The Exposition.
THese wordes containe two parts, a prayer, and a thankesgiuing. In the prayer these points are to be marked. First, the gesture: I bow my knees, wherby Paul signifies his humble submission to God in prayer. Secondly, to whome he praies. To the Father, who is described by two titles: the first, the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, and that by nature as he is God, and as he is man by personall vnion. The other title. Of whome the whole familie, which is in heauen and earth, is named: In which words is set downe a description of the Church: first it is a Familie, because it is the companie of Gods elect children vnder the gouernment of one father. 1. Tim. 3.15. It is called the house of God, Eph. 2.19. They that beleeue are saide to be of the houshold of God: secondly, the parts of the Catholike Church are noted, namely, the Saints in heauen departed, and Saints liuing on earth: thirdly, it is said to be named of the father of Christ, because as the father of Christ is the father of this familie, so also this familie is called by him. Gen. 6.2. Dan. 9.80. Thirdly, the matter of the prayer stands of foure most worthie points.
The first is strength to beare the crosse and to resist spirituall temptations, v. 16. where the strength is set out by diuers arguments: First, that it is the meere gift of God, that he would graunt you: Secondly, the cause of strength, by his Spirit: Thirdly, the subiect or place where this strength must be, in the inner man, that is, in the whole man, so farre forth as he is renued by grace, Eph. 6.14. The second is, the dwelling of Christ in their hearts by faith: Faith is when a man beeing seriously humbled for his sinnes, is further in conscience perswaded, and resolued of the par∣don of them, and of reconciliation to God. Now where this perswasion is in deed, there followes necessarily Christs dwelling in the heart, which stands in two things: the first is, the ruling and ordering of the thoughts, affections, and desires of the heart, accor∣ding to his will; as a master rules in his house: the second is the continuance of his rule. For he cannot be said to dwell in a place, who rules in it but for a day.
The third, is the knowledge and the acknowledgement of the infinit greatnes of Gods loue in Christ, an effect of the former. v. 18, 19. the words are thus explaned: Rooted and grounded. Here the loue of God wherewith he loues the elect, is as a roote and foundation of all Gods benefits, election, vocation, iustification, and glorifi∣cation. Men are rooted and grounded in loue, when Gods spirit assures their hearts of Gods loue, and doth giue them some inward sense and feeling of it. For then they are as it were sensibly put into the roote, and laid on the foundation. With all Saints: Paul desires this benefit, not onely to the Ephesians, but also to all the faithfull with them. What is the length, the bredth. Here is a speech borrowed from the Geome∣tricians, and it signifies the absolute greatnes or infinitnes of Gods loue, and that it is like a world, which for length, breadth, height, and depth, is endlesse. Here note the or∣der or receiuing grace. First, Christ dwells in the heart by faith. Secondly, then comes a sense and feeling of Gods loue, as it were by certaine drops thereof. Thirdly, after this ariseth a plentifull knowledge, and apprehension of Gods loue, and as it were the powring out of a sea into a mans heart, that for greatnes hath neither bottome nor banke. And know the loue of Christ: these words (as I take it) are an exposition of the former: for to comprehend the loue of God, is nothing els but to know the loue of Christ: considering that all whome the father loueth, he loueth them in Christ: which passeth knowledge, that is, which for the greatnes of it no man can fully know.