1. First, Know thy sin, and thy particular sin, by thy checks of conscience and by the checks we receive from our enemies, who shall spy what they can in us thereby to scandalise us. As also observe what thy thoughts work most upon, what is the main thing that generally takes up your cogitations.
2. When thou hast found out thy sin, vuike it as odions as thou canst. For circumcision implies a thing that is odious and superfluous. Now all sins that be cherished in us may well be odious to us, for that it hinders us from all good and clothes us with all evil, and makes all outward things evil to us ; which- otherwise are no further ill than as they strengthen our corruptions. It hinders us from all good duties. Pride of heart and cor- ruption do dog us. This made Paul cry, not of temporal bonds, but of the bonds of sin and of death. ' WTio shall deliver me, wretched man that I am ?' saith he, Rom. vii. 23, 24.
3. Thirdly, Having found out thy sins, and the abominableness of them, complain of them to God, as Hezekiah did of the blasphemous letter that Sennacherib wrote, and challenge the fruit of God's promise. For he that bids us circumcise, Deut. x. 16, promised that he himself will do it, Deut. XXX. 6. Faith in the promises is an effectual means to attain to them. Men come with doubtings. They see a great deal of corruption. They think their labour is vain. They cannot be relieved against them. They are deceived. Touch but thou the hem of Christ's garment. Fly to God in his name, and thou shalt find this ' issue' of sin, though not wholly dried up, yet much abated. And here is the excellency of faith that assures us of all the promises concerning sanctification here, as concerning glory hereafter.
Which worship) God.
The apostle places circumcision before worship ; for unless there be a cutting off, we cannot bring our corruption to perform duties of God's worship aright.
The words contain a description of a Christian by his proper act, worship : and by the proper object thereof, God ; and by his most proper part, in spirit. And the word ' worship ' is taken for the inward worship of God, commanded in the first commandment ; also comprehending our fear, love of God, and joy in him, issuing from the knowledge of the true God. All our obedience issuing herefrom is worship of God, including our duties to * Misprinted 'who.' — G. * Here also misprinted 'who.' — G.
PIITIJPPIANS CHAP. Ill, VER. 3. 71
man, in obcdionce and relation to God's commandment. The gronnd of this obedience and worship is the rehxtion between God and the reasonable creature, being the image of God. Now this imago being lost in the fall of our first parents, we must worship him not only as our creator arid maker, but as ' reconciled to us in Christ,' as he hath made us anew.
Secondly, We are to worship him as the\oell-spring of all grace, goodness, excellency, and greatness.
Thirdly, As he doth communicate all %mto ns. He is ours. Christ is ours. All is ours. This should carry our souls to love him, be his as he is ours ; especially to be his in spirit, by which is meant the reasonable soul, understanding, will, and affections. And, secondly, with sanctified understanding, sanctified will, and sanctified affections. Thirdly, With all our strength, spirit, life, and cheerful readiness. Wherefore God is the proper object of spiritual worship. Trust on him, love him, joy in him, invoke and pray to him and to him only ; not to the Virgin Mary, saints, or images, as the papists do : Mat. iv. 10, ' Him only shalt thou serve,' as Christ saith, because our commandment is only from him and extends only to him. The promises are only from him. He only is present in all places ; he only supplies our wants ; and he only knows what our wants are and how to help. Saints are not present in all places. They cannot hear many at once ; nay, they cannot hear our prayers unless they be present. They are finite creatures, they have no infinite properties. Christ he bids us, invites us, to come to him, he hath promised to hear us and to ease us.
And further, God knows the secret wants, which the saints cannot know. We ourselves know them not. And therefore are we to go only to God in all our necessities, because it is most gainful for us to go to him that can help us ; nay, we owe him this honour by going to him, to acknowledge his omnipresence, his willingness and ability to do good.
- In spirit.
The apostle in these words shews the manner of true worship, by the most proper and fit part of a Christian ; to wit, his spirit ; that is, a soul truly sanctified, lively, and cheerfully, with a willing and ready mind, fitly disposed, contrary to outward, false, and hypoci'itical worship.
1. And the reason is, ' Because God is a Spirit, and therefore must be worshipped in spirit,' John iv. 24.
2. Secondly, It is the best part of a man ; and God who challenges all, and that justly, looks especially that he hath the best part.