3. _In Him we enjoy the unity and grandeur of the heavenly inheritance._--"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, . . . in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, . . . that we should be to the praise of His glory" (vers. 10-12). The fulness of times must refer to the Gospel age and the glorious ages to follow, in which the accomplishment of the Divine purpose will become more apparent. That purpose is to heal up the estrangement of man from God, and to restore moral harmony to the universe, which has been disordered by the introduction of sin. The great agent in the unifying and harmonising of all things is Christ, who is the centre and circumference of all. The angels who never sinned, and the saints who are made such by redeeming mercy, will share together the inheritance of bliss provided by the suffering and triumphant Christ. "One final glory will consist, not in the restoration of the solitary soul to solitary communion with God, but in the fellowship of all the blessed with the blessedness of the universe as well as with the blessedness of God." +III. The Gospel of grace is confirmed and realised by the operation of the Holy Spirit.+--1. _By Him we hear and understand the Word of truth._ "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" (ver. 13). The Gospel is emphatically the Word of truth; it is reliable history, not romance--a revelation of truths essential to salvation. It is the function of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the mind by the instrumentality of the truth, to apply the Word to the conscience, and to regenerate the heart. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto us, and the vision leads on to a spiritual transformation. 2. _By Him we are sealed as an earnest of possessing the full inheritance of blessing._--"Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance" (vers. 13, 14). The work of the Spirit broke down all class distinctions. The Jewish Christians discovered that the exclusive privileges of their race had passed away. All believers in Christ Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile, received the assurance of the Spirit that all the prerogatives and blessings of God's eternal kingdom were theirs. The seal of the Spirit is the Divine attestation to the believing soul of its admission into the favour of God, and the guarantee of ultimately entering into the full possession and enjoyment of the heavenly inheritance. +Lessons.+--1. _The Gospel of grace is the harmonious work of the blessed Trinity._ 2. _The grace of the Gospel is realized by faith._ 3. _Praise for the gift of the Gospel should be continually offered to the Triune God._ _GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._