be like unto the Deity God is Light and Knowledge and the more we partake of it the more like wee are to him Now by how much the likelier Note wee are unto God by so much the nearer we come up to perfection Knowledge is exceeding precious It must needs be so sith it tends to perfection Indeed as Aquinas saith of seeing Though the object of sight be mean in it self yet the very act of seeing is sweet So also hee determines of Knowing that however the object be low and poor yet the very act it self of knowledge is high and precious Now of all knowledge there is none so precious nor so perfecting as that which is Divine Other Knowledge viz. Human can make us perfect only as men This knowledge viz. Divine gives us a perfection as Saints But Of all Divine knowledge the knowledge of Jesus Christ in the light of love as most precious as tending most to the perfection of our souls As ther are degrees of lustre in the heavenly lights so there are degrees of glory in Divine truths Every Star in the Firmament hath a glorious light but yet the light of the Sun exceeds them all in glory And every truth which is as a Starre in the heaven of Divinity hath a peculiar excellency in it and the knowledge thereof is precious But Jesus Christ who is as the Sunne in Divinity 's heaven hath a transcendent excellency in him and to know him doth sarre more tend to the perfecting of our souls than the knowledge of any or all Divine truths else besides Therefore it is that Paul accents this knowledge with an excellency Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtlesse saith he I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And certainly Paul might well say thus for albeit he had attained the knowledge of other things yet without this he had been at a losse in point of Soul-sacred perfection So that however other knowledge as being some way perfecting and precious be desirable yet there is no knowledge which is so to be desired at least by Saints as the knowledge of Jesus Christ But yet as although the Sun be the most glorious of the heavenly Lights yet Mortals receive more comfort by its heat than by its light In like manner though the knowledge of Jesus Christ bee the most transcendent of divine truths yet our souls receive more sweetnesse by the warmth of his love than by the lustre of his light Look as Moses could not see the glory of God and live and yet must dye except he saw his grace Even so our souls cannot see the lustre of the bright beams of Christs glory and live wee must dye ere we can behold that yet notwithstanding we must see the light of the bosome-love of Jesus or else we dye If this light dawn not upon our bosoms if this knowledge shine not into our hearts we shall sink and dye in our souls especially if wee are in fear of any troubles Hence it was that the Apostle Paul among the rest of those precious Petitions which he puts up to the Father of our Lord Jesus in the behalf of the Ephesians lest they should faint at his tribulations hee adds this that they might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge I shal briefly give you the context that it may give some light to the text The Apostle having hinted in the first verse of this Chapter Context that hee was a prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Ephesians who were Gentiles and having also upon that spoken something of the excellency of the Gospel and the warrant which hee had to preach the same unto them which two things were as two great supporters of him in his sufferings hee comes in the fourteenth verse to pray for the Ephesians that they might not faint at his tribulations Now there might be a double ground of the Apostles fear why the Ephesians might faint at news of his tribulations 1 Sympathy It is usual with Saints to sympathize each with other in their tribulations And Paul upon this ground might rightly think that the tidings of his imprisonment would be sad to these Ephesians and happily he might fear that out of their tender love both to his person and preaching they would be over-sad by sympathy to understand that now their Preacher was in prison 2 Fear lest themselves might meet with the like sufferings For what might they think Is Paul in prison for Preaching the Gospel then sure may we fear the like for receiving the Gospel It is commonly seen that the receivers of Gospel-truths suffer as well as the revealers Note And certainly the Ephesians might say we shall be accounted as faulty for our faith in as Paul is for his Preaching of the Gospel This peradventure they might argue and fear and faint Therefore the Apostle bendeth his knees to him who alone is able to keep from and support in faintings i. e. To the Father of our Lord Jesus And three things he beggeth in the behalf of the Ephesians that they might not upon any ground faint at his tribulations 1 Divine strength That he would grant according to the riches of his glory that they might be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man ver 16. The spirit of man the Apostle knew was weak and so would faint unless God did strengthen it therefore he begs the Spirit of God which is the power from on high for their strengthening in the inner man that they might not faint in their outward man 2 Christs inhabitation That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith saith he v. 17. If any thing will keep up the heart from fainting Note it is the indwelling of Christ with the soul Christs presence creates comfort and there is no such fence against fainting under any fears as Christ in the soul The inhabitation of Christ within will support the soul from its faintings at tribulation for Christ without 3 The knowledge of Christs love That they might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge as it is in the text Paul well knew the power of Christs love and the efficacy thereof this way So that now you may gather up the Apostles Petitions into one Prayer and you may conceive him pouring out his heart after this manner Thou Father of our Lord Jesus sith thou art the God of all comforts and comfortest thine in all their tribulations so that they faint not vouchsafe to grant according to the riches of thy grace that the Ephesians may not faint at my tribulations And to this end strengthen them by thy Spirit of power in their inner man fill them by the glorious presence of Christ dwelling in them but above all let them know the love of Jesus Christ which passeth knowledge Thus you see by the Context the drift and scope of the Text. But before I speak any further to it I must clear
in truth there will be a communication of secrets But this I finde not in thee therefore I question whether thou indeed dost love me How ever Dalilah did or might argue thus against her Sampson Beleevers cannot argue so against their Saviours love The Lord Jesus unbosometh himself to Beleevers the secrets of his heart are with them Christ tells his Disciples that hee would manifest himself unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. lny himself open Joh. 14. The men of the world are strangers to Christs affections and therefore they are so to his secrets Carnal people do not know the minde of the Lord because hee doth not love them But we saith Paul that is we who are beloved by Christ we have the minde of Christ 1 Corint 2.16 Look as the Father loveth the Son and declares it by this that he sheweth him all things which himself doth Joh. 5.10 In like manner the Son loveth beleevers and actually demonstrates it by this that he declares all things i. e. all these secrets which were needful for them to know that he heard of the Father Joh. 15.15 The secrets of Christs Cabinet-councel are with those whom hee loves 2 Christ often takes Beleevers to his house and feasts them Thus wee deal with our friends and thus we declare to them our loves Christ deals so with his The King hath brought me into his Chamber Cant. 1.4 Nay he hath brought me into his banqueting house Cant. 2.4 When David would declare his love to Barzillai he said Come thou over with me and I will feed thee with me at Jerusalem 2 Sam. 19.23 thus Christ often speaks and declares his love to beleevers Come thou to me poor soul and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem Nay Christ declares his love not only by inviting and bringing beleevers to his house but also by coming to theirs He doth stand at their door and knock and if they will but open he will enter Apoc. 3.6 if they love him so much as to let him in hee will come and declare his love by dwelling with them Joh. 14.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. make out abode or long stay with And he will feast with them in their house i. e. their hearts And because he will declare hee comes to shew love he will make the feast at his own cost He hath gathered his myrrhe with his spice for this purpose as it is Cant. 5.1 3 Christ unites himself to beleevers and in that demonstrates that hee loveth them Affection begets union Austin long ago defined Love to be the juncture of two in one Amor est junctura duo copulans Love it makes one of two It is said of Jonathan and David that their souls were knit together 1 Sam. 18.1 Christ and beleevers are knit together it is Christs love which makes the knot It s a more than moral union which is between Christ and beleevers they are not only his friends and brethren but his Spouses and Members If he bee a Head they shall be the body and if he be a Vine they are the branches Nay the union between Christ and Beleevers is nearer than that of the vine and branches of no branch can it bee said properly that it is in the vine and the vine in it But of Beleevers it is said Christ is in them and they are in him This union demonstrates also the truth of Christs love to beleeving souls I shall now make a word of Application and conclude this point There be but three uses unto which I will speak viz. a use of Information Comfort and Counsel Use I. The point informs us of the sweetness of Christ to all the Saints O how sweet how kind how gracious is Jesus Christ to beleevers thus to minde then thus to set his heart upon them Beleevers the Lord loves you Is he not in this sweet unto you Ruth at the consideration of Roaz his love falleth on her face and faith Why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowledge of me seeing I am a stranger Fall on your faces Beleevers you were once strangers to Jesus Christ but you have found grace in his eyes your names are written upon his heart in letters of love well may you say that Christ is sweet seeing he loves such strangers as you were The King of Israel is surely sweet in setting his love upon you who were strangers unto Israel O how happy art thou O poor beleever in being the object of thy Lords love The meanest beleever may raise up a very high structure of happinesse upon this corner stone Christs love O how blessed art thou in thy beloved poor soul and how sweet is hee to thee that hath alway a fire of love burning in his bosome towards thee II. This point is very comfortable to beleevers It is a cordial to you is it not O beleever that Christ doth love you doth it not revive your hearts my brethren to hear that hee who is the Lord of Life and glory in himself is a Lord of grace and love to you Jesus Christ who hath written upon his Garments Lord of Lords hath also written upon his bosome love to beleevers Certainly Beleevers could you but see how near you are to Christ how highly he prizeth you how dearly he loves you I should not need to bid you rejoyce or be glad or be of good comfort Object No will the soul say Indeed you need not if I could but see that Christ loved me but I doubt that Res Doubt it not O beleeving soul but be confident and in that confidence bee comforted Christ loves you and that as wee shall shew hereafter with a transcendent love Object But it is good to have a ground of confidence and in vain shall you comfort me if I see no reason in your words Why what reason is there that Christ should love mee Res Christs love is its own reason He therefore loves because he will It may be the vanity of our wanton love that we love meerly because we love But it is the glory of Christs love that he doth so ☜ Mark and mind this The reason why Christ loves thee O poor soul is in his own bosome If thou look in thine thou wilt not finde it because it is not there but look up into Christs bosome and there it is He will have mercy upon whom he will Christ will love thee and doth love thee O Beleever because he will Do not therefore stand questioning why he should but be comforted and rejoyce in this that he doth love thee even thee O poor soul Though it may bee thy faith be little yet Christs love to thee is true Q. But though he love me now will he love me still Will not Christ dislike me hereafter and upon that dislike desert me Sure I am I shall give him cause and I fear he will take it And certainly if Christ desert I dye I
And the point will bear you out in it for you have such a love as is not to be found in all the world beside Having the love of Christ you have that love which passeth knowledge And surely beleevers if the men of the world think they have good ground to glory in this that they enjoy the Low love though of some seeming great creatures you have much more ground to rejoyce who enjoy this high love of him who is indeed greater than all the creatures Jesus Christ Do men think they have just ground to sit and glory in that they sip the puddle drops of creatures loves Have not you more ground and that juster and truer to sing and glory in this that you drink in the pure love of Jesus Christ which is so sweet so excellent and so transcendent as that it passeth knowledge Thirdly in as much as Christ loveth beleevers with a transcendent love then see here the rise and ground of all that which Christ doth for them You wonder beleevers at least you might and that justly whence it is that Christ doth so much for you One while he is filling you with his unsearchable riches another while he is crowning you with his own glory Now you have him giving you choice gifts and anon you have him bringing of you choyce graces In this duty you have him imbracing of your souls in his arms And in that duty you find him kissing you with the kisses of his lips and you are ready to cry out Whence is it that Christ doth all this for me One while thou art sick and Christ visiteth thee and maketh thy bed and sitteth by thy bed side other whiles thou goest abroad and Christ walketh with thee and thou leanest upon him as upon thy beloved Now thou art in the wildernesse it may be under some banishment and Christ commeth to thee And anon it may be thou art in prison under some restraint and Christ visiteth thee there too And all this maketh thee cry out Whence is it that my Lord should thus come to me Why see the Point and in that see the cause He loveth thee O beleever and he loved thee with a transcendent love And hence it is that he doth all that he doth for thee and giveth all that he bestoweth on thee You wonder why Christ should sanctifie such unsanctified hearts as yours are cleanse by the washing of water and by the word such impure spirits as yours be And you are ready to say Whence is it that the Lord of glory should stoop to wash such a creature as I am Whence is it that he at whose feet Angels fall and bow should come wash the feet of such a creature as you be Hence it is beleevers Christ hath loved you and that with a transcendent love Wonder not therefore henceforth unlesse it be with the wondring why Christ doth any thing or all things for you there is a reason yea great reason though not in you yet in himself It is this we have been speaking of i. e. the transcendent love he beareth to you Fourthly let this inform beleevers that sith Christ loveth them with a transcendent love at all times they have then a just ground to act their faith upon him in any case Why is it O beleever that thou doubtest whether Christ will do this for thee or give that to thee when as thou considerest he loveth thee with such a transcendent love upon all occasions act your faith O ye children of faith in your beloved what ever it is that you want and he hath what ever it be that thou wouldest have and he can give Beleeve that Christ will not let thee goe without it for why he loveth thee with a transcendent love In three cases more particularly this truth will inform you of the sure ground that beleevers have to act their faith on Jesus Christ First in case of hearing of their prayers These things I touched at in the first Ser. mon but not so fully Surely he that so transcendently loveth their persons will without doubt hear their prayers Thou sayest O beleeving soul thou hast great necessities and they force thee to make many prayers Thou sayest that Christ can help thee at all hands and therefore thou art calling upon him at all times But thou sayest will hee hear mee Why shouldest thou not beleeve that he will when thou considerest the transcendent love he beareth to thee The love that is in his bosome towards thee will open his ears to hear the breathings that come from thee Indeed sometimes hee may seem to be deaf and not hear thy prayers and sometimes also he may seem harsh and not accept of thy person But it is to try thy faith For notwithstanding hee will hear thee and accept of thee in what thou desirest according to his will for thy good that he may declare his transcendent love You know Christ called the woman of Canaan Dog and seemed to speak harsh to her and yet even all the while that hee looked as it were sourly upon her and spake as it were sadly against her yet even then did his bowels roule for her and even then was there love in his bosome to her And therefore though for a while he seemed to deny that hee might try the sincerity of her faith yet afterwards he granted her requests that he might declare the reality of his own love In this case therefore you have a sure ground of faith O beleevers Christ will not reject your prayers because he loveth your persons and the more transcendent his love is towards the one the more sure may you be that he will hear the other Secondly In case of obtaining counsell from Christ and knowing the mind of Christ This Point will inform us in a sure ground of faith and love O beleever love will open Christs bosome and let thee see the counsels that are there Surely hee will counsel thee in case of doubts because he loveth thee as he doth Thou sayest here is a Scruple and there is a question and I would fain know the mind of Christ concerning this or that But how can I hope that ever he will open his mind to me either in the one or about the other Why sayest thou so O beleever is not his transcendent love a good ground for the acting of thy faith in this case Verily because his heart is to thee therefore it will be with thee That I may allude to that phrase of Judges 16. v. 15. How ever Dallilah said to Sampson How canst thou say I love thee when thine hart is not with me thou hast no reason to say as she said in such a way as she did Thou mayest beleeve that his heart will be with thee because thou hearest that he loveth thee I would fain perswade my own heart and yours also in these times of doubting and of darknesse in which wee need counsell and would bee glad to
for the party beloved Beleevers Christs love to you had such a work as that and if your love to him hath not yet risen so high as to desire to suffer for him yet let it at least rise thus high as to be willing to suffer any thing for him if hee call thee to it It will be a sweet and a sure character of love As Christ wrote a letter of love to thee in his own blood So do thou upon occasion write a letter of love back to him in the same rubrick The love of Christ saith Paul constraineth us because saith he we thus judge c. 2 Cor. c. 5. v. 14. the consideration of Christs love had a constraining power upon Pauls spirit he could not chuse but judge this that if Jesus Christâ— dyed for him hee should be willing to dye for Christ Then is a Christian sweetly exercised when as the Golden ball of divine love is tossed too and again between Christs bosome and his Let this therefore sink into your spirits labour to answer O beleevers this transcendent love of Christ towards you which passeth knowledge Thirdly upon all occasions have recourse to this transcendent love Populus me sibilat c. as the miser saith people deride mee abroad but I comfort my selfe when I come home he meant by looking into his boxes and there seeing his gold Beleevers though the world deride you abroad yet you may have recourse to this love of Christ and comfort your selves when you come home To look as it were into the glorious box Christs bosome and there see that which I am sure to thee is better than gold id est his grace Weak people are thus farre wise as they have their little bottles of spirits and cordials to carry about with them to refresh them when they are faint Beleevers you especially you that are weak imitate their wisdome Let this bottle of Christs transcendent love alwayes be in thy bosome and have recourse to this Refresh thy spirits upon all occasions especially when thou beginnest to faint and without doubt there is a refreshing power in this transcendent love of Christ to keep up your hearts from fainting under troubles as we shall see in the next point when we come to it Jesus Christ in his trouble had recourse to his fathers love why then in any trouble have not you recourse to Christs love Fourthly In as much as Christ loveth all his with a transcendent love let it be your care O beleevers to imitate your Saviour Love all his as he doth with such a transcendent love Ephes 5.2 1 Joh. 4.11 Beloved if Christ have loved us we ought then to love one another At least O beleevers be perswaded to have salt in your selves and to love one another and that very dearly sith Jesus Christ doth the like Be ye followers of Christ in this as deaâ— children and be you walkers in love one to another as Christ hath loved you all who ever they bee that are beleevers Christ loveth them very dear because they are his He doth so why should not you O that where ever you see the light of Christs love shining upon any bosome that there you would cause your love to shine also upon the same Especially take heed that you do not frown upon those on whom Christ doth smile You have heard and therefore mind it that Christ loveth all his with a transcendent love therefore take in this exhortation also who ever they be that belong to Jesus Christ though in many things they differ from thee yet let them have thy love for this one thing viz. Christ in them At least learn to love them really because you hear Christ loveth them transcendently Christ loveth different Saints with the same love sure I am that beleevers of all or any opinions are the object of Christs affection and though they are unhappily it may be erring about some truths yet they are all of them happy in the injoyment of this truth that Jesus Christ loveth them all with a love passing knowledge Sad it is to see those look strangely one upon another who are yet all beloved of Jesus Christ But sadder it is to see any Saint look upon another with a frowning countenance when as Christ looketh upon him as well as upon himself with a smiling face Who doth not bleed to see one beleever to write a book of revilings against another when as you look upon the Gospell as a glorious book of love writted by Christ to them all Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon O! let not the daughters of the unbeloved triumph to see you who are the highly beloved ones of Iesus Christ traducing and reviling one another I say no more but this sith Jesus Christ doth love al the Saints and every believer with a transcendent love do you who are beleevers and so share in the sweetnesse of this truth do the like Fourthly I shall adde but a word of perswasion and let it be to perswade all those who as yet are strangers to Iesus Christ to come in unto him O that you could behold the glorious beames of transcendent love towards all beleevers doubtless such a sight as that could not chuse but work upon your hearts and strangely draw your spirits to close with him who is so lovely in himself and so loving unto his wandring soules that erre up and down the Wildernesse of the world Return yee sinners unto holds of love kisse the Son imbrace Jesus Christ know hee is the Lord of love One who imbraceth all that come to him freely and then loveth them all transcendently I fear you are ignorant of this truth that Christ loveth his with a love passing knowledge And it may be your ignorance of this keepeth you from closing with him But know it now and be perswaded to come to Christ to close with him to imbrace his Gospell to love his truth to be conversant in his ordinances as knowing if you be you shall have love from him which passeth knowledge Bee contented now to break off from the wayes of sinne and vanity and come into the wayes of righteousnesse Bee contented to bid the creature adieu and now be willing to imbrace Christ do not say if you take up Christ in his Gospell and in his wayes Friends will leave you and the World will loath you and the Devill will stirre up the Sonnes of Belial against you It matters not though the creatures leave you Christ will imbrace you Though they loath you Christ will love you And what need you fear the rising up of the Sonnes of Belial when you shall enjoy the loves of Christs bosome Heare and give eare O ye children of folly bee wise at least once and you shall taste love Christ calleth you all whoever you bee come to him imbrace him cordially and you shall find him loving you transcendently I have said all and happy I were and
say ah but will Christ dwell in my heart I would fain beleeve it but what ground have I for such a beleef Hee is the high and the lofty one and I am mean and a poor creature Hee is not only the brightnesse of his fathers glory but the fulnesse of the fathers holinesse And will such a pure person as hee is come and dwell in such a polluted house as I am Thus the soul would or might reason but now all this reasoning is quieted and this doubting will bee easily resolved by the knowledge of Christs love for hee that knoweth the love of Christ knoweth how willing Christ is to come into the heart of a poor beleever and how that daily and hourely hee doth stand at the door knocking for entrance So that I say the very Spirits of the other cordials and as it were their quintessence lying in this the knowledge of the love of Christ It is very plain That the knowledge of the love of Christ is of speciall vertue and efficacy to keep the hearts of beleevers from fainting under tribulations But I shall a little more demonstrate this point First By opening wherein this knowledge of the love of Christ doth consist Secondly By shewing wherein the speciall efficacy of that knowledge doth appear for the supporting of the soulâ— from fainting fits in the time of trouble And then in the cloze of all I shall make some Use and Application For the first Wherein doth the knowledge of Christs love consist or what kind of knowledge of the love of Christ is it which keepeth the heart from fainting In the generall I hinted it in that expression the spirituall knowledge of the love of Christ That is such a knowledge of Christs love as the soul hath by the revelation of the Spirit acting by the shedding abroad of that love even upon the spirit of a beleever Look as the carnall knowledge of Christs person the knowledge of him after the flesh as the Apostles phrase is is not saving neither is it sweet So neither is the carnall knowledge of his love It is the spirituall knowledge of his person and the spirituall knowledge of his love which furthereth the everlasting happinesse of a soul hereafter and the sweetnesse and comfort of a soul here But more particularly I shall hint two words for the explication of the knowledge of Christs love what it is First Negatively It consisteth not in the bare notion of it All divine knowledge whatsoever it bee is without any efficacy if it bee but barely in the notion Look as in reference to duty knowledge is not effectually imperative to put the soul upon doing unlesse it sink deep into the soul for the word falling among stones and wanting root did not arise up in fruit In like manner with reference unto joy knowledge is no way efficaciously restorative although it bee the knowledge of Christs love unlesse it sink down from the head into the hearts of beleevers But as the Apostle putteth the knowledge of the glory of God the father as to salvation in this viz. that God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes had shined into their hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 In like manner hee putteth the vertue of the knowledge of the love of God in making the soul patient in its waitings and by consequence not fainting in his troubles in this that the Lord would direct the Thessalonians hearts into the love of God the Lord saith he direct your hearts into the love of God 2 Thes 3.5 wherefore then this is the first thing by way of negation that you may know wherein the knowledge of the love of Christ doth not consist it is not the bare notion or apprehension thereof in the head Secondly and positively The right knowledge of the love of Christ in reference to the matter in hand I conceive chiefly doth consist in two things First In a particular application of the love of Christ to the soul by faith i.e. that the soul should be able to lay home that to himself in particular which he understandeth to be in the heart of Christ to every beleever in generall The soul should bee able to say of the love of Christ it is mine for else as hee said quid haec mihi nisi mea what is all this to me if it bee not mine In like manner will the soul say what is it to mee if there be a transcendent love in the bosome of Christ to beleevers if I have not a share in it Look as the preaching of the word doth not profit them in whom it is not mixed with faith i.e. in the particular application thereof to themselves In like manner neither doth the love of Christ comfort any if it bee not mixed with faith i.e. particularly applyed to their own souls this is a faithfull saying saith Paul that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief 1 Tim. 1.15 Herein was the truth of the saying that Christ came to save sinners but herein was the joy and comfort of Paul that hee could say I am chief It is most clear that the knowledge of the love of Christ is comforting but the efficacy of it doth lye in the application Just as now how choyce soever the cordiall bee that is prescribed by the Doctor it is of no comfort to cure the patient if it bee not taken In like manner though the knowledge of the love of Christ bee one of the choisest cordialls which is revealed yet it is of no vertue to the soul unlesse it bee taken i.e. particularly applyed by faith This is the first thing wherein the right knowledge of the love of Christ as it is efficacious to comfort in troubles doth consist But secondly It consisteth not only in the particular Application but in a serious Meditation thereof being applyed Application taketh the cordiall as it were in the mouth and lets it down into the stomach But meditation sucketh out the sweetness thereof And therefore it is said my Meditation on him shall bee sweet Psal 104.4 Not only the knowing and beleeving of it to bee the souls but also the meditation is that which maketh it more sweet if the cordiall which the patient taketh bee never so sweet yet if it be spit out again and not chewed as it were or swallowed down it affords but little refreshing In like manner though the love of Christ bee surpassing sweet yea and albeit it bee as it were applied in the generall If it bee not meditated upon it will bee but of little efficacy to keep the heart from fainting Wee will bee glad and rejoyce in thee saith the Spouse Cant. 1. v. 4. yea but wherein would they find them joy it followeth in thy love But how would they find out the sweetnesse of that joy out of that love it is hinted in this I will remember thy love more than wine The remembrance or the meditation upon the love of Christ