An Expojition of the Epiftle ~ That Tranflation and Interpretation therefore which remaineth, is this, That Serm. Vf. God hath Predef\inated us either [for himfelf] as the end thereof, or ((or him,] ~namely Chrif\: 1 as the end of Predef\:inating us to this Adoption. And the words will fully bear the one as well as the other, for rhe Prepofition [•i<]dothoft times fignify, [For J as it doth denote the End or final Caufe; as in the very next verfe, ver.6. [t-f.;h«tvo~ J'w;Hni.;x_d-et-r(;rdvT;;,] [To or For] tbePrai{e of the G!oryof his Grace, J as noting out the final caufe; it is the fame prepo!ition there that is here ufed, as likewife is that Rom. "· 36. [ Atl thi11gs are of him, and through him, and [for him] [,;,doll•]they are the fame words. But then, if that !'article [ ,;, ] be admitted to fignify [For] as importing a final caufe,the quef\ion will be,whether it be for himfe!f; that is,for God the Fa– ther, that he f110uld make himfelf the End : or whether it be for Chrif\:, whom the Apo!lle had mentioned in the words immediately foregoing. I confefs, that when I expounded that vcrfe in my Lecture, and long after that, when I fir{\ perfected my Notes \lpon that'verfe; I obferved it not, as to fuch a purpofe and iffue, as I ihall now further drive at, But I underf\:ood it then, as only to intend, that we were Predcf\:inated [to and for Chri/1,] and to the g!ory of Chrifr, and fo I handled it at large. But feeing the Greek word may as indif– ferentl y (with a variation of the afpirate) be rendred [to him]elf,] and fo refer .unto God the Father; And finding that the Scriptures do freqnently exprefs God's , Electing of us, ,by choofing us to him{elf and for himfelf; as I found when UpooRom.... I lately handled the Doctrine of Election. And that there was fo much and 4·s.& 6 ."' 1 " fo great a matter comprehended and contained in that expreffion; I have be~o·taereby moved to take that Interpretation in alfo, it being a Rule I have always meafured the Interpretation of Scripture by, (as I have oft profeffed,) to take Scripture phrafes and words in the moll: comprehenfive fenfe; yea, and in two fenfes, or more, that will f\:and together with the Context and Analogy ofFaith. Jtmim in his Conference with ArmitJius, apprehended feme great ma1ter beyond what was ordinarily pitch'd on, to lie intended in that fmall Word. But he not explaining what, but groping at it, Dr.Y:."'i{s, (who wrote the Defence of,that Conference,) yet finds fault with him for obfcurity, ~s not knowing what to make of .1tmiuf his meaning. Others, (to whofe interpretation our Tranflators feem to incline, ) do give this as the foie fenfe of thefe w9rds ; That God Predef\:inated us unto AdoptiOit •f Children to himfrlf. So as the whole intendment ihould be taken up in this particular, That be bath chofr" tu to 6t Chitdrm to him{tlf; the word [to himfelfl referrin~ only unto our being Children to him; that is,[His Childrm.] But, (f.1ys HolyBaytJe, as I obferved,) it is not in the Greek faid,That he pre– def\:inated us to be [Sons J to himjetf, in the concrete ; but that he chofe us to Adoption in the abltrad. Now, fays he, To have added, To Adoption, in the ab!lraal: To himfelj; is not fo proper. Of which I have fpoke before. So that I underf\:and the word [to Himfelj"] not primarily or alone to refer to fignifie Adoptio11 of Chitdrm to him; but to refer difrinctly and as immediately Unto his having predef/iiJated us, and feparated us to his own great. and gloriot~s frlf, and for and to his great and bleffed Son, And that to have been another dif\:ind and larger end of his predef\:inating us than Adoption , over and above, and beyond that, And though that be as a fpecial End mentioned firfi ; yet that is but a more particular and lower End incomparifon of this other, of God's pre– deflitwtwg tJs to bimfelf. Let us take up his meaning thus, as if he had faid, Ht hath prtdej/i11ated tt< to Adoptio11, that is one end or benefit rather : But which is more and further than that, He bath predt{linatedtts evm [tohimfrlf] alfo, in the full extent of what that will bear and hold forth. And.truly, that which would further perfwade unto this is, not only that it enlargeth the fcope of the Text to the utmof\: am– plitude; but alfo, that [6y ,'le{us Cbrij/] comes in between [urtlo Adoptio11,] and [to bimfdf J Whereas, if he had only intended that we were chofen unto A– doptio11, that is, of Cbitdrm to himfelj; he would have placed them immediate– ly together, and fa id, He hath predt{lillated tts 111110 Adoptiott to bimfelf 6y Jefus Chrifl; but he puts [by Jejiu Chri/1] between the one and the other. I.Fo,.
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