Vers. 8-11.-Pliases of Christ. "I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Paul presents Christ in four a~pects. I. As A PRIZE. "That I may win Christ." What is it to win Christ"! !,t :.,; some- thing more than to bocome acquainted with his biography, sometning m,.1re than to 144 THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILlPPIANS. [ou. III. 1-21.
understand the doctrinu he taught or the theory of his life and mission. To gnin him is t-0 gain his mor&l spirit. His moral spirit is himself-that which ml\rked him off from RII oth~r men _thl\t have !ived-that is the Christ. "If any man have not the Spirit ofChnst., he 1s none ofh1s." II. As A REST. "Found in him." For the soul to be found In Christ is to be found in his cha.racter. We are all living in the chRracters of others. The unregenerate world lives in the fallen chRracter of Adam. The regenerate world lives in Christ in the cha- racter of Christ. Resting in his character as the branch rests in the trunk of the tree derivin!,r from it its life, its form, its hue, its fruit. Oh to live in his character in hi; i;potiess purity, in his immeasurable love, in bis matchless excellence I Those who do so will 11ot have their "own righteousness, which is of the Law," etc., but his moral rectitude. III. As A THEIIE. "Tha.t I may know him." The knowledge here does not mean intellectual knowledge, but heart-knowledge, experimental knowledge. I. Know him by experience personally. Before you can know a person you must have the spirit that animates him. Love alone can interpret love, etc. 2. Know by experience the power of his resurrection. All the spiritual significance and benefits of his resurrection from the dead. 3. Know by experience his sufferings. " Have fellowship with his sufferings." There are three kinds of suffering: (1) those in which Christ could have no fellowship; (2) those which he experienced, and in which men could have no fellowship; and (3) those in which men are bound to have fellowship with Christ. We are commanded to be partakers of some of his su1ferings. (1) We should have fellow- ship with the intense regret which he felt on account of the existence of moral evil. The fact of evil sat as a mountain of agony on the heart of Christ. Sin was a horrible thing to him, the" abominable thing" which he hated. (2) We should have fellowship with the sorrowful sympathies which he had for the sufferings of men. His tears over Jerusalem, etc. (3) We sbonld have fellowship with those sufferings which he endured on account of the dishonour sin does to the infinite Father. IV. As A MODEL. "Conformable unto his death." What does this mean? To die in the manner which he died on t},e cross? No. But to live and die in the mood he did, which was self-sacrifice. He died, not for himself, but for others. "He gave him- self a ransom for many." Self-sacrificing love is the essence of personal Christianity, and nothing else.-D. T. 'V eni. 12-14.-Moral onwardness. '.Phe Grecian racecourse was well lmown to Paul and to all his readers, and hence he often uses it as a figure to illustrate the Christian life. The subject is spiritual advancement, onwardness in Divine excellence. The words s~agest that this progress implies three things. L A CONSCIOUS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE PRESENT. By this I mean, not dissatis- faction with the events and circumstances of life-Divine providences-this would be foolish and impious, but with present moral attainments, for he says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." He was not satisfied with his present assimilation to Christ. He painfully felt the discrepancy. 'l'his dissatisfac- tion is ever the first step in soul-progress and the impelling motive afterwards. Indeed, dissatisfaction with present attainments is the spring of all advancement in evervthing in life. Dissatisfied with huts, men build houses; with the loose skin of beasts for their covering, they manufacture garments; with caligraphy, they invent the printina-press; with waggons, they construct steam-engines. He who feels satisfied with what h~ has, whether it be mat.eria.1, menta~ or spiritual, will never seek to lay bold of something yet unattained. II. A COMPARATIVE OBLIVIOUtn."EBB TO THE PAST. "Forgetting those things which are behind." The Olympic racer did not look behind him on the course, but on to the goal until he reached and grasped the pole. In soul-onwardness there m11St be a. cowparative obliviousness. We say ccmparative. Of course there must be and ought to be remembrances of past mercies to inspire our gratitude, of past sins to humble us before Gvd. But attention to the past should be as nothing to that which we give to tut future. Let the past go: it is irreparable and unavailing; the grand future must lor_,m before us and absorb the soul. Look not behind you. Keep your eyes right ui,ward upon the enchanting scenes that are spread out on the sunny heights. l II. A CONCENTRATED i!TRUGGLE FOB THE FUTURE. "I press toward the mark for OIL ID. 1-21,) THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 145