[page 135 of volume 5]
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.
It is a correction of the apostle. He formerly spake of his desire, choice, and esteem of Christ’s death and resurrection, and the force thereof he found in him. Now, lest secret, insinuating, proud conceits might arise, either in himself or in them, concerning his holiness, he crosses them with a ‘not as,’ showing that the best estate of God’s children in this world is imperfect. There is ever something to do or suffer; some lust to conquer, or some grace to strengthen.
There is no absolute perfection but only in God himself; yet in Christians there is a kind of derivative spiritual perfection, which consisteth chiefly in the parts. A Christian hath this perfection. He hath all grace in some measure. We have no other perfection; no, not so much as perfection via, though the papists say they have it. Indeed, we are so far from it, that never could Christian keep the rules of nature, much less can we attain to the perfection of obedience to the law, for by it we are all cursed. Nay, in Christ none attains to evangelical perfection of grace, so as thereby we can be justified, as by a work of our own; for our righteousness is but in part; and this perfection via, which they boast of so much, differs not from their perfectio finis, no more than love to a man raised by good report of him differeth from love caused by the good I find in him, by personal communicating with him; and this is only in degrees in nature. They are the same love.
But why or how is it that there is no perfection of grace in this life?
Because there is and ever shall he in us, daring this life, a perpetual combat between the flesh and spirit, so as one weakens and hinders the other. Paul at the best found a law in his members warring against the law of his mind, Romans 7:28; the flesh continually lusting against the spirit, Galatians 5:24, hindering us from doing good, or in doing good, or in doing thereof, from doing it in a right manner.
Obj. 1. But the papists object, Love is the fulfilling of the law. We may love; ergo, we may fulfil the law, and consequently be perfect.
I answer, Love in the abstract being perfect, is the fulfilling of the law, but in this or that subject it is not perfect. Paul’s love, nor Peter’s love, was not the fulfilling of the law.
Obj. 2. They urge further, All God’s works are perfect; ergo, the grace that is in us.
It is true God’s works are perfect, but in their times when they are finished; grace at length shall be perfect in us.
Secondly, All God’s works without us are perfect, as justification and glorification they are perfect. For we are perfectly justified even now; but his works within us, such as are his sanctifying graces, are not perfected till our time of glorification. For he suffers the old Adam to be within us, for divers reasons, so long as we live in this earthly tabernacle.
For use hereof, observe this as a ground for justification by faith. Paul, Romans 5:9, proves that even now he was justified, and in this place he denies and disclaims absolute perfection, and therefore could not be justified by it; and therefore must needs be justified by faith. If it were his case it is much more ours, who come not to that measure of the fulness of grace that he attained to.
Secondly, This may serve to comfort Christians that find themselves burdened with divers wants, with dullness and forwardness of spirit, and with manifold corruptions, and are induced thereby to call in question their Christian estate. Let them look upon a better pattern than themselves. They may be grown Christians, and yet complain with Paul of corruptions. Nay, the most strong Christians see most deeply and clearly into their corruptions, and find most opposition. There is in all men by nature a spring of popery. They would fain deserve heaven by a perfect and holy life, without blot; and God, to humble them, suffers corruptions to check them and to keep them under, who else would be lifted up through good conceit and esteem of themselves.
Thirdly, It may serve as a caution to many who, being reproved justly for their faults, What! say they, we are not angels; you have your own imperfections as well as I. And stir them up to any good duty, they are presently so good, as those that are better than they are too precise and too nice. St Paul contrarily rests in no degree of goodness, but strives on to perfection; and it is the devil’s sophistry to turn that to a plea for negligence, which should stir us up to be more diligent, watchful, and careful.
But follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
The word that is translated ‘I follow after,’ signifies properly to labour with earnest intention of the heart and affections; and the lesson that we may hence learn is, that the life of a Christian is a laborious and painful life. For in what proportion the things we labour for are more excellent than these worldly things, so much greater our desire and labour should be in the obtaining of them than in the obtaining this world’s goods. And to this end the Scripture ever enforceth this duty with words suitable to work: ‘Labour for the meat that perisheth not,’ John 6:27; ‘Strive to enter in at the strait gate,’ Luke 13:24; ‘Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure,’ 2 Peter 1:10.
Those that will take no pains, it is a sure sign they find no sweetness in the thing; and therefore in such there can be no true goodness. And hence we may observe a difference between the desires of men. Some are effectual, some ineffectual. Those that are ineffectual commonly desire and delight in the thing they desire, but will none of the means: ‘Let me die the death of the righteous,’ says the wicked man, Num. xxiii. 10. Glory and happiness is excellent, but the gate is narrow, the way is tedious and full of troubles: he will none of that. We will laugh at one that shall wish his work and journey were done, whereas he will sit down and never go about it. Why should we not much more laugh at such sluggards, that wish daily, Oh that they might be saved! whereas they do not only not further, but hinder their salvation. But where true desire of grace is, there will be joined thereto an endeavour, with jealousy over our corruptions, with grief and shame for them, and for our backwardness and want of goodness; for else hell itself is full of good wishes and desires. If we mean to be better, we must use all means, undertake all pains, and travail with venomency; even as those that pursue gains with delight, they follow through thick and thin, especially if the gain be in the eye; and those that go for company, they are soon tired. And thus did Paul. He went through fire and water, through all manner of dangers, good and ill report. His gain is still in his eye. He looks not after the way, if by any means he may attain his desired mark.
But how shall we come to this grace?
I answer, Get first faith; for by it the weak are made strong, Heb. xi. 35, seq. Get assurance that heaven is thine; and God hath promised thee grace sufficient, and this is Paul’s argument: ‘Be ye constant and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing your labour shall not be in vain.’ Where hope of reward is in the use of the means, it will stir us up to a constant use of the means, 1 Cor. xv. 58. Secondly, Get a fervent love: for it is a strong affection. If lust so prevail with us, as we will omit no means to accomplish it, then a love in itself is much more powerful, nothing being too hard for it. It hath an enlarging, knitting, and communicating power. It makes a man bestow all, and rejoice more in doing good by much than in receiving. It is a grace comprehends a number under it; and therefore Christ comprehended all the law under the love of God and our neighbour. Thirdly, Cut off all superfluities. Men think they are happy when they have much to do, when indeed they were happy if they had less to do than they have. Satan he does as Cyrus did with the waters of Babylon; he diverts and separates our affections that he might pass over. As nurses, they hurt themselves and the children too when they keep over many; so do men hurt themselves with over much business. The Lord hath not made us all for the world, but hath reserved one day in seven for his service. For shame let us shew we have some respect of religion and goodness; seeing God requires but one in seven, let us not be so unjust as to deny him his service on that day.
Use. Well, let those that profess themselves of another world, by all means pursue it. In nature every thing tends to his centre and place; heavy things go downward, light things ascend upward. In handicrafts and arts every one looks after excellency. Shall it be thus with them? Shall mediocrity in other arts merit dispraise, and is it only praiseworthy in religion? The wicked they labour for hell, venturing loss of credit, strength, and estate; and is there not better gain in goodness? Have we such rich promises, and do we esteem of them no more? Are not the afflictions we shall meet with many and great, and do we think to undergo them with ordinary grace, gotten without labour and watchfulness? But let us go on to the next words:
‘That I may apprehend.’ Whence we may observe, that the main scope of a Christian is to apprehend Christ: here by revelation, that we may apprehend him hereafter by vision. Many there are that may follow good things and use good means, yet wanting these apprehending graces of faith and love (which makes us have communion with Christ), they perish notwithstanding. Human knowledge is commendable, yet is it no other than as a scaffold in this building. It helps, but the building once done, it is for little use. Apprehend we, therefore, him by knowledge of his truth, rely on him by faith, and embrace him by love; and then if we he chased by him, we may, as Joab, lay hold on the horns of the altar Christ Jesus, and there live and die, 1 Kings 1:50. And as we have daily breaches, even so get more and more hold on him, and this will make us desire with Simeon, ‘Lord, let me now depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,’ Luke 2:29. Let us, therefore, daily learn to see our own foulness, and go to him the rock of our refuge.
Obj. Oh, but some will say, Christ is in heaven, and we on earth, we cannot go to him when we please.
Ans. I answer, Yes; for the arms of faith are large. It takes hold of things past and to come. No height is out of the reach thereof. And, besides, Christ he is present with us. He is in his word, in the sacraments, in the communion of saints. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I will be in the midst of them,’ Matthew 18:20. It is his own promise.
‘For which I am apprehended of Christ.’ Christ he apprehends us, and that in several degrees.
First, As he is God. In his eternal love we had a being before we had any being here. God conceived us in his eternal affection, and embraced us. Secondly, Christ apprehends us in his effectual calling of us. Paul he was posting another way when Christ called him, ‘Saul, Saul.’ Others he calls from their mother’s womb; some by afflictions and powerful crosses, as he did the jailor; others by more gentle means, as Lydia. Thirdly, There is an apprehending in all our actions, courses, and estates, directing us continually in them, never leaving us. None can pluck us out of his hands. He is stronger than our corruptions. He will not let us go till he hath drawn us up to heaven, and placed us with himself. For the use of this doctrine more shall be said in the next doctrine, which is taken from the order.
Doct. Christ he first apprehends us when we apprehend him. He apprehends us that we may apprehend him, and because he hath apprehended us, therefore is it that we apprehend him. For ‘in him it is that we live, and move, and have our being,’ Acts xvii. 28; and therefore much more our best being. He it is that gives us the will and the deed; to us it is given by him to believe and suffer with him.
Use 1. For use hereof it would teach us in all our actions to leg ability and strength of him, and get a persuasion that his Spirit doth apprehend us in love; and that he will direct us and remove all impediments, and stand by us in all our crosses, that we are able to do nothing but by reflection from him; that though we are naturally dead and dull, yet he will quicken us by shining on our hearts with the sunshine of his grace.
Use 2. Secondly, Give him the praise of all the good thou doest, for the deed is his. Those that do not, do apprehend and are apprehended of themselves; and therefore it may serve as a mark to discern of our estate, whither do we run? and what do we apprehend in our trouble? Is it Christ who is our present help in time of trouble? Then there is a blessed change in us. But do we seek to our own devices, to our own policies and inventions? Surely we have not apprehended Christ as we ought to do; and therefore we are to stir up the graces in us, and beg increase of grace from him that is the fountain of all grace.
Use 3. In the next place, it should comfort us, by the consideration of the certainty of our estate, without falling away, if we hold fast unto the end. If it were ourselves that did apprehend us we could not long continue, but it being Christ that holdeth us, our comfort is he will not forsake us. It is the mother that holds the child. The child cannot lay hold on the mother, but is subject to falling every hour. Christ he holding us, hath promised to love us to the end, and to put his fear in our hearts, that we shall not fall or depart from him. This being daily considered will greatly comfort a weak Christian. Christ may seem to let him fall, by suffering him to fall into some great sin, but it is only to humble him, and to teach him not to trust to his own strength, which will soon fail him, but upon his mercy and grace. And therefore,
Use 4. In the next place, it teacheth us to hold fast unto him, and rely on him, and to pray to him that he would hold us fast, and then we fall not from God, but to God. He hath delivered us, and will deliver us and keep us to his heavenly kingdom. If we fall into sin, let us repent and go to God. There is mercy in Israel concerning this, and with him is plenteous redemption. His right hand is under us ever to hold us up, that we cannot fall so deeply but he will lift us up again.
Use 5. In the next place, this may be a comfort to us in all our troubles and afflictions of this life. Are troubles near? God is not far off, Psalm 22:11, seq., and Psalm 118:5, seq., but full of comforts for such. We have an invisible wall about us, the wall of angels; and God fights for us. There is more with us than against us. God will not suffer us to be tried above that we are able to bear. Let us ’therefore pray, Forsake me not, Lord, lest I forsake thee. If we pray to him he will be found of us. Paul prayed for this. Christ also, that knew he was apprehended, yet prayed all night; and this are we to do; he hath promised to hear us. And therefore let us go in faith and assurance to him, in all our troubles.
Standing Before God, This We Are and No More 