But the apostle does not forbid us, to have any intercourse at all, even with the men that know not God. For then, says he, ye must needs go out of the world, which he could never advise them to do. But he subjoins, [84]If any man that is called a brother, that professes himself a Christian, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—Now I have written unto you not to keep company with him; with such an one, no not to eat. This must necessarily imply, that we break off all familiarity, all intimacy of acquaintance with them. [85]Yet count him not, saith the apostle elsewhere as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother: plainly shewing, that even in such a case as this, we are not to renounce all fellowship with him: so that here is no advice, to separate wholly, even from wicked men. Yea, these very words teach us quite the contrary.
6. Much more the words of our Lord: who is so far from directing us, to break off all commerce with the world, that without it, accordingto his account of Christianity, we cannot be Christians at all. *It would be easy to shew, that some intercourse even with ungodly and unholy men, is absolutely needful in order to the full exertion of every temper, which he has described as the way to the kingdom: that it is indispensably necessary in order to the compleat exercise of poverty of spirit, of mourning, and of every other disposition which has a place here, in the genuine religion of Jesus Christ. Yea, it is necessary to the very being of several of them; of that meekness, for example, which instead of demanding an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth, doth not resist evil; but causes us rather, when smitten on the right cheek, to turn the other also: of that mercifulness, whereby we love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us: and of that complication of love and all holy tempers, which is exercised in suffering for righteousness sake. Now all these, it is clear, could have no being, were we to have no commerce with any but real Christians.
7. *Indeed were we wholly to separate ourselves from sinners, how could we possibly answer that character, which our Lord gives us in these very words: ye (Christians, ye that are lowly, serious and meek; ye that hunger after righteousness, that love God and man, that do good to all, and therefore suffer evil: ye) arethe salt of the earth. It is your very nature to season whatever is round about you. It is the nature of the divine savour which is in you, to spread to whatsoever you touch; to diffuse itself, on every side, to all those among whom you are. This is the great reason why the providence of God has so mingled you together with other men, that whatever grace you have received of God may through you be communicated to others; that every holy temper, and word, and work of yours, may have an influence on them also. By this means a check will in some measure be given, to the corruption which is in the world; and a small part, at least, saved from the general infection, and rendered holy and pure before God.
8. That we may the more diligently labour to season all we can, with every holy and heavenly temper, our Lord proceeds to shew the desperate state of those, who do not impart the religion they have received: which indeed they cannot possibly fail to do, so long as it remains in their own hearts. If the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shalt it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. If ye who were holy and heavenly-minded, and consequently zealous of good works, have no longer that savour in yourselves, and do therefore no longer season others; if you are grown flat, insipid, dead, both careless of your own soul, and useless to the souls ofother men, wherewith shall ye be salted? How shall ye be recovered? What help? What hope? Can tasteless salt be restored to its savour! No; it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, even as the mire in the streets, and to be trodden under foot of men, to be overwhelmed with everlasting contempt. If ye had never known the Lord, there might have been hope, if ye had never been found in him. But what can you now say to that his solemn declaration, just parallel to what he hath here spoken? [86]Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he (the Father) taketh away. He that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit.—If a man abide not in me, (or, do not bring forth fruit) he is cast out as a branch and withered; and men gather them (not to plant them again, but) to cast them into the fire.
9. Toward those who have never tasted of the good word, God is indeed pitiful and of tender mercy. But justice takes place with regard to those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and have afterwards turned back from the holy commandment then delivered to them. [87]For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, in whose hearts God had once shined, to enlighten them with the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ; who have tasted of the heavenly gift, of redemption in his blood, the forgiveness of sins; and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, of lowliness, of meekness,and of the love of God and man shed abroad in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost which was given unto them: and have fallen away, καὶ παραπεσόντας· (Here is not a supposition, but a flat declaration of matter of fact) to renew them again unto repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
But that none may misunderstand these awful words, it should be carefully observed, 1. Who they are that are here spoken of; namely, they, and they only, who were once thus enlightened. They only who did taste of that heavenly gift, and were thus made partakers of the Holy Ghost. So that all who have not experienced these things, are wholly unconcerned in this scripture. 2. What that falling away is which is here spoken of. It is an absolute, total apostacy. A believer may fall, and not fall away. He may fall and rise again. And if he should fall, even into sin, yet this case, dreadful as it is, is not desperate. For we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins. But let him above all things beware, lest his heart be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: lest he should sink lower and lower, ’till he wholly fall away, ’till he become as salt that hath lost its savour: for if we thus sin wilfully, after we have received the experimental knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins: but a certain, fearful lookingfor of fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
II. 1. “But although we may not wholly separate ourselves from mankind, although it be granted, we ought to season them, with the religion which God has wrought in our hearts, yet may not this be done insensibly? May we not convey this into others in a secret, and almost imperceptible manner? So that scarce any one shall be able to observe, how or when it is done? Even as salt conveys its own savour, into that which is seasoned thereby, without any noise, and without being liable to any outward observation. And if so, altho’ we do not go out of the world, yet we may lie hid in it. We may thus far keep our religion to ourselves, and not offend those whom we cannot help.”
2. Of this plausible reasoning of flesh and blood, our Lord was well aware also. And he has given a full answer to it in those words, which come now to be considered: in explaining which I shall endeavour to shew, as I proposed to do in the second place, that so long as true religion abides in our hearts, it is impossible to conceal it, as well as absolutely contrary to the design of its great Author.
And, first, it is impossible for any that have it, to conceal the religion of Jesus Christ. This our Lord makes plain beyond all contradiction, by a two-fold comparison. Ye are the lightof the world. A city set upon an hill cannot be hid.
Ye Christians are the light of the world, with regard both to your tempers and actions. Your holiness makes you as conspicuous, as the sun in the midst of heaven. As ye cannot go out of the world, so neither can ye stay in it, without appearing to all mankind. Ye may not flee from men, and while ye are among them, it is impossible to hide your lowliness and meekness, and those other dispositions whereby ye aspire to be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Love cannot be hid any more than light; and least of all, when it shines forth in action; when ye exercise yourselves in the labour of love, in beneficence of every kind. As well may men think to hide a city, as to hide a Christian: yea, as well may they conceal a city set upon a hill, as a holy, zealous, active lover of God and man.