After all the rest,1 the Author himself confesses, that there is in God an eternal, unchangeable, fruitful Love; how so? There is a Love of Virtue and Goodness; and is there not a Love of Persons too? The Scripture is express in it: St. Paul is a chosen vessel, Act. 9. Jacob was loved, and that before he was born, or had done any good at all, Rom. 9. The Lord knoweth those that are his, 2 Tim. 2. He calleth his sheep by Name, Joh. 10.3. Some are drawn of the Father, Joh. 6.44. Some are called according ⟨p. 252⟩to purpose, Rom. 8.28. On some God will have mercy, when he hardens others, Rom. 9.18. All which places places prove that electing Love is of particular persons, who, as St. Austin hath it, certissimè liberantur, are certainly saved, when others are left in massa perditionis. Unless this be owned, that great Design of a Church, which is the Master-piece of Providence, must be carried on in such a lame and imperfect manner, as if God (which is unworthy of him) should say, I would have a Church, but I intend not who shall make it up: Such a Jeofail is hardly to be found in a prudent Man. But saith the Author, The Unchangeableness of God's Love doth not consist in being determined to the same Object, but in that he always loves for the same Reason, that is, he always loves true Virtue and Goodness, where-ever he sees it, and never ceases to love any person, till he ceases to be good: he always loves for the same Reason; where Goodness is, there he loves, where Goodness is not, there he loves not: This is the Author's meaning, this is loving for the same Reason: But if this had been so, what could have become of Man, corrupt, lapsed Man, in whom, as our ⟨p. 253⟩Church tells us, there is not a spark of Goodness? How desperate must his case have been? Divine Love could not possibly have let out a drop of Mercy to such an one, much less have showed forth it self in such an unparalleled Act, as the Mission of his own Son for our Redemption, there being not in any Son of Adam naturally, so much Goodness (the only reason according to the Author of divine Love) as might attract the least crumb of Comfort on Earth, or the least moments Reprieve from Hell. But saith the Author, Should he love a wicked man, the Reason and Nature of his Love would change: He cannot love a wicked man with a Love of Complacence, but cannot he love him in Design, or with a Love of Benevolence?
After all the rest,1 the Author himself confesses, that there is in God an eternal, unchangeable, fruitful Love; how so? There is a Love of Virtue and Goodness; and is there not a Love of Persons too? The Scripture is express in it: St. Paul is a chosen vessel, Act. 9. Jacob was loved, and that before he was born, or had done any good at all, Rom. 9. The Lord knoweth those that are his, 2 Tim. 2. He calleth his sheep by Name, Joh. 10.3. Some are drawn of the Father, Joh. 6.44. Some are called according ⟨p. 252⟩to purpose, Rom. 8.28. On some God will have mercy, when he hardens others, Rom. 9.18. All which places places prove that electing Love is of particular persons, who, as St. Austin hath it, certissimè liberantur, are certainly saved, when others are left in massa perditionis. Unless this be owned, that great Design of a Church, which is the Master-piece of Providence, must be carried on in such a lame and imperfect manner, as if God (which is unworthy of him) should say, I would have a Church, but I intend not who shall make it up: Such a Jeofail is hardly to be found in a prudent Man. But saith the Author, The Ʋnchangeableness of God's Love doth not consist in being determined to the same Object, but in that he always loves for the same Reason, that is, he always loves true Vertue and Goodness, where-ever he sees it, and never ceases to love any person, till he ceases to be good: he always loves for the same Reason; where Goodness is, there he loves, where Goodness is not, there he loves not: This is the Author's meaning, this is loving for the same Reason: But if this had been so, what could have become of Man, corrupt, lapsed Man, in whom, as our ⟨p. 253⟩Church tells us, there is not a spark of Goodness? How desperate must his case have been? Divine Love could not possibly have let out a drop of Mercy to such an one, much less have shewed forth it self in such an unparalle'd Act, as the Mission of his own Son for our Redemption, there being not in any Son of Adam naturally, so much Goodness (the only reason according to the Author of divine Love) as might attract the least crumb of Comfort on Earth, or the least moments Reprieve from Hell. But saith the Author, Should he love a wicked man, the Reason and Nature of his Love would change: He cannot love a wicked man with a Love of Complacence, but cannot he love him in Design, or with a Love of Benevolence?
- 1Answer.
