Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 5 · Verse and explication 6 – Verse and explication 7
Vers. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
THe Apostle, in this verse, doth, first, give them a watchword to guard against the suggestions of any who would labour to perswade them, that either the practices reproved were no sins at all, or at least not so dangerous, as he affirmed; and calleth all such suggestions vain, or deceiving words, as having no solidity of truth in them, but only some plausible pretext. Secondly, he confirmeth, and further strengtheneth the former argument, while he sheweth, that not only these sins do exclude from heaven, but also because of those, Gods wrath, that is, temporall and eternall judgements, the effects of Gods wrath, or of His holy sinpursuing justice, doth come, and is alwayes, and at all times coming upon the children of disobedience, that is, those, who, having willingly hardened themselves in wickednesse, are judicially plagued with hardnesse of heart. See upon chap. 2. ver. 3. Doct. 1. The servants of Jesus Christ, ought to be through and serious in the reproof of sin, not doing the work of the Lord negligently, or by halfs: they must not only start and discover those sins, which the Lord's people are in hazard to be surprized with, and to lay open the dangerous, dreadfull and doolfull consequences of living in them; but also pursue them through all the lurking holes and subterfuges of specious pretences and fecklesse excuses, under which they use to lurk, untill no place of refuge be left for them in peoples hearts: for, so doth Paul, having forbidden those evils, and shown the dangerous consequence of living in them, he striketh off at one word the fig-tree leaves of all such vain excuses, whereby sinners use to plead for them; Let no man deceive you with vain words, saith he, 2. So corrupt and fleshly are we by nature, that, we are not only prone and bent to commit sin, but also ingenious and witty to excuse and extenuate our sin, and thereby to seduce our own hearts into a belief that either sin is no sin, or that we shall be free of judgment, though we live in sin: for, those who labour to deceive others this way, by making them think light of sin, do first deceive themselves; Let no man deceive you with vain words, saith he. 3. It is the usuall course and strain of those who have given themselves over unto the slavery of sin, to use the utmost of their wit and endeavours to draw on others to do the like, and for this end to deceive them, by making them believe that sins are but petty slips, small escapes, humane infirmities, that God's patience suffereth all things, that His grace pardoneth every thing, that no man can be perfect, and the rarest Saints have fallen in as great faults, and such like vain words, which the Apostle doth here guard against; Let no man deceive you with vain words. 4. All such opinions and reasonings as tend to cast a covering over sin, to extenuate and hide the vilenesse of it, and the terrour of judgment belonging to it, are but vain, even spiders webs, sandy foundations, fig-tree leaves, untempered morter, and will in end but mock all those who listen to them: for, so doth the Apostle affirm of them, Let no man deceive you with vain words. 5. Though we are to fear and avoid sin principally, because it is sin, and displeasing to God, supponing there were no hell nor punishment due to sin, Gen. 39. -9. yet, we may and ought in the second place fear and abstain from it, because it draweth down Gods wrath and judgement: for, he holdeth forth the terrour of Gods wrath as an argument to scare them from those sins; for, because of these things cometh the wrath. 6. The terrible threatnings denounced in Scripture against such and such sinners, some whereof declare the sinners exclusion from heaven, and others his unspeakable torment in hell, are verified not in all, who have once or often fallen in any such sins, but in those only, who have hardened themselves in them, rejecting all admonitions to the contrary, and do remain obstinate and impenitent untill death: for he expoundeth whom he meaneth by the whoremongers, whom he threatned, ver. 5. even children of disobedience, that is, such as remain obstinate, and will not be perswaded, as the word rendered disobedience doth signifie. 7. See severall other Doctrines from the like words, upon Col. 3. ver. 6.
Vers. 7. Be not ye therefore partakers with them:
HEre is a second precept more generall than the first, and inferred as a conclusion from the former argument, whereby he doth in generall dehort them from partaking, or concurring with such obstinate sinners, either in the forementioned sins, or any other, wherewith they polluted themselves and drew down the stroak of Gods wrath, as they would not partake with them in their judgements; for so he doth explain this precept, ver. 11. Doct. 1. As the Lord doth of purpose inflict most memorable judgements upon obstinate sinners, even in this life; that thereby, as by one mean amongst many other, He may teach and instruct His own called children to beware of their sins; So, then do we make right use of Gods judgements upon such godlesse sinners, when we are not idle spectators of them, as if we were not concerned in them, Luk. 13. 2, 3. or murmurers against the severity of Gods justice manifested in them, Numb. 16. 41. but do take up the voice of those rods, as speaking unto, and pressing upon our selves the exercise of repentance and tender walking, in abstaining from such like sins, for which they are smitten: for, from what he spoke of Gods wrath coming upon the children of disobedience, he inferreth this as a most native use, Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 2. Though there be some sins, for which the Lord doth punish obstinate sinners more than others, which usually are more clearly written upon their rods, Judg. 1. 7. yet, it is our wisdom to look upon their judgements, as speaking lessons, and real warnings, not only against those evils, but all others also, whereof they are guilty: for, he inferreth that they would not partake with them, not only in the fore-mentioned sins, for which in a speciall manner wrath came upon them, but also in any sin of theirs whatsoever, while he saith in generall, Be ye not therefore partakers with them. 3. The Lord taketh notice of, and doth accordingly punish sinners, not only who are without the Church and heathens, but also those, who are within the Church, and do professe subjection unto divine Ordinances; and not only ringleaders, and chief actors in a sinfull course, but also all assisters, abetters, and who in any measure partake of the sins of others, whether by counselling, (2 Sam. 13. 5.) alluring, (Prov. 1. 10.) consenting, (1 King. 21. 19.) connivance, (1 Sam. 3. 13.) or applauding sin when it is committed, Rom. 1. 32. for, he will have the converted Ephesians take warning from those judgements, which were inflicted upon the godlesse heathens, and so, as not to partake with them in their sins, implying, God would not spare them more than others; Be ye not therefore partakers with them.