forth nth an nnapproaohed effulgence. All has he has for the Ohuroh : " My beloved ia this is said to exalt our sense of the Divine mine, and I am his." The fulneaa of him power that so raised up and exalted the that filleth all in all. The grammatical God-Man, Christ Jesus-the same power structure of the words would lead us to that still worke in believers. oonstrue "fulness" with "the Ohuroh," and , er. 22.---A.nd put all things under hill feet; to regard the Churoh as Christ's w>..f,po,µ,ri. a strong. ilgnrative expression., denoting Some objeot to this, inasmuoh e.e, in point of high so,ereignty. It does not refer merely fact, the Church is often very empty, and to defeated and arrested enemies, but to the therefore not worthy of the term " fulne1111." "Whole of creation and the fnlness thereof. But it is not meant that the Ohnroh has They are as thoroughly under Christ and at actually received e.11 the fulnese of him who his dispoaa.l as if they were literally under filleth a.II in all, but only that she is in the hu; foot. Al a military commander, pro- course of receiving it. The Churoh on oeeding even through his own oountry, has earth is an ever-changing body, perpetually power to requisition everything needful for receiving niiw members, who a.re at first his army, and deal with all property as may empty; so that it must always in this state be required for military purposes, so Christ be in the course of filling, never filled. It has the whole creation at his disposal, ani- is in the course of being filled with e.ll mat.e and inanimate, hostile and friendly. Divine things-with all the treasures of And gave him to be Head over all things to heaven. As the empty cells of the ·honey- the Church. The exaltation of Christ is comb are being filled with the sweet essences not merely an honour conferred on himself, of flowers, so the empty vessels of the but ha.e also a definit.e practical purpose; it Church a.re being filled with the glorious JB for the benefit of the Church. God gave treasures of God : or, a.e the courts and him to the Church as Head over e.ll things. compartments of e. great international exhi- The gift of Christ to the Church is the gift bition get filled up with the choicest pro- of One who has sovereign authority over all ducts of the lands, BO the Church gets filled things. The official subordination of Christ with the handiwork of the grace of God. t.o the Father is recognized throughout this When the Chnroh is completed, it will be a remarkable passage. So in Philippians, representation of the fulneee of God: 1\11 though he was " in the form of God, and of God that can be communicated to men thought it not robbery to be equal with will be made me.nifest in the Church, For God, he me.de himself of no reputation., and he whose fulneee the Church is, is he that took upon him the form of a servant, and filleth e.ll in all, or filleth all with all. He was me.de in the likeness of men." It is possesses all things, and he fills all spe.ce this J 8S1lll, in the form of a servant and in with the all things. He fills the ocean with the likeneas of men., that is now Head over water, the organic world with life, the firma- e.ll things, and as such given by the Father ment with stare, the entire creation with to the Church. With such a He.ad, what forms innumerable, alike bee.utiful e.nd use- need the Church fear, and what can she ful. So also he fills the Church. Thus want? appropriately concludes this chapter, be- Ver. 23.-Which is hia body. The Church ginning (ver. 3) with thanksgiving to him is Christ's body in a rea.1 though spiritual who had blessed the Ephesians with every seDSe. He is the Head, his people the mem- blessing of the Spirit in Obrist J eeus, and bers; he the Vine, they the branches. He now ending with a sublime picture of the dwells in the Church as life dwells in a Infinite One filling the Church with these living body. He fills it with his life, re- Divine blessings out of the infinite stores of plenishes it with his strength, feeds it with the kingdom of heaven. Thus we see the hie body and blood, bmntifiee it with hie q~z of richneBB, exuberance, overflowing oomelineBS, calms it with his peace, brightens e.b nee which is so conspicuously ascribed it with hie holinese, and finally glorifies it in this Epistle to the grace of God (comp. with his glory. All things are delivered Pa. xxxvi. 8 i clli. S-5; Matt. V, 31 etc.). un.to him of the Father ; and all that he
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1, 2.-Addrea, and ,aluf,ation, Character and scope of the Epistle as a whole (see Introduction); circUIDBt.ances of the writer; jubilant tone of the Epistle; cordiality of the Ephesian Church. L The writer speaks with authority. He is an "apostle," sent and commissioned directly by Christ, and acting in his name-a real ambassador of the Lord of glory. II. He holds this office "by the will of God;" purBuee neither an irregular nor a merely volunteer course unsanctioned by the supreme Ruler, b11t acts by the will of God, OIL L 1-28.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 9