SERMON XXIX.

February 9, 1823.

THE LOVE OF GOD FREE AND IMMUTABLE.

And he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.-2 SAMUEL XII. 25.

GOD's word was now fulfilled to David. He had given him a son who was to inherit his throne, and had called his name Solomon ; but he afterwards "called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord." This name implies, beloved of the Lord, loved from eternity. Yes, love for the present moment, and love to all eternity; and however glorious the love of God may be, we stand in need of it to preserve us for ever, and of its perpetual exercise to preserve us every moment; and there never will come a time, when we shall not stand in need of the blessing of his love.

I shall consider,

I. THE LOVE OF GOD; and

II. AS IT IS EXEMPLIFIED

SOLOMON.

IN THE CASE OF

I. It is said in Scripture, very emphatically, that " God is love." The bosom of God is the only immutable seat of love; and were it not for its effects we should all very soon hate him and hate each other. The love of the saint to God is immutable, not in itself, but preserved so by the immutable love of God. The love of God is as free, as it is immutable, or it would never have reached any being. He is so perfect,

He finds all motive to action within his own bosom: there is but one exception; while the source of God's love towards all those beings whom he does love, arises exclusively from himself, the source of his hatred arises from his enemies themselves :-why does God love any one? There is no other answer but, because he will: he does not deign to give us any other answer: he can do nothing but with infinite wisdom; it is not the good in any person that purchases the love of God; that good is the effect, and not the cause, of the love of God. If we consider the perfections of Jehovah, and the infinite difference between him and the most glorious created being, we must come to the conclusion that no being possesses infinite love but God himself; and who deserves the love-the attention of Deity? -no being, but himself.

Perhaps there may be present in this as

sembly an angel of light: I would commission this glorious being to tell his fellow angels, and saints in glory, what I have told you this minute. In the light of this truth, how absurd do all attempts appear to purchase any thing as deserved from God: it is infinitely beyond the desert of the most glorious being. There are two things to be considered. 1st. -No one can merit the LOVE OF GOD, but God himself. 2dly. No being, however glorious, if left to himself, can merit any thing but destruction. When I consider who God is, and listen, with the simplicity of a child, to what he tells me in his word, and learn, in that word, that the second person in the Godhead took our nature upon him, and died for our redemption-receiving this glorious truth-I conclude it must be so there must be merit; he who purchased man's salvation must possess merit, and that infinite. The saints on high are said to be worthy-Yes; but theirs is only the worthiness of Jesus. Here is one who possesses infinite merit-view him in the essential glory of his essence, and in his work, and we learn two things. He not only annihilated hell, but purchased heaven, so that the deity of the Saviour is not only founded on scripture, but flows from the nature of things, and so every being has found it but man.

Again to consider his love to fallen man, to bring Jesus down from heaven. In judging of any thing in the natural world, we ascertain causes from their effects; so in spiritual things, we see Jesus died and suffered for us. This enables us to take the dimensions of the love of God, love comprising himself, and those who are naturally dead in trespasses and sins; "God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." There can be nothing in the perfection of deity which drives any moral agent from God: his desertion is his own work, but the bringing him back again is the grace of God; the love and grace of the Spirit, as well as of the Father as of the Son. In this love the Trinity entered into covenant: in this love, thus ratified-by oath, the oath of JehovahJesus died-and in this same love he visits

1

sinners at the present moment. This was shewn in Solomon's case, before he was born or could merit any thing. St. Paul tells us, in his Epistle to the Romans, ninth chapter, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth verses, "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works,

1 Romans v. 8.

but of him that calleth; it was said unto her (Rebecca) the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Remember, God speaks to men in the same language they use when speaking to each other; we use words in daily conversation a child might understand; yet he does not understand it in the literal sense, and so does the Lord when addressing us. Our Saviour says—“ If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.' Now it cannot be supposed that God intended us to hate our family or our fellow-creatures, but that a higher degree of love is to be given to him. There was in God from eternity a benign partiality, though there could be nothing to drive sinners from him. Are there any determined to perish? Let them trace this to their own determination to rebel. Can you follow me in what I am about to say? To my own mind it is perfectly clear,-Jacob had been loved, as Solomon was beloved of the Lord; and although it was God's purpose he should inherit the blessing, at the same time God had no purpose to deprive Esau of it: Esau was

1 Luke xiv. 26.