The Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary of the Books of the Bible: Volume 29 (of 32) The Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary of the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and I-II Thessalonians (part 3 of 5)

The Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary of the Books of the Bible: Volume 29 (of 32) The Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary of the Epistles of St. Paul the Apostle: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and I-II Thessalonians (part 3 of 5)

+III. Competent to minister encouragement.+--"That he might comfort your hearts" (ver. 22). Tychicus was not only a newsman and letter-carrier, but also a minister of Christ. He knew how to present his message so as to allay the fears of his hearers, to comfort their hearts, and to encourage their faith in the power and triumph of the Gospel, notwithstanding the sufferings of its preachers. The Gospel is full of consolation, and it should be the constant aim of the minister to make it known and apply it to the circumstances of his people. A diligent pastor in his visitations comes in contact with much suffering and sorrow, and has many opportunities of administering the balm of Gospel comfort. Great tact and sympathy are necessary, especially in visiting the sick. Referring to this, a godly and experienced minister said, "Tenderness is essential. Enter the chamber gently. Tread noiselessly. Get near to the sufferer. Speak as softly as may be. Remember his nerves; noise is often torture. Sympathise with his weakness, restlessness, and pain. True you are not come to minister to his body; but enter into his sufferings and symptoms. Ask what his doctor has said. Avoid a professional, official, conventional air. The case may be too grave for cheerful words; but if otherwise, let your face carry a little sunshine into the sick-room. Avoid fussiness. Go with a brother's heart. Be brief--brief in your talk, brief in your readings, brief in your prayers--your whole visit brief. Take up one point. A sick man's brain is soon overtasked, his nerves soon jar, his strength soon fails. Let your good-by be 'God bless you.' Let your last look be one of tenderness and love. Whatever you are in the pulpit, Barnabas, not Boanerges, is your pattern by the sick-bed." It is the privilege and mission of every minister and believer to be a messenger of comfort and strength to those in trouble. We shall be remembered for our kindness when many of our sermons are forgotten.

+Lessons.+--1. The character of the good is self-evident. 2. A good man should be trusted and honoured. 3. The value of a good man is recognised in times of stress and difficulty.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 21, 22. Apostolical Care for the Church.

+I. Paul was careful to keep up an intercourse and communion with the Churches of Christ.+--There ought to be fellowship and correspondence among the Churches. They should all unite their endeavours for the common edification and comfort. The Church of Christ is one. We should seek the counsel of sister Churches under our difficulties, and be ready when requested to afford them our counsel under theirs.

+II. Paul was solicitous that the Christians among whom he had preached should know of his condition and doings.+--He was a prisoner, but suffered not his time to pass in restless impatience or useless indolence. He received all who came to him and preached to them the kingdom of God. He instructed his fellow-prisoners. He spent much of his time in prayer. Several of his epistles were written when he was in bonds. Paul's example teaches us that we should do good in every condition.

+III. When Paul sends Tychicus he gives him written testimonials that he might be received in the character of a minister.+--This precaution was taken that the Churches might not be imposed upon by ignorant pretenders or artful deceivers. The Church is a regular, organised community. We are to receive none as ambassadors of Christ but those who come to us according to the order He has settled. Ministers ought to act in concert and unite their labours in building up the kingdom of Christ. Tychicus co-operated with Paul.

+IV. Fidelity is an essential part of the ministerial character.+--Paul calls Tychicus "a faithful minister." Such a minister undertakes his work with pure intentions and abides in it with constancy, even though he may meet with worldly discouragements. Tychicus was sent to comfort the Ephesians under their grief for Paul's imprisonment, and to guard them against any discouraging apprehensions. Ministers are to strengthen new converts and young professors to constancy and perseverance in religion by laying before them the comforting and animating motives of the Gospel.--Lathrop.

A Faithful Minister.--1. It concerns Christians to inform themselves of the life and way of eminent men in the Church, and chiefly of those who have been sufferers for truth, that they may be incited to sympathise with them, to follow their example and bless the Lord on their behalf. 2. It is in a singular manner required of a minister that he be faithful--diligent in his work, sincere in his aims and endeavours, neither adding nor paring what God has committed unto him to speak. 3. We should labour so to inform ourselves of the case and carriage of others and how it goes with the affairs of Christ's kingdom elsewhere as to draw spiritual edification thence. 4. To know God's gracious providence towards his suffering servants, together with their undaunted courage under sufferings and the use God makes of their sufferings to advance His truth, is sufficient ground of comfort and encouragement to God's people.--Fergusson.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 23, 24.

A Suggestive Benediction--

+I. Recognises the Divine source of all blessing.+--"From God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (ver. 23). All our blessings are Divine, and flow from the inexhaustible fountain of the Divine beneficence. "God the Father," in the eternal counsels of His wisdom and love, "and the Lord Jesus Christ," who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself as an atonement for human sin--the glorious Trinity of Persons in the Godhead--contribute from their combined perfections, the spiritual good that encircles every believing soul. "The God of Christians," says Pascal, "is not barely the Author of geometrical truths, or of the order of the elements--this is the Divinity of the heathen; nor barely the providential Disposer of the lives and fortunes of men, so as to crown His worshippers with a happy series of years--this is the portion of the Jews. But the God of Abraham and of Jacob, the God of Christians, is a God of love and of consolation; a God who fills the heart and the soul where He resides; a God who gives them a deep and inward feeling of their own misery and of His infinite mercy, unites Himself to their spirit, replenishes it with humility and joy, with affiance and love, and renders them incapable of any end but Himself." The religious character of the Lancashire people was illustrated by an incident that happened towards the close of the cotton famine. The mills in one village had been stopped for months, and the first waggon-load of cotton that arrived seemed to them like the olive branch that told of the abating waters of the deluge. The waggon was met by the women, who hysterically laughed and cried and hugged the cotton bales as if they were dear old friends, and then ended by singing that grand old hymn, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

+II. Implores specific blessings upon Christian brethren.+--"Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith" (ver. 23). Where there is no love there is no peace, and peace and love without faith, are capricious and worthless. Love is the strength of the forbearance and self-suppression so essential to the maintenance of peace. As faith grows and intensifies it opens up new channels in which love can flow. We are to contend for the faith, not that peace may be disturbed, but that it may rest on a firmer and more permanent basis. What greater boon can we desiderate for our brethren than that they may abound in "peace and love with faith"?

+III. Greets with expansive generosity all genuine lovers of Christ.+--"Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen" (ver. 24). The overflow of Divine grace submerges the barriers of sects and effaces the distinctions of a selfish and pretentious bigotry. Sincere love to Christ opens the heart to the richest endowments of grace, and blends all hearts that glow with a kindred affection. If we love Christ, we love one another, we love His work, His Word, and are eager to obey Him in all things He commands. We may not agree in a uniformity of creeds, but we reach a higher union when our hearts are mingled in the capacious alembic of a Christ-like love. The benediction of grace to all who love Jesus is answered and confirmed by an appropriate Amen. "Amen" under the law was answered to the curses, but not to the blessings (Deut. xxvii. 15-26). Every particular curse must have an "Amen." But in the next chapter, where the blessings follow, there is no "Amen" affixed to them (Deut. xxviii. 2-12). But it is otherwise in the Gospel. To the blessings there is an "Amen," but not to the curses. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. xvi. 22)--a fearful curse; but there is no "Amen" to that. "Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity": there is an "Amen" to that.

+Lessons.+--1. Christianity is freighted with blessings for the race. 2. It has special blessings for present need. 3. It points men to God as the true source of all blessing.

GERM NOTES OF THE VERSES.

Ver. 23. Elements of Religious Comfort.--The apostle prays that, with faith, there may be peace and love.

+I. Faith captivates the soul into obedience to the Gospel+ by giving efficacy to its precepts, examples, and doctrines. Where faith operates, love will appear, and peace will follow.

+II. Love produces peace.+--1. Inward peace. It extinguishes malice, envy, hatred, wrath, revenge, every unfriendly passion.

2. Social peace.--Christians will be careful not to give offence, either by real injuries or unnecessary differences. They will be slow to take offence.

+III. Love brings religious comfort.+--Love is comfortable in its immediate feelings and in its pacific influence. It brings comfort to the soul as it is an evidence of godly sincerity. If we would enjoy the comfort, we must maintain the comfort of religion.--Lathrop.

Ver. 24. The Christian's Truest Test and Excellence.--Other things may be required to complete the character of the Christian; but without love to Christ there can be no Christian at all. It is the Master-spirit which must animate and enliven the whole combination; and in whomsoever this Spirit prevails we are entitled and enjoined to welcome that person as a disciple.

+I. Consider the love of Christ as a duty we owe to Himself.+--1. Bring to your remembrance His personal excellences. 2. Consider the great and glorious object of all He did and endured--the everlasting happiness of human souls.

+II. Consider the love of Christ as a principle which works in ourselves.+--1. It does not destroy natural affections, but teaches us to fix them on proper objects and to give a right direction to their fullest energies. 2. A due sense of the Saviour's love makes us feel at once that He merits all our best affections in return. 3. It gives delight in meditating on the precepts and promises of God's Word. 4. It helps in all the duties we owe to our fellow-creatures. 5. It animates the soul in the hour of death and the prospect of eternity.--J. Brewster.

Loving Christ in Sincerity.

+I. On what account Christ is entitled to our love.+--1. He is a Divine person. 2. He was manifest in the flesh. In the man Christ Jesus appeared every virtuous quality which can dignify and adorn human nature. 3. His mediatorial offices entitle Him to our love. 4. He is an object of our love because of His kindness to us.

+II. An essential qualification of love to Christ is sincerity.+--1. Our love to Christ must be real, not pretended. 2. Must be universal. It must respect His whole character. 3. Sincere love to Christ is supreme. It gives Him the preference to all earthly interest and connections. 4. It is persevering. 5. It is active.

+III. How sincere love to Christ will discover itself.+--1. It will make us careful to please Him. 2. Will be accompanied with humility. 3. We shall be fond of imitating Him. 4. We shall promote His interest and oppose His enemies. 5. We shall do good to His needy brethren and friends.

+IV. The benediction connected with this temper.+--It is called grace. It comprehends all the blessings the Gospel reveals and promises. 1. Justification before God. 2. The presence of the Divine Spirit. 3. Free access to the throne of grace. 4. The gift of a happy immortality.--Lathrop.

Love to Christ.--What is it that constitutes Christ's claim to love and respect? What is it that is to be loved in Christ? Why are we to hold Him dear? There is but one ground for virtuous affection in the universe, but one object worthy of cherished and enduring love in heaven and in earth, and that is--moral goodness. My principle applies to all beings, to the Creator as well as to His creatures. The claim of God to the love of His rational offspring rests on the rectitude and benevolence of His will. It is the moral beauty and grandeur of His character to which alone we are bound to pay homage. The only power which can and ought to be loved is a beneficent and righteous power. The ground of love to Christ is, His spotless purity, His moral perfection, His unrivalled goodness. It is the spirit of His religion, which is the Spirit of God, dwelling in Him without measure. Of consequence, to love Christ is to love the perfection of virtue, of righteousness, of benevolence; and the great excellence of this love is, that by cherishing it we imbibe, we strengthen in our own souls the most illustrious virtue, and through Jesus become like God. I call you to love Jesus that you may bring yourselves into contact and communion with perfect virtue, and may become what you love. I know no sincere, enduring good but the moral excellence which shines forth in Jesus Christ.--Channing.

The Apostolic Benediction.

+I. The subjects of the benediction.+--"All them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."

1. The object of their love.--"The Lord Jesus Christ."

2. The character of their love.--They love in sincerity. This proved by the effects it produces. (1) Love to God's Word. (2) Prompt obedience to Christ's precepts. (3) Brotherly love. (4) Zeal for God's house.

+II. The nature of the benediction.+--1. The prayer embraces the communication of Divine grace. 2. All Christians need the grace of God. (1) In all trials peculiar to the age in which they live. (2) In time of temptation and spiritual darkness. (3) In the discharge of Christian duties. (4) To sanctify, refine, and make them meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

+Lessons.+--1. Imitate the catholicity of the apostle. 2. Sectarian bigotry and hostility should cease. 3. How perilous the state of those who love not Christ.--Pulpit Themes.

* * * * * * * *

+Transcriber's Notes.+

- Page 123, Introduction, "Readers" paragraph, change "i. 1" to "ch. i. 1." "Certain expressions" paragraph, change "i. 15" to "ch. i. 15."

- Page 124, "Again" paragraph, change "in iii." to "in ch. iii" and "ii. 6-9" to "Gal. ii. 6-9," for concreteness. Analysis, chapter i. 3-14, apply RC to "Divine will." Chapter ii. 1-10, apply RC to "Divine grace." Chapter ii. 14-19, apply RC to "love Divine."

- Page 126, Notes for chapter i., verse 3, apply RC to "Divine blessing"; remove comma from "heaven, and." Verse 4, apply RC to "Divine goodness." Verse 5, apply RC to "Love Divine" and "Divine Graciousness." Verse 7, change "ix. 22" to "Heb. ix. 22" for concreteness.

- Page 127, verse 8, apply RC to "Divine aims." Verse 11, add "Deut. xxxiii. 9" reference.

= Page 128, top of page, apply RC to "Divine power." Verse 20, tag Latin phrase as Latin and set it in Italic. Lesson "Apostolic Salutation," point I, apply RC to "Divine source"; remove commas from "care, and" and "God, and"; apply RC to "Divine will," "the Gospel," "Divine authority," and "Divine will."

- Page 129, same lesson, point II, remove comma from "God, and" and apply RC to "in Him." Point III, apply RC to "Divine source." "Paul's Introduction" note, apply RC to "that Gospel" and "the Gospel."

- Page 130, same note, point I 2, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "Divine Spirit."

- Page 131, lesson "Praise," introduction, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel."; change "in Him" to "in him," referring to a new convert; remove comma from "Him, and." Point I 2, apply RC to "Divine grace." Point I 3, apply RC to "Divine Father" and "Divine family." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 132, same lesson, point II 2, apply RC to "Divine will" and "Divine counsels." Point II 3, apply RC to "Gospel age" and "Divine purpose." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III 1, apply RC to "the Word," "the Gospel," and "the Word" (twice). Point III 2, apply RC to "Divine attestation." Application ("Lessons"), each points 1, 2, and 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 133, same lesson, "Mystery" note, remove comma from "salvation, if." "Spiritual Blessings" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine operation." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 134, same lesson, "Nature, Source" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine nature"; remove comma from "will, and"; apply RC to "Gospel holiness." Point VI, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Glory" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine will."

- Page 135, same lesson, "Redemption" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Harmony" note, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "Divine justice."

- Page 136, same lesson, same note, point III, apply RC to "Divine grace." Point VII, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point XII, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Mystery" note, point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice); remove comma from "reason, and"; apply RC to "Divine revelation" and "the Gospel." Point I 2, add comma to "us yet."

- Page 137, same lesson, same note, point II 1, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "the Word." Point II 3, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Christ" note, apply RC to "Divine purpose."

- Page 138, same lesson, "Gospel" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel"; change subpoint indicators from parenthesised Arabic numerals to Arabic numerals with periods, for consistency. "Truth" note, point I, change subpoint indicators from parenthesised Arabic numerals to Arabic numerals with periods, for consistency; point I 4, apply RC to "Divine majesty." Point II, apply RC to "Divine revelation."

- Page 139, same lesson, "Faith" note, point I, apply RC to "the Word," "the Gospel," "the Word," "own Divinity," and "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "the Word" and "the Gospel." Point III 1, add comma to "So the"; apply RC to "the Word," "Divine likeness," "the Gospel," and "the Word." Point III, apply RC to "Divine influence." Point III 1, add comma to "So the"; apply RC to "Divine image," "the Word," "Divine likeness," "the Gospel," and "the Word." Point III 2, add comma to "So the."

- Page 140, lesson "Prayer," point II, apply RC to "the Word"; remove comma from "suffice, unless." Point III, apply RC to "Divine inheritance" and "Divine blessings."

- Page 141, same lesson, "Clearer" note, point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point I 2, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice) and "Divine qualities"; remove comma from "sanctuary, but." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point IV, remove comma from "knowledge, but." Point V, apply RC to "Divine calling" and "Divine preparation."

- Page 142, same lesson, "Apprehension" note, point II, add "1 John iv. 10" reference. Point III, apply RC to "Divine nature"; add comma to "Thus these." "Spiritual enlightenment" note, apply RC to "Divine mysteries."

- Page 143, lesson "Church Complete," point I, apply RC to "Divine power," "a Divine," and "Divine Spirit." Point II, apply RC to "Divine power"; change "instals" to "installs"; add "Heb. i. 6" and "Ps. xxiv. 7-10" references.

- Page 144, same lesson, point III, see in-line note about "quicksilver." Apply RC to "Divine fulness"; add comma to "Thus God"; apply RC to "Divine fulness." Application ("Lessons"), point I, apply RC to "Divine creation." "Dignity and Dominion" note, point II, remove comma from "respect, and."

- Page 145, same lesson, "Future life" note, end of point II, add double quotes around what those already in heaven are said to say to us.

- Page 146, same lesson, "Headship" note, point I 6, apply RC to "Divine attributes." Point II 1, apply RC to "Mediator." Point II 3, apply RC to "Divine government."

- Page 147, notes on chapter ii., verse 5, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 6, change "i. 3" to "ch. i. 3." Verse 10, apply RC to "Divine thought." Verse 13, tag "Lo-ammi" as Hebrew and set it in Italic type.

- The break between pages 147 and 148 is in the word "consequently": con|sequently.

- Page 148, notes on verse 17, change "lvii. 19" to "Isa. lvii. 19" for concreteness. Verse 21, change "iv. 16" to "ch. iv. 16." Lesson "Children of Wrath," point I, remove comma from "life, and"; apply RC to "Divine wrath."

- Page 149, same lesson, point III, remove comma from "appetite, but." Point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 150, same lesson, "State of Sin" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine power." "State of Men" note, point I 2, apply RC to "the Word" (twice); remove comma from "song, and."

- Page 151, same lesson, "State of Nature" note, point I, apply RC to "thing Divine."

- Page 152, same lesson, same note, point II, apply RC to "the Spirit." Point III, apply RC to "the Spirit." "Worst" note, point I 1, add comma to "created and." Point II, see in-line note on baptism.

- Page 153, lesson "Salvation," point I, apply RC to "Divine beneficence," "Divine nature," "Divine favour" and "Divine goodness." Point II, apply RC to "Divine power"; remove comma from "precede, and."

- Page 154, same lesson, point III, apply RC to "Divine grace" (twice) and "the Word." Point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice) and "Divine act." Point V, apply RC to "Divine grace"; change "ever new" to "ever-new"; apply RC to "Divine grace." "Great Change" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 155, same lesson, same note, point I 1 (4), remove comma from "Christ, and." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel dispensation." "State" note, point 3, add comma to "Therefore God."

- Page 157, same lesson, "Salvation by Faith" note, point I 5, apply RC to "whole Gospel." "Our Salvation" note, point III 3, apply RC to "the Gospel." "True Justifying Faith" note, remove comma from "creature, and"; apply RC to "Divine work."

- Page 158, lesson "Christian Life," point I, apply RC to "Divine handiwork" and "Divine power"; remove comma from "nature, and"; apply RC to "Divine handiwork," "Divine character," and "Divine worker." Point III, apply RC to "Divinely provided." Application ("Lessons"), point 2, apply RC to "Divine origin." Point 3, apply RC to "Divine mind."

- Page 160, lesson "Forlorn State," application ("Lessons"), point 3, apply RC to "Divine mercy." "Condition" note, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- The break between pages 160 and 161 is in a unit that style indicates should be kept together "Christ.--|To." The whole unit was moved to the earlier page.

- Page 161, same lesson, same note, point V, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Helpless" note, point 3, add comma to "sought and."

- Page 162, same lesson, same note, point 3 (5), remove comma from "other, and"; add sentence-ending period after "powerless"; add comma to "Thus faith."

- Page 164, lesson "Peacemaker," point I, remove comma from "complied, and."

- Page 165, same lesson, poem between points IV and V, change "there" to "then" and "losers" to "loser" after referring to collection of Shakespeare. Point V, change "#eads us" to "leads us." "Nearness" note, point I, remove comma from "God, and." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point VI, apply RC to "His Word."

- Page 166, same lesson, "Power" note, point 1, apply RC to "His Word."

- Page 167, same lesson, same note, point 2, remove comma from "grace, and"; add "Ezek. xxxiii. 11" and "Isa. xlv. 22" references. Point 3, add comma to "is that."

- Page 168, same lesson, "Privilege" note, point I 3, apply RC to "His Own Son." Point II, remove comma from "mercy-seat, and."

- Page 169, same lesson, "Access to God" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine Creator," "into Divinity," "God is Divine," "by Word," "the Divinity" (twice) and "the Divine"; add comma to "souls others"; apply RC to "a Divine end." Point II, apply RC to "the Divinity" and "the Gospels"; add comma to "firm bright" and "confident golden"; apply RC to "and Divine" and "the Gospel."

- Page 170, same lesson, same note, apply RC to "Divine side," "the Divinity," "was Divine," and "is Divine." Point III, add comma to "so when"; apply RC to "Divine End" and "Divine Power."

- Page 171, same lesson, top of page, apply RC to "is Divine." "Christian Law" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine Justice." Lesson "Church the Temple," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "Divine kingdom"; remove commas from "privileges, and" and "ages, and."

- Page 172, same lesson, point II, remove commas from "Church, and" and "broad, and." Point III, apply RC to "Divine purpose."

- Page 173, same lesson, "Spiritual Building" note, point V, apply RC to "His Word" (twice). "Christian Prayer" note, point I 1, apply RC to "Divine light." Point II 2, add comma to "still and."

- Page 174, same lesson, "Communion" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine Presence." Point III, apply RC to "Divinely true." Point IV, apply RC to "Diviner love."

- The break between pages 174 and 175 is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken: "saints.--|1. They." The whole unit was moved to the earlier page.

- Page 175, same lesson, "Characteristics" note, point III 4, remove comma from "privileges, and."

- Page 176, notes for chapter iii., verse 2, change "iv. 21" to "ch. iv. 21"; apply RC to "Divine Taskmaster." Verse 9, change "iii. 1" to "Gal. iii. 1" for concreteness. Verse 12, change "ii. 13" to "ch. ii. 13."

- Page 177, notes for chapter iii., verse 15, change "ii. 19" to "ch. ii. 19." Verse 17, apply RC to "things Divine." Verse 20, change "i. 19-23" to "ch. i. 19-23." Lesson "Enlarged Gospel," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel," "Divine revelation," "Divine favour," and "Divine mind."

- Page 178, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice). Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel," "enlarged Gospel," and "the Gospel." Point IV, apply RC to "Divine grace," "the Gospel," "Divinely prepared," "the Gospel," and "Divine Spirit."

- Page 179, same lesson, top of page, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "ever-enlarging Gospel." Application ("Lessons"), point 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Calling" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine Goodness." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" (four times). Point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 180, "Knowledge" note, between lists, apply RC to "the Gospel." Lesson "Exalted," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- Page 181, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice), and "Divine dealings." Point II 2, apply RC to "Divine mystery," "Divine purpose" (twice), and "the Gospel." Point II 3, apply RC to "Divine idea" and "the Gospel" (thrice). Point III, apply RC to "Divine grace." Point III 1, apply RC to "Divine grace," "Divine power," "the Gospel" (twice) and "Divine power" (twice). Point III 2, apply RC to "Divine grace."

- Page 182, same lesson, application ("Lessons"), point 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Apostle's View" note, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- Page 183, same lesson, "Christian Humility" note, point I, change "self-righteous ness" to "self-righteousness."

- Page 184, same lesson, same note, top of page, change period after "management" to a question mark.

- Page 185, same lesson, "Unsearchable Riches" note, apply RC to "Christ's Divinity." "Fellowship" note, point I, apply RC to "His Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 186, lesson "Manifold Wisdom," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel," "Divinely freighted," and "the Divine." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- The break between pages 186 and 187 is in the word "knowledge": know|ledge.

- Page 187, same lesson, point III, top of page, apply RC to "Divine treatment" and "the Gospel." Application ("Lessons"), point 2, apply RC to "Divine wisdom." "Manifold Wisdom" note, point I 2, apply RC to "Divine will." Point II, apply RC to "Gospel redemption."

- The break between pages 187 and 188 is in the word "expression": expres|sion.

- Page 188, same lesson, same note, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point V, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "Divine grace." Change "He who preached" to "he," referring to Paul. "Access" note, point II, add sentence-ending period.

- Page 189, same lesson, "Courage" note, point 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." Lesson "Sublime," point I 1, see in-line note regarding Christ's abiding presence.

- Page 190, same lesson, point I 1, top of page, apply RC to "Divine power." Point II, change "thirsty manna drink" to "thirsty man a drink." Point III, apply RC to "Divine fulness" and "Divine grace."

- Page 192, "Church a Family" note, point II 1, apply RC to "common Father."

- Page 193, "Family" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine message." Point II, apply RC to "Divinest wisdom."

- Page 195, "Paul's Prayer" note, point V, apply RC to "Divine influence." "Love of Christ" note, point I 1, change "as He says" to "as Paul says." Point I 5, apply RC to "Divine nature" and "is Divine."

- Page 196, "Transcendent" note, point I 1, apply RC to "is Divine." Point II, apply RC to "Divine infinitude." Point III 3, apply RC to "supreme Divinity."

- The break between pages 196 and 197 is in the word "increase": in|crease.

- Page 198, notes on chapter iv., verse 7, apply RC to "His endowment." Verse 13, apply RC to "Divine Archetype."

- Page 199, verse 17, change "ii. 2, 3" to "ch. ii. 2, 3." Verse 19, change right single quote after "covetousness" to right double quote and "sin's" to "sins." Verse 30, change "i. 13" to "ch. i. 13." Verse 31, change "I.e." to "i.e."

- Page 200, verse 32, apply RC to "Divine forgiveness." Lesson "Dignity," point I, apply RC to "Divine nature."

- Page 203, lesson "Sevenfold Unity," point I, add em-dash before poem. Point II, apply RC to "Divine commands" and "one Gospel"; change "initiatory right" to "initiatory rite."

- Page 204, same lesson, point III, apply RC to "Divine Mind." "Unity" note, point III, apply RC to "same Word." Point V, apply RC to "same Gospel" and "the Word."

- Page 205, "Oneness" note, point 2, apply RC to "the Gospel." "One Body" note, point I, apply RC to "the Word."

- Page 206, same note, point II 1, apply RC to "Divine essence."

- Page 208, lesson "Gifts of Christ," point I, after poem, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "Divine Conqueror."

- Page 209, same lesson, point IV, apply RC to "Divine Architect." "Mark" note, first paragraph, apply RC to "four Gospels," "Mark's Gospel," "first Gospel."

- Page 210, same note, point II, apply RC to "his Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "Divine Mind."

- Page 211, same note, apply RC to "his Gospel"; change "three gospels" to "four Gospels"; apply RC to "that Life" and "the Gospel."

- The break between pages 211 and 212 is in the word "summoned": sum|moned.

- Page 212, "Humiliation and Exaltation" note, point I 2, apply RC to "Divine temple." Point II 4, apply RC to "Divine conduct." Point III, apply RC to "Divine perfections."

- Page 213, "Ascension" note, point I, apply RC to "His Word," "the Gospel," and "a Gospel."

- Page 214, "Work" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 215, same note, same point, apply RC to "His Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). Lesson "Manhood," point I 1, apply RC to "a Person." Point I 2, change "in Him" to "him," referring to a human.

- Page 216, same lesson, point III, change "ant" to "bee" because ant nests are not particularly geometrical; capitalise "Rubicon"; apply RC to "the Gospel" and "Divine truth."

- Page 217, "Growth" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine revelation."

- Page 218, "Manhood" note, point I 3, apply RC to "Divinely appointed." "Maturity" note, point I 4, apply RC to "the Gospel"; change "repre senting" to "representing."

- The break between pages 218 and 219 is in the word "knowledge": know|ledge.

- Page 219, same note, point II 2, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). "Deceivers" note, point I 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 221, "Growth" note, point II, add right double quote at end of sentence. Point II 2, apply RC to "real Divine." Point III, add "Mark x. 17-22; Luke xviii. 17-23" references.

- Page 223, lesson "Thorough," point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 224, same lesson, point IV, apply RC to "Divinely created" and "Divine character." Change reference for "Gentile Life" note from "17, 19" to "17-19." Point II, apply RC to "Divine truths." Point V, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 225, same note, application ("Reflections"), apply RC to "the Gospel." "Life" note, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 226, "Putting Off" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine things."

- Page 227, same note, point IV, apply RC to "Divine nature" and "the Deity." Point V, apply RC to "the Gospel," "Divine grace," and "the Word."

- Page 228, "Christian Spirit" note, point I 3, apply RC to "the Gospel"; change "alternation" to "alteration." Point II 3, apply RC to "the Word." Point II 4, apply RC to "to Him."

- Page 230, lesson "Christian Principles," point VII, apply RC to "Divine grace."

- Page 231, "Truth" note, point I 1, remove Italic formatting from first sentence for consistency with other subpoints.

- Page 232, "Falsehood" note, point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- The break between pages 232 and 233 is in the word "uncertainty": uncer|tainty.

- Page 233, "Sinful Anger" note, point III, apply RC to "the Word." "Anger and Meekness" note, point I 4, at the end of the page, there is blank space after the word "rights" which the Transcriber filled with "he is" before "obliged" on the next page, giving ". . . whose rights [he is] obliged . . . ."

- The break between pages 234 and 235 is in the word "bespeaks": be|speaks.

- Page 236, "Exaltation" note, point III, apply RC to "the Word." "Benefit Conferred" note, point I, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 237, same note, point III, apply RC to "the Divine." "Office" note, point II, apply RC to "the Word." "Grieving" note, point II, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 238, "Grieve not" note, put double quotes around the rhetorical question; apply RC to "Divine grace." "Vices" note, point IV, change "Never believe, much less propagate an ill report, of" to "Never believe, much less propagate, an ill report of."

- Page 239, "Errors" note, point II, apply RC to "the Author."

- Page 240, same note, point V, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Christian Forgiveness," point II, apply RC to "Diviner life." Point V, apply RC to "own Gospel" and "our Gospel."

- Page 241, notes on chapter v., verse 7, change "iii. 6" to "ch. iii. 6." Verse 9, add "Rev. xxii. 1" reference. Verse 19, add "James v. 13" reference; change the right double quote after "hymn" to a right single quote.

- Page 242, verse 23, add add "John xviii. 8", Luke xxii. 27, and "ver. 25" references. Lesson "Life," point I, apply RC to "Divine life" and "the Gospel." Change "In Paris a little girl seven years old was observed" to "In Paris, a little girl, seven years old, was observed."

- Page 243, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "Divinely regarded" and "Divine Fatherhood."

- Page 244, "Doctrine" note, point I, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 245, "Sacrifice" note, point I 3, apply RC to "the Divine." Point I 4, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 247, "Likeness" note, point II, apply RC to "the Divine." Point IV, apply RC to "a Divine." "Sacrifice" note, point I 1, apply RC to "a Divine" (twice) and "in Himself." Point I 2, add double quotes around "I will do as I please."

- Page 248, same note, same point, apply RC to "a Divine" (twice). Point II, apply RC to "a Divine" (twice). Point III 1, apply RC to "Divinity." Point III 3, apply RC to "the Gospel." Lesson "Children," point I 2, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 249, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "Divinely illuminated." Point II 2, apply RC to "Divine light." Point II 3, add "Matt. v. 16" reference.

- Page 250, same lesson, point III 3, apply RC to "the Gospel." Application ("Lessons"), point 3, apply RC to "Divinely regarded." "Sobriety" note, point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point I 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 252, "Rule" note, apply RC to "the Word."

- Page 253, "Slumbering" note, point I 6, apply RC to "God's Word." Point I 7, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Light of God" note, point II, capitalise "the Negro."

- Page 254, "Call" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 255, same note, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Summons" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine assistance"; add an em-dash to the end of the paragraph without punctuation. Point II, apply RC to "Divine mandate."

- The break between pages 255 and 256 is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken: "inactivity.--|You." The whole unit was moved to the earlier page.

- Page 256, "Gospel Call" note, point II 4 (4), apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 257, lesson "Christian Wisdom," point II 1, apply RC to "Divine goodness." Point II 2, apply RC to "the Divine" (thrice). Point IV, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 258, same lesson, application ("Lessons"), point 3, add "Prov. iv. 7" reference. "Walking" note, point I 4, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Wise Conduct" note, each of points 3 and 4, apply RC to "God's Word."

- Page 259, "Redeeming" note, point I, apply RC to "God's Word."

- Page 260, "Redemption" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine knowledge."

- Page 261, "Being Filled" note, point 4 (4), apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 262, lesson "Spiritual Enjoyment," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "God's Word."

- Page 263, "Singing" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine worship." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Application ("Lessons"), each of points 1 and 3, apply RC to "Divine worship."

- Page 266, "Duties" lesson, point II 3, add a colon after "married life."

- Page 267, "Christ" note, point III, add "Gen. ii. 21-24" reference.

- Page 268, "Christ's Love" note, point III 3, apply RC to "the Word." "Future Glory" note, point II 4, apply RC to "the Word." Point III, apply RC to "Divinity" (twice). "Divine Ideal" note, point I 1, apply RC to "the Divine." Point III, apply RC to "Divine renewal."

- Page 270, notes on chapter vi., verse 10, change "i. 19" to "ch. i. 19." Verse 13, change "v. 16" to "ch. v. 16."

- Page 271, notes on verse 24, change "i. 2" to "ch. i. 2." Lesson "Duties," each of points I 1 and I 3, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 272, same lesson, application ("Lessons"), point 3, apply RC to "Divinely rewarded."

- Page 273, "Mutual Duties" note, point I 6, apply RC to "Divine promise."

- Page 275, lesson "Duties," point II 1, change "it introduced principles which, wherever, adopted utterly" to "it introduced principles which, wherever adopted, utterly." Application ("Lessons"), each of points 1 and 2, apply RC to "Divine law."

- Page 276, lesson "Christian Warfare," point I, apply RC to "Divine help."

- Page 277, same lesson, point III, apply RC to "Divine panoply."

- Page 278, same lesson, application ("Lessons") point 3, apply RC to "Divinely provided." "Call" note, point II 2, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). "Warfare" note, point I 3, change "Deut. viii. 12" to "Deut. viii. 11-14."

- Page 279, same note, point II 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II 2, apply RC to "everlasting Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 281, "Evil Angels" note, see inline note about human depravity. "Christian Warrior" lesson, point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 282, same lesson, point I 3, apply RC to "the Gospel" (four times).

- Page 283, same lesson, point I 5, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). Point II, apply RC to "the Word" (twice).

- Page 284, "Christian's Armour" note, apply RC to "that Gospel"; change "even more tnan" to "even more than"; apply RC to "that Word." "Whole Armour" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 285, same note, point VI apply RC to "the Divine Word."

- Page 286, "Duty" note, point III 2, apply RC to "Divine grace." "Girdle of Truth" note, point III, apply RC to "their Divinity."

- Page 287, "Gospel of Peace" note, each of points II, II 1, II 2, and II 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 288, lesson "Programme of Prayer," point II, apply RC to "Divine Spirit."

- Page 289, same lesson, point V 1, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice). Point V 2, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice). Application ("Lessons"), point 2, apply RC to "Divine power."

- Page 290, "Praying" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine favours." Point III, apply RC to "Divine will." Point V, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- Page 291, "Duty of Prayer" note, point V, add "Rev. v. 8, 9" reference. "Gospel a Mystery" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine revelation." Point II, apply RC to "Divine essence" and "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice); add a colon after "rolled up." Point IV, see inline note defining "faggot"; apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 292, "Boldness" note, in each of points II and II 1, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 293, lesson "Trusted Messenger," point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice) and "Gospel comfort."

- Page 294, "Apostolical Care" note, point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel." Lesson "Benediction," point I, apply RC to "the Divine," "are Divine," "the Divine," and "Divinity."

- Page 295, same lesson, point III, apply RC to "Divine grace," "His Word," and "the Gospel." "Elements" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 296, "Truest Test" note, introduction, apply RC to "Master-spirit" and "Spirit." Point II 3, apply RC to "God's Word." "Loving Christ" note, point I 1, apply RC to "Divine person." Point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point IV 2, apply RC to "the Divine Spirit."

- Page 297, "Apostolic Benediction" note, point I 2 (1), apply RC to "God's Word." Point II, apply RC to "Divine grace."

+THE+

+EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS.+

+INTRODUCTION.+

+Philippi and the Philippians.+--It was a moment fraught with very far reaching issues when at Alexandria Troas St. Paul seemed to see, in a night-vision, a man standing on the beach over the head of the Ægean Sea eagerly calling for help, as a herald might summon a general to the relief of a hard-pressed garrison.

There may be cold psychological explanations of the vision which leave little scope for any Divine call to evangelise them of Macedonia; but the event proved the indication of the will of God in the visionary call. In the prompt and undoubting obedience of St. Paul and his co-workers our own continent first received the glad tidings of great joy. Gliding out of the harbour of Troas, their little vessel ran before the wind as far as the island of Samothracia, and next day, rounding the island of Thasos, dropped anchor at Neapolis, the port of Philippi. But Philippi itself is still three leagues distant, on the other side of a mountain range, over which the great highway between the two continents passes. Following this great road--the Via Egnatia--the colony founded by Cæsar Augustus, and named Colonia Augusta Julia Philippensis, was the first city reached. The place had been recognised by Philip of Macedon as a gateway to be watched and strongly guarded, and when St. Paul visited it he found it bearing all the marks of a strong military centre--a sort of ganglion in the great system of which Rome was the brain. To remember this is to receive light on certain expressions in the epistle; for even though "not many mighty are called," they may serve to illustrate a service whose weapons are "not carnal but spiritual."

If we follow the R.V. in Acts xvi. 13--we suppose there was a place of prayer--the inference is that the Jews were not numerous in Philippi, and that it was only by a knowledge of the ancestral custom which led them to place their oratory by the water-side that St. Paul discovered the obscure company. Even when discovered there is no evidence of that virulent Judaism which so greatly embittered the apostle's life and frustrated his missionary endeavours; and it may be that its absence explains the cordial relations between the Philippians and St. Paul.

Bishop Lightfoot notes the heterogeneous character of the first converts at Philippi. As to race, an Asiatic, a Greek, and a Roman. As to everyday life, the first is engaged in an important and lucrative branch of traffic; the second is employed to trade on the credulity of the ignorant; the third is an under-official of the government. As to religious training, one represents the speculative mystic temper of Oriental devotion; the second a low form of an artistic and imaginative religion; whilst the third represents a type of worship essentially political in tone.

It is noteworthy and prophetic that women should be so closely connected with the introduction of the Gospel to Europe; and this may account for the fact that in Philippi whole families were gathered into the fold of the Church.

Thus humbly began the work of the evangelisation of a new continent, amidst brutal bodily assaults and indignities heaped upon its heralds. Here commenced, some ten years before the date of our epistle, a friendship, unbroken through those years, with Timothy, a youth of exemplary ability and piety.

+Place and time of writing the epistle.+--Though Cæsarea has found favour with some scholars as the place from which the epistle originated, by far the greater number accept Rome. Indeed, we may almost say we are shut up to this by ancient and modern opinions. Even though we may admit that the subscription of the epistle in the A.V., as in general, is not worthy of any special consideration as being authoritative, yet it agrees in this case with the preponderant opinion.

It is the most natural interpretation of the expression in ch. iv. 32, "they of Cæsar's household," which is decisive of Rome. The phrase in ch. i. 13, "throughout the whole prætorian guard" (R.V.), is not absolutely conclusive for Rome, for the word "prætorium" is used of Herod's palace at Cæsarea, and is "the standing appellation for the palaces of the chief governors of provinces" (Meyer). Still, as Lightfoot argues, to apply it to Cæsarea in this case does not suit the context.

As to the time of the writing, there is nothing like the same consent of opinion. But the difference of opinion is limited to the confinement of the apostle at Rome (on which see Acts xxviii. 30). The discussion is as to whether it was early or late in that two years' captivity that the letter was written.

For the later date the arguments are: 1. That it must have taken some considerable time before St. Paul's religion could be so widely known as this letter indicates it was. 2. That Luke and Aristarchus are not mentioned here, as in Colossians and Philemon, the inference being that they had left the apostle. 3. That the communications between Rome and Philippi would necessitate a considerable interval after St. Paul's arrival in Rome. 4. That the tone of the apostle agrees better with a prolonged captivity.

Amongst English scholars, Ellicott, Alford, and others favour the later date. On the other side are Lightfoot and Beet.

+Occasion and contents of the epistle.+--Godet remarks that, as Philemon shows us the apostle's way of requesting a favour; Philippians is a specimen of how he returned thanks. The Church which was the "crown and joy" of the apostle had sent into his captivity a token of their loving remembrance by the hand of Epaphroditus. The messenger had been overtaken by alarming illness, and after hearing that his friends in Philippi were anxious about him, he was despatched homewards bearing the apostle's expressions of gratitude--not so much for the money gift as the genuine attachment which prompted it.

No epistle is so truly a letter, of all we have from St. Paul's pen, as this to the Philippians. The arrangement is less formal; we miss the chains of reasoning and quotation from the Old Testament. As Meyer says: "Not one [of his epistles] is so eminently an epistle of the feelings, an outburst of the moment, springing from the deepest inward need of loving fellowship amidst outward abandonment and tribulation; a model, withal, of the union of tender love and at times an almost elegiac impress of courageous resignation in the prospect of death, with high apostolic dignity and unbroken holy joy, hope, and victory over the world."

A brief synopsis of the letter may be shown thus:--

i. 1-11. Greeting of, thanksgiving, and prayer for the Philippians.

12-26. Personal affairs of the apostle (so ch. ii. 19-30).

i. 27--ii. 1-11. Exhortation to humility after the supreme Example.

ii. 12-18. Omitted.

iii. 1-21. Warning against the vain work-righteousness of Judaism.

iv. 1-9. Exhortations to unity, to Christian joy, and Christian graces.

10-19. Renewed thanksgiving for the generosity shown.

20-23. Doxology and salutations.

+CHAPTER I.+

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. +Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ.+--There is no necessity for Paul to mention his apostolate, inasmuch as the Philippians had never even thought of calling it in question. "Paul an apostle and Timothy a servant" was a distinction too invidious for Paul to make. There is a fine aroma of courtesy in what is not said as well as in what is said here. +Bishops and deacons.+--"It is incredible that St. Paul should recognise only the bishops and deacons (if 'presbyters' were a different order from 'bishops'). It seems therefore to follow of necessity that the 'bishops' were identical with the 'presbyters'" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 3. +I thank my God.+--The keynote of the whole epistle. As the apostle's strains of praise had been heard by the prisoners in the Philippian gaol, so now from another captivity the Church hears a song of sweet contentment. "My God." The personal appropriation and the quiet contentment of the apostle both speak in this emphatic phrase.

Ver. 4. +Always in every prayer of mine for you all.+--Notice the comprehensive "always," "every," "all," indicating special attachment to the Philippians. +With joy.+--The sum of the epistle is, "I rejoice. . . . Rejoice ye." "He recalls to our minds the runner who at the supreme moment of Grecian history brought to Athens the news of Marathon. Worn, panting, exhausted with the effort to be the herald of deliverance, he sank in death on the threshold of the first house which he reached with the tidings of victory, and sighed forth his gallant soul in one great sob, almost in the very same words as those used by the apostle, 'Rejoice ye; we rejoice'" (Farrar, after Lightfoot).

Ver. 5. "+Fellowship+ here denotes co-operation in the widest sense, their participation with the apostle, whether in sympathy or in suffering, or in active labour, or in any other way. At the same time, their almsgiving was a signal instance of this co-operation and seems to have been foremost in the apostle's mind" (Lightfoot). +He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it.+--"The observation of the ebb and flow of the tide for so many days and months and ages together, as it has been observed by mankind, gives us a full assurance that it will ebb and flow again to-morrow" (Bishop Butler). Another sort of assurance comes in here. It is an offence to every worthy thought of God that He should begin and not be able to finish (Isa. xxvi. 12).

Ver. 7. +Meet for me to think this.+--"To form this opinion." That the apostle cherished a warm affection for these Philippians would have been, if alone, a very flimsy foundation for hopes so substantial. Was not Judas cherished in a warmer heart than Paul's? But their sympathy and active co-operation made such an opinion not a pious hope, but a reasonable likelihood. +Defence and confirmation.+--The "defence" (ἀπολγία) is the clearing away of objections--the preparation of the ground; the "confirmation" is the positive settlement on the ground so prepared. "The two together will thus comprise all modes of preaching and extending the truth" (Lightfoot). +Partakers of my grace.+--The grace whether of preaching or of suffering for the Gospel. See ver. 29, where "given" requires the addition "as a favour." "You are privileged . . . to suffer."

Ver. 8. +God is my record.+--As in Rom. i. 9. When we feel language too weak to bear our impassioned feeling, it may be well to remember the "Yea, yea" of the Master rather than copy this oath. +In the bowels of Jesus Christ.+--R.V. "in the tender mercies." This is quite an Eastern form of expression. Among the Malays a term of endearment is "my liver"; we choose the heart as the seat of the affections. For the figure, cf. Gal. ii. 20.

Ver. 9. +In knowledge and in all judgment.+--"Perfect knowledge (as in Eph. i. 17, iv. 13) and universal discernment." "The one deals with general principles, the other is concerned with practical applications" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 10. +That ye may approve things that are excellent.+--St. Paul would have his dear Philippians to be connoisseurs of whatever is morally and spiritually excellent. +That ye may be sincere.+--Bearing a close scrutiny, in the strongest light, or according to another derivation of the word, perhaps more true if less beautiful, made pure by sifting. +And without offence.+--Might be either "without stumbling," as Acts xxiv. 16, or "not causing offence." Lightfoot prefers the former, Meyer the latter. Beet unites the two.

Ver. 11. +Fruits of righteousness.+--"A harvest of righteousness." +Which are through Jesus Christ.+--A more precise definition of "fruits."

Ver. 12. +The things which happened unto me.+--Precisely the same phrase as in Eph. vi. 21; is translated "my affairs" (so Col. iv. 17). These circumstances were such as naturally would fill the friends of the apostle with concern for him personally. As to the effect on the spread of the Gospel--ever St. Paul's chief solicitude--they had been apprehensive. +Rather unto the furtherance.+--Not to the hindrance, as to your fears seemed likely. It is the same triumphant note which rises, in a later imprisonment, above personal indignity and suffering. "I may be bound, but the message I bear is at liberty" (2 Tim. ii. 9).

Ver. 13. +Bonds in Christ are manifest.+--R.V. "bonds became manifest in Christ." It is not simply as a private prisoner that he is bound; it is a matter of public note that he is bound for Christ's sake. +In all the palace.+--R.V. text, "throughout the whole prætorian guard." R.V. margin, "in the whole prætorium." "The best supported meaning of 'prætorium' is--the soldiers composing the imperial regiments" (Lightfoot). "The barracks of the imperial body-guard to whose 'colonel' Paul was given in charge on his arrival in Rome (Acts xxviii. 16)" (Meyer). "As the soldiers would relieve guard in constant succession, the prætorians one by one were brought into communication with 'the prisoner of Jesus Christ'" (Lightfoot). +In all other places.+--The italicised places of the A.V. text must be dropped; the margin is better. A loose way of saying "to others besides the military."

Ver. 14. +Confident by my bonds.+--The bonds might have been thought to be sufficient to intimidate the brethren; but the policy of stamping out has oftener resulted in spreading the Gospel.

Ver. 15. +Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife.+--Not some of the brethren emboldened by the apostle's chain, perhaps, although one sees no reason why the Judaisers would not, with redoubled energy, spread their views when he whom they so violently opposed was for the time being silenced, as they imagined. "Of envy." Lightfoot refers to the saying of the comic poet Philemon with its play on the word, "Thou teachest me many things ungrudgingly because of a grudge" (on account of envy). This glaring inconsistency of preaching a Gospel of goodwill from such a motive as envy, the worst form of ill-will, must be closely observed here.

Vers. 16, 17.--These verses are transposed in R.V.; the order of the A.V. is against decisive testimony (Meyer).

Ver. 16. +To add affliction to my bonds.+--"To make my chains gall me," Lightfoot strikingly translates. One can almost imagine St. Paul starting up, and straining at the wrist of the soldier to whom he was chained as he hears of the intrigues of a party whose one object it was to impose an effete ritual on men called to liberty in Christ.

Ver. 17. +For the defence of the gospel.+--Many a man in the apostle's place would have found himself absorbed by the question how best to make a good defence of himself.

Ver. 18. +Whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached.+--St. Paul evidently thinks the imperfect knowledge of Christ preferable to heathen ignorance of Him. The truth is mighty enough to take care of itself, without any hand that shakes with nervous apprehension to steady its ark. St. Paul is beforehand with our method of keeping a subject before the notice of the public. The policy of "never mentioning" was what St. Paul regarded as fatal.

Ver. 19. +This shall turn to my salvation.+--"Salvation in the highest sense. These trials will develop the spiritual life in the apostle, will be a pathway to the glories of heaven" (Lightfoot). Meyer prefers to render "will be salutary for me," without any more precise modal definition. +Supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.+--"The Spirit of Jesus is both the giver and the gift" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 20. +Earnest expectation.+--Same word again in Rom. viii. 19 (not again in New Testament). "It is the waiting expectation that continues on the strain till the goal is attained" (Meyer). The intensive in the compound word implies abstraction from other things through intentness on one. +Put to shame.+--As a man might be who felt his cause not worth pleading, or as one overawed by an august presence. +With all boldness,+ i.e. of speech. A man overpowered by shame loses the power of speech (see Matt. xxii. 12).

Ver. 21. +For me to live is Christ.+--The word of emphasis is to me, whatever it may be to others. If this be not the finest specimen of a surrendered soul, one may seek long for that which excels it. That life should be intolerable, nay inconceivable, except as the ego merges into Christ's; this is the sanest and most blessed unio mystica (Gal. ii. 20). +And to die is gain.+--It is the purely personal view--"to me"--which the apostle has before him. "The spirit that denies" says, that when all that a man hath has been bartered for life, he will think himself gainer. "More life and fuller" is what St. Paul sees through the sombre corridor. It is not simply the oblivious repose where "the wicked cease from troubling" that he yearns for. Nor is it a philosophical Nirvâna.

"For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey This pleasing, anxious being e'er resigned?"

Ver. 22. +But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour+ (see R.V.).--"The grammar of the passage reflects the conflict of feeling in the apostle's mind. He is tossed to and fro between the desire to labour for Christ in life and the desire to be united with Christ by death. The abrupt and disjointed sentences express this hesitation" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 23. +I am in a strait betwixt two.+--I am laid hold of by two forces drawing in opposite directions. "Desire" draws me away from earth; your "necessity" would keep me in it. As in the old mythology everything bowed before Necessity (ἀνάγκη), so here the apostle's desire is held in check by the needs of his converts. +To depart.+--As a ship weighs anchor and glides out with set sails, or as a tent is struck by the Arabs as they noiselessly steal away. +To be with Christ.+--St. Paul regards the soul, whilst in the body, as a "settler" in a land of which he is not a native, an "emigrant" from other shores. But he would rather emigrate from the land of his sojourn and settle with the Lord (2 Cor. v. 6, 8). "We come from God who is our home." "As soon as I shall have taken the poison I shall stay no longer with you, but shall part from hence, and go to enjoy the felicity of the blessed" (Socrates to Crito). +Which is far better.+--R.V. "very far." How far from uncertainty is the eager estimate of the life with Christ! It is one thing to extol the superiority of the life away from the flesh in a Christian hymn, whilst health is robust; it is quite a different matter to covet it with the sword of martyrdom hanging over one's head.

Ver. 25. +I know that I shall abide.+--Not a prophetic inspiration, but a personal conviction (Acts xx. 25).

Ver. 27. +Your conversation.+--R.V. "manner of life." Margin, "behave as citizens." Perform your duties as citizens. St. Paul in Philippi, by the assertion of his Roman citizenship, had brought the prætors to their knees (Acts xvi. 37, 38), and is addressing men who could fully appreciate the honour of the jus Italicum conferred by Cæsar Augustus on their city. He would have them be mindful of their place in the kingdom which "cometh not with observation." +Whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear.+--The question arises whether St. Paul meant to say if he visited them, they themselves would inform him of the condition of the Church; or whether he meant he would see for himself if he went, and if not at least he would hear. As he is actually distant, the idea of hearing is uppermost, and so we have "I may hear" where we might have expected "I shall learn."

Ver. 28. +In nothing terrified.+--The phrase is a continuation of the idea of the amphitheatre in ver. 27 ("striving together"). We must, it seems, recognise a double metaphor--behaving in the arena, before antagonists and spectators, like a horse that takes fright and bolts. The warning against such unworthy conduct might be rendered--

"In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of life, Be not like dumb driven cattle, Be a hero in the strife."

+Which is to them an evident token of perdition.+--When once they have discovered that all their artifices have not the least power to alarm you, will not this be a clear indication that they fight on behalf of a failing cause? +But to you of salvation, and that of God.+--The Christian gladiator does not anxiously await the signal of life or death from the fickle crowd. The great President of the contest Himself has given him a sure token of deliverance (Lightfoot).

Ver. 29. +It is given in the behalf of Christ.+--God has granted you the high privilege of suffering for Christ; this is the surest sign that He looks upon you with favour (Ibid.). The veterans in Philippi would understand well enough that a position involving personal danger might be a mark of favour from the prefect to the private soldier.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 1, 2.

Christian Greeting--

+I. Addressed to a fully organised Church.+--"To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons" (ver. 1). Christianity, which began with the quiet meetings in the humble Jewish proseucha, or oratory, by the river-side, had so far spread in Philippi as to settle down into a stable and permanent Church organisation. This is the first instance in which bishops and deacons are mentioned, and specially addressed in the apostolic salutation. The former are sometimes called elders, presbyters, rulers, or presidents, and were empowered to take the oversight of the whole Church, to instruct, exhort, and rule the members; the latter were chosen to take care of the poor, and to manage the finances of the Church. The bishops attended to the internal, the deacons to the external affairs of the Christian community. The title presbyter implied the rank, the bishop the duties of the office. As the apostles by their frequent absence were unable to take the personal oversight of the Churches they founded, they appointed officers in each Church. As the Churches multiplied, and the Church-life developed, the organisation became more compact and complete. It is noticeable in this instance that the apostle addresses the whole Church more than its presiding ministers. It should be ever remembered that the minister exists for the Church, not the Church for the minister. The clergy are not the Church, but, under God, the servants and religious guides of the people. The Christian Church is the glory and stability of a nation. When at Brussels Lord Chesterfield was invited by Voltaire to sup with him and Madame C----. The conversation happening to turn upon the affairs of England, "I think, my lord," said Madame C----, "that the Parliament of England consists of five or six hundred of the best-informed men of the kingdom." "True, madame, they are generally supposed to be so." "What, then, can be the reason they tolerate so great an absurdity as the Christian religion?" "I suppose, madame," replied his lordship, "it is because they have not been able to substitute anything better in its stead; when they can, I do not doubt but in their wisdom they will readily adopt it."

+II. Valued as emanating from distinguished Christian pioneers.+--"Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ" (ver. 1). The significance and worth of a salutation depend upon the character and reputation of those from whom it comes. Paul was honoured by the Philippians as their father in the Gospel, and as one who had won a high distinction by his conspicuous abilities and labours in other spheres; and Timothy was well known to them as a devoted minister and fellow-helper of the apostle. Words coming from such a source would be gratefully welcomed and fondly cherished. Paul does not give prominence to his apostleship, as in the inscriptions to other epistles. The Philippians had already sufficient proof of his apostolic authority and power. Paul and his colleagues were reverenced as "the servants of Jesus Christ." They acknowledged subjection, not to the man, but to Christ; they lived to advance His interests and honour, and found their highest joy in His service, though attended with hard toil, unreasoning persecution, and unparalleled suffering. The Baptist Missionary Society adopted for its motto a device found upon an ancient medal representing a bullock standing between a plough and an altar, with the inscription "Ready for either, for toil or for sacrifice." The service of Christ is a life of self-sacrifice; but that is the pathway of duty, of blessing, of reward, of glory.

+III. Invokes the bestowment of great blessings.+--"Grace be unto you, and peace" (ver. 2). Grace and peace are Divine gifts, proceeding from "God the Father," as the original and active Source of all blessings, and from "the Lord Jesus Christ" who is now exalted to the right hand of the Divine majesty to bestow those blessings upon His people. Grace, the unmerited favour of God, is the exhaustless fountain of all other blessings, and includes the ever-flowing stream of the Holy Spirit's influences; peace, the result of grace, is the tranquillity and joy of heart realised on reconciliation with God. The very form of this salutation implies the union of Jew, Greek, and Gentile. The Greek salutation was "joy," akin to the word for grace. The Roman was "health," the intermediate term between grace and peace. The Hebrew was "peace," including both temporal and spiritual prosperity. The great mission of the Gospel is to spread peace on earth, peace with men, following on peace with God. The believer enjoys peace even in the midst of trial and suffering. One of the martyrs, exposed to public derision in an iron cage, is reported to have said to a bystander, who expressed surprise at the cheerfulness he manifested, "You can see these bars, but you cannot hear the music in my conscience."

+Lessons.+--1. Religion teaches the truest courtesy. 2. The unselfish heart wishes well to all. 3. That greeting is the most genuine that recognises the claims of God.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 1, 2. The Apostolic Greeting.--1. Unity and concord amongst ministers in giving joint testimony to the same truths and weight to what they preach. Preachers are in a special manner the servants of Christ as being wholly and perpetually dedicated to His service. 2. As to make a man internally and spiritually holy it is necessary he be in Christ by faith, so to make him externally holy requires a visible and external union with Christ in professing truths relating to Him. 3. The dignity of a minister or of any Church officer does not exempt him from the necessity of being taught, exhorted, reproved, and comforted. 4. God's grace is the fountain from which peace with God, with our own conscience, and all sanctified prosperity and peace among ourselves do flow. In seeking things from God we look to Him, not as standing disaffected to us and at a distance, but as our Father.--Fergusson.

Ver. 1. The Commencement of the Gospel at Philippi.

+I. To secure the widest diffusion of the Gospel great centres should be the first places chosen for the concentration of its forces.+

+II. The Gospel of universal adaptation has a world-wide mission.+--The first three converts embraced different nationalities, employments, social grades,--Lydia, the oriental trader, the Grecian female slave and soothsayer, the Roman keeper of the prison. Christ has demolished all barriers to the exercise of Divine mercy.

+III. The duty and privilege of Christian parents to consecrate their children and home to Christ+ (Acts xvi. 15, 33, 34, 40).

+IV. Civic distinctions subordinated to Christ will further the Gospel and adorn the Christian name.+--Paul's Roman citizenship gained his freedom and silenced his enemies. His chain connects the history of Rome and Philippi. The Christian's spirit can defy the inner prison to suppress its praise or prayer (Acts xvi. 25).

Ver. 2. God our Father.--Christ aimed at raising men from the bondage of mere servants into the freedom of sons. He taught that God our Father was henceforth to be--

+I. The sole Model of perfection.+ (Matt. vi. 48).

+II. The sole Rewarder of almsgiving.+ (Matt. vi. 4).

+III The sole Hearer of prayer+ (Matt. vi. 6).

+IV. The sole Observer of fastings+ (Matt. vi. 18).

+V. The sole Provider of daily wants+ (Matt. vi. 26-33).--Lay Preacher.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 3-8.

Eulogy of Christian Excellence--

+I. Prompted by pleasant memories of faithful co-operation in Christian work.+--"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, . . . for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, . . . inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace" (vers. 3, 5, 7). The apostle remembers with joy the way in which the Philippians first received the Gospel, the effect it produced upon their lives, the eagerness with which they entered into his plans for its wider propagation, the liberality, though not themselves a rich people, they showed to their needy brethren in other Churches, the affectionate attachment they displayed towards himself, the help they afforded him when in imprisonment, and the many ways in which they cheerfully co-operated with him in the defence and establishment of the truth. They had laboured, suffered, triumphed, and rejoiced together. The apostle's eulogy of their character was not flattery, but sober and just commendation of tried and sterling excellencies. Our happiest memories--memories that become more vivid as life advances--are of those days in which we laboured most earnestly in the service of God.

+II. Springs from a loving appreciation and tender Christian solicitude.+--"Even as it is meet for me to think thus of you all, because I have you in my heart. . . . For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ" (vers. 7, 8). There was something about the Philippians that captivated the heart of the apostle. He loved them because they loved his Master, and because they sought to spread the Gospel he preached. Love begets love, and there is no power in uniting hearts like the love of Christ. The love of the apostle was manifested in a yearning desire for their advancement in personal godliness. "All real spiritual love," says Alford, "is but a portion of Christ's love which yearns in all who are united to Him." Christian love is not mere self-indulgence of a personal feeling; its unselfishness is evident in seeking to advance the highest spiritual interests of the person loved. It is something more than a refined and noble sentiment. The finest feeling may be very superficial. Some friends were drinking tea one evening at the home of Mr. Mackenzie, the author of The Man of Feeling, and waited for some time for his arrival. At length he came in heated and excited, and exclaimed: "What a glorious evening I have had!" They thought he spoke of the weather, which was singularly beautiful; but he went on to detail the intense enjoyment he had had in witnessing a cock-fight. Mrs. Mackenzie listened some time in silence; then, looking up in his face, she remarked in her gentle voice, "Oh, Harry, Harry, your feeling is all on paper!"

+III. Strengthened by the assurance of increasing Christian devotion.+--"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (ver. 6). Even man, fickle as he is, does not begin work at random and without purpose; some time or other he hopes to finish it. But God, who begins the work of the new spiritual creation in the soul, is constantly striving to finish it, until it shall be presented perfect at the day of Christ. The apostle had no doubt about the Divine working, and he rejoiced in the evidence he had that his converts were increasing in spiritual fervour and devotion. Faithfulness to God strengthens fidelity in every duty of life. On board the flag-ship of a celebrated commander a complaint was made by the captain against a number of the crew for disturbing the ship's company by frequent noises. The admiral ordered an inquiry to be made. The accusation was that these men were Methodists, and that when their watch was below they were in the constant habit of reading the Bible to each other aloud, of frequently joining in social prayer and singing of psalms and hymns. After the statement had been proved, the admiral asked, "What is the general conduct of these men on deck--orderly or disobedient, cleanly or the contrary?" "Always orderly, obedient, and cleanly," was the reply. "When the watch is called, do they linger, or are they ready?" "Always ready at the first call." "You have seen these men in battle, sir; do they stand to their guns or shrink?" "They are the most intrepid men in the ship, my lord, and will die at their post." "Let them alone, then," was the decisive answer of this magnanimous commander; "if Methodists are such men, I wish that all my crew were Methodists."

+IV. Expressed in thanksgiving and joyous prayer.+--"I thank my God . . . always in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy" (vers. 3, 4). Joy is the characteristic feature in this epistle, as love is in that to the Ephesians. Love and joy are the two firstfruits of the Spirit. Joy gives especial animation to prayers. It marked the apostle's high opinion of them, that there was almost everything in them to give him joy, and almost nothing to give him pain (Fausset). The labour of prayer is sure, if persisted in, to merge into the joy of prayer. Prayer is a blessing to others as well as to ourselves. The father of Sir Philip Sydney enjoined upon his son, when he went to school, never to neglect thoughtful prayer. It was golden advice, and doubtless his faithful obedience to the precept helped to make Philip Sydney the peerless flower of knighthood, and the stainless man that he was--a man for whom, months after his death, every gentleman in England wore mourning.

+Lessons.+--1. Christian excellence is a reflection of the character of Christ. 2. Christian excellence is acquired by praying and working. 3. Genuine Christianity is its own best eulogy.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 3. Happy Memories.

+I. Those that are prompted by the Spirit of God.+

+II. Those that recall the past joy of harvest.+

+III. Those that still link us in association with distant but kindred spirits.+

+IV. Those that evoke perennial gratitude to God.+

+V. Those that enrich our own moral worth.+--Lay Preacher.

Vers. 4, 5. Fellowship in the Gospel.

+I. Christian ministers have a claim to maintenance from the people.+

+II. Fellowship is making another a fellow-partaker of what belongs to us.+

+III. The apostle Paul while claiming his privilege was cautious in using it.+

+IV. The voluntary system has advantages, but greater disadvantages.+--Archbishop Whately.

Ver. 4. "Making request with joy." Pure Joy--

+I. Springs from Divine communications.+

+II. Succeeds a previous sorrow.+

+III. Is superior to human surroundings.+

+IV. Is sustained by answered prayer.+--Lay Preacher.

Ver. 5. True Gospel Fellowship.

+I. Lives which adorn it.+

+II. Hearts which beat for it.+

+III. Lips which testify for it.+

+IV. Hands which work for it.+

+V. Gifts which extend it.+--Ibid.

Ver. 6. Grounds of Confidence in the Believer's Salvation.

+I. That the Philippians persevered in the midst of great difficulties, opposition, and persecution.+

+II. That their persevering fellowship in the Gospel had been characterised by great purity and consistency of Christian life.+

+III. That they gave evidences of zeal for the propagation of religion and of liberality in contributing of their worldly substance to this end.+

+Lessons.+--1. This doctrine affords comfort and hope to struggling Christians. 2. The grounds of assurance forbid presumptuous confidence and stimulate to watchfulness and effort.--Homiletic Monthly.

The Perseverance of the Saints.

+I. I shall adduce some of the principal arguments in support of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.+--1. The decree of election. 2. The merit of Christ's sufferings and death. 3. The intercession of Christ. 4. The promises of God. 5. The constitution of the covenant of grace. 6. The statements of Scripture in regard to the constant indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers.

+II. I shall consider some of the most plausible objections which have been urged against this doctrine.+--1. That some of the most eminent saints have fallen into very grievous sins. They did not fall totally and finally. 2. That many who were long regarded as true Christians do in point of fact finally apostatise. They never were true Christians. 3. That there are in Scripture many earnest exhortations to watchfulness, and many awful warnings against apostasy. God works by means and motives. 4. That believers being assured of their ultimate recovery will be encouraged to sin. The perseverance of the saints is perseverance in holiness. (1) Has a good work begun in you? (2) If so, remember that while the perseverance of the saints is promised as a privilege, it is also enjoined as a duty.--G. Brooks.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 9-11.

A Prayer for Christian Love--

+I. That it may be regulated by knowledge and discretion.+--"And this I pray, that your love may abound . . . in knowledge and in all judgment" (ver. 9).

1. So as to test what is best.--"That ye may approve things that are excellent" (ver. 10)--test things that differ. Two faculties of the mind are to be brought into exercise--knowledge, the acquisitive faculty; and judgment, the perceptive faculty. Love is not a wild, ignorant enthusiasm, but the warm affection of a heart, guided by extensive and accurate knowledge, and by a clear, spiritual perception. From a number of good things we select and utilise the best.

2. So as to maintain a blameless life.--"That ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ" (ver. 10). Be so transparent in heart and life as neither to give or take offence, and when examined in the light of the day of Christ to be adjudged blameless. To live a useful and holy life we must both think and feel aright. Love will ever prompt us to the holiest conduct and to the best work. "I once asked a distinguished artist," said Boree, "what place he gave to labour in art. 'Labour is the beginning, the middle, and the end of art,' was the answer. I turned to another and inquired, 'What do you consider as the great force in art?' 'Love,' was the reply. In these two answers I found but one truth."

+II. That it may stimulate the growth of a high Christian character.+--1. A high Christian character is the outcome of righteous principles. "Being filled with the fruits--the fruit--of righteousness." All Christian virtues are from the one common root of the Spirit. It is He who plants them in the heart, fosters their growth, brings them to perfection, and fills the soul with them as the trees are laden with ripened fruit. The apostle prays for more love, because love impels us to act righteously in all things, even in the minor affairs of life. "Just as the quality of life," says Maclaren, "may be as perfect in the minutest animalculæ, of which there may be millions in a cubic inch and generations may die in an hour--just as perfect in the smallest insect as in behemoth, biggest born of earth, so righteousness may be as completely embodied, as perfectly set forth, as fully operative in the tiniest action that I can do, as in the largest that an immortal spirit can be set to perform. The circle that is in a gnat's eye is as true as circle as the one that holds within its sweep all the stars, and the sphere that a dewdrop makes is as perfect a sphere as that of the world. All duties are the same which are done from the same motives; all actions which are not so done are all alike sins."

2. A High Christian character honours God.--"Which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God" (ver. 11). The righteousness which exalts man honours God. It is a practical manifestation of the grace communicated through Jesus Christ, and adorns the doctrine which is according to godliness. There are those who live soberly and righteously in this present world; but what about their duty to God? God is not in all their thoughts. That there has been no acceptance into their lives of Christ--without which acceptance God is a stranger to us and we strangers to God, no consecration to Christ, no referring to His will, no love to His person, and no zeal for His glory--of all this they are perfectly aware. And the thought of their heart is, that the omission is of no great consequence, and so long as they live soberly and righteously, it matters little or nothing whether they do or do not live godly. The power lacking is that for which the apostle prays--the power of love, whole-hearted love to Christ.

+III. That it may be enjoyed in ever-increasing measure.+--"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more" (ver. 9). Some time ago the public mind was filled with uneasiness in expectation of a high tide which was to visit our shores, and which it was feared would work great mischief. As the time drew near, the anxiety increased. At length the tide flowed in, rose to its highest point, and then retired, bearing with it the fears that had agitated the public mind. Why this alarm? Because all know the unmanageable, destructive power of water, when it once bursts its bounds. Love, unlike water, the more it abounds and overflows the greater the benefits it bestows. There is no fear that we shall love God too much; it is our shame and loss that we love Him so little. Love chafes against all limitations.

+Lessons.+--1. Love is the essence of Christianity. 2. Love should govern every part of the Christian life. 3. Love may be augmented by earnest prayer.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 9, 10. The Apostle's Prayer for Abounding Love--

+I. In its application to the affections.+--"That your love may abound yet more and more" (ver. 9).

1. Love to God.--(1) Because of the supreme excellence of His character. (2) Because of His generous interposition in the work of human redemption. (3) Because of the benefits He is constantly bestowing.

2. Love to one another.--Love promotes brotherly unity--oneness of feeling, of aim, of effort. Unity promotes strength. To strength in its combined action victory is given.

3. Love to the unsaved.--The law of Moses insisted, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour"; to which the Pharisees made this addition, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy." Christ interprets the law of love in the command, "I say unto you, Love your enemies."

+II. In its application to the intellect.+--"In knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent" (vers. 9, 10). Knowledge, the faculty to acquire information; judgment, the faculty to discern its value and use; the one leads to the sources of truth and appropriates its stores, the other selects and uses what is acquired. These two faculties necessary--1. In judging revealed truth. 2. In judging Christian experience. 3. In selecting what is best in all truths.

+III. In its application to the conduct.+--"That ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ" (ver. 10).

1. An inward state.--Sincerity, transparency of character.

2. An outward walk.--Inoffensiveness of conduct. Not designedly giving offence; sacrificing everything but principle rather than grieve or mislead a weak brother.

3. Perseverance in an upright life.--"Till the day of Christ." This is the scorner's day; the good are hated and despised; but the day of Christ is coming, and will rectify all wrongs. A day of blessing and honour to the good, of confusion and punishment to the wicked; of approval to the one, of condemnation to the other.

Ver. 9. "And this I pray." Definiteness in Prayer--

+I. Implies a deep consciousness of an intelligently apprehended need.+

+II. Becoming, when an intelligent being addresses the Divine Intelligence.+

+III. Essential from the very nature of prayer.+

+IV. Affords a fixed ground from the exercise of faith.+

+V. Emboldens supplication.+

+VI. Inspires hope of a definite response.+--Lay Preacher.

Ver. 10. "That ye may approve things that are excellent." Spiritual Discrimination--

+I. Demands the exercise of the most intelligent and sensitive charity.+

+II. Commands a wide field of effort--the bad, the good, the better, the best--in character, life, doctrine, practice, enjoyment, attainment.+

+III. Implies the admission and use of a noble liberty of thought, judgment, and action.+

+IV. Involves a weighty and far-reaching responsibility.+

+V. Is essential to a pure and blameless life.+--Ibid.

"That ye may be sincere." The Value of Sincerity in Youth.

There is a false sincerity which is a compound of ignorance and obstinacy. The heathen may be devout and sincere in his idolatry, but he is a heathen still. The Mahometan may be devout and sincere in his worship of the one God, but he rejects the Christ who is the source and substance of all true religion. The sceptic may be devout and earnest in his investigation of the facts of the universe; but he ignores the great moral truths on which he stumbles in the course of his inquiries, and refuses to accept and be influenced by them. There is no craze of the wildest fanatic that may not be adopted as an article of faith, if apparent sincerity is to be the test of its genuineness. The fact is, a man may be sincere, but grossly mistaken. A sincere heart is that through which the light of God shines, unimpeded by duplicity and sin, and is a condition of heart obtained only by living much in the presence and light of God.

+I. Be sincere in the search after truth.+--Truth must be sought for its own sake, and is revealed only to the humble and sincere seeker. It is of supreme importance to you to find the truth. Truth has but one direction and one goal--it terminates in the radiant presence of a living personality. When you come into the presence of truth, you come into the presence of God. Truth has a living embodiment in Christ Jesus. If you desire a solution of the perplexing riddles of life, if you would understand the principles on which God governs the universe, if you wish to dissipate the doubts that becloud and harass the mind, if you desire rest and peace of conscience, and to obtain strength and inspiration to live a happy, useful, and noble life--then seek the truth as it is in Jesus; and if you are really sincere, you shall not seek in vain.

+II. Be sincere in your social intercourse with one another.+--1. In your friendships. 2. In your promises.

+III. Be sincere in the service of God.+

+IV. Be sincere in the cultivation of your own personal piety.+

Christian Rectitude--

+I. Consists in internal sincerity.+--1. This involves a concentratedness of heart upon one object. 2. A thoroughness of life's uniformity to that one object. 3. An unostentatious but manifest integrity. 4. The completeness of that manifestation should be proportionate to the brightness of the testing light.

+II. Consists in external blamelessness.+--1. Without being found guilty of offence. 2. Without giving offence. 3. Without taking offence.

+III. Consists in a present state of life, with a glorious future destination.+--"That ye may be without offence till the day of Christ." 1. Then life shall be judged. 2. Life shall be made manifest. 3. Rectitude of life shall be approved. 4. Rectitude of life shall be rewarded.--Lay Preacher.

Ver. 11. Fruits of Righteousness.

+I. The nature of righteousness.+--1. Sometimes the term refers to the Divine Being, and signifies the purity of His nature and the perfection of His works. 2. Here it signifies personal holiness.

+II. The fruits of righteousness.+--1. Christian righteousness is productive of gracious fruits. These fruits are internal in the heart, and external in the life.

2. The fruits of righteousness are abundant and progressive.--"Being filled with the fruits."

+III. The Author of righteousness.+--"Which are by Jesus Christ." 1. Righteousness is purchased by Christ as our Redeemer. 2. Is derived from Him as our Saviour.

+IV. The results of righteousness.+--"Unto the glory and praise of God." 1. Righteousness is to the glory and praise of God in the scheme of redemption. 2. In the subjects of redemption.

+Lessons.+--1. This subject should stimulate our desires. 2. Promote our devotion. 3. _Inspire us with praise.--Theological Sketch Book._

Spiritual Attainment.

+I. Righteousness of heart precedes righteousness of life.+

+II. Righteousness of heart is self-disseminating.+--1. Its fruit is living. 2. Of harmonious unity. 3. Luxuriant.

+III. Righteousness of heart is the only thing that can fill the capacities of man.+

+IV. Fulness of righteousness is all Divine.+--1. In its source. 2. In its medium of communication. "By Jesus Christ." 3. In its end. "Unto the glory and praise of God." Glory before men: praise among men.--Lay Preacher.

Divine Culture.

+I. The field.+--The loving heart.

+II. The seed.+--Righteousness.

+III. The fruit.+--Abundant.

+IV. The Husbandman.+--Jesus Christ.

+V. The end.+--The glory and praise of God.--Ibid.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 12-18.

The Gospel Irrepressible--

+I. Notwithstanding the circumscribed opportunities of its agents.+--1. Their sufferings for the Gospel call attention to its claims. "The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather into the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places" (vers. 12, 13). It might seem to the Philippians that the imprisonment of Paul would be unfavourable to the Gospel and prevent its spread. He shows there was no ground for that fear; but that the Gospel was becoming known in quarters which, but for his imprisonment, it was not likely to gain access. The palace referred to was the prætorium, or barrack of the prætorian guards attached to the palace of Nero on the Palatine Hill in Rome. The regular changes of guards was constantly furnishing new auditors for the irrepressible preacher, and he did not fail to zealously improve his opportunities. Thus the Gospel, which the malice and bigotry of the Jews sought to suppress, found its way into Cæsar's household, and ultimately captured the Roman empire for Christ. The persecutions of the Gospel have been the best helpers of its success.

2. Their sufferings for the Gospel stimulate the zeal of its propagators.--"Many of the brethren, . . . waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear" (ver. 14). The fortitude of the apostle in suffering, and his unwearied efforts to preach the Gospel, increased the courage of his fellow-helpers in the same good work. The sufferings of the Gospel pioneers contributed to the spread and triumph of the truth. The blood of Scotland's proto-martyr, the noble Patrick Hamilton, and the memory of his dying prayer, "How long, O Lord, shall darkness cover this realm?" fomented the young Reformation life over a comparatively silent germinating period of more than twenty years. Knox, and with him Scotland, kindled at the pile of George Wishart. Andrew Melville caught the falling mantle of Knox. When Richard Cameron fell at Aird's Moss--as if in answer to his own prayers as the action began, "Lord, spare the green and take the ripe!"--all the more strenuously strove Cargill, till he too, in the following year, sealed the truth with his blood. And more followed, and yet more, through that last and worst decade of the pitiless storm known as, by emphasis, the killing time. Through those terrible years Peden dragged out a living death, and as he thought of Cameron, now at rest, often exclaimed, "Oh to be with Ritchie!" Young Renwick too caught up the torn flag, nobly saying, "They are but standard-bearers who have fallen; the Master lives." Thus one after another on blood-stained scaffold, or on blood-soaked field, fell the precious seed-grain, to rise in harvests manifold, till just at the darkest hour before the dawn of Renwick's martyrdom closed the red roll in 1688--the year of the revolution--and the seed so long sown in tears was reaped in joy.

+II. It is preached from a variety of motives.+--1. Some preach the Gospel from the love of controversy. "Some indeed preach Christ of envy and strife . . . of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds" (vers. 15, 16). The Judaising teachers, taking advantage of the absence of the apostle, sought to propagate their erroneous theories of the Gospel, and to annoy the apostle by depreciating his authority and his preaching. They aimed not so much at winning souls for Christ, as at exalting themselves, and gaining credence to their corrupt opinions. They argued that Jesus of Nazareth was the King of Israel, hoping thereby to exasperate the Roman government against Paul, who preached the same truth, though in a different sense, and to cause increased pain to the apostle by insisting upon the obligation of obedience to the law in order to salvation. Yet in opposing the Gospel they stated some of its leading truths, if only to refute them. Controversy is often a waste of strength. They are small, insignificant beings who quarrel oftenest. There's a magnificent breed of cattle in the Vale of Clwyd, the most beautiful vale in Wales. They have scarcely any horns but abundance of meat; yet if you ascend the hills on every side, there on the heights you find a breed which grows scarcely anything but horns, and from morning to night all you hear is the constant din of clashing weapons. So there are many Christians who live on the heights, the cold and barren heights of controversy. Everything they eat grows into horns, the strength of which they are constantly testing.

2. Some preach the Gospel from the highest regard for its lofty message.--"Some also of goodwill . . . of love, knowing that I am set [appointed of God] for the defence of the gospel" (vers. 15, 17). An intense love of the Gospel and of the Christ of the Gospel is the best preparation for preaching it. Preaching to be effectual must be various as nature. The sun warms at the same moment that it enlightens; and unless religious truth be addressed at once to the reason and to the affections, unless it kindles while it guides, it is a useless splendour, it leaves the heart barren, it produces no fruits of godliness. Preaching should help us to a higher life. A man once heard an affecting sermon, and while highly commending it was asked what he remembered of it. "Truly," he replied, "I remember nothing at all; but it made me resolve to live better, and by God's grace I will."

+III. The propagation of the Gospel by any means is matter of fervent joy.+--"What then? notwithstanding, . . . Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (ver. 18). The false teachers gloated over Paul's misfortune, and thought to trouble him by their way of presenting the Gospel. But the proclamation of Christ, however done, roused attention, and could not but be of service. The apostle rejoiced in the good result of their bad intentions. The success of the Gospel in any place and by any means, when that success is real, is always a cause of rejoicing to the good.

+Lessons.+--1. The Gospel has a message for all classes. 2. Its faithful proclamation involves difficulty and suffering. 3. Its interests are often promoted from mixed motives.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 12-14. Christian Boldness.

+I. Distinguish Christian boldness from its counterfeits, and set forth some of its leading attributes.+--There is a false and hurtful boldness arising from--1. Ignorance. 2. A bad judgment. 3. Native rashness. 4. The pride of courage which scorns to fear the face of man. 5. Mere natural resolution. 6. A wilful obstinacy. 7. A domineering spirit. The boldness which God approves must be chiefly drawn from other sources and possess higher and more ethereal attributes. 1. It must be bottomed on holy love--love to God and love to man. 2. It must be humble. 3. Must be delicate and regardful of all the rules of decorum. 4. Must be wise, discreet, and prudent. 5. Must be faithful. 6. Must be grounded not merely on self-denial and submission to the will of God, but on humble confidence in Him.

+II. Some motives to rouse us to this holy and elevated frame and to a corresponding course of conduct.+--1. This Christian heroism is absolutely necessary to clear up the evidences of our own piety. 2. Without rising up to this heroic and active zeal we cannot be faithful to God and our generation. 3. Estimate the importance of this duty by considering what would be the effect if all professing Christians were thus intrepid and faithful. 4. In many instances fear is altogether groundless, and is the mere suggestion of indolence. 5. For want of faithful admonition and entreaty many may have perished.--E. D. Griffin.

Ver. 12. The Development of Events in a Consecrated Life--

+I. Is the work of an over-ruling Providence.+

+II. Produces startling results, disappointing alike to the hopes of the enemy and the fears of friends.+

+III. Whatever may be its starting-point attains its end in the furtherance of the Gospel.+

+IV. Illustrates how moral principles when tried in suffering become mightier forces in the world's evangelisation.+

+V. A pledge that fellowship of suffering with Christ shall be followed by a fellowship of glory.+--Lay Preacher.

Ver. 13. Moral Influence.

+I. Paul's moral influence exerted a mighty power under the most disadvantageous circumstances+--in bonds.

+II. With a very limited opportunity+--one soldier daily.

+III. Upon a class of mind and heart not easily impressed+--the guard which had charge of him.

+IV. Throughout the city+--notwithstanding the restraints of his own hired house.

+V. Reaching the further field by first fully cultivating the one at hand.+--Ibid.

Ver. 14. The Ministry of Paul's Bonds.

+I. It was loyal to his Roman citizenship+ (Acts xxvi. 31, 32).

+II. Christ-like, it was silent amid provocation, self-sacrificing, persuasive.+

+III. It was fruitful in the furtherance of the Gospel.+--1. By preaching it under the shadow of Nero's palace. 2. By intensifying the love of it and zeal for it in the hearts of the brethren.

+IV. It illustrates+ how Christ can erect a pulpit for Himself in the very camp of the enemy, and put a voice for His glory even into chains.--Lay Preacher.

Ver. 15. A Spurious Ministry.

+I. The elements formative of it.+--1. An imperfect apprehension of Christ's mission. 2. A total absence of Christ's spirit. 3. Thought and sympathy narrowed by early prejudice and preconceived ideas. 4. Christ made subservient to the doctrines, ritual, and history of a system.

+II. The results inseparable from it.+--1. The cross degraded into a rallying point for party strife. 2. The basest spirit indulged under the pretence of fulfilling a sacred office. (1) Envy--displeasure at another's good. (2) Strife--selfish rivalry which seeks to gain the good belonging to another. 3. Christ preached merely to advance a party. 4. Zeal for propagating a creed greater than to save a lost world.--Ibid.

Ver. 16. The Germ of a Spurious Ministry--

+I. May exist in those who zealously preach Christ.+

+II. Consists in a moral contradiction between the heart of the preacher and the theme of his discourse--contentiousness and Christ.+

+III. Produces impurity of motive in Christian work+--"not sincerely."

+IV. Biases the judgment to expect results which are never realised+--"supposing."

+V. Inspires aims which are un-Christian+--"to add affliction to my bonds."

Ver. 17. The Real and the Counterfeit in the Christian Ministry.

+I. They correspond.+--1. Both adopt the Christian name. 2. Both utter the same shibboleth. 3. Both active in preaching Christ.

+II. They differ.+--1. In heart. Contention rules the one; love reigns in the other.

2. In spirit.--Envy and strife moves the one; goodwill actuates the other.

3. In source of strength.--Love of party animates the one; waxing confident in the Lord emboldens the other.

4. In aim.--That of the one is to advance, it may be, a lifeless Church; that of the other to propel the Gospel of Christ.

5. In the depth and accuracy of conviction.--The one "supposing to add affliction to my bonds"; the other "knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel."--Lay Preacher.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 19-26.

The Noble Attitude of a Sufferer for the Truth.

+I. The hostility of false brethren tends to the enlargement of the truth, whatever may be the fate of the sufferer.+--1. He is assured of personal blessing from the Spirit through prayer. "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (ver. 19). The apostle already sees how his troubles and suffering may develop his own spiritual life and be a pathway to the glories of heaven. By the prayers of God's people he looks for an abundant supply of the Spirit, by whose agency his salvation will be perfected. The enemies of the good man cannot rob him of his interest in Christ, and suffering only adds new lustre to every Christian grace. The Port Royalist exclaimed, "Let us labour and suffer; we have all eternity to rest in." Paul, who, fighting with wild beasts, was a spectacle to angels and men, could reckon that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."

2. The greatness of Christ is set forth by the courage given to the sufferer, though uncertain of what awaits him.--"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but . . . Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death" (ver. 20). With the earnest expectation and hope of future glory, the apostle had no need to be ashamed of his work for God or of God's work in him; but he regarded his sufferings, not as a setting forth of his own goodness, but of the glory of Jesus, who gave him strength and fortitude to endure. It is in tribulation that the grace of Christ is most conspicuous. The Redeemer was perfected through suffering; so are His followers.

+II. The alternative of life or death presents a problem the sufferer is unable to solve.+--"What I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two" (vers. 22, 23).

1. Life has great attractions.--(1) Christ may be further exalted. "For to me to live is Christ" (ver. 21). Life is an opportunity for setting forth Christ, and this is done by carefully copying His example. "As I stood beside one of the wonderful Aubusson tapestries," says Eugene Stock, "I said to the gentleman in charge, 'How is this done?' He showed me a small loom with a partly finished web upon it, and said that the weaver stands behind his work, with his materials by his side, and above him the picture he is to copy, exactly thread for thread and colour for colour. He cannot vary a thread or a shade without marring his picture." It is a glorious thing for us to have a perfect life for example by which to form our lives. And we cannot vary a hair-breadth from that example without injuring our lives. (2) More results of Christian work may be gathered. "But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour" (ver. 22). The best use of life is to employ it in working for God. Work done for Him will remain when the worker is forgotten. In ministerial work we may garner the most precious fruits. (3) Help may be afforded to others. "Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (ver. 24). Paul was the pioneer and founder of Christianity among the Gentiles, and the young Churches looked to him for leadership and counsel. It seemed every way desirable that for their sakes his life should be continued. No one felt this more keenly than himself, though he was assured that if that life was prematurely terminated the cause of the Gospel was safe in the hands of God.

2. Death admits to superior advantages.--"To die is gain" (ver. 21). Even by his death Christ would be glorified, and the apostle admitted not to shame or loss, as his enemies supposed, but to a state of blessed reward.

"Sorrow vanquished, labour ended, Jordan past."

"Why should I fear death?" said Sir Henry Vane, as he awaited his "execution; I find it rather shrinks from me than I from it."

"Death wounds to heal; I sink, I rise, I reign; Spring from my fetters, fasten in the skies, Where blooming Eden withers in my sight, Death gives us more than we in Eden lost."--Young.

+III. The undaunted sufferer is confident of continued opportunities of advancing the joy of believers in the truth.+--"And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith, that your rejoicing may be more abundant" (vers. 25, 26). This assurance was verified by the apostle's return to Philippi on his release from his first captivity. "Man is immortal till his work is done." Life is short, and every moment of its duration should be spent for God and the good of others. Shall we repine at our trials which are but for a moment? "We are nearing home day by day," wrote General Gordon. "No dark river, but divided waters are before us, and then let the world take its portion. Dust it is, and dust we will leave it. It is a long, weary journey, but we are well on the way of it. The yearly milestones quickly slip by, and as our days so will our strength be. The sand is flowing out of the glass, day and night, night and day; shake it not. You have a work to do here, to suffer even as Christ suffered."

+Lessons.+--1. The highest virtues are not gained without suffering. 2. Suffering for the truth strengthens our attachment to it. 3. Suffering for the truth is often a means of spreading it.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 20. Christ the Christian's Life.

+I. Christ was the recognised Source of the apostle's life.+

+II. Christ was the supreme Object of the apostle's contemplation.+

+III. The glory of Christ was the great end of the apostle's endeavours.+--H. Simon.

Ver. 21. The Christian's Life and Death.

+I. The Christian's life.+--1. It is a life in Christ. (1) Begun in regeneration. (2) Realised by faith. (3) Sustained and increased by Divine knowledge.

2. It is a life for Christ.--(1) The example of Christ is its model. (2) The will of Christ is its laws. (3) The glory of Christ is its end.

+II. The Christian's death.+--1. The Christian's death is a gain by being deprived of something. (1) Deprived of the sinful body. (2) Freed from temptation. (3) From his enemies. (4) From suffering. (5) From death.

2. The Christian's death is a gain by acquiring something.--(1) Accelerated liberty to worship God. (2) The ultimate addition of the glorified body with its exalted form and powers. (3) The blessed reunion and fellowship with departed friends. (4) The presence and companionship of Christ for ever.

Christian Life and Death.

+I. The apostle's language exhibits the proper scope and character of all truly Christian life.+--The end and substance of the Christian life is Christ.

+II. What Christian death is and how it ought to be regarded.+--Death is not simply altered life. It is life elevated and ennobled. It is gain compared with life in the flesh. Death raises the saint to be with Christ.

+III. The text puts Christian life and death before us regarded as an alternative.+--Whether life be more or less desirable, less or more desired, it should be spent under the strong and penetrating assurance that to die is gain. Be death ever so desirable, it is our own fault if the happiness of life does not more than counterbalance the trial of it.--J. D. Geden.

"For me to live is Christ." Enthusiasm for Christ.

+I. Enthusiasm for Christ in the home-life.+

"The highest duties oft are found Lying upon the lowest ground; In hidden and unnoticed ways, In household work on common days, Whate'er is done for God alone Thy God acceptable will own."

+II. Enthusiasm for Christ in public life.+

"Trust no future, howe'er pleasant, Let the dead past bury its dead; Act, act in the living present, Heart within and God o'erhead."

+III. Enthusiasm for Christ in Church-life.+

"Come, labour on, No time for rest till glows the western sky, While the long shadows o'er our pathway lie, And a glad sound comes with the setting sun, Servants, well done!"

--J. M. Forson.

The Christian's estimate of living and dying.

+I. The Christian's estimate of living should be a life in Christ.+--1. A life of which Christ is the Source. 2. A life of which Christ is the Sustainer. 3. A life of which Christ is the Sphere.

+II. The Christian's estimate of living should be a life for Christ.+--1. A life spent in labouring for Him alone. 2. A life of continued suffering for Him. 3. A life of daring everything for Him.

+III. The Christian's estimate of dying should be that it is gain.+--1. Because death leads to closer and more uninterrupted union with Christ. 2. Because death lands the true believer in absolute security.

+Lessons.+--1. In some sense the utterance of the apostle is true of every Christian. 2. In its full sense it is only true of preeminent Christians. 3. The more it is true of any, the happier and more useful Christians they are.--Homiletic Quarterly.

The Believer's Portion in both Worlds.

+I. The believer's life.+--1. Is originated by Christ. 2. Is sustained by Christ. 3. Is spent to the glory of Christ.

+II. The believer's end.+--1. The gain of sorrows escaped. 2. The gain of joys secured.

+Lessons.+--1. Improve life. 2. Prepare for death.--C. Clayton, M.A.

Vers. 23, 24. Willing to wait, but ready to go.

+I. The two desires.+--1. To depart and be with Christ. (1) The exodus from this life by dissolution of the body--"to depart." (2) Christ's presence the immediate portion of His people, when their life on earth is done--"to be with Christ."

2. To abide in the flesh.--It is a natural and lawful desire. The love of life--it is not necessary, it is not lawful to destroy it. Let it alone to the last. The way to deal with it is not to tear it violently out, so as to have, or say that you have, no desire to remain; but to get, through the grace of the Spirit, such a blessed hope of Christ's presence as will gradually balance and at last overbalance the love of life, and make it at the appointed time come easily and gently away.

+II. A Christian balanced evenly between these two desires.+--"I am in a strait betwixt two." The desire to be with Christ does not make life unhappy, because it is balanced by the pleasure of working for Christ in the world; the desire to work for Christ in the world does not make the approach of dissolution painful, because it is balanced by the expectation of being soon, of being ever with the Lord.

+III. Practical Lessons.+--1. This one text is sufficient to destroy the whole fabric of Romish prayer to departed saints. 2. The chief use of a Christian in the world is to do good. 3. You cannot be effectively useful to those who are in need on earth unless you hold by faith and hope to Christ on high. 4. Living hope of going to be with Christ is the only anodyne which has power to neutralise the pain of parting with those dear to us.--W. Arnot.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 27-30.

Exhortation to Christian Bravery.

+I. To act as becometh Christian citizens.+--"Only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of Christ" (ver. 27). Whether the apostle is able to visit them again or not, he exhorts the Philippians to attend diligently to present duties, and act in all things with the dignity and fidelity becoming members of the heavenly commonwealth. The Christian finding himself living for a time in this world as in a dark place, where other gods are worshipped, where men sell themselves for gain, where he is tempted to do as others do, and is asked to coquette with the world, to mind earthly things, should at once take his stand and say: "I cannot; I am a citizen of heaven, my affections are set on things above; I cannot come down to your level, I have come out from the world and may not touch the unclean thing; I have formed other tastes, have other pleasures; other rules regulate my conduct; I cannot live as you live, nor do as you do."

1. Be united in spiritual steadfastness.--"That ye stand fast in one spirit" (ver. 27). The Spirit inspires the highest courage, and helps all who partake of His influence to stand fast in their integrity. "For God hath given us not the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

2. Earnestly and unitedly maintain the faith.--"With one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (ver. 27). With one soul, penetrated by the same Spirit, unitedly strive to maintain the Gospel in its purity, as it was committed unto them. Every true believer should be a valiant champion for the truth. Men who have no settled faith are like those birds that frequent the Golden Horn, and are to be seen from Constantinople, of which it is said they are always on the wing and never rest. No one ever saw them alight on the water or on the land; they are for ever poised in mid-air. The natives call them lost souls, seeking rest and finding none. To lose our hold of the Gospel is to be doomed to unrest and misery. To attempt to stand alone is to court defeat. Union is strength.

3. Remember the interest of your religious teachers in your endeavours.--"That whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs" (ver. 27). That anxious minister is ever deeply concerned in the welfare of his people. He rejoices in their faithfulness and progress; he mourns over their laxity and defeat; he encourages them in their labours and struggles in the spread of the truth. Our defection from the Gospel is not only a loss to ourselves, but a disappointment and sorrow to others.

+II. To act with fearlessness in the midst of oppression.+--"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries" (ver. 28). Opposition should nerve to more resolute resistance. The enemies of the good are the enemies of God, and the good man, with God on his side, need not fear either their numbers or their ferocity. One of their ancient kings said, "The Lacedæmonians seldom inquire the number of their enemies, but the place where they could be found." When a certain captain rushed in haste to his general and said, "The enemy is coming in such vast numbers, it will be useless to resist," the general replied, "Our duty is not to count our enemies, but to conquer them." And conquer them they did.

1. This fearlessness a proof of the inevitable punishment of their opponents.--"Which is to them an evident token of perdition" (ver. 28). In contending hopelessly against you they are only rushing on to their own destruction. Your bravery in the contest, and their own consciousness of the weakness of their own cause, will strike terror into their hearts, so that they will be easily routed.

2. This fearlessness a proof of the salvation of the steadfast.--"But to you of salvation, and that of God" (ver. 28). God who gives courage to the steadfast and helps them in the conflict, ensures to them the victory. We are not saved because we are brave for God and truth, but the courageous soul will not fail of salvation.

+III. To accept suffering for the truth as a privilege and a discipline.+--1. It is suffering for Christ. "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (ver. 29). Suffering is no evidence of the Divine displeasure, but is often a signal proof of the Divine regard. There is no virtue in the mere endurance of suffering, but in the Christ-like spirit with which it is borne. There lived in a village near Burnley a girl who was persecuted in her own home because she was a Christian. She struggled on bravely, seeking strength from God, and rejoicing that she was a partaker of Christ's sufferings. The struggle was too much for her; but He willed it so, and at length her sufferings were ended. When they came to take off the clothes from her poor dead body, they found a piece of paper sewn inside her dress, and on it was written, "He opened not His mouth."

2. It is suffering which the best of men have endured.--"Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me" (ver. 30). Suffering for the truth links us with Paul and his contemporaries, and with the noble army of martyrs in all ages. Christ has taught us how to suffer, and for His sake we can bear pain and calumny without complaining and without retaliation. Mrs. Sherwood relates that, pained at seeing Henry Martyn completely prostrate by his tormentor, Sabat, the apostate, she exclaimed, "Why subject yourself to all this? Rid yourself of this Sabat at once." He replied, "Not if his spirit was ten times more acrimonious and exasperating." Then smiling in his gentle, winning manner, he pointed upwards and whispered in low and earnest tones, "For Him!"

+Lessons.+--1. The Christian spirit inspires loftiest heroism. 2. To strive to be good excites the opposition of the wicked. 3. One true Christian hero is an encouragement to many.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 27. Christian Consistency.

+I. The apostle pleaded for a consistent Christian Church.+--1. The Christian life must be characterised by truthfulness. 2. By love. 3. By purity.

+II. The apostle pleaded for a united Christian Church.+--1. This union was necessary to resist their common adversaries. 2. To develop their Christian graces. 3. To establish the true faith.

+III. The apostle pleaded for a zealous Christian Church.+--1. This zeal demanded for a noble object. "The faith of the gospel." 2. To be exercised in a commendable manner. "Striving together."--J. T. Woodhouse.

Evangelical Consistency.

+I. What that conduct is which becomes the Gospel.+--1. It must be the genuine result of Gospel dispositions. 2. It must be maintained under the influence of Gospel principles and in the use of Gospel ordinances. 3. It must resemble Gospel patterns. 4. It must be conformable to Gospel precepts.

+II. What obligations are we under to maintain this conduct.+--1. God requires us to conduct ourselves according to the Gospel. 2. Consistency requires it. 3. Our personal comfort requires it. 4. Our connection with society requires it. 5. Our final salvation requires it.

+Lessons.+--1. How excellent is the Christian religion. 2. How illiberal and unreasonable is the conduct of those who censure Christianity on account of the unworthy actions of its inconsistent professors.--R. Treffry.

The Effects of the Gospel upon those who receive it.

+I. Illustrate the exhortation of the apostle.+--1. The Gospel of Christ is a system which assumes and proceeds upon the invaluable value of the soul. 2. Which assumes and depicts the danger and guilt of the soul, and provides a plan for its immediate restoration to the Divine favour. 3. Is a system of peculiar and authoritative truth. 4. Is a system of godliness. 5. Of morals. 6. Of universal charity.

+II. The sources of the apostle's anxiety.+--1. He desired the Philippians thus to act from a regard of the honour of the Gospel and its Author. 2. Out of a regard for the Philippians themselves. 3. From a regard to the Gentiles. 4. From a regard to himself, his own peace and his own joy.--T. Binney.

Vers. 28, 29. Conflict and Suffering.--1. Faith in Christ must go before suffering for Christ, so that to suffer for Him is of greater importance, and in some respects more honourable, than simply to believe in Him. 2. Then are sufferings truly Christian and an evidence of salvation, when as the sufferer is first a believer, so his sufferings are for Christ's sake--for His truth. 3. Christian courage under suffering will not be kept up without conflict. 4. In suffering for truth nothing befalls us but what is common to men.--Fergusson.

* * * * * * * *

+CHAPTER II.+

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. +Consolation in Christ.+--Exhortation would be better, inasmuch as consolation anticipates the comfort of the next phrase. +Comfort of love.+--Encouragement which love gives. +Fellowship of the Spirit.+--"Participation in the Spirit." Meyer's remark is, "This is to be explained of the Holy Spirit." Beet intimates a widening of the idea--"brotherliness prompted by the Holy Spirit." +Bowels and mercies.+--On the former term see ch. i. 8. The word for mercies denotes the yearning of the heart, though, it may be, there is no ability to help.

Ver. 2. +Fulfil ye my joy.+--"Fill up" my cup of joy. See ch. i. 4. +Likeminded.+--"General harmony, . . . identity of sentiment" (Meyer). On this verse, with its accumulations, Chrysostom exclaims, "Bless me! how often he says the same thing!"

Ver. 3. +Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory.+--The verb is suppressed in the Greek, a construction more natural and more forcible than to connect the nothing with the preceding clause. "Partisanship and pomposity." For the ruin of how many Churches are this pair responsible! +In lowliness of mind.+--A rare flower, scattering its fragrance unseen. "It was one great result of the life of Christ (on which St. Paul dwells here) to raise humility to its proper level; and, if not fresh coined for this purpose, the word (for 'lowliness of mind') now first became current through the influence of Christian ethics" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 5. +Let this mind be in you.+--The apostle's word reminds us that he had already counselled his readers to be likeminded amongst themselves. "Each to each, and all to Christ," this verse seems to say. What follows--to ver. 11--is the very marrow of the Gospel.

Ver. 6. +Who, being in the form of God.+--R.V. margin, "being originally." Form here implies not the external accidents, but the essential attributes. Similar to this, but not so decisive, are the expressions used elsewhere of the Divinity of the Son (2 Cor. iv. 4; Col. i. 15; Heb. i. 3). Similar is the term "The Word." +Thought it not robbery.+--"Did not deem His being on an equality with God a thing to be seized on--and retained as a prize" (Ellicott). "Yet did not regard it as a prize, a treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards" (Lightfoot). This interpretation of the two eminent bishops is accepted by the R.V., the Speaker's Commentary, and is the common and indeed almost universal interpretation of the Greek Fathers (Lightfoot, flatly contradicted by Beet). Meyer (followed by Beet), Cremer and Hofmann contend for the active meaning--"robbing." +To be equal with God.+--The Jews considered Christ's peculiar claim of Sonship as a "making Himself equal with God" (John v. 18).

Ver. 7. +But made Himself of no reputation.+--R.V. "emptied Himself." The emphasis is upon Himself. In contrast to the idea lying in "robbery"--that of emptying the treasures of some one else--it was Himself whom He made bare. +And took upon Him the form of a servant.+--By taking the form of a slave. Note the antitheses in these verses (6, 7), "being in the form of God," "took the form of a servant," "equality with God," "emptied Himself." +And was made in the likeness of men.+--Lit. "becoming in similitude of men." The word "likeness" (A.V. margin, "habit") differs from "form" and "fashion." There is, of course, no support for the Docetic teaching that Christ was only seemingly a man.

Ver. 8. +In fashion.+--The entire outwardly perceptible mode and form. Men saw in Christ a human form, bearing, language, action, mode of life, wants and their satisfaction, in general, the state and relations of a human being so that He was recognised "as a man" (Meyer). "Form" in (vers. 6, 7) is that which is intrinsic and essential. "Fashion" is that which is outward and accidental. +Became obedient unto death.+--Does not mean that He humbled Himself so as to become a cringing slave to the King of Terrors; but that His obedience to God went to the uttermost limit--as far as death--even the death of the cross. That is, the death of the accursed, the death reserved for malefactors. Jewish hatred still speaks of Christ as, "The man who was hung."

Ver. 9. +Highly exalted.+--A word much stronger than those, e.g., in the Acts, which describe the raising up of the murdered Lord of life. We trace the descent step by step to the last rung of the ladder; by one stupendous act (Rom. i. 4) God graced His Son with unique honour and dignity (Eph. i. 21).

Ver. 10. +That at the name of Jesus.+--Not at the mention of the name Jesus, but in the name of Jesus. For illustration of the phrase see Christ's own words, "in My name" (John xiv. 13, 14, etc.). +Every knee should bow.+--The outward symbol of an inward submission or recognition of superiority. By what language could the apostle express the exaltation above creaturely needs if not by this? If used of a creature, it would be blasphemous. The jealous God does not allow bowing down in worship to any but Himself. As Pliny said, Quasi Deo.

Ver. 11. +Should confess.+--"Proclaim with thanksgiving" (Lightfoot). It is the word which describes the frank admission [of wrong, Matt. iii. 6]. +That Jesus Christ is Lord.+--The emphasis is on "Lord." The specific Christian profession of faith is "Jesus is Lord"; its opposite "Anathema Jesus" (1 Cor. xii. 3 and Rom. x. 9).

Ver. 12. +Ye have always obeyed.+--Obedience describes the attitude of the mind of these Philippians in presence of the commanding truths of the Gospel; "Obedience" or "obedience of faith" is found several times in the epistle to the Romans; and in 2 Cor. vii. 15 stands in close connection with "fear and trembling," as here. +Fear and trembling.+--Such an apprehensive desire to be right with God as is figured by bodily tremor.

Ver. 13. +For it is God which worketh in you.+--This sentence removes all merit from the most punctilious diligence, whilst it as effectually takes away the paralysing fear of failure to which "workers together with God" need never give place.

Ver. 14. +Do all things without murmurings.+--Without mutterings, as men who in cowardice dare not speak plainly what they think. We must consider the warning as against God on account of what He imposed on them both to do and to suffer. +And disputings.+--The word goes much deeper than the restricted meaning of "disputings." It seems here to mean without first entering upon scrupulous considerings as to whether you are under any obligation thereto, whether it is not too difficult, whether prudent, and the like (Meyer).

Ver. 15. +That ye may be blameless.+--Sons of God they are already; they are now to become worthy sons. In the word "blameless" we have the idea of a character in which no grace is defective (Heb. viii. 7 is a good illustration. If the first covenant had been faultless, a second would have been superfluous). +And harmless.+--Christ's own counsel. "Be harmless as doves." Lit. the word means unmixed, unadulterated, and figuratively, artless. Of sophistries and the deep things of Satan he would rather they were in happy ignorance (Matt. x. 16; Rom. xvi. 19). +Without rebuke.+--Vulgate, "immaculatum." The word is originally a sacrificial term. It describes the victim in which the keen inquisitorial eye of the official inspector has found no fault. So (1 Pet. i. 19) of the Lamb of God, in the whiteness of spotless innocency.

Ver. 16. +Holding forth the word of life.+--"If we are to look for any metaphor it would most naturally be that of offering food or wine" (Lightfoot). Why it should be at all events wholly unconnected with the preceding image in "lights in the world" one does not quite see. There is nothing objectionable in the thought of a star holding forth its beam to the mariner, or the benighted wayfarer, and it has the advantage of continuity of the metaphor in the verse previous. +That I may rejoice in the day of Christ.+--As good news of his convert's fidelity was like a new lease of life to the worn apostle (1 Thess. iii. 8), so his sweetest hope was to be able to stand before his Lord with his children by his side. +Have not run . . . laboured.+--Athletic terms familiar to St. Paul's readers.

Ver. 17. +If I be offered upon the sacrifice.+--R.V. margin, "poured out as a drink-offering." Whether the reference is the the cup of wine poured over the heathen sacrifice or the drink-offering of the Jewish is doubted, and is of little consequence, since in either case his meaning would be clear enough. +And service.+--Priestly function (Luke i. 23).

Ver. 20. +No man likeminded.+--A.V. margin, "so dear unto me," evidently because the same word is used in Ps. lv. 13. "Likeminded" with whom? "With me," says Meyer, that is, "having the same tender feeling towards you as I have." +Who will naturally care.+--Not of necessity, nor grudgingly.

Ver. 21. +All seek their own.+--Interpret how we will, this is a bitter sentence. We are apt to be severe on those who have other engagements when we feel our need of friends.

Ver. 22. +Ye know the proof.+--The character that shows itself under strain or testing (Acts xvi. 1 and xvii. 14, xix. 22, xx. 3, 4). +As a son with the father.+--R.V. "as a child serveth." The older man and the younger had slaved for the Gospel; as for some dear object of desire a father and his son may be seen at work together.

Ver. 24. +I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.+--The apostle, in personal matters, is on the same footing with the most obscure Christian. When his friends forsake him he must bear it with what fortitude he can. When darkness surrounds him he must wait God's time--no prophecy lifts the veil.

Ver. 25. +Epaphroditus.+--Brother, work-mate, comrade-in-arms, Church-messenger, and serving-man. What a designation! St. Paul thinks him worthy of all the honour (ver. 29) that the Church can give, and he himself immortalises him by this unusual estimate of his personal character and worth.

Ver. 26. +Was full of heaviness.+--The same word is used of our Lord when in Gethsemane--"He began to be very heavy." Its etymology is an open question, Grimm, following Buttmann, says it means "the uncomfortable feeling of one who is not at home." If this, the almost universally accepted derivation be the correct one, it is a beautiful idyll we have presented to us. A convalescent, far from home, as his strength returns feels the pangs of home-sickness strengthen and eagerly returns to dispel the misgivings of those made anxious by tidings of his critical illness.

Ver. 27. +Nigh unto death.+--Or as we say colloquially, "next door to death." +God had mercy on him.+--St. Paul speaks after the manner of men, as we could not have dared to say anything else if Epaphroditus had died. The cry of woe so often heard by Christ was "have mercy." +Sorrow upon sorrow.+--"He does not parade the apathy of the Stoics, as though he were iron and far removed from human affections" (Calvin).

"When sorrows come they come not single spies, But in battalions."

Ver. 28. +The more carefully.+--R.V. "diligently." "With increased eagerness" (Lightfoot). How difficult it must have been for St. Paul to relinquish the company of so worthy a man we do not realise; but he who gives up is worthy of the friend he gives up, for neither of them is consulting his own wishes. "Love seeketh not her own." What a contrast to sordid Hedonism--old or new! +Ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.+--A variation on the theme of the letter--the sum of which is, as Bengel says, "I rejoice; rejoice ye." What an exquisitely chosen form of expression! "A prior sorrow will still remain unremoved," says Lightfoot; "but if he cannot go so far as to say he will rejoice, the alleviation of the loss of such a friend's society is the fact that they have him again."

Ver. 29. +Hold such in honour.+--Learn to know the value of such--"grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel."

Ver. 30. +For the work of Christ.+--What noble self-oblivion the apostle manifests! He thinks more of the cause dear to his heart than of his own comfort or even life. +Not regarding his life.+--R.V. "hazarding his life." There is the difference of a single letter in the long word of the R.V. The word of the R.V. means "having gambled with his life." Just as to-day a visitor to Rome in the autumn must run the risk of malarial fever, so Epaphroditus, for the work of Christ, had faced that, and other dangers as great, probably. The A.V. would mean "as far as his life was concerned he followed an ill-advised course of action." +To supply your lack of service toward me.+--Does not mean that they had been remiss in their attention. They did not lack the will, but the opportunity.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 1-4.

Christian Unity an Occasion of Joy.

+I. Christian unity is a striving after the Spirit of Christ.+--"That ye be likeminded" (ver. 2).

1. Manifested in loving consolation to those in distress.--"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love" (ver. 1). If the pagan expressed unity by those who dwelt in one village and drank of one fountain, how much more real is the union of those who drink of the same Spirit and practise the lovingkindness of the one Christ. A striking evidence of the unity of Christianity is seen in its sympathy everywhere for the poor, the sick, and the unfortunate. It is Christ-like to comfort and help the distressed.

2. Manifested in spiritual fellowship.--"If any fellowship of the Spirit" (ver. 1). Christians are one by their communion together, flowing from their joint participation in the same Spirit. The union of hearts is more real and stable than the external union expressed by creeds and contracts. The Spirit is the unifying power of Christendom.

3. Manifested in compassion for the suffering.--"If any bowels and mercies" (ver. 1). Christianity is a mission to the suffering. Before the Christian era there were no hospitals and infirmaries, no care for the afflicted poor. Unselfish benevolence was almost unknown. Nothing is more remarkable than the spirit of tender compassion that Christianity has breathed into social and national life.

+II. Christianity is opposed to a spirit of faction and empty boasting.+--"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory" (ver. 3). The message of the Gospel is one of peace and goodwill to all men. It is foreign to its spirit to exalt the interests of party or of self; it seeks to promote a universal and all-pervasive charity. The Germans have a legend connected with the terrific battle of Chalons between the Visigoths and the Romans against Attila. The bloody work of the sword was done, the plain was strewn with heaps of the slain; but for three nights following--so ran the story--the spirits of the slain hovered over the scene and continued the strife in the air. The like has been done again and again in the party strifes and controversies of the Church. Unity is impossible where contention and vanity have sway.

+III. Christian unity is strengthened by the maintenance of a humble spirit.+--1. In comparing oneself with others. "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (ver. 3). The man who walks humbly with God, realising his complete dependence on Him, will not unduly exalt himself, and will highly esteem others, as knowing that they are equally with himself dependent on God for their abilities. Instead of fixing your eyes on those points in which you may excel, fix them on those in which your neighbour excels you: to do this is true humility. The excellencies of others are better known than their defects, and our own defects are better known to ourselves than to others. A sense of personal short-coming will keep us humble. Humility is a special product of Christianity. The whole Roman language, with all the improvements of the Augustan age, does not afford so much as a name for humility; nor was one found in all the copious language of the Greeks, till it was made by the great apostle.

2. In considering other people's interests as well as your own.--"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (ver. 4). The truly humble are thoroughly disinterested. The work of the meek and lowly Jesus is the loftiest example of disinterestedness. He looked to the things of others rather than to His own. In unselfishly seeking the good of others we promote our own. When Augustine was asked, "What is the first thing in religion?" he answered, "Humility." "What is the second?" "Humility." "And what is the third?" "Humility." Speaking of pride, Augustine truly said, "That which first overcame man is the last thing he overcomes." Humility is a strong bond of Christian unity.

+IV. Christian unity is an occasion of great joy.+--"Fulfil ye my joy" (ver. 2). The weak spot in the disposition of the Philippians was a tendency to quarrelsomeness; hence he insists upon unity. They had given him joy in the other Christian excellencies they possessed; he asks them to complete his joy in cherishing the grace of unity. "Behold," exclaimed the rejoicing Psalmist, as he contemplated the union of the Jewish tribes, "how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" (Ps. cxxxiii. 1). The bundle of arrows cannot be broken while it remains a bundle. Tacitus, an ancient Latin historian, says of the Germans, what sceptics and others find true of Christians, "Whilst fighting separately, all are conquered together." The strength of the Christian Church lies in its consolidation.

+Lessons.+--1. Christian unity is of supreme importance. 2. Is absolutely necessary to represent the Spirit of Christ. 3. Is the cause of much joy to the anxious minister.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 1, 2. Unity and Concord in the Church.--1. As unity and concord is necessary in itself and at all times, so is it most necessary in suffering times: the enjoyment of Christ's presence, the reaping of any spiritual advantage by the communion and love of the saints, fellowship with God through the operation of the Spirit, depend upon it. 2. The success of the Gospel will be matter of joy to a public-spirited Christian, even in the midst of his own crosses and sufferings. 3. That unity and concord among the Churches may be solid and lasting, there should be unity of will and affections, of designs and endeavours, and in opinion and matters of judgment.--Fergusson.

Ver. 3. Humility an Antidote to Contention.--1. The lust of vainglory, whereby a man pursues more after the applause of men than to be approved of God, is the mother of contention and strife, and unfriendly to union and peace. 2. The grace of humility does not consist in an affected strain of words and gestures, but, being seated in the heart, makes a man think meanly of himself and of anything that is his. 3. So conscious should we be of our own infirmities, so modest in the esteem of our own graces and virtues, so prone to charity, that we ought to esteem any other, for what we know of him, to be better than ourselves.--Ibid.

Ver. 4. Looking on the Things of Others.

+I. One school in which we learn the lesson of unselfishness is the home circle.+

+II. Another way in which God teaches us the same lesson is through the experience we gain in the intercourse of daily work.+--We divide men into the selfish and the unselfish--those who work for self and think of self, and those whose labours are for other men.

+III. We are taught to consider other men by the perplexities and confusion which arise when we think only of ourselves.+--The modern philosophy is true so far when it says that man is nothing in himself, but only a bundle of relations, the meeting-point of many influences. Those who fix their attention upon the meeting-point forget what makes the man. Probably there is no more confused or miserable man than the self-analyst.--A. R. MacEwen.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 5-8.

The Humiliation of Christ a Pattern of Supreme Unselfishness.

+I. The humiliation of Christ was no violation of His Divine essence.+--"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (ver. 6). Thought it not a prey to be seized upon. As He was in Himself truly and properly God, it could be no object of desire or ambition to claim equality with God. Being God He could not undeify Himself. His Divinity remained with Him through the whole course of His self-imposed humiliation. It was this that constituted both the mystery and the greatness of the humiliation.

+II. The humiliation of Christ was a voluntary incarnation in human form.+--"But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (ver. 7). He emptied Himself, not of His Divinity--that was impossible--but of the outward and self-manifesting glories of the Godhead. He took the form of a servant by being made in the likeness of man. He remained full of Divinity, yet He bore Himself as if He were empty. A native preacher among the Oneidas, addressing his fellow-converts, said: "What are the views you form of the character of Jesus? You will answer, perhaps, that He was a man of singular benevolence. You will tell me that He proved this to be His character by the nature of the miracles He wrought. He created bread to feed thousands who were ready to perish. He raised to life the son of a poor woman who was a widow, and to whom his labours were necessary for her support in old age. Are these then your only views of the Saviour? I will tell you they are lame. When Jesus came into the world He threw His blanket around Him, but the God was within."

+III. The humiliation of Christ reached its climax in a career of obedience even unto death.+--"He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (ver. 8). He fulfilled all the demands of law and of God. He shrank not from death--death in its most shameful and ignoble form, the death of the cross. He was numbered with the transgressors--not an honourable death, but like the degrading execution of criminals. He went to the realm of the dead and revolutionised it. Hitherto death had reigned supreme, an unbroken power. The prison-house of the dead was fast locked. None returned. Now One comes there who has the keys of Hades and of death. He opens the door and sets the captives free. "Meekness in suffering, prayer for His murderers, a faithful resignation of His soul into the hands of His heavenly Father, the sun eclipsed, the heavens darkened, and earth trembling, the graves open, the rocks rent, the veil of the Temple torn--who could say less than this, 'Truly, this was the Son of God'? He suffers patiently; this is through the power of grace; many good men have done so through His enabling. The frame of nature suffers with Him; this is proper to the God of Nature, the Son of God" (Bishop Hall).

+IV. The humiliation of Christ is an example of unselfishness to all His followers.+--"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (ver. 5). The apostle does not put forth himself as an example, but Christ. Christ gave His all for us, and we should give our all to Him, and our best service for the good of others. No one can follow Christ until he has first found Christ. Some try to imitate Christ before they have savingly found Him. To look at Christ as our Example only, and not as our Redeemer, is not to see Him as He is. Without faith in Christ as our Redeemer we cannot really follow His example. Without the grace of Christ there can be no imitation of Christ. A little girl once presented to a celebrated statesman a small bouquet of ordinary flowers, the only one she could procure at the season. He inquired why she gave him the bouquet. "Because I love you," the child answered. "Do you bring any little gifts to Jesus?" he asked. "Oh," said the child, "I give myself to Him."

+Lessons.+--1. The unselfish are always humble. 2. The humble are patient in doing and suffering. 3. Humility is the pathway to exaltation.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 5-8. The Incarnate Deity.

+I. That Christ did not seek to retain an appearance of Divine glory and co-equality.+

+II. He divested Himself actually of His appropriate and descriptive ensigns of Divine nature and government.+

+III. He entered upon a course of responsible subordination.+

+IV. He united Himself to human nature by a perfect incarnation.+

+V. He stooped to the most extreme depression of state.+

+VI. He reduced Himself to the necessity of death.+

+VII. He yielded to death in a peculiar form.+

+Lessons.+--1. How admirable is the expedient of the Redeemer's incarnation! 2. What a sublime example does the conduct of the Saviour afford.--R. W. Hamilton.

Ver. 5. The Christian Temper the Same Mind which was in Christ.

+I. Some things in which we cannot consider Christ as an example.+--All those graces in us which suppose our guilt and fallen state could not be exemplified to us by our Saviour.

+II. Some things related of Christ we must not pretend to imitate.+--What He did under the character of Messiah was peculiar to Himself, and not designed to put us on doing likewise.

+III. Why Christians should copy the mind and temper of Christ.+--1. It was the design of God to set His Son before us as the model of the Christian temper. 2. He was a pattern admirably fitted to be proposed to our imitation. (1) He was an example in our own nature. (2) His circumstances and conduct in our nature adapted His example to the most general use. (3) His example was perfect, so that it has the force of a rule. 3. The relations in which we stand to Christ and the concern we have with Him lay us under the strongest engagements to endeavour a resemblance. He is our friend, our Lord and Master, our Head, our Judge, the model of our final happiness.

+Lessons.+--1. Christianity in its main design is a practical thing. 2. We see the advantages we have by the Gospel beyond any other dispensation for true goodness. 3. How inexcusable must they be who are not recovered to a God-like temper and conversation by this most excellent dispensation! 4. With what care and attention should we study the life of Christ!--J. Evans, D.D.

Christ our Pattern.

+I. The mind of Christ was a pure mind.+

+II. A self-sacrificing mind.+

+III. A lowly mind.+

+IV. A forbearing mind.+

+V. A constant mind.+

+VI. A prayerful mind.+--Preacher's Magazine.

Vers. 6, 7. Christ the Redeemer.--This which the Son of God did and underwent is the one fact of heaven and earth, with which none in creation, none in history, none in your own personal being, can for a moment be compared, but in the presence and in the light of which all these ought to be contemplated and concluded--that it is the great object of faith and practice. Of faith--for upon the personal and hearty reception of it as the foundation of your life before God, that life itself, and all its prospects, depend; of practice--for high above all other examples, shining over and blessing while it surpasses them, is this mighty example of the Son of God. Oh, brethren, how the selfish man and the selfish woman and the selfish family ought to depart from such a theme as this, downcast for very shame, and abased at their unlikeness to the pattern which they profess to be imitating! Oh that this question might be fixed and rankle like a dart in their bosoms, even till it will take no answer but the surrender of the life to Him, and, by the daily grace of His Spirit, living as He lived!--Alford.

Ver. 8. Christ's Crucifixion.--

+I. As an historical fact.+--It is quite certain.

+II. As displaying in its circumstances every variety of human character.+

+III. As accompanied by striking prodigies.+--The darkened sun, the quaking earth, the cleft rocks, the rent veil, the opened graves.

+IV. As furnishing an illustrious example of the passive virtues.+--Taught us how to suffer and to die.

+V. As being the brightest manifestation of self-denying and self-devoting love.+

+VI. As constituting the sole meritorious cause of human salvation.+--Who is the sufferer? The Son of God. Why does He suffer? As a prophet, as a martyr, as an example? Yes; but chiefly as a sacrifice for sin.

+VII. As producing the most wonderful moral transformations.+--On individuals, on communities, and on Christendom.--G. Brooks.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 9-11.

The Exaltation of Christ--

+I. Was a Divine act.+--"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him" (ver. 9). As a recognition of the humiliation and obedience of Christ, God exalted Him to the throne of mediatorial sovereignty. As Bengel puts it, "Christ emptied Christ; God exalted Christ as man to equality with God" (Compare Ps. viii. 5, 6, cx. 1, 7; Matt. xxviii. 18; Luke xxiv. 26; John v. 27, x. 17; Rom. xiv. 9; Eph. i. 20-22; Heb. ii. 9).

+II. Was the acquisition of a name of pre-eminent dignity and significance.+--"And given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus" (vers. 9, 10). Jesus is the same as Joshua, or Jehoshua, only framed to the Greek pronunciation and termination. Joshua, who brought the hosts of Israel into the rest of Canaan, was originally called Hoshea, but it was changed into Joshua or Jehoshua, by an addition of the first syllable in the Divine name Jehovah, perhaps to intimate that not Joshua of himself, but Jehovah by Him, would complete the deliverance and rest of Israel. The name Jesus means Jehovah-Saviour, or Jehovah-Salvation, and Jesus is so called because He saves His people from their sins. The name cannot be given to any other being; it belongs solely and absolutely to the one Jesus. "Here we should probably look," says Lightfoot, "to a common Hebrew sense of name, not meaning a definite appellation, but denoting office, rank, dignity. In this case the use of the name of God in the Old Testament to denote the Divine Presence or the Divine Majesty, more especially as the object of adoration and praise, will suggest the true meaning; since the context dwells on the honour and worship henceforth offered to Him on whom the name has been conferred. To praise the name, to bless the name, to fear the name of God, are frequent expressions in the Old Testament." The name of Jesus marks the pre-eminence of Jesus--it is the "name above every name." That name wields the mightiest power in the world to-day. A modern writer of reputation has said: "There is a wave--I believe it is only a wave--passing over the cultivated thought of Europe at present, which will make short work of all belief in a God that does not grip fast to Jesus Christ. As far as I can read the signs of the times and the tendency of modern thinking, it is this--either an absolute silence, a heaven stretching above us, blue and clear and cold, and far away and dumb; or else a Christ that speaks--He or none. The theism that has shaken itself loose from Him will be crushed, I am sure, in the encounter with the agnosticism and materialism of this day." The name of the exalted Jesus is the salvation of the world in more senses than one.

+III. Entitles Him to universal homage.+--"Every knee shall bow . . . and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (vers. 10, 11). Beings above, below, and on the earth shall acknowledge the supremacy and deity of Jesus, and unite in a universal and consentaneous act of praise and worship of His Divine majesty. On the door of the old mosque in Damascus, once a Christian church, but now ranked among the holiest of Mahometan sanctuaries, are inscribed these remarkable words: "Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations." For more than twelve hundred years the inscription has remained unimpaired by time and undisturbed by man. What is it waiting for? Already a Christian Church has been founded in that ancient city, and the Gospel is preached there every Sabbath. The world's submission to Jesus is drawing near.

+Lessons.+--The name of Jesus--1. Is unique in its reputation. 2. In its moral influence among the nations. 3. In its saving power. 4. In the homage paid to it.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 9-11. The Name of Jesus: its Exaltation and Power.

+I. The Saviour's exaltation+ (ver. 9).--He was exalted by His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and His glorious session at the right hand of God, whence He now discharges the high functions of Prophet, Priest, and King.

+II. The Saviour's name.+--"That at the name of Jesus" (ver. 10). Jehovah, the Saviour.

1. The supreme eminence of the name.--"A name which is above every name."

2. Pre-eminent because no other being could receive the title.

3. Pre-eminent because there is no other name that has the mysterious virtue of saving as this.

+III. The power of the Saviour's name.+--1. In saving the sinner. 2. In commanding the homage and worship of all, and in eliciting the universal acknowledgement of His deity (vers. 10, 11).

+We learn a lesson of humility.+--1. Because Christ humbled Himself for us. 2. We should humble ourselves on account of past sins. 3. Humility leads to exaltation.

Christ Worthy of Universal Homage.--1. The Lord Christ, having abased Himself for our redemption, was exalted by the Father to the highest pitch of glory. 2. The name which is above every name is said to be given to Christ, because His Divine majesty, before hid, was now manifested and the human nature so highly honoured that that person who is man is true God, and is to be acknowledged as such. 3. However small a part of the world acknowledge Christ to be the Lord, His glory will grow till all reasonable creatures in heaven, earth, and hell subject themselves to Him, and the giving of Divine honour to Him does in no way impair the glory of God the Father.--Fergusson.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 12, 13.

Salvation--God's Work and Man's Care.

+I. Salvation is a personal blessing.+--"Your own salvation" (ver. 12). If Christ died for all, then he died for me and I may be saved. It matters little if others are being saved unless I am saved myself. It is impossible to be genuinely interested in the salvation of others unless we are saved ourselves. Salvation deals with the individual; it gathers its trophies one by one. "I have read of some seas," writes Bunyan, "so pure and clear that a man may see the bottom, though they be forty feet deep. I know this river is a deep river, but it is not said that we can see no bottom." The comparison implies that a man with good eyes may see the bottom. So, then, we shall look down through these crystal streams and see what be at the bottom of all. The bottom of all is that we might be saved. "These things I say," saith Christ, "that ye might be saved." What a good, sound bottom is here! This salvation admits man to a wealth of blessings impossible to estimate. Salvation should therefore be sought by every man earnestly, believingly, promptly.

+II. Salvation needs constant personal care.+--"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (ver. 12).

1. The Christian worker is surrounded with spiritual perils.--The apostle has referred to these perils in warning the Philippians against pride, selfishness, faction, and vain boasting (vers. 3, 4). To secure his salvation the believer must not only work, but work with circumspection, with vigilance, with fear and trembling. "God does not give the flower and the fruit of salvation, but the seed, the sunshine, and the rain. He does not give houses, nor yet beams and squared stones, but trees, rocks, and limestone, and says, 'Now build thyself a house.' Regard not God's work within thee as an anchor to hold thy bark firmly to the shore, but as a sail which shall carry it to its port. Fear thy depression and faint-heartedness, but take courage at thy humility before God" (Lange).

2. Personal care the more necessary when deprived of the oversight of a loved teacher.--"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence" (ver. 12). The Philippians had shown a spirit of ready obedience both to the apostle and to God, and they are urged to increased diligence. The apostle's "absence did not make the obligation less imperative, but it demanded more earnestness and vigilance from them in the discharge of the duty. His voice and person were a guide and stimulant and excited them to assiduous labour, so that his presence among them wrought like a charm. And now that he was not with them, and they were left to themselves, they were so much the more to double their diligence and work out salvation with fear and trembling--with distrust of themselves, earnest solicitude in every duty, humble reliance on Divine aid, with the abiding consciousness that after all they come far short of meeting obligation" (Eadie).

+III. Salvation is a Divine work.+--1. God is pleased to work in us to create a right disposition.--"It is God that worketh in you to will . . . of His good pleasure" (ver. 13). The desire for salvation and the disposition and the to seek it come from God. As the sun warms the earth and helps the flower to grow and bloom, so the Spirit of God warms the heart and calls for the growth and blossom of Christian graces. God does not take out mental and moral apparati and put in a new set, like the works of a clock; but He encourages us to use the powers already within and breathes upon us the vitalising influence of His Spirit, so that we produce results in harmony with His will.

2. God is pleased to work in us to confer the moral ability to work.--"God worketh in you . . . to do of His good pleasure" (ver. 13). Some men have ability to do great things, but have not the disposition; others may have the disposition, but not the ability. In the work of our salvation God gives both the disposition and the power. Because God works in us we may work; because He works in us we must work out our own salvation. The means of salvation are within our reach; it is our part to use them. How does the miner get out of the pit? There is a string at the bottom; he pulls it; a bell at the top rings; a rope, worked by a steam-engine, is let down, and in this way he ascends to the top. A man gets down into the pit of trouble; he cannot get up himself; he must ring the bell of prayer; God will hear it and send down the rope that is to lift him out. Man can do nothing without God, and God will do nothing without the willing co-operation of man.

+Lessons.+--1. Salvation is possible for every man. 2. Salvation may be secured by man yielding to the Divine influences working within him. 3. If man is not saved, it is his own fault.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 12, 13. Divine and Human Co-operation in Man's Salvation.

+I. The salvation to be wrought out.+--Salvation simply means deliverance. It may be either temporal or spiritual, or both. The process of salvation is to be continuous.

+II. In the work of our salvation Divine and human co-operation is necessary.+--Illustrated in the products of nature, in works of art and skill. 1. God works in us by the light of His truth. 2. By appealing to us with the influence of powerful motives. 3. Works in us by the influences of His Spirit.

+III. Seek to ascertain to what extent we are indebted for our personal salvation to God working in us.+--Our salvation from first to last is from God; that we are saved by grace, yet not so as to destroy our own effort. He produces in us the will and power. We are to exercise the will and power by repenting, believing, and living a life of holiness.

+IV. Why we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.+--Because of the possibility of our unfaithfulness. May be too sure of salvation, and too doubtful.--J. C. Symons.

The Active Exertion of Man in working out his Salvation harmonises with the Free Grace of God as being the Sole Author of it.--There are two facts connected with the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt--their preservation in the wilderness, and their settlement in the land of Canaan--to which I would solicit your attention.

+I. That all was done for them by God, and is to be ascribed solely, from first to last, to His almighty power and grace.+--1. The means by which the establishment of the Israelites in the Promised Land was effected were evidently beyond the reach of human agency. 2. Even in those particular cases in which the active exertions of the Israelites were employed as the means of their deliverance or success the whole is ascribed to God. (1) He gave them courage to fight against their enemies; (2) He gave them success by sending terror into the hearts of their enemies.

+II. That although God thus did everything for them, He did it in such a way as to bring every power of their minds and bodies into exercise, and to render their own activity absolutely necessary to their preservation and success.+--Illustrated in the passage of the Red Sea, and in the first battle of the Israelites with the Amalekites (Exod. xvii. 8).

+Lessons.+--1. As the deliverance of the Israelites and their establishment in Canaan was wholly of God, so the salvation of every sinner is to be ascribed solely and entirely to His mercy and power. 2. As God required the Israelites to be active, watchful, diligent, ardent, and strenuous in their exertions to overcome difficulties and to defeat their enemies, so He requires His people to make their calling and election sure, to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.--Although God does all for us in the matter of our salvation, yet He places us in situations where we must exert ourselves or perish.--Anonymous.

The Co-operation of Human and Divine Agency in our Salvation.

+I. This co-operation of Divine and human energies has place in all the most important facts and pursuits that make up the history of man.+--1. It is true of the commencement of our being. 2. Our growth and education are the result of the same joint agency. 3. This fundamental law reigns over all the works of man.

+II. What does God accomplish and what does He demand of us in the joint working out of our salvation?+--1 God works in us by the light of His truth. 2. By the power of motives. 3. By the energy of His Spirit.

+III. What is the intent and object of these Divine operations?+--1. They are not designed to transform the character as, when after conversion, they are media of sanctification. 2. Human co-operation is the indispensable condition of progress. 3. Will and do. These describe the duty of the unconverted man.--S. Olin, D.D.

Man's Work and God's Work.

+I. This salvation is begun when we believe in Christ, but it requires to be worked out.+

+II. The fact that God works in us renders our working possible.+

+III. The fact that God works in us should make us fear and tremble.+--R. Abercrombie, M.A.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 14-18.

The Lustre of a Blameless Life--

+I. Suppresses all murmuring and doubt as unworthy of the children of God.+--"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke" (vers. 14, 15). As the sons of God, distinguished by so high and holy a calling, believers should be blameless and pure. Their spiritual integrity should lift them above the cause of blame. To be pure and blameless they must not yield to the spirit of dissatisfaction and doubt. "No matter what may tend to excite this spirit, it must not be indulged, whether the temptation to it be the Divine command, the nature of the duty, the self-denial it involves, or the opposition occasionally encountered. There was neither grudge nor reluctance with Him whose example is described in the preceding verses, no murmur at the depth of His condescension, or doubt as to the amount or severity of the sufferings which for others He so willingly endured" (Eadie).

+II. Sheds a guiding light in the midst of a dark world.+--"In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life" (vers. 15, 16). The Philippians were to be a light and guide to their fellow-citizens, a people made up of Jew and pagan, moved by tortuous and perverse impulses. Nothing would please them: give them one argument, they cry for another; tell them of the simplicity of the Gospel, they prefer you should dwell on its mysteries; speak of its power, they ask you to expound its charity. The children of God are to society everywhere what the heavenly luminaries are to the world--they are to diffuse light, and guide the way to a better life. The star which led the wise men to Christ, the pillar of fire which led the children of Israel into Canaan, did not only shine, but went before them. Believers shine by the light of the Word which they hold forth, and that light is the guide to others. Virtue should shine in cities, not in solitudes. The Christian's duty is here among men; and the nearer he draws to his fellow-men, so that his religion be real and true, the more good he is likely to do them. On the north coast of Cornwall and Devon is a lighthouse, which first of all was placed high upon the cliffs, where the mists and fogs often obscured and hid its brightness from the passing mariner in hours of the sorest need. So they took it down and built it afresh on the rock out at sea, amid the waves of that dangerous coast, there to shine where it was most necessary.

+III. Supplies a prolific theme of ministerial joy.+--1. A joy complete when his work is finally appraised. "That I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain" (ver. 16). The apostle had run with the eagerness of a racer in the Isthmian games--the prizes he sought, the souls of men; he had laboured with strenuous and persevering diligence--the wages he sought, the souls of men; and now looking by anticipation at the results of his apostolic toil, in the light of the great day of Christ, his greatest joy will be that his efforts have not been in vain. His joy then will be, not in the number and wealth of the Churches he founded, but in the spiritual progress and advancement of the members. The results of work for Christ are often in this world obscured and confused; but in the day of Christ all will be clear and the work seen in all its beauty and dimensions. The joy of success is often checkered and interrupted in this life; but yonder the joy will be complete and full. We shall share the joy of the conquering Christ.

2. A joy not diminished though life is prematurely sacrificed.--"Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all" (ver. 17). The apostle's image is that of an altar, on which the faith of the Philippians is laid by him as priest, while his own blood is being poured out as the usual drink-offering or libation. In the near prospect of martyrdom he has no gloomy anticipations. Death will not terminate his joy, but accelerate it, as it will admit him to realms where all is calm and joy and peace. Such is the triumph of the Christian spirit; it can rejoice in tribulation and in the very presence of death.

3. A joy in which his converts may share.--"For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me" (ver. 18). So far from being dispirited by the prospect of his martyrdom, the apostle calls upon them to share his joy on account of the success of the Gospel. How often in the changeful experiences of life are joy and sorrow mingled together. "Joy lives in the midst of the sorrow; the sorrow springs from the same root as the gladness. The two do not clash against each other, or reduce the emotion to a neutral indifference, but they blend into one another, just as in the Arctic regions, deep down beneath the cold snow with its white desolation and its barren death, you shall find the budding of the early spring flowers and the fresh green grass; just as some kinds of fire burn below the water; just as in the midst of the barren and undrinkable sea there may be welling up some little fountain of fresh water that comes from a deeper depth than the great ocean around it and pours its sweet streams along the surface of the salt waste" (Maclaren).

+Lessons.+--1. A blameless life is the product of the grace of God. 2. Is a rebuke to the wavering and inconsistent. 3. Evokes the congratulations of the good in both worlds.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 15, 16. Christians Example to the World.--1. Divisions and strife grieve the Spirit and darken those evidences of sonship which believers in a calm and peaceful temper of spirit used to see most clearly. 2. We stop the mouths of enemies when our conversation is such as may discover to others their failings, and point out that good way wherein they ought to walk. 3. Suitable practice joined with profession puts such a majesty and splendour on truth that every Christian is to profane men as the sun and moon are in the firmament. 4. The glory put on gracious souls at the day of judgment will add to the glory and joy of faithful ministers.--Fergusson.

Ver. 16. The Word of Life: a Living Ministry and a Living Church.

+I. To apprehend the life of the Church we must apprehend the life of its Head.+

+II. A living ministry.+--1. Requires confidence in the office and work itself. 2. Distinctness of purpose. 3. A quick and profound sense of the nature and dignity of the soul. 4. One that preaches more than moral decency: preaches piety, regeneration, and faith. 5. Must not be afraid to assert what passes its own reason.

+III. A living Church.+--1. A safeguard against dogmatism. 2. Formalism. 3. Partisanship. 4. Is a body whose life is the life of Christ in the soul.--F. D. Huntington, D.D.

Vers. 16-18. The Joy of Ministerial Success--

+I. Sustained by the assurance of the final approval of his heavenly Master.+--"That I may rejoice in the day of Christ" (ver. 16).

+II. Cheerfully sacrifices life itself in the successful prosecution of his work.+--"Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all" (ver. 17).

+III. Shared by those who profit by his ministry.+--"For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me" (ver. 18).

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 19-24.

A Projected Christian Mission--

+I. Prompted by anxiety to promote the spiritual welfare of the Church.+--"But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state" (ver. 19). We have already gathered, from our study of the epistle thus far, that the apostle was solicitous about the spiritual state of the Philippian Church; and this visit of Timothy was preparatory to his own coming to see them. He turns from the sadder side of his own likely martyrdom to the more hopeful prospect of once more being in their midst. The true minister of Christ can never forget his people, whether present among them or absent; and his principal anxiety is to know that they are growing in grace and Christian usefulness. He seeks to keep in touch with them by letters or personal messengers, and the theme of his communications will be based on their mutual interest in the cause of Christ. His movements and wishes concerning them are all based on the will of Christ.

+II. Committed to a trustworthy messenger.+--1. A messenger in genuine sympathy with the anxiety of the sender. "For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state" (ver. 20). Timothy is of such a nature, has a soul so like my own, that when he comes among you he will manifest a true regard for your best interests. This choice evangelist was a native of Lycaonia, in the centre of Asia Minor. Faithfully and lovingly taught by his mother, a pious Jewess, to long and look for the Messiah promised to the fathers, he was led, on Paul's first visit to these regions, to recognise in Jesus of Nazareth the great Deliverer and to accept Him as his Saviour. On the apostle's second visit, four or five years afterwards, finding Timothy highly commended by the Christians of the district, he took him as his companion, to give such aid in missionary work as a young man could, and to be trained for full efficiency as a preacher of the cross. From that time onward we find him in constant connection with the apostle, either as his companion or as carrying on some special ministerial work which Paul had entrusted to him. His close fellowship with the apostle gave him opportunities of becoming familiar with the great reading themes of the Gospel, and with the high aims and motives with which his teacher was constantly animated.

2. A messenger free from a self-seeking spirit.--"For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's" (ver. 21). Among the other members of the Church likely to be entrusted with such a mission there was no one like Timothy--so devoted, so whole-hearted, so unselfish. The early Church was not less free from imperfections than the modern Church; the self-seeking spirit is as permanent as human nature. When a certain bishop was asked by an acquaintance what was the best body of Divinity, he did not scruple to answer, "That which can help a man to keep a coach and six horses."

3. A messenger whose fidelity has been tested.--"But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel" (ver. 22). Paul does not say that Timothy served him--though that was true--but served with him in the Gospel, showing filial affection and willing obedience. The simplicity and unselfishness, the mellow Christian wisdom, the patience and gentleness of the apostle, fitted in with a charming meekness, unselfishness, and affectionateness in his young friend. The apostle watched with joy the maturing grace of his beloved companion and fellow-labourer; and Timothy was thankful to God for giving him such a friend. The courage and fidelity of the young evangelist had been tried in times of difficulty, and of this the apostle and the Philippians had had many proofs. The Church was therefore ready to welcome him with confidence and respect. The minister should be faithful to the Gospel at all times. Oliver Millard, an earnest and popular preacher of the reign of Louis XI., attacked the vices of the court in his sermons, and did not spare the king himself, who, taking offence, sent the priest word that if he did not change his tone he would have him thrown into the Seine. "The king," replied Oliver, "is the master to do what he pleases; but tell him that I shall reach paradise by water sooner than he will by post-horses." This bold answer at once amused and intimidated the king, for he let the preacher continue to preach as he pleased and what he pleased.

+III. To be followed by a hoped-for personal visit.+--"Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly" (vers. 23, 24). Until his own fate is determined, the apostle seems desirous to keep Timothy with him; but as soon as he learned the issue, he would despatch his trusty messenger to Philippi, and cherished the hope of coming himself. Whatever the result may be, martyrdom or liberty, the apostle calmly and firmly trusts in the Lord.

+Lessons.+--1. The good are ever devising plans for the benefit of others. 2. An earnest spirit inspires others to holy toil. 3. The best virtues are strengthened by Christian work.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 19-24. Ministerial Anxiety for the Welfare of the Church.--1. The crosses and comforts of a Christian, endued with a truly public spirit, depend not so much upon those things which concern himself, as those which are of public concern to Jesus Christ and His Church. 2. A minister imitates the apostles in watching over their flock when the state of souls is the object of his care, and when the care arises, not from constraint, but from love to the party cared for. 3. Our own things and the things of Christ are often in two contrary balances. 4. The calling of the ministry is a service, and ministers are servants of Christ, for the Church, and not lords over their faith.--Fergusson.

Ver. 21. The Life of Christ the only True Idea of Self-devotion.--A refined selfishness is one of the worst antagonists of the Church of Christ.

+I. It may consist with all the Church requires as a condition to communion in her fullest privileges.+

+II. But it extinguishes all that ever produced any great work in Christ's service.+

+III. The secret of that stupendous self-devotion which saints in all ages have manifested is--they set up the life of Christ before them.+

+IV. The customs of life and all the current maxims and unwritten laws of society maintain so tyrannous a hold even over good minds that high and generous tempers are chilled into inaction.+--H. E. Manning.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 25-30.

A Devoted Christian Minister--

+I. A valued associate of good men.+--"Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants" (ver. 25). Epaphroditus had been sent by the Philippian Church with a gift to Paul, and, pending the proposed visit of himself or Timothy, he employs him as his messenger. The commendation of Epaphroditus indicates the apostle's high estimate of the character of the man--a Christian brother, a colleague in toil, a fellow-soldier in scenes of danger and conflict. The work of the Christian minister brings him into contact with the noblest spirits of the times.

+II. Full of sympathy for the anxieties of his people.+--"For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick" (ver. 26). It may be that Epaphroditus was the more anxious to return to his people lest the rumour of his sickness should have disastrous consequences on the state of his Church, that some parties between whom he had mediated should take advantage of his prostration and fall again into animosity, or it may be that he might dispel the distress and sorrow of his people on his own account. This longing to see his people reveals a womanly tenderness that some men might call weakness. Paul did not so regard it. He knew the manly robustness of spirit, the decision, energy, and devotedness that had made Epaphroditus his honoured companion in labour and fellow-soldier; and to him the element of softness and sweetness brought out in the languor of the recovery exhibited a new charm. "The best men often show a union of opposite virtues; for example, Epaphroditus. The finest delicacy of soul which, if alone, might seem excessive and effeminate, allies itself to a manly courage, which sets at naught life itself. The deepest love of the Church does not exclude a most faithful attachment to its great apostle, nor anxiety for the present moment forbid sympathy for a distant community. One may reverence and acknowledge superior men, and yet give all the glory to God alone; may be anxious for his own soul, and yet give himself to the welfare of the Church and the common service of its membership" (Lange).

+III. Exposed himself to great risk in the eager discharge of duty.+--"For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; . . . I sent him therefore . . . that when ye see him again ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful" (vers. 27, 28). The sickness of Epaphroditus was probably brought on by the risks and exposures of his journey from Philippi to Rome. It was no easy task for a Christian, one of a sect everywhere spoken against, hated and oppressed, having no protection from either Jewish or Roman rule, to undertake such a mission, carrying aid to a man in prison, who was bitterly hated by many, and over whose approaching execution they were gloating with a fiendish satisfaction. But Epaphroditus braved all the privations and sufferings of the perilous enterprise, and would not hesitate to acknowledge publicly before the world that the prisoner he sought to help was his friend. Paul fully understood all the perils of the adventure and that it had nearly cost a valuable life; he thus specially acknowledges the mercy of God both to himself and the Philippians and the mitigation of their mutual sorrow in the recovery of Epaphroditus. "Life, especially the life of a faithful servant of Christ, possesses great value. For such a life we ought to pray; and it is an act of God's grace when it is preserved to the Church" (Heubner). "It is a fine thing," wrote Sailer, "if you can say a man lived and never lifted a stone against his neighbour; but it is a finer far if you can say also he took out of the path the stones that would have caught his neighbour's feet. So did Feneberg, and this his doing was his life."

+IV. Highly commended for his character and work's sake.+--"Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service towards me" (vers. 29, 30). Words of highest eulogy, coming from such a source, and uttered under such circumstances. How tender, unreserved and unselfish are the apostle's commendations of Timothy and Epaphroditus, and how large and loving the heart from which they came! Even with these friends, so dear and needful to him, the aged servant of Christ, worn with labour and suffering, is willing, for the work of Christ, to part, and to be left alone. And this man was notorious, a few years before, as Saul the persecutor. What wrought the change? The glorious Gospel of the blessed God. The faithful, conscientious, self-denying minister of the Word cannot fail to win the esteem and love of his people.

+Lessons.+--1. A Christian minister has many opportunities of usefulness. 2. Should cultivate a generous and sympathetic nature. 3. Should be faithful in all things.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 25-28. Anxieties of Ministerial Life.--1. Ministerial employment is a painful, laborious work, and faithful ministers who are standard-bearers or sentinels, and march in the front, before the Lord's people, have a peculiar battle of their own for truth and piety. 2. The Lord sometimes suffers His servants to fall into desperate dangers, that His mercy may be the more seen in their delivery. 3. Courage under sufferings for Christ, and rejoicing in God, may consist with moderate sorrow and heaviness. 4. The weights and griefs of the godly do prove an occasion of rejoicing afterwards, so the grief which the Philippians had because of their pastor's sickness and apprehended death ended in joy when they saw him in health again.--Fergusson.

Vers. 29, 30. Heroic Devotion to Christ--

+I. Is wholly absorbed in the work of Christ.+

+II. Risks life in serving the cause of God.+

+III. Should be held in highest esteem.+

+IV. Should be joyfully acknowledged in whomsoever manifested.+

* * * * * * * *

+CHAPTER III.+

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. +Finally.+--Lit. "as to the rest." The apostle had intended to bring his letter to a close, but something of which we have no information leads him to warn his readers against Judaizers and their methods. He resumes his farewell at ch. iv. 8, yet lingers there. +To write the same things.+--Whatever they may have been, they concerned the security of his readers. His hand had so often written up in bold letters the Cave canem to warn his unsuspecting children, that we may be allowed to think that is what he means to do again.

Ver. 2. +Beware of dogs.+--Who would "turn again and rend you." If the term is a retort on "Gentile dogs," and looks like "railing for railing," we may explain it by the directness of the metaphor. Dogs and Judaizers have this in common--that they tear flesh. The savage delight of having inflicted a wound is shown in Gal. vi. 13. +Beware of the concision.+--A bitter play on the name by which the Jews thought themselves distinguished (Eph. ii. 11). St. Paul changes the prefix, and stigmatises them as "the mutilation party." Lightfoot gives illustrations of this toying with words, e.g., in the complaint of an ambassador that he had been sent, not to Spain, but to Pain.

Ver. 3. +For we are the circumcision.+--How completely Paul had sloughed his Rabbinic literalism this verse clearly shows (Rom. ii. 28, 29). +Which worship God in the Spirit.+--See our Lord's words to the woman of Samaria, prophetic of the day when worship shall be set free from its trammels and cerements (John iv. 23, 24).

Ver. 4. +Though I might also have confidence in the flesh.+--They will never be able to say he "speaks evil of that which he knows not." "If there is any profit in that direction," he might say, "I will set my foot as far as who goes farthest." An argumentum ad hominem.

Ver. 5. +Circumcised the eighth day.+--Beginning with this he works his way, though this and the following verses, to the climax of the straitest sect. The items of this verse have to do with the birth and education of the apostle.

Ver. 6. +Concerning zeal.+--"An expression of intense irony, condemning while he seems to exalt his former self" (Lightfoot). +Righteousness which is in the law.+--Legal righteousness. Exact attention to all its manifold commands and prohibitions.

Ver. 7. +What things were gain.+--The various points in which I had considered myself fortunate, giving me an advantage over others. +Those I counted loss for Christ.+--The tense of the verb "counted" denotes an action the result of which continues. It leaves no place for after-regrets, like those of the woman who stopped to look back on Sodom. St. Paul counts his Judaism, with its emoluments, well lost. "Having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had and bought it" (Matt. xiii. 46).

Ver. 8. +Yea, doubtless, and I count, etc.+--A more explicit statement of the abiding satisfaction with the chosen lot. "I still do count." +All things.+--Whatever they may be--not simply those named above. +For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.+--"The eminent quality of a possession attained is the ground for estimating other possessions according to their relation to that one" (Meyer). +For whom I have suffered the loss of all things.+--The words "gain" and "loss" are the same in these verses as in our Lord's memorable saying "What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" [R.V., "soul" A.V.] (Mark viii. 36). +And do count them but dung.+--So R.V. text, "refuse," margin. If we accept the meaning "that which is thrown to the dogs," we have an apt interpretation, but we need to guard against attributing to the apostle subtleties of expression born in a lexicographer's brain.

Ver. 9. +Through the faith of Christ.+--Better without the article as R.V. Faith is the medium by which righteousness comes. +The righteousness which is of God.+--Which originates from God as the fount of all righteousness. +By faith.+--R.V. margin, "upon"; that is, resting upon faith as its condition; above it was the medium.

Ver. 10. +The power of His resurrection.+--The wide-reaching and conquering force and efficacy which render death inert (2 Tim. 1. 10) and draw "the sting of death" (1 Cor. xv.). +And the fellowship of His sufferings.+--The apostle has no desire to go by any other way to his glory than that by which his Lord went--per crucem ad lucem. +Being made conformable unto His death.+--R.V. "becoming conformed." The original is one word where we have three, "being made conformable," taking that lowly guise which will agree with the bearing of Him who "took the form of a servant." "The agony of Gethsemane, not less than the agony of Calvary, will be reproduced, however faintly, in the faithful servant of Christ" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 11. +If by any means I might attain.+--How little is there here of the spirit of those who profess themselves "as sure of heaven as though they were there." Meyer thinks the expression excludes moral security, but not the certitudo salutis in itself. +Unto the resurrection of the dead.+--By a very slight change "from the dead" instead of "of the dead" the R.V. indicates rather too feebly the only use of the term in the New Testament. "From amongst" would have been more likely to arrest attention. Whilst Meyer says the compound word for resurretion in no way differs from the ordinary one, LIghtfoot thinks the form of expression implies and the context requires the meaning "the final resurrection of the righteous to a new and glorified life."

Ver. 12. +Not as though I had already attained.+--The word for "attained" may possibly refer to the turning-point in St. Paul's history, and so the phrase would mean, "not as though by my conversion I did at once attain." This interpretation, which is Bishop Lightfoot's, is challenged by Dr. Beet. It seems preferable, on other than grammatical grounds, because the following phrase, if we refer the former to conversion, is an advance of thought. +Either were already perfect.+--Describing a present state which is the consequence of past processes. He has not reached the condition where nothing else can be added. He is most blessed who, as he mounts ever higher, sees perfection, like Abraham's mount of sacrifice, "afar off."

Ver. 13. +Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended.+--Some think a reference to the opinion of others lies in the words; but St. Paul seems to be denying of himself what others asserted (in various ways) of themselves. +But this one thing I do.+--Lit. "but one thing"; the words "I do" in A.V. and R.V. are a supplement. Meyer thinks it better to supply "think." It does not seem necessary to supply anything. "One thing" the apostle never loses sight of; all the threads of life are gathered up into it. +Forgetting the things that are behind.+--The thought of how much of the course had been covered, and how it was done, sinks in the consideration of what has yet to be achieved. +And reaching forth.+--"Like one of those eager charioteers . . . of the Circus Maximus . . . leaning forward in his flying car, bending over the shaken rein and the goaded steed" (Farrar). St. Paul usually employs the figure of the foot-race; and the "not looking back, which showed a right temper in a runner, would be fatal to the charioteer" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 14. +I press toward the mark.+--"I hasten towards the goal" where the adjudicators stand. +For the prize of the high calling.+--If the "hollow wraith of dying fame" could lead the athletes to put forth almost superhuman effort, how much more worthy was "the amaranthine crown of glory" (1 Pet. v. 4).

Ver. 15. +As many as be perfect.+--No longer novices, but having been initiated fully into the most secret mysteries of the faith--"that Christian maturity in which one is no longer a babe in Christ." The reproachful irony which some detect hardly comports with the general tone of the letter.

Ver. 16. +Let us walk by the same rule.+--That which had been to them the means of such distinct progress had thus approved itself as the safe and prudent course to follow.

Ver. 17. +Followers together of me.+--He does not, as some ungracious pastors do, show the steep road to perfection whilst himself staying at the wicket-gate. Like the Good Shepherd, he leadeth his sheep.

Ver. 18. +For many walk . . . the enemies of the cross of Christ.+--Christians in name only, whose loose interpretations of the perfect law of liberty make it possible to live an animal life. The cross of Christ, symbol of His self-renunciation, should be the place of execution for all fleshly desires of His followers; and, instead of that, these men over whom an apostle laments have made it an opportunity of sensual gratification. They say, "We cannot help Him; He does not heed our help; it is of little consequence how we live."

Ver. 19. +Whose end is destruction.+--Beet argues from this that Universalism cannot be true. It must be admitted that St. Paul is speaking of sins of the body, and perhaps is thinking of the ruinous effects of fleshly indulgence. +Whose god is their belly.+--Against the dominion of appetite all the teachers of mankind are at one. All agree in repudiating the doctrine of the savage:

"I bow to ne'er a god except myself And to my Belly, first of deities."--Seeley.

"The self-indulgence which wounds the tender conscience and turns liberty into licence is here condemned" (Lightfoot). +Whose glory is in their shame.+--Their natures are so utterly perverted that they count that which is their degradation as matter for pride. Like the man whom our Lord describes, such men not only "fear not God, nor regard man," but can lightly vaunt the fact. +Who mind earthly things.+--The peculiar form of expression is noteworthy. At these men, "of the earth, earthy," the apostle stands looking in amazement. His expression reminds us of St. James: "Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways" (so the R.V.).

Ver. 20. +For our conversation is in heaven.+--"Our" is emphatic, contrasting with the "earthly things" just named. "Conversation" is that to which we most readily turn, as the needle trembles to the pole. Our hearts are with our treasure, and that is far away from earthly things. "They that say such things declare plainly that they seek a city;" it is the soul's "Heimweh," the yearning for the homeland. We must not understand the words to mean "Our mode of speech is like that in heaven," nor "Our habit of life is heavenly." The word for "conversation" means "the commonwealth," "the greater assembly and Church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" (Heb. xii. 23). +From whence also we look for the Saviour.+--From that heaven, "whither the Forerunner is for us entered," "He shall come in like manner." Meanwhile we stand in readiness to receive Him. The word for "look for" (R.V. "wait for") graphically depicts the attitude of waiting.

Ver. 21. +Who shall change our vile body.+--R.V. much better, "Who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation." We are not to consider the body as the cause of sin, as something outside the redemption wrought by Christ, "the Saviour of the body." The fashioning anew will not lose any essential part of the body. As the colours in a kaleidoscope change form at each movement, but are yet always the same, so in the change of the body there will be "transition but no absolute solution of continuity." The body of our humiliation is the frail tenement in which the exile spirit sojourns (2 Cor. v. 1-8); it is the soon-wearied companion of an eager spirit (Matt. xxvi. 41); it "returns to the dust as it was" (Eccles. xii. 7). +That it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.+--R.V. "that it may be conformed to the body of His glory," as contrasted with the body of His humiliation (Phil. ii. 8), the body in which He tabernacled amongst us (John i. 14). +The power whereby He is able to subdue all things.+--He has power, not only to raise and glorify the body, but to subdue and renovate all things.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verse 1-3.

The False and the True in Religion.

+I. The false in religion evident in the character of its advocates.+--"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision" (ver 2.). "Dogs" was an epithet expressive of great contempt, and indicative of impurity and profanity. It was a term applied to the Judaizers, or, as Chrysostom calls them, "base and contemptible Jews, greedy of filthy lucre and fond of power, who, desiring to draw away numbers of believers, preached at the same time both Christianity and Judaism, corrupting the Gospel." They were "evil workers" causing much spiritual mischief. They were of "the concision"--mere cutters or slashers of the flesh. "The same men are described in each clause as impure and profane, as working spiritual mischief, and as taken up with a puerile faith in flesh-cutting. In this first clause you have their character, in the second their conduct, and in the third their destructive creed. Men who insisted on circumcision as essential to salvation made the rite ridiculous--Judaized ere they Christianised. To circumcise a Gentile was not only to subject him to a rite which God never intended for him, but it was to invest him with a false character. Circumcision to him was a forgery, and he carried a lie in his person. Not a Jew, and yet marked as one, having the token without the lineage, a seal of descent and not a drop of Abraham's blood in his veins. To hinge salvation, especially in the case of a Gentile, on circumcision was such a spurious proselytism, such a total misappreciation of the Jewish covenant, such a miserable subversion of the liberty of the Gospel, such a perverse and superstitious reliance on a manual rite, that its advocates might well be caricatured and branded as the concision" (Eadie). The false in religion stands exposed and condemned by the character and methods of its propagators.

+II. The true in religion has definite characteristics.+--1. In the spirituality of its worship. "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit" (ver. 3). There is a great difference between the derisive use of the term "concision" and the use of the circumcision in this verse. There is a Christian circumcision, which is a "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh"; and this is not a manual but a spiritual act. All that the old circumcision typified the Christian enjoys. "The spiritual offspring of Abraham have nobler gifts by far than his natural seed--blessing not wrapped up in civil franchise, or dependent upon time, or restricted to territory." The Christian has learnt that true religion consists, not in forms and ceremonies and temporal privileges, but in a right state of heart towards God, in a loftier worship, and a more intense spiritual life.

2. In making Christ the basis of confident exultation.--"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord . . . rejoice in Christ Jesus" (vers. 1, 3). Christ, and Christ only, is the Christian's plea, and the joyous theme of his unending song: Christ, the Divine, all-glorious Son of God. Theodosius, in the fourth century, at one time so far favoured the Arians as to let them open their place of worship and labour to undermine the Divinity of Christ. Soon after this he made his son Arcadius, a youth of sixteen, an equal partner with him in his throne; and the noblemen and bishops were invited to come on an appointed day to congratulate him. Among the number was Amphilocus, a famous old bishop who had bitterly suffered in the Arian persecution. He made a very handsome address to the emperor, and was about to take his leave, when Theodosius exclaimed: "What, do you take no notice of my son? Do you not know that I have made him partner with me in the empire?" Upon this the good old bishop went up to young Arcadius, and, putting his hand upon his head, said, "The Lord bless thee, my son." The emperor, roused into rage by this apparent neglect, exclaimed: "What, is this all the respect you pay to a prince that I have made of equal dignity with myself?" Upon this the bishop, with the grandeur of an angel and the zeal of an apostle, looking the emperor full in the face, indignantly said: "Sire, do you so highly resent my apparent neglect of your son because I do not give him equal honours with yourself? And what must the eternal God think of you who have given leave to have His co-equal and co-eternal Son degraded in His proper Divinity in every part of your empire?"

3. In distrusting the supposed virtue of outward rites.--"And have no confidence in the flesh" (ver. 3). No confidence in the supposed good conferred by externals. Birth and lineage, family, tribe, and nationality on the one hand, and the moral character determined by them on the other, Paul reckons together as excellencies and gifts of the same kind, and holds them in slight esteem compared with what he has in Christ. The morality of men belongs to the province of the natural life; it depends on birth, family, position, culture, time, and circumstances, and gives reason, as does every favour, for humble thankfulness, but not for proud boasting. Such, as contrasted with the concision, is the circumcision; the children of believing Abraham and blessed with him; serving God by His Spirit in a higher and more elastic worship; glorying in Him who has won such privileges and blessings for them, and having no trust in any externals or formalities on which the Judaizer laid such stress as securing salvation or as bringing it within an available reach (Lange, Eadie).

+III. Against the false in religion it is necessary to faithfully warn.+--"Beware . . . beware . . . beware!" (ver. 2) Like three peals of a trumpet giving a certain blast do the three clauses sound, and the repetition reveals the intense anxiety and earnestness of the alarmed apostle. It is the duty of the minister to warn his people of whatever endangers their spiritual life and eternal welfare. News came to a certain town, once and again, that the enemy was approaching; but he did not then approach. Hereupon in anger the inhabitants enacted a law that no man on pain of death should bring again such rumours as the news of an enemy. Not long after the enemy came indeed, and besieged, assaulted, and sacked the town, of the ruins of which nothing remained but this proverbial epitaph--"Here once stood a town that was destroyed by silence."

+Lessons.+--1. Genuine religion is self-evident. 2. Falseness in the garb of religion works serious mischief. 3. True religion demands constant watchfulness.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 1. Safeguards against Error.--1. To rejoice in Christ--to be constantly and with delight making recourse to Him--is a choice guard against any error contrary to the truths relating to Him. 2. Often repeating and inculcating truths that are most for edification ought neither to be burdensome to a minister nor yet wearied of by the people. 3. Temptations to error are covered over with such pious pretences and lively baits that there is need of many guards and frequent warnings.--Fergusson.

Ver. 2. Emphatic Warnings against False Teachers--

+I. Because of their snarling methods and insatiable greed.+--"Beware of dogs."

+II. Because of their wicked and destructive policy.+--"Beware of evil workers."

+III. Because their zeal is wholly misdirected and injurious.+--"Beware of the concision."

Ver. 3. Spiritual Circumcision--

+I. Is an inward and conscious spiritual change.+--"For we are the circumcision."

+II. While reverently using outward forms of worship is superior to them.+--"Which worship God in the Spirit."

+III. Finds its joy in living union with Christ.+--"And rejoice in Christ Jesus."

+IV. Repudiates all ordinances that divert from Christ.+--"And have no confidence in the flesh."

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 4-8.

External Religionism incomparable with the True Knowledge of Christ.

+I. The highest example of external religionism affords no ground for confident boasting+ (vers. 4-6).--External religionism had its most complete embodiment in Paul. He was its most zealous devotee, its ablest champion. These verses describe the best eulogy that can be given of the observer of external rites. By birth, lineage, training, ability, consistency of character, and sincerity of aim, Paul was an ideal Jew, a model all his countrymen might aspire to copy. If there was ground for boasting, no one had a greater right than he. He needed no Christ, no Saviour; he was well able to look after himself. But one day the discovery came that all this glorying was vain; instead of gaining salvation he was farther from it than ever, and in danger of losing everything. Religious progress is often more apparent than real. When Captain Parry and his party were in search of the North Pole, after travelling several days with sledges over a vast field of ice, on taking a careful observation of the pole-star, the painful discovery was made that, while they were apparently advancing towards the pole, the ice-field on which they were travelling was drifting to the south, and bringing them nearer to the verge, not of the pole, but of destruction.

+II. The supposed gains of external religionism are for Christ's sake esteemed as loss.+--"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (ver. 7). Not losses, compared with the plural of gains; but all the supposed gains are treated as one great loss, and this after the most careful scrutiny and calculation. "I counted loss." The swelling sum of fancied virtues, painfully gathered and fondly and proudly contemplated, vanishes into nothing at one stroke of the discriminating pen. All that was prized as valuable, and as the all of personal possession, is regarded as dross, because of Christ. They did not help him to win Christ, but to lose Him; the more he gained in self-righteousness the more he lost of Christ. It was not only profitless, but productive of positive loss.

+III. The surpassing excellency of the knowledge of Christ renders external religionism utterly worthless.+--"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; . . . and do count them but dung [refuse], that I may win Christ" (ver. 8). The gains were: circumcision performed without any deviation from legal time or method; membership in the house of Israel, and connection with one of its most honoured tribes; descent from a long line of pure-blood ancestry; adherence to a sect whose prominent distinction was the observance of the old statutes; earnest and uncompromising hostility to a community accused of undermining the authority of the Mosaic code, and a merit based on blameless obedience to the law. These once gloried and confided in were counted as a loss, for the sake of a superior gain in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. He was no loser by the loss he had willingly made, for the object of knowledge was the Divine Saviour. Is it not super-eminent knowledge to know Him as the Christ; to know Him as Jesus, not because he wears our nature, but because we feel His human heart throbbing in unison with ours under trial and sorrow; to know Him as Lord, not simply because He wears a crown and wields a sceptre, but because we bow to His loving rule and gather the spoils of the victory which He has won and secured? The apostle made a just calculation, for neither ritualism, nor Israelitism, nor Pharasaism, nor zealotism, nor legalism could bring him those blessing with which the knowledge of Christ was connected; nay, until they were held as loss this gain of gains could not be acquired (Eadie). As with the two scales of a balance, writes Rieger, when one rises the other falls, and what I add to one diminishes the relative weight of the other; so as one adds to himself he takes away from the pre-eminence which the knowledge of Christ should have. What he concedes to Christ makes him willing to abase himself, to resign all confidence in His own works. Therefore the sharp expressions, "to count as loss, as dung," become in experience not too severe; for to reject the grace of Christ, to regard the great plan of God in sending His Son as fruitless, were indeed far more terrible.

+Lessons.+--1. The highest kind and supreme end of all knowledge is the knowledge of Christ. 2. True religion is the spiritual knowledge of Christ. 3. Religion without Christ is an empty form.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 4-7. Formalism tested and found wanting

+I. The best that formalism can do for man, in religious lineage, reputation, zeal, and strictest outward observances, has been experimentally exemplified+ (vers. 5, 6).

+II. The most distinguished champion of formalism has confessed its utter inadequacy to satisfy the soul+ (ver. 4).

+III. The highest advantages of formalism are worthless compared with Christ+ (ver. 7).

Ver. 8. The Excellent Knowledge of Christ--

+I. Is extensive.+--Apprehends Him in all those notions and respects wherein the Gospel principally discovers Him.

+II. Appropriating.+--Christ Jesus my Lord.

+III. Effectual.+--Has a powerful efficacy both upon heart and life, both upon judgment, affection, and practice.

+IV. Fiducial.+--It brings the soul to rest upon Christ and His righteousness alone for pardon, acceptance, salvation.

+V. Useful.+--He that has it studies to improve Christ, to make use of Him for those blessed and glorious purposes for which he knows Christ is given.

+VI. Christ Himself is most excellent.+--1. There is nothing in Him but what is excellent. 2. All excellencies in the creatures are eminently to be found in Christ. 3. All these excellencies are in Him in a more excellent manner; perfectly, without any shadow of imperfection; infinitely, without any bounds or limits; eternally and unchangeably, they ebb not, they wane not, they are always there in the full, they alter not, they decay not. 4. Not only all that are in the creatures, but innumerable more excellencies than are in all the creatures together, are in Christ alone.

+VII. Those that have attained the excellent knowledge of Christ will not think much to lose all things to gain Christ.+--1. All outward enjoyments and earthly possessions. 2. Personal righteousness as a means of justification.--David Clarkson.

The Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ.

+I. To know Christ in the Divinity of His person is excellent knowledge.+

+II. To know Christ in the glory of His redemption is excellent knowledge.+

+III. The comparative worthlessness of all else.+--1. Wealth. 2. Worldly honour. 3. Human learning. 4. Mere morality.

The Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ.

+I. Is pre-eminent excellence is to be found in its certainty.+--Proved by--1. Prophecy. 2. Miracles. 3. Experience.

+II. In its majesty and grandeur.+

+III. It its suitableness and adaptation.+

+IV. In its comprehensiveness.+

+V. The knowledge of Christ is sanctifying.+--R. Watson.

Christ the Only Gain.

+I. To count Him gain.+

+II. To covet and seek Him as gain.+

+III. To appropriate Him as gain.+

+IV. To enjoy Him as gain.+--R. S. Candlish.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 9-11.

Features of the Believer's Life in Christ.

+I. The believer's life has its home and stronghold in Christ.+--"And be found in Him" (ver. 9). Once lost, now found: found by Christ; found in Him by others. Once homeless, now safely sheltered. One day Charles Wesley was sitting by an open window looking over the bright and beautiful fields in summertime. Presently a little bird, flitting about in the sunshine, attracted his attention. Just then a hawk came swooping down towards the little bird. The frightened thing was darting here and there, trying to find some place of refuge. In the bright sunny air, in the leafy trees or green fields, there was no hiding-place from the fierce grasp of the hawk. But seeing the open window and a man sitting by it, the bird, in its extreme terror, flew towards it, and with a beating heart and quivering wing found refuge in Wesley's bosom. He sheltered it from the threatening danger, and saved it from a cruel death. Wesley was at that time suffering from severe trials, and was feeling the need of a refuge as much as the trembling bird that nestled safely in his bosom. So he took up his pen and wrote the well-known hymn--

"Jesu, Lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly."

To be found in Christ means more than mere shelter, more than external fellowship. It means a union as close and vital and abiding as between the members of the body and the head; a union effected by the Spirit, and being the very Spirit of Christ dwelling in us.

+II. The believing life consists of righteousness, not self-acquired, but Divinely inspired through faith.+--"Not having mine own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of Christ" (ver. 9). The apostle now touches upon a theme--justification by faith--which he has argued out with a clearness and fulness unequalled by any other New Testament writer. The righteousness which was his own was out of the law, or originated by the law, and was acquired by his own effort; but the righteousness which he finds in Christ is not his own, but God's, and is acquired, not by his merits or efforts, but by faith in Christ. "This righteousness, Divine in its origin, awful in its medium, and fraught with such results, was the essential element of Paul's religion, and the distinctive tenet of his theology." When a friend happening to say to the Rev. John Brown, of Haddington, "I suppose you make not your labours for the good of the Church the ground of your comfort," he, with uncommon earnestness, replied, "No, no no! it is the finished righteousness of Christ which is the only foundation of my hope; I have no more dependence on my labours than on my sins. I rather reckon it a wonder of mercy that God took any of my labours of my hand. Righteousness belongeth unto Him, but unto me shame and confusion of face."

+III. The believer's life is the creation of Divine power.+--1. It is a life communicated by the exercise of the Divine power that raised Christ from the dead. "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection" (ver. 10). The power exerted by Christ's resurrection is exerted in raising the Divine life in the believing soul, and raising it to still higher developments of power and enjoyment. The aspirations of the soul after Christ are aspirations to know more and more the power of His resurrection.

2. It is a life that will be consummated by the ultimate resurrection of the body.--"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (ver. 11). Towards this consummation the apostle yearns with intense desire. All his hopes, all his soul longed for, seem gathered up in this: perfect freedom for ever from sin and sorrow; knowledge of Christ up to the fullest measure of his capacity of knowledge; perfect experimental acquaintance with the power of His resurrection, through perfect fellowship of life with Him; the ineffable and everlasting blessedness of being with Him and like Him; to rise out of the ashes of the tomb and assume the glorious body of the resurrection. We can never forget a corridor in the Vatican Museum, exhibiting on the one side epitaphs and emblems of departed heathens and their gods, and on the other side mementoes of departed Christians. Face to face they stand, engaged, as it were, in conflict, the two armies clinging to their respective standards; hope against despair--death swallowed up in victory. Opposite to lions seizing on horses, emblems of destruction, are charming sculptures of the Good Shepherd bearing home the lost lamb--a sign of salvation.

+IV. The believer's life is in sympathetic fellowship with the suffering Christ+--"And to know the fellowship of His sufferings" (ver. 10). The sufferings of Christ are not ended--they are prolonged in the sufferings of His people--and of these the apostle desired to know the fellowship. He longed so to suffer, for such fellowship gave him assimilation to his Lord, as he drank of His cup and was baptised with His baptism. It brought him into communion with Christ, purer, closer, and tenderer than simple service for Him would have achieved. It gave him such solace as Christ Himself enjoyed. To suffer together creates a dearer fellow-feeling than to labour together. Christ indeed cannot be known unless there be this fellowship in His sufferings (Eadie). An intimate friend of Handel's called upon him just as he was in the middle of setting the words to music, "He was despised," and found the great composer sobbing with tears, so greatly had this passage and the rest of the morning's work affected the master.

+Lessons.+--1. The soul finds its highest life in Christ. 2. Life in Christ is secured by the co-operation of man's faith with Divine power. 3. To live in Christ is to share the fruits of His mysterious passion.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 10. Knowledge of the Power of Christ's Resurrection.

+I. To know Christ includes a clearly defined conception and familiar acquaintance with the special characteristics and unrivalled excellencies of His person.+

+II. To know the power of His resurrection.+--1. As it is a public and universal vindication of the proper dignity of His person. 2. As it seals the doom of human sin. 3. As it ensures the destruction of pain and death, and provides for the perpetuation of the believer in a state of immortal felicity.

The Power of Christ's Resurrection--

+I. As a miracle attesting His Divine mission.+

+II. As an evidence of His Divinity.+--Resurrection does not always prove Divinity, but in these circumstances (Rom. i. 3, 4).

+III. As an indication of the acceptance of His sacrifice.+

+IV. As an incentive to the pursuit of holiness.+--Risen with Christ; risen in Him, sharing His life.

+V. As an instrument of social amelioration.+--The Gospel has civilised where it has not Christianised, has repressed and refined where it has not renewed or regenerated.

+VI. As a pledge and preassurance of the glorious resurrection of His people.+--G. Brooks.

The Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings.

+I. We have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings in the pain caused by coming in contact with sin.+

+II. In having our motives misinterpreted and our conduct misjudged.+

+III. In the purifying influence of suffering.+

Ver. 11. The Resurrection of the Dead as an Object to aim at.

+I. The object which Paul contemplated.+--1. The resurrection as the proof of final escape from all evil. 2. The resurrection as the occasion of public recognition by the Saviour-Judge. 3. The resurrection as the pledge of eternal happiness in heaven.

+II. His desire for that object.+--It supplies--1. A high appreciation of its value. 2. A deep sense of its difficulty. 3. A persuasion that it may be attained in various degrees. 4. A submission to all the Divine arrangements in reference to it.--G. Brooks.

The Resurrection of the Just.

+I. What is that entire satisfaction and climax for which we are to long and labour?+

+II. What are the scriptural representations of its accompaniments and consequences?+--1. The power of recognising all those whom they have known in holy fellowship on earth. 2. The resemblance of our nature to Christ. 3. High honour is destined for Christians.

+III. What are the determinations by which it is to be won?+--1. The relation which the present happy spiritualism of deceased saints bears to the resurrection. 2. The representation of the intermediate state. It is a relic and disadvantageous condition of death, though of death as far as possible mitigated. It shall be overthrown, not only as a state, but as a separate power, in the destruction of death.--R. W. Hamilton.

The Attainment of the Resurrection.

+I. Paul's aim.+--"The resurrection of the dead." 1. The risen Christ is the pledge of a risen life for man. 2. The rising of Christ is a power to elevate life. 3. Hence arises the gradual attainment of the resurrection.

+II. Paul's endeavour.+--"If by any means." The necessity for this agonising endeavour arises from--1. The difficulty of accomplishing it. 2. The glory of its attainment.--E. L. Hull.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 12-16.

The Highest Type of Christian Experience.

+I. The highest type of Christian experience is Divinely outlined in Christ.+--"That for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (ver. 12). "The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (ver. 14). The prize is not definitely described, but God through the Gospel calls upon the soul to take hold of some great, dimly portrayed good, some rich spiritual blessing, some fulness and splendour of character to be secured by a fuller knowledge of Christ. If we say the prize is heaven or the kingdom of God, what is the heavenly kingdom but the fulness of Christ? Though not explained in detail, the prize is sufficiently outlined in Christ, by the master-hand of the Divine Artist, as to make it an object of intense longing and strenuous effort to possess. The soul yearns to attain a moral and spiritual perfection found only in Christ, and which the unending development of the beauties of His character are constantly disclosing in ever-growing splendour, and which closer union with Him alone can seize and appropriate.

+II. The effort to attain the highest type of Christian experience is stimulated by conscious defect.+--"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend" (ver. 12). The more clearly the apostle saw his privilege in Christ, the more conscious was he of his shortcomings. There is no progress possible to the man who does not see and mourn over his defects. "The soul of all improvement is the improvement of the soul;" and it is only a keen sense of need that stimulates the soul to continuous and repeated efforts. The ideal is ever ahead of the actual, revealing its defects and exciting to fresh and more earnest endeavours.

+III. The highest type of Christian experience is attained only by strenuous and continuous effort.+--"But this one thing I do, . . . I press toward the mark" (vers. 13, 14). The racer, fixing his eye upon the goal, leans forward, and turning his back upon things behind, presses with all speed towards the prize he covets. If he turns aside, he misses the mark and loses the garland. The great prizes of life are gained only by persevering labour. However prodigious may be the gifts of genius they can only be developed and brought to perfection by toil and study. Think of Michelangelo working for a week without taking off his clothes, of Handel hollowing every key of his harpsichord like a spoon by incessant practice, and of the sculptor polishing his statue with unwearied repetitions because he said, "the image in my head is not yet in my hands." The prize of the Christian race--the crown of eternal life and blessedness--is worthy of the most laborious and self-denying efforts. When at times the heart grows weary in the struggle, a glimpse of the diadem of beauty obtained by faith revives the flagging energies.

+IV. Those who do not see the obligation of striving after the highest type of Christian experience shall be aided with Divine light.+--"If in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you" (ver. 15). The difference of view was not some wilful and wicked conception, or some wretched prejudice adhered to with inveterate or malignant obstinacy. It was rather some truth not fully seen in all its bearings, some principle not so perceived as to be carried out in all its details and consequences, some department of duty which they might apprehend rather than appreciate, or some state of mind which they might admire in the apostle, but did not really covet for themselves. The apostle throws his own teaching into the shade, and ascribes the coming enlightenment to God (Eadie). The man who is honestly in pursuit of the highest good, though led away for a time by erroneous views, shall not lack the light he sincerely seeks. The light which will help him most must be light from God.

+V. All progress towards the highest Christian experience must be on the lines of real progress already made.+--"Whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing" (ver. 16). Every victory over self and sin is a stepping-stone to further triumphs. The struggle of to-day will be the victory of to-morrow. Our most helpful lessons are gathered from our failures. Our present blessings were obtained through faith and labour; our next must be gained in the same way. God will give more light to the man who rightfully uses what he has. "When the morning bursts suddenly on one awakened out of sleep, it dazzles and pains him; but to him who, on his journey, has blessed the dawn and walked by its glimmer, the solar radiance brings with it a gradual and cheering influence."

+Lessons.+--1. Christ is the sum and pattern of the highest good. 2. Progress in religious experience is a growing likeness to Christ. 3. The soul retains its highest enjoyment and power only in Christ.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 13. The Happy Day and its Sequel.

+I. St. Paul did not forget the circumstances of his arrest by Jesus.+

+II. St. Paul's remembrance of his arrest led to a practical inquiry as to its purpose.+

+III. The purpose of his arrest by Christ Jesus is before and not behind him, even in his old age.+

+IV. What is the mark to which he presses onward?+--1. _A perfect likeness to Christ._ 2. A perfect service. 3. _The reward in heaven.--W. Hawkins._

Vers. 13, 14. Pressing toward the Mark.

+I. The apostle's sense of his own shortcomings.+--1. It argued a high estimate of a Christian's duty. Perfection is his aim, although not his attainment.

2. It argued a humble estimate of himself.--Though the most eminent Christian on earth, he was fully conscious of his own imperfection.

+II. The apostle's method of Christian progress.+--1. The concentration of his energies. Many things he did, and he did them wholly. But he made them all subservient to his one idea, which thus unified them all. Decision of character.

2. Oblivion of the past.--A wonderful past was his, but he forgot it, except as it might supply a stimulus to his future advances--past times, past pleasures, past sins, past labours, past attainments. The past must have dwelt in his memory, but it did not satisfy him. "Onward" was his motto, and every day he began his race afresh.

3. Untiring activity.--He had the goal ever in his eye; he often measured the distance between him and the goal; he stretched every nerve to reach the goal. (1) Do we resemble Paul in his aim? (2) Do we resemble Paul in his efforts?--G. Brooks.

Aim High--

+I. In pursuit of moral excellence.+

+II. Intellectual character.+

+III. Active usefulness.+

+Lessons.+--1. God Himself has commanded it. 2. Society expects it of you. 3. The age in which you live demands it.--E. D. Griffin.

Vers. 15, 16. The Temper to be cultivated by Christians of Different Denominations toward each other.

+I. Those who adhere to this rule.+--1. Seek and cultivate their society. 2. Use means to promote the mutual improvement of these persons and of ourselves. 3. Do all we can to render our mutual reciprocal union more perfect and our usefulness more extensive.

+II. Those who differ from us in matters of great importance.+--1. Give consideration to the way in which their religious characters have been formed. 2. Pay regard to the difficulties and misapprehensions which lie in the use of words. 3. Reflect what would probably have been the effects upon our minds had we been placed in their circumstances. 4. Act towards them with justice and kindness.

+III. Those who differ from us in matters of smaller moment.+--1. Show them sincere and honest respect and kindness. 2. Cultivate friendly intercourse with them as far as they are disposed to reciprocate such intercourse. 3. Show that we esteem the essential principle of the Gospel more than controversial preciseness and ecclesiastical form.--J. P. Smith.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 17-19.

Good and Bad Examples.

+I. A good example should be attentively studied.+--"Mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample" (ver. 17). We cannot imitate what we do not see and know. It will help us to be good if we carefully watch and meditate on the conduct of the truly good. The best example of uprightness and consistency is worthy of the most painstaking study. "Wherever they found the life of the apostle imitated and displayed the Philippians were to mark it and make it their pattern. Any excellence which they thus discovered they might by God's grace attain to. It was not some distant spectacle they were to gaze at and admire, but an embodiment of earnest faith, walking on the same platform with them., and speaking, acting, praying, suffering, and weeping among them. What had been possible to others was surely not impossible to them" (Eadie). A Polish prince was accustomed to carry the picture of his father always in his bosom, and on particular occasions used to take it out and view it, saying, "Let me do nothing unbecoming so excellent a father."

+II. A good example should be faithfully imitated.+--"Brethren, be followers together of me" (ver. 17). Paul had studied profoundly the character of Christ, and was earnestly striving to follow Him. He therefore exhorts the Philippians to imitate him as he sought to imitate Christ; or rather, as Bengel puts it, he invites them to be "fellow-imitators of Christ." To imitate Christ is not copying Him in every particular. We cannot follow Him as Saviour, Mediator, Redeemer. What is meant is, that we are to do our work in the Spirit of Christ, as He would do it. He who follows Christ never misses the right way, and is always led on to victory. When in the Mexican war the troops were wavering, a general rose in his stirrups and dashed into the enemies' lines, shouting, "Men, follow me!" They, inspired by his courageous example, dashed on after him and gained the victory. What men want to rally them for God is an example to lead them.

+III. A bad example is in antagonism to the highest truth.+--"Many walk, of whom I have told you, . . . they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (ver. 18). Professed friends, dubious in their attachment and promises, are enemies of Christ, and of the great movement in human redemption represented by His cross. While professing to maintain the doctrines of the cross, by their wicked lives they are depreciating them.

1. A bad example is set by those who concentrate their chief thought on the material.--"Who mind earthly things" (ver. 19). The world has many attractions, but it has also many dangers. To be wholly absorbed in its pursuits weans the soul from God and holiness and heaven. Gosse tells us, in his Romance of Natural History, of certain animals which inhabit the coral reefs. So long as they keep the passage to the surface clear they are safe; but, this neglected, the animal finds the coral has grown around it and enclosed it in a living tomb. And so it is with the life of the soul on earth. The world is around us everywhere; the danger is when we allow it to grow between our souls and God.

2. A bad example is set by those who are supremely controlled by their sensual appetites.--"Whose God is their belly" (ver. 19). The desires of the flesh invite to self-indulgence--to gluttony, revelling, drunkenness; to gaudiness, extravagance, and immodesty of dress; to impurity of speech and conduct. A sensual man looks as if lust had drawn her foul fingers over his features and wiped out the man. The philosopher Antisthenes, who had a contempt for all sensual enjoyment, used to say, "I would rather be mad than sensual."

3. A bad example is set by those who gloat in their degradation.--"Whose glory is in their shame" (ver. 19). Man has reached the lowest depth of vice when he boasts in what is really his shame. The last rag of modesty is thrown aside. "These enemies of the cross were not hypocrites, but open and avowed sensualists, conscious of no inconsistency, but rather justifying their vices, and thus perverting the Gospel formally for such detestable conduct."

4. The end of a bad example is ruin.--"Whose end is destruction" (ver. 19). Evil is the broad way that leadeth to destruction. Sin must be inevitably punished; it works its own fate--"sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." Judge Buller, speaking to a young gentleman of sixteen, cautioned him against being led astray by the example or persuasion of others, and said, "If I had listened to the advice of some of those who called themselves my friends, when I was young, instead of being a judge of the King's Bench, I should have died long ago a prisoner in the King's prison."

+IV. Professed members of the Church who set a bad example are the occasion of constant solicitude and sorrow to the truly good.+--"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping" (ver. 18). Even when denouncing the worst sins, the apostle does it, not with harshness and imperious superiority, but with the greatest tenderness and grief. The anxious minister may well weep over the folly and delusion of half-hearted adherents, over their false and distorted conceptions of the Gospel, over the reproach brought against the truth by their inconsistent and licentious lives, and over their lamentable end. The conduct of sinners is more a matter of heart-breaking sorrow than of wrathful indignation.

+Lessons.+--1. Example is more potent than precept. 2. A bad example should be carefully shunned. 3. A good example should be diligently imitated.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 17. Imitation of the Good--

+I. Possible only where there is a sympathetic resemblance to and admiration of the character sought to be copied.+--"Brethren."

+II. Is easier when joined with those who have similar aims.+--"Be followers together of me."

+III. Is aided by careful observation and study.+--"Mark them."

+IV. Every good man is an example for others to imitate.+--"So as ye have us for an ensample."

Vers. 18, 19. Enemies of the Cross--

+I. Deny the efficacy and purpose of Christ's sufferings.+

+II. Are incompetent to appreciate the spiritual significance of the cross.+--"Who mind earthly things."

+III. Are the victims of sensuality.+--"Whose god is their belly."

+IV. Are degraded beyond all bounds of modesty.+--"Whose glory is in their shame."

+V. Will be inevitably punished.+--"Whose end is destruction."

+VI. Are the cause of much grief to those who must constantly expose them.+--"Of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping."

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 20, 21.

Christian Citizenship--

+I. Has its centre of life and privileges in heaven.+--"For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven" (ver. 20). To show the contrast between the earthly things which absorb the thought of the worldly, and the things of heaven, the apostle proceeds to indicate that the life of the believer, even on earth, is associated with the privileges and blessings of the heavenly commonwealth, of which he is a member. In this world the Christian is but a stranger--living in temporary exile. His city, his home, is in heaven. Longing to enter into possession of all the privileges of the heavenly franchise, earthly things have no attraction for him, and he seeks to act in harmony with his high destiny.

+II. Is assured of the deliverance of its members from the perils and hardships of earth.+--"From whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (ver. 20). The apostle characterises Jesus as Saviour, or as expected in the character of Saviour, and thus suggests an awful contrast, in point of destiny, between himself and those like-minded with him, and the party reprobated by him in the two preceding verses. Their end is destruction, but ours is salvation; to the one He descends as Judge, but to us as Saviour. If there be such visible difference in present character, there is a more awful contrast in ultimate destiny--the two poles of humanity--everlasting punishment; eternal life (Eadie). The great Deliverer will emancipate us from the thraldom, suffering, and sorrow of the present world, and complete in its fulness the salvation which is now in process.

+III. Has the confident hope of future dignity and blessedness.+--1. The body of humiliation shall be transformed into the likeness of Christ's glorified body. "Who shall change our vile body, that it may fashioned like unto His glorious body" (ver. 21). The body of our humiliation connects us with the soil, out of which it was formed, and by the products of which it is supported, on which it walks, and into which it falls at death. It keeps us in constant physical connection with earth, whatever be the progress of the spirit towards its high destiny--its commonwealth in heaven. It limits intellectual power and development, impedes spiritual growth and enjoyment, and is soon fatigued with the soul's activity. In it are the seeds of disease and pain, from functional disorder and organic malady. It is an animal nature which, in spite of a careful and vigilant government, is prone to rebellious outbreaks. But this body is reserved to a high destiny: it shall be like Christ's heavenly body. The brightness of heaven does not oppress Him, neither shall it dazzle us. Our humanity dies indeed, and is decomposed; but when He appears, it shall be raised and beautified. These bodies shall cease to be animal without ceasing to be human bodies, and they shall become spiritual bodies--etherealised vehicles for the pure spirit that shall be lodged within them (Eadie, passim).

2. This transformation shall be effected by the Divine power that controls the universe.--"According to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (ver. 21). While omniscience is the actual possession or exercise of all knowledge, omnipotence is universal ability, which may or may not yet have put forth all its energies, for what is possible to it may not have been effected by it. But Christ shall put forth His power, as we know from other sources, and death itself shall be swallowed up in victory--that which has swallowed up all humanity shall be surrounded by a wider vortex and be itself engulfed. This body of our humiliation has some surviving element, or some indissoluble link, which warrants the notion and shall secure the consciousness of identity, in whatever that identity may consist (Eadie). If man's art and device can produce so pure and white a fabric as paper from filthy rags, what shall hinder God by His mighty power to raise the vile body from the grave and refine and fashion it like unto the glorious body of Christ? "Not a resurrection," says Neander, "as a restoration merely of the same earthly body in the same earthly form; but a glorious transformation, proceeding from the Divine, the all-subduing power of Christ; so that believers, free from all the defects of the earthly existence, released from all its barriers, may reflect the full image of the heavenly Christ in their whole glorified personality, in the soul pervaded by the Divine life and its now perfectly assimilated glorified organ."

+Lessons.+--1. The Christian citizen is but a sojourner on earth. 2. His conduct on earth is regulated by a heavenly life. 3. He looks for his highest honours and enjoyments in the future.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 20. Christian Citizenship.

+I. The heavenly citizenship of Christians.+--1. The city to which they belong--heaven. 2. When are true Christians made citizens of this heavenly state? When they are pardoned. 3. What are the privileges connected with this state of relation to the heavenly city? (1) Freedom. (2) Admits to honourable employment and office. (3) Fellowship and communion with the whole body of Israel. 4. A right to the common property--the inheritance of the saints in light.

+II. The conduct manifested by true Christians, and corresponding with their privilege.+--1. Holiness. 2. Boast of the institutions of the heavenly city. 3. Are bold and courageous. 4. It will be seen in our spirit. 5. Our affections are in heaven.--R. Watson.

Ver. 21. The Resurrection of the Human Body.

+I. We must be reminded of our sinful condition.+--1. Our body is called a body of humiliation, because it, as well as the spirit, is the seat of sin. 2. If we consider the immense labour necessary to provide for its wants. 3. If we consider it as a clog to our devotion. 4. It must be still further humbled by death.

+II. The transformation of this humbled body.+--1. There can be no deformity. 2. The excessive care necessary for the support of the body shall exist no more. 3. It shall be an assistant and no longer a hindrance to the operations of the deathless spirit.

+III. The means by which the transformation will be effected.+--The power of God answers all objections, removes all difficulties.

+Lessons.+--1. It becomes us to aspire to as much of the glory of the future state as can be attained. 2. This subject affords encouragement to us on the loss of our friends. 3. Ought to fortify our minds against the fear of death.--Ibid.

The Glorious Destiny of the Human Body.--If we are in Christ, He will gather up what is left, He will transfigure it with the splendour of a new life, He will change our body of humiliation that it may be fashioned like unto the body of His glory. Sown in the very extreme of physical weakness, it will be raised in a strictly superhuman power; sown a natural body controlled on every side by physical law, it will be a true body still, but a body that belongs to the sphere of spirit. Most difficult indeed it is even to the imagination to understand how this poor body, our companion for so many years--part of our very selves--is to be first wrenched from us at death and then restored to us if we will, transfigured by the majestic glory of the Son of God. Little can we understand this inaccessibility to disease, the radiant beauty, the superiority to material obstacles in moving through space, the spirituality, in short, which awaits without destroying it.

"Heavy and dull this frame of limbs and heart. Whether slow creeping on cold earth, or borne On lofty steed Or loftier prow, we dart O'er wave or field, Yet breezes laugh to scorn Our puny speed, And birds, and clouds in heaven, And fish like living shafts that pierce the main, And stars that shoot through freezing air at even. Who would not follow, might he break his chain? And thou shalt break it soon. The grovelling worm Shall find his wings, and soar as fast and free As his transfigured Lord, with lightning form And snowy vest. Such grace He won for thee When from the grave He sprang at dawn of morn, And led, through bondless air, thy conquering road, Leaving a glorious track where saints new-born Might fearless follow to their blest abode."--H. P. Liddon.

* * * * * * * *

+CHAPTER IV.+

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. +Brethren beloved and longed for . . . beloved.+--By these caressing titles, which, however, are not words of flattery but of sincere love, he works his way into their hearts. The "beloved" repeated at the close of the verse is like the clinging embrace of affection. +My joy.+--The most delectable joy of St. John was to hear that his children walked in truth. So St. Paul says of his Philippian converts, as he had said of their neighbours of the Thessalonian Church, that they are his joy. +And crown.+--"The word must be carefully distinguished from 'diadem.' It means a chaplet or wreath, and the idea it conveys may be either (1) victory, or (2) merriment, as the wreath was worn equally by the conqueror and by the holiday-maker" (Lightfoot).

Ver. 3. +And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow.+--It is doubtful whom the apostle addresses. On the whole, however, it seems most probable that Epaphroditus, the bearer of the epistle, is intended (so Lightfoot, following Hofmann). Meyer says: "Laying aside arbitrariness and seeing that the address is surrounded by proper names, we can only find in the word for 'yokefellow' a proper name, . . . genuine Syzygus, i.e. thou who art in reality and substantially that which thy name expresses: 'fellow-in-yoke, fellow-labourer.'" +Whose names are in the book of life.+--St. Paul had before said the polity of the Christians was a heavenly one. Here he says there is a "burgess list" from which no name of a true citizen is ever by accident omitted--though by any chance he might have omitted to mention his co-workers in his epistle.

Ver. 4. +Rejoice in the Lord.+--R.V. margin, "Farewell." The word is neither "farewell" alone, nor "rejoice" alone (Lightfoot). That the A.V. and R.V. texts are justified in so translating seems clear from the "always" which follows.

Ver. 5. +Let your moderation be known.+--This moderation or forbearance is the very opposite of the spirit which will "cavil on the ninth part of a hair" in the way of asserting personal rights.

Ver. 6. +Be careful for nothing.+--R.V. "in nothing be anxious." The word suggests the idea of a poor distraught mind on which concerns have fastened themselves, which drag, one in one direction, another in the opposite. Well says Bengel, "Care and prayer are more opposed than water and fire." In all things, prayer--in nothing, care. +By prayer.+--The general idea of an expression of dependence. +Supplication.+--The specific request--the word hinting too at the attitude of the petitioner, e.g. clasping the feet of the person from whom the favour is asked. +With thanksgiving.+--The preservative against any possible defiance which might otherwise find its way into the tone of the prayer, or on the other hand against a despair which creeps over those who think God "bears long" and forgets to answer.

Ver. 7. +And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.+--If we say the peace of God is so profound that the human mind cannot comprehend it, no doubt that is an admissible interpretation of these words; but it seems better far to say, the peace of God excels all that the mere reason of man can do. The νοῦς, the highest faculty of man as such, intended to be the guide of life, oftener brings anxiety than a calm heart. +Shall keep your+ +hearts.+--As a watchman keeps a city. Lightfoot says we have a verbal paradox, for "to keep" is a warrior's duty; God's peace shall stand sentry, shall keep guard over your hearts. +And minds.+--R.V. much better, "and thoughts," for it is not the mind which thinks, but the products of thinking which the word indicates. The sentry questions all suspicious characters (cf. Prov. iv. 23, and Matt. xv. 19).

Ver. 8. +Whatsoever things are true.+--The apostle recognises the ability of the renewed mind to discern truth under any guise. "Ye have an unction from the Holy One and know all things" (1 John ii. 20). +Honest.+--A.V. margin, "venerable." R.V. text, "honourable." R.V. margin, "reverend." This variety shows the difficulty of finding an exact equivalent for the word of St. Paul, in which the sense of gravity and dignity, and of these as inviting reverence, is combined. +Just.+--Answering to that which is normally right (Cremer). +Pure.+--As there is no impurity like fleshly impurity, defiling body and spirit, so the word "pure" expresses freedom from these (Trench). It denotes chastity in every part of life (Calvin). +Lovely.+--Christian morality as that which is ethically beautiful is pre-eminently worthy to be loved. "Nihil est amabilius virtute," says Cicero. +Of good report.+--R.V. margin, "gracious." Lightfoot says "fair-speaking" and so "winning, attractive." Meyer says, "that which, when named, sounds significant of happiness, e.g. brave, honest, honourable." +If there be any virtue.+--The New Testament is frugal of the word which is in such constant use in the heathen moralists. If they sought to make man self-confident, it seeks to shatter that confidence. The noblest manliness is godliness. +Think on these things.+--They are things to be reckoned with by every man sooner or later--occupy the thoughts with them now.

Ver. 9. +Those things . . . do.+--Here speaks the same man, with a mind conscious of its own rectitude, who could say, "I have lived in all good conscience before God unto this day." He had not only "allured" his Philippian converts "to brighter worlds," but had "led the way." +The God of peace shall be with you.+--Note the phrase in connection with "the peace of God shall mount guard" (ver. 7).

Ver. 10. +Hath flourished again.+--R.V. "ye have revived your thought for me." The active generosity of the Philippians towards St. Paul had never died, any more than a tree does when it sheds its leaves and stands bare all through the winter. The winter of their disability was past, and the return of the sun of prosperity made the kindly remembrance of the apostle sprout into a generous gift to him.

Ver. 11. +Not that I speak, etc.+--"Do not mistake me; I am not moved thus by the good of my own need." The apostle does not leave it possible for one to say with the melancholy Jaques, "When a man thanks me heartily, methinks I have given him a penny and he renders me the beggarly thanks." +I have learned . . . to be content.+--"Self-sufficiency," said Socrates, "is nature's wealth." St. Paul is only self-sufficient so far as Christ dwells in him and assures him, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (cf. Heb. xiii. 5).

Ver. 12. +I know how to be abased.+--To be "in reduced circumstances." +I know how to abound.+--To be in affluence. By this it does not appear that St. Paul meant, "I have chewed the bitter cud of penury, and tasted the sweets of prosperity." Many a man has had to do that--everything lies in how it is done. It is as much beneath the Christian philosopher to make a wry face at the one, as to clap the hands in childish glee at the other. +I am instructed, etc.+--Lit. "I have been initiated." The pass-word is in the apostle's possession--no novice is he. +To be full and to be hungry.+--As if we said "to pasture and to pine." It is the psalmist's "green pastures and still waters. . . . The valley of the shadow of death" (Ps. xxiii.).

Ver. 13. +I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.+--A fresh general statement of the self-sufficiency of ver. 11. "In the grand brevity how marked is the assurance, and at the same time humility" (Meyer).

Ver. 15. +No Church communicated with me.+--The lofty independence of the apostle had not unbent to any other Church as to this. There are men from whom one could never receive a gift without sacrifice of self-respect. St. Paul was not the man to be patronised.

Ver. 18. +An odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.+--The last word transfers their deed to another sphere entirely. "Ye did it unto Me," says Christ (Matt. xxv. 40).

Ver. 19. +My God shall supply all your need.+--Did I say, "I am filled"? (ver. 18). I can make you no return, but my God will. He will fulfil every need of yours. +According to His riches in glory.+--According to the abundant power and glorious omnipotence whereby as Lord of heaven and earth He can bestow what He will.

Ver. 22. +The saints . . . of Cæsar's household.+--This expression does not oblige us to think that any relatives of Cæsar had embraced Christianity. It comprises all who in any way were connected with the imperial service.

Ver. 23. +Be with you all.+--The oldest MSS. read, "Be with your spirit."

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verse 1.

A Plea for Steadfastness--

+I. After the pattern of those worthy of imitation.+--"So stand fast in the Lord." Having pointed out the dignity of Christian citizenship and the exalted conduct befitting those possessing its privileges, the apostle exhorts them to steadfastness in imitating those who, through evil and good report and in the midst of opposition and suffering, had bravely maintained their loyalty to Christ. "So stand fast"--be sincere and earnest in devotion to God, as they were; be faithful and unflinching, as they were; triumph over the world, the flesh, and the devil, as they did. "Behold, we count them worthy who endure;" and the same distinction of character is attainable by every follower of Christ, attainable by patient continuance in well-doing. The ideal of a steadfast character is embodied in the Lord, who was Himself a supreme example of unfaltering obedience and love. Follow Him; being united to Him by faith, deriving continual inspiration and strength from His Spirit, stand fast in Him. Riding up to a regiment that was hard pressed at Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington cried to the men, "Stand fast, Ninety-fifth! What will they say in England?" History records how successfully the appeal was obeyed. Stand fast, Christians! What will they say in the heavenly city to which you belong, and for whose interests you are fighting? William of Orange said he learnt a word while crossing the English Channel which he would never forget. When in a great storm the captain was all night crying out to the man at the helm, "Steady! steady! steady!"

+II. Addressed to those who have given evidence of willingness to be instructed.+--"My joy and crown." The Philippians who had embraced the Gospel he preached, and whose lives had been changed by its power, were the joy and crown of the devoted apostle. The crown was not the diadem of royalty, but the garland of victory. He has in his mind the famous athletic games of the Greeks, which in the diligent training and the strenuous effort to gain the laurel coronet, and the intensity of joy felt by the victors, were a significant illustration of the Christian life, whether as regards the spiritual progress of the believer himself, or his work for the salvation of others. He believed the Lord would place around his brow an imperishable garland of honour, of which each soul that had been quickened, comforted, and strengthened by him would be a spray or leaf. In Nero's prison, aged, worn with trouble, manacled, uncertain of life, he rejoiced in being a successful minister of Christ--a conqueror wreathed with amaranth. The emperor in his palace was in heart weary and wretched; the prisoner was restful and happy, invested with a glory that should shine on undimmed, when the glitter of Nero's power and grandeur should vanish as a dream. The satisfaction enjoyed by those who first led us to Christ and who have helped us in our spiritual struggles, is another reason for continued steadfastness and fidelity.

+III. Urged with affectionate solicitude.+--"My brethren deeply beloved and longed for, . . . my dearly beloved." The terms employed are the outflow of a jubilant spirit, and are full of tender endearment and loving appreciation. Love delights to exaggerate; yet there is no exaggeration here. The Philippians were to the apostle "brethren beloved--dearly beloved"--children of the same spiritual Father, members of the one family of God, united together in a happy Christian brotherhood. He recalls the first introduction of the Gospel into Philippi, the preaching of the Word, the impression made, the converts won, the formation of the Church, and its growth and prosperity, amid labours and suffering. Attachments were then formed that deepened and strengthened with the years. Christian friendships call forth the finest feelings of the soul, and form a strong bond of union in the love of a common Saviour. Christ will have no forced selection of men, no soldiers by compulsion, no timorous slaves, but children, brethren, friends.

+Lessons.+--1. Steadfastness is a test of genuine devotedness. 2. Instability is a loss of advantages often won at great cost. 3. They who endure will finally conquer.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 2, 3.

Glimpses of Life in the Early Church.

+I. The early planting of the Gospel involved arduous and united toil.+--"Which laboured with me in the gospel" (ver. 3). Prodigious as were the labours of Paul, he could never have accomplished the work he did but for the willing co-operation of others. There is great art in evoking the sympathy and help of those who can help forward the work of God. Christian work finds scope for all kinds of talents and agencies. Pioneer work is rough work and tests all our powers and resources. The difficulties of the work unite its propagators in heart and hand. There is little good done without strenuous labour, though the results of our toil are not always immediately apparent. Dr. Judson laboured diligently for six years in Burmah before he baptised a convert. At the end of three years he was asked what evidence he had of ultimate success. He replied, "As much as there is a God who will fulfil all His promises." A hundred churches and thousands of converts already answer his faith.

+II. The names of Gospel pioneers are not forgotten.+--"With Clement also, and with other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of life" (ver. 3). Some of these names are recorded in the pages of history and handed down to our day; the rest, though unknown on earth, are registered in the imperishable pages of "the book of life." Clement, though unknown to fame and unidentified with any other of the same name mentioned in history, is referred to here as recognising the apostle's cordial recollection of his valuable work. But the unknown on earth are not forgotten in heaven. The work we do for God will live for ever. When Columbus was homeward bound after his brilliant discovery of a new world he was overtaken by a terrible storm. In his indescribable agony that not only his life and that of his crew, but his magnificent discovery must all go down and be lost in the abyss, and that, too, not far from land, he committed to the deep hurried entries of that discovery sealed up in bottles, in the hope that some day they might reach land. We need not be unduly anxious about either our work or our fame; God will take care of both.

+III. From the earliest times women have rendered valuable help in the propagation of the Gospel.+--"Euodias, Syntyche, . . . women which laboured with me in the gospel" (vers. 2, 3). In the Temple worship the Jewish women were fenced off in a court by themselves. The woman occupied an inferior religious position in Rabbinical teaching. It was a shock to public feeling to see a rabbi talking to a female. Even the disciples were surprised that their Master should be found conversing with a woman on the brink of the Samaritan well. Jesus Christ broke down this middle wall of partition as He had broken down the other. Here, again, He made both one. If in Christ there is no distinction of Jew and Gentile, neither is there of male or female. Women were His faithful and constant attendants; women were the favoured witnesses of His resurrection; women were among the most helpful fellow-workers of the apostles. There was an organised ministry of women deaconesses and widows in the Apostolic Church. "What women those Christians have," exclaimed the heathen rhetorician, on learning about Anthusa, the mother of Chrysostom. Anthusa at the early age of twenty lost her husband, and thenceforward devoted herself wholly to the education of her son, refusing all offers of further marriage. Her intelligence and piety moulded the boy's character and shaped the destiny of the man, who in his subsequent eminence never forgot what he owed to maternal influence. It is no exaggeration to say that we owe those rich homilies of Chrysostom, of which interpreters of Scripture still make great use, to the mind and heart of Anthusa.

+IV. We learn the apostolic method of reconciling two eminent women in serious disagreement.+--1. He addresses to each an earnest and pointed exhortation to unity. "I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord" (ver. 2). He repeats the entreaty to show that he placed the like obligation on each of them. He does not exhort the one to be reconciled to the other, for they might have doubted who should take the initiative, and they might wonder, from the position of their names and construction of the sentence, to which of them the apostle attached the more blame. But he exhorts them both, the one and the other, to think the same thing--not only to come to a mutual understanding, but to preserve it. The cause of quarrel might be some unworthy question about priority or privilege, even in the prosecution of the good work--vainglory leading to strife. It does not seem to have been any difference in creed or practice (Eadie).

2. He recognises their devoted and impartial labours.--"Those women which laboured with me in the gospel" (ver. 3). Their work does not appear to have been done from personal friendship, as is often the case; they treated all and helped all alike. They were deeply interested in the spread of the Gospel and the increase of the Church, and toiled with such self-sacrificing devotion as to elicit the special commendation of the apostle.

3. He entreated that help might be rendered them in the adjustment of their quarrel.--"And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women" (ver. 3). A third party is appealed to, to interpose his good offices--an evidence that Paul regarded the harmony of these two women a matter of no small importance. Mediation between two persons at variance is delicate and difficult work, but if judiciously done may help to a reconciliation. Women were the first to receive the Gospel at Philippi, and from the first used their influence and opportunities in commending it to their sex. The unseemly misunderstanding between these two women whose labours had been so blessed made it the more necessary that something should be done to heal the breach.

+Lessons.+--1. Pioneer work has special hardships and temptations. 2. The best of women may quarrel. 3. It is the wise policy of the Christian statesman to compose and strive to prevent discord and disunion.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 2. Feminine Disagreement--

+I. May occasion much mischief in a Church.+

+II. All the more dangerous where the parties are eminent in gifts and labours+ (ver. 3).

+III. Reconciled when truly possessing one mind in Christ.+--"Be of the same mind in the Lord."

+IV. The most earnest entreaty should be employed to rectify.+--"I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche."

Ver. 3. Names in the Book.

+I. Some observations.+--1. It is a great thing to have a name in the New Testament.--Think of the roll-call in Rom. xvi. and Heb. xi.

2. It is a great thing now to have a name in the family Bible, for that generally signifies Christian training and parental prayers.

3. It is a great thing to have a name upon the pages of a church register.--How affecting are these old manuals, with their lists of pious men and women, many of whom have passed into the skies.

4. It is the greatest thing of all to have a name in the Lamb's Book of Life.--Beyond all fame (Matt. xi. 11). Beyond all power (Luke x. 20).

+II. Some questions.+--1. In how many books is your name written now? 2. How can a human name be written securely in the Lamb's Book of Life? 3. To backsliders: are you going to return to your name, or do you want it to come back to you? 4. To Christian workers: how many names have you helped to write in the Book of Life? 5. Is there any cheer in thinking how our names will sound when the books are opened in the white light of the throne?--Homiletic Monthly.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verse 4.

Christian Joy--

+I. Is in the Lord.+--"Rejoice in the Lord." The joy of the Christian is not in his own achievements, still less is it in himself or in his own experiences. A glance at ourselves and the imperfections of our work for God fills us with shame and sadness. Pure, lasting joy is found nowhere but "in the Lord." When Möhler, the eminent Roman Catholic symbolist, asserted that "in the neighbourhood of a man who, without any restriction, declared himself sure of his salvation, he should be in a high degree uneasy, and that he could not repel the thought that there was something diabolical beneath this," he only afforded a deep glance into the comfortlessness of a heart which seeks the ultimate ground of its hope in self-righteousness, and in making assurance of salvation to depend on attainment in holiness instead of in simple faith in Christ. The friends of Haller congratulated him on the honour of having received a visit in his last hours from the emperor Joseph II.; but the dying man simply answered, "Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." The more we realise Christ, not as a dim abstraction or a mere historic personage, but as a living and loving personal reality, the more truly can we rejoice in Him.

+II. Is constant.+--"Always." Christian joy is not a capricious sentiment, a fitful rapture, but a steady, uniform, and continued emotion. The direction of the apostle to rejoice always sounds like a paradox. How can we continually rejoice when we are continually in the midst of sin, suffering, and sorrow? Still, when we think of the change Divine grace has wrought in us, when we think of the ample provisions of the Gospel every moment available to us, when we contemplate the bright prospects before us which even present distresses cannot dim, and when we remember the infinite ability of our Lord to accomplish all He had promised us, our joy may well be perennial. Airay, the earliest English expositor of this epistle, has well said: "When Satan, that old dragon, casts out many flouds of persecutions against us; when wicked men cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully speake against us; when lying, slandering, and deceitful mouthes are opened upon us; when we are mocked and jested at and had in derision of all them that are about us; when we are afflicted, tormented, and made the world's wonder; when the sorrowes of death compasse us and the flouds of wickednesse make us afraid, and the paines of hell come even unto our soule; what is it that holds up our heads that we sinke not, how is it that we stand either not shaken, or, if shaken, yet not cast downe? Is it not by our rejoycing which we have in Christ Jesus?"

+III. Is recommended by experience.+--"And again I say rejoice." Paul recommended what he himself enjoyed. If he, in the midst of disappointment, imprisonment, and suffering, would rejoice and did rejoice, so may others. It might be that, as he wrote these words, a temporary depression crept over him, as he thought of himself as a prisoner in the immediate prospect of a cruel death. It was but a passing feeling. In a moment Divine grace triumphed, and with heightened elation and emphasis he repeated, "And again I will say, rejoice." We have already remarked that joy is the predominating feature of this epistle, and to the last the apostle maintains the exalted strain.

+Lessons.+--1. Great joy is found in working for God. 2. Joy is found not so much in the work as in the Lord. 3. It is the Christian's privilege to rejoice always.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSE.

Ver. 4. Rejoicing in the Lord.

+I. The text involves the fact that believers may and should rejoice.+--1. The world holds that believers have no enjoyment. 2. There are believers who all but teach this; for--(1) they use not the language of joy themselves; (2) they discourage it in others. 3. But that believers may and should rejoice is evident for--(1) joy is commanded as a duty; (2) it is mentioned as a fruit of the Holy Ghost; (3) it is a feature of the Christian, portrayed in the Scriptures (Acts ii. 46, 47). 4. The spiritually-minded, if not warped by some defective system of doctrine, rejoice. 5. Joy is quite consistent with those states of mind which are thought to be inconsistent with it. "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." 6. Joy is the natural result of peace with God.

+II. The text exhibits the nature of the joy peculiar to the believer.+--He rejoices "in the Lord." 1. The world rejoices in the creature and shuts out God. 2. The believer rejoices only in God. 3. This joy has several elements. (1) The believer rejoices that God is--"I am." (2) He rejoices that He is what He is. (3) He rejoices in the manifestations of His glory, which He has made in His Word, works, and ways. (4) He rejoices in his own relation to Him in Christ--"boasting himself in God." (5) He rejoices in the hope of the glory of God. 4. Every element of pure and elevated pleasure is found in His joy. 5. It is fellowship with God Himself in His joy.

+III. The text renders it binding upon the believer at all times to seek this privilege and to cherish this feeling+--"always."--This command is reasonable, for: 1. God is always the same. 2. The believer's relation to Him is unalterable. 3. The way to God is always open. 4. The mind may always keep before it the views which cause joy--by the indwelling Spirit.

+IV. The manner in which the commandment of the text is pressed teaches us the importance of the duty it inculcates.+--Its importance is manifest, for: 1. It is the mainspring of worship and obedience. 2. It prevents a return to sinful pleasures. 3. It renders us superior to temporal suffering--fits for enduring for Jesus Christ. 4. It presents to the world (1) True religion. (2) Connected with enjoyment.

+V. The manner in which the commandment of the text is expressed implies that there are obstacles in the way of obedience.+--What are some of the obstacles? 1. A habit, natural and strong, of drawing our satisfaction from the creature. 2. Not keeping "a conscience void of offence towards God and man." 3. Not having the heart in a state to have sympathy with God's character. 4. Not proportioning aright the amount of attention given to self and Christ. 5. Not making sure of our interest in Christ.--Stewart.

Joy in the Lord--

+I. Is intellectual.+

+II. Moral.+

+III. Spiritual.+

+Lessons.+--1. Our power of rejoicing in the Lord is a fair test of our moral and spiritual condition. 2. Is a Christian's main support under the trials of life. 3. Is one of the great motive forces of the Christian life.--H. P. Liddon.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verse 5.

Christian Equity--

+I. Does not exact all the claims of legal justice.+--"Let your moderation [forbearance] be known." Human laws, however carefully devised, may sometimes, if rigidly enforced, act unjustly and cruelly. We should guide ourselves at all times by the broad principles of equity in the sight of God. We should not urge our own rights to the uttermost, but be wiling to waive a part, and thus rectify the injustice of justice. "The archetype of this grace is God, who presses not the strictness of His law against us as we deserve, though having exacted the fullest payment for us from our Divine Surety" (Fausset). It is not gentleness as an innate feeling, but as the result of self-restraint. It does not insist on what is its due, it does not stand on etiquette or right, but it descends and complies. It is opposed to that rigour which never bends nor deviates, and which, as it gives the last farthing, uniformly exacts it. It is not facile pliability--a reed in a breeze--but that generous and indulgent feeling that knows what is its right, but recedes from it; is conscious of what is merited, but does not contend for strict proportion. It is that grace which was defective in one or other, or both, of the women who are charged by the apostle to be of one mind in the Lord. For, slow to take offence, it is swift to forgive it. Let a misunderstanding arise, and no false delicacy will prevent it from taking the first step towards reconciliation or adjustment of opinion (Eadie).

+II. Should be evident in dealing with all classes.+--"Be known unto all men." We are to practise forbearance, not only towards our Christian brethren, but towards the world, even towards the enemies of the Gospel. It is a rebuke to the Christian spirit to be austere, unbending, and scrupulously exacting. If we are always rejoicing in the Lord, we cannot cherish hard feelings towards any. The Christian should be notorious for gentleness and forbearance; all with whom we come in contact should be made to know it and feel it. We should be prepared for yielding up what may be our own rights, and to endure wrong rather than dishonour Christ, or give a false representation of the heavenly life which He exemplified and recommended, and which is becoming in all His professed followers. "This gentleness manifests itself at one time as equanimity and patience under all circumstances, among all men and in manifold experiences; at another as integrity in business relations; as justice, forbearance, and goodness in exercising power; as impartiality and mercy in judging; as noble yielding, joyful giving, and patent enduring and forgiving" (Passavant).

+III. Should be practised as conscious of the near advent of Christ.+--"The Lord is at hand." The early Church had a vivid sense of the immediateness of the second coming of Christ, and were taught to do and bear everything as in His sight. We lose much in spiritual power, and in the realisation of eternal things, when we consign that advent to the remote and indistinct future. After all, the second coming of Christ, and not our own death, is the goal on which our eye should be fixed, as the period which will furnish us with the true and final value of our life-work. In the first ages it would have been deemed a kind of apostasy not have sighed after the day of the Lord. The coming of the Lord is a motive to show moderation and clemency towards all men, even towards our enemies, for the great Judge is near, who will rectify all inequalities and redress all wrongs.

+Lessons.+--1. Equity is superior to legal enactments. 2. It is a sorry spectacle when Christians appeal to the civil courts to settle their differences. 3. The Christian spirit is the highest equity.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 6, 7.

The Cure of Care.

+I. That all anxious care is needless.+--"Be careful for nothing" (ver. 6). It is not forethought that is here condemned, but anxious, distracting care. Care is a kill-joy and is the great enemy of Christian peace. The future is not ours; why be anxious about it? The past is done with, and regrets about it are unavailing. The future is provided for, for God, the great Provider, is ahead of every step we take towards that future. The ancient custom of distracting a criminal by tying him to the wheels of two chariots which were then driven in opposite directions well illustrates how cares may be allowed to distract the mind. We put ourselves on the rack when we ought to cast our care on God, not in part, nor occasionally, but in all things and at all times. Care depreciates the value of all our past blessings and dims our vision of the blessings we now actually possess. After the great military victories of Marlborough in 1704, he one day said: "I have for these last ten days been so troubled by the many disappointments I have had, that I think if it were possible to vex me so for a fortnight longer, it would make the end of me. In short, I am weary of my life."

+II. That all anxious care should be taken to God in thankful prayer.+--"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God" (ver. 6). The best system of heathen philosophy regarded equability of mind, undisturbed alike by the troubles and allurements of the world, as the most perfect state of the soul; but it did not provide any adequate motive for attaining this desirable equipoise. It could only state the theory and insist on its importance; but refractory human nature had its own way, in spite of philosophy. The apostle supplies in these words a nobler and more workable philosophy. He not only exhorts us to tranquillity of mind but shows us how it may be attained and kept. In all kinds of anxieties and especially in the struggles of religious doubt, prayer is the truest philosophy. Our difficulties vanish when we take them to God.

"By caring and by fretting, By agony and fear, There is of God no getting; But prayer He will hear."

We should cast our care on God because He is our Father. A father's office is to provide for his family. It is out of place for a child to be anxiously making provision for emergencies--asking where to-morrow's food and clothing are to come from, and how the bills are to be paid. We should rebuke such precocity, and send the child to school or to play, and leave all such matters to the ordained caretaker. The birds of the air are taken care of; so shall we be, even though our faith is small. "Our prayers run along one road, and God's answers by another, and by-and-by they meet. God answers all true prayer, either in kind or in kindness" (Judson).

+III. That the peace of God in the heart will effectually banish all care.+--"And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (ver. 7). The enemies of peace are: melancholy, to which the apostle opposed joy in the Lord (ver. 4); want of self-restraint or intemperance of feeling or conduct, to which he opposes moderation (ver. 5); care and anxiety, or unthankfulness and unbelief, to which he opposes grateful and earnest prayer (ver. 6); the final result is peace (ver. 7). The peace that God gives "passeth all understanding"; it is deep, precious, immeasurable. God alone fully understands the grandeur of His own gift. It is an impenetrable shield to the believing soul; it guards the fortress in peace though the shafts of care are constantly hurled against it.

+Lessons.+--1. Our sins breed our cares. 2. God is ever willing to take up the burden of our cares. 3. Only as we commit our cares to God have we peace.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 6, 7. The Remedy for Worldly Care.

I. A caution or warning.+--"Be careful for nothing."

1. This does not respect duty.--We must have a care for our Lord's interests.

2. But having performed duty, we are not to be careful as to consequences.--(1) Because unnecessary. Christ cares. (2) Because useless. It cannot ward off the evil. The evil only in imagination. The evil often a good. Itself the greatest evil.

3. Because positively sinful.--(1) It breaks a commandment. (2) It sets aside promises. (3) It undervalues experience. (4) It distrusts God's wisdom and goodness. (5) It is rebellion against God's arrangements. (6) It is an intrusion into God's province.

4. Because hurtful and injurious.--(1) It often deters from duty. (2) It destroys the comforts of duty.

+II. Counsel or advice as to the manner in which the evil is to be avoided.+--"But in everything by prayer and supplication." 1. The correction is not a needless and reckless indifference. 2. The emphatic word here is "everything." This describes the range of prayer. This precept is generally neglected. 3. The performance of this duty would correct carefulness. It places everything under God's government, and leaves it there. It leads to a study of the Divine will in secular affairs. Our prospects and plans are thus tested. It gives to every event the character of an answer to prayer--evil as well as good. Prayer, i.e. direct entreaty or petition. Supplication, i.e. deprecation. Thanksgiving for all past and present.

+III. A promise as to the results of following this counsel or advice.+--"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds."

1. The mind and the heart are the seat of care.--The mind calculates, imagines. The heart feels fear, grief, despair.

2. The mind and heart are made the seat of peace.--"The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ." The peace which God has flows from unity, from omnipotence. This is the peace of God, because He gives it.

3. This peace comes through Jesus Christ.--He produces the unity. He encircles with omnipotence.--Stewart.

Vers. 6, 7. Anxious Care.

+I. The evil to be avoided.+--1. Care is excessive when it is inconsistent with peace and quietness. 2. When it induces loss of temper. 3. When it makes us distrustful of Providence. 4. When it hurries us into any improper course of conduct. (1) Anxiety is useless. (2) Is positively injurious. (3) Exerts a mischievous influence on others. (4) Is criminal.

+II. The proper course to be pursued.+--1. Prayer. 2. Supplication. 3. Thanksgiving.

+III. The happiness to be enjoyed.+--"The peace of God, which passeth understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ."--Dr. Robt. Newton.

Ver. 6. Subjects of Prayer.

+I. For temporal blessings.+--1. Our health. Value of health. Dependence on God. 2. Our studies. Not to supersede diligence. Communicates a right impulse. Secures a right direction. 3. Our undertakings. Agricultural, commercial.

+II. For spiritual blessings.+--1. For pardon. Of our daily sins in thought, word, and deed. Of all our sins. 2. For holiness in heart and life. Regeneration, faith, love, hope, meekness, zeal, resignation, obedience. 3. For usefulness and happiness.

+III. For the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.+--1. On ourselves. 2. On our relatives and friends. 3. On the Church. 4.On the world.

+IV. For the spread of the Gospel.+--1. For the multiplication of the necessary means. 2. For the removal of obstacles. 3. For the success of labourers. 4. For the conversion of sinners.--G. Brooks.

True Prayer.

+I. True prayer is specific as well as earnest.+--Nothing is too little to be made the subject of prayer. The very act of confidence is pleasing to God and tranquillising to the supplicant. God is not only willing to hear the details, but He desires that we should tell Him.

+II. True prayer consists of confession, supplication, and thanksgiving.+--We are to confess our sins, ask forgiveness, and do it with gratitude and thankfulness. God will not answer the requests of unthankful beggars. Without thanksgiving what we call prayer is presumption.--Homiletic Monthly.

Ver. 7. The Peace of God keeping the Heart.

+I. The nature of this defending principle.+--It has as its basis forgiving mercy.

+II. Its author.+--"The peace of God." It is called His peace, because that work of mercy on which it rests is His work, and He Himself communicates the peace.

+III. Its property.+--"Passeth all understanding." 1. The understanding of such as are strangers to it. 2. They who enjoy it the most cannot fully comprehend it.

+IV. Its effects.+--"Shall keep your hearts and minds." 1. In temptation it secures the heart by satisfying the heart. 2. It keeps the heart in affliction. 3. It keeps the mind by settling the judgment, and keeping doubts and errors out of the mind.

+V. Its source and the instrumentality by which it works.+--"Through Christ Jesus."--C. Bradley.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 8, 9.

The Science of Christian Ethics--

+I. Demands the study of every genuine virtue.+--"Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, . . . think on these things" (ver. 8). In regard to what is honourable, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, there is a true and a false standard, and for this reason the apostle here places the true at the beginning, that when the following exhortations are presented, this fact which our experience so often discloses may at once occur to the Christian, and he may be led to examine himself and see whether he also is everywhere seeking for the true (Schleiermacher). Genuine virtue has its root in genuine religion. The modern school of ethics, which professes to teach morality as something apart from spiritual Christianity, is a return to the exploded theories of pagan moralists, an attempt to dress up pre-Christian philosophy in a nineteenth-century garb. The morality that is lovely and of good report is Christian morality--the practical, liveable ethics of the New Testament. The ethical terms used in this verse are closely united. The true, the becoming, the right, and the pure are elements of virtue or moral excellence, and when exhibited in practical life are lovely and worthy of all praise. The charm of the Christian character is not the cultivation of one virtue that overshadows all the rest, but the harmonious blending of all the virtues in the unity of the Christian life. Christian ethics should be earnestly studied, not as matters of pure speculation, but because of their supreme importance and utility in the moral conduct of every-day life.

+II. Requires the translation of high moral principles into practical life.+--"Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do" (ver. 9). It is one thing to ponder, admire, and applaud morality; it is another thing to practise it. The apostle not only taught Christian ethics, but practised them, and could point to his own example as worthy of imitation; it was not, "Do as I say," but "Do as I do." Christian morality is of little value as a mere creed of ethics; its true power is seen in changing, elevating, and refining the life. We have all to lament there is such a wide chasm between theory and practice. Theory may be learned in a brief period; practice is the work of a lifetime. The theory of music may be rapidly apprehended, but the mastery of any one instrument, such as the violin or organ, demands patient and incessant practice. It means detail-work, plod, perseverance, genius. So is it with every virtue of Christian ethics. Theory and practice should go together; the one helps the other; practice more clearly defines theory, and theory more fully apprehended stimulates practice. It is the practice of Christian morality that preaches to the world a Gospel that it cannot fail to understand and that is doing so much to renovate it. Lord Bolingbroke, an avowed infidel, declared: "No religion ever appeared in the world whose tendency was so much directed to promote the peace and happiness of mankind as the Christian religion. The Gospel of Christ is one continued lesson of the strictest morality, of justice, benevolence, and universal charity. Supposing Christianity to be a human invention, it is the most amiable and successful invention that ever was imposed on mankind for their good."

+III. Links practical morality with the promise of Divine blessing.+--"And the God of peace shall be with you" (ver. 9). The upright man--the man who is striving to shape and mould his life on the ethics of the New Testament--shall not only enjoy peace, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, but the God of peace shall be with him and in him. True religion, in healthy activity, gives, and can alone give, a restfulness of spirit such as the troubles of life are impotent to disturb. The two vital elements of true religion are communion with God and the diligent cultivation of practical holiness--conformity to the will of God in all things. Pray and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, and the God of peace shall be with you, preserving you from unrest and harm. The peace of God is also an active principle, gentle and noiseless in its activity, which will help the soul to grow in ethical symmetry and beauty.

+Lessons.+--1. The Gospel is the foundation of the highest ethics. 2. No system of morality is trustworthy that does not lead to holy practice. 3. God helps the man who is honestly striving to live up to his light.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 8. Mercantile Virtues without Christianity.

+I. What a man of mercantile honour has.+--He has an attribute of character which is in itself pure, lovely, honourable, and of good report. He has a natural principle of integrity, and under its impulse he may be carried forward to such fine exhibitions of himself as are worthy of all admiration. It is very noble when the simple utterance of his word carries as much security along with it, as if he had accompanied that utterance by the signatures, the securities, and the legal obligations which are required of other men. All the glories of British policy and British valour are far eclipsed by the moral splendour which British faith has thrown over the name and the character of our nation. There is no denying the extended prevalence of a principle of integrity in the commercial world.

+II. What a man of mercantile honour has not.+--He may not have one duteous feeling of reverence which points upward to God. He may not have one wish or one anticipation which points forward to eternity. He may not have any sense of dependence on the Being who sustains Him, and who gave him his very principle of honour as part of that interior furniture which He has put into his bosom. He is a man of integrity, and yet he is a man of ungodliness. This natural virtue, when disjoined from a sense of God, is of no religious estimation whatever; nor will it lead to any religious blessing, either in time or in eternity.--T. Chalmers.

Ver. 9. Paul as an Example to Believers.

+I. He was distinguished by his decision of character in all that relates to religion.+--Constitutionally ardent; zealous as a Pharisee. From the day of his conversion he never faltered, notwithstanding his privations, his dangers, his sufferings. Be decided.

+II. By his care about the culture of the Divine life in his own soul.+--The student may desire to know the truth rather than to feel its power. The preacher may be more solicitous about the power of the truth over others than over himself. He never lost sight of the interests of his own soul.

+III. By his devotional habits.+--One would rather be the author of his prayers than of his sermons. The difference between his prayers as a Pharisee and as a Christian. The subject, the spirit, the style of his prayers as a Christian. Be careful. Be not soon shaken in mind or troubled by speculations about the philosophy of prayer.

+IV. By his spirituality and heavenly-mindedness.+--He did not show any interest in the class of worldly objects that might have been expected to interest a man of his order of mind. He was absorbed in "spiritual things." The second coming of Christ had a prominent place in his thoughts. "That day." Cultivates a habitual superiority to the things of time and sense. Seek the things that are above.

+V. By his patient submission to the dispensations of Divine providence.+--Rare amount of suffering. Strong feeling, unmurmuring submission. Patient, meek, contented. All from Christian principle. Be resigned.

+VI. By his laborious usefulness.+--Sketch his career. Be useful.--G. Brooks.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 10-14.

The Joy of a Good Man in Extremity--

+I. Stimulated by the practical evidence of the growth in his converts of Christian thoughtfulness.+--"Your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity" (ver. 10). The Philippians were a hospitable people, as was shown both by Lydia and the gaoler, who insisted on the privilege of ministering to the wants of the apostles in the beginning of their ministry at Philippi. The Church in that city had already sent a liberal contribution to the apostle to help him in the missionary work; and he now rejoices over another practical evidence of their generous thoughtfulness in the timely help they had sent him by the hands of Epaphroditus. Paul and his mission were much in their thoughts, and they were often devising how they might minister to his wants and further the work of the Gospel. They were eager to help him more frequently but lacked opportunity. They valued the Gospel so as to be willing to pay for it. It is a gratifying and unmistakable proof of religious growth when we are anxious to contribute of our means, according to our ability, for the spread of the Gospel. Liberality in money-giving is a crucial test of genuine godliness. When the commission of excise wrote Wesley, "We cannot doubt you have plate for which you have hitherto neglected to make an entry," his laconic reply was, "I have two silver teaspoons at London, and two at Bristol; this is all the plate which I have at present, and I shall not buy any more at present while so many around me want bread." It is estimated that he gave away more than £30,000.

+II. Maintained by having mastered the secret of Christian contentment.+--1. A contentment gained by actual experience of the ups and downs of life. "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (vers. 11, 12). The checkered and eventful life of the apostle had taught him many lessons, and not the least useful and important was the art of contentment. A man with his varied experience is not easily inconvenienced by fluctuating fortunes. Contentment is gained, not by the abundance of what we possess, but by discovering how much we can do without. "That which we miscall poverty is indeed nature," writes Jeremy Taylor; "and its proportions are the just measures of a man, and the best instruments of content. But when we create needs that God or nature never made, we have erected to ourselves an infinite stock of trouble that can have no period." Most desires are first aroused by comparison with others. Sempronius complained of want of clothes and was much troubled for a new suit, being ashamed to appear in the theatre with his gown a little threadbare; but when he got it, and gave his old clothes to Codrus, the poor man was ravished with joy and went and gave God thanks for his new purchase; and Codrus was made richly fine and cheerfully warm by that which Sempronius was ashamed to wear; and yet their natural needs were both alike.

2. A contentment inspired by Divine strength.--"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (ver. 13). The apostle's contentment was not self-sufficiency, but self-sufficingness; and this was acquired, not only by the experiences of life, but the help of Divine grace. He could conceive no circumstances in which that grace was not sufficient. His contented mind he regarded as a gift of God. "I have learnt from Thee, O God," writes Augustine, "to distinguish between the gift and the fruit. The gift is the thing itself, which is given by one who supplies what is needed, as money or raiment; but the fruit is the good and well-ordered will of the giver. It is a gift to receive a prophet and to give a cup of cold water; but it is fruit to do those acts in the name of a prophet and in the name of a disciple. The raven brought a gift to Elias when it brought him bread and flesh, but the widow fruit, because she fed him as a man of God."

+III. Gratefully commends the generosity of those who alleviate his extremity.+--"Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction" (ver. 14). Though the apostle had learned contentment in every situation, and his mind could accommodate itself to every change of circumstances; though he had fresh and inexhaustible sources of consolation within himself, and had been so disciplined as to acquire the mastery over his external condition and to achieve anything in Christ; yet he felt thankful for the sympathy of the Philippian Church, and praised them for it. His humanity was not absorbed in his apostleship, and his heart, though self-sufficed, was deeply moved by such tokens of affection. Though he was contented, he yet felt there was affliction--loss of liberty, jealous surveillance, inability to fulfil the great end of his apostolic mission. This sympathy on the part of the Philippians with the suffering representative of Christ and His cause is the very trait of character which the Judge selects for eulogy at last (Matt. xxv. 35) (Eadie).

+IV. Had a Divine source.+--"But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly" (ver. 10). He regarded the gift as coming from the Lord, and his joy in its reception was from the same source. He rejoiced the more in this practical evidence of the love and gratitude of his converts. Every kindness shown to us by others when it is recognised as coming from God, will augment our joy in Him.

+Lessons.+--1. God does not forget His servants in distress. 2. A contented spirit is a fruit of Divine grace. 3. It is a joy to be remembered by those we love.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 10. Practical Christian Benevolence--

+I. Is quick to see the needs of God's servants and of the cause in which they faithfully labour.+

+II. Eagerly watches every opportunity for supplying those needs.+

+III. Is a matter of exalted joy to those who fully appreciate both the supply and the motive that prompted it.+

Vers. 11, 12. Tendency of Christian Principles to produce True Contentment.

+I. Christianity takes away the natural causes of discontent.+--1. Pride. 2. Self-preference. 3. Covetousness.

+II. Christianity furnishes powerful motives for the exercise of a contented mind.+--1. The disciples of Christ are under the strongest obligations to walk in the footsteps of their Divine Master. 2. True Christians are firmly convinced that their lot is chosen for them by their blessed Lord and Master. 3. It is chosen for them in infinite love and mercy to their souls.--E. Cooper.

Ver. 11. Contentment.

+I. That a man be content with his own estate without coveting that which is another's.+

+II. That a man be content with his present estate.+--1. Because that only is properly his own. 2. All looking beyond that disquiets the mind. 3. The present is ever best.

+III. That a man be content with any estate.+

+IV. The art of contentment.+--1. Is not learned from nature. 2. Or outward things. 3. But is taught us by God's Spirit. 4. By His promises. 5. By the rod of discipline. 6. Proficiency in contentment gained--(1) By despising unjust gain. (2) By moderating worldly desires and care. (3) By carefully using and charitably dispensing what we have. (4) By bearing want and loss with patience.--R. Sanderson.

Christian Contentment.

+I. What it is.+--1. That our desires of worldly good are low and moderate. 2. That in all our views of bettering our worldly condition we indulge not immoderate cares. 3. That whatever our present condition be, we cheerfully submit to the providence of God in it. 4. That we are so easy with our own lot as not to envy others who may be in more prosperous circumstances. 5. That we will not use any unlawful means to better our present condition. 6. That we make the best of our condition whatever it be.

+II. How it may be learned.+--1. Christianity sets in view the most solid principles of contentment and the strongest motives to it. 2. Furnishes us with the brightest patterns of contentment to enforce its precepts and prevent our despair of attaining it.

+Lessons.+--1. The present state should be considered as a state of learning. 2. More depends on our spirits than upon our outward condition in order to contentment. 3. Labour to have our minds so formed that they may be content and tolerably easy in any state of life.

Ver. 13. The Source of the Christian's Power.

+I. The extent of a Christian's ability.+--1. He is able to discharge every duty. 2. He is able to endure every trial. 3. He is able to brave every suffering. 4. He is able to overcome every temptation.

+II. The source of the Christian's ability.+--1. Christ strengthens us by His teachings. 2. Christ strengthens us by His example. 3. Christ strengthens us by the moral influence of His death as a sacrifice for our sin. 4. Christ strengthens us by uniting us to Himself, and bestowing on us, in answer to the prayer of faith, the influences of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the fountain of spiritual strength.--G. Brooks.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 15-19.

A Generous Church--

+I. Spontaneously contributing to the earliest efforts in the propagation of the Gospel.+--1. Its generosity conspicuous by its solitary example. "No Church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only" (ver. 15). In the account between us, the giving was on your part, the receiving on mine. The Philippians had followed Paul with their bounty when he left Macedonia and came to Corinth. We are not to wait for others in a good work, saying, "I will do when others do it." We must go forward though alone (Fausset). Their liberality followed him on distant missionary tours, and when no longer in their own province. One single example of generosity is an inspiration and a hint to others. Any Church will wither into narrowing dimensions when it confines its benefactions to itself.

2. Its generosity was repeated.--"For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity" (ver. 16). Even in Thessalonica, still in their own province and not far from Philippi, they more than once contributed to his help, and thus rendered him less dependent on those among whom he was breaking new ground. Help in time of need is a pleasant memory; and the apostle delights in reminding the Philippians of their timely and thoughtful generosity. Repeated kindnesses should increase our gratitude.

+II. The gifts of a generous Church are appreciated as indicating growth in practical religion.+--"Not because I desire a gift; but I desire fruit that may abound to your account" (ver. 17). It is not the gift he covets, but that rich spiritual blessing which the gift secures to its donors. The apostle wished them to reap the growing spiritual interest of their generous expenditure. Not for his own sake but theirs does he desire the gift. He knew that the state of mind which devised and contributed such a gift was blessed in itself, that it must attract Divine blessing, for it indicated the depth and amount of spiritual good which the apostle had done to them, and for which they thus expressed their gratitude; and it showed their sympathy with the cause of Christ, when they had sought to enable their spiritual founder in former days to give his whole time, without distraction or physical exhaustion, to the work of his apostleship. This was a spiritual condition which could not but meet with the Divine approbation and secure the Divine reward (Eadie).

+III. The gifts of a generous Church are accepted as a sacrifice well pleasing to God.+--"Having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God" (ver. 18). It was a gift in which God delighted, fragrant as the sweet-smelling incense which burned in the censer. It was felt that God is supreme Benefactor and that all possessions are His gracious gift, that these have an end beyond the mere personal enjoyment of them, that they may and ought to be employed in God's service, and that the spirit of such employment is the entire dedication of these to Him. The money, while contributed to the apostle, was offered to God. They discharged a spiritual function in doing a secular act--"the altar sanctified the gift" (Ibid.). Giving to the cause of Christ is worship, acceptable and well-pleasing to God. It belongs to the same class of acts as the presentation of sacrifices under the old economy, which was the central act of worship. For the proper use of no talent is self-denial more needed than for that of money.

+IV. The gifts of a generous Church will be recompensed with abundant spiritual blessing.+--"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (ver. 19). The money we give to God's cause is well invested and will yield a rich return: spiritual blessing in return for material gifts; this is beyond the power of arithmetic to compute. This was no rash and unwarrantable promise on the part of Paul. He knew something of the riches of the Divine generosity, and was justified in assuring his kind benefactors of God's perfect supply of every want of body and soul, bestowed not grudgingly but with royal beneficence.

+Lessons.+--1. Gratitude for blessings received should prompt generosity. 2. Money is never more wisely employed than in forwarding the cause of God. 3. Our gifts to God are handsomely rewarded.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 15, 16. Christian Generosity--

+I. Indicates a genuine interest in the work of God and love for its ministers.+

+II. Is especially valuable in prosecuting pioneer mission work.+

+III. Should not be conspicuous by one solitary example, but be continuous and commensurate with the pressing needs of the work of God.+

Vers. 17, 18. Liberality a Fruit of the Christian Life.

+I. It is not a gift, but the discharge of a just claim.+

+II. Paul did not desire a gift only to benefit himself, because he wanted nothing.+

+III. Liberality is a fruit of the Christian life by discharging a debt to which we stood engaged.+

+IV. Liberality is an advantage in the exercise of our patience before the day of trial come upon us.+

+V. As God will punish the neglect of this duty, so if we perform it He will count Himself in debt to us.+--Farindon.

Ver. 19. Man's Need supplied from God's Riches.

+I. Look at man's necessity.+

+II. God's wealth.+--Its abundance; its excellence.

+III. The supply the apostle anticipates for this necessity out of this wealth.+

+Learn.+--1. Contentment with our present lot. 2. Confidence for the future.--C. Bradley.

Our Need and our Supply.

+I. Examine the scope of the promise.+--There is danger of fanaticism in the interpretation of truth. God promises to supply our need, but not to gratify our wishes or whims. Some of us God sees cannot bear wealth, and so it is not given us; but as our day is so is our strength.

+II. The supply.+--The supply is not according to our deserts, but according to the riches of His glory. The resources of the Trinity are drawn upon. His wealth is unbounded. He is not a cistern, but a fountain.

+III. The Medium.+--This supply comes through Christ. We can claim it in no other name. But God ordains means and puts us under conditions. As in agriculture, so here, we are to work in harmony with God's established methods if we would secure fruits.--Homiletic Monthly.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 20-23.

Last Words.

+I. A glowing ascription of praise to the Divine Giver of every blessing.+--"Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen" (ver. 20). To God, even our Father, the kind and liberal Supplier of every want to every child, be eternal glory ascribed. The ascription of praise is the language of spiritual instinct which cannot be repressed. Let the child realise its relation to the Father who feeds it, clothes it, and keeps it in life, who enlightens and guides it, pardons and purifies it, strengthens and upholds it, and all this in Christ Jesus, and it cannot but in its glowing consciousness cry out, "Now to God and our Father be glory for ever." The "Amen" is a fitting conclusion. As the lips shut themselves, the heart surveys again the facts and the grounds of praise, and adds, "So be it" (Eadie).

+II. Christian salutations.+--"Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. All the saints salute you, chiefly those that are of Cæsar's household" (vers. 21, 22). Salutations are tokens of personal interest and living fellowship which should not be lightly esteemed. The apostolic salutations teach that the Christian religion does not make men unfriendly and stubborn, but courteous and friendly (Lange). The reference to the saints in Cæsar's household may mean either kinsfolk of Nero or servants in the palace. It is improbable that so many near relatives of the emperor should have yielded themselves to Christ as to be designated by this phrase, and it is not likely to suppose that a combination of these two classes would be grouped under the one head. In all likelihood the reference is to servants holding more or less important positions in the imperial household--some, no doubt, slaves; and it is a suggestive testimony to the unwearied diligence and influence of the apostle in using every opportunity to make known the saving grace of the Gospel. To explain to any the reason for his imprisonment was an occasion for preaching Christ. "O Rome, Rome!" exclaims Starke, "how greatly hast thou changed! Formerly thou hadst true saints even in the household of a pagan and tyrannical emperor; but now hast thou false saints, especially in and around the so-called chair of Peter and at the court of his supposed successor."

+III. Final benediction.+--"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (ver. 23). The oldest MSS. read, "Be with your spirit." It is important that the grace of God should be not only around us, but with us and in us. The benediction is a prayer that the Divine favour may be conferred upon them, enriching the noblest elements of their nature with choicest blessings, making them to grow in spiritual wisdom, beauty, and felicity, that grace may ultimately merge into glory.

+Lessons.+--1. Praise should be offered to God in all things. 2. The Christian spirit is full of kindly courtesy. 3. It is a comprehensive prayer that invokes the blessing of Divine grace.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 20. Eternal Praise should be offered unto God--

+I. For mercies enjoyed in the past.+

+II. For mercies which as our Father He holds for us and bestows on us in the present.+

+III. That the glory of His character may become increasingly conspicuous in His works of creation, providence, and grace.+

Vers. 21, 22. Christian Courtesy--

+I. Elevates and sanctifies the amenities of social life.+

+II. Awakens and strengthens mutual sympathy and help in the Christian life.+

+III. Should be exercised by Christians of all ranks and conditions.+

Ver. 23. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ--

+I. Is the sum of all we can need for ourselves or desire for others.+

+II. Is a revelation of His own character and of His regard for us.+

+III. May be sought with the utmost confidence and enjoyed in ever-increasing measure.+

* * * * * * * *

+Transcriber's Notes+

- Page 299, Introduction, second paragraph, apply RC to "Divine call."

- Page 300, second new paragraph, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Place and time" section, second paragraph, change "iv. 32" to "ch. iv. 32" and "i. 13" to "ch. i. 13." Fifth paragraph, add sentence-ending period after "later date."

- Page 301, in the synopsis, change "ii. 19-30" to "ch. ii. 19-30"; add a row to indicate that no information is presented for chapter ii. verses 12 through 18.

- Page 302, notes on chapter i., verse 7, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 10, add right double quotes after "not causing offence."

- Page 303, notes on verse 12, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 13, remove right double quotes after "body-guard"; correct "colouel" to "colonel" and change double quotes to single quotes around it. Verse 14, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 15, apply RC to "a Gospel." Verse 19, add right double quote after "for me."

- Page 305, lesson "Christian Greeting," point I, change question mark after "kingdom" to period. Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "Divine gifts," "the Divine majesty," and "the Gospel."

- Page 306, "Commencement" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "Divine mercy." Point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel." Lesson "Eulogy," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 307, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 308, "Making Request" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine communications." "Grounds of Confidence" note, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 311, lesson "Prayer," "Definiteness" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine intelligence."

- The break between pages 311 and 312 is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken "destination.--That." The entire unit was moved to the earlier page.

- Page 312, "Fruits" note, point I 1, apply RC to "Divine Being." "Spiritual Attainment" note, point IV, apply RC to "all Divine." "Divine Culture" note, point IV, apply RC to "the Husbandman." Lesson "Gospel Irrepressible," point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel" (five times). Point I 2, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 313, same point, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). Point II 1, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice). Point II 2, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice).

- Page 314, point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" (thrice). Application ("Lessons"), point 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Development" note, point III, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 315, "Ministry of Bonds" note, point III, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Germ" note, point V, change "afflictions" to "affliction." "Real" note, point II 4, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 316, lesson "Noble Attitude," point II 1, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 317, "Life and Death" note, point I 1 (3), apply RC to "Divine knowledge."

- Page 319, lesson "Exhortation," point I 2, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). Point I 3, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Divine" (twice).

- Page 320, "Evangelical Consistency," each of points I, I 1, I 2 (twice), I 3, I 4, and II 1, apply RC to "Gospel." "Effects" note, point I 1, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point I 2, apply RC to "the Divine." Point II 1, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "its Author."

- Page 321, notes on chapter ii., verse 1, change "i. 8" to "ch. i. 8." Verse 2, change "i. 4" to "ch. i. 4." Verse 5, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 6, apply RC to "the Divinity."

- Page 322, verse 12, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 15, tag "immaculatum" as Latin and set it in Italic.

- Page 323, verse 22, apply RC to "the Gospel." Verse 29, change "#alue" to "value."

- Page 324, lesson "Christian Union," point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III 2, add sentence ending period after "(ver. 4)." Point IV, add "Ps. cxxxiii. 1" reference.

- Page 325, "Unity" note, point 2, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Looking" note, point III, change "th#" to "the." Lesson "Humiliation," point I, apply RC to "His Divine" and "Divinity."

- Page 326, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "Divinity" (twice). "Incarnate" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine glory." Point II, apply RC to "Divine nature."

- Page 327, "Christian Temper" note, application ("Lessons"), point 2, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point 3, apply RC to "God-like."

- Page 328, lesson "Exaltation," point I, apply RC to "Divine act"; add left parenthesis before "ver. 9." Point II, apply RC to "the Divine" (thrice). Point III, apply RC to "Him"; change quote from "and every tongue confess" to "and that every tongue should confess" to match KJV; apply RC to "His Divine majesty."

- Page 329, same lesson, same point, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Worthy" note, point 2, apply RC to "His Divine majesty." Point 3, apply RC to "Divine honour."

- Page 330, lesson "Salvation," point II 2, apply RC to "Divine aid." Point III, apply RC to "Divine work." Application ("Lessons"), point 2, apply RC to "Divine influences."

- Page 331, "Divine and Human" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine." "Active Exertion" note, point I, capitalise "Promised Land." "Co-operation" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine."

- Page 332, same note, point III, apply RC to "Divine operations." Lesson "Lustre," point I, apply RC to "Divine command." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "the Word."

- Page 333, same lesson, point III 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 334, lesson "Projected," point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II 2, apply RC to "Divinity."

- Page 335, same lesson, point II 3, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- Page 337, lesson "Devoted," point IV, apply RC to "glorious Gospel" and "the Word." "Anxieties" note, insert point "2" at the beginning of the second sentence.

- Page 338, notes on chapter iii., verse 1, change "iv. 8" to "ch. iv. 8." Verse 8, insert "[R.V., 'soul' A.V.]."

- Page 339, verse 14, change "gaol" to "goal." Verse 17, apply RC to "Good Shepherd."

- Page 340, lesson "False and True," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- Page 341, same lesson, point II 2, apply RC to "the Divine" and "the Divinity"; change period after "yourself" to a question mark; apply RC to "Divinity."

- Page 343, lesson "External," point III, apply RC to "the Divine." "Excellent" note, point I, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 344, same note, renumber second point "VI" to "VII." First "Excellency" note, point I, apply RC to "the Divinity." Lesson "Features," point II, apply RC to "Divinely."

- Page 345, same lesson, same point, apply RC to "Divine." Point III, apply RC to "Divine power"; insert point "1" before first sentence in Italic; point III 1, apply RC to "Divine power" and "Divine life." Point III 2, apply RC to "Good Shepherd."

- Page 346, "Power" note, point I, apply RC to "Divine mission." Point II, apply RC to "Divinity" (twice). Point V, apply RC to "the Gospel." "Resurrection" note, point II 4, apply RC to "the Divine."

- Page 347, lesson "Highest," point I, apply RC to "Divinely" "the Gospel," and "the Divine." Point III, change "Michael Angelo" to "Michelangelo"; add comma between "he said" and quotation. Point IV, apply RC to "Divine light."

- Page 348, "Pressing" note, point II 3 (2), change period to question mark.

- Page 349, "Temper" note, point III 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 350, lesson "Examples," point III 3, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 351, lesson "Citizenship," point I, add sentence-ending period to last sentence. Point III 2, apply RC to "Divine power."

- Page 352, same lesson, same point, apply RC to "the Divine" (twice).

- Page 353, notes on chapter iv., verse 3, change double quotes around "fellow-in-yoke, fellow labourer" to single quotes and add closing double quotes.

- Page 354, notes on verse 8, identify the Cicero quotation as Latin and set it in Italic. Verse 11, add em-dash after "etc." Verse 12, add em-dash after "etc." and "Ps. xxiii." reference. Verse 18, add "Matt. xxv. 40" reference.

- Page 355, lesson "Plea," point II, apply RC to "the Gospel"; change "strengthened by Him" to "him," speaking of Paul. Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "the Word."

- Page 356, lesson "Glimpses," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 357, same lesson, point IV 2, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point IV 3, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- Page 358, lesson "Joy," point II, apply RC to "Divine grace" and "the Gospel."

- Page 359, same lesson, point III, apply RC to "Divine grace." "Rejoicing" note, point I 2, add em-dash after "for." Point II 3 (3), apply RC to "His Word."

- Page 360, lesson "Equity," point I, apply RC to "Divine Surety." Point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" and "His professed followers."

- Page 361, lesson "Cure," point I, remove commas from "kill-joy, and" and "blessings, and." Point II, remove commas from "mind, but" and "anxieties, and."

- Page 362, "Remedy" note, point II 3, apply RC to "Divine will."

- Page 363, "Subjects" note, point IV, apply RC to "the Gospel." Lesson "Science," point I, change "livable" to "liveable."

- Page 364, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice). Point III, apply RC to "Divine blessing." Application ("Lessons"), point 1, apply RC to "the Gospel."

- The break between pages 364 and 365 is in the word "upward": up|ward.

- Page 365, "Paul" note, point II, apply RC to "Divine life." Point V, apply RC to "Divine providence." Lesson "Joy," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel"; remove comma from "frequently, but"; apply RC to "the Gospel" (twice).

- Page 366, same lesson, point II 2, apply RC to "Divine strength" and "Divine grace." Point IV, apply RC to "Divine source."

- Page 367, same lesson, application ("Lessons"), point 2, apply RC to "Divine grace." "Tendency" note, point II 1, apply RC to "Divine Master."

- Page 368, lesson "Generous," point I, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point II, apply RC to "Divine blessing," "Divine approbation," and "Divine reward."

- Page 369, same lesson, point IV, remove comma from "invested, and"; apply RC to "Divine generosity." Lesson "Last Words," point I, apply RC to "Divine Giver."

- Page 370, same lesson, point II, apply RC to "the Gospel." Point III, apply RC to "Divine favour." Application ("Lessons"), point 3, apply RC to "Divine grace."

+THE+

+EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS.+

* * * * * * * *

+INTRODUCTION.+

+Colossæ and its people.+--In Asia Minor, a few days' journey to the east of Ephesus, is a district which for natural beauty, as described by many travellers, is hardly to be surpassed. At the foot of Mount Cadmus--now known as Baba Dagh, or "the Father of Mountains"--near the stream of the Lycus, a tributary of the Mæander, stood the town of Colossæ. Within a day's journey stood Hierapolis and Laodicea, the latter the home of a Church in the later years where a poor, half-hearted religion was a constant offence to God. Owing to its political significance, it quite eclipsed Colossæ, as Hierapolis also did, owing to its natural advantages as a health-resort or watering-place. Though at one time Colossæ was a flourishing town, where the vast forces of Xerxes or those of Cyrus could halt, in this country it was only with difficulty and some uncertainty that its exact site was discovered. Chronos (so called from the funnel-shaped holes into which the river drops) is its modern substitute, though from two to three miles south of the site of Colossæ.

The inhabitants of Colossæ were largely of Phrygian derivation, highly religious, if dread of the supernatural in every form constitutes religion, but ready to yield themselves up to the wildest orgies and the most degradingly sensual types of worship. But there were also many Jews in the town, as we learn not only from the indications in this letter, but from other sources. It was not the only occasion in history when travelled Jews had learnt to blend with their ancestral religion the philosophical or theosophical opinions of the neighbourhood where they had settled. The result was an amalgam very hard to catalogue. The Hellenism of these Phrygian Jews did as little for them as in later days it did for Heine, the German Jew. So, because its results were pernicious, the uncompromising opponent of Pharisaic dead works and herald of one God set himself to make known to the Colossians the sufficiency of Christian doctrine without admixture of heathen wisdom (ch. ii. 8, 9) or the administration of Jewish rites (ch. ii. 11).

+Occasion, aim, time, and place of composition.+--Epaphras, a member of the Colossian Church, and to whom the whole neighbourhood was indebted as the bringer of Gospel tidings, had given St. Paul an account of the state of the Church to which he ministered, with intimations of the perils threatening it. This it was which led the apostle to send Tychicus with this letter. The runaway slave Onesimus accompanied him, sent back to Philemon his master in Colossæ by St. Paul.

The aim of the apostle in writing the letter was chiefly to warn the Colossians against the specious errors of certain teachers who had tried to unite Christianity with Judaism, and these to theosophical notions. The results of this blend could only be regarded with a pitiful smile. It was pernicious, and, with all its semblance of humility, immoral. Its main offence to the apostle was that it dishonoured his Lord, "who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."

Lightfoot thinks this letter, with those to Ephesus and Philemon, was sent by Tychicus "towards the close of the apostle's captivity in Rome, about the year 63." Meyer, who contends that it was sent, not from Rome, but from Cæsarea, thinks 60 or 61 was the date. The ancient tradition was that the letter emanated from a Roman prison, and the reasons given against this are too slender to set it aside in favour of Cæsarea.

+Style of the epistle.+--"The style of the epistle is somewhat laboured. It lacks the spontaneity, the fire, the passion, the tender emotion which mark most of St. Paul's letters. The reason for this is twofold. It is partly because he is addressing strangers, the members of Churches which he had not directly founded, and to whom his expressions did not flow forth from the same full spring of intimate affection. It is still more because he is refuting errors with which he was not familiar, and which he had not witnessed in their direct workings. . . . When he was a little more familiar with the theme (in writing Ephesians) he writes with more fervency and ease. . . . In the close similarity between these two, and yet in the strongly marked individuality of each, we have one of the most indisputable proofs of the genuineness of both. . . . If Colossians has less of the attractive personal element and the winning pathos of other letters of St. Paul, it is still living, terse, solid, manly, vigorous; and brief though it be, it still, as Calvin says, contains the nucleus of the Gospel" (Farrar).

+Outline of the epistle.+

Introduction. i. 1, 2, greeting. 3-8, thanksgiving. 9-14, prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

i. 15-23. Main theme of the epistle. Christ's personal supremacy and the universal efficacy of His mediatorial work.

24-29. The apostle's personal explanation of his motive in addressing them.

ii. 1-7. His interest in the highest welfare of Christians unknown to him.

8-15. Warning against a philosophy born of earth, able only to deal externally with outbursts of sin as contrasted with the complete putting away of it by Christ's death and resurrection.

16-23. A protest against the attempt to foist precepts and prohibitions on those who in Christ have passed beyond the stage of legalism.

iii. 1-17. The sufficiency, for conduct, of living consistently with the life hid with Christ in God, which is fatal, as it grows, to every form and manifestation of the old and corrupt life.

18-22. Duties of wives (18), husbands (19), children (20), fathers (21), servants (22).

23-25. Motives, incentives, and deterrents in service.

iv. 1. Duties of masters, and motive of conduct.

2-18. Sundry exhortations, commendations, and greetings. The latter concludes with the apostle's autograph signature, a touching reference to his "bonds," and a benediction.

+CHAPTER I.+

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. +Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.+--Here, as in the Ephesian epistle, St. Paul traces his apostolate to the will of God. It does not seem as if any reason could be given why in these two epistles he uses the phrase and omits it in the Philippians. +Timotheus our brother.+--If Philemon, who was a Colossian Christian, had met St. Paul at Ephesus, probably he had seen Timothy, too, and would no doubt say to the Church how the apostle valued him (Phil. ii. 19).

Ver. 2. +To the saints and faithful brethren.+--We may observe that such a phrase is characteristic of St. Paul's later epistles; in the earlier it was "to the Church." It seems better thus to translate than to give the meaning "to the holy and believing brethren" (see on Eph. i. 1). +Grace . . . and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.+--Not "grace" from the Father and "peace" from the Lord Jesus Christ, as the usual benediction shows--"The grace of our Lord Jesus." "Whatsoever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son" (John v. 19).

Ver. 3. +We give thanks to God.+--The apostle here, as usual, gives credit for all that is worthy in his readers, though the tidings from Colossæ had been disquieting.

Ver. 4. +Having heard of your faith.+--This last word might possibly mean "fidelity," the steadiness of an unwavering loyalty. But it is better to take it as the act of personal trust. +Love to all the saints.+--This was the distinguishing trait of all Christians--love one for another (John xiii. 35). How often have we heard the irony, "How these Christians love one another!" We are not warranted in withholding love until men are paragons of spiritual perfection--all in Christ are "saints."

Ver. 5. +For the hope.+--This word completes the triad, though the order is changed, and hope here is the object--the thing hoped for. +Laid up for you in heaven.+--It is the same word in Luke xix. 20, "laid up in a napkin"; in 2 Tim. iv. 8, "henceforth there is laid up"; and in Heb. ix. 27, "it is appointed unto [laid up for] men once to die." +The word of the truth of the gospel.+--Not to be interpreted into "the truly evangelic word." There is an imposing sound in the phrase meant to agree with the thing denoted.

Ver. 6. +In all the world.+--A hyperbolic expression, by which the apostle at the world's centre, Rome, seems to say the messengers of the Gospel, go forth to the utmost bounds of the empire. The faith you have received is no local cult, nor is it an ephemeral excitement. +And bringeth forth fruit.+--The R.V. adds to "bearing fruit," "and increasing." It is not a Gospel that is decadent, on which a few fruits may be found, but with too evident traces that soon fruitfulness will be past.

Ver. 7. +As ye learned of Epaphras.+--Short for Epaphroditus, but not he of Phil. ii. 25. He is one of the Colossians; beyond that and his prayerful zeal for them we know nothing of the only one whom St. Paul calls "a fellow-servant."

Ver. 9. +Do not cease to pray for you, and to desire.+--R.V. "pray and make request." The general notion comes first, then, the particulars; so in Mark xi. 24. In the Lord's Prayer there are several "petitions" or "requests." +Knowledge.+--Here represents the advanced knowledge of the initiated. "Spiritual understanding" is the use in the realm of things spiritual of the faculty which, as employed in physical research, makes the difference between the man of scientific method and the empiric. Compare the union of "wisdom" and "spiritual understanding" with our Lord's words, "Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent."

Ver. 10. +Walk worthy.+--"The end of all knowledge, the apostle would say, is conduct" (Lightfoot). The previous verse taken with this gives the "theory and practice" of religion. +Unto all pleasing.+--With the end ever before you of being approved by God. For the same combination, see 1 Thess. iv. 1. +Being fruitful . . . and increasing.+--Like the Gospel itself (see ver. 6).

Ver. 11. +Strengthened with all might according to His glorious power.+--Lit. "with all power made powerful," etc. The two words representing "might" and "power" have become familiar in "dynamite" and the termination of "auto-crat"; the one indicating stored-up energy; the other victorious or ruling force. +Patience and longsuffering.+--the first word indicates the attitude of an unfainting mind when things go wrong; the second the quiet endurance under irritation from others, the being "not soon angry."

Ver. 12. +Made us meet.+--Duly qualified us, gave us competence. Just as a man needs to be a qualified practitioner of medicine or the law, so these Colossians are recognised as fit and proper persons for participation in the kingdom of light.

Ver. 13. +Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness.+--The metaphor commenced in the previous verse is carried on here. The settlement in the land flowing with milk and honey is preceded by deliverance with a high hand from the house of bondage--the land of thick darkness. +And hath translated us.+--The same word by which the Jewish historian describes the carrying over of the Israelites to Assyria by Tiglath-Pileser. The apostle regards the deliverance, so far as the Deliverer is concerned, as a thing accomplished. +His dear Son.+--The A.V. margin has become the R.V. text, "The Son of His love." We do not again find this expression; but as there is "no darkness at all" in God, who "is love," so His Son, into whose kingdom we come, reveals the love of the Father.

Ver. 14. +In whom we have redemption.+--A release effected in consideration of a ransom. See on the verse Eph. i. 7. The forgiveness of our sins--lit. "the dismissal of our sins."

Ver. 15. +Who is the image of the invisible God.+--In 2 Cor. iv. 4 St. Paul had so named Christ. "Beyond the very obvious notion of likeness, the word for image involves the idea of representation and manifestation" (Lightfoot). Man is said to be the image of God (1 Cor. xi. 7), and to have been created in the image of God, as an image on a coin may represent Cæsar, even though unrecognisable almost. Christ is "the very image" (Heb. i. 3) of God, able to say, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." +Firstborn of every creature.+--"Not that He is included as part of the creation, but that the relation of the whole creation to Him is determined by the fact that He is the 'firstborn of all creation' (R.V.), so that without Him creation could not be" (Cremer). The main ideas involved in the word are (1) priority to all creation; (2) sovereignty over all creation (Lightfoot).

Ver. 16. +Thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers.+--That Paul believed in a heavenly hierarchy can scarcely be doubted; but this letter shows that in Colossæ it had become an elaborate superstition.

Ver. 18. +And He is the head of the body, the Church.+--As He held priority of all creation, so also His is the name above every name in the new creation. +The firstborn from the dead.+--The cardinal point of the apostle's faith.

Ver. 19. +For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.+--The great question on this verse is--seeing that "the Father" has been added--what is the nominative to the word rendered "it pleased"? At least three are possible: (1) "the Father," as A.V., R.V., and many commentators; (2) "all the fulness," etc.; and (3) "the Son was pleased." Lightfoot urges that, as (2) would be an anachronism, and (3) a hopeless confusion of the theology, "the Father was well pleased" seems to be the best rendering.

Ver. 20. +To reconcile all things unto Himself.+--The word "reconcile" is meant to indicate the restoration of a lost friendship; and re-establishment of peaceful relations. It is a good specimen of the care with which St. Paul's advanced expressions are selected.

Ver. 21. +You, that were sometime alienated.+--Does not mean, of course, occasionally alienated, but as the R.V. gives it, "being in time past alienated"--up to the time of the reconciliation always estranged. +Enemies in your mind by wicked works.+--The most interesting question here is whether God is reconciled to the sinner or only the sinner to God. Is "enemies" to mean "hostile" or "hateful"? Lightfoot says, "It is the mind of man, not the mind of God, which must undergo a change that a reunion may be effected."

Ver. 22. +In the body of His flesh through death.+--When a teacher has to be explicit it may seem to those familiar with the subject as if he were verbose or tautological. So here the body is no phantasm, but fleshy and mortal. +To present you holy.+--They were professedly holy "saints" (ver. 2), and the final purpose of their reconciliation is reproachless saintship (on this word, and "unblameable," see Eph. i. 4). +Unreproveable in His sight.+--It is a lofty eminence to which the holy apostle invites us to look in this word. The light in which we walk--fierce indeed towards sin--reveals no evil, so that the most captious critic has no objection (Tit. ii. 8).

Ver. 23. +Grounded and settled, and not moved away.+--In that land of volcanic agency the readers would perceive only too readily the graphic force of this metaphor. Where stone buildings tumbled over like a house of cards, the figure of a faith, proof against all shocks, was effective (see Heb. xii. 28). +Every creature under heaven.+--The same rhetorical form of expression as in ver. 6, affirming the universal fitness of the Gospel as well as its wide dissemination. +Whereof I Paul am made a minister.+--Wonder that increases and unceasing gratitude are in these words--that the persecutor should serve the faith he once destroyed.

Ver. 24. +Fill up that which is behind in the afflictions of Christ.+--R.V., "and fill up on my part that which is lacking." How we seem to hear through these words the cry of the head of the Church, "Why persecutest thou Me?" And now the persecutor shares the pain of Christ and those to whom it is granted as a favour to suffer for His sake (Phil. i. 29).

Vers. 25-27. See notes on Eph. iii. 7 ff.

Ver. 28. +Whom we preach.+--What a glorious comprehensiveness there is in preaching Him in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead! Here is nothing narrow. +Warning every man.+--R.V. "admonishing." It is a direction of the reflective faculty--a reproof administered with intent to amend the conduct. It corresponds to "Repent ye!" +And teaching every man.+--The positive side of which the warning is the negative. It is not enough to tell a man he is wrong--the right must be indicated; so the heralds of the Gospel followed up "Repent ye" with "Believe the Gospel." Note the repeated "every man." Exclusiveness which shuts the door in the face of any "weak brother for whom Christ died" is utterly strange to the teaching of St. Paul. +That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.+--St. Paul, and every true successor, labours for this end; and, as ver. 22 shows, in so doing all are "workers together with God." We have the idea of presentation elsewhere in St. Paul, as where he speaks of presenting his converts as a chaste virgin to Christ. The risk of offering a tainted animal for sacrifice is as nothing in comparison of offering a hypocrite as a trophy of the Gospel.

Ver. 29. +I also labour.+--The word implies strenuous effort. "The racer who takes care to slack his speed whenever he is in danger of breaking into a perspiration will not win the prize" (Maclaren). +Striving.+--Lit. "agonising," as in Luke xiii. 24. Like a stripped gymnast, every encumbrance cast off. The same word in 1 Tim. vi. 12. "Fight the good fight."

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 1.

Apostolic Salutation.

In this verse we have a description of the office and character of the persons from whom the salutation emanates.

+I. An exalted and important office.+--"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ." An apostle is one sent. Paul was commissioned to declare the grandest truths--truths destined to illumine and upraise mankind. His sphere was the world, his audience the generations of every age. The work of the apostle lives to-day--its vigour is perennial. His was no empty, unmeaning title. It involved incredible thought, overburdening care, incessant toil, unparalleled suffering. It was an office created by the circumstances of the time. That period was the beginning of a gigantic campaign against the consolidated errors and sins of ages. An ordinary officer can keep and govern a garrison; but it requires a gifted general to marshal and direct the militant host in the daring manœuvres of war. In the Divine government of the world the occasion calls forth the man.

+II. The authority that designates and qualifies.+--"By the will of God." The will of God is the great originating and dynamic moral force of the universe. That will raised Paul to the apostleship, and invested him with all essential qualifications. The miraculous incidents of the journey to Damascus (Acts ix.) formed a crisis in his career. The startling discovery as to the character of the Being he had madly opposed evoked the utterance of a changed and willing heart: "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" That was the sublime moment of his sending. In undertaking the highest work for God, it is not enough that we possess learning, gifts, piety, unless with all there be a consciously Divine commission. There are crises when we can gain fresh inspiration for the exigencies of the work only by falling back on the clearest call and appointment of the Divine will.

+III. A familiar Christian relationship.+--"Timotheus, our brother." Paul was the means of Timothy's conversion; and in another place he calls him his "own son in the faith." Here he recognises him on the more equal footing of a brother. Christianity is a brotherhood. Not a low, debasing communism that drags down all to its own common level, but a holy confederacy in which men of all ranks, ages, and talents unite. The equality of Christian brotherhood is based on a moral and spiritual foundation. The minister whose reputation is won, and position assured loses nothing by honouring his younger brethren.

+IV. Union of sympathy and desire.+--"Paul . . . and Timothy." The greatest intimacy existed between the two, notwithstanding the disparity in rank and abilities. There were qualities in Timothy that elicited the admiration and love of the great apostle. They were constant companions in travel; and Timothy was often a source of comfort to Paul in captivity. They had a common sympathy in the propagation of the Gospel, and with the changing fortunes of the newly founded Churches and joined in prayer for their welfare. The union of Timothy with himself also strengthened the testimony of the apostle regarding the supernatural character of the truths declared.

+Lessons.+--Christian salutation--1. Takes its value from the character of the sender. 2. Should be pervaded with genuine sympathy. 3. Implies a mutual interest in the success of Christian work.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 2.

Apostolic Estimate of Christian Character.

+I. Suggestive phases of Christian character.+--"Saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossæ."

1. Saints.--This implies union with God and a personal participation in His righteousness. This is the root of the saintly life. Faith in Christ is the point and means of junction. Canonisation cannot make a saint. Must be saintly experience to produce saintly conduct. A holy reputation excites to action consistent with itself. Nehemiah refused to hide from threatened assassination as an act beneath his well-known character for high integrity and bravery (Neh. vi. 11).

2. Faithful brethren which are at Colossæ.--Implies union with each other. They embraced a common faith and held steadfastly together amid the agitations of false teachers and the defections of the wavering. Christianity blends the strangest elements. It is a foe to all national enmities and prejudices. Paul, a Jew, Timothy, a Grecian, and the Colossians, a mixture of several races, are here united in a holy and faithful brotherhood. "Here the Gentile met the Jew whom he had been accustomed to regard as an enemy of the human race; the Romans met the lying Greek sophist, the Syrian slave, the gladiator born beside the Danube. In brotherhood they met, the natural birth and kindred of each forgotten, the baptism alone remembered in which they had been born again to God and to each other" (Ecce Homo).

3. The sublime origin of the Christian character.--"In Christ." Character is the development and crystallisation of a life. The character of the blossom and fruit is decided by the vital energy in the tree. Christ is the unfathomable fount of all spiritual life; the ideal pattern and formative force of a perfect character. He is the centre and bond of all true brotherhood.

+II. The salutation supplicates the bestowment of highest Divine blessings.+--1. Grace. A term of vast significance, inclusive of all the blessings that can flow from the superabundant and free favour of God. Grace is the source of all temporal good--life, health, preservation, success, felicity; and of all spiritual benefactions--pardon, soul-rest, guidance, strength, deliverance, purity, final triumph. The generosity of God is illimitable.

2. Peace.--Grace expresses the spirit and fulness in which Divine manifestations come to us; peace the result they accomplish in us. Peace with God. Sin has thrown human nature into a state of discord and enmity. The reception of grace must ever precede the enjoyment of peace. The universal mistake is, in first seeking, through many avenues, the happiness which peace with God alone can bring, instead of accepting humbly, penitently, believingly, the grace of God in Christ. Peace with each other--peace in the Church. How great a blessing is this! One turbulent spirit can ruffle the tranquillity of thousands.

3. The source of the blessings desired.--"From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." The Father's love and the Son's work are the sole source and cause of every blessing to humanity, while the Holy Spirit is the agent of their communication. The Trinity is ever harmonious in acts of beneficence; the Divine fountain is inexhaustible.

+Learn.+--1. The broad, deep charity of the apostolic spirit. 2. The scope and temper of the prayers we should offer for the race.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 3-5.

The Causes of Ministerial Thanksgiving.

It is customary with the apostle to begin his epistles with the ardent expression of thanksgiving. This showed the devout habit of his mind, his constant and emphatic recognition of the grand source of good, and his deep interest in the spiritual condition of those to whom he wrote.

+I. Thanksgiving an essential element in prayer.+--"We give thanks, . . . praying always for you" (ver. 3). The participle marks the thanksgiving as part of the prayer, and the adverb makes it prominent, indicating that when they prayed for them they always gave thanks. There is no true prayer without thanksgiving. Gratitude intensifies the soul's sense of dependence on God and prompts the cry for the needed help; and, on the other hand, earnest prayer naturally glides into fervent thankfulness. As one sin is interlinked with and produced by another, so the use of one grace begets another. The more temporal things are used, the more they wear and waste; but spiritual things are strengthened and increased with exercise. Every spiritual grace has in it the seed of an endless reproductiveness. Underlying every thanksgiving for others is a spirit of tender, disinterested love. Moved by this passion, the apostle, from the midst of imprisonment and sorrow, could soar on the wings of gratitude and prayer to heaven. "Thanksgiving will be the bliss of eternity."

+II. The Being to whom all thanksgiving is due.+--"To God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (ver. 3). God is the Father of Jesus Christ, not only as God, by an eternal generation and communication of His whole essence unto Him in a method to us mysterious and ineffable, but also as man by virtue of the personal union of the two natures in Christ, and in a special sense exceeding every other way in which He is Father to man or angels. Thus, God and the Father of our Lord Jesus are one; the particle "and" being exegetic of the same thing, not copulative of something different. All our blessings have their source in the bosom of the Divine Father. Christ is the only revealer of the Father, and the active agent in bestowing the paternal benefits on humanity. The paternal aspect of the Divine character as unfolded by Jesus Christ is most fascinating and assuring; and the loving heart delights to trace its blessings up to the Parent of all good and to render Him devout and grateful praise.

+III. This thanksgiving was grounded on the reputation of their faith in the Author of Christianity.+--"Since we heard of your faith in Christ" (ver. 4).

1. Christ is the object and foundation of all true faith.--He is so as the Divinely consecrated Deliverer of the race. The grandeur of His redeeming work and the dignity and glory of His character are suggested by the titles here given to Him. Man must believe in Christ, not as an abstract truth, not as a poetic conception, not as a dim impersonal force acting in the sphere of ideality, but as a Divine-human person--the anointed Saviour.

2. True faith is the root principle of the Christian life.--Without it neither love nor hope could exist. All the graces that strengthen and beautify the Christian character must grow out of faith.

3. True faith is ever manifest.--"Since we heard." It is seen in the changed disposition and conduct of the individual believer. It is marked by the anxious Christian worker and becomes known to a wide circle of both friends and foes. Epaphras rejoiced to bear tidings of the fact; and the soul of the apostle, since he heard, glowed with grateful praise. Happy the people whose highest reputation is their faith in Jesus!

+IV. This thanksgiving was grounded on their possession of an expansive Christian love.+--"And of the love which ye have to all the saints" (ver. 4). Love to Christ is necessarily involved, for love to the saints is really a generous, unselfish affection for Christ's image in them. Love is all-embracing. Peculiarities, defects, differences of opinion, distance, are no barriers to its penetrating ardour. It is the unanswerable evidence of moral transformation (1 John iii. 14). It is the grandest triumph over the natural enmity of the human heart. It is the indissoluble bond of choicest fellowship.

"While we walk with God in light, God our hearts doth still unite; Dearest fellowship we prove, Fellowship in Jesu's love."

+V. This thanksgiving was further grounded on their enjoyment of a well-sustained hope.+--The grace of hope naturally springs out of and is properly associated with the preceding two. Not one member of the holy triad can be divorced from the other without irreparable damage; without, in fact, the loss of that which is the resultant of the three--viz. active religious life. "Faith rests on the past; love works in the present; hope looks to the future. They may be regarded as the efficient, material, and final causes respectively of the spiritual life" (Lightfoot).

1. The character of this hope.--"The hope which is laid up for you in heaven" (ver. 5). It is the prospect of future heavenly felicity. Hope is put for the object hoped for--the hope of possessing a spiritual inheritance whose wealth never diminishes, whose splendours never fade; the hope of seeing Christ in all His regal glory; of being like Him; of dwelling with Him for ever. A prospect like this lifts the soul above the meannesses, disappointments, and sufferings of the present limited life.

2. The security of this hope.--"Laid up." This priceless inheritance is safely deposited as a precious jewel in God's secret coffer. There no pilfering hands can touch it, no breath can tarnish, no rust corrode, no moth corrupt. Earthly treasures vanish, and sometimes, to God's people, nothing but the treasure of hope remains. The saint's enduring riches are in the future, locked up in the heavenly casket. Where the treasure is there the heart should ever be.

3. The source and foundation of this hope.--"Whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel" (ver. 5). The Gospel is based on unchangeable truth and is therefore worthy of universal credence. It alone unfolds the mysteries and glories of the future. The hope of heaven rests, not on the discoveries of human philosophy, but on the revelations of the true Gospel. In vain do men seek it elsewhere. By the preaching of the Gospel this hope is made known to man. How dismal the outlook where hope is unknown!

+Lessons.+--1. We should thank God for others more on account of their spiritual than temporal welfare. 2. Learn what are the essential elements of the Christian character--faith, love, hope. 3. The proclamation of the Gospel should be welcomed, and its message pondered.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 3-5. Good News and its Good Effects.

+I. The good news, what it was.+--That certain at Colossæ had not only the Gospel, but had known the grace of God in truth, and were now joined to Christ by faith and to His people by love.

+II. What were the results.+--1. Abundant thanksgiving to the God of redemption. 2. Constant prayer. 3. This epistle.

+III. Application.+--1. It is well that ministers should be informed of the success of the Gospel, both for their own encouragement and to secure their sympathy, prayers, and counsel for the young converts. 2. Established Christians and especially ministers should assure young converts of the gratitude, joy, and sympathy they feel and the prayers they present on their behalf. 3. If our hearts are right, we shall rejoice at the success of the Gospel.--Preacher's Magazine.

Ver. 5. Hope a Stimulus to Christian Perseverance--

+I. In gaining the heavenly reward.+

+II. Because the heavenly reward is secure.+--"Laid up for you."

+III. Is based on truth already known.+--"Whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel."

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 6-8.

The True Gospel universally the Same.

Wherever the Gospel comes it carries with it the ineffaceable impress of its Divine origin, and of its universal adaptability to the condition of humanity. There are certain truths that are self-evident to the understanding and are not susceptible of proof. They are axiomatic and must be admitted as such before any satisfactory system can be constructed upon them. Of this character are the fundamental truths of the Gospel. Their authority is supreme, and their evidential force irresistible. But a truth may be universally self-evident, and not be universally adopted. It is at this point the guilt of the unbeliever is incurred. The Gospel comes to mankind with ever-accumulating evidences of its Divine truthfulness; but men resist it. This is the condemnation. "He that believeth on the Son is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already" (John iii. 18). The false teachers, against whom the apostle warns the Colossians, sought to spoil the Gospel by the intermixture of ideas from Jew and Gentile.

+I. The true Gospel is universally the same in its adaptation and enterprise.+--"Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world" (ver. 6). The Gospel, though first proclaimed to the Jews, was not confined to them. It reached, penetrated, and changed the Colossians. In them all races were represented. Their conversion was typical of the possibilities of the Gospel for all. The world's greatest blessings are not indigenous, are not even sought; they are sent from above. There is not a human being the Gospel cannot benefit; it adapts itself to the wants of all. The Gospel started from Judea with a world-wide mission and was eager to fulfil it. Its enterprise was irresistible. It soon spread throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa--the regions embracing the Roman empire, which was then virtually the whole world. Its marvellous propagation proved its universal adaptability. The celebrated systems of philosophy among the Grecians lived only in the soil that produced them. Heresies are at best ethnic; truth is essentially catholic. In less than a quarter of a century Christianity was diffused through the entire world. The success of Mahometanism was of a different character and effected by different means. It depended more on the scimitar than the Koran. Alexander, Sesostris, and others achieved similar conquests, and as rapidly, by the force of arms. The victories of the Gospel were won by moral weapons. It is the greatest privilege of any nation to possess the Gospel, and its most solemn duty to make it known to the world.

+II. The true Gospel is universally the same in its results.+--"Bringeth forth fruit, and increaseth" (as the most valuable MSS. read) "as it doth also in you" (ver. 6). The effects produced on the Colossians by their reception of the Gospel were a sample of the results in other parts of the world. The fruit-bearing denotes its inward and subjective influence on the soul and life; the increasing refers to its outward and diffusive influence as it makes progress in the world. The metaphor used by the apostle suggests that the Gospel, as a tree, not only bears fruit, but grows, sending forth its roots more firmly and widely, and extending its branches in the air. Thus, it bears fruit and makes advancement (Spence). There are some plants which exhaust themselves in bearing fruit and then wither. The Gospel is a plant whose seed is in itself, and its external growth keeps pace with its reproductive energy. We cannot monopolise the benefits of the Gospel to ourselves; it is intended for the world, and wherever it comes it brings forth fruit. It is intensely practical, and aims at results, corresponding with its character, purpose, and power.

+III. The true Gospel is universally the same in the manner of its reception.+--"Since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth" (ver. 6). Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The mode of receiving the Gospel is the same to all. It is apprehended by the understanding, approved by the judgment, and embraced by the affections. It is not enough that it falls on the ear like the strain of a seraphic melody, not enough that it enters the understanding as a clearly conceived, full-orbed truth, not enough that it ripples through the sphere of the emotions as an unspeakable ecstasy, unless, aided by the Divine Spirit, it be cordially embraced by the heart and conscience as the whole truth--the only truth that saves and regenerates. It is in the Gospel only that we "hear of the grace of God"--the good news that He has provided redemption and restoration for the race. Nature, with all her revelations of beauty, wisdom, and power, is dumb on this subject. Providence, with its vast repertory of mingled mystery and bounty, unfolds it not. It is only by believing the Gospel that, like the Colossians, we can "know the grace of God in truth."

+IV. The true Gospel is universally the same in the method of its propagation.+--1. It is propagated by preaching. "As ye also learned" (ver. 7)--more correctly, "Even as ye were instructed" in the truth mentioned in the preceding verse. It is believed Epaphras first preached the Gospel at Colossæ, and, under the direction of Paul, he was probably also evangelist to the neighbouring cities of Hierapolis and Laodicea. Preaching is the Divinely instituted means of disseminating the Gospel. It cannot be superseded by any other agency. Its success has been marvellous.

2. It is propagated by men thoroughly qualified for the work.--(1) The apostle recognised Epaphras as a co-labourer with himself. "Our dear fellow-servant" (ver. 7). The preacher must labour as belonging to Christ, as entirely dependent on Him, and as deeply attached to Him. He is not a servant of the Church; he is a servant for the Church, in doctrine, supplication to God, and varied endeavours among men. With all frankness, affection, and modesty, the great apostle acknowledges Epaphras as "a dear fellow-labourer." Envy and jealousy of the gifts and reputation of others are pernicious and unjustifiable. (2) The apostle recognised Epaphras as a faithful minister of Christ. It was a great honour to be a fellow-servant with Paul, but greater still to be a minister of Christ, the Lord of glory, the Head of the Church, the Monarch of men and angels; commissioned by Him to proclaim the most vital truths and promote the best interests of the people. Moreover, he is called a faithful minister; the appellation of minister he had in common with many others; the praise of faithfulness is confined to few. "The great secret lies in these three things--Christ, immortal souls, self-humiliation" (Bishop Wilson). (3) The apostle recognised Epaphras as a man of deep spiritual insight. "Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit" (ver. 8). Love is the leading characteristic of the Gospel. It is announced as a message of God's love to man, and its object is to produce love in every believing heart. Epaphras apprehended this prominent feature in the message itself, discerned its origin in the work of the Spirit, and rejoiced in declaring its exercise towards the apostle, towards God, and towards all men.

+Lessons.+--1. The universality of the Gospel a strong evidence of its Divine authorship. 2. Though all the world were to reject the Gospel it would still be true. 3. To whomsoever the Gospel comes the imperative duty is to believe it.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 6. The Gospel manifests Itself.

+I. It spreads its good news in all possible places.+--"Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world."

+II. Produces unmistakable spiritual results.+--"And bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you."

+III. Is a revelation of Divine grace.+--"The grace of God in truth."

+IV. To be an evident blessing it must be heard and thoroughly believed as the only truth.+--"Since the day ye heard of and knew."

Vers. 7, 8. A Successful Preacher--

+I. Is affectionately recognised as a faithful minister of Christ+ (ver. 7).

+II. Attributes his success to the work of the Spirit+ (ver. 8).

+III. Regards the exercise of love in his hearers as a prominent feature of success+ (ver. 8).

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 9-11.

A Comprehensive Apostolic Prayer.

+I. It was a prayer expressive of deep spiritual interest.+--1. It was suggested by the report of their active Christian virtues. "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray" (ver. 9). They had believed in Christ, they had shown a genuine love to the brethren, they hoped for the glory of the future, they brought forth the fruits of the Spirit. All this excites the grateful heart of the apostle to pray that they may enjoy yet higher spiritual blessings, may increase in knowledge and wisdom, and rise to the highest standard of moral perfection. We best show our love to others by praying for them. Prayer is always needed, since the most excellent Christian graces are imperfect, liable to decay, and may be abused.

2. It was constant and fervent.--"Do not cease to pray for you and to desire" (ver. 9). The apostle had unbounded faith in the efficacy of prayer. Many in these days limit the advantage of prayer to its reflex influence on the individual who prays--expanding the thoughts, spiritualising the mind, and sanctifying the heart; and maintain that it is powerless to affect God, whose purposes must advance by the irresistible operation of unchanging law, irrespective of human supplication. Above this partial philosophy of the modern scientist we have the authority and practice of an inspired apostle. If God did not hear and answer prayer--answer it, not in violation of, but in harmony with, the highest law--then the frequent intercessions of the apostle are reduced to a solemn mockery, are unjustifiable and inexplicable. The apostle prayed with the utmost assiduity--night and day, as opportunity permitted--and with the utmost ardency, desiring that the blessings sought might be liberally and at once bestowed. As Augustine puts it, our desires being prayers, these are continual when our desires are continual.

+II. It was a prayer for amplest knowledge.+--1. The main subject of the knowledge desired. "The knowledge of His will" (ver. 9). Man thirsts for knowledge. He is eager to become acquainted with himself and the wonders around him. In his unwearied search after knowledge he has conquered colossal difficulties; has penetrated the starry spaces with the telescope; revealed the smallest visual atom with the microscope; and, with the deep-sea dredge, has made us familiar with the long-hidden treasures of the ocean. But the highest knowledge is the knowledge of God--not simply of His nature, majesty, perfections, works, but the knowledge of His will. So far as we are concerned, that will comprehends all that God wishes us to be, believe, and do. We must know His will in order to salvation, and as the supreme rule and guide of every action. Man may be ignorant of many things; but he cannot be ignorant of God's will and be saved. The knowledge of that will is the first great urgent duty of life.

2. The measure in which the knowledge may be possessed.--"Filled with knowledge." The word "knowledge" is full and emphatic, indicating a living, comprehensive, complete knowledge of the Divine will. They already possessed some knowledge of that will; and the apostle prays that it may be deeper, clearer, and increasingly potent within them, that they may be filled. The soul is not only to possess this knowledge, but it is to possess the soul--informing, animating, and impelling it onwards to higher attainments in the things of God. Knowledge is a power for good only as it acquaints with the Divine will, and as it pervades and actuates the whole spiritual being. We may seek great things from God. He gives largely, according to His infinite bounty. There is no limit to our increase in Divine knowledge but our own capacity, diligence, and faith.

3. The practical form in which the knowledge should be exercised.--"In all wisdom and spiritual understanding" (ver. 9). The word "spiritual" applies to both wisdom and understanding. The false teachers offered a wisdom which they highly extolled, but it had only a show of wisdom; it was an empty counterfeit, calling itself philosophy; the offspring of vanity, nurtured by the flesh; it was unspiritual. The true Gospel is spiritual in its origin, characteristics, and effects. The wisdom and understanding it imparts are the work of the Holy Spirit. Without His presence and operation in the soul both the knowledge of the Divine will and advancement in it would be impossible. The two terms are similar in meaning, but there is a distinction. Wisdom refers to the God-given organ by which truth is selected and stored up; understanding to the faculty by which truth is practically and prudently used; the one is comprehensive and accumulative, the other discriminative and practical. True spiritual insight is the work of the Holy Spirit. No amount of mental or moral culture, of human wisdom and sagacity, can supply it. This was the power lacked by the Galatians when they were so soon seduced from the Gospel; and to prevent a similar result among the Colossians the apostle prays they may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that they may discern between the false and the true, the carnal and spiritual, the human and the Divine.

+III. It was a prayer for the loftiest Christian career.+--1. The standard of Christian conduct. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord" (ver. 10). Life is a journey; death is the common goal and resting-place where all meet. Our conduct is the pathway on which we travel. The walk therefore describes the general course of life, the actions, habits, and deportment of the man in his relations to God and to the race. This walk is to "be worthy of the Lord"--worthy of His holy and dignified character; worthy of His law, of His kingdom, of His glory, of the high destiny He has designed for us. When a certain prince, on being captured, was asked how he should be treated, his prompt reply was, "As a king." We should ever remember the high vocation wherewith we are called, and the exalted pattern after which our behaviour should be modelled (Eph. iv. 1; 1 Thess. ii. 12). Our life is to be worthy of the Lord--in its spirit, motive, active outgoing, development, scope, and aim. For this purpose, we are filled with the knowledge of His will. The end of knowledge is practice; its value consists in what it enables us to do. He is not an architect who simply theorises about buildings, but he who has the art to erect them. To speak eloquently of war does not constitute a general; he only deserves that distinction who can skilfully manage an army in the field, whether in attacking or defending.

2. The rule by which that standard is maintained.--"Unto all pleasing" (ver. 10). We are to please the Lord in all things; to attempt and sanction nothing that will not be acceptable to Him. We are not to please ourselves--we are not to please others--as the ultimate object of life. If our conduct please others--our parents, our friends, our country--it is well; but though all others are displeased and estranged, we must strive in all things to please God. This is the simplest as well as the highest and grandest rule of life. Attention to this will settle many perplexing questions concerning human duty. The will of God must be studied as our supreme rule, and to it all our throughs, words, and actions must be conformed. Thus, the life on earth becomes a preparation and discipline for heaven and blends the present with a future of immortal blessedness. It is well with us when we obey the Lord (Jer. xlii. 6).

3. The productiveness of Christian consistency.--"Being fruitful in every good work" (ver. 10). One result of a worthy walk is fertility in Christian activity. In order to fruitfulness there must be life. The believer's life is hid with Christ in God, and the existence of the hidden life is manifest in the fruits. Fruitfulness also involves culture. Neglect the vine, and instead of the pendent clusters of glossy, luscious fruit there will be barrenness and decay--withered branches fit only for the consuming fire. God disciplines His people for fruitful and abundant service by painful but loving exercises of His providence (John xv. 2). It is not enough to bear one kind of fruit; there must be fertility "in every good work." The Christian is in sympathy with every good enterprise that aims at the physical, social, or moral welfare of man, and will heartily contribute his influence and effort in its promotion.

4. Progress in Divine knowledge.--"And increasing in the knowledge of God" (ver. 10). The knowledge of God is the real instrument of enlargement, in soul and life, of the believer (Alford). We can reach no stage in Christian experience and practice in which additional knowledge is unnecessary. Activity in goodness sharpens the knowing faculty and adds to the stores of wisdom. On the other hand, increased knowledge reacts and stimulates the worker (John vii. 17; Matt. xxv. 29). Divine knowledge is the great necessity of the soul, and the real means of fruitfulness and growth in goodness. It appeals to, elevates, and expands the whole man.

+IV. It was a prayer for supernatural strength.+--1. The appropriateness and fulness of the blessing desired. "Strengthened with all might" (ver. 11). Man is morally weak. Sin has enfeebled and debased the soul; it has tyrannised over humanity for ages. "When we were yet without strength" Christ came and introduced another force which counteracts sin and will ultimately effect its overthrow. All who believe in Christ receive strength to struggle against and conquer sin. This imparted strength is especially necessary in realising the blessings for which the apostle prays--complete knowledge of the Divine will; a life worthy of the Lord; spiritual fertility and advancement in heavenly wisdom. "Strengthened with all might." Our enemies are numerous, violent, and obstinate, and our infirmities are many. We therefore need strength of every kind. As it is necessary to overcome all our enemies, so it is necessary to be endued with all might--might to endure the most furious assault, might to resist the most bewitching solicitation to evil.

2. The supernatural source of the blessing.--"According to His glorious power" (ver. 11)--or, more correctly, "according to the power of His glory." Moral power is not native to the Christian; it has its source in God. He imparts it to the believing heart. The motive and measure of our strength is in the might of His glory. Power is an essential attribute of the Divine glory; it is manifested in the splendid works of creation, in the inscrutable ways of Providence, and pre-eminently in the marvels of human redemption. God's revelation of Himself to us, in whatever form, is the one source of our highest strength. The power of His glory reveals itself more and more to him who walks worthy of the Lord. Armed with this supernatural energy, the weakest saint becomes invincible.

3. The great practical purpose contemplated by the blessing.--"Unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (ver. 11). Patience is the temper which does not easily succumb under trial; longsuffering, or longmindedness, is the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong. Patience respects the weight of the affliction, longsuffering its duration. The former is exercised in relation to God, in the endurance of trial, or in waiting for promised blessing; the latter in relation to man, in long-continued forbearance under irritating wrongs. The true strength of the believer consists, not so much in what he can do, as in what he can endure (Isa. xxx. 15). The quiet, uncomplaining sufferer is greater than the most vigorous athlete. The characteristic of both patience and long-suffering is expressed in the phrase "with joyfulness." To suffer with joyfulness is the great distinction and triumph of the Christian spirit. The endurance of the Stoic was often the effect of pride or insensibility. But the Christian, though keenly sensitive to pain, is enabled by the Holy Spirit to rejoice in the assurance of God's presence, in the certain victory of His cause, and in the prospect of reward both here and hereafter.

+Lessons.+--1. How sublime are the topics of genuine prayer. 2. Deep experimental acquaintance with the things of God is essential to a lofty and useful career. 3. Knowledge, wisdom, spiritual fertility, and strength are the gifts of God.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 9-11. Paul's Prayer for the Colossians--

+I. For knowledge.+--Fulness of knowledge both extensively and intensively is the burden of his desire. "In all wisdom"--as a practical guide, not as mere theory. "And spiritual understanding"--the spirit of the believer receiving the Spirit of God to lead him inwardly to understand, realise, and delight in the Divine will.

+II. For fruitfulness.+---1. A life worthy of the Christian as it is well pleasing unto his Lord. 2. Good works of every kind. 3. Substantial growth.

+III. For strength.+--In order to this fruitfulness all might is required of body, mind, and spirit, but especially that of the Spirit within. The measure--"according to His glorious power"; so as to suffer patiently the constant trials of the Christian life and exercise all longsuffering towards persecutors and enemies of the truth, and this with joyfulness. It is not what we can do, but what He can do in us, and we through Him.--Preacher's Magazine.

Ver. 11. Divine Strength--

+I. Is spiritual strength, the source and sustenance of all might.+

+II. May be realised in increasing measure.+

+III. Arms the soul with invincible power.+--Power to endure with patience the trials of life; power to bear with the opposition and cruelty of others.

+IV. Enables the soul to rejoice in the midst of suffering.+

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 12.

Meetness for Saintly Inheritance.

The epistle has been hitherto occupied with prefatory observations. In this verse the writer enters upon his principal theme relating to the person and redemption of Jesus Christ. He offers thanks to God the Father as the primal source of that grace which constitutes the meetness for the saintly heritage. Observe:--

+I. The opulent inheritance provided for the good.+--1. It is a present and prospective possession. "The inheritance of the saints in light." Light is symbolic of knowledge, purity, and joy. The saints even now are called out of darkness into God's kingdom of marvellous light. "They walk in the light as He is in the light." They have a measure of knowledge, but it is dimmed by many earthly obscurities; of purity, but it is surrounded with imperfections; of joy, but it is moderated by life's sorrows. In the prospective heavenly inheritance, of which the earthly portion is a preparation and pledge, knowledge shall be unclouded and complete, purity unsullied, joy uninterrupted. "The life for eternity is already begun: we are at and from the very hour of our regeneration introduced into the spiritual world--a world which, though mysterious and invisible, is as real as the world of sense around us: the Christian's life of heavenliness is the first stage of heaven itself! There is a power now within the believer in the germ, of which his celestial immortality shall be the proper fruit. The dawn of heaven hath already begun in all who are yet to rejoice in its noontide glory" (Archer Butler).

2. It is a possession provided for the good.--"The saints." Not for the unholy, the impenitent, the unbelieving, the worldly. It is an inheritance where only the pure in heart can dwell. There is a world of significance in that pithy saying of an old Divine: "Every one will get to heaven who could live there." Only the saints who have made the Lord their light and their salvation can bear the splendour of His presence.

3. It is a possession freely given.--The legal heir has no need to work for his inheritance; he enters in possession by right of succession or testatorial bequest. The saint enters upon his inheritance of righteousness, not by natural descent or by any self-constituted right, but on the ground of a free, Divine gift. The believer has a title to the inheritance; but it is not earned by his own efforts: it is bestowed by Christ who won the inheritance by suffering and dying. Thus, all idea of merit is excluded; we can do nothing to deserve such a heritage of blessing. The word "inheritance" really means "the parcel of the lot"--an expression borrowed from the Old Testament (Ps. xvi. 5). The promised Canaan suggests an analogy between it and the higher hopes and wealthier possessions of the new dispensation. As each Israelite, through the grace of God, obtained his allotment, so the Christian obtains his portion in the kingdom of God. The present and future possession of the saints infinitely surpasses the earthly inheritance.

+II. The special meetness necessary to a participation in the inheritance.+--"Hath made us meet to be partakers."

1. This meetness is absolutely necessary.--Naturally we are unmeet. A monarch may raise the basest slave to a dukedom, but he cannot give him fitness to discharge the duties of the exalted position; he may change his state, but he cannot change his nature. To obtain a moral fitness for the saintly inheritance our nature must be changed. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

2. This meetness consists in the loving conformity of the human will to the Divine.--The future life of heaven is the object and pattern of our present heavenly life: "there is the mighty model on which we are to reconstruct our nature; there dwells that central form of moral and spiritual beauty of which our life is to be the transcript." The celestial spirits find their highest glory and blessedness in the complete submission of their whole nature to God; in cheerful, willing, loving obedience to His will. The heavenly life is the test and standard of our life on earth--of every motive, word, and deed. The Church of Christ is a training school for a more exalted career. An ancient sage once said, "Boys ought most to learn what most they shall need when they become men." So, men ought to learn in this life what they shall need most as glorified beings in the future. Only as our whole soul is conformed in loving obedience to the will of God are we "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." We are thus brought into sympathy with the good in all realms and fitted to participate in the most exalted fellowships of the future!

3. This meetness is a Divine work.--It is God "the Father who hath made us meet." He provides the inheritance; He gives the title to it; He confers the moral fitness by which the soul enters into its possession and enjoyment. None but God, the fountain of holiness, goodness, and power, could accomplish this work. "He worketh in us to will and to do." In the meetening process He hath dealt with us as a FATHER, instructing our ignorance, correcting and chastising our faults, and comforting and strengthening us in trouble.

+III. The great duty we owe to the generous donor of the inheritance.+--"Giving thanks." Gratitude is the easiest and commonest duty of a dependent creature; yet is the duty most frequently and grossly neglected. Our hearts should ever glow with an unquenchable flame of grateful praise to the bountiful Author of all our blessings.

+Lessons.+--1. We owe thanks to God as the Provider of the inheritance. 2. We owe thanks to God as the active Agent in producing the special meetness to participate in the enjoyments of the inheritance. 3. Our thanks to God should be expressed in active obedience to His will. 4. Our thanks to God should be joyful, fervent, and constant.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSE.

Ver. 12. Qualification for Heaven.

+I. The state contemplated.+--It is "an inheritance"; not a purchased property, but the common heritage of the children of God. "Of the saints," holy persons. "In light," knowledge, holiness, happiness.

+II. The meetness required.+--Adaptations in the natural world. In social arrangement. In regard to the heavenly state. A change of heart is necessary. Without it heaven would not be heaven to us. It must be sought and obtained in the present world. It is here ascribed to the Father.

+III. The thanks to be rendered.+--We thank our fellow-men for their gifts. We thank God for His other gifts. We should thank Him for meetness for heaven. This thanksgiving prepares us for heaven.--G. Brooks.

Meetness for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light.--Life for eternity is already begun. The business and the beatitude of heaven must consist in conformity of the will to the will of God: this is equally the law of earth.

+I. Faith is the realising power of this meetness.+

+II. Hope is the consoling and fortifying power.+

+III. Love is the uniting power, the consummation, and the perfection of all.+--A. Butler.

The Inheritance of the Saints.

+I. An interesting view of the future world as it is inherited by believers.+--1. The saints are in light in respect to the place. 2. As it respects purity. 3. In respect of the permanency of their felicity. 4. As it respects knowledge.

+II. The meetness which is wrought by God in the hearts of all who are raised to the enjoyment of this inheritance.+--1. The relative meetness is expressed by the word "inheritance." It is assigned to heirs. 2. The personal meetness is indicated by the term "saints."

+Lessons.+--1. Give thanks to God for those who are made meet. 2. Give thanks to God if the work be begun in yourselves.--R. Watson.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 13, 14.

The Great Moral Translation.

These words amplify the truth unfolded in the preceding verse, and describe the great change that must take place in order to obtain a meetness for the saintly inheritance--the translation of the soul from the powerful dominion of darkness into the glorious kingdom of the Son of God.

+I. This translation involves our enfranchisement from a state of dark captivity.+--"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness" (ver. 13).

1. The unrenewed are in a realm of moral darkness.--This was the condition of the Colossians and of the whole Gentile world before the times of the Gospel. "Darkness covered the earth, and gross darkness the people." Darkness denotes ignorance, moral blindness. Man is in darkness about the great mysteries of being, the mystery of sin and suffering, the deep significance of life, the distressing question of human duty, the destiny of the universe, the character and operations of God, and His relation to the race. It is possible to know much about religion, to hold religious ideas at second-hand as a group of poetic conceptions--fancy pictures from the book of Revelation, like the pictures of the poets from the book of Nature--and yet be totally in the dark as to the religious experience of those ideas. May be intellectually light, and spiritually dark. Darkness denotes danger and misery. Like a traveller in a strange country overtaken by the night, stumbling along in uncertainty and fear, until one fatal step--and he lies helpless in the rocky abyss, into the bottom of which he falls.

2. In this realm of moral darkness the unrenewed are held in captivity.--They are slaves in the land of darkness, tyrannised over by an arbitrary and capricious ruler. Slavery distorts and defaces the illustrious image in which man was originally created, darkens the understanding, paralyses the intellect, and stunts the growth of intelligence; it robs him of his self-respect, poisons nature, and brands him with unutterable infamy. The "power of darkness" is that tyranny which sin exercises over its captives, filling their minds with deadly errors or brutish ignorance, their consciences with terror of indifference, and dragging them onwards under its dismal yoke into all the horrors of eternal darkness. The tyrant of this gloomy realm is Satan; and his domination is founded and conducted on imposture, error, ignorance, and cruelty. He is the arch-deceiver.

3. From this realm of moral darkness God graciously liberates.--"Who hath delivered us." For the slaves of sin there is no help but in God. It is the nature of sin to incapacitate its victim for making efforts after self-enfranchisement. He is unwilling to be free. To snap the fetters from a nation of slaves yearning for liberty is a great and noble act. Our deliverance is mightier than that. The word "deliver" in the text means to snatch or rescue from danger, even though the person seized may at first be unwilling to escape, as Lot from Sodom. God does not force the human will. The method of deliverance was devised and executed independent of our will; its personal benefits cannot be enjoyed without our will.

+II. This translation places us in a condition of highest moral freedom and privilege.+--1. We are transferred to a kingdom. "Hath translated us into the kingdom" (ver. 13). Power detains captives; a kingdom fosters willing citizens. Tyranny has no law but the capricious will of a despot; a kingdom implies good government, based on universally recognised and authoritative law. "The image is presented of the wholesale transportation of a conquered people, of which the history of Oriental monarchies furnishes many examples" (Josephus, Ant., IX. xi.). They were translated from a bad to a better ruling power. So, the believer is moved from the realm and power of darkness and bondage to the kingdom of light and freedom. The laws of this kingdom are prescribed by Christ, its honours and privileges granted by Him, and its future history and triumphs will ever be identified with His own transcendent glory.

2. We are placed under the rule of a beneficent and glorious King.--"The kingdom of God's dear Son," more accurately "the Son of His love." As love is the essence of the Father, so is it also of the Son. The manifestation of the Son to the world is manifestation by Him of Divine love (1 John iv. 9). The kingdom into which believers are translated is founded on love; its entire government is carried on under the same beneficent principle. The acts of suffering and death, by which Christ won His kingly dignity and power, were revelations of love in its most heroic and self-sacrificing forms. When we believe in Christ, we are translated from the tyranny and darkness of sin into the kingdom of which the Son of God--the Son infinitely beloved of the Father--is King. As willing subjects, we share with Him the Father's love, and are being prepared for more exalted service and sublimer experiences in the endless kingdom of the future.

+III. The Divine method by which translation is effected.+--It is effected by redemption.

1. The means of redemption.--"Through His blood" (ver. 14). The image of a captive and enslaved people is still continued. But the metaphor is changed from the victor who rescues the captive by force of arms to the philanthropist who releases him by the payment of a ransom (Lightfoot). All men are under the condemnation of a violated law and sink in the bondage of sin. There is no release but by paying a ransom; this is involved in the idea of redemption. The ransom-price paid for the enfranchisement of enslaved humanity was "not corruptible things, as silver and gold, but the precious blood of Christ." The mode of redemption is to us a deep mystery; the reasons influencing the Divine Mind in its adoption we cannot fathom. But the fact is plainly revealed (1 Pet. iii. 18, ii. 24; Gal. iii. 13). This was God's method of translating from bondage to liberty.

2. The effect of redemption.--"Even the forgiveness of sins" (ver. 14). The ransom-price is paid, and the slave is free. The first blessing of redemption is pardon. It is this the penitent soul most urgently needs; it does not exclude all other redemptive blessings but opens and prepares the soul for their reception. Sin is the great obstacle between the soul and God; the monster sluice that shuts off the flow of Divine blessing. Redemption lifts the sluice, and the stream of Divine goodness pours its tide of benediction into the enraptured soul. An earthly king may forgive the felon, but he cannot give him a better disposition. God never forgives without at the same time giving a new heart. Pardon involves every other blessing--peace, purity, glory; it is the pledge and foundation for the bestowal of all we can need in time or in eternity.

3. The Author of redemption.--"In whom we have redemption" (ver. 14). Christ, the Son of God's love, by the sacrifice of Himself, accomplished our redemption; and it is only as we are in Him by faith that we actually partake of the freedom He purchased for us. His blood is not merely the ransom paid for our deliverance, but He is Himself the personal, living source of redemption. The deliverance of humanity is not simply in the work of Christ, through what He did and suffered, but in Himself--"the strong Son of God," the crucified, risen, and living Saviour. It is not only a rescue from condemnation and punishment, but a deliverance from the power and bondage of evil. The words "in whom we have redemption" teach much and imply more. They describe a continuous gift enjoyed, a continuous process realised by all who have been translated into the kingdom of the Saviour. In them the power of redemption is being carried on, so that they die unto sin, and live unto God, and experience a growing meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light (Spence). Christ only could be the Redeemer of men; He combined in one person the Divine and human natures: He could therefore meet the demands of God and the necessities of man.

+Lessons.+--1. Sin is a dark, enslaving power. 2. The kingdom of the Redeemer is one of light and freedom. 3. Moral translation by redemption is a Divine work. 4. The forgiveness of sin can be obtained only by faith in the Son of God.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 13. From Darkness to Light.

+I. Man is naturally in a state of darkness, held captive by sin and Satan.+

+II. A kingdom of freedom and light is provided by the intervention of the Son of God.+

+III. The translation from darkness to light is a Divine act.+

Ver. 14. The Great Blessing of Redemption--

+I. Is the forgiveness of sins.+

+II. The blessing of forgiveness is through the agency of Christ.+

+III. Redemption is purchased at a great cost and sacrifice.+--"Through His blood."

_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses_15-17.

The Relation of Christ to God and to all Created Things.

Having spoken of our redemption, the apostle, in terms of the highest significance and grandeur, dwells upon the dignity and absolute supremacy of the Redeemer.

+I. The relation of Christ to God.+--"Who is the image of the invisible God" (ver. 15). God is an infinite and eternal Spirit, incomprehensible and invisible. "No man hath seen God at any time;" yet humanity yearns for some visible embodiment of Deity. Christ reflects and reveals the Father. "He is the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person." It is believed that the idea of the Logos underlies the whole of this passage, though the term is not mentioned. The heretical teachers at Colossæ had introduced a perverted view as to the nature of the mediation between God and creation, and the apostle aims to rectify it. The word λόγος, denoting both reason and speech, was a philosophical term adopted by Alexandrian Judaism to express the manifestation of the unseen God--the absolute Being--in the creation and government of the world. It included all modes by which God makes himself known to man. As His reason, it denoted His purpose or design; as His speech, it implied His revelation. When Christian teachers adopted this term, they exalted and fixed its meaning by attaching it to two precise and definite ideas--that the Word is a Divine person, and that the Word became incarnate in Jesus Christ (Lightfoot). Christ as the eternal Word is the perfect image, the visible representation, of the unseen God. In addition to the idea of similitude, which is capable of a wide and general use, the word "image" involves two others.

1. Representation.--It implies an archetype of which the image is a copy. Man is said to be in the image of God; but there is a difference between the image of God in man and the image of God in Christ. In Christ it is as Cæsar's image in his son; in man it is as Cæsar's image on his coin. In the God-man Christ Jesus we have a visible, living, perfect, and reliable representation of the invisible God.

2. Manifestation.--The general idea of the Logos is the manifestation of the hidden. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John i. 18, compared with xiv. 9, 10, vi. 46). The incarnate Word, in His nature, attributes, and actions, is the true epiphany of the unseen Deity, setting forth, like distinct rays of one and the same glorious light, His infinite wisdom, mercy, righteousness, and power. Our obligations to Christ for His wondrous revelations are unspeakably great.

+II. The relation of Christ to all created things.+--1. Christ existed prior to the creation. He is "the firstborn of every creature" (ver. 15). It is not said He was the first formed or first created of every creature, but the firstborn--the first begotten. It is plainly intimated that Christ, the Son of God's love, was begotten before any created thing existed. There is therefore no ground in this passage for the Arians and Socinians to build up their theory of the creatureship of Christ. In relation to all created things, intelligent or unintelligent, terrene or celestial, Christ was the firstborn. In an ineffably mysterious sense He was begotten; they were created. The two ideas involved in the phrase are: (1) Priority to all creation--the absolute pre-existence of the Son. The term "first begotten" was frequently used among the Jews as a term of precedence and dignity. As applied to the Son of God, it implies priority in rank in relation to all created things. Time is an accident of the creature. Therefore, the origin of the Son of God precedes all time. (2) Sovereignty over all creation. God's firstborn is the natural Ruler, the acknowledged Head of God's household. He is "Heir of all things." He is creation's supreme and absolute Lord. He brought all creatures out of nothing, and by His own will graduated the degree of being each should possess; and it is fitting He should have unlimited empire over all. As if to prevent the possibility of any misconception regarding the relation of Christ to the universe, and to show that He could not be a part of creation however exalted in degree, but was essentially distinct from it, the apostle sets forth the Son of God as the First Cause, the Active Agent, and the Grand End of all created things.

2. Christ is Himself the Creator of all things.--(1) The conception of creation originated in Christ. "For by Him [or in Him] were all things created" (ver. 16). He was the great First Cause; the being, forms, limitations, energies of all things to be were bound up in Him. It rested with Himself to create or not to create. It is thought by some the Platonic idea is here shadowed forth; that the archetypes, the original patterns of all things, were in Christ before they were created outwardly. This is simply a philosophic speculation and is readily suggested by the universal method of the mind first forming a mental conception within itself of any object it desires to body-forth to the outward eye. It is in Christ we trace the great work of creation in its beginning, progress, and end. (2) The powers of creation were distributed by Christ. "All things that are in heaven, and that are in earth" (ver. 16). He created the heavens also; but those things which are in the heavens are rather named because the inhabitants are more noble than their dwellings. "Visible," things that are evident to the outward senses; and "invisible," things that may be conceived by the understanding. "With a view to meet some peculiar doctrine of the false teachers at Colossæ, who seem to have alleged that Christ was but one of the heavenly powers, St. Paul breaks up the things invisible, and distributes them by the words 'thrones,' 'dominions,' 'principalities,' or 'powers.' It may be difficult, and indeed impossible, for us now fully to know what the terms severally convey in connection with the several hierarchies of official glory. Yet all these invisible beings, so illustrious as to be seated on thrones, so great as to be styled dominions, so elevated as to be considered principalities, so mighty as to merit the designation of powers, were created by the Son of God; and they all acknowledge His supremacy and glory. The highest position in creation is infinitely below Him, and there is neither majesty nor renown that equals His. All created beings occupying the loftiest thrones throughout the vastness of immensity and amidst the mystery of life do homage and service to Christ Jesus as the firstborn, the only begotten Son of God" (Spence). (3) Christ is Himself the Great End of creation. "All things were created for Him" (ver. 16). As all creation emanated from Him, so does it all converge again towards Him. "The eternal Word is the goal of the universe, as He was the starting-point. It must end in unity, as it proceeded from unity; and the centre of this unity is Christ." The most elaborate and majestic machinery of the universe and the most highly gifted intelligence alike exist only to serve the ultimate purpose of creation's Lord. All created things gather their significance, dignity, and glory by their connection with Him. Christ must be more than a creature, as the loftiest creature could not be the end of all created things. It is a narrow philosophy that teaches that all things were made for man. The grand end of all our endeavours should ever be the glory of Christ.

3. The unchanging eternity of Christ.--"He is before all things" (ver. 17). Not only is He before Moses and before Abraham, as He declared to the Jews (John viii.), but He is before all things. The words refer not so much to His eminence in rank as to duration. The terms HE IS, in the Greek, are most emphatic, the one declaring His personality, the other that His pre-existence is absolute existence. Christ existed before any created thing--even before time itself; therefore, from eternity. Knowing the tendency of men to entertain inferior notions of the person of Christ, and of the redemption He has provided, the apostle multiplies conceptions to represent His Divine worth and excellency. He should be preferred before all.

4. The continued existence of creation depends on Christ.--"And by [rather in] Him all things consist" (ver. 17)--hold together, cohere. He is the principle of cohesion in the universe. He impresses upon creation that unity and solidarity which makes it a cosmos instead of a chaos. Thus, to take one instance, the action of gravitation, which keeps in their places things fixed and regulates the motion of things moving, is an expression of His mind (Lightfoot). The universe found its completion in Him and is sustained and preserved every moment by the continuous exercise of His almighty power. All things hang on Christ; in Him they live and move and have their being. If He withdrew His upholding hand, everything would run into confusion and ruin. "Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled: Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust." In Him all things consist. He is the centre of life, force, motion, and rest; round Him all things revolve. He imposes their limits, gives to them their law, strikes the keynote of their harmonies, blends and controls their diverse operations. He is the All-perfect in the midst of imperfection, the Unchanged in the midst of change. He is the Author of human redemption; became incarnate, suffered, died, and rose again, and now reigns with the Father in glory everlasting. He is worthy of our loftiest adoration, our humblest submission, our strongest confidence, our most ardent love.

+Lessons.+--1. The supremacy of the Creator and Preserver of all things is absolute and universal 2. Human redemption is grounded on the divinity of the Son of God. 3. Personal trust in the Redeemer brings the soul into direct personal relation to the Father.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 15. Christ a Revelation because He is the Equal of the Father--

+I. In His nature.+--The incarnation.

+II. In His attributes.+

+III. In His will.+--The character of Christ and His moral system.

+IV. In His works.+--His miracles, His death as a sacrifice for sin, His resurrection. 1. How ungrateful and unbelieving have we been! 2. How zealous and devoted should we be!--G. Brooks.

Ver. 16. Christ the Author and the End of Creation.

+I. The Author.+--1. The extent. "All things." The universe, natural and moral.

2. The variety.--"Visible and invisible." The near and the distant, the vast and the minute, the material and the spiritual.

3. The orders.--"Whether they be." Scale of being. Gradations in all classes.

+II. The end.+--1. Heaven was created for Him. As the place of His special residence and as the home of His people.

2. Angels were created for Him.--Messengers of His mercy, executioners of His vengeance.

3. Hell was created for Him.--The prison of His justice.

4. The earth was created for Him.--The scene of His incarnation and atoning death. His mediatorial kingdom.

5. The human race was created for Him.--Man created, preserved, redeemed. (1) How exalted should be our ideas of Christ! (2) How carefully should we learn to view everything in connection with Christ! 3. What ground for confidence, gratitude, and fear.--Ibid.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 18.

The Relation of Christ to the Moral Creation.

After showing that Christ holds the position of absolute priority and sovereignty over the whole universe, the apostle now proceeds to point out His relation to the principal part of that whole--the Church, as the symbol and embodiment of the new, moral creation. From this verse we learn that Christ is the supreme Head, and primal life-giving Source of the Church, and as such is invested with universal pre-eminence.

+I. Christ is the supreme Head of the Church--the new moral creation.+--1. The Church is the body of Christ. "The body, the Church." Much controversy has prevailed as to what constitutes the Church; and the more worldly the Church became, the more confused the definition, the more bitter the controversy. The New Testament idea of the Church is easily comprehended. It is the whole body of the faithful in Christ Jesus, who are redeemed and regenerated by His grace--the aggregate multitude of those in heaven and on earth who love, adore, and serve the Son of God as their Redeemer and Lord. The word ἐκκλησία constitutes two leading ideas: the ordained unity, and the calling or separating out from the world. Three grand features ever distinguish the true Church--unbroken unity, essential purity, and genuine catholicity. (Cf. Eph. i. 22, 23, iv. 15, 16; 1 Cor. xii. 12-27).

2. Christ is the Head of the Church.--"And He is the Head of the body, the Church." That the world might not be considered this body, the word "Church" is added; and the materialistic conception of a Church organism thus refuted. As the Head of the Church--(1) Christ inspires it with spiritual life and activity. (2) He impresses and moulds its character. (3) He prescribes and enforces its laws. (4) He governs and controls its destinies. (5) He is the centre of its unity.

+II. Christ is the originating, fontal Source of the organic life of the Church.+--In respect to the state of grace, He is the beginning; in respect to the state of glory, He is the firstborn from the dead. He gives to the Church its entity, form, history, and glory; except in and through Him, the Church could have no existence.

1. He is the Author of the moral creation.--"The beginning." Christ has been before described as the Author of the old material creation. Here He is announced as the beginning of the new spiritual creation. The moral creation supplies the basis and constituent elements of the Church. In the production, progress, and final triumph of the new creation, He will redress all the wreck and ruin occasioned by the wrong-doing of the old creation. Of this new moral creation Christ is the source, the principle, the beginning; the fountain of life, purity, goodness, and joy to the souls of men.

2. He is the Author of the moral creation as the Conqueror of Death.--"The firstborn from the dead." Sin introduced death into the old creation, and the insatiable monster still revels and riots amid the corruptions he perpetually generates. The Son of God, in fulfilment of the Divine plan of redemption, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He descended into Hades and placed Himself among the dead. On the third day He rose again, "the firstfruits of them that slept." He was "the firstborn from the dead"; the first who had risen by His own power; the first who had risen to die no more. By dying He conquered death for Himself and all His followers. He can therefore give life to all that constitute that Church of which He is fittingly the Head, assure them of a resurrection from the dead, of which His own was a pattern and pledge, and of transcendent and unfading glory with Himself in the endless future.

+III. The relation of Christ to the Church invests Him with absolute pre-eminence.+--"That in all things He might have the pre-eminence."

1. He is pre-eminent in His relation to the Father.--He is "the image of the invisible God"; the Son of His love, joined by a bond to us mysterious and ineffable, and related in a sense in which no other can be. He is the first and the last; the only Divine Son.

2. He is pre-eminent in the universe of created things.--He existed before any being was created, and was Himself the omnipotent Author of all created things. The whole hierarchy of heaven obey and adore Him. He is alone in His complex nature as our Emmanuel. Mystery of mysteries; in Him Deity and humanity unite!

3. He is pre-eminent in His rule over the realm of the dead.--He entered the gloomy territory of the grave, wrestled with and vanquished the King of Terrors, rose triumphantly from the dismal battle-field, and is now Lord both of the dead and of the living. "I am He that liveth and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore; and have the keys of Hades and of death" (Rev. i. 18).

4. He is pre-eminent in His relation to the Church.--The Church from beginning to end is purely His own creation. He sketched its first rough outline, projected its design, constructed its organism, informed it with life, dowered it with spiritual riches; and He will continue to watch over and direct its future until He shall "present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing"!

5. He is pre-eminent in the estimation and homage of a ransomed world.--He is the central figure of all history; around Him all events group themselves, and by Him are stamped with their true character, significance, and worth. The dream of the ages, the teaching of figures and symbols, the shadows and forecastings of coming events, are all dismissed in the effulgent presence of Him to whom they all point, like so many quivering index-fingers. Christ has to-day the strongest hold upon the heart of humanity. His perplexed enemies admire while they reject Him; the ever-increasing multitude of His friends reverence and adore Him; and the era is rapidly advancing when to Him a universe of worshippers shall bow the knee and acknowledge that "in all things He has the pre-eminence."

+Lessons.+--1. The pre-eminence of Christ entitles Him to universal obedience. 2. The highest blessedness is found in union with the Church of Christ.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSE.

Ver. 18. The Church the Body of Christ.

+I. As the body of Christ the Church is one with Him.+--1. One in covenant dealing with God. 2. One in respect of the principle of life. 3. One in history. 4. How Christ may be served or persecuted.

+II. As the body of Christ the Church is one in itself.+--1. Identity of principle. 2. Substantial agreement in faith. 3. A visible association through sympathy.

+III. As the body of Christ the Church has many co-operating and mutually dependent members.+--1. The members are as numerous as are believers or as are offices. 2. Their mutual dependence and co-operation illustrated in the work of spreading the Gospel. 3. Let each one know his own place and duties.

+IV. As the body of Christ the Church must grow up to completeness and maturity.+--1. Each believer is first a babe in Christ and advances to the measure of the stature of a man in Christ. 2. As a whole the Church is gradually augmented and increased--from Abel onwards. 3. To gather in and perfect the elect is the peculiar work of time.

+V. As the body of Christ the Church must be restored to perfect soundness and health.+--1. Christ receives the Church--dead. 2. The first step towards perfect soundness is a resurrection. 3. Hence each believer is quickened with Christ in order to be healed. 4. The bodies of the saints shall likewise be perfect.--The Physician. 5. In heaven no one shall say, "I am sick."

+VI. As the body of Christ the Church is the object of His unremitting care.+--1. To provide for the wants of his body is man's unceasing care. 2. Christ has made ample provision. 3. He now ministers to His Church's wants--clothing, food, defence, habitation.

+VII. As the body of Christ the Church is the instrument through which He accomplishes His purposes.+--1. The body the instrument of the heart or soul. 2. The Church the instrument of Christ. 3. The Church but the instrument.--Stewart.

Christ the Firstborn from the Dead--

+I. In the dignity of His person.+

+II. Because He rose by His own power.+

+III. Because He is the only one who rose never to die again.+

+IV Because He has taken precedence of His people who all shall rise from their graves to glory.+

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 19, 20.

The Reconciling Work of the Great Mediator.

After showing the grand pre-eminency of Christ in both the natural and moral creation, and thus declaring the inferior and subordinate position of those angelic powers whose nature and office the false teachers in Colossæ unduly extolled, the apostle here proceeds to point out the special fitness of the great Mediator for that lofty relationship. It is grounded on the fact that in Him all fulness dwells. Observe--

+I. The unique qualification of the great Mediator.+--1. In Him all fulness dwells. The heretical teachers would reduce Christ to the level of an angelic mediator, a simple evolution from the Divine nature, and one of the links that bind the finite to the infinite. They admitted there was the manifestation of Divine power and glory, but that this was only occasional, and not inherent. The apostle, in refuting this, asserts that the plenitude--the grand totality of Deity--resided in Christ, not as a transient guest, but as a permanent and abiding presence. "All fulness." Well might the profound and devout Bengel exclaim, "Who can fathom the depth of this subject?" In the marvellous person of Jesus there is combined all the fulness of humanity as well as the fulness of Divinity--all the beauty, dignity, and excellency that replenish heaven and earth, and adorn the nature of God and of men. It is a fulness that stands related to all the interests of the universe and can supply the moral necessities of all. There is a fulness of wisdom to keep us from error, fulness of grace to preserve from apostasy, fulness of joy to keep us from despair, and fulness of power to protect from all evil. It penetrates and fills the vast universe of intelligent beings and girds it with a radiant circle of glory and felicity.

2. It is the good pleasure of the Father that this fulness should reside in the Son.--"For it pleased the Father" (ver. 19). It was the will and purpose of God the Father that Christ, as the Mediator, should, in order to accomplish the great work of reconciliation, be filled with the plenitude of all Divine and human excellencies; that He should be the grand, living, unfailing reservoir of blessing to the whole intelligent universe. The Father is not only in harmony with the reconciling work of the Son, but the whole merciful arrangement was from the first suggested, planned, and appointed by Him. The moving cause and foundation of all saving grace through the Son is the good pleasure of the Father. It is not His good pleasure that any other than Christ should be the Mediator of the universe. We should never seek or acknowledge any other.

+II. The reconciling work of the great Mediator.+--1. The nature of the reconciliation. "To reconcile unto Himself" (ver. 20). The word "reconcile" imports to restore one to a state of amity and friendship, to change the relations of two parties separated either by one-sided or mutual enmity. Sin places man at enmity with God, and exposes him to the Divine opposition and anger. The cross of Christ, by removing the cause of estrangement, opens the way of reconciliation; and the penitent, believing soul is thus restored to the Divine favour and friendship. But the word "reconcile" does not always presuppose the existence of open enmity; and, from the general drift of the verse, the term should be interpreted in the most liberal sense, yet with the utmost caution and reverence.

2. The extent of the reconciliation.--"To reconcile all things unto Himself, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven" (ver. 20). It was on the earth where the enmities first arose; therefore, it is put first. The humanity of Christ bringing all creatures around it unites them to God in a bond which never before existed--a bond which has its origin in the mystery of redemption. Thus all things in heaven and earth feel the effect of man's renovation. In Christ, the great Reconciler, meet and merge the discordant elements which sin had introduced (see Bengel and Eadie). The false teachers aimed at effecting a partial reconciliation between God and man, through the interposition of angelic mediators. The apostle speaks of an absolute and complete reconciliation of universal nature to God, effected through the mediation of the incarnate Word. Their mediators were ineffective because they were neither human nor Divine. The true Mediator must be both human and Divine. The whole universe of things material, as well as spiritual, shall be restored to harmony with God. How far this restoration of universal nature may be subjective, as involved in the changed perceptions of man thus brought into harmony with God, and how far it may have an objective and independent existence, it were vain to speculate (Lightfoot). With regard to this reconciliation, we may safely say it includes, with much more that is too high for us to understand, the following truths: (1) Sinful creatures on earth are reconciled to God in Christ. For the degenerate and guilty children of men there is a Reconciler and a way of reconciliation, so that wrath is turned aside, and friendship restored. (2) Sinful and sinless or unfallen creatures are reconciled to each other and brought together again in Christ. Bengel says: "It is certain that the angels, the friends of God, were the enemies of men when they were in a state of hostility against God." The discord and disunion introduced into the moral universe by sin are overcome by the Lord Jesus. (3) Sinless and unfallen creatures are brought nearer to God in Christ, and, through His reconciling work and His infinite fulness of grace, are confirmed for ever in their loyalty and love. In Christ, the Redeemer and Reconciler, they have views of the Divine nature, character, and glory they never had before, and which they can nowhere else obtain (Spence). It needed such a Mediator as Jesus, gifted with the highest Divine and human powers, to restore the tone and harmony of a discordant universe, and tune every created spirit to the keynote of sweetest celestial music. The true melody of acceptable praise is learned only in the ardent, loving adoration of the Son of God.

+III. The means by which the reconciliation is effected.+--"And having made peace through the blood of His cross" (ver. 20). To make peace is the same thing as to reconcile; and the death of Christ--the shedding of His blood on the cross--was the method by which, in the infinite wisdom of God, the peace-producing reconciliation is secured. It was the voluntary self-sacrifice of Himself on the cross that constituted Jesus the grand reconciling Mediator of the universe. "All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. v. 18). Only by suffering could suffering be assuaged; only by dying could death itself be conquered. The cross is therefore the symbol of peace, of power, of triumph. There the law was fulfilled and magnified, the integrity of the Divine perfections vindicated, justice was satisfied, mercy found its most bounteous outlet, and love its crowning joy. The cross is the source of every blessing to the fallen; the centre round which a disordered universe again revolves in beauteous order and rejoicing harmony; the loadstone that draws the trembling sinner to the needed and unutterable repose.

+Lessons.+--1. The great Mediator has every qualification for His stupendous work. 2. The reconciliation of a disorganised universe is beyond the power of any subordinate agent. 3. Rebellious man can be restored to peace with God only as he yields himself up to the great Mediator.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 19. The Fulness of Christ--

+I. Endowed with all Divine and human excellencies.+

+II. Necessary to accomplish His reconciling work.+

+III. Was required and approved by God the Father.+

Ver. 20. Christ the Reconciler--

+I. Restored the friendship between God and man broken by sin.+

+II. Accomplished His work by the voluntary sacrifice of His life.+

+III. Introduces harmony into a disrupted universe.+

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 21, 22.

The Personal Blessings of Reconciliation.

Having shown the relation of Christ to God, to the whole creation, and to the Church, and His connection with all moral beings, the writer now proceeds to point out the relation of Christ to individual man in delivering him from the fetters of sin and opening up the way of reconciliation with an outraged but loving Deity. In this passage we have a description of the attitude of sinful man towards God and the method of his restoration. We learn that:--

+I. Sin has placed man in antagonism to God.+--1. Man is estranged from God. "And you that were sometime alienated" (ver. 21). Sin severs the soul from God. The principle of cohesion--the consciousness of rectitude which God implanted in man in his sinless state--is weakened, and the sinner, breaking away from the centre of all goodness, drifts into an ever-widening and ever-darkening wilderness of alienation and evil. Sin places man at an infinite distance from God, leads him to shun the Divine presence and disregard the Divine overtures. A state of alienation is a state of danger; it is a state of spiritual death; and yet it is painful to observe how few in this state are conscious of their awful peril.

2. Man is hostile to God.--"Enemies in your mind" (ver. 21). The enmity follows from the estrangement, and both have their seat in the mind--"in the original and inmost force of the mind which draws after it the other faculties." The mind of man opposes the mind of God, sets up a rival kingdom, and organises an active rebellion against the Divine Ruler. "The carnal mind is enmity against God" (Rom. viii. 7). If the hostility is not always flagrantly open, it is in the mind; the fountain of all sin is there. To be a stranger to God is to be an enemy of God: "He that is not with Me is against Me." The sinner is his own greatest enemy. It is a vain thing to fight against God; terrible will be the vengeance He will ere long wreak upon His enemies.

3. Man's estrangement and hostility are evident in his actions.--"By wicked works" (ver. 21). Man is stimulated by his sinful mind to perpetrate the most outrageous acts of rebellion against God, and to indulge in the most fiendish cruelty towards his fellow-man. But there are "wicked works" that may not figure in the criminal columns of the newspapers, nor be detected by the most vigilant watcher. To cherish envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness is equally heinous in the sight of God, and an unmistakable evidence of hostility towards Him. Sin conceived in the mind will, sooner or later, manifest itself in action.

+II. Man is reconciled to God in Christ.+--1. The distinguished blessing. "Yet now hath He reconciled" (ver. 21). To effect this all that is necessary is to persuade the sinner to cease his rebellion and submit to God. In Christ God is reconciled to the sinner; there is no need to persuade Him. He is love; the sinner is enmity. He is light; the sinner is darkness. He is nigh unto the sinner, but the sinner is afar off. The great object is to destroy the sinner's enmity, that he may have Divine love; bring him from darkness into Divine light; bring him from his evil works nigh unto God, and reconciliation is the result (Biblical Museum). The amity existing between the soul and God, and which sin had interrupted, is now restored. Dear as are the friendships of earth, none can equal friendship with God.

"The calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God; And He shall save me to the end Through Jesu's blood."

The loftiest communion of the soul with God is renewed. In this the soul finds its strength, consolation, life, rapture. How much does that man lose whose heart is not reconciled to God?

2. The gracious medium of the blessing.--"In the body of His flesh through death" (ver. 22). The apostle here refers in the most explicit terms to the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ and shows that the great work of reconciliation was effected in His body, and through death, for that body was crucified and actually died. The apostle perhaps aimed at correcting certain pseudo-spiritualistic notions regarding the person of Christ, busily propagated by the false teachers; some of whom held that Christ was an angelic emanation which animated the man Jesus for a time and withdrew from Him before He suffered. While maintaining the proper deity and glory of Christ's nature, the apostle plainly indicates that the Divine method of reconciliation was by the incarnation and sacrificial death of Christ. He thus exalts the significance and value of the death of Christ. Reconciliation was not accomplished by the faultless example of Christ's life or the supernal wisdom of His teaching, but by His crucifixion and death. The cross, with its unfathomable mystery, is to them that perish foolishness; but to them that believe it is still the power and wisdom of God.

+III. The Divine purpose in reconciliation is to promote man's highest blessedness.+--The magnificence of the believer's future career will be in marked contrast with the obscurity and imperfection of the present; but even in this life he is lifted by the reconciling grace of God to a high standard of moral excellence. The terms here employed, while referring to the same spiritual state, delineate its different aspects.

1. The highest blessedness of man consists in his moral purity.--"To present you holy" (ver. 22). This shows the condition of the soul in relation to God; it is freely offered to Him as a living sacrifice; the inward consciousness is wholly consecrated to the permanent indwelling of the Holy One; every thought, affection, and aspiration of the soul is hallowed; the whole man is enriched, ennobled, and radiant with a holy character.

2. The highest blessedness of man consists in his personal blamelessness.--"Unblameable" (ver. 22). This aspect of character has reference to one's self; it is the development in the outward life of the purity and consecration of the heart; it is a sacrificial term and means without blemish. The soul is inspired with a sense of integrity, and of always acting for the best. When Socrates was asked, just before his trial, why he did not prepare himself for his defence, he calmly answered, "I have been doing nothing else all my life." A noble, blameless life is its own defence.

3. The highest blessedness of man consists in his freedom from censure.--"Unreproveable in His sight" (ver. 22). This feature of a holy character has reference to others. If man thus purified and blessed can bear the piercing glance of Him whose scrutiny no defect can escape, his character is unchallengeable. To be accepted and approved of God places him beyond the accusations of man or demon; the subtle insinuations of the Great Accuser are powerless to hurt. "It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?" To be holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in the sight of God is to enjoy the highest honour and completest bliss. This is the ultimate result of reconciliation in Christ.

+Lessons.+--1. Sin is the great foe of God and man. 2. The death of Christ is the means of reconciling sinful man to God. 3. The aim of reconciliation is to produce an irreproachable character.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 21. Reconciliation by Christ.

+I. Estrangement.+--1. The cause--by wicked works. 2. The result--not merely that God is angry, but we have become enemies to God.

+II. Reconciliation.+--1. Christ has reconciled man to God. 2. He hath reconciled man to man. 3. He hath reconciled man to Himself. 4. He hath reconciled man to duty.--Robertson.

Ver. 22. Holiness the Supreme End of Reconciliation.

+I. Holiness an inward state and an outward result.+--"Holy, unblameable and unreproveable."

+II. Holiness alone can satisfy God.+--"In His sight."

+III. Holiness is the final completion of the soul.+--"To present you."

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 23.

The Condition of Man's Final Blessedness.

The ripest fruits can only be produced and gathered by careful and unremitting culture; so, the enjoyment of the final blessings of reconciliation is conditioned upon continued allegiance to the Gospel and the diligent practice of its precepts. We are taught in this verse that the ultimate presentation to God of a perfectly holy and blameless character depends upon the believer's firm and persevering attachment to the Gospel. Observe--

+I. Man's final blessedness depends upon his unswerving continuance in the faith.+--The faith is a comprehensive term; it is inclusive of all the great saving truths of the Gospel, and of man's many-sided relation to them. There is implied:

1. A continuance in the doctrines of the faith.--What a man believes has a powerful influence in moulding his character. The truths submitted to our faith shed light upon matters of transcendent import and worth. The baffled and inquiring mind, straining with painful eagerness after light, finds its satisfaction and rest amid the soothing radiance of revealed truth. "In returning and rest shall ye be saved" (Isa. xxx. 15). Unbelief lures the soul from its restful confidence, sets it adrift amidst the cross currents of bewilderment and doubt, and exposes it to moral shipwreck and irrevocable loss. The soul's eternal safety is ensured, not by an infatuated devotion to mere opinions about certain dogmas, but by an intelligent, firm, and constant faith in Divine verities.

2. A continuance in the profession of the faith.--The believer is a witness for the truth; and it is an imperative duty to bear testimony for Christ before the world (Rom. x. 9, 10). This is done when we unite in fellowship and service with the external Church of Christ on earth. The Church, as the representative of Christ, witnesses for Him in the life and conduct of its individual members. There is nothing binding as to the special form this witness-bearing should take in each particular case; nor is any man compelled, for the sake of profession, to wed himself to any particular branch of the Church catholic. There may be reasons that render it justifiable, and even necessary, for a man to sever himself from any given religious community and join another; but on no conceivable ground can he be liberated from the duty of an open profession of his faith in Christ; his future acceptability to God hinges on his fidelity in this duty (Matt. x. 32).

3. A continuance in the practice of the faith.--Faith supplies the motive and rule of all right conduct. The test of all preceptive enactment and profession is in the life. The Christian character is developed and perfected, not by believing or professing, but by doing the will of God. The rewards of the future will be distributed according to our deeds (Rom. ii. 6-10).

4. Continuance in the faith must be permanent.--"Grounded and settled." The edifice, to be durable, must be well founded, that it may settle into a state of firmness and solidity; so faith, in order to survive the storms and temptations of this world, and participate in the promised good of the future, must be securely grounded and settled in the truth. In order to permanency in the faith, the truth must be--(1) Apprehended intelligently. (2) Embraced cordially. (3) Maintained courageously.

+II. Man's final blessedness depends upon his unchanging adherence to the Gospel hope.+--1. The Gospel reveals a bright future. It inspires the hope of the resurrection of the body, and of the glorification of it and the soul together in the eternal life of the future. Faith and hope are inseparably linked together; they mutually succour and sustain each other; they rise or fall together. Hope is the unquestioning expectation of the fruition of those things which we steadily believe. It is compared to an anchor, which, cast within the veil, fastened and grounded in heaven, holds our vessel firm and steady amid the agitations and storms of life's tempestuous sea. The Gospel is the only source of genuine, deathless hope; all hopes grounded elsewhere wither and perish.

2. The Gospel to be effectual must come in contact with the individual mind.--"Which ye have heard." Epaphras had declared to them the Divine message. It had been brought to them; they had not sought it. Having heard and received the Gospel, to relinquish its blessings would be inexcusable and ungrateful. In some way, either by direct preaching or otherwise, the Gospel must come to man. There is no power of moral reformation in the human heart itself; the germinant principle of a better life must come from without; it is conveyed in the Gospel word.

3. The Gospel is adapted to universal man.--"Which was preached to every creature which is under heaven." Already it had spread into every part of the then known world, and its power was felt in every province of the Roman empire. The fine prophetic instinct of the apostle saw the universal tendency of the Gospel, and, in spirit, anticipated the fulfilment of its generous mission. His motive is to emphasise the universality of the unchangeable Gospel which is offered without reserve to all alike, and to appeal to its publicity and progress as the credential and guarantee of its truth. It is adapted to all men; it proclaims its message in all lands and is destined to win the world to Christ. The faith and hope of the believer are based, not upon the uncertain declarations of false teachers, but upon that Gospel, which is unchangeable in its character and universal in its appeal and adaptability to humanity; a strong reason is thus furnished for personal steadfastness.

4. The Gospel invested the apostle with an office of high authority.--"Whereof I Paul am made a minister." Paul participated in the blessings of the Gospel; he had felt its transforming power, and from his personal experience of its preciousness could, with the greater assurance and force, exhort the Colossians to continue in the faith. But in addition to this the Gospel was committed to the apostle as a sacred trust and for faithful ministration; and while dwelling on the broad charity of the Gospel as involving the offer of grace to the Gentiles, he is impressed with the dignity and responsibility of his office as he interjects, somewhat abruptly, but with exquisite modesty, the words, "Whereof I Paul am made a minister." It has been said of man that he is the priest and interpreter of nature; that it is his function to observe and test phenomena and interpret the laws that govern the material world. Another writer has said that "man is the organ of revelation for the Godhead." God can find no adequate form of revelation for Himself in the impersonal forces of nature; only through a being in His own image can He unfold to the universe His adorable character. But the highest office to which man can be elevated is to be a ministrant of Gospel light and grace to his fellow-man.

5. There is an implied possibility of relinquishing our hold of the Gospel hope.--"Be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel." The words do not necessarily imply doubt, but suggest the necessity for constant circumspection, vigilance, and care. The multiplicity and fulness of our blessing may prove a snare to us; prosperity tempts us to relax watchfulness, and we are in danger of becoming a prey to the wiles of the wicked one. Our retention of the Gospel hope is rendered immovable by constant waiting upon God in fervent prayer, by a growing acquaintance with the Word of promise, by continually anticipating in thought the bliss of the future.

+Lessons.+--1. The Gospel provides the surest basis for faith and hope. 2. Man's ultimate blessedness depends on his continued fidelity.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 24.

The Joy of Suffering for the Church.

A stolid indifference to suffering and a heroic endurance of the same were not unknown to the ancient pagans; but it is Christianity alone that has taught us to rejoice in afflictions; it supplies an ecstasy of emotion that renders us oblivious for the time being of encompassing trials. The apostle, as he pondered over the mighty work of reconciliation, and as he caught a glimpse of the amazing extent of Divine mercy, could not but rejoice even in his sufferings. In this verse he expresses his joy that, in suffering for the Church, he supplements that which was lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Observe--

+I. The representative character of the apostle's sufferings.+--1. The apostle represented the suffering Saviour. "The afflictions of Christ." We are not to suppose that the sufferings of Christ were incomplete in themselves or in their value as constituting a sufficient atonement. The passion of Christ was the one full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. In this sense there could be no deficiency in Christ's sufferings, for Christ's sufferings being different in kind from those of His servants, the two are incommensurable. Neither the apostle nor any other could represent the expiatory and sacrificial aspect of the Redeemer's sufferings. But while His personal sufferings are over, His afflictions in His people still continue. He so thoroughly identifies Himself with them that their trials, sorrows, persecutions, and afflictions become His own. The apostle represented the suffering Saviour in what he endured for Christ and the Church. Thus, he declared to the Corinthians, "The sufferings of Christ abound in us." The Church to-day is the representative of the suffering Saviour, and so completely is He identified with His people that He endures in them the pangs of hunger and thirst, shares their sickness and imprisonment, and reckons every act of kindness done to them as done to Himself (Matt. xxv.).

2. The sufferings of the apostle supplemented what was lacking in the afflictions of Christ.--"And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh." In harmony with the representative character of the Church, we can understand how the afflictions of every saint and martyr do supplement the afflictions of Christ. Every age of the Church has its measure of suffering. The Church is built up by repeated acts of self-denial in successive individuals and successive generations. They continue the work which Christ began. They bear their part, and supplement what is deficient in the sufferings of Christ (2 Cor. i. 7; Phil. iii. 10). As an apostle, Paul was a representative man, and his share in filling up what was wanting in these afflictions was considerable. In his own flesh he bore unexampled hardship, indignities, and distress. "In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more frequent, in deaths oft." The great Head of the Church was made perfect through suffering; so must the body be in all its relations and development. Through tribulation, more or less evident and intense, we must enter the kingdom. Suffering in itself has no virtue to elevate moral character; it is effective to this end only as it tends to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, only as it is borne for Christ, and in the Spirit of Christ. The great Mediator suffered to effect our salvation; and His people, on their part, fill up the suffering needed for the perfection of their spiritual life and for the full display of the Divine glory.

+II. The vicarious character of the apostle's sufferings.+--"For His body's sake, which is the Church." The greater part of the suffering of the believer in this world is vicarious--is endured on behalf of others. It is thus we most nearly approach the spirit and example of Christ. St. Paul, as the pioneer missionary, the wise and edifying instructor, the diligent and anxious overseer, occupied a prominent and important position among the Churches, and his sufferings on their behalf would benefit them in many ways.

1. The apostle's sufferings for the Church confirmed the faith of her converts.--Thousands are shy in embracing Christianity, because they shrink from the suffering it seems to involve; thousands more retire from the Christian profession for the same reason. An example like that of Paul's--a man profoundly sincere, intensely earnest, calm and unmoved by the stoutest opposition, and triumphant amid acutest sufferings--encourages the timid and strengthens and confirms the tempted and wavering.

2. The apostle's sufferings were for the consolation of the Church.--Writing to the Corinthians, he says: "Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation." Suffering makes us more capable of sympathising with others. "Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper and makes more room for the water of consolation." The richest anointing of Divine comfort is bestowed in the moment of severest suffering, and the consolation of one is the consolation of many. When Mr. James Bainham, who suffered under the reign of Henry VIII., was in the midst of the flames which had half consumed his arms and legs, he said aloud: "Oh, ye Papists, ye look for miracles, and here now you may see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain than if I were in a bed of down, but it is to me a bed of roses!"

3. The apostle's sufferings for the Church tended to promote her increase.--The more the Egyptians afflicted the Hebrews the more they multiplied and grew. The devil's way of extinguishing goodness is God's way of advancing it. The apostle could testify, in the midst of his sufferings, that "the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel." Suffering seals the word spoken with a sacred and impressive significance. Many a convert has been won to the truth by the irresistible example of a suffering life.

+III. The high-toned spirit of the apostle's sufferings.+--"Who now rejoice in my suffering for you." Nature shrinks from suffering. It is altogether above nature to triumph in suffering. It is Christianity alone that lifts the spirit into the tranquil region of patient endurance and inspires us with joy in tribulation. It is not a love of suffering for its own sake--not a mad, morbid craving for the ghastly honours of a self-sought martyrdom; but there is a nameless charm about the truths of Christianity that exalts the mind, thrills the soul, and transmutes sorrow into joy. Paul was imprisoned at Rome, bound in a chain for the Gospel, when he wrote this epistle; but as the thoughts suggested by his theme grew in full-orbed magnificence before his mental vision--as he contemplated the lavish wealth of God's mercy in the call of the Gentiles who constituted the greater portion of the world's population--and as he saw all the glory of being allowed to share, and even to supplement, the sufferings of Christ, he rose above the consideration of his own personal trials, and in a sudden outburst of thanksgiving could exclaim, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you." Let us not repine at our afflictions. Not only is our own soul chastened and purified; but every pang, every tear, every trial in our lot, is a contribution to the filling up of that which is still behind in the afflictions of Christ. It baptises suffering with a new meaning, and arrays it in a new dignity, when it is viewed as a grand means of promoting the perfection, the purity, and unfading glory of the whole Church.

+Lessons.+--1. It is an unspeakable honour to suffer for the Church of Christ. 2. The personal experience of the grace of Christ renders suffering for Him a joy. 3. The glory of the future will outweigh all we have suffered for the Church below.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 25-27.

The Pre-eminent Honour and Sublime Theme of the Christian Ministry.

The highest dignity and most solemn responsibility are conferred on man when he is entrusted with the ministration of God's Word. It is the infinite condescension of God that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. He who, in the exercise of His unchallengeable wisdom, calls man to this work, can alone inspire and endow him with the necessary intellectual and moral fitness for the awful charge. In these verses we learn that the apostle was appointed a minister of the Church--a steward in God's household--charged to preach without reserve the whole Gospel of God, to dispense to the Gentiles the stores which His bountiful grace provided. Note:--

+I. The Christian ministry is a Divine institution.+--1. The true minister is Divinely commissioned. "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you" (ver. 25). The word "dispensation" involves the idea of stewardship. God governs His Church, not as a tyrant, who rules what is not his own; not as a monarch, who knows not a thousandth part of his subjects; but as a father, who knows, loves, and provides for his own children. The apostle was entrusted with a stewardship in God's household; he was "a steward of the mysteries of God." He received the office from God. This invested it with the highest dignity; yet he was the minister of the Church, and it was his joy to serve it, whatever might be the labour, sacrifice, or suffering entailed. The Christian ministry is not a lordship, but a stewardship; the minister is solemnly commissioned of God to maintain, defend, and dispense the truth that saves and edifies. There are moments when the minister can derive stimulus and courage for his work only by falling back upon the irrefutable fact of his Divine call.

2. The true minster is charged with the most complete proclamation of the Divine Word.--"To fulfil the word of God" (ver. 25)--to preach fully, to give its most complete development to. The apostle had declared the Gospel in all its depth and breadth of meaning, its wealth of blessing, and amplitude of revelation. He had proclaimed it in every direction, in harmony with his insight into its universal fitness and sufficiency. Fulfil implies the figure of a measure to be filled. The true minister is empowered to preach the Word of God in all the fulness of its internal import, and in accord with the universality of its outward purpose. Whether palatable or unpalatable, he must not shun to declare everywhere the whole counsel of God. The fulness there is in Christ and the urgent needs of humanity alike demand this.

+II. The Christian ministry deals with a theme of profound significance and ineffable worth.+--1. It is designated a mystery. "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations" (ver. 26). Mystery in the Scripture sense does not mean something actually incomprehensible, but something concealed or unknown until it please God to reveal it; something beyond the human mind to discover for itself, and which can only be attained by Divine aid. The mystery comprehended two leading features--the Divine purpose in saving man through a suffering and crucified Saviour, and the free admission of the Gentiles on equal terms with the Jews to the privileges of the covenant. Unlike the heathen mysteries, which were confined to a narrow circle, the Christian mystery is freely communicated to all. The mystery was concealed from the ages, which may be referred to the angels; and from the generations, which may be referred to men. Though faintly shadowed in types and figures, the truth would never have been discovered by man. In the revelation of the mystery the apostle applauded the lavish wealth of the Divine goodness. The Gospel is still a mystery to the unconverted.

2. It is a mystery unveiled to those who are morally fitted to understand it.--"But now is made manifest to His saints" (ver. 26). God chose His own time for making known the mystery of the Gospel. Like all the Divine procedures, the development was gradual, increasing in clearness and completeness as the fulness of time approached; that time embraced the advent of the incarnate Son of God, His ascension and enthronement in heaven, and the descent of the revealing Spirit. It is an axiom in optics that the eye only sees what it brings with it the power to see; and it is equally true in spiritual things that the soul comprehends the revelation of God only as it is prepared and fitted by the good Spirit. The holier the organ of Divine revelation, the clearer the vision. It was not to the dignitaries of imperial Rome or the ruling powers of Judea, but to humble shepherds that the tidings of the Saviour's advent were first announced; not to the aristocracy of Pharisaic or Sadducean intellect, but to the plain, unlettered, believing fishermen of Galilee that the full glory of salvation by Christ was disclosed. Augustine has said, "Illiterate men rise and seize heaven, while we, with all our learning, are rolling in the filth of sin."

3. The revelation of the mystery was an act of the Divine will.--"To whom God would make known" (ver. 27). There was nothing impelling Him to unfold this mystery but His own good pleasure. It was His sovereign will to disclose to the humble and devout, rather than to the proud and self-sufficient, the wondrous praise and glory of the Gospel. The most sincere seeker after holiness could not of himself discover the mystery. But though made known in its richer spiritual developments only to the good, the good pleasure of God has put the knowledge of it within the reach of all.

4. The revelation of the mystery endowed humanity with a vast inheritance of moral wealth.--"What is the riches of the glory of this mystery" (ver. 27). The terms employed seem inadequate to convey the meaning intended. It is impossible fully to explain or illustrate the sublime truths they indicate. The Gospel is a mystery full of glory--a glory unique, resplendent, unsurpassable; and this glory is dowered with riches, abundant, inexhaustible, and Divine. The riches of the glory appear in the manifestation of the nature and attributes of God which the mystery supplies, and also in the moral wealth that has descended upon man. Here is the most lavish provision for the salvation of sinful and perishing humanity--an inheritance of imperishable bliss. (1) This inheritance enriched the most needy. It was exhibited "among the Gentiles" (ver. 27). The Jews were the children of promise and possessed every religious privilege; the Gentiles were the children of mercy, and never dared to dream of enjoying the blessings of the Gospel. In the revelation of the mystery to them, the dispensation of grace achieved its greatest triumphs and displayed its transcendent glory. Here, too, was its wealth, for it overflowed all barriers of caste or race. Judaism was "beggarly" in comparison, since its treasures sufficed only for a few. The glory of the Gospel was never so brilliant as in the moral transformations it effected among the degraded Gentiles. (2) This inheritance includes the hope inspired by the indwelling Christ. "Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (ver. 27). The mystery of the Gospel begins and ends in Christ, and Christ is in every believer the hope of glory. Only in Christ can we hope for the highest glory, and in Him we infallibly find all the blessedness we can enjoy in this world or expect in the future. In Him we have here as seed what we shall have in Him there as harvest. "Even now we sit there in Him and shall sit with Him in the end."

+Lessons.+--1. The Christian ministry involves solemn responsibilities. 2. The transcendent theme of the Christian ministry is Divinely revealed. 3. Personal experience of the grace of God endows man with the clearest insight into its mystery, and the most satisfying possession of its spiritual riches.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 25-27. The Glory of the Gospel--

+I. A mystery once hidden, but now revealed+ (vers. 26, 27).

+II. Enriches all nations with moral blessings.+

+III. Is entrusted to Divinely authorised messengers to make known+ (vers. 25, 27).

Ver. 27. Christ in you the Hope of Glory.

+I. What it implies of present experience.+--1. Generally--Christ among you. 2. Personally--Christ in you.

+II. What is presages.+--"The hope of glory."

1. Personal glory--in the perfection of being where the servant is like his Lord.

2. Relative glory--sharing the throne with Jesus, and sharing in His triumph and glory.--Preacher's Magazine.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 28, 29.

The Secret of Effective Preaching.

Much has been written concerning the inefficiency of the modern pulpit; and it has been argued that the press is now the great and successful rival of the preacher and must ere long render his office nugatory. This prediction might possibly be fulfilled if the preaching of the Gospel was simply a human institution and depended only on man for its permanency. But when we remember that preaching is a Divine ordinance, and is adapted to reach and stir the heart as no other agency can, the preacher's function can never cease while human nature remains what it is, or while God honours His own institution with His blessing. Only as the pulpit is faithful to its grand theme and lofty mission will it be effective. The deepest want of the age is Christ; and that preaching will be irresistibly potent that most adequately represents Him. These verses reveal to us the secret of effective preaching.

+I. In order to effectiveness in preaching Christ must be the changeless theme.+--"Whom we preach" (ver. 28).

1. Preach Christ as to the special characteristic and unrivalled excellencies of His person.--The greatest men who ever lived, however brilliant and capacious their genius or stupendous their labours, never made so profound and widespread an impression upon humanity as Christ has done and is now doing. Their influence operated for only a limited period; His pervades all time--past, present, and future; theirs was confined to a narrow locality, His is diffused through the universe. The person of Christ is unique in this--that it combines two natures, the Divine and the human. It was necessary He should be both God and man in order to fully accomplish the work He voluntarily undertook. As God, He met and satisfied all the requirements of Deity; and as man--putting Himself in our place--He realised and reached the extremities of our need, and thus fairly laying hold of us, gathering up and grasping the roots of our corrupt nature, He raised from sin to holiness, from earth to heaven. He is Emmanuel--God with us.

2. Preach Christ in His mediatorial character.--As the Prophet who testified of the truth of God; as the Priest, who, by His one offering of Himself on the cross, has atoned for sin and made reconciliation possible; and as the King who has vanquished all our spiritual enemies and demands our absolute allegiance to His rule.

3. Preach Christ as the Saviour of every man, and as the only Saviour.--The threefold repetition of the phrase "every man" has a special significance, and emphasises the universality of the Gospel. This great truth, a truth which the apostle sacrificed his life in establishing, had been endangered by the doctrine of a ceremonial exclusiveness taught by the Judaizers in several places, and was now endangered by the doctrine of an intellectual exclusiveness taught by the Gnosticizers at Colossæ. Christ must be proclaimed as the Saviour of men of every class, community, and country. He is the only Saviour, for "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 12). The preaching of Christ is no narrow theme but stands essentially related to all the noblest truths of the universe.

+II. In order to effectiveness variety of method must be adopted.+--The declaration of the truth must be:--

1. Authoritative.--"Whom we preach" (ver. 28). The New Testament idea of preaching involves three elements--the announcement of joyful tidings; the proclamation of truth as by a herald, urgently and authoritatively; and the conviction and persuasion of men to belief by means of arguments. The preacher is the ambassador of God, and the message must be delivered as coming from Him, in His name, and by His authority.

2. Admonitory.--"Warning every man" (ver. 28). Sin has placed man in imminent peril, and its tendency is to deaden his sensibilities and render him oblivious of his danger. Hence, he must be roused to concern and repentance by faithful remonstrance, by earnest exhortation, by solemn admonition, by impassioned appeal.

3. Instructive.--"Teaching every man" (ver. 28). Not only must the emotions be swayed, but the understanding enlightened. It is not enough to convince the unbeliever of his error, not enough to bring home to the lover of sin the vileness and enormity of his transgressions, but by clear and forcible exposition and persuasion the fill of the individual offender must be seized, and with firm, yet loving pressure biassed to seek after the light, truth, and purity that once were shunned.

4. With shrewd insight as to its adaptability.--"In all wisdom" (ver. 28). The ancients spoke of a blind faith in their mysteries which belonged to the many, and of a higher knowledge that was confined to the few. The apostle, while declaring that in the Gospel the fullest wisdom was offered to all alike, without restriction, exercised discretion as to the method in which he presented it to the individual. The style of his address at Athens would be different from that adopted at Jerusalem. This involves a study of character, and of what goes to make it--habits, customs, opinions, sympathies, and the general circumstances of life-culture.

+III. In order to effectiveness man must be aided in realising the highest ideal of the Christian character.+--"That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" (ver. 28). The Gospel is a mirror in which is glassed the portrait of the character after which each believer is to model his own. That character is not simply a development of one's own natural manhood, so much as it is something added to and thrown around that manhood, lifting it into dignity and transfiguring it with a glorious beauty. The Gospel reveals the ideal of the Christian character after which the soul is continually to aspire. That ideal, in all its loveliness and witchery, is projected before the soul's inmost vision in the Spirit and life of the man Christ Jesus. He who approximates nearest to the Christly character attains the highest moral perfection. It is the sublime mission of the preacher not to gratify the intellect, charm the imagination, or expand the mind by propagating the ideas of a transcendental philosophy; but to strengthen the soul in the great contest with evil, to supply it with holiest motives, to promote its spiritual progress, to present it "perfect in Christ Jesus."

+IV. In order to effectiveness there must be self-denying toil and the vigorous forth-putting of Divinely inspired energy.+--"Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working which worketh in me mightily" (ver. 29). All great ideas have cost the solitary and individual thinker unspeakable labour, and not a little suffering in the endeavour to elaborate and make them known and set them in their due relation before the world. The world is ruled by ideas; but the revolution they occasion is a slow and painful process. The apostle was the custodian of a great idea--that the Gospel was intended for all and must be fully preached to all. The idea is familiar to us; but it was new to that age and revolutionised the whole realm of human thought. If the apostle had been content to preach an exclusive Gospel, he might have saved himself more than half the troubles of his life. But he saw the magnitude of the issues at stake; he espoused the God-given truth with all the strength of his great nature; he confronted the colossal prejudices of the ages; he trained himself in the discipline of self-denying toil; he suffered as only the true martyr-soul can suffer; he strove with an agony of earnestness to make known the whole truth; and, aided by the mighty working of the Divine power within him, he triumphed signally. Preaching is always effective when it is the consentaneous outworking of the Divinely imparted energy within the man. The preacher alone, however strenuous his efforts, is powerless; but inspired and strengthened by the Divine Spirit, and acting in harmony with His promptness and help, he is mighty to prevail.

+Lessons.+--1. Every sermon should be full of Christ. 2. The preacher should be master of every method that will ensure success. 3. That sermon will be most effective that is prepared and preached under the most direct influence of the Divine Spirit.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 28. Apostolic Preaching.

+I. They preached Christ as the only foundation of a sinner's hope of salvation.+

+II. As the object of supreme love.+

+III. As the source of our supplies.+

+IV. As the model of our lives.+--W. Antiff, D.D.

Ver. 29. The Christian Ministry--

+I. Involves strenuous labour and patient suffering.+

+II. Is dependent on Divine help.+

+III. Ascribes all its success to God.+

* * * * * * * *

+CHAPTER II.+

CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.

Ver. 1. +What great conflict.+--R.V. "how greatly I strive." It is a repetition of the thought of the previous verse expressed in terms of the arena. +For them at Laodicea.+--About a dozen miles distant from Colossæ.

Ver. 2. +The mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.+--The R.V. has greatly simplified this perplexing phrase: "The mystery of God, even Christ." Of the eleven various readings extant (given by Lightfoot) that of our A.V. is to all appearance the latest and worst.

Ver. 3. +In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.+--When we have "laid our reasonings at His feet," He does not stultify us. Neither pure reason nor practical reason is to "fust in us unused," if they seek their answers in Him.

Ver. 4. +Should beguile you with enticing words.+--The word for "beguile" is only again found in the New Testament at Jas. i. 22. It means to lead into error by sophistical reasoning. Enticing words, or persuasive speech, plausible but false.

Ver. 5. +The stedfastness of your faith in Christ.+--Some think "stedfastness" (as well as "order" preceding) may have a military significance. If so, it would mean the compact firmness of the phalanx. Others say that meaning is not inherent, but derived from its context, which here does not suggest it. The word is used in the LXX. for firmament--a solid vault, as it was thought.

Ver. 7. +Rooted and built up.+--St. Paul passes over rapidly from one conception to another of quite a different kind. We cannot call it mixed metaphor. We commonly speak of a new town planted or a house planted.

Ver. 8. +Beware lest any man spoil you.+--R.V. "maketh spoil of you." The word for "spoil" means "to lead away as booty," as the Sabeans swooped down on the oxen and asses of Job and carried them away as their own property. +Through philosophy and vain deceit.+--We are reminded of the saying, "It is the privilege of a philosopher to depreciate philosophy." And then men say, "How well he's read to reason against reading!" St. Paul speaks here of philosophy "falsely so called." The love of wisdom can never be a dangerous thing to men whose Master said, "Be wise as serpents"; only it must be the "wisdom which cometh from above." St. Paul's alias for what they call philosophy is "empty fallacy," a hollow pretence; or what George Herbert might name "nothing between two dishes." +After the tradition of men.+--Something passed over from one to another, as the deep secrets of the esoteric religions were whispered into the ears of the perfect. That a matter has been believed always, everywhere, and by all is no guarantee of its truth, as Galileo knew.

Ver. 9. +In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.+--There is no minimising the significance of this statement. It is either true or it is the wildest raving of blasphemy. "Dwelleth"--has its settled abode. A change of prefix would give us the word in Luke xxiv. 18. "Dost thou alone sojourn?" etc. Dualism separates God from matter as far as possible; the Incarnation unites Him for ever with it. "Great is the mystery." "Godhead." Though twice before in our A.V. (Acts xvii. 29; Rom. i. 23), the word here differs from both.

Ver. 10. +And ye are complete in Him.+--These minor powers of whom you have heard are all subordinate to Him in whom directly you have all you need. There is no need to go viâ Philip and Andrew, Mary or Michael, when "we would see Jesus."

Ver. 11. +In whom also ye are circumcised . . . by the circumcision of Christ.+--What to the Jew was a bodily act, at best symbolical and of no value otherwise, was to the Colossian disciple a spiritual renovation, so complete as to render the old symbol of it inadequate.

Ver. 12. +Buried . . . risen.+--Referring to the definite acts when, as Christian converts, they went beneath the baptismal waters and emerged to live the faith thus publicly confessed. +Through the faith of the operation of God.+--An obscure phrase. The R.V. is clear: "Through faith in the working of God."

Ver. 14. +Blotting out the handwriting.+--"Wiping out the old score," as we might say. All that bond which was valid against them Christ had for ever rendered nugatory whilst they confided in His salvation. +Against us, which was contrary to us.+--We have here the author of those hot protests against work-righteousness. The threatening aspect of the law is expressed in this reiteration. The law not only menaces wrong-doers; it proceeds against them with punishment. +Nailing it to His cross.+--The bond is discharged and may be filed. We are reminded of St. Peter's equally bold expression: "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body [to, and] on the tree" (1 Pet. ii. 24).

Ver. 15. +Having spoiled principalities.+--R.V. "having put off from Himself." The authorities are divided between the A.V. and the R.V. The English reader must not conclude that he has again the word and idea of ver. 8. The apostle says that Christ had flung off from Himself the powers of wickedness. As these Colossians needed no intercessions of good angels, so, on the other hand, they need fear nothing from the maleficent powers of darkness, now vanquished.

Ver. 16. +Let no man therefore judge you.+--They could not well prevent an adverse judgment being given on their disregard of what the ritualists thought to be of supreme moment, but they could refuse to argue about such trifles.

Ver. 17. +Shadow . . . body.+--The relationship is indicated here of the old ceremonial worship to the worship of the Spirit. To confound shadow and substance, or mistake the shadow for the substance, has ever been the fatal error of ritualism.

Ver. 18. +Let no man beguile you of your reward.+--R.V. "let no man rob you of your prize." There seems to be implied some such thoughts as this: Do not allow these heretical teachers to lay down for you the conditions on which the prize shall be yours; for when they pronounce in your favour, "the Lord, the righteous Judge," pronounces against you. +In a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels.+--In acts of self-imposed abasement in the presence of invisible beings. St. John tells us of the rebuke administered by the angel before whom he prostrated himself: "See thou do it not: . . . worship God." But there are men who would say, "Nay, my Lord," and continue their forbidden worship. +Intruding into those things which he hath not seen.+--The change in the R.V. is considerable: "dwelling in the things which he hath seen." The apostle is apparently speaking ironically of the boasted manifestations made to the Gnostic teachers.

Ver. 20. +Dead . . . from the rudiments of the world.+--Such as are given in ver. 21. +Subject to ordinances.+--Why do you consent to receive these "burdens grievous to be borne?"

Ver. 21. +Touch not; taste not; handle not.+--"These three prohibitions apply probably (1) to marriage, (2) to the use of certain foods, (3) to contact with material objects" (Godet). The rigour of the prohibitions is greatest in the last of the three. Note the change in R.V.: "handle not, nor taste, nor TOUCH."

Ver. 23. +Neglecting of the body.+--A.V. margin, "punishing or not sparing." R.V. text, "severity to the body." No doubt the apostle felt that on this subject he would need to tread cautiously, for he himself had beaten his body into subjection (1 Cor. ix. 27). +Not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.+--The R.V. gives light on this obscurity: "not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh." This is the evidence which for ever disqualifies asceticism in its many forms. We can understand how a Lenten fast or a hair-shirt may make a man irritable. If they are of any value in themselves, monastic annals need revision and expurgation, and the Christian finds himself far outdone by the dervish.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 1-4.

Ministerial Anxiety.

The more clearly we apprehend truth in its many-sided aspects and in its complex and vital relations, the more grievous and calamitous does error appear. Error cannot come into collision with truth without creating confusion of ideas and much mental distraction, and as a consequence robbing the soul of the peace and solace it enjoyed. The apostle saw the dangerous tendency of the doctrines advocated by the false teachers against whom his epistle was directed, and he was deeply concerned lest the pure and simple Gospel embraced by the new converts should be contaminated. As one drop of ink pollutes the whole vessel of water, as one stroke of the hammer diverts the rod from a straight line and spoils it throughout its whole length, so one single error obscures and warps the holiest truth.

+I. This anxiety was intense.+--"For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have" (ver. 1). In the closing words of the preceding chapter the apostle referred to his stern self-discipline in training himself for his arduous and self-denying labours as an apostle; and in this verse he expands the same thought and would have the converts know the magnitude of the struggle which his anxiety for their welfare cost him. This conflict refers not only to his external labours on behalf of the Churches, in journeys, perils, privations, persecutions, and imprisonments, but more especially to his fervent wrestling with God in prayer, like Jacob of old; his importunity, like the widow with the unjust judge; his inward soul struggles in earnest intercession for their stability in the faith. The danger must have been serious that produced in such a man so great an agony of anxiety: great souls are not affected by trifles. People little know what their pastors pass through: when they think them the most at leisure, then are they the least so--the fervent conflict of prayer is going on in secret. A knowledge of the minister's anxiety is sometimes necessary to create a responsive sympathy, and to teach the people the care and anxiety they should feel for their own salvation.

+II. This anxiety was disinterested.+--"For you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh" (ver. 1). The solicitude of the apostle was not restricted to the Colossians, as though they were more liable than others to defection from the truth but embraced the converts in the neighbouring city of Laodicea. In this populous and thriving city, celebrated at that time for its immense commercial wealth and for the high intellectual attainments of its philosophers, the heretic leaven had begun to work; and the subsequent history of the Church there showed that it spread only too surely and disastrously (Rev. iii. 14-18). The apostle also extended his anxious regard to "as many as had not seen his face in the flesh." The bulk of our troubles in this life we endure on behalf of others. The Christian spirit, in its broad, comprehensive charity, gives us a deep interest in all who have any connection with Christ. Fervent prayer on behalf of others, notwithstanding the sneers of some modern scientists, is efficacious, irrespective of locality or of actual personal intercourse. Prayers offered in private are often answered in a strange, unlooked-for manner in public. God has a sovereign right to select the mode in which He answers the prayers of the faithful. An old Divine has said: "If we would reap openly in the conversion of souls and their steady walk, we must plough in secret with prayers and tears." Our anxiety about the welfare of others is a strong evidence of our possessing the genuine love of the truth. It was a trenchant aphorism of Coleridge that, "He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth, will proceed by loving his own sect or Church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all."

+III. This anxiety had special reference to the highest spiritual attainments of believers.+--1. The apostle was solicitous for the confirmation of their faith. "That their hearts might be comforted" (ver. 2).--i.e. encouraged, confirmed. The apostle knew the subtle power of error in disintegrating the heart's confidence, producing trouble, dejection, doubt, and perplexity. Hence, he was anxious so to present the truth as it is in Jesus, as to restore and cheer the bewildered mind and settle it on the firm basis of an intelligent and cordial faith. No man can reach the high attainments of the Christian life whose heart is not at rest in God.

2. The apostle was solicitous for their union in love.--"Being knit together in love" (ver. 2). The heart can never enjoy solid comfort till it is united in the love, as well as in the faith, of the truth. Error divides as well as distresses; it snaps the bond of love, splits the Christian Church into parties, rends what ought to be the seamless robe of Christ. Where there is discord in the understanding about fundamental truths, there cannot be concord in the will and affections. The stability of believers depends upon their being knit together in a mutual love, as the timbers of a building are joined and compacted by a carpenter--such is the original signification of the word--each part being fitted in with the rest, and all subserving the firmness and safety of the whole. "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him."

3. The apostle was solicitous they should be enriched with the unspeakable wealth of the Divine mystery.--(1) The Divine mystery is explained in the unique person and endowments of Christ. "The mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (vers. 2, 3). Christ embraced in His own person the Divine and human natures. As God, He is equal with the Father, and possesses in Himself all the essentials of Deity; but as man He is dowered with moral treasures surpassing the endowments of the highest angel. The mystery is not so much Christ, as Christ containing in Himself "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." There is in Christ an all-sufficiency for every possible want of man--copious and inexhaustive riches of eternal and saving wisdom. These riches are hid in Christ as treasure in a field--concealed from the gaze of mere passers-by, the careless, indolent, and proud; but revealed to and enjoyed by the humble, diligent, and persevering seeker. "He who is not content with Christ, but goes out of Him to philosophy or tradition, forsakes the treasures for the miserable beggary of human counterfeits." It is still a mystery to the world how Christ can be the grand depositary of all wisdom; and the mystery is dispelled only as the soul becomes savingly acquainted with Him. (2) The believer is privileged to gain the full knowledge of the Divine mystery.--"To the acknowledgment of the mystery" (ver. 2). The word implies that the knowledge of God and of Christ is the perfection of knowledge. The ancient sage declared: "If thou criest after knowledge, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." And the apostle prayed for the Ephesians that "the God of our Lord Jesus Christ might give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him." This knowledge is to be not a simple perception of the truths continued in the Divine mystery, but a full, firm, and distinct knowledge as the result of careful sifting, and the actual experience of their soul-transforming power. We know nothing to purpose until it is strongly grasped by the heart as well as by the understanding. (3) A clear and profound understanding of the Divine mystery is the true enrichment of the mind.--"Unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding" (ver. 2). The vast store of moral riches here indicated is opposed to the poverty of the mind, which has only a few confused, unconnected truths about the Gospel laid up in its treasury. By the full assurance of understanding is meant an unclouded perception and firm conviction of the truth revealed in the Gospel. This is obtained only by diligent study and the inner illumination of the Spirit; the understanding is cleared up, the judgment settled, and the individual believer enabled to apprehend each part of the Gospel in its essential relation to the grand whole, and thus to grasp with a firm hold the salient features of the Divine mystery. In this assured knowledge of the greatest truths the mind of man finds it true enrichment; its abiding rest and felicity. "Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her" (Prov. viii. 11). Every other kind of knowledge, however rare and extensive, is in itself poor and unsatisfying.

+IV. This anxiety prompted the apostle faithfully to warn the Church.+--"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words" (ver. 4). Error assumes the most seductive forms: it charms with its eloquence, bewilders with its subtle reasoning, misleads with its bold, assured statements of half-truths. The soul is fascinated as by the gaze of a basilisk, and morally poisoned by its breath. "Men are easily persuaded to believe that which flatters their own vanity, and dilutes or modifies the Gospel, so as to accommodate it to their own degenerate tastes." It is needful to maintain a vigilant outlook and be on our guard against every phase of false teaching. Some contend that words have little to do with religion; that true religion is a sentiment in the soul independent of words. The apostle thought differently when he exhorted to hold fast "the form of sound words"; and in this verse he distinctly avers that enticing words may beguile. He solemnly warns the Ephesians, who were assailed with a similar class of errors: "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Eph. v. 6). The most effectual antidote to any heresy is the faithful, simple proclamation of the doctrine of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This is the clue that leads us out of all the mazes of error.

+Lessons.+--1. The true minister is anxious to promote the highest good of the people. 2. All truth finds its explanation and all error its refutation in Christ, the Source of eternal wisdom. 3. False doctrine should be fearlessly and faithfully exposed.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 3.

The Hidden Treasures of Wisdom in Christ.

Wisdom does not consist in the possession of varied and extensive knowledge. The student may be deeply read in ancient and long-forgotten lore, be versed in the entire circle of the arts, sciences, and philosophies, be intelligibly familiar with the best literature of the day, be a walking encyclopædia, a literary fountain gushing in a perennial stream of information, and yet be far from being a wise man. Wisdom is the practical application of knowledge, the attainment of the highest moral results by the use of the best and simplest means. The cry of the human intellect in all ages has been, "Where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?" The greatest souls have toiled painfully in search of the coveted treasure but failed to discover it. Their mightiest endeavours have terminated in disappointment and despair. True wisdom is a Divine revelation. The world by wisdom knew not God; and one of the profoundest philosophers of any age, and who approached as near the threshold of the grand discovery as the unaided human mind was perhaps ever permitted to do, had to confess with a sigh, "If ever man is destined to know the good and the true, it must be by a revelation of the Deity." That wisdom which all need, and of which all are in quest, is found only in Christ. This verse declares that Christ is the unfathomable depositary of the highest wisdom. Observe:--

+I. That Christ is the inexhaustible Source of the truest wisdom.+--"In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The false teachers at Colossæ, like certain pretentious philosophers of modern times, boasted of the vast range of their wisdom and knowledge. They discussed questions, some of which, strange to say, are reproduced and advocated to-day--questions on the nature of the world, the eternity or non-eternity of matter, the chief good of man, the orders and ranks of the angelic hierarchies and their relation to the mediatorial work of Christ, the necessity of observing the ceremonies and austerities of the law, and of the beauty and grandeur of the theories of Plato and Pythagoras, the ruling philosophers of the time. But all this is simply "the wisdom of this world and of the princes of this world, which come to nought." It is only in Christ we find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to furnish and enrich the mind and to guide into the way of salvation. He is "to us who are saved the power of God and the wisdom of God." If, for the sake of illustration, we classify the principal sources of human knowledge into poetry, history, philosophy, and theology, we may assert that only in Christ does each department find its fullest explication, and from Him derive its significance and worth.

1. Christ is the loftiest ideal and purest inspiration of the poet.--Poetry occupies an important place in contributing to the sum of human knowledge, and to the culture, development, and happiness of man. It was the language of the world's infancy, as it is of the infancy of man; the spontaneous outflow of the soul, on its first acquaintance with the marvels of the present life, expresses itself in strains of poetic music. It is true this great gift has been abused, and often made the instrument of debasing instead of elevating the mind. Hence Plato, in constructing his ideal republic, would exclude the poets because of the evil tendency of some of their productions, though he accords them all honour on account of their learning and genius. The genuine poet pants after the noblest expression of the beautiful and the good. Christ is the glorious ideal and embodiment of the pure and beautiful; the poet drinks in his most ravishing inspiration from Him and exhausts all the resources of his genius in attempting to portray the exquisite lineaments of His matchless character.

2. Christ is the grandest hero of the historian.--History furnishes us with the knowledge of man and his doings in all ages--in his individual, social, and national aspects. It traces the development of the race from the first solitary man to the peopling of the world with the varied nationalities which now swarm upon its surface. But the history of the world and man would be a dark, unsolvable enigma if the name of Christ could be struck out. The story of redemption unites Christ with the destiny of man in all ages--past, present, and future; and "no history of the world, political or moral, can be either just or accurate that does not find in Christ foretold to come, or in Christ come and crucified, its centre and its key." The world was created by Christ; it exists for Him; and, without interfering with individual freedom, it may be said that He makes its history: His name and influence are traceable everywhere and are everywhere potent. The devout historian finds in Him the hero in whom all excellencies combine, and whose exploits he loves to chronicle.

3. Christ is prominent among the sublimest themes of the philosopher.--A philosophy that does not recognise the Divine plunges its votaries into labyrinthine darkness; its legitimate office is to conduct to God. Coleridge has well said: "In wonder all philosophy began; in wonder it ends; and admiration fills up the interspace. But the first wonder is the offspring of ignorance; the last is the parent of adoration." In every sphere where philosophy penetrates it is confronted with ineffaceable evidences of the power and presence of Christ. Among the splendid phenomena of the natural creation--the forces that move, and the laws that control its vast machinery--Christ is acknowledged as the creating and ruling spirit; and only as the material world is regarded as the theatre of redemption, and of moral conflict and discipline, does the philosopher reach its highest meaning: in the realm of mind, the true dignity, preciousness, and immortal endowments of the soul are understood only as we apprehend that the life of the great Redeemer was sacrificed to effect its ransom; and, in the sphere of morals, we decipher the relation of man to man, and to society at large, learn the duties and obligations we owe to each other and to God, discover the standard of right actions, and are aided in explaining and harmonising the inequalities that exist, when we gain an insight into the moral relation of Christ to the whole race.

4. Christ is the all-comprehensive subject of the theologian.--God is inscrutable to the unchristianised reason. "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven, what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know?" Men have sought God in all ages with tears, sacrifices, and sufferings indescribable; but in vain. Christ is the only way to the Father; in Himself He reveals and illustrates the Godhead. All our saving and renewing knowledge of God, and of our manifold relations to Him, we owe entirely to Christ. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." In the domain of theology "Christ is all in all." But for Him the office of the theologian would be an impossibility.

+II. That the treasures of Divine wisdom are discoverable by the sincere and earnest seeker.+--They are hid; but not so hid as to be beyond our reach. They are intended for discovery and appropriation. Their brilliancy sparkles even in their hiding-place. They are like a mine, whose riches, though faintly indicated on the surface, are concealed in the depths of the earth. The more diligently the mine is worked, the more precious and abundant the ore appears. So, in Christ there are treasures of wisdom unseen by the superficial and careless observer; but to the humble and believing student new and deeper veins are perpetually opening up, until, still pursuing his search, he is dazzled by the splendour and inexhaustible fulness of wealth, surpassing all finite comprehension, and filling him with admiration and awe.

+Lessons.+--1. Man universally covets wisdom. 2. The highest wisdom is treasured up in Christ for man. 3. If man finds it not, it is his own fault.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 1-3. Christian Unity.

+I. We cannot but lament the divisions and scandals of the professed disciples of Jesus, which have more than anything else prevented the universal diffusion of the Gospel.+

+II. We should make it manifest, by acknowledging the truth in whomsoever found, that we are not bigoted sectarians.+

+III. As regards those with whom we are united in fellowship, let us prove by our humble, modest, and kind disposition that we are lovers of peace and concord.+

+IV. Christian unity is promoted by mutual efforts to edify one another in faith and love.+--W. France.

Ver. 3. Christ the Treasury of Wisdom and Knowledge.--The revelation of Christ not merely teaches us a series of truths of inexpressible importance, and without it wholly unattainable, but it also, as a great central discovery, harmonises all our beliefs, sacred and secular, binds them together as its own servants, gives them a new interest, position, and colouring, and dignifies the pursuit of them as a labour in the very cause of God Himself, begun and prosecuted with a view to His glory--for to know the beauty of the temple is to know the glory of the Architect.--Archer Butler.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 5.

Apostolic Praise of Order and Stability.

It is an impressive spectacle to see a well-armed body of troops drawn up in compact military order, resisting with calm, unflinching courage the terrible charge of the enemy. Every point of attack is strongly guarded, every vacancy occurring in the exposed front line is instantly supplied, and the broad, deep phalanx remains impenetrable and invincible. The enforced companionship of the apostle with the soldiers of the prætorian guard, in his imprisonment in Rome, where he would be a daily witness of their exercises, might suggest some such metaphor as this to the mind. And as he foresaw the confusion and ruin that would be introduced into the Colossian Church if the fatal errors of the false teachers were triumphant, in this verse he expresses his joyous satisfaction in being assured of the orderly array and firmly set stability which their faith in Christ presented against the assaults of the foe. Note:--

+I. The apostle commended the external order of the members of the Church.+--"Beholding your order." This is mentioned first, because it first meets the eye, though all external discipline and order must necessarily spring out of and accompany a genuine faith. There is no form of ecclesiastical government that can claim an exclusively Divine sanction. The New Testament lays down broad, general principles; and the Christian Church has been left to shape itself according to circumstances and in harmony with the indications of Divine Providence. True order depends, not upon the form of Church polity we adopt--whether prelacy, presbytery, or congregationalism--as upon the consistency, fidelity, and union of the individual members of the Church. Order that is not based on a vigorous Church-life, and regulated by it, is empty and powerless; it is like the ice of the Polar regions, which sometimes assumes forms of exquisite and wondrous beauty, but is cold, heartless, dead. The Scriptural directions on this subject are brief but pregnant with meaning: "Let all things be done decently and in order"; "God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the Churches of the saints"; "Let all things be done with charity"; "The rest will I set in order when I come" (1 Cor. xiv. 40, xiv. 33, xvi. 14, xi. 34). While organisation that is not instinct with a moving, pervasive and aggressive life is cumbersome, vapid, and useless; on the other hand, Christian steadfastness is imperilled where order is disregarded.

+II. The apostle commended their stability in the faith.+--"And the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." These words describe the internal condition of the Church; and the picture of a firm, confident reliance on Christ which he beheld delighted the soul of the anxious apostle. Order is the fence and guard, steadfastness the end in view, order is the garb and ornament, steadfastness the substance of the Christian character. Faith girds and strengthens the soul with its unchanging and invincible verities; the shafts of error and profanity assail it in vain. When the Roman proconsul, from his judgment-seat, urged the holy Polycarp to save his life by cursing the name of Jesus Christ, the venerable martyr calmly answered: "For eighty-six years I have served Him; He has never yet done me harm. How can I blaspheme my King, who has saved me?" Man is great and noble, not by what he possesses, not by what he says, not by what he gives, not by what he does, but by what he believes. The most magnanimous outward conduct may be, after all, a very imperfect representation of the soul's deepest faith. What a man believes is not therefore a matter of comparative indifference, but a question of supreme importance; he must have a clear, definite creed. True a creed is but the visible, expressive mould of the inward conception of the truth believed; but as the tendency of all life is to assume form and can be understood by us only as it does so, so faith, as a vital and irresistibly active principle, must inevitably shape itself into some outward expression. Where there is no creed, there is no faith; a creedless man believes in nothing, and he is himself that nothing. He has no more cohesion in him than the separate particles of sand in the hour-glass. All true faith takes its rise "in Christ," and gathers its stability by continuing in Him.

+III. The apostle cherished a deep, personal interest in their welfare.+--1. In spirit he was present with them. "For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit." We have no satisfactory evidence that the apostle had as yet personally visited Colossæ. Epaphras, the faithful and anxious evangelist, sought him out in Rome, perhaps for the purpose of laying before him the state of Colossæ and of the neighbouring Churches on the banks of the Lycus. The apostle's interest in Colossæ was further excited at this time by meeting with Onesimus, a runaway slave, belonging to the household of Philemon, a Colossian. The apostle was the means of bringing the runaway to repentance and to the enjoyment of the liberty of the spiritually free. These circumstances deepened St. Paul's concern in the affairs of the Colossian Christians; he grasped all the points of the situation, was keenly alive to the gravity of the dangers with which they were threatened, and, as though he were personally present in their midst, expressed his sincere sympathy with them in their trials, and his profound satisfaction on hearing of their steady adherence to the truth. It is not necessary to be locally near in order to hold spiritual intercourse; oceans may roll between individuals whose souls participate in the highest communion. The soul is where it loves: thither it directs its affections, wishes, and hopes.

2. He rejoiced in their fidelity.--"Joying and beholding." As though an actual spectator of their order and steadfastness, his soul is filled with joy. The expression of his hearty interest in their state, and his praise of their fidelity, prepared them to give heed to his cautions against the seductions of false teachers, and to his exhortations to perseverance. No disappointment is so poignant as that arising from the failure of Christian toil, and no joy so exquisite as the joy of success. The spectacle of a Christian Church poised in beauteous order and strengthened with the might of an unfalteringly aggressive faith, is a subject of unspeakable joy to God, to His angels, and to all true ministers.

+Lessons.+--1. Attention must be paid to the outward as well as the inward state of the Church. 2. While the Church preserves its order and stability it is invulnerable. 3. It is cause of rejoicing when the Church faithfully maintains the conquests already won.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 6, 7.

Suggestive Features of the Christian Life.

The Christian life is essentially progressive. The law that governs its existence involves perpetual, active increase; if it did not grow, it would cease to live. Unlike the principle of growth in the natural world, we cannot conceive a point in the religious life where it necessarily becomes stationary, and then begins to decline, on the other hand, every provision is made for its unceasing expansion in the highest moral excellencies.

+I. The Christian life begins in a personal reception of Christ.+--"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord" (ver. 6). Religion is not a self-development of innate human goodness, as many in the present day believe and teach. The soul of man is infected with the virulent poison of sin; no part has escaped the destructive moral taint. The utmost exercise of the unsanctified powers of the soul can therefore tend only towards the development of its own inborn corruption. As the vinegar plant reproduces itself with great rapidity and impregnates every branch and fibre with its own essential acid, so the evil reigning in man reproduces itself with marvellous rapidity and permeates the whole soul with its debasing poison. Religion is a receiving--the receiving of a gift, and that a Divine gift. It is the growth and development of the supernatural in man. "Christ in you the hope of glory."

1. Christ is received as THE CHRIST.--The Colossian heresy aimed at subverting the true idea of the Christ, the Anointed One, commissioned by the Father to effect the reconciliation of the world to Himself; it interposed a graduated series of angelic mediators, and thus thought to discredit the sole and absolute mediatorship of Christ. To receive the Son of God effectually is to receive Him in all that He claimed to be, and all that He came to do, as the Divine, specially anointed Son, who alone and fully manifested the Father, and who is the only mediator between sinful man and God. It is of unspeakable importance to catch the true idea of the character and office of Christ at the beginning of the Christian life.

2. Christ is received as Jesus the Lord.--Jesus is the name by which He was known among men, and points out how completely He has identified Himself with humanity as the Saviour. "It behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." He is also Lord, the supreme Governor in all spheres, in nature, providence, and grace. To receive Jesus aright, He must be trusted as the Saviour, able to save to the uttermost, acknowledged as the Sovereign and universal Ruler, and homage and obedience rendered to His rightful authority. Our reception of Christ does not place us beyond the reach of law but creates in us the capacity for rendering an intelligent and cheerful obedience to its holy requirements.

3. Christ is received by an act of faith.--To receive Christ is to believe in Him; and faith in Christ is simply the reception of Christ: the only way of receiving Him into the soul is by faith. The soul accepts, not only the testimony concerning Christ, whether furnished by Himself or by His witnesses, but accepts Christ Himself. The great, final object of faith that saves is Christ, and all testimony is valuable only as it brings us to Him. The sin-tossed spirit finds rest and peace only as it reposes, not in an abstract truth, but in a person--not in love as the law of the moral universe, but in a person who is Himself love.

+II. The Christian life is governed by the law of Christ.+--"So walk ye in Him" (ver. 6). The word "walk" expresses the general conduct of man and the process of progression in the formation of individual character. The will of Christ, as indicated in His character, words, spirit, and example, is the ruling principle in the life of the believer.

1. To walk in Christ implies a recognition of Him in all things.--In everything that constitutes our daily life--business, domestic relations, social engagements, friendships, pleasures, cares, and trials--we may trace the presence of Christ and recognise His rule. Everywhere, on road, or rail, or sea--in all seasons of distress or joy, of poverty or wealth, of disturbance or rest--we may be conscious of the encompassing and regulating presence of Christ Jesus the Lord.

2. To walk in Christ implies a complete consecration to Him.--He has the supreme claim upon our devotion and service: "We are not our own; we are bought with a price." Our life consists in serving Him: "Whether we live, we live unto the Lord." The best of everything we possess should be cheerfully offered to Him. Carpeaux, the celebrated French sculptor, was kept in comparative retirement for some time before his death by a long and painful illness. One Sunday, as he was being drawn to church, he was accosted by a certain prince, who exclaimed, "Carpeaux, I have good news for you! You have been advanced in the Legion of Honour. Here is the rosette d'officier." The emaciated sculptor smiled and replied, "Thank you, my dear friend. It is the good God who shall first have the noble gift." Saying which, he approached the altar, put the rosette in his button-hole, and reverentially knelt down to pray.

3. To walk in Christ implies a continual approximation to the highest life in Him.--The Christian can rise no higher than to be most like Christ. The highest ambition of the apostle was to be "found in Him." Life in Him is a perpetual progress in personal purity and ever-deepening felicity. Our interest in the vast future is intensified by the Christ-inspired hope that we shall be for ever virtually united to Him, that we shall delight in ever-changing visions of His matchless glory, that we shall be like Him, and reflect and illustrate the splendour of His all-perfect character. Every triumph over sin is a substantial advance towards this glorious future destiny.

+III. The Christian life is supported and established by faith in fully declared truth.+--1. There is the idea of stability. The believer is rooted in Christ, as a tree planted in firm, immovable soil; he is built up in Christ, as an edifice on a sure foundation; and in both senses, as a tree and as a building, he must be established in the truth which has been demonstrated to him as Divine and all-authoritative. It is not enough to preserve the appearance of an external walk in Christ; but the roots of our faith must be worked into Him, and the superstructure of holiness rest on Him as the only foundation laid in Zion. The soul thus firmly established will survive the heaviest storms of adversity and the most furious assaults of error.

2. There is the idea of progress.--Walking implies a continual advance to a given destination; a tree is planted in order to grow; the building, after the foundation is laid, rises to completion. The word "built" is in the present tense and describes a work in actual process. So the believer, having become attached to the only foundation that is laid, which is Christ Jesus, is ever rising in conformity with the foundation and with the outlines of that grand spiritual edifice of which Christ is the pattern and glory. Faith is the cement that fastens one part of the building to the other; but faith as a living, active principle, also admits of increase. With respect to every individual effort after a higher spiritual life, according to our faith it is done unto us.

+IV. The Christian life has its most appropriate outflow in thanksgiving.+--"Abounding therein with thanksgiving" (ver. 7). The end of all human conduct is thanksgiving. It should be expressed in every word and appear in every action. Life should be a ceaseless, ever-abounding outflow of gratitude. We should never forget the magnitude of the blessings we have received, the wealth of mercies now offered to us, and the source whence they all issue. A thankful remembrance of past benefits cheers and strengthens the heart under difficulties and disposes the bounteous Donor to confer further benefits. There is nothing in which Christians are more deficient than in a devout and heartily expressed gratitude. Gratitude expands our sympathies for the race. What a triumph of disinterested thankfulness was that of the invalid who, though confined to his room, "thanked God for the sunshine for others to enjoy"! The spirit of Christian progress is one of unceasing thanksgiving.

+Lessons.+--1. The Christian life is Divinely bestowed. 2. The Christian life is Divinely sustained. 3. The reality of the Christian life is evidenced by effusive and practical gratitude.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 6, 7. Retrospection the Basis of Progress.

+I. The Christian consciousness in its apprehension of Christ.+--1. There are two opposing theories prevalent on the person of Christ--the rationalistic and the revealed. The one rules out His Godhead; the other is the basis of the Christian faith. 2. Two systems of theology, widely distinct from each other, are dependent on these theories. The one puts man at its centre, and is wholly human; the other enthrones God, and is essentially Divine. 3. There is only one Christ, one faith, one salvation. 4. It is within the one or the other of these two systems that we must posit our decisions.

+II. The Christian consciousness in its reception of Christ.+--1. Faith receives the whole Christ. 2. Christ asks and gets the whole man. 3. The life of faith, as embodied in the moralities of Christian living, is thus provided for and follows this consecrating act.

+III. The Christian consciousness in its subjection to Christ.+--1. The sphere of the lordship of Christ is the human mind. 2. The claim of this lordship is absolute. 3. The mind is free and unconstrained in its surrender to the authority of Christ.--John Burton.

Ver. 6. Moral Imitation.

+I. The text assumes that man possesses the faculty of imitation.+

+II. He requires an example to imitate and that example is Christ.+

+III. A model must be seen to be imitated, so Christ has presented Himself to us for that purpose.+--W. Frazer.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 8.

The Marks of a False Philosophy.

Philosophy plays an important part in the investigation and discovery of truth. The use of the word arose out of the humility of Pythagoras, who called himself a lover of wisdom. The noblest intellects of all ages have been devoted to the pursuit of the same coveted prize. Philosophy represents the highest effort of the human intellect in its search after knowledge. It explores and tests phenomena in the realm of physics and of morals and discovers the subtle laws by which those phenomena are governed. It elevates man to his true rank in creation, and teaches that he must be estimated, not by his physical relation to the outward world, but by the sublime endowments of his mind, into which it is the special function of philosophy to inquire. The philosophic mood never reaches its highest development till it is Christianised. The apostle does not stigmatise all philosophy as in vain; he knew the value of a true philosophy, and in his estimation the Christian religion was the embodiment of the highest philosophy. But he warned the Colossians against a false philosophy that was deceptive in its pretensions and deadly in its influence.

+I. A false philosophy is known by its profitless speculations.+--The absence of both preposition and article in the second clause shows that "vain deceit" describes and qualifies philosophy. A celebrated Roman sophist summed up his deliberate judgment on the efforts of the learned in the painful search after wisdom in these words: "The human mind wanders in a diseased delirium, and it is therefore not surprising that there is no possible folly which philosophers, at one time or another, have propounded as a lesson of wisdom." When the most highly cultured intellects have been gravely occupied with tricks of magic, the casting of nativities, the random guesses of soothsaying, and the pretended marvels of a mystic astrology; when the best of life has been spent in discussing transcendental questions as to the eternity of matter, fate, the mortality of the soul, the worship of angels, and their mature endowments and habits, and in definitional hair-splitting as to what constitutes the chief good of man; when the truest and best discoveries of human reason are used to disparage Divine revelation and discredit the absolute authority of saving truth--then philosophy falsifies its name, frustrates its lofty mission, and degenerates into vain, empty, profitless speculations. The student of the theories and contradictions of certain philosophic schools may begin with extravagant expectations, only to end in chagrin and despondency. The errors which assailed the Colossian Church were a mixture of the Oriental system of Zoroaster with Judaism, and with the crude, half-comprehended truths of Christianity. It was a mongrel system of philosophy, containing the germs of what afterwards developed into an advanced Gnosticism and became the prolific source of many forms of heresy. Its abettors became "vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; professing themselves wise, they became fools" (Rom. i. 21, 22).

+II. A false philosophy is known by its purely human origin.+--"After the tradition of men."

1. The human mind is limited.--The stream can never rise higher than its source; so the wisdom that comes from man is necessarily bounded by the range of his mental powers. The human mind cannot penetrate far into any subject without discovering there is a point beyond which all is darkness and uncertainty. It is impossible for the circumscribed and unaided mind of man to construct a philosophy that shall be universally true and beneficial. Tillotson has said: "Philosophy has given us several plausible rules for attaining peace and tranquillity of mind, but they fall very much short in bringing men to it."

2. All human knowledge is imperfect.--"If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." The traditions of men are the accumulation of mere human theories transmitted from age to age until they have assumed the pretensions of a philosophy, imposing a number of uninspired and unauthorised observances and austerities. The imperfection of human knowledge is not obliterated but aggravated by its antiquity. A philosophy that builds solely on man is baseless and full of danger.

+III. A false philosophy is known by its undue exaltation of elementary principles.+--"After the rudiments of the world." The source of the false teaching against which the apostle warned was found in human tradition, and its subject-matter was made up of "the rudiments of the world"--the most elementary instruction conveyed by external and material objects, suited only to man's infancy in the world. The legal rights and ceremonies instituted by Moses are evidently referred to here; they were the first rough elements of an introductory religion fit only for children--shadows at best of great and deeper truths to which they were intended to lead, and yet, by the tendency of the soul to cling to the outward, gendering to bondage. "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements [rudiments] of the world. But now, after that ye have known God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements?" (Gal. iv. 3-10). The apostle shows the Colossians that, in Christ, they had been exalted into the sphere of the Spirit, and that it would be a sad retrogression to plunge again into the midst of the sensuous and ceremonial. A true philosophy, while starting necessarily with elementary principles, conducts its votaries into a pathway of increasing knowledge and of spiritual exaltation and liberty. A false philosophy fetters the mind by exaggerating the importance of first principles and insisting on their eternal obligation.

+IV. A false philosophy is known by its Christlessness.+--"And not after Christ." Christ is neither the author nor the substance of its teaching; not the author, for its advocates rely on human traditions; not the substance, for they ignore Christ by the substitution of external ceremonies and angelic mediators. Such a method of philosophising may be after the Jewish fanatics, after the Pythagoreans or Platonists, after Moses and his abrogated legalism; but is it not after Christ. There is no affinity between Christ and their inventions; the substances cannot amalgamate. As it is impossible, by any process, to convert a baser metal into gold, so it is impossible to elevate a vain philosophy into Christianity. All true saving knowledge must be after--i.e. according to--Christ. It is in Him alone the deepest wants of man's nature can be met and satisfied. Any philosophy, though championed by the most brilliant intellects, that tends to lure the soul from Christ, that puts anything in the place of Him, or depreciates in any way our estimate of His glorious character, is false and full of peril.

+V. A false philosophy is known by its destructive influence.+--"Lest any man spoil you." The meaning of the word "spoil" is very full and significant: it is not simply to despoil--to strip off--but to carry away as spoil, just as the four kings, after the battle in the vale of Siddim, plundered the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and bore away as spoil the people and all their property and victuals (Gen. xiv. 12-16). The Colossians had been rescued from the bondage of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light; they were settled there as free and happy citizens; and now there was danger lest they should be tampered with by some crafty marauder, seized and carried away as booty, and fall into a worse state than their former slavery. There are worse losses than loss of property, or even of children: man is never so grievously spoiled as when his soul is debased and robbed by the errors of wicked seducers. Men who have contemptuously given up the Bible as a book of fables, lost their peace of mind, wrecked their moral character, and blasted their prospects for ever, began their downward career by embracing the apparently harmless ideas of a false philosophy. "The thief cometh not," saith Jesus, "but to steal, to kill, and to destroy; I"--the infallible Teacher, the incorruptible Guardian, the inexhaustible Life-giver--"am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John x. 10).

+VI. Against a false philosophy the Church must be faithfully warned.+--"Beware."

1. Because it is seductive in its pretensions.--It seeks to refine and elevate the plain Gospel by a show of lofty intellectualism; it dignifies some particular religious rite into an unjustifiable importance; it elaborates a ritual marvellous for spectacular display and musical effect; it flatters the pride and ministers to the corruption of the human heart; and, stealing through the avenue of the charmed senses, gains an imperious mastery over the whole man.

2. Because it is baneful in its effect.--It not only misrepresents and distorts the truth, but injures the faculties of the soul by which truth is obtained and kept. It darkens the understanding, pollutes the conscience, and weakens the will. It robs man of his dearest treasure, and offers in exchange a beggarly system of crude, unsatisfying speculations. The soul is goaded into a restless search after rest and cursed with its non-attainment.

+Lessons.+--1. Human philosophy is essentially defective. 2. The true philosophy is the highest knowledge of Christ. 3. All philosophy that weans the soul from Christ is false and should be shunned.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 9, 10.

The Divine Fulness of Christ a Pledge of the Believer's Perfection.

Christianity is the true philosophy. Here are its profoundest depths, its loftiest themes, its most substantial discoveries. The philosophy that is not after Christ is vain and misleading. It was a false conception of the Colossian heresy that the Divine energy was dispersed among several spiritual agencies. The apostle boldly declares that in Christ dwells the whole πλήρωμα the entire fulness of the Deity, and that it is in vain to seek for spiritual life in communion with inferior creatures.

+I. The Divine fulness of Christ.+--1. In Christ is the fulness of the Deity. "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead" (ver. 9). A small text, but a great subject. These words contain the sublimest truth in the narrowest compass. Fulness is a term used to signify all that anything contains. Hence, we read of the fulness of the earth, the fulness of the sea, and that the Church is Christ's body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. In Christ inhere all the perfections, attributes, and qualities that essentially constitute the Divine nature--power, wisdom, eternity, self-existence, omnipresence, truth, love, holiness. The deities of the heathen never pretended to possess more than a few Divine attributes, some portion of Divinity. But Christ contains in Himself the totality of Divine powers and excellencies.

2. The fulness of the Deity in Christ is present and permanent.--"Dwelleth." The present tense is used. It is not as a transient gleam or as a brilliant display to serve a temporary purpose, but as an ever-present and unchanging reality. Mystery of mysteries! the body that hungered and thirsted, that bled and died, that rose and ascended on high, is still the temple of illimitable Deity! The manifestations of God through angels and prophets were brief and partial. The Shekinah, or visible glory, that hovered over the ark of the covenant was a symbol only of a present deity and disappeared as mysteriously as it came. But in Christ, the transcendent fulness of the Godhead finds its permanent home, never to depart, never to vanish.

3. The fulness of the Deity in Christ has a visible embodiment.--"Bodily." In the person of Christ every moral perfection of the Godhead was enshrined and brought within the range of human vision. He presented and proved the fact of the Divine existence. He embodied and declared the Divine spirituality. He delineated the Divine disposition, and character in the days of His flesh. Gleams of the Divine nature occasionally broke forth. "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of God" (John i. 14). And now, from that subtle, glorified human form of our exalted Mediator, the splendour of the Deity rays forth, filling the universe with light and glory and joy. In Christ the Godhead is revealed, not as a changing, shadowy phantasm, but as a positive, substantial reality.

+II. The supreme authority of Christ.+--"Which is the Head of all principality and power" (ver. 10).

1. Angels are the principalities and powers of the universe.--They are called spirits to express their nature, and angels to designate their office as messengers sent by God. They are called sons of God, to indicate their lofty relationship; cherubim, because of their composite nature, and because they are placed under the presence of Jehovah, whose moving throne they appear to draw; seraphim, because of their burning ardour in executing the commands of God; stars of the morning, to set forth their brightness; a flaming fire, because of the fierceness and celerity with which they carry out the vengeance of Heaven; and they are called principalities and powers on account of their exalted rank and superior endowments.

2. Among the principalities and powers of the universe Christ has supreme authority.--He is the Head of all angelic hierarchies. He called them into being. He endows them with vast intelligence. He designates their rank. He controls their beneficent ministries. He fills the circle of their bliss. To worship angels, or to seek their mediation in the affairs of the soul, is not only gross idolatry, but an insufferable insult to the fulness of the Deity in Christ.

+III. The believer's fulness in Christ.+--"And ye are complete in Him" (ver. 10).

1. In Christ is the inspiration of the believer's life.--The soul finds its true life by believing on the Son of God. "He that hath the Son hath life" (1 John v. 12). In ourselves we are like empty vessels; but in Christ we are filled up to the brim. As there is an original and Divine fulness of the Godhead in Christ, so there is a derived fulness communicated to us. Every advance in Christian experience, every aspiration after a more exalted spiritual tone, every yearning of the soul after clearer light, every struggle for victory over self and sin, is prompted and accelerated by the impetuous inflow of the Divine life.

2. In Christ is the perfect ideal of the believer's character.--Christ has exalted human nature. He took not on Him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. He has shown what human nature can become, and what it can do. In Him we have the illustrious pattern after which our souls are to be fashioned and rounded off into a full-orbed completeness. "Christ is the mirror that glasses God's image before us, and the Spirit is the plastic force within that transfers and photographs that image; and so, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

3. In Christ is the interminable bliss of the believer's future.--The present life is a training for the future. The more it is in harmony with the will of Christ the happier will it be. Every attempt, amid the multiform relations of life, to do our duty in a Christly spirit, is bringing us into closer sympathy with Christ, and preparing us for a joyous life with Him hereafter. The apostle expressed the condition of the highest conceivable bliss to the believer in the words, "And so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. iv. 17).

+Lessons.+--1. Christ is essentially Divine. 2. There is an ineffable fulness of salvation in Christ. 3. All secondary mediators between God and man are superfluous. 4. The soul is complete in Christ only as it believes in Him.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 9, 10. A Presentation of Two Great Truths.

+I. That all Christianity centres in Christ.+

+II. That union to Christ makes the soul independent of others.+--Dykes.

Ver. 9. The Fulness of Christ.

+I. Christ is full of the power of God.+

+II. The love of God.+

+III. The grace of God.+

+IV. The faithfulness of God.+

+V. The purpose of God to punish sin.+--Preacher's Magazine.

Ver. 10. The Completing of the Soul.

+I. We are made complete in Christ by inspirations.+

+II. We have ideas and ideals in Christ.+

+III. We are set in a various scheme of relations that we may have a training in virtues equally various and be perfected in them and by means of them.+--Bushnell.

The Believer Complete in Christ.

+I. Complete in Him with respect to the work which He hath already performed.+--1. His obedience and atonement were precisely what God Himself had prescribed. 2. That He obeyed and atoned, we have the perfect evidence of observation and testimony. He Himself declared, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do." "It is finished." To this the Father and the Spirit have expressly borne testimony: by signs and wonders; His resurrection; His ascension; the descent of the Spirit; conversions; the glorification of His people. 3. Into His righteousness thus perfect the believer is admitted.

+II. Complete in Him with respect to the work which He is now performing.+--1. Interceding in heaven. 2. Ruling on earth, and thus giving grace and affording protection.

+III. Complete in Him with respect to the work which He is hereafter to perform.+--1. As the Resurrection. 2. As the Judge. 3. As the Glorifier. 4. As the Consummation and Communicator of eternal blessedness.--Stewart.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 11, 12.

Christian Circumcision.

There were two principal errors lying at the root of the heresy that was doing so much damage at Colossæ. One was the theological error of substituting inferior and created angelic mediators for the Divine Head Himself. The other was a practical error, in insisting upon ritual and ascetic observances as the foundation of moral teaching. Thus, their theological speculations and ethical code alike were at fault. Both errors flowed from a common source--the false conception that evil resides in matter, a fruitful source of many fatal heresies. Some contended the Colossians could not be complete in Christ without submitting to the Jewish rite of circumcision; but the apostle showed that they were the subjects of a superior circumcision.

+I. Christian circumcision is inward and spiritual.+--"Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands" (ver. 11). The hand-wrought circumcision of the Jews was simply an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. This is abundantly clear in the language of the Old Testament: "No stranger uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary." "The Lord Thy God will circumcise thine heart, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and all thy soul" (Ezek. xliv. 9; Deut. xxx. 6). The argument of the apostle is that the Colossians had secured all the spiritual results aimed at in the ancient rite, and that by a better circumcision, even that made without hands, by the spiritual and almighty power of Christ, so that it was unnecessary for them or any other Gentiles to submit to the abrogated Hebraic ordinance. The true circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter (Rom. ii. 28, 29).

+II. Christian circumcision is complete.+--"In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh" (ver. 11); or, as Bengel translates, putting off the body of the sins--that is to say, the flesh. Manual circumcision, according to the law of Moses, was the cutting away of only a small part of the flesh. But the true spiritual circumcision consists in putting off, renouncing, and casting away with disgust the whole body of our corrupt nature--the entire fleshly principle. The whole bulk of sin is fitly compared to a body, because of the weight of guilt there is in it (Rom. vii. 24), and the soul is completely compassed by it, as it is with our natural body (Gen. vi. 5). When the heart is circumcised, the total mass of sin is put off, as the porter puts off his burden, the beggar his rages, the master his false servant, and the serpent its skin. Old things pass away; all things become new.

+III. Christian circumcision is Divine.+--"By the circumcision of Christ" (ver. 11). It is wrought, without hands, by the inward, invisible power of the Divine Spirit of Christ. It supersedes the external form of the circumcision of the law and fulfils all its spiritual designs in a far more perfect manner than even the spiritually-minded Jew could adequately conceive. What can never be effected by the moral law, by external, ascetic ceremonies, or by philosophic speculations, is accomplished by the circumcision of Christ. The whole body of sin is mortified, the soul is quickened and renewed, and brought into the possession of the highest moral perfection.

+IV. Christian circumcision is realised by the thorough identification of the believer with Christ in His death and resurrection.+--"Buried with Him, wherein also ye are risen with Him" (ver. 12). Burial implies previous death; and to secure the true circumcision we must be spiritually identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is the familiar teaching of the New Testament that he who believes in Christ is said to die with Him, to be buried with Him, and to rise with Him (ver. 13; Rom. vi. 11; Eph. ii. 5). A circumcised heart, a new nature, cannot be obtained by mere human effort, by stern resolutions, painful processes of self-mortification, or by the most advanced and rigorous mental culture. It is secured only by a complete, vital union and incorporation with Christ, and a sympathetic participation with Him in all He has done and suffered. With Christ the believer enters the grave where the vast body of sin dies and is buried; and with Christ he emerges into a new and heavenlier life that transforms the soul into a Diviner beauty, and fills it with unutterable rapture and melodious praise.

+V. Christian circumcision is wrought in the soul by a spiritual baptism.+--"Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him" (ver. 12). Baptism by water, like legal circumcision, is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. But it does not appear that there is any allusion here to the ordinance of baptism. The leading ideas and figures used in these two verses refer to spiritual realities: the death, burial, and resurrection, the circumcision without hands, and the putting off of the body of the flesh, are all spiritual; and the baptism is evidently of the same character. It is by the baptism of the Spirit--the quickening and renewing power of the Holy Ghost--that the soul is so united to and identified with Christ that the believer may be said to be buried and to rise with Him. It is possible to die with Christ and to rise with Him without being baptised with water; but it is impossible to do either without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Spiritual baptism is the grave of the old man and the birth of the new. As he sinks beneath the baptismal waters, the believer buries there all his corrupt affections and past sins; ans he emerges thence, he rises regenerate, quickened to new hopes and a new life.

+VI. Christian circumcision is received by faith.+--"Through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead" (ver. 12). Faith is not a natural production of the human heart. It is a Divine gift and is bestowed on man by a Divine operation. Man can believe because God has given him the power to believe. No unbeliever can receive the baptism that effects the spiritual resurrection. The faith specially referred to is to be fixed on the power of God as exerted and displayed in the resurrection of Christ from the tomb. The same power is employed in that mysterious baptismal process by which the soul throws off its mass of moral vileness and rises into newness of life. Faith opens every gateway of the soul, so that it gratefully welcomes and exults in the transforming operations of the Divine energy.

+Lessons.+--1. All external ordinances are powerless to change the heart. 2. The true circumcision is accomplished by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. 3. To realise the renewing power of God faith is indispensable.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 11. The True Circumcision.

+I. Is not an outward rite, but an inward change.+

+II. Is an excision of the body of sin by our union with Christ, who has conquered sin.+

+III. Is not an external observance, but a spiritual experience and a holy life.+

Ver. 12. The True Baptism--

+I. Is spiritual regeneration.+

+II. Is being buried and raised again with Christ.+

+III. Is secured by an active, realising faith in the power of God.+

+IV. Renders circumcision and all outward rites valueless as means of salvation.+

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 13, 14.

The Transition from Death to Life.

In relation to man, the physical order is a descent from life to death, the spiritual order an ascent from death to life. The soul of man is held captive in the dark and dismal prison-house of sin, and the Divine law--at once its judge and gaoler--has declared its condemnation to death. The great Mediator offers Himself a ransom for human sin. He is accepted. The sentence of condemnation is cancelled, and spiritual liberty proclaimed.

+I. That the natural condition of humanity is one of moral and spiritual death.+--1. Man is in a condition of spiritual insensibility. "You, being dead in your sins" (ver. 13). The dead know not anything. They are as unconscious as the dust in the midst of which they slumber. The sweetest sounds or the brightest scenes appeal in vain to the locked-up senses. This figure strikingly depicts the moral condition of man. The soul may be keenly alive to the relations and interests of the outer world, and at the same time dead to the grandest spiritual realities. He is insensible to the character and claims of God, to the sublimest truths, to the most ravishing prospects. With faculties to appreciate all that is lovely in nature and wonderful in art, he is insensible and unresponsive to the highest moral beauty.

2. Man is in a condition of moral corruption.--"And the uncircumcision of your flesh" (ver. 13). Death unbinds the forces that brace up the body in life and health and leaves it a prey to the ever-active power of corruption. The flesh is the carnal principle--the old corrupt nature; and its uncircumcision indicates that it has not been cut off, mortified, or conquered. It is the loathsome, putrid fruit of a nature spiritually dead--the outworkings of a wicked, unrenewed heart, through all the channels of unchecked appetites and passions--moral putrescence fattening on itself. No description of sin can surpass the revolting spectacle of its own self-registered results.

3. Man is in a condition of condemnation.--(1) The Divine ordinances record an indictment against the transgressor. "The handwriting of ordinances that was against us" (ver. 14). A handwriting imports what any one writes with his own hand, and is usually applied to a note of hand, a bond, or obligation, as having the signature of the debtor or contracting party. The primary reference in the terms used is to the Jews, who might be said to have signed the contract when they bound themselves, by a curse, to observe all the enactments of the law (Deut. xxvii. 14-26). Ordinances, though referring primarily to the Mosaic ordinances, includes all forms of positive decrees (ordinances) in which moral or social principles are embodied or religious duties defined. Man everywhere is under law, written or unwritten; and he is morally obligated to obey it. That law has been universally violated, and its ordinances and sanctions are against us. We are involved in legal condemnation; we owe to God what we can never pay. (2) The Divine ordinances are hostile towards the transgressor. "Which was contrary to us" (ver. 14). We are often painfully reminded of our broken bond, as the debtor is often distressingly reminded of his undischarged obligation. Our peace is disturbed, our conscience troubled, our prospects darkened. The sense of condemnation pursues us in every part of life and haunts us with visions of terrible vengeance to come.

+II. That the believer is raised into a condition of spiritual life.+--1. Spiritual life begins in the consciousness of liberty. "Having forgiven you all trespasses" (ver. 13). Sin enthrals the soul in an intolerable bondage and smites it with a deathly blow. There is no return to life until liberty is bestowed. Forgiveness confers that liberty. Pardon is the point at which spiritual life begins. The sense of liberty is the first glad thrill in the soul of a new and nobler life. The pardon is ample; it is all-comprehensive--having forgiven you all trespasses. Every legal barrier is removed. All guilt is cancelled. Every stain is purged away. Every vestige of corruption disappears. The Divine mercy triumphs in the prompt, generous, loving, full forgiveness of sins.

2. Spiritual life implies a freedom from all condemnation.--(1) The indictment recorded in the Divine ordinances is cancelled and abolished. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross" (ver. 14). Every assurance is given to the trembling believer that his guilt is pardoned, and his condemnation removed. The handwriting is blotted out--as it were, cross-strokes are drawn through it; and that all suspicion it may again become legible, may be allayed, it is added, "and took it out of the way"; it is entirely removed. But lest, haply, it should again be found and produced, it is declared--it is destroyed, torn, nailed to the cross, and so made utterly useless ever to witness anything against the believer. "Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held" (Rom. vii. 6). The handwriting against us is removed and destroyed by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. There we behold the cancelled sentence torn and rent by the very nails that pierced the sacred body of the world's Redeemer. (2) Freedom from condemnation is effected by the cross. "His cross." Much as the doctrine of salvation through the vicarious sufferings of Christ may be misunderstood and despised, it is the only method by which pardon can be bestowed, condemnation removed, and spiritual life imparted. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."

+III. That the transition of the soul from death to spiritual life is a Divine work.+--"You hath He quickened together with Him" (ver. 13). God only can raise the dead. He who first fashioned us in His own image, who raised from the dead Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, rescues man from the gloomy domain of spiritual death, and inspires him with a new and holier life. It is a life of blessed union with the Divine. Its activities are spontaneous and Godward in their tendencies. It has the power of growth and endless development. Its aspirations are the purest and noblest. It is intensely individual. It is the movement of the Divine in the sphere of the human, not defacing or destroying the human, but exalting and perfecting its worthiest traits.

+Lessons.+--1. All men are dead in sin. 2. Law condemns but cannot deliver. 3. Pardon of sin is the gateway of spiritual life. 4. Pardon is obtained only by looking to the cross.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 13. Death and Spiritual Life.

+I. Man by sin is spiritually dead and disabled from exercising spiritual acts.+

+II. Man is quickened into spiritual life by virtue of the resurrection of Christ.+

+III. Spiritual life is obtainable only by the pardon of sin.+

Ver. 14. The Handwriting of Ordinances.

+I. Describes our condemnation.+

+II. Must be cancelled in order to pardon.+

+III. Cancelled by the sufferings on the cross.+

+IV. Is blotted out against us when we accept the Crucified.+

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 15.

The Triumph of the Cross.

The apostle has shown the worthlessness of the Jewish ceremonies and the galling tyranny of their yoke. He has exposed the emptiness of the philosophy that was of human fabrication, with its illusive theories about angel mediators, its vast accretions of conflicting traditions, and its intolerable impositions. He has declared that they are all transfixed to the cross--torn, lacerated, illegible, cancelled--and exhibited there as a spectacle for the perpetual consolation and assurance of the believer. And now the apostle, rising with the grandeur of his theme, compares the scene of the cross to the splendid triumph of a Roman general, in which the captives taken in battle were led in gorgeous procession through the city as substantial trophies of the victor.

+I. The triumph of the cross was over the powers of evil.+--"Principalities and Powers."

1. The existence of evil is a painful fact.--We meet with it everywhere and in everything. It mars the beauty of external creation and loads it with a burden of unutterable woe. It flings its shadow over the brightest sky, transforms the music of life into a doleful monotone, and translates the softest zephyrs into sighs. It impregnates man's moral nature, deflects the purest principles, shatters the noblest powers, arrests the loftiest aspirations and drags the soul down to the lowest hell.

2. Evil is embodied in invisible and potent personalities.--They are here called principalities because of their excellency, their deep penetration, vast knowledge, and exalted station. They are called powers because of their ability, the mighty influence they can wield, and the terrible havoc they can work. Their dominion extends over the whole realm of sin. They exist in vast numbers (2 Pet. iv. 2; Jude 6), but they are inspired and guided by one great master-spirit--the prince of the power of the air. They are animated and bound together by one spirit--a spirit of bitter hatred and savage hostility towards God, and of contemptuous scorn for His authority. They are eager to obey the slightest behest of their malignant leader.

"He spake: and to confirm his words outflew Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs, Of mighty cherubim: the sudden blaze Far round illumined hell: highly they raged Against the Highest, and fierce with grasped arms Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war, Hurling defiance towards the vault of heaven."

These hosts of evil spirits are the great foes of man with which he has incessantly to contend (Eph. vi. 12). The struggle would be hopeless had not Christ defeated them.

+II. The triumph of the cross was achieved after severe conflict.+--"Having spoiled."

1. The conflict was continuous.--It was fought from the earliest period between Satan and man, and the day was lost. The woeful issues of that conquest are with us to-day. The battle has been raging ever since. The enmity existing between the serpent and the seed of the woman is still active. The symbols and foreshadowings of the great strife appeared on many occasions during the Mosaic period. But when Christ assumed our humanity and stepped upon the field as the great Captain of our salvation, the conflict reached its climax.

2. The conflict was fierce.--Hosts of demons swarmed around the solitary Warrior, and with incredible fury sought to gain a victory over the human nature he had assumed. Again and again, they rushed to the attack; but each fresh assault ended with a new defeat. In the wilderness He was tempted by Satan; but the arch-tempter was compelled to retire, baffled and conquered. Through the voice of His chief disciple the temptation was renewed, and He was urged to decline His appointed sufferings and death (Matt. xvi. 23). But Satan was again foiled.

3. The conflict was deadly.--Then came the final hour--the great crisis when the power of darkness made itself felt, when the prince of this world threw his last fatal shaft and asserted his tyranny (Luke xxii. 53; John xii. 30). The closing act in the conflict began with the agony of Gethsemane; it ended with the cross of Calvary. The Son of God expires on the accursed tree. But, lo! strange reversal of all human conflicts--the moment of apparent defeat is the moment of victory! By dying Christ has conquered death and wrested from the enemy his most potent weapon of terror. The principalities and powers of evil, that clung around the humanity of Christ like a fatal Nessus tunic, were spoiled--torn off and cast aside for ever. Evil assailed the great Redeemer from without, but never penetrated Him as it does humanity. In the act of dying the crucified One stripped off and flung to the ground the great potentates of evil never more to be in the ascendant.

+III. The triumph of the cross was signal and complete.+--1. It was signal. "He made a show of them openly." The overthrow of the principalities and powers of evil was boldly declared to the universe. They were declared to be liars, traitors, deceivers, usurpers, and murderers! It was not a private but a public victory, in which the universe was interested, and in which all men may well rejoice. The victory of mankind is involved in the victory of Christ. In His cross we too are divested of the poisonous, clinging garments of temptation, sin, and death--we spoil, strip off, put away from us the powers of evil, and are liberated from the dominion of the flesh.

2. It was complete.--"Triumphing over them in it." Christ proved Himself on the cross the Conqueror of death and hell. Here the paradox of the Crucifixion is placed in the strongest light--triumph in helplessness, glory in shame, the vanquished become the conqueror. The gloom of the convict's gibbet is transformed into the splendour of the victor's chariot. In the cross we see the greatest triumph of our Immanuel--the law fulfilled; God's moral government vindicated; death robbed of its prey; Satan, "the prince of this world" cast out; principalities and powers dragged in procession as captives; a show of them boldly made; the imprisoned world set free; and the final victory over every enemy assured.

+Lessons.+--1. Christ has conquered the powers of evil. 2. To the believer ultimate victory is certain. 3. Keep up a brave heart in the fiercest conflict.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses 16, 17.

The Ceremonial and the Real in Religion.

After dealing with the speculative theories so busily propagated by the false teachers at Colossæ, the apostle descends from the height of his lofty argument, and with incomparable force sweeps away the whole group of errors which overrated an excessive ritualism and insisted on a rigorous asceticism. The existence of the ceremonial in religion is a confession of the imperfection of our nature; and the more rudimentary the ceremonial, the lower it supposes our condition. The ceremonial foreshadows the real and is intended to help in attaining it. In the nature of things, therefore, the ceremonial is but temporary. When it puts man in possession of the real it vanishes. The shadow is absorbed in the substance. To compel man to find salvation in the ceremonial, when he already possesses the real, is a retrogression and an injustice. The liberty of the Gospel places the believer above the slavery of external ordinances and furnishes him with a law--the law of a Christianised conscience--as to their use or neglect.

+I. That the ceremonial in religion can form no just basis for individual condemnation.+--"Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat," etc. (ver. 16). The Mosaic law enforced certain injunctions concerning eating and drinking. It gave minute directions as to the animals that were to be eaten, making a distinction between the clean and the unclean. As to drinking, the priests were strictly forbidden the use of wine on the eve of solemn public duty; and the vow of the Nazarites required entire abstinence from the fruit of the vine. The tendency of the Jews was to multiply these distinctions and prohibitions, and to exalt them into undue importance. The reference to special days embraces the collective periodical feasts and sacred seasons of the Levitical ritual--the yearly, monthly, and weekly celebrations. The term holy day would include the festivals of the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles respectively. The new moon alludes to the monthly celebrations mentioned (Num. x. 10, xxviii. 11). The Sabbath days refer to the weekly solemnities and services of the seventh day. The Jews assumed that the obligation of these regulations was permanent, and their observance essential to the salvation of the Christian believer. The Gospel teaches that the observance or non-observance of these ceremonial rites is no just ground for judging each other. We are not justified in condemning any one for neglecting them, or to think any better of one who reverently observes them. The essence of religion does not consist in the outward form, but in the inward spirit--not in the ceremonial, but in the real. "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" (ver. 17).

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