others. For though the piece itself happens to Where is the good of ten thousand changes of be theirs, still the money it is worth is not theirs. raiment, and those moth-eaten? The stomach Nay, and even if the money is in their hands, has its appointed bound, and any thing given still this is not wealth. Now, if consignments beyond this, will of necessity destroy the whole thus given render not men more wealthy be- man. Where then is the use of your herds, and cause we so soon resign them, how can those flocks, and cutting up of flesh? We require which arise from rapine render them wealthy? but one roof to shelter us. Where then is the However, if at any rate thou desirest to be use of your vast ground-plots, and costly buildwealthy, (for the matter is not one of neces-ings? Dost thou strip the poor, that vultures sity,) what greater good is it that thou wouldest fain enjoy? Is it a longer life? Yet, surely men of this character quickly become shortlived. Oftentimes they pay as the penalty of plunder and rapaciousness, an untimely death; and not only suffer as a penalty the loss of the enjoyment of their gains, but go out of life having gained but little, and hell to boot. Oftentimes too they die of diseases, which are the fruits of self-indulgence, and of toil, and of anxiety. Fain would I understand why it is that wealth is so eagerly pursued by mankind. Why surely for this reason hath God set a limit and a boundary to our nature, that we may have no need to go on seeking wealth beyond it. For instance He hath commanded us, to clothe the body in one, or perhaps in two garments; and there is no need of any more to cover us. and jackdaws may have where to dwell? And what a hell do not these things deserve? Many are frequently raising edifices that glisten with pillars and costly marbles, in places which they never so much as saw. What scheme is there indeed that they have not adopted? Yet neither themselves reap the benefit, nor any one else. The desolateness does not allow them to get away thither; and yet not even thus do they desist. You see that these things are not done for profit's-sake, but in all these cases folly, and absurdity, and vainglory, is the motive. And this, I beseech you to avoid, that we may be enabled to avoid also every other evil, and may obtain those good things which are promised to them that love Him, in our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy | Ghost, be glory, strength, honor forever. Amen. HOMILY III. VERSES. 15-20. For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus, which is among you, and which ye show toward all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wis dom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: having the eyes of your heart enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of His might, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead." his prayers, giving thanks to God for them all as though he himself had received the greatest blessing. "Wherefore," he says, i. e., because of what is to come, because of the good things that are laid up in store for them who rightly believe and live. And it is meet then to give thanks to God both for all the things which mankind have received at His hands, both heretofore and hereafter; and meet to give Him thanks also for the faith of them that believe. "Having heard," saith he, "of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and which show3 toward all the saints." He on all occasions knits together and combines faith and love, a glorious pair; nor does he mention the saints of that country only, but all. NEVER was anything equal to the yearnings of the Apostle, never anything like the sympa-ye thy and the affectionateness of the blessed Paul, who made his every prayer in behalf of whole cities and peoples, and writes the same to all, "I thank my God for you, making mention of you in my prayers." Think how many he had in his mind, whom it were a labor so much as to remember; how many he made mention of in [Ro i. 9; 1 Cor. i. 4; Phil. i. 3, 4; Col. i. 3; 1 Thes, i. 2.-G. A.] precedes ver. 13, 14, because this is the case that ye too are in HOMILY I. CHAPTER I. VERSES 1-2. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus,1 and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. OBSERVE, he applies the word “ through to the Father. But what then? Shall we say that He is inferior? Surely not. "To the saints, saith he, "which are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus. He is here alluding to the blessings of the Jews; for that was blessing also, but it was not spiritual blessing. For how did it run? "The Lord bless thee, He will bless the fruit of thy body;" (Deut. vii: 13.) and "He will bless thy going out and thy coming in." (Deut. Observe that he calls saints, men with wives, xxviii: 4.) But here it is not thus, but how? and children, and domestics. For that these "With every spiritual blessing." And what are they whom he calls by this name is plain lackest thou yet? Thou art made immortal, from the end of the Epistle, as, when he says, thou art made free, thou art made a son, thou "Wives, be in subjection unto your own hus-art made righteous, thou art made a brother, bands." (Eph. v: 22.) And again, "Child- thou art made a fellow-heir, thou reignest with ren, obey your parents: " (Eph. vi: 1.) and, Christ, thou art glorified with Christ; all "Servants, be obedient to your masters. (Eph. things are freely given thee. "How," saith vi: 5.) Think how great is the indolence that he, "shall He not also with Him freely give us possesses us now, how rare is any thing like vir- all things?" (Rom. viii: 32.) Thy First-fruits tue now and how great the abundance of virtu- is adored by Angels, by the Cherubim, by the ous men must have been then, when even secu- Seraphim! What lackest thou yet? "With lar men could be called "saints and faithful." every spiritual blessing." There is nothing "Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, carnal here. Accordingly He excluded all and the Lord Jesus Christ. " "Grace" is his those former blessings, when He said, "In the word; and he calls God, "Father;" since this world ye have tribulation," (John xvi: 33.) to name is a sure token of that gift of grace. And lead us on to these. For as they who pcshow so? Hear what he saith elsewhere; "Be-sessed carnal things were unable to hear of spircause ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. iv: 6.) [At Ephes us, Chrysostom's text has these words (év 'Epéow) and he betrays no knowledge of any copies which omitted them. But they are omitted by Aleph B. by some MSS., consulted by Basil, and apparently by Origen's text, for he interprets rois OvσL (those who are) absolutely, as he would not have done had he read iv 'Epéry. The Revisers insert the words but with a marginal note, Westcott and Hort bracket them. See their discussion of the point in Appendix (vol. II. of Greek Text), p. 123. For a full discussion see Meyer's Introduction to Ephesians, Sec. 1, where he earnestly defends "the right of these words to a place in the text."-G. A.] [Compare Rom. ix: 5; 2 Cor. i: 3; Luke i :68; 1 Peter i: 3.G. A.] [Meyer holds that the genitive Toù Kupiov, etc. does not limit Θεός, but only πατήρ : “Blessed be God who at same time is Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." So also Ellicott.-G. A.] itual things, so they who aim at spiritual things What again is "spiritual blessing in the ["A contrast to the earthly benefits promised to the Jews in the (Mat. vii: 24, 25.) And what is that rock but those heavenly things which are above the reach of every change? "Every one therefore who," saith Christ, "shall confess Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father which is in Heaven: But whosoever shall deny Me, him will I also deny." (Mat. x: 32, 33.) Again, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Mat. v: 8.) And again, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." (Mat. v: 3.) And again, "Blessed are ye which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for great is your reward in Heaven." (Mat. v: 11, 12.) Observe, how every where He speaketh of Heaven, no where of earth, or of the things on the earth. And again, "Our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence also we wait for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.' (Phil. iii: 20.) And again, "Not setting your mind on the things that are on the earth, but on the things which are above." (Col. iii: 3.) "In Christ." That is to say, this blessing was not by the hand of Moses, but by Christ Jesus: so that we surpass them not only in the quality of the blessings, but in the Mediator also. As moreover he saith in the Epistle to the Hebrews; "And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken; but Christ as a Son over His house, whose house are we." (Heb. iii: 5-6.) 66 Ver. 4. Even as," he proceeds, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in love." His meaning is somewhat of this sort. Through whom He hath blessed us, through Him He hath also chosen us. And He, then, it is that shall bestow upon us all those rewards hereafter. He is the very Judge that shall say, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Mat. xxv: 34.) And again, "I will that where I am they will also be with Me." (John xvii: 24.) And this is a point which he is anxious to prove in almost all his Epistles, that ours is no novel system, but that it had thus been figured from the very first, that it is not the result of any change of purpose, but had been in fact a divine dispensation and fore-ordained. And this is a mark of great solicitude for us. What is meant by, "He chose us in Him?" By means of the faith which is in Him, Christ, ["Such a specification of the 'sphere' and thence of the 'spiritual character' of the action would seem superfluous after the definite words preceding. In four other passages in this Epistle the expression, in the heavenlies,' seems 'local' (i: 20; ii:6; iii: 10; vi: 12). So the expression here must be referred as a 'local' predication to evλoyią пvevuaneĥ defining the region' whence the blessings of the Spirit come. Cf. Heb. vi: 4."-Ellicott.-G. A.] he means, happily ordered this for us before we were born; nay more, before the foundation of the world. And beautiful is that word "foundation," as though he were pointing to the world as cast down from some vast height. Yea, vast indeed and ineffable is the height of God, so far removed not in place but in incommunicableness of nature; so wide the distance between creation and Creator! A word which heretics may be ashamed to hear." But wherefore hath He chosen us? "That we should be holy and without a blemish before Him." That you may not then, when you hear that "He hath chosen us," imagine that faith alone is sufficient, he proceeds to add life and conduct. To this end, saith he, hath He chosen us, and on this condition, "that we should be holy and without blemish." And so formerly he chose the Jews. On what terms? "This nation, saith he, hath He chosen from the rest of the nations." (Deut. xiv: 2.) Now if men in their choices choose what is best, much more doth God. And indeed the fact of their being chosen is at once a token of the loving kindness of God, and of their moral goodness. 3 For by all means would he have chosen those who were approved. He hath Himself rendered us holy, but then we must continue holy. A holy man is he who is a partaker of faith; a blameless man is he who leads an irreproachable life. It is not however simply holiness and irreproachableness that He requires, but that we should appear such "before Him." For there are holy and blameless characters, who yet are esteemed as such only by men those who are like whited sepulchres, and like such as wear sheep's clothing. It is not such, however, He requires, but such as the Prophet speaks of; "And according to the cleanness of my hands." (Ps. xviii: 24.) What cleanness? That which is so "in His eyesight." He requires that holiness on which the eye of God may look. Because Having thus spoken of the good works of these, he again recurs to His grace. "In love," saith he, having predestinated us.' this comes not of any pains, nor of any good works of ours, but of love; and yet not of love alone, but of our virtue also. For if indeed of [And an argument which can hardly be considered valid, based, as it is, on the literal and etymological meaning of a word in a passage where it is plainly used metaphorically and not literally. The word is καταβολή -G. A.] [Τεκμήριον καὶ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀρετῆς, a proposition which will strike a Protestant reader of any denomination with surprise, to say the least. Schaff says, "Chrysostom laid great stress on free will work of conversion. Cassian, the founder of Semi-Pelagianism, was and the co-operation of the human will with divine grace in the his pupil and appealed to his authority. We may say that in tendency and spirit he was a Catholic Semi-Pelagian or Synergist before Semi-Pelagianism was brought into a system." Prolegomena p. 20. Chrysostom's exposition of this passage is inaccurate, inconsistent, illogical and untenable. If He chose us in order that we should be holy how can holiness, or "moral goodness," as Chrysostom says, be an antecedent condition of His choosing us? See note on ch. ii: 10.-G. A.] love alone, it would follow that all must be saved; whereas again were it the result of our virtue alone, then were His coming needless, and the whole dispensation. But it is the result neither of His love alone, nor yet of our virtue, but of both. "He chose us,' ," saith the Apostle; and He that chooseth, knoweth what it is that He chooseth. "In love," he adds, "having foreordained us; " for virtue would never have saved any one, had there not been love. For tell me, what would Paul have profited, how would he have exhibited what he has exhibited, if God had not both called him from the beginning, and, in that He loved him, drawn him to Himself? But besides, His vouchsafing us so great privileges, was the effect of His love, not of our virtue. Because our being rendered virtuous, and believing, and coming nigh unto Him, even this again was the work of Him that called us Himself, and yet, notwithstanding, it is ours also. But that on our coming nigh unto Him, He should vouchsafe us so high privileges, as to bring us at once from a state of enmity, to the adoption of children, this is indeed the work of a really transcendent love. Ver. 4, 5: "In love," saith he, "having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself.” Do you observe how that nothing is done without Christ? Nothing without the Father? The one hath predestinated, the other hath brought us near. And these words he adds by way of heightening the things which have been done, in the same way as he says also elsewhere, "And not only so, but we also rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. v: 11.) For great indeed are the blessings bestowed, yet are they made far greater in being bestowed through Christ; because He sent not any servant, though it was to servants He sent, but the Only-begotten Son Himself. Ver. 5. According to the good pleasure," he continues, "of His will." That is to say, because He earnestly willed it. This is, as one might say, His earnest desire. For the word "good pleasure" every where means the precedent will, for there is also another will. As for example, the first will is that sinners should not perish; the second will is, that, if men become wicked, they shall perish. For surely it is not by necessity that He punishes them, but because He wills it. You may see something of the sort even in the words of Paul. where he says, "I would that all men were even as I myself." (1 Cor. vii: 7.) And [These words, év ȧyány, are in the Revised Version and in the text of Westcott and Hort joined with what precedes, ayiovs kai ȧμwμovs. So also Alford. Meyer and Ellicott, however, are in accord with Chrysostom and probably right in joining ev ayánŋ with poopiaras, following.-G. A.] [The good pleasure of His will means. "God's free self-determination, independent of all human desert, as regulative of the #роopise."-Meyer.-G. A.] again, "I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children." (1 Tim. v: 14.) By "good pleasure" then he means the first will, the earnest will, the will accompanied with earnest desire, as in case of us, for I shall not refuse to employ even a somewhat familiar expression, in order to speak with clearness to the simpler sort; for thus we ourselves, to express the intentness of the will, speak of acting according to our resolve. What he means to say then is this, God earnestly aims at, earnestly desires, our salvation. Wherefore then is it that He so loveth us, whence hath He such affection? It is of His goodness alone. grace itself is the fruit of goodness. And for this cause, he saith, hath He predestinated us to the adoption of children; this being His will, and the object of His earnest wish, that the glory of His grace may be displayed. According to the good pleasure of His will," he proceeds, 66 Ver. 6. "To the praise of the glory of His grace,3 which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." That the glory of His grace may be displayed, he saith, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Now then if for this He hath shown grace to us, to the praise of the glory of His grace, and that He may display His grace, let us abide therein. "To the praise of His glory." What is this? that who should praise Him? that who should glorify Him? that we, that Angels, that Archangels, yea, or the whole creation? And what were that? Nothing. The Divine nature knoweth no want. And wherefore then would He have us praise and glorify Him? It is that our love towards Him may be kindled more fervently within us. He desireth nothing we can render; not our service, not our praise, nor any thing else, nothing but our salvation; this is His object in every thing He does. And he who praises and marvels at the grace displayed towards himself will thus be more devoted and more earnest. "Which He freely bestowed on us," he saith. He does not say, "Which He hath graciously given us," (¿zapioaro) but, “wherein He hath shown grace to us." (yupitwoer) That is to say, He hath not only released us from our sins, but hath also made us meet objects of His love. It is as though one were to take a leper, wasted by distemper, and disease, by age, and poverty, and famine, and were to turn him all at once into a graceful youth, surpassing all mankind in beauty, shedding a bright lustre from his cheeks, and eclipsing the ["As love was the motive for the divine predestination, so is the glorifying of the divine love, here designated grace,' its divinely conceived ultimate aim."-Meyer.-G. A.] ["The word does not here mean to make love worthy,' as Chrys., referring to inherent righteousness, but to grant grace,' just as ver. 7 sets forth simply the work of pardoning grace.' Meyer.-G. A.] ! sun-beams with the glances of his eyes; and then were to set him in the very flower of his age, and after that array him in purple and a diadem and all the attire of royalty. It is thus that God hath arrayed and adorned this soul of ours, and clothed it with beauty, and rendered it an object of His delight and love. Such a soul Angels desire to look into, yea, Archangels, and all the holy ones. Such grace hath He shed over us, so dear hath He rendered us to Himself. "The King," saith the Psalmist, "shall greatly desire thy beauty." (Ps. xlv: II.) Think what injurious words we uttered heretofore, and look, what gracious words we utter now. Wealth has no longer charms for us, nor the things that are here below, but only heavenly things, the things that are in the heavens. When a child has outward beauty, and has besides a pervading grace in all its sayings, do we not call it a beautiful child? Such as this are the faithful. Look, what words the initiated utter! What can be more beautiful than that mouth that breathes those wondrous words, and with a pure heart and pure lips, and beaming with cheerful confidence, partaketh of such a mystical table? What more beautiful than the words, with which we renounce the service of the Devil, and enlist in the service of Christ? than both that confession which is before the Baptismal laver,' and that which is after it? Let us reflect as many of us as have defiled our Baptism, and weep that we may be able again to repair it. Ver. 6. In the Beloved," he saith, whom we have3 our redemption through Blood."4 "in down from greater things to lesser, no rather, he was heightening it, and raising it from the lesser to the greater. For nothing is so great as that the blood of this Son should be shed for us. Greater this than both the adoption, and all the other gifts of grace, that He spared not even the Son. For great indeed is the forgiveness of sins, yet this is the far greater thing, that it should be done by the Lord's blood. For that this is far greater than all, look how here again he exclaims, Ver. 7, 8. "According to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us.” The abovementioned gifts are riches, yet is this far more so. "Which,"saith he, "He made to abound toward us." They are both "riches" and "they have abounded," that is to say, were poured forth in ineffable measure. It is not possible to represent in words what blessings we have in fact experienced. For riches indeed they are, abounding riches, and He hath given in abundance riches not of man but of God, so that on all hands it is impossible that they should be expressed. And to show us how He gave it to such abundance, he adds, Ver. 8, 9. "In all wisdom and prudence", having made known unto us the mystery of His will." That is to say, Making us wise and prudent, in that which is true wisdom, and that which is true prudence. Strange! what friendship! For He telleth us His secrets; the mysteries, saith he, of His will, as if one should say, He hath made known to us the things that are in His heart. For here is indeed the mystery which is His full of all wisdom and prudence. For what will you mention equal to this wisdom! Those mar-that were worth nothing, it hath discovered a way of raising them to wealth and abundance. What can equal this wise contrivance? He that was an enemy, he that was hated, he is in a moment lifted up on high. And not this only, -but, yet more, that it should be done at this particular time, this again was the work of wisdom; and that it should be done by means of the Cross. It were matter of long discourse here to point out, how all this was the work of wisdom, and how He had made us wise. And therefore he repeats again the words, And how is this? Not only is there this vel, that He hath given His Son, but yet further that He hath given Him in such a way, as that the Beloved One Himself should be slain! Yea, and more transcendent still! He hath given the Beloved for them that were hated. See, how high a price he sets upon us. If, when we hated Him and were enemies, He gave the Beloved, what will He not do now, when we are reconciled by Him through grace? Ver. 7. "The forgiveness," saith he, "of our trespasses." Again he descends from high to low: first speaking of adoption, and sanctification, and blamelessness, and then of the Passion, and in this not lowering his discourse and bringing it 'Different usages were observed as regards the Baptismal Confession. In all cases there was one before Baptism. In some places it was made three times; and in some it was written after it was spoken. vid. Bingham Antique, xi. 7. &c. 2 ["The designation of Christ by ò nyanηuévos makes us feel the greatness of the divine grace."-Meyer.-G. A.] ["More precise elucidation of what has been said, on the basis of experience (exouev). "Meyer.-G. A.] Through His Blood' is a more precise definition of the preceding ev q'in whom."'-Meyer. "We have redemption not in His work without His Person but in His Person which with His work is a living unity."-Olshausen in Lange.-G. A.] "According to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him."7 That is to say, this He desired, this He tra ་ ["In all wisdom and prudence' is not to be joined, as Chrysostom does, with having made known' (yvwpioas), because it would thus denote the attribute of God operative in the yvwpileiv, which on account of the wáon, 'every,' is not admissible. Paul in making known the mystery had to set forth not the display of Hence some definition to the grace in itself but as revealed.' clause, which he made to abound toward us,' is necessary and this is the 'in all wisdom and prudence.'"-Meyer.-G. A.] ["According to His good pleasure' belongs to yvwpioas, stating that God has accomplished the making known in pursuance of His free self-determination, cf. ver. 5."-Meyer.-G. A.] ["Which He purposed in Him,' in itself redundant, serves for the attaching of that which follows."-Meyer. G. A.] |