In the fourth place, Let us consider limo this heing in Christ is a ground of doing of all duty. I say therefore it will direct us in duties to God, towards men, and to ourselves.
First, In duties towards God, hoiv thanlful ought we to he to him, for taking us to himself, for being Immanuel, God with us, so that we are become bone of his bone. What need we now saints or angels to intercede for us ? W^ho should Christ hear above his own flesh ? For duties towards men, this ought to stir us to duties of peace and unity. Shall we be so unnatural as to fall out with the members of our own bod}' ? No7i est concors cum Christo uhi est discors cum Christiano.
Secondly, It ought to stir us up to duties of respect to each other, consider- ing they are members of Christ as we are, and shall so be found in him ere long.
Thirdly, This should stir us up to charity to the poor members of Christ. They being his members are fellow-members ; and in loving them and doing them good, we shew our love to Christ himself.
And in the last place. Towards ourselves, xoe are to carry ourselves toith more respect, and not to prostitute ourselves to every base pleasure. Con- sider in whom am I, and to what I am redeemed, and with what price ? Shall I make my body the member of an harlot, who am the member of Christ ? This pride and high esteem of ourselves above base pleasures and lusts, this is commendable ; and therefore the apostle had good reason thus to account of these earthly things to be ' dross and dung.' In the second place, this will teach us to see our residence in Christ, and growth in him ; for if we be in Christ, we will have an especial eye to our conversation,' that we be not feet of iron and clay under a golden head, as many base licen- tious drunkards and filthy persons esteem of themselves. Will Christ own such members as these, think we ? No. Those that are in Christ, Christ will be in them, discovering himself by ruling in them. His house is holy. If we be of his house, we will not desire, grieve, nor affect,- but by the sway of his Spirit.
In the last place, Hoic shall ice come to be found in Chiist ?
Ans. I answer, we must first come where he is. We shall find him in the temple, teaching and strengthening our faith and love ; and so in our judgments and affections we shall be in him. Secondly, we must separate ourselves from the contrary to Christ, as a loyal wife will from all doubtful acquaintance. We must depart from antichrist, our own corruptions and lusts, and daily we must labour to get ground of them.
And from the words this we may learn : first, that a Christian is con- « That is, ' love.'— G.
PHILIPPIANS CHAP. Ill, VEU. 9. 95
tinuall;/ under Christ's iviutj till he be in heaven, else how could the apostle desire to bo found in him at the day of judgment ?
Secondly, We learn that there -is such a time when God iviU, as it were toith a candle, search men out, and lay them open as they are. This is not thought upon. Men now shuffle it off, I shall be saved as well as any other, and this and that good company I am acquainted withal. Trust not, I say, to good acquaintance. There is a time of separation, when thou shalt be found out as thou art in thine own colours.
Thirdly, Hence we learn that the foundation of future happiness must be laid now. Before we can be with Christ in the kingdom of glory we must be his members in the kingdom of grace. Dost thou live therefore a cor- rupt and carnal life here ? Never think to be found in him hereafter. And therefore let the uncertainty of this life be a spur to thee, to watch over thy ways, so as thou be such at this and all other times as you would be willing to be found at that day. Many boast hereof, but their lives savour nothing hereof, but are knit altogether to their lusts or to antichrist. Woe to such. They shall go on the left hand. But such as Christ finds in him it must needs go well with them. Christ will not judge them for whom he died, but shall set them on his right hand for evermore.
Not having mine own rir/hteousness, which is of the law. In these words, and those following, the apostle lays down summarily his desire, first, negatively in these w-ords, he desired ' not to be found in Christ trusting to his own lighteousness ;' implying a difference and dis- tinction between his righteousness by the law and that by Christ. The righteousness ' by the law' he disclaims as any way meritorious, and that as well habitual, wrought by God in him, or actual righteousness, consist- ing in the outward works that he did. And that with good reason ; for, first, man's righteousness is hut finite, and therefoi'e unfit to work or deserve infinitely, and impossible to deserve heaven and the joys thereof. Secondly, This righteousness is imperfect, and stained as a ' menstruous cloth,' and unable to quiet or satisfy' our own consciences, much less God who is greater than our own consciences. And therefore the saints prayed, ' Enter not into judgment with thy servants, Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh be justified.' But the papists answer, the work of God is perfect ; but our righteousness is the work of God, and therefore perfect. We say that the works of God are within us or without us. The works of God without us are perfect, but those that are within us are impei-fect, still savouring of our pollution and corruption, by reason that the old man in us perverteth all that is good in us, and therefore partus sequitur ventrem.^ Secondly, It is true that the works of God within us are so far perfect as tend to the end he works them for in us, but our righteousness was never ordained of God to that end as to save us by them, and therefore they cannot accom- plish that end ; but God works this righteousness in us to convince us of our own weakness, and to be a testimony of the presence of his Spirit in us. Paul therefore says not, I will not have mine own righteousness ; but, ' I desire not to be found in my righteousness,' so as to merit salvation thereby.