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and so earnestly prayed that they might receive, and what is the power that he speaks of "That they may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length, and depth and heights and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the full-b ness of God." And tells by what means God would dwell, ins their hearts by faith, &c. verses 16, 17, And he tells us in verse 20, what is the power of God he speaks of. See Rom. xy. 13 Pet.i....5, and 2. Thess. i. 11, 12. See also what the apostle, speaks of as an effect of God's glorious power, Col. 1: 12

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Eph. i 18.20, is to be taken in connexion with the words i which follow in the beginning of the next chapter; whichbisz. a continuation of the same discourse, where the apostle' abundantly explains himself. In those words, there is an explana tion of what had before been more figuratively represented. He here observes, that those that believe, are the subjects of a like exceeding greatness of power that Christ was, when her was raised from the dead, and set at God's own right hand in heavenly places. And then, in the prosecution of this dist course he shows how, viz. in our being raised from the dead, being dead ourselves in trespasses and sins, and raised as Christ was, and made to sit together with him in heavenly places; and this he speaks of, not only as the fruit of the exe ceeding greatness of his power, but of the riches of his mercy, and exceeding riches of his grace; by grace in opposition to, works; that it is by faith which is the gift of God. The apostle repeats it over and over, that it is by grace, and then explains how; not of works; and that our faith itself, by which it is, is not of ourselves, but is God's gift; and that we are wholly God's workmanship; and that all is owing tow God's foreordaining that we should walk in good works.to I know not what the apostle could have said more. See Eph.7 iishudd0y to grozwodd i

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§59 In Eph. iii. it is spoken of as a glorious mystery of God's will, contrived of old, and determined from the founda tion of the world, and his eternal purpose; &c. that God would

bring in the Gentiles as fellow heir and ofthewsame body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel. Which confirms the promises of the Old Testamenti;bshews that they were not foretold only as foreseen, but foredeterminés, as what God would bring to pass. This is also spoken lof J elsewhere, as the fruit of God's eternal purpose, his election, &c. as our adversaries acknowledge. odford gaidɔuotes C) 150 je glavu tie av selbot oy rol; voy otag

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560. Sincerity itself is spoken of bas coming from God. Phil. i. 10. That ye may approve the things that are ecellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence in the day bof Christ. of Christ." And elsewhere God is represented as creating a clean heart, renewing a right spirit, giving an heart of flesh," &c, The apostle "gives thanks for the faith and love of the Colossians, their being delivered from the power of darkness, &c. and prays that they may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and might, agreeable to their knowl Is edge, being fruitful in every good work; and for theid perse, verance, and that they might be made meet for the reward of the saints." Col. i. 3, 4, 9....13. This argues all to flow from God as the giver. Their first faith, and their dove that their faith was attended with, and their knowledge and spiritual wisdom and prudence, and walking worthy of them Lord, and universal obedience, and doing every good work, and increas ing in grace, and being strengthened in it, and their perseverance and cheerfulness in their obedience and being made meet for their reward, all are from God. They are from God as the determining cause; else, why does the apostle pray that God would bestow or effect these things, if they bd not at his determination whether they shall have them bar not? He speaks of God's glorious power as manifested in the beeid of stowment of these things of gaibroɔɔs ton (quillsɔ ylod Best Col. 13. And you being dead in your sing and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together 9o6sq lo baƆ adi wo » 12.03 mix .dsH

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Col. ii. 10. Have put on the new man, which is newed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." in on of bashow. Doug proza ni bghaq 407 Jdem Jnen

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1 Thess. iv. 10. "But not that I should write

See how many things the apostle gives thanks to God for in the Thessalonians, and prays for them. 2 Thess. i. 8, 4, 741, 42, andții. 17, 18, and ii. 3, 4, 5.1 Thess. i. verse 2, to the end, and chap. ii. verses 13, 14, and chap. iii, 9, 10, 12 118,chap. v. 23, 24, 71 Thess. iii. 12. to increase and abound in love," &c. as touching brotherly love, ye need unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one Sanother. And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren." -1 Thess. 1v.: 23, 24. And the very God of peace sanctify y you (whollysgs and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord "Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that hath called you, who als

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26942 Thess. i. 3, 4. We are bound to thank God always to for you, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the -Icharity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; - so that we glory in you, for your faith and patience in all 1o your persecutions and tribulations," yol, body has quer 197

The apostle thanks God for his own prayers, and for othrivers;(2 Timai, 3. If they are from God, then doubtless also levour prayers for ourselves, our very prayers for the Spirit, are £from him to drew bul". -26915(The prophet ascribes persons' prayers to their having the spirit of grace and supplication. True acceptable prayer is bespoken of, bRom. viii. as being the language of the Spirit; bok hot that I suppose that the very words are indited, but the "God hath not given us of love,

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yen disposition is given. 2 Tim. i. 7, onthe spirit of fear, but of power and 5tomind? 4.2 Tìm. ii. 9." Who hath saved us and called us with an

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holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his de dwn purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus rod before the world began.”, es por lo cord anyon

Heb. xiii. 20, 21. "Now the God of peace, who brought 79 again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, 1 through the blood of the everlasting, covenant, make you perfect in every good work, and to do his

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will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.” See Eph. i. 19, 20, and 1 Cor. i. latter end. Heb.xii. 2audoj Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, compared with Philip. i. 5. James i. 5.8. If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, that giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let, wollstoved him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth, is 2nd of Jog, ob like a wave of the sea, driven of the wind and tossed. For 1 moal newp5 dis let not that man think he shall obtain any thing of the Lord, A doubleminded man is unstable in all his waysBURTS So that, in order to a man's having any reason to expect to be heard, he must first have faith, and a sincere, single heart. And what that is which the apostle calls wisdom, may be learnt from chap. iii. 17, 18. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated," full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." In chap. i. 5, &c. above cited, God is spoken of as the giver of this wisdom; and in the following part of the chapter, he is spoken of as the giver of this and every benefit of that kind; every thing that contains any thing of the nature of light or wisdom, or moral good; and this is represented as the fruit of his mere will and pleasure. ⠀ Verses 16, 17, 18. Do not err, my beloved brethren. ob hur l Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." See John i. 13, and iii. 8.

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bThe scope of the apostle, and connexion of his discourse, plainly shew that the apostle means to assert that all moral good is from God. In the preceding verses, he was warning those he wrote to, not to lay their sins, or pride, or lusts to the charge of God, and on that occasion he would have them be sensible that every good gift is from God, and no evil; that God is the Father of light, and only of light, and that no darkness is from him, because there is no darkness in him; no

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EFFICACIOUS GRACE.

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and a marcałą low ei dorda tedy nog gi gudnow „iliv. change from light to darkness; no, not the least shadow.. What he says is plainly parallel to what the Apostle John says, when he would signify God's perfect holiness without any sin; 1 John i, 5, 6. "This, then, is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God isi light, and in him is is no darkness at all. If we say that wes have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” But if all moral, good is from God, cometh down from him, and is his gift; then the very first good! determination of the will, and every good improvement of as sistance, is so.

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b Pet. i. 2... 5. "Elect according to the foreknowledged of God, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,? who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us againā unto a lively hope," (or a living hope, i. e, from the dead ;, ton be begotten from the dead, in the phrase of the New Testad ment, is the same as to be raised from the dead. See Colossa i. 18, Rev. i, 5)" by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." See Eph, i. 18....20, and ii. at the be ginning.

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Philip. ii, 13. "It is God that worketh in you both to :: will and to do of his good pleasure." The plain meaning of this text is, that it is God by his operation and efficiency who gives the will, and also enables us to put that will in execut tion; or that he by his efficiency gives both the will and the deed. And this will remain the plain meaning of this text, after this sort of gentlemen have worked upon it a thousand years longer, if any of them shall remain on earth so longsi It will be the indisputable meaning of it, notwithstanding) their criticisms on the word mpyar, &c. I question whether any in word can be found, in all the Greek language, more expres sive and significant of an effectual operation. Wherever there words effectual and effectually are used in our translation of 21 the Bible, this is the word used in the original. See the Eng- lish Concordance.

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