The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 39

to be. Our holiest moments, when the indwelling Spirit moves within us, are our heavenliest. 'fhon conformity to God's will is the great delight, and whatever ho sends is welcomed. Of circumstances we are then so far independent as to realize that, with God as our Portion, we he.ve all things, though we may have little but him. We are already within the gates when with Habakkuk we can say, ".Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive she.II fail, and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab. iii. 17, 18). Inspired to do or suffer cheerfully God's will, this is heaven begun below and the true ideal of the heaven to come. The family composed of such elements as these must be harmonious in its relations. May its unity of spiril; be always ours 1-R. M. E. Vere. 15-23.-Paul'sfirst prayer for the Ephesians, Havrng spoken of the inspira- tion of the adopted children, the apostle proceeds next to his first prayer on their behalf. He has a still more remarkable prayer in eh. iii., but the present one is most instructive too. It begins, as usual, with thanksgiving for the faith towards the Lord Jesus, and love to all the saints which the Ephesians cherish. This need not detain us, but we may at once proceed to the substance of his petition for them. Jn a word, it is that they may know spiritua.lly the Divine purpose regarding them, and thus be able the better to co-operate with God in the fulfilment of it. This Divine purpose is determined by the Divine power, and the progress of the Christian is simply an experience of " the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, accordillg to the 'Working of his mighty power." 'l'he point of the passage and of the prayer consists in the measure of the mighty power. This is found in the experience of Christ. His experience, in fact, becomes the measure of the Christian's hope. When the Father can do such wonders in the person of Christ ,and in the interests of Christ's people, how much may we ,expect him to do for ourselves I I. THE FATHER SHOWED BIS MIGHTY POWER IN RAISING CHRIST FROM THE DEAD. (Ver. 20,) :The mighty power of God is ,illustrated in the work of creation ; but, as A. Monod pointedly puts it, "Creation is an emanation; resurrection is a victory." Christ was dead; apparently he had been vanquished; the king of terrors seemed supreme. But the first day of the week dawned upon a "risen Saviour," and the Father's mighty power received ample illustration. Now, it must have been a marvel- lous experience for our Saviour to pass from death into newness of life. For the life after he rose was different from the life before he suffered. It was immortal. He could henceforth die no more. Hence he said in apocalyptic vision, " I am he that livet}, and was dead, and, behold, I am alive for evermore." It was thus a transformation from mortality to immortality, from death to everlasting life. The previous resurrec- tions, as far as we know, were only to mortal life. The children raised by Elijah, Elisha, and Christ, and the adults as well, rose to die once more. So that previous resurrections were only foreshadowings of the resurrection of Jesus out of death into life eternal. Il. THE FATHER SHOWED BIB MIGHTY POWER IN CAUSING CHRIST TO ASCEND TO ms OWN RIGHT BAND IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. (Vers. 20, 21.) Had Christ been left in this world with his immortal nature, he would have had a wide sphere for influence and authority. The opposing terrestrial powers would have gone down before him in due season, and an- emancipattd world been the result. But when we consider how limited in size this earth is compared with the rest of the system, we can under- stand how the Father would resolve to put his best beloved Son in a wider sphere of influence than this world affords. What principalities, powers, mights, and dominions lie: beyond this " little sand-grain of an earth " we cannot yet tell ; but we are assured here of one fact, that the Father has set the Son above them all, at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Now, the "right hand of God" means the scat of power. It is the very focus and centre of that mighty energy which we are now considering. Consequently the Father has lifted the Son in his immortal human nature into the very centre of power, and given him th~ universe as his empire. This, again, must havo been a marvellous experience for Christ. What a joyful enlargement I To pass out of the narrowness and provincialism of this tiuy world into the magnificence of a uniYersal  'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [oR, L 1-23.