Chapter V: AUTOGRAPH CONCLUSION.--1. The Judaisers' motive (ch. vi. 12, 13) (24)

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._