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A14185 Lectures upon the vvhole Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians, deliuered in St. Peters Church in Oxford: by the reuerend and faithfull seruant of Christ Henry Airay ... and now published for the vse of Gods Church by C.P. ... Airay, Henry, 1560?-1616. 1618 (1618) STC 245; ESTC S100494 890,650 1,118

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skill what is pure what not either in doctrine life or manners and then knowing that let vs care and studie to be pure and sincere and without all leauen of corruption either in doctrine life or manners The third thing wherefore the Apostle prayed that the Philippians might abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement was that they might be without offence .1 that they might not stumble at any thing but hold on in a constant course without stumbling or slipping ba●ke or standing at a stay vntill the day of Christ when their constant perseuerance should be rewarded For the Apostles desire was 1. that they might be able to discerne things that differed what were corrupt and bad and what were pure and good 2. That being able to discerne and try all things they might keep that which were good and might be pure from all leauen of corruption 3. That being pure from all leauen of corruption they might keepe a constant course in their puritie without stumbling or shrinking backe or standing at a stay and for these causes he praied that they might abound more and more in knowledg● c. Whence I obserue a third imployment very behouefull for all Christians namely that being in a good course they hold on without stumbling or standing or shrinking being pure and cleare from all leauen of corruption they keep themselues so vntill the day of Christ Are yee so foolish saith the Apostle to the Galathians that after yee haue begun in the spirit Gal. 3.3 yee would now be made perfit by the flesh The Galathians had embraced the Gospell and obeyed the truth but now through certaine false Apostles they had fallen from the pure doctrine of Christ and admitted some corruptions of that doctrine And therefore the Apostle reproues them sharply and tells them that it is no course for a Christian to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh but hauing begun in the spirit by embracing the pure doctrine of Iesus Christ they should end in the spirit and hold fast that pure doctrine which they had embraced euen vntill the day of Christ So that hauing obeyed the truth we are not to yeeld to any corruptions of the truth or to let our hold slip but to hold fast the same vnto the end It is for the dogge to returne to his owne vomit and for the sowe that was washed to returne to her wallowing in the mire but the man that hauing put his hand to the plough looketh backe Luk. 9.62 he is not apt to the kingdome of God Being in a good way wee must with our Apostle still endeuour to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus But I haue lately spoken to this purpose and therefore now the time being past I will not farther trouble you Onely with the Apostle I pray that your loue may abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement c. LECTVRE XII PHILIP I. Verse 11. Filled with the fruits of righteousnes which are by Iesus Christ vnto the glory and praise of God IT remaineth now that we come vnto the fourth and last end here mentioned wherefore the Apostle praied that the Philippians might abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement and that was that they might be fruitfull in all good works set downe in these words Filled with the fruits In which words I note 1. the measure of good works which the Apostle wisheth to be in the Philippians which is pressed downe and shaken together euen that they may be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse 2. The definition of good works in that they are called the fruits of righteousnesse 3. The fountaine whence or author from whom good works if indeed they be good works are and that is Iesus Christ 4. The end whereunto good works if indeed they be good works doe tend and that is vnto the glory and praise of God So that besides the maine point which is the Apostles desire that the Philippians might be full of good works here hence wee may know all the causes of good works The materiall cause or matter and substance of good works is hereby known that they are called the fruits of righteousnesse for this sheweth that the very matter and substance of good works is those good actions which as good fruit grow and spring out of the righteousnes of God in vs. The formall cause or reason which causeth our works to be good works is hereby likewise knowne that they are called the fruits of righteousnesse for this sheweth that the reason why our works are good works is because of their conformitie vnto the law of God because they are done in righteousnes according to the righteous law of God The efficient cause or author from whom good works are is hereby knowne that it is said that they are by Iesus Christ for this sheweth that Iesus Christ worketh in vs whatsoeuer works are good agreeable to the righteous law of God The finall cause or end of good works wherunto they are to be referred wherfore they are to be done is hereby knowne that it is said that they are by Iesus Christ vnto the glory and praise of God for this sheweth that the end wherefore we are to abound in euery good worke is the glory and praise of God that his name thereby may be glorified These are the things which these words seeme vnto me to conteine Now let vs see what obseruations we may gather hence for our farther vse and instruction The first thing then which here I note is the rich grace wherewith our Apostle would haue the Philippians to abound in good works for he praied that they might abound more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement as for other ends before spoken of so for this that they might be filled with the fruits of righteousnes that they might abound in euery good worke My obseruation hence is that we are not onely to doe the things that are good and to worke the works of righteousnes but we are to abound in euery good worke to be filled with the fruits of righteousnes To doe good and to haue our fruit in holines and righteousnes is a thing much vrged and often commanded by the Holy Ghost in the scriptures and it is so cleare a case that it cannot be denied or shifted but that we are to do the things that are good to worke the works of righteousnes Yet so cūning are we to deceiue our selues that if at sometimes we haue done some things well we thinke we haue obeyed the voice of the Lord herein though we come far short of being filled w th the fruits of righteousnes The Holy Ghost therfore to meet with our foolish wisdom and to cleare the point plainely sheweth in many places of the scripture that as wee are to shew forth good works so we are to
the dead which I note out of this that he saith who shall change to wit in that day when he shall come from whence they looke for him 5. The manner how he shall then glorifie our vile bodies namely not by changing the substance of our bodies in the forme or feature or lineaments or members of them but by changing our vile bodies .i. our bodie● which were created of God holy and good but are now de●●led with our vilenesse by changing these vile bodies and fashioning them in qualitie like vnto his owne glorious body so that of mortall they become immotall of corruptible incorruptible of naturall spirituall of weake glorious 6. And lastly the meanes whereby he shall thus glorifie our vile bodies namely by that diuine power and effectuall working whereby he raised his owne body from the graue and whereby he is able to doe what he will euen to subdue all things vnto himselfe These be the particular circumstances of this third branch of the Apostles reason Which noting of them in this sort that we haue done may serue also for the explication and opening of the meaning of these words Let vs now therefore see what profitable notes we may gather hence for our farther vse and instruction The first thing which I note is who it is that shall change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie which is the Lord Iesus Christ The obseruation then hence is that after we haue slept in the dust Christ Iesus shall raise vs againe by his power and make our vile bodies like to his glorious body He it is that being one God with the Father from before all beginnings in the beginning of time created vs formed vs and made vs and breathed into vs the breath of life and made vs liuing soules All things saith Iohn was made by it Ioh. 1.3 namely by the incarnate word of God by the euerlasting Sonne of the Father and without it was made nothing that was made And the Apostle saith that by the Sonne of God were all things created which are in heauen and in earth Col. 1.16 things visible and invisible by him I say not onely as an instrument but as an efficient cause For as the Apostle saith of him Ro. 11.36 and through him and for him are all things He likewise it is that in the fulnesse of time came into the world to redeeme them which were vnder the law and to saue his people from their sinnes When the fullnesse of time was come saith the Apostle God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman Gal. 4.4.5 and made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law And againe This is a true saying 1 Tim. 1.15 and by all meanes worthy to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners And therefore was his name called Iesus Mat. 1.21 because he should saue his people from their sinnes He also it is that in the end of times shall raise our bodies out of the dust and make them like vnto his glorious body Joh. 5.28.29 For the houre shall come saith Iohn in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And in the chapter following 6.54 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh saith Christ and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day And our Apostle in this place from heauen we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body c. So that he that in the beginning of time created vs and made vs and in the fullnesse of time redeemed and saued vs shall also in the end of time raise vs vp out of the dust of death and glorifie vs with himselfe Whereof also he gaue vs a sure testimonie when he raised vp himselfe from the dead no more to returne vnto the graue And therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.14 He which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by Iesus and set vs with the Saints Let this then serue to confirme and strengthen vs in the point of our resurrection and glorification Christ Iesus hath taken it vpon him that he will raise vs vp at the last day and glorifie vs with himselfe Let vs then lie downe in peace and commit that to him and he shall bring it to passe For is the glory and strength of Israel as a man that he should lie Hath he said it and shall it not be done Let the Sadduces denie the resurrection Act. 17.18 let the Philosophers and disputers of Athens mocke at Paul when they heare him preach the resurrection let the profane Atheist scoffe and iest at the resurrection of the dead and their glorification with the Saints yet let vs with Martha know that our brethren and we shall rise at the last day Mat. 9.25 He that raised the Rulers daughter from death to life in the house he that raised the widowes sonne from death vnto life as they were carying him out to be buried Luc. 7.15 he that raised vp Lazarus from death vnto life Ioh. 11.44 hauing laid foure daies in the graue shall also raise vs vp and shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Let vs therefore hold fast this hope vnto the end without wauering and let vs lay this vpon Christ Iesus who will surely doe it and will not faile The second thing which I note is the time when Christ shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body The time is in that day when the faithfull looke that he shall come in the clouds of heauen to iudge both the quicke and the dead Which I gather from this that he faith who shall change c ioyned with that he had said before from whence also we looke c. For the meaning is that from heauen they looke for the second comming of Christ who then in his second comming shall change c. The obseruation then hence is that in the last day when Christ shall come in the clouds of heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead then shall he raise vp the bodies of them that haue slept in the dust and glorifie them with his owne selfe Which point of the time of our second resurrection and glorification of our bodies the Holy Ghost often precisely noteth as where it is said The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice c Ioh. 5.28.6.54 and againe where Christ saith I will raise him vp at the last day 1 Co. 15.23.51.52 and againe where the Apostle saith that they that are of Christ at his comming shall rise againe and againe where he saith