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things; and care not in what condition they be found, how poor and low, how afflicted and despised soever, so they may be found in Christ. Observe, 2. The manner how St. Paul desires to be found in Christ: this is expressed both negatively and positively. 1. Negatively, Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law: that is, not depending upon any thing he could call his own, neither upon his spiritual privileges, nor natural accomplishments, nor religious performances, nor upon his most perfect righteousness and best obedience, for his justification before God; knowing it to be both unwarrantable and unsafe so to do: unwarrantable, because our good works never had the impress of God's ordination for that end; they were never designed to justify our persons, but to justify our faith; and unsafe it is to trust to our own righteousness and best services, because of the many sinful imperfections cleaving to them. Alas! they cannot justify themselves: how then should they justify us? Our best duties deserve to be thrown as so much dung upon our faces. Surely, we may plead the excellency, and preach the necessity, of good works, though we do not set them in Christ's chair: such then as would be found in Christ, though they be ever so careful to maintain good works, (which it is their duty and interest, their daily care and endeavour, to do,) yet they dare not rest in them, nor rely upon them for justification, or make any thing in themselves, or done by themselves, the ground of their confidence. Christ's perfect obedience entitles us to heaven; our own imperfect (if sincere) obedience will evidence that title. Some rely upon a natural righteousness, that which they call good nature; others rely upon a negative righteousness, because they are not so unrighteous as some; others rely upon a positive righteousness, a moral righteousness, in observing the duties of the second table; a religious righteousness, in performing the outward duties of prayer, hearing the word, receiving the sacraments. But though St. Paul was one of the most religious men that the Jewish religion ever had, yet he durst not be found with this righteousness alone, but desires to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law. Observe farther, The way how the apostle desired to be found in Christ, is not only, 1. Negatively, but, 2. Positively declared: That which is throu h the faith of Christ,

that righteousness which is of God by faith. Here note, 1. The righteousness which secures a guilty sinner from the dint of God's wrath, is Christ's righteousness; he is made unto us of God righteousness, 1 Cor. i. 30. Now this righteousness is here called, 1. The righteousness of God, because of his appointing, ordaining, and accepting it. 2. The righteousness of faith, because this righteousness is made ours by faith; faith apprehending and applying the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ, the fruit and benefit of his undertaking become the believing sinner's, and God is at peace with him: such as will be found in Christ, must have a righteousness, the meritorious righteousness of Christ, to answer the demands of the law, and a personal righteousness of their own, to answer the commands of the gospel. St. Paul here, though a transcendent saint, though an eminent apostle, yet divests himself of his own righteousness, that he might be clothed upon with the righteousness of the Me. diator, be found in him as his surety in the day of account, and obtain pardon for the sake of his satisfaction. Note, 2. That there is no gain to be had from this righteousness by a lost sinner, except it be apprehended by faith; it was not a righteousness of his own that St Paul desired to be found in, but faith was his own, inherent in him, and acted by him, which did entitle him to that righteousness, called therefore here, The righteousness which is of God by faith.

10 That I may know him, and the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection, and being made conformable unto his death:

Our apostle had, in the foregoing verse, expressed his earnest desire to be found in Christ, with respect to his justification; in this verse, with respect to us sanctification, he desires to know Christ, as the Messiah and Mediator, that he might experience the power of his resurrection, raising him from the death of sin to a life of grace and holiness, and taste something of that comfort and joy which is found in suffering with him and for him, and to be made conformable to his death, by a daily dying unto sin: knowing, that if he were conformed to him in the likeness of his death, he should be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Here note, 1. What it is that a person justified by the righteousness of

Christ doth most desire; namely, a spirit of holiness and sanctification flowing from Christ, to enable him to live unto him. That I may know the power of his resurrection, that is, experience that divine power in my soul, quickening me to a life of grace, which Christ experienced in quickening his dead body when it lay in the grave." It is as great a work of the Spirit to form Christ in the heart of a sinner, as it was to fashion him in the womb, or to raise him from the grave," (says the pious bishop Reynolds upon the place). Note, 2. That such as are justified and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ, are willing to have fellowship with him in his sufferings, not ambitious to share with him in the merit of his sufferings, but desirous to participate with him in the benefit of his sufferings, and also to be conformed to him in their own sufferings: the members think it an honour to be like their head, their suffering head, as well as their glorified head; and well they may, for in and under all their sufferings, especially for him, they have his presence with them, his compassion to moderate them, his strength to bear them, his intercession to preserve from falling away in them; and his crown, after they have suffered awhile, to reward them for them.

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead:

By the resurrection of the dead, here, is not to be understood the general resurrection, for all men shall attain to that, whether they strive for it or no; but he intends that complete holiness, and absolute perfection in grace, which shall attend the state of the resurrection; so he explains it himself in the next verse, Not that I have already attained, &c. or am already perfect; and he shows how diligent he was in endeavouring, in the use of all possible means, to arrive at it, and attain unto it. Learn, That the glorious resurrection of the just, or grace consummated in glory, is attainable, and deserves and requires the utmost care and diligence of the most holy and zealous christians to be exerted and put forth, in order to the attaining of it: If by any means I may attain to the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I

may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Our apostle here compares himself to a person running in a race; the prize which he did contend and run for, was, perfection in grace. The highest degree of which, in this life, consists in a desire and endeavour to obtain the largest measures and fullest degrees of holiness, that are here attainable: the manner how he ran for this prize, he tells us, was by looking forward, not backward; he did not look back to the things which he had left behind, namely, to the privileges of Judaism, nor to his past performances; but, like a racer, kept himself continually upon the stretch, with his eye fixed firmly upon the prize at the end of the goal, that he might lay hold upon it, and be crowned with it. Note, christianity is a race; every christian in this life must run this race; in his running he must look forward, and not backward, not reckon how much of the way is past, but make the best of the way to come : he must keep heaven, as the mark and prize he runs for, continually in his eye, to hearten him on against all hardships and discouragements whatsoever; and in a word, must be apprehended before he can apprehend. St. Paul was apprehended by Christ, and caught hold of by him, when he fled from him, otherwise he had never apprehended: Christ takes hold on us, before we have any desire to lay hold on him; we move as moved of him, and as. sisted of him.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Let as many as be perfect, that is, grown christians, instructed thoroughly in

their christian duty, who, compared with others, may be called perfect, be thus minded, as I am, namely, to believe the circumcision of the flesh abolished, and that no confidence is to be placed in any righteousness of our own, but in the righteousness which is of God by faith only; and if any, seduced by the judaizing teachers, be otherwise minded, and think that the ceremonial law is not abrogated, nor the practice of circumcision abolished, God in his due time will show them their error, and convince them, that none of those things are now necessary for the obtaining of his favour. Nevertheless, in the mean time, he exhorts all persons, according to the measures of light and knowledge which they had received, to walk according to the rule of the Scriptures, preserving mutual love, and avoiding further rents and divisions. Observe here, That in the first and best age of the christian church, there was, and we cannot expect but there ever will be, a variety of opinions and differences in judgment amongst the members thereof. Observe, 2. That, in this case of unavoidable differences amongst good men, there ought to be mutual charity and meekness, moderation and forbearance, no censorious judging of each other, but look first at what is wanting in ourselves and next at what is useful in others: the one will make us humble, the other charitable; and both peaceable.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ : 19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Here our apostle proposes his own example to their imitation: follow me, who have renounced all my Jewish privileges, all confidence in any thing of my own; and mark them for your patterns, who walk so as to have us for an example. O! how happy is it when the ministers of Christ go before their people, and tread out the steps which they are to take towards heaven; when they can say to their people, (without any upbraiding from their

own consciences,) Be followers of us, and of all such as have us for an example. Next, he warns them against following the doctrines and practices of the false teachers, the judaizing doctors, those great zealots for the observation of the ceremonial law, and the rite of circumcision; these he paints out in their proper colours: 1. He calls them the enemies of the cross of Christ, because they preached up the necessity of circumcision, and the observation of the ceremonial law; and so, in effect, denied Christ to be come in the flesh, or affirmed that he died in vain: Whose end is destruction: if they persist in their wicked doctrines and practices, their end will be everlasting destruction: Whose god is their belly; who chiefly mind the gratification and pleasing of a sensual appetite: they who serve their belly before God, or as they should serve God, do make a god of their belly; we may provide for the belly but not serve it; that is to serve us, by fitting us to serve God, our neighbours, and ourselves; Whose glory is in their shame; that is, they gloried in their wicked practices in general, whereof they ought to be ashamed, and in the circumcision of the shameful member in particular; they are puffed up with that which should rather make them blush: They mind earthly things; the riches, honours, pleasures, applause of the world, are things wholly upon their hearts, counting gain godliness, not regarding Christ's interest, but only the promoting their own designs. Lord! what a dismal character is this of those men that undertake to be teachers of others! With what a black coal doth the apostle draw their picture! and yet his hand was guided by the Spirit of God, whose judgment of them was according to truth.

20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As if the apostle had said, "As you love your souls, follow not those false teachers afore described, for they are citizens of the world: but imitate and follow us, who are citizens of heaven, where our head is, where our heart is, where our happiness is. It is true we live here below, but we belong to the corporation and society above, our citizenship is in heaven; for we have an high esteem of that happiness, and our chief concern is to make sure of it, and we please and delight ourselves with the joy

ful expectation of it, and we live answerably to our expectation; as we hope hereafter to live like the angels in glory, so we now endeavour to live like the angels in holiness." Learn hence, All the faithful, both ministers and people, have a right to heaven, as to their city; they are therefore with their hearts and affections to be daily aspiring after it, and live in hopes of getting, ere long, the full possession of it.

21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Observe here, J. All the faithful, who have their conversation in heaven, do expect and look for Christ coming from thence, not as a terrible judge, but as a gracious and powerful Saviour. Observe, 2. What they do expect at the coming of this Saviour, namely, the changing of their vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body. Note here, 1. The present condition of the body of man: it is in a vile condition, vile in its original, our body is made of vile dust; vile, in regard of its moral vileness, and sinful vileness; vile, in regard of its accidental vile. ness, as the body is the seat of many vile diseases, and subject to vile abuses; vile considered with respect to its ultimate vileness at death; how does a body, as beautiful as ever was Absalom's, when death comes, run into rottenness and putrefaction! Our sin makes us vile in the sight of God whilst we live, and renders our bodies viler in the sight of men when we die. Note 2. The future condition which the bodies of good men shall be in, at the appearance of Christ: this vile body shall be a beautiful and a blessed body; the body we lay down shall be rebuilt, formed and fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body; resembling his in incorruptibility and immortality, in purity and spirituality, in power and activity, in happiness and felicity. Note, 3. The efficient cause of this great and glorious change, with reference to the body; and that is Christ, he shall change our vile bodies; together with the means by which all this is to be effected and accomplished, namely, the wonderful power of Christ, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Surely it is as easy for Christ to give a body to a soul at

the resurrection, as to breathe a soul into a body every day in the work of creation. But the power of Christ is but a weak argument to build our hopes of the body's resurrection upon, without a revelation of his will: he can quench all the fire in hell in a moment; but where has he said he will do it? But now in the case before us, Christ is not only able to raise, but has declared he will raise and change our vile bo

dies; so that faith is enabled to make a culties that reason can muster up: sufficient reply to all the astonishing diffiand those christians that can now say, Our conversation is in heaven, may add, from thence we look for a Saviour, The Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

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THEREFORE, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

Observe here, 1. The loving, affectionate, and endearing compellations which St. Paul bestows upon his beloved Philippians: he calls them his brethren twice, in one verse, his dearly beloved and longed for, his joy and crown; thereby testifying his fervent affection towards them, his passionate longing for their spiritual welfare, and that their conversion by his preaching was matter of great joy and comfort to him, yea, the crown and honour of his ministry, My joy and crown; that is, my chief joy and crown of rejoicing, that which he rejoiced in more than he could in an earthly crown. hold in this glass the heart of every faithful ambassador of Jesus Christ it would not please them so much to have an imperial crown set upon their heads, and to be made the emperors of the world, as to see souls brought off from the world, by their ministry, to the obedience of the word. This made the Philippians St. Paul's joy and crown at present, and gave him hopes they would be his crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ.

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May the same mind be in us, which was in this great apostle. Observe, 2. The great and important duty which St. Paul here exhorts the Philippians to; and that is, stedfastness in the faith and doctrine of the gospel in general; and in particular, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free, without obliging themselves to observe circumcision, or any part of the ceremonial law: Stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved, my joy and crown. Learn hence, 1. That stedfastness in the true religion, and perseverance in the faith of Christ, is the great and indispensable duty of every christian that has a due regard to his salvation. That such a steadiness in the faith of Christ, and his holy religion, is a present joy, and will be an eternal crown of rejoicing to the ministers of God.

2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I intreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

The former verse was an exhortation to constancy; this to concord. Here observe, 1. The persons exhorted to the duty; two women of eminent note in the church, Euodias and Syntyche, who laboured with him in the gospel, that is, in offices proper to their sex, not in public preaching, but in private teaching of youth, and instructing other women in the principles of religion. Between these two good women it seems there was some difference, a want of love and unanimity; it is but too frequent for persons truly pious, and painful in the work of the Lord, to be at odds among themselves; and such are the fatal consequences of such differences, though between two persons only, that they are looked upon as worthy to be taken notice of by a great apostle. Observe, 2. The great care and pains which St. Paul takes, timely to compose this petty difference between these two persons; he writes to an eminent minister in the church at Philippi, whom he calls his true yoke-fellow, (because they had faithfully laboured together in planting a christian church in that city,) to exert his utmost endeavours in reconciling these

two disagreeing parties. Such as are sensible of the dangerous mischiefs of strife and contention, of discord and division, will account it their duty to look to breaches betimes, to quench such fires at their first kindling, and will call in all the help they can, by engaging the prayers and tears of God's ministers, and the endeavours of all faithful christians, in order thereunto: and all this care, God knows, is little enough.— Observe, 3. The charitable thoughts and good opinion which St. Paul had of his fellow-labourers at Philippi: he believed their names were in the book of life; that is, he adjudged them truly gracious persons, and in a state of salvation: though none can pass a certain and infallible judgment upon others, yet such as are holy in conversation themselves, and contribute their utmost endeavours to promote holiness in others, may, in the judgment of charity, be pronounced persons whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Observe here, 1. The duty exhorted to: christian cheerfulness and joy; a duty which glorifies God, adorns religion, is beneficial to ourselves, by enabling us to bear afflictions, to glory in them, and to triumph over them. Observe, 2. The object of this duty, a glorious and replen ishing object; Christ the Lord: Rejoice in the Lord. 3. The perpetuity and constancy of the duty: Rejoice alway; that is, at all times, and in all conditions. 4. The difficulty of the duty, implied in the repetition of the command: Again I say, Rejoice. From the whole note, 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the great, sure, and perpetual joy of his children and people. 2. That it is their duty to be joying in him always, and always rejoicing for him, and to rejoice in their knowledge of him, in his undertaking for them, in their interest in him, in their influences of grace and com. fort derived from him, in their hopes of glory to be eternally enjoyed with him. 3. That to get the heart up to this duty, at all times, and in all conditions, is no easy work; therefore the exhortation is doubled: Rejoice alway; and again I say, Rejoice; pointing out how averse we are to this spiritual and very beneficial duty.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men : The Lord is at hand.

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