The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 112

ceeds to intercede for the portion still on This to be secured by their faith, opening ea.rth. As the whole family is named after the door, receiving Christ in nil his fulness 1 the same Father, is conspicuous before the resting and living on him, believing his eyes of all as God's, so it may well be ex- promises, and longing for bis appenring the pected that the more needy, feeble, exposed, second time. In order that ye, having been and tempted part of the family will be rooted and grounded in love. Two images treated in ernry way worthy of ib! Father. e.re combined to make the idea emphntic- "Let saints on earth unite to sing thai of e. tree and that of a building: With those to glory gone: denoting what is both the starting-point For all the sen-an~ of our King, a.nd the support of the Christian's life, viz. In earth and heaven, are one. lo,e. In what sense? The love of Christ is specified afterwards (ver. 19), but this " One family we dwell in him, me.y be as a pre-eminent branch of that mani- One Church above, beneath; fold love which bears an the Christian life- Though now divided by the stream. the love of the Father, Son, and Holy The narr0w stream, of death." Ghost; the love of the brethren to one Ver. 16.-That he would grant you, accord- another; and the reciprocal love evoked ing to the riches of his glory. The standard from the believer by the reception of this or measure of the Divine giving is brought love. Evidently it is implied 'that the into view. "Riches of his glory" is a more Christian life oan begin and flourish only in emphatic expression than "glorious riches," such an atmosphere oflove; as warm sunshine though substantially the same in meaning. is needed to start and advance the life of a God's standard of giving is liberal, bounti- plant, so love is needed to start and carry ful, overflowing. .An image of the riches on the life of the soul. Experience of of his glory is seen in the starry heavens, Divine love is a great qniokening and pro- which proclaim at once the vast riches and pelling power. "One glance of God, a touch surpassing glory of God. Or in the beauti- of his love, will free and enlarge the heart, ful appearance of an antnmn snnset, where so that it can deny all and part with all the whole sky is flecked with clonds bright- and make e.n entire renunciation of all to ened into a sea of glory. In prayer. it is follow him" (Archbishop Leighton). both useful for ourselves and glorifying to Ver. 18.-llta.y be made strong to compre- God to recognize his bountifulness-to re- hend with all the ae.intB. The snbject to be member that he gi,es ns a King (2 Sam. comprehended ie not only beyond man's x:xiv. 23). To be str;;ng'"..hened with might by nature.I capacity, but beyond the ordinary his Spirit in the inn.er man. The inner man force of hi! spiritual capacity. The thing is the seat of influence, but with ns it is the to be grasped needs a special strength of ,;eat of spiritual feeblenes.s. Most men may heart and soul ; the heart needs to be co;:itri,e to order their outward conduct suit- enlarged, the mental "hands of the arms" ably; bnt who has control of the inner man? need to be made strong(Gen. xlix. 24). But Fai'..h, trust, humility, love, patience, and the attainment is not impossible-it is the the like graces which belong to the inner experience of "all the saints; " all God's man, a.re what we are weakest in, e.nd what children are enabled to grasp something of we have least power to make strong. In this this (comp. 2 Cor. iv. 3-6). What is the ,ery region it is sought that the Ephesians breadth, and length, and depth, and height. might be strengthened with might by the No genitive being given, it has been e. diffi- Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is e.ve.ilable cult point to settle to what these dimen- for this very purpose for all that ask him. 11ions must be held to be applioable. Some Yer. 17.-Tl:a.t Christ may dwell in your think that the love of Christ in the following b.ear.s by faith. Reversing the 11.Bual order, claUBe must be meant; but surely when that the prayer begins (ver. 16) by asking the is made the subject of a separate po.rt of the bles.illlg of the Third Person of the Godhead; prayer, and is not in the genitive but the now we have a clUBter of petitions connected objective case, governed by e. verb of its with the Second Person. The first of these own, this explanation is not to be enter- is for the indwelling of Christ in their hearts, tained. Others, with more reason, think as oppro,ed to were oc~ional visits or influ- that the idea of a temple was in the wind of en~, frvm Christ; the in,,trum~nt by which the writer, as it certainly was in eh. ii. 21, thb LIE:.>Siog is attained being thoir fuith. 22, e.nd that it is the dimensions of the Chri..t exerci..i.Dg e. constant power within temple he had here in his eye, the prayer tLem, Loth in tLe actirn and passive move- being that the Ephesians might compre• ment.. of the !,ea.rt, giving the sense of hend the vastness and glory of that spiritual pardon e.nd DCC<;p\.ance, monldillg the will, temple which is constituted by all believers, sweetecing the emotions, enlightening and ond in which God dwells by the Spirit. confirming the conscience, purifying the Even this, however, would not divest the whole springs and principles of action. oonstruction of abruptness, and it would IH C'H. III. 1-21.] THE EPISTLE 'l'O THE EPHESIANS. 109