Philippians 3:10

Our apostle had, in the foregoing verse, expressed his earnest desire to be found in Christ, with respect to his justification; in this verse, with respect to his sanctification, he desires to know Christ, as the Messiah and Mediator, that he might experience the power of his resurrection, raising him from the death of sin to. life of grace and holiness, and taste something of that comfort and joy which is found in suffering with him and for him, and to be made conformable to his death, by. daily dying unto sin: knowing, that if he were conformed to him in the likeness of his death, he should be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

Here note, 1. What it is that. person justified by the righteousness of Christ doth most desire; namely,. spirit of holiness and sanctification flowing from Christ, to enable him to live unto him.

That. may know the power of his resurrection, that is, experience that divine power in my soul, quickening me to. life of grace, which Christ experienced in quickening his dead body when it lay in the grave. "It is as great. work of the Spirit to form Christ in the heart of. sinner, as it was to fashion him in the womb, or to raise him from the grave," (says the pious bishop Reynolds upon the place.)

Note, 2. That such as are justified and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ are willing to have fellowship with him in his sufferings, not ambitious to share with him in the merit of his sufferings, but desirous to participate with him in the benefit of his sufferings, and also to be conformed to him in their own sufferings; the members think it an honour to be like their head, their suffering head, as well as their glorified head; and well they may, for in and under all their sufferings, especially for him, they have his presence with them, his compassion to moderate them, his strength to bear them, his intercession to preserve from falling away in them; and his crown, after they have suffered awhile, to reward them for them.