For, first, he knows they are meaner than the soul. These are earthly, the soul is from heaven ; these are outward, the soul is spiritual, and therefore is only satisfied with spiritual and heavenly comforts.
Secondly, A Christian sees these things are fading, arising of nothing, and tending to nothing ; contrarily, he knows his soul is eternal, and requires com- forts that may last with it for ever. For those that joy in these outward things, when they leave him or he leave them, as of necessity he must, it is true they vanish to nothing ; but he cannot, but must continue comfort- less for ever, and undergo the just wrath of God. Furthermore, a Christian doth not only know these things to be no gain, but he also knows them to be loss. For that is loss which a man finds by experience to be loss, when his understanding is awakened. But all things outward, whatever they be, whether that a man is a Christian by profession, or that he is a preacher, who hath good utterance and is embraced of the people and approved of, or what privilege else soever, when the conscience is awakened they breed more horror, at the hour of death, when we are to give an account of * That is, ' hiudrances.' — G. VOL. V. F
82 EXPOSITION OF
them, and they sot iis further off from Christ. A profane person is nearer conversion than a proud Pharisee ; as Christ saith, ' The publican and harlots go before you into the kingdom of God,' Mat xxi. 31. The reason is, because they that arc thus outwardly afl'ectcd sing peace to their souls ; whenas the profane man hath no starting-holes of excuse, his vileness being more manifest.
Secondly, God detests such boasters more thantlwse that are outwardly pro- fane, and therefore Christ inveighs against such ever, ' Woe to you pharisees, hypocrites,' Mat. xxiii. 13, and often threatens such with the punishment that is provided for hypocrites, as if those were the men which his soul abhorred, and for which only hell was prepared.
But how shall we be qualified, that outward things may not be hinderers of us ?
First, Look to the foundation of all conversion ; consider the nature of God and his Jaw. By them we shall see a further degree of holiness than the best of us can attain to. The excellenc,y of God's nature is such as God's children have been ashamed to be in his presence. As Job when God spake ' abhorred himself,' Job xlii. 6. Peter when he saw the power of Christ said, ' Depart from me. Lord, for I am a sinful man,' Luke v. 8. We are, therefore, to think often of the presence of God, before whom ere long we must all appear.
Secondly, Bring thyself to the spiritual meaning of the laiu, as Paul did, Rom. vii. See into thy thoughts, and behold the unclcanuess of thy heart. Thirdly, Converse with those that are hetter than thyself, and coinpare thyself with them. Not as the Pharisees, who compared themselves with the publi- cans ; and herein are many deceived, and by undervaluing others they overvalue themselves. For things compared with less they seem some- what, but with bigger seem nothing. It ought not to be so wath us. Let us compare ourselves to that rule that we live by, and to such examples as we are to follow. Compare we ourselves with Christ, our righteousness with his, and then shall we see our wants.
Fourthly, Practise that tvhich Christ so much heats on ; that is, self-denial. Hate father, mother, world, nay, thyself, or never think to come to Christ. They will be loss to thee unless thou account them loss. The young rich man's wealth made him a loser. The love of the praise of men kept the Pharisees that they could not believe. W'hosoever nourishcth any lust, it will rule him and his affections, that he shall make it his gain, be it never so vile in itself. But St Paul, being guided by another spirif^, casts away all ; and so must we. If we will not lose Christ and suffer shipwreck, cast away these commodities that load us and hinder us in our course. Neither is it meant here of an actual casting away of our goods, thereby to establish the foolish vow of poverty. But herein is meant a judicious discerning of the true worth of these things in comparison of Christ, and from thence a preparation, and a resolved mind to part with all that may hinder us from the enjo3'ment of peace of conscience and the love of Christ. For a man may have a weaned soul in the midst of abundance ; and he may live in the ■world, though not to the world, which is a duty easily spoken of, yet not easily performed ; neither was it easily wrought in our apostle, who, being a persecutor of the church, was powerfully altered and changed from heaven. And thus doth God deal with his children, whom he doth first cast down and afflict, that they may find by experience that these outward things can stand us in no stead. It may be he sufters them to fall into some grievous scandalous sin, that they might see the ' body of sin ' that