The Fountain of Life Opened

How is this gift of God to sinners signalized in that place of the Apostle,¹ 1 Joh. 4.10. herein is love, not that we loved God; but that he loved us; and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins; why doth the Apostle so magnify this gift, in saying herein is love, as if there were love in nothing else? may we not say, that to have a being, a being among the rational creatures; therein is love, to have our life carried so many years like a taper in the hand of Providence, through so many dangers; and not yet put out in obscurity: therein is love, to have food and raiment convenient for us, beds to ⟨p. 40⟩lye in; relations to comfort us, in all these is love; yea, but if you speak comparatively; in all these there is no love, to the love expressed in sending or giving Christ for us: these be great mercies in themselves, but set by this mercy they are all swallowed up, as the light of Candles when brought into the Sunshine: no, no; herein is the love, that God gave Christ for us. And it is remarkable that when the Apostle would show us in Rom. 5.8. what is the noblest fruit that most commends to men the root of Divine love that bears it; he shows us this very fruit of it that I am now opening. But God (saith he) commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners; Christ dyed for us; this is the very flower of that love.

How is this gift of God to sinners signalized in that place of the Apostle,¹ 1 Joh. 4.10. herein is love, not that we loved God; but that he loved us; and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins; why doth the Apostle so magnifie this gift, in saying herein is love, as if there were love in nothing else? may we not say, that to have a being, a being among the rational creatures; therein is love, to have our life carryed so many years like a taper in the hand of Providence, through so many dangers; and not yet put out in obscurity: therein is love, to have food and rayment convenient for us, beds to