How comes it to pass, then, that Paul assigns this to love? I answer: It is true. But love is the criterion whereby to decide whether or not the faith be true faith, and the heart happy and going forth in alacrity towards God. For where thy believing confidence is so strong, that thou doubtest not in the least that God is thy Father, it will of necessity follow, although thy faith may languish, that it will break forth in thy mouth, actions, and hands, and will assist thy neighbour both in deed and in counsel. This is what Paul here calls laying a foundation, and being rooted and grounded in love; that is, tasting and feeling that we have a faith unctuous and sound. For love is, as it were, a touch-stone, whereby we discover whether faith be true or false; as Peter saith, 2 Pet. i. "Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure." Otherwise, the matter always remains in uncertainty; it floats in the ear and fluctuates in the dreams of the heart, but there is not a firm foundation laid, nor a being rooted and grounded. This is what Paul desires in this two-fold prayer.-First, that we may have in the heart a right faith toward God; and secondly, that that faith may break forth and shew itself in love toward our neighbour.

That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.

This again is a part of his prayer; wherein, he would have them so to advance, that by faith they may be gladdened and rendered happy toward God, and truly settled and kindled in love toward their neighbour. As though he would have said, after ye have attained unto that strength, go forward and press on with that which ye have begun pursue with all saints these four things, that ye may increase them, and understand them more day by day. This however is only to be attained unto by faith. Love has not any thing to do in this matter, although it is an assistance, as being an evidence whereby we are assured: of our faith.

The learned ones would, from these words, delineate

and measure out to us the holy cross, (about which, however, Paul does not here say one word,) that we may be able to arrive at the exact knowledge of all things concerning it- how long the kingdom of Christ is, how wide, how deep, and how high. But this I attain unto, when my heart is so instructed, that Christ cannot so contract, dilate, and extend himself, but I can follow him; and cannot descend so deep, or rise so high, as that I should be suffered to be torn away from himself and his Word; so that, I know and am persuaded, that wheresoever I betake myself, Christ is there; that he rules in all places; and that, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high soever he may turn himself, either for a time short or long; or, how extensively and distantly soever his going may stretch itself out, I shall every where find him; as David also saith, Ps. cxxxix." Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there," &c. His kingdom is eternal; its length, its breadth, its depth, its height, are interminable. If, therefore, I descend into the depths of hell, my heart and my faith say, Christ is here.' The sum, therefore, of these things is, whether I sink or whether I rise, you may judge of me as you will, and hurl me here and there, but, wheresoever I am, there I find Christ! For he has in his hand all things both in heaven and in earth, and all things are subject unto him, --angels, the devil, the world, sin, death, and hell!

4

Wherefore, since he dwells in my heart, my mind remains upright and immovable. Whithersoever the storm may drive me, I cannot perish; for wheresover Christ my Lord is, there shall I be. But reason can never come up to this; for if it be but lifted up one cubit's height from the earth, it is driven into despair. We, however, have stronger spirits through Christ, and we know that he is every where, whether honour or dishonour, hunger, weeping or sorrow, life or death, good or evil fall upon us. For this therefore the apostle Paul prays, that, through the grace of God, the Ephe

sians may understand these things in their hearts. And then he concludes thus,

And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

That is, I pray, that when ye shall stand fast in faith, and shall have this four-fold knowledge, ye may moreover know the love of Christ which we ought to understand: namely, that love which he hath toward us, and which we shew forth toward our neighbour; which knowledge, exceeds even the knowledge of the Gospel. For whatsoever thou mayest know of that, such knowledge will never live, or at least but a very short time, where love is wanting. The sum therefore of the prayer is this:- that we may increase in faith, that it may be strong and effectual, and that our love may be warm and fervent. Then shall we be "filled with all the fulness of God;" which, being a Hebrew form of speech, signifies, that we may be filled in that way and manner in which he fills; that we may be anointed with all his gifts and grace, and be so endued with his Spirit as to be rendered courageous, and to be illumined with his light; that his life may live in us, that his happiness may make us happy, and his love kindle love in us. And, in a word, that whatever he is, and is able to do, may be abundantly upon us, and work powerfully in that we may wholly put on God; and (so to speak) that we may be built up with God; not having certain small pieces or grains of him, but a full barn. A great deal has been written concerning this-how a man may become a partaker of the divine nature. And for this cause, they have formed out a certain ladder by which a man may ascend into heaven; together with many other vain figments of the same kind; but this is all patching a piece here and a piece there. Here, the right and nearest way to attain unto this, is laid down,—to get filled with all the fulness of God; that no one particle may be wanting unto thee, but that thou mayest have all things brought together into one; that, what

us;

ever thou speakest, thinkest, or doest, and, to embrace the whole in one word, that thy whole life may be a certain divinity!

But however, let no one think that any man can attain unto this in the present life. It is engrafted in us to desire and pray for these things, as Paul here did, but thou wilt find no one who is perfectly filled with such a fulness as this. All that I do here, is to shew and to teach, that these things are to be sought after with earnest covetings and groanings. For as long as we live here in the flesh, we are besprinkled with all the fulness of Adam. Wherefore, we have need to pray continually, that God would do away with our infirmity, and put into our hearts the might of his Holy Spirit ; that he would fill us with all grace and power, and reign and work in us himself alone. This is a prayer that we ought mutually to put up for each other. On which prayer, that it may be effectual, may God condescend to shine by his grace! Amen!

SERMON VII.

CONCERNING THE TEN LEPERS.

LUKE XVii.

And it came to pass as Jesus went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw

that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus

answering, said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole.

Luke, in distinction from the other Evangelists, generally records, not only the acts of Christ and his doctrine, like the rest, but also the directions in which he travelled and journied. For we may observe in his Gospel, up to the 13th chapter, that Christ commenced his preaching and course of miracles at Capernaum: to which place he had betaken himself from Nazareth: and he tarried there so generally, that that city began to be called under the Gospel, his city. Out of that city he used to go forth into all the surrounding cities and villages, to preach and shew forth signs. And after he had shewn forth these, and had every where preached the word, he entered upon his journey toward Jerusalem which journey, containing many sermons here and there, and many instances of divine power exhibited by Christ, Luke describes from his thirteenth chapter to the end. For this was the last of his travellings, and performed during the last year of his life, of which the Evangelist here makes mention: saying, that Jesus, "as he went to Jerusalem, passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee." Which is the same as if he had said, He performed this miracle as he was going to Jerusalem.

He did not, therefore, go directly to Jerusalem from Capernaum, for Galilee is to the north of Jerusalem; and Samaria is near Galilee on the east; and Capernaum is situate in the very middle of Galilee. Moreover, the Evangelist has studiously left upon record this circuitous journey, in mentioning by name Samaria and Galilee, and especially, in saying that he passed "through the midst," and did not take any short ways. This journeying of Christ, therefore, from the city of