532 / 808
512
Ephefianf
Chap.4.
VER.17.
VERSE
17.
D.U.
Miniftert
with
proreftation
muff
enforce
the wayes
of
God.
Nch.y.29.34.
Efay
t, a.
Y.
rather then venture
our ownc difcafements,
or
forgoe our owne
liber-
ties and
Idle
will.
VERSE
17.
This
I
fay therefore
and
teflifie
in
the Lord,that
ye hence.
forth
walks not as other Gentiles
walke,in the
vanity
of
their
mind.
Now
the Apoflle commeth
to
lay downe
exhortation
negatively
to the
22.
verfeofthe
next
Chapter,
more generally
to
the
25. verfe
of
this
Chapter,
more particularly afterward.
The
generali
negative
precept
is,
That
they
fhould
not walke
m otherGentiles:
the
matter
from
this
to
the 25.
verfe
is
fitly thus
contrived.
I.He
maketh
a
preface,This
i
fay therefore
and
te(li
Me
in
the
Lord.
2. He layeth
downe the precept.
3.
He giveth
a
rcafon.
The
Prefacehath
two
branches.
1.
An afleveration,
i
fay
and
teflifre.
2.
The
manner
of
it,
ix
the
Lord.
Which
phrafe noteth three things:
r.
The
name
or authority.
2. In
the pretence.
3. By
venue
and
ftrength miniftred from the
Lord.
The Commandement
is
generally propounded,then more
fpecially
declared
:
generally propounded,
Walke
not
as other
Gentiles.
Why,
how
walke
they
±
the
fpeciall
explication, in the vanity
of
their
minds,
that
is,
in
vaine
converfations, which
their
minds teach and
advife.
The
reafon ftandeth thus
:
Such
awe
unlike,
their Converfation
muff
be
unlike
:
butyour
Eftates are unlike.
This
part he giveth
us
to gather from the next words,
in
which
at
large
is
laid
downe the diverts condition
of
the
Gentiles,
from them
who now
are
brought to know
Chrift.
To
come
ro
Come inftruCtions:l
1.
Here then
we
fee
the Apoftolique
fervencie
commeth
to
bee
noted, who
Both
not content
himfelfe
to
fpeake
it,
but doth
by
tefti-
fication enforce
his
deportation, that
it
might more forcibly
enter
in-
to them.
Obferve
hence,
The
Mini_
fiery
the Wordmull
both fpeake,
and
with
proteflatlon
en-
force the
wayes
of
God.
Thus
c
ltofes,
Deut.
2.
z9.
If
you
forget
the
Lord,
l
1
tcfli
fre to
you,
ye
(hall
peril!),
yea,
hecalled
heaven and earth
to,itneffe
the
fame
with him. So
the Sermons
of
the
Prophets
are faid
to
bee,
proteftations wherewith God
prote
/led
again/t
his people.;T
bus the
Pro-
phet
E
fay
begins, Heart
o
heavens
and
hearken
o
earth,
be.
Aad
this,
manner
of
delivery
doth often, through the
worke
of
Gods Spirit,
more affeti the
confcience and maketh the fentencc
pierce like
as
an
headed
arrow
doth
above
another.
Wherefore it
is
good for
difpenfers
of
the
Gofpell to
imitate
this
Apoftolicall fpirit, and
in
the name
of
God to
proteft
and teftifie
to
their
people
the
will
of
God.Prophane
men
do confier
fuch phrafesas
the
paffions
of
menin
thefpirit
:
but
thefe things bodily imitated
lball
not
provejells
with thofe that
deride them.
The