Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 12 · Sermon 113
SERMON CXIII.
Of Chriſtians walking worthy of their Calling; what to walk worthy implies, and what are the Properties and Actions that will become and grace our holy Calling.
EPHES. 4. 1.
I therefore the priſoner of the Lord, beſeech you, that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called.
THe Apoſtle in this Epiſtle, as for the moſt part in others, divideth his Diſcourſe into two parts; The firſt whereof is didactical, informing and confirming in matters of Faith and Doctrine. The ſecond is moral and practical, wholly tending to form us in a Chriſtian and heavenly life. Now in the beginning of this Chapter, wherein my Text is the firſt verſe, the Apoſtle betakes himſelf to an wholſome and ſavoury Exhortation, to live in the powerful expreſſion of all the graces of Gods Spirit. And firſt, he layeth down his Exhortation in the general; and then inſtanceth in particulars.
The general Duty is my Text; wherein obſerve,
1. The Duty it ſelf, Walk worthy: To walk implieth the perpetual courſe and exerciſe of a mans life. He that ſteps now and then occaſionally in ſuch a path, is not ſaid to walk in it: To be godly by fits, to have ſome pangs and ſudden reſolution; for what is good, and the… preſently to let all vaniſh, is not to walk. To walk worthy; This is not worth of merit or congruity antecedent to Gods grace calling us. No, he plainly ſuppoſeth the grace of God hath called us already: and therefore, as it to be ſhewed, it denoteth only a worth of condecency and fitneſſe that is ſubſequent to this holy calling, that all our thoughts, words and actions ſhould be decent, and becoming ſuch an heavenly call. Even as John bid them, Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, Luk. 3. 8. that is, fit and beſeeming repentance.
2. You have the object of this Duty, and that is The Vocation wherewith ye are called; by this he means, that outward favour of God calling them from their former ignorance and ſins, to the profeſſion of faith and obedience to the Goſpel. They are not now what they were once; They muſt be other men; They muſt conſider their heavenly dignity and condition. As Paul ſaid, While he was a childe, he did all things as a childe; but when a man, he left thoſe childiſh things, and did as a man: Thus it is here, when thou waſt ignorant, prophane, and a ſtranger from God, thou didſt as ſuch do, but when called by God, then thou takeſt up more holy and divine reſolutions.
3. There is the argument to inforce it, and that is from the outward condition of him, that doth thus intreat them, A priſoner of the Lord; one that is in bonds and priſon for the Lords ſake. This he doth to excite their affections, for how well might they part with their luſts and unlawful pleaſures, when he had parted with his liberty, and was ready to loſe his life for the Lords ſake! And ſee here the gracious diſpoſition of Paul, who being now in priſon and bonds, is not ſollicitous about himſelf, doth not write about means to ſet himſelf at liberty; but all his care is, that theſe Epheſians might do nothing which ſhould be a ſcandal to Chriſtianity, a reproach to the Goſpel, that all their life ſhould be a praiſe and a glory to that calling God had called them with.
That it is the earneſt and hearty deſire of the faithful Miniſters of the Goſpel, that Obſerv.all Chriſtians ſhould live ſuch a life, that is worthy and beſeeming ſo excellent a Calling.
There are no ſadder objects, then to ſee a prophane, a debaucht, an ungodly Chriſtian; to ſee men profeſſe Chriſt in words, and in works to deny him; For theſe things their ſouls mourn in ſecret. Becauſe of this, they intreat, beſeech and exhort without ceaſing: See the like hot affection burning out in Paul to the Theſſalonians, 2 Theſſ. 1. 11. VVe pray alwayes for you, that our God would count you worthy of his calling. We pray alwayes for you; This we never forget; This is alwaies in our heart, that ye may be a people becoming this glorious calling. And indeed its a moſt abſurd and even loathſome ſight, to ſee a man with the ſame mouth pray to God, yet to curſe, ſwear and blaſpheme; with the ſame body, to worſhip God in the Congregations, and to fulfill the luſts of the fleſh. Solomon hath two excellent ſayings together, Prov. 26. v. 7. and v. 9. The firſt is, The legs of the lame are not equal, ſo is the parable in a fools mouth. A fool is the wicked man, and a parable is a grave, holy ſentence: Now, ſaith he, as thoſe that are lame and halt, they ſhew an uncomely inequality in their going, ſuch a deformity there is in a wicked man, that yet hath holy truths in his mouth. The ſecond is, As a thorn goeth up in the hand of a drunkard; ſo is a parable in the mouth of a fool. The drunkard he feeleth no ſmart, though a thorn run into his hand. Thus a wicked man, though the obligations of Chriſtianity, and his Baptiſm be never ſo piercing and powerful to godlineſſe, yet he feels no efficacy in them.
To open this Doctrine, conſider,
Firſt, What it is to walk worthy foreign of this holy calling; and that implieth What it is to walk worthy. 1.theſe things:
Firſt, To do nothing but what is ſutable and connatural with this calling. Thoſe actions are worthy ſuch an agent, as are ſutable and proper for him. All Agents have their ſutable operations; the fire aſcends, the ſtone deſcends. If therefore the fire ſhould deſcend and go downwards, it would be againſt nature, it would argue great violence. Thus the ſutable and connatural actions of a Chriſtian are to avoid ſin, to walk holily, to be above the world, to keep our ſelves unſpotted from it. Now if any one that is called a Chriſtian be not thus, he doth unnatural actions. His principles, his obligations are againſt theſe things. Oh (Beloved) if men were real Chriſtians, as well as titular, you ſhould ſee no more prophane and ungodly perſons amongſt us, then venemous and poiſonous creatures will be in ſome countreys; It ſhould be even a wonder, a ſtrange thing, that any one ſhould among Chriſtians be found in the way of wickedneſſe: Oh then reflect upon all thy words, all thy actions! Are theſe ſutable? Are theſe proper? Do theſe agree with my Baptiſm, with my profeſſion of Chriſt? How can I call on Chriſt, and do the things Chriſt hateth?
Secondly, The word implieth beſides ſutableneſſe, a conveniency and decency, to 2.do ſuch things as are comely, that are no reproach or debaſement unto our holy profeſſion. VVhatſoever things are comely, whatſoever things are pure and juſt, Phil. 4. 8. If there be any praiſe, any vertue, think on theſe things. Its a rule that Tully gives in Moral Offices between man and man, that we ſhould obſerve the foreign, what is convenient and decent: Though happily Pagans and Heathens, and ſuch who never heard of Chriſt may glory in all exceſſe of riot, yet this is not decent or becoming a Chriſtian. The Apoſtle forbids fooliſh jeſting, which is not convenient, Epheſ. 5. 4. how much more then thy oaths, thy luſts! Oh how indecent and unbecoming are ſuch words and actions! Though other men might drink wine, yet it was not befitting a Nazarite, who by vow had ſeparated himſelf to God, promiſing abſtinence from theſe things; and ſo though the world lieth in wickedneſſe, and glory in their impieties, yet theſe things are not for thee to do, who art ſeparated to God. What then ſhall we think of ſuch perſons, who account their oaths a grace to their mouth, who judge ſtrictneſſe and preciſeneſſe of walking, the moſt indecent and ridiculous way? Oh what do ſuch perſons think of their Divine Vocation? Hath God called us to uncleanneſſe, to luſts? Where are your conſciences? Why do they lie ſo faſt aſleep in your breſts, and are not awakened?
Thirdly, The word implieth glory, and an ornament to this heavenly calling, which 3.is more then meer comelineſſe and decency. Glory is clara notitia, a famous and illuſtrious manifeſtation of ſuch godlineſſe in our lives, that thereby all others may honour the Goſpel, and love that Chriſtianity, which inſtruct them in ſuch things. This our Saviour meaneth, when he commands, That our light ſhould ſo ſhine before men, that others may glorifie God for us, Matth. 5. 16. Oh, every Chriſtian is to be like a Star or the Sun in the firmament; as lights in the dark night, ſo theſe in the midſt of a crooked and perverſe people: Oh its a wofull thing to be an offence or a ſtumbling block to others, and that is, ſo to live, as that others are more confirmed and encouraged in their wickedneſſe! Look we then upon mens lives, and compare them with their Chriſtian calling, here is no more agreement then with light and darkneſſe: Oh the reproach and ſcandal they are to Chriſtianity! Salvian a godly Ancient doth excellently deſcribe this, What do Pagans ſay, when they ſee Chriſtians live wickedly? They think Chriſt taught them no better, he inſtructed them in no more holineſſe. Chriſtiani ſanctè vixiſſent, ſi Chriſtus ſancta docuiſſet; Chriſtians would have lived holily, if Chriſt had given them holy commands: Oh blaſphemy! Yet thus is the name of Chriſt blaſphemed by thy ungodly life.
Fourthly, The word doth imply a giving the preheminence and excellency to thoſe things that beſeem this calling; That we minde this in the firſt place. Many they 4.attend to keep up their ſtate, their pomp, their pedigree; but the true godly man, he ſeeketh this in the firſt place, how he may adorn that holy profeſſion, foreign from foreign, and is properly from that ſide of the ſcales or balance that weighs down the other; ſo it is here: Thoſe things that become this holy calling, that make for the glory of it, they ſhould wiegh down all other thoughts and affections: whatſoever is chief, precious and vigorous in thee, it ſhould go to glorifie this heavenly calling. So that this ſhameth thoſe, who never ſeriouſly conſider nor meditate, what this Chriſtian profeſſion binds them to; As Nehemiah ſaid, Shall ſuch a man as I flee? He thought it a great diſhonour to him, whatſoever it might be to others. And ſo do thou reflect, Shall ſuch an one as I ſwear, curſe, deal unjuſtly, be proud and earthly? Oh when thou haſt been overcome with ſuch things! ſay truly to thy ſelf, that which Michal did falſly to David, Thou haſt made thy ſelf like one of the vile and baſe ones of the earth. Thus you have heard what the word foreign worthy doth imply.What are the properties and actions that will become our holy cal…. 1.
Now let us conſider, VVhat are thoſe properties or conſtant actions that will thus become and grace our holy calling. And
Firſt, They walk worthy of this calling, who have heartily and totally left all that former life God hath called them out from, and have no deſires to return to that again. By this call God takes us from all thoſe former cuſtomary wayes of impieties, that we lived in: Were we prophane? we are ſo no more: Were we proud, earthly, unjuſt? we are ſo no more. God hath called us from ſuch a wretched and curſed eſtate of life. Now a man cannot walk in a meer unworthy way of this call, then to deſire to return to his former luſts; To think it was better then with us, then now; we had more pleaſures, more love in the world, more content and eſteem, then ſince we have followed God thus calling of us: Oh wherein can we ſhew our ſelves a people more unworthy of this mercy, then in ſo doing! As it was with the people of Iſrael, when God had delivered them out of that place of bondage, and by a mighty hand had wrought wonderful deliverances for them; wherein did they demonſtrate their horrible ingratitude more then in this, That they would go back again to Egypt? They prized not the Manna, but thought of their old fleſh-pots. Thus its as unſufferable wickedneſſe in any man, whom God hath called from his former luſts, and he begins to deſire them again, and to do as he hath done: Oh what is this, but to repent of thy marriage to God! To proclaim to the world, that thou didſt finde more pleaſure and content in luſts, then in the ſervice of God! Remember Lots wife; when God had by a merciful hand pulled her out of Sodom, ſhe looks back and was immediately turned into a pillar of ſalt. Auguſtine ſaid, It was to ſeaſon us; but the Hebrew word for ſalt, may ſignifie brimſtone, or ſuch materials, and ſo ſhe was puniſhed in ſome meaſure like the Sodomites, partaking of their puniſhments, becauſe ſhe had ſome compliance with their ſins: Oh then conſider thy ſelf! Haſt thou forſaken all thy former dear luſts? Haſt thou bid them all Be gone? Is the very memory of thy former life a ſhame and a bitterneſſe to thee? Art thou daily bleſſing God, that he hath given thee eyes to ſee and an heart to underſtand thy former life, and that for thouſands of worlds, thou wouldſt not be the man thou once wert? This is to walk worthy of ſo holy a calling.
Secondly, Thoſe that walk worthy of this heavenly call, they keep themſelves 2.unſpotted from the wickedneſſe of the world, they are not conformed to the wayes and cuſtoms thereof. Thus the Apoſtle prayeth earneſtly, Rom. 12. That they might not be conformed to the world, but transformed in their minde; & true religion is that which keeps a man unſpotted from the world, Jam. 1. 28. If God hath called thee out of this dungeon, out of this noiſome and filthy place, its for thee to caſt off all thy rags, and not to carry about thee ſo much as the ſmell thereof. The whole world lieth in wickedneſſe, ſaith the Apoſtle; And if ye were of the world, ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples, the world would love you. Though the godly are in it, yet not of it. Thou doſt therefore then walk in a way beſeeming this holy profeſſion, when thy life is ſingular, and contrary to the world, thou hateſt what that loveth, thou loveſt what that hateth. Thy thoughts and affections are above theſe things. As God made the fowls at firſt out of the waters, but they left them, and fl…e up in the air towards the heavens: So it ought to be with us; though we are born of fleſh and blood, and have one being from below, yet we are to ſoar above. Do not then defile thy ſelf with the pitch here below. Be as the Sun-beams upon the dunghil, that are not polluted by the vapours thereof. Be as thoſe three worthies in this fire, and yet not have thy garments ſinged.
Thirdly, They are very attentive and diligent to avoid all thoſe wayes that may be 3.an active ſcandal or offence to others. To walk worthy of the Goſpel is ſo to carry our ſelves, that others may love it, that we may win others by our life and converſation. Now on the other ſide, they walk unworthily of it, who give juſt offence and ſcandal to others, that are ſtumbling blocks in other mens wayes. This is an heavy ſin: our Saviour crieth out of a woe to ſuch men, Mat. 18. 7. and ſaith, It had been better they were thrown into the bottom of the ſea with a milſtone about their necks. They had better never have been born, that it might be ſaid, There were never ſuch men, then ſo to harden others in impiety. How unworthy was Judas of that gracious call he had, when by his ſecret theft and perfidious betraying of Chriſt, he gave him up to be crucified? What ſuch a man to be found in the number of thoſe that left all and followed Chriſt! What a ſcandal was thi… Thoſe that are tender of Gods glory, and of the repute of godlineſſe they dare not do ſuch things as ſhall make Religion ſtink in the noſtrils of men: Oh they have alwayes a care to that, that that may be well ſpoken of, may hear well! Indeed there are paſſive ſcandals and offences, ſuch as wicked men take by their own corrupt and malicious hearts, as the Phariſees did at Chriſt, but thoſe are not to be mattered; ſuch perſons do deſtroy their own ſelves, and like Serpents they turn every thing they eat into poiſon; but we ſpeak now of thoſe things that give a juſt offence, that are not juſtifiable and warrantable. Theſe things, thoſe that deſire to adorn religion will abſtain from. If Auguſtus ſaid, That an Emperor was not only to be free from crimes, but alſo from the ſuſpition of them; How much more ſhould Chriſtians, who are commanded to abſtain from all appearance of evil? 1 Theſſ. 5. 22.
Fourthly, They that walk worthy of his calling, they are endued with magnanimous and high reſolutions ſutable thereunto. They are ſaid to be born of God; Fortes creantur 4.fortibus. They reſemble their father of whom they are born; Doth earthly greatneſſe and nobility make men put themſelves in a different behaviour and deportment from thoſe that are of an inferiour breed? we ſay, Such a man ſheweth his breeding, he is a Gentleman every inch of him; How much rather may we ſay, Such a man ſheweth his Chriſtianity, He is a Chriſtian in every particular, you may know who is his father, he ſcorneth to debaſe himſelf by ſinne? yet many men think the only gallantry in the world lieth in the beaſtly pleaſures of the fleſh; Thus while they think themſelves more then other men, they make themſelves worſe then the very beaſts. Remember thy Chriſtianity, and that will raiſe up thy heart to things that are indeed glorious and excellent; to mortifie thy paſſions, to conquer thy luſts, to have fellowſhip and communion with God in holy duties, to be above the allurements or diſcouragements of the world, to fear nothing but ſinne; theſe are magnanimous and generous things, and ſuch only they do, who walk worthy of this calling.
Laſtly, They walk worthy, who abound in the graces following this verſe: For the Apoſtle of all other duties, inſtanceth in lowlineſſe and meekneſſe of minde, 5.with all long-ſuffering and forbearance. Lowlineſſe of minde is that humility of heart, whereby we give all to Gods grace, and take nothing to our ſelves, Praiſe is comely for the upright. Nothing but grace, grace ſhould come out of the mouth that is thus graciouſly called by God. Thus Paul often breatheth out the praiſes of the riches of Gods grace and long-ſuffering, with much patience intreating and exhorting others to come out of their dangerous eſtate they are in. They conſider how much patience God and good men ſhewed to them, how often they were rebellious and refractory, yet God did not leave them. And certainly this is a very great grace, not to be wearied out, but ſtill importuning thoſe that gainſay, if God may yet give them grace to repent.
Uſe of Examination: Bring we our ſelves to theſe trials and touchſtones. Is Uſe.all our calling thus holy? Is Chriſtianity thus obliging unto all purity and godlineſſe? Oh then let the greater part of men amongſt us be aſhamed, and full of confuſion! Whoſe zeal muſt not burn like fire to ſee the reproach and ſcandal to Chriſtianity by the lives of thoſe, who call themſelves Chriſtians, but indeed are not? They have a name that they live, but are really dead. Doth your Chriſtian religion teach you to lie, ſwear, and live in all carnal jollity? Doth the Scripture, doth Chriſt teach you no better things? Let the heavens bluſh, and the earth tremble to hear and ſee, what is done among thoſe, who yet profeſſe the faith of Chriſt: Oh either lay aſide ſuch titles, or lay aſide thoſe ungodly practices! Thou art bound to thy good and godly behaviour, its not for ſheep to lie and wallow in the mire like ſwine; its not for flowers to ſmell like weeds; not for the myrtle trees to become like the brambles; How long ſhall theſe things ſound in your ears, and yet the Lord not give you underſtanding rightly to apply them? Cry out of your ſelves as unſavoury ſalt; ſtand aloof off as unclean Lepers, unworthy that God or good men ſhould own you.
Uſe 2. To the godly: Let this be a go…d in their ſide, let not the ſame ſins and infirmities be in them, as in men of the world: Art thou proud, earthly, paſſionate, diſcontented? ſay, How am I become thus like a beaſt, I forget my ſelf, I forget my holy calling.