[2.] It is inferred out of the love of the gospel; we are to love Christ with a transcendent and superlative love : ' For all men must honour the Son as they honour the Father,' John v. 23. Therefore, as we love God, so we must love Christ above all. We love God above all : Ps. lxxiii. 25, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none upon earth I desire besides thee.' If we love him less than other things, or equal with other things, we do not love him at all ; as you degrade a prince if you give him no more honour than you give a constable. Love anything above or equal with God, and in time it will tempt you to desert him or neglect his service : Mat. vi. 24, ' No man can serve two masters ; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or hold to the one and despise the other ; ye can- not serve God and mammon.' Now, as you love God, you must love Christ above all, in whom the divine nature is made more amiable to us ; therefore our Lord saith, Mat. x. 37, ' He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me.' Therefore certainly
VER. 8.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. 17
•Christ is to be loved above all ; and other things relating to him, as his doctrine, benefits, laws, ordinances, these must be prized above any inferior good whatsoever, and all things counted dung and dross rather than despise these things. This love is of the more value, because it is the heart of the new creature, as self-love is of original sin.
[3.] This may be inferred out of the hope of the gospel, which is everlasting life. If there be a certain and desirous expectation of such a blessedness, the will should be so far divorced from all transitory good things, and fixed on the supreme good, that we shall not be diverted either by the comfortable or troublesome things that we meet with here. Surely it is better to suffer a little misery for an eternal reward than to enjoy momentary pleasure and after that endure eternal torment. Eternal pleasures do far excel temporal, as holiness doth sin. Alas ! what do we lose if this be our gain ? Kom. viii. 18, " For I reckon the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us ; ' 2 Cor. iv. 17, ' For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; ' Mark x. 29, 30, ' Jesus answered, There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or father, or mother, &c, for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and mothers, &c, with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life.' Time will be when we shall neither have miseries to fear nor blessings to desire beyond what we enjoy.
[4.] It may be inferred out of the obedience of the gospel. If we mean not to break with Christ, we must be of this disposition. Cer- tainly Christ stands upon obedience if we would obtain his promises : John xiv. 21, 23, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, &c. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him,' &c. ; John xv. 10, ' If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love,' &c. Now as long as we are addicted to the world, and its baits and snares, which gratify this earthly life, we can make no work of Christianity. The first lesson of Christ's school is self-denial : Mat. xvi. 24, ' Then said Jesus, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.' Till we prefer Christ before the world and the ease of the flesh, we can never have solid comfort in ourselves. In one kind or other we shall be tried. We may cull out the easy, cheap, and safe part of religion, but that is a Christianity of our own, which brings God no glory, and will yield us no comfort. If we will submit to the Christianity established by Christ, there are in it many duties displeasing to the flesh, some that lay us open to the disgrace and reproach of the world. "We must obey him when his service is most painful and cross to our humours ; therefore he bids us sit down and count the charges : Luke xiv. 28, 29, * For which of you intending to build a tower, sits not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? lest haply after he hath laid the founda- tion, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him.' It is good to consider whether we can go on with this warfare or raise up this building, whether we are able to obey his strict laws, to renounce
vol. xx. b
18 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SER. II.