^ If we obey Christ, His commandments will soon shine in their own light. " He that followeth me shall not walk in dark- ness, but shall have the light of life." It is not by mere medita- tion that we come to see the real beauty and excellence of Christ's commandments ; we must obey them before we see how beautiful and noble they are. We must actually follow Christ if we desire to have " the light of life " ; if we decline to follow Him till the " light " comes, we shall remain in darkness.^
(2) The knowledge of Christ evokes endurance. — See how graphi- cally this is exemplified in Paul's own case. It might be easy to affirm that all things pale before the knov/ledge of Christ. But Paul had given abundant proof of his faith. He had lived out his strong conviction. He had proved his creed by deed ; his tremendous creed by sacrificial deed. " For whom I have suffered the loss of all things."
The figure is a very striking one. It is an illustration from the Law Courts. It might be expressed, " I was sentenced to the
^ H. Thorne, Notable Sayings of the Great Teacher, 216. * R. W. Dale, Laws of Christ for Gommon Life, 276.
324 THE EXCELLENT EXCHANGE
loss of all things." Paul , was arraigned before the judge. He was charged with the high crime of being a follower of Christ. He pleaded guilty to the charge. He was fined right heavily. Exorbitant damages were extorted. "All things" were taken from him. Everything that he had reckoned dear and desirable. " I have suffered the loss of all things." With Paul it is no case of boasting. He is not avowing what he might under given circumstances do. He has done it. He has endured to the ultimate point. So has he known Christ, that for Him he has paid down as damages " all things."
Yet it was well, and Thou hast said in season " As is the master shall the servant be " :
Let me not subtly slide into the treason,
Seeking an honour which they gave not Thee;
Never at even, pillowed on a pleasure, Sleep with the wings of aspiration furled,
Hide the last mite of the forbidden treasure, Keep for my joys a world within the world ; —
Nay but much rather let me late returning Bruised of my brethren, wounded from within,
Stoop with sad countenance and blushes burning, Bitter with weariness and sick with sin, —
Then as I weary me and long and languish, Nowise availing from that pain to part, —
Desperate tides of the whole great world's anguish Forced thro' the channels of a single heart, —
Straight to Thy presence get me and reveal it, Nothing ashamed of tears upon Thy feet,
Show the sore wound and beg Thine hand to heal it, Pour Thee the bitter, pray Thee for the sweet.
Then with a ripple and a radiance thro' me Eise and be manifest, 0 Morning Star!
Flow on my soul, thou Spirit, and renew me, Fill with Thyself, and let the rest be far.^
^ There is a sentence in the biography of David Hill — that
rare, gentle, refined spirit who moved like a fragrance in his little
part of China — a sentence which has burned itself into the very
marrow of my mind. Disorder had broken out, and one of the
» F. W. H, Myers, Saint Paul.
PHILIPPIANS III. 7-9 325
rioters seized a huge splinter of a smashed door and gave him a terrific blow on the wrist, almost breaking his arm. And how is it all referred to? "There is a deep joy in actually suffering physical violence for Christ's sake." That is all ! It is a strange combination of words — suffering, violence, joy ! And yet I re- member the evangel of the Apostle, " If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him." ^
Here, and here alone, Is given thee to suffer for God's sake. In other worlds we shall more perfectly Serve Him and love Him, praise Him, work for Him, Grow near and nearer Him with all delight: But then we shall not any more be called To suffer, which is our appointment here. Canst thou not suffer then one hour, — or two ? If He should call thee from thy cross to-day, Saying, " It is finished ! — that hard cross of thine From which thou prayest for deliverance," Thinkest thou not some passion of regret Would overcome thee? Thou wouldst say, "So soon? Let me go back, and suffer yet awhile More patiently; — I have not yet praised God."^
4. Paul aims at gaining Christ and being "found in him." From what follows (" not having a righteousness of mine own," RV.) it would seem that by being " found in him " the Apostle meant being found in His righteousness. There was a period in the Apostle's life when he expected that he would be able to stand before God in his own righteousness. Now all this is changed. He has discovered the worthlessness of his own righteousness, and therefore he has abandoned the idea of being accepted before God on the ground of it. He has come to know that Christ is " the end of the law for righteousness," and in that righteousness he desires to stand. Nothing less than a perfect righteousness can satisfy a perfect God, and there is no perfect righteousness to be found apart from Christ. Paul wished to be found as one taking shelter in this sure refuge.