3. Any sacred poem formed on the model of the Old Testament Psalms, as in 1 Cor. xiv. 26, where aλμóv appears to mean such a song given by inspiration, and not one of the psalms of David. "A hymn" was a song of praise to God, a divine song. Arrian, Exped. Alex. 4, "Tuvos μÈV ÉS TOÙS DECÙS ποιοῦνται, ἔπαινοι δὲ ἐς ἀνθρώπους. Ammon. de Differ. Vocbl., 'Ο μὲν γὰρ ὕμνος ἔστι θεῶν, τὸ δὲ ἐγκώμιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Phavor., Ὕμνος· ἡ πρὸς θεὸν ᾠδή. Such being the general meaning of the word, Josephus uses it of those psalms which were songs of praise to God, Ο Δαυΐδος ᾠδὰς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ὕμνους συνετάξατο, Ant. vii. 12, 3. Psalms and hymns then, as now, were religious songs; daí were religious or secular; and, therefore, those here intended are described as "spiritual." This may mean either "inspired," i.e., derived from the Spirit, or expressing spiritual thoughts and feelings. This latter is the more probable, as not only inspired men are said to be filled with the Spirit, but all those who in their ordinary thoughts and feelings are governed by the Holy Ghost.

Singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.—If this clause be considered as co-ordinate with the preceding, then it refers to a different kind of singing. The former, expressed by λañouvres aurors, is singing audibly; the latter, by dovres év T xagoiq, is the music of the heart, the rhythm of the affections not clothed in words. In favour of this view, which is adopted by several of the best modern commentators, as Harless, Rückert, Olshausen, and Meyer, it is urged that the apostle says, ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν, and not simply ἐκ καρδίας, "from the heart; " and that the pronoun iuv, "your," would be unnecessary had he meant only that the singing was to be cordial. Besides, the singing here referred to is that of those filled with the Spirit, and therefore the caution that it should not be a mere lip service is out of place. Notwithstanding these reasons, the great majority of commentators make this clause subordinate to the preceding, and descriptive of the

kind of singing required, "You are to commence with each in psalms and hymns, singing in your heart." Comp. Rom. i. 9, where the apostle says, ᾧ λατρεύω (not ἐκ πνεύματος, but) ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου, "whom I serve in my spirit," and 1 Cor. xiv. 15. There is no sufficient reason for departing from the ordinary view of the passage.

"Adovres nai áλλovres, singing and making melody, are two forms of expressing the same thing. The latter term is the more comprehensive; as aïde is to make music with the voice; λλ, 'to make music in any way,'-literally, to play on a stringed instrument; then, to sing in concert with such an instrument; then, to sing or chant. See 1 Cor. xiv. 15; James v. 13; Rom. xv. 9.

To the Lord, i.e., to Christ.-In the parallel passage, Col. iii. 16, it is "to God." In either form the idea is the same. In worshipping Christ we worship God. God in Christ, however, is the definite, special object of Christian worship, to whom the heart when filled with the Spirit instinctively turns. This special worship of Christ is neither inconsistent with the worship of the Father, nor is it ever dissociated from it. The one runs into the other. And,—

Ver. 20. Therefore the apostle connects the two: 'Be ye filled with the Spirit, singing hymns to Christ, and giving thanks to God, even the Father.' The Spirit dictates the one as naturally as the other. We are to give thanks always. It is not a duty to be performed once for all, nor merely when new mercies are received; but always, because we are under obligation for blessings temporal and spiritual already received, which calls for perpetual acknowledgment. We are to give thanks for all things,-afflictions as well as for our joys, say the ancient commentators. This is not in the text, though Paul, as we learn from other passages, gloried in his afflictions. Here the words are limited by the context, for all our mercies. In the name of the Lord Jesus. The apostles preached in the

name of the Lord Jesus; they wrought miracles in his name; believers are commanded to pray in his name, to give thanks in his name, and to do all things in his name. In all these cases the general idea is that expressed by Bengel, "Ut perinde sit, ac si Christus faciat." What we do in the name of Christ, we do by his authority, and relying on him for success. Christ gives us access to the Father; we come to God through him; he gives the right to come; and it is on him we depend for acceptance when we come. Τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Targi, God even the Father, i.e., to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the covenant title of God under the new dispensation, and presents the only ground on which he can be approached as our Father.

21.

SECTION II.-Ver. 21-33.

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, 22. submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head 24. of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as

the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own 25. husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as 26. Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he

might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the 27. word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not

having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be 28. holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as 29. their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth 30. it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of his body, 31. of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two 32. shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concern33. ing Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

ANALYSIS.

The apostle enjoins mutual obedience as a Christian duty,

ver. 21. Under this head he treats of the relative duties of husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to the duties of husbands and wives. As the conjugal relation is analogous to that which Christ sustains to the church, the one serves to illustrate the other. The apostle, therefore, combines the two subjects throughout the paragraph.

Wives should be subject to their husbands, as the church is to Christ. 1. The motive to this subject is a regard to the Lord, ver. 22. 2. The ground of it is, that the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, ver. 23. 3. This subjection is not confined to any one sphere, but extends to all, ver. 24.

Husbands should love their wives. 1. The measure of this love is Christ's love for the church, for whose redemption he died, ver. 25-27. 2. The ground of love is in both cases the same. The wife is flesh of her husband's flesh, and bone of his bone; so the church is flesh of Christ's flesh, and bone of his bone. Husband and wife are one flesh; so are Christ and the church. What is true of the one is true of the other, ver. 29-31. 3. The union between Christ and his church is indeed of a higher order than that between husband and wife; nevertheless, the analogy between the two cases is such as to render it obligatory on the husband to love his wife as being himself, and on the wife to reverence her husband, ver. 32, 33.

COMMENTARY.

Ver. 21. That a new paragraph begins with this verse is generally conceded,-first, because the preceding exhortations are evidently brought to a close in ver. 20, with the words "to God even the Father;" and, secondly, because the command to be obedient one to another, amplified through this chapter and part of the next, does not naturally cohere with what precedes. This being the case, the participle morao

P

oóuevo, being obedient, with which this verse begins, cannot be explained by referring it to the verb λngourde in ver. 18. The sense would then be, 'Be filled with the Spirit-submitting yourselves one to another.' This construction of the passage,

for the reasons just stated, is rejected by most commentators. Others take the participle for the imperative, and render the words, 'Be subject one to another.' But this is contrary to the usage of the language. The most common explanation is to connect this verse with the following, 'Being subject one to another (as ye are bound to be), ye wives be subject to your husbands.' From the general obligation to obedience follows the special obligation of wives, children, and servants, as explained in what follows.

This command to submit one to another is found in other passages of the New Testament, as in 1 Pet. v. 5, "All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility;" Rom. xii. 10; Phil. ii. 3. The scriptural doctrine on this subject is that men are not isolated individuals, each one independent of all others. No man liveth for himself, and no man dieth for himself. The essential equality of men and their mutual dependence lay the foundation for the obligation of mutual subjection. The apostle, however, is here speaking of the duties of Christians. It is, therefore, the Christian duty of mutual submission of which this passage treats. It not only forbids pride and all assumption of superiority, but enjoins mutual subjection, the subjection of a part to the whole, and of each one to those of his fellow-believers with whom he is specially connected. Every Christian is responsible for his faith and conduct to his brethren in the Lord, because he constitutes with them one body, having a common faith and a common life. The independency of one Christian of all others, or of one Christian society of all similar societies, is inconsistent with the relation in which believers stand to each other, and with the express commands of Scripture.