Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 36
VERS. 15. Let us therefore, as many as bee perfect, bee thus minded.
ST. Paul hee proceeds to others; If any of you be perfect as I am, bee you also thus minded as I am; perfection in this place, is not meant of that perfection wee shall have hereafter, or should have now, or legall perfection; but he is said to bee perfect, that is in his growing estate, increasing more in grace, righteousnesse, and sinceritie, or it may bee meant of perfection in regard of degrees comparatively, whereby one out-goes another that is but a novice in Religion: such are those that can rule their affections, and can live in a setled course of holinesse, called in Heb. 5.14. men of full age: for there are children in Religion, new entered into Christsschoole, then those that are come to full age, surely are exercised to discern good and evill, and then those that are come to their full pitch in heaven; betweene whom and the former, there is no more comparison, than is betweene the Sunne and a starre for light, so as in regard of the Saints in heaven, the best here are imperfect, yet in regard of the beginners, they may be said to be perfect: however, wee may safely gather this.
That in Christianitie there are degrees of holinesse: Doctrine.divers grounds, some bring 30. fold, some 60.
Let this comfort those, that discomfort themselves in regard of their imperfections, grace must be at the first as a grain of mustard seed, and therfore let such with patience attend the meanes, and trust God for the issue.
Secondly,Doct. we may observe, that there is a kinde of perfection attainable in this life: which we ought to strive to, the reason is, that in all things God hath ordained a set pitch, beyond which they cannot come, and to which they all tend; and as its in nature, so in grace, though he hath appointed to every one his severall portion and measure of grace here, yet a pitch he also hath set to all, which wee are to ayme at, to grow better still, though in this life we cannot attain to it, and the reason is because we know not how God wil exercise us: he doth exercise all his children, but some with greater trials than others; besides wee have a perfect God, and a perfect word, that is able to make the man of God perfect to every good worke: and these are not given to us for nought, and therefore its a shame for a Christian to sit down at any degree, upon pretence of imperfection: we see plants in nature desire growth, that they may be able to stand in, and withstand storms. And where this spirituall nature is, and this new creature, there will bee indeavour to increase in strength, to undergoe and overcome all temptations and hinderances whatsoever
And to know whether wee have this perfection or not.
1. Signe.There will ever be a base esteeme of these outward earthly priviledges and honours: nay of the good indowments of our mindes, counting them losse in comparison of Christ, and this will worke a sure setled hope in Christ evermore.
2, Signe.Againe, there will be a perfection of holinesse a neglect of things passed, and an earnest indeavouring to things before, to presse to the price.
3. Signe.Thirdly, a perfect Christian desires the comming of Christ: but the weake one ever cries, let me O Lord recover my selfe before I goe from hence, hee has not that assurance of his good estate, that a well growne Christian hath.
4. Signe.Fourthly, a perfect Christian hath sweet communion with Christ, and can goe to God with boldnesse, without feare of judgement, or terrour of his presence, where as the weakest are driven to God by feare, others by hope, this man comes to God, being moved by a sweet disposition of love.
5. Signe.Fifthly, a strong Christian is not moved with any change, either of prosperitie or adversitie: weake braines are soon overturned with strong waters, so weake Christians are soone drunken with prosperitie. But a strong Christian in any prosperitie, is pliable and fit for any thing: David in the middest of all his royalty, saw a greater blessednesse than honour, and riches; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin, and in whose lippes is no guile. Psal. 32. In adversitie also, a sound Christian will not shrink, knowing God cānot be changed, though his estate may alter, and therefore he can want, as well as abound; growing strong in patience as in other Christian graces. But it is contrary with the weake Christian, for every crosse strikes at his heart, and at the foundation of his faith, making him presently doubt of Gods love and favour to him.
Sixthly,6. Signe. A growne Christian he is experienced to finde out Sathans devises and plots: and can put a difference betweene the motions of the flesh and the spirit, and therefore knowes what corruption to weaken, and what grace to strengthen; when as new beginners, for want of practice and experience, sees not these things, and therefore ere hee is aware, runnes into many offences, and lookes for no remedie.
Seventhly,7. Signe. A well grounded Christian can withstand the bitter blasts and oppositions of this world: nothing could move Paul nor separate him from the love of God, but a weake Christian either is blowne away, or at the least shaken, with every blast; as it is in yong trees newly planted.
Eightly, A grounded Christian beares with the infirmities he sees in others he pities them, and helpes them if he can; but judges not of them as those that are weake, who for the most part are captious; you that are spirituall must restore (saith the Apostle) those that are weake with the spirit of meeknesse. Gal. 6.1. So as it is the weake ones that are scandalized, and as they are soone offended, so doe they soone give occasion of offence to others, by their ill example; but the growne Christian indeavours to live free from offence, in the least things hee is watchfull against Satans wiles.
9, Signe.Ninthly, a perfect man doth most of all others see into his particular wants, and lookes hence after a further degree of grace: and therefore the Apostle bids such as are perfect, to forget things past, not to looke on those that are behinde, but to see what is yet before, to bee attained unto, and to presse forward thereunto.
10. Signe.Tenthly, A strong Christian is of abilitie and indeavour, still to beget other Christians: Its the propertie of a growne creature, to beget its like, a weake Christian hath enough to doe to looke to himselfe; there may be many more signes named, but these will suffice. Lets come to the meanes whereby we may grow to this strength and perfection.Meanes unto perfection.
And first of all, we must know there must bee an order; we are to grow in fundamentall graces in the first place, for we water not the leaves but the root of our plants, and the graces that are the foundation of all workes being gotten, and diligently cherished, the workes, which are but as leaves, will soone put forth. The maine fundamentall grace of all is faith: which we are principally to looke after.
First, in getting assurance of our salvation; to this end walke holily, for many live in sinnes against conscience, and so can have no assurance of the pardon of their sinnes, and how dead and blockish are they? David, though a man after Gods own heart, yet losing the comfortable assurance (by his sinning against conscience) of the pardon of sinne, thought Gods holy spirit had quite forsaken him, therefore he prayes; Take not thy holy spirit from mee, Psal. 51.11. Therefore labour for assurance of pardon of sinne, for where the soule is wounded with the guilt of sinne, it cannot inlarge it selfe in love, but is possest with a fearfull expectation of judgement, but when the soule is assured of the pardon of its sinnes, it breeds love to Christ; and there its said of Marie, shee loved much for many sins were forgiven her.
In the next place, we are to labour for faith in the promises of the forgivenesse of sinne, and Gods goodnesse to us: that hee will give grace and glorie, and that wee shall want nothing, this will put courage into us.
And as we are to labour for faith, so also for love: which is cherished by meditation of Gods mercies, and his love to us, and this will set us on fire in all good workes, and so much of this grace as wee have in us, with so much strength and intention of spirit shall wee indeavour to please God in all things: and this argument the Apostle used to stirre up the Corinthians, 1 Cor: 7.1. Having these promises, lets clense our selves from all filthinesse, perfecting holinesse in the feare of God.
In the next place, Whatsoever wee doe, lets labour to doe it with the best advantage: labouring to practice and exercise as much grace, and as many as we can; as in giving, give in zeale to Gods honour, in love to merciemercy towards our brother that is in need, and in regard of justice, we owe it to him; God hath commanded us to give him, and he will reward it, for we lend to the Lord, when wee give to the poore. If we are to abstaine from any evill, we are to abstaine from it with a perfect hatred thereof, and consider how it will offend, it will breake peace of conscience, and dishonour religion, scandalize those that are weake, dishonour God, and bring shame to our selves: yea, wee must remember that the talents that God gives us do increase, in the use of them, the more we strive to doe things exactly, the more perfection we shall attaine to, in the use of performances.
Thirdly, Let us not neglect litle things either ingood or ill: omit no occasion of doing good, and take heed of the least beginnings of ill, abst…ine from all occasions and appearance of evill, for though in comparison they seeme small, they are of great consequence.
Fourthly, Wee must keepe our affections to holy exercises and meanes: for God workes by meanes; neglect none, for so much perfection thou losest thereby, and consider what meanes will fit our disposition when we are indisposed; are we dull in prayer? then reade; if that will not be endured, then use the communion of Saints,Motives to the use of the meanes, and unto perfection. and still remember that we be not wearied with prayer, for God sends not his away emptie, and that those things may be the more effectuall, observe some motives to stirre us up.
And to this end, consider the priviledge of a perfect Christian; He is as Mount Sion, which cannot be moved: if wee tell him of death, its his hearts desire, tell him of afflictions he is resolute, he lookes for them, he knowes he lives Gods childe, and so he shall die: when a weak professor, feares afflictions, feares ill tidings, feares death, and when it comes, seekes for comfort, and hardly findes it.
Secondly, a perfect Christian is a beautifull example, and makes others in love with Religion, he is throughly exercised and practised: the weakling is scandalous, makes men offended at Religion, soone takes offence, soone stumbles, and gets many knockes, so as his life is bitter.
Thirdly, the perfect man honours God, and gets him much glorie, by hearing▪ reading, praying, and such duties; now as parents love those children best that are most like unto them, so those whom the Lord findes like unto him, hee will make them more nee…e to him in likenesse.
Fourthly, the perfecter a man is, the more neere communion he hath with Christ, and hath the greater fruit of Christs love, and findeth peace of conscience, and joy in the holy spirit: to such as these, Christ hath promised to come and sup, and feast, and refresh with his graces, for even to this end Christ came, to make us holy and pure, that he might present us to himselfe a glorious Church, Ephes. 5.26.27. and therefore that Christ may attaine to his end in us, let us indeavour unto perfection.
Fifthly, our estate hereafter should move us hereunto: we looke for a new heaven, and a new earth, and we desire to be ever with the Lord, in that heaven wherein dwelleth righteousnesse, and therefore we ought to be diligent that we may bee found in him in peace, without spot and blamelesse. It is the Apostle Peters argument, 2 Pet. 3.13.14. and therefore as many of us as be perfect, let us be thus minded, that we cannot goe farre enough, we must strive still on to perfection.