Commentary Upon Ephesians 1, Commentary · Verse 9
verse 9 Hauing diſpatched the three circumſtances, which were included in the former verſe, we come now vntounto the fourth in this Verſe; namely, the manner of working this wiſedome in vsus, in theſe words; Hauing opened vntounto vsus the myſtery of his will.] Which is amplified. 1. By the cauſe, Gods good pleaſure, the freedome whereof is argued in the words following; which he purpoſed in himſelfe, not conſidering any thing in vsus which might moue him vntounto it. Here is nothing needeth explication, vnleſſe thoſe words; the myſtery of his will. Which phraſe doth note out the hidden wiſedome, which the pleaſure of his will ordained to our glory, and is for matter all one with the word of truth, the Goſpell of ſaluation, verſe 13. The ſumme is.
Which ſo rich benefits of wiſedome and vnderſtanding he did worke in vsus, when now he had opened vntounto vsus that ſecret wiſedome which his will had ordained, to our glory; that Goſpell of ſaluation, which he did out of his gracious pleaſure, which within himſelfe, not looking at any thing in vsus, he purpoſed toward vsus.
Doct. Obſerue firſt; God worketh ſauing wiſedome in none, to whom he openeth not the doctrine of wiſedome, the Goſpell of ſaluation: As God did promiſe that the hearts of the fooliſh ſhould vnderſtand; ſo likewiſe he did promiſe, that all of vsus ſhould be taught of him: And looke as the precepts of Grammer, and doctrine of Logicke, muſt be made knowne and opened vntounto vsus, before we can get the Art or wiſedome of Grammer and Logicke; ſo it is, we muſt hauehave vnfolded the doctrine of Gods ſauing wiſedome, before wee can hauehave wrought in vsus the diuine qualitie of this wiſdome, which commeth from aboue. For further vnderſtanding, it is fit to conſider what things this opening of the Goſpell comprehendeth in it, or how God doth open this ſauing wiſdome to vsus. 1. Outwardly, by propounding the doctrine of it vntounto our eares, which he doth by his Miniſters: for this cauſe Miniſters are called ſuch as teach others in wiſdome, Col. 2. the end. Such as feede with wiſdome and vnderſtanding, Ier. Such as make wiſe, as it is, Dan. 12.3. For though it be read, wiſe, the word hath an actiue ſignification, and importeth to make wiſe, or bring to wiſedome, as the next word doth not ſignifie iuſt men, but ſuch as turne others to righteouſneſſe. Euen as in great Schooles, there are inferiour Vſhers, as well as the principall Maſter; ſo it is here: It pleaſeth God by mans outward miniſtery, to open the eyes of the minde, and bring from darkeneſſe to light; but mans teaching, which goeth but to the eare, cannot doe this matter. Wee muſt therefore conſider God ſpeaking within the minde, by holding out ſome ſuch light, and cauſing ſuch an inward illumination, as doth ſpeake things no leſſe to the minde, then a word audible doth report them to the eare. This is it which we are ſaid to heare and learne from the father: ſhould not the father ſpeake and teach, wee could not heare; neither is it an outward voice, for all that heare this voyce come to Chriſt, which is not verified in the other: And this is that light, which diffuſing it ſelfe through the word wee heare, doth make the things of God viſible to the ſoule: Euen as not the ayre alone, but the ayre now inlightned, is the meane by which things are made diſcerneable to the bodily eye.
In the third place, we muſt conſider that God doth together with this illumination, which ſpeaketh and propoundeth things within the minde; he doth I ſay, together with it, open the eye of the vnderſtanding, the eare of the deafe heart, to ſee and attend vntounto it: This is called ſometime renewing the vnderſtanding, giuing light, opening the heart to attend, remouing the vaile: For if I will ſhew to a blinde man any thing, it is not enough to propound the obiect, and to procure an externall light by which it may be diſcerned, but I muſt reſtore the ſight of the blinde eye before I can ſhow it the thing propoſed: So it is with vsus, who are ſpiritually blinde, before we can hauehave opened to vsus the things of God.
Vſe. 1 The vſe of this is, firſt to rebuke ſuch who thinke they can be wiſe enough to ſaue their ſoules, though they hauehave none to open to them, to inſtruct them in this hidden wiſedome of the Goſpell. Blindneſſe and bold preſumption accompany each other; But deceiue not your ſelues: Thou who canſt not go to a Towne two myles off, which thou neuer wenteſt to, but thou muſt inquire and get ſome guide and direction, canſt thou finde the way to heauen hauing no guide, no direction? Thou who canſt not learne thy A B C. but thou muſt hauehave a Schoolemaſter, why wilt thou imagine thy ſelfe able without helpe of teaching, to learne this high point of wiſedome, which teacheth to liue happy with God, world without end?
Vſe. 2 Let vsus attend vponupon the Preaching of the Word, and the teaching of this wiſedome, as euer we would hauehave it begunne or increaſed in vsus; Bleſſed are they who waite at her gates, at the poſtes of her doore: A ſpeech borrowed from Clyents or Patients, who waite to hauehave acceſſe to their learned Counſell, and to the Phyſitians, whoſe aduiſe they ſeeke for: Yea, let vsus ſeeke for that inward teaching of God, in whoſe light onelyonly we come to ſee light.
Doct. Obſerue ſecondly; That the doctrine of our ſaluation through Chriſt is a hidden ſecrecie: The Apoſtle calleth the doctrine of Chriſt crucified,1 Cor. 2. a hidden wiſedome; which the chiefe for wiſedome in this world knew not, 1 Tim. 3. Without doubt ſaith the Apoſtle, great is the miſtery of godline ſſe: naming after points of doctrine concerning Chriſt Ieſus: And needes it muſt be ſo, for the great volume of the whole creature, hath not one letter or ſyllable in it of this wiſedome: They reueale a wiſedome, for in wiſedome God made the heauens, and founded the Earth in vnderſtanding; but thoſe who knew this wiſedome beſt,Pro. 3. learned nothing of this ſauing wiſedome in Chriſt, 1 Cor. 1. Againe, there is no ſparke of light in man by nature, able to conceiue this ſecret: The wiſedome of the Law, the light of nature reacheth not, for the light of reaſon diſcerneth that God is to be loued and honoured; that I am to doe, as I would be done to, and not after that meaſure I would not receiue; But of ſauing man kinde loſt, by faith on Chriſt, and repentance, there is no light left which can trace any ſtep of this doctrine. Thirdly; the knowledge it ſelfe is of that height, that from what time we hauehave the ſpirit which doth teach it; wee cannot in this mortality know it any thing as we ſhould, wee ſee but in a glaſſe, know but in part, like Children, which know not fully the things they know: Now that which is hid in ſo great meaſure from vsus, who are now light in the Lord; how great a ſecret is that in it ſelfe?
But to open this a little further. The Goſpell of ſaluation may be called a Miſtery in three regards, 1. abſolutely, becauſe it is a thing of it ſelfe within the will of God, which no creature by it ſelfe is able to know: If a thing within my minde be ſuch, that no creature can know it, further then I make it knowne; none doth know the things in Man, but the ſpirit of Man, how great a deepe and ſecret is that which is within God himſelfe? Thus it ceaſed when God did firſt reueale it, but yet a Miſtery ſtill in regard of the ſpare reuelation, and ſmall number of thoſe to whom it was manifeſted. For a thing is not onelyonly hid while I keepe it in my ſelfe, but while I ſhow it onelyonly to ſome few perſons more neere me, it is a ſecret matter ſtill. If the King acquaint ſome two or three of his moſt neere fauorites with a ſecret, it remaineth hid ſtill, and a ſecret, in compariſon of things commonly knowne: Thus was the Goſpell a Miſtery, when it was made known to the people of the Iewes onelyonly; but continued no longer a Miſtery in this ſenſe, when now it was notoriouſly publiſhed to all nations. Thirdly, the wiſedome of the Goſpell, is ſtill a Miſtery, when it is now diuulged, in regard of thoſe whoſe eyes are not opened to ſee it, and their eares boared to attend to it: as newes ſo common eueryevery where, that they are no newes, are ſtill ſecret to ſuch, who being deafe, hauehave neuer heard of them; thus it is at this day, a hidden riddle to many Chriſtians by outward profeſſion.
Vſe 1 Now the Vſe of it is, to rebuke the preſumption of men, who thinke ſo of their vnderſtanding, as if a word were enough for them in theſe matters; who hope they are not to learne this point now: yea, ſome proud ſhallow heads, who can find no things in the Scripture eloquent for phraſe, or profound for matter: but this knowledge of Chriſt is ſo hidden a deepe, that nothing is to be compared for ſecrecy with it in the whole world; and when humane Arts are ſo abſtruſe, that we cannot conceiue them without ſome reading & explaning of them; how can we finde out this deepe riddle of God, if we plow not with his Heyfer? How can wee vnderſtand the myſtery of his Word, if we hauehave not an Interpreter?
Vſe 2 This muſt moue vsus to diligence, and humble dependance on God, for the teaching of vsus; we muſt thinke vponupon them, commune of them, not in proud baſhfulneſſe conceale our ignorance one from the other: Aboue all, let vsus labour to ſee our ſelues fooles and dull of heart, that God may make vsus wiſe. Many are more prone to blame the Preacher as confuſed, obſcure, and I know not what, rather then themſelues; like the woman, which taken blinde in the night, did blame the curteines as keeping the light from her, when the fault was in her blindneſſe within, not the curtaine without.
Vſe 3 Thirdly. We ſee hence the louelove of God, to tell vsus a ſecret, yea, a hidden ſecret within his owne will, in what can his louelove be more teſtified? Iohn 15.15. I call you friends, for I hauehave ſhewed you what I heard from my Father. When God reuealed the ſecret of Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel, and Pharaoh his ſecret to Ioſeph, was it not a mercy, for which they were thankefull? ſee Dan. 2. and do not we account them to hauehave found much fauour? But this is aboue all, to make known his hidden wiſedome, which ſheweth vsus what things await vsus to euerlaſting life and death.
Doct. Obſerue thirdly, that the reaſon why God reuealeth or openeth the Goſpell to any, is his meere gracious pleaſure within himſelfe, were it any diſpoſitions foreſeene in men, then thoſe ſhould be called and taught, who were of beſt capacity and towardneſſe, who were for ciuill carriage moſt vnblameable; but not many wiſe, nor many of great wit, but babes and ſimple ones are called, yea Publicans and Harlots were made know theſe things, when Philoſophers and Phariſaicall Ciuilians were excluded. To ſhow it in particular, as it is a grace of God to giuegive his Lawes and Ordinances, Pſalm. 147.19, ſo it is his meere Grace that they are beſtowed on any, rather then others: This is ſhowed in giuing them to Iſraell, who were worſe then Tyre and Sydon, then Niniueh, then the Nations. I doe not ſend thee to a Nation of a ſtrange tongue; Ezec. 3.3.they would heare thee: Had theſe things beene done in Tyre and Sydon, they would hauehave repented: Niniueh repented at the preaching of Ionah, Loe, a greater then Ionah is here. Yea, God is forced eueryevery where to vpbraid them with ſtiffe-neckedneſſe, a necke of ſteele; with hard harts, harts like Adamant; with brazen foreheads; yea, to call them a gaine-ſaying and rebellious people. Euen as his pleaſure carrieth rayne to one place, and not to another; ſo hee maketh his Miniſters drop the word of Wiſedome amongſt ſome, and not amongſt other-ſome. Matth. 10.6. Goe not to the way of the Samaritans. So Act. 16.7. Goe not whether thou intendest, but into Macedonia. Now if mans outward teaching be afforded out of meere Grace, how much more Gods inward teaching, yea his opening the eye of our mindes? In truth as no reaſon can be giuen why one mans eyes were opened, one dead man raiſed, rather then all the reſt; ſo no man can giuegive a reaſon, why theſe who now ſee and beleeue, ſhould be made to ſee rather then others.
Vſe 1 This ſerueth to confute thoſe who thinke the word to be giuen or deteined, according to ſome thing in them to whom it is giuen, or from whom it is deteyned in them or their progenitors; but we hauehave ſhewed ſufficiently, that it is firſt ſent amongſt any freely, and if it be with-held from any, it muſt be for their owne deſerts, or ſome who hauehave bin before them, parents to them: not for their owne deſerts; for many of the heathen were not ſo hard-hearted and impenitent as the Iew; and for their parents fault, it could not be with-held, vnleſſe we would make particular parents to ſtand for themſelues and their children; whereas to be a Type of Chriſt, a publique perſon ſtanding for him and his, doth agree to Adam, as a thing appropriated to him, Rom. 5. Yea, ſome thinke that the inward teaching which doth ſo teach that it changeth the minde, that this teaching I ſay is giuen to ſuch whom God doth ſee as fit to worke with it, and vſe to this purpoſe; as a Captaine ſetteth a man on a horſe whom he doth ſee will manage him well: But this doth preſuppoſe a connaturall correſpondencie in corrupt nature, to the ſupernaturall grace of God, and a power in nature to vſe Grace aright, which hath long ſince beene condemned as a Pelagian errour, from theſe grounds, that wee cannot doe any thing which profiteth to ſaluation out of Chriſt, that we are not fit to thinke a good thought.
Vſe. Secondly. Let vsus acknowledge Gods free grace, that we hauehave theſe things opened and reuealed to vsus, wee of meane parts for vnderſtanding, in compariſon of other, we who hauehave been often more vile & viciouſly diſpoſed then others: Let vsus acknowledge that he hath opened theſe things, & hid them from other, euen becauſe it ſo pleaſed him. Finally, let vsus labor to walke worthy theſe ordinances, to be fruitfull in them, leſt he ſay to vsus as to Capernaum, Woe be to thee; thou wert lifted to heauen, but I will throw thee downe to hell.