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[SERM. XX. The love of Chrift paffes knowledge, in refpect of its length. It is an everlasting love. Believers are chosen of God in him before all ages, that they might be holy and without blame before him in love. He from the days of eternity entered into a covenant of peace with God, in which he engaged to make his foul an offering for fin, and received a promise, that he fhould fee his feed, and the pleafure of the Lord fhould profper in his hands. This engagement he in the fulness of time executed, by affuming our flesh and bearing our fins on the cross, -The falvation which his death has purchased for believers is an everlasting falvation. As his thoughts of love were from eternity, fo the effects of his love will last to eternity.

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The depth of Chrift's love paffes knowledge. In his unbounded compaffion to our race, he laid a fide his divine form-his heavenly glory-made himself of no reputation-took on him the fashion of a man the form of a fervant-and humbled himself to death, even the death of the cross. Can we conceive what he fuffered for our fakes, when his foul was filled with forrow, his frame convulfed with pain, his fweat like drops of blood, his limbs diftended on the tree, his hands and feet pierced with nails, and his fide with a fpear, and his voice raised to heaven in this strong and bitter cry, "My God, my God, why has thou forfaken me? O the depth of that love which brought the Son of God from heaven to fuch a depth of humiliation and diftrefs! Again: The height of Chrifi's love paffes knowledge. Being exalted to the higheft heavens, he employs himself in works of love and grace.He intercedes for them who come to God in his name-he dispenses the heavenly gifts which he has received for men-he watches over his church, and sheds down his gracious influence for her prefervation and increase,

His love passes knowledge, as the benefits which it has procured exceed all human eftimation. The Apostle preached "the unfearchable riches of Chrift." -Who can conceive the value of that pardon, the worth of that falvation, and the glory of that inheritance, which he has purchased for the faints? Being juftified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jefus Chrift." This "peace of God paffeth all understanding."-" Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of men the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

2. Though the love of Chrift paffeth knowledge, yet there is a fenfe in which it is known to the faints.

They have a thankful and admiring knowledge of that love, which moved fo glorious a person to humble himself fo low, and to do and fuffer fo much for creatures so worthless-so guilty. When they confider the heavens, the work of his fingers, the moon and ftars which he has ordained, they fay with David, "What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the fon of man that thou visitest him?

They have an experimental knowledge of his love. They not only view it as a fubject of pleasing contemplation, but feel the power of it on their hearts. By the love of Chrift they have been made partakers of the renewing influences of the Spirit,wrought to the temper of the gospel, and interested in its bleffings. The Apostle fays, "We were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, ferving divers lufts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another: But after the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy he faved us, by the wafhing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghoft, which he has fhed on us abundantly through Je

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[SERM. XX, fus Chrift, that, being juftified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eter nal life."

Believers have an influential knowledge of Christ's love. The Apostle fays, "The love of Chrift conftraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they, which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died and rofe again."

The faints have an affimilating knowledge of their Savior's love. Though they cannot comprehend the dimensions of his love, yet they are, in a meafure, poffeffed of the fame kind of love. They are, as he was, meek, gentle, patient and ready to forgive. They have learnt of him, to love their ene. mies, to pray for those who defpitefully use them, to blefs them that curfe, to bear revilings without returning them, to condefcend to men of low eftate, to pity the diftreffed, and do good as there is occafion. This is Chrift's command to his difci. -ples, "Love one another, as I have loved you."

The Apostle's prayer for the Ephefians was, that "they might be ftrengthened to comprehend the love of Chrift."

This is an inexhauftible fubject. The riches of it are unfearchable. We may dwell upon it with fresh entertainment and increafing pleasure while we live Yea, eternity will not wear out the theme. This is the fong of the faints in heaven, "Unto him who loved us, and washed us from our fins in his blood, be glory and dominion for ever and

ever."

Let us labor for a greater experimental knowledge of his love. If we are in a state of fin, let us feek from him that grace which is necessary to renew us in knowledge after his holy character. If we are in doubt concerning our intereft in his love, let us not reft, till he is formed in us. If we find

that he dwells in our hearts by faith, let us grow up in all things into him, and afpire to the meafure of his divine fulnefs. This leads us to obferve,

V. The Apoftle prays, that the Ephefians "might be filled with all the fulness of God." His meaning is, that they might have fuch a fupply of divine influence, as would cause them to abound in knowledge, faith, love, and all virtues and good works. He prays, in like manner, for the Coloffians," that they might be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wifdom and fpiritual understanding, and might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleafing, being fruitful in every good work, increasing in the knowledge of God-and that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and to all riches of the full affurance of understanding." And for the Philippians, God, who had begun a good work in them, would perform it to the day of Chrift; and that they might abound more and more in love and in knowledge, being filled with the fruits of righteousness."

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From these petitions we fee, that, "by the fulnefs of God," the Apoftle intends such a rich fupply of the grace of God, that they might be able to perfevere in the faith and practice of religion, to increase and abound more and more in the virtues and works of the gospel, and to obtain a more full affurance of their title to heavenly glory.

We learn then that Chriftians are not to content themfelves with their prefent attainments, but to afpire after greater eminence in their holy charac ter, and nearer approaches to heavenly perfection. In imitation of Paul's example, they muft" forget the things which are behind, and reach forward to the things which are before, preffing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus," They must never indulge an imagination, that they have acquired as much holiness,

or done as much fervice as is needful; but, deeply humbled under a fenfe of their great imperfections and remaining corruptions, the poorness of their fervices, and their defects in duty, they muft daily renew their application to God's mercy for the pardon of their fins, and to his grace for their affift ance in the religious life. Their defires muft not ftop fhort of that which the Apoftle afked for his converts, that they may be ftrengthened by the fpirit in the inner man-may have Chrift dwelling in their hearts-may be rooted and grounded in love -may know the love of Chrift which paffeth knowledge, and may be filled with all the fulness of God.

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