An Expojition of the EpijUe ~· Ser. XVIll. Firfl; The Phrafe here, [In .Ages to come,] it bath a relation comparatively ~ to the Times of the old Law, whtch were paO:: Now under the Old TeO:ament when ChriO: was not afcended, nor was fitting in Heaven, fa as the Saints theA ~ould not be faid to fit in Heaven in ChriO:, he being not perfonaiJy there as God-Man, the Riches of Grace were not revealed, or but to a few. But no,; tl!at Jefils Chrift bath polfefs'd Heaven for us, he hath_difperfed the Gofpel over all the World; ~nd the domg thts m the Pnmmve T1mes, is a Pawn and Pledg, that he w11l contmue to break up thole exceedmg R1ches of his .Grace in all Ages, one after another, to the end ; and the example ofthefo Ephe{ians is a real demouO:ration ofthis: and ~o now [Ages to come J ~ould refpefr Ages paO:. And therefore thts Interpretation 1s confirmed by that m cbnp. 3· vcrf 5· fpeaking of the Myfl:ery of the Gofpel, wbich (faith he) in other Ages tiMs not made ktow 11 that is, ill Ages p.,Jf; but now being made kAown to thefc Ephcjans, and to othe; Gentiles in th~ir Converfion, God did !hew, that for the Ages to come he would break open alfo the exceeding Riches of his Grace, as he had done' compara– _tively to what was done before. And hence itis, that the Time of the Gofpel is called, the Day of Grace, tbe D"} of SalvatTon, as tn 2 Cor. 6. 2. And, Tit. '2 , r r. The Grace of God th>Tt bringeth Salvation, hath appeared unto all Men, And they give this Reafon, why they are the Agesofthi< World, that are here intended : Becaufe they are the Ages that do follow one upon another which , " . do ji1pervenire; the word is, im~:x;}IAv01s, they do one come and follow ~pon the , tv 701~ ocl· neck of another, fucceed one another, as one Wave cloth another: whereas if ~" 7 011 '- it refer to the Time after the Refurrection, (fay they) this would not be fo. ~::)'.31'-" And hence it is that he calls them, exceeding Riches of Grace, an Epithete which he gives no where elfe: He calls tbem Riches of Grace elfewhere, but here, ex– ceedrng Riches of Gr•ce : why '? Becaufe God had broken open fuch a Mine, as fuoltld never be drawn dry, no, not to all Generations, tho be meant to dif– pence the Gofpel, and to gather Souls out of all the Corners of the World. And, Secondly; To confirm this Interpretation further, they C1y, that the Converfion of thefe Epheji>uu bath fomething of a Pattern and Exemplar, to confirm Polle– rity in it; and to that end they urge, and truly, that the word tvJ\~~"T«I, which is here tranOated [to Jbew J is to !hew forth as in a Pattern or Example; it is not limply to hold forth, but to give an example ofit, to evidence it nototiouOy, by a Token, or by a Sign, as it were. The word is fometimes fo .ufed, as in Rom, 9· 17. fpcaking of Pharaoh, faith he, For this fome purpofe have I raifed thee rp, that I might Jhew'"IJ 7>ower in thee, might make thee an EX<.::llple, (for he is brought in there as an Example of all Rebels ); it is not fimply and barely to make him an Example of Jufl:ice, but an Example to all Ages; for fo it fol– lows, That thy Name "'"Y be declared throughout alJ the Earth, And to cut fbort other places, for I could give you many, as that in~ Cor. 8. 14. I fi1all only in– fiance in that famous place which is parallel with it, in r Tim. r. r6. where 'Paul fpeaks of his Converfion, os here he cloth of himfelf and the Jews, and thefe Ephejans ; having laid the Gofpel isa faithful Saying, he confirms it by this: F or this caufe I obtained Mercy, that in me jirjl 'jef!H (hrijl might Jbew forth all Long-jitjfering, ( it is the fame word that is ufed here,) for a Pattern to thenl which Jhrmld hereafter believe on him to Lift everlaf/ing. · Every word is emphati· cal, to !hew that 'Pm!l was an Example: To me jirft, faith he, and then, jhcw forth, as making me an Example, (the word implies fo much) and then, a-s a Putter11. And to this end, io the third place, the words that follow, [In hi< kjndneft towards IH in Chrifl J ejiu,J do fitly,and in a natural way,ferve this Interpretation, for they feem to bear and carry this clear Sence, that in this Kindnefs which God had !hewn to them, in quickning them when they were dead in Sins and Trefpaffes, and in letting them in heavenly places in Chrill, who reprefented them, he bath manifefl:ed and held forth what he means to do unto others, and · what they may expefr. The word [ kjndmft J her~ being ta~en (as they would have it) both for the manner, (that,., by !bewm~ and feemg how hbe– rally, and bountifully, and graciouOy God had dealt With thefe Ephejam,_ m * qmcknmg
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