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{Sermons on Ephesians 5:15
The Doctrine Explained
Precisians are Described
Positively
Their Way or Conduct of Life}
I will describe Precisians by their conduct of life. To aid in this description, first I will describe them by the purpose and goal of their conduct of life. Then I will describe them by their course, or motion toward, this purpose and goal. Both of these will shed light on their conduct of life.
The Purpose or Goal of Their Conduct of Life: They Are People Who Are Traveling to Another World
{Sermons on Ephesians 5:15
The Doctrine Explained
Precisians are Described
Positively
Their Way or Conduct of Life
The Goal of Their Conduct: Heaven}
What is it that these Precisians desire to have, or to where are they bound? They cannot be content to go along with their neighbors and to live and do as others. Where is it that they are going, or what is it that they desire to have? Why, this is it: they are traveling heavenward, trading43 to another country. They are bound for the [heavenly] Holy Land, the Holy City (Revelation 21:2ff.). They are going toward Zion, or Jerusalem that is above. “They will ask the way to Zion with their faces toward it” (Jeremiah 50:5). Zion was the ancient seat of God’s residence among His people and the place of God’s solemn service where He was accustomed to meet His people and appear to them. This Zion, which was here below and the place of God’s gracious presence, was a type44 of that Zion that is above, that is, Heaven, the place of God’s glorious presence. This sort of people are traveling to Heaven. They are those strangers and pilgrims here on earth who are mentioned in Hebrews 11:13–14. As described in the passage, they are seeking not an earthly country, but a heavenly country. There are two things in Jeremiah 50:5 that reveal to what destination they are traveling: First, the inquiry they make; you may guess where a traveler is going when you hear him ask diligently how to get to such and such a place. “They will ask the way to Zion.” Second, they set their faces toward Zion. “They will ask … with their faces toward it.” Their setting their faces toward Zion indicates two things: First, they look longingly toward it. A traveler’s eye is much toward his journey’s end;45 Christians who are going heavenward are much and often looking heavenward. A Christian’s heart is in his eye, and his eye is on his home. Second, their setting their faces toward Zion indicates that they steer their course toward Zion. It was said of Christ that He set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Christians set their faces heavenward and they direct their course toward Heaven. They are continually and diligently asking the way. What must I do to be saved? Who shall ascend to the Holy Hill?46 What manner of people must we be that we may get there? And, they take the way that leads there.
To give a further description of this sort of people: they are people headed for another country, people headed for another world. They are born from above and they seek the things above. They are risen with Christ and they are ascending to Christ. Their treasure is above, their hopes are above, and to there they are hastening. Whatever they have of this world’s goods for the support of their life, these things are not the intent and goal of their life. They seek that glory, honor, and immortality that comes from God, and they are going on from strength to strength until they come and appear before God in Zion (Psalm 84:7). And in this lies a special difference between them and all others whatever: worldly people are people of this world, seeking for a worldly happiness, a worldly heaven, a heaven on earth. Or if they have any thoughts or hopes of another Heaven, they do not even think enough of it to ask the way to get there. How seldom do we hear them ask any such question as “What must I do to be saved?” Instead they ask, “What must I do to be rich? Which is the way to honor and temporal47 preferment? How may I escape trouble and save myself from harm?” These inquiries and others like them are ordinarily in their hearts and mouths, but such a serious question as “What must I do to be saved?” seldom comes from any of them. With so little thought of Heaven, it is a wonder how the devil, with all his skill, can trick them into believing or hoping that they ever will attain to that salvation. Or if they do ask the way to Heaven, it is not with their faces, but with their backs, toward Heaven. Whatever little talk may occasionally happen about souls and eternal salvation, their faces are set another way; they steer their course to Egypt48 and Sodom,49 toward their wealth or their wickedness. Listen, you foolish worldlings,50 you say every one of you that you hope for salvation—but which way are your faces set? Where are you going? Is that way of foul speech, lying, lust, carnal liberty, covetousness, and sensuality to which you give yourselves up—is that the way to life? In this, a sincere Christian is different from all others in the world: he fixes his heart, his hope, and his aims on an eternal happiness, and he directs his course toward obtaining it.
Their Course, or Motion, toward the Goal of Eternal Happiness
{Sermons on Ephesians 5:15
The Doctrine Explained
Precisians are Described
Positively
Their Way or Conduct of Life
Their Course Toward the Goal, Eternal Happiness}
Precisians may be known by their course, or motion, toward the goal of eternal happiness. In the next chapters, I will give you a threefold description of them:
They are the sort who walk in a right way.
They are upright and exact in the way.
From this way, they will not be turned aside by any flatteries of the world on the one hand, or frowns on the other.
43trading: probably a reference to laying up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:20; 19:21), the Parable of the Unjust Steward in Luke 16:1–13, or the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14–30.
44type: a person or thing that foreshadows a greater person or thing to come in fulfillment of a divine
45Recall that, in Alleine’s time, most travel, even for long distances, was on foot. The more well-off would have a horse; the wealthy, a carriage.
46Holy Hill: the hill upon which the ancient temple in Jerusalem was built, a type (foreshadowing picture) of Heaven.
47temporal: of or pertaining to time, that is, to the present life, or this world; secular, as distinguished from sacred or eternal.
48Egypt: Due to the escape of Israel from bondage in Egypt under Moses, Egypt, in the Bible, is often a symbol of bondage. Prior to reaching the Promised Land, certain evil Israelites sometimes spoke of returning there.
49Sodom: During Abraham’s time, Sodom was an exceedingly wicked city noted for homosexual practice and other vile evils. God destroyed it and nearby Gomorrah for their evil (Genesis 19:24).
50worldling: a person whose soul is set upon gaining temporal possessions; one devoted to this world and its enjoyments.
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