The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 186

grand sermon on the mount and embodied in the life of its matchless Preacher, and this ,.-quires faith in him. Though my means may be 11m111l and name quite obacure Live only by labour ~nd dwell 'mid the poor, ' rm resolved upon this, anJ I'll follow it through To love and to practise the " things that are truG.\o The things that are showy are things in request. The empty and thoughtless regard them as bosL rve pondered the matter, and I will pursue, Despite of all customs, the "things that are true.• rm rcsolv'd upon this, and I'll follow it through, To love and to practise the "things that are true.• The things mOBt imposing Ol'8 things for the proud: The pomp and the glitter enamour the crowd; Pretenocs and shams rm resolved to eschew, And walk in the light of the "things that are true." Though things most in vogue are the things to ensure Most gold for the pocket, most fame for the holll' • The ,·ain and the greedy, for them they may do, ' To me all is worthless but "things that are true.• rm resolved, eto. The "things that are true" are the things that will 10.llt A~l seemings will vanish as dreams that are past; Like clouds that are swept from the face of the sky All falsehoods of life they shall melt by-and-by. ' The thillo"II of a party Heav'n knows bow I hate I The blight of the Church and the curse of the stat.e: The minions of cliqueship, what mischief they do I Avaunt to all canting l All hail ~ the true I rm resolved, eto. D.T. Ver. 9.-The transmission '!I tM knowledge of <Jhrist. "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with yon." 'l'his verse is wpposed by some to close the letter. The remaining verses are considered to be the postscript in which the apostle gracefully acknowledges the generous contributions he had received from them through the hands of Epaphroditus, The t.ext directs attention to the transmission of the knowledge of Christ. Observe- L This knowledge of Christ is to be transmitted FBOH KAN TO Jililil. "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received," eLc. It is suggested that the transmission oi thiB knowledge includes two things. L Teaching on the part of tlie minister. Paul had received the gospel (1 Cor. xv. a; Gali 12), a.nd received it as a message, received it to communicate. This he did-did to the Philippians as well as to others. He did it in two ways. (1) By word& ".And heard." After his commission Paul used all hie oratoric force for this purpose. He spoke to men rationally, devoutly, intelligently, earnestly, a.nd with invincible persistence. The story of Christ is to be handed. down from man to man by human lips. The pen can no more do the work of the tongue in this respect than the moon can do the work of the sun. Under the influence of the former the landscape will wither and the rivers will freeze. (2) By e:campk. "And seen in me." Paul embodied the gospel. His life confirmed the doctrine that his lipti declared. In him, as in his Master, the "word became flesh." Here, then, is the Divine way of trall.Sraitting from generation to generation the story of Christ. Men have tried other ways and have signally failed; hence the wretched moral condition of the world to-day. This way is, to a great extent, practically ignored. 2. Lea,rn,ing on the part of the hearer. "Ye have both learned, and received, and heard." A man may tell the story of Christ with the utmost accuracy and full!el:iii. The spirit of the stury he may breathe in his life and embody in his conduct, liut it i.s only vitally transrait.t.ed so far as it is learnt by the auditors. We live in an agt whtn poople, through a vitiated moral taste, theoloiical prejudices, and 11ectaria.D on. 1v. 1-23.] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS.