Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 2 · Verse and explication 12
Vers. 13. But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the bloud of Christ.
HEre beginneth the second branch of the second part of the Chapter, wherein is set forth the present happy estate of those Ephesians, together with the way how, and by whom this happy lot was purchased for them. And, first, he briefly propoundeth that blessed change which had befallen them, in so far as they, who were before afar off, to wit, from Christ, His Church, His Covenant, saving hope, and from God Himself, not through local distance, Act. 17. -27. but through want of saving interest, union and communion with God, with Christ and His Church by faith, hope, love, or professed subjection to Gods Law and Ordinances, as was explained, ver. 12. they, even they, were now made nigh to God, to Christ and His Church in the same sense. And withall he briefly sheweth, not only the way how all things requisit to that blessed change were purchased for them, to wit, by the merit of Christ's death upon the Crosse, which was the accomplishment of all His other sufferings and obedience, Joh. 19. 30. but also, how those things so purchased, were actually bestowed upon them, and applyed unto them, to wit, by their being in Christ, and by vertue of their union with Him.
Now as their distance, and severall pieces of their former misery did belong unto them in two respects; First, as they were without the visible Church; Secondly, as they were men unregenerate, in which respect, their misery was common to them with all the unregenerate, whether without, or within the Church, as was cleared, ver. 12. So what is here, and in the verses following spoken of their delivery, and present happy state, is in many things, at least, applicable, not only to their inward state, as being a great many of them truely regenerate, justified and sanctified, and therefore members of the invisible Church of Believers; but also by proportion to their outward state, as being members of Christs visible Church, whereby they enjoyed many rich priviledges, (See ver. 12. Doct. 5.) And those also purchased by Christ, Eph. 4. 8. 11. and conveyed to the visible Church, and every Church-member by reason of their visible and political union with him. Job. 15. 2. neither is Scripture hereby rendred ambiguous or doubtsome, as signifying two diverse things; for, whether we look to the priviledges of true Believers, or of visible Church-members (the priviledges of the latter being the enjoyment of those blessings in the offer of the Gospel, and a living under such means and ordinances by which God useth to convey those blessings, the actual possessing of which, or present right unto which, are the priviledges of reall Believers) or if we look to that which giveth them a right, each one to their respective priviledges, to wit, the grace of faith, and a mysticall and saving union with Christ upon the part of real Believers, and a profession of the doctrine of faith, either personally or parentally, and an external and politicall union with Christ upon the part of visible Church-members. I say, which of those be looked unto, we will find so much of likenesse and proportion betwixt what belongeth to the visible Church, and what belongeth to the invisible, that both may safely and without ambiguity be taken up as intended by the Spirit of God to be expressed in one and the same Scripture; though the one more principally, and the other secondarily, and as it were by proportion. As for example here, seing the nighnesse and happinesse, which visible Church-members enjoy, is only comparative, and with respect had to the greater misery of those who are wholly without the Church; and that it is but a misery and distance, being compared with that state of nighnesse and happinesse which the truely Regenerate are brought unto; Therefore I conceive, that what is mentioned of the delivery and blessed state, here spoken of, was verified mainly and fully in the Regenerate and invisible Church of Believers among them, and but proportionally only and in part in the visible Church of professors: and therefore I shall only collect such doctrines as arise from it, being so considered.
Hence Learn, 1. The more nigh the consideration of our miserable and happy state be set together in opposition the one to the other before the eye of the soul, it commendeth and sweetneth our happy state through grace the more: for, the Apostle's scope being to set forth the happinesse of that state, wherein free grace had placed them, he compriseth all their misery in one word, They were sometimes far off, and all their happinesse in another, they were now made nigh; And so giveth a joynt view of them both at once. 2. The People of God are not so to remember by past sin and misery, as to make them question the fruits of Gods mercy already received, or to despair of receiving more in time to come: for, having exhorted them (ver. 11.) to remember their former misery, in the first place, he exhorteth them here to remember that happy estate wherein mercy had placed them in the next; But now—ye are made nigh. 3. As it is the duty of Converts frequently to remember their former sin and misery: (See Vers. 11. Doct. 2.) So also to call to minde, and confidently avow that gracious change which freegrace hath wrought upon them in their conversion; because as misbelief is ready to call it in question, Isa. 50. -10- So the remembrance and avowing of it, is most profitable, in order to our own comfort against the sense of bypast or present sin and misery, 1 Cor. 6. 11. in order to our incitement to the duty of walking suitably, chap. 4. 1. and to our incouragement against the fear of all imaginary difficulties, which may occur in our way to heaven and glory, Philip. 1. 6. and in order to our thankfulnesse unto God for His so rich mercy manifested in our delivery, 1 Pet. 2. 9. for, the Apostle exhorteth them to remember this in the second place, That ye who were sometimes far off, are now made nigh. 4. As converting grace falleth often upon those who are most gracelesse, and at greatest distance from God, from Christ and His Church; So it bringeth those, upon whom it falleth, into a state of nearnesse to all those, because of these many nigh relations, under which they stand to God; as of servants, Rom. 6. 22. of friends, Col. 1. 21. and sons, Joh. 1. 12. and to Christ, as of His Spouse, Cant. 4. 8. members, Eph. 5. 30. brethren, &c. Heb. 2. 11. And because of these sweet influences for the life and comfort of grace, which they receive daily from Him, as the members from the head, Col. 2. 19. because of that near accesse, which they have unto God in Christ, both as to their state and performances; whereof ver. 19. And because of that union, and communion, which they have with the invisible Church of Believers, the congregation of the first-born (See Vers. 12. Doct. 5.) for, with relation mainly to this gracious change, which was wrought upon reall Believers among them in their regeneration, he saith, But now, yee, who sometimes were far off, are made nigh. 5. As this excellent state of nearnesse to God and His Church, wherein the truely regenerate do stand, and all those excellent privileges which flow from it, were purchased for the Elect by no lesse price than the bloud of Christ, whose bloud was the bloud of God, Acts 20. -28. and therefore of infinit value; So none of those are actually bestowed upon, and applied unto the Elect, untill they be united to Christ, and in Him by saving faith, as the branches are in the root, from which they draw sap and nourishment: for, saith he, in Christ Jesus ye are made nigh by the bloud of Christ; they were in Christ by faith, before they attained that state of nearnesse, which was purchased by His bloud.