to the E PH E SI AN S. The Second thing he prays tor, is, safter he had prayed thot they might know~ their Interefi, and the groundsof it, That they mlg~lt kn~w the Glory, and~ the greatnefs of that Glory wluc)l tl1ey had mtercfim , and what the rrches tif · theglory of hu lnheritawe u, 111 th: Sawts. . . . . And then T J 1 irdly, That they might know that Almighty power, whtch both had begun the work in thom, and would go on to bnng them unto oil tillS Glory; And what ;, the exceeding greatneji of. hu power to. tU·Wttrd _who 6eluve, accordittg to the working oj the nught of hts power; (mftancmg In the power that raifcd up Chrifi from death to h ie,) whtcb be wrought 111 Chnf/ wheJJ he rmfedhim from the dead, a11dJetlmr; at hts owll ngbt ha11d 111 tbe Heavenly pl,tces. The Jafi thing I did \Vas to open thefc words, What the ricbes of the glory of his Jnberttmtce i~t the Sai11ts IS, .whrch the Apofile prayrtl1 they m1ght know•. In the handling of thefe words I propounded two thmgs. . . . , The Firfi is How great and glonous the happmcls ol the Satnts 10 Heaven JS, fo far as the A0 po111e here reprcfenteth it, while he calleth it The riches of the glory of his lnheritana in the Saznts. It IS an lnhcntance, a nch Inheritance; a glorious Inheritance, and the nches of lt confifieth In glory;.and tt IS an fphe– ritance of God's befiowing, and the Inhentance of htmfelf mdeed (for fo the words will bear) and lafi of all in the Saints. How the glory of Heaven is fet forth to us by all thefe things I !hewed the l~fi ttmc: . The·Sceond is That the knowledge of tlus·Is ufelul to llehe\•crs, to have en– larged thoughts' of the Glory of Heaven, experimen~al working thougl~ts irt their minds about it. Therefore you fee, as be fetteth forth Heaven to them, it is in a way of Prayer, That they may k11ow it; and to help them to knowit, he defcribeth it thus largely, and under fo many words. So that now the Second thing that I am to handle and fpeak to is this, Tbe _k11owledge of the riches of theglory of thi& btheritmice, what this is to the Saints; for as he fetteth out the thing it felf, fo he prayeth for their knowledge of it, Concerning the ltnowfedge of it, v;htch here he prayeth for, I !hall but fpeak thefe few things: . The Firfi is this, That it is proper to the Saints to have genuine and true thoughts of what the Glory of Heaven is. .There is a peculiar knowledge that the Saints have of Heavens Glory, which Wicked men have not. The Apofile you fee here prayet\1 for thefe converted Epheji.·ms, that they may !mowwhat is the exceeditJg 1'/Ches of his glor)•,f!Jc. . . I {hall name but one Scripture; it is Heb.Jo._l4· Yo~t took (iaith he) hft~l!y 1he jpoili11g of your goods ,. k11owiug tn yo*r jelves that )'Ott have ill Heavett a bettf' and a11 endurittg{ttbf/a11ce._ Other rrien may know it by way of Notion, but the Saints know it in.thenV"elves,_they have a pre!ibatioJt ,by Faith of Hca· vens Glory. When their goods were taken away, God fealeth them Bills of Exchange in their own hearts to receive a better fub!hnce in Heaven. They know it in themfelves, fo as no carnal heart in the World doth. Ere h.1th 11ot {em, ttor ear heard, 11or bath it entred iuto the heart of .mait, faith rhe Apqflk, ( that IS, of a Natural man, for fo he expoundeth hunfelf 10 the following Ver(es, • Cor.2.g,1o.). to know the.thittgs which God bath prepared for them th.~t love hm1; Bttt (fa~th he) God qatbrevea!ed the"! wtto m by his SpiriJ. Therefore, Brethren, tt Is a great mifiake tor men to fay now, [ fcek God for Heavens fake, and therefore I am an Hypocrite. No, If thou knowefi what Heaven is; if thou·hafi fuch a knoWledge of it a~ Pmtl here prayeth for, that heth in communion with God, and in fellow!hip with him; and that he is the happinefs, and that thou findefi a fpiri t (uited to fi1id happinefs in him alone, The more thou defirefi Heaven, the more holy thy heart is. lt is fo far from ?etng a fign that thou art an hypocrite, that there is no greatei' fign that thy heart •.s holy. Whom ht+ve I in Heaven but tbee, (faith 'Davit!,) rind whom itt E11rtli w compari{on of thee. Youwillonlymal<ethis Op)eciion; 1Jo the Sai11ts know wh,1t Heawn is1 Wh)•, Heave11, it paJfeth k11ow!edge? !
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