2. The eternal, peculiar, distinguishing, faithful love of God towards
affectionate love amongst his followers; for which he gives them innumerable precepts, exhortations, and motives, but, above all, his own heavenly example. To treat of love, in its causes, nature, subject, fruits, effects, tendency, eminency, and exaltation, or but to repeat the places of Scripture wherein these things are mentioned, would not suit with our present intention; only, it may be plainly affirmed, that if there were no cause besides of reformation and walking in fellowship but this one,—that thereby the power and practice of this grace, shamefully, to the dishonour of Christ and his gospel, lost amongst those who call themselves Christians, might be recovered,— it were abundantly enough to give encouragement for the undertaking of it, notwithstanding any oppositions. Now, this love is a spiritual grace, wrought by the Holy Ghost, Gal. 5:22, in the hearts of believers, 1 Pet. 1:22, whereby their souls are carried out, 1 Thess.
2:8, to seek the good of the children of God as such, Philem. 5, Eph.
1:15, Heb. 13:1, uniting the heart unto the object so beloved, attended with joy, delight, and complacency in their good. The motives unto love, and the grounds of its enforcement from,—
1. The command of God, and nature of the whole law, whereof love is the accomplishment, Lev. 19:34; Matt. 19:19; Rom. 13:9, 10:
2. The eternal, peculiar, distinguishing, faithful love of God towards believers, and the end aimed at therein by him, Ezek. 16:8; Deut 7:8,
33:3; Zeph. 3:17; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 1:4:
3. The intense, inexpressible love of Jesus Christ, in his whole humiliation and laying down his life for us, expressly proposed as an example unto us, Cant. 3:10; John 15:13; Eph. 5:2:
4. The eminent renewed of the old command of love, with such new enforcements that it is called "A new commandment," and is peculiarly the law of Christ, John 13:34, 15:12; 1 Thess. 4:9; 2 John 5: