Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 5 · Verse and explication 5
Vers. 5. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ, and of God.
HE doth further inforce the dehortation by a new argument, wherein is more of terrour than in the former: and that it may be more terrible and pungent, he appealeth to their own conscience and knowledge for the truth of what he is to affirm, to wit, that all impenitent persisters (for of such only this and the like threatnings are to be understood, Jer. 18. 7. 8.) in any of those three vices, mentioned, ver. 3. (which holdeth also by proportion in the other three, mentioned, ver. 4. as being so neer of kin to the former) were deprived of all present right unto, and should never come to the possession of that blessed state of eternal glory in heaven: which glorious state is here called a Kingdom and inheritance, (See reasons hereof upon Gal. 5. 21. doct. 9.) and the Kingdom of Christ, because it is His, as He is Mediator, by donation from the Father, Psal. 2. 8. in so far as the Father hath intrusted Him with the administration of the Kingdom of grace here, Matth. 28. ver. 18. by which means, an entrance is made for the Elect into the Kingdom of glory, Joh. 14. 2, 3. It is called also the Kingdom of God (or the whole persons of the blessed Trinity, distinct from Christ as Mediator) because it is Gods by originall right, and as absolute King of this Kingdom, who is accountable to none, 1 Cor. 15. 28. This argument is further strengthened by joyning another upon the by with it; while he deterreth them from one of the fore-mentioned evils, to wit, covetousnesse, by calling the covetous man an Idolater; because he setteth his prime affections of love and confidence upon riches, 1 Tim. 6. 16. Prov. 18. 11. holdeth them for an universall good, sufficient for all things, Luk. 12. 19. as God only is, 2 Cor. 9. 8. and because he beareth such respect unto them, that he dare not freely make use of them, Eccles. 6. 2. and serveth them with his heart as some god-head, Matth. 6. -24. Hence, Learn, 1. So strong is the interest of sin, even in the best; and so violent are those tentations especially, which drive men towards the fulfilling of their fleshly lusts, That although a man be convinced of the great evil which is in them, and the losse of heaven which doth follow upon his living in them; yet there is no small hazard, when such tentations are presented, of yeelding to them: for he taketh it for granted they knew the hazard of living in those sins, and yet doth see it necessary to set them on their guard against them; for, this ye know, that no whoremonger, &c. 2. The Lords servants are not to flatter people in any beloved sin, upon pretence of rendering them thereby more tractable and obedient in other things; but must discover the evil of all sin, excepting none, though it were never so generally practised, yea, and pleaded-for by those to whom they preach: for, this sin of uncleannesse, chiefly of fornication, was commonly practised and pleaded-for as no sin among the Gentiles; yet Paul, at his first preaching the Gospel to those Ephesians, had spoken against it, and convinced them of the ill which is in it: Hence, he saith so confidently; for this ye know, that no whoremonger—hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ. 3. As this doth highly aggreage a sin, that it is committed against our knowledge; So the moe and weightier aggravations that any sin is liable unto, when it is committed, we ought to be the more deterred from the committing of it; for, he mindeth them of their knowing the danger that would follow upon those sins, hereby implying, their guilt would be the more weighty, if they should commit them, that so they might be deterred from them; For this ye know, that no whoremonger, &c. 4. Prohibitions and threatnings denounced in Scripture against any grosse externall sin, are to be extended unto all the causes, means, occasions and appearances of that sin, and provocations to it: for, this threatning against whoredom and uncleannesse, is to be applied unto filthy speaking, foolish talking and jesting (as being either causes, occasions, appearances of, or provocations unto those) otherwise the threatning would not be of force to presse the former dehortation in its full latitude: No whoremonger, nor unclean person—hath any inheritance. 5. The doolfull sad event, and dreadfull consequence of sin, would be seriously represented by Christ's servants unto the Lords people, and by people to their own conscience; there being nothing of greater force to cool the vehement heat of sinfull lusts, than the frequent and serious consideration of their dreadful issue: for, Paul, to scare them from fornication and uncleannesse, presenteth unto them the event of all such work, even losse of heaven and happinesse; No whoremonger-hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ. 6. The reign of sin in the heart, cannot consist with true grace and a right to heaven; and therefore the truely regenerate, in whom the seed of God abideth, are never so far left of God, as that sin should reign in them, and they give willing obedience to it with the full swey and consent of the heart: There must be alwayes a party acting for God in some degree lesse or more within them, at least not consenting to act against Him, even when they are at the worst, and possibly overcome with some grosse tentation: in which respect, they cannot be the whoremonger, unclean or covetous person here spoken of, to wit, one in whom such sins reign: for, saith he, none such have any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ. He speaketh of somewhat which they presently want, and others have, which must be a right to the Kingdom of glory, or a present portion in the Kingdom of grace. 7. To whatsoever a man doth give that outward or inward worship and service, which is only due to God, that thing, though it were never so base, is that man's god, who is thereby rendered guilty of Idolatry, and of giving divine worship unto a false God, though he think not so: for, the covetous man is called an Idolater, and consequently riches are his god; because he setteth his prime affections of love and confidence upon them in that measure which is only due to God; Nor covetous man who is an Idolater. 8. There is no accesse for lost sinners unto the Kingdom of God in glory, but by Jesus Christ the Mediator, who is the way, the truth and the life, and without whom none cometh unto the Father, Joh. 14. 6. for, it is the Kingdom of Christ and of God: Christ is first named, because we make entrance by Him in this Kingdom.