Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 3 · Verse and explication 16 – Verse and explication 17
Vers. 17.—That ye being rooted and grounded in love, 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height: 19. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,—
THe third petition followeth, wherein the thing prayed for, is an excellent effect of that spirituall corroboration, flowing from Christs dwelling in them by faith, spoken of, ver. 16. 17- even that God would make them grow in knowledge, especially in the experimentall knowledge of his love in Christ. And, first, he setteth down the mean of attaining the thing prayed for, to wit, their firm and sure laying hold upon, and adhering to the love and free grace of God in Christ, as it is revealed in the Gospel, by the grace of faith, as trees are firmly fastened in the ground by their roots, and edifices are built, and lean upon their strong foundations: for, the two words rooted and grounded, are metaphors taken from trees and edifices, ver. -17. Secondly, the request it self, first proponed more obscurely, to wit, that they might be able to comprehend, or certainly to understand what that love of God in Christ is, whereof he hath presently spoken, and is to speak immediately afterwards; and therefore it is most agreeable to the present purpose, that it be here understood as the thing which he would have them able to comprehend in its infinit greatnesse and full perfection, according to all its dimensions, as of breadth, whereby it is extended unto all ages, Matth. 28. 20. and all ranks, 1 Tim. 2. 4. of length, whereby it reacheth from eternity to eternity, Psal. 103. 17. of depth, whereby it stoupeth down to the lowest depths of sin and misery, and draweth sinners from thence, Psal. 86. 13. and of height, whereby it reacheth up to heavenly joyes and happiness, and carrieth sinners up thither, Joh. 14. 3. which are the four usuall dimensions and measures, according to which we ordinarily take up the bignesse of grea test bodies. And withall, he sheweth that this compr ehension, or uptaking of Gods love here prayed for, was in part attained, and in its full measure attainable after time by all reall Saints and sound Believers; that hereby those Ephesians might be more animated and incited to aspire unto it, vers. 18. Secondly, the request is proponed more plainly, to wit, that they might know in some measure, and chiefly from their own experience, this love, which is here called the love of Christ, not to seclude the love of the Father, or holy Ghost; but because, the love of the whole Trinity is conveyed in the effects thereof towards lost sinners through Christ and His merit, Joh. 3. 16. and concerning this love he affirmeth, that it doth passe knowledge, or created understanding to know it, to wit, fully, and in its utmost extent, seing it is infinit, as God Himself is infinit, ver. 19-.
From ver. -17. Learn, 1. As trees cannot long stand against the blasts of boisterous winds, except their roots be deeply fastened in some good ground, and as houses cannot remain long firm and strong, except they be built upon some sure foundation; So neither can Professors hold out for any space of time against the furious assaults of many violent tentations, except they be under-propped by, and rely upon some strong foundation; for, the Apostle expressing that stability and constancy arising from the faith of God's love, which he wished for to those Ephesians, by two metaphors taken from trees deeply rooted, and houses strongly built, doth imply, that without the faith of this love they were as trees without a root, and houses without a foundation; that ye being rooted and grounded in love. 2. The only sure foundation, whereon the soul being built and fastened, is able to stand out against the strongest blasts of most violent tentations, is the unchangeable and free love of God in Christ revealed in the Gospel, and laid hold upon by faith: and no conceit of our own righteousness, naturall courage, fixed resolutions, or such like, Matth. 26. 33. with 70. for, the Apostle would have them rooted and grounded in love, to wit, the love of God in Christ. 3. As this love of God in Jesus Christ, is a most firm rock and sure foundation in it self; So it concerneth those, who would be sustained by it against the furious assaults of Sathans tentations from all hands, to be firmly fastened in, and built upon it: which is then done, when they do not rest upon the notionall knowledge thereof in the brain, so as to be able pertinently to discourse of it; but when this marvellous love, and all the good things prepared by it are laid hold upon by faith, as they are offered: and this not faintly, but seriously, as we would grip to a thing upon life and death, 1 Tim. 1. 15. for, Paul would have them firmely fastned in, and built upon God's love, as trees are rooted in the ground, and houses are joyned with their foundations. And the mean whereby they were to be so rooted and grounded in God's love, is the grace of faith, as appeareth from a parallel place, Col. 2. 7. That ye being rooted and grounded in love.
From ver. 18. Learn, 1. As they who have found the saving effects of Gods love in Christ, and consequently cannot but know something of it, do yet know but a small portion thereof; So the knowledge, and chiefly the experimentall knowledge of this abounding and marvellous love, from the felt and known effects thereof, is of great concernment unto Believers, and ought to be sought after by them accordingly: for, this knowledge is not only pleasant, as being of a subject wonderfull, but also edifying, both in order to our comfort, Rom. 5. -2. with 5. and to our incitement unto duty, 2 Cor. 5. 14. for, he prayeth for a greater measure of this knowledge, even to those converted Ephesians, who had somewhat of it already; That ye may be able to comprehend what is the breadth, &c. 2. Our embracing by faith the love of God in Christ, and those good things prepared by it, as they are revealed and offered in the Gospel, is a necessary mean for attaining to fuller insight in the admirable nature of this love: yea, and to the sense and feeling of it, and experimentall knowledge flowing thence: for, he premits their being rooted in the faith of this love, ver. -17. as a mean for attaining the more full understanding, and especially the experimentall knowledge of it; That ye being rooted—may be able to comprehend. 3. This love of God in Jesus Christ to lost sinners, is so large, (Isa. 55. 8, 9.) so free, (Hos. 14. 4.) and in all respects so wonderfull, Psal. 31. 19. So narrow are hearts to take it up, and so strange are the wayes of conveying the effects and fruits of this love through a wildernesse of triall and humiliation going before, Deut. 8. 14, 15, 16. that though it be revealed in the Gospel, Joh. 3. 16. yet no man can attain to know it so, as certainly to believe the reality of it, except it be given unto him graciously of God; and therefore prayer to God, would be joyned with the use of other means for attaining to it, for, Paul doth pray to God that they may be able to comprehend, or certainly to understand and know what is the breadth. 4. We are not to content our selves with a superficiall view of God's free love in Christ; but ought to take most accurate inspection of it in all its dimensions, and in all those several respects and wayes wherein it is manifested, endeavouring, at least, to know it so far, as that which is infinite may be known by finit creatures, and to know it in its outmost capacity, as reaching beyond all created understanding, upward, downward, to the right-hand, and to the left; that so we may be the more constrained to our duty by it; more ravished with the thoughts of it, and may draw more solid comfort from it. All which profitable effects, are obstructed by our narrow thoughts and shallow apprehensions of Gods love in Christ: for, he prayeth they may be able to comprehend it in all its dimensions of breadth and length, depth and height. 5. As every real Saint, and all who are inherently holy have their allotted measure from God of the saving knowledge of Gods love in Christ, and shall attain to the full knowledge thereof afterwards; So whatever priviledge the Lord is pleased to bestow upon the Saints in common, we ought to aspire unto it, and confidently expect to receive it from the Lord: for, as he maketh this comprehension and knowledge, here spoken of, a common priviledge of all Saints; So he doth thereby animate and incite the Ephesians to seek and expect it from God in answer to his prayers; That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints. 6. As the love of Christ is the common treasure and allowance of all Saints, whatever be their different lot in other things; So they who would clear an interest in this love, must study sanctity and holinesse, as that without which no man can convincingly prove his interest in it, Joh. 14. 21, 23. for, he maketh the comprehending of Christs love, a priviledge of those only who are Saints and holy; Ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints.
From Vers. 19- Learn, 1. The love of God in Christ, and of Christ to lost sinners, is so rich and unsearchable, (Eph. 2. 7.) so vast, boundlesse, yea, and infinit, (See ver. 18.) So matchlesse, and without any parallel to equal it, whereby we might come to the exact knowledge of it, Rom. 5. 7, 8. that not only the naturall man cannot understand it at all, 1 Cor. 2. 14. but even those who are truly renewed, do not take it up fully, as it is in it self, and so, as they can expresse those infinit and unsearchable riches which are in it: they do but know in part, 1 Cor. 13. 9. for, the Apostle saith, this love of Christ passeth knowledge. 2. Though this love of Christ passeth knowledge in the sense presently mentioned; yet every true Believer should endeavour to attain, yea, and doth attain to the knowledge of it in some measure, and so far as is necessary for their salvation and comfort: for, though this love is unsearchable, yea, and infinit; yet created understanding may so far comprehend it, as to know it to be infinit; and that there is not so much known, but more doth yet remain to be known of it. They may know it so, as to stand and wonder at it, as not being able perfectly to comprehend it: and they may know it thus, partly, from what the Spirit of God in Scripture, condescending to our capacity so far as is possible, doth speak of it; and partly, from those effects of this unsearchable love which they do find to be wrought in themselves by it: for, the Apostle prayeth they may know this love of Christ which passeth knowledge: hereby implying, that the knowledge thereof may be attained in some measure, and that it is our duty to seek after it. 3. The infinit and unsearchable nature of this love of God in Christ to sinners, should be so far from discouraging Believers to search after the knowledge of it, that by the contrary we ought to be so much the more encouraged in that search, and this for the reasons given, ver. 8. doct. 12. for, he addeth this of its passing knowledge, as it seemeth, of purpose to provoke them so much the more to seek after the knowledge of it; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.
Vers. 19.—that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God.
HEre is the fourth and last petition of the Apostles prayer, wherein he prayeth for the full perfection and accomplishment of all those other things, which he sought for them in the three former, even that they might be more and more filled with all the graces of God's Spirit, untill they should come to the compleat fulnesse of grace in glory, when God shall be all in all, 1 Cor. 15. -28. for, the original doth read, that ye may be filled unto all the fulnesse of God, even while grace begun here be fully compleated in glory hereafter: which perfection of grace to be attained in the life to come, is called the fulnesse of God: not, as if the essence of the Deity were either in whole, or in part to be communicated unto the glorified Saints, which is incommunicable unto any creature; but because it floweth immediately from that His infinit and incommunicable fulnesse, as streams from the fountain, 1 Corinth. 15. -28. and doth consist in the full enjoying of Him, 1 Joh. 3. -2. Doct. 1. There is a fulnesse and compleatnesse in grace attainable even by Believers here, to wit, such as is sufficient for their present state of travellors and warriours upon earth, though not for the state of triumphers and possessors in heaven. They may attain to be compleat in Christ, as not only possessing all things by faith and hope, but being indued also with such a measure of the graces of God's Spirit, as is requisit to bear them through against, and make them gloriously victorious over, the chiefest adversaries, Col. 1. 11. Such a fulnesse is spoken of, Rom. 15. 14. 1 Corinth. 1. 5, 7. and prayed-for here; That ye may be filled. 2. All the fulnesse, and compleatnesse in grace attainable here, is but an emptinesse, being compared with that fulnesse in glory, which shall be attained hereafter, called here the fulnesse of God, and is made mention of as the journey's end, to be aspired unto and aimed at, as a step far beyond any fulnesse which can be attained here: for, he saith, that ye may be filled with, or untill, all the fulnesse of God: where he implieth a twofold fulnesse, the former attainable here, by which we advance to that other fulnesse in glory, which shall be enjoyed herafter. 3. The desires and endeavours of Believers after Christ and Grace, should not be easily satisfied, nor stand at a stay for every attainment; but ought to be inlarged, and alwayes advancing towards a further measure than any thing already received, even to that fulnesse of grace attainable here; yea, and the outmost measure of grace here, is not to be rested upon, as fully satisfying, nor any thing else, untill grace be fully compleated in glory hereafter: for, the Apostle, not being satisfied with what he hath asked already, doth here pray, that they may be filled even untill all the fulnesse of God: and hereby teacheth them to be satisfied with no lesse. 4. The state of Believers in heaven shall be most glorious and blessed, as being no lesse than, first, the enjoying of Gods immediate presence by sense, not by faith or through the glasse of Ordinances, which shall then be laid aside, God Himself being all in all, 1 Cor. 13. 12. And, secondly, the enjoying of His presence fully, and so far as finit creatures can be capable of that which is infinit, 1 Joh. 3. -2. for, this is to be filled with the fulnesse of God, which shall be attained in heaven.