life dear to him, if only he might be instrumental to their eternal welfare. He was now in prison at Rome: yet what employed his thoughts ? He had a request to make to the Philippian Church : and what was it ? Did he desire that they would endeavour to liberate him from his chains ? No ; he was unmindful of him- self, and solicitous only that they should adorn the Gospel. For this " only''' did he labour; and this " only " did he desire.
We notice, in the words before us, I. His general exhortation —
The standard at which the Christian is to aim, is widely different from that with which the rest of the world are satisfied. We can easily understand that different modes of living would become a prince and a beggar, or a philosopher and a child : we can rea- dily conceive also, that if a company of angels were sent down to sojourn upon earth, and a direction were given them to live suitably to their high station, it would import pre-eminent sanctity in the whole of their conversation. From hence we may form some idea of the exhortation in the text. The Christian is " a citizen of no mean city ;" he is a citizen even of heaven itself: and he is to order his life in such a way, as becomes the society to which he belongs3. The Gospel is the charter of their privileges, and the directory of their conduct : and they are to walk as becomes,
1. The wonders it unfolds —
[Contemplate the great mystery of redemption : contem- plate the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the offices he still continues to execute
for his people's good Contemplate the favour with
which the Father regards them in and through his beloved
Son Contemplate the love of the Holy Spirit, who
condescends to make their polluted bodies and souls his habi- tation, in order that through his gracious influences they may
be made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light
What kind of a life do such mysteries of love and mercy re- quire ? Should not our souls be lost, as it were, in wonder, love and praise ? ]
a This is the precise idea of nokiTtvtadt, VOL. XVIII. D