The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 44

(4) It points to a more valuable life given; It was the life of Ono who, in becoming man, could not part with his essential divinity. It was therefore, a life of infinite value. And, when he shed his blood, it was far more ihan if the whole world of sinners_ had shed t~eir blood. (5) ~t was life ~rried to the highest state of human perjecf;i.on. The ammal had to be mthout blenush. But that was only an imperfect symbol. The Head of huma.nity required to have more than mere innocence. He required to have perfection in human kind. Aud when be finished the most beautiful human life with Im a.et of perfect love to man and of absolute devotion to God he oll:ce for &ll ~uched the su?1mit_ for us. ~e first touched the ~owest depth of h~an m1~ery; but 1t was that, ,nth him, we might touch the summit. Such was the life not untried, but grown rich in &ll excellence, that was substituted for ours, that w; might be redeemed. 4. Redemption in its first and characteristic blessing is the for- giveness of sins. "The forgiveness of our trespasses." God does actually forgive sins, This is a fact, for the certain knowledge of which we are indebted to Divine revela• tion. Wbat are our sources of knowl~ue? There is, :first of all, nature, The great system and fabric of force, of cause and effect,-does it tell us anything about forgive- ness? In the :first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, there is a verse which bears that it is the fault even of the heathen if they do not learn from God's works the lesson of the eternal power and Godhead ; but it does not bear that it is expected that we learn, and that it is our fault if we do not learn, from nature the lesson of the Divine forgiveness. Nature has no such message. Its message is this----e working toward good ends, but, a.ccording to unchangeable law, a gospel for angels, for unfallen men, and not for sinners. Can human nature, then, give us any assistance? It shows ua God's laws broken; but it shows us also conscience testifying to the inviolability of law, as when it hannts the criminal with the feeling of remorse. If not, then, from conscience, are we led to look for forgiveness from any other part of human nature? Is not forgi~o-ness the property of noble, royal dispositions? Does it not belong to the idea of the fatherly character ? A father forgives a son; will not God, then, as our Father, forgrre us our trespasses? Yes, if it were only a private matter, so to speak. He who is the Fountain of all fatherly feeling will not do less than that feeling prompts w in his creatures. But sin is not a private matter at all. There are inrnl,ed in it public ,:;omiderations. There is raised by it the question of government on the 'Viidest scale. A father naturally feels db--posed to forgive his erring child; bot he cannot do so on any basis whatsoever. He is not to allow him to remain under his roof and defy his authority. It is evident that there must be something in the name of law, and for the safety of other members of the household. And so we are left uncertain as to whether God can forgive our sin. Now, the whole of Divine revelation may be summed up in this-that, in spite of inflexible laws, in spite of the condemning voice of conscience, God can forgive, will forgive, does forgive, sin•. The moral consequences of the past can be reversed. This haB not been certainly by the setting aside of Law. The blood of Christ speaks to the majest.y of Law, and to a basis of righteousness, of satisfaction made to the Law, on which the offer of forgiveness is made. In this the Bible stands alone. Confucianism, Buddhism, Moha=edanism, know nothing of forgiveness. They have something about human purification. But there is this clear ring only in the Bible: " Go in peace; thy sins are forgiven thee." 5. Redemption has its measure in the Divine grace, "According to the riches of his grace." Jsrael waa redeemed by the stretched-out arm of God. It had a miraculous origin as a nation. God stretched out his arm, and miraculously interposed for us in CLrist. Now that the ransom is paid, there is no hindrance to the forgiving disposition of God, unless it is in ourselves. It gees forth, not according to a penury of nature such u exists in men, but according to a wealth and liberality of disposition which belon<>s to God. We are thus forbidden to despair. 6. The grace which determines redenption iii conjoined with wisdom and prudence. " Which ~e ma~e to abo~nd toward us in all wisdom and prudence." A parent often makes mistakes m bestowwg his favours on his children; not so our heavenly Father. Wisdom is to be taken generally ; prudence is rather the application of wisdom, accordin_g to time an~ circuJ?• stance. A seaman who is wise prudently looks to wmd and title. An agriculturist who is wise prudently considers the sea.son and the nature of the soil and suitable implements. "His God doth instruct Lim to discretion, and cloth teach him." And  THE EPISTLE 'l'O THE EPHESIANS. 41