YEK. 8.] SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. 33
2. The one is necessary, the other is comfortable.
[1.] The one is necessary. A sound convert, who esteemeth highly of this knowledge of Christ, hath no rest in his soul till he doth apply Christ ; which application is expressed diversely in scripture ; some- times by receiving Christ : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, he gave power to become the sons of God, to as many as believed on his name.' We receive what God offereth ; he oftereth him to be prince and saviour, and we receive him to be a lord to us, a saviour to us, to guide us, and bring us in particular to God in the way he hath appointed. So it is expressed also by apprehending Christ : Phil, iii. 12, ' That I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.' The words of the spouse do explain this : Cant. iii. 4, ' I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.' When we are resolved not to give over the pursuit till we find Christ, and get him into our hearts, that he may dwell there by faith ; choose him, cleave constantly to him. Again, this application is expressed by ' putting on the Lord Jesus,' Kom. xiii. 14 ; Gal. iii. 27, ' For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.' By faith we make application of Christ to ourselves ; and Christ so applied is as close and near to us as our garments. So John vi. 56, it is expressed by eating his flesh and drinking his blood, ' He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him.' He sticketh not so close to us as our garments only, but as a part of our substance. The seeing of meat, though never so wholesome, doth not nourish, but the eating of it ; so general grace doth not profit till it be applied. He that resigneth up himself to be ruled by Christ is made a member of his mystical body, and so there is a mutual in- habitation ; the same life which enlivened Christ enliveneth us.
[2.] It is comfortable to have a particular interest confirmed to us : Job xix. 25, ' I know that my Eedeemer liveth.' A sight of our par- ticular interest is attainable, and should be looked after : Gal. ii. 20, 4 He loved me, and gave himself for me.' There is a double ground of rejoicing — the certainty of God's promise, and the evidence of our own sincerity.
3. That it is a support to us to have the darker way of applying Christ and his benefits, when we have not the full certainty that they belong to us. This is an encouragement to an humble soul that is willing to obey and wait upon God. They are sensible they have as much need of Christ as others, for they seek after him as lost and undone without him. They have an equal proposal of his grace: ' The righteousness of God is unto all and upon all that believe, and that without difference,' Kom. iii. 22. They have an equal obligation to seek after it, for it is the ' common salvation ; ' 1 John iii. 23, ' And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ ; ' John vi. 29, ' This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.' They are anxious, serious, dili- gent, and Lave been kept alive and carried on against the oppositions of the flesh and the world, in the pursuit of this salvation thus long. If they had been asleep, and the good seed had been choked by sensuality, it had been more questionable ; still the general grace
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34 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS ITT. [SeR. IV.
upholdeth you in waiting upon God ; you dare not give over following bard after God, though you have not met with full satisfaction. You are of ' the generation of them that seek him/ Ps. xxiv. 6. Now it is better to be a seeker than a wanderer : Heb. vi. 10-12, ' For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have showed towards his name, in that you have ministered, and do minister, unto the saints : and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end ; that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.'
II. I come to show why there should be such an application of Christ.
1. Because things that nearly concern us do most affect us. The love of God to sinners in general doth not so affect me as when I know that ' he loved me, and gave himself for me, ' Gal. ii. 20. That is the quickening motive to stir us up to the spiritual life ; especially when this 'love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us,' Eom. v. 5 ; Eph. i. 13, ' After ye believed the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.' It is not sufficient to know the gospel to be a doctrine of salvation to others, but we must find it to be a doctrine of salvation to ourselves in particular, and apply the promises to our own hearts, that they may quicken and enliven us to obedience. That doth most stir up joy and thankfulness and praise ; for still we are affected with things as we are concerned in them ourselves.