are, will be disrelished and unsavory to your tastes. The embittering of the breasts of the world to the ungodly, by afflictions, doth something, indeed, to their weaning from them; but the breasts of consolation that are given them in their stead, wean them much more effectually. "The true reason why we remain servants to these lusts, some to one, some to another, is because we are still strangers to the love of God, and those pure pleasures which are in him. Though the pleasures of this world be poor and low, and most unworthy of our pursuit, yet so long as men know no better, they will stick by those they have, such as they are. It is too often in vain to speak to men on this, to follow them with the apostle's entreaty, 'I beseech you, abstain from fleshly lusts,' unless they that are spoken to, be such as he speaks of in the former words, such as have obtained mercy, and have tasted of the graciousness and love of him whose loves are better than wine. O that we would but seek the knowledge of this love; for, seeking it, we would find it; and, finding it, no force would be needful to pull the delights of sin out of our hands; we would throw them away of our own accord." This is the true secret of yielding obedience to the commandment in the text, abstain from fleshly lusts. O that we all were experimentally acquainted with it! How happy, how holy, should we be! § 2.-" Having a conversation honest among the Gentiles." The second duty enjoined in the text is: "Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles." "Conversation" here, and in many other places in the New Testament, does not mean colloquial intercourse, but conduct, general behavior; as, "Only let your conversation be such as becomes the gospel of Christ;" "Be holy in all manner of conversation." The term "honest" 2 here, as in some other parts of the New Testament, is used in a somewhat obsolete sense; as equivalent to honorable, respectable, morally beautiful and lovely; what commands esteem and reverence. Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles," means, Let your conduct be such as will meet the approbation of God and good men, and such as even the heathen shall be obliged to venerate. It is materially the same exhortation as that given by the Apostle Paul to the Philippians: "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest," venerable, "whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things," do these things. The heathens were poor judges of christian doctrine; there was much, too, in the christian character, the excellence of which they could not at all appreciate. But when they saw Christians making it plain that no temptation could induce them to deviate from the straight path prescribed by the laws of temperance, and chastity, and justice, and love; rendering to no man evil for evil; meekly suffering many injuries, but inflicting none; denying themselves the comforts 2 Phil. i. 27. 1 Pet, i. 15. • Καλήν. Phil. iv. 8. of life, to supply those who were destitute of its necessaries; sacrificing and suffering everything, rather than violate conscience they could not help feeling how beautiful and how awful goodness is; and a testimony was silently lodged in their hearts, in behalf of the religion of Christ, which no reasoning could have placed there. "There is a majesty in strict, serious, consistent goodness, that commands esteem and reverence from the worst of men." The positive command includes the negative: Beware of everything in your conduct which might shock the moral feelings of a heathen; beware of anything which might lead him in any way to form an opinion dishonorable to "the worthy name by which ye are called," or open his mouth in blasphemy against Him to whom it belongs. It is a most important duty incumbent on Christians, in all countries and ages, living among the men of the world, remembering that, among other proofs of their Lord's graciousness to them, he has made them the guardians of his honor among men, to act a part which shall command the respect and esteem of those around them, and to be careful that they let not "their good be evil spoken of.” 1 It deserves notice, that the two duties enjoined are represented as very closely connected. It is by abstaining from fleshly lusts that their conversation was to be honest among the Gentiles. If they did not abstain from fleshly lusts, their conversation would be dishonorable, both to themselves and to their religion. If they did abstain from fleshly lusts, an honest, honorable behavior would be a matter of course. The heart must be kept with all diligence, if we would wish the issues of life which flow from it to be satisfactory. Let the heart be regulated; the tongue, the eyes, the hands, the feet, will all be properly employed. Let the thoughts and the desires be as they ought to be, and the actions will be unblameable. If the corrupt spring is not cleansed, the stream cannot be pure: if it is, the stream cannot but be pure. It is a sad mistake to think, that the conduct will ever be what God would have it to be, till the heart is changed; that the conversation will ever be really comely, while men do not abstain from fleshly lusts. The heart must be "purified by the Spirit through the word,' in order to man's being "holy in all manner of life and conversation." And it is not less true, and not less important, that the want of a comely conversation, of a holy behavior, is a proof, whatever profession men make, that fleshly lusts still hold dominion within. As the fruit cannot be good if the tree is not good, so neither can the tree be good if the fruit is not good. The goodness of the tree is the necessary cause of the goodness of the fruit, and the goodness of the fruit is the only satisfactory evidence of the goodness of the tree. So much for the illustration of this branch of our subject: The injunction of duty, "Abstain from fleshly lusts, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles." Refrain from desiring what is forbidden; refrain from inordinately desiring anything that is seen and temporal; and thus maintain a habitual behavior so morally 11 Rom. xiv. 16. lovely and venerable, that even your heathen neighbors shall be constrained to take notice of you, and trace the obvious effect to the hidden cause, the goodness of your conduct to the goodness of your principles. II-MOTIVES TO THE DISCHARGE OF THESE DUTIES. Let us now turn our attention to the second branch of the subject: A statement of the motives which urge to compliance with this injunction of duty. The motives are drawn from the character and circumstances of Christians, and from the tendency and consequences, both of the course from which they are dissuaded, and of that to which they are urged. The motive deduced from the character and conduct of Christians, is contained in these words: You are "pilgrims and strangers." The motive drawn from the tendency and consequences of the course dissuaded from is: These fleshly lusts war against the soul;" and that drawn from the tendency and consequences of the course recommended is: That the Gentiles, who spoke against them as evil-doers, might, by their good works which they beheld, glorify God in the day of visitation." Let us attend to these motives in their order, and endeavor to show their appropriateness and their power. 66 § 1.-Motive drawn from the condition and character of Christians as "pilgrims and strangers." The first motive is drawn from the condition and character of Christians as "pilgrims and strangers." In the literal meaning of the words, those to whom they were originally addressed were pilgrims and strangers. They were chiefly Jews and proselytes, living among the heathen inhabitants of the regions of Asia Minor. Viewed even in this way, there is force in the statement, considered as a motive to the duty enjoined. The great body of those among whom you live are serving fleshly lusts; you are constantly exposed to the powerful influence of all but universally prevalent custom. Beware lest "evil communications corrupt good manners." There can, however, be no reasonable doubt, that the words pilgrim and stranger are here used figuratively, and in a sense equally applicable to all Christians, in all countries and ages, as to those to whom they were originally addressed. In a figurative sense, all men may be said to be pilgrims and sojourners on earth. They are to continue here but for a short season; they are, as it were, on a journey to their long home; and a consideration of this, places in a strong point of view the folly of men, in allowing their minds to be chiefly occupied with objects and pursuits belonging exclusively to The respective force of the two words #apoikovs and raperidhμovs is well given by Bengel:- Gradatio, non tantum ut in aliena domo-sed etiam ut in aliena civitate." Not only away from their own house, but from their own country,-in the fullest sense from home. Neither of the words expresses what is peculiar in the signification of the English word "pilgrim." a scene from which they must soon, and may suddenly, depart forever; and which are in no degree fitted to prepare them for that permanent state into which, on leaving the present, they are to enter. But the Christian is, in a sense peculiar to himself, a pilgrim and stranger. He is a child of God, living among the children of the wicked one. He is a citizen of heaven, sojourning for a season on the earth. Heaven is his home. There is his treasure, and there is his heart also. His great object here is to promote the interests of the kingdom that is not of this world; to pass through this land of strangers and enemies with as little injury as possible; to get safe to the better land, and take as many as he can along with him. For such a person to indulge in fleshly lusts is in the highest degree incongruous. "There is," as Leighton remarks, "a diligence in his calling, and prudent regard of his affairs, not only permitted to a Christian, but required of him; but yet in comparison of his great and high calling,' as the apostle terms it, he follows all his other businesses with a kind of coldness and indifferency, as not accounting very much how they go: his heart is elsewhere. The traveller provides himself as he can of entertainment and lodging, where he comes. If it be commodious, it is well; but if not, it is no great matter. If he can find but necessaries, he can abate delicacies very well; for where he finds them in his way he neither can, nor, if he could, would he choose to stay there. Though his inn were dressed with the richest hangings and furniture, yet it is not his home; he must, and he would, leave it. It is not for those born from above to mind earthly things. If Christians would but consider how little, and for how little a time, they are concerned in anything here, they would go through any estate, and any changes of estate, either to the better or the worse, with very composed, equal minds, always moderate in their necessary cares, and never taking any care at all for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts of it. Let them that have no better home than this world to lay claim to, live here as at home, and serve their lusts. Let them who have all their portion in this life, who have no more good to look for than what they can catch here, let them take their time of the poor profits and pleasures that are here. But you that have your whole estate, all your riches and pleasures, laid up in heaven, and reserved there for you, let your lusts, your intense desires, not be fleshly, but spiritual; not earthly, but heavenly; let the spirit out-lust the flesh; let your hearts be there, and your conversation there. This is not the place of your rest, nor of your delights: unless you be willing to change, and to have your good things here, as some foolish travellers, that spend the estate they should live on at home in a little while, leaving it abroad among strangers. Will you, with profane Esau, sell your birthright for a mess of pottage; sell eternity, for a moment; and such pleasures, as a moment of them is more worth than an eternity of the other?" § 2.-Motive drawn from the tendency of the course proscribed— "It wars against the soul." The second motive is drawn from the tendency and consequences of the course dissuaded from. Those fleshly lusts, from which Christians are required to abstain, are said "to war against the soul." They are injurious to our highest interests, the interests of the soul; they are inconsistent with the peace of the soul; they are hostile to the improvement of the soul; they are, if indulged in, fatal to the final happiness of the soul. They are inconsistent with the peace of the soul. The christian poet speaks the words of truth and soberness, when he says, "God is the source and centre of all minds Their only point of rest From Him departing they are lost, and rove God is a suitable and a sufficient portion for man; and he, and he only, who takes up with Him as a portion, has, or can have, solid rest. He is kept in perfect peace while he trusts in God. Even a single. fleshly lust destroys rest; for it takes the soul away from God, the only true rest. But this is not all; "fleshly lusts," though all opposed to that desire after happiness in God which should be the master active principle in our minds, are by no means harmonious among themselves. They "war" with each other "in our members," and tear their unhappy victim in pieces. The lover of sinful pleasure, of power, of fame and gain, knows well that the way in which those lusts drag or drive him along, is anything but the way of peace. They are hostile to the improvement of the soul. The improvement of the soul consists in growth in the knowledge of God, and in true holiness; in increasing conformity to His image. Fleshly lusts are plainly inconsistent with this. They destroy that calm, collected state of mind, which is necessary to progress in knowledge and holiness; they occupy the time which ought to be devoted to the pursuits which conduce to spiritual improvement; and they utterly indispose to, they morally incapacitate the mind for, such pursuits. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." "They do not," as has been justly said, only divert from spiritual things for the time, but they habitually indispose it to every spiritual work, and make it earthly and sensual, and so unfit for heavenly things. Where these lusts, or any one of them, have dominion, the soul cannot at all perform any spiritual duty; can neither pray, nor hear, nor read the word aright; and, in as far as any of them prevail upon the soul of a child of God, they do disjoint and disable it from holy things." Finally, if indulged, those fleshly lusts will be fatal to the ultimate happiness of the soul. This is equally plain from the nature of things, and the express declarations of the word of God. A man under the 1 Erparocúvral. Non modo impediunt sed oppugnant.-BENGEL. They not only hinder, they oppose. • Leighton. Cowper. • James iv. 1. * Rom. viii. 7. |