l3 GOD'S ELECTION OF MEN IN JESUS CHRIST. [SEEM. II. vation to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, who has redeemed us with his own blood ? To him be dominion and glory for ever and ever." Amen. SERMON II. GOD'S ELECTIONOF A PEOPLE FORHIMSELF AMONGMEN, AND GIVING THEM TO HIS SON IN THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION. srui.3,4,5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who bath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ ; according as he bath chosen us in him before, the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having pre- destinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. IF we enquire who are the persons thus " blessed with all spiritual blessings, chosen to be holy, and predesti- nated to become the children of God," the little word " us" points plainly to the apostle Paul himself, who wrote this epistle, who was a Jew, and the converted Ephesians, to whom he wrote, who were gentiles. These were the persons thus favoured of God. It does not seem to me to be the design of this text, to tell us that God chose part of the Ephesians, as well as other gen- tiles tobe. an outward visible church, with mere visible privileges, as the nation of the Jews were pf old, who were a type and figure of the church invisible; ; b that he chose some Jews and some gentiles to be parts of his invisible church, for they are said to be blessed with :spiritual blessings; with the privilege of adoption, and The real work ofholiness and divine love in their hearts. All the following parts of this and the next chapter seem plainly to declare this sense. If we ask how, or by what medium this grace was ex- ercised; we are informed, it was all in and through Jesus the Son of God ; they are blessed in Jesus Christ, they are chosen in him, and through hirn they are adopted, or
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=