Commentary Upon Ephesians 1, Commentary · Verse 17
VERSE. 17 Now followeth his Prayer, in which we mark the Perſon to whom he prayeth, with his deſcription: Firſt from his relation, to Chriſt; Secondly, from the attribute of his glory, God of Chriſt, the Father of glory. 2. The benefits for which he prayeth; touching which, three things are to be obſerued. Firſt, the benefits to be beſtowed, which are propounded in this verſe, and further declared in the beginning of the verſe following. Secondly, the way by which they ſhould be giuen them, in the end of this verſe; Wiſedome and reuelation through the knowledge, or acknowledging of Chriſt. Thirdly, the end, that thus they might know both the things kept from them in the heauen, and that which had beene beſtowed vponupon them.
To open the words of this verſe; the Father of glory, doth note out God as glorious by nature in himſelfe, and the fountaine of that glorious life which is communicated with any of his creatures. The ſpirit of Wiſedome, is put for the gift of wiſedome, which is beſtowed on vsus; and it is called the ſpirit of wiſedome, both becauſe the ſpirit doth beget it in vsus, as alſo becauſe the ſame ſpirit is with it to ſuſtaine it, and perfect it. Thirdly, becauſe the wiſedome it ſelfe is of a ſpirituall nature, moouing them in whom it is, to worke after the direction of it.
The ſpirit of Reuelation.] Reuelation is extraordinary, or ordinary, and it is nothing but the gift of illumination, or that light which the ſpirit cauſeth to ſhine about our mindes, by which as a meane, things ſpiritual are made manifeſt to the eye of our vnderſtanding, as by the light of the Sunne things bodily are made manifeſt to the eye of our body; and the ſpirit cauſeth this, and continueth it, euen as the Sunne doth cauſe and continue this naturall light which we hauehave with vsus all the day long.
Knowledge of Chriſt, is put for that affectionate knowing & acknowledging of him. The ſumme is. Since I heard of your faith in the Lord Ieſus, I goe to him, who is the God of this Chriſt, on whom you hauehave belieued, who is the Father glorious himſelfe by nature, and the author of all that glory which is communicated with his children, intreating him to giuegive vntounto you that ſpirituall gift of wiſedome, whereby you may be able to vnderſtand, and that light of his ſpirit, which doth make manifeſt the things ſpirituall, which are to be vnderſtood of you; and this I wiſh you, through the further knowing and acknowledging of that Chriſt, in whom you hauehave beleeued: More plainely, I deſire for you, that God would giuegive you eyes of your vnderſtanding ſo enlightned, that you may know him.
Doct. 1 Obſerue then firſt, that wee muſt ſo conſider of God, when we come vntounto him in prayer, as that we may ſee in him the things we deſire. The Apoſtle going to Prayer for theſe Epheſians, who had beleeued on Chriſt, and about to ſeeke the glorious gifts of the ſpirit, which might helpe them to know the glory reſerued for them, he ſetteth God before him, as the God of that Chriſt, whom theſe had now receiued by faith into their hearts, and the father of all glory, both of them ſtrengthning his faith: For he could not thinke that God, the God of Chriſt, would be wanting to thoſe who were Chriſts; or that the father of all glory, would deny theſe glorious gifts, which hee was about to intreate. When men come to aske at thoſe who hauehave enough of that they ſeeke, and to aske it in ſuch meaſure onelyonly as that it is not any thing for thoſe they ſue vntounto to vouchſafe, they eaſily perſwade themſelues that they ſhall ſpeede. This maketh Paul ſtill ſet God before him, as hauing that in him for which he prayeth; The God of peace ſanctifie you throughout, 1 Theſ. 5. Subdue thoſe luſts which fight againſt your ſoules. So ſeeking the conſummation, or perfecting of the beleeuing Hebrewes, hee doth ſet God before him, as who had from the loweſt humiliation, brought the head of them to glory, Heb. 13. Thus the Church, Act. 4. ſeeking courage, and that wonders might be wrought, they ſet God before them, as the God of power, who had made heauen, earth, ſea, &c.
Vſe. Wherefore learne thus to helpe thy faith; Wouldeſt thou hauehave remiſſion of ſinne? Conſider of God, as a God with whom there is plenty of redemption or forgiueneſſe: Wouldeſt thou hauehave eaſe in any miſery and griefe? conſider of him as a father of all mercy and conſolation, when thou commeſt to him; this doth ſtrengthen faith, and enflame affection: We ſeeke things more ſecurely, when we know them to be where we are in looking them, and wee follow them more affectionately, when now we are gotten after a manner into the ſight of them.
Doct. 2 Obſerue ſecondly, that euen true beleeuers hauehave great want of heauenly wiſedome; as children and youth, when they hauehave in their meaſure that wiſdome which belongeth to their kinde, yet they want in great meaſure the ſame wiſedome in which they partake; So it is with Gods children; when now they hauehave that wiſedome from aboue in ſome degree, yet they are many degrees ſhort of that which is to be attained: Yea, our Sauiour himſelfe, the head of vsus, did ſo receiue wiſedome, that there was place for growth and increaſe in it, Luke 2. fine. What doth the want of wiſedome in children, which we may not obſerue in our ſelues? They ſee not things, together with the end they worke vntounto; and hence it is, they count ſuch things good, as to their ſenſes ſeeme ſo for the preſent; They thinke thoſe louelove them, who cocker them, and that thoſe doe not louelove them who reproue them, or hold them in, more then they are willing: Thus we thinke it happineſſe to hauehave that contenteth vsus, to be free from that which is grieuous to fleſh or ſpirit. We thinke God loues while he ſmiles on vsus, and that he doth not louelove vsus, when he doth frowne on vsus, and make vsus drink a wormewood draught day by day. Againe, children through want of wiſedome, are vnwilling to ſuffer that ſhould doe them good, backeward to that would doe them good another day, for a matter of preſent pleaſure, will part with things of no ſmall profit: Are not the beſt of vsus vnwilling to come vnderunder Gods yoake, though there is no other way to finde reſt to our ſoules? are wee not moſt backeward to renew our faith, repentance, to endeauour further the worke of mortification? Doe wee not for a little pleaſure of ſinfull luſts, part with our peace; yea, the health of our ſpirits too often? Thirdly, children for want of wiſedome, forget the beatings paſt, when now the ſmart is ouer, and fall to the ſame faults which hauehave made them ſmart heretofore; and is it not ſo with vsus? How ſoone is the griefe of ſin eſcaped vsus forgotten? how ſoone doe we ſtumble at the ſame ſtone, returning to ſin in the ſame kinde wherein we hauehave formerly offended? Finally, as children and youth, through want of wiſedome, ſpeake and doe many things full of folly, ſo we let fall in word and deede, alas how many things, in which the worke and direction of true wiſedome is wanting?
Vſe. Let vsus then labour to finde this want in our ſelues, and ſee our folly, that we may be made wiſe. The more we grow in yeares, the more we ſee what lacke of ciuill wiſedome wee had in youth; So it ſhould be here, the auncienter we grow in Chriſtianitie, the more wee ſhould diſcerne the folly in vsus, and want of wiſedome, which is from aboue.
Let vsus not be diſmaid, who are conſcious of lack this way: things are not begun & perfected at once; wiſdom muſt get vp frō one degree to another in vsus.
Doct. 3 Obſerue thirdly, that he prayeth for reuelation, as well as wiſedome; that we hauehave neede not onelyonly of wiſedome whereby to vnderſtand, but of light manifeſting the ſpirituall things which are to be vnderſtood of vsus: Hee prayeth both for one and other wiſedome and reuelation: To hauehave inward facultie of ſeeing is one thing, to hauehave outward light, by meane wherof to ſee, is another: Light muſt come to light before we can ſee; the light in the eye, muſt meete with the outward light of the Sunne, or a Candle, or ſome other lightſome body, or nothing is perceiued: So the light of wiſedome which is inherent in the Soule, muſt hauehave ſhining to it this light of reuelation, which doth make manifeſt things ſpirituall, or though our ſight be neuer ſo quicke, we ſhall be inuironed with darkneſſe: The ſpirit is fitly ergo, compared with fire, which hath not onelyonly heate reſo…uing numbneſſe, and making ſtarke ioynts actiue; but it hath light gratefull to the eye of the body: So the ſpirit hath both louelove which warmeth our frozen hearts and affections, and alſo this light of reuelation which delighteth the eye of the vnderſtanding, and manifeſteth to the view of it, things that are heauenly.
Vſe. Wherefore let vsus ſeeke to God for this comfortable effect of his ſpirit: Euen as he can lay his hand on this bodily light by a cloud, intercepting the ſhining of it; ſo can hee with-draw this illumination of his ſpirit, and cauſe vsus to grope as it were in darkeneſſe, though the eye of our mindes were neither ſhut vp, nor otherwiſe troubled. Doe we not ſometimes ſee things comfortable, and on a ſodaine feele them eclipſed, when no ſinne hath inwardly altered the ſtate of our ſoules, this heauenly illumination now ſpreading it ſelfe through the word of promiſe we ſet before vsus, now preſently withdrawne or much obſcured? It is a wonder how weake men of vnderſtanding and godly wiſedome, ſhould ſee clearely & ioyfully the things of their peace; yea, the will of God, in which they are to walke, and men for Conſcience equall to them, for vnderſtanding and godly wiſedome farre before, ſhould walke onelyonly inabled with much adoe to carry on their courſe in faith and obedience; I cannot finde any reaſon for it, but in this outward reuelation, which ſhineth farre more brightly to the one then the other. Now by moone-light a weake eye will reade or write better then the ſharpeſt ſight can by twi-light, when now day firſt breaketh.
Doct. 4 Obſerue fourthly, who it is that worketh in vsus all true wiſdome, euen God, by the ſpirit of Chriſt: I tolde you it is therefore called the ſpirit of wiſedome, becauſe the ſpirit from the Father and the Sonne doth worke it in vsus: It is not pregnancie of naturall wit, can make vsus wiſe to ſaluation, nor ripeneſſe of yeares, not many wiſe; and grace wee ſee is not common to gray hayres; It is a ſpirit, and the inſpiration of the almighty, that giueth vnderſtanding, Iob 32.8. Neuertheleſſe, we doe attaine ripeneſſe of wiſedome by meanes, euen as we ſee in naturall men, they come to a more full meaſure of ciuill wiſedome, not without meanes making way to it: How doth a fooliſh youth grow a wiſe man? Firſt one day teacheth another; hee as his dayes increaſe getteth knowledge of many things; Secondly, Hee taſteth as wee ſay, many waters; and findeth by experience the good in ſome things, the euill in other-ſome; Thirdly, he groweth by ſome meanes weaned from his youthfull luſts, which like a back-bias did draw after themſelues the vnderſtanding: thus when his knowledge is increaſed, when he hath gathered experience and ſowed his wilde oates, as we ſay, he groweth a wiſe ſtaide perſon: In the ſame manner, when God hath brought vsus on to know, to proue things by our owne experience, and to be weaned from the luſts of ſinne, which are the true folly bound in our hearts, then he cauſeth wiſedome in farre greater meaſure to enter into vsus. We ſee then to whom we muſt giuegive all thankes for what wiſedome ſoeuer we hauehave receiued, and to whom we muſt flye for the increaſing of it, euen to God, who giueth it plentifully and vpbraideth vsus not. See what is written verſe 8.