had learned to look upon the things of others; his deepest joy depended, not on his own personal comforts, but on the spiritual progress of those whom he loved. The remembro.nce of the Philippiana (eh. i. 3, 4), the thought of their Christian love, brought joy to his heart. He asks them now to fulfil hiij joy, to increase, to complete it; and that not by gifts (gifts they had sent again and again), but by living together in holy love, by keeping "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." 2. He desire.q that unity because Ohrist desires it. He longed for the Philippians "in the bowels of Je.sus Christ." His life was Christ, "Christ liveth in me," he said; therefore he loved with the love of Christ, and Christ prayed for the unity of the Church. That unity (the Lord Jesus said) should be the mark and badge of his disciples (John xiii. 35); it should be the means of leading the world to believe in his mission, in his gospel (John xvii. 21, 23). 3. He shows the earnestneSB of his desire oy dwelling on the thought of unity. He repeats his exhortation again and a.gain. "Mind the same things," he says; have the same motives, the same desires, the same circle of thoughts. Have the same love; set your love on the same Lord Jesus Christ; regard for his sake with a co=on love all who are called by his Name. Let your souls be knit together in a similarity of affections, wishes, feelings. Let the central thought, the aim of your lives, be one; the one thing needful, the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. IL THE MOTIVES WHICH SHOULD URGE CHRISTIANS TO FOLLOW AFTER UNITY. These are to be found in the inner experiences of the Christian life. I. The indwellin9 presence of <Jhrist. That presence stimulates, quickens, encourages. It is the life of the Christian soul; and that life is diffused through all the members of the one body, through all the branches of the one Vine. '!'heir spiritual life is one; unity a.ids its development; discord checks its growth. 2. The felt comfort of Christian love. Love is the bond of unity; the mutual love of Christians binds together the Christian Church. The truest joy springs out of love. Love comforts, blesses with a holy joy, the heart that entertains its sacred influences. The experience of the blessedness of Christian love should draw Christians nearer to one another in ever closer union. 3. The gift of the Spirit. The one Holy Spirit of God, in whose gifts and graces all in varying degrees participate (1 Cor. xii. 4-12), knits together all the members of Christ into one communion and fellowship. The presence of that one Spirit in each individual Christian constitutes the inner unity of the Church. That inner unity should find its natural expression in outward agreement. 4. The tender feelings of the Christian heart. The life of Christ in the soul, the presence of the blessed Spirit, lead the disciple to imitate his Lord, to learn of him tenderness and compassion. St. Paul asks the Philippians to show their love, their compassion for him by living in unity. If these spiritual truths are real facts to you, he says, verified in your own experience, fulfil ye my joy; be one in spirit and in heart. IIL UNITY IMPLIES HUMILITY. It is pride, self-conceit, that leads to strife and debate; a.void party spirit, avoid vain-glory. 1. Party spirit (ep,B,la) is one of the works of the flesh. (Gal. v. 20.) Party spirit arrays men in factions against one another; they think more of their party than of Christ, more of party triumphs than of the progress of the gospel. This evil tendency soon found a place in the Church. Christians began early to say, "I am of Paul, and I of Cephas." "ls Christ divided?" St. Paul asks in indignant sorrow; there is one body in Christ. 2. Humility is essential for the preservation of unity. Vain-glory must be wholly excluded from the motives and thoughts of the true Christian. Human ambitions are empty and vain; the one true ambition is to please God. We are ambitious ('/>U1.onp.oop.,8a), says St. Paul (2 Cor. v. 9), to be well-pleasing unto him. It is vain-glory that distracts the Church and rends the body of Christ. So far as it intrudes itself into the ruoti ves, it destroys the truth and inner beauty of the religious life. Humility is a. Christian grace, a product of Christianity. 'l'he example of Christ has shed n halo round a word which to the heathen spoke of meanness and cowardice. Holy Scripture has ta.ken it anu filled it with a new and blessed meaning; it suggests to the Christian the deepest piety, tbe inmost reality of personal religion. Humility lies at the very basis of the Christian cha.ractor. "Dlossed are tho poor in spirit," is the first of the beatitudes. There is no true holiness that is not "rotrndcu on humility; for" God giveth grnce to the humble." 'J.'herefore "let each osto~u other better than theu1selves." The highest saints feel anu own themselves to bo tho chief of si11ucrs. Thu uc,uer they Llr"w to the Suu of l'lllJ.ll'l'IANS, F 00 THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE PllILlPPIAN8. [ell. JI, 1......30,
rightC'011sness, the more clearly t,?ey sae theit own guilt nnd unworthiness. "He thnt abasC't,h h11nsell Ehe.11 be exalted. Hence the value of St. P1'ul's rule to esteem othora 1,etter thAn ourselves. W c arc tempted to magnify our own virtues and the faults of nt hers. True wisdom revPrses this. \Ve are to consider others, not for self-cultation1 hu_t for ~If-abasement: yve are to look on our own f~ults to correct them, on the good 1101~t.s_ in others to 1m1t~te t,bem. 3. 1rue humility implie,s unse(fishness. 'l'he t'hnstuui must not put h1mselr first; he must not regard his own wishes his own inter<'.st, as the one thing to be thought of. He must oonsider the feelings ~f others their desires, their wants. Only true humility will ena.ble him to do this. But it is ; harJ losson ; there is need of more than words; there is need of a strength not our own • there ii; need of the stimulating influence of a great example. ' Lra~,,Ns. 1. Learn to search your heart for the realities of Christian experience• vou will find them there, if you arc indeed liviug in fellowship with Christ. 2. Pray f,ir grace to feel real joy in the religious progress of others. 3. Endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. De on your guard against party spirit and vain-glory. Strive t.o be fin;t in humility and self-abasement; it is the secret of Christian joy and Christian growth.