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IV. 22. That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

That ye put off your old, sinful, depraved nature, which is corrupt according to those deceitful lusts and desires that are inbred in your bosoms, and now change your former affections and conversation;

IV. 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

And be renewed, not only in the baser and lower faculties of the soul, which are your affections and appetite, but even in the more noble and higher powers thereof, which are your understanding and will.

IV. 26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath;

If, according to the weakness of human nature, ye be carried into the passion of anger, yet take heed of being transported, by the vehemence thereof, into sin; neither let that unquiet passion, howsoever it may seize upon you, lodge and sleep with you:

IV. 27. Neither give place to the devil.

Neither do, by this harbouring of an uncharitable passion, let in Satan into your souls.

IV. 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Do not cause the Spirit of God to withdraw his graces from you, as in a detestation of your lewd courses; neither do, by your sins, give just distaste to that Good Spirit, whereto ye have been so infinitely beholden for your confirmation, and sealing up to the full possession of your future glory.

V. 8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.

Ye were once, not only darksome with ignorance and unbelief, but even darkness itself; but now, ye are clearly enlightened by the Spirit of God.

V. 14. Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Awake, thou sinner, that sleepest securely in the state of sin; and rise up from that spiritual death wherein thou liest, by confessing and forsaking thy sin; and then Christ, which is the true light, shall shine forth unto thee, by giving thee remission and salvation.

V. 16. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Strive to recover and fetch up that time, which your negligence hath lost; and make careful use of all opportunities of doing good; because the world is full of corruption, and ye shall meet with many occasions of distraction and discourage

ment.

V. 18. 19. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess ;

but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Do not give yourselves to intemperance, in the use of meats and drinks, which is the cause of much luxury and outrage; but, if ye desire to cheer up your hearts, be ye filled with that Holy Spirit of God, which only can give perfect joy to the soul; Which joy shall express itself, at your holy meetings, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, instead of those wanton and offensive songs, which the mirth of sensual men is usually wont to break forth into.

V. 23. And he is the saviour of the body.

Even as Christ is so the Head of his Church, which is his body, as that he is the Saviour of it, governing it for the benefit and salvation thereof; so should the husband, who is the head of his wife, rule over her (not tyrannically and harshly, but) lovingly, and so as may be to the behoof, preservation, and comfort of her.

V. 26, 27. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it by his Holy Spirit; working in us by his word, and by his Sacrament of Baptism, as the means thereof; That, at the last, he may present this his spouse the Church, perfectly beautiful, before the Tribunal of his Father, cleared from the spots of her sins and wrinkles of her infirmities.

V. 28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

For, as Eve was part of the very body of Adam, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone; so are we spiritually the very parts and members of the mystical body of this Second Adam: out of his precious side was the Church taken.

V. 31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined &c. See Genesis ii. 24.

V. 32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

This union and conjugal conjunction is then a great mystery; not in respect of itself, but, in respect of that which is thereby represented, even the blessed union which is betwixt the husband Christ and the Church his spouse.

VI. 2. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.

Which is the first commandment, yea, the only one that hath a peculiar promise of blessing annexed unto the charge given.

VI. 7. With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not

to men.

In the services that ye do, having an eye, not so much to your masters as to the Lord, who calls for this your obedience

unto them.

VI. 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Brethren, ye are soldiers in God's warfare: as soldiers, therefore, are wont to put on a complete harness from head to foot; so do ye furnish your souls with all holy graces, which may defend and preserve you from all the crafty assaults of the devil.

VI. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

For our fight doth not lie against flesh and blood, weak and impotent like ourselves; but against the strong and mighty powers and principalities of hell; against those evil spirits, which sway this wicked world, that is all darksome with ignorance and infidelity; against those spiritual tempters, who, being themselves wicked, labour to infect all others, and have so much more advantage, as they are more eminent in the place of their abode and onset, being the region of the air, wherein they do ordinarily work.

VI. 14, 15, 16, 17. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Put yourselves therefore into a fit and sure posture; having your loins girt about with the belt of sincere and rectified affections; and having your hearts defended with the breastplate of innocence, and holy and upright intentions; And your feet shod with a ready alacrity to profess and maintain that Gospel of Christ, which can only bring true peace to the soul; But, in vain should ye pretend to be girt with all this complete harness, if ye did not hold out also before you the shield of a true and lively Faith, whereby ye may be able both to beat back and to extinguish all the strong, sudden, violent, fiery temptations of that Wicked One. And let your head be defenced with the assured hope of salvation, as with a helmet; and let your hand be armed with the word of God, which is as the sword of the Spirit, whereby Satan may not only be resisted, but vanquished also and utterly foiled:

VI. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto.

And, that all this preparation and holy munition may prevail and take happy effect, ye must ever be praying unto God, with all fervency of soul, in all frequence and instance of prayer and supplication; watching therein.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS.

I. 5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.

That, by our ministry ye have been brought to the communion and fellowship of the profession of the Gospel; and have so continued, from the first day that you heard of it, until now. I. 7. Ye are all partakers of my grace.

Ye are all partakers with me, of the same grace and mercy of God, in your effectual calling and election to life.

I. 10. That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere, and without offence till the day of Christ.

That ye may see and acknowledge the difference, between the truth of God and the vain fancies of men, and may approve of these excellent mysteries of salvation, &c.

I. 12, 13. But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places.

So that my bonds and sufferings, which I endure for Christ, howsoever they were by Satan and his complices intended to the disgrace and hinderance of the Gospel; yet quite contrarily, by the providence and goodness of my God, are turned to my great honour and the advancement of religion; as being famous to this purpose, both in Nero's Court, and in all other places.

I. 15. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will.

Some, indeed, hearing how famous I was over all Asia for preaching the Gospel, envying this glory of mine, and, in an emulatory desire to reach and outstrip me in it, preach Christ out of envy and contention; others, sincerely.

I. 16. Supposing to add affliction to my bonds.

Supposing and purposing by this means, to stir up Nero so much the more against me, as the man that first broached this news of the Gospel amongst his subjects.

I. 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

For I know, that this advantage which the Gospel shall receive by the emulous labours of my adversaries, and this per

secution which they do thereupon raise against me, shall turn to the furtherance of my salvation, through the help of your prayers, and the powerful assistance and working of the Spirit of Christ.

I. 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed.

According to my firm confidence and earnest expectation, that, in nothing they can do, or that can befal me, I shall be ashamed, and have cause of dejection and discouragement.

I. 21. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

For Christ is to me, as the author of my life, so the only end and scope of my life: it is that I only live for, that I may preach Christ, and glorify him thereby; and to die is so far from being terrible to me, as that it is my gain and advantage. I. 22. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

But howsoever, while I live here, this is the fruit of my labour, that Christ is glorified by me; yet whether of the two I should choose, life or death, I cannot resolve.

I. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

For I am much straitened, and distracted in the choice: having, in respect of my own glory and happiness, a great desire to depart hence and to live with Christ my Saviour, in rest and bliss, which is much the better for me:

I. 24. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for

you.

But yet, on the other side, I see that for me to abide here still in this mortal life, it is more needful for you, and more behoveful to the Church of God.

I. 25. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.

And, out of this persuasion, that my life shall be of so much necessity and use for you, I am fully assured, that I shall abide and continue with you all; and that God will protract my life for a time here upon earth, for the furtherance of your faith, and the increase of your joy and comfort.

I. 27. That ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

That ye do unanimously hold together, in the profession and defence of one and the same truth; joining your forces to fight together, for the defence of the doctrine of the Gospel.

I. 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

And, in all your sufferings, put on an undaunted courage. and resolution; being in nothing terrified by your adversaries:

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