Lecture XXII · True Wisdom proved by Godliness

THE apostle has spoken of his personal convictions re- * garding the needfulness of progress in spiritual wisdom and strength and beauty, and of his longings and struggles to make progress. In the section beginning with the verses now before us, and extending to the 1st, or perhaps the 3d, verse of the next chapter, he applies what he has said on this subject to the purpose of exhortation, as exhibiting the convictions and the kind of life which ought to be found in all Christians.

The words ‘as many as be perfect’ startle us somewhat at first, —appearing as they do to contradict universal Christian experience, the experience set forth by the apostle himself only three — ὴ

verses before, where he says that he did not suppose himself to be ‘already perfect.’ It becomes plain, however, on a little consideration, that the word, instead of being employed, according to our common usage, and as it is employed in the 12th verse, to designate entire freedom from moral defect, is intended to bear a considerably modified meaning. We find on examination that ‘perfect’ not unfrequently in the New Testament describes simply a maturity—a ripeness and richness of knowledge, or character, or both—such as might be supposed to mark the full-grown man, as contrasted with the babe in Christ. The naturalness and obviousness of this, _ for those among whom the apostolic writings were first circulated, will be evident, when I mention to you that the same * Greek word which is translated ‘ perfect,’ often means nothing more than ‘full-grown,’ or ‘come to man’s estate.’ Thus, in the Epistle to the Hebrews (v. 14), ‘Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age;’ and in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (xiv. 20), ‘In malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.’ No doubt the apostle’s meaning in the place before us, then, is, ‘Let us, as many as are mature, be thus minded,—hold firmly those views of duty which I have _ just expressed.’ _

From the nature of the case, we must suppose maturity in knowledge to be in his thoughts ; for a reference to maturity in character would, in this passage, have little pertinence or ᾿ς force,—implying, as it plainly would, that the persons addressed did already hold with a firm grasp those views of duty which _ the apostle is enjoining. The whole tone of his exhortation appears to presuppose a likelihood that the character of some to whom he speaks is as yet but zmmature. But there is much pertinence and force in a reference to maturity in know/edge,— seeing that, as we gather from the connection of the passage _ with the previous part of the chapter, he means by this especially emancipation from the bonds of legalism, and keen perception of the completeness of justification through faith in Se a Pe a oh

Christ. Now recoil from trust in fancied obedience to the law of God as a way of salvation, might be into disregard of that law as a rule or guide of life. As the apostle has already hinted in the verses preceding the present, and states explicitly in the 18th and 19th, there were some in his time who thus abused the precious doctrines of grace to their own ruin. It was therefore highly needful that those of the Philippians who, with regard to the way of reconciliation with God, had put away childish things, and attained a manly clearness and breadth of view, should have very distinctly brought before their minds the duty of showing also manly wisdom and strength and energy in the service of God. It was of supreme moment for them to understand that for full Christian ‘maturity’ is required knowledge—vital, influential knowledge—that the object of the Lord’s self-devotion for us was not merely ‘ to deliver us from the wrath to come,’ but to accomplish an end grander even than this,—to save us from the power of sin, and — make us in character like Himself.

We have seen that the use of the word ‘Zerfect’ in the sense which it evidently bears here, ‘mature,’ is not unfrequent. Still Paul’s choice of this particular term, so very shortly after he had earnestly disclaimed belief in his being personally ‘perfect’ in the stricter sense, seems strange. But a probable explanation is not far to seek. The apostle has already prominently in his thoughts the antinomian abusers of evangelical doctrine, of whom, as has been said, he comes to speak expressly in the 18th and 19th verses. He has turned the minds of his readers to them by the emphasis—not perceptible in our version, but very marked in the original—with which, in the beginning of the 13th verse, he has spoken of his own personal convictions : ‘ Brethren, I at least do not count myself to have apprehended,’—the thought being plainly suggested, ‘whatever others may think regarding themselves.’ Now we know from statements in the early Christian fathers, that, in the age immediately following that of the apostles, the antinomians had special υεσυνυ. . wes ry

delight in summing up their claims to manly ripeness of knowledge by calling themselves ‘the perfect.’ If we suppose, then, what is every way likely, that already in Paul’s days this was a favourite word with them, you will see at once the point and force which would be recognised by the apostle’s readers in his use of the term here: ‘Let us—as many as have attained to that manly liberty through the knowledge of Christ, which those men claim for themselves, and speak of with such pride— prove that we have true spiritual wisdom, by not subjecting ourselves, as those foolish ones have done, to another form of crushing slavery, but devoting ourselves joyfully and earnestly to that loving service of God which is the only real freedom.’

Brethren, if you and I intelligently hold the creed which we profess, then we are among those whom the apostle here speaks of as ‘perfect.’ The Christian church was for many ages kept by Popish falsehood in bondage, or in a constant childhood ;. but the churches of the Reformation are churches of men, of freemen. We glory in the cross of Christ, in justification by faith, in a full salvation through divine grace. Now I have no reason to suppose that, with this creed, any of us have consciously adopted antinomian views. That heresy, so repulsive to all healthy Christian feeling, so utterly offensive indeed to ordinary good sense, has never had any hold on our Scottish churches. Yet I fear there may be not a few of us who have far from a clear and impressive view of the transcendent importance of personal holiness, and of the prominence which this has in God’s salvation. We are all prone to think more of happiness, of pardon and peace, than of purity and godliness. Now, in truth, the primary element in eternal life is beauty and strength of character. As Christian wisdom _ ripens, conviction of the surpassing grandeur of this element in the great gift of God grows clearer and firmer ; and of the hope of being with Christ for ever in heaven the chief preciousness is more and more felt to lie in the assurance that then, up to the fullest capabilities of our nature, ‘we shall be like Him, for

The apostle proceeds to give a promise of divine enlightenment on moral subjects for those who see aright the importance of persistent effort after holiness: ‘and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this (or this also) unto you. The introductory ‘and’ intimates that the exhortation of the former clause is here assumed to have been followed,— ‘and, supposing that, on the whole, you are thus minded, then,’ ‘ Otherwise’? means, ‘otherwise than as accords with those great principles of duty which have been spoken of as exemplified by me.’ The word is therefore simply a mild way of saying ‘wrongly.’ The matters referred to are minor points, details in the bringing into practice of convictions respecting the importance of a holy life. In a world where interests and relations are so complex, where knowledge both of facts and of principles is often so difficult to attain, and where, even so far as attained, it is frequently in so great a degree coloured and vitiated by feeling, it is to be expected that Christians, even when sincerely pressing on to ‘apprehend that for which they have been apprehended of Christ Jesus,’ should many times choose a mistaken course. The mists that shrouded the earth before the dawn do not take their flight at the very first touch of the morning sun. But before his waxing strength they disappear. So will it be, the apostle says, with moral mists. From differences of temperament, education, and circumstances of many kinds, the rate of progress in moral intelligence varies greatly among Christians ; but in all who are honestly striving to become like their Master, there will be the advance which, in the first chapter of the Epistle, Paul says he supplicated for his Philippian friends, ‘in knowledge, and all delicacy of spiritual perception, so as to distinguish things which differ’ (i. 9, 10).

The truth here exhibited, that a sincere servant of God will, through divine grace, grow in spiritual wisdom—his light waxing brighter and brighter until the glories of the perfect day break , Upon him,—is familiar to every student of the Bible. ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.’ ‘If any man be willing to do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.’

Various considerations show that a pious man—a man on whose heart such convictions have been impressed as those which Paul tells us in the preceding verses had been impressed on his—is in the most favourable circumstances for receiving more and more enlightenment in religious truth. For one thing, his piety leads him to think much about religion, and to avail himself of all means of knowledge on the subject. By native temperament, and the influence of circumstances, men are led to choose very varied lines of study; but no one is drawn by nature to a candid, unprejudiced contemplation of the grandest of all subjects, the character and will of God. By nature we ‘ do not like to retain God in our knowledge, — we say, ‘ Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.’ So long as we love to disobey God, the thought ___ of Him brings us pain, and will therefore naturally be shunned. As lawless men prowl at midnight rather than at noon, so those whose hearts are alienated from God ‘love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.’ Such men, in studying God’s works, stop at second causes. In looking at the move- _ ‘ments of the world, they recognise the hand of emperors, and generals, and statesmen, but not of God. They feel no interest in reading the word of God ; and if habit, or superstition, or respect for the opinion of neighbours, lead them to His house, they find no enjoyment there, and hear and remember as little of the truth as possible. But a man whose aim is to serve God, finds everything which relates to Him to be of profoundest interest. Love and admiration for his divine King lead him to meditate with delight on His character and ways,—to pursue _ with eagerness the study of the revelation which He has given

of Himself,—and to watch with attention and thoughtfulness the working among men around him of different moral principles, and different modes of carrying out the same principle. Everything which can give him light on difficult duty, or exhibit to him a new aspect of the motives to holy obedience, he is eager to search into. Thus he is obviously in a fair way to grow always spiritually wiser.

Again, the mind and heart of a man who is in earnest pursuit of holiness, are in a state fitted to apprehend divine truth—a state of spiritual sensitiveness, of sympathy or community of feeling with God. By the faith of God’s truth, as known to some extent, the desire of holiness has been awakened; and, according to the beautiful system of action and reaction which prevails throughout the Christian life, as this desire strengthens and — is followed out, susceptibility to all influences calculated to increase moral and spiritual wisdom grows continually. When longings after spiritual strength and nobleness are wanting, the words in which God has made known His will remain mere words—destitute of life and illuminating power; and though there may be a pure morality, as regards the relation of man to man, yet to all lessons, from every quarter, on our moral relations to God, the eye is blind, the ear deaf, the mind dull. If a non-Christian man were to express the thoughts which occur to him, when he hears believers speak of the inmost and most precious verities and experiences of the Christian life — of fellowship with God, of love to God, of obtaining strength and comfort through prayer, of living under heavenly influences, of everything, in short, which pertains to the motives and modes of spiritual morality,—he would acknowledge that words like these convey no definite meaning to him. As a man entirely destitute of ear for music, finds in the sublimest strains of Handel or Beethoven no special significance or sweetness ; 50 to the eternal harmonies of the loftiest truth the souls of those — who are alienated from the life of God are utterly dull To the man who is minded, like the Apostle Paul, to ‘ press toward a = -— =.

the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God,’ the melody comes home with full sweetness and power. Or, to take another illustration—on common paper the sunlight falls and leaves no trace,—on the prepared paper of the photographer, made sensitive by certain chemical applications, the light so acts as to leave that distinct impression of friends and scenes which is so familiar to us all. So on a soul which has no yearnings after holiness the light of the Sun of righteousness falls but makes no mark,—on a soul prepared and made sensitive by holy love, God’s pictures of spiritual beauty are — printed indelibly ; and by and by, when Christ shall appear, His image will be reproduced perfectly in His people.

In all this, my brethren,—in the disposition which a sincerely pious man has to study divine truth with attention and interest, and in the power of spiritual apprehension which his desire of holiness gives him,—we recognise the working of God Himself, ‘God the Holy Ghost, through whom alone we can have true wisdom and holy desire. It is at His creative word, ‘Let there be light,’ that the darkness of ignorance and prejudice flies away,—at His command that the chaos of wicked thoughts, proud imaginations, and despairing fears, is changed into a scene of smiling beauty. And as the Christian life thus begins through His agency, so by Him it is sustained— by Him every movement towards progress in knowledge and godliness prompted, supported, regulated, and made successful. Of the work of this divine Agent, you observe, Paul here speaks expressly: ‘If, whilst you have on the whole sound views of Christian duty, there be yet here and there some point of which your apprehension is imperfect, God will reveal to you that also.’ The ‘that also’ implies, ‘as to His gracious instruction are to be ascribed all the attainments you have already made.’ By ‘reveal’ here, Paul evidently does not mean such supernatural communications of truth as were made to the prophets, apostles, and other inspired teachers of the church; for his statement _ refers to Christians generally. He designates by it that guid-

ance into all needed truth which the Divine Spirit gives by means of the seriousness and candour of inquiry, and spiritual sensibility, of which I have already spoken,—by blessing the believer’s study of the Bible, converse with fellow-Christians, observation of men and things around, reading and thought on history and philosophy. The Christian, having asked the direction of the Holy Spirit, knows that he has received it, though His guidance be commonly indistinguishable from the workings of his own judgment; and of all his progress in spiritual wisdom he ascribes the glory to God.

The apostle’s word ‘ zevea/,’ as thus applied, is well fitted to remind us of the general truth that God is very near us, and constantly acting directly upon and around us. The tendencies of scientific thought in our day are strongly toward hiding this,—giving prominence to secondary causes, instead of to the God who works through them. Scripture would have us everywhere discern the hand of ‘the living God.’ You see a Christian busy with his Bible. Looking up, he tells you, ‘I have _ been consulting some marginal references ; and have obtained anew and most comforting view of the meaning of the verses I have been studying.’ Now no doubt it was the marginal references which guided our friend to his knowledge ; but the apostle tells you here that ‘God revealed the truth to him.’ The marginal references were only God’s instruments ; and a wise man lifts his eyes from the instruments to the ever-gracious Lord. ‘This closeness of relation to God spiritually, all believers recognise ; less so, not in creed, but in our feelings and practically as regards prayer, the closeness of the relations to Him of our physical life. We know a great deal more of natural science now than the Hebrew believers did three thousand years ago; and this advance is to be rejoiced in, for accurate knowledge of any subject worth knowing at all is a good thing. But those old Hebrews saw God and heard God everywhere ; and if we allow our science to blind us and deafen us to Him— to put away our sense of His nearness, and of our constant

dependence on Him,—then assuredly we permit our knowledge, or the influence on public feeling of the knowledge around us, to affect most injuriously our spiritual vigour, and beauty, and joy. Christian happiness and Christian strength are always most fully experienced when our Father’s hand is ever seen and ever felt,—when in the thunder we hear the voice of the Lord—in the sunlight and the shower see our Father in heaven ‘making His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sending rain on the just and on the unjust ’”—and in the joys of harvest behold Him ‘opening His hand,’ and supplying the need of His creatures.

The 16th verse, in the form in which we have it in our version,—‘ JVevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing, — appears to be an injunction that, in so far as believers ‘see eye to eye,’ they should cherish and display their unity. Most thoughtful readers, I should suppose, have felt difficulty in seeing naturalness in the occurrence of this precept in the passage. It is in itself a most important precept; but it does not seem to lie in the line of the apostle’s remarks, not standing in close or easy connection either with what precedes or what follows. The fact is, however, that the injunction is not one to unity. The diligent examination which has been made, since the time our translators did their work, of the ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, has shown that in all probability the last words of the verse, from ‘ rule’ onwards, do not belong to the original text, but have slipped in from the glosses or comments of transcribers. The precept, therefore, is really this, ‘ Vevertheless’ (or ‘ But, ‘Only’), ‘whereto we have attained, let us walk by the same,—these closing words being an emphatic way of saying, ‘by that’—namely, ‘that to which we have attained,’—a kind of condensation of ‘ by it, and not by other principles or rules.’ You will see, at once, that the connection of this with what immediately precedes is very close and natural and important. The apostle has said, ‘Let us all ; .

cherish convictions of the needfulness of progress in holiness ; and if you honestly do this, then, supposing that on any particular point of moral duty you should have defective views, God, through His Spirit, will make truth on this also known to you. Now he proceeds thus,—‘ But let us all see to it,— for this is the matter of chief moment, and is an essential condition of our obtaining such growth in spiritual enlightenment as I have spoken of,—that we try honestly to guide our lives by the light we have already attained to.’ This counsel again leads most naturally to the course of remark in the following verses, in which the important influence on Christian conduct of a wise choice of examples is pointed out.

You observe that the apostle states his precept in a way _ to show expressly that he laid it down for himself as well as his readers: ‘Whereto we have attained, by the same let us walk.’ ‘This is a principle,’ he says, ‘of universal validity in the Christian life. Notwithstanding all the abundant revelations which God has granted me, I am still struggling forward, like yourselves, into fuller light on grace and on duty. Let us remember, then, dear brethren, that it is a necessary condition for us of fuller light, that each of us apply faithfully to his own life the measure of insight which has been imparted to him.’ We all feel how winning this inclusion of himself in the same class as his readers is. Cæsar’s soldiers said, ‘He never sends us into hot battle,—he always /eads us.’ Christian counsels, too, are likely to have a peculiarly imperial power, when they take the form ‘ Come,’ not ‘ Go.’

That the man who will obtain fuller knowledge of the will of God is the man who conscientiously and prayerfully strives to do that will, so far as he yet knows it,—is a truth which underlies all the teaching of Scripture regarding the nature and possibility of spiritual progress. It is ‘by the truth’ that we are to be ‘made free’ from the thraldom of depraved desire ; and the knowledge that He whom the Father heareth always has prayed, ‘Sanctify them through Thy truth,’ brings with it - the assurance that all who, looking to Jesus as their Strength, are heartily struggling for emancipation, will have granted to them ever a firmer and fuller apprehension of the emancipating truth. The light will grow towards the ‘ perfect day.’ God’s dealings in this respect, in the dispensation of His grace, accord with what we see every day in the physical sphere. Within certain limits, the exercise of power tends to bring more power. ‘To him that hath is given.’ To the ‘shatirs’ who run before the king of Persia—as ‘ Elijah girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel’—practice from childhood has given such activity of limb, that they can keep pace for many hours with a fleet horse. The swing of the heavy hammer makes the muscles of the blacksmith’s arms ‘ strong as iron bands.’ Similarly, ‘if a man be willing to do the will of God,’ which is the legitimate exercise of such religious knowledge as he has, ‘he shall know of the doctrine’ further. The believer who, ‘whereto he has attained, walks by the same,’ will find his ‘attainment’ increasing continually. For the man who fills his sphere of light with spiritual vigilance— strenuous opposition to the temptations of the world, and the flesh, and the devil—earnest effort, according to opportunity, to extend the kingdom of truth and righteousness,—the illuminated circle will steadily widen.

On the other hand, a gift of God unused is withdrawn. ‘From him that hath not’ interest on the entrusted talent, ‘shall be taken away even that which he hath.’ The indolent become feeble. The arm of the Eastern ascetic, drawn up over the head and kept rigid there, gradually grows powerless and withered. So with knowledge in religion. If the man who knows the truth be not heartily and perseveringly ‘a doer of the word’ he knows, his knowledge, as a spiritual power, peace-giving and strengthening, ebbs away. As an intellectual perception, yielding material for thought and debate, it may remain and even increase; but, spiritually, such a man is always growing darker.

You feel, my brethren, that the precept of the apostle here is one of vast importance; one, too, with which, in a world like this, it is exceedingly hard faithfully to comply. Every one of us fails to ‘ walk’ perfectly in accordance with that knowledge of duty ‘whereto he has attained ;’? and the consciences of some of us may testify, if we question them unflinchingly, that our life is very far indeed below even our own conception of what it ought to be. Natural indolence and perversity press heavily on our convictions, to prevent them from rising to full operative vigour. The world—that is to say, practically, the people we associate with in business and privately, and the newspapers and books we read, for these form a very influential part of our society,—the world has a scheme of life of its own, a doctrine of proprieties, which leaves out much, and—unless here and there perhaps for Christians altogether exceptionally situated—opposes itself to not a few things that the servant of Christ knows to be in harmony with the will of his Master. ‘ Walking,’ as we do, reasonably and rightly, in accordance with this doctrine of proprieties, where it is not inconsistent with the ‘doctrine of Christ,’—we are all in great hazard of continuing for some distance in accordance with it, even where, as we have a more or less definite consciousness, it diverges from the line of true and noble Christian morality. The peril is especially great in circumstances like those of most of us,—where our ‘ world’ consists very largely of professing Christians, to whom, not unnaturally, we look for help, rather than hindrance, in our endeavours to perform — Christian duty. Behind all the other influences calculated to prevent in believers conformity of practice to conviction, too, is the ‘prince of this world,’ with his subtlety and power and malignity; whom nothing gratifies more—for he knows that nothing serves his interests more—than a low-toned life in those who have ‘ named the name of Christ.’