“The angels, we read, are elect, ‘the elect angels.’ (1 Timothy 5:21) But we nowhere read of them that they are elect in Christ.
Likewise that they are the sons of God, by creation namely; but not adopted sons through Christ, as we here are said to be.
And so they are highly favoured of God; but nowhere that they are accepted in the beloved, as here we are said to be (Ephesians 1:5-6).
It may be said, they are highly favoured as menial servants to God, but not as sons adopted.
Many courtiers were in high favour with Saul; but David speaks of his being son to him as an higher matter by far. As in nobility there are higher ranks than other, so among the nobles in heaven.
The angels, it may be said, God hath loved them with a special love, and He hath loved Christ and both from eternity; but it is nowhere said, that He hath loved the angels as Christ said there, ‘Thou hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.’ (John 17:23)
And how special a privilege this is I shall express to you by this similitude.
The sun, you know, shines upon all the world; but if you take a burning-glass and hold it in the point of union or concentration, between the shining sun and something that you would have inflamed, hereby the sunbeams are contracted, and do fall upon that object with a more intense heat and fervour, even to an inflammation of it; and this by reason that the beams were first contracted in the centre of the glass, and then diffused and with more vehemency darted upon the object under it.
Thus God loveth all His creatures; His love is ‘over all His works,’ (Psalm 145:9) so the Scripture expresseth it; but He loves them not in His beloved, He accepts them not in Him.
But now for the sons of men elect, that Son of God, who is His beloved, contracts all the beams of God’s love into Himself.
They fall all upon Him first, and then they through Him shine and diffuse themselves upon us all, with a ray infinitely more strong and vigorous than they would have done if we had been considered in ourselves alone.
And this is the advantage of being accepted in the Beloved.
God loves us with the same love wherewith He loved His Son.”
–Thomas Goodwin, “Sermon 7: Ephesians 1:5-6,” The Works of Thomas Goodwin, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage, 1861/2006), 1: 111.
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