Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:8

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.

Ye were once, not only darksome with ignorance and unbelief, but even darkness itself; but now, ye are clearly enlightened by the Spirit of God.

Ephesians 5:11

Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Awake, thou sinner, that sleepest securely in the state of sin; and rise up from that spiritual death wherein thou liest, by confessing and forsaking thy sin; and then Christ, which is the true light, shall shine forth unto thee, by giving thee remission and salvation.

Ephesians 5:16

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Strive to recover and fetch up that time, which your negligence hath lost; and make careful use of all opportunities of doing good; because the world is full of corruption, and ye shall meet with many occasions of distraction and discouragement.

Ephesians 5:18

19. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;

but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Do not give yourselves to intemperance, in the use of meats and drinks, which is the cause of much luxury and outrage; but, if ye desire to cheer up your hearts, be ye filled with that Holy Spirit of God, which only can give perfect joy to the soul; Which joy shall express itself, at your holy meetings, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, instead of those wanton and offensive songs, which the mirth of sensual men is usually wont to break forth into.

Ephesians 5:23

And he is the saviour of the body.

Even as Christ is so the Head of his Church, which is his body, as that he is the Saviour of it, governing it for the benefit and salvation thereof; so should the husband, who is the head of his wife, rule over her (not tyrannically and harshly, but) lovingly, and so as may be to the behoof, preservation, and comfort of her. V. 26, 27. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. That he might sanctify and cleanse it by his Holy Spirit; working in us by his word, and by his Sacrament of Baptism, as the means thereof; That, at the last, he may present this his spouse the Church, perfectly beautiful, before the Tribunal of his Father, cleared from the spots of her sins and wrinkles of her infirmities.

Ephesians 5:28

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

For, as Eve was part of the very body of Adam, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone; so are we spiritually the very parts and members of the mystical body of this Second Adam: out of his precious side was the Church taken.

Ephesians 5:32

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

This union and conjugal conjunction is then a great mystery; not in respect of itself, but, in respect of that which is thereby represented, even the blessed union which is betwixt the husband Christ and the Church his spouse.