The third, is the knowledge and the acknowledgement of the infinite greatness of Gods love in Christ, an effect of the former. v. 18, 19. the words are thus explained: Rooted and grounded. Here the love of God wherewith he loves the elect, is as a root and foundation of all Gods benefits, election, vocation, justification, and glorification. Men are rooted and grounded in love, when Gods spirit assures their hearts of Gods love, and doth give them some inward sense and feeling of it. For then they are as it were sensibly put into the root, and laid on the foundation. With all Saints: Paul desires this benefit, not only to the Ephesians, but also to all the faithful with them. What is the length, the breadth. Here is a speech borrowed from the Geometricians, and it signifies the absolute greatness or infiniteness of Gods love, and that it is like a world, which for length, breadth, height, and depth, is endless. Here note the order or receiving grace. First, Christ dwells in the heart by faith. Secondly, then comes a sense and feeling of Gods love, as it were by certain drops thereof. Thirdly, after this ariseth a plentiful knowledge, and apprehension of Gods love, and as it were the pouring out of a sea into a mans heart, that for greatness hath neither bottom nor bank. And know the love of Christ: these words (as I take it) are an exposition of the former: for to comprehend the love of God, is nothing else but to know the love of Christ: considering that all whom the father loveth, he loveth them in Christ: which passeth knowledge, that is, which for the greatness of it no man can fully know.
The third, is the knowledge and the acknowledgement of the infinit greatnes of Gods loue in Christ, an effect of the former. v. 18, 19. the words are thus explaned: Rooted and grounded. Here the loue of God wherewith he loues the elect, is as a roote and foundation of all Gods benefits, election, vocation, iustification, and glorification. Men are rooted and grounded in loue, when Gods spirit assures their hearts of Gods loue, and doth giue them some inward sense and feeling of it. For then they are as it were sensibly put into the roote, and laid on the foundation. With all Saints: Paul desires this benefit, not onely to the Ephesians, but also to all the faithfull with them. What is the length, the bredth. Here is a speech borrowed from the Geometricians, and it signifies the absolute greatnes or infinitnes of Gods loue, and that it is like a world, which for length, breadth, height, and depth, is endlesse. Here note the order or receiuing grace. First, Christ dwells in the heart by faith. Secondly, then comes a sense and feeling of Gods loue, as it were by certaine drops thereof. Thirdly, after this ariseth a plentifull knowledge, and apprehension of Gods loue, and as it were the powring out of a sea into a mans heart, that for greatnes hath neither bottome nor banke. And know the loue of Christ: these words (as I take it) are an exposition of the former: for to comprehend the loue of God, is nothing els but to know the loue of Christ: considering that all whome the father loueth, he loueth them in Christ: which passeth knowledge, that is, which for the greatnes of it no man can fully know.
