Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 19 – Part 22
VERS. 8. For the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus.
THat is, either all things are losse to me, that hinder me from the knowledge of Christ Iesus; or, all things are losse in comparison of Christ Iesus. Wherefore, before wee can know Christ as we ought, wee must know all other things to be losse: for when we learne to know Christ aright, we then cast those things out of our affections, which would else keepe Christ out of our heart. Wherefore its no wonder that great Schollers, should bee erronious in many points of Religion: for looke to their lives, and we shall see them envious, and ambitious; they maintaine Idols in their hearts, they account not those things losse, which must be losse, or else they must account Christ losse. Secondly, This knowledge of Christ is an excellent knowledge, better than the Iewes, who had all their knowledge shadowed out in ceremonies: but this is unvailed, and therefore Christ said, Blessed are the eyes that see those things that you see. And as the estate of the Church growes more excellent now, than before Christs comming, and shall be most excellent hereafter in heaven: even so our knowledge doth, and shall grow in its excellent perfection.Wherein, and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge. Its better also than humane arts and sciences: not in regard of the Authour, for all knowledge is from God; but
First, in regard of the manner of revealing therof: for whereas we come to the other by the light of nature and reason, this is inspired into us by the spirit.
Secondly, In regard of the matter of this knowledge: which is farre beyond the other, for this teaches the natures and person of Christ, God and man in one person, which may swallow up the thoughts of man. Great is the misterie of godlinesse. In the next place, It teaches us his offices: that he is a King to rule over us, and deliver us, a Priest to make us acceptable to God, a Prophet to teach and instruct us. And thirdly, it teaches us the benefit of his offices: exercising them in his state of humiliation, and exaltation. Fourthly, It teaches us to know our duties: to entertaine him, rest on him, glory in him only, and that all other things are losse in comparison of him.
This knowledge is better than other knowledge, in the effects it hath: it being a transforming knowledge, 2 Cor. 3.18. It makes glorious, happy, full of comfort, carrying the spirit with it, which changes us into his similitude, and therefore is it called the word of the spirit.
In the fourth place, its better than other knowledge, In regard of the depth of the knowledge: and therefore called, The manifold wisedome of God, Ephes. 3.10. That a virgin is a mother, God is become man, this is farre above naturall reach, and therefore Christ may well be called wonderfull, Esay 9.6. who being God, should be also man, die, rise, and ascend farre above all power.
Fifthly, This knowledge is a sweet knowledge: and therefore excellent. It telles us who were miserable, and lost; it telles us also of redemption, of a kingdome, of a Saviour. How sweet are thy testimonies to my mouth, Psal. 119.103. And if the promises here bee so sweet to us, what shall then the accomplishment of them be to us hereafter.
This knowledge, furthermore is excellent, In regard of the continuance thereof: the knowledge of other things dies with the things; the world must perish, and what use is there then of our skill in the nature thereof: onelyonly this knowledge abideth for ever, working grace, love, heavenly mindednesse, and brings us tis to glorie.
In the seventh place, This knowledge of Christ, teacheth us to know God aright: his justice in punishing sinne his wisedome and merciemercy in reconciling us to him, and in willing that Christ should become man, and dye for us. Neither could we know these things, but by knowing Christ, who is the ingraved image of his father.
Furthermore, It teaches us to know our selves: our filthinesse, our ignorance, in esteeming tri… lingly of sinnes, counting them veniall: But great surely must the sore be, that necessarily requires such a salve, and such a Physitian as Christ, and his blood to be shed for the curing thereof.
In the next place, This knowledge is altogether sufficient in it self without all other knowledge; and none without this to make a man wise to salvation, both of soule and body; and all men without this, are but fooles.
Vse. 1.For Use hereof. This improves the shallow conceit men have of Divinitie: that the knowledge is but shallow, that every man may know it, and that any man may soone have enough thereof. But alas, St. Paul had a large heart, and had more in…ight into the deepe mysteries of this knowledge than such, how ever they boast, and yet he desires more, and could not pierce to the depth therof, for none ever could doe it but Christ Iesus onelyonly. Nay, the very Angels they desire to pry, and look into, and to know more of these deepe mysteries, 1 Pet. 1.12. Its therefore no shallow knowledge.
In the second place,Vse. 2. This ought to put us in minde to put apart times, to meditate of the excellencie of this knowledge: and to this end, we are to emptie our selves of whatsoever fills us. Especially, we are to emptie us of sinne, and of care for the world, and the vanities thereof, and the knowledge of them: because both it, and they shall all perish; make no excuses of venturing displeasure, or suffering discommodity: true love pretends no delayes, nor will indure them. Behold Lord, halfe of my goods I doe give to the poore, and I doe restore to every man his owne, said Zacheus.
In the next place,Vse 3. We must call upon God to open our eyes: that we may see and know his nature, his offices, his benefits, and our duties, to know more distinctly, effectually, and setledly, to see the wonders of his law: that we may be even ravished, when we behold his fulnesse. We
In the fourth place,Vse. 4. are to frequent places, where we shall have a fuller knowledge of Christ: such places where the commerce is betweene Christ, and the Church, in the 5. Cant. 1. vers. Christ had made love to his Church, and woed her by his gracious promises: she in the 2. ver. being drowsie, pretends excuses. Hereupon Christ goes away, but leaves a gracious scent of his quickening spirit, enough to stirre her up to seek after her well-beloved that was gone (to the 8. vers.) who asking after her well beloved, those whom she enquired of, enquired of her who he was? and upon her description of him, are enamoured with him, and stirred up to seeke him also: (where by the way marke the benefit of conference) Cant. 6.1. and are told that he is gone into his garden to the beds of spices: that is, into the congregation and assembly of his Saints. If we will know Christ therefore, wee must goe into these gardens, where hee is ever present, and there will he teach us.
Vse▪ 5.And then shall we be stirred up to magnifie Gods goodnesse, and merciemercy, that hath reserved us to these times of knowledge: and this marvailous light, wherein we are more blessed than Iohn, who was the greatest of those borne of women, we see (more than he saw) Christ our Saviour, already ascended, to bee our eternall high-priest.
VERS. 8. My Lord.
THis is the end of all our knowledge, to know Christ to be our Lord, for else the Divels knew Christ Paul I know, and Christ I know, said he to those Conjurers, but he could not know Christ to be his Lord. My Lord. Not onelyonly for his title that he hath in me, but My Lord, for the title I have in him: My Beloved is mine, and I am his. Mine he is, for he made himselfe mine, by redeeming me and paying the price for me. My head, from whom I receive force and vigour, my husband, my head of eminenci…: briefly, my Lord, making me his, and stirring up in me, a love and desire to make him mine, and to rest upon him by faith. In the Covenant of grace therefore, there is a mutuall consent betweene God and us: he is ours, we are his by faith to trust on him, and by love to imbrace him, which stirres up the whole man to obedience; we may not think that this proceeded from a spirituall pride in the Apostle, as though he thought himselfe the onelyonly darling of Christ; no, they are the words of a particular faith, and love, in the Apostle; not excluding others from the like, for every Christian must labour for this faith, that we may know Christ to be our Iesus, our Saviour which we shall be assured of; for if he makes us his, hee will make us to love him, and to say from our hearts, my Lord, and my head: his love of us, is the cause of our love to him; we love him, because he loved us first, hi… knowl…dge is the cause of ours, he chose us, and therefore we chuse him, and if he loved me when I hated him, surely now I love him, he must needs love me. Againe, we shall know that we are Christs: for then there will be a likenesse of Christ wrought in our hearts. For that spirit that stirres us up to own Christ, doth ever worke the Image of Christ in our soules, as a seale it imprin…s on our soule the image of Christ, in all graces, of love, meeknesse, heavenly mindedn…sse, and goodnesse: if we be the spouse of Christ, we shall represent and shew forth his glory, for the woman is the glory of the man. Else what ere we boast, wee are therein but hypocrites: wee must forsake all in regard of Christ.
VERS. 8. For whom I have suffered the losse of all things.
HEre St. Paul confirmes his resolution and judgement of the value of Christ above all other things: first, he said he accompted him gaine, and all other things losse: lest men should thinke these were but brags, he inferres he had suffered the losse of all for him, and therefore did so highly esteeme of him: and then it was he was for Christs sake stripped of all, he was in want, hungry, naked, went in danger of his death often, nay he willingly suffered the losse of his priviledges, he was an Apostle, yet not worthy of the name, as he sayes: and for his care in his office, though he were very diligent, yet by it did hee not looke to merit: he suffered the losse of all willingly, he wrought this on his heart, to lose all for Christ: which is the dutie that a Christian must learne, not to be onelyonly a patient, but willingly to lose, to part with all: and therefore wee are bidden to examine our selves, to judge and condemn our selves; and though the Lord hath not called us to the losse of all, yet winne thus much of thy minde, as to be prepared for to lose all when we shall be called thereunto, and that in regard thereof, we may say we have parted with all, for in that we part with themin our affections, God beholdes it, and takes notice thereof, and likes it, and lookes for it, and therefore he bids us leave all and follow him, and if we forsake not all, honour, credit, yea our lives, we cannot be his Disciples.
VERS. 8. And doe count them but dung.
SHewing his lothing of them, and that he could not in dure the thought of them, but did abhorre it as dogges vomit or dogges meat, accounting it fit meat for none but such dogges as he spake before of: if therefore we love Christ, there will bee a detestation of those things that crosse the power of Christs merits, in the same degree that we love Christ, and we will expresse our degree of love of him, by expressing the degree of hatred we beare to other things in comparison of him.
Quest.But why doth the Apostle so often inculcate these words?
Answ.To shew the expression of the largenesse of his owne heart, and thereby to worke an impression thereof in the hearts of the Philippians.
Secondly, to shew the power of the spirit, that where it once leades, it leades further and further to a higher degree of love of Christ, that the longer he is loved, the greater will love grow, and more fervent, so as the spirit constraines the person where it rules, that he cannot but speake, Acts 4.20.
Thirdly, to shew the excellencie of the subject, he dwels upon it, that we should thinke highly of it: Also
Fourthly, to shew the necessitie thereof, without which we cannot looke for salvation.
Fifthly, to shew the difficultie of comming to this esteeme of Christ, and to subdue our proud imaginations of our owne selves, which however it will prove a hard and difficult matter.
Lastly, in regard of the Philippians, he knew it would be a difficult matter for them, and therefore he sought out fit words to expresse the nature of the subject, and the truth of his esteeme, thus did the wise man, Eccles. 12.10, 11. who knew that the words of the wise man are as goades: its our dutie to take notice hereof therefore, and to learne in what respect these outward things are good, and to ranke them in their right places.