in all troubles and distresses: "My grace la sufficient for thee." It should be our earnest l'ffort not " to receive the grace of God In vain," but " to continue ln the grooe of God;" for that grace "bringeth salvation." 2. Peace. Peooe is (1) a condition rest!ng on fact.I! erlern!'1 to ourselves; reconci~tion with God though the atonement of Chmt.. He bore our sms; he suffered our punishment; he gave himself a ransom for many, dying in om stead, that we might live. "Christ bath once suffered for sins the ju.st for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,n His incarnation death 'and resurrection have wholly changed the relations in which we stand toward~ God.' We -.,ere "sometime alienated, and enemies in our mind by wicked works • yet now bath he reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death." " It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself." This is the blessed work of Christ our Lord. He bath slain the enmity; he is our Peace. By his act, external to ourselves, he bath reconciled us to God. But (2) the peace of God is internal, the blessed possession of the Christian soul. "Being ju.stifled by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." "Peace I leave with you," the Saviour said to his chosen-" my pP.ace." Such peace as he had, not freedom from outward care and pain, but a quiet heart resting upon God. His path on earth was full of bitter sorrow, but his inner life was still and ea.Im. No evil or selfish thought ever ruffled the clear current of holy meditation, or disturbed his constant communion with his heavenly Father. The peace of God is the blessing of the clear, calm spirit that bath chosen the good part, seeking to love God only, and t,o serve him with an undivided service, It is the blessed consciousness of forgirnness and acceptance with God; it is the childlike confidence and trustful love which spring from a living faith in Christ's atoning work. It passeth all understanding; it is the earnest of the eternal peace, the peace beyond the grave. It is the peaoe of God, for it is his gift; it comes "from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesns Christ." Learn: 1. To be servants, slaves, of Christ; wholly given up to him; content with that service which is perfect freedom.. 2. To think the best of others, to esteem them better than ourselves. 3. To wish them the best wishes-grace and peace. V ers. 3-8.-St. Pafil an e1X1,mpk to all <Jhristian ministers. I. HE BEMEHBEBB ms 001..-vEBTS. He was possessed through and through with an ardent love of souls, Like the good Shepherd, he knew his sheep, and ea.red for them with a. sincere, selr- sacrificing affection. He worked for them while he could; in prison he does not forget them. His thoughts are not taken up with his own hardships and dangers. The care of all the Churches still occupies his mind. He has his converts in his heart ; it is his joy to think on their progress in holiness, to thank God for his grace vouchsafed unto them. II. HE PRAYS FOB THEIIL 1. Interr-essory prayer was part of his daily work. He had learned of the Lord that men "ought always to pray, and not to faint;" and he "prayed to God always." Thus his time was fully occupied; his mind was active, He was chained to a soldier, he could not visit his converts; but he could think of them, he could pray for them. .And he did what he could. He teaches us by his example to make prayers and supplicatioil6, and t,o give thanks for all men. 2. He prays for all, always. We notice the COil!ita.nt repetition of the word "all" in this Epistle, There were dissensions it seems, among the Philippians. The apostle will not recognize their di.trerences; he l;ves them all. he prays for all : all are dear to him, all have their place in his prayers. 3. His prayers flow from love. He loves them, he longs for them all, and that" in the bowels of Jesus Christ." He loves them as Christ loves them; nay, mart than that, he loves them with the love of Christ, with the heart of Christ; for Christ was bis life: "Not I, but Christ liveth in me." Hence he could say (would to God that we could say the same I) that he loved with Christ's love. Mark the intensity of his consciousness of the blessed presence of Christ in all his power and love abiding within him. III. HLS HUMILITY. None laboured as St. Paul laboured, but he was wholly froe from vain-glory. 1. He gives the g!ory to God. It was Goel who began the good work ir, tl,e \,(:arts of the Philippians; God began it; God will complete it, God is evory- ti,i1,:c;, the a1,ostle notl,ing. Yet tl1is confidence in God makes the apostle work all tlit mc,re; it ii,crea~es his e!Torl-b, it deepens the earnestness of his prayers. 2. He recog OH. I. 1-30,) 'fHE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 9
nizes the fellowship of the Phili-ppians. They had assisted him in the furtherance of the gospel both by their gifts and by their labours. He acknowled"es their help; he than~s God for it ; he regards them all as partakers of his grace. Gr;ce had been giTen to him to endure and to labour. The like grace, he says, had been granted to the Philippians; he is thankful. IV. HIB BIN0ERITY. "God is my witness,'' he says: his love for the Philippians is deep and true; God who seeth the secrets of the heart, knows how he longs after them. Living always in the felt presence of God, he knows, and gla.clly knows, that no thoughts of his heart a.re hidden from God. LESSONS. 1. Pray for the strong love of souls. 2. Pray for a transparent sincerity and truthfulness of heart. 3. Be humble; without humility there can be no real pro- gress in holiness. 4. Give much time to intercessory prayer.