I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
Ver. 3. I have put off my coat.] Thus the flesh shows itself not only weak but wayward, treacherous, and tyrannical; rebel it doth in the best, and reign it would if it might be suffered. This bramble would feign be playing Rex, King, and doth so at other times, till he be well buffeted, as St Paul served it, 1Co 9:27 and brought into subjection. But what a silly excuse maketh the Church here for herself? "Trouble me not, for I am in bed," as he said to his friend. Luk 11:7 My clothes are off, my feet are washed, and I am composed to a settled rest. But are you so? might Christ have regested. And is that the part and posture of a vigilant Christian? Might it not better have beseemed you to have had your loins girt up, your lamp in your hand, and yourself to have waited for your Lord's return, that when he came and knocked you might have opened unto him immediately? Luk 12:35-36 Or, being got to bed, must you needs mend one fault with another? Is it such a pains to start up again and let in such a guest, as comes not to take anything from you, but to enrich you much more than once the ark did Obed Edom? And in this sense some take those words in the former verse, "for mine head is filled with dew," as if Christ came unto her, full of the dew of blessings, to enrich her. Sure it is that Christ is no beggarly or niggardly guest. His "reward is with him"; he brings better commodities than Abraham's servants did to Laban, or the Queen of Sheba to Solomon - even purest gold, whitest raiment, sovereign eye salve, anything, everything, that heart can wish, or need require. Revelation 3:17 ; Rev 3:19 How unworthily therefore deal they, and how ill do they provide for themselves that either deny or delay to entertain him, when either by the motions of his Spirit, by the words of his mouth, or by the works of his hands, he knocks at the doors of their hearts, and would come in to them! How do they "make void or reject the counsel of God against themselves" with those unhappy lawyers, Luk 7:30 being ingrati gratiae Dei, as Ambrose speaketh, and judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life, with those perverse Jews! Act 13:46 Who can say it is otherwise than righteous that Christ should regest one day upon such ungrateful Gadarenes, "Depart from me ye wicked"; that such as say to him, as Felix did once to Paul, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season I will call for thee," Act 24:26 should hear from him, Get you to the gods whom ye have chosen, for I will not help you, &c.; and that those that would not obey this sweet precept, "Open to me," &c., "Come down, Zaccheus, for today I must abide at thy house," Luk 19:5 should have no other left to obey but that dreadful "Go ye cursed," &c. The Church here did but lust awhile and linger, when she should have been up and about; and she soon rued it dearly, bewailed it bitterly. Now, what was it that she did? Did she rate Christ for coming at such unseasonable hours? did she answer him currishly, or drive him front her door? No, surely; but only pleads excuse, and pretends inconvenience. She had put off her clothes, washed her feet, &c. A great char she had done; and it would have undone her doubtless to have dressed her again, and set her fair feet on the foul ground. There is none so wise as the sluggard. Pro 26:16 He hath got together a great many excuses, which he thinks will go for wisdom; because by them he thinks to sleep in a whole skin. Sin and shifting came into the world together. But what saith the apostle? Surely his counsel is most excellent, and worthy of all acceptation, "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh," Heb 12:25 scil., By his blood, Word, sacraments, motions of his Spirit, mercies, &c. "Look to it," as the Greek hath it, "that ye refuse not," παραιτησησθε, "that ye shift him not off" by frivolous pretences and idle excuses, as those recusant guests did, Mat 22:5 as Moses would have done; Exodus 3:11 ; Exodus 3:14 ; Exodus 4:1 ; Exo 4:10 and Jeremiah. Jer 1:6 So again, Hebrews 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" He saith not, if we reject, renounce, persecute; but if we neglect, let slip, undervalue, &c. If, when God "sends forth his mercy and his truth," Psa 57:3 and looks that we should send a lamb to that Lamb of God, the ruler of the land; Isa 16:1 we send messages after him, saying, "We will not have this man to rule over us"; Luk 19:14 we break his cords, those "cords of love," Hos 11:4 and kick against his heart; and instead of serving him, "make him to serve with our sins, and even weary him with our iniquities." Isa 43:24 How shall we escape? What hill shall hide us What will ye do in the end thereof?