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EPHESIANS.

as it prevails not against me, to carry me away from my holy courses; and I am crucified to the world, so as I affect not the glory and vanity thereof.

VI. 15 For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

For, in Christ Jesus and his acceptation, and in true Christianity, there is neither respect to circumcision and the rest of those legal observations, or to any privileges thereby challenged; nor yet to uncircumcision, or any of that secular learning and wisdom, which is bragged of among the Gentiles: nothing carries it there, but a new creature: he, that is regenerate, is a true servant of Christ, and is accordingly regarded of him.

VI. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

And, as many as walk according to the rule, that I have in this my Epistle commended unto you, seeking Justification only by Christ, without the Works of the Law, peace be unto them and mercy; and not to them only, but to the whole Church of God, every where.

VI. 17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

I have given you a true Apostolical decision of the controversy moved amongst you: let no man be further troublesome to me; but rest in this sentence of mine: well may I challenge this at your hands; for I bear in my body the marks of the sufferings, which I have endured for the name of our Lord Jesus.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE
EPHESIANS.

I. 3 Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Who hath blessed us, not with these outward favours of riches and honour, and such like blessings, which are uncertain and transitory; but with all spiritual blessings, which may fit us for those heavenly places, provided for us, in and by Christ:

I. 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:

Which blessings of his have been bestowed upon us out of that infinite love, whereby he hath chosen us, before the beginnings of the world, to this end and purpose, and with this effect, that we should be holy and blameless, both in our disposition and conversation before him, approving our unfeigned love unto him in all things:

1. 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, Having, by his eternal decree, predestinated and fore-ordained

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us to be his adopted sons, in and by Jesus Christ; not out of ought that was or should be in us, but according to his own mere mercy, and the good pleasure of his own will;

I. 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

All which God hath done for us, for the only praise and glory of his infinite grace and mercy; wherein he hath made us, which were of ourselves justly hateful, to be accepted in his beloved Son Jesus Christ.

I. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

In and by whom, we have redemption through his precious blood which was paid as our ransom, and full forgiveness of all our sins, according to the abundance of his mercy to us;

I. 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

Wherein he hath been exceeding bountiful unto us, in imparting to us the rich treasures of spiritual wisdom and prudence.

I. 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him :

That, in the fulness of time, which God in his wise dispensation and providence had appointed, he might call and gather together, under one Head, Christ Jesus, all, both angels in heaven and men on earth, which pertain unto him:

I. 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance.

By whom also, and in whom, upon his gracious uniting of us to him, we have obtained a happy and glorious inheritance.

I. 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

That our glory might be, to the praise and glory of him, who hath thus crowned and glorified us, who first here below believed in Christ.

I. 13, 14 In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were made sure, and sealed up for his, by that Holy Spirit of his, which he promised to send to all his elect, infallibly witnessing to your spirits, that ye are the sons of God: Which is to us, beforehand, the certain earnest, and pledge of our full inheritance to come, even until that purchased possession of eternal life may be fully accomplished and stated upon us, to the praise of his glory.

I. 18 That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

That ye may know what great and wonderful good things ye may and ought to hope for, by virtue of his effectual calling of you; and what the unspeakable and unvaluable riches are of that glorious inheritance, which he hath laid up for his saints.

I. 20, 21 And set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And exalted him in his human nature, to the participation of his infinite glory and majesty, in the highest heavens; Far above all the most mighty and most glorious Angels of heaven, and whatsoever thing else is or can be named, either in earth or in hea

ven:

I. 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church;

And hath put all things in subjection to him, as Mediator; and hath appointed him to have the disposing of all things, as the Head of the Church;

I. 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Which Church is so to Christ, as the body is to the head, making up the fulness of Christ, who hath of himself full perfection and infinite power and majesty; so as his goodness holds not himself complete without his Church.

II. 1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

And you hath he by his Spirit quickened, who were in the state of your corrupt nature, dead in your sins and trespasses: having therefore no more power to raise up yourselves, than the dead man hath to raise himself from his grave, now he hath wrought powerfully in you, and hath freed you from those your sins;

II. 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

Wherein ye lived in times past, framing yourselves according to the wicked course and trade of the world; and according to the will of him, who is the prince of those wicked spirits, which exercise their power in the air; even that Evil Spirit, which now worketh and ruleth in them, who are wilfully disobedient.

II. 3 Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Fulfilling the sinful desires of their corrupt nature, both in carnal, and in mental or spiritual sins; both in bodily uncleannesses, and in the errors and exorbitances of the mind; and were naturally such, as could expect nothing from the hands of God, but wrath and damnation; even as other heathens justly may, and are.

II. 5 Hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)

Having raised Christ, the Head, hath, together with and in him, quickened us his members, by virtue of his Resurrection; and that merely out of his own good will towards us, for by grace, and not by any merits of ours, are we saved. So also verse 6.

II. 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

That not only the present age, but those that are to come also, might see and feel the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards the Gentiles also, in calling them home to him through Jesus Christ.

II. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

For, out of the mere favour and mercy of God, are ye saved, through Faith in Christ: ye cannot merit any thing, as of your selves; it is the free gift of God.

II. 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

This salvation is not of Works, lest any man should find cause of boasting in himself, that he hath earned it at God's hand, and therefore is not beholden to his mercy.

II. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

For all that we are and have is his: we are his workmanship, created not only in Adam to a natural life, but in Christ to a spiritual life of new obedience, that we should do all manner of good works, which God hath, in his eternal counsel, prepared and fore-ordained for us to walk in.

II. 11 Who are called Uncircumcision, by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands.

Who are scornfully called, The uncircumcision, by those Jews which boast themselves to be called by the title of a fleshly circumcision; as if in this right they were accepted of God, and ye in the defect thereof were forlorn and rejected.

II. 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. That, at that time, ye had neither knowledge of Christ, nor any interest in him; being mere foreigners from the holy Church of God, and strangers from the gracious Covenant which he hath made with all his faithful ones; having neither any hope of salvation, nor any just ground of hope; and living, as without the acknowledgement of a God in the world.

II. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken the middle wall of partition between us;

For he is our perfect Peace-Maker; yea our very Peace and Reconciliation itself; who hath conjoined, in one body of the Church, both Jews and Gentiles: and, whereas there was a wall of partition set up betwixt these two, so as they could not come together, he hath broken down that pile of division; so as now, we are one family, as it were, in one room of the same Church;

II. 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Having, in his suffering of death in his body, utterly abolished the cause of this division and enmity, which was the Law Ceremonial, consisting of divers rites and ordinances; for to make

those two kinds of people, Jews and Gentiles, one new creature, in and to himself; so, by this gracious union, making peace betwixt them;

II. 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.

And that, having made them up into one body, he might reconcile them, not to themselves only, but to God also, by that propitiatory sacrifice, which he made of himself upon his cross; having utterly extinguished thereby the enmity betwixt God and us. II. 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

And are the living stones of that holy Church of his, which is built upon the foundation of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being that Chief Corner Stone, in whom both the walls of Jews and Gentiles are conjoined;

II. 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.

In whom alone, all the whole building, being compacted and cemented together by love, is made up into one Evangelical Church, whereof the Temple was a type.

III. 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-ward.

If ye have heard of my Apostleship, and charge to preach unto you the tidings of grace and salvation; which is committed unto me for your behoof.

III. 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, &c.

And to make manifest unto all men the communication of this wonderful mystery of the saving of mankind, which God, the creator of all things by Christ, reserved, from all eternity, in his own secret counsel.

III. 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.

To the end, that now, the glorious angels of heaven, after that God had once vented and declared that his good purpose to mankind, might see, in this wonderful redemption and blessed union of the Church, a clear proof and demonstration of the manifold and infinite wisdom of God.

III. 12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

In whom we have boldness, and free and confident access to the throne of God's grace, by that faith, which gives us a right in him, and assures us of a gracious acceptation.

III. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Wherefore, I desire you, that ye be not discouraged at the sight

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