mlr~h there may be an undertone of celestial joy. Man is called to joy, not to trouble. 'l'he o.rt is in going straight to Jesus the infinite Fountain, and in avoiding the broken cisterns that line our way. III. CF:LESTIAL 0ITIZENBBIP BEBPEAKB MODERATION. (Ver. 5.) It ill befits a citizen of heaven to be ostontatious and venturesome to the utmost brink of Christian liberty. Display is not the outcome or issue of a consciousness of our citizenship above. Especially when we live with the abiding persuasion of the Lord's Apeedy advent, all want of moderation seems out of place, In proportion as we rejoice in the Lord shall we be distinguished by moderation in our life and carriage. If God gives abundance, it is that we may manifest the spirit of moderation and never be the least intoxicated by success. Ostentation must be left to the world. IV. CELESTIAL 0ITIZENSHIP 0ALLB FOB A LIFE WITHOUT CAREFULNESS. (Vers. 6, 7.) Just as in heaven the saintly souls keep nothing back from God and so live au unclouded life before him, so ought celestial citizens to live the open life with God here and be correspondingly free from ea.re. And here it may be observed that a.n old divine has quaintly put our duty as expressed in these verses thus, that we should " be careful for nothing ; be prayerful for everything; be thankful for anything." The result of such confidence is peace. "God's peace which pa.sseth all understanding shall keep our hearts and minds," or, as the Revised Version bas it," shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." Freed from anxious care, why should we not be peaceful? V. CELESTIAL CITIZENSHIP CALLS UPON US TO LOOK OUT FOB AND THINK UPON THE TRUE, THE HONOURABLE, TII.E JUST, THE PURE, THE LOVELY, THE GRACIOUS, THE MANLY, 'AND THE PRAISEFUL, (Ver. 8.) Now, it is truly wonderful how a joyful Christian spirit will discover upon bis path, be it ever so lowly, such food for thought as is sketched for us here. It has been said with great beauty, "If we do but opeo our hearts at a single poiot, the spiritual water and blood will find an entrance, will purge our egotism aod complete the sacrifice, In this confidence, 'as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,' we shall go freely on our appointed way, knowing that it may become to us a discipline of God, and that there is no way so beaten but that things true and honest, and just and lovely, may be found in it." The joyful, beaveo-centred soul discerns food for meditation where others canoot find it, and moves upward upon a. path of increasing light towards "the perfect day." VI. THE GOD OF PEA CB GRANTS FELLOWSHIP TO SUCH CITIZENS. (Ver. 9.) If we honestly enter upon the joyful, peaceful life of heavenly citizenship, the felt presence of God a.s the God of peace shall be always with us. Over the peace he has made in our once tempest-tossed hearts he will rejoice with singing, and in his love anJ. fellow- ship we shall be enabled to rest. The King of the celestial country can keep bis citizens company a.II the time they are here on earth ; they are at home with God all their happy days ; he takes their burdens from them and soothes them in sorrow and makes them somewhat worthy of their heavenly hopes. With such well-fillet!. minds aod hearts may we journey onward towards the fatherland above !-R. M. E.
Vers. 10-23,-The art of Divine contentment. 'l'he Pbilippians, having sent by Epaphroditus certain love-tokens to the apostle, must have a receipt from tho mag- nanimous receiver. Most likely they were not of much intrinsic value, but Paul's great heart rejoices over them and calls them "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice well- pleasing unto God." At the same time, he lets them know that be could have beeu content without these love-tokens, though he is delighted with them; for he has learned the lesson of the years, to be content with any state in which a loving Lord might be pleased to place him. And here we have to notice- L CONTENTMENT IB AN ART, (Ver. 11.) It must be" learned." We cannot acquire it at a bound. We must serve our apprenticeship to it as to any other art. It is not a science to be theoretically mastered, but an art to be prRctically obtained. We must go to the "school of art," we must sot ourselves earnestly as scholars to learn the lesson, and we must "keep our bands in" by constant practice, II. 1'HE 0ONTENTED SPIRIT MAKES LITTLE OF ITS WANTS. (Vers. 11-13.) Paul had not sent any word to Philippi about his needs. He had become so superior to circum- stances that a.basement and abundance made no difference to him. Faith io Christ THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [oH, IV. 1-23,