In whom all the building fitly framed together
This building is to be understood of all the saints, and people
of God; of the whole universal church, which is God's building;
and is a building of a spiritual nature, and will abide for ever:
and this is fitly framed together; it consists of various parts,
as a building does; some saints are comparable to beams, some to
rafters, others to pillars and these are joined and united to one
another, and are set in an exact symmetry and proportion, and in
a proper subserviency to each other; and so as to make for the
good, the strength, and beauty of the whole. And it all centres
in Christ; he has a great concern in this building; he is the
master builder, and the foundation and cornerstone; and it being
knit together in him,
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
it grows by an accession of new stones, or of souls called by
grace, and added to it; for this building is not yet openly and
visibly completed, as it will be; in order to which the ministry
of the word, and administration of ordinances are continued; and
this will be in the latter day, when the number of God's elect,
among Jews and Gentiles, shall be gathered in: and this growth
may be understood also of an increase of those, who are openly
laid in the building; of their spiritual growth into their head,
Christ; and of an, increase of grace in them; which the word and
ordinances are means of, under a divine blessing: and this
building grows unto an "holy temple", the Gospel church state,
called a "temple", in allusion to the temple at Jerusalem; whose
materials were stones made ready and hewn, before they were
brought thither; and whose magnificence, beauty, and glory, were
very great; and it was the place of public worship, and of the
divine abode, and was a very significant emblem of the church of
God; see ( 2
Corinthians 6:16 ) , which is an "holy" one, set apart for
holy uses, and internally sanctified by the Spirit of God; and
which is discovered by external holiness of life, and
conversation in the members of it: and this is said to be "in the
Lord"; which phrase may refer to the word "groweth", and denotes
that growth and increase, both of persons and grace, the church
has in, and from the Lord Jesus Christ; or to the word "holy",
and intimates, that the holiness of the church, and every member
of it, is also in and from the Lord; or to the word "temple",
which is built for him to dwell in.
