The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

Contr. No man can groundedly believe the special Love of God to him, nor his own Election or Justification, before he hath (yea before he find in himself) a special love to God. Because he that hath no special love to God, must believe a lye if he believe that he is justified, or that ever God revealed to him that he is elect, or specially beloved of God: and no man hath any evidence or proof at all of his election, and Gods special love, till he have this evidence of his special love to God. Till he know this, he cannot know that any other is sincere.

2. They that deny or blaspheme Gods common love to fallen man, and his universal pardoning Covenant, do their worst to keep men from being moved to the special Love of God by his common Love: But when they have done their worst, it shall stand as a sure obligation. Is there not reason enough to bind men to love God above all, even as one that yet may be their happiness in his own infinite Goodness, and all the revelations of it by Christ, and in his so loving the world, as to give his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And in his giving a free pardon of all sin to mankind, and offering life eternal to them, so that none but the final refusers shall lose it, and entreating them to accept it, &c? Is not all this sufficient in reason to move men to that love of God, if the Spirit help them to make use of Reason (as he must do what Reasons soever are presented to them) unless men think that God doth not oblige them by any kindness which they can possibly reject? or by any thing which many others do partake of?

2. They that deny or bl•spheme Gods common love to fallen man, and his universal pardoning Covenant, do their worst to keep men from being moved to the special Love of God by his common Love: But when they have done their worst, it shall stand as a sure obligation. Is there not reason enough to bind men to love God above all, even as one that yet may be their happiness in his own infinite Goodness, and all the revelations of it by Christ, and in his so loving the world, as to give his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And in his giving a free pardon of all sin to mankind, and offering life eternal to them, so that none but the final refusers shall lose it, and intreating them to accept it, &c? Is not all this sufficient in reason to move men to that love of God, if the Spirit help them to make use of Reason (as he must do what Reasons soever are presented to them) unless men think that God doth not oblige them by any kindness which they can possibly reject? or by any thing which many others do partake of?