b Ye were sealed, &c. In allusion to the custom of merchants, marking their parcels of merchandize with seals, to distinguish them from the goods of others, Christ is said to have sealed or marked the Gentiles as the children of God, by bestowing on them the gifts of the Spirit.

c Which is the earnest, &c. Earnest is a small part of the price of a thing,

given as evidence, that the bargain is concluded, & as a pledge, that the whole price will be paid at the time agreed on,

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

CHAP. II.

1 What we were by nature, 5 and what we are by grace: 10 we are created for good

works.

AND you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course prince of the power of the air, of this world, according to the the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

a The prince of the power of the air, the chief of evil spirits.

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God;

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye b Through grace or the mere favoar of God, are ye saved.

ii. the Gentiles being saved. were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,c and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one,d & hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us ;e

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both f unto God in one body g by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby ;

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar

from the Jewish nation. c Being aliens, &c. Being alienated

d Who hath made both Jews & Gentiles one people of God.

e Hath broken down the middle wall us. Because of partition between the Jews were separated from all the nations, and made the people of Paul calls the law, the middle wall of God exclusively, by the law of Moses, separation, in allusion to the wall, which separated the court of Israel from the court of the Gentiles: and Jesus Christ by his death, having that is, having abolished the law of broken down the separating wall; Moses, hath united both Jews and Gentiles in one church.

f Both Jews and Gentiles. g In one body, in one church,

CHAP. III. The hidden mystery that the Gentiles should be saved. For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you

ward:

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery ;a (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowl edge in the mystery of Christ,)

and to put on

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

a Mystery of the Gentiles being admitted joint heirs with the Jews of the blessings of the Gospel without being obliged to observe the law of

Moses.

6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel :

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

11 According to the eter nal purpose which he purpos ed in Christ Jesus our Lord;

12 In whom we have bold. ness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

for

13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations which is your glory, 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

you,

15 Of whom the whole fam