Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 1 · Verse and explication 3
Vers. 4. According as He hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before Him in love.
THe Apostle, in the second place, treateth of those spiritual blessings more particularly, and so doth branch forth at large that reason of his thanksgiving to God presently mentioned, and this in pursuance of the former scope, which is to shew, that salvation with all its causes do flow only from God's free grace in Christ; that so the Ephesians might be firmly rooted and confirmed in the faith of this Truth. And, first, he speaketh of those blessings as they were prepared and appointed for Believers in God's eternal decree of Election and Predestination, to ver. 7. In this verse he sheweth, first, That these spiritual blessings are bestowed upon Believers in time, not by chance, or rashly, not from any worth in the receiver, but according as God had fore-ordained in His decree of Election, whereby, before the foundation of the world, that is, from all eternity (See Joh. 17. 24) He did choose some of mankind to eternal life (Mat. 25. 34.) passing by others, and did choose them in Christ, not as if Christ's death had moved God to love and elect; for, His electing love did move Him to give Christ for sinners, Job. 3. 16. Neither did He choose them in Christ, as if they had been considered by God as already in Christ by faith, and that because of their faith thus foreseen, they had been elected by Him; for, so faith should not be a fruit flowing from election, but a condition prerequired in the person to be elected, which doth contradict this same very Scripture, affirming that all spiritual blessings (whereof faith is one) do flow from, and are bestowed according to the decree of Election: He did therefore choose them in Christ, as in Him, whom He did in one and the self-same decree choose to be the Head of the Elect, and chief foundation-stone of all that precious building, His own House and Church, 1 Pet. 2. 6. and by whom that glory, and all things tending to that glory unto which He did choose them, were to be purchased; that so (without doing injury to provoked justice) they might be applied unto, and actually bestowed upon the Elect; for, so is this purpose more clearly expressed, 1 Thess. 5. 9. Secondly, he illustrateth this decree of Election from the nearest end which God did design to be brought about by it, even the sanctification of the persons elected, whereby they should be rendred blameless before men, and sincere and upright before God, and that in love, to wit, in the duties of love to their neighbour, flowing from love to God, Mat. 22. 37, 39 by which love, as a touchstone, the soundnesse of their sanctification should be tried. Doct. 1. As God from all eternity hath chosen some of mankind, and firmly decreed to bestow upon them eternal life, Luke 12. 32. so there are others whom He decreed not to save, but to condemn. In which latter decree, and much more in the former, God hath done nothing unjustly; seing as soveraign Lord over all the creatures He hath absolute dominion to dispose of them as He pleaseth, Rom. 9. 19, 20, 21. and though sin in the reprobate was not the cause of God's decree of reprobation, Rom. 9. 11, 12, 13. yet it is the cause of the reprobates condemnation, so that his condemnation is just: for, saith he, He hath chosen us: which implyeth, some were not chosen, seing where all is taken there is no choice. 2. Though no man (except he who hath sinned that unpardonable sin, Mat. 12. -32.) can certainly know he is a reprobate; there being no marks, except that alone, set down in Scripture, by which reprobation can be certainly known; Yet, the Elect may attain to the assured knowledge of their own election, seing God hath set down in Scripture, the marks and evidences of election, Joh. 6. 37. and hath promised to give His Spirit unto His own, whereby they may infallibly discern these marks, at least, at sometimes in themselves, 1 Cor. 2, 12. for, although the Apostle doth pronounce those Ephesians to be elected according to the judgement of charity only, which believeth the best of others, where nothing appears to the countrary, 1 Cor. 13. 7. yet, he behoved to have some undoubted perswasion of his own election, before he could warrantably conclude himself to be elected, seing not charity, but certain knowledge is the principle from which a man ought to judge of himself, 2 Cor. 13. 5. As He hath chosen us in Him, saith he. 3. Though the doctrine of Election and Reprobation be such, as the unlearned and unstable are apt to wrest and stumble at to their own destruction, 2 Pet. 3. 16. yet, it is not wholly to be suppressed and locked up in silence from the Lord's People, but would be soberly, and prudently sometimes propounded unto them; and that because of the many and great advantages which may be reaped, not only by the doctrine of election, such as the assurance of salvation, Rom. 8. 29, 30. strong incitements unto holinesse, 2 Pet. 1. 10. and courage under crosses of all sorts, Rom. 8. 38, 39. but also by the doctrine of reprobation, as contributing much to promove the salvation of the Elect, by making them hate sin more, Psal. 119. 119, 120. and prize the kindnesse and good will of God more, which made choice of them, passing by others as good as they, Rom. 9. 22, 23. for, the Apostle propoundeth this doctrine to the whole Church, and insisteth upon it, According as He hath chosen us in Him, &c. 4. As electing love in God is of an old standing, even from all eternity, and therefore most free; there being nothing in the Elect, before they had a being, which might draw His love towards them: So the Lord can, and usually doth keep His purposes and thoughts for good to a people or person for a long time hid, before He do discover them, and make them known: for, He had set His love upon these believing Ephesians from all eternity, which yet lay hid from the beginning of the world, and did not kyth untill their effectual calling; He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world. 5. The Lord bestoweth spiritual blessings in time, according to what He hath inacted in that His eternal decree of election before time; So that every elect soul shall most undoubtedly enjoy those blessings: And all of them (even Faith it self not being excepted) do flow from Election, and are bestowed upon the Elect, because they are elected unto them: for, saith he, God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings, according as He hath chosen us in Him. 6. God did not choose or elect us, because we were holy, or because He did foresee we would be holy, but that we might be holy; so that neither fore-seen holinesse, good-works, nor fore-seen faith, were the causes of Election, but effects and fruits flowing from it: for, saith he, God hath chosen us that we should be holy. 7. God hath elected none to enjoy everlasting glory after this, but such as He hath chosen to be holy here: And therefore a man may safely and certainly conclude he hath been elected from all eternity, if he be sanctified and renewed by the Spirit of holinesse in time: and whatever assurance of Election is pretended unto by any who lead an unholy life, it is but a strong delusion, a vain presumption, and no wellgrounded perswasion; for, He hath chosen us, as to Heaven and glory, so also that we should be holy. 8. This real and saving holinesse, from which a man may conclude his own Election, is joyned with an honest endeavour after such a conversation as is blamelesse and obnoxious unto no just reproof from men: It is not only inward and in the heart, but outward also, and in the hand and tongue: for, saith he, He hath chosen us, that we should be holy and without blame, to wit, from men, as the word is taken, Luke 1. 6. 1 Tim. 3, 2. Doct. 9. Where this real and saving holinesse, the fruit of electing love, is, there will not only be a blamelesse conversation before men, but also sincerity of heart before God, which doth not imply perfection in holinesse, (for none should then be holy before Him in this life, 1 King. 8. 46▪) but ingenuity and singlenesse of spirit, opposit to a double heart and hypocrisie, even such ingenuity, as a man dare appeal to God to judge of his honest endeavour after that in reality and in deed, which he pretendeth unto in the wayes of God; for, those words before Him, expresse such sincerity of heart, (See 2 King. 20. 3. Psal. 18. 23.) we should be holy before Him. 10. Sound holinesse and sincerity of heart, are most manifested in the duties of love to our neighbour, flowing from our love to God; for, external duties of Religion may be diligently followed, even by hypocrites, Isa. 1. 11. And the inward substantial duties thereof are not so easily discerned, neither by others nor yet by our selves, as when they are accompanied with the painfull and conscientious practice of those duties, which love to our neighbour doth enjoyn: for, therefore doth the Apostle give an instance of this holinesse in love, rather than in any other duty; And without blame before Him in love.