it is "comprehended by all the saints." Men's capacity to comprehend it, is proportioned to their growth and stature in the Church of Christ : those who are but infants, have only narrow and contracted views of it ; while those who are advanced to manhood, stand amazed at its immeasurable dimensions.
But in order that we " may be able to comprehend it," we ourselves should be " rooted and grounded in love " to him. As a sense of his love is necessary to beget a holy affection in us towards him, so a love to him disposes our mind to con- template, and enlarges our capacity to comprehend, his love to us. Each in its turn is subservient to the promotion of the other : but under circumstances of trial, which endanger the steadfastness of our profession, we are more especially called to have our love to him " rooted and grounded," so as to be immoveable amidst all the storms with which it may be assailed : and then, from every exercise of our own love, we shall acquire a greater enlargement of heart to admire and adore his love to us.]
IV. A repletion with all the fulness of God —
[The Apostle's prayer rises at every successive step, till he arrives at a height of expression, which, if it had not been dic- tated by inspiration, one should have been ready to condemn as blasphemy. Amazing thought ! May we offer such a petition as this? Yes: there is indeed in the Deity an essential fulness, which is incommunicable to his creatures : but there is also a fulness which he does and will communicate b. In him are all the perfections of wisdom and goodness, of justice and mercy, of patience and love, of truth and faithfulness : and with these he will " fill " his people, according to the measure of their capacity ; so that they shall be " holy as he is holy, and perfect as their Father which is in heaven is perfect." If any possess but a small portion of his perfec- tions, it is owing to their being " straitened in themselves ; for none are straitened in him."
But how is this to be attained? Will repentance effect it? No. Will mortification procure it? No: that which alone will avail for this end, is an enlarged discovery of the love of Christ ; and therefore the Apostle prays for the one in order to the other. Indeed, high thoughts of a creature's kindness to us have a natural tendency to produce in us a resemblance to him : but a sense of Christ's love has an irresistible in- fluence0 to transform us into his image, and to "fill us with all his fulness."]
b nXj/pwjuu 6e6rr]Tor we cannot have, Col. ii. 9. This is TrXiipiDfia Qtoii. c 2 Cor. V. 14. avveyii.