Verse 13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprchended
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 nest 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 over 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, Ps. 22:11, seq., and Ps. 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.
VERSE 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprchended
The holy apostle dwells upon the point, that he might press it the more; and it is good to press matter of weight. The apostle shewing that conceit of perfection to be dangerous, again tells the Philippians, that he had not that which they boasted of. This pride of ourselves, and conceit, is a sin that climbs up to heaven, and enters on God's prerogative, and a sin that God doth directly set himself against. Of this compellation, 'brethren,' I have formerly spoken.
I might also touch that doctrine, that the kingdom of heaven is not perfected in us here, but that it grows by degrees. It is at the first as a grain of mustard seed. There are babes in Christianity, and old men grown Christians. And the ground hereof may be partly in the subject, partly in the object.
In regard of the subject, for that graces are imperfect in us, the more the soul hath, the more it desires.
In regard of the object, for that Christ is so full, that we are not able to receive all his fulness, so as there is imperfection in us, and superabundant perfection in him. Paul had a large affection, yet came far short. This possibility of the soul to receive more will be in us, till we be in heaven, where we shall be full; and therefore while we are here, we pray still, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,' and 'Thy kingdom come,' more and more. It is a strange conceit, therefore, for any to think he may be too good; yet do these daily, or should do, pray for more and more perfection here on earth, although they say they know not what. And another reason why we
apprehend Christ not so fully here as we shall do hereafter, is, because the manner of making Christ known to us is by revelation, 1
Cor. 13:12, seq. We behold him here but as it were in a glass; in the glass of his word and sacraments, which cannot represent him to our understanding so clearly, as hereafter we shall behold him in the beatifical vision.
Take heed therefore of a self-conceit of perfection. When we begin to be unwilling to grow better, we begin to wax worse. There is no stay in Christianity. It is the sight of our imperfection that makes us strive to perfection, and the more we see into our misery, the more earnestly we strive on to be freed from it.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things that are before See what is the apostle's unum neccssarium, to grow more and more to the fulness of the knowledge of Christ. All other things he counts as 'dung and loss.' So as we may hence observe, that the Spirit of God in a Christian heart, subjects all things to one Christ.
'One thing have I desired of the Lord,' said David, Ps. 27:4; make this therefore a rule to difference our estates by. What is the thing we intend chiefly? Is it riches, or pleasures, or honours? This one thing will be the utter overthrow of all religion in us. Christ will be supreme, or he will not be. 'He that loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me,' saith Christ of himself, Mat. 10:37. There is none so wicked but would be religious, till religion comes to cross