[2.] Again, he reckoneth affliction for Christ's sake among the advan- tages of Christ. Surely the afflictions of the gospel, when they are holily and patiently endured, are an advantage ; not affliction as affliction, but partly from the cause : Phil. i. 29, ' For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.' Bare suffering is not more than believing, nor valuable with- out believing ; but suffering and believing too is more than single believing. A gift and an honour vouchsafed to a few of Christ's choice servants ; it is given to all to believe, but to some not only to believe, but to suffer. Partly from the manner, such as argues fellowship and conformity to Christ. To find what exceeding joy and comfort it is to suffer for Christ and with Christ is more worth than all the world. Partly from the end and fruit in this life, as these afflictions promote our dying to sin and the world ; therein we feel the virtue of Christ's death, and may glory in the cross of Christ : Gal. vi. 14, ' But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.' In the world to come, ' if thereby we may attain the resurrection of the dead,' ver. 11.
[3.] Once more ; no affliction, though never so great, was excepted out of Paul's resignation to Christ ; for such a fellowship in his suffer- ings as maketh us conformable to his death doth also include the dying a violent and infamous death for Christ's sake. Now if God call us to this, we must count it an honour, and all things but loss and dung for Christ's honour's sake. An infamous death for Christ is better than all the glory of the world ; and we rejoice in the very disgraceful circumstances of our sufferings, and that we are put to shame for Christ's sake : Acts v. 41, ' And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.' Now all these circumstances do mightily heighten his self-denial ; and yet this is the true spirit of Christianity, to count all things but loss and dung for Christ and his righteous- ness, for Christ and his grace, for Christ and his sufferings, even those which are most painful and disgraceful to us.
I begin with the first benefit, a conformity to the life of Christ, 1 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.' Knowing is here put for sense and experience ; and for the word ' resurrection/ there is a first resurrection and a second, with respect to the life of grace and glory. The Spirit first raiseth us up from the death of sin
52 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SER. VI.
to the life of grace, and then from the death of nature to the life of glory. Christ raised from the dead, giveth us the Spirit, which beginneth that life of grace here which shall be perfected in heaven. We shall know him and the power of his resurrection fully hereafter, when we are raised by him to eternal life and glory. But we know him and the power of his resurrection here when we experience his virtue^ and the sacred influence of his grace in renewing the heart. As we know the power of his death when sin is mortified, and the old man crucified, so we know the power of his resurrection when we feel the operation and virtue of his Spirit in quickening us to newness of life : Rom. vi. 4, 5, ' Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.'
Two points from this clause are to be observed. The first is, that an experimental knowledge of Christ is so great a blessing that we should count all things but loss and dung to get it.
I take it for a granted truth that, besides the knowledge of faith, there is an experimental knowledge of Christ, whereby believers, from this effectual working in them, find that to be true which the word affirmeth of him. It is sometimes expressed by taste which is more than sight. Sight doth fitly express the knowledge of faith, and taste the knowledge of experience : 1 Peter ii. 3, ' If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' So Ps. xxxiv. 8, ' Oh, come, taste and see how good the Lord is.' When we either taste his goodness or feel his power, then we have an experimental knowledge of Christ. Many know Christ so as to be able to talk of him, his birth, life, and doctrine, of his death, passion, and resurrection ; but feel nothing, have no real proof within themselves of what they speak, no lively, experimental knowledge of Christ. Many speak of his salvation from day to day, but have not the effects of it. When we find within our- selves the fruits of his sufferings, the comfort of his promises, the like- ness of his death, the power of his resurrection, then we know Christ experimentally. Now the benefits which we have by this experimental knowledge do show the value of it.