Sermon III
Sell whatsoever thou hast. - MARK 10:21. (Second Clause.)
THE Papists will have this to be an evangelical counsel, not a command; that is a good work shown to us by Christ, but not commanded, only commended by him. But all the counsels of God are commands, Rev. 1:19, 20. and all perfection is commanded peremptorily, Matth. 5:48. And for the one before us, it is a plain command peremptorily obliging him to obedience. True, it is not an universal command, but personal and explanatory, to discover the worldliness of this covetous wretch; and God having called for this at his hands, he could no more possess them with a good conscience. Hence in general
Doctrine III. It is the duty of all to sit so loose to whatever they have in the world, as to be ready to part with it at the call of God. I will show,
I. When it is that people have a call from God to part with what they have. Here I remark,
1. That when in the holy providence of God, it comes to this, that people must either sin or suffer; when they must either part with their goods, or part with a good conscience, then God calls us to part with what we have. Hence we read, that in such times, "the saints took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves, that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance." At such
times all that is called for and kept back, is robbed from, and cursed by God. It is not long since the violence of persecutors brought professors to this strait, and we know not how soon it may again be the case. But we must give it to them, though it be not theirs; for it is no longer ours than we can keep it without sin. The blood of the soul is such watering to what we have, that we cannot expect that it will thrive after. The world is the garment, which like Joseph, we must leave behind us, when we cannot retain it without sin.
2. When needy objects present themselves to us, and we are in capacity to help them, then God calls us to part with it to them. Hence it is said, "He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given, will he pay him again." It is a dangerous thing to refuse God a loan. The poor have a right to a portion of our goods, by virtue of the command of God, who hath given them to us with this burden, as the duty which we owe to him of whom we hold, as Lord of the earth. This is a time in which we have many such calls, let us then take heed we keep not back what God is seeking from us. "For whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." Even then though people should be straitened themselves, yet let us remember how the deep poverty of the Macedonians, abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
3. When what people have hath been acquired unjustly; what is got unjustly is not ours in the sight of God, and therefore God calls us to part with it again. Zaccheus when converted said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." Whatever is got unjustly is a moth among the rest, and brings a curse with it.—Surely they have a slippery hold of what they have, that possess other people's property as their own. Unjust dealing makes many persons'
property go away from them very suddenly. Have not our eyes seen the ill gotten goods of persecutors and others, that have enriched themselves with the spoils of the Lord's people, vanish away from among their hands by virtue of a secret curse. How often do estates go from hand to hand, being purchased so much by injustice and oppression, which they will not restore, and God makes them vomit it up again. "The wicked man hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly." In such a case then, both conscience and interest call for parting with it, Job 20:10.
4. When God by his providence is pulling it from us. Then it becomes us to say with Job, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Sometimes God lays comforts to our hands, sometimes he returns and calls for his own again; then we should be ready to part with them. This is a day, in which God has many on their trials this way, take heed that you behave under them. When God is pulling away with his hand, let not your hearts draw against him. Never cast out with God and heaven for this world's goods; never have a worse thought of him and his way, because he will have back his own again, but thank him for what he leaves you. Let us now,
II. Give the reasons of the doctrine.
1. Because it is the command of God. "Love not the world, saith he, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." He hath placed us in the world, and he commands us to sit loose to it. The authority of God should sway us. They sit too fast who are not ready to rise at his call.
2. Because he hath power to take from us whatsoever we have. He hath a right to it. It is his own, and may he not do with his own what he pleaseth?—Whatsoever he hath given us, he hath not denuded himself of the right to it. The use of it during his pleasure is ours, the property his. He is also able to take it from us, whether we will or not. Keep as fast a hold as you can, God can easily divide you and it. And indeed people are never more exposed to this, than when they hold very fast. Now what reason, what wisdom in not sitting loose to that to which God hath still a right, and is perfectly able to take whenever he pleaseth.
3. Because he hath given us the use of what we have on no other terms, but to part with it when he calls for it again. It is then a loan more properly than a gift. We are not to sit so loose to grace, for it is an irrevocable gift. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. But for the world we are tenants at will, and he may raise us at any time, nor did he ever set us down upon other terms. "Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven." God hath stamped uncertainty upon all our enjoyments, which, when we look to them, tells us to keep a loose hold of them.
4. Because otherwise we put them in God's stead, and are therefore guilty of idolatry. Therefore it is said, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For if there be any thing which we are not ready to part with at God's call, then there is something we love more than God, seeing we will rather displease him than part with it. How can we say we love him, when we will not part with what we have for his sake? Is there any thing to be laid in the balance with his favour? Is there any thing can compensate the loss of it? Any thing at the rate of which his frowns are purchased, that ought to be regarded.
5. Because there is nothing worthy of its room with us, after God has called for it from us. For it cannot be expected that God and it will lodge together after. "Neither will I be with you any more, said God to the Israelites, until you take away the accursed thing from among you." Whatever is thus kept will be fair to be a plague to you. Laying up often proves a plague, when God calls to laying out. "There is, says the wise man, a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail." See the end of the rich man, Luke 16:19–23. Take heed that what you keep up, do not go a worse way and take away more with it, Mal. 3:8–10. God takes away all the good out of that which people cannot part with for him.
6. Because we must part with it sooner or later, and this is the most pleasant way of parting with it. It is true, people may be longer in parting with it. But they will never part with it so easily as that way. Ripe fruit falls easily from the tree, when the unripe must be violently plucked. When the heart is loosed from what we have, it is easy letting it away, by what it is when the heart holds by it, till it is forced to let it go.—Again, we can never part with it so honourably. The liberality of the Macedonians was a clear evidence of the grace of God bestowed upon them. No thanks to you when God takes it from you, whether you will or not. People must let go what they have when they are utterly unable to keep it any longer. Oh! how honourable is it to forsake the world at God's call, Song 4:8.
Use of Exhortation. O then sit loose to the world and whatsoever you have in it. Sell whatsoever you have in this respect. There is a twofold spiritual market spoken of in the scriptures. The first is that in which sinners are called to buy whatsoever they want. "I counsel thee, saith Jesus, to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame
of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see." This market is opened in the gospel, and God has stored it with whatsoever may suit our necessities. The second market is that in which sinners are to sell whatsoever they have.— This market is mentioned, Matth. 13:44–46. All that have a mind for heaven must trade in both these markets. It is the last of these of which I now speak, and invite you to trade in. I shall speak of five things respecting this market.
I. The opening of this market. This God himself hath done by open proclamation in his word, bearing two things.
1. That whosoever will bring whatsoever they have to this market and sell it, it shall be bought, and they shall get an upmaking price for it, a thousand times more than it is worth. See the text. See also Matth. 19:29. Matth. 6:19, 20. Whoso will thus lay out their treasures in earth for God, shall lay up treasures in heaven. Is not this an engaging market?
2. That all are obliged to bring whatsoever they have to it, and sell it there. So says the text. It is laid on us as a peremptory duty, thus to sell all, Song 4:8. 1 John 2:15. It is not left to our option whether we will do it or not, but enjoined with certification of God's highest displeasure if we do it not, Matth. 16:25, 26. And there are many who are set up as monuments of God's indignation, because they would not do it.
II. Who is the buyer? In the other market God is the seller, and sinners are the buyers: here God is the buyer, the sinner the seller. It is the Lord, the happy merchant resigns it, whomsoever he employs to receive it. God can employ the wind, water, fire, enemies, thieves, oppressors, devils, death, and the like, to receive it. But it is to himself that it goes. For he gave and he taketh away. It is he that
payeth the price, though not of debt, yet of grace, even treasures in heaven. "The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." It is God that makes the offer for it, and strikes hands with the sinner for the up-making reward. Now who would refuse to part with all to him, who leaves it for the most part, and his blessing with it unto the sinner for a long time, when once it is given up to him, and they are ready to part with it. No sooner the soul enters home to Christ, but it lays all down at his feet, saying, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do," and he leaves it with them till he see need to call for it. Again, yea, he never actually takes it from them, but when it is good for them to want it.—"For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." When Isaiah intimated to Hezekiah, the judgments that were to come upon his family and kingdom, the king said, "Good is the will of the Lord which thou hast spoken; he said, moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days." So indeed runs the promise. "All things shall work together for good to them that love God." All is for their good, for all things are theirs. And faith will make the soul say, He doth all things well. All is best that he doth.
III. Where is this market kept? This sale of all to God is made in the heart of the sinner. It is in the innermost parts of the soul that this solemn transaction passeth. When God begins to deal with a soul, he puts the soul out of its sinful rest, and then all that a man hath, is brought out and viewed in the heart. The Saviour comes with his gold tried in the fire, and offers the exchange, and the soul seeing the emptiness of whatsoever it hath, sells, renounces, and gives over all to the Lord, and consents to the blessed offer. And so necessary is this, that if it were most solemnly made by the tongue, or at a communion table, if it be not done in the heart, it is no bargain. But however secretly it is managed, there are two witnesses to it. These are 1st, The man's own spirit who knoweth the things of a man. "O
my soul, says David, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord." This is as a thousand witnesses, and can often condescend on time and place, where this solemn bargain was made. The 2d, Is the Spirit of God, who is a joint witness with our spirit. "For the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." He likewise seals the blessed bargain, as the privy seal of heaven. "For we are sealed with that holy spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance." Thus the bargain is secretly ratified. And in the sacraments it is publicly sealed, both on God's part and the sinner's part. In these the sinner renounceth the devil, the world, and the flesh, and openly declares his willingness to part with all for Christ.
IV. What are these things we must sell in this market. It is whatsoever we have in this world. We must sit so loose to it as to be ready to part with it whenever God calls for them at our hands. There must be nothing but what we thus sell in affection. Particularly, 1st. Our nearest relations. "If any man, saith Christ, come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." True, we are to love them, and that as ourselves, yet not as our God, and therefore we must be ready to part with them at his call. It was the commendation of Levi, that in the cause of God, he regarded none of these, Deut. 33:9. If thou be a true Christian, if God should take away husband, wife, children, and other relatives from thee, it would be but the delivering up of what thou didst solemnly part with to him, when you closed with Christ. O what fast holds do we keep of these things! How unready to part with them! How ready to quarrel with the Lord upon these things! but consider our Lord's words, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me."
2. Our goods and possessions be they great or small, lest we be like him of whom the text speaks, ver. 22. We must part with all to the Lord, houses, and lands, and goods, and be ready to part with them at a call, and lay them all down at the Lord's feet that he may dispose of them as he will. Though our idols were of gold, they must be sold off as thick clay that can do nothing but lade us, when God calls for them. For no man can serve two masters. In the day you take God for your Lord, you must renounce mammon's Lordship.
3. Our worldly pleasures and satisfactions. These also must be laid down at the Lord's feet; and we content to be without them, as well as with them, and never to launch so far, but when God calls we be ready to come ashore. If God shall please to deny us even our lawful desires, mingle our drink with gall and make us of those that never eat with pleasure, we must be ready to give up with what he sees not meet to let us keep.
4. Our credit and esteem is in the world. This is a great mercy in itself. For a good name is better than precious ointment. But it is oftentimes a great idol, so that the credit of many goes between God and them. But we must lay it at the Lord's feet among other things. There are few that have much of it but they suffer an eclipse of it some time or other. God even sends for it, and sometimes to be a stepping-stone to his glory. We should not refuse it to him, but be content to follow him through ill as well as good report. They have not made this sale that are not content to part with it at his call, and even lie down among the pots till he himself bring them out again.
5. Our liberty and ease. "I am ready, said Paul, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." The flesh cries, man spare thyself; but the Spirit offers the flesh to the Lord, that he may dispose of it as he will. It is a mercy to have liberty
and ease, but we must be ready to part with them if we should never get an easy hour, but be hunted as partridges, till we get to heaven. He that loves his liberty so as not to part with it at God's call is yet the devil's bond slave, and has not been at this market.
Lastly, Our very life must be brought hither and sold. For unless a man hate his own life also, saith Jesus, he cannot be my disciple. You must give your bodies to the Lord, not only for service, but for a sacrifice also if he requires them. And when you have made this bargain it is no dear purchase, Acts 20:24.—There are none that go to heaven, but are martyrs either in affection or action. Perhaps the Lord may have use for your strength, beauty, leg, or limb, and perhaps for your blood. You must not stand with him for any of these things, but make them his by resignation; and when he calls for his own let him have it with good-will. Most probably he will not seek your life, but in a natural way, but you must be ready so as to part with it, if he call for it. "I am ready, said Paul, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus."
V. In what this sale consists.
1. In the heart's renouncing its property in these things, Matth. 16:24. These things the heart of man naturally looks upon, and holds as its own, as suited to its corrupt state; and therefore its own by choice, Luke 12:19. Hence so many carnal my's, my corn, my cattle, &c. but not a word of my God among them all, Hos. 2:5. Now there must be a selling of them in affection. The heart must quit its firm hold of them, and so be loosed from them, the bonds of iniquity that bound the heart and the world together being broken. "If any man, said Jesus, come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
2. In the heart's resigning of these things unto the Lord, saying with Paul, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. The soul must thus give up all unto the Lord, that he may do with them as with his own, what he pleaseth, 1 Sam. 3:18. 2 Sam. 15:25, 26. No soul closeth with Christ aright, who does not lay all its enjoyments, even life itself at his feet. These were the man's gods before, now they are laid on the altar for sacrifices to the true God, and the man is ready to surrender them all to him.
3. The heart's accepting of the treasure in heaven, for and instead of them, so says the text, thou shalt have treasure in heaven. God does not desire us, nor will the heart part with these but for something better, Matth. 13:44–46. Thus the heart riseth from off the earth and embraceth heaven. And the former my's are changed unto my Lord, and my God. But treasure in heaven is far off from them. How then can they accept of it? Answer, Many a good bargain is made, where there is not hand payment. But they get a present right to heaven and all the treasure.—All things are theirs, and they are Christ's. They are immediately heirs of glory. "For to as many as receive him, Jesus gives power to become the sons of God. And if children, heirs, then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." They have then a right to all the weight of glory. They have also God's bond of payment, and what though he take a day, it will be punctually kept. All the promises are theirs. They get the earnest in hand. "After they believe, they are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance." Thus as the spirit of the world goes out, the Spirit of the Lord comes in. Now this earnest is both part of the price, and a pledge of the rest. Yea, they get the chief, the best part of the treasure in hand, Matth. 13:45, 46. The one pearl of great price. Christ is theirs, who is God's unspeakable gift, he is the great leading and comprehensive one of all. Thus is that blessed bargain made.
VI. How is this sale to be managed. If you would manage it right,
1. You must sell wholesale. God will not bargain for parcels. The text is express. All or nothing.—God needs none of these things. It is your heart only that he is seeking: and he would buy up these things that your hearts may not be led away with them. Now the heart may go a whoring after one as well as after many; therefore if there be any one thing, which thou wouldst keep up, God is set to have that by all the rest; and if you will not give it to him, he will take it, and give you nothing for it but wrath.
2. You must not value your wares, nor think God in your debt when you resign these things to him. We can pay no proper price for heaven. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Is there any proportion betwixt what we have, and the weight of glory. Besides we do but give him his own in this case; and we are in his debt for grace to induce us to part with them. "But who am I, said David, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." This is no proper sale, but all is of grace. If you give up what you have with an opinion of merit, you will lose it and your reward also: it will dye your blood (though you should give it) as black as hell.
3. You must sell willingly, God loves a cheerful giver. If it be not done with the whole heart, it is not done at all to purpose. It is all one among men whether the seller be willing to part with his goods or not, if he but say the word it is enough. It is not so here.—This transaction is done in the heart; and by the heart. And if the heart do not give up with these things, though the hands deliver them up, you cannot look for the treasure in heaven.
4. You must do it in the view and in the faith of a treasure in heaven. If this man in the text had possessed the faith of this, he had not gone away sorrowful. God loves to be trusted. This was the thing which made the possessors part with their goods, and the martyrs with their lives. "They knew that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Yea, they did not accept deliverance from death, that they might obtain a better resurrection." If we had the faith of this, we would part with what we have more cheerfully than we do.
5. Absolutely and for ever without thoughts of claiming our possession again. It is not for a time we must make this bargain as many unfaithfully do at a communion, or some solemn time, and just return as they were, taking as firm a hold of the world as ever, 2 Peter 2:22. But the treasure in heaven must be an eternal covering of the eyes to you.
Lastly, presently. "To-day if you will hear his voice, then harden not your hearts." The things to be sold are now in your hand, you have it in your power to part with them. But perhaps this night they may be required at your hand; they may be taken from you, and then you will not have them to sell. We cannot promise you this market tomorrow.
Let me therefore now renew my exhortation to you, to sell all in this respect, to sit loose to the world, to renounce and resign it, to accept of Christ Jesus as your all in all. In this consists your loosing from the world. And endeavour through the whole of your life to sit loose to it, which, in consequence of that selling, lies in these three things to which I exhort you also.
1. Look on whatsoever you have as no more your own but the Lord's, which he may dispose of as seems good in his eyes. This follows on your having renounced and resigned them. You are not your own,
but bought with a price. Hence the children of God are said to look on themselves as pilgrims and strangers in the world. Their language is, "God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." If you take me, says Christ, let these go their way. If you will have Christ to be yours, let all you have be his, and look on it as such.
2. Place so little dependence upon what you have, as that you may be able to stand without them, when they are called from you. "This I say, Brethren, the time is short. It remaineth, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none. And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passeth away." If you take the treasure in heaven instead of these things, it follows of course, that as he that sells his land, especially for more than its worth, can live without it on its price; so in the want of these things, you will rejoice in the Lord, and will joy in the God of your salvation. Why should a man's heart sink, when the thing sold is delivered, while he hath more than the worth instead of it. O it is a sad mark when a man falls, while any thing of the world is removed, as a house when its pillars are overturned.
3. Be ready always to part with them when God calls for them. If they be not yours, you are but stewards of that which is the Lord's, and why should he be refused what of his own he calls for? And what is that to you, or to any of us, whom he employs to receive it, or to whom he obliges you to give it up. You are in his debt for the use you have had of his so long. For God might have obliged you to deliver up all in the moment of sale. In the moment that you renounced the world and took Christ, he might have stripped you naked of all earthly enjoyments, and by virtue of your own voluntary resignation.
Again, there is no term for delivery condescended upon, but it is to be made on demand. Should we not rather wonder then, that God is so long in calling for his own, and that he leaves us the use of it so long, especially considering we so much abuse it. Surely this is not the manner of men. Therefore,
When God calls for any thing we have, we should part with it freely, and not grudgingly. O it is a sad matter that God must wring his own out of our hands; and that we should spoil the gift with the surly way of giving it. If the heart had not too fast a hold of it, we would part with it more freely, as a matter of bounty, and not of covetousness. We should also do it thankfully, we should not only barely submit, but submit thankfully, saying, good is the will of the Lord. There is matter of thankfulness, that we have had it so long in loan, and that ordinarily God takes not all his own way at once; but while life is left he leaves the best, For the life is more than meat, and the body than raiment. And if life itself be called for, we must even be ready to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. We should also be ready to acknowledge that we are not losers at his hand.—"We should with Paul, count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ; for whom we suffer the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that we may win Christ." In allusion to David's excessive sorrow for the death of Absalom, we may remark, that often the manner in which we part with what we have, says, we think that God is in the wrong to us.
Perhaps it may be objected that these things might do well enough in the parting with the world for the cause of Christ? but that is not our case, and so these things do not concern us. Answer. It may however come to be your case, and therefore you ought to sit loose to the world in view of it. It is true also that many go to heaven, that never suffer by persecutors for religion, but none go there but through
tribulation. Do you think that God never hath people on their trials, whether they love Christ, or the world best, but when enemies are fining, plundering, or hanging them, if you do, you are mistaken. See the text. Your daily crosses are trials of this nature; and let me say it, sometimes these prove a greater trial than the other.—Some have given what they had to enemies with better will, than to God taking it away immediately by his own hand. Again, the cause is still the same, for in private trials, our love to Christ and the world are still in competition, and whatever way God calls for it, we must part with it, for his sake.
Motives To press this duty of sitting loose to the world.
1. Consider the vanity of the world. "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." This world is a heap of vanities. Men are carried away snatching at shadows.—All things in the world are so empty and uncertain, that no dependence can be placed upon them. There is an insufficiency, and an emptiness in all earthly things. They are greater in expectation, than in enjoyment.—A man shall as soon fill his hand with the wind, as his heart with the world, Prov. 23:5. These things are also uncertain. There is nothing constant here but inconstancy. The world is a wheel, in which that spoke that was now upmost, is next the lowest. Nothing is secure, our relations may be lost by death; and sometimes there is less satisfaction in the having of them, than it were so. How quickly do worldly goods go away, Matth. 6:19. Pleasure is attended with pain and is short lived. The most untainted reputation may die with the bite of a malicious tongue. Our life itself hangs on a thousand uncertainties.
2. You must part with all you have sooner or later. Death approaches, that will permit us to carry nothing away but a coffin and shroud. Let men hold as fast as they will they must part. It is wisdom then to sit
loose to that which we cannot keep, especially when we are not sure of retaining them one moment. It is bad preparation for death to be fixed to them.
3. Consider that sitting loose to them, is necessary preparation for suffering. We may be called to suffer. God hath told us, "that in the world we shall have tribulation," and he will have all that come to him to lay their account with it. Besides, it is very probable the things that concern us make haste. Things have a very bad aspect at this time. Our enemies are lifting up their heads. But above all that which may strike a damp into our hearts, is the sin of the land ripening for the sickle of vengeance. The gospel is despised; atheism, profanity, and irreligion, abound more and more. All flesh hath corrupted their ways. As for our great people generally they have burst the yoke.— Ministers and professors have had long ease and they have all gathered much mud. The gospel does generally so little good, that I believe there are not a few who could be content to welcome the cross, so as the gospel might have more influence on the hearts of themselves and their people. But O how will ye stand it, if not loose to the world. A carnal heavy heart, is a heavy weight on all good motions of the soul. If a storm blow, it will blow out the fire of some, and blow up the fire of others.
4. Consider that if ever you have engaged to Christ, then you give up the world in profession, when you were baptized, and you that sat down at the Lord's table you have solemnly renounced and resigned it.
Lastly, Consider that persons have the most unsure hold of that to which their hearts are most attached.—Jonah was exceeding glad for the gourd. You cannot take a surer way to make yourselves quit of any enjoyment, than to let it run away with your heart. They that sit
loosest to the world have the surest hold.—"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord: trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass."
Doctrine IV.—A heart loosed from the world, so as to be ready to part with whatsoever we have at God's call, is necessary to evidence our sincerity. This was the very thing by which our Saviour discovered the hypocrisy of the man in the text.
Reason 4. Because the soul cannot reasonably lay hold on Christ, but it must needs let the world go. The laying hold on Christ, necessarily infers our loosing our hold of the world, Luke 14:26. We may as soon grasp heaven and earth at once, as fix on Christ and not loose from the world.
2. Because it is impossible, that the love of God and the world can be both predominant in the heart. One of them must prevail above the other. If it be the love of God, then it will command the love of the world to give place, Heb. 11:25, 26. If it be the love of the world, then it leaves no love to God, because no predominant love. "For if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." This proves the man a hypocrite. For whosoever will be the friend of the world is the enemy of God.
3. Because otherwise our obedience is not universal, there is some one thing lacking, that will bring shame on us at last, Psal. 119:6. Such cannot follow the Lord wheresoever he goes, but have their exceptions at his commandments, which discover their hypocrisy.
4. Because otherwise there is no universal resignation to the will of God, which is necessary to prove the sincerity of the heart, Acts 9:6. If this be wanting there is nothing done; there is no giving to the Lord what he chiefly seeks, namely that we may be all his. A certain
evidence, the work of grace was never carried through else we would have been a people of willingnesses. Psalm 110:3.
Use 1. Of Information. This writes death.
1. To all covetous wretches whose hearts are glued to the world, so as they cannot part with it at God's call, as in the text. That idol mammon hath many adorers, who set their affections on things on the earth; whose excessive love of the world overturns all their pretences to the love of God. These are they whom God abhorreth, and whom he excludeth from heaven, 1 Cor. 6:10 and whose end shall be destruction.
2. To those who can part with many things at God's call, yet have some one thing that the heart is fixed to, in which their will can never comply with the will of God to part with it, such was Ahithophel's reputation. God will have all or nothing. It is all one, whether the persons have many idols, or only one: if there be any thing he cannot part with for God, he is, and will be miserable.
3. To those who though they cannot part with what they have for God, they can part with at the devil's call, and give it out on their lusts to satisfy them.—How liberally will men bestow on their lusts, who look on all as lost that is given out for God and his service, like Nabal, 1 Sam. 25:36 and those described by the apostle James, chap. 4:3, 4.
5. To those who instead of parting with what they have, will part with God and a good conscience to gain something more of the world. Common honesty is failed with many, especially of the poorer sort, who giving themselves up to picking and stealing to the dishonour of God, and disgrace of the society to which they belong. Alas it is sad, that that should be all the effect of God's heavy hand on families.
These things are kept hid from the eyes of men, but there is a God that sees and will bring such persons to a dreadful account, 1 Cor. 6:9, 10. Zech. 5:3, 4.
Use 2. Of Exhortation. Evidence your sincerity by being ready to part with what you have at God's call. I told you before when God calls you to part with what you have. Now when any of these is your case God hath you on your trials. Accordingly I exhort you,
1. That whenever it is so, that you must either sin or suffer loss. Choose always the last. The greatest loss in the world is to be chosen rather than the least sin. A man should rather lose his life than tell a lie. Consider there is more evil in the least sin, than in the greatest suffering or loss. Sin is a sinful evil, the other but a penal evil. There is some good in the evil of punishment, the good of justice, there is none in sin. Losses come from the Lord, sin only from the devil. Sure that which comes from the devil, must be worse than what comes from God. Sin is the only object of God's hatred: if all other evils in the world should centre in a man, God could love him for all that; but if all other goods should meet in him, God would hate him for sin. There is more evil in sin, than there is goodness in all the angels of heaven; therefore when it entered it spoiled all their goodness, and made them devils, which could not have been, if the goodness in them had been greater than the evil of sin.
Again, If you intend to follow the footsteps of the flock you must take this way. As for the fearful, that fear suffering more than sin, their doom is, "to have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Daniel would rather be cast into the den of lions than sin. The primitive Christians chose loss and
poverty, yea, prisons and death rather than sin, Heb. 11:25, 26, 35. It is better to be God's prisoner, than the devil's freeman. Nay, they chose hell rather than sin. They whose experience hath given them a commentary on 2 Cor. 7:11. clearing, indignation, fear, vehement desire, seal, revenge, will own it. It was a saying of Chrysostom, I thus think, and I will constantly declare, that it is more bitter to sin against Christ, than to suffer the torments of hell.