Ephesians 1:23

REFLECTIONS

My soul! look up for grace, as Paul did, to bless God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the wonders of divine love, as set forth in this precious Chapter from whence flow all the mercies to the Church, in time; and to all eternity. Behold! my soul, what method the Lord was pleased to make use of, among all the stores of his Omnipotency, to make known his love to the Church! In the Person of his clear Son, he caused the whole to center. And the Lord was pleased, to render the whole ten thousand times more blessed, in making all to flow in, and from, and through, a nature like our own, in the Person of the God-Man Christ Jesus. Pause, my soul! admire, and adore each glorious Person, in their Office-character, in this vast concern. Bless God the Father, for his love, in choosing, predestinating, adopting, and accepting, the whole body the Church, in Christ, before the foundation of the world! Bless God the Son, for that love of his, in marrying the Church from everlasting; and for redeeming her from the ruins of the fall, during her time-state upon earth. And bless God the Holy Ghost, for having abounded toward the Church in all wisdom and prudence, in making known the mystery of his will, and in all his regenerating grace and mercy. Yea, blessed forever be Jehovah, in his threefold character of Person, for Christ, and all blessings in Christ, temporal, spiritual, end eternal blessings, forever!

Lord! enable thy Church, to be looking forward to that glorious day of God, when the fullness of times being come, all things shall be gathered in Christ. What a gathering of thy people will this be, in glories unspeakable ? What a dispensation of terror to thy foes ? Precious, precious Jesus! how sweet is it to my soul, the assurance, of being now gathered unto thee in grace, as the earnest, and pledge of being then gathered unto thee in glory. Lord! fill my poor soul with thy fullness; and manifest daily to my joy, and thy praise, that thou art indeed my Head, and the fullness, which filleth all in all!