[²] Hebrews i. 3.
[³] Lamentations iii. 51.
[⁴] Psalms xxxix. 3.
We should meditate on his goodness and love.
20. Hereunto add the consideration of God’s favour and goodwill towards us. Now as the word of God is full of the expressions of his love towards man, so all his works loudly proclaim it. He gave us our being, and by preserving us in it, doth renew the donation every moment. He hath placed us in a rich and well-furnished world, and liberally provided for all our necessities. He raineth down blessings from heaven upon us, and causeth the earth to bring forth our provision. He giveth us our food and raiment; and while we are spending the productions of one year, he is preparing for us against another. He sweetneth our lives with innumerable comforts, and gratifieth every faculty with suitable objects. The eye of his providence is always upon us, and he watcheth for our safety when we are fast asleep, neither minding him nor ourselves. But lest we should think these testimonies of his kindness less considerable, because they are the easy issues of his omnipotent power, and do not put him to any trouble or pain, he hath taken a more wonderful method to endear himself to us. He hath testified his affection to us, by suffering as well as by doing; and because he could not suffer in his own nature, he assumed ours. The eternal Son of God cloathed himself with the infirmities of our flesh, and left the company of those blessed spirits, who knew well how to love and adore him, that he might dwell among men, and wrestle with the obstinacy of that rebellious race to reduce them to their allegiance, and to offer himself up as a sacrifice for them. I remember one of the poets hath an ingenious fancy to express the passion wherewith he found himself overcome after a long resistance, That the God of love had shot all his golden arrows at him, but could never pierce his heart, till at length he put himself into the bow, and darted himself straight into his breast. Methinks this doth someway adumbrate God’s method of dealing with men: he had long contended with a stubborn world, and thrown down many a blessing upon them; and when all his other gifts could not prevail, he at last made a gift of himself. The account which we have of our Saviour’s life in the gospel doth all along present us with the story of his love. All the pains that he took, and the troubles that he endured, were the wonderful effects, and uncontroulable evidences of it. But, O that last, that dismal scene! Is it possible to remember it, and question his kindness, or deny him ours? Here, here it is we should fix our most serious thoughts, that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that we being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fulness of God![¹]
[¹] Ephesians iii. 17, 18, 19.
21. We ought also frequently to reflect on those particular tokens of love, which God hath bestowed on ourselves; how long he hath borne with our follies and sins, and waited to be gracious unto us; wrestling, as it were, with the stubbornness of our hearts, and essaying every method to reclaim us. We should keep a register in our minds of all the eminent blessings and deliverances we have met with; some whereof have been so conveyed, that we might clearly perceive they were not the issues of chance, but the gracious effects of the divine favour, and the signal returns of our prayers.
As a help to charity, we must remember that all men are nearly related to God.
22. If we would love all men, let us consider the relation wherein they stand to God, and the impresses of his image, which are stamped upon them. They are not only his creatures, the workmanship of his hands, but such of whom he taketh special care, and for whom he hath a very tender regard; having laid the designs of their happiness before the foundations of the world; and being willing to live and converse with them to all eternity. The meanest and most contemptible person whom we behold, is the offspring of heaven, one of the children of the Most High; and, however unworthy he may behave himself of that relation to God, so long as God hath not disowned himself by a final sentence, he will have us acknowledge him as one of his; and, as such, embrace him with a cordial affection. What a concern are we wont to have for those that any ways belong to the person whom we love? How gladly do we lay hold on every opportunity to gratify the child or servant of a friend? And sure our love towards God would as naturally spring forth in charity towards men, did we mind the interest that he is pleased to take in them; and consider that every soul is dearer to him than the material world; and that he did not account the blood of his Son too great a price for their redemption.
That they carry his image upon them.