October 28, 2023

William Dyer (d. 1696) on Christ’s General and Special Love

2. Secondly, Christ is a King that loves his subjects with a distinguishing love and a separating love; the general love of Christ is scattered and branched out to all the creatures in the world, but his special love is exceeding great, and rich love is only settled upon his Church. Now if you ask me what Christs distinguishing love is, I shall name it, and but name it to you.
First, ’Tis pardoning Love.
Secondly, ’Tis Redeeming Love.
Thirdly, Calling Love.
Fourthly, Justifying Love.
Fifthly, Adopting Love.
Sixthly, Sanctifying Love.
Seventhly, Glorifying Love.

This I say, is his peculiar Love; Christs Love is not only sweeter than Wine, but better than Life: he is most Lovely, he is always Lovely, he is altogether Lovely; Christ is nothing but love to those who are his Love.
William Dyer, Christ’s Famous Titles, and a Believers Golden-Chain […] (London: Printed for the Author, and now divulged for the good of private Families, especially his Friends in the County of Devon, 1666), 33–34. Credit to Dale W. Smith, ed., Ore from the Puritans’ Mine: The Essential Collection of Puritan Quotations (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2020), 64.

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