VeE. 8.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. 15
please and follow him, though with the loss of all things. Nothing must be preferred before the conscience of our duty to him. What- ever is a help to Christ, be it honour, wealth, or pleasure, it must be cherished ; and what is a hindrance, it must be cut off and renounced.
2. The degree of forsaking, with loathing and indignation ; for the apostle here counteth them loss and dung, as if he could not sufficiently express his abhorrence of them. Whilst we stand peddling, and hanker after these things, the temptation is not fully off ; but we are like crows and ravens, though driven from the carrion, yet we keep within scent of it. Pleasures, profits, and honours must be esteemed as dross and dung when they come in competition with Christ. We must not only undervalue these transitory earthly things if they hinder us from Christ, but hate and detest them : ' If any man hate not father and mother,' &c, Luke xiv. 26. The reason is, because none can deny themselves but those that have a low esteem of all worldly things, and a high esteem of Jesus Christ and his favour. Now the more either of these are greatened,the more we will express our holy indignation at the temp- tation. What ! part with my Christ for paltry vanities and a little unsatisfying pleasure ? hazard my eternal hopes for so slight a tempta- tion, sell the birthright for a mess of pottage ?
3. Here is the consent of his mind and resolution actually verified ; he did not only count them dung and dross, but he had ' suffered the loss of all things.' Paul ran the hazard, and actually quitted his honour and credit, who before had a high esteem of them ; and so must we if called thereunto. At first, before the way to heaven was a little smoothed by the holy martyrs and primitive confessors of the christian faith, it was a great deal more rough than now it is ; yet there is no man can be true to his duty but he will meet with trouble in the flesh ; some of his interests must be sacrificed for Christ's sake, either his reputation, ease, and peace with the world, the opposition and scorn of dear friends and relations, or some expense and cost which his religion will put him upon. There are still duties lying upon us unpleasing to the flesh, or some uncompliance with the fashions of the world which will expose us to their contempt or hatred. A dull approbation of that which is good will serve no man in the most prosperous time of religion ; but more or less he must manifest his esteem of Christ and contempt of the world by some act of self-denial, and therein be conformed to the Son of God and the rest of his brethren, that have trodden the way to heaven before him. And Moses, being assaulted with all kind of temptations at once, Heb. xi. 24, 25, honour, pleasure, and profit ; the honour of the world, which so many greedily catch at, he refused ; the profits of the world, which are wont to blind the hearts of men, he despised; the pleasures of the earth, which men so much affect, were no better to him than trash and dung compared with the reproach of Christ. And still the same spirit must be in us. All those things which are pleasing to the flesh, and will draw us off from our duty, must be actually denied, trampled upon, and contemned.
II. The reasons why it binds all christians, and becomes them to have such a frame of spirit.
1. Because this is plainly inferred out of the faith, love, hope, and obedience of the gospel.
16 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SER. II.
[1.] Out of the faith of the gospel. Faith looks on the great things God hath provided for us in Christ as true and good : 1 Tim. i. 15, ' This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners/ As true, they call for a firm and strong assent; as good, so for our consent and choice, or hearty embracing these things above all others. Now take either notion, and it enforces what we have in hand.
(1.) For assent or a sound belief of eternal blessedness as offered by Christ, which, because it is future, the assent is fiducial, and implieth a dependence upon the veracity and truth of God, that he will make good his promise to us in the appointed way. Now certainly we do not know these things with any firm persuasion, unless we dare ven- ture ourselves in the bottom of the promises, and are resolved to crucify the flesh and sacrifice our interests, and perform duties unpleasing to nature on the hopes they offer to us, and with confidence and joy ful- ness wait upon God in the midst of all pressures and afflictions.
(2.) As it is a consent, choice, or acceptance, because Christ and his benefits, which are the object propounded to faith, are good, and better than life and all its contentments. Now good is accepted ; and because there is a competition, inferior and transitory good things offer and obtrude themselves upon us, and divert us from him. Therefore it is election and choice, which is a preference of Christ above other things, or such an esteem of his incomparable worth as lessens all other things in our opinion of and affection to them. But if our affections continue in strength to worldly things, we have neither this assent nor acceptance ; we have not chosen them for our felicity and portion. So that the strength of faith is not to be measured by our overgrown confidence or persuasion of our interest in God's mercy, but by mortifying our affections to present things, so as to be ready to do and suffer anything for Christ's sake : 1 John v. 4, ' This is the victory we have over the world, even our faith.' In short, faith is an assent to the promises as true and good in themselves, and as offered to our choice, as far better than all the honours, profits and pleasures in the world ; and therefore we should part with all that is pleasant and profitable to obtain the benefit of them.