The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 246

identification with them-no thoughts, purposes, or feelin<rs alike. That, like Christ, they sre to he "S<'f':'rate from sinners." Morally detached"as tho lnmp from the dark- ness. "I have wntten unto you not to kPep company, if any man that is called a bn--ther be a fornicat~,r, or covet.ous, or an idolater, or a railer or a drunkard or o.n ert~rtioner: with such a one no not to eat" (1 Cor. v. 11). :, Wherefore co~e out from among them," etc. (2 Cor. vi. 14-18). 2. Reprehension. cc But rather reprove them." Rel;'ro•~ them by lip. In the n~e of purity and truth expose and denounce their =ckedness. Repro,e them by life. Let the life stand in such a 1rrond contrast to all that is sinful that it may be a standing rebuke. 3. fllumtnaticm. •• All things ~at are ~proved are made manifest by the ligh~" Hold forth the light of the gospel m the m1dst of a "crooked and perverse generation." 4. Resuscitation. "Awake t~on_ that sleepest, and arise from the dead." Thunder in the ear of the sleeper; :speak life mto the heart of the dead. There is living light for all in Christ. •" Christ shall give thee light." "He is the Light of the world." The idea of this verse seems to be that, if Christians will use all their efforts to convert men; they may expect Christ to shine upon them and bless them. The cc light" that comes, from him is a soul- qutckening light. "The hour is coming, and now is, when .the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they tha.t hear sha.11 live" (John v. 25). Elijah raised· the deed; so did the apostles. We, a.lso, in God's great Name, can raise the dead- dead souls. The ~nrrection of a soul is a far grander work than the resurrection of a body. Let us sound the blast of the gospel trumpet over moral cemeteries~ and the graves will open and dead souls come forth to life.-D. T. Vers. 15-21.---(2) Two UXJT"lds of one roee. " See then that ye wall;: circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but under.standing what the will of the Lord is. Alld be not drunk 'With wine, 'W"herein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit ; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, ~aing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; gi:ring thanks ahrays for all things unto God and the Father iu the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 61lbmitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.' All thffie ,erses must be brought in under the same headiug as the verses discussed in our preceding article, viz.-Two worlds of one race. These verses continue to indi- cate the duties pertaining to the world of Christian men. The duties' which we pre- viously discussed were separation, reprehension, illumination, and resuscitation; the duties which we have now to notice are Ohri8tian =istency, holy euitement, and social, worship. • I. CHRISTIAN CONSISTENCY, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." The vereee teach that walking strictly in harmony·with the Christian creed implies: 1. Wisdom. "Not as fools, but as wise." A conduct inconsistent with tho Christian creed we profess is exceedingly foolish. (1) It damages our own moral nature. (2) It misrepresents the gospel of Christ. (3) It insults the omniscience of God. Hypocrisy is in every way unwise. 2. • Diligence. "Redeeming the_ ~1me "- .. Buying up opportnnities.'' How is time t.o be redeemed? . Not by_ regammg any portion of the past. The past is irrecoverably gone. Not by 1noperat1ve regrets con- oerning the wrong of the put. Not by mere sentimental desires that the future may be better. How then? (1) By deducing the true m~ral lessons of the past. (2) :1}Y a <leep and devout determination to avoid all the evils of the past. (3) By turmng el"ery circumstance of our life to a right spiritual account. " Because the clays arc eTil," mys PanL The times in which Paul wrote were corrupt; onr times are corrupt. There are several things that make our times evil. (1) A ruling secula1ism. How mercenary is olll" age! (2) Religious formali~: T~e. forms o! rel!!?o~ abound eve_ry- where; the real spirit is rare. The "l~te~ 1s kil!m~ the 'spmt. (3). Sce~tt~al rationalism. The world'11 philosophy, as 1t 1s called, ts for the most part ant1-t~e1st1c, anti-superuatural, anti-Christian. These elements fill the social atmosph~re with 'the moral iungi that make our "days" evil. Because our days are charged with so many evils we should be diligent • we should seize every opportunity to crush the wrong and to promote the right. 3. 'Inqufry. "Understanding what the will of the_ Lord is." G~d has a will concerning us, o:nd it is our duty to endeavour to undcrstanrl it, and f-or this purpose we must inquire into it. ' cu. v. 1- :l3.J THE EPIS'rLE TO THE EPHESIANS.