2. A partial outside obedience will not satisfy you. A heart that findeth rest in empty formal services certainly places confidence in the flesh. They neither look after the change of their natures, nor their reconciliation with God by Christ. They challenge God : Isa. Iviii. 3, ' Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not ? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?' and Luke xviii. 12, ' I fast twice in the week, and I give tithe of all that I possess.'
3. Thankfulness or gratitude sets you a- work for God, rather than a legal conscience. Duties are performed as a thank-offering rather than a sin-offering, out of love to God rather than fear.
WHAT KIND OF PERFECTION IS ATTAINABLE IN THIS LIFE?
Let, therefore, as many as he perfect be thus minded; and if in any- thing ye he otherwise minded, God sJiall reveal even this unto you. — Phil. 111. 15.
These words are inferred out of the foregoing context, as the illative particle therefore showeth.
In the words are two things : —
1. His exhortation to the strong and grown Christian : Let us there- fore, as many a.s he perfect, he thus minded.
2. His condescension to the weak : And if in anything ye he other- wise minded,^ God shall reveal even this unto you.
In the former branch we have: —
1, The term by which the strong Christian is expressed : ' As many as be perfect.' He had said before of himself that he was not yet perfect, ver. 12. Yet now he supposeth it both of hhnself and others : ' Let us therefore, as many as be perfect.' Therefore perfection must be taken in a limited sense, to avoid the seeming contradiction.
2. The advice or counsel given, ' Be thus minded ; ' what is that ? TovTo (f)poveLT€, ' Think the same thing with me.' What that is must be known by the foregoing context, and may be gathered from the third verse. He had s])oken of some false teachers and Judaizing brethren, who gave out themselves to be patrons and defenders of tlie circumcision, and other ceremonies of the law, as if these things did commend them to God. Now tlie apostle reproveth them, and siuth they were not TrepiTofMi], ' tlie circumcision,' but KaruTo/xi), ' the con- cision,' destroyers and renders of the church, not tlie true people of God, who were sometimes noted by the term circumcision. They are the concision, the cutters and dividers of the church ; but we are TreptTOfir], tlie true circumcision, ' who serve God in tlie spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh ; ' that is, who have no confidence in any superficial righteousness, but seek our justification before God, and the renovation of our natures from Christ alone ; and serve God by exercising this grace in faith, love, and hope ; or who seek to Christ alone for his renewing and reconciling grace, that we may serve God in a spiritual manner, and so at length attain
Phil. Ill, 15.] what kind of perfection, etc. 57
the promised glory. Now this he proveth by his own instance, who had as much cause to glory in the flesh as any of them, but suffered tlie loss of all things, and counted all things wherein they gloried, and he might have gloried, but loss and dung, that he might obtain this grace from Christ Jesus, and at length, after a diligent, self-denying course of service and obedience, be brought home to God. Now, saith he, ' As many as be perfect, tovto (^povetre, mind this,' take care of this, and do you, with the loss of all things, press to this.
3. His condescension to the weak, who were hot satisfied with the abrogation of the ceremonies of the law, though they had embraced other parts and points of Christianity : ' And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you.' Here —
[1.] Something is supposed, that they should not be cut off from tlie rest of Christians, either by the harsh censures or rigorous deal- ing of the strong, or the pertinacious obstinacy of the weak. The perfect, that have the truth of their side, must not condemn others ; nor the weak must not condemn and censure them.
[2.] Something expressed, or the reason of this mutual condescen- sion and forbearance. If they be sincere and humble, God will at length show them the truth.
I begin with his counsel to the strong and grown Christian ; and there I shall speak, first, of the term by which they are expressed : ' Let as many of us «.s he ]}erfect.'
Doct. That there is a kind of perfection attainable in this life.
I shall, first, explain the point by several distinctions.
Secondly, prove that all Christians should endeavour to be perfect.
For the first, there is a double perfection : perfectio termini et frcemii, and perfectio vice sen cognitionis et sanctitatis — a perfection of the reward, and a perfection of grace.
1. Of the reward Avhich the saints shall have in heaven, where they are freed from all sinful weakness : 1 Cor. xiii. 10, ' When that which is perfect shall come, then that which is in part shall be done away.' In heaven there is perfect felicity and exact holiness ; then the saints are glorious saints indeed, when they have neither spot, nor wrinkle, nor blemish, nor any such thing, Eph. v. 27 ; when ' presented faultless before the presence of his glory,' Jude 24. Now this we have not in the world ; but because this we expect in the other world, we are to labour after the highest perfection in holiness here, because allowed imperfection is a disesteem of blessedness. Do we count immaculate purity and perfection in holiness to be our blessedness hereafter ? and shall we shun it, and fly from it, or at least neglect it, as if it were our burden now ? No surely ! ' He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, as Christ is pure,' 1 John iii. 3. He that looketh not for a Turkish paradise, but a sinless estate, will endeavour it now, get as much as he can of it now. When you cease to grow in holiness you cease to go on any fiirther to salvation ; you seem to be out of love with heaven and blessedness when your desires and endeavours are slaked.