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T HE WORKS 0 F THOMAS GOODWIN~D.D. SOMETIME ' PRESIDENT 0 F Magdalene Colledge in 0 X FQ. RD. The Firft VO LV M E. Containing, A N EXPOSITION ON THE Firfl:, and part of the Second Chapter; OF THE EPISTI~E _ TO THE E.P R E S.I A N S. AND SER1\10NS Preached ori SE V E R A L 0 C C A S I 0 N S. L 0 N D 0 N, Printed by J. D. and S. R.. for T. G. and are to be fold by ]onat/Jan Rohi11fon at the Golden Lion in St. Paul; ,. Church-yard, MDC LXXXI. ·
p THE R E FA C E T 0 THE R EA D E R. HE deftgn of th/; Preface is not te ac– quaint the World with the worth of this Great Perfon, his Wor4! already extant Jufficiently praife lim; but to give the Reader our juft apprehenjions of his Eminent Jitneft for fo great an Vnderta~ng, and of hir happy performance of it. Beftdu his eminent Endowmentr, as to natural and ac– quired Abilitier, He had the happinefs of an early .tndmor~ than ordinary Converfton, in which God JavoHred him with amarveUom light, efpecially in the Myflerier of Cor– rupt Nature and of the C:iofpel, which afterward jhined through mofi of his Worfv, and efpeciaUy through this Comm~ . This Light was attended fo far, as we ca;t j11dge with an inwardfenfe of Spiritual things, with a gufius Spiritualis judicii ; which after long Experience, grew up into Senfes A exercifed
The PR E FACE exercifed to difcern Good and Evil, and into an abounding in all Knowledge 4nd Senfe. And indeed, that Perfon it the beft Interpreter, who (bejidu other Helps) bath a Comment in his own heart ; and he beft Interprets Paul't Epiftler, who is himfelf the Epifl:Ie of Chrifl: wPitten by the Spirit of God. · He beft underfiarids Paul's Epiftlu, who had Paul's Senfe, Temptations, and Experience. He religioufly obferved the Light he arrived to, andgreat– !J abhorred to hold any Truth in unrighteoufnefs ; but lived over the Truths he Jtnew, even to the ha'{_ard of what was moft dear to him. And according to Chrijt's own Aphorifms, the truefi way of underfianding hif Doflrine is to do it: as on the other fide, there is no great difoan~e between jhipwr:ecl{ of Faith and agood Confcience. He had a GenitM to diJJe intQ th£t bottom of Pointf, which he intended to Treat of; to fl:udy them down, as be ufed to exprefr it, not contenting himfolf with fuperficial Know– ledge without wading int;o the depths of thingt. His way was to confult the weightiejl, if not aU the Autbort that had written upon the Subjefl be was upon , greatly valuing the Light which every man afforded~ according to the manifold Grace of God, and the various Difpenfarions of his Spi– rit ; yet confined bimfelf to no man's- ~entiments, but made an ad'I:Jance from his own Light·and'Experience to the Noti– on! of Other.s. · As be conjulted with Booft! , fo be bad the advantage of intimate Converfe with the gr.eateft Chriftians of his Age, thofe living and walking Bibles. And thtM from reading the living Word i11 himfelf and Othm, he rofe up to agreat improvement in the Truths of God, and was able toJPea~~ more particularly and experimentally in Cafes of Confcience and Practical Points, which did not a little.qualijie·him for · this Worft; · He was aPerfon much addifled to Retirements a11el. deep Contemplation , by which means he bad the advamage of loo~ng round the Points and Scriptum he was upon, and filling his head and heart with Spiritual Notions, as t!Je Sand of the Sea. . _ . · He
tothe R E A D E R. He had the happinefr of high and imimate Communion with God, being a man mighty with him in Prayer;to whom he bad afrequmt recourfe in d~fficult Points and Ct~fes ; and fuch Men wade farther tnto the deep things of God, who have [uch a Leader. He delighted much infearching into Points,and Scriptum wEich were m1r'e abftrufe and neglefled by others, and t:emo: vedfrom vulgar lnquiFy: and was veryfuccejJfolin opening fuch difficult fextr, in difcovering the depths of Satan, in anatomir_ing the Old Man in himfelf and othm. He had been much exercifed in the Controver(tes that baJ been agi~ated ·in the Age he lived in, having apiercing Vn– derjlanding, able to jimJ out where the pirrch andftrefs of Controverftes lay, when he jlated them. in his own heart from Scripture and Experi·ence, an·d had a peculiar faculty to bring themdown to ordinary Capacities in ScriptuFe Language, without hard and ped<1ntic Tei·ms. · He had a deep infight into the Grace of God, ancl the Covenant of Grace. ·A Dar~nefs , in which WYH anci– ently, and JliU is the caufe of gre'at Errours in the Church; the Ignorance of the Greek Fathers, of theGrace of God, gave great occa[ion to the Pelagian Errours, as Janfenius obferves. · He had (before hir undertabJng this Province) gone over in the courfe of hir Minifiry the grand Points of Religion, and con'cofJed them in his own head.and heart. And thisfhe. bad done in frequent and intelligent A1tditories,which greatly draws out the Gifts of Men, and fits them for fuch a war~ as this. · Hehad this farther advantage, That God had exercifed him not only with Inward conflicts, but wit bSufferings for the Truths be owned, leaving not only Preferments, but (which was more precious to him) the Exercife of his Mi– nifiry in his Native Country: Only be bad this, benefit /Jy hif recefr to review and~udy over againbif Notions.and Principles. And we neverfind God wanting i11> the df[co. veries of hir Secrets to fuch Friends in their Retire, ments.
----------------~------~~~--~~~ The PREFACE After his Return, he ~vas made choiu of to Interpret this Epiflle, to which Wor~ he was eminently fuited upon all accounts , having a Light into the deep and profound Myfl:eries contained in it , beyond the elevation of tbofe Times. As to his Comment, it fufficiently commends it felf, and therefore needs not our Encomium. We Jhall only give yott fame Remark.f on it, which occurr'd in the perufal of his Paperr. . , · According to our Obfervation, No man, who bath been exercifed in the fame Province, doth more happily pitch upon the true, genuine, and full fcope of the Text. He is frequently guided to a Scope unobferved by Others, as to the latitude of it, and was much delighted to Interpret Scri– pture into the moft vaft and comprebenfive fenfe, which the Spirit of God aimed at, adoring flill the Fulnefs of the Scripture, being curious and critical in obferving the various References and AJPeClr one place had upon others. We find him dextrous at the opening of dark Scriptures, having a peculiar Facuity in comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual, one obfcure place with another more clear and perJPicuous; fetching Light, as men do in Opricks, by vari– ous pofttionr of Gla!fer into adar~ place; bringing Light to Gofpel Truths from dar~Types and Prophecies, and rejle– tling hac~Light again upon thofe dar~fbadows fromGofpel Truths. That what places Jingly fend out but fame fma!J Rays, being happily gather'd by him into a Confl:ellation, give now aglorious light. HepajJeth by no difficulty of the Text, till he affoilr it and m11¥s the place plain. He values the leafi Iota, and ma¥r it appear, what great and momentous things depend upon little Words in the Scripture, which others too carelefly paft by. HisObfervations are clear, genuine, and natural, and many times not of Vulgar and Common obfervation, which he ufually confirms by one or more pertinent appoflte Scri– ptures, which he interprets as he goer along, to tbe great be– nefit and delight of the Reader ; fiill founding what be treats
to the R E A D E R. treati of upon Scripture, which if away mo~JatirfaUory and bleJfed of God, and abider more on Mcnr heartr,. · , He bringr down the higbeft controverted Pomt, and the moft fublime Myfierier of the Gofpel, in a plain and fami– liar way to difcerning Chriffianr , without affee1ation of hard and Scholaftic~ Terms. Having 'ftated tbofe great Controverftu in hif own heart, he ma~r them eafie to tbe Senfe and Experience of otberr. . He ma~et ufe of variety of Learning, though in a con~ cealed way ; ftudying to bring his Learning . to Scripture, and not Scripture to his Learning. Hir Language if natural, and exprej]ive of hif Concepti– onr, being adapted to convey Truths into the Mindr of men with clearnefr and delight. Hefpea~ the lntimacier of thingr from a inward Jenfe and feeling of them in hif own heart , to the particular Cafes and Experience of otherr. He bath a Vein of ~rang Spiritual Reafon running tbraugb a!J tbefe Difcourfes , carrying itf own Light and Evidence with it. H.e difcovers a deep in[ight into the Myfieries of the Gofpel, and a great light in the difcovery of them; fuch M if great in thif Age, but WM much greater about Forty yearr ago, when he preached thefe Lectures. He brea~th open the Miner of tbe glorious Grace of God, and the unfearchable Riches of Chrifi ; and the farther you fearcb into them the greater Treafuru you wi!J find: Plenius re– fponfura fodienti, M one faith in a li~e cafe. No man's heart WM more ta~n with the Eternal defigns of God's Grace, than hif; and no man ma~es clearer Schemes of it to others. None more clearly refolvu the Plot of Man's Salvation into pure Grace, than he. Hif Difcourfts all along are very Evangelical, carrying the Soul to an higher Holinefs; and from a higher Spring and Arguments , than what are to be found in Philofophers, from the great Pullies and Motive I of the Gofpel ;. which. are higher and n~bler Springs than what Adam bimfelf ·bad in lnnocency. a In
The PREFACE ---~---- In the Whole,he fhews himfelf aMan of God throughly furnifhed to every good work , IPJUed in the whole compaji of true Divinity, JPea"Jng fuUy, c!ear!J, and par– ticular!>' to the Points he underta!):s to handle. He bath frequent!J thingi out of the Road and Vulgar reach, and beyond the elevation of Common Writerr, and unobforved by Others ; andyet weU founded upon Scripture. There are diverfities of Gifts,difpenfed by the fame Spirit to divers Perfons, for the edification of the Church. And if at any time be ftepi out of the Road, be doth it with a due regard to tht Analogy of Faith, and a juft ve– neration for the Reformed Religion ; wondring greatly at the daring Attempt! ofJome Men of this Age, uns"Jlful in the Word of Righteoufnefs, upon the great and momentous Point! of our Religion, which are the Glory of our R efor– mation; but thife Pointi wiU proveGold, Silver, Precious Stones, when their Wood, HayandStubble wiU be burnt up. T befe wiU have a verdure and greenneft on them , whilfl the lnventiom of otherI wiU be blafted and wither. T befe wiU be firm, wbilft othm wanting fomewbat wi.tbin~ TwiU be with them, as 'twas with the Jewifh and Hea– thenilh W orlhip, when a Fate was upon them , a!J the efforts and endeavours of men could not maT): them ftand. Vpon t.he account of what of this exceUent Author bath been already, and wiU hereafter be Publifhed (by the good Providence of God,) we thin~ be may be /oof):d upon as a Perfon raifed HP by God for fome eminent Service in that .Age be lived in; as Augufi:ine, and Otherr, were in their T imu. .And therefore we are not a little ajlonifhed at the Vnwortbineft of Jome Perfonr in this Age, who have made ufe of ttU their Art.r and lntereft, to ./itppreft the Light of this, and other great Luminaries of the Chttrch; who have done what in them lay to eclipfe Start, and of the firft Magnitude, and fi!r little Nicities andNothings, whicb the beft anJ purefo Timer of the Ch11rcb were unacquainted with. But 'tis h11rd to difpute men OHt of Corrupt lnterefis, theft Controverfieswi!J have an eafier decifton at the Great Day. . We
to the R E A D E R. We have added m the Clrfe fome weighty Difcourfes upon [ome other Texu in the Ephefians, andColoffians, (a Pa– raUel Epiflle to thi! of theEphelians,) and upon fome Texts in the Hebrews, and other Scriptum; either becaufe of their congenialnefs to thi! Comment, or tbe fuitablenefs to the Timeswe live in: And, becaufe hi! Comment did not rife up to that bulk in tke firf1 ProjeCiion, mentioned in the Propofals. . That tbefe Difcourfes are his own, we need fay no more, than that they bear his own Signature; he having drawn to the life tbe PiClure of his own Heart by his t;wn Hand. Thanckful Owen. James Barren.
Publifhed of the Author's ftnce M Death. · A Difcourfe of the Punifhment of Sin in Hell: De– monfirating the Wrath of God to be the immediate Caufe thereo£ To which is added, A Sermon, Proving a State of Glory for the Spirits of Jufimen,upon Diifolution. Sold by yonatban Robinfon, at the Golden Lion in St~ Paul:s Church-yard.
AN EXPOSITION Of the Fidl: and Second Chapters ofthe EP·ISTLE T 0 THE EPHESIANS:~ A Premift concerning t/Jis Epiftle. ofCufl:om ufes to be prernifed by Interpreters, cor!cerntl1Q the Epifiles, or Books they Interpret, touch– ing the Argument, Divifion of the whole, and Occafion of the Writing, and about the Perfons wntten to. I !ball only fpeak oftwo ofthefe, as rnofr necelfary, I. The Excellency ofthis Epifl:Je, 2. The occalion ofPa111's writing of it. In the handling ofwhich two, I !ball yet wrap up all thofe other mentioned -briefly. 1 I. For the Excellency thereo£ It bath been efteemed among the choicefl:,ahd is accordingly placed in.the midfl: ofhis Epif\les; as the mofr fparkling Gem ufeth to be in a C.arkenet ofmany Jewels : or,as Hieront's Comparifon ofit is, Ji(!!omodo 1• Pr-for. Cor Animalis in medio eft; as the Heart in the midfr ofthe Body, fo he liken'd it, for the Difficulties he obferveth in it: But I rather, becaufe, as the Heart is the prime Seat, and Fountain ofSpirits, and the fullefr thereof; fo this Epifl:le contains more ofthe Spirits, the <l!!imelfence of the Myfl:erics of Chrifr, than any other; andismadeupofthernofrquickning Cordials to the fnward Man. l !hall !ay only, that I find our Apofrle himfelfboafling, as it were ofnone of his other Wtitings, but of this; and let his own Judgment cafl it, by what hlmfelf efleemed his Mafl:er-piecc. Thusexprefly in the third Chapter ofthis Epifl:le, at the third Verfe, he mentioning the Grace of God vouchfafed him, in that rich Treafury ofKno\yledg difpenfed to him, asa Steward for others, (as that Word ftgnifies) and that tranfcendent way he came by it, more' extraordinary thari othe( Apoll:les, (who yet were in part taught it by Chrifl: on Earth) Have y•tt 110t heard (fays he by the common Report wem ofit) hrw that by Revelation (namely Immediate) he made l{nown to me the Myflery? And thus f." indeed, I find him elfewhere fpeaking, as well; as here Gal. 1.12. But then in the following Words; he goes on yet further, and makes this very Epiflle the highefl: Infl'ance ofthis his Knowledge and Revelation; As I wrote afore,a little afore (namely in the tWo firil Chapters hereof,efpecially this firll) whereby in the reading you may uriderfl:and 'ufoly&..j<. "'J Knowledge in the Myftery ofChrifl; that is, your felves, not by hear-fay only, !viAl)«• A as
Jn Expojition of the Epiflle as afore, but by and upon your own Knowledg. There is not the like Speech utter'd by himfelfofany ofhis Epimes; he makes this very Epime at once the mofr full Evidence and Demonfrration ofthat Tranfcendent way of his receiving the Gofpel by immedmte Revelation. And fo fubhme was the Matter contained in it, as it argued this Original, and that it could come no other way bnt by im– mediate Revelation, as afore be had affirmed of it, and hkewife Withal refers un– to it; as the highefr Specimenofthe Depth, and Profoundncfs ofhis Knowledg, and as his choicefr Exercife to !hew his Chrifrian Learning by ; fo that, as elfe– where,he profeffed to thefe fame Ephejiani, that he had (when prefent with them) declared all the Counfel ofGod to them, Ath 2 6. 2 7. So now abfent, to have fingled out to utter in this Epi{tie the utmofr Depths of that Counfel. But what the Reafon !hould be, why Paul was thus more profoundly enlarged to them, than others ofthe Gentilu,to whom he alfo wrote,IS worth our Enquiry, and Obfervance. Some attribute the difference unto Pa11l's (the Author's) own Spirit, and the Condition he was then in. It fmells fay they ofthe Prifon, 'Pa 11 l was a Prifon_er, as Chap.4. 1. and fo more enlarged, when moll frraitned, ns in Sufferings our Spirits ufe to be. But I rather afcribe it to fome difference in thefe ~~~:·~~':;;., Epheftam written to• . !'hi!oftrat"! gives Tefrimony ?f this City of Ephe[111, that fiud;;,, PhHo- it excelled all other Cmes m Wifdom, and Learmng, and over-abounded in f?ph;s, o<'<o- tboufands of learned Men; and this their exquifitenefs in Human Learning, and d·~.~X~~.:;t:;;," fearch after Knowledg, was that which made them fo addi{J-ed to curious Arts ~!:1/:;:,:: ~~~ (as.the Holy-Ghofrfpeaking ofthe~every Ephejia~I, calleth th.em, AU. 19. 19.) cqultum wbo- which were partly Human, but vtm, partly Mag1cal and Deviiilh; as the Syriac "' fed <i><o- renders the Words ; whence alfo Ephdfn.c Liter.c, the Letters of Ephe[111 grew :illi~~sn~~~~ int? a Proverb. And Chryfoftomptys, that even unt~ his Tin:e, it abounded with ro•fupmcc,;n Ph!lofophers, above any other City, and that the chiefefiPh!lofophers and Wife– caqu< pludmen of Ajia, had had their original, and dwelling therein, and alledgeth (in his {,~~.::~~~ Preface of this Epifrle) That, asiheReafon, why Paul !hould write this Epi{tie L•>.s..uv;,; with more l!udy, and exall:nefs; and why he utter·d more profoundnefs of Apol. "f· 3· Knowledge to them, than unto others. But fure this his Reafon falls !hort ofthat which may Theologically be fuppofed the true Ground ofbis Sublimenofs therein' and it will be ufcful to improve it higher. To me it feems, that that fuperemi~ nent Self-denial, which appeared in many of thefe converted Ephejiam, even in point ofKnowledge, in their renouncing all that excellency of Learning, which was then the Glory ofthat City, in the Eyes ofall the Nations; the great Diana oftheirBrains, and Hearts, (astheGoddefswasoftheirblind Deyotions) as a Tellimony whereof, they Gcrificed the very Books themfelves unto the Fire· as the Holy-Ghofr hath given Tellimony to their Self-Denial in this particular. AU$ 19. 19. This might be the Reafon, why God honoured them with an Epime fo fublime, by way ofRecompence. And it affords us this Obfervation grounded upon like Infrances. ObC What ever ExceUency a11J one bath been eminent in,or prh'dmojl:,afore (onver– jiOJz ; b11t nowdoth tmderva/ue,and ( ai Chrijl's Word h) hatu,andforfaA§I for Chrijl'$ foA§, in that very thing Chrijl a< apparently maA§th recompence an hundredfold. Thefe Ephejians forfook the mofr exquifite Wifdom earthly, yea, the deepefr that Hell afforded; Depths ofSataJ!, as John !peaks in another Cafe ; and God therefore honours them, with this Divine Epi{tie,made as publick as their Self-denial to all the World, in which God from Heaven enlarged this Apoflle's Heart, to ~ake a profeffed Difcovery ofthe fublimefr,and deepefr Myl!eries that Heaven affordeth that were to be communicated to any ofthe Sons of Men, and that were lawful t~ be uttered, (as himfelffpeaks, 2 Cor.I2.) by him that was in Heaven. They bum their very Books,valuedat many thoufondi, (for their Price is on Purpofe valued · .Alii 19. 19.) and therefore our Apome's Heart is enlarged towards them, t~ bring forth the bottom ofthat TreaforeofKnowledg hid in Chrijl, the rmfearcbahle 'l(jchu ofChrijl, a~ ver.8. ofthe third Cha~ter. He calls them thus alfo himfelf (the Author of1t) havmg reckoned h!S Learmng, when a Pharifee (wherein he pro– fired above many of his Equals) at fo high a rate, as the Account of the World, then went; but now when converted, he accounting allbut as Dung and Dogs Meat, for the excellency ofthe Knowledg ofChrifr, 'Phil. 3.8. was therefore ac– cordingly enlarged, and filled with an Excellency in this K:nowledg above hi~ Fellow
to the EPHESIANS. Fellow-Apofiles; tho he complains ofhimfelf, M born out ofTime, and as ~ne put to this School long after them. Thus ./Uofes alfo undervalumg the Egyptum Leaming (wherein he exreUed, Aas 7.22. as well as the Pleajitres ofth•t Court, having an Eye to the reconrpence ofReward to come; was accordingly in a Proportion recompenfed even in this Life, as with being exalted to be a Kmg over the.People of God (a greater Dignity than Egypt afforded) Deut. 33· for hts leavmg the EgyptianCourt; fo wit~ being made the Prophet ofthe Old Tefbment for his re– nouncing oftheir Learnmg; to whomGod revealed hun[elf,a11d h" Law, as never to any other Prophet,Numb.12.6. He was the Giver of that Law,which by the con– fef!ion ofall the Heathens excelled theirs ; and therein made fuch an eminent Type ofChrifr his Prophetical Office, as no Prophet was afore or after him, Deut. 18.15. And fo much for the Excellency ofthis Epifrle. Yet let me add this, That ofall Epifiles, that to the Colojfians comes neareft to it, in the Matter and Argument thereof; and in many things, the one is a Comment upon the other; only in the Docrrine ofGod, Free Grace, and Everlajiing Love (which is that Myfiery ofthe Myfrery ofChrifr.) This far excells it. 2. In the fecond Place, for the Occajon ofthis Epiftle, Interpreters are much put to it to find what it fhould havebeen,nor need we trouble ourThoughts much, ifwe find not any; for perhaps the Apoftle took one, (as a good Heart is apt when there is no fet Occafiongiven) for to do Good; which feems all the Occa– fion of that other Apoftle's writing his, 2 Pet. 1.13. I thinkit meet, as long M I am in thi< Tabernacle, tojiiryo1t up, &c. But for any fpecial one ofthis, the befr and inoft probable, which I by conjeCture can find,. is that which the Apoflle by the Spirit ofProphecy forefaw, ACI. 20. where callmg all the Elders of.Ephefus toge– ther (even the Elders ofthis Church, which here he writeth unto, as you may fee ver.17.) be tells them ver.29. I kt;zow thi< that afier my departure foal/grievo111 Wolves enter in am011gjou; alfo ofyourown[elver jhaU Men arife, jpealqng perverfe things, to draw away Difciples after them. He forewarns both, that fome oftheir own Elders fhould rife up (for oftentimes fo it falleth out in Churches) and alfo that others from other Churches and places fhould enter in among them (Wolves he calls them) teaching perverfe things. And I k_now this, f.1ys he; he knew it by the fame Spirit ofProphecy and Revelation, thatver. 25. he fays, hekztewhejhollldfeetheir Face no 11tore. And altho he perhaps knew not the particular Errors which they fhould teach; yet in General, you fee he knew that grofs Errors,overthrowing the Foun– dation ofthe Gofpel,fhouldarifeamongfr them,andbe taught. Now therefore to prevent their being carried away with any ofthofe Errors, whatever they might prove to be,he writeth this Epiftle in a pofitive way, to e£labliil1 them afore-hand in the greateft Truths ofthe Gofpel. And what is the great and main Argument ofthis Epi!lle, efpecially in the firfr partofit? It is to lay open the Docrrine of Free Grace, and ofGod's Eternal Love in, and Redemption by Chrifl, and the Bleffings iffuing therefrom; and the dependance that our Salvation bath·on both. The Apoftlenot knowing what particular Errours fhould arife, he yet choofeth to teach fuch Docrrines, as might be the mofr univerfal Preventives to all whatever, that were ofany dangerous Confequence ; and for this Purpofe of all other Do– ll:rines, be pitcheth upon this of Free Grace. The Obfervation then is this. ObC: That ifChrijiians Judgments he well a11d throughly gro11nded in the'])oe/rine ofGod's Free Grace, and Eternal Love, and Redemption through Jef111 Chriji alone, andin the moft Spiritstal Inward Operations ofGod's Spirit, which he enn11merates to have been experilmntally comnmnicated; That !Vi! Iftnce them againji all El'rors,yM "'"Y theneven venturethun front talqng in any Faljhood ofanygreat Mon;,mt. Their Souls being wellJbod with the prepa,.ation ofthe Gojpel of'Peace, (to ufe the Apo£lle's Si– militude, as it is in the 6thofthis Epifrle, ver. 1 5.) Then, as they areTentation– Proofin refpecr ofSm,or pracrical Doubtings, (which is the Apoftle's Scope there) fo in like manner,when their Judgments are thus fhod with the Docrrine ofGrace, they are Errour-Proofalfo, (I [peak in refpell: oftaking in any dangerous Herefy) and this fully agrees with whatthe Apoflle direcrs, Heb. 13. 9· Be not (faith he) carried awa1 wilh divers and flr(lllge Dullrines. He calls them divers or various Doarines,
4 An Expofition of the Epijlle Dol1rine1: fortho there is but one Truth, yet Errours about Truth are divers; and he calls them Strange, that are brought in differing from the Faith the Apo– fl:lestaught, and w~< cncegiven. And he infbmceth in one, namely, the putting an Holinefs, in an elell:ive outward abfrinence from fome Meats rather than others (fo in the next Words.) But what any one thing was there that would of all other fix, and ballance their Minds again{! this, and all other fuch empty Doll:rines, and waverings towards fi1ch Superfritions? He adds, for it is a good thing that the Heart befrablifhed with Grace. Both inherent Grace in the Soul it felf, (for the NeJv Creature tafres and difcerns Tmth as the 'Palate doth Meat.) As alfo with the Doll:rines ofFree Grace, without us in God's Heart toward us, as it is decla– red, and taught in the Scriptures, and in this Chapter, a-nd in the fecond of this Epifrle; and let their Hearts beftablijhed, and ballafred, and made fleady with thefe, and they will not ea!ily be to!Jed to and fro, and carried away with every Wiml ofDoUrine, by the flight of Men, &c. as the Apoflle [peaks, Chap. 4· 14. ofthis Epiflle. And the latter Sence ofGrace, in that Heb. 13. I underfland to be principally meant : for the Doll:rine ofGod's Grace revealed to us in the Go– fpel,is eminently flyled the Grace ofGod bringing Salvation; TitiH 2.1 1. but yet withal, take in thofe 'BleffingJ, and blefi'ed Operations wrought within us, which our Apofrle here enumerates, in Chap. 1. and goes on to do it in chap. 2. to ver. 1 r ofthat Chapter; the working of which in thefe Ephejam he all along afcribes unto the Grace; the exceeding Riches ofGrace, Mercy, and Love in God, foun– ded in Elel:tion,and Redemption ; and thefe,together with his Doctrine ofGrace, will keep you fledfafr and immoveable. I fhould now add, as the cuflom of Expolitors likewife is, Come more general Analylis, or Divilion ofthe whole Epiflle; but let that fuffice, which in going over the Particulars, will arife naturally to every Man's Obfervation : That the halfofit,to the end ofthe third Chapter,is Doctrinal, laying down the Myfleries ofSalvation, and Man's Mifery; the other half to the end, is wholly Practical, exhorting to feveral Duties in all forts ofRelations. I haften to the Expofition it Celf. An
AN EXPOSITION 0 N THE ' Fir.G:, and part of the Second Chapter, 0 F TH E E ,PISTLE T 0 THE E PH E SI AN S. PART. I. By THO: GOODWIN, D. D. LONDON, Printed by J. D. and S. R. for T_. G. 1681~
I I"..A.,.r1l Jerm. [. ------------~~---------------------~ AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE E p I S TL TO THE E E PH E SI AN Se SERMON t ~----------------------------------------------- VERSE r,t.. Paul an Apoflle of Jefm Chrift~ by the WiO of God, to the Saints which are at Ephefm, and faithful in Chrift Jefm. Grace be to you, and Peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jefm Chrift.' ALthough the matter of the two firfl Verfes is found almofl in every Epiflle, and is accordingly Expounded by e_very Interpreter; yet that there may not be an uncomely vawity at the very firfi en• trance, I lhall add fome Animadverfions upon the words of them. Patll an Apof/Je] The reafon why in his Epiflles he ufually pre– fixes both his Name and Office, is, Firfl, To afcertain them he wrote to, that the Ji:piflles were his own, or Genuine Epiflles ; as you may perceive his iritent to be by that clofure of h!s fecond Epiflle to the Thrf[alo11ians, :!. Thef 3· I?· The faltlfatton of me P a11/ with my ow11 hand, which u the jig11 or tokm m every Epif/Je: fo I write, &c, fothen thu !1z[criptiotJ is both a Jalutatio?J and a6/ef– fiug of thefe Ephejia~:s, of which afterwards. Seco.:dl), Headdshi~facredOffice, Alld mJ Apoflle]--Apoflleibip was an <?ffice extra?rdm~ry m the Church of God, appointed for a time for the firfl: teanng and goverdmg the Church of the New Teflament, and to deltvet that Faitbwbichwas but once to bt givrn to the .Sai?lfs, (as )1Jdt fpeaks) and tile. B Apoflle$
2 An Expojition of the Epift!e ------~~~~~~ ~ Apol\les are therefore entitled the fouttdatiou the Church is built on, Ephe{ 2,20, Serm.l. which Office accordmgly had many extraordmary Pnv!ledges annexed to Jt, fuit– v-v""'-.1 ed (as all the CaUilzgs by God, and his In!htutions, are) to aruin that end, which was fo extraordinary : As namely tmtimited11e{s of Comm1.ffio11 to teach a/INatio11s, Mattb. z8. •9· They likewife had an ltifa/Jibilityapdunerrmg– (•J ""·" 11e[s, whether in their Preaching (.• ), or inWriti11g (b), which was abfo- ,g. lutely nece!fary for them to have? feeing they were to lay the Foundauon to all <1 1 ) "If '3· Ages, I Cor. ~· IO. Although m their perfonal walkmgs they might err, as ~.~:P~',e't,h Peter did, Gal. 2. II. And further, they bad Authorityand Jurijdtffioncorn– there verr" mitted to them, as Elders in any Church, where Providence fuould call them, ••eerher.J 2 Cor. "· z8. together with Authority and Power therein, 2 Cor. 4• 21. and I'lht/Jo2o1Jo *As therehe urged, that they had heard. 2 Cor. IO. 8. And . Thirdly, This our Apol\le had this fpecial Grace and Honour from God vouch· fafed him above moll of the Apollles, to be particularly moved and in– fpired by the Holy Gholl, the Confcience of his own duty concurring, to edifie not only the prefent Churches then extant, but to write Epillles to leave them to the Ages to come, which every Apoflle did not; and there were none that did write any part of Scripture, but as, and when they were moved by the Holy Gho!l, asPeter tells us, 2 Pet. I. 21. As 110 Prophejie came i11 the 0/dTtme, i.e. under the Old Te!lament, by the wiP of ma11: but holy mm Jpake, and fo by like reafon wrote M they were movtd 6y the Holy Ghojl; and thus 'tis under the New as well as under the Old. But God was pleafed to ufe this man to la– bour more than they all. We owe the third part of the New Tellament to him : Jnfomuch , as he wrote Epiflles to fome by fpecial and perfonal Infpiration, whom he never faw in the llefh, as theColoffialls. And this practice of affixing hi< Name and Office to his Epi!lles, as well as the Epi!lles themfelves, is greatly to be heeded by usthatdocomeinafterAges. Excepting that tot~e He6rews for a fJ?ecial Reafon, .n~t fetting down his Office of Apofile, wh1ch m two or three Ept!lles, where tt IS lefs needed, IS omitted alfo. It is to be heeded, I fay, by us in after Ages, for it has this inllruction in it, (which was his fcope of doing it) that as the matter of them did bind and oblige thofe whom he wrote to, fo all Saints in after Ages to r.ome, for they do Inherit thefe and other Apoflles Writings, to own them, and embrace them, and toobferve what is written in them, as of a Divine Authority, the Word of God, as well as of man, and as intended to all Saints and Faithful in Chri!l Je– fus, as well as thofe at Ephef.u. As thofe Jn!lances declare, that the Epiftle that was writ to the ChurchofColoffu;-, Pau/commands to be read to the Church of Laodicea. The Infcription likewife to the Church at Corinth commands the fame ; To the Chtm!J of Cori11th, with a/J that call 011 the Name of the Lord, 6oth thfirs andours, I Cor. 1. 1. l . Know therefore, that when you read any Epi!lle, the whole weight of their .Apo!lolical Spirit and Authority in them is to fall upon all our Confciences and Spirits; as it did on theirs,unto thefe purpofes,both to a!fure our hearts of the un– erring truth of every tittle of them, and their word in their writings to be as true as God is true, 2 Cor. I. q, 18. As alfo to receive all their Injunctions, and commands therein, as coming with the fame Apo!lolical Authority, that it did to thofe to whom they were by name written ; and as immediately war• ranting us in all thofe practices, which their living commands did put them up– on; Inaword, to fpeakinthewordsofthe Apoflle to the Thejjalonians, To t'tctivethem a/J M the Word of God, even as if we had heard themoutofPaurs own mouth, *which work as effectually in you that believe, as it did in them. So that as in thefe their writings we enjoy thefe Apoflles Minillry, and fuall tq the end of the World, Matth. 28. ult. and are therefore faid to believe through their word, .1oh. I 7,20. In like manner their ordinary Directions to Believers to any duty belonging to them, to become Churches, or jorn themfelves to Churches; or elfe to Churches how to demean themfelves, left us in their Epi• files, or the Ads of the Apo!lles recorded, have the fame Authority to bind us, ast~ey didthem, and he gives the fame warrants and commands to us, which thetr Perfons, by living voice, did to thofe Saints in their Times; which their very Commiffion, Matth, 28. 19. holds forth to us, Go and trarh thrm to o6jfr'lJI
to the E P H E SI A N S. 3 ferve all that !have commanded, faies Chrifi, attd Lo, lam With J'oilt~ the end~ of the WorM, . . Sn;rn. f. And in this refpect thefe few words (Paul mt .Apof/le) wh1ch we find pre- ~ fixed, are of great ufe t~ us; and let this Name, and Title, and Commands of his which are from Chnfi, be for ever preciOus throughout all GeneratiOns. There are three things in thefe two firfi Verfes : 1. The Author of this Epifile, P aut. . 2. The Perfons to whom it was wntten, Satnts at Ephefiu, &c. 3 . The Salutation, and bleiling therein uttered, ordinary in all his Epiflles, Grace a~~tiPeaa, &c, i.TheAUTHOR: P .AV L.] I will not fpeak much of his perfonal_ fupereminent wonh. _iii his own opinion he was the leaft of Samts on Earth ; mmme, the lughefi Samt in Heaven, and next the man Chrifi Jefus. To whofe labours (more abundant than of all the other Apofiles, 1 Cor. 15, ro.) the one half of the now Chrifii– an, then RomanWorld doth owe, and the Catholick Church in all Ages, the third part of that unvaluable Treafure of the New Tefiament ; talung together all either written by him, as the Epifiles, or written of h1m, as the greatefi part of theAfls. Only this name of hiS here [PautJ and the change thereoffrom th~t of Saul; is a difficulty among Interpreters, which _I !hall not here meddle wuh f~rther than thus, that this change might be from h1s former Jewiih name Saul mto a Roman name Pattl, it being evident, that feveral Nauoos d1d ufe to alter mens rtames according to their own Tongue, and very often the firfi _Letter of a mans name is changed in the fame Language, whom Ifaac calls Merodach, him the Writer of the Book of the Kings calls Berodach. . So the elde!t Son of Simon,' whom Mo(es calls Jtmuet, Gen.46l 1o, and Exod,6_,1;. thefamemandoth Mojescall NemttelinNum6. 26. 12, And the Author of the Book of theChro– tticles, r Chro1l. 4·'4• and the name P aut was a rtame ufual among the Romans; given to aRommt Deputy, Afls 1 s; 7. and thus the name Sau/might have been fitted Ul)tO the Roman Mode, S being turned into P, and that which fireng– thens this conjecture, is, that we read of this change ofhis name firfi, when we read of his Converfe with that Roman Deputy, .Afls 1 l• but chiefly when he was a-new feparated to the Work of Preaching to the Gentiles, by the command of the Holy Ghoft, At!s 1j. 4· It may be added, that this new name hath b.een the rather given him by the Romans, and the mote readily accepted by him, as fitly glancing at the littlenefs of his fiature (which the more illufirated the glo- Paulum Modf. ry of God's Grace in the gifts of his mind) of which Antiquity gives Tefiimony f'mJ.'id. Aug. from Tr_adition,. and A_mient Images of him four hundred y~ars afto;r in Chryjo- •P ' 1 • 7 ' · flames t1me, Nzceph. hb. 2. cap. n. And Chryfoflome_m h1s Homily 'De princtp._ Apof/ol. calls him ; Tf'"'X~' ,;:,of""®-, A man of three Cubits, 'whereas the ordmary proportionof men is four: which may rrtofi probably be thought to be that bafenefs and weaknefs of prefence, which himfelf acknowledgeth in him• felf,. 2 Cor. 1o.r, 1o, It is certain that the name PauiM was firfi given to the $igoo: at Noi!i; Family of the .!Emylians in Rome for the littlenefs of their fiature. And this Rom. change.hi!"felf might Well permit and take on him, A new Gmtile .name infiead of h1s 'Jewijh, as an Indication of his new Office. The Apojlle of the Genttles,_ Rom. 11.1;. Itbeingwithalfofitlyfuitedto exprefs the Character of h~s Spmt, and his mofi eminent Grace, littlenefs in his own eyts, which ac- ~ordmgly you find him i\ill inculcating, as if it were his Motto, both interpret– mg8hisLna~e and expreifmg his Spirit, Lefs than the leafl of Sai11ts; Eph. P l· • eal' ?f.Apoffies, 1 Cor. r;. 9· perhaps.in fome alluliontohisoame aut; but th1s IS only a conjecture on which I inlifi not. : . Paul a11 Apojlle, ] It was. made a wonder in the Old Tefiament, Is Saul among the Prophets1 And it is as great a wonder of the New, that Paul the Perfecuter lhould be among the Apofiles, and fo it was when Paul Converted began firft to Preach ~hat· Chrifi wastheSoriofGod, an"dwasfirfl: heard at 'Damafctu by the peoplel What the effe4 whcteof was 1 the words - B z. ~
4 An Expojition of the Epiftle -f"V\.ff~ · _:__o_f_t_h_e_H_e-ar-e-rs- d-:-o-fh-=-e-w-.-A-=-ifs 9· 21 ,22. Bt1t all th~t hea_r_d_h_i_m_,_w_e_r_e_a_m_a_z_e-d, Serm. I. and [aid, Is 11ot thu he that def/ro;•edthem which ea/ledon thu 11ame itz ]eru{t· ~ tem and came hither jo>·thattntent, that he mzght bnng them botmd zmtothe Chi;f Priefls ~ But Stml increafed I he more in flrmgth, rmdcotifozmdtd the .7ews, which dwelt at 'Damrifcus, provn:g that thu" v~ry.Chnfl.. Whofe Of– fice in the Church was the firlt, 1 Cor. 12. 28. God bath Jet m the Church [ firfl] Apoflles; and there:ore the highell: under the G_ofpel next Chrilt, even as the High-Prie!lhood was the Hlghelt ot the rank of Pne!ts under the Law. Hence both thefe are coupled together, and in way of honour given unto Chri!t himfelf (God's fir!! and great Apofile lent out by him, Job. 20, 21. ) The H<gh Prieft and Apoflle of 011~ p>-ofejfion, ]eftU, &c. Heb. 3· 1. Obferv; No fins l!efore ( a11d I may add to it, 11or yet after Conver[io11) can hi~Jdtr God's };-u Grace from zifiug men i11 the highefl EmploJ•ments in the Church, ~"t magnifie it the mort. 'David, after his Adultery, was a Pen-man ofScrip– ture, Pjalrn 51. J'olomo11 after his fall, of Ecclejiaffes; Peter after his Conver– lion, denied Chrill: with Oaths and Curfes, is a chief Apofile, and converts three thou!and fifty daies after, with the fame Mouth he had denied Chrifi; and P aul after he had been a Illafphemer, was made an Apoll:le. Of ]ejUJ C!mjl. J This addition !hews the Author of this Office, whofe defignment it was, Jejtu Chriff, I . Chrifl as the Author and Founder of his Apofilefhip. fo he was of all the other 1\pof\les, Job. 20. 21. As the Father fmds me, I Jmd you. 1\po!tle fignifies o11e font: Chrill: was God the Father's Apo[\le, He6.3. 1. and appcrinted by Him, verf. 2. and£ph.4.11, It isat– tributed to Chrill:, that he afcending, Gave fome to be Apojlles, &c. It is the Prerogative of a King (yea every Ma!lcr of~Family) to appoint what Offices and Officers lhall be of Jus Hou_D1old. And 2. It Imports >ifo the Dignity of this Office above Humnn Offices; the fiyle of It runs, An LlpoJ'Iteof Cbrijf. As the Offices that belong to the King's Perfon in Court have a peculiar deno– mination, exprellinga relation to his Perfon, which other Offices in the King– dom havenot: As, the King's Chamberlain, the King's Steward, &c. And as others in the Kingdom, are all Subjects of the King as their Prince, but Cour– tiers in Offices are peculiar!y _Servants of the King as a Mafier ; fo they write themfel~es Servants to. the Kmg: and Paul, Jejm Ch;z~ my Lord, Phi!.~As they m Court, the Kmg my Maller: fo though all Chnil:Ians are Subjects and Members of Ch~ifi ; yet, Apofilc;.s and Minill:ers are i'! a more peculiar refpe& Servantsof Chnll:, as James and Jude fiyle themfelvesm thelirlt Verfe of their Epillles. . . , But although he ll:yles lumfelf Chnll sApoll:le, yet he leaves not out his Corn– million alfofrom, and the Influence of God alfo into it, BytheWzlf of God, that is both of the God-head, and of all three Perfons, For to Apolllefhipi and all Offices in the Church, they all concur, as well as to our Salvation. ToApo{llejhip, foGt~I.I.I. Paul ms Apojlleof.7efUJ Chrz~, an.dGodtht Fathtr; there you fee are two Perfons-.- .-, And then the Spirit, the third Perfon, faid, Sept~rate me P~ula11dBamabtu, Acts 1 ~- 2. Andfo they concur to all other Officers moremfenour, I Coro~~; 4>5', 6. There are diverjities ofGifts, 6ttt the jmne S'pzrtt. (The G1fts wluch Officers are endued with, are afcribed to the Holy Gho!l:, ) There are differences of Adminillrations and the fame Lord, viz. Chri!t, who, as a Lord, appoints the feveral Offices \;here– in Gifts are exercifed: and there are diverfities of operations, but it is the fame God, (viz. the Father) who. worketh all in alL .The bleffing upon Gifts, and the fuccef• of all Admtmll:ratJons or Offices Mmtfierial are trom the Father, Thus By the WiO of God; all three Perfons are at the Ordination of every true Mm1!\er, and lay on the1r Hands of Bklling each of them, and fet the.ir hands to every Minillers Commillion. , More .Particutarly,' -??Y tbe Wilt of God.) This fir(/ imports that fpecial Decree of God, in fepa– ratmg htm to this Office, whichGat. 1.' I). andRom. 1. 1. he with an Empha– f!S exprelfeth, fet apart to it; .:~,~~'~'is to fele&cho1c~ things : Therefore choice fe11•
to the E P H E S 1A N S. fentences are called Aphorifins. .And in this Refpect our Apo!Ue is called a cho-. fen Vell'el to bear his name, thans, a ch01ce Vellel for the purpofe, Ac7s 9· 15 . And thus the Election of rhe Twelve at firfi, IS as exprdly afcnbed to Chrifl's Will as here this is. So Mar. 3. 1 3• He called to h1m whom he would, a11d he •rdamed Twelve; and this out of meer Grace and the good pleafure of his Will fointhe fame Gal. I. I). ltp!e<l(edhim, &c. And that is one reafon; why'he mentions it bere, even to mind his own heart of the Original of tl!is his great Dignity, wholly to have been the W1ll and Grace of God, andnothwg m himlelf, c21ling it therefore elfcwhere, Grace mrd Apojltejh1p, Rom, r, S'. that is the Grace of Apofllelhip; yea, he reckoning this as great a mercy wel!– n{gh as his Salvation, for fo that great and folemn Thanfgiving of his, 1Tim, ri from the 1r. to the 18. (where he relates his Converfion) cloth imply, it being chiefly for putting him into the Mimfiry, verj. 12. Oj God.] This imports, J'econdry,Theimmediatenefs of his Call, in diflin– ction from other Officers. And hkewtfe for thetr Dtrect10n , whither to go, and what to do; they were fubordinate to none other: And this lat– ter was peculiar to this Office. Eva11geiJjls, though extraordinary Mini!lers1 yet were fent out bytheApoflles, asTit.u 2Cor.12.18, andfoTimotb)·, but Apoflles, they immediately by God; thus Gal. r. r. (which place Interprets this) Pau!atJApojlte, faieshe, 1Jotofmm, 11either6yma11, btttbyJe(iu Ghrift andGod the Father, who rmfed himfrom the 'Dead. To Interpret the words; Firfl, Pat<la1l Apof/le, 1101 of men) that is,my Office is not a human Office, which men have inllituted,and invented,It u,faith he,of 'Divittt il1f/itutio11. And this is common to all Miniflerial Offices in Churches.And this he fpake in diflinCl:ion fro~ Offices in Common-wealths.In a Common-wealth the Offices thereof are (as the Apofile calls themby way of diflinction from thofe in the Churc\1) d,~l'""'"' •11.-.t Hnman CreatiotJS(we Tranflatc it,Ht~mmt Ordi11ances)whereas all Church Offices are Divine, andnot ofmen inPaul's fenfe: But yet becaufe this firft requifire [11ot of mm J was common to all Offices of the Church~swell as Apofilelhip ; there– fore, J'eco11dry, he adds by way of further d1fltnct1on from them alfo, Nrither by man. The ordinary Office~ in. the Church, although they are not of men; i. e, there ought to be an mflttuuon for every one of the Offices themfelves ; ' yet, the man, the perfon, is ufually put into theOffice by men, though guided. in it by the Hory Ghojl, Ac7s ~o. By mm, that IS the particular defignation of• the p~;rfon, that is by men, ( though according to fuch rules in the Word as are, to guide their choice) (and that is the difference of thofe two phrafes of men, and by men,) But ( faith he) this my Office of Apofilelhip is neither of mm; nor 6y mm, but as the Text here faith, 6y the Will of G•d, that is, by God's immediate defignation of my perfon to it, fo it alfo there to the Ga!atimu fol– lows, but 6y 1ef.u Chrifl imdGodthe Father. And which was yet further, a more peculiar prerogative above other AP.oflles, this our Apofile_was called into it by Jefus Chrill, as Ri{e11 from the 'lJet~d, and afcmded into Heavm; other Apofiles were called by Chri!l: living here in the Flelh, but I waJ bom ollt of timr, faith he, and fo had like to have miffed of being capable of this Office; (whereof one requifite was to have feen Chrifi) but to make up that requifit~ alfo, Chrifi deferred the calling of me unto it, until himfelf came again; Chri!l: rofe again and converted me himfelffrom Heaven, wbm lafl of afThe wqs /m: of~'· 1 Cor. 'i· . And this difference ofhimfelf from other Apofi!es, he f.:;em~ to tnfinuate, verj. u. of that Gat. •· That he neithtr rectived the Gojjut from mm, as Eva11gelij/s did, 2 Tim. r. q , '4· and as ordinary Teacher.s dp, 2 Tlm. 2, 2.. nor was taught it namely by Chri!l: in the Flelh in the way ofi ou.r~ ward teachmg, as the other Apofiles were by Chrifi himfelf: but meerly, ang wholly bymwardmidimmediate Revelatiott, and this made him (as was ob– ferved) _fo much excel all the other Apofiles, his gifts were anf\yerable to his Call, .whtch :-vas fo extraordinary. . . If tt be obJected, That he was ordained an Apo!l:le by laying qn of h~l)ds o.£ .(111a11JM, Acts 9• And again by the Teachers of An,tioch,Mls r~. The ~nfwer IS, Ftrj/, That he was ordained an Apo!l:l@ b.efore at his CqnverliO}J by Chr~fi>him• felf; 4CfS26, 16, 17, r8. Blltrifej/atJdupotJthyfut, for I have app~aredmuo th~e for thu p11rpoje, to make thee a MitJij/er a11d aWi/tl{js 4gtp of tbe[e thi11gs . - - - ~- which
6 An Expojition of the Epit1le ~which tho11 hafl Jem, aizd of thoje thi11gs i11 the whuh I wi/J appear zmto thee, Serm. T. delivering therfrom tb< people, a11d from the Gmtzle~, u11to whom11ow I fend ~ ther. To opmthdr eyes artdturlt them from darknejs to lzgbt, a11d from the powrr of Satmz tmto God, &c. Secondly_; T.hat AnrmiM laymg on of hands~as to Minifter the Holy Ghojl, and fill htm wnh It, Arts g. Tbzrtt!)•, That whtch was done at Amioch by man, was for a bleiling on the work and exercife of his Apoftlelhip and of the Office of Apoftlc!hip it felf, which was to fpend his· labour and ~ndeavour upon the Gentzlfs, among whom they fent him. Fourth– ly•, That, even that was firft appointed and declared by the Holy Ghofi, Stpa– tate me Paul and Bamabas to thr work I havecalled"them, The Holy G"hofl (who is God) did immediately fay this e're they layed their hands on him with Failing and Prayer. NoApofiks I hear there are Apoftles abroad, at lcafi thofe that fay there are to be Apo- ~~:/;;,:h< files frill in the Church, and to the end of the World ; and thofe that affirm it, ~re not of the Romifb Party only (who make the Popedom a perpetual Apofile– fuip in the Church ) but of' thofe who would be in all other things moft contrary unto the Pope. To refute whom, this here is fufficient that the Apoftles Call is to be (by the (immediate) Wi/J of God) as bath been opened in Afls r. you read that when J"das was dead, all the Eleven Apol\les could not have chofen another Apofile ;. yea, they would never have thought of adding another, had not God by a Prophecy faid, let another take hi< Bijhoprick (and he guoteth a Pj'alm to warrant it, Pjal, 6g.) that is, hu Office of Apojllejbzp i and he there mentions a qualification that was to be in him that lhould be chofen to that Office, which I am lure bath not been found in any man thefe fifteen hundred years, and he ruts a neceility upon it, that he that was to be chofen lhould be fo qualified, a [ ~ J a [ m11jl J upon If, verf. 21, 2. of thofe men that have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Jefus went m and out among us, beginniag from the Baptifm of .1oh11 unto the fame day that he was taken up, [ mujl J one (if any) be ordained to be a witnefs with us of his RefurreCl:ion : And though they named two, for God to pick one to fuew that God's immediate Call was re– quifite to Authorize a~ Apoftle (that it might n?t _be by mmz but God) they by PrayercaftLots, andafellupon Matthuu; andtttsGod alone, who by an im– mediate hand, doth difpofe the Lot, as Solom01z tells us: For Apoftles were to be by the Will of God immediately. But this is not a new Impofiure, this very Church of Epbej11s he wmes to, had thofe that came among them with this claim; for Rev. 2. 2. it is made one of their chiefeft commendations, That thry had triedthem that j'aid, they were Apojl!es and were not, mzd had fotmd them Liars. If therefore any be foimpudent and prefumptuous againft Chrift and his Church, as to·arrogate the Dignity and write themfelves fo, they may be tried, you fee, and that by t~e marks of an Apoftle, as our true Ajioftte fpeaks, 2 Cor. r2. ti. Let u• examme thefe men, Have you the figns ol an Apofile l .Have you feen ~hrift in the Flelh? That is one fign of an Apoftte, I Cor. 9· I. Yea, where are the Miracles, Wonders; and mighty Deeds that confirm your Preaching, which are made figns to prove your Apofileihip, as 2 Cor. I2. I2? · I would fain fee the man that dares fay he is an Apoftle, he will be found a Liar, as thofe at our Ephefus were. The fecond Head, The perfons to whom he writes: . To the Saints which are at Eph<jiu, mzdto thefaithful i11 Chrifl."fefus, Here is a double appellation,Sai11ts,andFa#hfi•l, or Believers, as I iball ibew by and by: Thefe two are {eldom both thus joined together in the Infcriptions ofhis Epiftles,(though fingly elfewhere; fometimes he ililing them whom he writes to Saints,fometimes Believers)only in that parallel, Ep, Co/,,.2. you haveit in like manner joined, To the Saints and faitiJfztl Brethren in <':hrift. The fcopein whichwords is to fuew two difiinCl: qualifications in thofe Brethren at Colofs, that they we•e both Saints, and alfo Believers and Faithful. Now in this here he placeth hiswords a little otherwife, To the Sai11ts which are at Epheftu, and the faitl,ful inCbrif/, infomuch a~ Ta little confidered, whether his fcope were riot to infcribe thhEpiftle not to the Saintsat Ephejiu only, but to others, even all the fai~hful in Chrift elfewhere in the World ; as if the particle [ '!) J or [ mzdJ fuould 1mport all other believing perfons belides thefe 'Ephr(i1111s to have been - · - written
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