TEXT. 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. PARAPHRASE. 15 righteousness; And your feet shod with a readiness to walk in the way of the Gospel of peace, which you have well studied 16 and considered. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherein you may receive, and so render ineffectual all the fiery darts 17 of the wicked one, i. e. the devil. Take also the hopes of salvation for an helmet; and the sword of the Spirit, which 18 is the word of God: Praying, at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, attending and watching hereunto, with all perseverance, and supplication, for all the 19 saints; And for me, in particular, that I may, with freedom and plainness of speech, preach the word, to the manifesting and laying open that part of the Gospel that concerns the calling of the Gentiles, which has hitherto, as a mystery, lain 20 concealed, and not been at all understood. But I, as an ambassador, am sent to make known to the world, and am now in prison, upon that very account: but let your prayers be, that, in the discharge of this my commission, I may speak plainly and boldly, as an ambassador from God ought to speak. NOTE. 17 In this foregoing allegory, St. Paul providing armour for his Christian soldier, to arm him at all points, there is no need curiously to explain, wherein the peculiar correspondence between those virtues and those pieces of armour consisted, it being plain enough what the apostle means, and wherewith he would have believers be armed for their warfare. SECTION XII. CHAPTER VI. 21-24. EPILOGUS. TEXT. 21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things : 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love, with faith, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, Amen. PARAPHRASE. 21 Tychicus, a beloved brother, and faithful minister of the Lord, in the work of the Gospel, shall acquaint you how matters stand with me, and how I do, and give you a parti22 cular account how all things stand here. I have sent him, on purpose, to you, that you might know the state of our affairs, 23 and that he might comfort your hearts. Peace be to the brethren, and love, with faith, from God the Father, and the 24 Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those that love our Lord Jesus Christ with sincerity a NOTE. 24 a 'Ev तαpoía, "in sincerity," so our translation; the Greek word signifies, "in incorruption." St. Paul closes all his epistles with this benediction, "grace be with you ;" but this here is so peculiar a way of expressing himself, that it may give us some reason to inquire what thoughts suggested it. It has been remarked more than once, that the main business of his epistle is that which fills his mind, and guides his pen, in his whole discourse. In this to the Ephesians he sets forth the Gospel, as a dispensation so much, in every thing, superior to the law; that it was to debase, corrupt, and destroy the Gospel, to join circumcision and the observance of the law, as necessary to it. Having writ this epistle to this end, he here in the close, having the same thought still upon his mind, pronounces favour on all those that love the Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption, i. e. without the mixing or joining any with him, in the work of our salvation, that may render the Gospel useless and ineffectual. For thus he says, Gal. v. 2,"If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." This I submit to the consideration of the judicious reader. VOL. VIII. G G INDEX TO THE EIGHTH VOLUME. N. B. Where letters are added to the numbers, they refer to Notes A. ABIDE in the same calling, how 33, C. i.) pages. 192, b. B. Baptism, how it obliges to holiness, C. 302, a. Baptized into one's name, what it means, 80, c. Calling upon Christ, the meaning |