Page images
PDF
EPUB

T

NEW-JERSEY PREACHER.

SERMON XV.

Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9.-But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ, 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.

IN a world where truth and falsehood both assume the name of religion; and where, from the depravity of the human heart, error will often present itself as the most pleasing and acceptable to men, we are in great danger of erring from the truth. And the more we suffer our enquiries, on this head, to be directed by the pride and corrupt passions of the heart, the greater will be the danger of building our hopes on a foundation that must finally be swept away, as a refuge of lies.

These are considerations that should excite every honest mind, to take heed what he receives for truth, in matters of religion, and on what he founds his hopes of acceptance with God. It is from these considerations also that ministers of the gospel have a double work to perform. They are to detect the fallacy and shew the insufficiency of false religion, while they explain and enforce the true. These are the two great objects of the apostle, in our text; from which, when this passage was before under consideration, it was proposed,

I. To shew that every thing short of the religion of Christ, can be of no avail to us, for the attainment of our salvation, and should be entirely rejected as a ground of confidence.

II. To consider the nature of that religion which the gospel reveals.

For the illustration of both these points, it was proposed to take up and consider the view which the apostle gives of both, in the passage under review. And, therefore, in shewing, under the first head, the insufficiency of every thing short of the religion of Christ, as the ground of our acceptance with God; the false grounds of confidence, which the apostle enumerates in the context, were considered, both as plead by the Jews; and as, with some circumstantial difference, they are plead by mere nominal christians. A recapitulation of the false grounds of confidence, enumerated in the former discourse, will not now be necessary. I, therefore, proceed,

II. To consider the nature of that religion which the gospel reveals, as the ground of our acceptance with God.

This the apostle has distinctly marked, and forcibly expressed in opposition to all those grounds of false confidence he had been combatting. Having entirely renounced all such confidences for himself, he delares that, the religion he aspired after-that in which alone his soul could rest-and in comparison with which he esteemed all things else but loss, was " That he might win Christ, and be found in him, not having on his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." This is the apostle's description of gospel

religion. The better to understand which, let us attend to its several parts.

1. The winning of Christ. "That I may win Christ." It is manifest the apostle here uses figurative language; and has reference either to the prizes, set up for the victors in the olympic games; or, more probably, he alludes to the cities of refuge among the Jews, to which if the man-slayer reached, before the avenger of blood overtook him, he was said to win the city, and thereby saved his life. The aptness of this latter figure is abundantly manifest; and the language used leaves little room to doubt that the apostle had reference to it, when he speaks of winning Christ. Taking this, therefore, as the figure the apostle had in view, and the following things are evidently implied in the soul's winning Christ. 1. A deep conviction of his own sin and danger.

As the man-slayer, in fleeing to the city of refuge, was under an awful dread of the avenger of blood, until he reached the city; so the soul seeking to win Christ, has an alarming conviction of his own sin and guilt.

Whatever slight views some may entertain of convictions of sin and guilt, as essential to gospel religion; the word of God as well as sound christian experience, teaches us that, none ever truly flee to Christ for refuge, until they are convinced of the deep pollution of their nature by sin, their exposedness to the just displeasure of God on account of sin, their utter inability to save themselves, and their entire unworthiness of the divine mercy. These convictions may differ, in the degree felt, in different persons, and in the manner of their manifestation; but whoever truly flies to Christ for refuge will, in a greater or less degree, feel that, until renewed by divine grace, he is "as an unclean thing; dead in tresKk

VOL. I.

passes and sins, and by nature a child of wrath. The man-slayer dreaded the resentment of the avenger of blood, and fled, in haste, to his city of refuge; the convinced sinner trembles under the denunciations of God's violated law, dreads the displeasure of the just and holy sovereign of heaven and earth, against whom he hath sinned, and, in this deplorable situation, flees to Christ. The man-slayer mourned for the deed he had done; the convinced sinner flees to Christ, weeping and mourning for his transgressions, and loathing himself for all the abominations of his heart and life. The man-slayer used every exertion to reach his city of refuge; the convinced sinner is in serious earnest in fleeing from the wrath to come. He asks, he seeks, he knocks, he strives to enter in at the straight gate, to lay hold on the hope set before him. In short, it is necessity, a felt, pressing necessity, that first excites the soul to flee to Christ. "The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." And while, as sin-siek souls, looking and fleeing to Christ, under this felt necessity, they cannot be indifferent about their success; their ery is "Lord, save me, or I perish!

2. Winning Christ implies that, the whole trust of the soul, for salvation, is in Christ only.

The man-slayer, pursued by fear, and feeling his life in danger, used his utmost exertions to reach the appointed city of refuge. And to none other would he direct his course for no where else had he any warrant for his security; no where else could he be safe from the avenger of blood. So it is with the soul that seeks to win Christ. He is assured, from the authority of God himself, that, There is salvation in none other ; that, there is none other name under heaven, given amongst

« PreviousContinue »