Ephesians 3:17

Our apostle here proceeds with affectionate ardour to pray for further spiritual blessings on the behalf of his beloved Ephesians:

1. He prays that Christ may dwell in their hearts by his most holy faith. The phrase of dwelling in us, imports. very close and intimate union between Christ and believers; he dwells in them subjectively and effectively, by his gracious influences, by his powerful assistances, by his quickening impressions. The Holy Spirit is the bond of union on Christ's part, and faith on our part.

2. He prays that they may be rooted and grounded in love; that is, that they might be so deeply possessed with the sense of God's love, that they might be the very habit of their souls, and rooted nature in them.

3. He prays that the Ephesians may comprehend what is the breadth, length, depth, and height, of the love of God, and the mysteries of the gospel; intimating to us, that we are not to content ourselves with. superficial view of God's free love in Christ, but to make an accurate inspection into all the dimensions of it: to view it in its breadth, and extending to all ages, Jewish and Christian; in its length, as reaching from eternity to eternity; in its depth, as it stoops down to succour and relieve the vilest and the greatest, if penitent sinners; in its height, whereby it reaches up to heaven, and entitles us to the joy and felicity of the saints above.

Verily, the love of God in Christ to. lost world, is so vast and boundless, so rich and matchless, exceeding not only our comprehension, but conceptions also, that not only the natural man cannot understand it, but the renewed man also is unable to fathom it, but must be daily endeavouring to take dimensions of it; for the love of Christ surpassingly transcends the knowledge of the most illuminated believer; it surpasses natural knowledge, apostolical knowledge, yea, angelical knowledge. That ye may be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.

4. He prays that they may know the superlative love of Christ to. lost world is. transcendent love; that the knowledge of it may be attained in some measure, that it is our duty to seek after it, and search into it; but, after all, we can never fully comprehend it. What created understanding can know what is unknowable, or comprehend what is incomprehensible?

Learn, There are such dimensions and degrees in the love of Christ to sinners, which, at least in this present and imperfect state, do surpass all comprehension and conception; also that love whereby he took our nature upon him, that love whereby he took our sins upon him, is so stupendous and amazing, that the holy angels awfully admire it, but even their enlarged capacities cannot fully comprehend it.

5. He prays that they might be filled with all the fulness of God; that is, with such measures of grace, knowledge, faith, holiness, and love, which God hath appointed believers unto, and they are capable of, in this life.

Note here, 1. That there is. fulness in God, which we can neither be filled with, nor may we strive to be filled with; God is essentially full, originally full, independently full, inexhaustibly full, of all holiness and grace. Now this fullness of his is undiminishable, and consequently incommunicable.

Note, 2. That there is. fulness of God which we may, and therefore ought, to pray and endeavour to be filled with; namely, to be filled with the knowledge of God, to be filled with the grace and Spirit of God, to be filled with the wisdom of God, that we may know God more, serve him better, glorify him on earth, and be glorified with him in heaven. In. word, we may pray for, and strive to be filled with, such. measure of the fulness of God and his grace, as God shall see fit to give, and as our capacities are or may be prepared to receive; God is not straitened towards us, let us not be straitened in ourselves: Open thy mouth wide, says God, and. will fill it. Blessed be God for. present fulness of sufficiency, and for the hopes of. future fulness to satiety.