(A)[a]Blessed be God, [b]and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, [c]which hath blessed us, with [d]all spiritual blessing in [e]heavenly things in [f]Christ,

[g]As he hath chosen us in [h]him, before the foundation of the world, [i]that we [j]should [k]be holy, and without blame [l]before him in love:

[m]Who hath predestinated us, to be adopted through Jesus Christ [n]in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:3 The first part of the Epistle, wherein he handleth all the parts of our salvation, propounding the example of the Ephesians, and using divers exhortations, and beginning after his manner with thanksgiving.
  2. Ephesians 1:3 The efficient cause of our salvation is God, not considered confusedly and generally, but as the father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  3. Ephesians 1:3 The next final cause, and in respect of us, is our salvation, all things being bestowed upon us which are necessary to our salvation, which kind of blessings is heavenly and proper to the elect.
  4. Ephesians 1:3 With all kind of gracious and bountiful goodness which is heavenly indeed, and from God only.
  5. Ephesians 1:3 Which God our Father gave us from his high throne from above: or because the Saints have those gifts bestowed on them, which belong properly to the citizens of heaven.
  6. Ephesians 1:3 The matter of our salvation is Christ, in whom only we are endued with spiritual blessing and unto salvation.
  7. Ephesians 1:4 He declareth the efficient cause, or by what means God the Father saveth us in his Son: Because saith he, he chose us from everlasting in his Son.
  8. Ephesians 1:4 To be adopted in him.
  9. Ephesians 1:4 He expoundeth the next final cause, which he maketh double, to wit, sanctification and justification, whereof he will speak hereafter. And hereby also two things are to be noted, to wit, that holiness of life cannot be separated from the grace of election: and again what pureness forever is in us, is the gift of God, who hath freely of his mercy chosen us.
  10. Ephesians 1:4 Then God did not choose us, because we were, or otherwise should have been holy, but to the end we should be holy.
  11. Ephesians 1:4 Being clothed with Christ’s righteousness.
  12. Ephesians 1:4 Truly and sincerely.
  13. Ephesians 1:5 Another plainer exposition of the efficient cause, and also of eternal election, whereby God is saith to have chosen us in Christ, to wit, because it pleased him to appoint us out when we were not yet born, whom he would make to be his children by Jesus Christ: so that there is no reason here of our election to be sought, but in the free mercy of God, neither is faith which God foresaw, the cause of predestination, but the effect.
  14. Ephesians 1:5 God respecteth nothing, either that present is, or that is to come, but himself only.

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