Vers.11-13.-Separation and rebuke the true attitude toward works of darknus. The apostle thus describes the duty of Christians in reference to evil works. L 'l'HE CHARACTER OF THESE WOBKB. "Unfruitful works of darkness." They spring out of darkness, they del~ht in darkness, they lead to darkness eternal. They are not naturally unfruitful, for they are fearfully prolific of result, but, in the light of . God they are fruitless, because most unlike to the fruits of light, which are goodness, :ri,!!;hteonsness, and trntb. '!'hey have " no fruit unto holiness," with an end of eternal life (Rom. vi 22). II. THE DUTY OF 6EPAB.ATION FBOM THEIL This is a negative security. Christians are to stand apart from erery evil work. There must. be no fellowship with darkness. The friendship of the world can only be purchased at the cost of the Father's friendship (J2..S. iv. 4). III. 'IHB DUTY OF BKBUXING WORKS OF DARKNESS, This is to be done with the new of producing a con.scion.mess ~f guilt and evil_ The Chris_ti~n attitude ~ust be aggressive toward all the forms of sm. The rebuke IS to be adrmmstered (1) mth the li~, using all plainness, yet with prudence and meekness, so as to win Gentiles to the truth; (2) with our lives, which, by the~ hol:f ~eparateness, ou_ght to demonstrate the folly and sin of the world. A holy man IS a V1s1ble reproof of sm. IV. THE REASON FOB THIS ATTITUDE Oi' SEPARATION AND REBUKE. The heinousness .of the sins and the necessity of making them manifest to the sinner's conscience. 1. The sins are (1) done in secret, (2) and they are too shameful/or mention. Such sins would naturally shun the light of day, for "every one that doeth evil bateth the light" (John iii. 20), and could not be committed to language without risk of defilement to others. 2. Yet they are not beyond cwre. The light of Divine truth must be let fall iupon them., that they may be corrected. "All things that are reproved are made mani- '.fest by the light." There is a necessary connection in Scripture between truth and holiness, and the truth must first be applied to the ignorant and the wicked, that it may m~kg way for the sanctifying agency of the Spirit. 'l'he sun-glass of truth held IJII, V, 1-33.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.
in the hnnd of the rebuker will concentrate the light from heaven upon the conscience of the sinner so that he will sea it full of all nameless lusts, and that very light will kindle a fire to consume them, unless the sinner, loving darkness, should turn a.way from the unwelcome light. 'l'herefore let Christians remember the duty of pious and prudent reproof, which may not only put sin to shame, if not to silence, but lead the sinner from darkness to light, from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God's dear Son.-T. C. Ver. 14.-7%e trumpet-call of the gospel. Since it is light that manifests, there must be a rousing voice to awake the sleeper, that the light of life may be poured fully upon him. I. THE PERSON ADDRESSED. "Thou that sleepest." Sleep is an apt figure to describe the sinner. 1. He lives in an unreal worl,d,full of dreams and fancies, q.,ite unconscious of the real world around him. The sinner dreams of safety and peace. He is carnally secure (Rom .. xiii. 10; 1 Thess. v. 6). He may even walk in his sleep. 2. Be is wholly unprotected against danger. If he knew of his danger, he would not be asleep. He needs, therefore, t-0 be roused. 3. His work is wholly suspended. So long as the sinner sleeps in spiritual death he does no good, he gets no good, he cares for nothing. The figure of the text is, therefore, very expressive. II. THE COMM.AND ADDRESSED TO THE SLEEPER. "Awake . . . and arise from the dead." 'l'he first thing is to open the eyes; but we are not to suppose that the sinner bas any power of himself to open them, any more than the man with the withered hand had· power to stretch it forth before Christ said, "Stretch forth thine hand." It is the light which Christ is to shed upon the sleeper that will awake him. Just as the sun in the natural heavens, shining upon the eye of a sleeper, awakes him, so the beams of the Sun of righteousness end the sleep of death. 1. 'l'he cry, "Awake ! " is the voice of love. A mother's love will lull her child to sleep, but if the house is on fire, it will take another turn, and startle the child from it~ slumbers. 2. The cry," Awake I" is tbo voice of wisdom. 'l'he sinner loses much by sleeping. The thief pilfers by night. Tbo tare-sower goes forth in darkness to sow his seed. lf you sleep on till death, you loso everything. 3. The cry is a voice of command. Who commands? It is he who redeemed you with his precious blood. 4. It is a voice you have often heard-in sermons, in sickness, in sorrows, in calamities. III. THE PROMISE TO: THE SLEEPER. "And Christ shall give thee light." The light that comes from Christ can reach even the dead: "The hour is coming, o.nd now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall !iv " (John v. 25). The dead are not quickened before they hear his voice, but bis voico causes them to hear and live. Christ will give you light to carry you out of the society of the dead into the companionship of the children of light, because it has already introduced you into the fellowship of the Father and the Son. "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put ou the armour of light."-T. C. Vers. 15, 16.-The circumspect walk. I. !TB NEOESBITY. The duty of reproof involved the necessity of circumspection in those who were bound to administer it. It may be a small thing to Christians" to be judii;ed of man's judgment" (1 Cor. iv. 3), yet they cannot afford to disregard the force of public opinion. They ought to "have a good report of them which are without" (1 Tim. iii. 7). It is evidently with referer:ce to onlookers that the counsel of the apostle is given: "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time" (Col. iv. 5). When we consider the number of our enemies, the inconstancy of our minds, the strictness of the Divine requirements, and the jealousy our Divine Master cherishes over his people, it is impossible to walk. acceptably unless we walk circumspectly. II. THE NATURE OF Tms WALK. We are to "walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." 1. We are to have knowledge of the true way (Jer. vi. 16; Matt. vii. 14), not as the fool, who misses the path. 2. We are to follow the light that falls upon our path, not like the fool, who turns aside to darkness, only to stumble in it (Prov. iv. 27). 3. We are to fore&ee the dangers of the way and provide against them, not like "the simple, who pass on and are punished" (Prov. xxii. 3). 4. We are to h(tve the Lord for our Companion by the way, like "Enoch, who walked with God" (Gen. v. 22). 'l'he THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [cu. v. 1-33,