Ralph Erskine (Preventing Love), Sermons 1:428:
“He first loved us.” It says that his love is antecedent love. As it is first in point of time, yea, from all eternity, so it is first in point of order of time. We cannot manifest our love to him till first he manifest his love to us. Men may feign love to God and Christ before they know any thing of God’s love in Christ towards them, but they truly have no love to him. Even the elect themselves have no love to him by nature. They are enemies, and without God, and without Christ in the world; buried in the grave of sin and corruption even as others; dead in trespasses and sins, and slaves to divers lusts; the devil dwelling in them, working in them, reigning in them, as a man dwells in his house, or works in his shop, or reigns upon his throne. They have no more acquaintance with him, or love to him, than others, till by grace they be regenerated and made to come to God in Christ, and be raised up to a new and lively hope.
“He first loved us.” It says that his love is antecedent love. As it is first in point of time, yea, from all eternity, so it is first in point of order of time. We cannot manifest our love to him till first he manifest his love to us. Men may feign love to God and Christ before they know any thing of God’s love in Christ towards them, but they truly have no love to him. Even the elect themselves have no love to him by nature. They are enemies, and without God, and without Christ in the world; buried in the grave of sin and corruption even as others; dead in trespasses and sins, and slaves to divers lusts; the devil dwelling in them, working in them, reigning in them, as a man dwells in his house, or works in his shop, or reigns upon his throne. They have no more acquaintance with him, or love to him, than others, till by grace they be regenerated and made to come to God in Christ, and be raised up to a new and lively hope.
