A34689:4134
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…
A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first Epistle general of John by ... John Cotton ...A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first Epistle generall of John by ... John Cotton ...
London: printed by M.S. for Thomas Parkhurst, 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2 In Scripture account, that which comes after, is not the cause of that which went before, therefore our love coming after cannot be the cause of Gods love going before: To Abraham and his seed were the promises made, not by works or obedience to the Law, for the Law was given four hundred years after, Gal. 3.17. and therefore God had not respect to it, as the Apostle argues; So that which we have done four thousand years after the world was made, cannot be the cause of Gods love before the world was, Rom. 9.12, 13, 14. If the Apostle there had not excluded foreseen works, his arguing had been of no effect; for he speaks not only of what was then, but he considered nothing that might be afterwards as the cause of his love.
2 In Scripture account, that which comes after, is not the cause of that which went before, therefore our love coming after cannot be the cause of Gods love going before: To Abraham and his seed were the promises made, not by works or obedience to the Law, for the Law was given four hundred years after, Gal. 3.17. and therefore God had not respect to it, as the Apostle argues; So that which we have done four thousand years after the world was made, cannot be the cause of Gods love before the world was, Rom. 9.12, 13, 14. If the Apostle there had not excluded foreseen works, his arguing had been of no effect; for he speaks not onely of what was then, but hee considered nothing that might be afterwards as the cause of his love.
Use 1. To refute those that make Gods love to us depend upon our love to him, they expressly blot out this Scripture, to say that any one is beloved of God for his fore-seen faith, is to say, that God loved us, because we first loved him, which is expressly contrary to this Text, so that if we enquire the cause of Gods love to us, we must seek it in God, not in our selves, for he loved us, because he loved us.