Sermon XXIV
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe,
according to tJie working of the might of his power, which he wrought in
Christ, wJien he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. VEK. 19, 20.
I SHALL repeat nothing I have delivered, but only lay open the method I
have proceeded in handling of these words.
I propounded these four things to be considered in them : The first is, some general considerations about the power of God. I named
three
1. The excellency of that power, described in these words, the exceeding
greatness of his power.
2. The efficacious working of his power, in these words, according to the
effectual working the energy of his power of the might of his power. They are all words to note out an efficaciousness in the thing here men
tioned.
3. The proportions of the power of God ; according, saitli he. He putteth
forth more or less power in some works than in other, as himself pleaseth.
The second was, the persons toward whom this exceeding greatness of his
power is exercised ; it is to us-wards.
Thirdly, here is the work wherein it is exercised. It is all the works that God hath upon Christians, both from first to last ; this I shewed in the last
discourse, especially the work of conversion; who believe, according to the
working of the might of his power.
And when he had discoursed at large, from the 20th verse to the end of
the chapter, what a power wrought in Christ when he raised him from the
dead, he having said that he putteth forth the same power in them that
believe, he telleth them in the 2d chapter, from the 1st verse to the
7th, that he put forth the same power in raising them up, in quickening
their hearts, in working grace in them. Read over the coherence, and you
will find it to be especially meant of the work that he had wrought in them, when he converted them and brought them to believe.
I am yet upon the third thing, viz., wherein this power is manifested. I
proved in the last discourse and I thought to have added something, but
that the time cut me off from what I have now to deliver that the thing wherein this power is manifested, this exceeding greatness of power, is at the
present in believers ; it is not only meant, as some would have it, of his
power in raising them up at the last day. For this I shewed reasons, which
I will not repeat.
I proved it, first, to be the scope of the Apostle. Now, the second thing will be, What it is in the work of conversion that
doth draw forth the exceeding greatness of the power of God.
And the third thing is this, That it lioldeth proportion with that power that
raised up Jesus Christ from death to life.
356 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXIV,
Now then, to handle, in the first place, that second thing mentioned, viz., What it is in the work of conversion, which I have proved to be the scope of the Apostle to take in, and especially to aim at, I say, What is that should draw forth so great a power from God, to have all these high and
mighty expressions of it : the exceeding greatness of the might of his power. There are great disputes in the world, what power God putteth forth in
converting men to him. My brethren, believe not discourses of it, but be
lieve the Holy Ghost himself. If you would know what power is put forth
in any work, ask the agent himself. Who is he that lets fall these words but he that hath converted millions of souls, who is the power of the
Highest, as he is called, Luke i. 35 1 He it is that hath indited this scrip
ture, and he saith no less goeth to it than the exceeding greatness of his
power. Oftentimes the standers-by discern it not. When the woman was
healed by a touch of the hem of Christ s garment, those that stood by dis cerned no such thing. Hear Christ speak
: saith he, Virtue is gone from me. He could best tell ; because the Holy Ghost doth work oftentimes in men s hearts in a trice ; like unto a strong man that hath a sleight of hand, takes up a weight in show easily; hence therefore, men think that there is no great power goeth to the work, but the man himself that doth the thing thus slightly, he can tell you what strength he putteth to it. So the Holy Ghost, he that was the inditer of this epistle, telleth us that the exceeding
greatness of his power went to the converting of you.
Now, my brethren, though this be enough to settle your hearts in it, yet consider the work itself: what it is that requiretli this power. All wise
agents do proportion their power unto the work they have in hand ; he that
spends more power than the thing requireth, it is folly. And God, you know, works all things in weight and measure. Let us consider, therefore, what
there is in this great work should draw forth the exceeding greatness of the
power of God.
According, saith he, to the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward. The word sl$ vpas either is toward us, as noting an extrinsical agency, an
agency without us, yet which concerns us ; or it noteth out in us. We will
consider, first, what God doth when he bringeth a man home to him, which is an extrinsical work out of him; and, secondly, what he doth in him : and
so we shall by degrees shew you that there is an exceeding greatness of
power required to this work.
In the first place, what God doth extrinsically toward a man, and for a man, besides what he doth in him.
First, when he converteth a man, he casteth the devil out of him ; that is one thing that is done for a man, besides what is done in his own heart ; and
there is an exceeding greatness of power goeth to this. In Matt. xii. 28, our Saviour Christ there, from his having cast out a devil, and their saying he did it by the prince of devils, he clears the point, and he riseth up to the point of conversion, for that is his scope likewise, and he sheweth that it must be a divine power that must cast the devil out of a man, and when you are turned to God the devil is cast out of you. Saith he, If I cast out devils
by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you ; else, saith he, how can one enter into a strong man s house, and spoil his goods,
except he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house ?
To open this place unto you a little :
Every man before his conversion, as he is a child of Satan, so, as chap. ii. 2 of this epistle hath it, the devil works effectually in him while he is a child of disobedience ; he doth ride and act, and fill the hearts of men, as you have
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 357
it, Acts v. 3. You shall find this in Scripture, that the wickedness of men
is expressed to you by how many devils they have in them; as, Luke xi. 26, when he would describe a man s state to be in a worse condition than his
former, he takes seven devils worse than himself, and they enter into the man. According to the proportion of a man s wickedness in the state of
nature, accordingly hath he devils that possess his soul ; that is certain.
According, saith he in that Eph. ii. 2, to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that works now in the children of disobedience, works not in
you as he was wont to do, for he is cast out ; he works now, but not in you ; you walk thus and thus, not according to the power of the prince of the air.
Therefore, in John xvi. 11, he saith that the Spirit shall convince the world
of judgment, for, saith he, the prince of this world is judged. When a man is converted, Satan is judged, is cast out. Before, a man was taken
captive of him at his will, 2 Tim. ii. 26. My brethren, this is a mighty power, to throw the devil out of a man. In
Matt. xii. 28, he saith, If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils. Look Luke xi. 20, If I by the finger of God. The finger of God, you know, was
applied to a miracle that no creature could do, Exod. viii. 19. He is called
the strong man; and, saith he, if I throw the devil out of any man, I must overcome him by strength, for he is a strong man. He compareth him to a giant, and, saith he, he will never yield ; he must be bound ; there
is no quarter, no moral persuasions will turn the devil out of a man s heart. And he saith I remember it is an expression in Luke xi. 22 that he hath
Tcei/ocrX/ai/, armour ; he hath all sorts of armour for to defend himself, and to
keep the heart, which, in the 21st verse, is compared to his castle. He com
pareth him to a strong man that hath his castle, and he hath goods there ; for so he calleth them there, a spoiling of his goods, for every sin is the
devil s goods ; it is more the devil s work than ours, he is gratified in it more than we ; it is our loss, but it is his gain, for he is the father of all sin. Now, saith he, if I cast the devil out of a man s heart, he must be bound, it must be by main strength ; therefore, saith he, a man must enter in that is
stronger than he, and bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house.
Here is, you see, one part of the greatness of power put forth in the work
of conversion ; but here is but the finger of God, it is no more in comparison of what followeth ; yet this is somewhat toward it. Here is the exceeding
greatness of his power toward us, or to us-ward.
But, secondly, let us come to the exceeding greatness of his power in us. To open that to you, for indeed that is the main. You shall find there are
. exceeding great expressions of Scripture about the work of grace in us.
It is compared to creating at the first, that expression is often used, to a
metamorphosis, a transformation. It is a word that is used Rom. xii. 2. It
is such a transformation as when beasts are turned into men ; for so you know the word metamorphosis is. It is the title of a book that describeth
the metamorphosis, the change of men into beasts, and beasts into men. So
it is described Isa. xi. 6 ; he telleth us there that the wolf and the lamb should dwell together, and the lion and the calf should lie down together ; that is, God under the gospel would change these creatures, the wildness of
them; he would metamorphose them. And Isa. xliii. 18, 19 ; it is a place that the Apostle doth allude to, and therefore I quote it. You shall find in
2 Cor. v. 17, saith the Apostle, If any man be in Christ, he is a new crea
ture : old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Now, that place in Isaiah is quoted for this ; and if you read there, where he useth the same words much to that purpose, he telleth you that the beasts of the
358 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXIV.
field shall honour him. He had mentioned before, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old ; here old things are passed away. Behold, I will do a new thing ; the beasts of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls. He would go and convert heathenish men, men that were beasts, that were as remote from honouring God even as beasts are in some regard. But how would he do this but by a creation ? Saith he, ver. 21, This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. Here is that the Apostle saith, old things are past, all
things are become new; it is with a transformation. Now, my brethren, where have you in Scripture mark what I shall now
say any one that fell away from God, that it is said of him he was a new
creature, or was born again, which is the infusion of a new life, or a new soul ; or that he was quickened and raised from the dead ? All these phrases are put to express the greatness of his power. It is nowhere said in all the word of God, of any such man, that he fell away. Why ? Because to that work that shall never fall away goeth a power answerable to the work of creation ; it is the infusion of a new nature, it is the raising of a dead man. There is a counterfeit of it indeed, which these phrases are never
applied unto.
But, you will say, these are metaphors. Suppose they be but metaphors many of them, yet still in this they agree, that the same power that created, the same power that shall change a beast into a man, makes that transformation ; the same power that shall quicken a dead man, the same power doth go to convert. In this they agree. My brethren, I ask you this question, To what end doth God set forth the work of grace to us by these metaphors ? He setteth them forth that he
might have real thanks ; therefore certainly there is something in these ex
pressions that answereth the work of creation that is real ; for God would not have you give thanks above his proportion, above what his power in
working is. Do but compare Eph. ii. 10 with Col. iii. 10. In Eph. ii. 10, saith he, We are his workmanship. How 1 Produced by creation. If he had meant any other working, will you mark my reason ? if he had meant
any other working than creation, he would never have said, his workman
ship created; it had been enough to have said, his workmanship, for that
implieth the power of God. Why doth he add created? Certainly, to shew that is as great a work as creation. Therefore, in Col. iii. 10, (compare with this likewise Eph. iv. 24,) he compareth the image of God before the
fall to the image of God now renewed in the heart of a Christian. Saith he, We are renewed, so it is in the Colossians, after the image of him that
created him, namely at first. All the world grants that it was an immediate
power of creation wrought that image at first. Now then, look Eph. iv. 24, and there you shall find that this image is said to be created likewise, after the image of him that created them at the first. So that this is Ms mean
ing ; as it is the same image, so there is the same power goeth to work it ;
it is a creation works it now, as a creation wrought it before. He useth the same expression both of the one and of the other.
Will you come to particulars, this is but in general, you shall find it is a
power exceedeth the creation. I will but take for my ground Ezek. xxxvi. 26 ; you shall see there what goeth to convert a man. The power of God is
put forth there in three things
: It is put forth, first, in the removing of what hindereth; there is amotio impediment; it is called the taking the stony heart out of your flesh, so
ver. 20.
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 359
There is, secondly, a giving of a neiv capacity to perform, a new nature and new disposition, which is called giving a new spirit, and by new spirit he meaneth another thing than the Holy Ghost. Why? For he men-
tioneth him afterward ; I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. That is at the 27th verse, but this new spirit is at
the 26th verse.
And then, thirdly, there is not only a power given, new and holy disposi
tions that shall make a man capable by the actings of the Holy Ghost to do
well; it is a workmanship created to good works, it is fit for it; but he
telleth us, I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, so saith ver. 27. And to shew that he it is that doth all this by an almighty power, what saith he at ver. 36 ? After he had set down
enlargements of promises, saith he, I the Lord have spoken it, and I will
do it ; as he is Jehovah he will do it. Now, let us but consider these three things, and you shall see what a
mighty power goeth to turn a man to God.
Consider, first, what God takes away; I will take, saith he, the stony heart out of your flesh. It is not a hardness, such as is of wax, that by an
extrinsical power may be melted ; the fire will melt it, the sun will melt it ; but no fire, no sun, will melt a stone ; you can deal with that no way but by
taking it away ; therefore that is the phrase, I will, saith he, take away the
heart of stone, or the stone of the heart. You see here is something to be
destroyed, therefore it is called a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17. Why new]
Because all new respecteth all old to be taken away, as Heb. viii. 13, In
that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old ; he abolisheth
that : so the words following imply, and so indeed it followeth in 2 Cor. v.
17, He that is in Christ is a new creature : old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new. There is a passing away, a taking away of old things, and there is not a whit of the old remaineth in the new ; all is become new, saith he ; not a stick, not a stud that was in a man s natural
estate will serve afterward, more than the soul and the faculties of it. All
old things pass away, and all are become new.
Now, my brethren, will you compare it with the creation, that you may
see it is a thing far exceedeth it 1 God sheweth forth power in creating ; he
sheweth forth here greatness of power, and exceeding greatness of power ; it
will appear before we have done.
Herein lay the power of God in the creation, that he created something out of nothing, as it is Rom. iv. 17, He called things that be not as if they were ; yet that is made even and equal with the raising of the dead in
that very place. But here is a calling things that are to nothing first, and when he hath done that, then there is a calling things that are out of no
thing. There is a doubling of his power in this ; there is not only a calling
things out of nothing, but there is a bringing to nothing old things. Now,
it is a rule in politics, and it holdeth true in philosophy likewise, Ejusdem
potestatis est destruere cujus est constituere, The same power that goeth to make laws is it which destroyeth laws, disannulleth laws ; there is as much
power goeth to bring old things to nothing, as there is to create new things out of nothing. Now then, here is a double power, you see ; here is not
only power, but greatness of power ; it will come to exceeding greatness anon.
The conversion of a sinner is not expressed only by putting in a new heart, but the Scripture doth usually express it by destroying old things; and as much by that as the other, because the power of God is seen as much in
360 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SfiPvMON XXIV.
that as in working grace, that is, as in working grace simply
: it is not but
that the working of grace is at the same time with this destroying old
things ; but it is to shew that there is a doubling of his power in it. It is
more than to create grace in Adam or in the angels. He therefore calleth it
the destroying of the body of sin/ Rom. vi. 6 ; the circumcision of the
heart, he cutteth off something, Col. ii. 1 1 ; the taking away of the vail. I
might give you many like instances.
In one word, I do parallel justification and sanctification together. There
goeth more to justify a sinner than went to justify an angel that never fell,
or Adam in innocency. There is not only an active obedience, Do this
and live ; but there is a satisfaction to the punishment of the law, which
was an appendix to the law ; there is a passive obedience too ; if you will
justify a sinner you must put these in. Come to sanctification likewise ;
there is not only required a power to put grace into a man, but to destroy
sin. Therefore now, as when he would magnify the mercy of God in justify
ing us, he mentioneth the state of sin we were in : so when he would
magnify the power of God in conversion, he considereth the estate we were
in before conversion. So you see here is now a power to create a new crea
ture, here is a power to dissolve the old. Here is power, and greatness of
power.
Well, but consider in the third place this, that the thing to be destroyed
viz., sin is opposite, is enmity to the grace that God bringeth in, and to God and his law. It is not simply to destroy old things, to bring a creature to
nothing ; but it is to destroy enmity. In the first creation, when all things were made out of nothing, there was nothing to oppose, though there were
nothing to help it. It had no matter to be wrought upon, yet there was
not matter to oppose, for all was made out of nothing. But here, that which is destroyed is the highest, the greatest enemy that can be. You may see for this Bom. viii. 7, The carnal mind, saith he or indeed, the
carnal disposition of the mind, for the word implieth so much is enmity
against God ; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Here are two things, you see, said of the disposition of a man s mind by nature. The first is, it cannot be subject ; and the second is, it is enmity. In the first place, it cannot be subject. A wolf will sooner marry a lamb, or a lamb a wolf, than ever a carnal heart will be subject to the law of God, which was the ancient husband of it, as in Rom. vii. 6. It is the turning of one contrary into another. To turn water into wine, there is some kind
of symbolising, yet that is a miracle. But to turn a wolf into a lamb, to turn fire into water, or rather flesh into spirit ; what saith the Apostle, Gal.
v. 17 1 These are contrary. Between nothing and something there is an
infinite distance ; but between sin and grace there is a greater distance than can be between nothing and the greatest angel in heaven.
: to destroy the power of sin, how great a
To exemplify this unto you
power must it needs be ! You all yield that to take away the guilt of sin
requireth an infinite power, an infinite righteousness. Saith our Saviour
* Whether is it easier to say to the man, and make
Christ, Matt. ix. 6,
it good when you have done, Thy sins are forgiven, or to say, Arise and walk? It was a harder thing to forgive sins; only, saith he, that ye might know that the Son of man hath power to forgive sins, for they would
deny that he had power to forgive sins, he exemplified! it by a miracle ; but
to forgive sins, saith he, that is his meaning, is infinitely harder.
Now, as we say of the attributes of God that they are alike, of equal extent, so are the two attributes of sin, as I may call them ; the guilt of sin
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 361
and the power of sin are of a like extent. To destroy the power of sin in a man s soul is as great a work as to take away the guilt of sin ; all miracles are
in it, saith he : the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, and the poor receive the gospel ; it is easier to say to a blind man, See, and to a lame man, Walk, than to say to a man that lies under the power of sin, Live, be holy, for there is that that will not be subject.
You will say to me, that the expelling of sin is but the putting in of
grace, as of darkness by light.
But let me tell you this, that sin is too hard for grace, if grace had not a back. Adam had grace enough, but sin seized on his heart, threw it out. The strength of sin is the law, saith he, and sin would keep possession ; it hath the law to plead for it ; but, saith he, on the contrary, the strength of grace is the gospel ; and that is it that keepeth grace now that it is not thrown out, otherwise sin would quickly throw your grace out, it is too hard
for it. That is the first thing, it is not subject to the law of God. Not only so, but it is said to be enmity. It is not only said, it cannot be
subject, and it must be destroyed, or else it will never yield, but it is enmity in the abstract, it is in the nature of it. In Col. i. 21, we are not only said to be enemies by evil works, it is not a grudge, but we are said to be enemies in our mind too. Now, my brethren, if there be such an enmity, and if there be such a
power in sin as there is, to detain a man, that will not yield, will hold a man
to the utmost, there must be an almighty poiver of God to subdue it. You
shall find in Col. i., the Apostle at the llth verse having mentioned the
glorious power of God that enabled the saints to do what they did ; upon occasion of it what followeth ? Giving thanks, saith he, ver. 12, unto the
Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and trans
saints in light
lated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. When he cometh to give thanks
for the works of grace upon them, what doth he mention ? Not only mak
ing them holy, making them meet for the inheritance of the saints in light, but likewise for delivering them from the power of darkness. The word ew-
60170 implieth not merely a delivering or freeing, but a freeing by violence, a
snatching out of a power that else would never yield. I remember Zanchy saith upon it, They are freed, saith he, not only that have a desire to be free, but they are snatched out, eripiuntur, that have no desire to be free. And
that is the condition of a man in the state of nature.
I But you will say, all these are but metaphors ; all that is spoken of the
state of corruption and the power of God in delivering a man.
Shall I tell you in a word ? When you come to hell, you will not then
say they are metaphors ; you will then find all these things true of your natural condition. And let me tell you this too. If ever you come to be
humbled, you will not find them metaphors, but realities ; for the soul of a man is humbled under the real sense of all these things when he turneth unto God ; and yet when it cometh to a dispute upon the pov. er of God in
working upon a man s heart, creation, and the like, these are you say but
metaphors. My brethren, they have the greatest reality in them in the world. To give you but an instance, that now your own hearts may be judges
go take all the powers of man, when a man cometh to turn unto God, and do but see what a mighty opposition there is ; go take the understanding of a man. God beginneth there ; what doth he find there 1 He fmdeth not
, only ignorance of all spiritual principles, and such an ignorance as a man is
I not capable of knowing; he cannot know, so saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15,
* [SERMON XXIV.
362 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE
he is blind. Now it was never heard/ saith he, from the creation of
the world, that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind ; yet
this is the power that must convert a man. But, I say, that is not all, there
is not only an incapacity, a blindness, but there is an opposition, and the
strongest that may be ; and this must be taken away.
I will quote but one place for it ; it is in 2 Cor. x. 4. He describeth
there, as the text doth here, the mighty power of God in converting of a
man. The weapons of our warfare, saith he, are mighty through God.
Mighty 1 Wherein lieth their might ? That he might shew the might that
is drawn forth, he describeth the opposition that the understanding of a man makes against the ways of God ; he telleth us that there are strong holds : Pulling down of strongholds, saith he ; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ. Here
lieth the power, the might that God sheweth ; he speaks of that opposition that is in the understanding of a man, as the word vo^a, reasonings, im-
plieth ; high thoughts, a devil to a strong man. He compareth the opposi tion to what is in a besieged town ; there are strongholds, and there are such
as plainly will take no quarter, they must die for it, or else they will never
yield ; therefore he calleth it pulling down the holds ; there is no way else
to get them, the Holy Ghost must batter them about their ears, yield they j will not. They consist in reasonings and in imaginations ; a bottom light doth it. When a man cometh to turn to God, let him have never so much
knowledge, when he shall come to turn to God in earnest, he hath a thou sand dislikes and not fancyings of the ways of God, he hath a world of arguj ments and objections, and an infinity of reasonings against them. My ; brethren, when a man s heart is put to it what is the right way of worship-
j ping God and serving him, personally and otherwise, there is nothing but a i world of reasonings that come in against it ; and there are high thoughts
that exalt themselves likewise. These must all be brought into subjection, j My brethren, when a man turns to God,- I will express it to you in a J
parliamentary language, you must have this fundamental law, this bill pass,
this must be the predominate rule, the suprema lex, the highest law that must guide a man s whole life ; namely, that it is best to obey Christ in all i
things, at all times, and in all conditions, whatsoever the state be. This bill
j must pass with the consent of the whole heart. Now, to advance Christ, to
bring all, every high thought into captivity, into subjection to the obedience
of Christ; this will never be without an army, without the mighty power of:
i our weapons are mighty through God, saith he ; they must be mighty through him, they will never do else. Now, do but think with yourselves what an uproar there must needs be in the state of the soul at the introducing such a law as this into a man s heart, if it be in earnest, if he sees he must live by it for ever. Yon
God, that must throw all these strongholds down ;
<
shall have all the three states against it, both the understanding, will, and ;
affections j you shall have big swelling reasonings and thoughts of absurdii
ties. What ? If this law take place, we must all come down then ; all pro-
j jects, all corruptions must go down.
My brethren, if all the apostles were now alive, and should set themselves to persuade one man ; and, besides them, if God should send all the angels down from heaven to the earth to persuade one man, they could not make
j this law pass in a man s heart, they could not persuade him to it ; it must
\ be the might of God to throw down all opposite reasonings. And God doth
this, he doth come with a little light, a bottom light into a man s heart, for
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 363
he createth there, and letteth him see that excellency that is in himself and
in his ways ; and he doth not stand reasoning much with him neither, though
all reasonings are for it ; but God letteth in a light, answereth all objections, throweth down all strongholds, bringeth every thought into the obedience of
Christ. Paul was in his height ; how opposite was he unto God 1 What a world of reasonings had he against Christ in his heart ? Jesus Christ did but tell him, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest, and there was a light shone in his mind, as much as that which shone round about him, and in an
instant saith he, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? All the disputa tions in the world would never have wrought thus. So the poor jailor cometh in trembling at midnight, Sirs, what shall I do to be saved 1 He was converted before morning. All the reasonings in the world, and all the moral persuasions that men or angels could have brought, would never have done this ; it was the mighty power of God casting down strongholds, put
ting in a light that goeth beyond all a man s objections.
Come to a man s will, and you will have as much to do there. A man s
will must have a new end put upon it. And come to the will and affec
tions, you shall find as much difficulty there to oppose. For example, there
are two great principles in the heart of a man, that if ever God s Spirit cometh
to deal with in good earnest, will hold tug with him as long as they can. What are they ? You shall have them in 2 Tim. iii. 2, 4, Men shall be
lovers of their own selves ; there is the first ; and then followeth, covetous,
proud, boasters, &c. And the last is at the 4th verse, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Here are the two principles that are in a man s
will and affections, and they will try it too. This same Self-love, that is the
General, that goeth before, the captain ; and Love of Pleasure, that is the lieu
tenant, that followeth after this army. One is the first, the other is last, backs
all these lusts that are between.
Love of a man s self; first begin with that. It is the great devil ; absolutely
it is Beelzebub, it is the prince of devils, it is the bottom of original sin ; and
to throw this devil out of a man s heart, to depose him, to bring him down,
it must be a mighty power indeed to do it. It was a great power to cast
the devil out of a man ; but to cast out this great devil out of a man s heart, to depose him, and bring another king in, this is a hard work. When God was thrown out of a man s heart when Adam did sin, then Self-love was
next heir, and stepped up into the throne. All that God had, saith Self-love, I will have, I will serve myself as much as ever I did God. Now, as all the
heart was for God before, in the same manner it is for itself now. All the
strength that a man hath doth back Self-love, stands for the king. It is a
king of an absolute sovereignty ; and because it is a king, therefore when God cometh and tells a man, You must be subject to me, Self-love bustleth. What 1 I am absolute, saith he. It is enmity against the law and against all
that shall proclaim war against Self-love in a man. I am for myself, saith
he, and all that is within me is for me ; there is but poor Conscience, that
standeth contesting a little ; but the whole heart is for it, that is certain. Now, when the Holy Ghost shall come to depose this great king, this abso
lute monarch, as it is in a man s heart, especially it shall be a foreigner that
shall go about to do it, as God and the Spirit of God is. Love is strong as
death, it is a proverb, Cant. viii. 6. Self-love much more ; all the strength that a man hath is for himself, he will give all for his life, for the life of this
king ; a man will never yield ; all in nature will rise up against him that
shall go about to depose it, all will be in arms. Yet notwithstanding, though the heathen imagine a vain thing, though the people and kings of the earth
364 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXIV.
xage against Christ, and though all in a man thus be up in arms, yet God
will set his Son upon this holy hill, upon a man s heart, before he hath done.
My brethren, this must be an almighty power that must do it ; it is not
all the persuasions in the world will do it. You may persuade Self-love to much ; to serve God, and to do many things so far as will stand with its
prerogative, so that he may remain king still; but to depose him, and that God shall be king, and he God s favourite, this must be an almighty power to do it. So likewise for the love of pleasures, that is the second thing. When Selflove cometh to be deposed thus, as in conversion it is, from being king, saith
every lust, every poor inferior lust, If this government be altered, I shall lose
this pleasure and that pleasure, if you turn the world upside down thus. There is nothing in the heart, my brethren, but is for pleasure in some kind or other. A man liveth in pleasure, that is the expression, as a fish doth in
its element. Take him out of carnal natural pleasures in some creature or
other, his soul dieth ; it will fight for pleasure as for his life. Saith the
Apostle, 2 Peter ii. 14, They have eyes full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin ; they cannot, till a further power cometh. Luke xiv. 20, I have married a wife, saith he, and in plain terms, I cannot come ; he makes that
his excuse ; for such lusts as these are have a mighty power upon a man s
heart. How great ? See what Christ s own expression is, that was the Saviour cf souls, and knew what belonged to the converting of them, for he died for them. In Matt. xix. 24, there was a rich man came to him, and he was an ingenuous man. Christ preached the gospel to him, moved his heart a little, he used all moral persuasions to him that could be, told him that he should have eternal life ; yet he goeth away. What doth Christ in
fer upon this ? You shall find the story of that young man is the introduc tion to the words I quote this place for ; A rich man/ saith he, shall
hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Hardly ? That is no great mat
ter. What doth our Saviour Christ ? He riseth higher in his expression
: And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God y not for one that is rich simply, but Mark telleth us, chap, x., for one that trusteth in his riches, that is his expression.
First, he saith it is hard.
Secondly, it is so hard, as it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It was a proverb among the Jews, and it is in many of the rabbins extant to this day. You will say that it is an absurdity to use such an ex
pression, a camel to go through the eye of a needle ; the more absurdity there is in it, the more it expresseth the impossibility.
In the third place, saith Christ, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible ; it is impossible for all men in the world to do the work for another man ; that is simply impossible ; but with God all
: why doth he say all things ? If it were a slight work he would not say so ; but, saith he, with God that works all things else, that hath an omnipotent power to subdue all things to himself, with him it is
things are possible
possible, he must do this.
I find this word, all things are possible, used but in one or two cases. It is used upon the incarnation of Christ ; when the angel had told Mary that
Jesus Christ should be born of her, saith he, with God all things are pos
sible, and that was the highest work that ever he did, he shewed strength with his arm there. So it is said of his working in us, Eph. iii. 20 ; and the like you have, Phil. iii. 21, According to the power whereby he subdueth
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 365
all things unto himself, that is the power that works in us ; that is the
power that must work a man off whose heart is set upon his riches, and is
set upon any pleasure.
My brethren, it is not the offers of eternity, it is not all the persuasions of men and angels, nor of the Holy Ghost himself, if they be but mere moral
persuasions, will make a man part with a bird in the hand for two in the bush. My meaning is, that will make a man part with his lusts, or his plea
sures and sin, and take and accept the offers of eternity ; but it must be the
power of God, with whom all things are possible, and he must put forth as much power to work this as he putteth forth to work all things else. And so now you have seen the power that is shewn in destroying this opposite, sin.
I will but speak a word of the power that is in creating. There is yet something to be done, there must be a new creation besides this destruction. There is a taking away the old heart ; old things pass away, you see what a
power that requireth. The second thing in Ezekiel that I mentioned, because that place holdeth this out, is a new heart and a new spirit, and to work that is a work of creation ; it is an almighty power of God. Now, creation
is a work that hath no matter to work upon, that is properly creation, and therefore requireth an infinite power.
* Create in me, saith he, a clean
heart, Ps. li. Saith he in Job xiv. 4, Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? If a man s heart be unclean, if he come to have a clean heart,
certainly it must be created. We are therefore said to be the workman
ship of God, created to good works, in that second to the Ephesians. Mark
it, it is not only a working upon the heart, but a workmanship it is called. And if you will know the manner of setting up and producing it, it is by way of creation.
I might be large in shewing you, that besides this destroying old things, there is a creating of new principles and gracious dispositions in the heart before a man turneth to God, which are the foundations of his turning to God. Turn me, and I shall be turned. I will name but a scripture or two ; and then I will shew you the mighty power that goeth to create this
disposition.
First, I will shew to you because those that make the power of God to be only external, assisting, do detract from the power of God that it lieth in creating neu) dispositions in the heart, and then assisting, and then work
ing upon them. I will name a scripture or two. I have shewed you what
goeth to destroy the old ; I will shew you then what power also goeth to the creating and rearing up of the new.
First, I will shew you that there must be a new principle created. Saith
he, John iii. C, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which born of the Spirit is spirit. See how I argue out of these words. Here you see there is flesh and corruption, which is by one birth ; here is spirit, a distinct
thing from the Holy Ghost, that is a fruit of a second birth. Now, my brethren, take a man in his first birth ; all the world yieldeth that there are habitual principles and dispositions unto evil, there is a habitual aversion from God, and conversion to the creature ; there are dispositions and inclina tions only to what is evil. Now then, in the second birth, answerably the
spirit that is made and born by the Holy Ghost must be oppositely holy, and have dispositions to the contrary ; for otherwise, nature is not healed if the Holy Ghost only works acts in a man, and did not work habits ; the second Adam did not answer the first. And therefore you shall find, Gal.
v. 17, the Apostle saith, The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit
366 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXIV.
against the flesh ; for these are contrary. I appeal ; dare any man say the
Holy Ghost lusteth in us against the flesh 1 No, it is the spirit, a habitual
frame of heart that lusteth in us against corruption. So now there is a new
spirit wrought ; that is, there are dispositions that are contrary unto sin, as
sin is unto grace. As there are habitual dispositions to sin, both through nature and custom ; so there are habitual dispositions to good that do lust
against the flesh in a man. Therefore he compareth this spirit in that 5th
to the Galatians to a root, The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, &c. He compareth the spirit or frame
of grace, begotten by the Holy Ghost, unto a root.
Now mark you, to follow this, in Matt. xiii. 21, speaking of those that
are temporisers, what doth he say of them ? He saith they wanted a root
in themselves ; that is, they had not habitual dispositions of grace created in
their hearts, that might be a root to the fruit of the spirit ; for you know
the root and fruits answer one another. Nay, if you ask me what that root
is, the parable there explaineth it, a good and honest heart, a heart made
holy ; therefore our Saviour Christ saith, Matt. vii. 1 7, compared with Matt,
xii. 33, make the tree good, and the fruit will be good, but the tree must
be good first. Therefore you may read in Matt, xxv., the foolish virgins had lamps, they had assistance from the Holy Ghost for present performances; but the wise virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps. When them
selves were asleep, and their lamps were out, yet they had a holy disposition, a spirit of grace ; they had oil remaining in their hearts. I will not stand
to open this ; it is the law written in their hearts. I could shew you that
the written law in the heart is not the Holy Ghost, for he is the writer, as
it is 2 Cor. iii. 3. It is called the inner man renewed daily. It is the
Holy Ghost that strengthened the inner man ; it is not the soul that is the
inner man properly, but the inner man is that which is opposite to corrup tion ; and he saith, Eph. iii. 1 6, they were strengthened with might by the
Spirit in the inner man.
Well, here therefore is an inner man to be wrought, to be created. Now
if there be an inner man to be created, and holy and gracious dispositions, here is an almighty power to do it. My brethren, you know that John Baptist was sanctified in the womb ; he had not the Holy Ghost only working upon him in way of acts, for he
did not actually believe and actually repent ; children do not. If you take
away habits of grace, you must take away all grace from infants, from that
pure part of the Church as one calleth them, purissima ecclesice, for so they are.
Now for the creation of these habits of grace, all holy dispositions, there must be an almighty power go to do it. I will give you a scripture for it ; it
is 2 Peter i. 3, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue : whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
precious promises
Here you see wherein the mighty power of God is seen in working upon a man s heart ; it is in giving him all things belonging to life and godliness. The meaning is this, he furnisheth him with tools ; it is called a workman
ship. If you would set up a man s trade, you will furnish him with all
instruments, with all utensils necessary to a trade ; so here, it is a workman
ship created, lie hath all habits in him necessary, all things pertaining to life and godliness, and this a mighty power must do answerable to the creation.
Yea, let me tell you this, that although the creation of the world and of a i
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 367
I man s soul be a mighty work, yet to create grace, especially the second time,
i to fit a man for heaven, is a greater work, it is more than all the first crea
tion ; it is a transcendent thing. There is no work that God doth so great
I as this, especially this new creation of grace, for it fitteth a man for heaven.
Therefore saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. v. 5, He that hath wrought us for the
[selfsame thing; he hath wrought us for heaven. Adam s grace did not
| fit him for heaven. That which must carry a man into heaven is a grace,
| as the grace of faith is, higher than what Adam had in this world. He was
! not fitted for heaven by what he had ; but we are made meet for the in heritance of the saints in light. It must be a more transcendent grace than what Adam had ; raised up to higher acts at least. Though grace be but an accident in the soul of a man, yet it is more worth than all men s souls. It is not so in philosophy ; that will tell you other
wise, that will tell you that a substance is better than an accident. But it
is so in divinity. Saith he, James i. 18, Of his own will hath he begotten
us, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. The meaning
is, Hath he put grace into us ? To what end hath he done it ? He hath made us thereby, saith he, the choicest of all his creatures : as Christ is called the first-fruits of them that sleep, the choicest of them ; so, saith he, we are made the choicest of all the creatures, having grace wrought in us, he hav
ing begotten us. Israel is called, Jer. ii. 3, the first-fruits of God, because he was the choicest of all the world ; and though that word seemeth to be a
diminishing, yet the truth is here it heighteneth it, it is a^ao^ nva, and it
is of the creatures, xr/<T,aarK, in the plural number, it makes a man most excellent of all creatures whatsoever. It is a good saying of Aquinas
: The food of grace, saith he, is a greater good than the good of the world ; it
fccelleth all creatures.
And therefore, my brethren, let me but add this : Of all creations, the creation of grace is the greatest next to that of glory ; and, for my part, I must profess unto you, I think as great, for it is that which fitteth a man
for glory ; it is the beginning of glory. Of all creations it is the greatest, there are but two to be compared with it. I shall give you Scripture for it. I remember the last day I quoted the second to the Colossians, and the 10th, llth, 12th verses, where it is said that faith is of the operation of God, and
speaking of sanctification, he saith, it is a circumcision made without hands. There are but two things in the Scripture that are said to be made without
feands, and it is to shew the excellency of their creation above all creatures
e, as you shall see by and by. It is a phrase used of the glory of heaven :
- We look for a house not made with hands, saith he, 2 Cor. v. 1. It is used likewise of the framing the body of Christ, and uniting it to the Godfcead : Heb. ix. 11, it is said to be a tabernacle made without hands. And what is the meaning of made without hands there ? The Apostle himself explaineth it ; that is, we translate it, not of this building, but in the Greek it is, not of this creation. Adam s body was made and created ; but, saith he, his was made with hands in comparison with the body of
Christ, take it with all his graces. It is not of this creation, saith he, it
is a higher creation, so the phrase made without hands implieth ; and it is used but of the body of Christ, and of the glory of heaven; and to create
grace is as much.
To confirm this to you, that it is so taken ; made without hands, is not
wily in opposition to the work of man, but to the work of God too, and to the work of the first creation. I will give you a scripture for this, compare but two scriptures together, that the phrase is so taken, Acts vii. 49. There
368 AX EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XXIV.
Stephen doth quote Isa. Ixvi. 1, to prove that God would not dwell in a
temple made with hands; saith he, ver. 47, Solomon built him a house; howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands. That!
is, you will say, in temples made with man s hands ; but you shall see it is
not made with God s hands by the first creation : As saith the prophet, he quoteth the prophet for it, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my foot
stool : what house will ye build me, saith the Lord 1 Hath not my hands made all these things V Not made with hands, hath an opposition not
only to the temple made with man s hands, but to the whole creation made
with God s hands at first ; for otherwise how cometh in this phrase, Hatto
not my hands made these things ? That is, these are but my own creatures; heaven and earth are an ordinary sort of creatures, and all the things in the
world you see are but an ordinary sort of creatures; and these, saith he, my hands have made : but I will have something to dwell in made without hands ; that is, it shall not be of this creation, it shall be of a higher
crear>
tion. What is that 1 Look in Isaiah, With him will I dwell that is of a
poor and a humble spirit, that trembleth at my word. Doth God create anew? Doth he create grace in the heart? It is not of this creation heaven and earth were made of; it is of a higher creation : yet there was an
almighty power in creating them ; and yet, saith he, it is not of that crea
tion; the making of heaven and earth is but an ordinary sort of work; but the making grace in a man s heart is a creating without hands in com
parison of heaven and earth.
To use but a scripture more, and it is but a false testimony ; when the
* We heard
false witnesses brought an accusation against Christ, they said,
this man say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three
days I will build another made without hands; which though it were a
false testimony, yet it may serve for this.
But I say the phrase is only used of us, and of the framing of the body of Christ, which are all transcendent and above the first creation. So that
to work grace, to work the love of God in the soul, to put the least life of
grace into the soul, is a new creation ; it is a work made without hands. My brethren, I will end all this in one word. You see here is a work of a new creation, that doth put into a man s heart that which is above all
creations ; you will ask me what that is ?
I will answer you in a word : it is putting in all things belonging to life and godliness ; so the apostle Peter expresseth it, 2 Peter i. 3. The vast ocean of the heart of man, let his heart be never so far wrought upon by
self-love, never so much stirred, there is not the least drop of godliness in
it, the least drop of the love of God in it, not the least aiming at God more than at a man s self, of having a man s affections stirred upon considerations drawn from God and not from a man s self. All such dispositions of heart
cost more power to work them than the making of the frame of heaven and
earth. All these things have my hands made ; this is made without hands ;
it is not of that creation, it will never go to hell with thee.
I should make this more manifest to you, it is a practical point this which I have handled, and I have stood the longer upon it to this end, not only to stand disputing with men of the greatness of the power of God in con
version, but to give you an account of it ; and I have spoken the things we have known, and felt, and seen, and to go and dispute with reasons will never convince a man. I remember that ecclesiastical story. There was a man that was a philosopher, and he held out disputing against fourscore
bishops that met together in a council, held them all work, answered all
Ern. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 369
their reasons. There came but in a poor, mean man that gave him but an
account of his faith, and of the work of God upon him. Saith he, While
these bishops with all their words spake words, I had words to answer them, but this man s words came with power that I cannot resist. My brethren, to dispute what power goeth to the work of grace, men will put it off easily, but to give you an account of it, wherein it lies, and to do it out of the
Word, and out of a man s heart, and the experience of the people of God ; this oftentimes hath a power going along with it that no man can resist.
VOL. I. 2A
370 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SEEMON XXV.
SERMOJST XXV.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward, who believe, according to the working of the might of his power, which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. VEE. 1 9, 20.
WE are handling of this, the exceeding greatness of the power which God in this life putteth forth toward believers. I have proved at large that the power here extended toward believers is not to be restrained only to the re surrection at the latter day, that he will raise up our mortal bodies, as he raised up Christ s body unto glory, but that he speaks of the power of God in this life, as the same Apostle expresseth it, chap. iii. 20, according to the power which worketh in us, that worketh at present that is the power he here meaneth.
The power of God is either seen in the first work of turning us to God, and that is mainly and eminently in the Apostle s eye ; for, saith he, in a co herence to these words in the second chapter, ver. 1,
< And you who were dead in sins and trespasses (it must have a verb) hath he quickened, speak ing of their conversion ; and so at the 5th and 6th verses you find it plainly
expressed.
Or else this power is shewed toward us in continuing the work of faith ; and it is hard to say in which more power is shewn and spent.
I have made entrance upon the first, as an instance and a demonstration enough of all the power that works afterward j for we are kept by the power of God unto salvation, so saith the Apostle. The power that God sheweth, the exceeding greatness of his power, I propounded for the method of handling it these two things The former, That there is an exceeding greatness of power shewn in it. The second, That it holdeth proportion with that power which wrought in Jesus Christ when he was raised from the dead.
For the former, for the demonstration that an exceeding greatness of power is shewn in working faith, and in quickening us at our first conversion unto God ; that power, I said, was shewn in two things
Either, first, (I went by degrees in it,) in what he doth for a believer, though not upon a believer j the word sic faac will not only bear what is done in him, but what is done for him, and done toward him. As the throwing out of Satan out of a man, as I shewed out of Luke xii., is a work that is done for a Christian ; but it is not a work so much upon him as upon Satan that is cast out. Now, saith he, John xii. 31, is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out / he speaks, when the world should be converted to Christ, that conversion is called the judgment of the world; as in John xvi. 11, He shall convince the world of judgment/ that
is, of that holiness and righteousness which they ought to take up and walk in; and he addeth, for the prince of this world is judged. That this is
EPH. I. 19, 20.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 371
done by a strong hand, I shewed in the last discourse : If I by the finger of God cast out devils. The finger of God must go to it. Then, secondly, if you come to the work that he doth in us, it ariseth not only to a greatness of power, but to an exceeding greatness of power. I
paralleled it with the first creation, in which there was a greatness of power shewn ; there was a making of something, yea, of all things out of nothing, and between nothing and the least thing there is an infinite disproportion. But when he comes to work upon the heart of a man that is dead by nature in sins and trespasses, he doth not only find nothing to work upon, but he findeth all things against him, so that his power is not simply drawn out in
creating grace out of nothing, but in subduing and destroying of corruption ; and so I shewed you the Scripture expresseth it. There is not only nothing to help or further, but there is all things to oppose. I shewed this at large in the last discourse, and how to subdue that which opposeth there is re
quired a greatness of power.
But then, in the second place, there is an exceeding greatness of power, there is a doubling of power. There is not only a power to destroy what is
opposite, as I shewed both upon the understanding, the will, and affections, but there is a putting in and a creating of a new principle, a contrary prin
ciple, maugre all the opposition that the heart of man makes against it. And
so, because there is a doubling of power, there is an exceeding greatness of power cometh to be spent in this work.
In handling of this 1 shewed that the very creation itself of the new crea ture was of a higher kind, as the Scripture expresseth it, than the first crea tion was ; because that grace is the most excellent of all God s creatures. James i. 18, speaking of the work of conversion, and of God s begetting us
again, Of his own will, saith he, he hath begotten us. And what followeth ?
i That we should be a kind of first-fruits / but, as I shewed you in the last discourse, the eminent first-fruits of all his creatures, the choicest of all ; for so doth the grace given by regeneration make a man. And that it was a higher creation than the first, the putting in of new
principles thus into the heart, I shewed you by the phrase that is used, Col. ii 11, where he calleth the sanctification of a sinner the circumcising the
heart, which, as in Deuteronomy, is that we may love God. He calleth this new work in us sinners a circumcision made without hands. I observed this upon it, that that phrase, made without hands, is used only of three things, whereof grace or the new creature is one. It is used of that glory which God will put upon his saints and children hereafter in heaven ; which all the world must acknowledge is a work transcending that first creation : We have a house not made with hands, saith he, 2 Cor. v. 1. It is used, secondly, of that framing the body of Christ, the human nature of Christ, both body and soul, and uniting it to the Godhead ; that human nature, so
united, is called a tabernacle made without hands, Heb. ix. 11. And then, thirdly, here, in this Col.ii. 11, he calleth the sanctification of a sinner, and working holiness and grace in him, circumcising the heart to love God j he calleth it a circumcision made without hands.
You have the like, as you shall see by and by, in Isa. Ixvi. 1, 2. Only observe first what followeth there in Heb. ix. 11, when he said that the body of Christ is a tabernacle made without hands. What doth he add by way of explication 1 He saith that it is not of this creation / so the word in the