The eminency of the Father’s love

“Christians walk oftentimes with exceedingly troubled hearts, concerning the thoughts of the Father towards them. They are well persuaded of the Lord Christ and his goodwill; the difficulty lies in what is their acceptance with the Father— what is his heart towards them. . . . It is exceeding acceptable unto God, even our Father, that we should thus hold communion with him in his love — that he may be received into our souls as one full of love, tenderness, and kindness, towards us. . . . Now, there is not any thing more grievous to the Lord, nor more subservient to the design of Satan upon the soul, than such thoughts as these. . . . So much as we see of the love of God, so much shall we delight in him, and no more. Every other discovery of God, without this, will but make the soul fly from Him; but if the heart be once much taken up with this the eminency of the Father’s love, it cannot choose but be overpowered, conquered, and endeared unto him.” ~ John Owen