1mbi<>Ct is presented under two asp..--cts. I. Ohrist the present Gain of the sinner, "That I may gain Christ." Consider: (1) The person to be gained. " Christ." The Lord of he.a:en and eart-~, who h~ all t~ures of happiness in his keeping, who is the supreme 0b1ect of angelic worship and samtly adoration. It is the Lord, not man, e,cn t-he_ hi~hest ma~ on l'&rth, whose favour can prosper or save us. (2) How is (Jht·ist tr be ga,nea, (a) :Not by tears; (b) nor by confession to a priest; (c) not by good worb; (d) nor even by our "suffering the loss of all things." We gain Christ simply in the act of our believing; bnt, in accepting the righteousness of God in him by fniLh we t-hrow overboard &11 our righteousness and all our unrighteousness, just as the ship.'. ~n-ecked. ~ilor, to sa,c _hi~ life an~ his.ship, throws his preciou~ cargo in_to the sea. (3) The peculiar diaracteristics of this grun. (a) A man may gam much in this life and yet lose it a,,,oain. This cannot be the case of the sinner who gains Christ. (b) A man may gain much and be disappointed after all. The world is full of such disillusion- ments. But the sinner who gains Christ obtains bliss without end. (c) If a sinner <10<'s not gain Christ be loses his immortal soul. Christ is the one star of hope in the sky of heaven. 2. <Jhrut the present Shelter of the sinner. "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the rigbteonsness of God by faith." (1) The apostle repudiate.s all dependena on his own personal righteousness, even upon that righteousness which i8 of the Law, touching which he considered himself" blameless" from the Pharisaic stand- point. (a) It is in keeping with his doctrine everywhere (Rom. iii. 20; Gal. ii. 16). (b) Human experience confirms the statement of the prophet that" all our righteous- nesses are 86 filthy rags" (Isa. l.xiv. 6). (c) Salvation is everywhere in Scripture repre- renred, not as of debt, but as of free grace (Rom. iv. 4, 5). (2) His entire dependenu u un another's righteousness, which is described in two forms. (a) "That which i~ through the faith of Christ;" that is, a righteousness which becomes ours through our believin~ in Christ, faith being in this case merely the receptive organ or instrumental cause. (b) "The righteousness of God by faith;" that is, the righteousness which God provides for man's salvation as received by faith. The whole phraseology is thoroughly Pauline (sec homiletica.l hints on Gal. ii. 16). Ii. THE KNOWLEDG£ OF Cmillrr AS OON1''ECTED WITB THE POWER OF BIS RESUR- RECTION Al-"D THE FELLOWSHIP OF ms BUFFEBINGB. " That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." The saving knowledge of Christ must t.ake in the fact of his resurrec- tion 86 well 86 the fad of his death, because his resurrection was but the seal and crown of his redeeming sacrifice. Therefore the believer's aspiration is always to know Christ in the power of his resurrection. I. " The power of his resurrection." (1) There is a polemic aspect of this power; for he is declared to be " the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. i 3, 4). (2) There is an apologetic aspect of it, as attesting his Divine mission (1 Cor. xv. 15). (3) 'l'here is a dogmatic aspect of it, as i JJdicating the acceptance of his sacrifice, and as it is the pledge of our justification (!lorn. iv. 24, 25). (4) There is an ethical aspect of it, presented by its relation to our vursuit of holiness. (a) It is the resurrection-power of Christ which gives the new life. "Because I live ye shall live also" (John xiv. 19). (b) It is by virtue of the 1csurrection that the Holy Ghost comes to abide in the Church, as a Spirit of trut!i, :rrace, and consolation. (c) It is by the same _power we are enable~ ~ su~due sm (Eph. i. 19 20 • Rom. vi.; Gal. iL 20). (d) It 1s the same power which wspires hope (1 Pet. i. 3'; 1 Cor. n.; Col. L 5). (5) It has a prophetic aspect; for it is the pledge uf uur future resurrection (Rom. viii. 11; 1 Oor. vi. 14; 2 Cor. iv. 14). 2. " The fellow- ship of hu sujferings, being 'fTW,(U cunformable unto his death." We are to share in the sufferino-s he suffered, and to drink of the cup which he drank, not in relation merely tu the s~ering of persecution, but all suffering that arises out of our conflict with sin. We can thus understand such passages as 2 Cor. i. 6; 1 Pet. iv. 13; Rom. vi. 6; viii. 17 ; 2 Tim. ii 11, 12. ill THE ULTIIUTE OBJECT OONTEIIPLATED BY THE APOSTLE. "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection from the dead.'' 1. What he deaired m the futwre. /1) Kot a part iri the general resurrection. (2) Not spiritual resurrection, for that was :.lrea.riy past. (3) Ilut a part in the resurrection of the just (Luke xx. 35; Acts iv. 2 ; l l'ct. L :C:J. It ill the, r(;llurrectien of life. 2. Whp M d,esired it. (1) It would be a OH. HI, 1-21.] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS.
final escape from evil. (2) H would be the occasion of his final and blessed recognition by his Saviour-Judge. (3) It would be a pledge of his eternal happiness in heaven. 3. What his desire implies. (1) A high appreciation of the value of this resurrection from the dead. (2) A sense of its difficulty, as regarded from the human sicle. (,3) 'fhe persuasion of·it may be attained in various degree8. There is a touch of hypr,- thetic humility in his language. (4) A disposition to submit to all providential arrangements that lead to it.-T. C.