Commentary Upon Ephesians 1, Commentary · Verse 8
verse 8 To returne vntounto the eight verſe. Before we can conſider the doctrines, it is fit to open the true meaning of it: Our bookes read, by which grace he abounded towards vsus, in wiſedome; As if this were the ſenſe; by which Grace hee did abundantly giuegive vsus all wiſedome, but this is not the meaning: For aboundance is not to be adioyned to the grace beſtowed, but to Gods Grace beſtowing:The Scripture placeth Wiſedome, not in knowing onelyonly, but in doing, Let him who is wiſe, ſhew it in conuerſation: him that heareth my words and doth them, I liken him to a wiſe builder. the aboundant meaſure of the gifts is ſufficiently ſhewed by the note of quantity, all wiſedome; and the phraſe doth not ſignifie by which, but in, or with which; for heere is no particle to intimate any ſuch thing. The ſecond caſe noting the matter, ſubiect, wherein God is heere ſaid to hauehave abounded, the truth is, as when we ſay ſuch an one is aboundant to me in his louelove, our meaning is, the louelove of ſuch a one was aboundant toward mee; ſo when he ſaith, God hath abounded towards vsus in Grace, or with Grace, his meaning is the Grace of God had beene abundant toward vsus; towards vsus who hauehave in him remiſſion of ſinnes.
In wiſedome and vnderſtanding.] Theſe muſt further be opened: Wiſedome is put ſometime generally; thus S. Iames, chap. 3. vſeth it for a gift of the minde, giuen vsus from aboue; which teacheth vsus to know, and inclineth vsus to do that which is good, and ſeruing to ſome good purpoſe. It is taken more ſtrictly, and then ſometime it ſignifieth the doctrine of wiſedome, the doctrine of Chriſt crucified; ſometime the Grace by which we know and belieue on Chriſt to ſaluation, euen as faith is put ſometime for the Doctrine of faith; ſometime for the grace and exerciſe of it, as now it actually belieueth, 1 Cor. 2. The Doctrine of Chriſt crucified, it is called the wiſedome of God; predeſtinated to our glory, ſo in the firſt it is called the wiſedome of God; now if the doctrin of knowing & belieuing on Chriſt be wiſdome, needs muſt the Grace by which we know and reſt on him be wiſdome, making wiſe to ſaluation: this I take to be principally intended, if not ſoly. Vnderſtanding is light ſupernatural of the minde, whereby it conceiueth the meaning of God, in his word and workes, and pierceth into the nature of the things of God, of things ſpirituall. As wiſedome is oppoſed to fooliſhnes, ſo vnderſtanding to dulnes, and to the ſuperficiall ouerture or childiſh ſhallownes of knowledge: Be not children in vnderſtanding, but in maliciouſneſſe. The old, which boaſted themſelues of knowlege in the Law, becauſe they did abide in the Letter, and not go to the inward meaning of it, the Apoſtle ſaith they did not vnderſtand the things they did ſpeake of. Iſraell knew what God had done, yet not perceiuing the end to which his great workes tended, ſo as to follow and to cleaue to it, they are ſaid not to hauehave an vnderſtanding heart. Knowledge is a gift of the minde, which perceiueth the truth and falſhood which is in things; it is oppoſed to ignorance: Theſe two former words anſwere to Chockmah and Binah, or Tebunah, which in the Hebrew are of like importance; for that note of quantity (all) wiſdom, it doth ſignifie a rich meſure in theſe things, not abſolute perfection: Who enriched you with all ſpeech, all knowledge, 1 Cor. 1. The ſumme briefly.
Wee hauehave found redemption in Chriſt, through his rich grace, which he had aboundantly ſhewed vsus, in as much as he hath giuen vsus wiſedome, whereby wee know and reſt on Chriſts ſaluation; and vnderſtanding, which maketh vsus ſee into the things of God, yea both of them in plentifull meaſure.
Doct. 1 In which words marke 3. things. 1. That God giueth pardon of ſins to none, to whom he hath not firſt giuen wiſedome and vnderſtanding; Hee doth quit none from ſinne in Chriſt, whom he hath not taught to know & belieue on his Chriſt, 1 Cor. 1.31. God doth make Chriſt an author of righteouſnes to none, to whom he is not firſt wiſedome, that is, who do not firſt receiue the gift of wiſdome from Chriſt. Acts 26. Paul is ſent to bring men from darkeneſſe to light, that ſo being brought to be light, that is, to hauehave wiſedome and vnderſtanding, they may receiue remiſſion of ſinnes, and inheritance with Saints. Wee muſt learne from the Father, that is, wee muſt be made to vnderſtand before wee can come to Chriſt; My ſeruant by his knowledge ſhall bring many to remiſsion of ſinne, ſhall iuſtifie many. Looke as it was in the Type of Chriſt, none were healed by that brazen ſerpent, who did not firſt behold it; ſo heere, if we be not taught of God to ſee that Chriſt crucified, made a curſe on the Croſſe for vsus, we cannot be healed of ſinne, wherewith that old Serpent hath ſtung vsus. Which is to be marked of them who preſume forgiueneſſe of ſinne in Chriſt, and yet hauehave no wiſedome, no vnderſtanding in the things of God: Whereas Chriſt will be auenged on all, who know not God; Whereas God ſaith, he hath no delight in a people of no vnderſtanding; nay, that he is angry with them to deſtroy them. There is no ſigne ſo fearefull as to liue, eſpecially where meanes of the word are, without this vnderſtanding; for it is a token that the God of the world hath power ouer ſuch, to keepe them blindfolded, to their endleſſe perdition; euen as in the body, the eye which is ſtill blinde after the moſt ſoueraigne eye-ſalue applied, it is a ſhrewd preſumption it is irrecouerably blinde, and altogether helpleſſe.
Doct. 2 The ſecond thing to be obſerued is, that true wiſedome and vnderſtanding are gifts of Gods Grace in Chriſt Ieſus. We receiue ſuch wiſedome from the firſt man as did now remain with him after ſin, but this was no true wiſdome, but rather an earthly, ſenſual, & diuelliſh wiſdome; that wiſdome therefore which is heauenly, making wiſe to ſaluation, muſt be from the ſecond Adam, who is the Lord from heauen: Euen as reaſonable vnderſtanding is beyond the compaſſe of that knowledge which the beaſts hauehave by kinde, ſo is this vnderſtanding farre beyond the reach of all that wiſedome left in corrupted Nature. To cleere this point, obſerue theſe two things. Firſt, that it is freely beſtowed on vsus. Secondly, that it is a benefit, then which we receiue none of greater vſe. Were it neuer ſo good a thing, yet if I did purchaſe it meritoriouſly, it were no grace to me; were it neuer ſo freely giuen me, were it of no vſe no waies to me, it could not be a fauor; much leſſe a thing giuen me in riches of Grace; for that which is a gift of rich Grace, muſt come freely from the donour, and be greatly to the good of the donatory or receiuer: Now how freely we hauehave this wiſedome, wee all know; it is beſtowed on vsus when all we are at enmitie againſt it, yea counteth it fooliſhneſſe: How behoofull it is for vsus, we may eaſily know, when the ſight of the body is ſo precious a ſenſe, when the reaſon which we hauehave as ciuill men, is ſo beneficiall, that a man were no man did he want it; for this doth lift him aboue the order of thoſe inferiour creatures, how can it be but this wiſedome and light muſt needs be precious, by which wee ſee God, Chriſt, thoſe things within the vayle, kept in the heauens for vsus, by which we are aboue our ſelues, and all this world, to hauehave communion with God, Chriſt, Angels, ſpirits perfected, which maketh vsus farre higher aboue the ſtate of natural man, then naturall man is aboue the beaſt? Now then it being freely giuen, and a thing of all others moſt behoofefull, it muſt needs be a gift of the rich grace of God.
Vſe 1 What thankefulneſſe then doe we owe to God, who hath viſited vsus with ſo precious a bleſſing? Should wee be through phrenzie out of our right mindes a monethmonth or two, Oh how gratiouſly would wee thinke God dealt with vsus, to reſtore vsus againe to our right ſenſes, as we vſe to ſpeake? But for him, when now we had through ſinne caſt our ſelues into all folly, and ſpirituall lunacy, for him then to viſit vsus, & by his almighty power to bring vsus to the vnderſtanding of the wiſe, it is ſuch a bleſſing, for which hee cannot be ſufficiently praiſed▪ Let vsus praiſe him for his goodnes, and praiſe him for his faithfulneſſe; for hee did promiſe that the harts of the fooliſh ſhould be made wiſe, that thoſe who did erre in heart ſhould vnderſtand, and loe he hath performed it to vsus.
Vſe 2 We muſt take knowledge what we are by nature, men empty of true vnderſtanding. Did wiſedome come from nature, and grow out of the earth, it were not a gift of Grace in Chriſt Ieſus; No, the Princes of this worlds wiſedome, ſuch who hauehave ſeemed to ranſacke all the creatures, from the higheſt ſtarre to the loweſt minerall within the bowels of the earth, euen theſe are as deuoyd of true wiſedome, as the Aſſe-colts of the wilderneſſe Men are out of their right mindes till they come by faith and repentance to God in Chriſt Ieſus: What can the fooliſhneſſe of folly worke, which is in men while they are conuerted? Folly maketh a man know nothing of theſe ciuill things; a foole cannot tell how many twiſe two are; and what doth a naturall man know of his eſtate by nature, of Gods Grace in Chriſt? Hee knoweth not, nay hee cannot know the things of God; for hee counteth them fooliſhneſſe. Secondly, a foole is vnteachable, not more vnlearned, then vnteachable, Prou. 25.9. Perſwade him, ſmile on him, chafe at him, nothing will enter: ſo naturall men; let God from heauen, and Chriſt by his embaſſadors beſeech them to be reconciled to God; let God threaten them with the eternall curſe of his heauy wrath, nothing will ſincke into them. Thirdly, a foole iudgeth not aright of that ciuill end to which his life ſhould ſerue. Wiſe ciuill men know that they liue for the good of their Country, and their own priuate; but a foole wanteth this wiſedome. And what doe all naturall men? They ſee not what is the laſt end, at which all their life ſhould aime, as at a marke viz. that through faith and obedience they may come to liue bleſſed euerlaſtingly with God. As a foole iudgeth not of the end to which hee liueth, ſo hee maketh no prouiſion of meanes which tend to the good of other, or himſelfe; and yet ſeeketh after a common-wealth of bables, ſuch as are his dagger, choller, cap, &c. for theſe are as good to him as the Tower of London; So it is with naturall men, they gather a heape of tranſitory things, but lay vp no treaſure in heauen, which might ſtand them in ſtead for afterward. Againe, though fooles are thus poore and miſerable, yet they thinke themſelues to hauehave all the wit, and hauehave no ſenſe of all their miſery; for the eye of reaſon is out, with which it ſhould be diſcerned: Thus it is with naturall men, they thinke they know what they hauehave to do, they feele no want of Grace, they ſee not their miſery which is come on them through ſinne. To reckon vp particulars in this kinde, would be too tedious: Wherefore let vsus labour to ſee our ſelues fooles, that we may be made wiſe. It is a ſigne-ſome beam of heauenly wiſedome hath ſhined into the ſoule, which now findeth it ſelfe empty of true ſauing Wiſedome.
Doct. 3 The third and laſt thing is, that God doth giuegive vnderſtanding & wiſdome plentifully to vsus whoſe ſinnes he forgiueth; This phraſe is often vſed, all knowledge, Rom. 15.14. 1 Cor. 1.3. Col. 1. So Iames counteth it all ioy; and it ſeemeth to note a kind of fulneſſe and rich meaſure in the things to which it is adioyned, ſee Coloſ. 1.9. and 1 Cor. 1. and ſo God doth giuegive vsus plentifully theſe things, Wiſedome, Life, Regeneration; he ſheddeth and giueth them abundantly, Iam. 1. Tit. 3. This God did foretell, that after his Chriſt manifeſted, the earth ſhould be filled with his knowledge; that he would poure out his ſpirit, not giuegive it by drops, but plentifully: Euen as gracious Kings and Princes on earth, will not onelyonly giuegive things which are good, but will beſtow them in ſuch meaſure as may ſet out their prince-like bounty; ſo it is with our God.
Now for the further vnderſtanding of this point, we who beleeue, may be ſaid to hauehave all wiſedome; 1. In regard of the excellency. 2. In regard of the quantity. For the firſt, when a man hath one thing ſo good, that it ſerueth him inſtead of all, as if a man hath Gold, Siluer inough, we ſay hee hath eueryevery thing, becauſe he hath that which ſerueth him for eueryevery purpoſe: So though this wiſedome is not for kinde, all wiſedome, yet being ſo excellent that it ſerueth vsus to all purpoſes, it may be called (all) wiſdome. But here is a further thing to be conceiued, euen in regard of the quantity of it: Now it cannot be ſaid (all) in regard that it is abſolutely full and perfect for degree; for we know in part onelyonly, it muſt be ſaid ſo then comparatiuely onelyonly: Now it may be ſaid (all) wiſedome, thus in a double reſpect; Firſt, in compariſon of that meaſure which was giuen the beleeuing Iew; and thus eueryevery faithfull Chriſtian may be ſaid to hauehave all wiſedome giuen him: It is a great ſpeech that the leaſt in the kingdome of God ſhall be greater then Iohn Baptiſt: for looke as wee who now are vp after the dawning of the day, and riſing of the Sun, hauehave far more light, then ſuch who are in the night; thus it was with the Iew, he had the Starre of Propheſie, as in a darke night; we hauehave the Sunne of righteouſneſſe now riſen ouer vsus, and Ergo, our light is farre greater then theirs. Secondly, Chriſtians may be ſaid to hauehave receiued (all) knowledge, in regard of thoſe who are more imperfect; as there are ſome Chriſtians more carnall, weake, then others, ſo more ignorant alſo. For as this earthly vnderſtanding is not in that degree in a childe or yong man, as it is in an aged: So when there are babes, young men, old men in Chriſt, there is a meaſure in wiſedome anſwerable to theſe ages, as it were in Chriſt; but Saint Paul here ſeemeth to ſet this downe, ſo as it may admit a common application, rather then otherwiſe.
Vſe 1 Seeing then that God doth giuegive wiſedome plentifully to all, to whom he giueth pardon of ſinne; how fearefull is their eſtate, who euen ſeeme to flie from knowledge? Some thinke it a dangerous thing to know much; they will liue without ſauing light, rather then diſquiet their ſleepe; ſome hope if they be but baptized, and can their praiers, Creede, and that men muſt louelove God aboue all, their neighbours as themſelues, they thinke they know inough, and who can teach them more? Nay, euen in theſe dayes of light, ſome will ſpeake as if they would bring people to the old implicite faith: Some are ſo without vnderſtanding, that if you aske them any common queſtion, they are ready to put it off, they are not booke learned: aske them a reaſon of that they doe, they hauehave nothing but a childiſh imitation, they ſee others doe ſo; they put off vnderſtanding more fully, as if it were a thing appropriated to our coate. Suſpect your ſelues. While the darkeneſſe of night abideth, who will thinke the Sunne is riſen? and how can the Sunne of righteouſneſſe be riſen in thy heart, who ſtill doſt remaine in ſo great darkeneſſe? Some cry out againſt much knowledge, they ſay, men liued better when leſſe was knowne; as if they would ſet that on foote againe, that ignorance is the mother… of deuotion; or were of the minde, that men might hauehave too much of their heauenly fathers bleſſing. Finally, ſuch as vpbraid Chriſtians, counting it pride in them to take vponupon them knowledge in the Scriptures, or iudgement in the particularities of diuinitie.
Vſe 2 Let vsus ſeeke to God for wiſedome, ſeeing hee will giuegive plentifully, euen that annointing which ſhall teach vsus all neceſſary things: As God hath not ſet any certaine degree of ſanctification, which ſhall ſerue vsus for ſaluation; ſo he hath not ſtinted vsus to any certaine degree of knowledge, but would hauehave vsus ſeeke to be filled with all knowledge and wiſedome, as he would hauehave vsus ſtriue to perfection of holines: Wherefore though we ſee but things, as the blinde man did when now he was reſtored, yet we neede not be diſmaied while wee ſtriue to make proceeding. We take great paines to get the knowledge of earthly things, and we eſteeme it as a great benefit to hauehave inſight into earthly matters, which belong to our eſtates; but what is it to hauehave this vnderſtanding in the things which concerne our heauenly condition? the rather let vsus ſeeke, becauſe God will heare vsus graciouſly. Hee who anſwered Salomon, ſeeking politicke wiſedome, and granted him aboue all he did thinke and aske; what would he doe to vsus, were our hearts ſet to beg heauenly vnderſtanding?
Vſe 3 This muſt comfort vsus, who hauehave receiued our part in this heauenly wiſedome. Commonly the moſt Chriſtians are counted good men god wot, but ſimple ſoules, of no parts: the wiſedome of God is folly with the world; it is like the waters of Shiloh, which becauſe it giueth not the loud report, like theſe humane wiſdoms, it is not in requeſt with men of carnall iudgement. Let this weakeneſſe be farre from vsus. This wiſedome maketh the face to ſhine, is able to ſatisfie the ſoule, I care to know nothing, but Chriſt, and him crucified; yea, to ſaue the ſoule eternally, bringing it to endleſſe glory. Such who hauehave the wiſedome to get honours and treaſure here on earth, they laugh at all learning beſides, in compariſon of this, counting that skill folly, which a man may hauehave and yet goe bare-foote. But how truely may we deeme all that wiſedome folly, which a man may hauehave, and yet looſe his owne ſoule?