Thomas Goodwin on God as love itself, delighting to show mercy

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Reformed Covenanter

Cancelled Commissioner
Our God being love, even love itself, 1 John iv. 16, ‘And we have known and believed the love God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.’ Our God loving, where he sets his love, with an infinite love as himself is, which love of all things else in him he loves to shew the utmost of, and of all works, works of love have the most delight in them, therefore mercy is called his delight, his darling: Micah vii. 18, ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.’

Our God being thus love, and mercy his delight, he would gladly shew how well he could love creatures, he was most glad of the greatest opportunity to shew it; therefore he resolves upon this course, to reconcile enemies, whatsoever it should cost. And the more they should cost him, the gladder should they be. The making of a thousand new friends could not have expressed so much love as the reconciling one enemy. To love and delight in friends, who had never wronged him, was too narrow, shallow, and slight a way. He had heights, depths, breadth of love: Eph. iii. 18, ‘May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.’ Which heights and depth of love he would make known, and which nothing but the depths of our misery could have drawn out. ...

For more, see Thomas Goodwin on God as love itself, delighting to show mercy.
 
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