and therefore you shall find the Apostle S. Paul, Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spiritual blessings, that we have in Christ, when he had declared many of those glorious privileges, in the 18. verse he prays,1 that the eyes of their understandings might be opened, to see the hope of their Calling, and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, & the exceeding greatness ⟨p. 10⟩of his power towards them that believe. The meaning of it is this; when Paul had discovered all this, saith he, this labour of mine will be but in vain, except the Lord open the eyes of your understanding. So it is when we preach to you, of the All-sufficiency of God, when we discover to you those glorious privileges, that we have by Christ, except the Lord open mens eyes, except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discern those things, except he preach to the heart, as well as we do to the ear, it is but lost labour; saith the Apostle, if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling, to see those great hopes that you have by reason of your Calling, to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, it is not only rich, but abundant riches. Again, (saith he,) to see the exceeding greatness of his power: A man is able to see some thing, that God is able to do this, and to do that; but to see the exceeding greatness of his power, how far it reacheth, this none is able to do, unless he have the spirit of revelation, to open his eyes to see it; That, even as Elisha said to Gehasi•, there are more with us them against us. But how came Gehasie to know that? Elisha prays the Lord to open his eyes, and when his eyes were opened, he saw it visibly: after this manner, the Lord deals with his children; when such truths as these are propounded to them, that God is All-sufficient, yet all this is nothing, except God will open their eyes, except he will be with them; as he was with Job, all that his friends said to him would not ⟨p. 11⟩persuade him, till God himself spake to him out of the whirlwind. When God himself will say to a man as he did to Abraham, I am All-sufficient, then he persuades him, and not before. And this, Beloved, is the office of the holy Ghost; it is he that shows the Father, and the Son, to the sons of men, it is he that glorifies the Father, and the Sonne.
and therefore you shall finde the Apostle S. Paul, Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spirituall blessings, that we haue in Christ, when he had declared many of those glorious priviledges, in the 18. verse he prayes,1 that the eyes of their vnderstandings might be opened, to see the hope of their Calling, and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, & the exceeding greatnesse ⟨p. 10⟩of his power towardes them that beleeue. The meaning of it is this; when Paul had discovered all this, sayth he, this labour of mine will be but in vaine, except the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstanding. So it is when we preach to you, of the All-sufficiencie of God, when wee discover to you those glorious priviledges, that we haue by Christ, except the Lord open mens eyes, except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discerne those things, except he preach to the heart, as well as we doe to the eare, it is but lost labour; sayth the Apostle, if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling, to see those great hopes that you haue by reason of your Calling, to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints, it is not onely rich, but abundant riches. Againe, (sayth he,) to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power: A man is able to see some thing, that God is able to doe this, and to doe that; but to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power, how farre it reacheth, this none is able to doe, vnlesse he haue the spirit of revelation, to open his eyes to see it; That, even as Elisha sayd to Gehasi•, there are more with vs them against vs. But how came Gehasie to know that? Elisba prayes the Lord to open his eyes, and when his eyes were opened, he saw it visibly: after this manner, the Lord deales with his children; when such truths as these are propounded to them, that God is All-sufficient, yet all this is nothing, except God will open their eyes, except he will be with them; as he was with Iob, all that his friends said to him would not ⟨p. 11⟩perswade him, till God himselfe spake to him out of the whirlewinde. When God himselfe will say to a man as he did to Abraham, I am All-sufficient, then he perswades him, and not before. And this, Beloved, is the office of the holy Ghost; it is he that shewes the Father, and the Sonne, to the sonnes of men, it is he that glorifies the Father, and the Sonne.
- 1Ephes 1. 18.
