3. This knowing Christ after the flesh will do us no good, be of no comfort and use to us as to the salvation of our souls.
[1.] Because God is no respecter of persons : 1 Peter i. 17, '' If you call him father, who without respect of persons judgeth every man according to his works.' The irpocraiiroXri-^ia is the outward appeaiance, but God is a7rpocrQ}X7]77TQ)<; Kplvovra, one that doth. not judge by outward respects. The prosopon of the "Jew was his knowledge of the law, and enjoying the ordinances of God ; the prosopon of the christian is his profession of respect to Christ and esteem of him. But God judgeth not by the appearance, but by the internal habit and constitution of the heart, manifested by an uniform obedience to his whole will ; otherwise circumcision may become uncircumcision, or Christianity as paganism. Therefore it is not enough to profess you are for Christ, of his faction and party ; for there is a faction of christians as well as a religion. They are of the faction of christians, whose interest and education leadeth them to profess love to Christ, without any change of heart, or serious bent of soul towards him. Now this is the prosopon according to which God may be supposed to judge ; for you do not think riches or poverty, fear or love, can so much as be supposed to be in God, but profession or not profession is that he looks to.
[2.] Because Christ hath put us upon another trial than a fond affection to his outward person and memory, namely, by our respect to his commandments: John xiv. 21, 'He that hath my commandments^ and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.' There is the main ; other things will not pass for love, though they be taken for such in the world. And John xv. 14, ' Te are mv friends, if ye do whatsoever I
228 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXI.
command you.' Perfect friendsliip consists in harmony, or an agi'eement in mind and will. If you have any true love to Christ, ife will make the soul hate everything which it knoweth to be contrary to his natui-e and will : Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate evil ; ' and constraineth the soul to set about everything which it knoweth will please and honour him : 2 Cor. v. 14, ' The love of Christ constraineth us ; ' if we do but love him, and be sensible of the obliga- tion he hath left upon us. So it will be in a real spiritual love.
[3.] Because they cannot truly challenge the name of christians that do only know Christ after the flesh. Christ, being now exalted, requireth a spiritual converse with him. When Christ hath laid aside his mortal life, we should lay aside our carnal conceits and affections. There were some Jewish impostors that Eusebius writeth of, mongrel christians, Chocabites and Nazarites, who called themselves the Lord's kinsmen ; a sort of cozening and heretical companions they were, who, for their own purposes, foraged the country up and down, as the gipsies now do, amusing the world with genealogies, and drawing the vulgar after them, with many vain fancies, denied the resurrection, interpreting all said about it of the new creature, pretending belief in Christ, but observing the law of Moses, against whom the Epistle to the Galatians is suj^posed to be written. And there were some that knew Moses after the flesh, and seemed to pretend much zeal to the law of Moses. Now the apostle saith they deserved to be called the concision rather than the circum- cision, wiiereof they gave out themselves to be patrons and defenders. The true believers had right to that title, because they had the thing signified by circuracision;Worshipping God with the inward and spiritual affection of a renewed heart, and trusting in Christ alone for salvation, who was the substance of the shadows, and renouncing confidence in fleshly privileges, worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus. So for christians glorying in externals is scarce worthy the name of christianit}^ if they have the name, not the reality.
[4.] Because this knowing Christ after the flesh is inconsistent with his glorious estate in heaven. It pleased him not in the days of his flesh. A divine spiritual affection doth only befit the state of glory to which he is exalted. Now he is ascended into heaven, he is to be known in faith and worshipped in spirit ; his body is above all kind- ness, and his memory is to be respected not as the memory of an hon- ourable man, but as one who is Lord of the church, and governeth it by his Spirit to the end of the world, Phil. ii. 10, 11 ; not, ' Lord, Lord,' but obedience. Mat. vii. 22.
Use 1. Is reproof of those that please themselves M'itli that deceit of heart, that if they had lived in the days of Christ, conversed with our Saviour, and heard his doctrine, and seen his miracles and holy life, they would not have used him as the Jews did, but expressed kindness and love to his person. Now to tliese let me say —
1. That it is an old deceit of heart. We usually translate the scene of our duty to former times, and lay aside at the present that work and expression of love which God hath called us to. God knoweth in what age to cast you, and what means and dispensations are fittest for you ; he that doth not improve present means will not improve any :