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The By J O H N.B U N Y A N. 1692. Published four years after John Bunyan's death. |
Having thus spoke of the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, that is
in God's mercy by Christ to us-ward; we will now come more directly to
THE PRAYER OF THE APOSTLE FOR THESE EPHESIANS, WITH REFERENCE THEREUNTO; to
wit, that they might be able to comprehend with all saints what they are. And
IRST, As to THE ABILITY that he prays for, to the end that they
may be capable to do this thing.
First, That ye may be able. The weakness that is here supposed to hinder their thus
comprehending, &c., did doubtless lie in their grace, as well as their nature:
for in both, with reference to them that are Christians, there is great disability,
unless they be strengthened mightily by the Holy Ghost. Nature's ability depends
upon graces, and the ability of graces, depends upon the mighty help of the spirit
of God. Hence as nature itself, where grace is not, sees nothing; so nature by grace
sees but weakly, if that grace is not strengthened with all might by the spirit of
grace. The breadths, lengths, depths and heights here made mention of, are mysteries,
and in all their operations, do work wonderfully mysteriously: insomuch that many
times, though they are all of them busily engaged for this and the other child of
God, yet they themselves see nothing of them. As Christ said to Peter, "What
I do thou knowest not now" (John 13:7); so may it be said to many where the
grace and mercy of God in Christ is working: they do not know, they understand not
what it is, nor what will be the end of such dispensations of God towards them. Wherefore
they also say as Peter to Christ, "Dost thou wash my feet? - - thou shalt never
wash my feet" (John 13:6-8); Yea, and when some light to convince of this folly
breaks in upon them, yet if it be not very distinct and clear; causing the person
to know the true cause, nature, and end of God's doing of this or that, they swerve
with Peter, as much on the other side (John 13:9,10). They have not known my ways,
and my methods with them in this world, were that that caused Israel always to err
in their hearts (Heb 3:10), and lie cross to all, and each of these breadths, lengths,
depths, and heights, whenever they were under the exercise of any of them in the
wilderness.
And the reason is, as I said before, for that they are very mysterious in their workings.
For they work by, upon, and against oppositions; for, and in order to the help and
salvation of his people. Also (as was hinted a while since) that the power and glory
of this breadth, and length, &c. of the mercy and grace of God, may the more
shew its excellency and sufficiency as to our deliverance; we by him seem quite to
be delivered up to the breadths, lengths, and depths, and heights that oppose, and
that utterly seek our ruin: wherefore at such times, nothing of breadths, lengths,
depths, or heights can be seen, save by those that are very well skilled in those
mysterious methods of God, in his gracious actings towards his people. "Who
will bring me into the strong city," and "wilt not thou, O God, which hadst
cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?" (Psa
60:9,10) is a lesson too hard for every Christian man to say over believingly. And
what was it that made Jonah say, when he was in the belly of hell, "Yet I will
look again toward thy holy temple" (Jonah 2:4), but the good skill that he had
in understanding of the mystery of these breadths, and lengths, and depths, and heights
of God, and of the way of his working by them. Read the text at large. "Thou
hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas, and the floods compassed me
about. All thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of
thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple" (Jonah 2:3,4).
These, and such like sentences, are easily played with by a preacher, when in the
pulpit, specially if he has a little of the notion of things, but of the difficulty
and strait, that those are brought into, out of whose mouth such things, or words
are extorted, by reason of the force of the labyrinths they are fallen into: of those
they experience nothing, wherefore to those they are utterly strangers.
He then that is able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length,
and depth, and height; must be a good expositor of providences, and must see the
way, and the workings of God by them. Now there are providences of two sorts, seemingly
good, and seemingly bad, and those do usually as Jacob did, when he blessed the sons
of Joseph, cross hands; and lay the blessing where we would not. "And when Joseph
saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him"
(Gen 48:17). I say there are providences unto which we would have the blessings entailed,
but they are not. And they are providences that smile upon the flesh; to wit, such
as cast into the lap, health, wealth, plenty, ease, friends, and abundance of this
world's good: because these, [Manasseh, as his name doth signify,] have in them an
aptness to make us forget our toil, our low estate, and from whence we were (Gen
41:51): but the great blessing is not in them. There are providences again, that
take away from us whatever is desirable to the flesh; such is the sickness, losses,
crosses, persecution and affliction; and usually in these though they make us shuck
[3] whenever they come upon us, blessing coucheth, and is ready to help us.
For God, as the name of Ephraim signifies, makes us "fruitful in the land of
our affliction" (Gen 41:52). He therefore, in blessing of his people, lays his
hands across, guiding them wittingly, and laying the chiefest blessing on the head
of Ephraim, or in that providence, that sanctifies affliction. Abel! what, to the
reason of Eve was he, in comparison of Cain. Rachel called Benjamin the son of her
sorrow: but Jacob knew how to give him a better name (Gen 35:18). Jabez also, though
his mother so called him, because, as it seems, she brought him forth with more than
ordinary sorrow, was yet more honourable, more godly, than his brethren (1 Chron
4:9,10). He that has skill to judge of providences aright, has a great ability in
him to comprehend with other saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth,
and height: but he that has not skill as to discerning of them, is but a child in
his judgment in those high and mysterious things. And hence it is, that some shall
suck honey out of that, at the which others tremble for fear it should poison them,
I have often been made to say, "Sorrow is better than laughter; and the house
of mourning better than the house of mirth" (Eccl 7:3-5). And I have more often
seen, that the afflicted are always the best sort of Christians. There is a man,
never well, never prospering, never but under afflictions, disappointments and sorrows:
why this man, if he be a Christian, is one of the best of men. "They that go
down to the sea, - - that do business in great waters, these see the works of the
Lord, and his wonders in the deep." [4] (Psa 107:23,24) And it is from hence, for
aught I know, that James admonishes the brother of high degree to rejoice in that
he is made low. And he renders the reason of it, to wit, for that the fashion of
the world perisheth, the rich man fadeth away in his way; but the tempted, and he
that endureth temptation is blessed (James 1:10-12). Now, I know these things are
not excellent in themselves, nor yet to be desired for any profit that they can yield,
but God doth use by these, as by a tutor or instructor, to make known to them that
are exercised with them, so much of himself as to make them understand that riches
of his goodness that is seldom by other means broken up to the sons of men. And hence
'tis said, that the afterwards of affliction doth yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby (Heb 12:11).
The sum is, these breadths, and lengths, and depths, and heights of God, are to be
discerned; and some that are good, do more, and some do less discern them, and how
they are working, and putting forth themselves in every providence, in every change,
in every turn of the wheel that passeth by us in this world. I do not question but
that there are some that are alive that have been able to say, the days of affliction
have been the best unto them; and that could, if it were lawful, pray that they might
always be in affliction, if God would but do to them as he did when his hand was
last upon them. For by them he caused his light to shine: Or as Job has it, "Thou
huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvelously upon me"
(Job 10:16). See also the writing of Hezekiah, and read what profit he found in afflictions
(Isa 38).
But again, these breadths, lengths, depths, and heights, have in themselves naturally
that glory, that cannot be so well discerned, or kept in view by weak eyes. He had
need have an eye like an eagle, that can look upon the sun, that can look upon these
great things, and not be stricken blind therewith. You see how Saul was served when
he was going to Damascus (Acts 9): But Stephen could stand and look up steadfastly
into heaven; and that too when with Jonah he was going into the deep (Acts 7). But
I have done with this, and proceed.
Second—That ye may be able to comprehend. Although apprehending is included in comprehending;
yet to comprehend is more. To comprehend is to know a thing fully; or, to reach it
all. But here we must distinguish, and say, that there is a comprehending that is
absolute, and a comprehending that is comparative. Of comprehending absolutely, or
perfectly, we are not here to speak; for that the Apostle could not, in this place,
as to the thing prayed for, desire: For it is utterly impossible perfectly to know
whatsoever is in the breadths, lengths, depths, and heights here spoken of. Whether
you call them mercies, judgments, or the ways of God with men. "How unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom 11:33) Or, if you take
them to signify his love, unto which you see I am inclined; why, that you read of
in the same place, to be it "which passes knowledge." Wherefore should
the Apostle by this term, conclude, or insinuate, that what he calls here breadths,
lengths, depths, or heights, might be fully, or perfectly understood and known, he
would not only contradict other scriptures, but himself, in one and the self same
breath. Wherefore it must be understood comparatively; that is, and that he says,
with, or as much as others, as any, even with all saints. That ye may be able to
comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.
I would ye were as able to understand, to know, and to find out these things, as
ever any were; and to know with the very best of saints, The love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge. There are, as has before been hinted, degrees of knowledge of
these things; some know more, some less; but the Apostle prays that these Ephesians
might see, know, and understand as much thereof as the best, or as any under heaven.
1. And this, in the first place, shews us the love of a minister of Jesus Christ.
A minister's love to his flock is seen in his praying for them: wherefore Paul, commonly,
by his epistles, either first or last, or both, gives the churches to understand,
That he did often heartily pray to God for them (Rom 16:20,24, 1 Cor 16:23, Gal 6:18,
Eph 1:16, Phil 1:4, Col 1:3, 1 Thess 1:2, 1 Tim 6:21, 2 Tim 4:22): And not only so,
but also specifies the mercies, and blessings, and benefits which he earnestly begged
for them of God (2 Cor 13:7, 2 Thess 1:11).
2. But, secondly, This implies that there are great benefits accrued to Christians
by the comprehending of these things: Yea, it implies that something very special
is ministered to us by this knowledge of these; and here to touch upon a few of them.
(1.) He that shall arrive to some competent knowledge of these things, shall understand
more thoroughly the greatness, the wisdom, the power, &c. of the God that is
above. For by these expressions are the attributes of God set forth unto us: And
although I have discoursed of them hitherto under the notion of grace and mercy,
yet it was not for that I concluded, they excluded the expressing of his other attributes,
but because they all, as it were, turn into loving methods in the wheel of their
heavenly motion towards the children of God. Hence it is said, "God is love"
(1 John 4:16), "God is light" (1 John 1:5), God is what He is for His own
glory, and the good of them that fear Him. God! Why God in the breadth, length, depth,
height, that is here intended, comprehends the whole world (Col 1:17). The whole
world is in him: for he is before, above, beyond, and round about all things. Hence
it is said, The heavens for breadth, are but his span: That he gathereth the wind
in his fists (Prov 30:4): measureth the waters in the hollow of his hand, weigheth
the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance (Isa 40:12). Yea, that "all
nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing,
and vanity" (verse 17). Hence we are said to live and move in him (Acts 17:28),
and that He is beyond all search.
I will add one word more, notwithstanding there is such a revelation of Him in his
word, in the book of creatures, and in the book of providences; yet the scripture
says, "Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of
him?" (Job 26:14) So great is God above all that we have read, heard, or seen
of Him, either in the bible, in heaven, or earth, the sea, or what else is to be
understood. But now, That a poor mortal, a lump of sinful flesh, or, as the scripture-phrase
is, poor dust and ashes, should be in the favour, in the heart, and wrapped up in
the compassions of SUCH a God! O amazing! O astonishing consideration! And yet "This
God is our God for ever and ever; and He will be our guide even unto death"
(Psa 48:14).
It is said of our God, "That he humbleth himself when he beholds things in heaven."
How much more then when he openeth his eyes upon man; but most of all when he makes
it, as one may say, his business to visit him every morning, and to try him every
moment, having set His heart upon him, being determined to set him also among his
princes. "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to
behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out
of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with
princes, even with the princes of his people" (Psa 113:3-8).
(2.) IF this God be our God; or if our God be such a God, and could we but attain
to that knowledge of the breadth, and length, and depth, and height that is in him,
as the Apostle here prays, and desires we may, we should never be afraid of anything
we shall meet with, or that shall assault us in this world. The great God, the former
of all things, taketh part with them that fear Him, and that engage themselves to
walk in His ways, of love, and respect, they bear unto him; so that such may boldly
say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me"
(Heb 13:6). Would it not be amazing, should you see a man encompassed with chariots
and horses, and weapons for his defence, yet afraid of being sparrow blasted, or
over-run by a grasshopper! Why "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the
earth, and" to whom "the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers"
(Isa 40:22): that is the God of the people that are lovers of Jesus Christ; therefore
we should not fear them. To fear man, is to forget God; and to be careless in a time
of danger, is to forget God's ordinance. What is it then? Why, let us fear God, and
diligently keep his way, with what prudence and regard to our preservation, and also
the preservation of what we have, we may: And if, we doing this, our God shall deliver
us, and what we have, into the hands of them that hate us, let us laugh, be fearless
and careless, not minding now to do anything else but to stand up for Him against
the workers of iniquity; fully concluding, that both we, and our enemies, are in
the hand of him that loveth his people, and that will certainly render a reward to
the wicked, after that he has sufficiently tried us by their means. "The great
God that formed all things, both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors"
(Prov 26:10).[5]
(3.) Another thing that the knowledge of what is prayed for of the Apostle, if we
attain it, will minister to us, is, An holy fear and reverence of this great God
in our souls; both because he is great, and because he is wise and good (Jer 10:7).
"Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?" (Rev 15:4)
Greatness should beget fear, greatness should beget reverence: Now who so great as
our God; and so, who to be feared like him! He also is wise, and will not be deceived
by any. "He will bring evil, and not call back his words, but will rise against
the house of evil-doers, and against the help of them that work iniquity" (Isa
31:2). Most men deal with God as if he were not wise; as if he either knew not the
wickedness of their hearts and ways, or else knew not how to be even with them for
it: When, alas! he is wise in heart, and mighty in power; and although he will not,
without cause, afflict, yet he will not let wickedness go unpunished. This therefore
should make us fear. He also is good, and this should make us serve him with fear.
Oh! that a great God should be a good God; a good God to an unworthy, to an undeserving,
and to a people that continually do what they can to provoke the eyes of his glory;
this should make us tremble. He is fearful in service, fearful in praises.
The breadth, and length, and depth, and height of his out-going towards the children
of men, should also beget in us a very great fear and dread of his majesty. When
the prophet saw the height of the wheels, he said they were dreadful (Eze 1:18),
and cried out unto them, O wheel! (10:13). His judgments also are a great deep (Psa
36:6); nor is there any "searching of his understanding" (Isa 40:28). He
can tell how to bring his wheel upon us; and to make our table a snare, a trap, and
a stumbling- block unto us (Isa 8:14, Rom 11:8-10). He can tell how to make his Son
to us a rock of offence, and his gospel to be a savour of death unto death, unto
us (2 Cor 2:15,16). He can tell how to choose delusions for us (Isa 66:4, 2 Thess
2:11,12), and to lead us forth with the workers of iniquity (Psa 125:5), He can out-
wit, and out-do us, and prevail against us for ever (Job 14:20); and therefore we
should be afraid and fear before Him, for our good, and the good of ours for ever:
Yea, it is for these purposes, with others, that the Apostle prayeth thus for this
people: For the comprehending of these things, do poise and keep the heart in an
even course. This yields comfort; this gives encouragement; this begets fear and
reverence in our hearts of God.
(4.) This knowledge will make us willing that he should be our God; yea, will also
make us abide by that willingness. Jacob said with a vow, "If God will be with
me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment
to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord
be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and
of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee" (Gen
28:20-22). Thus he considered the greatness of God, and from a supposition that he
was what he had heard him, of his father, to be; he concluded to choose him for his
God, and that he would worship him, and give him that honour that was due to him
as God. How did the king of Babylon set him above all gods, when but some sparkling
rays from him did light upon him: he calls him "a God of gods" (Dan 2:47),
prefers him above all gods, charges all people and nations that they do nothing amiss
against him (Dan 3:28,29): he calls him "the most high" God, the God "that
liveth for ever"; and confesses, that he doth whatsoever he will in heaven and
earth; and concludes with praising and extolling of him (Dan 4). We naturally love
greatness; and when the glorious beauty of the King of glory shall be manifest to
us, and we shall behold it, we shall say as Joshua did; Let all men do as seems them
good; but I, and my house will serve the Lord (Josh 24:15).
When the Apostle Paul sought to win the Athenians to him, he sets Him forth before
them with such terms as bespeaks his greatness; calling of him (and that rightly)
"God that made the world, and all things: - - the Lord of heaven and earth;
- - One that giveth to all life and breath, and all things"; One that is nigh
to every one; "he in whom we live, and move, and have our being": God that
hath made of one blood all nations of men, and that hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation, &c. (Acts 17:24-28) These things
bespeak the greatness of God, and are taking to considering men. Yea, these very
Athenians, while ignorant of him, from those dark hints that they had by natural
light concerning him, erected an altar to him, and put this singular inscription
upon it, "To the unknown God": to shew, that according to their mode, they
had some kind of reverence for him: but how much more when they came to know him?
and to believe that God, in all his greatness, had engaged himself to be theirs;
and to bring them to himself, that they might in time be partakers of his glory.
(5.) The more a man knows, or understands of the greatness of God towards him, expressed
here by the terms of unsearchable breadth, length, depth, and height; the better
will he be able in his heart to conceive of the excellent glory and greatness of
the things that are laid up in the heavens for them that fear him. They that know
nothing of this greatness, know nothing of them; they that think amiss of this greatness,
think amiss of them; they that know but little of this greatness, know but little
of them: But he that is able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height; he is best able to conceive of, and, consequently
to make a judgment concerning the due worth, and blessed glory of them.
This is both evident to reason; also experience confirmeth the same. For, as for
those dark souls that know nothing of his greatness, they have in derision those
who are, through the splendor of the glory, captivated and carried away after God.
Also, those whose judgments are corrupted, and themselves thereby made as drunkards,
to judge of things foolishly, they, as it were, step in the same steps with the other,
and vainly imagine thereabout. Moreover, we shall see those little spirited Christians,
though Christians indeed, that are but in a small measure acquainted with this God,
with the breadths, and lengths, and depths, and heights that are in him, taken but
little with the glory and blessedness that they are to go to when they die: wherefore
they are neither so mortified to this world, so dead to sin, so self-denying, so
delighted in the book of God, nor so earnest in desires to be acquainted with the
heights, and depths that are therein. No, this is reserved only for those who are
devoted thereto: who have been acquainted with God in a measure beyond that which
your narrow-spirited Christians understand. There doth want as to these things, enlargings
in the hearts of the most of saints, as there did in those of Corinth, and also in
those at Ephesus: Wherefore, as Paul bids the one, and prays that the other may be
enlarged, and have great knowledge thereabout: so we should, to answer such love,
through desire, separate ourselves from terrene things that we may seek and intermeddle
with all wisdom (Prov 18:1). Christ says, "If any man will do his will, he shall
know of the doctrine" (John 7:17, Isa 28:9). Oh! that we were indeed enlarged
as to these breadths, and lengths, and depths, and heights of God, as the Apostle
desired the Ephesians might.
(6.) Then those great truths; the coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead,
and eternal judgment, would neither seem so like fables, nor be so much off our hearts
as they do, and are (1 Cor 15:35). For the thorough belief of them depends upon the
knowledge of the abilities that are in God to perform what he has said thereabout:
And hence it is that your inferiour sort of Christians live so like, as if none of
these things were at hand; and hence it is again, that they so soon are shaken in
mind about them, when tempted of the devil, or briskly assaulted by deceivers. But
this cometh to pass that there may be fulfilled what is written: "And while
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept" (Matt 25:1-7). Surely,
the meaning is, they were asleep about his coming, the resurrection and the judgment;
and, consequently had lost much of that knowledge of God, the which if they had retained;
these truths, with power, would have been upon their hearts. The Corinthians were
horribly decayed here, though some more than others: Hence Paul, when he treats of
this doctrine, bids them "awake to righteousness," and not sin, telling
them, that some among them had not the knowledge of God (1 Cor 15:34). To be sure,
they had not such a knowledge of God as would keep them steady in the faith of these
things (verse 51).
Now, the knowledge of the things above-mentioned, to wit, "this comprehending
knowledge"; will greaten these things, bring them near, and make them to be
credited as are the greatest of God's truth: and the virtue of the faith of them
is, to make one die daily. Therefore,
(7.) Another advantage that floweth from this knowledge, is, that it makes the next
world desirable, not simply as it is with those lean souls, that desire it only as
the thief desireth the judge's favour, that he may be saved from the halter; but
out of love such have to God and to the beauties of the house he dwells in; and that
they may be rid of this world, which is to such as a dark dungeon. The knowledge
of God that men pretend they have, may easily be judged of, by the answerable or
unanswerableness of their hearts and lives thereto. Where is the man that groans
earnestly to be gone to God, that counts this life a strait unto him: that saith
as a sick man of my acquaintance did, when his friend at his bed-side prayed to God
to spare his life, No, no, said he, pray not so; for it is better to be dissolved
and be gone. Christians should shew the world how they believe; not by words on paper,
not by gay and flourishing notions (James 2:18): but by those desires they have to
be gone, and the proof that these desires are true, is a life in heaven while we
are on earth (Phil 3:20,21). I know words are cheap, but a dram of grace is worth
all the world. But where, as I said, shall it be found, not among carnal men, not
among weak Christians, but among those, and those only, that enjoy a great measure
of Paul's wish here.
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