Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Text Opened.
PHILIP. 3. latter part of the 19. verſe.
—Who mind Earthly things.
THIS precious Scripture cleerly holds forth the different diſpoſition of wicked and of godly men; eſpecially of ſuch wicked men, as ſet themſelves againſt the Goſpel; for it relates to ſuch as were profeſſed enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt, that labored what they could to hinder the ſucceſs of the Miniſtry of Paul. You ſhall find if you look back a few verſes, that this is meant of thoſe kind of men eſpecially, for he tels us, that many walk'd ſo, as they were enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt: they were thoſe that oppoſed the preaching of Paul, and his Miniſtry: and he deſcribes thoſe men what they were by divers Characters, but I'le treat of none but this, Who mind Earthly things.
Who mind Earthly things; who ſavour, or reliſh Earthly foreignthings, ſo you may tranſlate the word as well. It is a general word comprehending the actions and operations, both of the underſtanding and will: It is in Scripture applied to both, but moſt commonly to the Actions of the wil and affections; we are particular in Actions of the Will.
Earthly things] The things that are upon the Earth, foreignwhatſoever they be, the Beauty, the Glory, and Parentry of the Earth; the Profits that are Earthly, the Pleaſures and Honors of the world; who mind any things inordinatly that are ſublunary accommodations. But we carry and behave our ſelves as free Denizens of the City of Heaven; for ſo the foreign muniiceps coelorum nos gerimus. Steph. Beza, Piſcat. ad verbú. noſtra Civilis vita in coelis eſt.words in the Original are, if we ſhould thus reade them: Our City whereof we are Citizens, and whereunto we have right, is Heaven.
But our Converſation, our City Converſe, it is of things that are above the earth: when the Apoſtle would have men to follow their example and not the example of others, in the 17. verſe, he uſes this as an Argument, ſaith he, ſuch and ſuch men are enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt, and they make their belly their god, and they mind Earthly things: do not follow them, do not hearken what they ſay to you, they come up and down from houſe to houſe, and whiſper this and that to you, and would take you off from the ways of God, God hath begun to enlighten you, and to ſtir your conſciences, do not let the precious affections of your ſouls run waſt towards them, but be ye followers of us as we are of Chriſt; for our Converſation is in Heaven with our Lord and Maſter, there comes in the Argument in the 20. verſe. So that being the only ſcope and meaning of the words, take this Doctrinal Truth.
That this is the great difference between a wicked man and a Doct.godly man; one minds Earthly things: and the other hath his Converſation in Heaven. I intend to handle both theſe in order.
One of theſe minds Earthly things: It is a paralel Scripture that we have in the 8. to the Rom. 5. verſe, For they that are after the fleſh, do mind the things of the fleſh. Do mind, there foreignis the ſame word, only here the Participle, and there in the Verb, but the meaning is the ſame, as they that are after the Earth, mind Earthly things: ſo they that are after the fleſh ſavours fleſhly things: the firſt part of this point, is the diſcription of wicked men, that are enemies to the croſſe of Chriſt, and to the waies of godlineſs, and they are men that mind Earthly things, the more groſſe of them are deſcribed before, To have their bellies to be their god, ſome of them are very ſenſual, druken, unclean, and altogether given to ſatisfie the fleſh in fleſhly luſts: But there are others that do not appear to be ſo brutiſh, yet they are men of earthly minds, ſavour only of earthly things, and theſe are the men that are ſecret enemies to the croſſe of Chriſt, yea, and wil many times appear ſo to be, it will break out at length: Such a man whoſe ſpirit hath been earthly for a long time, will appear at length to be an enemy to Chriſts croſſe. Now in the handling of this point, I will propound theſe Five things to treat of.
Firſt. What it is to mind earthly things in a ſinfull way: or thus, When a man may be ſaid to be an Earthly-minded man, that we may know when a man is an Earthly-minded man, what it is to mind Earthly things, that the Apoſtle here deſcribes a wicked man by. Without the opening of this, al that I ſhall ſay afterwards will be but to little purpoſe.
Secondly. The great evil that there is in minding of Earthly things: and I ſhall diſcover to you a greater evil in it than you are aware of.
Thirdly. Lay down ſome Convincements whereby thoſe men and women that (it may be) think they are cleer from this ſin, yet may have it diſcovered unto their conſciences, that they are the men and women that do mind Earthly things.
Fourthly. I ſhall ſearch into the Reaſon, Why it is that the hearts of men and women are ſo much after Earthly things.
Fifthly. I ſhall labour to take off your hearts from Earthly things. Theſe are the Five things that are to be done in the firſt part of the point, Namely, the Character of wicked men here laid down, Who mind Earthly things.
For the firſt. Who they are, that mind Earthly things. Certainly, they are not all thoſe that enjoy earthly things; all men that do make uſe of earthly things, muſt not be condemned for minding earthly things. Paul himſelf in this very Epiſtle, where he wrote to theſe Philippians, chap. 4. verſ. 12. Though he knew how to want, yet he knew how to abound: he could tell how to make uſe of earthly things, yea, and he gives charge, That all thoſe that are inſtructed ſhould make ſuch as had inſtructed them partakers of all their goods. It may be, they would have ſaid, is not this, To mind Earthly things? To require thoſe that are inſtructed, to make thoſe that did inſtruct them partakers of all their goods: Paul doth charge this. Yea, and Chriſt himſelf, even in that Scripture where he does labor moſt to take the thoughts of men off from the earth; as not to take any thought, what they ſhould eat, or drink, yet ſaith he, Your heavenly Father knows that yea have need of theſe things in the 6. of Matthew: and Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things: and if there be any pretence againſt it, yet ſaith he, be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatſoever a man ſoweth, that ſhall he alſo reap. Thus therefore it is not here charged, as a note of an evil man, to have earthly things, and doth juſtly require what is due unto him, as here Paul doth; and the Galatians could not charge him, as breaking his own Rule which he wrote to the Philppians; and therefore we muſt enquire out ſomwhat elſe that's here means, by minding earthly things. When a man or woman doth mind earthly things in a ſinful way, And for that there are theſe ſeveral particulars conſiderable.