Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 17
VERS. 7. But what things were gaine to me, those I count losse for Christ.
THose things and priviledges, that formerly hee counted gaine, now hee counts them losse.
It is good therefore to teach by examples: as St. Paul does here inforce rules by his owne experience and example.
It is also expedient sometimes, to speake of prerogatives, and priviledges that a man hath in himselfe, and its not universall that wee must not speake of any thing, that might concerne our owne praise. For we may doe it as St. Paul does here, to beat downe the pride of others, that are vaine glorious; or wee may as Paul does, lift up our selves to abase and beat down our selves the lower.
In the third place, when God vouchsafes his children any outward priviledges, he doth it for the good and helpe of others, though we see it not at the first. Paul had these priviledges, that hee might beate down the pride of the Iewes more powerfully. And Solomon had all abundance of wisedome, riches, and the like; why? But only that he might without controule judge of all, as of vanitie and vexation of spirit: and make it to bee beleeved more firmely. For had an ordinary man said it, men would have thought its easie for him to say so: but if he had tried thē, he would have been otherwise minded. In these latter times, our best teachers were at the first Papists, and of the more zealous sort: As Bucer and Luther, being also learned men; as also Peter Martyr and Zanchius, was brought up in Italy, and all this, that they seeing once their blindnesse, might be the more able to confound them, as being not a whit inferiour to them in any outward respect whatsoever, when they were of their beleefe.
In the fourth place, God (having to deale with men of a desperate condition) suffers great and famous men to be in ignorance, nay to be persecutors, that after their conversion they might comfort weake Christians: and therefore let them comfort themselves, doe they finde that their sinnes are many, and great? Paul was a Pharisee, a persecuting Pharisee, and continued so a long while Nay, after his conversion, he complaines of a body of sinne, and yet found merciemercy, and therefore doe not despaire.
But to proceed, wee see what St. Paul was, and what now he is, how his judgement is quite contrary to that it was; for where grace is, it makes men opposite to themselves: and therefore this re-creation, is called a new creature. Paul quite contrary to Saul, and yet both one person. Out of which we may gather;
First, That a man before conversion, hath ever that which is his gaine: for wee are prone to thinke too highly of naturall things, and our esteeme shall be grounded upon probabilities, rather than we will lose our esteeme of them. For we know this outward gaine is easily gotten, the duties are easily performed; faire outwardly, and will procure praise from men, which is all we naturally looke for.
Secondly observe hence; That, that which we before conversion thought gaine, is indeed losse and unprofitable, nay it is dangerous: for things may in use be good, but in abuse dangerous. Riches are good in use, but in abuse mammon and thornes, as Christ termes them. Circumcision, and Sacrifices, and Baptisme, in themselves were good, and many things are still good: yet when we trust in them, and neglect inward graces, sacrifice is no more acceptable than a dogges head. Good workes are in their proper nature good, yet if wee relye on them, they stoppe the way to Christ. So as it is our wicked and abusing affections, that hath brought an ill report on the good creatures of God, so as to us they are drosse, and dung, nay losse: these termes doth the holy spirit give to alienate our affections from these earthly things; an outward, civill, and conformable life, are, by our too high esteeme of them, stoppes, staying many from Heaven: for while they tell themselves they live honestly and justly, doing no wrong, they suppose themselves to be very Saints, and looke no further. But every true Christian knowes his infirmity, and the more he is inlightened, the more hee sees his darknesse: he knowes these things cannot be gaine to him.
For first, he knowes they are meaner than the soule: these are earthly, the soule is from heaven; these are outward, the soule is spirituall; and therefore is onelyonly satisfied with spirituall and heavenly comforts.
Secondly, A Christian sees these things are fading▪ arising of nothing, and tending to nothing; contrarily, he knowes his soule is eternall, and requires comforts that may last with it for ever. For those that joy in these outward things, when they leave him, or he leave them, as of necessitie he must; its true they vanish to nothing: but he cannot, but must continue comfortlesse for ever, and undergoe the just wrath of God. Furthermore, a Christian doth not only know these things to be no gaine, but he also knowes them to be losse. For thats losse which a man findes by experience to be losse, when his understanding is awakened. But all things outward, what ever they bee, whether that a man is a Christian by profession, or that hee is a Preacher, who hath good utterance, and is imbraced of the people, and approved of, or what priviledge else soever: when the conscience is awakened, they breed more horrour; at the houre of death when we are to give an account of them, and they set us further off from Christ. A prophane person is nearer conversion than a proud Pharisee: as Christ saith; the publican, and harlots, goe before you into the Kingdome of God: the reason is, because they that are thus outwardly affected, sing peace to their soules; whē as the prophane man hath no starting holes of excuse, his vilenesse being more manifest.
Secondly, God detests such boasters, more than those that are outwardly prophane: and therefore Christ inveighes against such ever. Woe to you Pharisees, Hypocrites, and often threatens such with the punishment that is provided for hypocrites, as if those were the men which his soule ab…orred, and for which onelyonly hell was prepared.
But how shall we be qualified, that outward things may not be hinderers of us?
First, looke to the foundation of all conversion▪ consider the nature of God, and his law: by them we shall see a further degree of holinesse, than the best of us can attaine to. The excellencie of Gods nature is such, as Gods children have beene ashamed to be in his presence: As Iob when God spake abhorred himselfe. Peter when he saw the power of Christ, said; Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinfull man. We are therefore to thinke often of the presence of God, before whom ere long we must all appeare.
Secondly, Bring thy selfe to the spirituall meaning of the law; as Paul did. Rom. 7. See into thy thoughts, and behold the uncleannesse of thy heart.
Thirdly, converse with those that are better than thy selfe, and compare thy selfe with them. Not as the Pharisees, who compared themselves with the Publicans: and herein are many deceived, and by undervalewing others, they over-valew themselves. For things compared with lesse, they seeme somewhat; but with bigger, seeme nothing: it ought not to be so with us, let us compare our selves to that rule that we live by; and to such examples as we are to follow. Compare we our selves with Christ, our righteousnesse with his, and then shall we see our wants.
Fourthly, Practise that which Christ so much beates on, that is, selfe-deniall: hate father, mother, world, nay thy selfe, or never thinke to come to Christ; they will be losse to thee, unlesse thou account them losse: the young rich mans wealth made him a loser: the love of the praise of men, kept the Pharisees that they could not beleeve. Whosoever nourisheth any lust, it will rule him and his affections, that he shall make it his gaine, be it never so vile in it selfe. But St. Paul being guided by another spirit, casts away all, and so must we; if we will not lose Christ, and suffer shipwracke, cast away these commodities that loade us and hinder us in our course. Neither is it meant here of an actuall casting away of our goods, thereby to establish the foolish vow of povertie; But herein is meant a judicious discerning of the true worth of these things in comparison of Christ, and from thence a preparation, and ar… solved minde, to part with all that may hinder us from the injoyment of peace of conscience, and the love of Christ. For a man may have a weaned soule, in the middest of abundance: and he may live in the world, though not to the world, which is a dutie easily spoken of, yet not easily performed: neither was it easily wrought in our Apostle, who being a persecutor of the Church, was powerfully altered and changed from Heaven: and thus doth God deale with his children, whom hee doth first cast downe and afflict, that they may finde by experience, that these outward things can stand us in no stead▪ it may be hee suffers them to fall into some grievous scandalous sinne, that they might see the bodie of sinne that lies in them, and seeing no good, nor help in themselves, their desires are stirred up to the imbracing of some better thing, wherein they may finde comfort: then doth God reveale Christ to us, to whom he will have us to flie, and say: Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe? So as this power of changing our selves, is not in our selves, but it is an almightie power.
If we thinke therefore that wee are selfe-lovers, goe to God, present thy selfe in the meanes, and then our eyes shall be opened to see and discerne good and evill: For God hath promised to annex his spirit to the use of the meanes, if that wee in obedience submit our selves to them.