us from all, notwithstanding all the vileness and soul-damning
virtue12 that is in them. Alas! how short are we of the knowledge
of ourselves, and of what is in us. How many are there that do
not know that man consisteth of a body made of dust, and of an
immortal soul? Yea, and how many be there of those that confess
it, that know not the constitution of either. I will add, how
many are there that profess themselves to be students of those
two parts of man, that have oftentimes proved themselves to be
but fools as to both? and I will conclude that there is not a man
under heaven that knoweth it all together: For man is "fearfully
and wonderfully made" (Psa 139:14): nor can the manner of the
union of these two parts be perfectly found out. How much more
then must we needs be at loss as to the fullness of the knowledge
of the love of Christ? But,

Reason Third, He that altogether knoweth the love of Christ, must,
precedent to that, know not only all the wiles of the devil; but
also all the plottings, contrivings and designs and attempts of
that wicked one; yea, he must know, all the times that he hath been
with God, together with all the motions that he has made that he
might have leave to fall upon us, as upon Job and Peter, to try
if he might swallow us up (Job 1 and 2, Luke 22:31). But who knows
all this? no man, no angel. For, if the heart of man be so deep,
that none, by all his actions, save God, can tell the utmost
secrets that are therein; how should the heart of angels, which
in all likelihood are deeper, be found out by any mortal man.
And yet this must be found out before we can find out the utmost
of the love of Christ to us. I conclude therefore from all these
things, that the love of Christ passeth knowledge: or that by no
means, the bottom, the utmost bounds thereof can be understood.