Value God and his love more than all the world, though there were millions of them. He valued you before the world, and therefore is beforehand with you in his love. He not only loved you from everlasting, (whereas your love is but of yesterday,) but in the valuation of it, he loved you before all worlds, and preferred you to all worlds: though you loved the world first, before you loved him.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of valuing divine love above all worldly desires.
Thomas Goodwin's quote reflects on the profoundness of God's love for humanity, suggesting that it transcends the fleeting affections humans have for the world. It encourages people to prioritize their relationship with God, who has loved them even before the creation of the world, over the temporary values and attachments of earthly life.
In practice
In a sermon on the value of divine love.
The Indwelling of Christ by faithis to have Jesus Christ continually in one’s eye, a habitual sight of Him. I call it so because a man actually does not always think of Christ; but as a man does not look up to the sun continually, yet he sees the light of it. So you should carry along and bear along in your eye the sight and knowledge of Christ, so that at least a presence of Him accompanies you, which faith makes.
Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior. One that may do what He will. That may wholly choose whether He will love or no. Now God, who is an infinite Sovereign, who might have chosen whether ever He would love us or no; for Him to love us, this is Grace.
Oh despise not election! therein lies all your hope, that there is a remnant who shall infallibly be saved.
Of course, true love is exceptional - two or three times a century, more or less. The rest of the time there is vanity or boredom.
Love from its very nature must be transitory. To seek for a secret that would render it constant would be as wild a search as for the philosopher’s stone or the grand panacea: and the discovery would be equally useless, or rather pernicious to mankind. The most holy band of society is friendship.
She said the reason that love is so painful is that it always amounts to two people wanting more than two people can give.
Love as distinct from "being in love" is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit.
If a person claims that he really loves someone, evidence is asked from him. And that evidence is the giving away of possessions, the granting of favors. Just as when Mevlana claimed that he loved me, when I came he granted me thousands of favors and protected me. I regard these all as a grace from God.
Two turtle doves will show thee Where my cold ashes lie And sadly murmuring tell thee How in tears I did die
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