~ Sermon xxvur. ~. An Expofttion of tbe Epiftle Here is Thirdly, The work wherein this great Power is manifefied in Be• lievers. It is not to be refirained only to the R.efurretlion at the lall day, but enlarged alfo ro their converlion, and all God's gracious deal. ings with them from firfi to lall. And becaufe there was a Controverfie upon that, whether Converfion lhould be took in Tea or No· I have therefore done Three things to clear that. ' The Firll was to prove, That Converfion is meant and intended here by the Apofile, as that wherein God lheweth forth the excreding great1u[s of his power, Secondly, For the opening of this, I !hewed you wherein the Ex. ceedi11g grMtlle[s of 'J:'owu is drawn forth ; or what it is in Converfion draweth forthfo exceeding a great power, Thirdly, (which was the·thing I handled in the lafi difcourfe,) I !hewed, how that by way of difference there are inferiour works of the Holy Gholl upon mens hearts, which have not in proportion (compare the works) fo Exceedi11g gyeatnefs of poweY manifefied in them. I !hewed this to clear the Text, for he faith, it is Tlu rxcudi11g greatnefs of his power to U!·Ward, to none elfe in all works that are wrought upon them, let them go never fo far. And likewife I did it to !hew the occafion of that controverfie. And all thefe things I have difpatched, There are yet thefe things remaining to be handled. · The Fir!l: is, I mull fpeak fomething concerning their knowledge of this power; for if you mark it, he prayeth in the 18th Verfe, that God would give them wlight11ed eyes, to kno'/ll what u the exceedmg greatnefs of hu power in them that believe. I fpake fometbing concerning the knowledge of every par· ttcular elfe he prayetb for, and therefore I mull do fomethmg about the know" ledge of the power of G_od in th~m. . . The Second thing whtch remameth IS thts, The parallel or the pattern that the Apofi\e prayeth they might have in their eye~ when they confider how great a power works in them, even the fame power (faith he) that wrottght inChrijf, ;,. raiji11g himfrom deatb toglory; · ThentheThirdthing to be handled (whichbelongethtothe 2othVerfe) is this, The Rejurrel1ion and Exaltatio11 of Jefus Chri!l: from death to glory; which he continueth to the end of the Chapter, I mufi begin then with that, which is the knowledge that Believers have , or which he prayeth for they lhould have of the Power of God working in them. And concerning that I !hall give you (for the explication of it) thefe Three par· ticulars; whereof fome will be Confiderations about it, feme will be Obferva· tions. I will give you firfi this difiintlion, that you may underfiand it the.better, be· caufe the Apofile's fcope bcre in his Prayer is, That' they mqy k11ow the Power that works i~ them that believe. You !hall find in Phzl. po. that the Apofile himfelf expreffeth his <!wn defires, That I may k11o;v (faith he) thepower of bi& Re[urre£1io11, and thejtUow}bzp of hzs ji.[fermgs, if 6y mzy means I mzght at– tain tmto the Reji~rrel1ion from the dead. The Apofile here prayeth, They might know the exceeding greatnefs of hi&Jower to m-ward that believe, thefame that wrought ill Chrijl whm he rai{e him from the dead. You would think now, thatthe knowledge the Apofile fpeaks there and fpeaks here are all one, but they are not. Therefore in the fir!l: place I will give you a difiintlion of the knowledge, both from what is there meant, and what is here meant. There is a tworold knowledge of the power of Chrifi's R.efurretlion. The one is ak.nowltdge of Faith, the other is a knowledge of Experimce. In that place Phil+t.o. the knowledge he prays _for there is. a, ktwwledge. of Exptrimce, that he m1ght know the power and vmue of Chnfi s R.efurretlton in the effttl:s of it; that he might find thofe effects upon his heart which Chri!l's Refurretlion is ordained to work in him; and therefore (faith he, ver{u.) If by till)' means I might a1tai11 tmto the Rejt.rrel1iotJ from the dead; that is, to be as
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