The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 241

lo Christ). But i~ it is within his right, and what he judges important, then (even when she cannot give her approval) she should be willing to fall in with his arrangement. II. DUTY OF HUSBANDS. "Husbands, love your wives." As the husband excels in the governing qualities, so she excels in the lovable qualities. "For softness she, and sweet attraotive grace." If it can be said that he has more power, it can be said that (by her pure and modest feelin~, her deep tenderness and devotion) she has more influence. 1. Manner. Chris- tian analogy. "Even as Christ also loved the Church." We are to think of the love of Ch.rist here only under the special aspect in which the apostle presents it, viz. his conjugal, love, or love of espousals. (1) His devotion to his spouse. "And gave himself up for it" ( or "her," as in the original). "Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep." Years of servitude he had to give for Raebel; yet they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he bore to her. It was a hard price he had to pay for her; but we read here of what was infinitely harder, of One who bad to give himself for his spouse. He had to forget himself in humiliation and sorrow and death for her, and yet, hard as that was beyond all conception, it appeared as though it was nothing, for the love he bore to her. (2) Purpose of his devotion. (a) Immediate purpose (process of sanctification). "That he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the Word." The language is taken from the ordinance of baptism. The fact is pointed to that the Church needs cleansing. Baptism goes upon the supposition that we are all by nature defiled with sin. It ~ys this, "We are all as an unclean thing." The Church was in this state of impurity when the Son chose her for his bride. 'l'o this the words apply-He loved her foul that he mi~ht make her fair. Washed certainly she must be (as the bride used to be before marriage), to be tit for associating with the highest purity. The blessed fact is also pointed to that; there is what hcu deansing power. "By the washing of water," it is said here. It is the water used in baptism that we are to think of, and that water in what it signifies, viz. the purifying influences of the Spirit. As water washes defilement from vessels, from the person, so the Spirit washes moral defil~ment from our hearts. '!'his washing of water must be accompanied with the Word. For the Spirit cannot purify alone, but only through what the Word reveals, especially that blood of Christ which is said to cleanse from all sin. (b) Remote purpose (result of sanctification). "'fhat he might present the Church to himself a. glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but tha.t it should be holy and without blemish." By this we a.re to understand that Chl·ist is to have in the Church a bride of incomparable beauty. When the cleansi 1g process has been completed, the Church will be glorious ("all-glorious" is the la.nguagt1 oft-he forty-fifth psalm, and the effect of the description here), more glorious than auy material substance can b~, more glorious than the sun in the heavens. There will not be spot or trace left of her former defilement. 'l'here will not be wrinkle or sign appearing of coming age (such as comes to an ordinary bride). To ma.ke it moro emphatic, it is added that there will not be any such thing, nothing whatever to mar her beauty. But still the ci.escription proceeds; she will be holy. Her beauty (as it will not be imperfect or fading) will not be outward, but will be the beauty of holi- ness. And she will be without blemish, so trnnscendently beautified that to ad,l to her beauty would be (in things that are less) "To gild refined gold, to point the lily, To throw a. perfume on the violet." At present the Son's bride has many a spot, many a. wrinkle (her cleansing, must still go on, her beauty needs bringing ont), but the time is coming (in the Divine purposl! which cannot fail, in the conception of Christ which must bo realized) wlien sue will be a. fit bride for him. And then it is that, as is said here, he is to present her to him- self. He is to leave it to no other (say, angelic attendants) to present her, but he is to take it into his own hand (notwith~tanding the doublo character in which it requires him to act). And this dono (the marriage an nccomplished fact), then, ns is said in the Prophet Zophaniah, he will re_joice over her with joy. He will rest in his love; lio will joy over her with singing. Tliis, then, is the ideal which is put before kusbamls, It J.WllESIANS, B  THE EPISTLE 'l'O 'l'HE EPHESIANS. [CH, V. 1-33,