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1. Being in Christ, we find not only righteousness, but life everlasting.

(1) In this life we receive the first fruits, "the earnest of the Spirit." Wards, while in their minority, have some allowance from their inheritance; and parents will prove their children with a small allowance, to see how they will behave, before they place in their charge the full estate they mean to leave them; and so does God.

(2) We receive the fulness in the life to come.

(a)  Prerogatives, kings and priests to God, etc.

(b)  Glory put Upon our persons; the soul filled with the light of knowledge, etc.

(c)  Things given us to possess. "All things are yours."

2. The ground of all these benefits is our predestination.

3. Everything which comes about is God's effectual working.

(1)  He originally made all things out of nothing.

(2)  He continually sustains all things by His power.

(3)  He directs all things according to His own will.

4. Whatever God works or wills, He does it with counsel.

(1)  Let this assure us that all things are working together for good.

(2)  Let rash, self-willed persons take example by their Maker, who does nothing unadvisedly.

5. What God wills, He brings about — "effectually working." Where there is full power to work anything applied to the working of it, the thing wrought must needs follow.

(Paul Bayne.)

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KJV: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

WEB: in whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will;