[4 1 They have a clearer apprehension of the mischievous effects of sin, see more danger in it than the deluded world do: Jer. xiii. 17, 'If ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places.' Faith hath a great sagacity and foresight in it. As to things hoped, it is a substance ; so it is the evidence of things not seen, which compriseth the threat- enings : Hcb. xi. 1, 7, ' Faith is the substtince of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became the heir of righteousness which is by faith.' When the merry world, blinded with the delusions of the flesh, never thought of a flood, Noah maketh •preparation. Paul is in tears whilst those besotted worldlings glory in their shame. God's children know that his threatenings are not a vain scarecrow ; they see a storm coming when the clouds are a-gather- ing, a judgment in the causes, and execution in the sentence ; and however men slight the word now, it will one day be found true. These things being realised and set before their eyes by a clear faith, they •are affected even to weeping.
I have the more dilated upon these things, because they are so useful io us in times of general apostasy and defection from God.
II. The brand and character he puts upon them, ' They are enemies •to the cross of Christ.'
This may he understood either of their doctrine or practice.
1. By their doctrine ; and so again two ways —
[1.] As they did detract from the merits of his death by urging the "Observation of the law of Moses as necessary to justification. They taught sins might be expiated and men saved some other way than by the cross of Christ. The pure gospel is the preaching of the cross ; by the adding of ihe rituals of Moses, they made the cross of Christ, of none effect : ' For if righteousness come by the law, Christ is dead in vain,' Qui. ii. 21. By the blood of his cross Christ made our peace with God, Col. i. 20, and that was enough ; but they cried up the oeremonies as necessary, and so frustrated the grace of God in Christ.
[2.] Another particular doctrine of theirs was, that they might con- fidently abjure the faith in time of persecution, as Ensebius informeth us. Basil ides and the Gnostics had crept into the church in Paul's time; and in scripture we may trace the footsteps of this opinion, by which they persuade a compliance with Jews and gentiles, to avoid the
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danger of the cross or persecution. Jews : Gal. vi. 12, ' As ninny as make a fair show in the flesh, constrain you to be circumcised, lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ ;'' and Gal. v. 11, 1 If I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution ? then is the offence of the cross ceased.' Gentiles: that it was an indifferent thing to be present at idols' feasts, and to eat things offered to idols, 1 Cor. x. This was their doctrine lo shun persecution.
2. Their practice, which was suitable to their doctrine. They were of an unchristian spirit and temper, savouring nothing but the world and the commodities and pleasures of the flesh, loath to suffer anything for Christ, or venture on anything that might bring afflict ion upon them, but wholly gave up themselves to gratify the present life ; there- fore they are said to be enemies to the cross of Christ.
This interpretation I prefer for these reasons —
[1.] Because in the nextverse, where ihe apostle explainefh this clause, lie doth not instance in their opinions, but their practice: ver. 19, * Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things;' where they are set forth as sensual and earthly-minded men, and upon that account enemies to the cross of Christ.
[2.] By the antithesis or description of the opposite state of the true christians, ' But our conversation is in heaven.' True christians are not described by their opinions, but their conversations ; and the kind of their conversation was heavenly, and carried on with respect to their happy stale in another world. These then are worldly, and so enemies.
3. Their temper had an influence upon their opinions, as well as their opinions had an influence upon their practice. Their religion ■was according to their frame of heart, fitted for the conveuiency of the flesh, or their ease and quiet in the world.
Doct. That men of an earthly, carnal spirit are enemies to the cross of Christ.
To clear this, observe —
1. That those that profess friendship to Christ may yet be enemies to him. These Gnostics were a sort of christians. There are open enemies, and secret. The open enemies are such as bid defiance to Christ, and live in professed infidelity; the secret are such as seem to own Christ crucified, yet do really oppose the power and virtue of his passion, not mortifying their fleshly and worldly lusts. So that there are enemies of Christ, not only out of the church, but in the midst, where his kingdom is set up ; for he ruleth in the midst of his enemies, Ps ex. 1. Now these secret enemies are of two sorts — such as are enemies to his laws, and enemies to his cross. To his laws, or kingly power: Luke xix. 27, 'These mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them,' &c. ; Ps. lxviii. 2t, 'He will wound the head of hisenemies, and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their tres- passes.' He is a God of salvation. To his cross : so those who professed the name of christians, but by their sensual walking and worldly- inindeduess declared themselves enemies of the cross of Christ.