U. Trrn SOURCE OF STRENGTH. 1. Intercessory prayer. He knows that the Philip- pians will pray for him. When they hear of the bitter opposition of his Jndaizing adversnries, they will pray the more earnestly that help may be given him in his perplexities nnd triBls. He gladly believes that their prayers in bis behalf will be beard. He knows the power of prayer. He, the great apostle, is thankful for the prayers of the humblest Christian. 'fbe highest saints are ever the lowliest. 2. The supply of tlie Spirit given in answer to the prayer of faith. "My Father will give the Holy Spirit to them tha.t ask him." In proportion to the depth, the strength, the reality of prayer, the help of the Spirit is given. That help issues in salvation; "to be spiritually minded is life." The presence of the Spirit in the soul is the earnest, the pledge, of our inheritance in heaven. He works within us tha.t holiness without which we cannot see God. His writing in the heart is the counterpart of those golden characters of love in which the names of God's saints are written in the Lamb's book of life. III. THE RESULT OF THAT STRENGTH. 1. Boldness of speech. A gift to be earnestly desired by all Christian ministers: boldness to preach the Word; to be instant in season and out of season; to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering. It is a rare gift; it requires that strength of conviction, that vividness of hope, that deep humility, which were characteristic of St. Paul. With all his thoughts concentrated on the one great desire of glorifying Christ, with bis assured confidence that in nothing he should be ashamed, with his absolute trust in the fulfilment of God's promises, he ::ould speak from the fulness of his own personal experience, boldly, persuasively, with a holy enthusiasm which mightily drew the hearts of men. Oh that we could fo!lo,v him as he followed Christ 1 2. The glory of Christ. It is this that St. Paul desires with such intense eagerness; not his own glory, not earthly success or earthly com- forts, but that Chl'ist may be magnified in bis body. He is content to leave the issues of life or death wholly in the band of God; willing to live, if hls apostolic activity is needed for the spread of the gospel; willing to die, if the death of martyrdom would best serve his Master's cause. His one desire is that Christ should be magnified in his servant. Learn: 1. To value intercessory prayer, to pray ourselves for others, to desire their prayers for us. 2. To prize above all things the daily supply of the influences of the Holy Spirit. 3. To pray for boldness of speech. 4. But only that Christ may be glorified.
Vere. 21-26.-The great alternative, life or death. I. ST. PAUL IS PREPARED FOR EITHER; "for," be says," to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 1. Christ was his life. Christ was magnified, not in his body only, in his labours and suffering, but in his spirit. The presence of Christ filled bis whole conscious existence; communion with Christ was to him the very breath of life. Life was worth having only so far as the life of Christ was realized in the apostle's life. The outward life, with its comforts or its hardships, was as nothing in comparison with this inner life of the ~pirit. "Dost thou not, 0 blessed Paul, live the common life of men?" exclaims St. Chrysostom; "dost thou not see the sun, dost thou not breathe the air, dost thou not neeJ sleep, food, clothing, like ourselves?" Yes, he needed these things; be sent for bis cloak and books. But he lived in the spirit of the Saviour's words, "Take no thought [no anxious thought] for your life;" "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." His real life was bidden-hidden with Christ whose presence filled bis soul. He was dead unto the world, but alive unto God. He was conscious of high thoughts burning within him; there was a power there and an energy that lifted him up and strengthened him and filled him with calm and holy joy in all his many trials. But that new life was not his life: "Not I, but Christ." Christ was there; that sacred presence influenced the whole conscious life of the apostle, keeping up a current of pure, high, heavenly thought within his heart. Where that blessed presence dwelletb the outward life sinks into comparative insignificance. St. Paul scarcely counted that outwaru lii'e as belong- ing to himself; it was full of change, shadowy, unreal. His true, real life was the Life that lived within him. "To me to live is Christ." 2. Death would be gain to St. Paul. Life in Christ is blessed; still more blessed are the holy dead. They rest from their labours; death removes them from the temptations, conflicts, cares of lifo. And IZ THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILil'PIANS. [en. I. 1-30
t.o depa.rt is to be with Christ, in his immediate presence. 'l'o see him thus 1 without the inten-enti~n of the veil of flesh, is gain, unutterable gAin. But we must know by our own experience the power of Christ's life indwelling in our souls before we can feel with the apostle that death is truly gAin. JI. ST. PAUL E.Nows NOT WHICH TO CHOOSE, LIFE OR DEATH. Who can tell the bless~ness of S1Jch advanoed holiness? Who would not gladly accept St. Paul's ruffenngi, to share his calm faith? Life is blessed, for it is life in Christ. Death is ble~, "by ~uch very far better," for it is to bo with Christ. The apostle hesitates; he 1s m a stl"ILlt between two alteru&tives-work for Christ here, and the life with Uhrist in Paradise. 1. For himulf his desire is set towards departing. Deat.h is to him but the weighing anchor, or the taking down of his tent, the last stage in his journey to the heavenly country. The blessedness awaiting him there is beyond the power of langua+?e to express; it needs the tongue of angels. 2. But he fears there may be some- tJm,g of selfishness in this wnging to depart. His continued life on earth may be necessary for the progress of the gospel For his converts' sake he is willing to remain, for their furtherance and joy. A high example of most entire unselfishness. 3. He l.ea11es his will submissive to the higher will of God. God knows better than he what is best for the Church and for himself. One thing he knows: if his presence is needful, he shall continue with his converts; for his life and death a.re in the hands of God, and God doeth a.II things well. !.ESSON&. 1. Death is no strange thing to the advanced Christian; he lives in habitual preparation for it. 2. He knows that he is in the hands of God; knowing this, he is content to live, and content to die; "Thy will be done;" 3. Mor~ than this, . he bath a desire to depart, for to depart is to be with Christ. 4. But this holy resigna- tion, this calm and blessed hope, implies a life of fellowship with Christ. "'l'o me to live is Christ." Be it our most eager desire, our most earnest effort, thus to live.