* The Fulness of him that filleth all in all. Much the same Expreffion with that of John i. 16. Of his Fulness have we all received (Fulness) and Grace for (ar, in Proportion to his) Grace. This is the Senfe, if a refers to Chrift. But if it refers to the Church, (the Subftantive last mention'd) I have expreffed that Senfe alfo.

С НА Р.

CHA P. II.

The CONTENTS.

Having fhewn it to have been the original Purpose of God A. D.6z. to unite the Gentiles to the Church of Chrift; he declares the Ephefians to be actually Members of it. Gives them Such an Account of the Gospel Privileges and Bleffings, as exalts it far above, and makes it independant of, the Rites of the Mofaical Law. He fhews that Law .to be abolish'd by the Death and Religion of Chrift, and thereby both Jew and Gentile united into one Church and Society. And all this for their Encouragement to adhere to the Christian Faith, without liftning to the Neceffity of the Mofaical Ceremonies.

AND you hath be quickned * who

were dead in trefpaffes and fins,

I.

E affured therefore, that God who raised up* Jesus Christ from the Dead, and made him the Head of his Church, has, by your Converfion to Christianity, raised up you Ephefians to the Hopes of Pardon and Salvation, who were formerly in a State of Sin and Death under your Vicious and Heathenifh Life.

2 Wherein in time past ye walked ac cording to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the fpirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

3 Among

*

2. While you lived in the habitual Practice of Enormities that were common and fashionable in the Heathen World; influenced by the Temptations of the Devil, that powerful and malicious Spirit, that has his Refidence in the Air about us, and ftill reigns by his Influences on the wicked and unconverted Heathens.

3. Of

* I take the Conftruction of this Verfe from the 20, 21, &c. Verfes of the foregoing Chapter and not from the 19th, as fome, nor the 5th Verfe of this Chapter, as other Interpreters do. This makes the Connection much clearer and lefs interrupted, and is confirmed by the i xps, in the 5th Verse.

4 But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in fins, hath quickned us together with Chrift (by grace ye are faved)

you; the Ceremonial

6 And hath raised us up together, and hath made us fit together in heavenly places in Chrift Jefus.

3. Of which Number you all were before your Converfion; indulging your carnal and depraved Appetites, and actuated by the Dictates and Paffions of a fenfual Mind; being, like all other Heathen People, brought up from your Birth to the Habits of fuch vile Courfes as could not but fubject you to the Wrath and Difpleasure of God.

4 & 5. But God in abundant Mercy and Compaffion to his finful Creatures, has now by the Death and Refurrection of Chrift, and by your embracing his Religion, recovered you from this dark and fad Eftate, and raised you to the Hope of Pardon and Salvation. 'Tis this Religion that juftifies and faves Law has no hand at all in it.

6. For by raifing Him from the Dead, God has given you, and all true Gentile Believers, an Affurance of all the noble Privileges of his Heavenly Religion, and of all the Bleffings of his Kingdom.

7. It being the Purpose of God thus to difplay the wonderful Extent of divine Love and Mercy to all Mankind, under the Dispensation of Chrift the Meffiah.

8 & 9. And

* Ver. 3. By Nature: ur, either by Customs and Habits (of Vice;) or elfe really and indeed Children of Wrath; as this Word is plainly used, Galat. iv, 8. By Nature no Gods, i.e. Not Gods at all.

+ Wherewith he loved us, hath quickned us.
See Note on Cap. i. 3, 4.

8 For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not of your felves it is the gift

of God:

8 & 9. And certainly this Gospel A. D. 62. Salvation is the Fruit of nothing but the pure Grace and Bounty of God, making our Faith in Chrift's Religion the merciful Condition of this Happiness. No Man has done any thing to deferve it; it could not be merited by the utmost Obfervation of the Ceremonial Law, and fo* the Jew could no more pretend to claim it than the vileft Gentile.

9 Not of works, left any man should boaft.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

11 Wherefore re

member that ye being in times paft Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcifion

by that which is cal

led the circumcifion

in the flesh, made by hands,

12 That at that time ye were without Chrift, being aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the

world.

13 But now in Chrift

10. Our regenerate State is wholly owing to what God has done for us in Chrift, and by his Religion. By this it was his Defign to prepare and enable us to live that Life of Purity and Virtue that will qualify us for Life Eternal.

11, 12, 13. Remember then, and ftand to it; that though you Gentiles were formerly quite out of the Pale of God's Church, without any Knowledge of the Meffiah promifed

to Abraham as the Saviour of all

Mankind, having little or no Profpect
of fpiritual and future Happiness,
estranged from the Knowledge and
Worship of the true God; in fine,
you whom the Jewish People, that
boafted themselves in their divine
Laws and Privileges, were wont in
Derifion, to call Uncircumcifed, Un-
clean and Sinful, are now by Chrift's
Religion, taken into Covenant with
him, and are his peculiar People as
much as they.

Jefus, ye who fometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the
blood of Christ.

*

Left any Man fhould boast, iva pù rís navxúcerai. So that, none can boaft.

A. D. 62.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition

between us.

a

14. While they were his enclosed Church, you Gentiles were kept at distance; and indeed were no way reconcilable to their Ceremonies and Worship. But now that Chrift by

his Death hath reconciled us all to

God, the Difference is at an end, and we are all united into one Church and Society.

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, for to make in him felf, of twain, one new man, so making peace. 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crofs, having flain the enmity thereby :

17 And came, and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh

to the Jews that had

18 For through him we both have an accefs by one Spirit unto the Father.

15 & 16. For that Part of the Jewish Law that confifted of fuch Ceremonies as were defigned to keep up the Distinction between them and all other Nations, is now, by the Death of Chrift upon the Crofs, abolished and become of no further Obligation; whereby he has made the Way open for Believers of all Nations to join with them, and make up one Christian Church under him, the common Head and Saviour of us all.

17. And accordingly Chrift has appointed his Gofpel to be preached, as the Condition of Peace and Pardon, as well to the Gentiles that were hitherto Strangers to his Church, as been his ancient People.

18. For by the Sacrifice of his Death, all true Believers of every Nation are admitted into Favour with God the Father, and become his true People, all conducted by the fame holy Spirit, without any further regard to the Jewish Law.

19 Now therefore ye are no more ftrangers and foreigners,

but fellow citizens

-

19. Wherefore look upon your felves as no longer excluded from the divine Covenant, nor as only in part Profelytes to it, because of your not being Circumcifed; but efteem your felves as fully Privileged, and as much of God's Family as they can be.

with the faints, and of
the houfhold of God:

20. Be