opposition to each other, " loss and gain," are such as may lead us to a yet more appropriate illustration11; that of a ship- wrecked mariner, who as Paul himself advised, casts out the tackling, and the very food from the ship, in order to preserve the lives of those who are on board0. He takes no account of that which he loses : he is intent only on his gain : and, if he may but secure safety to the crew, he is content. Thus the Apostle, having gained Christ, considered as no better than dung all that he had parted with to secure so rich a portion.]
Address —
1. The worldly Christian —
[What a contrast is there between the Apostle Paul and you ! He counted the whole world but dung for Christ ; and you count (what shall I say ?) Christ himself as of no value, in comparison of the world. The things of this world you will have, whatever you may be necessitated to pay for them. Pardon of sin, peace of conscience, yea, and all prospects of eternal glory, you will sacrifice for the things of time and sense. Your own soul, and the Lord Jesus Christ, are held cheap, in comparison of some fleeting vanity. The language of your heart is, ' Let me gain pleasure, riches, honour ; and then it signifies nothing what I may lose.'' Judge ye, my brethren, whether these desires of yours can be right. Verily, either Paul must have been a wild, deluded enthusiast, or you are unworthy to " name the name of Christ." Reflect, I beseech you, ere it be too late : and choose, not those " things which perish with the using," but " that good part which shall never be taken away from you."]
2. The self-righteous Christian —
[And what greater resemblance have you to this Holy Apostle ? He utterly discarded all hope in his own righteous- ness, that he might be found in Christ ; but you are holding fast your own righteousness, and accounting the idea of being saved by another's righteousness as a dangerous delusion. This pride of yours is harder to subdue than any corporeal lust. It was this which caused the Pharisees to reject the Saviour. " They would not submit to the righteousness of God." Hence they perished, whilst millions of idolatrous and ungodly Gen- tiles embraced the Gospel. I pray you, think what you are doing ; and before you determine to persist in your self-right- eous views, see whether your righteousness be better than that of Paul. He had no slight ground of glorying, as aJew: but
n i^Yifiiwdriv, K£pci}rrw. ° Acts xxvii. 19, 38,