A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…

If the question be, why God loved us? it was not because we had done him any service of love, but he loved us before we loved him. 2 Tim. 1.9. He called us not according to our works, but according to his free purpose and grace. Deut. 7.7, 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you, because you were more in number then any people, for ye were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you. So Deut. 9.4, 5. he loved them because he loved them, and therefore surely without prevention or desert on our parts.

Reas. 1. From the removal of such causes of love, as might prevent God on our parts, if there be any cause on our parts, he loved us either out of foreseen faith or good works; but from neither of these; not from foreseen faith, for it's the love of God to us that produceth faith. Acts 13.48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed, so that our faith springeth from Gods love, choosing us to life; nor for our good works, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, so that good works did not cause Gods ordaining us to life, but Gods ordaining us to life causeth good works, so that faith and good works are not causes, but fruits of Gods love to us.

Reas. 2. From the eternity of Gods love to us. Je. 31.3. I have loved you with an everlasting love. Now if Gods love be eternal before the world was, then it was not for our sakes, who were made after, Ephes. 4.5. Nothing temporal can be the cause of that which is eternal, our love and faith began in time, his love was eternal.