SERMON
XXII.
"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward whe believe, according to the working of the might of his power, which
he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own
right hand in the heavenly places". - Ver. 19, 20.
This is one of Paul's prayers, and, as I take it, at this
20th verse doth this prayer of his end; for the rest is but a doctrinal
enlargement of what he said last concerning Christ's exaltation.
I have
divided this prayer into two parts : -
First, The Person. that he
prayeth to: 'That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.' When
he would pray for all these glorious things, he thus styleth God, representeth
God under these considerations to his faith, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory.
Secondly, Here are the things he prayeth for.
He prayeth first, that in a way of intimate knowledge and communion with God,
they might have the Spirit both of wisdom and revelation whereby to obtain it,
to obtain intimate knowledge and communion with God: 'That he may give to you
the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.' I have opened
this at large.
In the second place he prayeth, that he would give them eyes
of their understanding enlightened, for so I read the words, to know three
things.
The first is, 'to know what is the hope of his calling,' (so at
ver. 18;) that is, what grounds from the calling of God they had to hope for
eternal life, and to see their interest by them. That this was the meaning of
it, I have likewise handled, and showed at large.
The second thing he prays
for is, after he had prayed that they might know their interest, and the
grounds of it, that they might know the glory, and the greatness of that glory
which they had interest in; and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
are in the saints.
And then, thirdly, that they might know that almighty
power, which both had begun the work in them, and would go on to bring them
unto all this glory: 'And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward whe believe, according to the working of the might of his power,' -
histancing in the power that raised up Christ from death to life, - ' which
be wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own
right hand in the heavenly places.'
The last thing I did was to open
these words, 'what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints,' which the Apostle prayeth they might know. In the handling of
these words I propounded two things.
The FIRST is, how great and
glorious the happiness of the saints in heaven is, so far as the Apostle here
representeth it, while he calleth it 'the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints.' It is an inheritance, a rich inheritance, a
glorious inheritance, and the riches of it consist in glory; and it is an
inheritance of God's bestowing, and the inheritance of himself indeed, for so
the words will bear; and, last of all, in the saints. how the glory of heaven
is set forth to us by all these things I showed the last time.
The
SECOND is, That the knowledge of this is useful to believers, to have
enlarged thoughts of the glory of heaven, experimental working thoughts in
their minds about it. Therefore you see, as he setteth forth heaven to them, it
is in a way of prayer, 'that they may know it;' and to help them to know it, he
describeth it thus largely, and under so many words. So that now the second
thing that I am to handle and speak to is this, The knowledge of the riches of
the glory of this inheritance, what this is to the saints; for as he setteth
ont the thing itself, so he prayeth for their knowledge of it. Concerning the
knowledge of it, which here he prayeth for, I shall but speak these few
things
The first is this, that it is proper to the saints to have genuine
and true thoughts of what the glory of heaven is. There is a peculiar knowledge
that the saints have of heaven's glory, which wicked men have not. The Apostle,
you see here, prayeth for these converted Ephesians, that they may know what
are the exceeding riches of his glory, &e.
I shall name but one
scripture; it is Heb. x. 34, 'You took,' saith he, 'joyfully the spoiling of
your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an
enduring substance.' Other men may know it by way of notion, but the saints
know it in themselves: they have a prelibation by faith of heaven's glory. When
their goods were taken away, God sealeth them bills of exchange in their own
hearts to receive a better substance in heaven. They know it in themselves, so
as no carnal heart in the world doth. 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor
hath it entered into the heart of man,' saith the Apostle - that is, of a
natural man, for so he expoundeth himself in the following verses - ' to know
the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; but,' saith he, 'God
hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit,' 1 Cor. il. 9, 10.
Therefore,
brethren, it is a great mistake for men to say now, I seek God for heaven's
sake, and therefore I am a hypocrite. No; if theu knowest what heaven is; if
theu hast such a knowledge of it as Paul here prayeth for, that lieth in
communion with God, and in fellowship with him; and that he is the happiness,
and that theu findest a spirit suited to find happiness in him alone ; the more
then desirest heaven, the more holy thy heart is. It is so far from being a
sign that theu art a hypocrite, that there is no greater sign that thy heart is
holy. 'whom have I in heaven but thee ? saith David, 'and whom in earth in
comparison of thee?
You will only make this objection : Do the saints know
what heaven is? Why, heaven, it passeth knowledge!
I answer. Herein lieth
their uttermost knowledge of it, by that little they feel and believe, for they
see it passeth their knowledge, and that is it which takes their heart so much.
The very objection doth prompt matter to my answer, I answer that objection
with that which the Apostle saith, Eph. iii. 18, 19. He prayeth that they may
be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, the length, and
depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ; but he addeth, 'which
passeth knowledge.' So that now, to say that heaven passeth knowledge, that it
is the hidden manna, the manna in the pot, - for that is meant by the hidden
manna, the manna that was hid in the ark, which no man ever saw after it was
put there, - to say that it is within the vail, unto which no man entered, as
the Apostle's allusion is in the Hebrews; their knowledge lieth in this, that
it passeth knowledge, and yet they are said to know it ; 'we know in part,'
saith he, but they know so much of it that it swalloweth up all their thoughts
in the taste and apprehension they have about it, - And so much for the first
observation concerning this knowledge, 'what are the riches of his
inheritance,' the Apostle prayeth for.
The second observation I make
about it is this that to have a tasting knowledge what heaven is, is one of
these things that have the greatest efficacy to carry on the heart to heliness.
Why doth the Apostle mention that when he would set himself to pray? His aim is
to pray them holy, and to fit them for heaven; you see he hiserteth this, he
prayeth that they may know what the glory of heaven is, and have working
thoughts filling their hearts continually about it.
I will only give you
one, and that the hiGhost instance for this. It is the instance of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. What was it that had a mighty power upon his heart to
bear out all his sufferings, to be obedient to the death, to the death of the
cross? The Apostle telleth us in Heb. xii. 2, 'Looking to Jesus the auther and
finisher of our faith; whe for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.' I know that the words may be read as well, that histead of the joy which
he might have had, he did endure the cross; but this interpretation suiteth
most with the coherence, with what went before, that for the joy, -
apprehending what joy that was that was set before him, - he endured the cross,
and despised the shame; it was that which bore him up. That this is the scope
of the Apostle appeareth by the connexion of this chapter with the former. In
the former chapter he had showed how by faith all the saints had lived; he
instanceth how they sought a country, professed themselves strangers, their
eyes were upon heaven still he instanceth in all the patriarchs; in Moses, whe
did cheose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, esteeming the
reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had
respect to the recompense of reward. Now, in the conclusion of all, when he had
brought in all his cloud of witnesses that lived thus by faith and eyed the
recomupense of reward, he bringeth in, last of all, Christ himself; whe
likewise, saith he, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross,
&c.
My brethren, when our Saviour Christ came to die, when he stood
before the high priest to answer for his life, the high priest asked him
whether he were the Son of God or no? He knew the words would condemn him, yet
he would speak them : 'Nevertheless,' saith he, 'you shall see the Son of man
come in his glory.' It upheld him in his suffering; he speaks it as to dash
them, so to comfort himself. For that joy which he had then in his eye, he
endured the cross and he despised the shame. Our Saviour Christ had a
representation made him of all the glory of the world, so as never yet man had
of it, either before him or since. Satan, that is the god of the world, took
him up into a high mountain, on purpose to make landscapes in the air of the
glory of the world, and caused it all to pass before him; it moved him not
thus. But God setteth the glory of heaven before him, and this moveth him; and
for that glory, and for that joy he endured the cross, he despised the shame,
so great an encouragement is it. Nay, I will go forther with you, brethren;
under enduring the cross is not meant only bodily doatim, but it is enduring
time wrath of his Father; he was content to endure hell itself; so far forth as
the Son of God was capable to bear the wrath of his Father witheut desperation,
and all such circumstances cut off; he endured all this, for hell is loss of
the joy of heaven. And what joy was it that he endured all this for? He might
have been glorious in heaven, as he was the Son of God, witheut it; for it was
his right the first moment that he was made flesh - a right that could not be
taken from him. It was but the glory of the mediatorship that made him endure
all this; it was but an additional glory, yet so great it was as it upheld his
soul to endure the cross and to despise the shame, and. to bear with all the
contradictions of sinners, and to be obedient all his life.
I will not
stand urging other places upon you. Therefore we faint not, saith the Apostle,
2 Cor iv. 18, because we look upon things that are eternal, and not upon things
that are temporal. Therefore we are always confident, saith he in the 5th
chapter following, because we have an heuse with God not made with hands, but
eternal in the heavens. In 1 Cor. xv. 58, when he had spoken of the glory of
the saints after the resurrection, he exherteth them there to all heliness,
'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye always steadfast, abounding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the
Lord.' If this be the reward of it, saith he, it will not be in vain; you have
good wages, and he that giveth good wages will look to have his work done well;
it is an inference that he makes from the glory he will bestow upon the saints
after the resurrection; read the whole chapter.
There are but two men we
read of, beside our Lord and Saviour Christ, that had any more eminent
knowhedge of heaven than other men. The one was Paul, the other was Moses. Paul
knew what were the riches of that glory, for he was rapt up to the third
heavens; you read of it 2 Cor. xii.; and God vouchsafed Moses that privilege,
to see his glory; therefore their grace wrought more than any man's we ever
read of. It so much quickened the heart of Paul, saith he, I that have been in
heaven, I could be contented to be accursed from Christ for the glory of God,
and for the conversion of my brethren. And Moses, whe had seen his glory, -
which one would have thought would have made him so much the more to desire it,
- ' Blot me out of the book of life,' saith he. It enlarged his heart so much
the more to the glory of God. I can ascribe these large dispositions of spirit
to nothing else, but that God took the one up to the mount, and showed him his
glory, and took the other up to the third heavens. So that there is no
consideration almost that will have more working and powerful effects upon the
souls of men, to make them holy, than the knowledge of heaven hath. As
likewise, Phil. iii. 18, 'Many walk,' saith he, as these that are 'enemies to
the cross of Christ, whese end is destruction, whese god is their belly, whe
mind earthly things; but, on the contrary, saith he, 'our conversation is in
heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, whe shall
change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body.' That
will make a man heavenly-minded, if he look for the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, and the glory that is to come. Therefore doth the Apostle pray here
that they may know what are the riches of that glory of his inheritance.
-
And so much now for the use that the knowledge of heaven is unto believer; and
so I have done with the second particular the Apostle prayeth for.
I am
behind-hand in one debt to you. I slipped over that first part of Paul's
prayer, the titles he giveth God in the beginning of his prayer. I must pay
this debt, I will therefore do it briefly. I therefore cheose to bring it in
here, after that I had spoken of heaven and the glory thereof, because these
titles do agree with the particular matter of his prayer more especially.
:1
The titles he giveth to God when he prays to him for these Ephesians,
for thsese great things, are, as he is the Father of glory and the God of
Christ. 'Making mention of you in my prayers,' saith he, 'that the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Father of glory' would do so and so for you.
The manner of the aposthes is this in all their prayers, to give such styles
and titles to God as was suitable to the matter that they prayed for. Paul here
prayeth for knowledge, spiritual knowledge of glorious things; he prayeth that
they may know what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance, and all this
to be bestowed upon them in and through Christ; therefore in the beginning of
his prayer he calleth him the God of Christ and the Father of glory.
And,
first, why he calleth him the God of Christ? It is spoken in relation to his
human nature; for take Jesus Christ as he is the second Person and God, it is
an improper speech to say he is the God of him as he is God; but as he is a
man, so he is the God of Christ. I opened this when I handled the third verse,
therefore I will not hisist upon it now; 'blessed be the God,' saith he there,
'and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' the. I will pass over that now; only
in a word, he is called the God of Christ in distinction from the style in the
Old Testament. how did the old covenant run? "I will be the God of Abraham, and
of Isaac, and of their seed". how doth the New Testament run? "I will be the
God of Christ, and of his seed". Abraham was therein a type of Christ; and the
covenant was made with him. Now, because he is the God of Christ as of a public
person that hath seed, all the faithful, just as he was the God of Abraham that
was to have seed; hence, therefore, when he prayeth to God for any mercy or
blessing which is to be conveyed to them in and through Christ he presenteth
God to himself and to his faith as the God of Christ, to show the foundation of
obtaining all blessings.
What is the observation from this, in a word?
This: join the third verse and the sixteenth verse together. In the third
verse, when he would bless God, under what notion doth he do it? 'Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whe hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly things.' Here, in the 16th verse, when he would
pray to God, he useth the same style, that 'the God of our Lord Jesus Christ'
may give unto you so and so. The observation, then, is plainly this : That all
mercies from God do descend down to us in and through Christ and all prayers
and blessiugs we put up to him should be all as to the God, and in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore saith he in his blessing, 'Blessed be the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ; whe has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
Christ; therefore saith he in his prayer, that 'the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ may give unto you' thus and thus.
But, secondly, 'Father of glory,'
that is the second title which here he giveth God. We find in other scriptures
that he is called the God of glory, Acts vii. 2; that Christ is called the Lord
of glory, 1 Cor. ii. 8. There are many other scriptures where he is called King
of glory, Lord of glory, God of glory; but there is not one other where he is
called Father of glory but only here.
There are some would read the words
thus - they would make a parenthesis in these words, the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the Father of glory; that is, 'The God (of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father) of glory; and so they make the sense thus: 'The God of glory, and
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' joining God and glory together, because
it is an uncouth phrase, the like is not in all the Scripture again. But, my
brethren, we may well adventure upon the phrase as it is; and, indeed, it lieth
more fair in the original, and that is thus, that God is the Father of glory.
He is called, first, the Father of glory by way of eminency of fatherhood;
there is no such father as he, he is a glorious Father; and so by way of
Hebraism, he is a Father of glory; that is, a glorious Father, such as no
father ehse is. He is called the King of glory; there are other kings, but he
onhy is the glorious King. There are other fathers, he onhy is the Father of
glory; he is therefore called the heavenly Father. It is an expression the
Scripture in the New Testament often useth, and in the Lord's Prayer it is. It
is such a kind of expression as you use to children; when you would commend the
excellency of a thing to them you use to call it golden: you shall have a
golden ball, or a golden girdle, or a golden coat, because that is a notion
under which they apprehend the excellency of a thing. Heaven and glory are the
hiGhost things we are comprehensive of; when he would set out how great a God,
how glorious a Father he is, he calleth him heavenly Father, a Father of glory
in distinction to all fatherhoods.
My brethren, the use or observation,
call it which you will, shall be in a word this: Never be ashamed of your
Father, you that are the sons of God, you are the hiGhost born in the world ;
no nobility riseth to glory; your Father is the Father of glory; and therefore
walk worthy of him, and let your good works so shine before men that you may
glorify your Father, the Father of glory, which is in heaven. That is the
first.
He is, secondly, called the Father of glory, that is; the Father of
the Deity, taking Father for the spring, the fountain; the head, as it is often
taken in the Scripture. He is not the Father of the Godhead of Christ, as if he
did beget the Godhead of Christ. No; the object of his fatherhood in that sense
is only the person of Christ. But we may say he is the fountain of the Deity;
and so divines express it, and the word Father will import it. We find that
glory in Scripture is put for the Deity, for the divine nature. Exod. xxxiii.
20, 'No man can see my glory; that is, my Deity, ' and live.'
Now, my
brethren, to consider that God is the Father of the Deity, when we come to pray
to the Father, - and therefore, indeed, all prayers are put up to him in a more
special manncr, - it is a mighty strengthening of a man's faith. Why? He that
is the fountain of glory, of the Deity itself, communicated that Deity to the
Son, and unto the holy Ghost, that is to strengthen a man's faith that he will
communicate grace and glory to a poor creature ; therefore, he prayeth here for
grace and glory, glorious grace; he prayeth to him as the Father of glory, in
that sense as I take it now. My brethren, it is a great strengthening to our
faith, that these things which are only in God himself, between himself and
himself, yet may be props to our faith, that he will be our God, and do that
for us in our measure that he hath done to the Persons and to himself. For
example : one of the greatest and strongest arguments we have to support our
faith is, that God is the Father of Christ. But how is he the Father of Christ?
By eternal generation ; yet this is put in as an argument to strengthen faith,
that he will be the Father of all these that are Christ's. When you come
likewise to pray for grace at his hands, consider it; he is able to give me, a
poor creature, grace, for he was the fountain of the Deity itself; he was the
Father of glory, taking in that sense. He that is able to communicate the
Godhead to the Son and holy Ghost, he is able to communicate grace and glory to
me. You know that God is just, it is an attribute in him ; we may plead this
attribute as it is in himself, he having declared himself to be our God; if he
be just, he must forgive sins now ; if he be God, he must forgive sins. So that
all these intrhisical things in God himself, all his attributes, these ways
which indeed were natural between him and his Son, to be the Father of glory,
they are all made engagements, we being in Christ, and strengtheners to our
faith to obtain and seek things at his hand.
A third reason why he calleth
him Father of glory is, he had spoken here, you see, of riches of glory, and
riches of glory as his inheritance ; so he calleth it. Now, what so proper, if
he speaks of a rich glorious inheritance, which is God's inheritance given by
him, as to call him, when he putteth this into his prayer, the Father of glory?
That is, the author of all that glory, the contriver of all that glory which
the saints have in heaven. Likewise in his discourse following, he mentioneth
all the glory that Jesus Christ hath; he saith he had raised him from the dead,
he hath set him at his right hand, far above all principalities and powers,
given him a name above every name, given him to be the head over all things to
the Church. he was the Father of the glory of Christ. Because he was to speak
of our glory, and of the glory of Christ, and was to hisist upon it in the
following words, therefore he promiseth and calleth God the Father of
glory.
My brethren, this is the honour that God the Father hath, that, take
Christ as he is man and mediator, all the glory he hath the Father has given
him by an act of his will; and so, in that sense, he is more peculiarly the
Father of glory; he is the Father of all the glory Christ hath, of all the
glory the saints have. And because the Apostle speaks of both these, therefore
he mentioneth this in his title, 'Father of glory.' Look in Matt. xvi. 27, he
saith that the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his
angels; though Christ calleth the angels his, as being their Lord; yet the
glory himself shall have, he calleth his Father's. - And so much now for the
opening of the phrase, why it is put into this prayer, 'Father of glory.'
I
now proceed unto the 19th verse : And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward whe believe, according to the working of the might of his
power, (so it is in your marghis,) which he wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead.
Here is a third thing that the Apostle
prayeth for, 'That they might have enlightened eyes, to know the exceeding
greatness of his power to usward whe believe,' etc. I must first give you the
coherence of the words, why this cometh in here; and next it shooteth through
the whole chapter, it shooteth up small roots, it hath coherence higher than
the words just before.
The reference of these words is manifold. He had
spoken much of God's good-will to his children in the former verses. Read all
his discourses from the 3d verse to the 15th : he telleth them there how God
had chosen them before the world was, had redeemed them by the riches of his
grace; he had forgiven their sins, had accepted them in his beloved; he had
predestinated them to a glorious inheritance. Here is enough spoken of his
good-will. Now, to strengthen their hearts and their faith so much the more, he
addeth, the greatness of his power, which his will putteth forth in their
salvation. As he had doctrinally taught them and histructed them in the
good-will of God from everlasting, so now he likewise prayeth that they may
know the power of God, ' the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward whe
believe.'
My brethren, do but join power and will together, and it breedeth
strong consolation. 'If God be for us,' saith he, having spoken of his
predestinating us from everlasting, 'whe shall be agahist us?' They are the two
ingredients in these strong cordials, Rom. viii. Now he strengtheneth their
faith in this power of God, to he as much engaged for their good as his will.
he strengtheneth their faith in it by two things.
First, by what already he
had wrought. He had wrought faith in them; 'to us-ward whe believe.'
In the
second place, he strengtheneth their faith by what he had wrought in Christ,
and in Christ as a Common Person and head representing us. He raised up Christ
your head, gave him to be to you as a public poison in heaven. He that raised
up Christ personally, will raise up Christ mystically; and the same power that
wrought in one, shall work in the other. Here is power and good-will joined,
you see. Here is one scope, why he mentioneth his power, and bringeth it in to
this prayer so solemnly.
A second scope the Apostle had was to provoke them
to thankfulness. You may be sure that that was one of his great scopes, for he
telleth them that he gave thanks for them; 'I also,' saith he, 'give thanks for
you,' and cease not to do it, for the great things God hath done for you; so he
telleth them, ver. 15. Now, that they might know how much they were beholden to
God, as he had laid open to them the love of God, the riches of his grace, in
the former verses; so now he layeth open to them the greatness of his power
which he had, and would put forth in their salvation. He had told them before,
they had obtained an inheritance by faith. But, saith he, you little think how
much power this faith cost the working; it cost the 'exceeding greatness of his
power.' he mentioneth that to make them thankful for the work of faith; that
when they shall consider the guilt of sin that once they lay in, they might
know it is of the riches of his grace that they had forgiveness; so when they
look but upon the power of God that wrought faith in them, whereby they
obtained that forgiveness, and which was engaged to bring them to salvation,
they might magnify the exceeding greatness of his power. Put but both these
together, and how thankful will it make a man to God! how will it provoke a man
to glorify God for the power he putteth forth in working faith, and in bringing
a man to salvation!
I will give you a scripture that falleth in with this
coherence. It is Col. i. 12, 13; he there giveth thanks to God, as here
likewise; 'Giving thanks,' saith be, 'unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light' how made us
meet? 'He hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son.' He magnifieth God here, as in ordaining them
to an inheritance, so in translating them, and rescuing them, as it were by
force and violence, from the power of sin and Satan they once lay under. And
that is the second scope why he mentioneth the exceeding greatness of his power
here.
In the third place, the last thing he had mentioned was, 'the riches
of the glory of his inheritance;' and he had set out the riches of the glory of
it by many arguments, as I showed in the last discourse: here he mentioneth the
'exceeding greatness of his power' engaged to glorify them, even the same that
be put forth in Christ, when he raised him up to life and glory, as one of the
highest arguments to let them see what heaven was, and the glory of it. Why?
For that must needs be an infinite mass of glory which hath the exceeding
greatness of God's power engaged to work it, the same power which raised up
Christ from death to glory; for the effect must be answerable to the cause.
Now, saith he, if you did but consider what an exceeding greatness of power
there is engaged to glorify you, you will fall down before the apprehension of
what glory this power must work in you. The work must be answerable to the
cause ; if there be an exceeding greatnoss of power goes to glorify saints,
then the glory must bear some proportion with it. That is a third
coherence.
In the fourth place, a fourth scope, coherence, or reference,
is this. When he had prayed that they might know what interest they had to
heaven, what the hope of their calling was, and that they might know how great
the glory was; might some soul begin to think, Alas! we are poor creatures;
looking upon their vile bodies, Shall these vile bodies of ours ever come to be
filled with so much glory? how is it possible? Carnal reason will considering,
as Abraham's carnal reason would have him consider the deadness of his own
body, and the deadness of Sarah's womb : so carnal reason will consider the
vileness of a man's body and of his soul, and the lowness and meanness of it,
and argue, as Mary did, when she was told she should be the mother of the
Messiah, Luke i. 34, 'how can this be?' saith she, ver. 31, 'The power of the
Holy Ghost shall overshadow thee;' and 'with God,' saith he, 'nothing is
impossible.' He mindeth her of the power of God. So here, when he had laid open
the glory of that inheritance, to take away all doubting that they might be
raised up to it, he prayeth that they might know what the exceeding greatness
of his power is that will work tlus.
I will give you a scripture answerable
to this coherence too. It is Phil. iii. 21, 'Whe shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body.' how? 'According to the
working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.' He doth suggest to
their doubting faith the exceeding riches and greatness of his power, whereby
he is able to subdue all things to himself as that which was able, if to do all
things, then this; and also certainly would change their vile bodies, and raise
them up to this glory.
There were worser doubts than this that might rise
in their hearts ; for they might not only consider the vileness of their own
bodies, but the sinfnlness of their own hearts, and that is the worser doubt of
the two. They might not only say, how shall such vile creatures as we ever come
to be made glorious? but, We are sinful creatures, and though we see for the
present the hope of our calling, and that we have interest in heaven, and
though we see what a glorious estate it is, yet we may miscarry before we come
thither, and 'we shall one day perish by the hand of Saul,' as David said: some
sin or other may undo us, and make us fall from God. Therefore, to take this
doubt away, what doth he do? He prayeth next, that they might 'know what is the
exceeding greatness of his power in them that believe,' to bring them unto his
glory; a power, which as it had been put forth infallibly in raising up Jesus
Christ from death to life, and bringing him to glory, should as infallibly be
put forth in bringing them to glory also. And so now, this added to the former,
it makes a man have strong consolation.
Do but see all these three things
put together, and what strong confidence must it needs work in a Christian's
heart ! If he seeth the hope of his calling, what grounds he hath that he is
one to whom this inheritance belongeth. If he seeth, secondly, what the glory
of this inheritance is, and hath nughty, vast, and stunning thoughts of it
working in his heart. And, thirdly, if he seeth the exceeding greatness of that
power that is engaged to keep the soul, that for the present hath this interest
to eternal life. Put all these together, what could he more prayed for?
Therefore the Apostle bringeth in that next, 'that you may know the exceeding
greatness of his power,' etc.
I will give you a scripture that agreeth with
all these scopes too, and mentioneth the very same things in the same order, 1
Peter i. 3 ; only there he mentioneth it by way of blessing God, whereas he
mentioneth it here by way of prayer to God; but he bringeth in all three things
there in a way of blessing, that he doth here in a way of prayer, and in the
same order.
1. 'Blessed be God,' saith he, 'whe hath begotten us by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to a lively hope;' that is. to have
an assurance and hope of salvation that putteth life into a man's soul. Here is
the 'hope of their calling.'
2. 'To an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.' Here are the
'riches of the glory of his inheritance,' described; that is the second thing,
you know, in the text.
3. 'Whe are kept,' saith he, 'by the power of God
through faith unto salvation.' Here is the third, that ye may know, saith he
here, what is the hope of your calling; that you may know what is the riches of
the glory of his inheritance in the saints; and that you may know the exceeding
greatness of that power that keepeth you thus to salvation. So now you have the
full scope and coherence of these words in the general.
The parts of
these words in the 19th verse are these four : -
I. Here is, first, a more
general amplification or description of the power of God as here it is set
forth.
II. Here is, in the second place, the persons whom this power is
engaged to, to work their salvation and their good; it is to us that
believe.
III. Here is, thirdly, the things wherein this power is seen, both
in Christ's resurrection and in working faith; it is in them that believe, and
in raising them up at last to that glory that Christ in heaven hath.
IV.
Fourthly, here is the use that the knowledge of this will be of to a Christian;
wherefore the Apostle prayeth they may know it.
I. To begin with the first,
he prayeth they may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward. He describeth the power while he prayeth they may know it. Even just
as before while he prayed that they might know what heaven's glory is, he
giveth the strongest description of it that could be, 'that ye may know what
are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.' So here, when he
would have them know what the power of God is that is put forth to believers,
he setteth it forth in words, he wrappeth in such a description of it in his
prayer, that nught open their eyes to see what it was; 'what is the exceeding
greatness of his power.'
First, the description of the power of God here
set forth hath two parts in it. I reduce it to two heads.
1. The excellency
and sublime greatness of the power of God engaged to believers. He calleth it
not only great power, but 'greatness of power,' and not content with that, it
is the exceeding, superexcellent, sublime, overcoming, triumphing greatness of
his power.
2. He describeth it by the infallible efficacy of this power,
that it will certainly bring to pass the thing which you believe and hope for,
and which God hath intended to you. 'According,' saith he, 'to the effectual
power,' for so the word signifieth, the effectual working of the might of his
strength ; so you may interpret it, and like original bears it 'according to
the effectual working of the might of his strength, of the force of his
strength.' He setteth forth, I say, this power, first, by the excellency and
sublime greatness of it; and, secondly, by the efficacy of it, it is
efficacious, it bringeth things to pass.
1. Now to open these a little unto
you, and to begin first with the description of the excellency of this power. I
shall open the phrases to you, for that will make way for the rest.
He
calleth it first the 'greatness of his power.' When he speaks of the power of
creating, he never giveth such a phrase to it; he showeth forth his power there
indeed; he saith, 'his power and Godhead,' Rom. i. 20. When he speaks of the
work of grace and salvation, then he calleth it the 'greatness of his power.'
You shall find that usually, that this number, is attributed to the mercy and
to the wisdom of God; but greatness, is attributed to the power of God. You
nowhere read the riches of his power, you nowhere read of his powers; but you
read of his mercies, and riches of mercy; but his power consisteth of
greatness. Ps. cxlvii. 5, 'Great is our Lord, and of great power;' look how
great God is in himself, so great is his power, if you would know the greatness
of his power. But when he speaks of his understanding in the next words, 'his
understanding,' saith he, 'is infinite. Look in your margins, in the Hebrew it
is, 'Of his understanding there is no number;' he attributeth an infinity of
number to understanding, and so to his mercy; but when he cometh to speak of
his power, it is a bulk, 'great is the Lord, and great is his power.'
School-men have laboured to give reasons why God is omnipotent; but, as divines
well observe, all their reasons fall short to prove it, and there is no reason
to prove it but this which the psalmist giveth, ' The Lord is great,' and
therefore, 'great is his power.'
If you will know' therefore how great his
power is, consider how great a God he is, and all the power that is in this God
is engaged to save a poor believer. All being hath some power that doth
accompany it to do something; there is no creature that hath a being but hath a
power to do something; only, because the creatures have limited beings, one
creature hath power to do one thing and another creature hath power to do
another thing. Now give me one of an infinite being, and he must have an
infinite power; as he is in being so must he be in working. The Lord is great,
and great is his power; his power is as great as himself. - So much now for the
first thing, the greatness of his power.
He doth not only say the greatness
of his power, but he addeth. That word hath these three forces in it : - In the
first place, it signifieth an excelling power that putteth all power else down.
2 Cor. iii. 10, the same word is used where he speaks of the glory of the
gospel. The glory, saith he, that the law hath is no glory, in comparison of
that which excelleth ; it is the same word which is translated here
'exceeding.' Take all created powers, my brethren, and they are nothing to
God.
I will give you a scripture for it; it is in 1 Cor. i. 2.5. 'The
weakness of God,' saith he, 'is stronger than man's strength.' He hath a power
that excelleth, that exceedeth, that all the power of the creature is no power
to it. That is the first thing.
In the second place, the word doth signify
something overcoming, prevailing. He hath an exceeding greatness of power in
hinn, engaged to believers, which is a prevailing power, nothing can resist it.
Saith he, Phil. iii, 21, where he speaks of the power that shall glorify
believer, 'According to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things to himself;' he is able to subdue them, to conquer them. It is a
conquering, prevailing greatness of his power that is able to subdue all
things. It makes nothing rise to something; it makes all things arrive to
whatsoever he will have them come to; they have all an obediential faculty in
them to obey him; he is able to subdue all things to himself, and by that power
he will glorify believers.
Again, in the third place, it is called a
supereminent, surpassing greatness of power, because it passeth our knowledge.
In Eph. iii. 19, he useth the same word, you translate it 'the love of God that
passeth knowledge.' It is the same word that is used here. It is a power that
exceedeth all our thoughts, as it is Eph. iii. 20, 'To him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think;' it is so
exceeding, what he will do for believers, that they are not able so much as to
think. 'As far as the heavens are above the earth, so are his thoughts' (and so
his power) 'above ours.' It doth not only exceed the power of the creature, and
excel it, - all that which is in the creature is as nothing to it, - but it
excelleth all their thoughts. I have quoted scriptures that imply all these
significations of the words. - And so much for the first part, that description
of the exceeding greatness of his power, the excellency of it.
2. In the
second place, he setteth forth this power by the efficacy of it in the next
words; 'According,' saith he, 'to the efficacious working of the might of his
strength.' As I take it, the scope of these words is to show that it is such a
power that works in believers as will always do the things that God intendeth
to do with it, as hath an efficacy, a thorough working in it; every word is
emphatical to imply so much.
First, the word that is translated working,
implieth an efficacy of working, such as bringeth the thing to pass. To give
one instance, 2 Thess. ii. 11, 'God shall send upon them efficaciousness of
error,' an efficacy of error; they shall be given up to delusions efficaciously
and strongly, so as their understandings shall not resist them. More plainly,
Phil. iii. 21, 'According,' saith be, 'to the efficacy, the energy whereby he
is able to subdue all things.' So that now that is the first thing, it doth
note out an efficacy which is implied in the first word which we translate
working, it is energia.
The words that follow do as plainly and manifestly
express an efficacy and an ability to do what he will for believers; he calleth
it an efficacy of the force of his strength, or of the might of his strength.
Look in your margins, and you will find it so translated out of the Greek. It
is 'the energy of the might of his strength.' One word was not enough to
express the power that works thus strongly; he therefore doubleth it, as the
manner of the Hebrews is. He doth not say, 'according to the working of his
power,' or 'according to the working of his might;' but he putteth two words
together, 'of the might of his strength;' that is, as the doubling in the
Hebrew phase implieth, the uttermost of a thing; as thus, 'the holy of
holiest,' that is, of the Most holy, so the 'might of his strength,' that is,
his uttermost strength.
You shall find it is doubled of God to show the
greatness of his strength when he works a thing infallibly and bringeth it to
pass. Isa. xL 26, 'Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these
things,' (the heavens he meaneth,) 'that bringeth out their host by number, and
calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong
in power; not one faileth.' When he doubleth the attribute, makes him strong in
power, as here he doth, then always followeth an efficacy, a thorough working
the thing. 'Not one faileth,' he never faileth when he putteth forth the might
of his strength, as the word here is. And you shall find the Septuagint use the
very same words that are used here in their translation of these words. As
likewise in Job xii. 16, 'With him is strength and power,' the Septuagint read
it, the same words that are used here. It is doubled to show the mighty
effectualness of his power; when God will do a thing so as to put forth the
might of his strength, he will certainly bring the thing to pass. Now, saith
he, the might of his strength works efficaciously in all them that believe;
'the exceeding greatness of his power, according to the working of the might of
his strength.'
Now, that his scope is to show the efficaciousness, the
irresistibleness of his power in working what he meaneth to work in believers,
it appeareth by what followeth. For what doth he instance in? He putteth forth,
saith he, the same power toward you believers that he wrought in Christ when he
raised him from the dead to glory. Now, I appeal to all your thoughts what
power it was that was put forth when God raised Christ from the dead; a power
that could not be resisted; a power that should as certainly raise him up as
God is God, and it was impossible it should be otherwise. I will give you
Scripture for it and reason.
The scripture is, Acts ii. 24, 'whom God hath
raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible he
should be holden by it.' Now, the power that works in a believer is such a
power as works according to the efficacy of the might and strength that wrought
in Christ in raising him from death to life.
Now, to gather up this. The
Apostle here would have them apprehend two things concerning the power of God
that is engaged to them. He would have them first to apprehend the excellency
of it, that they might admire it as it is in God. That is the scope of the
first word, 'to know the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward whe
believe;' that, as it is Eph. iii. 20, 'To him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, unto him be glory in the churches
for ever.' He layeth open the greatness of his power as it is in itself in the
first words, that they might admire it in God, and thank him for it. But,
secondly, he addeth the efficacy that this power will have in them to bring
them to salvation in the next words, 'according to the working of the might of
his power,' to the end to comfort them. He addeth the one that they might
admire the power in God; he addeth the other to comfort them, when they shall
see such a power works as shall efficaciously bring a thing to pass, and as
effectually and irresistibly as it wrought in raising up Christ from the dead.
That as it was impossible that God should lose his Son, and his eldest Son, as
he had lost him when he was not raised up again; therefore when he raised him
up, he saith, 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee;' he was lost
before. This power, saith he, shall work in you, and bring you to salvation;
that power that wrought in Christ when he raised him from death to
glory.
II. I will but add one thing more, with which I will end; and
that is, the persons whom this great power of God, this exceeding greatness of
his power, a power as great as God himself, a power as efficacious as what
wrought in Christ when he was raised from the dead; to whom is all this power
engaged! It is engaged to us-ward: that is the second thing. I will but speak a
word or two to it, and so conclude.
Obs. 1. - The first observation
is this: That the simple consideration of what power is in God, of mercy or any
other attribute, will never comfort a man's heart, unless that he have a
knowledge that it is to us-ward, and for our good. The Apostle doth not, you
see, pray simply that they may know what is the exceeding greatness of his
power in itself; that would have done them no good; but he prayeth that they
may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward. The devils
know what mercy is in God; yea, but, say they, it is not to us-ward; therefore
all their knowledge of it doth them no good. So likewise you may read, 2 Peter
iii. 9, speaking of the mercy of God to men, and, as is thought, peculiarly to
the Jews to whom lie there writeth, saith he, it is his 'long-suffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.' Here lieth that which works the comfort in a man's heart; that it
is the power of God to us-ward. 'To us a child is given, to us a Son is given;'
and 'peace on earth,' not in hell; because there is peace on earth to us-ward;
this is it that draweth a man's heart; this is it which giveth the comfort. -
That is the first observation.
Obs. 2 - But the second is the main
observation, and it is this : That toward the saints, and for their good and
their salvation, God doth engage the uttermost of all his attributes; engageth
the uttermost of power, the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward. It is
not so in any work else, smith he, or toward any creature else; but it is to
us-ward. He doth engage the greatest of his mercies, the uttermost of them, to
us-ward. I shall give you Scripture for both by and by. He had mentioned in
ver. 11 the power of God that works all things. He worketh all things by the
counsel of his will, saith he. But there is a peculiarness of power, the power
that works in us that believe ; it is the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward. The mercies of God are mercies to us-ward, such as to none else; they
are called therefore by way of distinction 'the sure mercies of David;' that
is, of David and his seed, the faithful; such mercies as to no creature else,
singular mercies, special mercies: others are common mercies, as divines use to
call them, but these are mercies to us-ward, sure mercies of David. So now,
when he speaks of power in other scriptures, he putteth a singularity of power
that works in believers, a power equal to that which works in all things else.
Look Phil. iii. 21 and Eph. iii. 20, 'According to the power that works in us,'
so it is in the Ephesians : 'According to the working whereby he is able to
subdue all things to himself,' so it is in the Phillippians. Take all the power
whereby he is able to do all things else, and it is but equal to that which he
works in the saints.
My brethren, the grace of God in Christ, and the
salvation of mankind by Christ, was a new stage God set up to bring all his
attributes upon, to act their parts to the uttermost. He had showed them all
before, he had showed power in creating the world, and a great power; but when
he cometh to make the new creation, then cometh in the exceeding greatness of
his power; he speaks superlatively of it. He showeth mercy, nay, he showeth
riches of mercy to wicked men; it is called 'the riches of his goodness and
long-suffering,'. Rom. ii. 4. But when he cometh to speak of mercy to the
saints, what doth he do? Read Eph. ii. 7. He doth not only call it riches of
mercy, but he calleth it by the same word that is used here, the exceeding
great riches ; what is said of power here, the same is said of mercy there when
he speaks of mercy to believers : the 'exceeding riches of his grace to
us-ward,' there ; the 'exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward,' here. All
the attributes of God that he bringeth upon the stage, he acts them to the
uttermost now in and through Christ.
My brethren, the works of the new
creation put down the old. 'I create,' saith he, 'a new heaven and a new earth,
and the former shall not be remembered;' he will put forth such power in them.
Nay, let me yet go further ; go to hell, you shall read indeed that he sheweth
his power there ; so it is, ibm. ix. 22, 'What if God, willing to show his
wrath, and make his power known ;' and believe it, a blow struck in wrath hath
a great deal of power in it ; for anger stirreth up power, draweth forth the
mighty power of God. But what followeth comparitively to hell in his working
toward the saints? It followeth, ver. 10, 'and the riches of his glory upon the
vessels of mercy.' though he showeth a glorious power in his wrath in
condemning men, yet he showeth a greater riches of glory, of mercy and of all
attributes else, in saving men and bringing men to heaven. The power that God
will show in glorifying his saints will infinitely exceed the power he showeth
in condemning wicked men. The power that love stirreth up is a greater power
than what wrath stirreth up in God.
I will give you the reason of it:
nothing commandeth power and strength more than love; it commandeth it more
than wrath, 'Theu shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy strength,' Mark xii.
30. Doth God love thee? He loves thee with all his strength, as thou lovest
him, and art to love him. Jer. xxxii. 41, 'I will rejoice over them to do them
good, with my whole heart and with my whole soul;' his love makes him to love
them with all his strength, with all his heart. Now, when he showeth forth the
power of his wrath when he cometh to condemn men, yet let me tell you this, it
is not with all his heart, there is something that regrets within him; for he
considereth that they are his creatures, and he doth not will the death of a
sinner simply for itself, for there is something in him that makes a
reluctancy; there is not his whole power in this, though it be the power of his
wrath. But when he cometh to show forth his power out of love, that draws his
whole heart; therefore you shall find in Scripture that mercy is called God's
strength, because when he will have mercy, all the strength and power of God
accompanieth it. Num. xiv. 17, 'Let the power of my Lord be great.' What to do?
To destroy them? To do some great work for them? No, but according as theu hast
spoken,' saith he, 'saying, The Lord is longsuffering and of great mercy;
pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness
of thy mercy.' His mercy is there called his strength, because that love doth
draw forth all the strength of God.
Now, my brethren, to gather up to an
end and to a conclusion: you therefore that believe, comfort yourselves with
the exceeding greatness of this power that is engaged to you; know the
exceeding greatness of his power to you-ward. It is a power will do for you
above all your thoughts; it exceedeth that way, it is in that sense. It is a
power that will do beyond all resistance. 'If God be for us, whe shall be
against us?' saith the Apostle. 'The Father,' saith Christ, 'is greater than
all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand,' John x. 29. It
is a reigning, a domineering power, a power that carries all before it. The
word may signify the sovereignty, the dominion, the absoluteness of his power,
such as a monarch hath. Suppose a monarch had strength to do all by himself and
had authority joined with that strength, it were a power that would carry all
before it, and command all. Snch a power it is that God putteth forth to
believers. It is a conquering power: 'He will have mercy upon whom he will have
mercy, and whe hath resisted his will?' When you come to beg pardon for your
sins, what say you? 'Lord, forgive us our trespasses.' What arguments do you
use? 'For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.' Sovereignty and
dominion and strength are both his, and out of both these he will pardon your
sins and save you; and if all that power of God will bring you to salvation,
and keep you to salvation, you shall be surely kept.
And, my brethren,
let me raise up your thoughts to consider with yourselves, if the exceeding
greatness of his power be engaged in you and to you to do for you, what then is
the thing that is answerable to this power? If that power that wrought in
Christ, to raise him from death to glory, shall work in us, Lord, whitber will
it bring us? What, will God bring you to salvation? It must, then, be a thing
answerable to the power. What glory, therefore, must it be which God will show
forth in the saints at the latter day! The heavens declare the power and glory
of God; yea, but the estate of the saints in heaven declares the exceeding
greatness of his power; and what a glory, then, must that needs be ! And so
much now for the second thing, the 'the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward.'
There are these two things yet behind-
First, to show
wherein, in what it is, that this power is put forth : it is put forth both in
working forth and in keeping them to salvation, glorifying them at last. All
that work and power that God putteth forth toward a believer, first and last,
from his conversion to las salvation, is that which the Apostle here intendeth.
This I shall show the next day.
The second thing that remaineth is this :
that it is a power that answereth to the power of raising Christ from death to
life, and from death to glory. And therein I must show these two things -
1. That the greatest work that ever God did, and the greatest power that ever
was showed, was in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and raising him up to
glory.
2. That the working in the hearts of believers grace and faith, and
keeping them to salvation, and glorifying them at last will held a proportion
with that great power that was showed in Christ's resurrection. And when I have
handled these, I shall have done with the 18th, 19th, and 20th verses.
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