suggest the fear of the Spirit's withdrawal, but rather the ingratitude of believers who could grieve Oae who had done so much for them.-T. O. Ver. 14.-17,.e believer's earnest of his Divine inheritance. TheSpiritistheeamest- the sample as well as pledge of future blessedness. It is now we see the purpose of the seal. It is because the Spirit is an earnest of our inheritance that his indwelling is a seal. The earnest is the same in kind with the prospective inheritance. It is " the inheritance in miniature." It is a sample of the stock, a pledge that ell the rest will come in due time. The indwelling of the Spirit is part of the blessings of redemption, and a security for onr enjoying the rest. Therefore it is called "the :firstfruits of the Spirit." Three times does the wotd "earnest" occur in the New Testament in relation to the work of the Spirit. L IT RAS E.El...!.TION TO AN ETERNAL INHERITANcs-to "the redemption of the purcha.sed po:...~on," that is, the final delil'"erance from all evil which is to take place in the end of all things. It is an eamest of that completed redemption. , lL IT IS A.L..0::0 AN EAfil"E,,'T, NOT OF THB RESURRECTION MERELY, NOB OF TRII CHANGE OF LIVING BELIEVEBS AT THE RESURRECTION, BUT OF A CONDITION OF GLORY BETWEEN DEATH .U."'D THE RESURRECTION; for the apostle refers specially to this fact in 2 Cor. v. 5, "Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the e.a.rnest of the Spirit." I.II. Tm: INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT IS BEPBESENTED IN RoH, vm, 11 AB THE PLEDGE OF THE FUTURE LIFE OF THE JIODY ; for there is a redemption . of the body (Rom. viii. 23), because the Spirit is equally the Source of the life we derive from Christ, both for body and son!. This earnest redounds to the praise of God's glory, as God is glorified in the security of believers.-'f. C. Ver. 15.-The prayers of an apostle. In other Epistles the apostle introduces his expression of thanksgiving at the beginning, but here he brings it into the very heart of a doctrinal statement, enumerating in successive steps the immense blessings of sa1 vation. L IT IS THE J:Stl'l'INCT OF A HOLY HEART TO PBAY FOB THE BPIBITUAL WELL-BEING OP OTHEBS. "It is an angel's grace t.o rejoice over the conversion of sinners." Bnt Paul had the care of all the Churches daily upon his heart ; they all had a place in his rnpplications, as well as individual Christians among them ; and he "ceased not" to • pray for them till he had received an answer t.o his prayers. He must have spent a 1.a.rge portion of his bllSY life in prayer. How could he find time t.o remember all the Churches in his supplications? A godly pastor in America was in the habit of isolating a day now and then for prayer for the whole world. When asked how he could find matt.er for a whole day's supplication, he answered, "I spread out a map of the_ world before me; and as I know something of the religious condition of all the countries on the map, I cannot be at a loss for matter." What a large heart was that of the apostle, that could bear all the Churches up to the throne of God in earnest and affectionate entreaty! II. 'l'BE GROUND OF ms THANKSGIVING-" the faith and love " of the Ephesian Christians. These two graces, like the two great commands of the Law, sum up in a sense all the graces of the Spirit. " Faith and love are the two arms and the two eyes without which Christ can be neither seen nor embraced." They have their origin in the grace of Christ, which "was exceeding abundant in faith and love" (1 Tim. i. 14); faith holding the first place, because "faith in the Lord Jesus Ch~st" is the fi!st prin~iple of Christian liie, because it worketh by l?ve, be~use. loye s~nn~s ou~ of _faith • (1 Tim. i. 5)-not love to God, but love to the samts, which 18 rmplied 10 this higher love; for "he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John v. 20). It was a catholic love-" to all saints," with aU their <lifferences of character, habit, and life. The apostle was thankful for the exhibition of th~ two graces at Ephesus, not only because he had been the instrument of their conven,i,,n, but because they marked the interest of his disciples in the blessings of sah-ation. Hi:: was delighted. besides, to find them persevering in grace: " Now I ,i\·e if ye stand fa,i;t in the Lord." The spiritual friendships of the apostle were marked i,y grtat iuten~ity of interest and feeling. 011, 1, 1-23.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 26
III. THESE PRAYERS 011' AN APOSTLE WOULD BE Ell'Jl'ECTUAL IN BBil!fGmo DOWN BLESSING UPON THE EPHESIAN BAINTB. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,n-T. C.