understood by comparing not the parts of the earth among themselves but earth with heaven the earth being the lowest part of the world and particularly it pointeth either at His conception in the womb of the Virgin See conception so expressed Psal. 139. 15. or at His burial expressed by a like phrase Matth. 12. 40. wherein the Apostle's scope is not only to prove that the former testimony is pertinently cited and applyed to Christ but also to presse humility in order to unity and peace from Christs example as Phil. 2. 7. Now Christ is said to have descended not properly and locally as man for before His incarnation He was not man but as God and therefore not properly by changing place but improperly and with respect had to His state by taking on the humane nature upon earth under the infirmities whereof He did for a time hide His divine glory so that very little of it did appear and to some few only Isa. 53. 12. Doct. 1. Sacred Scripture is a great depth containing much more than what is obvious at the first view and therefore we are to advert not only to that which is expresly said in Scripture but what may be drawn from it by direct and just consequence for Paul doth so look on this testimony of Christs ascension as finding another great Truth concerning His previous humiliation lurking under it and by just consequence deducible from it while he saith Now that He ascended what is it but that He first descended 2. It is not enough for Ministers to cite Scriptures for confirmation of those Truths which they hold forth to the Lords People except the Scriptures cited be pertinent and the pertinency of them be also made clear and obvious for Paul having cited a Scripture to confirm somewhat which he said of Christ doth prove the Scripture cited doth speak of Christ because it implyeth previous descending and humiliation in the partie spoken of which can agree to none other of the Persons of the blessed Trinity but to Christ only Now that He ascended what is it but that He descended 3. Such was the love of Christ to lost sinners Joh. 15. 13. and to the glory of His own and his Fathers mercy to be manifested in their salvation Joh. 17. 4. that He did willingly lay aside His glory which He had with His Father before the world was Joh. 17. 5. by assuming the nature of man to Himself and suffering therein the utmost of misery and grief which the malice of men and devils could inflict and which seemed good unto the Father in order to the satisfaction of provoked justice to inflict Heb 10. 7. for all this is implyed in His descending and saith Paul Now that He ascended what is it but that He descended 4. Then do we study and know Christs exaltation aright when we do also seriously consider and think upon His previous humiliation and abasement for therein we may see not only how low He stooped for our good but also that He hath fully accomplished whatever He undertook and is now absolved Joh. 17. 4 5. and that the Lords usuall way is with His own as it was with Christ to make their deep humiliation and lowlinesse of mind go before their highest exaltation and honour Prov. 15. 33. for Paul doth read previous humiliation in Christs exaltation and thinks upon both joyntly Now that He ascended what is it but that He descended 5. Then do we think upon Christs humiliation and abasement aright when we consider it in its greatest depth and lowest step unto which He demitted Himself even to the lowest parts of the earth for therein we may see the greatnesse of His love the depth of our misery and the full sufficiency of the price paid by Christ in the state of His humiliation in order to our delivery He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth by which is not meaned the place of the damned nor any place near to that where the souls of the Patriarchs were before Christs death as the Papists affirm this being contrary to Scripture affirming that Christs soul was after death to be in heaven Luk. 23. 43. and that the souls of the Patriarchs were there also Luke 16. 22 23 25 26. but hereby as I shew in the exposition is meaned His conception and buriall with all the other steps of His humiliation interveening Vers. 10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that He might fill all things THe Apostle in the explication and application of the cited testimony doth next shew what it expresly holdeth forth to wit Christs ascension and illustrates it from this that the person who ascended though now made man was the same with him who descended to take on the nature of man 2. That He ascended to the highest heavens the seat of eternall glory far above those visible heavens not only in situation but also in duration and glory and are called the heaven of heavens 1 King 8. 27. the third heavens 2 Cor. 12. 3. 4. and sometime simply by the name of heavens Act. 3. 21. And thirdly from the end of His ascending even to fill all things not all places with His bodily presence for Him must the heavens contain Act. 3. 21. but that He might fulfill all prophesies concerning Himself and all those parts of His mediatory Office which were yet to be performed in heaven and particularly that He might fill His Church and all the members thereof which are His all even His whole body Joh. 6. 45. with a large and plentifull measure of the gifts and graces of His spirit Joh. 7. 39. according as was foretold in the cited testimony Doct 1. The distinction of natures in Christ after His incarnation doth not infer a distinction of persons in Him He remaineth one person still for the Apostle speaketh of Him after incarnation as of one He that descended is the same also that ascended 2. Jesus Christ remaineth one and the same person after His assuming the humane nature unto Himself with that which He was before so that neither is the person of God-man Mediator any third thing made up or compounded of both those natures neither did the humane nature add any thing before wanting to make up perfect or work any alteration in the personall substance of the Son of God only the humanity of Christ being destitute of any personal subsistance of its own is as it were ingrafted in the second person of the God-head the Son of God and doth subsist in Him for Paul sheweth that He who ascended being now God-man is the same with Him who descended before His incarnation He that descended is the same also that ascended 3. By vertue of this personall union betwixt the divine and humane nature of Christ there ariseth such a communion of the distinct properties of each nature that those things which are proper only to the one nature are ascribed to the whole
engagements to enlarge His own Kingdom Psal. 2. 9. that before means and instruments be deficient for the propagation of the Gospel He will turn the hearts of desperate enemies and make most bitter persecutors to be eminent lively and painful Preachers so was it here He who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed 6. How patient ought the Church of Christ to be under saddest persecutions and how far from base despondency of spirit as if her case were wholly desperate and remedilesse seing Jesus Christ at an instant can carry captive her chiefest adversaries and make them to be her stoutest friends as appeareth from this He who persecuted us now preacheth 7. As godlesse persecutors propose unto themselves no lesse than the total overthrow and rooting-out of Truth though neither Men nor Devils shall be ever able to effectuate it Mat. 16. 18. so men may look if they repent not Luke 13. 3. to be justly charged with the guilt of all that evil which once they intended as if they had actually accomplished it although it was without their reach so to do for that Faith or Doctrine of Faith as Tit. 1. 13. which Paul at this time did preach is said once to have been destroyed by him because he aimed at no lesse and his sin before God was no lesse than if he had done it although the Lord in mercy did pardon it 1 Tim. 1. 13. Now preacheth the Faith which once he destroyed 8. We ought so to look upon notable changes which do fall out whether in particular persons or publick societies whether to the better or the worse as that we may see somewhat of God manifested in them either His Justice or Mercy Wisdom or Power some one Attribute of His or other and so as we may give a suitable return whether of fear or joy thankfulnesse or admiration or of any other sanctified frame of spirit and holy performance for which such a manifestation calleth for those Christians in Judea did so look upon this notable change in Paul as to see God's mercy and power manifested in it and accordingly with joy did give God thanks so much is imported in this They glorified God in me saith he 9. Whensoever God is pleased to make a man instrumental whether for our own particular good or the more publick benefit of Christ's Church as we would not be ingrateful unto the instruments themselves Judg. 9. 16 c. so neither are we to rest upon them ascribing the praise of what they do to them but as we would not provoke the Lord to smite them or at least to make them uselesse to us 1 Cor. 4. 6. we are to look unto God more than them ascribing the praise of what they do unto Him as that which is His proper right and due so do they ascribe to God the praise of any good which Paul did by his preaching They glorified God in me or concerning me 10. The more that God hath made it convincingly and from clear evidences manifest to the conscience of His People that a Work is owned and approven by Him and hath drawn an acknowledgement from them to that purpose unto His own praise it aggregeth the sin of those the more who would afterwards question or deny that Work to be His for the Apostle's scope in part is to aggrege the sin of his adversaries who denied him to be an Apostle immediately sent from Jesus Christ and that the Doctrine preached by him was the Truth of God from this that the Churches in Judea were convinced of the contrary and had acknowledged so much long since to the praise of God by giving glory unto Him on Paul's behalf so that those Galatians and the false Apostles were guilty of obscuring the glory of God shining forth in his Conversion and Office which was already acknowledged by others And they glorified God in me CHAP. II. IN the first part of this Chapter the Apostle addeth some further Evidences that both his Office and Doctrine were divine As first They were such as might abide the censure of the chief Apostles ver 1 2. Secondly In the main thing controverted which was about Circumcision the other Apostles did joyn with him in that they were not for but against the circumcizing of Titus ver 3. and for a weighty reason ver 4 5. Thirdly In that meeting which was at Jerusalem the other Apostles did find nothing for which to challenge either him or his Doctrine ver 6. but upon the contrary perceiving that Paul was called of God to be an Apostle ver 7. both from that divine assistance wherewith he was accompanied ver 8. and from those Apostolick gifts wherewith he was endued they acknowledged both him and Barnabas for Apostles ver 9. and all of them did part good friends the collecting of some supply to the poor Jews among the Gentiles being recommended by the rest to Paul ver 10. Fourthly He did rebuke Peter when in his practice he declined from the Doctrine taught by Paul concerning the abrogation of the Ceremonial Law and for any thing which appeareth to the contrary Peter in this debate did yeeld to Paul as having truth for him to ver 15. In the second part because this dispute about the Ceremonial Law did fly very high the false Apostles urging the observation of it as meritorious of justification therefore the Apostle turneth the force of the dispute against Justification by Works and proveth by several Arguments that we are justified by Faith only As first The believing Jews who had as much reason to boast in their works as any ver 15. did renounce all confidence in them for Justification ver 16. Next he preoccupieth an Objection and sheweth that this Doctrine of Justification by Faith without Works giveth no encouragement to sin ver 17. Because 1. it did presse the mortifying and destroying of sin ver 18. And 2. though it did free them from the Law in several respects yet not as it is the rule of an holy life ver 19. Yea 3. it doth tye the justified person more strictly to subdue sin and lead an holy life ver 20. Lastly he addeth a second Argument to prove that we are justified by Faith only because if we were justified by Works Free-grace and Christ's death should be uselesse ver 21. Vers. 1. THen fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also 2. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately to them which were of reputation lest by any means I should run or had run in vain THe Apostle first mentioneth another journey of his to Jerusalem together with the time when and the companions with whom he went and that extraordinary Instinct and Command from God which moved him to undertake that journey ver 1 2 And secondly sheweth that when he came to Jerusalem he did privately
meaning from that which we gave of almost the same words chap. 5. ver 6. because his scope there is somewhat different from what it is here Vers. 16. And as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God HE addeth a second reason whereby he commendeth not only that glorying in the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ as the only sure ground to build our Faith for salvation upon spoken of ver 14. but also the study of piety and of becoming a new creature whereof ver 15. as the only rule according to which all ought to walk in their several imployments And secondly doth excite all men to walk according to this rule by a most sure prediction and promise of a double fruit to be reaped thereby even Peace that is peace with God peace with their own conscience and so much of peace one with another and of sanctified prosperity which also goeth under the name of peace Gen. 28. 21 as God should see convenient for them Psal. 84. -11. and Mercy that is God's favour the fountain of the former peace which should furnish them with a timous remedy to all their evils and misery And thirdly because the false Apostles did glory much themselves and boulstered up their followers much with this That they were the only true Israelites as being joyned to the People of God by Circumcision to whom those promises did belong he sheweth that they who followed this rule though they were not Israel according to the flesh Rom. 2. 28. yet they were the Israel of God the only true Israelites Joh. 1. 47. as being the children of Abraham by faith chap. 3. 7. for the particle and in this place must be exegetick of one and the same thing as Eph. 1. 3. and not copulative of diverse Doct. 1. The rule of a Christian man's walk whether in relation to faith or manners is not left indifferent for every man so as he may choose what rule pleaseth him best neither is it left arbitrary unto any man to impose a rule of walking upon others but there is a fixt determinate rule condescended upon by God for all which no man may either add to or take from for saith he As many as walk according to this rule meaning a determinate fixed rule The word in the original is borrowed from Architectors who try their work by rule and square now whatever is defective and requireth addition or superfluous and requireth diminution is not a perfect and just measure or rule 2. Though this rule and canon of faith and manners be the whole Word of God contained in Scripture 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. Yet the grace of Faith in Jesus Christ and repentance unto life are a doctrinal sum of this rule if we mean the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance or a practical sum if we mean the graces themselves there being no point of Truth taught and no duty pressed in the whole Scripture which one way or other relateth not to one of these two for while he saith As many as walk according to this rule it is all one upon the matter whether by the rule he mean the Doctrine contained in the whole Epistle which is one and the same in substance with the rest of Scripture or the graces of Faith in Christ called ver 14. glorying in the crosse of Christ and of repentance unto life called ver 15. the new creature although it be more probable he mean the latter 3. This rule of faith and manners contained in the Scripture is unchangeable and ever to remain as that to which all men in all ages to the end of the world ought to make themselves conform for the word rendred walk in the original is in the future tense as relating to all time As many as shall walk according to this rule 4. So accurate and orderly is this rule in it self Psal. 119. 96. So ignorant are we of it in many particulars relating both to faith and manners Psal. 119. 18. And so many and subtil are those tentations which Satan setteth on foot to make us transgresse and flight this rule Eph. 6. -11. that there is great necessity of circumspection accuracy and attention unto those who would rightly walk according to this rule for the word rendred walk signifieth to walk orderly attentively as Souldiers when they keep rank As many as walk according to this rule 5 Even those who walk according to this rule are not so much freed from sin and misery but they stand in need of mercy yea all their receipts do come in the way not of merit but of undeserved mercy for mercy relateth to sin misery and to them that walk according to this rule there is a promise not only of peace but also of mercy and of peace flowing from mercy Peace shall be upon them and mercy saith he 6. As tender walkers according to this rule may expect sufficient encouragement and reward even in this life and such as may counterballance all contrary discouragements and hardships which usually occur in that way So their encouragements are not from the world but from above descending from Heaven and therefore such as cannot be hindred by the malice of men for peace shall be upon them and mercy saith he the word rendred upon them is emphatick and importeth that those blessings fall down upon them from above 7. It is not sufficient for a Minister of Christ who would comfort and incourage weak Christians who are otherwise apt to be discouraged through multitude of tentations in their Christian course Heb. 12. 12. that he find out and apply such precious Promises as are pertinent to their case but he must also endeavour their satisfaction in this that they are in the number of those to whom such promises do belong and who with God's allowance may lay hold upon them and draw out that comfort which is contained in them otherwise the discouraged person will look upon it as presumption to apply any of those precious Promises Psal. 77. -2. though otherwise he most gladly would for the Apostle sheweth that those who walk according to this rule and to whom he promiseth peace and mercy are the Israel of God to whom such Promises were made and do appertain And upon the Israel of God saith he Vers. 17. From henceforth let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus THe Apostle having now sufficiently vindicated his Doctrine and justified his practice especially from those calumnies which were spread of him as if he had preached Circumcision chap. 5. 11. doth here by his Apostolical Authority discharge any whomsoever to occasion further trouble to him or unnecessary diversions from the great work of the Gospel whether by speaking against his Doctrine or by spreading or entertaining calumnies and slanders of him especially that formerly spoken of and this because the manifold sufferings which he had endured from the Jews
Apostle while he seeketh increase of spirituall strength unto those converted Ephesians he prayeth that God would grant or give it as a gift for the word signifieth so much and that from the inexhaustible fountain of His glorious grace That He would grant unto you according to the riches of His glory not according to your worth 6. As all the attributes of God and especially His mercy and power are not onely altogether glorious because the glory of God is manifested unto the creatures in their severall wonderfull effects Psal. 19. 1 c. but are also infinite and without measure as being indefatigable in working wholly insuperable by any impediment or opposition whatsoever and inexhaustible by supplying any want in the creature So in making our approaches unto God for seeking any good and especially saving good it is most necessary that we lift our eyes above any thing that is ours whether our good or our evil and fasten them by faith upon that inexhaustible fountain of mercy and power in God whereby he is not only willing as mercifull but also able as omnipotent to bestow what ever we shall ask according to his will for the Apostle in seeking spirituall strength for those Ephesians doth look to the inexhaustible riches of Gods mercy and power called here His glory that He would grant according to the riches of His grace 7. It is the Spirit of God the third person in the blessed Trinity who taking up His place of abode in the truly regenerate 1 Joh. 4. 13. doth make it His work to renew their strength by upholding and actuating their graces and making them advance from strength to strength in despite of all imaginable difficulties neither is there any other strength or might whether naturall or acquired which can sufficiently furnish us to rancounter all those difficulties which are incident in our Christian course but that whereof the Spirit of God residing in us is the author and giver for he prayeth they may be strengthened with might in the inner man from the spirit 8. Though Christians are not to neglect their outward and bodily concernments 1 Tim. 5. 8. 23. yet the spirituall estate of their eternall souls is to be cared for most and so much as if it go well with that and if the soul be strengthened with might for carrying on the concernments thereof their outward concernments may trouble them the lesse and especially the care of Ministers should be employed about the inward and spirituall estate of their flock for Paul prayeth they may be strengthened in the inner man his care did run most upon that Vers. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith HEre is the second petition of the Apostle's prayer wherein he seeketh that which is the cause of strengthning and corroboration by the Spirit spoken of ver 16. even that Jesus Christ by vertue of a continued act of lively faith in Him might be perpetually present in His Vertue Grace and Spirit working not only in their tougnes and brains but also and mainly in their hearts Doct. 1. That we may partake of any saving benefit purchased by Christ and particularly that we may be strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man for doing any thing that is spiritually good it is most necessary that we partake first of Christ Himself being most strictly united to Him and even as the members are to the head from which they receive sense and motion Christ giveth nothing of His purchase unto any but to whom He giveth Himself first 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. and to whomsoever He giveth Himself upon those He bestoweth all things Christ in us being the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. the fountain of life Gal. 2. 20. and of all things needfull 1 Job 4. 4. for Paul having prayed that they may be strengthened with might in the inner man subjoyneth the way and manner how this strength was to be conveyed unto them even by Christ's dwelling in their hearts by faith 2. There is a strict conjunction and near familiarity between Christ and Believers even such in some sort as is between an indweller and the house wherein he dwelleth whereby Jesus Christ God and Man in one person is present with the Believer not in His substance only as He is God for so He is every where Jer. 23. 24. nor in His substance at all as He is Man for so the heavens do contain Him Act. 3. 21. but by His gracious operation and speciall influence upon them whereby He quickeneth them Rom. 8. 10. ruleth them Act. 9. 6. and liveth in them Gal. 2. 20. for he prayeth that Christ may dwell in their hearts which petition is granted in behalf of all Believers seing he prayed in faith 3 Though Christ doth thus familiarly communicate Himself unto all Believers so as to dwell in them by His gracious presence yet not unto all alike but unto some in a larger measure than unto others according as He worketh more and more effectually in some than in others for though Christ did already dwell in those converted Ephesians chap. 2. 22. yet Paul doth pray that Christ may dwell in them which therefore must be understood of a greater measure and degree of His indwelling presence than formerly they had 4. Where Jesus Christ doth once take up His abode and dwelling in the heart there He remaineth constantly and flitteth not in so far as though sometimes He withholdeth that gracious influence of His which is necessary only to the wel-being flourishing and vigorous thriving of grace in the heart Cant. 5. 6. yet He never withdraweth that influence which is necessary to the being of grace and without which grace would utterly die and perish Psal. 73. 23. for the word rendered to dwell signifieth to take up a fixed and immovable habitation and differeth from another word very like unto it which signifieth to sojourn in a place only for a season 1 Pet. 1. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts 5. Though even the bodies of Believers be temples of the holy Ghost and consequently of Jesus Christ for Christ dwelleth in them by His Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 19. yet the heart will and affections of man are the chief place of His habitation wherein He resideth as in His strong citadel from which He commandeth the other faculties and members And without His presence there He cannot have any habitation in any part of the man elsewhere the tongue cannot receive Him by speaking nor the understanding by knowing nor the hand by external working except He be received in the heart from which proceed the issues of life Pro. 4. 23. for he prayeth that Christ may dwell in their hearts 6. Though Jesus Christ doth make His first entry unto and dwelleth in Believers by His Spirit 1 Joh. 4. 13. whereby He uniteth them to Himself quickeneth and ruleth them yea and worketh the grace of faith in them Joh. 6. 44. yet faith being so wrought the
without any reserve or limitation and the practice of any other is to be followed but so far as their example is conincident with Gods Word and practice See 1 Cor. 11. 1. where Paul commandeth them to follow him with an expresse limitation to wit as he was a follower of Christ but here his command is absolute and unlimitted Be ye followers of God 5. The Lord doth enter into most intimate friendship with and taketh on most neer relations unto those whose sins He pardoneth So that He doth not only free them from deserved wrath but placeth them among the children and maketh them adopted sons and daughters unto Himself for here he calleth them God's dear children of whom He said chap. 4. 32. that God had forgiven them for Christs sake 6. All those who are dear children to God by adoption should look upon their highest priviledges as strongest engagements to duty and particularly set themselves to imitate Him in the exercise of mercy kindnesse forgivenesse and of such other duties as He hath made lovely and amiable by His own example for Paul maketh their priviledges an engagement to duty and to imitate God in particular Be ye followers of God as dear children 7. It is not sufficient that we set our selves to imitate God except we do it as dear children that is first humbly Matth. 18. 2. 3. and next with a kind of naturall affection and propension for so do children affect to imitate and by imitation to please their parents and not as servants and slaves by compulsion Hence he saith as dear children pointing not only at the reason why but the manner how they should follow Him Vers. 2. And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour HE doth next illustrate yet further that precept given chap. 4. ver 32. and joyntly sheweth wherein they were to imitate God to wit not only in forgiving but also in loving one another and so as they should walk in love whereby is meaned that all their actions towards their neighbour ought not only to be good in themselves but also flow from a principle of love to his good and edification which duty or constant task of walking in love is inforced by a new argument taken from Christ's example who loved us and did evidence His love by giving Himself freely and of His own accord Job 10. 18 even unto death for us or for our sins Gal. 1. 4. which action of Christ is illustrated first from the end for which He did give Himself even to be a propitiatory sacrifice unto God for expiating all the sins of the Elect as was fore-signified and typified by all those expiatory levitical sacrifices under the Old Testament whether those which were generally called by the name of offering under which were comprehended all sacrifices both of living beasts and of things destitute of life as flowre oyle frankincense and such-like or those which were more strictly called by the name of sacrifice and were of living beasts and therefore conjoyned with shedding of bloud as the word in the original implyeth which cometh from a root signifying to kill and slay hence it is that our crucified Lord doth here get the name both of an offering and sacrifice This action of Christ is illustrated next from its fruit and efficacy to wit the rendering of God well-pleased with Christ His offering up Himself and with the persons and performances of true Believers for His sake as sweet smelling odours by reason of their likenesse unto and agreement with our spirits are well-pleasing and satisfying unto such as find them Doct. 1. Whatever duties of mercy and kindnesse we do discharge unto our neighbour we do not sufficiently imitate God therein neither perform service acceptable to Him if they flow not from a principle of love to our neighbours good and edification and be not directed thereunto as the great end of our work next to the glory of God and therefore a man may do many externall duties of love and yet not be accepted of God when his great aim is to be seen of men Matth. 6. 2. or to merit heaven by his good works Rom. 9. 31 32. without any inward compassion or affection to his neighbour or a sincere aim towards his good for the Apostle sheweth we do only then rightly imitate God in the duties of kindnesse and love when all we do floweth from the inward affection of love and is from love to our neighbour directed to his good while he saith walk in love 2. Our walking in love to our neighbour as it is formerly explained and when it floweth from the fountain of love to God is an evidence of adoption and of one who is a dear childe to God for having spoken of their near relation to God as being His dear children he presently enjoyneth them to make so much evident by their walking in love 3. That God the Father doth pardon the sins of the Elect having given His Son unto death to purchase pardon for them doth speak His love unto those whom He doth pardon and that Jesus Christ did willingly give Himself to death for them doth no lesse speak His unspeakable love unto them also So that they are equally loved both by the Father and the Son for he saith as Christ also hath loved us the particle also relateth to the love of the Father in pardoning for Christs sake whereof he presently spoke 4. So necessary is love among Christians together with those many duties which flow from it So many are the snares and difficulties which Satan our own corrupt natures and our mutual infirmities do create in our way to keep us from it that God seeth it necessary to propose the love both of the Father and the Son as two most powerfull adamants to draw our backward hearts up towards it for saith he Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us 5. As Christs love to lost sinners being firmly believed is a strong argument constraining those whom He hath so loved to walk in love towards others that being one of the great things required by Him from those whom He loveth Joh. 15. 12. So this love of Christ to us ought to be a pattern and copy to which we are to be conformed in our love towards others and therefore our love ought to be free for so was His Job 15. 16 It ought to be fruitfull for so was His Gal. 1. 4. it ought to be constant for so was His Job 13. 1. it ought to be discreet not encouraging or humouring the person beloved in sin for so was His Matth. 16. 23. And walk in love as Christ hath loved us saith he 6. Then do we consider the love of Christ aright and so as to be effectually incited to our duty from the consideration of it when we look upon it in those effects which flowed from it and especially