which is above every name 10. That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father The Apostle prosecutes this argument taken from Christs example shewing That seeing Christ did humble himself so low God hath exalted him highly to wit in his resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 4. ascension Mark 16. 19. and plâ—cing the man Christ at his right hand Ephes. 1. 20. and hath made that divine glory of his which was hid in the dayes of his humiliation shine forth by making it manifest That whole crucified Christ God and man in one person is the only begotten son of God this is the Name above every name ver 9. The ends of bestowing of this high honour upon Christ were first That all reasonable creatures in heaven earth or hell might adore and worship him as true God to wit some willingly as the Elect others by constraint as the Reprobate shall do when made to stand at the Tribunal of Christ the Judge to receive their doom ver 10. The second end is That all these creatures may not only subject themselves unto him but also be made openly to professe this crucified Jesus to be that which he is even JEHOVAH Lord of all things the only begotten Son of God all which glory to be bestowed on the Son should detract nothing from the glory of the Father but adde unto it ver 11. Doct. 1. Whosoever is willing for the glory of God and good of others to part with his own credit when he is called to it may expect from the Lord to have his losse and suffering in that richly recompenced So was it with Christ he humbled himself and was obedient and therefore God highly exalted him And it is the very scope of the Apostle hereby to excite the Philippians to humility and self-abasing for the good of others because as Christ after his humiliation was exalted so might they expect to be exalted also in their own kind 2. The Lord Christ having abased himself to the lowest degree of misery which he engaged to undergo for our Redemption was afterwards and that by vertue of the Covenant of Redemption see Isa. 53. 10. exalted by the Father to the highest pitch of divine glory so he maketh his exaltation depend upon his humiliation the one as the necessary consequence of the other wherefore God also highly exalted him 3. Through vertue of the personal union betwixt the divine and humane nature in Christ those things which are proper only to the one nature are ascribed unto and spoken of the whole person So here though somwhat of this high honour bestowed on Christ in his exaltation be verified only in the divine nature to wit in so far as this exaltation speaketh the manifestation of divine glory and majesty which was before hid and though somwhat of it be verified only in the human nature in so far as it includeth his resurrection and ascension yet the whole of it is ascribed unto the whole person for he exalted him to wit the person God-man and hath given him a name So that divine glory and majesty though it be not in the humane nature yet is and doth shine forth in that person which is man and though not the Godhead yet the person who is God did rise from the death and ascend from earth to heaven 4. As the giving unto Christ a name which is above every name doth prove him to be true God enjoying honour and majesty truly divine for what else can be meant by a Name above every name So the bowing of every knee unto him as of right belonging unto him doth evince the same truth for hereby is intended that divine honour due to God only should be given unto him as appears from Isa. 45. 23. compared with Rom. 14. 10 11. 5. This Name which is above every name or the Divine Nature Divine Properties Majestie and Splendor truly divine is said to be given unto Christ not as if in the dayes of his humiliation he had not been God or as if the humane nature after the resurrection had been indued with the divine properties but because his divine majestie before hid was now manifested and the humane nature so highly honoured that though it be not changed into the divine yet that person who is man is true God and was to be acknowledged as such 6. The worship and honour due to God though it consisteth mainly in the inward affections of faith love fear and joy Joh. 4. 24. yet it doth not exclude the manifestation of these affections by the outward gestures of the body such as bowing of the knee and confessing with the mouth 7. Externals in worship are no infallible discriminating evidences of these who have true grace from those who have it not for here at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow both of Elect Reprobate and every tongue shall confess 8. The disgrace contempt and reproach which Jesus Christ did meet with when he was here upon earth do contribute much for making his glory illustrious now therefore he saith not at that Name which is above every name but at the Name of Jesus which before his resurrection was contemptible and almost execrable every knee shall bow 9. However a small part of the world onely doth acknowledge Christ to be God and Lord being compared with those who acknowledge him not yet his glory shall be still upon the growing hand untill all reasonable creatures in Heaven Earth or Hell subject themselves unto him and acknowledge him to be the only begotten Son of God for to him every knee shall bow every tongue shall confess whether of things in heaven as Angels and the Souls of them who sleep in the Lord or things on earth as Men yet alive or things under the earth as Devils and damned souls For though Angels and Spirits have neither corporal knees nor fleshly tongues yet they have some means whereby they are bound and shall whether they will or not expresse and testifie their subjection to our Lord and Saviour All which shall have its full accomplishment at the last day when Devils and damned men shall be made to stand at the Tribunal of Christ to receive their doom see Rom. 14. 11. 10. To bow the knee and uncover the head at the pronunciation of the syllables of the name Jesus is but a superstitious custom and will-worship having no warrant from this Scripture for by the name of â—ESUS is not to be understood the naked syllables sound and letters of that word but the glory and majesty of the Lord Christ who notwithstanding of that reproach which he did meet with in the dayes of his flesh shall one day be acknowledged by all otherwise if the letter of the words be precisely stuck to how shall Angels and Spirits bow the
which men do promise unto themselves from their parts or priviledges as they are opposed unto Christ is not so much in reality as in mens own conceâ—pt and fancie therefore he saith not If any other man hath but if he think he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh Vers. 5. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee 6. Concerning zeal persecuting the Church touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law blamelesse What he spake in general of his ceding to none in those things whereof his adversaries boasted most he maketh now to appear by reckoning forth eight priviledges As first he was circumcised and so a member of the Church Gen. 17. 11. Secondly The eighth day to wit after his birth and so no Proselyte or Convert from among the Gentiles Exod. 12. 48. Thirdly Of the stock of Israel and so not the son of a Proselyte who used to be circumcised the eighth day Gen. 17. 12. Fourthly Of the tribe of Benjamin whereby he sheweth the certainty of the former by pointing at his particular tribe as also the nobility of his race the first King of Israel being of that tribe 1 Sam. 10. 20 21. And that he came of that tribe which with the tribe of Judah clave to the house of David and the true Worship of God at Jerusalem after the revolt of the ten Tribes Fifthly An Hebrew of the Hebrews to shew his descent from Abraham called the Hebrew Gen. 14. 13. without any mixture of blood by marriage with forreign Nations which might be exactly known by their publick Registers wherein was marked the several descents of particular families Ezra 2. 62. Sixthly As touching the Law a Pharisee and so for his profession most strict the sect of the Pharisees pretending to more strictnesse than any other see Act. 26. 5. Seventhly For his zeal to the Law he was most fervent and so that without respect of persons he persecuted the Christian Church who were looked upon as destroyers of the Law And eighthly As to his personal obedience unto the Law his conversation was blamelesse he could not be justly taxed by men who see no further than the outside 1 Sam. 16. 7. Doct. 1. Those things which natural men especially the finer sort of hypocrites rely upon before they come to Christ are such as are here reckoned forth and may be reduced unto three heads first Church priviledges such were the first five Secondly Strictnesse and zeal in profession such were the sixt and seventh Thirdly A life free from scandal and as to men blamelesse such was the eigth for Paul mentioneth all those as props whereupon men who are destitute of Christ do rely yea and himself did once place his confidence in them as appears from v. 7. Those things were gain unto me Doct. 2. A profession of more than ordinary strictnesse in religious observances is no infallible mark of grace for natural men without Christ yea Church-renters and dividing Sects such as were the Pharisees may pretend to it So Paul once to wit when he was out of Christ and a renter and persecuter of the Church boasted in this That he was a Pharisee that is one of that Sect which pretended to more nor ordinary strictnesse 3. Where men do once engage themselves in Sects and Schisms their furious zeal will drive them on to prosecute their nearest relations and those who have nearest interest in Christ if they oppose themselves to their damnable Errors and to place the very substance of Religion and of doing service unto God in their persecuting of them So Paul being a Schismatick Pharisee did persecute all who were of the Church without distinction and mentioneth his so doing as one pâ—op of his confidence and boasting before he came to Christ concerning zeal persecuting the Church 4. Natural men yea bloody persecutors may attain to freedom from any outward vice and to such a conversation as will be in the sight of men altogether blamelesse So Paul even when persecuting the Church he was as touching the righteousnesse which is of the Law blamelesse Vers. 7. But what things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ. Having shown what he had to boast of he declareth his esteem of all those things to wit That however when he was in an unconverted state he relied upon them for salvation as much as any other yet now having seen nothing would redownd unto him therby but a real hurt damage he had taken his confidence from off them and wholly placed it on Christ. Doct. 1. It is a matter of great difficulty for any man especially in an unconverted estate to excell in parts priviledges or in a blamelesse life beyond others and not rely on them as that which will bring them to Heaven and so in effect put them in Christ's place for those things were gain to Paul he thought to merit Heaven by them 2. Whatever a man doth rely upon without or besides Christ for righteousnesse and salvation he will when rightly enlightned see a reall losse and hurt to be in it So those things were counted losse by Paul because not only they could not effectuate that for which he did rely upon them but also his confidence in them and the esteem which he had of them impeded him much from coming to Christ those I counted losse 3. There is that in Christ and only in him wherein a soul throughly touched with the sight of sin and deserved wrath will find full and solid satisfaction in order to righteousnesse and salvation So Paul being thus touched Act. 9. 6. taketh his confidence from off all those things placing it only on Christ he counted them losse for Christ that is that he might know him gain him and be found in him being cloathed with his righteousnesse as he explaineth afterwards Vers. 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. What he hath presently spoken of taking his confidence from any thing in himself and placing it wholly upon Christ he repeateth again and again and extendeth it also to all things imaginable without Christ which things however in themselves excellent yet being compared with excellent Christ and as to the point of placing confidence upon them were but losse and damage unto him and however the taking of his confidence from off them was difficult for him and a very suffering upon his part yet he had done it and in the mean time did not repent himself of it counting them as very dung in the fore-mentioned respects and this all that he might gain Christ. Doâ—â— 1. In the matter of our justification before God we are not only not to rely upon our Church-privileges or our works seemingly good
thing which they hunt most after as their highest credit and glory is to have many carried along with them in it for this was their glory here spoken of whose glory is in their shame 9. The Lord shall sooner or later make that same very thing wherein such men glory most to be their shame either by making them to be truly ashamed of it as a fruit of their repentance Rom. 6. 21. or by rubbing shame upon them for it here or hereafter as the just reward of their sin Hos. 4. 7. in which respects he affirmeth of them whose glory is in their shame Vers. 20. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 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 Here is a second reason exciting them to imitate the Apostle and such as he was Their conversation and expected reward were much different from that of the false Apostles and therefore as the latter were to be eschewed the former were to be followed As to their conversation it was not on things earthly but in Heaven and that because Christ their head their glory their happinesse is there whom they did expect to come one day from thence not as a terrible Judge but as a tender-hearted Saviour ver 20. And as for their reward it should not be destruction but salvation and glory their bodies for the present vile humble and low as being obnoxious to death corruption and a deluge of miseries 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. should be changed by the Lord Christ so that being freed from these base qualities and endued with the contrary glorious ones 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. they should be made conform to Christs glorious body And lâ—st any should look on such a change as impossible he leadeth them unto the consideration of Christ's divine power whereby he will destroy death and the grave and subject all things unto himself and so can easily work that glorious change in our vile bodies v. 21. Doct. 1 The conversation of those who would have themselves propounded as Patrons for imitation by others ought to be such as that of the Apostle was who exciting the Philippians to follow him giveth this for a reason Our conversation is in Heaven 2. Believers have right to Heaven as to their City Faith being the Burgesse-Ticket which giveth an interest in the Priviledges of it Joh. 3. 36. We have our conversation in Heaven or We do live as Free-Burgesses of that City so will the Original bear 3. They are therefore to converse and live as free Denizens of that City so that though they be mixed with Hypocrites Matth. 13. 30. and carry about earthly bodies 2 Cor. 5. 1. standing in need of earthly sustentation and subject also to the common calamities of an earthly life 1 Cor. 15. 44. Yet with their heart and affections they are to be aspiring daily towards Heaven Col. 3. 1. living in all things so as it becometh those who have present right unto it and one day shall get full possession of it 1 Joâ— 3. 3. for so lived the Apostle We have our conversation in Heaven or We do live as Free-Burgesses of that City 4. Jesus Christ in his bodily presence is now in Heaven and not in Earth for saith he from whence wee look for a Saviour 5. Jesus Christ at the end of time is to come from Heaven and judge the world 2 Tim. 4. 1. from whence we look c. 6. This second coming of his although it be abhor'd and hated by wicked Atheists Act. 24. 25. he being to come unto them as a terrible Judge 2 Thess. 1. 8. yet it is the matter of the Godlie's expectation a thing hoped for and much longed after by them from whence also we look 7. The reason why his second coming is so much looked for by the Godly is Because he is to come not as a sin-pursuing Judge unto them but as a Saviour with perfect salvation and healing under his wings We look for a Saviour See Heb. 9. 28. 8. The consideration of this That Christ is in Heaven and to come as a Saviour from thence hath an Adamantine vertue to draw up the thoughts and affections of the Believer thither for this is given as a reason why their conversation was in Heaven from whence we expect a Saviour saith he 9. Our bodies now since the fall Gen. 3. 19. are vile and base liable to death and corruption to several sores and sicknesses our vile body 10. That vilenesse and basenesse which is in our mortal bodies is properly ours as being contracted by our sin by which they were brought down from that glory wherein they were created Rom. 5. 12. Thus our vile body or as it is in the Original bodies of our vileness the vilenesse is more ours than the bodies are 11. The bodies of Believers however they be now vile and base and subject to as many miseries as the bodies of others are yea and are liable to the crosse for Christ Matth. 10. 18. which the bodies of the wicked are not Gal. 6. 12. yet Christ in the last day shall work a glorious change in them a change not in their substance and proportion of members for we shall still have an organick body with distinct members Job 19. 27. but delivered from those base and low qualities which sin hath subjected them unto and adorned with the contrary glorious qualities such as immortality 1 Cor. 15. 42. and splendor 1 Cor. 15. 43. impassibility 1 Cor. 15. 44. and agility and lightnesse 1 Thess. 4. 17. So that neither sicknesse pain hunger or death shall be able to assault our glorified bodies Matth. 22. 30. This is the change here spoken of Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body 12. Though the body of Christ now in Heaven be glorious being adorned with as much glory as a created body can be capable of yet it is not indued with the essential properties of God so as to be omnipotent or omnipresent as the 〈…〉 biquitaries do affirm for our bodies shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body and yet none can rationally assert That they shall be adorned with any of the essential properties of God 13. The resurrection of our bodies and transforming of them thus gloriously after they shall be turned unto dust and eaten with worms Job 19. 26. as it is a thing almost incredible and to flesh and blood wholly impossible Act. 17. 32. so the consideration and faith of divine omnipotency which is engaged to bring it about will make all doubts of that kind evanish as knowing nothing is impossible unto God so Paul that he may confirm them in the faith of this great point leadeth them to the power of God according to his working whereby he is
glory so the saving graces of God's Spirit are things above as coming from above James 3. 17. and elevating the heart of him who hath them above things earthly to entertain communion with God here that he may live above with God for ever Phil. 3. 20 21. Thus they are said to be above seek the things which are above 4. Heaven and saving graces which lead to it are to be sought and diligently sought seek the things which are above The word signifieth a diligent search and is applyed to those who are vehemently desirous to have that which they seek 1. Pet. 5. -8. Mark 12. 12. 5. That Heaven and things heavenly may be thus sought diligently we must know somewhat of the worth which is in them and from knowledge put a price upon them Set your affection on things above The word rendered affection here in the Originall comprehendeth the operations of the understanding will and affections So it is to know them from knowledge to affect them and so to seek them 6. Things earthly and things heavenly are in two contrary ballances so that the more of the heart is given to the one the other getteth the lesse for he opposeth those two Set your affection on things above not on things on earth 7. Though we may use the world and things worldly yea and seek them moderatly that so we may have the use of them 1 Tim. 5. 8. yet they are to be sought in subordination and not in opposition to things heavenly They must not be sought as our last end and furthest shot Psal. 49. 11. not by unlawfull means Eph. 4. 28. or with neglect of God's worship Matth. 6. 33. not so but to reverence and submit to God when he crosseth and disappointeth us in them Job 1. 21. for in this sense he commands Set your affection on things above not on things on earth 8. Not onely are reall Believers risen with Christ First judicially Christ's resurrection as all his other actions wherein he sustained our person being imputed to us so as to obtain what was purchased by them See chap. 2. v. 20. doct 1. And secondly in their own persons all Believers being really and personally quickened and raised from the death of sin to newnesse of life by vertue of Christ's resurrection Rom. 6. 4. as that whereby he evidenced his purchasing of holiness for them by his death which he doth afterward bestow upon them But besides all the Members of the visible Church are in some sense risen with him in so far as they are actually tyed by their professing and interest in him 1 Joh. 2. 6. and by the Covenant sealed in their Baptism Rom. 6. 2 3. to make use of the vertue purchased by his resurrection for raising of them up from the death of sin to the life of grace for he supponeth they are risen with Christ If ye be therefore risen with Christ. 9. From this it followeth that all within the visible Church whether regenerate or unregenerate are to make use of this consideration of their being raised with Christ as a strong argument to make them seek after Heaven and endeavor holinesse of life the latter sort being ingaged to make use of the power of his resurrection for this end having Heaven and holinesse purchased for them if they will but by faith slee unto him the former sort having an actual right unto those things already as being judicially risen with him and the begun life of holinesse bestowed upon them by vertue of his resurrection and more of that vertue for compleating of what remaineth in readinesse to be communicated unto them if they will but imploy it by faith for from this ground he inforceth holinesse If ye be therefore risen with Christ seek those things c. 10. Jesus Christ in his Humane Nature is now in Heaven and not upon earth else the Apostle's argument would not hold to seek things which are above because he is there 11. The love which Christians do bear unto Christ ought to be such that the very place where he is ought to be lovely for his sake their affections being wholly set upon it and upon those things which are in it and slow from it or tend towards it for so he reasoneth Set your affection on things above where Christ is I 2. The great glory which Christ our Head injoyeth in Heaven together with the power and authority put upon him for the Churches good especially for bestowing of grace and glory Acts 5. 3 is a strong incouragement to make the Members of the Church and chiefly reall Believers set about the study of holinesse for this glory and power of his is signified by his sitting at the right hand of God Eph. 1. 20 21 22 23. and from this he reasoneth that they should seek those things which are above whereby he compriseth all those duties wherein holinesse consists even from this that Christ is sitting there at the right hand of God Vers. 3. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory He giveth further reasons to inforce the exhortation First they were spiritually dead to sin and by consequence to those earthly things so as not to place their happiness in them or to be sinfully eager in seeking after them 2. Though their spirituall life whereof they were partakers by their rising with Christ was for the time hid under crosses and infirmities yet it was surely kept for them by God in Christ v. 3. and should hereafter gloriously appear in Christ's second coming v. 4. Doct. 1. Reall Believers are spiritually dead not in sin Eph. 2. 1. but to sin Rom. 6. 11. the dominion and reign of sin being shaken off Rom. 6. 14. and its strength much weakened by the power of grace Gal. 5. 17. though not totally subdued Rom. 7. 18. and Christ having undertaken to subdue it wholly in them Eph. 5. 27. And all the members of the Church though not as yet real Believers have ingaged themselves to imploy the strength of Jesus Christ for the subduing of sin whence in some sense to wit judicially by obligation they may also be said to be dead for the Apostle supponeth of all of them every one in his own way that they were thus dead for ye are dead saith he 2. The consideration of this that we are thus dead to sin is a strong argument for the not-inslaving of our affections to things earthly for that would argue sin to be yet reigning and were an adding of fuell to sin for keeping of it alive after we have under-taken to be its death It 's used as an argument here to that purpose for ye are dead 3. The spirituall life of grace here and of glory hereafter is a life desirable and onely worthy of the name of life our naturall life being but short uncertain and common to us with devils