to the E PHES I A N S. 9 J, Jefi# Chrifl, Becaufe thefc words folio~ next ~fter Faithful, or Be· W Jievers therefore fame would have Chn!l:, as he IS theObJetl: of Fa>eh, or of our Serm. I. Believi~g, to be here intended, a~d fo in Chrift eo be all one with what elfewhere ~ is exprelTed by behevwg [m Chn!l: Jefus ;] but the fcope of chefe words h~re rather is 1 to note out in whom the perfons of chefe Samcs or Believers are fard eo be as members iri che head, or which is yet neater, chat they confidered as Saints and Believers that even as fuch, they are what they are in him ; and the reafan why thefe w~rds [in Chrifi JefUJ'] import rather being in Chri!l: as Believers, than their believing in Chri!l:, as the objeCt of their Faith; is, from the like Infcription from ~hac parallel Epiftl~ to che C~lojficms, (which is folike, that in many things It wrll conduce to explatn thrs Epi!l:le, as one Evmigelifl doch another.) :Now there, and there only, Cap. i. ver{ J. we find chefe cwo, Saints mid faithfnl, joined together even as here; and [ill Chrifi] comes in coo, but fo as Brethren comes between: the words there being placed thus, To the Sai11ts m1d Faithfi•l Brethren in Chrifl ; . now [ill Chrij/ J coming. in after [Brethren] cannot import the objeCt of Faith, but the fubjeCl: rather, m whom tllofe as Brethren were, and as Saints ~nd Faichful; fo elfewhere, I Thrf i.I. To the Chnrch ill God, and i11 the Lord JejUJ" Chrifi; chat is, both their Perfons, and alfo as tl]ey were a Church, they are in God and in Chri!l:, fo as chefe words here [ in Chrifi Jeftu 1 refer both eo their being Saints, and to their being Believers in I:Jim; And {o, as I cake it it is nor fo much meant, chat chefe Ephejians their Perfons were in Chri!l: (though chat b~ cr~e and is afc~r affirmed in every verfe, yet chat is not all,) bur that confidered as Saints and Believers; and what they were as Sait;ts, they were it all;,~ Chrifl. , . . My Brethrm, all our Grace mrtJ1h Grac_e itt.Chrifl; Sailtts and Faithful in Obferv. Chrifl. The Apo!l:le fpenking in a wa~ ot difference ~nd dillintl:ion from ~he All HctioefsiD formal Jews; their legal Godlmefs, ( whtch many Chn!l:tans take up ~nd re!l: m) Chrift. · ufeth this phrafe, They that wiO live Godly_ i11 Chrifl ./ejus (faith he, 2 Tim. S' I z.) implying chat ther.e is a holinefs in Chri!l: Jefus differing from all other. An holinefs, whereof the fpring and rife is in llim; all your holinefs, it mull: qe wrought i11 ChriJ1, 'fJ)t are createdin Chrifl.'1efiu togood works, fo the Apollle (aich, Eph.2.10. All your holinefsmu!l: be acted in Chri!l:, and by motives from Chrl!l:, and by !l:rength fetched from Chri!l:; fo in chat 2 Tim. 2. I. Be Jlror1g ilt the Grace, what! the grace chat is dwelling inyourfelves? No, which is in Chrift Jefus, fo it follows ; here lies your !l:rengch. And then, all your holinefs and faith, and every good thing in you muft be accepted in Chri!l: too, and you ~u!l: go our of your felves eo God, eo have your Perfons and Graces accepted i.n him, as tbcApollle, r Pet. 2.5. hccalleth them Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to Godby Jefus Chri{f. . , . lt_i& the tlalttre of true Faith to make men Faithftd m:to God, M well M be- 06ferv. !tevmgmtd depmdmg ttpo".God. The wordFaithful (as you have heartl) berng ordt~anly uf~d for both m the New Tellamenr, as herein chis place. Look ;.vhat Faith eyes m~od, and expects eo receive from him, chat in a fuitablenefs lt frames the heart .m a way of ~onformicy unco, fuch is tl\e Ingenuity, the Ho11efly ( as the Scnptu~e calls It) of genuine Faith. As, if it looketh for eh~ Rtghceoufnefs of Chn!l: for Julltficacion · it bows the Heart eo imitate chat Righceoufnefs for. SanCtification, and 'eo hate all chat fro it feeks che pardonof, as truly. as It ~eeks f~>r the pardon of it: !t knows not upon .what other terms to defire It; fom the m!l:an.ce m hand, Fanh eyeing God's Faithfulllejs; and depeAdmg thereon for Salvation, caufeth the heart (in ingenuity) eo be as Fmthj11l to God. Again, in all chat he requires and commands; It could not look _up !l:eadtly eo God for his performance, without framing che heart ro this re. folution. · Verf. 2. Grace be to you, a11dPeacefrolft Godottr Father a11dfrom the L ord ~ejt1s Cbrifl. ' . Here is che third general Head of chefe two fir!l: Verfe5; the Salucacion he grves them, or the Bleffing, as fame would have ir. c
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=