IO.

V. 17.

Gospel had now made known the Mystery

V. 10. of his Will, which was, that in the Dif penfation of the Fulness of Times, he would gather together in one all Things in Chrift, i. e. put all under one common Head, even Christ, as Theophylact explains it; because this Purpose of God was a Secret not formerly known unto Men, he prays that the Ephefians, who had now embraced the Faith of Christ, might obtain the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, in the Knowledge of him, whom God had thus given to be Head over all Things to the Church, which is his Body.. And then putting them in Mind, how in their former Heathen State they had been dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, but were now quickned together with Chrift, declares that they were created for good Works, which God before ordained that they should walk in them, and should live not as Gentiles without Chrift, and Strangers from the Covenant of Promife; but as Fellow-Citizens with the Saints, and of the Houfhold of God, that middle Wall of Partition between Jew and Gentile being now broken down that Law of Commandments, which kept thefe two at Enmity, being

Ch. 2. 10.

taken

taken away, both were now reconciled unto God by the Crofs; both have accefs by one Spirit unto the Father, and are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief Corner Stone.

THIS Union of Jew and Gentile, under one common Head, in one common Fellowship of fpiritual Privileges, relating to a future Life, being the great Point which the Apostle infifts upon in this Epistle; and the Calling of the Gentiles to the true Knowledge of God through Chrift, being particularly committed to him as Apoftle of the Gentiles; he doth in this Chapter set forth the Part which he himself bears in this Difpenfation. Upon his Converfion, the Lord told Ananias, He is a chofen Vessel unto me, to bear my Name before the Gentiles; and he told himfelf that he fent him to the Gentiles, to open their Eyes, and to turn xxvi. 17. them from Darkness to Light; and another Time at Jerusalem, I will send thee A&ts.xxii. far bence unto the Gentiles. Accordingly he and Barnabas were, by the Church at Antioch, chofen, upon the Direction of the Holy Ghoft, to go unto the Gentiles. Upon

A&s. ix.

15.

A&s.

A&s. xiii.

I, 2.

their Account therefore he here profeffes

himself the Prisoner of Jefus Chrift; for Ch. iii. this Caufe, IPaul am the Prisoner of JeV. I. fus Chrift, for you Gentiles, fays he, if ye have heard, or, fince ye have heard, of the Difpenfation of the Grace of God which is given me to youward, how that by Revelation be made known unto me the Myftery, as I wrote afore in few Words; i. e. this Myftery which I briefly mentioned. before was communicated to me by a particular Revelation from Heaven, whereby when ye read this Epiftle ye may be fatisfied whence I had the Knowledge of this great Myftery, which in other Ages was not made know unto the Sons of Men, as it is now revealed unto his Holy Apoftles and Prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles fhould be Fellow-beirs, and of the fame Body, and Partakers of his Promise in Chrift, by the Gospel, of which I am made a Minifter. So that the Text is a kind of Abftra&t of the Senfe of one great Part Prefat. in of this Epiftle, and is by St. Chryfoftom Epit. fingled out as expreffing one of thofe high

and weighty Notions, of which, he fays, the whole Epiftle is full. The Words plainly import, that the Calling of the Gentiles

Gentiles to Salvation by Christ was a Mystery unknown to former Ages, but that, after his Afcenfion into Heaven, it was revealed to his Apoftles and Prophets by the Spirit, and to St. Paul in particular, who by fpecial Commiffion was appointed a Preacher of it. Unto me, fays v. 8, 9. he, who am less than the leaft of all Saints, is this Grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable Riches of Chrift, and to make all Men fee what is the Fellowship of the Mystery which from the Beginning of the World hath been hid in God, who created all Things by Fefus Chrift. The very fame Account he gives of this Matter in his Epiftle to the Colof fians, calling that Miniftry which was committed to him, A Difpenfation of Col. i. 25, God fully to preach the Word of God, even the Myftery which hadbeen hid from Ages and Generations, but was then made manifeft to his Saints, to whom God would make known what is the Richness of the Glory of this Mystery, which is Chrift among you, fays he, the Hope of Glory, This Account of the Scope and Defign of the Text may lead us to confider the following Particulars.

26,27.

I. That though God did originally defign Salvation to the Gentiles through Chrift, yet this was a Mystery not known to the Ages before Christ's Coming.

II. That after the Coming of Christ, God was pleased to make divers plain Revelations of this Matter, and particularly to his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit.

III. That the Gentiles are now by the Gofpel capable of the fame Privileges, and have the fame Title to Salvation, as the Jews, without any Difference.

IV. That therefore it is the Duty of all Chriftians, in their feveral Stations, to endeavour, that the Knowledge of the Gospel may be spread among thofe Heathen Nations who are as yet Strangers to it.

I. That though God Almighty did originally design Salvation to the Gentiles thro' Chrift, yet this was a Myftery, or Secret,

not