to theE P H E S l AN S. what grounds their Calling atfordeth them, that are annexed tO their CalJ_ing, _to~~-, bein in the flare of Grace, what hope ~s anne~ed to thm Callmg, ot t.te1r m- Ser. XXT. tereiT in falvation. So that this is the lirfl Petition, that they may know the1r ~ own interefl for themfelves, a peculiar one, a particular tnterefl In thofe great thiAgs to come. , . Having prayed for this, he cloth in the fecond place pray, that tmy mt'Y lu;ow wh>Jt the rtcb.es of theglory of h11 Inheritance i1t the Sai!Jts, is; tha t they may know what the greatnefs of that Glory in Heaven is, of which they have an ir.terefl, and for which they have grounds to hope. Now then, put but thefe two things together, I appeal: Let a man's eyes be but enlightned to fee all thofe grounds that God, by_Vtrtue of h1s Calling, hath given him to hope for falvat10n by; to feeIus own mterefl clear, to have thofc grounds frelh in h1s eye. llnd then~ let !urn have ! l1ght to fee, a glonous ~1ghr to fee what the nches of that Glory" ; what n11ghn, itrong, and glonous Chl'l– flians would this make men! Now for both thefe doth the Apofllc here pray. Having then handled this fir([ parr, what is the hope of' his Calling, ! now· come to the fecond, AJJd what the riches of theglory of his Il!htritance ill the SaiiJ!s, is. I c0me to thefe words, and fo on. As the Apoflle would have them know their own interefl, and all the grounds of it,that they might be comforted; fo he would have them know the thing. How happy would Chriflians be, if they knew there own happinefs; if they knew both their own interefl,and likewife,if they knew what the riches of theglory of his Iuheritance i11the Sai11ts, is! There are two things that are to be opened in the handling of thofe words. The fir(\ is, To lay open to you (fo far as the word opene~h it, and dorh give you a light of it,)what theglory ofHeavm is by the defcnptwrl here that the Apoflle makes of it,he ca!Jeth it the richn ofthtglory of his Inhtrita11ce i11'the Sawts, The word here' ,.,;r®-, the Article that is put to Riches, is not only to know what it is for the fubflance, but how great it is. Thar ;•o11 may h10w (faith he) '!1Tfr 0'iTAii'T@-, howgrertt the rrc!Jes rire, that is, the Apofife's meaning. I war ht Heavm(faith the Apoflle, fo he might have fa id to them,) '"'d I jaw thwgs, faith he, thrtt I am not a61e to tttler. W"hen he came down ;~gam , he could ttll no news of it; fo you may read 2 Cvr. 12. they were too big for hi< mouth to ut– ter. Therefore here the llpoflle is as it were in travel, he bringeth forth grear words R1ches, and Glory, and !1thertta11ce, and knoweth not how to exprefs it, heapeth up one word upon another. And then the Second thing that is to be confidered in the Text, is, of what life the lmow!nlge of theglory of'his Inheritrmce, is to Saints; for he would not pray for it unlefs it were ot mighty ufe. There are thele two things to be handled in the words. llnd, · Firfl, for the defcription (for that the Apoflle doth ;) As he doth pray that they may know it,fo he cloth interlace in his Prayer fuch defcrprions ofit where– by they may know it. Now concerning the defcription he giveth of it. I divide that into two parts. Here is firfl the flare it felf, that the Saints fhall be in. Here are fecondly, the Perfons to whom it btlnngeth ro. Ftrfl the flate It felf, fet forth to us by thefe three rhings : I, l\n fnheritance. 2, A rich Inheritance. 3· ll glorious Inheritance. Tht riches of the glory of his Inheritmtct. S,condlf, Here are the Perfons whom it belongeth uoto. Here is firf\ the Pet• fan whofe 1t IS mor~ properly and mort eminently,it is His Ir,herita11ce.Secondly, Here IS the SubjeC!: In whom this Inheritance is. He is the great lllheritor; but who come in as Heirs too under him? !t is His I11heritaJ1Ce m th• Saims, t\nd fo now you have the divifion of the words, To begin with the firf\, m• Inheritance. • l11heritm1adoth note out the fubflanee of this Glory, which is the SiibieC!:, of Which the other two are predicated or attributed to. There are two Attributes 6f tlus Inheritance, Rich and Glorio11s · but n11 Inheritance is the fubflance of ir. therefore he faith, the rich" of thfglory of his I11htritrmce. Riches is attributed toGlory; but both are attributed to Illheritflnce. ' M m 2 In
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=