Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 7 · Verse 21
Verse 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall …, &c.]
Not every verball professour, or forward pretender to me and my truth, shall be saved. That son of perdition, called Christ Lord, Lord, yet … him wich a kisse; and is gone to his place. How many Judasses have we, that speak Christ fair, but by their loose and … lives, deliver him up to the scoffs and buffetings of his …? that bow the knee to him, and bid Hail King of the …, yet smite him on the face, and bid him prophecy who … him, that put a reeden scepter in his hand, and make him a … Lord only, having no more then a form of knowledge, Rom. 2. 20. a pretence of piety, 2 Tim. 3. 5. and a semblance of …, Luk. 8. 18. contenting themselves with the name of Christians: As if many a ship had not been called Safe-gard, or Goodspeed and yet fallen into the hands of Pirates. These are blots of goodnesse, botches of the Church, as Augustus was used to tearm his three untoward children, tres vomicas, tria carriomata, mattery…. in Aug. cap. 65 foreign … … …. … 2. impostumes, ulcerous sores. Epictetus complained that there were many would be Philosophers, as far as a few good words would goe; but were nothing for practise. Socrates made no distinction between foreign and foreign, knowing and doing: so to know good as to practise it, and evil as to avoid it, this he esteemed the only wisedom. Such as say well and doe well, are to be embraced, saith Aristotle: but their very profession is to be suspected,foreign … cap. 4 that second it not with a suitable practice. Nesciunt insani …, foreign, qui non vivunt honestè, saith another. There are that speak like Angels, live like devils: that have … smooth tongue, but Esaus rough hands. Audi, nemo … specta, nemopejùs: Loquitur hic ut Piso, vivit ut Gallomus. … men admire Tullies tongue, saith S. Austin, not so his practice, … could give excellent counsel to others, which himself did … take. He is much taxed for flattery, luxury, covetousnesse, … and something he confesseth hereof (though covertly) in that sentence of his, in his book de Tranquillitate, Necaegroto, …, I am neither sick, nor found. Lillies are fair in shew, but foul … ……. Coin is white in colour, but draws a black line after it: … worms seem to have both light and heat; but touch them only, … it will appear they have neither. Livy saith, that the … … warre against Phillip of Macedon with letters and words… So … many against the devil; they defie him with their … but … him in their lives: they spit at his name, but admit … his suggestions: they call Christ Lord, Lord, but in truth and … the matter, the devil is their good Lord: for his servants they are … whom they obey. They lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not … Lord amongst us? none evil can come unto us. But he shall … …. 3. 11.them off with a discedite, depart ye. He likes not this Court-holy water, as they call it, these fair professions and deep protestations … love, when mens hearts are not with him, when there is not … power of religion, the practice of godlinesse. The leaves of profession he dislikes not, for as they are of medicinable use, Ezek. 47. 12. so they are good inducements to force a necessity of more …. But he looks for more then leaves: he goes down to … garden to see how it comes forward, in righteousnesse, peace, … in the holy Ghost: in meeknesse, tender-heartednesse, love: … patience, humility, contentednesse, in mortification of sin, moderation of passion, holy guidance of the tongue; in works of mercy, truth and justice; in self-deniall, love of enemies, life of faith; in heavenly-mindednesse, sweet communion with God, comfortable longing for the comming of Christ, &c. These be those fruits, and that doing of Gods will, without the which our Saviour here averreth there's no heaven to be had, no though men professe largely, preach frequently, pray ardently, eat and drink at his table,…. dispossesse devils in his Name, &c. Judas did all this and was damned. Shalt thou to heaven that doest no more? no nor so much? Woe to all carelesse professours, and carnall Gospellers. The Lord will make all the Churches know that he searcheth the …, and will not be beguiled with the fig-leaves of formality. And for those that carry it more cleanly, as they conceive, and can walk undiscovered; let them know, that God (that … may make the name of the wicked to rot) many times so detects their …, that their wickednesse is shewed to the whole Congregation, Prov. 26. 26. Or if not so, yet certainly he will doe it at that … Judgement, that great Assize (as it follows in the next …) when it shall be required of men, non quid legerint, sed foreign Agapet.… egerint, non quid dixerint, sed quomodo vixerint, not how … they have talked of heaven, but how well they have walked … the way to heaven: not a proffering of words, but an offering … works, as Agapetus hath it. The foolish Virgins were found with their sic dicentes: but the good servants with their sic ….