BibleWare/BibWare.bin/bibref/wesley/serm_081.txt

Text File | 1996-12-03 | 28KB | 458 lines

John Wesley


SERMON 81


IN WHAT SENSE WE ARE TO LEAVE THE WORLD

"Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And I will be
to you a Father, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. 6:17, 18.

1. How exceeding few in the religious world have duly considered
these solemn words! We have read them over and over, but never laid
them to heart, or observed that they contain as plain and express
a command as any in the whole Bible. And it is to be feared, there
are still fewer that understand the genuine meaning of this direction.
Numberless persons in England have interpreted it as a command to
come out of the Established Church. And in the same sense it has
been understood by thousands in the neighboring kingdoms. Abundance
of sermons have been preached, and of books wrote, upon this supposition.
And indeed many pious men have grounded their separation from the
Church chiefly on this text. "God himself," say they, "commands us,
`Come out from among them, and be ye separate.' And it is only upon
this condition that he will receive us, and we "shall be the sons
and daughters of the Lord Almighty."

2. But this interpretation is totally foreign to the design of the
Apostle, who is not here speaking of this or that church, but on
quite another subject. Neither did the Apostle himself or any of
his brethren draw any such inference from the words. Had they done
so it would have been a flat contradiction both to the example and
precept of their Master. For although the Jewish church was then
full as unclean, as unholy, both inwardly and outwardly, as any Christian
Church now upon earth, yet our Lord constantly attended the service
of it. And he directed his followers in this, as in every other respect,
to tread in his steps. This is clearly implied in that remarkable
passage: "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not
ye after their works: For they say and do not." (Matt. 23:2, 3.)
Even though they themselves say and do not, though their lives contradict
their doctrines, though they were ungodly men, yet our Lord here
not only permits but requires his disciples to hear them. For he
requires them to "observe and do what they say." But this could not
be if they did not hear them. Accordingly the apostles, as long as
they were at Jerusalem, constantly attended the public service. Therefore
it is certain these words have no reference to a separation from
the Established Church.

3. Neither have they any reference to the direction given by the
Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians. The whole passage
runs thus: "I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators:
Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the
covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs
go out of the world. But now I have written unto you, not to keep
company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or
covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one, no not to eat." (1 Cor. 5:9-11.) This wholly relates
to them that are members of the same Christian community. The Apostle
tells them expressly, he does not give this direction, not to company
with such and such persons, with regard to the Heathens, or to men
in general; and adds this plain reason, "For then must ye needs go
out of the world;" you could transact no business in it. "But if
any man that is called a brother,"--that is connected with you
in the same religious society,--"be a fornicator, or covetous,
or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such an one, no not to eat." How important a caution is this! But
how little is it observed, even by those that are, in other respects,
conscientious Christians! Indeed some parts of it are not easy to
be observed, for a plain reason,--they are not easy to be understood.
I mean, it is not easy to be understood to whom the characters belong.
It is very difficult, for instance, to know, unless in some glaring
cases, to whom the character of an extortioner or of a covetous man
belongs. We can hardly know one or the other, without seeming at
least to be "busy bodies in other men's matters." And yet the prohibition
is as strong concerning converse with these, as with fornicators
or adulterers. We can only act in the simplicity of our hearts, without
setting up for infallible judges, (still willing to be better informed,
) according to the best light we have.

4. But although this direction relates only to our Christian brethren
(such, at least, by outward profession;) that in the text is of a
far wider extent: it unquestionably relates to all mankind. It clearly
requires us to keep at a distance, as far as is practicable, from
all ungodly men. Indeed it seems the word which we render unclean
thing, _tou akathartou_, might rather be rendered unclean person;
probably alluding to the ceremonial law which forbade touching one
that was legally unclean. But even here, were we to understand the
expression literally, were we to take the words in the strictest
sense, the same absurdity would follow; we must needs, as the Apostle
speaks, "go out of the world:" We should not be able to abide in
those callings which the providence of God has assigned us. Were
we not to converse at all with men of those characters, it would
be impossible to transact our temporal business. So that every conscientious
Christian would have nothing to do, but to flee into the desert.
It would not suffice to turn recluses, to shut ourselves up in monasteries
or nunneries; for even then we must have some intercourse with ungodly
men, in order to procure the necessaries of life.

5. The words therefore, must necessarily be understood with considerable
restriction. They do not prohibit our conversing with any man, good
or bad, in the way of worldly business. A thousand occasions will
occur, whereon we must converse with them in order to transact those
affairs which cannot be done without them. And some of these may
require us to have frequent intercourse with drunkards, or fornicators:
Yea, sometimes it may be requisite for us to spend a considerable
time in their company: Otherwise we should not be able to fulfil
the duties of our several callings. Such conversation therefore with
men, holy or unholy, is no way contrary to the Apostle's advice.


6. What is it then which the Apostle forbids? First, the conversing
with ungodly men when there is no necessity, no providential call,
no business, that requires it: Secondly, the conversing with them
more frequently than business necessarily requires: Thirdly, the
spending more time in their company than is necessary to finish our
business: Above all, Fourthly, the choosing ungodly persons, however
ingenious or agreeable, to be our ordinary companions, or to be our
familiar friends. If any instance of this kind will admit of less
excuse than others, it is that which the Apostle expressly forbids
elsewhere; the being "unequally yoked with an unbeliever" in marriage;
with any person that has not the love of God in their heart, or at
least the fear of God before their eyes. I do not know anything that
can justify this; neither the sense, wit, or beauty of the person,
nor temporal advantage, nor fear of want; no, nor even the command
of a parent. For if any parent command what is contrary to the Word
of God, the child ought to obey God rather than man.

7. The ground of this prohibition is laid down at large in the preceding
verses: "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
What communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever?"
(Taking that word in the extensive sense, for him that hath neither
the love nor fear of God.) "Y