Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 6
Vers. 6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
HEre is the seventh unity, which is the last bond, or ty, of the Churches essentiall unity, and serveth also for an argument perswading to keep peace and unity in other lesser differences: which argument, is, first, propounded, to wit, all Believers have one common God and Father; for, though God, as Creator, is the God and Father of all the creatures, Act. 17. 28, 29. yet, seing the Apostle is speaking of the union of the Church, and of all the members thereof, for urging whereof, this consideration of one God and Father of all, is used as an argument: therefore it seemeth He is called God and Father with respect to those, and chiefly to real Believers in the Church, to whom He is God and Father in a peculiar way. He is their God, by entering a gracious Covenant with them, whereof this is one article, that He shall be their God, Jer. 31. 33. that is, all in Him shall be forthcoming for their good: He is their Father also, by receiving them into the number, and by giving them a right unto all the priviledges, of the sons of God, Joh. 1. 12. Now though this may be meaned of all the Persons of the blessed. Trinity; not only the first, but also the second, and the third, being the God and Father of Believers, Joh. 20. 28. Act. 5. 3, 4. yea, all of them being one, and the same God, 1 Joh. 5. 7. Yet, seing the Son and holy Ghost, are spoken of before, ver. 4, 5. the first Person is mainly to be understood here, who is called one God, not secluding the Son and holy Ghost, who are one and the same God in essence with the Father, but in opposition to idols, who are no gods, 1 Cor. 8. 6.
This argument or bond of unity, is, next, enlarged in a description of this one God. 1. From His eminencie and dominion above all His creatures. 2. From His presence and powerfull providence, whereby he runneth through all the creatures, upholding them in their being, Heb. 1. 3. directing, disposing and governing all of them, Dan. 4. 34. and all their actions, Psal. 135. 6. Thirdly, from His special presence by the gracious operations of His holy Spirit with the truly Regenerate, whereby He is said to be in all, to point-out the intimacy and nearnesse of His presence in this respect above the former, and not simply in all, as formerly, but in you all, meaning the believing Ephesians and such as they were. Doct. 1. As our strongest union is to be one in God, and our greatest happinesse to have interest in this one God; So, by making use of Christ, as He is held forth in the Doctrine of faith, and sealed to us in the Sacrament, we may come up to plead interest in God: for, as he placeth this unity of having one God, in the last place, because it is most considerable; so he doth subjoyn it immediately to what he spake of one Lord, one faith, one baptism: There is one God and Father, saith he. 2. The unity of the God-head in the Trinity of the Persons, ought to be a strong motive to stir us up to unity among our selves; seing there is nothing, wherein we can resemble God more, Joh. 17. 21, 22, 23. for, the Apostle inforceth the study of unity from this, that there is one God. 3. This motive for keeping unity, is so much the stronger, and more moving, when we consider, that this God hath graciously become the common Father of all Believers through Jesus Christ, whereby they are all the sons and daughters of one Father, 2 Cor. 6. 18. and so a matter full of shame for them to strive and contend among themselves, Gen. 13. 8. for, he strengthneth this argument for unity from this, that this one God is the Father of all, to wit, of all Believers. 4. Whatever be the other differences among Believers, and their discouragements arising hence, as that some are strong, some are weak, some rich, some poor, &c. yet this is a priviledge common to all, which may counterballance all their other inequality, even that they have all equal interest in one God, and that this one God is their common Father; and therefore will have a fatherly affection, (Matth. 7. 11.) pity, (Psal. 103. 13.) and care of all, Matth. 6. 25, &c. for, saith he, there is one God, and Father of all. 5. It is the duty of Ministers, when they are pressing duty to God upon people, and of people, when they would charge sense of duty to God upon themselves, to set forth and be much taken up with Gods excellency and greatnesse; this being a singular mean to engage the heart unto high esteem of Him, and from esteem to serve and honour Him, Mal. 1. 6. for, the Apostle, pressing upon these Ephesians the duty of unity, doth hold Him forth in His glory and greatnesse; Who is above all, and through all. 6. Gods soveraignity and greatnesse, doth not mar His low condiscendency to supply the emptinesse and necessities of His creatures: for, though he be above all in dignity; yet He is through all, upholding and over-ruling all by His powerfull providence. 7. Whatever God is by His common providence unto all His creatures, He is all that, and much more to His own called people and real Believers: for, He is through all by His common providence; but besides that, saith he, He is in you all, to wit, by the presence of His Spirit and speciall grace. 8. From all those seven unities joyntly considered, and the Apostles scope in all, Learn, 1. The essential unity of the Church, which cannot be broken, the Church remaining a true Church, and the many things, wherein there is of necessity an agreement that way, is a strong argument to enforce the study of unity and peace in other things of lesse concernment: for, the Apostle doth here presse unity, by reckoning seven unities, wherein they did agree, as if he had said what a shame is it for you, who are so many wayes one, to rent in pieces for those things, which comparatively are just nought? 2. So near and intimate is that conjunction of true Believers, so many strong and indissoluble are these spirituall bonds, by which they are knit together among themselves, that, if they were duely pondered, the hearts of those who fear the Lord, could not choose but be mutually inlarged, and their affections inflamed one to another, as to their dearest friends: yea, the most strict of civil, carnall and naturall bonds, should not bind so firmly as those, Matth. 12. 48, &c. for they are one body, one spirit, have one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God. And what conjunction or union can be so firm, as what is grounded upon all those?