CHAPTER V. What it is to be filled with the fruits of righteousnes
CHAPTER V
What it is to be filled with the fruits of righteousness in our course of obedience.
I would turn Paul's prayer, Philip. 1:11, here for these Philippians, into exhortations unto you. His prayer is for, and the bent of my exhortation is unto, holiness, in all the eminent parts and principles of it: in heart, ver. 9, 10; in life, in this 11th verse, where I am now arrived, which holds forth the positive part of an holy conversation,
'being filled,' &c., as being blameless did the negative. There are three things to be spoken unto, for the opening of these words:
1. What it is to be filled with the fruits of righteousness.
2. The kind of these fruits, such as are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. He prays for such, because he knew no other would be accepted.
3. The third is, of what concernment it is, at or against that day of Christ, that saints be filled with such fruits. For those words, 'in that day,' coming in between the former word blameless and this ver. 11, do indifferently refer to both; and so to the words of ver. 11 in this sense, that look what fruits any man hath brought forth, he shall appear laden with at that day, as a tree in autumn with all its fruits.
1. To explain what is meant by fruits of righteousness, three particulars might be handled: (1.) the metaphor there used, 'fruits;'
(2.) the generical nature, substance, or matter of them, 'fruits of righteousness;' (3.) what it is to be 'filled' with them, which is the main thing that his petition is directed to.
(1.) For that similitude of fruits, I will forbear to gather it from all the branches of that metaphor, though it might afford good store to be laid up. It is a metaphor the Holy Ghost doth frequently delight to set forth abounding in holiness by; yet in such a variety of allusion, it is difficult to define what more specially he aimed at. Instead of a large prosecution or drawing out the allegory in any one, I shall content myself to present rather the severals, which this allusion may have respect unto. There are three sorts of fruit which the Holy Ghost is pleased to compare the good works of holy men unto: [1.] the fruits of trees; [2.] the fruits of the earth; [3.] the fruit of the body and womb, children. I shall give you express scriptures for each.
[1.] As for the fruits of trees, you find man thus growing up and down the Scriptures; as whilst David, Ps. 1:3, compares him to 'a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruits in due season;' 'planted in the house of God, that brings forth fruit in old age,' Ps. 92:12, 13. And Christ compares himself and his members to a vine when he says, 'Every branch in me that beareth fruit,' John
15:2.
[2.] As to fruits that grow promiscuously out of the earth, holy speeches and thanksgivings are called the fruit of the lips, Heb. 13:15, in allusion to the first-fruits of the earth, all sorts of which were consecrated to God, as well as the first-fruits of trees. And the apostle, Heb. 6:7, compares (as Christ afore him in the parable of the sower) a good heart fruitful of goodness unto 'that earth, which brings forth herbs meet for the dresser;' or as Christ says, Luke 8:15,
'that brings forth fruit with patience.'
[3.] As to the fruits of the womb, of the body, or children, fruitfulness in gospel obedience by Christ is under that metaphor presented:
Rom. 7:4, 'Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the
law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.' He compares Christ to a second husband we are anew married unto, as the law to a former husband to whom we are dead, to the end that being married to him, we should bring forth all sorts of acts of new obedience, as children begotten in us by his body; which fruits of Christ's body, and of our hearts the wombs of them, he calls fruit to God, as to whom they are born, the grandfather of them all, even as children are called the fruit of the body and of the womb. Now, whether unto all these, or unto which more particularly this metaphor is directed, is hard to determine; there is none of them but may put in for it, else I would not have so distinctly mentioned them. Of the allusion to that of children, that place last quoted seems parallel; for as there we are said to bring forth fruit to God by Christ, so here it is expressed, 'which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.' And so at the latter day, as Christ shall say of all his members, 'Lo, here am I, and the children that thou hast given me,' so a Christian, being encompassed about with all his good works that follow him, shall have it said by Christ, Lo, here is such a one, and the children have been brought forth by him, and begotten by me; and blessed is the man that then hath his quiver fall of them, he shall not be ashamed in the gate, Ps. 127:5. But then this makes it not so clear; for children (when many) in the Scripture (when spoken of together in a cluster) are not called fruits, but fruit; but the word here in Philip. 1:11 is in the plural, fruits; and the term fruit, as given to children, being itself a metaphor in derivation from the fruits of the earth, it must be one metaphor borrowed from another metaphor to call good works 'fruits of righteousness,' in allusion unto children being called fruits. And if we should carry the allusion to the earth, where it is true there are plenty and variety of fruits, yet that metaphor here, Philip. 1:11, taking in Christ as the root from whom they spring—which are by Jesus Christ—that similitude of the heart
to the earth, will not so pertinently afford a room or meet ground for it. But these words of Christ, John 15, 'I am that vine, and every branch in me that brings forth good fruit,' are genuine, and proper, and agreeable to that expression here, Philip. 1:11, 'fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ.' This suits also with the apostolical exhortations in their epistles, 'Be fruitful in every good work,' &c. I will not here (for it would be fruit out of season) enlarge upon the similitude of Christ the root, the heart of man the tree, every faculty the branch, the Holy Ghost the sap, opportunity of doing good the seasons, God the husbandman, union with Christ the engrafture, and many the like. But having thus fixed the metaphor to its right foundation, I come to that which is proper to my text and scope, to explain what it is to be filled with these fruits of righteousness.
Therefore, secondly, to shew what it is to be filled with these fruits. I will suppose that by fruits of righteousness are meant all sorts of holy actions both towards God and man, springing from a heart made righteous, and conformable to, and brought forth according to the righteous law of God; no other are fruits of righteousness. But now the inquiry is, what it is to be filled with them? It is an Hebrew phrase, to express abounding in them; as 'full of children,' Ps. 17:14;
'a land full of silver,' Isa. 2:7. I shall, in explaining it, keep to the allusion, to a tree full of fruits, as that which will guide me.
(1.) A tree is said to be filled with fruit when all its branches are downladen with them, so as there is not a twig empty or thin-set therewith. Now, as the heart of man is the bulk and body of this tree, so every power of the soul, member of the body, is a branch, and is so to be understood in this allusion. When the Holy Ghost would set forth the abounding wickedness in ungodly men's hearts and lives, he reads an anatomy lecture on every part and member, and shews
how every member (which are the branches of these trees) is full of that wickedness that it is proper to grow upon: 'their mouth is full of cursing and deceit' (it is the expression Ps. 10:7), full of that foam and filth to flowing over. There is a superfluity of naughtiness continually issues thence. And so in James 3:8, 'Their tongue is an unruly member, full of deadly poison.' Thus also in 2 Pet. 2:14, 'eyes full of adultery;' and Isa. 1:15, 'hands fall of blood,' that is, of all sorts of oppression. In a word, the heart is said to be 'full of all readiness to evil,' Acts 13:10; the whole man to be 'filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity,' Rom. 1:29. So, on the contrary, a good man should have all members and faculties filled with all righteousness proper to them; the mind, the understanding, and meditative part 'filled with all knowledge,' Rom. 15:14; with a full stock and treasury of gracious thoughts and instructions, which might enable him to do spiritual good to others upon occasion; so it follows, Rom. 15:14, 'Able also to admonish one another.' In the first psalm, the psalmist compares a godly man to a tree; among other fruit, he instanceth in the continual buddings of thoughts: 'He meditates on the law of God day and night;' he is a man whose 'mind deviseth good,' Prov. 14:22. He contrives with himself how most acceptably to serve and please God; for such as the man is, such are his devices, Isa. 32:8. And thus the memory is stored with the word, promises, commands, directions, laid up to guide and comfort a man in his way: Psa. 63:6, 'When I remember thee on my bed,' &c. And thus, when the will and affections are full of all goodness, Rom.
15:14, there will be fresh love to God every day, as his mercies are renewed every morning. He will 'keep himself in the love of God,' as the phrase is, Jude 21. He will keep the heart steeped in it, and will put fresh liquor to keep it quick and sweet every day. He will 'dwell in love,' 1 John 4:16. He is full of mercy to the souls and miseries of others, James 3:17. And if so, he is then full of good fruits, as these
will follow, and he is full of joy and hope, Rom. 15:13, 'Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.' As thus the inward, so the outward man, and every member of it, will be so many
'weapons of righteousness' (which is an allusion to our Christian warfare, Rom. 6:13), and 'trees of righteousness' too, Isa. 61:3. The tongue, to instance in that one member, will be a 'tree of life:' Prov.
15:4, 'A sound tongue is a tree of life.' He compares that one member to a whole tree, and of all trees to that which was in the midst of the paradise of God, the tree of life, to which Isaiah alludes, when he calls them 'the planting of the Lord,' for so those trees were in a special manner, Gen. 2:8, 9, whereas other trees were left to grow wild. And when this holy tree bears such communicative fruit, that may minister grace to others (as the apostle speaks, Eph. 4:29), then it is fruitful indeed. Solomon tells us that 'the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,' Prov. 11:30, because the fruit of his lips, the fruit of his actions, do become trees, from whence do often other trees arise, and souls are won and converted to God; for so it follows, 'He that winneth souls is wise.' If any of us should gather all the fruit that grows but in one day on this member, the tongue, and, as the prophet saw in his vision, put it into two baskets, the one of good, the other of bad, how little good should we find in the one, how much that is rotten and naught in the other! If the story of all the outward actions were written on each member, and appeared at once, as at the latter day they shall, what a world of evil would be found in each, when the tongue is a world of evil, as St James speaks!
(2.) A Christian is then filled with fruit, when good works of all sorts do, and have grown there. Col. 1:10, 'Unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.' 'In all pleasing,' that is, all the ways whereby God is pleased; in all that is the will of God concerning us, to be done by us. And we must be
fruitful in every good work, that is, of all kinds and sorts, not to be wanting or barren in any. What says the apostle? 2 Cor. 8:7, 'As you abound in everything (else), in faith, utterance, knowledge, all diligence, love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.' They had been more empty in the bringing forth of this grace. So then a Christian should look back, and think with himself, What duty, what grace, what part, or course, or practice of godliness is there, which I have been hitherto deficient or scanty in? I have abounded in such and such, but not in fruitfulness of speech, or the like: Oh I will set myself to abound in this also, that I may be found filled with all sorts at that day. And herein indeed a Christian differs from other trees, unless, as was said out of Solomon, we consider every member of him as a tree of life, and the whole man a paradise to God. Take any one natural tree, and though every branch may be filled with fruit, yet but with fruit of one kind—said God, 'Let every one bring forth according to its kind'—for the seed by nature limits it to one. But here the Holy Ghost is the seed and sap, and seminally, yea, eminently, containeth all that is holy in himself, and so doth the spirit of regeneration begotten by him: Eph. 5:9, 'The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.' And accordingly, you find a variety of them named as fruits of the Spirit: Gal. 5:22, 23,
'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.' And let me add this as a reason and incentive: God loves a variety of good works, though some be of an inferior kind and sort, rather than that we should abound in any one sort that is more excellent. Though God would have us lay out our strength most in what is most excellent, and we are most fitted for, yet we must fulfil, as Christ did, 'all righteousness,' one part as well as another; and this
God delighteth in. It is better to perform duties of every kind, though we do the less of some others. 2 Pet. 1:5, the apostle exhorts to this variety, which he calls, adding grace to grace: 'Add to your faith,
virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity.' And he is exceeding vehement in this exhortation, to set it home: καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δὲ, περὶ or προς is to be understood; and then his meaning is,
Bend your minds unto this, this very thing, mainly and eminently; give your diligence and study, and all diligence unto it.
Παρεισενέγκαντες: the Jesuits, observing a double composition, παρα and εἰς, take advantage of the addition of this particle παρα, besides, to prove that, besides the grace of God, man's will must cooperate, παρα, sub, or præter, &c. But as I take it, there is another emphasis of it, suitable to the apostle's scope, which being to exhort to add one grace to another, his meaning is, they should still apply their study to some things besides; that though they had exercised this, and that, and the other grace, yet still they were to reckon that there was something besides to be done by them. Our translators have taken the particle off from its own place, the verb it stands on, and have put and joined it to the pronoun, 'besides this,' and so made the emphasis less. But Peter's scope is, as Paul's, to exhort to forget what is behind, and to press to what is before; never to think they had done all, but that they had something besides still to do. And, says he, if you will bend your minds, πρὸς ἀυτὸ τοῦτο δὲ, if you have this rule in your eye, 'you will never be barren or unfruitful.' So then, you see, it is proper to what I am upon, namely, to exhort you to add grace to grace; and still some grace besides, and over and above what you have had hitherto. Add to this the force of that phrase, 'add grace to grace,' and it will be evident that this is one way to be filled with fruit. As men heap up land to land, buy whole towns to lay one to another, so do you add grace to grace. This should be the ambition of a Christian. And go to God to enable you to it; for he is, as Paul says, a God that is 'able to make all grace to abound towards you,' 2 Cor.
9:8.
(3.) To be filled with fruits of righteousness, is to be filled with them at all times, to have, if possible, no time of our lives barren, always filling up our time with some fruit or other. Other trees, when young, bear no fruit; but a Christian, from his first conversion, doth. Col.
1:6, the gospel is said to have 'brought forth fruit among them, since the first day they heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.'
They fell instantly on acting holily, and for God, and stayed not a day, a moment after their conversion, Rev. 22:2, and Ezek. 47:12. And these trees of the Lord's planting are not only said to be such whose leaves fade not, whose fruit withers not, but to bring forth 'fruit every month,' 'twelve sorts of fruit,' says the Revelation (there is that variety afore spoken of), 'new fruit according to their months,' says
Ezekiel, that is, all sorts in their seasons. In nature, some fruits are in season one month, others in another; but no time is barren in a holy heart, it bears the whole twelve months, the whole of the year, which is the epitome of time. They bear fruit all their lives continually; and if so, then they will be found filled with fruit.
Now, when I say 'at all times,' it may be enlarged to three particulars:
[1.] That our whole time be filled up with some good fruit or other.
Now there are these things our time is to be filled up withal, our callings, recreations, holy duties; and we are to subordinate the one to the other, and then we are holy in all. A man brings forth fruit in recreations as well as in holy duties, if his end be to have spirits to perform holy duties with. Blossoms, that fall off and wither, yet prepare for fruit. Now it is impossible to give certain rules what time is to be allotted for each of these, the conditions, tempers, constitutions of men do so vary. Poor men, that live by their daily labour, are necessitated to spend more time in their calling, than in recreations and duties. Men that are of weak and fiery spirits, and have callings that are exhausters of them, are as much necessitated
to spend more time in recreations, than in their callings or holy duties, though perhaps if such men had grace enough, even the most serious duties might be a recreation to them. Rich men that are strong and vigorous, and want employments, they may and ought to spend the more time in holy duties; their strength and leisure will afford it. But if a man proportions wisely and conscientiously forth his time, according to his conditions, between all these, and puts holy ends on all, he will be found for the circumstance he stood in, and the ground he was planted in, filled with fruits of righteousness. This the apostle gives us as a rule, to be holy in all manner of conversation, be it whatsoever. The mower that hath occasion often to whet his scythe, and cease his work with many interruptions, shall be paid for his time therein (if he otherwise loiter not), as, well as for doing the work itself. This rule is certain, a man is to spend that time in duties as may serve to keep his heart up with God, and not to spend that time in recreations as may dull and flat the heart unto holiness. My brethren, the Holy Ghost sets a price, a value upon time and every moment of it, when he says, 'Redeem the time.' Now, time hath its preciousness from the things to be done and acted in it. And because the fruits we bring forth are said to be precious (as James calls the fruit of the earth precious fruit, James 5:7, as also Paul the fruits of the Spirit; for, Philip. 4:17, they are termed 'fruit that abounds to our account,' namely, at that day, that is, with infinite profit and advantage), we should therefore improve every moment.
There are twelve hours in the day, saith Christ (John 11:9), to work in, but night comes, and no man works. Christ, you see, reckons every hour as to be employed in working, and why are you idle in the market-place? Mat. 26:6. Buy thy time out, let the time past suffice for lusts, says Peter, 1 Peter 4:3, and the time remaining is short, 1
Cor. 7:29, and we have much ground to ride, much work to do. Peter therefore, 2 Peter 3:11, 12, exhorts, 'What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness; hasting unto the
coming of the day of God.' He doth not say only that the day of the Lord hastens, to affright them to turn to God; he supposeth that work done; but do you, says he, hasten against that day. He speaks to them as to men that were to do work against that day, which will require the utmost intention and improvement of time, making account they had done already so little towards it; and that therefore the rest of their lives should be a continual hurry towards it, as men that are making a great removing at such a day, how full of business and haste are they!
[2.] In the time of a man's life, there are special opportunities; and to bring forth that fruit in that special opportunity God calls for it, that makes it doubly acceptable. Ps. 1:3, a good man is compared to a tree, and is said to 'bring forth his fruit in due season.' 'New fruits according to their months,' as you heard out of Ezekiel. There is a 'time of fruit,' as Christ speaks, Mat. 21:34. Many men lose not time, that yet lose special opportunities; and though they be found doing of good, yet not that good at that time God calls for. 'Do with all thy might,' says Solomon, 'what thy hand finds to do,' not what thou thyself hast rather a mind to do. And says the apostle, Heb. 12:1, 'Let us run the race set before us.' God chalks out our works, our journal every day, and we should heedfully attend it; to omit doing of work at such a season God calls for, is to be in a great measure unfruitful. I have judged it the more special meaning of that passage, Titus 3:14,
'Let ours also' (that is, those of our profession) 'learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.' Besides a general scope which the words have, in reference to all goods works, he had a particular aspect, by comparing the words immediately afore, upon that duty of bringing two evangelists, Zenas and Apollos, on their journey, that nothing might be wanting to them; and then subjoins as the reason of it, 'And let ours also learn,' &c., as well as heathens, who perform such duties of humanity. And let Christians,
says he, look upon all such occasions as opportunities of expressing a grace, which if they omit when put into their hands, they are rendered so far, and as to that special season, unfruitful. Parallel to which is that text, Gal. 6:10, 'Whilst we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to the household of faith.' That which puts a value upon fruit is their season; and this is a great part of that duty, so often inculcated, 'watch,' as merchants for a bargain; ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρὸν, buying out our time, Eph. 5:16, it is a metaphor from merchants that watch for bargains, and their chiefest skill lies in taking seasons to buy commodities in. Of Christ it is said,
Acts 10:38, that 'he went up and down doing good;' that is, he sought out opportunities.
[3.] To be fruitful, is in all ages and conditions to bring forth fruit more proper to that age; as young men to fly youthful lusts (2 Tim.
2:22), the lusts proper to that age; old widows (1 Tim. 5:5) to give themselves up to prayer, as their very callings proper to that age do require; the younger women to guide the house, 1 Tim. 5:14; rich men to be rich in good works, 1 Tim. 6:18; poor men to be humble, content with their wages, as John said to the soldiers.
Lastly, Let men endeavour to be filled with fruits toward their end (Ps. 92:14), to 'bring forth fruit in their old age;' there is a special blessedness put upon it. 'Blessed is the man whom his Master, when he comes, shall find so doing,' Luke 12:43. Else we shall be in danger to 'lose what we have wrought,' 2 John 8, and not to have 'a full reward.' Of Christ it is said, John 4:14, that it was his 'meat and drink as to do his Father's will,' so to finish his work. And in the last week of his life, when he saw he should die, he did nothing else but spend himself, he went out in the nights to pray, and in the morning taught the people, knowing it was his last; he took his fill, insomuch as he was so spent, that he could not carry his cross alone, but for fear he