2. That friendship and enmity to Christ is not interpreted so much by external profession as by the constitution of our hearts, and the course of our conversations. Christ never respected pure profession,
124 SERMONS UPON PHILTPPIANS III. [SeR. XIII..'
where men have the hearts of infidels and pagans or the lives of infidels : Luke vi. 46, ' Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say ? ' Mat. vii. 21, 'Not everyone,' &c. ; and 1 Peter i. 17, ' With- out respect of persons, he judge th according to every man's work.' God is not Trpoo-ooiroXeiTrT)^. God will not accept of men according to their appearance ; as it is a perversion in man's judgment when persons are accepted for things extrinsical and foreign, and such as have no respect to the merits of the cause. Though you may say, I am a christian, no Jew nor infidel, I am a minister ; yet, if carnal, if an enemy to the cross which you preach up, if the constitution of heart he quite opposite to the spirit of religion which you profess, you are reckoned not among the friends, but enemies ; Christ will not own you.
3. That the worldly spirit is that constitution of heart which is quite blank opposite to the cross of Christ. This is that which I am to prove ; but before I go about it, let me drop a consideration or two.
The first is, that the cross of Christ is twofold — what he hath endured for our sake, what we must endure for his sake. The worldly spirit is opposite to both, loath to suffer, though Christ hath com- manded us to take up the cross daily, Luke ix. 23. In a resolution; and preparation of mind we must do so ; but then the cross which he endured for our sakes, we are enemies to it whilst we resist the power of it, and are not by it crucified to the world ; then this great end of the cross is not fulfilled in us.
The second consideration is, that worldliness is not only opposite to the cross of Christ, but also to the glory of Christ, in several respects. There are two considerations set before us in scripture to wean us from the world — Christ crucified and Christ glorified. Of the former by and by; the latter, Col. iii. 1, 'Being risen with Christ, seek those things that are above.' It doth not become the members of a crucified Christ to be earthly-minded, nor the members of a glorified Christ to set their hearts on things so low. A christian should live in a perfect correspondence to all the acts of Christ's mediation. The two solemn acts are his dying and rising again. As he died and was crucified, we must not mind earthly things ; as he rose again, our conversation must be in heaven. The one enforceth mortification, the other vivification, or seeking things above. If we feel not the virtue of the one, or the other, or both, we have lost the benefit of our Christianity, and shall not be reckoned among the friends and disciples, but enemies of Jesus Christ.
Now I prove that the worldly spirit is most opposite to the cross of Christ.
1. The scripture clearly asserts it: James iv. 4, 'The friendship of the world is enmity with God;' Mat. vi. 24, 'Ye cannot serve God and mammon ; ' 1 John ii. 15, ' Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world , if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' It is apparent in our baptismal vow we are to renounce the world, as one of the enemies of our salvation, as well as the devil and the flesh, when we first enter upon Christianity, and seek after the benefits of the cross.
2. Experience confirmeth it. What is it that most opposeth, and ever hath opposed, the gpspel, and lieth point-blank opposite to the spirit of it, but the worldly spirit ?
YeR 18.] SERMONS UPON PHIL1PPIANS III. 125
[1.] It was the worldly spirit which caused the Jews to be such obstinate unbelievers, and to persecute Christ and his servants : James ii. 5, 6, ' Hath not God chosen the poor to be rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him ? Do not the rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment-seats?' The poor Christ and the poor christians they hated. And Luke xvi. 14, ' And the pharisees, which were covetous, heard all these things, and derided him.' And this is that which continueth them in their unbe- lief unto this very day; they would have a temporal pompous Messiah, which should come in worldly glory and power, and free them from captivity, and make the rest of the nations stoop to them. This humble crucified Jesus is not for their turn.
[2.] This maketh the Turks adore their Mahomet, because he pro- misetli success in their worldly enterprises in this world, and a sensual happiness in the world to come.
[3.] This maketh the nominal bastard christian to be such an opposer of Christ's spiritual kingdom, and only to content himself with the name of Christianity. When the church ran into the world and the world into the church, religion began to be corrupted. The rabble of nominal christians, they are worldlings, and measure all by outward pomp, pride, and fleshly glory. There is a contest between the evan- gelical church of Christ and the carnal worldly church of antichrist, who are most esteemers of the cross of Christ. Now of this controversy you shall be judges where the right lieth. The carnal church pleadeth, she is all for the cross; you have crucifixes every where painted, carved, gilded ; yea, they are ready to worship the cross of Christ with holy woi^hip ; they set it in their temples, altars, yea, their highways, market-places; and in every place where they meet with it, bow down to it ; they adorn it with gold, and silver, and all costly precious stones ; their popes and prelates have it carried before them, their laity wear it in their bosoms ; }rea, at all times, when they come out of their houses, when they come into churches, when they address themselves to almost anything, sign themselves with the sign of the cross. And are not these better friends of the cross than these new upstart heretics, that are frightened, displeased at the sight of it ? But alas ! these outward semblances and May-games do but deceive the world, whilst in their doctrine they detract from the merits of Christ crucified, and in their worship turn the simplicity of the gospel into a theatrical pomp, and the discipline of the church into a temporal domination ; so that their Christianity looketh like another thing than Christ hath established, like a design and frame of religion calculated for the present world rather than a serious preparation for the world to come. Here the evangelical church, they profess to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him cruci- fied ; on him is bottomed all their comfort and hope, 1 Cor. ii. 2, and give him the whole honour of our redemption, justification, and salva- tion, and desire to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and worship him in the spirit, and have no confidence in the flesh, without such pompous and ridiculous ceremonies, or any worship and adoration of the material cross, or the sign of it; but to be crucified to the world, and quit all things, that they may have pardon, and peace, and life by the cross of Christ. Now judge you who are friends or enemies to the cross of