Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-03-06

EPH. 3-l5. "Of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named"
"Of whom" i. e. of Jesus Christ,
@the whole family in heaven and earth
is named" The Apostle in the con-
text has been speaking of what he
calls a mystery, or secret of grace,
which in ages past had not been
"made known unto the sons of men"
but "is now revealed unto his holy
apostles and prophets by the spirit; )"
viz. "that the Gentiles should be fell
low heirs, and Of the same body, and
partakers of his promises in Christ
by the Gospel"
Under the previous dispensation
the Jew was separate from the Gen
tile by peculiar ordinances and pro-
misses. And in his exclusiheness he
had never dreamed that the fulness
of the dispensation of grace, the
blessings of the Messiah's kingdom,
would be conterreed also upon the
Gentiles, so that they should become
fellow heirs with himself unto the
inheritance of the saints. But, by
the providence of God, in the fitness
of time this mystery, or secret, became
fully known. Through the instru-
mentality Of the apostles and prophets,
inspired by the spirit, this wall of
separation was entirely broken down,
and the truth come out distinct and
clear, that God was the Father of
Gentle as we'll as Jew, "for the same
Lord over all is rich unto all that call
upon him" The purpose of grace
in Christ towards men had larger
application than to the Jews merely.
The work of Christ and his name
should become the great center of at
traction, the cherished object, not of
a race merely, but Of a common hu-
manity, the bond and blessing Of all
men.
And the great apostle loves to
dwell upon this theme. To the
Ephesians in this espitle he sets it
forth with great clearneSs and power.
In the first chapter he uses this Ian
guage, which seems to be the key of
the whole epistle, "having made
known to US the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which
he hath purposed in himself; that in
the dispensation of the fulness of
times he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; ; even
in him." And to the Philippians,
after speaking Of the humiliation of
Christ, he alludes to his exaltation
and the great end or purpose of his
work, wherefore God hath highly
exalted him, and given him name
which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth /;
and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father" All this is pc
culiarly in harmony with the express
sion OF the text, "of whom the whole
family in heaven and earth is named.
''The whole family" the great compa-
ny of Gods chosen, whether in heaven
or on earth, gathered out of every ma
ton and people and kindred" sis
named," called after Christ his Son.
The christian church is ideally
represented in che Bible under a vari
ETY. of figures or similitudes. 1t i;
called flock of which Christ is the
| shepherd; a vineyard or garden of
which Christ is the keeper; an empire
or kingdom Of which he is the sover
eign; an army of which he is th'
: great captain and leader; family OF
which he is the father and the head
All these similitudes are intense an(
appropriate, each setting forth Ger
tain essential and peculiar character
4 istics which the church presents. Blu
4 the last of these emblems, that of
/ family, employed in the text, possesse
a beauty and expressiyeness all it
S own.
: | have therefore chosen this tex
y because it seems to me peculiarly az
t propriate to an occasion like this
: The occasion itself suggests the theme
while the theme will unfold trut
which we are all too apt to forget
h and furnish both comfort in our sol
. row, and stimulus to duty. | tax
E this providence Of God, which call
a US here to-day, as believe it to be,
E solemn lesson to this church of whic
p the deceased was so long an activ
member. ask your attention the
f. while l endeavor to present befor
= you the christian church as a .famit.
and bring out from this beautiful S
II Multitude some of its important cha
4 acteristics.
4 I. The christian church IS a famil
' because 1t IS founded upon natural 4
e distinction from artificial atinities.-
e Much popular error exists upon tn
| point in the world, and even crud
# and false conceptions are found anon
n those protesting to be christians.
IN the world we have combinations G
men, and corporations, and league
for the furtherance of certain inte
ests and the protection of certa
a. rights. These are a necessity pc
le haps from the variety of tempor
interests which man has in society,"
st But none of these rests upon the bas
70 which we find supports the family
in These are incidental and artificial &
70 finities, while those of the family a