second member of the sentence, the substance of which is, that God had delivered the Ephesians from the destruction to which they were formerly liable; but the words which be employs are different. God, who is rich in mercy, hath quickened you together with Christ. There is no other life than that which is breathed into us by Christ so that we begin to live only when we are engrafted into him, and enjoy the same life with himself. This enables us to see what the apostle formerly meant by death, for that death and this resurrection are brought into contrast. To be made partakers of the life of the Son of God,-to be quickened by one Spirit, is an inestimable privilege.

On this ground he praises the mercy of God, meaning by its riches, that it had been poured out in a singularly large and abundant manner. The whole of our salvation is here ascribed to the mercy of God. But he presently adds, for his great love wherewith he loved us. This is a still more express declaration that all was owing to undeserved goodness; for he declares that God was moved by this single consideration. "Herein," says John, "is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. -We love him, because he first loved us."1 5. Even when we were dead in sin. These words have the same emphasis as similar expressions in another Epistle. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.-But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' Whether the words, by grace ye are saved, have been inserted by another hand, I know not; but as they are perfectly agreeable to the context, I am quite willing to receive them as written by Paul. They show us that he always feels as if he had not sufficiently proclaimed the riches of Divine grace, and accordingly expresses, by a variety of terms, the same truth, that every thing connected with our salvation ought to be ascribed to God as its Author. And certainly he who duly weighs the ingratitude of

"2

men will not complain that this parenthesis is superfluous.

6. And hath raised us up together. The resurrection and sitting in heaven, which are here mentioned, are not yet seen by mortal eyes. Yet, as if those blessings were presently in our possession, he states that we have received them; and illustrates the change which has taken place in our condition, when we were led from Adam to Christ. It is as if we had been brought from the deepest hell to heaven itself. And certainly, although, as respects ourselves, our salvation is still the object of hope, yet in Christ we already possess a blessed immortality and glory; and therefore, he adds, in Christ Jesus. Hitherto, it does not appear in the members, but only in the head; yet, in consequence of the secret union, it belongs truly to the members. Some render it through Christ; but, for the reason which has been mentioned, it is better to retain the usual rendering, in Christ. We are thus furnished with the richest consolation. Of every thing which we now want, we have a sure pledge and foretaste in the person of Christ.

7. That in the ages to come. The final and true cause, the glory of God,-is again mentioned, that the Ephesians, by making it the subject of earnest study, might be more fully assured of their salvation. It was the design of God, that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace. This exhibits still more strongly the hateful character of those by whom the free calling of the Gentiles was attacked. They were endeavouring instantly to crush that scheme which was destined to be remembered through all ages. But we, too, are instructed by it, that the mercy of God, who was pleased to admit our fathers into the number of his own people, deserves to be held in everlasting remembrance. The calling of the Gentiles is an astonishing work of Divine goodness, which ought to be handed down by parents to children, and to their children's children, that it may never be forgotten or unacknowledged by the sons of men.

The riches of his grace in his kindness. The love of

God to us in Christ is here proved, or again declared, to have had its origin in mercy. That he might shew, says he, the exceeding riches of his grace. How? In his kindness towards us, as the tree is known by its fruit. Not only, therefore, does he declare that the love of God was free, but likewise that God displayed in it the riches, the extraordinary pre-eminent riches grace. It deserves notice, also, that the name of Christ is repeated; for no grace, no love, must be expected by us from God, except through his mediation.

of his

8. For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

8. For by grace are ye saved. This is an inference from the former statements. Having treated of election and of effectual calling, he arrives at this general conclusion, that they had obtained salvation by faith alone. First, he asserts that the salvation of the Ephesians was entirely the work, the gracious work of God. But then they had obtained this grace by faith. On one side, we must look at God; and, on the other, at man. God declares that he owes us nothing; so that salvation is not a reward or recompense, but unmixed grace. The next question is, in what way do men receive that salvation which is offered to them by the hand of God? The answer is, by faith; and hence he concludes that nothing connected with it is our own. If, on the part of God, it is grace alone, and if we bring nothing but faith, which strips us of all commendation, it follows that salvation does not come from us.

Ought we not then to be silent about free-will, and good intentions, and fancied preparations, and merits, and satisfactions? There is none of these which does not, in the sight of men, claim a share of praise; so that the praise of grace would not, as Paul shews, remain un

diminished. When, on the part of man, the act of receiving salvation is made to consist in faith alone, all other means, on which men are accustomed to rely, are discarded. Faith, then, brings a man empty to God, that he may be filled with the blessings of Christ. And so he adds, not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: that, claiming nothing for themselves, they may acknowledge God alone as the Author of their salvation.

9. Not of works. Hence we see that the apostle ascribes nothing to man in the work of salvation. In these three phrases,-not of yourselves,-it is the gift of God, not of works, he embraces the substance of his long argument in the Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians. Righteousness comes to us from the mercy of God alone,-is offered to us in Christ by the gospel,-and is received by faith alone, without the merit of works.

This passage affords an easy refutation of the idle cavil by which Papists attempt to evade the argument, that we are justified without works. Paul, they tell us, is speaking about ceremonies. But the present question is not confined to one class of works. Nothing can be more clear than this. The whole righteousness of man, which consists in works,-nay, the whole man, and every thing that he can call his own, is set aside. We must attend to the contrast between God and man, -between grace and works. Why should God be contrasted with man, if the controversy related to nothing more than ceremonies?

Papists themselves are compelled to own that Paul ascribes to the grace of God the whole glory of our salvation; but endeavour to do away with this admission by another contrivance. This mode of expression, they tell us, is employed, because God bestows the first grace. It is really foolish to imagine that they can succeed in this way, since Paul excludes man and his utmost ability,—not only from the commencement, but throughout, from the whole work of obtaining salva

tion.

But it is still more absurd to overlook the apostle's

inference, lest any man should boast. Some room must always remain for man's boasting, so long as, independently of grace, merits are of any avail. Paul's doctrine is overthrown, unless the whole praise is rendered to God and to his mercy. And here we must advert to a very common error in the interpretation of this passage. Many persons restrict the word gift to faith alone. But Paul is only repeating in other words the former sentiment. His meaning is, not that faith is the gift of God, but that salvation is given to us,-that salvation comes to us,-by the gift of God.

10. For we are his workmanship. By setting aside the contrary supposition, he proves his statement, that by grace we are saved,-that we have no remaining works by which we can merit salvation,-for all the good works which we possess are the fruit of regeneration. Hence it follows, that works themselves are a part of grace. We are his workmanship. This does not refer to ordinary creation, by which we are made men. We are declared to be new creatures, because, not by our own power, but by the Spirit of Christ, we have been formed to righteousness. This applies to none but believers. As the descendants of Adam, they were wick.ed and depraved; but by the grace of Christ, they are spiritually renewed, and become new men. Every thing in us, therefore, that is good, is the supernatural gift of God. The context explains his meaning. We are his workmanship, because we have been created,-not in Adam, but in Christ Jesus,—not to every kind of life, but to good works.

What remains now for free-will, if all the good works which proceed from us have been the gifts of the Spirit of God? Let godly readers weigh carefully the apostle's words. He does not say that we are assisted by God. He does not say that the will is prepared, and is then left to run by its own strength. He does not say that the power of choosing aright is bestowed upon us, and that we are afterwards left to make our own choice. Such is the idle talk in which those persons who do their utmost to undervalue the grace of God are accus