Phil. iv. 9. Those things, which ye have both learned, and re- ceived, and heard, and seen in me, do : and the God of peace shall be with yon.
NO man was ever more averse to boasting than the Apostle Paul : and, when compelled to declare what God had done in him or by him, he appeared to himself " a fool," for uttering it ; though he was conscious that he acted, not from choice, but from absolute and indispensable necessity. But, in truth, what might be called boasting in an uninspired man, was not deserving of that name in him ; because he knew that he had been raised up by God, to be an instructor to mankind, both in his doctrines and ex- ample. Hence he not only affirmed, that " his word was the word, not of man, but of Goda ;" but exhorted men to " be followers and imitators of him b," " even as he was of Christ0." In the chapter preceding our text, he speaks strongly to this effect : " Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them who walk so, as ye have us for an ensampled." Nor did he confine his exhortation to a reception of his doc- trines merely : he suggested the same in reference to his conduct also6. He was a great advocate for practical religion ; and urged on his Philippian con- verts a diligent attention to " every thing which was true, and honest, and just, and pure, and lovely, and of good report :" and then, in reference both to his precepts and example, he added, " Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard and seen in me, do ; and the God of peace shall be with you."
To enforce this exhortation, I will set before you, I. The lessons he has taught us —
Of course, I can speak of. these but in a very general and superficial way. Your time would not
a 1 Thess. ii. 13. h 1 Cor. iv. 16. e i Cor. xi. 1. ui^rai. d Phil. iii. 17. e 2 Thess. iii. 9.