October 11

That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.—1 Thessalonians 2:12.

GREAT is the honor which God hath put upon us, in calling us to such high and distinguished blessings,—even unto his kingdom and glory. How great, therefore, is the obligation which rests upon us, so to walk, as that God may be honored by us. Hence says the apostle in another place, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called." How then shall our walk be worthy of God?

1. To walk worthy of God is to walk in obedience of faith, receiving his glorious gospel, and leaning upon it, laying hold on the covenant which is revealed in it, as on the only hope which is set before us: for this is a great acknowledgment of the glory and praise of God, when we trust in him for salvation. Hence the apostle, having shown the glory of Christ above Moses, makes this use of it, that therefore "they should hear his voice, and take heed of an unbelieving heart, in departing from him." "We," saith he, "are to the praise of God's glory, who trust in Christ."

2. We honor God, in obedience of life and holiness. When, for the honor of the gospel, we can deny ourselves, and dishonor our lusts, and part from all that we had before, as from filth and dross, and express the image of Christ in our conversations. This is indeed the true learning of Christ, when we show forth his life in ours, when we walk as he also walked; when as he was, so we are in this world; when the same mind, judgment, affections are in us which were in Christ. Thus the faithful are said to honor God, when they sanctify his sabbath, and to glorify him when they bring forth much fruit.

3. We honor God by constancy, and continuance in our faith and obedience: for "standing fast," or persisting immovably in our course without sorrow or repentance, is an argument of our high esteem, and the excellency of our "heavenly calling." Lusts ever bring inconstancy with them, and make the soul like wearied and distempered bodies, never well in any posture or condition. Wicked men flee like bees from one flower to another, from one vanity to another; can never find enough in any to satiate the endless intemperance of unnatural desires: only the gospel being spiritually apprehended, hath treasures enough for the soul to rest in, and to seek no farther. And therefore falling away from the truth, power, or purity of the gospel, is said to expose Christ to shame, and to crucify him again. If a man should relinquish the service of some noble person, and apply himself to some sordid master for subsistence, —would not the mouths of men be quickly open, or their minds jealous to suspect that however such a man carries a high name, and there be great expectations from attending on him, yet, in truth he is but a dry master, whom his own servants do so publicly dishonor? So when any men turn apostates from the power and profession of the gospel of Christ, presently wicked men are apt to blaspheme, and to conceive desperate prejudices against our high and holy calling. If any man make a boast of the law, and yet break it, he dishonoreth God the more: for, saith the apostle, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written." So then constancy in Christ's service gives him the glory of an honorable master,—and his law, of a royal law; puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men, who lie in wait to take advantages, that they may blaspheme the name of God, and his doctrine.

4. God is honored in our studying the counsels of his will concerning the kingdom and glory to which he hath called us. St. Paul despised all other knowledge, and shook off every weight, that he might press forward with the more unwearied affection towards so excellent a treasure. Surely, if men had the spirit of the apostle, or of those blessed angels which desire to pry into the gospel of Christ, they would not misspend so much precious time in frothy and fruitless studies, nor waste away the lamp of reason in their bosoms, in empty and unnourishing blazes; but would set more hours apart to look into the

26 patent of their salvation, which is the word of God, and to acquaint themselves with Christ beforehand, that when they come into his presence, they may have the entertainment of friends, and not of strangers. Men that intend to travel into foreign kingdoms with any advantage to their parts, or improvement of their experience, do, beforehand, season and prepare themselves with the language, with descriptions of the places of the country, with some general notions of the ingenuity, manners, forms, civilities, entertainments of the natives there; do delight to converse with those men who are best learned in these or the like particulars. Surely, we all profess a journey to heaven, a pilgrimage in this present world, to have our conversation now, where we look to have our everlasting abode with the Lord hereafter. Now in the gospel of Christ we have, as it were, a map, a topographical delineation of those glorious mansions, which are there prepared for the church; we have a taste and description of the manners of that people; we have some rudiments of the heavenly language; in one word, we have abundantly enough, not only to prepare us for it, but to inflame all the desires of our soul after it, even as exiles and captives desire to return to their native country. Now then, if we no way regard to study it, or acquaint ourselves with it; if we seem to desire the sight of Christ in heaven,—and when we may, every day, have a blessed view of his face in the glass of his gospel, we turn away our eyes, and regard it not; we do as good as proclaim to all the world, that either our hopes of heaven are very slender, or our care thereof little or none at all. And this I take for a most undoubted truth, that there is so much of the knowledge, grace, and spirit of Christ, and, through him, of the Father, in the holy Scriptures (and those only are the things which make heaven to be the home and the hope of men), as that whosoever neglects the study of them, and suffers the Scriptures to lie by him as a sealed book, would be every whit as unwilling, if the gates of heaven were wide open unto him, to relinquish his portion in the earth, and to spend his time in the fruition and contemplation of that glorious country.

By these several tests, we may fitly try, whether we "walk worthy of God, who hath called us unto his kingdom and glory." Do we heartily believe the record which he hath given us of his Son? Do we walk in obedience of life and holiness? Are we constant in our adherence to Christ and his cause? Do we diligently search in his holy word, for the knowledge of his will, and of the good things to which he has called us? Let us be honest in the examination, that we may be happy in the result.