Tho devil is II liar nnd the father of lies. He said to Eve," Ye shall not surely die;" it was the first wicked falsehood. The world is false with its cheating pleasures; it passeth away nnd the lusts thereof. 2. " Whatsoever things are l,onest." Whatsoever things nre deep and earnest, honourable and reverend. The Christian life bath a decorum of its own, a calm, grave dignity. Reverence and godly fear are essential to acceptable service, Charity "doth not behave itself unseemly." 3. " Whatsoever things are just." The saintly life is not of the world, but it is in the world and bath its duties there. Holiness is not separate from morality; it transcends morality, but it implies it. We must bear always in our thoughts the Saviour's role: "Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you." 4. " Whatsoever things are JYll,re." The pure in heart shall see God. "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil." Nothing that defileth can enter into his presence. The Christian heart is the chosen temple of God the Holy Ghost. To bring unclean thoughts into that most sacred presence is an awful sin. The Christian's thoughts must be pure and holy. 5. " Whatsoever things are lovely." The Christian character is lovable; gentleness, humility, charity, naturally attract love. "Think on these things;" see them in their perfection as exemplified in the Lord Jesus Christ; meditate much on his perfect holiness. 6. " Whatsoever things are of good report." Think on such things as_ are gracious and attractive. Let nothing coarse or vulgnr occupy your thoughts; let images of true beauty fill your souls. 7. "If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise." "Provide things honest in the sight of all men." Do not neglect even the more human conceptions of goodness. All good thoughts have their value; think on every form of virtue, all things worthy of praise. III. TsE LESSON ENFORCED BY EXAMPLE. 1. Holy thooght leads to holy living. St. Paul was able to illustrate his precepts by his own holy life. Nothing enforces religious teaching so powerfully as the example of the teacher. He gave them a rule of thought; he exhibited in his own life a rule of conduct. 2. The blessed result. St. Paul's holiness flowed from the presence of God ; the God of peace will abide with all who, like St. Paul, strive always to think holy thoughts and to live holy lives. LESSQNB. 1. Pray for grace to govern the thoughts. 2. It is most important to mark what the thoughts naturally turn to in times of leisure; this should be a frequent subject for self-examination; it shows the bent of the character. 3. Remember the influence of example.
Vera. 10-13.~St. Paul's happy temper. L IIIB JOY oVEB THE AFFECTION OF THE Psn.IPPIANB. 1.. Their loving thought for him gave him great joy. He greatly loved hie converts; their love for him was, next after the blessed love of Christ, his greatest comfort and support. He rejoiced in the proof of their love; it was sweet to him; it was good for them, an evidence of their spiritual progress. 2. He may perhaps have feared that their love was growing cold; now he rejoiced. The spiritual life bas its seasons, its winter and its spring, its times of depression and its times of fervour. It cannot but be affected in some degree, while we are in the flesh, by physical canses and by outward circumstances. We must not allow ourselves to be cast down; we must struggle on, looking always unto Jesus. Our moods and feelings are changeful. He is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." II. BIB CONTENTMENT. 1. He had learned to be independent of external cfrcum- stances. That joy in the Lord of which he speaks so much in this Epistle armed his soul against the trials of life. He that bath found Christ will not be wholly cast down by outward troubles. "Cast down [rather, • being cast down'], but not destroyed" (2 Cor. iv. 9). "Come unto me, all that are weary and heavy laden . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls." No one was ever more tried than St. Paul; but he was con- tent in the midst of hardships, self-sufficient in the Christian sense, not with the independence of pride or StoicisJll, but resting upon Christ. 2. He was armed both for prosperity and adversity. Christian self-sufficiency, which is really the sufficiency of Christ, is shown in sorrow and in joy; "in all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth." The true Christian can bear misfortune and hardship with dignity, without ill humour and complaints; he can bear riches and honour with self-possession, without arrogance or elation. '!'his true self-sufficiency manifests itself in all the circumstances of life, "in every thing and in all things." 3, He was taught of God. " I have been THE EPISTLE TO THE PHlLIPPIANS. [en:. IV, 1-23,