Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 43
VERS. 18. They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ.
IN these and the following words, is a description of these in ordinate walkers, which the Apostle speaketh of, they are described by their disposition: First outwardly, that they are enemies to Christs death. Then inwardly, their bellie is their God, they glorie in their shame, and they minde earthly things. Then by their end, which is damnation. They are pointed out and described to us, to the end wee might take notice of them: by the Crosse is not meant the signe of the crosse, as the Papists fondly imagine, but Christs death on the crosse, whereby was made satisfaction,Who were enemies to Christs crosse and redemption, and reconciliation.
The enemies of this crosse are; first, such as added thereto the ceremoniall obedience to the law, and their owne satisfactorie workes.
Secondly, such as are carnall, denying the power of Christs crucifying, in not crucifying their affections.
Thirdly, such as could not indure, of suffer for the testmonie of Christs crucifying, and therefoe to avoid persecution, they pressed circumcision with Christ, and so were enemies to his crosse: Gal. 6.12. Such were the enemies thereof then, and such have wee now of the Papists, let them brag never so much of their esteeme and reverence they give to the signe thereof, while they seem to kisse it, they betray it Iudas▪ like. For while they teach merits, satisfaction in purgatory, indulgences, & the like; they make the crosse of Christ of none effect, whic his onelyonly and wholly sufficient in it selfe.
And whereas they say they doe adde, they take nothing from the sufficiencie of Christ;
I answer, circumcision was added here by these, who are notwithstanding condemned: for as to joyne poyson with wholesome meate takes away the nourishment of the meate, so if we be circūcised, Christ shall profitus nothing, and grace is no grace, where there is merit. Rom. 11.6. Againe, consider the equitie thereof in naturall reason; can it be thought likely, that God should become man, to doe any thing which lies in the power of man to patch up and make good or else its unsufficient? shall finite corrupt man be able to make an infinite worke perfect? no, God will not give his glorie to another, and will he part with his glorie in this great worke? which propounds his glorie as the maine end thereof? Ephes. the 1.6. and 12. verses.
Fourthly, there are another sort of enemies, such as cast not themselves on the merits of Christs crosse, those whose consciences were never convict of sinne: abundance there are, who glorie in their proud presumptious swaggering courses, shewing that they are either blinde or starke mad; they wilfully runne to perditiō, they wil not heare nor be controuled. Others that see their fore-passed life how wicked it hath bin, they are so far from casting themselves on Christs merits, as they despair, & grow more & more obstinate therein, even to their own destruction, either by not seeing the merits of Christ, or through want of confidence on thē, though they see his righteousnesse to be above their sins: and some are so detestably wicked, as because they see no salve for them, they run desperatly into a custome of sin, & continue therin to their death. As we would desite to avoid this fearfull estate and condition, so let us take heed of custome of sinning, for that wil make us senselesse, and will move God to give us over. And therefore let us take heed that we receive no the grace of God in vaine, it being so freely proffered to us. And to this end, know that so far as we suffer our lusts to over rule us & we not crucifie them so far we are enemies. Gal. 5.4.For while we know and consider Christ, as crucified for our sins, it will make us (if we have any grace) think of sin as of a thing that deserves to be crucified, and hate that, that caused the death of our deere Savious, for they were the cruell tormenters of Christ. And if we embrace Christ, we shal have the same affectiō to sin that Christ had, for Christ wil not lodg but in a hart humbled for sin. And the estate of those men is miserable, that are so farre from crucifying lusts, as they thrust themselves upon all occasions of temptation and sinne, and esteeme them as their onelyonly enemies, that tell them of their unchristian courses: Surely, however they may daube for a time, yet their outward profession will never administer sound comfort to them, but they shall finde bitternesse at their latter end.
There are yet another sort of enemies; namely, such as will indure nothing for Christ: who notwithstanding bore his crosse, and bids us take up our crosse of reproach for religion: some will indure any paine, travaile, danger and watchings for riches or ambition, but dare not speake a word, or appeare in Christs cause, are not these enemies? Shall Christ out of his love come from heaven to the basest abasement for us, and shall not wee indure for a while here, seeing it is also for our owne good, and we are gainers thereby, and considering that Christ called us to suffer? for while wee live here, and imbrace true religion, there will ever be a crosse and shame in the world, accompanying the profession thereof, if it bee sincere.
Preachers therfore that preach not Christ plainly, and boldly, and hearers that come to the hearing of the Word rather for Rhetoricall flourishes, wittie sentences fit onelyonly for discourse sake, even thus farre they are enemies. For if Christ bee not preached mainly and chiefly to this end, to amend the lives of men, to winne soules to Christ. And if men (comming to heare) come not even for this end mainly, to be bettered in their salvation, to bee strengthened in grace, they shall be damned as enemies for this; that the meanes of salvation they prophane and despise.
And therefore, let us abase our selves for our sinnes, and magnifie Gods goodnesse, in affording meanes of salvation. Labour also to shew how wee profit by suffering for the Gospell, and count it an honour, and rejoyce that wee are worthie to suffer for Christ, labour to overcome the world and our lusts, and to honour Christ even in his meanest children: If the love of Christ will not constraine us, no motives will draw us.