m Not lukewarm, but exceeding fervent in the ſtricteſt ob- it ſervances of the Phariſaic Order, which was miich in external De- \ | votion, Luk. 18. 12. very ſolicitous for Proſelyres, Mat. 23. 15, 25. Herein he was above his equals for years, being exceedingly zea- "re tous of the Traditions of the Fathers, Gal. 1. 13« (and his zeal had been very commendable had it been in a good matter, Gal. 4. 18.) that which the falſe Apofiles contended much for. » Which he ſhewed all manner of ways in his rage againſt the Church of Chriſt, (conceived by the Phariſzes to be oppolite to the Law of Meſes, AF. 9. 1. & 22. 3, 4« & 26. 9, 10, 11, 12. Gzl. 1. 13.) 0 HE riſes higher yet in his perſonal Obedience; he might have been a Zealot in his Sect, and yet an Hypocrite, if not ef a ſcandalous life ; but it ſeems in the external obſervation of thoſe things which the Ceremonial or Moral Law did preſcribe, he was in the eye of Man, of a blameleſs converſation, reſembling Zeckariah and Eliza- beth, Luk. 1. 6. Men could not tax him, he had behaved himſelf ſo conſcientiouſly, A. 23. 1. yet when he had his eyes opened, he fo:ind here was no ſuch matter of confidence for him before God, 1 x Sam. 16.7. 1 Cor. 4 4. This externa) performance he tound when enlightned, was far ſhort of internal and pertect obedicuce, Rom. 7 7. and therefore he ſaw it neceſſary to chang2 the groan
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and foundation of his confidence, all that he betore reitzd on, mts' Chriſt alone, I Cor, 2. 11x 2 Cor. 5. 17. - 29% ſeeking to.
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receive honour from Men, but that from Chrift only, Fohn 5.
T4 But what things p were gain to me q, thoſe 1 counted JoG for Chrilt
» Havins arzued how he might have had as great a plea for con- fdence of his acceptance with God as any, if it would have held from the recited particulars, he now ſhews qg how aavantagious {ocver they had, in the judgment of others as well as himſelf, been reck- oned to be, before he was effettually called, r Yet fince the Scales fell off his Eyes that he could diſcern the truth, he was ſo far from accounting them profitable, 'that indeed he accounted them prejudicial, fo far from an advantage, that they were a damage to him, looking for Salvation by Chriit alone, Mat. 21. 3L. Roi. g. 30%. They were but as pcbles that hid the Pearl ot price, Mar. 13. 44. as cyphers to this hgure, that can make any thing valuable z therefore by Paul preferr'd to all bctore.
8 Yea doabtic6 /{; and I account 7 all tihiugs bur loſs, w, for * the excellency of the knowledge of Chriit feſts my Lord x: for whom I have ſutlered the loſs of all things y, and do count them but dung z, that I may win Chrilt 2.
{ He very emphatically in the Greek expreſſeth his ſtronger r2[clution upon further deliberation. x As he had reckon d and razed when he was firſt wrought upon to enteriam Chritt, ſo at preſent he did not alter his judgment , in the Valuation of any thing he had rejetted ; » he Ipeaks wuniver fy , what bc did but ind-#f-itely, uling the preſent tenſe with a deſcretive Far- tice: he diſefi--m'd, not only his Jewiſh privileges and exerciles before, but his Chriſtian after Cenverhon, as of any worth to com- nend him to God, or as any matter to he reſted on for his juſti- cation before Gud, ſhewing he did not alcribe'his being accept- ed to eternal Life, unto his own works after he was r-new'd, and now had © many years ſ-rved God in his Apoſtolical Mint- firy, performed ſuch excellent works, planted ſo many Churches, enin'd ſo many foulpto Chrifr, paſs'd through perils for the name of Chrit. Fe remarkablv pints in a, not only which he had before recite, but to all works as ſuch whatioever, yea and to 2l whatſocter could be thought on beiides Chrift, w Whatever they be in themielvres they are Dut \p1S cr damage, of no worth to
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m2, as to any d=pendance on them for acceptance with God. x Com-
par'd with the ſurpaſſing worth and excellency in the fducial ex--
perimental (as is plain from what tolows) knowledge of Jeſus Chriſt in his Perſon, Olkic=s, and Benefits wherein an eye of faith can diſcern tranſcendent myfteries, /{.1. 53-11. Fon 17. 2. I Fohn &. 20. 1 Tim. 3- 16. I Pet. 1. 12.. to be adord by the ſincere ſervants of ſo excellent a Lord, Mark 5. 20,33. to have an inter- eſt in whom, and to enjoy whom every thing beſides is deſpicable. y For whom (he adds) he did not only account them loſs, (as v. 7.) in his judgment and readineſs to loſe them, but he actually ſu- Rained the loſs of them, Ads 20. 23. 1 Cr. 4. 13. 2 C0r, Iles 23, ©5:. as to any plea for his acceptance, he ſuffered them all to go in this caſe, which he could not do fill God of his rich and inſupe- rable grace, wrought this reſolution in him, by his holy Spirit, then he willingly did it. 2 Yea, and upon a right ſtating of the accounts, he reckon'd he was no loſer by the exchange, in that he did efteem them in a juſt balance, comparing ſpiritual things with ſpiritual, 1 Cor. 2. 13. in point of cruſt, thoſe excellent things with an excellent Chriſt, to be no better than dung (as