a candlesticke no nor the Sunne but himself to be as a light this not on the wall as it were without his own Palace but even within where himself is in his own presence Joh. 17. 24. Father saith he I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am Consider this beleevers Christ hath prepared as good a house for you as for himself and when he was as it were in the entry thereof he stood at the door and did in a manner agree with the Father before hand that you should come in as well as himself and therefore it was he said he went to propare a place for them So that now here is rich provision of necessaries food and rayment and lodging And what doth this declare but rich love in Christ that he should take such care of beleevers Wee might adde not onely that Christ hath prepared these things which are the necessaries but hee hath prepared other things which are glorious But oh who shall bee able to declare all the gracious provision which Christ hath made for his When as eye hath not seen neither hath ear heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive those things we will therefore break out with the Psalmist O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up as a secret treasure for so the word signifieth for them that love thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beleeve in thee To hide as a treasure hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a treasure Psal 31.19 Thus you see the transcendent love of Christ in his care for as well as his command over beleevers Thirdly and lastly we might abundantly demonstrate the transcendency of Christs love to beleevers Christs endeavour to perswade beleevers of his love speaks its greatnesse in his indeavour to declare and perswade the hearts of beleevers of all this love That Christ should love at all and love so much is transcendent But that he should take paines to perswade the hearts of beleevers to beleeve this is an addition to the transcendency of the love Christ saw how backward we would be to beleeve and how hardly we would be brought to perswade our selves that indeed he did love us at all therefore it is he took such care and made such provision for the perswading of the hearts of beleevers to close with the truth of this that he loved them I have saith he declared thy name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them This is the great work which he did himself when he was on earth and which his Ambassadors now doe in his name now he is in Heaven viz. To perswade the hearts of his that he loveth them What a great deal of love was there in that cry of his when he was on earth That if any came to him he would in no wise cast them out And if they did but thirst they might come to him and drink How did he declare the strength of his love in perswading soules to come to him that they might taste and see how he loved them It had been much if Jesus Christ would have given a poor soul leave to love him and would have accepted it upon his seeking to him but that he should love and wooe us to love him and take paines to make us beleeve that he doth love us This is transcendent love O beleevers such is the strength and transcendency of the love of Christ towards you that when he was upon earth himself he made it his great work not onely to tender love freely but to perswade you to beleeve it fully And now he is gone to Heaven he hath taken care to appoint Ambassadors and they alwayes in his name doe beseech you to beleeve that he doth love you And it is the great longing of his soul to fill you not onely with his own love but with his Fathers love too wheresoever the Gospell of free grace doth sound the summe thereof is this That God so loved the world that hee sent his Son And that Jesus Christ himself so loved poor soules that he came himself that if any would but beleeve they might have him and in him everlasting life and love To all this I might adde the consideration of the easie price that Jesus Christ setteth upon his love which he tendereth It is but acceptation If any man will but come to his bosome the fountain of love he may take the waters thereof freely that fountain is not a sealed but an open fountain And this is the transcendency thereof that it is open even for those in whom there was a fountain of wrath and enmity flowing up and that against himself O my brethren if you did but consider that the love of Christ passeth knowledge that in its nature it is every way full and in its tender free And that he profereth rich love to those who by nature were the children of wrath and that all this is in a beseeching way Certainly you must conclude that the love of Christ is a transcendent love and that it passeth knowledge It was the tendernesse of the love of Jonathan and David that it passed the love of women Thy love to me saith David was wonderfull passing the love of women 2 Sam. 1. v. 26. Surely beleevers the love of Christ to you is wonderfull transcendently wonderfull passing the love of women passing the love of Jonathan and David comprehending as formerly hath been hinted yea and surmounting any or all the loves of all the creatures whatsoever Neither man nor Angels could or ever did expresse so much love as Jesus Christ hath not onely expressed and declared but doth even tender and besceeh beleeving soules to accept of I shall adde no more for the demonstration thereof but onely this That when I have said all that I can though I had all the tongues both of Men and Angels of the love of Christ you that finde it in your bosomes will have reason to tell me that the one half was not told you For the love of Christ is such as all the Saints who do in the fullest measure injoy it are not able to expresse it but must be fain to cease speaking and so wrap up their soules in wondring at it and cry That it is a love passing knowledge Before I come to the Application I shall briefly answer two Objections which may come in and be made against the truth of this Doctrine Ob First it will be objected If the love of Christ be so transcendent to beleevers Whence then cometh it to passe that he permits them oftentimes to lye so low that their enemies triumph and insult over them Surely will some weak for weaknesse is the around of the Objection beleever say If Christ love me so highly why doth he permit me to lye so low If I be so near to his heart how is it that he suffereth wicked men to tread upon
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
breadth and length O the transcendency of Christs love to beleevers 3. But how came Christ here Came he in pomp with glory Came hee with the sound of a Trumpet that all might know that though hee did come into a cottage yet he was a Prince No but rather in a poor mean way Indeed when Christ was born an heavenly Hoast appeared praising of God and singing But that was rather to discover unto the World that the Saints lover was come into their Country than any way to dignifie him who indeed was above all glory Some expound that place Isa 42.12 He shall not cry nor lift up nor cause his voyce to be heard in the streets c. As if it did mean that Christ should not carry the matter about which he came in an outward glorious manner with pomp but that in a silent way he should both come and do all that unto which his Fathers love and his own did design him And if you consider the History of his Nativity you will say that Christ came not with any great show hee was born not the Son of some great Queen but the Infant of a poor Virgin His reputed Father was not a mighty Monarch but a mean Carpenter This was it with which he was twitted in the teeth as disgraceful Is not this the Carpenters Son O how mean did Christ come into the World when he was born in an Inne and that happily none of the best for there were not many Lodgings in it and therefore his travelling Mother was fain to lye in the stable and there was hee brought forth And how did hee lye when being swadled with some homely Cloaths his Mother laid him in the Cratch He that was wont to sit upon the Throne amidst the Cherubims was content to bee found in the Cratch among Brutes Verily while we consider this we must needs conclude that Christs love was surpassing great in that he would vouchsafe to seem at least yea and in a Human way to be so little and to lye so low for your sakes But 4 Joyn to all these the end of Christs coming into the World and this will exceedingly heighten the demonstration and evince that indeed the love of Christ passeth knowledge Why for what did he come upon what design came the King of glory from Heaven to Earth in so mean a way came he to take the Crowns off from the heads of Kings and to put them upon his own Indeed Herod feared this but without ground for Christ came for no such end But the end for which he came was love His design was to declare make known that love which lay hid from eternity in his own and Fathers bosome unto beleevers Therefore it was that he was born in time viz. that beleevers might see and know that love which hee bare to them from before time I will in a word mention omitting others six particular ends for which Christ was born and came into the world and you will see them like so many several lines in a Compass meet all in love as in their alone center 1 The first end for which he was born was to redeem the precious souls of beleevers from that slavery in which they lay yea and their bodies also from that vanity unto which with the rest of the Creatures they were subjected Christ saw his beloved Captives in Sathans Kingdom bound with chains and made slaves unto his will This sight went to his Soul and his love could not contain it self but he must come that his beloved might bee set free That this was the end of his Nativity the Apostle witnesseth Gal. 4.4 When saith he the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Son and he readily came made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that wee might receive the adoption of sons You were once slaves beleevers and Christ was born that you might be sons And a part of that adoption to which you were redeemed is not only the redemption of your souls though that bee the chief but also the redemption of your bodies as it is clear Romans 8.23 This was the end why Christ was born and I think I need not say it was an end of love for you cannot consider this but you must confess that 2 Another end which Christ aimed at in his Nativity was to be fitted to suffer for Beleevers sakes As Christ was God and shined with the glory and Majesty of the Deity buffetings spittings binding c. could not durst not take hold upon him when he spake but that word I AM HEE the glory of his God-head shining through it as through a crevise it is said they that came to seize him went backward and fell to the ground Joh. 18.6 Christ knew that as hee was God he could not suffer and yet a necessity he saw of suffering for beleevers sakes therefore he was contented to cloud the glory of his Deity with the mantle of the seed of Abraham that so he might be fitted to suffer for them When Codrus saw that his death would profit his Country and that while he had on his Imperial robes none durst slay him the Historian saith Depositis imperii insignibus famularem cultum induit c. i. e. He laid aside the royal robe and put on an homely habit that he might be fit to dye in that disguise My beloved the Lord Jesus saw that the bloud of Bulls and Goats could not take away sins he saw also that yet if ever beleevers lived it must be by bloud And therefore the Father having prepared him a body as it is Heb. 10.5 his heart had this law of love written in it that he took the Body that thereby he might bee fit to bleed Surely you are blind if you see not love in this end viz. That Christ was born to be fit to dye 3 A third end why he was born was that hee might bee like beleevers Love tends to likenesse Christ because he loved would bee born that he might be like to them in all things whom he loved above all things He was made saith the spirit in the likenesse of man Phil. 2.7 He beheld his beloved in the form of servants and he would bee born that he might be in their form Christ saw his dear ones cloathed with the sackcloth of Human Nature for that compared with the Angelical is but as hair to silk and therefore stoopt to a Nativity that he might be in the same fashion and appear in the same suite Though the Human Nature especially cloathed with infirmities were but a very mean array yet his Divine love made him esteem it above the Angelical Therefore passing by the nature of Angels he took upon him the nature of man and was born that he might be like unto beleevers Surely this was love But 4 Christ in his Nativity aimed at another end as like in love the former as might be and that
know the Mind of Christ more I would I say perswade mine own heart and yours also to this Point to act faith upon Christ in this case whatever the truth of such a Scripture be as you would know or of such a question as you would fain be resolved in Sith Christ loveth you with a transcendent love act faith in this case That in due time hee will reveal even the one and the other to thee Thirdly Christs transcendent love giveth a sure ground of faith in the case of raising up of the saints out of suffering Verily O you children of faith and love beleeve it Jesus Christ who loveth you in such a transcendent manner as you have heard will not let you alwaies be under those great sufferings which you doe His great love for the present maketh him sympathize with you in all your afflictions he is afflicted Men that persecute you they persecute him that loveth you He looketh upon your sufferings as his own And because heeloveth you so transcendently hee will ere long tell those that persecute you the same terribly beleeve it Christ that hath appeared to you in this saying I have loved you with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you out of the state of sin will also say unto you I do love you with a transcendent love therefore with the same loving kindness will I draw you out of the state of sufferings I say Act faith O beleevers upon this ground of Christs transcendent love even a sweet and a singular faith in the case of delivering you out of sufferings As he will not alwayes strive himself with you so neither alwayes wil he suffer wicked men to trample on you because hee knoweth and his love maketh him afraid lest your spirits should fail as under the one so under the other Use Secondly It may be a word of Reproof This point that Christ loveth his with a transcendent love may justly reprove the world yea and the Saints themselves also First It may reprove the world who are ready not only to think but to say as hee in the Parable that Christ is an austere man Luke 19.21 No my brethren Christ you see is not austere but sweet As his name is so is his nature love and that in a transcendent manner Be reproved wretches in entertaining unkind or reviling thoughts of Christ You wrong him in his love and your selves in the truth while you think or say that hee is not a loving Lord you shall ere long not onely see that hee loveth but that hee loveth all his with a love passing knowledge But secondly It reproveth the Saints also who are ready very often to question if not the reality yet the transcendency of Christs love Be reproved for saying Christ loveth you not at all or if hee doth but very little for you hear that he loveth even all his with a transcendent love I professe it is sadde to see upon what petty poor occasions even beleevers themselves are ready to question at least the greatnesse of Christs love If hee denieth them though but a vanity yet because their hearts are set upon it so much they think that his heart is not set upon them at all such is their weaknesse they are ready to think that Christ loveth them but a little because hee doth not give them happily a knife which hee seeth they would use to cut their own throat with Your bosomes O beleevers will hint you the particulars in this case and therefore I passe them by Onely let the word of reproof fall upon you who for any occasion whether great or small dare to question the transcendency of Christs love when as you see it to be a clear truth written as with a Sun-beam upon your souls and bosomes that the love he loveth you with is passing knowledge Use Thirdly This point is a word of Exhortation to exhort beleevers upon the consideration of this transcendent love which Christ beareth to them to doe at least these four things First Tremble to think that ever you should sin against him who loveth you so much View thy sins O beleever in the light of thy Saviours love and when thou seest the transcendency of that love which is in his bosome towards thee then sit down and bleed to behold thy great sinnings against him Then indeed hath transcendent love a sweet working upon thy spirit when as the thoughts of it can make thee mourn for thy sinnes How sweetly did love work upon that woman who was a sinner when she tasted the transcendent love of her Saviour The sight of the great love which was in his bosome towards her makes her sit at his feet and weep bitterly at the thoughts of her sins For the present I will not dispute the point whether mourning for sin before closing with Christ can bee sincere Sure I am of this that after closing with Christ and tasting of his love then mourning for sin is most sweet And though nothing in the world melt the heart for sinne yet the thoughts of the love of Christ will Well beleevers let in then have such a work in your bosomes O let his transcendent love which you may read written with the blood of his heart dissolve thine adamantine heart And let it make thee mourn for thy sinnes greatly They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourn saith the Scripture Zach. 12.10 Why beleevers doe you see him whom you have peirced with your sinnes Do not you mourn especially when you see him in the light of love I say no more but this either you have not tasted this transcendent love of Christ or else your spirits are very much hardened if the sense and thoughts thereof do not cause you to mourn for sinne Therefore let this word of Exhortation sinke deeply into your hearts O beleevers weep and weep teares of blood to think that ever you should sinne against Jesus Christ who hath writen in his own blood this truth that he loveth you with a love passing knowledge Secondly Be exhorted to be ambitious to answer this transcendent love of your Saviour with the like Let this love of thy Lord be the loadstone of thy love Let it constrain thee to love him transcendently who loveth thee so I know it is impossible that thou shouldest parallel it which is the glory of Christs love yet strive at least to imitate it which will be the glory of thine Do not content thy self to love him little that loved thee much Sith Christ hath loved thee richly bee ashamed to love him but poorly Ambition in this respect will be a grace if so be that the sire of Christs love to thee set thee in flames of great love to him O! be ambitious to declare as much as in thee lyeth the exceeding greatnesse of thy love to thy Lord. Mirandula notes it as a badg of love that it maketh the person willing yea desirous to suffer
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
this study above all others Now I shall offer something as meanes to help you and as motives to encourage you Onely by way of caution learn to take heed of promising your selves too much Doe not think that you shall ever come to perfection of knowledge in this point at least while you are in this life It is a point which may take up the study of all the Saints happily so much may bee couched in the 18 verse of this chapter that you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints He speaketh as if it were a Text about which not onely every Saint is to set himself but as which doth require all the abilities of all the Saints Look as some great point doth require the abilities of many Scholars and all little enough when joyned together to make a good discovery thereof such is the love of Christ as that all the Saints may well spend themselves in the study of it and when they have brought all their notes together and added all their studies together they will bee able to make at least in this life but a very little discovery thereof Therefore take heed of promising your selves perfection in this study Now I adde this caution not to deter you from the study but to make you the more serious in it and also to keep you from casting of it off after you have begun to understand it It is with some Saints as with Scholars who having set about some study and after some progresse find the business so hard and high as that they can never come to the perfect knowledge thereof they begin to slack in their indeavours and to cast it off But now beloved consider it beforehand that you may not afterwards cast off the study of the love of Christ when you have spent your selves to the uttermost you shall never come to a perfection Yet let me adde this the least beames of the love of Christ have so much light in them as that they will bee very sweet and every peece or part of this knowledge will be of very speciall worth yea the low and imperfect knowledge of the love of Christ if experimentall and spirituall is of infinite more value than the high and perfect knowledge of Tenne thousand things besides Yea and one thing more let me adde it is possible for you to attain to a very sweet and satisfactory degree of this knowledge Qu. But what shall I do to attain a satisfactory degree of this knowledge of the love of Christ so as that albeit I cannot attain to the knowledge thereof fully yet I may be able to attain so much as may make me at least say as it is in the Text The love of Christ passeth knowledge Answ For that I shall offer some directions as concerning the means and helps how you may obtain the knowledge of the love of Christ And also as concerning the manner how wee should carry our selves in that study First For the meanes I shall name these particulars First Be much conversant in reading of the Gospel How ever the Bible in general doth give testimony concerning the person of Jesus Christ and also in some measure concerning his affection to the Saints yet the Gospel of all parts of the Bible doth in a more ample clear and satisfactory Way hold out the love of Christ to beleevers That which all the Prophets spake of him or of his love is so allegoricall and so darkly as that it is not easie at least for every one to observe the light of Christs love so clearly shining in them Indeed the sun shine of Christs love is in the firmament of the old Testament but as it is there it is much clouded much veiled But in the Firmament of the new Testament it shineth in its full brightnesse luster and glory And therefore bee most coversant in reading of it And while you read the Gospel be sure to carry this along with you that all that which you shall read there either ther in the life or death of Christ is still to be understood as a demonstration of his love to beleevers Secondly If thou wouldest know the love of Christ be sure to labour to get into the bosome of Christ that Soul knoweth little of Christs love in the power and sweetness and Spirituality thereof who knoweth only Christ in his head as being without him and is a stranger to the knowledge of Christ in his heart as being in him Labour therefore to have Christ revealed in thee as Paul speaks of himself otherwise all that knowledge which thou hast of the love of Christ will be to little or no purpose Look as Jesus Christ did therefore know the Father most because as the Scripture saith he lay in the Fathers bosome In like manner do thou labour to be in the bosome of Jesus Christ that thou mayest the better know what is his love to beleevers Thirdly Consule with Beleevers Ask those objects of love concerning the love of Christ to them They that have had experience of his love can best inform thee I make no question but that a poor beleever who hath tasted of the love of Christ and in some measure experienced the transcendent sweetnesse thereof is farre better able to helpe thee in this great study of the love of Christ than the greatest Scholar in the world is who it may bee hath read or heard something of his love but yet hath no experience thereof in his soul Fourthly Study thine own experiences Consider the carriage of Christ particularly towards thy soul Remember how long hee bare with thee whilst thou wast in the state of nature I and an enemy unto him How long did hee stand knocking at the door ere thou didst open How long did he come wooing of thy soul ere thou didst imbrace him How many ways did hee take to work upon thee to open thine heart to let him in that hee might love thee How freely did hee tender love to thy soul was there any other condition on which hee tendred himself to thee than thine acceptance of him Said he not when he came and knocked at thy door if thou wilt open I will come in and sup and thy heart shall be at no cost to prepare I have brought that with me that shall feast thee Said hee not if thou doe but thinst come and drink and if thy heart bee but willing eat the good things of my bosome and live for ever Thus mind those experiences of Christs acting towards thee Remember all the Feasts of love which hee hath given thee and by these thou wilt come to see how good how kind how loving he is Lastly Adde prayer to all these It is the choycest wisdome to be wise in the knowledge of Christs love And if you lack this wisdome James giveth you his advice ask it of God and if you ask of God a wise heart in this particular doubtless he will not deny thee for he giveth
soul from fainting under trouble There is a strengthening power in spiritual joy to keep the souls of beleevers from fainting fits as was hinted in the beginning Now the knowledge of Christs love is that which is able to produce that divine joy and that divine joy keeping the heart from sinking under sadnesse it is easie to gather up this conclusion that the knowledge of Christs love is of speciall efficacy for keeping the soul from fainting under troubles Now you have seen in a generall way the efficacy of the knowledge of Christs love to support the spirit from fainting in times of trouble If you will see the summe of these five things reduced into one argument take it thus If freedom from fear about a mans eternall condition If assurance of a reward after all tribulations If resting upon Christ in a time of trouble If strength of love to Christ and also of divine joy through the Spirit be efficacious to keep the heart from fainting under troubles then the knowledge of the love of Christ must needs be efficacious because it produceth all these But now we have seen that freedom of the soul 1 From doubts about the eternall condition And 2 assurance of a reward after all tribulations And 3 an acquiescence or resting on Christ in time of trouble together with 4 strength of love to Christ And 5 divine joy is ever efficacious that way therefore c. But now more particularly I shall shew the efficacy of this cordiall the knowledge of this love to keep the heart from fainting under troubles in these four things First In that the knowledge of the love of Christ doth especially in such a nature as hath been described go to the heart and refresheth the Spirits of a beleever Therefore is any thing cordiall and refreshing because it goeth to the heart and hath a power on the Spirits As now wine hot water Spirits and quintessences c. doe therefore cherish because they warm the heart and revive the Spirits Thus now the knowledge of the love of Christ because it goeth to the very heart and reviveth the Spirits of the Saints which if revived there is no fainting therefore it must needs bee so efficacious as it is As now the fear of God is most soveraign to keep from evill because as the phrase is it is put into the heart so likewise the knowledge of the love of Christ is most soveraign and efficacious to support from fainting under trouble because it goeth to the heart and cheareth the Spirits Hence is that phrase of the shedding abroad the love of God in your hearts Secondly This knowledge of the love of Christ doth appear to bee efficacious to keep from fainting under troubles in that it maketh the faculties of the soul so intense Intension maketh insensible and so freeth from fainting Saul though hee were opposed and much mocked of the sonnes of Belial yet being newly lifted up to the kingdome was so intense upon that that hee did not at all mind the sonnes of Belial much lesse did hee faint at their fordid carriage 1 Sam. 10.27 Some conceive that therefore men in a frenzie doe not faint at any thing as others doe because of their intensivenesse what was it that kept the Apostle from fainting in affliction but the intensivenesse of his Spirit about everlasting and eternall objects For which cause saith he I doe not faint while wee look not at things which are seen but things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4. c. 16 18. Paul was so intense upon higher objects that hee did not faint at his tribulations Now the knowledge of the love of Christ maketh the soul very intensive in the contemplations of all its sweet dimensions Thus saith the soul that knoweth the love of Christ O the height and depth and length of the love of Christ O that so great a person as Christ is should love so mean a creature as I am Oh that one who is not onely man but God should set his heart upon mee who am not onely a man but a worm And thus now being intense in that contemplation of Christs love it is kept from fainting under tribulations Thirdly it appeareth that the knowledge of Christs love is efficacious c. because it maketh the soul to forget all the loves of men The reason why we are apt to faint under tribulations is because wee are apt to overprize the love of men Did wee not set our hearts so much on the love of men wee should not faint for the want of that love What though men yea all the sons of men shall hate and oppose so long as I doe not prize their love nor fear their hatred I shall never faint Now the contemplation of the love of Christ to the soul doth work this effect upon the heart It maketh a man to forget all love of men Peter forgat the earth when hee saw but a glimpse of glory in the Mount Mans glory is not seen when Christs glory doth appear the light of the Stars is not seen when the light of the Sun doth shine And while the soul is taken up in the meditation of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge hee doth not mind the loves of men and therefore hee is free from fainting at the want of them Fourthly and lastly the efficacy of the knowledge of Christs love c. will appear in that it hath a power to make a man forget all those tribulations which hee lieth under we give wine saith King Lemuel to them that be of heavy hearts strong drink to him that is ready to perish Prov. 30.6 let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more A soul that can make application and meditation of the love of Christ drinketh as it were that wine that maketh him forget his sorrows and remember his troubles no more Hence it is you shall have the poor beleever say I was so taken up with the remembrance of the love of Christ that I forgot I was in prison As Paul when hee wrot this Epistle being a prisoner at Rome yet was so taken up with the love of Christ as forgetting in a manner his imprisonment Note this he prayeth not for himself lest hee should faint at tribulations but hee powreth out his heart that way in the behalf of the Ephesians that they might not So that there is a divine spirituall intoxicating power in the love of Christ to cause a man not to mind or to remember the tribulations under which hee lyeth and surely the soul doth never faint under that which it doth forget Thus now wee have gone over the second thing and shewed you both generally and particularly wherein the power of the knowledge of the love of Christ as it helps in keeping the heart from fainting under troubles doth consist wee will wind up all in a word of Applition Now Use first for Information This point That the knowledge of
Christs love is of such speciall efficacy to keep up the heart from fainting under troubles lets us see what great need we have to study the love of Christ Men have much studied the nature of some Plants and Mineralls because they are of special use for cordials you hear of what speciall use for spirituall cordialls the knowledge of the love of Christ is have not you ground then to study it Paracelsus concluding all to lye within the compasse of his Sol Sulphur and Mercury spentall or most of his study in the search and knowledge of them The love of Christ is the most catholicall cordiall not onely including all other cordialls but the life that the soul doth find in all other Look as Gods love is put for all causes Joh. 3.16 when hee gave his Son So Christs love is put for all cordialls when the Saints get comfort Tribulation distresse persecution famin nakednesse perils sword neither any nor all these can bear down when the soul knoweth the love of Christ that loves him And as it is the most Catholicall cordiall so it is the most Homogeneall Those cordialls are of most efficacy which are most naturall and most suiting to the Spirits why love is our life Gal. 2.20 Christs love falls in with the life of a Christian it is most suitable to it and therefore most sovereign Verily if there bee need of studying that which may bee a cordiall to any condition there is necessity of studying of the love of Christ which is such a Catholicall and Homogeneal cordiall as it doth suit with the Spirits and as it fitteth all the troubles that any beleever may meet withall Secondly this Doctrine speaketh lamentation also How sad is it to see that though this love of Christ bee such a cordiall to beleevers in any trouble yet either First they neglect it and make no use of it such is their folly that they have this precious price in their hands and they doe not know it so as to make use of it what a sad thing is it for the fainting man to see a cordiall at the beds head and not to use it Secondly in stead of using this they use other cordials Who laments not to see beleevers in these times of trouble one while eying counsells another while eying Armies and in the mean while not eying the love of Christ which alone is able to comfort when all other things fail It is lamentable to see how beleevers leave this fountain of living comforts and seek after yea and dig for cisternes yea broken cisternes that neither have nor can hold any comfort in them Thirdly which is worst of all when Christ offers this cordial they put it by and will not take it How often doth Christ open his bosome to the beleever and le ts him see love written in the golden letters of Free grace and beseecheth the beleever to look and live to contemplate it and to take comfort from it How often doth Christ say Soul I love thee I love thee with an everlasting love therefore have I drawn thee into this wildernesse of trouble that here I might speak comfort unto thee where none can help thee And yet lamentable it is to hear beleevers saying that they will not beleeve it though their souls might bee comforted by it Thus beleevers this cordiall point may set you all a weeping that notwithstanding the love of Christ bee so comfortable you use it not but instead thereof use other cordialls That when Christ openeth this cordiall you will not open your mouths widely that hee may fill them with it Use Thirdly be reproved you children of faith for this fault Hath Christ provided such a cordiall for you and do you neglect it Is there such refreshing for your souls in his love and will not you use it Doth hee as it were bring it home to your hearts and will not you take it be reproved for your folly O yee of little faith suppose the Mother should provide some cordiall for the weak fainting child and bring it to the child beseeching the little one to take it that it might live were not the child much to bee reproved if forgetting all the Mothers care and cost it should put it by It is your folly and your blame O beleevers who notwithstanding all the care yea and the cost of Christ too in preparing and bringing this cordiall his love unto you yet too too often you put it by and Rachel-like because your children creature comforts are not you will not bee comforted with this cordiall of Christs love Use Fourthly let it bee a use of direction to direct beleevers whither to go for a cordiall in time of trouble What have you to doe with the waters of Sehor Run you to the bosome of your Saviour why doe you spend your selves to goe after the pudled streams of creature sweetnesse goe you to the running river of your Lords love drink thereof and bee refreshed and bee comforted in any case Object I saith some soul I would goe thither as being indeed in a sad case needing comfort but how shall I doe to draw out the water of life that is in Christs love Rep. Why what is thy case poor heart what is thy case in which thou needest comfort and for which thou wouldest goe to Christs love Answ My case is spirituall my soul is troubled within I see much sin but little grace and this goeth to my heart filling it with trouble how shall I improve Christ love in this case for a cordiall Answ For that beleever know Christ loveth thee notwithstanding all this I beeleeve you think that Christ doth not affect you because your sinne is so much and your grace is so little Know soul though the woman was a sinner in the City and so full of sin yet Christs love passed by her sin and pardoned her Christs love took the advantage of her many sins to shew much love to her soul And it is his custome where sins abound there to make love superabound Therefore thou maist comfort thy self O sad soul with the thoughts of Christs love This love made him to suffer for sin and this love maketh him every day to pardon sin yea and hee will shew the transcendency of his love in passing by the transcendency of sin Object O but I have not only much sin but little grace A. Bee it so O beleever yet the love of Christ may comfort thee notwithstanding it Thou thinkest that grace is the cause of love but thou art deceived it is the effect of love Christ loveth not because there is grace but because hee loveth hee giveth grace Grace is given in a time of love Love is not shewn because of grace therefore comfort thy self O beleeving soul at the consideration of the transcendency of Christs love It is the glory thereof that it pardoneth much sin and that is loveth little grace and it will work so that in time sin shall
measure of the gift received are as truly Christs words now John 6.63 as when hee was here on earth else how could Paul say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. according to the eies sight that Christ came and preached to the Ephesians and was evidently crucified before the Galatians as t is Eph. 2.17 and Gal. 3.1 neither of whom heard of Christ till after his ascension I hope it will bee no pride but a gratefull and necessary witnesse to the grace of Christ if I say I have both spoke and writ the truth as it is in Jesus and as the Spirit hath given utterance Yea and that in a measure also I can say that those things which I have heard and seen I have declared unto you that your joy might bee full I know nothing so directly tending to both the truth and fulnesse of a Saints joy of which I account my self obliged to bee a helper as the knowledge of the love of Christ 2 Cor. 1. ult Now this is the subject I treat of And this I desire to put you in remembrance of as knowing nothing more strong and constraining unto duty 2 Cor. 5.14 than joy springing forth of this well of salvation I shall not trouble you with a large Epistle Four words only in this publick view for so is printing I shall leave with you as my witnesse unto Christ in some present truths now denied which I desire may never bee a witnesse against you 1. That Jesus whom wee preach and whose love wee declare is the same Christ still i.e. the same God in mans nature which is the choyce thing in him capable of being anoynted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the self same not another and so of making him Christ hee that ascended is the same that descended and hee that descended is the same also that ascended as t is Eph. 4.9 10. Hee still retains the human nature which once hee took and so is still not only the same God but man It s true the manhood or flesh of Christ is now glorified but t is not annihilated his body is made glorious but still t is in body The man is set down on the right hand of God Heb. 10.12 2. This Jesus shall come again in the same mannâ—r in which hee did ascend as hee was visible even to the eyes of the flesh when hee went away so shall hee bee seen in like manner comming again Act. 1.10.11 Hee is not so swallowed up in Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that hee is gone out of the flesh But albeit his all and onely presence bee now in Spirit yet hee shall come again and all eyes shall see him and they also who pierced him and all kindreds of the earth as it is Apoc. 1.7 Whoever shall say these Scriptures are not to bee taken in the letter I know I have the mind of Christ if I say in this hee hath not the Spirit 3. That till this comming again wee are to wait for him and upon him in the spiritual and yet external observation of the Ordinances of the Gospel And in them wee are to expect and shall find the sweet and spiritual incomes of himself in discoveries of that love of which I treat 4 That in the day of Christs comming again those Ministers will bee found blessed Lu. 12.42 who as faithfull and wise Stewards shal be found giving the houshold their portion of meat in due season And these Saints will be blamelesse who in that day shall bee sound exercised in and yet living above the observation of preaching fellowship prayers and breaking of bread which Christ hath commanded to bee kept up til hee come And now beloved what is the panting of my Spirit both for my own soul for yours and for all the Saints Is it not this that the morning of that day would dawn Is it not Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the day dawning and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the light bringer and he is also the morning star that the shaddows would fly away and that the day spring from on high might again in the glory of Christ God and man visit us Surely these are the daily groanings of the Spirit in mee But with these there is also a mixture of sighs oh that the Spirit would make us diligent that wee may bee found of him in peace 2 Pet. 3.14 without spot and blamelesse and oh that we may bee counted worthy to escape all these things which in part are already come to passe and to stand before the son of man yea and oh that when the Lord shall call us to an account concerning the oracles Rom. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. to commit as a choice treasure the ordinances which he hath committed to us wee may be found First neither as having defiled them with our own inventions Nor Secondly as dis-esteeming them upon pretence of our attainments No nor thirdly to have made them our rest and confidence But I shal sigh the rest in secret I beseech you beleeve that my heart underwrites this that I am Yours intirely affectionate in the love and labour of the Gospell JOHN DURANT A word to the Reader IN these Sermons I presume thou wilt perceive the plainnesse of man and my prayer is that thou mayest likewise perceive the power of the Spirit The time of their preaching was some eleven years since even the noon of the day of Englands trouble At that time they were accounted seasonable The matter of them is some Gospell light of the glorious love of Christ and this makes mee think they can never bee unseasonable The manner of their delivery was as it ought to bee not with enticeing words of mans wisdome But in the simplicity plainness of the Gospel The end was and is next to Christs glory thy good O beleever who ever thou art and if this bee not attained I must cry out I have laboured in vain And Two requests I have unto thee The first is that thou charitably cover the failings of the Preacher Remember the heavenly treasure of the Gospel is in earthen vessels The second is that thou carefully correct the Errata's of the Printer which by reason of my absence from the Presse could not bee avoided If to these two thou wilt over and above adde thy prayers for mee that I may still bee inabled from an experimental knowledge of Gospel truths so publish the same unto poor souls Thou wilt doe more than requite mee for my pains in this even oblige mee to a publication of some other Papers In hope whereof I subscribe my self Thine in the sincerity and strength of Gospel-love John Durant SERMON I. EPHES. 3 ver 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge KNowledge is the perfection of the Rational Creature It is that whereby we come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher speaks i. e. to partake of Divinity to
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
as the last thing observed from these words viz. to let you see how efficacious the love of Christ is unto the supporting of beleevers in any tribulation SERMON VI. EPHES. 3. Ver. 19 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge HE that is but little skilled in the knowledge of the face of times may very well see that these times wherein wee live are very sad Calamity lyeth upon every Creature and woe hath as it were entred upon the Stage of the World and acts a very bloudy part to the terrour of all even beleevers themselves some put on black and walk disconsolately yea almost all the sonnes of men are clad in mourning as being sensible of the misery under which most of the world at this day groans In these times therefore what can be more suitable to our thoughts than to consider of that which may serve to support our spirits It is the wisdome of such as are weak and lyable to faintings to carry about them some cordiall or other to revive them And it should bee doubtlesse the wisdome of beleevers who are liable alwayes to tribulations to lay in something which may keep them from fainting under these tribulations Indeed our Lord Jesus out of the riches of his mercy hath prepared and provided rich and glorious cordials to support the souls of his And it is our duty especially who are the Ministers of the Lord Jesus to help beleevers with these cordials which our Lord and their Lord hath prepared And therefore while others forgetting not onely the Saints but themselves take leave to presse and urge great things as matters of faith upon poor souls as if they had dominion over their faith I shall endeavour to imitate the great Apostle Paul rather to shew my self a helper of your Joy 2 Cor. 1. ult than a Lord of your faith It was this indeed which Paul was much upon viz. the furtherance of the joy and comfort of beleevers And it is this which he drives at in these words in the behalf of the Ephesians for fearing lest the newes of these troubles in which hee was should so far trouble the Ephesians as to make them faint he therefore boweth his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he would be pleased to give them the knowledge of the love of Christ that so by it their spirits may be kept from fainting either at the news of his or fear of their own tribulations This being therefore the end why Paul prayeth to God in the behalf of the Ephesians that they might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge I did observe this Doctrine from it viz. That the spiritual knowledge of the transcendency of Christs love towards his is of special efficacy to keep our hearts from fainting under any troubles I suppose you easily see both the foundation and the proof of this point in this place yet that you may see both the clearer let mee hint these three things First consider it That the Apostle supposeth that the Ephesiant hearts were apt to faint at their tribulations At the 13 verse his desire that they might not faint doth clearly intimate this that they were apt to faint Indeed the children of faith are not onely prone to fear but are apt to faint in those fears Secondly observe how upon this fear of the Apostle lest they might faint or if you will upon his desire that they might not faint he falleth to prayer and maketh it his request to God whose alone royalty is to support the fainting spirits of all the creatures that be would be pleased to keep them from fainting For saith hee for this cause I how my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus that is upon this desire of mine that you might not faint I bow my knee to him who alone is able to support your spirits Thirdly Consider that among the rest of those things which he prayeth to God for in their behalf that they might not faint hee prayeth for this in the Text as in the last place that they may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge And indeed the very spirit and strength of all that which the Apostle had prayed for in the former verses in their behalf lyeth in this last And happily therefore it was that hee bringeth in this as the last particular being as it were that last cordiall which he prayed for in their behalf and if it had failed hee knew not as it were what to ask of God for them This is as it were the last Dosis of the Doctor which if it help not the patient the Doctor is at a stand and is puzled and knoweth not what else to give so that I suppose you may easily see not onely the footing that this Text affords for this truth but also a great and solid proof of the truth thereof in it And yet that you may see this truth more clearly from this place I will in a word shew you how that the very spirits and strength of the other cordialls which hee here prayeth for are as it were wrapped up in this viz. The knowledge of the love of Christ For consider First hee prayeth that they might bee strengthened in the inward man by his Spirit verse 16. Now what is that strength of the inward man by the Spirit but that divine and spirituall joy which is through him The joy of the Lord doth give strength Nehem 8.10 Now it is easie to demonstrate that the chief ground upon which the Holy Ghost doth build that joy which through him is in the hearts of beleevers is this viz. the shedding abroad of the love of Christ in them Christ having promised to send the spirit as a comforter to beleevers he saith that he i.e. the spirit shall take of mine and shew unto you John 16. ver 14 15. Now what is there in all Jesus Christ of sweeter efficacy and power which the spirit can take and declare to beleevers than the knowledge of his love which passeth knowledge So that if the strengthening of the inward man by the holy Ghost bee that which helps to support thy soul from fainting And if that working of the holy Ghost bee by a creation of divine joy or bringing of divine comfort And that bringing of comfort in the spirit depends upon revealing something of the heart of Christ to the soul then it must needs bee that the spirit of this cordiall lyeth in the knowledge of the love of Christ which alone the Spirit is able to bring in as it were from Christs heart and shed it into the hearts of beleevers for the strengthening of the inward man Secondly the Apostle doth pray as a means to keep the Ephesians from fainting that Christ may dwel in their hearts by faith ver 17. Now a very few thoughts will discover that the strength of this comfort doth lye in the knowledge of Christs love For whereas the soul may