A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

Lastly, there lies something peculiar in that phrase, The Love of the Father is not in him. (1) Here we find another Idiom, or manner of speech proper to John, who frequently makes use of Antitheses, and that both of Things, Words, and Sentences, for Illustration, and Confirmation; whereof many Instances might be given, as John 1.5, 13, 17, 20, &c. So here he opposeth the Father to the World: And then the Love of the Father, to the Love of the world; which gives great Illustration and Demonstration to his discourse: For opposites illustrate and demonstrate each other. (2) Another thing to be considered herein is the object, [Greek or Hebrew], of the Father. Where the Article THE, deserves a peculiar regard: and so in deed do the various Articles in this text, The world, the Things, &c. For albeit these Articles sometimes, in other parts of Scripture, are not significative or emphatic, yet here they seem to give some emphase. So that The Father is here mentioned to specify both the proper Object, and Formal Reason of Evangelic Love, as distinct from that Natural Love, which Adam in Paradise had towards God, as Creator. First by the Father here is specified the proper object of Evangelic love, namely that it must terminate on God, as a gracious Father in and through Christ; whereas Adam's natural love in Innocence terminated on God only as Creator. Secondly by the Father also the formal Reason of Evangelic Love is specified, namely that God's love towards us in Christ ought to be the formal reason, or proper motive of our love to him.

Lastly, there lies something peculiar in that phrase, The Love of the Father is not in him. (1) Here we find another Idiom, or manner of speech proper to John, who frequently makes use of Antitheses, and that both of Things, Words, and Sentences, for Illustration, and Confirmation; whereof many Instances might be given, as John 1.5, 13, 17, 20, &c. So here he opposeth the Father to the World: And then the Love of the Father, to the Love of the world; which gives great Illustration and Demonstration to his discourse: For opposites illustrate and demonstrate each other. (2) Another thing to be considered herein is the object, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, of the Father. Where the Article THE, deserves a peculiar regard: and so in deed do the various Articles in this text, The world, the Things, &c. For albeit these Articles sometimes, in other parts of Scripture, are not significative or emphatick, yet here they seem to give some emphase. So that The Father is here mentioned to specifie both the proper Object, and Formal Reason of Evangelick Love, as distinct from that Natural Love, which Adam in Paradise had towards God, as Creator. First by the Father here is specified the proper object of Evangelick love, namely that it must terminate on God, as a gracious Father in and through Christ; whereas Adam's natural love in Innocence terminated on God only as Creator. Secondly by the Father also the formal Reason of Evangelick Love is specified, namely that God's love towards us in Christ ought to be the formal reason, or proper motive of our love to him.