Now therefore ye are no more strangers.
&c.] Alluding to the name (yrkn) , "a stranger", by which the Jews called the
Gentiles; meaning that they were not now strangers to God, to the
grace of God, the love of God, and communion with him, nor to the
throne of his grace; nor to Christ, to his person, his work and
office, to his righteousness, to his voice, and to believing in
him; nor to the Holy Spirit, as an enlightener, a comforter, the
spirit of adoption, and as a seal and earnest of future glory;
nor to their own hearts, the corruption and deceitfulness of
them; nor to the devices of Satan; nor to the covenant of grace,
its blessings and promises:
and foreigners:
in the commonwealth of Israel, in the church of God;
but fellow citizens with the saints:
the city they belong to is either the church below, which is the
city of God, of his building, and where he dwells, of which
Christ is the foundation, which is strongly fortified with the
walls and bulwarks of salvation, is delightfully situated by the
river of divine love, and is endowed with various privileges; or
heaven above, which is a city of God's preparing and building
also, and where he has his residence, and which is the habitation
of angels and saints; of this city in either sense saints are
citizens; such who are saints by separation, who are set apart by
the Father's grace, and by imputation, or through Christ's being
made sanctification to them, and by the regenerating grace of the
blessed Spirit; and these, as they have a right to a name and a
place in the church on earth, have also their citizenship in
heaven; and which they have not by birth, nor by purchase, but by
the free grace of God, which gives them both a right and a
meetness; and believing Gentiles are upon equal foot of grace and
privilege with believing Jews:
and of the household of God:
and which is sometimes called the household of faith, the church
of God consisting of believers, the family in heaven and in earth
named of Christ; in which family or household God is the Father,
Christ is the firstborn, ministers are stewards; and here are
saints of various growth and size, some fathers, some young men,
some children: and to this family all believers belong, whether
Gentiles or Jews; and which they come into, not by birth, nor by
merit, but by adopting grace; and happy are they that belong to
this city and house! they are freed from all servitude and
bondage; they can never be arrested, or come into condemnation;
they have liberty of access to God, and share in the fulness of
grace in Christ; they are well taken care of; they are richly
clothed, and have plenty of provisions; and will never be turned
out, and are heirs of a never fading inheritance.
