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enlightening. The benediction with which the epistle closes, is "love with faith", the rich
mercy of God towards us flows from His great love (Eph. 2: 4), and the climax prayer
(Eph. 3: 14-21) reaches out to "the love of Christ which passeth knowledge".
One of the most precious titles of the Saviour in the epistles is "The Beloved" (1: 6), in
Whom we are accepted. The only other occurrences of agapao in Ephesians are found in
5: 25-33.
Whatever our business and whatever the circumstance, let us remember "His great
love", reminding ourselves that we can only love Him, because He first loved us. Our
acceptance even as our calling originates in love, and a loveless walk can only belie our
calling. The Father's all comprehensive motive shall in measure be the motive of His
children, it shall be IN LOVE.
#17. The Muniment Room (1: 3 - 14).
The Threefold Charter of the Church.
Adoption.
pp. 201 - 207
"Having predestined us unto the adoption of children" (Eph. 1: 5). Predestination.--It
is impossible for the mind to dwell upon this term without it being influenced by the
word "destiny". Destiny calls up the idea of fate, inexorable and unalterable, and so we
have the expression of this in the Westminster Confession which reads:
"That the number of those predestinated to life, and of those foreordained to death, is
so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished."
It is difficult to see how any one holding such a doctrine, could ever preach the Gospel
of salvation, could ever contemplate the "plucking" of even "one brand from the burning"
or why anyone should bother to preach at all. The overshadowing of the word "destiny"
is plainly marked, and many of the advocates of Calvinism are Necessitarians. In a letter
to Archbishop Crammer, the reformer, Melancthon complained:
"At the commencement of our Reformation, the STOICAL disputations among our
people concerning FATE were too horrible."
We have in our library a treatise on "Necessity" by Toplady, the writer of the hymn
"Rock of Ages", who does not hesitate to quote ancient Pagan Philosophies to support his
high-Calvinism.
The word "destination" may convey in some contexts, the most fixed and unalterable
of fates, while in another it may be just the attaining of a journey's end. To meet one's
"Waterloo" may mean meeting one's fate, to be met at "Waterloo", or "Waterloo Station
was his destination", can have no such element of "destiny" about it. We must therefore