The Christian Mans Calling, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The opening of the Text and the Doctrine.
2. TImothy is to be conſidered as a member of Chriſt, or in his general calling; and ſo this Exhortation belongs to every Chriſtian.
In it we may obſerve theſe three parts.
1. The act, Exerciſe.
2. The ſubject of that act, Thy ſelf.
3. The object about which it was to be converſant, Ʋnto godlineſs; Exerciſe thy ſelf unto godlineſs.
I ſhall briefly open the terms in the Text, and then lay down the Doctrinal truth.
Exerciſe] The word ſignifieth, foreign. Exercei ſemeti…ſem ad pietatem qui diligerter intambit action bus qui bus deus ſervitur. Eſt. in locſtrip thy ſelf naked; its a metaphor from Runners, or Wreſtlers, who being to contend for the prize, and reſolved to put forth all their ſtrength and power, lay aſide their cloaths which may hinder them, and then beſtir themſelves to purpoſe; as if Paul had ſaid, O Timothy, let godlineſs be the object of all thy care and coſt. Follow thy general calling with the greateſt induſtry; purſue it diligently, do not loiter but labour about it: lay aſide what may hinder, lay hold of what may further, and mind it as the main and principal work which thou haſt to do in this world.
Thy ſelf] A Chriſtians firſt care muſt be about his own ſpiritual welfare. foreignReligion commands us to be mindful of, and helpful to our neighbours and relations; The Sun rayeth out his refreſhing beams, and the Spring bubleth up her purling ſtreams for the good of others. Fire in the chimney warmeth the whole room, but it is burning hot on the hearth. Grace in a Saint will make him uſeful to ſinners, but chiefly (though not ſolely) to his own ſoul. Timothy, be not like a burning glaſs to put others into a flame, whilſt thou thy ſelf remaineſt unfired, but work hard to exalt holineſs in thine own heart: Exerciſe thy ſelf.
Ʋnto godlineſs] Godlineſs is taken in Scripture either ſtrictly or largely.foreign Verum & rectum dei culium ſignificat maxi … ſocris Scrip …. H…braea ph…aſi timor domini vocatur. Sv…us interp. juſtitiam vo cat. Eſt in loc.
1. Strictly, and then it includeth onelyonly the immediate worſhip of God, or obedience to the Firſt Table, and is diſtinguiſhed from righteouſneſs, Tit. 2.11, 12. ſo ungodlineſs is diſtinct from unrighteouſneſs, Rom. 1.18.
2. Largely, And then it comprehendeth our duty to our neighbour, as well as to God, and obedience to the Second as well as the firſt Table, ſo righteouſneſs is religion, and in our dealings with men we may do our duty to God; its taken thus, 1 Tim. 6.6. and in the Text. The good Husbandman makes no balks in the field of Gods precepts. Timothy muſt make it his trade to pay God and men their due. He muſt not like the Phariſees ſeem as tender of the Firſt Table as of the apple of his eye, and trample the ſecond as dirt under his feet; they prayed in Gods houſe all day, to prey upon the widows houſe at night; nor as ſome (whom the world call honeſt men) who will not wrong their neighbours of the leaſt mite, and yet wickedly rob God of many millions; they ſteal from him both time and love, and truſt and beſtow them on earthly trifles; the bird that will flye well muſt uſe both wings; the Waterman if he would have his boat move rightly, muſt ply both oars; the Chriſtian if he would make any thing of his heavenly trade muſt minde both Tables.
The Truth that I ſhall draw from the Text is this, That Godlineſs ought to be minded, as every ones main and principal buſineſs. Exerciſe thy ſelf unto godlineſs.
Religion muſt be our cheif occupation. The great Trade that we follow in this world, muſt be the Trade of Truth.
It is obſervable, that the more noble and ſingular a being is, the more it is imployed in a ſuitable working. God who is the higheſt in perfections, is not onelyonly the holieſt but the moſt conſtant and diligent in his operations. Hitherto my Father worketh and I work, Joh. 5.17. His work indeed is without wearineſs, his labour without the leaſt laſſitude (as they ſay of Heaven Coeli motus quies) all Gods working days are Sabbaths, days of reſt; but he is a pure act, and he is every moment infinitely active from and for himſelf. Angels are next to God in being, and ſo are next to him in working. They do God the moſt ſervice, and they do him the beſt ſervice; they ſerve God without ſin, and they ſerve him without ceaſing; he makes his Angels ſpirits, and his Miniſters a flame of fire, Heb. 1.7. ſpirits are the moſt active creatures with life, fire is the moſt active creature without life, a flame is the moſt operative part of the fire: Thus active are Angels in working for God. Some by fire underſtand lightnings, by ſpirits, winds. As winds and lightnings preſently paſs through the earth, ſo Angels preſently fulfil Gods holy Will.
Now as he hath given man a more excellent being, then the reſt of the viſible world, ſo hath he called him to follow after and abound in the moſt excellent work. God hath appointed contemplation or viſion to be mans reward in heaven. To ſee God as he is, and to know him as he is known of him; but ſervice and action to be his work on earth, to exerciſe himſelf to godlineſs.
Some read that, Job 5.7. thus, Man is born to work as the ſparks flie upward. Indeed it is the decreed lot of all mankind to labour. Adam was called to induſtry in his ſtate of innocency, Gen. 2.15. and ſince mans fall, Non eſt panis cujuſquam proprius, nec ſummi quidem re gis niſi ſtrenue laboret in vocatione ſua. Rol. 1 Theſſ. 3.6.his work which was before his pleaſure, is now his puniſhment, if he eat not his bread in the ſweat of his brow or his brains, he ſteals it: He that like a body louſe lives upon others ſweat, is like Jeremiahs girdle good for nothing. But the main work which God commandeth and commendeth to the children of men, is to glorifie him upon earth, by exerciſing themſelves to godlineſs. This is Gods precept, and this hath been the Saints practice: This is Gods precept, Work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2.12. In which words we have the Chriſtians end, eternal life, Salvation; and the means to attain it diligent labour, work out your ſalvation; he had need to labour hard that would attain Heaven. Non dicit foreign, operaminiſed foreign, acurate magno que cum ſtud…o operamini, cum m…ta dil…gentia & ſolicitudine pergite veſtram operari ſalutem. A Lapid. in Phil. 2.Godlineſs muſt be not foreign, his by-buſineſs, but foreign, his main buſineſs. The Jews have a proverb (alluding to Manna, which was to be gathered the ſixth day for the ſeventh, becauſe on the ſeventh none fell from heaven) He that gathereth not food on the Sabbath eve, ſhall faſt on the Sabbath day. Intimating thereby that none ſhall reign in Heaven but ſuch as have wrought on earth.
This hath been the Saints practice, Our converſation is in heaven, Phil. 3.18. Though our habitations be on earth, yet our foreign, our negotiation is in heaven. As a Merchant that lives in London drives a great trade in Turky, or the remoteſt part of the Indies: So Paul and the Saints traded and traffiqued afar off in the other world above, even when their abodes were here below. Godlineſs was their buſineſs; Chriſtianity was minded and followed as their principal trade and calling: It is the calling of ſome, to plough, and ſow, and reap: The Chriſtian makes and follows it as his calling, to plough up the fallow ground of his heart, to ſow in righteouſneſs, that he may reap in mercy, Hoſ. 10.12. The trade of others is to buy and ſell; the godly man is the wiſe Merchant trading for goodly pearls, that ſells all to buy the field where the pearl of great price is, Matth. 13.43.
For the Explication of this Truth, That religion or godlineſs ought to be every ones principal buſineſs, I ſhall ſpeak to theſe three things:
Firſt, What Religion or godlineſs is.
Secondly, What it is for a man to make Religion his buſineſs, or to exerciſe himſelf to Godlineſs
Thirdly, Why every Chriſtian muſt mind Godlineſs as his main buſineſs.