John 3:16

Christ insisteth to point out himself to Nicodemus as the Author of eternal life, and to confirm and illustrate the former doctrine, as the particle for, importeth. And here the benefit of giving him unto the world is commended from the free love of God contriving such a way of the salvation of lost sinners, and the certainty of sinners salvation through faith in him, is confirmed from this, that it is Gods very end in sending him, that beleevers should not perish. Whence learn, 1. The world of it self is liable to pardition, and under sinfulnesse and misery, from which there is no deliverance, but by Christ the Sonne of God onely; for so it is here implyed. 2. This way of mans deliverance is not to be ascribed to any thing in man procuring the same, for God might justly have damned all, but to the free love of God onely; for, so are we here taught. 3 Love to lost man is not to be looked upon as shining in Christ onely, who willingly gave himself to redeeme him, but in the Father also, who loving lost man, sent his Sonne to suffer and do the office of a Mediator, that through his mediation he might (not begin to love them, but) communicate the effects of his love in a way agreeable to his justice; for, God loved the word, and that antecedently to his giving Christ, and as a cause of it. 4. This love, being rightly studied, will be found matchlesse and inexpressible, and so will all think of it, who are sensible of an interest in it, and of the fruits of it, God so loved the world. See 1 John 3.1. 5. The matchlesnesse of this love may appear if we consider, 1. The person who loveth, even God who was provoked by man, and who standeth in no need of man, or of any thing to adde to his infinite happinesse: God loved. 2. The object loved, which is the world, whereby we are not to understand all and every man (for that were to make God be disappointed of his will; and of what he intends toward man out of his love, seeing all get not good of Christ, and to have him giving Christ for them, for whom he will not sanctifie himself, nor intercede, John 17.9.19.) but onely his owne in the world among lost mankinde, who are not onely gathered from among all Nations and conditions of men in the world, and not of the Jewes onely, (as the world is taken, 1 John 2.2. See John 11.51, 52. Rom. 3.29) and who (as there is a community or world of the reprobates as distinguished from the elect, John 17.9. so they) make up a world or community of themselves, 2 Cor. 5.19. John 6.33. But they are by nature the same that others of the world are, of the same race of cursed mankinde, and not onely living in the world, but after the fashions of the world: And herein shineth the matchlesse love of God, that he would not so far abandon lost mankinde, but he would have a new and holy community to himself from among them, and would love these who had nothing love-worthy in themselves more then they who were left in their miserable estate. 3. This matchlesse love appeareth in the effects, or gift bestowed by it, even the Fathers onely Son by eternal generation and communication of the same essence, to be a ransome and Mediator for sinners; God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne. This gift and an interest in it, speaketh more love then any other benefit a man can receive, 1 John 4.9. and assureth of all other things in so farre as they tend to the mans good, Rom. 8.32. Doctrine 6. The way whereby benefit is reaped and gotten from this gifted Saviour, is onely by faith, whereby a man, being put out of himself, and seeing himself in the same condition with the lost world, doth flee to Christ the onely remedy, and roll himself upon him as a sufficient Saviour; for, it is he that beleeveth in him, that shall not perish; Albeit a self-condemned sinner have not a particular assurance of an interest in Christ, yet he beleeveth when he casteth himself upon him on all hazards: And albeit he misse many other qualifications, yet he is not to stand back, but to come to Christ, to get what he wanteth. 7. Albeit Christ be given onely to the elect, yet unto the visible Church the offer is held out generally upon condition of faith, whereby reprobates are left inexcusable, through their voluntary rejecting this mercie, and the elect, through Gods blessing on these offers and exhortations, are brought in in a way agreeable to their nature, as rational creatures, Therefore is this gift and offer spoken of indefinitely, that whosoever beleeveth should not perish. Otherwise to say, that this indefinite offer is the summe of Gods purpose and will revealed in Scripture concerning sinners salvation; is not onely repugnant to Scripture speaking of particular election, and of the giving of some to Christ, & of working faith in them; but is injurious to Gods perfection, in ascribing such confused and indistinct thoughts to him, as a general decree, which may consist with the saving of all, or of none. 8. Such as come to Christ, the Lord maketh no exception of what they have been, nor of the degrees of their faith, if it be true; for, whosoever beleeveth shall not perish. 9. Every beleever in Christ is not onely delivered from perishing, by Christs underlying wrath for him, but is stated in a right unto eternall felicity, which he shall certainly attain; for, he shall not perish but have everlasting life, to wit, here in the pledge and bud, and hereafter, in full enjoyment. 10. The felicity purchased by Christ to beleevers is such, as onely deserveth the name of life, (all other life being but as death in comparison of it,) and it will be eternally, and without end, such; Therefore it is called everlasting life.