Ephesians 3:19
The Saint’s Life—John Durant
Christ’s love is the saint’s life. Paul tells you he was dead to the law that he might live to God. And the ground thereof was this, that he lived by faith in Christ, who loved him (Gal. 2:20).
As the life, so likewise the comfort of the saints is wrapped up in the love of Christ. A believer can neither live nor rejoice if the Lord Jesus smiles not upon the soul. But if Jesus Christ will but smile, and shine in the light of His love, believers know, not only how to live, but also how to rejoice, in all, even the worst of times.
Hence it was, that this apostle, praying to the Father of our Lord Jesus, for the Ephesians, that they might not faint at his tribulations, he entreats that to this purpose they might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge… the love of Christ to believers is transcendent, it being above expression. Those who enjoy Christ’s love, they know not how to express it, such is the transcendence of the love, that it passes their knowledge how to express it in any language.
The Scripture sets out the height of things by this, that they are unspeakable; so when it would heighten, and declare the transcendence of the rapture in which Paul was (when wrapped up on the third heaven) and the glory of that which he then heard, it sets it down by this, that it was unutterable. He heard unutterable words… which it was not possible for a man to utter (2 Cor. 12:14).
The transcendence of Christ’s love to believers is such that no one (no, though they had the tongues of men and angels) knows how to express it…. The most spiritual mathematician is not able to commensurate Christ’s love in all its dimensions. It is as possible for that little crevice of the body (the eye) to let in all the light of the sun, as it is for that great eye of the soul (knowledge) to let in the luster of Christ’s love.
Readings taken from Day by Day with the English Puritans
The Saint’s Life—John Durant
Christ’s love is the saint’s life. Paul tells you he was dead to the law that he might live to God. And the ground thereof was this, that he lived by faith in Christ, who loved him (Gal. 2:20).
As the life, so likewise the comfort of the saints is wrapped up in the love of Christ. A believer can neither live nor rejoice if the Lord Jesus smiles not upon the soul. But if Jesus Christ will but smile, and shine in the light of His love, believers know, not only how to live, but also how to rejoice, in all, even the worst of times.
Hence it was, that this apostle, praying to the Father of our Lord Jesus, for the Ephesians, that they might not faint at his tribulations, he entreats that to this purpose they might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge… the love of Christ to believers is transcendent, it being above expression. Those who enjoy Christ’s love, they know not how to express it, such is the transcendence of the love, that it passes their knowledge how to express it in any language.
The Scripture sets out the height of things by this, that they are unspeakable; so when it would heighten, and declare the transcendence of the rapture in which Paul was (when wrapped up on the third heaven) and the glory of that which he then heard, it sets it down by this, that it was unutterable. He heard unutterable words… which it was not possible for a man to utter (2 Cor. 12:14).
The transcendence of Christ’s love to believers is such that no one (no, though they had the tongues of men and angels) knows how to express it…. The most spiritual mathematician is not able to commensurate Christ’s love in all its dimensions. It is as possible for that little crevice of the body (the eye) to let in all the light of the sun, as it is for that great eye of the soul (knowledge) to let in the luster of Christ’s love.
Readings taken from Day by Day with the English Puritans
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