Now my brethren, all this I have done to that end, that your hearts may be gained unto God; And what 1wilt thou do now? Wilt not thou now love the Lord thy God? shall not all this love of God to thee in Christ constrain thee? The love of Christ constrains me, saith the Apostle. Oh! love the Lord, all ye Saints; if the Lord hath 2thus loved you, love ye the Lord all you his Saints. Then God is Love himself, he is the Element of Love; And whither should love go but up to the Element? Air it desires to be in its proper place; and Earth will descend to 3its proper place: the proper place of Love, is God, God is (as it were) the Element of Love, for so the Scripture saith, God is Love: And he that dwells in God, dwells in love. 4Oh labour to be rooted and stablished in love. in Ephes. 3. 17. Being rooted and stablished in love, you may be able to comprehend 5with all Saints, what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. Being rooted in love, thereby ye come to comprehend with all Saints, the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, ⟨p. 86⟩which passeth knowledge. It is not the strength of natural parts, Learning doth not so much teach us what the length, and height, and depth of the love of Christ is, as Love, get but your hearts rooted in Love, and you will come to understand the glorious things of the Gospel in another manner than ever you did. And mark what follows: That you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Had 6we not such an expression in Scripture, we should not dare to make use of it; What, for a poor creature to be filled with God, to be filled with the fullness of God, to be filled with all the fullness of God! This is the reason why Christians are so scant in their obedience, and empty in their spirits, because they are not acquainted with 7this breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love of Christ: Oh know, that God prizes thy love, and he is satisfied with nothing but thy love; in Cant. 7. 12. There will I give thee my loves, saith the Spouse. When thou comest to the Ordinances, to hear the Word, receive Sacraments, or Prayer, yet if thou comest not to give the Lord Christ thy loves, it is nothing; There will I give thee my loves. Oh! Christ prizes love at an high rate:
Now my brethren, all this I have done to that end, that your hearts may be gained unto God; And what 1wilt thou do now? Wilt not thou now love the Lord thy God? shal not al this love of God to thee in Christ constrain thee? The love of Christ constrains me, saith the Apostle. Oh! love the Lord, all ye Saints; if the Lord hath 2thus loved you, love ye the Lord all you his Saints. Then God is Love himself, he is the Element of Love; And whither should love go but up to the Element? Air it desires to be in its proper place; and Earth will descend to 3its proper place: the proper place of Love, is God, God is (as it were) the Element of Love, for so the Scripture saith, God is Love: And he that dwels in God, dwels in love. 4Oh labor to be rooted and stablished in love. in Ephes. 3. 17. Being rooted and stablished in love, you may be able to comprehend 5with all Saints, what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and heighth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledg. Being rooted in love, thereby ye come to comprehend with all Saints, the breadth, and length, and depth, and heigth, and to know the love of Christ, ⟨p. 86⟩which passeth knowledge. It is not the strength of natural parts, Learning doth not so much teach us what the length, and heighth, and depth of the love of Christ is, as Love, get but your hearts rooted in Love, and you wil come to understand the glorious things of the Gospel in another manner than ever you did. And mark what follows: That you might be filled with all the fulness of God. Had 6we not such an expression in Scripture, we should not dare to make use of it; What, for a poor creature to be filled with God, to be filled with the fulness of God, to be filled with all the sulness of God! This is the reason why Christians are so scant in their obedience, and empty in their spirits, because they are not acquainted with 7this breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth of the love of Christ: Oh know, that God prizes thy love, and he is satisfied with nothing but thy love; in
- 1Application.
- 22 Cor. 5. 14.
- 3God the Element of Love
- 41 Joh. 4. 16.
- 5Eph. 3. 17, 18, 19.
- 6The rarity of the expression in Eph. 3. 19.
- 7Why Christians ar so scant in their obedience, and empty in their spirits. Cant. 7. 12. noted. God regards nothing but love. Our love should be eminent toward Christ Minus te […] Deus diligit, qui praeter te aliquid diligit qui propter te non diliget. August. Confess.Why Christians ar so scant in their obedience, and empty in their spirits. Cant. 7. 12. noted. God regards nothing but love. Our love should be eminent toward Christ Minus te 〈…〉 Deus diligit, qui praeter te aliquid diligit qui propter te non diliget. August. Confess.
