we receive of hill fulness, grace for grace. That union is the guarantee of a full supply for all our needs. V. TRB DOXOLOGY APPROPRIATE TO SUCH A THOUGHT. Cl Now to God oven our Father be the glory forever an~ ever. Amen.'' 'l'his ~ticipatorydoxology is suggested by the pregnant thought of this passage. The glory 1s due to him who supplies our need.-T. C.
Vers. 21, 22.-Mutual salutationa. I. CHRISTIANITY 18 THE RELIGION OF GOOD WILL TO MAN. It wishes well to all men, but especially to those of the household of faith. The apostle asks the Philippians to sa.lute each individual sa.int a.s if he were to be the recipi_ent of_ a se~re.te blessing: "S~lu~ every sain~ in Christ Jesus." The bleSBings we wish for our tnends &re only to be enJoyed in Christ Jesus. II. THE SALUTATIONS INDTOATE THE SOLIDARITY OF TBE Cmraoa The Church at Home is closely bound to the Church at Philippi. 1. The saltitation of the apostle's companions. "The brethren which are with mesa.lute you." That is, a.s distinguished from the sa.ints at Rome. The brethren included, at least, Timothy, Luke, Epaphro- ditus, Arista.rebus, Tychicus, Epaphras, Mark, Demas, Onesimus. 2. The salutation of the saints, a.nd es'bm~y those of OIIWI,r's household. "All the saints salute you, but especially those of r's household." The saints of the great city of Rome, so far from despising the saints of the colonial town of Philippi, acknowledge a common brotherhood in their kindly greeting. The thought of the saints in Cmsar's household suggests many reflections as to the penetrative power of the gospel. It is a remarkable tribute to its power that there should be saints in the household of Nero Cmsar. Mark: (1) The plaa of the~ saints . .. In Cmsar's household." Whether they were members of the Prietorian Guard or retainers in the emperor's family, they were (a.) in the most important position in the world-at Rome, the seat of empire, with communications reaching to the ends of the earth; (b) they were tolerated in their religion, during the brief interval when Rome, with a glorions impartiality, opened its gates to all the faiths of the world, but in two years' time, indifference turned to hatred, and hatred to per- secution; (c) they were in the most corrupt household in the world, in the la.st place where we should have expected to find saints. (2) The cha.ra,cter of their sa.intship. (a) It was heroic saintship; (b) it showed independence; (c) it showed constancy; The catacombs of Rome convey the record of this se.intship in the original purity of gospel life.-T. C. Vers. 1-9.-The life of ;"oy and peace. Celestial citizenship, "other-worldliness," as it has been called, should have a further issue than the expectation of the advent. It should have practical issues in a life of great peace and joy. It is, therefore, to such a life Paul calli bis Philippian converts. Let us look at the interesting details. L CELESTIAL OITIZENBBIP CA.LLB FOB UNITY Alm OO·OPERATION IN THE - WORK OF THE Loan. (Vers. 1-3.) Nothing is so productive of unity as our assurance that we are citizeus or the same heaven. Why should compatriots fall out in this distant land? Should we not bury our differences and march forward shoulder to shoulder? Euodias anri Syntyche must be of the same mind in the Lord. The workers male and female at Philippi are cordially to co-operate. They ought to be a united band. As heaven o'>erarches us all and uuifies the population of the globe, so should the thought of our eclestial citizenship make all one. For in heaven there shall be no divisions and vexa- tions. The brotherhood shall never there be broken. For unbroken brotherhood, ti,erefore, we should long wrl labour here. II. CELESTIAL CITJZEKSBIP CALLS FOB JOY IN THE LORD AT ALL TIMES. (Ver. 4.) The art of eojoying: life is what Christianity alone can_teach us. Man's effort at first was to n,joice apart frolll God; to cat and enjoy the frmt, no matter what charges God Lad givcn. Aud tLis idea ti!ill haunts man.kind. Prodigals and legalists imagine that they can enjoy life most away from the heavenly Father (Luke xv. 11-32). But wo learn a diff11rent lesson in the gospel. We learn that tbo Father's house is full of "nHu;ic and dar.cing;" in other words, heaven is the home of joy-joy, too, that is cv~rlaeting. And we realize that in the Lord alone the sources of true and lasting joy :1H: to Le found. When we look to him and confide in him, then we come as citizens vf i,eaH:u tv rejoice in him 'UollJI times. In seasons of sorrow as well as in seasons of OH, IV, 1-23,] TUE EPIS'fLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 173