Love's pedigree. Or A discourse shewing the grace of love in a believer to be of a divine original delivered in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699[/]1700. / By S. Willard, teacher of a church there. ; [Two lines from James]

Love's pedigree. Or A discourse shewing the grace of love in a believer to be of a divine original delivered in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699[/]1700. / By S. Willard, teacher of a church there. ; [Two lines from James]

Table of contents

Title page

Love's Pedigree

DOCTRINE. Our Loving of God is the ginuine effect of his first Loving of us. If we love him in time, is it because he first loved us from Eternity.

USE. I.

USE. II.

USE. III.

USE. IV.

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Love's Pedigree.

OR A Discourse shewing the Grace of LOVE in a Believer to be of A Divine Original Delivered in a SERMON Preached at the Lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699./1700

By S. Willard, Teacher of a Church there.

Jam. 1.17.

Every good gift, & every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.

BOSTON, in N. E. Printed by B. Green, and J. Allen. Sold by Benjamin Eliot, at his Shop under the West End of the Town House. 1700.

Love's Pedigree

[Page]

1 John IV.19

We Love him; because he first Loved us.

THE knowledge of our good and safe Estate, deriving from an interest in the Everlasting Love of God, is a thing which every one who hath right thoughts of the Eternity he is going to, will be very sollicitous about. There is, besides the Testimony of the Spirit of God to this in us, which is necessary for our confirmation in the belief of it, the witness of our own spirit requisite, for our ordinary Assurance about it, which must be given to those things in us which are evidencial of it. These Evidences are built upon the discovery of such fruits or effects of the love of God wrought in us, as are proper and distinguishing, and these are mainly the Graces of Faith and Repentance; and these are [...] [Page] priority of Gods love to us, as that from which we come to love him, which can be inferred from no other but the Efficient. The word is an Adjective, and not an Adverb; and that also puts force into the argument; he was the first in this love, and thence it was that our love followed after. Hence,

DOCTRINE. Our Loving of God is the ginuine effect of his first Loving of us. If we love him in time, is it because he first loved us from Eternity.

I shall not insist on this Doctrine at large, but restrain the following Discourse to the resolution of the following Case, viz.

Quest. In what respect Gods love to us is leading to, and influential of our loving of him?

A. That we may take up the right meaning of the Case, in order to the better resolution of it: There are these two remarks to be made.

1. That by Gods love to us, we are to understand his Eternal purpose of good will, by which he appointed us to Salvation by Christ. Love is improperly attributed to God▪ in whom there are no Passions or Affections, properly so called, inasmuch as [Page] they argue imperfection, and composition in the subject of them, which is incompatible with the most absolute first Being. But because these are in men the Instruments of the Will, by the Ministry whereof it performs its Imperate Actions, or they are the various postures of it with respect to its Object, according to the resentment that it hath of it; hereupon when we see such things done in Gods Works of Efficiency, as are wont to be managed by such an Affection; we, after our manner of conception, ascribe it to that Affection; because we cannot otherwise express it. Now love is an Affection in us, which beareth good will to the Object of it▪ and expresseth it self in acts of kindness to it. As therefore it is an Humane Affection, it is rooted in the heart or will, and is on all opportunities discovering it self in the carriage; and from this conception of it, when God manifesteth his benignity to the Creature, we conceive him, in his so doing, to act as a cause by Counsel, and so ascribe it to his Benevolence, and call it his love. And from this consideration, there is a divers love that is assigned to him, according to the different effects of his good will, discerned in the fruits of his Beneficence to the Subject of it. There is a common love attributed to him, wherein the good and the bad do promiscuously partake; and it appears in that Goodness of his which he confers upon them, wherein he gives them large tasts of [Page] his bounty; and to this love we are pointed in, Psal. 145.9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works. An [...] Acts 14.17. He left not himself without witness in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. And there is an Especial love of his that we are told of, which he bears only to some, and in comparison with which others are said to be hated, according to Rom. 9.13 Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated; and it appears in those peculiar favours which he hath laid in for, and bestows upon them; of which we have such observations, Joh. 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. 1 Joh. 4 9. In this was the love of God manifested towards us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him; and this is the love that we are now considering of, and is intended in our Text: which, if we run up to the top of it, is nothing else but that good will of his, by which he purposed to bestow all saving good upon us. There is a natural love which we ascribe to God, by which he loveth himself eternally, being his own last end: and with this love every Sacred Person in the undivided Trinity love each other; and there is a voluntary love which we conceive in him, which must needs flow from his good pleasure; for we are told, Rom. 9.18. He hath mercy on [Page]whom he will have mercy. And such must be all the love which he bears to the Creature, since its being, and all that he doth to it or for it derive from his holy pleasure, Who doth all things according to the Counsel of his will, Eph. 1.11. And it was this love that procured our Salvation, Gal. 2.20. Who loved me, and gave himself for me.

2. That by our loving of God we must understand, that Cordial respect which we have for him, where by we have chosen him for our portion, and are entirely devoted to his fear. Love in us, is an Affection leading us in pursuit after Union to the object of it, in order to our having intimate Communion with it: for love is a Closing Affection, and carrieth us forth after that which we love. That which attracts our love to it, is the Goodness which we apprehend to be in the object of it, which renders it a thing lovely; the discovery of which goodness made to the Understanding, moves on the Judgment, and by that on the Heart, and draws it out after it. Now the expression of this love is in a suitable respect that we shew to the object of it, and is accordingly diversifyed, as there is a different reference or relation that we bear to it: the love therefore of Parents to their Children, and of Children to their Parents doth not shew it self after the same manner. There are therefore these two things wherein our real love to God appears, [Page] Viz. In our renouncing of all other things for him, chusing him alone for our portion, and accordingly depending upon him for all; when we can say as the Church, Lam. 3.24. The Lord is my portion saith my Soul, therefore I will hope in him: And as the Psalmist, Psal. 62.5. My Soul wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him And in our submitting our selves with greatest willingness and delight to his Service: Christ therefore directs to this as the Evidence of our love Joh 14 15. If ye love me keep my Commandments. Love is therefore used in the Scriptures to express all that Obedience which we pay to God, in studying and practising universal conformity to his revealed will. This is rooted in our hearts by the delight we have in his precepts; when we can say with him, Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man. And it is exerted in our life, when we devote our whole man to New Obedience; When we love the Lord our God with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind, Matth. 22.37.

It now follows that we proceed to the resolution of the Case; and we may take it up in the following Propositions.

1 This love of ours with which we love God, is not barely a Natural Affection, or a Moral Principle in it, but a Grace of the Spirit. The natural [Page] affection indeed is the Subject of it, in which it is rooted, but we must distinguish between the affection it self, and the love which is rooted in it. Love hath Good for its Object; and such as the good is, so is the love denominated. We love the things that are suited to our inclinations: and hence there is in Unregenerate men, a Carnal Love which inclines them to the gratification of their carnal Lusts, and so the objects which are suited thereto attract their love. There is a Natural Love in men to such persons or things as are agreeable to their natures: and there is a love to the things that are Morally Good and Honest, which some Unconverted men have in them, and it proceeds from a principle of Morality, which either remains in them notwithstanding the fall, or hath been acquired by them: but none of these amounts to the love which we are now in the Consideration of: There is then a Divine Love, which carries men out to God, and to Heavenly things, and fixeth them there: and this flows from a special gracious principle infused into the man by the Spirit of God, and can claim its Original from no other; it is therefore called one of the fruits of the Spirit, and is the first named, Gal. 5 22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, &c. This love of God indeed was Connatural to man in his state of integrity, being one of those Graces of Sanctification which [Page] were concreated in him, and belonged to that Image of God which was at first put upon him, and adorned him. This love was active and vigorous in man before such time as he had depraved himself by Sin; and none of the Commands were grievous to him.

2. The Apostasy robbed man of that holy love of God which was at first planted in him. This it did when it stript him of the Image of God, in which this and all the other Graces of Sanctification were contained. When man put off the Image from him, all that was Spiritual, or Theologically good in him went with it: So that every Unregenerate man, if he will say the Truth, must confess of himself entirely, as Paul doth of himself in respect to his worser part, Rom. 7.18. In me, that is in my flesh▪ there dwells no good thing. Man, who at first loved God as his last end and chief good, now ceaseth to do so, and there is not one spark of that primitive love left in him. It is said of every natural man, that the love of the Father is not in him, 1 Joh. 2.15. The Affection of love abides in the man, it being essential to his Humanity, and inseparable from it; but it hath shifted objects, and exchanged God for the Creature; Unconverted men are said to be Lovers of pleasures, more than lovers of God, 2 Tim. 3.4. And hereupon that is one title put upon ungodly men, Rom. 1.30. Haters of God. So [Page] that their first love, in respect of the object on which it was placed, is turned into hatred.

3. This love must be again recovered by the man, in order to his being made to enjoy God, and to be happy in him. It is certain that mans true happiness consists in his enjoying of God, who is the only adequate object of felicity; no other can make a suitable and sufficient portion for the reasonable Creature: to be far from God, is to be miserable indeed, Psal. 73.27. For lo, all that are far from thee, shall perish: In his favour there is life; his loving kindness is better than life it self. Now God is a portion for none but those that love him: it is by love that we come to have Communion with him, which is our blessedness, Prov. 8.17. I love them that love me. Hatred keeps the Sinner at a distance from God, and there is a fearful Curse out against all such, Psal. 21.8. &c. Thine hand shall find out all thine Enemies, thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee; thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven, &c. Whereas there is a great Blessing in store for such as love him, Psal. 5.11, 12. Let them that love thy name, be joyful in thee; for thou Lord, wilt bless the righteous, with favour wilt thou compass him as a shield. It therefore infinitely concerns us all to see that the love of God dwells in us; and this is it which the Apostle prays for in [Page] their behalf, 2 Thes 3.5. The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God.

4. It utterly exceeds the power of man to recover this Principle, and the activity of it. Of the Natural mans inability to exert any truly Gracious action, the Scripture abundantly informs us, Josh. 24 19. Ye cannot serve God. Rom. 8.7, 8. The Carnal mind is Enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the Flesh, cannot please God. 2 Cor. 3 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing, as of our selves. Now this defect ariseth from the loss of the Image of God on his Heart, and his incapacity of getting it again by any Endeavour of his own. Because he hath not a root of Grace in him, therefore he cannot act Graciously; for no Effect can exceed the Vertue of its Cause: And because there is a contrary Principle in him, which reigns over every Faculty and Power within him, he therefore is not able to withstand it. Indeed he cannot so much as desire to Love God, much less is he able to restore this Grace to his heart again. The Will therefore as well as the Deed, must be of his operation in us, Phil. 2.13. It is God who worketh in you to will and to do, of his own good pleasure. The restoring of lost Grace to fallen man is a work of Omnipotency, and therefore none [Page] but he who is Almighty is able to do it in us: It is therefore compared to a Creation, 2 Cor. 4.6. God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, &c. And to a Resurrection, Eph. 2.1. You hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Love is a thing that is not to be purchased; all that a man would offer for it will be despised, Cant. 8 7. Which may be interpreted: well of our loving God, as of his loving us.

5. This love is a saving gift, and therefore must have God for its Author. It is one of those things which we are told do accompany Salvation, Heb. 6 9. and is therefore called a fruit of the Spirit, in the fore-cited, Gal. 5.22. This love is an effect of the New birth, whereof God is the Author, 1 John 4.7. Love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God. And indeed, it being one of the Graces of Sanctification, it must needs proceed from Gods Efficiency, for it is he that Sanctifieth us, 1 Thes. 5.23. And the wonderful change that is made in the man by it, must force us to say of it, behold the finger of God. To see one who the other day despised God, had no desire after him, had him to depart from him, chose carnal objects, lying vanities rather than him; nay, hated his counsels, and was full of all prejudices against him; now to love him, to chuse him, to embrace him, to forsake all for him, [Page] to submit to him, and delight in his Service▪ is a thing of which no other account can be given, but that God hath created him a new in Christ Jesus, that he hath given him another and a New heart, or otherwise it could never have been.

6. There was nothing in us that could move God to produce this saving quality in us. In all voluntary actions, which are done by a Rational Agent, we are wont to enquire after the Impulsive cause of them, or what it was that moved and engaged him so to do: and by such measures as these are we necessitated to conceive of Gods Works of Efficiency: It is a demonstration of Gods wonderful love to us, that he will put a principle of Sanctification into us, and thereby restores us from death to life, and whence was it that he so did; or what was it that induced him hereunto? Certainly it could not be from any loveliness that he saw in us, for there was none; we had nothing in us that was desirable, but every thing was hateful▪ the Image of God, which once was our beauty and ornament was gone; and the Image of Sin ▪ which is our shame and vileness was contracted, and by virtue of it we were every way abominable: when therefore God speaks of doing such things for backslidden Israel, he would have them to take that humbling remark upon it, Ezek. 36.22. Thus saith the Lord, I do not this [Page]for your sakes, Oh house of Israel but for mine holy names sake, &c. Nor was he moved hereof by our requests and prayers; it was not because we, in sense of our folly and misery, sought relief of him, that his bowels earned towards us, for he himself saith▪ Isa. 65.1. I am sought of them that asked not for me, I am found of them that sought me not ▪ and though he, hath declared, in Ezek. [...]6.37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them. Yet his preventing grace produceth this in us, otherwise we should never have thus enquired after him, but abode in our distance from him.

7. Hence the spring or rise of all this must be from his love or good will to us. When we have searched into all the causes of Regeneration, in which this gracious principle is wrought in us, we must ultimately determine it hither: we are made to partake in this Grace, because God hath appointed us to it; and the reason why we were so appointed, was because it so pleased God; Mat. 11.25, 26. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes; even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. God therefore tells Israel, that he loved them because he loved them; Deut. 7.7, 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you, because ye were more [Page]in number, &c. but because the Lord loved you: Intimating that the motive of this love was no where to be sought out of himself; and on this account God assigns our effectual calling to a love of his own that never had any beginning, Jer. 31.3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee; and needs must it be so, for he is the first cause and last end of all things, Rom. 11. ult. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things. Nor could his Grace be otherwise absolutely free, and soveraign, as the Gospel every where assures us that it is.

8. All the engagements by which our love is excited to act upon him, are from his first loving of us. As there is the planting of saving grace in us, in our Renovation, by which a principle is infused into us, enabling and disposing of us to love him, so there are the attractives by which this principle is drawn forth into act, which are so many motives to stir up this love in us; for our love of God is not a bruitish passion, but it is acted with the highest reason; and all the reasons of it are found in his love to us: he therefore thus draws us in order to our following of him; Cant. 1.14. Draw me, we will run after thee, and the way in which he allures us, is by his love, Hos. 11.4. I drew thee with the cords of a man, with [Page]the hands of love. Now there are principally such things as these, the consideration and belief whereof attract the love of our Souls to God.

1. It was this love that appointed us to be the heirs of Salvation. The Word of God doth frequently express our Salvation under the consideration of an Inheritance; and so all the claims that we can make to it, must be in way of Heirship: and we are not born heirs to it by a natural birth, but are introduced into it by a voluntary Adoption: we had in our selves no more of right to it than the Devils, nor could we make out a better claim to it than the rest of Apostate mankind: we were common heirs with them of the same destruction, Eph. 2.3. Being children of wrath by nature even as others. We therefore come to have a right thereto according to appointment, 1 Thes. 5.9. God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ. Nor can there be a greater obligation upon us to love God, than the consideration of this eternal design: to think that God had such a thought of good will for us, when he proposed no such favour for millions as good, and as well deserving as we; and this is owing to his love, 1 Joh. 3.1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed, upon us▪ that we should be called the Sons of God? And sure this love must be more ancient than ours to him, who but the [Page] other day hated him, and were his Enemies.

2. This love provided Christ to purchase Salvation for us. Such was our unhappy condition by the Fall, that there could be no salvation for us, but by a satisfaction made to offended Justice, which Attribute must not in the least vail its glory in this affair, or so much as stoop to mercy in it. If God will save us, he must provide a Jesus for us, one that can save us from our sins. The Law must have a reparation made for the violation of it; our contracted Guilt must be expiated; we cannot do this for our selves, thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oyl will not do it; there must a Surety interpose to undertake this, none could do it but the Son of God, he must be made Sin and a Curse for us, he must have all our Iniquities laid upon him, and by his stripes we must be healed: the case was reduced to this exigence, either God must destroy us everlastingly for our sins, or do the execution upon his own Son in our stead; nothing else would have done: Certainly then here was love unparallel'd: Christ himself expresseth it as that which exceeds all comparison, Joh. 3.16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son▪ And the Apostle thought it to be an argument which could not be over strained, in the exercise of our faith for the obtaining of all the good that is laid up in the promise, Rom 8. [Page] 32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? and the consideration of it will be further amplified, by observing that this was done for us before we had any love for him: not only was it agreed upon in the eternal compact, that Christ should in fulness of time come, and work out salvation for us, but the thing it self was accomplished on our account during our being his enemies, Rom. 5.8, 10. God commends his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God, by the death of his Son.

3. This love hath revealed Christ to us as an Object suitable for us to trust in for salvation. As it exceeded the reach of any created understanding to find out the way of salvation by Christ▪ the thing it self being a mystery of Infinite wisdom; so the Revelation or declaration of him to sinful men is of God alone. It is his Gospel in which Christ is published; there it is that we are acquainted with his Person and Offices, his undertaking and accomplishment, his Incarnation, subjection to the Law, and making satisfaction to it for us; how acceptable his Redemption was to his father, how sufficient it was for us, to procure peace and life for us; there it is that we are acquainted how, and assured that he [Page]is able to save all those to the uttermost that come unto God by him, Heb. 7.25. How many nations are there in the world that hear nothing of him, and thereupon they perish unavoidably for lack of vision? Certainly this good news, is a token of Gods good will, it is he who sends it unto us, and treats with us in it; They that bring these glad tidings are his Ambassadors, 2 Cor. 5.20. We are Ambassadors for Christ, as if God did beseech you by us. It is a treaty of peace and reconciliation which is opened hereby to us, but for which we must have remained utter strangers unto peace for ever.

4. This love hath pointed out to us the way of Salvation by Christ. As God hath laid it in Christ for us, so he hath in the Gospel discovered the way of it to us. There is a way in which Sinful men must come to partake in the precious fruits of Christ Redemption, and there are terms on which these are conveyed to us; now God hath opened these terms, and laid out all the Articles of the New Covenant in his Gospel. This is not a favour which all partake in: it is said of the Gentiles, who are without the Gospel, in Rom. 3.17. The way of peace have they not known. And we are told in, 2 Tim. 1.10. That God hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. There are the proposals in the New-Covenant [Page] which must be complied withal, by those that hope to be Saved by Christ; they that never hear of them, can never comply with them, Rom. 10.14. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard. And it is Gods love to his chosen that moved him to open this Covenant and propose the terme of it to them, in order to their being brought into it.

5. This love hath not only provided the means, but also renders them effectual to our Salvation. God brings about the Salvation of his Elect in the way of means, as best accommodated to his treating of them as reasonable Creatures; he hath therefore appointed them in the Gospel; and they are the gifts of our glorified Saviour, Eph. 4.10. &c. It is therefore a singular favour for men to enjoy them; there is that remark▪ Psal. 147.19, 20. He shewed his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any nation, &c. And it must be so, for the want of them is a note of perdition, 2 Cor. 4.3. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. But yet many have them, and they prove occasions of their greater ruine, because they abuse them: Herein therefore is Gods love, antecedently to ours eminently celebrated, in that he gives a blessing to the means, and so making them powerful to advance the end of them, Rom. [Page] 1.16. The Gospel is the power of God to Salvation, in them that believe; and why only in such as do believe? why because the Spirit of God comes in with them to such, and leaves saving impressions by them. Now all these are the incentives of our love, and do certainly proceed from his loving us first.

USE. I.

We may hence infer the Doctrine of personal Election. Great attempts have been and are used in the Christian world to undermine this truth, but all are in vain: If there were no more Scripture evidence for the confirmation and establishment of this Article of our faith, but only the words of our Text, it is sufficient to enervate all the cavils and objections that are brought against it. If Gods first loving us be not only a Reason, but a Cause too of our loving him; and consequently if any of us have the love of God produced in him, it is an evidence of that antecedent love which he bare to us; it so becomes a distinguishing note between them whom he loved and others; and for that reason it must needs be an infallible evidence of Gods having such a love for us before, which must needs be from Eternity, because his will and purpose is like himself Immutable. And this can amount to nothing less than a Personal [Page]Election: for, if God be the author of this Grace in us, and he produceth it by his Spirit because he loved us, than we were personally appointed hereto from Eternity. So the Apostle layes it down, Eph. 1.3, 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy.

USE. II.

This tells us that Gods Electing love could not be founded on the prevision of any thing in the Creature. We are here acquainted with the Absolute Sovereignty of God in this affair. If Gods love be the first cause of all Grace and Good to us, it must needs then be it self Independent, for that is an inseparable property of a Supream Cause. If Gods love produceth all that is good in the Creature, it is then impossible that the goodness of the Creature should produce that love to it. To limit Gods special love which he bears unto any, unto something foreseen in the Subject, is to make something in us that did precede that, and that did not derive from it as the Efficient of it; which is to invert the order of Causes, and put the second being in the place of the first. God could not foresee any thing lovely in us, but upon his own purpose to confer it upon us, [Page] on which the futurity of it depended; and therefore this foresight could not cause his love, but must needs flow from it. He bestowed this gift on us because he loved us, Rev. 1.5. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins, in his blood.

USE. III.

Hence we learn what little reason they have to think that God loved them, who are void of the love of God. It is true, Gods love to those whom he hath Chosen in Christ, runs under ground for a great while; and there are those whom he hath an endeared respect for, who are at present in arms of rebellion against him, who have no regard for him, who say unto him, depart from us; such indeed are all Gods Elect before Conversion, Eph. 2.2, 3. Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, &c. and were Children of wrath, even as others, Tit. 3.3. We our selves also were sometimes foolish, and disobedient, &c. And though there are unseen ways in which this love of his is before hand working toward them, yet all this while they have no ground of evidence to prove their interest in his special favour. It is certain, if any are the Subjects of this love it will sooner or later break forth in their Calling, and will kindle in them a sincere love to him; Jer. 31 3. I have loved thee [Page]with an everlasting love, therefore in loving kindness have I drawn thee. And this is the first discovery by which they know that he loved them, 2 Thes. 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation, through the Sanctification of the Spirit. And therefore the order of Assurance is to come at the knowledge of our Elections by our Vocation, 2 Pet. 1.10. In vain then do they pretend to be the beloved of God, who do not love and serve him cordially.

USE. IV.

Hence it follows, that they who truely love God, cannot but acknowledge and adore his Electing love to them. What is the reason why the Professing World, is so full of prejudices against the Doctrine of Gods free Sovereign Election, and that there are so few that can relish, or patiently endure the Preaching of it▪ Doubtless it must be because they were never experimentally acquainted with it. That man who hath had the love of God shed abroad in his heart, and hath known what it is to be Saved by Grace, will put the greatest Emphasis upon this Article of it; and his love will be the more ardently enflamed by it, to think that herein God hath manifested what precious and [Page] endearing thoughts he had for him in the days of Eternity; how distinguishing that love was, when he had neither being nor deserving▪

My Prayer then for all such prejudiced persons shall be, that God will give unto them the experience of this love in themselves, and that will silence all their uprisings of heart, and fill them with adoration.

FINIS.

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Title statement

Love's pedigree. Or A discourse shewing the grace of love in a believer to be of a divine original delivered in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699[/]1700. / By S. Willard, teacher of a church there. ; [Two lines from James]

Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.

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Text Creation Partnership,

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2006-02.

ID [DLPS]

N00798

ID [TCP]

N00798

ID [STC]

Evans 961

ID [STC]

Wing W2283

ID [NOTIS]

APW7511

ID [IMAGE-SET]

961

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99013666

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 961.

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Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 961)

Source

— Love's pedigree. Or A discourse shewing the grace of love in a believer to be of a divine original delivered in a sermon preached at the lecture in Boston, Febr. 29. 1699[/]1700. / By S. Willard, teacher of a church there. ; [Two lines from James], Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707..

Extent

[2], 28, [2] p. ; 15 cm. (8vo)

Printed by B. Green, and J. Allen. Sold by Benjamin Eliot, at his shop under the west end of the town house.,. Boston, in N.E. :: 1700.. (Signatures: A-B^8 (A1, B8 blank).)

Creation

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