“Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
2 Timothy 2: 19.
5. “The Lord knoweth who are his.”
— Here is the seal of the ministry of election; and it lets us see, that God has chosen a number to himself out of the world, to be his peculiar people, to whom he will shew mercy, reveal and communicate himself, and take for his inheritance. These He knows for his; others he knows not, for they are of their father the devil, and his will they do. As for His own, he will purge them, and make them zealous of well-doing, when others run to the devil. That he says God knows them, it is not only that he is at a point with himself about them, or knows their number and name, what they are, what they were, and what they will be; but also, he knows them, while he sets his eye of pity, care, love upon them, and his good hand to preserve them; he knows when they were born, when they will die; he knows them, while he calls them to his kingdom both of grace and glory; he knows them, when it was agreed betwixt him and his Son about the price of their redemption, when he gave them to Christ, and Christ took in hand to satisfy for them; he knows them who he called according to his purpose, when he gave them saving faith, and his Holy Spirit to dwell in them; he knows them from his first purpose about them, to the last perfecting of them in glory; he knows them, by loving them, approving them, keeping them that they fall not, and when they fall, to raise them up again. All is concluded with him, from his first foresight and falling in love with them; and he still keeps them, and preserves them, for he is stronger than all, and none shall be able to reave them out of his hand.
“And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” — Thou wilt say, I wot well God knows all his own; but what wot I, if he knows me for one of them? Here is a mark to know, — Let him that names the name of the Lord, depart from iniquity. That he puts this for one part of the seal, it lets us see, that the matter of election is not so secret, that God has given no revelation of it. Some evidences may be of it, both to a man’s self and others. A man’s election may be evidenced to the kirk, but more powerfully to a man’s self; and possibly the Lord will not reveal to others such a man’s election, but he will tell a man himself, and so fill him with the sense and assurance of his favour, that from the spirit of adoption he will cry, “Abba, Father!” with a good heart; and God again will acknowledge him for his child: which makes sweet embracement betwixt the soul and God; and the soul heartily blesses God, and magnifies him, when it perceives what he has done for it.
Question. What then is the mark of the seal of election? Answer. So far as it may be seen of men, it has two parts — calling upon, or naming of Jesus, which also includes depending upon him, and believing in him, or adhering to him — and departing from iniquity. Then we see, that the seal of the elect has two sides; the one is read of God, the other toward us, is read of us. The side toward God is, that he knows who are his: he knows whom he has loved, and fore-ordained for heaven; and the side of the seal which is toward us is, “Let every one that names the name of Jesus, depart from iniquity.” And as in a common or ordinarily current coin of money, if ye let a man see the one side of it, he can readily tell what is on the other side of it, so, in this seal, he who knows the one side, will also know the other; for God has no adulterate or false coin as uses to be among men, but if any can find that they adhere to Jesus and depart from iniquity on the one side, they may be sure to find that God has elected them on the other side. Whosoever thou art that believest Christ, and adherest to him, and art daily more and more shedding^1 from sin, mayest conclude thou art an elect.
^1 Parting
If adherence to Jesus and departing from iniquity do evidence election both to the world and a man’s own soul, then the soul that wants these two, can have no comfort: they who have not fled to Christ, and have not put the back of their hand to sin, want the comfort of election. I dare not say, they are not elected, for God can change a filthy sinner into a washen saint. But I dare to say, while a soul is separate from Christ, and adheres to sin, that soul can have no comfort in election, nor yet say that it is elected. If thou then would be out of the black band and rank of reprobates, haste in to Christ, and from sin, as thou would be free of hell and damnation. Haste thee from the service of thy old lusts and lovers, and come in to Christ, if thou would eschew that dreary sentence, “Depart from me, ye accursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!” Haste, I say, in time, for thou hast too long dwelt in the tents of Kedar: get thee speedily from the tents of these wicked men; turn, and seek the living God.
“Let depart.” — He says not, has departed, but let them depart, by way of command. This presupposes, that elect souls are not yet departed from the way of sin and death. It lets us see, that all who lie in sin be reprobates for the most part: yet it is possible that some elect souls may be sticking in sin, and living an evil life, who will turn quickly; and therefore it is not a mark of reprobation to be in the estate of sin, for one may come out of that estate. An elect may be lying as deep in the devil’s service as a reprobate; but incontinent he will haste from that estate.
“Let depart” shews, that there are none departed from iniquity, but they must depart farther, and never return again to it, if they would have the comfort of election. So, then, the elect soul may not do as it likes. By this, Satan deceives many, making them trow they are elect, and so cannot fall away, and so may do what they like; and makes them trow they are elected, because after the committing of grievous sins, they have gotten a wound of conscience, and have thrust out some tears for sin, being forced, by the gnawing of their conscience, to take with their faults. On finding this, they trow they are elected; and being elected, must remain so, and so may take on a new lease of sin. But I say, many a Pagan has repented thus far; for the Pagans had fears or terrors of conscience that did chase them from their sins, which fears being ceased, they ran back to sin. Even so, thou who sayest thou hast repented all thy villainies, and yet returnest again, and hardenest thyself more, wilt thou call that repentance? No, for albeit God took instruments that he had tane thee in the fang,^2 yet I speir, where is thy new life? Therefore resolve upon a new life: depart from iniquity, or count not thyself an elect; for Christ leaves his blood to no sow to wash in, to go back to the puddle; but having your garments clean, be loath to defile them.
^2 Fact, deed
Mark the order here: 1. Name, — the LORD. 2. Then, — DEPART. By naming of Jesus, is meant coming to him, and believing in him; professing him, worshipping, and taking him for your master. And depart from sin. We see then, we must first be joined to Christ, come to him, believe in him, and possess him, before we can depart from iniquity; for how shall we either get strength or feet to flee from sin, till we come to Christ? Who shall loose our chains and fetters, or who shall cleanse us, and make us new? Must not fleeing and departing from sin, be from faith in Christ? Whatsoever is not from this fountain, is unclean. Let the vile who would be clean, go to Christ, and say, Draw me, we will run after thee; sever me from sin.
Verse 20.
“But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.” — Ye will say, Is not that great dishonour to God, to have hypocrites and chaff always in his house? He answers, No, no more than it is dishonour to a great man, to have vessels of dishonour in his house, to carry out refuse and rubbish. In this comparison, that as a man has power to appoint, the vessels of his house, some for honourable uses, some for sordid uses, so God in his house; and man takes also great authority over the creatures given to him, as God doth over men in the matter of election and reprobation. This being well weighed, would stop all men’s mouths from quarrelling God for electing some, and reprobating others. Man will say, Whereto Christian souls, to cast them into hell? I answer, Man, takes not God as great authority over the creatures, as the potter takes one piece of clay, and makes a vessel of it, and casts away another piece of clay? And man saves the life of some of his beasts, and kills others: shall not God have as great liberty over his creatures, as man has over them? What the Lord doth in the matter of election and reprobation, he doth it justly; for he says to man, Leave thy sins, and come to me, and thou shalt get heaven. Man answers, I will not leave sin. Then says the Lord, Thou shalt go to hell. Is not this justice? From these words, no particular person can gather a mark of reprobation, or conclude that he is a reprobate; but contrarily, there is here a mark of election. Why then should any quarrel God, while he shews a possibility of election, and no mark of reprobation? Doth he not lay before all, life and death, and bids choose? And why then should any carp if thou canst not come to Him, and choice bade him draw thee, and he shall do it?
We see it is no dishonour to God nor his kirk, to have wicked hypocrites in the bosom of it; as it is no dishonour to a great man, to have vessels of dishonour in his house. We see, that God makes use of these hypocrites to purge the rest of his household, as vessels of dishonour to keep clean a great man’s house: when they go out, the filth goes out with them. Hypocrites and filthy persons serve to make the rest honester and cleaner; for the sight of their filthiness makes God’s children labour to purge themselves, and by their falls they are made wise, to stand the better. As to the wicked’s abomination, it is their own, and the dishonour is their own; and when they go out of God’s house, the filth goes out, so that God has no dishonour by them. Albeit God has letten them in to his kirk, yet they hurt not his kirk; but their falls make his children wise, for they say, I am of the same stuff by nature; Lord cleanse me. When they feel the stench of the wicked, they flee up to a higher house, and by all means seek to cleanse themselves. So God can make use of the wicked, albeit not for their own, yet for others’ vantage.
Question. How shall I know whether I be a vessel of honour or dishonour? Answer. Look what stuff is in thee. Wherein delightest thou? If it be in the devil’s vessels, worldliness, filthiness; if thy mind, will, affections, be upon the filthy puddle of the devil’s abominations, thou art a vessel of dishonour. See what employment thou givest to the vessel of thy mind, heart, memory, and by that try thyself.
OBJECTION.
— Are there any so clean and holy, that their mind and hearts have no filthiness in them; Answer. I grant, the holiest have their own filth and dirtiness: but they are not vessels to keep still that dirtiness; their vessels are ordained to keep holiness, the graces and gifts of God’s Spirit; and if dirtiness be gathered, they are daily washing again. Is thy ear then a conduit to bring in knowledge to thy mind; thy eye, tongue, heart, all to keep and vent holiness? Then thou art a vessel of honour: albeit thou contract filthiness, yet the Master of the household, Christ Jesus, has a care that thou be daily washen, and thy organ is sanctified for a holy use. But thou to whom holy discourses are a burden and weariness to hear, and in a conference of good things will be tickled with delight in songs and sales, thou lookest like a vessel of dishonour. Thou art like those of whom the prophet speaks; thy “throat is an open sepulchre;” the stench of thy oaths, blasphemy, lewd language, defiles all that are about thee, so that the godly soul is vexed with thee, as Lot was in Sodom; thy deeds, plots, courses, desires, tell thou art a vessel of dishonour.
Question. But how shall I be made sure that I am one of that number? Answer. In the next verse (verse 21), the apostle gives thee a counsel what to do. Purge thyself from these, and thou shalt be a vessel of honour. So then, he that would be a vessel of honour, must purge himself. This is not, than any can purge himself, or that a tree of itself can bring out good fruit. But he shews here, what is required of us; and to shew the order of God’s working, which is, to work in us, and by us, using us as instruments, albeit he be the chief doer of the work. The right use of this doctrine, is not to dispute what strength a man has to purge himself, but to set himself to the practice of it; not to the discouraged finding his own weakness, but to set to a reformation; and whatever estate he find himself in, set to, and purge himself: for if such be, he looks like a vessel of honour, for all holy vessels are making for some honourable use, and purging from dishonourable. Art thou then purging thyself from thy old deeds? crying with David, “Purge me with hyssop, cleanse me from my sins?” breaking thy heart for grieving the Holy One of Israel? thou carriest the mark of a vessel of honour.
“Sanctified for the Master’s use.”
— The hypocrite or the foul vessel has this mark; whatever he doeth, it is all for his own ends, not to God, if he be not swearing, lying, drinking, &c. But if they be not for God’s use, they are for dishonest uses: following of their lawful calling, working, ploughing, making merchandise, are all dishonest uses with them, for they do these to make themselves rich and honourable. They are not done as service to God, therefore they are unclean; and to the unclean, all things are unclean: their eating, drinking, working, not being for God’s use, are turned into sin. But the vessel of honour goes to the plough, and makes merchandise, for God’s use; for albeit he might deceive in bargains, and so get gain, he will not, because he is for his Lord’s use. He goes to the kirk, not to see and be seen, but to meet God in the assembly; he comes to the communion, to get the seal of God’s love.
Let a man be what he may for the time bygane and present, yet if you fly to Jesus, seeking to be purged, come to Jesus, and be ranked the morn at the table, with the vessels of honour. Repent thy bygane misbehaviour; cast out jugs^3 by confession; or rather, hold to the well of Christ’s blood; to that clean water, and washing of his Spirit. Pray Christ to purge with his Spirit and with fire. If so thou wilt do, thou shalt be a sanctified vessel for the Lord’s use. Either obey this doctrine, or carry with you the appearance of reprobation, and a forerunner of hell. Either live a clean life, or I debar you from the Lord’s table. Fly both from evil company, vessels of dishonour, and eschew works of dishonesty; else quit you and God. Depart from foul company, and foul ways, as ye would not depart from God. To that God, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all praise and honour, for now and ever, Amen.
^3 Foul or stale water