VERA. Ephefians,Chap.t. 163 Now followeth the manner or way in which he would have them vs beftowed,through the knowledge, er acknowledgingofChrifl. Obferve,to grow up in the acknowledgingof Chrift,is theway toat- Dea.1. taìnethemore full meafure of the fpirit in every kinde.a Pet. r.Every thing is Paid to be given us, which refpeéteth lifeor godlineffe, through the knowledge or acknowledging of Chrift. When we firft come to know him as the truth is in him we partake according to our meafure in his fpirit; whenwe grow to behold him as in amirrour or glaffe, more clearly, weare turned into the fame glorious Image by the fpirit ofthe Lord more and more;rohenwe flailfee himand knew him evidentlyand fully, weJha/lbe as heu, 1 lohn 3.Themore we know him, themore fully he dwelleth in us, the more we enjoythe influence ofhis fpirit;even as thisbodily Sunne,the neerer it approacheth to us, the more we have the light andheateof it. Wherefore letus labour to grow up in the knowledge, and affet io- yds. nateacknowledgingof Chrift our Saviour: It is read of thole Indian Gymnofophifts,that they would lye all theday gazing upon the beauty ofthis bodily funne;but how fhould wedelight,with the eyeofthe mind to contemplateon this Sunne of righteoufnefs, which while we view, it will transforme us into the fame glorious Image which himfelfe enjoyeth Now followeth the end : but before he fetteth it downe, he doth more clearely and fully lay downe the thing which he intreated for them;for their wordsare governed of the verb given,in the formerver. and are,Ergo, put in the fame cafe with the former ,viz.thefpirit ofwif- dome & revelation,and that without any particle which fhould couple them,becaufe they are brought in by way ofexplanation, inwhich cafe the copulativeis often omittcd,as,vcrfe 7.1 Pet. z.verfe 3.4.For,tohave eyesofunderffanding enlightned, differeth not from that former, to have given the fpirit ofwifdome and revelation, but that it doth more roundly and fully note the fame benefit, andthat withoutany intimati- on ofthe caufe,viz, that fpirit fromwhichit commeth ; this then thus cowmeth; When I aske for youa fpirit ofwifdomeand revelation, my meaning is, to fpeak more roundly and nakedly, I aske, that he would give you eyes ofunderftanding enlightned : The end followeth ; Firft propounded,then more clearelyexpounded :Propounded in thofe words; Thatyou may know the hopeofhù calling.For clearingwhereof, you mutt know, thathope is put for things hoped for, not for the grace of hope, which fpringeth from faith: Thus we fay,he is a manof fairehopes, we meanegoodly Lands, which in likelihood will befall him. Now this hope is defcribed froman antecedent benefit the groundof it,viz.Gods calling them by the Gofpell : and whereasthere is anoutward fignifi- cative effcétuall calling,wherewith many are called,whoare not fepara- ted from others; this is meant of that inward operativeand effeétuall calling, which the Scripture doth defcribe with additions, viz, that it is a callingaccording toparpofe, a high and heavenly calling,aholycalling. The end of theverfe expoundeth this hope, by this, that it is aninheri- rance
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