contributing, in their Places and Stations, to the better A. D. 62. Edification of the whole Church.

* If fo be that

ye have heard him,

and have been taught

by him, as the truth

is in Jesus :

22 That ye put off concerning the for mer conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts :

23 And be renewed in the fpirit of your mind;

on

24 And that ye put
the new man,

utterly estranged from that Virtuous Course of Life that alone can render Men like to God, and happy in his Service.

19. And, by impure and unreformed Habits, are become so infenfible of all Goodness, as to commit the worst Degrees of Uncleanness, not only without all Regret and Reluctancy, but with the utmost Eagerness and Delight.

20 & 21. Remember, that by your * Converfion to the Christian Religion, you are in quite another State, and obliged by the highest Engagements to a direct contrary

Course of Life.

22, 23, 24. Namely, to forsake all your old Heathenish Lufts, and ignorant Practices; and to become new, and reformed Men, by Obedience to those holy and righteous Laws, prescribed in the Gospel, that will raise you to the Imitation of God, and render you his true and happy Children.

which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of

25. Beware then of those Vices you have been formerly most fubject to, and are most opposite to the Christian Spirit: For instance, Detest that dangerous Sin of lying, deceiving and over-reaching your Neighbours; remembring, you are all now Members of the same Christian Body; so that to deceive another is to injure and abuse your felves.

another.

*

26 & 27. Sup

If fo be ye have heard him- εἴγε αὐτὸν ἠκέσατε. Since you have heard bim.

26 Be ye angry and

fin not: let not the fun go down upon your wrath :

27 Neither give place to the * devil.

26 & 27. Suppress all immode- A. D. 62.

rate Anger and Resentment; fuffer
it not to ripen into Revenge, Re-
proach, and Slander; for then you
are overcome by that wicked Ad-
versary the Devil, whose very

Name fignifies a Railer and a Blasphemer.*

28 Let him that

stole, steal no more †: but rather let him 1 bour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

28. Whoever has been accustomed to Steal, before his Converfion, and to esteem it but a small, or scarce any Sint; must now abhor that Practice, and by a laborious Life in fome honest Calling, must endeavour not only to fupply his own Wants, but, if he can, to have fome

thing to spare for them that are in absolute Poverty.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which

is good to the use of

29. Avoid all manner of scurrilous and filthy Conversation; and let your Words and Discourses in Company be always fuch, as may not only be heard by any Body with Innocence and Decency, but, as far as you can, with Profit and Advantage too; by promoting those Virtues that will procure Favour and Acceptance from God.

edifying; that it may minifter grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not 30. In fine, Do and say nothing the holy spirit of God, that may be inconsistent with those whereby you are feal blessed Endowments of the Holy Spirit

ed

* Διάβολο, Devil. Ver. 27. Neither give Place to the Devil, or to the Railer and Slanderer: And the Sense may be, Give no Occafion to Slanderers to reproach your holy Religion; as Erasmus and the French Proteftant Translation render it. See 1 Tim. iii. 6, 7. give Place, τοπον, Opportunity, or Advantage.

+ As in several Nations it was accounted; and rather coun tenanced than discourag'd, by fsome Grecian Commonwealths ; particularly in that of the Lacedemonians, where Plutarch says, it was enacted or agreed, [νενόμιζο] κλέπὸν τῆς ἐλουθέρες παῖδας ὁ, τὶ τις δύναιτο. That the free-born Youths might steal whatever they could. But of this let the Reader see Dr. Clark's Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, p. 58, 59.

:

A.D. 62. led unto the day of Spirit that are conferred on you, redemption. or may deprive you of his Sacred Influences; which are the Pledges of your present Pardon, and the Earnest of your eternal Happiness.

31 Let all bitternefs, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.

31. And as he is the Spirit of Peace and Love, so let no Differences in your Religious Sentiments and Opinions, fuffer you to launch out into any Expressions of Bitterness, Rage, and clamorous Reproaches, nor to harbour any Purposes of Malice and Revenge.

32 And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving God for Chrift's fake

another, even as

hath forgiven you.

32. But treat one another, even those that injure you, with Tenderness, Pity and Forgiveness; remembring how much a greater Debt of Guilt and Sin God has forgiven us all, for the fake of Christ Jefus.

CHAP. V.

The CONTENTS.

The first and second Verses conclude the Exhortation to Love and Unanimity in the End of the foregoing Chapter. Then he repeats his Caution against their former Heathenish Vices, particularly such as accompanied their Idolatrous Worship. Descends to the Relative Duties, wherein the Jewish Christians, by former Prejudices, were too apt to be deficient. See the Preface to this Epistle, § 4.

B

E
therefore
ye
followers of God

as dear children;

1.

S

INCE therefore you are all, both Jewish and Gentile Converts, become the Children and

Church of God, imitate Him as your true Father and most perfect Example.

as

2 And walk in love,

Christ also hath

loved us,

and hath

given himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to God for a

fweet smelling favour.

Pattern of Love, by

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or coveteousness, let it not be once named amongst you, as becometh saints :

2. And as the Death and Sacri- A. D. 62.

fice of Christ for our Sins was the
highest Instance of divine Love and
Mercy to us all, and an Act most
pleasing and acceptable to God; let
it be the chief Care of all Parties
among you to resemble this great
Charity and Unity with each other.

3. I must again especially warn you Gentile Christians from all those extravagant and lustful Passions, and unclean Practices, that were so common and fashionable in your Heathen State; and are still the Attendants of Idolatrous Rites and Worship. Let none of them be fo much as named or heard of among Christian Profeffors.

* Which are not convenient - τὰ μὴ ἀνήκοντα, That are most disagreeable. See Rom. i. 28. where τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα, ought fo to be tranflated.

I Or Covetous Man, who is an Idolater, ή πλεονέκτης ὃς ἐσιν ειδωλολάτρης, i. e. One that may be called an Idolater for making his Lufts and Pleasures his God. Or else a Man of fuch inordinate Defires, as an Idolater is and must be. The former is indeed good Sense; but the latter is plainly most agreeable to the Apostle's Design.