and direct«! ~"1\inst the spiritual foe, all is in vain without a direct appeal to God. When Jacob, looking for an attack by E1111u, had completed his arrangements of hie family and flocks, the most important part of his preparations remained-another warfare had to be carried on, he must wrestle with the angel for his blessin.,.. So in the Christian conflict, even when the loins are girt with truth, the heart proteoted by the b.esstplate of righteousness, the feet shod with peace, the head crowned with the he,met of ssh-ation, the perron protected by the shield of faith, and when the bands :-i:-,, g~ping and wielding the sword of the Spirit, there is another duty which is quite indispensable-prayer: "Praying always with all prayer," etc. This is in accordance with the whole t.enor of the Bible : Enoch, walking with God ; Abraham, interceding for Sodom; Moses, pleading on the mountain ; Elijah, praying for rain ; David Hezekiah, Daniel, Simeon, Anna, our blessed Lord in Gethsemane,-all show us that fighting men ought always to pray and not to feint. The soul is thus strengthened and encouraged; it reaches the promises and rests on them ; it feels that God is with it; " They that wait on the Lord renew their strength; they mount up with wings as eagles; they run, and are not weary; they walk, and are not faint." The prayer required is marked by six features. 1. Manifold. With all prayer and supplication; all kinds- secret, ejaculatory, domestic, social, public. 2. Incessant. At all seasons: (1) at all times or periods of life, youth, manhood, age; (2) in connection with every employment, recreation, trial, mercy, undertaking, both great and small ; (3) as a constant habit of the spirit, thinking on God, depending on him, working for him. 3. Spiritual. "In the Spirit "-in dependence on his aid and inspiring power, in opposition to the ruere form or rhyming of" paternosters." 4. Wutchful,. (See Exposition.) 5. Persevering (see Exposition). 6. Comprehensi,flf.. "For all saints," and especially for God's .;er.ants in the gospel. the men who are bearing the burden and heat of the battle. :Yen may ridicule prayer; they may scoff at a praying man, a praying family, a praying DJlticm ; but the spectacle is really sublime. When Pere Hyacinthe, lecturing o::i the pahlic immorality of his country, made the aisles of Notre Dame ring with bis eloq:ie::ice., he did not find ea.use to scoff at prayer. He said that it moved him to find England and the United St.ates not a.shamed to pray in the time of calamity, and to gi.e thanks in the hour of deliverance. God, after all, is the Ruler among the nations, and his rule of good will stand true. " Them that honour me I will honour, but they that de.spise me shall be lightly esteemed." Vers. 21, 22.-Tychicw. Many honourable men in the Bible have short biographies, but they are very expressive. Nothing else is known of Tychicus except that be was a man of .Asia. But we see here that: 1. He devoted himself to the service of Christ (ver. 21). 2. He was faithful in that service. 3. He was the fellow-labourer of other devoted men. 4-. By his loving spirit he secured their love. 5. He was sympathetic, friendly, tender-hearted, suitable to be employed on a mission of comfort (ver. 22). 6. His memory continues embalmed and fragrant for these two qualities-fi<lelity to bis master, and kindly sympathy for his brother men. His short biography is full of instruction for the servants of Christ. He was unselfish, unworldly, unambitious; it were a blessing for the Church if the rank-and-file of its undistinguished ministers and other workers were like him. Aft.er all, few inscriptions on a tombstone would be more to be desired by the minister of Christ than this: "He served his Master and he t,,ed his brethren." ,era. 23, 24.-The benediction. The last drops of the Epistle are of the dew of :'.e~xen. L THE BE~-icDICTION Fon TJIJ.: BRETHREN. 1. Its subst.ince. (1) Peace. (2) Love. (0) Faith. 2. Its sc,urce. "God the Father and the Lore! Jesus Christ." JL Tm: llE?-EDICTION FOB TllE WHOLE CHURCH. Grace, sum and substance of the Epistle-" the Epistle of grace." With that he began, with that he ends. But the word is much richer after the exposition of the Epistle. It has been connected with 1 wo eternities, past and future. And with the infinity of the three-one God, ]!'atber, Son, and Holy Ghost, the soul of the reader bas been exercised and expanded to its utinost stretch, in trying to comprehend it; but it is incomprehensible. And now, wilh all ii.ii~ a<lded fulness of meaning, it falls on the hea<l of all that love the Lord OB. VI, 1-24. j THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 265
J'esus in incorruptibility. This treasure, multiplied, deepened, lengthened, heightened to infinity, I invoke on you, says the apostle, in the Name of God. Blessed privilege of the minister who can do so. Deep responsibility of the people to whom it is done. Great importance of the closing benediction in public service; tendency to think of it u a mere closing form. It contains the very essence of all blessing. Let it be received reverently, pondered seriously, accepted joyously.