Philippians 3

If you lean too hard upon a glass, it will break; many break their children, by leaning too hard upon them. 4. Others make a god of their belly (Philippians 3:19): Whose God is their belly. Clemens Alexandrinus writes of a fish that has its heart in its belly; an emblem of Epicu…

If we could weep rivers of tears, out-fast Moses on the mount, if we were exact moralists, touching the law blameless, if we could arrive at the highest degree of sanctification in this life, all this would not save us without looking to the merits of him who is God: our perfect…

What shall we think of them who say they are the redeemed of the Lord, yet are lovers of the world? Like the tribes who desired to have their portion on this side Canaan (Philippians 3:19). Who mind earthly things.

As fire is to the chemist, so is faith to a Christian; the chemist can do nothing without fire, so there is nothing done without faith. Faith makes Christ's sacrifice ours (Philippians 3:8): Christ Jesus my Lord. It is not gold in the mine that enriches, but gold in the hand: fa…

It is such a powerful call, that the will of man has no power to resist. 2. It is a high calling (Philippians 3:14). I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God.

How do earth and spirit agree? (Philippians 3:19) Earthly ones may give for their crest the mole or tortoise, that live in the earth. What resemblance is there between an earthly heart and him who is a Spirit?

Saint Paul was assured of Christ's love to him (Galatians 2:20): who has loved me; and how was his heart fired with love? He valued and admired nothing but Christ (Philippians 3:8); as Christ was fastened to the cross, so he was fastened to Paul's heart. (2.) Praise him.

I answer, true justifying faith consists in three things, 1. Self-renunciation: faith is a going out of one's self, a man is taken off from his own bottom, he sees he has no righteousness of his own to save him (Philippians 3:9): not having my own righteousness. Self-righteousne…

4. Other slaves are forced against their will: Israel groaned under slavery (Exodus 2:23). But sinners are content to be under the command of sin, they are willing to be slaves, they love their chains, they will not take their freedom: They glory in their shame (Philippians 3:19…

Sugar laid in a damp [reconstructed: place] turns to water: so all the sugared joys and pleasures of sinners, will turn to the water of tears at last. 3. If we love our belly more than God, we make a God of it (Philippians 3:19): Whose God is their belly. Clemens Alexandrinus wr…

6. He that loves God, prefers him before estate and life. 1. Before estate (Philippians 3:8): "For whom I have suffered the loss of all things." Who that loves a rich jewel, would not part with a flower for it?

When we fail, we weep: we prefer bills of complaint against ourselves, and judge ourselves for our failings (Romans 7:24). Fourth, we do elicere conatum, we endeavor to obey every Commandment (Philippians 3:14): I press toward the mark. We strive as in an agony, and if it lay in…

Quest. How is that? Resp. 1. If you would stand acquitted at the Day of Judgment, then first, labor to get into Christ (Philippians 3:9). That I may be found in him.

2. Clarity and splendor: the bodies of the saints shall have a graceful majesty in them; they shall be like Stephen, whose face shined as if it had been the face of an angel (Acts 6:15). Indeed they shall be made like Christ's glorious body (Philippians 3:21). 2. The bodies of t…

1. Drunkenness casts off the true God (Hosea 4:11): Wine takes away the heart: it takes the heart off from God. 2. It makes the belly a god (Philippians 3:19): to this the drunkard pours drink-offerings; there's a breach of the Second Commandment. 3. The drunkard in his cups tak…

Resp. Corrupt nature may as the spider, suck poison from this flower, but a sober Christian who has felt the efficacy of grace upon his heart, dares not abuse this doctrine: He knows perseverance is attained in the use of means, therefore he walks holily, that so in the use of m…

The saints of old, though they did live in the world, they did trade in heaven. Philippians 3:20. [in non-Latin alphabet], Our conversation is in heaven. The Greek word signifies our commerce, or traffic, or citizenship is in heaven.

If they have some thoughts of this kingdom, yet it is in a dull careless manner, they serve God as if they served him not; they do not vires exerere, put forth their strength for the heavenly kingdom. How industrious were the Saints of old for this kingdom (Philippians 3:13): Re…

Do we send forth the ship of prayer there, which fetches in returns of mercy? Is our communion with the Father and his Son Jesus (1 John 1:3; Philippians 3:20)? 5. Are our lives heavenly?

1. Self-denial. A man must deny his righteousness (Philippians 3:9), his duties and moralities: he would graft the hope of salvation upon the stock of his own righteousness. 2. He must deny his unrighteousness.

So I come to answer this great question, in what manner are we to do God's will that we may find acceptance. Answer. 1. We do God's will acceptably when we do duties spiritually (Philippians 3:3). We worship God, [in non-Latin alphabet], in the Spirit.

Grace alters a man's walk: before he walked proudly, now humbly; before loosely, now holily. He makes the Word his rule, and Christ's life his pattern (Philippians 3:20). Our conversation is in heaven.

Philippians 3:9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by Faith. The justification of a sinner before God, is (as one great mystery of the Gospel, and wonderme…

BY Samuel Willard, Teacher of a Church in Boston. Phil. 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own Righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith.

Hence are they earnestly exhorted to these things (Philippians 4:8, 9): "Brethren whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if…

There is among the members of the Church one faith (Ephesians 4:5): the common faith, the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), which is the sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:10), which those that will not endure, must be turned from (2 Timothy 4:3); the faithful word that is t…

For all the strength that the law and God's justice has, sin also has to back it — 'for the strength of sin is the law' (1 Corinthians 15:56). Second, as to know the power of Christ's resurrection, so also the fellowship of his sufferings — that thereby the soul may be made more…

But you will say: we do not trust in this our own righteousness, for we profess Christ and believe in him, and this, added to what we have, is enough. I answer: though you profess Christ, yet first, unless you have had a light that has shown you that all the righteousness you ha…

And our Savior Christ in one of his parables, Matthew 13:44, compares the kingdom of heaven, to a treasure hid in the field; which, when a man finds, he hides it, and goes home and sells all he has, to buy the field. Whereby he would teach us, that every one's duty, who would en…

So should we, when we are in our best estates, in our greatest jollity, in the midst of our wealth, and abundance of pleasures, cast our minds from them, and have our thoughts even then conversing in heaven, where is the place of our abode. This is likewise the Apostles exhortat…

Secondly, hence inferiors also must learn to follow the godly, holy, and religious examples of their governors and superiors (whether they be civil or Ecclesiastical); as we may see in this place, Joseph does imitate the godly example of his father Jacob. Hereof Saint Paul gives…

And for this cause, the righteousness, that makes us righteous before God, is rather called the righteousness of faith, than of any other Christian virtue, or grace of the spirit. And for the same cause is it, that so often in Saint Paul's Epistles, it is called by the same name…

Of our glorification. Philippians 3:21: The Lord Jesus shall change our vile bodies, and make them like to his own glorious body. Of a new world, 2 Peter 3:13.

A CLOUD OF FAITHFUL WITNESSES, LEADING TO THE HEAVENLY CANAAN: Or A Commentary upon the eleventh Chapter to the Hebrews, preached in Cambridge by that Godly, and judicious Divine, Mr. William Perkins: Long expected and desired; and therefore published at the request of his Execu…

Nor a righteousness according to the Gospel; for the act of believing is an act of our own, though given of grace: but the righteousness of the Gospel is not an act of our own. And therefore Paul desires that he may be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness which is o…

If we be active in laying hold on Christ, before he has given us his Spirit: then we apprehend him, before he apprehend us: then we should do a good act, and so bring forth good fruits, before we become good trees; yes, and be good trees before we be in Christ. But these are all…

Secondly, the ground is a free promise tendered to us from God; as to Adam, The seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10). Thirdly, the means is, faith apprehending it (Philippians 3:9). Fourthly, the Spirit of Christ sealing of it (…

And this it does absolutely where we attain that frame, that while the work of faith and obedience thrives in our hearts and lives, we are not much moved with whatever else befalls us in this world. This was the frame of our Apostle (Acts 21:13; Philippians 3:7, 8). But because…

We have no obligation indeed hereunto, towards such as visibly and evidently walk unworthy of that high calling whereby we are called. For concerning such our Apostle assures us, that whatever they profess, they are enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose…

(1.) As to its absolute completeness in its final issue. This the Apostle denies that he himself had as yet attained (Philippians 3:12): not as though I had already attained, or received, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] namely, the whole of what is purchased for me by Christ, [〈 in…

An absolute perfection in the comprehension of the whole mystery of God in Christ, is not by us attainable in this life. The Apostle denies it concerning himself (Philippians 3:12). But such a degree and measure as God is pleased to communicate to believers in the ordinary use o…

Some ungodly ones think, they are rich in spiritual things (Revelation 3:17), and whatever any may say, or think to the contrary, there is no secure, unconvinced sinner, but what thinks he has more than indeed he has; most think they have ability to turn to God, and promise them…

(2) To affect the heart much; it is an affecting thing, when the Gospel comes in power. An excellent, and wonderful thing is in the way of the Gospel: in itself it is so, and to all that have a right understanding of it (Philippians 3:8). Also it is powerful in melting the heart…

If you close with, and love the Lord Christ himself. You will abhor your selves; and there will be a continual contest with, and opposition against your own righteousness: you will still endeavour to be beating down that: as he (Philippians 3:8, 9), and you will never wholly get…

Hence the Lord often begins with this, that he is their God (namely, in outward Covenant) and they his people, when he would most powerfully win and draw them to faith and obedience (Psalm 81:8, 10; Leviticus 19:3, 4; Deuteronomy 14:1, 2; Hosea 14:1; Acts 2:38, 39) and the exper…

3. The bearing of affliction in this life (Romans 8:29): Those which he knew before, he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his own son. Philippians 3:10: That I might know him and the virtue of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his afflictions, and be made co…

Now as God did show his power in raising Christ from death: so every one must labor to have this knowledge and experience in himself of the mighty power of God, in raising him from the grave of sin to newness of life. For thus Paul makes a special request, that he might know Chr…

But such are all habitual sinners; those who having prevalent habits and inclinations to sins of any kind unmortified, do walk according to them. Such are profane swearers, drunkards, fornicators, covetous, oppressors, and the like, who shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Co…

And although there be force and light enough in its general rules, to guide us in all particulars, yet lest any should imagine that the cause under consideration, about different apprehensions and practices in some things relating to the worship of God, might be exempted from th…

Again, they are called from misery to happiness and glory, from aliens to be friends, from darkness to light (1 Peter 2:9), from being enemies to be reconciled, from bastards to become sons, from vessels of wrath to be heirs of glory. With respect to all these sorts of calling,…