whatever the conduct of any professors of godliness may be, the Gospel which we preach is the " wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation" to all those who cordially embrace it. Instead therefore of being offended at it our- selves on account of the misconduct of others, let us study to adorn and recommend it by a consistent " walk" and a heavenly conversation.]
3. Watch over one another with care and tender- ness—
[None are at liberty to say, " Am I my brother's keeper0?" We all should feel a tender concern for the welfare of our fellow-creatures: and especially when we behold those who profess to have the same faith and hope with ourselves, mani- festing by their conduct the delusion of their minds, we should weep over them, and, with a mixture of fidelity and compassion, declare to them their danger. We are expressly told to " exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day p:" and though we shall not always give satisfaction to the persons whom we warn, yet shall we really perform towards them the kindest office, and perhaps save them from the destruction to which they were hastening. Then shall we have reason to rejoice over them, as they also will have to bless God for us, to all eternity.]
° Gen. iv. 9. p Heb. iii. 13.
Phil. iv. 1. My brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
ST. PAUL was a man of feeling, a man of love. He felt for all : for those whom he saw perishing in sin, he would willingly have endured all that men or devils could inflict, if only it might be instrumental to their salvation a. For those who belonged to Christ, even though they had never seen his face in the flesh, he had great conflicts, striving if by any means he might promote their eternal welfare. But towards those who had been converted by his mini- stry, he felt as a father towards his children : he could say, " God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ0." To a Rom. ix. 3. » Phil. i. 8.
2158.] STEADFASTNESS IN GOD. Ill
such is this epistle addressed ; as indeed the words of our text clearly evince. Such an accumulation of tender expressions can scarcely be found in the same space in all the Book of God. But what is the drift of them all ? Why does he so labour to con- vince the Philippians of his love, and to conciliate their regards to him ? it was, that they might be stirred up to give the more earnest heed to his ex- hortations, and to " stand fast in the Lord."
To be " in the Lord" is the character of every believer : he is united unto Christ by faith, and is engrafted into him as a branch of the living vine. But our blessed Lord cautions us again and again to " abide in him," and warns us against the danger of separation from himc. In like manner we are fre- quently exhorted to " stand fast in the Lord ;" and so to continue in the faith grounded and settled, that we may not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel."
To you then we would now address the exhorta- tion, and say, Stand fast in, I. Your allegiance to him —
Many things will conspire to draw you away from Christ—
[The world, with its vanities on the one hand, and its ter- rors on the other, will assault you continually the flesh
also will operate to bring you into subjection to all its basest lusts Nor will Satan be idle : he, with all his confede- rate hosts, will strive, by innumerable wiles and temptations, either to subvert your principles, or to vitiate your practice
It is a warfare into which you are brought, when once