Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 5 · Verse and explication 33
Vers. 33. Neverthelesse, let every one of you in particular, so love his wife, even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
HE doth here, by way of diversion from dipping further at this time in that spiritual conjunction of Christ and His Church, exhort both husband and wife, to learn from that forementioned law of marriage a short sum of their respective duties: and, first, that every husband, without exception, or admitting any excuse, would love his wife as himself, that is, seing she is a piece of himself, as ver. 28. otherwise if the particle as, were only a note of similitude, comparing different things, and making a mans love unto himself the rule of his love unto his wife, Then every man's neighbours should be equally loved with his wife; for, every man is to love his neighbour as himself in that sense, Gal. 5. 14. And, secondly, he enjoyneth the wife, that she reverence, or as the word signifieth, from love do fear her husband: the meaning whereof is, that she inwardly acknowledge that degree of honour which God hath put upon him, 1 Cor. 11. 3. and give evident testimony of her inward esteem, in words, 1 Pet. 3. 6. actions, and whole carriage, and especially in her loathnesse to offend him, 1 Pet. 3. 2. Doct. 1. Though there be some latent mysteries intended by the Spirit of God, to be set forth by some plain histories, recorded in Scripture, besides their historicall and literall sense; yet we are not, upon that pretence, to turn the whole Scripture into an allegory, as if no more were intended in those Scriptures by the Spirit of God, but only to set forth the spirituall mysterie; We ought to look upon the historicall and literall sense of them also, and mainly, and make such use of them as being so taken, they will afford: for, Paul, having shown the mystical and allegorical use of Adam's words, doth divert from that consideration of them, and pointeth forth what the plain history doth teach concerning the duties of husband and wife; Neverthelesse, saith he, Let every one of you in particular so love his wife. 2. It is not unprofitable for people, that Ministers do wind up their large exhortations in a short and pithy sum of what they have spoken at greater length, whereby the memory of people may be somewhat helped, and their affections also may be more forcibly wrought upon, when the strength of a large discourse is contracted in two or three words, and presented both to the understanding and affections of people at once: for, so doth Paul in the conclusion, sum up what he had spoken at large, from ver. 22. of the duties both of husbands and wives, in two succinct sentences; Let every one of you so love his wife, &c. 3. Then do people receive and hear with profit these exhortations which are spoken unto all in generall, when they make application of them to themselves, as if they were delivered unto them in peculiar, and by name: for, what the Apostle spoke indefinitly unto all, ver. 25. he doth here make particular application of it unto every one; Neverthelesse, let every one of you in particular, so love his wife. 4. As maried parties are ready to forget their mutuall duties, yea, and to sport at such doctrine, which doth presse and enjoyn those duties; so the Ministers of Christ, would not only inculcate them the more frequently, but also deliver their exhortation of that kind, with greater weight and authority: for, the Apostle not only repeateth, but, in an authoritative commanding way, bindeth this exhortation on them; Let every one love his wife; and the wife see that she reverence. 5. As we would labour to infix in our memories a short sum of our most necessary duties; so also of the most moving and taking argument, to enforce the practice of these duties, otherwise the naked knowledge of our duty will prove but ineffectuall, to lead us captive, to walk in it: for, Paul summeth up both the husbands duty, and the strongest argument to enforce the duty, taken from that near union between him and his wife; Let every one of you so love his wife, as himself. 6. Then, and only then is the duty of subjection and obedience of inferiours toward their superiours, sincerely and heartily discharged and accepted of by God, when it floweth from inward reverence and hearty esteem, in the former, toward the place and dignity, conferred by God upon the latter: for he here commandeth wives to give reverence to their husbands, thereby pointing at the right fountain of that subjection, which he had formerly pressed upon them, ver. 22, 24. even fear flowing from love; And the wife see that she reverence her husband.