This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind.
Exhortation to converts
1. Ministers of the Word must both speak, and with protestation enforce, the ways of God.
2. We must do all good things in the Lord’s power.
3. Our estate which we have in Christ must avail with us to leave oar old ways.
4. We must not spend our time after grace as we did before.
(1) It is more to God’s dishonour, and our own danger, to sin after grace, for God will be sanctified in all that come near Him, or He will by His judgments sanctify Himself in them. The times of ignorance God does not so strictly look to.
(2) We should be worse servants to God and holiness, than we were to sin and the devil; for when we were in the flesh, we walked after the devil, and were free men from righteousness.
(3) The time of grace itself includes a persuasion, for it is a day wherein the Sun of Righteousness shines in our hearts, as the time before our conversion was a night. Now, the day is not for works of darkness, but of light.
(4) It is a great injustice to spend the time after grace in the lusts of our own hearts; for, would we not think ourselves wronged if, having hired one to work here or there, he should go loitering and wasting his time elsewhere?
5. Such as are called to faith, must not be like the world.
(1) Ministers must call off the godly from conforming to the world.
(2) We must not be afraid to be singular.
6. To walk after our vain minds is heathenish.
7. All the courses which the natural man can devise are vain. (Paul Bayne.)
Kept from mental vanity
AGerman writer says that the king’s daughter had a very learned man come every day to instruct her in the sciences. He was very weak and sickly, dwarfed and deformed. One day the king’s daughter said to him, “How is it that you, a man with so much intelligence and such a wonderful intellect, should have such a miserable body?” The teacher made no answer, but he said, “Bring us some wine.” The order was given, the wine was brought, and they drank it. He said, “This is very pleasant wine; in which kind of vat do you keep it?” She said, “In an earthen vat.” “Oh,” he said, “it is strange that in such a beautiful palace as your father has he should have wine in an earthen vat. Why don’t you put it in a gold or silver vat?” The king’s daughter said, “So it shall be.” One day the learned man was teaching the king’s daughter, and he said, “I am weary--bring me some wine.” The wine was ordered. He tasted it; it was sour. He said, “This is miserable wine. What is the matter with it?” She said, “I cannot understand it, for we have the wine in a golden vat.” “Ah!” he said, “that’s what’s the matter with it; that’s what has spoiled and soured it. Now,” he said, turning to the king’s daughter, “I will explain why God puts my mind in such a miserable body. Had He put my mind in a body that was golden, beautiful, and imposing, I should have been spoiled with vanity; but He put me in an earthen vessel, and so I have been kept humble.” (Dr. Talmage.)
Vanity even in death
Danton’s last words to Samson, the executioner, were, “Thou wilt show my head to the people; it is worth showing.” (Carlyle’s “French Revolution.”)
