Commentary Upon Ephesians 1, List of doctrines
The Doctrines gathered out of this Commentary, vponupon the firſt Chapter of the Epheſians.
Verſe 1.
Doct. 1 MInisters muſt inculcate to themſelues, and to thoſe with whom they hauehave to deale, that their calling is from God.
2 The quality of the perſon that brings the matter of this Epiſtle to vsus, is that hee is an Ambaſſador of Chriſt.
3 Wee muſt account it our greateſt dignity that wee belong to Chriſt.
4 It is the will of God that doth aſsigne to vsus our ſeuerall callings.
5 All the members of the viſible Church are to be Saints.
6 In the moſt wicked places, God gathereth and maintaineth his people.
7 It is faith in Chriſt alone with maketh men Saints.
Verſe 2.
Doct. 1 It is the duty of Chriſts Miniſters to bleſſe the faithfull children of the Church, as in the name of God.
2 The moſt holy and iuſtified perſons hauehave need of grace.
3 The moſt excellent thing to be ſought for aboue all other, is the fauour of God, that his Grace may be with vsus.
4 True peace is a moſt ſingular bleſsing.
5 All true peace is that which is bred in vsus from the knowledge of Gods louelove toward vsus.
6 God our Father, and the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, are the authors of true peace.
Verſe 3.
Doct. 1 A good heart muſt be ready on conſideration of Gods benefits to breake forth into praiſes.
2 EueryEvery Chriſtian heart is to magnifie God, in that hee hath beene the God of Chriſt our Lord.
3 The ſenſe and knowledge of Gods bleſsing vsus, is it which maketh God bleſſe vsus againe.
4 Our heauenly Father bleſſeth all his children.
5 The faithfull ones, and ſanctified, are they who are bleſſed of the Father.
6 Spirituall benefits make the regenerate man thankefull.
7 All our bleſsings are giuen vsus in the heauens.
8 God dealeth liberally with his children, giuing them all kinde of ſpirituall bleſsings.
9 Wee come to be bleſſed in and through Chriſt our Lord.
Verſe 4.
Doct. 1 Our Election is a bleſsing worthy all thankefulneſſe.
2 The Elect are ſuch who hauehave true faith and holineſſe.
3 The grace of Election beginneth with Chriſt, and diſcendeth to vsus in him.
4 Gods louelove borne vsus in Chriſt, is not of yeſterday, but before all worlds.
5 God hath of Grace choſen vsus to the ſupernaturall life.
6 God hath not only choſen vsus to this life, but to the perfection of it.
7 God hath of grace taken vsus to this life, that wee ſhall liue in his glorious preſence.
Verſe 5.
Doct. 1 God doth firſt louelove vsus to life, before the meanes bringing vsus to life are decreed.
2 God hath not onelyonly choſen ſome, but ordained effectuall meanes, which ſhall moſt infallibly bring them to the end which they are choſen.
3 Such we may ſay are predeſtinated, who hauehave belieued, and are ſanctified.
4 God hath determined before all worlds to bring vsus to this, that we ſhould be his adopted children.
5 The life which God hath ordained by meanes prepared to bring vsus vntounto, is a life comming immediately from his grace.
6 God out of his meere good will doth determine both the end and all the meanes by which hee will bring vsus to the end.
Verſe 6.
Doct. 1 All the Lord did from eternity intend about man, hath no end but his owne glory.
2 God doth generally intend the praiſe of his grace, in all ſuch who are predeſtinated by him.
3 The attributes of God are his eſſentiall glory.
4 That grace which in time doth worke all good things for vsus, is the ſame which before all time did purpoſe them to vsus.
5 The grace of God doth bring vsus to receiue fauour and grace, in and through his beloued.
Verſe 7.
Doct. 1 In Christ is to be found deliuerance from all ſpirituall thraldome.
2 All of vsus are by nature no better then in a ſpirituall captiuity.
3 Wee hauehave deliuerance from our ſpirituall thraldome by Christ.
4 That by which we are ranſomed and redeemed, is the bloud of Chriſt.
5 To hauehave our ſinne forgiuen, is to be redeemed and ſet free from all euill.
6 EueryEvery belieuer in Chriſt receiueth forgiueneſſe of his ſinnes.
7 God from his rich grace giueth vsus pardon of ſinne.
Verſe 8.
Doct. 1 God giueth pardon of ſinne to none, to whom hee firſt hath not giuen wiſedome and vnderstanding.
2 True wiſedome and vnderſtanding are gifts of Gods grace in Chriſt Ieſus.
3 God doth giuegive wiſedome and vnderſtanding plentifully to vsus, whoſe ſinnes he forgiueth.
Verſe 9.
Doct. 1 God worketh ſauing wiſedome in none in whom hee openeth not the doctrine of wiſedome, the Goſpell of ſaluation.
2 The doctrine of our ſaluation through Chriſt is a hidden ſecrecie.
3 The reaſon why God reuealeth or openeth the Goſpell to any, is his meere gracious pleaſure within himſelfe.
Verſe 10.
Doct. 1 God hath ſet ſeaſons wherein hee will accompliſh all his purpoſed will.
2 God by opening vsus the Goſpell doth bring vsus his Chriſt.
3 Whoſoeuer hauehave him, or ſhall be gathered to Chriſt, they are brought to him by opening the Goſpell.
4 Wee are gathered together as fellow-members each with other in Chriſt.
Verſe 11.
Doct. 1 Being in Chriſt wee finde not onelyonly righteouſneſſe in him, but life euerlaſting.
2 The way to finde our ſelues predeſtinate before all worlds, is to finde that we are called, iuſtified, ſanctified.
3 EueryEvery thing which commeth about, is Gods effectuall working.
4 What God worketh or willeth, hee doth it with counſell.
5 What God willeth once, that he effectually worketh.
Verſe 12.
Doct. 1 To be brought to faith before others, is a prerogatiue which perſons ſo called hauehave aboue others.
2 The end of all our benefits we attaine in Chriſt is this, that we may ſet out his glorious grace and mercy toward vsus.
Verſe 13.
Doct. 1 God by our hearing his Word, doth bring vsus to be partakers in his ſpirit.
2 The word of the Goſpell is that which being heard, bringeth vsus the quickning ſpirit.
3 All Gods promiſes made in Chriſt, are true and faithfull.
4 It is not enough to heare, but wee muſt belieue before wee can be partakers of the good ſpirit of Chriſt.
5 The faithfull are as it were by ſeale confirmed touching their ſaluation and full redemption.
6 The holy ſpirit, and the graces of the ſpirit are the ſeale aſſuring our redemption.
Verſe 14.
Doct. 1 The ſpirit doth not onelyonly as a ſeale, but as an earneſt penny giuen vsus from God, confirme vntounto vsus our heauenly inheritance.
2 The ſpirit abideth with vsus as a pledge confirming vsus, till our full redemption.
3 Heere below the faithfull feele not themſelues fully deliuered.
Verſe 15.
Doct. 1 Miniſters muſt labour to know how grace goeth forward in thoſe with whom they hauehave to deale.
2 The Epheſians faith is occupied abo… the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
3 Faith and louelove are neuer diſioyned, but go …ch in hand one with another.
4 The louelove of true beleeuers is ſet on the Saints, yea on all the Saints.
Verſe 16.
Doct. 1 The grace of God in others muſt moue Chriſtians eſpecially Miniſters to be thankefull to God.
2 Chriſtians are to helpe each other with prayer, eſpecially Miniſters their conuerted people.
3 We muſt with perſeuerance follow God in thoſe things wee pray for.
Verſe 17.
Doct. 1 We muſt ſo conſider God, when wee come to him in prayer, as that we may ſee him in the things wee deſire.
2 Euen true beleeuers hauehave great want of heauenly wiſdome.
3 We hauehave neede not onelyonly of wiſedome whereby to vnderſtand, but of light manifeſting the ſpirituall things which are to be vnderſtood of vsus.
4 It is euen God by the ſpirit of Chriſt, who worketh in vsus all true wiſedome.
5 To grow vp in the acknowledging of Chriſt, is the way to attaine the more full meaſure of the ſpirit in eueryevery kinde.
Verſe 18.
Doct. 1 They whoſe ſpirituall light is reſtored, hauehave need ſtill to depend on God, that their eyes may be further and further inlightned by him.
2 Euen true belieuers know not at firſt, in any meaſure, thoſe hopes which are kept in heauen for them.
3 There is no grounded hope, but onelyonly of ſuch things as God hath called vsus to obtaine.
4 The inheritance kept for vsus is abundantly glorious.
5 The Saints are they to whom belongeth the heauenly inheritance.
Verſe 19.
Doct. 1 Gods belieuing Children know not at firſt any thing clearely the great power of God which worketh in them.
2 They in whom the power of God worketh, are true belieuers.
3 It is the effectuall working of Gods almighty power, which bringeth vsus to beleeue.
Verſe 20.
Doct. 1 The ſelfe-ſame power put forth in raiſing Chriſt our head, is that ſingular power which raiſeth vsus.
2 God doth leade his dearest children to the depth of miſeries, before he ſend reliefe.
3 God neuer ſo leaueth his, but that hee ſendeth ſaluation in due time.
4 God doth make the abaſement of his children be the forerunners of their greateſt glory.
Verſe 21.
Doct. 1 Our Sauiour Chriſt as man, is taken to hauehave prerogatiue before eueryevery other creature.
2 Chriſt not onelyonly as God, but as man alſo, hath power ouer eueryevery creature.
3 Chriſt is crowned with glory at Gods right hand before and aboue all things.
4 There is a world to come, in which Chriſt and thoſe who are Chriſts, ſhall reigne for euer.
Verſe 22.
Doct. 1 Chriſt is made as a head, hauing a more neere and communicatiue ſoueraignty ouer beleeuers, then ouer any other.
2 God of his grace hath not onelyonly giuen vsus a head, but ſuch a head to whom all things are ſubiect.
Verſe 23.
Doct. 1 As Chriſt is the head of beleeuers, ſo they are his body, and eueryevery beleeuing ſoule a member of this body, whereof he is the head.
2 Chriſt doth not count himſelfe full and compleate, without all his faithfull members.
3 Whatſoeuer thing is in vsus as Christians, all of it is from Chriſt.
FINIS.