MAT. 22. 14.
VVE have described the characters and properties of those who are called and not chosen: And that which is most remarkable in them is, They are careful to do many things, but not the main necessary things. This Guest mentioned before, he was careful to come and sit down at the feast, but not as careful to prepare a Wedding-garment; whereas common reason and discretion would have taught him, if I go to this wedding, this Marriage-Feast, which is also of so Royal a person, I must prepare sutable garments, I shall dishonor them, and disgrace my self, if I do otherwise?
Now the plain meaning of this Parable is thus much, I am called to be a1 Christian, I am invited to the precious feast and dainties of the Gospel; now if I go to them, and accept of them, my conscience tells me, I must live the life of a Christian, I must not dishonor that Christ, whose servant and Disciple I profess my self to be: But because men are so apt to divide these two, which God hath so necessarily conjoyned together; and there is nothing more ordinary then to have the faith of a Christian, and the life of a Christian, as contrary as light and darkness whereby they are like those night Bats, look upon their wings, and you would judge them Birds, but look upon their body, you would judge them Vermin: So it is, look upon their faith, their profession, you would then judge them Christians; look upon their lives and ways, you would then say, they were Atheists or Heathens.
Because of this diverse mixture in mens lives, their plowing with an Ox and Ass, their sowing with contrary seeds, I shall amplifie and urge this particular;
That by the same reason any man doth receive any thing of Christ, he is bound to2 receive all.
Upon what ground thou wilt pray, hear his word preached, thou art bound to cast away all thy ungodliness, to set upon the strict and powerful means of holiness: And O that God would by this truth convince you, how contradictory every ill-lived Christian is to his own principles; that he is a self convinced man, that he is the greatest hypocrite in the world, that God requireth all or none; that we are to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength; that there is no taking half of God, or half of Christ: To be almost a Christian, is to be almost saved, and that is to be wholly damned.
Before we come to lay down the grounds of this, consider these particulars:3
First, That the imbracing of the Christian faith, and the Laws of Christ, are to be an act of the freest choice, and voluntary acceptation that can be: Though custom and education may help and prepare, and much incline, yet till a man come to Christ by his own faith, and by his own willing inclination, its not acceptable: Religio non potest cogi: Caesar non potest dare fidem, was the saying of the Ancients; even as it is said of Moses, He chose the afflictions of Christ, rather then the treasures of Egypt, Heb. 11. Thus a Christian, he chooseth rather the way of Christ, though requiring much self-denial, though exposed to all hatred, rather then any other advantagious way in the world: Now then grant this, That to obey Christs call, is an act of meer voluntary choice, then there is no intelligent man, can imbrace any one command of Christ, who doth not likewise submit to all. Would you then know, how Christianity comes to be thus divided and mingled, an ungodly life, to a godly faith, like a live man, to a dead carkass; one main reason is, because we have this Religion by education, by custom, by the Laws of the Land, if it had been any other, Popery or Judaism, it had been all one: It is to the unknown God that most build an Altar, and by this means men are not careful to bring up their lives to this Christianity, but bring down that to them; whereas every man that taketh this holy and glorious profession upon him, should wisely weigh, what is this I have taken upon me? what doth it require of me? In all other worldly or external callings we conclude, and much more this should be done in this heavenly calling. Our Saviour gives an excellent caution herein, making the profession of Christianity, to be like war and building, Luke 14. 31. which are the two most expensive attempts that can be: Do you not deride that builder, who goeth about to rear a glorious building, and hath nothing to do it withall? Do you not say, Where is your money? what will you do it with? will you not proclaim your folly to all the world? So it is here, What? wilt thou be a Christian? wilt thou believe in Christ? Why where is thy holiness, thy purity, thy chastity, thy heavenliness? I tell thee, to profess Christ, and yet be a drunkard, a whoremonger, is as great a mocking and scorning of Christ, as they did who crucified him, that in scorn put on him a crown of thorns, and saluted him as a King: Oh then, that this truth might sound as terribly in your ears, as the Archangels trumpet will at the day of Judgement! Its no dallying matter, its no matter of words and complement to come at Gods call: No, let every one that calls on the name of Christ depart from iniquity.