sure. The latter is to be preferred,-1. Because it agrees better with the usage of the word in the New Testament. In Matt. xi. 26, "Οτι οὕτως ἐγένετο εὐδοκία ἔμπροσθέν σου means, "Because thus it seemed good in thy sight." In Luke x. 21, the same words occur in the same sense. In Phil. ii. 13, rig Tйs sudoxías means, of good pleasure.' 2. The words sidoxía To Jeλparos naturally mean "voluntas liberrima," "beneplacitum," "sovereign purpose;" to make them mean "benevolent will," is contrary to scriptural usage. 3. In this connection it is not the predestinated that are the objects of Eudoxía, but the act of predestination itself. God chose to have that purpose. It seemed good to him. 4. The expressions, "purpose of his will," "counsel of his will," ver. 11, are used interchangeably with that in the text, and determine its meaning. 5. The analogy of Scripture is in favour of this interpretation, because the ground of election is always said to be the good pleasure of God.

Ver. 6. The final end of election is the glory of God. He has predestinated us to sonship, εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος avrou, to the praise of the glory of his grace. That is, in order that in the exaltation and blessedness of his people, matter for celebrating his grace might be abundantly afforded. It is worthy of remark that here, as in chap. ii. 7, 1 Cor. i. 27-29, and elsewhere, the specific design of redemption and of the mode in which its blessings are dispensed, is declared to be the manifestation of "the grace" or unmerited favour of God. Nothing, therefore, can be more foreign to the nature of the gospel than the doctrine of merit in any form. It is uncongenial with that great scheme of mercy whose principal design is to exhibit the grace of God.

It is to weaken the language of the apostle to make dóns a mere qualification either of ἔπαινον, “ praise,” or of χάριτος, "grace." It is neither glorious praise nor glorious grace, but "to the praise of the glory of his grace." "The glory of

grace" is the divine excellence of that attribute manifested as an object of admiration. The glory of God is the manifested excellence of God, and the glory of any one of his attributes is the manifestation of that attribute as an object of praise. The design of redemption, therefore, is to exhibit the grace of God in such a conspicuous manner as to fill all hearts with wonder and all lips with praise.

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Wherein he hath made us accepted.—The text in this clause is uncertain. Some MSS. have v , which is the common text; and others. Mill, Griesbach, Lachmann, Rückert, adopt the latter; Knapp, Scholz, Harless, De Wette, the former. If the genitive be preferred, s is for , and the phrase ág Xagirov would be analogous to others of frequent occurrence, as κλῆσιν καλεῖν, ἀγάπην ἀγαπᾶν. This clause admits of two interpretations. The word xagrów, agreeably to the analogy of words of the same formation, signifies to impart xágis, "grace." The literal rendering, therefore, of the words v (χάριτι) ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς would be, “ with which grace he has graced us," or conferred grace upon us. But as grace sometimes means a disposition, and sometimes a gift, the sense may be either, 'Wherein,' i. e. in the exercise of which, he has been gracious towards us; or, 'With which he has made us gracious or well pleasing.' In the former case, grace refers to the goodness or unmerited favour of God exercised towards us; in the latter, to the sanctifying effect produced on us. It is the grace by which he has sanctified or rendered us gracious (in the subjective sense of that word) in his sight. The Greek and Romish interpreters prefer the latter interpretation; the great body of Protestant commentators the former. The reasons in favour of the former are,—1. The word "grace" in the context is used in the sense of kind disposition on the part of God, and not in the sense of a gift. 2. The verb, in the only other case where it occurs in the New Testament, is used in the sense of showing favour: Luke i. 28, "Hail, thou favoured

one!" 3. The parallel passage and analogous expression, chap. ii. 4, is in favour of this interpretation. There it is said, "His great love wherewith he hath loved us," and here the same idea is expressed by saying, 'His grace wherein he favoured us, or which he has exercised towards us.' 4. The whole context demands this interpretation. The apostle is speaking of the love or grace of God as manifested in our redemption. He has predestinated us to the adoption of sons, to the praise of the glory of his grace; which grace he has exercised towards us in the remission of sins. The same idea is expressed chap. ii. 7, where it is said, God hath quickened us, "that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." "To make accepted," therefore, here means, to accept, to treat with favour; or rather, such is the meaning of the apostle's language. "Gratia amplexus est," as the word is rendered by Bengel; to which agrees the explanation of Beza, "Gratis nos sibi acceptos effecit."

This grace is exercised towards us in the Beloved.-In ourselves we are unworthy. All kindness towards us is of the nature of grace. Christ is the beloved for his own sake; and it is to us only as in him and for his sake that the grace of God is manifested. This is a truth which the apostle keeps constantly in view, chap. ii. 5-7.

Ver. 7. In whom we have redemption." In whom," i.e., not in ourselves. We are not self-redeemed. Christ is our Redeemer. The word "redemption," ȧrokúrgwors, sometimes means deliverance in the general, without reference to the mode in which it is accomplished. When used of the work of Christ it is always to be understood in its strict sense, viz., deliverance by ransom; because this particular mode of redemption is always either expressed or implied. We are redeemed neither by power, nor truth, but by blood; that is, by the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus. A sacrifice is a

ransom, as to its effect. It delivers those for whom it is offered and accepted. The words διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, by his blood, are explanatory of the words "in whom." "In whom," i.e., by means of his blood. They serve to explain the method in which Christ redeems.

The redemption of which the apostle here speaks is not the inward deliverance from sin, but it is an outward work, viz., the forgiveness of sins, as the words τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπο τωμάτων necessarily mean. It is true this is not the whole of redemption, but it is all the sacred writer here brings into view, because forgiveness is the immediate end of expiation. Though this clause is in apposition with the preceding, it is by no means co-extensive with it. So in Rom. viii. 23, where believers are said to be "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body," the two clauses are not co-extensive in meaning. "The redemption of the body" does not exhaust the idea of adoption. Neither in this passage does "the forgiveness of sin" exhaust the idea of redemption. This passage is often quoted in controversy to prove that justification is merely pardon.

This redemption is not only gratuitous, but it is, in all its circumstances, an exhibition, and therefore a proof, of the riches of his grace. The word λouros, "riches," in such connections is a favourite one with the apostle, who speaks of "the riches of glory," "the riches of wisdom," and "the exceeding riches of grace." It is the overflowing abundance of unmerited love, inexhaustible in God, and freely accessible through Christ. There is, therefore, nothing incompatible between redemption, i.e., deliverance on the ground of a ransom (or a complete satisfaction to justice), and grace. The grace consists,-1. In providing this satisfaction, and in accepting it in behalf of sinners. 2. In accepting those who are entirely destitute of merit. 3. In bestowing this redemption, and all its benefits, without regard to the comparative goodness of men. It is not

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because one is wiser, better, or more able than others, that he is made a partaker of this grace; but God chooses the foolish, the ignorant, and those who are of no account, that they who glory may glory only in the Lord.

or,

Ver. 8. Wherein he hath abounded toward us, is megíσσEUGEV εἰς ἡμᾶς.—As the word περισσεύω is both transitive and intransitive, the clause may be rendered as above, s being for; "which he has caused to abound towards us," "s being for v. The sense is the same; but as the attraction of the dative is very rare, the latter explanation is to be preferred. We are redeemed according to the riches of that grace, which God has so freely exercised toward us.

In all wisdom and prudence, ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει. These words admit of a threefold connection and explanation: -1. They may be connected with the preceding verb, and qualify the action of God therein expressed: 'God, in the exercise of wisdom and prudence, has abounded in grace towards us.' 2. They may be connected with the following clause: 'In all wisdom and prudence making known,' &c. 3. They may be connected with the preceding relative pronoun: 'Which (grace) in connection with, or together with, all wisdom and prudence he has caused to abound.' That is, the grace manifested by God, and received by us, is received in connection with the divine wisdom or knowledge of which the subsequent clause goes on to speak. This last explanation seems decidedly preferable, because the terms here used, particularly the word Pgóvnois, "prudence," is not, in its ordinary sense, properly referable to God. Cicero de Off. i. 43: "Prudentia enim, quam Graeci góvnow dicunt, est rerum expetendarum fugiendarumque scientia." And because the sense afforded by the third mentioned interpretation is so appropriate to the context and so agreeable to other passages of Scripture. The apostle often celebrates the goodness of God in communicating to men the true wisdom; not the wisdom of this world, nor of the