he was the only-begotten Son of the Father and Father to him as man, by virtue of the personal union of the two natures in Christ, Luke i. 32. Therefore that holy thing shall be called the Son of God. Observe, 3. The reason why under these relations he so affectionately blesses God, namely, for bestowing blessings, spiritual blessings, all spiritual blessings; and this is in or concerning heavenly things, which tend to fit us for heaven and eternal glory. And, lastly, all these blessings are conferred upon us in Christ, he, by his merit, hath purchased them; he, as our head and advocate, in our name has received them; by virtue of our union with whom we have a right unto them, and shall ere long in heaven be fully and finally possessed of them. Behold here the transcendent bounty and liberálity of our heavenly Father. He has more than one blessing for his children, he has all spiritual and heavenly blessings for them, grace on earth, and glory in heaven; grace to enable them to glorify him upon earth, and glory as the reward of grace with himself in heaven.Rejoice, O christian, in thy lot and portion; God himself hath but all things, and so hast thou. Has he all spiritual blessings in heaven in full possession? thou hast them also in right and title at present, and ere long shalt enjoy them in full fruition. Eternally blessed then be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, or in heavenly things, in Christ.

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that he should be holy, and without blame before him in love :

Our apostle having in the former verse offered up a very solemn thanksgiving to God, for blessing the Ephesians with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ, he comes in this verse to discover and declare the fountain from whence all these spiritual blessings did proceed and flow, namely, from God's gracious purpose in our election before all time; He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, &c. Where note, 1. The favour vouchsafed, elec

tion; and the fruit and product of that favour, holiness of life and conversation. Note, 1. The favour and privilege vouchsated by God, He hath chosen. This de

I

notes the freeness of the favour: he chose when he might have refused. His book of life is a book of love; the cause of our love is in the object; the reason of God's love is in himself. Note, 2. The subject of this favour, He hath chosen us, us Gentiles. The Jews much gloried in their being a chosen generation, a peculiar people; we Gentiles are a chosen generation also; they were beloved for their father's sake, Abraham's, we for Christ's sake. Note, 3. The antiquity of this favour: Before the foundation of the world; that is, from all eternity. The apostle, to take the Jews off from boasting, as they did, that the world was made for their sake, and that the Messiah from the beginning of the world did enter into a covenant with God to redeem them especially, declares, that the despised Gentiles were elected and chosen by God to be an holy people to himself; and all this, in the purpose of God, before the foundations of the world were laid. Note, 4. God is said to have chosen us in Christ, as our head. Consider Christ as God, so we are chosen by him. know whom I have chosen, says Christ. Consider him as a Mediator; so we are chosen in him, not chosen for him because, not Christ's undertaking for us, but the Father's good pleasure towards us, was the spring and fontal cause of our election. The truth is, God was so far from choosing the Gentiles out of faith foreseen, that he did not choose them for the sake and obedience of Christ foreseen; God did not love us from eternity because Christ was to die for us in time, but because he loved us fulness of time, Christ was sent to die for with an everlasting love; therefore in the us: so that the death of Christ was the fruit and effect, but not the cause, of our election. No other reason, says bishop Fell upon the place, can be assigned of this privilege, but the good pleasure of God; and if Christ's sufferings were not the cause of our election, much less our own deservings, as he adds there; Almighty God' not choosing us because worthy, but to make us worthy by choosing us. Note, 5. The effect and fruit, the benefit and end, of this free and ancient favour: That we should be holy and without blame before him in love. 1. Holiness is here declared not to be the cause, but the effect, of our election: God chose the Gentiles from eternity to be his people, not because they were holy, they were far enough from that, being afar off from God, but designing

that they thus graciously chosen should be holy; initially, progressively, and perseveringly holy in this life, and perfectly holy in the next; yet arriving at such a perfection here in holiness, as to denominate us blameless in the account of God, by virtue of our faith in Christ, and love to one another. From the whole learn, 1. That God's bestowing all spiritual blessings upon us in time, is the effect and fruit of his electing love from all eternity; He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, according as he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Learn, 2. That God hath chosen none to happiness and glory hereafter, but only such as are holy in conversation here, holy in the habitual frame and disposition of their hearts, and in the general course and tenor of their lives and actions. Learn, 3. That such as are holy before God, will endeavour to walk unblamably in the sight of man, in the exercise of love, and in the practice of all the duties of the second table, which are at once evidences of our sincerity, and an ornament to our profession; That we should be holy, and without blame, before him in love.

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved;

of his law, the glory of his justice in turning the transgressors of that law into hell; but his grace he shows no where so much as in the predestination of his children, and in what he hath predestinated them unto; he showeth indeed all his attributes herein, but grace over and above all the rest. Observe, 3. The effect and fruit of this privilege, namely, of our being predestinated to the adoption of children, and that is, our being made accepted in Christ the Beloved: the word is properly rendered, He hath made us dear, precious, and delightful, to himself; or in one word, He hath ingratiated us. Here note, That as Jesus Christ is in an eminent manner beloved of God and accepted with him, so in like manner all God's adopted children do, and shall, find favour with God, and acceptance through Christ; He hath made us freely accepted in the Beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Our apostle having, in the foregoing verses, enumerated the great and glorious privileges which the children of God were made partakers of before all time, comes next to discover what they are admitted to the participation of in time: and here in

this verse he mentions two of them, name

ly, redemption, and remission of sin. In whom we have redemption through his blood, &c. Here note, The privilege itself, redemption: the Redeemer, Jesus Christ: the price of his redemption paid down, his blood: one fruit of this redemption instanced in for all the rest, the forgiveness of sin: and, lastly, the spring or source of all this, the riches of his grace. Learn, 1. The deplorable state into which the whole race of mankind was brought into by sin; namely an estate of slavery and bondage, and spiritual captivity unto sin. Redemption supposes this; slaves and captives need a redeemer, none else; we are all by nature under slavery to sin, to Satan, and the curse of the law, and the wrath of God. Learn, 2. That there was no delivery to be had from this slavery but by a price paid down to the justice of God; redemption is a delivery by ransom and price. Learn, 3. That no other price did or could redeem us from our miserable captivity, but the blood of Christ: We have redemption through his blood. Learn, 4. That all

believers, and only they, have remission of their sins, through the redemption purchased for them by the blood of Christ. Learn, 5. That God's free grace, and Christ's full satisfaction, do stand well together in the work of redemption and remission of sin. True, God had a satisfaction from the hand of our surety Christ Jesus; but was it not free grace and rich mercy in God, to accept of a surety and a substitution, when the rigour of the law required none, and would admit of none, but demanded that the soul which sinned should die? Was it not free mercy, not only to accept a surety, but to provide a surety for us as God did, and this surety his own Son? And to deliver up this Son to a painful, shameful, and accursed death, that we might have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace?

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself:

That is, in which dispensation of his, namely, our redemption from sin and wrath by the blood of his Son, God the Father hath discovered abundant wisdom, wonderful wisdom, riches of divine wis

dom, to the children of men. Taking the words in this sense, the observation is, that God's sending his Son into the world to suffer in our stead, and to satisfy for our sin, was not only an act of special grace and peculiar favour, but also an evidence and demonstration of wonderful wisdom in God; He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom. O what wonderful wisdom appeared in the contrivance of the work of redemption, and in the accomplishment of t! What wisdom, in appointing such a Mediator as was fit to reconcile God to man, and man to God! What wisdom, in laying the platform and design of the gospel in such a way and manner, as at once to advance the honour, and secure the glory of God, and to promote the holiness and comfort of man! Observe next, The description which St. Paul gives us of the gospel, and the preaching of it: it is the mystery of God's will revealed and made known to a lost world. Learn, That the gospel's method for recovering and saving lost sinners by a Redeemer, was

a mystery, a hidden mystery: it was hid where all the world could never have found it, where angels and men could never discover it; it was hid in God, in his breast and bosom, in his heart and thoughts; it was bid from angels; nay, the churches knew it before the angels; yea, the angels learnt it from the churches, Eph. iii. 10. Unto principalities and powers is known by the church the manifold wisdom of God: and as it was hid from angels, so from the wise men of the world, 1 Cor. ii, 8. "We preach the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which none of the princes of this world knew;" nay, the gospel was hid from all the saints of the Old Testament, comparatively, not absolutely, with respect to that clear revelation which we have of the gospel now, it may be said to be hidden from them then. O, what obligation then do we lie under, who live under the dispensation of the gospel, to acknowledge what an infinite favour it is from God clearly to know the mystery of his will, concerning the redemption and salvation of poor lost sinners by a Mediator! God has now revealed it, and he desires all may know and receive the revelation of it, namely, the hidden mystery of his will. Observe, lastly, What was the impelling and moving cause of God's making known the mysteries of his will to a lost world: it was his own good pleasure, which he had purposed in himself; God's making known the mystery of his will by the gospel, and his enlightening the understandings of men savingly to apprehend it, proceeds entirely from the purpose and pleasure of his own good will; Having made known unto us the mys tery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself.

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him,

These words discover to us the end and design of God, in making known the mystery of his will, that is, in revealing the gospel: it was to gather into one universal church both angels and men, Jews and Gentiles, under Christ their head, and by virtue of that union to become one with the Father, as he and Christ are one. Here note, 1. That Christ is the Head both of angels and men; an head of confirmation to the angels, of redemption to fallen

man: both angels and saints in heaven and on earth make up one family, of which Christ is the head; the angels are a part of the worshippers of Christ as well as we, they are a part of his family and household; the angels fill our churches as well as men, and are present in our congregations and assemblies, Cor. xi. 10. Note, 2. That all mankind by nature, and as considered in themselves, are under a fearful dissipation or scattering; sin hath rent and separated them from God, from man, and from the blessed angels. Gathering together presupposes a foregoing scattering. Note, 3. That the purpose and design of God, in discovering the truths of the gospel unto men, was this, that he might gather them together into union with Jesus Christ; that by virtue of that union, they might be one with the Father, as he and Christ are one; That in the fulness of time he might gather together in one body in Christ all things, capable of eternal happiness, both in heaven and earth; even in him who is the head of that body, whereof angels as well as men are members.

11 In whom also we have obtain ed an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in

Christ.

Our apostle having hitherto spoken of the glorious privileges of the gospel in general, he comes now to make application of this his doctrine, first to the Jews, and next to the Gentiles in particular. As to the Jews, who were first called by Christ and his apostles, and who were the first that trusted or hoped in Christ for salvation, before there was any considerable number of converts among the Gentiles, he declares, that these Jewish believers, whereof himself was one, had, in and through Christ, obtain ed a right to be God's portion and peculiar people; and that they should not, by embracing the gospel, lose that ancient privilege which their forefathers so mightily boasted of, and gloried in: namely, to be a chosen generation, and a peculiar people: but together with their being God's portion, they should have a right to an inheritance. In whom we have obtained an inheritance: namely, an inheritance in the

heavenly Canaan, the inheritance of the saints in light; and to this inheritance says he, you have been appointed, God having fore-ordained that this inheritance should be the portion of all believers, and the consequent of faith in Christ, by virtue of which we become the sons of God, and all this to the praise of his own glory; that is, to the intent that his glorious attributes of wisdom, goodness, and mercy, might be acknowledged and highly praised. Learn hence, 1. That to be called to faith, and brought to believe in Christ, before others, is a favour and special prerogative which some persons have above others. We who first believed in Christ. It is an high honour above all others, to be in Christ before others, Rom. xvi. 7. Who were in Christ before me. Learn, 2. That as all believers are God's portion, and the lot of his inheritance, so they do obtain from him right and title to a lot and share in an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in the heavens for them; We have obtained an inheritance. Learn, 3. That Jesus Christ the Mediator, is that person in, by, and through whom, believers are instituted to this inheritance; In whom, &c. Christ hath purchased this inheritance for them; he has promised it to them; he has already them; and he will put them into the full taken, and still keeps, possession of it for and final possession of it at the great day. Learn, 4. That the great end and design of God, in all the distinguishing favours and benefits which by Jesus Christ we obtain from him, is this, That we should be to the praise of his glory. The words may be understood, 1. Passively; the praise of his glory was to be manifested in them. 2. Actively; that the high praises of God were to be set forth by them.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Here the apostle recounts the favours and privileges which the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, upon their believing in Christ, were admitted to the participation of; he