Immanuel, Book 1 · Sermon 1
SERMON I.
Epheſ. 3. verſ. 17, 18, 19.
That Chriſt may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height:
And to know the love of Chriſt which paſſeth knowledge.
THE work of a Chriſtian lyes eſpecially in two things: Firſt, in the ſtudy of himſelf; ſecondly, in the ſtudy of Chriſt. The ſtudy of a mans ſelf will acquaint him with his own ſin and miſery, and make him ſee the infinite need that he hath of Chriſt; the ſtudy of Chriſt will cauſe him to admire the Plot of Divine Wiſdom and Grace, which hath provided all that in one Chriſt, which is anſwerable to all that ſin and miſery that is in us.
The Myſtery of Chriſt is the greateſt Myſtery that ever was. There are breadths and lengths, depths and heights in this Myſtery. It is Calvins Comment on the Text, Continet una Chriſti dilectio omnes ſapientiae numeros. Calv.that one love of Chriſt contains in it all the dimenſions and meaſures of wiſdom. When the Apoſtle ſpeaks of breadths, lengths, depths and heights, that which he intends is, that in one Chriſt is the height, breadth, length, and depth of all true wiſdom: in him are hid all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge, Col. 2.3. and in him are ye compleat. A Chriſtian needs to ſtudy nothing but one Chriſt, there is enough in Chriſt to take up his ſtudy and contemplation all his days; and the more we ſtudy Chriſt, the more we may ſtudy him. There will be new wonders ſtill appearing in Chriſt. The Name of Chriſt is called wonderful, Iſa. 9.6. and indeed well may it be called ſo: every thing in Chriſt is a wonder, moſt wonderful; his eternal Generation from the Father; his perſonal ſubſiſtence in the Godhead; his taking our nature; the Ʋnion of the two Natures, the Nature of God, and the nature of man in that one perſon of Chriſt; his Paſſion; his Reſurrection; his Aſcenſion into Heaven; his ſitting at the right hand of God in our nature: all theſe are wonders. Now his love is the root and foundation of all, and runs through all whatſoever reſpects us; whatſoever Chriſt is, whatſoever Chriſt doth, with relation to us, his love is the root of all, and runs through all: his love runs through his Incarnation, Paſſion, Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, and ſitting at the Fathers right hand. It was out of love to us he took up our nature, ſubjected himſelf to the Law, dyed in our nature, roſe again in it, carried our nature into Heaven, and wears it there, and will wear it to all Eternity: I ſay, his love is the root of all this.
My deſire is to ſpeak a little of this infinite Love of Chriſt. The Apoſtle intimates in the Text, that it is a great duty incumbent on us to take in as much as poſſibly we can of this infinite and incomprehenſible love of Chriſt, That ye may comprehend with all Saints what are the heights, &c. Here it may be inquired what is this expreſſion added with all Saints; I conceive it is to ſhew us two things.
Firſt, That Grace in the hearts of the Saints doth naturally put them upon this ſtudy. It is the natural tendency of the Spirit of Saints as they are Saints, to ſtudy and take in as much of the love of Chriſt as is poſſible. That ye may comprehend with all Saints; as much as if he ſhould ſay, This is that which all Saints are preſſing after and aſpiring unto, they all deſire to know more and more of the love of Chriſt.
Secondly, This expreſſion is added to ſhew, that it is the great duty of all the Saints to make the Love of Chriſt their great ſtudy. That ye may comprehend with all Saints; as much as if he ſhould ſay, It is your duty, and the duty of all the Saints to ſtudy the dimenſions of Chriſts love. What will Heaven be, but a clear and perfect knowledge of the love of God in Chriſt? Then ſhall we know and underſtand perfectly what the purpoſe of the Father was to communicate himſelf to the Elect by the Son: and ſo ſhall we be filled with the fulneſs of God, as the expreſſion is here in this Text; and elſewhere it is ſaid, God ſhall be all in all. 1 Cor. 15.28.Not that we ſhall be able in Heaven it ſelf to comprehend and take in the whole of this love; for our underſtanding being finite, cannot fully comprehend the infinite love of God: but the ſouls of the Elect ſhall then be brim-full of it; they ſhall take in as much of this love as they are able to contain. Now there is ſomething of this love may be underſtood and taken in here on earth; for the Apoſtle is ſpeaking of ſomething that may be taken in here on earth, when he ſaith, that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the height and depth, and breadth and length of the love of Chriſt: as much as if he ſhould ſay, This is that knowledge that the Saints ought to be preſſing after here on earth, all Saints ought to aim and level at this mark. The more we know and underſtand of this love of Chriſt, the more will our hearts be raviſhed with it, and the more ſhall we be over-powered and ſwallowed up in the admiration of it; for we love him becauſe he firſt loved us. Amor eſt qui amatur.It is love it ſelf that is that which we love: it is Gods love to us, made known to us in and by his Son that muſt draw our hearts to love him. The great end why God chuſeth his people is, that they ſhould be holy and unblameable before him in love, Eph. 1.4. Now this being the great end of God to bring us to love him, the more we come to know and underſtand his infinite love to us, the more will our love be perfected towards him.
There are two things that lye in the words of the Text.
1. Here is a Suppoſition. The Suppoſition is, that the love of Chriſt is exceeding great, and carries all dimenſions in it. That ye may comprehend what is the height and the depth, and the breadth and length of the love of Chriſt. The Apoſtle ſuppoſeth this, that there are heights, and depths, and breadths, and lengths in the love of Chriſt.
2. We have in the Text the Apoſtles prayer for the Saints upon this ſuppoſition; and that is, that the love of Chriſt being ſo great, they may know, underſtand, and comprehend it more and more.
There are two Obſervations or Doctrines that do naturally ariſe from the words of the Text.
Doct. 1 That the Love of Chriſt is infinite and ſurpaſſing great, and ſuch a love as carries all manner of dimenſions in it; there are heights, and depths, and breadths, and lengths in Chriſts Love.
Doct. 2 That it ought to be the endeavour of all the Saints to know, underſtand, comprehend and take in more and more of this infinite and ſurpaſſing love of Chriſt.
I ſhall begin to ſpeak to the firſt Obſervation, which is,
That the Love of Chriſt is infinite and ſurpaſſing great, Doct. 1 and ſuch a love as carries all manner of dimenſions in it; there are heights and depths, breadths and lengths in the Love of Chriſt.
Here there are two things I ſhall treat of.
1. Shew what the Love of Chriſt is.
2. Shew how the greatneſs, infiniteneſs, and ſurpaſſingneſs of this Love may be a little deſcribed and ſet forth to us.
1. We muſt open the Nature of Chriſts Love in the general.
To underſtand this there is a threefold Love we may diſtinguiſh of. 1. There is a love of Benevolence or good-will. 2. There is the love of Beneficence. 3. There is the love of Complacency.
1. There is the love of Benevolence or goodwill, and this is nothing elſe but an intention, purpoſe, or decree of doing good to another.
2. There is the love of Beneficence, and this is that love whereby a man doth not only will good to another, but doth actually confer and beſtow ſome good upon him: and this is not ſo properly love, as the effect of love.
3. There is the love of Complacency, and that is, when a man takes delight and pleaſure in that good which is in another.
According to this threefold diſtinction we may a little conceive of the Love of Chriſt.
1. There is the love of Benevolence or good-will in Chriſt. This is ſuch a love whereby a man wills good to another, purpoſes and intends to beſtow good upon him. This love was in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Chriſt had a purpoſe and intention from Eternity to beſtow grace and glory upon his people. To underſtand which, we muſt know, that all the works of the Trinity which do reſpect the creature, are undivided. What the Father doth, the Son doth, and the Spirit doth: what the Father purpoſeth, the Son purpoſeth, and the Spirit purpoſeth. It is true, Election is in a peculiar manner attributed to the Father: Eph. 1.3, 4. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, according as he hath choſen us in him. Here we ſee Election is in a peculiar manner attributed to the Father: but when Election is attributed to the Father, the Son and the Spirit are not to be excluded from electing: for Election being an act of Gods will, there is but one and the ſame eſſential will in Father, Son, and Spirit; what the Father wills, the Son muſt needs will, and the Spirit wills alſo: and the reaſon is, As there is but one and the ſame Eſſence, ſo but one and the ſame Will in the three perſons. Therefore the Father willing to beſtow grace and glory upon ſuch a number of men, the Son muſt needs will it too: Therefore Chriſt ſaith, All thine are mine, and mine are thine, Joh. 17.10. All the Elect are common to the Father and the Son: they are both the Father's, and Chriſt's. As the Father hath choſen them, ſo the Son hath choſen them: and as the Father is glorified in their ſalvation, ſo is the Son: therefore are the Elect ſaid to be Chriſts own, Joh. 13.1.— and they are called his ſheep, and theſe ſheep he knows, Joh. 10.14.— How doth he know his ſheep? he knows them from Eternity, and loves them from Eternity. So that there is the love of Benevolence or good-will in Chriſt. Therefore he ſaith in Joh. 10.28. I give unto them eternal life. It is in the preſent Tenſe, foreign.I do give unto them eternal life. How can Chriſt be ſaid to give to his ſheep eternal life? they are not as yet perfectly and compleatly poſſeſſed of eternal life: The meaning is, Chriſt from Eternity hath decreed to beſtow eternal life upon them, he gives them the beginnings of it in this world in their Juſtification and Sanctification; and they ſhall as certainly have the complement and perfection of it in Glorification at laſt, as if they had it already.
2. There is the Love of Beneficence in Chriſt. Chriſt doth not only will good to his people, but he beſtows good upon his people. As he did from Eternity intend to beſtow grace and glory upon them, ſo he doth in time actually conſer grace and glory upon them. This is expreſt by the Apoſtle to the full, Rom. 8.30. Whom he did predeſtinate, them he alſo called; whom he called, them he alſo juſtified; whom he juſtified, them he alſo glorified. The creatures love is oftentimes a barren love; men may wiſh well to others, they may have a purpoſe and deſire to do good to them, but oſtentimes they want that power and ability to do the good they would: but Chriſts love is a fruitful love, he actually beſtows that good upon his people he intends. Vocation, Juſtification, Sanctification, Glorification are all the fruits of this eternal Love of his. Chriſts Love is ſuch a love as brings all manner of ſpiritual bleſſings along with it, Eph. 1.3. not only Election, which is the Decree of God to beſtow good things upon us, but alſo Adoption, the forgiveneſs of ſin, the acceptation of our perſons: all which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of in the ſame place, and theſe things are actually conferred on Believers, and they are brought into the poſſeſſion of them.
3. There is the love of Complacency in Chriſt, which is that love whereby he takes delight in the perſons and graces of his Saints.
1. Chriſt takes delight in the perſons of his Saints: Iſa. 43.2. I have called thee by name, thou art mine. The Lord tells Moſes, Thou haſt found grace in my ſight, and I know thee by name, Exod. 34.17. What is it for God to know Moſes by name? It was to take ſpecial delight in Moſes, to know him, ſo as he did not know other men, to take that delight in him, which he did not in other men. Iſa. 43.4. Since thou haſt been precious in my ſight, thou haſt been honourable. Zeph. 3.17. The Lord thy God will rejoyce over thee with ſinging, he will reſt in his love. Iſa. 62.5. As the bridegroom rejoyceth over his bride, ſo ſhall thy God rejoyce over thee.
2. Chriſt takes delight in the graces of his people. He firſt beſtows grace upon his people, and then he delights in his own graces: Pſal. 147.11. The Lord taketh pleaſure in them that fear him. Prov. 8.17. I love them that love me. God is Love, and he loves the love of his people: If any man love me, he ſhall be beloved of me, and I will manifeſt my ſelf to him, Joh. 14.21. Thus we have ſeen what the nature of Chriſts love is in general.
We come now to the ſecond particular, and that is to ſpeak of the dimenſions of Chriſts love. The love of Chriſt is ſuch a love as hath breadths and lengths, heights and depths in it.
What are theſe dimenſions of Chriſts love?
We are now lanching into the vaſt Ocean: the love of Chriſt is ſuch an Ocean as hath no bounds nor bottom in it. We may as ſoon think to comprehend the Ocean in the hollow of our hands, as comprehend his love: the Apoſtle tells us it paſſeth knowledge; and if ſo, then it is in vain for us to think to comprehend it: but though we cannot comprehend it, yet there is ſomething we may know of it, otherwiſe the Apoſtle would not have prayed as he doth in the Text, that ye may comprehend with all Saints what are the heights, &c. We may gather in ſome drops of the Ocean, though we may not think to drain the Ocean; and all that we can hope for is to make known ſome drops of the infinite love of Chriſt. And that we may be able a little to conceive of it, we ſhall conſider the love of Chriſt theſe three ways.
1. In the properties of it.
2. As it is to be found in both his Natures, the love that is in his humane, and that is in his Divine nature.
3. In the effects of it.
1. The love of Chriſt will appear to be a furpaſſing love, to have all manner of dimenſions in it, if we conſider the properties of Chriſts Love.
1. Chriſts love is an ancient love: Chriſts love is more ancient and of longer ſtanding than the world: Eph. 1.4. According as he hath choſen us in him before the foundation of the world. The effects of Chriſts love are ſeen in time, but the love it ſelf was before all time. Gods love to his people is as ancient as his love to himſelf: Gods love to himſelf is from Eternity, and his love to us is from Eternity; therefore doth he ſay, I have loved thee with an ever laſting love, Jer. 31.3. It is a ſaying of one of the Ancients, Mirus profecto amor hominum unà cum Deo aeternus. Cyril.Wonderful indeed is the love of God to man, which is, together with God, eternal, that is, eternal as God is eternal. Where can we place the beginning of this love? The Scripture teacheth us expreſly, that it was before the foundation of the world, and therefore conſequently before all time: and if before all time, then it muſt needs be from Eternity. Chriſt loved us before we had a being, yea, it was his love that firſt of all gave us a being, and he therefore gave us a being, that he might demonſtrate and ſet forth the riches of that grace and love he had in his heart towards us: Rom. 9.23. That he might make known the riches of his glory on the veſſels of mercy, which he had before prepared unto glory. The Lord had prepared glory in his thoughts and purpoſe for the veſſels of mercy from Eternity, and he therefore gave them being, that he might beſtow that glory on them, which he had prepared for them from Eternity. Chriſts delights were with the ſons of men from Eternity, Prov. 8.31. Chriſts delight from Eternity was to think what he ſhould do for us, before ever we had a being; even then, when he was the object of the Fathers delight; as it is in the verſe immediately preceding, I was daily his delight. Even then, when the eternal Son who lay in the boſom of the eternal Father, was the Fathers delight, yet, if we may ſo ſpeak, he had another delight that took him up, and that was to think what he ſhould do for us. It is the property of love not to be pleaſed in its own happineſs only, but have deſires of the happineſs of the perſon whom it loves. Chriſt was infinitely happy in the Fathers boſom in being his delight, but he loved us, and therefore was not ſatisfied with his own happineſs, but pleaſed himſelf with the thoughts of making us happy.
2. Chriſts love is a free love. The freeneſs of Chriſts love appears in three reſpects.
1. Chriſts love is free, becauſe it was not neceſſary: Chriſt was not drawn from any neceſſity of nature to love us, as if he could not chuſe but love us: he might have choſen whether he would have loved us. God indeed loves himſelf neceſſarily: he loves himſelf, and cannot but love himſelf; but God loves the creature freely and arbitrarily, he might have choſen whether he would have ſet his love upon it yea or no: Rom. 9.15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Gods will is the reaſon of his own love to the creature. God was under no conſtraint to ſhew mercy; but he therefore ſhews mercy, becauſe mercy pleaſes him; he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Gods goodneſs and perfections were ſufficient for himſelf; and if he had needed any thing, the creature could have given him nothing, for the creature had nothing to give him but what God had firſt given to it: and therefore Gods love was moſt free. God was not neceſſitated to have made the creature, or to have given it a being, much leſs was he neceſſitated to have given it ſuch a ſupernatural good as grace and glory was. God might have made man, and never ordained him to the glory of Heaven; he was not neceſſitated to make man at all, to give him ſo much as a natural being, much leſs was he neceſſitated to give the happineſs and glory of Heaven to him.
2. Chriſts love is free, for as much as there is no advantage or profit that comes to him by loving us: Rom. 11.35. Who hath firſt given to him, and it ſhall be given to him again? God did not ſtand in need of any thing out of himſelf, he had alſufficiency and perfection in himſelf, within the compaſs of his own eſſence, if we may ſo ſpeak; whatſoever is in the creature, is firſt in God after an eminent manner before it is in the creature. There is nothing in the effect but is firſt in the cauſe: therefore the Ancients have this obſervation, All created things are more perfectly in God than they are in themſelves, even as ſilver is more perfect in gold than in it ſelf. That virtue whereby the creatures were produced, was firſt in God as the cauſe, before it was drawn forth in the creature as the effect: and therefore it is well obſerved by Auſtin, God had a purpoſe from Eternity to make the creatures, but he therefore made them in time, that he might ſhew he did not ſtand in need of the creatures, but had been perfect and happy without them from Eternity.
3. Chriſts love is free, for as much as it was without reſpect of merit in us: Rom. 9.11, 13. The children being yet unborn, neither having done good or evil, it was ſaid, Jacob have I loved, and Eſau have I hated. 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath ſaved us and called us, not according to our works, &c. Rom. 8.28. All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpoſe. It is true, the Elect do love God, yea but they are firſt called, firſt loved of God. It was not our love to God was the cauſe of Gods love to us, but Gods love to us is the cauſe of our love to him. God firſt elects, and then calls us, and then we love him. God decrees to give to the Elect both faith and obedience, Tit. 1.1.1 Pet. 1.2. therefore his love cannot poſſibly be grounded upon the foreſight of our faith and obedience, but is every way moſt free. Sweet are the expreſſions which Bernard hath: Amat Deus, nec aliunde hoc habet, ſed ipſe eſt unde amat; & ideò vehementiùs, quia non amerem tam habet, quàm hoc ipſe eſt. Bern.God (ſaith he) loves, neither hath he his love from any thing out of himſelf, but himſelf is the cauſe of his own love: and therefore his love is most ſtrong, becauſe he is not ſo properly ſaid to have love, as himſelf is love.
1. It is a ſpecial peculiar love. There is a common general love which God bears to all creatures; but there is a ſpecial peculiar love which God bears to his people. God loveth all his creatures with a general love; but it is ſome only he loves with a ſpecial and peculiar love. God, Omnes quidem diligit, ſed non ad aequale honum. Tolet.as one obſerves, loves all his creatures indeed, but he doth not love them ſo as to will the ſame good, or to beſtow the ſame equal good upon them all. God is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. He feeds the ravens, cloaths the lilies, gives life, breath, being to all creatures; but then there is a ſpecial love which he bears to his people. Firſt, he gives himſelf to them: Heb. 8.10. This is the covenant I will make with them, I will be their God. Secondly, he gives them his Son: Having given us his Son, Rom. 8.32. Joh. 3.16. Thirdly, he gives Heaven, Salvation, and eternal life unto them, Luk. 12.32. 1 Theſſ. 5.9. Theſe are the things that God beſtows upon his people: ſo then it is a ſpecial love in this reſpect. God beſtows common bleſſings upon others; he beſtows many temporal bleſſings upon all men; but his ſpecial favours are reſerved for the Elect: therefore he is ſaid to be the Saviour of all men, eſpecially of thoſe that believe, 1 Tim. 4.10. God preſerves and ſaves all men by a common Providence, but he is in a ſpecial peculiar manner the Saviour of Believers: therefore he is called the Saviour of the body, Eph. 5.23. Compare theſe Scriptures together; in one place he is ſaid to be the Saviour of all men, and in another place he is ſaid to be the Saviour of his body the Church. Chriſt is the Saviour of all men in ſome reſpect, but not ſo as he is the Saviour of his body the Church: he ſaves all men with a common ſalvation, but he doth not ſave all men with a ſpiritual eternal ſalvation, it is the Church only he ſo ſaves.
2. The love of Chriſt is a diſcriminating love, becauſe it is ſuch a love as is beſtowed upon ſome perſons which is not beſtowed upon others: Whom he foreknew, them he did predeſtinate, Rom. 8.29. How did he foreknow them? he foreknew them ſo as to love them. He knows all his creatures from Eternity, but he doth not ſo foreknow all as to love all alike: but he foreknows ſome after a ſpecial manner, he ſo foreknows ſome as he doth not foreknow others: he ſo foreknows ſome from Eternity as to love them from Eternity: he ſo foreknows ſome as to paſs by others: hence it is ſaid, he loved his own which were in the world, Joh. 13.1. he hath choſen them out of the world, Joh. 15.19. and he prays for them, not for the world, Joh. 17.9. Here we may cry out with the Apoſtle, O the depths! There was no reaſon on the part of the Elect why they ſhould be choſen, and not others, Mal. 1.2. Was not Eſau Jacobs brother, ſaith the Lord? yet I loved Jacob. As much as if it had been ſaid, What preheminence had Jacob more than Eſau, when I made my Election? Was not Eſau Jacobs brother? Did not Eſau and Jacob ſtand upon equal ground? and might I not have taken one as well as another? Nay Eſau was the elder brother, yet, ſaith God, Jacob have I loved. There is no dignity or worth in the Elect why they ſhould be choſen more than others: the Elect themſelves were involved in the ſame common condition of ſin and miſery with others: but God who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he hath loved us, Eph. 2.4. hath beſtowed that love on ſome which he hath denied to others. The reaſon of this love is not from any thing on the Elects part, but from Gods own Soveraign will; he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy. Thoſe who are choſen are not better and more worthy than others, but God out of his own love will make them to be veſſels of mercy when as he will paſs by others.
1. Ʋſe 1 A word to Sinners. O labour from what hath been ſpoken, to be ſenſible of your mifery: while you lye out of Chriſt, and continue in your ſins, you can challenge no part in this rich and glorious love: Rom. 8.29.whom he predeſtinated, them he alſo called; therefore till you be called, you have no evidence of your Election of God. Think then of thy ſad condition, poor ſinner, poor unconverted ſoul. O there is all this rich and glorious love in the heart of Chriſt, but for any thing that yet appears, thou art never like to have ſhare in it; why? thou art yet uncalled, and lyeſt wallowing in thy ſins. The firſt dawnings of Chriſts love appear and break forth in vocation: Eph. 5.26. Chriſt loved the Church, that he might ſanctifie and cleanſe it with the waſhing of water by the word. Chriſts love to the Church is ſeen in ſanctifying the Church, and cleanſing it by the Word and Spirit: O but thou waſt never ſanctified and cleanſed by the Word and Spirit to this day. Thou art a poor creature wallowing in thy blood, thou continueſt in thy ignorance, unbelief, prophaneneſs, hardneſs to this day? Whoever thou art whilſt thou continueſt ſuch, thou haſt no evidence as yet of thy election of God, that thou haſt any ſhare or part in this glorious love of Chriſt. O pray that thou mayſt feel the ſanctifying and cleanſing work of Chriſts Spirit, that the Word may have a work on thy ſoul for converſion. Chriſt loves the Church, and ſanctifies and cleanſes it with the waſhing of water by the word. The Word is the ordinary means by which the Elect are ſartctified; and therefore Chriſt prays, Sanctifie them by thy truth, thy word is truth, Joh. 17.17. If thou wouldſt have ſome evidence of Chriſts love, pray that the Word of God may have ſome effect upon thee to bring thee from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan to God.
To the People of God. Ʋſe 2.Is there ſuch a rich and glorious love in the heart of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? Oh then labour to admire and adore this glorious love: labour to get your hearts affected with this love: ſtand and wonder at it, that the Lord Jeſus ſhould have ſuch love for you: ſuch ancient, free, peculiar love for you: that you ſhould be made the objects of this ancient, free, peculiar love of his, when ſo many are paſſed by. Meditate much on this love, think of it night and day, never ceaſe thinking of Chriſts love, till you have thought your ſelves into love to him. It is an excellent ſpeech of Bernard: When the love of Chriſt doth ſo ſwallow up our affections, that we even forget our ſelves, and can think of nothing elſe but Jeſus Chriſt, and the things of Jeſus Chriſt, then is love perfected in us. The love of Chriſt is a great abyſs, that we ſhould be ſwallowed up in, and loſe our ſelves in the contemplation of it, and the more ſpirituality we grow unto, the more ſhall we contemplate this love, and the more we contemplate the love of Chriſt, the more ſhall we find our ſelves drawn out in love to him.
The end of the firſt Sermon.