: and the more undeserved they are, the more they are endeared by the affection that gives them. “Here is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4. 10. We were rebels against God, and at enmity with the Prince of life, yet then he gave himself for us.

It will further appear that our salvation comes from pure favour, if we consider man not only as a rebellious enemy to God, but impotent and obstinate, without power to resist justice, and without affection to desire mercy. Sometimes the interest of a prince may induce him to spare the guilty, he may be compelled to pardon, whom he cannot punish. The multitude is the greatest potentate. 66 The sons of Zerviah were too strong for

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