126 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. XII.
Christ, those who seek to check their worldly lusts, or they who, since Christ's religion came in fashion, do rest in an outward pageautry aud seeming devotion to the cross?
[4.] It is the worldly spirit that distinguisheth the hypocrites from the sincere in the true church, and where the doctrine of the cross is purely preached. Hypocrites are of two sorts — either such as have the- grace of the stony or thorny ground, more gross and open, or more secret and refined.
(1.) Such as have the grace of the stony ground. They are described, Luke viii. 13, ' That which fell on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy ; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.' These are such as are impatient of adversity, and therefore change their minds as their carnal interest doth change, and set their sails to that wind which will most bring them to their worldly ends. They have a liking to religion, and are loath to quit the profession of it, but yet loath to endanger their worldly interests ; therefore fit their principles to the humours of men, and fashion themselves for all times. This is libertinism, carnal policy, not religion. Of this sort were those spoken of in the text, who would be accounted christians, yet suffer nothing for Christ. To eschew sufferings by lawful means is not culpable: Mat. x. 23, ' When they persecute you in one city, flee into another.' Yea. commendable : Prov. xxii. 3, ' A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hidelh himself.' But to disguise religion, and to writhe ourselves into all postures and shapes, that we may secure our temporal interest or worldly portion, is the fault of the third ground, or the property of those hypocrites who are represented thereby. And so we see the world was their bane, because, to shun the cross, or avoid hazard and trouble, they were willing to comply with the persecutors, and tamper with them to abate their edge. And therefore till you are so far divorced from the world as to take up with a naked Christ and the hopes of a heavenly felicity which he hath promised, you cannot escape this snare.
(2.) There are another sort of hypocrites, who are represented by the thorny ground. They are described, Luke viii. 14, ' And that which fell among thorns are they who, when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares, and riches, and the pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.' These either are not assailed with persecutions, or, if they are, endure the brunt, but do not tame their own flesh ; though they conquer outward opposition, and keep the profession and form of godliness, deny the power ; have not so far felt the power of Christ crucified as to overcome their worldly affections and sensual inclinations ; and so religion is still kept as an underling, and they are not brought into that state of the divine nature or heavenly life that God may have most interest in their hearts, and the main drift and bent of their lives may be for God and the life to come. They do not make heaven their end, so as to part with all to obtain it ; therefore they are dwarfs and cripples in religion all their days, never make any sound work of it, so as to honour God, and awaken the careless world to mind better things. Now these are enemies to the cross of Christ, because God hath least of the heart,
Ver. IS.] sermons upon phtlippians nr. 12T
and tlie world most, and the strongest interest is that which is opposite to God ; the cross hath not had its effect in them.
[5.] It is the worldly spirit that is the great let and hindrance to the sincere, that they cannot do for God as they would. The sincere, and christians indeed, are such as do in affection and resolution forsake all that they have in the world, and look for a portion in the world to come. They by experience rind the world to be an enemy to the cross of Christ. I say, they are a people who seek more diligently after heaven than earth, and can let go the world when Christ calleth them to it ; yet these find the world and the worldly spirit a mighty impedi- ment both in doing and suffering for Christ. Till we put off the flesh, the world will never lay by its enmity.
(1.) For doing. The world is always hindering you in the way to life. It is continually a snare in all that you do. clogging and retarding you in your heaveuly flights and motions : Heb. xii. 1, ' Let us lav aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,' <fec. Though you do believe a life after this, and are convinced that it is your happiness, and have your estimation and love most set upon it, and do for the main contemn the riches, and honours, and pleasures of the world, yet you find a difficulty to comply with the precepts of Christianity, those of mortification, self-denial, charity, meekness, tem- perance, heavenly-uiindedness : cannot do as you would, because of your inclination to present things, nor so thoroughly comply with that manner of living which Christ hath appointed. Therefore a great part of our religion and constant duty is to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, James i. 27. Many christians can hardly escape the blemish of being worldly, and not attending upon communion with God, and the duties of justice and charity, which we owe to men, so entirely as the law of Christianity doth enforce. And that is the reason why the doctrine of overcoming the world is subjoined to the warning of keeping the commandments without grievousness : 1 John v. 3, 4, ' For this is the love of God, that we keep Ins commandments ; and his com- mandments are not grievous. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world ; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.' He knoweth not his own heart that findeth not this.