Sermon IX
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence ; having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good
pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. VEE. 8, 9.
THE Apostle s scope in this chapter is an enumeration of the grand particular
blessings which we have in Christ ; which blessings are either such original
blessings to which we are ordained from eternity, and shall enjoy in the end
and issue of all, or they are such blessings as in the world were wrought
for us in Christ, and are applied unto us in this life in and through Christ.
There are decreta finis, that is, of our journey s end, &c., that God means
to bring us unto. Perfect holiness in the 4th verse; adoption or glory,
through being sons, in the 5th verse ; a perfect complacency of God for ever
in us in his beloved Son, mentioned in the 6th verse, for the sake of his
Son s person, and what he is in himself, the natural Son of God, and the
beloved one of God, and communicated to us by our relation to him and
union with him. There are likewise decreta e xcutionis, the decrees of
execution, or of the way to that end, heaven ; which are these that follow
in the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses redemption through Christ s blood, &c. And
these benefits depended upon what moreover Christ wrought and did for us ;
he redeemed us by his blood. And this he performed in this world ; and in
respect to this work he is to be considered as Redeemer, and our persons
considered by God the Father as sinners, children of wrath, &c. And here
begin the benefits of application.
Remission of sins is the first, and is the foundation, and is put for the
whole of justification, as his blood speaks his whole obedience and redemp
tion in parts, viz., the price as paid by Christ, and the benefits purchased, which are redemption, &c. Then, secondly, there is the work of vocation,
our first conversion to God, and of faith and sanctification ; the whole work,
as it is imperfect from first, and wrought in us from first to last, which God
hath begun to work, and will continue to perfect till the day of ^our death. And this is expressed by those words of the 8th verse, wherein he hath
abounded in all wisdom and prudence. He by these two words expresseth
the chief and leading principles of sanctification wrought in us, and which
comprehend in them the whole complex of the work of grace in this life
wrought in us first and last. For the Apostle being to contract and crowd
up these benefits into a compendium, he speaks synecdoches, and mentions
parts for the whole of each kind, which he afterwards dilates upon in
particulars.
I shall now repeat nothing more of what I delivered on the former verses.
I come immediately to that which is the next benefit here before us; his
having abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, &c.
It is, as you will see by the opening of it, the blessing of conversion, and
of our calling, and the working faith, and also our imperfect holiness, which God works in us here by the gospel. And he saith three things of it :
128 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON IX.
I. HE SHEWETH YOU THE GREATNESS OP THE BLESSING j he Saitll that God hath abounded in grace in bestowing it : in which grace it is he hath
abounded.
" II. You HAVE THE BLESSING ITSELF, and both the parts of it : both the
inward calling, working wisdom and prudence in us ; and the outward
calling, having made known the mystery of his will, &c., in the preaching
of the gospel, and the revealing of it.
III. You HAVE THE CAUSE OF BOTH, and that is his good pleasure
1 according to his good pleasure. IV. And then, fourthly, (for I may add that,) you have THE CAUSE OF THAT GOOD PLEASURE TOO : which, saith he, he had purposed in himself.
So you have the division of these 8th and 9th verses.
Divines, you know, make two parts of our calling. There is vocatio
externa, that is common to all men that hear the gospel, and to whom the
mystery of the will of God is made known. But then there is an internal
calling, a work upon the heart, whereby he doth work wisdom and prudence in us to embrace this word, and to lay hold upon this mystery, and give up our souls unto it. And then for the inward calling, you know divines reduce it to two heads.
First, the ivor ing offaith ; secondly, the ivorking of holiness, or change oj heart and lift. All is reduced to these two, holiness and faith, as I shewed
: there are the saints and faithful
you out of the first verse of this chapter
in Christ Jesus. Now accordingly the Apostle hath two words here. Here
is wisdom, which is the principle of faith ; and here is prudence, which, as I
shall shew you, is the principle of sanctification, and is put for the whole
work.
I. To begin first with that whereby he setteth out the greatness of the bless
ing wherein he hath abounded toward us, sKtpffffc-jff<v. To open that word a little, abounded. The word in the Greek is taken either to signify an abundance that one hath and hath received, taken passively, as I may so ex
( abound in grace, as in some
press it ; as when in Scripture we are said to
places we are ; or else it is taken actively, as it implieth abounding in the
giver, in the bestower, when one bestoweth out of abundance. As there is
plenitudo fontis, and plenitude vasis, a fulness in the fountain, and a fulness
in the vessel ; both are said to be full, but the fountain is said to be full as
that which communicateth, as that which bestoweth, which fills the vessel, and the vessel is said to be full as having received all from the fountain ; so we are said to abound in grace, when he has filled us with it. Of his
fulness, which is the fulness of the fountain, we have received grace for
grace, saith the Apostle, John i. 1C. So now here is crX^cw.aa fontis, and
vrhjjoupu vasis. Here is signified the abounding of the fountain, namely of
God, as a fountain communicating ; and the abundance of the vessel, of us
receiving. Now it is the abounding of the fountain that is here meant. And of that there are two meanings too, which I find in Scripture ; two significa tions or uses of the word.
First, It referreth to something abundantly or largely bestowed. When God doth largely or abundantly bestow, then he is said to abound ; or as
they do translate it, 2 Cor. ix. 8, where the same word is used, He is able to make all grace to abound towards you. The meaning is not, he abounded in wisdom by making wisdom abound in us ; for always when it is so taken
it is joined with an accusative case, as it is there in that place of the Corin thians with naffet j %dfiv. But here it is not KUGOIV ffotpiav, but sv VUG/) ffo<p/q, not making grace abound ; but (which is the second meaning of the word 01
EPH. I. 8, 9.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 129
phrase, in which God abounded ) it doth not only import that God did
cause wisdom, &c., to abound, but that he out of abundance of grace in him
self bestoweth wisdom. And so I find it to be used Luke xv. 17, abound
ing in bread, in my father s house, says the prodigal. It is in the genitive
case, as it is here j bread enough, so we translate it : so here God abound-
eth in his grace, and it is all one as to say his grace aboundeth ; or as the
English phrase, when we say one aboundeth in love, it is all one as to say his love is abundant.
So that the meaning of it in a word is thus (to gather it up for the weaker
understandings :) that God out of abundance of grace in himself bestoweth
upon us, in converting us, wisdom and knowledge, wisdom and prudence, faith and holiness, as you shall hear afterwards ; and his scope is to magnify the riches of grace that is in God, in bestowing such benefits on us. His
grace aboundeth in the doing of it. And so it is all one with what Paul
saith of himself in 1 Tim. i. 14 (a parallel place to this.) Paul speaks there of his conversion, as he speaks here of the Ephesians , and every Christian s calling and conversion and works inherent in him. He saith
here, wherein God abounded, namely in grace. So he saith there, The
grace of God was exceeding abundant toward me (exceeding abundant,
vxsgzxXzovaffe, it was over-full) with faith and love which is in Jesus Christ, some way answerable to receive it. Here he reduceth the work of calling to two heads too, faith and love, faith and holiness, for love is the principle of
holiness ; and wisdom and prudence do, by a metonymy, or by a synecdoche
rather, imply both these. So that that which Paul saith of his own calling
there, the same he speaks of our calling here, and the one expresseth the
other. There he saith the grace of God was over-full, it overflowed ; so the word signifieth. And here his comparison is from a fountain. Grace gushed out from God s heart as a fountain, when he first bestowed saving wisdom and prudence, when he first converted them. This is the meaning of the
words, wherein he hath abounded toward us.
I should not have stayed so long upon the word but for the sake of some
observations which this expression will afford.
Obs. 1. When you would set a right value upon any blessing bestowed
upon you, you are not to value it chiefly by the blessing itself bestowed, but
by the grace in God out of which it conies. He doth not say here he gave abundance of wisdom and abundance of prudence, though all the quantity is
noted here, but he saith he abounded in grace when he did it. The Apostle would have them set the value of this blessing upon the grace which was the
fountain of it. Wherein, saith he, or in which he hath abounded toward
us. My brethren, learn to value spiritual blessings and temporal blessings
likewise, not by the things themselves, but by the love of God from which
they come. A small blessing may be out of abundance of love. So in what we do for God, a cup of cold water, the widow s mite. God may abound
in grace to thee in bestowing it, when the blessing is in the matter of it but
little. What is the reason that many good souls, that have true grace wrought in their hearts, are so unthankful ? They look to the grace wrought in them, and they see that there is but a little of that, and therefore they value all
: I find but little
by what they find in themselves, by the blessing wrought
in me, if any at all. And while thus they value the blessing by what they
find in themselves, they prove unthankful to God. Whereas that little
grace thou hast, that little faith, be it but as a grain of mustard-seed, it pro ceeds out of abundance of grace in God. Wherein he hath abounded to ward us, saith he here, in working the least beginning of true wisdom and
VOL. I. I
130 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SfiEMON IX.
prudence in the least saint. God abounds infinitely in his love to thee, when thou hast but the least beginnings of grace in thee, as small at first as Nicodemus had.
If you mark Paul s expression in 1 Tim. i. 14, the place even now quoted, he doth not say that his faith and love in Christ were exceeding abundant.
JSTo, but saith he, the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in bestowing faith and love upon me. He looks not to the quantity of his faith or his
love, but he looks at the grace of both ; and how doth he magnify that ? He had said before two things of himself. First, saith he, I was a perse cutor and injurious / I hated the saints ; there is the first. But, saith he, I did it ignorantly in unbelief; I was an unbeliever, and I was a perse cutor. Now, for God to work faith instead of unbelief, and love to the
saints instead of persecution and hatred of them, in me, that was once an un believer and a persecutor, the grace of God was exceeding abundant herein. He looks not to the work wrought, but he looks to the grace that bestowed
it, considering the circumstances of the condition he was in before.
Obs. 2. Observe what thing it is that this big swelling word abounded, overflowing, gushed out, as I may so say, is used about. What is it that he shewed abundance of grace in ? It is the work of conversion, working in them wisdom and prudence, that is, faith and holiness ; as you shall see by and by.
The observation, then, from thence is, That God sheweth abundance of mercy in converting of a man. It is an abundant grace he singleth out, that you see here eminently, and Paul, in that other place, said it was over
full ; he was, saith he there, exceeding abundant, speaking of his conversion.
f Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath done what for us 1 begotten us again. There is an abundance of mercy eminently above all other works in a man shewed in his conversion.
To give you another scripture for it, 1 Pet. i 3,
I might enlarge upon this, but I will only give you one reason, and so pass from it. It is the fundamental mercy to all grace and glory. It is the first
appearing of the love of God to a man : Tit. iii. 4, 5, After that the kind ness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. God s love
is like a river or a spring that runs under-ground, and hath done so from
eternity. Where breaks it up first ? Where bubbleth it first 1 (as the word in the text signifieth ; it is a similitude I have used before, but the words in the text will bear it.) Where doth this fountain begin to bubble up or issue forth ? When a man is first called, then that love that hath run from
everlasting under-ground, and through the heart of Christ upon the cross, breaks out in a man s own heart too. And it is the fundamental mercy of
all grace and glory whatsoever.
My brethren, the word here used doth compare God to a full fountain, which was restrained till the fulness of time came, when he would break forth in love to a man. Oh ! when shall it once be 1 saith he. And when the time comes, his love and mercy gush out upon a man, when he calls and converts him. This is the meaning of the word in the Greek. It was the time of his espousals, a time of love. So much for the first thing in the text ; that whereby he sets out the greatness of this blessing, wherein he hath abounded toward us.
II. I come, secondly, to the blessing itself; wherein, as I told you, there
EPH. I. 8, 9.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 131
are two parts. Here is first the internal part, the work of grace upon the
heart, expressed here by wisdom and prudence. And here is the external
calling, in the 9th verse, making known the mystery of his will/ &c. He expresseth conversion, and the whole work inherently wrought in us, by the making of a man wise. It is usual in the Scriptures, and you may oft-times meet with it : Ps. xix. 7, converting the soul making wise the
simple; Prov. ii. 10, the beginning of conversion, and so all along, the
increase of all grace to the end, is expressed by wisdom entering into a man s
heart, If wisdom enter into thy heart, and so goes on to do more and more :
not into thy head only, a man may have all that, and be a fool in the end, but when it entereth into the heart, and draws all the affections after it, and along with it,
* when knowledge is pleasant to thy soul, then a man is
converted ; when God breaks open a man s heart, and makes wisdom fall in, enter in, and make a man wise.
Wisdom. It is taken sometimes for the doctrine of the gospel, in which a
stupendous divine wisdom is to be seen and adored : 1 Cor. ii. 7, We
speak, saith he, the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom,
<fcc. Speaking of the doctrine of the gospel, he calls it the wisdom, and the hidden wisdom of God.
Or else, wisdom is taken for the gift of saving grace, working a principle in the soul, whereby our souls are made able to take in all the truths of the
gospel effectually. And so it is taken in this very chapter, ver. 17, for the
grace of wisdom in the knowledge of Christ, and to be wise to salvation. He
prays there that they may have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of Christ ; that is, to have the Holy Ghost working wisdom in
them, and giving a principle to be capable of all the spiritual saving truths
that discover the knowledge of Christ, and to enlighten that principle, to
take them in and wisely to apply them to themselves ; in one word, to be
wise unto salvation.
Some have thought that in 1 Cor. i. 30, Christ is said to be made, in this
sense, wisdom to us, as particularly intending the grace of graces, namely the principle of faith, now, it is certain it is a distinct thing from sanctifi-
cation and justification, as there the apostle useth it, and that it is made thus distinct from the other, and set first, because thereby we are enabled to
take in all the spiritual truths of the gospel, so as to have a man s soul
saved. Christ is made wisdom to us when the soul is humbled, emptied of
itself; and when a man comes to himself, his eyes are enlightened to behold, and he is made wise to lay hold upon, that offer of mercy made to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. But we must not exclude that objective wisdom that
is, all that wisdom which God in the doctrine of the gospel contrived and
prepared, which is called the wisdom of God in a mystery with which the
apostle in that chapter had outfaced the Greeks that were so for wisdom ;
that, in comparison of which all the wisdom in this world, civil, moral,
natural, he says, is foolishness and comes to nought, and which the doctrine of Christ utterly outshined. And so I judge that in that place, 1 Cor. i. 30, both this inherent spiritual wisdom in us, and objective wisdom which is in our Christ, as revealed in the gospel, are meant.
Now if you ask, which of the two are meant here, whether wisdom taken
for the doctrine of the gospel, or for the gift of God working faith in the
heart ? I answer you, as I have said, it is taken for the gift of wisdom
wrought in a man s soul, whereby he applies all the truths of the gospel and wisdom of the gospel to himself. For
132 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON IX.
First, So it is taken plainly in the 17th verse, where he calls it the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation, by the Holy Ghost working wisdom in a man, and then revealing to that new eye of wisdom spiritual truths.
Then, secondly, it is taken rather for the gift of wisdom bestowed upon us, than for the doctrine of wisdom revealed in the gospel, because that follows in the 9th verse, having made known to us the mystery of his will therein the doctrine of wisdom is revealed. Therefore, when he speaks of wisdom and prudence in this 8th verse, he meaneth a heart made wise and
prudent, the work of wisdom in a man s soul.
And then again, thirdly, there is this reason why it is meant of the gift of wisdom and of faith wrought in us, by that parallel place, and indeed almost parallel epistle, Col. i. 9, where the apostle prays that they may be
filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual under
standing j and that word, spiritual understanding, puts it out of doubt that the knowledge of spirituals within us is meant.
Fourthly, And then that it is particularly meant faith, a fourth reason for that is this : that when the apostle comes to dilate this general head of the work of God, thus here expressed by
l wisdom, &c., inherent in us, into diverse particular works wrought in them, which he doth in ver. 11-13, both to Jew and Gentile, he enumerates and instanceth in their believing on Christ. In whom, saith he, we have obtained an inheritance viz., the Jews who first trusted in Christ. The like saith the 12th verse. Then coming to the Gentiles, In whom, saith he, ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. So that his scope is to lay open the grace of faith and spiritual knowledge.
Now, brethren, to shew you how wisdom and prudence do differ, that is the second thing I must make good ; for here are two things mentioned, He hath abounded toward us in wisdom and prudence. To open this, I shall difference them, unto you by their objects. You know there are two sorts of things revealed ; the first are Credenda, as we call them, things to be believed, all evangelical truths, the mysteries of sal
vation, the revelation of God s free grace, and of Christ, and of all he hath done and is made to us. Secondly, There are Agenda, things to be done and
practised by us that strictness and holiness of heart and life which they that do believe are to take up. Into these two is the whole will of God divided ; it consists either in things to be believed by us, or in things to be done by us. It is that division the apostle makes, 1 Tim. i. 19, Holding faith and a good conscience. By faith he means the doctrine of faith ; all things that are delivered to us to believe, we are to hold these fast. And by a good conscience he means, by a metonymy, holiness and obedience, the
things we know we ought to do, whereof a good conscience is the principle. Now then, as all things in the Word are reduced to these two heads, so all the works of grace upon a Christian s heart are reduced to two heads :
First, A principle of wisdom, to take in and believe and see the worth and
excellency, as by faith we do, of things that are to be believed by us, and which God revealeth for our salvation. And
Secondly, To have a principle of prudence, savingly, spiritually, and
effectually to see that holiness and obedience we owe to God, if we believe, and if we be saved, and so to see them as to have the heart taken with them. And that is prudence.
First, Wisdom is that gift of knowledge or faith whereby we believe all
spiritual truths that are to be believed, and our hearts are affected with the goodness of them. For, brethren, therein lies wisdom, to see the excellency
EPH. I. 8, 9/j TO THE EPHESIA.NS. 133
of n thing, and to be taken with it, and to choose it. A man is wise when he is wise for himself, as it is said, Prov. ix. 12; when a man knows what is
good for him. That same merchant by whom and by whose carriage the conversion of a sinner is expressed to us, was a wise merchant ; for he saw a pearl of great value, and he had the wisdom to like it, and to sell all he had for it ; and this was by faith wrought, as I shall shew you by and by.
"When wisdom enters into the heart and becomes pleasant unto a man, as it
is said, Prov. ii. 10, takes the whole man, when a man sees by faith those
spiritual tilings so really as his whole heart is drawn after them, he chooseth them as excellent for him ; this is wisdom. You have it expressed by the
Apostle, in Phil. i. 9, 10, for he useth several expressions in several epistles, as his manner is, but intends one and the same thing. He prays, that
their love may abound in knowledge and in all judgment, that they might approve the things that are excellent. Where you have such a knowledge as works a love to the things known, and an approving of the excellency of
them, this is spiritual knowledge, this is wisdom ; for evriywaig, the chiefest
part of wisdom, as Aristotle saith well of it, is to discern what is good, and
to pitch upon it and choose it. Now, when a man sees all the truths of
the gospel and the excellencies of them spiritually, so as all his heart is taken with them, and they become pleasant to his soul, not the knowledge of them
only, but the thing ; when they are as the only pearl for which he sells all ; then is a man made wise to salvation you have the expression, 2 Tim. iii.
15. When a man is made wise to save his own soul, sees the things of the
gospel so as he is taken with them, and hath the wit never to leave them
after, this is the first thing that is wrought.
Now, my brethren, it is faith that doth enable you thus to see the ex
cellency of spiritual things, to choose them, to embrace them, and never to
depart from them. Therefore faith is truly called wisdom here. I will give you a scripture in which you shall have two instances of it, to name no
more. It is in Heb. xi. 13, 24. At the 13th verse, These all died in
faith, not having received the promises, but seeing them [by faith] afar off,
[for that is the meaning,] they were persuaded of them, [they believed the
truth of them,] and they embraced them, they laid hold upon them as
good for them. This faith makes you to do, to see all the spiritual things in the Word really, and to embrace them as good for you. And the other
instance is that of Moses, ver. 24, By faith Moses, when he was come to
years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh s daughter ; choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures
of Egypt. Here faith made him wise. He saw what was the best bargain ;
it made him put a value upon the true riches; it made him to leave all the
world, to refuse to be called the son of Pharaoh s daughter, or whatsoever
preferment else he had at court, and to choose affliction rather with the
people of God, because by faith he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. So that now, to have that wisdom as to
see spiritual things, the real nature of them, to set a value upon them, to ap prove the excellency of them, to be taken with them more than with all the
things of the world, and he hath that light and knowledge of them begotten in his heart which he can never sell away again, but it works his heart off from all things else, this man is a wise man ; and this is wrought in your hearts by faith. This is the first thing.
Secondly, Prudence is that principle of wisdom that doth change the
heart ; which, as faith looks out to the truths of the gospel, and the promises
134 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON IX.
of the gospel, to Christ and to God, and free grace, and the like ; so this
spiritual prudence looks out to all that is a man s duty, that God requires of him again, to holiness, to obedience, to the whole law of God, to the
whole will of God ; and a man s heart is taken with them too, and that man whose heart is drawn by them, through seeing the excellency of them
in his judgment, is a wise man, is a prudent man. What is it that turns a man s heart to righteousness and holiness ? It is a spiritual knowledge of what holiness is, and what that obedience is that we ought to perform to
the Lord. I will quote you one or two places for it : Luke i. 17, where
the very same word is used that is used here. He tells us there that the
end of John s ministry was to turn men ; to what 1 The hearts of the
fathers to the children, that is the first that respecteth matters of faith. The Pharisees had in their doctrine led many from the gospel and from the
faith of Abraham, and the children of Israel did not believe as their fathers
did. He turns them to their fathers, to believe as Abraham did, and not
as the Pharisees taught them. And then it follows, and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just, of the righteous. It is the same word in the
original that is translated here for prudence in my text. That wisdom that
doth make a man righteous, that changeth his heart, makes him take in all
that holy and righteous law of God, see an excellency in it, that it is right in
all things, as the prophet David speaks, Ps. cxix. ; this is prudence. And this
is the second thing wherein conversion lies : to make a man a prudent man,
prudent with the prudence of the just ; to make a man righteous, to make
a man just, to make a man holy. It is a practical skill, as I may so call it, which God imprints upon a man s understanding, that frames the heart and makes him wise to do good. You read in Jer. iv. 22, where the prophet,
speaking of wicked men, saith, They are wise to do evil, they are wise
enough there j but to do good they have no knowledge. Now to have an
understanding to do good, to have such an understanding as changeth a. man s heart and makes it conformable to the law ; this is prudence. And it
consists in two things, that I may open it unto you
First, It consists in enabling a man to take in all the rules of holiness, or
the more fundamental rules of holiness, in a spiritual manner, to know the
rule spiritually. A man s heart must be changed to do that. The Apostle
prays, Kom. xii. 2, that they may be renewed in their minds, (to be
l That you may approve, saith he, of that good and acceptable will of God; to take
changed there, is to have their minds turned ;) to what end 1
in the will of God, or any part of it, in the spiritualness of it, to approve it
in the excellency of it, and to esteem it right in all things. My brethren, to know the rule spiritually, is from spiritual prudence ; it is from grace to say the law is holy, spiritual, good. The carnal part of the law, carnal men say
it is good. But to say of the spiritual, the holy part of the law that requires the whole heart to be obedient to God, as such principles as these, to lie
in no known sin, to aim at the glory of God more than at a man s self, and the like, for a man to take in such principles as these, and to approve them from his very soul, this is wisdom, this is prudence, this is part of the pru dence of the just that makes a man righteous.
Again, in the second place, it imports a skill that God imprints upon the mind of a man to manage his whole man, to do according to what he knows.
4 We know not how to pray as we ought. The Holy Ghost comes and imprints a skill upon a man s heart, and teacheth him how to pray acceptably to God, which no man in the world can do. To make an acceptable prayer to God,
is as much as to make a w
rorld ; to have the skill of it, to have the knack of
PII. I. 8, 9.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 135
it, as I may call it, to have the wisdom in the performance of any holy
duty ; for there is a skill, a wisdom that belongs to the performance of holy
duties. When you take an apprentice you teach him two things ; you teach
him the rules of your trade, but when he hath learnt the rules he must by
use o-et a skill in his fancy to enable him to work. Now, that which men
get by time and use, which you call habits, that doth God imprint in every
godly man s heart when he first turns him. As he teacheth him the rules,
so he imprints the habit of skill, a spiritual wisdom to manage his heart.
To be able to pray, to believe, to do all things acceptably, this is prudence,
this is that holy skill, for God undertakes to teach us ; he takes no ap
prentice but he teacheth him his trade. This is my covenant, saith he,
1 they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest -, they shall be all
taught of God. It is part of our indenture and his indenture with us, as Ps.
xxv 12. He imprints a holy skill in the heart, that guides a man s feet
into the way of peace, as the expression is, Luke i. 79.
It is, my brethren, expounded in that parallel place I quoted but now,
Col. i. 9, 10. He prays that they may be filled with all wisdom and
spiritual understanding. For what end ? That they might walk worthy of
the Lord unto all well-pleasing, being fruitful in every good work. Now,
to have that skill as shall so guide and frame the heart to the law and will
of God, that a man shall be able to walk worthy to well-pleasing, to do that
which is acceptable to God in some measure, this is this spiritual prudence
$ So
_ that here
which is put for all sanctification, as wisdom is put for faith.
you have the two parts of conversion : here is wisdom, which is put for
faith; here is prudence, which is put for that principle of sanctification
which doth change and turn the whole man, make it obedient to the will and
law of God.
And now I have opened it, I will cast in but this. Here you see fc
particular blessings, for now I shall so rank them in ver. 7, 8 : here is re
demption, in whom we have redemption through his blood ; here is justifi
cation, or forgiveness of sins, that is a second ; here is wisdom, which is put
for faith, believing spiritual truths revealed in the doctrine of the gospel ;
here is prudence, which is put for that principle of light which changeth a
man s heart, and makes him holy, and sanctifies him, and so it is put for
sanctification. Well, then, here you have the same four blessings which
Christ is made to us, reckoned up, 1 Cor. i. 30, Of him are ye in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, there is one ; 2. Righteous
ness, there is justification, or forgiveness of sins ; 3. Here is sanctification,
< Redemption. And so I have done
which prudence is put for ; and, 4.
with the opening of the words.
You will ask me now, why doth the apostle express the work of grace,
faith and sanctification, by wisdom and prudence ?
One reason is this, because he useth several phrases in several epistles.
Sometimes he calls it spiritual wisdom and knowledge, sometimes wisdom
and prudence, sometimes he calls it sense, alafytis, as I remember he express-
eth sanctification ; so that light that sanctifieth a man is a spiritual sense,
whereby a man tasteth the goodness of spiritual things ; so he calls it in the
Philippians, as the other is in the Colossians. This is one reason ; he useth
several expressions in several epistles.
Secondly, he wrote to the Grecians, and to the Asiatics, to those at Ephe-
bus, who were all for wisdom, they liked nothing but what had wisdom in it.
The Jews humour was to seek for a sign, the Greeks were for wisdom, and
therefore they refused the gospel, because to them it was foolishness, it had
136 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON IX.
no wisdom in it. Saith the apostle, Here is wisdom ; seeing you prize wis dom so much, I will speak to you according to your own desires. Mark what a blessing God hath bestowed upon you ; he hath made you wise to salvation, he hath made you able to keep the law, and to obey the will of God; which prudence doth change your hearts, saith he; therefore, he expresseth sanctification by wisdom and prudence. He speaks to them in their own language. A third reason is this, because the truth is that the work of grace lies in working upon the understanding of a man; it lies in working spiritual knowledge in a man ; however men little think of it, it is a .light let into the heart that saveth a man, a different light from that wicked men have. Eph. iv. 22, he bids them put off the old man, and put on the new. How must they do that ? Be renewed, saith he, in the spirit of your mind. If the
spirit of a man s mind, if the understanding be renewed, it changeth the whole man presently. Therefore, because the main of the work of grace, or at least the first of it, lies in working upon or renewing the mind, therefore it is expressed here by wisdom and prudence. You have the like, Col. iii. 10. The image of God is renewed ; it is renewed in or by knowledge. God when he doth frame and paint his image upon the heart, what doth he ? He lets it in by the understanding, openeth a man s eye to see spiritually what true holiness is, and what the love of God is, and" how a man must aim at the glory of God ; and with this light let into the mind and understanding, the heart being taken with it, the image of God is framed in men s spirits Therefore it is expressed by wisdom and prudence.
But here is one particle yet more to be explained, all wisdom. Do we receive all wisdom and prudence when we are turned unto God ?
The meaning therefore of that is this : it is taken, first, for all kinds, for all sorts, something of everything, as we use to say. They are made wise to believe truths, and they are made wise to do what they know ; their duties in their callings, their duties in their relations. There are several parts of the will and mind of God which God instructs a man in, so far forth as it is necessary for him to know to be saved. 1 John ii. 20, it is said, the Spirit teachetli us all things. What is the meaning of that all things ? Why, all things necessary to salvation, all things that go to save a man ; and so the poorest soul that is knoweth all things, hath all wisdom and prudence in him. He hath all necessary knowledge to save his soul if God should call him presently ; therefore it is called all wisdom and prudence. And, in the second place, it is called all wisdom and prudence for the excellency of it ; it is instead of all wisdom, and better than all wisdom else, as, ver. 10, he calls the saints all things in heaven and in earth. Why, there are more things in heaven and in earth besides them ? Yea, but they are worth them all ; God looks upon none else, cares for none else ; they are his all, as if there were no other thing. So here, all wisdom and prudence, because this is instead of all, it is worth all ; this is the whole man, as the expression is, Eccles. xii. 13. For whatsoever else is in a man, whatsoever wisdom and knowledge he hath else, it is worth nothing ; he that hath this hath enough, he hath all.
Then, thirdly, take in all believers, whom he speaks of here collectively, and they have all wisdom and prudence amongst them. The Apostle speaks here of himself and of the rest of the apostles, and of all that are called by the gospel. He speaks generally and collectively of all saints ; they have amongst them received all wisdom and prudence ; it is in the pack of them.
EPH. I. 8, 9.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 137
And then in Christ there are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge laid
up for us, and we are complete in him ; so saith the apostle, Col. ii. And all wisdom and knowledge is hid in this word, and if thou hast grace,
thou hast a principle to understand it savingly more or less ; if thou wilt dig
for wisdom, thou hast a principle of wisdom which a wicked man wants;
thou hast all wisdom and knowledge in semine. And though we know^ but
in part, yet in Christ is hid all wisdom for us, and all the wisdom that is in
Christ is made ours too, for our good ; and we shall one day know it all, that
is more. This wisdom and prudence will bring thee to know all the
treasures that are in Christ, and therefore God hath abounded to thee, in
semine, in all wisdom and prudence when first he turns thee.
All the gifts of the apostles and prophets, they are all ours, all thine when
thou art once called ; therefore God hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence.
And then, lastly, and, it may be, chief of all. The apostle speaks of it in
relation to them under the Old Testament ; they received truths but by piece
meal, at sundry times, as the expression is, Heb. I, now one and then
another. But now, under the gospel, God hath hidden nothing, he hath un
locked all ; therefore the least in the kingdom of heaven is said to be greater than John the Baptist, the least saint knows more than John Baptist did.
So, comparatively to those under the Old Testament, God hath abounded
toward us in all wisdom and knowledge. And so much for the opening of
the words.
I will come now to gather some observations from them (for I see I cannot
instance in all I meant.) The first observation is this : Ofa i. A. godly man only is a wise man. He that is turned to God, he
that is made wise to save his own soul, he only is a wise man, and all the
rest of the world are fools ; because let them seek for whatsoever excellency
they will, yet they lose their souls in the end. Thou fool, saith Christ,
he thought himself a wise man to get riches, thou fool, saith he, where
will thy soul be to-night V He was a fool for his labour. A man that
knows how to believe savingly, and that is wise for his soul, that man is
only the wise man. Other men are wise in their generation, as Christ
distinguisheth it; they are wise in their kind; take them in the world, and
there they are wise indeed, and wiser than the children of light. But, saith the
apostle, God hath chosen the fools of the world to confound the wise ; he did
it on purpose, it was his plot. The chiefest thing the wise ones of the
world brag of is their wisdom. God hath taken out fools, that have less
understanding, makes them able to save their souls ; and at the latter day, who is the fool then 1 Thus he confounds all the wise ones in the world.
They are only wise that are wise to salvation.
* Behold the fear
I will give you a scripture for it. It is in Job xxviii. 28,
of the Lord, that is wisdom ; and to depart from evil is understanding. That is the understanding, the only understanding ; and if men be wise never
so much in anything else, they are fools.
0fo. 2. Whomsoever God saveth, he doth give them so much knowledge in
spiritual things as shall make them wise. Let them be never so ignorant
before, they that are come to years of discretion, they shall be wise to save
their souls. Do but observe it ; men that had but little wit in them before, when they are turned they will speak of faith and of Christ and of the mys
teries of salvation exceeding strongly and wisely. What is the reason of it? When God is master and teacheth a man, how soon is he learned whom he
138 AN EXPOSITION OF TEE EPISTLE [SEEMON IX.
teacheth ! No such schoolmaster as God is ; he aboundeth toward a man
in wisdom and prudence, so that a man hath abundance of knowledge the
first day almost. You shall see it in many poor men that are turned to God. I will give you but a scripture for it, and so pass from it. Isa. xxxv. 8 : the prophet speaks there of the times of the gospel, when Christ was to
preach the word, as appears by the former verses. He tells us there that
Christ is a way, and a highway, that way that leads to life, and it shall be called, The way of holiness, (which men miscall, and call by a thousand other nicknames, but that is the true name of it, The way of holiness,) and the unclean shall not pass over it. Take an ungodly man, he shall never hit on the way, let him be never so wise ; for so the opposition implies, as you shall see by and by. For whom, then, shall this way be ? It shall be for the wayfaring men ; though fools, they shall not err in it. Art thou a way
faring soul that art a-going to heaven, and hast a mind to go to heaven 1 And art thou simple, hath God given thee a heart to desire to be saved and
to seek after Christ 1 Take the greatest doctor in the world ; if wicked, he
shall not find out the way that thou shalt find. Another man, a fool, shall
find it ; he shall not err in it, because God, whomsoever he doth save, him
self is the master, and teacheth them this wisdom. And so much for that 8th
verse ; I will speak a little of the 9th, and so I will have done.
Ver. 9, Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to
his good pleasure, &c.
Here, as I told you, he comes to external calling, the making known to us
* the mystery of his will, whereby he doth work spiritual knowledge and
understanding in a man. Now, to open this a little. What is meant by making known ? You all know that he did it by the
preaching of the apostles ; he doth it now by the preaching of the word, and by the Scriptures opened to you, whereby all that hear it and know it are called.
But what is meant by the mystery of his will ? for this is the only, the chief hard thing here.
Some men do take it thus, to shew the difference between the knowledge of believers and others. Others may know the will of God, they say, but there is a mystery in the will of God which only godly men know, and God
reveals it to them. As in Col. i. 27, To whom God would make known
speaking of the saints, as you shall see by comparing the 25th and 26th verses together the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints ; to whom he hath made known the riches of the glory of this mystery. My brethren, the mystery of God s will, and the riches and the glory of it, the saints only know.
But I rather think that the aim of it here, (though this be a truth, and I
shall have occasion to mention it by and by,) yet I think the main thingintended here is not to express the difference of wicked men s knowledge of the gospel, and godly men s. But it is taken for the substance of the
gospel itself. The doctrine of the gospel is called the mystery of God s will, 1 Tim. iii. 1 6, Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the
flesh. The doctrine of salvation by Christ was a great mystery. Here I must open two things to you :
1. Why it is called a mystery. 2. Why the mystery of his will.
First, Why it is called a mystery. A mystery is that which is a secret
hidden, a thing unknown, which could no way have been known unless it had been revealed by him that knew it. A mystery is properly a thing
EPH. I. 8, 9.] TO THE EPHESIANS.
hidden, 1 Cor. ii. 7, We preach the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the.
hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world. Therefore it is a.
mystery, because it is hidden. So a secret unknown is called a mystery in
1 Cor. xv. 51, Behold, I shew you a mystery. What is that 1 We shall
not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Some men shall not_ die at the
latter day. Who knew this before ? It was a thing unknown, it is not in
all the prophets, nor in all the Old Testament ; it is a thing we had not.
known, had not Paul told it us ; it was a mystery. Now to come to the gospel, it is a hidden mystery, the most hidden secret
that ever was. It was hid where all the world could not have found it ; no,,
all the wit of men and angels could not have found it where it was hid. It
* hid in God. You shall see the
was hid in God s breast, in God s heart,
very expression in Eph. iii. 9, To make all men see what is the fellowship
of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God/
If you will know, saith he, in what field it lay, it was hidden in God. Hid from whom ?
First, From all the wise men in the world ; they could never have found
it out. Those that search into mysteries of state, and would know arcana,
imperil, think they are wise men, and that they know great matters. What
saith the Apostle ? 1 Cor. ii. 8, We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,, even the hidden wisdom, which none of the princes of this world knew.
They that have all secrets in their heads, and know how to govern states
and kingdoms, none of them all knew this, nor could ever have known it.
Nay, secondly, the gospel was hid from all the saints in the Old Testa
ment, as now it is revealed. In Col. i. 26, the Apostle saith it was hidden
* ages and generations, from all the generations past ; hid from the
from
beginning of the world, as you have it, Eph. iii. 10. You shall find in
] Pet. i. 10, 11, that the very prophets that wrote the Scripture did not
fully understand what themselves wrote in all things concerning the gospel.
Of which salvation, saith he, the prophets have inquired and searched
diligently, they inquired by prayer, and searched diligently by study of
their own writings, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto
: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which.
you
was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unta
themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you. They had them in their writings indeed, but they ministered
them to us, and that was the chief answer they could get upon all their
prayers and study.
Lastly, It was hidden from the angels. The angels were near God, but
they were not in his bosom ; they were his favourites, indeed, they were
courtiers, they stood round about him, but they knew none of it. No, God
hid it from them. Not a creature knew it, not an angel in heaven knew itr
as we now know it. Nay, the churches know it before the angels know it,. and the angels do learn of the churches. That is part of the hiding men
* to the intent that now unta
tioned, Eph. iii. 10 : it was hidden in God,
the principalities and powers in heavenly places that is, to angels
might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. They
learned the gospel of the Church ; therefore they come to hear sermons.
Brethren, the churches are full of angels, they love to hear the gospel
preached; and you know Peter tells us they pry, they bow down their necks;
it is in 1 Pet. i. 12, which things the angels desire to look into.
Thus the hidden gospel is a mystery so hidden as none could have known
140 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SjGRMON IX.
it. Adam knew the law ; it was written in Ms heart. We have principles of the knowledge of the law in our consciences ; when we hear the law
preached, we have a principle in our own consciences within us that goes along with what we hear, and answers to it ; we cannot deny it. But there is not the least footstep of the gospel in the wisdom of all the men in the world : there is nothing in the heart of man to answer to it. If the gospel be
revealed, God must create light. When it was first discovered, he created
light in their hearts to whom it was revealed. We were nothing but dark
ness. Saith the Apostle of himself as well as others, 2 Cor. iv. 6, God, that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our
hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. God must bring in a light, saith he, or else not we nor any of the apostles could ever have found it out.
What is the reason of this? Because it is the mystery of God s will, which reason we have in the
text. Who could have known that God would ever have saved sinners ? Who could ever have thought it ? He had said, he had pronounced it as his
will, it was gone out of his mouth, In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death. Here was a riddle now for all the angels in heaven. How could they have known the mystery of God s will, that he would save sinners ? Adam stood trembling, poor man, and the devil thought all cock sure. I shall damn them, thought he, as sure as I have damned myself. And all the angels stood mute, till God himself came and makes the pro mise to us. Rom, xi. 32, saith the Apostle, God hath shut up all in
unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. That God should let man
sin, and permit sin to spoil his creature, and when he had done, should mean to save it, and have mercy upon those that are shut up under unbelief, O the depth, saith he, of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! so it follows in the next words, how unsearchable are his judgments, arid his ways past finding out ! Who hath known the mind of God ? or who hath been his counsellor T Who could ever have known this, had not God revealed it, that this was his will ? No counsellor, my brethren, but one ; that is the wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God/ as he is called, Isa. ix. 6. Therefore in John i. 18, where the Apostle speaking of the gospel of grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ, as the law came by Moses, (he speaks of the revelation of this gospel in opposition to the law ;) saith he, No man hath seen God at any time, that is, hath known the mind of God. That is meant by seeing God there, it is a Jewish proverb of knowing God s mind. The only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared it. None in the world could have declared this will and mind of God, but only He that was in his bosom, that was familiar with him, his only Son; therefore he came down from heaven, and first broached the gospel
: which was first preached by the Lord himself, saith the Apostle, Heb. ii. 3.
Moses, my brethren, St John speaks of him in the verses before, and he saith the law was given by Moses, Moses was very intimate with God ; he saw God face to face ; so the expression is, and God shewed him his glory.
: The law, saith he, was given by Moses; yea, but grace and truth, the
gospel, came by Jesus Christ. Though Moses saw God face to face, he was not in his bosom, as Jesus Christ only was; and he only could reveal it, he only knew this mystery and mind of God.
I should likewise shew you that it is a mystery for the depth that is in
it ; but I shall let that pass. For an observation
EPH. I. 8, 9.] T0 THE EPHESIANS.
Obs. I. Let all that live under the gospel, and saints especially, acknow
ledge what an infinite favour of God it is to know this mystery of his will,
as you do ; that God will save sinners, and that you see the reason of it too.
For it is brought down to you in a plain manner ; you see such a satis
faction in Christ as will satisfy a man s reason. Bless God for that infinite
mercy. You see how dainty God hath been of his gospel; he kept
hidden from all ages and generations till the apostles times ; above four
thousand years. And saith our Saviour, Luke x. 24, Blessed are your eyes
that you see, and your ears that you hear, such things as all the prophets
and kings have desired to see and hear, and could not. I tell you, saith he,
1 many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see,
and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which you hear, and
have not heard them. Thou wouldst wish thyself to be a king, if thou
desirest to be happy; or thou wouldst wish thyself to be a prophet, an old
prophet, such a one as Elias was, or Isaiah, or Jeremiah, or some of them ;
nay wish thyself as Solomon and David was, both prophet and king. Thine
eyes and ears are more blessed than they. For these kings, saith he, and
these prophets, neither could see nor hear those things which you both see
and hear. Why? Because you hear and know the Mystery of His WilJ
brethren, it is the greatest privilege in the world. Our Saviour Christ was
a man of sorrows. We seldom find him rejoicing, but once; and upon what
occasion was it? Look in the 21st verse of that 10th of Luke, just before
these words : In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. And so he
* Blessed are your eyes, &c. ; that is the coherence
goeth on in his discourse,
of the words. Doth our Saviour Christ, our Head, bless God for revealing
the gospel to us poor sinners, for to save our souls, and accounts
greatest mercy of all others bestowed upon us, and shall not we ? Doth
Christ himself thus, as it were, fall down upon his knees and thank God i
it, and shall not we ?
You will object and say to me, But it is a common mercy ; we s
wicked men partake of it.
I answer jirst, Why do wicked men partake of it ? Because there are saints
amonothem, and live in the places with them ; therefore the gospel comes to
them. I have much people in this city, saith God, speaking of Corinth,
and therefore he sent Paul to preach amongst them. And so, 2 Cor. iv. 15,
< For all things are for your sakes. That Paul had all that knowledge,
and all those gifts, it was for their sakes, it was for the elect ; and therefore
you have reason to be thankful for it ; wicked men should not know a word
of it else.
Secondly, Wicked men, though they hear the gospel, yet they hear, b
understand not. There is a mystery in the gospel, which wicked men hear,
and know not. There is, I say, a mystery in it ; I passed it over before,
I will speak but a word of it now : Matt. xiii. 11-14, To you it is given
to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not
given. Here Christ speaks of the mysteries of the gospel ; a man must
have it given him to know it, which is not done to wicked men. Here both
: Christ, saith the evangelist, spake in parables
heard the same parables
and so he goeth on; saith he, Seeing they see not; and hearing, they hear
not neither do they understand, that is, they do not understand savingly.
In 1 Cor. ii. 7, the place I quoted but now, We speak, saith he, the
wisdom of God in a mystery. It is called wisdom in respect that wicked
142 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON IX.
men may see and understand a rationality in it ; but there is a mystery in this wisdom which godly men only see, and it must be given them to see it. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him/ Ps. xxv. 14. So that now, though you think it a common mercy, yet it is a peculiar mercy to know the mystery of the gospel ; to know the riches and the glory of it. It is a
peculiar mercy to the saints.
Obs. 2. The mercy lies in this, to know the gospel, the mystery of his will. He doth not say, to know the law. How slightly the apostle speaks of the law. The law, saith he,
l came by Moses. It is a slight speech, in com
parison of grace and truth; that, he saith, came by Jesus Christ. It is the mystery of his will in the gospel that he purposed in himself, the knowledge of which a man should prize. This is the glory of Christ, and this is the
: He hath ordained it for our glory, saith he, 1 Cor.
glory of our preaching
ii. 7. The preaching of the gospel is that which brings in souls : Luke xvi.
1 6, The law and the prophets were until John, but now the gospel is
preached, men crowd into it, press into it, they come thick and threefold to
it ; men come in now when the gospel is preached infinitely more than when
nothing but the law and the prophets were preached. The law and the
prophets were until John ; since that time, saith he, the kingdom of God is
preached, and every man presseth into it. This is it that bringeth men in, my brethren. Woe is me, saith the apostle. Why 1 He saith not simply, * if I preach not, but if I preach not the gospel ; that is the main thing. Second, There is but one thing more to be opened, and that is, why it is called the mystery of his will.
One reason is this, because the will of God is the foundation of the gospel. What will you resolve it into ? You must resolve it into his will, and into
nothing else. I will have mercy; this is the gospel, but his will is the foundation of it. I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy ; and his will sets his understanding a work, as it were, to find out ways to bring about the salvation of mankind. He vvorketh all things after the counsel of his own will, as it follows afterward in the 1 3th verse. Hence, therefore, it is called the mystery of his ivill.
I will give you another reason for it, which is the better reason for you, because the most comfortable thing we know in the gospel is the will of God to save sinners. Mark what I say, if thou knewest all that God knows, (it is a great word,) if thou didst not know this thing, that his mind and will were to save sinners, thou wert undone ; the knowledge of this is worth all the
rest. To know that God is merciful in his nature, this will not do it. You might have known that and despaired, for it might have been said, It is
true, he is merciful in his nature, but the question is whether he will be merciful or no ? Yea, but I will have mercy ; this word is worth all the
world, this is the gospel.
It is called the mystery of his will, thirdly, because you might have known that Jesus Christ had died too, yet if you had not known it is the will of God to accept of that death for sinners, you had been undone still, if you could
possibly have supposed this. What saith the apostle, Heb. x. 10, when he comes to speak of the sacrifice of Christ, what influence it had into our salvation ? I came to do thy will, saith he ; by the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. What is it that saveth you, that sanctifieth you? It is not simply the
offering of the blood of Christ ; if you had heard Christ had died, that would not have comforted you, had it not been for this will : by this will you are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ.
EPH. I. 8, 0.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 143
Take an observation or two from hence.
Ols. i. You see, my brethren, what is the pith of the gospel It is the
I mystery of God s will ; to know but this, that God will save sinners in the
blood of Christ, this is the pith of the gospel. This is that which is essential
to salvation ; and you see too, that it is but a small thing to know that God
will save sinners in Christ. How gracious hath God been ! He hath not
laid upon you to know all the hard things in the gospel, which scholars
know, and many believers that have large understandings know, or else you
cannot be saved. But this is the kernel of all, God will save sinners. It is
the mystery of his will ; dost thou know that? Hath that taken thy heart 1
Thou knowest that which will save thee, if thou knowest no more ; thou
knowest that which faith may feed upon, and which will make thee happy
everlastingly.
But, saith a poor soul, Will God save sinners indeed 1 (when the soul be-
oins to believe this in good earnest.) Hath God a mind to save such sinners
as I am ? saith he : I have reason to be content to be saved then. And so he
giveth up his soul to God and to Christ, and so the bargain is made. Faith is
to know the mystery of his will ; it is resolved into that.