gether in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding." And for the Philippians, "that God, who had begun a good work in them, would perform it to the day of Christ; and that they might abound more and more in love and in knowledge, being filled with the fruits of righteousness."

From these petitions we see, that, "by the fulness of God," the Apostle intends such a rich supply of the grace of God, that they might be able to persevere in the faith and practice of religion, to increase and abound more and more in the virtues and works of the gospel, and to obtain a more full assurance of their title to heavenly glory.

We learn then that Christians are not to content themselves with their present attainments, but to aspire after greater eminence in their holy character, and nearer approaches to heavenly perfection. In imitatation of Paul's example, they must "forget the things which are behind, and reach forward to the things which are before, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." They must never indulge an imagination, that they have acquired as much holiness, or done as much service as is needful; but, deeply humbled under a sense of their great imperfections and remaining corruptions, the poorness of their services, and their defects in duty, they must daily renew their application to God's mercy for the pardon of their sins, and to his grace for their assistance in the religious life. Their desires must not stop short of that which the Apostle asked for his converts, that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inner man-may have Christ dwelling in their hearts-may be rooted and grounded in love-may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, and may be filled with all the fullness of God.

SERMON XXI.

God able to do for us far more than we ask or think.

✓ EPHESIANS iii. 20, 21,

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

IN the six preceding verses the Apostle informs the Ephesians, what blessings are requested for them. He bowed his knees in prayer unto the Father of Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant them to be strengthened with might, by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith-that they might be rooted and grounded in love-that they might be able to comprehend with all saints, the vast dimensions of Christ's love to them-and that they might be filled with all needful supplies of the grace of God. While he meditates on the breadth and length, the depth and · height of the love of Christ, and on those full supplies of grace, which flow to saints from the divine fountain, he breaks forth into the devout doxology, which I have now read. In this, he first acknowledges the infinite power of God to do for us far beyond our petiVOL. III.

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tions or thoughts: And then he prays, that all glory may be given to God in the church through all ages..

I. We will, first, consider the acknowledgement, which the Apostle makes, of God's allsufficiency. "He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

God's ability intends not merely his power, but all those perfections which render him a suitable object of our faith in prayer. It imports an exact knowledge what our wants are, a ready disposition to supply them, wisdom to discern the proper time and manner of granting supplies, as well as power to effect whatever his wisdom sees best to be done.

Divine power or ability is often, in scripture, considered as including wisdom and goodness; for indeed, without these, there could be no such thing as power, properly so called. Moses, in his intercession for Israel, says, "If thou shalt kill all this people, the nations will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land which he sware to them, therefore hath he slain them in the wilderness. Now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long suffering and of great mercy. Pardon I beseech. thee the iniquity of this people according to the great ness of thy mercy." ." The Apostle says to the Corinthians, "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work." He says to the elders of Ephesus, "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." His great consolation under a sense of weakness was, that the grace of Christ was sufficient for him, and that the strength of Christ was made perfect in human weakness. He therefore took pleas ure in infirmities, that the power of Christ might rest upon him..

In these and other passages, the power or sufficiency of God to supply our wants manifestly includes his abundant goodness and mercy. And it is particularly in reference to the riches of his glory, and to the incomprehensible dimensions of his love, that the Apostle says in the text," He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think."

If we consider our own imperfection, and the boundless perfection of the deity, it will appear, that there is no proportion between what we can ask, and what he can do. It is impossible, that creatures of such limited minds as ours, should comprehend all the things which perfect wisdom may devise, unbounded goodness may design, and infinite power may effect. As the nature, perfections and operations of the divine Being are infinitely superior to the powers which we possess, and the works which we can perform, so we must believe, that he is able to do exceedingly better for us, than we request in our prayers, or imagine in our thoughts.

To illustrate this point, it may be observed,

1. God often does for men those favors, which they never thought of asking for themselves. He is found of them who sought him not: Before they call, he hears them; he shews them great things, which they knew not of.

Our happiness, in many cases, depends on things which are entirely out of our sight. We know not what is good for a man in this life, all the days of this vain life which he spends as a shadow. But the perfect wisdom of God sees all the connexions and dependencies of things through the boundless extent of the universe, and the endless duration of eternity; the relation of every creature to other beings around him ; and the influence that every event will have on his happiness or misery. That Providence, which God exercises in the world, is guided, in every step, by this con. summate this all comprehensive wisdom; and as it is

particularly employed for the benefit of pious men, to whom all things shall work for good, so undoubtedly there are innumerable cases, in which God orders circumstances and events in their favor, without their request or knowledge. In some instances they are able afterward to discover the happy consequences of events, which, in the time of them, appeared quite indifferent, or perhaps very unfavorable to their interest. And, without question, there are numberless cases, in which their safety is owing to causes, which they nev er will discover, until the mysterious scenes of Provi dence shall be opened to their grateful and astonished view in the future world.

2. God answers prayer in ways that we think not of. As he requires us to make known to him our re quests, so he assures us, that his ears are open to them. He will not always bestow the particular things which we ask, for we often mistake our own interest; but he will grant us things more valuable in themselves, or better adapted to our condition. Or if he gives us the blessings in substance, he will send them in a more suitable time and manner, than we had proposed. Paul's prayer for the removal of an infirmity, which seemed an obstruction to his ministerial success, was answered in a way far better than he asked or imagined. Sufficient grace was afforded him, not only to comfort him under his peculiar trial, but to give him greater success in his ministry, than he could have expected, if the infirmity had been removed.

Pious Jacob doubtless often prayed for the prosperity of his children, especially of Joseph, concerning whom he had conceived peculiar hopes. But the patriarch had no conception of the dignity to which this son would be advanced, nor of the useful sphere in which he would move; much less did he imagine by what mysterious methods God would raise him to such distinguished importance, and make him instrumental of general good to mankind. The course of