to the EP H ES I AN S. fame word that is here tranOated Cm1rjc. Be not conformed to the World, Rom. ~ 12. J, It is the C1me word that is tranOat~d, C~urftof the World, here. Now ~ when that word which is tranOated Comfe, IS dillml.l: from the word, [ World, J it implies two things: Fidl:, it impliesan Age, or a Time in which Men live, and the word [ World J implieth Perfo:1s. And fo then here is ~ne meaning- of the Text : They lived accordzng to the Courfc of the World, that IS, accordmg to the Time, accordmg to the Age of the World that then was, or of Men m the World that then were. Every Age bath almofl: a new DretS, tho 1t IS the fame World, and !!ill carnal Men live accordigg to it. But yet, fecondly, it fignines that Cufl:om, that Manner, that Mould and Trade ofLife, that the World, or Generality of carnal Men, take the Stream, the Gang (as I may call it ) of Men in a Clufl:er: walk by and hold forth ; the Opinions and Practices that are in the World. Thus, in Rom. 12. 2. Be not conformed to the World: It is the fame word that is tranOatcd Courfc here ; it is the Cuf'com of the World, (and the Apofl:le fpeaks it in matter of Worfhip,) the Shape of the World, Firfl:, the word, there, Be not conformed, it is, be not cafl: into the Figure of the World : Therefore, in I Cor. 7. 3I. it is laid, The Fajhion, ( the Scfiema, it is the fame word) of the World pa.!feth 4Way. There is a Fafh!on, a Mould, that the World is cafl: into, and every Age almofl: cafl:s the World mto a new Mould, and Men conform tbemfelves to it, and are apt fo to do. So that now clearly, the meaning is but this : That thefe Ephefial1s, whtlfl: unregenerate, walked accordmg to the Cufl:om of the World, they dtd de fotlo as the mofl: of the World did ; for their Judgments, they were ruled by the lame Principles the World were ruled by, they judged as the World did, ther cried up what the World magnified, walked in the C1me Counfe!s, framed thetr Ltves to the C1me Pattern, configured themfdves to the Fafhion of the.World; and the Stream, and Courfe, and Tide of it carried them, being dead Men, as the Stream ufeth to carry dead Fifh. This is plainly and clearly, in a word, the meaning of this here, They walkfd ac~ carding to the Cmtrft of this World. Look what the World then was, fuch were they, and that in two refpells, as Interpreters well obferve : Firfl ; they were fuch for their Morals, they walked in the fame Sins, the fame Vices, that the Gentiles walked in. Eph. 4· 17. Walk. 11ot a< other Gentiles ; fo they had done. And therefore they are called by 'Peter, ( 2 'Pet. 2.) The Defilements of the World; becaufe the World defile themfelves, and live in them. And then again, Secondly; In refpel.l: of Religon, which, Zanchy faith, is principally here meant and intended, that Worfhip, that Idolatry, which then they were zealous for, and were carried away with the Stream. And how the World went with EphefM in this refpect, you may read at large, in Atls I9. 34, 35· There you may fee how the Gang went, They all with one voice, for the JPace of two ho1trs together, cried out, Great is Diana ofthe Ephefians: Andall the World k,nows, faith the Town-Clerk, that this City of the Ephefians is a Worfbipper of the great Goddeft Diana, and of the Image which .frll dowu from Jupiter. Now this is that the Apofile aims at, and Zanchy gives Come three or four Rea– Cons for it; bccaufe afterwards, in this Epifl:le, (which he wrote to thefe Ephe– Jians,) he fatth, they were Strangers from God, Aliens from the 'Promifes, and now made mgh; they were then Genttles, Remember that ;e were Gentiles, faith he, not only Genttles for your Morals, but for Idolatry, and fot all forts of Idolatry. You may fee in that Atls I9. what a mighty Torrent there was, what Zeal for their falfe Worfhip ; they brpke through with rage, They rufbed, fatth the Text, wrth one accord, uno tmpet\l, into the Theatre. Thus the World went at Ephef~H, and thus the Ephe{ians were carried. You have the like in 1 Cor. I2 . 2. (for when he tells them of their unregenerate Efl:ate, fl:ill he hath an eye unto that,) You k,now, fatth he, that ye 2vere Gentiles, carried away 11J/Io thefe dr1mb Idols, even M )'e were led. The word is emphatical, you were carried away with Madnefs, with the Stream ; and, faith he, in Point of Religion Men are eafily led. So that now you have clearly what the Apofl:le here intendeth, when he faith, In whrchye walh.!d, according to the Co11rje of the World, viz. All the Principles of . ~
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