Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 42
VERS. 18. And now tell you weeping.
AS if he should have said, if nothing else will make you beware, yet let my teares move, my teares proceeding from griefe, and compassion of the miserable estate of such Teachers, and of such as are led by them.
Affections therefore are lawfull, yea necessarie in Gods children: all actions in Gods worship are esteemed according to the affections that they are done with: we are as we love, not as we know, what is the life of a Christian, but the performance of things with courage, delight and joy? and therefore the strongest Christians have strongest affections; for Religion doth not harden the heart, but molifies it, and regeneration doth not take affections away but restores them sanctified and pure.
But to come particularly to the matter here; he is compassionate, and so compassionate, as his naturall constitution will admit, hee expresseth this with teares: which ariseth from griefe for something within our selves, or by reason of sympathie with others, for some danger that they are in, or like to fall into.
Reason. 1.The reasons hereof are, because they are led by the spirit of Christ, who was all made of compassion: for he wept for his friends, for Lazarus, and for his enemies. O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not: hee was tender in bearing the infirmities of his weake Disciples, and of weak women, his compassion was such, as drew him to the lowest degree of humiliation to free us from danger.
Reason. 2.Secondly, the Saints have cleere sanctified judgements, to apprehend true causes of remorse: they know what danger is, as Paul saw here that the Sheepe were in danger of wolves, and saw the danger so much the greater, by how much they saw not the danger they were in.
Thirdly,Reason. 3. the Saints have their hearts broken with sense and feeling of Christs compassion in their hearts, and so are molified, expressing it outwardly towards their brethren: contrarily, the wicked never felt any remorse or pitie of Christ in them, and therefore know not what compassion meanes, so as their mercies are cruelties. Use this as a note, whereby we may discerne of our Christian estate, for surely where there is no compassion, there can be no excellent estate.
Againe, from the Apostles object of compassion and weeping, observe; that spirituall evill and danger is the most proper object of Christian compassion. Paul he pities not himselfe because of his fetters he was in, but it was the bonds of sinne made him cry, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the bodie of this death? and good reason, for these spirituall evils of errour in judgement, hardnesse of heart, securitie, seared conscience, and the like, they leade us the assured way to damnation, as it is said in the words following, whose end is damnation. Contrarily, outward crosses being sanctified to us, they bring us to heaven, as it is 1 Cor. 11.32. Wee are chastened of the Lord, that we should not bee condemned with the world. For those crosses are occasions of good affections, purging the heart from deadnesse and fleshly trust, they draw us to God; and therefore spirituall danger, is the proper object of pitie. It is otherwise with us, wee lament Christian bloud-shed; but how many soules are carried into error dayly, turned to Poperie, and no remorse, no pitie. There is great need thereof both in the Magistrate and the Minister, that they should bee moved to provide remedies against such mischiefes.
And let us be farre from envying such as are in ill courses, let their outward pompe be never so great, rather lament their miserie: alas poore soules, how are they hurried, nay doe willingly runne to destruction, while they are blinded with those idle shewes of vanitie.
But much more miserable is their estate that draw on others to mischiefe, that are brethren in evill: what other end can they looke for, but to bee as tares bound up, and cast into the depth of hell, being guiltie of as many mens deathes, as they are of ill examples in their passed life?
But for our selves, let not our soules come into their secrets, lets mourne at the lewdnesse of some, and the danger of all: and to this end, let us consider duly of the afflictions of Ioseph, taking heed of sensualitie, which as Hosea saith, taketh away the heart. Hos. 4.11. Moses saw the miserie of his brethren, and pitied them; so should we consider of the danger of Popery, of Schisme and rebellion, and this will breake our hearts, and cause us with Ieremie to mourne in secret for the sins of the times. Ier. 13.17.