A Golden Chain, To the reader 3
To the Reader.
PAul in his Epistles, hath set downe the summe of many of his prayers: they are very gratious and heauenly, and I hauehave here set them downe, that thou mightest know them, and in thy prayers follow them.
16. I cease not to giuegive thanks for you, making mention of you in my praiers,
17. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ, the father of glorie, might giuegive vntounto you the spirit of wisdome, and of reuelation, in the acknowledgement of him.
18. The eyes of your minde beeing enlightned, that ye may know what the hope is of his calling, and what the riches are of his glorious inheritance in the Saints.
19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in vsus that beleeue; according to the working of his mightie power.
20. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his right hand in heauenly places.
The Exposition.
IN this excellent prayer we are to marke two things: the first, to whome it is made: the second, is the matter.
For the first, it is made to God the Father, who is described by two titles. The first, The God of our Lord Iesus Christ, namely as Christ is man: for as Christ is God, he is equall with the father. The second, The father of glorie, that is, a glorious father, and he is so called to distinguish him from earthly fathers.
The matter of the prayer stands on two principall points. First, he asketh of God, the spirit of wisdome, whereby the seruants of God are inabled to discerne out of the word, in eueryevery busines which they take in hand, whether it be in word or deede, what ought to be done, and what ought to be left vndone: as also the circumstances, the time, place, manner of doing any thing.
Secondly, he praieth for the spirit of reuelation, whereby the faithfull hauehave their whole estate before God, reuealed vntounto them according to the word: the thing it selfe being otherwise secret and hidden. 1. Cor. 2,9,10,12. Further the work of this spirit in the godly is twofold, the one concernes God himselfe, the other the things of God.
The worke of the spirit of reuelation: which respects God himselfe is, an acknowledgement of the Father, or of Christ. Now to acknowledge God the Father, is not onelyonly to know, and confesse that he is a father of the faithfull: but also to be resolued in conscience that he is a father to me in particular. Secondly, that Christ is not onelyonly in generall a Sauiour of the elect, but that he is in speciall my Sauiour and redeemer.
The second worke of this spirit, is an illumination of the eyes of the minde to see and know the things of God which he hath prepared for them that doe beleeue: and they are two. The first is life eternall, which is described by fiue arguments. 1. It is the Ephesian hope, that is, the thing hoped for in this life. 2. It is the hope of the calling of God: because in preaching of the Gospell it is offered, and men are called to waite for the same. 3. An inheritance, properly to Christ, because he is the naturall sonne of God: and by him to all that shall beleeue. 4. The excellencie, because it is a rich and glorious inheritance. 5. Lastly, it is made proper to the Saints.
The second thing is the greatnes of the power of God, whereby sinne is mortified, the corrupt nature renued, and mightily strengthened in temptations. This power is set forth by two arguments. The first is the subiect or persons in whome this power is made manifest. In them that beleeue. Because none can feele this, but they which apprehend Christ by faith. The second is the manner of manifesting this power in them, which is according to the working of his mightie power, which he shewed in Christ. And that was in three things. First, in putting all his enemies vnderunder his feete, v. 2. Secondly, in raising him from death. Thirdly, in placing him at his right hand. Now therefore Paul praies that this wonderfull power of God, which did shew forth it selfe in the head Christ, might likewise shew it selfe in the members of Christ. First, in treading Satan and sinne vnderunder their feete. Rom. 16.10. Secondly, in raising them from sinne, as out of a graue to holines of life. Thirdly, in aduancing them in the time appointed to the kingdome of glorie in heauen.