The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 122

;:rner rn:in." It is not a. prayer for physical strength, which is a matter of slight moment in G'---J.'s sight.. though it is often made the subject of foolish boastincr aruon';,. men· nor for intel!c-..,rnal strength, which is a. much more importa.nt factor in htman life· b~t for "strength in the inuer man." This is not to be confounded with" the new ma~." It is rather •· the hidden man of the heart" (l Pet. iii. 4); the man" created after God" ( eh. iv: 24) _in righteoll:sness and holiness; the interior principle of spiritual life; the p9rsomficat10n of our rntellectual and spiritual life, with its impulses its feelin!r!! its ,rrnggles. This is the sphere, the direction, the destination, of the stre~gth pray~'tl°for. It 1s a prayer that God would make us eminent in grace and goodness, that our souls mny P:~sper and ~e in healt~ like our ?od.ies, that we m~y _be able to grapple with all our spmtual enemies, to resist temptation, to endure affhct1ons, to perform the duties. of our Christian calling. If we have strength, we shall be able to run in tbe way of God's commandments (Isa. xl. 31). Our physical strength is renewed from day to day, by food and rest. So is our spiritual streng;th daily renewed by the Bread· of life; and thus the apostle could say of himself, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." .. IV. THE So= oF THIS STRENGTH IB THE SPmrr OF GoD. "By the Spirit.". H&e is the Fountain of spiritual energy. The Spirit strengthens the belisver by leading him to the fulnes;; of grace that is in Christ, by shedding abroad the love of God in his heart, by applying the promises of the gospel, by making the Scriptures sources of that "joy of ihe Lord which is our strength," and thus causing us to go from strength to strength till at last we stand before God in Zion. It is· easy to see, indeed, that the Fo=r.ain of strength is in the Spirit ; for all the nine. graces of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal. v. 22)-- are so many factors of this inward power. They promote.the freedom and efficiency: oi life. V. THE MEASURE oF THIS STRENGTH. "According to the riches of his glory." The apostle asks it in .no limited measures; he asks it in the .measure of the riches of that glory which is seen in his blended and harmonious attributes. God will act up to the di~ty of his infinite perfections. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it; saith the Lord;" "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." There is an inexhaustible source of mercy npon which we may draw at pleasure in the supreme ~~~esof=~ I VL CoNSIDEB TBE IJIPOBTA.NCE OJ' THE BLESSING ASKED FOR. There is happiness in strength, there is misery in weakness ; there is efficiency in strength, there. is futility in weakness. 1. Ov.r wefui.ness depends ()'TI, l,arge supplies of spiritual strength. If we are weak, what good can we do in the world? "Ye are· the salt of the earth; bnt if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it )>e salte4? It is thence- forth good for nothing." 2. We glorify God 'by this fv.ll,er strength. It is not enough to have grace enough to carry us to heaven ; we must abound• in the fruits of righteous- ness to the praise and glory of God. Let us, then, pray earnestly that we Illay become "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," and that our inward man may he renewed day by day, nen though our outward man show signs of weakness and aecay.-T. C. Ver. 17.-The indwel.ling of (Jhrist in belie-oers. "That Christ may dwell in your l1earts by faith." Whether we regard this clause of the prayer as representing the result, or the purpose, or the source of the spiritual strength spo~en of in the previous clauEe, it is in very close relationahip with it. Its own meaning 1s perfectly olear. I. THE lNDWELLEB-Cmu.sT. '!'here is a threefold idea suggested by the term. 1. The believer is regarded as a temple or house to be divinely inhabited. It is 01igin- ally a house in ruins, to be restored as a beautiful temple of the Lord. Judging by the analogy of restoring a ruined house, the first operation is a cleansing out of the rtibbish; the second, an opening of the windows to admit the pure air of heaven, and a kindling of a fire on the hearth; the third is a closing up of all the cracks or openings in the wallil by which the wind or air finds access; and the fourth is the furnishing of the rooms with such articles of convenience as our taste and our means may enable us to 1,rocw-e. Similarly, when the Lord takes up his abode in the sinner's heart, the process, tiiough not successive in point of time, includes, first, the application of the blood of en. m. 1-21.) THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 119