474 SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. YI.
Lord shall require it. We are not possessors, but stewards or tenants at will. God allows us to dispense and use these things for a time for his glory, and for the supply of ourselves and ours, and to do good to others ; and then we are to resign and give up all again when he calls for it, or shall be j^leased to take it from us by his own immediate hand, or by other means. He giveth us wealth with this condition.
2. Because it is impossible we should be christians, if we come not to Christ with this mind and resolution to forsake all for our duty to him ; all hath been ratified by our own consent ; see Luke xiv. 33, ' Whoso- ever he be that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple/ How forsake all ? Not actually, but so as to be ready to forsake all if Christ please. Christians, whoever comes to Christ, he lays himself and all he hath at Christ's feet, his life, goods, and lands, to be used and disposed of as Christ shall direct, and not to take them up again but as Christ will permit ; and so he forsaketh all things, though not actually, till God calls him to it, yet prepmxdione animi, in a full resolution to run all hazards and extremities that his duty to Christ shall expose him to. Esse christianum grande, non videri ; it is a costly thing to be a christian indeed, though it seem the cheapest matter in the world. But whoever is a christian indeed makes a full and absolute resignation of himself and all he hath : ' 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,' Mark x. 37. He that loveth anything more than Christ can never hold out in heaven's way. When the profession of religion grows cheap and is low, God sends some trouble or other to raise the price, that those that will go to the cost may be known what they are.
tfse 1. For reproof unto two sorts —
1. Those that are so unwilling to part with a little portion of their goods, when the Lord hath need of some supply from them for his servants and their poor fellow-christians. They are so far from being content to part with all for the glory of God and good of their brethren, that they are backward, and will part with nothing for the maintenance of God's worship and relief of the poor ; it must be drawn and wrung from them, as if all were lost. Men act as if their goods were at their own dispose. Oh ! how dwelleth the love of God in them ! 1 John iii. 17: ' Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ? '
2. It reproveth those that shift and wriggle, and dispute themselves out of their duty, and all to shake of the cross and avoid suffering ; whereas they should with a ready mind take it up : Gal. vi. 12, ' As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ ; ' that is, they did Judaise to avoid trouble from the Jews. Though they were not guilty of a total apostasy, yet, to take off the edge of the Jews, they disputed themselves into such evil compliance. It is true to escape suffering by lawful means is commanded : Mat. x. 23, ' When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.' To remove ourselves when a storm comes, this is commanded : Prov. xxii. 3, ' A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and liideth himself, but the sim-
VeR. 21.] SERMONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. 475
pie pass on, and are punished.' But to do anything to prejudice the truth, to shift and turn, and all to shake off the cross, this is sinful and forbidden.
3. It reproveth those that do with such impatience suffer the loss of any outward thing, either by God's immediate providence, or by the violence of men for the profession of the truth. Oh ! this should not be, but you should cheerfully and willingly yield it up to God : Lev. x. 3, 'And Aaron held his peace;' Heb. x. 34, 'Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods ; ' 1 Cor. vii. 30, ' We should mourn as if we mourned not.' In all worldly losses we are to show that we expect better things, and that our hearts are not here, and that we have such an esteem for Christ, that he is so worthy, and so necessary for us, that we should be glad to follow him naked.
Use 2. To press us to be of such a spirit to be willing to part with all, when Christ will have us, and when the sense of our duty and his honour requires it of us. This seems to be a hard lesson, but, to help us to learn it, something must be avoided and something considered.