The Seventh Sermon on the First Chapter - Ephesians 1:17-18
him in Jesus Christ, and of the grace which He has communicated to all His members. Therefore, let us learn to magnify God's grace in such wise, as we may utterly forget all the toys wherewith the devil deceives the unbelievers, by puffing them up with I know not what manner of pride, and come utterly empty to our Lord Jesus Christ to beg His grace. For we cannot receive one drop of it, but by confessing ourselves to be utterly unworthy of it.
And now let us fall down before the majesty of our good God, with acknowledgment of our faults, praying Him to make us perceive them more and more, and that the same may so humble us, as we may be established in His grace, and labour to come nearer and nearer unto Him, that being beaten down in ourselves, we may be raised up by Him through His mere mercy, and depending altogether upon Him, resort unto Him as to our Father, and continue in so doing till He has taken us out of the prison of sin, and joined us perfectly to Himself. That it may please Him to grant this grace, not only to us, but also to all people. Amen.
The Seventh Sermon upon the First Chapter 17. I pray for you, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, to have the knowledge of Him:
18. That is to wit, to have the eyes of your understanding enlightened, to the end you may know what the hope is which
you ought to have of His calling, and what the riches are of the glory of His heritage among the Saints.
All men have naturally some understanding. Not that it shows itself as soon as they are born: but in the process of time all have some discretion of good and evil. And for that cause, they are reasonable creatures. But the understanding which we have by nature is not enough to bring us to the kingdom of heaven. For we fall far short when matters that concern the heavenly life come into question: We see that every man has wit in matters and affairs of the world, and every man will look about him. Again, although divers could find in their hearts that their own consciences were dead, yet notwithstanding, God has so engraved a kind of feeling in their hearts, as our lives must needs be bridled, and even the wickedest and worst-natured of us all shall, of force, have some remorse or heartbiting, and be constrained whether they will or no, to allow the good, and condemn the evil. True it is that when they have committed any fault, they will labour to hide it with vain excuses. But if a man asks them whether murder, extortion, robbery, whoredom, deceit, and perjury are virtues or no: they will say, they are vices worthy to be condemned. Every man will talk so. For it is God's will that there should be such knowledge printed in man's heart, to the end that all should be condemned without excuse, and be forced to be their own judges. But (as I said afore) this is not enough to lead us unto God, and to open to us the kingdom of heaven in such wise, as we may know how to be saved, or how to call upon God. Then are we stark blind in that behalf: for our insight reaches not beyond the world. Therefore, God must be fain to work in us and to give us new eyes to spy out the things that are requisite for our salvation. And that is the cause why Saint Paul prays to God here to give them enlightened eyes.
Wherein he presupposes that men have already some entrance, not to attain so high as is requisite: but to have some seed of Religion in them, and to perceive that there is a God. Furthermore, God must be fain to give a greater light, and such a one as we are quite void of, by reason of Adam's sin: for we are plunged in such darkness, that we go completely astray from the right way, till God has reached us his hand. You see then that the thing which is contained here is that God has done more for us in giving us the eyes of understanding than in making us men, and putting us into the world, because thereby he reforms us and gives us a clear and sure insight, as to those whom he has chosen. For it is a privilege which is peculiar to his own children, and not common to all men. And truly we see that when God utters his power, it is not known but only to such as have enlightened eyes, according to this saying of Moses, "Thy God has not given thee a heart to understand, nor eyes to see, even unto this day." We know that miracles were wrought in the sight of the people: yet notwithstanding, the passing of the Red Sea, the issuing of the water out of the rock, the falling of the Manna down from heaven, the thick cloud by day, and the fiery pillar by night, the abundant coming of the flesh unto them, and the horrible punishments that God laid upon the rebels, and upon such as had given full scope to their own lusts, all this the people understood not.
Moses, telling them that they had need to refer themselves to God, that they might be enlightened by his spirit, says, "I see that even unto this hour God's gracious doings have been buried among you through your unthankfulness: but that is because men are blockish, and do never understand aught that belongs to their welfare, till God has worked in them. Therefore it stands you on hand to rid yourselves of all overweening, and to crave understanding at God's hand, acknowledging yourselves to be unable to reach so high as to
judge rightly of God's works, and to profit yourselves by them, until he has given you a heavenly sight in your minds."
This is the sum of the things that we have to mark in this strain.
Now hereupon it is easy to gather how the wretched world has been beguiled by the opinion of free will, which has been put into their heads. For the Papists will well enough grant that without God's grace we cannot walk as we ought to do, but yet they say therewithal, that we may well further God's grace by our own free will, and so they make a medley of them together. When they mind to define free will, they say it is a mingled thing, so as we have reason and wit to choose the good, and to refuse the evil, and that therewithal we have also power and ability to perform and put in execution the thing that we have purposed. But we see after what manner Saint Paul speaks here of man's reason, which they term the queen that overrules and bridles all our thoughts and deeds. He shows that she is stark blind until God has renewed her, and not that He does but supply our wants where any be, as though there were some piece of power in us.
Had it been so, Saint Paul would have said that God furthers our light, or that He increases it, or that He adds to it whatsoever it has need of. However, he speaks not so: but he says, God gives you enlightened eyes, showing thereby that it is a free gift, and not only that our Lord must be fain to bear with our infirmities and to put some further portion thereto, but also that we, being blind, can see nothing at all until He has opened our eyes, and that we are guided and governed by the said manifestation of His Holy Spirit, which we have touched on heretofore.
And now forasmuch as men run always flinging over the fields and busy their heads about many unprofitable things, Saint Paul shows us whereto we ought to apply wholly both our understanding and
wit, namely about the seeking how to know what the hope of our calling is. I have told you already that men are, as you would say, born to curiosity, and that they rove and range, and frame many wicked gazes in their heads, and that is the cause why many men do martyr themselves out of measure, ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth, as says Saint Paul. Therefore let us mark well, that all the true knowledge which we must seek, is to attain to the hope whereunto God has called us. For the scripture serves not to feed us with vain and superfluous things, but to edify us to our welfare: that is to wit, to make us perceive God's goodness, that we might be joined unto Him, and He be our true happiness.
And hereupon we may gather also, that until such time as our Lord has enlightened us by His Holy Spirit, we can find neither way nor path to come near the heavenly life, nor even so much as guess what it means. Wherefore it is for our behoof, that our Lord should put us in possession of our salvation by the power of His Holy Spirit. I told you heretofore how that faith serves to give us an entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and into the heritage that is purchased for us by our Lord Jesus Christ, and that God must be fain to give it to us by His Holy Spirit. Then, since it is so, let us mark that we have need not only to have the Gospel preached unto us, but also that God bore our ears, so as we may hearken to the things that are contained in the same, and He open our eyes to see the things that He shows us: and to be short, that He may both begin all, and bring all to pass.
However, for as much as men (as I said afore) do by their fond imaginations take more upon them than they ought to do, and on the other side despise God's gifts: Saint Paul magnifies here the hope whereof he had made mention before, saying: "What the riches of the glory of His heritage are among the Saints." No doubt but that when there is any speaking of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will
say, they are high things: however, that is but to exempt ourselves from them, if we could escape: so as we could be contented to know naught of the things that concern our salvation. We are insatiable when anybody feeds us with vanities and lies: but if God calls us to His school, we shrink back as much as we can possibly, yea and we set this before us as a shield, that we are rude, and that we have but a small and overly gross understanding, and that the secrets of God's word are too deep and incomprehensible for us. We have skill enough to say so: and yet it is all but hypocrisy and feignedness. And for proof thereof men will always judge after their own liking, so as if anything is propounded to them from out of God's word: "Is it so," say they? "And how is that possible?" They reason, they scan of it.
Behold, it is God that speaks, and yet they will not without gainsaying, receive the things that are shown to them in the name of God.
We see then that they do but lie, in saying that they are dull and gross-witted: for they think the clean contrary. The starkest idiots
(say I) and the very dolts of them all will still be wiser than God.
Again, on the other side, what causes the Gospel to be despised, but that a number of pert and fantastical fellows think it to be but a simple doctrine, and that it has not fineness and subtlety enough for them? So much the more need therefore have we to bethink us of the thing that is shown to us here by Saint Paul: which is, that the glorious heritage whereunto God has called us, is an infinite riches.
For besides that we are nothing else but mire and rottenness, sin shuts us out from all hope of salvation. And so long as we are God's enemies, what can we look for at His hand but utter confusion? Yet notwithstanding it pleases Him to make us fellows with the angels of heaven, yea and more than that too: for we are made members of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to the end we should be partakers of His life and glory. How excellent riches are these? When we shall have employed
all our wits about them, ought we not to be too much ashamed, seeing that God has uttered so inestimable goodness towards us?
So then, Saint Paul, to waken up men's drowsiness, and to rebuke and correct their unthankfulness, for that they commend not the hundredth part of God's grace, as they ought to do: tells us that if we think better upon it, we shall find that his speaking after that manner is to stir us up to pray to God to enlighten us, because that without Him, we should not be able to come anything near faith, nor near any knowledge at all.
Thus we see now Saint Paul's meaning, which he pursues and continues much more in adding, what the excellence of His power is in us that have believed. And again, according to the effectual working of the strength of His power. He gathers and heaps up many words here together, which import all one thing. Nevertheless, it is as it were a correcting of man's lewdness, which labours to deface God's goodness as much as they can, insomuch that whereas they are not able to deface it altogether, they diminish it in such wise as it appears not, as if it had but a spark whereas it ought to have full light.
But by the way let us mark, that whereas Saint Paul sets down here the Saints and believers: he means the faithful whom God has already called to Him. And therein he shows that even when we have faith, all our holiness proceeds from God's mercy, and men bring nothing of their own growing. Truly this title of Saints is very honourable: but yet it behoves us to go to the wellspring of holiness: for in ourselves we have nothing but uncleanness. God's children must needs be holy: yet must they consider from whence they have it, whether they have of their own purchase and policy, or of God's gift. Saint Paul shows here, that the praise thereof ought to be yielded simply unto God. For it is not for naught that he says so
often, "I am holy." And again, we know that Jesus Christ was sanctified for us, to the intent that we might be washed and scoured from all our uncleanness. Thus much concerning the first point.
Afterward followeth the cause of our faith: namely that men attain it not otherwise, than by the drawing of a secret motion, according as it is said, that we must learn of God, not only because His word contains all wisdom, and God does thereby teach us faithfully the things that are for our behoof: but also because our Lord expounds it moreover, saying, "He that heareth it of my Father." He Himself spoke it, which was the wisdom of God: and yet He shows that the things which He uttered with His mouth, could not prevail, except
God spoke within a man by His Holy Spirit. Now if Jesus Christ could not profit men by His teaching, further forth than God's Spirit wrought within their hearts; what shall the preaching do which we hear at the mouth of mortal men, who are nothing? Men then must plant and water, and God must give increase, as Saint Paul says in the third chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.
Furthermore, as I have told you, that we must draw all our holiness from out of Jesus Christ, in whom we shall find all the fulness and plenty of it: so also let us understand, that by that saying we are warned, that we are not called to filthiness, to take leave to do evil: but to be as it were sholed out to the service of God. Most men can well enough brag that they are faithful, and that word runs roundly upon every man's tongue: but faith is a more precious thing than we think: for it purifies our hearts (as it is said in the fifteenth of the Acts) to the intent we should be as it were sholed out and set aside, to give ourselves wholly to God's service. But hereby it is meant that men are as it were of a corrupt and infected lump, till God has drawn out the one sort from the other. Then differ we nothing at all from them that are as deeply plunged as is possible in all manner of evil
and wickedness. We are all alike (say I) as touching our nature. But they that believe in our Lord Jesus Christ must be as it were sorted out from the rest of the world, as Saint Peter also says in his First
Epistle. Again, we have seen heretofore, that we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, to the intent to be drawn out of this world, according also as He says in Saint John, where He prays to His
Father, not to take us out of this world, and out of this transitory life, but to keep the naughtiness of the world from bearing rule in us, and to exempt us from it.
You see then that the thing which we have to bear in mind, is that holiness is the true record of our faith. And therefore whosoever is called a Christian, ought to be consecrated unto God, and not to intermeddle or defile himself with the uncleanness and filthiness of the world. True it is that our holiness shall never be perfect, so long as we are in this world: for we do always draw the lines to us, and although sin overmasters us not, yet it dwells in us, and we keep continual battle against it, to get the upper hand. But however the world goes, yet when God once has sanctified us, we must apply ourselves to His service, we must endeavour to cleanse ourselves more and more from all vices, and we must give ourselves wholly unto Him, so as we be no more as worldlings, who take leave to do what they list. This in effect is the thing that Saint Paul meant to say.
Moreover, no doubt but that in this place he makes comparison between such as are drowned in all ignorance, or rather are so hardened, that they have no mind at all to submit themselves to the obedience of the Gospel, but do fight furiously against it: and the faithful which are as silly sheep, hearkening to the voice of the good shepherd. Saint Paul then condemns here all scoffers and scorners who despise God, and are as dogs or brute beasts, without any feeling of religion. When we see these things, they are all of them mirrors
unto us, to make the hairs stand up upon our heads, by making us know what we should be if God pitied us not. And therefore when we see folks scorn God so openly, and rush forth at random into all lewdness, let us acknowledge the infinite goodness of our God, in that He has separated us from the company.
Wherefore when we see one sort sotted in their unbelief, and another sort full of pride, bitterness, and stubbornness against the Gospel: let us understand that we ourselves should be like them, but that God has reached forth His arm upon us.
But now let us mark well the words that Saint Paul uses herein, saying, "the excellent greatness of His mightiness, according to the effectual working of the power of His strength." It should seem that the Holy Ghost meant to thunder down upon this devilish opinion wherewith the world has at all times been besotted: that is to wit, of free will. For the heathen men presumed so far as to say that God had indeed created them to be in the world, and that it was in His power to give them good or bad fortune, as they termed it: but that it was in every man's own power and free choice to follow virtue, and to behave himself in such wise, as no fault might be found in him.
Lo, how the heathen men parted the stake between God and themselves. The lesser matter, which is the setting of us here beneath to crawl here like frogs, they left unto God: but the greater matter, namely our attaining unto heaven, and the ruling of ourselves in all virtue, that, said they, was in man's own ability, and belonged only to himself. The Jews and Papists have not been altogether of this mind: for (as I have touched already) they confess that we have need of God's help: but yet for all that, they will have us to mingle some piece of our own holiness with God's grace, and to be able to work jointly
with it, as they say, insomuch that when it comes to the reckoning, the chief part shall always be found in ourselves.
But let us see how the Holy Ghost speaks of it. To what end uses He all these terms of highness, power, strength, effectual working, and mightiness? Wherefore heaps He up all these together, but to show that men are mad when they will take more upon them than becomes them? There is not that word here, which serves not to abate our cackling if we boast of never so little a drop of goodness. For if men say, I have yet some good moving in me, I have some piece of virtue: behold, Saint Paul speaks of highness: as if he meant to show that all the goodness which we have is above the world, and has not its root nor spring in ourselves, but comes from above, as Saint James says.
Again, if men say, we have some power to withstand our own vices, and to fight against temptations: Saint Paul says here, that our strength, our power, and our might come of God, and that He must be fain to bestow it upon us, and we to receive it of Him. If men say still, yet by straining ourselves we may be able to do somewhat: Saint
Paul tells us, there is no effectual working, there is no bringing of the thing to pass, unless God gives it to us, according to his speaking of it in the second to the Philippians, where he says, that it stands us on hand to walk in fear and wariness, because it is God who gives both the will and the ability to perform the will, according to His own good pleasure: that is to say, He begins the work, and brings it to the end and knitting up.
To be short, let us mark, that look how many words there are here, so many great thunderclaps and lightnings are there to beat down and to sink all the pride of man, to the intent that being confounded in ourselves, we might give God the glory which He deserves, and with all lowliness frankly and freely yield ourselves guilty, acknowledging that all goodness comes of Him, and that we are beholden to Him
only for it. Thus you see how the effect of the matter which we have to mark upon this strain is to abase ourselves in such wise, as we might have no desire to part halves with God, to say that He does but help us, and that there is some portion of His grace and Holy Spirit in our own free will: but to yield Him purely and simply the whole praise of our salvation.
Furthermore, let it also make us to despise the world, that we may content ourselves with the hope of the everlasting life which is purchased for us by our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know that although men be generally subject to many afflictions, and that this life of ours be not without cause termed a vale of wretchedness: yet God exercises His own children with greater abundance of adversities than He does the other sort: for they also have need to be always put in mind to renounce the world. If we should live here too much at our ease and pleasure, what would become of us, seeing we miss not to fall asleep here, notwithstanding that God do prick us and quicken us up so many ways, to pass hence in post without resting here below? You see then in few words, how God will exercise us many ways after He has called us to the faith of the Gospel, for else we would be weary of serving Him, and it would seem to us that His love were but a very slender thing, if we should not learn to give over all other things as little or nothing worth, and to embrace Jesus
Christ.
Therefore let us learn that Saint Paul's intent here is to draw us in such wise unto God, as nothing may let us to walk in our calling: and that if we have not all things to our liking in this world, we may learn to esteem the inestimable benefits of our God better than we have done, that we may say with David (as he speaks in his sixteenth
Psalm) I have my heritage, which suffices me: seeing that God has given Himself to me, I have so excellent a portion, that I pass not for
going through all the afflictions of the world. Poverty, sickness, reproach, fear, and threatenings, all these things shall be sweet to me, so I possess my God, and He makes me to feel that He has chosen me, and reserved me to Himself, and is minded to have me partaker of all His goods.
Thus you see in effect, that by this text we may be heartened and strengthened unto patience, to bear mildly all the afflictions and adversities of the world, and not to be grieved or out of conceit: and that although God makes us now and then to drink of a bitter cup, and gives us cause to sigh and lament, yet we must not fall to repining and grudging, but assure ourselves that God has given us a good comfort, in that He has called us to be partakers of His kingdom, and so uttered His power already in us, as we ought as it were to advance ourselves above all earthly things, and to look down at them as at our feet.
And for as much as we do not yet perceive such fulness of God's grace as were to be wished, therefore Saint Paul sends us to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And surely if he had not added that God has uttered His power in His only Son, after such manner as we have heard it, what a thing were it? For we might allege in way of reply, how so? Where are these riches of God? For we are not only bereft of the goods of this world, but also we are as a dry and barren ground in respect of the grace of God's Holy Spirit. If there be any portion of it in us, it is so small, as we ought to be ashamed of it: and yet for all this, we are moreover plunged in our infirmities. If you speak of God's power, it ought to get the upper hand of all sin in us. But we are so weak, that we are as good as beaten down. Again, it were meet that God's image should shine forth in us, and we bear such store of filthiness and such blemishes about us as is a pity to see. We should
be wholly consecrated to God, but the world holds us back, and we are as it were ensnared in it.
Lo how the faithful might be abashed when any talk were ministered concerning God's grace, if they stayed there, and were not led forth to Jesus Christ. Not without cause therefore does Saint Paul add here, that God did then utter the excellence of His power, when He raised our Lord Jesus Christ from death. And he speaks purposely of His resurrection, because in His death we see nothing but astonishment. For there appeared nothing but weakness: but by His vanquishing of death, He showed Himself to be the Son of God, yea and the Lord of glory and life, who had all power in Himself. And that also is the cause why Saint Paul says that God did set Him at His right hand. For it had not been enough for Jesus Christ to have been raised again, except He had a continual and abiding dominion. True it is that even in His resurrection, we have a record that He is the Son of God: but yet for all that, we must pass one step further, namely that He had not a blast of power and away, but that by His rising again, He attained such superiority, that all the world is governed by Him, and He is now set down at the right hand of God His Father, to maintain and preserve His servants that call upon Him, and put themselves into His keeping, and has sufficient power to overcome
Satan and all the world, and all our enemies.
Now then we see Saint Paul's meaning: that forasmuch as we might be cast down, and our faith at leastwise sore shaken, if we should look no further than to ourselves: therefore he sets Jesus Christ before us, as the true pattern, wherein we may see the thing that as yet is unseen in ourselves: that is to wit, God's inestimable power which surmounts the whole world. For first, He is raised from death: and secondly, He is set at the right hand of His Father. Now the speaking of God's right hand is a resemblance taken of men. It is
certain that God has neither right hand nor left, for He is infinite, and fills both heaven and earth, and again, He has no body, but is a spiritual being. Therefore we must not imagine any place certain, when God's right hand is spoken of. And when it is said that Jesus
Christ sits there, it is to show that He fills all the world with His power. True it is, that as in respect of His manhood, He is in heaven: and it is one of the Articles of our faith, that He is ascended into heaven. But yet notwithstanding, although He be absent from us in His body: and that there is a great distance betwixt us: it is no let but that He fills all things with His Holy Spirit, and dwells in us Himself, and that we are nourished by His own substance, according to this saying, that His flesh is our meat, and His blood our drink.
You see then how that God's right hand is not some certain place for Christ to sit in, but the sovereignty which He has obtained to govern the whole world. And (as I said afore) it is a similitude borrowed of men, as when a prince makes his vicegerent, he sets him at his right side, as who should say, Lo here the second person of my realm whom I will have men to obey. God then in the person of our Lord
Jesus Christ, meant to show that He is our Father. True it is that the whole fullness of the Godhead is in Jesus Christ. However, forasmuch as we are heavy and slothful, and unable to attain to the majesty of God, therefore it is said that Jesus Christ has obtained all sovereignty, so as we are sure that He has us in His protection, and that being under His hand, we are safe, and all the devils of hell (do what they can) cannot prevail at all against us. For who is it that has all power? It is even our head. Although then that we who are His members be weak: yet is there strength enough in the head, which is the chief part of the body. And so you see for what cause it is said that Jesus Christ is set at the right hand of God His Father: namely to show us that we need not to seek far for His help, seeing He governs
all things both above and beneath, and we are committed to His charge here.
He says that God has uttered His high and infinite power in us.
However, forasmuch as that suffices not, by reason of the infirmities which we feel, and for that there is so much amiss in us still, and we are not yet come to the full measure, no nor to the hundredth part of it: therefore to the intent we may be the better assured of all the things that we want, we must consider them in Jesus Christ: Are we then subject yet still unto death? Behold, Jesus Christ is received up into everlasting life: for the very cause why He became a mortal man as we be, was that the life which He has, might belong unto us. Does sin dwell still in us? Behold, Jesus Christ has no spot nor blemish in Him. Are we weak? He is the power of God His Father, and look whatsoever He received in His manhood, which He took of us, was for our sakes and to our behoof.
To be short, look whatsoever we want, and whatsoever may comfort or quicken us, we shall find it in our Lord Jesus Christ, because we should not be in care and perplexity, as though we were excluded from the benefits that Saint Paul has made mention of heretofore.
Finally, we should never have any settled trust, except we knew that the things which are wanting in ourselves, are in our head. For the measure of God's gracious gifts is very small, yea even in the perfectest folk, and in such as are forwardest, and have profited most of all. Since it is so then, we should always hang in a mammering and doubt. But when we know that all is accomplished in our Lord Jesus
Christ, and that He is as it were the first fruits, and that we were sanctified in Him, and that in His person we have received the things beforehand, which shall be given us in all plentifulness hereafter when He has taken us out of this world: there verily lies our
certainty, whereupon we ought to rest, that we be not shaken down with any temptation.
To be short, we are taught by this text, that although God's grace be weak in us, that is to say, although He has put but a small beginning of it in us, and not so large an abundance as were requisite or to be wished for: yet notwithstanding the same gives us a taste and savour to trust in Him. For there cannot be so little grace of His Holy Spirit in us, but that (as says Saint Paul in the eighth to the Romans) we know the same is as a gage or earnest penny beforehand, of the life that He has promised. True it is that this lump of sin dwells still in us: but it ought to content us that God vouchsafes to bestow never so little of His Holy Spirit upon us.
Furthermore, for as much as we cannot be sure of all these things, considering the slenderness that is in ourselves, and the infirmities and wants which we have: therefore we must lift up our eyes to Jesus
Christ. Yea, what avails it us, that we may find all perfection in Him?
For we are too far off from Him. We are far from Him as in respect of distance of places, and in that respect does Saint Paul say, that we are absent from Him, because we walk but by faith, and not by open eyesight and beholding. But yet for all that, we are members of His body. Then seeing it is so: like as a root cannot be separated from the tree, but sends forth its sap into all the boughs and branches of it: even so let us understand, that the end whereunto our Lord Jesus
Christ has in such fulness received the spiritual gifts that belong to the heavenly life, is to communicate them to us so far forth as needed, even from degree to degree, according as we shall have profited in the faith.
And herewithal let us continually bear in mind, that we must stoop and humble ourselves, and be contented to be still far off from the
perfection whereunto it becomes us to aspire, and to be as hungry folk, so as we feeling our own necessity and lack, must run to our
God to beg at His hand, knowing that He is able to increase it from day to day, and that if it were not so, we should be undone out of hand, and all should go to wreck and vanish away, but that He continues the thing that He has begun. You see then how it stands us on hand to be joined to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to know that there is an inseparable bond between Him and us. And inasmuch as He once became poor to make us rich, as it is said in another place: that is the very means whereby all the riches that are in Him, are at this day communicated unto us. Not that we have the full fruition of them, as I said afore: but because it is enough for us that we have some small portion of them, to make us taste the love of God, and to know that He will not fail us in anything, but that since He has given us a warrant that He is come near unto us, and dwells in us by His
Holy Spirit, as we have seen in the second to the Corinthians: He will also fill us even unto the end.
His using of the word enrich is to show that there shall always be want and neediness in us. Nevertheless let us trust boldly to this promise, that He which has begun the good work in us, will go through with the same, yea even unto the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ. And that is said to give us some refreshing when our life is (to our seeming) overlong, and we would fain that the said perfection were already shown openly in us, and that Jesus Christ were come again. But it is said that unto that day we must always be journeying, and go on still forward further and further, and beseech God that He suffer us not to fail. Sure we are that we shall never fail to sustain want and necessity: but yet will He succour us in such wise, as we shall perceive that if He has once vouchsafed to behold us with the eye of His mercy, it is to accomplish the work of our salvation throughout, and to let us know that He has not knit us to our Lord