One Lord, one faith, one baptism.-Ephesians, 4th:5.
The epistle, of which our text forms a part, as well as all others that were dictated by that eminently useful man, the apostle Paul, were replete with that instruction, which the saints in his day, needed to guide and direct them. We may form some idea of the peculiar fitness of such instruction at that time, when we consider, that there were various orders of religionists then in the world; and it is but just to conclude they were as tenacious of their belief and the principles of their faith, as people in our day and age of the world. We know there were Pharisees, Sadducees, Essens, and others among the Jews; among the Gentiles or heathen as they were called by the Jews, were various sects of philosophers, differing in their sentiments; some were Stoics, some were Epicureans, some believed in the immortality of the soul, some doubted it, and others denied it wholly. Now when we consider that the church of God at that time was made up of such discordant materials, men among whom such a diversity of sentiment prevailed, previously to their conversion to the christian faith, we shall see the propriety of the sentiment couched in the words at the head of this paragraph. Not only shall we see the propriety, but the absolute necessity of such instruction. Such instructions became necessary from the fact that the gospel, the scheme of things which God had devised, was so diverse from the principles and practices of that generation, that there was no similarity, no resemblance between them.-Every item of the christian faith was important, and was necessary, in making up, or constituting that which the apostle said, was the "power of God unto salvation." Nothing short of that, nay nothing but that, would save men; no only so, he that inculcated any other plan, or as the apostle declares to his Galatian brethren, "Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than we have preached, let him be accursed."
Now we may justly conclude that as the church was made up of such as had embraced the various sentiments of that day, and none other than the one taught by him was acceptable in the sight of God, that he should urge upon the churches with peculiar force, that there was one Lord, one faith, one baptism. It is a well known fact to every reader of ancient history, that in that day and age of the world, as well as in all subsequent periods to the present time, there were, and are still, those who worship other beings than the God of heaven. The apostle knew full well that such worship was not acceptable in the sight of God. He also knew as well that if they essayed to worship the true and living God, but did not comply with the requisitions of heaven as he had borne testimony, it would be of no avail. Bear in mind what the apostle said of himself while persecuting the saints: I did it, said he, in all good conscience; he did it in the sincerity of his heart, from a firm conviction that it was right. But his sincerity did not justify his acts in the sight of God, nor in the least palliate his crime.
We shall here notice that Paul, previous to his conversion to the christian faith, was no idolatrous worshiper; he was of the sect called Pharisees, believed in God, made long prayers, and as he said, lived in all good conscience to that day. But the Lord showed him the error of his way, and that with all his zeal, and all his prayers, he was fighting against God. I am Jesus (says the voice) whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.