C. Changes.
Midian;Exo 2.15 and Paul out of Damascus;Act 9.25 and our Savior Christ from among the Jews.Joh 7.1 Secondly, I add that Ministers who are not freed from their callings may for a time, by the consent of the people, go aside for their own safety and for the further good of men, till the brunt of the persecution is over — especially if they in 64 When Demetrius raised an uproar at Ephesus about Diana,Act 19.24f. and the people had caught Paul's companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul was moved with zeal, and would have entered into the midst of the mob. But as Luke says, certain brethren overruled him, and would not allow him to enter, but made him withdraw himself. Thus then, it is manifest that in common dangers, public callings allow their vacating in various causes. particular are aimed at.
So much for vacations. Now I come to changes.
C. Changes. A change of calling is a lawful going from one calling to another. It is not the Apostle's meaning to bar men from diverting from this or that calling, but he gives them an item to keep them from changing on every light conceit, and every sudden occasion.
Changes may be lawfully made, as it appears in this: Amos, by calling, was first a herdsman,Amo 1.1 but after, a Prophet.Amo 1.3 The Disciples were first fishermen,Mat 4.18 and after Apostles.Mat 10.2
Our Savior Christ himself was by calling a Carpenter, in his first and private life,Mar 6.3 until he was thirty years old. Yet after his baptism, he showed himself to be the Messiah and Savior of the world.Joh 1.41;
4.26
Nevertheless, a change may not be made except upon urgent and weighty causes; and these are two especially:
(1) Private necessity; and (2) The Common Good.
(1) PRIVATE NECESSITY is when men cannot maintain themselves and theirs by the callings in which they are engaged; then they may take
themselves to other callings. Thus a merchant may become a husbandman, and a husbandman, a Merchant. Thus a Physician may become a minister of the Gospel. And thus Paul, an Apostle, upon private necessity, returned to the calling of a tent-maker, yet so as to perform his ministry when occasion was offered.Act 18.3
(2) THE COMMON GOOD. The second cause of making a lawful change, is the public good. Thus a private man may become a Magistrate.
And it must be remembered that so often as we change, it must be to better and more excellent callings in which we may glorify God more,
and bring a greater benefit to the Church and Commonwealth.
Thus Paul bids the Corinthians to seek the best gifts, which might serve for the best callings.1Cor 12.31 Here the fault of some is to be reproved. They have notable gifts of nature and learning; but because they would attain worldly wealth, they make themselves Merchants,
66 or serving men to great persons. Whereas, for their gifts, they might do God better service in the greatest callings of the Church. or factors to merchants, And so much for Constancy.
The consideration of this — that we are bound to be constant in the duties of our particular callings — must teach us, much more, to be constant in the general duties of Christianity. And therefore let us all be careful not only to profess the true religion for the present time, but to continue constant in this profession to the end. Our general calling does not allow for any vacation or change, as our particular callings do. Well then, in that we profess ourselves to be members of Christ, in these days — our happy days of peace — let us arm ourselves against the evil days to come, so that we may be faithful to the end.
Again, in the general calling, every man is bound in all good conscience, to obey God in all his commandments. Here also our constancy must appear, so long as we live, that we may say with Paul, I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight; 2Tim 4.7
And with Hezekiah on his deathbed, Lord, remember how I have