Archive for September 29th, 2009
Chap. 4.
Of the Love of God.
That true and perfect love is in God, and is properly attributed unto him. That God loves not only himself, but also every thing that he has made: although he loves not all things with an equal love. For he loves the better things better then those things that are less good: the godly then the ungodly. Further, that the love of God is free, infinite, constant, and everlasting.
The love of God cannot be separated from his grace: seeing that grace being taken in that other signification, whereof we have spoken much before, is no other thing then free love, which is also the root and fountain of all clemency, mercy, and of all good things towards us. From from whence is salvation of the world? Christ plainly teaches, saying, John. 3, that “God so loved the world that,” (that is, he not only sustains and governs it wisely, enriches it with good things, giving it rain from heaven and fruitful times, filling men’s hearts with meat and gladness, yea and bearing an incredible patience, their daily and grievous injuries, thus by his divine goodness expecting and leading them to repentance, but also), “he gave his only begotten son, that all which believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And it is certain that there is nothing in Scripture found more often, then that God loves. What? his Son, his church, the elect, all men, the world, and to conclude, all things that are: so as nothing wants [lacks] God’s love toward it. We have therefore worthily taken in hand to expound this attribute of God concerning his love, next unto that of the Grace of God, seeing it so so necessary to be known, for the true understanding of the Scriptures. But in this love of God we are handle and expound five questions. First whether that love properly agree to God: Secondly what things God loves, whether besides himself, all other things also, or but only some things and not all: thirdly, he if love all things, whether he love them all with an equal love or no: fourthly, whether he always love the better things more, than those that are less good: fifthly, what manner of love God bears towards his elect. Lastly we will say something concerning the use of this doctrine…