Commentary Upon Ephesians 1, Commentary · Verse 15
verse 15 Hauing thus laid down the benefit, he commeth to mention the effect which the conſideration of it wrought in him, which reacheth to the end of this chapter, wherein two things may be obſerued. 1. The occaſion, in this 15. verſe. 2. The fact; which hath two parts. 1. His thankeſgiuing. 2. His prayer. Concerning the latter; firſt we hauehave ſet downe that he prayed. 2. What hee prayed, in the end of the 16. verſe, and ſo downward. In ſetting downe the occaſion: 1. Wee are to conſider the Apoſtle his hearing of them. 2. What hee heard of them, which was, firſt their Faith, et downe with the obiect of it, in the Lord Ieſus: ſecondly, their LoueLove, which is amplified from the obiect, to Saints, from the quantity and extention of it, to all Saints. The verſe hath nothing difficult to be explaned.
Doct. 1 Obſerue firſt from this, that Paul getteth heereſay ſay how the matter of grace went amongſt them; that Miniſters muſt labour to know how grace goeth forward in thoſe with whom they are to deale. This was the newes that Paul asked after; his deſire was to be certified of this before all other things. Thus Epaphras told him of the Coloſsians eſtate; thus hee learned out the famous faith of the Romanes; thus hee learned by ſome of the houſe of Cloe, the ſtate of the Corinthians: Naturall men wil inquire & hearken after the health of their friends, how they are in body and eſtate: Thus this ſpirituall man, he was ſtil learning how the ſoules of the Churches proſpered; It behoueth ſhepheards to know their flocke. Naturall parents if they hauehave children at the vniuerſity, they will inquire how they goe on in learning and vertue: Thus this Father of ſoules abſent from them, could doe no other but bee delighted to learne how they did grow toward God.
Vſe. Which thing may checke many Paſtors nowadaies, whoſe Epiſtles if one reade, you ſhall finde nothing they liſten after but newes, like thoſe Athenians, Acts 17. newes fitter for men that follow the Exchange, then for thoſe who are Fathers in Churches. Againe, this doth ſhew how wide they are, who thinke it curioſity in Miniſters, if they look into the manners more neerly of their people: What need they buſie themſelues, & thruſt their oare into other mens boats? For a priuate perſon without any calling to be inquiſitiue, and to prie into others, that I may know how to come ouer them, caſt ſomething in their teeth, if they a little diſpleaſe me, is great wickedneſſe; but for a Miniſter, to the end he may diſcharge his duety more fruitfully, it is no other thing then God requireth for the good of people. Some who would heare nothing but omnia bene, would hauehave Miniſters quiet men, ſtop their eares with waxe, & neuer weare their eyes about them, but when they hauehave a booke in their hand; but alas, they conſider not that Miniſters are ſhepheards, watchmen, ouer-ſeers, &c. and that this is the key which openeth them the way into all the parts of their duetie, viz. the knowledge of their ſtates to whom they are to ſpeake.
Doct. 2 Secondly obſerue about what the faith of theſe Epheſians was occupied, euen about the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. We reade ſometime the faith of Chriſt, ſometime the faith on Chriſt, ſometime faith in Chriſt, as here; they note much the ſame thing, but that the firſt may be conceiued, as propounding Chriſt the ſimple obiect of faith: The ſecond phraſe noteth Chriſt the obiect, together with our adhering to him: The third, noteth Chriſt the obiect, our innering in him, together with the word prounded, as the way and meane by which we come beleeuingly to inhere in him; for that diſtinction which ſome make, following ſome of the auncient, is not by Scripture warrantable, which doth indifferently appropriate theſe two phraſes to the Saints, to beleeue in the Lord Ieſus, and to beleeue on him. Chriſt is eueryevery where made the thing which faith imbraceth to ſaluation; So God loued the world, that he gaue his Sonne, whom he hath ſet forth a propitiatory ſacrifice, through faith on his bloud: Through faith on him we hope to be ſaued as others; not that Chriſt is the onelyonly obiect, about which faith is exerciſed; but it is the principall of all others, and the ſole obiect about which it is occupied, that it may obtaine righteouſneſſe and life euerlaſting; otherwiſe, as faith is called iuſtifying faith, not that to iuſtifie is the ſole adaequate or full act of it; but becauſe to iuſtifie to life, is the moſt eminent act of all others … i… is ſaid to apprehend Chriſt, not that Chriſt is the adaequate, the full obiect of faith, as colour is of ſight; but becauſe it is the moſt eminent of all other. In like ſort, LoueLove is called the louelove of God, not that the ſame louelove wherewith wee louelove God, doth not louelove men alſo; the contrary whereof, ſee, 1 Iohn 4.12. but becauſe God is the moſt excellent obiect, about which it is conuerſant. Further to open this point. 2. Things muſt be ſhowed; firſt what faith in Chriſt, or on Chriſt is; ſecondly, why faith as it iuſtifieth and ſaueth, is carried to Chriſt onelyonly: Faith on Chriſt, is not onelyonly to know, and with the eye of the minde to ſee that God ſent his Sonne, that he was borne and ſuffered for mankinde; but to reſt or ſtay on Chriſt, that we may finde mercy in him, to the forgiueneſſe of our ſins; to ſtay on him; for faith is not onelyonly a knowledge in the minde, but a godly affection in the will, which doth goe to, embrace, reſt vponupon Chriſt, or the grace offred in Chriſt, Ergo, receiuing is made an effect of faith, Iohn 1.12. and going to Chriſt, hee that beleeueth, hee that commeth to mee, Iohn 6. and the nature of faith is deſcribed by words which ſignifie to roule our ſelues on God, to leane on him, as one would ſtay himſelfe vponupon a ſtaffe; for the word of promiſe, not onelyonly containing truth but offering ſome good thing vntounto vsus, we cannot fully receiue it with vnderſtanding, but the will alſo muſt moue toward it.
Againe, let me be diſtreſſed for a hundred pound, or ſo, if one promiſe me I ſhall hauehave it of him, I doe not onelyonly know and thinke, and perſwade my ſelfe he ſaith true; but I truſt to him, reſt on him, and write as we ſay, on that hee hath ſpoken. Beſides, if there were no particular confidence in a Chriſtians faith, the reprobate might hauehave all that is in his beleefe. Now though our faith beleeue many other things, yet it iuſtifieth and reconcileth vsus to God, as it doth ſee and reſt vponupon Chriſt: As a malefactor, though his hand will receiue innumerable matters, yet as it receiueth the Kings pardon onelyonly, it doth acquit him and reſtore him to liberty; ſo it is with vsus condemned ones, as our faith receiueth Gods pardon in Chriſt, it doth obtaine remiſſion of ſinne, and ſet vsus free from feare of damnation. The matter obiected, may eaſily be anſwered, if theſe two things be remembred. Firſt, that when the words of knowledge doe together by connotation imply affection, much more doe the words of beleefe, and Ergo, where I finde to beleeue that Chriſt is the Sonne of God, I muſt conceiue this beleefe, to containe confidence in the Sonne. Secondly, to remember that when faith of any temporary promiſe is ſaid to be accounted for righteouſneſſe, it is becauſe it doth in beleeuing the thing temporall, apprehend him in whom all the promiſes are yea, and Amen; who is at leaſt the remoued obiect of a iuſtifying faith in eueryevery thing it apprehendeth. Thus Abraham beleeuing the promiſe of ſeede of Iſaac, did apprehend that bleſſed ſeede which had from the beginning beene promiſed, and ſaw his day, which the Apoſtle doth teſtifie, Gal. 3. Neither did he looke at the power of God, but to ſuſtaine his beleefe of a ſeede before promiſed, againſt the temptations wherewith God did exerciſe him; that we hauehave a particular word, and in effect to beleeue on Chriſt vntounto forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes, I hauehave ſhewed aboue.
Vſe. Wherefore let vsus reſt on Chriſt alone as our rocke, flye to him as our true ſanctuary. This Papiſts come to in death, renouncing any confidence in their fooleries; this themſelues giuegive teſtimony vntounto, that it is the ſureſt; and he is not wiſe who will not take the ſafeſt way for his ſoules ſaluation.
Doct. 3 The third Doctrine is, that faith and louelove are neuer diſioyned, but goe each in hand one with the other: From what time we beleeue, men will doe any great good things for vsus, we feele a louelove ariſe toward them: ſo from what time by faith wee apprehend louelove in God toward vsus through Chriſt, we feele louelove reflecting from vsus toward him; according to that, we louelove him, becauſe we hauehave knowne and beleeued his louelove to vsus: Firſt, faith muſt bring the holy fire of Gods louelove into our frozen hearts, or they will neuer be warmed with feruent louelove to God againe: The ſinfull ſoule doth ſee Gods louelove forgiuing it many ſinnes, then it loueth much againe. In nature we ſee nothing can moue in deſire to this or that, till firſt it hath apprehended it louely: So our affections cannot in louelove and deſire moue to, and vnite themſelues with God, till by faith wee doe diſcerne him as reconciled to vsus, & ſo becomming an amiable obiect for vsus ſinners to imbrace; till that faith diſcerneth this, nothing but wrath, like a conſuming fire abideth ouer vsus. Hence it is that Saint Paul, 1 Tim. maketh louelove to flow from faith vnfained; and Gal. 5. he ſaith, that faith worketh by louelove, not as fire maketh hot by heate, which is a formall property inherent in it; but as the ſoule doth this or that by the hand, which is an externe inſtrument conioyned vntounto it: for louelove is not any eſſentiall cauſe which doth giuegive being to faith, but it is a grace without the being of faith, though ioyned vntounto, by which, as an inſtrument, faith worketh.
Vſe 1 The Vſe of this Doctrine is, to ſhow how vniuſtly they ſlander vsus as teaching a faith alone without other graces; when we hold according to the Scipture, that there can be no true faith without louelove, nor louelove without true faith, for the firſt is but a dead carkaſe, this latter is but blinde deuotion, neither is pleaſing to God: Indeede we teach that faith iuſtifieth vsus alone without other graces, not in regard of their preſence, but in regard of their coworking with faith to this effect of our iuſtification. It is one thing to ſay the eye is in the head without other ſenſes, and another thing to ſay the eye doth ſee alone, no other ſenſe ſeeing with it.
Vſe 2 This muſt make vsus trie the truth of our faith; for if our hearts hauehave not been kindled with louelove to God, they neuer truely beleeued his louelove in Chriſt: We may eaſilier carry coales in our boſome without burning, then by faith apprehend truely this louelove of our God, without finding our hearts burne in louelove to him anſwerably.
Vſe 3 We ſee that louelove is an effect following faith, euen louelove to God himſelfe: They make the tree to beare the roote, who will hauehave louelove giuegive being to faith; but this is but a conſequent of Lombards errour, who did hold louelove to be no other thing then the holy Ghoſt himſelfe.
Doct. 4 Obſerue laſtly, who are the perſons on whom the louelove of true beleeuers is ſet, viz. the Saints, yea, all Saints. True Chriſtian louelove, next to God and our owne ſoules, maketh vsus affect thoſe who are ſanctified, who expreſſe the vertues in their life of our heauenly Father, by whom we are called from darkeneſſe to light. Hence it is that the Saints, the houſhold of faith, the brethren, are commended as perſons whom we muſt affect and doe good to, before all other: Thus our God loueth, Pſalme 147.10 not the ſtrength of horſe nor legs of man, but thoſe that feare him, are his delight: Thus Chriſt loued, Who is my father and mother? &c. hee that heareth and obeyeth: Thus Paul and Dauid loued; We louelove none according to the fleſh; all my delight is in the Saints, in them who excell in vertue. EueryEvery creature loueth and liketh to be with thoſe who are vnited with it in communication of the ſame nature; So ſanctified Chriſtians cannot but louelove and like to be moſt with them who hauehave receiued the like diuine nature, in which themſelues are partaker; yea, it loueth all Saints; not ſuch who hauehave other parts pleaſing and contentfull, but it loueth eueryevery one in whom it can ſee the image of God ſhining: for it cannot be but that louelove which truely loueth one perſon as he is holy, ſhou d louelove eueryevery one, ſo far forth as he is holy; yea, though we are to eſteeme and inwardly affect men, as we ſee them holy, we are not bound to ſhew them the outward effects of our louelove anſwerably. The neerer perſons are tyed to vsus in naturall and ciuill bonds, the more muſt our prouidence be for them, and louelove ſhewed them in outward things, vnleſſe their fooliſh lewdneſſe diſpriuiledge them this way; for then the prouerbe taketh place, A wiſe ſeruant may be preferred before a fooliſh childe.
Vſe 1 This then doth reproue many, who indeede hate, and would ſhow it were it pollicie, thoſe who endeauour to liue holily, traduce the name of Saints, nickname them as Puritans, ſuch who cannot be themſelues but when they are in company with Swearers, Gamſters, good fellowes, ſuch who will ſeeme to reliſh ſome odde perſons who are indeede truely holy, but others in whom holineſſe is apparant, they cannot endure; it is to be feared they louelove thoſe whom they doe, not becauſe they ſee holineſſe, but for ſome by reſpects which within themſelues they hauehave conceiued. Some who are all for a ſound iuſt dealing well natured man, though he be neuer ſuch a ſtranger from matter of religion: Yea, I would many of the Lords children, through ſelfe-louelove, did not louelove too well perſons who can humour them, and finde the length of their foote, better then ſuch who ſhow more conſcience of obeying God.
Vſe 2 Let vsus not be in the number of theſe; If thou haſt any louelove to God, louelove his children thou doeſt ſee like him: How canſt thou take pleaſure, and out of thy voluntary, conuerſe with them who are not ſanctified? Were the Wife that lyeth in thy boſome without that bodily life thou liueſt, couldſt thou take pleaſure to conuerſe by her; and canſt thou hauing the life of God, delight thy ſelfe in ſuch who are dead in their ſinnes and treſpaſſes?