ro the E PH E S I AN S. Now for my own part, 1 fyou would know my thoughts ofthefe words,and what~ the fcope of the Apoftle 15 , wherein the power to rM·W<Jrd IS/hewed; as ufually StrnJo1l all Truth lies between two eXIreams, and yet takes.fomethmg of both Extreams. XXI ff, _ J rhink this thnt the Apoflle's (cope is to /hew, tiJat all the favmg .workings of~ God, both of Grace and Glory from lirfl ;o !all, 1rom the firfl act of Converlion_ to the fetting of a man upM the lughet\ Pwnacle of Glory_ m Heaven, ratfing_ ot him up at the latter day, and the like; they are all the plam fcope and meanmg of tn·e Apoflle here. He mcaneth both that elficacJous power.? put forth m working faith at firft,Wbo btlteve ,,ccordiug to the workmg of ,hu rn~~h!J•power. He meaneth that mightypower that keepeth us to falvauon, ffbo al'e kept by tbe powrro/ God through Faith to {alvatto1J, I Pet.!. 5· And !all of all he mean<th, that Abmghty power thtll Jb.dJ cha1;ge o11r vtle 6odus, that they may be f rtflm· 11 edlike totbe glorious body if Chrtjl, Phll.j. 21. The Apofile looks not forwa.r.d only to the glorious R.efu:rection to come , nor backward only to the work of Converfton and lirfl Believmg; but hkcw;fe to their prefect keepmg m the !late of Grace. That thole whom Gocl had alre.adyby fuch a Power convened, ho would by the fame power keep them to fal vation, and raifc them up at latter day. And nil thefe works are works of the exceedmg grrotnrfs of his pnwer, and they all hold proportion with ra ifing up Jefus Chrifl from death to life. So that now I do grant to both fides what they would have; and the truth is, that this fcnfe doth 1/of/rlus, one of the Remoujlrauts fide, in his Comment upon this place, incline unto in his Paraphrafe; though afterward inhis Scholta upon his Paraphrafe he denieth it. The excudmg greatnefs of hts power, that is (faith he) partly already put forth, and wluch /hall be put forth m us.. Now, my Brethren, the Reafons why I interpret it is, becaufe you fee the Apo!lle, he neither rel\rains it to the time pafi; he cloth not fay, who have 6e· Jieved; nor cloth he refirain jt unto the time to come. He doth not fay, the Power that fba/1 work inyou; but he (peaks indefinitely, becaufe he would take all in, What is thepower (faith he) to m-wardwho believe, And that which istranflated, to m-ward, •« ;~,, is either towards m, or i1t m; the words will lignifie either, becaufe the Apofile's [cope is for either, either the Power that i.s towards us for the future, to keep us for Heaven, and raife us up at latter day; or the Power that works in us Ior the prefent·; the words bear both. And thofe other words, .According to the e{fetltw! worki•tg, we /hall find are applied both to Converf10n, to growth in Grace, and to raiftog us up at !aft; and fo what is elfewhere faid in parcels, is all meant here.. You have it app!Jed to Converfton, Ephef. ~·7· where he faith, that he was made an Apofile, anc:l convened accord· ing to the effectual working of his power; Whereof (faith he) I wM made a Mi•tif/er, accordi11g to thegtft of the Grace of God, gzvm to rne 6y theeffetlt~al workiug of his power. It is the fame word that is ufed here. His meaning is, either by that effectual working that wrought upon my heart, or that effectual working he works upon the hearts of others to convert them. He !peaks of Converlion, So likcwife for growth in Grace, Ephef+ 1 o. be f.1ith, The -:.vhole 6ody iucreafeth with the itJCreafe of God, 6y the effeClur!l working i11 the mea· Jitrt of every part. Here it is applied to growth in Grace. And then !all of all, Pht!.p.I. he faith, He will chrmge ot".Vtle bodus, (lpe~kng of Glory)accord– WJ to the effetlua! workmg •f hts mtghty power, (It ts the fame word flill,) whereby he IS able to[116due nil things uttto himfdf So that mdeed the Apofile here takes in all the works of God upon Believers fir!\ and la!l; and that I take to be moll properly the fcope of the Apol\Ie here, that in them all he tneweth the exceedmggrerttlte(s of his power, the fame that wrot~ght itt Chrtj/ whm he raiftd him from the dend. ' Now, my Brethren, becaufe there is a Controverfie about the words, and that the Remonjlrrmts (as I told you) would cut off all aims thnt the Apofile lhould have to the work of faith and Converlion at fir!\, they would not have it to be und~rfiood of that by no means, and of that only is the Controverfie; therefore I wtll take fome pains to ~!ear unto you that that is one part of the meaning the Apol\Ie here takes in, and a great part too. You /hall give me leave to do it, for
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=