The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 249

ought men to love their wives as their own bodies." If the wife is to be loved, she must be lovable, for it is as impossible for the human mind to love the morally unbeautiful as it is to believe a mathemntical contradiction. There are women who are morally hideous, and from whom all manly natures must revolt with disgust. What is the truly lovable in a wife? Personal beauty? This may fascinate the eye for a short time, but it has no power to generate moral esteem. Brilliant genius or sparkling accomplishments? No; these may charm the fancy, but never evoke the true germ of manly love. What is the lovable? The text suggests two of its element~. 1. A vital sympathy with the spirit of a true husband. "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. l<'or no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church." 'rhe true husband we have described: he is a royal man, who rules by moral influence for beneficent ends in the spirit of self-sacrificing love; and the true wife must have such a vital sympathy with that high moral spirit of his as to make the "twain one flesh." His aims are elevated, his spirit is Christ-like, and her whole heart being in vital accord with his, they are "no more twain, but one fle.~h." God, not priests nor hireling registrars, has joined them together. 2. A love-ctntralizing power of character. There must be that fascination and bewitchment of moral spirit about her that will draw the affections of her husband from all the dearest of other objects, and centre them on herself. "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." He should discover in her virtues so numerous and strong as to draw his sympathies even from the nearest of his other relations and centre them on her, feeling -that he can repose in her his utmost confidence and bestow on her bis choicest love. CoNCLUSION. It is obvious that the world abounds with spurious marriages. The popular idea of marriage is a legalized union of one man to one woman. Though the union may be formed by mere sensual impulses and selfish considerations, it is still called a marriage. Though it be formed, not only without any relative fitness between the parties conjoined, but with a painful discrepancy in temper, age, health, education, it is still called a marriage. Though it be formed without any element of moral excellence as a foundation, and without mutual love for virtue-simply because no mutual virtuo exists-still it is called a marriage. The woman may be destitute of every high quality, immersed in sensuality and pride, still at the altar the man pledges to her his love; and the man may be a little soul, in every respect inferior to the woman, yet at the altar she pledges him reverence and obedience. Nothing is more baneful to a country than the corruption of the marriage institution. The law of England, alas I unites brutes and fiends together as well as saints. "For marriage is a matter of more worth Than to be dealt in by attorneyship : For what is wedlock forced, but a hell, An age of discord and continual strife? Whereas the contrary bringeth forth happinHI, And is a pattern of celestial bliss." (Shakespeare.) D.T. Ver. 1.-.. Imitators of God." L How IT IS POSSIBLE FOB. us TO BE IMITATORS OF Gon. It is vain to try to imitate God if all resemblance to God is beyond our reach. But this is not the case. While speculative theology is fatally successful in magnifying the distance between man and God, practical revelation is ever bringing us nearer to God. 1. We are like God by nature. God is spirit, and we are spiritual beings. As Chan- ning taught, all spirits are of one family. God made us in his own image. It is our work to revive that image where it ha11 been obscured and to carry it up to higher resemblances. 2. We can imitate God in very small ways. Decauso be is infinite nu<I we are finite we are not to infer that all common likeness is impossible. The smallest pool may bear a perfect image of the sun. 3.. We are susceptible of indefinite growth and improvement. Because we are sadly unlike God now 1t does not follow that we may never resemble him. "It is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him" (1 John iii. 2). God has rlJ'lltaied. 250 THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE EPHESIANS. [en. v. 1-33.