to the EPH E S I A N S. SERMON X.XVL E p HE s. 1, I9, 20. And what is the exceeding greatnefs of his power to us~ ward, who believe according to the wori>Jng of his mighty power, &c. COncerning the working of his power to us that believe, here mentioned, I have lhewn already that firft it is not only to be rcftroined to the railing up of believers at the latter day. Nor fecondly only to the power of the Spirit of God keeping us unto that day, as it is in Peter, kept by thepower of God to (alvatio11, But that 'Fhirdly, and more eminently the power he prayeth here they might know, was that power which wrought in them when firfi they were turned and converted unto God, for fo he explaineth himfelf in the fecond Chapter from the firfi verfe to the I It h. . Here he fpeaksof the power that rai– fed up Jefus Chrifi from death to glory; Jrom the 20th, verfe of this Chapter to the end; he faith, the fame power that wrought in Chrifi in raifing him up, works in us. · And then in the fecond Chapter he makes up the comparifon, A11d \'e ( faith he,) .who wert dead i~tji11s tmdtrefi>affes; there he defcribeth their death, and when he hath done, fpeaks of their quickning and being raifed up together with Chrifi, And indeed as in the fecond Chapter from the firfi ver(e to the 1 I tb he lheweth the greatnefs of the work ofgrace and defcribeth it; fo here he fuew– eth the greatnefs of the power that goes to work it, which that they may be thankful for, as he provoked them thereunto by his own example, I ctaje not to give tha11h for J'Otl faith he, verfe 16. fo he prayeth that they may know it. ln opening of this I have already done two things. I have firfi ll1ewn that this is the intention of the Apoflle in this place, (that I did at large,) namely to fpeak of the power of God in quickning and converting men. In the fecond place, I came to ll1ew you what work it is that doth draw forth fo great a power as here is fpoken. lll1ewed this two waies. Firft, By fubduing the old frame of heart which is enmity to God. In the un– derfianding, carting down firong holds, as in 2 Cor•. 10. 4· In the will, depofing of felf-love from tilat predommacy and regencv, kdlmg the great King , indeed the great Devil, that is in all mens hearts. Not to root it out, but to depofe it from being the predominant principle; which when God cometh to do, all in a man isup in arms againfi him. Secondly, By mortifying alllufts, giving them a deaths wound, by de!iroying in part .the body of fin, the love of pleafuros,or whatfocvcr cl fe is nearefi or dear– eft to a man, as fomething or other is. That there is an Almighty power in all tlus I have ll1ewn at large. I fhewed in the fecond place, ( belides the negative works, which God de– firoyeth,) what it is he putteth into the heart inflcad of this; new Principles and habitualdifpofitions, which mufi be at leaft crtated, Nut only Old thing pajs a• "'·'!Y, but allthi11gs become New; as the Apoflle faith. V v Con-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=