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
there are all the dimensions in Christs love which may serve to declare any thing vast and infinite There is a breadth and length and depth and height in the love of Christ And it is worth the noting the Apostle doth not tell how great those dimensions were He doth not say how broad or how long or how deep or how high but as if the dimensions of Christs love did transcend his knowledge he passeth it by and only adds this that this love passeth knowledge I finde not this phrase to my best remembrance but once more in the New Testament and that is Philip. 4.7 where Paul speaking of the transcendency of the Peace of God he saith it passeth understanding Certainly it is the glory of Christs love as well as of his Fathers peace that it also passeth understanding If at your leasure you read and reading spiritually consider what is presented to faith in the Book of the Canticles you will see this truth that the love of Christ to beleevers is transcendent in the glory and convincing power and proof thereof It may be in your time you have mis-spent some hours in reading of some Romances And you have wondred at some strange Stories of Love which you have met withall But alas should you compare the highest love that ever you read of with the love of Christ to Beleevers you wil be forced to confess that that love in comparison of this is but like the story it self i. e. a meer fancy If ever strength of affection were set out in sweetness of expression It is in that Book to a Spiritual eye when I do but consider the fourth Chapter only of that Song I cannot chuse but wonder at the high transcendency of Christs love to beleevers Surely I conclude the affections are sweet strong glorious unconceivable when the expressions thereof are so ravishing so great so high as in that Chapter they are I shall give one general demonstration to let you see the truth of the Doctrin that Christs love to beleevers is transcendent The demonstration take thus That love which includeth in it and comprehends all kindes acts or demonstrations of love whatsoever must needs be a transcendent love But such is the love of Christ to Beleevers c. Therefore c. I suppose the Major is clear enough and needs no proof The Painter took the direct and undeniable way to make the Picture of Minerva transcend and excel all other Beauties when he epitomized or contracted all the several rays and particular beauties that were scattered up and down in other Persons or Pictures in that one pecce It is upon this ground an axiome indubitable and beyond or above Dispute That the Sun doth farre transcend in Light any or all the other Lights Moon or Stars c. because in its Light all theirs is contained and that in an eminent manner All the question is about the Minor whether that Christs love be such to beleevers as that it includes and contains in it all other kindes or acts of love whatsoever Now this I shall put out of question by an Induction or enumeration of the several kindes or acts of love Amongst other how exactly I will not determine the Moralists tell us of these four kindes of love as the chief viz. 1 A love of Friendship 2 A love of Pity 3 A love of Sympathy 4 A love of Complacency In these four only I shall instance which I had rather call several demonstrations or degrees of one and the same passion of love than particular kindes distinct and shall shew that Christs love to Beleevers includes and contains in it all of them and that therefore it must needs be transcendent 1 The love of friendship is so called not as if it were the habit of friendship it self but because it is that kinde or act of love whereby we prosecute or follow one whom we look upon and love as a friend and to whom we wish good Now this kinde or rather degree of love is in the love of Christ to beleevers Christ looks upon and loves all beleevers as friends hence it is that he counts and calls them all by that name ye are my friends Joh. 15.14 And that this is real appears by his dealing with them Therefore it is added Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you ver 15. Those whom we love as friends wee open our minds unto and it is their privilege wee communicate to them secrets which we have heard Christ dealeth thus with beleevers and thus dealing doth not he declare to them the love of friendship 2 The love of pity This falleth in and followeth upon the former for as Job saith To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed by his friend Job 6.14 This also is included in Christs love to beleevers For upon that love of friendship which he bears to them he acteth this of pity still towards them when no eye pitied them his eye did When sinners and Satan rather laugh at their misery and say Aha Aha so would wee have it Christ he as it were sighs to see their sorrows and indeed pities their souls Hence it is said Isa 63.9 In his love and in his pity hee redeemed them it was real pity it did work and he bare them and carried them all the days of old 3 The love of Sympathy which in truth is but a high degree of pity is also contained in the love of Christ to beleevers Men sympathize with those whom they love when they do as it were take up their miseries upon themselves and be as if they were in their Friends case Thus doth Jesus Christ when hee sees any beleever groan either under sin or sadness he comes and by a sympathy doth afflict himself For in all their afflictions saith the Prophet he was afflicted Isa 63.9 as if he himself was in their sadness and under their sin The Author to the Hebrews tells us Wee have not an high Priest who cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. sympathize with our infirmities cha 4.15 His meaning is that indeed our high Priest Jesus Christ doth sympathize with beleevers in their sorrows And in Chap. 5.2 it is said of Christ that he can have compassion of the ignorant that word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifies as much as Hee knoweth how to pity according to the measure of our misery Let the misery be never so great for with reference to great measure I beleeve the Metaphor is used Jesus Christ knows how to measure out as great a measure of sympathy as is needful So that Christs love to Beleevers you see contains in it also the love of sympathy Lastly For the love of complacency which indeed is the highest degree of love this also is in Christs love contained You have a
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
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
of the love of Christ of the Son of God who loveth me As Moses pressed the Israelites to the sincere keeping of the Law for it is saith he your life In like manner may we presse Christians to the serious knowledge of Christs love because it is our soules life Fourthly The knowledge of Christs love is the foundation of a soules joy and Christians comfort and therefore of such necessary concernment The reason why the Saints are sometimes so sad is because they doe not know the love of Christ at least in all the dimensions thereof Hence it is that Peace is joyned with love somtimes in the Gospell Peace saith Paul bee to the brethren but from whence from this as it is added and love from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes 6.23 the hearts of beleevers would be at Peace if so be they did but fully understand the love of Christ O saith the soul of that beleever and of this beleever indeed they live sweetly upon Christs love because they have it but I go sadly in the want of Christs love because I think there is none for me The soul is sad because it seeth not the fulnesse of the love of Christ I saith another soul such an one who hath more grace than I and such an one who hath lesse sinne than I have he may live joyfully because of Christs love but I must goe sadly because I fear hee will not love me The reason of this soules sadnesse is because it knoweth not the fullnesse of love that is in Christ and the freenesse thereof without doubt did we but know the love of Christ better than we do wee should not be so sad so often as we are That bosome Disciple John who knew much of the love of Jesus and had declared the knowledge of it unto others he saith it was for this end these things write I unto you saith hee that your joy might bee full Sith therefore the joy and the comfort of our soules is built upon the love of Christ as its foundation it doth necessarily concern us to get the knowledge thereof Fifthly the knowledge of Christs love is of necessaay concernment because it is the rise of Christian thankfullnesse Hence it is that thankfullnesse springs it is from this fountain whence it floweth Those soules will bee most thankfull for the love of Christ that understand is most Ignorance begets ingratitude but knowledge maketh thankfull Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Men will not be thankfull for that which they do forger neither can men remember that which they do not know All that Christ looks for from the Saints is this that they should acknowledge the transcendent love he beareth unto them Wee will never be able to sing glory and dominion be to him who hath loved us except wee know how hee loved us Look as a Lark at the discovery of the light of the day ascends chirping and chirping and the lighter the Heavens appear the higher she ascends and the sweeter shee sings In like manner the soul who knoweth the love of Christ and seeth the light thereof mounteth and singeth and the more bright the beames of Christs-bosome love shines in upon them the higher is the soul elevated and the sweeter it doth chirp and chant that spirituall song of thankfulnesse unto Christ You are bound beleevers to thank Christ for his love but you will never to purpose go about to cancell that bond if so be you doe not know the transcendency of that love with which hee hath bound you Sixtly Christs love is all the legacy he hath left Christians Surely it is of necessary concernment for Christians to know that which Christ left them in his will He hath not left them ample possessions nor brave buildings in this world his father though he loved him left him not a house to put his own head in here but dear love rich love transcendent love love passing knowledge this Christ hath left to beleevers as his father left him as the father hath loved me so have I loved you Joh. 1.5 ver 9. Aske the widdow whether it doth not necessarily concern her to know that which her husband left her Aske the child whether there lie a necessity upon him to know that which his father left him both the one and the other will say yes Why beleevers your everlasting father and your soules husband Jesus Christ hath left you nothing but his love surely it is necessary that you should know it Seventhly As the soul is filled with the knowledge of the love of Christ so it is filled with the fulnesse of God You empty creatures doth it not concern you and that necessarily to be filled with the divine fulnesse the fulnesse of God surely you will say yes then know it doth as necessarily concern you to bee acqainted with the love of Christ without that you cannot be so filled Some have thought that knowledge is nothing but an union between the thing known and the understanding Hence it is that they say and conclude that by how much any partake of knowledge by so much they partake of fulnesse God is love and if the knowledge of Gods love be the union thereof with the soul then certainly by how much we know the one by so much wee partake and are filled with the other Observe how the Apostle therefore joyneth this in the Text To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge saith he that you may bee filled with all the fullnesse of God Every drop of this knowledge of the love of Christ tendeth towards the filling of the soul with the fulnesse of God surely therefore to be filled and to be filled with God and to bee filled with the fulnesse of God yea with all the fulnesse of God being so necessary for every soul as it is and the knowledge of Christs love being so advantagious to this It must needs bee a thing of speciall concernment for every Christian to labour to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Briefly now for application First it may serve for a use of Lamentation that notwithstanding the knowledge of the love of Christ is thus necessary yet First that this knowledge hath been little studied Secondly though it should be much studied yet it can be little obtained First I say it hath been but little studied Men have been very swift in searching after other truths but they have been slow in searching after this An ample exact discovery of this love of Christ may well be set down among the desiderata i.e. the desirables of Divines it having been so little handled by any Indeed much of the Law in the point of duty hath been discovered but little of the Gospel especially in this point of Christs love hath been inquired into I doe not know any one Authour of eminency indeed as yet I have met with none at all who on purpose hath handled or
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
bosome is full of the wine of Christs love The Justice of the Father is not more exact to fill the bosome of sinnets with his wrath than the grace of the Son is free to fill the bosomes of Beleevers with his love Hence it is that he saith Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 You read a Box of Oyntment which when it was opened the whole house was filled with the odour thereof Joh. 13.3 such a Box of Oyntment is the bosome of Christ as may bee gathered from Cant. 1.3 which being opened in the houses i. e. the hearts of beleevers fills them full with the sweet favour thereof And indeed as Christ bids beleevers ask the Father that their joy might be full So hee is as bountiful himself as he would have his Father to be and therefore without their asking for he loveth first he lets out yea and fills them with his love In this life beleevers have at least might as much love as faith can let in and if the soul be not full it is only because the mouth is narrow as the bottle with the narrow neck in the Ocean And hereafter as much as vision it self can swallow So that now the transcendent fulnesse of that degree in which Christ lets out his love to beleevers doth evidently declare the love to be transcendent also 3 Adde to both these the consideration of the duration of Christs love to beleevers and this will further demonstrate its transcendency As the nature is high and the degree full so the duration is constant and perpetual Having loved his own he loved them els 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e to the end it may be to the perfection Joh. 13.1 Christs love is once and ever It is of the same nature with himself unchangeable As nothing in Beleevers was so good as to make him to set his love upon them so nothing is so bad as doth make him take it off again Indeed sometime the visible actings or demonstrations may be concealed but still the love it self remains sure and is never violated That look as Divines say of Christ upon the Crosse The beatifical vision was suspended but the hypostatical union was not dissolved In like manner though the light of Christs love may be for a time obscured yet the life thereof is still preserved The love may be dark sometime but dyes never There is nothing no not sin that can totally and finally separate between Christs love and a beleevers soul Paul asketh the question to this day it is unanswered yea and unanswerable What shall separate Rom. 8.35 The mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed saith Christ but my kindnesse shall not depart Isa 54.10 Beleevers those high Hills which you sometimes see at whose sight ye wonder And the mighty mountains which you behold sometime and are amazed at their vastnesse those very hills and mountains not only may but shall depart But yet the love of Christ towards you is so transcendently high and sure that it shall not nay cannot depart So that as the very heavens themselves wax old like a garment and yet the person of Christ remaineth even so shall heaven earth every creature wax old decay and dye But still the love of Christ towards beleevers shall continue young fresh and flourishing Such is its duration such shall be its continuance Indeed the very life of Christ must depart and he dye again ere his love to his can decay For his love is not only the Beleevers life but his own as was hinted formerly O the transcendency of this love which shall thus last 4 Consider now in the last place the operation of Christs love to beleevers and you shall see its transcendency answerable to its nature degree and duration We guesse at the transcendency of things by the noblenesse of their operations It is a certain rule the more noble any thing doth operate the more noble it is in its self Love of all the affections being the most noble answerably it hath the most noble operations Christs love will easily appear to be transcendent if we consider how much more nobly it operates than any other love in the world From the first point of time untill this yea and till time shall be no more the operations of Christs love to beleevers have been are and shall bee transcendently glorious and noble I shall not in this place so curiously search into all actions of Christ because I shall more particularly speak to them by themselves to let them therefore passe I shall only instance in five particulars and in them you shall see the transcendent operations of the love of Christ to beleevers 1 There was no condition so low unto which Christ did not condescend to declare that his love did transcend High love stoops low and the higher still the love is the lower still it stoops You may take loves elevation by its condescention and the lower still that you observe love condescendeth the higher alway you must conclude it is elevated I think it was but a fancy which one reporteth of a great Prince who it is said took upon him both the habit and imployment of a Days-man working to build a House in which his beloved was that he might visit her Yet let me tell you it is no fancy but a reality in Jesus Christ that out of the height of his love to beleevers hee took upon him both the form and the imployment of a Days-man which some think though I do not to be intended in that of Job 9.33 to declare not only his obedience to his Father but his love to beleevers He emptied himself or made himself vain for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be translated and took upon him the form of a Servant c. Phil. 2.7 Christ became of no reputation that his love to Beleevers might bee of high reputation O how nobly did Christs love operate towards beleevers when he stooped so low for their sakes 2 There was no action so mean which he did not cheerfully undertake to declare his love to beleevers Royall love doth as it were debase the Soul to any though the meanest service to declare it self Jacob will bee a Servant and keep Sheep in the heat of Summer and the cold of Winter rather than not shew his love to Rachel And Jesus Christ will wash his Disciples feet a mean imployment and though he be Lord of all will be a servant unto all his Disciples that hee may not only teach them humility and love one unto another but also that he may declare the height and transcendency of love unto them all 3 There is no failing so foul which he doth not passe by to declare the surpassing greatness of his love to beleevers Great love passeth by and pardoneth great faults And the greater the faults are which be committed the greater is the love by which they are pardoned Peter failed grosly when
when it was first declared The Prophet tels us it was at such a time as in which we were most unlovely when we lay in our bloud and were not so lovely as to provoke any eye to pity us Then did Christ passe by and it was the time of his love and then did his love break forth with the light of Life for then he said Live as it is Ezek. 16. Surely hee did shew wit who fancied the feigned beloved all besmeared with a poysoned hand and made leprous thereby and yet stories that the Love was as constant in love as ever But we shall shew only the truth and the transcendency of Christs love to Beleevers if we affirm from Scripture History When beleevers were all poysoned with the leprosie of sin and lay as Lepers by the way side then Jesus Christ came and took them by the hand and opened the love of his heart in letting out a stream of bloud to wash them and make them clean Now that before ever the fountains of the deep were laid a fountain of love should spring up in Christs bosome to beleevers and that it should be opened in his side at such a time as they lay in their filth What doth this declare but that Christs love to beleevers is transcendent and as it is in the Text passeth knowledge it being set and declared at or in such a time Yet Lastly take in the consideration of that end which Christ aimes at in his love to beleevers and this will declare it also to be transcendent Christs love to beleevers is its own end He loves that he may love and this makes the love glorious Jesus Christ Beleevers in all the love which hee lets out to you aimes not at himself but at you Hee loves you now that he may love you ever The end which he drives at in declaring love in a lesser measure here is that he may declare love to you in a greater measure hereafter He makes you vessels of Grace in this world that you may be vessels of Glory in that which is to come All the glory which hee aimed at for himself was the glory of his Grace and that shall be towards you Christ delights to set the golden apple of his glory in the silver picture of your good He being Love only aims that men may see the light thereof and he chose your bosomes beleevers as the golden Candlesticks to set up the glorious light of his love to shine in Now then that so infinite a Majesty as Christ is should love such mean Worms as beleevers be And that he should set his love before the first of the times and let it out in the worst of times and that only for their good as the end Oh! who can consider this but must sit down and wonder and cry out O the transcendency of Christs love How how doth it passe knowledge Having thus demonstrated a little I would now apply this point at present in three uses viz. 1 Of Consolation 2 Of Conviction 3 Of Counsel 1 In as much as Christ loveth beleevers with a transcendent love How may this comfort Beleevers at all times Thou complainest O beleeving Soul that the World doth not love thee nay thou sayest it doth hate thee Why be of good comfort though the World hateth Christ loveth and the World cannot hate thee so much as hee will love thee His love doth transcend the Worlds hatred What the Angel told Daniel that say I to every beleeving soul who groaneth under the hatred of the World Dan. 10.19 Fear not O man greatly beloved Why complain you O beleevers for want of the puddle drops of the Creatures love you have the pure spring of Christs love what weaknesse is it to cry for want of the light of the Stars so long as you have the light of the Sun Thou hast the Creators love beleever be not sad therefore in wanting the love of the creature especially considering what a transcendent love it is Comfort your selves O my brethren with these thoughts Jesus Christ loves you and that love of his which he bears to you passeth knowledge 2 Let this be a word of Conviction unto sinners Wretches be ye convinced that however you say no body regardeth Beleevers yet there is one who is greater than all who regards them and that in a high manner know that Christ loves them with a transcendent love You break their souls in peeces you slay them and you murther them and yet you say the Lord doth not see neither doth the God of Israel regard it Psal 94.7 But be convinced now to the contrary The Lord Jesus doth see and he doth regard them and ere long he will make you know that however you deal with them they are dear unto him though you love them not at all yet he loves them highly Were you not afraid saith God to speak against my servant Moses Num. 12.8 God wonders that they were not afraid to speak against a man whom he loved so much And who can chuse but wonder that ever any wretches should be so vile as to speak and act against those cruelly whom Christ loves transcendently But I pity yee poor Creatures It may be you think that Christ slights them as you do yet be convinced now and take heed hereafter what you do certainly whoever they bee whom you oppose if they be beleevers be convinced that the Lord Jesus loveth them all with a transcendent love 3 This Doctrin might be a Counsellor and it counsels all to look after and prize a part in the love of Christ above all the loves of the world O friends I why do you spend your selves and lay out your souls in the pursute of that which is not love at least not transcendent love I wish you would now bewise you who court the creature court them now no more I shew you a more excellent way of love Consider the transcendent love of the Lord Jesus and be ye counselled to labour to get a share in it O that the hearing of this that Christ loveth beleevers with a transcendent love might make you sick in your souls till you participate of this love When one heard of the great love which was between two choyce friends he said Utinam tertius essem i. e. O that I were but a third that I might share with them in their great love Consider it you have heard of the high transcendent love which is between Christ and beleevers Be on fire therefore and burn with desire that you may partake of that love and that at least you may enjoy that love which those that have most are not able to expresse or conceive it being a transcendent love passing knowledge SERMON III. EPHES. 3. ver 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge WE are lanched out into the great depth of our Saviours love wherein our souls may swim very sweetly and although I can neither sound ground nor see
the transcendency of Christs love to beleevers First stand and wonder O beleeving soules at this love Indeed it 's fitter for wonder than words Think upon this that I have said and let your thoughts dwell upon the meditations hereof and when in the working of your thoughts you haveascended to some height then in the wonderment of your soules cry out O the depth of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Wonder and say Lord Jesus what is man by sin the worst of creatures and what am I by unbelief the worst of men that thou shouldest thus minde me as to bee born for me to live yea to dye to declare love to me O that you would live and lose your selves in the thoughts of your Saviours love And when you have lost your selves which you may interpret found your soules in the bottomlesse gulf of your Lords love then recover your spirits again and cry out Oh the dazling heights Oh the confounding yet comfortable depths Oh the divine yet immensurable dimensions of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge 2 Lament O lament beleevers when you consider that notwithstanding Christ doth thus love you yet you are too too apt to neglect the consideration thereof and too too poor in it's requitall That holy man Mr. Welch wept because he saw his heart so dull that hee could not consider the love of Christ as he should and would And truly who can with a dry eye consider the neglect of the thought of the transcendent love of Christ what O soul doth Christ love thee much and dost thou think on it but little Canst thou spend daies and weeks in reading the fond fancies of feigned loves And hast not thou an houre to meditate on the real royall love of the Lord Jesus And as thou mindest it but seldome so thou requitest it but sorrily What small returns of love hath Christ had from thee for this vast expence of love upon thee He loves us richly but alas we love him poorly His love passeth knowledge none can understand it and our love in a sad sense passeth knowledge too for none can perceive it How little alas do wee will wee forsake for Christ And yet hee forsook much for us Hee forsook Heaven and came into the world for us and wee will not forsake earth although it be to goe to Heaven for him hee did much for us and counted it but little hee liv'd from first to last for us but wee doe but little for him and yet wee count it much grudging to give him the last and least though Satan hath had the first and most part of our life Hee as you have heard suffered for us even death it self but which of us is willing to taste of suffering for him True some have said If they had a thousand heads they would lose them all for Christ yet these some are but few For who of us would lose one head for him Ignatius in former times said hee was willing to endure fire crosse butcheries and all for Christ but these are the latter dayes and though his love was hot ours is grown cold wee can scarce endure a word a jeer a scoff for Christ Well I beseech you sit and sigh and say Oh! how meanly do we requite the love of Christ He was born lived died out of love to us But we are so far from dying for Christ that we scarce are willing to live to Jesus Christ Thirdly in as much as Christ thus loves you O beleevers with a transcendent love Be you satisfied herewith and be content if it must be so to want the love of men It s a shame that any who are the beloved of Christ should mourn for not being loved of the creature Why should the Kings daughter who hath or at least should forget her kindred and her fathers house Why I say should she i.e. the beleeving soul weep because the scullion scorns her when the King himself embraceth her It s but meet that you should rest satisfied in the love of Christ sith it s so transcendent Wherefore drink waters out of thine own cistern O Christian and as Solomon saith rejoyce with the wife or rather with Christ the husband of thy youth let him be as the loving Hinde and pleasant Roe let his breasts satisfy thee at all times Do not erre in mourning for the want or hunting after the enjoyment of creature-love but erre alwaies or as wee render it be ravished alwaies with his love Bathe thy self Oh beleever alwaies in Christs bosome live upon and be contented with his love Let others sip and drink if they 'l be so weak of the puddle waters of the creatures love while thou as wise neither enviest nor desirest to partake with them Surely did you but remember this that the love of Christ towards you passeth knowledge you would not be discontented at the want of the love of any or all the creatures considering therefore that it is such be you contented with it It s a sign that the love of Christ passeth thy knowledg in the transcendent worth thereof If in the midst of the absence of all other loves thou canst be content and satisfied with this SERMON IV. EPHES. 3. ver 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge WEE are yet upon the consideration of the transcendency of Christs love to Beleevers And oh how sweet is it to lose our selves in this consideration How loath am I to leave a point of such infinite necessity and sweetnesse How gladly could I not only live but die in the declaration of the love of Christ to beleevers I doubt not but the very mention of the point That the love of Christ to beleevers is a transcendent love maketh the hearts of you to leap for joy Tell me O beleever couldest thou not wish to have thine cares ever followed with this sound That Christ loveth thee with a love passing knowledge Something we have already hinted and something more wee shall adde at this time yet because when I have said all that I can about the transcendency of Christs love to beleevers I shall come many thousand steps short of its height I am resolved to say all that I intend to this point at this time Therefore a little more to demonstrate this That the love of Christ passeth knowledge I shall intreat you to view First His command over them Secondly His care for them Thirdly His endeavour not only to declare to but to perswade beleevers of this love Christs Commands speak love First If we do consider the command which Christ exerciseth over beleevers we shall see the transcendency of his affection even in that It is Christs glory that he is the King of the Saints in a peculiar manner and it is his grace that he exerciseth that Kingly power in a sweet way How ever he ruleth the Nation with a rod of iron yet he ruleth the Saints with a golden Scepter Hence it
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
discoursed exactly concerning this subject viz. the transcendency of the love of Christ I have heard that that precious Divine Dr. Preston was wont to complain of the great defect this way Surely it is very sad to think that the knowledge of the love of Christ being of such necessary and high concernment hath been so little inquired into O what a gallant Gospel-designe were it for some one who is acquainted with the Spirit in a large measure to goe over the whole history of the Gospel and to observe the glorious shinings of the love of Christ to beleevers in all It would bee precious if some would take it in hand and perfect it to the purpose But it is sad to think it hath been neglected so long Secondly we may lament not onely to think this knowledge hath been but little advanced by the labours of any but especially that it is such that after all labour it can be but little gained We may weep to think how little of the love of Christ it is that those who have most knowledge of it doe or can know We read of a Book which was sealed and John wept much saith the Text because no man was found worthy in heaven or in earth that was able to open the Book or to look thereon Beloved the heart of Christ may be compared to a glorious Book in which the mysterious history of his transcendent love is written But alas who is there not onely in earth but in heaven that is able to open this Book and to discover the mysteries thereof Beloved when we shall come to heaven wee shall then be in a capacity of more perfect knowledge of the love of Christ But alas even then wee shall never be able to comprehend the love of Christ in the perfection thereof that is so fully as it may be known Then indeed we shall apprehend it in the perfection of our knowledge i.e. so far as it can bee known by the finite knowledge of creatures but yet then we shall not know it so full as it is The Schoolmen speak of knowledge as they doe of seeing Duplex plenitudo scientioe visionis viz Plenitudo 1 Subjecti 2 Objecti There is a twofold fulness of knowledge First a fulnesse in regard of the object i.e. such a fulness as regards the thing it self Secondly a fulnesse of knowledge in regard of the subject in which it is Now for mine own part I incline at least for present to conclude that although without doubt there shall be a fullnesse of knowledge of Christ in respect of our knowledge i.e. according to the utmost bounds or extents which our knowledge when it is perfected to the highest is capable of yet notwithstanding in regard of the fulnesse of knowledge as it relates to the thing it self viz. The love of Christ quoad essentiam virtutem intensivam extensivam i.e. when it is considered so far forth as it may be had unto all the effects and purposes whereunto that knowledge doth extend it self this I say I think wee shall not have but to all eternity wee shall be admiring and adoring of this love of Christ which passeth knowledge Wherefore then wee must needs lament to consider that although the knowledge of the love of Christ be of such necessary concernment yet it hath been but little searched after by many and when wee shall make the greatest search after it we shall never be able fully to attain it Use Secondly it may be a use of Reproof unto those who neglect this study of the knowledge of the love of Christ altogether Many there are who are little in the study of the Bible lesse in the study of the Gospel but least of all in this which is the light and lustre and glory of all the Gospel the love of Christ to beleevers And I cannot chuse but think those blame-worthy and to be reproved who in these times speak much of their parts and abilities in the beating out of some truths merely controversall which yet I speak not against in its place and yet neglect this knowledge which is of such necessary concernment I doe not altogether blame those who study this headship of Christ I mean this Government it being I think this present truth which is most controverted in these times yet notwithstanding to study so far the head of Christ as to neglect his heart so far to mind his government as to neglect his love is without doubt a thing to bee reproved But much more are those to bee reproved who study neither the one nor the other but spend all their time their pains and their parts in controversies and niceties prying either into unrevealed positions or being busied about needlesse questions neglecting in the mean time this one necessary thing viz. the knowledge of the love of Christ How many are there that may as one said of the Schoolmen bee like unto Travellers or men in a journey who have good bread about them but goe gnawing and biting upon hard stones so indeed some men who have at least means to have the bread of life Christs love but they neglect it and spend their time in gnawing upon hard trivialls at least not usefull questions Be reproved O all ye who so far spend your selves about the obtaining of any knowledge when in the mean time you doe neglect the study of this knowledge the love of Christ which is of necessary concernment Lastly we shall adde a word of Exhortation to stir up all to the study of the love of Christ You who have spent or rather mispent many a precious hour in reading of Romanses and fond histories of feigned loves yea you who spend all your time though it be about some matters of concernment but neglecting this be stirred up now to lay out your selves in the study of that which is sweet and necessary viz. the study of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge you must conceive that as I hinted in the explication my desire is that you would labour to be well versed and to be exact students in this businesse I would not have you content your selves in some generalls but labour to make a particular discovery of the love of Christ in its substance in its circumstances and in its sundry actions and declarations O remember that this knowledge includeth in it all that knowledge which is necessary to be known for salvation When you have studied it well you shall find that there is nothing in the whole doctrine of salvation which is not comprehended in this love of Christ as Calvin hath well observed upon the place This knowledge is both safe and sweet it is not such knowledge as wil puffe up the head but it will purifie the heart I doe not doubt that any can grow wanton who attaineth to any spirituall saving degree of this knowledge The love of Christ will constrain to duty and restrain from sin therefore betake your selves to
liberally to those that ask and upbraideth no man Then ask of him much Beg of him a wise and an understanding heart to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Intreat God that thou mayest be taught of him to know what is the love of himself and of his Son As Christ saith Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me So every Soul that the Father teacheth will quickly learn to know what is the love of Christ to beleevers And that thou mayest bee able to know the love of Christ in its luster beg of God to bestow upon thee his Spirit Christ hath said The Father will give the Spirit to him that asketh him And the Apostle saith As no man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him so none can know the things of Christ but the Spirit of Christ Go to the Lord Jesus and remember him of his promise Tell him he hath promised to send his Spirit and that when the Spirit is come he shall take of Christ and shew it unto the Soul Intreat him therefore to shew his Spirit and intreat him also that his Spirit would come with the shedding abroad of his love Say O! that the Spirit would take of thy love and shed it into me and O! that he would shed it abroad into mine heart that I may be able with all Saints to comprehend the height and the depth and the length and the breadth of the love of Christ and that I may be able also to know that love which passeth knowledge Having thus hinted a few words as concerning the means how we may attain the knowledg of Christs love I shall now adde a word or two concerning the manner how we should behave our selves in the use of this means while we study the knowledge of Christs love and for this take these directions First Be very exact Exactness is requisite in all studies but especially in this Gather up O Beleever all the crumbs and filings of this gold Christs love When thou readest any thing concerning Christ be exact to observe the smiles of his countenance the words of his lips the gesture of his hands the turning of his eye love doth thus observe them Sic oculos sic ille manus sic ora ferebat Observation was made of eyes and of hands and of countenance so doe thou observe be very curious â—o study this love in all its circumstâ—â—ces in all its doings in all its demonstrations If ever you would shew exactnesse in any study shew it in this Doubtlesse the exacter you are in this study the clearer you will be able to comprehend Christs love Secondly be loving Those know most of Christs love to them who abound most in love to him John seemeth to be most loving of all the Disciples and therefore hee seemeth to have the greatest knowledge of Christs love he was so happy as to lean on the bosome of the Lord Jesus and to him was revealed more than to the rest of the Apostles Look as that man doth but in vain expect mercy of God who is without mercy himself so doth that soul in vain desire to know Christs love who is without all love himself you may doe well to observe the context here in this 3 Ephes 17 18 19. v. The Apostle saith that you Being rooted and grounded in love may bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ c. To be grounded in love is an excellent way to comprehend love And doubtless Christ will bee very kind in the revelations of his love to those in whom hee observes the workings of love Thirdly bee very admiring in all the study let all your reading bee mixed with admiration at every love-passage of Christ sit and meditate at every word of love stay and wonder adore the glory of that light which appeareth in any beam of love And in the admiration of that love which doth appear cast thy self at the feet of Christ and cry out O the depth of love in thee O the riches of the love of thy bosome that shouldest thus let out thy self to beleevers Lastly when thou comest as it were at a stand and canst not comprehend the transcendency of this love Imitate the Philosopher and cast thy self into that sea of love which thou wouldest fain fathome or sound and art not able Let that love comprehend thee which thou canst not comprehend thy self Emerge and drown thy self in that vast Ocean of thy Saviours bosome and because thou art not able with any line of thine to sound the depth sink thy very Soul that it may be able to taste that which thy study will not help thee so much as to see I shall now adde but a word to stir you up in the use of these means and in this manner hinted seriously to prosecute the sweet study of the love of Christ First I might tell you That all the time that you spend in this study will be very delightful and very profitable and you will have no reason to repent thereof Those who have spent or rather mis-spent their time in reading of the fine Histories of feigned Loves have at last been forced to confess their follies in so doing That well-deserving person Sir Philip Sidney is reported to have lamented upon his Death-bed the mis-spending of those parts which God had given him in the penning of that well-penned peece his Arcadia But surely beleevers to lye upon a Death-bed and to consider that although all thy time were every hour thereof spent in the study of Christs love you will bee so farre from repenting of it as that you will have just cause to rejoyce in it But not to urge this doe but Secondly consider the times in which we live How little love is there in these dayes surely the love of many is waxen cold though it bee pressed much yet it is but little practised Though all pretend to complain of the want of love and seem to presse the exercise of love Yet where is the man that maketh it the sweetnesse of his life to let others tast the sweetnesse of his love Surely while there is such little love among men it is but meet that we should study the love that is in Christ But Thirdly especially consider the sweetnesse that the knowledge of the love of Christ will bring to thy soul in any case Little do you know what comfort is wrapped up in the knowledge of Christs love How oft doth but a thought of this revive the spirits of the fainting Saints With what a composure of spirit is a beleeve able to behave himself in any tribulation when he knoweth that the love of his Saviour is without knowledge Without the knowledge of this love nothing will bee sweet but with the knowledge of this love nothing can be bitter And this is that which we shall come unto
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
bee little and grace much Ob. O but saith the poor soul I have lost Christ I think there was a day in which I saw that his love was my life and the consideration thereof was my comfort but I have lost the one and so cannot solace my self in the other A. Why yet beleever the consideration of Christs love may bee a choice cordiall here Didst thou consider the very nature of Christs love aright thou wilt know this to bee the glory thereof that once had it can never bee lost It may bee the Sun may bee in a cloud and thou not see it but it will appear again But the Sun shall sooner leave the Firmament than Christs love shall leave thee Didst thou but also consider the transcendency of Christs love thou wouldest know that though Christ seemeth to withdraw himself a while yet his love will not permit his withdrawing to bee long yet a little while and you shall not see mee It is but a little while that Christ is seemingly lost and yet a little while and you shall see mee again Christ knoweth your Spirits would faile if hee should bee long away Love therefore looks to it that it shall never bee so long as in the losse thereof thou shouldest faint and dye Didst thou know the transcendent nature of Christs love thou wouldest know this that though thou mayest faint a little yet thou shalt not dye Love will come and revive thee yea didst thou but consider the love of Christ aright it will bee a cordial in other particulars also in that it maketh a large amends for a little tarrying for a moments withdrawing it lets out everlasting kindnesse and it therefore departed for a season that thou mightest have it for ever O.b. O but saith the soul I faint to think that I have lost Christ through mine own defect I have been so base as to drive him out of my bosome and I faint to think that hee will never come again A. Why poor soul thou art ignorant of the nature of Christs transcendent love Couldest thou but know it thou wouldest easily resolve thy soul in this case and support it with a sweet cordial such is the nature of transcendent love that though you have been foolish to drive Christ away yet it is so powerfull to bring Christ again It was the folly and the fault of the spouse that though her beloved was knocking at her door till his locks were wet with the dew of the night yet she sluggishly lay in her bed and would not let him in Indeed hee went away that shee might see her folly but hee came again that hee might shew loves transcendency Ob. Nay saith the soul with all this I have violated and wronged conjugall love and the thoughts of these sink my Spirit I faint and dye to think of this for fear that Christ will not passe by these Answ Still I say beleever didst thou but know the nature of the transcendent love of Christ it would afford thee a cordial in this case also This is the glory of this love that it passeth by such violations Indeed the love of men will not but the love of Christ will passe by this foul transgression because that Christs love transcendeth mens love Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return to mee Jerem. 3. ver 1. and surely saith hee as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband so have you dealt with mee O house of Israel yet return you back-sliding people and I will heal your backslidings O transcendent love which is in Christs bosome which knoweth how to pardon the defilement of the bed of love Indeed there is no failing so great but didst thou know the transcendency of Christs love thou wouldest see it to be greater than any failing of thine can conquer so that now in case this fear should bee able to disturbe thy comfort and to make thee faint yet the consideration of Christs love may support thy soul and bee a cordial unto thee even in this case Object But yet I hear others cry out and say how shall wee doe to draw out joy out of this well of salvation How shall wee make the consideration of Christs love a cordial to us in our troubles Quest Why what are your troubles poor souls which make you stand in need of the comfort of this consideration Answ I have lost much nay all for Christ because I stood to his cause I have lost all the creatures lands and livings too yea and house and houshold too c. I have lost all Answ But yet consider Christs love and it will comfort thee in the middest of this losse It is the nature of transcendent love to repair all losses that double in your land you shall possess double Isa 61.17 And there is no man that hath left for Christ Parents Brethren house or children but love will make up all that as Luke 18. ver 29. Transcendent love scorns to let any bee a loser by it May not this comfort thee Ob. O but saith another I have not onely lost all but am still opposed they have stripped mee to my change for Christs sake and yet oppose my very skin How shall I comfort my self with the consideration of Christs love now A. Why thus poor soul consider Christ will comfort as fast as men oppose transcendent love giveth the soul answerable consolation to any tribulation in which the soul can bee In the world you shall have tribulation saith Christ but bee of good cheer I have overcome the world and in mee you shall have peace Transcendent love giveth a smile for every frown a kisse for every buffet an imbrace for every blow this is the nature thereof consider it and bee of good comfort Ob. O but saith the soul I have not onely lost all and been stripped to the change but am brought to the stake how shall I fetch comfort out of Christs love now A. Consider thou dying soul Christs love hath provided a comfort for it It saith you shall have your life by thus losing of it You are in the way to secure your life by this you shall not dye but live thus saith transcendent love because I live you shall live also Joh. 14. v. 19. After one blast into Christs bosome It is but a wink with the eye and into the land of the living presently Thus you see whither to goe for comfort in any tribulation viz. to Christs bosome and there you may find in his love a cordial suitable to any tribulations whether within or without spirituall or corporal Be directed therefore upon all occasions O you beleevers to run to Christs love and to comfort your selves in the consideration thereof Use Fifthly it may bee an use of Terror to Christlesse creatures you hear the consideration of Christs love is a cordial able to support in any trouble but wretches that you are you have no right to it tribulation is for every soul that
cannot live longer than I have his love A. Neither dye nor doubt poor soul Thy Lord so loves thee that he will not leave thee or if he do for a time he will not alway Christs ☞ bowels burn with love and that fire however smothered for a time will break out in a flame at last Christs love is like himself immutable and unchangeable Love is Christs life as well as thine He will not surely kill himself by deserting thee Thou canst not live except Christ do love neither can Christ You Lord hath sworn and surely if he break his oath he dyes that the Mountains shall be removed but his love shall not leave thee Obj. Oh! But though Christ do love me yet men hate me I cannot be so cheerful in Christs love because I meet with the creatures wrath Rep. I pity thee poor Creature thou hast the love of the Potter and thou fearest the wrath of the Potsherd Why art thou so weak as to sink under the Creatures wrath while thou hast the Creators love Be of good comfort Christ can break in peeces all thy enemies with his Iron rod while in the mean time he will comfort thee with his Shepherds-crook Why dost thou droop at the hatred of him who dwelleth in a Tabernacle of clay and not rather triumph in the love of him who is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high Look up Beleever Heaven is clear over thy head though the earth be dirty under feet though thou be in a storm among the creatures yet the Sun of love shines on thee from Christ He smiles and loves thee what though men frown and hate thee Fear not him who hates thy body and at worst can but destroy that rejoyce rather in him who loves thy soul and at the last will raise up thy body from the Grave and give thee a glorious body like unto his own and fill thy soul with eternal joy in the enjoyment of his everlasting love The last use of the point is-for counsel Sith Christ loves his Saints I would surely the point might and doth counsel both the world and beleevers First you men of the world If you have an ear to hear hear Christ loves beleevers be yee counselled to do the like Certainly Christ will take it well at your hands if you love them who are beloved by him His friends are sometime strangers in your Land use them well shew them love put it upon Christs score he loves them and he will reward you Jesus Christ doth so love beleevers as that he will not let a cup of cold water given to them in his name that is because hee loves them go unrewarded I say it again sith Christ is gracious and loves beleevers be ye wise and love them also However take heed that yee do not wrong them If you will not do them good beware you do them no hurt Beleeve it if you do Christ loves them and he will not bear it Tremble lest while you lift up your hand against beleevers that Jesus Christ who loves them dash you in peeces Beware of persecuting Christs beloved ones under pretences It will be but a poor excuse to say they were Schismaticks Christ knows them to be Saints Beleeve it the bloud of beleevers is very precious and as he will punish Antichristian wretches under what names or titles soever distinguished So also will he be avenged upon all those who dare touch beleevers under what nick-names soever disgraced Therefore if you will not be so wise as to love yet be not so mad as to hurt those whom Christ loves But secondly let this counsel beleevers sith the Lord Jesus loves them that they would walk worthy thereof Beleevers live as the objects of Christs love Advance his Kingdom imbrace his counsels love all his members be abundant in his work and service In all things shew that Christs love to you hath a constraining power in you at least be yee counselled to love Christ who loves you and that so much the rather because Christ deserves thy love though thou do not deserve his O let not the love of Christ plead against you and say I ranne out to them but they returned not in to me Let not Christ say I gave you counsel and you did reject it In love I gave you Commandements and you did transgresse them No but sith Christ loves you love him and if you love him keep his Commandements Rouse up your selves O beleeving souls and considering that Christ loveth you demean your selves accordingly If he call come If he bid you go go If his Kingdom be advancing joyn in the work it is the Kingdom of him that loves you If his Spirit counsel take it for it comes from love In a word in all things live as those who indeed are beloved of Christ And let your carriage be exactly obedient kinde and loving unto him who doth stoop so low as to love such poor creatures as you be And if any ask why you love and labour for Jesus Christ tell them it is because you love him And adde withall that did they but know how Christ loves you they would rather ask why you love him so little or do for him no more But if they demand how doth Christ love you Tell them that question is unanswerable Indeed say he loves you and that truly but withall transcendently That Christ loves you tell all the world of you know but how he loves tell them that passeth your knowledge yea and the knowledge of every creature for it is a love passing knowledge And this is the next thing and the chief thing which we shall speak of SERMON II. EPHES. 3. ver 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge CHRISTS love is the Saints life Paul tells you he was dead to the Law that he might live to God And the ground thereof was this that hee lived by faith in Christ who loved him Galath 2.20 As the life so likewise the comfort of the Saints is wrapped up in the love of Christ A beleever can neither live nor rejoyce if the Lord Jesus smile not upon his soul But if Jesus Christ wil but smile and shine in the light of love Beleevers know not only how to live but also how to rejoyce in all even the worst of times Hence it was that this Apostle praying to the Father of our Lord Jesus for the Ephesians that they might not faint at his tribulations He intreats that to this purpose they might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Having briefly touched at the reality of Christs love to beleevers as it is included in this place I shall now speak more largely to the royalty thereof as it is set out in this phrase that it passeth knowledge Whence our second point was this viz. That love which Christ beareth to beleevers is a transcendent love You see how fully this point lies in these words It must needs bee