Ephesians 5

God does love his people on earth, when they are black as well as comely; they have their [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] imperfections. O how entirely will he love them, when they are without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). 1. This is the felicity of heaven, to be in the sweet em…

At death the souls of believers recover their virgin purity. O what a blessed privilege is this, to be sine macula and ruga, without spot and wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). To be purer than the sunbeams, to be as free from sin as the angels.

2. Others make money their god. The covetous man worships the image of gold, therefore is called an idolater (Ephesians 5:5); that which a man trusts to, he makes his god, but he makes the wedge of gold his hope. He makes money his Creator, Redeemer, Comforter.

Christ taking our flesh, has made us nearer to himself than the angels. The angels are his friends, believers are flesh of his flesh; his members (Ephesians 5:30; Ephesians 1:23). And the same glory which is put upon Christ's human nature, shall be put upon believers.

Resp. 1. From sin; he calls them from their ignorance and unbelief (1 Peter 1:14). By nature the understanding is enveloped with darkness, God calls men from darkness to light (Ephesians 5:8), as if one should be called out of a dungeon to behold the light of the sun. 2. From da…

God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit: it is not pomp of worship but purity which God accepts. Repentance is not in the outward severities used to the body — penance, fasting, and chastising the body — but it consists in the sacrifice of a broken heart; thanksgiving…

4. The fourth argument is taken, Ab Unione cum Christo, from believers' union with Christ. They are knit to Christ, as the members to the head by the nerve and ligament of faith, so that they cannot be broken off (Ephesians 5:23). What was once said of Christ's natural body, is…

Fulgens hoc aurum praestringit oculos, Var. Hence it is the covetous man is called an idolater (Ephesians 5:5). Why so?

10. Serpents are great lovers of wine. Pliny, who writes of Natural History, says, if serpents come where wine is, they drink insatiably: In this be not like the serpent; though the Scripture allows the use of wine (1 Timothy 5:23), yet it forbids the excess (Ephesians 5:18): Be…

2. If God be our Father let us imitate him: The child does not only bear his Father's image, but does imitate him in his speech, gesture, behavior; if God be our Father let us imitate him; [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], Gr. Nyssen. Be followers of God as dear children (Ephesians 5…

As original corruption has depraved all the faculties, the whole head is sick, the whole heart faint, no part sound, as if the whole mass of blood were corrupted; so Sanctification goes over the whole soul. After the Fall there was ignorance in the mind; now in Sanctification we…

The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. They are your own flesh; and as the apostle says, No man yet ever hated his own flesh (Ephesians 5:29). The parent's bountifulness will cause dutifulness in the child.

It is not enough that we cease to do evil (which is all the evidence some have to show) — this is to lose heaven by short shooting; but we must be inwardly sanctified. Not only the unclean spirit must go out, but we must be filled with the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 5:18). This holin…

The first miracle he wrought was at a marriage, when he turned the water into wine. Marriage is a type and resemblance of the mystical union between Christ and his Church (Ephesians 5:32). Concerning marriage,

2. Covetousness precipitates men to ruin: it shuts them out of heaven. (Ephesians 5:5) This you know, that no covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. What should a covetous man do in heaven?

No question a Christian may make such a vow, because the ground of it is morally good, he vows nothing but what he is bound to do by virtue of his baptismal vow, namely to walk with God more closely, and to pursue heaven more vigorously. 7. If you would obtain the kingdom embrac…

At that day it will be true indeed, that God sees no sin in his children. They shall be as pure as the angels, then the church shall be presented without wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). She shall be as free from stain as guilt, then Satan shall no more accuse, Christ will show the deb…

As, 1. That he offered himself a sacrifice to God, to make atonement for our sins, and that in his death and sufferings (Isaiah 53:10): "When you shall make his soul an offering for sin" (John 1:29): "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (Ephesians 5:2):…

Quest. 17. Which are the principal institutions of the Gospel to be observed in the worship of God? Answ. (1.) The calling, gathering and setling of Churches with their Officers, as the seat and subject of all other solemn instituted worship. (2.) Prayer with thanksgiving. (3.)…

Q. Who then were redeemed by Christ? A. He gave himself for none others but only for his Church (Ephesians 5:25; Acts 20:28; John 10:15; 11:52). Q. What is meant by the Church in the holy Scriptures?

First, he is said to have no light. Light, says the apostle (Ephesians 5:13), is that whereby things are made manifest — that is, to the sense of sight, to which light properly belongs. And as light and faith are here severed, as you see; so sight also is in 2 Corinthians 5:7 di…

Time is so good a thing, it cannot be spent well enough. But have you misspent time (that is to abuse it) Take Saint Paul's counsel, Ephesians 5:16. Redeem the time: that is, seeing what is past cannot be recalled; then recompense the loss of it, by the well bestowing of time to…

Here we may see a notable resemblance of God's manner of blessing us: When we look for a blessing at God's hand, we must not come in our own garments, in the rotten rags of our own righteousness; but we must put on Christ's garment, the long white robe of his righteousness. And…

1. The first is prayer, which the Spirit of Christ forms in the heart of a believer, whereby he lays open all his spiritual and temporal wants to God his Father, in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ, through whom he has received a promise to be heard, and to have his reques…

Nor can any thing be more mysteriously glorious, than the furniture of his person as Mediator, with all fullness of power, wisdom and grace for the accomplishment of his work (John 1:16; Colossians 1:18, 19; Chapter 2:9; Philippians 2:5, 6, 7, 8, 9). The work that he wrought in…

And such an High Priest became us. For whereas it was his design and work to sanctify and cleanse his Church, until it have neither spot nor wrinkle, but be holy and without blemish, as it was (Ephesians 5:25, 26): how had he been meet to attempt or effect this work, had not he…

1. The unspeakable love of Christ in offering himself and his own blood for us. See (Galatians 2:20; Revelation 1:5; 1 John 3:16; Ephesians 5:26, 27). There being no other way whereby our sins might be purged and expiated (chap. 10:5, 6, 7), out of his infinite love and grace he…

(2) All spiritual and eternal grace, mercy, blessings, whereof the souls of men are made partakers by the mediation and sacrifice of Christ, are heavenly things, and are constantly so called (Hebrews 3:1; Ephesians 1:3; John 3:12; Ephesians 2:6). (3) The Church itself and its wo…

He will at the end of all present his whole Church to God, with the whole work of his love and grace accomplished towards them. He first so presents it to himself and then to God (Ephesians 5:26, 27). Now he presents them as the portion given to him of God out of fallen mankind…

Most frequently it is expressed by his offering of himself; the sacrifice he offered of himself. For as the virtue of his offering depends principally on the dignity of his Person, so his humane soul, his mind, will and affections, with the fullness of the graces of the Spirit r…

They proceed from death spiritual, and end in death eternal. On the same account are they called unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11). They proceed from a principle of spiritual darkness, and end in darkness everlasting.

For had it not been so, the human nature of Christ had not been immediately exalted into the highest glory that it was capable of. See (Ephesians 5:1, 2; Philippians 2:7, 8, 9). (2.) That he had by his offering perfectly expiated the sin of the world, so as that there was no nee…

Secondly, as it is sprinkled, it worketh the second part of this effect. And this sprinkling of the Blood of Christ, is the communication of its sanctifying virtue to our souls, see (Ephesians 5:26, 27; Titus 2:14); so does the Blood of Christ the Son of God cleanse us from all…

But this principally typified his prayers, when he offered himself to God through the Eternal Spirit, which he did with strong cries and supplications or intercessions (Hebrews 5:7). Hereby, and the actings of the Eternal Spirit therein, he kindled and fired in himself a sacrifi…

He made his soul an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10), which was typified by the life that was in the blood of the sacrifice. Therefore it is said, that he offered himself to God (Hebrews 9:14; Ephesians 5:2), that is, his whole entire humane nature, soul and body, in their substa…

They are meet for God and tend to his glory in that they express and manifest the efficacy of the mediation of the Lord Christ in the obedience of his life, and the sacrifice of his death. These he aimed at in them (Titus 2:14; Ephesians 5:25, 26, 27). It is in Jesus Christ that…

First it brings forth, [in non-Latin alphabet], thorns and briars: see the opening of the words before. In general, I doubt not but all sorts of sins are hereby intended, all unfruitful works of righteousness (Romans 6:21; Ephesians 5:11). And the principal reason why they are h…

There is secret drunkenness, and secret uncleanness, and secret neglects of duties, and closet work: now when persons live in secret sins, they do really though not manifestly cast off the yoke and government of Christ. Ephesians 5:12: it is a shame to speak what some do in secr…

5. This word, Your God, imports yet a nearer relation, the relation between the Head and the Members. There is a Mystical union between Christ and the Saints: He is called The Head of the Church, Ephesians 5.23. Does not the Head consult for the good of the Body?

and therefore we must not undertake anything but that which may be a work of some good duty to God; to which end the apostle says, "Awake you that sleep, and stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give you life (Ephesians 5:14)." If this will not move us, yet let the judgments…

What is required in particular, that any of them may be meet to be joined to such a Church, we shall afterwards enquire. 7. It is generally said, that out of the Church there is no salvation; and the truth hereof is testified to in the Scriptures (Acts 2:47; 1 Peter 3:20, 21; Ma…

4. God calls them vessels of honor (2 Timothy 2:21). Though they are earthen vessels, yet they have heavenly treasure in them; they are filled with the wine of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Though they are scoured with affliction, yet it is to make them brighter (Daniel 12:10).

We all come into the world polluted with the stain of sin, which is purged and done away by degrees, and at death wholly, and never before. When Christ comes to bring us to God as the fruits of his purchase, then we are without spot and blemish (Ephesians 5:26). The Papists cavi…

Objection. Remission of sins, regeneration, and salvation is ascribed to the sacrament of baptism in Acts 22:16, Ephesians 5, Galatians 3:27, and Titus 3:5. Answer: Salvation and remission of sins is ascribed to baptism and the Lord's Supper as to the word, which is the power of…

This use is threefold: in respect of God, of man, and of ourselves. Works are to be done in respect of God: that his commandments may be obeyed — 1 John 5:12; that his will may be done — 1 Thessalonians 4:3; that we may show ourselves to be obedient children to God our Father —…

Thus heartily did they censure and threaten him for no other crime but this, that he did his duty, and obeyed God's command, and would have made them as happy as himself. So it is a plain command of God, that Christians should walk circumspectly (Ephesians 5:15) — exactly, waril…

They were therefore fit resemblances to shadow out that heavenly music, and inward melody of the joys and graces of God's Spirit in the hearts of his people. The Apostle therefore exhorts us to sing, but instead of musical instruments, he requires the melody of the heart (Ephesi…

They shall have protection from him as they are his jewels, and compassion from him as they are his sons. The Church is Christ's flesh, as dear to him as our flesh is to us; as much his as our flesh is ours (Ephesians 5:29). No man hates his own flesh, but nourishes it, as Chris…

Though others are licentious and exorbitant, (being carried to hell with wind and tyde) yet let us keep our garments pure, and preserve the Virginity of our Consciences; let us labour to reform our selves, and mourn for what we cannot reform in others. Let us walk accurately and…

Is it not those Scriptures that makes every man a pastor, or teacher, or ruler to a people, unless they call him to that office; and then in so doing they covenant and engage themselves to be subject to him in the Lord, and then those Scriptures take hold on them. One might as w…