1. General Calling
Now follow the parts and kinds of Vocations; and they are of two sorts: GENERAL or PARTICULAR. The general calling is the calling of Christianity, which is common to all who live in the Church of God.
The particular is that special calling that belongs to some particular men, such as the calling of a Magistrate, the calling of a Minister, the calling of a Master, of a father, of a child, of a servant, of a subject, or any other calling that is common to all. And Paul acknowledges this distinction of Callings when he says, Let every man abide in that calling in which he is called; that is, in that particular and personal calling in which he was called to be a Christian. [I will treat] these two in order.
1. General Calling The GENERAL CALLING is that calling whereby a man is called out of the world to be a child of God, a member of Christ, and an heir of the kingdom of heaven. This calling belongs to everyone within the compass of the Church, not any one excepted. Here I have just occasion to make a long discourse touching the calling of men to Christ and Christian Religion, but I will only touch the main duties of it, of which there are especially four.
The first general duty is the invocation of the name of God in Christ. When Saul got letters from the high Priests to persecute the Church, it is said by Luke that he received authority to bind all that call upon the name of God (Act 9.14). Paul, writing to the Church of Corinth, calls the members of it saints, and those who call on the name of the Lord Jesus (1Cor 1.2). By both of these places, the Holy
Spirit would give us to understand that invocation is a main duty which every Christian man is to perform continually; and it contains both prayer and thanksgiving in the name and mediation of Jesus
Christ. And indeed, by this action a Christian is distinguished and severed from all other sorts of men in the world who pretend
4 By this it appears that, however all men may desire to bear this name and take to themselves this general calling, devotion or religion.
very few are indeed true and sound Christians; for not one of a hundred can rightly invocate the name of God. Though they can indeed repeat the words of prayer, they lack the spirit of grace and supplication whereby they should ask for grace in Christ's name, and give thanks for benefits received. Thus many who bear the name of Christ only for show, lack the power of that name. No, what is more, not to call on the name of God is made by the Prophet David, the note and mark of an Atheist, who says in his heart there is no God
(Psa 14.1).
The second general duty is, as much as we possibly can, to further the good estate of the true Church of God. It is indeed principally the duty of the Minister, and yet generally it pertains to all. For in man's body, the eye by seeing, the ear by hearing, the tongue by speaking, and every part by its proper office, furthers the good of the whole body. Even so, all that are called to be members of Christ must, as much as it lies in them, procure the good of the whole mystical body of Christ. David, in the name of the whole Church, says
I will procure your wealth, and Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper who love you (GNV Psa 122.9, 6). And after he had humbled himself for the two grievous sins of adultery and murder, in the end he prays to God to build the walls of Jerusalem. For the building of the tabernacle, the Jews brought free-will offerings according to their ability. Some brought gold and precious stones; others silver and silk; and those who had no better thing, brought rams' skins, and badgers' skins. Even so, in the building of God's
Church, His spiritual tabernacle, every Christian must bring a freewill offering; he must do something even to the utmost of his power to the building of God's Church, even though his service is but lowly.
Though men (as I have said) fondly imagine that this duty is proper to the ministers of the word, yet the truth is, it belongs not only to them, but to everyone that professes himself to be a member of the body of Christ; in this respect, he must, so much as he can, procure and further the good of the whole.
Here then we are to consider the means by which this duty may be done. They are especially three.
The first means is prayer, not only for ourselves, but for the good estate of the whole Church of God on earth. To this effect, Christ spoke to his disciples when he saw the Jews like scattered sheep without a shepherd: Pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he would 'thrust forth' laborers into the harvest (Mat 9.38). And in that prayer which is commonly called the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to say, Let your kingdom come:Mat 6.10 where "kingdom" not only means the kingdom of glory in heaven, but the kingdom of grace, which is the happy and blessed condition of God's
Church on earth. And therefore Paul bids the Thessalonians to pray that God's word may have free passage and be glorified (2Th
3.1) The second means is the work of edification, to which Paul enjoins the Thessalonians: Edify one another (1Th 5.11). And Jude in v.
20, Edify yourselves upon your most holy faith. The Church of God is a Temple made without hands;Mar 14.58 the foundation is
Christ;1Cor 3.11 and every member of Christ, with all that pertains to God's election, are living stones.1Pet 2.5 The builders of this temple principally are Pastors and Teachers; and not only them, but all
Christian persons generally. The case stands here as it did in the building of the material temple, the builders of which were those who cut and laid stones, and wrought elaborate works. Besides these, there were many others who, though they could neither cut nor frame, they furthered the building either by carrying burdens, or making mortar. Even so, in the building of God's spiritual
Church, though all cannot square stones like Masons, nor build as the Minister does, yet all without exception pertaining to the Church of God, must put their helping hands to further this building. And this may be done two ways: first, by using all good means by which we may draw our kindred, friends, and neighbors to the love and obedience of true religion. Paul propounds this duty to the Corinthians in his own example, saying he pleased all men in all things, not seeking his own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be saved (1Cor 10.33). Secondly, this thing is done by confirming those who are called, by often giving
admonitions, exhortations, consolations, and all other like duties that serve this end. And by these duties, the least person in the Church of God, may build or edify.
Here I may justly complain of the neglect of this duty. For the case stands thus in the barren and fruitless age of the world: men are so far from the duties of edification, that they use all means to pull down rather than to build. For he that gives himself only to learn the duties of religion, and in some way to live accordingly, is made a sign and a byword among the common people, and also a wonder. And this shows that the practice of this duty of edification lies dead, to which nevertheless we are bound by virtue of our general calling.
The third means of furthering the good of God's Church, is to confer the temporal blessings that God has bestowed on us according to our ability, to the good of it. Honor God with your riches, says Solomon (Pro 3.9). And that is done especially when they are employed to maintain and further true religion, and the worship of God. There are other ends for which God has given riches, but this is the principal end of all. Yet alas, this duty is but slenderly practiced by those who carry the name of Christ. For many of the richer sort spend a great part of their increase on hawks, bulls, bears, dogs, or they riotously misspend it in some sort of sporting or gaming; and thus they disable themselves from doing that good which they should to the Church of God. And the baser sort nowadays spend what they get in fine apparel and good cheer: and by this means the house of God is less regarded. For every common man nowadays must be a gentleman, and it is very hard sometimes for a stranger to discern the master from the servant. And there is such excess in all degrees, that now for daily attire, the noblest are the plainest. To this duty I may also add that every Christian parent, by virtue of his general calling, is to dedicate some of his male children, as much as possible, to the service of the ministry, if they have gifts and inclinations of nature fit for that calling. And in this case, the example of Anna may be a
good direction for us to follow, who beforehand consecrated Samuel, her firstborn, to the Lord. By this means the ministry shall be continued, God's Church and religion maintained, and His Gospel published from age to age to the end of the world.
The third general duty of Christianity is that every man should become a servant to his brother in all the duties of love. A Christian is the freest of all men in the world. For in that respect he is the child of God in Christ; he is truly freed from hell, death, and condemnation; indeed, and in part he is freed from sin and Satan, and that is in this life. And yet, for all this, he must be a servant to 5 But how? By all the duties of love as occasion is offered, and that is for the common good of all men. Mark well the words of Paul, Though I am free from all men, yet I have made myself servant to all, that I might win the more (1Cor 9.19). If it is said that this duty pertains only to an Apostle, I answer that Paul enjoins it indifferently to every man: Serve one another in love (Gal 5.13). And for this cause, the servants of God are said to be trees of righteousness Isa 61.3 whose leaves serve as medicine and their fruit for food,Eze 47.12 not for themselves but for others. Let us therefore, in the fear of God, be careful to learn this duty; for the practice of it is the special ornament of Christ's holy Gospel. every man.
The last general duty is set down by Paul: Walk worthy of that calling to which God has called you (Eph 4.1). Again, in Titus, he bids servants to so carry themselves toward their masters, that they may adorn the Gospel of God in all things (2.10). And he then sets down in the words following, how men may adorn religion by their profession; namely, by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, by living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world (2.12). In a word, this calling of Christianity is the most excellent calling in the world, and he walks worthy of it, who keeps a good conscience before God,Act 23.1 and is unblameable before all men.1Pet 2.12
This duty I commend to the meditation and practice of all men whatsoever; we were once baptized, and in this we surrendered our names to God and Christ; and we are content to hear the word, and