Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 47
VERS. 19. Who minde earthly things.
TO Minde, in this place is taken largely, to thinke upon, remember, desire, joy, and to have all the soule exercised. Earthly things, that is lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, pride of life, pleasures, and profits, and honours: which are therefore called earthly, because they are conversant about earthly things, and because they make their followers earthly minded: and lastly, they are called earthly, in opposition to those that are heavenly: and thus in particular, those that minde honour are ambitious; those that minde riches are covetous, if pleasure then they are voluptuous, and all of them are earthly. For as the Ocean is but one, and yet divers parts thereof have severall names, so worldlinesse is but one sinne, yet having many kindes, it hath also divers names.
The observation that hence we may gather, is, that the earthly disposition and minde, is the temper of that man, who is in the estate of damnation: for the minde of such doe shew a dead soule, estranged from the life of God: to be carnally minded is death, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.6. For a man lives as hee mindes and loves.
Secondly, earthly disposition is opposite to God, so Rom. 8.7. The carnall minde is enmitie against God.
Observe we further, the Apostle describes not these by any notorious grosse scandalous sinne, but by the inward disposition of the heart▪ for outward actions are onelyonly effects and rivers flowing from the spring of corruption in our hearts.
Whence we may note, that God lookes to the inward frame of the soule in men: and therefore though in the eyes of men, a man may be without spot, yet is his corruption that is within, open and manifest to the all-seeing eye of God.
And therefore, from hence we are to be stirred up, to humble our selves before God, by examining our hearts, and laying open our most secret corruptions.
And secondly, this ought to comfort us, that though in our dayly practice we often fall, yet God in his goodnesse lookes at the inward frame of the soule, and accepts of it.
Thirdly, this justly layes open the folly of mens censures: if a man breake not out into open outragious sinnes, they esteeme and commend such for good men, though it may bee his soule is full stuffed with Atheisme, revenge, and all manner of villanie.
Fourthly, this should teach us to condemne our selves, even for our sinfull thoughts: for know, though thou livest without danger of mans law, thou maist have a rebellious minde opposite to the divine law of God, by which thou shalt be judged.
Yet seeing for this present life, wee stand in need of earthly things, and are not to cast off all care of them, let us hearken to some directions in the use of them: For riches and other necessaries, God sends them unto us to be as meanes to sweeten our pilgrimage here.
Rules.In the using them, take heed they doe not possesse and take up our whole heart, immoderately labouring after them, and before any spirituall grace: This the Apostle blames in these men, he saw they made religion to bee subordinate, and to give place to their worldly lusts, and that as he cared not, if by any meanes he could attaine to the resurrection of the dead: so they contrarily cared not, if by any meanes, through any crosse or losse whatsoever, they could attaine to riches, honour, or the like; yea, if religion stood in their way, though it were with the losse of Religion and a good conscience.
Secondly, we must take heed that wee use these earthly things so, as to draw good out of them, and to imploy them to good; labour we to see God in pleasure, in rich…s, and in our abundance, knowing and esteeming of them, as a beame of the bright Sun-shine of Gods favour to us, and thus to be lifted up, to admire and praise his goodnesse.
Thirdly, make them instruments of merciemercy and bountie: its an excellent way to further our accompts, so receive the good as wee avoide the snare, the way is not to hide our talents in a napkin, to enter into a Monasterie, to live idle; but to occupie, use, and imploy them in the service of God, and of our neighbours.
To conclude, let us so use them, as they be helpers of us to a better life, not binderers: for wee are in an estate betweene two, in a warring and conflicting estate, even as a peece of iron betweene two loadstones, and know not which way to leane, and yet may offend in the excesse of either side.
And therefore let us observe some signes, whereby we may know whether we bee right or not.
And first of all,Signes. this affection of love being the primarie and principall part, is knowne by other affections. If therefore our love bee set on the world, we shall greeve and vexe our selves for worldly losses, and fret and be chafed when wee are crossed in them: and this made Ahab so lumpish, as nothing could comfort him but Naboths vineyard.
Secondly, let us observe whether our labours and indeavours are carried: what wee talke of most, what thinke we or meditate wee on, first and last, morning and evening, if wee observe our carriage, it will discover our minde.
Such, are also opposite to any religious good course: he that is rich, bitterly opposeth goodnesse, and therefore it is that Christ said, Yee cannot serve God, and Mammon, and concludeth; It is harder for a rich man to get into heaven, than for a Camell to passe through a needles eye.
But to cure this sore, Let us fetch arguments from the nature of the soule of man, and the nature of these things, and consider the incongruitie betweene the soule, a pure heavenly spirituall essence, and base earthly corrupt things, dust was made meate for the serpent by a curse, and not for man.
And remember, The God of truth hath threatned vengeance against his dearest children, that doe not mortifie their carnall lusts. Abhorre we therefore, the first thoughts of this sinne, and divert our soules to higher thoughts, and bee humbled, shaming our selves for debasing our soules in that manner, else will God take us in hand, for he will not suffer his children to surfeit on the world, but will bring them backe, that they shall see and know, all is but vanitie and vexation of spirit.