When we see those who despise God and set bad examples, we sometimes wander from the right way, imagining that their evil gives us some excuse for our own. We do not consider that such examples are meant to serve as an exercise of our faith. For this reason Paul not only exhorts us to separate ourselves from all iniquity, so that we may not become like the despisers of God, but he also exhorts us not to be offended, nor to take occasion to doubt, when we see men wickedly disposed. He has already dealt with this matter, and now he confirms it by a fitting comparison.

First, so that we may not think ourselves worthy of pardon if we do evil and follow those who despise God, Paul says that in a great house there are various kinds of vessels. If the cupboard or the table is furnished with vessels of gold and silver, in the kitchen there may be seen vessels of wood and of stone. When we see such a variety, we do not marvel at it. For if a man were to throw his gold and silver among the refuse of his house, what would we think of him? Would we not say that he was mad? If it is not improper to have vessels appointed to a lowly use in a great house, shall we not be content to see the same in the house of God? Shall we grant greater privileges to mortal man than to the living God?

Paul therefore exhorts the children of God, though they are placed among the wicked, not to defile themselves with their wickedness, but rather to be stirred up to carefulness by this means, that they may shun evil examples and separate themselves from such company, and so dedicate themselves the more diligently to God. In a few words we have the apostle's meaning. As we have already shown, the lesson given to us here by Paul is very profitable. For if there are wicked men and hypocrites in the church of God, who remain among us for a season and are highly esteemed, it must not trouble us, for the house of God is great. Some understand this to include the whole world, and it might reasonably be taken so, but of this we shall speak more fully hereafter.

Paul had just made mention of those who fell away after they had professed their belief in the gospel. This brings us great comfort, seeing that the church of God is spread throughout all the world, and many are called to the gospel. Let us put the case to those here assembled. Are there not vessels of gold and silver enough to furnish a cupboard or a table? And are there not likewise vessels of wood and of earth, which, after they have served for a while, are to be cast away or burned, or held of no account? Although we might wish for nothing in the church of God but purity, for nothing that could be found fault with, yet we must still expect to see stumbling blocks. And why? Because God gathers together a great variety of vessels.

It is said in Matthew 13:47 that the church of God, or the kingdom of heaven, is like a net cast into the sea, where all sorts of fish are gathered. When it is full, it is drawn ashore, and the good are gathered into vessels, but the bad are cast away. So it is when the gospel is preached. Many will seem to receive it, and for a season will appear to be among the number of the faithful, but they soon turn aside and are separated from them. The church of God is also compared to a threshing floor, where the wheat is mixed with the chaff. But the floor is to be purged, the wheat gathered into the barn, and the chaff burned with unquenchable fire, as we read in Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17.

This is to show us that in this life the church of God shall never be without some mixture. There will always be hypocrites who assent to the doctrine of faith, or who at least have a place in the church and are taken for Christians, but in the end it will be made clear that they are not true sons, and therefore they will be disinherited. We have a figure of this in Ishmael, who for a season was set above Isaac, being the elder son, but he was cast out, and Abraham was constrained to send him away, as we read in Genesis 21:14.

Before we go any further, we must answer a doubt that might be raised here. It is said in the Psalms that those who come into the mountain of God, and have a place to dwell in his temple, must be without blemish and must walk uprightly. This, at first sight, seems to destroy the idea that there are vessels appointed to dishonor, for all must be chosen to serve God and must be sanctified to obedience. To what does God call us but to holiness? Are we not vessels of his temple? Indeed, is not every one of us a part of his sanctuary? Must we not be consecrated to him and purified from all blemishes and pollutions?

In the passages we have mentioned, we are taught what manner of persons those whom God calls to himself ought to be. It is not said that all are such, for there are many who, although they are commanded to dedicate themselves to God, remain filthy and wicked. When it is said that those who have clean hands and a pure heart shall dwell in God's holy mountain, many will boast that they are his children and that they are faithful, who are not worthy to be reckoned of his household. But in the end they will be cast off. After they have occupied a place under this false title, and have wickedly abused the name of God, he will banish them, as we have already noticed concerning Ishmael. The wicked who dwell in the temple of God seem to do well for a time, but they soon begin to despise their Maker, and to use deceit, malice, violence, extortion, and cruelty toward their neighbors. They may grow up in the church, but in the end God will separate the goats from the sheep.

In the second place, Paul exhorts us to purge ourselves from all the filthiness of the wicked. And why? Because if we are partakers of their wickedness, God will be displeased with us. Therefore, if we wish to be honorable in his church, we must not only bear this outward title before men, but we must live in obedience to his will, and show that it is not for nothing that God has chosen us to himself. Let us understand what is said in the text, that if there are wicked men mixed among the good, we may not be troubled beyond measure.

We see some so squeamish that, if they can spy any fault in the church, or if the reformation is not so perfect as might be wished, they cry out, How is this? Is this the church of God? And they separate themselves from it, thinking that they defile themselves if they belong to a company that cannot wholly correct the faults of its own members. We ought indeed to be earnest and zealous, and to endeavor to put away stumbling blocks. If we see evil in the church, it must be purged out, it must be cut off speedily, and not allowed to grow. We must all earnestly desire that the temple of God remain pure and clean. Yet we must endure many things that remain and cannot be taken away, and when we cannot remedy them, we must mourn. However the world may go, we ought not to estrange ourselves from the church of God under the pretense that not all men walk as they ought.

And why? In a great house, if a man goes into the kitchen and sees vessels that are worth nothing, or of which little account is made, he is not angry, for they are appointed for the use of the kitchen, and so they serve for the cleanliness of the house. If a man were so peevish as to forsake everything and say, I will never come into this house again, because I see vessels here that serve no purpose except to gather up the filth of the kitchen, would he not be foolish? On the contrary, he may see that pains are taken to serve him the better. Therefore, when we see such vessels in the church of God, let us not be grieved, nor take occasion thereby to withdraw ourselves from it, but let us still go on and persevere.

Paul meant to show us here that, although the wicked endeavor to bring the name of God into reproach and dishonor, they do not cease to serve his glory. And how? God turns their wickedness into goodness. When we look at the wicked, we think they were made to dishonor God, to destroy the reputation of his majesty, and to abolish his justice, to turn all things upside down, so that the world may have no more knowledge of him. This is what they aim at, and the devil drives them forward, but they do not cease to be vessels. That is to say, God will find means to use them in such a manner that he will be glorified by them. This does not excuse them, nor may they cloak themselves with such a mantle, as though they served him, for this was not their mind or intention.

Let us submit ourselves to the providence of God, for if we are angry and peevish, and say that all things are out of order, we shall not be excused. Let us be fully resolved that, in spite of Satan, God will be glorified. Moreover, let us learn to practice this doctrine, namely, that when we see nothing but blemishes among us, and that stumbling blocks are not removed as they ought to be, when there is not so much honesty as is required, and men shut their eyes for fear of seeing the light, when they dissemble, and when there is not severity enough used to keep them in order, let us mourn, and, if it is possible, correct such disorders. We must not think, because we see these disorders in the church of God, that it is utterly destroyed, or that our Lord Jesus Christ is able to do no more, but rather consider that, although the wicked disfigure the beauty of the church, although they defile and pollute it, yet God will be glorified. After they have troubled the church long enough, God will bring them to their end, and show himself to be their judge.

Therefore let us be patient, knowing that we have a wonder working God, who works by such means that he causes even the devil and wicked men to praise him. It is true that the devil will always show himself, as much as he can, a deadly enemy to God's glory, and will endeavor by every means in his power to tread it underfoot, but after all, God turns his wickedness into good. So it is with the wicked, who go about to bring all things into disorder, and to take the kingdom of God from among us, and to blot out the remembrance of his name. But when they have done all they can, they still remain vessels.

Paul treats this subject more fully in the ninth chapter to the Romans, where he plainly shows that the reprobates and castaways, not only those who profess Christianity, but those who are open enemies of the gospel, are God's instruments and vessels, by which he causes his glory to appear, although their intention is altogether different. He speaks as much of those who denied God, and made no pretense of belonging to his household, as of hypocrites who made some show for a season. For example, there is a wicked man who seeks to mingle heaven and earth together. Satan has employed him this way and that, and it is thought for a time that he will do great wonders, but God shows that the matter is in his own hand, that he has the man bridled and in subjection, and that he is his instrument.

It is true that the wicked are not led by the Spirit of God to do evil. It would be blasphemy to say so, for the Spirit of God leads us to justice and righteousness. Although the devil entices men into wickedness, yet God rules over all, and in such a manner that he applies their wickedness to his own service. Therefore, seeing that it is so, let us learn to be patient. When there are stumbling blocks in the church, we must not nurse the evil, as I have shown before, but every one ought to be active, and to endeavor as much as possible to cleanse the church from all manner of filth. After we have done all in our power, if we are unable to make it better, let us wait patiently while God uses the evil and turns it to a good end.

Therefore let us understand what is taught here, namely, that the wicked are vessels, that is, they shall be constrained to serve God. They are not inclined to do good, but God can draw them by force, and dispose of them according to the counsel of his own will, which surpasses our understanding. They serve in his house, but not to honor, and yet the name of God does not cease to be glorified. It in no way lessens his justice, wisdom, power, and goodness. Thus God keeps all things in order, although the wicked are mixed among the righteous.

If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor. This is the second part of what we noticed before. When we see that the church of God is not so well reformed as might be wished, we are apt to think that all is lost, and that God rules no more in the world. But Paul instructs us not to be dismayed, but to wait patiently until it pleases God to turn the malice of the wicked to his own glory. If we are constant, and not shaken by the confusion in the world, the end will always be good.

When we are among the wicked, we must not join with them in their wickedness, but separate ourselves from them. Paul exhorts us to cleanse ourselves from those of whom he spoke, and to dedicate ourselves to God. It is a hard matter for a man to walk through mire and dirt without defiling himself, or to go into a foul and filthy place and return without stain or spot. Therefore we must take heed, and be careful, when we keep company with those who despise God. When we are among lewd men and hypocrites, we must be circumspect in our conversation, for nothing is easier than to become wrapped up in the pollutions of the world, and to be infected by them. For this reason Paul says, let us beware. This warning was not given for one time only, but it must be observed to the end of the world.

Let us learn, then, that although there ought to be some discipline in the church to correct faults, to keep people in the fear of God, and to lead them to live an honest life, yet we shall still see many hurtful things that will turn us out of the right way, unless we are watchful. We may be joined with the wicked until we depart out of the world, but let us endeavor to cleanse ourselves from their filthiness. Let us pray to God that he would turn us from their pollutions, and purify us by his Holy Spirit, so that his righteousness may always reign in our hearts. We see, then, the meaning of Paul, that we should cleanse ourselves from those of whom he spoke, as if he had said, although we keep company with the wicked, who would wish to draw us into their fellowship and have us share in their wickedness, yet we cannot excuse ourselves if we become like them, for God did not sanctify us in vain when it pleased him to choose us to himself.

Paul says we must cleanse ourselves, not that we are able to do it of ourselves, but because God will have us attend to his service. From the reading of this sentence, some have concluded that we can cause God to choose and predestine us, but this overthrows the very groundwork of our faith. It is gross folly to say that we must separate ourselves from the wicked if we will have God to choose us. For it is as much as to say that, before we were born, before the world was made, it was necessary for us to prepare ourselves, so that we might be worthy of God's adoption. This doctrine is so foolish that it does not deserve particular notice. For he chose us before the foundation of the world was laid, and he had regard to no deserts of ours whatever.

Again, there are others who would establish a free will, saying that we are commanded to cleanse ourselves, and therefore it must depend upon our own industry. But these men show themselves to be ignorant, and not well informed in the holy Scripture. For when God shows us what our duty is, he does not say that it is in our own power, or that we are able to do it, but he exhorts us to do that which is good, and he works it in us, because we are not able to perform it of ourselves. Therefore let us learn, in this way, to cleanse ourselves, so that we may not be like the wicked. God says, in Ezekiel 36:25, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, that is, the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to cleanse ourselves, but God shows that this belongs to him, and that it proceeds from the pure grace of his Holy Spirit.

Why, then, does Paul use this language? Our nature moves nothing at all. It is the Lord who works all the good that is in us. He gives us the will, and also the strength and the affection, so that we may fight against wickedness, thus granting and giving to us that which belongs to himself. He works in us in such a manner that it seems we do it ourselves. The believer takes great pains, and labors to purge himself from the filth of the world, so that he may not be infected with the corruptions of the wicked. In this we fight manfully, but it is God who drives us to it, it is he who gives us the strength. In short, he gives us the will, and enables us to carry it out, as Paul says, all of his own free goodness. So that we may not be idle, we are exhorted in this place, and such exhortations are not needless.

Having made some observations upon the words of purging or cleansing ourselves, let us now notice the following clause of the same verse, namely, He shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and fit for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. When he speaks of vessels of honor, he shows that it is not enough to have a place in the church of God, and to bear the name of Christians, but we must be separated from sin and uncleanness. It is true that all who are baptized, all who are partakers of the supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, and joined with the faithful, are already separated from unbelievers. No one will say that they are Turks or heathens. Yet something more than this is necessary. We must not have the outward mark only, and boast of our baptism and profession in order to serve God, but our life must witness that we are indeed his children, so that, when we are governed by his Holy Spirit, it may be a witness to certify us of our adoption.

This is the meaning of Paul, when he says that we must be vessels unto honor. And why? It may be that, although we are in the church of God, and even among those who are most forward, in the end we shall be cast aside like a broken vessel, or abandoned like a vessel of wood that serves no purpose. Such is the end of hypocrites, who vaunt and boast that they are of the number and company of the children of God. They may indeed be vessels, and God may use them, but they are vessels to dishonor, for he will bring them into confusion. Therefore let us take heed, and see that we are vessels unto honor, not having an outward or temporal mark only, that we may be taken for the children of God, but that we may be chosen for his everlasting inheritance, and by this means draw near to him.

We must not only be vessels in the house, but vessels of the temple, to serve in making holy sacrifices and offerings, so that we may thereby serve and honor God. When God makes the malice of men serve his glory, as it is said of Pharaoh, it is like drawing fire out of water. It is so great a work that it is hard to comprehend. We glorify God when we give ourselves wholly to his service, and seek nothing but the honor and glory of his name, and this is done when we act as true children, and labor both in body and soul to apply ourselves to his use. Paul not only says that we are vessels of his temple, but that we are the priests who bear them. Thus God uses us as vessels of honor, dedicating both body and soul to his service, and he makes us vessels to be applied to whatever shall serve for his holiness, so that he may reign among us.

Therefore we must take so much the more pains to sanctify ourselves, as it is said in Isaiah 52:11, Be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. Again, we know how God commanded that the vessels should be kept clean and pure, and that no unclean thing should be put in them. Therefore, seeing that we are the vessels of the temple, and the bearers and keepers of them, let us beware, and dedicate ourselves to the use of God, which is honorable. Seeing that we are his temples, each one of us, and all of us together, let us be careful to keep ourselves in all purity. Seeing that God does us this honor, to receive us as vessels of his temple, and dwells in us by his Holy Spirit, must we not be purged from all filthiness? God will not dwell in a filthy place. His house must be pure and holy, and whatever comes near him must be sanctified.

We cannot be fit to serve God unless we are vessels of honor, that is, given to all good works. If we would serve God as he requires, we must give ourselves to good works, that is, we must seek nothing but to obey his will, and to answer his holy calling. Then we shall not only be instruments in his hand, but we shall be vessels of honor, governed by his Holy Spirit.

To make a short conclusion, let us learn not to throw ourselves into disorder. Though the devil casts many troubles in our way, though storms and tempests arise, though there is not so much order in the church as could be wished, yet let us still keep on our way, and not think that this lessens the majesty of God. For in a great house there must of necessity be vessels of wood and of earth. God will test our affection. Let us therefore be watchful, and let us not think to be excused if we join the wicked in their pollutions. When the wicked rejoice, and endeavor to mar our comfort, let us withdraw from them. When sin reigns, and every one is endeavoring to draw his companion into destruction with him, let us run to our God, praying him to keep us under the governance of his Holy Spirit, and so to frame us to the purity of which Paul speaks. Seeing that we are insufficient for these things, and that, besides our weakness, there is nothing but corruption in us, let us pray God to send us his pure waters, spoken of in Ezekiel 36:25, that we may be cleansed from all our filthiness, and made fit subjects for his service. Then we shall desire to live in obedience to the will of God, and that freely, not by constraint and force. When God is glorified by the works of the wicked, as he says he has kept them for his glory, we must know that it is not their intention to worship him, but that by a wonderful providence he draws good out of evil, even as he turned darkness into light when he made the world.