to be a meer Ignoramus in the things of Christ and e Maxima pars eorum quae scimus est minima pars eorum quae nescimus that the greatest part of what he knows is but the least part of that which he knows not The devout Author of the Contemplations of Divine love concealed himself and set them forth under the name of Idiota and Idiot it may be from an humble apprehension of his own ignorance of that love which he wrote of But this is not to be understood as arising from any defect on the Spirits part as if he were not able to teach this love perfectly but on our part because being finite and frail creatures we are not subjects capable of receiving it fully as it is Indeed if Christ should let forth himself in the sulness of his love towards his Saints considered in their present mortal and imperfect estate they were never able to bear it but must use the language of Christ to his Spouse according to our Translation f Cant. 6.5 Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me though as spoken by Christ it is otherwise interpreted by g Ainsworth in loc Expositors And therefore God is wont to reserve the fullest draught of this sweetest Wine till last to strengthen his Children against Satans assaults which are usually fiercest towards their latter end and to sweeten their passage hence which is accompanied with such admirable effects as is a further evidence of the greatness of that love from whence it proceeds which is the second Branch of the Argument 2. The present fruits and effects of what Believers do attain unto in the knowledge of Christs love are many times so great as do undoubtedly argue the love it self to be far greater If the fruits of this love be such as pass understanding this love it self must needs do so much more Quod efficit tale illud est magìs tale And yet so it is The Apostle makes mention of such things as h 1 Cor. 2.9 Malo simpliciter intelligere Dei gratias quae fidelibus quotidiè conferuntur Calv. in loc Trap. eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man prepared by the Lord for them that love him which is primarily to be understood of those Favours and Love-tokens which God bestows upon his people here that Gospel-joy and present comforts which Saints have in this life that praemium ante praemium for he reserves not all for the life to come but gives a few Grapes of Canaan in this Wilderness Thus in another place he makes mention of i Phil. 4.7 the Peace of God which passeth all understanding which Believers experience whiles they are here below to the keeping their hearts and minds as in a Garrison against all assaults And another k 1 Pet. 1.8 Apostle tells us of a joy unspeakable and full of glory which believers have from Jesus Christ and the sense of his love apprehended by faith The present peace comfort and joy of a Christian in this life is many times unspeakable and unconceivable that passeth all understanding how much more then that love which influenceth all this If there be so much in the fruit the effect the stream what is there in the root the cause the fountain Surely the love of Christ must needs be exceeding great when the shedding of it abroad into the hearts of his people by his Spirit in a little more than ordinary measure whiles they are upon earth doth so transport them into an extasie of unexpressible joy and consolation as sometimes it doth especially those discoveries of himself and manifestations of his love which he makes to some of his special Favourites towards their dissolution which I hinted before and shall here give a double instance of it in two famous Christians the one is of l M. Leighs Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Brettergh p. 16. 17. Mr. John Holland an eminent Minister of the Gospel in his time He the day before he dyed as often before so then more eagerly called for a Bible saying Come O come death approacheth let us gather some flowers to comfort this hour which being brought he turned with his own hands to the eight Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and giving the Book to a stander by bid him read At the end of every Verse he made a pause and gave the sense of it Having thus continued his Meditation and Exposition for the space of two houres or more on the sudden he said O stay your reading what brightness is this I see Have you light up any Candles To which he that stood by answered No it is the Sunshine for it was about five a Clock in a clear Summers Evening Sunshine saith he nay it is my Saviours shine Now farewell World welcome Heaven the Day-star from on high hath visited my heart O speak it when I am gone and preach it at my Funeral God dealeth familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth but I see things that are unutterable The other is of m This is in her life which was written by a Friend and joyned with the Sermon fore-mentioned and another Sermon upon the same occasion Mrs. Katharine Brettergh a gracious Gentlewoman of the Family of the Bruens in Cheshire She in the beginning of that Sickness whereof she dyed had a very sore conflict with Satan who prevailed so far as to bring her into great doubt and fear concerning her condition but it pleased God before her death to bruise Satan under her feet and to make her more than a Conquerour filling her with joy and peace in believing so that the joy of her heart broke out at her lips in such expressions as these Whiles her Husband read the 17th Chapter of John when he came to the ninth Verse she cryed out O Lord Jesu dost thou pray for me O blessed and sweet Saviour how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful are thy Mercies Then reading the 22d Verse with marvellous joy she uttered the words of David many times over I confess before the Lord his loving kindness and his wonderful Works before the Sons of Men for he hath satisfied my soul and filled my hungry soul with goodness When he came to the 24th Verse she said Now I perceive and feel the countenance of Christ my Redeemer is turned towards me and the bright-shining beams of his mercy spread over me And then again remembring some passages in that Chapter she said O my sweet Saviour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father and wilt thou glorifie me with that glory which thou hadst with the Father before the World was And dost thou so love me who am but dust and ashes to make me partaker of glory with Christ What am I poor wretch that thou art so mindful
Delight If you love him whom you have not seen then though now you see him not yet believing rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Peter 1.8 If Christ hath brought you into his Chambers remember his love more than wine so as to be glad and rejoyce in him Cant. 1.4 If he hath brought you into his banqueting house and his banner over you hath been love sit down under his shadow with great delight and let his fruit be sweet to your tast Cant. 2.3.4 say with David Psalm 116.7 Return to thy Rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me I call for no more at your hands in this than the Apostle doth of his beloved Philippians and in them of all Christians Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alway and again I say rejoyce in which words you see both Who it is that is to be the Object of a Christians joy not himself nor the world nor the creature but the Lord the Lord Jesus Christ and also How he is to rejoice in him viz. Greatly and Abundantly Rejoyce and again rejoyce and continually rejoyce in the Lord alway At all times in all conditions unto the end Nor is all this required without sufficient reason for as Good is the object of Joy so Jesus Christ is such a good as renders him a most adequate object of the joy and delight of all his people g See these particulars more fully opened in D. Reynolds Sermon on Phil. 4.4 p. 8 9 c. 1. He is a Good ever present with them Lo I am with you alway Mat. 28.20 I will not leave you comfortlesse I will come to you John 14.18 He is bodily absent but spiritually present in his Ordinances and by his Spirit he is ever among them to walk in them as in his House and Temple 2 Cor. 6.16 Rev. 2.1 to manifest himself to them to sup with them and make his abode with them as his friends and favorites John 14.21 23. Rev. 3.20 2. He is a most Precious Good not an ordinary common Good which if a man want he may compensate with some other thing but a Treasure and Pearl of highest price in whom are unsearchable riches Ephes 3.8 Hidden Treasures Col. 2.3 In comparison of whom all other things are but losse and dung Phil. 3.7 8. most precious in the eyes of his people 1 Pet. 2.7 precious in his own immediate excellencies The chiefest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 precious in the respects he bears to us in the sweet and intimate relations of an Husband Head Saviour Brother c. precious in the great things he hath done for us in the rich supplies of grace and peace he doth bestow upon us in the high dignity whereunto he advanceth us c. 3. He is a full and sufficient Good for his people There is in Christ something proportionable to all their wants He is Bread Wine Milk Living-water to feed them Isaiah 55.1 John 6.5 cap. 7.37 He is a Garment of righteousness to cover and adorn them Isaiah 61.10 Rom. 13.14 a Pysician to heal them Mat. 9.12 A Counsellor to advise them Isaiah 9.6 A Captain to defend them Heb. 2.10 A Prince to Rule a Prophet to Teach a Priest to make Atonement for them A Husband to Protect a Father to Provide a Foundation to Support a Root to Quicken an Head to Guide a Treasure to Enrich a Sun to Enlighten a Fountain to Cleanse Acts 5.31 Acts 3.22 Heb. 10 11 12.21 Isaiah 54.5 Isaiah 9.6 Heb. 2.11 1 Cor. 3.11 Revel 22.16 Mal. 4.2 Zech. 13.1 As the one Ocean hath more Waters than all the Rivers in the World and one Sun more Light than all the Luminaries in heaven so one Christ is more All to a poor soul than if it had the All of the whole World a thousand times over 4. He is a most pure Good without any mixture of drosse or bitternesse to abate or corrupt the excellency of it A Lamb without spot and blemish 1 Pet. 1.19 He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 Holy harmlesse undefiled Heb. 7.26 Never any believer found any thing in him for the which to repent of making choyce of him Even the severest things of Christ are matters of joy unto his servants If he make them sorrowfull their sorrow is turned into joy John 16.20 his very Yoke is easie and Burden light Mat. 11.30 his Commandments not grievous 1 John 5.3 nay his very Cross and afflictions matter of choice of joy of gloriation of triumph Heb. 11.25 29. Acts 5.41 Rom. 5.3 Rom. 8.37 and if his sufferings are so sweet oh then how glorious are his Consolations 5. He is the rarest Good in the world his whole Name is Wonderfull Isaiah 9.6 his whole dispensation mysterious 1 Tim. 3.16 The invisible God manifested a Son born of a Virgin the Law-giver made under the Law the Lord of Glory who thought it no robbery to be equall with God humbled emptied in the form of a servant reckoned among transgressors without form or comliness rejected despised put to shame a man of sorrows a dead man raised by his own power and advanced to the Throne of God these and all the particulars of Christ God-man incarnate and crucified are things so profound and unsearchable that the very Angels desire to look into them with wonder and astonishment 1 Pet. 1.12 6. He is a various Good full of exquisite and copious variety Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 It hath pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell Ephes 3.10 He received the Spirit without measure John 3.34 that there might be enough in him to answer all the desieres and delights of his people Wisdom to Teach Righteousness to Justifie Grace to Renew Power to Defend Peace to Comfort Life to Quicken Glory to Save them Seven eyes upon one stone Zech. 3.9 7. He is a most prevailing and victorious Good stronger than the strong-man Luke 11.22 casting out and judging the Prince of the World John 12 31. chapter 16.11 abolishing death 2 Timoth. 1.10 taking away sin destroying the works of the Devil 1 John 3.5.8 and overcoming the world and the lusts thereof John 16.33 treading all his Churches enemies under his and their feet 1 Cor. 15.25 triumphing openly over them in his Crosse before God and Angels Colos 2.15 ascending up on high and leading Captivity Captive Ephes 4.8 By a way of wisdom catching Satan by the book of his Divine power hidden under the infirmity of his humane nature By a way of Judgment condemning him for shedding the innocent blood of the Son of God By a way of power vanquishing him and casting him out of the possession which he had purchast 8. He is a perpetuall and durable Good Death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 He ever lives to make intercession Heb. 7.25 There is an Oath an Amen upon the perpetuity of the life and Priesthood
the same Gospell and embrace the same Christ with themselves 1 Pet. 3.1 whereas their evill conversation opens the mouths and heardens the hearts of evill men against Christ and his wayes Rom. 2.24 2 Pet. 2.2 Look then That your conversation be such as becometh the Gospell Phil. 1.27 That you be blamless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation shining as lights in the world Phil. 2.15 That you deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2.12 That as he which hath called you is holy so you be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 2.15 Take heed that your lives be not contradictory to your prayers lest you pull down with the one hand more than you build with the other but let all go together fervent prayers solemn instructions and an holy life whereby you may become hopefully instrumental for propagating the knowledge of Christ unto others Thus look that your knowledge of the love of Christ be not only Affectionate and Effectual but also Progressive in those two particulars which have been mentioned And this is all which I have to say by way of Direction in this point of knowing the love of Christ CHAP. XIII General Motives to labour after this knowledg of Christs Love THere is yet one thing more to be done before I shut up this Vse and that is to lay down some Motives for the exciting of you to look after this knowledge of the love of Christ This indeed hath been done already but the former Motives have been suited to the particulars through which we have gone what I have now to add will respect the whole matter the knowledge of Christs love in general And these Motives shall be only those encouraging ones which are laid down by the Apostle within the veiw of the Text that you may not be disheartned from the pursuit and persecution of that to which you have been exhorted Now these are drawn 1. From the Evidence that this knowledge of Christs love gives unto 2. From the Influence that it hath upon those that have attained unto it Sect. 1. 1. FRom the Evidence which this knowledge of Christs love gives unto those who have attained unto it 1. Labour to know this love of Christ as you have been directed for this will be an evidence of your present Saintship I gather it from what the Apostle speaks ver 18. That you may be able to comprehend with all Saints c. All that bear the name of Christ should study to know the love of Christ it is their duty but onely such as are partakers of Christ and are real Saints are able to comprehend it All they are able not all alike but every one according to his measure all in part not any perfectly and only they e Jennes Scholast Pract. Div. Vol. 1. Of Christs fulnesse pag. 223. The knowledge of Christs love is the priviledge of the Saints common to all believers yet so proper and peculiar to them as that it belongs to none but Saints So that if you have an effectionate effectuall growing knowledge of the love of Christ then you are Saints but on the other side if you live in ignorance of the love of Christ or content your selves with a notional ineffectual stinted knowledge of it you can have no evidence of your Saintship Many are called to be Saints which yet cannot be called Saints some are called Saints which yet are not Saints if you would be Saints indeed as well as called to be such or called such be sure you be not found without the knowledge of the love of Christ and such a knowledge as hath been propounded to you 2. It will be an Evidence of your Title unto and interest in that Glory which is to be revealed in the World to come This follows upon the former for those who are gracious Saints on earth may be confident they shall be glorious Saints in heaven whereas those who are not Saints here cannot be saved hereafter Without sanctification no salvation 2 Thes 2.13 Without holiness no seeing the face of God Heb. 12.14 And this is evidenced from a true knowledge of Christ for this the Apostle makes the end of his praying that these Ephesians might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge viz. That they might be filled with all the fulness of God as it immediately follows the Text. Which though some understand of that which is to be enjoyed here yet I rather take it as relating to the glory and happiness of heaven For though it hath pleased the Father that in Christ should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 and all believers do from his fulness receive grace for grace John 1.16 and they are compleat in him Col. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled in him the same word with that in the Text and that in this life yet you must understand it aright f Bodius in Ephes p. 402. They are compleat in him not in themselvs but in him who is their Head and they by vertue of Vnion with him as Members with their Head may lay claim to his fulness Again they are compleat with such a fulness as is agreeable to their present state that is they have found in him all things requisite to their perfect Redemption Justification Sanctification Adoption and eternal Salvation so that they need not go out to any other to make up what is wanting in him And therefore taking it in reference to eternal glory it is not meant of a simple and absolute compleatness but of such as so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some sence only that is initiall not perfect by faith and hope not full fruition jure potiùs quà m re by right to it rather than possession of it They are compleat in him as expectants of a glory to come not as spectators of a glory that is present as militant not as triumphant as passing towards not reigning in their heavenly country with a fulness competent to their present condition not with all the fulness of God which is not enjoyed by any till they come among the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 which is only in heaven g Fergus on the place p. 214. So that the Apostle when he speaks of being filled with all the fulness of God seems to aim at the setting forth of that most glorious and blessed estate of believers in heaven where the Saints shall have the most immediate and fullest enjoyment of God that they are capable of h Jeanes ubi suprà p. 224. There will be a full knowledge of God in the beatifical vision the full Image of God a full participation of the Divine Nature a full union with and fruition of God full and immediate influences from God according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.28 where he sayes God shall be all in all that is in all
the elect he shall be vice omnium instead of all Ordinances to their souls and instead of all means and helps to their bodies And I saw no Temple therein saith Saint John Rev. 21.22 23. for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof The meaning of the place is that God shall immediately by himself supply the room of all external means unto his glorified Saints in heaven There they shall be filled with all this fulness of God Though the Saints even in heaven shall not take in all of God for that is impossible for finite creatureâ— yet as much as is possible for them they shall and as much as is necâ—ssary to make them perfectly blessed here when they have gotten most there is something yea much wanting but then they shall be filled as full as they can hold The Vessels of glory will then be enlarged to take in more than now is possible for them and according to that capacity they shall be filled with all the fulness of God Now forasmuch as this knowledge of the love of Christ which hath been treated of is a good evidence of right and title to this blessed condition it may be a strong Motive to you to labour to be filled with the knowledge of the love of Christ here that you may be filled with all the fulness of God hereafter Sect. 2. 2. FRom the Influence which it hath upon all those who have attained unto it Now a right knowledge of the love of Christ hath a strong influence upon Christians as a preservative to keep them from fainting at the tribulations which accompany the Gospel their own or others This may be gathered from the whole scope of the Apostle in the latter part of this Chapter In the 13th verse he desires these Ephesians that they would not faint at his tribulations h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not shrink back i Leighs Crit. sacr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinci à malo Animum despondere quasi pedem in certamine referre succumbere Gerh. Har. p. 564 as cowards in battel nor give place in afflictions and dangers as the word imports Not be overcome of the evils of sufferings which accompany the Gospel in the preaching and professing of it so as to yield and go back from their duty Now that they might not he prayes for them verse 14 15 c. For this cause I bow my knees c. And there are three things which he prayes for them that they may be kept from fainting 1. Coroboration and Confirmation by the Spirit of God verse 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 2 A further Vnion with Jesus Christ verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 3. Intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ in his love verse 17 18 19. That you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge In which words there are three things observable 1. That as a Tree or House cannot stand fast and firm against boisterous winds and storms unless the one be well rooted and the other have a sure foundation so neither can a Christian hold out in those Trials which he is like to meet with in his course unless he be well rooted and grounded 2. That the root and foundation whereon a Christian is kept firm and stedsast in times of trial and trouble is Love That ye being rooted and grounded in love which some take for our love to God but rather it is meant of Gods love in Christ Christs love to us for as i one well notes Our love is rather a branch than a root it is the love of Christ in which we take firm rooting that nothing can shake us and therefore we are said to be rooted in him Col. 2.7 3. The way whereby Christians come to be rooted and grounded in love is by the knowledge of it such a knowledge whereby they apprehend and apply it to themselves and have the comfortable experience of it in their own hearts Thus the Apostle goes on That you may be able to comprehend with all Saints c. and to know the love of Christ c. So that by vertue of the coherence of this part of the Apostles prayer with his design in making of it this must be a true inference k Baine on Eph. p. 412. l Jeanes ubi suprà p. 224. That a feeling efficacious knowledge of Christs love and the dimensions thereof will embolden and hearten the Saints in their own and others sufferings and as a soveeign cordial keep them from all despondency and sinking of Spirit There are other places to prove this The Church Cant. 2.4 sayes Christs love was a banner over her His banner over me was Love m Engl. Annot. the larger on the place Jackson also on the place l The preaching of the Gospel or Christ in the preaching of the Gospel is a Standard Banner or Ensign displayed Isa 11.10 whose Motto or Device is Love and among others this may be one reason Because as Souldiers are by their Banner and Ensign encouraged heartned to fight manfully against their enemies and not to shrink but keep close to their colours in hope of Victory so by the discovery of Christs love in the Gospel Christians who have faith to apprehend and apply it are emboldened to withstand couragiously all their spiritual enemies and are continually supported and inwardly strengthened and so are enabled to hold out unto the end under all the trials and troubles which they meet with in assured expectation of Victory at the last But I return to our Apostle who in two other places doth confirm this truth not by barely asserting that it is so but by laying down the grounds and reasons why it is so One place is Rom. 5. In the 3d. verse you hear him speak of glorying in tribulations We glory in tribulations So far were they from fainting under them that they gloryed in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a high word and the same which he useth in reference to hope of the glory of God in the foregoing verse A Christian hath ground of glorying in his Present crosse as well as in his future crown n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12.10 Non modo aequo moderato animo sumus sed etiam magna laetitiâ perfusi Bez. in loc Gloriari est gestu verbis exultare Par. in loc The word signifies contentment with taking pleasure in and exultation under suffâ—rings We are so far from sinking under tribulations by
of me Oh how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful is thy love Oh thy love is unspeakable that hast dealt so graciously with me Oh I feel thy mercies and oh that my tongue and heart were able to sound forth thy praises as I ought and as I willingly would do Afterwards she had these expressions Now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come yea Lord thou hast had respect to thy Handmaid and art come with fulness of joy and abundance of consolations O blessed be thy Name O Lord my God! Again a Christian Friend coming to see her and marvelling at her exceeding joyes desired the continuance of them whereupon she burst out and said Oh the joyes the joyes the joyes that I feel in my soul oh they be wonderful they be wonderful they be wonderful And again not long after she said to a Minister who came to see her Oh! my soul hath been compassed about with terrours of death fear within and fear without the sorrows of Hell were upon me knots and knorres were upon my soul and a roaring Wilderness of woe was within me but blessed blessed blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me comfortless but like a good Shepherd hath he brought me into a place of rest even to the sweet running Waters of Life that flow out of the Sanctuary of God and he hath led me into the green Pastures where I am fed and exceedingly comforted c. Oh! blessed be the Lord Oh! blessed be the Lord that hath thus comforted me and hath brought me now to a place more sweet unto me than the Garden of Eden Oh the joy oh the joy the delightsome joy that I feel Oh how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful is this joy Oh! praise the Lord for his mercies and for this joy which my soul feeleth full well Praise his Name for evermore And thus she continued till at last she slept in the Lord. Now from all this put together I conclude That seeing the love of Christ shed abroad in the hearts of his people hath such admirable effects to the filling of them with such unspeakable joy and comfort and seeing it is but little in comparison which the highest best and most priviledged Saints do know and taste of this love here below surely this love must needs have an exceeding great and incomprehensible fulness in it self That 's the sixth Argument Sect. 3. MY next Argument is this Arg. 7. It appears to be a love which passeth knowledge because when the spirits of just men shall be made perfect in Heaven where they shall know and receive most of this love yet even then they shall not be able to comprehend all of it but rather be comprehended by it It s true that in Heaven the capacities of the Saints shall be enlarged to the utmost and they shall be filled according to that enlargement they shall want nothing to make them perfectly blessed they shall have as much of this love in the beatifical fruits of it as they can hold and shall be able to hold incomparably more than now they can but yet even then and there they will not be able to hold it all for that which is infinite can never be comprehended by that which is finite there being no proportion betwixt them So that what is said of the joy of our Lord in Mat. 25.21 is true of the love of our Lord it s too big to enter into us therefore we must enter into it As a large Vessel put into the Ocean takes in of the water till it be full yet cannot contain it all but when it can hold no more is swallowed up so the Saints who here sip and taste of the love of Christ shall in Heaven drink more of it till they be everlastingly swallowed up by it Jesus Christ even at his second coming when he shall take up his Saints to be where he is Joh. 14.3 to behold that is enjoy his glory Joh. 17.24 will even then be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 admired for that love which brought them thither and admired for that glory which they shall enjoy there as the fruits of this love n Dr. Sclater on Thes p. 50. The measure of the glory will be so great as shall fill the enjoyers with wonder at the grace beholders with no less than admiration at the power of the bestower When a glorified Saint shall consider himself raised from the dust yea the dunghill to sit with Princes to be made like and equal to the Angels to see God and enjoy an exceeding and eternal weight of glory when he hath deserved no such matter but the contrary and thousand yea millions of men his equals if nos his betters passed by how will it fill such a one with extolling and admiring the rich grace and love of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ We our selves sayes o Nos ipsi sentimus effundi amorem Dei in corda nostra câ—piosâ copiâ per SpirituÌ„ Sanctum qui datus est nobis sed totum semèl comprehendere in hâc vitâ non possumus In alterâ verò vitâ stupebimus ad admirabileÌ„ illam dilectionem neque tamen etiam tùm animus creaturae etiam glorificatae poterit infinitam illam totam comprehendere quae in Deo est saltèm id scimus quòd illâ charitate toti implebimur cùm Deus erit omnia in omnibus Rolloc in Joan. p. 7â—6 Rolloc do now perceive the love of God to be shed abroad in great plenty into our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us but we are not able to comprehend it altogether at once in this life And in the life to come we shall be amazed at that admirable love though even then the mind of a glorified creature shall not be able to comprehend all that infinite love which is in God Yet this at least we now know That we shall be altogether filled with that love when God shall be all in all To conclude this how exceeding great must that love needs be which the Saints in glory shall not be able fully to comprehend That 's the seventh Argument Sect. 4. MY last Argument Arg. 8. wherewith I shall conclude what I have to say as to the Doctrinal part of this Proposition is this The love of Christ must needs pass all humane p Omnem superat cognitionem nempè humanam adeoque Angelicam Zanch. in loc ut suprà for it surpasseth all Angelical knowledge The Angels being purae Intelligentiae of pure Intelligences and of larger capacities than the rest of the creatures do know more than we yet their knowledge is but like that of the creatures finite and limited q Certissimum est Angelos etsi multa sciant mâ—l a lamen etiam nescire Estius in Sentent lib. 2. dist 7. p. 75. though by their natural knowledge they know many things yet not all things There are many things