Diana at Ephesus may have been in the Jews and other believers in the Church were apostle's mind-its symmetry, its glory, the not accidental; they were " buildod to- relation of each several pa.rt to the rest and gether," compacted into each other, and to the whole, BI! a suitable external emblem ought to work together towards God's great of the spiritual body which is being built up ends. For a habit:i.tion of God in the Spirit. in Christ; but the Christian Church is a holy Not many habitations, but one. The temple, dedicated to God, purified by his Church as a temple is the dwelling-place of Spirit, entirely foreign to those defilements God. Here he bestows his fulness, so that which disgraced the t,emple of Diana. The when the temple is completed it will ex- b· rf at the beginning of the verse is followed hibit, s.s fully as a created thing can, the by Jv Kup['I' at the end, as if the union of the manifold glory of God. "In the Spirit'.' in Church to Christ could not be too oft.en this verse corresponds to "in the Lord" in bl'0ught out. In him we are born into it; the previous one. The actual communication in him we grow in it; in him the whole of Divine properties to finite beings is the temple grows tomm:ls the final consumma- work of the Third Person. In this verse, tion, when the topstOM shall be brought out again, we find the three Persons of the with shouts of•· Grace, gmce unto it." Trinity : the temple is the habitation of the Ter. :?2.-In whom ye e.lso are bnilded to- First Person; the source of its life and growth gethe:::. Once more the ,italizing element and symmetry is the Son ; the actual up- -" in whom;" for this is better than "in building and glorifying of it is by the which," inasmuch as this verse is subst.a.n- Spirit. This is the climax of privilege, and tia.lly a reduplication of the preceding one, no contrast could be greater than that be- making special application of the same sub- tween the death in trespasses and sins with ject to the Ephesians. The person changes which the chapter begins, o.ud this sublime from the third to the second, to make em- temple, where God dwells and bestows his phatic that the Ephesians sbared this great fulness, with whioh it ends. privilege. Their relations towards believing
HOMILETICS. Vera l-10.-Spiritual history of Ephesians. I. THE CHAos, or original state. 1. It is a state of death, implying previous life, but present insensibility and helplessness. The dement of death is" trespasses and sins "-their killing power. 2. Yet a state of ur;_ho7y actiuit},1, (1) in respect of the objects pnrsued-" the course of this world;" (2) the autboriry obeyed-" prince of the power of the air;" (3) the companions accepted - " the sons of disobedience." 3. A state of unholy indulgence ; seeking the fulfilment (1) of the lusts of the flesh, the lowest part of our nature; (2) the lusts of the mind, a little higher, but still most unworthy t.o be the chief aim. 4. A. state of condemnation; " by nature," by our very constitution, we are children of wrath. And this true of alL lL THE DAWN. "But." Force of contrast. "The darkest hour precedes the dawn." L Got£s work. God says, "Let there be light, and there is light." (1) The source of light and order-God, not man. (2) The attributes giving birth to the new creation: (a) his mercy; (b) his love. (3) 'l'he fulness and intensity of these attri- butes: he is" rich" in mercy and his Jove is" great." (4) Our condition when visited by mercy and love: "even when dead in sins." 2. Results of God's interposition. (1) "He bath quickened us with Christ." (2) "Raised us up together." (3) Seated us with Christ in heavenly places. 3. Purpose of God in this process-to "show the exceeding riches of his grace." III. THE NEW CREATION, or salvation by grace. 1. The great change. "Ye are saved." 2. Huw effected. (1) On the pa.rt of God, salvation is "by grace." (2) On the part of man, salvation is" through faith." God offers it, and faith receives it_, as a free gift. 3. Rdation of salvation to works. (1) Works do not procure salvation; for then boasting would come in. (2) Works are the product of God working in us; •' We are his workmanship." (3) Works are the result of a Divine foreordination. (4) We are not only to do good works, bnt walk (habitually) in them. 4. Grandeur c,f thu iwrk. Creation was grand ; new creation is grander. To bring a world out of nothing was great; t.o restore a world from chaos is greater. A.t the firs~ crea- tion, God saw aU that he had made, and it was good. At the new creation, he experiences even a dC:eper emotion of joy. Imperfection of the new creation in this life in human soulB. Let us seek that in us it may become continually tnore ~mplete an<! Otl, II. 1-22,] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS, 69