1. St. Paul, in these words, is strengthening the Christians
at Philippi, by setting before them the greatness of their calling
and of their destiny. They had much need of encom-agement ;
for a time of sore and peculiar trial was then upon them. They
had to endure not only bitter persecutions and the assault of
Antichrists, wielding the powers of the world to wear out the
saints of the Most High, but a still more dangerous, because more
subtle, trial. They were being tried by false and sensual men
mingling in the communion of the Church. There were among
them false teachers, who mixed up the law of Moses with the
gospel of Christ; double-minded men, steering between both;
striving to escape persecution, and yet desiring to obtain the
reputation of Christians. These were very dangerous tempters,
who entered the Church in disguise, defiling it, and destroying
souls for whom Christ died.
There was one special mark by which such men (as we see
from both St. Paul and St. John) might be known; they lived
evil lives. Therefore St. Paul here sets before the Philippians a
contrast of carnal and spiritual Christians, and of the earthly
and the heavenly life. After saying, " Many walk, of whom I
have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are
the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction,
whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who
mind earthly things " ; he adds, " For our citizenship is in heaven."
St. Paul draws a contrast between the principle that animated
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the lives of these sensual worldlings and the principle that ani- mated his own life and the lives of his fellow-Christians. They " mind earthly things." " Our citizenship is in heaven." They have their view bounded by the earthly horizon ; they believe in and live for what they can see and touch and taste — for what St. John so significantly describes as " all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye and the vain glory of life." The controlling influences which mould our lives are heavenly. The country of our allegiance is above. We draw our inspiration from the recollection of it.
^ No line of modern poetry has been oftener quoted with thoughtless acceptance than Wordsworth's :
Heaven lies about us in our infancy.
It is wholly untrue in the implied limitation ; if life be led under heaven's law, the sense of heaven's nearness only deepens with advancing years, and is assured in death. But the saying is indeed true thus far, that in the dawn of virtuous life every enthusiasm and every perception may be trusted as of Divine appointment ; and the maxima reverentia is due not only to the innocence of children, but to their inspiration. And it follows that through the ordinary course of mortal failure and misfortune, in the career of nations no less than of men, the error of their intellect, and the hardening of their hearts, may be accurately measured by their denial of spiritual power.^
2. The Apostle chooses a most appropriate figure. This letter of St. Paul to the Philippian Christians was written to the in- habitants of a Koman colony, or free city, such as Philippi was. Its inhabitants would, therefore, fully understand the figure of the Apostle when he called upon them to remember their high position as citizens, not of a mere mundane sovereignty, but of a Heavenly Kingdom. "Our citizenship is in heaven." Was the Eoman citizen a free man — so were they. They had been " made free from sin, and become servants to God " ; they were therefore to " stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free." Had the Koman citizen acquired his freedom by purchase — so had they ; they had been " redeemed not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." Did the Koman citizen enjoy immunity from the
^ Ruskin, Fors Clavigera, viii., Letter 92 {Works, xxix, 467).
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fear that hath torment, conscious that the law had no terrors for him so long as he used it lawfully — so was it with these Philippian Christians; as long as they were "led by the Spirit they were not under the law " ; " the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made them free from the law of sin and death." Was the Koman citizen enfranchised by virtue of adoption into the family of his master — so was it with them; they had received "the adoption of sons," whereby they were able to cry, "Abba, Father." Had the Eoman citizen a right of personal access to the Emperor, and an appeal to his righteous judgment — so had they the right of entry before the King of kings ; they might " draw nigh with a true heart, in full assurance of faith." Was the Eoman citizen a member of the greatest of earthly empires — the Philippian Christian was more than this, he was a citizen of heaven, and a subject of " the only Potentate, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom be honour and power everlasting."