doe~ 11~t consist _in a few oocasi~nal he!'o_io 11ct:9 ~one in the excitement of temporary rnthns1~Fm. lt 1s n constant faithful hvrngl 1t 1s holding the citlldel throughout lifo a.£:Rin,t the aRSaults of temptation. Thongh great -deeds have been done aud a con- sirlernble time well speut, all is vain if we give up at the last and me.ke shipwreck nt t I,<' end oft h<' voyage. 2. It is diffic,ilt. It is easier to be the faithful martyr oC n dny 1han the faithful serv1mt of a lifetime. To stand fast when we are weary, to hold on throngh a long cheerless night of adversity, to have patience with the frettinlT of small 0 trials, and io endure to the end, are the hard tasks. II. 1.HE CONDITIOY. We are to" stand fast in the Lord." Steadfastness in our own condition, opinion, 11.nd habit, is stagnation. We may be in a state when anythina but 0 steadra.stness is necessary, when to be upset is to be saved. There are men who need to be made to doubt. Christ was a most unsettling preacher, and true Christian teach- ing must aim at disturbing those who are holding on in a wrong way, Let us not con- found a right steadfastness with obstinat.e self-will. The first essential is that we are " in the Lord," and the one steadfastness commended is abiding in him. • • • IIL THE METHOD. " Wherefore . . . so stand fast," eto, These words carry us back to the preceding thoughts. There we have a description of the Christian's heavenly cit.izenship, and his hope of the second advent of Christ. A persistent hope is a security for steadfastness, an anchor of the soul (Heb. vi. 19). Just in proportion as we live in heaven, with thoughts, affections, motives, and efforts centred in Christ and his king- dom, shall we be able to hold out on earth firmly against the storms of trouble and temptation. • IY. THE MOTIVE. The motive which inspires St. Paul t.o urge the duty of steadfast- ness upon the Philippians is his personal affection for them. The expression of this must have been felt by them as a strong incentive to a true response. The apostle seems to have regarded his Macedonian converts at Philippi and Thessalonica as the choicest of his friends. They were his brethren, beloved, longed for in ab,'lence, still a source of joy to the imprisoned apostle as he thought of them, and regarded as a crown ~f ¥ictory and proof of the glorious success of his labours for the day of the Lord. We can wish nothing better for those we love than their Christian fidelity. :\M:inisters have a strong hold upon their people when they can urge personal affection and joyous recognition of good done as a motive for further progress. The love and honour of those who have laboured and suffered for the Church are great motives to inspire .faitl?-ful steadfastne.ss in all Chri6tians.-W. F. A. Ver. 4.-Ch.ristianjoy. No doubt the apostle used a common expression of parting salutation, similar to our "farewell," when he wrote the word which· we translate "rejoice." But it is certain that he was not one to employ conventional language as an empty form. Old familiar words, often repeated quite thoughtlessly, were taken by him in their full original signification. So when Christ said, " Peace be with you;" he uttered a familiar phrase of parting ; but he breathed int.o it a deep meaning, and gave peace with the words. Christ's salutation was a benediction ; St. Paul's salutation was a.t least an utterance of a heartfelt desire for the joy of his friends. L WE ABE ENCOURAGED TO BEJOlCE. Christianity grows out of a gospel It was heralded by angel-songs of gladness. The f~eral dirge is not_ the suitable expression of our worship. Hosanna shouts and hallelujahs more become its glad character. We are encouraged to rejoice on many grounds.. 1. For our own sakes. li there is no virtue in melancholy, it is foolish to refU&e the gladness offered by God. 2. For the sake of O'U,1' work. Joy is invigorating. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Needless melancholy is sinful when it paralyzes our energies. 3. For the 8ake of other,, Our joy will be sunshine to others if it be a true, generous, Christian gladnes11. Our gloom will make other11 miserable. Moreover, by manifesting Chrietiao joy we invite others to share in the benefits of !he gospel. 4. For Cl.ri1Jt's sake. It pleases him and honours him. IL 0cB. JOY SHOULD SPRING FBOK CHRIST. We are to "rejoice in the Lord." Other innocent joys are permitted and consecrated by Christ; for was he not a helpful Guest at tht marriage feast? and did he not scandalize some gloomy hypocrites by taking a very different CQurse from his ascetic forerunner? Indeed, many earthly joys are safo tu the Christian wLicb are perilous to others, because the Uluistian enters them with OIL IV, 1-23.] THE EPISTLE TO THE l'HlLIPPJANS. 105
Divine safeguards, "All things are yours" is said to Christians, pnrtly because II to the pure all things are pure." But a peculiarly Christian joy is derived directly from Christ. 1. The joy of his love, receivin" and returnin" it. Love is the source of the greatest joy, 2. The joy of his serui°ce, delighting ~ do his will. 3. The joy of his blessing. The heavenly citizenship a.ad its inheritance are ours in Christ. III. Oua JOY IN CHRIST SHOULD DE CON'l1Nuous. The difficulty is to rejoice alway. It requires much faith and nearness to Christ. It is only possible to those who Jive in the unseen and eternal. But if, believing in our heavenly citizenship, we set our affections above, with our heart and our treasure in heaven, and with the heaven of Christ's presence in our soul here, there will spring up a joy in the midst of earthly trouble. It is remarkable that this Epistle to the Philippians, written under the most adverse earthly circumstaqces, by the worn and aged apostle in prison, is the fullest of gladness. The secret is the richness of the inner life of St. Paul, as this was made bright by his close fellowship with Christ.-W. F. A.