16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

$9. EPH. iv. 17-24.

The Apostle in the Name, and by the Authority of Christ,
commands the Ephesians to renounce the Vices which pre-
vailed among the unconverted Gentiles, in the Foolishness
and Darkness of their Minds, who are alienated from the
Principles of true Religion, and have lost the Divine Life
in the Soul, by reason of their insensible Obstinacy; who,
being devoid of the Sense of Shame, had given themselves
over to the grossest Profligacy and Uncleanness-But
they who have heard and received the Doctrines of Chris-
tianity, are taught better Things-They are required
to put off the old Man, or the Unconverted, Natural, and
Animal Character, whose Actions are regulated by the
Lusts of the Flesh, and to be renewed in the general
Temper and Faculties of their Minds, to become new
Creatures, created again after the Image of God, in
Righteousness and true Holiness.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that
ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the va-
nity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

19 Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greedi

ness.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off, concerning the former conversation,
the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God
is created in righteousness and true holiness.

§ 10. EPH. iv. 25-30.

The Apostle exhorts those who are thus renewed to put off
the Sin of Lying and Prevarication, which was counte-
nanced by some of their Heathen Philosophers-He de-
sires them to consider themselves as one Body, and not to
let one Member deceive another-He cautions them against
Anger, more particularly against its continued Indul-

Rome.

gence, which excites Malice, and gives an opportunity to Rome:
the Devil to tempt to sin-He prohibits stealing, which
was partly permitted by the Rabbins, provided a Portion
was given to the Poor; and commands them to act ho-
nestly, and to labour, that they may have to give to him
that needeth-To abstain from all impure Conversation,
and to endeavour in their Discourse to minister Grace,
and to edify those with whom they conversed—not to
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, so as to banish him
from them, for by his influence on their Souls, they are
marked or sealed until the Day of Redemption from
eternal Death.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man
truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of
another.

26 Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye
are sealed unto the day of redemption.

§ 11.
EPH. iv. 31, to the end. v. 1-14.
The Apostle continues his practical Exhortations, and again
cautions them against those malignant Passions which
are likely to grieve or deprive them of the Holy Spirit
of God-He prohibits Anger in all its various Modifi-
cations, and solicits them to be kind and obliging to
each other, compassionate, forgiving Injuries, on their
Acknowledgment, as God through Christ has forgiven
them-To be imitators of God in these things, as his be-
loved Children, every act of their Life proceeding from
Love one to another for the sake of the exceeding Love of
Christ, who gave himself a Sin-offering and an atoning
Sacrifice to God for us-To make himself more explicit,
and to shew that the Love he recommended was pure and
benevolent, St. Paul immediately and forcibly prohibits
Fornication, and every kind of Uncleanness, (towhich the
unconverted Ephesians were particularly addicted,) with
every sort of Indelicacy either in Thought or Conversa-
tion, as being inconsistent with the Christian Character,
which requires the Language of Praise and Thanksgiv-
ing St. Paul warns the Ephesians not to be de-
ceived in these Matters by their Philosophers, who were

Julian Period, 4774. Vulgar Æra, 61.

the great Promoters of such abominable Practices-The Rome.
Divine Punishment will surely come upon them, therefore
they were not to be as formerly partakers with them-
While they were in Darkness they were Guilty of the same
Enormities; but now that they have attained to the Light
of the Gospel of Christ, they are required to act as Children
of the Light, in the Works of the Spirit, proving by their
Conduct what is acceptable to God-Having no Commu-
nion whatever with the Heathens in their Worship, but
reproving them for their Mysteries, which are performed
in Darkness and Secrecy, and which it is dishonourable
even to mention—All Works of Darkness have their ex-
ceeding Sinfulness made manifest by the Light-since
then the Gospel condemns and reveals to them the Ini-
quity of these secret Mysteries, the Gospel itself is
Light, which calls upon all who are in Darkness, to
awake and receive its Light.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and cla-
mour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all
malice :

32 And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them:

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light;

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

:

Julian Pe

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and Rome. riod, 4774. arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Vulgar Era,

61.

§ 12. EPH. V. 15-21.

The Apostle exhorts the Ephesians, as Children of Light,
to walk circumspectly according to the Rules and Doc-
trines of the Gospel, not after the Manner of the Gentiles,
who have no Wisdom; but as those who have been in-
structed in the true Wisdom, improving to the uttermost
their present Time, that they may regain in some Degree
that which was lost; because from the Trials and Perse-
cutions that surround them, both their Life and Liberty
are in Danger-In allusion to the Bacchanalian Myste-
ries, he commands them not to be unwise, or become as
Madmen, but have such right Knowledge of their Duty,
as may enable them to perform it; that they may not on
these Heathen Festivals be drunk with Wine, which leads
to dissoluteness, but if they would rejoice, let them be
filled with the Spirit of God; and instead of profane
and sinful Songs, let them join in spiritual Psalms and
Hymns, not only with their Lips but their Heart, giving
thanks to God under every Circumstance, through the
prevailing Name of Jesus Christ-In indifferent Matters,
let
every Man so submit, and yield his Opinion, that the
general Peace may not be disturbed; considering always
that God has commanded them to love one another.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools,
but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding
what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord:

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and
the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of
God.

§ 13. EPH. V. 22, to the end.

The Apostle, from speaking of the relative Submission of
Individuals to each other, proceeds to the further Illustra-
tion of their Duty, in the more intimate Connexions of
Life-He exhorts Wives to submit themselves, according
to the Ordinance of God, to their own Husbands, for
the Husband is the Head or Governor of the Wife, as
Christ is the Head or Governor of his Body the Church;

Julian Period, 4774. Vulgar Æra, 61.

and as Christ exercises Authority over the Church, for Rome.
its Safety and Protection, in like manner is the Husband
to provide for, and protect his Wife; and as the Church
is subject to Christ, so is the Wife required to yield Obe-
dience to her Husband-He exhorts Husbands to love
their Wives, as Christ loved his Spouse, the Church;
and to shew the devotedness of that Love, he enumerates
all that Christ has done and suffered for the Church,
that he might form it for himself, purified and perfect;
and then calls upon all Husbands so to love their Wives,
and to shew the same zealous Affection and Anxiety for
their spiritual Welfare, as Christ did for his Body the
Church-Then, in reference to our first Parents, he de-
clares, that the Wife, by Marriage being made one Flesh
with the Husband, was a natural Reason why she should
be loved and cherished by him, as the Lord nourishes his
Body the Church, of which Mankind are Members; and
as Adam's Marriage was a Figure of the eternal Union
of Christ with Believers, on whose Account he left his
Father; so in the same way shall a Man leave his Fa-
ther and Mother, and be inseparably united to his Wife-
The spiritual Union of Christ with his Church is a great
Mystery; but let every one, as Marriage is of Divine
Institution, love his Wife as a part of himself, and let
the Wife see that she considers her Husband as her Su-
perior and Head.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands,
as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of
the body.

24 Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so
let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the wash-
ing of water by the word;

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies: he that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and