to the E P H E S I AN S. In 2 Thef 1. 11. The Apo!lle prayer~ that .Gorfwottldftelfla!J the good plea- "-A./"1. Jure of his good•ufs, '!"d the work of Fmth wtth Pow.er.. So ~hat the fulfilling Sermo11. of the work of Fatth tt ts wah power •• well as the begmmng of 1t. T hey had XXVII[, found thepowerof God in working Faith in them at firtt, read 1Thef. 1. 5·. Our~ Go(pet came tmtoyou not i11 word o11ly 6tet alfo m Power; Here he fpeaks of their firfi converiion; Now m the 2. Thef. 1. 11. He prayeth th.Jt God would perjrfl thid Faith with the fame power he h~d begtt>t 1t. Therefore he prayeth here that thry ttJtght k11ow what I his power is that wrought grace at fir(/, to the end thry might depend upon the Jam,e power to perjefl tt, for 110 lefs wottld do it.I might be large upon this point, for indeed I had intended to be fo; I could JJ 1 ewyou thateveryaC!:of grace mu{( have an Almtghty power go with it to draw it forth. I wtll only gtve you tn another Scnpture, that as here you fee the work of Faith is with power, fo you lhall fee the work of patience and long fuffering, to bear al!liCl:ions, to do it fo as to pleafe God, is a work of an Almighty power too. The place is Colofl. 1. 11.. It is one of Pat~l's prayers .too. He prayeth that they might 6t (/rengthned wtth a!J mzght accordmg to hu gtoriozu power, to afJpatunce m1d l011g jufferi•'g withjoyjt~lnefs. To make a man patient and long fuffering, patient under al!lietions, long fuffering to bear with the faults of others, and to exped the promife though much time be fpent afore we obtain it, he fatth it is a work of power and a work of glorious power,wherein God lheweth the glory of his power, the exceeding greatnefs of his power, for then it comerh to glory when an exceeding greatnels of power is manitdled; an overcoming power; for tsar is properly glory when vidory attendeth power when power overcometh. I am a6te to do a!J thi11gs (faith "Paut,) it is a proud word, a very proud word, but what followeth ? Through Chriflthat Jlrength• ntth me, So in 2 Tim; 2, 1. Bejlrottg, he fpeaks to 'Tlmothy, and he fpeaks to him as if he fpake to a Giant that had all firength in himfelf, be jlr01tg, 6e vati• ant ; but what followerh? Be jlro11g ill the grace th,Jt is in tht LordJefUJ Cbnfi, Now, Then that you might know your dependance you have upon the Lord Jefus Chri!l:, he prayeth that ye may know the power that works in Chri!l: iri railing him from the dead works in you, My Brethren, you muft know this, that you ate not only dead in fins and trefo paffes in refped of Ju!lification, but you are fo in refped of Sandifica tion alfo. Jf a man. have never fo much grace and holinefs, he is to look upon himfelf as ungodly m refped of bemg Ju!l:Jfied; fo fatth the Apofile, Rom. 4, 5, To him that worketh not but 6etitveth o11 him that Jujltfieth the ungodly; He fpeaks of A6raham's Faith, Abraham looked upon himfelf as ungodly, when he went out of himfelf to be ju!l:ified; and this after he had grace, for in himfelf he was fo. You are to do the like in refpeCl: of your dependance upon God for SanCl:ificati· on, you are to look upon your felves as dead Creatures, dead in fins and trefpaffes you were once,, and of you~ felves you ~r: fo !till ; andall grace that is wrought m you,though 11 be a pnnc1pleof ltfe, 1t1sdead when 11 cometh to work if the Almighty power of God alli!l: it not, ' Not but that a regenerate man kath a capacity in him which a wicked mnn hath not, for he is a Charcoal that bath be_en in the Fire already, therefore he is ca– pable to take.fire fooner, he ha~h habttual grace more fitted to be llirred up , but yet the Coalts a dead Coal of tt felf; fo that a new life to every adion mull be put into you, if you have any life and fiirring in you, And fo much now con– cermng the fecond head? the ufe that ~his knowledge is unto men , to know the power that works tn them. I m1ght have been much larger in it but I mufi not. Thirdly, I fl~all give you two Obfervations about that knowledge which will further clear it. · The Fir(! Obfervation is this, That Believers that have true grace wrought iil them, may yet be much ignorant of the power that works ir, You fee the A– po!lle here prayeth for them that were Believers already, that they might have tnltghtncd
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