175 / 808
VERA.
Ephefians,Chap.t.
163
Now
followeth the manner
or
way
in
which
he
would
have
them
vs
beftowed,through
the
knowledge,
er
acknowledging
of
Chrifl.
Obferve,to grow
up
in
the acknowledging
of Chrift,is
theway
to
at-
Dea.1.
taìnethe
more full meafure
of
the
fpirit
in
every kinde.a
Pet.
r.Every
thing
is
Paid
to be
given us, which refpeéteth
life
or
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; when
we
grow to behold him
as in
a
mirrour or glaffe, more
clearly, we
are
turned into
the
fame glorious
Image by the
fpirit
of
the
Lord more
and
more;rohen
we
flail
fee
him
and
knew
him evidently
and
fully,
we
Jha/l
be
as he
u,
1
lohn
3.The
more we know him, themore fully
he
dwelleth
in
us,
the more we enjoythe
influence
of
his fpirit;even
as
this
bodily Sunne,the neerer
it
approacheth to us, the more we have
the light
and
heateof
it.
Wherefore let
us
labour
to
grow
up
in
the knowledge, and
affet
io-
yds.
nate
acknowledging
of
Chrift our
Saviour:
It
is
read
of
thole
Indian
Gymnofophifts,that they would
lye
all
the
day gazing upon
the beauty
of
this bodily funne;but how
fhould we
delight,with the eye
of
the
mind
to contemplate
on 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 words
are governed of the verb given,in
the former
ver.
and
are,Ergo, put
in
the
fame cafe
with the former
,viz.the
fpirit
of
wif-
dome & revelation,and
that without
any particle
which fhould couple
them,becaufe they
are
brought
in
by way
of
explanation,
in
which
cafe
the
copulativeis often omittcd,as,vcrfe
7.1
Pet.
z.verfe
3.4.For,to
have
eyes
of
underffanding enlightned, differeth
not from that former,
to
have given
the
fpirit
of
wifdome and revelation, but that it doth more
roundly
and fully note
the
fame benefit,
and
that without
any
intimati-
on
of
the caufe,
viz,
that
fpirit from
whichit commeth
; this
then thus
cowmeth;
When
I
aske
for you
a fpirit
ofwifdome
and revelation, my
meaning
is,
to
fpeak
more roundly
and nakedly, I aske,
that he would
give you eyes
of
underftanding enlightned
:
The
end followeth
;
Firft
propounded,then more clearelyexpounded :Propounded
in
thofe words;
That
you may know
the
hope
ofhù calling.For clearing
whereof,
you mutt
know,
that
hope
is
put
for things hoped for, not for the
grace
of
hope,
which fpringeth from faith: Thus we fay,he
is a
man
of
fairehopes, we
meane
goodly Lands, which
in
likelihood will befall
him.
Now
this
hope
is
defcribed from
an
antecedent benefit the ground
of
it,viz.Gods
calling
them
by the
Gofpell
:
and whereasthere
is
an
outward
fignifi-
cative effcétuall
calling,wherewith many are called,who
are
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
calling
according
to
parpofe,
a
high and heavenly calling,a
holy
calling.
The
end
of the
verfe
expoundeth
this hope,
by this, that
it
is
aninheri-
rance