of periods or ages, and then the plural alveg is used. Thus εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, to eternity, and εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, οι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας Tv aiúvwv, to the ages indefinitely, i.e., endless ages, alike mean "for ever." So Badiλeùs roũ aivos, "king of eternity," and Baoiλeus Tv aiúvwv, "king of endless ages," both mean "the king eternal." The peculiarity of the case before us is, that the apostle combines these two forms: εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, “ to all the generations of an eternity of ages." This is in keeping with the cumulative character of the whole context. Finding no ordinary forms of expression suited to his demands, the apostle heaps together terms of the largest import to give some vent to thoughts and aspirations which he felt to be unutterable. These things belong to the revayol aλaλro of which he speaks in Rom. viii. 26.

CHAPTER IV.

AN EXHORTATION TO UNITY, VER. 1-16.—AN EXHORTATION TO HOLINESS AND TO SPECIFIC VIRTUES, VER. 17–32.

1.

SECTION I.-Ver. 1-16.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk 2. worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; 3. endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope 5. of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and 6. Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure 8. of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up 9. on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into 10. the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also

that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evan12. gelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of 13. Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of 14. the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning eraftiness, whereby 15. they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16. from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by

that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

ANALYSIS.

The apostle exhorts his readers to walk worthy of their vocation. Such a walk should be characterised by humility, meekness, long-suffering, and zeal, to promote spiritual unity and peace.-Ver. 1-3. The church is one, because it is one body, has one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over, through, and in all its members.-Ver. 4-6.

This unity, however, is consistent with great diversity of gifts, which Christ distributes according to his own will.—Ver. 7. This is confirmed by a passage from the Psalms, which speaks of the Messiah as giving gifts to men; which passage, it is shown, must refer to Christ, since it speaks of a divine person ascending to heaven, which necessarily implies a preceding descent to the earth.-Ver. 8-10. The gifts which Christ bestows on his church are the various classes of ministers, apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors, who are teachers.-Ver. 11. The design of the ministry is the edification of the church, and to bring all its members to unity of faith and knowledge, and to the full stature of Christ; that they should no longer have the instability of children, but be a firm, compact, and growing body in living union with Christ its head.-Ver. 12-16.

COMMENTARY.

Ver. 13. Παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ.—The exhortation is a general one; it flows from the preceding doctrines, and is enforced by the authority and the sufferings of him who gave it. As you are partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, "I therefore beseech you." "I the prisoner, not of, but "in" the Lord,' iv Kugíw. He was a

prisoner because he was in the Lord, and for his sake. It was as a Christian, and in the cause of Christ, he suffered bonds. Compare the frequently occurring expressions, vegys ἐν Χριστῷ, ἀγαπητὸς ἐν Κυρίῳ, δόκιμος ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐκλεκτὸς ἐν Kugiw. He speaks as a prisoner, not to excite sympathy, not merely to add weight to his exhortation, but rather as exulting that he was counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. This is in accordance with the beautiful remark of Theodoret : Τοῖς διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν δεσμοῖς ἐναβρύνεται μᾶλλον ἢ βασιλεὺς διαδήματι, -“He glories in his chains, more than a king in his diadem." I, the martyr Paul, the crowned apostle, exhort you,' &c. All is thus in keeping with the elevated tone of feeling which marks the preceding passage.

The exhortation is, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλή On, to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called. -That vocation was to sonship, chap. i. 5. This includes three things, holiness, exaltation, and unity. They were called to be conformed to the image of Christ, to share in his exaltation and glory, and to constitute one family, as all are the children of God. A conversation becoming such a vocation, therefore, should be characterised by holiness, humility, and mutual forbearance and brotherly love. The apostle, therefore, immediately adds, with all lowliness and meekness. Undeserved honour always produces these effects upon the ingenuous. To be raised from the depths of degradation and misery, and made the sons of God, and thus exalted to an inconceivable elevation and dignity, does and must produce humility and meekness. Where these effects are not found, we may conclude the exaltation has not taken place. Lowliness of mind, raTopgooúvη, includes a low estimate of one's self, founded on the consciousness of guilt and weakness, and a consequent disposition to be low, unnoticed, and unpraised. It stands opposed not only to self-complacency and self-conceit, but also to self-exaltation, and setting one's self up to

This is taught in

attract the honour which comes from men. Rom. xii. 16, where rand govouvres, "seeking high things," is opposed to the lowliness of mind here inculcated. There is a natural connection between humility and meekness, and therefore they are here joined together, as in so many other places. Пgaórns is" softness," "mildness," "gentleness," which, when united with strength, is one of the loveliest attributes of our nature. The blessed Saviour says of himself, "I am meek (gãos) and lowly in heart," Matt. xi. 29; and the apostle speaks of "the gentleness of Christ," 2 Cor. x. 1. Meekness is that unresisting, uncomplaining disposition of mind, which enables us to bear without irritation or resentment the faults and injuries of others. It is the disposition of which the lamb, dumb before the shearers, is the symbol, and which was one of the most wonderful of all the virtues of the Son of God. The most exalted of all beings was the gentlest.

The third associated virtue which becomes the vocation wherewith we are called is long-suffering, pangolvuía, a disposition which leads to the suppression of anger, 2 Cor. vi. 6; Gal. v. 22; Col. iii. 12; to deferring the infliction of punishment, and is therefore often attributed to God, Rom. ii. 4, ix. 22; 1 Pet. iii. 20; and to patient forbearance towards our fellow-men, 2 Tim. iv. 2; 1 Tim. i. 16. It is explained by what follows, forbearing one another in love. Or, rather, the three virtues, humility, meekness, and long-suffering, are all illustrated and manifested in this mutual forbearance. 'Ave is "to restrain," avexouar, "to restrain one's self;" άvexóμevor ànλýλ év àɣán, therefore, means "restraining yourselves in reference to each other in love:" "Let love induce you to be forbearing towards each other.'

The construction of the passage adopted by our translators is preferable to either connecting perà pango. with ave., "with long-suffering forbearing," or detaching iv ayά from this