108 An Expofttion of the Epiftle SERMON IX. E P H E S. '· 8, 9· 8. Wherein he hatb abounded towardt us in all wifdom and prudence, 9· Having made ltnown unto ur the myftery of hir wiU, according to his good pleafure, which he had purpofed in himfelf. THE Apoflle's fcope in this Chapter is an enumeration of the Grand parti– cular Bleffings which we have in Chrifl; which Bleffings are either fuch original Blelfings to which we are ordained from eternity, and lhall enjoy in the end and ilfue of all ; orthey are fuch Bleffings as in the world were wrought for us in Chri!t, and are applied unto us in this life in and through Chrifl, There are 'Decreta.fi11u, that is,of our Journies end,&c. that God means to bring us unto. Per{ecr Holilufs in the 4thVerfe; .Adoptio11 or Glory through being Sons, in the )thVerfe; a perfect complacency of God for ever in us in his Beloved Soil, mentioned in the 6thVerfe, for the fake of his Son's Perfon, and what he is in himfelf the Natural Son of God, and the Beloved one of God, and communicated to us by our Relation to him, and Union with him. There are likewife 'Decreta Exec11tiouu, the Decrees of Execution, or of the way to that End, [HrtiVm, ] which are thefe that follow in the 7, 8, and gth Verfes, Re– demptiott throt'f,h Chrij/'s blood, f!lc. And thefe benefits depended upon what moreover Chn!t wrought and did for us; He redeemed m by his blood : And this he performed in this World; and in refpect to this work he is to be confi– dered as Redeemer, and our Perfons confidered by God the Father as Sinners, Chtldren of wrath,f!lc. and here begin the benefits of Application. Remif!i 01 , of fins is the firfl, and is the foundation, and is put for the whole of Juflificatlon, as his Blood fpeaks his whole Obedience and Redemption i1,1 parrs, viz. the Price as paid by Chrifl, and the Benefits purchafed, which are Redemptio11, f!lc. Then Secondly there is the work of Vocatio11, our firfl converfion to God, and of Faith and Sa11crificatiotJ. The whole work, as it is imperfect from firfr, and wrought in us from flrfl to lafl,which God bath begun to work, and will continue to perfect till the day ofour death.And this is exprelfed by thofe words of the 8th Ver(e,Wherein he bathabot~ndeditJ a/J WiiJom mtd Prttdence. He by thefe two words exprelfeth the chief .and leading principles of Sanctification wrought in us, and wh1ch comprehend m them the whole complex of the work of Grace in this life wrought in us firfl and lafl. For the Apoflle being to contract and crowd up thefe benefits into a Compmdi11m, he fpeaks Jynecdoches, and mentions parrs for the whole of each kind , which he afterwards dilates upon in par– ticulars. I !hall now repeat nothing more of what I delivered on the formerVerfes; I come immediately to that which is the next Benefit here before us, his having abounded toward tM itt a/J wi(dom mtdprudmce, t:£>c. It is (as you will fee by the opening of it) the bleffing of Converlion, and of our Calling,and the working Faith and alro our imperfect Holinefs,which God works in us here by the Gofpd. And he faith Three things of it. L He
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