from his twofold relation to Christ as being the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the particle and in this place is not copulative of things different but exegetick of one and the same thing as Psal. 18. 46. And first He is a God to Christ chiefly because of the Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ as Mediator the mutual conditions of which Covenant are Is. 53. 10 11. Joh. 6. 39 40. And secondly He is the Father of Christ to wit not only as Christ is God by an eternal and unspeakable generation Psal. 2. 7. but also as Christ is Man God is His Father by vertue of the personal union of the two natures in Christ Luke 1. 32 The reason of which his thanksgiving to God he sheweth to be Gods bestowing of real blessings upon Believers and those not common or temporal only but special and spiritual blessings which tend to a spiritual and supernaturalend and those not sparingly but fully and with an open hand even all blessings and this in heavenly places that is from Heaven His glorious Throne or because those spiritual blessings shall not be consummated and fully perfected until Believers be in Heaven all which blessings he sheweth are bestowed upon Believers in Christ He as our Head Atturney and Advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. having received those blessings in our name and for our behoof Eph. 2. 6. by whose merit also they are purchased Isa. 53. 5. In whom and by vertue of our union with Him and right to Him we have a right to such of those blessings as we have not yet actually received 1 Joh. 5. 12. and do come to the possession of these which we already enjoy Joh. 1. 16. Doct. 1. Though we cannot blesse the Lord as He blesseth us by bestowing real blessings and favours upon us which before we wanted Gen. 24. 35. there being such a fulnesse of blessednesse in God as nothing can be superadded Joh 22. 2. Yet it is our duty to blesse Him so as that being convinced of that blessednesse of those excellencies which are in Him and favours which are bestowed upon us by Him we do not only esteem highly of Him because of those Luke 1. 46. but also expresse this our high esteem and that not only in words whether by speaking to God Himself in the duty of prayer and praise Psal. 104. 1. or by speaking of Him and to His commendation unto others Psal. 34. 3 4 c. but also and mainly in our life and actions 1 Cor. 10. 31. for Paul doth here blesse the Lord Blessed be God saith he 2. It is a looking to God with respect had to Jesus Christ which inflameth the heart with such a mixture of love and admiration at His excellencies and worth that it must of necessity break forth in blessing of Him God considered without Christ being a consuming fire to whom there can be no confident approaching by sinfull creatures neither in the duties of prayer nor of praise but the vail of Christ's flesh doth break the beams of His terror so that we may stedfastly behold His attributes and excellencies rejoycing in them and blessing Him for them for Paul while he blesseth God doth look upon Him through this vail Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 3. A holy soul truly sensible of his lost condition by nature and of God's mercy in his delivery from that wofull state cannot seriously think or speak of that subject but his heart must be inflamed with love to God yea and break forth in praises and thanksgiving to Him when occasion offereth for so doth Paul Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 4. Though we are bound to blesse the Lord even for temporal favours and things necessary for the life which now is Psal. 107. 8. yet a renewed heart is most taken up with and blesseth God most for spiritual blessings and such as concern our eternal welbeing those being not only most durable Job 6. 27. but also most discriminating betwixt the regenerate and unregenerate Eccles. 9. 1. 1 Joh. 3. 14. for Paul blesseth God for these blessings Who bath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 5. God is the author and worker of all spiritual blessings in a special manner in so far as He produceth them not by a general providence actuating and concurring with natural principles and powers for producing of such and such effects as He is the author even of common blessings health riches honour and such like Psal. 75. 6 7. but by his special grace whereby He createth in the heart by nature dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. 1. a power to do good Ezek 36. 26. and actuateth that power making it to work Phil. 2. 13. for the Apostle ascribeth the production of all spiritual blessings to God while speaking of God he saith Who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings 6. Though God considered as Creator and merciful upholder of His own creatures doth bestow temporal blessings upon the world even upon those who never heard of Christ Psal. 17. 14. yet spiritual blessings such as the saving graces of faith hope and love come from God being considered not as Creator but in and with relation to Jesus Christ who behoved to purchase those blessings of new before fallen man could acquire either a right unto them or possession of them for saith Paul it is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and again He hath blessed as in Christ. 7. Spiritual blessings to wit those of them which are absolutely necessary to salvation and eternal blessednesse are linked together and cannot be separated where God bestoweth one of those He bestoweth all there being a necessary concatenation among them all Rom. 8. 29 30. so that they either co-exist or at least in God's due time do follow one upon another Philip 1. 6. for saith Paul He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 8. Though there be some spiritual blessings such as perfection in holinesse and the full enjoying of God in glory the possession whereof is not attained unto by Believers so long as they are here on earth 1 Cor. 13. 12. yet because of the Believer's undoubted right unto those blessings 1 Cor. 3. 21 22. and God's unchangeable purpose to bestow them Psal. 84. 11. and because of the first fruits and earnest of those blessings already bestowed upon the Believer See ver 14. and of Christ's having taken possession of those in the Believer's name chap. 2. 6. he may be as much assured of his full enjoying of them as if he had them already in hand for saith Paul He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings as if all none being excepted were already enjoyed 9. Spirituall blessings are of an heavenly rise and nature there being no second cause upon earth or among things created which doth concur with God in bringing them to passe
more hurt than the thing it self can bring of good and advantage for therefore the Apostle doth not commit the evidences of his affection to be carried to them by every man but one whom he could trust and they would respect even to Tychicus a beloved brother and faithfull minister 6. As Ministers would be loath to give their recommendation and testimony to naughty persons and those who are not deserving least thereby they wrong the Church of God and prejudge their own estimation afterwards when the person recommended by them doth not walk answerably So they should not deny a testimony to those whom they know to be deserving so far should they be from labouring to obscure and bear down the graces and gifts of God which are eminent in any of their fellow-labourers of purpose that they themselves alone may be thought of for Tychicus was a man deserving and therefore Paul doth recommend him which without doubt he would not have done otherwise Tychicus a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord. 7. Though God may make use of unconverted Ministers to do good in his Church Matth. 10. 4. with 8. yet no man can be a faithfull Minister or approved of God in His work except he have saving grace and be in Christ by faith for Tychicus is first a brother as a sound Christian and then a faithfull minister in the Lord 8. That Ministers are beloved one of another and live in love among themselves is a strong inducement to make the Lords people allow them room in their affections and receive their message with better will off their hand and divisions carnal emulations and strifes among Ministers themselves make both their persons and office lose much of their deserved respect among the people for Paul sheweth that Tychicus was beloved by him to make him have the more respect from them Tychicus a beloved brother 9. It is in a singular manner required of a Minister and the prime piece of a Ministers commendation that he be faithfull that is diligent in his work 2 Tim. 4. 2. sincere in his aimes and endeavours at the glory of God and the good of souls 1 Pet. 4. 11. neither adding nor pairing unto what God hath committed unto him to speak 2 Cor. 2. 17. Whatever a Minister be for learning prudence utterance and other abilities if he be not faithfull he is but naught Matth. 25. 23 with 26. for Paul commendeth Tychicus from this that he was a faithfull minister in the Lord. 10. A faithfull Minister will give proof of his fidelity in all the pieces of his imployment not only in publick preaching but also in his private coversing with the Lords people yea and in every thing will labour to answer the trust reposed upon him for Paul sheweth Tychicus would be faithfull even in relating the case and state of Pauls particular affairs he shall make known unto you all things Verse 22. Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that ye might know our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts IN prosecution of the former purpose he sheweth first he had not fallen upon Tychicus accidentally but had chosen and sent him of purpose And next declareth a twofold end for which he sent him 1. that he might acquaint them with Paul's affairs as ver 21. And 2. that he might be comfortable unto them by his presence message preaching and otherwayes Doct. 1. The greater paines are taken by Christ's servants to bring matter of edification and spiritual consolation unto the Lords people they ought to receive it with so much the better will and likeing for Paul sheweth that both he and Tychicus were at the pains the one to send the other to be sent unto them of purpose hereby to induce them the more to receive the message sent Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose 2. The putting a right impression of the case of Christ's suffering servants and the state of the Gospels thriving upon the hearts of Christians in other remote parts of the Church is a work worth the care and pains of most eminent Ministers if it were to make them undergo a long and tedious journey for that same very end for Tychicus was sent unto them for the same purpose that they might know his affairs 3. We should labour so to inform our selves of the case and carriage of others and how it goeth with the affairs of Christ's Kingdom elsewhere as to be drawing matter of spiritual edification thence and consequently not to feed our curious humour for Tychicus in making known Pauls affairs was to aim at their spiritual consolation much more were they to aim at it themselves that ye might know our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts 4. It is the duty of every Christian and chiefly of a faithfull Minister to have this end proposed unto himself in all his friendly visits bestowed upon his acquaintance and chiefly upon his flock in all his familiar conferences with them in all the intelligence he communicateth unto them concerning Gods dealing with his Churches abroad even that thereby they may not trifle-by precious time or only satisfie curious ears but furnish some matter of spiritual edification for bettering the inward man for Tychicus was to make them know Pauls affairs for this end that thereby he might comfort their hearts 5. To know the several passages of Gods gracious providence towards His suffering servants together with their undaunted courage under sufferings and the use which God doth make of their sufferings to advance His truth and cause is and may be sufficient ground of comfort and incouragement unto the Lords people against the sorrow and sadnesse which their sharp sufferings considered in themselves cannot choose but affect the lovers of truth with for Paul implyeth that their hearing of his sufferings had sadded them and sheweth the relation of Gods dealing with him would comfort them that ye might know our affairs and that he might comfort your hearts 6. A Christian sufferer supported by God will not be so anxious about his own case as the case of others of the Lords people whom he knoweth to be in sorrow and heavinesse yea and ready to halt and be scandalized for His cause for Paul knowing their grief and fearing their fainting at his tribulations chapter 3. 14. doth send Tychicus of purpose to comfort their hearts Vers. 23. Peace be to the brethren and love with faith from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ. NExt in the conclusion of the Epistle is contained the Apostles ordinary fare-well wish wherein designing those to whom he writeth by the name of brethren he wisheth unto them in particular 1. Peace that is peace with God with their own conscience one with another and all sort of prosperity 2. Mutuall love among themselves for Gods love to them is comprehended under grace in the following verse 3. The grace of faith the fountain of the former 1 Tim. 1. 5.
All which he wisheth from God the Father not excluding but including the Son and holy Ghost See upon Col. 3. 17. doct 3. and from Jesus Christ the Mediator through vertue of whose merit and intercession all saving benefits are conveyed unto the Elect. Doct. 1. Ministers who would have their pains attended with successe towards the Lords people ought to beg that from God by prayer to be wrought in them which by their preaching they endeavour to inculcate on them for peace love and faith are the sum of all which he hath been presently instructing them in and pressing upon them and here he seeketh all from God by prayer Peace be to the brethren 2. A Ministers prayers for obtaining the Lords blessing upon his pains towards his flock should be serious servent insisted upon and often inculcated untill a gracious answer thereof be granted for the Apostle began with this prayer or wish chap. 1. 2. and here he closeth with it Peace be to the brethren 3. Even Believers are not made perfect in grace at the first the Lord doth carry on that work by steps and degrees that somewhat of Him may be seen in every step and therefore as themselves are bound to grow in grace by adding one grace to another 2 Pet. 1. 5 6. and one degree of the same grace to the former 2 Pet. 3. 18. So it is the duty of others to help them on towards growth by their prayers and wishes for those who were already regenerated among the Ephesians had faith love and peace wrought in them at the first and Paul wisheth here a further degree of and growth in those from God to them Peace be to the brethren 4. Though it be the duty of all to live in peace and love yet a truely Christian and peaceable frame of spirit together with love which is not a meer moral vertue but a saving grace flowing from the root of faith is only to be found among true Believers and should be sought-after by such especially coldrifenesse of affection and unpeaceable walking being more unbeseeming them than any others for therefore doth he wish for peace and love to the brethren that is those chiefly who were brethren in Christ and born of God 5. There cannot be a peaceable frame of spirit in any towards others nor yet an harmonious walking with them nor any thing else except sinfull renting and shamelesse striving but where the grace of love is whereby the heart is armed against all irritations arising from the infirmities of others to break the bond of peace Eph. 4. 2 3. for he conjoyneth these two in his wish peace whereof one branch is a peaceable frame of heart and harmonious walking and love Peace be to the brethren and love 6. As the graces of faith and love are different and therefore the one cannot be the form or essence of the other So they are alwayes conjoyned where one is there the other must be also for he speaketh of them as two different graces whereof the one doth necessarily follow upon the other And love with faith 7. See what is already observed from Gal. 1. 3. Philip. 1. 2. Col. 1. -2. upon the persons from whom and through whom those good things are wished and sought even from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Vers. 24. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen HEre the Apostle wisheth for grace that is Gods free favour and love in Christ the fountain and sum of all the former good things wished-for and enlargeth his wish towards all Believers described from this that they love Jesus Christ in sincerity or incorruption as the word signifieth that is not for a time only but constantly not in hypocrisie or shew only but sincerely and really and so closeth up all with his Amen as an evidence both of his affectionate desire and confidence of an answer Doct. 1. Though we may have a more particular eye to some than to others by making mention of them expresly in our prayers because of our charge of them present imployment about them or other near relations towards them yet we ought not to exclude any especially of these who have relation to Christ but are to remember all such at least in generall and seek the same good things from God to them which we wish for others for the Apostle having made expresse mention of the believing Ephesians under the name of Brethren ver 23. doth here extend his charity and prayers towards all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in generall Grace be with all them saith he 2. The more the heart is exercised in spirituall duties especially in prayer it groweth more warm and more enlarged to the exercise of all those saving graces required in that duty and especially to publick-mindednesse and the exercise of charity towards the Saints and of faith in Jesus Christ for Paul continuing his prayers and wish untill this verse getteth his charity enlarged in the exercise of it towards all Christians in generall and his faith strengthened to the owning of Christ as his own Grace be with all that love our Lord. 3. Gods grace or free favour is the sum of all which a man needeth to wish either for himself or others it is virtually all things so that the man that hath it wanteth nothing he hath all good and necessary things in their cause and fountain he doth also possesse all such things in that measure God seeth fitting for him for in this part of his wish which relateth to all lovers of Christ in generall he doth only make expresse mention of grace as virtually comprysing peace love and faith which he wished to the brethren ver 23. Grace be with all them that love our Lord. 4. Love to Jesus Christ is a sure mark of those who have saving interest in the good things purchased by Him and one of those marks which are best known to the person who hath it love to Christ where it is cannot be well hid for Paul designing those who might plead interest in the good things prayed-for describeth them by their love to Christ as being a mark both sure and easily discerned With all them that love our Lord. 5. The Lords Servants ought to endeavour that those who are in a gracious state and have right to the great and good things purchased by Christ may know so much and for that end would furnish them with the knowledge of such marks and evidences as may be most easily discerned where they are and infallibly prove the soul that hath them to be in a state of grace for Paul giveth such a mark of those who had interest in the good things prayed-for even love to Christ that they might know so much of themselves With all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ. 6. It is the duty of Ministers to lay hold on all occasions to recommend this grace of love to Christ by holding forth those many good and excellent things which do accompany it and are made evident to be in the heart by it that so the Lords people may be the more incited to bestow their love and heart upon Him for Paul to stir them up to the love of Christ recommendeth this grace by making it the mark and evidence of the man that hath interest in all the good things wished-for with all them that love our Lord. 7. Though we are bound to pray even for those who are graclesse that God may bestow grace upon them yet the more speaking evidences there be of true grace in any we may be the more encouraged to pray to God for them and with greater confidence to expect a gracious return of our prayers upon them for Pauls wishes to God to which he affixeth an Amen in evidence of his confidence to be heard are put up in behalf of those who do love our Lord Jesus Christ. 8. As there are many who professe love to Christ whose love is and when it is tryed will be found to be but counterfeir unsincere and not reall So the good things promised to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ do not at all belong to any of that sort whatsoever their deluded hearts may sancie to the contrary but to such only who love Him really sincerely and testifie their love into Him by keeping His commandments Joh. 14. 15. and especially by loving those who are His 1 Joh. 4. 20 21. for the Apostle qualifieth that love to Christ which is an evidence of interest in the good things wished-for by sincerity which implyeth there is somelove not sincere That love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity 9. The more sincere a man is in the exercise of any grace or practice of any duty he will endure the longer sincerity in good is alwayes attended with perseverance but hypocrisie doth soon faint and wholly sit up at the last Joh. 27. 8 9. with 10. So much is implyed by the word here rendered sincerity as Tit. 2. -7. which also signifieth incorruption That love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen FINIS ERRATA Page Line Read 21 22 Ephes. 5. 2. 22 3 dele shall 26 22 Col. 46 37 Philip. 2. 13. 60 12 inheritance 91 5 by the 138 6 and His 202 10 actuated 213 12 over their 233 38 dividing 235 19 Gen. 13. 253 2 subsistence 267 3 its own 268 35 dycing of ibid 36 or dycing 310 5 any other 327 34 nearby 333 16 6. 10. 343 1 wrought by 347 12 doct 3. 356 26 so see 363 10 6. 10. 364 29 Whatever 413 24 1 Joh. 2. 425 30 Mark 10. 432 32 biddeth 456 1 and 463 28 Gal. 6.
which follow after and flow from the working of God's Spirit in us even those Works are imperfect Isa. 64. 6. and so cannot make us compleatly righteous and we do owe them to God in the mean time Luke 17. 10. and so they cannot satisfie divine Justice for the failings of the bypast time They are the work of God's Spirit in us Philip. 2. 13. and so we can merit nothing at God's hand by them for He excludeth the Works of the Law in general now the good Works of the Regenerate are such as are commanded by the Law and done in obedience to the Law besides that those false Apostles did admit a mixture of Faith and Works in Justification so that if the Apostle had not excluded even Works which flow from Faith they might have quickly agreed upon the point Man is not justified by the Works of the Law Fourthly That through vertue whereof we are thus justified and absolved by God is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ performed by Himself while He was here on Earth both in doing what we should have done Mat. 3. 15. and suffering what we ought to have suffered Gal. 3. 13. which righteousnesse is not inherent in us but imputed to us Rom. 5. 17 18 19. as the sum of Money paid by the Cautioner standeth good in Law for the principal Debtor So we are said to be justified by the Faith of Christ or Faith in Jesus Christ as laying hold upon His righteousnesse which is imputed to us as said is and by which only we are made righteous Fifthly Though Faith be not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces for it worketh by Love chap. 5. 7. Yet Faith is that only grace which hath influence in our Justification for all other Works even those that flow from Grace are excluded and only Faith admitted to have hand in this businesse A man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ and that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law Sixthly Faith hath influence upon our justification not as it is a Work or because of any worth which is in it self more than in other graces or as if the act of believing whether it alone or joyntly with other graces were imputed unto us for righteousnesse but only as it layeth hold on Jesus Christ and giveth us a right to His Righteousnesse through the merit whereof alone we are justified for it is by the Faith of Jesus Christ or Faith receiving Joh. 1. 12. and resting on Jesus Christ Isa. 26. 3 4. that we are justified besides that all Works of the Law or commanded by the Law are here excluded and by consequence Faith it self as it is a work is excluded also Seventhly This way of Justification by Free-grace accepting of us for the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and not because of our own worth is common to all who ever were are or shall be justified whether good or bad the most eminent and best of men must quit the conceipt of their own righteousnesse and rely upon Him who justifieth the ungodly by Faith for even those who were Jews by nature Paul and the other Apostles betook themselves to this way Even we saith he have believed in Jesus Christ and the Scripture cited by Paul speaketh universally of all For by the Works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Eightly Before man be justified through vertue of this imputed Righteousnesse he must first be convinced of his own utter inability to satisfie divine Justice and so to be justified by any thing which himself can do So natural is it to seek for a righteousnesse of our own and in our selves that we will never seek in earnest to the Righteousnesse of Christ until we be made to despair of our selves Rom. 10. 3. for the Apostle sheweth that this conviction went before their Justification Knowing that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law Next he must be convinced also of a worth in Christ's Merit to satisfie divine Justice and that this Merit of Christ's is offered to all who shall lay hold on it by Faith so as that it shall stand good in Law for them in order to their Absolution as if they had given an equivalent satisfaction to God's Justice themselves for none will venture his immortal soul upon that the worth whereof he doth not know Hence the Apostle sheweth that the knowledge of this also did preceed their Justification Knowing that a man is not justified but by the Faith of Jesus Christ. And lastly being thus convinced he must by Faith receive and rest upon Jesus Christ and that most perfect Righteousnesse of His by making his soul adhere and cleave to the Word of Promise wherein Christ is offered Act. 2. 39 41. whereupon followeth the real Justification and Absolution of the man who so doth for Paul marketh this as a third thing going before their Justification Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified Doct. 4. The former practices of ancient Believers eminent for parts priviledges and graces who have quit their own righteousnesse and ventured their soul wholly upon this imputed Righteousnesse of Christ laying hold upon it by Faith ought to be looked on as a strong argument inforcing us to do the like for the Apostle's scope is to prevail with those Galatians by this argument We who are Jews by nature saith he have believed in Jesus Christ that we might bejustified 5. Though the approved practices of eminent godly persons may have their own weight in order to our encouragement to deny our selves and lay hold on Christ Yet it is the Word of the Lord which can only quiet a man's conscience in this matter and make his mind fully aquiesce to it for the Apostle unto their example subjoyneth a Scripture-confirmation of the Truth in hand By the Works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Vers. 17. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the minister of sin God forbid HE preoccupieth an Objection which might have been framed against the present Doctrine thus If the Doctrine of Justification by Christ doth suppose that even the Jews themselves who are sanctified from the womb are equally sinners with the Gentiles and that being unable to attain to Justification by the Works of the Law they must only rely on Christ by Faith as Paul had but presently affirmed ver 16. Then it would seem to follow that Christ were the minister of sin or that the Doctrine of the Gospel did make men sinners both by taking away that Righteousnesse of the Law which the Jews thought they had and were warranted as they conceived by the Scriptures of the Old Testament so to think as also by furnishing both Jew and Gentile with an occasion to cast-by all care of Holinesse and
to subject our selves to any such Command is a receding from and a betraying of that liberty which is purchased unto us by Christ for he maketh their receiving of Circumcision as a necessary part of Worship a receding from this liberty because now in the dayes of the Gospel there is no command from God to be circumcised For in Jesus Christ saith he neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision 3. The ceremonial Law being abolished under the New Testament Christians are not left destitute of work and idle for though in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision yet Faith which worketh by love availeth 4. The sum of a Christian man's task now under the Gospel is the exercise of Faith which is the great Command of the Gospel 1 Joh. 3. 23. and of Love or new obedience for Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 10. neither is the use of the Sacraments and of other pieces of commanded Worship hereby excluded for they are helps of our Faith Rom. 4. 11. and a part of those duties of love which we owe to God as being enjoyned by the second Command for saith he in Christ Jesus availeth Faith that worketh by love 5. Though Faith only doth justifie there being no other grace which concurreth with it in this work Gal. 2. 16. Yet Faith is not alone in the heart no not when it doth justifie but is alwayes accompanied with the grace of Love to God and our neighbour for in Christ Jesus no Faith availeth any thing or will be owned by Him as true and saving but that which worketh by Love 6. Though Faith and Love be alwayes conjoyned yet Faith in order of nature at least hath the precedency it being impossible that we can discharge any duty of Love to God or our neighbour sincerely or acceptably before we close with Christ for the acceptation of our persons by Faith Heb. 11. 6. and thereby draw covenanted furniture from Christ for through-bearing in our duty 1 Tim. 1. 5. for saith he Faith worketh by Love or is efficacious and putteth forth its efficacy in Love as the fruit thereof Vers. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the Truth HE further presseth the former exhortation indirectly by four Arguments first By commending them for their former forwardnesse in the imbracing of this now controverted Truth which he calleth their running well or with a sort of beauty and comlinesse for so much doth the word signifie and shewing no satisfying reason could be given for their present defection from it and from walking according to it Doct. 1. A christian life is like to a course or race from Earth to Heaven by the way of Holinesse and all commanded duties especially the exercise of Faith and Love and therefore we ought to carry our selves in this way as those who run in a race See Philip. 3. 13. Doct. 4. for the Apostle setteth forth their progresse in Christianity by a metaphor taken from Runners in a race Ye did run well 2. It is very ordinary for new Converts to be carried-on with a greater measure of affection and zeal and to make swifter progresse in this christian course than others or they themselves afterwards when they are of older standing The newnesse of the thing the first edge which is upon their affections not yet blunted by change of cases and multiplicity of duties and Gods restraining for a time the violent assault of multiplied furious tentations untill they be a little confirmed and engaged in his way together with His affording a more plentifull measure of His sensible presence at first than afterwards do all contribute hereto for those Galatians at and for a season after their first conversion did run and run well 3. As those who once made good progresse in the wayes of God may afterward sit up their after-carriage proving no wayes answerable to their promising beginnings So when it falleth thus out it 's matter of a sad regrate unto beholders and of a deserved reproof unto the persons themselves for thus was it with those Galatians whose defection is matter of astonishment to Paul and of a sad rebuke to them Ye did run well who did hinder you 4. No satisfying reason can be given for which any who once did enter the way of truth and holinesse should alter his course take up an halt or make defection from it and thereby cause the wayes of God to be evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. for Paul's question Who did hinder you importeth that none in reason could have hindered them 5. When people fall remisse and lazie in giving obedience to known Truth they are upon the very brink precipice of defection unto contrary Error and of apostasie from the very profession of Truth for therefore the Apostle doth challenge them for not obeying the Truth though their apostasie from Truth be mainly intended implying that not obedience to Truth and apostasie from it are near of kin each to other 6. The serious consideration of a mans former forwardnesse in the wayes of God and how little reason can be given for his present backsliding and remissnesse is a strong incitement to do the first works and by future diligence to regain what he hath lost by his former negligence for the Apostle's scope is to incite towards a recovery of their lost liberty by the consideration of those two Ye did run well who did hinder you Vers. 8. This perswasion cometh not of Him that calleth you HE preoccupieth an objection for lest haply they had said They were fully perswaded in their conscience that the way wherein they now were was approven of God he reponeth that whatever perswasion they might have of that kind it was but a meer delusion as not coming from God who had called them to christian liberty ver 13. but from the Devil and his emissaries Doct. 1. The greatest untruths and foulest errors may be attended in those who vent them with no small measure of confidence and perswasion that they are undoubted Truths for Paul doth here speak against such a perswasion in those Galatians This perswasion cometh not of Him saith he 2. There is much perswasion and confidence whereof God is not the author and especially that which taketh darknesse for light and error for truth this perswasion is not of God or real but a strong delusion arising from arrogancy and self-conceit in the person erring 2 Tim. 3. 2 4. compared with ver 6. together with his strong engagements from credit profit or some other lust to follow that error which do blind the understanding 2 Tim. 4. 3. but especially from the powerfull working of Satan who blindeth the minds of those who believe not the Truth 2 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Thess. 2. 9 10. for saith he This perswasion cometh not of God 3. Whatever perswasion cometh not of God and is not grounded upon the Word of Truth is not to be valued
to stand to this liberty he subjoyneth by love serve one another 7. Though Christianity doth not abolish the civil distinction of masters and servants Eph. 6. 5 9. And though all Christians be in some respects the Lords free-men 1 Cor. 7. 22. yet they are all even the greatest not being excepted mutually servants one to another in so far as being fellow-members of one body 1 Cor. 12. 27. they ought not to live unto themselves only but to spend themselves in their respective imployments for the spiritual and civil advantage of the whole body and of every particular member thereof so far as their capacity and calling 2 Cor. 8. 12 13. do reach for the Apostle enjoyneth unto all without exception serve one another 8. It is not sufficient we do those things which are in themselves materially good or conducing to our neighbours profit and advantage except what is done of that kind do flow from the fountain of christian love towards him 1 Cor. 13. 2 for saith he serve one another by love 9. There is no duty so onerous in it self or so far below us in our esteem but the grace of love being lively in the heart will make us pleasantly stoop unto it if it were even to serve the meanest person in the world for he commandeth all even the greatest to serve one another by love importing where love is not this service will hardly be undergon and that love will make it easie Vers. 14. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self HE inforceth the last Rule by two Reasons first This serving one another by love is the most compendious way to keep the whole Law seing the whole Law is summed up in that one Word or Precept for the ten Precepts of the Law are called so many Words Exod. 34. 27. of loving our neighbour that is every one without exception to whom we have any opportunity offered of doing good Luke 10. 36 37. and that with as much sincerity as we do our selves Now love to our neighbour is called the fulfilling of the Law not as if love to God were not thereby commanded also Mat. 22. 37. but because love to our neighbour supposeth love to God and floweth from it as a stream from the fountain 1 Joh. 5. 1. and is an evidence of it 1 Joh. 4. 21. Doct. 1. Though Believers in Jesus Christ be delivered from the condemning sentence of the Law Rom. 8. 1. yet not from the directing power thereof The Law doth alwayes remain a rule of our new obedience though it cease from being a Judge either to justifie or condemn us for the Apostle inforceth the duty of love from the authority of the Law which doth enjoyn it for all the Law is fulfilled in one word c. saith he 2. Love to our neighbour is a most comprehensive duty as comprising not only inward affection but also outward action and extending it self to all the duties both positive and negative which are enjoyned by the whole second Table See Mat. 22. 39. love thy neighbour as thy self 3. There is not any of whatsoever rank or condition whether friend or foe Mat. 5. 44. to whom we do not owe the affection of love and the consciencious discharge of all those duties which are commanded in the second Table for we are commanded to love our neighbour that is as Christ explaineth Luke 10. 36 37. every man as opportunity doth offer 4. As the Precepts of the second Table do enjoyn every man to love and go about all other commanded duties towards his neighbour so also towards himself For although that inordinate and excessive love to self which is in every man by nature and whereby a man doth so love himself as that he postponeth Gods glory and his neighbours good to the fulfilling of his own fleshly lusts be no-where commanded but expresly guarded against Mat. 10. 39. Yet there is a lawfull orderly love to self which is enjoyned unto every man so as that by all lawfull means he labour to maintain what honour God hath put upon himself according to the fifth Command and to preserve his own life according to the sixth Command and so forth of the rest for the Command to love our neighbour as our self supposeth we ought to love our self to wit with subordination to God 5. The love and other duties flowing from love which every man is to carry unto and to discharge towards himself in subordination to God have the force of a rule and measure unto that love which we owe unto others so as that we are to love them first for God and His Command 1 Joh. 4. 21. Secondly in subordination to God Mat. 10. 37. Thirdly in sincerity there being both affection and action flowing from affection in our love to Him 1 Joh. 3. 18. for so we do and ought to love our selves Now the Law commandeth to love our neighbour as our selves Vers. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another HEre is a second argument to inforce the exercise of mutual love taken from some dangerous effects which doubtlesse had already followed in part among those Galatians occasioned by their debates and controversies and would yet follow more upon the want of love to wit first Their bitter strifes backbitings railings and reproaches set forth by the biting of wilde beasts And secondly other real injuries by fraud or violence which seem to be pointed at by devouring which is more than biting And lastly as a consequence of the two former a total vastation and consumption of the whole Church Doct. 1. As it is a matter of no small difficulty to entertain love among the members of a Church when they are divided in opinion and judgment about religious Truths So where love groweth cold Church-divisions have ordinarily sad and scandalous effects which argue little of a tender frame of heart in those who have them even such as are here mentioned biting and devouring one another 2. However a sectarian spirit doth ordinarily pretend to much sobriety and meeknesse especially when it first appeareth and hath but few to give it any countenance Rom. 16. 18. yet so soon as it hath gathered strength and gained many followers it hath been alwayes found most bitter and cruel for the effects of this renting schismatick spirit among those Galatians were no lesse than biting and devouring one another 3. In time of Church-divisions though that party which is for truth and piety be alwayes the most sober Jude v. 20. 21. yet considering that even they have much unmortified corruption apt to be provoked by the insolency of their schismatick adversaries there is no small hazard lest even they vent much of fleshly zeal and passion and while they are defending Truth become guilty of several miscarriages and so be rendred much the worse of their contests and divisions for the sin which
own House and Family which is the Church to whom He dispenseth and distributeth all her mercies comforts and crosses with no lesse yea with infinitly greater care wisdom and foresight than any man doth care provide for and govern his own family So among other things He dispenseth and ordereth times and seasons for his Church as not only having fixed in his eternal counsel the general periods of the Churches time how long the Church should be in her state of infancy how long under the bondage of the Law and how long she shall continue in her more grown and perfect age under the Gospel but also the time and season for bestowing of particular mercies and inflicting corrections and chastisements for the word rendred dispensation signifieth the way of administrating the affairs of the family by the master thereof and the times come under those things which are administrated by God That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times 7. As every time chosen of God for bestowing of any mercy is the full and fittest time for his bestowing of it So the time of Christ's incarnation is in a speciall manner the full time and fulnesse of time and that not only because it was that full time which God had appointed in his decree and for reasons known to his own unsearchable wisdom condescended upon as the most fitting time for that great work but also because all the fore-going prophecies promises and types of the Messias were fulfilled in those times Luke 24. 27. and the will of God concerning man's salvation was then and not till then fully revealed Heb. 1. 2. for the Apostle calleth those times the fulnesse of times That in the dispensation of the fulness of times 8. Though the benefits purchased by Christ and particularly that of effectuall calling and gathering together unto God those whom sin did separate from Him be intended for and accordingly doth light only upon few Mat. 7. 14. Yet the Gospel and Promise by which Christ and the benefits purchased by Him are revealed is drawn up in the most comprehensive expressions And this of purpose that none may hereby be excluded from laying hold upon that gracious offer but such as do exclude themselves Joh. 5. 40. for saith he That he might gather together in one all things both which are in heaven and which are on earth by which broad expressions are meaned only the Elect for there is an universality and world even of those 2 Cor. 5. 19. and not all the creatures not Devils or Reprobates Joh. 17. 9. yea to speak properly not yet the elect Angels who being never separated from God by sin cannot be gathered to him by Christ though they may improperly and in some respects be said to be so to wit because of those advantages which they have by Christ as that they are now most perfectly and inseparably united with God without hazard of being separated from Him Mat. 18. 10. and have attained the knowledge of that wonderfull plot of Man's Salvation through Jesus Christ which was a mysterie even to them Eph. 3. 10. and a greater measure of joy than formerly they had upon Christ's converting and saving of lost sinners Luke 15. 7 10. Doct. 9 All who belong to God's purpose of Election and who are or shall be gathered together in Christ are either in heaven or earth Paul knew no purgatory or third place for the souls of the Elect to go unto after death to endure the temporal punishment due to their sin for he divideth those all things which were to be gathered into things in heaven and things on earth 10. There is an union betwixt the Saints departed now in heaven and those who are yet alive upon the earth so as they make up one mystical body under one head Christ to whom the Saints departed are united though not by faith 1 Cor. 13. 10. yet by sense as we are united to Him by faith and as they are united to Christ so also one to another and to us by love for charity never faileth 1 Cor. 13. 8. from which union there floweth a communion betwixt them and us whereby they do pray for the Church in general Rev. 6. 10. though not for the particular conditions and persons of men upon earth whereof they are ignorant Isa. 63. 16. and the Godly upon earth do in heart and affection converse with them in heaven Philip. 3. 20. desiring continually to be dissolved and to be with Christ Philip. 1. 23. though they are not to pray unto them or give them religious worship Rev. 19. 10. for saith he That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times he might gather together in one things in heaven and things on earth 11. Jesus Christ is that person in and by whom we are gathered together unto God by faith in Him and to the Angels and also among our selves by the grace of love He having united the two dissentient parties God and man in His own Person Mat. 1. -23. and having satisfied justice for that wrong which caused the rent Isa. 53. 5. and working in us by His Spirit those graces of faith and love whereby we are made one with God and among our selves Act. 5. 31. and having by His death taken away that wall of partition and enimity which was betwixt Jew and Gentile Eph. 2. 14 15 16. it being also necessary that we be in Him by faith before we be united to God through Him for the Apostle is so much delighted with this Truth himself and would so gladly have it well known believed by others that he doth inculcate it twice in this one vers That he might gather together all things in Christ and again even in Him Vers. 11. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. THe Apostle having hitherto spoken of all the Elect in general doth now make application of the former doctrine first to the Jews and next to the Gentiles and hereby he doth yet further and thirdly inforce the fore-mentioned scope while he sheweth in effect that the prerogative of the Jews above the Gentiles made not grace the lesse free to them and that nothing which the Gentiles could pretend to beyond the Jews made it lesse free to them either And first he applyeth it unto the Jews whereof Paul was one and therefore he speaketh of them in the first person We. And first he sheweth that they to wit Believers among them as is explained ver -12. had in Christ and by vertue of His merit and intercession obtained an inheritance to wit of Heaven and Glory Col. 1. 12. and by consequence all the fore-mentioned blessings which lead to it and this not from their own merit or free choice but freely and as it were by lot wherein least of man is seen
condemnation unto others Heb. 11. 7. for the metaphor of an earnest used among Merchants when the sum covenanted is not presently given doth bear so much Who is the earnest of our inheritance 4. As even Believers are apt to doubt if ever the covenanted inheritance shall be bestowed and actually enjoyed by them So the Lord is most willing to do all which in reason can be required for removing all doubts of that kind and more particularly He giveth them an earnest or a part of this covenanted inheritance in hand to assure them of his purpose to bestow the whole in due time for the metaphor of an earnest doth bear this also the end of giving an earnest being to assure the receiver of the giver's honest purpose to perform all that he hath promised which otherwise might be called in question Who is the earnest of our inheritance 5. The Spirit of the Lord sealing Believers and those saving graces of the Spirit which he worketh in sealing do serve for the same uses in relation to the Covenant of Grace wherein heaven and glory is promised to Believers for which an earnest doth serve in a civil bargain for as the earnest is a part of the sum and usually but a small part and yet may assure the receiver of his obtaining the whole So the Spirit and His work of grace received here is begun glory Joh. 17. 3. and though but a small part of it 1 Cor. 13. 12 13. yet the smallest measure of grace may assure the man who hath it of his obtaining the full possession of glory in the day of the Lord Jesus Philip. 1. 6. hence the Apostle calleth the Spirit with his graces this earnest Who is the earnest of our inheritance From the time how long the use of this earnest was to continue Learn 1. As real Believers are Christs possession in whom He dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. and whom He manureth and maketh fruitfull Joh. 15. -2. So He hath purchased them to wit by paying a price to provoked justice 1 Cor. 6. 20. and by force from Satan their old possessor and master Heb. 2. 14 15. and purchased them for this end that He might possesse them for speaking of Believers he calleth them a purchased possession 2. Though the redemption and delivery of Believers be already begun and their bonds loosed in part Col. 1. 13. yet their compleat redemption is but to come to wit from sin at death Heb. 12. -23. and from misery not untill the last day then and not while then shall their bodies be raised up in glory and their redemption be full and compleat Rom. 8. 23. for the Apostle speaketh of their redemption as of a thing yet to come Untill the redemption of the purchased possession 3. As this earnest even the holy Spirit with His graces being once given cannot totally be lost So if this day of redemption were once come there shall be no further use of an earnest the covenanted inheritance will then be fully possessed and consequently no place left for fears or doubts about the obtaining of it for he saith the Spirit was to be an earnest untill the redemption and so He must continue with them untill then but was not to serve for an earnest any longer Who is the earnest untill the redemption of the purchased possession From the end proposed see what is already observed upon ver 6. and ver 12. Vers. 15. Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints 16. Cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers THe Apostle in the second part of the Chapter taking occasion from what he heard of those Ephesians breaketh forth in thanksgiving and prayer to God for them whereby he prosecuteth his main scope in so far as that by every sentence and word almost he doth breath forth the high esteem which he had of God's free grace in Christ and thereby doth confirm their faith besides that while he prayeth for their perseverance and growth in the faith and knowledge of saving truths he doth indirectly at least excite them to persevere and make progresse in the same And first having shewn the good report which was brought unto him of those spiritual graces which were eminent in them whereof he instanceth two which are the sum and compend of all the rest and doth illustrate them from their principal object faith in Jesus Christ and love to all the Saints ver 15. he maketh known unto them what was his exercise upon their behalf even that being incited by the consideration of these spiritual blessings bestowed by God upon them and mentioned ver 13 14. and by the report which he had of them ver 15. he made conscience to continue in the duties of thanksgiving and prayer to God for them ver 16. From Vers. 15. Learn 1. It is not sufficient that Christs Ministers do presse duties upon the Lords People having convincedly cleared unto their consciences the equity which is in those duties but they must also hold forth unto them a copie of that obedience which they so much presse by their own example and practice for so the Apostle having abundantly cleared ver 13 14. that the Lord 's converting and sealing of those Ephesians did call upon them to praise the glory of His grace he himself doth here put hand to this work Wherefore saith he I cease not to give thanks for you 2. It is a great encouragement to blesse the Lord and to pray unto Him in behalf of those who are making conscience of these duties for themselves for while he saith I also give thanks he supposeth they were doing the like and that he was encouraged from thence 3. Grace is like a precious oyntment whose savour cannot be hid the report of it where it is in life will spread and make his name who hath it savoury unto such as are truly gracious themselves for Paul though at a great distance being now at Rome heard of their faith in Jesus Christ and love to all the Saints 4. It is the duty of Christians to be joyfully reporting and speaking of the grace of God and good which is in others providing it be wisely done that is first sparingly and so as not to place all our own Religion in speaking of the Religion of others Secondly not rashly or without such grounds in the person whom we commend as charity at least may rest upon Thirdly impartially and not factiously crying up some and decrying others who are equally deserving Jude -16. for Paul's hearing of their faith and love implyeth that some had reported to him of that good which was in them 5. Even in the best Churches in those primitive times who were most commended by the Apostles every one had not faith and so is it yet All are not Israel who are of Israel Rom. 9. 6. for the word rendred their faith in the Original is the faith which
is among you he could not say positively that all of them had faith but faith was among them 6. Saving faith is an excellent fruit of the Gospel preached among a People without which the Word cannot profit Heb. 4. 2. and by which we are united to Christ and have right to all the spiritual blessings purchased by Christ who is the chief object of faith whom it doth apprehend as He is offered in the Promise for Paul doth mention their faith in Jesus Christ as an excellent praise-worthy fruit of the Gospel for which he blesseth God After I heard of your faith in Jesus Christ saith he 7. The grace of love to our neighbour with the duties thereof flowing from love to God in the first place 1 Joh. 4. 12. is an excellent praise-worthy fruit of the Gospel preached among a People especially when the Saints have most of this love as resembling God most And when their love is laid forth upon Saints as they are Saints and for the reality or appearance of God in them and not for other by-respects only or mainly and in a word when it is extended unto all Saints for Paul doth mention their love to the Saints and to all Saints as another excellent praise-worthy fruit of the Gospel for which he blesseth God After I heard of your love unto all the Saints 8. As the graces of faith in Christ and love to the Saints are alwayes conjoyned they being in a manner the two legs of a Christian without any one whereof he cannot walk and the other is but dead and withered I am 2. 17. so faith in its exercise hath the precedency of love faith being the fountain from which the streams of love do flow in so far as faith laying hold upon God's love in Christ inflameth the heart with love to God which love to God consisteth in keeping of His Commandments 1 Joh. 5. 3. and the chief of God's Commands next unto love to Himself is that we love our brother 1 Joh. 4. 21. for the Apostle here as elsewhere Col. 1. 4. 1 Thess. 1. 4. conjoyneth these two graces and giveth faith the precedency After I heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and love to all the Saints From Vers. 16. Learn 1. As the duties both of thanksgiving and prayer ought to be made conscience of by Christians so the practice of these two duties do well together for each of them doth contribute for the help of another in so far as thanksgiving to God for favours received doth notably tend to suppresse that fretting quarrelling impatient humour which often venteth it self against God in our prayers Psal. 77. 7. compared with 10 11. and the exercise of prayer doth elevate the heart somewhat towards God and so in some measure warm the affections with love to God Psal. 25. 1. and thus disposeth much for the duty of thanksgiving for the Apostle maketh conscience of both those duties and that joyntly I cease not to give thanks in my prayers 2. It is not sufficient for Christians once to begin well and break off fair in the practice of those duties but they must continue in them there being always abiding reasons both for thanksgiving and prayer and when there is a lazy falling off from the practice of them for a time it is usually found a task of greater difficulty to begin of new than it was at first for the Apostle saith I cease not to give thanks in my prayers he ceased not to wit so far as his other necessary imployments and duties of his calling did permit for what we do frequently and alwayes when occasion offereth we are said to do it without ceasing 3. The Ministers of Jesus Christ especially ought not to be puffed up with any successe which the Lord is pleased to give unto their labours or sacrifice to their own drag or net Gal. 6. 13. but would ascribe the praise thereof to God who alone maketh His People to profit Isa. 48. 17. for Paul hearing of their faith and love ceased not to give thanks for them to God 4. As it is the duty of one Christian to pray for another and especially of a Minister for his Flock So our prayers for others will avail little except we be daily making conscience of praying to God for our selves for saith Paul I make mention of you in my prayers he had his own ordinary prayers for himself wherein he did remember them 5. As to the occasion of his praying for them see upon Col. 1. 9. doct 1. Vers. 17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened THe Apostle in the second place giveth a short sum of his prayer unto God for them And first he describeth God the Father unto whom he prayeth to be the God of our Lord Jesus Christ to wit as Christ is man Psal. 22. 10. as He is our Mediator Psal. 40. 8. and with relation to that Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ as mediator Heb. 2. 13. And the Father of glory so called because He is in His own nature infinitly glorious Psal. 145. 5. the fountain of the whole Godhead and all the divine Attributes in the Son Psal. 2. 7. and holy Ghost Joh. 14. 26. for glory is sometimes taken for the Godhead and divine Attributes Joh. 2. 11. and because He is the first cause of all that glory which is in any of the creatures Psal. 8. 5. And lastly He is the object of all glory to whom all glory is due from the creatures Psal. 19. 1. Secondly he sheweth what he sought in prayer even wisdom or a further encrease of that wisdom and saving knowledge of divine mysteries whereof the Spirit of God is the author mentioned ver 8. together with a clearer insight in Scripture where those mysteries are revealed by the same Spirit Which wisdom he sheweth doth mainly consist in the saving believing and operative knowledge of Him that is of Jesus Christ ver 17. And having more clearly expressed what he meaneth by this Spirit of wisdom even the removing of the natural blindnesse of their understandings and enduing them with a clear discerning in the things of God ver 17 he doth illustrate it further from those ends for the attainment whereof he would have this wisdom bestowed as shall be cleared afterwards Hence Learn 1. The more painfull and laborious that others whether Ministers parents friends or neighbours are for bringing about our salvation and spiritual good we ought to be so much the more excited to painfulnesse and diligence about the same thing our selves else their pains will not only do us no good but also much hurt the Lord usually judicially plaguing the man whom every one would have doing well only himself will not for the Apostle sheweth that he prayed and what he prayed for from God unto them not
wonderfull and matchlesse love for saith he For His great love wherewith He loved us 9. The Lord hath love to the Elect even when they are children of wrath and liable in the course of justice to the stroke of His vindictive anger for although God could not with safety of His own justice bestow Heaven upon them when they were actually such yet nothing hindereth why He might not love them being such that is have a will and fixed resolution even when they were liable unto wrath to bestow Heaven upon them having first from that same love given His own Son to deliver them from that state of wrath that so what eternal love had resolved to give them might be actually bestowed upon them without doing injury to divine justice for ver 3. he sheweth they were children of wrath and here that God loved them and both these before He quickned them Wherewith He loved us saith he even in the by-past time 10. The doctrine of our natural misery and spirituall death through sin is a lesson most necessary to be learned which we have no great pleasure to learn and which we are prone to forget as to a deep and lively impression of it even when it is learned for the Apostle's repeating this doctrine almost in the same words by which he had expressed it ver 1. doth hint at all these Even when we were dead in sins saith he 11. There is no application of the doctrine of God's mercy in order to our delivery from sin and misery except the doctrine of sin and misery be first applied and taken with for Paul being to apply God's mercy in quickning sinners unto himself and his country-men the believing Jews he doth first apply the doctrine of natural sin and misery unto them while he doth now speak of himself and the Jews also whereas ver 1. he spoke of the Gentiles only as appeareth by the change of the person Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 12. Whatever a man be before his conversion as to the point of civility and right use of his natural parts yet he is looked upon by God when He cometh to quicken him as one dead in sins who can neither help himself nor merit help at God's hand for therfore doth the Apostle assert that they were dead in sins immediatly before yea and in the act of God's quickning of them while he saith Even when we were dead in sins He hath quickned us 13. The state of grace which sinners dead by nature are brought unto at their conversion and wherein they continue untill death is a state of life the sentence of eternall death which they were liable unto ver -3. being taken off Rom. 8. 1. there being also new principles and powers infused in them at their effectuall calling whereby they are enabled to do those actions of a spiritual life Ezek. 36. 26 27. which powers are also continually actuated and excited to their work by renewed influence from the Spirit of God Philip. 2. 13. and accompanied oftimes in their actings with assurance of God's love Rom. 8. 16. peace of conscience Rom. 5. 1 2. and joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. whereby also they have not only a right unto Joh. 3. 16. but also the first fruits and begun possession of eternall life Joh. 17. 3. for the Apostle expresseth God's bringing them to and continuing them in the state of grace by His quickning of them hath quickned us saith he 14. Though love and mercy in God do set Him on work to quicken dead sinners yet this work cannot be brought about or accomplished without the intervention of Christ's merit and intercession who behoved to satisfie divine justice and thereby acquire unto us those things which love and mercy had prepared for us Isa. 53. 5. seing they were all lost in Adam Rom. 5. 15 16. and who being now exalted doth also apply them to us Act. 5. 31. for notwithstanding of what was said ver 4. of God's mercy and love as the inward impulsive causes moving God to quicken them yet the Apostle here sheweth that their actual quickning had a necessary dependance upon Christ's merit and mediation while he saith He hath quickned us together with Christ. 15. That Jesus Christ behoved of necessity to strike-in with His merit and mediation hereby to acquire and apply saving grace and salvation unto us doth in nothing hinder but that notwithstanding our compleat salvation from the first step unto the last doth wholly flow from God's free grace seing it was of grace that the Father did send the Son to die for us Joh. 3. 16. It was of grace that the Son did undertake Joh. 15. 12 13. And it is no lesse grace that what He did or suffered should be accepted in our name Rom. 3. 24 25. So that all is of grace and free good-will as to us for the Apostle having pointed at the necessity of Christ's mediation in order to their quickning doth presently adde as in a parenthesis by grace are ye saved 16. There is an infallible connexion betwixt converting grace and salvation so that all those who are now converted and quickned shall be undoubtedly saved for what the Apostle calleth quickned in the former part of the verse he calleth saved in the close so that he taketh the one for the other He hath quickned us By grace are ye saved Vers. 6. And hath raised us up together and made us fit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus HEre are the other two branches of their delivery to wit first The raising of their bodies at the last day for their spiritual resurrection from the death of sin to newnesse of life was mentioned ver 5. Secondly Their glorification in Heaven both which are yet to come 2 Tim. 2. 18. Mat. 25. 34. And yet he speaketh of them as already past when the Father raised and glorified Christ because seing Christ in His resurrection and entering of heaven did sustain a publick person representing all the Elect as their Head and Atturney-generall Job 10. 15. Therefore He was judicially looked upon by God in those actions as if all the Elect had risen when He rose and taken possession of Heaven when He did enter it Hence it is that in the close of the verse it is added in Christ to shew we are not yet raised and glorified in our own persons but in Christ our Head And the Spirit of God doth choose to set forth their future resurrection and glorification by shewing these are already accomplished in Christ their Head rather than by saying God shall raise them up and glorifie them that he may with one and the same labour point out the dependencie which their resurrection and glorification have upon Christs as the effect upon the cause the thing promised upon the pledge thereof as also the undoubted certainty that those shall come to passe a certainty greater than that of a simple prediction and
be totally exstinct but was to be preached believed and obeyed in some 〈…〉 es at least of the world throughout all ages to the worlds end for the Apostle sheweth it was Gods design to have the exceeding riches of His grace shown forth in all succeeding ages and generations that in the ages to come he might shew 5. Gods bypast dealing whether in mercy or judgement 1 Corinth 10 6. are speaking lessons unto those who are in the ages following as holding forth both matter of praise unto God manifested in those Psal. 136. 10 c. as also matter of instruction in our duty to us 1 Cor. 10. 6. So that the after-ages in this respect are better ages than the former in so far as the latter have the advantage of those examples in the former ages which they themselves did want for the Apostle sheweth the benefit of God's gr 〈…〉 ious dealing with Believers in the present age should accresce unto the following ages That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace 6. As all those benefits which come to Believers do flow from the kindnesse of God or His native willingnesse to imploy what goodnesse is in Him for the good of His creatures So though the effects of His generall kindnesse and benevolence which are common to all the creatures Psal. 145. 9. do flow from God as Creator in the channel of common providence Psal. 104. 28. yet the effects of His speciall kindnesse and such as relate to life and godlinesse do all of them flow from God as reconciled through Christ and are convoyed through the conduit of Christs merit and intercession for the Apostle summing up all these saving benefits together with the way how they are convoyed he saith In his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus 7. The lively and serious consideration of those excellent benefits flowing from Gods mercy grace goodwill and bounty together with the consideration of the vileness and wretchednesse of those upon whom those excellent benefits are bestowed and of the way which infinit Wisdom set on work by eternal love hath found out for convoying those so excellent mercies to such base and unworthy objects even the incarnation obedience sufferings and high exaltation of Jesus Christ I say it is the consideration of all those joyntly which tendeth to set forth most convincingly how exceedingly gracious God is for the Apostle sheweth this convincing evidence doth lye in those three first in his kindnesse secondly towards us thirdly through Jesus Christ. Vers. 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God THe Apostle Fourthly While he giveth a reason of what is said ver 7. as appeareth by the causall particle for doth sum up all which hath been spoken from ver 4. in this one comprehensive proposition that their compleat salvation from the first step unto the last did flow from Gods grace and favour for by grace here must be meaned Gods free favour and grace in him not the effects of this grace good works or grace inherent in us for those are expresly excluded ver 9. and withall that they were so saved by grace as faith was not excluded This grace of faith being the hand or instrument whereby we lay hold upon and apply to our selves Jesus Christ and His righteousnesse offered freely in the Gospel in order to our salvation Rom. 3. 25. And Secondly Because the establishing of them in this truth is his main scope through the whole first part of the Epistle therefore he doth here not only explain in what sense salvation doth flow from grace but also doth expresly confirm it by arguments First by removing all things in generall which could be called theirs whether prerogative priviledge naturall or acquired worth from being the meritorious procuring cause of their salvation or of any part of it the truth whereof is more than evident from what is said of their spirituall death in sins and trespasses ver 1 2 3. and therefore he needeth not bring any new argument to prove it Secondly by asserting from that same ground that their salvation was Gods gift and therefore it behoved to be free and of grace else it could not be a gift Doct. 1. Though the ascribing of salvation unto works is not wholly inconsistent with and destructive of Gods grace from having any influence upon salvation seing Adam's salvation even according to the tenor of the Covenant of works had been also of grace in some respect it being of grace that God did enter any Covenant with man at all and of grace also that He did accept even of mans perfect obedience so as upon his performance of it to make him sure of eternall life yet the ascribing of salvation or any part of it unto the merit or worth of works doth obscure and is inconsistent with that exceeding riches of grace which God intendeth to set forth by that way of salvation which is propounded in the Covenant of Grace for the Apostle being here to prove that Gods way of saving those Ephesians was a fit mean to set forth the exceeding riches of His grace giveth this for a reason even that their salvation did flow only from grace and from nothing in themselves nor any work of theirs So that if it did not flow only from grace and from nothing in themselves it could not demonstrate those exceeding riches of His grace for saith he ye are saved by grace and that not of your selves not of works 2. Whatever differences may be among severall persons in other things yet all come of Adam by ordinary generation are equall as in their common misery by nature so in the way of their delivery from that misery by free grace through a Redeemer there being no other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved but the name of Jesus Act. 4. 12. for therefore doth the Apostle so frequently change the person in this first part of the Chapter while he sometimes speaketh of the Ephesians and Gentiles alone in the second person as ver 1. sometimes of himself and of the Jews with them in the first person as ver 5 6. not as if some part of the purpose did belong only to the one alone and some part of it unto both joyntly for in one and the same purpose he changeth the person as while he giveth a reason in this verse of what he spoke ver 7. but rather to shew that the purpose here insisted on which is mans misery by nature and their delivery from that misery by free grace and Christ doth belong equally to Jew and Gentile and therefore he standeth not much to which of them he doth speak for by grace are ye saved saith he 3. As Believers are in some sense already saved not only because they have salvation begun in their new birth which is a passing from death unto life 1 Joh. 3. 14. but also they
do find himself inclined and constrained to improve in his station and according to his measure all his receipts whether of saving graces or common gifts to the spirituall advantage of others and chiefly for the common good of the whole body he may the more certainly conclude that he hath the grace of sincere love and charity rooted in his heart and is acted by it for he maketh love the impulsive cause why the severall members do improve all their receipts for promoving the edification of the whole Church while he saith it maketh increase to the edifying of it self in love Vers. 17. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind THe Apostle being in the second part of the Chapter to dehort them from all impiety and profanity in the general contrary to that walking worthy of their vocation pressed ver 1. giveth an example of that wickednesse from which he dehorteth them in the conversation of those other Gentiles who were yet unconverted and living in paganism And first while he doth most seriously and under a grave obtestation by the Lord Jesus Christ as they would answer to Him and evidence their esteem of Him dehort them from walking as those other Gentiles he giveth a short sum of that godlesse conversation of theirs calling it a walking in the vanity of the mind that is a following and practising of whatsoever their unrenewed understanding and mind did teach and prescribe to which he ascribeth vanity and calleth the mind of unrenewed men vain because it is empty of the knowledge of God in Christ 1 Cor. 2. 14. and what knowledge it hath of God or of right and wrong is nothing but evanishing notions Rom. 1. 21. and wholly unprofitable as to the attaining of life and salvation Rom. 1. -20. for a vain thing according to the common and scripture-use of the word is an empty thing Isa. 41. 29. an evanishing thing Prov. 31. 30 and a thing unprofitable to attain the end intended Psal. 33. 17. Doct. 1. To live in a course of profanity and to be a member of Christs mystical body drawing life nourishment and growth from Christ the head are wholly inconsistent if the one be the other cannot be seing profanity of life is not only directly opposit to that new life of grace which all the members of that body do live but also doth wholly obstruct the passages betwixt the head and the members whereby spiritual influence for life and growth should be conveyed 1 Joh. 1. 6. for the Apostle from what he spake of influence for life and growth conveyed from Christ the head to all the members doth infer here that therefore and as they would evidence themselves lively members of that body so they would abandon profanity while he saith This I say therefore that ye walk not as other Gentiles 2. Ministers ought to be serious in pressing the duties of sanctification upon the Lords people not only simply exhorting but sometimes most gravely obtesting them by that which is dearest to them whereby the Lords people may know that their obedience to what is pressed is no trifling matter but such as their eternal welbeing is most highly concerned in for therefore doth Paul not only say and exhort them but also testifie and obtest them in the Lord that they walk not henceforth as other Gentiles 3. Our long continuance in sin already is so far from being an argument in reason to make us hold on in that course for the time coming that upon the contrary this very same consideration should be a strong argument to shame us from it for so much is implyed in his saying that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles as if he had said Ye have done so hithertils therefore do no more so See 1 Pet. 4. 3. Doct. 4. Our turning to God in earnest to expect life and salvation from Him through Jesus Christ doth call for and will be attended with an other sort of conversation than what we formerly had before conversion or that naturall men dead in sins and trespasses for the present have for Paul exhorteth these converted Ephesians not to walk as they themselves somtimes did nor as the unconverted Gentiles at present did I testifie saith he that ye hence-forth walk not as other Gentiles walk 5. Sense of mercy received from God is a strong incitement unto dutie toward God for he doth not obscurely hint at Gods mercy in separating them from the common lot of other Gentiles that so they may be the more incited to eschew what might dishonour Him that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles 6. The vilenesse of sin is such that it cannot be sufficiently expressed and so expressed as to make us abhor it by doctrine or word-speaking therefore it is sometimes profitable to take a look of it in its vilenesse power and tyrannie as it manifesteth it self in the lives of unrenewed men who are captive slaves unto it providing we so look to it as to make us abhor it and carry at a greater distance from it for therefore doth Paul hold forth a map of that wickednesse which he deborteth them from in the example of those unconverted Gentiles that by seeing of it they might the more abhor it That ye hence-forth walk not as other Gentiles walk 7. The conversation of all men unrenewed is vain and fruitlesse as spending their money for that which is not bread and their labour for that which satisfieth not Isa. 55. 2. for he speaketh of all the unconverted Gentiles that they walk in vanity 8. Whatever vanity or wickednesse is in the outward conversation of a naturall man it doth wholly flow from the vanity of the mind and understanding within and as the mind is so will the conversation be and therefore even the mind it self the chief seat of reason is corrupted and vain and so vain that from thence doth flow corruption and vanity to the whole man for he ascribeth the vanity of their walking to the vanity of their mind As other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind saith he Vers. 18. Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart NExt that the Apostle may the more effectually deter them from walking as these other Gentiles did he doth more largely and distinctly set forth that vain and godlesse conversation of theirs by shewing severall branches and degrees thereof both inward in their understanding and affections and outward in their life and conversation And first he sheweth that their understanding and knowing part or that part of it whereby men do reason inferring one thing from another for so the word signifieth was wholly blind and darkened to wit as to those things which relate to God and heaven 1 Cor. 1. 21. whatever was their understanding and quicknesse of judgement in
A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLES of Paul TO THE GALATIANS AND EPHESIANS BY JAMES FERGUSSON Minister at Kilwinning Isa. 28. 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another c. LONDON Printed for the Company of STATIONERS Anno Dom. 1659. To the Right Honourable and noble Lords Alexander Earl of Eglintoun c. AND Hugh Lord Montgomery his Son And to the Right Honourable noble Lady The Lady Mary Lesley Lady Montgomery RIGHT HONOURABLE IT is decreed in Heaven That we must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God Act. 14. -22. God only wise hath so resolved that by means of sanctified trouble the Heirs of glory may be weaned from earth and learn to place their chief contentment and happinesse not upon their enjoyments below which are uncertain empty and perishing but upon things above an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them How hard were it to make even those who are born of God long to be dissolved and bid adieu to all their sublunary contentments except the Lord in mercy did place a prick in every one of those roses and make their most promising earthly comforts within a little to prove as streams of brooks that passe away Job 6. 15 And how should this conciliate love to a sad and suffering lot and make the Lord's People who are strangers and pilgrims delight in the way which leadeth to such an home as Heaven is It is indeed our unacquaintance with Scripture and with what the Word of Truth holdeth forth to be the mind of God while He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth which doth occasion so much proud rising of spirit or base dejectedness of mind when the Lord doth not carve us out such a satisfying lot in all things as we would How often do we mistake our way and little lesse than quarrel with God only because He hedgeth us in with thorns of affliction that we cannot find out our lovers and therefore that man is truly blessed whom the Lord doth not only chastise but also instruct out of His Law Ps. 94. 12. and thereby make him understand and hear the voice of the rod and of Him who hath appointed it Mica 6. 9. And herein indeed the Lord doth greatly manifest His marvellous loving kindnesse and in wrath remembreth mercy that He joyneth instruction with correction and doth furnish His afflicted People with abundant means by which they may take up the mind of God for good unto them under His saddest dispensations even that the fruit of affliction is to take away their sin Isa. 27. 9 that He doth punish them seven times more and yet seven times more untill their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity Levit. 26. 24 28 41. that though He visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless His loving kindnesse will He not utterly take from him Psal. 89. 32 33. and that when they are judged they are chastened of the Lord that they should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. All this and much more to this purpose hath the Lord made known by His Word and doth daily inculcate and make more and more known by His sent Ministers who according to their Commission do open up and apply the rich treasure of holy Scripture unto the Lords People of their charge And as if all this were not sufficient He hath besides stirred up the spirits of many of His Servants in every age to 〈…〉 mit their Labours upon Scripture unto writing for the more publick use of the Church of God not only in the present but also the succeeding generations As for my self I ingenuously professe that being conscious of mine own weaknesse I did much incline to rest satisfied with expressing my Commission by word only in preaching to and conferring with my Flock and those of my charge But being earnestly requested and in a manner commanded by some Reverend Brethren whom I honour and reverence in the Lord to draw up briefly in writ a plain Analysis a short and sound Exposition of and the chief Observations grounded upon such Scriptures as I had either largely preached upon or more briefly opened-up to the Lords People of my charge I shewed them some of my weak endeavours of that kind to be disposed upon at their pleasure which when they were pleased to publish and to call for more work of the same nature expressing their confidence that what I had already done was acceptable to all that love the Truth and would be edifying to the present and after-ages and being thereunto also encouraged by diverse faithfull and understanding persons I have in obedience to their desires given-out this other Piece to be disposed of by them as they should see good And seing they have advised the publishing of it To whom could I with more confidence and conscience of duty dedicate these my mean labours than to your Honours considering that God hath appointed me to watch for your souls as one who must g 〈…〉 n account and that your Honours have endeavoured for your parts to encourage me to go about all the parts of my Ministery with joy and not with grief My Lords when I called to remembrance how long each of you was detained these years by-past from enjoying the benefit of my publick Ministery by your necessitated abode elsewhere I thought the best way to give you an account and to make you reap some fruit of my labours in your absence was to present these my weak endeavours to your Honours and what you have heard from me upon these Scriptures in publick when you were permitted to be my hearers I hope this little piece shall conduce to bring it to your remembrance and the Lord Himself convey it into your hearts there to remain to make your Honours more and more wise to salvation that in the day of the Lord Jesus ye may be matter of joy and a crown of rejoycing to those who have laboured among you and spoken the Word of God unto you And for you Madam who hath had liberty to be my hearer more frequently and constantly than my noble Lords as I trust your Honour will observe there is a good harmony betwixt that which I taught in the Congregation and which I now publish to the world and that this little piece shall according to your usuall diligence in searching Scripture and in keeping fellowship with God in the practice of all commanded duties be improved by your Honour for your further edification and encouragment to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing So when I consider how refreshfull it hath been often unto me to behold your sweet submission under the Lord's hand your truly
receive a proof of God's fidelity in bearing them through all hazards which they may meet with in following of His Call 2 Cor. 1. 10. Thus was it with Moses Exod. 2. 10 c. so was it with Jeremiah Jer. 1. 19. and so here with Paul whose first work after God had called him to be an Apostle was to preach the Gospel among the wicked and savage Arabians I went to Arabia 4. The Apostles by their Office were not fixed or tied unto any certain Charge as ordinary Ministers now are Rev. 2. 1 8. but their Charge being the whole World Mat. 28. 19. they went from place to place as the necessities of People required Rom. 1. 11. rules of Providence Rom. 15. 20. or God by His Spirit did immediatly direct Act. 16. 9 10. Thus Paul went unto Arabia and returned again to Damascus near to which he was converted Act. 9. 3. at which time of his return did fall out that hazard wherein he was from the Jews mentioned Act. 9. 23 c. for the history sheweth it was many dayes after his conversion and that immediately after his delivery from it he went to Jerusalem and conversed familiarly with the Apostles and therefore it could not have been before his journey to Arabia else that history should contradict Paul himself affirming here that he went up to Jerusalem to them who were Apostles before him Vers. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen dayes 19. But other of the Apostles saw I none save James the Lord's Brother HEre is a third Evidence to wit that three years after his conversion he went to Jerusalem to give a familiar serious and friendly visit to Peter in token of mutual consent and agreement to one and the self-same Truth which was preached by them both but not that he might learn the knowledge of the Gospel from Peter as his adversaries alleaged for his abode with Peter was but for fifteen dayes only ver 18. And lest any should object that he had been taught at that time by some other Apostle he sheweth he saw no other Apostle there but James and that he did see him only as it were upon the by which James was not the son of Zebedeus who was beheaded by Herod Act. 12. 2. but the son of Alpheus Mat. 10. 3. who either himself or his wife hath been of kinred with Mary the mother of Jesus Hence James their son is here called the Lord's Brother according to the custom of the Hebrews who called men of the same kinred and bloud Brethren Gen. 13. 8. Doct. 1. That nothing of Peter's supposed supremacy over Paul and the rest of the Apostles can be gathered from this place as the Papists do alleage appeareth from this that Paul went first to his Work before he came to Peter at all and that his businesse with Peter was not to receive ordination from him or to evidence his subjection to him but from the respect and reverence he carried to him to give him a friendly visit Besides that it is the Apostle's scope in a great part of this Epistle to shew that he was nothing inferiour to Peter or to any other of the Apostles 2. We ought so to spend our time for diligence and faithfulnesse in our stations that we may be able to give a good account how time hath been spent both for dayes and years Paul giveth such an account while he sheweth he preached three years in Arabia and Damascus and after stayed in Jerusalem fifteen dayes Then after three years I went up and abode fifteen dayes 3. It ought to be the endeavour of Christ's Ministers to entertain love and familiarity one with another as also to make their so doing evident unto others it being most unseemly for those who preach the Gospel of Peace unto others to live in discord among themselves for Paul went up to Jerusalem to see Peter as for other reasons so that hereby he might evidence that love and harmony which was between them 4. The Lord doth so direct the steps of those who do acknowledge Him in all their wayes Prov. 3. 6. that His glory and their good is sometimes eminently brought about by some of the ordinary passages of their life even beyond their own intention or purpose as here Paul's deferring to go to Jerusalem for the space of three years his abode there only fifteen dayes and his seeing none of the Apostles there save Peter and James do serve as an evidence to refute that calumny of his adversaries against his Doctrine and Office and hath been ordered so of God for that end although Paul in the mean time knew not so much being then ignorant that ever he should meet with such a calumny 5. As Ministers may and ought to meet sometimes together to evidence and entertain mutual love and concord and because of that mutual inspection which they ought to have one of another So their meetings ought neither to be so frequent or of so long continuance as that thereby their Flocks may suffer prejudice for the word importeth that this was a serious visit and about serious things made by Paul to Peter and yet he remained with him but a short time untill he returned to his Charge again He went to see Peter and abode with him fifteen dayes Vers. 20. Now the things which I write unto you behold before God I lie not THe Apostle having to do with adversaries and some also amongst the seduced Galatians who gave not much credit to his Word asserteth the truth of all he hath said and is to say in matter of fact through the whole Epistle and confirmeth it by an oath where according to the use of Scripture els-where he expresseth but one principal part of an oath to wit a confession of God's presence and power to witnesse and judge the Truth and includeth the other parts such as our invocation of God to bear witnesse that we speak the truth 2 Cor. 1. 23. and imprecation that God would be a Judge to take revenge upon us if we lie Ruth 1. 17. Doct. 1. The Spirit of God in Scripture hath not left us destitute of sufficient evidences to be found in Scripture it self from whence the truth of it may be made out and all atheistical doubtings to the contrary removed among which this is one the solemn Oath of those who write it being men otherwise godly and worthy of trust attesting the truth thereof and taking God to witnesse against their own soul if they did lie in what they wrote Behold before God I lie not 2. The choicest Servants of Christ may be looked upon as liars and unworthy to be trusted even by those to whom they are sent and yet they must not give over to preach as knowing the Word spoken by them doth still get credit from some 2 Cor. 2. 15. and will beget trust to it self from others whom God hath ordained to be
10. 31. duties of our lawful imployments Heb. 11. 33. and to our carriage under crosses Heb. 11. 24 25. for by the life which Paul lived in the flesh is meaned this natural life Heb. 5. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 2. and his living this spiritual life of Faith was extended even to the things of that life The life which I now live in the flesh is by the Faith of the Son of God Doct. 7. As Jesus Christ did give Himself a Ransom for the Elect See chap. 1. 4. so no worth in us no good which He expecteth from us or need which He stood in of us but only love in Him to us did move Him so to do He loved me and gave Himself for me 8. Though the full perswasion and assurance of Christ's special love unto and His dying for me in particular is not the very essence and being of saving Faith Eph. 1. 13. for saving Faith may be without it Isa. 50. 10. Yet it is a thing which may be had without extraordinary revelation the Spirit of God enabling the Believer to discern in himself those graces 1 Cor. 2. 12. which are set down as marks of His special love and favour in Scripture 1 Joh. 3. 14 18 19 21 24. and bearing witnesse with His Spirit that he is a childe of God Rom. 8. 16. and this assurance should be aimed at in the right method by all 2 Pet. 1. 10. for Paul speaking in the name of other Believers sheweth he had attained it Who loved me and gave Himself for me saith he 9. This full perswasion and assurance in its own nature is so far from making those who have it loose the reigns to wickednesse and security that upon the contrary it serveth as a strong incitement to make them mortifie sin and live that spiritual life of Faith which is here spoken of for it served for this use unto Paul I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself forme Vers. 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God for if rightebusnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain HAving removed the objection the Apostle proceedeth to establish Justification by Faith and not by the Works of the Law by a second argument to this purpose If we be justified by the Law or works done in obedience to the Law Then those two absurdities would follow 1. God's free grace and favour should be rejected despised frustrated and made uselesse for the word signifieth all these and the reason of the consequence lyeth in this That if Justification be by Works Then it cannot be by Grace Rom. 11. 6. 2. Christ's death had been in vain without any necessary cause or reason if the Justification of finners could have been attained by Works or by any other mean Doct. 1. They who have attained unto the perswasion and full assurance of God's favour and love in Christ ought above all others to maintain the glory of His Grace and Mercy in saving of sinners freely not admitting of any thing whether in practice or opinion whether in themselves or so far as is possible in others which may incroach upon it obscure it or weaken the thoughts of the excellency of it in the minds of men for Paul who was perswaded of Christ's love ver 20. doth look upon this as his duty flowing from that assurance I do not frustrate the Grace of God saith he 2. The joyning of Works with Faith in the matter of Justification is a total excluding of God's Free-grace and favour from having any hand in this Work for Grace admitteth of no partner so that if Grace do not all it doth nothing if any thing be added to it that addition maketh Grace to be no Grace Rom. 4. 4. for the Apostle reasoning against those who would have made Works to share with God's Free-grace and favour in Justification sheweth his joyning with them in that opinion would be a total rejecting and making uselesse of God's Grace I do not frustrate the Grace of God 3. That the Apostle doth exclude in this dispute from having any influence in Justification the Works not only of the Ceremonial but also of the Moral Law appeareth from this That he opposeth the Merit of Christ's death to all Merit of our own whether by obedience to the one Law or to the other neither can any reason be given for which our meriting by obedience to the Ceremonial Law maketh Christ to have died in vain which is not applicabl to the Moral Law For if righteousness come by the Law then Christ died in vain 4. That he excludeth also not only the Works of the Moral Law which are performed by the natural and unregenerate man but also those which the Godly do perform by vertue of Faith drawing influence from Christ appeareth from this that the Apostle useth this argument taken from the uselesnesse of Christ's death not against the unconverted Jews who had not received the Gospel and so would easily have granted that Christ was dead in vain but against those who had received the Gospel and so would never have pleaded that any Works done by a natural man but those only which flow from the Grace of Christ could justifie a sinner and yet Paul reasoneth against those If righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain 5. That he doth exclude also all Works of ours whatsoever from being the meritorious cause of our Justification not only in whole and their alone without the Merit of Christ but also in part and joyntly with His Merit appeareth from the former ground that he is reasoning against professed Christians who doubtlesse did give Christ's Merit and Death some share at least in Justification else the absurdity which is deduced from their Doctrine by Paul should have had no weight with them as being no absurdity in their mind Then Christ is dead in vain 6. If there had been any other way possible in Heaven or Earth by which the Salvation of lost sinners could have been brought about but by the Death of Christ then Christ would not have died our disease was desperate as to any other cure for while he saith If righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain he affirmeth two things 1. That to suppose Christ hath died in vain or without cause is a great absurdity no wayes to be admitted of 2. If the Justification and Salvation of sinners could have been attained by Works or any other mean then His Death had been in vain and so that it were an absurd thing to suppose he would have died in that case CHAP. III. IN the first part of this Chapter the Apostle having sharply rebuked these Galatians for their defection ver 1. useth five other Arguments to prove that we are justified by Faith and not by Works First They had received the saving Graces of God's Spirit by hearing the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and not by Works ver 2.
understood not so much justifying faith and faith towards God which is the root and fountain of all those fruits ver -6. as faith and fidelity towards men whereby from a renewed heart and for God's glory we speak nothing but truth Eph. 4. 25. and make conscience to perform whatsoever is undertaken by us Psal. 15. -4. Eightly Meeknesse a vertue whereby we moderate anger so as that we are not provoked but for just causes and not more or longer provoked than the Word of God alloweth whereby also we do speedily restrain and suppresse anger when it hath transgressed the just bounds Eph. 4. 26. Ninthly Temperance or continency whereby our fleshly appetite is kept within bounds in seeking after honour meat drink pleasure or riches Lastly The Apostle having made this enumeration that he may excite the Galatians to the practice of those vertues he commendeth them from this That the Law was not made against them or the practisers of them either to condemn or accuse them In which words by a figure or flowr of speech more is to be understood than is spoken as Psal. 51. -17. even that the Moral Law concerning the standing whereof as to its directing power there was no controversie betwixt Paul and his adversaries doth expresly command and commend them which could not be said of those ceremonial abstinences or performances so much urged by the false Apostles Doct. 1. There is no way for gracious vertues or the fruits of the Spirit to grow and thrive in our heart unlesse the works of the flesh be set against and in some measure mortified these thistles and weeds must be plucked up else they draw the sap and strength of the heart from the good grain The Apostle's method pointeth at so much while he engageth them to mortifie the works of the flesh in the first place and next commendeth unto them the fruits of the Spirit But the fruit of the Spirit is Love joy peace c. 2. It is not sufficient that we set about the work of mortification and curbing of sin and vice but must also endeavour to have the heart replenished with the contrary gracious vertues otherwise sin being as it were over-powered may lurk for a season but will afterwards revive and take strength Mat. 12. 44 45. for the Apostle having engaged them to mortifie the works of the flesh doth now excite them to the exercise of gracious vertues But the fruit of the Spirit is Love joy peace c. 3. There is no vertue truly saving and acceptable to God but that which floweth from the grace of regeneration The vertues of the Heathen how excellent soever they seemed to be were but shadows of saving vertues as not coming from a clean fountain a gracious root in the heart Joâ— 14. 4. nor yet levelling at the right end God's glory in the chief place Col. 3. 17. but some other thing inferior to that Act. 24. 26. Besides they were not done in faith and so could not be acceptable to God Heb. 11. 6. for the Apostle calleth all those which are vertues indeed the fruits and effects of the Spirit But the fruit of the Spirit is Love joy peace saith he 4. If we compare the graces of God's Spirit with the works of the flesh there will appear such a beauty in the one such deformity in the other such solid satisfaction and contentment in the one and such disquietnesse and vexation of spirit in the other that laying aside the difference which is betwixt them by reason of their original and event those other considerations may serve abundantly to make us fall in love with the graces of God's Spirit and abominate the works of the flesh for the works of the flesh are Adultery witchcraft hatred strife envyings murders but the fruit of the Spirit is Love joy peace long-suffering c. 5. We are to judge of persons and practices by thinking well of them or otherwise not according to the common esteem in which they are among men 1 Cor. 4. 3. but according to the esteem that God hath of them and according to what the Word of God which is the absolute rule of right and wrong Truth and Error doth pronounce concerning them for Paul judgeth it sufficient to commend the practice of those vertues from this that the Law of God did commend them and approved of those who made conscience of them Against such there is no Law saith he Vers. 24. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts THe Apostle in this Verse addeth a new Argument to inforce the practice of that first Rule given ver 13. and cleared ver 19 20 21. to wit that they should not give occasion to or fulfill the lusts of the flesh because those who are Christs as they all professed themselves to be have by vertue of Christ's death crucified and put to death their fleshly corruption with all its sinfull motions whether they be sinfull affections and passions such as those whereby the mans mind doth suffer is troubled and afflicted as malice envie anger and the like or whether they be sinful lusts such as these which are stirred up by fleshly carnal baits and pleasures as motions to intemperance uncleannesse and such like Now those who are Christ's are said to have crucified all those because every one who professeth the Name of Christ hath engaged himself by his profession and covenant sealed in Baptism so to do Rom. 6. 3 4. and the truly Regenerate besides this engagement by profession have actually begun this work so that though this body of corrupt flesh be in them yet by His Spirit Rom. 8. 13. and by imitating His Crosse Rom. 6. 6. they are upon the work of mortifying it suppressing the endeavours and smothering the effects of it Rom. 6. 12. Doct. 1. All they who are led by and walk in the Spirit or who are truly regenerate and who are actually engaged in the work of mortifying their corrupt nature are Christ's in a peculiar manner to wit by right of donation from the Father Joh. 6. 37. by right of emption or redemption 1 Cor. 6. 20. and by right of resignation all such having actually resigned themselves unto Christ as a mansion for Him to dwell and walk in 1 Cor. 6. 19. and in every thing to be guided by Him Act. 9. 6. for the Apostle useth those expressions indifferently as being of equal extent Walk in the Spirit ver 16. and if ye be led by the Spirit ver 18. and in this verse they who are Christs have crucified the flesh 2. The work of mortification striketh at all sin and spareth none aswell pleasant sins whereby fleshly lusts are satisfied as other more vexatious evils whereby the mind doth in a kind suffer and is afflicted for speaking of this work he saith They that are Christs have crucified the flesh that is the root of corruption and then they have crucified all its branches not only affections
or vexing passions but also desirable lusts 3. There is not any argument more moving or effectually exciting unto the work of mortification with a sincere Christian than that which is taken from his engagement to it by profession and the first beginnings thereof wrought in him already by the Spirit of God for this is the Apostles scope that they would not walk in or fulfill the lusts of the flesh because all of them were engaged by profession to crucifie the flesh and some had actually begun to do so already They that are Christs have crucified the flesh saith he Vers. 25. If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit HE inforceth also the remedy prescribed against fleshly lusts ver 16. and cleared ver 22 23. even that they would walk after the Spirit because they who live in the Spirit or are made partakers of that new life of grace in Regeneration Joh. 3. 5 6. according as they all professed themselves to be must of necessity walk in the Spirit by following in their life and conversation the motions and directions of the new-man of grace in the heart The force of which consequence lyeth in this that as the principle of life is within whether flesh or spirit so must the actions fruits and effects flowing from that principle be Doct. 1. The Minister of Jesus Christ is not to bind heavy burdens upon the Lords People without so much as touching them with one of his little fingers himself Mat. 23. 4. but ought to lay the edg of every necessary exhortation unto his own heart with the first and thereby to evidence that as he doth not look on himself as free from the yoke of duty no more than others So he sincerely intendeth by his own practice to hold forth a real copie of that which he presseth upon others 1 Tim. 4. 12. for Paul directeth this exhortation to himself as well as to them If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit saith he 2. The Lord's method in bestowing grace upon gracelesse sinners is first to infuse the principles of a new life or gracious habits and powers in the soul and next to actuate these powers making them actually to do those works which are spiritually good Spiritual motion and action presupposeth a principle of a spiritual life as a thing previous unto and different from it for saith he If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit 3. To walk in the Spirit or to follow the conduct of God's Spirit and of His gracious work in us is a far other thing than to cast by the rule of the Word and to follow only whatever motions or impressions are set home with any forcible impulse upon our spirits as if those were the motions of the Spirit of God which may haply be motions of our own corrupt flesh or suggestions from Satan 2 Thess. 2. 11. This walking in the Spirit here exhorted unto is walking orderly and by rule even by the rule of God's Word Isa. 8. 20. for so much doth the word in the Original import which signifieth to walk orderly by rule by line by measure as Souldiers do march into the battel Let us walk in the Spirit saith he 4. Though a man cannot passe sentence upon his state before God whether it be good or bad by some moe or fewer particular acts of his life 1 King 8. 46. yet he may and ought to passe sentence upon it according to his way and the ordinary strain of his life and conversation A godlesse conversation argueth a carnal heart destitute of all spiritual life and a pious conversation doth argue a renewed heart and a principle of spiritual life within for so much will the Apostle's reasoning bear If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Vers. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another envying one another THe Apostle having hitherto prosecuted and inforced the use-making of that first rule given ver 13. for directing them in the right use of Christian liberty returneth now to prosecute the other rule By love serve one another And in this Verse dehorteth them from some vices which do wholly impede this service of love especially from ambition or an itching desire after vain glory estimation and applause which vice is usually attended with other two first provoking of others chiefly inferiors by reproaching and doing of real injuries to them as being nothing in the vain-glorious mans esteem he esteemeth so much of himself Secondly envying of others chiefly superiors and equals in so far as any thing in them doth seem to eclipse that glory and esteem of which the vain-glorious man is so much desirous Doct. 1. Though a man may lawfully carry a due regard unto and have a care of his own good name and estimation among others in its own place Rom. 12. -17. especially that hereby he may be kept in a better capacity to do good unto those with whom he doth converse Mat. 5. 16. Yet desire of applause and approbation from men is sinfull and to be eschewed when we seek after and are satisfied with applause or esteem for those things which are not in us 2 King 10. 16 or which are not worthy of so much esteem as we do seek for Amos 6. 13. or are not praise-worthy at all as not being commended of God Philip. 3. 19. or when we seek after applause from men even for things praise-worthy not in subordination to but equally with or more than the honour of God Mat. 6. 2. or to be approven of Him Joh. 12. 43. for this is the desire of vain glory from which the Apostle dehorteth Let us not be desirous of vain glory saith he 2. How this desire of vain glory impedeth love and peace and how all glory of this kind is but vain or empty glory See Philip. 2. Vers. 3. Doct. 2 3. Doct. 3. This lust and desire of vain glory is so subtil as taking its rise sometimes from those things in us which are good 2 Cor. 12. 7. and so desirable as tending to make others prostrate themselves before the idol of those apprehended or real excellencies in us which we our selves do so much adore that the best of men and those who are endued with excellent graces gifts and priviledges have need to guard and watch lest even they be overtaken with it for therefore as one reason doth Paul include himself in this exhortation Let us not be desirous of vain glory 4. Though it be lawful and praise-worthy to provoke and excite one another to love and good works Heb. 10. 24. chiefly by our good example and forwardnesse in every commanded duty 2 Cor. 9. 2. yet when by doing of real injuries unto others we provoke and excite corruption in them to take some sinfull course for their own ease or redresse 1 Sam. 25. 33 34. we are herein guilty and that not only of
as in the production of other natural effects for as the word is well rendred in beavenly places and better than in heavenly things so it seemeth the bestowing of those spiritual blessings is ascribed to God in heavenly places mainly because their original is only from Heaven and not from earth With all spiritual blessings in heavenly places Vers. 4. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love THe Apostle in the second place treateth of those spiritual blessings more particularly and so doth branch forth at large that reason of his thanksgiving to God presently mentioned and this in pursuance of the former scope which is to shew that salvation with all its causes do flow only from God's free grace in Christ that so the Ephesians might be firmly rooted and confirmed in the faith of this Truth And first he speaketh of those blessings as they were prepared and appointed for Believers in God's eternal decree of Election and Predestination to ver 7. In this verse he sheweth first That these spiritual blessings are bestowed upon Believers in time not by chance or rashly not from any worth in the receiver but according as God had fore-ordained in His decree of Election whereby before the foundation of the world that is from all eternity See Joh. 17. 24 He did choose some of mankind to eternal life Mat. 25. 34. passing by others and did choose them in Christ not as if Christ's death had moved God to love and elect for His electing love did move Him to give Christ for sinners Job 3. 16. Neither did He choose them in Christ as if they had been considered by God as already in Christ by faith and that because of their faith thus foreseen they had been elected by Him for so faith should not be a fruit flowing from election but a condition pre-required in the person to be elected which doth contradict this same very Scripture affirming that all spiritual blessings whereof faith is one do flow from and are bestowed according to the decree of Election He did therefore choose them in Christ as in Him whom He did in one and the self-same decree choose to be the Head of the Elect and chief foundation-stone of all that precious building His own House and Church 1 Pet. 2. 6. and by whom that glory and all things tending to that glory unto which He did choose them were to be purchased that so without doing injury to provoked justice they might be applied unto and actually bestowed upon the Elect for so is this purpose more clearly expressed 1 Thess. 5. 9. Secondly he illustrateth this decree of Election from the nearest end which God did design to be brought about by it even the sanctification of the persons elected whereby they should be rendred blameless before men and sincere and upright before God and that in love to wit in the duties of love to their neighbour flowing from love to God Mat. 22. 37 39 by which love as a touchstone the soundnesse of their sanctification should be tried Doct. 1. As God from all eternity hath chosen some of mankind and firmly decreed to bestow upon them eternal life Luke 12. 32. so there are others whom He decreed not to save but to condemn In which latter decree and much more in the former God hath done nothing unjustly seing as soveraign Lord over all the creatures He hath absolute dominion to dispose of them as He pleaseth Rom. 9. 19 20 21. and though sin in the reprobate was not the cause of God's decree of reprobation Rom. 9. 11 12 13. yet it is the cause of the reprobates condemnation so that his condemnation is just for saith he He hath chosen us which implyeth some were not chosen seing where all is taken there is no choice 2. Though no man except he who hath sinned that unpardonable sin Mat. 12. -32. can certainly know he is a reprobate there being no marks except that alone set down in Scripture by which reprobation can be certainly known Yet the Elect may attain to the assured knowledge of their own election seing God hath set down in Scripture the marks and evidences of election Joh. 6. 37. and hath promised to give His Spirit unto His own whereby they may infallibly discern these marks at least at sometimes in themselves 1 Cor. 2 12. for although the Apostle doth pronounce those Ephesians to be elected according to the judgement of charity only which believeth the best of others where nothing appears to the countrary 1 Cor. 13. 7. yet he behoved to have some undoubted perswasion of his own election before he could warrantably conclude himself to be elected seing not charity but certain knowledge is the principle from which a man ought to judge of himself 2 Cor. 13. 5. As He hath chosen us in Him saith he 3. Though the doctrine of Election and Reprobation be such as the unlearned and unstable are apt to wrest and stumble at to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. yet it is not wholly to be suppressed and locked up in silence from the Lord's People but would be soberly and prudently sometimes propounded unto them and that because of the many and great advantages which may be reaped not only by the doctrine of election such as the assurance of salvation Rom. 8. 29 30. strong incitements unto holinesse 2 Pet. 1. 10. and courage under crosses of all sorts Rom. 8. 38 39. but also by the doctrine of reprobation as contributing much to promove the salvation of the Elect by making them hate sin more Psal. 119. 119 120. and prize the kindnesse and good will of God more which made choice of them passing by others as good as they Rom. 9. 22 23. for the Apostle propoundeth this doctrine to the whole Church and insisteth upon it According as He hath chosen us in Him c. 4. As electing love in God is of an old standing even from all eternity and therefore most free there being nothing in the Elect before they had a being which might draw His love towards them So the Lord can and usually doth keep His purposes and thoughts for good to a people or person for a long time hid before He do discover them and make them known for He had set His love upon these believing Ephesians from all eternity which yet lay hid from the beginning of the world and did not kyth untill their effectual calling He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world 5. The Lord bestoweth spiritual blessings in time according to what He hath inacted in that His eternal decree of election before time So that every elect soul shall most undoubtedly enjoy those blessings And all of them even Faith it self not being excepted do flow from Election and are bestowed upon the Elect because they are elected unto them for saith he God hath blessed us with all spiritual
Jesus Christ the Son of God by nature Unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. 5. That any of those who are children of wrath by nature are advanced to that excellent dignity of being Children by adoption to the most High and of enjoying all the fore-mentioned priviledges of children it is through Jesus Christ the Mediator in so far as He having purchased Heaven the inheritance of children by His own merit He hath absolute right and title unto it to bestow it upon whom He pleaseth Mat. 28. 18. And having united the Elect by faith unto Himself and thereby given them a right and interest in Himself they not only become the sons of God Joh. 1. 12. but are made heirs and co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and so do enjoy a right to the heavenly inheritance through Him for saith he having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. 6. As God hath in His eternal decree of Election firmly resolved and determined to bestow this high priviledge of Adoption upon the Elect both begun Adoption here and compleat Adoption or the actual installing of them in Glory hereafter and by consequence did decree to give them saving Faith also seing Adoption floweth from it and dependeth upon it Joh. 1. 12. So whomsoever He hath decreed to lift up to this high dignity of sons He hath decreed also to renew their nature and to make them holy that so their carriage may be suitable to their state and priviledges for saith Paul ver 4. He hath chosen us that we should be holy and here having predestinated us unto the adoption of children 7. All was in God Himself and nothing without Himself which moved Him to elect and choose those whom He did set His love upon so that neither fore-seen works or the right use of natural parts Eph. 2. 10. nor fore-seen faith Act. 13. 48. nor yet the merit of Christ 1 Joh. 4. 9. nor outward respects such as nobility wisdom riches 1 Cor. 1. 26. yea nothing present or to come in heaven or earth did move Him to choose any or one more than another for saith he God predestinated us in Himself whereby are excluded all causes moving God to this act without Himself 8. God hath absolute power and soveraign right to dispose as He will of all His creatures even of reasonable creatures and this not only in their temporary but also in their eternal concernments which soveraign will of His is the supream sinlesse cause why God did elect some to glory yea and why He did passe by others Rom. 9. 18. for the Apostle condescending upon the reason why God did design some for grace here and glory hereafter doth pitch upon this soveraign will of His According to the good pleasure of His will 9. The Lord God hath sweetly tempered His absolute dominion and soveraign will with rich favour and condescendency towards those whom He did elect His will to them was good-pleasure and good-will In so far as when He might have fitted them for destruction as He did the reprobate Rom. 9. 22. or never have given them a being or but the being of beasts to be annihilated after death or have drawn out their life to all eternity upon earth allowing them some tolerable contentment there every one whereof would have been a favor being compared with the state of damned reprobates yet His good-will hath beeâ— a better will to them whereby He hath decreed to give unto them a rational being with a short Lease of a miserable life here and endlesse joys and pleasures at His right hand for evermore 1 Thess. 4. 17. for saith the Apostle He hath predestinated us not simply according to His will but according to the good pleasure of His will Vers. 5 To the praise of the glory of His Grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved THe Apostle having already described the decree of Election from two of those ends which God proposed unto Himself to be brought about by it to wit the sanctification ver 4. and glorification of the Elect ver 5. doth here in further pursuance of the former scope mentioned upon ver 3. first further describe this decree from a third and supream end which God therein designed most which is That as His grace or freedom of His love toward the Elect is glorious and praise-worthy in it self and therefore called the glory of His Grace or His glorious Grace according to the custom of the Hebrew language So it might be acknowledged to be such and set forth as such especially by the Elect themselves And secondly That he may clear how deservedly this Grace ought to be praised having already showen that it was the fountain-cause of our Election before time ver 5. he doth now declare that this same grace and good-will in God is the only cause why God doth in time manifest that His eternal love in the effects thereof by making the Elect lovely and fit to be accepted of by God as fâ—iends through Jesus Christ the beloved and by accepting them both in their persons and actions and being reconciled to them accordingly for the word signifieth both to make accepted and to accept Doct. 1. That grace free-favour and good-will which God doth manifest in saving of lost sinners is altogether glorious as having many and singular excellencies in it It is an ancient grace ver 4. most free Hos. 14. 4. omnipotent Joh. 12. 32. and a most liberal grace Psal. 84. 11. and therefore a grace so glorious that no created understanding can conceive much lesse tongue can expresse those marvellous ravishing and transcendent excellencies which are in it Eph. 3. 19. for he calleth it the glory of his grace or his glorious grace 2. It is the duty of all the Elect to praise admire and highly to esteem of this glorious grace and to testifie this their high esteem of it both by word and work in the whole strain of their life and conversation This grace being so glorious and praise-worthy in it self so rich and beneficial towards us and this duty of praise being all which we can bestow Psal. 116. 12 13. and God doth call for from us in way of thankfulnesse for this His glorious grace Psal. 50. 15. for seing God in Election did propound to Himself the up-stirring of the Elect to praise the glory of his grace it must needs be their duty to praise it 3. This eternal decree of Election and Predestination is so contrived that when it is made known matter of praise to God's glorious grace is abundantly manifested in it for its rise is of grace preventing all actual or fore-seen worth in those who are elected See ver 4. doct 6. and all the midses whereby the execution of this decree is carried-on to its utmost period are also of grace See ver 5. doct 1. So that all-alongs it breatheth grace and nothing but grace for He did choose us to the praise of the
glory of his grace and therefore matter of praise for grace behoved to be manifested in His choosing of us when it is revealed otherwise He should not have taken a convenient mean for bringing about the intended end 4. That great and supream end which God intended most to be brought about by this eternal decree of Election and to which the other two ends formerly mentioned to wit the sanctification and glorification of the Elect are but subordinate means for bringing of it about was that hereby Men and Angels might see matter of praise and thanksgiving unto His rich mercy and free-grace and be excited to set forth the praises thereof accordingly not as if He stood in need to have His glory acknowledged or praised by creatures nor as if their praising of Him could adde any perfection to Him who was compleatly glorified in Himself from all eternity Joh. 17. 5. but He holdeth forth matter of His own praise that the Elect may be perfected in praising of Him for saith the Apostle God hath predestinated us to the praise of the glory of his grace 5. There ought to be a sweet concord and harmony betwixt a Ministers doctrine and practice his hand and tongue would joyntly preach and presse the same Truth for so his doctrine shall have greater weight with hearers when he doth commend and seal the truth of it by his own example and practice Thus Paul while he is pointing out the duty of the Elect to be the praising of God's glorious grace he himself is practising this duty for as is clear from ver 3. he is speaking all-alongs of this purpose by way of praise and thanksgiving to God 6. Though the Elect from all eternity are loved by God with His love of benevolence whereby he willed good unto them and decreed to bestow good upon them ver 4. Yet there is a love of complacency or delight in God whereby He not only willeth good unto the persons so beloved but accepteth of them acquiesceth in them as in His own children and friends reconciled to Him and delighteth Himself in His own graces bestowed upon them in which respect the Elect as being children of wrath by nature are not from eternity beloved of God nor accepted of by Him yea not before they be effectually called and reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ Heb. 11. 6 for Paul speaketh of Gods making us accepted and lovely or of His accepting us as of an action done in time Wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beleved 7. Whomsoever God hath elected before time those He accepteth of and is well pleased with in time both in their persons and actions if they be good having first made them lovely and fit to be accepted of by Him which He doth by working in them a conformity both as to their state and actions with the rule according to which He doth accept not the rule prescribed by the Law which requireth no lesse than a perfect and personall righteousnesse in order to our acceptation by God Gal. 3. 10. but the rule prescribed by the Gospel which admitteth the imputed righteousnesse of a cautioner in place of a perfect personal righteousnesse whereby our persons are accepted and made lovely to God Rom. 5. 19. and of sincerity in our actions in place of perfection whereby they are also accepted Psal. 119. 6. for saith Paul speaking of the Elect He hath made us accepted 8. That same grace free-favour and good-will which moved God to elect us before time moveth Him also to make us accepted lovely and well-pleasing to Himself and to accept of us in time whence it followeth that as the eternal decree of Election was most free and in nothing dependent on our works So that work of God whereby He draweth souls out of nature cloatheth them with Christ's righteousnesse and bestoweth grace upon them is wholly free also as to us and cometh only from His most free grace without respect had to any worth of ours for saith he Wherein or in which grace whereof he spoke formerly as the fountain-cause of Election He hath made us accepted 9. Christ is beloved and accepted by the Father being considered even as Mediator in so far as that He was sent and intrusted by the Father to discharge that office Joh. 5. 30. and carryed Himself in the discharge of it according to what was enjoyned by the Father Heb. 10. 7. and did finish all in order to the redemption of the Elect which He had undertaken to the Father Joh. 19. 30. for the Apostle speaking of Christ as Mediator calleth Him Beloved He hath made us accepted in the Beloved 10. Christ as Mediator is so much beloved of the Father That all the Elect being once effectually called are made lovely and acceptable to God through Him Neither doth God accept of the persons or actions of any but through Him who is Jehovah our righteousnesse Jer. 23. 6. and being laid hold upon by faith we who are in our selves unrighteous are made righteous 2 Cor. 5. 21. and the sinfull failings of our best actions hid and covered in Him So that both our persons and actions are accepted For he hath made us accepted in the Beloved 11. God's free-grace and Christ's merit are no wayes inconsistent but do well agree together as the procuring causes of our acceptation and reconciliation with God for though Christ hath purchased a state of favour and friendship unto us by the payment of an equivalent price yet all cometh from grace unto us in so far as it was grace in God that made him give his Son to die for us Joh. 3. 16. So it was grace in Christ that made him undertake to die in our place Joh. 10. 18. And it is no lesse of free-grace that the price payed by Him is accepted of in our name Joh. 33. 24. for the Apostle doth mention grace and Christ's merit as the joynt causes of our being accepted Wherein or in which grace he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Vers. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace THe Apostle having already spoken of those spiritual blessings mentioned ver 3. as they were prepared and appointed for Believers in God's eternal decree of Election doth now speak of them as they were purchased by Christ in that great and marvellous work of redemption by shewing first That Jesus Christ hath given a ransom even his own bloud in satisfaction to divine justice for our wrongs whence floweth our redemption from sin Satan and God's wrath which is begun here Rom. 6. 22. and shall be compleated hereafter at the last day Rom. 8. 23. Secondly he explaineth this great benefit of redemption by the forgivenesse of our sins in justification which is an effect of redemption as redemption is taken for the laying down of the price by Christ and a principal part of redemption as it speaketh our actual delivery
and freedom through vertue of that price Thirdly he sheweth the impulsive cause which moved God to bestow such a benefit even the riches of that same grace and free-favour in God formerly spoken of By all which he carrieth on his main scope which is to confirm those Ephesians that salvation and all the steps leading to it do flow from God's free-grace in Christ. Doct. 1. All men the Elect themselves not being excepted are by nature under slavery and bondage to sin Joh. 8. 34. Satan Eph. 2. 2. and to God's wrath Joh. 3. 36. for redemption presupposeth bondage In whom we have redemption 2. There was no delivery to be had from this bondage by prayer and intreaty nor by exchange of prisoners as in wars nor yet by strong hand and meer force but by paying of a price not to Satan who detaineth the Elect in slavery as a rigid Tyrant or mercilesse Jaylor from whom they are delivered by force Heb. 2. -14. but to God Eph. 2. 2. whose justice was wronged by the sins of the Elect and therefore behoved to be satisfied for redemption according to the force of the original word is a delivery by ransom and price 3. Jesus Christ is that Person by whom we have redemption from the fore-mentioned slavery this work by the counsel of the whole Trinity being put over upon Him as one who not only had right both of property to redeem the Elect being His creatures Heb. 1. 10. and of kinred Lev. 25. 48. as being our brother and of the same nature with us Heb. 2 14 but was also fitted to be our Redeemer a price to wit His humane nature being put in his hands to lay down Heb. 10. -5. and was able to redeem as being also God whereby His sufferings as man became a ransom of infinit value Act. 20. -28. for by saying In whom or in Christ we have redemption he saith that we have it by Him 4. We have this redemption not only by Christ but also in him which holdeth also in forgivenesse of sins He being the common store-house wherein the Elect have all their spiritual blessings treasured up even before they take their spiritual being from Him or get those blessings actually applied unto them as Adam's posterity have their original guiltinesse whence all actual transgressions flow treasured up in Him before they take their natural being from Him Rom. 5. 12. As also because this redemption and the fruits of it are not actually applied to the Elect until they be in Christ and by faith united to Him Joh. 3. 36. for saith he In whom meaning Christ we have redemption and forgivenesse of sins 5. The wrong done to infinit justice by our sin was so great that nothing performed by Christ could be a sufficient ransom in order to our redemption except he had crowned all his other actions and sufferings by laying down his life and undergoing a bloudy and violent death for We have redemption through his bloud to wit not as excluding his former obedience Rom. 5. 18 19. nor yet his other sufferings especially his soul-sufferings Isa. 53. 10. but as being the head-stone and compleating of all Joh. 19. 30. Doct. 6. Sin is a debt as being a wrong done against God obliging the sinner to repair God in his honour or otherwayes to underly the wrath of a provoked God for ever Rom. 6. 23 for the word forgivenesse in the Original and as it is used in Scripture is taken from those who are loosed out of a prison for debt The forgivenesse of sins 7. There is no delivery from this debt of sin and obligation to wrath because of sin but by pardon and forgivenesse It is an infinit debt and so cannot be satisfied by finit creatures for thus doth Paul expresse the way how the debt is removed even by forgivenesse of sins 8. Though the guilt of sin be removed by forgivenesse and therefore freely as to us yet that sin might be thus freely forgiven with the good leave of provoked justice forgivenesse of sin was purchased at a dear rate by Christ for as we have redemption through his bloud so also forgivenesse of sins 9. Jesus Christ hath this rich treasure of forgivenesse of sins which he hath bought by his bloud laid up in himself so that whensoever a sinner sensible of this weighty debt doth lay hold upon Christ by faith and is thereby ingraffed in Him his sins are freely pardoned and his debt remitted for In him saith he we have forgivenesse of sins 10. As that grace favour and good-will which God manifested in the salvation of sinners is a rich copious and abundant grace so nothing argueth the riches of this grace more than that from it do flow such excellent effects as the giving of Christ the Son of God to redeem slaves and rebels together with forgivenesse of sins they being infinit wrongs and there being many of them in every pardoned sinner Psal. 19. 12. And those not only ordinary infirmities but sometimes also heinous transgressions Psal. 51. 14. and yet free-grace pardoneth all and this not only in one but in all Believers in all ages and doth yet remain as full and overflowing in God to pardon self-condemned sinners as ever all which doth argue no lesse than a copious rich and abundant grace for the Apostle speaking of grace with relation to those two redemption and forgiveness which flow from it he calleth it a rich grace According to the riches of his grace saith he Vers. 8. Wherein the hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence THe Apostle doth thirdly speak of those spirituall blessings which were prepared in Election and purchased in that excellent work of Redemption as they are conveyed and applyed unto the Elect in their effectual calling whereby he carryeth-on his fore-mentioned scope in shewing That as God did give evident proofs of his free-grace and favour in all the former steps tending to salvation so he had manifested the abundant riches of his grace in the effectual calling of those Ephesians in so far as his eternal love which was before alwayes hid in a decree did no longer contain it self but overflowed in its effects towards them or in them as the word may be rendred which effects wrought by Gods grace in them he sheweth to be all wisdom and prudence under which are comprehended all the saving graces of God's Spirit in Believers if we take as we safely may take wisdom for the saving knowledge of divine mysteries and of such religious truths as are only to be believed and fall not under practice And prudence for that grace and vertue whereby we know our respective duties both to God and man and our actions and practices are ruled and ordered according to the prescript of God's Word for so the words are taken Col. 1. -9. Doct. 1. Whosoever are elected from eternity and for whomsoever Christ did give a ransom to provoked justice in the fulnesse of time all such in
God's due time have the effects of God's eternal love and of the price payed by Christ applyed unto them and wrought in them even the saving graces of God's Spirit for upon those Ephesians who were elected ver 4. and redeemed ver 7. did God bestow the gracious effects of his eternal love by working saving grace in them He hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence 2. That those spiritual blessings which were prepared for us in Election and purchased in the work of Redemption are applyed unto us and we made actually to partake of them It is the alone work of God in our effectual calling there being not so much as either power or good-will in us who by nature are dead in sins and trespasses to accept of Christ or of any thing purchased by him untill God do quicken us for the Apostle shewing how the Ephesians were made partakers of those blessings he ascribeth this work wholly to God making them but meer patients in it He hath abounded towards us or in us as a full fountain runneth over and watereth the adjacent ground 3. As the same free-grace and nothing else which moved God to elect us before time and send his Son to redeem us in time doth make him also in our effectual calling to work in us those graces and to give unto us an actual right to all those spiritual blessings which we were chosen unto and which were purchased for us So nothing lesse than abundant and overflowing grace is hereby made manifest to be in God considering that there is not only a simple want of good will but also an utter aversnesse from closing with his gracious offer Mat. 23. -37. and that not only there is nothing in the Elect before effectual calling more than in the Reprobate which might move God to bestow those excellent blessings upon them but also much to scare him from ever medling with them Ezek. 16. 3 c. unlesse where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5. -20. for the Apostle speaking of God's bestowing grace upon the elect Ephesians doth ascribe his so doing to his abounding grace Wherein or in which grace formerly spoken of he hath abounded towards us 4. All men by nature are destitute of saving wisdom that is the saving knowledge of divine mysteries and things heavenly seing there be many such things the light of nature revealeth nothing of Mat. 16. 17. And though the light of Scripture doth reveal them yet the natural man cannot look upon them as real truths 1 Cor. 2. 14. and so as throughly to venture his salvation upon them Joh. 5. 40. for he sheweth that at their effectuall calling God did abound towards them in wisdom importing that untill then they had it not 5. Though the Lord doth not bestow upon all whom he effectually calleth the same measure of saving knowledge 1 Cor. 12. 4. yet he bestoweth upon every one so much as is necessary unto salvation and as doth serve for an earnest of that full and perfect knowledge of God which they shall enjoy hereafter for saith he He hath abounded towards us in wisdom 6. All men by nature are also deprived of saving prudence there being many duties which the natural man cannot be convinced of to be duties Mat. 5. 29 39 44. and many things required to the acceptable performance of every duty Rom. 14. 23. Col. 3. 17. the necessity whereof he can be as little convinced of but chiefly there being such impotency and disorder in his will and affections that he can least of all practise according to what he knoweth of his duties Gen. 6. 5. for he sheweth that at their effectuall calling God did abound towards them in prudence thereby importing that until then they had nothing of that grace 7. As God bestoweth this grace of prudence in some measure upon every one whom he effectually calleth So wisdom and prudence if they be sanctified and saving go alwayes together a man cannot believe well except he also live well Though to speak of them otherwayes as they are not saving graces but only civil and moral vertues they may be and often are separated for He hath abounded in wisdom and prudence saith he 8. Though God doth not perfect the work of grace in the Elect at the first instant of their conversion but carryeth it on by degrees towards perfection until death Philip. 1. 6. yet even then he bestoweth the seeds and habits of every grace and saving vertue upon them This new man of grace is not lame nor wanteth any of his members Gal. 3. 10. for therefore saith Paul He hath abounded in all wisdom and prudence Vers. 9. Having made known unto us the mysterie of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself THe Apostle doth illustrate the former benefit of effectual calling from the mean which God maketh use of for bringing of it about to wit His making known the doctrine of the Gospel which is here called a Mysterie as elsewhere See Eph. 6. 19. 1 Tim. 3. 16. that is according to the use of the word in Scripture a religious and sacred secret and this also he sheweth doth flow from the same good-pleasure and free-grace formerly spoken of the manifesting whereof was firmly resolved upon by God in his eternal purpose being moved by nothing so to do without himself Doct. 1. The Gospel or doctrine of salvation through free-grace is a sacred secret transcending the reach of ordinary knowledge a very mysterie even such as nothing could be known of it either by Man or Angels before it was revealed Eph. 3. 10. and such as was but sparingly revealed before Christ's incarnation even to the Jews only and to some few proselytes Psal. 147. 19 20. and such as remaineth a thing hid even after it is revealed unto natural men whose minds the god of this world hath blinded So as though they can discourse of and preach the Gospel Mat. 7. 22. yet they do not believe it 2 Cor. 4. 4. Yea and it is a mysterie even to Believers themselves if their knowledge here be compared with what it shall be hereafter 1 Cor. 13. 12. for by the mysterie of his will he understandeth the Gospel and chiefly as it was now clearly manifested both to Jew and Gentile chap. 3. 6. Secondly this mysterie of the Gospel now revealed containeth and manifesteth God's will concerning the salvation of lost sinners though not his secret will or decree concerning those whom in particular he intendeth to save 2 Tim. 2. 19 Yet his revealed will holding forth the way of our duty and the course condescended upon by which and not otherwayes sinners shall be saved for hence it is called the mysterie of his will 3. The ordinary mean whereby God doth call the Elect effectually and convey the graces of his Spirit unto their gracelesse hearts is the revelation of the Gospel and his making of it known chiefly by the publick preaching thereof
Rom. 10. 14 15. for the Apostle having already spoken of God's bestowing all saving grace upon them doth here condescend upon the mean made use of by him in that work Having made known unto us the mysterie of his will 4. There is nothing which moveth God to reveal his Gospel unto one people and not to another or more obscurely to one and more clearly unto another but only his own good will and pleasure so to do neither doth the Lord any thing contrary to justice hereby seing he is not obliged to send the Gospel unto any Rom. 11. 35. and all have more knowledge of God by nature than they make good use of Rom. 1. 21. for this alone is here given as the reason of his making known the mysterie of his will even according to his good pleasure 5. So carefull is God to maintain the interest of his free-grace in our salvation as being the only supream and fountain-cause thereof that he thinketh it not sufficient once to assert in the general that salvation and all the means and steps tending towards it do flow from his free-grace but that this be again and again inculcated and all the particular steps which lead to salvation being condescended upon that his free-grace favour and good will be held out as the fountain of each step in particular for the Apostle doth so and that by an heavenly and divine artifice sliding down from one step to another from Election to Redemption and from Redemption to effectual calling and from effectual calling unto God's bestowing the outward mean of salvation the Gospel not only ascribing all to God's free-grace but making grace the mid-link of the chain whereby he joyneth the several parts of his discourse together so ver 8. Wherein he abounded and here According to the good pleasure of his will and which he purposed in himself as having no cause without himself to set him on work 6. As the decrees of God are firm fixed and unchangeable So he doth nothing in the matter of man's salvation even to the least circumstance but what he hath decreed to do which as will appear from ver 11. doth hold in all other things which God doth for by God's purpose is meaned his eternal decree with respect had to its stability and unchangeablenesse there being neither want of fore-sight nor of power in God to occasion the alteration of his purpose which are the causes why men are frequently necessitated to alter theirs and this purpose and decree is spoken of here as the rule according to which God of his good pleasure did make known the mysterie of his will unto those Ephesians in order to their salvation Which he had purposed in himself saith he Vers. 10. That in the dispensation of the fulnesse of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him HEre is the intended effect which God did aim at in His gracious purpose of making fully known the mystery of the Gospel both to Jew and Gentile to wit That at the full time and season which God had dispensed measured out and pitched upon as most fitting for the businesse in hand to wit the time of Christ's incarnation and sufferings Gal. 4. 4. He might gather together in Christ all His own Elect whether already glorified or yet upon earth who before were separated from God and one from another and might make them one with God being united with Christ their head by faith Eph. 3. 17 and one among themselves being united by love Col. 3. 14. Now the Apostle affirmeth this gathering of all the Elect was to be in the fulnesse of times for though many of them were already actually gathered and glorified to wit the things in Heaven before that time yet the exhibition of that by vertue whereof they were gathered was at and not before that time to wit the time of Christ's incarnation obedience and sufferings Heb. 9. 15. Doct. 1. All mankind by nature and being considered in themselves are under a fearfull dissipation and scattering Sin hath rent and separated them from God from man and from the blessed Angels for gathering presupposeth a foregoing scattering and the word rendred gather together in one being taken from a word which signifieth the head of a natural body or a short sum of a sparse discourse and so signifying here to gather together under one head to wit Christ and unto one sum and body amongst themselves it supposeth that they are separated from God from Christ one from another and from the Angels also for they were to be gathered into one body with those That he might gather together in one c. 2. The Lord hath not left all mankind in this wofull separation and scattered condition but as He hath firmly purposed and decreed from all eternity so in time He setteth about to gather together some of scattered mankind and to unite them to Himself one to another and to the blessed Angels for the word rendred to gather implyeth a gathering unto all these as is said And he hath purposed in himself that he might gather together in one 3. The gathering together of the scattered Elect and making of them one with God and among themselves doth not depend upon the choice of their own free-will which could do no other but refuse to be gathered Mat. 23. 37. and so Christ should not have seen of the travel of His soul and been satisfied contrary to what is promised Isa. 53. 11. But upon the fixed and unchangeable purpose of God which engageth His Omnipotency to make them willing to be gathered Psal. 110. 3. and therefore they shall be infallibly gathered for the Apostle as appears from the context maketh this gathering depend on Gods purpose He hath purposed in himself that he might gather together in one 4. It is only God who by His omnipotent power doth gather together the scattered Elect and maketh them one with Himself and with one another in Himself We do so much love to wander Jer. 14. 10. that we would live and die estranged from God if the Lord by strong-hand did not reclaim us from our wandrings for saith Paul He hath purposed in himself that he might gather together in one 5. The preaching of the Gospel and making known that blessed mysterie is the mean which God maketh use of in this work of gathering the scattered Elect because though our actuall gathering be an act of Gods omnipotent power yet He dealeth with us as with rational creatures by giving us an offer of His friendship commanding us to accept of it as it is offered and in the mean time sending forth his power with the command whereby He maketh us to accept Act. 16. 14. for as is clear from the connexion God's end intended in making known the mysterie of his will is That he might gather together in one 6. As God is the great Master of his
to gain applause from them for that is condemned Mat. 6. 5. but that he might excite them unto prayer for themselves and to endeavour after those things which he sought Making mention of you in my prayers that God may give you c. 2. Though we are not of necessity to stint our selves unto a set form of words in prayer Rom. 8. 26. yet we would have set purposes condescended upon and a certain scope to aim at in prayer so as we may be able to give an accompt of what we pray for whether in behalf of our selves or of others otherwise we can neither expect nor observe the return of our prayers for Paul setting down the sum of his prayer sheweth he took notice of those things which he prayed for even that God may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom saith he 3. Our prayers would be directed unto God only and neither to glorified Saints who are ignorant of us Isa. 63. 16. nor yet to the Angels who though they be near unto us 1 Cor. 11. 10. yet know not the secrets of hearts Jer. 17. 10. and so are unfit to receive our prayers besides that there is no warrant in Scripture for praying unto any such but to God alone hence the Apostle directeth his prayer unto God Even that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ may give unto you 4. We ought to draw near to God especially in the duties of prayer whether for our selves or others with confidence and reverence the one not marring the other and in order hereto we are so to conceive of God and expresse such conceptions of ours concerning Him as may most strengthen our faith in the expectation of what we seek and may strike our hearts with reverence towards God from whom we seek for those epithets which Paul giveth unto God do tend to strengthen his faith while he calleth Him the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and to breed deep reverence in his own heart towards God while he calleth Him the Father of glory or glorious Father 5. That we may have accesse unto God with boldnesse through Christ in prayer it is necessary to renew that act of faith wherby we apply and appropriate Christ unto our selves that so being made one with Christ Eph. 3. 17. we may be looked upon by the Father as clothed with His righteousness Phil. 3. 9. whereby both our persons and imperfect prayers shall be accepted of by God through Him Heb. 11. 4. for Paul whose practice here is a directory for prayer doth appropriate Christ to himself as his own Christ The God of our Lord Jesus Christ. 6. It is necessary also in order to the same end that in closing with Christ we do not part or divide Him but appropriate to our selves the fulnesse of all those perfections which are in Him this being an evidence of the sincerity of our closing with Him and no lesse than whole Christ being necessary to cover all those imperfections to bear us up under all those discouragements to help us under all those infirmities which we are incompassed with in our approaches to God for Paul doth appropriate Christ to himself under such titles as hold forth His compleat fulnesse to wit of Lord which implyeth His power and soveraignity over all things for the Believers good Philip. 2. 9. 10 11. Of Jesus which signifieth a Saviour and pointeth forth His great work and errand to the world to save sinners Mat. 1. 21. And of Christ which signifieth annointed and so pointeth at His threefold Office unto which He was annointed and furnished in order to that work Psal. 45. 7. The God of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7. As wisdom or the saving knowledge of divine mysteries is necessary unto a Christian So even those who are effectually called and have a good measure of this grace already ought not to sit down upon the measure received but would constantly aspire after more of it as being yet ignorant of many things and not sufficiently rooted in the knowledge of those things which they already know 1 Cor. 13. 9. for while Paul prayeth for a greater measure of wisdom unto those Ephesians towards whom God had already abounded in all wisdom ver 8. he doth indirectly excite them to endeavour to grow in this grace May give unto you the Spirit of wisdom 8. The wisdom and knowledge which Christians are to seek after is not at all that carnal wisdom which is enimity to God Iam. 3. 15. nor yet chiefly that naturall wisdom or knowledge of the hid mysteries of nature Eccles. 1. 17 18. nor yet that wisdom or knowledge of divine mysteries which is only a gift and floweth from a common influence of the Spirit 1 Cor. 8. 1 but that whereof the Spirit of God by His special operation and influence is author and worker and is more than a gift even the grace of wisdom which is not acquired by our own industry and pains only nor yet puffeth up neither is it weak and coldrife not warming the heart with love to the thing known as the gift of wisdom is but this grace of wisdom cometh from above Iam. 3. 17. by the use of other lawfull means Prov. 2. 1 c. and must be sought from above Iam. 1. 5. It humbleth the man who hath it Job 42. 3 5 6. it is operative upon the heart and worketh love unto the thing known Joh. 4. 10. for the Apostle prayeth that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom that is whereof the Spirit of God is author by His spiritual grace 9. Spiritual things the object of this heavenly wisdom and knowledge are not for the most part conclusions drawn from natures light but are revealed and made known by the Spirit of God to wit either in an extraordinary immediate way without the help of humane means unto the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 3. 5. or in an ordinary and mediate way by the help of Scripture and blessing of God upon the pains of publick Teachers and such other means as He hath appointed for attaining to the mind of God revealed in Scripture 2 Tim. 3. 15 c. for joyntly with the Spirit of wisdom he seeketh the Spirit of revelation implying that this wisdom cannot be had without revelation 10. The sum of all saving wisdom is to know Christ and what Scripture speaketh of Him as a compleat Mediator and so to know Him as that we acknowledge Him which speaketh somewhat more than our simple knowing of Him even a knowing of Him as our own and with special application to our selves and so as we give due honour respect and reverence unto Him for though we are said to know even strangers and those whom we contemn and despise yet we are not in strict phrase of speech said to acknowledge any but these of near relations or whom we prosecute with that respect and honour which is due unto them as the servant is said to acknowledge his master Now Paul giveth this
life And they are said to have been quickned with Christ though not in their own persons for they were so quickned a long time after Christ's resurrection in their effectual calling but they were then quickned in their head and atturney Jesus Christ whose quickning after death was a sure pledge that they every one in his own time should be quickned also 1 Cor. 15. 20. and that the vertue purchased by Christs death Rom. 8. 11. and to be applyed unto them by Him who is now alive and liveth for evermore for that end Heb. 7. 25. And therefore the Apostle expresseth Gods bestowing of this spiritual life upon them by His quickning them with Christ. And before he mention the other pieces of their delivery he doth in the close of this vers ascribe the whole work of their salvation to Gods free grace which is the same in effect with His mercy and love spoken of ver 4. Only it further expresseth the freedom of those in opposition to any merit or worth in the persons to be saved which might procure their salvation Doct. 1. The Ministers of Christ would not only inculcate the doctrine of sin and misery but having insisted so much upon this subject as may serve to bring down that high conceit which people naturally have of their own righteousnesse and to convince them of their need of Jesus Christ a Saviour Then is it timous for them to open up the riches of Gods free grace and good will to save the vilest of sinners and what He hath freely done for bringing about salvation to their hand for the Apostle having set forth unto the life the natural misery of those Ephesians doth now openup the rich treasures of Gods free grace in Christ But God who is rich in mercy 2. The Lords Ministers when they fall upon this subject of Gods delivering lost sinners from their natural state of sin and misery through Christ they would labour to speak to it so fully affectionatly sensibly and with such life and power as that they may not only inform the understandings of the Lords People in those truths but also inflame their affections with love to them and admiration at the wisdom mercy goodnesse and other attributes of God manifested in this work for so doth the Apostle speak of this purpose not simply by saying God hath quickned us but God who is rich in mercy according to His great love and so forward in the two following verses 3. There is nothing contributeth more to inable a Minister to speak to the commendation of God's free grace in the salvation of sinners with that fulnesse sense life and affection as he ought than a deep insight in his own misery and the great need which he himself doth stand in of God's mercy for Paul in the third verse fore-going doth shew how sensible he was of the depth and breadth of his own misery hence he doth here speak so fully and movingly to the present purpose But God who is rich in mercy c. 4. The quickning of sinners and drawing them out of nature unto grace is only God's work there being no lesse required for bringing this about than omnipotent creating power See ver 10. And there being not only no principle left in man who is by nature dead in sins and trespasses whereby he might work or concur with God in working towards his own quickning Rom. 9. 16. but also much to oppose and resist it 2 Cor. 10. 5. So that in the first instant of his conversion and untill a new heart be given him and the seeds and habits of saving graces infused in him he is wholly passive as to any actual influence upon the effect which is wrought Jer. 31. 33. for Paul here condescending upon the cause of their quickning doth pitch not upon their own free will in whole or in part but upon God only while he saith But God who is rich in mercy hath quickned us 5. This attribute of mercy in God whereby without any grief or perturbation of mind which accompanieth men in the exercise of mercy he hath a propension and inclination to do good to the sinfull and miserable so far as His wisdom seeth convenient is the only thing in opposition unto all that is in a mans self which moveth God to quicken and bestow grace upon dead and gracelesse sinners for the Apostle speaking of God's quickning of those Ephesians describeth Him from His mercy to shew it was not their worth but His own mercy which moved Him to quicken them But God who is rich in mercy hath quickned us 6. As God is rich and overflowing in the exercise of this attribute of mercy which will appear if we consider that there is no creature towards which He doth not exercise His mercy Psal. 104. 24. and that mercy is exercised not only without but also often contrary to the deserving of those upon whom it is exercised Ezek. 36. 21 22. so there is nothing wherein God doth more manifest the riches and abundance of His mercy than in the work of quickning dead sinners and of carrying-on the work of grace in them untill it be perfected in glory The misery Ezek. 16. 3 c. and bad deservings of the object Jer. 14. 7. the great good things which are bestowed upon those miserable objects Luke 12. 32. the course taken for satisfying divine justice that so those good things might be without wronging of justice bestowed Joh. 3. 16. and the multitude of sins which mercy covereth in those objects not only before their conversion Isa. 55. 7. but also after it Prov. 24. 16. All these and many considerations besides these do manifest God to be rich in mercy in quickning of dead sinners But God who is rich in mercy hath quickned us 7. The highest cause which moveth God to manifest this His rich and special mercy upon any of lost mankind and from mercy to quicken them and bestow His saving graces on them was His love towards them which is no other than His will and resolution to impart those good things unto them together with His hearty acquiescence in the thing as that wherewith He is well pleased He did it because He would do it resolved to do it and had pleasure in the doing of it for saith he God who is rich in mercy for His great love hath quickned us 8. As God's love towards those whom He converteth doth not begin when they are converted but is of a more ancient even an eternal rise chap. 1. 4. So it is not an ordinary but a great love wherewith He loveth them The infinit distance betwixt Him and them Psal. 8. 4. His loving them when they were yet enemies Rom. 5. 8. the great things bestowed by His love Rom. 5. 6 7 8. and His unchangeablenesse in His love even notwithstanding of great provocations to the contrary Psal. 89. 33. All these and many besides these do abundantly declare that this love is a great
the ceremoniall Law Doct. 5. So long as the ceremoniall Law did stand in force and vigour the Jews and Gentiles could not be united into one Church for seing by that Law the chief parts of Gods worship were astricted to the Temple at Jerusalem therefore though scattered proselytes of the neighbouring Nations did joyn themselves to the Church of the Jews and in some measure observed the way of Worship then enjoyned Act. 8. 27. yet there was a physicall impossibility for the generality of many Nations far remote from Jerusalem to have served God according to the prescript of Worship which then was besides there was such an habituate and as it were an naturall antipathy transmitted from one generation unto another among the Gentiles against the ceremoniall worship that there was little lesse than a morall impossibility of bringing up the body of the Gentiles unto a cordiall joyning with the Jews in it for the Apostle sheweth the ceremoniall Law behoved to be abrogated in order to an union betwixt these two while he saith Who hath made both one and broken down the middle-wall of partition between us 6. Whoever would make peace betwixt God and himself or betwixt himself and others he ought seriously to think upon those things which stand in the way of peace and set about the removall of them if it be in his power and chiefly those evils in himself of pride vain-glory self-seeking and a contentious disposition which are great obstructions in the way of peace Phil. 2. 3 4. else what ever be his pretences for peace he is no real follower of it for Christ intending to make peace betwixt Jew and Gentile did take away whatever might have impeded it He even broke down the middle wall of partition between them From ver 15 Learn 1. As Gods people in covenant with Him ought to be highly incensed against and averse from any voluntary intire fellowship with those who neglect and contemn the Ordinances of Worship prescribed by God in His Word So those who are without the Church yea and all unregenerate men do look upon the ordinances of Gods Worship as base ridiculous and contemptible and carry a kind of hatred and disdain to all such as make conscience of them for so the ancient Worship prescribed in the ceremoniall Law was the occasion of hatred and enmity betwixt the Gentile who contemned it and the Jew who made conscience of it And therefore is here called the enmity having abolished the enmity 2. As the morall Law contained in the Ten Commandments was no part of that mid-wall of partition between Jew and Gentile seing some of the draughts and lineaments of that Law are upon the hearts of all by nature Rom. 2. 15. So there was no necessity to abrogate this Law at Christs death in order to the uniting of Jew and Gentile neither was it at all abolished for the Law abolished was the Law not simply but the Law of Commandments and these not all but such Commandments as were contained in Ordinances to wit the ceremoniall Law as we shew in the Exposition Even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances saith he 3. As God only hath power and liberty to prescribe what manner of Worship He will be served by So He did once give a most observable evidence of this His power and liberty by changing that externall way of worship which was prescribed by Himself under the Old Testament unto another under the New although the internals of His Worship to wit the graces of faith love hope joy in God do remain the same in both Matth. 22. 37 39. for He did abolish the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances even all the ancient Worship consisting in rites and ceremonies sensible and fleshly observations which God did then prescribe not as simply delighted in them but as accomodating Himself to the childish condition of the Church in those times and hath now appointed a more spirituall way of Worship as more suitable to the grown age of the Church Joh. 4. 21. 23. See further the reasons why the ceremoniall-Law was abolished and concerning that state of indifferency wherein the practice of it was left for a time upon Gal. 2. ver 3. Doct. 2. and ver 4. Doct. 1. 4. It was Christs sufferings and death which put an end to the Law of ceremonies and made the binding power thereof to cease for seing His sufferings were the body and substance of all those shadows they neither did nor could evanish untill Christ had suffered but then they did it being impossible that a shadow and the body whereof it is a shadow can consist in one and the same place Having abolished in His flesh the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances Vers. -15. For to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slain the enmity thereby THe Apostle thirdly for further clearing of what he spoke ver 13. that the Gentiles were made nigh to God and His Church in the bloud of Christ holdeth forth two ends which Christ proposed to be brought about in His abolishing the ceremoniall Law First that He might by a manner of new creation make of those two Nations of Jew and Gentile being firmly united to Himself as to their head one people and Church here called one new man to shew the intimacy of that union as also the way how they were united not by bringing any one of them to the fashions and customes of the other for so they should have been made one old man but by bringing both off that way of worship whereon they were the Gentile both from the substance and external manner of their worship as having been wholly idolatrous Gal. 4. 8. The Jew only from the external manner of their worship consisting in fleshly and sensible rites and observations whereby He made them one new Church with new Ordinances of divine worship even such as the Church now enjoyeth under the Gospel and so he concludeth the vers by shewing that Christ did hereby accomplish what he had spoken of Him ver 13 and 14 Even that He had made peace betwixt the two Nations and consequently the Gentiles nigh to the Church by His own bloud this is ver -15. The second end why Christ did abolish the ceremonial Law was that He might reconcile both Jew and Gentile being so united among themselves in one body unto a provoked God which He did by the sacrifice of His own soul and body upon the crosse by the means whereof he did destroy that enmity which was betwixt God and man aswell the sin of the Elect both in its guilt Rom. 8. 1. and power Rom. 6. 6. which was the ground and cause of that enmity Isa. 59. 2. as the ceremoniall Law which was an evidence of it See upon ver 15 This is the sum of ver 16. From Vers. -15. Learn 1. Union in the
Church of Christ is a thing which ought to be prized by us highly and sought after earnestly and so much as there is nothing in our power which we ought not to bestow upon it and dispense with for the acquiring and maintaining of it for so much was it prized by Christ that He gave his own life to procure it and did beat down all His own Ordinances which stood in the way of it He even abolished in His flesh the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinances for to make of twain one new man 2. There are no divisions more hardly curable than those which are about the Religion and Worship of God in so far as they engage not only the credit but also the consciences of the divided parties hence one party so engaged doth pursue what they maintain as that wherein Gods honour and their own salvation are most nearly concerned and doth look upon the other party as an adversary in so far at least to both of those for the Apostle speaking of Christs uniting the Jew and Gentile in one Church and Religion maketh use of a word which sheweth this was a task of no small difficulty even such that no lesse than creating power was required to it while he saith for to make in Himself the word signifieth to creat in Himself of twain one new man 3. So strict and near is that conjunction and union which is especially among true believers in the Church that all of them how far soever dispersed through the world do yet make up but one man and one body as being all whatever be their other differences most strictly united as members unto one head Christ 1 Cor. 12. 27. and animated as to the inward man by the same Spirit of God residing and acting in them Rom. 8. 9. for the Apostle sheweth that all of them whether Jew or Gentile were made not only one people one nation one family but one new man For to make of twain one new man 4. As the essentiall unity of the invisible Church without which the Church could not be a Church doth of necessity depend upon and flow from that union which every particular member hath with Christ as Head seing the grace of love whereby they are knit one to another Col. 3. 14 doth flow from faith Gal. 5. -6. whereby they are united to Him Eph. 3. 17. So the more our union with Christ is improved unto the keeping of constant communion and fellowship with Him the more will be attained unto of harmonious walking among our selves suitable unto that essentiall union which is in the Church of Christ for the Apostle maketh the conjunction of Jews and Gentiles in one Church to depend upon Christ's uniting of them to himself For to make in Himself of twain one new man saith he 5. The peace which ought to be and which Christ calleth for in His Church is not a simple cessation from open strife which may take place even when there remaineth a root of bitternesse in peoples spirits Psal. 55. 21. but it is such an harmonious walking together in all things as floweth from the nearest conjunction of hearts and the total removal of all former bitternesse of spirits for the peace which Christ did make betwixt Jew and Gentile did follow upon His abolishing the enmity and making them one man so making peace saith he From Vers. 16. Learn 1. Union and peace with men even with good men is to little purpose except there be peace and friendship with God also for the Apostle sheweth that Christ in abolishing the ceremonial Law did design not only the conjunction of the Church among themselves but their reconciliation with God also and the former in subordination to the latter And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body 2. As all mankind have fallen from that state of friendship with God wherein they once were before the fall Eccles. 7. 29. So the repairing of this wofull breach and making up of friendship betwixt God and the Elect was Christ's great businesse in the world for effectuating whereof whatever He did or suffered was in some one way or other subservient for the Apostle sheweth He suffered in the flesh abolished the ceremonial Law united the two Nations that He might reconcile both unto God in one body The word rendred reconcile signifieth the making up of old friendship 3. Though the believing Jews under the Old Testament were reconciled unto God even while the ceremonial Law stood in force Psal. 32. 4. Yet the price by vertue whereof they were reconciled could not be actually payed to wit Christ's death and sufferings except the ceremonial Law had presently evanished See Ver. 15 Doct. 4. neither could Jew and Gentile be united together in one body and so reconciled to God while that Law was in force and binding See Vers. 14. Doct. 5. Therefore and in those respects it was necessary for Christ to abolish the ceremonial Law that He might reconcile both Jew and Gentile unto God for so saith Paul He abolished the Law of Commandments in Ordinances that He might reconcile both unto God in one body 4. There can be no reconciliation betwixt God and us except we be united by faith to Christ and to the body of all Believers in Him So that none can be one with God who are not of the mysticall body of His Church yea and in so far will the sense and sweet effects of reconciliation with God be interrupted and obstructed as persons reconciled do give way unto divisions rents and strifes among themselves for the Gentiles and Jews being in one body with Christ and His Church come to be reconciled unto God That He might reconcile both unto God in one body that is being united among themselves in one body under Christ the head as is affirmed vers 15. 5. As Jesus Christ did interpose as mediator and peace-maker to reconcile God and us So He behoved in order unto this end to bear the chastisment of our peace and to lay down His life by a shamefull painfull and cursed death that so the justice of God being fully satisfied for our wrong we might enjoy God's peace and favour with life for he sheweth the mean of their reconciliation was the crosse of Christ not the material tree or matter of the crosse but Christ's sufferings and death upon the crosse That He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse 6. Christ in suffering Himself to be overcome by death did fully destroy sin death the ceremonial Law and every other thing which could impede the reconciliation of the Elect with God He having thereby brought-in the substance of all those legal shadows Col. 3. 17. satisfied the justice of God and purchased grace and strength which afterwards He was to convey unto all Believers for mortifying and subduing the body of sin and death in them Act. 5. 31. for saith Paul He hath slain the enmity thereby that is by the
6. Yet He imployeth His called Ministers and Servants as instruments under Him for carrying on this work among whom He did make speciall use of the Prophets and Apostles for laying the foundation in so far as they first did reveal and preach Jesus Christ and commit to writing such truths concerning Him as are necessary for salvation Joh. 20. 31. while other ordinary Ministers are imployed in the preaching of Jesus Christ as He is revealed in Scripture to build up the Elect upon the foundation which was laid by them 2 Tim. 2. 2. for he calleth Christ the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles that is whom they placed in the Church by their Doctrine and Writings by which He maketh them to differ from ordinary Ministers And are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 7. There is a sweet harmony and full agreement between the Doctrine and Writings of the Prophets and Apostles as in all other things so especially in holding forth Jesus Christ for a foundation and rock of salvation unto Believers the latter having taught and written nothing but what was partly prefigured in types and partly foretold in prophesies by the former Acts 26. 22 23. for Paul affirmeth that the same foundation Christ was laid by both while he saith Built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 8. How little ground the Papists have from this or any other Scripture blasphemously to teach that the Pope is the foundation of the universal Church visible in whose voice and sentence the faith of all Believers ought to be determined and built appeareth not only from the meaning of the words asserted in the exposition but also from this that all the Apostles are spoken of as having equal influence upon this foundation so that Peter whose successor the Pope doth plead himself to be had no privilege in this above the rest for he saith Ye are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles 9. Though men are easily moved to combine together in ill Psal. 83. 3. as being naturally inclined to it Gen. 6. 5. yet such is the antipathy of every man by nature unto that which is truely good Rom. 3. 12. and unto all other men in that which is good that nothing lesse was required for uniting all the Elect among themselves so as to make them joyntly endeavour the bringing about of Gods glory in their own salvation than that Jesus Christ should interpose as an arbiter with power causing the parties at variance to be at peace and become a center wherein all those scattered lines might meet and a corner wherein the severall walls and stones of the building are conjoyned for saith Paul it was necessary in order to this union that Jesus Christ himself should be the extream corner-stone Vers. 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together ' groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. THis stately edifice is described secondly from the artificiall and altogether divine structure and joyning together of all its parts which is the beauty of any building This orderly frame and curious structure of the Church consisteth in these two First That the whole edifice and all its parts are firmly joyned in him that is in Christ the foundation to wit by faith their life being framed according to His prescript and example Matth. 11. 29. and their faith imbracing Him according as He is held forth in the Word without addition or diminution Col. 2. 6. even as the whole frame of a materiall building is made conform to the foundation Next That all the parts of this edifice are strongly joyned together among themselves by the grace of love Col. 3. 14. and orderly situate every one acting towards the good of another in their severall stations 1 Corinth 12. 25. 26. in so far as they are regenerate and consequently are parts of this building 1 Corinth 12. 5 even as all the parts of a materiall building have a commodious correspondency one to another and thereby are fitly framed together This edifice is described thirdly from its perpetuall increase and growth flowing also from Christ the foundation which growth is to be understood not only with respect to the whole body of the Church which groweth by the addition of new converts Isa. 54. 3. but also and mainly to every member in particular which do increase and grow in gifts and graces 2 Pet. 3. 18. And lastly it is described from the end intended in rearing up this stately growing edifice even to be an holy temple unto God wherein He may manifest His presence and be perpetually served and glorified as it was in Solomons temple Psal. 132. 13. Doct. 1. Jesus Christ doth differ from the foundation of all other buildings in this that the whole building and every stone of it doth take immediate band upon the foundation all Believers being most intimately joyned to Him by faith and not by the interveening mediation of others as it is in materiall buildings for the Apostle sheweth that all the building no part thereof being excepted is in Him while he saith In whom all the building 2. As there is a strict conjunction and a kind of proportion between Believers and Christ as also among themselves even such as is branched forth in the exposition of this verse so a great part of the strength and beauty of the Church and of all its parts consisteth in this conjunction and proportion and nothing is more uncomely than for a Believer to be disproportioned unto Christ either in his faith or practice and to other Believers in his coldrife affection to them or his not acting orderly in his station for their good for the Apostle describeth this spirituall edifice from its divine structure and curious joyning of all its parts as that wherein a great part of its beauty and strength doth consist In whom all the building fitly framed together 3. As this spirituall edifice doth differ from other buildings that not only the whole edifice but also all the parts of it 1 Pet. 2. 5. are indued with life a life which is wholly spirituall and floweth from their union with Christ the foundation So this life of theirs is for the time but imperfect their spiritual graces having not as yet attained that fulnesse and strength which is required for the Apostle while he ascribeth a spiritual growth to all the building doth imply both those seing growth supponeth life and want of just stature and perfection In whom all the building groweth 4. As growth in grace is a priviledge which appertaineth to all the parts of this spirituall building who are yet on earth so this growth of theirs doth flow from their union and communion with Christ and the more their union with Him be improved to the dayly extracting of a renewed influence from Him they cannot choose but thrive the better in this their spiritual growth for the Apostle ascribeth growth to all this building and growth from their being in
Believer doth thereby lay hold on Christ Philip. 3. -12. giveth Him daily imployment Joh. 15. -5. and Christ being so laid hold upon and imployed remaineth and resideth in the Believer for therefore is it that he ascribeth this indwelling of Christ in the heart unto faith that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 7. Such is the power and vertue of faith that those things which are at furthest distance whether in respect of time Joh. 8. 56. or of place are present to it and to the heart by it Even as those things are present to the eye and ear which are clearly seen and distinctly heard though in respect of place they may be many miles distant so whole Christ both as God and Man is present to the heart in His merit vertue and efficacy laid hold upon by faith though His humane nature be locally present in heaven only Act. 3. 21. and therefore there is no necessity in order to our spirituall life that His body be present in the Sacrament and received by the mouth and stomach for He is conveyed unto and dwelleth in the heart by faith besides that the flesh profiteth nothing Joh. 6. 63 Vers. 17. That ye being rooted and grounded in love 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge THe third petition followeth wherein the thing prayed for is an excellent effect of that spirituall corroboration flowing from Christs dwelling in them by faith spoken of ver 16. 17 even that God would make them grow in knowledge especially in the experimentall knowledge of his love in Christ. And first he setteth down the mean of attaining the thing prayed for to wit their firm and sure laying hold upon and adhering to the love and free grace of God in Christ as it is revealed in the Gospel by the grace of faith as trees are firmly fastened in the ground by their roots and edifices are built and lean upon their strong foundations for the two words rooted and grounded are metaphors taken from trees and edifices ver -17. Secondly the request it self first proponed more obscurely to wit that they might be able to comprehend or certainly to understand what that love of God in Christ is whereof he hath presently spoken and is to speak immediately afterwards and therefore it is most agreeable to the present purpose that it be here understood as the thing which he would have them able to comprehend in its infinit greatnesse and full perfection according to all its dimensions as of breadth whereby it is extended unto all ages Matth. 28. 20. and all ranks 1 Tim. 2. 4. of length whereby it reacheth from eternity to eternity Psal. 103. 17. of depth whereby it stoupeth down to the lowest depths of sin and misery and draweth sinners from thence Psal. 86. 13. and of height whereby it reacheth up to heavenly joyes and happiness and carrieth sinners up thither Joh. 14. 3. which are the four usuall dimensions and measures according to which we ordinarily take up the bignesse of grea test bodies And withall he sheweth that this compr ehension or uptaking of Gods love here prayed for was in part attained and in its full measure attainable after time by all reall Saints and sound Believers that hereby those Ephesians might be more animated and incited to aspire unto it vers 18. Secondly the request is proponed more plainly to wit that they might know in some measure and chiefly from their own experience this love which is here called the love of Christ not to seclude the love of the Father or holy Ghost but because the love of the whole Trinity is conveyed in the effects thereof towards lost sinners through Christ and His merit Joh. 3. 16. and concerning this love he affirmeth that it doth passe knowledge or created understanding to know it to wit fully and in its utmost extent seing it is infinit as God Himself is infinit ver 19 From ver -17. Learn 1. As trees cannot long stand against the blasts of boisterous winds except their roots be deeply fastened in some good ground and as houses cannot remain long firm and strong except they be built upon some sure foundation So neither can Professors hold out for any space of time against the furious assaults of many violent tentations except they be under-propped by and rely upon some strong foundation for the Apostle expressing that stability and constancy arising from the faith of God's love which he wished for to those Ephesians by two metaphors taken from trees deeply rooted and houses strongly built doth imply that without the faith of this love they were as trees without a root and houses without a foundation that ye being rooted and grounded in love 2. The only sure foundation whereon the soul being built and fastened is able to stand out against the strongest blasts of most violent tentations is the unchangeable and free love of God in Christ revealed in the Gospel and laid hold upon by faith and no conceit of our own righteousness naturall courage fixed resolutions or such like Matth. 26. 33. with 70. for the Apostle would have them rooted and grounded in love to wit the love of God in Christ. 3. As this love of God in Jesus Christ is a most firm rock and sure foundation in it self So it concerneth those who would be sustained by it against the furious assaults of Sathans tentations from all hands to be firmly fastened in and built upon it which is then done when they do not rest upon the notionall knowledge thereof in the brain so as to be able pertinently to discourse of it but when this marvellous love and all the good things prepared by it are laid hold upon by faith as they are offered and this not faintly but seriously as we would grip to a thing upon life and death 1 Tim. 1. 15. for Paul would have them firmely fastned in and built upon God's love as trees are rooted in the ground and houses are joyned with their foundations And the mean whereby they were to be so rooted and grounded in God's love is the grace of faith as appeareth from a parallel place Col. 2. 7. That ye being rooted and grounded in love From ver 18. Learn 1. As they who have found the saving effects of Gods love in Christ and consequently cannot but know something of it do yet know but a small portion thereof So the knowledge and chiefly the experimentall knowledge of this abounding and marvellous love from the felt and known effects thereof is of great concernment unto Believers and ought to be sought after by them accordingly for this knowledge is not only pleasant as being of a subject wonderfull but also edifying both in order to our comfort Rom. 5. -2. with 5. and to our incitement unto duty 2 Cor. 5. 14. for he prayeth for a greater measure of this
knowledge even to those converted Ephesians who had somewhat of it already That ye may be able to comprehend what is the breadth c. 2. Our embracing by faith the love of God in Christ and those good things prepared by it as they are revealed and offered in the Gospel is a necessary mean for attaining to fuller insight in the admirable nature of this love yea and to the sense and feeling of it and experimentall knowledge flowing thence for he premits their being rooted in the faith of this love ver -17. as a mean for attaining the more full understanding and especially the experimentall knowledge of it That ye being rooted may be able to comprehend 3. This love of God in Jesus Christ to lost sinners is so large Isa. 55. 8 9. so free Hos. 14. 4. and in all respects so wonderfull Psal. 31. 19. So narrow are hearts to take it up and so strange are the wayes of conveying the effects and fruits of this love through a wildernesse of triall and humiliation going before Deut. 8. 14 15 16. that though it be revealed in the Gospel Joh. 3. 16. yet no man can attain to know it so as certainly to believe the reality of it except it be given unto him graciously of God and therefore prayer to God would be joyned with the use of other means for attaining to it for Paul doth pray to God that they may be able to comprehend or certainly to understand and know what is the breadth 4. We are not to content our selves with a superficiall view of God's free love in Christ but ought to take most accurate inspection of it in all its dimensions and in all those several respects and wayes wherein it is manifested endeavouring at least to know it so far as that which is infinite may be known by finit creatures and to know it in its outmost capacity as reaching beyond all created understanding upward downward to the right-hand and to the left that so we may be the more constrained to our duty by it more ravished with the thoughts of it and may draw more solid comfort from it All which profitable effects are obstructed by our narrow thoughts and shallow apprehensions of Gods love in Christ for he prayeth they may be able to comprehend it in all its dimensions of breadth and length depth and height 5. As every real Saint and all who are inherently holy have their allotted measure from God of the saving knowledge of Gods love in Christ and shall attain to the full knowledge thereof afterwards So whatever priviledge the Lord is pleased to bestow upon the Saints in common we ought to aspire unto it and confidently expect to receive it from the Lord for as he maketh this comprehension and knowledge here spoken of a common priviledge of all Saints So he doth thereby animate and incite the Ephesians to seek and expect it from God in answer to his prayers That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints 6. As the love of Christ is the common treasure and allowance of all Saints whatever be their different lot in other things So they who would clear an interest in this love must study sanctity and holinesse as that without which no man can convincingly prove his interest in it Joh. 14. 21 23. for he maketh the comprehending of Christs love a priviledge of those only who are Saints and holy Ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints From Vers. 19 Learn 1. The love of God in Christ and of Christ to lost sinners is so rich and unsearchable Eph. 2. 7. so vast boundlesse yea and infinit See ver 18. So matchlesse and without any parallel to equal it whereby we might come to the exact knowledge of it Rom. 5. 7 8. that not only the naturall man cannot understand it at all 1 Cor. 2. 14. but even those who are truly renewed do not take it up fully as it is in it self and so as they can expresse those infinit and unsearchable riches which are in it they do but know in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. for the Apostle saith this love of Christ passeth knowledge 2. Though this love of Christ passeth knowledge in the sense presently mentioned yet every true Believer should endeavour to attain yea and doth attain to the knowledge of it in some measure and so far as is necessary for their salvation and comfort for though this love is unsearchable yea and infinit yet created understanding may so far comprehend it as to know it to be infinit and that there is not so much known but more doth yet remain to be known of it They may know it so as to stand and wonder at it as not being able perfectly to comprehend it and they may know it thus partly from what the Spirit of God in Scripture condescending to our capacity so far as is possible doth speak of it and partly from those effects of this unsearchable love which they do find to be wrought in themselves by it for the Apostle prayeth they may know this love of Christ which passeth knowledge hereby implying that the knowledge thereof may be attained in some measure and that it is our duty to seek after it 3. The infinit and unsearchable nature of this love of God in Christ to sinners should be so far from discouraging Believers to search after the knowledge of it that by the contrary we ought to be so much the more encouraged in that search and this for the reasons given ver 8. doct 12. for he addeth this of its passing knowledge as it seemeth of purpose to provoke them so much the more to seek after the knowledge of it And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Vers. 19. that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God HEre is the fourth and last petition of the Apostles prayer wherein he prayeth for the full perfection and accomplishment of all those other things which he sought for them in the three former even that they might be more and more filled with all the graces of God's Spirit untill they should come to the compleat fulnesse of grace in glory when God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15. -28. for the original doth read that ye may be filled unto all the fulnesse of God even while grace begun here be fully compleated in glory hereafter which perfection of grace to be attained in the life to come is called the fulnesse of God not as if the essence of the Deity were either in whole or in part to be communicated unto the glorified Saints which is incommunicable unto any creature but because it floweth immediately from that His infinit and incommunicable fulnesse as streams from the fountain 1 Corinth 15. -28. and doth consist in the full enjoying of Him 1 Joh. 3. -2. Doct. 1. There is a fulnesse and compleatnesse in grace attainable even by Believers here to wit such as is sufficient for their present state
the exercise of meeknesse and long-suffering those only being able to moderate anger and to restrain the inundations of their impetuous passions when stirred and provoked by real injuries who being conscious of their own infirmities do judge but meanly of themselves and therefore not too good to have by the Lords wise and gracious dispensation a suffering lot from the wicked and injurious carriage of others 2 Sam. 16. 10. for he presseth humility in the first place as the foundation of and enterance unto all the rest With all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering 4. There is an all-nesse or universality which ought to be in the grace of lowlinesse first with respect to the subject it ought to extend it self to the whole man as being seated in the heart Philip. 2. 3 and kything in the outward carriage Luk. 14. 8. Secondly with respect to all objects There must be humility towards God Acts 20. 19. and humility also towards men Philip. 2. 3. and towards all sorts of men not only superiours Levit. 19. 32 but inferiours also Job 31. 13. Thirdly with respect to the grace it self as being without any mixture of the contrary vice so far as is possible Psal. 131. 1 2. and daily growing up towards perfection 2 Corinth 7. 1. Fourthly with respect to all cases so as it be exercised in prosperity Ezek. 16. 49. as well as adversity for saith he with all lowlinesse which note of universality is oft made use of by the Apostle when he would expresse a great measure and degree of any gift or grace See 1 Cor. 1. 5. Philip. 1. -9. Doct. 5. Meeknesse and long-suffering as they differ but little in substance and are commendable graces in themselves so they are notable means and helps to fit men for the duty of mutuall forbearance in order to unity in so far as they do render him who is endued with them gentle affable and easie to be conversed with and do moderate anger which is ready to blow the bellows of contention and to stir up strife Prov. 15. 18. for he exhorteth unto meéknesse and long-suffering in order to forbearance and unity With meeknesse long-suffering forbearing one another endeavouring to keep unity 6. The best of men have their own infirmities mistakes and failings mutually justling and rubbing upon each other whereby they prove often unpleasant and burdensome one to another for this is supposed while they are commanded to forbear one another 7. It is the duty of Christians mutually to tolerate and forbear one another even when there are real grounds of displeasure for hereby a man overcometh himself and his own corrupt nature which thirsteth after revenge Prov. 16. 32. hereby he overcometh and shameth his party who did him wrong 1 Sam. 24. 17. and keepeth Gods way in overcoming of him Rom. 12. 17 21. and hereby a man also in some comfortable measure doth entertain peace with others which otherwise upon every occasion would blow up and evanish for he enjoyneth this mutuall forbearance as a remedy against the clashing of mutuall infirmities and for entertaining of unity and peace forbearing one another endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit 8. This duty of forbearance is to be exercised to the person of our brother rather than his faults we are so to bear with his person as to endeavour the bearing down of his sin by admonition 2 Thess. 3. 15. reproof Levit. 19. 17. or correction Prov. 13. 24. as we have otherwise accesse and yet we are so to meddle with his faults as in the mean time we may give due respect to his person not irritating or provoking his corruptions while we intend to cure them for saith he forbearing one another which relateth to persons rather than to faults 9. This duty of forbearance ought to be mutuall and cannot in reason be expected by any from others to themselves who are not ready themselves to repay it unto others seing there is no man who wanteth his own infirmities which call for forbearance Iam. 3. 2. and that every man is obliged to do as he would be done to by others Matth. 7. 12. for saith he forbearing one another 10. Love to our neighbour whereby our heart and inmost affections are inclined and disposed towards him for his good as they ought as it is the great root and fountain of all duties towards others without which they are but counterfeit shadows and not real and sincere 1 Cor. 13. 3. So it doth in a speciall manner dispose and fit us for this duty of mutuall forbearance love covereth a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4. 8. and maketh us bear with many things in the person loved 1 Cor. 13. 4 7. which otherwise flesh and bloud would not digest 2 Cor. 12. 15. for he holdeth out love as the fountain of all the rest and especially of mutuall forbearance With all lowlinesse forbearing one another in love 11. Whence it followeth that this duty of mutuall forbearance ought to flow from a principle of love and therefore though we forbear from necessity because we dare not do otherwise or from policie untill we get opportunity to right our selves or from respect to our own ease only lest by resenting injuries and miscarriages we create trouble to ourselves or if we tolerate connive at and foster the sins of others under a pretence of forbearing them which is inconsistent with love to them Lev. 19. 17. In all those cases our forbearance is not acceptable service to God nor yet in any case but when it is performed in love and from a principle thereof for the forbearance he enjoyneth is forbearing one another in love Vers. 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace HE doth now fall upon the main scope of this first part of the Chapter exhorting them by all possible endeavours to keep the union of all the members of the Church being united together by the holy Ghost even in heart and especially in things spiritual all which are implyed in this unity of the spirit and that in order to this unity they would be of a peaceable disposition and deportment to wit so as not to make unnecessary ruptures and breaches upon every difference whereby they should be firmly knit together as the members of one body by its several ligaments and sinnews Doct. 〈◊〉 As there are several sorts of union in the Church and more particularly besides that union which is amongst the members of the invisible Church the bond whereof is the saving graces of Gods Spirit all of them being united to Christ the head by faith Eph. 3. 17. and one to another by love Col. 3. 14. There is an union also of the visible Church and the members thereof amongst themselves and this is twofold the one necessary to the being of a Church and being of a Church-member so that a Church cannot be a Church nor a man a member of the visible Church without it the ty of
henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro which implyeth an acknowledgement that at least he was once such a childe and that it was necessary for him as well as others to quit that childish temper 4. As the renewed children of God are once babes in Christ and weak in all the parts of the new man even in knowledge prudence patience and other graces so they must not be alwayes such but are to be growing upwards towards perfection for the first of those is implyed and the other expressed while he saith That we henceforth be no more children 5. Pronenesse to error and easinesse to be carried away with every doctrine which pretendeth to Truth is a mark of one who is not grown in grace and but a babe in Christ if he be renewed at all for he calleth those children who are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine 6. That errors and heresies are not lesse damnable and dangerous than other sins appeareth from this that the souls hazard from these is expressed by the hazard of masterlesse ships tossed by contrary winds among rocks or beds of sand while he saith tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine 7. The spirit of error is alwayes turbulent and when suffered to walk abroad doth raise most strange commotions both in the publick state of the Church while hereby the lovers of Truth are called publickly to contend for it Jude ver 3. and in the hearts of private Christians chiefly those who are weak and unsetled and hereby made to fluctuate among the rocks of several opinions and sometimes at last to split upon some one error or other Gal. 1. 6. for so much is implyed while he compareth heretical doctrines to the boisterous winds which drive the ship of the Church to and fro with every wind of doctrine 8. There â—s no erroneous doctrine so hazardous and damnable but Satan will find out some active spirits to spread it and to seduce others unto the imbracing of it for those are the men here spoken of by whose sleight and cunning craftines the winds of false doctrine are made to blow and carry children to and fro tossed by the sleight of men 9. As those whom Satan engageth to carry on a course of error and heresie in a Church are usually men of parts and gifts exceeding far in abilities the generality of the Lords People whom they intend to seduce and as far as men of age and understanding go beyond simple children and babes So these whom Satan thus engageth do usually prove men void of conscience and stand not much upon fraud or falshood providing they may gain their point for the Apostle calleth them men in opposition to those whom formerly he called children and sheweth them to be such men as did make use of sleight and cogging craftinesse and a subtile compendious art of deceiving for carrying on their point by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive 10. Though heretical spirits and seducers of others are men void of conscience Yet they make it their great work to hide their knavery and to appear that which they are not by their large pretences to conscience and piety 2 Cor. 11. 15. hereby to deceive the simple and to carry on their wofull design the more securely under that cover Rom. 16. 18. for he compareth them to cunning gamsters who carry the matter so dexterously that their fraud and knavery do not appear by the sleight of men He alludeth to subtile coggers of dice as said is 11. Hereticall spirits and ringleaders of errour are usually more than ordinarily assisted in their wofull work and so as they fall upon dexterous means which they pursue uncessantly and are attended with marvellous successe oftentimes in so doing the Lord permitting Satan so to act them and to act by them for heightening the triall and making a more speedy and through discovery of the unstability of peoples spirits by those means for the expressions here used do imply their more than ordinary assistance in all those by the sleight of men their cunning craftinesse or singular dexterity to do any mischief and their lying in wait to deceive or their deceiving by a compendious subtil art 12. However subtil seducers make a fair shew of Reason Scripture Piety and Humility for procuring credit to their errors Col. 2. 23. yet the strong and only prop whereupon error leaneth and wherein its great strength doth lie is nothing else but vanity falshood subtil craftinesse and deceit for Paul sheweth that these are the arms of Hereticks whereby they defend their errors even winds of doctrines sleight of men cunning craftinesse and lying in wait to deceive 13. That great measure of parts and gifts with which hereticall seducers are frequently indued their unwearyed diligence in making use of these their deceits falshood and sleights for gaining their purpose and the more than ordinary successe which they are attended with in trying times ought not to discourage the weakest of the Lords people or make them dispair of standing out against their assaults but rather incite them to watchfulnesse to seek after knowledge a spirit of discerning solidity in judgement and stability in truth that so in the strength of the Lord they may resist their activity and wiles for the latter part of the verse hath an indirect argument in it for pressing the duty contained in the former even that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and that because they had to do with the sleight of men the cunning craftinesse of those who lie in wait to deceive Vers. 15. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things which is the head even Christ HE doth illustrate the fore-mentioned end of the Ministery thirdly from another fruit of that spirituall edification unto which the work of the Ministery is also subservient even to growth in grace or that real Believers by speaking the truth or rather as the word signifieth by cleaving to the truth of heavenly doctrine and by making conscience of the duties of love and good works as the fruit of their sincerity in adhering to truth may grow up and make progresse in all christian vertues untill they attain to their full stature and height of growth even such a measure of conformity with Christ as they be in a manner transformed in Him and become most perfectly one with Him whom he calleth here as often elsewhere See upon chap. 1. 22. the head to show a reason why Believers should grow up in Him and to through conformity with Him even that so the Members of this mystical body may be in some measure proportionable to their head Doct. 1. The ordinance of the Ministery is appointed of God not only to awake those who are yet in nature and drive them to Christ Eph. 5. 14. but also for the good of those who are
already converted even to make them grow up in grace untill they come to perfection and therefore none who live on earth can justly account themselves to be above this Ordinance for the Apostle sheweth that also is one end of the work of the Ministery that those who are already quickened by it may grow up into him 2. The work of edification intended to be brought about by the ordinance of the Ministery is not attained upon souls though they be preserved free from Error except they also know the Truth adhere to it and be growing up in grace and in making conscience of all the duties of an holy life for Paul having mentioned one fruit of that spirituall edification mentioned ver 12. to be freedom from error and infection from false teachers ver 14. he here addeth another that speaking or cleaving to truth in love we may grow up into him in all things 3. Our making conscience to grow in grace is a soveraign remedy against the hazard of being surprized with error and tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine in so far as then we are so much busied about our heart that we have not leisure to be taken up with vain and giddy notions of an unsetled head for Paul having dehorted them from being as children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine subjoyneth as a preservative from that unsetled temper but speaking the truth in love we may grow up 4. It is not sufficient for these who live under the drop of Ordinances to attain to the being of grace so as they can prove by evident marks that they have grace but they must also labour to grow in grace for hereby we glorifie God and speak to the commendation of our Lords table whereat we feed Joh. 15. 8. hereby we attain to the enjoyment of many rich priviledges which otherwise we are deprived of 1 Joh. 4. 18. and hereby also we are more enabled to ride out against a storm in trying times as appeareth from the conhexion of these two verses teaching that babes in Christ and children are tossed to and fro with every wind when grown and growing Christians will ride it out for Paul teaching that the end of the Ministery is to make Believers grow doth show they ought to grow while he saith But speaking the truth in love we may grow 5. As we do then sincerely adhere to the truth of heavenly Doctrine when we make evident our so doing by walking in all the duties of love both to God and our neighbour for faith worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. So our love is then truely Christian and not a fleshly lust or morall vertue only when it is grounded upon truth and the result of our adhering to it by faith for therefore Paul conjoyneth these two making the latter as it were the result of the former while he saith but speaking or cleaving to the truth in love 6. That Christians may grow in grace it is most necessary they labour to have both their understanding enlightened with truth and their heart and affections inflamed with love without either of which our growth is not Christian and spirituall but either superstitious and blind even a growth in error if the understanding be not enlightened or growth in pride conceit self-love and arrogance if the head only being filled with light our affections be not inflamed with love to God and our neighbour for therefore he prescribeth that by speaking the truth in love we should grow up 7. This Christian growth must not only be in one thing but in all things in so far as grace must be growing not only in all the parts of the soul understanding will and affections but the whole man also and all the parts thereof must grow according to all the ordinary dimensions or in all Christian vertues and duties both of our generall and particular calling 2 Pet. 1. 5. even as it is in living bodies who grow equally and proportionally in all their parts of length breadth height and depth That we may grow up in all things saith he 8. Then do Christians grow as they ought when they are in a perpetuall motion towards Christ so as to be daily more and more like Him incorporate in Him and one with Him that full conformity with Christ and that most perfect union and communion with Him which shall be attained in glory being the mark and scope toward which they tend and without attaining whereof they do not sit down satisfied as if they had enough for saith he we may grow up into Him 9. Though there ought to be a spiritual emulation among Christians so as to strive who may grow most and outstripe others 1 Cor. 14. 12. Yet there should be no division envious strife or carnal emulation among them upon this account so as to envie the progresse of others or cast stumbling-blocks in their way to retard them but an harmonious on-going and rejoycing in the progresse one of another seing they are to grow as the parts of one body under one head Christ for so much doth Paul here teach We may grow up into Him which is the head even Christ. Vers. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love THe Apostle doth illustrate the forementioned end of the Ministery fourthly and joyntly inforceth the study of love and unity by shewing how all gifts and offices do tend to the edifying of the body and furtherance of that growth whereof he spake ver 15. while he describeth Christ the Head presently spoken of from His influence upon and relation to the Church His body wherein he alludeth to a natural living body and the way how it being orderly made up of its severall members joyned together by nerves and sinews doth receive life motion nourishment and growth from the head and heart by the benefit of those bonds and ligaments whereby the particular members do not only receive life and nourishment unto themselves but do also convey them unto others so that every member doth receive due encrease and thereby the whole body doth come to maturity and growth In allusion to which way of the naturall growth of the naturall body he sheweth first that by vertue of spirituall influence drawn from Christ who is as the head and heart of the mysticall body the whole body to wit that which is militant on earth or all sincere Believers the true and lively members of this body are joyned fitly or orderly every one in his own place and station and also firmly or compactly with Christ and among themselves Secondly that they are thus joyned by the means of spirituall joynts and s 〈…〉 ews whereby we are to understand every thing that joyneth Believers with Christ and among themselves and they are either joynts and bonds of inward
union and communion to wit the Spirit on Christs part and faith and love on ours or of externall union to wit the Word Sacraments and those functions and offices which Christ hath appointed in His house yea and also all naturall and civil relations when they are sanctified and they are all called joynts of subministration or supply for the words read better so than as they are rendered by that which every joynt supplyeth to shew that those do serve not only to conjoyn us with Christ and among our selves but also for channels and instruments of communication by which spiritual nourishment and matter of growth is conveyed both unto our selves and others He sheweth thirdly that the whole members and every one of them being thus conjoyned do not only themselves by vertue of that furniture and spirituall nourishment communicate from Christ by the means of those joynts or bonds make encrease and grow but also make the whole body thus conjoyned to grow and this according to the effectual working of the holy Ghost whereby those joynts or means of conveying spiritual nourishment are blessed and made effectuall to the effect mentioned which effectuall working and blessing of encrease and nourishment following upon it is not communicated unto the members or parts without measure as it was to Christ the Head Joh. 3. 34. or unto all alike but in the measure of every part or member that is such a measure as Christ judgeth sufficient and most convenient to every member according to the place and function which they hold in the body and the use which he is to make of them for the good of the body And lastly he sheweth the end of the growth and encrease of the whole body in all its members to be not so much the good and advantage of the particular members as the advancement and edification of the body it self and of the particular members only in so far as their edification and growth is carried alongs in and contributeth for the edification of the body and that this floweth from the force and power of the grace of love in all the members which doth not look to it self only 1 Cor. 13. 5 but maketh every part contribute all what it is and can do for the benefit of others and common good of the whole Hence Learn 1. As Christ and Believers make up one mysticall body whereof He is head and they members See upon chap. 1. 22 23. So all things requisit unto Believers to make them a body do flow from Christ their union order bonds of union spirituall nourishment and instruments of communication whereby it is conveyed their growth and measure of their growth and all is from Him as the Apostle doth here fully teach from whom the whole body c. 2. As there is a most orderly and firm union of all the members of this body with their head and among themselves so this union is necessary in order to their receiving spirituall nourishment and making encrease thereby even as it is in the natural body a member cut off or separated from the rest cannot be nourished for he saith the whole body fitly joyned and compacted doth make encrease The first word fitly joyned doth expresse the orderly frame and proportion of all the members in this union The second compacted expresseth the firmnesse of this union 3. As there are joynts and bonds both of the internall and externall union of this body to wit such as are held forth in the exposition even the Spirit of God with His speciall graces and common gifts so that God doth make use of all those both as bonds of union and instruments of communication whereby He conveyeth spirituall nourishment unto the respective members is a strong argument to scare us from dividing or renting upon these or because of the diversity of those in the severall members for he saith the whole body is compacted by every joynt and he calleth them joynts of supply whereby furniture is conveyed his general scope wherein is to inforce the study of unity notwithstanding of diversity of graces gifts and offices compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth or every joynt of supply 4. There is no true member of this body either dead or idle or living and working only to it self but what life or nourishment it hath received from the head that it doth endeavour to communicate unto others for he saith there is an effectuall working from the Lord in every member according to which it maketh increase not only of it self but of the body 5. As there is no member of this body which receiveth the essentiall operation and gifts or graces of the holy Spirit without measure and as all receive some measure lesse or more So it is the duty of all and every one to contribute for the good of others and especially for the advantage of the whole body not by extending themselves beyond their measure but according to it that being all which God requireth for he saith the whole body or all the several members of the body do make increase of the body according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part 6. As it is not our improving of our measure of gifts and graces received which of it self and without the effectuall operation and blessing of Gods Spirit will bring about the spirituall good and advantage either of our selves or others so we ought not on this pretence to ly-by doing nothing but are to make use of our measure received and depend upon the effectuall operation of Gods Spirit for a blessing to our so doing for he saith increase is made of the body according to both those the Spirits effectuall operation and the activity of every part or member according to its measure even according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part 7. As all the lively members of this body do make increase and grow in gifts and graces so that is only true growth and a growth whereof Christ the head is fountain and author which addeth somewhat to the whole body and bringeth advantage to the Church in common but not that growth which seemeth to bring some benefit to a few with the disadvantage of the rest for the whole body or every member of the body maketh increase not only of it self but also of the body saith he 8. As there is no such degree of growth attained here neither by the Church in generall nor its lively members in particular but there are degrees yet wanting of their full and just stature So the measure of growth and increase already received should be improved by us for attaining a further degree of growth and advantage not only to our selves but also to others chiefly to the edification of the whole body for he saith every member maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self so that the increase received is to be improven for attaining more even further edification 9. The more a man
Paul doth not condemn but approve this custom among men that no man ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it 6. As Christs example in His dealing towards the Church is a most excellent copie to be eyed and imitated by husbands in their carriage toward their wives and that not only in their love but in all those other duties flowing from love which they owe unto them So it doth concern both husbands and wives to eye this pattern much and to draw their motives and encouragements unto their mutuall duties from it as that which will much conduce to keep their hearts in a spirituall frame even in those performances and to prevent that carnal worldly disposition which the misguided care of performing such duties as the married-state of life calleth for doth usually contract for as he propounded Christs example for a motive to and pattern of the duty of love ver 25. so of those duties also of nourishing and cherishing which flow from it in this verse even as the Lord the Church 7. A husbands care ought to extend it self not only to nourish and cherish his wife in things temporal and which concern her body only but also in things spiritual and which concern her soul and therefore he would be circumspect lest under pretence of eschewing all suspicion of displeasure with her and of giving necessary tokens and evidences of his love and kindnesse to her in order to his outward cherishing her he do neither willingly neglect the care of her salvation or by fondnesse or lightnesse incapacitate himself to do her any good in that respect for Christ doth nourish and cherish His Church by taking care of and providing mainly for the souls and eternall state of His People and husbands are commanded here to make Him their pattern Even as the Lord the Church saith he Vers. 30. For we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones HE giveth here a reason why Christ doth so cherish His Church where in stead of naming the Church expresly which the sequell of his discourse did require he mentioneth himself and other true Believers among the Ephesians under the pronoun we the Church here spoken of for whom Christ did give Himself being only made up of such And the reason is taken from that neer and strict union or that spirituall marriage which is betwixt Christ and Believers whereof that ancient marriage betwixt Adam and Eva was a kind of type and shadow as appeareth from the words here used which are taken from Gen. 2. 23. and were uttered at first by Adam concerning himself and his wife but are here by allusion to that marriage of theirs made use of to set forth the spirituall marriage betwixt Christ and His Church the tie and bond whereof is so near and strict that as the Apostle sheweth all Believers are members of His body yea not only of one nature with him which is common to them with all mankind but also as they are new creatures they have their originall and nourishment from Him even from His flesh and bones in so far as they owe the beginning progresse and accomplishment of their spirituall life to Christ His taking on of flash and His suffering in the flesh and by the vertue of those His sufferings they are quickned and fed and so are of His flesh and of his bones Doct. 1. Then do we speak and hear to our comfort and edification these truths which expresse the tender and warm care of Christ unto His Church when we make application of them to our selves and by a lively faith do enter our selves among these for whom He doth so care for the Apostle having in the preceeding verse spoken of Christs nourishing and cherishing of His Church applyeth that to himself and other true Believers among the Ephesians while he saith for we are members of his body 2. Then may we upon good grounds apply these generall truths unto our selves when as members of Christs mysticall body we draw our spirituall life and nourishment from that vertue and influence which Christ hath purchased by His sufferings in the flesh for upon this ground Paul doth substitute himself and other true Believers in stead of the Church and claimeth interest in Christs tender and warm care whereby He doth nourish and cherish His Church while he saith we are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones 3. There is no relation which Christ hath taken on toward His Church but it bindeth him to and accordingly he will perform all those answerable duties which men under these relations are bound to perform toward those to whom they have them for he giveth a reason why He did nourish and cherish His Church as a man doth his body and a husband ought to cherish his wife because he had taken on the relation of an head and husband to His Church while he saith we are members of His body of His flesh and of His bones 4. As true Believers have a twofold being one naturall and another spirituall so they have a twofold originall answerable to each of these In their naturall being they owe their originall under God unto their parents as being bone of their bones and flesh of their flesh as Eva the first woman did owe it to her husband But as they are renewed and born over again they owe their spirituall being not to the will of the flesh or the will of man Joh. 1. 13. but to the vertue of Christs obedience and sufferings in His flesh 1 Joh. 4. 9. for he saith not they are bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh as Adam saith of his wife Gen. 2. 23. to point that she did owe her naturall being unto him as being come and made of him but that they were of His bone and flesh to wit in their spirituall being as they were renewed and members of His body for we are members of his body of His bone and of His flesh Vers. 31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joyned unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh THis verse in the literal plain and historical sense of the words holdeth forth the law of marriage binding all married parties in all times which was pronounced by Adam Gen. 2. 24. and approved by God Himself Matth. 19. 5. And the words taken in this sense contain the third reason to prove the former consequence ver 28. that seing wives are the bodies of their husbands therefore they should be loved The argument is taken from that law of marriage expresly declaring that for this cause to wit because the wife is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh as the cause is expressed Gen. 2. 23 24. which is the same in effect with the cause given ver 28. even because she is the body of the husband to which this verse literally taken doth relate or to the thirtieth verse immediatly preceeding in
so far as the strict union which is between married parties is there alluded unto Upon all which causes or rather one and the same cause expressed in all those places that law doth declare first That the man is to leave father and mother to wit not by casting off naturall affection to his parents Gen. 44. 34. or by refusing to help them in their strait 1. Tim. 5. 4. but by loving his wife more than them and by leaving his fathers family if he his wife and they cannot live all together and by joyning in a new family with his wife Gen. 28. 5. as is further cleared by the second thing here declared to wit that he ought to be joyned inseperably to his wife and that both in affection Prov. 5. 19. and cohabitation dwelling with her 1 Pet. 3. 7. The word in the original doth signifie such a joyning as that of two boards of timber firmly glued together not as if a man were to reside constantly at home for the Merchant the Lawyer and men of other imployments also must some times go abroad Prov. 7. 19 20. But his fixed dwelling should be with her and his presence also so far as his necessary calling shall permit so that he is not without necessity to be absent from his own home Prov. 5. -19. And thirdly this law declareth that they two shall be one flesh which implyeth first a most strict union so that they cannot be separated except in the case of adultery Matth. 19. 9 and wilfull desertion of the one party persisted in after all meanes used to the contrary 1 Cor. 7. 15 more than a piece of a mans body may be cut off from the rest And secondly a most intimate communion whereby they have common goods common friends yea and all things common as if they were but one person And thirdly the lawfull and sanctified use of the marriage-bed allowed unto them of God which out of the case of marriage is sinfull and damnable 1 Cor. 6. 16. Heb. 13. 4. But for further clearing of the words know that beside their literal and historical sense God intended that the purpose contained in them concerning the carnal marriage of man and woman should represent and shadow forth somewhat of Christ and of that spirituall marriage between Christ and the Church as appeareth from the situation of the words immediatly after ver 30. which doth evidently speak of Christ as is already shown and before verse 32. where he declareth that the purpose in hand is a mysterie and to be understood of Christ and the Church now the purpose here expressed doth hold in Christ by analogie and proportion in so far as Christ did leave His Father by laying aside the glory which He had with Him Joh. 16. 28. and taking on the form of a servant Philip. 2. 8. and did leave His mother Mary also and her house and family Luke 2. 49. that He might purchase a bride unto Himself See ver 25. 26. to whom He doth cleave inseparably Rom. 8. 35. and with most tender affection Heb. 4. 15. by vertue of which spiritual marriage Christ and Believers become though not one flesh yet one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. being most strictly tyed together by His Spirit and the grace of faith from which conjunction Believers so espoused become fruitfull in good works and do bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7. 4. From the literal sense of this verse Learn 1. The love of married parties ought to be very great and second to no love else but that which we owe to God for even the love we owe to parents from whom we have our being ought to give place unto it A man shall leave father and mother saith he and be joyned unto his wife 2. It is lawfull and allowed of God unto all persons of all ranks being come to mature age 1 Cor. 7. 36 and especially to those who have not the gift of continency 1 Cor. 7. 9. to enter the married state of life only if they marry in the Lord 1 Cor. 7. -39. and therefore the doctrine forbidding marriage to all those who bear office in the Church is the doctrine of devils 1 Tim. 4. 1 3. for the text speaketh of all men indifferently A man shall leave father and mother and be joyned to his wife 3. Divine commands are alwayes founded upon most just reasons which would be eyed by us that so our obedience may be more willing and chearfull yea a piece of reasonable service unto God Rom. 12. 1. for this command given here unto husbands to cleave unto their wives is not nakedly propounded but with a strong reason annexed for inforcing the duty enjoyned by it For this cause saith he shall a man be joyned unto his wife 4. As children are not to remain alwayes childish but being come to age and understanding ought to bestir themselves in providing things necessary and honest according as the station wherein they are placed by God shall require So parents ought to remit somewhat of their fatherly authority over their children as they grow in age and understanding not expecting nor requiring that children now come to age should absolutely and in all things as formerly depend upon the counsell and direction of parents or give themselves wholly to minde their concernments neglecting every other thing else which may concern themselves for this Law supponeth a state of childehood wherein children are to be wholly under the authority of parents minding their concernments and at their direction and that their coming to age and entering the married state of life doth give them more liberty to follow their own direction and to do for themselves a man shall leave father and mother and be joyned to his wife 5. Whatever hath been the corrupt custome of men to the contrary Gen. 4. 19. Yet according to the first institution of marriage only two one man and one woman and not moe either of the one sexe or the other may be lawfully married together at once for the law saith a man shall be joyned to his wife not to his wives and they two not they three or four shall be one flesh From the mysticall application of the words and of the purpose comprehended in them Learn 1. So great a depth is Scripture that in some parcels thereof which do appear most plain and easie to be understood many dark and hid mysteries do lye undiscovered for under this plain history of the marriage of our first parents that great mysterie of the spiritual conjunction of Christ and His Church was also held forth as the Apostle doth here make clear For this cause shall a man leave father and mother See further to this purpose upon Gal. 4. ver 24. doct 1 2. Doct. 2. So holy and honourable is the ordinance of marriage in it self and so highly ought it to be esteemed of by us that God maketh use of it to shadow forth that blessed union and most holy communion