The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 37

love they lavish with varying success upon their prodigals, but faintly images the wondrous love the.t ~ells out of the hee.r~ of God. Yet the image, though but faint, is real, and we may climb by the firm footmg of analogy up from human experience to some comprehension of the Divine love and plan. Just as earthly fathers plan blessings of all kinds for their children, and give them these on certain understandinus, 0 so is it with the infinite Father above. It is a Father with whom we have to deal, the "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." IL THE RULE OF BLESSING WAS THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL. (Ver. 5.) Now, when we get up in spirit to the heavenly places, we have no difficulty in seeing the truth and propriety of this arrangement. For the world above is one whose inhabi- tants have all learned to acquiesce in the good pleasure of the Father's will. They know that the pleasure of his will can be nothing else than good; they are content to abide by it. They assure themselves of everlasting blessedness in accepting of it as their rule and law. And we have only to get to their standpoint and to perceive how good God is, to acquiesce at once in the good pleasure of his will. God is so good that he could not will anything but what is good. If he has to will vengeance against any of his creatures, it is because vengeance is better than impunity; it is better that he should strike home than that he should be still. Of course, it is hard for our natural hearts which are so opposed to God to acquiesce off-hand in such an arrangement. We think it hard to have to depend absolutely upon the good pleasure of God's will; but we have only to climb up a little by the Spirit's help and see how good he is, and then shall we gladly and gratefully adore his pleasure as always good. Ill. THE F ATHEB PLANNED THE BLESSING OF HIS ADOPTED OBILDREN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. (Ver. 4.) Starting from the sovereignty of the good God, as the rule of all blessing, we have next to notice that the blessing of his adopted children was deliberately planned from e.11 eternity-" before the foundation of the world." The foresight of a father when carried into every detail of the children's needs glorifies him in our estimation. We would not honour an earthly father who left any- thing to hap-hazard which he could have foreseen. Hence we conceive of the infinite Father as leaving nothing to chance, but arranging all down to the minutest details. He did not leave a loose thread in the whole arrangement. Why should he, if he is the omniscient and almighty God? What is contended for in predestination, therefore, is that the almighty Father left nothing to chance, but provided for everything in his plan. How this is compatible with human freedom is beyond our feeble comprehen- sion; but that it is compatible we do most firmly believe. There are many problems of advanced mathematics which as rusty mathematicians we cannot now see how to solve, and there are many problems of science which are to the most splendid scientistq still unsolved; but we should be foolish in the extreme to pronounce either insoluble. So is it with the Divine predestination and the freedom of the creature. There is a. solution somewhere, but it is beyond our terrestrial calculus. We believe in both as facts, and we leave the future to bring the reconciliation. And in the heavenly places to which the Spirit helps us to soar, we rejoice in the thought of that Divine plan which left nothing out, but embraced everything. IV. THE ELECTION OF INDIVIDUALS WAS TO HOLINESS A.ND JII .&MXJ'E8'1J"Y,SS OP CHABAarER BEFORE HIM IN LOVE. (Ver. 4.) Holiness and perfection a.re the ends aimed at in God's electing love. It is because this is lost sight of that we have so much confusion on this subject. God could not elect e.ny soul to a salvation without holiness; the idea has no meaning in the Divine mind. Men may desire to separate salvation from holiness, to carry their sins with them into the heavenly world; but such desires are vain, and under God's government they can have no realization. The election is unto holiness. So long as a soul loves sin e.nd hates holiness, he has no warrant to affirm any election. He may subsequently turn from sin to God, and thus receive the evidence within him; but a soul that loves sin and hates holiness has no business in dabbling with this doctrine of election. God saves no man except in the process he makes him holy. Hence we must remember" they were not chosen because they were viewed as holy, and therefore deserving to be distinguished as God's favourites, on account of their obedience or personal purity, but that they should be holy." V. AND THESE INDIVIDUALS FIND THEMSELVES ADOPTED INTO THE DIVINE FAMILY EPHESIANS, D 34 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [oB, I, 1-28,