* Qu. ' god ' ?— Ed.
PHILIPPIANS CHAP. Ill, VER. 2. 67
would be mediators, and will be of every religion, or rather of none ; who jumble religions, mixing truth and falsehood, light and darkness together. But he that made distinction between the ' seed of the woman' and the ' seed of the serpent,' made also eternal distinction between religion and irreligion. Though Judas thought he might keep fair (quarter with the Pharisees and his Master, yet his fawning kiss could not keep him, but desperation overtook him. So these neuters : let them fawn never so much, let them halt between two opinions never so long, they shall at length know that they have betrayed their religion ; and desperation shall at length assuredly overtake them, as it overtook Spira (d). Take heed of them. There hath been a continual brood of them. In the emperors' time the Jews had some liberty granted to them, because their ceremonies carried a show of a reverend antiquity. The Christians they were ludibrium linmani (jeneris ;* there were even then, as St Paul found, such Christians as, find- ing they were scorned, because they would be scorned of neither, took part with neither, f
Quest. But some will say, What a great matter do you make of this ! Is it not policy and wisdom for us thus to avoid reproach, and to get the good will of all ?
Ans. Remember what Christ says, ' He that denies me before men, I will deny him before my Father,' Mat. x. 33. True, say they, ' I yet may in- wardly be sound in my heart ; I may honour Christ, though outwardly I may please others.' What place is left for profession ? ' With the mouth man confesses to salvation,' Rom. x. 10 ; and such as' are ashamed to confess Christ before men, Christ may justly deny to acknowledge them in that fearful day of judgment. For shall we try all things to be sure of our tem- poral estate, and shall not we much more seek to assure our spiritual and eternal estate unto us ? God forbid.
In the next place, let us not be discouraged or hindered in a good course. Though these dogs bark never so much, yet they are but like the dogs who bark against the moon. Though we meet with many changes, let us keep our course still constantly, without turning aside. For thou must look to be barked at beforehand. Thou art or shouldst be a stranger to this world, and then assuredly the dogs will take notice of thee. And com- fort thyself, thou shalt be admitted into thine own country, when these dogs shall be kept out, as it is in the last of the Revelations, Rev. xxii. 15. And though we cannot have too harsh a conceit of them in regard of their estate, yet are we to respect the image of God they carry about with them, and to esteem of them as of such as may become lambs. And thus did St Paul respect and reverence Agrippa. Yet see how sharp he is, not to those that are heathen, but to those that, making a profession of Christianity, did add circumcision to Christ, wherein wo may observe his zeal for Christ's honour.
Beware of evil ivorkers.
Beware of such as in general were bad ; and in this particular especially they were * evil workers,' thereby seducing men from Christ. Seducers therefore are evil workers, and magistrates ought to look to them. They are the keepers of the two tables, and are to look to the souls of men as well as to their bodies. Let also private members look to themselves, lest they be seduced by them. Neither is it likely that these were only seducers by false doctrine, but were also ill men and wicked livers ; for God justly
* That is, ' the derision of the human race.' — G. t Qu. ' either ' ?— En.
68 EXPOSITION OF
gives Ruch up to wickedness in life that arc seduced in judgment. And thus dealt he with the scribes and Pharisees : ' Do not after their works,' saith Christ, Mat. xxiii. 3. Homo think if they so live as none can lay any gross sin to their charge, they are good enough. It is no matter what the heart is, how ignorant, how dark ; God will bear with them. Alas ! poor ignorant men, is not the understanding God's, as well as the outward parts ?
* Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind,' Mat. xxii. 37. The understanding is sponsa veritatis.t- And know God looks to purity of judg- ment. He cannot endure his children should be ignorant ; for it is a dis- honour to God for his children to conceit of things, in religion especially, otherwise than is fitting, yea, otherwise than they are.
• Beicai-e of the concision.
That is, as I formerly said, circumcision, called here by the name of concision, because it tended to cut and make a division and sect in the church, with a natural and proper elegance, not afiected, describing and naming it by the effect. It is God's use to call things from the event and efiect of them. ' Why will you perish ?' Jer. xxvii. 13. That is. Why will you do those things that will lead you to destruction ? The end of them is death ; and those that neglect wisdom hate themselves. As it was also said to the Jews that neglected the gospel, ' They judged themselves unworthy of salvation,' Acts xiii. 46 ; because in efiect they hated themselves and deprived themselves of salvation. Circumcision formerly had been an honourable ceremony, serving for a partition between Jew and Gentile, and for a seal of the covenant of grace. But the ceremony was to cease, it not having a continual promise. It was to last till Christ cam-e, and when he died, it and all other died also. St Paul, and Christ, and Timothy, were circum- cised. But after the time came that Christ had broken down the partition ■wall by his suffering, they did not only die, but were also deadly to all such as would maintain the observancy of them. The use of them was prejudicial to Christ's honour, and therefore Paul bids us ' beware of them.' And now-a-days this instruction by proportion is of good use. For are there not those that teach concision, and that urge merits, as the papists do ? Take heed of them. They say we are the concision ; we have cut ourselves from the true mother church of Rome.