2. He instanceth in such graces as concern the second table, kind- ness, justice, and fidelity, as is usual in such cases. The world is most capable of knowing and approving these things, but they suppose higher graces ; for all our goodness, justice, and truth must come from love and obedience to God, and faith in Christ, as their true and proper principle, or else they are but moral virtues, not christian graces : Job j. 1, ' There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evil.' And Joseph of Arimathea was a good man and a just man, ' who also himself waited for the kingdom of God,' Luke xxiii. 50. When they are accompanied with these higher graces, then these things are good. Sometimes tlie new creature is described by the state of the heart, as it standeth affected to God and the world to come ; so other graces, as fruits of the Spirit, are mentioned : 2 Tim. i. 7, ' For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' Sometimes the Spirit is spoken of as it fitteth us and frameth us ibr our duly to man, as here in the text. There is not a more benign thing, that doth more fit us to live peaceably and usefully in human society,than the gospel spirit ; and the world looketh to these things, and chooseth these things.
3. These are spoken of as in combination. We must not so follow after one as to neglect the other. Goodness must not make us neglect justice, nor justice, goodness; and in the acts of both we must be sin- cere and true. Some divide these things : Rom. v. 7, ' For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die ;' for one really performing what he pretends to do. Our duty to our neighbour is either negative, not wronging them ; or positive, promoting their good. Justice bindeth our hands, and keepeth us from doing hurt to our neighbour, but goodness inclineth us to seek their good by all ways possible. And truth commendeth both. Right- eousness keepeth us from the wrong that is done them by open violence.
VkU. 9.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 259
and truth keepetli us from tlie wrong that may be done tliem by fraud and deceit. Goodness inclineth to seek our neighbour's good and bene- fit, and truth bindeth us to seek it sincerely, not in word and tongue only, but in deed and in truth : 1 John iii. 18, ' My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.'
4. I observe that there is a note of universality joined to the word goodness, ' All goodness,' to show this is of chief regard, and that we must not be good in one sort or kind only, but ' fruitful in every good work,' Col. i. 10. A christian should be made up of goodness ; his very constitution and trade must be goodness.
5. I observe that these are called fruit, not only by a Hebraism, who are wont to express the works of a man by the term ' fruit ; ' for man is, or should be a tree of righteousness ; but there is a distinction : Gal. V. 19, 22, now the 'works of the flesh' are manifest, but ' the fruit of the Spirit;' so also here compare the text with ver. 11, 'Unfruitful works of darkness.' But why is it called ' fruit ? ' Partly to show it is the native and genuine product of the Spirit in our hearts, as fruit groweth on a tree ; and partly to show that sin is an unprofitable drudgery, but holiness is fruit. There is toil, here benefit : Eom. vi. 21, 22, ' What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin, and become the servants of God, ye have your fruit imto holiness, and the end everlasting life.' There is no fruit in sin ; the work is drudgery, and the reward is death ; but holiness is fruit, for it is the way to eternal life.
6. All these graces, and duties consequent, are fruits of the Spirit. The Vulgar read lucis ; some Greek copies, tov (^coto? ; most, rov TTvev/xaro';. The Holy Ghost produceth this fruit in us ; he worketh and dwelleth in the hearts of all those who are light in the Lord.
7. He speaketh of habits, not of acts : ' Walking as children of the light,' relateth more to the acts or exercise of the grace which we have received ; but here the apostle speaketh of goodness rather than good, works, of justice rather than just works. The habits give facility and easiness to all acts. When the soul is thus constituted, it is hard to do otherwise. So in opposition to the ' Works of darkness ' there is ' Putting on the armour of light,' Rom. xiii. 12. The habit is opposed to the act, because the work will follow, when once the heart is framed and fitted for these things.