what God gives thus, one in one kind, and another in another, he has in himself in an unbroken completeness. And, therefore, he must always abound in all wisdom and prudence. The whole scheme of redemption is a manifestation of wisdom; but there is specially a look forward here to the time and manner of its duclosure with which the Divine prudence has to deal 7. TM pU'l'pose of redemption part r.uncealed and part rwealed. "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him." There is a phase in which the purpose of redemption is· the mystery of his will, and a phe.se in which it is made known. It was hidden in the eternal counsels. It was in part revealed when the promise was given that the Seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. It was more fully revealed when he appeared who was the great Discloser of the Divine counsels. But we are not to suppose that mystery has been entirely removed from the purpose, " Should the sun glare in our eye in all its brightness on a sudden, after we have been in a thick darkness, it would blind us, instead of comforting us ; so great a work as this mUBt have several digestions." We are not in a position to estimate aright the prudence that has marked the disclosure. It must be held to be a well-timed dis- closure, as being what he purposed in himself. And we should feel thankful for our being included within its scope. 8. It is a purpose in which there is development and a consummation. "Unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth.'' God is here represented as having the administration of times or seasons. These must be regarded as making up the whole extent across which the redemptive purpose of God stretches. The time proper for redemption is broken up into epochs. These are all determined and brought in by him, who, from one to another, is ever filling up his purpose and getting nearer to his end. We must not have too rounded conceptions of what these epochs are; When we are tempted to despond, the psalmist tells us that we are to" remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." We are to think of the vast time which God has in which to work out his purpose. (1) There is a completing-point in the devel<rpment. The times ad.ministered by God are to come to their fulness. When that will be is yet mystery. (2) .At the point of completion there is to be a unification which is described in terms of universality. There is to be a gathering up into one of all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth. There is confusion now; all things will be harmonized at last. We who are in the midst of the confusion cannot expect that the future shall stand out all clear before us. How many will be included in the redeemed Church of mankind? Will the unification extend to the angels as well as to men 7 Will it extend to the material creation? In what form will God at last conquer evil? These are questions of which we ha.ve not the full solution. The final shaping of the purpose has not been all brought out of mystery. Enough that he who has the administration or the times is to bring all things to au issue which will be satisfactory to his own mind and to that of every rational creature. Snch a prospect as is here pictured, while it may not gratify curiosity, is fitted to fill the imagination and to kindle hope. (3) This 'U,nification is to be in Ohrist. It was promised that in Abraham all families of the earth would be blessed. The Church has a greater word of hope here. It is Christ who has made this possible and certain. He is harmonizing now by his blood and Spirit, by his Word and Church; and he will not cease until, under the great Administrator, he has harmonized all. It is· in him that the purposes of God will come forth at last into all their clearness, and have their complete justification.-R. F.
Vere. 11-14.-Priority in the purpose of redemption. 'l.'he connecting thought is the divulging of the purpose of redemption (ver. 9), in which there is development and Q consummation (ver. 10). Under successive epochs or dispensations men must occupy different standpoints relative to the purpose u.s more or less fully manifested. And there are those to whom it is earlier divulged than to others. The conspicuous instance is that of Jews and Gentiles. There is a special reference here to Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians; and as the entire community of believers are called children (ver. 5), we may iudicate the point of priority by the earlier born and the luter born. I. 'l'HE EAitLIER DORN. "In him, I say, in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after 42 THE EPISTLE T<i> THE EPHESIANS. [OH, L 1-23,