As the Father hath loved me
As his own Son, and as Mediator, from everlasting; and in time,
in his state of humiliation, throughout the course of his
obedience, and under all his sufferings; which he testified more
than once by a voice from heaven; which he showed by concealing
nothing from him as Mediator, by giving all things into his
hands, by showing him all that he himself did, by appointing him
the Saviour of the body, and making him the head of the church,
by exalting him at his right hand, and ordaining him to be judge
of quick and dead.
So have I loved you:
Christ loves his as his spouse and bride, as his dear children,
as members of his body, as branches in him the vine, as believers
in him, and followers of him; which he has shown by espousing
both their persons and cause, by assuming their nature, by
suffering and dying in their room and stead, and making all
suitable provision for them, both for time and eternity. And
there is a likeness between the Father's love to him, and his
love to his disciples and followers: as his Father loved him from
everlasting, so did he love them; as his Father loved him with a
love of complacency and delight, so did he, and so does he love
them; and as his Father loved him with a special and peculiar
affection, with an unchangeable, invariable, constant love, which
will last for ever, in like manner does Christ love his people;
and with this he enforces the following exhortation.
Continue ye in my love:
meaning either in his love to them, which, as he always continues
in it without any variableness or shadow of turning, so he would
have them continue in believing their interest in it, prizing and
valuing it, in imitating and remembering it; or else in their
love to him, to his person, to his people, to his Gospel, to his
ordinances, ways, and worship, which he knew was liable to wax
cold, though it could not be lost.