~ Serm.Xll. ~ An Expofttion of tbe Epiftle SERMON XIII. E pH E s. I. II, IZ., lj,I4· In whom alfo we have obtained an Inberitanoe, being predeftinated according to the purpofe of him , who wor~th alL things after the counfel of his own WilL, &c. I . Will give you fitfi, the general 'fcope of the words; and fccondly I lhall open them unto you particularly. Fnjl, for the general [cope or the 11 ,u,IJ,I41h verfes, it is to apply all that he had doctrinally faid in the firfl Ten vcrfes. He had fpoken of Predej/i11atiott, of Adoptiofl to"~!ory or an I~therita11ce, of Redempttoll, of Vocatiolt, and of gathering togethfY all i11 o11e: Of thefe things he had difcourfed in general, in a doctrinal way, from the third verfe to the I I th. Now he beginnctll particu– lar!y to apply all thefc; for in the opening of them you !hall perceive there is nothing almo!l he had delivered doctrinally, but he applieth and comforteth the People of God with it. l-Ie had fa id, that God had intended togather a!J ilt Heaven and alt i1t Earth to himfelf, (that is the lafl: thing fpoken to in the 10th verfe.) To apply this to things in Heaven there was no need, for he was not a Preacher to A1tge!s, to fpeal< directly unto them; therefore he applieth it only unto thi11gs 011 Earth. All things on Eart h are divided into .'few and Ge11ti!e: firfl: therefore he appli– cth it unto the .'Jtws, !11 whom we ( faith he) have obtained rm !ttheritance, that wr}bou!d 6e to the prai(e of his glory, who ftrfl trujled i11 Chrifl, Here are the Jews, whom God called firll; we Apof/!es, we Jews. Then he applieth it un· totheGnttt!cs, nnd that under the Ephe}imts, whom he wrote to; bt whom ) '' a!Jo trufted ( verfe 1 ~· ) after that yot< heard, tbe word of Trttth, ~c. He had fpoken of a great gatherittJ i11to one in Chrifl. Let us Jews (faith he) and Apojl!es, comfort our felves , we have a part in it; and the Ephejimzs and the Gmtiles, comfort your felves, ye have a part in it too; (as you fhall hear that the word fignifieth by and by.) So much for the general fcope. . Now to open the words particularly; and firfl: to begin with the application that he makes to the .'ftws, in the "th and 12th verfes. T he firfi word that we meet withal to be opened, is this, !11 whom we havt obtained mt l11heritmJce; fo it is tranllated, and rightly tranllatcd too: but I fhall give you fomewhat a larger meaning of it, which they that are Scholars do well know it agrceth with the meaning ot the word; for I profefs,tbis rule and principle in opening of the word, (though there be a more eminent [cope of one thing than another,) yet to take in the mofi comprehenfive meaning that can be given of things, for the Holy Gholl hath vafl: aims in writing of the Scripture. 'E'-'"""'"'~",That is the word here which is tranllated, We rzl{o htJVe obtaftJ(d "" Iuherttmtce. To open this word to you. There is two thing·s to be opened con– cerning it. The Firfl: is, What the word cometh from and importeth. The Second is, The kind of the Verb; foritisaVerb; I Jhall make it plaia by and by to the ea!icl\ capacity. That
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