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I. WHAT KIND OF LOVE GOD EXERCISES TOWARDS THEM THAT LOVE HIM. There is the love of benevolence and the love of complacency. These two kinds of love are of the same nature, but distinguished by the objects upon which they terminate. The love of benevolence terminates upon percipient being, and extends to all sensitive natures, whether rational or irrational, whether they have a good, or bad, or no moral character. God desires and regards the good of all His creatures, from the highest angel to the lowest insect. The love of complacency is wholly confined to moral beings who are possessed of moral excellence. Nothing but virtue, or goodness, or real holiness is the object of God's complacence.

II. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN MEN'S LOVING GOD?

1. Some true knowledge of His moral character.

2. True love to God implies esteem as well as knowledge. Esteem always arises from a conviction of moral excellence in the person or being esteemed. All men have a moral discernment of moral objects. Sinners cannot contemplate the infinite greatness and goodness of God without discerning His infinite worthiness to be loved.

3. Their loving God truly implies a supreme complacency in His moral character. In the exercise of true love to any object there is a pleasure taken in the object itself. When men truly love God they take pleasure in every part of His moral character.

III. WHY DOES GOD ONLY LOVE SUCH AS FIRST LOVE HIM? Before they first love Him they are not lovely. Their hearts are full of evil, and entirely opposed to all that is good. They are under the dominion of selfishness, which is total enmity to all holiness. But there is something in God which renders Him lovely and glorious before He loves sinners; and therefore they can love Him before He loves them. Improvement:

1. If God does not love sinners before they first love Him, then it is a point of more importance in preaching the gospel to make them sensible that He hates them than that He loves them.

2. Then the first exercise of love to Him must be before they know that He loves them.

3. Then they must love Him, while they know that He hates them, and is disposed to punish them for ever.

4. Then sinners are naturally as unwilling to embrace the gospel as to obey the law.

5. If God love those who first love Him, then He is willing to receive them into His favour upon the most gracious and condescending terms.

6. If God does not love sinners before they love Him, then they have no right to desire or pray that He would become reconciled to them while they continue to hate and oppose Him.

7. If God loves sinners as soon as they love Him, then, if they properly seek Him, they shall certainly find Him.

(N. Emmons, D. D.)

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KJV: I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

WEB: I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.