Commentary Upon Ephesians 1, Commentary · Verse 22
VERSE. 22 For vnderſtanding theſe words wee muſt note, that the word head is vſed ſometime for one who in any kinde is before and aboue other: and in this large ſenſe, Chriſt is the head of Angels & all men: Man is the head of the Woman, Chriſt of Man, God of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 11. He is the head of all principalities and powers; But here it ſignifieth that Chriſt is ſo ouer his Church, that hee is in a more neere and communicatiue ſort conioyned with it, as the head is with the body and members, which are annexed and ſubiected to it.
A head ouer all.] This may be referred to the Church, as making a compariſon twixt Chriſts ſuperiority ouer his Church, and Angels, in this ſenſe; God gaue Chriſt that hee ſhould be a head principally and aboue all other things, beſide to his Church: Thus Ch. 6. Aboue all, put on the ſhield of Faith; or it may be referred to him who is giuen our head in this ſenſe; God gaue him to be a head to vsus, who is ouer all things, becauſe the ſpeciall ſoueraignty is noted in his being a head: This word being taken in the ſtricteſt acceptation, and becauſe it affordeth matter of further conſideration, we will take the latter ſenſe; to his Church. This word Church, ſometime noteth one congregation of men called forth of the world, as the Church at Corinth, Cenchraea; ſometime it is taken to ſignifie the multitude of them, who are foreknown of God and appointed to ſaluation, for all who are gathethered by Gods effectuall calling in heauen and earth, and who are in their time to be made partakers of his holy and effectuall calling: Thus Heb. 12.28. we finde it taken thus here; for, all the body which doth make full and perfect Chriſt myſtically conſidered, is here to be vnderſtood.
Which is his body.] Not his naturall, but myſticall body.
The fulneſſe.] That is, which maketh him full and compleate as he is a head: for a head without a body is maimed; though otherwiſe ſuch is his perfection and fulneſſe, that hee filleth all in all. The ſumme is. Though God hath ſet Chriſt ouer eueryevery creature, yet hee hath giuen him that he ſhould be ouer his Church as a head, in a more neere and communicatiue power; him I ſay hath hee giuen to be a head to the whole multitude of belieuers, who is in dignity and power aboue eueryevery creature. Now as hee is a head to the …niuerſity of true belieuers, ſo the vnited mu titude of them are as a body myſticall to him, ma…ing him full and compleat ſo farre forth as hee is a head; him I ſay, in whom dwelleth all fulneſſe, ſo that hee filleth all in all. In the end of the 22. verſe, wee are to marke firſt, that Chriſt is giuen to be a head to his Church: ſecondly, the quality of him giuen to be our head, or of our head that is ouer all. The Church is deſcribed from the mutuall reſpect which it ſtandeth in to Chriſt, as a head, which is his …ody. Secondly from the effect of it, to be gathered from thoſe laſt words, which is the fulneſſe, that is, which maketh full him who filleth all in all.
Doct. The firſt thing to be obſerued is, that Chriſt is made as a head, hauing a more neere an… communicatiue ſoueraignty ouer belieuers, then ouer any other. Looke as the King hath a more intimate and amiable ſuperiority and regiment ouer his Queene then ouer any other ſubiect, ſo it is heere in Chriſt our King, whoſe dominion toward his Church, which is his Quee…e and ſpouſe, is more amiably tempered and neerly affected, then is his gouernment ouer any other: This will appeare by conſidering how much neerer and communicatiue he is to vsus then to Angels, creatures otherw ſe moſt excellent. Firſt, looke as the naturall head and members are of the ſelfe-ſame ſpeciall kinde for nature, the head ſtandeth of skinne, fleſh, bones, and ſo doe the members alſo: thus it is that Chriſt is one with vsus, in regard he hath taken the ſelfe-ſame nature with vsus, ſtanding as well of that which is outward and ſenſitiue, as of that which is inward & intellectuall: In this he commeth neerer vsus then Angels; he tooke not the nature of Angels, but the ſeede of Abraham. Hebr. 2.
Secondly, Chriſt doth by his ſufferings procure for vsus all bleſſings ſpirituall and temporall, maketh a purchaſe of them with his bloud: Now he in his death reſpected not Angels in like kind; that looke as Kings prouide many things for their Queenes, which they doe not for other ſubiects, ſo doth Chriſt for vsus.
Thirdly, hee doth vnite vsus to himſelfe more neerely then Angels; they are vnited to him by knowledge and louelove, ſuch as doe come from the power of that vnderſtanding and louelove which they hauehave of their owne, from the firſt creation: but we are vnited heere by knowledge of faith and louelove; heereafter by glorious light & louelove, ſuch as Chriſt himſelfe by his ſpirit begetteth in vsus; as the members of the body are vnited with nerues and ſinnewes, ſuch bands as take their beginning from the head.
Fourthly, hee doth communicate with vsus that whole life of grace and glory which wee hauehave, and ſhall receiue, as the naturall members hauehave no ſenſe or motion which floweth not into them from the head: But the Angels hauehave a bleſſed life; for the ſubſtance not comming to them by Chriſt, conſidered as a mediator, euen that bleſſed life in which firſt they were created, that which commeth to them is onelyonly an augmentation of happineſſe: their illumination and their ioy being in many regards much increaſed; they who learne by that they obſerue in the Church falling out, what doe they heare thinke we by inioying the preſence of Godman, now aſcended and glorified? and they who ioy in heauen at the conuerſion of one ſinner, how many waies by Chriſt is their ioy inlarged?
Fiftly, hee doth not direct them as he doth vsus; hee doth gouerne and direct them as a King doth voluntary ready ſubiects, by an externall ſignification of his will onelyonly; but he doth direct and moue vsus, outwardly by ſignifying his will, inwardly by ſending his ſpirit, which might mooue vsus with efficacy to that hee ſhoweth, as a naturall head doth the members of it.
Sixtly and laſtly, he doth not confirme them as he confirmeth vsus; for he hath neither gotten by his death for them this grace of perſeuerance to the end, neyther doth hee ſhadow them and follow them with ayds outward and inward, as hee doth vsus, left our faith ſhould be preuailed againſt; they hauehave beene no doubt confirmed from the beginning, both by force of their election, & preuenting them with actuall grace, which made them with effect execute what euer thing it was in which it pleaſed God to proue their obedience, if they hauehave any confirmation from Chriſt their King, it is ſuch an one as doth make them ſtrong to ſubdue euill Angels, or any oppoſing them in buſineſſes, in which their miniſtery by Chriſt is imployed, ſuch an one may be gathered, Dan. 10.13.
Vſe 1 Firſt then, ſeeing Chriſt is giuen vsus as a head ſo neerely and communicatiuely ioyned vntounto vsus, let vsus abhorre that ſacriledgious vſurpation which the Pope committeth, while hee challengeth vsus to be head of the Church; That which the ſcripture doth attribute as proper to Chriſt, is not to be giuen to any other: But they diſtinguiſh, that the Scripture maketh Chriſt the principall and inuiſible head, but this hinders not why there ſhould not be a viſible ſecondary miniſteriall head. Anſ. There needeth not a miniſteriall head to ſupply Chriſts bodily abſence; For as Kings are in body preſent at Court onelyonly, and yet well enough gouerne their bodies politicke; So Chriſt in regard of his bodily preſence in heauen, can well enough rule that part of his body in earth, without the ſupply of a viſible head. Were the Pope a miniſteriall head, hee might doe that which the principall, whoſe roome he ſupplieth as Viceroyes do, that in the kingdomes ouer which they are ſet, which the Kings might do in their owne perſons, whoſe roomes they ſupply; But the Pope cannot doe any inward thing which the head of the Church is to perform. 3. Were there a miniſteriall head, there ſhould be a Lord-like power ouer part of the Church out of Chriſts perſon in ſome other creature; then ſhould there be more Lords then one, contrary to that in 1 Cor. 12.5. There are diuiſions of ministeries, but one Lord. Looke as great Lords in earth hauehave in their houſes miniſteries of more & leſſe honor, from the ſteward to the skullerie, but no Lord-like or Maſter-like power in any beſide themſelues; ſo is in Chriſt and his Church, which is the houſe of God, wherin he is the Lord, Apoſtles, others, hauing more or leſſe honourable ſeruices, but no maſter-like power ouer the meaneſt of their fellow-ſeruants.
Vſe 2 Wee ſee hence the great grace of Chriſt, who doth ſo neerely vnite himſelfe with vsus. Kings in earth, the neerer they come to any Subiect, the more they ſhow their louelove; but this is the greateſt grace they can ſhow, when they make themſelues to become one with any of their ſubiects: Thus Chriſt could not ſhew vsus greater grace then to make vsus one with himſelfe as a coniugall head, ruling ouer vsus.
We ſee hence, that wee may aſſure our ſelues we ſhall lacke nothing, who hauehave Chriſt become a head to vsus, in ſo neere and communicatiue ſort, as this is: There are ſome officiall parts in the body, which hauehave that they hauehave, not for themſelues onelyonly, but for the whole body; Thus the Stomacke hath meates, the Liuer blood, ſuch is the Head: Now it were an vnnaturall part for theſe, to keepe that they hauehave to themſelues, as for the Liuer to keepe in al, the bloud and not impart it by veines to the reſt of the body; ſo Chriſt (who can doe nothing which doth not beſeeme him) he hauing for all of vsus the fulneſſe of grace and glory, according to that, Pſal. 16.2. My good is for the Saints; he cannot but be moſt ready to communicate with vsus eueryevery thing that is good: onelyonly let vsus renew our faith and repentance, that ſo we ſtop not the paſſage of this ſpirit from him our head: If the naturall head of the naturall body be neuer ſo full of ſpirits, if the veſſels which conueigh it, be once obſtructed, as in the Palſey, the body then is without ſenſe and motion: Wee may apply it to our ſelues, &c.
Obſerue ſecondly, that he ſaith, this our head is ouer all: Whence note, that God of his grace, hath not onelyonly giuen vsus a head, but ſuch a head, to whom all things are ſubiect; he who muſt be a ſauing head to vsus, there is great neede he ſhould be ouer all: Could he not binde that ſtrong one, and cauſe him redeliuer his poſſeſſion, how ſhould wee be euer ſet at liberty? Could he not diſſolue the worke of Sathan, ſwallow vp death, create life and quicknance in vsus, our caſe were lamentable? This is to be marked; for it is a ſpurre to thankeſgiuing: It is grace ſhowed a Common-wealth when wanting a head it hath a tollerable one beſtowed: But when God doth, as he did by vsus, giuegive vsus a King, great before his entertainement amongſt vsus, whoſe power might the better procure our weale, and ſecure our peace, this is a double mercy: ſo it is to giuegive vsus a head, yea, a head ouer all, ſo mighty that we may ſleepe on each eare, without feare of any enemy.
Secondly, this doth ſhow vsus a ground of confidence: What need we feare any creature, who hauehave him that is ouer eueryevery creature? if he be ours, who can be againſt vsus? Looke as Queenes on earth, they feare not ſubiects diſpleaſure, becauſe they are ſo neerely vnited to him who commandeth eueryevery ſubiect: ſo it may be with eueryevery true member of the Church, if our vnbelieuing hearts ſay not nay.