" walk worthy of our high calling." Though we are in the world, we are not to be of it. " We have here no continuing city:" we are to be in this world as pilgrims only and so- journers : we must ever consider ourselves as strangers and foreigners, who, though living on earth are indeed fellow- citizens with the saints and of the household of Godg. If we were travelling in a foreign land, we should regard the con- cerns of that land rather as objects of curiosity, than as matters in which we felt any deep interest : whereas the affairs of our own country, where our estates were situated, and our relations lived, would be regarded by us as matters of great moment. Thus should we be indifferent, as it were, to all the vanities of this life, and be wholly intent on our spiritual and eternal interests. We should be maintaining communion with our Head in heaven11, and growing up into a meetness for the exercises and enjoyments of the invisible world.]
We should also "mark those who" do imitate him —
[All of us should unite' in following his example, and emulate each other in his holy employment. And, when any make higher attainments than ourselves we should not be ashamed to imitate them: we should observe^ particularly what it is wherein they excel us, and how it is that they have been enabled to outstrip us. We should endeavour to encou- rage them ; and together with them to press forward towards perfection1.]
We may make use of this subject,
1. For reproof —
[How widely do the greater part of Christians differ from the Apostle ! Nor is it only the profane, or the formal, that are condemned by his example, but even the godly also. Let all of us then be ashamed of the low sense we entertain of our privileges, and of the coldness with which we prosecute our eternal interests. Let us seek to have our views and disposi- tions more conformed to those of the saints of old ; that at the second coming of our Lord we may behold him both with confidence and joym.]
2. For encouragement —
[It is not to Apostles that these attainments are confined : they were common to many others in the Church at Philippi, who, together with the Apostle, are proposed as patterns unto us. Let none then imagine that this blessed state is beyond their reach ; but rather let all aspire after it, as the one object
s Eph. ii. 19. h 1 John i. 3. > 2vfifJifiriTai.
k 2/co7r£tre. ! Prov. xv. 24.
m ver. 20, 21. with 1 John ii. 28.