EPHES. 4. 1.
THe Apostle in this Epistle, as for the most part in others, divideth his Discourse into two parts; The first whereof is didactical, informing and confirming in matters of Faith and Doctrine. The second is moral and practical, wholly tending to form us in a Christian and heavenly life. Now in the beginning of this Chapter, wherein my Text is the first verse, the Apostle betakes himself to an wholsome and savoury Exhortation, to live in the powerful expression of all the graces of Gods Spirit. And first, he layeth down his Exhortation in the general; and then instanceth in particulars.
The general Duty is my Text; wherein observe,
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The Duty it self, Walk worthy: To walk implieth the perpetual course and exercise of a mans life. He that steps now and then occasionally in such a path, is not said to walk in it: To be godly by fits, to have some pangs and sudden resolution; for what is good, and the[…] presently to let all vanish, is not to walk. To walk worthy; This is not worth of merit or congruity antecedent to Gods grace calling us. No, he plainly supposeth the grace of God hath called us already: and therefore, as it to be shewed, it denoteth only a worth of condecency and fitnesse that is subsequent to this holy calling, that all our thoughts, words and actions should be decent, and becoming such an heavenly call. Even as John bid them, Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, Luk. 3. 8. that is, fit and beseeming repentance.
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You have the object of this Duty, and that is The Vocation wherewith ye are called; by this he means, that outward favour of God calling them from their former ignorance and sins, to the profession of faith and obedience to the Gospel. They are not now what they were once; They must be other men; They must consider their heavenly dignity and condition. As Paul said, While he was a childe, he did all things as a childe; but when a man, he left those childish things, and did as a man: Thus it is here, when thou wast ignorant, prophane, and a stranger from God, thou didst as such do, but when called by God, then thou takest up more holy and divine resolutions.
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There is the argument to inforce it, and that is from the outward condition of him, that doth thus intreat them, A prisoner of the Lord; one that is in bonds and prison for the Lords sake. This he doth to excite their affections, for how well might they part with their lusts and unlawful pleasures, when he had parted with his liberty, and was ready to lose his life for the Lords sake! And see here the gracious disposition of Paul, who being now in prison and bonds, is not sollicitous about himself, doth not write about means to set himself at liberty; but all his care is, that these Ephesians might do nothing which should be a scandal to Christianity, a reproach to the Gospel, that all their life should be a praise and a glory to that calling God had called them with.
Observ. That it is the earnest and hearty desire of the faithful Ministers of the Gospel, that all Christians should live such a life, that is worthy and beseeming so excellent a Calling.
There are no sadder objects, then to see a prophane, a debaucht, an ungodly Christian; to see men professe Christ in words, and in works to deny him; For these things their souls mourn in secret. Because of this, they intreat, beseech and exhort without ceasing: See the like hot affection burning out in Paul to the Thessalonians, 2 Thess. 1. 11. VVe pray alwayes for you, that our God would count you worthy of his calling. We pray alwayes for you; This we never forget; This is alwaies in our heart, that ye may be a people becoming this glorious calling. And indeed its a most absurd and even loathsome sight, to see a man with the same mouth pray to God, yet to curse, swear and blaspheme; with the same body, to worship God in the Congregations, and to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Solomon hath two excellent sayings together, Prov. 26. v. 7. and v. 9. The first is, The legs of the lame are not equal, so is the parable in a fools mouth. A fool is the wicked man, and a parable is a grave, holy sentence: Now, saith he, as those that are lame and halt, they shew an uncomely inequality in their going, such a deformity there is in a wicked man, that yet hath holy truths in his mouth. The second is, As a thorn goeth up in the hand of a drunkard; so is a parable in the mouth of a fool. The drunkard he feeleth no smart, though a thorn run into his hand. Thus a wicked man, though the obligations of Christianity, and his Baptism be never so piercing and powerful to godlinesse, yet he feels no efficacy in them.
To open this Doctrine, consider,
First, What it is to walk worthy […] of this holy calling; and that implieth1 these things: