to the ~P H E S I AN S. cometh to (peak of the Power that is to iu-ward, he doth not fay the power in~ Saints, or toward Saints made perfect, but to m-ward who 6eluve; he changSermo1t eth the phrafe. What is the meaning()~ thar? Wethat beheve at prefenr, we XXIII, have this power put forth in us; he dt!hngudherh Behevers on Earth from Samts I.A"V"">rJ in Heaven. When he fpeaks of the Power that wrought before, and works at prefent in them· he calleth them Bduvtrs; when he fpeaks of the nches of Glory hereafter, be calleth them Sai11t!. Why? You know that perfect Holi· nefs is in Heaven, but Faith ts not there; Fmth aaftth there, fatth the Apofile, So that his meaning in a word is this; That as there are rJChes of Glory in the Saints in He~ven, fo there is an exceedmg greatnejs of power to"?ards tJS that believe on Earth; as we beheve at prefem , fa the power IS at prefrnlgain, Thirdly, If you mark .it, he doth not fay the Pow~r that fhaU work ; 11 ; •ot<, as if it wetc to be confined only to the ratfint,; men up at the latter day. Hedoth not (peak it in the Future, as tf he refiratned tt to the Glo;y of Heaven to come; but faith he, That ye may k11ow what H the power .,,J~.,ip.••<, the power at prefent. If he had meant the Power only that lhall work hereafter, he would have expre!fed it in the Future Tenfe; for fo hedoth exprefs the Refurrection of Chrifi in the time pafi, Wb1ch hath wr011ght m Chrijl; faith he. , Then in the Fourth place, There is ~omethin~ in this word To eu-ward; at leaft the Apoftle's meaning mufr be to mclude htmfelf who was an Apoftle, he flmffieth hinifelf in with thefe Ephejians, and with all Believers, To m-ward. Now, how was Paul converted? When.he was con~erted, he had experience of the rxceedinggrratnt![s of his power, tf any men tn the World ever had, or 1hall have~ Nay, his Example is acknowledged by many of thofe that are con– trary minded to be an exception, God did work (fay they) infallibly in his £:on– verfion; For a man to be taken in the height of his Perfecution, Chrift met him in the field, he was going out againfl him armed; He !lrikes him off his Horfe at lirfl blow, turn'd him clean contrary; I that WtU aPerfectlf·or and Jnjt<riozu, I had nothing elfe in my heart; Lord, (faith he) what wilt thotJ havr me to do? Thr e:xcadi11g greatne(I of hu power to tu-ward; P t111l among the reft. And the Scripture feemeth to lean that way, that Pmtl had an efft.ctual wprk, as our Tranflators trinflate the word r"IY"" there, in the place I quoted even now, Ephef 3• 7· I WM madt a .Minzfler of tht Gofp'el, (faith he) accordi11g to the gift of the Grace of God giYen tmto mt:, 6y tbe e!Jeattai worl:iiJg of his power. • To open thefe words a little. He (peaks, as I take it, with RoUock and Cal– vin, of his Converfion, together with which he received his Apo!llethip and Commtllion for it. You fhall find that Paul's Converfion is exprefl by receiving Ins Apo!llcthip, and the one is put for the other. You have mnriy places for that;. whenever almoUh~ Converfion is mentioned, you have his Apoftlothip ltkewtfe, and the Commillion for it, put in. When our Savi'our Chrifi would convert him from Heaven, what doth he fay to him ? Read Ac1. 26. 16. Stand ttp upo11 thy fret, f~ith he, for. I bavt apptartd u111o thu for this pt~rpoje, to make thee a Mmifierand a Wune{s 6oth of theft thmgs which thou hafl ftm, a11d of thoft thzngs .zn tbe whzch I wiU apptar tmto tht"e. In his Converfion here Chnft telleth !urn, that he would ma.ke him an Apollle; he expre!leth his ~onver~:m by tt. You may find the hke m Ac1.g.14,1 >· where his Converfion IS hkewtle related; when AnnmzitU was fent to him, Chrifl fpeai<s of him as of a.man new ftruck; Go t.hy way, faith he, for he is a chu[m Veffil, to 6eart1!Y Name6eforetheGtntzles,f!Jc. The like you may find 11im.r.•7· Readhis Converfion there; how doth he exprefs it? Saith he He cotmted mt faithftll p11tti11g me i111o the MitJiffr~, J that wtU afore a Pe;Jecutor a11d Bla(pbemer; t111d tfie Grace of 011r Lord .'fe}UI Chri{l WaJ exceedi11g a!mndmzt. He expreffeth hts Converfion by beingput into the Miniftry of Apoftlethip, fuch asPant had. .Now therefore, when hefaith here inEphef l• 7· Whereof 1 WrJs made aMi– nzffrr, accordmg to the gift of the Grace of God given to me, 6y the ejfdtuat workiltg of his power; this is the Apo!lle's meaning, that he was converted by Q.q the
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