Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 16
Vers. 16. From whom the whole body fitly joyned together, and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth, according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of it self in love.
THe Apostle doth illustrate the forementioned end of the Ministery, fourthly, and joyntly inforceth the study of love and unity, by shewing how all gifts and offices do tend to the edifying of the body, and furtherance of that growth, whereof he spake, ver. 15. while he describeth Christ the Head, presently spoken of, from His influence upon, and relation to the Church, His body; wherein he alludeth to a natural living body and the way how it, being orderly made up of its severall members, joyned together by nerves and sinews, doth receive life, motion, nourishment and growth from the head and heart, by the benefit of those bonds and ligaments, whereby the particular members do not only receive life and nourishment unto themselves, but do also convey them unto others, so that every member doth receive due encrease, and thereby the whole body doth come to maturity and growth. In allusion to which way of the naturall growth of the naturall body, he sheweth, first, that by vertue of spirituall influence drawn from Christ, who is as the head and heart of the mysticall body, the whole body, to wit, that which is militant on earth, or all sincere Believers, the true and lively members of this body, are joyned fitly, or orderly, every one in his own place and station, and also firmly or compactly with Christ, and among themselves. Secondly, that they are thus joyned, by the means of spirituall joynts and s…ews, whereby we are to understand every thing that joyneth Believers with Christ, and among themselves; and they are either joynts and bonds of inward union and communion, to wit, the Spirit, on Christs part, and faith and love on ours; or of externall union, to wit, the Word, Sacraments, and those functions and offices, which Christ hath appointed in His house: yea, and also all naturall and civil relations, when they are sanctified; and they are all called joynts of subministration, or supply, (for the words read better so than as they are rendered, by that which every joynt supplyeth) to shew, that those do serve, not only to conjoyn us with Christ, and among our selves, but also for channels and instruments of communication, by which, spiritual nourishment and matter of growth is conveyed both unto our selves and others. He sheweth, thirdly, that the whole members, and every one of them, being thus conjoyned, do not only themselves, by vertue of that furniture and spirituall nourishment, communicate from Christ, by the means of those joynts or bonds, make encrease and grow, but also make the whole body thus conjoyned to grow, and this according to the effectual working of the holy Ghost, whereby those joynts, or means of conveying spiritual nourishment are blessed and made effectuall to the effect mentioned: which effectuall working and blessing of encrease and nourishment following upon it, is not communicated unto the members or parts without measure, as it was to Christ the Head, Joh. 3. 34. or unto all alike, but in the measure of every part or member, that is, such a measure as Christ judgeth sufficient and most convenient to every member, according to the place and function which they hold in the body, and the use which he is to make of them for the good of the body. And, lastly, he sheweth the end of the growth, and encrease of the whole body in all its members, to be not so much the good and advantage of the particular members, as the advancement and edification of the body it self, and of the particular members only, in so far as their edification and growth is carried alongs in, and contributeth for the edification of the body; and that this floweth from the force and power of the grace of love in all the members, which doth not look to it self only, 1 Cor. 13. -5- but maketh every part contribute all what it is and can do for the benefit of others, and common good of the whole. Hence Learn, 1. As Christ and Believers make up one mysticall body, whereof He is head, and they members; (See upon chap. 1. 22, 23.) So all things requisit unto Believers to make them a body, do flow from Christ: their union, order, bonds of union, spirituall nourishment, and instruments of communication, whereby it is conveyed, their growth, and measure of their growth, and all is from Him, as the Apostle doth here fully teach: from whom the whole body, &c. 2. As there is a most orderly and firm union of all the members of this body with their head, and among themselves; so this union is necessary in order to their receiving spirituall nourishment and making encrease thereby, even as it is in the natural body, a member cut off, or separated from the rest, cannot be nourished: for, he saith, the whole body fitly joyned, and compacted, doth make encrease: The first word, fitly joyned, doth expresse the orderly frame and proportion of all the members in this union; The second, compacted, expresseth the firmnesse of this union. 3. As there are joynts and bonds both of the internall and externall union of this body, to wit, such as are held forth in the exposition, even the Spirit of God, with His speciall graces and common gifts; so that God doth make use of all those, both as bonds of union, and instruments of communication, whereby He conveyeth spirituall nourishment unto the respective members, is a strong argument to scare us from dividing, or renting upon these, or because of the diversity of those in the severall members: for, he saith, the whole body is compacted by every joynt; and he calleth them joynts of supply, whereby furniture is conveyed: his general scope wherein, is, to inforce the study of unity, notwithstanding of diversity of graces, gifts and offices, compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth, or, every joynt of supply. 4. There is no true member of this body either dead or idle, or living, and working only to it self; but what life or nourishment it hath received from the head, that it doth endeavour to communicate unto others: for, he saith, there is an effectuall working from the Lord in every member, according to which it maketh increase, not only of it self, but of the body. 5. As there is no member of this body, which receiveth the essentiall operation and gifts or graces of the holy Spirit without measure; and as all receive some measure, lesse or more: So it is the duty of all and every one to contribute for the good of others, and especially for the advantage of the whole body, not by extending themselves beyond their measure, but according to it; that being all which God requireth: for, he saith, the whole body, or all the several members of the body, do make increase of the body, according to the effectuall working, in the measure of every part. 6. As it is not our improving of our measure of gifts and graces received, which, of it self, and without the effectuall operation and blessing of Gods Spirit, will bring about the spirituall good and advantage, either of our selves, or others; so we ought not on this pretence to ly-by doing nothing, but are to make use of our measure received, and depend upon the effectuall operation of Gods Spirit for a blessing to our so doing; for he saith, increase is made of the body according to both those, the Spirits effectuall operation, and the activity of every part or member, according to its measure, even, according to the effectuall working, in the measure of every part. 7. As all the lively members of this body do make increase, and grow in gifts and graces; so that is only true growth, and a growth, whereof Christ the head is fountain and author, which addeth somewhat to the whole body, and bringeth advantage to the Church in common, but not that growth, which seemeth to bring some benefit to a few, with the disadvantage of the rest: for, the whole body, or every member of the body, maketh increase, not only of it self, but also of the body, saith he. 8. As there is no such degree of growth attained here, neither by the Church in generall, nor its lively members in particular, but there are degrees yet wanting of their full and just stature; So the measure of growth, and increase already received, should be improved by us for attaining a further degree of growth and advantage, not only to our selves, but also to others, chiefly to the edification of the whole body: for, he saith, every member maketh increase of the body, to the edifying of it self: so that the increase received, is to be improven for attaining more, even further edification. 9. The more a man do find himself inclined and constrained to improve in his station, and according to his measure, all his receipts, whether of saving graces, or common gifts, to the spirituall advantage of others, and chiefly for the common good of the whole body, he may the more certainly conclude, that he hath the grace of sincere love and charity rooted in his heart, and is acted by it: for, he maketh love the impulsive cause, why the severall members do improve all their receipts for promoving the edification of the whole Church, while he saith, it maketh increase to the edifying of it self in love.