For through him we both have an access,
That is, both Jews and Gentiles; the Arabic version reads, "we
both factions": being made one, and reconciled unto God, and
having the Gospel of peace preached to both, they have through
Christ freedom of access and boldness in it:
by one Spirit unto the Father:
they may come to God as the Father of spirits, and of mercies,
who has made their souls or spirits, and bestowed his mercies on
them in great abundance; and as the Father of Christ, and as
their God and Father in Christ: and the rather they should
consider him in this relation to them, in order to command in
them a reverence and fear of him; to secure a freedom and liberty
in their approach to him; and to encourage an holy boldness, and
a fiducial confidence in him; and to teach them submission to his
will: and their access to him is "through" Christ, who has made
peace for them, and atonement for their sins; who has satisfied
law and justice, and brought in an everlasting righteousness for
them; so that there is nothing lies in their way to hinder them;
and besides, he takes them as it were by the hand, and leads them
into the presence of his Father, and presents their petitions for
them, on whose account they have both audience and acceptance
with God: and this access is also "by one Spirit"; the "Holy
Spirit", as the Ethiopic version reads; and who is necessary in
access to God, as a spirit of adoption, to enable and encourage
souls to go to God as a father; and as a spirit of supplication,
to teach both how to pray, and for what, as they should; and as a
free spirit to give them liberty to speak their minds freely, and
pour out their souls to God; and as a spirit of faith to engage
them to pray in faith, and with holy boldness, confidence, and
importunity; and he is said to be "one", both with respect to the
persons to and by whom access is had, the Father and Christ, for
he is the one and the same Spirit of the Father and of the Son;
and with respect to the persons who have this access, Jews and
Gentiles, who as they make up one body, are actuated and directed
by, and drink into one and the same Spirit: hence this access to
God is of a spiritual kind; it is a drawing nigh to God with the
heart, and a worshipping him in spirit; and is by faith, and may
be with freedom, and should be, with reverence, and ought to be
frequent; and is a peculiar privilege that belongs to the
children of God; and who have great honour bestowed upon them, to
have access to God at any time, as their Father, through Christ
the Mediator, and under the influence, and by the direction and
assistance of the Holy Spirit: this is a considerable proof of a
trinity of persons in the Godhead, of their deity and distinct
personality.