Richard Sibbes on Philippians 3:18

VERS. 18. For many walke, of whom I have told you often. THese wo[illegible: 2 letters]s containe, a reason of Pauls exhortation; and from the connexion wee may observe, that where truth is, error is: where wheat is, there are tares; walke as I doe, for there are many with whom yee converse, that walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ. Our enemies tell us, because of our errors wee are not the true Church, they may better conclude contrarily, that because we have some few errors, therefore there is a true Church amongst us, where truth is there will be opposers; and therefore we are not to be scandalized hereat: the skill and courage of a Christian, is seen most where truth is in danger, as the goodnesse of a Pilate is seene specially in a tempest. The Papists will not have the Word read in the vulgar tongue. why? because they say many errors will thence arise, while the common people understand it not. They may as well argue, because there is much deceipt, therefore I will not buy nor sell. St. Paul was of another minde, he would preach at Ephesus, for a great dore and effectuall was opened, though he knew there were many adversaries. 1 Cor. 16.9. In the next place, observe he saith many there were, meaning of the better and more eminent sort, that is of teachers: a pitifull thing, that in the golden times of the Church, the chiefe leaders of the Church should be mislead, and therefore we are not to wonder that we should finde it thus, and therefor[illegible: 1 letter] wee must not bee scandalized by the multitude, one Micaiah is better than 400. false Prophets, and therefore we must not number the followers, but weigh them aright, To proceed; he saith there are many, he nameth none in particular, yet no doubt but noted scandalous persons, may and ought to bee particularly named, that others may take notice and heed of them; yet this must bee warily done. The Apostle curses the Copper-smith, but onely names Demas. Those that are weake, must be gently touched, those that are obstinate and scandalous, must bee plainely made knowne, and this draweth some of our writers particularly to lay open the vices and falshoods of those that are obdurate, and therefore we must not take scandall thereat, it arising from a zealous care of Gods Church, not of malice. In the next place, he saith he told them often, the Apostle was affectionately bent for their good▪ and therefore to write the same things often to them, it was not greevous to him, seeing to them it was safe; for the nature of man is very dull in conceiving of things that belong to salvation, and their memories are but brittle. If therefore we doe often inculcate and lay open the danger of that whorish Religion, long since condemned, it must be well taken in these times, especially wherein men are so secure, daring to venter on any thing, yea to goe to their Masses, upon pretence of their strength, that they c[illegible: 1 letter]n come away without being defiled.

VERS. 18. And now tell you weeping. AS if he should have said, if nothing else will make you beware, yet let my teares move, my teares proceeding from griefe, and compassion of the miserable estate of such Teachers, and of such as are led by them. Affections therefore are lawfull, yea necessarie in Gods children: all actions in Gods worship are esteemed according to the affections that they are done with: we are as we love, not as we know, what is the life of a Christian, but the performance of things with courage, delight and joy? and therefore the strongest Christians have strongest affections; for Religion doth not harden the heart, but molifies it, and regeneration doth not take affections away but restores them sanctified and pure. But to come particularly to the matter here; he is compassionate, and so compassionate, as his naturall constitution will admit, hee expresseth this with teares: which ariseth from griefe for something within our selves, or by reason of sympathie with others, for some danger that they are in, or like to fall into. Reason. 1.The reasons hereof are, because they are led by the spirit of Christ, who was all made of compassion: for he wept for his friends, for Lazarus, and for his enemies. O Ierusalem, Ierusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not: hee was tender in bearing the infirmities of his weake Disciples, and of weak women, his compassion was such, as drew him to the lowest degree of humiliation to free us from danger. Reason. 2.Secondly, the Saints have cleere sanctified judgements, to apprehend true causes of remorse: they know what danger is, as Paul saw here that the Sheepe were in danger of wolves, and saw the danger so much the greater, by how much they saw not the danger they were in. Thirdly, Reason. 3. the Saints have their hearts broken with sense and feeling of Christs compassion in their hearts, and so are molified, expressing it outwardly towards their brethren: contrarily, the wicked never felt any remorse or pitie of Christ in them, and therefore know not what compassion meanes, so as their mercies are cruelties. Use this as a note, whereby we may discerne of our Christian estate, for surely where there is no compassion, there can be no excellent estate. Againe, from the Apostles object of compassion and weeping, observe; that spirituall evill and danger is the most proper object of Christian compassion. Paul he pities not himselfe because of his fetters he was in, but it was the bonds of sinne made him cry, Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the bodie of this death? and good reason, for these spirituall evils of errour in judgement, hardnesse of heart, securitie, seared conscience, and the like, they leade us the assured way to damnation, as it is said in the words following, whose end is damnation. Contrarily, outward crosses being sanctified to us, they bring us to heaven, as it is 1 Cor. 11.32. Wee are chastened of the Lord, that we should not bee condemned with the world. For those crosses are occasions of good affections, purging the heart from deadnesse and fleshly trust, they draw us to God; and therefore spirituall danger, is the proper object of pitie. It is otherwise with us, wee lament Christian bloud-shed; but how many soules are carried into error dayly, turned to Poperie, and no remorse, no pitie. There is great need thereof both in the Magistrate and the Minister, that they should bee moved to provide remedies against such mischiefes. And let us be farre from envying such as are in ill courses, let their outward pompe be never so great, rather lament their miserie: alas poore soules, how are they hurried, nay doe willingly runne to destruction, while they are blinded with those idle shewes of vanitie. But much more miserable is their estate that draw on others to mischiefe, that are brethren in evill: what other end can they looke for, but to bee as tares bound up, and cast into the depth of hell, being guiltie of as many mens deathes, as they are of ill examples in their passed life? But for our selves, let not our soules come into their secrets, lets mourne at the lewdnesse of some, and the danger of all: and to this end, let us consider duly of the afflictions of Ioseph, taking heed of sensualitie, which as Hosea saith, taketh away the heart. Hos. 4.11. Moses saw the miserie of his brethren, and pitied them; so should we consider of the danger of Popery, of Schisme and rebellion, and this will breake our hearts, and cause us with Ieremie to mourne in secret for the sins of the times. Ier. 13.17.

VERS. 18. They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ. IN these and the following words, is a description of these in ordinate walkers, which the Apostle speaketh of, they are described by their disposition: First outwardly, that they are enemies to Christs death. Then inwardly, their bellie is their God, they glorie in their shame, and they minde earthly things. Then by their end, which is damnation. They are pointed out and described to us, to the end wee might take notice of them: by the Crosse is not meant the signe of the crosse, as the Papists fondly imagine, but Christs death on the crosse, whereby was made satisfaction,Who were enemies to Christs crosse and redemption, and reconciliation. The enemies of this crosse are; first, such as added thereto the ceremoniall obedience to the law, and their owne satisfactorie workes. Secondly, such as are carnall, denying the power of Christs crucifying, in not crucifying their affections. Thirdly, such as could not indure, of suffer for the testmonie of Christs crucifying, and therefoe to avoid persecution, they pressed circumcision with Christ, and so were enemies to his crosse: Gal. 6.12. Such were the enemies thereof then, and such have wee now of the Papists, let them brag never so much of their esteeme and reverence they give to the signe thereof, while they seem to kisse it, they betray it Iudas▪ like. For while they teach merits, satisfaction in purgatory, indulgences, & the like; they make the crosse of Christ of none effect, whic his onely and wholly sufficient in it selfe. And whereas they say they doe adde, they take nothing from the sufficiencie of Christ; I answer, circumcision was added here by these, who are notwithstanding condemned: for as to joyne poyson with wholesome meate takes away the nourishment of the meate, so if we be circūcised, Christ shall profitus nothing, and grace is no grace, where there is merit. Rom. 11.6. Againe, consider the equitie thereof in naturall reason; can it be thought likely, that God should become man, to doe any thing which lies in the power of man to patch up and make good or else its unsufficient? shall finite corrupt man be able to make an infinite worke perfect? no, God will not give his glorie to another, and will he part with his glorie in this great worke? which propounds his glorie as the maine end thereof? Ephes. the 1.6. and 12. verses. Fourthly, there are another sort of enemies, such as cast not themselves on the merits of Christs crosse, those whose consciences were never convict of sinne: abundance there are, who glorie in their proud presumptious swaggering courses, shewing that they are either blinde or starke mad; they wilfully runne to perditiō, they wil not heare nor be controuled. Others that see their fore-passed life how wicked it hath bin, they are so far from casting themselves on Christs merits, as they despair, & grow more & more obstinate therein, even to their own destruction, either by not seeing the merits of Christ, or through want of confidence on thē, though they see his righteousnesse to be above their sins: and some are so detestably wicked, as because they see no salve for them, they run desperatly into a custome of sin, & continue therin to their death. As we would desite to avoid this fearfull estate and condition, so let us take heed of custome of sinning, for that wil make us senselesse, and will move God to give us over. And therefore let us take heed that we receive no the grace of God in vaine, it being so freely proffered to us. And to this end, know that so far as we suffer our lusts to over rule us & we not crucifie them so far we are enemies. Gal. 5.4. For while we know and consider Christ, as crucified for our sins, it will make us (if we have any grace) think of sin as of a thing that deserves to be crucified, and hate that, that caused the death of our deere Savious, for they were the cruell tormenters of Christ. And if we embrace Christ, we shal have the same affectiō to sin that Christ had, for Christ wil not lodg but in a hart humbled for sin. And the estate of those men is miserable, that are so farre from crucifying lusts, as they thrust themselves upon all occasions of temptation and sinne, and esteeme them as their onely enemies, that tell them of their unchristian courses: Surely, however they may daube for a time, yet their outward profession will never administer sound comfort to them, but they shall finde bitternesse at their latter end. There are yet another sort of enemies; namely, such as will indure nothing for Christ: who notwithstanding bore his crosse, and bids us take up our crosse of reproach for religion: some will indure any paine, travaile, danger and watchings for riches or ambition, but dare not speake a word, or appeare in Christs cause, are not these enemies? Shall Christ out of his love come from heaven to the basest abasement for us, and shall not wee indure for a while here, seeing it is also for our owne good, and we are gainers thereby, and considering that Christ called us to suffer? for while wee live here, and imbrace true religion, there will ever be a crosse and shame in the world, accompanying the profession thereof, if it bee sincere. Preachers therfore that preach not Christ plainly, and boldly, and hearers that come to the hearing of the Word rather for Rhetoricall flourishes, wittie sentences fit onely for discourse sake, even thus farre they are enemies. For if Christ bee not preached mainly and chiefly to this end, to amend the lives of men, to winne soules to Christ. And if men (comming to heare) come not even for this end mainly, to be bettered in their salvation, to bee strengthened in grace, they shall be damned as enemies for this; that the meanes of salvation they prophane and despise. And therefore, let us abase our selves for our sinnes, and magnifie Gods goodnesse, in affording meanes of salvation. Labour also to shew how wee profit by suffering for the Gospell, and count it an honour, and rejoyce that wee are worthie to suffer for Christ, labour to overcome the world and our lusts, and to honour Christ even in his meanest children: If the love of Christ will not constraine us, no motives will draw us.