Annotations upon all the New Testament philologicall and theologicall wherein the emphasis and elegancie of the Greeke is observed, some imperfections in our translation are discovered, divers Jewish rites and customes tending to illustrate the text are mentioned, many antilogies and seeming contradictions reconciled, severall darke and obscure places opened, sundry passages vindicated from the false glosses of papists and hereticks / by Edward Leigh ...

CHAP. III.

* 1.1Vers. 8 LEsse then the least] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a comparative made of a superlative.

The unsearchable riches of Christ] Riches imply two things. 1. Abun∣dance. 2. Abundance of such things as are of worth, riches, and riches of Christ; unsearchable riches of Christ; in Christ are riches of Justification, Tit. 2.14. Sanctifi∣cation, Phil. 4.12, 13. Consolation, 2 Cor. 12.9 Glorification, 1 Pet. 1.5.

Vers. 10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church, the manifold wisdome of God] That is, if it had not beene for the Churches sake that God would reveale so glorious a Mystery, the Angels in heaven must have been for ever ignorant of it.

* 1.2By the Ministery of the Apostles, the Mysteries of God concerning mans redempti∣on have beene revealed to the Angels themselves. See Iohn 20.21.

Some say by way of information, the Angels are edified by preaching; others by contemplating of the Church,* 1.3 seeing the manifold wisdome of God therein.

The Schoolemen distinguish of a threefold knowledge of Angels. 1. A naturall knowledge concreated with them.* 1.4 2. Experimentall; some thinke this is here meant, the experience the Angels gather out of the observation of Gods dealing with his people. 3. Cognitio revelata.

The manif••ld wisdome of God] Multivarious wisdome, The wisdom of God is sim∣ple and uncompounded; it is pure and unmixed with any thing but it selfe, yet it is manifold in degrees, kinds and administrations. vide Hieron. in loc.

Vers. 12. In whom we have boldnesse and accesse] The word translated boldnesse, in the Originall is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.5 it signifies liberty of speech, or speaking all, or boldnesse of face in speaking. A believer by faith hath boldnesse to goe to God by prayer; and accesse; it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the originall, which signifies such an accesse as is by ma∣nuduction, as Isaac took Rebecca; so Christ takes the soule espoused to him by the hand, and leads it into his fathers presence.

Vers. 15. Of whom the whole family] That is, the Church. The Church triumphant in Heaven,* 1.6 and militant on Earth, make but one family, Gal. 6.10.

Vers. 17. Dwell in your heart] By his Spirituall presence and gracious influence.

Being rooted and grounded in love] That is, have a strong and firm love to the things of Jesus Christ; love is the great mover in the soule, which carries it out in all its actions.

Vers. 18. May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the ••••edth and length, and height and depth] The Apostle sets out Christs love with heigth and depth,* 1.7 length and bredth, the four dimensions of the Crosse; to put us in mind (say the ancient Writers) that upon the extent of the Tree was the most exact love, with all the di∣mensions in this kind represented, that ever was.

Vers. 19. To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge] Christ love is great, 1. Because the love of all relations (as a Head, Lord, Father, King, Husband,) meets in Christs love to his Church. 2. It was the love of God and therefore, infinite, from everlasting. 3 It hath no motive: Christ loves because he loves,* 1.8 He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. 4. He loves without measure, it is not provoked by un∣kindnesse; yet we may know more of this love of Christ though we cannot know it all.

Filled with all the fulnesse of God] Desire,* 1.9 1. To be filled with knowledge of all the will of God, Col. 1.9. 2. To have a more full repaire of the Image of God in you, 2 Pet. 1.4 3. In regard of your influences from God and enjoyment of him; here we enjoy him in creatures, ordinances; in Heaven we shall enjoy him immediately.

Vers. 20. That is able to doe exceeding abundantly] in the Greek it is, to doe above all super abundantly.

Vers. 21. Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus &c.] Christ is a Mediator to us two waies: 1. As in him God the Father loved us, elected us, redeemed us;* 1.10 Lastly in and by him he bestows all good things upon us 2. As we by him have accesse to the Father; therefore the Church was ever wont to conclude her prayers, per Chri∣stum Dominum nostrum, by Christ our Lord. As it was the custome in the Church to pray, so also to give thanks to God by Christ, Rom. 1.8 & 7.25.* 1.11

Notes

• * 1.1

  Minimissimus. Estius See 1. Cor. 15.9.
• * 1.2

  Perkins on Iude.
• * 1.3

  Vide Bezam. Ecclesia ex Iu∣daeis pariter ac Gentibus col lecta, quasi speculum est in quo contemplantur Angeli mirificam Dei sapientiam, quam prius nesci∣erant. Calvinus. Dei sapientia angelis non innotescit per Ecclesiam docentem, sed per ea quae in Ecclesia geruntur, sive per execu∣tionem mysteriorum in Ecclesia. Estius. Vide à Lapide.
• * 1.4

  See 1 Pet. 1.12.
• * 1.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ex origine quidem loquendi signifi∣cat libertatem, sed largius per∣ducta significa∣tione fiduciam, ut videre est Levit. 26, 16. Magnam autem fiduciam parit spiritus ille attestans Deum nobis esse patrem. Rom. 8.15. Gal. 4.6. Grotius. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 veteri interpreti est fiducia, Erasmo est audacia. Beza reddidit libertatem, quae est facultas qua liberè loquimur, quicquid volumus. Non multum refert, veteremne an Bezae versionem sequaris. Vox utramque significationem ad∣mittit, unde Beza aliquando libertatem reddit, ut hic, & 2 Cor. 7.4. Act. 3.29. & 4.29. Alibi fiduciam Heb. 4.16. 1 Ioh. 2.28. Est autem libertas apud homines & Deum. Apud homines Joh. 7.13. Act. 4.13. 2 Cor. 3.12. Eph. 6.19. 1 Tim. 3.13. Apud Deum Heb. 10.19. Grotius in loc.
• * 1.6

  Vox 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 significat sami∣liam seu cognationem eorum, qui ab uno patre, seu principe generis orti sunt. Estius. vide Vorstium.
• * 1.7

  B. Andrews. Naturalists give us but three dimensi∣ons of a body, longitude, la∣titude, and profundity; the love of God hath altitude added, which is a ••e••rth.
• * 1.8

  Videri potest Apostolus respi∣cere ad Gnosti∣cos, qui hoc superbo nomine sese nuncupaverunt à scientia quam sibi peculiariter vendicabant. Vtitur enim vocabulo 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, unde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Estius. vide plura Ibid.
• * 1.9

  An Hebraisme. The Hebrews when they would set out any excellent thing, they adde the Name of God to it; Cedars of God, wrestlings of God. God appoints not onely the persons unto glory, but that fulnesse of grace which shall fit them for glory, Ephes. 4.13. Two things conduce to our happinesse in Heaven; 1. All our faculties shall be enlarged. 2. All our graces perfected.
• * 1.10

  Zanchius.
• * 1.11

  Grotius.