to the E PHESIAN s. !95 thren, it is the ApoO:le's indigitating here, in thisDifcou.rfe, this thing a15ain and~ again. Tofay, Byc;Jraceyearef.rved, andtofayttagam; tofay •.t bndlyfirft,~ and largely afterw~rds to open it, to that end they mtght have m thetr Eye thts as the chief refult and [copeofall his Dtfcourfe: for htm to do fo, tt ts no wonder. He did fo in mentioning our loll condition; firll he inentioneth it largely, in the 1, 2, and 3· verfcs : and yet he repeats it again, to fet the confideratiqn of it the, more upon our Hearts, in this 5th verfc. Anfwerably, when he would fpeak of that Grace, by which we were delivered out of this condition, he gives us in the beginning here a brieftouch ofit, By Grace ye areflwed,_ and tHtn infilleth largely upon it afterwards,'m the 8th verfc. It was meet that thts Seal fhould have a ,dou~ ble Impreffion upon the Wax, to make it the deeper, for it is God's Seal; it is that Grace, by which he knows who arehts.. It ts the firll greatend and defigri. ofGod. So ver. 7· you have it, That i'n the A,ges to rome, he might fbew the Riches of hw Grace. It is both the firll caufe, and the mtddlc caufe, and the ulttmate caute of our Salvation; and therefore no wonder the Apollle mentioncth it three times; And then, 2. Why he fhould bring it in by way of Parenthefis, .in the very midll of his. Difcourfe, oftbe Benefits we have in and by Chrill; before he goes on to fpeak of the reil, having fpoken only ofquickning; for him to fay, By Grace ye arefaved, by way ofParenthefis,itargues that he had this thing in his Thoughts,his Thoqghts werefull ofit; and it breaks outprefently upon the firft jufl: occafion. He had but mentioned the firfl: degree ofSalvation, he bath quickped"'; yet becaufe whoever -bath that de11:ree, his Salvation fhall be compleatcd, he prefently crys oot, are ye q11ick._ned? Ye arefaved; he fpeaks as ifthe whole Work were done, for done it, fhall be : he cryes out, ye arefaved, upon the very mention of the firfl: degree of Salvation; and he tells them by what: ye arefaved by Grace, faith he. You have jull fuch a Parenthefis, in Hab. I. I 2. where the Prophet, in the name of the Peci~ pie ofGod, prays unto God; Art tho11 notfrom everla.fting, 0 Lord, my God,mi11e holy One? what follows? We foal/ not die. He did prefent!y gather that from it; and it came in as a Note by the way : he had no fooner faid,Thou art "'YGodfro!Ji. everlafting : but, We fha/1 not die: and then he goes on in his Prayer. So here, when the Apollle had but named that Work, which enfureth Salvation to us,and that engageth God for ever to go on ; and that he that bath begun a good Work; will perfect it : he prefent!y brings this in by way of Parenthells, 'By Graceye are faved: And fo putteth a more real Emphafisupon Grace, than in the formerupori Mercy and Love, fimply and alone confidered. He gives them greater Epithites indeed; and yet he gives Grace the fame afterwards too. But he brings this in . here as an eminent Obfervation by the way, as that which he would have them of all things obferve. And fo thereby he gives it a mote real exaltation than the other. And then, . 43· Ifany one fhall fay, Is there any diiference between his Ccope in bringing i~ in here, and in the 8th verfc ? I anfwer, Yes, and this I defire you to obferve and remember, for it fhall !leer me in the handling ofit; for fome things are proper to this place, and other things that are proper to what belongs to this Sentence,, in the 8th verfc. To fhew you the differe,nce th~n. It corites inhere by way of general Premife, a5 a touch by the way, ofwhat he would more largely open,and particularly fpeak o£ It comes in here, as the chiefcaufe of Salvation fimply con– fidered, a caufe ofall thofe Benefits which we receiv~, that we are quickned, and raifed with Chrill, and fit in heavenly places with him ; it is placed in the mid([ ofthem, as the Sun is in the Firmament. But in the 8th vt~:fe, it comes in there comparatively, and more largely ; it comes in there, excluding what may feem to put in as caufes ofour Salvation : if you will make diem caufes that are not caufes, and yet will go about in the Hearts ofMen to fhare the honour wiih free ~':"ce. By Graceye .refaved, faith he, through.Faith, ~nd that 110t ofyonrfelves, it. tt u the Gift ofGod, not ofWorf<!, &c. He bnngs .tt 111 there, I fay, b}"'way of e~clufion; by way ofcutting off the Pleas, ofwhatfoever would pretend to anx TttJe or Honour herein ; or which the Hearts ofMell are apt to mingle \vith, an~ afcnbe Salvation unto. You tee clearly then, the differing way of handling and * B b 2 fpeaklilg
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