,transcriber's ,notes - ,this book uses ,,small ,,caps occasionally throughout4 ,you might need to experiment with browsers and fonts to find a combination that shows ,,small ,,caps correctly4 - ,the text of the series shifts among font sizes and between one and two column presentations1 in an effort to maximize the amount of text that can appear on the printed page4 ,this transcription will dispense with that formatting because costs are so much lower in the digital world4 - ,this book is a collection of men's opinions on six epistles of ,apostle ,paul3 ,galatians1 ,ephesians1 ,philippians1 ,colossians1 ,first ,thessalonians1 and ,second ,thessalonians1 in the ,bible1 the inspired ,word of ,god4 ,the book was printed toward the end of the #aith century4 ,some of the comments might be considered culturally insensitive today4 ,,the ,,preacher',s ,,complete ,,homiletic ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,with ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes1 ,,indexes1 ,,etc41 ,,by ,,various ,,authors ,,the ,,old ,,testament ,volumes #a-ba ,,the ,,new ,,testament ,volumes #bb-cb ,,volume #bi ,the ,preacher's ,complete ,homiletic ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,epistles ,,of ,,st4 ,,paul ,,the ,,apostle ,galatians1 ,ephesians1 ,philippians1 ,colossians1 ,,and ,i4-,,ii4 ,thessalonians ,by the ,,rev4 ,,george ,,barlow ,author of the ,commentaries on ,kings1 ,psalms 7,,cxxi4--,,cxxx471 ,lamentations1 ,ezekiel1 ,timothy1 ,titus1 and ,philemon ,,logo ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,funk ,,wagnalls ,,company ,,new ,,york ,,the ,,preacher',s ,,homiletical ,,commentary4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,galatians4 ,,introduction4 ,character of the ,galatians4--,these people were of ,celtic descent4 ,they were the relics of a ,gaulish invasion which swept over ,south-eastern ,europe in the early part of the third century before ,christ and poured into ,asia ,minor4 ,here the ,celtic tribes maintained themselves in independence under their native princes1 until a hundred years later they were subdued by the ,romans4 ,their country now formed a province of the empire4 ,they had retained much of their ancient language and manners2 at the same time1 they readily acquired ,greek culture1 and were superior to their neighbours in intelligence4 ,jews had settled among them in considerable numbers and had prepared the way of the ,gospel2 it was through their influence that the ,judaistic agitation took so strong a hold of the ,galatian ,churches4 ,the epistle implies that its readers generally were acquainted with the ,old ,testament and with ,hebrew history1 and that they took a lively interest in the affairs of the ,churches of ,jerusalem and ,antioch4 ,none of the ,new ,testament ,churches possesses a more strongly marked character4 ,they exhibit the well-known traits of the ,celtic nature4 ,they were generous1 impulsive1 vehement in feeling and language2 but vain1 fickle1 and quarrelsome4 ,csar wrote3 ,the infirmity of the ,gauls is that they are fickle in their resolves1 fond of change1 and not to be trusted2 and by ,thierry they are characterised thus3 ,frank1 impetuous1 impressible1 eminently intelligent1 but at the same time extremely changeable1 inconstant1 fond of show1 perpetually quarrelling1 the fruit of excessive vanity4 ,eight of the fifteen works of the flesh enumerated in chap4 v4 #bj1 #ba are sins of strife4 ,they could hardly be restrained from biting and devouring one another 7ch4 v4 #ae74 ,like their kinsmen at this time in the west of ,europe1 they were prone to revellings and drunkenness4 ,they had probably a natural bent towards a scenic and ritualistic type of religion1 which made the spirituality of the ,gospel pall upon their taste and gave to the teaching of the ,judaisers its fatal bewitchment4 ,the authorship of the epistle4--,that it was written by ,st4 ,paul has never been seriously doubted4 ,his authorship is upheld by the unanimous testimony of the ancient ,church4 ,allusions and indirect citations are found in the writings of the apostolic ,fathers--,clement1 ,ignatius1 ,polycarp1 and ,justin ,martyr1 or whoever wrote the ,oratio ad ,grcos4 ,the internal evidence of ,pauline authorship is conclusive by allusions to the history and by the self-portrayal of the writer's character4 ,no forger ever made an imitation in which were so many secret threads of similarity1 which bore such a stamp of originality1 or in which the character1 the passion1 the mode of thought and reasoning1 were so naturally represented4 ,the apostle's mental characteristics are indelibly impressed on the letter4 ,the time of writing the epistle4--,lightfoot1 in disagreement from most earlier interpreters1 maintained that this epistle was written between #b ,corinthians and ,romans--that is1 during the latter part of ,paul's journey in ,macedonia1 or the earlier part of his sojourn at ,corinth1 towards the close of the year #eg or #eh ,a4,d4 ,dr4 ,beet comes to the same conclusion4 ,there is nothing in the letter itself to fix definitely either the place or time of its composition4 ,from chap4 i4 #i1 iv4 #ac1 v4 #c we gather that ,st4 ,paul had now been in ,galatia twice2 the epistle was therefore subsequent to the journey which he took across ,asia ,minor in setting out on his third missionary tour 7,acts xviii4 #bb--xix4 #a74 ,all students are agreed that it belongs to the period of the legalist controversy and to the second group of the epistles4 ,on every account one is inclined to refer the letter to the last rather than to an earlier period of the third missionary tour4 ,comparison with the other epistles of the group raises this probability almost to a certainty and enables us to fix the date and occasion of this letter with confidence4 ,the purpose and analysis of the epistle4--,it is intensely polemical4 ,it is a controversial pamphlet rather than an ordinary letter4 ,the matter of dispute is twofold3 #a4 ,paul's apostleship2 and #b4 ,the nature of the ,gospel and the sufficiency of faith in ,christ for full salvation4 ,this gives the order of the first two and main parts of the epistle4 ,a third section is added of a moral and hortatory nature4 ,the contents of the epistle may be thus analysed3-- ,i4 ,,introductory ,,address4--#a4 ,the apostolic salutation 7ch4 i4 #a-e74 #b4 ,the ,galatians' defection 7ch4 i4 #f-aj74 ,,ii4 ,,personal ,,apologia3 ,,an ,,autobiographical ,,retrospect4--,the apostle's teaching derived from ,god and not man1 as proved by the circumstances of3 #a4 ,his education 7ch4 i4 #ac1 #ad74 #b4 ,his conversion 7ch4 i4 #ae-ag74 #c4 ,his intercourse with the other apostles 7ch4 i4 #ah-bd1 ii4 #a-aj74 #d4 ,his conduct in the controversy with ,peter at ,antioch 7ch4 ii4 #aa-ad74 ,the subject of which controversy was the supersession of the law by ,christ 7ch4 ii4 #ae-ba74 ,,iii4 ,,dogmatic ,,apologia3 ,,inferiority ,,of ,,judaism1 ,,or ,,legal ,,christianity1 ,,to ,,the ,,doctrine ,,of ,,faith4--#a4 ,the ,galatians bewitched into retrogression from a spiritual system into a carnal system 7ch4 iii4 #a-e74 #b4 ,abraham himself a witness to the efficacy of faith 7ch4 iii4 #f-i74 #c4 ,faith in ,christ alone removes the curse which the law entails 7ch4 iii4 #aj-ad74 #d4 ,the validity of the promise unaffected by the law 7ch4 iii4 #ae-ah74 #e4 ,special pdagogic function of the law 7ch4 iii4 #ai-bi74 #f4 ,the law a state of tutelage 7ch4 iv4 #a-g74 #g4 ,meanness and barrenness of mere ritualism 7ch4 iv4 #h-aa74 #h4 ,the past zeal of the ,galatians contrasted with their present coldness 7ch4 iv4 #ab-bj74 #i4 ,the allegory of ,isaac and ,ishmael 7ch4 iv4 #ba-ca74 ,,iv4 ,,hortatory ,,application ,,of ,,the ,,foregoing4--#a4 ,christian liberty excludes ,judaism 7ch4 v4 #a-f74 #b4 ,the ,judaising intruders 7ch4 v4 #g-ab74 #c4 ,liberty not licence1 but love 7ch4 v4 #ac-ae74 #d4 ,the works of the flesh and of the ,spirit 7ch4 v4 #af-bf74 #e4 ,the duty of sympathy 7vi4 #a-e74 #f4 ,the duty of liberality 7ch4 vi4 #f-aj74 ,v4 ,,autograph ,,conclusion4--#a4 ,the ,judaisers' motive 7ch4 vi4 #ab1 #ac74 #b4 ,the apostle's motive 7ch4 vi4 #ad1 #ae74 #c4 ,his parting benediction and claim to be freed from further annoyance 7ch4 vi4 #af-ah74 7,findlay and ,sanday47 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,paul1 an apostle4--,he puts his own name and apostleship prominent1 because his apostolic commission needs to be vindicated against deniers of it4 ,not of1 or from1 men1 but by1 or from1 ,jesus ,christ and ,god the ,father4 ,the ,divine source of his apostleship is emphatically stated1 as also the infallible authority for the ,gospel he taught4 ,ver4 #f4 ,i marvel that ye are so soon removed4--,so quickly removed2 not so soon after your conversion1 or soon after ,i left you1 but so soon after the temptation came2 so readily and with such little persuasion 7cf4 ch4 v4 #g-i74 ,it is the fickleness of the ,galatians the apostle deplores4 ,an early backsliding1 such as the contrary view assumes1 would not have been matter of so great wonder as if it had taken place later4 ,vers4 #h1 #i4 ,any other gospel4--,the apostle is here asserting the oneness1 the integrity of his ,gospel4 ,it will not brook a rival4 ,it will not suffer any foreign admixture4 ,let him be accursed4--,devoted to the punishment his audacity merits4 ,in its spiritual application the word denotes the state of one who is alienated from ,god by sin4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,not after man4--,not according to man2 not influenced by mere human considerations1 as it would be if it were of human origin4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,but by the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4--,probably this took place during the three years1 in part of which the apostle sojourned in ,arabia 7vers4 #ag1 #ah71 in the vicinity of the scene of the giving of the law2 a fit place for such a revelation of the ,gospel of grace which supersedes the ceremonial law4 ,though he had received no instruction from the apostles1 but from the ,holy ,ghost1 yet when he met them his ,gospel exactly agreed with theirs4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers4--,st4 ,paul seems to have belonged to the extreme party of the ,pharisees 7,acts xxii4 #c1 xxiii4 #g1 xxvi4 #e2 ,phil4 iii4 #e1 #f71 whose pride it was to call themselves zealots of the law1 zealots of ,god4 ,a portion of these extreme partisans1 forming into a separate sect under ,judas of ,galilee1 took the name of zealots par excellence1 and distinguished themselves by their furious opposition to the ,romans4 ,ver4 #af4 ,to reveal ,his ,son in me that ,i might preach ,him4--,the revealing of ,his ,son by me to the ,gentiles was impossible1 unless ,he had first revealed ,his ,son in me2 at first on my conversion1 but especially at the subsequent revelation from ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ab71 whereby ,i learnt the ,gospel's independence of the ,mosaic law4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,they glorified ,god in me4--,he does not say1 adds ,chrysostom1 they marvelled at me1 they praised me1 they were struck with admiration of me1 but he attributes all to grace4 ,they glorified ,god in me4 ,how different1 he implies to the ,galatians1 their spirit from yours4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-e4 ,apostolic ,credentials4 ,i4 ,that apostolic credentials claim distinctively ,divine authority4--,paul1 an apostle1 not of men1 neither by man1 but by ,jesus ,christ and ,god the ,father 7ver4 #a74 ,it must have been a painful moment when ,paul first became aware that spurious teachers questioned the validity of his apostolic call1 and a still more painful disappointment when he discovered his ,galatian converts so readily gave credence to those who maligned him4 ,his fears were roused1 not so much for his personal reputation as for the injury to the religious life of his converts if they cherished suspicions as to the ,divine character of the truth they had been taught4 ,the mischief must be dealt with at once4 ,he boldly and emphatically declared that his commission was direct from ,god and bore the same ,divine stamp as that of the other apostles1 whose authority even the false teachers had not the temerity to deny4 ,it has been ever the rle of the subtle adversary of man to strive to eliminate the ,divine element from the truth and drag it down to a common human level4 ,truth then loses its stability1 begins to move in a flux of confused human opinions1 and the soul is plunged into bewilderment and doubt4 ,whatever tends to vitiate the truth brings peril to the peace and upward progress of the soul4 ,the power of the teacher increases with an ever-deepening conviction of the ,divine authority of his message4 ,,ii4 ,that apostolic credentials recognise the oneness of the ,christian brotherhood4--,and all the brethren which are with me 7ver4 #b74 ,here is the indication that ,st4 ,paul was not unduly solicitous about his personal reputation4 ,while insisting upon the unquestioned ,divine source of his apostleship1 he does not arrogate a haughty superiority over his brethren4 ,he is one with them in ,christ1 in the belief of and fidelity to the truth1 in the arduous labours of pioneer work1 in building up and consolidating the ,church1 and unites them with himself in his ,christian greeting4 ,it is the sublime aim of the ,gospel to promote universal brotherhood by bringing men into spiritual union with ,christ1 the ,elder ,brother4 ,christ is the unifying force of redeemed humanity4 ,ecclesiastical ranks are largely human expedients1 necessary for maintaining order and discipline4 ,the great ,head of the ,church has promulgated the unchallengeable law of religious equality3 ,one is your ,master1 even ,christ1 and all ye are brethren 7,matt4 xxiii4 #h74 ,,iii4 ,that apostolic credentials justify the use of a sublime and comprehensive greeting4--,grace be to you and peace1 etc4 7ver4 #c74 ,a greeting like this from some lips would be fulsome1 or at the best mere exaggerated politeness4 ,but coming from one who was in constant communion with the ,source of the blessings desired1 and from which ,source he had received his call to the apostleship1 it is at once dignified1 large-hearted1 and genuine4 ,grace and peace are inclusive of the best blessings ,heaven can bestow or man receive4 ,they are ,divine in their origin and nature--from ,god the ,father and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,grace is the spontaneous outflow of ,divine love in the redemption of the race and is the more precious because unmerited2 and peace is the conscious experience of that grace in the believing soul--peace from outward dissension and inward fret1 peace of conscience1 peace with ,god and man4 ,the blessings the apostle desires ,god is ever eager to bestow4 ,filling up our time with and for ,god is the way1 said ,david ,brainerd1 to rise up and lie down in peace4 ,i longed that my life might be filled up with fervency and activity in the things of ,god4 ,oh1 the peace1 composure1 and ,god-like serenity of such a frame6 ,heaven must differ from this only in degree1 not in kind4 ,,iv4 ,that apostolic credentials are evident in the clear statement of the great principles of the ,gospel salvation4--,who gave ,himself for our sins1 that ,he might deliver us1 etc4 7vers4 #d1 #e74 ,in these words1 we have a suggestive epitome of the whole ,gospel4 ,man is delivered from sin and from the present evil age by the self-sacrifice of ,jesus2 and this method is according to the will of ,god1 and brings unceasing glory to ,his name4 ,this is the ,gospel in a nutshell and involves all the grand principles of redemption the apostle was commissioned to declare1 and which he develops more clearly in the course of this epistle4 ,deliverance is ,divinely provided1 irrespective of human effort or merit4 ,the ,galatians in seeking to return to legal bondage ignored the root principles of the ,gospel and imperilled their salvation4 ,the apostle vindicated the credentials of his high office by faithful remonstrance and plain authoritative statement of the truth ,divinely revealed to him4 ,it is a mark of high intellectual power to make the greatest truths clear to the humblest mind4 ,christian teaching has all the more weight when associated with irreproachable moral character4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,god should be gratefully recognised as the ,giver of all good4 #b4 ,the special endowments of one are for the benefit of all4 #c4 ,it is a solemn responsibility to be entrusted with the preaching of the ,gospel4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the ,power of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,free grace doth often light upon the most unworthy1 not only by giving salvation to themselves1 but making them instrumental for the kingdom of ,christ1 and bringing about the salvation of others4 #b4 ,faithful and called ministers of ,christ are to be so far from cowardly ceding1 or heartless fainting under the bold1 bitter1 and unjust aspersions of those who question their calling1 and thereby weaken their authority and render the truth of their doctrine doubtsome1 that they ought the more to avow their calling against all who question it4 #c4 ,the office of an apostle had this peculiar to itself1 that the designation was not mediately by the election and suffrages of men1 as in the calling of ordinary office-bearers1 but immediately from ,god1 so that the function of the apostles ceased with them and did not pass by succession to a pope or any other4 #d4 ,the false apostles1 that they might shake the truth preached by ,paul and establish their own contrary error1 alleged that he was no lawful apostle4 ,this ,paul refutes by showing he was called by ,christ after ,he was raised from the dead and had taken possession of ,his kingdom1 so that his calling had at least no less dignity and glory in it than if he had been called by ,christ when ,he was on earth4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #b4 ,the ,church a ,witness4--#a4 ,the more they are whom ,god maketh use of to hold out the beauty of truth that we may embrace and follow it1 or the deformity and danger of error that we may fly from and hate it1 we are the more to take heed how we reject or embrace what is pressed upon us1 as there will be the more to bear witness of our guilt and subscribe to the equity of ,god's judgment if we obey not4 #b4 ,we are not so to stumble at the many sinful failings which may be in ,churches1 as to unchurch them1 by denying them to be a ,church1 or to separate from them1 if their error be not contrary to fundamental truths1 or if they err from human frailty1 and not obstinately and avowedly4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #c4 ,christian ,salutation4--#a4 ,god's gracious favour and goodwill is to be sought by us in the first place1 whether for ourselves or others1 that being a discriminating mercy betwixt the godly and the wicked4 #b4 ,peace is to be sought after grace1 and not to be expected before it4 ,peace without grace is no peace4 ,there can be no peace with ,god or ,his creatures1 nor sanctified prosperity1 except through ,jesus ,christ we lay hold on ,god's favour and grace4 #c4 ,grace and peace we cannot acquire by our own industry or pains4 ,they come from ,god1 are to be sought from ,him1 and ,his blessing is more to be depended on than our own wisdom or diligence4 #d4 ,they to whom grace and peace belong are such as acknowledge ,christ to be their ,lord to command and rule them1 and yield subjection to ,him in their heart and life4--,ibid4 ,grace and ,peace4 ,i4 ,grace is not any gift in man but is ,god's and in ,god4 ,it signifies ,his gracious favour and goodwill1 whereby ,he is well pleased with us in ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,peace is a gift not in ,god1 but in us4 #a4 ,peace of conscience--a quietness and tranquillity of mind arising from a sense of reconciliation with ,god4 #b4 ,peace with the creatures--with angels1 with the godly1 with our enemies4 #c4 ,prosperity and good success4 ,,iii4 ,whereas ,paul begins his prayer with grace we learn that grace in ,god is the cause of all good things in us4 ,,iv4 ,the chief things to be sought after are the favour of ,god in ,christ and the peace of a good conscience4 ,v4 ,as grace and peace are joined we learn that peace without grace is no peace4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #d1 #e4 ,the ,unselfishness of ,jesus4 ,i4 ,prompting self-surrender4--,who gave ,himself4 ,,ii4 ,his self-surrender was an unmerited and unlooked-for expiation4--,for our sins4 ,,iii4 ,creates the hope and possibility of immediate salvation4--,that ,he might deliver us from this present evil world4 ,,iv4 ,was a suggestive revelation of the ,divine character4--,according to the will of ,god and our ,father4 ,v4 ,should evoke the spirit of grateful praise4--,to whom be glory for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,ver4 #d4 ,christ our ,sacrifice4 ,i4 ,whereas ,christ is the giver of ,himself it follows that ,his death and sacrifice were voluntary4 ,,ii4 ,therefore1 all merit and satisfaction for sin are reduced to the person of ,christ1 and there are no human satisfactions for sin1 nor meritorious works done by us4 ,,iii4 ,christ our sacrifice works love in us4--,we must in mind and meditation come to the cross of ,christ4 #a4 ,the consideration of ,his endless pains for our sins must breed in us a godly sorrow4 ,if ,he sorrowed for them1 much more must we4 #b4 ,this knowledge is the beginning of amendment of life4 #c4 ,is the foundation of comfort in them that truly turn to ,christ4 ,,iv4 ,christ gave ,himself that ,he might deliver us from this evil world4--#a4 ,we must be grieved at the wickedness of the world4 #b4 ,we must not fashion ourselves to the wicked lives of the men of this world4 #c4 ,seeing we are taken out of this world1 our dwelling must be in heaven4--,perkins4 ,the ,gift of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the gift4--,he gave ,himself4 ,regard ,christ3 #a4 ,as the object of every prophecy4 #b4 ,the substance of every type and shadow4 #c4 ,the subject of every promise4 #d4 ,he was qualified for the work of redemption4 ,divine1 human1 spotless4 ,,ii4 ,christ's marvellous act4--,he gave ,himself for our sins4 #a4 ,to what ,he gave ,himself4 ,to all the privations and sorrows of human life1 to obscurity and indigence1 to scorn and infamy1 to pain and anguish1 to an ignominious and painful death4 #b4 ,the purpose for which ,he gave ,himself4 ,to deliver us from sin's curse1 defilement1 dominion1 and from the effects of sin in this world and in eternity4 ,,iii4 ,the design of ,christ's offering4--,that ,he might deliver us from the present evil world4 ,from its evil practices1 its spirit1 from attachment to it1 and from the condemnation to which it will be subjected4 ,,iv4 ,christ's offering was according to the will of ,god4--#a4 ,it was the will of ,god we should be saved4 #b4 ,christ was the appointed agent4 #c4 ,the sacrifice of ,christ was voluntary4--,helps4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-i4 ,the ,one ,gospel4 ,i4 ,is an introduction into the grace of ,christ4--,i marvel that ye are so soon removed from ,him that called you into the grace of ,christ 7ver4 #f74 ,the one true ,gospel is the emphatic call of ,god to man to participate and revel in the grace of ,christ as the element and the only means by which his salvation can be secured4 ,the grace of ,christ1 with its persuasive gentleness and vast redemptive resources1 is in vivid contrast to the grim formalism and impossible demands of the yoke of bondage into which the ,galatians were being so foolishly seduced4 ,there is only one ,gospel that can introduce the soul into the midst of saving influences and bring it into contact with the living ,christ4 ,this one fact differentiates the ,gospel from all mere human methods and gives it a unique character as the only remedial agency in dealing with human sin and sorrow4 ,,ii4 ,the perversion of the one ,gospel is not a gospel4--,unto another gospel which is not another 7vers4 #f1 #g74 #a4 ,it is a caricature of the true ,gospel4--,and would pervert the gospel of ,christ 7ver4 #g74 ,the perversion is not in the one ,gospel1 which is impossible of perversion 7for truth is an incorruptible unity71 but in the mind of the false teacher4 ,he distorts and misrepresents the true ,gospel by importing into it his own corrupt philosophy1 as the wolf did with ,baron ,munchausen's horse4 ,beginning at the tail1 it ate its way into the body of the horse1 until the baron drove the wolf home harnessed in the skin of the horse4 ,the ,gospel has suffered more from the subtle infusion of human errors than from the open opposition of its most violent enemies4 #b4 ,it occasions distractions of mind4--,there be some that trouble you 7ver4 #g74 ,a perverted gospel works the greatest havoc among young converts4 ,they are assailed before they reach the stage of matured stability4 ,their half-formed conceptions of truth are confused with specious ideas1 attractive by their novelty1 and mischief is wrought which in many cases is a lifelong injury4 ,the spirit that aims at polluting a young beginner in the way of righteousness is worse than reckless2 it is diabolical4 ,,iii4 ,the propagator of a perverted gospel incurs an awful malediction4--,but though we1 or an angel from heaven1 preach any other gospel1 4 4 4 let him be accursed 7vers4 #h1 #i74 ,let him be devoted to destruction1 as one hateful to ,god and an enemy of the truth4 ,the word denotes the condition of one alienated from ,god by persistent sin4 ,he not only rejects the truth himself1 but deliberately plots the ruin of others4 ,he reaps the fruit of his own sowing4 ,it is impossible to do wrong without suffering4 ,the greater the wrong-doing1 the more signal is the consequent punishment4 ,all perversions of truth are fruitful in moral disasters4 ,it is a mad1 suicidal act for man to fight against ,god4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,there can be but one true and infallible ,gospel4 #b4 ,the best human method for moral reformation is but a caricature of the true4 #c4 ,the false teacher will not escape punishment4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,remonstrance with ,revolters against the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the apostle reproves with meekness and tenderness of heart4 ,,ii4 ,he frames his reproof with great wariness and circumspection4--,he says not1 ye of yourselves do remove to another gospel1 but ye are removed4 ,he blames them but in part and lays the principal blame on others4 ,,iii4 ,the revolt was a departure from the calling to the grace of ,christ4--#a4 ,they were soon carried away4 ,this shows the lightness and inconstancy of man's nature1 especially in religion4 ,the multitude of people are like wax and are fit to take the stamp and impression of any religion2 and it is the law of the land that makes the most embrace the ,gospel1 and not conscience4 #b4 ,that we may constantly persevere in the profession of the true faith we must receive the ,gospel simply for itself4 #c4 ,we must be renewed in the spirit of our minds and suffer no by-corners in our hearts4 #d4 ,we must not only be hearers but doers of the ,word in the principal duties to be practised4 ,,iv4 ,the ,galatians revolt to another gospel1 compounded of ,christ and the works of the law4--,here we see the curious niceness and daintiness of man's nature that cannot be content with the good things of ,god unless they be framed to our minds4 ,if they please us for a time1 they do not please us long1 but we must have new things4 ,the apostle shows that1 though it be another gospel in the estimation of the false teachers1 is not another1 but a subversion of the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,there is but one ,gospel1 one in number1 and no more4 ,there is but one way of salvation by ,christ1 whereby all are to be saved from the beginning of the world to the end4 ,v4 ,the apostle charges the authors of this revolt with two crimes4--#a4 ,they trouble the ,galatians1 not only because they make divisions1 but because they trouble their consciences settled in the ,gospel of ,christ4 #b4 ,they overthrow the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,they did not reach a doctrine flat contrary4 ,they maintained the ,gospel in word and put an addition to it of their own out of the law--salvation by works4 ,they perverted and turned upside-down the ,gospel of ,christ4--,perkins4 ,the ,perversion of ,truth-- ,i4 ,supplants the ,gospel with a valueless imitation4--,another gospel which is not another4 ,,ii4 ,is contrary to the ,divine purpose4--,from ,him that called you into the grace of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,creates a gulf between the soul and ,god4--,i marvel that ye are so soon removed from ,him4 ,,iv4 ,unsettles the faith of new converts4--,there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of ,christ4 ,ver4 #f4 ,disappointed ,hopes in ,christian ,work4--#a4 ,it is the duty of ,christian ministers1 not only to hold out the pure truth of the ,gospel1 but to defend it by convicting gainsayers and reproving solidly those who are carried away with contrary errors4 #b4 ,ministers in all their reproofs are to use much wariness and circumspection1 not omitting any circumstance which may justly extenuate the sin or furnish ground of hope of amendment4 ,hereby the bitter portion of a medicinal reproof is much sweetened1 and the guilty patient allured to the more thorough receiving of it4 #c4 ,the most quick-sighted may be deceived and disappointed in their expectation of good things from some eminent professors1 and so may readily fall short of their hope4 #d4 ,as the dangerous consequences which follow upon error ought to be presented unto people that they may fly from it1 so there are some errors in doctrine which do no less separate from ,god than profanity of life doth1 of which errors this is one--the maintaining of justification by works4 #e4 ,it is ordinary for seducers to usher in their errors by some excellent designations as of new lights1 a more pure gospel way1 and what not1 as here they designate their error by the name of another gospel4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #g4 ,the ,inviolable ,unity of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,there is but one ,gospel1 one in number and no more1 and but one way to salvation1 which is by faith4 #b4 ,the effect of error is to trouble the ,church's peace2 peace among themselves1 the patrons of error being zealous of nothing so much as to gain many followers1 to attain which they scruple not to make woeful rents and deplorable schisms2 inward peace of conscience1 while some are perplexed and anxious what to choose and refuse until they question all truth1 and others to embrace error for truth and so ground their peace on an unsure foundation4 #c4 ,the doctrine which maintains that justification is partly by ,christ and partly by the merit of good works is a perverting and total overturning of the ,gospel1 in so far as it contradicts the main scope of the ,gospel1 which is to exalt ,christ as our complete ,saviour1 ,mediator1 and ,ransom1 and not in part only4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #h4 ,the ,inviolability of ,christianity4 ,i4 ,the import and construction of the ,gospel cannot be vague and indeterminate4--,the character of the ,gospel was alleged to be its truth4 ,this was1 to the sophists of that era1 a strange and novel pretension4 ,to require faith to a testimony only so far as conformable to fact1 only so far as supported by evidence1 appeared to them a startling affectation4 ,in the fixed character we recognise the true perfection of the ,gospel4 ,it is the same through all ages1 not changing to every touch and varying beneath every eye but unfolding the same features and producing the same effects4 ,unless there was this invariableness in the ,christian system1 if a fixed determination of its purport is impossible1 we should be at a loss in which manner to follow the conduct and imbibe the spirit of the early ,christians4 ,those lights and examples of the ,church would only ensnare us into a mien and attitude ridiculous as profane4 ,it would be the dwarf attempting to bare a giant's arm1 a wayfaring man aspiring to a prophet's vision4 ,the truth as it is in ,jesus is contained in that ,word which is the truth itself2 there it is laid up as in a casket and hallowed as in a shrine4 ,no change can pass upon it4 ,it bears the character of its first perfection4 ,like the manna and the rod in the recess of the ,ark1 it is the incorruptible bread of heaven1 it is the ever-living instrument of might1 without an altered form or superseded virtue4 ,,ii4 ,its ,divine origin and authority cannot be controverted4--,the history of ,saul of ,tarsus has often been cited with happy success in confirmation of ,christianity4 #a4 ,what must have been the strength and satisfaction of conviction entertained by the writer6 ,the conviction has to do with facts4 ,it pertains to no favourite theory1 no abstract science1 but occurrences which he had proved by sensible observation and perfect consciousness4 ,wonders had teemed around him2 but his own transformation was the most signal wonder of all4 ,nothing without him could equal what he discerned within4 #b4 ,as we estimate the measure and force of his convictions1 inquire what weight and credibility should be allowed them4 ,put his conduct to any rack1 his design to any analysis1 and then determine whether we are not safe where he is undaunted1 whether we may not decide for that on which he perils all1 whether the anathema which he dares pronounce does not throw around us the safeguard of a ,divine benediction4 ,,iii4 ,its efficacy cannot be denied4--,it was not called into operation until numberless expedients of man had been frustrated4 ,philosophy1 rhetoric1 art1 were joined to superstitions1 radicated into all habits and vices of mankind4 ,the very ruins which survive the fall of polytheism--the frieze with its mythological tale1 the column yet soaring with inimitable majesty1 the statue breathing an air of divinity--recall the fascinations which it once might boast and of the auxiliaries it could command4 ,yet these were but the decorations of selfishness most indecently avowed1 of licentiousness most brutally incontinent1 of war the most wantonly bloody1 of slavery the most barbarously oppressive4 ,and ,christianity subverted these foundations of iniquity2 and yet so all-penetrating is its energy1 that it did not so much smite them as that they sank away before it4 ,it reaches the human will and renews the human heart4 ,and a thousand blessings which may at first appear derived from an independent source are really poured forth from this4 ,,iv4 ,the authority and force of the present dispensation of ,divine truth cannot be superseded4--,it is final4 ,in it ,he hath spoken whose voice shall be heard no more until it shake not the earth only but also heaven4 ,no other sensible manifestation can be given1 the doctrine is not to be simplified1 the ritual is not to be defined to any further extent1 nothing more will be vouchsafed to augment its blessings or ratify its credentials4 ,we possess the true light1 the perfect gift1 the brightest illumination1 the costliest boon4 ,such a dispensation constituted to be co-existent with all future time1 must resist every view which would impress a new form or foist a strange nature upon it4 ,v4 ,no circumstance or agency can endanger the existence and stability of the ,christian revelation4--,when the security of the ,gospel is to be most confidently predicted and most strongly ascertained1 supernatural power is restrained--a curse encloses it round about1 a flaming sword turning every way guards this tree of life4 ,it shall endure coevally with man4 ,feeble are our present thoughts1 confused our perceptions2 we see everything as from behind a cloud and in a disproportion4 ,our convictions are more like conjectures and our speculations dreams4 ,but we shall soon emerge from this state of crude fancies and immature ideas4 ,worthy sentiments and feelings will fill up our souls4 ,each view shall be as a ray of light striking its object1 and each song the very echo of its theme4 ,then shall we adequately understand why apostles kindled into indignation and shook with horror at the idea of another gospel1 and why even angels themselves must have been accursed had it been possible for them to have divulged it4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,a ,supernatural ,revelation4--,there can be no doubt whatever as a matter of historic fact1 that the apostle ,paul claimed to have received direct revelation from heaven4 ,he is so certain of that revelation that he warns the ,galatians against being enticed by any apparent evidence to doubt it4 ,it would be impossible to express a stronger1 a more deliberate1 and a more solemn conviction that he had received a supernatural communication of the will of ,god4--,dr4 ,wace1 ,bampton ,lectures4 ,the ,best ,authority to be obeyed4--,a dispute having arisen on some question of ecclesiastical discipline and ritual1 ,king ,oswi summoned in #ffd a great council at ,whitby4 ,the one set of disputants appealed to the authority of ,columba1 the other to that of ,st4 ,peter4 ,you own1 cried the puzzled king to ,colman1 that ,christ gave to ,peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven3 has ,he given such power to ,columba8 ,the bishop could but answer1 ,no4 ,then ,i will obey the porter of heaven1 said ,oswi1 lest when ,i reach its gates he who has the keys in his keeping turn his back on me1 and there be none to open4 ,latitudinarianism4--,referring to ,erasmus's temporising policy in the ,reformation1 ,froude says3 ,the question of questions is1 what all this latitudinarian philosophising1 this cultivated epicurean gracefulness1 would have come to if left to itself1 or rather1 what was the effect which it was inevitably producing8 ,if you wish to remove an old building without bringing it in ruin about your ears1 you must begin at the top1 remove the stones gradually downwards1 and touch the foundation last4 ,but latitudinarianism loosens the elementary principles of theology4 ,it destroys the premises on which the system rests4 ,it would beg the question to say that this would in itself have been undesirable2 but the practical effect of it1 as the world then stood1 would have been only to make the educated into infidels1 and to leave the multitude to a convenient but debasing superstition4 ,ver4 #i4 ,the ,true ,gospel to be preached and believed4 ,i4 ,the repetition of these words by ,paul signify that he had not spoken rashly but advisedly1 whatsoever he had said before4 ,,ii4 ,that the point delivered is an infallible truth of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,that we may observe and remember what he had said as the foundation of our religion--that the doctrine of the apostles is the only infallible truth of ,god1 against which we may not listen to ,fathers1 ,councils1 or to the very angels of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,they are accursed who teach otherwise than the ,galatians had received4--,as ,paul preached the ,gospel of ,christ1 so the ,galatians received it4 ,the great fault of our times is that whereas the ,gospel is preached it is not accordingly received4 ,many have no care to know it2 and they who know it give not unto it the assent of faith1 but only hold it in opinion4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ab4 ,the ,superhuman ,origin of the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the ,gospel is not constructed on human principles4--,but ,i certify you1 brethren1 that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man 7ver4 #aa74 ,its character is such as the human mind would never have conceived4 ,when it was first proclaimed it was the puzzle of the religious and the ridicule of the learned--unto the ,jews a stumbling-block1 and unto the ,greeks foolishness4 ,it is wholly opposed to the drift of human tendencies4 ,its supreme aim is to effect a complete transformation of human nature4 ,not to destroy that nature1 but to renew1 elevate1 and sublimate it4 ,by its principle of self-sacrificing love1 its insistence of the essential oneness of the race1 its methods in dealing with the world's evils1 its lofty morality1 and its uncompromising claims of superiority the ,gospel transcends all the efforts of human ingenuity4 ,augustine1 the father of ,western theology in the fifth century1 divided the human race into two classes--the one who lived according to man and the other who lived according to ,god4 ,the ,gospel is the only revelation that teaches man how to live according to ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the ,gospel does not pander to human tastes4--,for do ,i now persuade men1 or ,god8 or do ,i seek to please men8 for if ,i yet pleased men1 ,i should not be the servant of ,christ 7ver4 #aj74 ,the adversaries of the apostle insinuated that he was a trimmer1 observing the law among the ,jews and yet persuading the ,gentiles to renounce it2 becoming all things to all men that he might form a party of his own4 ,such an insinuation was based on an utter misconception of the ,gospel4 ,so far from flattering1 ,paul preached a ,gospel that humbled men1 demanding repentance and reform4 ,it often came in collision with popular tastes and opinions2 and though the apostle was a man of broad views and sympathies1 he was ever the faithful and uncompromising servant of ,christ4 ,public opinion may be hugely mistaken1 and there is danger of over-estimating its importance4 ,it is the lofty function of the preacher to create a healthy public opinion and ,christianise it1 and he can do this only by a scrupulous and constant representation of the mind of ,christ1 his ,divine ,master4 ,the wise ,phocion was so sensible how dangerous it was to be touched with what the multitude approved that upon a general acclamation made when he was making an oration he turned to an intelligent friend and asked in a surprised manner1 ,what slip have ,i made8 ,george ,macdonald once said1 ,when one has learned to seek the honour that cometh from ,god only1 he will take the withholding of the honour that cometh by man very lightly indeed4 ,,iii4 ,the ,gospel has a distinctly superhuman origin4--,for ,i neither received it of man1 neither was ,i taught it1 but by the revelation of ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ab74 ,paul's reception of the ,gospel was not only a revelation of ,christ to him1 but at the same time a revelation of ,christ in him4 ,the human vehicle was spiritually prepared for the reception and understanding of the ,divine message2 and this moral transformation not only convinced him of the superhuman character of the ,gospel1 but also empowered him with authority to declare it4 ,the ,gospel carries with it the self-evidencing force of its ,divine origin in its effect upon both preacher and hearer4 ,it is still an enigma to the mere intellectual student2 only as it is received into the inmost soul1 by the aid of the ,holy ,spirit1 is its true nature apprehended and enjoyed4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,man everywhere is in dire need of the ,gospel4 #b4 ,the human mind is incapable of constructing a saving ,gospel4 #c4 ,the ,gospel is inefficacious till it is received as a ,divine gift4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,fidelity in the ,ministry4 ,i4 ,the proper nature of the ministry is not the word or doctrine of man but of ,god4--,ministers are taught to handle their doctrine with modesty and humility1 without ostentation1 with reverence1 and with a consideration of the majesty of ,god1 whose doctrine it is they utter4 ,,ii4 ,the dispensing of the ,word must not be for the pleasing of men but ,god4--,ministers must not apply and fashion their doctrine to the affections1 humours1 and dispositions of men1 but keep a good conscience and do their office4 ,,iii4 ,if we seek to please men we cannot be the servants of ,god4--,he that would be a faithful minister of the ,gospel must deny the pride of his heart1 be emptied of ambition1 and set himself wholly to seek the glory of ,god in his calling4--,perkins4 ,the ,servant of ,christ4 ,i4 ,there is nothing dishonourable in the idea of a servant absolutely considered4--,on the contrary1 there may be much in it that is noble and venerable4 ,nothing can be more contemptible than an affectation of independence which resents or is ashamed of a servant's name4 ,and many who despise servants should be told that they themselves are so worthless that nobody would think of honouring them with hiring them for service4 ,it was ,christ's honour that ,his ,father so employed ,him for the work of our salvation1 and said1 ,behold ,my ,servant1 whom ,i have chosen3 and the highest honour of the preachers of the ,gospel is that they are the ministers1 that is1 the servants1 both of ,christ and ,his ,church4 ,there are cases1 no doubt1 in which servitude is degrading4 ,the master may be infamous2 though even then the servant's condition is not dishonourable unless he be employed in infamous work4 ,many servants have wrought out most honourable names for themselves in doing good work under bad masters4 ,matthew ,henry has said well that there is nothing mean but sin1 and with such meanness and dishonour is every man affected who is not a servant of ,christ4 ,there is for us all the choice of only two conditions2 there is not a third and neutral one4 ,the alternative is a servant of the ,son of ,god or a slave of sin4 ,it may not be of sin in its most hideous forms1 in the form in which it tyrannises over the drunkard1 the lewd man1 or the ambitious1 but even in its milder and less-offensive form1 when it may reign only with the power which it exercises over the worshipper of wealth or of human applause2 still1 it is a degrading vassalage4 ,let no worldly man1 then1 affect to pity or scorn the disciple of the ,gospel as being one whom superstition enslaves1 though it were admitted to be a slavery2 he himself labours under one infinitely more oppressive and degrading4 ,whose appears the greater liberty and the least oppression1 he who is governed by the salutary laws of the ,gospel1 or he who is the sport and victim of his own ignorance and passions1 or of the opinion of the world1 to which1 at the expense of the violation of his own conscience1 he feels himself compelled ignominiously to submit8 ,the question needs not an answer4 ,there is everything honourable in the one service1 everything dishonourable in the other4 ,only that man is truly a free man who is a servant of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,the servant of ,christ4--,others profess that they are servants of ,god2 the ,christian replies that he is a servant of ,christ4 ,there is perhaps nothing by which his faith is more distinctly characterised than this4 ,is he not1 then1 a servant of ,god8 some one may ask1 either in the spirit of a scorning objector or in that of an astonished inquirer who is as yet ignorant of the beautiful mystery of ,christian salvation4 ,when others profess that they are the servants of ,god1 and when the ,christian replies that he is a servant of ,christ1 does it signify that he is not a servant of the eternal ,father8 ,such is the question2 and our reply is1 that in serving ,christ he approves himself not only the best servant of ,god1 but the only one whose service is genuine4 ,in serving ,christ he serves ,god1 because ,god has so appointed and ordained4 ,he has ordained that we be the servants of ,his ,son2 and if we serve not ,his ,son1 then we resist ,his ordination1 so that we serve neither ,his ,son nor ,himself4 ,,iii4 ,the ,christian is ,christ's servant1 not by hire1 but by purchase4--,this is a circumstance which claims our most thoughtful consideration4 ,in the case of a servant who is hired there is a limitation of the master's right1 by the terms of the agreement1 in respect to the kind and amount of labour to be exacted4 ,there is also a definite term1 at the expiry of which the right of service ceases1 and the remuneration of the service is exigible by law4 ,there is a vast difference in the case of a purchased servant1 or1 as otherwise expressed1 a slave4 ,he is his master's property1 to be treated entirely according to his master's discretion4 ,there is no limitation either to the amount or nature of the work which he may exact4 ,the period of service is for life1 and no remuneration can be claimed for the labour1 howsoever heavy and protracted4 ,our servant-condition in relation to ,christ is of this character3 ,he does not hire us but has purchased us--purchased us by ,his blood1 and made us ,his property1 to be used according to ,his sovereign will4 ,but this is far from being all4 ,our gracious ,master often sinks1 as it were1 the consideration of ,his past services--,his humiliation1 ,his privation1 ,his wounds and agony by which ,he saved us from punishment and woe--and reasons and deals with us as if we were hired servants and could merit something at ,his hand1 animating us in our work by exhibiting to our hope that crown of glory which ,he will confer on all who are faithful unto death4 ,blessed servitude--the servitude of the ,christian6 ,servitude of peace6 ,servitude of honour6 ,servitude of liberty6 ,servitude of victory and everlasting glory6 #a4 ,the ,christian1 as a servant1 submits his mind to the authority of ,christ--submits it to ,him in respect of his opinions2 at the utterance of ,his ,word renounces its own judgments and prejudices1 and turns away from the teaching of the world's philosophy and priesthood in scorn1 saying1 ,you have no part in me4 ,christ is the ,lord of my conscience2 ,i will listen to ,him4 #b4 ,as the servant of ,christ1 the ,christian subjects his body to ,his control and regulation in the gratifying of its appetites1 and in providing for its comfort and adornment2 his lips in what they speak2 his hands in what they do2 his ears in what they listen to2 his eyes in what they read and look at2 and his feet in all their journeying and movements4 #c4 ,as the servant of ,christ1 he regulates his family according to his ,master's mind and law4 #d4 ,as a servant of ,christ1 he conducts his business according to ,christ's law1 with the strictest honesty1 and for ,christ's end1 distributing his profits in a proportion--,i shall say a large proportion2 nay1 ,i shall say a very large proportion--to the maintenance and education of his family1 and some provision of an inheritance for them1 and even a considerable proportion for the gratification of his own tastes4 ,is not that a large allowance for a slave8 ,but oh1 some of you6 you seize on all--wickedly appropriate all to yourselves1 or part1 and that with a grudge1 a murmur1 and a scowl1 with but the smallest fraction to the ,master's poor and the ,master's ,church6 ,slaves indeed6 ,slaves of ,avarice and his daughter1 ,cruelty6 #e4 ,as a servant of ,christ1 the country of the ,christian is ,christ's1 to be regulated1 so far as his influence and vote may extend1 by ,christ's rule1 for ,christ's ends4--,w4 ,anderson1 ,,ll4,d4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,the ,gospel and the ,call to preach it4 ,i4 ,it is necessary that men should be assured and certified that the doctrine of the ,gospel and the ,scripture is not of man but of ,god4--,that the ,scripture is the ,word of ,god there are two testimonies4 #a4 ,one is the evidence of ,god's ,spirit imprinted and expressed in the ,scriptures1 and this is an excellence of the ,word of ,god above all words and writings of men and angels4 #b4 ,the second testimony is from the prophets and apostles1 who were ambassadors of ,god extraordinarily to represent ,his authority unto ,his ,church1 and the penmen of the ,holy ,ghost to set down the true and proper ,word of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,it is necessary that men should be assured in their consciences that the calling and authority of their teachers are of ,god4--,to call men to the ministry and dispensation of the ,gospel belongs to ,christ1 who alone giveth the power1 the will1 the deed2 and the ,church can do no more than testify1 publish1 and declare whom ,god calleth4 ,,iii4 ,the ,gospel which ,paul preached was not human--he did not receive it1 neither was he taught it by man2 and preached it not by human but by ,divine authority4 #a4 ,christ is the great prophet and doctor of the ,church4 ,his office is3 7#a7 ,to manifest and reveal the will of the ,father touching the redemption of mankind4 7#b7 ,to institute the ministry of the ,word and to call and send ministers4 7#c7 ,to teach the heart within by illuminating the mind and by working a faith of the doctrine taught4 #b4 ,there are two ways whereby ,christ teaches those who are to be teachers4 7#a7 ,by immediate revelation4 7#b7 ,by ordinary instruction in schools by the means and ministry of men4 ,,iv4 ,they who are to be teachers must first be taught1 and they must teach that which they have first learned themselves4 ,they are first to be taught1 and that by men where revelation is wanting4 ,this is the foundation of the schools of the prophets4 ,all men should pray that ,god would prosper and bless all schools of learning where this kind of teaching is in use4--,perkins4 ,the ,gospel a ,divine ,revelation4 ,i4 ,it is not constructed by human ingenuity4--,the gospel which was preached of me is not after man 7ver4 #aa74 ,,ii4 ,it derives no authority from man4--,for ,i neither received it of man 7ver4 #ab74 ,,iii4 ,it is not acquired by mere mental culture4--,neither was ,i taught it4 ,,iv4 ,it is a direct and special revelation from heaven4--,but by the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,apostolic ,assurance of the ,supernatural ,character of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,it is the custom of the adversaries of the truth1 when they have nothing to say in reason against the doctrine itself1 to cast reproach on those who preach it1 and to question their call and authority to preach1 that so they may indirectly at least reflect upon the doctrine4 #b4 ,as none may take upon him to dispense the ,word of ,god publicly unto others without a call from ,god1 so there are several sorts of callings3 one of men and ordinary when ,god calls by the voices and consent of men2 another of ,god and extraordinary1 the call of the ,church not intervening4 #c4 ,it is required of an apostle to have the infallible knowledge of the truth of the ,gospel and this not wholly by the help of human means1 as we learn at schools and by private study1 but mainly by immediate inspiration from the ,spirit of ,god4 ,paul shows that the ,gospel was not taught him of man2 and this he saith1 not to depress human learning1 but that he may obviate the calumny of his adversaries who alleged he had the knowledge of the ,gospel by ordinary instruction from men only1 and so was no apostle4--,ferguson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,a ,zealous ,ritualist-- ,i4 ,is conspicuous for his adherence to religious formalities4--,for ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the ,jews' religion 7ver4 #ac7--of my manner of life formerly in ,judaism4 ,saul of ,tarsus was a full-blown ritualist1 and a master-leader in the art1 setting the pattern to all his contemporaries4 ,he did not play at forms and ceremonies4 ,their observance was to him a matter of life and death4 ,an intense nature like his could do nothing by halves4 ,the listlessness and pictorial parade of modern ritualism he would have denounced with withering scorn4 ,religious formality has for some minds an irresistible fascination4 ,it appeals to the instinct of worship which is latent in all1 and to the love of stheticism which is shared by most in varying degrees4 ,the votary deludes himself into the belief that signs and symbols represent certain great truths2 but the truths soon fade away into the background1 and he is in turn deluded in regarding the outward ceremonies as everything4 ,formality is the tendency of the mind to rest in the mere externals of religion to the neglect of the inner life of religion itself4 ,it is the folly of valuing a tree for its bark instead of its goodly timber1 of choosing a book for its ornate binding irrespective of its literary genius1 of admiring the finished architecture of a building regardless of its accommodation or the character of its inmates4 ,there are two ways of destroying ,christianity1 says ,d',aubign2 one is to deny it1 the other is to displace it4 ,formality seeks to displace it4 ,ritualism may be of use in the infantile stage1 either of the world or the individual4 ,it is a reversion to the petrifaction of ancient crudities4 ,a robust and growing spiritual manhood is superior to its aids4 ,,ii4 ,violently opposes the representatives of genuine piety4--,how that beyond measure ,i persecuted the ,church of ,god1 and wasted it 7ver4 #ac74 ,animated by extravagant zeal for the religion of his forefathers1 the bigoted ,pharisee became the deadliest enemy of the ,church of ,christ in its infant days4 ,indifferent to personal peril or to the feelings of the oppressed1 he prosecuted his work of destruction with savage energy4 ,he was a type of the ,jewish fanatics who afterwards thirsted and plotted for his life1 and the forerunner of the cruel zealots of the ,inquisition and the ,star ,chamber in later times4 ,the curse of ritualism is excessive intolerance4 ,blinded and puffed up with its unwarrantable assumptions1 it loses sight of the essential elements of true religion4 ,it sees nothing good in any other system but its own1 and employs all methods that it dare1 to compel universal conformity4 ,it admits no rival4 ,it alone is right2 everything else is wrong1 and all kinds of means are justifiable in crushing the heresy that presumes to deny its supreme claims4 ,christ and ,ritualism1 says ,horatius ,bonar1 are opposed to each other1 as light is to darkness4 ,the cross and the crucifix cannot agree4 ,either ritualism will banish ,christ or ,christ will banish ritualism4 ,,iii4 ,is distinguished by his ardent study and defence of traditional religionism4--,and profited in the ,jews' religion above many my equals in my mine own nation1 being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers 7ver4 #ad74 ,the apostle had studied the ,mosaic law under the ablest tutors of his day4 ,he knew ,judaism by heart and won a distinguished reputation for learning and for his strict adherence to the minutest details of traditional legalism4 ,he was one of the ablest champions of the ,mosaic system4 ,the zealous ritualist spends his days and nights in studying1 not the ,word of ,god1 but the sayings of men and the rules of the ,church handed down by the traditions of past generations4 ,divine revelation is ignored1 and human authority unduly exalted4 ,his studies are misdirected1 and his zeal misspent4 ,he is wasting his energy in defending a lifeless organism4 ,no man can honestly and prayerfully study ,god's ,word and catch its meaning1 and remain a mere ritualist4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,ritualism is the worship of external forms4 #b4 ,it breeds a spirit of intolerance and persecution4 #c4 ,it supplants true religion4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,mistaken ,zeal-- ,i4 ,may create a reputation for religious devotion4--,ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the ,jews' religion 7ver4 #ac74 ,,ii4 ,breeds the spirit of violent persecution4--,how that beyond measure ,i persecuted the ,church of ,god1 and wasted it 7ver4 #ac74 ,,iii4 ,makes one ambitious for superiority4--,profited 4 4 4 above many my equals1 4 4 4 being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers 7ver4 #ad74 ,,iv4 ,is neither good nor wise4 ,v4 ,stores up a retrospect of bitter and humiliating regret4 ,review of a ,misspent ,life4--#a4 ,a sincere convert will not shun to make confession of his wicked life1 not omitting anything which may tend to a just aggravation of it1 not in a boasting manner1 but that the freedom of ,god's grace may be commended4 #b4 ,that the ,scriptures were indited by the ,spirit of ,god1 and the penmen not actuated with human policy1 appears from this1 with other evidences in the ,scripture itself1 that they concealed not their own faults1 but blazed them to the world when the glory of ,god did so require4 #c4 ,though the ,church of ,god1 as to the inward estate1 cannot be utterly wasted1 neither can the outward state be so far decayed as to cease to be1 yet the ,lord may so far give way to the rage of persecutors that the outward face and beauty of the ,church may be totally marred1 the members partly killed1 partly scattered1 the public ordinances suppressed1 and the public assemblies interrupted4 #d4 ,the life and way of some engaged in a false religion may be so blameless and1 according to the dictates of their deluded conscience1 so strict1 as that it may be a copy unto those who profess the true religion and a reproof for their palpable negligence4 #e4 ,as our affections of love1 joy1 hatred1 anger1 and grief are by nature so corrupt that even the choicest of them1 if not brought in subjection to the ,word by the ,spirit1 will lay forth themselves upon forbidden and unlawful objects1 so our zeal and fervency of spirit will bend itself more toward the maintenance of error than of truth4 ,error is the birth of our own invention2 so is not truth4--,fergusson4 ,true and ,false ,zeal4 ,i4 ,zeal is a certain fervency of spirit arising out of a mixture of love and anger1 causing men earnestly to maintain the worship of ,god and all things pertaining thereto1 and moving them to grief and anger when ,god is in any way dishonoured4 ,,ii4 ,paul was zealous for the outward observance of the law and for ,pharisaical unwritten traditions4 ,,iii4 ,he himself condemns his zeal because it was against the ,word1 and tended to maintain unwritten traditions1 and justification by the works of the law1 out of ,christ4 ,what ,paul did in his religion we are to do in the profession of the ,gospel4 #a4 ,we are to addict and set ourselves earnestly to maintain the truth of the ,gospel4 #b4 ,we are to be angry in ourselves and grieved when ,god is dishonoured and ,his ,word disobeyed4 #c4 ,we are not to give liberty to the best of our natural affections as to zeal1 but mortify and rule them by the ,word4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ai4 ,the ,imperative ,claims of a ,divine ,commission-- ,i4 ,are independent of personal merit4--,but when it pleased ,god1 who separated me from my mother's womb1 and called me by ,his grace 7ver4 #ae74 ,from the beginning the apostle was ,divinely destined to fulfil his high vocation4 ,his ,hebrew birth and ,hellenistic culture combined to prepare him for his future work4 ,when he developed into a hot persecutor of the ,christian faith he seemed far away from his life-mission4 ,but a change took place1 and it soon became apparent that1 not on the ground of any merit of his own1 but because it pleased ,god1 the training from his birth was the best possible preparation for his lofty calling4 ,we cannot see far into the future or forecast the issue of our own plans or of those we form for others4 ,there is a ,divinity that shapes our ends1 ,rough hew them as we may4 ,the ,divine element in our lives becomes more evident as we faithfully do the duty imposed on us4 ,joseph recognised this when he declared to his brethren1 ,it was not you that sent me hither1 but ,god 7,gen4 xlv4 #h74 ,,ii4 ,are based on an unmistakably ,divine revelation4--,to reveal ,his ,son in me1 that ,i might preach ,him among the heathen 7ver4 #af74 ,the dazzling appearance of ,christ before his eyes1 and the summons of ,his voice addressed to ,saul's bodily ears1 formed the special mode in which it pleased ,god to call him to the apostleship4 ,but there was also the inward revelation of ,christ to his heart by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it was this which wrought in him the great spiritual change and inspired him to be a witness for ,christ to the ,gentiles4 ,his ,judaic prejudices were swept away1 and he became the champion of a universal ,gospel4 ,the same revelation that made ,paul a ,christian made him the apostle of mankind4 ,the true preacher carries within his own spiritually renovated nature evidence and authority of his ,divine commission4 ,this is what makes him the crowd-drawing preacher1 ,there's a background of ,god to each hard-working feature2 ,every word that he speaks has been fierily furnaced ,in a blast of a life which has struggled in earnest4 ,,iii4 ,are superior to the functions of human counsel4--,i conferred not with flesh and blood3 neither went ,i up to ,jerusalem to them which were apostles before me 7vers4 #af1 #ag74 ,the counsel of the wise and good is valuable1 and ordinarily should be diligently sought and thoughtfully pondered4 ,but when ,god calls1 the commission is beyond either the advice or the opposition of men4 ,paul had reached a state into which no human authority could lift him1 and from which it could not dislodge him4 ,he might legitimately confer with others as to methods of work1 but his call to work was imposed upon him by a power to which all human counsellors and ecclesiastical magnates must submit4 ,channing once said3 ,the teacher to whom are committed the infinite realities of the spiritual world1 the sanctions of eternity1 the powers of the life to come1 has instruments to work with which turn to feebleness all other means of influence4 ,,iv4 ,stimulate to active service4--,but ,i went into ,arabia1 and returned again unto ,damascus 7ver4 #ag74 ,immediately after his conversion the history tells us1 ,straightway he preached ,christ in the synagogues 7,acts ix4 #bj74 ,in ,arabia1 a country of the ,gentiles1 he doubtless preached the ,gospel1 as he did before and after at ,damascus1 and thus demonstrated the independence of his apostolic commission4 ,a call to preach demands immediate response and impels to earnest and faithful endeavour4 ,it is said that ,whitefield's zealous spirit exhausted all its energies in preaching1 and his full dedication to ,god was honoured by unbounded success4 ,the effect produced by his sermons was indescribable1 arising in a great degree from the most perfect forgetfulness of self during the solemn moment of declaring the salvation that is in ,christ ,jesus4 ,his evident sincerity impressed every hearer and is said to have forcibly struck ,lord ,chesterfield when he heard him at ,lady ,huntingdon's4 ,the preacher1 as the ambassador for ,christ1 is eager to declare ,his message1 and anxious it should be understood and obeyed4 ,v4 ,are recognised by the highest ecclesiastical authority4--,then after three years ,i went up to ,jerusalem to see ,peter1 and 4 4 4 ,james the ,lord's brother 7vers4 #ah1 #ai74 ,the claims of ,paul to the apostleship1 evidenced by such supernatural signs and such solid ,christian work and patient suffering1 were at length acknowledged by the chief leaders of the mother ,church in ,jerusalem4 ,good work advertises itself1 and sooner or later compels recognition4 ,what an eventful meeting of the first ,gospel pioneers1 and how momentous the influence of such an interview and consultation6 ,though the call of ,god is unacknowledged1 ridiculed1 and opposed1 its duties must be faithfully discharged4 ,the day of ample reward will come4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,god only can make the true preacher4 #b4 ,a call to preach involves suffering and toil4 #c4 ,the fruit of diligent and faithful work will certainly appear4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae-ag4 ,the ,conversion and ,vocation of ,st4 ,paul4 ,i4 ,the causes of ,st4 ,paul's conversion4--#a4 ,the good pleasure of ,god4 #b4 ,his separation from the womb1 which is an act of ,god's counsel whereby ,he sets men apart to be members of ,christ and to be ,his servants in this or that office4 #c4 ,his vocation by grace--the accomplishment of both the former in the time which ,god had appointed4 ,,ii4 ,the manner of his vocation4--,to reveal ,his ,son in me4 #a4 ,by preparation4 ,god humbled and subdued the pride and stubbornness of his heart and made him tractable and teachable4 #b4 ,by instruction4 7#a7 ,propounding unto him the commandment of the ,gospel1 to repent and believe in ,christ4 7#b7 ,offering to him the promise of remission of sins and life everlasting when he believed4 #c4 ,by a real and lively teaching when ,god made ,paul in his heart answer the calling4 ,ministers of ,christ must learn ,christ as ,paul learned ,him4 ,,iii4 ,the end of ,paul's conversion4--,to preach ,christ among the ,gentiles4 #a4 ,christ is the substance or subject-matter of the whole ,bible4 #b4 ,to preach ,christ is3 7#a7 ,to teach the doctrine of the incarnation of ,christ1 and ,his offices as ,king1 ,prophet1 and ,priest4 7#b7 ,that faith is an instrument to apprehend and apply ,christ4 7#c7 ,to certify and reveal to every hearer that it is the will of ,god to save him by ,christ if he will receive ,him4 7#d7 ,that he is to apply ,christ with ,his benefits to himself in particular4 #c4 ,to preach to the ,gentiles3 7#a7 ,because the prophecies of the calling of the ,gentiles must be fulfilled4 7#b7 ,because the division between the ,jews and ,gentiles is abolished4 ,,iv4 ,paul's obedience to the calling of ,god 7vers4 #af1 #ag74--a4 ,god's ,word1 preached or written1 does not depend on the authority of any man--no1 not on the authority of the apostles themselves4 #b4 ,there is no consultation or deliberation to be used at any time touching the holding or not holding of our religion4 #c4 ,our obedience to ,god must be without consultation4 ,we must first try what is the will of ,god1 and then absolutely put it into execution1 leaving the issue to ,god4 #d4 ,paul goes into ,arabia and ,damascus1 and becomes a teacher to his professed enemies4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4 ,conversion as illustrated by that of ,st4 ,paul4--,in the case of ,st4 ,paul there are many circumstances not paralleled in the general experience of ,christians2 but in its essential features1 in the views with which it was accompanied and the effects it produced1 it was exactly the same as every one must experience before he can enter into the kingdom of ,god4 ,i4 ,its causes4--#a4 ,paul was chosen by ,god before his birth to be a vessel of honour4 ,it pleased ,god1 who separated me from my mother's womb4 ,are not all genuine ,christians addressed as elect of ,god or chosen of ,god1 through sanctification of the ,spirit1 unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus ,christ8 ,why should not the real ,christian give scope to those emotions of gratitude which such reflections will inspire8 #b4 ,the more immediate cause was the call of ,divine grace4 ,and called me by ,his grace4 ,there is a general call in the ,gospel addressed to all men indiscriminately4 ,there is1 in every instance of real conversion1 another and inward call1 by which the ,spirit applies the general truth of the ,gospel to the heart4 ,by this interior call ,christ apprehends1 lays hold on the soul1 stops it in its impenitent progress1 and causes it to hear ,his voice4 ,,ii4 ,the means by which conversion is effected4--,to reveal ,his ,son in me4 ,the principal method which the ,spirit adopts in subduing the heart of a sinner is a spiritual discovery of ,christ4 ,there is an outward revelation of ,christ--in the ,scriptures2 and an internal1 of which the understanding and the heart are the seat4 #a4 ,the ,spirit reveals the greatness and dignity of ,christ4 #b4 ,the transcendent beauty and glory of ,christ4 #c4 ,the suitableness1 fulness1 and sufficiency of ,christ to supply all our wants and relieve all our miseries4 ,,iii4 ,the effect of conversion on ,st4 ,paul4--,immediately ,i conferred not with flesh and blood4 ,he set himself without hesitation or demur to discharge the duties of his heavenly vocation4 #a4 ,his compliance with the will of ,christ was immediate4 #b4 ,universal and impartial4 #c4 ,constant and persevering4--,robert ,hall4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,qualification of the ,true ,minister-- ,i4 ,begins in an unmistakable revelation of ,christ to his own soul4--,to reveal ,his ,son in me4 ,,ii4 ,urges him to declare the ,gospel to the most needy4--,that ,i might preach ,him among the heathen4 ,,iii4 ,raises him above the necessity of mere human authority4--,immediately ,i conferred not with flesh and blood4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the ,divine ,call to the ,apostleship4--#a4 ,that extraordinary way whereby the ,lord made known ,his mind to the penmen of ,scripture was so infallible in itself and so evident to those to whom it came to be no delusion that they were above all doubt and needed not to advise with the best of men in order to their confirmation about the reality of it4 #b4 ,the ,lord maketh sometimes the first piece of public service as hazardous1 uncouth1 and unsuccessful as any wherein ,he employs them afterwards1 that ,his ministers may be taught to depend more on ,god's blessing than on human probabilities1 and that they may give proof of their obedience4 ,thus it was with ,moses 7,exod4 ii4 #aj71 and ,jeremiah 7,jer4 i4 #ai74 #c4 ,the apostles were not fixed to any certain charge1 as ordinary ministers are4 ,their charge was the whole world4 ,they went from place to place as the necessities of people required1 or as ,god by ,his providence and ,spirit directed4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,requirement of a ,preparation for ,work4--,i went into ,arabia1 and returned again unto ,damascus4 #a4 ,affording opportunity for thought and self-testing4 #b4 ,gives leisure for study and forming plans for future service4 #c4 ,is often the prelude of a busy and prosperous career4 ,vers4 #ah1 #ai4 ,the ,divine ,call acknowledged4--#a4 ,that nothing of ,peter's supposed supremacy over ,paul and the rest of the apostles can be gathered from this place appears from this1 that ,paul went first to his work before he came to ,peter1 and that his business with ,peter was not to receive ordination from him or to evidence his subjection to him1 but from respect and reverence to give him a friendly visit4 #b4 ,it ought to be the endeavour of ,christ's ministers to entertain love and familiarity one with another1 as also to make their doing so evident to others1 it being most unseemly for those who preach the ,gospel of peace to others to live in discord among themselves4 #c4 ,as ministers may and ought to meet sometimes together1 to evidence and entertain mutual love and concord1 and because of that mutual inspection which they ought to have one of another1 so their meeting ought neither to be so frequent nor of so long continuance that their flocks suffer prejudice4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj-bd4 ,god glorified in ,his ,servant-- ,i4 ,by the undoubted truthfulness of his statements4--,now the things which ,i write unto you1 behold1 before ,god1 ,i lie not 7ver4 #bj74 ,the assertions of the apostle flatly contradicted the allegations of his enemies4 ,they insinuated that ,paul was but a messenger of the authorities of the ,church at ,jerusalem1 and that all he knew of the ,gospel had been learned from the twelve4 ,so far from this being the case it is evident that for several years he had been preaching the ,gospel1 and had not seen any of the twelve1 except ,peter and ,james1 and that only for a fortnight at ,jerusalem about three years after his conversion4 ,in the present case1 remarks ,professor ,jowett1 it is a matter of life and death to the apostle to prove his independence from the twelve4 ,having said all he can to substantiate his point1 he concludes by a solemn appeal to ,god as to his veracity3 ,behold1 before ,god1 ,i lie not4 ,the apostle never makes an appeal like this lightly1 but only in support of a vital truth he is specially anxious to enforce 7,rom4 ix4 #a2 #b ,cor4 i4 #ag1 #ah1 #bc2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #e74 ,when fiction rises pleasing to the eye2 ,men will believe1 because they love the lie2 ,but truth herself1 if clouded with a frown1 ,must have some solemn proof to pass her down4--,churchill4 ,the vigorous and faithful maintenance of the truth brings glory to ,god4 ,,ii4 ,by his evangelistic activity4--,afterwards ,i came into the regions of ,syria and ,cilicia 7ver4 #ba74 ,during this tour very probably the ,churches were founded1 referred to in ,acts xv4 #bc1 #da4 ,a man's work1 says ,george ,macdonald1 does not fall upon him by chance1 but it is given him to do2 and everything well done belongs to ,god's kingdom1 and everything ill done to the kingdom of darkness4 ,god is the sublime end of all human activity1 and our powers can never be more nobly employed than in expounding ,his will1 unfolding ,his gracious character1 advancing the interests of ,his kingdom1 and striving to promote ,his glory among the children of men4 ,man is never so great1 so luminous1 so grand as when he is doing work for ,god with the light and help of ,god2 and all such work is a revelation of the character and purposes of ,god open to the eyes of all who will see4 ,,iii4 ,by the reputation of his changed life4--,and was unknown by face unto the ,churches3 4 4 4 they had heard only1 ,that he which persecuted us in times past now preached the faith which once he destroyed 7vers4 #bb1 #bc74 ,the conversion of ,saul of ,tarsus was one of the most striking events in the early history of the ,church4 ,it was a marvel to all who had known his previous life4 ,it was an unanswerable testimony to the power of the ,gospel1 and an argument that has been used in all ages to illustrate the possibility of the salvation of the worst of sinners4 ,it is said the ,duke of ,burgundy was born terrible4 ,he would indulge in such paroxysms of rage that those who were standing by would tremble for his life4 ,he was hard-hearted1 passionate1 incapable of bearing the least opposition to his wishes1 fond of gambling1 violent hunting1 the gratifications of the table1 abandoned to his pleasures1 barbarous1 and born to cruelty4 ,with this was united a genius of the most extraordinary kind2 quickness of humour1 depth and justice of thought1 versatility and acuteness of mind4 ,the prodigy was1 that in a short space of time the grace of ,god made him a new man4 ,he became a prince1 affable1 gentle1 moderate1 patient1 modest1 humble1 austere only to himself1 attentive to his duties1 and sensible of their extent4 ,if we could lay a hand on the fly-wheel of the ,scotch express1 running fifty or sixty miles an hour1 and stop it1 we should perform an astounding miracle4 ,but this is what ,god does in ,his miracles of conversion4 ,he laid ,his mighty hand on the fly-wheel of ,paul's life1 and not only stopped its mad career1 but turned it right round in the opposite direction4 ,the persecutor becomes a preacher4 ,,iv4 ,by the recognition of ,his ,divine call4--,and they glorified ,god in me 7ver4 #bd74 ,the attempt to disparage the authority of ,paul was the work of a few malcontents1 who sought to ruin his influence in order to extend their own4 ,the ,churches of ,jerusalem and ,judea1 though many of them had not seen the apostle1 acknowledged and praised ,god for the ,divine work done in him and by him4 ,a few false teachers may work much mischief1 but they cannot overturn the work of ,god1 nor prevent its full recognition4 ,the faithful servant may safely leave his reputation in the hands of ,god4 ,it lifts humanity1 especially ,christianised humanity1 into special dignity1 when it is discovered that ,god is glorified in man4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel elevates man by transforming him4 #b4 ,the conscientious worker has ,god on his side4 #c4 ,god is glorified by obedient toil4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,self-conscious ,truth4--#a4 ,the choicest servants of ,christ may be looked upon as liars and unworthy to be trusted1 even by those to whom they are sent1 and yet they must not give over to preach as knowing that the ,word spoken by them doth still get credit from some1 and will beget trust to itself from others1 and for the rest it will seal up their condemnation and make them inexcusable4 #b4 ,it is not unlawful for ,christians to take an oath1 providing it be with these conditions3 7#a7 ,that the thing we swear be truth4 7#b7 ,that there be weighty reasons for taking an oath4 7#c7 ,that we swear only by the name of ,god1 and not by the creatures1 seeing none but ,god can bear witness to the secrets of the heart4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #ba-bd4 ,the ,self-evidencing ,proof of a ,divinely commissioned ,messenger4--#a4 ,seen in disinterested labours and travels 7vers4 #ba1 #bb74 #b4 ,seen in a remarkable change of character and conduct 7ver4 #bc74 #c4 ,seen in that the glory of his work is ascribed to ,god 7ver4 #bd74 ,practical ,proofs of ,apostleship4 ,i4 ,paul went from ,jerusalem into ,syria and ,cilicia4--#a4 ,because he was ordained specially to be the apostle of the ,gentiles4 #b4 ,because ,cilicia was his own country1 and his love to his country was great4 ,if any apostle above the rest be the pastor and universal bishop of the ,church over the whole world1 it is ,paul and not ,peter4 ,,ii4 ,paul was known to the ,christian ,jews only by hearsay1 because it is the office of an apostle not to build on the foundation of another or to succeed any man in his labour1 but to plant and found the ,church of the ,new ,testament4 ,,iii4 ,seeing the intent of the devil and wicked men is to destroy the faith1 we must have a special care of our faith4--#a4 ,we must look that our faith be a true faith4 #b4 ,we must keep and lock up our faith in some safe and sure place--in the storehouse or treasury of a good conscience4 #c4 ,our care must be to increase in faith that our hearts may be rooted and grounded in the love of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,our duty is to sanctify and glorify the name of ,god in every work of ,his4--,neglect in glorifying and praising ,god is a great sin4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,god glorified in ,good ,men4--,we are taught to honour ,god in man and man in ,god4 ,we are taught to avoid1 on the one hand1 all creature idolatry1 and1 on the other1 that cynical severity1 or ungrateful indifference to the ,author of all good in man1 which undervalues or neglects the excellencies which ought to be held up to admiration that they may be imitated by ourselves and others4 ,each of these extremes robs ,god of ,his just revenue of grateful praise4 ,in what does creature idolatry consist but in honouring and trusting in the natural and acquired excellencies of creatures to the exclusion of ,god8 ,but is there then no wisdom1 no might1 no excellence1 in man8 ,as it were absurd to deny this1 it would be affectation to pretend to overlook it4 ,admire and deny not this wisdom1 acknowledge this efficiency1 and affect not to lower its estimate2 only glorify ,god who worketh all in all4 ,if ,he has chosen any of them to be more eminently ,his instruments for the furtherance of ,his purposes of mercy to mankind1 ,he does it by virtue of ,his sovereignty4 ,if ,he continues their useful lives1 whilst you have their light rejoice in the light and glorify ,him from whom it comes as its original and source2 and when ,he chooses to quench these stars of ,his right hand in the darkness of death1 still glorify ,him4 ,as to us1 this is to remind us of our dependence on ,him1 who appointed their orbit and invested them with their different degrees of glory2 and as to them1 though their lustre fades from these visible skies1 it is that it may be rekindled in superior glory in the kingdom of their ,father4--,r4 ,watson4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,then fourteen years after4--,from ,paul's conversion inclusive4 ,i went again to ,jerusalem4--,the same visit referred to in ,acts xv41 when the council of the apostles and ,church decided that ,gentile ,christians need not be circumcised4 ,ver4 #b4 ,i went up by revelation4--,quite consistent with the fact that he was sent as a deputy from the ,church at ,antioch 7,acts xv4 #b74 ,the revelation suggested to him that this deputation was the wisest course4 ,communicated privately to them which were of reputation4--,it was necessary that the ,jerusalem apostles should know beforehand that the ,gospel ,paul preached to the ,gentiles was the same as theirs1 and had received ,divine confirmation in the results it wrought on the ,gentile converts4 ,ver4 #c4 ,neither ,titus not even ,titus1 being a ,greek1 was compelled to be circumcised4--,the apostles1 constrained by the firmness of ,paul and ,barnabas1 did not compel or insist on his being circumcised4 ,thus they virtually sanctioned ,paul's course among the ,gentiles1 and admitted his independence as an apostle4 ,to have insisted on ,jewish usages for ,gentile converts would have been to make them essential parts of ,christianity4 ,ver4 #d4 ,false brethren unawares in an underhand manner brought in privily to spy out4--,as foes in the guise of friends1 wishing to destroy and rob us of our liberty--from the yoke of the ceremonial law4 ,ver4 #e4 ,to whom we gave place by subjection not for an hour4--,we would willingly have yielded for love1 if no principle was at issue1 but not in the way of subjection4 ,truth precise1 unaccommodating1 abandons nothing that belongs to itself1 admits nothing that is inconsistent with it 7,bengel74 ,ver4 #f4 ,they in conference added nothing to me4--,as ,i did not by conference impart to them aught at my conversion1 so they now did not impart aught additional to me above what ,i already knew4 ,another evidence of the independence of his apostleship4 ,ver4 #i4 ,they gave to me and ,barnabas the right hands of fellowship4--,recognising me as a colleague in the apostleship1 and that the ,gospel ,i preached to the ,gentiles by special revelation was the same as theirs4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,remember the poor4--,of the ,jewish ,christians in ,judea then distressed4 ,paul's past care for their poor prompted this request4 ,his subsequent zeal in the same cause was the answer to their appeal 7,acts4 xi4 #bi1 #cj2 ,rom4 xv4 #bf1 #bg2 #a ,cor4 xvi4 #c2 #b ,cor4 ix4 #a2 ,acts xxiv4 #ag74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,when ,peter was come to ,antioch ,i withstood him to the face4--,the strongest proof of the independence of his apostleship in relation to the other apostles1 and an unanswerable argument against the ,romish dogma of the supremacy of ,st4 ,peter4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the other ,jews dissembled likewise with him4--,the question was not whether ,gentiles were admissible to the ,christian covenant without becoming circumcised1 but whether the ,gentile ,christians were to be admitted to social intercourse with the ,jewish ,christians without conforming to the ,jewish institution4 ,it was not a question of liberty and of bearing with others' infirmities1 but one affecting the essence of the ,gospel1 whether the ,gentiles are to be virtually compelled to live as do the ,jews in order to be justified4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,walked not uprightly according to the truth of the ,gospel4--,which teaches that justification by legal works and observances is inconsistent with redemption by ,christ4 ,paul alone here maintained the truth against ,judaism1 as afterwards against heathenism 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #af1 #ag74 ,ver4 #ag4 ,is therefore ,christ the minister of sin8--,thus to be justified by ,christ it was necessary to sink to the level of ,gentiles--to become sinners1 in fact4 ,but are we not thus making ,christ a minister of sin8 ,away with the profane thought6 ,no2 the guilt is not in abandoning the law1 but in seeking it again when abandoned4 ,thus1 and thus alone1 we convict ourselves of transgression 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #ai4 ,i through the law am dead to the law4--,by believing union to ,christ in ,his death we1 being considered dead with ,him1 are severed from the law's past power over us4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,if righteousness came by the law1 then ,christ is dead in vain4--,died needlessly1 without just cause4 ,christ's having died shows that the law has no power to justify us1 for if the law can justify or make us righteous1 the death of ,christ is superfluous4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-i4 ,confirmatory ,proofs of a ,divine ,call-- ,i4 ,seen in a prudent consultation with the acknowledged leaders of the church 7vers4 #a1 #b74--,the men of reputation referred to in these verses are not so called by way of irony1 but because of their recognised authority in the mother ,church4 ,paul was not summoned to ,jerusalem1 but ,divinely directed to take the journey4 ,neither his teaching nor his office was called in question1 nor did he fear the most searching inquiry into his commission4 ,conscious of his ,divine call1 he claimed equality of status with the rest of the apostles and explained to them and to the ,church the principles and methods of the ,gospel he preached4 ,he had nothing to fear1 whatever might be the judgment of the ,church leaders in ,jerusalem4 ,he expected from them nothing but sympathy and encouragement in his work1 and he hailed with joy the opportunity of sharing the counsel of men as interested as himself in the success of the ,gospel4 ,with his ,god-given convictions and views1 it was impossible for him to meet the apostles on any other ground than that of perfect equality4 ,,ii4 ,seen in a prompt and stern refusal to compromise principle 7vers4 #c-e74--,the object of ,paul's visit to ,jerusalem was to discuss a vital principle of the ,gospel--the right of the ,gentiles to the privileges of the ,gospel without observing the works of the ,jewish law4 ,a misunderstanding at that critical moment might have imperilled the liberty of the ,gospel4 ,the presence of ,barnabas and ,titus was significant--the one a pure ,jew1 a man of gentle disposition and generous impulse2 and the other a ,gentile convert1 representing the world of the uncircumcised4 ,it is to the credit of the ,church leaders at ,jerusalem that1 with their strong ,jewish prejudices1 they admitted that the legal rite of circumcision must not be imposed on ,gentile converts4 ,they were so convinced that this was the will of ,god1 and that ,he had already sanctioned this an essential feature of the ,gospel1 that they dared do no other4 ,an attempt was made1 not by the apostles1 but by certain false brethren1 to insist that ,titus should be circumcised2 but this was promptly and stoutly opposed4 ,a concession on this point would have been fatal to the universality of the ,gospel--the whole ,gentile world would have been trammelled with the bondage of legal ceremonies4 ,it was then that the great battle of ,christian liberty was fought and won4 ,the victory was another testimony of the validity and power of the ,divine commission with which ,paul was entrusted4 ,,iii4 ,seen in the inability of the wisest leaders to add anything to the ,divine authority4--,but of these who seemed to be somewhat 4 4 4 in conference added nothing to me 7ver4 #f74 ,when ,paul was called to the apostleship he conferred not with flesh and blood2 now he affirms that flesh and blood did not confer anything on him4 ,in conference and debate with the chiefs of the ,church he showed himself their equal1 and on the great essentials of the ,gospel he was in perfect agreement with them4 ,though ,paul is too modest to say it1 so far from his learning anything from them1 they were more likely to learn something from him1 especially as to the wider scope of the ,gospel4 ,in doctrine ,paul holds the primacy in the band of the apostles4 ,while all were inspired by the ,spirit of ,christ1 the ,gentile apostle was in many ways a more richly furnished man than any of the rest4 ,the ,paulinism of ,peter's first epistle goes to show that the debt was on the other side4 ,their earlier privileges and priceless store of recollections of all that ,jesus did and taught were matched on ,paul's side by a penetrating logic1 a breadth and force of intellect applied to the facts of revelation1 and a burning intensity of spirit which in their combination was unique4 ,the ,pauline teaching1 as it appears in the ,new ,testament1 bears in the highest degree the marks of original genius1 the stamp of a mind whose inspiration is its own 7,findlay74 ,,iv4 ,seen in winning the recognition of a special mission and of equality in the apostleship4--,they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me1 4 4 4 and perceived the grace that was given unto me1 etc4 7vers4 #g-i74 ,paul won the confidence and admiration of his fellow-apostles4 ,they listened with candour and ever-deepening interest to his explanations1 and1 whatever might have been their prejudices1 they frankly acknowledged his ,divine commission4 ,what a memorable day was that when ,james1 ,peter1 ,john1 and ,paul met face to face6 ,amongst them they have virtually made the ,new ,testament and the ,christian ,church4 ,they represent the four sides of the one foundation of the ,city of ,god4 ,of the evangelists1 ,matthew holds affinity with ,james2 ,mark with ,peter2 and ,luke with ,paul4 ,james clings to the past and embodies the transition from ,mosaism to ,christianity4 ,peter is the man of the present1 quick in thought and action1 eager1 buoyant1 susceptible4 ,paul holds the future in his grasp and schools the unborn nations4 ,john gathers present1 past1 and future into one1 lifting us into the region of eternal life and love4 ,lessons4--,a ,divine call4--#a4 ,confers the necessary qualifications to carry out its mission4 #b4 ,demands courage and fidelity4 #c4 ,compels public recognition4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,truth its ,own ,evidence4--#a4 ,though the minister of ,jesus ,christ is not to depend upon the approbation of others for confirmation of his doctrine1 as if he were uncertain before their testimony is added1 yet he is not to be so self-willed as to misregard what others judge or think1 but ought to demit himself so far as to give a friendly account of the doctrine1 that mistakes arising from misinformation may be removed and the joint consent of others to the truth obtained4 #b4 ,as there are always some in the ,church of ,god who have deservedly more reputation than others1 so ,christian prudence will teach a man to be so far from striving against such that he will endeavour1 by giving due respect to them1 to receive approbation from such1 that he may be in a better capacity to do good to others4 #c4 ,nothing marreth the success of the ,gospel more than difference of judgments and strifes and debates among eminent preachers1 many resolving to believe nothing till preachers agree among themselves1 and many stumbling-blocks are cast before people by the venting of passions1 jealousies1 animosities1 and revenge4 ,paul endeavoured to get the consent of the other apostles to the doctrines preached by him1 lest by the calumnies of his adversaries his preaching should be useless4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #c-e4 ,the ,power of ,truth4 ,i4 ,superior to ceremonial observances 7ver4 #c74 ,,ii4 ,detects and exposes the wiliest tactics of false teachers 7ver4 #d74 ,,iii4 ,is uncompromising in its attitude towards the subtlest errors 7ver4 #e74 ,vers4 #d1 #e4 ,false ,brethren and their ,treatment4 ,i4 ,the ,church of ,god on earth1 even at the best1 hath wicked men and hypocrites in it4 ,,ii4 ,they who teach ,christ1 joining some other thing with ,him in the cause of salvation1 are said to creep in1 because in appearance they maintain ,christ2 yet because they add something to ,christ1 they neither enter nor continue in the true ,church with any good warrant from ,god4 ,,iii4 ,no man can set down the precise time when errors had their beginning1 for the authors thereof enter in secretly1 not observed of men4 ,,iv4 ,the false brethren urged circumcision to bring the converts into bondage4--,they that be of a corporation stand for their liberties4 ,what a shame it is that men should love bondage and neglect the spiritual liberty which they have by ,christ4 ,v4 ,the false brethren urged the apostles to use circumcision but once2 but they would not yield so much as once1 because their act would have tended to the prejudice of ,christian liberty in all places4 ,julian1 sitting in a chair of state1 gave gold to his soldiers one by one1 commanding them to cast frankincense so much as a grain into the fire that lay upon a heathenish altar4 ,christian soldiers refused to do it1 and they which had not refused afterwards recalled their act and willingly suffered death4 ,we are not to yield the least part of the truth of the ,gospel4 ,this truth is more precious than the whole world beside4 ,there is no halting between two religions4 ,,vi4 ,the apostles gave no place by way of subjection4--,they willingly suffered their doctrine to be tried1 yet they were not bound to subjection4 ,we are to give place by meek and patient bearing of that which we cannot mend1 but we are not to give place by subjection4 ,,vii4 ,if circumcision be made a necessary cause of salvation1 the truth of the ,gospel does not continue1 and falsehood comes in the room4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #d4 ,a ,spy4--,captain ,turner ,ashby was a young officer in the ,confederate army1 the idol of the troops for his general bravery1 but especially for his cleverness in gathering information of the enemy4 ,on one occasion he dressed himself in a farmer's suit of homespun that he borrowed and hired a plough-horse to personate a rustic horse-doctor4 ,with his saddlebags full of some remedy for spavin or ringbone1 he went to ,chambersburg1 and returned in the night with an immense amount of information4 ,his career was one full of romantic episode4 ,ver4 #e4 ,fidelity to ,truth4--#a4 ,though much may be done for composing ,church differences by using meekness and forbearance towards those who oppose themselves1 yet we are not for peace' sake to quit the least part of truth4 ,thus ,paul1 who for lawful ceding became all things to all men1 would not give place by way of subjection1 so as to yield the cause to the adversaries2 neither would he do anything1 in its own nature indifferent1 that would be an evidence of yielding4 #b4 ,a minister1 when called to confess and avow truth1 hath not only his own peace with ,god and keeping of a good conscience to look to1 but also the condition of his flock1 who will be shaken or confirmed in the truth by his faint or bold and faithful confession4 #c4 ,it is not enough that people have the name of the ,gospel among them or some truths mixed with errors2 but all1 and especially ministers1 should endeavour to have the ,gospel in purity and integrity1 free from any mixture of contrary errors4--,fergusson4 ,the ,truth not to be yielded4--,shortly after ,james ,i4 came to the throne of ,england he set up a claim to all the small estates in ,cumberland and ,westmorland1 on the plea that the ,statesmen were merely the tenants of the ,crown4 ,the ,statesmen met1 to the number of two thousand1 at ,ratten ,heath1 between ,kendal and ,staveley1 where they came to the resolution that they had won their lands by the sword and were able to hold them by the same4 ,after that meeting no further claim was made to their estates on the part of the ,crown4 ,vers4 #f-i4 ,recognition of a ,special ,mission4 ,i4 ,by men of reputation who confessed their inability to augment its authority 7ver4 #f74 ,,ii4 ,acknowledging that the commission was distinctly ,divine 7vers4 #g1 #h74 ,,iii4 ,confirmed by cordially admitting the messenger into the fellowship of highest service 7ver4 #i74 ,vers4 #h1 #i4 ,divine ,blessing the ,highest ,sanction of ,ministerial ,authority4--#a4 ,it is not the pains of ministers1 or any virtue in the ,word preached1 from whence success flows1 but from the effectual working of the ,spirit4 ,paul ascribed the success both of his own and ,peter's ministry to this4 #b4 ,whom ,god doth call to any employment1 and chiefly whom ,he calls to the ministry1 ,he fitteth with gifts and abilities suitable thereto4 ,james1 ,cephas1 and ,john did not acknowledge ,paul to be an apostle called by ,god1 but on perceiving that grace and gifts1 ordinary and extraordinary1 were bestowed upon him4 #c4 ,we ought not to withhold our approbation1 especially when it is craved1 from that which by evident signs and reasons we perceive to be approved of ,god1 though the giving of our approbation may disoblige those who pretend much friendship towards us4--,fergusson4 ,the ,efficacy of the ,christian ,ministry4 ,i4 ,that grace or power to regenerate is not included in the ,word preached1 as virtue to heal in a medicine4 ,to regenerate is the proper work of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,that grace is not inseparably annexed and tied to the ,word preached1 for to some it is the savour of death unto death4 ,,iii4 ,the preaching of the ,word is an external instrument of faith and regeneration1 and the proper effect of it is to declare or signify4 ,,iv4 ,the apostles at ,jerusalem acknowledged ,paul to be an apostle because he had the gifts of an apostle1 and because his ministry was powerful among the ,gentiles4 ,v4 ,as all minsters in their places are pillars1 they are hereby admonished to be constant in the truth against all enemies whatsoever4 ,,vi4 ,as ministers are pillars1 we are taught to cleave to them and their ministry at all times--in life and death4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #aj4 ,christianity and ,poverty4 ,i4 ,christianity has ever been the friend of the poor4--#a4 ,the poor who are made so by accepting ,christianity4 ,accepting ,christ often means the loss of friends1 of status1 of fortune4 ,the discovery of this result among the first ,christians might have much to do in the formation of a common fund4 ,there are many ,jews and heathen to-day who are convinced of the truth of ,christianity but hesitate to make a public avowal of their belief because of the apparent impossibility of gaining a livelihood and the certainty of social ostracism4 ,christian missionaries are not in a position to guarantee their support1 nor do they wish to encourage1 a system that might easily degenerate into wholesale bribery4 ,there are converts who run all risks and deliberately accept ,christ and poverty4 ,all such the ,christian ,church1 often at great sacrifice1 does its best to befriend4 #b4 ,the poor who are made so by unavoidable calamity4--,judea was devastated by famine in the reign of ,claudius ,csar1 and the apostles promptly organised relief for the sufferers in the ,jewish ,churches 7,acts xi4 #bg-cj74 ,christianity has ever been ready to help the distressed and unfortunate4 ,the hospitals1 alms-houses1 and other benevolent institutions that abound are substantial monuments of the practical benevolence of the ,christian ,church4 ,christianity is the best friend of the people4 ,,ii4 ,christianity inculcates a zealous and unselfish charity4--,only they would that we should remember the poor2 the same ,i also was forward zealous to do4 ,paul had already rendered noble service in this direction1 and was prompted by the ,spirit of the ,gospel to continue to do so4 ,he was zealous in good works1 though he stoutly denied any merit in them to justify the sinner4 ,his first concern was to help the ,jewish poor1 though many of them impugned his apostolic authority and strove to ruin his influence4 ,as champion of the ,gentiles he employed the wealth of his converts in supplying the needs of his famishing ,jewish brethren4 ,christian charity is superior to the jealousies of sects and parties1 and even to personal insult and wrong4 ,behind the hand of the generous alms-giver is the heart of love4 ,,iii4 ,christianity elevates and enriches the poor4--,it enjoins temperance1 industry1 honesty1 and perseverance--the practice of which has raised many from poverty to wealth4 ,the man who has prospered should never forget the claims of the poor4 ,it is said that a certain man dreamed that the ,saviour appeared to him and upbraided him with giving so little to ,his cause4 ,the man replied1 ,i can't afford it4 ,very well1 said the ,saviour2 let it be so4 ,but do you remember1 that when that business panic happened1 how you prayed to ,me to keep you out of difficulties8 and ,i heard your prayer and tided you over the trouble4 ,and do you remember also1 when your little child was sick1 how you prayed that her life might be spared1 and again ,i heard your prayer and restored her8 ,but now let it be an understanding between us that henceforth when you are in trouble ,i do nothing for you1 seeing you can't afford to help ,me4 ,the man's conscience was touched1 and he exclaimed1 ,lord1 take what ,i have2 it is ,thine4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christianity is the source of the highest philanthropy4 #b4 ,is the unfailing hope and comfort of the poor4 #c4 ,has achieved its greatest triumphs among the poor4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,remember the ,poor4 ,i4 ,the ,church of ,jerusalem was in extreme poverty4--#a4 ,because the poorer sort received the ,gospel4 #b4 ,because the richer were deprived of their riches for their profession of the name of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,it is the office of pastors and teachers1 not only to preach and dispense the ,word1 but also to have care of the poor4 ,,iii4 ,satisfaction1 recompense1 and restitution are the way to life by the appointment of ,god4--#a4 ,he must restore who is the cause of any wrong or loss to others and all that are accessory4 #b4 ,restitution is to be made to him that is wronged and bears the loss if he be known and alive2 if he be dead1 to his heirs2 if all be dead1 to the poor4 #c4 ,the things to be restored are those which are of us unjustly received or detained1 either known to us or unknown4 #d4 ,as to the order of restitution1 things certain must first be restored1 and things uncertain after4 ,,iv4 ,it is not enough for us to give good words and wish well1 but we must in our places and calling do our endeavour that relief may be sealed to our poor4--#a4 ,the charge was great to maintain the altar of the ,lord in the ,old ,testament2 the poor come in the room of the altar4 #b4 ,the poor represent the person of ,christ4 #c4 ,compassion in us is a pledge or an impression of the mercy that is in ,god towards us1 and by it we may know or feel in ourselves that mercy belongs unto us4 ,the observing of the commandment of relief is the enriching of us all4--,perkins4 ,christian ,duty to the ,poor4--#a4 ,it is frequently the lot of those who are rich in grace to be poor in the things of the present life1 and driven into such straits as to be forced to live upon some charitable supply from others1 ,god seeing it convenient hereby to wean them from worldly contentments that heaven may be more longed after and more sweet when it comes4 #b4 ,though those who are our own poor1 within the bounds where we live1 are chiefly to be relieved by us1 yet in cases of extremity the poor who live remote from us are also to be supplied4 #c4 ,ministers ought to press upon the people1 not only duties which are easy and cost them nought1 but also those that are burdensome and expensive1 especially that they would willingly give of those things they enjoy for the supply of others who want4--,fergusson4 ,the ,poor ,representative of ,christ4--,one evening at supper1 when one of the boys had said the grace1 ,come1 ,lord ,jesus1 be our ,guest1 and bless what ,thou hast provided1 a little fellow looked up and said1 ,do tell me why the ,lord ,jesus never comes4 ,we ask ,him every day to sit with us1 and ,he never comes6 ,dear child1 only believe1 and you may be sure ,he will come1 for ,he does not despise our invitation4 ,i shall set a seat1 said the little fellow1 and just then there was a knock at the door4 ,a poor frozen apprentice entered1 begging a night's lodging4 ,he was made welcome1 the chair stood empty for him1 every child wanted him to have his plate1 and one was lamenting that his bed was too small for the stranger1 who was quite touched by such uncommon attentions4 ,the little one had been thinking hard all the time4 ,jesus could not come1 and so ,he sent this poor man in ,his place3 is that it8 ,yes1 dear child2 that is just it4 ,every piece of bread and every drink of water that we give to the poor1 or the sick1 or the prisoners for ,jesus' sake1 we give to ,him4--,memoir of ,john ,falk4 ,remembrance of the ,poor recommended4 ,i4 ,the nature of the assertion4--#a4 ,remember the work of the poor4 #b4 ,the deprivations of the poor4 #c4 ,our remembrance of the poor should be founded on a personal acquaintance with their circumstances4 ,indeed1 sir1 said a person of large property1 ,i am a very compassionate man2 but to tell you the truth1 ,i do not know any person in want4 ,he kept aloof from the poor4 ,,ii4 ,obligations to comply with the recommendation4--#a4 ,the dictates of humanity require it4 #b4 ,the demands of duty4 #c4 ,the rights of justice4 #d4 ,the claims of interest4 ,,iii4 ,answer objections4--,such as3 #a4 ,my circumstances are impoverished and ,i have nothing to spare4 #b4 ,charity must begin at home4 #c4 ,i have a right to do what ,i will with my own4 #d4 ,the poor do not deserve to be remembered4--,beta4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa-ba4 ,a ,fearless ,defence of ,fundamental ,truth-- ,i4 ,does not hesitate to impeach a distinguished ,church dignitary of inconsistency4--,but when ,peter was come to ,antioch1 ,i withstood him to the face1 because he was to be blamed1 etc4 7vers4 #aa-ad74 ,peter had been accustomed to mingle with the ,gentile converts on the ground of perfect social equality4 ,influenced by the fierce bigots of legalism1 who insinuated that the circumcised occupied a superior status to the uncircumcised1 he withdrew from the social circle of the ,gentiles and confined himself to that of his ,jewish brethren4 ,the pliability of his impulsive nature led him into this as into other mistakes4 ,to create a social distinction between ,jew and ,gentile was to undermine the ,gospel4 ,paul saw at a glance the threatened peril1 and it needed all his tact and courage to confront it4 ,though it meant a public impeachment of the sincerity and consistency of one of the most venerated apostles1 the champion of the ,gentiles did not hesitate4 ,alone1 even ,barnabas having for the time being deserted him1 he stood up boldly for the truth of the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,is the opportunity for an authoritative restatement of the truth imperilled 7vers4 #ae-ah74--;,in these verses the apostle again sets forth the fundamental doctrine of justification by faith1 without the works of the law4 ,the ,judaisers contended that to renounce legal righteousness was in effect to promote sin--to make ,christ the minister of sin 7ver4 #ag74 ,paul retorts the charge on those who made it and showed that they promote sin who set up legal righteousness again 7ver4 #ah74 ,the reproach of the ,judaisers was in reality the same that is urged against evangelical doctrine still--that it is immoral1 placing the virtuous and vicious in the common category of sinners 7,findlay74 ,the complaint was this1 says ,calvin1--,has ,christ therefore come to take away from us the righteousness of the law1 to make us polluted who were holy8 ,nay1 ,paul says--he repels the blasphemy with detestation4 ,for ,christ did not introduce sin but revealed it4 ,he did not rob them of righteousness1 but of the false show thereof4 ,,iii4 ,is made more impressive by showing the effect of the truth on personal experience 7vers4 #ai-ba74--;,in these words the apostle indicates that his own deliverance from the law was effected by being dead to the law--being crucified with ,christ2 and that his own spiritual life was originated and sustained by a living faith in a loving and self-sacrificing ,christ4 ,legalism is fatal to the spiritual life in man4 ,whilst it clouds the ,divine character1 it dwarfs and petrifies the human4 ,what becomes of the sublime mystery of the life hid with ,christ in ,god1 if its existence is made contingent on circumcision and ritual performance8 ,to men who put meat and drink on a level with righteousness and peace and joy in the ,holy ,ghost1 or in their intercourse with fellow-,christians set points of ceremony above justice1 mercy1 and faith1 the very idea of a spiritual kingdom of ,god is wanting4 ,the religion of ,jesus and of ,paul regenerates the heart1 and from that centre regulates and hallows the whole ongoing of life4 ,legalism guards the mouth1 the hands1 the senses1 and imagines that through these it can drill the man into the ,divine order4 ,the latter theory makes religion a mechanical system2 the former conceives it as an inward1 organic life4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the leaven of error is not easily suppressed4 #b4 ,true religion has never lacked a race of brave defenders4 #c4 ,experimental religion is the best guarantee of its permanence4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #aa-ac4 ,christian ,consistency-- ,i4 ,may be spoilt by yielding to an unworthy fear 7ver4 #ab74 ,,ii4 ,should be strictly maintained for the sake of others 7ver4 #ac74 ,,iii4 ,should be defended with intrepid courage 7ver4 #aa74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,an ,astute ,defender of the ,faith4 ,i4 ,here we have an example of true virtue1 in ,st4 ,paul resisting evil to the utmost of his power4 ,in like manner must every one of us resist evil1 first in himself and then in them that appertain to him4 ,,ii4 ,an example of boldness and liberty in reproving sin4--#a4 ,this liberty in reproving is not the fruit of a bold and rash disposition1 but is the fruit of ,god's ,spirit1 and is so to be acknowledged4 #b4 ,this liberty is to be ordered by a sound mind whereby we are able to give a good account of our reproofs1 both for the matter and manner of them4 #c4 ,our admonitions must be seasoned and tempered with love4 ,,iii4 ,an example of an ingenuous and honest mind4--,when ,paul sees ,peter he reproves him to the face4 ,contrary to this is the common practice in backbiting1 whispering1 and tale-bearing1 whereby it comes to pass that when a man is in fault every man knows it save he who is in fault4 ,we see that excellent men1 even the chief apostles1 are subject to err and be deceived4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #ab1 #ac4 ,the ,power of ,example4--#a4 ,so weak and inconstant are the best of men that1 being left to themselves1 the least blast of temptation will make them break off the course of doing well in the very midst1 and without respect either to conscience or credit1 openly desert it4 #b4 ,to separate from a true ,church and break off communion with its members cannot be attempted without sin1 not though we eschew the offence and stumbling of many4 #c4 ,of so great force is the bad example of men1 eminent1 gracious1 and learned1 that not only the weak and infirm1 but even those who are strong and richly endowed with both grace and parts1 will sometimes be corrupted by it4 ,it is usual for us unawares to esteem such as more than men and being once so far engaged in our esteem of them we do not so narrowly examine their actions as we do those of other men4 #d4 ,an inundation of evil examples1 though held forth by private ,christians1 is so impetuous and of such force to carry others along with it1 that even the very best of men can hardly stand against it4--,fergusson4 ,an ,erring ,apostle4 ,i4 ,peter's sin was simulation4--,among the ,gentiles at ,antioch he used ,christian liberty in eating things forbidden by the ceremonial law2 yet after the coming of certain ,jews from ,jerusalem1 he separates himself from the ,gentiles1 and plays the ,jew among the ,jews4 ,this act of ,peter was not a sin in itself1 but the circumstances made it a sin4 #a4 ,he not only abstained from meats forbidden by the ceremonial law but withdrew himself from the ,gentiles and kept company apart with the ,jews4 #b4 ,he abstained not among the ,jews at ,jerusalem1 but at ,antioch among the ,gentiles1 where a little before he had openly done the contrary1 using his ,christian liberty4 #c4 ,he used this abstinence when certain ,jews came from ,jerusalem to search out the liberty of the ,gentiles4 #d4 ,while ,peter seeks to avoid the small offence of some ,jews1 he incurs a greater offence of all the ,gentiles4 #e4 ,this act of ,peter tended to the overthrowing of ,paul's ministry and the suppressing of the truth of the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,the cause of ,peter's sin was fear of offending the ,jews4--,it was a sin because he feared man more than ,god4 ,it was a sin1 not of malice1 but infirmity4 ,a sin of infirmity is when there is a purpose in the heart not to sin1 and yet for all this the sin is committed1 by reason the will is over-carried by temptation1 or by violence of affection as by fear1 anger1 lust4 ,,iii4 ,the effect of ,peter's sin4--,he drew the ,jews and ,barnabas to the like dissimulation4 ,here we see the contagion of an evil example4 #a4 ,ministers of the ,word must join with good doctrine the example of a good life4 #b4 ,practice in the ministry is a part of the teaching4 #c4 ,all superiors are warned to go before their inferiors by good example4 #d4 ,the consent of many together is not a note of truth4 ,peter1 ,barnabas1 and the ,jews1 all together are deceived2 ,paul alone has the truth4 ,ponormitane said1 ,a layman bringing ,scripture is to be preferred before a whole council4 ,paphnutius alone had the truth1 and the whole council of ,nice inclined to error4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #ad-af4 ,justification by ,faith1 not by ,works4--#a4 ,though private sins1 which have not broken forth to a public scandal1 are to be rebuked in private1 public sins are to receive public rebukes1 that public scandal may be removed1 and others scared from taking encouragement to do the like 7ver4 #ad74 #b4 ,though the binding power of the ceremonial law was abrogated at ,christ's death1 and the practice in some things left as a thing lawful and in itself indifferent1 yet the observance1 even for that time1 was dispensed with more for the ,jews' sake1 and was more tolerable in them who were born and educated under that yoke1 than in the ,gentiles1 to whom that law was never given1 and so were to observe it1 or any part of it1 only in case of scandalising the weak ,jews by their neglecting of it 7ver4 #ad74 #c4 ,though every man by nature is a child of wrath and enemy to ,god1 yet those born within the visible ,church have a right to ,church privileges and to enjoy the external means of grace and salvation 7ver4 #ae74 #d4 ,the doctrine of justification by faith and not by works was early opposed1 and no doctrine so much opposed1 because no truth is more necessary to be kept pure1 as if it be kept pure several other truths are kept pure also1 and if it fall other truths fall with it 7ver4 #af74--;,fergusson4 ,ver4 #af4 ,justification by ,faith4 ,i4 ,man is justified by the mere mercy of ,god4--,and there is excluded by justification all merit of congruity1 all meritorious works of preparation wrought by us1 all co-operation of man's will with ,god's grace in the effecting of our justification4 ,,ii4 ,man is justified by the mere merit of ,christ4--,that is1 by the meritorious obedience which ,he wrought in ,himself1 and not by anything wrought by ,him in us4 ,,iii4 ,a sinner is justified by mere faith4--,that is1 nothing within us concurs as a cause of our justification but faith1 and nothing apprehends ,christ's obedience for our justification but faith4 ,this will more easily appear if we compare faith1 hope1 and love4 ,faith is like a hand that opens itself to receive a gift1 and so is neither love nor hope4 ,love is also a hand1 but yet a hand that gives out1 communicates1 and distributes4 ,for as faith receives ,christ into our hearts1 so love opens the heart and pours our praise and thanks to ,god and all manner of goodness to men4 ,hope is no hand1 but an eye that wistfully looks and waits for the good things faith believes4 ,therefore1 it is the only property of faith to clasp and lay hold of ,christ and ,his benefits4 ,,iv4 ,the practice of them that are justified is to believe4--,to put their trust in ,christ4 #a4 ,faith and practice must reign in the heart and have all at command4 ,we must not go by sense1 feeling1 reason1 but shut our eyes and let faith keep our hearts close to the promise of ,god4 ,faith must overrule and command nature and the strongest affections thereof4 #b4 ,when we know not what to do by reason of the greatness of our distress1 we must fix our hearts on ,christ with separation1 as he that climbs up a ladder or some steep place3 the higher he goes the faster he holds4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #ag1 #ah4 ,false ,methods of ,salvation-- ,i4 ,to seek justification in any other way than through ,christ4--,if1 while we seek to be justified by ,christ1 we ourselves are found sinners 7ver4 #ag74 ,,ii4 ,reflect unjustly on the character of the only ,saviour4--,is therefore ,christ the minister of sin8 ,god forbid 7ver4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,aggravate our sin by restoring in practice what we have abandoned in theory4--,for if ,i build again the things which ,i destroyed1 ,i make myself a transgressor 7ver4 #ah74 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,christian ,dead to the ,law4 ,i4 ,the state in which the apostle describes himself to be4--,i am dead to the law4 ,not the moral law of ,god4 ,every rational creature in the universe is under its dominion1 the believer as well as others4 ,he must escape from existence before he can escape from the law of ,god4 ,the apostle means he is dead to it as a covenant between ,god and himself4 ,there still stands the law before him in all its primitive authority1 purity1 and majesty2 he honours it and strives to obey it1 and often rejoices in the thought that the time will come when he shall have his soul in a state of perfect conformity to it1 but this is all4 ,its life-giving1 death-bringing powers are utterly at an end1 and he knows they are at an end4 ,he is dead to all hope from the law1 dead to all expectation of heaven or of salvation from it4 ,he builds no more hope on his obedience to it than as though the law had ceased to exist1 and no more fear has he of condemnation from it4 ,the believer1 dead to the legal covenant1 rests from it4 ,the connection between him and it is over1 and with it are over the feelings within him1 the painful1 perturbing1 apprehensive1 slavish feelings arising out of it4 ,,ii4 ,the means whereby the apostle has been brought into the state he describes4--,i through the law am dead to the law4 ,suppose a man anxious to pass from one country to another1 from a dangerous and wretched country to a safe and happy one4 ,directly in his road stands a mountain which he cannot pass over1 and which he at first imagines he can without much difficulty climb4 ,he tries1 but scarcely has he begun to breast it when a precipice stops him4 ,he descends and tries again in another direction4 ,there another precipice or some other obstacle arrests his course2 and still ever as he begins his ascent he is baffled1 and the little way he contrives to mount serves only to show him more and more of the prodigious height of the mountain1 and its stern1 rugged1 impassable character4 ,at last1 wearied and worn1 heart-sick with labour and disappointment1 and thoroughly convinced that no efforts of his can carry him over1 he lies down at the mountain's foot in utter despair1 longing still to be on the other side1 but making not another movement to get there4 ,now ask him as he lies exhausted on the ground what has occasioned his torpor and despair2 he will say that mountain itself3 its situation between him and the land of his desires1 and its inaccessible heights and magnitude4 ,so stands the law of ,god between the ,christian and the land he longs for4 ,the impossibility of making our way to ,god by means of the law arises from the extent of its requirements1 and the unbending1 inexorable character of its denunciations4 ,we can do nothing but die to it1 sink down before this broad1 high1 terrific mountain in utter despair4 ,while through the law the believer dies to all hope from the law1 through the cross of ,christ he also dies to all apprehension from it4 ,,iii4 ,the design of this deadness to the law in the ,christian's soul4--,that ,i might live unto ,god4 ,this living unto ,god dethrones self1 discovers to the man the base1 degrading idol to which he has been bowing down1 makes him ashamed of the worship he has paid it1 and places on the throne of his heart his ,saviour and his ,god4 ,his renunciation of his self-righteousness has gradually brought on other renunciations of self4 ,the law driving him to ,christ has been the means of driving him out of self altogether4 ,it has brought him into the sphere of the ,gospel and among those soul-stirring principles1 feelings1 and aspirations connected with the ,gospel4 ,there is no greater mistake than to imagine that the ,gospel has destroyed the law or loosened in any degree its hold on men4 ,the ,gospel rests on the law4 ,but for the law and its unbending1 unchangeable1 external character the ,gospel had not existed1 for it would not have been needed4 ,dead to the law and alive unto ,god are two things that go together2 the one springs out of the other4 ,the more completely we die to the law as a covenant1 the more fully1 freely1 and happily shall we live unto ,god4--,c4 ,bradley4 ,dead to the ,law by the ,law4 ,i4 ,the person justified is dead to the law4--,here the law is compared to a hard and cruel master1 and we to slaves or bondmen1 who so long as they are alive are under the dominion and at the command of their masters2 yet when they are dead they are free from that bondage1 and their masters have no more to do with them4 ,to be dead to the law is to be free from the dominion of the law4 #a4 ,in respect of the accusing and damnatory sentence of the law4 #b4 ,in respect of the power of the law4 #c4 ,in respect of the rigour of the law1 exacting most perfect obedience for our justification4 #d4 ,in respect of the obligation of the conscience to the observance of ceremonies4 ,,ii4 ,the justified person is dead to the law by the law4--,by the law of ,moses ,i am dead to the law of ,moses4 ,the law accuses1 terrifies1 and condemns us1 and therefore occasions us to flee unto ,christ who is the cause that we die unto the law4 ,as the needle goes down and draws in the thread which sews the cloth1 so the law goes before and makes a way that grace may follow after and take place in the heart4 ,,iii4 ,the end of our death to the law is that we may live to ,god4--,we live to ,god wisely in respect of ourselves1 godly in respect go ,god1 justly in respect to men4 ,that we may live godly we must3 #a4 ,bring ourselves into the presence of the invisible ,god and set all we do in ,his sight and presence4 #b4 ,we must take knowledge of the will of ,god in all things4 #c4 ,in all we do and suffer we must depend on ,god for success and deliverance4 #d4 ,in all things we must give thanks and praise to ,god4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,the ,believer crucified with ,christ1 and ,christ living in the ,believer4 ,i4 ,the believer is conformed to the death of ,christ4--#a4 ,the nature of this crucifixion4 ,it is figurative1 not literal2 yet real1 and not chimerical4 ,it not only signifies suffering and dying to sin1 but also to effect this by the efficacy of ,christ's cross4 #b4 ,the objects to which the ,christian is crucified1 and the principles which thereby expire3 7#a7 ,the law considered as a means of justification4 7#b7 ,the world--its applause1 treasures1 gratification4 7#c7 ,self4 #c4 ,the sufferings which accompany this crucifixion4 ,severe conviction and mortification4 ,the complete surrender of heart is attended with many pangs4 ,the continuance of the struggle is grievous4 ,,ii4 ,the believer participates in the life of ,christ4--#a4 ,the principle of the life--,christ living in the soul4 #b4 ,the evidences of this life--holy tempers1 spiritual conversation1 benevolent actions4 #c4 ,the instrument by which this life is introduced and maintained in the soul--faith4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,this subject furnishes a test to try the reality of our religion and the measure of our attainments4 #b4 ,exposes the delusion of ,pharisees1 hypocrites1 and antinomians4 #c4 ,exhibits the dignity1 felicity1 and exalted hopes of the real believer4--,delta4 ,the ,religious ,life of the ,apostle-- ,i4 ,was characterised from the beginning by promptitude of action4 ,,ii4 ,was marked by a constant solicitude for his own personal salvation4 ,,iii4 ,was eminent for its spirit of devotion4 ,,iv4 ,was one of high fellowship with the ,divine4 ,v4 ,had its foundation and power in a living faith in ,christ4 ,truths to live on4--,some one has said1 ,give me a great truth that ,i may live on it4 ,and the preacher may well say1 ,give me a great truth that ,i may preach it4 ,there are many great truths in this verse4 ,and yet how simply are they put6 ,the first great truth taught in this verse is the oneness between ,christ and those who believe in ,him4 ,what ,st4 ,paul means is this1 that having died with ,christ on the cross1 he has in ,christ paid the penalty of sin1 and it is no longer his old self that lives and rules1 but ,christ lives in him4 ,and is not this the ,christ ,i want8 ,not only a ,christ to copy1 not a ,christ outside me1 but a ,christ living and reigning within4 ,the believer lives by faith1 and faith lives on the promises1 for faith is a loving trust4 ,the presence or absence of faith rules the whole destiny of every man4 ,the man who believes will live one way4 ,the unbeliever will live in another way4 ,if you have this simple trust in ,christ1 you may appropriate the last clause of the verse1 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,when did that love begin8 ,never4 ,when will that love end8 ,never4 ,every human tie may perish1 ,friend to friend ungrateful prove1 ,mothers cease their own to cherish1 ,heaven and earth at last remove2 ,but no changes ,can attend the ,saviour's love4 ,for those ,christ loves ,he will undertake altogether4 ,he gives them ,his peace1 ,his joy1 ,his smile1 ,his arm1 ,his hand1 ,his home4 ,for ,he gave ,himself4 ,there are all treasures in ,him4 ,strength for every need1 wisdom for every question1 comfort for every sorrow1 healing for every wound1 provision for every day4 ,for me1 so insignificant1 unworthy1 so bad2 for me1 whose iniquities have darkened the blue heavens2 for me1 a slave of sin4 ,why was ,i made to hear ,thy voice ,and enter while there's room1 ,while thousands made a wretched choice1 ,and rather starve than come8 ',twas the same love that spread the feast1 ,that gently forced me in1 ,else ,i had still refused to taste1 ,and perished in my sin4 --,f4 ,harper1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,love of the ,son of ,god to ,men4 ,i4 ,the existence of this amazing affection4--,let not the strangeness of the love stagger us into doubt or disbelief1 but let us receive and rest in the revealed fact4 ,viewed from the side of the ,divine1 it is affection from a superior towards those vastly inferior4 ,viewed from the side of the human beings beloved1 it is an affection altogether undeserved4 ,the contrast between ,his dignity and our demerit is the background on which ,his love stands out conspicuously4 ,,ii4 ,the proof of affection ,he gave4--,not left to assertion or speculation1 but proved by a public act4 ,what he did expresses what ,he felt4 ,he showed it openly by self-denial and self-surrender4 ,he gave not ,his substance or possessions1 not another being1 but to procure our salvation and express ,his love ,he delivered up ,his own person4 ,,iii4 ,the personality or individuality of the affection4--,he died for all and for each4 ,his love to each human being might be inferred from that to the whole race1 but it is affirmed directly4 ,each singly had a distinct place in ,his loving death4 ,each was a unit before ,him1 and had a personal interest in ,his affection4--,w4 ,smiley1 ,b4,a4 ,the ,life of ,faith4 ,i4 ,the life which the apostle lived in the flesh4--#a4 ,his whole life was a life of religious decision4 ,he made his choice and never faltered in it4 ,he saw what he had to do1 and he began to do it at once4 ,he allowed no parley with the enemy4 ,nor was this resolution fleeting2 it continued through life4 #b4 ,his life was marked by a solemn regard and care for his own personal salvation4--,there are two sources of religious danger of which we are not always sufficiently aware--zeal for doctrinal truth1 and active employment in promoting the spread of truth4 ,how possible it is that1 through the treachery of our hearts1 even these may be allowed insensibly to sap the very foundations of that solemn fear1 as to our own selves1 which ought to influence us6 ,remember that truth is not the substance of salvation but its instrument4 ,water others1 but neglect not your own vineyard4 #c4 ,his life was truly a life of devotion4--,his was a life of prayer4 ,philosophy asks for a reason for the efficacy of prayer1 and waiting for an answer1 never prays at all4 ,religion hears that ,god will be inquired of by us1 thankfully bends the knee1 touches the golden sceptre1 and bears away the blessing4 ,we always want2 we must always pray4 ,and wish we for a model of high aspiration in prayer8 ,let the apostle elevate and expand our languid desires4 #d4 ,his life was one of heavenly-mindedness4--,he lived indeed in the flesh1 but his life was in heaven4 ,heavenly-mindedness is the result of three things--an assurance of present acceptance with ,god1 habitual intercourse with ,him through ,his ,son1 and the extinction of the worldly spirit4 ,our fears and aversions result from principles directly opposite4 #e4 ,his life was one of cheerful submission to providential appointments4--,his was no life of envied ease4 ,in every city bonds and afflictions awaited him4 ,these dispensations operated on a tender and delicate mind1 for in him were united great energy and great tenderness4 ,yet this man1 hunted like a beast of prey1 always preserves and exhibits a contented cheerfulness4 ,there was no sorrow for himself1 none allowed to others for him4 ,the principle itself reason could not furnish2 but when furnished it is seen to be most reasonable4 #f4 ,his life was one of laborious usefulness4--,he lived not to himself1 but to ,christ ,jesus his ,lord1 in the promotion of ,his will in the moral benefit and eternal salvation of men4 ,this was the life he lived in the flesh1 even to spread the light and influence of the ,gospel to all4 ,,ii4 ,the principle and source of his life4--#a4 ,it is ,christian faith4 ,its object1 the ,son of ,god4 ,it receives ,his words as true1 and regards ,him as an atoning sacrifice4 ,he gave ,himself for me4 #b4 ,in its nature it is confiding and appropriating4--,how does faith connect itself with the results stated8 7#a7 ,it regenerates as well as justifies4 7#b7 ,it produces vital union with ,christ4 7#c7 ,it is habitual in its exercise4 7#d7 ,it is realising4 ,it gives a spiritual apprehension of invisible and eternal realities4--,r4 ,watson4 ,self-abolished and ,replaced4--,caroline ,herschel1 the sister of the great astronomer1 was through all her life the most attached servant of her brother4 ,she called herself a mere tool1 which my brother had the trouble of sharpening4 ,she learned the details of observing with such success that she independently discovered eight comets4 ,her devotion was most complete4 ,wherever her brother was concerned she abolished self and replaced her nature with his4 ,having no taste for astronomy1 her work at first was distasteful to her2 but she conquered this and lived to help his work and fame4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,the ,perils of ,false ,teaching4 ,i4 ,it seeks to base personal righteousness on an effete legalism4--,if righteousness come by the law4 ,,ii4 ,it defeats the gracious purposes of ,god4--,i do not frustrate the grace of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,it renders the sacrifice of ,christ nugatory4--,then ,christ is dead in vain4 ,frustrating ,divine ,grace4--#a4 ,the joining of works with faith in the manner of justification is a total excluding of ,god's free grace and favour from any hand in the work4 ,grace admits of no partner4 ,if grace does not all1 it does nothing2 if anything be added1 that addition makes grace to be no grace4 #b4 ,that the apostle doth exclude in this dispute from having any influence in justification the works1 not only of the ceremonial but also of the moral law1 appears from this--that he opposes the merit of ,christ's death to all merit of our own1 whether by obedience to the one law or the other4 #c4 ,if there had been any other way possible by which the salvation of sinners could have been brought about but by the death of ,christ1 then ,christ would not have died4 ,to suppose ,christ died in vain or without cause is an absurdity4 ,if justification could have been attained by works or any other means1 then ,his death had been in vain1 and it were an absurd thing to suppose ,he would have died in that case4--,fergusson4 ,justification by ,works makes ,void the ,grace of ,god4 ,i4 ,grace must stand wholly and entirely in itself4--,god's grace cannot stand with man's merit4 ,grace is not grace unless it be freely given every way4 ,grace and works of grace in the causing of justification can no more stand together than fire and water4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle answers the objection that if a sinner is justified only by faith in ,christ then we abolish the grace of ,god4--,he shows that if we be justified by our own fulfilment of the law then ,christ died in vain to fulfil the law for us4 ,,iii4 ,we have here a notable ground of true religion4--,that the death of ,christ is made void if anything be joined with it in the work of our justification as a means to satisfy ,god's justice and to merit the favour of ,god4 ,therefore the doctrine of justification by works is a manifest error4--,perkins4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,who hath bewitched you8--,fascinated you1 as if overlooked by the evil eye1 so that your brain is confused4 ,the ,galatians were reputed to possess acute intellects3 the apostle marvelled the more at their defection4 ,that you should not obey the truth4--,omitted in ,r4,v4 ,before whose eyes ,jesus ,christ hath been evidently set forth1 crucified4--,in preaching1 a vivid portraiture of ,christ crucified has been set before you as if depicted in graphic characters impossible to mistake4 ,ver4 #c4 ,having begun in the ,spirit1 are ye now made perfect by the flesh8--,what monstrous folly is this6 ,will you so violate the ,divine order of progress8 ,the flesh may be easily mistaken for the ,spirit1 even by those who have made progress1 unless they continue to maintain a pure faith 7,bengel74 ,ver4 #d4 ,have ye suffered so many things in vain8--,since ye might have avoided them by professing ,judaism4 ,will ye lose the reward promised for all suffering8 ,ver4 #e4 ,he that worketh miracles among you4--,in you1 at your conversion and since4 ,ver4 #f4 ,even as ,abraham believed ,god4--,where justification is there the ,spirit is1 so that if the former comes by faith the latter must also4 ,ver4 #h4 ,preached before the ,gospel unto ,abraham4--,thus the ,gospel in its essential germ is older than the law1 though the full development of the former is subsequent to the latter4 ,the promise to ,abraham was in anticipation of the ,gospel1 not only as announcing the ,messiah1 but also as involving the doctrine of righteousness by faith4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse4--,this the ,scripture itself declares4 ,it utters an anathema against all who fail to fulfil every single ordinance contained in the book of the law 7,deut4 xxvii4 #bf74 ,ver4 #ac4 ,christ hath redeemed us from the curse4--,bought us off from our bondage and from the curse under which all lie who trust to the law4 ,the ransom price ,he paid was ,his own precious blood 7#a ,pet4 i4 #ah1 #ai74 ,cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree4--,christ's bearing the particular curse of hanging on the tree is a sample of the general curse which ,he representatively bore4 ,not that the ,jews put to death malefactors by hanging1 but after having put them to death otherwise1 in order to brand them with peculiar ignominy1 they hung the bodies on a tree1 and such malefactors were accursed by the law4 ,the ,jews in contempt called ,him the hanged one4 ,hung between heaven and earth as though unworthy of either4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the covenant1 that was confirmed before of ,god in ,christ1 the law cannot disannul4--,from the recognised inviolability of a human covenant 7ver4 #ae71 the apostle argues the impossibility of violating the ,divine covenant4 ,the law cannot set aside the promise4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,wherefore then serveth the law8--,as it is of no avail for justification1 is it either useless or contrary to the covenant of ,god8 ,it was added because of transgressions4--,to bring out into clearer view the transgression of the law2 to make men more fully conscious of their sins1 by being perceived as transgression of the law1 and so make them long for the promised ,saviour4 ,it was ordained by angels in the hand of a ,mediator4--,as instrumental enactors of the law4 ,in the giving of the law the angels were representatives of ,god2 ,moses1 as mediator1 represented the people4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,now a ,mediator is not a mediator of one1 but ,god is one4--,the very idea of mediation supposes two persons at least1 between whom the mediation is carried on4 ,the law then is of the nature of a contract between two parties--,god on the one hand1 and the ,jewish people on the other4 ,it is only valid so long as both parties fulfil the terms of the contract4 ,it is therefore contingent and not absolute4 ,unlike the law1 the promise is absolute and unconditional4 ,it depends on the sole decree of ,god4 ,there are not two contracting parties4 ,there is nothing of the nature of a stipulation4 ,the ,giver is everything1 the recipient nothing 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #bb4 ,the ,scripture hath concluded all under sin4--,the written letter was needed so as permanently to convict man of disobedience to ,god's command4 ,he is shut up under condemnation as in a prison4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto ,christ4--,as a tutor1 checking our sinful propensities1 making the consciousness of the sinful principle more vivid1 and showing the need of forgiveness and freedom from the bondage of sin4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,ye are all the children of ,god4--,no longer children requiring a tutor1 but sons emancipated and walking at liberty4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,ye are all one in ,christ ,jesus4--,no class privileged above another1 as the ,jews under the law had been above the ,gentiles4 ,difference of sex makes no difference in ,christian privileges4 ,but under the law the male sex had great privileges4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,if ye be ,christ's1 then are ye ,abraham's seed and heirs4--,christ is ,abraham's seed1 and all who are baptised into ,christ1 put on ,christ 7ver4 #bg71 and are one in ,christ 7ver4 #bh71 are children entitled to the inheritance of promise4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-e4 ,the ,deceptive ,glamour of ,error-- ,i4 ,diverts the gaze of the soul from the most suggestive truth4--,before whose eyes ,jesus ,christ hath been evidently set forth1 crucified 7ver4 #a74 ,the cross of ,christ was the great theme of ,paul's preaching4 ,he depicted it in such vivid colours and dwelt on every detail of the story with such intense earnestness and loving emphasis1 that the ,galatians were arrested1 excited1 charmed4 ,they were smitten with a sense of sin4 ,they seemed to be actors in the scene1 as if their own hands had driven in the nails that pierced the sacred ,victim4 ,they were bowed with shame and humiliation1 and in an agony of repentance they cast themselves before the ,crucified and took ,him for their ,christ and ,king4 ,while they looked to ,jesus they were secure1 but when they listened to the deceptive voice of error1 their gaze was diverted1 and the deep significance of the cross became obscured4 ,then backsliding began4 ,like mariners losing sight of their guiding star1 they drifted into strange waters4 ,the cross is the central force of ,christianity2 when it fades from view ,christianity declines4 ,as the sun draws the vapours of the sea1 and then paints a rainbow on them1 so ,christ draws men and then glorifies them4 ,his attraction is like that of the sun4 ,it is magnetic too1 like that of the magnet to the pole4 ,it is not simply the ,christ that is the magnet2 it is the crucified ,christ4 ,it is not ,christ without the cross1 nor the cross without ,christ2 it is both of them together4 ,,ii4 ,confuses the mind as to the nature and value of spiritual agencies4--#a4 ,concerning the method of their first reception4--,received ye the ,spirit by the works of the law1 or by the hearing of faith8 7ver4 #b74 ,making it appear that spiritual blessings were acquired by outward observance rather than by inward contemplation and faith4 ,confusing the true method of moral regeneration1 it arrests all growth and advancement in the spiritual life4 ,it throws back the soul on the weary round of toilsome and hopeless human effort4 #b4 ,concerning the purpose for which they were given4--,having begun in the ,spirit1 are ye now made perfect by the flesh8 7ver4 #c74 ,it was a reversal of the ,divine order4 ,having begun in the ,spirit1 so they must continue1 or they would be undone4 ,it was absurd to look for perfection in the flesh1 especially when they had discovered its helplessness and misery4 ,pharisaic ordinances could do nothing to consummate the work of faith and love2 ,moses could not lead them higher than ,christ2 circumcision could never effect what the ,holy ,ghost failed to do4 ,spiritual results can be brought about only by spiritual agencies4 #c4 ,rendering suffering on behalf of the truth meaningless4--,have ye suffered so many things in vain8 7ver4 #d74 ,the ,galatians on their conversion were exposed to the fiercest persecution from the ,jews and from their own countrymen incited by the ,jews4 ,no one could come out of heathen society and espouse the cause of ,christ in those days1 nor can he do so to-day1 without making himself a mark for ridicule and violence1 without the rupture of family and public ties1 and many painful sacrifices4 ,but if the truth may be so easily abandoned1 all early struggles against opposition and all the educative influence and promised reward of suffering must go for nothing4 ,it is disappointing and disastrous when a youthful zeal for religion degenerates in maturer life into apathy and worldliness1 when the great principles of right and liberty1 for which our fathers fought and suffered1 are treated by their descendants with supine indifference4 ,,iii4 ,creates misconceptions as to the ,divine method of ministering spiritual blessing4--,he that ministereth to you the ,spirit1 and worketh miracles1 doeth he it by the works of the law1 or by the hearing of faith8 7ver4 #e74 ,one of the most subtle effects of error is to suspend the mind in a state of hesitation and doubt4 ,it is a dangerous mood4 ,confidence in the truth is shaken1 and for the moment the soul has nothing stable on which to lay hold4 ,it is the opportunity for the enemy1 and damage is done which even a subsequent return to the truth does not wholly efface4 ,paul saw the peril of his converts1 and he suggests this test--the ,spirit of ,god had put ,his seal on the apostle's preaching and on the faith of his hearers4 ,did any such manifestation accompany the preaching of the legalists8 ,he takes his stand on the indubitable evidence of the work of the ,spirit4 ,it is the only safe ground for the champion of experimental ,christianity 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad1 #ae74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,every error is the distortion of some truth4 #b4 ,the cross is the central truth of ,christianity4 #c4 ,the highest truths are spiritually discerned4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,faithful ,reproof4--#a4 ,the minister when he is called to insist upon the clearing up of truth1 whether positively by showing what is revealed in ,scripture or controversially by refuting errors1 should mix his discourse with exhortation and reproof1 to excite and quicken the affections of his hearers4 #b4 ,false teachers1 who by fair words deceive the simple1 are spiritual sorcerers1 and error is spiritual witchcraft4 ,as sorcerers by deluding the senses make people apprehend that they see what they see not1 so false teachers1 by casting a mist of seeming reason before the understanding1 delude it1 and make the deluded person to believe that to be truth which is not4 #c4 ,though ,christ and ,his sufferings are to be vividly represented and pictured by the plain and powerful preaching of the ,gospel1 yet it does not follow they are to be artificially painted with colours on stone or timber for religious use4 ,the graven image is a teacher of lies 7,hab4 ii4 #ah74--;,fergusson4 ,the ,folly of ,disobedience4 ,i4 ,we are wise in matters of the world1 but in matters concerning the kingdom of heaven the most of us are fools1 besotted and bewitched with worldly cares and pleasures1 without sense in matters of religion2 like a piece of wax without form1 fit to take the form and print of any religion4 ,,ii4 ,the truth here mentioned is the heavenly doctrine of the ,gospel1 so called because it is absolute truth without error1 and because it is a most worthy truth--the truth according to godliness4 ,,iii4 ,the office of the minister is to set forth ,christ crucified4--#a4 ,the ministry of the ,word must be plain1 perspicuous1 and evident1 as if the doctrine were pictured and painted out before the eyes of men4 #b4 ,it must be powerful and lively in operation1 and as it were crucifying ,christ within us and causing us to feel the virtue of ,his passion4 ,the ,word preached must pierce into the heart like a two-edged sword4 #c4 ,the effectual and powerful preaching of the ,word stands in three things3 7#a7 ,true and proper interpretation of the ,scripture4 7#b7 ,savoury and wholesome doctrine gathered out of the ,scriptures truly expounded4 7#c7 ,the application of the said doctrine1 either to the information of the judgment or the reformation of the life4 ,,iv4 ,the duty of all believers is to behold ,christ crucified4--,and we must behold ,him by the eye of faith1 which makes us both see ,him and feel ,him1 as it were1 crucified in us4 #a4 ,by beholding ,christ crucified we see our misery and wickedness4 #b4 ,this sight brings us true and lively comfort4 #c4 ,this sight of ,christ makes a wonderful change in us4 ,the chameleon takes the colours of the things it sees and that are near to it2 and the believing heart takes to it the disposition and mind that was in ,christ--,perkins4 ,attractiveness of ,worth4--,in the ,paris ,salon some few years ago there was a bust of the painter ,baudry by ,paul ,dubois1 one of the greatest modern sculptors4 ,mr4 ,edmund ,gosse was sitting to contemplate this bust when an ,american gentleman strolled by1 caught sight of it1 and after hovering round it for some time came and sat by his side and watched it4 ,presently he turned to ,mr4 ,gosse inquiring if he could tell him whose it was1 and whether it was thought much of1 adding with a charming modesty1 ,i don't know anything about art2 but ,i found that ,i could not get past that head4 ,would that we could so set forth ,christ that ,his ,word might be fulfilled1 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all men unto me6 7,john xii4 #cb74 ,vers4 #b-e4 ,searching ,questions4--#a4 ,as to the mode of receiving the ,spirit 7ver4 #b74 #b4 ,as to the folly of expecting advancement by substituting an inferior for a superior force 7ver4 #c74 #c4 ,as to the uselessness of suffering 7ver4 #d74 #d4 ,as to the exercise of spiritual and miraculous power 7ver4 #e74 ,ver4 #d4 ,suffering for the ,truth4--#a4 ,they may suffer many things for truth who afterwards fall from it4 ,as the example of others1 particular interest and general applause will make even hypocrites suffer much1 so continued suffering will make even the godly faint for a time4 ,the best1 being left to themselves1 in an hour of temptation1 will turn their back upon truth1 so that no profession1 no experience or remembrance of the joy and sweetness found in the way of truth1 nor their former sufferings for it1 will make them adhere to it4 #b4 ,whatever have been the sufferings for truth1 they are all in vain1 lost and to no purpose1 if the party make defection from and turn his back upon the truth4 #c4 ,though those who have suffered much for the truth should afterwards fall from it1 we are to keep charity towards them1 hoping ,god will give them repentance and reclaim them4 ,all our sharpness towards them ought to be wisely tempered1 by expressing the charitable thoughts we have of them4--,fergusson4 ,the ,uses of ,suffering4--#a4 ,they serve for trial of men1 that it may appear what is hidden in their hearts4 #b4 ,they serve for the correction of things amiss in us4 #c4 ,they serve as documents and warnings to others1 especially in public persons4 #d4 ,they are marks of adoption if we be content to obey ,god in them4 #e4 ,they are the trodden and beaten way to the kingdom of heaven4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #e4 ,miracles confirmatory of the ,truth4--#a4 ,the ,lord accompanied the first preaching of the ,gospel with the working of miracles that the truth of the doctrine might be confirmed1 which being once sufficiently done1 there is no further use for miracles4 #b4 ,so strong and prevalent is the spirit of error1 and so weak the best in themselves to resist it1 that for love to error they will quit truth1 though confirmed and sealed by the saving fruits of ,god's ,spirit in their hearts4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-i4 ,the ,abrahamic ,gospel-- ,i4 ,recognised the principle that righteousness is only by faith4--,abraham believed ,god1 and it was accounted to him for righteousness 7ver4 #f74 ,the promise to ,abraham contained the germ of the ,gospel and was the only ,gospel known to pre-,christian times4 ,though dimly apprehending its vast import1 ,abraham trusted in ,god's ,messianic promise1 and his unfaltering faith1 often severely tried1 was in the judgment of the gracious ,god imputed to him as rectitude4 ,in this mode of salvation there was after all nothing new4 ,the righteousness of faith is more ancient than legalism4 ,it is as old as ,abraham4 ,in the hoary patriarchal days as now1 in the time of promise as of fulfilment1 faith is the root of religion2 grace invites1 righteousness waits upon the hearing of faith4 ,,ii4 ,was universal in its spiritual provisions4--,the ,scripture1 foreseeing that ,god would justify the heathen through faith1 preached before the gospel unto ,abraham1 saying1 ,in thee shall all nations be blessed 7ver4 #h74 ,twice is ,abraham designated the friend of ,god4 ,the ,arabs still call him the friend4 ,his image has impressed itself with singular force on the ,oriental mind4 ,he is the noblest figure of the ,old ,testament1 surpassing ,isaac in force1 ,jacob in purity1 and both in dignity of character4 ,his religion exhibits a heroic strength and firmness1 but at the same time a large-hearted1 genial humanity1 an elevation and serenity of mind1 to which the temper of those who boasted themselves his children was utterly opposed4 ,father of the ,jewish race1 ,abraham was no ,jew4 ,he stands before us in the morning light of revelation a simple1 noble1 archaic type of man1 true father of many nations4 ,and his faith was the secret of the greatness which has commanded for him the reverence of four thousand years4 ,his trust in ,god made him worthy to receive so immense a trust for the future of mankind 7,findlay74 ,,iii4 ,shares its privilege and blessing with all who believe4--,they which are of faith1 the same are the children of 4 4 4 are blessed with faithful ,abraham 7vers4 #g1 #i74 ,with ,abraham's faith the ,gentiles inherit his blessing4 ,they were not simply blessed in him1 through his faith which received and handed down the blessing but blessed with him4 ,their righteousness rests on the same principle as his4 ,reading the story of ,abraham1 we witness the bright dawn of faith1 its springtime of promise and of hope4 ,these morning hours passed away2 and the sacred history shuts us in to the hard school of ,mosaism1 with its isolation1 its mechanical routine and ritual drapery1 its yoke of legal exaction ever growing more burdensome4 ,of all this the ,church of ,christ was to know nothing4 ,it was called to enter into the labours of the legal centuries without the need of sharing their burdens4 ,in the ,father of the ,faithful and the ,friend of ,god ,gentile believers were to see their exemplar1 to find the warrant for that sufficiency and freedom of faith of which the natural children of ,abraham unjustly strove to rob them 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel has an honourable antiquity4 #b4 ,righteousness is the practical side of true religion4 #c4 ,faith is the way to righteousness4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f-i4 ,righteousness through ,faith4 ,i4 ,the ,divine method of blessing in past ages 7ver4 #f74 ,,ii4 ,modern believers are spiritual successors of the most eminent examples of faith in ancient times 7ver4 #g74 ,,iii4 ,the unchanging ,gospel taught in ,holy ,scripture 7ver4 #h74 ,,vi4 ,ensures the enjoyment of promised blessings 7ver4 #i74 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,imitators of ,abraham's ,faith4 ,i4 ,we must have knowledge of the main and principal promise touching the blessing of ,god in ,christ1 and all other promises depending on the principal2 and we must know the scope and tenor of them that we be not deceived4 ,,ii4 ,we must with ,abraham believe the truth and power of ,god in the accomplishment of the said promises1 or in the working of our vocation1 justification1 sanctification1 glorification4 ,,iii4 ,we must by faith obey ,god in all things1 shutting our eyes and suffering ourselves to be led blindfold1 as it were1 by the ,word of ,god4 ,thus did ,abraham in all things1 even in actions against nature4 ,but this practice is rare among us4 ,for there are three things which prevail among us--the love of worldly honour1 the love of pleasure1 and the love of riches2 and where these bear sway there faith takes no place4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #h1 #i4 ,all ,nations blessed in ,abraham4--#a4 ,the covenant of grace with ,abraham extended not only to his carnal seed1 but to all believers1 even among the ,gentiles4 #b4 ,the blessings promised to ,abraham were not only temporal1 but heavenly and spiritual3 the temporal were often inculcated on the ancient ,church1 not as if they were all or the main blessings of the covenant1 but as they were shadows of things heavenly4 #c4 ,the promise to ,abraham contained the sum of the ,gospel--the glad tidings of all spiritual blessings1 and that the ,gentiles should have access1 in the days of the ,gospel1 to these blessings4 ,the ,gospel is therefore no new doctrine1 but the same in substance with that taught to ,abraham and to the ,church under the ,old ,testament4 #d4 ,eminent privileges bestowed on particular persons do not exempt them from walking to heaven in the common pathway with others4 ,abraham1 the father of believers1 in whom all nations were blessed1 enjoyed the blessing1 not because of his own merit1 but freely and by faith as well as others4--,fergusson4 ,the ,abrahamic ,gospel intended for ,all4 ,i4 ,the nation of the ,jews shall be called and converted to the participation of this blessing4--,when and how1 ,god knows2 but it shall be done before the end of the world4 ,if all nations be called1 then the ,jews4 ,,ii4 ,that which was foretold to ,abraham is verified in our eyes4--,this nation and many other nations are at this day blessed in the seed of ,abraham4 #a4 ,give to ,god thanks and praise that we are born in these days4 #b4 ,we must amend and turn to ,god that we may now be partakers of the promised blessing4 #c4 ,we must bless all1 do good to all1 and hurt to none4 ,,iii4 ,all men who are of ,abraham's faith shall be partakers of the same blessing with him4--,god respects not the greatness of our faith so much as the truth of it4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ad4 ,the ,conflict between the ,law and ,faith4 ,i4 ,the law condemns the least violation of its enactments4--,cursed is every one that continueth not in all things 4 4 4 in the law to do them 7ver4 #aj74 ,the law is a unity2 to violate a part is to violate the whole4 ,it is like a perfect bell1 every stroke resounds through every atom of the metal4 ,if the bell is fractured in the least degree1 the dissonance is evident in every part4 ,law is so all-pervasive and so perfect that to break one law is to be guilty of all4 ,it is intolerant of all imperfection and makes no provision to prevent or repair imperfection except by a rigid obedience to every statute4 ,if obedience could be perfect from this moment onwards1 the past disobedience would not be condoned2 we should be still liable to its penalties1 still be under the curse4 ,to pledge ourselves to unsinning obedience is to pledge ourselves to the impossible4 ,all our efforts to obey law--to conform our life to the law of righteousness1 the purity and beauty of which we perceive even while in a state of lawless unnature--are futile4 ,it is like running alongside a parallel pathway into which we are perpetually trying to turn ourselves1 but all in vain4 ,we cannot escape the condemnation of the disobedient4 ,,ii4 ,the law cannot justify man4--,but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of ,god1 it is evident3 for1 ,the just shall live by faith 7ver4 #aa74 ,the law reveals our sin and our utter helplessness to rid ourselves of its misery4 ,the law forces out the disease that is spreading under the skin4 ,such is its task4 ,but healing it does not bring4 ,the law1 says ,luther1 is that which lays down what man is to do2 the ,gospel reveals whence man is to obtain help4 ,when ,i place myself in the hands of the physician1 one branch of art says where the disease lies1 another what course to take to get quit of it4 ,so here4 ,the law discovers our disease1 the ,gospel supplies the remedy4 ,we become aware in critical moments that our evil desires are more powerful than the prohibition of law and are in truth first stirred up thoroughly by the prohibition4 ,and this disposition of our heart is the decisive point for the question1 ,whether then the holy law1 the holy1 just and good commandment makes us holy1 just1 and good men8 ,the answer to this is1 and remains a most decided1 ,no4 ,,iii4 ,the law ignores faith4--,the law is not of faith3 but1 ,the man that doeth them shall live in them 7ver4 #ab74 ,its dictum is do1 not believe2 it takes no account of faith4 ,to grant righteousness to faith is to deny it to legal works4 ,the two ways have different starting-points1 as they lead to opposite goals4 ,from faith one marches through ,god's righteousness to blessing2 from works1 through self-righteousness1 to the curse4 ,in short1 the legalist tries to make ,god believe in him4 ,abraham and ,paul are content to believe in ,god4 ,paul puts the calm1 grand image of ,father ,abraham before us for our pattern1 in contrast with the narrow1 painful1 bitter spirit of ,jewish legalism1 inwardly self-condemned4 ,,iv4 ,the law1 the great barrier to man's justification1 is done away in ,christ4--,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law 7ver4 #ac74 ,christ brought us out of the curse of the law by ,himself voluntarily undergoing its penalty and submitting to the utmost indignity it imposed--hanging on a tree4 ,it was this crowning scandal that shocked the ,jewish pride and made the cross an offence to them4 ,once crucified1 the name of ,jesus would surely perish from the lips of men2 no ,jew would hereafter dare to profess faith in ,him4 ,this was ,god's method of rescue2 and all the terrors and penalties of law disappear1 being absorbed in the cross of ,christ4 ,his redemption was offered to the ,jew first4 ,but not to the ,jew alone1 nor as a ,jew4 ,the time of release had come for all men4 ,abraham's blessing1 long withheld1 was now to be imparted1 as it had been promised1 to all the tribes of the earth4 ,in the removal of the legal curse1 ,god comes near to men as in the ancient days4 ,in ,christ ,jesus crucified1 risen1 reigning1 a new world comes into being1 which restores and surpasses the promise of the old4 ,v4 ,faith ends the conflict of the law by imparting to man a superior spiritual force4--,that we might receive the promise of the ,spirit through faith 7ver4 #ad74 ,faith is a spiritual faculty1 and its exercise is made possible by the operation of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the law of works is superseded by the higher law of the ,spirit4 ,it is in the human soul that law has its widest sweep and accomplishes its highest results4 ,the soul can never rise higher in its experience and efforts than the law by which it is governed4 ,the law of sin has debased and limited the soul1 and only as it is united by faith to ,christ and responds to the lofty calls of ,his law will it break away from the corruption and restraints of the law of sin and rise to the highest perfection of holiness4 ,in every law1 says ,f4 ,w4 ,robertson1 there is a spirit1 in every maxim a principle2 and the law and the maxim are laid down for the sake of conserving the spirit and the principle which they enshrine4 ,man is severed from submission to the maxim because he has got allegiance to the principle4 ,he is free from the rule and the law because he has got the spirit written in his heart4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,it is hopeless to attain righteousness by law4 #b4 ,faith in ,christ is the only and universal way of obedience4 #c4 ,the law is disarmed by obeying it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #aj-ab4 ,the ,inexorability of ,law4 ,i4 ,the law renders no help in fulfilling its requirements but curses the incompetent 7ver4 #aj74 ,,ii4 ,the law1 though strictly observed1 is powerless to justify 7ver4 #aa74 ,,iii4 ,the law does not admit of faith2 it offers life only to the doer 7ver4 #ab74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,man is justified by ,faith alone4--,one day wishing to obtain an indulgence promised by the ,pope to all who should ascend on their knees what is called ,pilate's ,staircase1 the poor ,saxon monk1 ,luther1 was humbly creeping up those steps when he thought he heard a voice of thunder crying from the bottom of his heart1 as at ,wittenberg and ,bologna1 ,the just shall live by faith6 ,he rises in amazement1 he shudders at himself1 he is ashamed of seeing to what a depth superstition had plunged him4 ,he flies from the scene of his folly4 ,it was in these words ,god then said1 ,let there be light1 and there was light 7,gen4 i4 #c74--;,d',aubign4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,difference between the ,law and the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the law promises life to him who performs perfect obedience1 and that for his works4 ,the ,gospel promises life to him who doeth nothing in the cause of his salvation1 but only believes in ,christ2 and it promises salvation to him who believeth1 yet not for his faith or for any works else1 but for the merit of ,christ4 ,the law then requires doing to salvation1 and the ,gospel believing and nothing else4 ,,ii4 ,the law does not teach true repentance1 neither is it any cause of it1 but only an occasion4 ,the ,gospel only prescribes repentance and the practice of it1 yet only as it is a fruit of our faith and as it is the way to salvation4 ,,iii4 ,the law requires faith in ,god1 which is to put our affiance in him4 ,the ,gospel requires faith in ,christ1 the ,mediator ,god-man2 and this faith the law never knew4 ,,iv4 ,the promises of the ,gospel are not made to the work1 but to the worker2 and to the worker not for his work1 but for ,christ's sake1 according to ,his work4 ,v4 ,the ,gospel considers not faith as a virtue or work1 but as an instrument1 or hand1 to apprehend ,christ4 ,faith does not cause or procure our salvation1 but as the beggar's hand it receives it1 being wholly wrought and given of ,god4 ,,vi4 ,this distinction of the law and the ,gospel must be observed carefully1 as the two have been often confounded4 ,it has been erroneously stated that the law of ,moses1 written in tables of stone1 is the law2 the same law of ,moses1 written in the hearts of men by the ,holy ,ghost1 is the ,gospel4 ,but ,i say again that the law written in our hearts is still the law of ,moses4 ,this oversight in mistaking the distinction of the law and the ,gospel is and has been the ruin of the ,gospel4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,redemption and its ,issues4 ,i4 ,redemption was effected by ,christ enduring the penalty of violated law 7ver4 #ac74 ,,ii4 ,redemption by ,christ has brought blessing to all nations4--,that the blessing of ,abraham might come on the ,gentiles through ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ad74 ,,iii4 ,the spiritual results of redemption are realised only by faith4--,that we might receive the promise of the ,spirit through faith 7ver4 #ad74 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,curse and ,sentence of the ,law lies on record against sinners1 it puts in its demand against our acquittance1 and lays an obligation upon us unto punishment4 ,god will not reject nor destroy ,his law4 ,unless it be answered1 there is no acceptance for sinners4 ,christ answered the curse of the law when ,he was made a curse for us1 and so became1 as to the obedience of the law1 the end of the law for righteousness to them that believe4 ,and as to the penalty that it threatened1 ,he bore it1 removed it1 and took it out of the way4 ,so hath ,he made way for forgiveness through the very heart of the law2 it hath not one word to speak against the pardon of those who believe4--,john ,owen4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ah4 ,the ,divine ,covenant of ,promise-- ,i4 ,is less susceptible of violation than any human covenant4--,though it be but a man's covenant1 yet if it be confirmed approved1 no man disannulleth1 or addeth thereto 7ver4 #ae74 ,common equity demands that a contract made between man and man is thoroughly binding and should be rigidly observed2 and the civil law lends all its force to maintain the integrity of its clauses4 ,how much more certain it is that the ,divine covenant shall be faithfully upheld4 ,if it is likely that a human covenant will not be interfered with1 it is less likely the ,divine covenant will be changed4 ,yet even a human covenant may fail2 the ,divine covenant never4 ,it is based on the ,divine ,word which cannot fail1 and its validity is pledged by the incorruptibility of the ,divine character 7,mal4 iii4 #f74 ,,ii4 ,is explicit in defining the channel of its fulfilment4--,now to ,abraham and his seed were the promises made2 4 4 4 to thy seed1 which is ,christ 7ver4 #af74 ,the promise is in the plural because the same promise was often repeated 7,gen4 xii4 #c1 #g1 xv4 #e1 #ah1 xvii4 #g1 xxii4 #ah71 and because it involved many things--earthly blessings to the literal children of ,abraham in ,canaan1 and spiritual and heavenly blessings to his spiritual children2 and both promised to ,christ--the ,seed and representative ,head of the literal and spiritual ,israel alike4 ,therefore the promise that in him all families of the earth shall be blessed joins in this one ,seed--,christ--,jew and ,gentile1 as fellow-heirs on the same terms of acceptability--by grace through faith2 not to some by promise1 to others by the law1 but to all alike1 circumcised and uncircumcised1 constituting but one seed in ,christ4 ,the law1 on the other hand1 contemplates the ,jews and ,gentiles as distinct seeds4 ,god makes a covenant1 but it is one of promise2 whereas the law is a covenant of works4 ,god makes ,his covenant of promise with the one ,seed--,christ--and embraces others only as they are identified with and represented by ,him 7,fausset74 ,,iii4 ,cannot be set aside by the law which was a subsequent revelation4--,the covenant1 4 4 4 the law1 which was four hundred and thirty years after1 cannot disannul 7ver4 #ag74 ,the promise to ,abraham was a prior settlement1 and must take precedence1 not only in time but also in authority1 of the ,mosaic law4 ,it was a bold stroke of the apostle to thus shatter the supremacy of ,mosaism2 but the appeal to antiquity was an argument the most prejudiced ,jew was bound to respect4 ,the law of ,moses has its rights2 it must be taken into account as well as the promise to ,abraham4 ,true2 but it has no power to cancel or restrict the promise1 older by four centuries and a half4 ,the later must be adjusted to the earlier dispensation1 the law interpreted by the promise4 ,god has not made two testaments--the one solemnly committed to the faith and hope of mankind1 only to be retracted and substituted by something of a different stamp4 ,he could not thus stultify ,himself4 ,and we must not apply the ,mosaic enactments1 addressed to a single people1 in such a way as to neutralise the original provisions made for the race at large4 ,our human instincts of good faith1 our reverence for public compacts and established rights1 forbid our allowing the law of ,moses to trench upon the inheritance assured to mankind in the covenant of ,abraham 7,findlay74 ,,iv4 ,imposed no conditions of legal obedience4--,if the inheritance be of the law1 it is no more of promise2 but ,god gave it to ,abraham by promise 7ver4 #ah74 ,the law is a system of conditions--so much advantage to be gained by so much work done4 ,this is all very well as a general principle4 ,but the promise of ,god is based on a very different ground4 ,it is an act of free1 sovereign grace1 engaging to confer certain blessings without demanding anything more from the recipient than faith1 which is just the will to receive4 ,the law imposes obligations man is incompetent to meet4 ,the promise offers blessings all men need and all may accept4 ,it simply asks the acceptance of the blessings by a submissive and trustful heart4 ,the demands of the law are met and the provisions of the covenant of promise enjoyed by an act of faith4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,god has a sovereign right to give or withhold blessing4 #b4 ,the ,divine covenant of promise is incapable of violation4 #c4 ,faith in ,god is the simplest and sublimest method of obedience4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae-ah4 ,the ,promise a ,covenant confirmed4 ,i4 ,the promises made to ,abraham are first made to ,christ1 and then in ,christ to all that believe in ,him4--#a4 ,learn the difference of the promises of the law and the ,gospel4 ,the promises of the law are directed and made to the person of every man particularly2 the promises of the ,gospel are first directed and made to ,christ1 and then by consequent to them that are by faith ingrafted into ,christ4 #b4 ,we learn to acknowledge the communion that is between ,christ and us4 ,christ died upon the cross1 not as a private person1 but as a public person representing ,his people4 ,all died in ,him1 and with ,him2 in the same manner they must rise with ,him to life4 #c4 ,here is comfort against the consideration of our unworthiness4 ,there is dignity and worthiness sufficient in ,him4 ,our salvation stands in this1 not that we know and apprehend him1 but that ,he knows and apprehends us first of all4 ,,ii4 ,the promise made to ,abraham was a covenant confirmed by oath4--,abraham in the first making and in the confirmation thereof must be considered as a public person representing all the faithful4 ,here we see ,god's goodness4 ,we are bound simply to believe ,his bare ,word2 yet in regard of our weakness ,he ratifies ,his promise by oath1 that there might be no occasion of unbelief4 ,what can we more require of him8 ,,iii4 ,if the promise might be disannulled1 the law could not do it4--#a4 ,the promise1 or covenant1 was made with ,abraham1 and continued by ,god four hundred and thirty years before the law was given4 #b4 ,if the law abolish the promise1 then the inheritance must come by the law4 ,but that cannot be4 ,if the inheritance of eternal life be by the law1 it is no more by the promise4 ,but it is by the promise1 because ,god gave it unto ,abraham freely by promise2 therefore1 it comes not by the law4 ,this giving was no private but a public donation4 ,that which was given to ,abraham was in him given to all that should believe as he did4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #ae-ag4 ,divine and ,human ,covenants4 ,i4 ,a covenant1 as between man and man1 is honourably binding 7ver4 #ae74 ,,ii4 ,the ,divine covenant made to ,abraham ensures the fulfilment of promises to all who believe as ,abraham did 7ver4 #af74 ,,iii4 ,the law cannot abrogate the ,divine covenant of promise 7ver4 #ag74 ,ver #ah4 ,law and ,promise4--#a4 ,so subtle is the spirit of error that it will seem to cede somewhat to truth1 intending to prejudice the truth more than if it had ceded nothing4 ,the opposers of justification by faith did sometimes give faith some place in justification and pleaded for a joint influence of works and faith1 of law and promise4 #b4 ,the state of grace here and glory hereafter is the inheritance of the ,lord's people1 of which the land of ,canaan was a type4 ,there are only two ways of attaining a right to this inheritance--one by law1 the other by promise4 #c4 ,there can be no mixture of these two1 so that a right to heaven should be obtained partly by the merit of works and partly by faith in the promise4 ,the only way of attaining it is by ,god's free gift1 without the merit of works4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai1 #bj4 ,the ,inferiority of the ,law4 ,i4 ,it did not justify but condemn the sinner by revealing his sin4--,it was added because of transgressions 7ver4 #ai74 ,law has no remedial efficacy4 ,it reveals and emphasises the fact of sin4 ,it has no terror while it is obeyed4 ,when it is violated then it thunders1 and with pitiless severity terrifies the conscience and inflicts unsparing punishment4 ,there is no strain of mercy in its voice1 or in the inflexibility of its methods4 ,it surrenders the condemned to an anguish from which it offers no means of escape4 ,it is said that1 after the murder of ,darnley1 some of the wretches who were concerned in it were found wandering about the streets of ,edinburgh crying penitently and lamentably for vengeance on those who had caused them to shed innocent blood4 ,,ii4 ,it was temporary in its operation4--,till the seed should come to whom the promise was made 7ver4 #ai74 ,the work of the law was preparatory and educative4 ,centuries rolled away and the promised ,seed was long in coming1 and it seemed as if the world must remain for ever under the tutelage of the law4 ,all the time the law was doing its work4 ,god was long in fulfilling ,his promise because man was so slow to learn4 ,when ,christ1 the promised ,seed1 appeared1 the law was superseded4 ,its work was done4 ,the preparatory gave place to the permanent2 the reign of law was displaced by the reign of grace4 ,the claims of the law were discharged once for all4 ,,iii4 ,its revelation was through intermediaries4--,it was ordained by angels in the hand of a ,mediator 7ver4 #ai74 ,in the ,jewish estimation the administration of the law by angels enhanced its splendour1 and the pomp and ceremony with which ,moses made known the will and character of ,jehovah added to the impressiveness and superiority of the law4 ,in the ,christian view these very methods were evidences of defect and inferiority4 ,the revelations of ,god by the law were veiled and intermediate2 the revelation by ,grace is direct and immediate4 ,under the law ,god was a distant and obscured personality1 and the people unfit to enter ,his sacred presence2 by the ,gospel ,god is brought near to man and permitted to bask in the radiance of ,his revealed glory1 without the intervention of a human mediator4 ,the law1 with its elaborate ceremonial and multiplied exactions1 is a barrier between the soul and ,god4 ,,iv4 ,it was contingent1 not absolute1 in its primal terms4--,now a ,mediator is not a mediator of one1 but ,god is one 7ver4 #bj74 ,where a mediator is necessary unity is wanting--not simply in a numerical but in a moral sense1 as a matter of feeling and of aim4 ,there are separate interests1 discordant views1 to be consulted4 ,this was true of ,mosaism4 ,it was not the absolute religion4 ,the theocratic legislation of the ,pentateuch is lacking in the unity and consistency of a perfect revelation4 ,its disclosures of ,god were refracted in a manifest degree by the atmosphere through which they passed4 ,in the promise ,god spoke immediately and for ,himself4 ,the man of ,abraham's faith sees ,god in ,his unity4 ,the legalist gets his religion at second-hand1 mixed with undivine elements4 ,he projects on the ,divine image confusing shadows of human imperfection 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the law is powerless to remove the sin it exposes4 #b4 ,the law had the defect of all preparatory dispensations4 #c4 ,the law imposes conditions it does not help to fulfil4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ai1 #bj4 ,the ,law is for ,transgressors4 ,i4 ,we are taught to examine and search our hearts by the law of ,god4--#a4 ,when any sin is forbidden in any commandment of the law1 under it all sins of the same kind are forbidden1 all causes of them and all occasions4 #b4 ,a commandment negative includes the affirmative1 and binds us not only to abstain from evil1 but also to do the contrary good4 #c4 ,every commandment must be understood with a curse annexed to it1 though the curse be not expressed4 #d4 ,we must especially examine ourselves by the first and last commandments4 ,the first forbids the first motions of our hearts against ,god1 and the last forbids the first motions of our hearts against our neighbour4 ,,ii4 ,the law of ,god to be reverenced4--#a4 ,because it was ordained or delivered by angels4 #b4 ,we are to fear to break the least commandment1 because the angels observe the keepers and breakers of it1 and are ready to witness against them that offend4 #c4 ,if thou offend and break the law1 repent with speed1 for that is the desired joy of angels4 #d4 ,if thou sin and repent not1 look for shame and confusion before ,god and ,his angels4 ,,iii4 ,god1 the ,author and ,source of law1 is one4--#a4 ,he is unchangeable4 #b4 ,his unchangeableness the foundation of our comfort4 #c4 ,we should be unchangeable in faith1 hope1 love1 good counsels1 honest promises1 and in the maintenance of true religion4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,use of the ,law4 ,i4 ,it is a standard to measure our defects4 ,,ii4 ,it is a sword to pierce our conscience4 ,,iii4 ,it is a seal to certify that we are in the way of grace4--,tholuck4 ,no ,trust in ,legal ,prescriptions4--,st4 ,paul1 with the sledge-hammer force of his direct and impassioned dialectics1 shattered all possibility of trusting in legal prescriptions1 and demonstrated that the law was no longer obligatory on ,gentiles4 ,he had shown that the distinction between clean and unclean meats was to the enlightened conscience a matter of indifference1 that circumcision was nothing better than a physical mutilation1 that ceremonialism was a yoke with which the free1 converted ,gentile had nothing to do1 that we are saved by faith and not by works1 that the law was a dispensation of wrath and menace introduced for the sake of transgressions1 that so far from being1 as all the ,rabbis asserted1 the one thing on account of which the universe had been created1 the ,mosaic code only possessed a transitory1 subordinate1 and intermediate character1 coming in1 as it were in a secondary way1 between the promise of ,abraham and the fulfilment of that promise in the ,gospel of ,christ4--,dean ,farrar4 ,the ,use of the ,law under the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the law never was intended to supersede the ,gospel as a means of life4 ,,ii4 ,the most perfect edition of the ,gospel1 so far from having abolished the least tittle of the moral law1 has established it4 ,,iii4 ,the use of the law4--#a4 ,to constitute probation4 #b4 ,the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to ,christ4 #c4 ,the law serves to give beauty and symmetry to the hidden man of the heart4 #d4 ,to vindicate the conduct of our ,judge in dooming the impenitent to eternal death4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,since the law as a covenant has been superseded by a covenant better adapted to our guilty and helpless circumstances1 let us make a proper use of the mercy1 acquaint ourselves with its demands1 and abound in the holiness it enjoins4 #b4 ,mark those who set aside the law1 shun their company1 and pray for their repentance4--,iota4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,the ,unity of ,god and ,his ,purpose regarding ,man4--#a4 ,the covenant with ,adam in his innocency was immediate1 no mediator intervening to make them one2 there was no disagreement betwixt them because of sin4 #b4 ,no man can attain heaven1 or reap any advantage1 except he be perfectly holy4 ,god made no covenant of works with men on ,mount ,sinai1 nor could they have reaped benefit from such a covenant as they were a sinful people1 standing in need of a midsman betwixt ,god and them4 #c4 ,the ,lord in all ,his dispensations is always one and like to ,himself without shadow of turning4 ,if any plead a right to heaven by the merit of their works1 ,god will abate nothing of what ,he did once prescribe and require of man in the covenant of works4--,fergusson4 ,an ,effectual ,mediator4--,edward ,,iii41 after defeating ,philip of ,france at ,crey1 laid siege to ,calais1 which1 after an obstinate resistance of a year1 was taken4 ,he offered to spare the lives of the inhabitants on the condition that six of their principal citizens should be delivered up to him1 with halters around their necks1 to be immediately executed4 ,when these terms were announced the rulers of the town came together1 and the question was proposed1 ,who will offer himself as an atonement for the city8 ,who will imitate ,christ who gave ,himself for the salvation of men8 ,the number was soon made up4 ,on reaching the ,english camp they were received by the soldiers of ,edward with every mark of commiseration4 ,they appeared before the king4 ,are these the principal inhabitants of ,calais8 he inquired sternly4 ,of ,france1 my lord1 they replied4 ,lead them to execution4 ,at this moment the queen arrived4 ,she was informed of the punishment about to be inflicted on the six victims4 ,she hastened to the king and pleaded for their pardon4 ,at first he sternly refused1 but her earnestness conquered1 and the king yielded4 ,when we submit our hearts as captives to the ,father1 and feel that we are condemned and lost1 we have an effectual ,mediator who stays the hand of justice4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba-be4 ,the ,true ,use of the ,law-- ,i4 ,was not intended to bestow spiritual life4--,if there had been a law given which could have given life1 verily righteousness should have been by the law 7ver4 #ba74 ,the law was not against the promises4 ,it was a ,divine method in dealing with man1 and one ,divine method never conflicts with another4 ,it was intended to mediate between the promise and its fulfilment4 ,it is not the enemy but the minister of grace4 ,it did not profess to bestow spiritual life2 but in its sacrifices and oblations pointed to the coming ,christ who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth 7,rom4 x4 #d74 ,,ii4 ,was to reveal the universal domination of sin4--,the ,scripture hath concluded all under sin 7ver4 #bb74 ,the ,bible from the beginning and throughout its course1 in its unvarying teaching1 makes the world one vast prison-house with the law for gaoler1 and mankind held fast in chains of sin1 condemned and waiting for the punishment of death4 ,its perpetual refrain is1 ,all have sinned and come short of the glory of ,god4 ,its impeachment covers the whole realm of human life1 thought1 and desire4 ,every human life1 says ,martensen1 that has not yet become a partaker of redemption is a life under the law1 in opposition to the life under grace4 ,the law hovers over his life as an unfulfilled requirement2 and1 in the depth of his own being1 remains as an indismissible but unsatisfied and unexpiated claim on him1 which characterises such a human existence as sinful and guilt-laden4 ,,iii4 ,was to teach the absolute necessity of faith in order to escape its condemnation4--,but before faith came1 we were kept under the law1 shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed 7ver4 #bc74 ,the law was all the while standing guard over its subjects1 watching and checking every attempt to escape1 but intending to hand them over in due time to the charge of faith4 ,the law posts its ordinances1 like so many sentinels1 round the prisoner's cell4 ,the cordon is complete4 ,he tries again and again to break out2 the iron circle will not yield4 ,but deliverance will yet be his4 ,the day of faith approaches4 ,it dawned long ago in ,abraham's promise4 ,even now its light shines into his dungeon1 and he hears the word of ,jesus1 ,thy sins are forgiven thee2 go in peace4 ,law1 the stern gaoler1 has after all been a good friend if it has reserved him for this4 ,it prevents the sinner escaping to a futile and illusive freedom 7,findlay74 ,,iv4 ,was to act as a moral tutor to train us to the maturity and higher freedom of a personal faith in ,christ4--,wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto ,christ1 etc4 7vers4 #bd1 #be74 ,the schoolmaster1 or pedagogue1 among the ,greeks meant a faithful servant entrusted with the care of the boy from childhood1 to keep him from evil1 physical and moral1 and accompany him to his amusements and studies4 ,if then the law is a pedagogue1 says ,chrysostom1 it is not hostile to grace1 but its fellow-worker2 but should it continue to hold us fast when grace has come1 then it would be hostile4 ,judaism was an education for ,christianity4 ,it trained the childhood of the race4 ,it humbled and distressed the soul with the consciousness of sin4 ,it revealed the utter inadequacy of all its provisions to justify4 ,it brought the despairing soul to ,christ and showed that the true way to righteousness was by personal faith in ,him4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,law is the revealer of sin4 #b4 ,law demands universal righteousness4 #c4 ,law is a training for faith4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ba1 #bb4 ,the ,law not contrary to the ,divine ,promise4--#a4 ,it is the way of some to make one ,scripture contradict another1 yet their bold allegations will be found always false1 and truth to be every most consonant and never contrary to itself4 #b4 ,so exact and full is the righteousness required in order to life1 and so far short do all mankind come of it1 that no works of our own1 done in obedience to the law1 can amount to that righteousness4 #c4 ,though all men by nature be under sin1 it is a matter of no small difficulty to convince any man of it4 ,the work of the law1 accusing1 convincing1 or condemning the sinner1 is compared to the work of a judge detaining a malefactor in prison which is not effectuated but with force and violence4 #d4 ,the law by its threatenings prepares and necessitates the soul to embrace salvation by faith in the ,christ revealed in the promise4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,the ,great ,prison2 or1 ,all concluded under ,sin4--#a4 ,satan does indeed draw and drive men into sin--this is the accursed work of his restless1 ,sabbath-less life2 and when he has got them there he binds them fast and will not let them flee from his toils4 ,he builds a high wall of sin all round them so that they shall not look over it into the goodly land beyond1 and here he shuts them up together1 sinner with sinner1 a never-ending ghastly multitude1 that they may encourage and pamper each other in wickedness1 and that no example1 no voice of holiness1 may ever reach and startle them4 ,but ,god never drove1 never drew1 any man into sin4 ,he is calling us to come out from the deadly land1 from the loathsome1 plague-breathing dungeon4 ,so1 when the ,scripture concludes1 or shuts all men up together under sin1 it is not by driving them into sin1 but for the sake of calling them out of it4 #b4 ,with all the light of the ,scripture shining around us1 with the law of ,god ever sounding in our ears1 and the life of ,christ set continually before us1 how prone are we to forget our sinfulness1 to turn away from the thought of it1 to fancy we are as good as we need be1 and that1 though we might certainly be better1 yet it does not matter much6 ,how apt are we still to forget that we are concluded under sin1 to forget that we are shut up in a prison6 ,although the souls of so many millions are lying around us1 bloated with the poison of sin1 how tardily do we acknowledge that the poison by which they perished must also be deadly to us6 #c4 ,suppose you were to be carried before an earthly court of justice1 and that one sweeping accusation were to be brought against you2 suppose you were found guilty1 and the excuse you set up were the complete proof of your guilt1--what would follow8 ,the judge would straightway pass sentence upon you1 and you would be condemned to suffer punishment according to the measure of your offence4 ,and must we not expect that the course of things should be the very same when you are carried before a heavenly court of justice8 #d4 ,when a man's eyes are opened to see the prison in which he is shut up1 to see and feel the chains that are fast bound round his soul and have eaten into it2 when he has learnt to see and know that the pleasures1 whatever they may1 of sin are only1 like the flesh-pots of ,egypt1 intoxicating drugs1 given to him to deprive him of all sense of his captivity1--then will he long for a deliverer1 rejoice on hearing of his approach1 hail him when he comes in view1 and follow him whithersoever he may lead4 ,as unbelief is the one great universal sin1 in which all mankind are concluded1 as it is only from having let slip our faith in ,god that we have yielded our hearts to the temptations of the world and given ourselves up to its idolatries1 so it is only through faith that we can be brought back to ,god--that we can receive the promise given to those who believe4--,j4 ,c4 ,hare4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,shut up unto the faith4 ,the ,reasonableness of ,faith4--,the mode of conception is military4 ,the law is made to act the part of a sentry1 guarding every avenue but one1 and that one leads those1 who are compelled to take it1 to the faith of the ,gospel4 ,out of the leading varieties of taste and sentiment which obtain in the present age we may collect something which may be turned into an instrument of conviction for reclaiming men from their delusions and shutting them up to the faith4 ,i4 ,there is the school of natural religion4--,it is founded on the competency of the human mind to know ,god by the exercise of its own faculties1 to clothe ,him in the attributes of its own demonstration1 to serve ,him by a worship and a law of its own discovery1 and to assign to ,him a mode of procedure in the administration of this vast universe upon the strength and plausibility of its own theories4 ,they recognise the judicial government of ,god over moral and accountable creatures4 ,they hold there is a law4 ,one step more1 and they are fairly shut up to the faith4 ,that law has been violated4 ,,ii4 ,there is the school of classical morality4--,it differs from the former school in one leading particular4 ,it does not carry in its speculations so distinct and positive a reference to the ,supreme ,being4 ,our duties to ,god are viewed as a species of moral accomplishment1 the effect of which is to exalt and embellish the individual4 ,we ask them to look at man as he is and compare him with man as they would have him to be4 ,if they find that he falls miserably short of their ideal standard of excellence1 what is this but making a principle of their own the instrument of shutting them up unto the faith of the ,gospel1 or at least shutting them up into one of the most peculiar of its doctrines1 the depravity of our nature1 or the dismal ravage which the power of sin has made upon the moral constitution of the species8 ,this depravity the ,gospel proposes to do away4 ,,iii4 ,there is the school of fine feeling and poetical sentiment4--,it differs from the school of morality in this--the one makes virtue its idol because of its rectitude1 the other makes virtue its idol because of its beauty1 and the process of reasoning by which they are shut up unto the faith is the same in both4 ,however much we may love perfection and aspire after it1 yet there is some want1 some disease1 in the constitution of man which prevents his attainment of it1 that there is a feebleness of principle about him1 that the energy of his practice does not correspond to the fair promises of his fancy1 and however much he may delight in an ideal scene of virtue and moral excellence1 there is some lurking malignity in his constitution which1 without the operation of that mighty power revealed to us in the ,gospel1 makes it vain to wish and hopeless to aspire after it4--,dr4 ,thomas ,chalmers4 ,vers4 #bd1 #be4 ,the ,law our ,schoolmaster4--,there was a time when ,god put ,his world under a schoolmaster2 then it would have been preposterous to apply faith4 ,there is a time when a larger spirit has come1 and then it would be going back to use law4 ,i4 ,the uses of restraint in the heart's education4--#a4 ,the first use of law is to restrain from open violence4 ,it is necessary for those who feel the inclination to evil1 and so long as the inclination remains so far must a man be under law4 ,imagine a governor amidst a population of convicts trusting to high principle4 ,imagine a parent having no fixed hours1 no law in his household1 no punishment for evil4 ,there is a morbid feeling against punishment2 but it is ,god's method4 #b4 ,the second use of restraint is to show the inward force of evil4--,a steam-engine at work in a manufactory is so quiet and gentle that a child might put it back4 ,but interpose a bar of iron many inches thick1 and it cuts through as if it were so much leather4 ,introduce a human limb--it whirls round1 and the form of man is in one moment a bleeding1 mangled1 shapeless mass4 ,it is restraint that manifests this unsuspected power4 ,in the same way law discovers the strength of evil in our hearts4 #c4 ,the third use is to form habits of obedience4--,in that profession which is specially one of obedience--the military profession--you cannot mistake the imparted type of character4 ,immediate1 prompt obedience1 no questioning why8 ,hence comes their decision of character4 ,hence1 too1 their happiness4 ,would you have your child1 happy1 decided1 manly8 ,teach him to obey4 ,it is an error to teach a child to act on reason1 or to expect reasons why a command is given4 ,better it is that he should obey a mistaken order than be taught to see that it is mistaken4 ,a parent must be the master in his own house4 #d4 ,the fourth use is to form habits of faith4--,as ,judaism was a system calculated to nurture habits of obedience1 so was it one which nourished the temper of faith4 ,all education begins with faith4 ,the child does not know the use of the alphabet1 but he trusts4 ,the boy beginning mathematics takes on trust what he sees no use in4 ,the child has to take parental wisdom for granted4 ,happy the child that goes on believing that nothing is wiser1 better1 greater1 than his father6 ,blessed spirit of confiding trust which is to be transferred to ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the time when restraint may be laid aside4--#a4 ,when self-command is obtained4 ,some of us surely there are who have got beyond childish meanness3 we could not be mean2 restraint is no longer needed2 we are beyond the schoolmaster4 ,some of us there are who have no inclination to intemperance2 childish excess in eating and drinking exists no longer4 ,some of us there are who no longer love indolence4 ,we have advanced beyond it4 ,the law may be taken away1 for we are free from law4 ,true ,christian liberty is this--self-command1 to have been brought to ,christ1 to do right and love right1 without a law of compulsion to school into doing it4 #b4 ,when the state of justification by faith has been attained4--,there are two states of justification--by the law and by faith4 ,justification by the law implies a scrupulous and accurate performance of minute acts of obedience in every particular2 justification by faith is acceptance with ,god1 not because a man is perfect1 but because he does all in a trusting1 large1 generous spirit1 actuated by a desire to please ,god4 ,in ,christianity there are few or no definite laws--all men are left to themselves4 #c4 ,restraint must be laid aside when the time of faith has come1 whether faith itself have come or not4--,it is so in academical education4 ,we may have attained the full intellectual comprehension of the ,gospel1 but religious goodness has not kept pace with it1 and the man wakes to conviction that the ,gospel is a name and the powers of the world to come are not in him4 ,you cannot put him to school again4 ,fear will not produce goodness4 ,forms will not give reverence4 ,system will not confer freedom4 ,therefore the work of childhood and youth must be done while we are young1 when the education is not too late4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,the ,law preparing for ,christ4 ,i4 ,the law led men to ,christ by foreshadowing ,him4--,this was true of the ceremonial part of it4 ,the ceremonies meant more than the general duty of offering to ,god praise and sacrifice1 since this might have been secured by much simpler rites4 ,what was the meaning of the solemn and touching observance of the ,jewish ,day of ,atonement8 ,we know that what passed in that old earthly sanctuary was from first to last a shadow of the majestic self-oblation of the true ,high ,priest of ,christendom1 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord and ,saviour4 ,each ceremony was felt to have some meaning beyond the time then present1 and so it fostered an expectant habit of mind2 and as the ages passed these expectations thus created converged more and more towards a coming ,messiah1 and in a subordinate but real way the ceremonial law did its part in leading the nation to the school of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,by creating in man's conscience a sense of want which ,christ alone could relieve4--,this was the work of the moral law1 of every moral precept in the books of ,moses1 but especially of those most sacred and authoritative precepts which we know as the ,ten ,commandments4 ,so far from furnishing man with a real righteousness1 so far from making him such as he should be1 correspondent to the true ideal of his nature1 the law only inflicted on every conscience that was not fatally benumbed a depressing and overwhelming conviction that righteousness1 at least in the way of legal obedience1 was a thing impossible4 ,and this conviction of itself prepared men for a righteousness which should be not the product of human efforts1 but a gift from heaven--a righteousness to be attained by the adhesion of faith to the perfect moral ,being1 ,jesus ,christ1 so that the believer's life becomes incorporate with ,his4 ,,iii4 ,by putting men under a discipline which trained them for ,christ4--,what is the ,divine plan for training1 whether men or nations8 ,is it not this--to begin with rule and to end with principle1 to begin with law and to end with faith1 to begin with ,moses and to end with ,christ8 ,god began with rule4 ,he gave the ,mosaic law1 and the moral parts of that law being also laws of ,god's own essential nature could not possibly be abrogated2 but as rules of life the ,ten ,commandments were only a preparation for something beyond them4 ,in the ,christian revelation ,god says1 ,believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,when you have done this1 and ,he on ,his part has by ,his ,spirit infused into you ,his ,divine life so that you are one with ,him1 you will not depend any longer mainly upon rules of conduct4 ,justification by faith is so far from being moral anarchy that it is the absorption of rule into the higher life of principle4 ,in the experience of the soul faith corresponds to the empire of principle in the growth of individual character and in the development of national life1 while the law answers to that elementary stage in which outward rules are not yet absorbed into principle4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,the ,law a ,schoolmaster4 ,i4 ,the ,jewish religion brought men to ,christ by the light1 the constraining force1 of prophecy4--,first1 a human deliverance of some kind1 then a personal ,saviour1 is announced4 ,he was exactly what prophecy had foretold4 ,he ,himself appealed to prophecy as warranting ,his claims4 ,,ii4 ,by that ceremonial law which formed so important a part of it4--,the ,jewish ceremonial pointed to ,christ and ,his redemptive work from first to last4 ,the epistle to the ,hebrews was written to show this--that the ceremonial law was far from being a final and complete rule of life and worship1 did but prefigure blessings that were to follow it1 that it was a tutor to lead men to the school of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,by creating a sense of moral need that ,christ alone could satisfy4--,the moral law--,god's essential1 indestructible moral nature in its relation to human life1 thrown for practical purposes into the form of commandments--is essentially1 necessarily beyond criticism2 but when given to sinful man it does1 but without grace1 discover a want which it cannot satisfy4 ,it enhanced the acting sense of unpardoned sin before a holy ,god4 ,it convinced man of his moral weakness1 as well as of his guilt1 of his inability without the strengthening grace of ,christ ever to obey it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,we see a test of all religious privileges or gifts3 ,do they or do they not lead souls to ,christ8 #b4 ,observe the religious use of all law--to teach man to know his weakness and to throw himself on a higher power for pardon and strength4 #c4 ,we see the exceeding preciousness of ,christ's ,gospel--the matchless value of that faith which lives in the heart of the ,church of ,god4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,the ,progress of ,revelation4 ,i4 ,the law was our schoolmaster as giving precepts in which principles were involved but not expressly taught4 ,,ii4 ,as teaching inadequate and not perfect duties--a part instead of the whole1 which was to develop into the whole4 ,examples--the institution of the ,temple worship2 the observance of the ,sabbath2 the third commandment4 ,lessons3--#a4 ,revelation is education4 #b4 ,revelation is progressive4 #c4 ,the training of the character in ,god's revelation has always preceded the illumination of the intellect4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bf-bi4 ,the ,dignity of ,sonship with ,god-- ,i4 ,enjoyed by all who believe in ,christ4--,for ye are all children of ,god by faith in ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #bf74 ,faith in ,christ emancipates the soul from the trammels and inferior status of the tutorial training and lifts it to the higher and more perfect relationship of a free son of ,god4 ,the believer is no longer a pupil1 subject to the surveillance and restrictions of the pedagogue2 but a son1 enjoying immediate and constant intercourse with the ,father and all the privileges and dignities of a wider freedom4 ,the higher relation excludes the lower2 an advance has been made that leaves the old life for ever behind4 ,the life now entered upon is a life of faith1 which is a superior and totally different order of things from the suppressive domination of the law4 ,,ii4 ,it is to be invested with the character of ,christ4--,for as many as have been baptised into ,christ have put on ,christ 7ver4 #bg74 ,for if ,christ is ,son of ,god1 and thou hast put on ,him1 having the ,son in thyself and being made like to ,him1 thou wast brought into one kindred and one form of being with ,him 7,chrysostom74 ,to be baptised into ,christ is not the mere mechanical observance of the rite of baptism2 the rite is the recognition and public avowal of the exercise of faith in ,christ4 ,in the ,pauline vocabulary baptised is synonymous with believing4 ,faith invests the soul with ,christ1 and joyfully appropriates the estate and endowments of the filial relationship4 ,baptism by its very form--the normal and most expressive form of primitive baptism1 the descent into and rising from the symbolic waters--pictured the soul's death with ,christ1 its burial and its resurrection in ,him1 its separation from the life of sin1 and entrance upon the new career of a regenerated child of ,god 7,rom4 vi4 #c-ad74 ,,iii4 ,implies such a complete union with ,christ as to abolish all secondary distinctions4--,for there is neither ,jew nor ,greek1 bond nor free1 male nor female2 for ye are all one in ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #bh74 ,all distinctions of nationality1 social status1 and sex--necessary as they may be in the worldly life--disappear in the blending of human souls in the loftier relationship of sons of ,god4 ,the ,gospel is universal in its range and provisions and raises all who believe in ,christ to a higher level than man could ever reach under the ,mosaic regimen4 ,to add circumcision to faith would be not to rise but to sink from the state of sons to that of serfs4 ,christ is the central bond of unity to the whole human race2 faith in ,him is the realisation by the individual of the honours and raptures of that unity4 ,,iv4 ,is to be entitled to the inheritance of joint heirship with ,christ4--,if ye be ,christ's1 then are ye 4 4 4 heirs according to the promise 7ver4 #bi74 ,in ,christ the lineal descent from ,david becomes extinct4 ,he died without posterity4 ,but ,he lives and reigns over a vaster territory than ,david ever knew2 and all who are of ,his spiritual seed1 ,jew or ,gentile1 share with ,him the splendours of the inheritance provided by the ,father4 ,here the soul reaches its supreme glory and joy4 ,in ,worcester ,cathedral there is a slab with just one doleful word on it as a record of the dead buried beneath4 ,that word is ,miserrimus4 ,no name1 no date2 nothing more of the dead than just this one word to say he who lay there was or is most miserable4 ,surely1 he had missed the way home to the ,father's house and the ,father's love1 else why this sad record8 ,but in the ,catacombs at ,rome there is one stone recently found inscribed with the single word ,felicissima4 ,no name1 no date again1 but a word to express that the dead ,christian sister was most happy4 ,most happy2 why8 ,because she had found the ,father's house and love1 and that peace which the storms of life1 the persecutions of a hostile world1 and the light afflictions of time could neither give nor take away4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,faith confers higher privileges than the law4 #b4 ,faith in ,christ admits the soul into sonship with ,god4 #c4 ,the sons of ,god share in the fulness of the ,christly inheritance4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #bf-bi4 ,baptism4 ,i4 ,the doctrine of ,rome4--,christ's merits are instrumentally applied by baptism2 original sin is removed by a change of nature2 a new character is imparted to the soul2 a germinal principle or seed of life is miraculously given2 and all this in virtue1 not of any condition in the recipient1 nor of any condition except that of the due performance of the rite4 ,the objections to this doctrine are3 #a4 ,it assures baptism to be not the testimony to a fact1 but the fact itself4 ,baptism proclaims the child of ,god2 the ,romanist says it creates him4 #b4 ,it is materialism of the grossest kind4 #c4 ,it makes ,christian life a struggle for something that is lost1 instead of a progress to something that lies before4 ,,ii4 ,the doctrine of modern ,calvinism4--,baptism admits all into the visible ,church1 but into the invisible ,church only a special few4 ,the real benefit of baptism only belongs to the elect4 ,with respect to others1 to predicate of them regeneration in the highest sense is at best an ecclesiastical fiction1 said in the judgment of charity4 ,you are not ,god's child until you become such consciously4 ,on this we remark3 #a4 ,this judgment of charity ends at the baptismal font4 #b4 ,this view is identical with the ,roman one in this respect--that it creates the fact instead of testifying to it4 #c4 ,is pernicious in its results in the matter of education4 ,,iii4 ,the doctrine of the ,bible4--,man is ,god's child1 and the sin of the man consists in perpetually living as if it were false4 ,to be a son of ,god is one thing2 to know that you are and call ,him ,father is another4 ,baptism authoritatively reveals and pledges to the individual that which is true of the race4 #a4 ,this view prevents exclusiveness and spiritual pride4 #b4 ,protests against the notion of our being separate units in the ,divine life4 #c4 ,sanctifies materialism4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,the ,children of ,god4 ,i4 ,we are all children4 ,,ii4 ,we are all children of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,we are all children of ,god through faith4 ,,iv4 ,we are all children of ,god in ,christ ,jesus4--,dr4 ,beet4 ,god's ,children4 ,i4 ,if thou be ,god's child1 surely ,he will provide all things necessary for soul and body4--,our care must be to do the duty that belongs to us2 when this is done our care is ended4 ,they who drown themselves in worldly cares live like fatherless children4 ,,ii4 ,in that we are children we have liberty to come into the presence of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,nothing shall hurt those who are the children of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,walk worthy of your profession and calling4--,be not vassals of sin and ,satan2 carry yourselves as ,king's sons4 ,v4 ,our care must be to resemble ,christ4 ,,vi4 ,we must have a desire and love to the ,word of ,god that we may grow by it4 ,,vii4 ,we must have afflictions1 if we be ,god's children1 for ,he corrects all ,his children4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #bg1 #bh4 ,the ,christly ,character-- ,i4 ,acquired by a spiritual union with ,christ4--,baptised into ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,is a complete investiture with ,christ4--,have put on ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,is a union with ,christ that absorbs all conventional distinctions 7ver4 #bh74 ,ver4 #bg4 ,profession without ,hypocrisy4--,hypocrisy is professing without practising4 ,men profess without feeling and doing or are hypocrites in nothing so much as in their prayers4 ,let a man set his heart upon learning to pray and strive to learn1 and no failures he may continue to make in his manner of praying are sufficient to cast him from ,god's favour4 ,let him but be in earnest1 striving to master his thoughts and to be serious1 and all the guilt of his incidental failings will be washed away in his ,lord's blood4 ,we profess to be saints1 to be guided by the highest principles1 and to be ruled by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,we have long ago promised to believe and obey4 ,it is true we cannot do these things aright--nay1 even with ,god's help we fall short of duty4 ,nevertheless1 we must not cease to profess4 ,there is nothing so distressing to a true ,christian as to have to prove himself such to others1 both as being conscious of his own numberless failings and from his dislike of display4 ,christ has anticipated the difficulties of his modesty4 ,he does not allow such a one to speak for himself2 ,he speaks for him4 ,let us endeavour to enter more and more fully into the meaning of our own prayers and professions2 let us humble ourselves for the very little we do and the poor advance we make2 let us avoid unnecessary display of religion4 ,thus we shall1 through ,god's grace1 form within us the glorious mind of ,christ4--,newman4 ,teachings of ,baptism-- ,i4 ,our baptism must put us in mind that we are admitted and received into the family of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,our baptism in the name of the ,trinity must teach us to know and acknowledge ,god aright4 ,,iii4 ,our baptism must be unto us a storehouse of comfort in time of need4 ,,iv4 ,baptism is a putting on of ,christ4--,alluding to the custom of those who were baptised in the apostle's days putting off their garments when they were baptised1 and putting on new garments after baptism4 #a4 ,in that we are to put on ,christ we are reminded of our moral nakedness4 #b4 ,to have a special care of the trimming and garnishing of our souls4 #c4 ,though we be clothed with ,christ in baptism1 we must further desire to be clothed upon--clad with immortality4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,all are ,one in ,christ4 ,i4 ,people of all nations1 all conditions1 and all sexes4 ,,ii4 ,they who are of great birth and high condition must be put in mind not to be high-minded1 nor despise them of low degree1 for all are one in ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,all believers must be of one heart and mind4 ,,iv4 ,we learn not to hate any man1 but do good to all4--,men turn their swords and spears into mattocks and scythes1 because they are one with ,christ by the bond of one ,spirit4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,the ,promise of ,grace4--,the specific form of the whole ,gospel is promise1 which ,god gives in the ,word and causes to be preached4 ,the last period of the world is the reign of grace4 ,grace reigns in the world only as promise4 ,grace has nothing to do with law and requisition of law2 therefore1 the word of that grace can be no other than a word of promise4 ,the promise of life in ,christ ,jesus is the word of the new covenant4 ,the difference between the ,gospel of the old covenant and that of the new rests alone on the transcendently greater glory of its promise4--,harless4 ,heirs according to the ,promise4 ,i4 ,the basest person1 if he believes in ,christ1 is in the place of ,abraham1 and succeeds him in the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven4 ,,ii4 ,believers must be content in this world with any estate ,god may lay upon them1 for they are heirs with ,abraham of heaven and earth4 ,,iii4 ,they that believe in ,christ must moderate their worldly cares and not live as drudges of the world1 for they are heirs of ,god1 and are entitled to all good things promised in the covenant4 ,,iv4 ,our special care must be for heaven4--,the city of ,god is thy portion1 or child's part4--,perkins4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a ,the heir1 as long as he is a child4--,an infant1 one under age4 ,differeth nothing from a servant4--,a slave4 ,he is not at his own disposal4 ,he could not perform any act but through his legal representative4 ,ver4 #b4 ,under tutors and governors4--,controllers of his person and property4 ,ver4 #c4 ,under the elements of the world4--,the rudimentary religious teaching of a nonreligious character4 ,the elementary lessons of outward things4 ,ver4 #d4 ,god sent forth ,his ,son4--,sent forth out of heaven from ,himself4 ,implies the pre-existence of the ,son4 ,made of a woman4--,made to be born of a woman4 ,indicating a special interposition of ,god in ,his birth as man4 ,made under the law4--,by ,his ,father's appointment and ,his own free will1 subject to the law1 to keep it all1 ceremonial and moral1 for us1 as the ,representative ,man1 and to suffer and exhaust the full penalty of our violation of it4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the adoption of sons4--,receive as something destined or due4 ,herein ,god makes of sons of men sons of ,god1 inasmuch as ,god made of the ,son of ,god the ,son of man 7,augustine74 ,ver4 #f4 ,abba1 ,father4--,abba is the ,chaldee for father4 ,the early use of it illustrates what ,paul has been saying 7ch4 iii4 #bh7 of the unity resulting from the ,gospel2 for ,abba1 ,father1 unites ,hebrew and ,greek on one lip1 making the petitioner at once a ,jew and a ,gentile4 ,ver4 #i4 ,how turn ye again anew8--,making a new beginning in religion1 lapsing from ,christianity just in as far as they embrace legalism4 ,to the weak and beggarly elements4--,weak is contrasted with power as to effects1 and beggarly with affluence in respect of gifts4 ,the disparaging expression is applied2 not to the ritualistic externalism of heathen religions1 but rather to that ,god-given system of ritualistic ordinances which had served the ,church in her infancy4 ,that which was appropriate food for a babe or sick man is feeble and poor for a grown man in full health4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,be as ,i am1 for ,i am as ye are4--,paul had become as a ,gentile1 though he was once a passionate ,jew4 ,their natural leanings towards ,judaism they ought to sacrifice as well as he4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,ye know how through infirmity of flesh ,i preached4--,the weakness may have been general debility1 resulting from great anxieties and toils4 ,it has been supposed that ,paul was feeble-eyed1 or blear-eyed 7,acts xxii4 #f71 and that this special weakness had been aggravated at the time now in question4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,they zealously affect you1 but not well4--,they keenly court you1 but not honourably4 ,they would exclude you--from everything and every one whose influence would tend to bring the ,galatians back to loyalty to the ,gospel4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,i desire to be present with you1 and to change my voice4--,to speak not with the stern tones of warning1 but with tender entreaties4 ,i stand in doubt of you4--,i am sorely perplexed1 nonplussed1 bewildered1 as if not knowing how to proceed4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,which things are an allegory4--,under the things spoken of--the two sons1 with their contrast of parentage and position--there lies a spiritual meaning4 ,ver4 #be4 ,jerusalem which now is1 and is in bondage with her children4--,judaism as rejecting the light and liberty of the new dispensation4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,but ,jerusalem which is above is free4--,is the spiritual reality which1 veiled under the old dispensation1 is comparatively unveiled in the dispensation of grace1 and destined to be fully and finally manifested in the reign of glory4 ,christians are very different in standing to slave-born slaves4 ,ver4 #bg4 ,the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband4--,the special purpose of the quotation appears to be to show that the idea of a countless ,church1 including ,gentiles as well as ,jews1 springing out of spiritual nothingness1 was apprehended under the ,old ,testament as destined for realisation under the ,new4 ,ver4 #cj4 ,cast out the bondwoman and her son4--,even house-room to ,judaism is not matter of right1 but only by sufferance1 and that so long and so far as it leaves the ,gospel undisturbed in full possession4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-g4 ,the ,nonage of the ,pre-,christian ,world4 ,i4 ,mankind in pre-,christian times was like the heir in his minority4--#a4 ,in a state of temporary servitude1 though having great expectations4 ,the heir differeth nothing from a servant1 though he be lord of all2 but is under tutors and governors 7vers4 #a1 #b74 ,under the ,old ,testament the bond-servant had this in common with a son1 that he was a recognised member of the family2 and the son had this in common with the slave1 that he was in servitude1 but with this difference1 the servitude of the son was evanescent1 that of the slave was permanent4 ,the heirship is by right of birth1 but possession and enjoyment can be reached only by passing through servitude and attaining majority4 ,the minor is in the hands of guardians who care for his person and mental training1 and of stewards who manage his estate4 ,so the world1 though possessing the promise of great blessing1 was held for ages in the servitude of the law4 #b4 ,subject to the restraint of external ordinances4--,were in bondage under the elements of the world 7ver4 #c74 ,the commandments and ordinances imposed by the law belonged to an early and elementary period4 ,in their infantile externalism they stand contrasted with the analogous things of the new dispensation1 in which the believer is a grown man who casts away childish things4 ,the ,mosaic system watched over and guarded the infancy of the world4 ,it exacted a rigid obedience to its mandates1 and in doing so trained mankind to see and feel the need and appreciate the rich heritage of the covenant of grace4 ,mosaism rendered invaluable service to ,christianity4 ,it safe-guarded the writings that contained promises of future blessings and educated the race throughout the period of its nonage4 ,,ii4 ,the matured sonship of mankind is accomplished through redemption4--#a4 ,the ,redeemer is ,divinely provided and of the highest dignity4 ,god sent forth ,his ,son 7ver4 #d74 ,the mystical ,germans speak of ,christ as the ideal ,son of man1 the foretype of humanity2 and there is a sense in which mankind was created in ,christ ,jesus1 who is the image of ,god1 the first born of every creature4 ,but the apostle refers here to a loftier dignity belonging to ,christ4 ,he came in the character of ,god's ,son1 bringing ,his sonship with ,him4 ,the ,word1 who became flesh1 was with ,god1 and was ,god1 in the beginning4 ,the ,divine ,son of ,god was sent forth into the world by the all-loving ,father to be the ,redeemer of mankind and to put an end to the world's servitude4 #b4 ,the ,redeemer assumes the nature and condition of those ,he redeems4--,made of a woman1 made under the law1 to redeem them that were under the law 7vers4 #d1 #e74 ,christ was born of woman as other men are1 and1 like them1 was at first a weak and dependent babe4 ,his child-life has for ever beautified and consecrated child-nature4 ,he was born under law--not the law as a mere ,jew1 which would have limited ,his redeeming work to the ,jewish nation1 but under law in its widest application4 ,he submitted not only to the general moral demands of the ,divine law for men1 but to all the duties and proprieties incident to ,his position as a man1 even to those ritual ordinances which ,his coming was to abolish4 ,the purpose of ,his being sent was to redeem them that were under the law--to buy them out of their bondage4 ,he voluntarily entered into the condition of the enslaved that ,he might emancipate them4 #c4 ,the sonship acquired through redemption is not by merit or legal right1 but by adoption4--,that we might receive the adoption of sons 7ver4 #e74 ,the sonship is by grace1 not of nature4 ,man lost his sonship by sin2 by grace he gets it back again4 ,adoption we do not get back2 we simply receive it4 ,it is an act of ,god's free grace4 ,,iii4 ,the attainment of sonship is a conscious reality4--#a4 ,made evident by the ,spirit of ,god witnessing in us and crying to ,him as to a ,father4 ,because ye are sons1 ,god hath sent forth the ,spirit of ,his ,son into your hearts1 crying1 ,abba1 ,father 7ver4 #f74 ,god sent forth ,his ,son into the world of men3 ,he sent forth the ,spirit of ,his ,son into their individual hearts4 ,the filial consciousness was born within them1 supernaturally inspired4 ,when they believed in ,christ1 when they saw in ,him the ,son of ,god1 their ,redeemer1 they were stirred with a new ecstatic impulse2 a ,divine glow of love and joy kindled in their breasts2 a voice not their own spoke to their spirit2 their soul leaped forth upon their lips1 crying to ,god ,father1 ,father6 ,they were children of ,god and knew it4 #b4 ,confirmed by the heirship that results from the ,divine adoption4--,if a son1 then an heir of ,god through ,christ 7ver4 #g74 ,the nonage1 the period of servitude and subjection1 is passed4 ,it gives place to the unrivalled privilege of a maturer spiritual manhood1 and the heirship to an inheritance of indescribable and imperishable blessedness4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the law held the world in bondage4 #b4 ,the ,gospel is a message of liberty by redemption4 #c4 ,redemption by ,christ confers distinguished privileges4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #d1 #e4 ,christ's ,mission for the ,adoption of ,sons in the ,fulness of ,time4 ,i4 ,the mission of ,jesus ,christ and the manner in which ,he manifested ,himself4--,god sent forth ,his ,son4 ,these words present the great fact of ,christ's mission from the ,father and ,his appearance in the world4 ,to denote the inexpressible dignity of ,jesus1 as being one with the ,father in ,his most essential prerogatives and perfections1 ,he is here styled1 ,his ,son4 ,he was made of a woman4 ,the circumstances of ,his incarnation placed ,him at an immeasurable distance from all other parts of the human race4 ,he was the immediate production of ,god1 by ,his ,divine power ,he was conceived of the ,holy ,ghost1 and thereby completely exempted from the taint of original sin4 ,he was the holy thing born of a virgin4 ,he was by constitution placed in the same state as our first parents4 ,he underwent a similar but severer trial and maintained ,his innocence against all the assaults of ,satan4 ,he was made under the law2 whereas all other creatures are under it by the very terms of their existence1 by the condition of their nature4 ,he was made under the ceremonial law1 under the moral law1 under the mediatorial law4 ,,ii4 ,the design of ,christ's mission4--,to redeem4 ,he came not merely to exemplify a rule of life1 but to satisfy its violation2 not to explain the statutes of heaven1 but to pay the penalty arising from the curse announced against their transgression4 ,he came essentially to change the moral situation of mankind4 ,christ has added to our original brightness2 ,he has not only redeemed us from the first transgression1 but accumulated blessings which man1 even in innocence1 could never have obtained4 ,,iii4 ,the fitness of the season at which ,christ was manifested4--,the fulness of time4 #a4 ,it was the period foretold by the prophets4 ,hence the general expectation of ,his coming4 #b4 ,it was a period of advancement in politics1 legislation1 science1 and arts1 and manners2 an age of scepticism4 #c4 ,it was a period of toleration4 ,the epoch will arrive when this world shall be thought of as nothing but as it furnished a stage for the manifestation of the ,son of ,god4--,robert ,hall4 ,ver4 #d4 ,the ,fulness of the ,time4--,christ comes when a course of preparation1 conducted through previous ages1 was at last complete4 ,he was not the creation of ,his own or any preceding age4 ,what is true of all other great men1 who are no more than great men1 is not true of ,him4 ,they receive from their age as much as they give it2 they embody and reflect its spirit4 ,christ really owed nothing to the time or the country which welcomed ,his advent4 ,i4 ,the world was prepared politically for ,christ's work4--,there was a common language--the ,greek2 a common government--the ,roman4 ,,ii4 ,there was a preparation in the convictions of mankind4--,the epoch of religious experiments had been closed in an epoch of despair4 ,,iii4 ,there was a preparation in the moral experience of mankind4--,the dreadful picture of the pagan world which ,st4 ,paul draws at the close of the first chapter of his epistle to the ,romans is not a darker picture than that of pagan writers--of moralists like ,seneca1 of satirists like ,juvenal1 of historians like ,tacitus2 and yet enough survived of moral truth in the human conscience to condemn average pagan practice4 ,it led them to yearn for a deliverer1 although their aspirations were indefinite enough4 ,this widespread corruption1 this longing for better things1 marked the close of the epoch of moral experiments4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the earthly life of ,christ stood in a totally different relation towards moral truth from that of every other man4 #b4 ,it was a life at harmony with itself and a revelation of higher truth4 #c4 ,his incarnation delivers us from false views of the world and of life1 from base and desponding views of our human nature1 and from bondage4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,christ ,obedient to the ,law4 ,i4 ,this obedience was not a matter of course1 following upon ,his incarnation4 ,he might have lived and died1 had it been consistent with ,his high purpose1 in sinless purity1 without expressly undertaking as ,he did openly to fulfil the law4 ,it was a voluntary act1 becoming and fit for the great work ,he had in hand4 ,,ii4 ,this obedience was not only an integral but a necessary part of ,his work of redemption4--,had this not been so1 redemption would have been incomplete4 ,not only ,god's unwritten law in the conscience1 but ,god's written law in the tables of stone1 must be completely satisfied4 ,it being shown1 by both ,gentile and ,jew1 that neither by nature nor by revealed light was man capable of pleasing ,god1 all men were left simply and solely dependent on ,his free and unmerited grace4 ,all cases of guilt must be covered1 all situations of disobedience taken up and borne and carried triumphantly out into perfection and accordance with the ,father's will1 by the ,son of ,god in our flesh4 ,,iii4 ,this obedience for man was to be not only complete1 so that ,christ should stand in the root of our nature as the accepted man1 but was to be our pattern1 that as ,he was holy so we might be holy also4 ,,iv4 ,this obedience arose from the requirements of ,his office connected with the law4--,he was the end of the law4 ,it all pointed to ,him4 ,its types and ceremonies all found fulfilment in ,his person and work4 ,all has been fulfilled4 ,all looked forward to ,one that was to come--to one who has come1 and in ,his own person has superseded that law by exhausting its requirements1 has glorified that law by filling out and animating with spiritual life its waste and barren places4 ,so that ,god has not changed1 nor has ,his purpose wavered1 nor are ,his people resting on other than their old foundation4--,dean ,alford4 ,ver4 #e4 ,under the ,law-- ,i4 ,as the rule of life4--,thus angels are under the law4 ,adam was before his fall1 and the saints in heaven are so now4 ,none yield more subjection to the law than they1 and this subjection is their liberty4 ,,ii4 ,as a grievous yoke which none can bear4--#a4 ,it bound the ,church of the ,old ,testament to the observance of many and costly ceremonies4 #b4 ,it binds every offender to everlasting death4 #c4 ,it is a yoke as it increases sin and is the strength of it4 ,the wicked nature of man is the more to do a thing the more he is forbidden4--,perkins4 ,adoption4 ,i4 ,in what adoption consists4--#a4 ,the points of resemblance between natural and spiritual adoption4 7#a7 ,we cease to have our former name and are designated after the name of ,god4 7#b7 ,we change our abode4 ,once in the world1 now in the ,church and family of ,god4 7#c7 ,we change our costume4 ,conform to the family dress3 garments of salvation4 #b4 ,the points of difference between natural and spiritual adoption4 7#a7 ,natural adoption was to supply a family defect4 ,god had hosts of children4 7#b7 ,natural adoption was only of sons4 ,no distinction in ,god's adoption4 7#c7 ,in natural adoption there was only a change of condition4 ,god makes ,his children partakers of ,his own nature4 7#d7 ,in natural adoption only one was adopted1 but ,god adopts multitudes4 7#e7 ,in natural adoption only temporal advantages were derived1 but in spiritual the blessings are eternal4 ,,ii4 ,signs of adoption4--#a4 ,internal signs4 ,described in ch4 iv4 #f2 ,rom4 viii4 #ad-af4 #b4 ,external signs4 7#a7 ,language2 7#b7 ,profession2 7#c7 ,obedience4 ,,iii4 ,privileges of adoption4--#a4 ,deliverance from the miseries of our natural state4 #b4 ,investiture into all the benefits of ,christ's family4 #c4 ,a title to the celestial inheritance4 ,learn--#a4 ,the importance of the blessing4 #b4 ,seek the good of ,god's family4 #c4 ,invite strangers to become sons and heirs of ,god4--,sketches4 ,adoption and its ,claims4--,among the ,american ,indians when a captive was saved to be adopted in the place of some chieftain who had fallen1 his allegiance and his identity were looked upon as changed4 ,if he left a wife and children behind him1 they were to be forgotten and blotted from memory4 ,he stood in the place of the dead warrior1 assumed his responsibilities1 he was supposed to cherish those whom he had cherished and hate those whom he had hated2 in fact1 he was supposed to stand in the same relation of consanguinity to the tribe4--,bancroft4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,evidences of ,sonship4 ,i4 ,the presence of the ,spirit in the heart4--#a4 ,the beginning of our new birth is in the heart1 when a new light is put into the mind1 a new and heavenly disposition into the will and affection4 #b4 ,the principal part of our renovation is in the heart were the ,spirit abides4 #c4 ,the beginning and principal part of ,god's worship is in the heart4 #d4 ,keep watch and ward about thy heart1 that it may be a fit place of entertainment for the ,spirit1 who is an ,ambassador sent from ,god to thee4 ,,ii4 ,the work of the ,spirit4--#a4 ,bestowing conviction that the ,scriptures are the ,word of ,god4 #b4 ,submission to ,god and a desire to obey ,him4 #c4 ,the testimony of the ,spirit--a ,divine manner of reasoning framed in the mind--that we are ,god's children4 #d4 ,peace of conscience1 joy1 and affiance in ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the desires of the heart directed towards ,god4--#a4 ,our cries are to be directed to ,god with reverence4 #b4 ,with submission to ,his will4 #c4 ,with importunity and constancy4--,perkins4 ,the ,character and ,privileges of the ,children of ,god4 ,i4 ,the distinguishing characteristic of the children of ,god4--#a4 ,it is a spirit of filial confidence as opposed to servile fear4 ,no unpardoned sinner has a sufficient ground of confidence in ,god4 ,till assured that ,god loves him1 he knows not how ,god may treat him at any particular time4 ,but we cannot believe that ,god loves us and at the same time doubt ,his mercy4 ,he that heartily reposes on ,god's favour cannot dread ,his vengeance4 #b4 ,this filial spirit is one of holy love as opposed to the bondage of sin4--,the love of ,god is a powerful element well calculated to change the whole of our inner man4 ,it gives a new bias to our wayward affections and a healthful vigour to every good desire4 #c4 ,the filial spirit is one of ready obedience as opposed to the gloomy spirit of servitude4--,the service of a slave is unwilling1 extorted1 unsatisfactory2 the obedience of a child is ready1 loving1 energetic4 ,love is self-denying1 soul-absorbing1 devoted4 ,,ii4 ,some of the distinguishing privileges of the children of ,god4--#a4 ,the child of ,god has a part in the ,father's love and care4 #b4 ,has a filial resemblance to the heavenly ,father4 #c4 ,children of ,god have the privileges of family communion and fellowship4 #d4 ,have a share in the family provisions4 #e4 ,have a title to the future inheritance4--,robert ,m4 ,macbrair4 ,ver4 #g4 ,god's ,offspring4--#a4 ,this is the state of all poor heathen1 whether in ,england or foreign countries3 they are children1 ignorant and unable to take care of themselves1 because they do not know what they are4 ,paul tells them they are ,god's offspring1 though they know it not4 ,he does not mean that we are not ,god's children till we find out that we are ,god's children4 ,you were ,god's heirs all along1 although you differed nothing from slaves2 for as long as you were in heathen ignorance and foolishness ,god had to treat you as ,his slaves1 not as ,his children4 ,they thought that ,god did not love them1 that they must buy ,his favours4 ,they thought religion meant a plan for making ,god love them4 #b4 ,then appeared the love of ,god in ,jesus ,christ1 who told men of their heavenly ,father4 ,he preached to them the good news of the kingdom of ,god1 that ,god had not forgotten them1 did not hate them1 would freely forgive them all that was past2 and why8 ,because ,he was their ,father and loved them so that ,he spared not ,his only begotten ,son4 ,and now ,god looks at us in the light of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he does not wish us to remain merely ,his child1 under tutors and governors1 forced to do what is right outwardly and whether it likes or not4 ,god wishes each of us to become ,his son1 ,his grown-up and reasonable son4 #c4 ,it is a fearful thing to despise the mercies of the living ,god1 and when you are called to be ,his sons to fall back under the terrors of ,his law in slavish fear and a guilty conscience and remorse which cannot repent4 ,he has told you to call ,him your ,father2 and if you speak to ,him in any other way1 you insult ,him and trample underfoot the riches of ,his grace4 ,you are not ,god's slaves1 but ,his sons1 heirs of ,god and joint-heirs of ,christ4 ,what an inheritance of glory and bliss that must be which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself is to inherit with us--an inheritance of all that is wise1 loving1 noble1 holy1 peaceful1 all that can make us happy and like ,god ,himself4--,c4 ,kingsley4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #h-aa4 ,legalism a ,relapse4 ,i4 ,legalism is no advance on heathenism4--,when ye knew not ,god1 ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods 7ver4 #h74 ,paganism was an elaborate system of formalism4 ,the instinct of worship led men to sacrifice to imaginary deities--gods which were no gods4 ,ignorant of the true ,god1 they multiplied deities of their own4 ,the ,galatian pagans created a strange ,pantheon4 ,there were the old weird ,celtic deities before whom our ,british forefathers trembled4 ,on this ancestral faith had been superimposed the frantic rites of the ,phrygian mother ,cebele1 with her mutilated priests1 and the more genial and humanistic cultus of the ,greek ,olympian gods4 ,the oppressive rites of legalism were little better than the heathen ritual4 ,religion degenerated into a meaningless formality4 ,dickens describes how in ,genoa he once witnessed a great feast on the hill behind the house1 when the people alternately danced under tents in the open air and rushed to say a prayer or two in an adjoining church bright with red and gold and blue and silver--so many minutes of dancing and of praying in regular turns of each4 ,,ii4 ,legalism to converted heathen1 is a disastrous relapse4--,after ye have known ,god1 how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements8 4 4 4 ,ye observe days and months and times and years 7vers4 #i1 #aj74 ,the heathen in their blindness and ignorance might be excused1 and ritualism1 even to the ,jews before the coming of the ,messiah1 might be well enough2 but for ,christians1 who had received ampler knowledge and been illumined by the ,holy ,spirit1 to return to the weak and beggarly elements1 was irrational1 monstrous6 ,having tasted the sweets of liberty1 what folly to submit again to slavery6 having reached spiritual manhood1 how childish to degenerate6 ,legalism destroys the life of religion and leaves only a mass of petrified forms4 ,in his ,stones of ,venice1 ,ruskin says3 ,there is no religion in any work of ,titian's2 there is not even the smallest evidence of religious temper or sympathies either in himself or those for whom he painted4 ,his larger sacred themes are merely for the exhibition of pictorial rhetoric--composition and colour4 ,his minor works are generally made subordinate to the purposes of portraiture4 ,the ,madonna in the ,frari church is a mere lay figure1 introduced to form a link of connection between the portraits of various members of the ,pesaro family who surround her4 ,bellini was brought up in faith2 ,titian in formalism4 ,between the years of their births the vital religion of ,venice had expired4 ,,iii4 ,a relapse to legalism is an occasion of alarm to the earnest ,christian teacher4--,i am afraid of you1 lest ,i have bestowed upon you labour in vain 7ver4 #aa74 ,the apostle knew something of the fickleness of the ,galatians and of the weakness of human nature but was hardly prepared for such a collapse of the work which he had built up with so much anxiety and care4 ,he saw1 more clearly than they1 the peril of his converts1 and the prospect of their further defection filled him with alarm and grief4 ,it meant the loss of advantages gained1 of precious blessing enjoyed1 of peace1 of character1 of influence for good4 ,it is a painful moment when the anxious ,christian worker has to mourn over failure in any degree4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,legalism suppresses all religious growth4 #b4 ,is a constant danger to the holiest4 #c4 ,shows the necessity for earnest vigilance and prayer4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #h-aa4 ,the ,dilemma of ,turncoats4 ,i4 ,their first condition was one of ignorance4--#a4 ,ignorance of ,god4 7#a7 ,the light of nature is imperfect1 because we know by it only some few and general things of ,god4 7#b7 ,it is weak1 because it serves only to cut off excuse1 and is not sufficient to direct us in the worship of ,god4 7#c7 ,it is a great and grievous sin4 #b4 ,idolatry4--7#a7 ,when that which is not ,god is placed and worshipped in the room of the true ,god4 7#b7 ,when men acknowledge the true ,god1 but do not conceive ,him as ,he will be conceived1 and as ,he has revealed ,himself4 7#c7 ,what a man loves most1 cares for most1 and delights in most1 that is his god4 ,where the heart is1 there is thy god4 ,,ii4 ,their changed condition is the knowledge of ,god in ,christ4--#a4 ,this is a special knowledge whereby we must acknowledge ,god to be our ,god in ,christ4 #b4 ,this knowledge must be not confused1 but distinct4 7#a7 ,we must acknowledge ,god in respect of ,his presence in all places4 7#b7 ,in respect of ,his particular providence over us4 7#c7 ,in respect of ,his will in all things to be done and suffered4 #c4 ,this knowledge must be an effectual and lively knowledge1 working in us new affections1 and inclinations4 ,,iii4 ,their revolt is an abandonment of salvation4--,it is an exchange of knowledge for ignorance1 of the substance for the shadow1 of reality for emptiness--a return to weak and beggarly elements4 ,it is the substitution of ceremonies for genuine worship4 ,,iv4 ,the conduct of turn-coats is an occasion of ministerial disappointment and alarm 7ver4 #aa74--,work that is in vain in respect of men is not so before ,god4--,perkins4 ,vers4 #h1 #i4 ,ignorance of ,god a ,spiritual ,bondage4--#a4 ,however nature's light may serve to make known there is a ,god and that ,he ought to be served1 it is nothing else but ignorance1 as it leaves us destitute of the knowledge of ,god in ,christ1 without which there is no salvation4 #b4 ,men are naturally inclined to feign some representation of the ,godhead by things which incur in the outward senses1 from which they easily advance to give ,divine worship unto those images and representations4 #c4 ,though the ,levitical ceremonies were once to be religiously observed as a part of ,divine worship leading to ,christ1 yet when the false teachers did urge them as a part of necessary commanded worship1 or as a part of their righteousness before ,god1 the apostle is bold to give them the name of weak and beggarly elements4 #d4 ,people may advance very far in the way of ,christianity1 and yet make a foul retreat afterwards in the course of defection and apostasy4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,god's ,sabbatic ,law antedated the ,mosaic ,law4--,and whatever of legal bondage has been linked with the observance of the ,jewish ,sabbath was eliminated together with the change to the first day of the week4 ,this at once removes the ,lord's ,day from the category of days1 and also of weak and beggarly elements4 ,the mode of observance is learned from the ,lord's words1 ,the ,sabbath was made for man1 and not man for the ,sabbath1 which at the same time imply1 when rightly understood1 the perpetual necessity for a ,sabbath4--,lange4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,ministerial ,anxiety--#a4 ,prompts to earnest efforts in imparting the highest spiritual truths4 #b4 ,looks for corresponding results in consistency of character and conduct4 #c4 ,is grieved with the least indications of religious failure4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-bj4 ,the ,pleadings of an ,anxious ,teacher with his ,pupils in ,peril4 ,i4 ,he reminds them of the enthusiastic attachment of former days4--#a4 ,urges them to exercise the same freedom as he himself claimed4 ,be as ,i am2 for ,i am as ye are 7ver4 #ab74 ,though himself a ,jew1 ,paul had assumed no airs of superiority1 and did not separate himself from his ,gentile brethren2 he became as one of them4 ,he asks them to exercise a similar liberty2 and lest they should fear he would have a grudge against them because of their relapse1 he hastens to assure them1 ,ye have not injured wronged me at all 7ver4 #ab74 #b4 ,recalls their extravagant expression of admiration on their first reception of his teaching4--,ye know how through infirmity ,i preached at the first4 ,my temptation ye despised not2 but received me as an angel of ,god4 4 4 4 ,ye would have plucked out your own eyes1 and have given them to me 7vers4 #ac1 #ad1 #ae74 ,his physical weakness1 which might have moved the contempt of others1 elicited the sympathy of the warm-hearted ,galatians4 ,they listened with eagerness and wonder to the ,gospel he preached4 ,the man1 with his humiliating infirmity1 was lost in the charm of his message4 ,they were thankful that1 though his sickness was the reason of his being detained among them1 it was the opportunity of their hearing the ,gospel4 ,had he been an angel from heaven1 or ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 they could not have welcomed him more rapturously4 ,they would have made any sacrifice to assure him of their regard and affection4 #c4 ,shows he was not less their friend because he rebuked them4--,am ,i therefore become your enemy1 because ,i tell you the truth8 7ver4 #af74 ,and now they rush1 with ,gallic-like fickleness1 to the opposite extreme4 ,because he attacks the new fancies with which they have become enamoured1 and probes them with some wholesome and unwelcome truths1 they imagine he has become their enemy4 ,not so2 he is but using the privilege of a true and faithful friend4 ,,ii4 ,he warns them against the seductive tactics of false teachers4--#a4 ,their zealous flattery was full of danger4 ,they zealously affect you1 but not well2 they would exclude you 7ver4 #ag74 ,they are courting you1 these present suitors for your regard1 dishonourably2 they want to shut us out and have you to themselves1 that you may pay court to them4 ,they pretend to be zealous for your interests2 but it is their own they seek4 ,they would exclude you from all opportunities of salvation--yea1 from ,christ ,himself4 ,the flatterer should be always suspected4 ,the turning away from sound doctrine goes hand in hand with a predilection for such teachers as tickle the ear1 while they teach only such things as correspond to the sinful inclinations of the hearers4 #b4 ,though genuine zeal is commendable4--,it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing 7ver4 #ah74 ,christian zeal must be seen not only to correspond and to be adapted to the intellect but must also be in harmony with the highest and profoundest sentiments of our nature4 ,it must not be exhibited in the dry1 pedantic divisions of a scholastic theology2 nor must it be set forth and tricked out in the light drapery of an artificial rhetoric1 in prettiness of style1 in measured sentences1 with an insipid floridness1 and in the form of elegantly feeble essays4 ,no2 it must come from the soul in the language of earnest conviction and strong feeling4 ,,iii4 ,he pleads with the tender solicitude of a spiritual parent4--,my little children1 of whom ,i travail in birth again1 4 4 4 ,i desire to be present with you1 and to change my voice2 for ,i stand in doubt of you 7vers4 #ai1 #bj74 ,as a mother1 fearful of losing the affection of her children for whom she has suffered so much1 the apostle appeals to his converts in tones of pathetic persuasion4 ,his heart is wrung with anguish as he sees the peril of his spiritual children1 and he breaks out into tender and impassioned entreaty4 ,and yet he is perplexed by the attitude they have taken1 and as if uncertain of the result of his earnest expostulations4 ,the preacher has to learn to be patient as well as zealous4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,strong emotions and warm affections are no guarantee for the permanence of religious life4 #b4 ,how prone are those who have put themselves in the wrong to fix the blame on others4 #c4 ,men of the ,galatian type are the natural prey of self-seeking agitators4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,christian ,brotherhood4--,here is3 #a4 ,a loving compellation--,brethren4 #b4 ,a submissive address by way of comprecation--,i beseech you4 #c4 ,a request most reasonable--,be ye as ,i am2 for ,i am as ye are4 #d4 ,a wise and prudent preoccupation or prevention which removes all obstructions and forestalls those jealousies1 those surmises and groundless suspicions1 which are the bane of charity and the greatest enemies to peace4 ,ye have not injured me at all4 ,i4 ,nature herself hath made all men brethren4--#a4 ,this may serve to condemn all those who look upon men under other consideration than as men or view them in any other shape than as brethren4 ,and the very name of man and of brother should be an amulet for all mankind against the venom of iniquity and injustice4 #b4 ,by this light of nature we may condemn ourselves when any bitterness towards our brother riseth in our hearts1 and allay or rather root it out as inhuman and unnatural4 ,none can dishonour us more than ourselves do1 when one man hath trodden down another as the clay in the streets1 when we think ourselves great men by making our brethren little1 when we contemn and despise1 hate and persecute them4 ,,ii4 ,brethren as ,christians professing the same faith4--,there is such a brotherhood that neither error nor sin nor injury can break and dissolve it4 #a4 ,men may err and yet be brethren4--,we may be divided in opinion and yet united in charity4 ,consider the difficulty of finding out truth in all things and avoiding error1 that our brother may err rather from want of light than out of malice and wilfully and conceive it possible we may err as foully as others4 #b4 ,men may sin and yet be brethren4--,charity1 because she may err1 nay1 because she must err1 looks upon every ,christian as a brother4 ,if he err1 she is a guide to him2 if he sin1 she is a physician2 if he fall1 she strives to lift him up1 being a light to the blind and a staff to the weak4 #c4 ,men may injure each other and yet be brethren4--,socrates1 being overcome in judgment1 professed he had no reason to be angry with his enemies unless it were for this1 that they conceived and believed they had hurt him4 ,indeed1 no injury can be done by a brother to a brother4 ,the injury is properly done to ,god1 who reserves all power of revenge to ,himself4 ,if a brother strike us1 said ,chrysostom1 kiss his hand2 if he would destroy us1 our revenge should be to save him4 ,nazianzen said to the young man who was suborned to kill him1 ,christ forgive thee1 who hath also forgiven me1 and died to save me4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,brotherly love is pleasant and delightful4 #b4 ,profitable and advantageous4 #c4 ,so necessary that it had been better for us never to have been than not to love the brethren4--,a4 ,farindon4 ,vers4 #ac-ae4 ,love for the ,preacher-- ,i4 ,notwithstanding the physical infirmity of the messenger 7ver4 #ac74 ,,ii4 ,generates the loftiest esteem for his character and abilities 7ver4 #ad74 ,,iii4 ,is often expressed in exaggerated terms 7ver4 #ae74 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,authority of the ,messenger of ,god4 ,i4 ,he is to be heard even as ,christ ,himself1 because in preaching he is the mouth of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,here we see the goodness of ,god1 who does not speak to us in ,his majesty1 but appoints men in ,his stead1 who are ,his ambassadors4 ,,iii4 ,there must be fidelity in teachers4--,they stand in the stead of ,christ1 and must deliver only that which they know to be the will of ,christ4 ,,iv4 ,they must have especial care of holiness of life4 ,v4 ,the people are to hear their teachers with reverence1 as if they would hear the angels or ,christ ,himself4 ,,vi4 ,the comfort of the ministry is as sure as if an angel came down from heaven1 or ,christ ,himself1 to comfort us4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,right ,mode of giving and receiving ,reproof4--,should it be esteemed the part of a friend faithfully to tell men the truth8 and should the suppression of truth and the substitution of its opposite be held to mark the character of an enemy8 ,how often has the amicable state of feeling been broken up by telling the truth1 even when done in a proper spirit and manner6 ,i4 ,what would you wish your friend to be8--#a4 ,sincere4 #b4 ,that he should take a very general interest in my welfare and be desirous to promote it4 #c4 ,a person of clear1 sound1 discriminating judgment1 and with a decided preference in all things4 #d4 ,that he should not be a man full of self-complacency1 a self-idolater1 but observant and severe towards his own errors and defects4 #e4 ,a man who would include me expressly in his petitions1 praying that ,i may be delivered from those evils which he perceives in me1 and ,god far more clearly4 #f4 ,such that1 as the last result of my communications with him1 a great deal of what may be defective and wrong in me shall have been disciplined away4 ,,ii4 ,why do we regard a friend as an enemy because he tells us the truth8--#a4 ,because plain truth1 by whatever voice1 must say many things that are displeasing4 #b4 ,because there is a want of the real earnest desire to be in all things set right4 #c4 ,because there is pride1 reacting against a fellow-mortal and fellow-sinner4 #d4 ,because there is not seldom a real difference of judgment on the matters in question4 #e4 ,because there is an unfavourable opinion or surmise as to the motives of the teller of truth4 ,,iii4 ,how should reproof be administered8--#a4 ,those who do this should well exercise themselves to understand what they speak of4 #b4 ,it should be the instructor's aim that the authority may be conveyed in the truth itself1 and not seem to be assumed by him as the speaker of it4 #c4 ,he should watch to select favourable times and occasions4 ,,iv4 ,how should reproof be received8--#a4 ,by cultivating a disposition of mind which earnestly desires the truth1 in whatever manner it may come to us4 #b4 ,there have been instances in which a friend1 silent when he should have spoken1 has himself afterwards received the reproof for not having done so from the person whom he declined to admonish4 #c4 ,if there be those so painfully and irritably susceptible as to be unwilling to hear corrective truth from others1 how strong is the obligation that they should look so much the more severely to themselves4--,john ,foster4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,zeal4 ,i4 ,various kinds of zeal4--#a4 ,there is a zeal of ,god which is not according to knowledge4 #b4 ,there is a mistaken zeal for the glory of ,god4 7#a7 ,when that is opposed which is right1 under a false notion of its being contrary to the glory of ,god4 7#b7 ,when ways and methods improper are taken to defend and promote the glory of ,god4 7#c7 ,there is a superstitious zeal1 such as was in ,baal's worshippers1 who cut themselves with knives and lancets2 particularly in the ,athenians1 who were wholly given to idolatry2 and the ,jews1 who were zealous of the traditions of the fathers4 7#d7 ,there is a persecuting zeal1 under a pretence of the glory of ,god4 7#e7 ,there is a hypocritical zeal for ,god1 as in the ,pharisees1 who make a show of great zeal for piety1 by their long prayers1 when they only sought to destroy widows' houses by that means4 7#f7 ,there is a contentious zeal1 which often gives great trouble to ,christian communities4 7#g7 ,true zeal is no other than a fervent1 ardent love to ,god and ,christ1 and a warm concern for their honour and glory4 ,,ii4 ,the objects of zeal4--#a4 ,the object of it is ,god4 ,the worship of ,god1 who must be known1 or ,he cannot be worshipped aright4 #b4 ,the cause of ,christ is another object of zeal4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ2 great reason there is to be zealous for that1 since it is the ,gospel of the grace of ,god4 #c4 ,the ordinances of ,christ1 which every true ,christian should be zealous for1 that they be kept as they were first delivered1 without any innovation or corruption4 #d4 ,the discipline of ,christ's house should be the object of our zeal4 #e4 ,true zeal is concerned in all the duties of religion and shows itself in them4 ,,iii4 ,motives exciting to the exercise of true zeal4--#a4 ,the example of ,christ4 #b4 ,true zeal answers a principal end of the redemption of ,christ4 #c4 ,it is good1 the apostle says1 to be zealously affected in and for that which is good4 #d4 ,a lukewarm temper1 which is the opposite to zeal1 seems not consistent with true religion1 which has always life and heat in it4 #e4 ,the zeal of persons shown in a false way should stimulate the professors of the true religion to show at least an equal zeal4--,pulpit ,assistant4 ,christian ,zeal-- ,i4 ,implies unwavering steadfastness of purpose4 ,,ii4 ,universal and hearty obedience to ,god's commands in all things1 small as well as great4 ,,iii4 ,supreme devotion of heart and life to ,christ4 ,,iv4 ,should be exercised in a good thing4--,true zeal seeks benevolent ends by lawful means1 else it is fanaticism4 ,it seeks practical ends by wise means1 else it is enthusiasm4 ,zeal should be shown in active and useful devotion to the cause of religion1 rather than in excitement and warm devotional exercise4 ,v4 ,should be uniform1 not periodical4--,it should not depend upon the fluctuations of feeling1 but should act upon principle4 ,periodical fervours are deceitful1 dangerous1 injurious1 dishonourable to religion4 ,they are commonly a proof of superficial piety1 or of none at all4--,stephen ,olin4 ,godly ,zeal and its ,counterfeits4 ,i4 ,let us distinguish between mere natural zeal and spiritual ardour4--#a4 ,there is a zeal of sympathy which is awakened by the zeal of others with whom we associate4 ,it is only that of the soldier who1 though himself a coward1 is urged on to battle by the example of those around him4 #b4 ,there is constitutional zeal1 a warmth1 an ardour1 which enters into all we say or do1 which pervades all our actions and animates all our services4 ,this is not strictly religious but animal excitement and is no more allied to our soul-life than our arms or our feet4 #c4 ,there is a zeal which is merely sentimental4 ,it throws a romantic glamour over our objects2 but its exercises are too occasional1 too random1 to produce much effect4 #d4 ,there is a zeal of affectation like that of ,jehu 7#b ,kings x4 #af74 ,this is religious foppery and hypocritical vanity4 #e4 ,christian zeal is a fair demonstration of what is felt within4 ,it seeks not the eye of man but acts under the conviction of ,god's omniscience4 ,,ii4 ,consider the objects to which ,christian zeal should be directed4--,this good thing may be taken as including all true religion1 and embracing3 #a4 ,the promotion of ,god's glory4 #b4 ,the extension of ,christ's kingdom4 #c4 ,the salvation of men4 #d4 ,the conversion of the world4 ,,iii4 ,the good that results from the exercise of ,christian zeal to the persons that possess it4--#a4 ,it renders them more ,christ-like4 #b4 ,it furthers the ,divine designs in the most effective way4 #c4 ,we become worthy followers of the great heroes of faith in the past ages4--,the ,preacher's ,magazine4 ,true ,christian ,zeal4 ,i4 ,the ,christian convert is zealously affected in a good thing4--#a4 ,all the teachings of ,christianity are good4 ,they enlighten1 guide1 and sanctify4 ,they are peculiar1 harmonious1 infallible1 ,divine4 ,their morality is sublime1 their spirit heavenly1 their effect glorious4 #b4 ,the influence of ,christianity is good4--,it has created the sweet charities of national and domestic life1 sanctified advancing civilisation1 softened the fierceness of war1 stimulated science1 promoted justice and liberty4 ,sceptics have admitted this4 #c4 ,all that ,christianity accomplishes for man is good4--,it saves him from sin1 from the stings of guilt1 from the eternal consequences of wrong-doing4 ,,ii4 ,the zeal of the ,christian convert is to be steady and continuous4--,there should be no diminution nor fluctuation in our zeal4 #a4 ,because no reason can be assigned why we should not be as zealous at any after-hour as at the hour of our conversion4 #b4 ,because it is only by steady and continuous zeal that a proper measure of ,christian influence can be exerted4 #c4 ,because only by steady and continuous zeal can ,christian character be matured4 #d4 ,because only thus can success in ,christian enterprises be attained4 #e4 ,because steady and continuous zeal will alone bring ,divine approval4 ,,iii4 ,the zeal of the ,christian convert is not to be unduly influenced by the presence of others4--,while ,paul was with the ,churches in ,galatia they were zealous1 but after his departure their zeal ceased4 ,to lose our zeal because we have lost the influence of another is to show3 #a4 ,that we never possessed true ,christian motives4 #b4 ,that our supposed attachment to ,christ and ,his cause was delusive4 #c4 ,that our zeal had merely been an effort to please men1 not ,god4--,the ,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,christmas of the ,soul4--,the apostle refers to the spiritual birth4 ,the soul then rises into a consciousness of its infinite importance2 its thoughts1 sympathies1 and purposes become ,christ-like1 and ,christ is manifested in the life4 ,the soul-birth were impossible if ,christ had not been born in ,bethlehem4 ,that was an era in the world's history1 this in the individual life2 that was brought about by the ,holy ,spirit1 this is effected by the same ,divine ,agent2 that was followed by the antagonism of the world1 this is succeeded by the opposition of evil1 both within and without2 that was the manifestation of ,god in the flesh1 this is the renewing of man's nature in the image of ,god2 that came to pass without man's choice1 this requires man's seeking4 ,has this spiritual birth taken place in you8 ,if so1 you have a right to the enjoyment of a happy ,christmas4 ,keep the feast as a new man in ,christ ,jesus4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,a ,preacher's ,perplexity-- ,i4 ,occasioned by the defection of his converts4--,i stand in doubt of you4 ,,ii4 ,as to what method he should adopt to restore them4--,and to change my voice4 ,,iii4 ,increased by the difficulty of effecting a personal interview4--,i desire to be present with you now4 ,i stand in doubt of you4 ,doubtful ,christians4 ,i4 ,persons whose religion is liable to suspicion4--#a4 ,those who have long attended the means of grace1 and are very defective in knowledge4 #b4 ,who profess much knowledge and are puffed up with it4 #c4 ,who contend for doctrinal religion rather than for that which is practical and experimental4 #d4 ,who waver in their attachment to the fundamental principles of the ,gospel4 #e4 ,who neglect the ordinances of ,god's house4 #f4 ,who neglect devotional exercises4 #g4 ,who co-operate not with the ,church to advance the kingdom of ,christ in the world4 ,,ii4 ,the improvement to be made of the subject4--#a4 ,should lead to self-examination4 #b4 ,shows the loss and danger of persons so characterised4 #c4 ,should lead to repentance and faith4 #d4 ,while exercising a godly jealousy over others1 let ,christians watch with greater jealousy over themselves4--,helps4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba-ca4 ,the ,history of ,hagar and ,sarah allegorical of the ,law and the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the two women represented two different covenants4--#a4 ,hagar represented ,sinai1 typical of the law with its slavish exactions and terrible threatenings 7vers4 #bb1 #be74 ,sinai spoke of bondage and terror4 ,it was a true symbol of the working of the law of ,moses1 exhibited in the present condition of ,judaism4 ,and round the base of ,sinai ,hagar's wild sons had found their dwelling4 ,jerusalem was no longer the mother of freemen4 ,her sons chafed under the ,roman yoke4 ,they were loaded with self-inflicted burdens4 ,the spirit of the nation was that of rebellious1 discontented slaves4 ,they were ,ishmaelite sons of ,abraham1 with none of the nobleness1 the reverence1 the calm and elevated faith of their father4 ,in the ,judaism of the apostle's day the ,sinaitic dispensation1 uncontrolled by the higher patriarchal and prophetic faith1 had worked out its natural result4 ,it gendered to bondage4 ,a system of repression and routine1 it had produced men punctual in tithes of mint and anise1 but without justice1 mercy1 or faith2 vaunting their liberty while they were servants of corruption4 ,the ,pharisee was the typical product of law apart from grace4 ,under the garb of a freeman he carried the soul of a slave4 #b4 ,sarah represented ,jerusalem1 typical of the ,gospel with its higher freedom and larger spiritual fruitfulness 7vers4 #bf-bh74--,paul has escaped from the prison of legalism1 from the confines of ,sinai2 he has left behind the perishing earthly ,jerusalem1 and with it the bitterness and gloom of his ,pharisaic days4 ,he is a citizen of the heavenly ,zion1 breathing the air of a ,divine freedom4 ,the yoke is broken from the neck of the ,church of ,god2 the desolation is gone from her heart4 ,robbed of all outward means1 mocked and thrust out as she is by ,israel after the flesh1 her rejection is a release1 an emancipation4 ,conscious of the spirit of sonship and freedom1 looking out on the boundless conquests lying before her in the ,gentile world1 the ,church of the new covenant glories in her tribulations4 ,in ,paul is fulfilled the joy of prophet and psalmist1 who sang in former days of gloom concerning ,israel's enlargement and world-wide victories 7,findlay74 ,,ii4 ,the antagonism of their descendants represented the violent and incessant opposition of the law to the ,gospel4--,as he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the ,spirit1 even so it is now4 4 4 4 ,cast out the bondwoman and her son 7vers4 #bi1 #cj74 ,sooner or later the slave-boy was bound to go4 ,he has no proper birthright1 no permanent footing in the house4 ,one day he exceeds his licence1 he makes himself intolerable2 he must be gone4 ,the ,israelitish people showed more than ,ishmael's jealousy toward the infant ,church of the ,spirit4 ,no weapon of violence or calumny was too base to be used against it4 ,year by year they became more hardened against spiritual truth1 more malignant towards ,christianity1 and more furious and fanatical in their hatred towards their civil rulers4 ,ishmael was in the way of ,isaac's safety and prosperity 7,ibid474 ,,iii4 ,the ,gospel bestows a richer inheritance than the law4--,the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman4 4 4 4 ,we are children of the free 7vers4 #cj1 #ca74 ,the two systems were irreconcilable4 ,the law and the ,gospel cannot coexist and inherit together2 the law must disappear before the ,gospel4 ,the higher absorbs the lower4 ,the ,church of the future1 the spiritual seed of ,abraham gathered out of all nations1 has no part in legalism4 ,it embraces blessings of which ,mosaism had no conception--an inheritance incorruptible1 and undefiled1 and that fadeth not away 7#a ,pet4 i4 #d74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the law and the ,gospel differ fundamentally4 #b4 ,the law imposes intolerable burdens4 #c4 ,the ,gospel abrogates the law by providing a higher spiritual obedience4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ba-ca4 ,legal ,bondage and ,spiritual ,freedom contrasted-- ,i4 ,in their inception and development 7vers4 #ba-bg74 ,,ii4 ,in their ceaseless antagonism 7ver4 #bi74 ,,iii4 ,in their inevitable results 7vers4 #bh1 #cj1 #ca74 ,ver4 #ba4 ,a ,lesson from the ,law-- ,i4 ,addressed to those eager for its subjection4--,ye that desire to be under the law4 ,,ii4 ,is suggestive of solemn warning4 ,,iii4 ,should be seriously pondered4--,tell me1 do ye not hear the law8 ,ver4 #bf4 ,jerusalem ,above4 ,i4 ,the ,church of ,christ as she exists in the present world4--,jerusalem1 above and free4 #a4 ,above2 that is1 seen in connection with ,god and the scenes of the heavenly world4--7#a7 ,her ,head is from above4 7#b7 ,if we take the ,church as a whole1 though she is in part on earth1 the greater number of her members are in heaven4 7#c7 ,our ,jerusalem is above because her members all fix their affections there and thither then as the great end of their profession4 #b4 ,jerusalem above is free1 and so are her children4--,from the bondage of seeking salvation by works of law1 from the guilt of sin1 from its dominion4 ,,ii4 ,the filial sentiment with which we ought to regard the ,church of ,christ4--,she is the mother of us all4 ,the general idea is1 that if we are indeed spiritual1 under ,god1 we owe all to the ,church4 ,to her ,god has committed the preservation of ,his truth4 ,in stormy times she has sheltered her lamps in the recesses of the sanctuary1 and in happier times has placed them on high to guide and save4 ,the ,spirit of ,god is in the ,church4 ,to her you owe your hallowed fellowships4 ,in the ,church it is that ,god manifests ,himself4 ,,iii4 ,the animating anticipations we are thus taught to form of the ,church as glorified4--,turn to the description given in ,revelation xxi4 #a4 ,mark the wall great and high--denoting the perfect1 impregnable security of those who dwell there4 #b4 ,at the gates are angels--still ushering in the heirs of salvation and disdaining not to be porters to this glorious city4 #c4 ,mark the foundations1 garnished with all manner of precious stones--implying permanency4 #d4 ,mark the circumstance that in the twelve foundations are inscribed the names of the twelve apostles--the whole being the result of their doctrine4 #e4 ,the whole city is a temple all filled with the presence and glory of ,god4 ,no holiest of all is there where every part is most holy4 ,all are filled1 sanctified1 beatified1 by the fully manifested presence of ,god4 ,he is all in all2 all things in and to all4--,richard ,watson4 ,jerusalem a ,type of the ,universal ,church4 ,i4 ,god chose ,jerusalem above all other places to dwell in4 ,the ,church catholic is the company chosen to be the particular people of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,jerusalem is a city compact in itself by reason of the bond of love and order among the citizens4 ,in like sort the members of the ,church catholic are linked together by the bond of one ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,in ,jerusalem was the sanctuary1 a place of ,god's presence1 where the promise if the seed of the woman was preserved till the coming of the ,messiah4 ,now the ,church catholic is in the room of the sanctuary1 in it we must seek the presence of ,god and the ,word of life4 ,,iv4 ,in ,jerusalem was the throne of ,david4 ,in the ,church catholic is the throne or sceptre of ,christ4 ,v4 ,the commendation of a city1 as ,jerusalem1 is the subjection and obedience of the citizens4 ,in the ,church catholic all believers are citizens1 and they yield voluntary obedience and subjection to ,christ their ,king4 ,,vi4 ,as in ,jerusalem the names of the citizens were enrolled in a register1 so the names of all the members of the ,church catholic are enrolled in the ,book of ,life4 ,,vii4 ,the ,church catholic is said to be above3 #a4 ,in respect to her beginning4 #b4 ,because she dwells by faith in heaven with ,christ4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,believers ,children of ,promise4 ,i4 ,the character4--#a4 ,believers are the children of promise by regeneration4 #b4 ,by spiritual nourishment4 #c4 ,in respect of education4 #d4 ,with respect to assimilation1 likeness1 and conformity4 ,,ii4 ,state the comparison4--#a4 ,isaac was the child of ,abraham1 not by natural power4 ,believers are children of ,abraham by virtue of promise4 #b4 ,isaac was the fruit of prayer1 as well as the child of the promise4 #c4 ,isaac's birth was the joy of his parents4 ,even so with reference to believers4 #d4 ,isaac was born not after the flesh1 but by the promise2 not of the bondwoman1 but of the free4 ,so1 believers are not under the law4 #e4 ,isaac was no sooner born but he was mocked by ,ishmael2 so1 it is now4 #f4 ,isaac was the heir by promise1 though thus persecuted4 ,even so believers4 ,,iii4 ,how the promise hath such virtue for begetting children to ,god4--#a4 ,as it is the discovery of ,divine love4 #b4 ,the object of faith4 #c4 ,the ground of hope4 #d4 ,the seed of regeneration4 #e4 ,the communication of grace4 #f4 ,the chariot of the ,spirit4 ,inferences4--#a4 ,if believers are children of promise1 then boasting is excluded4 #b4 ,then salvation is free4 #c4 ,the happiness and dignity of believers--they are the children of ,god4--,pulpit ,assistant4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,on ,persecution4 ,i4 ,that no privilege of the ,church can exempt her from persecution4--#a4 ,from the consideration of the quality of the persons here upon the stage1 the one persecuting1 the other suffering4 7#a7 ,the persecuting--born after the flesh4 ,like ,hannibal1 they can part with anything but war and contention2 they can be without their native country1 but not without an enemy4 ,these whet the sword1 these make the furnace of persecution seven times hotter than it would be4 ,the flesh is the treasury whence these winds blow that rage and beat down all before them4 7#b7 ,the suffering--born after the ,spirit4 ,having no security1 no policy1 no eloquence1 no strength1 but that which lieth in his innocency and truth1 which he carrieth about as a cure1 but it is looked upon as a persecution by those who will not be healed4 ,for he must appear1 said ,seneca1 as a fool that he may be wise1 as weak that he may be strong1 as base and vile that he may be more honourable4 ,if thou be an ,isaac1 thou shalt find an ,ishmael4 #b4 ,from the nature and constitution of the ,church which in this world is ever militant4--,persecution is the honour1 the prosperity1 the flourishing condition of the ,church4 ,when her branches were lopped off she spread the more1 when her members were dispersed there were more gathered to her1 when they were driven about the world they carried that sweet-smelling savour about them which drew in multitudes to follow them4 #c4 ,from the providence and wisdom of ,god who put this enmity between these two seeds4--,god's method is best4 ,that is method and order with ,him which we take to be confusion1 and that which we call persecution is ,his art1 ,his way of making saints4 ,in ,abraham's family ,ishmael mocketh and persecuteth ,isaac1 in the world the synagogue persecuteth the ,church1 and in the ,church one ,christian persecuteth another4 ,it was so1 it is so1 and it will be so to the end of the world4 ,,ii4 ,the lessons of persecution4--#a4 ,the persecution of the ,church should not create surprise4 #b4 ,not to regard the ,church and the world as alike4 #c4 ,build ourselves up in faith so as to be prepared for the fiery trial4 #d4 ,love the truth you profess4 #e4 ,be renewed in spirit4--,a4 ,farindon4 ,ver4 #cj4 ,cast out the ,bondwoman and her ,son4--,to cast out is an act of violence1 and the true ,church evermore hath the suffering part4 ,how shall the ,church cast out those of her own house and family8 #a4 ,by the vehemency of our prayers that ,god would either melt their hearts or shorten their hands1 either bring them into the right way1 or strike off their chariot wheels4 #b4 ,by our patience and longsuffering4 #c4 ,by our innocency of life and sincerity of conversation4 #d4 ,by casting our burden upon the ,lord4--,ibid4 ,the ,fate of ,unbelievers4 ,i4 ,all hypocrites1 mockers of the grace of ,god1 shall be cast forth of ,god's family1 though for a time they bear a sway therein4 ,this is the sentence of ,god4 ,let us therefore repent of our mocking and become lovers of the grace of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the persecution of the people of ,god shall not be perpetual1 for the persecuting bondwoman and her son must be cast out4 ,,iii4 ,all justiciary people and persons that look to be saved and justified before ,god by the law1 either in whole or in part1 are cast out of the ,church of ,god1 and have no part in the kingdom of heaven4 ,the casting out of ,hagar and ,ishmael is a figure of the rejection of all such4--,perkins4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,stand fast in4--,stand up to1 make your stand for4 ,the liberty wherewith ,christ has made you free4--,as ,christ has given you this liberty you are bound to stand fast in it4 ,be not entangled4--,implicated in a way which involves violence to true spontaneous life4 ,the yoke of bondage4--,contrasted with the yoke of ,christ1 which is compatible with the fullest spiritual freedom4 ,ver4 #b4 ,if ye be circumcised4--,not simply as a national rite1 but as a symbol of ,judaism and legalism in general2 as necessary to justification4 ,christ shall profit you nothing4--,the ,gospel of grace is at an end4 ,he who is circumcised is so fearing the law1 and he who fears disbelieves the power of grace1 and he who disbelieves can profit nothing by that grace which he disbelieves 7,chrysostom74 ,ver4 #e ,wait for the hope of righteousness4--,righteousness1 in the sense of justification1 is already attained1 but the consummation of it in future perfection is the object of hope to be waited for4 ,ver4 #f4 ,faith which worketh by love4--,effectually worketh1 exhibits its energy by love1 and love is the fulfilling of the law4 ,ver4 #i4 ,a little leaven4--,of false doctrine1 a small amount of evil influence4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,he that troubleth you4--,the leaven traced to personal agency2 whoever plays the troubler4 ,shall bear his judgment4--,due and inevitable condemnation from ,god4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,then is the offence of the cross ceased4--,the offence1 the stumbling-block1 to the ,jew which roused his anger was not the shame of ,messiah crucified1 but the proclamation of free salvation to all1 exclusive of the righteousness of human works4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,i would they were cut off which trouble you4--,self-mutilated1 an imprecation more strongly expressed in chap4 i4 #h1 #i4 ,christian teachers used language in addressing ,christians in the then heathen world that would be regarded as intolerable in modern ,christendom1 purified and exalted by ,christ through their teachings4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh4--,do not give the flesh the handle or pretext for its indulgence1 which it eagerly seeks for4 ,by love serve one another4--,if ye must be in bondage1 be servants to one another in love4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,if ye bite and devour one another1 4 4 4 consumed4--,figures taken from the rage of beasts of prey4 ,the biting of controversy naturally runs into the devouring of controversial mood waxing fierce with indulgence4 ,and the controversialists1 each snapping at and gnawing his antagonist1 forget the tendency is to consume the ,christian cause4 ,strength of soul1 health of body1 character1 and resources1 are all consumed by broils4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,if ye be led by the ,spirit1 ye are not under the law4--,under no irksome restraint4 ,to him who loves1 law is not irksome bondage but delightful direction4 ,active spiritual life is a safeguard against lawless affection4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the works of the flesh4--#a4 ,sensual vices--adultery omitted in the oldest ,,mss41 fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness4 #b4 ,theological vices--idolatry1 witchcraft4 #c4 ,malevolent vices--hatred1 variance1 emulations1 wrath1 strife1 seditions1 heresies1 envyings1 murders4 #d4 ,vices of excess--drunkenness1 revellings4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,the fruit of the ,spirit4--,the singular fruit1 as compared with the plural works1 suggests that the effect of the ,spirit's inworking is one harmonious whole1 while carnality tends to multitudinousness1 distraction1 chaos4 ,we are not to look for a rigorous logical classification in either catalogue4 ,generally1 the fruit of the ,spirit may be arranged as3 ,i4 ,inward graces--love1 joy1 peace4 ,,ii4 ,graces towards man--longsuffering1 gentleness1 goodness1 faith4 ,,iii4 ,a more generic form of inward graces--meekness1 temperance4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,against such there is no law4--,so far from being against love1 law commands it4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,have crucified the flesh4--,not human nature1 but depraved human nature4 ,with the affections and lusts4--,affections refer to the general frame of mind2 the lusts to special proclivities or habits4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,not to be desirous of vainglory1 provoking challenging1 envying one another4--,vaingloriousness provokes contention2 contention produces envy4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #a4 ,christian ,liberty-- ,i4 ,should be valued considering how it was obtained4--,the liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free4 ,it is a liberty purchased at a great cost4 ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1 became incarnated1 suffered in a degree unparalleled and incomprehensible1 and died the shameful and ignoble death of the crucified to win back the liberty man had forfeited by voluntary sin4 ,the redemption of man was hopeless from himself1 and but for the intervention of a competent ,redeemer he was involved in utter and irretrievable bondage4 ,civil liberty1 though the inalienable right of every man1 has been secured as the result of great struggle and suffering4 ,with a great sum1 said the ,roman captain to ,paul1 obtained ,i this freedom2 and many since his day have had to pay dearly for the common rights of citizenship4 ,but ,christian liberty should be valued as the choicest privilege1 remembering it was purchased by the suffering ,christ1 and that it has been defended through the ages by a noble army of martyrs4 ,,ii4 ,should remind us of the oppression from which it delivers4--,and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage4 ,the ,galatians had been bondmen1 enslaved by the worship of false and vile deities4 ,if they rush into the snare of the legalists1 they will be bondmen again1 and their bondage will be the more oppressive now they have tasted the joys of freedom4 ,disobedience involves us in many entanglements4 ,it is among the most potent of the energies of sin that leads astray by blinding and blinds by leading astray2 that the soul1 like the strong champion of ,israel1 must have its eyes put out1 when it would be bound with fetters of brass and condemned to grind in the prisonhouse 7,judg4 xvi4 #ba74 ,redemption from the slavery of sin should fill the heart with gratitude4 ,a wealthy and kind ,englishman once bought a poor ,negro for twenty pieces of gold4 ,he presented him with a sum of money that he might buy a piece of land and furnish himself a home4 ,am ,i really free8 ,may ,i go whither ,i will8 cried the ,negro in the joy of his heart4 ,well1 let me be your slave1 massa2 you have redeemed me1 and ,i owe all to you4 ,the gentleman took him into his service1 and he never had a more faithful servant4 ,how much more eagerly should we do homage and service to the divine ,master1 who ,himself has made us free6 ,,iii4 ,should be rigorously maintained4--,stand fast therefore4 ,the price of freedom is incessant vigilance2 once gained it is a prize never to be lost1 and no effort or sacrifice should be grudged in its defence4 ,as far as ,i am a ,christian1 said ,channing1 ,i am free4 ,my religion lays on me not one chain4 ,it does not hem me round with a mechanical ritual1 does not enjoin forms1 attitudes1 and hours of prayer1 does not descend to details of dress and food1 does not put on me one outward badge4 ,it teaches us to do good but leaves us to devise for ourselves the means by which we may best serve mankind4 ,the spirit of ,christian liberty is eternal4 ,jerusalem and ,rome may strive to imprison it4 ,they might as well seek to bind the winds of heaven4 ,its seat is the throne of ,christ4 ,it lives by the breath of ,his ,spirit4 ,not to be courageous and faithful in its defence is disloyalty to ,christ and treachery to our fellow-men4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ is the true ,emancipator of men4 #b4 ,christian liberty does not violate but honours the law of love4 #c4 ,liberty is best preserved by being consistently exercised4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #a4 ,freedom from ,bondage4--#a4 ,every man by nature is a bondslave1 being under the bondage of sin4 ,the ,jews were under bondage to the ceremonial law1 involving great trouble1 pain in the flesh1 and great expense4 #b4 ,jesus ,christ by ,his obedience and death has purchased freedom and liberty to ,his ,church--liberty not to do evil1 nor from the yoke of new obedience1 nor from the cross1 nor from that obedience and reverence which inferiors owe to superiors2 but from the dominion of sin1 the tyranny of ,satan1 the curse and irritating power of the law1 and from subjecting our consciences to the rites1 doctrines1 ceremonies1 and laws of men in the matter of worship4 #c4 ,though civil liberty be much desired1 so ignorant are we of the worth of freedom from spiritual bondage that we can hardly be excited to seek after it1 or made to stand to it when attained1 but are in daily hazard of preferring our former bondage to our present liberty4--,fergusson4 ,bondage and ,liberty4 ,i4 ,we are in bondage under sin4 ,,ii4 ,we are subject to punishment4--,implying3 #a4 ,bondage under ,satan1 who keeps unrepentant sinners in his snare4 #b4 ,bondage under an evil conscience1 which sits in the heart as accuser and judge1 and lies like a wild beast at a man's door ready to pluck out his throat4 #c4 ,bondage under the wrath of ,god and fear of eternal death4 ,,iii4 ,we are in bondage to the ceremonial law4--,to feel this bondage is a step out of it2 not to feel it is to be plunged into it4 ,,iv4 ,we have spiritual liberty by the grace of ,god4--#a4 ,christian liberty is a deliverance from misery4 7#a7 ,from the curse of the law for the breach thereof4 7#b7 ,from the obligation of the law whereby it binds us to perfect righteousness in our own persons4 7#c7 ,from the observance of the ceremonial law of ,moses4 7#d7 ,from the tyranny and dominion of sin4 #b4 ,christian liberty is freedom in good things4 7#a7 ,in the voluntary service of ,god4 7#b7 ,in the free use of all the creatures of ,god4 7#c7 ,liberty to come to ,god and in prayer to be heard4 7#d7 ,to enter heaven4 ,v4 ,christ is the great ,liberator4--,he procured this liberty3 #a4 ,by the merit of ,his death4 ,the price paid--,his precious blood--shows the excellence of the blessing1 and that it should be esteemed4 #b4 ,by the efficacy of ,his ,spirit--assuring us of our adoption and abating the strength and power of sin4 ,,vi4 ,we are to hold fast our liberty in the day of trial4--#a4 ,we must labour that religion be not only in mind and memory but rooted in the heart4 #b4 ,we must join with our religion the soundness of a good conscience4 #c4 ,we must pray for all things needful4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #b-f4 ,christianity ,superior to ,external ,rites4 ,i4 ,external rites demand universal obedience4--,every man that is circumcised is a debtor to do the whole law 7ver4 #c74 ,the ,galatians were in a state of dangerous suspense4 ,they were on the brink of a great peril4 ,another step and they would be down the precipice4 ,that step was circumcision4 ,seeing the imminence of the danger the apostle becomes more earnest and emphatic in his remonstrance4 ,he warns them that circumcision1 though a matter of indifference as an external rite1 would in their case involve an obligation to keep the whole law4 ,this he has shown is an impossibility4 ,they would submit themselves to a yoke they were unable to bear1 and from whose galling tyranny they would be unable to extricate themselves4 ,knowing this1 surely they would not be so foolish as1 deliberately and with open eyes1 to commit such an act of moral suicide4 ,there must be a strange infatuation in ritualistic observances that tempts man to undertake obligations he is powerless to perform1 utterly heedless of the most explicit and faithful warnings4 ,,ii4 ,dependence on external rites is an open rejection of ,christ4--,christ shall profit you nothing2 4 4 4 is become of no effect unto you2 ye are fallen from grace 7vers4 #b1 #d74 ,here the result of a defection from the ,gospel is placed in the most alarming aspect and should give pause to the wildest fanatic4 ,it is the forfeiture of all ,christian privileges1 it is a complete rejection of ,christ1 it is a loss of all the blessings won by faith1 it is a fall into the gulf of despair and ruin4 ,it cannot be too plainly understood1 nor too frequently iterated1 that excessive devotion to external rites means the decline and extinction of true religion4 ,ritualism supplants ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is evident that the disciples of the ,church of ,rome wish to lead us from confession and absolution to the doctrine of transubstantiation1 thence to the worship of images1 and thence to all the abuses which at the end of the fifteenth century and at the beginning of the sixteenth excited the anger and scorn of ,luther1 ,calvin1 ,zwinglius1 and others4 ,the primary faith of the ,reformers is in the words of ,christ4 ,the primary faith of the ritualists is in ,aristotle4 ,if the ,british nation is wise1 it will not allow the ,roman ,church with its infallible head1 or the ritualists with their mimic ornaments1 or those who are deaf to the teachings of ,socrates and ,cicero1 of ,bacon and ,newton1 to deprive them of the inestimable blessings of the ,gospel4 ,,iii4 ,christianity as a spiritual force is superior to external rites4--#a4 ,it bases the hope of righteousness on faith4 ,for we through the ,spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith 7ver4 #e74 ,look on this picture and on that4 ,yonder are the ,galatians1 all in tumult about the legalistic proposals1 debating which of the ,hebrew feasts they shall celebrate and with what rites1 absorbed in the details of ,mosaic ceremony1 all but persuaded to be circumcised and to settle their scruples out of hand by a blind submission to the law4 ,and here on the other side is ,paul with the ,church of the ,spirit1 walking in the righteousness of faith and the communion of the ,holy ,spirit1 joyfully awaiting the ,saviour's final coming and the hope that is laid up in heaven4 ,how vexed1 how burdened1 how narrow and puerile is the one condition2 how large1 lofty1 and secure the other6 ,faith has its great ventures2 it has also its seasons of endurance1 its moods of quiet expectancy1 its unweariable patience4 ,it can wait as well as work 7,findlay74 #b4 ,faith is a spiritual exercise revealing itself in active love4--,faith worketh by love 7ver4 #f74 ,in ver4 #e we have the statics of the religion of ,christ2 in ver4 #f its dynamics4 ,love is the working energy of faith4 ,love gives faith hands and feet2 hope lends it wings4 ,love is the fire at its heart1 the life-blood coursing in its veins2 hope the light that gleams and dances in its eyes4 ,in the presence of an active spiritual ,christianity1 animated by love to ,christ and to men1 ritualism diminishes into insignificance4 ,in ,jesus ,christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision 7ver4 #f74 ,the ,jew is no better or worse a ,christian because he is circumcised2 the ,gentile no worse or better because he is not4 ,love1 which is the fulfilling of the law1 is the essence of ,christianity1 and gives it the superiority over all external rites4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,externalism in religion imposes intolerable burdens4 #b4 ,to prefer external rites is an insult to ,christ4 #c4 ,the superiority of ,christianity is its spiritual character4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #b-d4 ,christianity nullified by ,legalism4 ,i4 ,to accept legalism is to reject ,christ 7vers4 #b1 #d74 ,,ii4 ,legalism demands universal obedience to its enactments 7ver4 #c74 ,,iii4 ,legalism is a disastrous abandonment of ,christianity4--,ye are fallen from grace 7ver4 #d74 ,vers4 #e1 #f4 ,righteousness attained by ,active ,faith4--#a4 ,no personal righteousness entitles us to the blessed hope of the heavenly inheritance1 but only the righteousness of ,christ apprehended by faith4 ,it is only the efficacious teaching of ,god's spirit which can sufficiently instruct us in the knowledge of this righteousness and make us with security and confidence venture our hope of heaven upon it4 #b4 ,to impose the tie of a command on anything as a necessary part of ,divine worship wherein the ,word has left us free1 or to subject ourselves to such command1 is a receding from and betrayal of ,christian liberty4 #c4 ,the sum of a ,christian's task is faith2 but it is always accompanied with the grace of love4 ,though faith and love are conjoined1 faith1 in the order of nature1 has the precedency4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #f4 ,religion is ,faith working by ,love4 ,i4 ,external and bodily privileges are of no use and moment in the kingdom of ,christ4--#a4 ,we are not to esteem men's religion by their riches and external dignities4 #b4 ,we are to moderate our affections in respect of all outward things1 neither sorrowing too much for them nor joying too much in them4 ,,ii4 ,faith is of great use and acceptance in the kingdom of ,christ4--#a4 ,we must labour to conceive faith aright in our hearts1 by the use of the right means--the ,word1 prayer1 and sacraments1 and in and by the exercises of spiritual invocation and repentance4 #b4 ,faith in ,christ must reign and bear sway in our hearts and have command over reason1 will1 affection1 lust4 #c4 ,it is to be bewailed that the common faith of our day is but a ceremonial faith4 ,,iii4 ,true faith works by love4--,faith is the cause of love1 and love is the fruit of faith4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-ab4 ,disturber of the ,faith-- ,i4 ,checks the prosperous career of the most ardent ,christian4--,ye did run well2 who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth8 7ver4 #g74 ,the ,galatians were charmed with the truth as it fell from the lips of the apostle2 it was to them a new revelation2 they eagerly embraced it1 it changed their lives1 and they strove to conform their conduct to its high moral teachings4 ,the apostle was delighted with the result and commended their ,christian enthusiasm4 ,they were running finely4 ,but the intrusion of false teaching changed all this4 ,their progress was arrested1 their faith was disturbed1 they wavered in their allegiance1 and were in danger of losing all the advantages they had gained4 ,the influence of false doctrine is always baneful1 especially so to new beginners1 in whom the principles of truth have not become firmly rooted4 ,the loss of truth1 like inability to believe1 may be traced back to an unhealthy corruption of the mind4 ,the great danger of unsound doctrine lies in this1 that1 like a cancer1 it rankles because it finds in the diseased condition of the religious life ever fresh nourishment4 ,,ii4 ,is opposed to the ,divine method of justification4--,this persuasion cometh not of ,him that calleth you 7ver4 #h74 ,the disturber of the ,galatians taught a human method of salvation--a salvation by the works of the law4 ,this was diametrically opposed to the ,divine calling1 which is an invitation to the whole race to seek salvation by faith4 ,the persuasion to which the ,galatians were yielding was certainly not of ,god4 ,it was a surrender to the enemy4 ,all error is a wild fighting against ,god1 an attempt to undermine the foundations that ,god has fixed for man's safety and happiness4 ,,iii4 ,suggests errors that are contagious in their evil influence4--,a little leaven1 leaveneth the whole lump 7ver4 #i74 ,a proverbial expression the meaning of which is at once obvious4 ,a small infusion of false doctrine1 or the evil influence of one bad person1 corrupts the purity of the ,gospel4 ,it is a fact well known in the history of science and philosophy that men1 gifted by nature with singular intelligence1 have broached the grossest errors and even sought to undermine the grand primitive truths on which human virtue1 dignity1 and hope depend4 ,the mind that is always open to search into error is itself in error1 or at least unstable 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #cc2 ,eccles4 ix4 #ah74 ,,iv4 ,shall not escape chastisement whatever his rank or pretensions4--#a4 ,either by direct ,divine judgment4 ,he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment1 whosoever he be 7ver4 #aj74 ,the reference here may be to some one prominent among the seducers1 or to any one who plays the troubler4 ,god will not only defend ,his own truth but will certainly punish the man who from wicked motives seeks to corrupt the truth or to impair the faith of those who have embraced it4 ,the seducer not only deceives himself but shall suffer judgment for his self-deception and the injury he has done to others4 #b4 ,or by excision from the ,church4--,i would they were even cut off which trouble you 7ver4 #ab74 ,an extravagant expression1 as if the apostle said1 ,would that the ,judaising troublers would mutilate themselves1 as was the custom with certain heathen priests in some of their religious rites4 ,the phrase indicates the angry contempt of the apostle for the legalistic policy1 and that the troublers richly deserved to be excluded from the ,church and all its privileges4 ,the patience of the ,gentile champion was exhausted and found relief for the moment in mocking invective4 ,v4 ,does not destroy the hope and faith of the true teacher4--#a4 ,he retains confidence in the fidelity of those who have been temporarily disturbed4 ,i have confidence in you through the ,lord1 that ye will be none otherwise minded 7ver4 #aj74 ,notwithstanding the insidious leaven1 the apostle cherishes the assurance that his converts will after all prove leal and true at heart4 ,he has faithfully chided them for their defection1 but his anger is directed1 not towards them1 but towards those who have injured them4 ,he is persuaded the ,galatians will1 with ,god's help1 resume the interrupted race they were running so well4 #b4 ,his sufferings testify that his own teaching is unchanged4--,if ,i preach circumcision1 why do ,i yet suffer persecution8 ,then is the offence of the cross ceased 7ver4 #aa74 ,the rancour and hostility of the legalists would have been disarmed1 if ,paul advocated their doctrine1 and the scandalous offence of the cross--so intolerable to the ,jewish pride--would have been done away4 ,but the cross was the grand vital theme of all his teaching1 that in which he most ardently gloried1 and for which he was prepared to endure all possible suffering4 ,the value of truth to a man is what he is willing to suffer for it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the man who perverts the truth is an enemy to his kind4 #b4 ,the false teacher ensures his own condemnation4 #c4 ,truth becomes more precious the more we suffer for it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #g-aj4 ,how ,perfection is attained4--,everything in the universe comes to its perfection by drill and marching--the seed1 the insect1 the animal1 the man1 the spiritual man4 ,god created man at the lowest point1 and put him in a world where almost nothing would be done for him1 and almost everything should tempt him to do for himself4--,beecher4 ,ver4 #g4 ,the ,christian ,life a ,race4 ,i4 ,christians are runners in the race of ,god4--#a4 ,they must make haste without delay to keep the commandments of ,god4 ,it is a great fault for youth and others to defer amendment till old age1 or till the last and deadly sickness4 ,that is the time to end our running1 and not to begin4 #b4 ,we are to increase and profit in all good duties4 ,we in this age do otherwise4 ,either we stand at a stay or go back4 ,there are two causes for this3 7#a7 ,blindness of mind4 7#b7 ,our unbelief in the article of life everlasting4 #c4 ,we must neither look to the right nor the left hand1 or to things behind1 but press forward to the prize of eternal life4 #d4 ,we must not be moved with the speeches of men which are given of us1 for or against4 ,they are lookers on and must have their speeches4 ,our care must be not to heed them but look to our course4 ,,ii4 ,christians must not only be runners1 but run well4--,this is done by believing and obeying1 having faith and a good conscience4 ,these are the two feet by which we run4 ,we have one good foot--our religion--which is sound and good2 but we halt on the other foot4 ,our care to keep conscience is not suitable to our religion4 ,three things cause a lameness in this foot3 the lust of the eye--covetousness1 the lust of the flesh1 and the pride of life4 ,,iii4 ,christians must run the race from the beginning to the end4--#a4 ,we must cherish a love and fervent desire of eternal life1 and by this means be drawn through all miseries and overpass them to the end4 #b4 ,we must maintain a constant and daily purpose of not sinning4--,perkins4 ,bad ,companions4--,bad company1 wrote ,augustine1 is like a nail driven into a post1 which1 after the first or second blow1 may be drawn out with very little difficulty2 but being once driven up to the head1 the pincers cannot take hold to draw it out1 which can only be done by the destruction of the wood4 ,of course1 it is useless to define bad company4 ,men and women1 boys and girls1 feel instinctively when they have fallen in with dangerous associates2 if they choose to remain amongst them they are lost4 ,so in the high tides1 barks of light draught will float over ,goodwin quicksands2 in summer at low tide the venturous boys and young people will play cricket thereon3 but neither can remain long in the neighbourhood4 ,the time comes when the sands are covered with but a thin surface of water1 and beneath is the shifting1 loose1 wet earth1 more dangerous and treacherous than springtide ice2 and then it is that to touch is to be drawn in1 and to be drawn in is death4 ,so is it with bad company4--,the ,gentle ,life4 ,cowardly ,retreat4--,general ,grant relates that just as he was hoping to hear a report of a brilliant movement and victory of ,general ,sigel1 he received an announcement from ,general ,halleck to this effect3 ,sigel is in full retreat on ,strasburg2 he will do nothing but run2 never did anything else4 ,the enemy had intercepted him1 handled him roughly1 and he fled4 ,vers4 #h-aj4 ,the ,disintegrating ,force of ,error4--#a4 ,whatever persuasion cometh not of ,god and is not grounded on the ,word of truth1 is not to be valued1 but looked upon as a delusion 7ver4 #h74 #b4 ,the ,church of ,christ1 and every particular member thereof1 ought carefully to resist the first beginnings of sin1 for the least of errors and the smallest number of seduced persons are here compared to leaven1 a little quantity of which secretly insinuates itself and insensibly conveys its sourness to the whole lump 7ver4 #i74 #c4 ,the minister is not to despair of the recovery of those who oppose themselves1 but ought in charity to hope the best of all men1 so long as they are curable2 and to show how dangerous their error was by denouncing ,god's judgment against their prime seducers 7ver4 #aj74 #d4 ,so just is ,god1 ,he will suffer no impenitent transgressor1 however subtle1 to escape ,his search1 or to pass free from the dint of ,his avenging stroke1 whoever he be for parts1 power1 or estimation4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #i4 ,reform of ,bad ,manners4 ,i4 ,we must resist and withstand every particular sin4--,one sin is able to defile the whole life of man4 ,one fly is sufficient to mar a whole box of sweet ointment4 ,one offence in our first parents brought corruption on them and all mankind2 yea1 on heaven and earth4 ,,ii4 ,we must endeavour to the utmost to cut off every bad example in the societies of men4--,one bad example is sufficient to corrupt a whole family1 a town1 a country4 ,a wicked example1 being suffered1 spreads abroad and does much hurt4 ,,iii4 ,we are to withstand and cut off the first beginnings and occasions of sin4--,we say of arrant thieves they began to practise their wickedness in pins and points4 ,for this cause1 idleness1 excessive eating1 drinking and swilling1 riot1 and vanity in apparel are to be suppressed in every society as the breeder of many vices4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,the ,perversion of ,apostolic ,preaching4--,there are two attempts or resolves in constant operation as to the cross4 ,one is man's1 to accommodate to human liking and taste2 the second is ,god's1 to raise human liking and taste to it4 ,i4 ,the aim of man4--,the following may be named as the principal exceptions taken to the cross by those who rejected it3-- #a4 ,it was an improbable medium of revelation4--,man can talk loudly how ,god should manifest ,himself4 ,shall the cross be the oracle by which ,he will speak ,his deepest counsels to our race8 #b4 ,it was a stigma on this religion which set it in disadvantageous contrast with every other4--,it was unheard of that the vilest of all deaths should give its absolute character to religion1 and that this religion of the cross should triumph over all4 #c4 ,it was a violent disappointment of a general hope4--,there was a desire of all nations4 ,and was all that the earliest lay rehearsed1 all that the highest wisdom enounced1 only to be wrought out in the shameful cross8 #d4 ,it was a humiliating test4--,ambition1 selfishness1 insincerity1 licentiousness1 ferocity1 pride1 felt that it was encircled with an atmosphere in which they were instantly interrupted and condemned4 ,man is desirous of doing this away as a wrongful and unnecessary impression4 ,he would make the offence of the cross to cease3 7#a7 ,by fixing it upon some extrinsic authority4 7#b7 ,by torturing it into coalition with foreign principles4 7#c7 ,by transforming the character of its religious instructions4 7#d7 ,by applying it to inappropriate uses4 7#e7 ,by excluding its proper connections4 ,,ii4 ,the procedure of ,god4--#a4 ,it is necessary1 if we would receive the proper influence of the cross1 that we be prepared to hail it as a distinct revelation4 ,science and the original ethics of our nature do not fall within the distinct province of what a revelation intends4 ,its strict purpose1 its proper idea1 is to make known that which is not known1 and which could not be otherwise known4 ,not more directly did the elemental light proceed from ,god who called it out of darkness than did the making known to man of redemption by the blood of the cross4 #b4 ,when we rightly appreciate the cross1 we recognize it as the instrument of redemption4--,this was the mode of death indicated by prophecy4 ,the cross stands for that death2 but it is an idle1 unworthy superstition that this mode of death wrought the stupendous end4 ,it is only an accessory4 ,we must look further into the mystery4 ,he ,his own self bore our sin in ,his own body on the tree4 ,it is that awful identity1 that mysterious action1 which expiates1 and not the rood4 #c4 ,when our mind approves this method of salvation1 it finds in the cross the principle of sanctification4--,a new element of thought1 a new complexion of motive1 enter the soul when the ,holy ,spirit shows to it the things of ,christ4 ,we are new creatures4 ,we reverse all our sins and desires4 ,we are called unto holiness4 7#a7 ,mark the process4 ,we had hitherto abided in death4 ,but now we are quickened with ,him4 7#b7 ,mark the necessity4 ,until we be brought nigh to it1 until we take hold of it1 the doctrine of the crucified ,saviour is an unintelligible and uninteresting thing4 7#c7 ,mark the effect4 ,there is a suddenly1 though a most intelligently1 developed charm4 ,it is the infinite of attraction4 ,all concentrates on it4 ,it absorbs the tenderness and the majesty of the universe4 ,it is full of glory4 ,our heart has now yielded to it1 is drawn1 is held1 coheres1 coalesces1 is itself impregnated by the sacred effluence4 ,the offence of the cross has ceased4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,church ,censure4--,the spirit of error may so far prevail among a people that discipline can hardly attain its end--the shaming of the person censured1 and the preservation of the ,church from being leavened4 ,in which case the servants of ,god should proceed with slow pace1 and in all lenity and wisdom1 and should rather doctrinally declare the censures deserved than actually inflict the censure itself4 ,judgment on the ,troubles of the ,church4 ,i4 ,god watches over ,his ,church with a special providence4 ,,ii4 ,the doctrine of the apostles is of infallible certainty because the oppugners of it are plagued with the just judgment of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,our duty is to pray for the good estate of the ,church of ,god1 and for the kingdoms where the ,church is planted4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac-ah4 ,love the ,highest ,law of ,christian ,liberty4 ,i4 ,love preserves liberty from degenerating into licence4--,only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh 7ver4 #ac74 ,christian liberty is a great boon1 but it also a solemn responsibility4 ,it is hard to win and is worth the most gigantic struggle2 but the moment it is abused it is lost4 ,men clamour for liberty when they mean licence--licence to indulge their unholy passions unchecked by the restraints of law4 ,christian liberty is not the liberty of the flesh1 but of the ,spirit1 and love is the master-principle that governs and defines all its exercises4 ,he is the freeman whom the truth makes free1 ,and all are slaves besides4 ,we know no truth1 no privilege1 no power1 no blessing1 no right1 which is not abused4 ,but is liberty to be denied to men because they often turn it into licentiousness8 ,there are two freedoms--the false1 where a man is free to do what he likes2 the true1 where a man is free to do what he ought4 ,love is the safeguard of the highest liberty4 ,,ii4 ,love is obedience to the highest law4--,for all the law is fulfilled in one word1 even in this1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself 7ver4 #ad74 ,by love serve one another 7ver4 #ac74 ,we may be as orthodox as ,athanasius and as scrupulous as ,jerome1 we may be daily and ostentatiously building to ,god seven altars and offering a bullock and a ram on every altar1 and yet be as sounding brass and as a clanging cymbal1 if our life shows only the leaves of profession without the golden fruit of action4 ,if love shows not itself by deeds of love1 then let us not deceive ourselves4 ,god is not mocked2 our ,christianity is heathenism1 and our religion a delusion and a sham4 ,love makes obedience delightful1 esteems it bondage to be prevented1 liberty to be allowed to serve4 ,serene will be our days and bright1 ,and happy will our nature be1 ,when love is an unerring light1 ,and joy its own security4--,wordsworth4 ,,iii4 ,love prevents the mutual destructiveness of a contentious spirit4--,but if ye bite and devour one another1 take heed that ye be not consumed one of another 7ver4 #ae74 ,the condition of the ,galatians at this time was very different from the ideal ,paul set before them4 ,the quick1 warm temperament of the ,gauls was roused by the ,judaistic controversy1 and their natural combativeness was excited4 ,it was easy to pick a quarrel with them at any time1 and they were eloquent in vituperation and invective4 ,the biting describes the wounding and exasperating effect of the manner in which their contentions were carried on2 devour warns them of its destructiveness4 ,if this state of things continued1 the ,churches of ,galatia would cease to exist4 ,their liberty would end in complete disintegration4 ,love is the remedy propounded for all ills--the love of ,christ1 leading to the love of each other4 ,love not only cures quarrels but prevents them4 ,,iv4 ,love by obeying the law of the ,spirit gains the victory in the feud between the flesh and the ,spirit4--,walk in the ,spirit1 and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh3 4 4 4 these are contrary the one to the other 7vers4 #af1 #ag74 ,the flesh and the ,spirit are rivals1 and by their natures must be opposed to and strive with each other4 ,the strong man is dispossessed by a stronger than he--the ,spirit4 ,the master must rule the slave4 ,this soul of mine must rule this body of mine1 said ,john ,foster1 or quit it4 ,the life of a ,christian is lived in a higher sphere and governed by a higher law--walking in the ,spirit4 ,christianity says1 ,be a man1 not a brute4 ,not do as many fleshly things as you can but do as many spiritual things as you can4 ,all prohibitions are negative4 ,you can't kill an appetite by starvation4 ,you may kill the flesh by living in the higher region of the ,spirit2 not merely by ceasing to live in sin1 but by loving ,christ4 ,the more we live the spiritual life1 the more sin becomes impossible4 ,conquest over the sensual is gained1 not by repression1 but by the freer1 purer life of love4 ,v4 ,love emancipates from the trammels of the law4--,if ye be led by the ,spirit1 ye are not under the law 7ver4 #ah74 ,the ,spirit of love does not abolish the law1 but renders it harmless by fulfilling all its requirements1 without being compelled to it by its stern commands4 ,law does not help the soul to obey its behests1 but it has nothing to say1 nothing to threaten1 when those behests are obeyed4 ,to be under the law is to be under sin2 but yielding to the influence of the ,spirit1 and living according to ,his law1 the soul is free from sin and from the condemnation of the law4 ,freedom from sin1 and freedom from the trammels of the ,mosaic law--these two liberties are virtually one4 ,love is the great emancipator from all moral tyrannies4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,love is in harmony with the holiest law4 #b4 ,love silences all contention4 #c4 ,love honours law by obeying it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,the ,service of ,love-- ,i4 ,is the noblest exercise of ,christian liberty 7ver4 #ac74 ,,ii4 ,preserves ,christian liberty from degenerating into selfish indulgence 7ver4 #ac74 ,,iii4 ,is the fulfilment of the highest law 7ver4 #ad74 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,abuse of ,christian ,liberty4 ,i4 ,to use it as an occasion of fleshly and carnal liberty4--,when men make more things indifferent than ,god ever made4 ,thus1 all abuses of meat1 drink1 apparel1 rioting1 gaming1 dicing1 and carding are excused by the names of things indifferent4 ,,ii4 ,our liberty is abused by an immoderate use of the gifts of ,god4--#a4 ,many gentlemen and others offend when they turn recreation into an occupation4 #b4 ,when men exceed in eating and drinking4 #c4 ,they offend who1 being mean persons and living by trades1 yet for diet and apparel are as great gentlemen and gentlewomen4 ,,iii4 ,liberty is abused when the blessings of ,god are made instruments and flags and banners to display our riot1 vanity1 ostentation1 and pride4--,it is the fashion of men to take unto themselves a toleration of sinning4 ,some presume on the patience of ,god1 others on the election of grace1 and others on the mercy of ,god4 ,a certain dweller in ,cambridge made away with himself4 ,in his bosom was found a writing to this effect3 that ,god did show mercy on great and desperate sinners1 and therefore he hoped for mercy though he hanged himself4 ,of this mind are many ignorant persons1 who persevere in their sins1 yet persuade themselves of mercy4--,perkins4 ,the ,right ,use of ,christian ,liberty4 ,i4 ,we ourselves must be renewed and sanctified4--,the person must first please ,god before the action can please ,him4 ,,ii4 ,besides the lawful use of the creatures we must have a spiritual and holy use of them4--#a4 ,the creatures of ,god must be sanctified by the ,word and prayer4 #b4 ,we must be circumspect lest we sin in the use of the creatures4 ,in these days there is no feasting or rejoicing unless all memory of ,god be buried1 for that is said to breed melancholy4 #c4 ,we must use the gifts of ,god with thanksgiving4 #d4 ,we must suffer ourselves to be limited and moderate in the use of our liberty4 #e4 ,our liberty must be used for right ends--the glory of ,god1 the preservation of nature1 and the good of our neighbour4 ,,iii4 ,we must give no occasion of sinning by means of ,christian liberty4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,law fulfilled in ,love to ,others4 ,i4 ,the end of man's life is to serve ,god in serving others4 ,,ii4 ,true godliness is to love and serve ,god in serving man4--,to live out of all society of men1 though it be in prayer and fasting in monkish fashion1 is no state of perfection1 but mere superstition4 ,that is true and perfect love of ,god that is showed in duties of love and in the edification of our neighbour4 ,it is not enough for thee to be holy in church2 thou mayest be a saint in church and a devil at home4--,ibid4 ,regard for a ,neighbour's ,rights4--,speaking of the early ,american prairie settlements a modern historian says3 ,theft was almost unknown4 ,the pioneers brought with them the same rigid notions of honesty which they had previously maintained4 ,a man in ,mancoupin county left his waggon loaded with corn stuck in the prairie mud for two weeks near a frequented road4 ,when he returned he found some of his corn gone1 but there was money enough tied in the sacks to pay for what was taken4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,church ,quarrels4--#a4 ,when schism in a ,church is not only maintained on the one hand with passion1 strife1 reproaches1 and real injuries1 but also impugned on the other hand1 not so much with the sword of the ,spirit as with the same fleshly means1 then is it the forerunner and procuring cause of desolation and ruin to both parties and to the whole ,church4 #b4 ,as it is a matter of great difficulty to make men of credit and parts1 being once engaged in contentious debates1 to foresee the consequence of their doing so further than the hoped-for victory against the contrary party1 so it were no small wisdom1 before folk meddle with strife1 seriously to consider what woeful effects may follow to the ,church of ,god4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,positiveness of the ,divine ,life4 ,i4 ,there are two ways of dealing with every vice4--,one is to set to work directly to destroy the vice2 that is the negative way4 ,the other is to bring in as overwhelmingly as possible the opposite virtue1 and so to crowd and stifle and drown out the vice2 that is the positive way4 ,everywhere the negative and positive methods of treatment stand over against each other1 and men choose between them4 ,a ,church is full of errors and foolish practices4 ,it is possible to attack those follies outright1 showing conclusively how foolish they are2 or it is possible1 and it is surely better1 to wake up the true spiritual life in that ,church which shall itself shed those follies and cast them out1 or at least rob them of their worst harmfulness4 ,the application of the same principle is seen in matters of taste1 matters of reform1 and in matters of opinion4 ,,ii4 ,in ,st4 ,paul and in all the ,new ,testament there is nothing more beautiful than the clear1 open1 broad way in which the positive culture of human character is adopted and employed4--,we can conceive of a ,god standing over ,his moral creatures1 and1 whenever they did anything wrong1 putting a heavy hand on the malignant manifestation and stifling it1 and so at last bringing them to a tight1 narrow1 timid goodness--the ,god of repression4 ,the ,god of the ,new ,testament is not that4 ,we can conceive of another ,god who shall lavish and pour upon ,his children the chances and temptations to be good2 in every way shall make them see the beauty of goodness2 shall so make life identical with goodness that every moment spent in wickedness shall seem a waste1 almost a death2 shall so open ,his ,fatherhood and make it real to them that the spontaneousness of the ,father's holiness is re-echoed in the child2 not the ,god of restraint1 but the ,god whose symbols are the sun1 the light1 the friend1 the fire--everything that is stimulating1 everything that fosters1 encourages1 and helps4 ,when we read in the ,new ,testament1 lo1 that is the ,god whose story is written there1 the ,god whose glory we see in the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the distinction is everywhere4 ,not merely by trying not to sin1 but by entering further and further into the new life in which1 when it is completed1 sin becomes impossible2 not by merely weeding out wickedness1 but by a new and supernatural cultivation of holiness1 does the saint of the ,new ,testament walk on the ever-ascending pathway of growing ,christliness and come at last perfectly to ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,this character of the ,new ,testament must be at bottom in conformity with human nature4--,the ,bible and its ,christianity are not in contradiction against the nature of the man they try to save4 ,they are at war with his corruptions1 and1 in his own interest1 they are for ever labouring to assert and re-establish his true self4 ,man's heart is always rebelling against repression as a continuous and regular thing4 ,there is a great human sense that not suppression1 but expression is the true life4 ,it is the self-indulgence of the highest and not the self-surrender of the lowest that is the great end of the ,gospel4 ,the self-sacrifice of the ,christian is always an echo of the self-sacrifice of ,christ4 ,nothing can be more unlike the repressive theories of virtue in their methods and results than the way in which ,christ lived ,his positive life1 full of force and salvation4 ,the way to get out of self-love is to love ,god4 ,walk in the ,spirit1 and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh4--,phillips ,brooks4 ,the ,flesh and the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,when ,st4 ,paul talks of man's flesh he means by it man's body1 man's heart and brain1 and all his bodily appetites and powers--what we call a man's constitution1 the animal part of man4 ,man is an animal with an immortal spirit in it1 and this spirit can feel more than pleasure and pain2 it can feel trust1 hope1 peace1 love1 purity1 nobleness1 independence1 and1 above all1 it can feel right and wrong4 ,there is the infinite difference between an animal and man1 between our flesh and our spirit2 an animal has no sense of right and wrong4 ,,ii4 ,there has been many a man in this life1 who had every fleshly enjoyment which this world can give1 and yet whose spirit was in hell all the while1 and who knew it2 hating and despising himself for a mean1 selfish villain1 while all the world round was bowing down to him and envying him as the luckiest of men4 ,a man's flesh can take no pleasure in spiritual things1 while man's spirit of itself can take no pleasure in fleshly things4 ,wickedness1 like righteousness1 is a spiritual thing4 ,if a man sins1 his body is not in fault2 it is his spirit1 his weak1 perverse will1 which will sooner listen to what his flesh tells him is pleasant than to what ,god tells him is right4 ,this is the secret of the battle of life4 ,,iii4 ,because you are all fallen creatures there must go on in you this sore lifelong battle between your spirit and your flesh--your spirit trying to be master and guide1 and your flesh rebelling and trying to conquer your spirit and make you a mere animal1 like a fox in cunning1 a peacock in vanity1 or a hog in greedy sloth4 ,it is your sin and your shame if your spirit does not conquer your flesh1 for ,god has promised to help your spirit4 ,ask ,him1 and ,his ,spirit will fill you with pure1 noble hopes1 with calm1 clear thoughts1 and with deep1 unselfish love to ,god and man2 and instead of being the miserable slave of your own passions1 and of the opinions of your neighbours1 you will find that where the ,spirit of the ,lord is there is liberty1 true freedom1 not only from your neighbours' sins1 but1 what is far better1 freedom from your own4--,c4 ,kingsley4 ,walking in the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the ,spirit is a ,divine nature1 quality1 or condition whereby we are made conformable to ,christ4--#a4 ,it is a rich and liberal grace of ,god4 ,it contains the seeds of all virtues4 #b4 ,its largeness4 ,the ,spirit is in all the powers of them who are regenerate in mind1 conscience1 will1 affections1 and in the sensual appetite4 #c4 ,its sincerity4 ,the grace of ,god is without falsehood or guile4 #d4 ,its excellency4 ,the spirit of grace in ,christians is more excellent than the grace of creation1 in respect of the beginning thereof1 and in respect of constancy4 #e4 ,its liveliness1 whereby the ,spirit is effectual in operation4 7#a7 ,the ,spirit works in and by the ,word of ,god4 7#b7 ,works by degrees1 to make us feel our need of ,christ1 and to kindle in us a desire for reconciliation with ,god4 7#c7 ,works to write the law in our hearts4 ,,ii4 ,walking in the ,spirit is to order our lives according to the direction and motion of the ,spirit4--#a4 ,the ,spirit renews our nature4 7#a7 ,makes us put a further beginning to our actions than nature can1 causing us to do them in faith4 7#b7 ,to do our actions in a new manner1 in obedience to the ,word4 7#c7 ,makes us put on a new end to our actions--to intend and desire to honour ,god4 #b4 ,we must become spiritual men4 ,must do things lawful in a spiritual manner4 #c4 ,we must not judge any man's estate before ,god by any one or some few actions1 good or bad1 but by his walking1 by the course of his life4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the ,strife of the ,flesh and ,spirit4 ,i4 ,man1 under the influence of corruption1 is called flesh4--,he may be said to be a spiritual being because he is possessed of an immortal spirit2 but the term flesh seems to be awfully appropriate1 because he is wholly and exclusively under the dominion of matter4 ,in the text it implies the evil principle that inhabits the bosom of man4 ,it is the mighty autocrat of humanity in the wreck of the ,fall4 ,sin is such a mighty monster that none can bind him in fetters of iron and imprison him but ,god ,himself4 ,in the operation of weaving1 different materials cross each other in the warp and woof in order to make one whole1 and this is the case with the family of heaven here below4 ,sin and grace are perpetually crossing each other4 ,,ii4 ,the spiritual offspring which is born of ,god is called the new man4--,it is the junior offspring1 the junior disposition1 the offspring of the second ,adam4 ,corruption has its root only in humanity4 ,not so with grace4 ,this springs alone from ,god4 ,the new man lives in ,him2 his head is above the skies1 his feet lower than hell2 and the reason why he is destined to be conqueror is that he fights in and under the inspiration of ,heaven4 ,,iii4 ,these two principles are in a state of ceaseless warfare1 ever opposed to each other4--,they are like two armies1 sometimes encamped1 at others engaged in terrible conflict2 but1 whether apparently engaged or not1 each seeks the destruction of the other perpetually4 ,they are and must be ever opposed1 till one fall2 one must perish and the other live eternally4 ,where there is no conflict there can be no grace4 ,,iv4 ,consider the wisdom and valour evinced by this new principle4--,it is illumined by the ,spirit and by the truth of ,god4 ,the sun does not give me an eye4 ,god alone can confer this organ2 yet it is equally true my eye must attain its full vigour in the light of the sun3 so the external means are necessary to teach us what ,god is1 and to develop all the principles of the new man1 to clothe it with the panoply of ,deity1 and to lead it on from battle to battle1 and from victory to victory1 till the last battle is eventually fought1 the last victory won1 and the fruits of triumph enjoyed for ever4--,william ,howels4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,the ,leading of the ,spirit4--#a4 ,the new man performs the office of guide to the godly in all actions truly spiritual4 7#a7 ,as it is ruled by the ,word1 which is the external light and lantern to direct our steps4 7#b7 ,the work of grace itself is the internal light whereby the regenerate man spiritually understands the things of ,god4 7#c7 ,the same work of grace being actuated by the continual supply of exciting grace from the ,spirit is a strengthening guide to all spiritual actions4 #b4 ,the natural man is so much a slave to his sinful lusts that the things appointed by ,god to curb and make them weaker are so far from bringing this about that his lusts are thereby enraged and made more violent4 ,the rigidity of the law1 which tends to restrain sin1 is turned by the unregenerate man into an occasion for fulfilling his lusts4--,fergusson4 ,the ,guidance of the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,preservation1 whereby the ,holy ,ghost maintains the gift of regeneration in them that are regenerate4 ,,ii4 ,co-operation1 whereby the will of ,god1 as the first cause1 works together with the regenerate will of man1 as the second cause4 ,without this co-operation1 man's will brings forth no good action2 no more than the tree which is apt to bring forth fruit yields fruit indeed till it have the co-operation of the sun1 and that in the proper season of the year4 ,,iii4 ,direction1 whereby the ,spirit of ,god ordereth and establisheth the mind1 will1 and affections in good duties4 ,,iv4 ,excitation1 whereby the ,spirit stirs and still moves the will and mind after they are regenerate1 because the grace of ,god is hindered and oppressed by the flesh4 ,v4 ,privilege of believers not to be subject to the ceremonial law4--,ye are not under the law4 ,not under the law respecting its curse and condemnation1 though we are all under law1 as it is the rule of good life4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-ba4 ,the ,works of the ,flesh-- ,i4 ,are offensively obtrusive4--,now the works of the flesh are manifest 7ver4 #ai74 ,sin1 though at first committed in secret1 will by-and-by work to the surface and advertise itself with shameless publicity4 ,the rulers of the civilised world in the first century of the ,christian era1 such as ,tiberius1 ,caligula1 ,nero1 ,domitian1 are the execration of history as monsters of vice and cruelty4 ,their enormities would have been impossible if the people they governed had not been equally corrupt4 ,it is the nature of evil to develop a terrible energy the more it is indulged1 and its works are apparent in every possible form of wickedness4 ,every man blameth the devil for his sins2 but the great devil1 the house-devil of every man that eateth and lieth in every man's bosom1 is that idol which killeth all--himself4 ,,ii4 ,furnish a revolting catalogue4--,the sins enumerated may be grouped into four classes3-- #a4 ,sensual passions4--,adultery omitted in the oldest ,,mss41 fornication1 uncleanness1 lasciviousness 7ver4 #ai74 ,fornication was practically universal4 ,few were found1 even among severe moralists1 to condemn it4 ,it is a prostitution of the physical nature which ,jesus ,christ wore and still wears1 which ,he claims for the temple of ,his ,spirit1 and will raise from the dead to share ,his immortality4 ,uncleanness is the general quality of licentiousness1 and includes whatever is contaminating in word or look1 in gesture or in dress1 in thought or sentiment4 ,lasciviousness is uncleanness open and shameless4 ,it is the final loathsome analysis of the works of the flesh4 #b4 ,unlawful dealing in things spiritual4--,idolatry1 witchcraft sorcery1 7ver4 #bj74 ,idolatry and sensuality have always been closely related4 ,some of the most popular pagan systems were purveyors of lust and lent to it the sanctions of religion4 ,when man loses the true conception of ,god he becomes degraded4 ,sorcery is closely allied to idolatry4 ,a low1 naturalistic notion of the ,divine lends itself to immoral purposes4 ,men try to operate upon it by material causes1 and to make it a partner in evil4 ,magical charms are made the instruments of unholy indulgence4 #c4 ,violations of brotherly love4--,hatred enmities1 variance strife1 emulations jealousies1 wrath ragings1 strife factions1 seditions divisions1 heresies keen controversial partisanship1 envyings1 murders 7vers4 #bj1 #ba74 ,a horrible progeny of evils having their source in a fruitful hotbed of unreasoning hatred1 each vice preying upon and feeding the other4 ,settled rancour is the worst form of contentiousness4 ,it nurses its revenge1 waiting1 like ,shylock1 for the time when it shall feed fat its ancient grudge4 #d4 ,intemperate excesses4--,drunkenness1 revellings1 and such like 7ver4 #ba74 ,these are the vices of a barbarous people4 ,our ,teutonic and ,celtic forefathers were alike prone to this kind of excess4 ,the ,greeks were a comparatively sober people4 ,the ,romans were more notorious for gluttony than for hard drinking4 ,the practice of seeking pleasure in intoxication is a remnant of savagery which exists to a shameful extent in our own country4 ,with ,europe turned into one vast camp1 and its nations groaning audibly under the weight of their armaments1 with hordes of degrading women infesting the streets of its cities1 with discontent and social hatred smouldering throughout its industrial populations1 we have small reason to boast of the triumphs of modern civilisation4 ,better circumstances do not make better men 7,findlay74 ,,iii4 ,exclude the sinner from the kingdom of ,god4--,they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god 7ver4 #ba74 ,how poor life seems outside that kingdom6 ,how beautiful and glorious inside its gates6 ,if ,i tried to tell you how ,christ brings us there1 ,i should repeat to you once more the old familiar story4 ,he comes and lives and dies and rises again for us4 ,he touches us with gratitude4 ,he sets before our softened lives ,his life4 ,he makes us see the beauty of holiness and the strength of the spiritual life in ,him4 ,he transfers ,his life to us through the open channel of faith1 and so we come to live as ,he lives1 by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of ,god4 ,how old the story is1 but how endlessly fresh and true to him whose own career it describes 7,phillips ,brooks74 ,exclusion from the kingdom of ,god is man's own act2 it is self-exclusion4 ,he will not enter in2 he loves darkness rather than light4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sin is an active principle whose works are perniciously evident4 #b4 ,sin is the primal cause of every possible vice4 #c4 ,sin persisted in involves moral ruin4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ai-ba4 ,biblical ,account of ,sin4--,a mournful catalogue of words1 based on a great variety of images1 is employed in ,scripture to describe the state of sinfulness which man inherits from his birth4 ,sometimes it is set forth as the missing of a mark or aim2 sometimes as the transgressing of a line--the word occurs seven times in the ,new ,testament and is twice applied to ,adam's ,fall 7,rom4 v4 #ad2 #a ,tim4 ii4 #ad72 sometimes as disobedience to a voice1 i4e4 to hear carelessly1 to take no need of--the word occurs three times 7,rom4 v4 #ai2 #b ,cor4 x4 #f2 ,heb4 ii4 #b72 sometimes as ignorance of what we ought to have done 7,heb4 ix4 #g72 sometimes as a defect or discomfiture--to be worsted1 because1 as ,gerhard says1 ,a sinner yields to1 is worsted by1 the temptations of the flesh and of ,satan2 sometimes as a debt 7,matt4 vi4 #ab72 sometimes as disobedience to law--the word occurs fourteen times in the ,new ,testament and is generally translated by iniquity4 ,the last figure employed in the most general definition of sin given in the ,new ,testament--sin is the transgression of the law 7#a ,john iii4 #d74--,trench and ,maclear4 ,the ,works of the ,flesh4 ,i4 ,sins against chastity4--,adultery1 fornication1 uncleanness1 wantonness4 #a4 ,we must stock up the root of these things1 mortify the passion of concupiscence4 #b4 ,all occasions of these sins must be cut off1 two especially1 idleness and the pampering of the body4 #c4 ,all signs of these vices must be avoided1 any speech or action that may give suspicion of incontinent disposition1 as light talk1 wanton behaviour1 curiousness and excess in trimming of the body1 suspected company4 ,,ii4 ,sins against religion4--,idolatry1 witchcraft1 heresies4 ,,iii4 ,sins against charity4--,enmity1 debate1 emulations1 anger1 contention1 seditions4 ,,iv4 ,sins against temperance4--,drunkenness1 gluttony4 #a4 ,we may use meat and drink not only for necessity1 but also for delight4 #b4 ,that measure of meat and drink which in our experience makes us fit both in body and mind for the service of ,god and the duties of our calling is convenient and lawful4 ,to be given to drinking and to love to sit by the cup1 when there is no drunkenness1 is a sin4 ,drunkenness3 7#a7 ,destroys the body4 7#b7 ,hurts the mind4 7#c7 ,vile imaginations and affections that are in men when they are drunk remain in them when they are sober1 so being sober they are drunk in affection4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bb-bf4 ,the ,fruit of the ,spirit-- ,i4 ,is evident in manifold ,christian virtues4--#a4 ,virtues describing a general state of heart4 ,the fruit of the ,spirit is love1 joy1 peace 7ver4 #bb74 ,love is foremost of the group of ,christian graces1 and gives a nameless charm to all the rest1 for there is an element of love in all true goodness4 ,love derives its power from being in the first place1 love to ,god4 ,when the soul centres its affection in ,god through ,christ all its outgoings are influenced and regulated accordingly4 ,joy is the product of love4 ,a philosophy or religion which has no room for the joy and pleasure of man is as little conversant with the wants of man as with the will of ,god4 ,joy in the ,lord quickens and elevates1 while it cleanses all other emotions4 ,it gives a new glow to life4 ,it sheds a ,diviner meaning1 a brighter aspect1 over the common face of earth and sky4 ,joy is the beaming countenance1 the elastic step1 the singing voice1 of ,christian goodness4 ,peace is the holy calm breathed into the soul by a pardoning ,god4 ,it is the gift of ,christ1 giving rest to the soul in the midst of external agitations4 ,it is a settled quiet of the heart1 a deep1 brooding mystery that 'passeth all understanding1' the stillness of eternity entering the spirit1 the ,sabbath of ,god4 ,it is the calm1 unruffled brow1 the poised and even temper which ,christian goodness wears4 #b4 ,virtues exercised in the ,christian's intercourse with his neighbour4--,longsuffering1 gentleness1 goodness4 ,charity suffereth long4 ,the heart at peace with ,god has patience with men4 ,longsuffering is the patient magnanimity of ,christian goodness1 the broad shoulders on which it beareth all things4 ,gentleness 7or kindness1 as the word is more frequently and better rendered7 resembles longsuffering in finding its chief objects in the evil and unthankful4 ,but while the latter is passive and self-contained1 kindness is an active1 busy virtue4 ,it is the thoughtful insight1 the delicate tact1 the gentle ministering hand of charity4 ,linked with kindness comes goodness1 which is its other self1 differing from it as only twin sisters may1 each fairer for the beauty of the other4 ,goodness is perhaps more affluent1 more catholic in its bounty2 kindness more delicate and discriminating4 ,goodness is the honest1 generous face1 the open hand of charity 7,findlay74 #c4 ,virtues indicating the principles which regulate the ,christian's life4--,faith honesty1 trustworthiness1 meekness1 temperance 7vers4 #bb1 #bc74 ,the faith that unites man to ,god in turn joins man to his fellows4 ,faith in the divine ,fatherhood becomes trust in the human brotherhood4 ,he who doubts every one is even more deceived than the man who blindly confides in every one4 ,trustfulness is the warm1 firm clasp of friendship1 the generous and loyal homage which goodness ever pays to goodness4 ,meekness is the other side of faith4 ,it is not tameness and want of spirit2 it comports with the highest courage and activity and is a qualification for public leadership4 ,it is the content and quiet mien1 the willing self-effacement1 that is the mark of ,christ-like goodness4 ,temperance1 or self-control1 is the third of ,plato's cardinal virtues4 ,temperance is a practised mastery of self4 ,it covers the whole range of moral discipline and concerns every sense and passion of our nature4 ,it is the guarded step1 the sober1 measured walk in which ,christian goodness keeps the way of life1 and makes straight paths for stumbling and straying feet 7,ibid474 ,,ii4 ,violates no law4--,against such there is no law 7ver4 #bc2 comp4 ver4 #ah74 ,the fruit of the ,spirit is love2 and the law1 so far from being against love1 commands it 7ver4 #ad74 ,the practice of love and all its works is the fulfilling of the law and disarms it of all terror4 ,the expression1 ,against such there is no law1 so far from being more than superfluous1 as ,hoffman asserts1 is intended to make evident how it is that1 by virtue of this1 their moral frame1 those who are led by the ,spirit are not subject to the ,mosaic law4 ,for whosoever is so constituted that a law is not against him1 over such a one the law has no power4 ,,iii4 ,indicates the reality of a great spiritual change4--#a4 ,the old self-hood is crucified4 ,they that are ,christ's have crucified the flesh 7ver4 #bd74 ,this well expresses how sin must1 little by little1 be disabled and slain1 for the crucified man did not die at once4 ,he was first made fast with nails to the cross1 and then kept there1 till through hunger and thirst and loss of blood he became weaker and weaker1 and finally died4 ,we are to be executioners1 dealing cruelly with the body of sin which caused the acting of all cruelties on the body of ,christ4 #b4 ,a new law now regulates the life4--,if we live in the ,spirit1 let us also walk in the ,spirit 7ver4 #be74 ,the life is governed1 not by the law of the flesh1 but of the ,spirit4 ,the electrician can demagnetise and remagnetise a bar of iron1 but the biologist cannot devitalise a plant or an animal and revivify it again4 ,spiritual life is not a visit from a force1 but a resident tenant in the soul4 ,the ,spirit who created the life within sustains it and directs all its outgoings4 #c4 ,everything provocative of strife and envy is carefully avoided4--,let us not be desirous of vainglory1 provoking one another1 envying one another 7ver4 #bf74 ,vaingloriousness was a weakness of the ,galatic temperament2 and is not unknown in modern ,christian life4 ,superiority1 or fancied superiority1 in talents or status is apt to proudly display itself4 ,it is indeed a pitiable exhibition when even spiritual gifts are made matter of ostentation1 exciting the jealousy of inferior brethren1 and creating discontent and envy4 ,the cultivation of the fruit of the ,spirit is the best remedy against all bitterness and strife4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the fruit of the ,spirit a suggestive contrast to the works of the flesh4 #b4 ,consistency of life is the test of genuine religion4 #c4 ,the operations of the ,spirit are in harmony with the highest law4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #bb1 #bc4 ,the ,fruit of the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,love4--#a4 ,the love of ,god4 7#a7 ,shown in a desire of fellowship with ,god4 7#b7 ,to love the ,word of ,god above all earthly treasure1 and to tread our own will underfoot4 7#c7 ,the love of them that love ,god and ,christ4 #b4 ,the love of our neighbour4 ,this is love indeed1 to show love and to do good to them that wrong and abuse us4 ,,ii4 ,joy4--#a4 ,to rejoice in the true acknowledgment of ,god4 #b4 ,to rejoice in the work of our regeneration4 #c4 ,to rejoice in the hope of eternal glory4 ,,iii4 ,peace4--,to maintain peace and concord3 #a4 ,neither take offence nor give offence4 #b4 ,seek to edify one another2 either do good or take good4 ,,iv4 ,longsuffering4--,to moderate our anger and desire of revenge when many and great wrongs are done us4 ,set and sow this plant in the furrows of your heart1 and consider3 #a4 ,the goodness of ,god1 who forgives more to us than we can forgive4 #b4 ,it is the duty of love to suffer and forbear4 #c4 ,it is a point of injustice to revenge ourselves1 for then we take to ourselves the honour of ,god1 and against all equity--we are the parties and judge and witness and all4 #d4 ,we are often ignorant of the mind of men in their actions1 and of the true circumstances thereof1 and so may easily be deceived4 ,v4 ,gentleness4--,right courtesy is with an honest heart to bless when we are wronged4 ,,vi4 ,goodness4--,the virtue whereby we communicate to others good things1 for their good and benefit4 ,,vii4 ,faith4--,faith towards man1 which means3 #a4 ,to speak the truth from the heart4 #b4 ,to be faithful and just in the keeping of our honest promise and word4 ,this faith a rare virtue in these days4 ,the common fashion of them that live by bargaining is to use glorying1 facing1 soothing1 lying1 dissembling1 and all manner of shifts4 ,they that deal with chapmen shall hardly know what is truth1 they have so many words and so many shifts4 ,,viii4 ,meekness4--,the same in effect with longsuffering4 ,the difference is that meekness is more general1 and longsuffering the highest degree of meekness4 ,,ix4 ,temperance4--,the moderation of lust and appetite in the use of the gifts and creatures of ,god4 #a4 ,we must use moderation in meats and drinks4 ,that measure of meat and drink which serves to refresh nature and make us fit for the service of ,god and man is allowed us of ,god and no more4 #b4 ,we must use moderation in the getting of goods4 #c4 ,in the spending of our goods--contrary to the fashion of many who spend their substance in feasting and company1 and keep their wives and children bare at home4 #d4 ,in our apparel4 ,to apparel ourselves according to our sex1 according to the received fashion of our country1 according to our place and degree1 and according to our ability4 ,x4 ,against such virtues there is no law4--#a4 ,no law to condemn4 #b4 ,no law to compel obedience4 ,spiritual men freely obey ,god1 as if there were no law2 they are a voluntary and free people1 serving ,god without restraint4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,love an ,attendant of ,regeneration4--#a4 ,love is a delight in happiness4 #b4 ,is universal4 #c4 ,is just4 #d4 ,is disinterested4 #e4 ,is an active principle4 #f4 ,is the only voluntary cause of happiness4 #g4 ,is the only equitable spirit towards ,god and our fellow-creatures4 #h4 ,is the only disposition which can be approved or loved by ,god4--,dr4 ,dwight4 ,the ,powers of ,love4--,if these be the fruit of the ,spirit1 they cannot be mere matters of temperament4 ,when philosophy gives an account of the human soul it can find only constitutional propensities and voluntary acquisitions4 ,when we interrogate ,christianity1 we are told besides of communicated sanctities1 states of mind which inheritance cannot give or resolution command1 which need some touch of ,god to wake them up1 which are above us and yet ours1 and seem to lie on the borderland of communion between the finite and the infinite ,spirit4 ,i4 ,there is humane love1 which constitutes the humblest and most frequent form of unselfish feeling4 ,it finds its objects among the miserable and attaches itself to them in proportion to their woes4 ,in human pity there is a strange combination of repulsion and attraction1 which it is the paradox of philosophy to state1 and the mercy of ,god to ordain2 it cannot endure the sight of wretchedness1 and yet can never leave it4 ,but there is a work ordained for us which this impulse will not suffice to do4 ,fastening itself on suffering alone1 it sees nothing else4 ,yet beneath the smooth and glossy surface of easy life there may hide itself many an inward disease which the mere glance of pity does not discern4 ,flourishing iniquity that gives no seeming pain it lets alone2 invisible corruption may spread without arrest4 ,,ii4 ,there is imaginative or sthetic love1 which attaches itself to objects in proportion as they are beautiful1 kindles the enthusiasm of art1 and completes itself in the worship of genius4 ,yet is this affection very barren until thrown into the midst of others to harmonise and glorify them4 ,no reciprocal sympathy is requisite to this sentiment2 that which is admired as beautiful does not admire in return4 ,and above all there is a direct tendency to turn with indifference or even merciless repugnance from what is unlovely4 ,,iii4 ,there is moral love1 which has reference to persons only1 not to things1 which attaches itself to them in proportion as they are good1 judges them by the standard of an internal law1 and expresses itself in tones1 not of tenderness as in pity1 or of admiration as in the trance of beauty1 but of grave and earnest approval4 ,even this moral love is not without imperfections4 ,its characteristic sentiment of approbation has always in it a certain patronising air not welcome to the mercy of a true heart1 and more like the rigour of a ,zeno than the grace of ,christ4 ,,iv4 ,there is a ,divine love1 directed first upon ,god ,himself1 and thence drawn into the likeness of ,his own love1 and going forth upon other natures in proportion to their worth and claims4 ,this is the crowning and calming term of all prior affections1 presupposing them1 and lifting them up from clashing and unrest to harmony and peace4 ,the humane1 the beautiful1 the right1 remain only scattered elements of good till they are gathered into the ,divine and blended into one by the combining love of ,god4--,dr4 ,martineau4 ,love the ,perfection of ,character4--,the fruit of the true vine has been analysed1 and in the best specimens nine ingredients are found4 ,in poor samples there is a deficiency of one or other of these elements4 ,a dry and diminutive sort is lacking in peace and joy4 ,a tart kind1 which sets the teeth on edge1 owes its austerity to its scanty infusion of gentleness1 goodness1 and meekness4 ,there is a watery1 deliquescent sort which1 for the want of longsuffering1 is not easily preserved2 and there is a flat variety which1 having no body of faith or temperance1 answers few useful purposes4 ,love is the essential principle which is in no case entirely absent1 and by the glistening fulness and rich aroma which its plentiful presence creates you can recognise the freshest and most generous clusters1 whilst the predominance of some other element gives to each its distinguishing flavour1 and marks the growth of ,eshcol1 ,sibmah1 or ,lebanon4--,dr4 ,james ,hamilton4 ,the ,power of ,meekness and ,affection4--,once in ,holland a person of high rank invited ,tersteegen to be his guest4 ,this individual imagined himself to have attained to a state of peculiar inward peace and took occasion during dinner to criticise ,tersteegen for being too active1 and for not sufficiently knowing the ground on which he wrought4 ,tersteegen attended meekly and silently to all that was said2 and when dinner was over he offered up a fervent prayer in which he commended his host to the ,lord in terms of such affection and compassion that this great and warm-tempered man was so much struck and affected by it that his feelings overpowered him1 and he fell upon the neck of his guest and begged his forgiveness4 ,who are the ,meek8--,a missionary to ,jamaica was once questioning the little black boys on the meaning of ,matt4 v4 #e1 and asked1 ,who are the meek8 ,a boy answered1 ,those who give soft answers to rough questions4 ,the ,grace of ,gentleness4 ,i4 ,it is not a gift1 but a grace4--,it is not a natural demeanour1 amiable and courteous1 a soft1 feminine compliance1 but a grace of the ,spirit which takes into it the strength of the ,divine4 ,you may have the instinct of delicacy1 a natural tenderness and affability1 yet not have this grace of the ,spirit which impels you for ,christ's sake to deal gently and save men4 ,it is the underlying motive which determines whether grace or nature reigns4 ,how is it when your ideas and methods of doing good are thwarted8 ,moses seems to have in ,zipporah what ,socrates had in ,xantippe1 yet her abuse had no more abiding effect on him than the spray which angry waves toss against the rock4 ,calvin hearing of ,luther's ire said1 ,let him hate me and call me a devil a thousand times2 ,i will love him and call him a precious servant of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the cultivation of this grace will cost you many a struggle4--,you are to get the better of your temper on your knees4 ,no minstrel as in the case of ,saul can do the work4 ,we must forgive in our heart those who offend us4 ,,iii4 ,the grace of gentleness is a queen with a train of virtues4--,it ennobles our whole nature4 ,an ,english nobleman could not be bound to keep the peace1 for it was supposed that peace always kept him4 ,so we should suppose that every professed ,christian would have this grace2 but if you should put your ear to the door of some ,christian homes1 it would be like listening to a volcano4 ,if you did not behold a sulphurous flame bursting out1 you might hear a continual grumbling4 ,a man said to me once1 ,when ,i see ,mr4 ,so-and-so my passion is bigger than myself1 and ,i long to make him feel it4 ,the ,spirit of ,christ leads us to pray for those who despitefully use us4 ,only as ,his temper prevails in us shall we be able to illustrate the beauty of ,divine greatness4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,constant ,joy4--,father ,taylor1 the ,boston sailor-preacher1 when going out to make a call1 said to his host on the doorstep1 ,laugh till ,i get back4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,crucifying the ,flesh4 ,i4 ,what is meant by being ,christ's4--,it is to accept of and have an interest in ,christ in ,his prophetic1 kingly1 and sacerdotal offices4 ,by ,his prophetic office we come to know ,his will2 by ,his kingly office1 ruling and governing us1 we come to yield obedience to that will2 and by ,his sacerdotal or priestly office we come to receive the fruit of that obedience in our justification4 ,,ii4 ,what is meant by the flesh4--,the whole entire body of sin and corruption2 that inbred proneness in our nature to all evil1 expressed by concupiscence4 #a4 ,it is called flesh because of its situation and place1 which is principally in the flesh4 #b4 ,because of its close1 inseparable nearness to the soul4 #c4 ,because of its dearness to us4 ,sin is our darling1 our ,delilah1 the queen-regent of our affections2 it fills all our thoughts1 engrosses our desires1 and challenges the service of all our actions4 ,this reveals3 7#a7 ,the deplorable state of fallen man4 7#b7 ,the great difficulty of the duty of mortification4 7#c7 ,the mean and sordid employment of every sinner--he serves the flesh4 ,,iii4 ,what is imported by the crucifixion of the flesh4--#a4 ,the death of it4 ,he that will crucify his sin must pursue it to the very death4 #b4 ,a violent death4 ,sin never dies of age4 ,the conquest need be glorious1 for it will be found by sharp experience that the combat will be dangerous4 #c4 ,a painful1 bitter1 and vexatious death4 #d4 ,a shameful and cursed death4 ,,iv4 ,the duty of crucifying the flesh4--#a4 ,a constant and pertinacious denying it in all its cravings for satisfaction4 #b4 ,encounter it by actions of the opposite virtue4--,robert ,south4 ,ver4 #be4 ,life and ,walk in the ,spirit4--,life relates to what is inward1 walk to what is outward4 ,i4 ,to live in the ,spirit4--#a4 ,the ,spirit begins the life of ,god in the soul4 #b4 ,the ,spirit gives new desires and changes all the motives of life4 #c4 ,the ,spirit lives in us4 ,,ii4 ,to walk in the ,spirit4--#a4 ,the walk will follow from the life1 for every kind of life is after its own kind and development4 #b4 ,every outward manifestation will correspond to the inward principle of life and will be marked by love to ,god and love to man4 #c4 ,reputation will correspond to character and conduct to life4 ,,iii4 ,to be led by the ,spirit4--#a4 ,the ,christian's life is a growth1 his walk a progress2 but he is led and guided by the ,spirit4 #b4 ,no new revelation is made by the ,spirit4 ,he leads and guides by what is written in the ,word4 ,,iv4 ,learn our relations to the ,spirit4--#a4 ,we live under the ,spirit's dispensation4 #b4 ,he is the ,spirit of ,god1 and so of life1 truth1 and authority4 #c4 ,he is the ,spirit of ,christ1 and so unites us to ,him4 #d4 ,if we live by the ,spirit1 let conversation and conduct be answerable thereunto4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,walking in the ,spirit-- ,i4 ,is to savour the things of the ,spirit4--,to subject a man's soul to the law of ,god in all the faculties and powers of the soul4 ,the things revealed in the law are the things of the ,spirit1 which ,spirit must at no hand be severed from the ,word4 ,,ii4 ,to walk in the path of righteousness without offence to ,god or man4 ,,iii4 ,to walk not stragglingly1 but orderly by rule1 by line and measure4--,to order ourselves according to the rule and line of the ,word of ,god4 ,the life of a man will discover to the world what he is4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,vaingloriousness4 ,i4 ,the exciting cause of many quarrels4 ,,ii4 ,a source of envy and disappointment4 ,,iii4 ,unbecoming the dignity and aims of the ,christian life4 ,the ,vice of ,vainglory and its ,cure4 ,i4 ,vainglory is a branch of pride1 wherein men principally refer all their studies1 counsels1 endeavours1 and gifts to the honouring and advancing of themselves4 ,they who have received good gifts of ,god are often most vainglorious4 ,whereas all other vices feed upon that which is evil1 this vice of vainglory feeds upon good things4 ,a man will sometimes be proud even because he is not proud4 ,,ii4 ,the cure of vainglory4--#a4 ,meditation4 7#a7 ,god resisteth all proud persons and gives grace to the humble1 because the vainglorious man1 seeking himself and not ,god1 robs ,god of ,his honour4 7#b7 ,it is the work of the devil to puff up the mind with self-liking and conceit1 that thereby he may work man's perdition4 7#c7 ,there is no religion in that heart that is wholly bent to seek the praise of men4 ,the man who desires to be talked of and admired by others gives notice to the world that his heart is not sound in the sight of ,god4 #b4 ,practice4 7#a7 ,endeavour to acknowledge the great majesty of ,god1 and our own baseness before ,him4 7#b7 ,we ought to ascribe all good things we have or can do to ,god alone1 and nothing to ourselves4 7#c7 ,in all actions and duties of religion we must first endeavour to approve ourselves to ,god1 and the next place is to be given to man4 7#d7 ,when we are reviled we must rest content2 when we are praised take heed4 ,temptations on the right hand are far more dangerous than those on the left4 7#e7 ,men who are ambitious1 if they be crossed1 grow contentious2 if they prosper1 they are envied by others4 ,abhor and detest vainglory2 seek to preserve and maintain love4--,perkins4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,overtaken in a fault4--,be caught red-handed in any transgression1 the result of some sudden and overpowering gust of evil impulse4 ,restore such an one4--,the same word used of a dislocated limb reduced to its place4 ,such is the tenderness with which we should treat a fallen member in restoring him to a better state4 ,in the spirit of meekness4--,meekness is that temper of spirit towards ,god whereby we accept ,his dealings without disputing2 then towards men whereby we endure meekly their provocations1 and do not withdraw ourselves from the burdens which their sins impose upon us 7,trench74 ,ver4 #b4 ,bear ye one another's burdens4--,the word is weights1 something exceeding the strength of those under them4 ,one another's is strongly emphatic4 ,it is a powerful stroke1 as with an axe in the hand of a giant1 at censoriousness or vainglorious egotism4 ,we are not to think of self1 but of one another4 ,to bear the burden of an erring brother is truly ,christ-like4 ,and so fulfil the law of ,christ4--,if you must needs observe a law1 let it be the law of ,christ4 ,ver4 #c4 ,he deceiveth himself4--,he is misled by the vapours of his own vanity1 he is self-deceived4 ,ver4 #d4 ,rejoicing in himself alone1 and not in another4--,in that his own work stands the test after severe examination1 and not that he is superior to another4 ,ver4 #f4 ,communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things4--,go shares with him in the good things of this life4 ,while each bears his own burden he must think of others1 especially in ministering out of his earthly goods to the wants of his spiritual teacher 7see #b ,cor4 xi4 #g1 #aa2 ,phil4 iv4 #aj2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #f1 #i2 #a ,tim4 v4 #ag1 #ah74 ,ver4 #g4 ,god is not mocked4--,the verb means to sneer with the nostrils drawn up in contempt4 ,excuses for illiberality may seem valid before men but are not so before ,god4 ,ver4 #h4 ,he that soweth to his flesh4--,unto his own flesh1 which is devoted to selfishness4 ,shall reap corruption4--,destruction1 which is not an arbitrary punishment of fleshly-mindedness1 but is its natural fruit2 the corrupt flesh producing corruption1 which is another word for destruction4 ,corruption is the fault1 and corruption the punishment4 ,ver4 #i4 ,let us not be weary3 we shall reap1 if we faint not4--,weary refers to the will2 faint to relaxation of the powers4 ,no one should faint1 as in an earthly harvest sometimes happens4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,ye see how large a letter ,i have written with mine own hand4--,at this point the apostle takes the pen from his amanuensis1 and writes the concluding paragraph with his own hand4 ,owing to the weakness of his eyesight he wrote in large letters4 ,he thus gives emphasis to the importance of the subjects discussed in the epistle4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of ,christ4--,they would escape the bitterness of the ,jews against ,christianity and the offence of the cross1 by making the ,mosaic law a necessary preliminary4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,for neither they themselves keep the law4--,so far are they from being sincere that they arbitrarily select circumcision out of the whole law1 as though observing it would stand instead of their non-observance of the rest of the law4 ,that they may glory in your flesh4--,that they may vaunt your submission to the carnal rite1 and so gain credit with the ,jews for proselytising4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,god forbid that ,i should glory1 save in the cross4--,the great object of shame to them1 and to all carnal men1 is the great object of glorying to me4 ,by whom the world is crucified unto me4--,by ,his cross1 the worst of deaths1 ,christ has destroyed all kinds of death4 ,legal and fleshly ordinances are merely outward and elements of the world4 ,to be crucified to the world is to be free from worldliness1 and all that makes men slaves to creature fascinations4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,but a new creature4--,all external distinctions are nothing4 ,the cross is the only theme worthy of glorying in1 as it brings about a new spiritual creation4 ,ver4 #af4 ,as many as walk according to this rule4--,of life3 a straight rule to detect crookedness4 ,upon the ,israel of ,god4--,not the ,israel after the flesh1 but the spiritual seed of ,israel by faith4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,i bear in my body the marks of the ,lord ,jesus4--,the ,judaising teachers gloried in the circumcision marks in the flesh of their followers2 ,st4 ,paul in the scars or brands of suffering for ,christ in his own body--the badge of an honourable servitude4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,brethren4--,after much rebuke and monition1 he bids them farewell with the loving expression of brotherhood as his last parting word1 as if ,greatheart had meant to say1 ,after all1 my last word is1 ,i love you1 ,i love you4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-e4 ,mutual ,sympathy in ,burden-bearing4 ,i4 ,that sympathy towards the erring is a test of spiritual-mindedness4--#a4 ,shown in the tenderness with which the erring should be treated4 ,if a man be overtaken in a fault1 ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness 7ver4 #a74 ,worldly and self-seeking men are often severe on a neighbour's fault4 ,they are more likely to aggravate than heal the wound1 to push the weak man down when he tries to rise than to help him to his feet4 ,the spiritual1 moved by genuine compassion1 should regard it as their duty to set right a lapsed brother1 to bring him back as soon and safely as may be to the fold of ,christ4 ,to reprove without pride or acrimony1 to stoop to the fallen without the air of condescension1 requires the spirit of meekness in a singular degree4 #b4 ,reflecting that the most virtuous may some day be in need of similar consideration4--,considering thyself1 lest thou also be tempted 7ver4 #a74 ,the disaster befalling one reveals the common peril2 it is a signal for every member of the ,church to take heed to himself4 ,the scrutiny which it calls for belongs to each man's private conscience4 ,the faithfulness and integrity required in those who approach the wrong-doer with a view to his recovery must be chastened by personal solicitude4 ,the fall of a ,christian brother should be in any case the occasion of heart-searching and profound humiliation4 ,feelings of indifference towards him1 much more of contempt1 will prove the prelude of a worse overthrow for ourselves4 ,,ii4 ,that sympathy in burden-bearing is in harmony with the highest law4--,bear ye one another's burdens1 and so fulfil the law of ,christ 7ver4 #b74 ,as much as to say1 ,if ye will bear burdens1 bear one another's burden2 if ye will observe law1 observe the highest law--the law of love4 ,there is nothing more ,christ-like than to bear the burden of a brother's trespass4 ,christ bore burdens which to us would have been intolerable and overwhelming4 ,the heaviest burden becomes supportable when shared with loving sympathy4 ,kindness towards the needy and helpless is work done to ,christ4 ,there is a poetic legend among the ,anglian kings that ,count ,fulc the ,good1 journeying along ,loire-side towards ,tours1 saw1 just as the towers of ,st4 ,martin's rose before him in the distance1 a leper full of sores who put by his offer of alms and desired to be borne to the sacred city4 ,amidst the jibes of his courtiers1 the good count lifted him in his arms and carried him along bank and bridge4 ,as they entered the town the leper vanished from their sight1 and men told how ,fulc had borne an angel unawares6 ,mutual burden-bearing is the practical proof of the unity and solidarity of the ,christian brotherhood4 ,,iii4 ,that no man can afford to be independent of human sympathy4--#a4 ,fancied superiority to sympathy is self-deception4 ,if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing1 he deceiveth himself 7ver4 #c74 ,others will see how little his affected eminence is worth4 ,some will humour his vanity1 many will ridicule or pity it1 few will be deceived by it4 ,real knowledge is humble2 it knows its nothingness4 ,socrates1 when the oracle pronounced him the wisest man in ,greece1 at last discovered that the response was right1 inasmuch as he alone was aware that he knew nothing1 while other men were confident of their knowledge4 ,it is in humility and dependence1 in self-forgetting1 that true wisdom begins4 ,who are we1 although the most refined or highest in place1 that we should despise plain1 uncultured members of the ,church1 those who bear life's heavier burdens and amongst whom our ,saviour spent ,his days on earth1 and treat them as unfit for our company1 unworthy of fellowship with us in ,christ8 7,findlay74 ,the most exalted and gifted is never lifted above the need of fellow-sympathy4 #b4 ,a searching examination into our conduct will reveal how little cause there is for boasting a fancied superiority4--,but let every man prove his own work1 and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone1 and not in another 7ver4 #d74 ,as if the apostle said3 ,let each man try his own work4 ,judge yourselves instead of judging one another4 ,mind your own duty rather than your neighbours' faults4 ,do not think of your worth or talents in comparison with theirs but see to it that your work is right4 ,the question for each of us is not1 ,what do others fail to do8 but1 ,what am ,i myself really doing8 ,what will my life's work amount to when measured by that which ,god expects from me8 ,the petty comparisons which feed our vanity and our class-prejudices are of no avail at the bar of ,god4 ,if we study our brother's work1 it should be with a view of enabling him to do it better1 or to learn to improve our own by his example2 not in order to find excuses for ourselves in his shortcomings4 ,if our work abide the test1 we shall have glorying in ourselves alone1 not in regard to our neighbour4 ,not his flaws and failures1 but my own honest work1 will be the ground of my satisfaction 7,ibid474 ,,iv4 ,that individual responsibility is universal4--,for every man shall bear his own burden load 7ver4 #e74 ,no man can rid himself of his life-load2 he must carry it up to the judgment-seat of ,christ1 where he will get his final discharge4 ,daniel ,webster was present one day at a dinner-party given at ,astor ,house by some ,new ,york friends1 and in order to draw him out one of the company put to him the following question1 ,will you please tell us1 ,mr4 ,webster1 what was the most important thought that ever occupied your mind8 ,mr4 ,webster merely raised his head1 and passing his hand slowly over his forehead1 said1 ,is there any one here who doesn't know me8 ,no1 sir1 was the reply2 we all know you and are your friends4 ,then1 said he1 looking over the table1 the most important thought that ever occupied my mind was that of my individual responsibility to ,god2 and he spoke on the subject for twenty minutes4 ,the higher sense we have of our own responsibility the more considerate we are in judging others and the more we sympathise with them in their struggles and trials4 sop says a man carries two bags over his shoulder1 the one with his own sins hanging behind1 that with his neighbour's sins in front4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sympathy is a ,christ-like grace4 #b4 ,sympathy for the erring does not tolerate wrong4 #c4 ,practical help is the test of genuine sympathy4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the ,sins of ,others4 ,i4 ,the follies and misconduct of others are the choice subjects of conversation in every stage of society2 and if we take slander out of these conversations1 we rob them of their keenest fascination4 ,i have felt it1 that fearful joy which the discovery of others' faults produces2 and then ,i found nothing at all extravagant in the strongest expressions by which the ,scriptures depict the depth of our fall and the depravity of our heart4 ,,ii4 ,one of your brethren has lapsed3 but you who condemn him1 have you never erred8 ,do you know his history8 ,did he know what you know yourself8 ,the fall of a brother should call forth a painful self-examination and a sincere humiliation before ,god4 ,,iii4 ,real and profound compassion should be felt for the brother whom sin has overtaken4 ,but sympathy alone will not suffice4 ,there is a sympathy which is mere weakness4 ,our mission lays upon us the duty of restoration4 ,this is a delicate and sublime work1 for it is the work of ,god1 but the work of ,god destined to be accomplished by man4 ,do the work of ,jesus ,christ in the spirit of ,jesus ,christ4 ,you must have for your fallen brethren a love without weakness and a holiness without pride4 ,we cannot raise them en masse1 and by ,i know not what a collective action which would exempt us from individual love and sacrifice4 ,all will be of no avail unless each of us1 in the post where ,god has placed him1 acts upon those around him1 and brings them all individually under that influence of love which nothing can either equal or replace4 ,have you never asked yourself with terror if you have not lost some soul8 ,do you know if1 among all those unfortunate beings whom ,god will cast from ,his presence at the last day1 more than one will not sorrowfully turn towards you and say1 ,it is thou1 it is thou that has lost me8--,eugene ,bersier4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,christian ,reformation4 ,i4 ,a thief is the man who uses1 in order to keep up appearances1 that which does not justly belong to him1 whether that appearance be kept up by actually robbing his neighbour's pocket1 or by delaying the payment of his just debts1 or by stinting ,god and man of their dues in any way4 ,such a one has1 for keeping up appearances1 every advantage up to a certain point1 and that point is the moment of detection4 ,after that1 all is changed4 ,the detected thief is the most miserable of men4 ,two ways only are open to him by which he can endure life or carry on hope4 ,one if these is to declare war against society1 and become an open instead of a secret offender2 the other is to begin anew1 and strive to build up a fresh reputation under more favourable auspices1 it may be by shrewder and deeper deceit1 or it may be in the way of genuine repentance and amendment4 ,it is hard to say whether of these two is the more difficult or hopeless4 ,,ii4 ,were we all true men1 safe in our own consciences1 fearless of detection in any point ourselves1 we should be ever ready to help up an erring brother or sister2 but it is just because we are afraid of our own weak and unsound points that we are so reluctant ever to let a tarnished character again brighten itself4 ,it is hardly possible to over-estimate the vast conspiracy which is arranged against the delinquent's effort to be reinstated in the favour of his fellow-men4 ,,iii4 ,it would be by no means uninstructive to inquire how far these feelings have influenced us in our views and practice with regard to the punishment of crime4 ,the last thing we believe in is reformation4 ,you may view this as a judicial consequence of guilt4 ,terrible as may be the fears of a conscience dreading detection1 far more difficulty1 far more anguish1 far bitterer self-reproach1 is in store for the penitent struggling to regain peace and the fair name which he has lost4 ,he carries the past evermore1 as it were1 branded on his brow1 for men to see and avoid4 ,,iv4 ,while we rejoice and are grateful to ,god for ,his mercy to us1 we should at the same time tremble at our own unworthiness1 and ever bear in mind our personal liability to fall into sin4 ,in such a spirit should we set about the blessed work of restoration1 ever looking on the fallen as our brethren1 going to meet them across the gulf which human ,pharisaism has placed between them and us1 the undetected2 as common children of that ,god whose grace is able to raise them up again1 bearing their burdens instead of disclaiming them and letting them sink under their weight1 and so fulfilling the law of ,christ4--,dean ,alford4 ,the ,restoration of the ,erring4 ,i4 ,the ,christian view of other men's sins4--#a4 ,the apostle looks upon sin as if it might be sometimes the result of a surprise4 #b4 ,as that which has left a burden on the erring spirit4 7#a7 ,one burden laid on fault is that chain of entanglement which seems to drag down to fresh sins4 7#b7 ,the burden of the heart weighing on itself4 7#c7 ,the burden of a secret1 leading a man to tell the tale of his crimes as under the personality of another1 as in the old fable of him who breathed his weighty secret to the reeds2 to get relief in profuse and general acknowledgment of guilt2 evidenced in the commonness of the longing for confession4 7#d7 ,the burden of an intuitive consciousness of the hidden sins of others' hearts4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian power of restoration4--#a4 ,restoration is possible4 #b4 ,by sympathy4 #c4 ,by forgiveness4 #d4 ,in the spirit of meekness4 #e4 ,the motive urging to attempt restoration4--,considering thyself1 etc4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,brotherly ,reproof4--#a4 ,a man must so reprove his brother as that it may be most for the advancement of ,god's glory1 best for winning him to ,god1 and least to the defaming of him abroad4 ,he must pray that ,god would guide his tongue and move the other's heart4 ,we may not traduce him to others1 either before or after our reproof4 #b4 ,every reproof must be grounded on a certainty of knowledge of the fault committed4 #c4 ,it is very requisite the reprover be not tainted with the like fault he reproves in another4 #d4 ,the vinegar of sharp reprehension must be allayed and tempered with the oil of gentle exhortation4 ,the word restore signifies to set a bone that is broken4 ,we are to deal with a man who has fallen and by his fall disjoined some member of the new man as the surgeon does with an arm or leg that is broken or out of joint--handle it tenderly and gently1 so as to cause least pain4 #e4 ,every reproof must be fitted to the quality and condition of him we reprove and to the nature of the offence4 #f4 ,must be administered in fit time when we may do the most good4 #g4 ,secret sins known to thee or to a few must be reproved secretly4 #h4 ,we must be careful to observe the order set down by our ,saviour 7,matt4 xviii4 #ae74--,perkins4 ,vers4 #b1 #e4 ,our ,twofold ,burdens4--#a4 ,the burden which every man must bear for himself is the burden of his own sins1 and from this burden no man can relieve him4 #b4 ,if a man be overtaken in a fault1 we are to bear his burden by trying to restore him4 #c4 ,we are to do this in the spirit of meekness1 bending patiently under the burden which his fault may cast on us4 ,this spirit towards those who commit faults is wholly at variance with the natural man's way of acting1 speaking1 and thinking4 ,we are to love our friends in spite of their faults1 to treat them kindly1 cheerfully1 graciously1 in spite of the pain they may give us4 #d4 ,our ,saviour has given us an example of what we should wish and strive to be and do4 ,the law of ,christ is the law of love4--,j4 ,c4 ,hare4 ,ver4 #b4 ,bear ,one ,another's ,burdens4--,the law of ,christ was lovingkindness4 ,his business was benevolence4 ,if we would resemble ,him1-- #a4 ,we must raise up the fallen4--,this was hardly ever attempted till ,christ set the pattern4 ,people went wrong1 and the world let them go2 they broke the laws1 and the magistrate punished2 they became a scandal1 and society cast them out--out of the synagogue1 out of the city1 out of the world4 ,but with a moral tone infinitely higher ,christ taught a more excellent way4 #b4 ,we must bear the infirmities of the weak4--,very tiresome is a continual touchiness in a neighbour1 or the perpetual recurrence of the same faults in a pupil or child4 ,but if by self-restraint and right treatment ,god should enable you to cure those faults1 from how much shame and sorrow do you rescue them1 from how much suffering yourself4 #c4 ,we must bear one another's trials4--,with one is the burden of poverty2 with another it is pain or failing strength1 the extinction of a great hope1 or the loss of some precious faculty4 ,a little thing will sometimes ease the pressure4 ,in a country road you have seen the weary beast with foaming flank straining onward with the overladen cart and ready to give in1 when the kindly waggoner called a halt1 and propping up the shaft with a slim rod or stake from the hedgerow1 he patted and praised the willing creature1 till after a little rest they were ready to resume the rough track together4 ,many a time a small prop is quite sufficient4 #d4 ,by thus bearing others' burdens you will lighten your own4--,rogers the poet has preserved a story told him by a ,piedmontese nobleman4 ,i was weary of life1 and after a melancholy day was hurrying along the street to the river1 when ,i felt a sudden check4 ,i turned and beheld a little boy who had caught the skirt of my cloak in his anxiety to solicit my notice4 ,his look and manner were irresistible4 ,not less so was the lesson ,i learnt4 ',there are six of us1 and we are dying for want of food4' ',why should ,i not1' said ,i to myself1 'relieve this wretched family8 ,i have the means1 and it will not delay me many minutes4' ,the scene of misery he conducted me to ,i cannot describe4 ,i threw them my purse1 and their burst of gratitude overcame me4 ,it filled my eyes2 it went as a cordial to my heart4 ',i will call again to-morrow1' ,i cried4 ,fool that ,i was to think of leaving a world where such pleasure was to be had1 and so cheaply4 ,there is many a load which only grows less by giving a lift to another4 ,a dim ,gospel makes a cold ,christian2 a distant ,saviour makes a halting1 hesitating disciple4--,dr4 ,james ,hamilton4 ,ver4 #b4 ,christian ,generosity4 ,i4 ,the duty enjoined4--#a4 ,it may apply to a weight of labour or bodily toil4 #b4 ,to a weight of personal affliction4 #c4 ,to a weight of providential losses and embarrassments4 #d4 ,to a weight of guilt4 #e4 ,of temptation4 #f4 ,of infirmities4 ,,ii4 ,the enforcing motive4--#a4 ,the apostle's requirement is worthy of the character of ,christ1 as it is a law of equity4 #b4 ,it is congenial with the ,spirit of ,christ4 #c4 ,it is agreeable to the example of ,christ4 #d4 ,it is deducible from the precepts of ,christ4 #e4 ,it has the approbation of ,christ4--,sketches4 ,bearing ,one ,another's ,burdens4--,the metaphor is taken from travellers who used to ease one another by carrying one another's burdens1 wholly or in part1 so that they may more cheerfully and speedily go on in their journey4 ,as in architecture all stones are not fit to be laid in every place of the building1 but some below and others above the wall1 so that the whole building may be firm and compact in itself2 so1 in the ,church those who are strong must support the weak4 ,the ,italians have a proverb--,hard with hard never makes a good wall1 by which is signified that stones cobbled up one upon another without mortar to combine them make but a tottering wall that may be easily shaken2 but if there be mortar betwixt them yielding to the hardness of the stones1 it makes the whole like a solid continued body1 strong and stable1 able to endure the shock of the ram or the shot of the cannon4 ,so that society1 where all are as stiff as stones which will not yield a hair one to another1 cannot be firm and durable4 ,but where men are of a yielding nature society is compact1 because one bears the infirmities of another4 ,therefore the strong are to support the weak1 and the weak the strong2 as in the arch of a building one stone bears mutually1 though not equally1 the burden of the rest2 or as harts swimming over a great water do ease one another in laying their heads one upon the back of another--the foremost1 having none to support him1 changing his place and resting his head upon the hindermost4 ,thus in ,god's providence4 ,luther and ,melancthon were happily joined together4 ,melancthon tempered the heat and zeal of ,luther with his mildness1 being as oil to his vinegar2 and ,luther1 on the other side1 did warm his coldness1 being as fire to his frozenness4--,ralph ,cudworth4 ,association 7,a ,benefit ,club ,sermon74--#a4 ,this plan of bearing one another's burdens is not only good in benefit clubs--it is good in families1 in parishes1 in nations1 in the ,church of ,god4 ,what is there bearing on this matter of prudence that makes one of the greatest differences between a man and a brute beast8 ,many beasts have forethought3 the sleep-mouse hoards up acorns against the winter1 the fox will hide the game he cannot eat4 ,the difference between man and beast is1 that the beast has forethought only for himself1 but the man has forethought for others also4 #b4 ,just the same with nations4 ,if the king and nobles give their whole minds to making good laws1 and seeing justice done to all1 and workmen fairly paid1 and if the poor in their turn are loyal and ready to fight and work for their king and their nobles1 then will not that country be a happy and a great country8 #c4 ,just the same way with ,christ's ,church1 the company of true ,christian men4 ,if the people love and help each other1 and obey their ministers and pray for them1 and if the ministers labour earnestly after the souls and bodies of their people1 and ,christ in heaven helps both minister and people with ,his ,spirit and ,his providence and protection1 if all in the whole ,church bear each other's burdens1 then ,christ's ,church will stand1 and the gates of hell will not prevail against it4--,charles ,kingsley4 ,burden-bearing4 ,i4 ,different kinds of burdens4--#a4 ,those that are necessary4 #b4 ,those that are superfluous4 #c4 ,those that are imaginary4 ,,ii4 ,what shall we do with them8--#a4 ,reduce their number to the limits of necessity4 #b4 ,some of these we are expected to carry ourselves4 #c4 ,some we may expect our friends to help us to carry4 #d4 ,we may take them all to the ,lord that ,he may either remove them or sustain us under them4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,with grace burdens are removed or lightened4 #b4 ,in what way can we best help others with their burdens8 ,thou lightenest thy load by lightening his4 #c4 ,let our burdens be reduced to light running order4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,practical ,christian ,sympathy4 ,i4 ,consider the burdens you can bear for others4--,all have to bear burdens4 ,some man can only bear for himself4 ,others he can be helped to bear1 such as the burden of carnal tendency1 persecution1 anxiety over loved ones1 affliction that is not punishment4 ,,ii4 ,consider how we may bear the burdens of others4--#a4 ,we can bear them on our hearts in prayer4 #b4 ,we can lighten the burden by friendly help4 #c4 ,we can by the strength of our sympathies come under the burdens of others4 ,,iii4 ,bearing the burdens of others is the chief way by which we can fulfil the law of ,christ4--,nothing will give us such a resemblance to ,him4 ,he lives solely for others4 ,he came voluntarily under the burden of man's miseries1 sacrificing ,himself for the race4 ,,iv4 ,consider the importance of obeying this injunction4--#a4 ,for our own sakes4 #b4 ,for the good of others4 #c4 ,for the prosperity of the ,church4--,the ,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #e4 ,burden-bearing4 ,i4 ,there is the burden of personal responsibility4--,this comes out in the formation of character4 ,,ii4 ,there is the burden of toil4--,among the steep precipitous mountains of ,thibet the traveller meets long processions of hungry1 ill-clad ,chinamen1 carrying enormous loads of tea4 ,there they go1 climb1 climbing day after day up the rough sides of the mountains1 each with his great burden on his back1 eyes fixed on the ground1 all silent1 stepping slowly1 and leaning on great iron-pointed sticks1 till the leader of the gang gives the signal for a halt1 and1 after standing for a few minutes1 the heavy load again falls on the back and head1 the body is again bent towards the ground1 and the caravan is once more in motion4 ,you do not wonder that1 with a task so monotonous1 these poor drudges should acquire a dreary1 stupid look1 little better than beasts of burden2 and you feel sorry for those in whose lives there is a large amount of the like irksome and exhausting routine4 ,yet there are many who1 in order to earn their daily bread1 must go through a similar task4 ,,iii4 ,there is the burden of sorrow4--,sorrow dwells beneath a king's robes as much as beneath a peasant's cloak2 the star of the noble1 the warrior's corslet1 the courtier's silken vesture1 cannot shut it out4 ,that rural home is such a picture of peace we cannot believe that care or tears are there4 ,that noble castle amidst ancient trees is surely lifted up in its calm grandeur above sighs and sadness4 ,alas6 it is not so4 ,man is the tenant of both1 and wherever man dwells sorrow is sure to be with him4 ,,iv4 ,there is one burden which it is wrong to bear4--,it is a sin and a shame to you if you are still plodding along under the burden of unpardoned transgression4 ,the load of guilt1 the feeling that our sin is too great for the blood of ,christ to expiate1 or the grace of ,god to pardon--this burden it is wrong to bear4--,dr4 ,james ,hamilton4 ,bearing our ,burdens ,alone4 ,i4 ,the loneliness of each one of us4--,one of the tendencies of these bustling times it to make us forget that we are single beings1 detached souls4 ,each great star flung out like an atom of gold dust into space may seem lost amid the hundreds of millions of mightier worlds that surround2 and yet no2 it rolls on1 grave in itself1 careering in its own orbit1 while its sister-stars sweep round on every side4 ,we stand cut off from one another4 ,we are to stave up side by side our own destiny1 we are to be alone with our burdens1 not lost in the forest of human lives4 ,,ii4 ,look at some of the forms of this burden4--#a4 ,there is the burden of being itself4 #b4 ,the burden of duty4 #c4 ,the burden of imperfection and sin4 #d4 ,the burden of sorrow4 #e4 ,the burden of dying alone4 #f4 ,if a man is lost1 he is lost alone2 if saved1 he is saved alone4--,the ,lay ,preacher4 ,every ,man has his ,own ,burden4 ,i4 ,no man can pay a ransom for his brother1 or redeem his soul from death1 or satisfy the justice of ,god for his sin1 seeing that every man by the tenor of the law is to bear his own burden1 and by the ,gospel none can be our surety but ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,we see the nature of sin that is a burden to the soul4--,it is heavier than the gravel of the earth and the sand of the sea4 ,,iii4 ,we are not to wonder that sin being so heavy a burden should be made so light a matter by carnal men1 for it is a spiritual burden4 ,,iv4 ,the more a man fears the burden of his sins the greater measure of grace and spiritual life he has1 and the less he feels it the more he is to suspect himself4 ,v4 ,the greatest part of the world are dead in their sins in that they have no sense of feeling of this heavy burden4 ,,vi4 ,we are to take heed of every sin1 for there is no sin so small but hath its weight4--,many small sins will as easily condemn as a few great4 ,like as sands1 though small in quantity1 yet being many in number1 will as soon sink the ship as if it were laden with the greatest burden4 ,,vii4 ,feeling the weight and burden of our sins1 we are to labour to be disburdened2 and this is done by repentance towards ,god and faith in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-aj4 ,moral ,sowing and ,reaping4 ,i4 ,beneficence by the taught towards the teacher is sowing good seed4--,let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things 7ver4 #f74 ,the good things referred to1 though not confined to temporal good1 do certainly mean that4 ,while every man must bear his own burden1 he must also help to bear the burden of his brother4 ,especially must the taught go shares with his spiritual teacher in all things necessary4 ,but beneficence shown towards the minister in temporalities is the least1 and with many the easiest1 part of the duty4 ,teacher and taught should mutually co-operate with each other in ,christian work1 and share with each other in spiritual blessings4 ,the true minister of the ,gospel is more concerned in eliciting the co-operation and sympathy of the members of his ,church than in securing their temporal support4 ,if he faithfully ministers to them in spiritual things1 they should be eager to minister unto him of their worldly substance1 and to aid him in promoting the work of ,god4 ,every good deed1 done in the spirit of love and self-sacrifice1 is sowing good seed4 ,,ii4 ,by the operation of unchanging ,divine law the reaping will correspond to the kind of seed sown and the nature of the soil into which it is cast4--,be not deceived2 ,god is not mocked2 for whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4 ,for he that soweth to his flesh1 etc4 7vers4 #g1 #h74 ,men may wrong each other1 but they cannot cheat ,god4 ,to expect ,god to sow ,his bounties upon them1 and not to let ,him reap their gratitude and service1 is mockery4 ,but it is not ,god they deceive2 they deceive themselves4 ,for at last every one shall reap as he sows4 ,the use made of our seed-time determines exactly1 and with a moral certainty greater even than that which rules in the natural field1 what kind of fruitage our immortality will render4 ,eternity for us will be the multiplied1 consummate outcome of the good or evil of the present life4 ,hell is just sin ripe--rotten ripe4 ,heaven is the fruitage of righteousness4 ,he that soweth to his own flesh reaps corruption--the moral decay and dissolution of the man's being4 ,this is the natural retributive effect of his carnality4 ,the selfish man gravitates downward into the sensual man2 the sensual man downward into the bottomless pit4 ,he that soweth to the ,spirit reaps life everlasting4 ,the sequence is inevitable4 ,like breeds its like4 ,life springs of life1 and death eternal is the culmination of the soul's present death to ,god and goodness4 ,the future glory of the saints is at once a divine reward and a necessary development of their present faithfulness 7,findlay1 passim74 ,,iii4 ,sowing the seed of good deeds should be prosecuted with unwearied perseverance4--#a4 ,because the harvest is sure to follow4 ,let us not be weary in well doing3 for in due season we shall reap1 if we faint not 7ver4 #i74 ,here is encouragement for the wearied1 baffled worker4 ,we have all our moments of despondency and disappointment and are apt to imagine our labours are futile and all our painstaking useless4 ,not so4 ,we are confounding the harvest with the seed-time4 ,in due season--in ,god's time1 which is the best time--we shall reap1 if we faint not4 ,our heavenly harvest lies in every earnest and faithful deed1 as the oak with its centuries of growth and all its summer glory sleeps in the acorn-cup1 as the golden harvest slumbers in the seeds under their covering of wintry snow4 #b4 ,because the opportunity of doing good is ever present4--,as we have opportunity let us do good unto all men1 especially unto them who are of the household of faith 7ver4 #aj74 ,the whole of life is our opportunity1 and every day brings its special work4 ,opportunity is never to seek2 it is ever present4 ,there is not a moment without a duty4 ,while we are looking for a more convenient opportunity1 we lose the one that is nearest to us4 ,as members of the household of faith there is ever work enough to do--work that fits us to do good on a wider scale--unto all men4 ,true zeal for the ,church broadens rather than narrows our charities4 ,household affection is the nursery1 not the rival1 of love to our fatherland and to humanity4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,our present life is the seed-time of an eternal harvest4 #b4 ,the quality of the future harvest depends entirely on the present sowing4 #c4 ,god ,himself is the ,lord of the moral harvest4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #f4 ,pastors and ,people4 ,i4 ,it is the duty of the people to give their pastors not only countenance but maintenance4 ,,ii4 ,it is the law of nations1 and a conclusion grounded on common equity1 that those who spend themselves1 as a candle1 to give light to others and for the common good of all1 should be maintained of the common stock by all4 ,,iii4 ,every calling is able to maintain them that live therein1 therefore we may not think that the ministry1 the highest calling1 should be so base or barren as that it cannot maintain them that attend thereupon4 ,,iv4 ,ministers are the ,lord's soldiers1 captains1 and standard-bearers1 and therefore are not to go a warfare at their own cost4 ,v4 ,ministers are to give themselves wholly to the building of the ,church and to the fighting of the ,lord's battles4 ,therefore they are to have their pay that they may attend upon their calling without distraction4 ,,vi4 ,it is the ordinance of ,god that they which preach the ,gospel should live of the ,gospel4--,ministers should be liberally provided for1 yet with moderation1 that they draw not all men's wealth into their purses4 ,he that would live of the ,gospel must teach the ,gospel4 ,a benefit requires a duty1 and diligence is that duty4--,perkins4 ,ministerial ,maintenance4--#a4 ,seeing ,christ's ministers are to bestow themselves wholly in the work of the ministry and not to be entangled with the affairs of this life1 therefore the people of ,god1 among whom they spend their strength1 are bound by common equity to give them worldly maintenance1 that they may be neither diverted from nor discouraged in their work of watching over souls4 #b4 ,this maintenance1 though it should be moderate and such as may not through abundance occasion pride1 luxury1 and prodigality1 yet should be liberal and creditable1 such as may not only supply pinching necessities1 but also that they may have wherewith to supply the necessities of the indigent1 to educate their children so as they may sustain themselves and be profitable members both of ,church and commonwealth4 #c4 ,the ,church's maintenance is only due unto such ministers as have abilities to preach and are faithful and diligent labourers in the ,word4 ,those who are unfit or unwilling to preach should be removed from their charge1 and not suffered to eat up the ,church's maintenance1 feeding themselves and starving the souls of people committed to their charge4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #g-i4 ,deceived ,sowers to the ,flesh4 ,i4 ,the solemnity of the apostle's warning4--,he seems to intimate that such is the audacious wickedness of the human heart1 that it has within it so many latent mazes of iniquity1 that they might be self-deceived either as to their apprehensions of that which was right before ,god1 or as to their own actual condition in ,his sight2 and he tells them ,god is not mocked by this pretended service1 that to ,him all hearts are open1 and that in impartial and discriminating arbitration ,he will render to every man according to his deeds4 ,it is sad to be deceived in a friend1 in our estimate of health1 in our computation of property2 but a mistake about the state of the soul--a veil folded about the heart so that it cannot see its own helplessness and peril--this is a state of which thought shudders to conceive1 and to describe whose portentousness language has no words that are sufficiently appalling4 ,there can be no peril more imminent than yours4 ,the headlong rider through the darkness before whom the dizzy precipice yawns2 the heedless traveller for whom in the bosky woodland the bandits lie in ambush1 or upon whom from the jungle's density the tiger waits to spring2 the man who1 gazing faintly upward1 meets the cruel eye and lifted hand and flashing steel of his remorseless enemy2 they of whose condition you can only poorly image1 who in far dungeons and beneath the torture of a tyrant's cruelty groan for a sight of friend or glimpse of day2 all around whom perils thicken hopelessly1 and to whom1 with feet laden with the tidings of evil1 the messengers of disaster come1--how they move your sympathy1 how you shudder as you dwell upon their danger1 how you would fain stir yourselves into brave efforts for their rescue or their warning6 ,brethren1 your own danger is more nearly encompassing and is more infinitely terrible4 ,,ii4 ,the import of the apostle's statement4--,we have largely the making or the marring of our own future--that in the thoughts we harbour1 in the words we speak and in the silent deeds1 which1 beaded on ,time's string1 are told by some recording angel as the story of our lives from year to year1 we shape our character and therefore our destiny for ever4 ,there are three special sowers to the flesh--the proud1 the covetous1 the ungodly4 ,they are all spiritual sins--sins of which human law takes no cognisance1 and to which codes of earthly jurisprudence affix no scathing penalty4 ,there is the greater need1 therefore1 that these spiritual sins should be disclosed in all their enormity and shown in their exceeding sinfulness and in their disastrous wages1 in order that men may be left without excuse if they persist wilfully to believe a lie4--,w4 ,m4 ,punshon4 ,vers4 #g1 #h4 ,the ,double ,harvest4 ,i4 ,our present life is a moral trial for another to come4--,on till death is our seed-sowing2 after death is the sure and universal harvest4 ,on till death is our moral trial2 after death is the life of judicial retribution1 alike for the just and the unjust4 ,,ii4 ,human life has one or the other of two great characters1 and will issue in one or the other of two great results4--#a4 ,they sow to the flesh who live under the influence of their natural inclinations and desires1 pleasing only themselves and despising or neglecting the holy will of ,god4 ,they live to the ,spirit the whole current of whose being has been supernaturally reversed under the grace of the ,gospel4 #b4 ,the sowers to the ,spirit live4 ,and this true and proper life of man1 in its maturity and full perfection1 is the great and glorious reward which1 by ,divine appointment1 shall eventually crown the labours of the sowers to the ,spirit4 ,the sowers to the flesh sow seed which brings forth death4 ,even now their life is death in rudiment1 and in the end1 they must reap it in its full and external development4 ,degraded existence1 miserable existence1 everlastingly degraded and miserable existence4 ,,iii4 ,we are liable to delusions with respect to these great verities4--,all history and experience teem with illustrations of the spiritual spells and juggleries which men1 prompted by the invisible potentate of evil1 practise upon themselves1 that so they may reduce to their convictions the sinfulness of sin1 and may tone the booming of the great bell of ,scripture menace down to the gentle whisper of an amiable reprimand4--,j4 ,d4 ,geden4 ,on the ,difference between sowing to the ,flesh and to the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the man who soweth to his flesh4--,it is to spend our lives in doing these works of the flesh--to lay out our time1 our thoughts1 and our care in gratifying the vain1 sensual1 and selfish inclinations which the evil state of the heart naturally and continually puts forth4 ,broken health1 loathsome diseases1 ruined fortunes1 disappointed wishes1 soured tempers1 infamy1 and shame are among those things which usually come from walking after the flesh4 ,,ii4 ,the man who soweth to the ,spirit4--,it is to live under the guidance of ,god's ,holy ,spirit1 and in every part of our conduct to bring forth the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,he enjoys even at present the fruit of his labour3 inward peace and joy1 and a hope full of immortality4--,edward ,cooper4 ,the ,principle of the ,spiritual ,harvest4 ,i4 ,the principle is this1 ,god is not mocked3 for whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4--,there are two kinds of good possible to men--one enjoyed by our animal being1 the other felt and appreciated by our spirits4 ,reap what you have sown4 ,if you sow the wind1 do not complain if your harvest is the whirlwind4 ,if you sow to the ,spirit1 be content with a spiritual reward1 invisible1 within1 more life and higher life4 ,,ii4 ,the two branches of the application of this principle4--#a4 ,sowing to the flesh includes those who live in open riot4 #b4 ,those who live in respectable worldliness4 #c4 ,sowing to the ,spirit1 the harvest is life eternal4 #d4 ,the reward is not arbitrary but natural4 ,the thing reaped is the very thing sown1 multiplied a hundredfold4 ,you have sown a seed of life1 you reap life everlasting4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,ver4 #g4 ,sowing and ,reaping in their bearing on the ,formation of ,individual ,character4--,there are three plots in which every man is perpetually engaged in sowing and reaping--in the plot of his thoughts1 in the plot of his words1 and in the plot of his deeds4 ,and there is a storehouse into which the harvests from these three plots are being secretly but unmistakably garnered--the storehouse of individual character4 ,the moral condition of the man to-day is the inevitable result of his thoughts1 words1 and deeds2 his selfhood is rich or poor according to his sowing and reaping in these respective fields4 ,i4 ,whatever a man sows in thought that will he also reap in the formation1 tone1 and tendency of his intellectual and moral nature4--#a4 ,vain thoughts4 ,if we indolently sport with vain and foolish thoughts1 they will inevitably produce a crop of the same kind4 ,the mind will be garnished with flimsy and unprofitable fancies1 inflated with a too conscious self-importance1 and the outcome is heard in the loud laugh that proclaims the vacant mind1 and seen in the pompous swagger of the intellectual fop 7,prov4 xiii4 #af2 ,ps4 xciv4 #aa74 #b4 ,proud thoughts4--,the man dominated by pride is the most pitiable of objects4 ,his pride of birth will not bear investigation into three generations1 his pride of social status is snubbed in a way that leaves a wound that never heals1 his pride of wealth smitten down by an unexpected turn of the ever-revolving wheel of fortune1 and his pride of life withered by the passing breath of the great ,destroyer4 ,but he reaps what he sowed4 ,he sowed the dragon's teeth of proud and boastful thoughts1 and the monster grew up and devoured him 7,prov4 xvi4 #ah74 #c4 ,thoughts of sinful pleasure4--,if we allow the mind to dream of pleasures that are forbidden1 the bloom of innocence is rubbed off never to be again replaced1 the conscience is outraged till its voice is muffled and but feebly heard1 one vile thought indulged breeds another that is viler still1 and the moral atmosphere of the soul is poisoned4 ,what he sows he reaps4 #d4 ,good thoughts4--,the mind that aims at the loftiest style of thought1 declining to tolerate the presence of a debasing sentiment1 that keeps in check the wild and savage brood of evil thoughts ever seeking to overrun and defile the mind1 that cultivates a chaste imagination and cherishes the exalted and unselfish charity that thinketh no evil--reaps the result in an accession of intellectual vigour1 in the creation of a nobler standard by which to judge of men and things1 in the unbounded raptures of a refined and fertile imagination1 and in the increase of power for doing the highest kind of work for ,god and humanity4 ,,ii4 ,whatsoever a man sows in words that shall he also reap4--#a4 ,bitter and rancorous words4 ,if a man studies how much of spiteful venom he can pack into a single sentence1 how he can most skilfully whet and sharpen the edge of his words so as to make the deepest wound and raise the most violent storm of irritation and ill-feeling1 unalterable as the course of nature the harvest is sure to come4 ,our unkind words come home to roost4 ,the man offensive with his tongue is the devil's bellows with which he blows up the sparks of contention and strife1 and showers of the fiery embers are sure to fall back upon himself to scathe and destroy4 #b4 ,false words4--,if we deliberately and maliciously concoct a lie1 and utter the same with whispered humbleness and hypocritical commiseration1 as sure as there is justice in the heavens1 the lie will come back with terrific recompense upon the head of the originator4 #c4 ,kind and loving words4--,if we speak in the kindest spirit of others1 especially in their absence1 if we stand up for a friend unjustly maligned and defend him with dignity and faithfulness1 if we study to avoid words which cannot but grieve and irritate1 then as we have sown so shall we reap--reap the tranquil satisfaction of conscious inoffensiveness1 and1 best of all1 the ,divine approval4 ,heaven in sunshine will requite the kind4 ,,iii4 ,whatsoever a man sows in deeds that shall he also reap4--#a4 ,cruel deeds4 ,if we take a savage delight in torturing beast or bird or insect1 if we plot how we can inflict the most exquisite pain on our fellow-man1 if we make sport of the anguish and distress of others which we make no effort to relieve1 we shall inevitably reap the harvest--reap it in the embruting and degradation of our finer sensibilities1 reap it in the tempest of rebellion and retaliation which those we outraged will launch upon us4 #b4 ,selfish deeds4--,if we live for our own selfish gratification1 indifferent to the rights and woes of others2 if we surrender ourselves to a covetous spirit1 living poor that we may die rich--as we sow we reap4 ,the thing we lived to enjoy ceases to gratify1 and our noblest sentiments are buried amid the rubbish of our own sordidness4 #c4 ,generous and noble deeds4--,if we aim at the elevation of ourselves and others1 if we seek to act on the highest level of righteousness and truth1 if we are diligent1 unwearied1 and persistent in well-doing1 then in due season we shall reap the harvest--reap it in a heightened and expansive nobility of character1 in an intensified influence and enlarged capacity for doing good1 and in the eternal enrichment of the ,divine plaudit1 ,well done4 ,be not ,deceived4--,this phrase occurs several times as preface to warning1 seeming to indicate thus that the subject of the warning is one about which we are specially liable to deception1 and upon examination we find that observation justifies the presumption4 ,we are thus guarded against any deception as to the following important practical truths3-- ,i4 ,the contaminating influence of evil associations 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #cc74 ,,ii4 ,the personal responsibility of each for his own sin 7,jas4 i4 #af74 ,,iii4 ,entrance into heaven conditioned on character 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #i74 ,,iv4 ,human destiny1 once settled1 irreversible 7,gal4 vi4 #g74--;,british and ,foreign ,evangelical ,review4 ,ver4 #h4 ,sowing to the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the natural man has no desire for immortality4--,he has not been seized with the earnest and real wish for a future life2 but he is entirely bound by this world in all his thoughts1 aims1 and wishes3 he identifies life and existence altogether with this world1 and life out of this world is a mere name to him4 ,he is shut up within the walls of the flesh and within the circle of its own present aims and projects4 ,,ii4 ,the spiritual man has a strong desire for immortality1 and it is the beginning and foundation of the religious life he leads here4 ,every field of action becomes unimportant and insignificant compared with the simply doing good things1 because in that simple exercise of goodness lies the preparation for eternity4 ,,iii4 ,the natural and spiritual man are divided from each other by these distinctions--one has the desire for everlasting life1 the other has not4 ,the success of the one perishes with the corruptible life to which it belongs2 the success of the other endures for all ages in the world to come4--,j4 ,b4 ,mozley4 ,the ,law of ,retribution4 ,i4 ,we see the justice of ,god--,his bounty and severity4--,his bounty in recompensing men above their deserts2 ,his severity in punishing sinners according to their deserts4 ,,ii4 ,this doctrine1 that we shall drink such as we brew1 reap such as we sow1 and that men have degrees of felicity or misery answerable to their works1 will make us more careful to avoid sin4 ,,iii4 ,it serves as a comfort against inequality2 whereas the wicked flourish and the godly live in contempt1 the time shall come when every one shall reap even as he has sown4 ,,iv4 ,it crosses the conceit of those who promise to themselves an impunity from sin and immunity from all the judgments of ,god1 notwithstanding they go on in their bad practices4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #i4 ,against ,weariness in ,well-doing4--#a4 ,there is the prevailing temper of our nature1 the love of ease--horror of hard labour4 #b4 ,the reluctance and aversion are greater when the labour is enjoined by extraneous authority--the imperative will of a foreign power4 #c4 ,in the service of ,god there is a good deal that does not seem for ourselves4 #d4 ,there is a principle of false humility--what signifies the little ,i can do8 #e4 ,the complaint of deficient co-operation4 #f4 ,in the cause of ,god the object and effect of well-doing are much less palpable than in some other provinces of action4 #g4 ,yet the duty expressly prescribed is an absolute thing1 independently of what men can foresee of its results4 #h4 ,there is the consciousness and pleasure of pleasing ,god4 #i4 ,what relief has man gained by yielding to the weariness8 #aj4 ,our grave accountableness is for making a diligent1 patient1 persevering use of the means ,god has actually given us4--,j4 ,foster4 ,apathy one of our ,trials4--#a4 ,because1 as in everything else1 so in our spiritual growth1 we are inevitably disappointed in much of our expectations4 #b4 ,the temptation to weariness is no sign at all that the man so tempted is not a true servant of ,god1 though this very often is the first thought that enters the mind4 ,it is no sin to feel weary2 the sin is to be weary--that is1 to let the feeling have its way and rule our conduct4 #c4 ,we expect a kind of fulness of satisfaction in ,god's service which we do not get nearly so soon as we fancy that we shall4 #d4 ,you are quite mistaken to your belief that former prayers and former resolutions have been in vain and have produced no fruit because no fruit is visible4 #e4 ,in due season we shall find that it has been worth while to persevere in trying to serve ,christ4--,dr4 ,temple4 ,well-doing4 ,i4 ,contrasted with fruitless profession4--,it is possible to have a clear notion of ,christian truth and to talk well1 and yet be idle and useless4 ,,ii4 ,contrasted with mistaken standards4--,it is easy to do as others are doing2 but are they doing well8 ,practice must be guided by holy precepts4 ,,iii4 ,contrasted with wrong motives4--,many are careful to do what is literally the right thing1 but they do it with base motives4 ,the correct motives are--love 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ad71 gratitude 7,ps4 cxvi4 #ab71 compassion 7#b ,cor4 v4 #aa71 desire to imitate ,christ4 ,all well-doing is humble and self-renouncing4--,the ,lay ,preacher4 ,reap if we faint not4--,the image is agricultural4 ,i4 ,points of resemblance4--#a4 ,the material harvest is of two kinds--weeds and golden grain4 #b4 ,the spiritual harvest is of two kinds--corruption and everlasting life4 #c4 ,a combination of agencies4 7#a7 ,for the material harvest seed1 soil1 and elements work with the efforts of the farmer4 7#b7 ,for the spiritual harvest the seed of the ,word and the power of ,god must co-operate with man's agency4 #d4 ,as to difficulties4 7#a7 ,the season may be too wet1 too dry1 or too hot1 or an army of insects may attack the growing grain4 7#b7 ,the foes of the spiritual harvest are the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,,ii4 ,points of contrast4--#a4 ,the material harvest is annual1 the spiritual eternal4 #b4 ,there are seasons so unfavourable that all the efforts of the farmer prove in vain2 the spiritual harvest will never fail4 #c4 ,the drouth of one year may be made good by next year's abundance1 but eternity cannot compensate for what was lost in time4 ,,iii4 ,encouragements4--#a4 ,our labour is not in vain in the ,lord4 #b4 ,in due season we shall reap1 if we faint not4 #c4 ,the harvest will be glorious and eternal4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,on doing ,good4 ,i4 ,it is our duty to do good4--,this duty is enforced both by the words and example of ,christ4 ,christianity not only requires its adherents to abstain from evil1 but it demands their active service4 ,,ii4 ,in doing good man attains to true nobility of character4--,the characters in history that exert the greatest fascination over us are not those of eminent statesmen or scientists1 but those who have been distinguished for their philanthropy4 ,we see in them a moral dignity that is unique4 ,what reversals in human estimates of character will take place when the ,divine standard of greatness is appealed to6 ,,iii4 ,in doing good we find true happiness4--,god has so constituted us that the exercise of our malevolent passions is productive of inward dissatisfaction1 while the exercise of benevolent affections is attended with the greatest joy4 ,there is real luxury in doing good4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,the ,opportunity of ,beneficence4 ,i4 ,what a precious thing is opportunity4--,people talk about making time for this or that purpose4 ,the time is really made for us1 only we are too idle or too careless to use it for the proper end4 ,opportunities of usefulness are of frequent occurrence2 they are wont to come and go with rapidity4 ,they must be seized as you would lay hold of a passing friend in the street4 ,,ii4 ,the whole of life is an opportunity4--,there is such a thing as a useful life1 a true life1 a noble life1 though all lives must needs contain a multitude of neglected opportunities4 ,as a series of opportunities its record is woefully imperfect4 ,as one opportunity it is not utterly unworthy of the example of ,christ4 ,let us have a thread of right intention running through life4 ,let us have an active purpose of benevolence--a constant design of love4 ,the continuous opportunity of life must be utilised1 if the particular opportunities of life are to be turned to the best account4 ,,iii4 ,the field of beneficence is very wide4--,wherever men are found it is possible for us to do them good4 ,we touch only a few persons1 but each of these is in contact with others4 ,to do great things with great powers is easy enough2 but things so done may be undone so4 ,the glory of ,christianity has always been that it does great things with small powers1 or powers that men think small2 and the results of its work remain4 ,good work done by many hands is better than the extended philanthropy of an individual2 for what is this but the effort of one man to make amends for the neglect of a thousand8 ,,iv4 ,though all men have a claim on our ,christian benevolence some are entitled to a special share4--,a man does not become a better citizen when he spurns his own family and neglects his duties at home4 ,on the contrary1 the noblest philanthropist is the most affectionate of fathers and husbands1 and he who loves most widely in the world loves most intensely in his own house4 ,so it will be with us in our ,christian charity4 ,we shall begin with those who are called by the common name and worship the common ,lord1 and from these we shall go on1 with our energy not exhausted but rather refreshed1 to the great mass of mankind4--,edward ,c4 ,lefroy4 ,doing ,good4 ,i4 ,we must do good with that only which is our own4--,we may not cut a large and liberal shive off another man's loaf2 we may not steal from one to give to another1 or deal unjustly with some that we may be merciful to others4 ,,ii4 ,we must do good with cheerfulness and alacrity4--,what more free than gift2 therefore we may not play the hucksters in doing good1 for that blemishes the excellency of the gift4 ,,iii4 ,we must so do good as that we do not disable ourselves for ever doing good4--,so begin to do good as that we may continue4 ,,iv4 ,we must do all the good we can within the compass of our calling and hinder all the evil4 ,v4 ,we must do good to all4--#a4 ,from the grounds of love and beneficence4 #b4 ,god is good and bountiful to all4 #c4 ,do good to others as we would they should do to us4 #d4 ,our profession and the reward we look for require us to do this4 ,,vi4 ,there is no possibility of doing good to others after this life4--,perkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa-ac4 ,apostolic ,exposure of ,false ,teachers4 ,i4 ,the apostle gives special emphasis to his warning by concluding his epistle in his own handwriting4--,ye see how large a letter ,i have written unto you with mine own hand 7ver4 #aa74 ,the apostle usually dictated his epistle to an amanuensis1 except the concluding salutation1 which he wrote himself by way of authentication4 ,at this point of the epistle to the ,galatians he appears to have taken the pen from the hand of the amanuensis1 and with his own hand written the concluding sentences in clear1 bold characters1 thus giving the utmost possible emphasis and solemnity to his words4 ,they are a postscript1 or epilogue1 to the epistle1 rehearsing with incisive brevity the burden of all that it was in the apostle's heart to say to these troubled and shaken ,galatians4 ,he wishes to reimpress upon his emotional readers the warnings he had already expressed against the false teachers1 to assure them of his intense regard for their welfare1 and to lay additional stress upon the peril of their hesitating attitude4 ,the more apparent and imminent the danger1 the louder and more earnest is the warning expressed4 ,,ii4 ,it is shown that the policy of the false teachers was to avoid the suffering connected with the ignominy of the cross of ,christ4--,they constrain you to be circumcised1 only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of ,christ4 7ver4 #ab74 ,the false teachers were really cowards1 though this accusation they would be the first indignantly to resent4 ,they wanted to mix up the old faith with the new1 to entangle the new ,christian converts with ,mosaic observances4 ,if they succeeded in persuading the ,gentile ,christians to be circumcised1 they would propitiate the anger of their ,israelite kindred1 and dispose them to regard the new doctrine more favourably4 ,they would1 with heartless recklessness1 rob the believer of all his privileges in ,christ in order to make a shield for themselves against the enmity of their kinsmen4 ,cowards at heart1 they were more afraid of persecution than eager to know and propagate the truth4 ,if a man will be a ,christian1 he cannot avoid the cross2 and to attempt to avoid it will not release from suffering4 ,it is a craven fear indeed that refuses to espouse the truth because it may bring pain4 ,no servant of ,christ1 says ,augustine1 is without affliction4 ,if you expect to be free from persecution1 you have not yet so much as begun to be a ,christian4 ,,iii4 ,the insincerity of the false teachers was apparent in their not keeping the law themselves1 but in boasting of the number of their converts to its external observance4--,for neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law2 but desire to have you circumcised1 that they may glory in your flesh 7ver4 #ac74 ,the ,judaists were not only cowardly1 but insincere4 ,it was not the glory of the law they were concerned about1 but their own success4 ,if they had tried to convert the heathen1 however imperfect might be their creed1 they would have merited some respect2 but1 like some religious troublers to-day1 they selected for their prey those who were already converted4 ,they practised their wiles on the inexperience of young believers1 as they expected to gather from that class the greater number of proselytes of whom to make their boast4 ,their policy was dishonourable both in spirit and in aim4 ,they were false to ,christ in whom they professed to believe1 and to the law which they pretended to keep4 ,they were facing both ways1 studying the safest not the truest course1 anxious in truth to be friends at once with the world and ,christ4 ,their conduct has found many imitators1 in men who make godliness a way of gain1 whose religious course is dictated by considerations of worldly self-interest4 ,business patronage1 professional advancement1 a tempting family alliance1 the entre into some select and envied circle--such are the things for which creeds are bartered1 for which men put their souls and the souls of their children knowingly in peril4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the false teacher may be the occasion of much mischief and spiritual loss4 #b4 ,he succumbs in the presence of suffering4 #c4 ,he is more anxious for public success than for the spread of the truth4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,odium of the ,cross of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the history of the cross4--,it is a history of sin on our part1 and of suffering on the part of ,christ4 ,what a change has been produced in the moral aspect of the universe by the preaching of the cross6 ,,ii4 ,the odium connected with the cross4--,there is odium and suffering connected with the cross still2 in some shape we shall suffer persecution for it4 ,if we will lead a holy life1 then suffering1 persecution1 reproach1 hatred and ill-will1 sarcasm1 wit1 ridicule1 and obloquy will be cast upon us4 ,it was said by one1 when several were expelled from one of our universities1 that if some are expelled for having too much religion1 it is high time to begin to inquire whether there are not some who have too little4 ,if we speak of the reproach of the cross1 what should that reproach be8 ,not that you have too much religion1 but that you have too little1 and that many of you have none at all4 ,,iii4 ,as to those who suffer persecution for the cross1 it is the greatest possible honour to be laughed at1 mocked1 and insulted for the sake of the ,saviour4 ,if the spirit of the martyrs influenced us1 there would be no shunning of persecution on account of the cross1 but suffering would be welcomed with joy4--,the ,pulpit4 ,christianity and ,persecution4 ,i4 ,we should suspect ourselves that our hearts are not sound1 nor our practice sincere1 when all men speak well of us4 ,,ii4 ,we must not be discouraged though there be never so many that make opposition1 or so mighty that raise persecution against us4 ,,iii4 ,that we think it not strange when we find affliction or meet with persecution4 ,the ,gospel and persecution go hand in hand1 or follow one another inseparably4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,empty ,boasting-- ,i4 ,when professed teachers do not practise the virtues they enforce on others4 ,,ii4 ,when zeal for the observance of outward rites disguises the lack of personal godliness4 ,,iii4 ,when success is sought simply to be able to boast of success4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad1 #ae4 ,glorying in the ,cross-- ,i4 ,because of the great truths it reveals4--,but ,god forbid that ,i should glory1 save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ad74 ,the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is a comprehensive phrase signifying the whole redeeming work of ,christ--the salvation effected for the race by ,his crucifixion and death upon the cross4 ,the problem how ,god can forgive sin without any breach in ,his moral government1 or dimming the lustre of ,his perfections1 is solved in the cross4 ,god is great in ,sinai4 ,the thunders precede ,him1 the lightnings attend ,him1 the earth trembles1 the mountains fall in fragments4 ,but there is a greater ,god than this4 ,on ,calvary1 nailed to a cross1 wounded1 thirsting1 dying1 ,he cries1 ,father1 forgive them2 they know not what they do6 ,great is the religion of power1 but greater is the religion of love4 ,great is the religion of implacable justice1 but greater is the religion of pardoning mercy4 ,the cross was the master-theme of the apostle's preaching and the chief and exclusive subject of his glorying4 ,,ii4 ,because of its contrast to effete ceremonialism4--,for in ,christ ,jesus neither circumcision availeth anything1 nor uncircumcision 7ver4 #ae74 ,to the ,jew circumcision was everything4 ,by the cross ,judaism1 as a means of salvation1 is utterly abolished4 ,uncircumcision includes all ,gentile heathenism4 ,before the cross all heathen religions must perish4 ,the ,gentile cultus was never intended to supplant ,jewish customs2 both are excluded as unavailing in human salvation4 ,the devotees of form and ceremony are apt to develop into bigotry and pride2 the foes of ritualism are in danger of making a religion of their opposition2 and both parties indulge in recriminations that are foreign to the spirit of ,christianity4 ,thus1 ,i trample on the pride of ,plato1 said the cynic1 as he trod on the philosopher's sumptuous carpets2 and ,plato justly retorted1 ,you do it with greater pride4 ,ceremonialism is effete1 and is not worth contending about4 ,it is nothing2 ,christ is everything1 and the cross the only subject worthy of the ,christian's boast4 ,,iii4 ,because of the moral change it effects4--,but a new creature--a new creation 7ver4 #ae74 ,in the place of a dead ceremonialism the ,gospel plants a new moral creation4 ,it creates a new type of character4 ,the faith of the cross claims to have produced not a new style of ritual1 not a new system of government1 but new men4 ,the ,christian is the new creature which it begets4 ,the cross has originated a new civilisation1 and is a conspicuous symbol in the finest works of art4 ,ruskin1 describing the artistic glories of the ,church of ,st4 ,mark in ,venice1 says3 ,here are all the successions of crowded imagery showing the passions and pleasures of human life symbolised together1 and the mystery of its redemption3 for the maze of interwoven lines and changeful pictures lead always at last to the cross1 lifted and carved in every place and upon every stone1 sometimes with the serpent of eternity wrapped round it1 sometimes with doves beneath its arms and sweet herbage growing forth from its feet2 but conspicuous most of all on the great rood that crosses the church before the altar1 raised in bright blazonry against the shadow of the apse4 ,it is the cross that is first seen and always burning in the centre of the temple1 and every dome and hollow of its roof has the figure of ,christ in the utmost height of it1 raised in power1 or returning in judgment4 ,the true power of the cross is not artistic or literary or political1 but moral4 ,it is a spiritually transforming force that penetrates and guides every form of human progress4 ,,iv4 ,because of personal identification with its triumph over the world4--,by whom the world is crucified unto me1 and ,i unto the world 7ver4 #ad74 ,as the world of feverish pleasure1 of legal ordinances1 was conquered by the cross1 so the faith of the apostle in the crucified ,one gave him the victory over the world1 so that it lost all power to charm or intimidate4 ,the world of evil is doomed1 and the power of the cross is working out its ultimate defeat4 ,i have seen a curious photograph of what purports to be a portrait of the ,saviour in the days of ,his flesh1 and which by a subtle manipulation of the artist has a double representation4 ,when you first look upon the picture you see the closed eyes of the ,sufferer1 and the face wears a pained and wearied expression2 but as you gaze intently the closed eyes seem to gently open and beam upon you with the light of loving recognition4 ,so1 as you gaze upon the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ it seems to you the symbol of suffering and defeat1 but as you keep your eyes steadily fixed upon it the cross gradually assumes the glory of a glittering crown1 incorruptible1 undefiled1 and that fadeth not away 7#a ,pet4 i4 #d74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the cross is the suggestive summary of saving truth4 #b4 ,the cross is the potent instrument of the highest moral conquests4 #c4 ,the cross is the loftiest theme of the believer's glorying4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,christ ,crucified4 ,i4 ,by ,christ crucified we have reconciliation with ,god1 remission of sins1 and acceptance to eternal life4 ,,ii4 ,we have the peace of ,god1 peace with men1 with ourselves1 with the creatures4 ,,iii4 ,we recover the right and title which we had in creation to all the creatures and blessings of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,all afflictions cease to be curses and punishments and become either trials or corrections4 ,v4 ,those who can truly glory in the cross are dead to the world and the world to them4 ,,vi4 ,we are taught to carry ourselves in the world as crucified and dead men1 not to love1 but to renounce and forsake it4--,perkins4 ,glorying in the ,cross of ,christ4 ,i4 ,we glory in the doctrine of the cross--the justification of guilty men through a propitiatory sacrifice--because of its antiquity4--,it was taught by patriarchs and prophets1 the law of sacrifice was its grand hieroglyphical record1 the first sacrifices were its types1 the first awakened sinner with his load of guilt fell upon this rock and was supported1 and by the sacrifice of ,christ shall the last sinner saved be raised to glory4 ,,ii4 ,because it forms an important part of the revelation of the ,new ,testament4 ,,iii4 ,as affording the only sure ground of confidence to a penitent sinner4 ,,iv4 ,because of its moral effects4--,not only in the superstitions and idolatries it has destroyed1 the barbarous nations it has civilised1 the cruel customs it has abrogated1 and the kindly influence it has shed upon the laws and manners of nations2 but in its moral effect on individuals1 producing the most ardent love to ,god and kindling benevolence towards all--,richard ,watson4 ,the ,true ,glory of the ,christian4 ,i4 ,the disposition of mind denoted by the expressions--,the world is crucified unto me2 ,i am crucified to the world4--#a4 ,the nature of it--a total rupture with the world4 #b4 ,the gradations of which it admits4 ,deadness to avarice and pride--in respect to exertion and actual progress--in respect of hope and fervour4 #c4 ,the difficulty1 the bitterness1 of making a sacrifice so painful4 ,,ii4 ,in such a disposition true glory consists4--,comparison between the hero of this world and the ,christian hero4 ,the hero derives his glory from the greatness of the master he serves1 from the dignity of the persons who have preceded him in the same honourable career1 from the brilliancy of his achievements1 from the acclamations his exploits excite4 ,how much more the ,christian hero6 ,,iii4 ,the cross of ,christ alone can inspire us with these sentiments4--,if we consider it in relation to the atrocious guilt of those who despise it1 in relation to the proofs there displayed of ,christ's love1 in the proofs it supplies of the doctrine of ,christ1 and in relation to the glory that shall follow4--,saurin4 ,the ,cross a ,burden or a ,glory4 ,i4 ,there is the constant ordinary discipline of human life4--,life when it is earnest contains more or less of suffering4 ,there is a battle of good and evil1 and these special miseries are the bruises of the blows that fill the air1 sometimes seeming to fall at random and perplexing our reason1 because we cannot rise to such height of vision as to take in the whole field at once4 ,,ii4 ,there is the wretchedness of feeling self-condemned4--,law alone is a cross4 ,man needs another cross--not ,simon's1 but ,paul's4 ,he took it up1 and it grew light in his hands4 ,he welcomed it1 and it glowed with lustre1 as if it were framed of the sunbeams of heaven4 ,,iii4 ,the same spiritual contrast1 the same principle of difference between compulsory and voluntary service1 opens to us two interpretations of the suffering of the ,saviour ,himself4--,neither the cross of ,simon nor the cross of ,paul was both literally and actually the cross of ,christ4 ,its charm was that it was chosen4 ,its power was that it was free4 ,the cross becomes glorious when the ,son of ,god takes it up2 there is goodness enough in ,him to exalt it4 ,it was the symbol of that sacrifice where self was for ever crucified for love4--,f4 ,d4 ,huntington4 ,the ,cross-- ,i4 ,the sinner's refuge4 ,,ii4 ,the sinner's remedy4 ,,iii4 ,the sinner's life4 ,the ,glory of the ,cross4 ,i4 ,the cross was the emblem of death4 ,,ii4 ,christ was not only a dead ,saviour1 but a condemned ,saviour4 ,,iii4 ,a disgraced ,saviour1 because the cross was a disgraceful kind of punishment4 ,,iv4 ,paul gloried in the cross because it is an exhibition of the righteousness of ,god4 ,v4 ,because it proclaims ,his love4 ,,vi4 ,the contemplation of ,christ's cross helps us to conquer the world4--,newman ,hall4 ,glorying in the ,cross4 ,i4 ,the subjects in which the apostle gloried4--#a4 ,he might have gloried in his distinguished ancestry4 #b4 ,in his polished education4 #c4 ,in the morality of his former life4 #d4 ,in his extraordinary call to the apostleship4 #e4 ,in his high ecclesiastical position4 #f4 ,he did not glory in the literal cross4 #g4 ,nor in the metaphorical cross4 #h4 ,but in the metonymical cross 7#a ,cor4 i4 #ag2 ,col4 i4 #bj74 ,,ii4 ,the characteristics of the apostle's glorying4--#a4 ,his glorying was not merely verbal1 but practical4 #b4 ,not sectarian1 but ,christian and catholic4 #c4 ,not temporary1 but permanent4 ,,iii4 ,the reasons of the apostle's glorying4--#a4 ,here he saw a grander display of the ,divine character and perfections than elsewhere4 #b4 ,this was the scene of the most glorious victory ever witnessed4 #c4 ,it was the centre of all ,god's dispensations4 #d4 ,the cross was the most powerful incentive to true morality4 #e4 ,hence flowed all the blessings of the ,gospel economy4 #f4 ,here was made an atonement equal to the needs of our fallen world4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,let us here see the purity of the moral law and the heinousness of sin4 #b4 ,let the sinner come to the cross for pardon1 purity1 peace1 and joy4--,w4 ,antliff4 ,glorying in the ,cross4 ,i4 ,paul's enthusiasm as expressed in the exclamation of the text4 ,,ii4 ,one main source of his zeal lay in the subject of his enthusiasm4--#a4 ,the cross is a fit subject for glory as symbolising an infinite1 boundless truth4 #b4 ,because it is an eternal fact4 #c4 ,because it is the ground of man's justification and the symbol of his redemption4 ,,iii4 ,look at the result--crucifixion to the world4--,the true solution of the ,christian's relationship to the world lies in the fact that it is a separation not in space but in spirit4--,j4 ,hutchinson1 in ,scottish ,pulpit4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,scriptural ,view of ,true ,religion4 ,i4 ,what true religion is not4--#a4 ,it is not circumcision nor uncircumcision4 #b4 ,it is not an outward thing4 7#a7 ,you are not religious because you have been baptised4 7#b7 ,because you are called a ,christian1 and have been born of ,christian parents4 7#c7 ,because you frequent the ,church1 attend the ,lord's ,supper1 and are regular at your devotions4 ,,ii4 ,what true religion is4--#a4 ,it is not an outward but an inward thing4 ,it is not a new name1 but a new nature4 ,a new creation describes a great change in man4 #b4 ,the greatness of this change shows also the power by which it is wrought4 ,creation is a ,divine work4 #c4 ,the rite of circumcision taught the necessity of the change4 ,though it was a seal of the righteousness of faith1 it was also a sign of the inward renewal and purification of the heart4 ,baptism in the ,christian ,church teaches the same truth4 ,the texts of ,scripture which set forth the evil nature of man set forth the necessity of this great change4--,edward ,cooper4 ,the ,new ,creature4--,the new creature is the only thing acceptable to ,god4 ,it is the renovation of the whole man1 both in the spirit of our minds and in the affections of our heart4 ,neither the substance nor the faculties of the soul are lost by the ,fall1 but only the qualities of the faculties1 as when an instrument is out of tune the fault is not in the substance of the instrument1 nor in the sound1 but in the disproportion or jar in the sound3 therefore1 the qualities only are renewed by grace4 ,these qualities are either in the understanding or the will and affections4 ,the quality in the understanding is knowledge2 in the will and affections they are righteousness and holiness1 both which are in truth and sincerity4 ,holiness performs all the duties of piety1 righteousness the duties of humanity1 truth seasoning both the former with sincerity4--,ralph ,culworth4 ,the ,necessity of a ,new ,nature4--,the raven perched on the rock where she whets her bloody beak1 and with greedy eye watches the death-struggles of an unhappy lamb1 cannot tune her croaking voice to the mellow music of a thrush2 and since it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh1 how could a sinner take up the strain and sing the song of saints8--,guthrie4 ,the ,new ,birth begins our ,true ,life4--,a stranger passing through a churchyard saw these words written on a tombstone3 ,here lies an old man seven years old4 ,he had been a true ,christian only for that length of time4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #af-ah4 ,a ,dignified and ,touching ,farewell-- ,i4 ,supplicates the best blessing on the truly righteous4--,as many as walk according to this rule1 peace be on them1 and mercy1 and upon the ,israel of ,god 7ver4 #af74 ,jewish discipline and pagan culture are for ever discredited by the new creation of moral virtue4 ,the rule of the renewed inward life supersedes the works of the condemned flesh4 ,on all who seek to regulate their lives according to this rule the apostle invokes the peace and mercy of ,god4 ,peace is followed by the mercy which guards and restores it4 ,mercy heals backslidings and multiplies pardons4 ,she loves to bind up a broken heart or a rent and distracted ,church4 ,for the betrayers of the cross he has stern indignation and alarms of judgment4 ,towards his children in the faith nothing but peace and mercy remains in his heart4 ,as an evening calm shuts in a tempestuous day1 so this blessing concludes the epistle so full of strife and agitation4 ,we catch in it once more the chime of the old benediction1 which through all storm and peril ever rings in ears attuned to its note3 ,peace shall be upon ,israel 7,ps4 cxxv4 #e74 ,,ii4 ,pleads the brand of suffering for loyalty to ,christ as conclusive proof of authority4--,from henceforth let no man trouble me3 for ,i bear in my body the marks of the ,lord ,jesus 7ver4 #ag74 ,the apostle has sufficiently vindicated his authority by facts and arguments1 and he would effectually silence all quibbles on this subject by triumphantly pointing to the marks of suffering on his own body received in his ,master's service4 ,these marks he carried wherever he went1 like the standard-bearer of an army who proudly wears his scars4 ,no man would have suffered as ,paul did unless he was convinced of the importance of the truth he had received and of his supernatural call to declare the same4 ,suffering is the test of devotion and fidelity4 ,for a picture of the harassed1 battered1 famished sufferer in the cause of ,christ and ,his ,gospel read #b ,cor4 iv4 #h-aj1 xi4 #bc-bh4 ,marks of suffering are more eloquent than words4 ,the highest eminence of moral perfection and influence cannot be reached without much suffering4 ,it is a callous nature indeed that is not touched with the sight of suffering heroically endured4 ,the calm bravery of the early ,christians under the most fiendish persecution won many a convert to the truth4 ,,iii4 ,concludes with an affectionate benediction4--,brethren1 the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ be with your spirit4 ,amen 7ver4 #ah74 ,placing the word brethren at the end of the sentence1 as in the ,greek1 suggests that1 after much rebuke and admonition1 the apostle bids his readers farewell with the warm-hearted expression of brotherhood4 ,notwithstanding fickleness on their part1 his love towards them remains unchanged4 ,he prays that the grace of ,christ1 the distinctive and comprehensive blessing of the new covenant1 may continue to rest upon them and work its renewing and sanctifying power upon their spirit1 the place where alone it can accomplish its most signal triumphs4 ,forgiveness for their defection and confidence in their restoration to the highest ,christian privileges and enjoyment1 are the last thoughts of the anxious apostle4 ,between them and moral bankruptcy is the prayerful solicitude of a good man4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,when argument is exhausted prayer is the last resource4 #b4 ,prayer links ,divine blessing with human entreaty4 #c4 ,last words have about them a solemn and affecting efficacy4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,true ,israel of ,god-- ,i4 ,are those who personally enjoy the inward righteousness that comes through faith4 ,,ii4 ,who live consistently with their spiritual profession and the truth they have embraced4 ,,iii4 ,enjoy the ,divine benedictions of mercy and peace4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,marks of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,i4 ,the word picture here presented4--#a4 ,the figure--slave-brands1 4 #b4 ,the facts--,paul's historic experiences 7#a ,cor4 iv4 #i-ae2 #b ,cor4 xi4 #bc-cj74 #c4 ,the challenge--,let no man trouble me4 ,,ii4 ,the suggestion the picture makes4--#a4 ,he who follows the ,lord ,jesus must expect some will try to trouble him4 #b4 ,he whose marks are most conspicuous will be troubled the least4 #c4 ,he who has marks may take comfort in knowing how much his ,master paid for him4 #d4 ,he who is owned may remember that his ,master owns and recognises the marks also4 #e4 ,he that has no marks is either a better or a poorer ,christian than the apostle ,paul4 #f4 ,satan outwits himself when he gives a believer more marks4 #g4 ,a sure day is coming when the marks will be honourable1 for the body of humiliation will be like the glorious body of ,christ4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,marked ,men4 ,i4 ,ill-marked men4--,think of the marks left on men by sickness1 intemperance1 impurity1 crime1 sin of any kind4 ,evil will always leave its mark4 ,,ii4 ,well-marked men4--#a4 ,christian marks--the marks of ,christ4 ,paul was the slave of ,christ4 ,some of his marks for ,christ were literal1 as the weals caused by the rods of the ,roman ,csars1 the red lines caused by scourging in ,jewish synagogues1 the scars caused by repeated stonings4 ,the marks of the ,christian are mainly spiritual--marked by trustfulness1 gentleness1 purity1 unselfishness4 #b4 ,distinct marks4--,marked that he may be recognised4 ,if you have the marks of ,jesus1 confess and obey ,him4 #c4 ,deep marks4--,branded on the body1 not lines that can easily be removed1 but going down to the flesh4 ,our ,christian life is often feeble because it is not deep4 #d4 ,personal marks4--,the marks of ,jesus of no avail unless you possess them4 ,no man can really trouble you if you bear branded on your body the marks of ,jesus4--,local ,preacher's ,treasury4 ,suffering for ,jesus4 ,i4 ,the scars of the saints for the maintenance of the truth are the sufferings1 wounds1 and marks of ,christ ,himself1 seeing they are the wounds of the members of that body whereof ,he is ,head4 ,,ii4 ,they convince the persecutors that they are the servants of ,christ who suffer thus for righteousness' sake4 ,,iii4 ,if men be constant in their profession--in faith and obedience--the marks of their suffering are banners of victory4--,no man ought to be ashamed of them1 no more than soldiers of their wounds and scars1 but rather in a holy manner to glory of them4 ,constantine the ,great kissed the holes of the eyes of certain bishops who had them put out for their constant profession of the faith of ,christ1 reverencing the virtue of the ,holy ,ghost which shined in them4 #a4 ,by suffering bodily afflictions we are made conformable to ,christ4 #b4 ,they teach us to have sympathy with the miseries of our brethren4 #c4 ,our patient enduring of affliction is an example to others and a means of confirming them in the truth4 #d4 ,they serve to scour us from the rust of sin4--,perkins4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,concluding ,benediction4 ,i4 ,the apostle invokes the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--#a4 ,because ,he is the fountain of it4 #b4 ,because ,he is the conduit or pipe by which it is conveyed to us4 ,,ii4 ,christ is called our ,lord--#a4 ,by right of creation4 #b4 ,of inheritance4 #c4 ,of redemption4 #d4 ,of conquest4 #e4 ,of contract and marriage4 ,,iii4 ,observe the emphasis with which the apostle concludes the epistle4--#a4 ,opposing ,christ1 the ,lord of the house1 to ,moses1 who was but a servant4 #b4 ,the grace of ,christ to inherent justice and merit of works4 #c4 ,the spirit in which he would have grace to be seated1 to the flesh in which the false teachers gloried so much4 #d4 ,brotherly unity one with another--implied in the word brethren--to the proud and lordly carriage of the false teachers4--,ibid4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,page #a1 ,introduction1 ,character paragraph1 add comma to time they2 remove comma from numbers1 and2 apply ,reverential ,capitalisation 7,,rc7 to the ,gospel4 - ,page #b1 same paragraph1 change v4 #ae reference to ch4 v4 #ae2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,time of writing paragraph1 remove comma from certainty1 and4 ,purpose and analysis paragraph1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,pages #b and #c1 table1 change each reference to prefix ch4 - ,page #e1 ,notes for chapter i41 verse #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine source and the ,gospel4 ,verse #f1 change cf4 to cf4 ch4 ,verses #h and #i1 apply ,,rc to his ,gospel4 ,verse #ab1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and his ,gospel4 ,verse #af1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,apostolic ,credentials1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine authority4 - ,page #f1 same lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine character2 remove comma from ,god1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine stamp1 ,divine element1 and ,divine authority4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine source and the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to are ,divine and ,divine love2 remove comma from race1 and2 add comma to ,oh1 the4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel salvation2 add comma to words we2 apply ,,rc to the whole ,gospel and the ,gospel2 remove comma from nutshell1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divinely provided and the ,gospel4 - ,page #g1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely revealed4 ,application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,the ,power note1 remove comma from them1 and4 ,grace and ,peace note1 point ,i1 remove comma from man1 but4 - ,page #h1 ,unselfishness note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine character4 ,christ our ,sacrifice note1 point ,,ii1 add comma to ,therefore all4 - ,page #i1 lesson ,the ,one ,gospel1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to one true ,gospel1 one ,gospel1 and the ,gospel2 remove comma from methods1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to one ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii4 #a1 apply ,,rc to true ,gospel1 one ,gospel1 true ,gospel1 and the ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to infallible ,gospel4 ,remonstrance note1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from part1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from wax1 and2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #aj1 same note1 same paragraph1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and one ,gospel4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7four times72 remove comma from word1 and4 ,perversion note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine purpose4 ,disappointed ,hopes note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 add comma to sweetened and4 ,inviolable ,unity note1 apply ,,rc to one ,gospel4 - ,page #aa1 same note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,inviolability of ,christianity note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice72 remove comma from eye1 but2 and apply ,,rc to that ,word4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine origin and ,divine benediction4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine truth4 - ,page #ab1 same note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,best ,authority note1 add a missing sentence-ending period after ,st4 ,peter2 add double quotes around the response ,no4 - ,page #ac1 ,true ,gospel note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,lesson ,superhuman ,origin1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice71 a ,gospel1 and ,divine ,master4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice7 and ,divine message 7across page break74 - ,page #ad1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice7 and ,divine origin4 ,application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel1 saving ,gospel1 the ,gospel1 and ,divine gift4 ,fidelity note1 point ,i1 add sentence-ending period after they utter4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,servant of ,christ note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from dishonourable1 unless apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,the break between pages #ad and #ae is in the word compelled3 compelled4 ,in this and every subsequent case1 the ,transcriber moved the whole word to the earlier page4 - ,page #ae1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 remove comma from us1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,he saved us and of ,his ,word4 - ,the break between pages #ae and #af is in the word maintenance3 maintenance4 - ,page #af1 ,the ,gospel and the ,call1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and the ,word 7thrice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel1 ,divine authority1 and the ,word4 ,apostolic ,assurance note1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #ag1 same note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 - ,page #ah1 lesson ,zealous ,ritualist1 point ,,iii1 remove comma from heart1 and2 apply ,,rc to the ,word and ,god's ,word4 ,review of a ,misspent ,life1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #ai1 ,true and ,false ,zeal1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word1 the ,gospel 7twice71 ,his ,word1 and the ,word4 ,lesson ,imperative ,claims1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely destined and remove comma from future1 or4 ,poem1 apply ,,rc to ,divinity4 ,after poem1 apply ,,rc to ,divine element4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine revelation2 remove comma from change1 and2 apply ,,rc to universal ,gospel and ,divine commission4 - ,page #bj1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove commas from response1 and and hearer1 and4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to first ,gospel pioneers4 ,conversion note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ba1 same note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 ,conversion as ,illustrated note1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace and the ,gospel 7twice74 ,qualification note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,divine ,call note1 remove comma from doubt1 and4 - ,page #bb1 same note1 change the scripture reference after ,jeremiah from i4 #ai to ,jer4 i4 #ai to avoid any confusion4 ,divine call note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,god ,glorified1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #bc1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine call and ,divine work4 ,application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,self-conscious ,truth note1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #bd1 ,self-evidencing ,proof note1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely commissioned4 ,god ,glorified note1 apply ,,rc to if ,he continues4 - ,page #be1 ,notes for chapter ii41 verse #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine confirmation4 ,verse #i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #ac1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #ad1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bf1 lesson ,confirmatory ,proofs1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely directed and ,divine call2 remove comma from apostles1 and2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7five times7 and ,divine commission4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine authority and the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #bg1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine commission and remove comma from past1 and4 ,application 7,lessons7 apply ,,rc to ,divine call4 ,truth its ,own ,evidence note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bh1 same lesson1 ,false ,brethren note1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from bondage1 and4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,vii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,a spy note1 remove comma from borrowed1 and4 ,fidelity note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,truth note1 remove comma from sword1 and4 ,recognition note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to distinctly ,divine4 - ,the break between pages #bh and #bi is in the word admitting3 admitting4 - ,page #bi1 same lesson1 ,divine ,blessing note1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,efficacy note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from apostle1 because4 ,lesson ,christianity and ,poverty1 point ,i #a1 remove comma from ,christianity1 but4 - ,page #cj1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit of the ,gospel4 ,remember the ,poor note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #ca1 lesson ,fearless ,defence1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cb1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 remove commas from it1 and and sin1 but4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine character and ,divine order and change brganic life to organic life4 ,astute ,defender note1 point ,i1 change ,his power to his power1 referring to ,paul4 - ,page #cc1 same lesson1 ,power of ,example1 remove comma from men1 and4 ,erring ,apostle note1 point ,i #a1 remove comma from law1 but4 ,point ,i #e1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,page #cd1 same lesson1 ,justification note1 point ,,iii1 add comma to ,therefore it4 ,point ,,iv1 final sentence1 the ,transcriber inserted a colon after place4 - ,page #ce1 ,christian ,dead to the ,law note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7five times74 - ,page #cf1 ,dead to the ,law by the ,law note1 point ,,ii1 add sentence-ending period after law of ,moses4 ,point ,,iii #a1 remove comma from ,god1 and4 ,religious ,life note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #cg1 ,love of the ,son note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 add the hyphen to self-denial4 ,life of ,faith note1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from salvation1 but4 - ,page #ch1 ,life of ,faith note1 point ,i #f1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,self-abolished note1 remove comma from this1 and4 - ,page #ci1 ,notes for chapter iii41 verse #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine order4 ,verse #h1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,verse #ag1 apply ,,rc to ,divine covenant4 - ,the break between pages #ci and #dj is within an element that style indicates should not be broken1 transgressions4--,to4 ,in this and every subsequent case1 the ,transcriber moved the entire element to the earlier page4 - ,page #dj1 lesson ,deceptive ,glamour1 point ,i1 remove comma from colours1 and2 add commas to error their and diverted and4 - ,page #da1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine order4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine method4 ,faithful ,reproof note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #db1 ,folly note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word 7thrice74 ,attractiveness note1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word2 add ,john xii4 #cb reference4 - ,page #dc1 same lesson1 ,uses of ,suffering note1 remove comma from adoption1 and4 ,miracles note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,abrahamic ,gospel1 in point ,i1 apply ,,rc to and remove comma from the ,gospel1 and and apply ,,rc to only ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from blessing1 but4 - ,page #dd1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,righteousness through ,faith note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine method2 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to unchanging ,gospel4 ,imitators of ,abraham's ,faith note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,all ,nations note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 - ,page #de1 lesson ,the ,conflict1 point ,i1 remove comma from imperfection1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice72 remove comma from law1 and4 ,at the end of the paragraph1 add double quotes around ,no4 - ,page #df1 same lesson1 ,the ,inexorability note1 point ,i1 remove comma from requirements1 but4 ,justified note1 add ,gen4 i4 #c reference4 ,the ,difference note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,each of points ,,ii and ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,his work4 - ,page #dg1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7four times74 ,lesson ,divine ,covenant1 point ,i1 remove comma from binding1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine covenant 7thrice72 apply ,,rc to the ,divine ,word and ,divine character4 - ,page #dh1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine covenant4 ,promise a ,covenant note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #di1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,his bare ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 add comma to therefore it4 ,divine and ,human ,covenants note1 each of points ,,ii and ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine covenant4 ,law and ,promise note1 remove comma from justification1 and4 - ,page #ej1 lesson ,inferiority of the ,law1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from man1 and4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine image4 - ,page #ea1 same lesson1 ,no ,trust note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,use of the ,law note1 each of points ,i and ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,unity note1 point #c1 remove comma from one1 and4 - ,page #eb1 lesson ,true ,use of the ,law1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine method 7twice74 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from ,christ1 and4 - ,on page #ec1 same lesson1 ,great ,prison note1 change sabbathless to ,sabbath-less2 remove comma from fast1 and2 add comma to ,so when4 - ,on page #ed1 same lesson1 ,shut up unto the faith note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 remove comma from is1 and and apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ee1 same lesson1 ,law our ,schoolmaster note1 in point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #ef1 same lesson1 ,law preparing note1 point ,i1 capitalize ,day of ,atonement4 ,each of points ,,ii and ,,iii1 capitalize ,ten ,commandments4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine plan and ,divine life4 - ,page #eg1 same lesson1 ,law a ,schoolmaster note1 application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to ,christ's ,gospel4 ,lesson ,dignity of ,sonship1 point ,i1 remove comma from training1 and2 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from provisions1 and4 - ,page #eh1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 add comma to ,surely he4 ,baptism note1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine life4 - ,page #ei1 same lesson1 ,god's ,children note1 point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to ,word of ,god4 ,profession note1 remove comma from doing1 or2 add comma to ,nevertheless we4 - ,page #fj1 same lesson1 ,promise of ,grace note1 apply ,,rc to whole ,gospel and the ,word2 add comma to therefore1 the2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,notes for chapter iv41 correct ,v r4 #a to ,ver4 #a4 ,verse #f1 recognise ,abba as ,chaldee 7,hebrew7 and set it in ,italic2 change iii4 #bh to ch4 iii4 #bh2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 and add the sentence-ending period to the second sentence4 - ,page #fa1 each of the notes for verses #ag and #cj1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,nonage1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from blessings1 and4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely provided4 - ,page #fb1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,son4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine law4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine glow and remove comma from ,god1 and4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine adoption4 ,application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,christ's ,mission note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power4 - ,page #fc1 same lesson1 same note1 same point1 remove comma from trial1 and4 - ,page #fd1 same lesson1 ,adoption note1 point ,i1 remove comma from name1 and4 ,point ,,ii #a1 change iv4 #f to ch4 iv4 #f4 - ,page #fe1 same lesson1 ,evidences of ,sonship note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,word of ,god4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine manner4 ,god's ,offspring note1 point #b1 remove comma from ,father1 and4 - ,page #ff1 lesson ,legalism a ,relapse1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from religion1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from nature1 but4 - ,page #fg1 same lesson1 ,dilemma note1 point ,i #b 7#c71 make his god and thy god lowercase1 because the focus has been taken from ,god4 ,ignorance note1 each of points #b and #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine worship4 - ,page #fh1 lesson ,pleadings1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from intellect1 but4 - ,page #fi1 same lesson1 ,christian ,brotherhood note1 point ,i1 remove comma from men1 or4 ,point ,,ii #a1 remove comma from wilfully1 and4 - ,page #ga1 same lesson1 ,objects note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,godly ,zeal note1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from excitement1 and4 - ,page #gb1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,i #e1 remove comma from man1 but4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine designs4 ,true note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #e1 apply ,,rc to ,divine approval4 ,christmas note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,agent4 - ,page #gc1 same lesson1 ,doubt note1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from knowledge1 and2 point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,history1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine freedom4 ,in point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #gd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice7 and add #a ,pet4 i4 #d reference4 ,application 7,lessons71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,jerusalem ,above note1 point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from salvation1 and4 - ,page #ge1 same lesson1 ,jerusalem a ,type note1 point ,,iii1 correct ,messias to ,messiah and apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,believers note1 point ,,ii #d1 add comma to ,so believers and so it4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine love4 - ,page #gf1 same lesson1 ,fate note1 point ,i1 remove comma from mocking1 and4 ,notes for chapter v41 verse #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #gg1 lesson ,christian ,liberty1 point ,i1 correct where4with to wherewith4 - ,page #gh1 same lesson1 in point ,,ii1 capitalize ,negro 7twice74 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from good1 but4 - ,page #gi1 same lesson1 ,bondage and ,liberty note1 point ,v1 remove comma from adoption1 and4 ,point ,,vi1 remove comma from memory1 but4 ,lesson ,christianity ,superior1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from aspect1 and4 - ,page #hj1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,righteousness attained note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine worship and the ,word4 - ,page #ha1 same lesson1 ,religion is ,faith working note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,lesson ,disturber1 point ,i1 remove comma from result1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine method and ,divine calling4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine judgment and remove commas from truth1 but and himself1 but4 - ,page #hb1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #b1 add double quotes around ,would that the ,judaising troubles would mutilate themselves2 remove comma from exhausted1 and4 ,like a ,race note1 point ,i #d1 remove commas from on1 and and them1 but4 - ,page #hc1 same lesson1 ,bad ,companions note1 add comma to course it4 ,disintegrating ,force note1 point #a1 remove comma from ,god1 and and apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #hd1 same lesson1 ,perversion note1 point ,,ii1 add comma to known and4 - ,page #he1 same lesson1 ,judgment note1 remove comma from certainty1 because4 ,lesson ,love1 point ,i1 remove comma from win1 and4 - ,page #hf1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 remove comma from quarrels1 but4 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from sphere1 and add double quotes around ,be a man 4 4 4 as you can2 remove comma from can1 but4 ,abuse note1 point ,i1 add comma to ,thus all4 - ,page #hg1 same lesson1 ,right ,use note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #hh1 same lesson1 ,positiveness note1 point ,,iii1 add comma to suppression but apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #hi1 same lesson1 ,walking in the ,spirit note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature4 ,each of points ,i #e 7#a7 and ,,ii #a 7#b71 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,the ,strife note1 point ,i1 change imprison ,him to imprison him referring to sin4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to in ,him4 - ,page #ij1 same lesson1 ,leading of the ,spirit note1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #ia1 lesson ,works1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,italic formatting to fornication in the second sentence for consistency4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,italic formatting to idolatry for consistency2 remove comma from lust1 and2 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 add and rises again because man religious leaders have died1 only ,one has risen again4 ,use lowercase for him whose own career it describes as referring to a saved person4 - ,page #ib1 same lesson1 ,biblical ,account note1 remove comma from ,testament1 and2 capitalize ,adam's ,fall2 remove comma from ,testament1 and4 ,lesson ,fruit1 point ,i #a1 add comma to place love and apply ,,rc to ,diviner meaning4 - ,page #ic1 same lesson1 point ,i #c1 remove commas from activity1 and and discipline1 and4 - ,page #id1 same lesson1 ,fruit note1 point ,i #a 7#b71 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,the break between pages #id and #ie is in the word according3 according4 - ,page #ie1 ,powers note1 add comma to ,christianity we4 ,point ,i1 remove comma from miserable1 and4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine love and the ,divine4 - ,page #if1 ,power of ,meekness note1 remove comma from peace1 and4 ,grace of ,gentleness note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #ig1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine greatness4 ,life and ,walk note1 point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from life1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,walking in the ,spirit note1 each of points ,i and ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #ih1 notes for chapter vi41 verse #g1 remove comma from men1 but4 - ,page #ajj1 lesson ,mutual ,sympathy1 point ,,ii1 add double quotes around ,if ye will 4 4 4 law of love4 ,in point ,,iii4 #b1 remove comma from theirs1 but add double quotes around ,what do others fail to do and ,what am ,i 4 4 4 expects from me4 - ,page #aja1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from you1 and4 - ,page #ajc1 same lesson1 ,bear ,one ,another's ,burdens note1 in point #d1 remove comma from turned1 and2 apply ,,rc to dim ,gospel4 - ,page #ajd1 same lesson1 ,bearing ,one ,another note1 add comma to so in4 - ,page #ajf1 same lesson1 ,every ,man note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,moral ,sowing1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine law4 - ,page #ajg1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 remove comma from disappointment1 and4 ,pastors and ,people note1 point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #ajh1 same lesson1 same note1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7two additional times74 ,ministerial ,maintenance note1 point #c1 remove comma from preach1 and and apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #aji1 same lesson1 ,double ,harvest note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine appointment and add comma to end they4 ,change second point ,,ii to point ,,iii4 - ,page #aaj1 ,sowing and ,reaping note1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine approval4 - ,page #aaa1 same note1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine plaudit4 - ,page #aab1 same lesson1 ,reap if we faint not note1 point ,i #c 7#b71 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #aac1 same lesson1 ,doing ,good note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine stanbard4 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from calling1 and4 - ,page #aae1 lesson ,apostolic ,exposure1 ,christianity and ,persecution note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #aaf1 lesson ,glorying1 point ,,ii1 add comma to ,thus ,i4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,the original third sentence is ,the faith of the cross claims to have produced not a new style of ritual1 a new system of government1 but new men4 ,the ,transcriber inserted the word not after the first comma for clarity4 - ,page #aag1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 add comma to ,so as and add #a ,pet4 i4 #d reference4 ,christ ,crucified note1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from punishments1 and4 - ,page #aah1 same lesson1 ,glorying in the ,cross note1 point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine character4 ,point ,,iii #e1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #aai1 same lesson1 ,true ,religion note1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine work4 ,new ,creature note1 add comma to therefore the4 ,lesson ,dignified1 point ,i1 the ,transcriber removed an opening double quotes from ,peace is followed by mercy because there was neither a closing quotation mark nor an obvious indication where a quotation ended4 - ,page #abj1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine blessing4 ,true ,israel note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine benedictions4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,ephesians4 ,,introduction4 ,readers to whom the epistle was sent4--,in the two most ancient copies of the ,scriptures which we possess--dating from the fourth century of our era--the words in our ,a4,v4 7ch4 i4 #a71 at ,ephesus1 are missing2 and ,basil the ,great1 who lived in the fourth century1 says he had seen copies which1 ancient even at that early date1 spoke of the readers as those who are1 and the faithful in ,christ ,jesus4 ,when it is observed1 however1 that ,basil still says in that passage the apostle is writing to the ,ephesians1 in all honesty we must admit another interpretation of his words to be possible4 ,add to these early witnesses that ,ephesus is not named in the text the further fact that1 though ,st4 ,paul had lived and laboured between two and three years in ,ephesus1 there is absolutely no mention of any name of those with whom he had been associated1 and what on the assumption of the ,ephesian destination of the epistle is stranger still1 no reference to the work1 unless we may be allowed to regard the sealing with the ,holy ,spirit of promise as a reminiscence of ,acts xix4 #a-g4 ,we must not make too much1 however1 of this absence of personal greetings4 ,tychicus can do1 viv voce1 all that needs to be done in that way4 ,st4 ,paul had been received as an angel of ,god1 or even as ,christ ,jesus1 by ,galatians1 not one of whom is mentioned in the letter sent to the ,galatians4 ,certain expressions in the body of the letter are strange if the ,ephesian ,christians were the first readers of it4 ,in ch4 i4 #ae the apostle says1 ,after ,i heard of your faith in the ,lord ,jesus4 ,one asks1 ,did not the faith which 'cometh by hearing' result from ,paul's preaching in ,ephesus8 ,then how can he speak of hearing of it8 ,it may be answered1 ,does not ,paul say to ,philemon1 ',thou owest unto me thine own self' 7ver4 #ai71 and yet says 7ver4 #e7 that1 hearing of his love and faith1 he thanks ,god8 ,moreover1 has any one quite demonstrated the impossibility of this faith being the continuity of that which began with the abjuration of magic in a costly offering of fifty thousand pieces of silver8 7,acts xix4 #ag-bj74 ,faith may take the form of fidelity as easily as of credence4 ,again1 in ch4 iii4 #b ,paul1 at the word ,gentiles1 enters into a digression about his specific commission as their apostle4 ,just as to the ,galatian ,church he expatiates on the special grace bestowed by ,god and recognised by the pillars of the ,church1 so here he magnifies his office1 and his words here no more prove that he had never seen his readers than the section of ,galatians 7,gal4 ii4 #f-i7 proves that he did not know the ,galatians4 ,even supposing they did1 it surely would not be an astonishing thing that in the ever-shifting population of a seaport many may have joined the ,church since ,st4 ,paul was in ,ephesus4 ,that this was the place to which ,st4 ,paul sent his messenger with the letter before us cannot be demonstratively shown2 but we feel something like conviction by considering3 7a7 that the preponderant evidence of the ,,mss4 says ,ephesus2 7b7 that the versions are unanimous as an echo of the ,,mss42 7c7 that the entire ancient ,church has spoken of the epistle as to the ,ephesians1 ,marcion's voice being the only exception2 7d7 the improbability of ,st4 ,paul writing to the saints which are without adding the name of some place2 7e7 ,ephesus more easily meets internal difficulties than any other place4 ,this1 in substance1 is ,bishop ,ellicott's view4 ,still1 we cannot regard it as impossible that ,ephesus may comprise many ,churches in the vicinity1 and therefore regard the letter as really encyclical1 even though it were proved that ,st4 ,paul wrote to the saints at ,ephesus4 ,analysis of the ,epistle4 i4 #a1 #b4 ,salutation4 ,joy and well-being to those in ,christ4 #c-ad4 ,hymn of praise to the ,father1 who worked out in ,christ ,his pre-temporal designs of beneficence1 and gave pledge of the yet more glorious consummation of ,his ,divine will in the bestowal of the ,holy ,ghost4 #ae-bc4 ,thanksgiving of the apostle over their fidelity1 and his prayer for their complete illumination in the incorporation of the ,gentiles in the mystical body of ,christ1 the ,head4 ii4 #a-aj4 ,the power that delivered ,christ from bodily corruption in the tomb saved ,his members out of the corruption of fleshly lusts1 thus silencing every human boast and magnifying the ,divine grace4 #aa-bb4 ,wholesome reminder of their former distance from ,christ as contrasted with present union with ,him1 and union with the ,jews in ,him1 being led to the ,father with them4 iii4 #a-ac4 ,paul's familiar statement of the origin of his apostolate as specially commissioned--ambassador extraordinary to the ,gentiles4 #ad-ai4 ,prayer that by power and faith and love they may grasp the mystery1 and become brimful of love ,divine4 #bj1 #ba4 ,doxology to the doctrinal half of the epistle4 iv4 #a-af4 ,exhortation to a practical observation of this doctrinal unity by the thought that every member of ,christ is necessary in its full development to the perfection of the body of which ,christ is the ,head4 #ag-bd4 ,casting off the old and putting on the new man4 #be--v4 #ba4 ,exhortation to conduct in harmony with the new nature4 v4 #bb--vi4 #i4 ,relative duties of wives and husbands1 children and parents1 servants and masters4 vi4 #aj-ah4 ,the ,christian panoply4 #ai1 #bj4 ,apostle's request for prayers4 #ba1 #bb4 ,personalia4 #bc1 #bd4 ,a twin doxology1 reversing the order of the salutation--,peace and grace4 ,genuineness of the epistle4--,dr4 ,ellicott sums up the matter briefly by saying1 ,there is no just ground on which to dispute the genuineness4 ,arguments based on certain expressions in the body of the letter have been speciously urged against its genuineness by ,de ,wette and others2 and ,holzmann has learnedly maintained that the epistle is only the expansion of a short letter to the ,colossians by some writer about the close of the first century 7,godet74 ,we have1 on the other hand1 subjective arguments1 not unmixed with arrogance1 but devoid of sound historical basis2 on the other hand1 unusually convincing counter-investigations and the unvarying testimony of the ancient ,church4 ,adverse arguments have been answered so satisfactorily and sometimes so crushingly as to leave no room for doubt4 ,those who cannot read the epistle without being moved by the peculiar loftiness1 by the grandeur of conception1 by the profound insight1 by the eucharistic inspiration they recognise in it1 will require strong evidence to persuade them that it was written by some other man who wished it to pass as ,st4 ,paul's4 ,the practical design of the epistle4--,the object is to set forth the ground1 course1 aim1 and end of the ,church of the faithful in ,christ4 ,the ,ephesians are a sample of the ,church universal4 ,the key to the epistle may be found in the opening sentence 7ver4 #c74 ,fixing his eyes on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the apostle opens his mind to the blessings which radiate forth from ,him1 and from the ,father through ,him1 upon the whole world4 ,the mind of ,god towards men unveiled in ,christ1 the relation of men towards ,god exhibited in ,christ1 the present spiritual connection of men with ,christ1 the hopes of which ,christ is the ground and assurance1 the laws imposed by the life of ,christ upon human life--these are the blessings for which he gives thanks4 ,christ embracing humanity in ,himself is the subject of the epistle4 ,st4 ,paul tells with strict faithfulness what he has read and seen in ,christ2 ,christ fills the whole sphere of his mind4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,to the saints4--,dismiss the commonly accepted meaning4 ,not men who by hard and rigorous methods have reached the heights where but few abide1 but those who1 as the elect of ,god1 are separated from everything unholy and kept for ,god's peculiar possession 7#a ,pet4 ii4 #i74 ,and faithful4--,sometimes the word may mean believers1 sometimes trustworthy4 ,the use of the adjective for the ,christian brotherhood cannot be assigned rigidly either to the one meaning or the other4 ,its very comprehensiveness was in itself a valuable lesson 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #b4 ,grace 4 4 4 and peace4--,the light-hearted ,greek salutation was1 ,rejoice2 the more sober ,hebrew--our ,lord's own--was1 ,peace be to you4 ,here both unite4 ,ver4 #c4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father4--,the ,hebrew form for hallowing the ,name was1 ,the ,holy ,one1 blessed be ,he4 ,the ,prayer ,book version of ,psalm c4 gives1 ,speak good of ,his name4 ,who blessed us4--,when old ,isaac pronounces the blessing uttered on ,jacob unwittingly to be irreversible1 he depends on ,god for the carrying out of his dying blessing3 the ,divine blessing makes whilst pronouncing blest4 ,in the heavenly places4--,lit4 in the heavenlies--so1 as ,a4,v4 margin says1 either places or things4 ,perhaps the local signification is best2 relating to heaven and meant to draw us thither 7,blomfield74 ,ver4 #d4 ,even as ,he chose us in ,him4--,whatever be the manifestation of the ,divine goodness1 it is in ,christ that it is made4 ,this sentence traces back the state of grace and ,christian piety to the eternal and independent electing love of ,god 7,cremer74 ,there is always the connotation of some not chosen4 ,before the foundation of the world4--,st4 ,paul1 like ,esaias1 is very bold4 ,his ,master had only said from1 not before1 the foundation 7,matt4 xxv4 #cd71 reserving the before for the dim eternity in which ,he was the sharer1 with the eternal ,spirit1 of the ,father's love 7,john xvii4 #bd74 ,without blemish 7,r4,v471 or1 in one word1 immaculate4 ,a sacrificial term generally2 used by ,st4 ,peter 7#a ,pet4 i4 #ai7 to describe that ,lamb of ,god who taketh away the sin of the world4 ,this word serves to guard holy1 just before it2 a separated 7holy7 people must also be a spotless people4 ,ver4 #e4 ,having predestinated us4--,by pointing as the ,r4,v4 margin does1 we get ,love ,divine as the basis on which our foreordination rests4 ,there is no respect of persons with ,god1 and so arrire pense in the invitation1 ,all that labour and are heavy laden4 ,unto adoption as sons4--,the end1 as regards man4 ,perhaps ,st4 ,john's word goes more deeply into the heart of the mystery1 ,that we should be called the children of ,god--born of ,god4 ,through ,jesus ,christ4--,mediator of this and every implied blessing4 ,according to the good pleasure of ,his will4--,the word for good pleasure characterises the will as one whose intent is something good2 the unhampered working of the will lies in the expression too4 ,the measure of human privilege in the adoption is according to the ,divine ,graciousness4 ,ver4 #f4 ,to the praise of the glory of ,his grace4--,the ultimate end1 that ,god may be all in all4 ,wherein ,he hath made us accepted in the ,beloved4--,the change in the ,r4,v41 considerable as it seems1 turns on the rendering of one word1 the meaning in the ,new ,testament being to bestow favour4 ,compare ,luke i4 #bh and the ,a4,v4 marginal alternative much-graced4 ,chrysostom's beautiful interpretation must not be lightly rejected1 to make love-worthy--just as if one were to make a sick or famished man into a beautiful youth1 so has ,god made our soul beautiful and love-worthy for the angels and all saints and for ,himself4 ,ver4 #g4 ,in whom we have redemption4--,release in consideration of a ransom paid--deliverance effected through the death of ,christ from the retributive wrath of a holy ,god and the merited penalty of sin 7,grimm74 ,through ,his blood4--,st4 ,paul quite agrees with the author of ,hebrews 7,heb4 ix4 #bb7 that apart from the pouring out of blood1 the putting away of sin cannot be brought about4 ,the forgiveness of our trespasses4--,another way of stating in what the redemption consists4 ,notice the forgiveness as compared with the passing over 7,rom4 iii4 #be1 ,r4,v474 ,the one is the remission of punishment2 the other the omission to punish sin that has been observed1 leaving it open in the future either entirely to remit or else adequately to punish them as may seem good to ,him 7,trench74 ,ver4 #h4 ,in all wisdom and prudence4--,wisdom embraces the collective activity of the mind as directed to ,divine aims to be achieved by moral means4 ,prudence is the insight of practical reason regulating the dispositions 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #i4 ,the mystery of ,his will4--,mystery is here to be taken not so much as a thing which baffles the intellect as the slow utterance of a long-kept secret1 which the fulness of time brings to birth4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the fulness of times4--,the word for times denotes time as brings forth its several births4 ,it is the flood in the tide of affairs4 ,to sum up all things4--,to bring together again for ,himself all things and all beings 7hitherto disunited by sin7 into one combined state of fellowship in ,christ1 the universal bond 7,grimm74 ,it is the mystery of ,god's will to gather all together for ,himself in ,christ1 to bring all to a unity1 to put an end to the world's discord wrought by sin1 and to re-establish the original state of mutual dependence in fellowship with ,god 7,cremer74 ,the things which are in heaven and which are on earth4 ,the blood that did for us atone ,conferred on them some gift unknown4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,in whom also we have obtained an inheritance4--,r4,v4 were made a heritage4 ,the ,lord's portion is ,his people1 ,jacob is the lot of ,his inheritance1 sang dying ,moses 7,deut4 xxxii4 #i74 ,the verbal paradox between ,a4,v4 and ,r4,v4 is reconciled in fact4 ,all are yours1 and ye are ,christ's 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #bb1 #bc74 ,before the ,parousia an ideal possession1 therefore a real one 7,meyer74 ,after the counsel of ,his own will4--,the 'counsel' preceding the resolve1 the 'will' urging on to action 7,cremer74 ,ver4 #ab4 ,that we should be to the praise4--,r4,v4 to the end that we should be4 ,causa finalis of the predestination to the ,messianic lot 7,meyer74 ,we in antithesis to you in ver4 #ac--,we ,jewish--you ,gentile ,christians4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,in whom ye also1 etc4--,the word trusted1 supplied by ,a4,v41 is dropped by ,r4,v4 ,it seems best to regard the words after ye also as one of the frequent breaks in the flow of the apostle's language1 the second ye taking up the first4 ,in whom ye were sealed4 ,the order of conversion was3 hearing1 faith1 baptism1 reception of the ,spirit 7,meyer74 ,ye were sealed4--,this sealing is the indubitable guarantee of the future ,messianic salvation received in one's own consciousness 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #ad4 ,who is the earnest4--,the guarantee4 ,the word represented by earnest was derived from the ,phnician merchants1 and meant money which in purchases is given as a pledge that the full amount will be subsequently paid 7,grimm74 ,the word is found in the ,hebrew of ,gen4 xxxviii4 #ag1 #ah1 and means pledge4 ,f4 ,w4 ,robertson makes a distinction between pledge and earnest--the grapes of ,eshcol were an earnest of ,canaan4 ,he who receives the ,holy ,spirit partakes the powers of the age to come 7,heb4 vi4 #d1 #e74 ,until the redemption4--,the final consummation of the redemption effected by the atonement of ,christ4 ,the until is faulty1 the earnest being something towards the redemption4 ,of the purchased possession4--,r4,v4 of ,god's own possession4 ,the whole body of ,christians1 the true people of ,god acquired by ,god as ,his property by means of the redeeming work of ,christ 7,meyer74 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4--,st4 ,paul is always ready to give a prompt acknowledgment of all that is best in his readers and to pray for something better4 ,cease not to give thanks4--,my thanksgiving knows no end4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,that the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,the connection or unity of the ,father and the ,son is the basis of the plea for those who are in the ,son4 ,christ said1 ,i ascend unto ,my ,father and your ,father1 to ,my ,god and your ,god 7,john xx4 #ag74 ,the ,father of glory4--,compare the phrases1 the ,father of mercies 7#b ,cor4 i4 #c71 the ,father of lights 7,jas4 i4 #ag71 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the glory 7,jas4 ii4 #a74 ,the spirit of wisdom and revelation4--,the wisdom which is from above is the heritage of all the redeemed in ,christ 7#a ,john iv4 #bj72 but this day-spring1 which gladdens the eyes of the heart1 grows to mid-day splendour by successive apocalypses4 ,in the knowledge4--,the word means a complete knowledge4 ,it is a word characteristic of the four epistles of the first ,roman captivity4 ,vers4 #ah1 #ai4 ,the eyes of your understanding being enlightened 4 4 4 to us-ward who believe4--,three pictures for heaven-illumined eyes3 #a4 ,the hope of ,his calling4--,meyer says the hope is not here 7nor anywhere7 the res sperata1 the object on which hope fastens1 but the great and glorious hope which ,god gives--a statement too sweeping for other scholars1 though here they agree that it is the faculty of hope which encourages and animates4 #b4 ,the riches of the glory of ,his inheritance in the saints4--,what a copious and grand accumulation1 mirroring1 as it were1 the weightiness of the thing itself6 7,meyer74 ,riches of the glory must not be watered down into glorious riches4 #c4 ,the exceeding greatness of ,his power to us-ward4--,the amazing and wholly unexpected working of the same ,hand that wrought our first deliverance3 the ,power that smites the oppressor with dismay opens the path through the sea 7see ,isa4 xl4 #aj1 #aa74 ,according to the working of ,his mighty power4--,this may be regarded as a specimen of the ,divine power1 the norm or standard by which we may gain an idea of the exceeding greatness of it--that from the tomb of ,his humiliation ,christ was raised by that power to an unrivalled dignity in ,god's throne4 ,the ,r4,v4 gives working of the strength of ,his might3 working--the active exertion of power 7,meyer72 strength--might expressing itself in overcoming resistance1 ruling1 etc42 might--strength in itself as inward power4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,set ,him at ,his own right hand4--,dexter ,dei ubique est4 ,we cannot dogmatise about the relations to space which a glorified body holds4 ,the transcendent glory of ,god in that body links ,god to man1 the humanity in the glory gives man his claim in ,god4 ,the true commentary on the phrase is ,mark xvi4 #ai1 ',he was received up into heaven1 and sat on the right hand of ,god' 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #ba4 ,far above all principality1 and power1 and might1 and dominion4--,r4,v41 ,rule1 and authority1 and power1 and dominion4 ,to be understood of the good angels1 since the apostle is not speaking of the victory of ,christ over opposing powers1 but of ,his exaltation above the existing powers of heaven 7,meyer74 ,powers and dominions1 deities of heaven1 as ,milton calls them1 ranged here1 perhaps1 in a descending order4 ,and every name that is named4--,god hath highly exalted ,him1 and given ,him a name which is above every name4 ,let any name be uttered1 whatever it is1 ,christ is above it1 is more exalted than that which the name affirms 7,meyer74 ,not only in this world4--,this age4 ,no other name under heaven given among men4 ,but also in that which is to come4--,there ,zechariah's word will have its fullest application4 ,the ,lord shall be ,king over all the earth2 there shall be one ,lord1 and ,his name one4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,and hath put all things under ,his feet4--,compare #a ,cor4 xv4 #bg4 ,strong ,son of ,god1 immortal ,love1 4 4 4 ,thou madest ,death2 and lo ,thy foot ,is on the skull which ,thou hast made4--,in ,memoriam4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,the fulness of ,him that filleth all in all4--,the ,church1 viz41 is the ,christ-filled1 i4e4 that which is filled by ,him in so far as ,christ penetrates the whole body and produces ,christian life 7,meyer74 ,the brimmed receptacle of ,him who filleth all things with all things 7,farrar74 ,among the ,gnostics the supersensible world is called the ,pleroma1 the fulness or filled1 in opposition to 'the empty1' the world of the senses 7,meyer74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,apostolic ,salutation4 ,i4 ,he declares the ,divine source of his authority4--,paul1 an apostle of ,jesus ,christ by the will of ,god 7ver4 #a74 ,the faithful ambassador scans his commission with the utmost care and is solicitous to clearly understand the will of his ,sovereign4 ,if he examines his own fitness for the office1 it is only to be humbled under a sense of unworthiness1 and to express surprise that he should be chosen to such a dignity and be entrusted with such powers4 ,his supreme ambition is to sink his own personal predilections in the earnest discharge of his duty4 ,paul does not dilate on his own mental capabilities or spiritual endowments4 ,he accepts his appointment to the apostleship as coming directly from the hand of ,god and recognises the ,divine will as the source of righteousness and of all power to do good4 ,this lofty conception of his call gave him unfaltering confidence in the truth he had to declare1 inspired him with an ever-glowing zeal1 rendered him immovable in the midst of defection and opposition1 and willing to obliterate himself1 so that the ,gospel committed to him might be triumphant4 ,the true minister1 in the onerous task of dealing with human doubt and sin1 feels the need of all the strength and prestige conferred by the conscious possession of ,divine authority4 ,he seeks not to advance his own interests or impose his own theories1 but to interpret the mind of ,god to man and persuade to submission and obedience4 ,the power that makes for righteousness has its root in the ,divine will4 ,,ii4 ,he designates the sacred character of those he salutes4--,to the saints which are at ,ephesus1 and to the faithful in ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #a74 ,the ,ephesian saints were made so by their faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,they were not saints because ,paul called them so4 ,sanctity is not the result of human volition1 nor can it be created by a college of cardinals4 ,many saints have been canonised who ought to have been cannonaded4 ,sanctity is the gift of ,god and is bestowed on those who believe in ,christ ,jesus and maintain their allegiance by continued faith in ,him4 ,they are holy so long as they are faithful4 ,the saints of ,god6 ,think1 says ,farrar1 of the long line of heroes of faith in the olden times3 of the patriarchs--,enoch the blameless1 ,noah the faithful1 ,abraham the friend of ,god2 of the sweet and meditative ,isaac1 the afflicted and wrestling ,jacob2 of ,moses1 the meekest of men2 of brave judges1 glorious prophets1 patriotic warriors1 toiling apostles2 of the many martyrs who would rather die than lie2 of the hermits who fled from the guilt and turmoil of life into the solitude of the wilderness2 of the missionaries--,st4 ,paul1 ,columban1 ,benedict1 ,boniface1 ,francis ,xavier1 ,schwartz1 ,eliot1 ,henry ,martyn1 ,coleridge1 ,patteson2 of the reformers who cleared the world of lies1 like ,savonarola1 ,huss1 ,luther1 ,zwingli1 ,wesley1 ,whitefield2 of wise rulers1 like ,alfred1 ,louis1 ,washington1 and ,garfield2 of the writers of holy books1 like ,thomas--,kempis1 ,baxter1 ,bunyan1 ,samuel ,rutherford1 ,jeremy ,taylor2 of the slayers of monstrous abuses1 like ,howard and ,wilberforce2 of good bishops1 like ,hugo of ,avalon1 ,fnlon1 and ,berkeley2 of good pastors1 like ,oberlin1 ,fletcher of ,madeley1 ,adolphe ,monod1 and ,felix ,neff2 of all true poets1 whether sweet and holy1 like ,george ,herbert1 ,cowper1 ,keble1 and ,longfellow1 or grand and mighty1 like ,dante and ,milton4 ,these are but few of the many who have reflected the glory of their ,master ,christ1 and who walk with ,him in white robes1 for they are worthy4 ,,iii4 ,he supplicates the bestowal of the highest blessings4--,grace be to you1 and peace 7ver4 #c74 ,grace and peace have a ,divine source4 ,grace is the rich outflow of ,god's goodness1 made available for man through the redeeming work of ,christ4 ,there is sometimes the thought that grace implies ,god's passing by sin4 ,but no1 quite the contrary2 grace supposes sin to be so horribly bad a thing that ,god cannot tolerate it4 ,were it in the power of man1 after being unrighteous and evil1 to patch up his ways and mend himself so as to stand before ,god1 there would then be no need of grace4 ,the very fact of the ,lord's being gracious shows sin to be so evil a thing that man1 being a sinner1 is utterly ruined and hopeless1 and nothing but free grace can meet his case4 ,this grace ,god is continually supplying4 ,grace1 like manna1 will rot if kept overnight4 ,wind up thy soul1 says ,george ,herbert1 as thou dost thy watch at night4 ,leave no arrears from day to day4 ,give us this day's food2 forgive us this day's sins4 ,peace is first peace with ,god1 with whom the soul was at enmity2 then peace of conscience1 troubled on account of repeated sins1 and peace with all men4 ,all our best wishes for the welfare of others are included in the all-comprehensive blessings of grace and peace4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the will of ,god is the highest authority for ,christian service4 #b4 ,the saintly character is the outgrowth of a practical faith4 #c4 ,grace and peace describe the rich heritage of the believer4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,paul's ,introduction to the ,epistle4--,the design of this epistle is more fully to instruct the ,ephesians in the nature of that ,gospel they had received1 to guard them against certain errors to which they were exposed from the influence and example of unbelieving ,jews and ,gentiles1 and to inculcate upon them the importance of a conversation becoming their faith and profession4 ,it contains the substance of the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,paul here calls himself an apostle of ,jesus ,christ4--,the word apostle signifies a messenger sent on some particular business4 ,jesus ,christ is called an ,apostle because ,he was sent of ,god to instruct and redeem mankind4 ,paul and others are called apostles because they were sent of ,christ to teach the doctrines they had received from ,him4 ,to confirm this commission1 as well as to give their ministry success1 ,christ1 according to ,his promise1 wrought with them and established their words with signs following4 #a4 ,paul was an apostle by the will of ,god4--,he received not his call or commission from man2 nor was he1 as ,matthias was1 chosen to his apostleship by men2 but he was called by ,jesus ,christ1 who in person appeared to him for this end that ,he might send him among the ,gentiles1 and by ,god the ,father1 who revealed ,his ,son in him1 and chose him that he should know ,his will and be a witness of the truth unto all men4 #b4 ,he was called of ,god by revelation4--,it was not a secret revelation known only to himself1 like the revelation on which enthusiasts and impostors ground their pretensions1 but a revelation made in the most open and public manner1 attended with a voice from heaven and a light which outshone the sun at noonday1 and exhibited in the midst of a number of people to whom he could appeal as witnesses of the extraordinary scene4 ,the great business of ,paul and the other apostles was to diffuse the knowledge of the ,gospel and plant ,churches in various parts of the world4 ,,ii4 ,paul directs this epistle to the saints and faithful4--,the phrases denote they had been called out of the world and separated from others that they might be a peculiar people unto ,god4 ,the religion we profess contains the highest motives to purity of heart and life4 ,if1 content with a verbal profession of and external compliance with this religion1 we regard iniquity in our hearts1 we are guilty of the vilest prevarication1 and our religion1 instead of saving us1 will but plunge us the deeper into infamy and misery4 ,that which is the visible ought to be the real character of ,christians4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle expresses his fervent desire that these ,ephesians may receive the glorious blessings offered in the ,gospel4--#a4 ,grace4 ,pardon is grace1 for it is the remission of a deserved punishment4 ,eternal life is grace1 for it is a happiness of which we are utterly unworthy4 ,the influences of the ,divine ,spirit are grace1 for they are first granted without any good disposition on our part to invite them1 they are continued even after repeated oppositions1 they prepare us for that world of glory for which we never should qualify ourselves4 #b4 ,peace4--,by this we understand that peace of mind which arises from a persuasion of our interest in the favour of ,god4 ,our peace with ,god is immediately connected with our faith in ,christ4 ,our peace of mind is connected with our knowledge of the sincerity of our faith4 ,if our heart condemn us not1 we have confidence toward ,god4 ,the way to enjoy peace is to increase in all holy dispositions and to abound in every good work4 ,if the apostle wished grace and peace to ,christians1 surely they should feel some solicitude to enjoy them4--,j4 ,lathrop1 ,d4,d4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-ad4 ,praise for the ,work of the ,trinity in the ,gospel of ,grace4 ,these verses are an outburst of descriptive eloquence that even the ample resources of the ,greek language seem too meagre to adequately express4 ,the grandeur and variety of ideas1 and the necessary vagueness of the phrases by which those ideas are conveyed in this paragraph1 create a difficulty in putting the subject into a practical homiletic form4 ,it may help us if we regard the passage as an outpouring of praise for the work of the ,trinity in the ,gospel of grace1 the part of each person in the ,trinity being distinctly recognised as contributing to the unity of the whole4 ,i4 ,the ,gospel of grace originated in the love of the ,father4--#a4 ,he hath chosen us to holiness4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father 4 4 4 who hath chosen us 4 4 4 that we should be holy and without blame before ,him in love 7vers4 #c1 #d74 ,the love of ,god the ,father gave ,christ to the world1 and in ,him the human race is dowered with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places4 ,the blessings from heaven link us to heaven1 and will by-and-by bring us to heaven1 where those blessings will be enjoyed in unrestricted fulness4 ,before time began1 in the free play of ,his infinite love1 ,god the ,father1 foreseeing the sin and misery that would come to pass1 resolved to save man1 and to save him in ,his own way and for ,his own purpose4 ,man was to be saved in ,christ1 and by believingly receiving ,christ2 and his salvation was not to free him from moral obligation1 but to plant in him principles of holiness by which he could live a blameless life before ,god4 ,he chose for ,himself that we might love ,him and find our satisfaction in the perpetual discovery of ,his great love to us4 ,the true progression of the ,christian life is a growth of the ever-widening knowledge of the love of ,god4 ,love is the essence and the crown of holiness4 #b4 ,he hath ordained us to sonship4--,having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by ,christ ,jesus ,himself 7ver4 #e74 ,the sonship is not by natural right of inheritance1 but by adoption4 ,it is an act of ,divine grace1 undeserved and unexpected4 ,it is said that1 after the battle of ,austerlitz1 ,napoleon adopted the children of the soldiers who had fallen4 ,they were supported and educated by the ,state1 and1 as belonging to the family of the emperor1 were allowed to attach the name of ,napoleon to their own4 ,this was not the adoption of love1 but as a recognition of service rendered by their fathers4 ,none can adopt into the family of ,god but ,god ,himself1 and it is an act on ,his part of pure1 unmerited love4 ,he raises us to the highest dignity1 and endows us with unspeakable privileges1 when ,he makes us ,his children2 and our lives should be in harmony with so distinguished a relationship4 #c4 ,he hath accepted us in ,christ4--,wherein ,he hath made us accepted in the ,beloved 7ver4 #f74 ,christ1 the beloved ,one1 is the special object of the ,father's love1 and all who are united to ,christ by faith become sharers in the love with which the ,divine ,father regards ,his ,son4 ,it is only in and through ,christ that we are admitted into the ,divine family4 ,god loves us in ,christ1 and the more so because we love ,christ4 ,we are accepted to a life of holiness and a service of love4 ,christ is the pattern of our sonship and the means of our adoption4 ,the love of ,god to the race finds an outlet through the person and gracious intervention of ,his ,son4 ,,ii4 ,the ,gospel of grace was wrought out by the sufferings of the ,son4--#a4 ,in ,him we have forgiveness of sins4 ,in whom we have redemption through ,his blood1 the forgiveness of sins 7ver4 #g74 ,how little do we realise the greatness and blessedness of the pardon of sin6 ,it may seem difficult to explain how the forgiveness of sins is connected with the sufferings and death of ,christ2 but there is no fact in the ,new ,testament writings more clearly revealed or more emphatically repeated than this4 ,the death of ,christ was an act of submission on behalf of mankind to the justice of the penalties of violating the eternal law of righteousness--an act in which our own submission not only received a transcendent expression1 but was really and vitally included2 it was an act which secured the destruction of sin in all who1 through faith1 are restored to union with ,christ2 it was an act in which there was a revelation of the righteousness of ,god which must otherwise have been revealed in the infliction of the penalty of sin on the human race4 ,instead of inflicting suffering ,god has elected to endure it1 that those who repent of sin may receive forgiveness1 and may inherit eternal glory4 ,it was greater to endure suffering than to inflict it 7,dale74 ,the forgiveness is free1 full1 and complete4 #b4 ,in ,him we have the revelation of the mystery of the ,divine will4--,wherein ,he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence2 having made known to us the mystery of ,his will 7vers4 #h1 #i74 ,the will of ,god is to advance the ultimate glorious destiny of the whole creation4 ,this sublime purpose was for ages an unrevealed mystery1 unknown to the prophets1 psalmists1 and saints of earlier times4 ,in the depths of the ,divine counsels this purpose was to be carried out by ,christ1 and it is revealed only through and in ,him4 ,the believer in ,christ discovers in ,him1 not only his own blessedness1 but also the ultimate glory of all who are savingly united to the great ,redeemer4 ,the abounding grace of ,god bestows wisdom to apprehend a larger knowledge of the ways and will of ,god1 and prudence to practically apply that knowledge in the conduct of life4 #c4 ,in ,him we enjoy the unity and grandeur of the heavenly inheritance4--,that in the dispensation of the fulness of times ,he might gather together in one all things in ,christ1 4 4 4 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance1 4 4 4 that we should be to the praise of ,his glory 7vers4 #aj-ab74 ,the fulness of times must refer to the ,gospel age and the glorious ages to follow1 in which the accomplishment of the ,divine purpose will become more apparent4 ,that purpose is to heal up the estrangement of man from ,god1 and to restore moral harmony to the universe1 which has been disordered by the introduction of sin4 ,the great agent in the unifying and harmonising of all things is ,christ1 who is the centre and circumference of all4 ,the angels who never sinned1 and the saints who are made such by redeeming mercy1 will share together the inheritance of bliss provided by the suffering and triumphant ,christ4 ,one final glory will consist1 not in the restoration of the solitary soul to solitary communion with ,god1 but in the fellowship of all the blessed with the blessedness of the universe as well as with the blessedness of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the ,gospel of grace is confirmed and realised by the operation of the ,holy ,spirit4--#a4 ,by ,him we hear and understand the ,word of truth4 ,in whom ye also trusted1 after that ye heard the word of truth1 the gospel of your salvation 7ver4 #ac74 ,the ,gospel is emphatically the ,word of truth2 it is reliable history1 not romance--a revelation of truths essential to salvation4 ,it is the function of the ,holy ,spirit to illuminate the mind by the instrumentality of the truth1 to apply the ,word to the conscience1 and to regenerate the heart4 ,he takes of the things of ,christ and shows them unto us1 and the vision leads on to a spiritual transformation4 #b4 ,by ,him we are sealed as an earnest of possessing the full inheritance of blessing4--,ye were sealed with that ,holy ,spirit of promise1 which is the earnest of our inheritance 7vers4 #ac1 #ad74 ,the work of the ,spirit broke down all class distinctions4 ,the ,jewish ,christians discovered that the exclusive privileges of their race had passed away4 ,all believers in ,christ ,jesus1 whether ,jew or ,gentile1 received the assurance of the ,spirit that all the prerogatives and blessings of ,god's eternal kingdom were theirs4 ,the seal of the ,spirit is the ,divine attestation to the believing soul of its admission into the favour of ,god1 and the guarantee of ultimately entering into the full possession and enjoyment of the heavenly inheritance4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel of grace is the harmonious work of the blessed ,trinity4 #b4 ,the grace of the ,gospel is realized by faith4 #c4 ,praise for the gift of the ,gospel should be continually offered to the ,triune ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #c-f4 ,the ,doctrine of ,predestination4--,neither ,calvinism nor ,arminianism has solved the problem presented in this chapter4 ,like difficulties meet us in ,god's providential dealings--ay1 in the workings of ,his natural laws2 for1 as a brilliant author has said1 ,nature is a terrible ,calvinist4--,lange4 ,election4--,it is above logic and philosophy and even technical theology1 even as on many1 and these1 the most important subjects1 the heart is a better teacher than the head4 ,in these matters ,i am so fearful that ,i dare not speak further--yea1 almost none otherwise than the text does1 as it were1 lead me by the hand4--,ridley4 ,mystery of election4--,those who are willing are always the elect2 those who will not are not elected4 ,many men are wrapped up in the doctrines of election and predestination2 but that is the height of impertinence4 ,they are truths belonging to ,god alone2 and if you are perplexed by them1 it is only because you trouble yourself about things which do not concern you4 ,you only need to know that ,god sustains you with all ,his might in the winning of your salvation if you will only rightly use ,his help4 ,whoever doubts this is like a crew of a boat working with all their might against the tide and yet going back hour after hour2 then they notice that the tide turns1 while at the same time the wind springs up and fills their sails4 ,the coxswain cries1 ,pull away1 boys6 wind and tide favour you6 ,but they answer1 ,what can we do with the oars8 don't the wind and tide take away our free agency8--,h4 ,w4 ,beecher4 ,ver4 #c4 ,spiritual ,blessings4 ,i4 ,they are accommodated to our spiritual wants and desires1 they come down from heaven1 prepare us for heaven1 and will be completed in our admission to heaven4--,the influences of the ,spirit are heavenly gifts1 the renovation of the heart by a ,divine operation is wisdom from above1 the renewed ,christian is born from above and becomes a spiritual man1 the state of immortality ,christ has purchased for believers is an inheritance reserved for them in heaven1 in the resurrection they will be clothed with a house from heaven1 with spiritual and heavenly bodies1 and they will sit together in heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,ii4 ,the blessings granted to the ,ephesians are tendered to us4--,he offers us the honours and felicities of adoption and the remission of all our sins through the atonement of ,his ,son4 ,he has proposed for our acceptance an inheritance incorruptible in the heavens4 ,we have happier advantages to become acquainted with the doctrines and precepts of the ,gospel than the primitive ,christians could enjoy4 ,if they were bound to give thanks for their privileges1 how criminal must be ingratitude under ours6 ,we must one day answer before ,god for all the spiritual blessings ,he has sent us4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #d-f4 ,the ,nature1 ,source1 and ,purposes of ,spiritual ,blessings4 ,i4 ,god chose and predestinated these ,ephesian ,christians before the foundation of the world4--,we must not so conceive of ,god's election and the influence of ,his grace as to set aside our free agency and final accountableness2 nor must we so explain away ,god's sovereignty and grace as to exalt man to a state of independence4 ,now1 so far as the grace of ,god in the salvation of sinners is absolute and unconditional1 election or predestination is so1 and no farther4 ,if we consider election as it respects the final bestowment of salvation1 it is plainly conditional4 ,to imagine that ,god chooses some to eternal life without regard to their faith and holiness is to suppose that some are saved without these qualifications or saved contrary to ,his purpose4 ,god hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the ,spirit and belief of the truth4 ,,ii4 ,consider the spiritual qualifications to which the ,ephesians were chosen4--,to be holy and without blame before ,him in love 7ver4 #d74 ,holiness consists in the conformity of the soul to the ,divine nature and will and is opposed to all moral evil4 ,love is a most essential part of the character of the saint4 ,charity out of a pure heart is the end of the commandment4 ,without charity all our pretensions to ,gospel holiness are vain4 ,,iii4 ,consider the adoption to which believers are predestinated 7ver4 #e74--,our sonship is not our native right1 but the effect of ,god's gracious adoption4 #a4 ,it implies a state of freedom in opposition to bondage4 ,believers are free as being delivered from the bondage of sin1 and as having near access to ,god and intimate communion with ,him4 ,children are usually admitted to that familiar intercourse which is denied to servants4 #b4 ,adoption brings us under the peculiar care of ,god's providence4 #c4 ,includes a title to a glorious resurrection from the dead and to an eternal inheritance in the heavens4 ,if believers are the children of ,god1 then their temper must be a childlike temper1 a temper corresponding to their relation1 condition1 and character4 ,,iv4 ,that all spiritual blessings are derived to us through ,christ 7vers4 #e1 #f74 ,v4 ,the reason of ,god's choosing believers in ,christ and predestinating them to adoption is the good pleasure of ,his will 7ver4 #e74--;,if we admit we are sinful1 fallen creatures1 unworthy of ,god's favour and insufficient for our own redemption1 then our salvation must ultimately be resolved into ,god's good pleasure4 ,there is no other source from which it can be derived4 ,if death is our desert1 our deliverance must be by grace4 ,,vi4 ,the great purpose for which ,god has chosen and called us is the praise of the glory of ,his grace 7ver4 #f74--;,god has made this display of ,his grace that unworthy creatures might apply to ,him for salvation4 ,we are to praise the glory of ,god's grace by a cheerful compliance with the precepts and thankful acceptance of the blessings of the ,gospel1 by a holy life1 and by encouraging others to accept that grace4 ,believers will1 in a more perfect manner1 show forth the praise of ,god's glorious grace in the future world4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #e1 #f4 ,the ,glory of ,divine ,grace-- ,i4 ,is the sublime outcome of the ,divine will4--,according to ,his will 7ver4 #e74 ,,ii4 ,is a signal display of joyous benevolence4--,according to the good pleasure of ,his will 7ver4 #e74 ,,iii4 ,demands profound and grateful recognition4--,to the praise of the glory of ,his grace 7ver4 #f74 ,ver4 #e4 ,the ,adoption of ,children by ,jesus ,christ4--,explain the nature of the privilege4 ,i4 ,its greatness4--#a4 ,from the ,being by whom it is conferred4 #b4 ,from the price at which it was procured4 #c4 ,from the inheritance which it conveys4 #d4 ,from the manner in which it is bestowed4 ,the new birth4 ,,ii4 ,its benefits4--#a4 ,the spirit of adoption4 #b4 ,divine care and protection4 #c4 ,divine pity and compassion4 #d4 ,overruling all trials for spiritual good4 ,,iii4 ,the evidences of its possession4--#a4 ,the image of ,god4 #b4 ,the love of ,god4 #c4 ,the love of the brethren4 ,,iv4 ,its appropriate duties4--,the children of ,god ought--#a4 ,to walk worthy of their high vocation4 #b4 ,to be subject to their ,father's will both in doing and in suffering4 #c4 ,to be mindful of what they owe to their spiritual kindred4 #d4 ,to long for their heavenly home4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,ver4 #f4 ,the ,adopting ,love of ,god4 ,i4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is the ,beloved of the ,father4--,from eternity during the preparatory dispensation in the days of ,his flesh2 now2 for ever4 ,an ineffable love4 ,,ii4 ,the ,father's love of believers is on account of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,he accepts them for the sake of ,christ as united to ,christ4 ,acceptance distinct from pardon4 ,,iii4 ,the ,father's acceptance of believers is an act of sovereign grace4--,irrespective of their merit4 ,neither the necessity of the atonement nor the obligation of faith is inconsistent with acceptance by grace4 ,,iv4 ,the ,father's acceptance of believers for the sake of ,christ promotes ,his own glory4--,his glory is the end of all things4 ,implore all to seek acceptance with ,god through ,christ4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,vers4 #g1 #h4 ,redemption through ,christ4 ,i4 ,the subjects of this redemption4--,redemption1 though offered without distinction to all who hear the ,gospel1 is actually bestowed only on those who repent of their sins and believe on the ,saviour4 ,,ii4 ,the nature of this redemption4--,there is a twofold redemption--the redemption of the soul from the guilt of sin by pardon1 and the redemption of the body from the power of the grave by the resurrection4 ,the former of these is intended4 ,but these two privileges are connected4 ,the remission of sin1 which is a release from our obligation to punishment1 is accompanied with a title to eternal life4 ,,iii4 ,the way and manner in which believers become partakers of this privilege4--,through the blood of ,christ4 ,the death of ,christ is the ground of our hope4 ,jesus ,christ1 through whose blood we obtain forgiveness1 is the ,beloved4 ,this character of ,christ shows the excellence of ,his sacrifice and displays the grace of ,god in giving ,him for us4 ,,iv4 ,observe the foundation from which our redemption flows4--,the riches of ,his grace4 ,every blessing bestowed on sinners is by grace2 but the blessing of forgiveness is according to the riches1 the exceeding1 the unsearchable riches of grace4 ,v4 ,in this dispensation of mercy ,god has abounded to us in all wisdom and prudence4--,the most glorious display of ,god's wisdom is in the work of our redemption4 ,here the perfections of ,god appear in the brightest lustre and most beautiful harmony4 ,in this dispensation there is a door of hope opened to the most unworthy1 believers have the greatest possible security1 and it holds forth the most awful terrors against sin and the most powerful motives to obedience4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #g4 ,pardon an ,act of ,sovereign ,grace4--,this free and gracious pleasure of ,god or purpose of ,his will to act towards sinners according to ,his own abundant goodness is another thing that influences forgiveness4 ,pardon flows immediately from a sovereign act of free grace4 ,this free purpose of ,god's will and grace for the pardoning of sinners is that which is principally intended when we say1 ,there is forgiveness with ,him2 that is1 ,he is pleased to forgive1 and so to do is agreeable to ,his nature4 ,now the mystery of this grace is deep2 it is eternal1 and therefore incomprehensible4 ,few there are whose hearts are raised to a contemplation of it4 ,men rest and content themselves in a general notion of mercy which will not be advantageous to their souls4 ,freed they would be from punishment2 but what it is to be forgiven they inquire not4 ,so what they know of it they come easily by1 but will find in the issue it will stand them in little stead4 ,but these fountains of ,god's actings are revealed that they may be the fountains of our comforts4--,john ,owen4 ,ver4 #h4 ,the ,harmony of ,christianity in its ,personal ,influence4 ,i4 ,the wisdom and prudence of the ,gospel are manifested by showing with equal distinctness the ,divine justice and mercy4--,justice does not arrest the hand of mercy2 mercy does not restrain the hand of justice4 ,they speak with a united voice1 they command with a united authority1 they shine with a united glory4 ,neither excels4 ,the one does not overbear the other4 ,their common splendour is like the neutral tint1 the effulgent colourlessness of the undecomposed ray4 ,,ii4 ,by exhibiting the incarnate ,son as alike the object of love and adoration4 ,,iii4 ,by insisting most uniformly on ,divine grace and human responsibility4 ,,iv4 ,by the proposal of the freest terms of acceptance and the enforcement of the most universal practice of obedience4 ,v4 ,by inspiring the most elevated joy in connection with the deepest self-abhorrence4 ,,vi4 ,by displaying the different conduct pursued by the ,deity towards sin and the sinner4 ,,vii4 ,by combining the genuine humility of the ,gospel with our dignity as creatures and our conscientiousness as saints4 ,,viii4 ,by causing all supernatural influence to operate through our rational powers and by intelligent means4 ,,ix4 ,by resting our evidence of safety and spiritual welfare upon personal virtues4 ,x4 ,by supplying the absence of enslaving fear with salutary caution4 ,,xi4 ,the actual existence of our depraved nature and the work of sanctification in us pressing forward to its maturity tend to that regulated temperament of mind which we urge4 ,,xii4 ,certain views of personal conduct are so coupled in the ,gospel with the noblest views of grace that any improper warping of our minds is counteracted4 ,,xiii4 ,while the distinctive blessings and honours of the ,christian might tend to elate him1 he is affected by the most opposite motives4 ,,xiv4 ,god abounds in this wisdom and prudence towards us by most strongly abstracting us from the things of earth and yet giving us the deepest interest in its relations and engagements4--,all the truths of revelation are only parts of one system1 but their effects upon the believing mind are common and interchangeable4 ,there is no extraneous1 no irreconcilable1 no confusing element in ,christianity4 ,it is of ,one2 it is one4 ,and if we be ,christians1 our experience will be the counterpart of it4 ,as it works out from apparent shocks and collisions its perfect unity1 so shall our experience be wrought in the same way4 ,in obeying from our hearts its form1 whatever of its influence may seem to interfere with each other1 they will all be found to establish our heart2 as the opposing currents often swell the tide and more proudly waft the noble bark it carries1 as the counterbalancing forces of the firmament bear the star onward in its unquivering poise and undeviating revolution4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,vers4 #i-ab4 ,the ,mystery of the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the sovereign grace of ,god in making known to us the mystery of ,his will4--#a4 ,the ,gospel is called the mystery of ,god's will1 the mystery which from the beginning was hid in ,god1 and the unsearchable riches of ,christ4 ,not that these phrases represent the ,gospel as obscure and unintelligible1 but that the ,gospel scheme was undiscoverable by the efforts and researches of human reason and could be made known to men only by the light of ,divine revelation4 ,there are many things in the ,gospel which are and will remain incomprehensible to human reason2 but though we cannot fully comprehend them1 we may sufficiently understand them4 #b4 ,god has made known to us ,his will according to the good pleasure which ,he purposed in ,himself4--,though the reason of ,his administration is not made known to us1 yet all ,his purposes are directed by consummate wisdom4 ,he is ,sovereign in the distribution of ,his favours2 ,his goodness to us is no wrong to the heathen4 ,,ii4 ,the purpose of ,god in making known to us the mystery of ,his will 7ver4 #aj74--a4 ,the ,gospel is called the dispensation of the fulness of times4 ,it was introduced at the time exactly ordained in the purpose1 and expressly predicted in the ,word of ,god1 and in this sense may be called the dispensation of the fulness of times4 #b4 ,one end of this dispensation was that ,god might gather together in one all things in ,christ 7ver4 #aj74--,to form one body in ,christ1 to collect one ,church1 one great kingdom under ,him4 #c4 ,the ,gospel is intended to unite in ,christ all things both which are in heaven and which are in earth4--,the ,church of ,christ consists of the whole family in heaven and earth4 ,here is a powerful argument for ,christian love and for ,christian candour4 ,,iii4 ,in ,him we have obtained an inheritance that we should be to the praise of ,his glory who first trusted in ,christ4--,the believing ,jews were the first who trusted in ,christ4 ,they1 with the believing ,gentiles1 were made heirs of ,god1 not only to the privileges of ,his ,church on earth1 but to an inheritance also in the heavens4 ,as they had first obtained an inheritance and first trusted in ,christ1 so they should be first to the praise of ,god's glory4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,christ and ,creation4--,if the ,divine purpose of salvation was regulative for the creation of the world1 then must salvation as well as creation be grounded on the original ,mediator4 ,but that all creation should be thus grounded in ,him includes a twofold idea--that not only were all things created by ,him1 but also for ,him1 who is to bring to completion both the saving purpose of ,god as also the whole development of the world which tends towards the realisation of the purpose of ,god4 ,and because the world has not yet reached this goal1 then all things have progressively their existence in ,him2 and it cannot fail1 because the goal of the world established in ,him must be realised4 ,but how this goal of the world is conceived of1 this verse shows1 when it is mentioned as the final goal of the institution of ,god's grace that all things may be gathered in ,christ as in a centre4 ,he has been appointed to be this central point of the universe1 as the universe was created in ,him2 but here it is pointed out that ,he must again become so1 because a dislocation in the original constitution of the world has taken place by sin1 whose removal again the dispensation of grace must have in view4 ,the goal of the world is no longer regarded as the perfected kingdom of ,god1 in which the absolute1 universal ,lordship of ,god is realised1 in contrast to the earthly1 mediatorial ,lordship of ,christ1 which the latter gives back to the ,father1 and that the exaltation of ,christ is extended over everything which has a name both in this world and in the future4 ,one cannot think of the goal of the world without ,him in whom even creation has its root4--,weiss4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,christ the ,inheritance of the ,saints4--#a4 ,christ the ,mediator is that person in whom believers have this heavenly inheritance1 as they have all their other spiritual blessings leading to heaven in ,him4 ,every believer hath already obtained this glorious inheritance1 though not in complete personal possession4 #b4 ,as ,god is an absolute worker1 sovereign ,lord of all ,his actions1 ,his will being ,his only rule1 so ,his will is always joined with and founded upon the light of counsel and wisdom1 and therefore ,he can will nothing but what is equitable and just4 #c4 ,it is no small privilege for any to be trusters in ,christ before others4 ,it is a matter of their commendation2 it glorifies ,god in so far as their example and experience may prove an encouraging motive to others4 ,it carries several advantages2 the sooner a man closes with ,christ1 the work will be done more easily1 he is the sooner freed from sin1 the sooner capacitated to do more service to ,god1 and his concernments are the sooner out of hazard4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,gospel of your ,salvation4 ,i4 ,the import of the salvation proclaimed in the ,gospel4--,it is deliverance from all the evils that have been brought on us by the ,fall4 #a4 ,from ignorance1 not of science1 but of ,god4 #b4 ,from guilt1 or the penalty which the law inflicts4 #c4 ,from the power of sin1 of which we are slaves4 #d4 ,from the sorrows and calamities of life1 which it does not remove1 but alleviate and transform4 #e4 ,from the power and fear of death4 #f4 ,from everlasting perdition4 ,,ii4 ,the persons to whom this view of the ,gospel is specially applicable4--#a4 ,to the unconverted4 ,it teaches them what they are4 #b4 ,to the awakened4 ,it teaches them what they need4 #c4 ,to believers4 ,it awakens their gratitude1 it reproves their lukewarmness1 it stimulates their charity4 ,,iii4 ,the reflections to which this view of the ,gospel gives rise4--,how precious in our estimation should be--#a4 the ,gospel1 #b4 the ,saviour1 #c4 the ,saviour's work1 #d4 the ,saviour's ordinances1 #e4 the ,saviour's servants and people1 #f4 the ,saviour's second coming4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,truth and ,divinity of the ,christian ,religion4 ,i4 ,it is reasonable to suppose that ,god should at some time or season fully and clearly reveal unto men the truth concerning ,himself and concerning them as ,he and they stand related to each other1 concerning ,his nature and will1 and concerning our state and duty4--,argued from #a4 ,his goodness1 #b4 ,his wisdom1 #c4 ,his justice1 #d4 ,his ,divine majesty4 ,,ii4 ,that no other revelation of that kind and importance has been made1 which can with good probability pretend to have thus proceeded from ,god1 so as by ,him to have been designed for a general1 perpetual1 complete instruction and obligation of mankind4--#a4 ,paganism did not proceed from ,divine revelation1 but from human invention or diabolical suggestion4 ,all the pagan religions vanished1 together with the countenance of secular authority and power sustaining them4 #b4 ,mohammedanism an imposture4 #c4 ,judaism was defective4 7#a7 ,this revelation was not general--not directed1 nor intended to instruct and oblige mankind4 7#b7 ,as this revelation was particular1 so was it also partial--as ,god did not by it speak ,his mind to all1 so did ,he not therein speak out all ,his mind4 7#c7 ,it was not designed for perpetual obligation and use4 ,conclusion4--,no other religion1 except ,christianity1 which has been or is in being1 can reasonably pretend to have proceeded from ,god as a universal1 complete1 and final declaration of ,his mind and will to mankind4--,barrow4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,the ,assurance of the ,christian ,inheritance4--,by the first act of faith the whole tendencies of man's life are reversed4 ,until then the present has been his world and the earth his place of rest2 then1 by the inspiration of the cross1 a spiritual world draws upon his view1 that everlasting region becomes his home1 and life assumes the character of a pilgrimage4 ,we need to have the deep assurance of the immortal kingdom in order to live an earnest life in a world like this4 ,i4 ,the nature of the assurance4--,the voices of promises in the ,christian's soul--the longings1 aspirations1 hopes1 rising from the ,spirit of ,god within us--are more than promises2 they are earnests1 i4e4 most certain assurances of the inheritance to come4 ,this inheritance of spiritual life consists of three great elements--love1 power1 blessedness4 ,,ii4 ,the necessity of the assurance4--,the inheritance is given1 but not reached4 ,between the gift and its attainment there lies a long path of conflict in which the old struggle between the flesh and the ,spirit reveals itself in three forms3 #a4 ,sense against the soul2 #b4 ,the present against the future2 #c4 ,steadfast work against the roving propensities of the heart4--,e4 ,l4 ,hull4 ,the ,holy ,spirit and the ,earnest of the ,inheritance4 ,i4 ,the character of the inheritance4--,the teaching of the passage is that heaven is likest the selectest moments of devotion that a ,christian has on earth4 ,heaven is the perfecting of the life of the ,spirit begun here1 and the loftiest attainments of that life here are but the beginnings and infantile movements of immature beings4 ,,ii4 ,the grounds of certainty that we shall ultimately possess the fulness of the inheritance4--,the true ground of certainty lies in this1 that you have the ,spirit in your heart1 operating ,his own likeness and moulding you1 sealing you1 after ,his own stamp and image4 #a4 ,the very fact of such a relation between man and ,god is itself the great assurance of immortality and everlasting life4 #b4 ,the characteristics that are produced by this ,holy ,spirit's indwelling1 both in the perfectness and imperfection1 are the great guarantee of the inheritance being ours4 #c4 ,the ,holy ,spirit in a man's heart makes him desire and believe in the inheritance4--,a4 ,maclaren4 ,the ,faith of the ,early ,christians4 ,i4 ,the object of their faith4--,the ,word of truth and the ,gospel of salvation4 ,it is the ,word of truth4 ,it contains all that truth which concerns our present duty and our future glory4 ,it comes attended with demonstrations of its own ,divinity4 ,it is the ,gospel of our salvation4 ,it discovers to us our ruined1 helpless condition1 the mercy of ,god to give us salvation1 the way in which it is procured for us1 the terms on which we may become interested in it1 the evidences by which our title to it must be ascertained1 and the glory and happiness it comprehends4 ,,ii4 ,the forwardness and yet the reasonableness of their faith4--,they trusted in ,christ after they heard the ,word4 ,they acted as honest and rational men3 they did not trust before they heard it1 nor refused to trust after they heard it4 ,they did not take the ,gospel on the credit of other men without examination2 nor did they reject it when they had an opportunity to examine it for themselves4 ,their faith stood not in the wisdom of men1 but in the power of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the happy consequence of their faith4--,they were sealed with the ,spirit of promise1 which is the earnest of our inheritance4 ,they became partakers of such a ,divine influence as sanctified them to a meetness for heaven1 and thus evidenced their title to it4 #a4 ,the sealing of the ,spirit4--,sealing literally signifies the impression of the image or likeness of one thing upon another4 ,a seal impressed on wax leaves there its own image4 ,instruction is said to be sealed when it is so impressed on the heart as to have an abiding influence4 ,so1 the sealing of believers is their receiving on their hearts the ,divine image and character by the sanctifying power of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,word of truth is here considered as the seal1 the believing heart as the subject1 the ,holy ,spirit as the agent or sealer1 and the effect produced as a ,divine likeness4 ,by a like metaphor ,christians are represented as cast in the mould of the ,gospel4 ,the same idea is conveyed by the metaphor of writing the ,word on the heart4 #b4 ,the earnest of the ,spirit4--,the ,spirit1 having sealed believers or sanctified them after ,god's image1 becomes an earnest of their inheritance4 ,the firstfruits were pledges of the ensuing harvest2 earnest-money in a contract is a pledge of the fulfilment of it4 ,so1 the graces and comforts of religion are to ,christians the anticipations and foretastes of the happiness which awaits them in heaven4 7#a7 ,the virtues of the ,christian temper1 which are the fruits of the ,spirit1 are to believers an earnest of their inheritance because they are in part a fulfilment of the promise which conveys the inheritance4 7#b7 ,they are an earnest as they are preparatives for it4 7#c7 ,the sealing and sanctifying influence of the ,spirit is especially called an earnest of the inheritance because it is a part of the inheritance given beforehand4 ,it is the earnest till the redemption of the purchased possession4 ,when we actually possess the inheritance the earnest will be no longer needed4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,all the operations of the ,spirit on the minds of men are of a holy nature and tendency4 #b4 ,we are strongly encouraged to apply to ,god for the needful influences of ,his grace4 #c4 ,we can have no conclusive evidence of a title to heaven without the experience of a holy temper4 #d4 ,christians are under indispensable obligations to universal holiness4--,lathrop4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ah4 ,prayer for ,higher ,spiritual ,knowledge-- ,i4 ,thankfully acknowledges the grace already possessed 7vers4 #ae1 #af74--,the possession of some grace prompts the prayer for more4 ,the apostle recognises the faith of the ,ephesians in the person and work of ,christ and the love they displayed towards the saints4 ,knowing the source of that grace and that the supply was unlimited1 he thanks ,god and is encouraged to pray for its increase4 ,how slow we are to see the good in others and to thank ,god for any good found in ourselves6 ,ingratitude dulls our sensibilities and chills the breath of prayer4 ,if we were more thankful1 we should be more prayerful4 ,the way to excite gratitude is to interest ourselves in the highest welfare of others4 ,,ii4 ,invokes the impartation of additional spiritual insight 7vers4 #ag1 #ah74--,the apostle prays1 not for temporal good or for prosperity in outward things1 or even for the cessation of trouble or persecution1 but for an accession of mental and spiritual blessings4 ,he prays for the opening of the eye of the mind that the vision of spiritual realities may be more clear and reliable1 and that the soul may be possessed with a fuller knowledge of ,christ4 ,the highest wisdom is gained by a more accurate conception of ,him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,sin enters the heart through the avenue of the senses and passions1 grace through a spiritually enlightened understanding4 ,pride1 prejudice1 and error are expelled from the mind not so much by the repression of evil tendencies as by the entrance and maintenance of superior moral truths4 ,the revelation of the ,spirit in the ,word will not suffice unless the light of the same ,spirit shines through every faculty and power of the inquiring soul4 ,man's knowledge is not perfect within the domain of creation1 still less can he know the things of the invisible world4 ,only by living in a sphere does he gather knowledge of what is found there3 knowledge comes from experience of occurrences4 ,without a disposition of the heart the sense of the understanding is not enlarged and sharpened4 ,sensible1 mental1 spiritual knowledge refers to life spheres in which he who knows must move4 ,only the believing1 loving1 longing one knows and grows in knowledge unto knowledge4 ,we need1 therefore1 continually to pray for the ,spirit of wisdom--a keener spiritual insight4 ,,iii4 ,unveils the grandeur of the ,divine inheritance in believers4--,that ye may know what is the hope of ,his calling1 and what the riches of the glory of ,his inheritance in the saints 7ver4 #ah74 ,the increase of spiritual knowledge is an ever-widening revelation of the value and splendour of ,divine blessings already possessed and in prospect of possession4 ,faith enjoys the inheritance now1 and hope anticipates an ampler revelation and richer experience of its unspeakable blessedness4 ,the phrase the riches of the glory of ,his inheritance indicates how utterly inadequate human language is to describe its boundless spiritual wealth4 ,it is an inheritance implying union to ,him who only hath immortality and is eternal4 ,rust cannot corrupt it1 nor decay consume1 nor death destroy4 ,we have not only an inheritance in ,christ1 but ,he has also an inheritance in us4 ,he finds more in us than we find ourselves1 and we should never know it was there but for the revelation of ,himself within us4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,prayer and thanksgiving go together4 #b4 ,the soul needs a daily revelation of truth4 #c4 ,the highest spiritual truths are made known to the soul that prays4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae-ah4 ,clearer ,discernment in ,divine ,things desired4 ,i4 ,the things for which the apostle commends the ,ephesians4--,their faith in ,jesus and love to the saints 7ver4 #ae74 #a4 ,faith is such a sensible1 realising belief of the ,gospel in its general truth and in its particular doctrines and precepts as gives it a practical influence on the heart and life2 it looks up to ,god through ,christ2 it is made perfect by works4 #b4 ,faith is accompanied with love4 ,viewing and applying the examples and doctrines of the ,gospel1 it purifies the soul unto unfeigned love of the brethren4 ,the ,gospel requires us to love all men1 sinners as well as saints1 enemies as well as friends4 ,if we love ,god for ,his moral perfections1 we shall love the saints as far as they appear to have these ,divine qualities wrought into their temper4 ,our love is not to be confined to a party1 to those who live in the same city and worship in the same sanctuary but embraces all4 ,,ii4 ,paul expresses his great thankfulness to ,god for the success of the ,gospel4--,i cease not to give thanks 7ver4 #af74 ,he rejoiced in the honour which redounded to the crucified ,jesus4 ,he rejoiced to think how many were rescued from the power of ,satan1 and in the consequences which might ensue to others4 ,if the prevalence of religion is matter of thankfulness1 we should spare no pains to give it success4 ,,iii4 ,he prays for the future success of the ,gospel 7ver4 #af74--,the best ,christians have need to make continual improvement4 ,paul was no less constant in his prayers than in his labours for the spiritual interest of mankind4 ,he knew that the success of all his labours depended on ,god's blessing2 he therefore added to them his fervent prayers4 ,when ministers and people strive together in their prayers1 there is reason to hope for ,god's blessing on both4 ,,iv4 ,he prayed for spiritual enlightenment 7vers4 #ag1 #ah74--,that they may seek wisdom from ,god to understand the revelation ,he has given1 and such an illumination of mind as to discern the nature and excellence of the things contained in this revelation4 ,christians must not content themselves with their present knowledge but aspire to all riches of the full assurance of understanding4 ,v4 ,he prayed for power to appreciate ,christian privileges 7ver4 #ah74--,to know the hope of the ,divine calling1 the possibility and assurance of attaining the heavenly kingdom4 ,to know what a rich and glorious inheritance ,god has prepared for and promised to the saints4 ,though we cannot comprehend its dimensions nor compute its value1 yet when we consider the grace of the ,being who conveys it1 the riches of the price which bought it1 and the ,divine preparation by which the heirs are formed to enjoy it1 we must conceive it to be unspeakably glorious4--,lathrop4 ,the ,apprehension of ,spiritual ,blessings4 ,i4 ,further spiritual blessings are to be apprehended by the saints1 therefore their condition is a relative one4--,the ,ephesians had already received spiritual blessings 7vers4 #aa-ae74 ,how much more is here4 ,the possessed bears some proportion to what is to be received4 ,without this relative view the estimate is vague and erroneous4 ,the further gifts consist specially in the clearer sight and more certain and enlarged experience of what they already saw and possessed4 ,him1 ,his calling1 ,his inheritance1 ,his mighty power--these were to be theirs in a degree of exceeding greatness and glory4 ,,ii4 ,unless saints apprehend blessings now attainable1 they live below their privilege4--,if thou knewest the gift of ,god1 thou wouldst have asked of ,him 7#a ,john iv4 #aj74 ,without some knowledge there is neither faith nor desire4 ,with these unveilings the heart is deeply moved with the sense of obligation to possess1 it is attracted and filled with desire and animation4 ,otherwise1 with an ignorant satisfaction1 the condition must remain relatively lean and impoverished4 ,,iii4 ,the spiritual apprehension of these blessings is the gift of ,god4--,this is needed because of their ,divine nature4 ,as we cannot properly see what the sun has called into life and beauty without his light1 so these blessings are truly seen only in the light of the ,sun of ,righteousness4 ,through the ,redeemer the ,spirit is given4 ,he gives the ,spirit to enlighten both the object and the eye1 to testify1 to show1 to glorify1 to reveal1 that we might know the things that are freely given to us of ,god4 ,thus1 these blessings are seen1 not distantly and dimly1 but in their nearness and unveiled glory1 whilst ,he creates in the heart corresponding sympathy1 desire1 and assurance4 ,nothing can compensate for this gift--no mere intelligence1 no reflection upon past experience1 no mere help from others4 ,,iv4 ,this gift is bestowed in answer to prayer4--,this particular bestowment comes under the promise of the ,spirit to believing prayer4 ,this is a gift4 ,gifts are asked for1 not made ours in any other way4 ,this gift is awaiting and challenging prayer1 importunate prayer4 ,that an ever-deepening desire for these spiritual gifts may be ours1 let us often ask--,what truths are given to me1 which1 if the eyes of my understanding were enlightened1 would not exert the most positive influence over me1 lifting me into the clearer light of ,god's relations1 thus empowering me to live above the standard of natural strength1 and so to fulfil ,his present designs8 ,think of the alternative4--,j4 ,holmes4 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4 ,true ,religion self-revealing-- ,i4 ,in its moral results4--,faith and love 7ver4 #ae74 ,,ii4 ,is evident to others4--,i heard of your faith 7ver4 #ae74 ,,iii4 ,is the occasion of constant thanksgiving4--,cease not to give thanks for you 7ver4 #af74 ,,iv4 ,calls forth a spirit of prayer4--,making mention of you in my prayers 7ver4 #af74 ,vers4 #ag1 #ah4 ,spiritual ,enlightenment4--#a4 ,the wisdom which ,christians are to seek is not that carnal wisdom which is enmity to ,god1 nor natural wisdom or knowledge of the hidden mysteries of nature1 nor the wisdom of ,divine mysteries1 which is only a gift and floweth from a common influence of the ,spirit1 but that whereof the ,spirit of ,god by ,his special operation and influence is author and worker1 and is more than a gift1 even the grace of wisdom1 which is not acquired by our own industry1 but cometh from above4 #b4 ,it is not sufficient for attaining this grace of wisdom that the truths be plainly revealed by the ,spirit in ,scripture4 ,there must be the removal of natural darkness from our understandings1 that we may be enabled to take up that which is revealed1 as in beholding colours by the outward sense there must be not only an outward light to make the object conspicuous1 but also the faculty of seeing in the eye4 ,a blind man cannot see at noonday1 nor the sharpest-sighted at midnight4 #c4 ,though those excellent things which are not yet possessed1 but only hoped for1 are known in part1 yet so excellent are they in themselves1 and remote from our knowledge1 and so much are we taken up with trifles and childish toys1 that even believers who have their thoughts most exercised about them are in a great part ignorant of them4 #d4 ,as the things hoped for and really to be enjoyed in the other life are of the nature of an inheritance not purchased by us but freely bestowed upon us1 so they are properly ,christ's inheritance1 who has proper right to it as the natural ,son of ,god and by virtue of ,his own purchase2 but the right we have is communicated to us through ,him1 in whom we have received the adoption of children and are made heirs and co-heirs with ,christ4 #e4 ,it is a glorious inheritance1 there being nothing there but what is glorious4 ,the sight shall be glorious1 for we shall see ,god as we are seen1 the place glorious1 the company glorious1 our souls and bodies shall be glorious1 and our exercise glorious1 giving glory to ,god for ever and ever4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-bc4 ,the ,church ,complete in ,christ4 ,i4 ,the ,church is the creation of ,divine power 7ver4 #ai74--,the ,church does not consist in massive architecture or ornate decorations1 nor in ecclesiastical organisations and councils4 ,it is not the offspring of the most elaborately constructed creed4 ,it is not confined within the limits of the most expansive ecclesiastical epithet4 ,it is a ,divine1 spiritual creation4 ,it consists of souls redeemed by the sacrifice of ,jesus1 clinging to ,him for pardon1 peace1 and righteousness1 and created in ,him1 by the working of the mighty power of the ,divine ,spirit1 for good works1 and therefore continually striving to disseminate the good they have themselves received4 ,the apostolic idea of the ,church was coloured by the leading characteristic of the man4 ,to ,st4 ,peter it was the ,church as influenced by law--the confessing ,church2 to ,st4 ,paul it was the ,church influenced by the freedom of faith--the witnessing ,church2 to ,st4 ,john it was the ,church as filled with the ideality of faith--working and keeping joyful holiday1 the adorned ,bride 7,rev4 xix4 #g1 #h74 ,the ,church is a constant revelation of the exceeding greatness of ,his power who first originated it and sustains its ever-widening growth4 ,,ii4 ,the ,divine power that creates the ,church installs ,christ as the supreme authority4--#a4 ,this power raised ,christ from the deepest humiliation to the highest dignity 7vers4 #bj1 #ba74 ,it raised ,him from the cross to the throne1 from the domain of the dead to the life and everlasting glory of the heavenly world4 ,god ascended with jubilation1 and the ,lord with the sound of the trumpet4 ,certainly1 if when ,he brought ,his only begotten ,son into the world ,he said1 ',let all the angels worship ,him' 7,heb4 i4 #f72 much more1 now that ,he ascends on high and hath led captivity captive1 hath ,he given ,him a name above all names1 that at the name of ,jesus all knees should bow4 ,and if the holy angels did so carol at ,his birth in the very entrance into that estate of humiliation and infirmity1 with what triumph they receive ,him now returning from the perfect achievement of man's redemption6 ,and if1 when ,his type had vanquished ,goliath and carried the head into ,jerusalem1 the damsels came forth to meet him with dances and timbrels1 how shall we think those angelic spirits triumph in meeting the great ,conqueror of hell and death6 ,how did they sing1 ',lift up your heads1 ,o ye gates2 and be ye lift up1 ye everlasting doors2 and the ,king of glory shall come in'6 7,ps4 xxiv4 #g-aj74 #b4 ,this power invests ,christ with supreme rule and authority 7ver4 #bb74 ,on the night when ,christ was born what a difference was there in all outward marks of distinction between the child of the ,hebrew mother as ,he lay in ,his lowly cradle1 and the ,augustus ,csar1 whose edict brought ,mary to ,bethlehem1 as he reposed in his imperial palace4 ,and throughout the lifetime of the two there was but little to lessen that distinction4 ,the name of the one was known and honoured over the whole civilised globe1 the name of the ,other scarce heard of beyond the narrow bounds of ,judea4 ,how stands it now8 ,the throne of the ,csars1 the throne of mere human authority and power1 has perished4 ,but the empire of ,jesus1 the empire of pure1 undying1 self-sacrificing love1 will never perish2 its sway over the consciences and hearts of men1 as the world grows older1 becomes ever wider and stronger 7,hanna74 ,the rule of ,christ will last till all enemies are subdued1 and obedience to ,him becomes a reverential and joyous experience4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,please search the ,internet for videos that explore the properties of elemental mercury 7quicksilver7 rather than performing the experiments yourself4 ,,iii4 ,the ,church is complete as it is endowed with the ,divine fulness of ,christ 7ver4 #bc74--,the ,church to-day seems broken into fragments1 torn by divisions and strife2 but by-and-by it will blend in a glorious unity4 ,take a mass of quicksilver1 let it fall on the floor1 and it will split into a vast number of distinct globules2 gather them up1 and put them together again1 and they will coalesce into one body as before4 ,thus1 ,god's people below are sometimes divided into various parties1 though they are all in fact members of one and the same mystic body4 ,but when taken up from the world and put together in heaven they will constitute one glorious1 undivided ,church for ever and ever4 ,the completeness of the ,church is not the aggregation of all the virtues of the saints blended in beauteous and harmonious unity1 but the glory of the ,divine fulness that pervades every part4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,church as a ,divine creation is a revelation of ,christ4 #b4 ,the ,church is composed of those who are created anew in ,christ ,jesus4 #c4 ,christ is everything to ,his ,church4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ai-bc4 ,the ,dignity and ,dominion of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the first step in ,christ's exaltation was the resurrection from the dead4--,this miracle is an incontestable evidence of the truth of the ,christian religion1 and an evidence of the great doctrine of the resurrection of the body and a future life1 and of the efficacy of ,christ's blood to expiate the guilt of our sins4 ,if we believe that ,jesus died and rose again1 we must believe that the same mighty power which wrought in ,him can also work in us to raise us from the dead4 ,,ii4 ,the next step is ,his ascension to heaven and session at ,god's right hand 7ver4 #bj74 ,the right hand is the place of honour and respect and denotes superior dignity4 ,christ sitting at ,god's right hand signifies ,he has ceased from ,his labours and sufferings and entered into a state of repose and joy1 and imports authority and power4 ,he is exalted not only as ,ruler1 but also as ,intercessor4 ,,iii4 ,the exaltation of ,christ is supreme4--,his kingdom extends to all creatures in heaven1 earth1 and under the earth4 ,the government of the natural world is in ,his hands1 as well as the government of the ,church4 ,he has dominion over devils4 ,his last and most glorious act is the judgment of the world4 ,,iv4 ,the end for which ,christ exercises ,his high and extensive dominion 7vers4 #bb1 #bc74--;,all ,his government is managed in reference to the good of the ,church4 ,see how criminal and dangerous it is to oppose the interest of the ,church4 ,if the ,church is ,christ's body1 let us honour it1 study to preserve unity in it1 labour for its edification and comfort4 ,let us honour and reverence our ,head1 and never presumptuously lift up ourselves against the ,church4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,power of ,god in ,conversion4--#a4 ,the power ,god exercises in converting and carrying on the work of grace to glory is not only great1 but exceeds all power that might impede that work1 so that there is no power in the devil1 the world1 sin1 or death which this power does not overcome nor any impotency in believers which this greatness of power will not help and strengthen4 ,there is no more pregnant proof of ,god's omnipotent power than in converting sinners from sin to holiness4 #b4 ,this mighty power of ,god extends to all times4 ,it works in the first conversion of believers1 preserves them in a state of grace1 actuating their graces that they may grow1 and continues till their graces are perfected4 #c4 ,the experimental knowledge of ,god's way of working is to be carefully sought after1 to make us thankful for ,his gracious working in us1 in order that our knowledge of ,god may be increased and our faith and hope in ,him strengthened4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,the ,future ,life4 ,i4 ,our virtuous friends at death go to ,jesus ,christ4--,here is one great fact in regard to futurity4 ,the good on leaving us here meet their ,saviour1 and this view alone assures us of their unutterable happiness4 ,the joys of centuries will be crowded into that meeting4 ,this is not fiction4 ,it is truth founded on the essential laws of the mind4 ,their intercourse with ,jesus ,christ will be of the most affectionate and ennobling character4 ,they are brought to a new comprehension of ,his mind and to a new reception of ,his ,spirit4 ,they will become joint workers--active1 efficient ministers--in accomplishing ,his great work of spreading virtue and happiness4 ,they retain the deepest interest in this world4 ,they love human nature as never before1 and human friends are prized as above all price4 ,,ii4 ,our virtuous friends go not to ,jesus only1 but to the great and blessed society which is gathered round ,him4--,the redeemed from all regions of earth4 ,they meet peculiar congratulations from friends who had gone before them to that better world1 and especially from all who had in any way given aids to their virtue4 ,if we have ever known the enjoyments of friendship1 of entire confidence1 of co-operation in honourable and successful labours with those we love1 we can comprehend something of the felicity of a world where souls1 refined from selfishness1 open as the day1 thirsting for new truth and virtue1 endowed with new power of enjoying the beauty and grandeur of the universe1 allied in the noblest works of benevolence1 and continually discovering new mysteries of the ,creator's power and goodness1 communicate themselves to one another with the freedom of perfect love4 ,they enter on a state of action1 life1 and effort4 ,still more1 they go to ,god4 ,they see ,him with a new light in all ,his works4 ,they see ,him face to face1 by immediate communion4 ,these new relations of the ascended spirit to the universal ,father1 how near1 how tender1 how strong1 how exalting6 ,heaven is a glorious reality4 ,its attraction should be felt perpetually4 ,they who are safely gathered there say to us1 ,come and join us in our everlasting blessedness6--,channing4 ,vers4 #ba1 #bb4 ,the ,supremacy of ,jesus-- ,i4 ,acquired by ,his resurrection power4 ,,ii4 ,places ,him above the highest created intelligences and potentates4 ,,iii4 ,is expressed in a name that surpasses in dignity and greatness that which has ever been or can be celebrated in earth or heaven4 ,,iv4 ,gives ,him absolute control over all worlds4--,and hath put all things under ,his feet 7ver4 #bb74 ,vers4 #bb1 #bc4 ,christ the ,head of the ,church4 ,i4 ,the ,church depends on ,him for life1 guidance1 activity1 and development4--,which is ,his body 7ver4 #bc74 ,,ii4 ,he governs all things in the interest of ,his ,church4--,and gave ,him to be the ,head over all things to the ,church 7ver4 #bb74 ,,iii4 ,the ,church is a revelation of the greatness and glory of ,christ4--,the fulness of ,him that filleth all in all 7ver4 #bc74 ,ver4 #bb4 ,the ,headship of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the extent of ,his headship4--#a4 ,over all worlds4 #b4 ,over the whole human race4 #c4 ,over the ,church4 ,,ii4 ,the subserviency of its administration to the interests of ,his ,church4--#a4 ,for the edification of ,his ,church4 #b4 ,for its defence4 #c4 ,for its increase4 ,,iii4 ,its grounds4--#a4 ,his merit4 #b4 ,his qualifications4 ,whom do ye serve8--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,headship of ,christ4--,the verse consists of two statements3-- ,i4 ,that ,christ is ,head over all things4--,the ,father hath given ,christ to be ,head over all things4 #a4 ,originally involved in a covenant or agreement between the ,father and the ,son4 #b4 ,now a matter of history4 #c4 ,the path of ,christ to the mediatorial throne capable of being traced4 #d4 ,he there laid deep the foundations4 #e4 ,the whole universe is under ,his sway--heaven1 earth1 hell1 all worlds1 all elements4 #f4 ,he is qualified for such dominion--,divine attributes1 angelic spirits1 believers1 the devil and wicked men1 the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,ii4 ,that ,christ is ,head over all things1 to the ,church4--,christ sits upon the throne in the same character in which ,he trod the earth and hung upon the cross4 #a4 ,it is as ,mediator4 #b4 ,the same ends which ,he contemplated4 ,it was for the ,church ,he clothed ,himself in human form4 #c4 ,he gives a peculiar character to the entire ,divine government4 ,he ,christianises it4 #d4 ,he employs all ,his attributes1 resources1 creatures4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,redemption is a wide and extended plan1 not so easily accomplished1 not so limited4 #b4 ,all creatures and dominions should do ,christ homage4 #c4 ,the ,church is secure from real danger4 #d4 ,believers may well glory in ,christ as their ,head4--,stewart4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,and you did ,he quicken4--,the italics in ,a4,v4 and ,r4,v4 show a broken construction of ,st4 ,paul's meaning1 the verb being supplied from ver4 #e1 where the broken thread is taken up again4 ,dead in trespasses and sins4--,dead through1 etc4 7,r4,v474 ,what did they die of8 it might be asked2 and the apostle answers1 ,of trespasses and sins 7so ,alford74 ,the word for trespasses is one of a mournfully numerous group of words 7,trench74 ,it has sometimes the milder meaning of faults1 mitigating circumstances being considered4 ,it makes special reference to the subjective passivity and suffering of him who misses or falls short of the enjoined command 7,cremer74 ,meyer denies any real distinction between the words for 'trespasses' and 'sins4' ,they denote the same thing as a 'fall' and a 'missing4' ,ver4 #b4 ,shadows1 says ,meyer1 before the light which arises in ver4 #d4 ,wherein in time past ye walked4--,it is a sombre picture--men walking about to find themselves dishonourable graves in the valley of the shadow of death1 knowing not whither they go because the darkness--the gloom of spiritual death--hath blinded their eyes 7#a ,john ii4 #aa74 ,according to the course of this world4--,well translated by our modern zeit-geist1 or spirit of the age4 ,the prince of the power of the air4--,however contemptuous ,st4 ,paul may be of the creations of the ,gnostic fancy1 he never dreams of saying there is nothing existent unless it can be seen and felt4 ,the dark realm and its ruler are not myths to the apostle4 ,ver4 #c4 ,among whom also we all had our conversation4--,st4 ,paul does not glorify himself at the expense of his readers' past life4 ,true his had not been a life swayed by animal delights 7,acts xxvi4 #e71 but it had been marked by implacable enmity to the ,son of ,god4 ,and were by nature children of wrath4--,for the wrath of ,god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men1 4 4 4 whether it be ,jewish or ,gentile4 ,ver4 #d4 ,but ,god1 who is rich in mercy4--,unto all that call upon ,him 7,rom4 x4 #ab74 ,he hath shut all up into disobedience1 that ,he might have mercy upon all 7,rom4 xi4 #cb71 ,for ,his great love wherewith ,he loved us4--,a combination only used when the notion of the verb is to be extended 7,winer74 ,ver4 #e4 ,even when we were dead in sins4--,the phrase which closes ver4 #c1 difficult as it is1 must receive an interpretation in harmony with this statement4 ,it is the very marrow of the ,gospel that1 while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for the ungodly4 ,that the wrath of ,god is real we know1 but ,god is love4 ,by grace ye are saved4--,grace is as truly characteristic of ,st4 ,paul's writing as his autograph signature2 it1 too1 is the token 7sign-manual7 in every epistle 7#b ,thess4 iii4 #ag1 #ah74 ,ver4 #f4 ,in heavenly places4--,as in ch4 i4 #c4 ,ver4 #g4 ,the exceeding riches of ,his grace4--,the wealth of mercy mentioned in ver4 #d more fully stated4 ,grace is condescension to an inferior or kindness to the undeserving4 ,in kindness toward us4--,kindness here represents in the original a beautiful word1 as it is the expression of a beautiful grace 7,trench74 ,it is that fruit of the ,spirit 7,gal4 v4 #bb7 called gentleness in the ,a4,v41 but which would be better named benignity4 ,ver4 #h4 ,for by grace are ye saved1 through faith4--',by grace' expresses the motive1 'through faith' the subjective means 7,winer74 ,the emphasis is on by grace4 ,ver4 #i4 ,not of works1 lest any man should boast4--,the more beautiful the works achieved the more natural it is for a man to feel his works to be meritorious4 ,one can understand that a man jealous for the honour of ,god1 like ,calvin1 should speak of the excellencies of those out of ,christ as splendid vices1 even though we prefer another explanation of them4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,for we are ,his workmanship4--,we get our word poem from that which we here translate workmanship1 lit41 something made4 ,every ,christian belongs to those of whom ,god says1 ,this people have ,i formed for ,myself1 that they should show forth ,my praise 7,isa4 xliii4 #ba74 ,the archetype of all our goodness lies in the ,divine thought1 as the slow uprising of a stately cathedral is the embodiment of the conception of the architect's brain4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,wherefore remember1 that ye1 etc4--,all that follows in the verse serves to define the ye1 the verb following in ver4 #ab after the repeated ye--ye were without ,christ4 ,called ,uncircumcision 4 4 4 called the ,circumcision4 ,as much rancour lies in these words as generally is carried by terms of arrogance on the part of those only nominally religious1 and the scornful epithets flung in return4 ,they can be matched by our modern use of ,the world and ,other-worldliness4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,without ,christ4--,not so much not in possession of ,christ as outside ,christ1 or1 as in ,r4,v41 separate from ,christ4 ,the true commentary is ,john xv4 #d1 #e4 ,the branch severed from the trunk by knife or storm bears no fruit thenceforth2 disciples apart from ,christ can do nothing4 ,being aliens from the commonwealth4--,what memories might start at this word6 ,did ,st4 ,paul think of the separation from the ,jewish synagogue in ,ephesus or of the fanatical outburst created in ,jerusalem when the ,jews from ,asia saw ,trophimus the ,ephesian in company with the apostle8 ,to such ,jews the ,gentiles were nothing but massa perditionis4 ,like vers4 #b1 #c1 this is a reminder of the dark past1 the misery of which did not consist in a ,jewish taunt so much as in a life of heathenish vices4 ,having no hope1 and without ,god in the world4--,to be godless--not sure that there is any ,god--this is to take the master-light of all our seeing from us2 to live regardless of ,him1 or wishing there were no ,god--that way madness lies4 ,to be ,god-forsaken with a house full of idols--that is the irony of idolatrous heathenism4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh4--,the ,gentile may sing his hymn in ,jewish words3 ,doubtless ,thou art our ,father1 though ,abraham be ignorant of us1 and ,israel acknowledge us not3 ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 art our ,father1 our ,redeemer2 from everlasting is ,thy name4 ,lo-ammi 7not ,my people7 is no longer their name 7,hos4 ii4 #bc2 ,rom4 ix4 #bd1 #be74 ,ver4 #ad4 ,for ,he is our peace1 who hath made both one4--,not the ,peacemaker merely1 for indeed at ,his own great cost ,he procured peace1 and is ,himself the bond of union of both 7,jew and ,gentile74 ,the middle wall of partition4--,m4 ,ganneau1 the discoverer of the ,moabite ,stone1 found built into the wall of a ruined ,moslem convent a stone1 believed to be from the ,temple1 with this inscription3 ,no stranger-born 7non-,jew7 may enter within the circuit of the barrier and enclosure that is around the sacred court2 and whoever shall be caught intruding there1 upon himself be the blame of the death that will consequently follow4 ,josephus describes this fence and its warning inscription 7,wars of the ,jews1 ,bk4 ,v41 ch4 v41 #b74 ,it is rather the spirit of exclusiveness which ,christ threw down4 ,the stone wall ,titus threw down and made all a common field1 afterwards4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,having abolished in ,his flesh the enmity4--,the enmity of ,jew and ,gentile2 the abolition of their enmity to ,god is mentioned later4 ,first be reconciled to thy brother1 and then come and offer thy gift1 for reconciliation to ,god4 ,the law of commandments contained in ordinances4--,the slave whose duty it was to take the child to his teacher might say1 ,don't do that4 ,st4 ,paul does not regard the function of the law as more than that 7,gal4 iii4 #bc-be74 ,one new man4--,trench1 in an admirable section1 distinguishes between the new in time 7recens7 and the new in quality 7novum74 ,the word here means new in quality1 as set over against that which has seen service1 the outworn4 ,it is not an amalgam of ,jew and ,gentile 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #af4 ,that ,he might reconcile both unto ,god4--,the word reconcile implies a restitution to a state from which they had fallen1 or which was potentially theirs1 or for which they were destined 7,lightfoot1 ,col4 i4 #bj74 ,the cross having slain the enmity4--,gentile authority and ,jewish malevolence met in the sentence to that painful death2 and both ,gentile and ,jew1 acknowledging the ,son of ,god1 shall cease their strife1 and love as brethren4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,came and preached peace4--,by means of ,his messengers1 as ,st4 ,paul tells the ,galatians that ,christ was evidently set forth crucified amongst them4 ,to you afar off1 and to them that were nigh4--,isaiah's phrase 7,isa4 lvii4 #ai74 ,the ,christ uplifted out of the earth draws all men to ,him4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,for through ,him we both have access4--,st4 ,paul's way of proclaiming ,his ,master's saying1 ,i am the door2 by ,me if any man enter in he shall be saved2 including the other equally precious1 ,i am the way3 no man cometh unto the ,father but by ,me4 ,access here means introduction4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,so then4--,inference of vers4 #ad-ah4 ,strangers and foreigners4--,by the latter word is meant those who temporarily abide in a place1 but are without the privileges of it4 ,there is a verb to parish in certain parts of ,england which shows how a word can entirely reverse its original meaning4 ,it not only means to adjoin1 but to belong to4 ,fellow-citizens with the saints4--,enjoying all civic liberties1 and able to say1 ,this is my own1 my native land1 when he finds ,mount ,zion and the city of the living ,god 7cf4 ,heb4 xi4 #ac1 #ad74 ,and of the household of ,god4--,the association grows more intimate4 ,the words might possibly mean domestics of ,god 7,rev4 xxii4 #c1 #d72 but when we think of the ,father's house we must interpret of the family circle of ,god4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,being built upon the foundation4--,from the future of a household ,st4 ,paul passes easily to the structure1 based on the ,church's ,one ,foundation4 ,the chief corner-stone4--,the historic ,christ1 to whom all ,christian belief and life have reference1 as necessarily conditions through ,himself the existence and endurance of each ,christian commonwealth1 as the existence and steadiness of a building are dependent on the indispensable cornerstone1 which upholds the whole structure 7,meyer74 ,the difference between our passage and #a ,cor4 iii4 #aa is one of figure only4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,all the building4--,r4,v4 each several building4 ,fitly-framed-together4--,one word in the original1 found again only in ch4 iv4 #af in this form4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,for a habitation4--,the word so translated is found again only in ,rev4 xviii4 #b1 a sharp contrast to this verse4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-c4 ,the ,children of ,wrath-- ,i4 ,are spiritually dead4--,who were dead in trespasses and sins 7ver4 #a74 ,the only life of which they are conscious1 and in which all their activities are displayed1 is a life of sin4 ,they have no conception of a higher life4 ,they are capable of a higher life and know it not4 ,the spiritual1 the higher form of life1 is entombed and buried under a mass of sin4 ,it is inert1 dead1 in process of corruption4 ,dante refers to such as1 ,these wretched ones who never were alive2 ,i ne'er forsooth could have believed it true1 that death had slain such myriads of mankind4 ,sin first benumbs1 then paralyses1 and finally slays our spiritual sensibilities4 ,the soul dead to ,god shall not be insensible to the reality of the ,divine wrath4 ,,ii4 ,are under the spell of an unseen evil power 7ver4 #b74--,the children of disobedience are those who are withholding their allegiance from the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 all those who are unconverted2 not mere gross sinners and open profligates1 but such persons as are strangers to the spiritual life1 although they may have many excellencies of nature and disposition4 ,the apostle plainly asserts that before he was brought to the knowledge of ,christ he was under the influence of the prince of the power of the air4 ,this is a startling statement4 ,it is more startling still if we consider what sort of man ,paul was before his conversion--how excellent1 how earnest1 how devoted to the external duties of a religious life4 ,but startling as it is1 it is the apostle who makes it of himself2 and the inference is unavoidable1 that all that mass of persons who are out of ,christ and who are not partakers of ,his resurrection life1 who have given their hearts to the world and not to the ,saviour1 are just the captives of ,satan1 and1 without knowing it1 are doing his lusts and accomplishing his will4 ,the disease is not less deadly because it eats out the life without inflicting pain4 ,the pestilence is not the less awful because it comes without giving notice of its presence1 borne on the balmy breezes of the bright1 cloudless1 summer eve4 ,the vampire does not do its work the less effectually because it fans its victim with its perfumed wings into an unconscious slumber whilst it drains away his life-blood and leaves him a corpse4 ,and ,satan is not the less real or the less destructive because he works his fatal work upon our souls without our even being conscious of his approach4 ,,iii4 ,are prompted to sin by the instincts of a depraved nature 7ver4 #c74--,there is the twofold province of a man's being1 by the lower of which he is allied to the brute creation1 and by the higher to the angels1 both being under the dominion of sin4 ,there is the corrupt body of flesh1 and in a higher sense there is the fleshly mind4 ,every unregenerate person lives more or less in one or the other of these provinces--either in the sphere of fleshly lusts or in the sphere of the fleshly mind4 ,either he lives simply an animal life1 and is in consequence a fleshly man1 whose life consists only in fulfilling the desires of his lower nature2 or he lives in the higher province of the mind1 but it is nevertheless the mind in darkness1 in uncertainty1 in doubt--mind and heart alike alienated from ,god through the unbelief which is in them4 ,it would not do to argue from this that our passions are our sins4 ,sin is not in appetite but lies in the insubordination of appetite4 ,there is need of a curbing and governing will1 and our discipline consists in subjugating the lower to the higher4 ,a due balance between the two regions must be preserved1 and it is when passion becomes master and the lower invades the province of the higher1 when the subordinate becomes insubordinate1 that appetite and passion become sin4 ,the flesh is the great rival of the ,spirit1 for it asserts that dominion over a man which the ,holy ,spirit alone ought to occupy1 and these two are constantly opposed to each other4 ,the depravity within1 working in the thoughts of the mind and the passions of the flesh1 prompts to a course of disobedience and sin4 ,,iv4 ,are exposed to condemnation4--,and were by nature the children of wrath1 even as others4 ,the wrath of ,god is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men4 ,the apostle shows that even the ,jews1 who boasted of their birth from ,abraham1 were by natural birth equally children of wrath1 as the ,gentiles whom the ,jews despised on account of their birth from idolaters4 ,the phrase children of wrath is a ,hebraism1 meaning we are objects of ,god's wrath from childhood1 in our natural state1 as being born in sin1 which ,god hates4 ,wrath abides on all who disobey the ,gospel in faith and practice4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sin when it is finished bringeth forth death4 #b4 ,your adversary the devil walketh about seeking whom he may devour4 #c4 ,because there is wrath1 beware6 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,a ,state of ,sin a ,state of ,death4 ,i4 ,there are some respects in which the death of the soul does not resemble the death of the body4--#a4 ,it does not involve the extinction of faculties and affections4 ,the dead body moves not1 nor feels1 nor acts4 ,the dead soul still thinks and feels and wills4 #b4 ,it does not exempt from responsibility4 ,the dead soul is commanded to repent and believe and obey4 #c4 ,it is not incapable of restoration on earth4 ,the spiritually dead may become spiritually alive here4 ,,ii4 ,there are some respects in which the death of the soul does resemble the death of the body4--#a4 ,in its cause4 ,sin4 #b4 ,in its extent4 ,all men without exception4 #c4 ,in its consequences4 ,the dead are utterly insensible1 they fulfil none of the functions or duties of the living1 they can be reanimated only by ,divine power4 ,address3 7#a7 ,those who are spiritually dead4 7#b7 ,those who have reason to believe that they are spiritually alive4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,vers4 #a-c4 ,the ,state of ,men without the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the moral state of wicked men resembles a state of natural death 7ver4 #a74--;,from the metaphor used in the text we are not to conclude that all sinners are alike1 for though all are in a sense dead some are under a greater death than others4 ,the metaphor is usually applied to sinners of the most vicious character4 ,when we speak of human nature as totally depraved we mean only a total destitution of real holiness1 not the highest possible degree of vitiosity4 ,in order to denominate one a sinner it is not necessary that he should be as bad as possible4 ,though natural death does not1 yet spiritual death does1 admit of degrees4 ,evil men wax worse and worse1 add sin to sin1 and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath4 #a4 ,sinners may be said to be dead in respect of their stupidity4--,we read of some who are past feeling1 whose conscience is seared1 who have eyes which see not1 ears which hear not1 and a heart which is waxed gross4 ,their hearts are like a mortified limb which feels no pain under the scarifying knife4 #b4 ,they are represented as wanting spiritual senses4--,they savour the things of the world1 not the things which are of ,god4 ,they indeed love the effects of ,god's goodness to them1 but they delight not in ,his character as a holy1 just1 and faithful ,being4 ,they may feel a natural pleasure in certain mechanical emotions of the passions excited by objects presented to the sight1 or by sounds which strike the ear1 as the artificial tears from the image of the ,virgin ,mary will melt down an assembly of ,catholics1 or as a concert of musical instruments will rapture the hearers2 but they relish not the ,word and ordinances of ,god1 considered as means of holiness and as designed to convince them of their sins and bring them to repentance4 ,if the ,word dispensed comes home to their conscience1 they are offended4 ,they lose the music of the pleasant song and talk against it by the walls and in the doors of their houses4 #c4 ,they resemble the dead in the want of vital warmth4--,if they have any fervour in religion1 it is about the forms and externals of it1 or about some favourite sentiments which they find adapted to soothe their consciences1 not about those things in which the power of religion consists4 ,as death deforms the body1 so sin destroys the beauty of the soul4 ,it darkens the reason1 perverts the judgment1 and disorders the affections4 ,to be carnally-minded is death4 #d4 ,they may be denominated dead as they are worthy of and exposed to punishment4--,this is called death because it is the separation of the soul from ,god and heaven1 from happiness and hope1 from all good and unto all evil4 ,this is a death which awaits the impenitent4 ,,ii4 ,there is in ungodly men a general disposition to follow the way of the world4--,according to the course of this world 7ver4 #b74 ,they1 like dead carcases1 swam down the stream of common custom1 and were carried away with the general current of vice and corruption4 #a4 ,most men have a general idea that religion is of some importance4--,few can wholly suppress it1 or reason themselves out of it4 ,but what religion is and wherein it consists they seldom inquire1 and never examine with any degree of attention4 ,such opinions as flatter their ungodly lusts1 or pacify their guilty consciences1 they warmly embrace4 ,that scheme of doctrine which will make converts without exacting reformation1 and give assurance without putting them to much trouble1 they highly approve4 ,the path which will lead men to heaven with little self-denial they readily pursue4 #b4 ,there are many who blindly follow the examples of the world4--,whether such a practice is right or wrong they take little pains to examine4 ,it is enough that they see many who adopt it4 ,they would rather incur the censure of their own minds and the displeasure of their ,god than stand distinguished by a singularity in virtue4 ,,iii4 ,they are under the influence of evil spirits4--,according to the prince of the power of the air1 the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience 7ver4 #b74 ,the number of evil spirits is very great1 but there is one distinguished from the rest1 and called the devil1 ,satan1 the prince of the power of the air4 ,the manner in which he works in the minds of men is by gaining access to their passions and lusts1 which he inflames by suggesting evil thoughts or by painting images on the fancy4 ,it was by the avarice of ,judas and ,ananias that he entered into them and filled their hearts4 ,,iv4 ,the wickedness of men consists not merely in their evil works1 but in the corrupt dispositions which prompt them to those works4--,the lusts of our flesh1 fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind 7ver4 #c74 ,the lusts of the flesh are the vices of sensuality1 as intemperance1 uncleanness1 debauchery1 and excess of riot4 ,the desires of the fleshly mind are the lusts which arise from the corruption of the mind in its connection with flesh1 as pride1 malice1 envy1 wrath1 hatred1 ambition1 and covetousness4 ,though no man indulges every vice1 yet every unregenerate man obeys the carnal mind4 ,v4 ,the indulgence of carnal lusts and passions brings on men the wrath of ,god4--,the children of wrath 7ver4 #c74 ,a mind sunk in carnality is incapable of rational felicity2 it is miserable in itself and from its own corruption and perverseness4 ,if man subjects his nature to the lusts and passions1 the order of nature is inverted1 the law of creation violated1 and the ,creator dishonoured and offended4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,if you have not abandoned yourselves to the grossest forms of vice1 it is because you have been placed under superior light and enjoyed a happier education than the heathen4 #b4 ,though you may not have indulged all the lusts and vices which others have done1 yet if you are children of disobedience you can no more be saved without renovation of heart and repentance of sin than they can4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #c4 ,the ,state of ,nature4 ,i4 ,if by human nature you mean nature as seen in this man or that1 then unquestionably nature is evil--individual nature1 personal nature1 is contrary to ,god's will4 ,but if by human nature you mean nature as ,god made it1 as it has been once in one man of our species and only one1 and as by ,god's grace it shall be again2 if you mean nature as it is according to the idea of the ,creator as shown in ,jesus ,christ1 as it is in the eyes of ,god imputed not as it is but as it shall be1--then that nature is a noble thing1 a thing ,divine2 for the life of the ,redeemer ,himself1 what was it but the one true exhibition of our human nature8 ,,ii4 ,paul says that by nature we fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind4--,i pray you to observe that it is the second and not in the first sense that he here speaks of nature4 ,the desires of the flesh mean the appetites2 those of the mind mean the passions3 to fulfil the desires of the flesh is to live the life of the swine2 to fulfil those of the mind is to live the life of the devil4 ,but this is the partiality1 not the entireness1 of human nature4 ,where is the conscience1 where the ,spirit with which we have communion with ,god8 ,to live to the flesh and to the mind is not to live to the nature that ,god gave us4 ,we can no more call that living to our nature than we can say that a watch going by the mere force of the main-spring without a regulator is fulfilling the nature of a watch4 ,to fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind is no more to fulfil the nature which ,god has given us than the soil fulfils its nature when it brings forth thorns and briars4 ,st4 ,paul1 in the epistle to the ,romans1 draws a distinction between himself and his false nature3 ,it is not ,i1 but sin that dwelleth in me4 ,sin is the dominion of a false nature2 it is a usurped dominion4 ,,iii4 ,the next thing that ,paul tells us is that by nature we are children of wrath4--,in the state of nature we are in the way to bear the wrath of ,god4 ,yet ,god is not wrath2 ,he is infinite love4 ,the eternal severity of ,his nature does not feel our passions1 ,he remains for ever calm2 yet such is our nature that we must think of ,him as wrath as well as love3 to us love itself becomes wrath when we are in a state of sin4 ,god must hate sin and be forever sin's enemy4 ,if we sin ,he must be against us3 in sinning we identify ourselves with evil1 therefore we must endure the consuming fire4 ,so long as there is evil1 so long will there be penalty4 ,sin1 live according to the lusts of the flesh1 and you will become the children of ,god's wrath2 live after the ,spirit1 the higher nature that is in you1 and then the law hath hold on you no longer4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,the ,worst of ,evils4 ,i4 ,by nature all are the children of wrath4--#a4 ,because we want that original righteousness in which we were created1 and which is required to the purity and perfection of our nature4 #b4 ,because all the parts and powers of our soul and body are depraved with original corruption4 ,our understandings are so bad that they understand not their own badness1 our wills which are the queens of our souls become the vassals of sin1 our memories like jet good only to draw straws and treasure up trifles of no moment1 our consciences through errors in our understandings sometimes accusing us when we are innocent1 sometimes acquitting us when we are guilty1 our affections all disaffected and out of order4 #c4 ,some may expect that as the master of the feast said to him that wanted the wedding garment1 ,friend1 how camest thou in hither8 so ,i should demand of original sin1 ,foe1 and worst of foes1 how camest thou in hither1 and by what invisible leaks didst thou soak into our souls8 ,but ,i desire1 if it be possible1 to present you this day a rose without prickles1 to declare plain and positive doctrine without thorny disputes or curious speculations1 lest1 as ,abraham's ram was caught in the thicket1 so ,i embroil you and myself in difficult controversies4 ,let us not busy our brains so much to know how original sin came into us1 as labour in our heart to know how it should be got out of us4 ,but the worst is1 most men are sick of the rickets in the soul1 their heads swell to a vast proportion1 puffed up with the emptiness of airy speculations1 whilst their legs and lower parts do waste and consume1 their practical parts decay1 none more lazy to serve ,god in their lives and conversations4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,baptism is not a sacrament that confers salvation4 ,it is an ordinance that serves as a public statement that salvation has already taken place4 ,parents are to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the ,lord 7,eph4 vi4 #d74 ,,ii4 ,ye parents to children1 see how1 though against your wills1 ye have propagated this wrath-deserving on your children unto your children2 you are bound1 both in honour and honesty1 civility and ,christianity1 to pluck them out of this pit4 #a4 ,this you may do by embracing the speediest opportunity to fasten the sacrament of baptism upon them4 #b4 ,let them not want good prayers1 which if steeped in tears will grow the better1 good precepts1 good precedents1 and show thy child in thyself what he should follow1 in others what he should shun and avoid4 #c4 ,in the low countries1 where their houses lie buried in the ground1 the laying of the foundation is counted as much as the rest of the foundation2 so half our badness lies secret and unseen1 consisting in original corruption1 whereof too few take notice4 ,witches1 they say1 say the ,lord's ,prayer backward2 but concupiscence1 this witch in our soul1 says all the commandments backward1 and makes us cross in our practice what ,god commands in ,his precepts4 ,thus every day we sin1 and sorrow after our sin1 and sin after our sorrow4 ,the wind of ,god's ,spirit bloweth us one way1 and the tide of our corruption hurrieth us another4 ,these things he that seeth not in himself is sottish1 blind2 he that seeth and confesseth not is damnably proud2 he that confesseth and bewaileth not is desperately profane2 he that bewaileth and fighteth not against it is unprofitably pensive2 but he that in some weak manner doeth all these is a saint in reversion here1 and shall be one in possession hereafter4--,t4 ,fuller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #d-i4 ,salvation an ,act of ,divine ,grace4 ,i4 ,springing from the benevolence of ,god 7vers4 #d1 #g74--;,a good old saint once said1 ,there is nothing that affects me more profoundly1 or more quickly melts my heart1 than to reflect on the goodness of ,god4 ,it is so vast1 so deep1 so amazing1 so unlike and beyond the most perfect human disposition1 that my soul is overwhelmed4 ,the apostle seems to have been similarly affected as he contemplated the ,divine beneficence1 as the phrases he here employs indicate4 ,he calls it the great love wherewith ,he loved us4 ,god is rich in mercy--in irrepressible1 unmerited compassion 7ver4 #d74 ,language is too poor to express all he sees and feels1 and he takes refuge in the ambiguous yet suggestive expression1 ,the exceeding riches of ,his grace in ,his kindness toward us through ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #g7--;hinting at the sublime benignity of the ,divine nature longing to express itself through the noblest medium possible4 ,by his rebellion and deliberate sin man had forfeited all claim to the ,divine favour1 and his restoration to that favour1 impossible of attainment by any efforts of his own1 was an act of sheer ,divine goodness4 ,its spontaneity breaks in as a sweet surprise upon the sinning race4 ,the most vicious and abandoned are included in its gracious provisions1 and all men are taught that their salvation1 if accomplished at all1 must be as an act of free and undeserved grace4 ,,ii4 ,salvation has its life and fellowship in ,christ 7vers4 #e1 #f74--;,god has given us as unquestioned a resurrection from the death of sin as the body of ,christ had from the grave1 and the same ,divine power achieved both the one and the other4 ,the spiritual life of both ,jew and ,gentile has its origin in ,christ1 and the axe is thus laid to the very root of spiritual pride and all glorying in ourselves4 ,we are raised by ,his resurrection power to sit in heavenly places in ,christ ,jesus4 ,this we do already by our spiritual fellowship with ,him1 and by anticipation we share the blessedness which we shall more fully enjoy by our union with ,him in the heavenly world4 ,the spiritual resurrection of the soul must precede and will be the inviolable guarantee of the future glorious resurrection of the body4 ,as the great ,head of the ,church is already in the heavenlies1 so ultimately all the members that make up the body shall be gathered there4 ,we are already seated there in ,him as our ,head1 which is the ground of our hope2 and we shall be hereafter seated there by ,him1 as the conferring cause1 when hope shall be swallowed up in fruition4 ,our life and fellowship in ,christ are susceptible of indefinite expansion and enjoyment in the progressive evolutions of the future4 ,,iii4 ,faith1 the instrument of salvation1 is the gift of ,divine grace 7ver4 #h74--,the question whether faith or salvation is the gift of ,god is decided by the majority of critics in favour of the former4 ,this agrees with the obvious argument of the apostle1 that salvation is so absolutely an act of ,divine grace that the power to realise it individually is also a free gift4 ,grace1 without any respect to human worthiness1 confers the glorious gift4 ,faith1 with an empty hand and without any pretence to personal desert1 receives the heavenly blessing4 ,without the grace or power to believe1 no man ever did or can believe2 but with that power the act of faith is a man's own4 ,god never believes for any man1 no more than ,he repents for him4 ,the penitent1 through this grace enabling him1 believes for himself2 nor does he believe necessarily or impulsively when he has that power4 ,the power to believe may be present long before it is exercised1 else why the solemn warnings which we meet everywhere in the ,word of ,god and threatenings against those who do not believe8 ,this is the true state of the case3 ,god gives the power1 man uses the power thus given1 and brings glory to ,god4 ,without the power no man can believe2 with it any man may4 ,,iv4 ,salvation1 being unmeritorious1 excludes all human boasting4--,not of works1 lest any man should boast 7ver4 #i74 ,neither salvation nor the faith that brings it is the result of human ingenuity and effort4 ,the grand moral results brought about by saving faith are so extraordinary1 and so high above the plane of the loftiest and most gigantic human endeavours1 that if man could produce them by his own unaided powers he would have cause indeed for the most extravagant boasting1 and he would be in danger of generating a pride which in its uncontrollable excess would work for his irretrievable ruin4 ,the least shadow of a ground for pride is however excluded4 ,god protects both ,himself and man by the freeness and simplicity of the offer of salvation4 ,it is the complaint of intellectual pride that the reception of the ,gospel is impossible because it demands a humiliation and self-emptying that degrade and shackle intellectual freedom4 ,such an objection is a libel on the ,gospel4 ,it humbles in order to exalt2 it binds its claims upon us to lift us to a higher freedom4 ,so completely is salvation a ,divine act1 that the man who refuses to accept it on ,god's terms must perish4 ,there is no other way4 ,v4 ,the glory of ,divine grace in salvation will be increasingly demonstrated in the future4--,that in the ages to come ,he might show the exceeding riches of his grace 7ver4 #g74 ,the most valuable function of history is not that which deals with the rise and fall of empires1 the brutal ravages of war1 the biographies of kings1 statesmen1 and philosophers1 but that which treats upon the social and moral condition of the people and the influence of religion in the development of individual and national character4 ,the true history of the world is the history of ,god's dealings with it4 ,the ages of the past have been a revelation of ,god2 the ages to come will be an enlargement of that revelation1 and its most conspicuous feature will be an ever-new development of the riches of ,divine grace in the redemption of the human race4 ,in all successive ages of the world we are authorised to declare that sinners shall be saved only as they repent of their sins and believe on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,lessons4--,salvation--#a4 ,is a revelation of what ,god does for man4 #b4 ,is absolutely necessary for each4 #c4 ,should be earnestly sought by all4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,of ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #d-g4 ,the ,great ,change effected in ,man by the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the happy change which the ,gospel made in the ,ephesians4--,a change not peculiar to them1 but common to all sincere believers4 #a4 ,god hath quickened us4--,made us alive with ,christ4 7#a7 ,true ,christians are alive2 they have spiritual senses and appetites4 7#b7 ,spiritual motions4 7#c7 ,spiritual pleasures4 7#d7 ,spiritual powers4 ,the spiritual life comes through ,christ and is conformed to ,him4 #b4 ,god hath raised us up together with ,christ 7ver4 #f74--;,his resurrection is a proof and pattern of that of believers4 #c4 ,god hath made us to sit together in heavenly places in ,christ4--,his entrance into heaven is a proof of the final salvation of believers4 ,he sits there for them1 to take care of their interests1 and in due time will bring them to sit where ,he is4 ,,ii4 ,contemplate the mercy of ,god in this great change4--,god1 who is rich in mercy 7ver4 #d74 ,the mercies of ,god are rich in extent1 in number1 in respect of constancy1 in variety1 in value4 ,the great love wherewith ,he loved us4 ,he first loved us4 ,his love shines brighter when we consider what a being ,he is4 ,he is infinitely above us4 ,he is self-sufficient4 ,the ,gospel gives us the most exalted conceptions of ,god's character4 ,,iii4 ,the general purpose of ,god's particular mercy to the ,ephesians 7ver4 #g74--;,god's mercy in reclaiming one transgressor may operate to the salvation of thousands in ages to come4 ,the ,gospel dispensation was intended to serve some useful purposes among other intelligences4 ,not only ,god's gracious dispensation to fallen men1 but also ,his righteous severity toward irreclaimable offenders1 is designed for extensive beneficial influence4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #d1 #e4 ,the ,state of ,grace4 #a4 ,salvation originates in the love of ,god4 #b4 ,that it consists in emancipation from evil4--,quickened us together with ,christ2 that is1 gave life4 ,the love and mercy of ,god were shown in this--not that ,he saved from penalty1 but from sin4 ,what we want is life1 more life1 spiritual life1 to know in all things the truth of ,god1 and to speak it1 to feel in all things the will of ,god and do it4 #c4 ,the next word to explain is grace4--,it stands opposed to nature and to law4 ,whenever nature means the dominion of our lower appetites1 then nature stands opposed to grace4 ,grace stands opposed to law4 ,all that law can do is to manifest sin1 just as the dam thrown across the river shows its strength2 law can arrest sometimes the commission of sin1 but never the inward principle4 ,therefore1 ,god has provided another remedy1 ,sin shall not have dominion over you1 because ye are under grace4 #d4 ,paul states salvation here as a fact4--,by grace ye are saved4 ,there are two systems4 ,the one begins with nature1 the other with grace3 the one treats all ,christians as if they were the children of the devil1 and tells them that they may perhaps become the children of ,god2 the other declares that the incarnation of ,christ is a fact1 a universal fact1 proclaiming that all the world are called to be the children of the ,most ,high4 ,let us believe in grace instead of beginning with nature4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,vers4 #d-f4 ,the ,believer exalted together with ,jesus ,christ4 ,i4 ,the believer is assured he is raised up with ,christ by the proofs which assure him of the exaltation of ,christ4--,these proofs1 irresistible as they are1 do not produce impressions so lively as they ought4 #a4 ,from the abuse of a distinction between mathematical evidence and moral evidence4 #b4 ,because the mind is under the influence of a prejudice1 unworthy of a real philosopher1 that moral evidence changes its nature according to the nature of the things to which it is applied4 #c4 ,because the necessary discrimination has not been employed in the selection of those proofs on which some have pretended to establish it4 #d4 ,because we are too deeply affected by our inability to resolve certain questions which the enemies of religion are accustomed to put on some circumstances relative to that event4 #e4 ,because we suffer ourselves to be intimidated more than we ought by the comparison instituted between them and certain popular rumours which have no better support than the caprice of the persons who propagate them4 #f4 ,because they are not sufficiently known4 ,,ii4 ,the means supplied to satisfy the believer that he is fulfilling the conditions under which he may promise himself that he shall become a partaker of ,christ's exaltation4--,though this knowledge be difficult1 it is by no means impossible of attainment4 ,he employs two methods principally to arrive at it3 #a4 ,he studies his own heart2 #b4 ,he shrinks not from the inspection of the eyes of others4 ,,iii4 ,the believer is raised up with ,christ by the foretastes which he enjoys on earth of his participation in the exaltation of ,christ4--,this experience is realised by the believer4 #a4 ,when shutting the door of his closet and excluding the world from his heart1 he is admitted to communion and fellowship with ,deity in retirement and silence4 #b4 ,when ,providence calls him to undergo some severe trial4 #c4 ,when he has been enabled to make some noble and generous sacrifice4 #d4 ,when celebrating the sacred mysteries of redeeming love4 #e4 ,finally1 in the hour of conflict with the king of terrors4--,saurin4 ,ver4 #e4 ,justification by ,faith4 ,i4 ,we hold that we are justified by faith1 that is1 by believing1 and that unless we are justified we cannot be saved4 ,of all men whoever believed this1 those who gave us the ,church catechism believed it most strongly4 ,believing really what they taught1 they believed that children were justified4 ,for if a child is not justified in being a member of ,christ1 a child of ,god1 and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven1 what is he justified in being8 ,they knew that the children could only keep in this just1 right1 and proper state by trusting in ,god and looking up to ,him daily in faith and love and obedience4 ,,ii4 ,these old reformers were practical men and took the practical way4--,they knew the old proverb1 ,a man need not be a builder to live in a house4 ,at least they acted on it2 and instead of trying to make the children understand what faith was made up of1 they tried to make them live in faith itself4 ,instead of puzzling and fretting the children's minds with any of the controversies then going on between ,papists and ,protestants1 or afterwards between ,calvinists and ,arminians1 they taught the children simply about ,god1 who ,he was1 and what ,he had done for them and all mankind1 that so they might learn to love ,him1 look up to ,him in faith1 and trust utterly to ,him1 and so remain justified and right1 saved and safe for ever4 ,by doing which they showed that they knew more about faith and about ,god than if they had written books on books of doctrinal arguments4 ,,iii4 ,the ,church catechism1 where it is really and honestly taught1 gives the children an honest1 frank1 sober1 ,english temper of mind which no other training ,i have seen gives4--,i warn you frankly that if you expect to make the average of ,english children good children on any other ground than the ,church catechism takes1 you will fail4 ,if it be not enough for your children to know all the articles of the ,apostles' ,creed1 and on the strength thereof to trust ,god utterly and so be justified and saved1 then they must go elsewhere1 for ,i have nothing more to offer them1 and trust in ,god that ,i never shall have4--,c4 ,kingsley4 ,ver4 #h4 ,salvation by ,faith4 ,i4 ,what faith it is through which we are saved4--#a4 ,it is not barely the faith of a heathen4 #b4 ,nor is it the faith of a devil1 though this goes much further than that of a heathen4 #c4 ,it is not barely that the apostles had while ,christ was yet upon earth4 #d4 ,in general it is faith in ,christ3 ,christ and ,god through ,christ are the proper objects of it4 #e4 ,it is not only an assent to the whole ,gospel of ,christ1 but also a full reliance on the blood of ,christ1 a trust in the merits of ,his life1 death1 and resurrection1 a recumbency upon ,him as our atonement and our life1 as given for us and living in us1 and in consequence hereof1 a closing with ,him and cleaving to ,him as our wisdom1 righteousness1 sanctification1 and redemption1 or1 in one word1 our salvation4 ,,ii4 ,what is the salvation which is through faith8--#a4 ,it is a present salvation4 #b4 ,a salvation from sin4 #c4 ,from the guilt of all past sin4 #d4 ,from fear4 #e4 ,from the power of sin4 #f4 ,a salvation often expressed in the word justification1 which taken in the largest sense implies a deliverance from guilt and punishment by the atonement of ,christ actually applied to the soul of the sinner now believing on ,him1 and a deliverance from the power of sin1 through ,christ formed in his heart4 ,,iii4 ,the importance of the doctrine4--,never was the maintaining this doctrine more seasonable than it is at this day4 ,nothing but this can effectually prevent the increase of the ,romish delusion among us4 ,it is endless to attack one by one all the errors of that ,church4 ,but salvation by faith strikes at the root1 and all fall at once where this is established4--,wesley4 ,vers4 #h1 #i4 ,our ,salvation is of ,grace4 ,i4 ,consider how we are saved through faith4--#a4 ,without faith we cannot be saved4 #b4 ,all who have faith will be saved4 ,,ii4 ,what place and influence works have in our salvation4--#a4 ,in what sense our salvation is not of works4 7#a7 ,we are not saved by works considered as a fulfilment of the original law of nature4 7#b7 ,we are not saved by virtue of any works done before faith in ,christ1 for none of these are properly good4 #b4 ,there is a sense in which good works are of absolute necessity to salvation4 7#a7 ,they are necessary as being radically included in that faith by which we are saved4 7#b7 ,a temper disposing us to good works is a necessary qualification for heaven4 7#c7 ,works are necessary as evidences of our faith in ,christ and of our title to heaven4 7#d7 ,good works essentially belong to religion4 7#e7 ,works are necessary to adorn our professions and honour our religion before men4 7#f7 ,by them we are to be judged in the great day of the ,lord4 ,,iii4 ,the necessity of works does not diminish the grace of ,god in our salvation nor afford us any pretence for boasting4--#a4 ,humility essentially belongs to the ,christian temper4 #b4 ,the mighty preparation ,god has made for our recovery teaches that the human race is of great importance in the scale of rational beings and in the scheme of ,god's universal government4 #c4 ,it infinitely concerns us to comply with the proposals of the ,gospel4 #d4 ,let no man flatter himself that he is in a state of salvation as long as he lives in the neglect of good works4 #e4 ,let us be careful that we mistake not the nature of good works4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #h4 ,true ,justifying ,faith is not of ,ourselves4--,it is through grace that we believe in the grace of ,god4 ,god's grace and love1 the source2 faith1 the instrument2 both ,his gift4 ,the origin of our coming to ,christ is of ,god4 ,justifying faith1 not human assent1 but a powerful1 vivifying thing which immediately works a change in the man and makes him a new creature and leads him to an entirely new and altered mode of life and conduct4 ,hence justifying faith is a ,divine work4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #aj4 ,the ,christian ,life a ,divine ,creation4 ,i4 ,the true ,christian a specimen of the ,divine handiwork4--,we are ,his workmanship4 ,so far is man from being the author of his own salvation1 or from procuring salvation for the sake of any works of his own1 that not only was his first creation as a man the work of ,god1 but his new spiritual creation is wholly the result of ,divine power4 ,man1 in the marvellous mechanism of his body1 and in his unique mental and spiritual endowments1 is the noblest work of ,god4 ,he is the lord and high priest of nature and has such dominion over it as to be able to combine and utilise its forces4 ,but the creation of the new spiritual man in ,christ ,jesus is a far grander work1 and a more perfect and exalted specimen of the ,divine handiwork4 ,it is a nearer approach to a more perfect image of the ,divine character and perfections4 ,as the best work of the most gifted genius is a reflection of his loftiest powers1 so the new spiritual creation is a fuller revelation of the infinite resources of the ,divine ,worker4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian life is eminently practical4--,created in ,christ ,jesus for good works 7,r4,v474 ,the apostle never calls the works of the law good works4 ,we are not saved by1 but created unto1 good works4 ,works do not justify1 but the justified man works1 and thus demonstrates the reality of his new creation4 ,i should have thought mowers very idle people1 said ,john ,newton1 but they work while they whet the scythe4 ,now devotedness to ,god1 whether it mows or whets the scythe1 still goes on with the work4 ,a ,christian should never plead spirituality for being a sloven2 if he be but a shoe-cleaner1 he should be the best in the parish4 ,,iii4 ,the opportunities and motives for ,christian usefulness are ,divinely provided4--,which ,god hath before ordained that we should walk in them4 ,every man has his daily work of body or mind appointed him4 ,there is not a moment without a duty4 ,each one has a vineyard2 let him see that he till it1 and not say1 ,no man hath hired us4 ,the situation1 says ,carlyle1 that has not its duty1 its ideal1 was never yet occupied by man4 ,yes1 here in this poor1 miserable1 hampered1 despicable ,actual wherein thou even now standest1 here or nowhere is thy ideal4 ,work it out therefrom1 and working1 believe1 live1 and be free4 ,there is no romance in a minister's proposing and hoping to forward a great moral revolution on the earth1 for the religion he is appointed to preach was intended and is adapted to work deeply and widely and to change the face of society4 ,christianity was not ushered into the world with such a stupendous preparation1 it was not foreshown through so many ages by enraptured prophets1 it was not proclaimed so joyfully through the songs of angels1 it was not preached by such holy lips and sealed by such precious blood1 to be only a pageant1 a form1 a sound1 a show4 ,oh no6 ,it has come from heaven1 with heaven's life and power--come to make all things new1 to make the wilderness glad1 and the desert blossom as the rose1 to break the stony heart1 to set free the guilt-burdened and earth-bound spirit1 and to present it faultless before ,god's glory with exceeding joy4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christianity is not a creed1 but a life4 #b4 ,the ,christian life has a manifest ,divine origin4 #c4 ,the ,christian life must be practically developed in harmony with the ,divine mind4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,interruptions in our ,work1 and the ,way to deal with ,them4--,in proportion to the seriousness with which a ,christian does his work will be his sensitiveness to interruptions1 and this sensitiveness is apt to disturb his peace4 ,the remedy is a closer study of the mind that was in ,christ1 as that mind transpires in ,his recorded conduct4 ,the point in the life of our ,lord is the apparent want of what may be called method or plan4 ,his good works were not in pursuance of some scheme laid down by ,himself1 but such as entered into ,god's scheme for ,him1 such as the ,father had prepared for ,him to walk in4 ,i4 ,notice ,his discourses both in their occasions and their contexture4--#a4 ,his discourses often take their rise from some object which is thrown across ,his path in nature1 from some occurrence which takes place under ,his eyes1 or from some question which is put to ,him4 #b4 ,the contexture of ,his discourses are not systematic in the usual sense of the word4 ,there is the intellectual method1 and the method of a full mind and loving heart4 ,the only plan observable in our ,lord's discourses is that of a loving heart pouring itself out as occasion serves for the edification of mankind4 ,,ii4 ,study the life of ,christ4--,the absence of mere human plan1 or rather strict faithfulness to the plan of ,god as hourly developed by the movements of ,his providence1 characterises the life of our ,lord even more than ,his discourses4 ,illustrated from ,matthew ix4 ,god has a plan of life for each one of us1 and occasions of doing or receiving good are mapped out for each in ,his eternal counsels4 ,little incidents1 as well as great crises of life1 are under the control of ,god's providence4 ,events have a voice for us if we will listen to it4 ,let us view our interruptions as part of ,god's plan for us4 ,we may receive good1 even when we cannot do good4 ,it is self-will which weds us to our own plans and makes us resent interference with them4 ,in the providence of ,god there seems to be entanglements1 perplexities1 interruptions1 confusions1 contradictions1 without end2 but you may be sure there is one ruling thought1 one master-design1 to which all these are subordinate4 ,be not clamorous for another or more dignified character than that which is allotted to you4 ,be it your sole aim to conspire with the ,author1 and to subserve ,his grand and wise conception4 ,thus shall you find peace in submitting yourself to the wisdom which is of ,god4--,e4 ,m4 ,goulburn4 ,the ,new ,spiritual ,creation4--,god has kindled in us a new spiritual life by baptism and the influence of the ,holy ,spirit connected therewith4 ,he has laid the foundation of recreating us into ,his image4 ,he has made us other men in a far more essential sense than it was once said to ,saul--,thou shalt be turned into another man4 ,what is the principal fruit and end of this new creation8 ,a living hope4 ,its object is not only our future resurrection1 but the whole plenitude of the salvation still to be revealed by ,jesus ,christ1 even until the new heavens and the new earth shall appear4 ,birth implies life2 so is it with the hope of believers1 which is the very opposite of the vain1 lost1 and powerless hope of the worldly-minded4 ,it is powerful1 and quickens the heart by comforting1 strengthening1 and encouraging it1 by making it joyous and cheerful in ,god4 ,its quickening influence enters even into our physical life4 ,hope is not only the fulfilment of the new life created in regeneration1 but also the innermost kernel of the same4--,weiss4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa1 #ab4 ,the ,forlorn ,state of the ,gentile ,world4 ,i4 ,outcast4--,gentiles1 4 4 4 called ,uncircumcision by that which is called the ,circumcision 7ver4 #aa74 ,the circumcised ,jew regarded himself as a special favourite of ,heaven1 and superior to all other men4 ,he hardly felt himself a member of the human family4 ,he was accustomed to speak of himself as chosen of ,god1 and as holy and clean2 whilst the ,gentiles were treated as sinners1 dogs1 polluted1 unclean1 outcast1 and ,god-abandoned4 ,between ,jew and ,gentile there was constant hatred and antagonism1 as there is now between the ,church and the world4 ,on the one hand1 the old religion1 with its time-honoured teachings1 its ancient traditions1 the ,church of the ,fathers1 the guardian of revelation1 the depositary of the faith1 the staunchness that tends to degenerate into bigotry--here is the ,jew4 ,on the other hand1 the intellectual searchings1 the political aspirations and mechanical contrivings--science1 art1 literature1 commerce1 sociology1 the liberty which threatens to luxuriate into licence--here is the ,gentile4 ,ever and again the old feud breaks out4 ,ever and again there is a crack and a rent4 ,the gulf widens1 and disruption is threatened4 ,the majority is outside the circle of the ,church4 ,,ii4 ,christless4--,that at that time ye were without ,christ4 ,the promises of a coming ,deliverer were made to the ,jews1 and they were slow to see that any other people had any right to the blessings of the ,messiah1 or that it was their duty to instruct the world concerning ,him4 ,they drew a hard line between the sons of ,abraham and the dogs of ,greeks4 ,they erected a middle wall of partition1 thrusting out the ,gentile into the outer court4 ,christ has broken down the barrier4 ,on the area thus cleared ,he has erected a larger1 loftier1 holier temple1 a universal brotherhood which acknowledges no preferences and knows no distinctions4 ,in ,christ ,jesus now there is neither ,jew nor ,greek1 but ,christ is all and in all--a vivid contrast to the ,christlessness of a former age4 ,,iii4 ,hopeless4--,being aliens from the commonwealth of ,israel1 and strangers from the covenants of promise1 having no hope 7ver4 #ab74 ,where there is no promise there is no hope4 ,cut off from any knowledge of the promises revealed to the ,jews1 the ,gentiles were sinking into despair4 ,,iv4 ,godless4--,without ,god in the world4 ,with numberless deities the ,gentiles had no ,god4 ,they had everything else1 but this one thing they lacked--knowledge of ,god their ,father2 and without this all their magnificent gifts could not satisfy1 could not save1 them4 ,culture and civilisation1 arts and commerce1 institutions and laws1 no nation can afford to undervalue these2 but not only do all these things soon fade1 but the people themselves fall into corruption and decay1 if the ,breath of ,life is wanting4 ,as with nations1 so is it with individuals4 ,man cannot with impunity ignore or deny the ,father of earth and heaven4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,man left to himself inevitably degenerates4 #b4 ,when man abandons ,god his case is desperate4 #c4 ,the rescue of man from utter ruin is an act of ,divine mercy4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,the ,condition of the ,ephesians before their ,conversion descriptive of the ,state of ,sinners under the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,they were in time past ,gentiles in the flesh4--,he admonishes them not to forget the dismal state of heathenism out of which they had been called1 and often to reflect upon it1 that they might ever maintain a sense of their unworthiness and awaken thankful and admiring apprehensions of that grace which had wrought in them so glorious a change4 ,,ii4 ,reminds them of the contempt with which they had been treated by the ,jews4--,the ,jews1 instead of improving the distinction of their circumcision to gratitude and obedience1 perverted it to pride1 self-confidence1 and contempt of mankind4 ,they not only excluded other nations from the benefit of religious communion1 but even denied them the common offices of humanity4 ,one of their greatest objections to the ,gospel was that it offered salvation to the ,gentiles4 ,,iii4 ,they were without ,christ4--,to the ,jews were chiefly confined the discoveries which ,god made of a ,saviour to come4 ,from them in their captivities and dispersions the ,gentiles obtained the knowledge they had of this glorious ,person4 ,this knowledge was imperfect1 mixed with error and uncertainty1 and at best extended only to a few4 ,the ,gentiles1 contemplating the ,messiah as a temporal prince1 regarded ,his appearing as a calamity rather than a blessing4 ,,iv4 ,they were aliens from the commonwealth of ,israel4--,to the forms of worship instituted in the ,mosaic law none was admitted but ,jews and such as were proselyted to the ,jewish religion4 ,all uncircumcised heathens were excluded as aliens4 ,v4 ,they were strangers from the covenants of promise4--,the discovery of the covenants of promise until the ,saviour came was almost wholly confined to the ,jews4 ,how unhappy was the condition of the ,gentile world in the dark1 benighted ages which preceded the ,gospel6 ,,vi4 ,they had no clear hope of a future existence4--,many of them scarcely believed or thought of a life beyond this4 ,they had no apprehension1 hardly the idea of a restoration of the body4 ,those who believed in a future state had but obscure and some of them very absurd conceptions of it4 ,still more ignorant were they of the qualifications necessary for happiness after death4 ,,vii4 ,they were atheists in a world in which ,god was manifest4--,the heathens generally had some apprehension of a ,deity2 but they were without a knowledge of the one true ,god and without a just idea of ,his character4 ,there are more atheists in the world than profess themselves such4 ,many who profess to know ,god in works deny ,him4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,hopeless and ,godless4--,the soul that has no ,god has no hope4 ,the character of the ,god we love and worship will determine the character of our hope4 #a4 ,the heathen religion was the seeking religion4 ,their search arose out of a deeply felt want4 ,they felt the need of something they did not possess2 and the finest intellects the world has ever known bravely and anxiously devoted all their colossal powers to the task of fathoming the mysteries of life4 ,the hope of discovery buoyed them up and urged them onwards2 but their united endeavours brought them only to the borderland of the unseen and the unknown1 where they caught but glimmerings of a truth that ever receded into the great beyond4 ,the world by wisdom knew not ,god1 and therefore had no hope4 #b4 ,the ,hebrew religion was the hoping religion4 ,favoured with a revelation of the only true ,god1 their hope expanded with every advancing step of the progressive revelation4 ,their hope was based on faith1 as all true hope must be--faith in the promises of ,god4 ,they had the promise of a ,deliverer whose wisdom should excel that of ,moses and ,solomon1 and whose power should surpass that of ,joshua and of his heroic successors in the most brilliant period of their military career2 and1 through the centuries of prosperity and decline1 of scattering and captivity1 and amid unparalleled sufferings which would have extinguished any other nation1 hope fastened and fed upon the promises till the true ,messiah came1 whom ,st4 ,paul justly described as the ,hope of ,israel1 the ,hope of the promise made of ,god unto our fathers4 #c4 ,the ,christian religion is the complement and perfection of all previously existing systems2 it is the grand realisation of what the heathen sought1 and the ,hebrew hoped for4 ,it is in ,jesus we have the clearest1 fullest1 and most authoritative revelation of ,god1 and it is in ,him1 and in ,him alone1 that the loftiest hope of man finds its restful and all-sufficient realisation4 ,the apostle ,paul refers to ,jesus specifically as our ,hope--,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 which is our ,hope 7#a ,tim4 i4 #a74 #d4 ,in the light of this great and indubitable truth the words of our text may be clearly and unmistakably interpreted1 and they assume a terrible significance4 ,to be without ,christ is to be without ,god and without hope4 7#a7 ,hope is not simply expectation4 ,we expect many things we do not hope for4 ,in the natural course of things we expect difficulties1 we expect opposition and misrepresentation--black wounding calumny the whitest virtue strikes--we expect infirmities and disabilities of age2 but we are none of us so fond of trouble for trouble's sake as to hope for any of these things4 7#b7 ,hope is not simply desire4 ,our desires are as thick and plentiful as apple blossoms1 few of which ever ripen into the fruit they promise4 ,we desire uninterrupted health1 we desire wealth--the most dangerous and disappointing of all human wishes--we desire pleasure1 success in life1 and the realisation of the most ambitious dreams2 but we have no reasonable ground for hoping that all our desires will ever be attained4 7#c7 ,hope is the expectation of the desirable1 and it must have a foundation on which the expectation rests and an object to which the desire can rise4 ,the foundation of hope is ,christ1 and the object of hope is to live with ,him in eternal glory4 ,to be without hope and without ,god does not mean that hope and ,god do not exist4 ,the world is full of both2 they are among you1 they surround you1 the very air vibrates with the ever-active presence of these grand realities2 but they are as though they did not exist for you unless you know and feel they do exist within you4 7#d7 ,hope presupposes faith2 they cannot exist apart4 ,faith discovers the only foundation which is laid1 which is ,christ ,jesus1 fastens the soul to and settles it on this foundation1 and faith and hope rouse all the activities of the soul to build on this foundation a superstructure which shall grow in solidity1 in symmetry1 and in beauty1 until it becomes a perfect marvel of moral architecture1 richly ornamented with the most delicate tracery and shimmering and flashing with the resplendent glory of ,god4 7#e7 ,hope is the balloon of the soul1 soaring majestically into the heavens1 scanning scenes of beauty and grandeur never beheld by our earth-bound senses1 and faithfully reporting to the soul the state of affairs in the skies2 but it is a captive balloon1 and the connecting cords are firmly held in the hand of faith4 ,the loftiest flights and the swing of what might seem the most eccentric gyrations of hope are held in check by the friendly1 the sympathetic1 but unswerving grasp of faith4 ,my dear ,hope1 ,faith says1 it is very nice for you to be up there1 basking in the cloudless sunshine and drinking in the melody of the ascending lark as it ripples up the heights2 and ,i like you to be there4 ,i could never get there myself2 and you tell me of things ,i should never otherwise know1 and they do me good4 ,but1 remember1 ,i cannot let you go4 ,we are linked together in the sacred bonds of a holy wedlock4 ,we are necessary to each other and cannot do without each other4 ,if you were to break away from me1 you would vanish like vapour into space1 and ,i should be left forlorn and powerless4 ,and ,hope replies3 ,i know it1 my dear ,faith4 ,divorce would be fatal to us both1 and our union is too sweet and precious ever to dream of separation4 ,i live in these upper regions purely for your sake4 ,you know ,i have cheered you up many a time and will do so again4 ,my joy is to brighten your life of toil and conflict down there4 ,when the soul has done with you it will have done with me1 and when my work is finished ,i shall be content to die4 ,thus1 faith and hope are essentially united1 and both are wedded together by the soul's living union with ,christ4 7#f7 ,a false hope is really no hope4 ,it rests on no solid foundation2 it is not justified by sound reason4 ,it is but the blue light of a frantic conjecture generated amid the restless tumults of a soul in the last stages of despair4 ,at the best a false hope is but a beautiful dream spun from the gossamer threads of a busy and excited fancy1 a dream of what we wish might be1 and1 like all other dreams having no substantial basis1 it dissolves into space under the first touch of reality4 ,a false hope lures its victims on to destruction1 as the flickering lights of the marsh gases seduce the belated traveller into the dismal swamps from which there is no release4 ,a ,state of ,sin a ,state of ,ungodliness4--#a4 ,men do not recognise the existence of ,god4 #b4 ,they do not acknowledge ,his moral government4 #c4 ,they do not seek ,his favour as their chief good4 #d4 ,they do not delight in ,his communion4 #e4 ,they do not anticipate their final reckoning with ,him4 #f4 ,they do not accept ,his own disclosures concerning the attributes of ,his nature and the principles of ,his administration4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,man without ,god4--,he is like a ship tossed about on a stormy sea without chart or compass4 ,the ship drifts as the waves carry it4 ,the night is dark4 ,the pilot knows not which way to steer4 ,he may be close to rocks and quicksands4 ,perhaps a flash of lightning falls on a rock1 or he hears the waves breaking over it4 ,but how shall he escape1 or how prepare to meet the danger8 ,shall he trust in providence8 ,what providence has he to trust in8 ,poor man6 ,he is without ,god4 ,shall he throw out an anchor8 ,but he has no anchor4 ,he wants the best and only safe anchor1 hope--the anchor of the soul4 ,such is the state of man when he is far off1 without a ,god to trust in1 without hope to comfort and support him4 ,but give the man a true and lively faith in ,christ1 tell him of a merciful and loving ,father who careth for us and would have us cast all our care upon ,him1 show him that hope which is firm to the end1 and straightway you make a happy man of him4 ,you give him a course to steer1 a chart and compass to guide him1 an anchor which will enable him to withstand the buffeting of every storm4 ,you insure him against shipwreck1 and you assure him of a blessed haven where at length he will arrive and be at rest4--,a4 ,w4 ,hare4 ,practical ,atheism4--,if it had been without friends1 without shelter1 without food1 that would have made a gloomy sound2 but without ,god6 ,that there should be men who can survey the creation with a scientific enlargement of intelligence and then say there is no ,god is one of the most hideous phenomena in the world4 ,i4 ,the text is applicable to those who have no solemn recognition of ,god's all-disposing government and providence--who have no thought of the course of things but just as going on1 going on some way or other1 just as it can be2 to whom it appears abandoned to a strife and competition of various mortal powers1 or surrendered to something they call general laws1 and these blended with chance4 ,,ii4 ,is a description of all those who are forming or pursuing their scheme of life and happiness independent of ,him4--,they do not consult ,his counsel or will as to what that scheme should be in its ends or means4 ,his favour1 ,his blessing are not absolutely indispensable4 ,we can be happy leaving ,him out of the account4 ,,iii4 ,is a description of those who have but a slight sense of universal accountableness to ,god as the supreme authority--who have not a conscience constantly looking and listening to ,him and testifying for ,him4 ,this insensibility of accountableness exists almost entire--a stupefaction of conscience--in very many minds4 ,in others there is a disturbed yet inefficacious feeling4 ,to be thus with ,god is in the most emphatical sense to be without ,him--without ,him as a friend1 approver1 and patron4 ,each thought of ,him tells the soul who it is that it is without1 and who it is that in a very fearful sense it never can be without4 ,,iv4 ,the description belongs to that state of mind in which there is no communion with ,him maintained or even sought with cordial aspiration4 ,how lamentable to be thus without ,god6 ,consider it in one single view only1 that of the loneliness of a human soul in this destitution4 ,v4 ,a description of the state of mind in which there is no habitual anticipation of the great event of going at length into the presence of ,god2 in which there is an absence of the thought of being with ,him in another world1 of being with ,him in judgment1 and whether to be with ,him for ever4 ,,vi4 ,a description of those who1 professing to retain ,god in their thoughts1 frame the religion in which they are to acknowledge ,him according to their own speculation and fancy4--,will the ,almighty acknowledge your feigned ,god for ,himself1 and admit your religion as equivalent to that which ,he has declared and defined8 ,if ,he should not1 you are without ,god in the world4 ,let us implore ,him not to permit our spirits to be detached from ,him1 abandoned1 exposed1 and lost2 not to let them be trying to feed their immortal fires on transitory sustenance1 but to attract them1 exalt them1 and hold them in ,his communion for ever4--,john ,foster4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac-ah4 ,christ the ,great ,peacemaker4 ,i4 ,his mission on earth was one of peace4--,and came and preached peace to you which were afar off1 and to them that were nigh 7ver4 #ag74 ,his advent was heralded by the angelic song1 ,peace on earth1 and goodwill toward men4 ,the world is racked with moral discord2 ,he is constantly striving to introduce the music of a heavenly harmony4 ,it is distracted with war2 ,he is propagating principles that will by-and-by make war impossible4 ,the work of the peacemaker is ,christ-like4 ,shenkyn1 one of whose anomalies was that with all his burning passions he was a notorious peacemaker1 and had means of pouring oil upon troubled waters1 once upon a time was deputed to try his well-known skill upon a ,church whose strife of tongues had become quite notorious4 ,he reluctantly complied and attended a meeting which soon proved to his satisfaction that the people were possessed by a demon that could not easily be expelled4 ,the peacemaker got up1 staff in hand1 paced the little chapel1 and with his spirit deeply moved1 cried out1 ,lord1 is this ,thy spouse8 ,faster and faster he walked1 thumping his huge stick on the floor1 and still crying out1 ,lord1 is this ,thy spouse8 ,slay her6 ,then there came1 as it were from another1 a response1 ,no1 ,i will not4 ,sell her1 then6 ,no1 ,i will not4 ,deny her1 then6 ,still the answer came1 ,i will not4 ,then he lifted up his voice1 saying1 ,i have bought her with ,my precious blood2 how can ,i give her up8 ,how can ,i forsake her8 ,the strife had now ceased1 and the people looked on with amazement1 crying out for pardon4 ,,ii4 ,he made peace between man and man4--,for ,he is our peace1 who hath made both one2 4 4 4 to make in ,himself of twain one new man1 so making peace 7vers4 #ad1 #ae74 ,the hostility of ,jew and ,gentile was conquered2 the new spiritual nature created in both formed a bond of brotherhood and harmony4 ,the ,jew no longer despised the ,gentile2 the ,gentile no longer hated and persecuted the ,jew4 ,where the ,christian spirit predominates personal quarrels are speedily adjusted4 ,,iii4 ,he made peace between man and ,god4--,that ,he might reconcile both unto ,god in one body by the cross 7ver4 #af74 ,the enmity of man against ,god is disarmed and conquered by the voluntary suffering of ,jesus in man's stead1 and by ,him thus opening up the way of reconciliation of man with ,god4 ,god can now be just1 and the justifier of him that believeth in ,jesus4 ,the violated law is now atoned for1 and the violator may obtain forgiveness and regain the forfeited favour of the offended ,god4 ,there is peace only through forgiveness4 ,,iv4 ,his death removed the great barrier to peace4--,this paragraph is very rich and suggestive in the phrases used to explain this blessed result3 ,ye are made nigh by the blood of ,christ 7ver4 #ac74 ,by the cross1 having slain the enmity thereby 7ver4 #af74 ,hath broken down the middle wall of partition1 having abolished in ,his flesh the enmity 7vers4 #ad1 #ae74 ,it is not the calm1 silent1 featureless1 helpless1 forceless1 peace of death1 but a living1 active1 aggressive1 ever-conquering peace4 ,the death was the result of agonising struggle and intense suffering1 and the peace purchased is a powerfully operating influence in the believing soul4 ,a peace is of the nature of a conquest2 ,for then both parties nobly are subdued1 ,and neither party loser4--,shakespeare4 ,v4 ,true peace is realised only in ,christ4--,but now in ,christ ,jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of ,christ 7ver4 #ac74 ,for ,he is our peace 7ver4 #ad74 ,for through ,him we both have access by one ,spirit unto the ,father 7ver4 #ah74 ,christ takes us by the hand1 and leads us to the ,father4 ,men seek peace in the excitements of worldly pleasures1 or in the pursuit of ambitious aims1 but in vain4 ,they only stimulate the malady they seek to cure4 ,christ is the restful centre of the universe1 and the sin-tossed soul gains peace only as it converges towards ,him4 ,the efforts of men to find rest independent of ,christ only reveal their need of ,him1 and it is a mercy when this revelation and consciousness of need does not come too late4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sin is the instigator of quarrels and strife4 #b4 ,only as sin is conquered does peace become possible4 #c4 ,christ introduces peace by abolishing sin4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ac-ah4 ,nearness to ,god4 ,i4 ,they were brought into the ,church of ,god and admitted to equal privileges with ,his ancient people the ,jews4 ,,ii4 ,they were brought near to ,god as they were admitted to enjoy the ,gospel1 which is a dispensation of grace and peace4 ,,iii4 ,they were brought near to ,god by the renovation of their souls after ,his image4 ,,iv4 ,this nearness to ,god implies a state of peace with ,him4 ,v4 ,another circumstance of the nearness is access to ,god in prayer4 ,,vi4 ,another is the presence of ,his ,holy ,spirit4--,let us be afraid of everything that tends to draw us away from ,god1 and love everything which brings us nearer to ,him4 ,let us seek ,him with our whole heart1 persevere daily communion with ,him1 choose ,his favour as our happiness1 ,his service as our employment1 ,his ,word as our guide1 ,his ordinances as our refreshment1 ,his house as the gate of heaven1 and heaven as our eternal home4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,our ,state by ,nature and by ,grace4 ,i4 ,our state by nature4--,the distance from ,god here spoken of is not a local distance1 neither is it that which separates us from ,him as an infinite ,being4 #a4 ,it is legal4 ,banished by a righteous sentence and by a sense of guilt and unworthiness4 #b4 ,it is moral4 ,estrangement4 ,absence of sympathy4 ,want of harmony4 #c4 ,in both these respects it is ever-widening4 #d4 ,it is miserable and dangerous4 ,,ii4 ,our state by grace4--#a4 ,the legal barriers are removed by the blood of ,christ shed on the cross4 #b4 ,the moral alienation is removed by the blood of ,christ as applied to the believer by the ,holy ,spirit4 #c4 ,the nearness to ,god thus effected is a valuable privilege4 ,it includes reconciliation1 friendship1 communion4 ,sinner1 apply now to be made nigh4 ,believer1 remember thy obligations4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,vers4 #ad1 #ae4 ,death a ,peacemaker4--,the struggle between the ,northern and ,southern ,states of ,america closed for ever at the funeral of ,general ,grant4 ,the armies of rebellion surrendered twenty years before2 but the solemn and memorable pageant at the tomb of the great ,union soldier1 where the leading generals of the living ,union and of the dead ,confederacy stood shoulder to shoulder and mingled their tears in a common grief--this historical event marked the absolute conclusion of sectional animosity in ,america4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,power of the ,gospel to dissolve the ,enmity of the ,human ,heart against ,god4--#a4 ,the goodness of ,god destroys the enmity of the human mind4 ,when every other argument fails1 this1 if perceived by the eye of faith1 finds its powerful and persuasive way through every barrier of resistance4 ,try to approach the heart of man by the instruments of terror and of authority1 and it will disdainfully repel you4 ,there is not one of you skilled in the management of human nature who does not perceive that1 though this may be a way of working on the other principles of our constitution--of working on the fears of man1 or on his sense of interest--this is not the way of gaining by a single hair-breadth on the attachments of his heart4 ,such a way may force1 or it may terrify1 but it never1 never can endear2 and after all the threatening array of such an influence as this is brought to bear upon man1 there is not one particle of service it can extort from him but what is all rendered in the spirit of a painful and reluctant bondage4 ,now this is not the service which prepares for heaven4 ,this is not the service which assimilates men to angels4 ,this is not the obedience of those glorified spirits1 whose every affection harmonises with their every performance1 and the very essence of whose piety consists of delight in ,god and the love they bear to ,him4 ,to bring up man to such an obedience as this1 his heart behoved to be approached in a particular way2 and no such way is to be found but within the limits of the ,christian revelation4 ,there alone you see ,god1 without injury to ,his other attributes1 plying the heart of man with the irresistible argument of kindness4 ,there alone do you see the great ,lord of heaven and of earth1 setting ,himself forth to the most worthless and the most wandering of ,his children--putting forth ,his hand to the work of healing the breach which sin had made between them--telling them that ,his ,word could not be mocked1 and his justice could not be defied and trampled on1 and that it was not possible for ,his perfections to receive the slightest taint in the eyes of the creation ,he had thrown around them2 but that all this was provided for1 and not a single creature within the compass of the universe ,he has formed could now say that forgiveness to man was degrading to the authority of ,god1 and that by the very act of atonement1 which poured a glory over all the high attributes of ,his character1 ,his mercy might now burst forth without limit and without control upon a guilty world1 and the broad flag of invitation be unfurled in the sight of all its families4 #b4 ,let the sinner1 then1 look to ,god through the medium of such a revelation1 and the sight which meets him there may well tame the obstinacy of that heart which had wrapped itself up in impenetrable hardness against the force of every other consideration4 ,now that the storm of the ,almighty's wrath has been discharged upon ,him who bore the burden of the world's atonement1 ,he has turned ,his throne of glory into a throne of grace and cleared away from the pavilion of ,his residence all the darkness which encompassed it4 ,the ,god who dwelleth there is ,god in ,christ2 and the voice ,he sends from it to this dark and rebellious province of ,his mighty empire is a voice of the most beseeching tenderness4 ,goodwill to men is the announcement with which ,his messengers come fraught to a guilty world2 and1 since the moment in which it burst upon mortal ears from the peaceful canopy of heaven1 may the ministers of salvation take it up1 and go round with it among all the tribes and individuals of the species4 ,such is the real aspect of ,god towards you4 ,he cannot bear that ,his alienated children should be finally and everlastingly away from ,him4 ,he feels for you all the longing of a parent bereaved of his offspring4 ,to woo you back again unto ,himself ,he scatters among you the largest and the most liberal assurances1 and with a tone of imploring tenderness does ,he say to one and all of you1 ,turn ye1 turn ye2 why will ye die8 7,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa74 ,he has no pleasure in your death4 ,he does not wish to glorify ,himself by the destruction of any one of you4 ,look to ,me1 all ye ends of the earth1 and be saved 7,isa4 xlv4 #bb71 is the wide and generous announcement by which ,he would recall1 from the outermost limits of ,his sinful creation1 the most worthless and polluted of those who have wandered away from ,him4 #c4 ,now give us a man who perceives1 with the eye of his mind1 the reality of all this1 and you give us a man in possession of the principle of faith4 ,give us a man in possession of this faith2 and his heart1 shielded as it were against the terrors of a menacing ,deity1 is softened and subdued1 and resigns its every affection at the moving spectacle of a beseeching ,deity2 and thus it is1 that faith manifests the attribute which the ,bible assigns to it1 of working by love4 ,give us a man in possession of this love2 and1 animated as he is with the living principle of that obedience1 where the willing and delighted consent of the inner man goes along with the performance of the outer man1 his love manifests the attribute which the ,bible assigns to it when it says1 ,this is the love of ,god1 that ye keep ,his commandments4 ,and thus it is1 amid the fruitfulness of every other expedient1 when power threatened to crush the heart which it could not soften--when authority lifted its voice1 and laid on man an enactment of love which it could not carry--when terror shot its arrows1 and they dropped ineffectual from that citadel of the human affections1 which stood proof against the impression of every one of them--when wrath mustered up its appalling severities1 and filled that bosom with despair which it could not fill with the warmth of a confiding attachment--then the kindness of an inviting ,god was brought to bear on the heart of man1 and got an opening through all its mysterious avenues4 ,goodness did what the nakedness of power could not do4 ,it found its way through all intricacies of the human constitution1 and there1 depositing the right principle of repentance1 did it establish the alone effectual security for the right purposes and the right fruits of repentance4--,dr4 ,t4 ,chalmers4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,the ,privilege of ,access to the ,father4--,in the ,temple service of the ,jews all did not enjoy equal privileges4 ,the court of the ,gentiles was outside that of the ,jews and separated from it by a marble screen or enclosure three cubits in height1 beautifully ornamented with carving1 but bearing inscriptions1 in ,greek and ,roman characters1 forbidding any ,gentile to pass within its boundary4 ,such restricted access to ,god the new dispensation was designed to abolish4 ,the middle wall of partition is now broken down1 and through ,christ we1 both ,jews and ,gentiles--all mankind--have equal access by one ,spirit unto the ,father4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,the privilege of access unto the ,father4--,that ,god is the proper object of worship is implied in our text1 and more explicitly declared in other portions of the sacred writings4 ,according to the nature of the blessings desired1 prayer may be addressed to any of the three ,persons in the ,godhead2 but the ,bible teaches that prayer generally is to be presented to the ,father through ,christ and by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,and so appropriate are the offices of the ,persons in the ,trinity that we cannot speak otherwise4 ,we cannot say that through the ,spirit and by the ,father we have access to ,christ1 or through the ,father and by ,christ we have access to the ,spirit4 ,we must observe the apostle's order--through ,christ and by the ,spirit we have access to the ,father4 ,access unto the ,father implies3-- #a4 ,his sympathy with us4--,god is our ,creator and ,sovereign1 but ,his authority is not harsh or arbitrary4 ,he does not even deal with us according to the stern dictates of untempered justice4 ,on the contrary1 in love and sympathy ,he has for our benefit made ,his throne accessible4 ,he will listen to our penitential confessions1 our vows of obedience1 our statements of want4 ,he has sympathy with us4 #b4 ,his ability to help us4--,that access is permitted to us1 taken in connection with ,god's perfections1 prove this4 ,he raises no hope to disappoint1 does not encourage that ,he may repel1 but permits access that ,he may help and bless4 #c4 ,his permission to speak freely4--,there is nothing contracted in ,god's method of blessing4 ,we are introduced to ,his presence not to stand dumb before ,him1 nor to speak under the influence of slavish fear4 ,we have such liberty as those enjoy who are introduced to the presence of a prince by a distinguished favourite1 or such freedom as children have in addressing a father4 ,we are brought into the presence of our ,king by ,his ,own ,son2 to our heavenly ,father by ,christ1 our elder ,brother4 ,the results of this access to ourselves3 #a4 ,it teaches dependence2 #b4 ,excites gratitude2 #c4 ,produces comfort2 #d4 ,promotes growth in grace4 ,,ii4 ,the medium of access4--,under the law the high priest was the mediator through whom the people drew near to ,god4 ,he went into the holiest of all1 once every year1 not without blood1 which he offered for himself1 and for the errors of the people 7,heb4 ix4 #g74 ,under the new covenant boldness to enter into the holiest is by the blood of ,jesus 7,heb4 x4 #ai74 ,but as the mediation of the ,jewish high priest1 though done away in ,christ1 was typical1 it may serve to teach us how we are to come to ,god4 ,he sprinkled the blood of the sin-offering on the mercy-seat and burnt incense within the veil 7,lev4 xvi471 thus symbolising the sacrifice and intercession of ,christ4 #a4 ,we1 then1 have access to ,god through ,christ as a sacrifice4--,without shedding of blood is no remission 7,heb4 ix4 #bb74 ,but1 that1 while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for us1 we could never1 as suppliants1 have found acceptance with ,god4 #b4 ,through ,christ as an intercessor4--,but this man1 etc4 7,heb4 x4 #ab74 ,a disciple in temptation cries for deliverance from evil1 and ,christ prays1 ,holy ,father1 keep through ,thine own name those whom ,thou hast given ,me 7,john xvii4 #aa74 ,a dying saint asks for an entrance into the heavenly kingdom1 and ,christ pleads1 ,father1 ,i will that they also1 whom ,thou hast given ,me1 be with ,me where ,i am 7,john xvii4 #bd74 ,none need deem himself too unworthy to call on ,god who comes to ,him through ,christ's sacrifice and intercession4 ,,iii4 ,the assistance afforded by the ,holy ,spirit4--,as we have access unto the ,father through ,christ pleading for us1 so we have access unto the ,father by the ,spirit pleading in us4 #a4 ,the ,spirit kindles holy desire4--,it is the work of the ,spirit to draw off the hearts of men from the world and raise them to ,god in prayer4 ,as in playing on a musical instrument no string sounds untouched1 so without this influence of the ,spirit man would never look heavenward1 or his heart fill with desire toward ,god4 #b4 ,prompts to immediate application4--,blessings are often desired but feebly4 ,the ,spirit rebukes this hesitancy1 and urges on to immediate application4 #c4 ,aids in that application4--,without the ,spirit we know not what we should pray for 7,rom4 viii4 #bf74 ,our thoughts wander1 our affections chill1 the fervour of our importunity flags1 unless the ,spirit helpeth our infirmities4 ,reflections4--#a4 ,those who do not enjoy this privilege are highly culpable4 #b4 ,those who do enjoy this privilege are indeed happy4--,the ,lay ,preacher4 ,access to ,god1 revealing the ,trinity in ,unity4 ,i4 ,the end of human salvation is access to the ,father4--,that is the first truth of our religion--that the source of all is meant to be the end of all1 that as we all come forth from a ,divine ,creator1 so it is into ,divinity that we are to return and to find our final rest and satisfaction1 not in ourselves1 not in one another1 but in the omnipotence1 the omniscience1 the perfectness1 and the love of ,god4 ,now we are very apt to take it for granted that1 however we may differ in our definitions and our belief of the deity of the ,son and of the ,holy ,spirit1 we are all at once1 there can be and there is no hesitation1 about the deity of the ,father4 ,god is ,divine4 ,god is ,god4 ,and no doubt we do all assent in words to such a belief2 but when we think what we mean by that word ,god2 when we remember what we mean by ,father1 namely1 the first source and the final satisfaction of a dependent nature2 and then when we look around and see such multitudes of people living as if there were no higher source for their being than accident and no higher satisfaction for their being than selfishness1 do we not feel that there is need of a continual and most earnest preaching by ,word and act1 from every pulpit of influence to which we can mount1 of the ,divinity of the ,father4 ,the ,divinity of the ,father needs assertion first of all4 ,let men once feel it1 and then nature and their own hearts will come in with their sweet and solemn confirmations of it4 ,but nature and the human heart do not teach it of themselves4 ,the truest teaching of it must come from souls that are always going in and out before the ,divine ,fatherhood themselves4 ,by the sight of such souls1 others must come to seek the satisfaction that comes only from a ,divine end of life--must come to crave access to the ,father4 ,so we believe1 and so we tempt other men to believe1 in ,god the ,father4 ,,ii4 ,and now pass to the ,divinity of the method4--,through ,jesus ,christ4 ,man is separated from ,god4 ,that fact1 testified to by broken associations1 by alienated affections1 by conflicting wills1 stands written in the whole history of our race4 ,and equally clear is it to him who reads the ,gospels1 and enters into sympathy with their wonderful ,person1 that in ,him1 in ,jesus of ,nazareth1 appeared the ,mediator by whom was to be the ,atonement4 ,his was the life and nature which1 standing between the ,godhood and the manhood1 was to bridge the gulf and make the firm1 bright road over which blessing and prayer might pass and repass with confident1 golden feet for ever4 ,and then the question is--and when we ask it thus it becomes so much more than a dry problem of theology2 it is a question for live1 anxious men to ask with faces full of eagerness--,out of which nature came that ,mediator8 ,out of which side of the chasm sprang the bridge leaping forth toward the other8 ,evidently on both sides that bridge is bedded deep and clings with a tenacity which shows how it belongs there4 ,he is both human and ,divine4 ,but from which side did the bridge spring8 ,it is the most precious part of our belief that it was with ,god that the activity began4 ,it is the very soul of the ,gospel1 as ,i read it1 that the ,father's heart1 sitting above us in ,his holiness1 yearned for us as we lay down here in our sin4 ,and when there was no man to make an intercession1 ,he sent ,his ,son to tell us of ,his love1 to live with us1 to die for us1 to lay ,his life like a strong bridge out from the ,divine side of existence1 over which we might walk fearfully but safely1 but into the ,divinity where we belonged4 ,through ,him we have access to the ,father4 ,as the end was ,divine1 so the method is ,divine4 ,as it is to ,god that we come1 so it is ,god who brings us there4 ,i can think nothing else without dishonouring the tireless1 quenchless love of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the power of the act of man's salvation is the ,holy ,spirit4--,through ,christ ,jesus we both have access by one ,spirit unto the ,father4 ,what do we mean by the ,holy ,spirit being the power of salvation8 ,i think we are often deluded and misled by carrying out too far some of the figurative forms in which the ,bible and the religious experience of men express the saving of the soul4 ,for instance1 salvation is described as the lifting of the soul out of a pit and putting it upon a pinnacle1 or on a safe high platform of grace4 ,the figure is strong and clear4 ,nothing can overstate the utter dependence of the soul on ,god for its deliverance2 but if we let the figure leave in our minds an impression of the human soul as a dead1 passive thing1 to be lifted from one place to the other like a torpid log that makes no effort of its own either for co-operation or resistance1 then the figure has misled us4 ,the soul is a live thing4 ,everything that is done with it must be done and through its own essential life1 ,if a soul is saved1 it must be by the salvation1 the sanctification1 of its essential life2 if a soul is lost1 it must be by perdition of its life1 by the degradation of its affections and desires and hopes4 ,let there be nothing merely mechanical in the conception of the way ,god treats these souls of ours4 ,he works upon them in the vitality of thought1 passion1 and will that ,he put into them4 ,and so1 when a soul comes to the ,father through the ,saviour1 its whole essential vitality moves in the act4 ,when this experience is reached1 then see what ,godhood the soul has come to recognise in the world4 ,first1 there is the creative ,deity from which it sprang1 and to which it is struggling to return--the ,divine ,end1 ,god the ,father4 ,then there is the incarnate ,deity1 which makes that return possible by the exhibition of ,god's love--the ,divine ,power of salvation1 ,god the ,holy ,spirit4 ,to the ,father1 through the ,son1 by the ,spirit4 ,this appears to be the truth of the ,deity as it relates to us4 ,i say again1 as it relates to us4 ,what it may be in itself2 how ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit meet in the perfect ,godhood2 what infinite truth more there may1 there must1 be in that ,godhood1 no man can dare to guess4 ,but1 to us1 ,god is the end1 the method1 and the power of salvation2 so ,he is ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is in the perfect harmony of these sacred personalities that the precious unity of the ,deity consists4 ,i look at the theologies1 and so often it seems as if the harmony of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit has been lost1 both by those that own and those that disown the ,trinity4 ,one theology makes the ,father hard and cruel1 longing as it were for man's punishment1 extorting from the ,son the last drops of life-blood which man's sin had incurred as penalty4 ,another theology makes the ,son merely one of the multitude of sinning men1 with somewhat bolder aspirations laying hold on a forgiveness which ,god might give but which no mortal might assume4 ,still another theology can find no ,god in the human heart at all2 merely a fermentation of human nature is this desire after goodness1 this reaching out towards ,divinity4 ,the end is not worthy of the method4 ,i do not want to come to such a ,father as some of the theologians have painted4 ,or the method is not worthy of the end4 ,no man could come to the perfect ,god through such a ,jesus as some men have described4 ,or the power is too weak for both2 and all that ,christ has done lies useless1 and all the ,father's welcome waits in vain for the soul that has in it no ,holy ,ghost4 ,but let each be real and each be worthy of the others1 and salvation is complete4 ,but each cannot be worthy of the others unless each is perfect4 ,but each cannot be perfect unless each is ,divine2 that is1 our faith is in the ,trinity--three ,persons and one ,god4--,philips ,brooks4 ,the ,christian ,law of ,prayer-- ,i4 ,to the ,father4--#a4 ,how honourable6 ,right of entry to an earthly sovereign4 #b4 ,how delightful6 ,our pleasures may be graduated according to the part of our nature in which they have their rise4 ,the pleasures of devotion are the highest taste for devotion4 #c4 ,how profitable6 ,god is able to bestow all temporal and spiritual blessings4 #d4 ,how solemn6 ,the intercourse of our spirit with the ,father of our spirits4 ,heart to heart4 ,,ii4 ,through the ,son4--#a4 ,through ,his atonement4 ,legal barriers to our access must be removed4 ,have been removed by the death of ,christ as a satisfaction to ,divine ,justice4 ,he has demolished the wall1 ,he has constructed a bridge across the chasm1 ,he has laid down ,his own body as the medium of approach4 #b4 ,through ,his intercession4 ,it perpetuates ,his sacrifice4 ,the ,jewish high priest entering the holy of holies on the ,great ,day of ,atonement4 ,amyntas1 mother of ,coriolanus2 ,philippa after the siege of ,calais4 ,,iii4 ,by the ,spirit4--#a4 ,he teaches us what are our wants4 ,for the most part we are likely to be aware of our temporal wants4 ,in spiritual things the greater our need the less our sense of need4 #b4 ,he makes us willing to ask the supply of our wants4 ,aversion to beg4 ,aversion to lay bare the symptoms of humiliating disease4 #c4 ,he gives us power to spread our wants before ,god4 ,one person employed to write a letter or a petition for another4 #d4 ,he inspires us with confidence to plead with importunity and faith4 ,confidence in the ,father1 in the ,son1 in the power of prayer4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-bb4 ,the ,church the ,temple of ,god4 ,i4 ,enjoying special privileges4--#a4 ,a saintly citizenship4 ,no more strangers and foreigners1 but fellow-citizens with the saints 7ver4 #ai74 ,the apostle has spoken of the separation and enmity existing between ,jew and ,gentile4 ,the ,jew1 trained to believe in the one invisible and only true ,god1 who could not be imagined by any material form1 learned to look with hatred and contempt on the outcast1 lawless ,gentile1 with his idol deities in every valley and on every hill2 and the intellectual ,gentile looked with philosophic pride on the stern land of the ,hebrew and in philosophic scorn on his strange1 exclusive loneliness4 ,they were not only at enmity with each other1 but both were at enmity with ,god4 ,now the writer is showing that by the provisions of the ,gospel both ,greek and ,jew are united as citizens of one ,divine kingdom4 ,they enjoy the same privileges and are in actual fellowship with prophets and apostles and all holy souls in all ages and are sanctified subjects of a kingdom that can never be moved4 #b4 ,a family life4--,and of the household of ,god 7ver4 #ai74 ,the ,church is a family having one ,father in ,god1 one ,brother in ,christ1 one life in the ,spirit1 and one home in ,heaven4 ,as in earthly families1 there are diversities of character1 tastes1 gifts1 tendencies1 and manifestations1 but all the members of the heavenly household are bound together by the one common bond of love to ,god and to each other4 ,,ii4 ,resting on a sure foundation 7ver4 #bj74--,the materials composing the foundation of the ,church are living stones--teachers and confessors of the truth1 apostles and prophets2 but ,christ1 as the one foundation1 is the chief corner-stone4 ,the foundation of the ,church is not so much in the witnesses of the truth as in the truth itself1 and in propagating which truth the first teachers and confessors sacrificed their all4 ,the truth which produced and sustained the martyrs is itself immovable4 ,the apostles and prophets--teachers in the apostolic times--laid the first course in the foundation of the ,church and were careful to recognise and build only one foundation1 united and held together by the one corner-stone--,christ ,jesus4 ,they fixed the pattern and standard of ,christian doctrine and practice4 ,the ,christian ,church is sure because the foundation is deep and broad and can never be removed and replaced by any human structure4 ,,iii4 ,ever rising to a higher perfection 7ver4 #ba74--,the image is that of an extensive pile of buildings1 such as the ancient temples commonly were1 in process of construction at different points over a wide area4 ,the builders work in concert upon a common plan4 ,the several parts of the work are adjusted to each other1 and the various operations in process are so harmonised that the entire construction preserves the unity of the architect's design4 ,such an edifice was the apostolic ,church--one but of many parts--in the diverse gifts and multiplied activities animated by one ,spirit and directed towards one ,divine purpose 7,findlay74 ,since the ,day of ,pentecost1 when three thousand living stones were laid on the foundation1 the ,church has been growing in symmetry1 beauty1 and vastness1 and it is constantly advancing towards perfection4 ,the building1 though apparently disjoined and working in separate parts1 is growing into a final unity4 ,,iv4 ,made by the ,spirit ,his glorious dwelling-place 7ver4 #bb74--,the ,holy ,spirit is the supreme ,builder as ,he is the supreme ,witness to ,jesus ,christ 7,john xv4 #bf1 #bg74 ,the words in the ,spirit denote not the mode of ,god's habitation--that is self-evident--but the agency engaged in building this new house of ,god4 ,with one chief corner-stone to rest upon1 and one ,spirit to inspire and control them1 the apostles and prophets laid their foundation1 and the ,church was builded together for a habitation of ,god4 ,hence its unity4 ,but for this sovereign influence the primitive founders of ,christianity1 the later ,church leaders1 would have fallen into fatal discord 7,findlay74 ,the ,church is a spiritual organisation1 pervaded and made vital and progressive by the presence and operation of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,an organ is composed of several instruments--the choir1 the swell1 the pedal1 the great2 and many stops--the diapason1 the flute1 the trumpet2 and yet it is one4 ,and the ,church of ,god is one4 ,one ,spirit--one breath of wind turned on by one living ,hand--makes all the organ vocal4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,church is the depositary of great religious privileges4 #b4 ,god dwells in the ,church by dwelling in the heart of every member of it4 #c4 ,the ,church provides every facility for worship and service4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ai-bb4 ,the ,church of ,god a ,spiritual ,building4 ,i4 ,the apostle represents the ,church of ,god under the figure of a city and a household4--#a4 ,a ,church must resemble a family or city in respect of order and government2 for without these a religious society can no more subsist than a civil community or a household4 #b4 ,in a city or household all the members have a mutual relation and partake in the common privileges2 and though they are placed in different stations and conditions1 they must all contribute to the general happiness4 #c4 ,in a city and also in a family there is a common interest4 #d4 ,in a well-ordered city or household there will be peace and unity2 so there ought to be in a ,christian ,church4 ,,ii4 ,the manner in which the ,church is founded4--,the mediation of ,christ is the foundation of our faith and hope4 ,the apostles and prophets are a foundation only as they describe and exhibit to use the doctrines and works1 the atonement and intercession1 of the ,redeemer4 ,in ,him all the doctrines of the apostles and prophets meet and unite1 as the stones in the foundation are fixed and bound together by the corner-stone4 ,,iii4 ,the ,church must be united with and framed into the foundation4--,thus it may stand secure4 ,christ is the chief corner-stone in which all the building is framed4 ,that only is true faith in ,christ which regards ,him as the foundation of our present hope and final acceptance4 ,,iv4 ,as the ,church must rest on the foundation1 so the several parts of it must be framed and inserted into each other4--,as it is faith which fixes the saints on ,christ the foundation1 so it is love which binds them together among themselves4 ,if we would preserve the beauty1 strength1 and dignity of the spiritual house1 we must be watchful to repair breaches as soon as they appear1 and to remove those materials which are become too corrupt to be repaired1 lest they communicate their own corruption to sounder parts4 ,v4 ,the ,church is to grow into a holy temple for ,god through the ,spirit4--,we must not content ourselves with having built on the true foundation1 but must bring the structure to a more finished and beautiful condition4 ,the ,church may grow and make increase both by the progress of its present members in knowledge and holiness and by the addition of new members who become fellow-workers in the spiritual building4 ,god dwells in ,his ,church1 not only by ,his ,word and ordinances1 but also by the influence of ,his ,spirit which ,he affords to assist ,his people in the duties of ,his worship and to open their hearts for the reception of ,his ,word4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,christian ,prayer a ,witness of ,christian ,citizenship4 ,i4 ,the foundation of the citizenship of the ,christian4--,in access to the ,father--in the power of approaching ,him in full1 free1 trustful prayer4 #a4 ,christian prayer is the approach of the individual soul to ,god as its ,father4--,until a man utterly believers in ,christ he can never pray aright4 ,there are veils around the unbelieving spirit which hinder this free1 confiding approach4 ,the touch of ,god startles memories1 rouses ghosts of the past in the soul's secret chambers2 they flutter fearfully in the strange ,divine light1 and the man shudders and dare not pray4 ,a man bathed in the life of ,god in prayer feels he is no more a stranger and a foreigner1 but has entered into ,god's kingdom1 for ,god is his ,father4 #b4 ,that prayer of the individual soul must lead to the united worship of ,god's ,church4--,we cannot always pray alone4 ,the men who stand most aloof from social worship are not the men who manifest the highest spiritual life4 ,our highest prayers are our most universal4 ,i do not say we don't feel their individuality1 we do--but in and through their universality4 ,,ii4 ,the nature of ,christian citizenship4--#a4 ,prayer a witness to our fellowship with the ,church of all time4 ,realising the ,fatherhood of ,god in the holy converse of prayer1 we are nearer men4 ,our selfishness1 our narrow1 isolating peculiarities begin to fade4 ,in our highest prayers we realise common wants4 #b4 ,prayer a witness to our fellowship with the ,church of eternity4--,all emotions of eternity catch the tone of prayer4 ,sometimes in the evening1 when the sounds of the world are still1 and the sense of eternity breaks in upon us1 is not that feeling a prayer8 ,we know that we are right1 that in worship we have taken no earthly posture1 but an attitude from higher regions4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,live as members of the kingdom4 #b4 ,expect the signs of citizenship--the crown of thorns1 the cross4 #c4 ,live in hope of the final ingathering4--,e4 ,l4 ,hull4 ,the ,communion of ,saints4 ,i4 ,society becomes possible only through religion4--,men might be gregarious without it1 but not social4 ,instinct which unites them in detail prevents their wider combination4 ,intellect affords light to show the elements of union1 but no heat to give them crystalline form4 ,self-will is prevailingly a repulsive power1 and often disintegrates the most solid of human masses4 ,some sense of a ,divine ,presence1 some consciousness of a higher law1 some pressure of a solemn necessity1 will be found to have preceded the organization of every human community1 and to have gone out and perished before its death4 ,,ii4 ,worship exhibits its uniting principle under the simplest form1 in the sympathies it diffuses among the members of the same religious assembly4--,there is1 however1 no necessary fellowship1 as of saints1 in the mere assembling of ourselves together2 but only in the true and simple spirit of worship4 ,where a pure devotion really exists1 the fellowship it produces spreads far beyond the separate circle of each ,christian assembly4 ,surely it is a glorious thing to call up1 while we worship1 the wide image of ,christendom this day4 ,could we be lifted up above this sphere and look down as it rolls beneath this day's sun1 and catch its murmurs as they rise1 should we not behold land after land turned into a ,christian shrine8 ,in how many tongues1 by what various voices1 with what measureless intensity of love1 is the name of ,christ breathed forth to-day6 ,,iii4 ,but our worship here brings us into yet nobler connections4--,it unites us by a chain of closest sympathy with past generations4 ,in our helps to faith and devotion we avail ourselves of the thought and piety of many extinct ages4 ,do not we1 the living1 take up in adoration and prayer the thoughts of the dead and find them ,divinely true8 ,what an impressive testimony is this to the sameness of our nature through every age and the immortal perseverance of its holier affections6 ,,iv4 ,and soon we too shall drop the note of earthly aspiration and join that upper anthem of ,diviner love4--,the communion of saints brings us to their conflict first1 their blessings afterwards4 ,those who will not with much patience strive with the evil can have no dear fellowship with the good2 we must weep their tears ere we can win their peace4--,martineau4 ,characteristics of ,believers4 ,i4 ,believers are here described as having been strangers and foreigners4--#a4 ,there are relative expressions1 meaning that natural men are strangers to the household of ,god and foreigners as respects the city of ,zion4 #b4 ,consider the natural man with reference to the city of ,zion1 and the truth of this representation will appear4 7#a7 ,he is a stranger and foreigner--7a7 ,by a sentence of exile 7,gen4 iii474 7b7 ,by birth 7,gen4 v4 #c2 ,john iii4 #f74 7#b7 ,he is proved to be a stranger and foreigner--7a7 ,by features 7,gal4 v4 #ai-ba74 7b7 ,by manners 7#a ,pet4 iv4 #c74 7c7 ,by language4 ,as such he is under another ruler 7,eph4 ii4 #b71 he is at war 7,gal4 iv4 #bi74 #c4 ,though strangers and foreigners in relation to ,zion1 yet men are naturalised in another country4 #d4 ,this does not imply living beyond the pale of the visible ,church4 ,the ,parable of the ,tares4 ,an alien to the saints and a stranger to ,god may be in the visible ,church4 #e4 ,that there are strangers and foreigners in the ,church seems a calamity4 7#a7 ,they are thereby deceived4 7#b7 ,they injure ,christians4 7#c7 ,they betray ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,believers are described as being fellow-citizens with the saints4--#a4 ,they are citizens4 7#a7 ,their sentence of exile is cancelled 7ver4 #ac74 7#b7 ,they are naturalised by birth 7,john iii4 #e74 7#c7 ,they are reconciled to ,god and believers4 7#d7 ,they are under ,zion's government4 #b4 ,they are fellow-citizens with the saints4 7#a7 ,they have intercourse--holy4 7#b7 ,they are united by mutual love4 7#c7 ,they have reciprocal duties4 7#d7 ,they have common rights and privileges4 7#e7 ,they have common honour and reputation4 7#f7 ,they have common prosperity and adversity4 7#g7 ,they have common enemies4 7#h7 ,they have common defence and safety4 7#i7 ,they have a common history4 #c4 ,as a congregation we are professedly a section of this peculiar and spiritual community4 7#a7 ,do we seek each other's welfare8 7#b7 ,is our intercourse the communion of saints8 7#c7 ,are we careful of each other's reputation8 #d4 ,are we as a congregation isolating ourselves from each other8 ,are we fellow-citizens with the saints8 #e4 ,the city is above4 ,,iii4 ,believers are here described as belonging to the household of ,god4--#a4 ,believers as citizens are ,god's subjects4 #b4 ,as belonging to ,god's household they are ,his children4 #c4 ,as in ,god's household--7#a7 ,they are like ,him4 7#b7 ,they are near to ,him4 7#c7 ,they see ,his face4 7#d7 ,they enjoy ,his fellowship4 7#e7 ,they are provided for by ,him4 7#f7 ,they are under ,his protection4 7#g7 ,they serve ,him4 7#h7 ,they worship ,him--,his house is a temple4 #d4 ,these are very tangible privileges and belong to this present life4 #e4 ,many may suppose that they are fellow-citizens with the saints whose experience does not prove that they are of the household of ,god4 #f4 ,for this household ,god has a house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens4--,stewart4 ,vers4 #bj1 #ba4 ,the ,church a ,divine ,edifice4--#a4 ,though ,god ,himself be the principal ,author and ,builder of this spiritual edifice1 yet ,he employs ,his called ministers and servants as instruments1 among whom ,he made special use of the prophets and apostles for laying the foundation in so far as they first did reveal and preach ,jesus ,christ1 and commit to writings such truths concerning ,him as are necessary for salvation1 while other ministers are employed in preaching ,christ to build up the elect on the foundation laid by them4 #b4 ,there is a sweet harmony and full agreement between the doctrines and writings of the prophets and apostles in holding forth ,christ for a foundation and rock of salvation1 the latter having taught and written nothing but what was prefigured in types and foretold in prophecies by the former4 #c4 ,as growth in grace is a privilege which appertains to all parts of this spiritual building who are yet on earth1 so this growth of theirs flows from their union and communion with ,christ2 and the more their union is improved by daily extracting renewed influence from ,him1 they cannot choose but thrive the better in spiritual growth4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,the ,church the ,habitation of ,god4--#a4 ,jesus ,christ differs from the foundation of other buildings in this1 that every particular believer is not only laid upon ,him and supported by ,him as in material buildings1 but they are also indented in ,him1 and hid1 as it were1 in the clefts of the rock by saving faith4 #b4 ,as all believers1 however far soever removed by distance1 are yet more strictly tied and joined together1 so by taking band with ,christ the foundation1 they are fastened one to another as the stones of a building4 #c4 ,so inseparable is the union among the persons of the ,trinity that the presence and indwelling of ,one is sufficient to prove the indwelling of all2 for believers are a habitation to ,god the ,father and ,son1 because the ,spirit dwells in and sanctifies them4--,ibid4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the prisoner of ,jesus ,christ may be regarded as the prisoner whom the ,lord has bound 7so ,winer and ,meyer71 or as a prisoner belonging to ,christ1 or again as the prisoner for ,christ's sake4 ,the indignity of an ambassador being thrown into irons is lost in the feeling of being1 even though bound1 the representative of such a ,lord4 ,ver4 #b4 ,if ye have heard4--,we have the same form of expression at ch4 iv4 #ba--;assuming that is1 that ye heard 7cf4 ,col4 i4 #bc74 ,of the grace4--,the favour which ,god conferred on me in appointing me your apostle4 ,the ,divine ,taskmaster 7to use ,milton's expression7 confers honour upon us when ,he sets us to work4 ,he is not served by men's hands as though ,he needed anything 7,acts xvii4 #be74 ,ver4 #c4 ,how that by revelation4--,the familiar disavowal of any other source than the will of ,god 7cf4 ,gal4 i4 #ab74 ,ver4 #d4 ,ye may understand my knowledge4--,you may1 as the public reader proceeds to read my letter1 discern my insights of the mystery4 ,ver4 #e4 ,which in other ages4--,r4,v4 other generations4 ,might possibly refer to those dim ages of the past national history when the ,gentiles were thought of only as left to unconvenanted mercies4 ,we must note the word for other--it means a different kind4 ,was not made known 4 4 4 as it is now revealed4--,if any distinction is to be observed1 we may say the revelation is one of the ways of making known 7see ver4 #c7 the intuitional4 ,unto ,his holy apostles and prophets4--,if all saints were holy fortiori the apostles 7,bishop ,alexander74 ,ver4 #f4 ,fellow-heirs 4 4 4 the same body 4 4 4 partakers4--,the ,a4,v4 loses a point of similarity in the three ,gentile privileges by not expressing the force of the ,greek compounds by the same ,english word4 ,lit4 'heirs together1' 'incorporated together1' 'sharers together1' not heirs after1 but together with1 the ,jews2 not attached to the ,hebrew body1 but incorporated into it together with the element that previously constituted it2 not receivers of the promise after others had been satisfied1 but partakers of it together with them 7,bishop ,alexander74 ,co-heirs1 and concorporate1 and comparticipant4 ,the strange ,english words may perhaps correspond to the strange ,greek words which ,st4 ,paul invented to express this newly revealed mystery in the strongest form1 as though no words could be too strong to express his conception of the reunion in ,christ of those who apart from ,him are separate and divided 7,farrar74 ,ver4 #g4 ,whereof ,i was made a minister4--,a deacon1 a runner of errands4 ,a lowly word1 which reminds us of his own self-estimate--not worthy to be called an apostle--and prepares us for the strange expression in ver4 #h4 ,ver4 #h4 ,less than the least of all saints4--,as though he said 'leaster than all ,christians' 7,bishop ,alexander74 ,the greatest sinner1 the greatest saint1 are equidistant from the goal where the mind rests in satisfaction with itself4 ,with the growth in goodness grows the sense of sin4 ,one law fulfilled shows a thousand neglected 7,mozley1 quoted by ,farrar74 ,the unsearchable riches4--,the untrackable wealth 7,farrar71 inexplicable by creaturely intelligences1 unspeakable therefore by human tongues4 ,ver4 #i4 ,and to make all men see4--,he says to the ,galatians 7,gal4 iii4 #a71 ,christ was placarded before you--so here he wants men to see for themselves4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,to the intent that now 4 4 4 might be known by the ,church the manifold wisdom of ,god4--,the ,church as it expands from a little flock to a multitude which no man can number is to declare the multiform wisdom of ,god1 ever fertile in new modes of operation4 ,manifold represents a word used to describe a floral wreath as consisting of variegated flowers4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,in whom we have boldness4--,originally meaning as regards speech4 ,in ,christ the reconciled child of ,god has the right of speaking to ,god without reserve4 ,the same word is translated confidence in #a ,john v4 #ad1 ,a4,v43 ,it is the free1 joyful mood of those reconciled to ,god 7,meyer74 ,and access4--,as in ch4 ii4 #ac4 ,with confidence4--,hardly as equal to assurance--certainly never self-assurance1 but in quiet leaning on the arm of ,christ4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,i desire that ye faint not at my tribulations4--,compare #b ,cor4 iv4 #a-af1 where the same word is used4 ,as an agonised sufferer1 heroically suppressing every sign of pain1 begs those who wait on him not to give way to grief2 as ,socrates1 having quaffed the poison1 rallies his friends1 who have broken out into uncontrollable weeping1 with the words1 ,what are you doing my friends8 ,what6 such fine men as you are6 ,oh1 where is virtue82 so 7with a possible reminiscence of ,acts xx4 #cf-ch7 ,st4 ,paul begs his readers not to lose heart4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,the whole family4--,r4,v4 every family4 ,the word for family is only found in the ,new ,testament in ,st4 ,luke ii4 #d and ,acts iii4 #be2 in one translated lineage1 in the other kindreds in ,a4,v42 consistently as family by ,r4,v4 ,chrysostom1 and others who followed him1 have surely a special claim to be heard4 ,they translate it races4 ,bishop ,alexander contends for the ,a4,v4 translation1 the whole4 ,he says1 ,a special force and signification in the expression make this translation necessary 7cf4 ch4 ii4 #ai74 ,ver4 #af4 ,the riches of ,his glory4--,the whole glorious perfection of ,god4 ,to be strengthened with might4--,there may be a verbal connection with the fainting of ver4 #ac1 but the thought goes far out beyond that4 ,in the inner man4--,we are reminded again of the text quoted above 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #af74 ,a mode of expression derived from the ,platonic school1 not necessarily presupposing any acquaintance with that system of philosophy4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,that ,christ may dwell in your hearts by faith4--,the condition of this1 declared by ,christ ,himself1 is that a man should keep the word of ,christ4 ,being rooted and grounded4--,a double metaphor--of a tree that has struck its roots deep into the crevices of the rock1 and of a building with a foundation of bed-rock4 ,every one that loveth is born of ,god and knoweth ,god 7#a ,john iv4 #g74 ,love conditions knowledge of things ,divine 7see ver4 #ah74 ,ver4 #ah4 ,may be able4--,perfectly able4 ,with all saints4--,the highest and most precious knowledge ,paul can desire only as a common possession of all ,christians4 ,what is the breadth1 and length1 and depth1 and height4--,the deeply affected mind with its poetico-imaginative intuition looks upon the metaphysical magnitude as a physical1 mathematical one4 ,every special attempt at interpretation is unpsychological1 and only gives scope to that caprice which profanes by dissecting the outpouring of enthusiasm 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #ai4 ,and to know the love of ,christ1 which passeth knowledge4--,an adequate knowledge of the love of ,christ transcends human capacity1 but the relative knowledge of the same opens up in a higher degree the more the heart is filled with the ,spirit of ,christ1 and thereby is strengthened in loving4 ,this knowledge is not discursive1 but based in the consciousness of experience 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #bj4 ,now unto ,him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly4--,after his prayer proper is ended the full heart of the apostle swells out into a solemn doxology4 ,the frequent and bold compound expressions of ,st4 ,paul 7,farrar says twenty of the ,new ,testament twenty-eight with are ,st4 ,paul's7 spring from the endeavours adequately to express his energetic thought4 ,according to the pour that worketh in us4--,the measure of a man or of an angel is insufficient here4 ,things are not achieved by creaturely mensuration where ,god works 7cf4 ch4 i4 #ai-bc74 ,ver4 #ba4 ,to ,him be the glory4--,the honour due to ,his name4 ,by ,christ ,jesus4--,he that climbeth up some other way with his offering courts his own destruction4 ,throughout all ages1 world without end4--,r4,v4 ,unto all generations1 for ever and ever4 ,a good specimen of the exceeding abundantly above all that we 4 4 4 understand as regarded under the aspect of time4 ,it carries our thoughts along the vista of the future1 till time melts into eternity4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-f4 ,an ,enlarged ,gospel-- ,i4 ,declaring the admission of the ,gentiles on the same footing as the ,jews to its highest privileges 7ver4 #f74--;,it came as a surprise to the world of the apostle's day that the ,gospel he preached offered its blessings on equal terms to ,jew and ,gentile4 ,the ,jew1 accustomed to be the sole repository of ,divine revelation1 was staggered at the discovery that heaven extended its favours to the outcast1 heathenish ,gentile2 and the ,gentile1 proudly trusting to his own intellectual activity in the search after truth1 greeted with wonder the ampler and loftier revelations of the new evangel4 ,it seemed too good to be true4 ,a new era was dawning1 and men were dazzled and bewildered with the splendour of the vision4 ,it is now authoritatively declared that1 on the simple conditions of penitence and faith1 the ,gentile world is incorporated into the body of ,christ4 ,so far from being excluded from the ,divine favour1 the believing ,gentiles are reckoned as fellow-heirs1 and of the same body and partakers of the promise in ,christ by the gospel2 and the marvel is increased by the discovery that this astounding privilege is no new thought in the ,divine mind1 but was an essential part of the purpose concerning the race that had been developing in the slow march of the ages4 ,the ,hebrew ,scriptures with their records of extraordinary theophanies1 the saintly characters of ,old ,testament times1 the ,messianic revelations and the wealth of spiritual blessing which the isolated ,jew had selfishly appropriated to himself1 are the heaven-given privileges of universal man4 ,,ii4 ,was wrapped in mystery for ages4--,which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men 7ver4 #e74 ,the mystery all centres in ,christ4 ,the revelation of ,messiah as the hope and salvation of the race was dimly and slowly unveiled in progressive stages4 ,it is the glory of ,god to conceal a thing4 ,some of ,his grandest movements are veiled in mystery till the right moment comes1 when the obscurity vanishes and the vastness and beauty of the completed work elicit our admiration and praise4 ,we are familiar with this process in the natural world and in the progress of human history4 ,the fruits of the earth do not reach maturity at a bound4 ,slowly and in secret the bud is rounded1 then comes the delicately tinted blossom1 and afterwards the tempting1 mellow fruit4 ,the same may be said of the growth of human character4 ,it reaches the higher grades of mental and moral excellence by slow and silent stages1 and advances in the ratio of the fidelity and energy with which the man carries out the great plan of his life-career4 ,so the revelation of the ,gospel mystery has been gradual and progressive4 ,the purpose itself is incapable of progress--it has been fixed from eternity2 but it has been made known to the world in portions suited to each succeeding period of its history4 ,the law shadowed forth that purpose with more fulness than any previous dispensation1 and the prophets went beyond the law1 occupying a middle place between it and the ,gospel1 while the ,gospel in its fuller revelation has gone as far beyond the prophets as they went beyond the law4 ,thus we see that ,god who appears deliberate in all ,his operations has unfolded ,his great purpose to save the race by slow and successive stages4 ,the mystery of yesterday is the sunlit epiphany of to-day4 ,,iii4 ,was specially revealed by the ,spirit4--,how that by revelation ,he made known unto me the mystery 7ver4 #c74 ,as it is now revealed unto ,his holy apostles and prophets by the ,spirit 7ver4 #e74 ,notwithstanding the gradual disclosure of the mystery of the ,gospel1 its full significance could not have been caught without supernatural help4 ,mere flux of time adds nothing to our knowledge2 nor can the most active intelligence decipher the spiritual meaning of truth4 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 operating on the alert and awakened mind of the apostle1 revealed to him the glory and power of ,christ--the hidden mystery of ages--and opened to him the far-reaching provisions of the enlarged ,gospel of which ,christ is the inexhaustible theme4 ,there is still much mystery in the ,gospel that remains to be fathomed--the problem of the atonement1 the origin of sin1 the future destiny and eternal state of human souls1 and the revelation of ,christ and ,his ,church to present-day social and economic questions in their bearing on human development and the future prosperity of the kingdom of ,god on earth4 ,we are in daily need of the light and teaching of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,iv4 ,was entrusted to man as a stewardship of ,divine grace4--,the dispensation of the grace of ,god which is given me to you-ward 7ver4 #b74 ,the mystery of the ,gospel was revealed to ,paul that he might dispense its benefits to others4 ,former generations had received light from heaven2 but not sufficiently appreciating it1 or wishing to keep it within too narrow a sphere1 it grew dim and went out4 ,where it fell on prepared hearts it was used for the illumination and blessing of others4 ,paul was ,divinely prepared for the revelation2 he received it in trust for others2 he saw the boundless provisions of the ,gospel1 and became a powerful advocate for its universal claims4 ,every minister is a steward of the mysteries of the kingdom of ,god1 and it is his joy to minister to others whatever of insight into truth and grace of experience the ,divine ,spirit may entrust to him4 ,the ,gospel is an ever-enlarging ,gospel to the soul lit up and informed by the revealing ,spirit4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel is an advance on all previous revelations4 #b4 ,it is the grandest revelation of saving truth4 #c4 ,it can be known and enjoyed only by the ,spirit4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a-ba4 ,riches of ,christ4--,many make ,christianity something local1 temporary1 and thus degrade it4 ,christ is inexhaustible for mind and heart2 we find all in ,him4 ,let us never make of this rich ,christ a poor one4 ,what ,christ has instituted must be something transcendent1 and not so common that every intellect can discover it4--,heubner4 ,vers4 #a-f4 ,the ,calling of the ,gentiles4 ,i4 ,paul calls himself a prisoner of ,christ for the ,gentiles4--,the liberality of his sentiments towards them and the boldness with which he asserted their title to equal privileges with ,jews were the principal reasons why the latter persecuted him with such violence1 and caused him to be sent a prisoner to ,rome4 ,the spring of this bitter enmity in the ,jews was their spiritual pride and worldly affection4 ,liberality of sentiment essentially belongs to true religion4 ,bigotry1 hatred1 and envy among ,christians debase their character and scandalise their profession4 ,we should entertain exalted thoughts of the ,divine ,goodness4 ,such thoughts enlarge the mind and liberalise the feelings4 ,,ii4 ,the ,gospel is called a dispensation of the grace of ,god4--,it is a discovery of that method which the wisdom of ,god has chosen for dispensing ,his grace and mercy toward fallen men4 ,it is called the ,gospel of ,god as it originated in ,his pleasure2 and the ,gospel of ,christ as ,he is the immediate author of it1 and ,his doctrines and works1 ,his life and death1 ,his resurrection and ascension1 and the blessings procured by ,him are the subjects on which it principally treats4 ,the grace which the ,gospel offers is pardon and glory4 ,under such a dispensation how inexcusable are the impenitent1 and how amazing will be the punishment of those who finally perish in their guilt6 ,,iii4 ,this dispensation was committed to the apostle for the benefit of mankind4--,it was a trust committed to him by the will of ,god1 not a power arrogated by his own presumption4 ,he did not rely on a secret1 internal call as what alone would warrant him to commence as a preacher4 ,he carefully conformed to the order which ,christ has instituted in ,his ,church4 ,he instructed ,timothy and ,titus to do likewise4 ,ministers are not to found their warrant to preach on any immediate revelation4 ,if they should pretend to this1 it would be no warrant for them to assume it1 unless they can by miracles prove to the world the reality of the pretended revelation4 ,,iv4 ,the knowledge of the ,gospel was communicated to ,paul by revelation4--,god did not1 at the expense of inspiration1 teach the apostles those things which they knew or might know by other means4 ,but where actual knowledge and the means of obtaining it were wanting1 there inspiration supplied the defect4 ,it is not necessary for us to know the nature of this inspiration1 or the manner in which the apostles were assured of its divinity4 ,if we believe there is an infinite and all-perfect ,spirit1 who pervades universal nature1 we must believe ,he can reveal ,his will to men by such an immediate influence as shall carry its own evidence and leave no possible doubt of its reality4 ,if we deny the possibility of a certain inspiration from ,god1 we deny that power to ,him which we ourselves possess1 for we can speak to men in such a manner that they shall certainly know we speak to them and perfectly understand our meaning4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #d1 #f4 ,the ,knowledge of ,christ intended for ,all4--,it is significant that the inscription on the cross was written in ,hebrew1 ,greek1 and ,latin4 #a4 ,hebrew1 the language of religion1 of the revelation concerning the one true ,god4 #b4 ,greek1 the language of literature1 of arts and culture1 the best medium in which to transmit the literature of the ,new ,testament1 as ,hebrew was for that of the ,old4 ,it might be designated as the human language4 #c4 ,latin1 the language of the conquerors and masters of the world--also of the ,roman ,empire1 as that kingdom of worldly aggrandisement and power1 falsehood and wrong1 in opposition to the kingdom of ,god destined to uproot and replace it4 ,the ,roman soldiers stationed throughout ,europe became useful factors in the spread of the ,gospel4 ,note also the synoptic gospels of #a4 ,matthew--,hebrew in thought and diction1 written to convince ,jews4 #b4 ,mark--,latin in thought1 and written for the ,roman mind4 #c4 ,luke--,greek in thought and style1 written for ,gentiles4 ,vers4 #d1 #e4 ,god known in ,christ4--,after the death of ,pascal there was found in the lining of his coat a parchment which he never parted from1 in order to keep in his memory a certain epoch in his life4 ,it contained these words3 ,certainty--joy--the ,god of ,jesus ,christ1 not of the philosophers and savants4 ,o that ,i may never be separated from ,him6 ,the explanation of this is1 that on one memorable night1 during a holy watching1 he had met1 not merely the ,machinist of the universe1 the ,god who is but the substance or the law of the world1 but the ,god who wills and creates the happiness of ,his children4 ,vers4 #e1 #f4 ,the ,comprehensiveness of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,god's purpose to call the ,gentiles was not altogether unknown to the ancient ,church2 but it was not so clearly revealed under the ,old ,testament as under the ,new4 #b4 ,though ,god might easily communicate the knowledge of ,himself unto all immediately and without the help of second means1 yet ,he hath chosen so to communicate ,his mind to some few only who have1 at ,his appointment1 set down in sacred writ what they immediately received1 by which means the knowledge of ,god may1 in an ordinary way1 be conveyed to others4 #c4 ,it is a great and glorious privilege to be a part of that mystical body of which ,christ is ,head1 because of the strict union such have with ,christ and with all believers in ,christ1 and because of their interest in all the privileges of that body and in the gifts and graces of every member of it4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-i4 ,an ,exalted ,ministerial ,commission-- ,i4 ,to distribute the unbounded wealth of the ,gospel4--,unto me 4 4 4 is this grace given1 that ,i should preach the unsearchable riches of ,christ 7ver4 #h74 ,in calling the ,gospel the unsearchable riches of ,christ the apostle signifies that ,christ1 the whole truth about ,him and centred in ,him1 is the theme of his preaching1 and that in ,christ he finds a mine of inexhaustible wealth1 a treasure of truth which cannot be told4 ,he speaks as one who has searched--searched so long1 so far1 as to have produced on his mind the impression of unsearchableness4 ,his whole style of writing in this chapter is that of a man overwhelmed with a sense of the infinite grace of ,god revealed in ,christ4 ,the expression unsearchable riches1 while conveying the impression of infinitude as the words breadth1 length1 height1 depth1 suggests a different idea--that of a mine of precious metal1 rather than that of a vast continent of great length and breadth with high mountains and deep valleys spread over its surface4 ,paul speaks as a man digging in a recently discovered gold-field1 who finds particles of the precious metal in such abundance that he cannot refrain from exclaiming ever and anon1 ,what an inexhaustible supply of gold is here6 ,he speaks further as one who feels it his special business to let all the world know of this gold-field1 and invite all to come and get a share of its wealth 7,a4 ,b4 ,bruce74 ,,ii4 ,to reveal to men the secret mind of ,god4--#a4 ,the ,gospel was for long hidden alone in ,god4 ,which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in ,god 7ver4 #i74 ,it was a mystery hid in ,god1 not from ,god4 ,the idea of the universality of the ,gospel1 though veiled for ages by the limitations of the ,divine dealings with the ,jewish people1 was never absent from the mind of ,god4 ,down through the rolling years one eternal purpose runs1 and now and then the most gifted of the ,hebrew seers caught a glimpse of its ever-widening range4 ,this great secret of the ages was revealed to ,paul in such clearness and fulness that he regarded it as the one purpose of his life--his heaven-sent commission--to make it known to his fellow-men1 of whatever nationality4 #b4 ,the purpose of the creation of all things by ,christ was also a part of the ,divine mystery4--,who created all things by ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #i74 ,the statement of this fact--thrown in by way of parenthesis--links the whole created things with the development of the ,divine purpose1 and asserts the absolute sovereignty of ,jesus over all worlds4 ,in some way yet to be more fully explained as the ,divine purpose ripens all created beings are to be advantaged by the sublime redemptive work unfolded in the ,gospel4 ,for ,he hath created all things1 and by ,him all things consist4 #c4 ,the mystery was revealed to one for the benefit of all4--,and to make all men see what is the fellowship the stewardship of the mystery 7ver4 #i74 ,it was well for us and the race that the revelation and commission were committed to one who by training and gifts was so well qualified to explain and propagate the grand ,divine idea4 ,the barriers of ,jewish prejudice in ,paul were swept away by the vastness and universality of the message4 ,he saw it included his ,hebrew brethren--and to them the ,gospel was first preached--but he saw also it included all in its comprehensive sweep4 ,paul was not alone among the apostles in comprehending the breadth of the ,gospel2 but he was foremost and most resolute and unbending in battling for the right of the ,gentiles to be admitted to all its blessed privileges4 ,he thought out the ,gospel for himself1 and he became the fearless and astute champion of the sinning race4 ,what is accepted as a commonplace to-day was not won without argument1 suffering1 and struggle4 ,,iii4 ,bestowed as an act of ,divine grace4--#a4 ,as an act of ,divine grace it was confirmed by the conscious possession of ,divine power4 ,given unto me by the effectual working of ,his power 7ver4 #g74 ,paul himself experienced the transforming power of the ,gospel4 ,he was deeply convinced of its truth1 he believed and embraced its provisions1 he accepted ,christ as the living core of the ,gospel1 and he was thrilled with the ,divine power that wrought in him a great moral change4 ,he spoke not only with the force and authority of clearly apprehended truth1 but with the unfaltering certitude of personal experience4 ,he was henceforth the willing agent of the ,divine power working within him4 #b4 ,as an act of ,divine grace his commission overwhelmed him with a sense of personal unworthiness4--,unto me1 who am less than the least of all saints1 is this grace given 7ver4 #h74 ,the immense favour humbles him to the dust4 ,that ,saul1 the ,pharisee and the persecutor1 the most unworthy and unlikely of men1 should be the chosen vessel to bear ,christ's riches to the ,gentile world1 how shall he sufficiently give thanks for this6 how express his wonder at the unfathomable wisdom and goodness that the choice displays in the mind of ,god6 ,but we can see that this choice was precisely the fittest4 ,a ,hebrew of the ,hebrews1 steeped in ,jewish traditions and glorying in his sacred ancestry1 none knew better than the apostle ,paul how rich were the treasures stored in the house of ,abraham that he had to make over to the ,gentiles4 ,a true son of that house1 he was the fittest to lead in the aliens1 to show them its precious things1 and make them at home within its walls 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the minster of the ,gospel has a solemn responsibility4 #b4 ,should be faithful and earnest in his work4 #c4 ,should guard against temptations to pride4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #g4 ,a ,god-made ,minister4--#a4 ,it is not sufficient warrant for any to meddle with the ministerial office that he hath competent gifts1 except he have also ministerial power and authority conveyed to him1 either immediately by ,god1 as it was in the calling of the apostles1 or mediately according to that order which ,god has established in ,his ,church1 as in the calling of ordinary ministers4 #b4 ,as it is required to make a man a minister that he be endued with competent abilities and gifts for that employment1 so it is no less requisite that ,god concur with him4 ,god giveth not to all one and the same gift1 or in the same measure1 but to some a greater1 to others a less1 as ,he hath more or less to do with them4 #c4 ,so great and many are the difficulties of ministers before they attain to freedom and boldness in exercising their ministerial gift that no less is required than the power of ,god1 working effectually with a kind of pith and energy4 ,a minister will be always ready to acknowledge his gifts as from ,god and ,his powerful working in him1 and not to his own dignity1 diligence1 or parts4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #h1 #i4 ,the ,apostle's ,view of his ,ministry4 ,i4 ,consider what a humble opinion the apostle had of himself4--,who am less than the least of all saints4 ,in his abilities and gifts he was not a whit behind the chiefest apostles1 and in sufferings he was more frequent and in labours more abundant than they all4 ,but in respect to worthiness he esteemed them his superiors2 for they had not1 like him1 persecuted the ,church1 and they were in ,christ and became apostles before him4 ,good ,christians in honour prefer one another4 ,true religion will produce self-abasing thoughts4 ,the true convert forgets not his former character4 ,he reflects often on his past guilty life1 that he may be more humble in himself1 more thankful1 more watchful1 more diligent4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle expresses his admiring apprehensions of ,god's grace in calling him to the ministry4--,to the same grace which had called him he ascribes all his furniture for the ministry and all his success4 ,however contemptible some render themselves in the ,gospel ministry1 the office itself is honourable4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle's elevated sentiments concerning the ,gospel4--,he calls it the unsearchable riches of ,christ4 ,the blessings of the ,gospel1 being purchased by the blood of ,christ1 are called ,his riches4 ,they are called riches on account of their excellency1 fulness1 and variety4 ,they are undiscoverable by human reason1 and made known only by revelation4 ,they were but imperfectly made known in the prophetic revelation4 ,they are of inestimable value4 ,,iv4 ,consider the grand and enlarged conceptions the apostle entertained of the design and importance of his ministry 7ver4 #i74--;,it was to open to mankind that mighty scheme which the wisdom of ,god had formed1 and which ,his goodness had for ages been carrying into execution1 for the redemption of our fallen race4 ,his ministry was designed for the benefit1 not of men only1 but of angels too 7ver4 #aj74--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #h4 ,christian ,humility illustrated in the ,character of ,paul4 ,i4 ,the apostle remembered his past sins4--,wherever there is a quickened conscience1 it will prompt the possessor to think of his past sins1 and this even when he has reason to believe that they have been forgiven4 ,the apostle continued to remember the natural and deeply seated pride and self-righteousness which he had so long cherished4 ,allusion is made in every one of his public apologies and in a number of his epistles to the circumstance of his once having been an enemy of the cross of ,christ and a persecutor4 ,it is for the benefit of the believer to remember his past sinfulness4 ,the recollection of his infirmities may enable him to guard against their recurrence4 ,our sins1 even when past and forgiven1 are apt to leave a prejudicial influence behind4 ,our sins are like wounds1 which even when cured and closed are apt to leave a scar behind4 ,it is most meet and becoming1 and in every respect for his own profit and the advantage of the ,church and world1 that the sinner1 and more particularly the man whose former life has been known1 should walk humbly before ,god and his fellow-men all the days of his life4 ,nor let it be forgotten that the remembrance of past sin is one of the motives impelling the ,christian to be zealously affected in every good thing4 ,the remembrance of the injury he had done to the ,church stimulated him to make greater endeavours to benefit it4 ,the persecution which he had inflicted on others made him more steadfast in bearing the sufferings to which he was now exposed4 ,according to the account handed down from the early ,church1 the apostle had to suffer a violent death in the reign of ,nero1 when ,christians were covered with pitch and burned as torches1 or clothed with the skins of wild beasts and dogs let loose upon them4 ,we can conceive that as he saw the terrible preparations for putting him to death1 his memory would go back thirty years1 and he would remember how he himself had stood by and consented to the death of the holy martyr ,stephen1 and he would feel himself thereby the more strengthened to endure what the ,lord was now pleased to lay upon him4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle mourned over the sin yet cleaving to him4--,he had not only a recollection of past sin1 he had a sense of present sin4 ,this sense of indwelling sin is one of the elements that conduce to the onward progress of the believer4 ,why is it that so many professing ,christians1 ay1 and too many true ,christians1 are not advancing in the spiritual life2 are the same this week as they were the previous week2 the same this year as they were the last year2 and to all appearance1 and unless ,god arouse them1 will be the same the next week or next year as they are this8 ,it is because they are contented with themselves and with their condition1 they have reached a state of self-complacency1 they have settled upon their lees1 and they do not wish to be disturbed by so much as an allusion to their sin4 ,very different was the temper of the apostle4 ,conscious of the sin that still adhered to him1 he longed to have it completely exterminated1 and sought the heavenly aid which might enable him to reach that after which he was always striving--unto a perfect man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle acknowledged ,god to be the ,author of all the gifts and graces possessed by him4--,paul on more than one occasion found it necessary to speak of his gifts4 ,and when he follows this train of reflection1 he arrests himself to explain that his faults are his own1 and to ascribe the glory of his gifts to ,god4 ,there may be circumstances requiring us to speak of our attainments in the spiritual life2 but there can be no excuse for our thinking of them or alluding to them in a spirit of complacency4 ,of all pride1 spiritual pride is the most hateful1 and the most lamentably inconsistent4 ,how often does it happen that1 when persons are suddenly elevated to places of honour1 they see nothing but their own merits1 their own talent1 their own skill or good management8 ,elevation of rank thus leads in too many cases to an increase of pride and vanity4 ,this is painfully illustrated in the history of ,saul1 the son of ,kish4 ,setting out in search of his father's asses1 he received before he returned a kingdom for the discharge of the offices of which he had many qualifications4 ,but his rise seems to have fostered the morbid vanity of his mind2 and when this was not fed by constant incense1 when the ,israelites cried3 ,saul hath slain his thousands1 and ,david his tens of thousands1 it led to envy and revenge1 which goaded him on to deeds of utter infatuation4 ,how different with ,saul of ,tarsus6 ,at every step of his elevation in the ,church he saw the finger of ,god1 and was the more impressed with his own unworthiness4 ,,iv4 ,the apostle took a high standard of excellence3 he took as his model the law of ,god and the character of ,jesus4--,all actual excellence1 whether earthly or spiritual1 has been attained by the mind keeping before it and dwelling upon the ideas of the great1 the good1 the beautiful1 the grand1 the perfect4 ,the tradesman and mechanic reach the highest eminence by never allowing themselves to rest till they can produce the most finished specimens of their particular craft4 ,the painter and sculptor travel to distant lands that they may see and as it were fill their eye and mind with the sight of the most beautiful models of their arts4 ,poets have had their yet undiscovered genius awakened into life as they contemplated some of the grandest of nature's scenes2 or as they listened to the strains of other poets the spirit of inspiration has descended upon them1 as the spirit of inspiration descended on ,elisha while the minstrel played before him4 ,the soldier's spirit has been aroused even more by the stirring sound of the war-trumpet than by the record of the courage and heroism of other warriors4 ,the fervour of one patriot has been created as he listened to the burning words of another patriot2 and many a martyr's zeal has been kindled at the funeral pile of other martyrs4 ,in this way fathers have handed down their virtues to their children1 and those who could leave their offspring no other have in their example left them the very richest legacy2 and the deeds of those who perform great achievements have lived far longer than those who do them1 and have gone down from one generation to another4 ,now the believer has such a model set before him in the character of ,jesus1 which as it were embodies the law and exhibits in it the most attractive and encouraging light4 ,we may copy others in some things2 we should copy ,christ in all4--,dr4 ,j4 ,mc,cosh4 ,ver4 #h4 ,paul's ,humility4 ,i4 ,in what it consisted4--#a4 ,in the unreserved submission of his reason to the authority of revelation4 ,he was a great thinker1 and he was a great scholar4 #b4 ,in the unwavering reliance of his heart on ,christ for the salvation of his soul4 ,self-righteous by constitution and education4 #c4 ,in ascribing to ,god alone the glory of all that he was and of all that he did4 ,he could not but be conscious how far he stood above the ordinary in point of ,christian excellence and supernatural gifts and ministerial usefulness4 ,he never took any part of the praise to himself3 ,yet not ,i1 but the grace of ,god which was in me4 #d4 ,in cherishing a sense of his unworthiness and guilt3 ,sinners1 of whom ,i am chief4 #e4 ,in forming a lowly estimate of his own comparative standing3 ,less than the least of all saints4 ,,ii4 ,how it was cultivated4--#a4 ,by frequent meditation on the holiness of ,god4 #b4 ,by looking away from self to ,christ4 #c4 ,by gratitude to ,god and to ,christ for an interest in the blessings of redemption4 #d4 ,by a due appreciation of the importance of humility4 ,it is ornamental1 but it is also useful4 ,it lies at the very root of all the graces of the ,christian character4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,humility a ,growth4--,the progress which ,st4 ,paul made in humility has often been given by comparing three expressions in his epistles with the supposed dates when they were written3 ,not meet to be called an apostle 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #i3 ,a4,d4 #ei72 ,less than the least of all saints 7,eph4 iii4 #h3 ,a4,d4 #fd72 ,sinners1 of whom ,i am chief 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ae3 ,a4,d4 #fe74 ,the ,unsearchable ,riches of ,christ4--,the riches of ,christ's ,divinity are unsearchable1 the riches of ,his condescension are unsearchable1 the riches of ,his tenderness are unsearchable1 the riches of ,his redeeming love are unsearchable1 the riches of his intersession are unsearchable1 the riches of his faithfulness are unsearchable1 and the riches of his supporting grace are unsearchable4 ,these riches will never be expressed1 even to all eternity4 ,no6 not by the noble army of martyrs1 nor the glorious company of the apostles1 nor the goodly fellowship of the prophets1 nor the general assembly and ,church of the first-born1 nor the innumerable company of angels1 nor the spirits of just men made perfect1 nor by all the ransomed throng of heaven4 ,it will form their most ecstatic employment in heaven4 ,join1 all ye happy throng--join1 holy ,abel and ,enoch1 upright ,job1 perfect ,noah1 souls of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 grand souls of ,moses1 ,samuel1 and ,elijah1 pardoned ,david and ,manasseh1 soul of ,isaiah the prophet4 ,join1 all ye whose souls are under the altar cry1 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1 wilt ,thou not avenge our blood upon the earth8 ,join1 holy ,stephen and ,polycarp1 holy ,latimer1 ,ridley1 ,hooper1 ,rowland ,taylor1 and ,anne ,askew4 ,join1 brave ,wicklif1 gallant ,luther1 stern ,john ,knox1 sweet ,john ,bunyan1 and praying ,george ,fox4 ,join1 pious ,doddridge and tuneful ,watts1 noble ,george ,whitefield1 holy ,fletcher1 exhaustless ,john ,wesley1 dauntless ,rowland ,hill1 and grand though lowly ,robert ,hall4 ,ye sweetest trebles of the eternal choir1 ye million million babes who died without actual sin1 join all your notes of praise6 ,pull out every stop of the grand organ of heaven1 from the deep swell diapason to the lofty flute and cornet6 ,gabriel1 strike the loftiest note of thy harp of gold4 ,and let all the host of heaven1 angels and men1 begin the grand anthem1 ,worthy is the ,lamb4 ,and let the eternal ,amen peal and roll and reverberate through all the arches of heaven6 ,but never through all eternity shall the gathered host be able fully to express the unsearchable riches of ,christ4--,thomas ,cooper4 ,ver4 #i4 ,the ,fellowship of the ,mystery4 ,i4 ,it is a mystery it should be so long hid2 a mystery1 because when it was plainly revealed it was not understood by those to whom it was manifested2 a mystery1 for ,god was pleased to raise up a special apostle to explain and reveal1 to make an epiphany of this great truth--the will of ,god that all men should be saved1 that ,his ,gospel should be universally known1 should be open to all for acceptance4 ,,ii4 ,our share and fellowship in the work of the ,gospel is to make all men see their interest in it1 to make them understand its true catholicity1 to make all men see that it is from the first the will of ,god that the ,gentiles should be fellow-heirs4 ,by the ,church is to be made known the manifold wisdom of ,god4 ,every member of the ,church is to have his or her part in doing this work4 ,we are all to take part in it by our lives1 our conversation1 our example1 our good works and words4 ,by availing ourselves of opportunities we are to help to make known this manifold wisdom of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,think for a moment what is the state of those men who do not know what is their fellowship with this mystery4--,i am not speaking of the entirely ignorant4 ,even religious people do not half understand or appreciate the deep meaning of such words as these4 ,christianity means expansion1 comprehension2 it embraces all1 and all men must see in it what is the fellowship of the mystery that we have received and that has been made known to us4 ,we must be a light that cannot be hid4--,bishop ,claughton4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ac4 ,the ,manifold ,wisdom of ,god-- ,i4 ,seen in the development of a long-cherished plan4--#a4 ,this plan was carried out by ,christ4 ,according to the eternal purpose which ,he purposed in ,christ 7ver4 #aa74 ,the plan is here called the eternal purpose1 and that purpose was the redemption of man1 and the personage selected for its accomplishment was the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,this was the unchanging theme of the ,gospel of which the apostle was made a minister1 this the ,divinely freighted argosy of the unsearchable riches of ,christ1 the veiled and sacred repository of all heavenly mysteries4 ,the plan is significantly called the manifold wisdom of ,god--as manifold as mysterious1 for there is variety in the mystery and mystery in every part of the variety4 ,the wisdom is seen1 not so much in one act as in the masterly combination of a multitude of acts1 all marshalled and disposed with consummate skill to the attainment of one grand end2 just as the light that fills and irradiates the valley1 penetrating every nook and crevice and clothing every object with beauty1 is produced1 not by a solitary ray1 but by manifold rays poured from the central sun1 and all uniting in one harmonious illumination4 ,the crowning wisdom of the plan was in ,god appointing ,his only ,son as the agent in carrying it out4 ,he1 the sinless ,one1 must suffer for sin2 the ,innocent die for the guilty1 and by dying conquer sin4 ,only thus could the righteous claims of the violated law be fully satisfied1 the offence of the sinning one condoned1 the authority of the ,divine government maintained1 and the character of the ,holy ,one vindicated to the whole universe4 #b4 ,that the plan has been accomplished is evident from the attitude assumed towards man and towards ,god by believers 7ver4 #ac74--;,as regards the attitude of the believer towards man1 he has now boldness in declaring the whole truth1 and towards ,god he has access with confidence by the faith of ,him--he has confidential fellowship with ,god4 ,both these experiences are the result of the redeeming plan1 and would have been impossible without it4 ,,ii4 ,seen in the indifference to suffering its revelations inspire4--,i desire that ye faint not do not lose heart at my tribulations for you1 which is your glory 7ver4 #ac74 ,paul had no anxiety for himself4 ,he almost playfully alludes to his imprisoned state3 ,the prisoner of ,jesus ,christ for you ,gentiles 7ver4 #a74 ,his soul was too full of heavenly visions and of the practical bearing of the ,gospel on the destiny of the race to be harassed about his personal suffering4 ,when he thought about it at all it was to rejoice in the honour of being allowed to suffer for such a cause1 and in the opportunities afforded of spreading the ,gospel in quarters that might otherwise have been closed to him4 ,but the ,church feared for their champion's life1 and was troubled about his prolonged sufferings and imprisonment4 ,the apostle assures his friends there was more reason for joyous boasting than for pity and dread4 ,the sufferings and misfortunes of the ,church have been overruled in promoting her enlargement4 ,the flames of the martyrs have illumined the truth1 and the captivity of its professors has prepared the throne of its universal empire4 ,personal religion has grown stronger by opposition and suffering1 and the ,church has multiplied by the very means which were intended to destroy her4 ,,iii4 ,seen in making the ,church of the redeemed the means of instructing the heavenly intelligences 7ver4 #aj74--,these lofty beings1 with their vast knowledge and gigantic powers1 learn something from the ,divine treatment of sinful1 rebellious men4 ,they gain new light1 fresher and more expansive views1 regarding the character and perfections of ,god2 and perhaps the chief point on which their angelic knowledge will be increased is in the glorious revelations the ,gospel unfolds of the infinite love of ,god4 ,the ,church on earth1 with all its contradictions and imperfections1 presents a magnificent picture of self-denial1 devotion1 and praise2 but this is only a faint representation of the splendour of the ,church above in its more completed state4 ,the ,church above is a society organised2 the church below is a society organising4 ,the heavenly intelligences are watching both processes1 and their wondering adoration is being continually excited as they observe the building up and ever-advancing completion of the redeemed community4 ,if there is one thing more than another that amazes the principalities and powers--amazes them more than the manifold wisdom of ,god unfolded to them by the ,church--it must surely be the apathy and indifference of men on earth to their redemptive blessings6--that so much has been done to make man wise1 and he remains willingly and contentedly ignorant2 that ,god has been so prodigal of ,his wealth1 and man is so slow to appreciate and seize the proffered enrichment2 that ,god offers the abundant bread of eternal life1 and man prefers to starve in lean and comfortless poverty1 and grumbles against heaven that he is so poor2 that salvation is pressed on his acceptance1 and man persists in perishing2 that heaven lies about him in his infancy1 and the celestial gate opens before him in every subsequent stage of life1 and yet man resists the alluring glory1 and stumbles at last into the bottomless chasm of eternal darkness4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the wisdom of ,god is continually presenting new illustrations of its manifoldness4 #b4 ,the most signal display of ,divine wisdom is seen in the redemption of the race4 #c4 ,the future history of the ,church will reveal new features in the manifold wisdom of ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the ,manifold ,wisdom of ,god-- ,i4 ,seen in the gradual unfolding of ,his great purpose to save the human race4--#a4 ,this process suited the revelation to men's nature and condition as finite and sinful beings4 ,had the revelation been more rapid and brilliant it could not have been so readily appreciated1 nor could men have dared to hope they had any share in it4 ,it was adapted to the infantile state of the ,church and the world when the mind is most powerfully affected by sensible objects4 #b4 ,this method was a training for appreciating the fuller discoveries of the ,divine will4 ,it has been an education and discipline1 has provoked inquiry1 and encouraged full submission to the will of ,god and faith in ,his wisdom and power4 ,,ii4 ,seen in the means ,he employed to carry out ,his saving purpose4--#a4 ,by the gift of ,his ,son4 #b4 ,as a subsidiary means1 by the institution of preaching1 and by selecting men1 and not angels1 as instruments in spreading the knowledge of ,gospel redemption4 ,,iii4 ,seen in using the ,church of the redeemed as an object-lesson in teaching the heavenly intelligences4--,the ,church teaches the angels3 #a4 ,by its composition4 #b4 ,by its marvellous history4 #c4 ,by its glorious completion4 ,learn4--#a4 ,the dignity and glory of the ,church4 #b4 ,let it be your all-important concern to become a member of this spiritual community4 ,vers4 #aa-ac4 ,access to ,god4 ,i4 ,we have access4--,the word signifies an approach to some object4 ,here it intends a near approach to ,god in worship1 or such a state of peace with ,god as allows a freedom of intercourse4 ,it is a familiar expression suited to convey the idea of great condescension on ,god's part and high privilege on ours4 ,,ii4 ,we have boldness of access4 ,the word signifies a freedom of speaking in opposition to that restraint which we feel when in the presence of one we dread and in whose goodness we can place no confidence4 ,it expresses the fulness of that liberty which under the ,gospel all ,christians enjoy of drawing near to ,god1 and that freedom of spirit with which we should come to ,god4 ,the disposition of our hearts should correspond with the liberal and gracious dispensation under which we are placed4 ,we should come to ,god with a spirit of love1 in opposition to servile fear4 ,this boldness imports frequency in our approaches to ,god4 ,slaves1 under fear1 stand at a distance4 ,children1 invited by the goodness of a father1 come often into his presence4 ,,iii4 ,we have access with confidence4 ,this confidence is elsewhere called a better hope and the full assurance of faith4 ,it is opposed to doubting and distrust4 ,confidence in prayer is a full reliance on ,god2 but this may be accompanied with a humble diffidence of ourselves4 ,,iv4 ,all our hope of success in prayer must rest upon the mediation of ,christ 7ver4 #ab74--;,in ,his name we are to come before ,god2 and in the virtue of ,his atonement and intercession we may hope for acceptance4 ,v4 ,access to ,god a refuge in trouble 7ver4 #ac74--;,fearing lest his sufferings in the cause of the ,gospel should dishearten his converts1 the apostle sets before them a view of their security under the protection of ,divine grace4 ,dangers were before them2 but what had they to fear who had boldness of access to ,god8 ,it was one of the glories of their religion that he who preached it was not ashamed to suffer for it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,in the apostle ,paul we have a noble example of benevolence4 #b4 ,new converts should be assisted and encouraged4 #c4 ,our best support under trouble is boldness of access to ,god4 #d4 ,let the grace and condescension of ,god encourage us to come often into ,his presence4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,access to ,god in ,prayer4--,prayer is to be exercised with the greatest caution and exactness1 being the most solemn intercourse earth can have with heaven4 ,the distance between ,god and us1 so great by nature and yet greater by sin1 makes it fearful to address ,him2 but ,christ has smoothed a way1 and we are commanded to come with a good heart1 not only in respect of innocence1 but also of confidence4 ,i4 ,there is a certain boldness and confidence very well becoming our humblest addresses to ,god4--,it is the very language of prayer to treat ,god as our ,father4 ,the nature of this confidence is not so easily set forth by positive description as by the opposition it bears to its extremes4 ,it is opposed3 #a4 ,to desperation and horror of conscience4 #b4 ,to doubtings and groundless scrupulosities4 #c4 ,to rashness and precipitation4 #d4 ,to impudence4 ,,ii4 ,the foundation of this confidence is laid in the mediation of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the reason why ,christ's mediation ought to minister such confidence to us4--,his incomparable fitness for the performance of that work4 ,considering ,him3 #a4 ,in respect to ,god1 with whom ,he has to mediate4 ,god sustains a double capacity of ,father and ,judge4 ,christ appears not only as an ,advocate1 but as a ,surety1 paying down the utmost justice can exact4 #b4 ,in reference to men for whom ,he mediates4 ,he is a friend1 brother1 surety1 lord or master4 #c4 ,in respect to ,himself4 7#a7 ,he is perfectly acquainted with all our wants and necessities4 7#b7 ,he is heartily sensible of and concerned about them4 7#c7 ,he is best able to express and set them before the ,father4 ,,iv4 ,whether there is any other ground that may rationally embolden us in our addresses to ,him4--,if there is1 it must be either3 #a4 ,something within us as the merit of our good actions4 ,but this cannot be--7#a7 because none can merit but by doing something absolutely by his own power for the advantage of him from whom he merits2 7#b7 because to merit is to do something over and above what is due4 #b4 ,something without us4 ,this must be the help and intercession either of angels or saints4 ,angels cannot mediate for us--7#a7 because it is impossible for them to know and perfectly discern the thoughts2 7#b7 because no angel can know at once all the prayers that are even uttered in words throughout the world4 ,these arguments are still more forcible against the intercession of saints4 ,the invocation of saints supposed to arise3 #a4 ,from the solemn meetings used by the primitive ,christians at the saints' sepulchres1 and there celebrating the memory of their martyrdom4 #b4 ,from those seeds of the ,platonic philosophy that so much leavened many of the primitive ,christians4 #c4 ,from the people being bred in idolatry4 ,but the primitive fathers held no such thing2 and the ,council of ,trent1 that pretended to determine the case1 put the world off with an ambiguity4 ,christ is the only true way4--,r4 ,south4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,courage under ,suffering4--#a4 ,affliction and tribulation for the ,gospel is a trial not only to those under it1 but to others who look on1 and are in no less hazard to be thereby brangled 7made to disagree7 in their confidence1 blunted in their zeal1 and rendered remiss in their forwardness1 than the person himself who suffers4 #b4 ,a faithful minister suffering for truth will not be so solicitous for his own outward estate as for the ,church and people of ,god1 lest they be turned aside1 or made to faint by reason of his sufferings4 ,this may guard from discouragement when we consider the excellent worth of truth1 and how those who suffer for it have not cast themselves without necessity upon their sufferings1 but were necessitated to meet them in the way of their calling4 #c4 ,so honourable is it to suffer for ,christ and truth that not only the persons who suffer are honoured1 but also all such as have interest in them1 who should not faint1 but rather glory in them and take encouragement from them4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad-ba4 ,a ,sublime and ,comprehensive ,prayer-- ,i4 ,for spiritual strengthening 7ver4 #af74--,the first necessity of the new convert is strength4 ,the change from the former life is so new and strange4 ,the spiritual faculties are but recently called into exercise2 and though they are thrilled with the vigour of youth1 they possess the inherent weakness and are exposed to the temptations of youth4 ,their newly acquired strength is at once their glory and their danger--their glory in giving them the capacity and impulse for the highest kind of work2 their danger because they are tempted to rely upon their own conscious power rather than upon the grace of ,god within them1 which is the source of their best strength4 ,if that strength is once undermined or eaten away1 it can never be replaced4 ,the strength of youth1 physical or spiritual1 belongs only in the period of youth2 if lost in youth1 it can never be regained in maturer life4 ,whatever strength we may gain in after-years will never be what it might have been if ye had never lost the strength of our first love4 ,the apostle here prays that his converts may be invigorated with a manful courage1 the moral strength to meet dangers and to battle with difficulties without quailing4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,the ,transcriber is unsure what the author means by faith 4 4 4 must be constantly exercised to keep ,him there in this next paragraph4 ,please remember ,christ's words in ,hebrews xiii4 #e3 ,i will never leave thee nor forsake thee4 #a4 ,this spiritual strengthening is achieved by the indwelling ,christ welcomed and retained in the heart by faith4--,that ,christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 7ver4 #ag74 ,the source of this strength is not in us2 we cannot evoke it by any voluntary effort of our own4 ,it is a ,divine power working in us 7ver4 #bj74 ,it is the ,christ within us making ,himself felt in our otherwise enfeebled powers4 ,we are invested with the strength of ,christ by our faith in ,christ2 and increase of strength comes with increase of faith4 ,the faith that receives ,christ into the heart must be constantly exercised to keep ,him there1 and to derive inspiration and help from ,him in attaining spiritual growth and in doing useful work4 #b4 ,this spiritual strengthening is cherished by an accession of ,christian love4--,that ye1 being rooted and grounded in love 7ver4 #ag74 ,the double metaphor gives emphasis to the idea--rooted1 a tree2 grounded a building4 ,when ,christ is planted and settled in our hearts1 love is shed abroad there1 and becomes the genial soil in which our graces grow1 and the basis of all our thought and action4 ,love is strength1 the most reliable1 sustaining1 and victorious kind of strength4 ,,ii4 ,for a clearer comprehension of the immeasurable love of ,christ 7vers4 #ah1 #ai74--;,here the prayer rises in sublimity and comprehensiveness4 ,the apostle prays that we may know the unknowable--know the love of ,christ1 which passeth knowledge4 ,there is nothing so fascinating as the love of ,christ1 ever leading us on by fresh revelations1 and ever leaving the impression that there are unfathomable depths and inaccessible heights yet to be discovered4 ,oh that ,christ would1 exclaimed the saintly ,rutherford1 arrest and comprise my love and my heart for all4 ,i am a bankrupt who have no more free goods in the world for ,christ1 save that it is both the whole heritage ,i have1 and all my moveables besides4 ,lord1 give the thirsty man a drink4 ,oh to be over ears in the well6 ,oh to be swimming over head and ears in ,christ's love6 ,i would not have ,christ's love entering in me1 but ,i would enter into it1 and be swallowed up of that love4 ,but ,i see not myself here1 for ,i fear ,i make more of ,his love than of ,himself1 whereas ,he ,himself is far beyond and much better than ,his love4 ,oh1 if ,i had my sinful arms filled with that lovely one ,christ6 ,blessed be my rich ,lord ,jesus1 who sendeth not away beggars from ,his house with an empty dish4 ,he filleth the vessel of such as will come and seek4 ,we might beg ourselves rich1 if we were wise1 if we would but hold out our withered hands to ,christ1 and learn to seek1 ask1 and knock4 ,the highest conceptions of the love of ,christ are realised by the soul that prays4 ,,iii4 ,for the attainment of the most complete endowment of the ,divine fulness4--,that you might be filled with all the fulness of ,god 7ver4 #ai74 ,the prayer asks that man may gain the sum-total of ,god's gifts1 be filled in every capacity of his nature with the whole plenitude 7the 7 of ,god4 ,to reach this glorious result1 we need1 indeed1 special spiritual strengthening4 ,new wine bursts old bottles2 and a large and sudden inflow of ,divine grace would be disastrous to the soul unprepared to receive it4 ,what is wanted is strength--strength of the highest and purest kind4 ,muscular strength--a magnificent healthy physique--is a great gift2 but it is one of our lowest endowments1 and its abuse sinks us to a worse than brutish sensuality4 ,intellectual strength is a still higher gift1 and if rightly used will lift us into a loftier world of wonders1 of beauty1 of purity and joy2 but if abused will drag us down to the base level of the vapouring1 scoffing sceptic1 whose attempts to glorify error are instigated by a savage but utterly powerless hatred of truth4 ,spiritual strength is the highest gift of all4 ,it is the motive-power that gives movement and direction to thought and action4 ,without it man is the plaything and victim of unrestrained passions4 ,a short time ago ,i inspected one of the finest ocean-going steamships1 a marvellous combination of strength and elegance4 ,everything seemed as perfect as engineering science could make it4 ,but there was something wanting2 it was a fatal defect4 ,the giant shaft and powerful screw1 the triple expansion cylinders1 the cranks1 pistons1 and wheels were all there1 but the noble vessel was useless1 heaving helplessly on the rolling tide4 ,the fires were out1 and the active driving-power was lacking4 ,what steam is to that great floating mass of complicated mechanism1 giving it life1 movement1 direction1 purpose--that spiritual strength is to our mental and physical organism4 ,to receive the fulness of indwelling ,deity the soul must be strengthened with spiritual strength4 ,we cannot pray too earnestly for this4 ,,iv4 ,uttered with a reverential recognition of the great ,giver of all blessing4--#a4 ,beginning with the submissive awe of a humble suppliant4 ,for this cause ,i bow my knees unto the ,father1 etc4 7vers4 #ad1 #ae74 ,the apostle is overwhelmed with the contemplation of the rich blessings stored up for man in ,christ ,jesus1 and prostrates himself with lowly homage in the conscious presence of the great ,donor of all spiritual good4 ,nothing humbles us more than a sight of the blessings possible of attainment by the greatest sinner4 #b4 ,ending with an outburst of triumphant praise 7vers4 #bj1 #ba74--,praise soars higher than prayer4 ,man's desires will never overtake ,god's bounty4 ,when the apostle desires that ,god's praise may resound in the ,church throughout all ages1 he no longer supposes that the mystery of ,god may be finished speedily as men count years4 ,the history of mankind stretches before his gaze into its dim futurity4 ,the successive generations gather themselves into that consummate age of the kingdom of ,god1 the grand cycle in which all the ages are contained4 ,with its completion time itself is no more4 ,its swelling current1 laden with the tribute of all the worlds and all their histories1 reaches the eternal ocean4 ,the end comes2 ,god is all in all4 ,at this furthest horizon of thought1 ,christ and ,his own are seen together rendering to ,god unceasing glory 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,prayer is the cry of conscious need4 #b4 ,increases in importunity as it is strengthened by faith4 #c4 ,finds its sublimest themes in the culture of the spiritual life4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ad1 #ae4 ,the ,christian ,church a ,family4 ,i4 ,the definition here given of the ,christian ,church4--#a4 ,a society founded upon natural affinities--a family4 ,a family is built on affinities which are natural1 not artificial2 it is not a combination1 but a society4 ,in ancient times an association of interest combined men in one guild or corporation for protecting the common persons in that corporation from oppression4 ,in modern times identity of political creed or opinion has bound men together in one league in order to establish those political principles which appeared to them of importance4 ,similarity of taste has united men together in what is called an association1 or a society1 in order by this means to attain more completely the ends of that science to which they had devoted themselves4 ,but1 as these have been raised artificially1 so their end is1 inevitably1 dissolution4 ,society passes on1 and guilds and corporations die2 principles are established1 and leagues become dissolved2 tastes change1 and then the association or society breaks up and comes to nothing4 ,it is upon another principle altogether that that which we call a family1 or true society1 is formed4 ,it is not built upon similarity of taste nor identity of opinion1 but upon affinities of nature4 ,you do not choose who shall be your brother2 you cannot exclude your mother or your sister2 it does not depend upon choice or arbitrary opinion at all1 but is founded upon the eternal nature of things4 ,and precisely in the same way is the ,christian ,church formed--upon natural affinity1 and not upon artificial combination4 #b4 ,the ,church of ,christ is a whole made up of manifold diversities4--,we are told here it is the whole family1 taking into it the great and good of ages past now in heaven1 and also the struggling1 the humble1 and the weak now existing upon earth4 ,here1 again1 the analogy holds good between the ,church and the family4 ,never more than in the family is the true entirety of our nature seen4 ,observe how all the diversities of human condition and character manifest themselves in the family4 ,first of all1 there are the two opposite pales of masculine and feminine1 which contain within them the entire of our humanity2 which together1 not separately1 make up the whole of man4 ,then there are the diversities in the degrees and kinds of affection4 ,for1 when we speak of family affection1 we must remember that it is made up of many diversities4 ,there is nothing more different than the love which the sister bears towards the brother1 compared with that which the brother bears towards the sister4 ,the affection which a man bears towards his father is quite distinct from that which he feels towards his mother2 it is something quite different towards his sister2 totally diverse1 again1 towards his brother4 ,and then there are diversities of character4 ,first1 the mature wisdom and stern integrity of the father1 then the exuberant tenderness of the mother4 ,and then one is brave and enthusiastic1 another thoughtful1 and another tender4 ,one is remarkable for being full of rich humour2 another is sad1 mournful1 even melancholy4 ,again1 besides these1 there are diversities of condition in life4 ,first1 there is the heir1 sustaining the name and honour of the family2 then perchance the soldier1 in whose career all the anxiety and solicitude of the family is centred2 then the man of business1 to whom they look up1 trusting his advice1 expecting his counsel2 lastly1 perhaps1 there is the invalid1 from the very cradle trembling between life and death1 drawing out all the sympathies and anxieties of each member of the family1 and so uniting them all more closely1 from their having one common point of sympathy and solicitude4 ,now1 you will observe that these are not accidental1 but absolutely essential to the idea of a family2 for so far as any one of them is lost1 so far the family is incomplete4 ,and precisely in the same way all these diversities of character and condition are necessary to constitute and complete the idea of a ,christian ,church4 #c4 ,the ,church of ,christ is a society which is for ever shifting its locality and altering its forms4--,it is the whole ,church1 the whole family in heaven and earth4 ,so1 then1 those who were on earth and now in heaven are members of the same family still4 ,those who had their home here1 now have it there4 ,the ,church of ,christ is a society ever altering and changing its external forms4 ,the whole family--the ,church of the patriarchs and of ages before them2 and yet the same family4 ,remember1 ,i pray you1 the diversities of form through which1 in so many ages and generations1 this ,church has passed4 ,consider the difference there was between the patriarchal ,church of the time of ,abraham and ,isaac and its condition under ,david2 or the difference between the ,church so existing and its state in the days of the apostles and the marvellous difference between that and the same ,church four of five centuries later2 or1 once again1 the difference between that1 externally one1 and the ,church as it exists in the present day1 broken into so many fragments4 ,yet1 diversified as these states may be1 they are not more so than the various stages of a family4 ,,ii4 ,consider the name by which this ,church is named4--,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the apostle says1 of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named4 #a4 ,first1 the recognition of a common ,father4--,that is the sacred truth proclaimed by the ,epiphany4 ,god revealed in ,christ--not the ,father of the ,jew only1 but also of the ,gentile4 ,the ,father of a whole family4 ,not the partial ,father1 loving one alone--the elder--but the younger son besides1 the outcast prodigal who had spent his living with harlots and sinners1 but the child still1 and the child of a ,father's love4 #b4 ,the recognition of a common humanity4--,he from whom the ,church is named took upon ,him not the nature merely of the noble1 of kings1 or of the intellectual philosopher1 but of the beggar1 the slave1 the outcast1 the infidel1 the sinner1 and the nature of every one struggling in various ways4 #c4 ,the ,church of ,christ proceeds out of and rests upon the belief in a common ,sacrifice4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,the ,family in ,heaven and ,earth4--,with the boldness of a true and inspired nature the apostle ,paul speaks with incidental ease of one family distributed between heaven and earth4 ,there is1 it seems1 domesticity that cannot be absorbed by the interval between two spheres of being--a love that cannot be lost amidst the immensity1 but finds the surest track across the void--a home affinity that penetrates the skies1 and enters as the morning or evening guest4 ,and it is ,jesus of ,nazareth who has effected this2 has entered under the same household name1 and formed into the same class1 the dwellers above and those beneath4 ,spirits there1 and spirits here1 are gathered by ,him into one group2 and where before was saddest exile1 ,he has made a blest fraternity4 ,i4 ,members of the same home cannot dwell together1 without either the memory or the expectation or some mutual and mortal farewell4--,all we who dwell in this visible scene can think of kindred souls that have vanished from us into the invisible4 ,these1 in the first place1 does ,jesus keep dwelling near our hearts2 making still one family of those in heaven and those on earth4 ,this ,he would do1 if by no other means1 by the prospect ,he has opened1 of actual restoration4 ,and since the grave can bury no affection now1 but only the mortal and familiar shape of their object1 death has changed its whole aspect and relation to us2 and we may regard it1 not with passionate hate1 but with quiet reverence4 ,it is a ,divine message from above1 not an invasion from the abyss beneath2 not the fiendish hand of darkness thrust up to clutch our gladness enviously away1 but a rainbow gleam that descends through ,jesus1 without which we should not know the various beauties that are woven into the pure light of life4 ,once let the ,christian promise be taken to the heart1 and as we walk through the solemn forest of our existence1 every leaf of love that falls1 while it proclaims the winter near1 lets in another patch of ,god's sunshine to paint the glade beneath our feet and give a glory to the grass4 ,tell me that ,i shall stand face to face with the sainted dead2 and1 whenever it may be1 shall ,i not desire to be ready1 and to meet them with clear eye and spirit unabashed8 ,such and so much encouragement would ,christianity give to the faithful conversation of all true affections1 if it only assured us of some distant and undefinable restoration4 ,but it appears to me to assure us of much more than this2 to discountenance the idea of any1 even the most temporary1 extinction of life in the grave2 and to sanction our faith in the absolute immortality of the mind4 ,rightly understood1 it teaches not only that the departed will live1 but that they do live1 and indeed have never died1 but simply vanished and passed away4 ,,ii4 ,but it is not merely the members of the same literal home that ,christ unites in one1 whether in earth or heaven4 ,he makes the good of every age into a glorious family of the children of ,god2 and inspires them with a fellow-feeling1 whatever the department of service which they fill4 ,keeping us ever in the mental presence of the ,divinest wisdom and in veneration of a perfect goodness1 it accustoms us to the aspect of every grace that can adorn and consecrate our nature2 trains our perceptions instantly to recognise its influence or to feel its want4 ,it looks with an eye of full and clear affection over the wide circle of human excellence4 ,such hope tends to give us a prompt and large congeniality with them2 to cherish the healthful affections which are domestic in every place and obsolete in no time2 to prepare us for entering any new scene1 and joining any new society where goodness1 truth1 and beauty dwell4--,martineau4 ,the ,christian ,brotherhood of ,man4--,the brotherhood of man has been the dream of old philosophers1 and its attainment the endeavour of modern reformers4 ,man can only reach his highest life when he forms part of a society bound together by common sympathies and common aims1 for by a great law of our nature it is true that he who lives utterly apart from his fellows must lose all true nobleness in selfish degradation4 ,there is no real progress for the individual but through social sympathy4 ,there is no strong and enduring aspiration but in the fellowship of aspiring souls4 ,that conviction which men have so strongly felt and so vainly endeavoured to realise is perpetually asserted in the ,book of ,god4 ,i4 ,the brotherhood of man in ,christ4--#a4 ,the ,christian brotherhood is a unity of spirit under a diversity of form4 ,thus with the ,church of the first century4 ,at first it was one band of brotherhood2 but as it grew and individual thought expanded and experience deepened there arose infinite diversities4 ,the more men think and the more they grow1 the more will they differ4 #b4 ,there are spiritual ties in action which in ,christ bind man to man4--,paul's words imply a threefold unity4 #a4 ,the fellowship of devotion to a common ,father4 #b4 ,the fellowship with ,christ our common ,brother4 #c4 ,that fellowship is unbroken by the change of worlds4 ,,ii4 ,results of realising this fact of brotherhood4--#a4 ,earnestness of life4 #b4 ,power and grandeur of hope4--,some complain that their ideas of heaven are vague and ineffective4 ,only realise the brotherhood of man1 and then the hope of the future will become a power in life4--,e4 ,l4 ,hull4 ,the ,one ,family4--#a4 ,believers on earth and saints and angels in heaven spring from the same common parent4 #b4 ,are governed by the same general laws4 #c4 ,share in the same pleasures and enjoyments4 #d4 ,have the same general temper1 the same distinguishing complexion4 #e4 ,have one common interest4 #f4 ,look to1 rely upon1 and are guided by the same ,head4 #g4 ,are all objects of ,god's love4 #h4 ,at the last day will meet in ,god's presence1 be openly acknowledged as ,his children1 and admitted to dwell in ,his house for ever4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,if we estimate the dignity of men from the families with which they are connected1 how honourable is the believer6 #b4 ,we see our obligations to mutual condescension1 peaceableness1 and love4 #c4 ,let those who are not of this family be solicitous to obtain a place in it4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #af-ai4 ,paul's ,prayer for the ,ephesians4 ,i4 ,for spiritual strength4--,it was not bodily strength1 civil power1 or worldly distinction2 it was the grace of fortitude and patience4 ,,ii4 ,for an indwelling ,christ4--,as we become united to ,christ by faith1 so by faith ,he dwells in our hearts4 ,,iii4 ,for establishment in love4--,true love is rooted in the heart4 ,it is a spiritual affection towards ,christ4 ,its fruits are love to men1 imitation of ,christ's example1 obedience to ,his commands1 zeal for ,his honour1 and diligence in ,his service4 ,,iv4 ,for increase of knowledge in the love of ,christ4--,the love of ,christ passeth all known examples of love4 ,this love passeth our comprehension in respect of its breadth or extent1 its length1 its depth1 as the benefits it has procured exceed all human estimate4 ,though the love of ,christ passeth knowledge1 there is a sense in which it is known to the saints4 ,they have an experimental knowledge1 an influential knowledge1 an assimilating knowledge of the love of ,christ4 ,v4 ,for the fulness of ,god4--,that they may have such a supply of ,divine influence as would cause them to abound in knowledge1 faith1 love1 and all virtues and good works4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,love of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the love of ,christ passeth knowledge4--#a4 ,he ,himself furnishes an illustrative instance when ,paul says1 ,for scarcely for a righteous man will one die--a merely just and righteous man would be admired2 but he would not so take hold of the heart of another to produce a willingness to die for him2--yet peradventure1 in some rare case1 for a good man1 a man of benevolence1 adorned with the softer virtues and abounding in the distribution of his favours--for such a one some might even dare to die2 some one1 overcoming even the love of life in the fulness of his gratitude1 might venture to give his own life to preserve that of such a one4 ,but we were neither just nor good2 we were sinners1 and ,god commendeth ,his love toward us1 in that while we were yet sinners ,christ died for us4 ,passes it not1 then1 all knowledge1 all reasonable conception and probability1 that this fallen nature should be so sympathised with that these flagrant rebellions should excite1 not an inexorable anger1 but pity and love8 ,and such love that our ,saviour--looking not so much on man as offending1 but as ,his creature1 and as ,his creature still capable of restoration--should melt in compassion and die to effect his redemption2 this is indeed love that passeth knowledge4 #b4 ,the manner in which this love is manifested carries the principle beyond all conception and expression4--,it was love to the death4 ,it was death for sinners1 death in their stead2 death1 that the penal claims of law1 and that law the unchangeable1 unrelaxable law of ,god1 might be fully satisfied4 ,the redemption price was fixed by a spotless justice1 and the love of ,christ to the sinner was to be tested by the vastness of the claims to be made upon ,him4 ,but the wages of sin is death2 and ,his love shrank not from the full and awful satisfaction required4 ,it was death in our stead4 ,then it must be attended with anxious forebodings4 ,of what mysteries have ,i suggested the recollection to you8 ,can you comprehend them8 ,that feeling with which ,he spoke of the baptism of blood8 ,that last mysterious agony8 ,that complaint of being forsaken of ,god8 ,you feel you cannot4 ,they transcend all your thought2 and the love which made ,him stoop to them is therefore love which passeth knowledge4 #c4 ,the love of ,christ passeth knowledge if we consider it as illustrated by that care for us which signalises ,his administration4 #d4 ,the subject is further illustrated by the nature of the blessings which result to men from the love of ,christ4--,we usually estimate the strength of love by the blessings it conveys or1 at any rate1 would convey4 ,and if the benefits be beyond all estimate1 neither can we measure the love4 #e4 ,the love of ,christ passeth knowledge because it is the love of an infinite nature4 ,love rises with the other qualities and perfections of the being in whom it is found4 ,among animals the social attachments are slight1 and the instinctive affection dies away when its purposes are answered4 ,in man love arises with his intellect4 ,in him it is often only limited by his nature1 and when rightly directed shall be eternal4 ,many that love on earth shall doubtless love for ever4 ,were ,christ merely a man ,his love could not pass knowledge4 ,what man has felt man can conceive4 ,love can be measured by the nature which exercises it4 ,but this love passeth all knowledge but that of the ,divine nature1 because itself is ,divine4 ,christ is ,god1 and he who would fully know ,his love must be able to span immensity and to grasp the ,infinite ,himself4 ,,ii4 ,but while it is true that the love of ,christ passeth all knowledge1 it is equally true that it is to be known by us4--,to know the love of ,christ is3 #a4 ,to recognise it in its various forms and expressions in our constant meditations4 ,and where shall we turn and not be met by this1 to us1 most important subject8 ,how delightful an occupation1 to track all the streams of mercy up to their source4 ,we are surrounded by the proof of the love of ,christ4 ,let us see to it that the blinding veil be not on our heart1 that our eyes be not holden that we should not know ,him4 ,we are called to know the love of ,christ4 ,let us accustom ourselves to reflect upon it1 to see it in its various forms and results2 and then shall our meditation of ,him be sweet4 #b4 ,to know the love of ,christ is to perceive it in its adaptation to our own personal condition4 #c4 ,to know the love of ,christ is to experience it in its practical results4 ,he offers you pardon1 and the offer is a proof and manifestation of ,his love2 but properly to know it pardon itself must be accepted and embraced4 ,this is to know his love4 ,seek it1 and you must find it4 ,rest without it1 and you are but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal4 #d4 ,to know the love of ,christ we must put forth those efforts through which that love is appointed to express itself in our daily experience4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the rejection of love1 especially of redeeming love1 involves the deepest guilt4 #b4 ,remember that the grace is common to you all4--,r4 ,watson4 ,the ,unknown and ,known ,love of ,christ4 ,i4 ,there are some respects in which the love of ,christ passeth our knowledge4--#a4 ,in its objects2 so unworthy and degraded4 #b4 ,in its sufferings2 love to the death4 #c4 ,in its care4 #d4 ,in its blessings4 #e4 ,in its degree4 ,it is the love of an infinite nature4 ,,ii4 ,there are some respects in which the love of ,christ may be known4--#a4 ,our views of it may be clearer and more consistent4 #b4 ,our views of it may be more confidential and appropriating4 #c4 ,our views of it may be more impressive and more influential4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,transcendent ,love of ,christ4 ,i4 ,this representation must be confirmed4--#a4 ,this love is ,divine4 #b4 ,consider the objects it embraced4 #c4 ,the means by which it manifested itself4 #d4 ,the blessings it secured4 ,,ii4 ,the perception the ,christian may acquire of this love1 notwithstanding its ,divine infinitude4--#a4 ,it is the great interpreting principle which he applies to all the tremendous facts of redemption4 #b4 ,the sacred element and incentive of all piety--the theme of contemplation1 the ground of confidence1 the motive of obedience4 #c4 ,the impulse and model of all benevolence and zeal4 ,,iii4 ,conclusions from a review of the subject4--#a4 ,it is only natural to expect a transcendent character in ,christianity4 #b4 ,no better test exists of what is genuine ,christianity than the level of the views which it exhibits concerning the person and work of ,christ and the tone of the affections which it encourages towards ,him4 #c4 ,there is much of implicit as well as declarative evidence in support of the ,saviour's supreme ,divinity4 #d4 ,how necessary is it that we should live habitually under the influence of this transcendent love4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,vers4 #bj1 #ba4 ,a ,devout ,doxology4 ,i4 ,the acknowledgment the apostle makes of ,god's all-sufficiency4--#a4 ,god often does for men those favours which they never thought of asking for themselves4 #b4 ,god answers prayers in ways we think not of4 #c4 ,the mercies ,god is pleased to grant often produce consequences far beyond what we asked or thought4 #d4 ,the worth of the blessings we ask and ,god bestows infinitely exceeds all our thought4 ,,ii4 ,the ascription of glory the apostle makes to this all-sufficient ,god4--#a4 ,god is glorified by the increase of his ,church4 #b4 ,god is glorified in the ,church when a devout regard is paid to the ordinances ,he has instituted4 #c4 ,by the observance of good order in the ,church1 and by the decent attendance of the members on their respective duties4 #d4 ,that ,god may be glorified there must be peace and unity in the ,church4--,lathrop4 ,god's ,infinite ,liberality4 ,i4 ,the object of this doxology4--,the ,god of all grace4 ,whatever we think we ask4 ,no limit to our asking but our thinking4 ,god gives beyond our thinking4 ,here1 take all this6 ,ah1 poor thing1 that transcends thine asking and even thy thinking1 but take it4 ,if it transcend all communicated power of mind1 ,i say1 ,i thank ,thee1 my ,god1 for it4 ,i know it is exceeding good1 but ,i cannot understand it4 ,keep it among ,thy treasures4 ,my blessedness rests not in my intellect1 but in ,thy favour4 ,remember ,thou hast given it me4 ,it may come ,i shall be able to understand it better and appreciate it more4 ,i shall never have asked too much1 ,i shall never have thought too much1 till ,i have asked beyond ,god's ability1 till ,i have thought beyond ,god's ability4 ,that ability is not a bare abstraction of the omnipotence of ,god1 but it is the omnipotence of ,god as working in the ,church and in the people of ,god4 ,he is not omnipotent in heaven1 and impotent in thee1 or partially powerful in thee4 ,,ii4 ,the doxology itself 7ver4 #ba74--;,all should glorify ,god1 but all will not4 ,in the ,church alone will ,god get glory4 ,it is as the name of ,christ is glorified in us that we are glorified in ,him4 ,it is when the glory that ,god reflects on the creature is by the creature ascribed as due only to ,god when ,he is glorified as the ,author of it1 transcendently and infinitely glorious1 it is then that the glory rests4 ,when it is appropriated it is lost1 but it is possessed when it is tossed back and fro between ,god and the creature4 ,when the creature gives it to ,god1 ,god of ,his rich grace sends it back in greater measure2 but the humble creature1 emulous of ,god's glory1 sends it all back again to ,him1 and as it reciprocates so it increases4 ,god gives not to end by enriching us--that is an immediate end2 but the ultimate end is that ,he may be glorified4 ,be ashamed to get little--get all things4 ,get out of your poverty1 not by fancying you are rich1 but by coming and getting4 ,the more you get always give glory1 and come and ask and receive4--,dr4 ,john ,duncan4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,walk worthy of the vocation4--,they had been called to life in the ,spirit1 and they must also walk in the ,spirit4 ,ver4 #b4 ,with all lowliness4--,the ,christian--born from above--is to exhibit a trait of character with the high-born ,greek despised1 and which ,heine in modern times called a hound's virtue4 ,the pride that apes humility steals in under ,chrysostom's description of this lowliness4 ,he says1 ,it is a making of ourselves small when we are great4 ,and meekness4--,a grace in advance of 'lowliness1' not as more precious than it1 but as presupposing it1 and as being unable to exist without it 7,trench74 ,with longsuffering4--,the exact opposite of our short-tempered--e4g4 ,is the ,spirit of the ,lord straitened8 means ,has the ,lord become irritable8 7,mic4 ii4 #g74 ,the word suggests to men by nature irascible that slowness to wrath recommended by ,st4 ,james4 ,forbearing one another in love4--,the brother who is tempted to anger is not to look down from the height of a lofty pride on those who try his patience1 but in compassionate love1 remembering his own frailty1 must suffer long and be kind4 ,ver4 #c4 ,endeavouring to keep the unity of the ,sprit in the bond of peace4--,it is no easy-going indifference that is inculcated2 they will have to exert themselves1 give diligence 7,r4,v471 before that peace obtains which is the harmonious and frictionless working of each part of the machine4 ,vers4 #d-f4 ,one body 4 4 4 and in you all4--,seven elements of unity ,st4 ,paul enumerates4 4 4 4 ,they form a chain stretching from the ,church on earth to the throne and being of the universal ,father in heaven 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #g4 ,but unto every one of us is given grace4--,the distributing ,spirit 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #aa7 leaves no humblest member of the body of ,christ without ,his endowment4 ,ver4 #h4 ,wherefore ,he saith4--,what follows is a quotation of ,ps4 lxviii4 #ah with free alteration 7,meyer71 adapting the return of the hero-king to his own city to that most magnificent of all triumphs--over ,hades and ,death--achieved by ,him who was dead and is alive for evermore4 ,being by the right hand of ,god exalted ,he hath poured forth this abundance1 as a conqueror scatters his largesse4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,now that ,he ascended 4 4 4 that ,he might fill all things4--,the exaltation1 in ,his case1 presupposed the humiliation4 ,from the throne of the universe--the glory which ,he had with the ,father--to the profoundest depths where any poor lost piece of humanity that is redeemable can be found1 and thence again to the throne ,he relinquished4 ,the same also4--,exalted1 to be confidingly and adoringly loved2 humbled1 to be worshipped no less as the ,son of man who is in heaven4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,and ,he gave some to be1 etc4--,christ gave the persons1 and the community gave to them the service 7,meyer74 ,apostles 4 4 4 prophets 4 4 4 evangelists4--,we cannot accept the order as significant of rank4 ,it would grace an angel to be the evangelist of such a salvation4 ,as apostles they went forth sent by their ,master to men in their need2 as prophets they spoke out what ,he had taught them2 as evangelists they were the messengers of good tidings4 ,they were apostles that they might be evangelists 7,matt x4 #e-g71 going about heralding the kingdom and gathering men into it4 ,pastors and teachers4--,shepherds and instructors of those gathered together by men of another order4 ,these are the true bishops1 whatever other name they bear 7#a ,pet4 v4 #a-d74 ,ver4 #ab4 ,for the perfecting of the saints4--,saints1 whilst a title of the highest honour1 is often expressive of the ideal rather than the real life of those who bear it2 the perfecting is the rendering into actual life of what is implied in the term of honour4 ,for the work of the ministry4--,r4,v4 into the work4 ,if the end of all ,christ's gifts so far as the saints are concerned is their perfect equipment1 so far as ,his messengers are concerned they go forth unto service first1 honour afterwards4 ,for the edifying of the body of ,christ4--,practically the same as the foregoing1 but with an ultimate reference to ,christ4 ,the double figure of a building and of a body is familiar to our own speech1 as when we speak of building up a strong frame4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,till we all come4--,suggestive of standing opposite to something towards which we have been toiling4 ,can one think without a tremor of joy1 of the moment when he will find himself in perfect correspondence with the ,divine ,archetype8 ,in the unity of the faith4--,the world has seen many attempts to bring about uniformity of creed1 after the manner of ,procrustes1 by stretching or chopping4 ,the unity of the faith is a very different thing1 and much to be desired4 ,the knowledge of the ,son of ,god4--,lit4 the complete knowledge4 ,unto a full-grown man4--,as above intimated1 a child does not become a man by means of the rack4 ,the significance of the word man here is as great as when we bid some one who has lost his self-respect to be a man4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,that we henceforth be no more children4--,in what respects his readers are not to be children the apostle makes plain1 viz4 in helplessness and credulity4 ,tossed to and fro4--,with no more power of resistance than a cork on the waves4 ,by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness4--,as some poor simpleton1 who thinks himself capable1 falls a victim to card-sharpers1 so unstable souls fall victims to those who say with ,falstaff1 ,if the young dace be a bite for the old pike1 ,i see no reason in the law of nature but ,i may snap at him4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,but speaking the truth in love4--,if it be possible to make the medicine palatable without destroying its efficacy--to capsule the bitter pill--its chances are so much the greater of doing good4 ,the ,a4,v4 margin gives being sincere1 and the ,r4,v4 dealing truly1 the different renderings indicating the difficulty of finding an ,english equivalent4 ,ver4 #af4 ,fitly joined together and compacted4--,r4,v4 fitly framed and knit together4 ,bengel suggests that the first expression means the fitting together1 and the second the fastening together4 ,meyer1 denying this1 says the distinction is that the former corresponds to the figure1 the latter to the thing represented4 ,the grammar1 like the physiology1 of this verse is difficult4 ,are we to read1 ,the whole body 4 4 4 maketh increase of the body8 ,apparently we must1 for the body builds itself up in love4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,that ye henceforth walk not as other ,gentiles walk4--,in this and the two following verses we have again the lurid picture of ch4 ii4 #b1 #c3 in the vanity of their mind4 ,the creature is their sole delight1 ,their happiness the things of earth4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,having the understanding darkened4--,remembering our ,lord's saying about the single eye and the fully illuminated body we might say1 ,if the understanding--by which all light should come--be darkened 'how great is that darkness'6 ,because of the blindness4--,r4,v4 hardness4 ,the word describes the hard skin formed by constant rubbing1 as the horny hand of a blacksmith4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,who being past feeling4--,having lost the ache which should always attend a violation of law4 ,an ancient commentator uses the now familiar word ansthetes to explain the phrase4 ,having given themselves over4--,given represents a word which often connotes an act of treason--and themselves is emphatic--the most tremendous sacrifice ever laid on the altar of sin 7,beet74 ,to lasciviousness4--,st4 ,paul stamps upon it the burning word like a brand on the harlot's brow 7,findlay74 ,to work all uncleanness with greediness4--,r4,v4 margin1 to make a trade of all uncleanness with covetousness4 ,their sins not accidental1 but a trade2 and a trade at which they work with a desire of having more4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,no not so4--,as differently as possible4 ,the same mode of speech which led ,st4 ,paul to say to the ,galatians1 ,shall ,i praise you8 4 4 4 ,i praise you not4--i4e4 ,i blame you highly4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,if so be that ye have heard ,him4--,the emphasis is on ,him--assuming1 that is1 that it is ,he1 and no other4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,that ye put off concerning the former conversation4--,it is no philosophy of clothes inculcated here4 ,it is a deliverance from the body of death1 like stripping oneself of his very integument4 ,conversation4--,r4,v4 manner of life4 ,which is corrupt4--,r4,v4 much more strikingly--waxeth corrupt4 ,st4 ,paul's figure elsewhere is appropriate--like a gangrene eating into the flesh4 ,vers4 #bc1 #bd4 ,the stripping off being complete1 and the innermost core of the man being renewed1 the investiture may begin4 ,the habit laid aside is never to be resumed1 and the new robes1 ever white1 are not to be soiled4 ,righteousness and true holiness4--,r4,v4 ,righteousness and holiness of truth4 ,see the dealing truly of ver4 #ae1 ,r4,v4 margin4 ,ver4 #be4 ,putting away lying4--,findlay holds to it that the lie1 the falsehood1 is objective and concrete2 not lying1 or falsehood as a subjective act1 habit1 or quality4 ,members one of another4--,let there be no schism in the body4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,let not the sun go down on your wrath4--,the word for wrath is not the usual one4 ,it almost seems as if the compound form had reference to the matter alongside which wrath was evoked4 ,if curfew could ring out the fires of wrath at sundown1 we might welcome the knell4 ,meyer quotes the ,pythagorean custom of making up a quarrel by the parties shaking hands before sunset4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,let him that stole steal no more4--,though we have not here the word for brigand1 we may think that the thieving had not always been without violence4 ,that he may have to give4--,not the profits of wickedness1 but the good results of his own labour1 and may give it to the needy with cheerfulness 7,rom4 xii4 #h71 with a hilarity beyond that of those who divide the spoil 7,isa4 ix4 #c74 ,ver4 #bi4 ,let no corrupt communication4--,r4,v4 speech4 ,putrid speech can never come forth from any but a bad person1 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4 ,but that which is good to the use of edifying4--,the word in season fitly spoken has an sthetic charm 7,prov4 xxv4 #aa71 but it was more necessary to teach these loquacious ,asiatics the utilitarian end of having a human tongue4 ,it is the mere talk1 whether frivolous or pompous--spoken from the pulpit or the easy-chair--the incontinence of tongue1 the flux of senseless1 graceless1 unprofitable utterance that ,st4 ,paul desires to arrest 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #cj4 ,grieve not4--,do not make ,him sorrow4 ,a strong figure like that which says that ,god was sorry that ,he had made man 7,gen4 vi4 #f74 ,whereby ye are sealed4--,cf4 ch4 i4 #ac4 ,in whom ye were sealed 7,r4,v47 ,ver4 #ca4 ,let all bitterness4--i4e4 of speech4 ,sarcasm ,i now see to be1 in general1 the language of the devil1 said one liberally endowed with it4 ,the satirist ,hipponax--a native of ,ephesus--was called the bitter4 ,such a man as speaks poniards1 and whose every word stabs1 may be brilliant and a formidable opponent2 he will never be loved4 ,wrath and anger4--,the former is the fuming anger1 the intoxication of the soul1 as ,st4 ,basil calls it2 the latter is the state after the paroxysm is over1 cherishing hatred and planning revenge4 ,clamour and railing4--,clamour is the loud outcry so familiar in an ,eastern concourse of excited people 7,acts xxiii4 #i71 like that hubbub in ,ephesus when for two hours the populace yelled1 ,great is ,diana of the ,ephesians 7,acts xix4 #bh74 ,railing1 blasphemy--speech that is calculated to do injury4 ,malice4--,badness4 ,this last term is separated from the others as generic and inclusive 7,beet74 ,ver4 #cb4 ,be ye kind4--,the word is found in ,christ's invitation to the weary--,my yoke is easy4 ,it is characteristic of the ,father that ,he is kind to the unthankful4 ,the man who drinks wine that is new and harsh says1 ,the old is good 7mellow74 ,tenderhearted4--,soon touched by the weakness of others4 ,forgiving 4 4 4 as ,god 4 4 4 forgave you4--,the motive and measure of our forgiveness of injuries is the ,divine forgiveness shown to all that debt of our wrong-doing 7,matt4 xviii4 #cb74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-c4 ,the ,dignity of the ,christian ,life-- ,i4 ,imposes the obligation to act in harmony with its lofty aims4--,walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called 7ver4 #a74 ,there is the practical1 stimulative influence of a high ideal4 ,the ,spirit within us has not only changed our nature and cleansed our spiritual vision1 but ,he has lifted our horizon1 formed within us distinct outlines of the ,christian ideal after which we are to labour1 and furnished us with the moral forces with which we are to attain the beauty and unity of a perfect spiritual character4 ,we who are created in ,god's image and restored in ,christ and made partakers of the ,divine nature in ,him1 are bound by condition of our creation and redemption to endeavour to be like ,him here that we may have the fruition of ,his glorious ,godhead hereafter4 ,the true ,christian cannot stoop to any meanness either in thought or action4 ,he is dignified without being proud4 ,,ii4 ,involves the practice of self-suppression4--#a4 ,in a just estimate of ourselves4 ,with all lowliness and meekness4 ,in endeavouring to balance the value and use of our powers and faculties1 and in measuring the degree and volume of our influence1 we must observe humility--not a cringing cowardly spirit which would deter us from the right for fear of doing wrong1 but an elevated sense of right with courage to perform it1 and with humility to acknowledge and confess when we are in the wrong4 ,it does not mean the craven surrender of our honest convictions and carefully formed judgment4 ,we may efface ourselves1 but not the truth within us4 ,an ,italian bishop being asked the secret of his habitual humility and patience replied1 ,it consists in nothing more than in making good use of my eyes4 ,in whatever state ,i am1 ,i first of all look up to heaven and remember that my principal business here is to get there4 ,i then look back down to earth and call to mind the space ,i shall shortly occupy in it4 ,i then look abroad into the world and observe what multitudes there are who in all respects have more cause to be unhappy than myself4 ,thus ,i learn where true happiness is placed1 where all our cares must end1 and how very little reason ,i have to repine or complain4 #b4 ,in a loving forbearance towards each other4--,with longsuffering1 forbearing one another in love 7ver4 #b74 ,the meek man may be severe with himself1 and his constant habit of self-suppression may render him somewhat impatient with the unreasonable outbreaks of temper in others4 ,meekness must be balanced and moderated with patience1 and both virtues exercised in the all-pervading element of love4 ,love softens every harshness1 tones down asperity1 and welds together the ,christian character in a firm but not too rigid a unity4 ,bind thyself to thy brother1 said ,chrysostom4 ,those who are bound together in love bear all burdens lightly4 ,bind thyself to him and him to thee4 ,both are in thy power2 for whomsoever ,i will1 ,i may easily make my friend4 ,,iii4 ,demands an earnest striving after a peaceful spiritual unity4--,endeavouring to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace 7ver4 #c74 ,peace--a silken cord binding into one the members of the ,church2 the encompassing element of the unity of the ,spirit 7,beet74 ,the apostle repeatedly and solemnly inculcates unity and peace on all the ,churches1 warns them against contentions and divisions1 and kindles into righteous indignation against all those insidious and false teachers who1 under the pretence of advocating a higher piety really disturb and rend the ,church of ,christ4 ,on what an enormous scale are preparations made for war6 ,we should not be less diligent and elaborate in taking every precaution in promoting and maintaining peace4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,true humility is always dignified4 #b4 ,personal happiness is not the highest aim of the ,christian life4 #c4 ,the noblest virtues of the ,christian character are not attained without earnest endeavour4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a-c4 ,true ,church ,life4--#a4 ,the word walk is a very extensive signification4 ,it includes all our inward and outward motions1 all our thoughts1 words1 and actions4 ,it takes in1 not only everything we do1 but everything we either speak or think4 #b4 ,we are called to walk1 first1 with all lowliness1 to have the mind in us which was also in ,christ ,jesus2 not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think2 to be little1 and poor1 and mean1 and vile in our own eyes2 to know ourselves as also we are known by ,him to whom all hearts are opened2 to be deeply sensible of our own unworthiness4 ,who can be duly sensible how much remains in him of his natural enmity to ,god1 or how far he is still alienated from ,god by the ignorance that is in him8 #c4 ,yea1 suppose ,god has now thoroughly cleaned our heart1 and scattered the last remains of sin2 yet how can we be sensible enough of our own helplessness1 our utter inability to all good1 unless we are every hour1 yea1 every moment1 endued with power from on high8 #d4 ,when our inmost soul is thoroughly tinctured therewith1 it remains that we be clothed with humility4 ,the word used by ,st4 ,peter seems to imply that we be covered with it as with a surtout2 that we be all humility1 both within and without2 tincturing all we think1 speak1 and do4 ,let all our actions spring from this fountain2 let all our words breathe this spirit2 that all men may know we have been with ,jesus1 and have learned of ,him to be lowly in heart4 #e4 ,and being taught of ,him who teacheth as never man taught1 to be meek as well as lowly in heart4 ,this implies not only a power over anger1 but over all violent1 turbulent passions4 ,it implies the having all our passions in due proportion2 none of them either too strong or too weak1 but all duly balanced with each other1 all subordinate to reason1 and reason directed by the ,spirit of ,god4 #f4 ,walk with all longsuffering4 ,this is nearly related to meekness1 but implies something more4 ,it carries on the victory already gained over all your turbulent passions1 notwithstanding all the powers of darkness1 all the assaults of evil men or evil spirits4 ,it is patiently triumphant over all opposition1 and unmoved though all the waves and storms thereof go over you4 #g4 ,the forbearing one another in love seems to mean1 not only the not resenting anything1 and the not avenging yourselves2 not only the not injuring1 hurting1 or grieving each other1 either by word or deed1 but also the bearing one another's burdens1 yea1 and lessening them by every means in our power4 ,it implies the sympathising with them in their sorrows1 afflictions1 and infirmities2 the bearing them up when1 without our help1 they would be liable to sink under their burdens4 #h4 ,lastly1 the true members of the ,church of ,christ endeavour1 with all possible diligence1 with all care and pains1 with unwearied patience1 to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace1 to preserve inviolate the same spirit of lowliness and meekness1 of longsuffering1 mutual forbearance1 and love2 and all these cemented and knit together by that sacred tie--the peace of ,god filling the heart4 ,thus only can we be and continue living members of that ,church which is the body of ,christ4 #i4 ,does it not clearly appear from this whole account why1 in the ancient creed commonly called the ,apostles'1 we term it the universal or catholic ,church1 the holy catholic ,church8 ,the ,church is called holy1 because it is holy1 because every member thereof is holy1 though in different degrees1 as ,he that called them is holy4 ,how clear this is6 ,if the ,church1 as to the very essence of it1 is a body of believers1 no man that is not a ,christian believer can be a member of it4 ,if this whole body be animated by one ,spirit1 and endued with one faith1 and one hope of their calling1 then he who has not that ,spirit and faith and hope is no member of this body4 ,it follows1 that not only no common swearer1 no ,sabbath-breaker1 no drunkard1 no whoremonger1 no thief1 no liar1 none that lives in any outward sin1 but none that is under the power of anger or pride1 no lover of the world--in a word1 none that is dead to ,god--can be a member of ,his ,church4--,wesley4 ,brotherly ,love in ,action4 ,i4 ,walk in lowliness4--,humble thoughts of ourselves1 of our own knowledge1 goodness1 and importance are necessary to ,christian peace and union4 ,we shall not despise our brethren for their want of the internal gifts or external advantages we enjoy4 ,we shall not lean to our own understanding2 but1 conscious of our liability to err1 we shall be attentive to instruction and reproof1 open to conviction1 ready to retrace our errors and confess our faults4 ,,ii4 ,walk in meekness--in a prudent restraint and government of the passions4 ,we shall not be easily provoked1 our resentments will not be sudden1 without cause or without bounds4 ,if a variance happens1 we shall stand ready to be reconciled4 ,we shall be cautious not to give1 and slow to take offence4 ,in matters of religion our zeal will be tempered with charity4 ,,iii4 ,to our meekness we must add longsuffering and forbearance4--,these terms express the patient and exalted exercise of meekness rather than virtues distinct from it4 ,we are not only to be meek1 but longsuffering in our meekness2 not only to restrain anger under ordinary offences1 but to suppress malice and forbear revenge under the most provoking injuries4 ,,iv4 ,we must endeavour to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4--,not unity of opinion--this is not possible1 nor reasonable to be expected1 in the present state of mankind2 but unity of spirit1 of heart and affection1 disposing us to preserve the bond of peace and maintain all the duties of ,christian fellowship1 whatever differences of sentiment take place4 ,to the same purpose are the apostle's exhortations to all the ,churches1 and especially to those in which diversity of opinion concerning ceremonial usages threatened their external peace4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #c4 ,peace the ,bond of ,unity4 ,i4 ,there is a union of the visible ,church and the members thereof among themselves1 and this is twofold3 the one necessary to the being of a ,church and being of a ,church member1 so that a ,church cannot be a ,church nor a man a member without it1 the tie of which is ,god's covenant with the visible ,church1 and the ,church's laying hold of it2 the other necessary to the well-being of the ,church1 which is entertained by unity in judgment1 in heart and affection1 by concurrences in purposes and actings4 ,,ii4 ,neither fair pretences for peace and union in the ,church1 nor seconded but contradicted by practice1 nor yet careless endeavours easily broken by difficulties1 will ,god accept as the duty required for preserving or restoring unity4--,there is no less called for than the utmost of our serious endeavours for that end1 so that we not only eschew what may give cause of rending1 but also be not easily provoked when it is given by others1 and when a rent is made spare no pains for having it removed1 and weary not under small appearances of success4 ,,iii4 ,whatever differences may fall out among the members of the ,church they are not to break the bond of peaceable walking one with another by factious sidings1 but ought to study unanimous and joint practice in those things wherein there is agreement2 and where this peaceable deportment is1 it tends to preserve what remains of spiritual unity and to regain what is already lost4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #d-f4 ,the ,sevenfold ,unity of the ,church reflected in the ,trinity of ,divine ,persons4 ,i4 ,one ,spirit 7ver4 #d71 the animating ,principle of the one body 7ver4 #d7--the ,church2 the ,source of its life and ever-watchful ,guardian of the ,church's unity2 the ,inspirer of the one hope1 ,even as ye are called in one hope of your calling 7ver4 #d74 ,where the ,spirit of ,christ dwells as a vitalising1 formative principle1 ,he finds or makes for ,himself a body4 ,let no man say1 ,i have the spirit of religion1 ,i can dispense with forms1 ,i need no fellowship with men1 ,i prefer to walk with ,god4 ,god will not walk with men who do not care to walk with ,his people4 ,the oneness of communion amongst the people of ,christ is governed by a unity of aim4 ,the old pagan world fell to pieces because it was without hope2 the golden age was in the past4 ,no society can endure that lives upon its memories1 or that contents itself with cherishing its privileges4 ,nothing holds men together like work and hope4 ,christianity holds out a splendid crown of life4 ,it promises our complete restoration to the image of ,god1 the redemption of the body with the spirit from death1 and our entrance upon an eternal fellowship with ,christ in heaven4 ,the ,christian hope supplies to men more truly and constantly than ,nature in her most exalted forms-- ,the anchor of their purest thoughts1 the nurse1 ,the guide1 the guardian of their heart1 and soul ,of all their moral being4 ,the hope of our calling is a hope for mankind1 nay1 for the entire universe4 ,we labour for the regeneration of humanity4 ,we look for the actual ingathering into one in ,christ of all things in all worlds1 as they are already gathered in ,god's eternal plan4 ,if it were merely a personal salvation that we had to seek1 ,christian communion might appear to be an optional thing and the ,church no more than a society for mutual spiritual benefit4 ,but seen in this larger light1 ,church membership is of the essence of our calling 7,findlay74 ,,ii4 ,one ,lord 7ver4 #e71 or ,master1 whom we are called to serve4 ,a consentaneous and harmonious obedience to ,his mandates blends ,his servants into one compact unity4 ,one faith 7ver4 #e71 one body of inviolable truth1 one code of ,divine commands1 one ,gospel of promise1 presenting one object of faith4 ,one baptism 7ver4 #e71 one gateway of entrance into the company of believers forming the one ,church1 one initiatory rite common to all4 ,christians may differ as to the mode of baptism and the age at which it should be administered1 but all agree it is an institution of ,christ1 a sign of spiritual renewal1 and a pledge of the righteousness that comes by faith4 ,wherever the sacraments are duly observed1 there the supremacy of ,christ's rule is recognised1 and this rule is the basis on which future unity must be built4 ,,iii4 ,one ,god1 the supreme and final unity1 who is the ,father of all1 who is above all1 and through all1 and in you all 7ver4 #f74 ,above all--,he reigns supreme over all ,his people 7,rom4 ix4 #e74 ,through all--informing1 inspiring1 stimulating1 and using them as instruments to work out ,his purpose 7,rom4 xi4 #cf74 ,in all--dwelling in and filling their hearts and the ever-widening circle of their experience4 ,the absolute sovereignty of the ,divine ,mind over the universe1 said ,channing1 is the only foundation of hope for the triumph of the human mind over matter1 over physical influences1 over imperfection and death4 ,with what a grand simplicity the ,christian conception of the one ,god and ,father rose above the vulgar pantheon1 the swarm of motley deities--some gay and wanton1 some dark and cruel1 some of supposed beneficence1 all infected with human passion and baseness--which filled the imagination of the ,grco-,asiatic pagans4 ,what rest there was for the mind1 what peace and freedom for the spirit1 in turning from such deities to the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ6 ,this was the very ,god whom the logic of ,greek thought and the practical instincts of ,roman law and empire blindly sought4 ,through ages ,he had revealed ,himself to the people of ,israel1 who were now dispersed amongst the nations to bear ,his light4 ,at last ,he declared ,his full name and purpose to the world through ,jesus ,christ4 ,so the gods many and lords many have had their day4 ,by ,his manifestation the idols are utterly abolished4 ,the proclamation of one ,god and ,father signifies the gathering of men into one family of ,god4 ,the one religion supplies the basis for one life in all the world4 ,god is over all1 gathering all worlds and beings under the shadow of ,his beneficent dominion4 ,he is through all and in all2 an omnipresence of love1 righteousness1 and wisdom1 actuating the powers of nature and of grace1 inhabiting the ,church and the heart of men 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,in the moral as in the material world there is diversity in unity and unity in diversity4 #b4 ,all phases of good find their consummation in an imperishable unity4 #c4 ,to disturb the balance of unity is a great evil4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #d-f4 ,the ,unity of the ,church4 ,i4 ,there is one body4--,the ,church is a body of which ,christ is the ,head1 and believers are the members4 ,though ,christians are formed into distinct societies1 they constitute but one body4 ,they are united to the ,head by faith and to their fellow-members by love4 ,,ii4 ,there is one ,spirit4--,as all members of the natural body are animated by one soul1 so all the members of ,christ's body are sanctified1 strengthened1 and led by the same ,spirit4 ,since there is one ,spirit which dwells in all ,christians1 all contention1 bitterness1 and envy1 all animosity1 division1 and separation in the ,church are offences against the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,there is one hope of our calling4--,we are all called by the same ,word1 our hope is grounded on the same promises1 the object of our hope is the same immortal life4 ,,iv4 ,there is one ,lord4--,christ is ,lord of all by the same right4 ,he has bought us with a high price1 redeemed us by ,his own blood4 ,there is no respect of persons with him4 ,we are called to the same service1 are under the same laws1 and must appear at the same judgment4 ,v4 ,there is one faith4--,the same ,gospel is the rule of our faith1 and this all ,christians profess to receive4 ,the faith of all true ,christians is essentially the same4 ,the object of it is the ,word of ,god1 the nature of it is receiving the love of the truth1 the effect of it is to purify the heart4 ,,vi4 ,there is one baptism4--,we are all baptised in the name of ,christ1 and ,he is not divided4 ,may differ as to the age at which persons become the subjects of baptism and the manner of administration1 but regarding the design of it we are one4 ,baptism intended not to divide1 but unite the whole ,christian world4 ,,vii4 ,there is one ,god and ,father4--,the ,father of the whole creation1 but in a more eminent sense the ,father of ,christians4 ,he is above all4 ,he reigns supreme4 ,he is through all4 ,his essence pervades our frame1 ,his eyes search and try our souls1 ,his influence preserves our spirits4 ,he is in all4 ,in all true ,christians by ,his ,spirit4 ,they are the temple of ,god1 and ,his ,spirit dwelleth in them4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #d4 ,the ,oneness of the ,church4--#a4 ,all the members of the ,church being one body is a strong argument enforcing the duty of keeping peace and unity2 it being no less absurd for ,christians to bite and devour one another than if the members of the selfsame natural body should tear and destroy one another4 #b4 ,as those in nature are in a hopeless state1 having no right to heaven and happiness1 so the ,gospel doth open to the person called a large door of well-grounded hope1 that1 whatever be his misery here1 he shall be perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of ,god for ever hereafter4 #c4 ,the joint aiming of the saints at one mark should make them of one mind and heart1 seeing there is that in glory which will suffice all4 ,their seeking of one thing need be no occasion of strife and emulation1 but rather of unity1 for why should they strive together who not only are brethren but also heirs together of the grace of life and shall one day reign together in glory8--,fergusson4 ,one ,body and ,one ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the unity or oneness of the ,church as set forth by the unity or oneness of the body4--,one life animates the whole4 ,the parts mutually subserve one another1 while the head thinks and the heart beats for all4 ,there is a certain harmony existing between all the members2 they constitute a symmetry among themselves1 so that one could not be taken away without destroying the perfection of all the others1 more or less marring the grace and beauty of the whole frame4 ,so the ,church is one--one mystical body--having one author1 ,god2 one ,head1 which is ,christ2 and one informing ,spirit1 the ,holy ,ghost2 one country towards which all its members are travelling1 heaven2 one code of instructions to guide them thither1 the ,word of ,god2 one and the same band of enemies seeking to bar their passage1 the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,despite all miserable divisions1 wherever there is a man with true love to ,god and man1 any true affiance on ,christ1 any true obedience to the ,spirit and ,his leadings1 there exists a member of this mystical body4 ,,ii4 ,as in the human body there is unity1 so there is also variety1 diversity1 multiplicity4--,this is true of the ,church of ,christ4 ,its different members have different functions and offices1 and in performing these the ,church makes equable and harmonious growth4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,as members of the same body1 let us not separate from brethren in ,christ4 #b4 ,if we are members one of another1 many are the debts as such we owe the one to the other4 7#a7 ,we owe one another truth4 7#b7 ,love one to another4 7#c7 ,honour one to another4--,r4 ,c4 ,trench4 ,ver4 #e4 ,one ,lord4 ,i4 ,christ is our ,lord according to every notion and acceptation of the word ,lord4--,he is our ,prince and ,governor1 we are ,his subjects and vassals2 ,he is our ,master1 and we are ,his servants2 ,he is our ,owner1 or the ,possessor and ,proprietary of us2 ,he is our ,preceptor or ,teacher2 that is1 the ,lord of our understanding1 which is subject to the belief of ,his dictates2 and the ,lord of our practice1 which is to be directed by ,his precepts4 ,he is therefore also our ,captain and ,leader1 whose orders we must observe1 whose conduct we should follow1 whose pattern we are to regard and imitate in all things4 ,,ii4 ,christ is also our ,lord according to every capacity or respect of nature or office that we can consider appertaining to ,him4--#a4 ,he is our ,lord as by nature the ,son of ,god1 partaking of the ,divine essence and perfection4 #b4 ,he is our ,lord as man1 by the voluntary appointment and free donation of ,god ,his ,father2 in regard to the excellency of ,his ,person1 and to the merit of ,his performances4 #c4 ,he also1 considered as ,god and man united in one ,person1 is plainly our ,lord4 #d4 ,if we are to consider ,him as ,jesus1 our ,saviour1 that notion doth involve acts of dominion1 and thence resulteth a title thereto4 ,nothing more becomes a ,lord than to protect and save2 none better deserves the right and the name of a ,lord than a ,saviour4 #e4 ,likewise1 if ,he be considered as the ,christ1 that especially implieth ,him anointed and consecrated to sovereign dominion1 as ,king of the ,church4 ,,iii4 ,survey the several grounds upon which dominion may be built1 and we shall see that upon all accounts ,he is our ,lord4--#a4 ,an uncontrollable power and ability to govern is one certain ground of dominion4 #b4 ,to make1 to preserve1 to provide and dispense maintenance1 are also clear grounds of dominion4 #c4 ,he hath acquired us by free donation from ,god ,his ,father4 #d4 ,he hath acquired us by just right of conquest1 having subdued those enemies unto whom 7partly by their fraud and violence1 partly from our own will and consent7 we did live enslaved and addicted4 #e4 ,he hath also further acquired us to ,himself by purchase1 having by a great price bought us1 ransomed us out of sad captivity1 and redeemed us from grievous punishment due to us4 #f4 ,he likewise acquired a lordship over us by desert1 and as a reward from ,god1 suitable to ,his performance of obedience and patience1 highly satisfactory and acceptable to ,god4 #g4 ,he hath acquired a good right and title to dominion over us as our continual most munificent benefactor4 #h4 ,our ,saviour ,jesus is not only our ,lord by nature and by acquisition in so many ways 7by various performances1 deserts1 and obligations put on us71 but ,he is also so by our own deeds1 by most free and voluntary1 most formal and solemn1 and therefore most obligatory acts of ours4 7#a7 ,if we are truly persuaded that ,christ is our ,lord and ,master1 we must then see ourselves obliged humbly to submit unto and carefully to observe ,his will1 to attend unto and to obey ,his law1 with all readiness and diligence4 7#b7 ,if ,christ be our ,lord1 then are we not our own lords or our own men2 we are not at liberty1 or at our own disposal1 as to our own persons or our actions4 7#c7 ,if ,christ be our ,lord 7absolutely and entirely such71 then can we have no other lords whatever in opposition to ,him1 or in competition with ,him1 or otherwise any way than in subordination and subserviency to ,him4 7#d7 ,if ,christ be our ,lord1 we are thereby disobliged1 yea1 we are indeed prohibited1 from pleasing or humouring men1 so as to obey any command1 to comply with any desire1 or to follow any custom of theirs1 which is repugnant to the will or precept of ,christ4 7#e7 ,finally1 for our satisfaction and encouragement1 we may consider that the service of ,christ is rather indeed a great freedom than a service4--,barrow4 ,ver4 #f4 ,god the ,father4 ,i4 ,god is the universal ,father4--#a4 ,god is the ,father of all things1 or of us as creatures1 as the efficient ,cause and ,creator of them all4 #b4 ,the ,father of intellectual beings4 ,he is styled the ,father of spirits2 the angels1 in way of excellency1 are called the sons of ,god4 #c4 ,the ,father in a more especial manner to mankind4 #d4 ,the ,father of all good men1 with a relation being built upon higher grounds2 for as good they have another original from ,him1 virtue springs in their hearts from a heavenly seed1 that emendation and perfection of nature is produced by ,his grace enlightening and quickening them2 they are images of ,him1 resembling ,him in judgment and disposition of mind1 in will and purpose1 in action and behaviour1 which resemblances argue them to be sons of ,god and constitute them such4 ,,ii4 ,the uses of this truth4--#a4 ,it may teach us what reverence1 honour1 and observance are due from us to ,god1 in equity and justice1 according to ingenuity and gratitude4 #b4 ,this consideration may instruct and admonish us what we should be and how we should behave ourselves1 for if we be ,god's children it becometh us1 and we are obliged in our disposition and demeanour to resemble1 to imitate ,him4 ,it is natural and proper for children to resemble their parents in their complexion and countenance1 to imitate them in their actions and carriage4 #c4 ,this consideration may raise us to a just regard1 esteem1 and valuation of ourselves2 may inspire noble thoughts and breed generous inclinations in us2 may withdraw us from mean1 base1 and unworthy designs or practices2 may excite and encourage us to handsome1 brave1 worthy resolutions and undertakings suitable to the dignity of our nature1 the nobleness of our descent1 the eminence of so high a relation1 of so near an alliance to ,god4 #d4 ,this consideration is a motive to humility1 apt to depress vain conceit and confidence in ourselves4 ,if we are ,god's children1 so as to have received our beings1 all our powers and abilities1 all our goods and wealth1 both internal and external1 both natural and spiritual1 from ,his free disposal1 so as be continually preserved and maintained by ,his providence to depend for all our subsistence upon ,his care and bounty1 what reason can we have to assume or ascribe anything to ourselves8 #e4 ,this consideration shows us the reason we have to submit entirely to the providence of ,god with contentedness and acquiescence in every condition4 #f4 ,obligeth us to be patient and cheerful in the sorest afflictions1 as deeming them to come from a paternal hand1 inflicted with great affection and compassion1 designed for and tending to our good4 #g4 ,shows the reason we have to obey those precepts which enjoin us to rely on ,god's providence4 #h4 ,serves to breed and cherish our faith1 to raise our hope1 to quicken our devotion4 ,for whom shall we confide in if not in such a ,father8 ,from whom can we expect good if not from ,him8 ,to whom can we have recourse so freely and cheerfully on any occasion if not to ,him8 #i4 ,considering this point will direct and prompt us how to behave ourselves towards all ,god's creatures according to their respective natures and capacities4 ,if ,god be the ,father of all things1 they are all thence in some sort our brethren1 and so may claim from us a fraternal affection and demeanour answerable thereto4--,barrow4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-ab4 ,the ,gifts of ,christ to ,his ,church-- ,i4 ,that each member of the ,church possesses some gift from ,christ4--,unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of ,christ 7ver4 #g74 ,all are not alike talented1 but each one has some gift of grace4 ,every gift is not from earth1 but from heaven2 not from man1 but from ,christ4 ,look not down1 then1 as swine to the acorns they find lying there1 and never once up to the tree they come from4 ,look up2 the very frame of our body bears that way4 ,it is nature's check to the body4 ,graces are what a man is2 but enumerate his gifts and you will know what he has4 ,he is loving1 he has eloquence1 or medical skill1 or legal knowledge1 or the gift of acquiring languages1 or that of healing4 ,you have only to cut out his tongue1 or to impair his memory1 and the gift is gone4 ,but you must destroy his very being1 change him into another man1 obliterate his identity1 before he ceases to be a loving man4 ,therefore you may contemplate the gift separate from the man2 you may admire it and despise him4 ,but you cannot contemplate the grace separate from the man 7,f4 ,w4 ,robertson74 ,if facts allure thee1 think how ,,bacon shined1 ,the wisest1 brightest1 meanest of mankind4--,pope4 ,the humblest member of the ,church of ,christ is not without his gift4 ,the grace of the ,gospel elevates and sanctifies all his powers and opportunities1 and turns them into noblest uses4 ,,ii4 ,that the gifts of ,christ to ,his ,church are distributed with the lavish generosity of a conqueror returning from the field of victory 7vers4 #h-aj74--,we have read of the profuse gifts of victorious warriors3--of ,gonsalvo1 the great ,spanish captain1 whose unselfish prodigality was proverbial4 ,never stint your hand1 he was accustomed to say3 there is no way of enjoying one's property like giving it away2--of ,alexander the ,great1 who on one occasion gave a blank draft to one of his generals with liberty to fill in any amount he chose4 ,when the treasurer1 surprised at the enormous sum inserted1 asked his imperial master if there was not some mistake1 he answered3 ,no2 pay it1 pay it2 the man honours me by assuming the inexhaustible resources of my empire2--of ,belisarius1 whose victories were always followed by liberal and extravagant largesses4 ,by the union of liberality and justice1 writes ,gibbon1 he acquired the love of his soldiers1 without alienating the affections of the people4 ,the sick and wounded were relieved with medicines and money1 and still more efficaciously by the healing visits and smiles of their commander4 ,the loss of a weapon or a horse was instantly repaired1 and each deed of valour was rewarded by the rich and honourable gifts of a bracelet or a collar1 which were rendered more precious by the judgment of ,belisarius4 ,he was endeared to the husbandmen by the peace and plenty which they enjoyed under the shadow of his standard4 ,instead of being injured1 the country was enriched by the march of the ,roman armies2 and such was the rigid discipline of their camp that not an apple was gathered from the tree1 not a path could be traced in the fields of corn4 ,victory by sea and land attended his armies4 ,he subdued ,africa1 ,italy1 and the adjacent islands1 led away captives the successors of ,genseric and ,theodoric1 filled ,constantinople with the spoils of their palaces1 and in the space of six years recovered half the provinces of the ,western empire2--and of ,aurelian1 whose triumphant entry into ,rome after his victories in the ,east was the longest1 most brilliant1 and imposing of any recorded in the annals of the empire1 and was signalised by rich donations to the army and the people2 the ,capitol and every other temple glittered with the offerings of his ostentatious piety1 and the temple of the sun alone received above fifteen thousand pounds of gold4 ,but who can measure the munificence of the ascended ,saviour1 the ,divine ,conqueror1 who1 as the fruit of ,his unparalleled victory1 has scattered ,his gifts among men1 to enrich them for ever8 ,he gives not grudgingly and sparingly1 but after the measure of ,his own great nature4 ,he gives not for display but for blessing1 and ,his smallest gift out-values the most lavish donation of the richest earthly benefactor4 ,,iii4 ,that the gifts of ,christ qualify man for special work in ,his ,church 7ver4 #aa74--,the apostles1 prophets1 evangelists linked ,church to ,church and served the entire body2 the pastors and teachers had charge of local and congregational affairs4 ,the apostles1 with the prophets1 were the founders of the ,church4 ,their distinctive functions ceased when the foundation was laid and the deposit of revealed truth was complete4 ,the evangelistic and pastoral callings remain2 and out of them have sprung all the variety of ,christian ministries since exercised4 ,evangelists1 with apostles or missionaries1 bring new souls to ,christ and carry ,his message into new lands4 ,pastors and teachers follow in their train1 tending the ingathered sheep1 and labouring to make each flock that they shepherd1 and every single man1 perfect in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,iv4 ,that the gifts of ,christ furnish the full moral equipment of the members of ,his ,church 7ver4 #ab74--;,christ's gifts of great and good men in every age have been bestowed for a thoroughly practical purpose--the perfecting of the saints1 the work of the ministry1 the edifying of the body of ,christ4 ,no one man has all the gifts requisite for the full development of the ,church2 but it is the privilege and honour of each worker to use his special gift for the general good4 ,the combination of gifts1 faithfully and diligently employed1 effects the desired end4 ,the ,church must be built up1 and this can be done only by the harmonious use of the gifts of ,christ1 not by mere human expedients4 ,we may have eloquent preaching1 crowded churches1 magnificent music1 and all the superficial appearance of a great religious movement1 whilst the vaunted revival is only a poor galvanised thing1 a corpse twitching with a strange mimicry of life1 but possessed of none of its vital energy and power4 ,gifts are dangerous without the grace and wisdom to use them4 ,many a brilliant genius has gone down into oblivion by the reckless abuse of his gifts4 ,christ endows ,his people with gifts that they may use them for the increase and upbuilding of ,his ,church1 and they must be exercised in harmony with the rules and purposes of the ,divine ,architect4 ,except the ,lord build the house1 they labour in vain that build it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ's estimate of ,his ,church is seen in the spiritual riches ,he has lavished upon it4 #b4 ,the gifts of each member of the ,church are for the benefit of all4 #c4 ,the gifts of ,christ to ,his ,church are the offerings of a boundless love4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #g4 ,the ,gospel according to ,mark4--,the writers of the four ,gospels completed their work not for the sake of making a literary reputation for themselves1 or of adding to the literary masterpieces of the world1 but for the spiritual benefit of the ,christian ,church4 ,christ our ,lord sitting in the heavens1 seeing exactly what was wanted in the apostolic ,churches1 and in the ,church of all time1 seeing what was wanted in the evangelists themselves if they were to supply the ,church's wants1 measured out ,his gifts to the evangelists4 ,accordingly1 to each evangelist ,he gave that special gift which was needed in order to do his particular work4 ,what was the grace that was given to ,st4 ,mark8 ,it has been said that ,st4 ,mark's ,gospel has no special character1 that it is the least original of the four1 that it is insipid1 that it might have been dispensed with without loss to the harmony of the evangelical narrative4 ,even ,st4 ,augustine has spoken of it as an epitome of ,st4 ,matthew2 and his deservedly great authority has obtained a currency of this opinion in the ,western ,church4 ,but in point of fact1 although ,st4 ,mark has more in common with ,st4 ,matthew than with any other evangelist1 he is far from being a mere epitomist of the first ,gospel4 ,he narrates at least three independent incidents which ,st4 ,matthew does not notice4 ,he has characteristics which are altogether his own4 ,i4 ,st4 ,mark is remarkable for his great attention to subordinate details4--,he supplies many particulars which evangelists who write more at length altogether omit4 ,from him1 for instance1 we learn the name of ,jairus1 the ruler of the synagogue1 and of ,bartimus1 the blind man healed by our ,lord4 ,from him we learn how ,simon of ,cyrene was related to well-known ,christians of the next generation--,alexander and ,rufus4 ,he it is who tells us that the woman of ,canaan whose petition our ,lord so indulgently received was a ,syrophenician1 and that our ,lord was popularly spoken of as the carpenter4 ,he is careful to point out more minutely than do others the scenes in which our ,lord took part on four occasions4 ,he describes particularly our ,lord's look4 ,he notes the express affections of our ,lord's human soul1 ,his love for the rich young man1 ,his anger with the ,pharisee1 ,his pity for the leper1 ,his groaning in spirit on two separate occasions4 ,and here we have something more than a literary peculiarity--than a style of writing which corresponds to those pre-,raphaelite artists who render every leaf and every blade of grass with scrupulous accuracy4 ,i say that we are here face to face with a moral and spiritual excellence which forms part of the special grace given to ,st4 ,mark4 ,close attention to details in any workman means a recognition of the sacredness of fact4 ,where details are lost sight of1 or blurred over1 in the attempt to produce a large1 general1 indistinct effect1 there is always a risk of indifference to the realities of truth4 ,the very least fact is sacred1 whatever be its relative importance to other facts4 ,but in a life like that of our ,lord1 everything is necessarily glowing with interest1 however trivial it might appear to be in any other connection4 ,this care for details is thus the expression of a great grace--reverence for truth1 reverence for every fragment of truth that touched the human life of the ,son of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,st4 ,mark is remarkable for the absence of a clearly discernible purpose in his ,gospel1 over and above that of furnishing a narrative of our ,lord's conflict with sin and evil during ,his life as man upon the earth4 ,the three other evangelists have each of them a manifest purpose in writing of this kind4 ,st4 ,matthew wishes to show to the ,jews that our ,lord is the ,messiah of the ,jewish prophecy4 ,st4 ,luke would teach the ,gentile ,churches that ,he is the ,redeemer whose saving power may be claimed through faith by the whole race of men4 ,st4 ,john is1 throughout1 bent upon showing that ,he speaks and acts while in the flesh as the eternal ,word or ,son of ,god1 who has been made flesh and was dwelling among us4 ,and it has been said that ,st4 ,mark's narrative is an expansion of those words of ,peter--that ,jesus of ,nazareth went about doing good1 and healing all that were oppressed of the devil1 for ,god was with ,him4 ,probably this is true2 but then these words describe not a purpose beyond the narrative1 but the substance of the narrative itself4 ,st4 ,mark simply records a sacred life as he had learned it from the lips of ,peter1 not for any purpose beyond the narrative itself2 but whatever it might prove beyond itself1 it was to a believing ,christian unspeakably precious4 ,,iii4 ,a few words in conclusion4--,unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,as no two human souls exactly resemble each other1 so no two souls are endowed in an exactly similar way4 ,and for the difference of endowment let us be sure there is always a reason in the ,divine ,mind1 for each soul in every generation has its appointed work to do1 without itself as within itself2 and it is endowed with exactly the grace1 whether of mind or heart1 which will best enable it to do that particular work4 ,some may think that they have received little or nothing--some gift so small as to be scarcely appreciable4 ,the probability is that they have not yet considered what ,god has done for them4 ,they have spent their time in thinking of what ,he has withheld1 instead of thinking of what ,he has given2 of what they might have been1 instead of what they are4 ,certainly the grace which our ,lord gave to ,st4 ,paul when he wrote his great epistle to the ,romans was immensely greater than that which ,he gave to ,tertius1 the poor amanuensis1 who took it down from the apostle's dictation1 and who inserts a greeting from himself just at the end of the document4 ,and yet ,tertius1 too1 had his part in the work--a humble but a very real part1 according to the measure of the gift of ,christ4 ,he did not say1 ,because ,i am not the eye ,i am not of the body4 ,he made the most of the grace which was certainly his4 ,and others may think1 rightly or wrongly1 that unto them very great graces have been given according to the gift of ,christ1 that they are the hands or the eyes of the holy body1 the men who do its work1 or the men who discern the truths which support its life4 ,well1 if it be so1 this is a reason1 not for confident satisfaction1 but for anxiety4 ,such gifts as these are edge tools2 they may easily prove the ruin of their possessors4 ,for all such gifts an account must one day most assuredly be rendered2 and if self has appropriated that which belongs to ,god or to ,his ,church1 it cannot but entail misery on the possessor4 ,if a man has wealth1 or ability1 or station2 much more if he has cultivated intelligence and generous impulses2 most of all if his heart has been fixed by the love of ,god1 and the unseen is to him a serious reality1 and he has hopes and motives which really transcend the frontiers of the world of sense1 then1 assuredly1 his safety lies in remembering that he is a trustee who will one day have to present his account at the great audit1 when the eminence of his gifts will be the exact measure of his responsibility4 ,eighteen centuries have passed since ,st4 ,mark went to reign somewhere beneath his ,master's throne whose life he had described2 but he has left us the result of his choicest gift--he has left us his ,gospel4 ,what has it--what have the four ,gospels--hitherto done for each of us8 ,it is recorded that ,john ,butler1 an excellent ,church of ,england layman of the last generation1 stated on his death-bed that on looking back on his life the one thing he most regretted was that he had not given more time to the careful study of the life of our ,lord in the four evangelists4 ,probably he has not been alone in that regret2 and if the truth were told1 many of us would have to confess that we spend much more thought and time upon the daily papers1 which describe the follies and errors of the world1 than on the records of that ,life which was given for the world's redemption4 ,the festival of an evangelist ought to suggest a practical resolution that1 so far as we are concerned1 the grace which he received1 according to the measure of the gift of ,christ1 shall not1 please ,god1 be lost4 ,ten minutes a day seriously spent on our knees1 with the ,gospel in our hands1 will do more to quicken faith1 love1 reverence1 spiritual and moral insight and power1 than we can easily think4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,the contrasted ,humiliation and ,exaltation of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the circumstances of the ,saviour's depression from ,his original state4--,we say that a person stoops1 that he bends1 that he sinks4 ,moral correspondencies to these actions are understood4 ,they are condescensions4 ,immanuel is the name of our ,saviour when born into our world and dwelling in it--,god with us4 ,a local residence is thus described4 ,and we are informed of the degree which marks ,his coming down from heaven1 of the manner in which ,he came into the world--,he descended into the lower parts of the earth4 ,what lowliness is this6 ,similar terms are employed in other portions of the inspired volume2 by collating them with those of the text we shall most satisfactorily determine its sense4 #a4 ,the incarnation of ,christ may be thus expressed4--,to what did ,he not submit8 ,by what was ,he not buffeted8 ,what insult did not disfigure ,his brow8 ,what shade did not cloud ,his countenance8 ,what deep waters did not go over ,his soul8 ,his was humanity in its severest pressures and humblest forms4 #b4 ,this form of language may denote the death of ,christ4--,it is the ordinary phrase of the ,old ,testament2 ,they shall go into the lower parts of the earth3 ,thou hast laid me in the lowest pit1 in darkness1 in the deeps4 ,does it not seem strange that ,his soul should be commended hence who had often bound death to ,his bidding and summoned from the grave its prey8 ,he is brought low to the dust of death4 ,the erect figure is prostrated4 ,the instinctive life is arrested4 ,that mysterious frame--related to the infinite and the ,divine temple of all greatness1 shrine of all sanctity--that ,holy ,thing sleeps in death4 #c4 ,this style may be intended to intimate that burial to which ,he yielded4--,lest ,i become like them that go down into the pit4 ,so must the ,son of man be in the heart of the earth4 ,he has made ,his grave with the wicked1 and with the rich in ,his death6 ,he is put away into darkness4 ,he is held of death in its gloomy chambers4 ,he is as a victim and a prey4 ,it is a prison-keep4 #d4 ,the separation of the ,redeemer's body and spirit may be described in these words4--,we mark in this departure of ,his soul the simple requirement of death4 ,it could not be retained4 ,it descended into the lower parts of the earth4 ,this is the reverse of resurrection and heavenward flight4 ,it was humiliation4 ,these are the gradations of ,his descent4 ,these are the lower parts of the earth to which ,he declined4 ,this is ,his coming forth from the ,father6 ,this is ,his coming down from heaven6 ,this is ,his coming into the world6 ,his measureless surrender of claims6 ,his inconceivable renunciation of honours6 ,stooping to inferior and still inferior levels of ignominy6 ,plunging to deeper and still deeper abysses of shame6 ,,ii4 ,the glory of ,his subsequent exaltation4--#a4 ,it is in itself an absolute expression of love4 #b4 ,it justifies an expectation of surpassing benefits4 #c4 ,the act regulates and secures its own efficiency4 #d4 ,this act is to be regarded as of incomparable worth and excellence4--,the mission of ,christ contemplated the highest principles which can direct the ,divine conduct4 ,he came to vindicate that character which to conceive aright is the happiness of all creatures--to uphold and avenge that law which cannot be infringed without an utter loss of good and overthrow of order--to atone for sin whose slight and impunity would have been the allowance of infinite mischiefs and evils--to bring in an everlasting righteousness adequate to the justification of the most guilty1 and of the most multiplied objects who needed it--leaving it for ever proved that no rule nor sanction of ,god's moral government can be violated without a necessary and meet resentment6 ,his ascension was a radiant triumph4 ,scarcely is it more descried than ,his resurrection4 ,we catch but a few notes of the resounding acclaim1 we mark but a few fleeces of the glory-cloud1 we recognise but a few attendants of the angel-train4 ,with that laconic force which characterises holy writ1 it is simply recorded1 ,who is gone into heaven4 ,,iii4 ,the reciprocal influence of these respective facts4--,the same was ,he who bowed ,himself to these indignities and who seized these rewards4 ,and this identity is of the greatest value4 ,not only do we hail ,him in ,his reinstatement in original dignities1 but in the augmentation of ,his glories4 ,deity was never so beheld before4 ,there is a combination and a form of the ,divine perfections entirely new4 ,we repine that ,he is not here4 ,we forget that it is expedient that ,he should go away4 ,heaven alone provides scope for ,his undertakings and channel for ,his influences4 ,there must ,he abide until the restitution of all things4 ,but nothing of ,his sympathy or ,his grace do we forego4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,the ,ascension and its ,results4 ,i4 ,with respect to the new heavens and the new earth1 what may we not infer from the ascension of ,christ in full integrity of ,his nature above all heavens with respect to the conversion and transformation and ennobling of this material8--,the nature and history of ,his person revealed the relations clearly between heaven and earth1 between ,god and man1 between the material and the spiritual4 ,we cannot for a moment look upon the transformation and exaltation of ,christ's nature as an isolated fact dissociated from the restitution and exaltation of all things spoken of in ,his ,word4 ,the nature with which ,he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven was the same nature in which ,he was crucified1 though glorified and swallowed up of life4 ,must we not say1 then1 that the body which ascended in relation to the body which was crucified and laid in the grave may illustrate the relation of the present heavens and the new earth8 ,and1 in accordance with this idea1 are there not every way most wonderful changes and transformations of which the ascension of ,christ's body seems to be the fulfilment and crown and also the firstfruits8 ,the flower from its imprisoned bud1 the insect from its grovelling form1 light out of darkness1 electricity from ponderable elements1 the strange affinities of matter striving to break forth from their captivity1 the unerring instincts of animal life held1 as it were1 in bondage--all seem to point with prophetic finger to a future deliverance and ennobled state and condition whilst meekly waiting1 but with earnest expectation1 with the whole creation for the deliverance and glorious liberty of the sons of ,god4 ,the ,gospel therefore contains a ,gospel for nature as well as for man--the prediction of the day when the strife of elements shall cease1 when the powers of darkness shall be swallowed up of life1 when the lion shall lie down with the lamb1 when the tares shall no longer grow with the wheat1 when creation1 now so weary1 shall lift up her head and rejoice in the redemption for which she now groans and travails4 ,,ii4 ,if we cannot dissociate the history of ,jesus from the history of the earth1 much less can it be dissociated from the history of mankind4--,he is humanity1 root and crown4 ,humanity exists nowhere else but in ,him4 ,no aggregate of men make humanity1 nor can personality be ascribed to humanity except in ,him4 ,individual men may have a personality1 but humanity is only an idea except it exists in ,him who is its root and crown2 and it is in this sense that ,he is spoken of1 and that ,he speaks of ,himself as1 the ,son of man4 ,in ,his ascension1 therefore1 which carries as a necessary presupposition all the facts of ,his history1 mankind is delivered from its curse and from bondage4 ,identity of nature and reciprocity of choice now constitute the most intimate union and most blessed fellowship of which we are conscious1 and it is the fair offshoot1 the true type of that which is to be the highest1 to which ,he is exalted above all heavens1 from which height ,he has promised to gather together our common humanity4 ,in such and for such a relation ,he is exalted to the throne of universal dominion as the ,bridegroom of mankind1 to be the ,head over all things to ,his ,church1 which is ,his body1 the fulness of ,him which filleth all in all4 ,,iii4 ,what may we not learn from the fact of ,christ's ascension--not merely with respect to the new heavens and the new earth1 not merely with respect to mankind and its history1 but with respect to the government and providence of earth8 ,if all nature is gathered up and represented in human nature1 and if all human nature is gathered up and represented in the ,son of man1 and if the ,son of man resteth and sitteth upon the throne of universal dominion1 then1 my brethren1 the conclusion is as direct as it is clear1 that all things must be working together in the interests of ,his kingdom and of ,his ,church1 that all things have but one purpose and one end to which the whole creation moves4 ,we may say with ,herbert3 ,for us the winds do blow1 ,the earth does rest1 heavens1 move1 and fountains flow2 ,nothing we see but means our good-- ',tis our delight or has our treasure4 ,the whole is either cupboard of our food ,or cabinet of pleasure4 ,these lines contain as deep a philosophy as they do good poetry4 ,all things unto our flesh are kind in their descent and being4 ,as they descend to us they bless our lower nature1 but as we follow them in their ascent they bless our minds4 ,and in history are there not changes similar to and commensurate with those which we have seen in nature1 and all subordinated to one end8 ,mighty nations and kingdoms have arisen and passed away1 and passed away1 we might add1 in the greatness of their might4 ,what strange development1 as it has well been asked1 is it that the power of the world should rise to a great height of glory1 and1 not able to sustain it1 pass away8 ,because they knew not ,god--because they were prejudicial to the interests of man4 ,the present state and prospects of the world are but the results of all its past history1 of the action and reaction1 the strife and ceaseless conflict1 which have been going on from the first--the strife and ceaseless conflict between the spirit of man's revolt in all the forms of will-worship and idolatrous power1 and the returning spirit of allegiance towards ,god and ,his kingdom of life and love4 ,on the one hand1 therefore1 we have a series of rapid and mighty developments of the very power which destroyed them when at the very height of their glory2 on the other hand1 we have the continuous and silent growth and expansion of the same ideas--all-conquering ideas and all-conquering beliefs personally embodied from the first in men confessing their allegiance to ,god4--,dr4 ,pulsford4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the ,humiliation and ,exaltation of ,christ4 ,i4 ,christ's humiliation4--,implied in the words1 ,he that descended4 ,these words bear the same sense with those of ,ps4 cxxxix4 #ae1 and may be properly taken for ,christ's incarnation and conception in the womb of the ,virgin4--#a4 ,because other expositions may be shown to be unnatural1 forced1 or impertinent1 and there is no other besides this assignable4 #b4 ,since ,paul here uses ,david's words it is most probable he used them in ,david's sense4 #c4 ,the words descending and ascending are so put together in the text that they seem to intend a summary of ,christ's whole transaction in man's redemption1 begun in ,his conception and consummated in ,his ascension4 ,,ii4 ,christ's glorious advancement and exaltation4--,he ascended far above all heavens to the most eminent place in dignity and glory in the highest heaven4 ,,iii4 ,the qualification and state of ,christ's person in reference to both conditions4--,he was the same1 showing the unity of the two natures in the same person4 ,,iv4 ,the end of ,christ's ascension4--,that ,he might fill all things4 ,all things may refer--#a4 ,to the ,scripture prophecies and predictions4 #b4 ,to the ,church as ,he might fill that with ,his gifts and graces4 #c4 ,to all things in the world4 ,this latter interpretation preferred4 ,he may be said to fill all things--#a4 ,by the omnipresence of ,his nature and universal diffusion of ,his ,godhead4 #b4 ,by the universal rule and government of all things committed to ,him as ,mediator upon ,his ascension4--,south4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,the ,work of the ,ministry4 ,i4 ,it is evident that public teachers in the ,church are to be a distinct order of men4--,christ has given some pastors and teachers4 ,none has a right publicly to teach in the ,church but those who are called1 sent1 authorised to the work in the ,gospel way4 ,all ,christians are to exhort1 reprove1 and comfort one another as there is occasion2 but public teaching in the ,church belongs peculiarly to some--to those who are given to be pastors and teachers4 ,,ii4 ,public teachers are here called ,christ's gifts4--,he gave some pastors and teachers4 ,the first apostles were commissioned immediately by ,christ4 ,they who were thus commissioned of ,heaven to preach the ,gospel were authorised to ordain others4 ,christ gave pastors and teachers1 not only to preach ,his ,gospel1 but to train up and prepare holy men for the same work4 ,,iii4 ,ministers are to be men endued with gifts suitable to the work to which they are called4--,as in the early days of the ,gospel public teachers were called to extraordinary services1 so they were endued with extraordinary gifts2 but these gifts were only for a season4 ,as the business of a minister is to teach men the things which ,christ has commanded in the ,scriptures1 so it is necessary he himself should be fully instructed in them4 ,in the early days1 as there were evangelists who went forth to preach the ,gospel where ,christ had not been named1 so there were pastors and teachers who had the immediate care of ,churches already established4 ,,iv4 ,the great object of the ministry is the building up of the ,church of ,christ4--,the ministry is intended for the improvement of saints1 as well as for the conversion of sinners4 ,the apostle mentions also the unity of the knowledge of ,christ4 ,we must not rest in attainments already made1 but continually aspire to the character of a perfect man1 to the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ4--,lathrop4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac-af4 ,true ,christian ,manhood-- ,i4 ,attained by the unity of an intelligent faith in ,christ4--#a4 ,this faith must be based on knowledge4 ,till we all come in the unity of the faith1 and of the knowledge of the ,son of ,god 7ver4 #ac74 ,a faith1 so called1 not based on knowledge is fanaticism4 ,true faith is the result of conviction--a profound consciousness of the truth4 ,many reach this stage4 ,they have heard the evidence1 examined it1 and are clearly persuaded of its truth2 but they never get beyond that4 ,they are like the neap tide that comes rolling in as if it would sweep everything before it2 but when it arrives at a certain point1 it stops1 and with all the ocean at its back it never passes the mark where it is accustomed to pause4 ,it is well to get to the neap-tide mark of conviction2 but there is no salvation till the soul is carried by the full spring tide of conviction into a voluntary and complete surrender to ,christ4 ,it is weak1 it is cowardly1 when convinced of the right1 not to do it promptly and heartily4 ,faith acquires its full-rounded unity when it is exercised1 not on any abstract truth1 but on a ,person who is the living embodiment of all truth4 ,the final object of faith is the ,son of ,god1 and any truth is valuable only as it helps us to ,him4 ,christ has ,himself revealed the truth essential to be believed in order to salvation3 ,he is ,himself that truth4 #b4 ,perfect manhood is a complete ,christ-likeness4--,unto a perfect man1 unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ 7ver4 #ac74 ,man is so great that he is perpetually striving after a loftier ideal2 nothing that has limits can satisfy him4 ,it is because there is an infinite in him which with all his cunning he cannot quite bury under the finite4 ,will the whole finance ministers and upholsterers and confectioners of modern ,europe undertake in joint-stock company to make one shoeblack happy8 ,they cannot accomplish it above an hour or two2 for the shoeblack also has a soul quite other than his stomach1 and would require1 if you consider it for his permanent satisfaction and saturation1 simply this allotment1 no more and no less--,god's infinite universe altogether to himself1 therein to enjoy infinitely and fill every wish as fast as it arose4 ,try him with half a universe of an omnipotence1 he sets to quarrelling with the proprietor of the other half and declares himself the most maltreated of men 7,carlyle74 ,true manhood does not consist in the development of a fine physique1 or a brilliant mentality1 or in the pursuit of heroic ambitions4 ,it lies in the nobleness of the soul at peace with ,god1 seeking in all things to please ,him1 and to possess and exhibit the mind of ,christ4 ,the pagan hero is the warrior1 the ruler1 the poet1 the philosopher2 the ,christian hero is the ,christ-like man4 ,the supreme type of manhood is ,christ-likeness4 ,the ideal is conceived by faith1 and the actual is attained only by the exercise of the same grace4 ,,ii4 ,superior to the childish vacillation induced by deceptive teaching 7ver4 #ad74--,the false teachers played with truth1 as men play with dice1 with the reckless indifference of gamblers1 and they and their victims were swayed to and fro1 with ruin for the ultimate goal4 ,like a rudderless ship they were tossed about at the caprice of every current1 with the inevitable result of wreckage among the rocks and quicksands4 ,professing a zeal for truth1 they deceived themselves and others by ever changing their point of view1 and craftily avoiding the practical bearing of truth in the aims to change the heart and reform the life4 ,the moment the application of truth pressing upon the conscience made them uncomfortable1 they tacked about and sailed off under another issue4 ,as the restless seaweed1 waving to and fro in the ever-changing tide1 can never grow to the dignity of a tree1 so those who were swayed by every changing phase of error can never grow up to the strength and stability of true ,christian manhood4 ,we can sympathise with the doubts and perplexities of an earnest seeker after truth2 but our sympathy changes into impatience when we discover that the seeker is more in search of novelty than truth1 of variety rather than certainty4 ,to be for ever in doubt is to be in the fickle stage of mental and moral infancy4 ,it is the worst phase of childishness4 ,,iii4 ,it is a continual growth in the truth and love of ,christ 7vers4 #ae1 #af74--;,it is the high distinction of man that he is susceptible of almost unlimited growth in mental and moral attainments4 ,one of the greatest distances between animalism and man is seen in the unbridged gulf of progress4 ,the animal remains where he was1 but man has been progressing in every department of life from the very first4 ,there is between them all the breadth of history4 ,the animal builds its nest as it ever did1 the bee by the same marvellous instinct constructs its geometrical cells now as at the first2 but man is a genius--he creates4 ,his first rude efforts in shaping his dwellings have gone on progressing and improving until we have the architectural development of to-day4 ,in every kind of art it is the same--rude flint knives1 lance heads1 needles1 were his first weapons and implements2 to them succeeded bronze1 and then iron--each marking stages in that history of progress up to the beautiful cutlery1 stores1 and arsenals of the present day4 ,the animal roars or chatters to-day as it has done all along4 ,it has made no progress towards intelligent speech--a ,rubicon the animal will never cross4 ,but man1 who began with one speech1 and a very limited vocabulary of words1 has developed speech into the great languages of ancient and modern literature4 ,a wider gulf than this is hardly conceivable4 ,but the moral growth of man is more remarkable4 ,the era of the ,gospel is a revelation of the power of love4 ,with the ancients a mere sentiment1 ,christianity teaches that love is the essence of religion2 and that nature is the manliest and noblest that advances in the knowledge of ,divine truth and in the self-sacrificing love of ,christ4 ,the whole fabric of the ,christian character is built up in the ever-increasing exercise of ,christ-like love4 ,lessons4--,christian manhood is--#a4 ,acquired by an intelligent faith in ,christ4 #b4 ,developed by an imitation of ,christ4 #c4 ,maintained and strengthened by constant fidelity to ,christ4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ac-af4 ,the ,growth of the ,church4 ,i4 ,the goal of the ,church's life 7ver4 #ac74--,the mark at which the ,church is to arrive is set forth in a two-fold way--in its collective and its individual aspects4 ,we must all unitedly attain the oneness of the faith and the knowledge of the ,son of ,god2 and we must attain1 each of us1 a perfect manhood1 the measure of the stature of the fulness of ,christ4 ,all our defects are1 at the bottom1 deficiencies of faith4 ,we fail to apprehend and appropriate the fulness of ,god in ,christ4 ,the goal of the regenerate life is never absolutely won2 it is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,but there is to be a constant approximation to it1 both in the individual believer and in the body of ,christ's people4 ,and a time is coming when that goal will be practically attained1 so far as earthly conditions allow4 ,the ,church after long strife will be reunited1 after long trial will be perfected4 ,then this world will have had its use1 and will give place to the new heavens and earth4 ,,ii4 ,the malady which arrests its development 7ver4 #ad74--,the childishness of so many ,christian believers exposed them to the seductions of error1 and ready to be driven this way and that by the evil influences active in the world of thought around them4 ,so long as the ,church contains a number of unstable souls1 so long she will remain subject to strife and corruption4 ,at every crisis in human thought there emerges some prevailing method of truth1 or of error1 the resultant of current tendencies1 which unites the suffrages of a large body of thinkers1 and claims to embody the spirit of the age4 ,such a method of error our own age has produced as the outcome of the anti-,christian speculation of modern times1 in the doctrines current under the names of ,positivism1 ,secularism1 or ,agnosticism4 ,modern ,agnosticism removes ,god farther from us1 beyond the reach of thought1 and leaves us with material nature as the one positive and accessible reality1 as the basis of life and law4 ,faith and knowledge of the ,son of ,god it banishes as dreams of our childhood4 ,this materialistic philosophy gathers to a head the unbelief of the century4 ,it is the living antagonist of ,divine revelation4 ,,iii4 ,the means and conditions of its growth 7vers4 #ae1 #af74--,to the craft of false teachers ,st4 ,paul would have his ,churches oppose the weapons only of truth and love4 ,sincere believers1 heartily devoted to ,christ1 will not fall into fatal error4 ,a healthy life instinctively repels disease4 ,next to the moral condition lies the spiritual condition of advancement--the full recognition of the supremacy and sufficiency of ,christ4 ,he is the perfect ideal for each1 the common source of life and progress for all4 ,he is the ,head of the ,church and the heart of the world4 ,another practical condition of ,church growth is organization--all the body fitly framed and knit together4 ,a building or a machine is fitted together by the adjustment of its parts4 ,a body needs1 besides this mechanical construction1 a pervasive life1 a sympathetic force1 knitting it together4 ,and so it is in love that this body of the ,church builds up itself4 ,the perfect ,christian and the perfect ,church are taking shape at once4 ,each of them requires the other for its due realisation4 ,the primary condition of ,church health and progress is that there shall be an unobstructed flow of the life of grace from point to point through the tissues and substance of the entire frame4--,findlay4 ,vers4 #ac-ae4 ,christian ,manhood4 ,i4 ,christian manhood is a growth4--#a4 ,a growth having its inception in the simple fact of becoming a ,christian4 ,this is a decided advance upon the most moral and cultivated state otherwise attainable4 ,it involves the quickening into a new life which is to grow4 #b4 ,a growth marking a continual advancement till we all come in the unity--the respect in which one grows--the union1 conjunction of faith and of knowledge4 #c4 ,a growth resulting from culture under ,divinely appointed agencies4 ,the most splendid growth1 other things being equal1 is the result of the highest culture4 ,the highest culture is possible only through the most rigid conformity to the laws of development and the appliance of the best agencies4 #d4 ,a growth the standard of whose completeness is the fulness of ,christ4 ,the stature--the adultness1 the full-grown manhood of ,christ--is the standard of growth1 whose attainment is the ,christian's noblest zeal4 ,,ii4 ,the elements of ,christian manhood4--#a4 ,largeness--in the ,christian's views of truth1 of man's need1 of ,christ's work1 of schemes and plans for its greater furtherance4 #b4 ,dignity4--,that deep1 inwrought sense of the true worth and greatness of his nature1 as a renewed man1 and of his position as a child of ,god and joint-heir with ,christ4 ,christian ethics are the best ethics2 highest1 purest1 noblest1 safest4 ,he lives by these naturally who has a well-developed ,christian manhood4 #c4 ,courageousness and strength4--,courage makes a man put forth his best strength1 while strength enables courage to achieve its best deeds4 ,,iii4 ,the outworking of ,christian manhood4--,it gives3-- #a4 ,steadfastness4--,no more children4 ,no more carried about--borne round and round as in the swiftly whirling eddy of the sea--by every wind of doctrine4 #b4 ,sincerity4--,speaking the truth in love refers both to the sincerity of life and our relation to the truth4 #c4 ,a further growth4--,as the full-grown tree1 leaves and blossoms and bears2 as fruit1 after it is full-grown1 mellows1 matures1 sweetens2 ripening as wheat for the garner4--,j4 ,m4 ,frost4 ,vers4 #ad-af4 ,christian ,maturity4 ,i4 ,the negative part of this description4--#a4 ,christians must not remain children4--,in humility1 meekness1 and teachableness1 let them be children2 but in understanding1 constancy1 and fortitude they should be men4 ,children have but little knowledge and a weak judgment4 ,they believe hastily and act implicitly4 ,they are governed by passion more than reason1 by feeling more than judgment4 #b4 ,the apostle cautions that we be not tossed to and fro like a ship rolling on the waves4--,the man without principle1 knowledge1 and judgment is at the mercy of every rude gust4 ,he is driven in any direction1 as the wind happens to blow4 ,he makes no port1 but is every moment in danger of shipwreck4 #c4 ,we must not be carried about with every wind of doctrine4--,false doctrines1 like winds1 are blustering and unsteady4 ,they blow from no certain point1 but in all directions1 and frequently shift their course4 ,the light and chaffy ,christian1 the hypocritical and unprincipled professor1 is easily carried about by divers and strange doctrines4 ,he shifts his course and changes his direction1 as the wind of popular opinion happens to drive4 #d4 ,we are in danger from the cunning craftiness of men4--,true ministers use plainness of speech1 and by manifestation of the truth commend themselves to the consciences of men4 ,corrupt teachers use sleight and craft1 that they may ensnare the simple1 decoy the unsuspecting1 and thus make proselytes to their party4 ,they pretend to superior sanctity4 ,they are watchful to take advantage of an unhappy circumstance in a ,church4 ,they unsettle men's minds from the established order of the ,gospel1 and prejudice them against the regular maintenance of the ministry1 representing all order in ,churches as tyranny and all stated provision for the ministry as oppression4 ,they promise men liberty1 but are themselves the servants of corruption4 ,,ii4 ,the positive part4--#a4 ,the mature ,christian must speak the truth in love4 ,be sincere in love4 ,we should acquire a good doctrinal knowledge of the truth as it is in ,jesus4 ,we should be well established in the truth4 ,we should see that our hearts are conformed to the truth4 ,we must walk in the truth4 #b4 ,we must grow up in all things into ,christ4--,a partial religion is not that which the ,gospel teaches4 ,we must have respect to the whole character of ,christ1 to the whole compass of duty1 to every known doctrine and precept of ,scripture4 ,all the graces of the ,gospel unite in forming the ,christian's temper4 ,they all operate in harmony4 ,his religion is one continued1 uniform1 consistent work4 ,,iii4 ,how ,christian maturity is attained4--,from the growth of the human body the apostle borrows a similitude to illustrate the spiritual growth of the ,christian ,church4 ,it is as absurd to expect growth in knowledge and holiness without the means instituted for the edifying of the body of ,christ as it would be to expect the growth of a natural body without supplies of food4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,there is no ,christian growth where love is wanting4 #b4 ,christians are bound to seek the peace in order to the edification of the ,church4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,case of ,deceivers and ,deceived considered4 ,i4 ,consider the case of deceivers or seducers such as by their sleight and cunning craftiness lie in wait to deceive4--,the particular motives by which men may be led to beguile others are reducible to three--pride1 avarice1 and voluptuousness3 love of honour1 or profit1 or pleasure4 #a4 ,there is often a great deal of pride and vanity in starting old notions and broaching new doctrines4 ,it is pretending to be wiser than the rest of the world1 and is thought to be an argument of uncommon sagacity4 ,upon this footing some are perpetually in quest of new discoveries4 ,nothing pleases them1 if they have not the honour of inventing it or of receiving it in their times4 ,when once a man has thus far given loose to his vanity and thinks himself significant enough to be head of a sect1 then he begins first to whisper out his choice discoveries to a few admirers and confidants1 who will be sure to flatter him in it2 and next to tell aloud to all the world how great a secret he had found out1 with the inestimable value of it4 ,and now at length comes in the use of sleight and cunning craftiness and all imaginable artifices2 first to find out proper agents to commend and cry up the conceit1 next to spread it in the most artful manner among the simple and least suspecting1 and after that to form interests and make parties2 and so1 if possible1 to have a public sanction set to it or a majority at least contending for it4 ,love of fame and glory is a very strong passion1 and operates marvellously in persons of a warm complexion4 #b4 ,observe how avarice or love of profit may sometimes do the same thing4 ,there is a gain to be made in some junctures by perverting the truth and deceiving the populace4 ,men who are not worthy to teach in the ,church1 or who have been set aside for their insufficiency or immorality1 may bring up new doctrines and draw disciples after them1 for the sake of protection and maintenance or for filthy lucre4 ,with such the vending of false doctrines is a trade and preaching a merchandise4 ,thus has avarice been the mother of heresies and has brought many deceivers into the ,church of ,christ2 but they have contrived generally to give some plausible turn and colour to their inventions through their sleight and cunning craftiness1 in order to deceive the hearts of the simple and to beguile unwary and unstable souls4 #c4 ,one motive more--voluptuousness1 or love of pleasure4 ,as religious restraints set not easy upon flesh and blood1 but bear hard upon corrupt nature1 so men of corrupt minds will be ever labouring to invent and publish smooth and softening doctrines1 such as may either qualify the strictness of the ,gospel rule or sap the belief of a future reckoning4 ,many ancient heretics had such views as these in the first broaching of their heresies4 ,their design was to take off the awe and dread of a future judgment1 and thereby to open a door to all licentiousness of life and dissoluteness of manners4 ,,ii4 ,consider the case of the deceived who suffer themselves to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine4--,they are supposed to be ignorantly1 and in a manner blindly1 led on by others1 otherwise they would be rather confederates and confidants in managing the deceit1 and so would be more deceivers than deceived4 #a4 ,now as to those who are so ignorantly imposed upon4 ,they are more or less to blame1 according as their ignorance is more or less blamable2 and that1 again1 will be more or less blamable1 according as it is more or less affected or wilful4 ,there are1 ,i think1 three cases which will take in all sorts of men who suffer themselves to be deceived in things of this kind4 ,the first is of those who have no opportunity1 no moral possibility of informing themselves better2 the second is of those who might inform themselves better1 but do not2 the third of those who might also be better informed1 but will not4 ,if they be like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine1 yet if they are really children in understanding and are overborne by others in such a way as is morally irresistible considering their circumstances1 then it seems to be their misfortune to be so imposed upon rather than their fault1 and so is not imputable4 #b4 ,a second case is of those who may inform themselves better but neglect to do it4 ,i suppose it to be merely neglect in them1 not design4 ,perhaps they have little or no leisure for inquiries2 they are taken up with worldly cares and business4 ,they have a very great esteem and value for the man who so misleads them1 and they know no better1 but swallow everything he says without considering2 or they are not aware of any ill consequences of the doctrine1 see or suspect no harm in it4 ,they are much to blame in this affair1 because ,god has given them the faculty of reason1 which ought not to be thus left to lie dormant and useless4 ,men who can be sharp enough in secular affairs to prevent being imposed upon may and ought to have some guard upon themselves with respect also to their spiritual concernments4 #c4 ,there is yet a third sort of men1 worse than the former1 who suffer themselves to be deceived and might know better1 but will not2 that is to say1 their ignorance is affected and wilful1 they love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil4 ,these are such as readily run in with every wind of doctrine which hits their taste and chimes in with their favourite inclinations4 ,they admit the doctrine because they like it1 and they easily believe it true because they would have it so4 ,it is with this kind of men that deceivers prevail most and make their harvest4 ,,iii4 ,some advices proper to prevent our falling in with either4--,the best preservative in this case is an honest and good heart1 well disposed towards truth and godliness1 having no by-ends to serve1 no favourite lust or passion to indulge4 ,if any man is but willing to know and to do ,god's commandments1 he will easily discern in most cases whether a doctrine be of ,god or whether it be of men4 ,the evidences of the true religion and of its main doctrines are so bright and strong when carefully attended to1 that common sense and reason are sufficient to lead us1 when there is no bias to mislead us4 ,for several years last past rude and bold attacks have been made against the important doctrines of ,christianity and against all revealed religion1 and this is what they are still carrying on with exquisite subtlety and craftiness many ways and with a great deal of fruitless pains and labour4 ,for ,i may have leave to suppose that no man can in this case be deceived who has not first a desire to be so1 and is not the dupe and bubble to his own lust and vices4--,dr4 ,waterland4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,speaking the ,truth in ,love4--#a4 ,a different thing from the irritating candour of the professed friend4 #b4 ,implies an experimental knowledge of the truth and its spiritual mission4 #c4 ,is the most effectual way of winning a hearing and gaining adherents4 #d4 ,a method conspicuously exemplified in the teaching of ,christ4 ,growth into ,christ in ,love and ,truth4 ,i4 ,the standard of ,christian excellence--,christ's headship4--#a4 ,the prominent notion suggested is ,his rank in the universe4 ,he rules as ,god in creation4 ,but evidently the apostle does not mean this in the text4 ,we are to grow into ,him as ,head4 ,growth into ,christ's ,godhead is impossible4 ,god-like we may1 ,god we cannot even by truth and love1 become4 #b4 ,he is the ,head as being the ,source of spiritual life4 ,this is implied in metaphor4 ,the highest life-powers--sensation1 feeling1 thought--come from the brain4 ,to one who has read the history of those times1 there is an emphatic truth in ,christ's being the life of the world4 ,the world was like a raft becalmed in the tropics--some of its freight dead and baking in the sun1 some sucking as if for moisture from dried casks1 and some sadly1 faintly looking for a sail4 ,christ's coming to the world was as life to the dead1 imparting new impulse to human heart and human nature4 ,it was like rain and wind coming to that bark--once more it cuts the sea1 guided by a living hand4 ,so also with each man who drinks ,christ's ,spirit4 ,he becomes a living character4 ,not sustained on dogmas or taken-up opinions1 but alive with ,christ4 #c4 ,he is ,head as chief of the human race4 ,never had the world seen1 never again will it see1 such a character4 ,humanity found in ,him a genial soil1 and realised ,god's idea of what man was meant to be4 ,he is chief4 ,nothing comes near ,him4 ,,ii4 ,progress towards the standard of ,christian excellence4--,we grow up into ,him in all things4 #a4 ,growth in likeness to ,him4--,the human soul was formed for growth1 and that growth is infinite4 ,the acorn grows into the oak1 the child into the philosopher4 ,and at death the soul is not declining2 it is as vigorous as ever4 ,hence nothing but an infinite standard will measure the growth of the soul of man4 #b4 ,growth in comprehension of ,him4--,christ is not comprehensible at first4 ,words cannot express the awe with which a man contemplates that character when it is understood4 ,this is the true heroic1 this the only ,god-like1 this the real ,divine4 ,from all types of human excellence ,i have made my choice for life and death--,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the approved means of growth the mode of progress4--,speaking the truth in love4 ,truth and love--and these joined4 ,to grow into ,christ we must have both traits of character4 ,would you be like ,christ8 ,cultivate love of beauty and tenderness4 ,his soul was alive to beauty4 ,he noted the rising and setting sun1 the waving corn1 the lily of the field4 ,his was love which insult could not ruffle nor ribaldry embitter1 and which only grew sweeter and sweeter4 ,would you be like ,christ8 ,be true6 ,he never swerved4 ,he was a martyr to truth4 ,would ,he soften down truth for the young man whom ,he loved1 or make it palatable8 ,no2 not for friendship1 not for love1 not for all the lovely things this world has to show4 ,one thing thou lackest3 sell all that thou hast1 and distribute unto the poor1 and thou shalt have treasure in heaven3 and come1 follow ,me 7,mark x4 #ag-bb2 ,luke xviii4 #ag-bc74 ,that was speaking the truth in love4 ,there is no good to be got out from ,christ1 except by being made like him4 ,there is no pardon1 no blessing1 separate from inward improvement4 ,sanctity of character alone blesses4 ,each man is his own hell and his own heaven4 ,god ,himself cannot bless you unless ,he gives you ,his own character4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,law of ,mutual ,dependence4 ,i4 ,this text admonishes us of the manifold instruments and agencies on whose concurrence and harmonious action the prosperity and the perfection of the ,christian ,church depend4--,it likens the ,church to that most complicated1 admirable machine1 the human body1 which only produces its proper results1 the preservation and comfort of human life1 by the healthful tone and right performance of its various powers and functions4 ,we live1 and are at ease1 in virtue of the sound condition and regular operation of all the multitude of parts and organs which compose our corporeal frame4 ,should the heart refuse to circulate the blood1 and to diffuse through all the various channels of inter-communication with the members of the body its life-sustaining pulses1 death ensues in a moment4 ,,ii4 ,the same law of mutual dependence reigns in improved civilised society4--,in man1 social as well as individual1 the body politic and social must prosper1 or its members suffer4 ,the individual too cannot suffer without inflicting1 by so much1 an injury on the community4 ,the ruler and the subject1 the capitalist and the operative1 the merchant1 the farmer1 the scholar and the artisan1 the manufacturer and the sailor1 perform functions alike indispensable to the great result aimed at or desired by all communities4 ,they are mutually dependent1 are indissolubly united in interest by ties not always visible1 but yet real and essential to the well-being of all parties4 ,,iii4 ,i hasten to apply my subject to the ,church1 where the text finds illustration yet more pertinent and affecting4 ,the ,church is a community1 organised1 with special ends to be accomplished1 and endowed with special capabilities and adaptations1 yet having many points of resemblance to human society in general4 ,all the members and all the officers of the ,church are appointed and honoured of ,god to be co-workers with ,himself1 co-agents with the ,holy ,ghost1 in the edification of the body of ,christ4 ,the pastor1 not less in the study1 when he gathers things new and old from holy books and common1 than in the pulpit or in breaking the bread of the sacrament at the altar1 or in the sick-chamber--all the subordinate lay ministries devoted to godly counsel1 to faithful admonition1 or to the management and conversation of the material interests of the ,church--the pious mother nurturing up her children in ,god's love--the sufferer on a bed of languishing1 giving forth blessed examples of patience and resignation and faith--the teacher of the ,sabbath school--they who1 in the ,spirit1 lift up our joyous songs of praise in the sanctuary--all who pray in the closet or in the congregation1 are1 and should be deemed1 essential parts of that good1 great system through whose wondrous1 harmonious working ,god is pleased to renew and sanctify souls and train them up to be heirs of glory4 ,who1 in this great co-partnership for honouring ,christ1 has any ground of complaint8--the foot1 that it is not the head8 the eye1 that it is too feeble to do the functions of the brawny arm8 the ears1 that they cannot do the office of locomotion8 ,every part is indispensable4 ,none can say which is most important in ,god's plan2 and achievements1 ascribed hastily to the eloquence of the preacher1 often stand credited in the record kept above to the prayer of faith4--,dr4 ,olin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ag-bd4 ,a ,thorough ,moral ,transformation-- ,i4 ,contrasted with a former life of sin4--#a4 ,a state of self-induced mental darkness4 ,having the understanding darkened1 4 4 4 because of the blindness of their heart 7ver4 #ah74 ,infidelity is more a moral than a mental obliquity4 ,the mind is darkened because the heart is bad4 ,men do not see the truth because they do not want to see it4 ,the light that would lead to righteousness and to ,god is persistently shut out4 #b4 ,a state of moral insensibility that abandoned the soul to the reckless commission of all kinds of sin4--,who being past feeling have given themselves over 4 4 4 to work all uncleanness with greediness 7ver4 #ai74 ,sin is made difficult to the beginner4 ,the barriers set up by a tender conscience1 the warnings of nature1 the teachings of providence1 the light of revelation1 the living examples of the good1 have all to be broken down4 ,early transgressions are arrested by the remorse they occasion2 but gradually the safeguards are neglected and despised1 until the habit is acquired of sinning for the love of sin4 ,a spirit of recklessness ensues1 the reins are relaxed and then thrown upon the neck of the passions1 and the soul is abandoned to the indulgence of all kinds of iniquity4 ,we are not worst at once4 ,the course of evil ,is of such slight source an infant's hand ,might close its breach with clay2 ,but let the stream get deeper1 and we strive in vain ,to stem the headlong torrent4 #c4 ,a state that rendered all mental activities worthless4--,walk not as other ,gentiles walk1 in the vanity of their mind 7ver4 #ag74 ,the art of right thinking was lost4 ,for the man that will not think1 think clearly and justly1 the calamities and the raptures of life1 the blessing and the curse1 have no meaning4 ,they evoke neither gratitude nor fear4 ,the beauties of nature1 as they sparkle in the stars1 or shine in the flowers1 or gleam in the coloured radiance of the firmament1 are unheeded4 ,the voice of ,god that speaks in the events of daily life has no lesson for him4 ,the senses1 which are intended as the avenues of light and teaching to the soul1 are dulled by inaction1 clogged by supine indifference1 and polluted and damaged by inveterate sin4 ,when the reason is poisoned at its source1 all its deductions are aimless and worthless4 ,,ii4 ,effected by the personal knowledge of the truth in ,christ4--,but ye have not so learned ,christ1 4 4 4 as the truth is in ,jesus 7vers4 #bj1 #ba74 ,the ,gospel has introduced to the world the principles of a great moral change4 ,it announces ,christ as the light of the world--a light that shines through all the realms of human life4 ,the diseased reason is restored to health1 the intellectual faculties have now a theme worthy of their noblest exercise1 and are made stronger and more reliable by being employed on such a theme1 and the moral nature is lifted into a purer region of thought and experience4 ,the world is to be transformed by the moral transformation of the individual1 and that transformation is effected only by the truth and a personal faith in ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,involves the renunciation of the corrupting elements of the former life4--,that ye put off 4 4 4 the old man1 which is corrupt 7ver4 #bb74 ,the inward change is evidenced by the outward life4 ,the old man dies1 being conquered by the new4 ,corruption and decay marked every feature of the old ,gentile life4 ,it was gangrened with vice4 ,it was a life of fleshly pleasure1 and could end in only one way--in disappointment and misery4 ,the new moral order inaugurated by the ,gospel of ,christ effected a revolution in human affairs1 and the corrupting elements of the old order must be weeded out and put away4 ,an excellent man in ,london kept an institution near the ,seven ,dials at his own expense4 ,he spent his nights in bringing the homeless boys from the streets into it4 ,when they came in he photographed them1 and then they were washed1 clothed1 and educated4 ,when he sent one out1 having taught him a trade1 he photographed him again4 ,the change was marvellous1 and was a constant reminder of what had been done for him4 ,the change effected in us by the grace of ,god not only contrasts with our former life1 but should teach us to hate and put away its corrupting sins4 ,,iv4 ,evidenced in investing the soul with the new life ,divinely created and constantly receiving progressive renewal by the ,spirit 7vers4 #bc1 #bd74--;,it is a continual rejuvenation the apostle describes2 the verb is present in tense1 and the newness implied is that of recency and youth1 newness in point of age4 ,but the new man to be put on is of a new kind and order4 ,it is put on when the ,christian way of life is adopted1 when we enter personally into the new humanity founded in ,christ4 ,thus two distinct conceptions of the life of faith are placed before our minds4 ,it consists1 on the one hand1 of a quickening constantly renewed in the springs of our individual thought and will2 and it is at the same time the assumption of another nature1 the investiture of the soul with the ,divine character and form of its being4 ,the inward reception of ,christ's ,spirit is attended by the outward assumption of ,his character as our calling amongst men4 ,the man of the coming times will not be atheistic or agnostic2 he will be devout2 not practising the world's ethics with the ,christian's creed2 he will be upright and generous1 manly and ,god-like 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,religion is a complete renewal of the soul4 #b4 ,the soul is renewed by the instrumentality of the truth4 #c4 ,the renewal of the soul is the renewal of the outward life4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ag-ai4 ,the ,gentile ,life--a ,warning4 ,i4 ,the ,gentiles walked in the vanity of their minds4--,the false deities the ,gentiles worshipped are called vanities4 ,the prevalence of idolatry is a melancholy proof of the depravity of human nature4 ,atheism and idolatry proceed not from the want of sufficient evidence that there is one eternal1 all-perfect ,being1 but from that corruption of heart which blinds the understanding and perverts the judgment4 ,,ii4 ,the heathens were darkened in their understanding4--,not in respect of natural things1 for in useful arts and liberal sciences many of them greatly excelled2 but in respect of moral truth and obligation4 ,their darkness was owing1 not solely to the want of revelation1 but to the want of an honest and good heart4 ,religion consists not merely in a knowledge of and assent to ,divine truths1 but in such conformity of heart to their nature and design1 and in such a view of their reality and importance as will bring the whole man under their government4 ,,iii4 ,they were alienated from the life of ,god4--,they walked according to the course of the world1 not according to the will of ,god4 ,their alienation was through ignorance4 ,particular wrong actions may be excused on the ground of unavoidable ignorance4 ,this ignorance had its foundation in the obstinacy and perverseness of the mind4 ,such a kind of ignorance1 being in itself criminal1 will not excuse the sins which follow from it4 ,,iv4 ,they were become past feeling4--,this is elsewhere expressed by a conscience seared with a hot iron4 ,by a course of iniquity the sinner acquires strong habits of vice4 ,as vicious habits gain strength1 fear1 shame1 and remorse abate4 ,repeated violations of conscience blunt its sensibility and break its power4 ,v4 ,they gave themselves over to lasciviousness4--,if we break over the restraints the ,gospel lays upon is1 and mock the terrors it holds up to our view1 we not only discover a great vitiosity of mind1 but run to greater lengths in the practice of iniquity4 ,as water1 when it has broken through its mounds1 rushes on with more impetuous force than the natural stream1 so the corruptions of the human heart1 when they have borne down the restraints of religion1 press forward with more violent rapidity1 and make more awful devastation in the soul than where these restraints had never been known4 ,reflections4--#a4 ,how extremely dangerous it is to continue in sin under the ,gospel4 #b4 ,you have need to guard against the beginnings of sin4 #c4 ,christians must be watchful lest they be led away by the influence of corrupt example4 #d4 ,religion lies much in the temper of the mind4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #ag1 #ah4 ,the ,life of ,god4 ,i4 ,there is but one righteousness1 the life of ,god2 there is but one sin1 and that is being alienated from the life of ,god4--,one man may commit different sorts of sins from another--one may lie1 another may steal2 one may be proud1 another may be covetous2 but all these different sins come from the same root of sin1 they are all flowers off the same plant4 ,and ,st4 ,paul tells us what that one root of sin1 what that same devil's plant1 is1 which produces all sin in ,christian brethren4 ,it is that we are every one of us worse than we ought to be1 worse than we know how to be1 and1 strangest of all1 worse that we wish or like to be4 ,just as far as we are like the heathen of old1 we shall be worse than we know how to be4 ,for we are all ready enough to turn heathens again1 at any moment4 ,they were alienated from the life of ,god--that is1 they became strangers to ,god's life2 they forgot what ,god's life and character was like2 or if they even did awake a moment1 and recollect dimly what ,god was like1 they hated that thought4 ,they hated to think that ,god was what ,he was1 and shut their eyes and stopped their ears as fast as possible4 ,and what happened to them in the meantime8 ,what was the fruit of their wilfully forgetting what ,god's life was8 ,st4 ,paul tells us that they fell into the most horrible sins--sins too dreadful and shameful to be spoken of2 and that their common life1 even when they did not run into such fearful evils1 was profligate1 fierce1 and miserable4 ,and yet ,st4 ,paul tells us all the while they knew the judgment of ,god1 that those who do such things are worthy of death4 ,,ii4 ,these men saw that man ought to be like ,god2 they saw that ,god was righteous and good2 and they saw1 therefore1 that unrighteousness and sin must end in ruin and everlasting misery4--,so much ,god had taught them1 but not much more2 but to ,st4 ,paul ,he had taught more4 ,those wise and righteous heathen could show their sinful neighbours that sin was death1 and that ,god was righteous2 but they could not tell them how to rise out of the death of sin into ,god's life of righteousness4 ,they could preach the terrors of the law1 but they did not know the good news of the ,gospel1 and therefore they did not succeed2 they did not convert their neighbours to ,god4 ,then came ,st4 ,paul and preached to the very same people1 and he did convert them to ,god2 for he had good news for them1 of things which prophets and kings had desired to see1 and had not seen themselves1 and to hear1 and had not heard them4 ,and so ,god1 and the life of ,god1 was manifested in the flesh and reasonable soul of a man2 and from that time there is no doubt what the life of ,god is1 for the life of ,god is the life of ,christ4 ,there is no doubt now what ,god is like1 for ,god is like ,jesus ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,now what is the everlasting life of ,god1 which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ lived perfectly1 and which ,he can and will make every one of us live1 in proportion as we give up our hearts and wills to ,him1 and ask ,him to take charge of us and shape us and teach us8 ,and ,god is perfect love1 because ,he is perfect righteousness2 for ,his love and ,his justice are not two different things1 two different parts of ,god1 as some say1 who fancy that ,god's justice had to be satisfied in one way and ,his love in another1 and talk of ,god as if ,his justice fought against ,his love1 and desired the death of a sinner1 and then ,his love fought against ,his justice1 and desired to save a sinner4 ,the old heathen did not like such a life1 therefore they did not like to retain ,god in their knowledge4 ,they knew that man ought to be like ,god2 and ,st4 ,paul says they ought to have known what ,god was like--that ,he was love2 for ,st4 ,paul told them ,he left not ,himself without witness1 in that ,he sent rain and fruitful seasons1 filling their hearts with food and gladness4 ,that was1 in ,st4 ,paul's eyes1 ,god's plainest witness of ,himself--the sign that ,god was love1 making ,his sun shine on the just and on the unjust1 and good to the unthankful and the evil--in one word1 perfect1 because ,he is perfect love4 ,but they preferred to be selfish1 covetous1 envious1 revengeful1 delighting to indulge themselves in filthy pleasures1 to oppress and defraud each other4 ,,iv4 ,god is love4--,as ,i told you just now1 the heathen of old might have known that1 if they chose to open their eyes and see4 ,but they would not see4 ,they were dark1 cruel1 and unloving1 and therefore they fancied that ,god was dark1 cruel1 and unloving also4 ,they did not love love1 and therefore they did not love ,god1 for ,god is love4 ,and therefore they did not love each other1 but lived in hatred and suspicion and selfishness and darkness4 ,they were but heathen4 ,but if even they ought to have known that ,god was love1 how much more we8 ,for we know of a deed of ,god's love1 such as those poor heathen never dreamed of4 ,and then1 if we have ,god abiding with us1 and filling us with ,his eternal life1 what more do we need for life1 or death1 or eternity1 or eternities of eternities8 ,for we shall live in and with and by ,god1 who can never die or change1 an everlasting life of love4--,c4 ,kingsley4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,past ,feeling4--#a4 ,though original sin has seized upon the whole soul1 yet the ,lord has kept so much knowledge of ,himself and of right and wrong in the understanding of men as they may know when they sin1 and so much of conscience as to accuse or excuse according to the nature of the fact1 whereupon follows grief or joy in their affections4 ,wicked men may arrive at such a height of sin as to have no sense of sin1 no grief1 nor check1 nor challenge from conscience from it4 #b4 ,a watchful conscience doing its duty is the strongest restraint from sin2 and where that is not1 all other restraints will serve for little purpose4 ,for a man to be given over to lasciviousness without check or challenge argues a great height of impiety4 #c4 ,as upon senseless stupidity of conscience there follows an unsatiableness in sinning especially in the sin of uncleanness1 so when a man comes to this1 he is then arrived at the greatest height of sin unto which the heathens1 destitute of the knowledge of ,god1 ever attained4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #bj-bd4 ,putting off the ,old ,nature and putting on the ,new4 ,i4 ,the change here spoken of is radically seated in the mind4--,these terms do not import the creation of new powers and faculties1 but the introduction of new tempers and qualities4 ,the renovation enlightens the eyes of the understanding1 and gives new apprehensions of ,divine things4 ,it purifies the affections and directs them to their proper objects4 ,there are new purposes and resolutions4 ,,ii4 ,he who is renewed puts off the old man4--,the new spirit is opposite to sin and strives against it4 ,the ,christian mortifies the affections and lusts of the flesh because he has found them deceitful4 ,he in deliberate and hearty purpose renounces all sin4 ,he abstains from the appearance of evil4 ,,iii4 ,he puts on the new man4--,as the former signifies a corrupt temper and conversation1 so the latter must intend a holy and virtuous disposition and character4 ,the new man is renewed in righteousness and true holiness4 ,he not only ceases to do evil1 but learns to do well4 ,,iv4 ,the pattern according to which the new man is formed is the image of ,god4--,the likeness must be understood with limitations4 ,the image of ,god in us bears no resemblance to the perfections in the ,divine nature1 such as immensity1 immutability1 and independence4 ,there are some essential properties of the new man to which there is nothing analogous in the ,deity4 ,reverence1 obedience1 trust1 and resignation are excellencies in rational creatures2 but cannot be ascribed to the ,creator4 ,in those moral perfections in which the new man is made like ,god there is only a faint resemblance1 not an equality4 ,the new man resembles ,god in mercy and goodness1 in holiness1 in truth4 ,v4 ,this great change is effected by the ,gospel4--,it was the consequence of their having learned ,christ4 ,the first production and improvement of this change is the work of ,divine grace1 and the ,spirit of ,god works on the soul by means of the ,word4 ,to this change the use of means and the grace of ,god are both necessary4 ,,vi4 ,the change is great4--,let none imagine he is a subject of this change merely because he entertains some new sentiments1 feels transient emotions1 or has renounced some of his former guilty practices4 ,the real nature and essence of conversion is the same in all4--,lathrop4 ,religious ,affections are attended with a ,change of ,nature4 ,i4 ,what is conversion8--#a4 ,a change of nature4 #b4 ,a permanent change4 #c4 ,a universal change4 #d4 ,a union of ,god's spirit with the faculties of the soul4 #e4 ,christ by ,his grace savingly lives in the soul4 ,,ii4 ,its connection with sanctification4--#a4 ,all the affections and discoveries subsequent to the first conversion are transforming4 #b4 ,this transformation of nature is continuous until the end of life1 when it is brought to perfection in glory4 ,,iii4 ,reflections4--#a4 ,allowance must be made for the natural temper4 #b4 ,affections which have no abiding effect are not spiritual and gracious4 #c4 ,in some way it will be evident1 even to others1 that the true disciple has been with ,jesus4--,lewis ,o4 ,thompson4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,the ,christian ,spirit1 a ,new ,spirit4 ,i4 ,there are some changes in men which come not up to the renewed spirit1 and yet are too often rested in4--#a4 ,the assuming of a new name and profession is a very different thing from a saving change in the temper of the mind4 ,we may be of any profession1 and yet be unrenewed4 ,people value themselves upon wearing the ,christian name1 instead of that of ,pagan1 or ,jew1 or ,mahometan2 or upon being styled ,papists or ,protestants2 or upon their attaching themselves to one or another noted party1 into which these are subdivided1 and upon such a new appellation they are too ready to imagine that they are new men3 whereas we may go the round of all professions1 and still have the old nature remaining in full force4 #b4 ,a bare restraint upon the corrupt spirit and temper will not come up to this renovation1 though the one may sometimes be mistaken for the other4 ,the light of nature may possess conscience against many evils1 or a sober education lay such a bridle upon the corrupt inclination as will keep it in for a season1 the fear of punishment or of shame and reproach may suppress the outward criminal act1 while the heart is full of ravening and wickedness4 ,therefore1 though it is a plain sign of an unrenewed mind if a man live in any course of gross sin1 yet it is not safe to conclude merely from restraints that a man is truly renewed4 #c4 ,a partial change in the temper itself will not amount to such a renovation as makes a true ,christian4 ,indeed1 in one sense the change is but partial in any in this life2 there will be remains of disorder in all the powers of the soul1 so as to exclude a pretence to absolute perfection4 ,it is not enough to have the mind filled with sound knowledge and useful notions1 nor barely to give a dead assent to the doctrines of the ,gospel1 unless we believe with the heart1 and the will and affections be brought under the power of those truths2 and even here there may be some alteration1 and yet a man not be renewed4 ,nor is it sufficient that we should find ourselves disposed to some parts of goodness1 while our hearts are utterly averse to others which are equally plain4 ,and therefore1 though we should be of a courteous1 peaceable1 and kind temper towards men2 though we should be inclined to practise justice1 liberality1 truth1 and honesty in our transactions with them1 and to temperance and chastity in our personal conduct2 though these are excellent branches of the ,christian spirit2 yet if there be not a right temper towards ,god also1 if the fear and love of ,god are not the ruling principles of the soul1 there is an essential defect in the ,christian spirit4 ,,ii4 ,a particular view of this renovation in some principal acts of the mind4--#a4 ,the mind comes to have different apprehensions of things1 such as it had not before4 ,the new creation begins with light1 as the old is represented to do4 ,light bearing in1 and the mind being fixed in attention1 man discerns the great corruption of his heart1 and the badness of the principles and ends which governed him in the appearances of goodness1 upon which he valued himself before4 ,and so the excellency and suitableness of ,christ1 in all ,his offices1 and the necessity of real1 inward holiness1 appear in quite another manner to his soul than hitherto4 #b4 ,the practical judgment is altered4 ,this light1 shining with clearness and strength into the mind1 unsettles and changes the whole practical judgment by which a man suffered himself to be governed before in the matters of his soul4 ,he judges those truths of religion to be real which once had no more force with him than doubtful conclusions1 and accordingly he cannot satisfy himself any longer barely not to disbelieve them1 but gives a firm and lively assent to them4 #c4 ,a new turn is given to the reasoning faculty1 and a new use made of it4 ,when the ,word of ,god is mighty it casts down imaginations2 so we render the original word 7#b ,cor4 x4 #e74 ,it properly signifies reasonings4 ,not that the faculty itself is altered1 or that when men begin to be religious they lay aside reasoning2 then in truth they act with the highest reason2 they reason most justly and most worthy of their natures4 ,but now the wrong bias1 which was upon the reasoning faculty from old prejudices and headstrong inclinations1 is in a good measure taken off2 so that instead of its being pressed at all adventures into the service of sin1 it is employed a better way1 and concludes with more truth and impartiality4 #d4 ,there is an alteration in man's governing aim1 or chief end4 ,this is like the centre1 to which all inferior aims and particular pursuits tend4 ,the original end of a reasonable creature must be to enjoy the favour of ,god as his supreme happiness1 to be acceptable and pleasing to ,him4 ,by the disposition of depraved nature we are gone off from this centre1 and have changed our bias1 from ,god to created good1 to the pleasing of the flesh1 to the gratification of our own humour1 or to the obtaining of some present satisfaction1 according to the prevailing dictate of fancy or appetite4 ,this makes the greatest turn that can be in the spirit of the mind2 all must be out of course till this be set right4 ,now it is the most essential part of the new nature to bring a sinner in this respect to himself1 that is1 to bring him back to ,god4 ,all the light he receives1 all the rectification of his judgment1 is in order to this2 and when this is well settled1 everything else1 which was out of course before1 will return to its right channel4 #e4 ,there is hereupon a new determination to such a course of acting as will most effectually secure this end4 ,as long as this world is the chief good which a man has in view1 he contrives the best ways he can think of to promote his particular ends in it4 ,but when the favour of ,god comes to have the principal share in his esteem1 he carefully examines and heartily consents to the prescribed terms of making that sure4 ,now he is desirous to be found in ,christ upon any terms4 #f4 ,the exercise of the affections becomes very different4 ,a change will appear in this respect1 through the different turns of his condition as well as in the prevailing tenor of his practice4 ,while a man is a stranger to ,god and blind to the interests of his soul1 he is little concerned how matters lie between ,god and him4 ,but a sinner come to himself is most tenderly concerned at anything that renders his interests in ,god doubtful or brings his covenant-relation into question2 and nothing sets the springs of godly sorrow flowing so much as the consciousness of guilt1 or of any unworthy behaviour to ,god4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,let us seriously examine our own minds1 whether we can discern such an alteration made in our spirit4 #b4 ,if we must answer in the negative1 or have just ground to fear it1 yet let us not despair of a change still1 but apply ourselves speedily in the appointed way to seek after it4 #c4 ,let the best retain a sense of the imperfection of the new nature in them1 and of their obligation still to cultivate it1 till it arrive at perfection4--,dr4 ,evans4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #be-cb4 ,christian ,principles applied to ,common ,life4 ,let us put these principles into the form of concrete precepts4 ,i4 ,be truthful4--,putting away lying1 speak every man truth1 4 4 4 for we are members one of another 7ver4 #be74 ,society is so clearly welded together and interdependent that the evil effects of a falsehood not only damage others but rebound ultimately towards the man who uttered it4 ,a lie is a breach of promise2 for whosoever seriously addresses his discourse to another tacitly promises to speak the truth1 because he knows the truth is expected4 ,truth never was indebted to a lie4 ,in the records of all human affairs1 writes ,froude1 it cannot be too often insisted on that two kinds of truths run for ever side by side1 or rather crossing in and out with each other form the warp and woof of the coloured web we call history3 the one the literal and eternal truths corresponding to the eternal and as yet undiscovered laws of fact2 the other the truths of feeling and thought1 which embody themselves either in distorted pictures of outward things or in some entirely new creation--sometimes moulding and shaping history2 sometimes taking the form of heroic biography1 tradition1 or popular legend4 ,,ii4 ,avoid sinful anger4--,be ye angry1 and sin not3 4 4 4 neither give place to the devil 7vers4 #bf1 #bg74 ,anger is not forbidden4 ,a nature ardent for truth and justice burns with indignation against cruelty and wrong4 ,but it is a dangerous passion even for the best of men1 and is apt to exceed the limits of prudence and affection4 ,to nurse our wrath and brood over our imagined wrongs is to give place to the devil1 who is ever near to blow up the dying embers of our anger4 ,plutarch tells us it was an ancient rule of the ,pythagoreans that1 if at any time they happened to be provoked by anger to abusive language1 before the sun set they would take each other's hands1 and embracing make up their quarrel4 ,the ,christian must not be behind the pagan in placability and forgiveness4 ,,iii4 ,be honest4--,let him that stole steal no more3 but rather let him labour 7ver4 #bh74 ,laziness is a fruitful source of dishonesty1 and is itself dishonest4 ,there are sensitive natures to whom it is very difficult to be dishonest4 ,in ,abraham ,lincoln's youthful days he was a storekeeper's clerk4 ,once1 after he had sold a woman a little bill of goods and received the money1 he found on looking over the account again that she had given him six and a quarter cents too much4 ,the money burned in his hands until he had locked the shop and started on a walk of several miles in the night to make restitution before he slept4 ,on another occasion1 after weighing and delivering a pound of tea1 he found a small weight upon the scales4 ,he immediately weighed out the quantity of tea which he had innocently defrauded the customer1 and went in search for her1 his sensitive conscience not permitting any delay4 ,the thief is not reformed and made an industrious worker by simply showing him the advantages of honesty4 ,the apostle appeals to a higher motive--sympathy for the needy--,that he may have to give to him that needeth4 ,let the spirit of love and brotherhood be aroused1 and the indolent become diligent1 the pilferer honest4 ,,iv4 ,be circumspect in speech4--,let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth 7ver4 #bi74 ,the possession of a human tongue is an immense responsibility4 ,infinite good or mischief lies in its power4 ,the apostle does not simply forbid injurious words2 he puts an embargo on all that is not positively useful4 ,not that he requires all ,christian speech to be grave and serious4 ,it is the mere talk1 whether frivolous or pompous--spoken from the pulpit or the easy-chair--the incontinence of tongue1 the flux of senseless1 graceless1 unprofitable utterance1 that he desires to arrest 7,findlay74 ,v4 ,grieve not the ,holy ,spirit 7ver4 #cj74--,perhaps in nothing do we grieve the ,spirit more than by foolish and unprofitable speech1 or by listening willingly and without protest to idle gossip and uncharitable backbiting4 ,his sealing of our hearts becomes fainter1 and our spiritual life declines1 as we become indiscreet and vain in speech4 ,,vi4 ,guard against a malicious disposition4--,let all bitterness1 wrath1 anger1 clamour1 and evil speaking be put away1 with all malice 7ver4 #ca74 ,malice is badness of disposition1 the aptness to envy and hatred1 which apart from any special occasion is always ready to break out in bitterness and wrath4 ,bitterness is malice sharpened to a point and directed against the exasperating object4 ,wrath and anger are synonymous1 the former being the passionate outburst of resentment in rage1 the latter the settled indignation of the aggrieved soul4 ,clamour and railing give audible expression to these and their kindred tempers4 ,clamour is a loud self-assertion of the angry man who will make every one hear his grievance2 while the railer carries the war of the tongue into his enemy's camp and vents his displeasure in abuse and insult4 ,never to return evil for evil and railing for railing1 but contrariwise blessing--this is one of the lessons most difficult to flesh and blood 7,findlay74 ,,vii4 ,cherish a forgiving spirit4--,be ye kind1 4 4 4 forgiving one another1 even as ,god hath forgiven you 7ver4 #cb74 ,it is man-like to resent an injury2 it is ,christ-like to forgive it4 ,it is a triumph of ,divine grace when the man who has suffered the injury is the most eager to effect a reconciliation4 ,dean ,hook relates he was once asked to see a gentleman who had ill-treated him4 ,found him very thin and ill4 ,told me that he was conscious that his feelings and conduct had not been towards me what they ought to have been for years4 ,i told him that whenever there was a quarrel there were sure to be faults on both sides1 and that there must be no question as to the more or less1 but the forgiveness must be mutual4 ,i kissed his hand1 and we wept and prayed together4 ,o ,god1 have mercy on him and me for ,jesu's sake6 ,i have had a taste of heaven where part of our joy will surely consist in our reconciliations4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,religion governs the whole man4 #b4 ,true religion is intensely practical4 #c4 ,religion gives a nameless charm to the commonest duties4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #be4 ,truth between ,man and ,man4 ,i4 ,the duty of veracity here recommended4--#a4 ,truth is to be observed in common conversation4 ,people have more special need1 in some respects1 to be admonished of their obligations inviolably to maintain truth here2 for many are more ready to allow themselves to transgress in what they account trivial instances than upon solemn occasions2 and yet by such beginnings way is made for the disregard of truth1 in the most considerable matters1 in process of time4 #b4 ,truth should be maintained in bearing testimony4 ,a conscientious regard to truth will engage us to be very careful that we spread nothing to the lessening or reproach of our neighbour of which we have not good assurance2 that we publish not a defamation upon hearsay1 nor take up1 without sufficient grounds1 a report against our neighbour4 ,if we are called to give public testimony between man and man1 a sincere respect to truth will engage us to a careful recollection1 before we give our testimony1 as to what we can say upon the matter4 ,it will dispose to lay aside affection on one hand and prejudice on the other1 and impartially to relate the true state of things as far as we can bear witness to them1 nakedly to represent facts as they have come within our notice4 #c4 ,truth must be exercised in our promises and engagements1 and veracity requires two things in relation to them3 7#a7 ,that we really intend to perform them when they are made2 7#b7 ,that we are careful of performance after they are made4 ,,ii4 ,the reason the apostle gives for the inviolable maintenance of truth3 because we are members one of another4--#a4 ,this argument is applicable to mankind in general4 ,we are members one of another1 as we partake of the same human nature1 and in that respect are upon a level4 ,we are members of society in common1 entitled to the same rights1 claims1 and expectations one from another as men1 and are mutually helpful and subservient as the members of the body are to each other2 and the principal link that holds us together is mutual confidence1 founded upon the hope of common fidelity4 ,now1 lying makes void and useless the great instrument of society1 the faculty of speech or writing4 ,the power of speech was given us by our ,creator1 and the art of writing1 since found out1 on purpose that we might be able so to convey our sense to others1 that they may discern it1 where we pretend to express it1 just as if they were so far privy to what passed in our minds4 ,and unless truth be inviolably observed in everything1 the bonds of human society cannot fail to be weakened4 #b4 ,this argument may be particularly applicable to ,christians4 ,we are members one of another in a more distinguishing sense1 as we belong to the body of ,christ4 ,and this lays additional engagements upon all the visible members of that body to put away lying and to speak the truth one to the other1--in conformity to the common ,father1 to whom we belong1 who is eminently styled a ,god of truth2 in conformity to our head the ,lord ,jesus1 there should be a strict observation of truth among ,christians2 in conformity to the ,spirit that animates us1 who is eminently described by this attribute1 the ,spirit of truth4 ,inferences4--#a4 ,this is one remarkable evidence how much ,christianity is calculated for the benefit of mankind and the good of society at present1 as well as for our everlasting welfare1 in that it so strictly enjoins and enforces the exacted regard of truth4 #b4 ,we see thence upon how good reason the ,christian religion strictly forbids common swearing4 #c4 ,all that name the name of ,christ are concerned to see that they comply with the exhortation4 #d4 ,christians should do all they can to promote truth among others1 both for the honour of ,god1 and the spiritual and eternal good of their neighbours1 and the general interest of society4--,jeremiah ,seed4 ,the ,sin of ,falsehood4 ,i4 ,there are cases in which one may speak that which is not true and yet not be chargeable with lying1 for he may have no intention to deceive4 ,,ii4 ,the grossest kind of lying1 or speaking a known falsehood under the awful solemnity of an oath4--,men violate truth when they affix to words an arbitrary meaning or make in their own minds certain secret reservations with a design to disguise facts and deceive the hearers4 ,when we express doubtful matters in terms and with an air of assurance1 we may materially injure as well as grossly deceive our neighbour4 ,men are guilty of malicious falsehood when they repeat with romantic additions and fictitious embellishments the stories they have heard of a neighbour that they may excite against him severer ridicule or cast on his character a darker stain4 ,men may utter a falsehood by the tone of their voice1 while their words are literally true4 ,,iii4 ,we are bound to speak truth in our common and familiar conversation4--,we must speak truth in our commerce with one another4 ,in giving public testimony we must be careful to say nothing but truth1 and conceal no part of the truth4 ,we must adhere to truth when we speak of men's actions or characters4 ,we must observe truth in our promises4 ,,iv4 ,a regard to truth is a necessary part of the ,christian character4--,deceitfulness is contrary1 not only to the express commands of the ,gospel1 but to the dictates of natural conscience4 ,v4 ,the argument the apostle urges for the maintenance of truth4--,we are members one of another4 ,as men we are members one of another4 ,as ,christians we are children of the same ,god1 the ,god of truth2 we are disciples of the same ,lord1 the faithful and true ,witness4 ,if we walk in guile and deceit1 if we practise vile arts of dishonesty1 we contradict our human and our ,christian character4 ,we see the danger of profane language1 as it leads to the grossest kind of falsehood1 even to perjury in public testimony4 ,we see how dangerous it is to practise those diversions which are attended with temptations to fraud4--,lathrop4 ,college ,life4 ,for we are members one of another4 ,i4 ,it is for us who govern and teach to remember how great is our responsibility in those respects4--,we are not merely instructors but educators of youth4 ,the question of what books we use or what vehicles of teaching we employ sinks into insignificance compared with the question what end it is we design in our teaching4 ,are we prepared to abdicate our higher functions of educators and to sink down to the lower one of teachers8 ,must we not1 if we are are true to our calling1 strive to instil into you that manliness which springs from the fear of ,god1 that truthfulness which is seen in the frank look and unshrinking eye1 that obedience which is rendered in no spirit of servility as unto the ,lord and not as unto men1 that self-mastery which is the foundation of all wisdom and all power8 ,if the soul is of more value than the body1 if the life to come is of more importance than the life that now is1 if the knowledge of ,god and ,his ,christ is infinitely more precious than all the knowledge of this world and all the distinction to which it leads--then there can be no question that education is infinitely before instruction1 that principles are higher than knowledge1 that knowledge is only of value in proportion as it is pervaded and sanctified by the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,but precept without example is powerless4 ,a man whose life is pure and high may not open his lips1 yet his very silence shall be eloquent for ,god4 ,day by day a virtue is going out of him2 day by day he is giving strength to one who is wrestling with doubt or temptation2 day by day he is a beacon to those who are tossed on the waves of irresolution and uncertainty4 ,the teacher1 if he is to produce a powerful moral effect1 if he is to mould character1 if he is to leave an impress upon the minds and hearts of those whom he teaches1 must be what he teaches1 must live what he inculcates4 ,,ii4 ,and now ,i would place before you your duties4--#a4 ,keep distinctly before you the end and aim of your coming here--the ministry of ,christ's ,church4 #b4 ,you are members of a community4 ,you are all united to one another4 ,you have all common pursuits1 common ends1 common interests4 ,you may all help greatly to make or to mar the lives and characters of those with whom you are in such constant and daily intercourse4 ,let this consideration have its full weight with you4 ,be but true to yourselves1 and to the ,god who has called you to the knowledge of ,himself and ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 and by you this college shall grow and prosper4 ,if principles and aims such as those ,i have endeavoured to indicate prevail in a college1 there will be a real and substantial harmony between those who govern and those who are governed4 ,let us strive one and all1 teachers and taught1 to make this our college a college of which none can be ashamed4--,j4 ,j4 ,stewart ,perowne 7preached on the forty-sixth anniversary of ,st4 ,david's ,college1 ,lampeter74 ,vers4 #bf1 #bg4 ,sinful ,anger4 ,i4 ,these words are not an injunction to be angry1 but a caution not to sin when we are angry4--,as there is in our nature a principle of resentment against injury1 so there is in us a virtuous temper1 a holy displeasure against moral evil4 ,,ii4 ,anger is sinful when it rises without cause4--,rash anger is sinful4 ,anger is sinful when it breaks out into indecent1 reviling1 and reproachful language2 when it promotes to designs or acts of revenge2 when it settles into malice4 ,,iii4 ,neither give place to the devil4--,see that you subdue your lusts and rule your spirits4 ,arm yourselves with the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the ,word of ,god4 ,take time to consider whether any motive suggested in favour of sin is so powerful as the arguments the ,scriptures offer against it4 ,our greatest danger is from ourselves4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,anger and ,meekness4 ,i4 ,in what cases our anger may be innocently indulged4--#a4 ,on the approach of any injurious aggressor threatening our destruction1 or using any act of violence that may endanger our safety4 #b4 ,how far soever the harsh gratings of anger may seem to be removed from the soft motions of benevolence1 yet these sometimes1 as oil does to steel1 give an edge to our resentment2 where it will be found not only innocent and excusable1 but even commendable and generous4 ,as in the natural system of the world there are some repelling qualities1 which yet must conspire to aid the grand power of attraction2 so even those passions which1 considered in a simple view1 have but an unfriendly and unsociable aspect1 are yet1 in their general comprehension1 aiding and assisting to preserve inviolable the bonds of the great community4 #c4 ,our anger is apt to kindle at the apprehension of a slight or an affront1 a contempt or reproach thrown upon us2 on which occasions1 if the apprehension be well grounded1 our resentment1 to a certain degree1 must be allowed to be excusable1 and so not sinful4 ,our tameness in these instances would be construed into stupidity1 and be treated as such by the pert and petulant4 #d4 ,we may not only be angry without sinning in the instances alleged1 as we sometimes may sin in not being angry4 ,god1 who designed human society1 designed the good of it2 and that good to be promoted by every individual to the utmost of his power4 ,hereby there is tacitly committed to every man a kind of trust and guardianship of virtue whose rights he is obliged to support and maintain in proportion to his abilities2 not only by example1 by advice and exhortation1 but even by reproof and resentment1 suitable to the circumstances of the offender and the offence4 ,,ii4 ,when our anger becomes intemperate and unlawful4--#a4 ,when it breaks out into outrageous actions2 for then1 like a boisterous wind1 it quite puts out that light which should guide our feet in the way of peace2 it dethrones our reason1 and suspends its exercise4 ,an extravagance of this kind is the more dangerous1 and therefore the more sinful1 because1 though the impulse of passion should meet with no opposition to inflame it--which1 however1 is generally the case--yet1 when it has worked the blood into so violent a ferment1 it is apt of itself to redouble its force4 ,and no one can tell what fury1 wound up to the highest pitch1 may produce4 #b4 ,anger becomes unlawful when it vents itself in unseemly and reviling language4 ,it were to be wished that those who have such a peculiar delicacy of feeling when they are affronted would abstain from all appearance of an affrontive and disrespectful behaviour to others2 that they who are so quick to receive would be as slow to give an affront4 ,on the contrary it often happens that they only feel for themselves2 they are not the least sensible of the indignities offered to others4 ,how frequently do those who are highly enraged pass a general and undistinguishing censure upon a man's character8 #c4 ,we are not always to judge of the sinfulness of anger from the open and undignified appearance of it1 either in our words or actions2 it may be concealed and treasured up in our thoughts1 and yet retain as much malignity as when it immediately breaks out and discovers itself in contumelious language or acts of violence4 ,for by brooding in the mind it becomes the parent of a very untoward issue1 malice1 and hatred4 ,malice is a cool and deliberate resentment2 but sometimes more keen and malevolent than that which is rash and precipitate4 ,it is like a massive stone1 slowly raised1 but threatening the greater danger to him on whom it shall fall4 ,anger is yet sinful when encouraged in our thoughts to the degree of hatred4 ,,iii4 ,consider its opposite virtue1 meekness4--,meekness1 is1 as ,aristotle long ago defined it1 a due mean between tameness and stupidity on the one hand1 and rage and fury on the other4 ,it is not absolute freedom from passion1 but such a command over it as to prevent our being transported beyond the bounds of humanity and good sense4 ,it is this virtue which1 if it does not give a man such a glaring and shining figure as some other good qualities1 yet constitutes the most lovely1 beautiful1 and agreeable character1 and gains unenvied praise4 #a4 ,a meek man will have sense enough to know when he is injured1 and spirit enough to resent it2 but then he will consider whether he can do more good by openly resenting the offence and punishing the offender than by overlooking it and passing it by4 #b4 ,a man of meek temper will distinguish between a man's general standing sentiments when he is perfectly calm and undisturbed and his occasional sentiments when his spirits are ruffled and overheated4 #c4 ,a meek man will never be angry with a person for telling him what he imagines to be a fault in him1 provided it be done in a private manner1 and the advice be conveyed in the most palatable vehicle4 #d4 ,a man of a meek spirit is glad to be reconciled to the person who has offended or injured him1 and therefore is ready to hearken to all overtures of accommodation4 ,a meek man will show such an inclination and readiness to forgive the offences of others as if he had perpetual need of the same indulgence1 but will so carefully avoid giving the least offence as if it might be thought he would forgive nobody4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,let us endeavour to acquire a greatness of mind3 by this ,i do not mean arrogance1 for that bespeaks a little mind--a mind that can reflect on nothing within itself that looks great except arrogance2 but a true greatness of mind arises from a true judgment of things1 and a noble ascendency of the soul inclining us to act above what is barely our duty4 ,it is rising to the sublime in virtue4 ,this will create a reverence for ourselves1 and will set us as far above the mean gratification of giving any real occasion of passion to others1 as of being susceptible of it when an occasion may be given to us4 #b4 ,one of the ancients said that he had gained one advantage from philosophy3 that it had brought him to wonder at nothing4 ,but it looks as if we1 the generality of us1 were strangers in the world2 we are ever expressing our surprise and wonder at everything2 and thus surprise prepares the way for passion4 ,we wonder that we should meet with such a behaviour1 such a treatment1 such an affront2 whereas the greatest wonder is that we should wonder at it4 #c4 ,nothing can have so prevalent a power to still all the undue agitations of passion so apt to arise from the various connections we have with the prejudices and passions of others1 nothing so fit to induce a smooth and easy flow of temper1 as a frequent application to the throne of grace1 to beseech ,him1 who is the ,god of ,peace1 that ,his peace may rule in our heats1 that it may be the fixed and predominant principle there4--,jeremiah ,seed4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,a ,warning against ,theft4 ,i4 ,here is a general prohibition of theft4--,this supposes distinct rights and separate properties4 ,stealing is taking and carrying away another's goods in a secret manner and without his consent4 ,the prohibition relates to every unfair1 indirect1 dishonest way by which one may transfer to himself the property of another4 ,,ii4 ,this prohibition of theft is a virtual injunction of labour4--,if a man may not live at the expense of others1 he must live at his own2 and if he has not the means of subsistence1 he must labour to acquire them4 ,no man has a right to live on charity so long as he can live by labour4 ,the obligation to labour is not confined to the poor2 it extends to all according to their several capacities4 ,,iii4 ,every man must choose for himself an honest calling1 and must work that which is good4--,a work in which a man makes gain by the expense and enriches himself by the loss of others is theft embellished and refined4 ,gaming1 when it is used as an art to get money1 is criminal1 because it is unprofitable1 and what one gains by it another must lose4 ,,iv4 ,in all our labours we should have regard to the good of others4--,the man who is poor should aim to mend his circumstances and to provide not only for his immediate support but for his future necessities4 ,the condition which subjects us to labour does not exempt us from obligations to beneficence4 ,we must confine ourselves within our own proper sphere1 for here we can do more good than elsewhere4 ,in all our works1 secular or spiritual1 charity must direct us4 ,love is an essential principle in religion1 and as essential in one man as another4--,lathrop4 ,st4 ,paul's ,exaltation of ,labour4 ,i4 ,st4 ,paul often recurs to the plain and quiet work of humble life4--,he enforces not only the duty of it1 but how high the duty ranks2 and if it is well done1 how it raises those who do it4 ,having worked with his own hands1 he appreciated the sterling test of honest attention to work4 ,he knew what temptations there were to relax and to give in to the sense of tediousness day by day and hour by hour4 ,st4 ,paul1 who honours the industry of a slave1 will not allow it to be dishonoured by the slave himself thinking himself superior to it1 and discourages all high flights which set him at enmity with his work and draw him away from the sterling ,christian yoke of humble labour to which he has been called in ,god's providence4 ,,ii4 ,at the same time the apostle does not honour all industry2 far from it4 ,he always reprobates the covetous1 money-getting spirit4 ,he admires industry1 but it must be industry which is consecrated by the motive2 and the motive which he requires for it is that of duty--when a man fulfils in the fear of ,god the task which is allotted to him4 ,men form their religious standard by two distinct tests3 one the law of conscience and obedience to ,god1 the other what is striking to man4 ,st4 ,paul's standard is seen in his sympathy with the work of the ruler of a household1 with the work of a father or mother of a family1 the work of hospitality and attention to strangers1 the work of common trades and callings1 the work even of the slave in doing his assigned daily tasks4 ,,iii4 ,we see the spirit of this great apostle--how it embraced the whole appointed lot of man1 from his highest to his most humble field of employment4 ,he rejected nothing as mean or low that came by ,god's appointment2 all was good1 all was excellent1 all was appropriate that ,he had commanded4 ,the heathen valued all labour by which men became eloquent or became able soldiers or statesmen2 but they had not the slightest respect for the ordinary work of mankind4 ,they thought this world made for the rich4 ,how different is ,st4 ,paul's view6 ,no work allotted to man is servile work in his eyes1 because he has an insight into what faithful labour is--what strength of conscience it requires1 what resistance to temptations and snares it demands4 ,the ,word of ,god consecrates the ordinary work of man--it converts it into every one's trial1 and as his special trial his special access to a reward also4--,j4 ,b4 ,mozley4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,the ,government of the ,tongue4 ,i4 ,the apostle cautions us against all loose and licentious language4 ,,ii4 ,enticing language is forbidden4 ,,iii4 ,corrupt communication includes all kinds of vain discourse2 all such language as offends ,christian sobriety1 seriousness1 and gravity1 savours of profaneness and impiety1 or borders on obscenity and lewdness4 ,,iv4 ,instruction is useful to edifying4 ,v4 ,reproof conducted with prudence is useful to edifying4 ,,vi4 ,exhortation is good for the use of edifying4 ,,vii4 ,christians may edify one another by communicating things they have experienced in the course of the religious life4 ,,viii4 ,conversing on religious subjects in general is good for the use of edifying4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #cj4 ,the ,benefit conferred by the ,spirit on ,believers4 ,i4 ,that believers are sealed by the ,spirit implies that they are recognised and set apart and in a peculiar sense the ,divine property4--#a4 ,a seal is often a distinguishing mark or token by which a claim to property may be shown and established 7,rev4 iii4 #b1 #c74 #b4 ,that believers are thus sealed proves that they are ,his in a peculiar manner4 #c4 ,the sense in which they are ,his is clearly brought out 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #bc74 ,they are ,christ's by gift1 by purchase1 by conquest1 by surrender4 ,christ is ,god's1 and ,his people in ,him4 #d4 ,they who are sealed are thus a peculiar people1 separated to ,god's worship1 service1 and glory4 #e4 ,have you recognised practically that you are ,god's8 ,,ii4 ,that believers are sealed implies that attempts will be made to alienate them from ,god's possession4--#a4 ,a mark or token is affixed to that which is in danger of being taken away4 #b4 ,we are distinctly taught that believers are exposed to efforts to separate them from ,god 7,john x4 #g-aj1 #bg-bi74 #c4 ,the activity of the wicked one seems in a great measure directed to this point4 #d4 ,the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does not lead him to indolence4 #e4 ,your safety is not merely to get into the place of safety1 but to continue there4 ,,iii4 ,that believers are sealed implies that they have received the impress of the ,divine image4--#a4 ,the sealing is the work of the ,spirit1 whose office it is to regenerate and sanctify4 #b4 ,the seal is that which distinguishes the believer from the unbeliever1 and the true distinguishing mark is regeneration4 #c4 ,we therefore conclude that the seal has engraven on it the image of ,god1 which it leaves4 #d4 ,the confidence of no one should outrun his sanctification4 #e4 ,can you discern the outline of the image8 ,there are counterfeits4 ,,iv4 ,that believers are sealed implies that1 though associated and mixed up with others1 they are not confounded with them4--#a4 ,a distinguishing mark is necessary when things which are again to be separated and classified are mingled with each other4 #b4 ,the seal leads to recognition4 ,hence the believer is known by himself1 fellow-believers1 the world1 the devil1 angels1 ,christ1 the ,father4 #c4 ,this recognition takes place in time1 at the judgment1 in eternity4 ,v4 ,that believers are sealed implies that ,god will visit the earth with distinguishing judgments4--,in proof and illustration 7,exek4 ix42 ,rev4 vii41 ix474 ,the ,passover4 ,the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,now4 ,the judgment day4 ,are you prepared for such a season8 ,,vi4 ,that believers are sealed implies that they are in a state of reservation4--,a seal is a pledge1 a signature4 ,an engagement presently fulfilled needs no pledge4--,stewart4 ,the ,office of the ,holy ,spirit and the ,danger of grieving ,him4 ,i4 ,his office is to seal us unto the day of redemption4--,that day in which the people of ,god will be put into complete possession of the blessings purchased for them by ,christ4 ,to seal us to this day is to prepare us and to set us apart from it1 to fix such a mark on us as in that day shall distinguish us from others and make it fully appear to whom we belong4 ,when a man sets his seal to a paper1 he thereby declares his approbation of it and acknowledges it to be his own deed4 ,those who bear the seal of the ,spirit will be approved by ,christ and acknowledged for ,his own in the day of resurrection4 ,a seal stamps its own image on the wax4 ,the ,spirit stamps on the soul the image of ,himself4 ,this seal is said to be the earnest of our inheritance4 ,an earnest is a pledge of something to be bestowed and enjoyed hereafter--a part of it is already bestowed to assure us that in due time we shall receive the whole4 ,,ii4 ,he is not to be grieved4--#a4 ,beware of doing anything which your conscience1 enlightened by the ,word of ,god1 forbids you to do4 #b4 ,beware of running into temptation4 #c4 ,beware of indulging fleshly lusts4 #d4 ,beware of practising deceit and falsehood4 #e4 ,beware of profaning the ,lord's ,day4 #f4 ,beware of cherishing evil and malignant tempers4--,e4 ,cooper4 ,on ,grieving the ,holy ,spirit4 ,i4 ,our duty is to render to the ,holy ,spirit cheerful and universal obedience4 ,,ii4 ,the ,spirit is the great ,sanctifier4 ,,iii4 ,we must co-operate diligently in the production of the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,,iv4 ,our danger is in quenching the ,spirit4--,our light grows dim1 and we gradually adopt evil habits4 ,we neither see nor heed spiritual dangers4 ,religious sensibilities are blunted4 ,how far any of us have gone in resisting the ,spirit ,god alone knows4 ,many who resist great light and strong impressions seem never to feel again4--,olin4 ,grieving the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,indifference and carelessness in religion is opposition to the grace of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,spiritual pride grieves the ,divine ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,the ,spirit is grieved when we neglect the means appointed for obtaining ,his influence4 ,,iv4 ,opposition to the strivings of the ,spirit is another way in which ,he is often grieved4 ,v4 ,there are particular sins which are opposite to the work of the ,spirit4 ,impurity1 intemperance1 dissipation1 and all the vices of sensuality4 ,the indulgence of malignant passions grieves the ,spirit4 ,contentions among ,christians are opposite to the ,spirit4 ,men grieve the ,spirit when they ascribe to ,him those motions and actions which are contrary to ,his nature4 ,if they blindly follow every impulse of a heated imagination1 every suggestion of the common deceiver1 every motion of their own vanity and pride1 they profane and blaspheme ,his sacred name4--,lathrop4 ,grieve not the ,spirit4--,but wherewith can we so grieve ,him8 ,alas6 that one must rather ask1 ,wherein may he not8 ,i fear that one of the things which will most amaze us when we open our eyes upon eternity will be the multitude of our own rudenesses to ,divine grace1 that is1 to ,god the ,holy ,ghost whose motions grace is4 ,oh1 let not that ,his seal upon you1 the gift of ,his ,spirit1 mark you as a deserter6 ,o ,holy ,creator ,spirit1 come down once more into our souls in ,thine own thrilling fire of life and light and heat1 kindling our senses with ,thy light1 our hearts with ,thy love6 wash away our stains1 bedew our dryness1 heal our wounds1 bend our stubbornness1 guide our wanderings1 that ,thou1 being the inmate of our hearts1 the instructor of our reason1 the strength of our will1 we may see by ,thy light whom as yet we see not and know ,him who passeth knowledge1 and through ,god may love ,god now as wayfarers1 and1 in the day of perfect redemption1 in the beatific vision of our ,god6--,e4 ,b4 ,pusey4 ,the ,sealing of the ,spirit4--#a4 ,the seal is used in conveying and assuring to any person a title to his estate1 in delivering which a part is put into the hands of the new proprietor4 ,we are sealed as an assurance of our title to our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession4 #b4 ,in sealing any person1 the contra-part of the seal is impressed on that which is sealed4 ,we are thus sealed by the ,spirit1 stamped with the image of ,god4 #c4 ,sealing is used for preservation4 ,it is by this we are to be preserved until that day4 ,by grieving the ,spirit we break this seal4--,e4 ,hare4 ,vers4 #ca1 #cb4 ,vices to be renounced and ,virtues to be cherished4 ,i4 ,put away all bitterness4--,all such passions1 behaviour1 and language as are disgusting and offensive to others1 wound their tender feelings1 and embitter their spirits4 ,no temper is more inconsistent with the felicity of social life than peevishness4 ,,ii4 ,put away wrath and anger4--,the former signifies heat of temper1 the latter this heat wrought into a flame4 ,though anger1 as a sense and feeling of the wrongs done us1 is innocent and natural1 all the irregular and excessive operations of it are sinful and dangerous4 ,,iii4 ,put away all malice4--,this is a degree of passion beyond simple anger4 ,it is a fixed1 settled hatred1 accompanied with a disposition to revenge4 ,it is anger resting in the bosom and studying to do mischief4 ,malice is a temper which every one condemns in others1 but few discern in themselves4 ,,iv4 ,put away all clamour and evil speaking4--,clamour is noisy1 complaining1 and contentious language in opposition to that which is soft1 gentle1 and courteous4 ,never believe1 much less propagate1 an ill report of your neighbour without good evidence of its truth4 ,never speak ill of a man when your speaking may probably do much hurt1 but cannot possibly do any good4 ,v4 ,christians are to be kind one to another4--,such kindness as renders us useful4 ,kindness wishes well to all men1 prays for their happiness1 and studies to promote their interest4 ,it will reprove vice and lend its aid to promote knowledge and virtue4 ,,vi4 ,christians should be tenderhearted4--,they should not be guided by a blind1 instinctive pity2 but by habitual goodness of heart1 cultivated with reason1 improved by religion1 and operating with discretion4 ,while they commiserate all who appear to be in affliction1 they should regard among them the difference of characters and circumstances4 ,,vii4 ,we are to forgive one another4--,forgiveness does not oblige us tamely to submit to every insult and silently bear every injury4 ,to those who have injured us we should maintain goodwill and exercise forbearance4 ,god's forgiveness of our sins is urged as a motive to mutual forgiveness4 ,even as ,god for ,christ's sake hath forgiven you4 ,he who forgives not an offending brother will not be forgiven of his heavenly ,father4--,lathrop4 ,malice incompatible with the ,christian ,character4 ,i4 ,that we may be convinced of the hatefulness of a malignant temper look to the source whence it proceeds4--,from the bitterness of the fountain we may judge of the character of the water which it sends forth4 ,from the corruptness of the tree we may estimate the character of the fruit4 ,the author of malice is the devil4 ,,ii4 ,let us after the same manner proceed to appreciate the loveliness of the opposite quality1 the quality of mercy and lovingkindness1 by a reference to its ,author4 ,malice is gratified by murder4 ,in ,god we live and move and have our being4 ,malice is envious4 ,god giveth us richly all things to enjoy4 ,malice is false and calumnious4 ,god sent ,his ,son into the world to give light to them that sit in darkness4 ,malice is resentful and vindictive1 impatient of offence1 and intemperate in requiring satisfaction4 ,god is love4 ,,iii4 ,let us turn for a further motive to the character and conduct of the ,son of ,god4--,he has given us an example of the most profound humility1 a temper in which malice has no portion1 and which cannot exist independently of lovingkindness and tenderness of heart4 ,,iv4 ,to the example of our blessed ,redeemer let us add ,his commandments2 and there arises another forcible motive to put away all malice and to be kind one to another4--,a new commandment ,i give unto you1 that ye love one another4 ,v4 ,if we would avoid a malicious and cultivate a charitable temper1 we must renounce the devil and all his works4--,we must triumph over those passions which he plants and propagates in the heart of man4--,r4 ,mant4 ,ver4 #cb4 ,errors respecting ,forgiveness of ,sin4 ,i4 ,that forgiveness of sin is unnecessary4--,every sin is punished on the spot4 ,this natural punishment is felt as long as the sin is indulged1 and it ceases as soon as the sin is abandoned4 ,this error may be exposed by a reference to the philosophy of human nature1 to experience1 and to ,scripture4 ,,ii4 ,that forgiveness of sin is impossible4--,the consequences of every sin stretch out into infinity1 and they cannot be annihilated without a supernatural interposition2 but it would derogate from the supremacy of law to allow that a miracle is possible4 ,the possibility of miracle is contrary neither to intuition nor to experience4 ,a supernatural ,being is the ,author of a supernatural system3 creation1 incarnation1 the ,bible1 spiritual influence4 ,,iii4 ,that forgiveness of sin might be dispensed without an atonement4--,if a man suffer insult or injury from his fellow-man1 he ought to forgive him freely2 why should not ,god8 ,because ,he is ,god1 and not man4 ,he is the moral ,governor of the universe1 and must consult for the majesty of ,his law and the interests of ,his responsible creatures4 ,forgiveness without atonement would not satisfy the conscience of the awakened sinner4 ,,iv4 ,that forgiveness of sin will not be bestowed till the day of judgment4--,pardon through ,christ is immediate4 ,it is enjoyed as soon as we believe4 ,v4 ,that forgiveness of sin as freely offered in the ,gospel is inimical to morality4--,pay a workman before he begins his work1 and he will be indolent2 pay him when he has finished his work1 and he will be diligent4 ,not if he were an honest man1 and no one is forgiven who is not sanctified4 ,a sense of unpardoned guilt is the greatest hindrance to obedience4 ,a sense of redeeming love the most powerful incentive4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,christian ,forgiveness4 ,i4 ,the reality of forgiveness1 or the grace of a forgiving spirit in us1 lies not so much in our ability to let go or to be persuaded to let go the remembrance of our injuries1 as in what we are able to do1 what volunteer sacrifices to make1 what painstaking to undergo1 that we may get our adversary softened to want or gently accept our forgiveness4 ,,ii4 ,in all that you distinguish of a nobler and ,diviner life1 in ,christ's bearing of ,his enemies and their sins1 ,he is simply showing what belongs in righteousness to every moral nature from the uncreated ,lord down to the humblest created intelligence4 ,forgiveness1 this same ,christly forgiveness1 belongs to all--to you1 to me1 to every lowest mortal that bears ,god's image4 ,,iii4 ,christ wants you to be with ,him in ,his own forgiveness4 ,he wants such a feeling struggling in your bosom that you cannot bear to have an adversary1 cannot rest from your prayers and sacrifices and the lifelong suit of your concern1 till you have gained him away from his wrong and brought him into peace4 ,this in fact is salvation3 to be with ,christ in all the travail of ,his forgiveness4 ,as ,christ was simply fulfilling the right in ,his blessed ways of forgiveness1 so we may conceive that ,he is simply fulfilling the eternal love4 ,for what is right coincides with love1 and love with what is right4 ,,iv4 ,when a true ,christian goes after his adversary in such a temper as he ought--tender1 assiduous1 proving himself in his love by the most faithful sacrifices--he is not like to stay by his enmity long4 ,as the heat of a warm day will make even a wilful man take off his overcoat1 so the silent melting of forgiveness at the heart will compel it1 even before it is aware1 to let the grudges go4 ,a really good man may have enemies all his life long1 even as ,christ had1 and the real blame may be chargeable not against him1 but against them4 ,v4 ,have then ,christian brethren under ,christ's own ,gospel nothing better left than to take themselves out of sight of each other just to get rid of forgiveness1 going to carry the rankling with them1 live in the bitterness1 die in the grudges of their untamable passion8 ,what is our ,gospel but a reconciling power even for sin itself1 and what is it good for1 if it cannot reconcile8 ,no1 there is a better way4 ,christ laid it on them by ,his own dear passion when ,he gave ,himself for them1 by ,his bloody sweat1 ,his pierced hands1 and open side1 to go about the matter of forgiving one another even as ,he went about forgiving them4--,bushnell4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,followers of ,god4--,r4,v4 imitators4 ,st4 ,paul gathers up all duties into one expression1 imitation of ,god1 and urges them on his readers by a reminder of their high birth laying them under obligation1 and rendering their copying easier4 ,ver4 #b4 ,walk in love4--,love must fulfil all righteousness2 it must suffer law to mark out its path of obedience1 or it remans an effusive1 ineffectual sentiment1 helpless to bless and save4 ,ver4 #c4 ,let it not be once named4--,after the things themselves are dead let their names never be heard4 ,ver4 #d4 ,nor jesting4--,chastened insolence1 as ,aristotle's description of it has been happily rendered4 ,graceless grace of style1 as ,chrysostom called it4 ,it is the oozing out of the essential badness of a man for whom polish and a versatile nature have done all they can4 ,vers4 #e1 #f4 ,because of these things cometh the wrath of ,god1 etc4--,look down beneath the pleasing manners to the nature4 ,if such terms as are used in ver4 #e describe the man1 he is simply one of ,disobedience's children1 and all his versatility will not avert the descending wrath of ,god4 ,ver4 #g4 ,be not ye therefore partakers with them4--,do not wish to share the frivolity and impiety of their life1 as you would shun the wrath that inevitably awaits it4 ,how could they so partake and continue to be what ch4 iii4 #f calls them8 ,ver4 #h4 ,ye were 4 4 4 ye are 4 4 4 be4--,the lesson must be learnt1 and therefore reiteration is necessary4 ,ver4 #i4 ,for the fruit of the ,spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth4--,neither here nor at ,gal4 v4 #bb does ,st4 ,paul intend a complete list of the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,st4 ,john's tree of life bore twelve manner of fruits 7,rev4 xxii4 #b74 ,all ,christian morality lies in the good1 the right1 and the true4 ,ver #aj4 ,proving what is acceptable unto the ,lord4--,each is to be an assayer--rejecting all base alloys4 ,nothing must be accepted because it looks like an angel of light--the spirits must be put to the proof 7#a ,john iv4 #a74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,rather reprove them4--,it may be with a voice as firm as the ,baptist's2 it may be by gentle and yet unflinching showing up of certain proceedings 7cf4 ,st4 ,john iii4 #bj74 ,this chastening reproof is an oral one1 says ,meyer4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,it is a shame even to speak of4--,though the only sign of their shame having touched them is that they seek the cover of secrecy1 and our own cheeks burn as we speak of what they do1 we must convict4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,made manifest by the light4--,whatever the light falls upon is no longer of the darkness1 but belongs to the light4 ,shame is one of the influences by which the light conquers a soul from darkness4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,wherefore ,he saith4--,what follows is a free paraphrase from the ,old ,testament formed by weaving together ,messianic passages--belonging to such a hymn as might be sung at baptisms in the ,pauline ,churches 7,findlay74 ,the thought is that of the change from darkness to light--a change produced by the opening of the eyes to the light shining in the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,see then that ye walk circumspectly4--,r4,v4 ,look then carefully how ye walk4 ,the way of life must be one of exactitude2 and that it may be so the steps must not be haphazard1 but carefully taken4 ,ver4 #af4 ,redeeming the time4--,r4,v4 margin1 buying up the opportunity4 ,seizing the crucial moment as eagerly as men bid for a desirable article at an auction sale4 ,because the days are evil4--,a man in ,paul's circumstances and with his consuming earnestness of spirit may be forgiven if he does not see everything rose-coloured4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,be not drunk with wine1 wherein is excess4--,the word for excess is found again in ,tit4 i4 #f as riot1 and in #a ,pet4 iv4 #d4 ,in all three texts the warning against intoxication is near the word4 ,in ,luke xv4 #ac we have the adverbial form--riotously4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,psalms and hymns and spiritual songs4--,when the spirit is elevated so that ordinary prose conversation is inadequate to express the feelings let it find vent in sacred music4 ,st4 ,james's advice to the merry heart is1 ,sing psalms 7,james v4 #ac74 ,the psalm is properly a song with accompaniment of a stringed instrument2 a 'hymn' must always be more or less of a ,magnificat1 a direct address of praise and glory to ,god4 ,spiritual songs were such as were composed by spiritual men and moved in the sphere of spiritual things 7,trench74 ,no spiritual excitement1 however highly wrought1 can be injurious that flows between the banks of thanksgiving and mutual submission in the fear of ,god4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,giving thanks always for all things4--,if one who speaks as a philosopher merely can praise the sweet uses of adversity and discern the soul of goodness in things evil1 how much more should one believing ,rom4 viii4 #bh6 ,ver4 #ba4 ,submitting yourselves one to another4--,in another ,church the endeavour to take precedence of each other had produced what a stranger might have taken for a madhouse 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bc74 ,st4 ,paul's word for submitting means ranging yourselves beneath1 and finds its illustration in the ,lord's words1 ,go and sit down in the lowest place 7,luke xiv4 #aj74 ,ver4 #bb4 ,submit yourselves4--,same word as in previous verse2 neither here nor there does it involve any loss of self-respect4 ,the wife's tribute to her husband's worth is submission--the grace of childhood to both parents equally is obedience4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,christ is the head of the ,church4--,defending her at ,his own peril 7,if ye seek ,me1 let these go their way1 ,john xviii4 #h72 serving her in utmost forgetfulness of self 7,i am amongst you as he that serveth1 ,luke xxii4 #bg72 ,giving ,himself up for her1 7ver4 #be74 ,ver4 #be4 ,husbands1 love your wives4--,this will prevent the submission of the wife from ever becoming degrading--as submission to a tyrant must be4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,that ,he might sanctify and cleanse4--,there is no and between sanctify and cleanse in what ,st4 ,paul wrote4 ,sanctify it1 having cleansed it 7,r4,v474 ,i sanctify ,myself1 that they also may be sanctified 7,john xvii4 #ai74 ,ver4 #bg4 ,spot or wrinkle4--,spot1 a visible blemish1 used in the plural1 figuratively1 in #b ,pet4 ii4 #ac1 of men who disfigure ,christian assemblies4 ,wrinkle--a wrinkled bride is an incongruity1 just as the mourning which produces wrinkles is out of place in the bridechamber 7,matt4 ix4 #ae74 ,ver4 #bh4 ,as their own bodies4--,not as they love their own bodies merely1 but as being their own4 ,see ver4 #ca1 one flesh4 ,ver4 #ca4 ,for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother1 and shall be joined unto his wife4--,we must regard these words1 not as a continuation of ,adam's in ,gen4 ii4 #bc1 but as the words of the narrator1 who regards what our first father said as a mystical hint of the origin of marriage4 ,ver4 #cb4 ,this is a great mystery4--,the meaning of which is known only to the initiated4 ,something having a significance beyond what appears on the surface4 ,but ,i speak4--,the ,i is emphatic3 ,i give my interpretation4 ,my chief interest in this mystery is as it relates to ,christ and to the ,church4 ,ver4 #cc4 ,nevertheless4--,i pursue the matter no further2 and though this mystical turn is given to the words1 still in actual life let the husband love 7ver4 #be7 and the wife show reverence 7ver4 #bb74 ,let all the married among you apply the mystery to their own case1 so that the husband may love the wife and the wife fear the husband4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,the ,life of ,love-- ,i4 ,is an imitating of the ,divine life4--,be followers of ,god3 4 4 4 walk in love 7vers4 #a1 #b74 ,though ,god is infinitely beyond us1 and lifted above all heights1 we are to aspire towards ,him4 ,when we contemplate ,his glorious perfections we are more deeply conscious of our limitations and sins1 bend before ,him in lowly awe1 and seem to despair of ever being able to approach to anything within ourselves1 that can be like ,him4 ,nevertheless ,god is the pattern of all excellence1 and we can attain excellence ourselves only by imitating ,him4 ,the ideal character is ever above and beyond the seeker1 growing more beautiful1 but seeming as distant as ever4 ,the life of ,god is the life of love--love is the essence of ,his nature and the crowning glory of all ,his perfections4 ,the chief way in which ,he is imitable by us is in that direction3 to love ,god is to be like ,him4 ,our life1 in all its impulses1 outgoings1 and accomplishments1 must be suffused and penetrated with love4 ,as the soul opens to the inflow of ,god's love and is filled with it1 it becomes like ,god4 ,loving ,god is allowing ,god to love us4 ,the love of ,god is the most transcendent revelation of the ,gospel4 ,in ,paris1 a little girl1 seven years old1 was observed to read the ,new ,testament continually4 ,being asked what pleasure she found in doing so1 she said1 ,it makes me wise1 and teaches how to love ,god4 ,she had been reading the history of ,martha and ,mary4 ,what is the one thing needful8 asked her friend4 ,it is the love of ,god1 she earnestly replied4 ,,ii4 ,is befitting the relation in which the believer is ,divinely regarded4--,followers of ,god1 as dear children 7ver4 #a74 ,god is our ,father1 and ,he loves us4 ,that is enough2 but how much is implied in that1 who can tell8 ,to realise the ,divine ,fatherhood is to become acquainted with the love of ,god4 ,when we discover we are dear to ,him our hearts melt1 our rebellion is conquered1 we seek ,his forgiveness1 we revel in ,his favour1 we exult in ,his service4 ,when we discover ,he has always loved us we are overwhelmed4 ,a mother1 whose daughter had behaved badly and at length ran away from home1 thought of a singular plan to find the wanderer and bring her back4 ,she had her own portrait fixed on a large handbill and posted on the walls of the town where she supposed her daughter was concealed4 ,the portrait1 without name1 had these words painted underneath3 ,i love thee always4 ,crowds stopped before the strange handbill1 trying to guess its meaning4 ,days elapsed1 when a young girl at last passed by1 and lifted her eyes to the singular placard4 ,she understood3 this was a message for her4 ,her mother loved her--pardoned her4 ,those words transformed her4 ,never had she felt her sin and ingratitude so deeply4 ,she was unworthy of such love4 ,she set out for home1 and crossing the threshold was soon in her mother's arms4 ,my child6 cried the mother1 as she pressed her repentant daughter to her heart1 ,i have never ceased to love thee6 ,,iii4 ,is a love of ,christ-like sacrifice4--,as ,christ also hath loved us1 and hath given ,himself for us 7ver4 #b74 ,the offering of ,christ as a sacrifice for the sins of men was acceptable to ,god1 and came up before ,him as a sweet-smelling savour1 because it was the offering and sacrifice of love4 ,the life of love is the life of obedience2 it is eager to serve1 and it shrinks not from suffering4 ,nothing can be love to ,god which does not shape itself into obedience4 ,we remember the anecdote of the ,roman commander who forbade an engagement with the enemy1 and the first transgressor against whose prohibition was his own son4 ,he accepted the challenge of the leader of the other host1 met1 slew1 spoiled him1 and then with triumphant feeling carried the spoils to his father's tent4 ,but the ,roman father refused to recognise the instinct which prompted this as deserving of the name of love4 ,disobedience contradicted it and deserved death4 ,weak sentiment--what was it worth8 ,it was the dictate of ambition and self-will overriding obedience and discipline2 it was not love4 ,a self-sacrificing life is prompted1 sustained1 and ennobled by love4 ,the trials which love cheerfully undergoes in its ministry of love to others and in obedience to the will of ,god are often transformed into blessings4 ,there is a legend that ,nimrod took ,abraham and cast him into a furnace of fire because he would not worship idols2 but ,god changed the coals into a bed of roses4 ,so it will ever be4 ,the obedience that leads to the furnace of fire will find in the end that it is a bed of roses4 ,the life of loving sacrifice will issue in eternal blessedness4 ,lessons4--,the life of love is--#a4 ,the highest life4 #b4 ,the happiest life4 #c4 ,the life most fruitful in usefulness to others4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,st4 ,paul's ,doctrine of ,christian ,ethics4 ,i4 ,the fundamental truth of the ,fatherhood of ,god4--,man's life has its law1 for it has its source in the nature of the ,eternal4 ,behind our race instincts and the laws imposed on us in the long struggle for existence1 behind those imperatives of practical reason involved in the structure of our intelligence1 is the presence and active will of ,almighty ,god our heavenly ,father4 ,institutional morals bear witness to the ,god of creation1 experimental morals to the ,god of providence and history4 ,the ,divine ,fatherhood is the keystone of the arch in which they meet4 ,the command to be imitators of ,god makes personality the sovereign element in life4 ,if consciousness is a finite and passing phenomenon1 if ,god be but a name for the sum of the impersonal laws that regulate the universe1 for the stream of tendency in the worlds1 ,father and love are meaningless terms applied to the ,supreme1 and religion dissolves into an impalpable mist4 ,love1 thought1 will in us raise our being above the realm of the impersonal2 and these faculties point us upward to ,him from whom they came1 the ,father of the spirits of all flesh4 ,it is not the loss of strength for human service nor the dying out of joy which unbelief entails that is its chief calamity4 ,the sun in the soul's heaven is put out4 ,the personal relationship to the ,supreme which gave dignity and worth to our individual being1 which imparted sacredness and enduring power to all other ties1 is destroyed4 ,the heart is orphaned1 the temple of the ,spirit desolate4 ,the mainspring of life is broken4 ,,ii4 ,the solidarity of mankind in ,christ furnishes the apostle with a powerful lever for raising the ethical standard of his readers4 ,the thought that we are members one of another forbids deceit4 ,self is so merged in the community that in dealing censure or forgiveness to an offending brother the ,christian man feels as though he were dealing with himself--as though it were the hand that forgave the foot for tripping1 or the ear that pardoned some blunder of the eye4 ,the ,christ loved and gave2 for love that does not give1 that prompts to no effort and puts itself to no sacrifice1 is but a luxury of the heart--useless and even selfish4 ,the ,church is the centre of humanity4 ,the love born and nourished in the household of faith goes out into the world with a universal mission4 ,the solidarity of moral interests that is realised there embraces all the kindreds of the earth4 ,the incarnation of ,christ knits all flesh into one redeemed family4 ,the continents and races of mankind are members one of another1 with ,jesus ,christ for ,head4 ,,iii4 ,another ruling idea lying at the basis of ,christian ethics is ,st4 ,paul's conception of man's future destiny4--,there is disclosed a world beyond the world1 a life growing out of life1 an eternal and invisible kingdom of whose possession the ,spirit that lives in ,christian men is the earnest and firstfruits4 ,human reason had guessed and hope had dreamed of the soul's immortality4 ,christianity gives this hope certainty1 and adds to it the assurance of the resurrection of the body4 ,man's entire nature is thus redeemed4 ,our bodily dress is one with the spirit that it unfolds4 ,we shall lay it aside only to resume it--transfigured1 but with a form and impress continuous with its present being4 ,,iv4 ,the atonement of the cross stamps its own character and spirit on the entire ethics of ,christianity4--,the ,fatherhood of ,god1 the unity and solidarity of mankind1 the issues of eternal life or death awaiting us in the unseen world--all the great factors and fundamentals of revealed religion gather about the cross of ,christ2 they lend to it their august significance1 and gain from it new import and impressiveness4 ,the fact that ,christ gave ,himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to ,god throws an awful light upon the nature of human transgression4 ,all that inspired men had taught1 that good men had believed and felt1 and penitent men confessed in regard to the evil of human sin1 is more than verified by the sacrifice which the ,holy ,one of ,god has undergone in order to put it away4 ,what tears of contrition1 what cleansing fires of hate against our own sins1 what scorn of their baseness1 what stern resolves against them1 are awakened by the sight of the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ6 ,the sacrifice of ,christ demands from us devotion to ,christ ,himself4 ,our first duty as ,christians is to love ,christ1 to serve and follow ,christ4 ,there is no conflict between the claims of ,christ and those of philanthropy1 between the needs of ,his worship and the needs of the destitute and suffering in our streets4 ,every new subject won to the kingdom of ,christ is another helper won for ,his poor4 ,every act of love rendered to ,him deepens the channel of sympathy by which relief and blessing come to sorrowful humanity4--,findlay4 ,christ's ,sacrifice of ,himself explained1 and ,man's ,duty to offer ,spiritual ,sacrifice inferred and recommended4 ,i4 ,our ,lord's unexampled sacrifice4--#a4 ,the ,priest4 ,as a prophet or an apostle properly is an ambassador from ,god to treat with men1 so a priest is an agent or solicitor in behalf of men to treat with ,god4 #b4 ,the sacrifice4--,our ,lord was both offering and sacrifice4 ,every sacrifice is an offering to ,god1 but every offering to ,god is not a sacrifice4 ,perfect innocence and consummate virtue1 both in doing and suffering1 were not only the flower and perfection but the very form and essence of our ,lord's sacrifice4 ,these were the sacrifice of sweet odour1 acceptable to ,him who alone could judge perfectly of the infinite worth and merit of it4 #c4 ,the altar4--,from the third century to this time the cross whereon our ,lord suffered has been called the altar4 ,there is another altar1 a spiritual altar--the eternal ,spirit1 the ,divine nature of our ,lord4 ,the sacrifice of our ,lord is an undoubted ,scripture truth2 but as to a proper altar for that sacrifice1 it is a more disputable point1 about which wise and good men may be allowed to judge as they see cause4 #d4 ,the ,divine ,lawgiver4--,to whom the sacrifice was made1 and by whom it was graciously accepted4 ,god the ,father is ,lawgiver-in-chief1 and to ,him our ,lord paid the price of our redemption4 ,thus the glory of ,god and the felicity of men are both served in this dispensation4 ,,ii4 ,our own sacrifice of ourselves4--,as ,christ give ,himself for us1 so we ought to give up ourselves to ,god in all holy obedience1 and particularly in the offices of love towards our brethren1 as these are the most acceptable sacrifices we can offer to ,god4 ,we cannot do greater honour to our ,lord's sacrifice than by thus copying it in the best manner we are able--a sacrifice of love to ,god and love to our neighbours4--,waterland4 ,the ,imitation of ,god4--,no argument is so frequently urged as the example of ,christ to persuade us to mutual love1 because none is so well adapted to influence the mind of a ,christian4 ,god's approbation of ,christian charity is expressed in the same terms as ,his acceptance of the sacrifice of ,christ2 for charity to our fellow-,christians1 flowing from a sense of ,christ's dying love1 is a virtue of distinguished excellence4 ,as the death of ,christ is called a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savour1 so ,christian charity is called an odour of a sweet smell1 a sacrifice acceptable1 well-pleasing to ,god4 ,let it be our care to follow ,christ in ,his goodness and love1 and to learn of ,him humility1 condescension1 mercy1 and forgiveness4 ,religion is an imitation of the moral character of ,god1 brought down to human view and familiarised to human apprehension in the life of ,christ4 ,the sacrifice of ,christ is of great use1 not only as an atonement for guilt1 but also as an example of love4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #a1 ,the ,duty and ,object of a ,christian's ,imitation4 ,i4 ,the duty enjoined4--#a4 ,remove the hindrances to imitation4 7#a7 ,spiritual pride and self-conceit4 7#b7 ,this self-conceit works in us a prejudiced opinion1 and makes us undervalue and detract from the worth of our brother4 7#c7 ,spiritual drowsiness4 #b4 ,observe the rules of imitation4 7#a7 ,we must not take our pattern upon trust2 no1 not ,st4 ,paul himself4 ,he brings it in indeed as a duty--,be ye followers of me2 but he adds this direction1 as ,i am of ,christ 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #a74 ,for in imitation1 besides the persons1 there is also to be considered1 saith ,quintilian1 what it is we must imitate in the persons4 ,we must no further follow them than they follow the rules of art4 ,some there were1 said ,seneca1 who imitated nothing but that which was bad in the best4 ,it is so in our ,christian profession3 we must view1 and try1 and understand what we are to imitate4 ,we must not make use of all eyes1 but of those only which look upon the ,lord4 7#b7 ,that we strive to imitate the best4 ,saith ,pliny3 ,it is great folly not to propose always the best pattern2 and saith ,seneca1 ,choose a ,cato1 a prime1 eminent man1 by whose authority thy secret thoughts may be more holy1 the very memory of whom may compose thy manners2 whom not only to see1 but to think of1 will be a help to the reformation of thy life4 ,dost thou live with any in whom the good gifts and graces of ,god are shining and resplendent1 who are strict and exact1 and so retain the precepts of ,god in memory that they forget them not in their works8 ,give men the instructive examples of these good men3 let them always be before my eyes2 let them be a second rule by which ,i may correct my life and manners2 let me not lose this help1 which ,god hath granted me1 of imitation4 ,,ii4 ,the object of imitation4--,we must make ,god the rule of goodness in all our actions3 we must be just1 to observe the law2 valiant1 to keep down our passions2 temperate1 to conform our wills to the rule of reason2 and wise1 to our salvation4 ,but there is no virtue which makes us more resemble ,god than this which the apostle here exhorts the ,ephesians to2 and that is mercy4 ,for although all virtues are in the highest degree1 nay1 above all degrees1 most perfect in ,him2 yet1 in respect of ,his creatures1 none is so resplendent as mercy4 ,mercy is the queen and empress of ,god's virtues2 it is the bond and knot which unites heaven and earth1 that by which we hold all our titles--our title to be men1 out title to the name of ,christian1 our title to the profession of ,christianity1 our title to earth1 our title to heaven4 #a4 ,as ,god forgiveth us1 so we must forgive our enemies4 #b4 ,as we must forgive1 so ,god's mercy must be the motive3 we must do it out of a desire to imitate ,god4 #c4 ,we must conform our imitation to the ,pattern4 ,he with one act of mercy wipes out all scores2 so must we4 ,when ,he forgives our sins1 ,he is said to cast them behind ,him1 never to think of them1 so to forget them as if they never had been2 so must we4 ,he doth it too without respect of persons2 and so we ought to do4 ,we must forgive all1 for ever2 and so far must we be from respect of persons that we must acknowledge no title but that of ,christian4--,farindon4 ,likeness to ,god4 ,i4 ,likeness to ,god belongs to man's higher or spiritual nature4--,it has its foundation in the original and essential capacities of the mind4 ,in proportion as these are unfolded by right and vigorous exertion1 it is extended and brightened4 ,in proportion as these lie dormant it is obscured4 ,likeness to ,god is the supreme gift4 ,he can communicate nothing so precious1 glorious1 blessed as ,himself4 ,to hold intellectual and moral affinity with the supreme ,being1 to partake ,his ,spirit1 to be ,his children by derivations of kindred excellence1 to bear a growing conformity to the perfection which we adore--this is a felicity which obscures and annihilates all other good4 ,it is only in proportion to this likeness that we can enjoy either ,god or the universe4 ,to understand a great and good being we must have the seeds of the same excellence4 ,,ii4 ,that man has a kindred nature with ,god1 and may bear most important and ennobling relations to ,him1 seems to me to be established by a striking proof4 ,whence do we derive our knowledge of the attributes and perfections which constitute the supreme ,being8 ,i answer1 ,we derive them from our own souls4 ,the ,divine attributes are first developed in ourselves1 and thence transferred to our ,creator4 ,the idea of ,god1 sublime and awful as it is1 is the idea of our own spiritual nature1 purified and enlarged to infinity4 ,it is the resemblance of a parent to a child1 the likeness of a kindred nature4 ,,iii4 ,god is made known to us as a ,father4--,and what is it to be a father8 ,it is to communicate one's own nature1 to give life to kindred beings2 and the highest function of a father is to educate the mind of the child1 and to impart to it what is noblest and happiest in his own mind4 ,god is our ,father1 not merely because ,he created us1 or because ,he gives us enjoyment3 for ,he created the flower and the insect1 yet we call ,him not their ,father4 ,this bond is a spiritual one4 ,this name belongs to ,god1 because ,he frames spirits like ,himself1 and delights to give them what is most glorious and blessed in ,his own nature4 ,accordingly ,christianity is said with special propriety to reveal ,god as the ,father1 because it reveals ,him as sending ,his ,son to cleanse the mind from every stain1 and to replenish it for ever with the spirit and moral attributes of its ,author4 ,,iv4 ,the promise of the ,holy ,spirit is among the most precious aids of influence which ,god imparts4 ,it is a ,divine assistance adapted to our moral freedom1 an aid which silently mingles and conspires with all other helps and means of goodness1 and by which we are strengthened to understand and apply the resources derived from our munificent ,creator4 ,this aid we cannot prize too much1 or pray for too earnestly4--,channing4 ,ver4 #b4 ,and walk in love4 ,the ,nature1 ,properties1 and ,acts of ,charity4 ,i4 ,the nature of charity4--#a4 ,loving our neighbour implies we value and esteem him4 #b4 ,implies a sincere and earnest desire for his welfare and good of all kinds in due proportion4 #c4 ,a complacence or delightful satisfaction in the good of our neighbour4 #d4 ,condolence and commiseration in the evils befalling him4 ,,ii4 ,properties of charity4--#a4 ,love appropriates its object in apprehension and affection1 embracing it1 possessing and enjoying it as its own4 #b4 ,it desires reciprocal affection4 #c4 ,disposes to please our neighbour1 not only by inoffensive but by an obliging demeanour4 #d4 ,makes a man deny himself--despising all selfish regards--for the benefit of his neighbour4 #e4 ,to be condescending and willing to perform the meanest offices needful or useful to his friend4 ,,iii4 ,acts of charity4--#a4 ,to forbear anger on provocation4 #b4 ,to remit offences1 suppressing revenge4 #c4 ,to maintain concord and peace4 #d4 ,to be candid in opinion and mild in censure4 #e4 ,abstain from doing anything which may occasion our neighbour to commit sin1 or disaffect him towards religion1 or discourage him in the practice of duty4--,barrow4 ,the ,sacrifice of ,christ4 ,i4 ,a ,divine person was absolutely necessary4--#a4 ,he who atones must be in possession of infinite worth4 ,nothing less than the glory of infinity and eternity can atone for transgression4 ,the individual must also be possessed of humanity for this obvious reason3 that man hath transgressed1 and man must atone4 ,in the person of the ,messiah we behold everything ,god could possibly desire4 ,a ,divine person1 comprising ,deity and humanity in ,himself1 atones for sin4 #b4 ,it was absolutely necessary that the individual who atoned should be wholly at his own disposal4--,now1 no finite being is at his own disposal2 no finite being can say1 ,i will do as ,i please2 but ,messiah speaks of ,himself in language that finite being could not adopt without insulting ,god4 ,the doctrine of the ,trinity is opposed2 but when we peruse ,scripture we shall find the absolute necessity of a plurality of persons4 ,a ,divine person to present a sacrifice2 and if so1 a ,divine person to receive that sacrifice4 ,,ii4 ,christ's love in giving ,himself4--,and here we behold the love of ,god in all its glory4 ,christ hath saved us1 and given ,himself for us4 ,here we behold the love of ,christ2 the love of a ,divine person embracing ,god1 embracing the law of ,god1 and embracing the sinner in all his shame4 ,two of the attributes of this love never unfolded their glories before4 ,the intenseness and the holiness of it were never before manifested4 ,behold ,god as well as man1 a ,divine person suffering for us4 ,here for once1 and once only1 behold the sovereignty of ,god in all its glory1 in all its lowliness1 connected with the justice of ,god in all its terrors4 ,messiah is punished1 that the transgressor may live for ever4 ,,iii4 ,god's pleasure in the sacrifice of ,his ,son4--#a4 ,god is infinitely delighted with ,his ,son1 as ,he is one in essence with ,him4 ,the pious ,baptist gives his disciples a volume of ,divinity in a few words4 ,he traces everything to its source4 ,the ,father loveth the ,son4 ,surely1 then1 we must anticipate ,god's pleasure in everything the ,saviour does4 #b4 ,the resurrection and ascension of ,christ prove ,god's acceptance of the sacrifice4 #c4 ,the success of the ,gospel another proof4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,see the evil and danger of unbelief4 #b4 ,all spiritual good comes from ,god2 all spiritual evil flows from the creature4 #c4 ,learn the work of faith--to accept ,christ4--,howels4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-ad4 ,the ,children of ,darkness and of ,light4 ,i4 ,the children of darkness are known by their deeds 7vers4 #c-e74--;,a loathsome and unsightly list6 ,sin marks its victims4 ,deeds done in darkness do not escape detection and exposure4 ,the revolting sins of the heathen reveal the depth of wickedness to which man may sink when he abandons ,god and is abandoned of ,god4 ,every single sin1 voluntarily indulged1 weakens the power of self-control1 and there is no deed of darkness a reckless sinner may not commit4 ,sensuality is a devil-fish--a vampire of the sea--preying upon and devouring the best powers of mind and body4 #a4 ,their deeds exclude them from the inheritance of the good4--,they have no inheritance in the kingdom of ,christ and of ,god 7ver4 #e74 ,the children of darkness can have no company and no place with the children of light2 the two cannot co-exist or blend together4 ,the sinner excludes himself1 and unfits himself for fellowship with the good4 ,their purity is a constant reproof of his vileness2 he shrinks from their society1 and hates them because they are so good4 ,we may well be on our guard against sins that shut us out of the kingdom of grace on earth1 and out of heaven hereafter4 #b4 ,their deeds expose them to the ,divine wrath4--,because of these things cometh the wrath of ,god upon the children of disobedience 7ver4 #f74 ,the wrath of ,god is already upon them 7,rom4 i4 #ah71 and shall remain so long as they are disobedient4 ,deeds such as theirs carry their own punishment2 but there is also the righteous vengeance of ,god to reckon with4 ,for sin ,god can have nothing but wrath2 but yet that is mercifully restrained to afford every opportunity for repentance4 ,the ,roman magistrates1 when they gave sentence upon any one to be scourged1 had a bundle of rods tied hard with many knots laid before them4 ,the reason was this3 whilst the beadle was untying the knots1 which he was to do by order and not in any other or sudden way1 the magistrates might see the deportment and carriage of the delinquent1 whether he was sorry for his fault and showed any hope of amendment1 that then they might recall his sentence or mitigate his punishment2 otherwise he was corrected so much the more severely4 ,thus ,god in the punishment of sinners4 ,how patient is ,he6 ,how loth to strike6 ,how slow to anger6 ,,ii4 ,the children of light are ,divinely illumined4--#a4 ,they were once in darkness4 ,ye were sometimes darkness 7ver4 #h74 ,their present condition as children of the light should remind them by contrast of their former state1 and should excite their gratitude to ,god for the change ,he had wrought in them4 ,they were not to be deceived by specious arguments 7ver4 #f7 that they could return to their old sins and yet retain their new inheritance4 ,to go back to the old life is to go back to darkness4 #b4 ,their possession of ,divine light is evident4--,but now are ye light in the ,lord4 4 4 4 ,for the fruit of the ,spirit the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth 7vers4 #h1 #i74 ,true virtue is of the light and cannot be hid4 ,genuine religion manifests itself in goodness of heart1 in righteousness of life1 and in truthfulness of character and speech--in a holy reality that is both experienced and expressed4 ,on ,herder's grave at ,weimar there was placed by royal authority a cast-iron tablet with the words1 ,light1 ,love1 ,life4 ,the life illumined by the ,spirit is its own bright witness4 #c4 ,their conduct aims at discovering what is acceptable to ,god4--,walk as children of the light1 4 4 4 proving what is acceptable unto the ,lord 7vers4 #h1 #aj74 ,their outward life must be in harmony with the new nature they have received4 ,they were adopted as children of the light1 and they must think1 speak1 and act in the light and with the light they had received4 ,the light will show what it is that ,god approves2 and striving in all things to please ,him our light will increase4 ,we may sometimes be mistaken1 but we shall get light from our mistakes1 as well as from our success1 as to the will of ,god4 ,life is a trial1 and our conduct will be the test as to how we are using the light ,god has given us4 ,the light we shed will be a help and guide to others4 ,there is a kind of diamond which1 if exposed for some minutes to the light of the sun and then taken into a dark room1 will emit light for some time4 ,the marvellous property of retaining light and thereby becoming the source of light on a small scale shows how analogous to light its very nature must be4 ,those who touched the ,saviour became sources of virtue to others4 ,as ,moses' face shown when he came from the mount1 so converse with spiritual things makes ,christians the light which shines in the dark places of the earth4 ,let your light so shine before men 7,matt4 v4 #af74 ,,iii4 ,the children of light cannot participate in deeds of darkness4--#a4 ,they are to shun them4 ,be not partakers with them 4 4 4 ,have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness 7vers4 #g1 #aa74 ,we may not actually commit certain sins2 but if we tolerate or encourage them1 we are partakers with the transgressors4 ,the safest place is that which is farthest from evil4 ,it is a perilous experiment to try how near we can approach and how far daily with sin without committing ourselves4 ,the easiest way to resist temptation is to run away4 ,it is beneath the dignity of the children of light to patronise or trifle with sin4 #b4 ,they were not even to speak of them4--,it is a shame even to speak of those things 7ver4 #ab74 ,there are some subjects about which silence is not only the highest prudence but a sacred duty4 ,the foolish talking and jesting of ver4 #d belonged to the period when they were the children of darkness4 ,sparkling humour refreshes2 the ribald jest pollutes4 ,the best way to forget sayings that suggest evil is never to speak of them4 #c4 ,they are to expose them by bringing the light of truth to bear upon them4--,but rather reprove them4 4 4 4 ,all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light1 etc4 7vers4 #aa1 #ac1 #ad74 ,silent absence or abstinence is not enough4 ,where sin is open to rebuke it should at all hazards be rebuked4 ,on the other hand1 ,st4 ,paul does not warrant ,christians in prying into the hidden sins of the world around them and playing the moral detective4 ,publicity is not a remedy for all evils1 but a great aggravation of some1 and the surest means of disseminating them4 ,it is a shame--a disgrace to our common nature1 and a grievous peril to the young and innocent--to fill the public prints with the nauseous details of crime1 and to taint the air with its putridities4 ,the fruit of the light convicts the unfruitful works of darkness4 ,the light of the ,gospel disclosed and then dispelled the darkness of the former time4 ,so will it be with the night of sin that is spread over the world4 ,the light which shines upon sin-laden and sorrowful hearts shines on them to change them into its own nature4 ,the manifested is light2 in other words1 if men can be made to see the true nature of their sin1 they will forsake it4 ,if the light can but penetrate their conscience1 it will save them4 ,wherefore ,he saith1 ,awake thou that sleepest4 ,with this song on her lips the ,church went forth1 clad in the armour of light1 strong in the joy of salvation2 and darkness and the works of darkness fled before her 7,findlay74 ,lessons4--,the ,children of darkness and of light differ--#a4 ,in their conduct4 #b4 ,in their spirit and aims4 #c4 ,in the way in which they are ,divinely regarded4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #c-f4 ,christian ,sobriety inculcated4 ,i4 ,the vices condemned4--#a4 ,impurity4 ,fornication is sometimes used in ,scripture to comprehend the grosser forms of uncleanness1 as incest1 adultery1 and prostitution2 but in common speech it is appropriated to intimacy between unmarried persons4 ,if acts of uncleanness are criminal1 so are impure thoughts and desires4 ,the ,gospel forbids filthy communication1 which indicates a vicious disposition and corrupts others4 ,christians must abstain from everything that tends to suggest wanton ideas1 to excite impure desire1 and to strengthen the power of temptation4 #b4 ,covetousness4--,an immoderate desire of riches4 #c4 ,foolish talking and jesting4--,the ,gospel is not so rigid and austere as to debar us from innocent pleasures and harmless amusements4 ,jesting is not foolish when used to expose the absurdity of error and the folly of vice4 ,the apostle condemns lewd and obscene jesting1 profane jesting1 and reviling and defamatory jesting4 ,evil-speaking never wounds so deeply nor infuses in the wound such fatal poison as when it is sharpened by wit and urged home by ridicule4 ,,ii4 ,the arguments subjoined4--#a4 ,impurity1 covetousness1 and foolish talking are unbecoming in saints4 #b4 ,foolish talking and jesting are not convenient1 as the heathen imagined them to be1 but are criminal in their nature and fatal in their tendency4 #c4 ,the indulgence of these sins is inconsistent with a title to heaven4 #d4 ,these sins not only exclude from heaven1 but bring upon the sinners the wrath of ,god4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #d4 ,against ,foolish ,talking and jesting4 ,i4 ,in what foolish talking and jesting may be allowed4--#a4 ,facetiousness is not unreasonable which ministers harmless delight to conversation4 #b4 ,when it exposes things base and evil4 #c4 ,when it is a defence against unjust reproach4 #d4 ,when it may be used so as not to defile the mind of the speaker or do wrong to the hearer4 ,,ii4 ,in what should it be condemned4--#a4 ,all profane jesting or speaking loosely about holy things4 #b4 ,abusive and scurrilous jesting which tends to damage our neighbour4 #c4 ,it is very culpable to be facetious in obscene and smutty matters4 #d4 ,to affect to value this way of speaking in comparison to the serious and plain way of speaking4 #e4 ,all vainglorious ostentation4 #f4 ,when it impairs the habitual seriousness that becomes the ,christian4--,barrow4 ,ver4 #f4 ,the ,dissipation of ,large ,cities4 ,i4 ,the origin of a life of dissipation4--,young men on their entrance into the business of the world have not been enough fortified against its seducing influences by their previous education at home4 ,ye parents who1 in placing your children on some road to gainful employment1 have placed them without a sigh in the midst of depravity1 so near and so surrounding that without a miracle they must perish1 you have done an act of idolatry to the god of this world1 you have commanded your household after you to worship him as the great divinity of their lives1 and you have caused your children to make their approaches to his presence1 and in so doing to pass through the fire of such temptations as have destroyed them4 ,,ii4 ,the progress of a life of dissipation4--,the vast majority of our young1 on their way to manhood1 are initiated into all the practices and describe the full career of dissipation4 ,those who have imbibed from their fathers the spirit of this world's morality are not sensibly arrested in this career1 either by the opposition of their friends or by the voice of their own conscience4 ,those who have imbibed an opposite spirit1 and have brought it into competition with an evil world1 and have at length yielded with many a sigh and many a struggle1 are troubled with the upbraidings of conscience4 ,the youthful votary of pleasure determines to be more guarded3 but the entanglements of companionship have got hold of him1 the inveteracy of habit tyrannises over all his purposes1 the stated opportunity again comes round1 and the loud laugh of his partners chases all his despondency away4 ,the infatuation gathers upon him every month1 a hardening process goes on1 the deceitfulness of sin grows apace1 and he at length becomes one of the sturdiest and most unrelenting of her votaries4 ,he in his turn strengthens the conspiracy that is formed against the morals of a new generation1 and all the ingenuous delicacies of other days are obliterated4 ,he contracts a temperament of knowing1 hackneyed1 unfeeling depravity1 and thus the mischief is transmitted from one year to another1 and keeps up the guilty history of every place of crowded population4 ,,iii4 ,the effects of a life of dissipation4--,we speak not at present of the coming death and of the coming judgment1 but of the change which takes place on many a votary of licentiousness when he becomes what the world calls a reformed man4 ,he bids adieu to the pursuits and profligacies of youth1 not because he has repented them1 but because he has outlived them4 ,it is a common and easy transition to pass from one kind of disobedience to another2 but it is not so easy to give up that rebelliousness of heart which lies at the root of all disobedience4 ,the man has withdrawn from the scenes of dissipation1 and has betaken himself to another way2 but it is his own way4 ,he may bid adieu to profligacy in his own person1 but he lifts up the light of his countenance on the profligacy of others4 ,he gives it the whole weight and authority of his connivance4 ,oh for an arm of strength to demolish the firm and far-spread compact of iniquity1 and for the power of some such piercing and prophetic voice as might convince our reformed men of the baleful influence they cast behind them on the morals of the succeeding generation6 ,what is the likeliest way of setting up a barrier against this desolating torrent of corruption8 ,the mischief will never be combatted effectually by any expedient separate from the growth and the transmission of personal ,christianity throughout the land4--,t4 ,chalmers4 ,vers4 #g-ab4 ,fellowship in ,wickedness and its ,condemnation4 ,i4 ,illustrate this fellowship in wickedness4--#a4 ,not to oppose1 in many cases1 is to embolden transgressors1 and to be partakers with them4 #b4 ,we have more direct fellowship with the wicked when we encourage them by our example4 #c4 ,they who incite and provoke others to evil works have fellowship with them4 #d4 ,they who explicitly consent to and actually join with sinners in their evil works have fellowship with them4 #e4 ,to comfort and uphold sinners in their wickedness is to have fellowship with them4 #f4 ,there are some who rejoice in iniquity when they have lent no hand to accomplish it4 ,,ii4 ,apply the arguments the apostle urges against it4--#a4 ,one argument is taken from the superior light which ,christians enjoy4 #b4 ,another is taken from the grace of the ,holy ,spirit1 of which believers are the subjects4 #c4 ,the works of darkness are unfruitful4 #d4 ,this is a shameful fellowship4 #e4 ,if we have fellowship with sinners in their works1 we must share with them in their punishment4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #h4 ,light in ,darkness4--,i was in a darkened room that ,i might observe the effect produced by the use of what is called luminous paint4 ,a neat card on which the words ,trust in the ,lord were printed rested upon the bookcase and shone out clearly in the darkness4 ,the effect startled me4 ,how remarkable that if from any cause the light of sun or day failed to rest upon the card its luminousness gradually declined1 but returned when the sun's action infused fresh light6 ,truly we also1 if hidden from the face of our ,lord1 cease to shine4 ,are ye light in the ,lord8 walk as children of light4--,h4 ,varley4 ,ver4 #i4 ,fruit of the ,spirit4--,as oftentimes when walking in a wood near sunset1 though the sun himself be hid by the height and bushiness of the trees around1 yet we know that he is still above the horizon from seeing his beams in the open glades before us illuminating a thousand leaves1 the several brightnesses of which are so many evidences of his presence4 ,thus it is with the ,holy ,spirit3 ,he works in secret1 but ,his work is manifest in the lives of all true ,christians4 ,lamps so heavenly must have been lit from on high4--,j4 ,c4 ,hare4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the ,rule of ,christian ,conduct4--#a4 ,we cannot conform ourselves to what is acceptable to the ,lord and walk as children of light except we make serious search into the rule of duty revealed in the ,word and do our utmost to come up to that rule4 ,we walk not acceptably when we do things rashly without deliberation1 or doubtingly after deliberation1 nor when the thing done is in itself right1 but we do it not from that ground1 but to gratify ourselves4 #b4 ,it is not sufficient to make this inquiry in order to some few and weighty actions1 but in order to all1 whether greater or less1 whether advantage or loss may follow our conforming to the rule4 #c4 ,the finding out of what is acceptable to the ,lord1 especially in some intricate cases1 is not easily attained4 ,there must be an accurate search1 together with an exercising ourselves in those things we already know to be acceptable1 that so we may experimentally know them to be such1 and get our knowledge bettered in those things of which we are ignorant4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,works of ,darkness4--#a4 ,though we are not in all cases to abstain from the fellowship of wicked men1 but may converse with them as we are bound by necessity1 or by any civil1 religious1 or natural bond1 yet no tie of that kind can warrant us to partake with them in their sins4 #b4 ,though the command to reprove the sins of others is an affirmative precept1 and not binding at all times and in all cases1 yet not reproving when occasion offers is a partaking with them in their sins4 #c4 ,there should be such a holy bashfulness in ,christians as to think shame to utter in speech1 at least without detestation1 those things godless sinners are not ashamed to practise4 ,ministers in their public preachings should be modest and sparing in deciphering filthy sins1 lest they teach others how to commit the sin they reprove4 #d4 ,when men do not seek the veil of secrecy to cover their sins1 but glory in their shame1 they are more corrupt than the grossest of pagans4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,slumbering ,souls and their ,awakening4 ,i4 ,the character of the persons addressed4--,they are in a state of sleep4 #a4 ,if you allow yourselves in the practice of known wickedness1 your conscience is asleep4 #b4 ,if you live in the customary neglect of self-examination1 you are in a state of slumber4 #c4 ,if you have never been in any degree affected with a sense of your guilt and your dependence on the mercy of ,god in ,christ1 you are among those who are asleep4 #d4 ,if you have no conflicts with sin and temptation1 you are in a state of slumber4 #e4 ,the prevalence of a sensual and carnal disposition is a sign of spiritual death4 #f4 ,stupidity under the warnings of ,god's ,word and providence indicates such a state of soul as the ,scripture compares to sleep4 #g4 ,the soul in which the temper of the ,gospel is formed hungers and thirsts after righteousness1 desires spiritual growth1 and reaches after perfection4 ,,ii4 ,the awakening call4--#a4 ,this awakening must suppose and imply a conviction of your sin and a sense of your danger4 #b4 ,this awakening from sleep and arising from the dead imply a real repentance of sin and turning to ,god4 #c4 ,they who have awoke from their sleep and risen from the dead will experience the properties and maintain the exercises of a holy and spiritual life4 ,,iii4 ,the encouragement to attend to the awakening call4--,christ shall give thee light4 #a4 ,this may be understood as a promise of pardon and eternal life on your repentance4 #b4 ,the words import ,god's gracious attention to awakened souls when they frame their doings to turn to ,him4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,light of ,god4 ,i4 ,light comes from ,god4--,god is light1 and ,he wishes to give light to ,his children4 ,whatsoever doth make manifest is light--that which is made manifest is light4 ,there has been a steady progress in the mind of the ,christian race1 and this progress has been in the direction of light4 ,has it not been so in our notions of ,god8--a gradual discovery that when ,god is manifested1 behold1 ,god is light1 and in ,him is no darkness at all--a gradual vindication of ,his character from those dark and horrid notions of the ,deity which were borrowed from the pagans and the ,jewish rabbis--a gradual return to the perfect good news of a good ,god which was preached by ,st4 ,john and by ,st4 ,paul4 ,the day shall come when all shall be light in the ,lord--when all mankind shall know ,god from the least unto the greatest1 and1 lifting up free foreheads to ,him who made them and redeemed them by ,his ,son1 shall in spirit and in truth worship the ,father4 ,,ii4 ,in the case of our fellow-men whatsoever is made manifest is light4--,how easy it was to have dark thoughts about our fellow-men simply because we did not know them1--easy to condemn the ,negro to perpetual slavery1 when we knew nothing of him but his black face2 or to hang by hundreds the ragged street boys1 while we disdained to inquire into the circumstances which had degraded them2 or to treat madmen as wild beasts1 instead of taming them by wise and gentle sympathy4 ,but with a closer knowledge of our fellow-creatures has come toleration1 pity1 sympathy4 ,man1 in proportion as he becomes manifest to man1 is seen1 in spite of all defects and sins1 to be hallowed with a light from ,god who made him4 ,,iii4 ,it has been equally so in the case of the physical world4--,nature1 being made manifest1 is light4 ,science has taught men to admire where they used to dread1 to rule where they used to obey1 to employ for harmless uses what they were once afraid to touch1 and where they once saw only fiends to see the orderly and beneficent laws of the ,all-good and ,almighty ,god4 ,everywhere1 as the work of nature is unfolded to our eyes1 we see beauty1 order1 mutual use1 the offspring of perfect love as well as perfect wisdom4 ,let us teach these things to our children4 ,tell them to go to the light and see their heavenly ,father's works manifested1 and know that they are1 as ,he is1 light4--,c4 ,kingsley4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,moral ,stupidity4--,how many scarcely think of ,god from day to day6 ,it cannot therefore be uncharitable to consider the mass of the people1 compared with the wakefulness their infinite interests require1 as sunk in a profound slumber4 ,unless this slumber is soon broken they must sleep the sleep of eternal death4 ,i4 ,search for the cause of this stupidity4--,the proximate cause may be comprehended in these two words--ignorance and unbelief4 ,the remote cause is opposition to ,god and truth4 ,were not the heart opposed1 no man with the ,bible in his hand could remain ignorant of truths which claim to have so important a bearing on his eternal destiny4 ,fortified by sevenfold ignorance1 men can no more be awakened to contemplate their condition with alarm than the pagans of the wilderness4 ,it is perfectly in character for them to slumber4 ,but there are men who are respectable for their knowledge of ,christian truth who yet are asleep4 ,the cause with them is unbelief--the want of a realising sense4 ,their understanding assents to the awful verities of religion1 but they do not realisingly believe them4 ,,ii4 ,apply some arguments to remove the evil4--,consider that these awful truths are as much realities as though you were now overwhelmed with a sense of their importance4 ,neither the ignorance nor the unbelief of man can change eternal truth4 ,god is as holy1 as awful in majesty1 ,he is as much your ,creator1 ,preserver1 and ,master1 ,he as much holds your destinies in ,his hands1 as though you were now lying at ,his feet beseeching ,him not to cast you down to hell4 ,what would it avail if all the people should disbelieve that the sun will ever rise again1 or that spring-time and harvest will ever return8 ,can the soldier annihilate the enemy by marching up to the battery with his eyes and ears closed8 ,you have the same means with others3 why should you remain ignorant while they are informed8 ,if your knowledge is competent and it is unbelief that excludes conviction1 then call into action the powers of a rational soul and cast yourselves for help on ,god4 ,if you ever mean to awake1 awake now4 ,the longer you sleep the sounder you sleep4 ,the longer you live without religion the less likely that you will ever possess it4 ,you are sleeping in the presence of an offended ,god4 ,in ,his hands you lie1 and if ,he but turn them you slide to rise no more4--,e4 ,d4 ,griffin4 ,the ,call of the ,gospel to ,sinners4 ,i4 ,the state in which the ,gospel finds mankind4--,a state of sleep and of death4 #a4 ,it is a state of insensibility and unconcern with respect to the concerns of another world4--,busied about trifles1 men overlook the great concerns of eternity4 ,having their minds darkened1 they see no world but the present1 they live as if they were to live here for ever4 ,and if at any time this false peace is shaken1 they try all means to prevent it from being destroyed1 and to lull themselves again to rest4 #b4 ,how indisposed and unwilling men are to set about the work of true religion4--,nothing but this religion of which men are so ignorant1 about which they care so little1 against which they have conceived such a dislike1 can in the end deliver them from everlasting shame1 sorrow1 and punishment4 ,here is their extreme misery and danger4 ,they are unconcerned about an object which of all others ought to concern them most1 and are set against the only remedy which can be of any real service to them4 ,they are every moment liable to fall into utter perdition2 but they are not aware of their danger1 and reject the only hand which is stretched out to save them4 ,,ii4 ,the duty the ,gospel calls on them to discharge4--,to awake out of sleep and arise from the dead4 #a4 ,their duty is to consider their state and danger4 #b4 ,to break off their sins by repentance4 #c4 ,to seek the knowledge and favour of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the encouragement the ,gospel affords4--#a4 ,christ will give thee knowledge4 ,he will enlighten thy darkened mind1 ,he will teach thee by ,his good ,spirit1 and will effectually lead thee into all saving truth4 #b4 ,christ will give thee peace4--,whatever peace thou mayest have arising from not knowing and not feeling that thou art a sinner and daily exposed to the wrath of ,god1 the peace which ,christ offers thee is a peace which will arise from a consciousness that thy sins are forgiven1 and that1 although though art a sinner1 thou art yet reconciled to ,god4 #c4 ,christ will give thee holiness4--,holiness is our meetness for heaven4 ,it is that state and disposition of heart which alone can fit us for seeing and serving ,god4--,e4 ,cooper4 ,a ,summons to ,spiritual ,light4 ,i4 ,a lamentable moral condition4--,sleep implies a state of inactivity and security4 ,men are busily employed about their worldly concerns2 but a lamentable supineness prevails with respect to spiritual things4 ,the generality do not apprehend their souls to be in any danger--death1 judgment1 heaven1 and hell do not seem worthy their notice4 ,god's threatenings against them are denounced without effect--they are like ,jonah1 sleeping in the midst of a storm4 ,death includes the ideas of impotence and corruption4 ,an inanimate body cannot perform any of the functions of life4 ,it has within itself the seeds and the principles of corruption4 ,the soul also1 till quickened from the dead1 is in a state of impotence1 it is incapable of spiritual action or discernment4 ,yet1 notwithstanding this state appears so desperate1 we must address to every one that is under it the command1 ,awake4 ,your inactivity and security involve you in the deepest guilt2 your corruption of heart and life provokes the majesty of ,god4 ,nor is your impotence any excuse for your disobedience4 ,they who exert their feeble powers may expect ,divine assistance4 ,to convince us that none shall fail who use the appointed means ,god enforces ,his command with-- ,,ii4 ,a promise4--,sleep and death are states of intellectual darkness3 hence light is promised to those who obey the ,divine mandate4 ,light in ,scripture imparts knowledge 7,isa4 viii4 #bj71 holiness 7#a ,john i4 #g71 comfort 7,ps4 xcvii4 #aa71 and glory 7,col4 i4 #ab74 ,and all these blessings shall they receive from ,christ1 the fountain of light 7,mal4 iv4 #b2 ,john i4 #i74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,let each one consider the command addressed to himself--,awake thou4 #b4 ,let all our powers be called into action4 #c4 ,in exerting ourselves let us expect the promised aid4--,theological ,sketch ,book4 ,the ,gospel ,call and ,promise4 ,i4 ,many of mankind are in a state of deadly sleep4--,in sleep the animal spirits retire to their source1 the nerves are collapsed or embraced2 and as the nerves are the medium of sensation and motion1 the whole system is in a state of insensibility and inactivity4 ,how exactly resembling this is your spiritual state4 #a4 ,you are insensible4--,your eyes and ears are closed2 and you have no proper sense of pleasure or of pain4 #b4 ,you are in a state of security4--,you have no fear of evil1 no apprehension of danger1 and consequently no concern for your safety4 #c4 ,you are in a state of inactivity4--,you are not inquiring1 labouring1 wrestling4 ,when the body is locked in slumber1 thought roves at random and produces gay dreams of fancied happiness4 ,thus many are dreaming their lives away4 7#a7 ,in this sleep many are as void of sense and motion as if they were actually dead4 7#b7 ,in common sleep a person after due repose spontaneously awakes1 renewed in vigour4 ,but from this sleep1 unless ,god should awake you1 you will never awake till the heavens be no more4 7#c7 ,it is a sleep unto death4 ,like one who has taken a large quantity of opium1 unless you are awakened by some external cause1 you will insensibly sink into the second death1 the death which never dies4 ,,ii4 ,god is using means to awaken them4--,while you are asleep1 light1 however bright and clear1 shines upon you in vain4 ,till warning has waked attention1 instruction and illumination will be lost upon you4 #a4 ,god calls you to awake from your dreams of fancied happiness1 and reflect upon the vanity of the objects by which you are deluded4 #b4 ,struggle to shake off the dull slumber which weighs you down4 #c4 ,consider your misery and danger4 #d4 ,rouse all that is within you to activity4 ,god calls you--7#a7 ,by the language of ,his law4 7#b7 ,by the severe dispensations of ,his providence4 7#c7 ,by the strivings of ,his ,spirit4 7#d7 ,by the voice of the ,gospel4 ,,iii4 ,god will give light to all who awake at ,his call4--,it is the peculiar property of light to make manifest 7ver4 #ac74 ,christ will give you light4 #a4 ,he shall make manifest to yourself your character and your situation4 #b4 ,you shall behold the light of life4 #c4 ,he shall reveal to you the ,god of pardoning love4 #d4 ,he shall chase the darkness of sin from your soul1 and you shall walk in the light of holiness4 #e4 ,he shall put an end to your mourning4 ,learn4--#a4 ,the deceitfulness and destructive character of sin4 #b4 ,how fully ,god provides for your salvation4 #c4 ,hear the voice of ,god4--,e4 ,hare4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ah4 ,christian ,wisdom-- ,i4 ,cautiously regulates the outward life4--,see that ye walk circumspectly1 not as fools1 but as wise 7ver4 #ae74 ,the ,christian needs not only spiritual fervour and enthusiasm1 but also prudence--sanctified common sense4 ,it is possible to do a right thing in a wrong way1 or in such a way as to cause more mischief than benefit4 ,there is a severity of virtue that repels1 and rouses resentment2 and there is a parade of ,christian liberty that shocks the sensitive4 ,the truth lies between two extremes1 and ,christian wisdom is seen in maintaining the truth and avoiding extremes4 ,i wisdom dwell with prudence4 ,mr4 ,edward ,everett ,hale is generally credited as the author of the following motto for ,christian workers3 ,look up1 and not down2 ,look out1 and not in2 ,look forward1 and not back2 ,lend a hand4 ,success in soul-winning is only given to skill1 earnestness1 sympathy1 perseverance1 tact4 ,men are saved1 not in masses1 but by careful study and well-directed effort4 ,it is said that such is the eccentric flight of the snipe when they rise from the earth that it completely puzzles the sportsman1 and some who are capital shots at other birds are utterly baffled here4 ,eccentricity seems to be their special quality1 and this can only be mastered by incessant practice with the gun4 ,but the eccentricity of souls is beyond this1 and he had need be a very spiritual ,nimrod--a mighty hunter before the ,lord--who would capture them for ,christ4 ,he that winneth souls is wise4 ,,ii4 ,teaches how to make the best use of present opportunity4--#a4 ,observing the value of time amid the prevalence of evil4 ,redeeming the time1 because the days are evil 7ver4 #af74 ,time is a section cut out of the great circle of eternity1 and defines for us the limits in which the work of life must be done4 ,it is a precious gift bestowed by the beneficent hand of ,god--a gift involving grave responsibility2 and we must render a strict account of the use we make of every swing of the pendulum4 ,it is doled out to us in minute fragments4 ,one single year is made up of #ca1ecf1jjj seconds4 ,every tick of the clock records the ever-lessening opportunities of life4 ,time is in perpetual motion4 ,like a strong1 ever-flowing river1 it is bearing away everything into the boundless ocean of eternity4 ,we never know the value of time till we know the value of the fragments into which it is broken up4 ,to make the most of a single hour we must make the most of every minute of which it is composed4 ,the most dangerous moments of a man's life are those when time hangs heavily on his hands4 ,he who has nothing to do but kill time is in danger of being killed himself4 ,it is a miracle of ,divine goodness if he is preserved from serious folly1 or something worse2 and such miracles rarely occur4 ,the man who has learnt the value of time can learn any lesson this world may have to teach him4 ,time is the opportunity for the exercise of ,christian wisdom1 and should be the more sedulously used when the days are evil--when evil is in power4 ,oh for wisdom to number our days1 to grasp the meaning of present opportunity6 ,here come the moments that can never be had again2 some few may yet be filled with imperishable good4 ,let us apply our hearts--all our powers--unto wisdom4 #b4 ,having the good sense to recognise the ,divine will4--,wherefore be ye not unwise1 but understanding what the will of the ,lord is 7ver4 #ag74 ,we must read and interpret the signs of the times in the light of ,god's purpose4 ,a close and deep study of the ,divine mind will reveal to us the significance of the passing opportunity1 and aid us in making the wisest use of it4 ,our biggest schemes are doomed to failure if they are not in accordance with the will of ,god4 ,the noblest tasks are reserved for those who have the keenest spiritual insight and are most in harmony with the ,divine purpose4 ,,iii4 ,avoids the folly and waste of intemperance4--,be not drunk with wine1 wherein is excess 7ver4 #ah74 ,the ,asian ,christians were a social1 light-hearted people1 fond of convivial feasts4 ,wine was their danger2 and even in the celebration of the ,lord's ,supper they ran into excess1 and degraded the holy ordinance4 ,there were doubtless converted drunkards among them2 and the warning of the text was specially needed4 ,intemperance is not only a folly and a waste2 it is a degradation and a sin4 ,it is the excessive indulgence of a craving that at bottom may be in itself good1 if wisely regulated--a craving for an intenser life4 ,one finds traces1 says ,monod1 of the primitive greatness of our nature even in its most deplorable errors4 ,just as impurity proceeds at the bottom from an abuse of the craving for love1 so drunkenness betrays a certain demand for ardour and enthusiasm which in itself is natural and even noble4 ,man loves to feel himself alive2 he would fain live twice his life at once2 and he would rather draw excitement from horrible things than have no excitement at all4 ,when the physicians told ,theotimus that except he abstained from drunkenness and licentiousness he would lose his eyes1 his heart was so wedded to his sins that he answered1 ,then farewell1 sweet light4 ,,iv4 ,seeks to be under the complete control of the ,divine ,spirit4--,but be filled with the ,spirit 7ver4 #ah74 ,the excitement of drunkenness must be supplanted by a holier and more elevating stimulus3 the cup that intoxicates exchanged for the new wine of the ,spirit4 ,the general adoption of this principle will be the grandest triumph of temperance4 ,the cure of drunkenness will not be accomplished simply by the removal of temptation1 unless a relish for higher things is created and springs of holier pleasure are opened in the hearts of men4 ,a lower impulse is conquered and expelled by the introduction of a higher4 ,anachonis1 the philosopher1 being asked by what means a man might best guard against the vice of drunkenness1 answered1 ,by bearing constantly in his view the loathsome1 indecent behaviour of such as are intoxicated4 ,upon this principle was founded the custom of the ,lacedmonians of exposing their drunken slaves to their children1 who by that means conceived an early aversion to a vice which makes men appear so monstrous and irrational4 ,there is no excess in drinking copious draughts of the ,spirit4 ,christian wisdom opens the soul to the ever-flowing tide of ,his influence1 and strives to be animated and filled with ,his all-controlling power4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,wisdom is the best use of knowledge4 #b4 ,christianity opens the purest sources of knowledge4 #c4 ,get wisdom1 and with all thy getting get understanding 7,prov4 iv4 #g74 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae-ag4 ,walking circumspectly4 ,i4 ,the duty recommended4--#a4 ,walk circumspectly that you may keep within the line of your duty4 ,your course often lies in a medium between two extremes4 ,if from this course you deviate1 you step into the territory of vice4 ,be circumspect that you may not mistake your duty4 ,be watchful that you may retain a sense of virtue and rectitude4 ,be attentive that you may conform to the ,spirit of ,god's commands4 #b4 ,walk circumspectly that you may escape the snares in your way4--,often look forward to descry your dangers4 ,attend to your particular situation and condition in life4 ,often review your past life1 and reflect on former temptations4 ,be circumspect that you may detect your enemies when they approach you in disguise4 ,never neglect your duty under pretence of shunning a temptation4 #c4 ,walk circumspectly that you may wisely comport with the aspects of ,providence4 #d4 ,be circumspect that you may do every duty in its time and place4--,attend on the daily worship of ,god in your families and closets4 ,be kind and beneficent to the poor4 ,neglect not the care of your body4 ,attend on the instituted ordinances of the ,gospel4 #e4 ,walk circumspectly that your good may not be evil spoken of4 ,,ii4 ,the argument by which the apostle urges the duty4--,the days are evil4 ,the argument was not peculiar to those early times1 but is pertinent to all times4 #a4 ,the days are evil because the ,christian finds in himself much disorder and corruption4 #b4 ,the days are evil as he is exposed to various afflictions4 #c4 ,there are many adversaries4 #d4 ,iniquity abounds4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,the ,wise ,conduct of ,life4--#a4 ,the more light and knowledge a man receives from ,god he ought to take the more diligent heed that in all things he practises according to his light4 #b4 ,those only are most fit to reprove sin in others who walk most circumspectly and live so as they cannot be justly blamed themselves4 ,even the righteous walking of such is a forcible reproof of sin in others1 though they speak nothing4 #c4 ,as those are only truly wise in ,god's account who labour to walk most exactly by the rule of ,god's ,word1 so where this sanctified wisdom is it will render itself evident by making the person endowed with it walk circumspectly4 #d4 ,the less circumspect and exact men be in walking by the rule of ,god's ,word the greater fools they are in ,god's esteem4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #af4 ,redeeming the ,time4--,to redeem time is to regain what is lost and to save what is left4 ,i4 ,enter on your work speedily4--,do you ask what is your work8 ,it is time you knew4 ,consult ,god's ,word2 that will tell you4 ,,ii4 ,attend to your work with diligence4--,a sense of past slothfulness must excite you to severer industry4 ,be not only fervent but steady in your work4 ,,iii4 ,guard against the things which rob you of your time4--,an indolent habit is inconsistent with laudable actions4 ,a versatile humour is active1 but wants patience4 ,an excessive fondness for company and amusement is the cause of much waste of time4 ,,iv4 ,do every work in its season4--,youth is the most promising season4 ,the time of health is more favourable than a time of sickness4 ,there are seasons friendly to particular duties4 ,in doing works of charity observe opportunities4 ,v4 ,wisely divide your time among your various duties4--,lathrop4 ,the ,redemption of ,time4 ,i4 ,the subject of the exhortation4--#a4 ,time sometime signifies the whole duration assigned to the present world4 #b4 ,the period of human life4--,the time we occupy in the present state is that which ,god allots for our personal probation and trial4 ,all ,god's dispensations in respect to us refer to this period and have their limits fixed by it4 #c4 ,time means season or opportunity4--,in this sense the apostle uses it here4 ,we are to redeem all the opportunity ,god bestows on us for getting and doing good1 for acquainting ourselves with ,him and being at peace4 ,,ii4 ,the duty enjoined on us4--,redeeming the time--the opportunity4 #a4 ,we redeem time by consideration4 #b4 ,when we turn everything we have to do1 in the common concerns of life1 into a religious channel4 #c4 ,by living in a devotional spirit4--7#a7 ,this will cast out everything trifling1 much more everything sinful1 from our leisure hours4 7#b7 ,its preservation and exercise are perfectly compatible with the affairs of life4 #d4 ,the principal way by which time is to be redeemed is not merely by making efforts to promote our final blessedness1 but by actually securing our present salvation4 ,,iii4 ,the motives by which the exhortation is enforced4--,because the days are evil4 #a4 ,the days are evil in a general sense4--,this age1 as well as the age of the apostles1 is a wicked one4 #b4 ,because they are days of distress4 #c4 ,the days are evil individually4--,in the sense of affliction to a number of individuals4 #d4 ,it is an evil day that we are ever exposed to enemies and temptations4 #e4 ,every day opportunities of improvement are wasted is an evil day4 #f4 ,the time will come when1 as to many unhappy spirits1 the opportunity of salvation will be lost for ever4--,r4 ,watson4 ,the ,redemption of ,time4--,the more the days are beset by things that grievously invade them1 disturb them1 waste them1 the more careful and zealous should we be to save and improve all that we can4 ,to this end-- ,i4 ,it is of the highest importance that time should be a reality in our perception and estimate2 that we should verify it as an actual something1 like a substance to which we can attach a positive value1 and see it as wasting or as improved as palpably as the contents of a granary or as the precious metals4 ,the unfortunate case with us is1 that time is apprehended but like air1 or rather like empty space1 so that in wasting it we do not see that we are destroying or misusing a reality4 ,time is equivalent to what could be done or gained in it4 ,,ii4 ,keep established in the mind1 and often present to view1 certain important purposes or objects that absolutely must be attained4--,for example3 that there is some considerable discipline and improvement of the mind1 some attainment of ,divine knowledge1 some measure of the practice of religious exercises1 and there is the one thing needful in its whole comprehensive magnitude4 ,,iii4 ,that time be regarded in an inseparable connection with eternity is the grand principle for redeeming it2 to feel solemnly that it is really for eternity1 and has all the importance of this sublime and awful relation4 ,it might be a striking and alarming reflection suggested to a man who has wasted his time--now the time has gone backward into the irrevocable past1 but the effect of it1 from the quality you have given it1 is gone forward into eternity1 and since you are going thither1 how will you meet and feel the effect there8 ,,iv4 ,nothing short of the redemption of the soul is the true and effectual redemption of time4--,and this object gives the supreme rule for the redeeming of time4 ,how melancholy to have made so admirable a use of time for all purposes but the supreme one6--,john ,foster4 ,ver4 #ag1 #ah4 ,sensual and ,spiritual ,excitement4--,there is the antithesis between drunkenness and spiritual fulness4 ,the propriety of this opposition lies in the intensity of feeling produced in both cases4 ,there is one intensity of feeling produced by stimulating the senses1 another by vivifying the spiritual life within4 ,the one commences with impulses from without1 the other is guarded by forces from within4 ,here1 then1 is the similarity and here the dissimilarity which constitutes the propriety of the contrast4 ,one is ruin1 the other salvation4 ,one degrades1 the other exalts4 ,i4 ,the effects are similar4--,on the day of ,pentecost1 when the first influences of the ,spirit descended on the early ,church1 the effects resembled intoxication4 ,it is this very resemblance which deceives the drunkard2 he is led on by his feelings as well as by his imagination4 ,another point of resemblance is the necessity of intense feeling4 ,we have fulness--it may be produced by outward stimulus or by an inpouring of the ,spirit4 ,the proper and natural outlet for this feeling is the life of the ,spirit4 ,what is religion but fuller life8 ,,ii4 ,the dissimilarity or contrast in ,st4 ,paul's idea4--,the one fulness begins from without1 the other from within4 ,the one proceeds from the flesh1 and then influences the emotions2 the other reverses this order4 ,stimulants like wine inflame the senses1 and through them set the imaginations and feelings on fire2 and the law of our spiritual being is1 that that which begins with the flesh sensualises the spirit2 whereas that which commences in the region of the spirit spiritualises the senses1 in which it subsequently stirs emotion4 ,that which begins in the heart ennobles the whole animal being2 but that which begins in the inferior departments of our being is the most entire degradation and sensualising of the soul4 ,the other point of difference is one of effect4 ,fulness of the ,spirit calms2 fulness produced by excitement satiates and exhausts4 ,the crime of sense is avenged by sense which wears with time--the terrific punishment attached to the habitual indulgence of the senses is that the incitements to enjoyment increase in proportion as the power of enjoyment fades4 ,we want the ,spirit of the life of ,christ1 simple1 natural1 with power to calm and soothe the feelings which it rouses2 the fulness of the ,spirit which can never intoxicate6--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,christian ,mirth versus ,drunken ,mirth4--,carnal men seek the joys of life in revelry1 but ,christians must seek them in a higher inspiration--that of the ,holy ,ghost1 whose fulness is the source of the blithest and most joyous life4 ,i4 ,the mirth begotten of wine is the mother of all kinds of profligacy4 ,,ii4 ,the mirth begotten of wine destroys men body and soul4 ,,iii4 ,the fulness of the ,holy ,spirit produces a truly blithe and merry life4--,in this life1 with its many causes of depression1 men need exhilaration1 and the text points us to the only place where it is to be found without any alloy4--,g4 ,a4 ,bennetts1 ,b4,a4 ,what is your ,heart filled with8 ,i4 ,the heart of man must be full of something4 ,,ii4 ,those who are full of wine cannot be filled with the ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,those who are filled with the ,spirit will not be full of wine4 ,,iv4 ,the joy that is kindled by fulness of wine is degrading while it lasts1 and will soon expire4 ,v4 ,the joy that is kindled by the fulness of the ,spirit makes us like the angels1 and it will never end4--,lay ,preacher4 ,the ,vice of ,drunkenness4 ,i4 ,the nature and extent of the sin4--,the use of meat and drink is to support and comfort the body4 ,whatever is more than these is excess4 ,the highest degree of intemperance is such an indulgence as suspends the exercise of the mental and bodily powers4 ,if by the indulgence of your appetite you unfit your body for the service of your mind1 or your mind for the service of ,god1 you waste your substance as to defraud your family of a maintenance or your creditors of their dues1 become enslaved to a sensual habit and fascinated to dissolute company1 stupefy your conscience1 extinguish the sentiments of honour and banish the thoughts of futurity1 you are chargeable with criminal excess4 ,,ii4 ,the guilt and danger which attend the vice4--#a4 ,it is an ungrateful abuse of ,god's bounty4 #b4 ,it divests the man of his native dignity and sinks him below the brutal herds4 #c4 ,is injurious to the body as well as mind4 #d4 ,consumes men's substance4 #e4 ,wastes a man's conscience as well as his substance4 #f4 ,intemperance generates other vices--impure lustings1 angry passions1 profane language1 insolent manners1 obstinacy of heart1 and contempt of reproof4 #g4 ,has most lamentable effects on families4 #h4 ,the ,scripture abounds in solemn warnings against this sin4 #i4 ,this sin must be renounced1 or the end of it will be death4--,lathrop4 ,being filled with the ,spirit4--#a4 ,it supposes a sufficiency and fulness in the ,spirit and ,his influences every way to fill our souls1 to supply all our spiritual wants1 and to help our infirmities4 #b4 ,it imparts an actual participation of ,his influences and fruits in a large and plentiful measure4 7#a7 ,as men come to have every power and faculty of their souls more subject to the ,spirit's authority and under the influence proper to it4 7#b7 ,as they grow to experience ,his operations in all the several kinds of them4 7#c7 ,as ,his agency comes to be more stated and constant in them4 7#d7 ,as ,his grace becomes more mighty and operative in them1 so as actually to produce its proper and genuine effects4 7#e7 ,as they taste such a sweetness and delight in the measure of participation attained that they reach forward with greater ardour toward perfection4 #c4 ,that every one should esteem the fulness of the ,spirit a desirable thing4 7#a7 ,it puts us into a fit posture of mind for daily communion with ,god4 7#b7 ,would settle our minds in the truest pleasure and peace4 #d4 ,that we should look upon it as an attainable good4 7#a7 ,from the ,spirit's own gracious benignity and ,his declared inclination to fill our souls4 7#b7 ,from the purchase and intercession of ,christ4 7#c7 ,from the nature of the ,spirit's work in consequence of redemption 7#d7 ,from the ,gospel being described as the ministration of the ,spirit4 7#e7 ,from the declarations of ,god concerning the ,spirit4 7#f7 ,from the instances of ,his grace already made in others4 7#g7 ,from the beginnings of ,his saving grace in themselves1 good men may conclude the greatest heights attainable by them1 if they be not wanting to themselves4--,john ,evans4 ,on being filled with the ,spirit-- ,i4 ,implies that the ,spirit has been largely given to the ,church4 ,,ii4 ,that as ,god has given the ,spirit largely so ,he has been abundantly received4 ,,iii4 ,is to be possessed by ,his graces in all their variety4 ,,iv4 ,is to be wholly guided by ,his influence and subject to ,his control4 ,v4 ,is to be the instrument of fulfilling ,his mission on earth4 ,,vi4 ,is to have ,god as the only portion of the soul4--#a4 ,the ,spirit is ,god on the earth4 #b4 ,to be filled with the ,spirit is to be fully occupied with ,god4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-ba4 ,spiritual ,enjoyment-- ,i4 ,expressed in heartfelt praise to ,god4--,speaking 4 4 4 in spiritual songs1 singing and making melody in your heart to the ,lord 7ver4 #ai74 ,men filled with wine seek their enjoyment in singing bacchanalian odes and songs2 but the men of the ,spirit find a higher and more satisfying joy in chanting psalms and hymns of praise to ,god4 ,the holiest excitement seeks expression in music and song4 ,in the praise meetings of the ,ephesians we have the beginnings of ,christian psalmody4 ,the psalms of the ,old ,testament were sung1 accompanied by musical instruments4 ,singing and making melody means singing and playing1 voice and instrument blending in joyous strains of praise4 ,then would follow hymns expressing the great ideas of the ,gospel4 ,regarding the early ,christians ,pliny wrote3 ,they are wont on a fixed day to meet before daylight--to avoid persecution--and to recite a hymn among themselves by turns to ,christ1 as being ,god4 ,there might not be much artistic taste in the music1 either of voice or instrument2 but the sincerity of the heart was the true harmony4 ,the contrast of the verse is between the heathen and the ,christian practice4 ,let your songs be not the drinking songs of heathen feasts1 but psalms and hymns2 and their accompaniment1 not the music of the lyre1 but the melody of the heart4 ,is any merry1 let him sing1 not light and frivolous songs1 breathing questionable morality1 but psalms4 ,the glad heart is eager first to acknowledge ,god4 ,,ii4 ,largely consists in thanksgiving4--,giving thanks always for all things unto ,god 7ver4 #bj74 ,god is the active ,source of all blessings in creation1 providence1 and grace1 and should be constantly acknowledged in grateful adoration4 ,the thankful heart is the happiest2 and it is the happy who sing4 ,thanksgiving is the predominating element in praise2 and praise is the essence of true worship4 ,prayer is not the essence of worship1 though it is an important help4 ,prayer becomes worship when it merges into praise4 ,the reading and exposition of ,god's ,word are not worship4 ,preaching accomplishes one of its loftiest functions when it incites to praise4 ,music is not worship but it may become a valuable accessory4 ,christianity has taken hold of music and consecrated and elevated it to the highest uses of worship4 ,it has produced the greatest musicians and the grandest music4 ,all true music is the outward and melodious expression of our dearest and most sacred thoughts and feelings4 ,the musical artist touches what is deepest and best in us4 ,nature has no false notes4 ,when we praise ,god aright1 worship becomes an act of the highest intelligence1 calling forth and exercising our noblest powers4 ,we are to sing with the ,spirit1 and we are to sing with the understanding also4 ,worship is acceptable to ,god as it is the joyous expression of the soul1 brimming over with thankfulness and reverence4 ,we are then brought under the spiritually transforming power of the ,being we worship2 the worshipper becomes like the object worshipped4 ,,iii4 ,soberly recognises the relation in which we stand to each other and to ,christ4--,submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of ,god 7ver4 #ba74 ,in the fear of ,christ--so read all the old ,,mss1 and authorities4 ,the believer passes from under the bondage of the law to be the servant of ,christ1 which through the instinct of love to ,him is really to be the ,lord's freeman1 for he is under the law to ,christ4 ,thus reverential fear of displeasing ,him is the motive for discharging our relative duties as ,christians4 ,the ,church should be a pattern and an example of harmony and peace1 and this can only be by the members submitting themselves one to another in the fear of ,christ4 ,the man with the most distinguished gifts must not be above submitting himself to the judgment and will of his fellow-members4 ,preacher1 organist1 choir1 and congregation must vie with each other in harmonious rivalry in the service and worship of ,god4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,spiritual enjoyment is not dependent on fictitious excitement4 #b4 ,expresses itself in holiest song4 #c4 ,is unselfish4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,singing in the ,worship of ,god4 ,i4 ,the singing of psalms is here enjoined as a sacred branch of social worship4--,we are to glorify ,god in our bodies and in our spirits4 ,to ,him we are to consecrate the use of all our powers4 ,and there is the same reason why the musical as any other faculty should be employed in ,his service4 ,praise is the most excellent part of ,divine worship4 ,,ii4 ,the matter or subject of our singing4--,in psalms1 hymns1 and spiritual songs4 ,by psalms is intended that collection of sacred poems which passes under this name and is one of the canonical books of ,scripture4 ,by hymns may be designed other poetical compositions of ,scripture as the songs of ,moses1 ,hannah1 ,zechariah1 ,simeon1 and others4 ,by spiritual songs may be meant those pious and devout songs which in that age were composed by prophets and holy men in the ,church under the immediate influence of the ,spirit4 ,the matter we sing should be accommodated to the occasion of the worship4 ,if in the days of ,david it was thought necessary that on extraordinary occasions a new song should be sung1 surely now we may sing some new songs on the glorious occasion of the ,gospel4 ,,iii4 ,we are to sing1 making melody4--,the use of music in social worship is to assist and enliven the devotion of the heart4 ,when music is performed with melody of sound1 exactness of time1 and harmony of voices1 it greatly contributes to this end4 ,singing cannot be performed to edification and comfort without skill4 ,the singers in the ,jewish ,temple were carefully instructed1 and this branch of worship conducted with great order and solemnity4 ,,iv4 ,in singing we must make melody in our hearts to the ,lord4--,singing as part of religious worship must be directed to ,god4 ,we sing in obedience to ,his command1 with a sense of ,his presence1 with hearts disposed for ,his service1 with affections corresponding to the matter of the psalm4 ,the man who can hear holy anthems sung to the universal ,parent1 with voices sweetly mingling and harmonising together1 and not feel himself softened into benevolence and love and moulded into condescension and peace1 must have a soul rugged as the rocks and stubborn as an oak4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,if singing is an instituted part of ,divine worship1 all should take a share in it4 #b4 ,every one according to his ability is bound to promote the psalmody of the ,church4 #c4 ,psalmody as a branch of ,divine worship should be regarded1 not as a theatrical exhibition1 but as a religious solemnity4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,the ,duty of ,thanksgiving4 ,i4 ,the duty to which we are exhorted4--#a4 ,implies a right apprehension and considerate attention to benefits conferred4 #b4 ,requires a faithful retention of benefits in memory and frequent reflections on them4 #c4 ,a due esteem and valuation of benefits4 #d4 ,that benefits be received with a willing mind1 a hearty sense1 a vehement affection4 #e4 ,always attended with the esteem1 veneration1 and love of the benefactor4 ,,ii4 ,the time allotted to the performance of the duty4--,always4 #a4 ,hereby is required a frequent performance thereof4 #b4 ,appointing and punctually observing convenient times for the purpose4 #c4 ,a vigilant attendance on the duty such as men bestow on their employments4 #d4 ,implies a ready disposition to give thanks ever permanent in us4 #e4 ,that we embrace every opportunity of actually expressing our thankfulness4 ,,iii4 ,the matter of this duty4--,for all things4 #a4 ,we are to give thanks not only for great but the least favours of ,god4 #b4 ,not only for new and present benefits1 but for all we have formerly or may hereafter receive4 #c4 ,not only for pleasant occurrences of providence1 but also those which are adverse4 #d4 ,not only for temporal but for spiritual and eternal blessings4--,barrow4 ,thanksgiving4 ,i4 ,the duty here enjoined is to give thanks4 ,,ii4 ,consider the character of that ,being to whom our thanks must be supremely directed4--,to ,god1 even the ,father4 ,,iii4 ,we are required to give thanks always to ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the matters for which we are to give thanks4--,for all things4 ,v4 ,consider the medium of our access to ,god in this duty4--,in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,mutual ,submission4 ,i4 ,a degree of submission is due to superiors4--,superiors in age1 in knowledge and wisdom1 in authority4 ,honour a virtuous character wherever you see it4 ,,ii4 ,mutual submission as it respects equals4--,all men have the same immutable right to an equitable treatment from all with whom they have intercourse4 ,mutual subjection ought to be seen in families4 ,,iii4 ,there is a submission due to those who on some accounts may be deemed inferiors4--,superiors owe respect to those below them4 ,they should be easy of access1 gentle in language1 and condescending in deportment4 ,,iv4 ,this mutual submission ought to appear in ,christian ,churches4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bb-cc4 ,duties of ,wives and ,husbands4 ,i4 ,the duty of the wife is submission to her husband4--,wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands4 #a4 ,a submission defined by religious obligation4--,as unto the ,lord 7ver4 #bb74 ,this submission implies no inferiority4 ,husband and wife are equal before ,god1 and each is separately responsible to ,him4 ,the husband cannot love and serve ,god for the wife1 nor the wife for the husband2 each stands related to ,him as a distinct personality1 with distinct duties and responsibilities for each4 ,god has the first claim upon them both1 and their relation and duties to each other must be in harmony with that supreme claim4 ,the submission demanded is not the subjection of an inferior to a superior1 but the voluntary1 sympathetic obedience that can be gracefully and appropriately rendered only by an equal to an equal4 ,it is here that ,christianity1 in contrast with paganism and notably with ,mahometanism1 raises the weaker sex to honour4 ,in soul and destiny it declares the woman to be man1 endowed with all rights and powers inherent in humanity4 ,it is one of the glories of our faith that it has enfranchised our sisters1 and raises them in spiritual calling to the full level of their brothers and husbands4 #b4 ,a submission recognising the headship of the husband4--7#a7 ,analogous to the headship of ,christ to ,his ,church4 ,for the husband is the head of the wife1 even as ,christ is the ,head of the ,church 7ver4 #bc74 7#b7 ,unlike that headship inasmuch as ,christ is not only the head but also the ,saviour of the ,church4 ,and ,he is the ,saviour of the body 7ver4 #bc74 ,as the ,saviour ,his headship is unrivalled and must be acknowledged by every member alike4 ,the wife must not think too much of her husband3 there is ,one who is superior to him1 and who must be all in all to them both4 #c4 ,a submission after the pattern of that of the ,church to ,christ4--,as the ,church is subject to ,christ1 so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything 7ver4 #bd2 cf4 ver4 #cc74 ,religion sanctifies all relationships and makes duty a joy4 ,as the wife obeys ,christ in spiritual things1 so she will obey her husband in all things righteous4 ,mary1 wife of ,prince ,william of ,orange and the heir-apparent to the ,english throne1 was asked what her husband the prince should be if she became queen4 ,she called in her husband and promised him he should always bear rule2 and asked only that he would obey the command1 ,husbands1 love your wives1 as she should do that1 ,wives1 be obedient to your husbands in all things4 ,,ii4 ,the duty of the husband is to love his wife4--#a4 ,a love that seeks to promote the highest spiritual interests of the wife 7vers4 #be-bi74 ,it must be a ,christ-like1 self-sacrificing1 all-devoted love4 ,it is greatly within the power of the husband to help or hinder the spiritual life of the wife4 ,the man is apt to become so self-absorbed and forgetful that he needs reminding of his duty to love and cherish the one who should be dearer to him than any other4 ,assured of the reality and unselfishness of her husband's love1 there is no sacrifice she will hesitate to make1 nor will she spare any effort to attain the ,christ-likeness of character to which he may wish to lead her4 ,one with ,christ4 ,this is the ideal ,christian state4 ,we have a faint reflection of this in that which should be flesh4 ,they are to be as nearly as possible one person4 ,their thoughts1 their interests1 their hopes1 their aims are one4 ,marriage was given that it might be a representation of the spiritual union between ,christ and ,his ,church4 ,the union of each separate soul with ,christ is a fragment of ,his union with the whole ,church1 and must partake of the same character4 ,he that is joined to the ,lord is one spirit with ,him4 #b4 ,a love arising from the intimacy and sacredness of the marriage bond 7vers4 #cj-cb74--,marriage is a union for life between one man and one woman2 consequently bigamy1 polygamy1 and voluntary divorce are all inconsistent with its nature4 ,it must be entered into freely and cordially by the parties1 with the conviction that one is suited to the other1 and to take the positions involved in the natural and scriptural view of the relation4 ,marriage1 said ,jeremy ,taylor1 is a school and exercise of virtue4 ,here is the proper sense of piety and patience1 of the duty of parents1 and the charity of relatives2 here kindness is spread abroad and love is united and made firm as a centre4 ,marriage is the nursery of heaven1 hath in it the labours of love and the delicacies of friendship1 the blessing of society and the union of hands and hearts4 ,like the useful bee1 marriage builds a house1 unites into societies and republics1 exercises many virtues1 promotes the interest of mankind1 and is that state of good things to which ,god has designed the present constitution of the world4 #c4 ,a love strengthened by the observance of mutual duties 7ver4 #cc74--,love manifested begets love1 and strengthens with exercise4 ,the loving reverence of the wife follows on the frank and genuine love of the husband4 ,this was an epitaph in a churchyard inscribed by a husband after sixty years of married life3 ,she always made home happy4 ,the ,christian conception of love and marriage began a new era in the world1 and has exalted woman to her true place4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,marriage is not to be lightly entered into4 #b4 ,is dignified as a symbol of the union between ,christ and ,his ,church4 #c4 ,binds the contracting parties to fidelity in observing the most sacred vows4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #bb-cc4 ,wives and ,husbands4 ,i4 ,there are duties which are common to both the correlates4--,the husband and wife are in some respects equals4 ,as they are one and have one common interest they ought to act with an undivided concern for the happiness of the family4 ,they are alike bound to mutual fidelity and a chaste conversation4 ,they are under equal obligations to study each other's peace and comfort4 ,,ii4 ,there are some duties particularly incumbent on the wife4--,these the apostle expresses by the terms submission1 reverence1 obedience1 and subjection4 ,since the ,church is subject to ,christ1 the woman ought to be subject to her husband1 who1 by ,christ's authority1 is constituted her head4 ,a family should resemble a ,church in union1 peace1 and subordination4 ,the honour and interest of religion require that wives1 by a cheerful subordination1 co-operate with their husbands in all the important concerns of the household1 and in the nurture1 education1 and government of the dependent members4 ,,iii4 ,there are duties particularly incumbent on the husband towards his wife4--,these the apostle expresses by the word love1 which here stands opposed to sharpness and severity4 ,one argument for this love is the example of ,christ in ,his love and devotion to the ,church4 ,another reason is1 the intimacy of the relationship--,whoso loveth his wife loveth himself4 ,where the spirit of religion reigns in both1 the union will be easy and their joint government in the family have efficacy4 ,the maintenance of family religion depends on nothing more than the union of the heads4 ,for how can they unite in prayers and praises who unite in nothing else4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #bc-cb4 ,christ and ,his ,bride4 ,i4 ,christ's love to the ,church 7vers4 #be-bg74 ,we must value and joyfully assert our individual part in the redeeming love of the ,son of ,god2 but we must equally admit the sovereign rights of the ,church in the ,redeemer's passion4 ,there is in some an absorption in the work of grace within their own hearts1 an individualistic salvation-seeking that like all selfishness defeats its end1 for it narrows and impoverishes the inner life thus sedulously cherished4 ,the ,church does not exist simply for the benefit of individual souls2 it is an eternal institution1 with an affiance to ,christ1 a calling and destiny of its own2 within that universal sphere our personal destiny holds its particular place4 ,the ,christ is worthy and she must be made worthy4 ,from eternity ,he set ,his love upon her2 on the cross ,he won her back from her infidelity at the price of ,his blood4 ,through the ages ,he has been wooing her to ,himself1 and schooling her in wise and manifold ways that she may be fit for her heavenly calling4 ,through what cleansing fires1 through what baptisms1 even of blood1 she has still to pass ere the consummation is reached1 ,he only knows who loved her and gave ,himself for her4 ,he will spare to ,his ,church nothing1 either of bounty or of trial1 that her perfection needs4 ,,ii4 ,christ's authority over the ,church 7vers4 #bc1 #bd74--,the ,church is no democracy1 any more than she is an aristocracy or a sacerdotal absolutism3 she is a ,christocracy4 ,the people are not rulers in the house of ,god2 they are the ruled1 laity and ministers alike4 ,we acknowledge this in theory2 but our language and spirit would oftentimes be other than they are1 if we were penetrated with the sense of the continual presence and majesty of the ,lord ,jesus in our assemblies4 ,the ,church's protection from human tyranny1 from schemes of ambition1 from the intrusion of political methods and designs1 lies in her sense of the splendour and reality of ,christ's dominion and of her own eternal life in ,him4 ,,iii4 ,the mystery of the ,church's origin in ,christ 7vers4 #cj-cb74--;,god chose us in ,christ before the world's foundation4 ,we are created in the ,son of ,god's love antecedently to our redemption by ,him4 ,christ recovers through the cross that which pertains inherently to ,him1 which belonged to ,him by nature1 and is as a part of ,himself4 ,the derivation of ,eve from the body of ,adam1 as that is affirmed in the mysterious words of ,genesis1 is analogous to the derivation of the ,church from ,christ4 ,the latter relationship existed in the ideal1 and as conceived in the purpose of ,god1 prior to the appearance of the human race4 ,in ,st4 ,paul's theory1 the origin of the woman in man1 which forms the basis of marriage in ,scripture1 looked farther back to the origin of humanity in ,christ ,himself4 ,in some mystical but real sense marriage is a reunion1 the reincorporation of what had been sundered4 ,seeking his other self1 the complement of his nature1 the man breaks the ties of birth and founds a new home4 ,so the inspired author of the passage in ,genesis 7,gen4 ii4 #ba-bd7 explains the origin of marriage1 and the instinct which draws the bridegroom to his bride4 ,but our apostle sees within this declaration a deeper truth1 kept secret from the foundation of the world4 ,when he speaks of this great mystery1 he means thereby not marriage itself1 but the saying of ,adam about it4 ,this text was a standing problem to the ,jewish interpreters4 ,but for my part1 says the apostle1 ,i refer it to ,christ and to the ,church4 ,st4 ,paul1 who has so often before drawn the parallel between ,adam and ,christ1 by the light of this analogy perceives a new and rich meaning in the old dark sentence4 ,it helps him to see how believers in ,christ1 forming collectively ,his body1 are not only grafted into ,him1 but were derived from ,him and formed in the very mould of ,his nature4 ,in our union through grace and faith with ,christ crucified we realise again the original design of our being4 ,christ has purchased by ,his blood no new or foreign bride1 but her who was ,his from eternity--the child who had wandered from the ,father's house1 the betrothed who had left her ,lord and spouse4--,findlay4 ,vers4 #be-cc4 ,the ,christian ,law of ,marriage-- ,i4 ,demands self-sacrificing love4 ,,ii4 ,recognises the sacredness of the union between the contracting parties4 ,,iii4 ,is ennobled in being a type of the union between ,christ and the ,church4 ,,iv4 ,involves mutual fidelity on the part of both husband and wife4 ,vers4 #be-bg4 ,christ's ,love for the ,church4 ,i4 ,christ's love of ,his ,church4--,it was--#a4 ,ancient4 #b4 ,self-moved4 #c4 ,active4 #d4 ,effective4 ,,ii4 ,christ's sacrifice of ,himself as an exhibition of ,his love4--#a4 ,himself4 ,his life4 ,what a life6 #b4 ,as a sacrifice4 ,the essence of it is vicarious suffering4 #c4 ,to all the suffering which justice demanded4 ,,iii4 ,christ's more immediate object in what ,he has done4--#a4 ,sanctification4 ,as essential as pardon4 #b4 ,by the agency of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,signified by the washing of water4 #c4 ,through the instrumentality of the ,word4 ,,iv4 ,christ's ultimate aim4--#a4 ,to present ,his ,church to ,himself4 ,a nuptial figure4 #b4 ,free from all imperfections4 #c4 ,adorned with all excellencies4 7#a7 ,our obligations to ,christ4 7#b7 ,the real value of holiness4 7#c7 ,the high destiny of believers4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,future ,glory of the ,church4 ,i4 ,the future state of the ,church4--,in describing the future condition of the ,church1 the apostle has evidently in his mind two previous states3 her original state when lying dead in trespasses and sins1 and her subsequent earthly state when separated from the mass of the ungodly and partially redeemed4 ,we have the people of ,christ before us in three distinct points of view3-- #a4 ,as wholly defiled4--,speaking of sanctifying and cleansing the ,church intimates her complete defilement4 #b4 ,as in some measure cleansed4--,though sanctified and cleansed1 we read of spots still left on the ,church4 #c4 ,as altogether pure4--,faultless in ,god's presence and estimation4 ,,ii4 ,the causes to which this state is to be ascribed4--#a4 ,the love of ,christ4 #b4 ,love revealed in sacrifice as another step towards final purity4 #c4 ,the work of the ,holy ,spirit 7ver4 #bf74 #d4 ,the ,word of ,god 7ver4 #bf74 ,a right understanding of its testimony and a heartfelt belief in its truth4 ,,iii4 ,the great end for which all these means of holiness are brought into operation4--,that ,he might present it to ,himself a glorious ,church 7ver4 #bg74 ,the likeness of ,god will be put on her1 the image of ,god shine in her2 that attribute of ,divinity--holiness--which is the perfection of ,divinity will be her crown4--,c4 ,bradley4 ,the ,divine ,ideal of the ,church4 ,i4 ,we have an array of stupendous facts concerning the ,church4--#a4 ,the ,divine prevision4 ,before the eternal ,son of ,god could give ,himself for the ,church1 ,he must have had it in ,his mind4 #b4 ,the ,redeemer's actual love for the ,church4 #c4 ,the ,redeemer's amazing self-sacrifice on behalf of the ,church4 #d4 ,that the ,redeemer has a very definite purpose concerning ,his ,church4 ,,ii4 ,the distinguishing marks or signs of the members of the ,church4--,they are personal and experimental4 #a4 ,the casting out of natural impurities4 ,improvement is not enough4 ,nothing but a thorough re-creation can effect what is required4 #b4 ,the instrument of this change is the truth4 #c4 ,this change1 this introduction into the ,church1 is a thing complete in itself1 becomes historical1 and ought never to need repeating4 #d4 ,the way is open for the appearance of the other personal and experimental sign--sanctification 7ver4 #bf74 #e4 ,christ's idea of the ,church given in these verses is not abstract1 impracticable1 and untrue to the possibilities of ordinary human nature4 ,,iii4 ,here we catch a glimpse of the future and eternal glory of the ,church4--,how stupendous an event it will be when1 at the consummation of all things1 the whole ,church will be presented to the ,lord ,jesus6 ,what can secure ,church membership8 ,neither early training1 nor baptism1 nor the holding of an orthodox creed1 nor associating with a religious and devout assembly1 nor the filling of ecclesiastical office1 nor even intelligent approach to the table of the ,lord4 ,such things are means to an end4 ,that end is true membership in the ,church of ,christ4 ,and that membership is attained and secured by ,divine renewal of the heart1 and by that conformity to the mind of ,christ which is expressive of the new life4 ,the true unity of the ,church of ,christ is that spiritual oneness which has its expression in identity of ,christian life4--,w4 ,hudson4 ,ver4 #be4 ,a ,noble ,self-sacrifice4--,caius ,gracchus1 who was the idol of the ,roman people1 having carried his regard for the lower orders so far as to draw upon himself the resentment of the nobility1 an open rupture ensued2 and the two extremities of ,rome resembled two camps--,opimius the consul on one side1 and ,gracchus and his friend ,fulvius on the other4 ,a battle ensued in which the consul1 meeting with more vigorous resistance than he expected1 proclaimed an amnesty for all those who should lay down their arms1 and at the same time promised to pay for the heads of ,gracchus and ,fulvius their weight in gold4 ,this proclamation had the desired effect4 ,the populace deserted their leaders4 ,fulvius was taken and beheaded1 and ,gracchus1 at the advice of his two friends1 ,licinius ,crassus and ,pomponius1 determined to flee the city1 and reached the bridge ,sublicius1 where his enemies1 who pursued him close1 would have overtaken and seized him if his two friends had not opposed their fury2 but they saw the danger he was in and determined to save his life at the expense of their own4 ,they defended the bridge against all the consular troops till ,gracchus was out of their reach2 but at length1 being overpowered by numbers1 and covered with wounds1 they both expired on the bridge they had so valiantly defended4--,biblical ,treasury4 ,ver4 #cj4 ,members of the ,body of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the doctrine4--,the apostle is speaking of believers only2 of believers as believing2 of all believers4 ,his language implies3-- #a4 ,union4--,real1 intimate1 indissoluble4 #b4 ,dependence4--,of the members on the heart4 ,of the members on the head4 #c4 ,sympathy4--,sincere1 entire1 uninterrupted4 ,value of human sympathy4 ,its rarity4 ,its necessary imperfection4 ,the superiority of ,christ's4 ,,ii4 ,the duty4--#a4 ,love4 ,a special affection arising out of a special relation4 #b4 ,reverence4--,there should be no unholy familiarity4 #c4 ,obedience4--,responsive to ,his will as a part of ,himself4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,ver4 #cc4 ,the ,sanctity of ,home ,life4--,the ,christian home is the corner-stone of modern civilisation--the best fruit ,christianity has yielded the earth4 ,the ,anglo-,saxon home is the crowning glory of the race4 ,contrast it with ,french home life1 or the miserable home life in ,utah6 ,national self-preservation demands a vigorous uprooting of ,mormon polygamy and ,western divorce lawlessness4 ,that which is punished as a crime in the best and purest ,christian lands must be punished as a crime wherever it is found4 ,garfield kissing his mother and his wife at his ,inauguration was a sweet revelation of holy family life4--,homiletic ,monthly4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,children1 obey4--,until the days of discretion arrive this is the grace of childhood4 ,if through obedience the child errs1 the responsibility of that is with those who have commanded4 ,it is only a surrendered soul that can sing3 ,i would be treated as a child1 ,and guided where ,i go4 ,ver4 #b4 ,honour thy father and mother4--,as long as they are so4 ,ver4 #c4 ,that it may be well with thee4--,if ever that it may be could mean and so it shall be1 we should strenuously plead for that meaning here4 ,for it would be a pitiable thing indeed to find a man showing filial piety as a profitable course4 ,ver4 #d4 ,nurture and admonition4--,the former word is more general than the latter1 including everything that goes to the instruction of the child4 ,admonition is reproof1 either of word or punishment1 or yet again1 warning4 ,ver4 #e4 ,servants1 be obedient4--,r4,v4 margin1 bond-servants4 ,there was ,one who had become obedient even unto death1 having taken the form of a bond-servant 7,phil4 ii4 #g74 ,with fear and trembling4--,with that zeal which is ever keenly apprehensive of not doing enough 7,meyer74 ,the same phrase is used of the way in which our personal salvation is to be worked out 7,phil4 ii4 #ab74 ,ver4 #f4 ,not with eyeservice4--,a word used only by ,st4 ,paul4 ,the thing it describes is easily recognised to-day4 ,ver4 #g4 ,with good will doing service4--,if a philosopher-slave like ,epictetus could rise superior to his condition1 surely ,christianity could do as much for the humblest believer4 ,ver4 #h4 ,knowing that whatsoever good 4 4 4 bond or free4 ,this is the famous stone ,that turneth all to gold1 ,for that which ,god doth touch and own ,cannot for less be told--,george ,herbert4 ,ver4 #i4 ,do the same things unto them4--,the utmost application of the golden rule4 ,forbearing threatening may either mean abating or giving up4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,be strong in the ,lord1 and in the power of ,his might4--,in ch4 i4 #ai the phrase power of ,his might is reversed4 ,see note there4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,the whole armour4--,the panoply4 ,a complete suit of armour4 ,the wiles of the devil4--,a craftily designed plan of attack4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,for we wrestle4--,we need not suppose a transference of the metaphor4 ,it may describe the hand-to-hand fight in which equally matched opponents refuse to back an inch4 ,not against flesh and blood4--,with vulnerable crests 7,macbeth74 ,when ghostly combatants appear1 unassailable1 and with powers of injury against which we are helpless1 we may well say3 ,take any shape but that1 and my firm nerves ,shall never tremble4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,in the evil day4--,compare ch4 v4 #af4 ,a day of great peril4 ,and having done all1 to stand4--,when the hurly-burly's done to find oneself unvanquished4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,stand therefore4--,the words ring short and sharp as a bugle-call4 ,loins girt about with truth4--,to speak of a well-equipped warrior without a girdle is a contradictio in adjecto1 for it was just the girdle which produced the free bearing and movement and the necessary attitude of the warrior 7,meyer74 ,truth is a subjective conception corresponding with the eternal realities 7,beet74 ,breastplate of righteousness4--,as the actual warrior has protected the breast when he laced the corslet over his chest1 so with you righteousness 4 4 4 renders your breast 7heart and will7 inaccessible to the hostile influence of the demons 7,meyer74 ,he is but naked though locked up in steel ,whose conscience with injustice is corrupted4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,feet shod4--,ensuring agility and a firm foothold4 ,preparation of the gospel of peace4--,preparation might perhaps give way to preparedness4 ,st4 ,paul does not mind a paradox4 ,what hast thou to do with peace8 said one soldier to another2 but the herald was a soldier too4 ,ver4 #af4 ,above all1 taking the shield4--,large enough to block the entrance to a doorway--being about four feet by two and a half4 ,the lighter missiles were harmless against a roof of these shields over-lapped4 ,they were of wood1 thickly coated with leather4 ,quench the fiery darts4--,arrows tipped with inflammable material1 and shot off after having been kindled 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #ag4 ,take the helmet of salvation4--,for the large shield might leave the head exposed to the archer's aim4 ,the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the word of ,god4--,how effectual in fence and thrust it was in the hands of the ,captain of our salvation1 the world-ruler had experienced4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,praying always with all prayer and supplication in the ,spirit4--,here we have the recognition of a directing ,superior4 ,the true soldier fights under the direction of his 4 ,the sounds of strife are dying away in this verse4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,an ambassador in bonds4--,r4,v4 in chains4 ,sustaining the honour of ,christ under personal indignity4 ,that ,i may speak boldly4--,it needed not only the apostle's own1 but his readers' prayers to enable him to speak freely within stroke of the lion's paw 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #ag74 ,ver4 #ba4 ,tychicus1 a beloved brother and faithful minister4--,if all servants were brethren first1 the troubles of our modern commercial life would be few4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,peace1 love and faith4--,a worthy triad1 and the greatest of these is love4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,grace be with all them that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ in sincerity4--,paul's favourite word grace comes in as epilogue--as it was prologue 7ch4 i4 #b74 ,sincerity means incorruptly--to love in a spirit corruption cannot touch4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,duties of ,children and ,parents4 ,i4 ,the duty of children to parents is to obey4--#a4 ,this obedience has the ,divine sanction4 ,in the ,lord 7ver4 #a74 ,both the command and the obedience must be in harmony with the relation in which both parents and children stand towards ,god4 ,the parent who has not himself learnt to respect and obey the law of ,god is ill prepared for the grave responsibilities of family government4 ,natural affection and the instincts of common sense will guide the parents in the ordinary affairs of home-life1 and the sense of dependence and respect should induce instinctive obedience in the child4 ,no parent has any right to enforce an obedience which is not in harmony with the supreme claims of ,god4 ,the child who submits to the will of his parents is taught at the same time to obey the higher law of ,god4 ,if he defies parental authority and persists in disobedience1 he is sure to be treated in the same way if he ever has children of his own4 ,to be able to govern we must first learn to obey4 #b4 ,this obedience is in harmony with natural order and the eternal principles of justice4--,for this is right 7ver4 #a74 ,obedience is the law of the universe1 and without it everything would rush into anarchy and chaos4 ,law is so all-pervasive as to cover every department and relationship of life1 and its breach in any sphere carries with it its own punishment4 ,disobedience is not only a wrong to the person who commits it1 but it is an injustice to somebody else4 ,obedience to parents in things lawful is no hardship4 ,it is becoming and commendable because it is right4 ,it is the perversity of our nature1 when it becomes difficult to do right4 ,disobedience is a wilful divergence from the straight line of rectitude1 and is the essence of all sin4 #c4 ,this obedience ensures the ,divine blessing 7vers4 #b1 #c74--;,it is our duty to obey irrespective of any advantage to be secured4 ,the loyal heart looks1 not to the reward1 but to the duty4 ,it is no merit to do what it is our duty to do4 ,yet such is the condescension and goodness of ,god that ,he attaches a special blessing to every act of unselfish obedience4 ,filial obedience should not be dilatory and reluctant1 but prompt1 cheerful1 self-denying1 and uniform4 ,obedience is the path of safety4 ,a pointsman in ,prussia was at the junction of two lines of railway1 lever in hand1 for a train that was signalled4 ,the engine was within a few seconds of reaching the embankment when the man1 turning his head1 perceived his little boy playing between the rails on which the train was running4 ,he stuck to his lever1 but shouted to the child1 ,lie down6 lie down6 ,the train passed1 and the father rushed forward to pick up what he feared would be the mangled body of his child2 but what was his joy to find the boy had at once obeyed his order1 had lain down1 and the train passed over him without injuring him4 ,his prompt obedience saved his life4 ,dutiful children secure the blessing of ,god4 ,filial obedience practised in the ,christian home forms habits of promptitude1 self-control1 and self-respect which are important conditions of success and prosperity4 ,,ii4 ,the duty of parents to children is to exercise discipline4--#a4 ,not by enforcing commands that tend to irritate4 ,ye fathers1 provoke not your children to wrath 7ver4 #d74 ,children are a sacred trust and solemn responsibility2 not to be weakly fondled or foolishly spoilt1 but to be wisely1 kindly1 and strictly disciplined into obedience and duty4 ,the ,chinese have a proverb1 when a son is born into a family a bow and arrow are hung before the gate4 ,in ,eastern books sons are spoken of as arrows of their fathers4 ,as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man1 so are children of the youth 7,ps4 cxxvii4 #d74 ,as the bowman straightens and polishes his arrow1 giving it a sharp and solid point1 and wings it with feathers1 so parents must train and equip their children that they may go straight to the point of duty and hit the mark4 ,the arrows that are not prepared and directed when in the hand may1 when they are gone abroad into the world1 and all parental training is too late1 prove arrows in the heart that will rankle with unspeakable pain4 ,the training of children is also a training of the parent4 ,many a hint is unconsciously given as to training up a parent in the way he should go4 ,while there should be firm discipline1 there should not be exasperating and tantalising severity4 ,rousing a child's anger is not the best way of subduing it4 ,a sullen submission gained1 by provoking and then crushing an angry opposition1 is rendered with a sense of injustice and wrong that will breed future mischief4 ,monod says3 ,correction and instruction should proceed from the ,lord1 and be directed by the ,spirit of the ,lord in such a way that it is not so much the father who corrects his children and teaches them1 as the ,lord through him4 ,the father who chastises in wrath provokes the child to wrath and rebellion4 #b4 ,but by judicious religious culture4--,but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the ,lord 7ver4 #d74 ,children are the gifts of ,god to be trained for ,god4 ,they are susceptible of genuine religious experience1 and are often nearer the truth than grown-up people4 ,christ recognised the spiritual faculty in children1 and gave them a conspicuous place in ,his kingdom4 ,when ,he wished to show the type of true greatness1 ,he did not point to stars or mountains or earthly dignities1 but called a little child unto ,him and1 set him in the midst 7,matt4 xviii4 #b-d74 ,children are capable of useful religious service1 and in many ways may be little missionaries for ,christ4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,l4 ,breckenridge once said to his mother3 ,mother1 ,i think you ruled us with too rigid a rod in our boyhood4 ,it would have been better had you used gentler methods4 ,the old lady straightened up and said3 ,well1 ,william1 when you have raised up three as good preachers as ,i have then you can talk4 ,the smaller magnets have proportionately much the greater power1 and children have a remarkable spiritual force with which the ,christian parent has to deal4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,personal discipline should be in harmony with the law of ,god4 #b4 ,the rigour of parental discipline should be tempered with love4 #c4 ,respect and obedience to parents will be ,divinely rewarded4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a-d4 ,the ,mutual ,duties of ,children and ,parents4 ,i4 ,children are to obey and honour their parents4--#a4 ,children owe to their parents an inward affection and regard4 ,their obedience should flow from love1 gratitude1 and esteem4 ,the love parents bear to their children entitles them to reciprocal affection4 #b4 ,they are to honour their parents by external tokens of respect4 #c4 ,they are to obey the just commands of their parents4 #d4 ,they are to receive with decent and humble regard the instructions1 counsels1 and reproofs of their parents4 #e4 ,they should remunerate the favours received from their parents4 #f4 ,they are encouraged in their obedience by the ,divine promise4 ,,ii4 ,the duties of parents to children4--#a4 ,to instruct their children in the doctrines and duties of religion4 #b4 ,to endeavour by arguments1 exhortations1 and reproofs to form their lives according to those instructions4 #c4 ,to regulate the diversions of their children4 #d4 ,to maintain the worship of ,god in their houses4 #e4 ,to let their conversation be exemplary4 #f4 ,to train up their children with diligence in some honest business4 #g4 ,to commend their children to ,god and the word of ,his grace4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,obedience4--,the dutiful obedience of children is declared by ,god in the fifth commandment to be the foundation of all social happiness and of every social virtue4 ,i4 ,the behaviour of a child to its parents is no such trifle as too many perverse children and too many foolish parents are prone to fancy it4--,how often we hear mothers saying1 ,it is only the poor child's way2 it is a little pettish and fractious at times1 but it means no harm by it4 ,to be sure it does not mind me quite so well as it ought to do2 but children will be children4 ,so the child goes on uncorrected1 and grows up disobedient and undutiful--with habits and dispositions so evil that ,god has classed them with the very worst crimes1 with false swearing1 theft1 adultery1 and ever murder4 ,if undutifulness in children had been a mere trifle1 would ,god have put it into this black list8 ,,ii4 ,observe the reasonableness and justice of the duty of children to obey their parents4--,the child is helpless and entirely dependent on its parents' care and kindness4 ,so strong and lasting is a mother's love that1 while other animals drive their young away as soon as they can feed themselves1 the love of human parents descends and prolongs itself even to their offspring's offspring4 ,think of their fears1 their wishes1 their prayers for your souls' welfare4 ,your love to them should be dutiful love1 showing itself in acts of gentleness1 respect1 and kindness1 and in the strictest and readiest obedience4 ,children are bound to obey1 not from constraint1 nor from fear of blows1 but readily1 willingly1 cheerfully4 ,the obedience paid for fear of stripes is the obedience of a mule1 not of a son4 ,what can a child know save what its parents teach it8 ,its parents for a time stand in the place of ,god to it2 as such1 it must believe them and obey them4 ,you may be the better for their experience1 you may profit by their warnings1 you may learn from their lessons4 ,,iii4 ,observe the use and benefit of obedience in forming the character of the child4--,it is in the school of home1 amid the little hardships1 restraints1 crosses1 and disappointments which every child must needs meet with1 that the great lesson of obedience is best learnt4 ,there is a root of self-will born in every man1 and out of this root grow two evil and misshapen stems--pride and disobedience4 ,you may as well expect water to burn and fire to wet1 you may as well expect a barren common that has never been ploughed and sown to produce a crop of wheat1 as that a child1 which has gone on year after year in pride1 self-will1 and disobedience to its parents1 will readily or easily tear off its habits and its nature1 to walk humbly and obediently before ,god4 ,we must cultivate obedience in the child that it may outgrow1 overtop1 and stifle1 or at least keep under1 the evil stem of disobedience4 ,we must cultivate humility in him1 that it may keep under the evil of pride4 ,we must train and accustom him to habits of steady self-denial1 which our ,lord has recommended to us as the best yokes for our headstrong and else unmanageable self-will4 ,thus the fifth commandment is a kind of practical school where the child1 in obeying its parents1 learns to obey all to whom it owes obedience4--,a4 ,w4 ,hare4 ,ver4 #d4 ,a ,father's ,charge4 ,i4 ,the duties parents owe to their children4--#a4 ,children are weak and helpless and totally incapable of caring for themselves--hence arises the first duty which parents owe them1 that of feeding and clothing them4 #b4 ,are ignorant and without understanding--hence they should not only be fed but taught4 #c4 ,are unruly1 and therefore must be governed4 #d4 ,are prone to evil1 and therefore must be restrained4 ,,ii4 ,the obligations parents are under to practise these duties4--#a4 ,they should do it for their own sakes4 #b4 ,for their children's sake4 #c4 ,for society's sake4 #d4 ,for ,god's sake4 ,learn4--#a4 ,the practicability of a religious education4 #b4 ,how awful is the responsibility of parents--of fathers especially4--,sketches4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-i4 ,the ,duties of ,servants and ,masters4 ,i4 ,the duty of the servant to the master is to obey4--#a4 ,this obedience is to be rendered with conscientious solicitude4 ,with fear and trembling1 in singleness of your heart2 4 4 4 not with eyeservice1 as menpleasers 7vers4 #e1 #f74 ,there must be a genuine care for our work4 ,be obedient1 with fear and trembling4 ,the fear enjoined is no dread of human displeasure1 of the master's whip or tongue4 ,it is the same fear and trembling with which we are bidden to work out our own salvation 7,phil4 ii4 #ab74 ,the inward work of the soul's salvation and the outward work of the busy hands labouring in the mine1 or at the loom1 or in the lowliest domestic duties--all alike are to be performed under a solemn responsibility to ,god and in the presence of ,christ1 the ,lord of nature and of men4 ,no man1 whether he be a minister of state or a stable-groom1 will dare to do heedless work who lives and acts in that august ,presence4 ,the sense of ,christ's ,lordship ensures honesty in work4 ,not with eyeservice1 as menpleasers4 ,it is the common fault and temptation of servants in all degrees to observe the master's eye1 and to work busily or slackly as they are watched or not4 ,such workmen act as they do because they look to men and not to ,god4 ,their work is without conscience and self-respect4 ,let us all adopt ,st4 ,paul's maxim2 it will be an immense economy4 ,what armies of overlookers and inspectors we shall be able to dismiss when every servant works as well behind his master's back as to his face1 when every manufacturer and shopkeeper puts himself in the purchaser's place and deals as he would have others deal with him 7,findlay74 #b4 ,this obedience should be cheerful and hearty as rendered unto a higher than an earthly master4--,as unto ,christ2 4 4 4 doing the will of ,god from the heart2 with good will doing service1 as to the ,lord1 and not to men 7vers4 #e-g74 ,obedience should be not only careful and honest1 but hearty4 ,the heart is the source of our greatest power4 ,nothing can be translated into an act that has not first been conceived and set in motion by the heart4 ,as the stroke of the piston sets in motion the most complicated machinery and produces certain results1 so the throb of the heart brings all our activities into play and gives direction and character to our work4 ,the worth of our work as a whole will be decided by the heartiness we throw into every single duty4 ,workmanship counts for much4 ,i have read of a chain1 weighing two ounces1 costing #agj1 being #afc1jjj times more than the value of the original bit of iron from which it was made4 ,the work of the artist made all the difference2 he put into it his best self1 his heart1 his genius4 ,so in the works of the divine ,creator4 ,the symmetry1 the beauty1 the perfect balance and shining magnificence of the world are the result of the patient work and hearty enthusiasm with which the great ,architect has put together and finished the most minute parts of the planet4 #c4 ,genuine obedience is always rewarded4--,whatsoever good thing any man doeth1 the same shall he receive of the ,lord 7ver4 #h74 ,even in this world conscientious work is not without reward4 ,in all labour there is profit4 ,the diligent hand maketh rich4 ,a stationer settling a large account with a paper-manufacturer said3 ,i owe all my success in business to you2 but let me ask you how a man of your caution came to give credit so readily to a beginner of my slender means8 ,because1 said the paper-maker1 at whatever hour in the mourning ,i passed to my business1 ,i always observed you at yours with your coat off4 ,work gives character1 and is the pathway to success and wealth4 ,but in the world to come1 when servant and master stand before the bar of ,christ1 reward will be equitably meted out according to the work of each4 ,,ii4 ,the duty of the master is to act towards his servant on the same principles as obedience to himself is regulated4--,and1 ye masters1 do the same things unto them 7ver4 #i74 ,the master is to put himself in the place of his servant1 and act towards him as he would desire to be treated if their positions were reversed4 ,it is a practical application of the great rule1 ,whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you1 do ye even so to them--a rule we are in danger of interpreting on one side only3 our own side4 #a4 ,to avoid irritating severity4--,forbearing threatening 7ver4 #i74 ,the slave in early times was treated as scarcely human1 and was ruled by the fear of punishment4 ,christianity in the beginning did not interfere with domestic slavery2 but it introduced principles which1 wherever adopted1 utterly abolished slavery4 ,the ,christian master cannot act on the policy of cruelty1 but treats his servants with justice and kindness4 #b4 ,to remember that both are servants of a higher and impartial ,master4--,knowing that your ,master also is in heaven2 neither is there respect of persons with ,him 7ver4 #i74 ,a party of friends setting out together upon a journey soon find it to be the best for all sides that while they are upon the road one of the company should wait upon the rest1 another ride forward to seek out lodging and entertainment1 a third carry the portmanteau1 a fourth take charge of the horses1 a fifth bear the purse1 conduct1 and direct the route2 not forgetting1 however1 that as they were equal and independent when they set out1 so they are all to return to a level again at their journey's end4 ,the same regard and respect1 the same forbearance1 lenity1 and reserve in using their service1 the same mildness in delivering commands1 the same study to make their journey comfortable and pleasant which he whose lot it was to direct the rest would in common decency think himself bound to observe towards them1 ought we to show to those who1 in the casting of the parts of human society1 happen to be placed within our power or to depend upon us 7,paley74 ,master and man must give an account to ,him who will judge every act according to its merit4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,masters and servants are amenable to ,divine law4 #b4 ,neither master nor servant gains any advantage by tactics that violate ,divine law4 #c4 ,where the ,christian spirit predominates trade disputes will soon be satisfactorily settled4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #e-i4 ,the ,duties of ,servants and ,masters4 ,i4 ,the duties of servants4--#a4 ,to be obedient to their masters4 ,this must be understood with the same limitation as all other commands enjoining relative duties4 ,we are to obey ,god rather than men4 ,servants no further obey their masters according to the will of ,god than they make ,his will the rule and measure of their obedience to their masters4 #b4 ,servants owe their masters reverence as well as obedience4 #c4 ,there is an honour1 as well as fear1 due to their masters4 #d4 ,cheerfulness in their obedience is recommended by the apostle4 #e4 ,diligence of faithfulness is another duty which they owe to their masters4 #f4 ,they are to be patient and submissive1 though they meet with usage more severe than they think reasonable1 not breaking their own obligations1 or deserting their master's service for trivial causes1 but bearing his smaller indiscretions without complaint1 and in cases of real injury seeking relief in a prudent manner and by lawful means4 #g4 ,in all their service they should act with an aim to please ,god and to obtain ,his approbation4 ,,ii4 ,the duties of masters to their servants4--#a4 ,their government is to be mild and prudent1 not passionate and severe4 #b4 ,with respect to apprentices1 the contract binds the master not only to give them comfortable support1 but to instruct them in his business and profession4 #c4 ,with respect to labourers1 justice obliges us to give them the stipulated wages when they have faithfully performed the promised service4 #d4 ,with respect to all servants1 equity requires that we treat them with humanity and kindness1 and contribute all proper assistance to render them useful1 virtuous1 and happy4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #f-h4 ,christian ,servitude4--#a4 ,to propose to ourselves the pleasing of men as our great design is inconsistent with the work of grace in the heart and with that subjection we owe to ,christ4 ,the meanest service is service done to ,christ1 and will be accepted by ,him as such4 #b4 ,so ingrate is man1 and so slow to reward those from whom he receives favour1 that a man can never heartily do service to the most of men1 except he look to ,god1 whom to serve in the meanest employment is a reward in itself4 #c4 ,the ,lord in dispensing rewards looks not to the external beauty1 splendour1 or greatness of the work1 but to the honesty and sincerity of it4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #i4 ,masters accountable to ,god4--#a4 ,there is no power among men so absolute--not that of kings and supreme rulers--but implies an obligation1 through virtue of ,god's ordinance1 on those invested with it to make conscience of duties towards their inferiors and subjects4 #b4 ,as it is usual for powers on earth sinfully to oversee and not to punish the cruel and unjust dealings of masters towards servants1 so those sins most connived at by men are most severely taken notice of by ,god4 #c4 ,it is too ordinary for men in place and authority to carry themselves as if they had none above them to be accountable to1 or to dream that the ,lord will not take such strict account of them as of their underlings and servants4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ab4 ,the ,christian ,warfare-- ,i4 ,can be fought only with ,divine help4--,be strong in the ,lord1 and in the power of ,his might 7ver4 #aj74 ,the apostle has dwelt like one enraptured on the sublime constitution and glorious destiny of the ,church2 now he deals with the formidable foes with which the ,church will have to contend4 ,he sees the evil forces gathering1 and hears the clash of arms among the approaching enemies4 ,he warns believers that unaided they will be powerless in the strife and must suffer defeat4 ,they are secure and will be victorious only as they make the strength of ,god their own4 ,the strength of the general1 in other hosts1 lies in his troops2 he flies1 as a great commander once said1 upon their wings2 if their feathers be clipped1 their power broken1 he is lost4 ,but in the ,christian army the strength of every saint lies in the ,lord of hosts4 ,god can overcome ,his enemies without their hands2 but they cannot even defend themselves without ,his arm4 ,man is impotent without the strength of ,god4 ,if the ship1 launched1 rigged1 and with her sails spread1 cannot stir till the wind fills them1 much less can the timber in the carpenter's yard hew and frame itself into a ship4 ,power to contend with the spiritual foes must come from ,god4 ,,ii4 ,involves a fierce conflict with the powers of evil4--#a4 ,a conflict1 not with men1 but with unseen spiritual enemies4 ,we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 but against principalities 7ver4 #ab74 ,the apostle brings out in bold relief the terrible foes they are summoned to encounter4 7#a7 ,as to their position4 ,they are no subalterns1 but foes of mighty rank1 the nobility and chieftains of the spirit world4 7#b7 ,their office4 ,their domain is this darkness in which they exercise imperial sway4 7#c7 ,their essence4 ,they are not encumbered with an animal frame1 but are spirits4 7#d7 ,their character4 ,they are evil--their appetite for evil only exceeds their capacity for producing it 7,eadie74 ,the ,church is engaged in a double conflict--of the flesh and of the spirit4 ,we are assailed with the temptations of the world of sense1 and with seductions of error that attack us in the world of the mind2 and in both spheres we have to contend with the subtle influences set in motion by the rulers of the darkness of this world4 ,our foes invade the high places of our faith and hope1 and would rob us of our heaven4 #b4 ,a conflict with unseen spiritual enemies led by an astute and subtle commander4--,that ye may be able to withstand against the wiles of the devil 7ver4 #aa74 ,the ,new ,testament assumes the personality of ,satan4 ,this belief runs counter to modern thought1 governed as it is by the tendency to depersonalise existence4 ,the conception of evil spirits given us in the ,bible is treated as an obsolete superstition2 and the name of the evil one with multitudes serves only to point a profane and careless jest4 ,to ,jesus ,christ1 ,satan was no figure of speech1 but a thinking and active being1 of whose presence and influence ,he saw tokens everywhere in this evil world4 ,satan's empire is ruled with a settled policy1 and his warfare carried on with a system of strategy which takes advantage of every opening for attack4 ,the manifold combinations of error1 the various arts of seduction and temptation1 and ten thousand forms of the deceit of unrighteousness constitute the wiles of the devil4 ,satan is no longer the ,god of this world since ,christianity rose to its ascendant4 ,the manifestations of demonism are1 at least in ,christian lands1 vastly less conspicuous than in the first age of the ,church4 ,but they are more bold than wise who deny their existence1 and who profess to explain all occult phenomena and phrenetic moral aberrations by physical causes 7,findlay74 ,,iii4 ,is victorious only as the warrior is armed with the ,divine panoply4--,put on the whole armour of ,god 7ver4 #aa74 ,they who put on ,christ are well clothed2 they are armed from head to foot1 and are proof against the darts of the devil4 ,the ,christless man is defenceless2 his own understanding and gifts do not sufficiently arm him4 ,the soldier comes into the field with no arms but what his general commands3 it is not left to every one's fancy to bring what weapons he pleases2 this would breed confusion4 ,so the ,christian soldier must put on the armour ,god provides1 and be completely clothed with it4 ,to leave one part unguarded will bring disaster4 ,in one of the famous battles between the ,english and ,french1 that which lost ,france the day was a shower of ,english arrows which so galled the horses that they became unmanageable1 put the whole army into disorder1 and trod down their own men4 ,so if there be the least loophole in our armour the wily adversary will quickly discover it and shoot through his fiery darts which will effect confusion and defeat4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian life is a conflict between good and evil4 #b4 ,god is always on the side of the good4 #c4 ,the ,christian warrior must fight with weapons ,divinely provided4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #aj-ab4 ,a ,call to ,christian ,fortitude4 ,i4 ,here is an exhortation to ,christian fortitude4--,be strong in the ,lord1 and in the power of ,his might4 ,it is not bodily but mental strength which is here intended4 ,true fortitude or courage is a temper of mind by which we steadily follow the calls of duty1 without being deterred by danger or diverted by difficulty4 ,it is a virtue founded in a regard to ,god and supported by faith in ,him4 ,it is cool and deliberate1 not rash and impetuous2 it is kind and compassionate1 not cruel and revengeful2 it is steady and patient1 not fickle and inconstant2 it continues in well-doing1 persuaded that its labour is not in vain4 ,,ii4 ,a warning against the enemies to be opposed4--,the apostle mentions two sorts of enemies4 #a4 ,the first he calls flesh and blood4--,the motions of our animal nature4 ,the phrase may further intend those sensible objects which are suited to gratify fleshly desires2 or it may intend mankind1 who are partakers of flesh and blood4 #b4 ,the other kind of enemies with whom we are to contend are evil spirits4--,these spirits are enemies to mankind4 ,their number is great1 and the terms used denote a subordination among them4 ,they are not divided against themselves1 but act in concert under the direction of one leading spirit1 who is called the devil and ,satan4 ,they have great power over such as submit to their dominion4 ,their chief influence is over the ignorant and superstitious4 ,they most successfully carry on their designs in the dark4 ,when the ,gospel began to shine1 ,satan began to fall4 ,among those who reject the ,gospel he recovers his full dominion4--,lathrop4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,the ,christian ,warfare4 ,i4 ,consider the danger to which we are exposed4--,as in other cases so it is in this3 our greatest danger lies in not feeling our danger1 and so not being prepared to meet it4 #a4 ,view the enemy we have to contend with4--,he is one who bears an inveterate hatred against us1 and seeks nothing less than our destruction or eternal overthrow4 4 4 4 ,he hates us as ,god's creatures1 but especially as those who have been rescued from his power and taken up arms against him2 nothing now will satisfy him but our eternal ruin4 4 4 4 ,it is therefore a struggle of life for life2 if we do not overcome him1 he will overcome us4 ,it is in vain to think of being neuter1 or making peace with him4 #b4 ,he is mightier than we are2 and unless we have help from above1 we are no match for him4 4 4 4 ,we know but little of the power of wicked spirits1 abstractly considered2 but viewed as the god of this world1 ,satan has all its temptations in alliance with him4 #c4 ,he is an artful enemy4 4 4 4 ,we are told of the wiles of the devil1 hiding his designs1 and falling upon us when we least expect it4 ,we are in his net before we are aware1 and when ,providence seems to smile upon us 7,deut4 viii4 #aa-ad74 4 4 4 ,he studies our propensities1 and suits his temptations to them 7,eph4 iv4 #ad74 #d4 ,he is invisible4 4 4 4 ,if he were flesh and blood1 like ourselves1 we might beware2 but his influence is like the mighty pestilence1 which walks in darkness4 4 4 4 ,when least suspected1 danger is nigh4 #e4 ,he is near us1 as it were1 within our gates4 ,the safety of a nation menaced by an enemy often depends on his being kept at a distance1 by walls or seas1 or fortresses of defence4 ,but here it is supposed that the enemy has entered into our borders1 and that we have no other resource left but to struggle as it were for life4 4 4 4 #f4 ,what is still worse1 he has a strong party within us4 #g4 ,on the issue of this warfare depend all our hopes4--,if we stand not in this1 our loss when defeated can never be retrieved4 ,,ii4 ,the armour provided for us4--#a4 ,in general1 this armour is the grace of the ,gospel believed and trusted in4 ,in common warfare it is usual for the commanders to persuade their enemies to think highly of their strength2 but in this it is quite the reverse4 ,we must go as ,israel was always taught to do1 as having no might of our own1 but deriving all our strength from the ,lord4 #b4 ,it is described as a whole or perfect armour4--,sufficient to defend us in every part4 4 4 4 ,truth is the girdle to strengthen us2 righteousness a breastplate2 the gospel of peace as shoes1 by which we shall be able to trample upon the lion and the adder1 the young lion and the dragon2 faith is a shield2 salvation1 or the hope of eternal life1 a helmet4 4 4 4 ,all this armour is to be drawn from the truths of the everlasting ,gospel4 #c4 ,the use to be made of it is1 that we may be able to withstand1 and to face the enemy4 ,there is no armour for the back2 he that fleeth is wholly defenceless1 and must inevitably fall4 ,,iii4 ,the necessity of putting on this armour4--,armour is of no avail1 unless it is used4 ,the application of the ,gospel is that which proves our security4 ,,iv4 ,the inducement to put on this armour4--,that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil 7ver4 #aa74 ,many neglecting this armour have been foiled in the day of battle4--,theological ,sketch ,book4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,the ,wiles of the ,devil4 ,i4 ,some of those artifices by which the devil entices men to sin4--#a4 ,he often presents to man the pleasing advantages of sin1 while its judicial consequences are kept in the background4 ,sin is often presented to man under the form of virtue or religion4 ,the names of sins are changed in order that their natures may seem changed4 ,sin is thus recommended to the more tender conscience4 ,the vileness and criminality of sin are often extenuated to man by plausible excuses4 ,they need an apology--youth1 old age1 strong temptation1 a desire to please1 to prevent loss of place1 provision for a family1 etc4 ,the inconsistencies of the acknowledged people of ,god are often pleaded as an apology for sin4 ,the falls of ,god's people have been recorded for good2 but the record has been perverted to evil4 ,a legitimate use of the record is to prevent despair on the part of ,god's people who have fallen4 ,but1 by ,satan1 the beacon has been converted into a decoy4 #b4 ,the sinner is often freed from his difficulties in sinning by false views of ,god's character and of the design of ,christ's work4--,god is regarded as a ,being of mere mercy4 ,christ is thought of as saving from sin's consequences1 rather than from sin itself4 ,the individual is often persuaded to expose himself to temptation1 under the impression that he will resist it4 ,,ii4 ,some of the artifices by which he entices men from the performance of positive duty4--#a4 ,many are restrained from duties by a consideration of their hardness in themselves 7,matt4 x4 #cd-ci74 #b4 ,many are persuaded to let duty alone1 on account of the sacrifices which a performance of it involves4 #c4 ,argument against a full devotedness to the service of ,god may sometimes be drawn from the fewness and meanness of those who are engaged in it 7,john vii4 #dh74 #d4 ,an argument against the necessity of duty is drawn from the doctrines of grace 7,rom4 vi4 #b1 #c2 ,jas4 ii4 #ag74 #e4 ,the worth and value of all performances are taken away by the trust in them for righteousness to which ,satan prompts the heart4--,stewart4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,invisible ,enemies of ,man4 ,i4 ,spiritual forces are much greater1 much more efficient1 much more formidable than any mere material forces4--,a strong will is a more formidable thing than the most highly developed muscle4 ,an idea which appeals to the intelligence and heart of the multitude is likely to do more work and to wield a greater sway in the end than any number of batteries and parks of artillery4 ,it is in the encounter1 not of brute force with conscience and with thought1 but in the encounter of ideas with ideas1 in the encounter of wills with wills1 that the destiny of the world is ultimately decided4 ,st4 ,paul knew that the ,church had to contend with the thought and the reason of paganism much more truly than with its proconsuls and its legions2 and as he wrote to the ,ephesians1 he did not mean merely human principalities and powers1 since he contrasts the beings of whom he is speaking with mere flesh and blood4 ,,ii4 ,behind all that met the eye in daily life the apostle discovered another world that did not meet the eye4--,he discerned other forms hovering1 guiding1 marshalling1 arranging1 inspiring that which met the eye4 ,do not let us deceive ourselves1 he cries1 as if we had only to encounter so many social or political forces1 so many human minds and wills1 so many human errors1 human prejudices1 human traditions1 human passions2 our real enemies are not human1 they lie in ambush behind the manifold activities of man2 they are really supersensuous4 ,two great departments of moral life among men are watched over1 each one of them beyond the sphere of human life1 by beings of greater power1 greater intelligence1 greater intensity of purpose than man in the world of spirits4 ,these spiritual beings1 good and evil1 act upon humanity as clearly1 as certainly1 and as constantly as man himself acts upon the lower creatures around4 ,it is not any mere disposition1 inseparable from the conditions of human thought1 to personify1 to externalise passion1 which has peopled the imagination of ,christendom with demons4 ,it is within ourselves that we meet now1 as the first ,christians met1 the onset of the principalities and powers4 ,it is in resisting them1 in driving from us in the name of ,christ the spirits of untruthfulness1 of sloth1 of anger1 and of impure desire1 that we really contribute our little share to the issue of the great battle that rages still4 ,,iii4 ,to love truth and righteousness is to hate their contraries4--,hatred of evil is distinct from any hatred of those who do evil1 and who are objects of sincere sorrow1 and have claims on ,christian charity4 ,the easy tolerance of moral evil is one of the most alarming features of our day4 ,only when the struggle with evil is a matter of personal experience do we hate it1 and enter even remotely into the apostle's stern language about its agents and its champions4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,the ,enemies of ,believers4 ,i4 ,the enemies referred to are here described as numerous4--#a4 ,they are here spoken of in the plural number1 as they are also in other passages3 ,the angels which kept not their first estate4 ,the devil and his angels4 ,the names here employed are collective1 and imply numbers4 ,we read of a single person being possessed with many devils4 #b4 ,hence the whole world has been filled with their worship and studded with their temples4 #c4 ,hence the strength of the temptations with which each one is tried4 #d4 ,hence the intensity of human wickedness4 #e4 ,hence the need of watchfulness4 ,,ii4 ,the enemies here spoken of are represented as being in a kind of subordination the one to the other--there are principalities4--#a4 ,there may be remains among them of that diversity of rank which originally existed4 #b4 ,it may be a submission called for by difference of intellectual and innate power4 #c4 ,it may be made conducive to the more successful waging of the war in which they are engaged--giving unity of aim1 of plan1 of co-operation4 ,they leave no point neglected2 turn all their strength to account4 ,all unity is not of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the enemies here described are singly and as detached mighty for evil4--,they are powers4 #a4 ,power intellectual4 #b4 ,power physical4 #c4 ,power directed4 #d4 ,collective power4 ,,iv4 ,the apostle characterises these adversaries as the rulers of the darkness of this world4--#a4 ,here a limitation of ,satan's dominion is expressed4--,rulers of the darkness of this world--of the hiding and blinding errors which abound--of those deceived and misled4 #b4 ,it is as the prince of darkness that he contends1 using falsehood and the wicked as his instruments4 ,v4 ,the enemies are spiritual in their nature4--#a4 ,they are intelligent and crafty4 #b4 ,invisible4 #c4 ,active and unwearied4 ,,vi4 ,they are wicked spirits4--#a4 ,they are in themselves wicked4 #b4 ,they would make others wicked4 #c4 ,they employ the most wicked means4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,watch4 #b4 ,pray4 #c4 ,resist4 #d4 ,stand fast4--,stewart4 ,evil ,angels4 ,i4 ,the nature and properties of evil angels4--#a4 ,their original properties were the same as those of the holy angels4 #b4 ,we do not know either the occasion of their apostasy or what effect it immediately produced upon them4 #c4 ,from the time they shook off their allegiance to ,god1 they shook off all goodness1 and contracted those tempers which are most hateful to ,him and most opposite to ,his nature4 #d4 ,in the prosecution of their infernal designs they are diligent in the highest degree4 #e4 ,they do not wander at large1 but are all united under one common head4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,with respect to point #e below1 the ,transcriber asserts that man is perfectly capable of doing evil without any help4 ,please see ,jer4 xvii4 #i and ,james i4 #ac-ae4 ,,ii4 ,the employment of evil angels4--#a4 ,they are1 as far as ,god permits1 the governors of the world4 #b4 ,satan and all his angels are continually warring against us1 and watching over every child of man4 #c4 ,by them the foolish hearts of those who know not ,god are darkened4 #d4 ,they hinder every good word and work4 #e4 ,there is no evil done1 spoke1 or thought without the assistance of the devil4 #f4 ,such is the malice of the wicked one that he will torment whom he cannot destroy4 ,in all these instances we say the devil1 as if there was only one1 because these spirits1 innumerable as they are1 all act in concert1 and because we know not whether one or more are concerned in this or that work of darkness4--,wesley4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac-ag4 ,the ,christian ,warrior equipped4 ,i4 ,he is clothed from head to foot with defensive armour4--#a4 ,the girdle of truth4 ,stand1 therefore1 having your loins girt about with truth 7ver4 #ad74 ,the military girdle was the belt or cincture with which the warrior braced himself round the waist1 to tighten and keep every part of his armour in its true place1 that there might not be anything loose and trailing about him to encumber his movements4 ,everything about him must be tense and firm1 that he may be prepared to receive the attack of the enemy1 however suddenly and powerfully made1 and to act with decision and concentrated energy4 ,so the ,christian warrior must be strengthened and sustained with the girdle of truth4 ,the truth of the ,gospel must be known and conscientiously embraced1 so that we may detect the numerous foes that error is constantly letting loose upon us1 and be able to attack and conquer them4 ,to cast away our girdle is to incapacitate ourselves for the combat1 and to expose ourselves to wounds and defeat4 ,conscious integrity inspires the spiritual warrior with confidence and bravery4 ,let this be my brazen wall1 that no man can reproach me with a crime1 and that ,i am conscious of my own integrity4 ,on the truth we take our stand1 and by the truth we stand4 ,if we keep the truth1 the truth will keep us1 and we shall not be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine4 ,the luxury of agnosticism1 the languors of doubt1 the vague sympathies and hesitant eclecticism in which delicate and cultured minds are apt to indulge2 the lofty critical attitude as of some intellectual god sitting above the strife of creeds1 which others find congenial--these are conditions of mind unfit for the soldier of ,christ ,jesus4 ,he must have sure knowledge1 definite and decided purposes--a soul girdled with truth4 #b4 ,the breastplate of righteousness4--,and having on the breastplate of righteousness 7ver4 #ad74 ,the military breastplate or cuirass was the chief piece of defensive armour4 ,it consisted of two parts or wings2 one covered the whole region of the thorax and protected the vital organs of the body1 and the other covered the back as far down as the front part extended4 ,as the breastplate guarded the vital functions contained within the region of the thorax1 so righteousness--the life of ,god in the soul of man--defends everything on which the spiritual existence and triumph of the ,christian warrior depend4 ,righteousness--conscious integrity of character--is an impenetrable mail from which the missiles of the enemy fall pointless4 ,rectitude of life is an invulnerable defence against the most furious attacks of calumny and oppression3 it is an immovable rock that breaks up the dark billows of opposition into clouds of helpless spray4 #c4 ,the greaves1 or feet-guards4--,your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace 7ver4 #ae74 ,the military greaves or brazen boots covered the shin or front of the leg4 ,a kind of solen was often used which covered the sole and laced about the instep1 preventing the foot from being wounded by thorns or rugged ways1 and giving firmness and security to the foothold4 ,thus shod1 the warrior would take his stand with safety1 or move with alertness over all sorts of ground4 ,being shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace indicates that the ,christian soldier is ever ready to move with expedition and willingness in publishing the good tidings of peace4 ,the ,israelites were commanded to eat the passover with their feet shod to show that they were ready for their journey4 ,christ commanded ,his messengers to be shod with sandals1 that they might be ready to go and proclaim the ,gospel wherever they were sent4 ,the ,christian warrior is on his way through a strange and hostile country1 and should be every moment not only prepared to proceed1 but be every moment in actual progress1 proclaiming peace on his way to the land of eternal peace4 ,progress in truth is made by being firmly established in its principles2 every advancing step is taken with confidence and with the air of one who is assured of the ground on which he is treading4 ,the ,gospel of peace establishes peace between ,god and man1 and proclaims goodwill and peace to the universe4 ,the objection that the apostle is addressing the faithful at large who are not all of them called to preach the ,gospel is mistaken4 ,every believer should be prepared to witness for ,christ so often as opportunity affords and needs a readiness thereto4 ,the knowledge of ,christ's peace qualifies him to convey its message4 ,he brings it with him into the strife of the world4 ,and it is the consciousness that he possesses himself such peace1 and has it to communicate to others1 which enables him to walk firmly and with sure step in the way of faith 7,von ,hofman74 ,we preserve the truth by spreading it2 and the best defence against the enemies of the truth is to persuade them to accept the ,gospel of peace4 ,the ,christian warrior is not a fighter1 but a peacemaker4 #d4 ,the shield of faith4--,above all1 taking the shield of faith1 wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 7ver4 #af74 ,the shield signified is not the small round buckler or targe of the light-armed man1 but the oblong1 doorlike shield1 measuring four feet by two and a half1 and curved to the shape of the body1 that the ,greek hoplite and the ,roman legionary carried4 ,joined together1 these large shields formed a wall1 behind which a body of troops could hide themselves from the rain of the enemy's missiles4 ,these military shields were made of wood1 covered on the outside with thick leather1 which not only deadened the shock of the missile1 but protected the frame of the shield from the fire-tipped darts used in the artillery of the ancients4 ,so faith is the shield of the ,christian soldier1 defending him from the fierce attacks of the foe1 from within and without4 ,by the fiery darts of the wicked the apostle may allude to the darts called falarica1 which were headed with lead1 in or about which some combustible stuff was placed that took fire in the passage of the arrow through the air1 and often burnt up the enemies' ships and engines1 or stuck in the shields and set them on fire4 ,the shield of faith cannot be pierced or destroyed by the fiercest fires of hatred or malice4 ,the arrows of the wicked1 flaming with cruelty1 are caught on this shield1 blunted1 and extinguished4 #e4 ,the helmet of salvation4--,and take the helmet of salvation 7ver4 #ag74 ,the helmet was the armour for the head1 was of various forms1 and embossed with a great variety of figures4 ,on the top of the helmet was the crest or ridge1 adorned with several emblematic figures1 either for ornament or to strike terror4 ,the apostle may refer to a helmet which had an emblematic representation of hope--that the person who wore it should be safe1 should be prosperous in all his engagements1 and escape unhurt from battle4 ,so the hope of conquering every adversary1 and surmounting every difficulty by the salvation of the ,gospel1 is a helmet that protects the head1 and is of such impenetrable texture as the blow of the battle-axe cannot cleave4 ,the hope of continual safety and protection1 built on the promises of the ,gospel1 protects the understanding from being confused by the subtle attacks of ,satan or the sophisms of unbelief4 ,salvation guards the whole man1 the head and heart1 and is both helmet and shield4 ,,ii4 ,he is armed with an all-potent offensive weapon4--,and the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the word of ,god 7ver4 #ag74 ,the military swords were in various sizes1 and in the earliest times were made of brass4 ,the swords of ,homer's heroes were all of this metal4 ,great dexterity was acquired in the use of the sword1 and an expert swordsman was an antagonist greatly dreaded4 ,the ,word of ,god is the offensive weapon wielded by the ,christian combatant4 ,it is called the sword of the ,spirit1 because it comes from the ,holy ,spirit1 and receives its fulfilment in the soul through the operations of the ,spirit1 who alone can teach its potent use4 ,facility in quoting the ,word in times of temptation and trial enables the spiritual warrior to cut in pieces the snares of the adversary4 ,the shield of faith and the sword of the ,spirit are the principal armour of the soul4 ,the enemies of the cross of ,christ fall humiliated and defeated under the powerful strokes of the ,spirit's sword4 ,there are times when the ,christian soldier must not only stand on the defensive1 but must lead the attack with unflinching bravery on the forces of evil4 ,he is safe only by slaying the enemy4 ,,iii4 ,he is fully prepared to resist and conquer his terrible opponents4--,wherefore take unto you the whole armour of ,god1 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day1 and having done all1 to stand 7ver4 #ac74 ,stand is the spiritual battle-cry4 ,being armed1 defend your liberties1 maintain your rights1 discomfort your spiritual foes1 hold your ground against them1 never put off your armour1 but be ever standing ready to repel any new attack4 ,the defence is necessary1 for the evil day is at hand1 is already dawning4 ,the early ,church had its evil day of persecution and defection1 and the ,church of to-day is threatened by an evil day of subtlest error4 ,the unwary and supine will go down before the forces of evil1 and only the brave and steadfast will survive4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian armour is invulnerable4 #b4 ,the ,christian warrior must attack as well as defend4 #c4 ,the ,christian warrior can conquer only as he uses the armour provided4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ac-ag4 ,the ,christian's ,armour4--,st4 ,paul lay in prison at ,rome1 bound with a chain to the ,roman trooper who watched him day and night4 ,he employed his prison hours in writing4 ,it was very natural that his language1 like his thoughts1 should be coloured here and there by the objects around him2 and we find that whilst writing this circular epistle to the ,ephesians his eye had actually been resting on the soldier to whom he was chained4 ,in the outfit of the ,roman legionary he saw the symbol of the supernatural dress which befits the ,christian4 ,the ornamented girdle or balteus1 bound around the loins1 to which the sword was commonly attached1 seemed to the apostle to recall the inward practical acknowledgment of truth1 which is the first necessity in the ,christian character4 ,the metal breastplate suggests the moral rectitude or righteousness which enables a man to confront the world4 ,the strong military sandals spoke of the readiness to march in the cause of that ,gospel whose sum and substance was not war1 but spiritual even more than social peace4 ,and then the large oblong1 oval1 wooden shield1 clothed with hides1 covering well-nigh the whole body of the bearer1 reminded him of ,christian faith1 upon which the temptations of the evil one1 like the ancient arrows1 tipped as they often were with inflammable substances1 would light harmlessly and lose their deadly point2 and then the soldier's helmet1 pointing upwards to the skies1 was a natural figure of ,christian hope directed towards a higher and better world2 and then he sword at his side1 by which he won safety and victory in the day of battle1 and which you will observe is the one aggressive weapon mentioned in this whole catalogue--what was it but the emblem of that ,word of ,god which wins such victories on the battle-fields of conscience1 because it pierces1 even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow1 and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart1 and is the power of ,god to salvation to every one that believeth8 ,thus girded1 thus clad1 thus shod1 thus guarded1 thus covered1 thus armed1 the ,christian might well meet his foes4 ,he was indeed more than a match for them1 and might calmly await their onset4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,the ,whole ,armour of ,god4 ,i4 ,truth4--,having your loins girt about with truth4 ,by truth is intended sincerity in our ,christian profession1 or a firm belief of and full consent to the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,a rational conviction of its truth1 joined with a sense of its importance is our best security against apostasy in the evil day4 ,,ii4 ,righteousness4--,and having on the breastplate of righteousness4 ,a holy and inoffensive life will prevent many injuries4 ,it will command the reverence of bad and the compassion of good men4 ,it will obtain the protection of ,god's providence and the supports of ,his grace4 ,it will preserve peace and serenity of conscience under the reproaches of a malignant world4 ,,iii4 ,peace4--,your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace4 ,this peaceable disposition is a preparation for the trials of an evil day1 and an excellent defence against the asperities of our ,christian path4 ,this will go on before us to smooth the rough passages of life1 or attend us to guard our feet against the sticks and traps which our enemies cast in our way4 ,possessed of this disposition we shall give no offence and provoke no injuries by an insolent1 overbearing behaviour4 ,,iv4 ,faith4--,above all1 taking the shield of faith4 ,faith is a grace of universal influence4 ,it is the basis of all ,christian graces4 ,it is the ground-work of all religion in the heart4 ,faith is a more effectual defence against the temptations of ,satan and the world than the shields of the mighty against the darts and spears of their enemies4 ,v4 ,hope4--,and take the helmet of salvation4 ,the hope of salvation4 ,god brings salvation4 ,we appropriate it by hope4 ,we must fight the good fight of faith in hope that the ,captain of salvation will support us in the conflict and lead us to victory4 ,,vi4 ,knowledge4--,the sword of the ,spirit1 which is the word of ,god4 ,the ,divine ,word is called the sword of the ,spirit because it is rendered effectual by the ,spirit in slaying the fleshly lusts and repelling the outward temptations which war against the soul4 ,reflections4--#a4 ,we see of what importance it is that we have the power of religion in our hearts4 #b4 ,it concerns us to live much in the exercise of faith4 #c4 ,let us exercise our courage according to the various exigencies of the ,christian life4--,lathrop4 ,the ,duty of ,believers in the ,evil ,day4 ,i4 ,the time to which the exhortation refers--the evil day4--#a4 ,by the evil day we are clearly to understand the season of temptation4 ,when we wrestle4 #b4 ,the evil day may be understood of life itself4--,few and evil have been the days of my pilgrimage4 ,man is tempted till his death4 #c4 ,the evil day may refer to seasons during which temptation is peculiarly strong4--,with our first parents whilst they listened to ,satan4 ,with ,christ in the wilderness--near death 7,john xiv4 #cj74 #d4 ,of such seasons we have many examples in ,scripture4--,the lives of ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,moses1 ,job1 ,lot1 ,samson1 ,david1 ,asa1 ,hezekiah1 ,peter1 ,demas4 #e4 ,such seasons each believer can mark in his history4--,they are generally turning points4 ,they are attended by every variety of outward circumstances1 prosperity1 adversity1 society1 solitude1 health1 sickness4 #f4 ,with the wicked such days are evil4--,days of suffering1 of danger1 of backsliding1 of apostasy1 of dishonour to ,christ1 and triumph to the world and to all the enemies of ,christ4 #g4 ,this season of temptation is short4--,a day4 ,we should not grow weary4 #h4 ,though it be short it is important4--,the day of battle is generally most important in its results4 ,so in spiritual warfare4 ,the temptation in ,eden1 etc4 ,,ii4 ,the duty which falls to be performed in the evil day4--#a4 ,to withstand4 7#a7 ,this has reference to ,satan as an assailant4 7#b7 ,it binds us to resistance1 i4e41 to perform the duty from which ,satan dissuades1 to refuse the sin which he recommends1 to hold fast that which we have1 and to reject that which he offers in exchange 7,rev4 iii4 #b74 #b4 ,to proceed from the defensive to the offensive4--,having done all1 or conquered all4 7#a7 ,the believer1 as the good soldier of ,christ1 is1 like his ,master1 to be an assailant4 7#b7 ,by attacking1 ,satan discovers himself2 and the believer1 having resisted1 may gain an advantage4 ,when his stronghold in the heart is found out1 it may be pulled down4 ,is it pride8 7#b ,cor4 x4 #d1 #e74 7#c7 ,satan can be contended against only by carrying on an offensive warfare--in the heart1 in the world4 ,the ,romans could be conquered only in ,italy4 #c4 ,that having resisted and conquered1 we still stand4--7#a7 ,though repulsed1 ,satan is not slain1 his resources are not exhausted1 his wrath continues4 7#b7 ,we must therefore stand after victory4 ,our armour must be kept on4 ,we must be vigilant4 ,we must be in an attitude for the fight4 ,,iii4 ,the preparation necessary to the performance of the peculiar duties of the evil day4--#a4 ,the evil day is a day of war1 and hence its duties and the kind of preparation called for4 #b4 ,there are three things to be noticed in the account of the believer's preparation4--7#a7 ,he must be armed--,divine grace4 ,an unarmed soldier a contradiction2 he is useless for duty1 exposed to death4 7#b7 ,he must be completely armed4 ,for defence and for offence4 7#c7 ,his armour must be that of ,god4 ,human virtues will not do4 ,human energies will not do4--,stewart4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,girdle of ,truth4 ,i4 ,honesty and truthfulness of character4--,love of truth as being from ,god1 hatred of lies as being from the devil--this is a primary condition of being strong in the ,lord4 ,nothing can be more injurious to the character of the ,christian religion than the suspicion that it shuns examination1 that its claims are in antagonism with demonstrated truth4 ,there is a kind of false liberalism concerning religious truth4 ,it is easy for a man to fancy his loins are girt about with truth when the fact is they are girt about with indifference2 and a person so armed may assume an attitude of impartiality with regard to religious questions because he cares nothing concerning the issue2 and sometimes it seems to be assumed that a writer possesses a virtue1 compensating for all vices1 if he is apparently free from all bias either for or against revealed truth4 ,the true path is taken by him who1 strong in his own faith and love1 fears no honest investigation1 and shrinks from adopting in matters of religion any tone of thought or line of argument which he cannot justify upon the broadest grounds of calm judgment and sober reason4 ,,ii4 ,but the words of the apostle refer not only to truthfulness1 but to truth itself1 to that which we know to be true4--,it would be unworthy of an apostle if he should include under the title of truth1 necessary for the protection of a ,christian champion1 all human knowledge which is rightly so called4 ,do not consider that the progress you make in human knowledge lies beside your path as ,christians4 ,as members of ,christ1 as ,his soldiers and servants1 take a nobler view of your work than that4 ,christ has taken the elements of this world and sanctified them for ,himself2 there is nothing really secular but what is evil1 and all that is not evil ought to be used on the side of truth4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle has in mind that definite form of revealed truth which in ,scripture is described as emphatically the truth4--,the great doctrine of godliness1 the incarnation of the eternal ,son1 and all those truths which flow from this one mysterious spring4 ,while there is no antagonism between ,scriptural and human knowledge1 there is a wide difference between the sources from which they are derived the evidences by which they are established1 and the conditions of their being rightly apprehended4 ,whereas other knowledge is the slow accumulation of the experience of ages1 and the result of the guesses and labours of gifted men1 and is consequently an ever-growing and changing body of truth1 ,christian truth admits of no change and no growth4 ,it admits of application to new circumstances2 it admits too of growth1 between the limits of a mustard seed and a full-grown tree1 in its subjective apprehension by each believing heart2 but objectively it knows neither diminution nor expansion1 it is ever one and indivisible1 because it resolves itself ultimately into the one great mysterious fact1 the manifestation of ,god in human flesh4 ,no amount of argument would ever turn religious belief into religious life1 if the articles of the creed did not attest their ,divinity by filling up the void of the human heart and by their constraining influence on human conduct2 and1 on the other hand1 no religion could maintain its ground and command the assent of thinking men1 unless its historical claims and its objective truth would stand the test of the severest scrutiny4 ,the truth of ,christ rests upon both grounds2 and because this is so we are bound to gird it about our loins as our only sure support in our conflict with the spiritual wickedness of this world1 our support in the hour of death1 our support in the day of judgment4--,harvey ,goodwin4 ,truth the ,girdle of the ,christian4 ,i4 ,the particular grace which is here mentioned--truth4--#a4 ,by this exhortation we might understand that we must in all things act according to truth or what is truth4 ,this implies the knowledge of truth1 the yielding up of ourselves to truth1 so as to embody it4 #b4 ,by the truth we may understand sincerity4--,being in appearance what we are in reality1 seeming to follow what we do follow1 expressing the real thoughts and feelings of the heart4 ,this sincerity is displayed towards ,god1 towards our fellow-men1 and towards ourselves4 ,,ii4 ,the uses or purposes of truth in the ,christian life3 it is a girdle4--,by comparing truth to a girdle the apostle suggests the purposes which it serves3 #a4 ,the ancient girdle was meant to give firmness and strength4 #b4 ,to fit for activity1 by binding up the loose1 flowing garments4 #c4 ,to the girdle arms were attached4--,stewart4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,the ,gospel of ,peace4 ,i4 ,the nature of this peace4--#a4 ,it is peace with ,god4--,a mutual reconciliation following a mutual estrangement4 #b4 ,it is a peace with ourselves4--,this includes both the silencing of the accusations of conscience and the restoration of the internal harmony of our nature4 #c4 ,it is peace with our fellow-men4--,between nations and classes1 and families and individuals4 #d4 ,it is peace with our fellow-,christians4 ,,ii4 ,the relation of the ,gospel to this peace4--#a4 ,in the ,gospel it is proclaimed4 #b4 ,in the ,gospel its grounds are unfolded4 #c4 ,by the belief of the ,gospel it is conveyed4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the ,bible the ,sword of the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the ,bible is a sword4--#a4 ,like a sword1 it is of no use till it is unsheathed4 ,the ,bible must not lie idle in the library or in the intellect4 ,must be used4 #b4 ,like a sword1 when it is unsheathed it cuts deeply4--,makes deep gashes in the heart and conscience4 #c4 ,like a sword1 it is a weapon of defence as well as of offence4--,it is written4 ,,ii4 ,the ,bible is the sword of the ,spirit4--#a4 ,because ,he inspired it4 ,those whom we call the sacred writers were its penmen2 ,he alone was its ,author4 #b4 ,because ,he interprets it4--,its ,author is also its interpreter4 ,wherever it is carried ,he is1 and in answer to the prayer of faith ,he expounds its true meaning as far as saving truth is concerned4 #c4 ,because ,he wields it as the instrument of ,his victories4--,refer to some of the remarkable revivals1 to individual conversions4 ,,iii4 ,our duty with regard to the ,bible as the sword of the ,spirit4--#a4 ,take it and study it4 ,sword exercise4 #b4 ,take it and bind it to your heart4--,delight in it4 #c4 ,take it and employ it vigorously till your life's end4--,his sword was in ,his hand4 ,there is none like it4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ah-bj4 ,the ,programme of ,prayer4 ,i4 ,prayer should be constant and varied in its methods4--,praying always with all prayer and supplication 7ver4 #ah74 ,the ,christian warrior is armed from head to foot with the girdle1 the breastplate1 the greaves1 the shield1 the helmet1 and the sword2 no weapon of defence or offence is wanting2 it would seem as if nothing was needed to complete the equipment4 ,the one essential now is the spirit and courage to fight1 to use the spiritual weapons with dexterity and effect2 and the power to do this is secured by prayer4 ,prayer should be constant2 the soul should be ever in a praying mood2 and supplication1 earnest entreaty1 should be used in the special emergencies that occur in the battle of life4 ,praying always with all prayer3 all kinds and methods of prayer should be employed--prayer in public aided by the sympathy and inspiration of numbers1 in private when alone with ,god1 in the family1 in the whirl of business1 in the stress of battle1 in the intervals of recreation1 in the heart without a voice and with the voice from the heart4 ,the earnest and needy soul will find its own way of keeping up a prayerful intercourse with ,god4 ,some there are1 said ,wesley1 who use only mental prayer or ejaculations1 and think they are in a state of grace and use a way of worship far superior to any other2 but such only fancy themselves to be above what is really above them1 it requiring far more grace to be enabled to pour out a fervent and continued prayer than to offer up mental aspirations4 ,warrior1 that from battle won1 ,breathest now at set of sun2 ,woman1 o'er the lowly slain1 ,weeping on his burial plain6 ,ye that triumph1 ye that sigh1 ,kindred by one holy tie3 ,heaven's first star alike ye see-- ,lift the heart and bend the knee4--,hemans4 ,,ii4 ,prayer is prompted and sustained by the ,divine ,spirit4--,praying 4 4 4 in the ,spirit 7ver4 #ah74 ,the ,spirit is the author and element of the believer's life in ,christ4 ,it is ,he who gives the grace and power to pray2 ,he helps our infirmities1 and intercedes for us and in us4 ,prayer is one of the highest exercises of the soul1 and achieves its loftiest triumphs under the inspiration and help of the ,spirit4 ,he suggests topics for prayer1 proper times and seasons1 imparts urgency and perseverance in supplication1 and ,he alone makes prayer effectual4 ,,iii4 ,prayer should be accompanied with persevering vigilance4--,watching keeping awake thereunto with all perseverance and supplication 7ver4 #ah74 ,we must not only watch and pray1 but watch while we pray4 ,watch against wandering thoughts1 against meaningless and insincere petitions1 against the seductive suggestions of the tempter1 and against the tendency to trust in our prayers or in our earnestness rather than in ,god1 whose help we supplicate4 ,with all perseverance means a sustained1 unsleeping1 and unresting vigilance4 ,the word implies stretching out the neck and looking about in order to discern an enemy at a distance4 ,without watchfulness prayer and all the spiritual armour will be unavailing4 ,the best-appointed army1 over-confident in its strength1 has suffered inglorious defeat by neglecting to watch4 ,the wakeful and earnest suppliant must persist in prayer1 undaunted by opposition and unwearied by delay4 ,,iv4 ,prayer should be offered on behalf of the ,church in general4--,for all saints 7ver4 #ah74 ,prayer that in its nature is generous and comprehensive is apt to become selfish and narrowed down into despicable limits4 ,the man prays best for himself who prays most earnestly for others4 ,prayer for ourselves must broaden out into a catholic intercession for all the servants of our ,master1 for all the children of the household of faith4 ,by the bands of prayer we are knit together--a vast multitude of saints throughout the earth1 unknown by face or name to our fellows1 but one in the love of ,christ and in our heavenly calling and all engaged in the same perilous conflict4 ,all the saints were interested in the faith of the ,asian believers2 they were called with 'all the saints' to share in the comprehension of the immense designs of ,god's kingdom4 ,the dangers and temptations of the ,church are equally far-reaching2 they have a common origin and character in all ,christian communities4 ,let our prayers at least be catholic4 ,at the throne of grace1 let us forget our sectarian divisions4 ,having access in one ,spirit to the ,father1 let us realise in ,his presence our communion with all ,his children 7,findlay74 ,the saints in prayer appear as one1 ,in word and deed and mind2 ,while with the ,father and the ,son ,sweet fellowship they find4 ,nor prayer on earth is made alone-- ,the ,holy ,spirit pleads2 ,and ,jesus on the eternal throne ,for sinners intercedes4--,j4 ,montgomery4 ,v4 ,prayer should be definite and special in its petitions4--#a4 ,for the preacher of the ,gospel in unfavourable circumstances4 ,and for me 4 4 4 an ambassador in bonds 7vers4 #ai1 #bj74 ,an ambassador1 being the representative of his king1 his person was in all civilised countries held sacred1 and it was regarded as the greatest indignity and breach of faith to imprison or injure him4 ,contrary to the rights of nations1 this ambassador of the ,king of heaven was put in chains4 ,even ,paul1 with all his magnificent endowments1 felt the need for the prayers of ,god's people and craved for them4 ,the fortunes of the ,gospel were bound up with his life1 and he was now suffering for his courageous defence of the truth4 ,it was of immense importance to the early ,church that he should be true and faithful in this crisis1 and he asks for the prayers of ,god's people that he may be sustained and the ,gospel victorious4 ,here was a definite and special theme for prayer4 ,occasions of great peril evoke the spirit of earnest supplication4 ,it is an aid to devotion to have some one specially pray for4 #b4 ,for courage and facility in unfolding the mystery of the ,gospel he feels constrained to declare4--,that utterance may be given unto me1 that ,i may 4 4 4 make known the mystery of the gospel1 4 4 4 that therein ,i may speak boldly1 as ,i ought to speak as ,i must needs speak 7vers4 #ai1 #bj74 ,the apostolic prisoner was more concerned about his message than his own fate4 ,he hailed the occasion of ,his defence before the civil authorities as an opportunity for unfolding and enforcing the ,gospel1 for preaching which he was now in chains4 ,he feels the gravity of the crisis1 and he is nervously anxious to do justice to his grand theme4 ,clear as was his insight and firm as was his grasp of the leading truths of the ,gospel1 he invokes the prayers of the ,ephesian saints that ,god may give him liberty and power in their exposition1 and that he may win converts to the truth from the midst of his enemies4 ,the pulpit will become a greater power if the people of ,god pray fervently and unitedly for the ambassadors of ,christ4 ,prayer is more potent in winning souls than the logic and eloquence of the preacher4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the topics for prayer are abundant and ever present4 #b4 ,prayer nerves the soul with ,divine power4 #c4 ,earnest and believing prayer will prevail4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ah-bj4 ,praying with all ,prayer4 ,i4 ,the apostle supposes our obligation to prayer to be so plain that every rational mind will see it1 and so important that every pious heart will feel it4--,our obligation to prayer naturally results from our weakness and dependence and ,god's all-sufficiency and goodness4 ,desires directed to ,him are prayers4 ,to clothe our desires in language is not essential4 ,god hears the desire of the humble4 ,there is the same reason for daily prayer as for daily labour4 ,prayer is a means of enlivening our pious sentiments and exciting us to the practice of duty and thus preparing us for ,divine favours4 ,,ii4 ,prayer is of several kinds4--,social and secret1 public and domestic1 stated and occasional2 and consists of several parts--confession1 supplication1 intercession1 and thanksgiving4 ,the apostle points out no part or kind of prayer in distinction from all others1 but exhorts in general to pray with all prayer4 ,,iii4 ,the manner in which our prayers should be offered4--,the spirit and temper of the heart in our prayers is the main thing necessary to qualify them for ,god's acceptance4 ,the first thing necessary in prayer is faith4 ,our desires must be good and reasonable4 ,attention of mind1 collection of thought1 and warmth of affection are qualifications required in prayer4 ,our prayers must be accompanied with justice to men4 ,charity is an essential qualification in prayer4 ,our prayers must be joined with a sense of and sorrow for sin1 and submission to the ,divine will4 ,we are to continue in prayer1 and watch thereunto with all perseverance4 ,,iv4 ,the apostle here teaches the duty of intercession for others4--,if ,god is good to others as well as to us1 there is the same ground on which to offer our social intercessions as our personal petitions4 ,we are commanded to pray for all men1 and especially for all saints2 this is to pray for the general virtue and happiness of the human race in this and all succeeding ages4 ,christians ought to pray for their minister4 ,there was something special in ,paul's case--he was an ambassador in bonds4 ,v4 ,the apostle points out the manner in which he aimed and all ministers ought to preach the ,gospel4--,the apostle desired to make known the mystery of the ,gospel1 and to speak boldly4 ,in a minster boldness is necessary2 not that impudent boldness which assumes an unmerited superiority1 but that pious fortitude that dares to utter the important things of religion without reserve and without fear of personal inconvenience4 ,he must persevere in the faithful execution of his office1 whatever discouragements may arise from the opposition of the world1 the frowns of the great1 the contempt of the proud1 the want of concurrence1 or the smallness of his success4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,praying in the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the time4--,always4 #a4 ,the frequent practice of prayer4 #b4 ,the constant cultivation of the spirit of prayer4 ,,ii4 ,the manner4--,with all prayer and supplication4 #a4 ,the prayer of the closet4 ,secret4 #b4 ,the prayer of the family4 ,domestic4 #c4 ,the prayer of the social circle4 ,united4 #d4 ,the prayer of the sanctuary4 ,public4 ,,iii4 ,the manner4--,with all prayer and supplication4 #a4 ,there are thanksgivings to be rendered4 #b4 ,there are confessions to be made4 #c4 ,there are petitions to be offered4 #d4 ,there are intercessions to be presented4 ,,iv4 ,spirituality4--,in the ,spirit4 #a4 ,with our own heart4 ,not formal or mechanical4 #b4 ,in dependence on the aid of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,v4 ,the continuance4--,with all perseverance4 #a4 ,in the general habit4 ,prayer never to be given up4 #b4 ,in special objects4 ,no fainting in prayer4 ,,vi4 ,the intercession4--,and supplication for all saints4 #a4 ,for the whole ,church4 #b4 ,for any part of the ,church that is in danger of distress4 #c4 ,for our own section of the ,church4 #d4 ,for our ,christian friends4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,duty of ,prayer4--,prayer is the communion of the soul with ,god1 and the casting of itself upon ,him for help and guidance4 ,i4 ,god has implanted prayer as an instinct in the hearts of men4--,in times of danger the soul instinctively cries out for ,god or some unseen power to interpose and save4 ,,ii4 ,god desires that men should pray regularly and constantly4--,blessings are promised in answer to prayer which the soul can obtain in no other way4 ,,iii4 ,god commands men to pray4--,to abound in prayer and to pray without weariness and fainting4 ,,iv4 ,god teaches how to pray and what to pray for4--,the ,spirit helps our infirmities4 ,v4 ,there is no religious life apart from prayer4--,the ,bible saints were men of prayer4 ,at the very beginning of human history men began to call upon ,god4 ,and in the visions of heaven which ,st4 ,john has recorded1 when the ,lamb had taken the book to open its seals1 the twenty-four elders fell down before ,him1 having every one of them harps and golden phials full of odours1 which are the prayers of the saints1 and they sang a new song 7,rev4 v4 #h1 #i74 ,prayer leads to praise4 ,,vi4 ,how can we make the duty a privilege and the privilege a pleasure8--,if ,christ was comforted and strengthened by prayer1 can we as ,christians live without it8 ,is not a prayerless ,christian in danger of being no ,christian at all8--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,vers4 #ai1 #bj4 ,a ,picture of ,moral ,bravery4 ,i4 ,an ambassador charged with a message of world-wide significance and importance4--,to make known the mystery of the gospel 7ver4 #ai74 ,,ii4 ,an ambassador1 contrary to the law of nations1 imprisoned because of his message4--,for which ,i am an ambassador in bonds 7ver4 #bj74 ,,iii4 ,an ambassador irresistibly constrained to declare the message for which he suffers4--,that therein ,i may speak boldly as ,i ought to speak 7ver4 #bj74 ,,iv4 ,an ambassador imploring1 not the sanction of civil authorities1 but the prayers of ,god's people that he may be emboldened to discharge his high commission4--,and for me1 that utterance may be given unto me1 that ,i may open my mouth boldly 7ver4 #ai74 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,gospel a ,mystery4 ,i4 ,because it is known only by ,divine revelation4--,such a secret it is that the wit of man could never have found out4 ,as none but ,god could lay the plot1 so none but ,himself could make it known4 ,,ii4 ,because when revealed its truths exceed the grasp of human understanding4--,they are to the eye of our reason as the sun to the eye of our body1 that dazzles and overpowers4 ,they disdain to be discussed and tried by human reason that there are three subsistences in the ,godhead and but one ,divine essence4 ,we believe1 because they are revealed4 ,god and man united in ,christ's person is undeniably demonstrable from the ,gospel1 but the cordage of our understanding is too short to fathom this great deep4 ,would'st thou see a reason1 said ,augustine1 for all that ,god says8 ,look into thine own understanding1 and thou wilt find a reason why thou seest not a reason4 ,,iii4 ,the ,gospel is a mystery in regard of the kind of knowledge the saints themselves have of it4--#a4 ,their knowledge is but in part1 and imperfect4 ,the most of what they know is the least of what they do not know4 ,the ,gospel is a rich piece of arras rolled up3 this ,god has been unfolding ever since the first promise was made to ,adam1 opening it every age wider than the other4 #b4 ,it is mysterious and dark4 ,gospel truths are not known in their native beauty and glory1 but in shadows4 ,our apprehension of things are mainly compared with those under the law1 but childish compared with the knowledge of glorified saints4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,in this next paragraph1 the word faggot is used in its original literal meaning1 a bundle of sticks used to kindle a fire1 or metaphorically1 execution by burning at the stake4 ,,iv4 ,the ,gospel is a mystery in regard to the rare and strange effects it has upon the godly4--,it enables them to believe strange mysteries--to believe that which they understand not1 and hope for that which they do not see4 ,it enables them to do as strange things as they believe--to live by another's spirit1 to act from another's strength1 to live by another's will1 and aim at another's glory4 ,it makes them so meek and gentle that a child may lead them to anything good1 yet so stout that fire and faggot shall not fright them into sin4 ,they are taught that all things are theirs1 yet they dare not take a penny1 a pin1 from the wicked by force and rapine4 ,they can pray for life1 and at the same time desire to die4--,gurnall4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,boldness a ,duty in a ,minister4 ,i4 ,the nature of the boldness desired4--#a4 ,to speak all he has in command from ,god to deliver4 #b4 ,to speak with liberty and freedom of spirit1 without fear or bondage to any4 ,speaking openly and plainly4 ,,ii4 ,boldness to be shown in preaching the ,gospel4--#a4 ,in asserting the truth of the ,gospel4 #b4 ,in reproving sin and denouncing judgment against impenitent sinners4 ,,iii4 ,the kind of boldness a minister should cultivate4--#a4 ,a convincing boldness4 #b4 ,a meek boldness4 #c4 ,a zealous boldness4 ,,iv4 ,the means of procuring ministerial boldness4--#a4 ,a holy fear of ,god4 #b4 ,castle thyself within the power and promise of ,god for assistance and protection4 #c4 ,keep a clear conscience4 #d4 ,consider that which thou most fearest is best prevented by freedom and boldness in thy ministry4 #e4 ,consider how bold ,christ was in ,his ministry4 ,what greater incentive to valour can the soldier have than to see his general stand with undaunted courage where the bullets fly thickest6 ,such valiant captains do not breed white-livered soldiers4 ,it is impossible we should be dastardly1 if instructed by ,him and actuated by his ,spirit4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,the ,gospel ,ambassador4 ,i4 ,the dignity of his office4--,seen3 #a4 ,in the majesty of the ,prince from whom he comes4 #b4 ,in the greatness of the ,person whose place he supplies4 #c4 ,in the excellency of the message he brings4 ,,ii4 ,how the duty of his office should be discharged4--#a4 ,stain not the dignity of thy office by any base1 unworthy practices4 #b4 ,keep close to thy instructions4 #c4 ,think it not enough that thou deliverest thy message from ,god1 but show a zeal for thy ,master whose cause thou negotiatest4 #d4 ,let not any person or thing in the world bribe or scare thee from a faithful discharge of thy trust4 #e4 ,be kind to and tenderly careful of thy fellow-subjects4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba1 #bb4 ,a ,trusted ,messenger-- ,i4 ,commended for his acknowledged ,christian character4--,tychicus1 a beloved brother and faithful minister in the ,lord 7ver4 #ba74 ,these are high and honourable designations1 and indicate the genuine esteem in which he was held by the apostle4 ,he had become endeared to ,paul by the many valuable services he had rendered to him1 and by the marked fidelity of his ministerial work4 ,he appears to have joined ,st4 ,paul's staff1 and remained with him from the time he accompanied him to ,jerusalem in the year #ei4 ,he was sent to ,ephesus to relieve ,timothy when ,paul desired the presence of the latter at ,rome4 ,he was well known to the ,asian ,church1 and every way qualified to discharge the mission with which he was entrusted4 ,he was the beloved brother in his relation to the ,church in general1 and the faithful minister in the ,lord in his special relation to the apostle4 ,it is better to be loved than to be simply popular4 ,genuine piety forms character1 and commands the confidence and respect of all lovers of the truth4 ,,ii4 ,entrusted with personal details of special interest4--,whom ,i have sent unto you for the same purpose1 that ye might know our affairs 7ver4 #bb74 ,there were probably some details about ,st4 ,paul's imprisonment that could be communicated better in person than by letter1 and certain allusions in the letter that could be more fully explained in a personal interview4 ,every item about ,paul was of intense interest to the ,asian ,churches4 ,many of the members had been brought to ,christ through his instrumentality4 ,they were alarmed as to his fate and as to the future of the ,gospel4 ,they were anxious to know if there was any prospect of his release and of his return to his missionary labours4 ,tychicus1 enjoying the full confidence of the apostle and the affection of the people1 was just the man to give them the information they so eagerly desired1 and would be cordially welcomed everywhere4 ,the trusted messenger of a great and good man is regarded for the time being with the reverence and respect cherished towards the man he represents and of those whose affairs he is empowered to speak4 ,,iii4 ,competent to minister encouragement4--,that he might comfort your hearts 7ver4 #bb74 ,tychicus was not only a newsman and letter-carrier1 but also a minister of ,christ4 ,he knew how to present his message so as to allay the fears of his hearers1 to comfort their hearts1 and to encourage their faith in the power and triumph of the ,gospel1 notwithstanding the sufferings of its preachers4 ,the ,gospel is full of consolation1 and it should be the constant aim of the minister to make it known and apply it to the circumstances of his people4 ,a diligent pastor in his visitations comes in contact with much suffering and sorrow1 and has many opportunities of administering the balm of ,gospel comfort4 ,great tact and sympathy are necessary1 especially in visiting the sick4 ,referring to this1 a godly and experienced minister said1 ,tenderness is essential4 ,enter the chamber gently4 ,tread noiselessly4 ,get near to the sufferer4 ,speak as softly as may be4 ,remember his nerves2 noise is often torture4 ,sympathise with his weakness1 restlessness1 and pain4 ,true you are not come to minister to his body2 but enter into his sufferings and symptoms4 ,ask what his doctor has said4 ,avoid a professional1 official1 conventional air4 ,the case may be too grave for cheerful words2 but if otherwise1 let your face carry a little sunshine into the sick-room4 ,avoid fussiness4 ,go with a brother's heart4 ,be brief--brief in your talk1 brief in your readings1 brief in your prayers--your whole visit brief4 ,take up one point4 ,a sick man's brain is soon overtasked1 his nerves soon jar1 his strength soon fails4 ,let your good-by be ',god bless you4' ,let your last look be one of tenderness and love4 ,whatever you are in the pulpit1 ,barnabas1 not ,boanerges1 is your pattern by the sick-bed4 ,it is the privilege and mission of every minister and believer to be a messenger of comfort and strength to those in trouble4 ,we shall be remembered for our kindness when many of our sermons are forgotten4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the character of the good is self-evident4 #b4 ,a good man should be trusted and honoured4 #c4 ,the value of a good man is recognised in times of stress and difficulty4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ba1 #bb4 ,apostolical ,care for the ,church4 ,i4 ,paul was careful to keep up an intercourse and communion with the ,churches of ,christ4--,there ought to be fellowship and correspondence among the ,churches4 ,they should all unite their endeavours for the common edification and comfort4 ,the ,church of ,christ is one4 ,we should seek the counsel of sister ,churches under our difficulties1 and be ready when requested to afford them our counsel under theirs4 ,,ii4 ,paul was solicitous that the ,christians among whom he had preached should know of his condition and doings4--,he was a prisoner1 but suffered not his time to pass in restless impatience or useless indolence4 ,he received all who came to him and preached to them the kingdom of ,god4 ,he instructed his fellow-prisoners4 ,he spent much of his time in prayer4 ,several of his epistles were written when he was in bonds4 ,paul's example teaches us that we should do good in every condition4 ,,iii4 ,when ,paul sends ,tychicus he gives him written testimonials that he might be received in the character of a minister4--,this precaution was taken that the ,churches might not be imposed upon by ignorant pretenders or artful deceivers4 ,the ,church is a regular1 organised community4 ,we are to receive none as ambassadors of ,christ but those who come to us according to the order ,he has settled4 ,ministers ought to act in concert and unite their labours in building up the kingdom of ,christ4 ,tychicus co-operated with ,paul4 ,,iv4 ,fidelity is an essential part of the ministerial character4--,paul calls ,tychicus a faithful minister4 ,such a minister undertakes his work with pure intentions and abides in it with constancy1 even though he may meet with worldly discouragements4 ,tychicus was sent to comfort the ,ephesians under their grief for ,paul's imprisonment1 and to guard them against any discouraging apprehensions4 ,ministers are to strengthen new converts and young professors to constancy and perseverance in religion by laying before them the comforting and animating motives of the ,gospel4--,lathrop4 ,a ,faithful ,minister4--#a4 ,it concerns ,christians to inform themselves of the life and way of eminent men in the ,church1 and chiefly of those who have been sufferers for truth1 that they may be incited to sympathise with them1 to follow their example and bless the ,lord on their behalf4 #b4 ,it is in a singular manner required of a minister that he be faithful--diligent in his work1 sincere in his aims and endeavours1 neither adding nor paring what ,god has committed unto him to speak4 #c4 ,we should labour so to inform ourselves of the case and carriage of others and how it goes with the affairs of ,christ's kingdom elsewhere as to draw spiritual edification thence4 #d4 ,to know ,god's gracious providence towards his suffering servants1 together with their undaunted courage under sufferings and the use ,god makes of their sufferings to advance ,his truth1 is sufficient ground of comfort and encouragement to ,god's people4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bc1 #bd4 ,a ,suggestive ,benediction-- ,i4 ,recognises the ,divine source of all blessing4--,from ,god the ,father and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #bc74 ,all our blessings are ,divine1 and flow from the inexhaustible fountain of the ,divine beneficence4 ,god the ,father1 in the eternal counsels of ,his wisdom and love1 and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who through the eternal ,spirit offered ,himself as an atonement for human sin--the glorious ,trinity of ,persons in the ,godhead--contribute from their combined perfections1 the spiritual good that encircles every believing soul4 ,the ,god of ,christians1 says ,pascal1 is not barely the ,author of geometrical truths1 or of the order of the elements--this is the ,divinity of the heathen2 nor barely the providential ,disposer of the lives and fortunes of men1 so as to crown ,his worshippers with a happy series of years--this is the portion of the ,jews4 ,but the ,god of ,abraham and of ,jacob1 the ,god of ,christians1 is a ,god of love and of consolation2 a ,god who fills the heart and the soul where ,he resides2 a ,god who gives them a deep and inward feeling of their own misery and of ,his infinite mercy1 unites ,himself to their spirit1 replenishes it with humility and joy1 with affiance and love1 and renders them incapable of any end but ,himself4 ,the religious character of the ,lancashire people was illustrated by an incident that happened towards the close of the cotton famine4 ,the mills in one village had been stopped for months1 and the first waggon-load of cotton that arrived seemed to them like the olive branch that told of the abating waters of the deluge4 ,the waggon was met by the women1 who hysterically laughed and cried and hugged the cotton bales as if they were dear old friends1 and then ended by singing that grand old hymn1 ,praise ,god from whom all blessings flow4 ,,ii4 ,implores specific blessings upon ,christian brethren4--,peace be to the brethren1 and love with faith 7ver4 #bc74 ,where there is no love there is no peace1 and peace and love without faith1 are capricious and worthless4 ,love is the strength of the forbearance and self-suppression so essential to the maintenance of peace4 ,as faith grows and intensifies it opens up new channels in which love can flow4 ,we are to contend for the faith1 not that peace may be disturbed1 but that it may rest on a firmer and more permanent basis4 ,what greater boon can we desiderate for our brethren than that they may abound in peace and love with faith8 ,,iii4 ,greets with expansive generosity all genuine lovers of ,christ4--,grace be with all them that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ in sincerity4 ,amen 7ver4 #bd74 ,the overflow of ,divine grace submerges the barriers of sects and effaces the distinctions of a selfish and pretentious bigotry4 ,sincere love to ,christ opens the heart to the richest endowments of grace1 and blends all hearts that glow with a kindred affection4 ,if we love ,christ1 we love one another1 we love ,his work1 ,his ,word1 and are eager to obey ,him in all things ,he commands4 ,we may not agree in a uniformity of creeds1 but we reach a higher union when our hearts are mingled in the capacious alembic of a ,christ-like love4 ,the benediction of grace to all who love ,jesus is answered and confirmed by an appropriate ,amen4 ,amen under the law was answered to the curses1 but not to the blessings 7,deut4 xxvii4 #ae-bf74 ,every particular curse must have an ,amen4 ,but in the next chapter1 where the blessings follow1 there is no ,amen affixed to them 7,deut4 xxviii4 #b-ab74 ,but it is otherwise in the ,gospel4 ,to the blessings there is an ,amen1 but not to the curses4 ,if any man love not the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,cor4 xvi4 #bb7--;a fearful curse2 but there is no ,amen to that4 ,grace be with all them that love the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in sincerity3 there is an ,amen to that4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christianity is freighted with blessings for the race4 #b4 ,it has special blessings for present need4 #c4 ,it points men to ,god as the true source of all blessing4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,of ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,elements of ,religious ,comfort4--,the apostle prays that1 with faith1 there may be peace and love4 ,i4 ,faith captivates the soul into obedience to the ,gospel by giving efficacy to its precepts1 examples1 and doctrines4 ,where faith operates1 love will appear1 and peace will follow4 ,,ii4 ,love produces peace4--#a4 ,inward peace4 ,it extinguishes malice1 envy1 hatred1 wrath1 revenge1 every unfriendly passion4 #b4 ,social peace4--,christians will be careful not to give offence1 either by real injuries or unnecessary differences4 ,they will be slow to take offence4 ,,iii4 ,love brings religious comfort4--,love is comfortable in its immediate feelings and in its pacific influence4 ,it brings comfort to the soul as it is an evidence of godly sincerity4 ,if we would enjoy the comfort1 we must maintain the comfort of religion4--,lathrop4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,the ,christian's ,truest ,test and ,excellence4--,other things may be required to complete the character of the ,christian2 but without love to ,christ there can be no ,christian at all4 ,it is the ,master-spirit which must animate and enliven the whole combination2 and in whomsoever this ,spirit prevails we are entitled and enjoined to welcome that person as a disciple4 ,i4 ,consider the love of ,christ as a duty we owe to ,himself4--#a4 ,bring to your remembrance ,his personal excellences4 #b4 ,consider the great and glorious object of all ,he did and endured--the everlasting happiness of human souls4 ,,ii4 ,consider the love of ,christ as a principle which works in ourselves4--#a4 ,it does not destroy natural affections1 but teaches us to fix them on proper objects and to give a right direction to their fullest energies4 #b4 ,a due sense of the ,saviour's love makes us feel at once that ,he merits all our best affections in return4 #c4 ,it gives delight in meditating on the precepts and promises of ,god's ,word4 #d4 ,it helps in all the duties we owe to our fellow-creatures4 #e4 ,it animates the soul in the hour of death and the prospect of eternity4--,j4 ,brewster4 ,loving ,christ in ,sincerity4 ,i4 ,on what account ,christ is entitled to our love4--#a4 ,he is a ,divine person4 #b4 ,he was manifest in the flesh4 ,in the man ,christ ,jesus appeared every virtuous quality which can dignify and adorn human nature4 #c4 ,his mediatorial offices entitle ,him to our love4 #d4 ,he is an object of our love because of ,his kindness to us4 ,,ii4 ,an essential qualification of love to ,christ is sincerity4--#a4 ,our love to ,christ must be real1 not pretended4 #b4 ,must be universal4 ,it must respect ,his whole character4 #c4 ,sincere love to ,christ is supreme4 ,it gives ,him the preference to all earthly interest and connections4 #d4 ,it is persevering4 #e4 ,it is active4 ,,iii4 ,how sincere love to ,christ will discover itself4--#a4 ,it will make us careful to please ,him4 #b4 ,will be accompanied with humility4 #c4 ,we shall be fond of imitating ,him4 #d4 ,we shall promote ,his interest and oppose ,his enemies4 #e4 ,we shall do good to ,his needy brethren and friends4 ,,iv4 ,the benediction connected with this temper4--,it is called grace4 ,it comprehends all the blessings the ,gospel reveals and promises4 #a4 ,justification before ,god4 #b4 ,the presence of the ,divine ,spirit4 #c4 ,free access to the throne of grace4 #d4 ,the gift of a happy immortality4--,lathrop4 ,love to ,christ4--,what is it that constitutes ,christ's claim to love and respect8 ,what is it that is to be loved in ,christ8 ,why are we to hold ,him dear8 ,there is but one ground for virtuous affection in the universe1 but one object worthy of cherished and enduring love in heaven and in earth1 and that is--moral goodness4 ,my principle applies to all beings1 to the ,creator as well as to ,his creatures4 ,the claim of ,god to the love of ,his rational offspring rests on the rectitude and benevolence of ,his will4 ,it is the moral beauty and grandeur of ,his character to which alone we are bound to pay homage4 ,the only power which can and ought to be loved is a beneficent and righteous power4 ,the ground of love to ,christ is1 ,his spotless purity1 ,his moral perfection1 ,his unrivalled goodness4 ,it is the spirit of ,his religion1 which is the ,spirit of ,god1 dwelling in ,him without measure4 ,of consequence1 to love ,christ is to love the perfection of virtue1 of righteousness1 of benevolence2 and the great excellence of this love is1 that by cherishing it we imbibe1 we strengthen in our own souls the most illustrious virtue1 and through ,jesus become like ,god4 ,i call you to love ,jesus that you may bring yourselves into contact and communion with perfect virtue1 and may become what you love4 ,i know no sincere1 enduring good but the moral excellence which shines forth in ,jesus ,christ4--,channing4 ,the ,apostolic ,benediction4 ,i4 ,the subjects of the benediction4--,all them that love our ,lord ,jesus ,christ in sincerity4 #a4 ,the object of their love4--,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,the character of their love4--,they love in sincerity4 ,this proved by the effects it produces4 7#a7 ,love to ,god's ,word4 7#b7 ,prompt obedience to ,christ's precepts4 7#c7 ,brotherly love4 7#d7 ,zeal for ,god's house4 ,,ii4 ,the nature of the benediction4--#a4 ,the prayer embraces the communication of ,divine grace4 #b4 ,all ,christians need the grace of ,god4 7#a7 ,in all trials peculiar to the age in which they live4 7#b7 ,in time of temptation and spiritual darkness4 7#c7 ,in the discharge of ,christian duties4 7#d7 ,to sanctify1 refine1 and make them meet for the inheritance of the saints in light4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,imitate the catholicity of the apostle4 #b4 ,sectarian bigotry and hostility should cease4 #c4 ,how perilous the state of those who love not ,christ4--,pulpit ,themes4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes4 - ,page #abc1 ,introduction1 ,readers paragraph1 change i4 #a to ch4 i4 #a4 ,certain expressions paragraph1 change i4 #ae to ch4 i4 #ae4 - ,page #abd1 ,again paragraph1 change in iii4 to in ch4 iii and ii4 #f-i to ,gal4 ii4 #f-i1 for concreteness4 ,analysis1 chapter i4 #c-ad1 apply ,,rc to ,divine will4 ,chapter ii4 #a-aj1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,chapter ii4 #ad-ai1 apply ,,rc to love ,divine4 - ,page #abf1 ,notes for chapter i41 verse #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine blessing2 remove comma from heaven1 and4 ,verse #d1 apply ,,rc to ,divine goodness4 ,verse #e1 apply ,,rc to ,love ,divine and ,divine ,graciousness4 ,verse #g1 change ix4 #bb to ,heb4 ix4 #bb for concreteness4 - ,page #abg1 verse #h1 apply ,,rc to ,divine aims4 ,verse #aa1 add ,deut4 xxxiii4 #i reference4 ,page #abh1 top of page1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power4 ,verse #bj1 tag ,latin phrase as ,latin and set it in ,italic4 ,lesson ,apostolic ,salutation1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine source2 remove commas from care1 and and ,god1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine will1 the ,gospel1 ,divine authority1 and ,divine will4 - ,page #abi1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from ,god1 and and apply ,,rc to in ,him4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine source4 ,paul's ,introduction note1 apply ,,rc to that ,gospel and the ,gospel4 - ,page #acj1 same note1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine ,spirit4 - ,page #aca1 lesson ,praise1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel42 change in ,him to in him1 referring to a new convert2 remove comma from ,him1 and4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,father and ,divine family4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #acb1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine will and ,divine counsels4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel age and ,divine purpose4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,word1 the ,gospel1 and the ,word 7twice74 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine attestation4 ,application 7,lessons71 each points #a1 #b1 and #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #acc1 same lesson1 ,mystery note1 remove comma from salvation1 if4 ,spiritual ,blessings note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine operation4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #acd1 same lesson1 ,nature1 ,source note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature2 remove comma from will1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel holiness4 ,point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,glory note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine will4 - ,page #ace1 same lesson1 ,redemption note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,harmony note1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine justice4 - ,page #acf1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,point ,,vii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,xii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,mystery note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice72 remove comma from reason1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine revelation and the ,gospel4 ,point ,i #b1 add comma to us yet4 - ,page #acg1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and the ,word4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,christ note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine purpose4 - ,page #ach1 same lesson1 ,gospel note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 change subpoint indicators from parenthesised ,arabic numerals to ,arabic numerals with periods1 for consistency4 ,truth note1 point ,i1 change subpoint indicators from parenthesised ,arabic numerals to ,arabic numerals with periods1 for consistency2 point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to ,divine majesty4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine revelation4 - ,page #aci1 same lesson1 ,faith note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,word1 the ,gospel1 the ,word1 own ,divinity1 and the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word and the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #a1 add comma to ,so the2 apply ,,rc to the ,word1 ,divine likeness1 the ,gospel1 and the ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine influence4 ,point ,,iii #a1 add comma to ,so the2 apply ,,rc to ,divine image1 the ,word1 ,divine likeness1 the ,gospel1 and the ,word4 ,point ,,iii #b1 add comma to ,so the4 - ,page #adj1 lesson ,prayer1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word2 remove comma from suffice1 unless4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine inheritance and ,divine blessings4 - ,page #ada1 same lesson1 ,clearer note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice7 and ,divine qualities2 remove comma from sanctuary1 but4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from knowledge1 but4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,divine calling and ,divine preparation4 - ,page #adb1 same lesson1 ,apprehension note1 point ,,ii1 add #a ,john iv4 #aj reference4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature2 add comma to ,thus these4 ,spiritual enlightenment note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine mysteries4 - ,page #adc1 lesson ,church ,complete1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power1 a ,divine1 and ,divine ,spirit4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power2 change instals to installs2 add ,heb4 i4 #f and ,ps4 xxiv4 #g-aj references4 - ,page #add1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 see in-line note about quicksilver4 ,apply ,,rc to ,divine fulness2 add comma to ,thus ,god2 apply ,,rc to ,divine fulness4 ,application 7,lessons71 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine creation4 ,dignity and ,dominion note1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from respect1 and4 - ,page #ade1 same lesson1 ,future life note1 end of point ,,ii1 add double quotes around what those already in heaven are said to say to us4 - ,page #adf1 same lesson1 ,headship note1 point ,i #f1 apply ,,rc to ,divine attributes4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,mediator4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine government4 - ,page #adg1 notes on chapter ii41 verse #e1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #f1 change i4 #c to ch4 i4 #c4 ,verse #aj1 apply ,,rc to ,divine thought4 ,verse #ac1 tag ,lo-ammi as ,hebrew and set it in ,italic type4 - ,the break between pages #adg and #adh is in the word consequently3 consequently4 - ,page #adh1 notes on verse #ag1 change lvii4 #ai to ,isa4 lvii4 #ai for concreteness4 ,verse #ba1 change iv4 #af to ch4 iv4 #af4 ,lesson ,children of ,wrath1 point ,i1 remove comma from life1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine wrath4 - ,page #adi1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 remove comma from appetite1 but4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #aej1 same lesson1 ,state of ,sin note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power4 ,state of ,men note1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,word 7twice72 remove comma from song1 and4 - ,page #aea1 same lesson1 ,state of ,nature note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to thing ,divine4 - ,page #aeb1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,spirit4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,spirit4 ,worst note1 point ,i #a1 add comma to created and4 ,point ,,ii1 see in-line note on baptism4 - ,page #aec1 lesson ,salvation1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine beneficence1 ,divine nature1 ,divine favour and ,divine goodness4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power2 remove comma from precede1 and4 - ,page #aed1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace 7twice7 and the ,word4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice7 and ,divine act4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace2 change ever new to ever-new2 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,great ,change note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #aee1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,i #a 7#d71 remove comma from ,christ1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel dispensation4 ,state note1 point #c1 add comma to ,therefore ,god4 - ,page #aeg1 same lesson1 ,salvation by ,faith note1 point ,i #e1 apply ,,rc to whole ,gospel4 ,our ,salvation note1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,true ,justifying ,faith note1 remove comma from creature1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine work4 - ,page #aeh1 lesson ,christian ,life1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine handiwork and ,divine power2 remove comma from nature1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine handiwork1 ,divine character1 and ,divine worker4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely provided4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine origin4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine mind4 - ,page #afj1 lesson ,forlorn ,state1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine mercy4 ,condition note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #afj and #afa is in a unit that style indicates should be kept together ,christ4--,to4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #afa1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,helpless note1 point #c1 add comma to sought and4 - ,page #afb1 same lesson1 same note1 point #c 7#e71 remove comma from other1 and2 add sentence-ending period after powerless2 add comma to ,thus faith4 - ,page #afd1 lesson ,peacemaker1 point ,i1 remove comma from complied1 and4 - ,page #afe1 same lesson1 poem between points ,,iv and ,v1 change there to then and losers to loser after referring to collection of ,shakespeare4 ,point ,v1 change eads us to leads us4 ,nearness note1 point ,i1 remove comma from ,god1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word4 - ,page #aff1 same lesson1 ,power note1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word4 - ,page #afg1 same lesson1 same note1 point #b1 remove comma from grace1 and2 add ,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa and ,isa4 xlv4 #bb references4 ,point #c1 add comma to is that4 - ,page #afh1 same lesson1 ,privilege note1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,own ,son4 ,point ,,ii1 remove comma from mercy-seat1 and4 - ,page #afi1 same lesson1 ,access to ,god note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,creator1 into ,divinity1 ,god is ,divine1 by ,word1 the ,divinity 7twice7 and the ,divine2 add comma to souls others2 apply ,,rc to a ,divine end4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divinity and the ,gospels2 add comma to firm bright and confident golden2 apply ,,rc to and ,divine and the ,gospel4 - ,page #agj1 same lesson1 same note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine side1 the ,divinity1 was ,divine1 and is ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 add comma to so when2 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,end and ,divine ,power4 - ,page #aga1 same lesson1 top of page1 apply ,,rc to is ,divine4 ,christian ,law note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,justice4 ,lesson ,church the ,temple1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine kingdom2 remove commas from privileges1 and and ages1 and4 - ,page #agb1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 remove commas from ,church1 and and broad1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine purpose4 - ,page #agc1 same lesson1 ,spiritual ,building note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word 7twice74 ,christian ,prayer note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine light4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add comma to still and4 - ,page #agd1 same lesson1 ,communion note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,presence4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely true4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,diviner love4 - ,the break between pages #agd and #age is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken3 saints4--#a4 ,they4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #age1 same lesson1 ,characteristics note1 point ,,iii #d1 remove comma from privileges1 and4 - ,page #agf1 notes for chapter iii41 verse #b1 change iv4 #ba to ch4 iv4 #ba2 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,taskmaster4 ,verse #i1 change iii4 #a to ,gal4 iii4 #a for concreteness4 ,verse #ab1 change ii4 #ac to ch4 ii4 #ac4 - ,page #agg1 notes for chapter iii41 verse #ae1 change ii4 #ai to ch4 ii4 #ai4 ,verse #ag1 apply ,,rc to things ,divine4 ,verse #bj1 change i4 #ai-bc to ch4 i4 #ai-bc4 ,lesson ,enlarged ,gospel1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel1 ,divine revelation1 ,divine favour1 and ,divine mind4 - ,page #agh1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel1 enlarged ,gospel1 and the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace1 the ,gospel1 ,divinely prepared1 the ,gospel1 and ,divine ,spirit4 - ,page #agi1 same lesson1 top of page1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ever-enlarging ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,calling note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,goodness4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7four times74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ahj1 ,knowledge note1 between lists1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,exalted1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #aha1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice71 and ,divine dealings4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine mystery1 ,divine purpose 7twice71 and the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine idea and the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace1 ,divine power1 the ,gospel 7twice7 and ,divine power 7twice74 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 - ,page #ahb1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,apostle's ,view note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #ahc1 same lesson1 ,christian ,humility note1 point ,i1 change self-righteous ness to self-righteousness4 - ,page #ahd1 same lesson1 same note1 top of page1 change period after management to a question mark4 - ,page #ahe1 same lesson1 ,unsearchable ,riches note1 apply ,,rc to ,christ's ,divinity4 ,fellowship note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ahf1 lesson ,manifold ,wisdom1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel1 ,divinely freighted1 and the ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,the break between pages #ahf and #ahg is in the word knowledge3 knowledge4 - ,page #ahg1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 top of page1 apply ,,rc to ,divine treatment and the ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine wisdom4 ,manifold ,wisdom note1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine will4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel redemption4 - ,the break between pages #ahg and #ahh is in the word expression3 expression4 - ,page #ahh1 same lesson1 same note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine grace4 ,change ,he who preached to he1 referring to ,paul4 ,access note1 point ,,ii1 add sentence-ending period4 - ,page #ahi1 same lesson1 ,courage note1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,sublime1 point ,i #a1 see in-line note regarding ,christ's abiding presence4 - ,page #aij1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 top of page1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power4 ,point ,,ii1 change thirsty manna drink to thirsty man a drink4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine fulness and ,divine grace4 - ,page #aib1 ,church a ,family note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to common ,father4 - ,page #aic1 ,family note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine message4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinest wisdom4 - ,page #aie1 ,paul's ,prayer note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,divine influence4 ,love of ,christ note1 point ,i #a1 change as ,he says to as ,paul says4 ,point ,i #e1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature and is ,divine4 - ,page #aif1 ,transcendent note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to is ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine infinitude4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to supreme ,divinity4 - ,the break between pages #aif and #aig is in the word increase3 increase4 - ,page #aih1 notes on chapter iv41 verse #g1 apply ,,rc to ,his endowment4 ,verse #ac1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,archetype4 - ,page #aii1 verse #ag1 change ii4 #b1 #c to ch4 ii4 #b1 #c4 ,verse #ai1 change right single quote after covetousness to right double quote and sin's to sins4 ,verse #cj1 change i4 #ac to ch4 i4 #ac4 ,verse #ca1 change ,i4e4 to i4e4 - ,page #bjj1 verse #cb1 apply ,,rc to ,divine forgiveness4 ,lesson ,dignity1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature4 - ,page #bjc1 lesson ,sevenfold ,unity1 point ,i1 add em-dash before poem4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine commands and one ,gospel2 change initiatory right to initiatory rite4 - ,page #bjd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,mind4 ,unity note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to same ,word4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to same ,gospel and the ,word4 - ,page #bje1 ,oneness note1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,one ,body note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #bjf1 same note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine essence4 - ,page #bjh1 lesson ,gifts of ,christ1 point ,i1 after poem1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,conqueror4 - ,page #bji1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,architect4 ,mark note1 first paragraph1 apply ,,rc to four ,gospels1 ,mark's ,gospel1 first ,gospel4 - ,page #baj1 same note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to his ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,mind4 - ,page #baa1 same note1 apply ,,rc to his ,gospel2 change three gospels to four ,gospels2 apply ,,rc to that ,life and the ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #baa and #bab is in the word summoned3 summoned4 - ,page #bab1 ,humiliation and ,exaltation note1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine temple4 ,point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,divine conduct4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine perfections4 - ,page #bac1 ,ascension note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word1 the ,gospel1 and a ,gospel4 - ,page #bad1 ,work note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bae1 same note1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,lesson ,manhood1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to a ,person4 ,point ,i #b1 change in ,him to him1 referring to a human4 - ,page #baf1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 change ant to bee because ant nests are not particularly geometrical2 capitalise ,rubicon2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine truth4 - ,page #bag1 ,growth note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine revelation4 - ,page #bah1 ,manhood note1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely appointed4 ,maturity note1 point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 change repre senting to representing4 - ,the break between pages #bah and #bai is in the word knowledge3 knowledge4 - ,page #bai1 same note1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,deceivers note1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bba1 ,growth note1 point ,,ii1 add right double quote at end of sentence4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to real ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 add ,mark x4 #ag-bb2 ,luke xviii4 #ag-bc references4 - ,page #bbc1 lesson ,thorough1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bbd1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely created and ,divine character4 ,change reference for ,gentile ,life note from #ag1 #ai to #ag-ai4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine truths4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bbe1 same note1 application 7,reflections71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,life note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bbf1 ,putting ,off note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine things4 - ,page #bbg1 same note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature and the ,deity4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel1 ,divine grace1 and the ,word4 - ,page #bbh1 ,christian ,spirit note1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 change alternation to alteration4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to to ,him4 - ,page #bcj1 lesson ,christian ,principles1 point ,,vii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 - ,page #bca1 ,truth note1 point ,i #a1 remove ,italic formatting from first sentence for consistency with other subpoints4 - ,page #bcb1 ,falsehood note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #bcb and #bcc is in the word uncertainty3 uncertainty4 - ,page #bcc1 ,sinful ,anger note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,anger and ,meekness note1 point ,i #d1 at the end of the page1 there is blank space after the word rights which the ,transcriber filled with he is before obliged on the next page1 giving 4 4 4 whose rights he is obliged 4 4 4 4 - ,the break between pages #bcd and #bce is in the word bespeaks3 bespeaks4 - ,page #bcf1 ,exaltation note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,benefit ,conferred note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #bcg1 same note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,office note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,grieving note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #bch1 ,grieve not note1 put double quotes around the rhetorical question2 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,vices note1 point ,,iv1 change ,never believe1 much less propagate an ill report1 of to ,never believe1 much less propagate1 an ill report of4 - ,page #bci1 ,errors note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,author4 - ,page #bdj1 same note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,christian ,forgiveness1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,diviner life4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to own ,gospel and our ,gospel4 - ,page #bda1 notes on chapter v41 verse #g1 change iii4 #f to ch4 iii4 #f4 ,verse #i1 add ,rev4 xxii4 #a reference4 ,verse #ai1 add ,james v4 #ac reference2 change the right double quote after hymn to a right single quote4 - ,page #bdb1 verse #bc1 add add ,john xviii4 #h1 ,luke xxii4 #bg1 and ver4 #be references4 ,lesson ,life1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine life and the ,gospel4 ,change ,in ,paris a little girl seven years old was observed to ,in ,paris1 a little girl1 seven years old1 was observed4 - ,page #bdc1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely regarded and ,divine ,fatherhood4 - ,page #bdd1 ,doctrine note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #bde1 ,sacrifice note1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #bdg1 ,likeness note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to a ,divine4 ,sacrifice note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to a ,divine 7twice7 and in ,himself4 ,point ,i #b1 add double quotes around ,i will do as ,i please4 - ,page #bdh1 same note1 same point1 apply ,,rc to a ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to a ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinity4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,children1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #bdi1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely illuminated4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine light4 ,point ,,ii #c1 add ,matt4 v4 #af reference4 - ,page #bej1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely regarded4 ,sobriety note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #beb1 ,rule note1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 - ,page #bec1 ,slumbering note1 point ,i #f1 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 ,point ,i #g1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,light of ,god note1 point ,,ii1 capitalise the ,negro4 - ,page #bed1 ,call note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bee1 same note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,summons note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine assistance2 add an em-dash to the end of the paragraph without punctuation4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine mandate4 - ,the break between pages #bee and #bef is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken3 inactivity4--,you4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #bef1 ,gospel ,call note1 point ,,ii #d 7#d71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #beg1 lesson ,christian ,wisdom1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine goodness4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine 7thrice74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #beh1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 add ,prov4 iv4 #g reference4 ,walking note1 point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,wise ,conduct note1 each of points #c and #d1 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 - ,page #bei1 ,redeeming note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 - ,page #bfj1 ,redemption note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine knowledge4 - ,page #bfa1 ,being ,filled note1 point #d 7#d71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bfb1 lesson ,spiritual ,enjoyment1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 - ,page #bfc1 ,singing note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine worship4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 each of points #a and #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine worship4 - ,page #bff1 ,duties lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 add a colon after married life4 - ,page #bfg1 ,christ note1 point ,,iii1 add ,gen4 ii4 #ba-bd reference4 - ,page #bfh1 ,christ's ,love note1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,future ,glory note1 point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinity 7twice74 ,divine ,ideal note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine renewal4 - ,page #bgj1 notes on chapter vi41 verse #aj1 change i4 #ai to ch4 i4 #ai4 ,verse #ac1 change v4 #af to ch4 v4 #af4 - ,page #bga1 notes on verse #bd1 change i4 #b to ch4 i4 #b4 ,lesson ,duties1 each of points ,i #a and ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #bgb1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely rewarded4 - ,page #bgc1 ,mutual ,duties note1 point ,i #f1 apply ,,rc to ,divine promise4 - ,page #bge1 lesson ,duties1 point ,,ii #a1 change it introduced principles which1 wherever1 adopted utterly to it introduced principles which1 wherever adopted1 utterly4 ,application 7,lessons71 each of points #a and #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine law4 - ,page #bgf1 lesson ,christian ,warfare1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine help4 - ,page #bgg1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine panoply4 - ,page #bgh1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons7 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely provided4 ,call note1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,warfare note1 point ,i #c1 change ,deut4 viii4 #ab to ,deut4 viii4 #aa-ad4 - ,page #bgi1 same note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to everlasting ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bha1 ,evil ,angels note1 see inline note about human depravity4 ,christian ,warrior lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bhb1 same lesson1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7four times74 - ,page #bhc1 same lesson1 point ,i #e1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,word 7twice74 - ,page #bhd1 ,christian's ,armour note1 apply ,,rc to that ,gospel2 change even more tnan to even more than2 apply ,,rc to that ,word4 ,whole ,armour note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bhe1 same note1 point ,,vi apply ,,rc to the ,divine ,word4 - ,page #bhf1 ,duty note1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,girdle of ,truth note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to their ,divinity4 - ,page #bhg1 ,gospel of ,peace note1 each of points ,,ii1 ,,ii #a1 ,,ii #b1 and ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bhh1 lesson ,programme of ,prayer1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,spirit4 - ,page #bhi1 same lesson1 point ,v #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,point ,v #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power4 - ,page #bij1 ,praying note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine favours4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine will4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #bia1 ,duty of ,prayer note1 point ,v1 add ,rev4 v4 #h1 #i reference4 ,gospel a ,mystery note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine revelation4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine essence and the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice72 add a colon after rolled up4 ,point ,,iv1 see inline note defining faggot2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bib1 ,boldness note1 in each of points ,,ii and ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bic1 lesson ,trusted ,messenger1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice7 and ,gospel comfort4 - ,page #bid1 ,apostolical ,care note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,benediction1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine1 are ,divine1 the ,divine1 and ,divinity4 - ,page #bie1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace1 ,his ,word1 and the ,gospel4 ,elements note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #bif1 ,truest ,test note1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,master-spirit and ,spirit4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 ,loving ,christ note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine person4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine ,spirit4 - ,page #big1 ,apostolic ,benediction note1 point ,i #b 7#a71 apply ,,rc to ,god's ,word4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,philippians4 ,,introduction4 ,philippi and the ,philippians4--,it was a moment fraught with very far reaching issues when at ,alexandria ,troas ,st4 ,paul seemed to see1 in a night-vision1 a man standing on the beach over the head of the gean ,sea eagerly calling for help1 as a herald might summon a general to the relief of a hard-pressed garrison4 ,there may be cold psychological explanations of the vision which leave little scope for any ,divine call to evangelise them of ,macedonia2 but the event proved the indication of the will of ,god in the visionary call4 ,in the prompt and undoubting obedience of ,st4 ,paul and his co-workers our own continent first received the glad tidings of great joy4 ,gliding out of the harbour of ,troas1 their little vessel ran before the wind as far as the island of ,samothracia1 and next day1 rounding the island of ,thasos1 dropped anchor at ,neapolis1 the port of ,philippi4 ,but ,philippi itself is still three leagues distant1 on the other side of a mountain range1 over which the great highway between the two continents passes4 ,following this great road--the ,via ,egnatia--the colony founded by ,csar ,augustus1 and named ,colonia ,augusta ,julia ,philippensis1 was the first city reached4 ,the place had been recognised by ,philip of ,macedon as a gateway to be watched and strongly guarded1 and when ,st4 ,paul visited it he found it bearing all the marks of a strong military centre--a sort of ganglion in the great system of which ,rome was the brain4 ,to remember this is to receive light on certain expressions in the epistle2 for even though not many mighty are called1 they may serve to illustrate a service whose weapons are not carnal but spiritual4 ,if we follow the ,r4,v4 in ,acts xvi4 #ac--we suppose there was a place of prayer--the inference is that the ,jews were not numerous in ,philippi1 and that it was only by a knowledge of the ancestral custom which led them to place their oratory by the water-side that ,st4 ,paul discovered the obscure company4 ,even when discovered there is no evidence of that virulent ,judaism which so greatly embittered the apostle's life and frustrated his missionary endeavours2 and it may be that its absence explains the cordial relations between the ,philippians and ,st4 ,paul4 ,bishop ,lightfoot notes the heterogeneous character of the first converts at ,philippi4 ,as to race1 an ,asiatic1 a ,greek1 and a ,roman4 ,as to everyday life1 the first is engaged in an important and lucrative branch of traffic2 the second is employed to trade on the credulity of the ignorant2 the third is an under-official of the government4 ,as to religious training1 one represents the speculative mystic temper of ,oriental devotion2 the second a low form of an artistic and imaginative religion2 whilst the third represents a type of worship essentially political in tone4 ,it is noteworthy and prophetic that women should be so closely connected with the introduction of the ,gospel to ,europe2 and this may account for the fact that in ,philippi whole families were gathered into the fold of the ,church4 ,thus humbly began the work of the evangelisation of a new continent1 amidst brutal bodily assaults and indignities heaped upon its heralds4 ,here commenced1 some ten years before the date of our epistle1 a friendship1 unbroken through those years1 with ,timothy1 a youth of exemplary ability and piety4 ,place and time of writing the epistle4--,though ,csarea has found favour with some scholars as the place from which the epistle originated1 by far the greater number accept ,rome4 ,indeed1 we may almost say we are shut up to this by ancient and modern opinions4 ,even though we may admit that the subscription of the epistle in the ,a4,v41 as in general1 is not worthy of any special consideration as being authoritative1 yet it agrees in this case with the preponderant opinion4 ,it is the most natural interpretation of the expression in ch4 iv4 #cb1 they of ,csar's household1 which is decisive of ,rome4 ,the phrase in ch4 i4 #ac1 throughout the whole prtorian guard 7,r4,v471 is not absolutely conclusive for ,rome1 for the word prtorium is used of ,herod's palace at ,csarea1 and is the standing appellation for the palaces of the chief governors of provinces 7,meyer74 ,still1 as ,lightfoot argues1 to apply it to ,csarea in this case does not suit the context4 ,as to the time of the writing1 there is nothing like the same consent of opinion4 ,but the difference of opinion is limited to the confinement of the apostle at ,rome 7on which see ,acts xxviii4 #cj74 ,the discussion is as to whether it was early or late in that two years' captivity that the letter was written4 ,for the later date the arguments are3 #a4 ,that it must have taken some considerable time before ,st4 ,paul's religion could be so widely known as this letter indicates it was4 #b4 ,that ,luke and ,aristarchus are not mentioned here1 as in ,colossians and ,philemon1 the inference being that they had left the apostle4 #c4 ,that the communications between ,rome and ,philippi would necessitate a considerable interval after ,st4 ,paul's arrival in ,rome4 #d4 ,that the tone of the apostle agrees better with a prolonged captivity4 ,amongst ,english scholars1 ,ellicott1 ,alford1 and others favour the later date4 ,on the other side are ,lightfoot and ,beet4 ,occasion and contents of the epistle4--,godet remarks that1 as ,philemon shows us the apostle's way of requesting a favour2 ,philippians is a specimen of how he returned thanks4 ,the ,church which was the crown and joy of the apostle had sent into his captivity a token of their loving remembrance by the hand of ,epaphroditus4 ,the messenger had been overtaken by alarming illness1 and after hearing that his friends in ,philippi were anxious about him1 he was despatched homewards bearing the apostle's expressions of gratitude--not so much for the money gift as the genuine attachment which prompted it4 ,no epistle is so truly a letter1 of all we have from ,st4 ,paul's pen1 as this to the ,philippians4 ,the arrangement is less formal2 we miss the chains of reasoning and quotation from the ,old ,testament4 ,as ,meyer says3 ,not one of his epistles is so eminently an epistle of the feelings1 an outburst of the moment1 springing from the deepest inward need of loving fellowship amidst outward abandonment and tribulation2 a model1 withal1 of the union of tender love and at times an almost elegiac impress of courageous resignation in the prospect of death1 with high apostolic dignity and unbroken holy joy1 hope1 and victory over the world4 ,a brief synopsis of the letter may be shown thus3-- i4 #a-aa4 ,greeting of1 thanksgiving1 and prayer for the ,philippians4 #ab-bf4 ,personal affairs of the apostle 7so ch4 ii4 #ai-cj74 i4 #bg--;ii4 #a-aa4 ,exhortation to humility after the supreme ,example4 ii4 #ab-ah4 ,omitted4 iii4 #a-ba4 ,warning against the vain work-righteousness of ,judaism4 iv4 #a-i4 ,exhortations to unity1 to ,christian joy1 and ,christian graces4 #aj-ai4 ,renewed thanksgiving for the generosity shown4 #bj-bc4 ,doxology and salutations4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,paul and ,timothy1 the servants of ,jesus ,christ4--,there is no necessity for ,paul to mention his apostolate1 inasmuch as the ,philippians had never even thought of calling it in question4 ,paul an apostle and ,timothy a servant was a distinction too invidious for ,paul to make4 ,there is a fine aroma of courtesy in what is not said as well as in what is said here4 ,bishops and deacons4--,it is incredible that ,st4 ,paul should recognise only the bishops and deacons 7if 'presbyters' were a different order from 'bishops'74 ,it seems therefore to follow of necessity that the 'bishops' were identical with the 'presbyters' 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #c4 ,i thank my ,god4--,the keynote of the whole epistle4 ,as the apostle's strains of praise had been heard by the prisoners in the ,philippian gaol1 so now from another captivity the ,church hears a song of sweet contentment4 ,my ,god4 ,the personal appropriation and the quiet contentment of the apostle both speak in this emphatic phrase4 ,ver4 #d4 ,always in every prayer of mine for you all4--,notice the comprehensive always1 every1 all1 indicating special attachment to the ,philippians4 ,with joy4--,the sum of the epistle is1 ,i rejoice4 4 4 4 ,rejoice ye4 ,he recalls to our minds the runner who at the supreme moment of ,grecian history brought to ,athens the news of ,marathon4 ,worn1 panting1 exhausted with the effort to be the herald of deliverance1 he sank in death on the threshold of the first house which he reached with the tidings of victory1 and sighed forth his gallant soul in one great sob1 almost in the very same words as those used by the apostle1 ',rejoice ye2 we rejoice' 7,farrar1 after ,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #e4 ,fellowship here denotes co-operation in the widest sense1 their participation with the apostle1 whether in sympathy or in suffering1 or in active labour1 or in any other way4 ,at the same time1 their almsgiving was a signal instance of this co-operation and seems to have been foremost in the apostle's mind 7,lightfoot74 ,he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it4--,the observation of the ebb and flow of the tide for so many days and months and ages together1 as it has been observed by mankind1 gives us a full assurance that it will ebb and flow again to-morrow 7,bishop ,butler74 ,another sort of assurance comes in here4 ,it is an offence to every worthy thought of ,god that ,he should begin and not be able to finish 7,isa4 xxvi4 #ab74 ,ver4 #g4 ,meet for me to think this4--,to form this opinion4 ,that the apostle cherished a warm affection for these ,philippians would have been1 if alone1 a very flimsy foundation for hopes so substantial4 ,was not ,judas cherished in a warmer heart than ,paul's8 ,but their sympathy and active co-operation made such an opinion not a pious hope1 but a reasonable likelihood4 ,defence and confirmation4--,the defence 77 is the clearing away of objections--the preparation of the ground2 the confirmation is the positive settlement on the ground so prepared4 ,the two together will thus comprise all modes of preaching and extending the truth 7,lightfoot74 ,partakers of my grace4--,the grace whether of preaching or of suffering for the ,gospel4 ,see ver4 #bi1 where given requires the addition as a favour4 ,you are privileged 4 4 4 to suffer4 ,ver4 #h4 ,god is my record4--,as in ,rom4 i4 #i4 ,when we feel language too weak to bear our impassioned feeling1 it may be well to remember the ,yea1 yea of the ,master rather than copy this oath4 ,in the bowels of ,jesus ,christ4--,r4,v4 in the tender mercies4 ,this is quite an ,eastern form of expression4 ,among the ,malays a term of endearment is my liver2 we choose the heart as the seat of the affections4 ,for the figure1 cf4 ,gal4 ii4 #bj4 ,ver4 #i4 ,in knowledge and in all judgment4--,perfect knowledge 7as in ,eph4 i4 #ag1 iv4 #ac7 and universal discernment4 ,the one deals with general principles1 the other is concerned with practical applications 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #aj4 ,that ye may approve things that are excellent4--,st4 ,paul would have his dear ,philippians to be connoisseurs of whatever is morally and spiritually excellent4 ,that ye may be sincere4--,bearing a close scrutiny1 in the strongest light1 or according to another derivation of the word1 perhaps more true if less beautiful1 made pure by sifting4 ,and without offence4--,might be either without stumbling1 as ,acts xxiv4 #af1 or not causing offence4 ,lightfoot prefers the former1 ,meyer the latter4 ,beet unites the two4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,fruits of righteousness4--,a harvest of righteousness4 ,which are through ,jesus ,christ4--,a more precise definition of fruits4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the things which happened unto me4--,precisely the same phrase as in ,eph4 vi4 #ba2 is translated my affairs 7so ,col4 iv4 #ag74 ,these circumstances were such as naturally would fill the friends of the apostle with concern for him personally4 ,as to the effect on the spread of the ,gospel--ever ,st4 ,paul's chief solicitude--they had been apprehensive4 ,rather unto the furtherance4--,not to the hindrance1 as to your fears seemed likely4 ,it is the same triumphant note which rises1 in a later imprisonment1 above personal indignity and suffering4 ,i may be bound1 but the message ,i bear is at liberty 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #i74 ,ver4 #ac4 ,bonds in ,christ are manifest4--,r4,v4 bonds became manifest in ,christ4 ,it is not simply as a private prisoner that he is bound2 it is a matter of public note that he is bound for ,christ's sake4 ,in all the palace4--,r4,v4 text1 throughout the whole prtorian guard4 ,r4,v4 margin1 in the whole prtorium4 ,the best supported meaning of 'prtorium' is--the soldiers composing the imperial regiments 7,lightfoot74 ,the barracks of the imperial body-guard to whose 'colonel' ,paul was given in charge on his arrival in ,rome 7,acts xxviii4 #af7 7,meyer74 ,as the soldiers would relieve guard in constant succession1 the prtorians one by one were brought into communication with 'the prisoner of ,jesus ,christ' 7,lightfoot74 ,in all other places4--,the italicised places of the ,a4,v4 text must be dropped2 the margin is better4 ,a loose way of saying to others besides the military4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,confident by my bonds4--,the bonds might have been thought to be sufficient to intimidate the brethren2 but the policy of stamping out has oftener resulted in spreading the ,gospel4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,some indeed preach ,christ even of envy and strife4--,not some of the brethren emboldened by the apostle's chain1 perhaps1 although one sees no reason why the ,judaisers would not1 with redoubled energy1 spread their views when he whom they so violently opposed was for the time being silenced1 as they imagined4 ,of envy4 ,lightfoot refers to the saying of the comic poet ,philemon with its play on the word1 ,thou teachest me many things ungrudgingly because of a grudge 7on account of envy74 ,this glaring inconsistency of preaching a ,gospel of goodwill from such a motive as envy1 the worst form of ill-will1 must be closely observed here4 ,vers4 #af1 #ag4--,these verses are transposed in ,r4,v42 the order of the ,a4,v4 is against decisive testimony 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #af4 ,to add affliction to my bonds4--,to make my chains gall me1 ,lightfoot strikingly translates4 ,one can almost imagine ,st4 ,paul starting up1 and straining at the wrist of the soldier to whom he was chained as he hears of the intrigues of a party whose one object it was to impose an effete ritual on men called to liberty in ,christ4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,for the defence of the gospel4--,many a man in the apostle's place would have found himself absorbed by the question how best to make a good defence of himself4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,whether in pretence1 or in truth1 ,christ is preached4--,st4 ,paul evidently thinks the imperfect knowledge of ,christ preferable to heathen ignorance of ,him4 ,the truth is mighty enough to take care of itself1 without any hand that shakes with nervous apprehension to steady its ark4 ,st4 ,paul is beforehand with our method of keeping a subject before the notice of the public4 ,the policy of never mentioning was what ,st4 ,paul regarded as fatal4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,this shall turn to my salvation4--,salvation in the highest sense4 ,these trials will develop the spiritual life in the apostle1 will be a pathway to the glories of heaven 7,lightfoot74 ,meyer prefers to render will be salutary for me1 without any more precise modal definition4 ,supply of the ,spirit of ,jesus ,christ4--,the ,spirit of ,jesus is both the giver and the gift 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #bj4 ,earnest expectation4--,same word again in ,rom4 viii4 #ai 7not again in ,new ,testament74 ,it is the waiting expectation that continues on the strain till the goal is attained 7,meyer74 ,the intensive in the compound word implies abstraction from other things through intentness on one4 ,put to shame4--,as a man might be who felt his cause not worth pleading1 or as one overawed by an august presence4 ,with all boldness1 i4e4 of speech4 ,a man overpowered by shame loses the power of speech 7see ,matt4 xxii4 #ab74 ,ver4 #ba4 ,for me to live is ,christ4--,the word of emphasis is to me1 whatever it may be to others4 ,if this be not the finest specimen of a surrendered soul1 one may seek long for that which excels it4 ,that life should be intolerable1 nay inconceivable1 except as the ego merges into ,christ's2 this is the sanest and most blessed unio mystica 7,gal4 ii4 #bj74 ,and to die is gain4--,it is the purely personal view--to me--which the apostle has before him4 ,the spirit that denies says1 that when all that a man hath has been bartered for life1 he will think himself gainer4 ,more life and fuller is what ,st4 ,paul sees through the sombre corridor4 ,it is not simply the oblivious repose where the wicked cease from troubling that he yearns for4 ,nor is it a philosophical ,nirvna4 ,for who to dumb forgetfulness a prey ,this pleasing1 anxious being e'er resigned8 ,ver4 #bb4 ,but if ,i live in the flesh1 this is the fruit of my labour 7see ,r4,v474--,the grammar of the passage reflects the conflict of feeling in the apostle's mind4 ,he is tossed to and fro between the desire to labour for ,christ in life and the desire to be united with ,christ by death4 ,the abrupt and disjointed sentences express this hesitation 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #bc4 ,i am in a strait betwixt two4--,i am laid hold of by two forces drawing in opposite directions4 ,desire draws me away from earth2 your necessity would keep me in it4 ,as in the old mythology everything bowed before ,necessity 771 so here the apostle's desire is held in check by the needs of his converts4 ,to depart4--,as a ship weighs anchor and glides out with set sails1 or as a tent is struck by the ,arabs as they noiselessly steal away4 ,to be with ,christ4--,st4 ,paul regards the soul1 whilst in the body1 as a settler in a land of which he is not a native1 an emigrant from other shores4 ,but he would rather emigrate from the land of his sojourn and settle with the ,lord 7#b ,cor4 v4 #f1 #h74 ,we come from ,god who is our home4 ,as soon as ,i shall have taken the poison ,i shall stay no longer with you1 but shall part from hence1 and go to enjoy the felicity of the blessed 7,socrates to ,crito74 ,which is far better4--,r4,v4 very far4 ,how far from uncertainty is the eager estimate of the life with ,christ6 ,it is one thing to extol the superiority of the life away from the flesh in a ,christian hymn1 whilst health is robust2 it is quite a different matter to covet it with the sword of martyrdom hanging over one's head4 ,ver4 #be4 ,i know that ,i shall abide4--,not a prophetic inspiration1 but a personal conviction 7,acts xx4 #be74 ,ver4 #bg4 ,your conversation4--,r4,v4 manner of life4 ,margin1 behave as citizens4 ,perform your duties as citizens4 ,st4 ,paul in ,philippi1 by the assertion of his ,roman citizenship1 had brought the prtors to their knees 7,acts xvi4 #cg1 #ch71 and is addressing men who could fully appreciate the honour of the jus ,italicum conferred by ,csar ,augustus on their city4 ,he would have them be mindful of their place in the kingdom which cometh not with observation4 ,whether ,i come and see you1 or else be absent1 ,i may hear4--,the question arises whether ,st4 ,paul meant to say if he visited them1 they themselves would inform him of the condition of the ,church2 or whether he meant he would see for himself if he went1 and if not at least he would hear4 ,as he is actually distant1 the idea of hearing is uppermost1 and so we have ,i may hear where we might have expected ,i shall learn4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,in nothing terrified4--,the phrase is a continuation of the idea of the amphitheatre in ver4 #bg 7striving together74 ,we must1 it seems1 recognise a double metaphor--behaving in the arena1 before antagonists and spectators1 like a horse that takes fright and bolts4 ,the warning against such unworthy conduct might be rendered-- ,in the world's broad field of battle1 ,in the bivouac of life1 ,be not like dumb driven cattle1 ,be a hero in the strife4 ,which is to them an evident token of perdition4--,when once they have discovered that all their artifices have not the least power to alarm you1 will not this be a clear indication that they fight on behalf of a failing cause8 ,but to you of salvation1 and that of ,god4--,the ,christian gladiator does not anxiously await the signal of life or death from the fickle crowd4 ,the great ,president of the contest ,himself has given him a sure token of deliverance 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #bi4 ,it is given in the behalf of ,christ4--,god has granted you the high privilege of suffering for ,christ2 this is the surest sign that ,he looks upon you with favour 7,ibid474 ,the veterans in ,philippi would understand well enough that a position involving personal danger might be a mark of favour from the prefect to the private soldier4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,christian ,greeting-- ,i4 ,addressed to a fully organised ,church4--,to all the saints in ,christ ,jesus which are at ,philippi1 with the bishops and deacons 7ver4 #a74 ,christianity1 which began with the quiet meetings in the humble ,jewish proseucha1 or oratory1 by the river-side1 had so far spread in ,philippi as to settle down into a stable and permanent ,church organisation4 ,this is the first instance in which bishops and deacons are mentioned1 and specially addressed in the apostolic salutation4 ,the former are sometimes called elders1 presbyters1 rulers1 or presidents1 and were empowered to take the oversight of the whole ,church1 to instruct1 exhort1 and rule the members2 the latter were chosen to take care of the poor1 and to manage the finances of the ,church4 ,the bishops attended to the internal1 the deacons to the external affairs of the ,christian community4 ,the title presbyter implied the rank1 the bishop the duties of the office4 ,as the apostles by their frequent absence were unable to take the personal oversight of the ,churches they founded1 they appointed officers in each ,church4 ,as the ,churches multiplied1 and the ,church-life developed1 the organisation became more compact and complete4 ,it is noticeable in this instance that the apostle addresses the whole ,church more than its presiding ministers4 ,it should be ever remembered that the minister exists for the ,church1 not the ,church for the minister4 ,the clergy are not the ,church1 but1 under ,god1 the servants and religious guides of the people4 ,the ,christian ,church is the glory and stability of a nation4 ,when at ,brussels ,lord ,chesterfield was invited by ,voltaire to sup with him and ,madame ,c----4 ,the conversation happening to turn upon the affairs of ,england1 ,i think1 my lord1 said ,madame ,c----1 that the ,parliament of ,england consists of five or six hundred of the best-informed men of the kingdom4 ,true1 madame1 they are generally supposed to be so4 ,what1 then1 can be the reason they tolerate so great an absurdity as the ,christian religion8 ,i suppose1 madame1 replied his lordship1 it is because they have not been able to substitute anything better in its stead2 when they can1 ,i do not doubt but in their wisdom they will readily adopt it4 ,,ii4 ,valued as emanating from distinguished ,christian pioneers4--,paul and ,timothy1 the servants of ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #a74 ,the significance and worth of a salutation depend upon the character and reputation of those from whom it comes4 ,paul was honoured by the ,philippians as their father in the ,gospel1 and as one who had won a high distinction by his conspicuous abilities and labours in other spheres2 and ,timothy was well known to them as a devoted minister and fellow-helper of the apostle4 ,words coming from such a source would be gratefully welcomed and fondly cherished4 ,paul does not give prominence to his apostleship1 as in the inscriptions to other epistles4 ,the ,philippians had already sufficient proof of his apostolic authority and power4 ,paul and his colleagues were reverenced as the servants of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they acknowledged subjection1 not to the man1 but to ,christ2 they lived to advance ,his interests and honour1 and found their highest joy in ,his service1 though attended with hard toil1 unreasoning persecution1 and unparalleled suffering4 ,the ,baptist ,missionary ,society adopted for its motto a device found upon an ancient medal representing a bullock standing between a plough and an altar1 with the inscription ,ready for either1 for toil or for sacrifice4 ,the service of ,christ is a life of self-sacrifice2 but that is the pathway of duty1 of blessing1 of reward1 of glory4 ,,iii4 ,invokes the bestowment of great blessings4--,grace be unto you1 and peace 7ver4 #b74 ,grace and peace are ,divine gifts1 proceeding from ,god the ,father1 as the original and active ,source of all blessings1 and from the ,lord ,jesus ,christ who is now exalted to the right hand of the ,divine majesty to bestow those blessings upon ,his people4 ,grace1 the unmerited favour of ,god1 is the exhaustless fountain of all other blessings1 and includes the ever-flowing stream of the ,holy ,spirit's influences2 peace1 the result of grace1 is the tranquillity and joy of heart realised on reconciliation with ,god4 ,the very form of this salutation implies the union of ,jew1 ,greek1 and ,gentile4 ,the ,greek salutation was joy1 akin to the word for grace4 ,the ,roman was health1 the intermediate term between grace and peace4 ,the ,hebrew was peace1 including both temporal and spiritual prosperity4 ,the great mission of the ,gospel is to spread peace on earth1 peace with men1 following on peace with ,god4 ,the believer enjoys peace even in the midst of trial and suffering4 ,one of the martyrs1 exposed to public derision in an iron cage1 is reported to have said to a bystander1 who expressed surprise at the cheerfulness he manifested1 ,you can see these bars1 but you cannot hear the music in my conscience4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,religion teaches the truest courtesy4 #b4 ,the unselfish heart wishes well to all4 #c4 ,that greeting is the most genuine that recognises the claims of ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,the ,apostolic ,greeting4--#a4 ,unity and concord amongst ministers in giving joint testimony to the same truths and weight to what they preach4 ,preachers are in a special manner the servants of ,christ as being wholly and perpetually dedicated to ,his service4 #b4 ,as to make a man internally and spiritually holy it is necessary he be in ,christ by faith1 so to make him externally holy requires a visible and external union with ,christ in professing truths relating to ,him4 #c4 ,the dignity of a minister or of any ,church officer does not exempt him from the necessity of being taught1 exhorted1 reproved1 and comforted4 #d4 ,god's grace is the fountain from which peace with ,god1 with our own conscience1 and all sanctified prosperity and peace among ourselves do flow4 ,in seeking things from ,god we look to ,him1 not as standing disaffected to us and at a distance1 but as our ,father4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the ,commencement of the ,gospel at ,philippi4 ,i4 ,to secure the widest diffusion of the ,gospel great centres should be the first places chosen for the concentration of its forces4 ,,ii4 ,the ,gospel of universal adaptation has a world-wide mission4--,the first three converts embraced different nationalities1 employments1 social grades1--,lydia1 the oriental trader1 the ,grecian female slave and soothsayer1 the ,roman keeper of the prison4 ,christ has demolished all barriers to the exercise of ,divine mercy4 ,,iii4 ,the duty and privilege of ,christian parents to consecrate their children and home to ,christ 7,acts xvi4 #ae1 #cc1 #cd1 #dj74 ,,iv4 ,civic distinctions subordinated to ,christ will further the ,gospel and adorn the ,christian name4--,paul's ,roman citizenship gained his freedom and silenced his enemies4 ,his chain connects the history of ,rome and ,philippi4 ,the ,christian's spirit can defy the inner prison to suppress its praise or prayer 7,acts xvi4 #be74 ,ver4 #b4 ,god our ,father4--,christ aimed at raising men from the bondage of mere servants into the freedom of sons4 ,he taught that ,god our ,father was henceforth to be-- ,i4 ,the sole ,model of perfection4 7,matt4 vi4 #dh74 ,,ii4 ,the sole ,rewarder of almsgiving4 7,matt4 vi4 #d74 ,,iii ,the sole ,hearer of prayer 7,matt4 vi4 #f74 ,,iv4 ,the sole ,observer of fastings 7,matt4 vi4 #ah74 ,v4 ,the sole ,provider of daily wants 7,matt4 vi4 #bf-cc74--,lay ,preacher4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-h4 ,eulogy of ,christian ,excellence-- ,i4 ,prompted by pleasant memories of faithful co-operation in ,christian work4--,i thank my ,god upon every remembrance of you1 4 4 4 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now1 4 4 4 inasmuch as both in my bonds1 and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel1 ye all are partakers of my grace 7vers4 #c1 #e1 #g74 ,the apostle remembers with joy the way in which the ,philippians first received the ,gospel1 the effect it produced upon their lives1 the eagerness with which they entered into his plans for its wider propagation1 the liberality1 though not themselves a rich people1 they showed to their needy brethren in other ,churches1 the affectionate attachment they displayed towards himself1 the help they afforded him when in imprisonment1 and the many ways in which they cheerfully co-operated with him in the defence and establishment of the truth4 ,they had laboured1 suffered1 triumphed1 and rejoiced together4 ,the apostle's eulogy of their character was not flattery1 but sober and just commendation of tried and sterling excellencies4 ,our happiest memories--memories that become more vivid as life advances--are of those days in which we laboured most earnestly in the service of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,springs from a loving appreciation and tender ,christian solicitude4--,even as it is meet for me to think thus of you all1 because ,i have you in my heart4 4 4 4 ,for ,god is my record1 how greatly ,i long after you all in the bowels of ,jesus ,christ 7vers4 #g1 #h74 ,there was something about the ,philippians that captivated the heart of the apostle4 ,he loved them because they loved his ,master1 and because they sought to spread the ,gospel he preached4 ,love begets love1 and there is no power in uniting hearts like the love of ,christ4 ,the love of the apostle was manifested in a yearning desire for their advancement in personal godliness4 ,all real spiritual love1 says ,alford1 is but a portion of ,christ's love which yearns in all who are united to ,him4 ,christian love is not mere self-indulgence of a personal feeling2 its unselfishness is evident in seeking to advance the highest spiritual interests of the person loved4 ,it is something more than a refined and noble sentiment4 ,the finest feeling may be very superficial4 ,some friends were drinking tea one evening at the home of ,mr4 ,mackenzie1 the author of ,the ,man of ,feeling1 and waited for some time for his arrival4 ,at length he came in heated and excited1 and exclaimed3 ,what a glorious evening ,i have had6 ,they thought he spoke of the weather1 which was singularly beautiful2 but he went on to detail the intense enjoyment he had had in witnessing a cock-fight4 ,mrs4 ,mackenzie listened some time in silence2 then1 looking up in his face1 she remarked in her gentle voice1 ,oh1 ,harry1 ,harry1 your feeling is all on paper6 ,,iii4 ,strengthened by the assurance of increasing ,christian devotion4--,being confident of this very thing1 that ,he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #f74 ,even man1 fickle as he is1 does not begin work at random and without purpose2 some time or other he hopes to finish it4 ,but ,god1 who begins the work of the new spiritual creation in the soul1 is constantly striving to finish it1 until it shall be presented perfect at the day of ,christ4 ,the apostle had no doubt about the ,divine working1 and he rejoiced in the evidence he had that his converts were increasing in spiritual fervour and devotion4 ,faithfulness to ,god strengthens fidelity in every duty of life4 ,on board the flag-ship of a celebrated commander a complaint was made by the captain against a number of the crew for disturbing the ship's company by frequent noises4 ,the admiral ordered an inquiry to be made4 ,the accusation was that these men were ,methodists1 and that when their watch was below they were in the constant habit of reading the ,bible to each other aloud1 of frequently joining in social prayer and singing of psalms and hymns4 ,after the statement had been proved1 the admiral asked1 ,what is the general conduct of these men on deck--orderly or disobedient1 cleanly or the contrary8 ,always orderly1 obedient1 and cleanly1 was the reply4 ,when the watch is called1 do they linger1 or are they ready8 ,always ready at the first call4 ,you have seen these men in battle1 sir2 do they stand to their guns or shrink8 ,they are the most intrepid men in the ship1 my lord1 and will die at their post4 ,let them alone1 then1 was the decisive answer of this magnanimous commander2 if ,methodists are such men1 ,i wish that all my crew were ,methodists4 ,,iv4 ,expressed in thanksgiving and joyous prayer4--,i thank my ,god 4 4 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all1 making request with joy 7vers4 #c1 #d74 ,joy is the characteristic feature in this epistle1 as love is in that to the ,ephesians4 ,love and joy are the two firstfruits of the ,spirit4 ,joy gives especial animation to prayers4 ,it marked the apostle's high opinion of them1 that there was almost everything in them to give him joy1 and almost nothing to give him pain 7,fausset74 ,the labour of prayer is sure1 if persisted in1 to merge into the joy of prayer4 ,prayer is a blessing to others as well as to ourselves4 ,the father of ,sir ,philip ,sydney enjoined upon his son1 when he went to school1 never to neglect thoughtful prayer4 ,it was golden advice1 and doubtless his faithful obedience to the precept helped to make ,philip ,sydney the peerless flower of knighthood1 and the stainless man that he was--a man for whom1 months after his death1 every gentleman in ,england wore mourning4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christian excellence is a reflection of the character of ,christ4 #b4 ,christian excellence is acquired by praying and working4 #c4 ,genuine ,christianity is its own best eulogy4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #c4 ,happy ,memories4 ,i4 ,those that are prompted by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,those that recall the past joy of harvest4 ,,iii4 ,those that still link us in association with distant but kindred spirits4 ,,iv4 ,those that evoke perennial gratitude to ,god4 ,v4 ,those that enrich our own moral worth4--,lay ,preacher4 ,vers4 #d1 #e4 ,fellowship in the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,christian ministers have a claim to maintenance from the people4 ,,ii4 ,fellowship is making another a fellow-partaker of what belongs to us4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle ,paul while claiming his privilege was cautious in using it4 ,,iv4 ,the voluntary system has advantages1 but greater disadvantages4--,archbishop ,whately4 ,ver4 #d4 ,making request with joy4 ,pure ,joy-- ,i4 ,springs from ,divine communications4 ,,ii4 ,succeeds a previous sorrow4 ,,iii4 ,is superior to human surroundings4 ,,iv4 ,is sustained by answered prayer4--,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #e4 ,true ,gospel ,fellowship4 ,i4 ,lives which adorn it4 ,,ii4 ,hearts which beat for it4 ,,iii4 ,lips which testify for it4 ,,iv4 ,hands which work for it4 ,v4 ,gifts which extend it4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #f4 ,grounds of ,confidence in the ,believer's ,salvation4 ,i4 ,that the ,philippians persevered in the midst of great difficulties1 opposition1 and persecution4 ,,ii4 ,that their persevering fellowship in the ,gospel had been characterised by great purity and consistency of ,christian life4 ,,iii4 ,that they gave evidences of zeal for the propagation of religion and of liberality in contributing of their worldly substance to this end4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,this doctrine affords comfort and hope to struggling ,christians4 #b4 ,the grounds of assurance forbid presumptuous confidence and stimulate to watchfulness and effort4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,the ,perseverance of the ,saints4 ,i4 ,i shall adduce some of the principal arguments in support of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints4--#a4 ,the decree of election4 #b4 ,the merit of ,christ's sufferings and death4 #c4 ,the intercession of ,christ4 #d4 ,the promises of ,god4 #e4 ,the constitution of the covenant of grace4 #f4 ,the statements of ,scripture in regard to the constant indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit in all believers4 ,,ii4 ,i shall consider some of the most plausible objections which have been urged against this doctrine4--#a4 ,that some of the most eminent saints have fallen into very grievous sins4 ,they did not fall totally and finally4 #b4 ,that many who were long regarded as true ,christians do in point of fact finally apostatise4 ,they never were true ,christians4 #c4 ,that there are in ,scripture many earnest exhortations to watchfulness1 and many awful warnings against apostasy4 ,god works by means and motives4 #d4 ,that believers being assured of their ultimate recovery will be encouraged to sin4 ,the perseverance of the saints is perseverance in holiness4 7#a7 ,has a good work begun in you8 7#b7 ,if so1 remember that while the perseverance of the saints is promised as a privilege1 it is also enjoined as a duty4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-aa4 ,a ,prayer for ,christian ,love-- ,i4 ,that it may be regulated by knowledge and discretion4--,and this ,i pray1 that your love may abound 4 4 4 in knowledge and in all judgment 7ver4 #i74 #a4 ,so as to test what is best4--,that ye may approve things that are excellent 7ver4 #aj7--test things that differ4 ,two faculties of the mind are to be brought into exercise--knowledge1 the acquisitive faculty2 and judgment1 the perceptive faculty4 ,love is not a wild1 ignorant enthusiasm1 but the warm affection of a heart1 guided by extensive and accurate knowledge1 and by a clear1 spiritual perception4 ,from a number of good things we select and utilise the best4 #b4 ,so as to maintain a blameless life4--,that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of ,christ 7ver4 #aj74 ,be so transparent in heart and life as neither to give or take offence1 and when examined in the light of the day of ,christ to be adjudged blameless4 ,to live a useful and holy life we must both think and feel aright4 ,love will ever prompt us to the holiest conduct and to the best work4 ,i once asked a distinguished artist1 said ,boree1 what place he gave to labour in art4 ',labour is the beginning1 the middle1 and the end of art1' was the answer4 ,i turned to another and inquired1 ',what do you consider as the great force in art8' ',love1' was the reply4 ,in these two answers ,i found but one truth4 ,,ii4 ,that it may stimulate the growth of a high ,christian character4--#a4 ,a high ,christian character is the outcome of righteous principles4 ,being filled with the fruits--the fruit--of righteousness4 ,all ,christian virtues are from the one common root of the ,spirit4 ,it is ,he who plants them in the heart1 fosters their growth1 brings them to perfection1 and fills the soul with them as the trees are laden with ripened fruit4 ,the apostle prays for more love1 because love impels us to act righteously in all things1 even in the minor affairs of life4 ,just as the quality of life1 says ,maclaren1 may be as perfect in the minutest animalcul1 of which there may be millions in a cubic inch and generations may die in an hour--just as perfect in the smallest insect as in behemoth1 biggest born of earth1 so righteousness may be as completely embodied1 as perfectly set forth1 as fully operative in the tiniest action that ,i can do1 as in the largest that an immortal spirit can be set to perform4 ,the circle that is in a gnat's eye is as true as circle as the one that holds within its sweep all the stars1 and the sphere that a dewdrop makes is as perfect a sphere as that of the world4 ,all duties are the same which are done from the same motives2 all actions which are not so done are all alike sins4 #b4 ,a ,high ,christian character honours ,god4--,which are by ,jesus ,christ1 unto the glory and praise of ,god 7ver4 #aa74 ,the righteousness which exalts man honours ,god4 ,it is a practical manifestation of the grace communicated through ,jesus ,christ1 and adorns the doctrine which is according to godliness4 ,there are those who live soberly and righteously in this present world2 but what about their duty to ,god8 ,god is not in all their thoughts4 ,that there has been no acceptance into their lives of ,christ--without which acceptance ,god is a stranger to us and we strangers to ,god1 no consecration to ,christ1 no referring to ,his will1 no love to ,his person1 and no zeal for ,his glory--of all this they are perfectly aware4 ,and the thought of their heart is1 that the omission is of no great consequence1 and so long as they live soberly and righteously1 it matters little or nothing whether they do or do not live godly4 ,the power lacking is that for which the apostle prays--the power of love1 whole-hearted love to ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,that it may be enjoyed in ever-increasing measure4--,and this ,i pray1 that your love may abound yet more and more 7ver4 #i74 ,some time ago the public mind was filled with uneasiness in expectation of a high tide which was to visit our shores1 and which it was feared would work great mischief4 ,as the time drew near1 the anxiety increased4 ,at length the tide flowed in1 rose to its highest point1 and then retired1 bearing with it the fears that had agitated the public mind4 ,why this alarm8 ,because all know the unmanageable1 destructive power of water1 when it once bursts its bounds4 ,love1 unlike water1 the more it abounds and overflows the greater the benefits it bestows4 ,there is no fear that we shall love ,god too much2 it is our shame and loss that we love ,him so little4 ,love chafes against all limitations4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,love is the essence of ,christianity4 #b4 ,love should govern every part of the ,christian life4 #c4 ,love may be augmented by earnest prayer4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,the ,apostle's ,prayer for ,abounding ,love-- ,i4 ,in its application to the affections4--,that your love may abound yet more and more 7ver4 #i74 #a4 ,love to ,god4--7#a7 ,because of the supreme excellence of ,his character4 7#b7 ,because of ,his generous interposition in the work of human redemption4 7#c7 ,because of the benefits ,he is constantly bestowing4 #b4 ,love to one another4--,love promotes brotherly unity--oneness of feeling1 of aim1 of effort4 ,unity promotes strength4 ,to strength in its combined action victory is given4 #c4 ,love to the unsaved4--,the law of ,moses insisted1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour2 to which the ,pharisees made this addition1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour1 and hate thine enemy4 ,christ interprets the law of love in the command1 ,i say unto you1 ,love your enemies4 ,,ii4 ,in its application to the intellect4--,in knowledge and in all judgment2 that ye may approve things that are excellent 7vers4 #i1 #aj74 ,knowledge1 the faculty to acquire information2 judgment1 the faculty to discern its value and use2 the one leads to the sources of truth and appropriates its stores1 the other selects and uses what is acquired4 ,these two faculties necessary--#a4 ,in judging revealed truth4 #b4 ,in judging ,christian experience4 #c4 ,in selecting what is best in all truths4 ,,iii4 ,in its application to the conduct4--,that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of ,christ 7ver4 #aj74 #a4 ,an inward state4--,sincerity1 transparency of character4 #b4 ,an outward walk4--,inoffensiveness of conduct4 ,not designedly giving offence2 sacrificing everything but principle rather than grieve or mislead a weak brother4 #c4 ,perseverance in an upright life4--,till the day of ,christ4 ,this is the scorner's day2 the good are hated and despised2 but the day of ,christ is coming1 and will rectify all wrongs4 ,a day of blessing and honour to the good1 of confusion and punishment to the wicked2 of approval to the one1 of condemnation to the other4 ,ver4 #i4 ,and this ,i pray4 ,definiteness in ,prayer-- ,i4 ,implies a deep consciousness of an intelligently apprehended need4 ,,ii4 ,becoming1 when an intelligent being addresses the ,divine ,intelligence4 ,,iii4 ,essential from the very nature of prayer4 ,,iv4 ,affords a fixed ground from the exercise of faith4 ,v4 ,emboldens supplication4 ,,vi4 ,inspires hope of a definite response4--,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,that ye may approve things that are excellent4 ,spiritual ,discrimination-- ,i4 ,demands the exercise of the most intelligent and sensitive charity4 ,,ii4 ,commands a wide field of effort--the bad1 the good1 the better1 the best--in character1 life1 doctrine1 practice1 enjoyment1 attainment4 ,,iii4 ,implies the admission and use of a noble liberty of thought1 judgment1 and action4 ,,iv4 ,involves a weighty and far-reaching responsibility4 ,v4 ,is essential to a pure and blameless life4--,ibid4 ,that ye may be sincere4 ,the ,value of ,sincerity in ,youth4 ,there is a false sincerity which is a compound of ignorance and obstinacy4 ,the heathen may be devout and sincere in his idolatry1 but he is a heathen still4 ,the ,mahometan may be devout and sincere in his worship of the one ,god1 but he rejects the ,christ who is the source and substance of all true religion4 ,the sceptic may be devout and earnest in his investigation of the facts of the universe2 but he ignores the great moral truths on which he stumbles in the course of his inquiries1 and refuses to accept and be influenced by them4 ,there is no craze of the wildest fanatic that may not be adopted as an article of faith1 if apparent sincerity is to be the test of its genuineness4 ,the fact is1 a man may be sincere1 but grossly mistaken4 ,a sincere heart is that through which the light of ,god shines1 unimpeded by duplicity and sin1 and is a condition of heart obtained only by living much in the presence and light of ,god4 ,i4 ,be sincere in the search after truth4--,truth must be sought for its own sake1 and is revealed only to the humble and sincere seeker4 ,it is of supreme importance to you to find the truth4 ,truth has but one direction and one goal--it terminates in the radiant presence of a living personality4 ,when you come into the presence of truth1 you come into the presence of ,god4 ,truth has a living embodiment in ,christ ,jesus4 ,if you desire a solution of the perplexing riddles of life1 if you would understand the principles on which ,god governs the universe1 if you wish to dissipate the doubts that becloud and harass the mind1 if you desire rest and peace of conscience1 and to obtain strength and inspiration to live a happy1 useful1 and noble life--then seek the truth as it is in ,jesus2 and if you are really sincere1 you shall not seek in vain4 ,,ii4 ,be sincere in your social intercourse with one another4--#a4 ,in your friendships4 #b4 ,in your promises4 ,,iii4 ,be sincere in the service of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,be sincere in the cultivation of your own personal piety4 ,christian ,rectitude-- ,i4 ,consists in internal sincerity4--#a4 ,this involves a concentratedness of heart upon one object4 #b4 ,a thoroughness of life's uniformity to that one object4 #c4 ,an unostentatious but manifest integrity4 #d4 ,the completeness of that manifestation should be proportionate to the brightness of the testing light4 ,,ii4 ,consists in external blamelessness4--#a4 ,without being found guilty of offence4 #b4 ,without giving offence4 #c4 ,without taking offence4 ,,iii4 ,consists in a present state of life1 with a glorious future destination4--,that ye may be without offence till the day of ,christ4 #a4 ,then life shall be judged4 #b4 ,life shall be made manifest4 #c4 ,rectitude of life shall be approved4 #d4 ,rectitude of life shall be rewarded4--,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,fruits of ,righteousness4 ,i4 ,the nature of righteousness4--#a4 ,sometimes the term refers to the ,divine ,being1 and signifies the purity of ,his nature and the perfection of ,his works4 #b4 ,here it signifies personal holiness4 ,,ii4 ,the fruits of righteousness4--#a4 ,christian righteousness is productive of gracious fruits4 ,these fruits are internal in the heart1 and external in the life4 #b4 ,the fruits of righteousness are abundant and progressive4--,being filled with the fruits4 ,,iii4 ,the ,author of righteousness4--,which are by ,jesus ,christ4 #a4 ,righteousness is purchased by ,christ as our ,redeemer4 #b4 ,is derived from ,him as our ,saviour4 ,,iv4 ,the results of righteousness4--,unto the glory and praise of ,god4 #a4 ,righteousness is to the glory and praise of ,god in the scheme of redemption4 #b4 ,in the subjects of redemption4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,this subject should stimulate our desires4 #b4 ,promote our devotion4 #c4 ,inspire us with praise4--,theological ,sketch ,book4 ,spiritual ,attainment4 ,i4 ,righteousness of heart precedes righteousness of life4 ,,ii4 ,righteousness of heart is self-disseminating4--#a4 ,its fruit is living4 #b4 ,of harmonious unity4 #c4 ,luxuriant4 ,,iii4 ,righteousness of heart is the only thing that can fill the capacities of man4 ,,iv4 ,fulness of righteousness is all ,divine4--#a4 ,in its source4 #b4 ,in its medium of communication4 ,by ,jesus ,christ4 #c4 ,in its end4 ,unto the glory and praise of ,god4 ,glory before men3 praise among men4--,lay ,preacher4 ,divine ,culture4 ,i4 ,the field4--,the loving heart4 ,,ii4 ,the seed4--,righteousness4 ,,iii4 ,the fruit4--,abundant4 ,,iv4 ,the ,husbandman4--,jesus ,christ4 ,v4 ,the end4--,the glory and praise of ,god4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-ah4 ,the ,gospel ,irrepressible-- ,i4 ,notwithstanding the circumscribed opportunities of its agents4--#a4 ,their sufferings for the ,gospel call attention to its claims4 ,the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather into the furtherance of the gospel2 so that my bonds in ,christ are manifest in all the palace1 and in all other places 7vers4 #ab1 #ac74 ,it might seem to the ,philippians that the imprisonment of ,paul would be unfavourable to the ,gospel and prevent its spread4 ,he shows there was no ground for that fear2 but that the ,gospel was becoming known in quarters which1 but for his imprisonment1 it was not likely to gain access4 ,the palace referred to was the prtorium1 or barrack of the prtorian guards attached to the palace of ,nero on the ,palatine ,hill in ,rome4 ,the regular changes of guards was constantly furnishing new auditors for the irrepressible preacher1 and he did not fail to zealously improve his opportunities4 ,thus the ,gospel1 which the malice and bigotry of the ,jews sought to suppress1 found its way into ,csar's household1 and ultimately captured the ,roman empire for ,christ4 ,the persecutions of the ,gospel have been the best helpers of its success4 #b4 ,their sufferings for the ,gospel stimulate the zeal of its propagators4--,many of the brethren1 4 4 4 waxing confident by my bonds1 are much more bold to speak the word without fear 7ver4 #ad74 ,the fortitude of the apostle in suffering1 and his unwearied efforts to preach the ,gospel1 increased the courage of his fellow-helpers in the same good work4 ,the sufferings of the ,gospel pioneers contributed to the spread and triumph of the truth4 ,the blood of ,scotland's proto-martyr1 the noble ,patrick ,hamilton1 and the memory of his dying prayer1 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1 shall darkness cover this realm8 fomented the young ,reformation life over a comparatively silent germinating period of more than twenty years4 ,knox1 and with him ,scotland1 kindled at the pile of ,george ,wishart4 ,andrew ,melville caught the falling mantle of ,knox4 ,when ,richard ,cameron fell at ,aird's ,moss--as if in answer to his own prayers as the action began1 ,lord1 spare the green and take the ripe6--all the more strenuously strove ,cargill1 till he too1 in the following year1 sealed the truth with his blood4 ,and more followed1 and yet more1 through that last and worst decade of the pitiless storm known as1 by emphasis1 the killing time4 ,through those terrible years ,peden dragged out a living death1 and as he thought of ,cameron1 now at rest1 often exclaimed1 ,oh to be with ,ritchie6 ,young ,renwick too caught up the torn flag1 nobly saying1 ,they are but standard-bearers who have fallen2 the ,master lives4 ,thus one after another on blood-stained scaffold1 or on blood-soaked field1 fell the precious seed-grain1 to rise in harvests manifold1 till just at the darkest hour before the dawn of ,renwick's martyrdom closed the red roll in #afhh--the year of the revolution--and the seed so long sown in tears was reaped in joy4 ,,ii4 ,it is preached from a variety of motives4--#a4 ,some preach the ,gospel from the love of controversy4 ,some indeed preach ,christ of envy and strife 4 4 4 of contention1 not sincerely1 supposing to add affliction to my bonds 7vers4 #ae1 #af74 ,the ,judaising teachers1 taking advantage of the absence of the apostle1 sought to propagate their erroneous theories of the ,gospel1 and to annoy the apostle by depreciating his authority and his preaching4 ,they aimed not so much at winning souls for ,christ1 as at exalting themselves1 and gaining credence to their corrupt opinions4 ,they argued that ,jesus of ,nazareth was the ,king of ,israel1 hoping thereby to exasperate the ,roman government against ,paul1 who preached the same truth1 though in a different sense1 and to cause increased pain to the apostle by insisting upon the obligation of obedience to the law in order to salvation4 ,yet in opposing the ,gospel they stated some of its leading truths1 if only to refute them4 ,controversy is often a waste of strength4 ,they are small1 insignificant beings who quarrel oftenest4 ,there's a magnificent breed of cattle in the ,vale of ,clwyd1 the most beautiful vale in ,wales4 ,they have scarcely any horns but abundance of meat2 yet if you ascend the hills on every side1 there on the heights you find a breed which grows scarcely anything but horns1 and from morning to night all you hear is the constant din of clashing weapons4 ,so there are many ,christians who live on the heights1 the cold and barren heights of controversy4 ,everything they eat grows into horns1 the strength of which they are constantly testing4 #b4 ,some preach the ,gospel from the highest regard for its lofty message4--,some also of goodwill 4 4 4 of love1 knowing that ,i am set appointed of ,god for the defence of the gospel 7vers4 #ae1 #ag74 ,an intense love of the ,gospel and of the ,christ of the ,gospel is the best preparation for preaching it4 ,preaching to be effectual must be various as nature4 ,the sun warms at the same moment that it enlightens2 and unless religious truth be addressed at once to the reason and to the affections1 unless it kindles while it guides1 it is a useless splendour1 it leaves the heart barren1 it produces no fruits of godliness4 ,preaching should help us to a higher life4 ,a man once heard an affecting sermon1 and while highly commending it was asked what he remembered of it4 ,truly1 he replied1 ,i remember nothing at all2 but it made me resolve to live better1 and by ,god's grace ,i will4 ,,iii4 ,the propagation of the ,gospel by any means is matter of fervent joy4--,what then8 notwithstanding1 4 4 4 ,christ is preached2 and ,i therein do rejoice1 yea1 and will rejoice 7ver4 #ah74 ,the false teachers gloated over ,paul's misfortune1 and thought to trouble him by their way of presenting the ,gospel4 ,but the proclamation of ,christ1 however done1 roused attention1 and could not but be of service4 ,the apostle rejoiced in the good result of their bad intentions4 ,the success of the ,gospel in any place and by any means1 when that success is real1 is always a cause of rejoicing to the good4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel has a message for all classes4 #b4 ,its faithful proclamation involves difficulty and suffering4 #c4 ,its interests are often promoted from mixed motives4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ab-ad4 ,christian ,boldness4 ,i4 ,distinguish ,christian boldness from its counterfeits1 and set forth some of its leading attributes4--,there is a false and hurtful boldness arising from--#a4 ,ignorance4 #b4 ,a bad judgment4 #c4 ,native rashness4 #d4 ,the pride of courage which scorns to fear the face of man4 #e4 ,mere natural resolution4 #f4 ,a wilful obstinacy4 #g4 ,a domineering spirit4 ,the boldness which ,god approves must be chiefly drawn from other sources and possess higher and more ethereal attributes4 #a4 ,it must be bottomed on holy love--love to ,god and love to man4 #b4 ,it must be humble4 #c4 ,must be delicate and regardful of all the rules of decorum4 #d4 ,must be wise1 discreet1 and prudent4 #e4 ,must be faithful4 #f4 ,must be grounded not merely on self-denial and submission to the will of ,god1 but on humble confidence in ,him4 ,,ii4 ,some motives to rouse us to this holy and elevated frame and to a corresponding course of conduct4--#a4 ,this ,christian heroism is absolutely necessary to clear up the evidences of our own piety4 #b4 ,without rising up to this heroic and active zeal we cannot be faithful to ,god and our generation4 #c4 ,estimate the importance of this duty by considering what would be the effect if all professing ,christians were thus intrepid and faithful4 #d4 ,in many instances fear is altogether groundless1 and is the mere suggestion of indolence4 #e4 ,for want of faithful admonition and entreaty many may have perished4--,e4 ,d4 ,griffin4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,development of ,events in a ,consecrated ,life-- ,i4 ,is the work of an over-ruling ,providence4 ,,ii4 ,produces startling results1 disappointing alike to the hopes of the enemy and the fears of friends4 ,,iii4 ,whatever may be its starting-point attains its end in the furtherance of the ,gospel4 ,,iv4 ,illustrates how moral principles when tried in suffering become mightier forces in the world's evangelisation4 ,v4 ,a pledge that fellowship of suffering with ,christ shall be followed by a fellowship of glory4--,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,moral ,influence4 ,i4 ,paul's moral influence exerted a mighty power under the most disadvantageous circumstances--in bonds4 ,,ii4 ,with a very limited opportunity--one soldier daily4 ,,iii4 ,upon a class of mind and heart not easily impressed--the guard which had charge of him4 ,,iv4 ,throughout the city--notwithstanding the restraints of his own hired house4 ,v4 ,reaching the further field by first fully cultivating the one at hand4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,ministry of ,paul's ,bonds4 ,i4 ,it was loyal to his ,roman citizenship 7,acts xxvi4 #ca1 #cb74 ,,ii4 ,christ-like1 it was silent amid provocation1 self-sacrificing1 persuasive4 ,,iii4 ,it was fruitful in the furtherance of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,by preaching it under the shadow of ,nero's palace4 #b4 ,by intensifying the love of it and zeal for it in the hearts of the brethren4 ,,iv4 ,it illustrates how ,christ can erect a pulpit for ,himself in the very camp of the enemy1 and put a voice for ,his glory even into chains4--,lay ,preacher4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,a ,spurious ,ministry4 ,i4 ,the elements formative of it4--#a4 ,an imperfect apprehension of ,christ's mission4 #b4 ,a total absence of ,christ's spirit4 #c4 ,thought and sympathy narrowed by early prejudice and preconceived ideas4 #d4 ,christ made subservient to the doctrines1 ritual1 and history of a system4 ,,ii4 ,the results inseparable from it4--#a4 ,the cross degraded into a rallying point for party strife4 #b4 ,the basest spirit indulged under the pretence of fulfilling a sacred office4 7#a7 ,envy--displeasure at another's good4 7#b7 ,strife--selfish rivalry which seeks to gain the good belonging to another4 #c4 ,christ preached merely to advance a party4 #d4 ,zeal for propagating a creed greater than to save a lost world4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,germ of a ,spurious ,ministry-- ,i4 ,may exist in those who zealously preach ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,consists in a moral contradiction between the heart of the preacher and the theme of his discourse--contentiousness and ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,produces impurity of motive in ,christian work--not sincerely4 ,,iv4 ,biases the judgment to expect results which are never realised--supposing4 ,v4 ,inspires aims which are un-,christian--to add affliction to my bonds4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the ,real and the ,counterfeit in the ,christian ,ministry4 ,i4 ,they correspond4--#a4 ,both adopt the ,christian name4 #b4 ,both utter the same shibboleth4 #c4 ,both active in preaching ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,they differ4--#a4 ,in heart4 ,contention rules the one2 love reigns in the other4 #b4 ,in spirit4--,envy and strife moves the one2 goodwill actuates the other4 #c4 ,in source of strength4--,love of party animates the one2 waxing confident in the ,lord emboldens the other4 #d4 ,in aim4--,that of the one is to advance1 it may be1 a lifeless ,church2 that of the other to propel the ,gospel of ,christ4 #e4 ,in the depth and accuracy of conviction4--,the one supposing to add affliction to my bonds2 the other knowing that ,i am set for the defence of the gospel4--,lay ,preacher4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-bf4 ,the ,noble ,attitude of a ,sufferer for the ,truth4 ,i4 ,the hostility of false brethren tends to the enlargement of the truth1 whatever may be the fate of the sufferer4--#a4 ,he is assured of personal blessing from the ,spirit through prayer4 ,for ,i know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the ,spirit of ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ai74 ,the apostle already sees how his troubles and suffering may develop his own spiritual life and be a pathway to the glories of heaven4 ,by the prayers of ,god's people he looks for an abundant supply of the ,spirit1 by whose agency his salvation will be perfected4 ,the enemies of the good man cannot rob him of his interest in ,christ1 and suffering only adds new lustre to every ,christian grace4 ,the ,port ,royalist exclaimed1 ,let us labour and suffer2 we have all eternity to rest in4 ,paul1 who1 fighting with wild beasts1 was a spectacle to angels and men1 could reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us4 #b4 ,the greatness of ,christ is set forth by the courage given to the sufferer1 though uncertain of what awaits him4--,according to my earnest expectation and my hope1 that in nothing ,i shall be ashamed1 but 4 4 4 ,christ shall be magnified in my body1 whether it be by life1 or by death 7ver4 #bj74 ,with the earnest expectation and hope of future glory1 the apostle had no need to be ashamed of his work for ,god or of ,god's work in him2 but he regarded his sufferings1 not as a setting forth of his own goodness1 but of the glory of ,jesus1 who gave him strength and fortitude to endure4 ,it is in tribulation that the grace of ,christ is most conspicuous4 ,the ,redeemer was perfected through suffering2 so are ,his followers4 ,,ii4 ,the alternative of life or death presents a problem the sufferer is unable to solve4--,what ,i shall choose ,i wot not4 ,for ,i am in a strait betwixt two 7vers4 #bb1 #bc74 #a4 ,life has great attractions4--7#a7 ,christ may be further exalted4 ,for to me to live is ,christ 7ver4 #ba74 ,life is an opportunity for setting forth ,christ1 and this is done by carefully copying ,his example4 ,as ,i stood beside one of the wonderful ,aubusson tapestries1 says ,eugene ,stock1 ,i said to the gentleman in charge1 ',how is this done8' ,he showed me a small loom with a partly finished web upon it1 and said that the weaver stands behind his work1 with his materials by his side1 and above him the picture he is to copy1 exactly thread for thread and colour for colour4 ,he cannot vary a thread or a shade without marring his picture4 ,it is a glorious thing for us to have a perfect life for example by which to form our lives4 ,and we cannot vary a hair-breadth from that example without injuring our lives4 7#b7 ,more results of ,christian work may be gathered4 ,but if ,i live in the flesh1 this is the fruit of my labour 7ver4 #bb74 ,the best use of life is to employ it in working for ,god4 ,work done for ,him will remain when the worker is forgotten4 ,in ministerial work we may garner the most precious fruits4 7#c7 ,help may be afforded to others4 ,nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you 7ver4 #bd74 ,paul was the pioneer and founder of ,christianity among the ,gentiles1 and the young ,churches looked to him for leadership and counsel4 ,it seemed every way desirable that for their sakes his life should be continued4 ,no one felt this more keenly than himself1 though he was assured that if that life was prematurely terminated the cause of the ,gospel was safe in the hands of ,god4 #b4 ,death admits to superior advantages4--,to die is gain 7ver4 #ba74 ,even by his death ,christ would be glorified1 and the apostle admitted not to shame or loss1 as his enemies supposed1 but to a state of blessed reward4 ,sorrow vanquished1 labour ended1 ,jordan past4 ,why should ,i fear death8 said ,sir ,henry ,vane1 as he awaited his execution2 ,i find it rather shrinks from me than ,i from it4 ,death wounds to heal2 ,i sink1 ,i rise1 ,i reign2 ,spring from my fetters1 fasten in the skies1 ,where blooming ,eden withers in my sight1 ,death gives us more than we in ,eden lost4--,young4 ,,iii4 ,the undaunted sufferer is confident of continued opportunities of advancing the joy of believers in the truth4--,and having this confidence1 ,i know that ,i shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith1 that your rejoicing may be more abundant 7vers4 #be1 #bf74 ,this assurance was verified by the apostle's return to ,philippi on his release from his first captivity4 ,man is immortal till his work is done4 ,life is short1 and every moment of its duration should be spent for ,god and the good of others4 ,shall we repine at our trials which are but for a moment8 ,we are nearing home day by day1 wrote ,general ,gordon4 ,no dark river1 but divided waters are before us1 and then let the world take its portion4 ,dust it is1 and dust we will leave it4 ,it is a long1 weary journey1 but we are well on the way of it4 ,the yearly milestones quickly slip by1 and as our days so will our strength be4 ,the sand is flowing out of the glass1 day and night1 night and day2 shake it not4 ,you have a work to do here1 to suffer even as ,christ suffered4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the highest virtues are not gained without suffering4 #b4 ,suffering for the truth strengthens our attachment to it4 #c4 ,suffering for the truth is often a means of spreading it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,christ the ,christian's ,life4 ,i4 ,christ was the recognised ,source of the apostle's life4 ,,ii4 ,christ was the supreme ,object of the apostle's contemplation4 ,,iii4 ,the glory of ,christ was the great end of the apostle's endeavours4--,h4 ,simon4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,the ,christian's ,life and ,death4 ,i4 ,the ,christian's life4--#a4 ,it is a life in ,christ4 7#a7 ,begun in regeneration4 7#b7 ,realised by faith4 7#c7 ,sustained and increased by ,divine knowledge4 #b4 ,it is a life for ,christ4--7#a7 ,the example of ,christ is its model4 7#b7 ,the will of ,christ is its laws4 7#c7 ,the glory of ,christ is its end4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian's death4--#a4 ,the ,christian's death is a gain by being deprived of something4 7#a7 ,deprived of the sinful body4 7#b7 ,freed from temptation4 7#c7 ,from his enemies4 7#d7 ,from suffering4 7#e7 ,from death4 #b4 ,the ,christian's death is a gain by acquiring something4--7#a7 ,accelerated liberty to worship ,god4 7#b7 ,the ultimate addition of the glorified body with its exalted form and powers4 7#c7 ,the blessed reunion and fellowship with departed friends4 7#d7 ,the presence and companionship of ,christ for ever4 ,christian ,life and ,death4 ,i4 ,the apostle's language exhibits the proper scope and character of all truly ,christian life4--,the end and substance of the ,christian life is ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,what ,christian death is and how it ought to be regarded4--,death is not simply altered life4 ,it is life elevated and ennobled4 ,it is gain compared with life in the flesh4 ,death raises the saint to be with ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the text puts ,christian life and death before us regarded as an alternative4--,whether life be more or less desirable1 less or more desired1 it should be spent under the strong and penetrating assurance that to die is gain4 ,be death ever so desirable1 it is our own fault if the happiness of life does not more than counterbalance the trial of it4--,j4 ,d4 ,geden4 ,for me to live is ,christ4 ,enthusiasm for ,christ4 ,i4 ,enthusiasm for ,christ in the home-life4 ,the highest duties oft are found ,lying upon the lowest ground2 ,in hidden and unnoticed ways1 ,in household work on common days1 ,whate'er is done for ,god alone ,thy ,god acceptable will own4 ,,ii4 ,enthusiasm for ,christ in public life4 ,trust no future1 howe'er pleasant1 ,let the dead past bury its dead2 ,act1 act in the living present1 ,heart within and ,god o'erhead4 ,,iii4 ,enthusiasm for ,christ in ,church-life4 ,come1 labour on1 ,no time for rest till glows the western sky1 ,while the long shadows o'er our pathway lie1 ,and a glad sound comes with the setting sun1 ,servants1 well done6 --,j4 ,m4 ,forson4 ,the ,christian's estimate of living and dying4 ,i4 ,the ,christian's estimate of living should be a life in ,christ4--#a4 ,a life of which ,christ is the ,source4 #b4 ,a life of which ,christ is the ,sustainer4 #c4 ,a life of which ,christ is the ,sphere4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian's estimate of living should be a life for ,christ4--#a4 ,a life spent in labouring for ,him alone4 #b4 ,a life of continued suffering for ,him4 #c4 ,a life of daring everything for ,him4 ,,iii4 ,the ,christian's estimate of dying should be that it is gain4--#a4 ,because death leads to closer and more uninterrupted union with ,christ4 #b4 ,because death lands the true believer in absolute security4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,in some sense the utterance of the apostle is true of every ,christian4 #b4 ,in its full sense it is only true of preeminent ,christians4 #c4 ,the more it is true of any1 the happier and more useful ,christians they are4--,homiletic ,quarterly4 ,the ,believer's ,portion in both ,worlds4 ,i4 ,the believer's life4--#a4 ,is originated by ,christ4 #b4 ,is sustained by ,christ4 #c4 ,is spent to the glory of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,the believer's end4--#a4 ,the gain of sorrows escaped4 #b4 ,the gain of joys secured4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,improve life4 #b4 ,prepare for death4--,c4 ,clayton1 ,m4,a4 ,vers4 #bc1 #bd4 ,willing to wait1 but ready to go4 ,i4 ,the two desires4--#a4 ,to depart and be with ,christ4 7#a7 ,the exodus from this life by dissolution of the body--to depart4 7#b7 ,christ's presence the immediate portion of ,his people1 when their life on earth is done--to be with ,christ4 #b4 ,to abide in the flesh4--,it is a natural and lawful desire4 ,the love of life--it is not necessary1 it is not lawful to destroy it4 ,let it alone to the last4 ,the way to deal with it is not to tear it violently out1 so as to have1 or say that you have1 no desire to remain2 but to get1 through the grace of the ,spirit1 such a blessed hope of ,christ's presence as will gradually balance and at last overbalance the love of life1 and make it at the appointed time come easily and gently away4 ,,ii4 ,a ,christian balanced evenly between these two desires4--,i am in a strait betwixt two4 ,the desire to be with ,christ does not make life unhappy1 because it is balanced by the pleasure of working for ,christ in the world2 the desire to work for ,christ in the world does not make the approach of dissolution painful1 because it is balanced by the expectation of being soon1 of being ever with the ,lord4 ,,iii4 ,practical ,lessons4--#a4 ,this one text is sufficient to destroy the whole fabric of ,romish prayer to departed saints4 #b4 ,the chief use of a ,christian in the world is to do good4 #c4 ,you cannot be effectively useful to those who are in need on earth unless you hold by faith and hope to ,christ on high4 #d4 ,living hope of going to be with ,christ is the only anodyne which has power to neutralise the pain of parting with those dear to us4--,w4 ,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bg-cj4 ,exhortation to ,christian ,bravery4 ,i4 ,to act as becometh ,christian citizens4--,only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of ,christ 7ver4 #bg74 ,whether the apostle is able to visit them again or not1 he exhorts the ,philippians to attend diligently to present duties1 and act in all things with the dignity and fidelity becoming members of the heavenly commonwealth4 ,the ,christian finding himself living for a time in this world as in a dark place1 where other gods are worshipped1 where men sell themselves for gain1 where he is tempted to do as others do1 and is asked to coquette with the world1 to mind earthly things1 should at once take his stand and say3 ,i cannot2 ,i am a citizen of heaven1 my affections are set on things above2 ,i cannot come down to your level1 ,i have come out from the world and may not touch the unclean thing2 ,i have formed other tastes1 have other pleasures2 other rules regulate my conduct2 ,i cannot live as you live1 nor do as you do4 #a4 ,be united in spiritual steadfastness4--,that ye stand fast in one spirit 7ver4 #bg74 ,the ,spirit inspires the highest courage1 and helps all who partake of ,his influence to stand fast in their integrity4 ,for ,god hath given us not the spirit of fear1 but of power and of love and of a sound mind4 #b4 ,earnestly and unitedly maintain the faith4--,with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel 7ver4 #bg74 ,with one soul1 penetrated by the same ,spirit1 unitedly strive to maintain the ,gospel in its purity1 as it was committed unto them4 ,every true believer should be a valiant champion for the truth4 ,men who have no settled faith are like those birds that frequent the ,golden ,horn1 and are to be seen from ,constantinople1 of which it is said they are always on the wing and never rest4 ,no one ever saw them alight on the water or on the land2 they are for ever poised in mid-air4 ,the natives call them lost souls1 seeking rest and finding none4 ,to lose our hold of the ,gospel is to be doomed to unrest and misery4 ,to attempt to stand alone is to court defeat4 ,union is strength4 #c4 ,remember the interest of your religious teachers in your endeavours4--,that whether ,i come and see you1 or else be absent1 ,i may hear of your affairs 7ver4 #bg74 ,that anxious minister is ever deeply concerned in the welfare of his people4 ,he rejoices in their faithfulness and progress2 he mourns over their laxity and defeat2 he encourages them in their labours and struggles in the spread of the truth4 ,our defection from the ,gospel is not only a loss to ourselves1 but a disappointment and sorrow to others4 ,,ii4 ,to act with fearlessness in the midst of oppression4--,and in nothing terrified by your adversaries 7ver4 #bh74 ,opposition should nerve to more resolute resistance4 ,the enemies of the good are the enemies of ,god1 and the good man1 with ,god on his side1 need not fear either their numbers or their ferocity4 ,one of their ancient kings said1 ,the ,lacedmonians seldom inquire the number of their enemies1 but the place where they could be found4 ,when a certain captain rushed in haste to his general and said1 ,the enemy is coming in such vast numbers1 it will be useless to resist1 the general replied1 ,our duty is not to count our enemies1 but to conquer them4 ,and conquer them they did4 #a4 ,this fearlessness a proof of the inevitable punishment of their opponents4--,which is to them an evident token of perdition 7ver4 #bh74 ,in contending hopelessly against you they are only rushing on to their own destruction4 ,your bravery in the contest1 and their own consciousness of the weakness of their own cause1 will strike terror into their hearts1 so that they will be easily routed4 #b4 ,this fearlessness a proof of the salvation of the steadfast4--,but to you of salvation1 and that of ,god 7ver4 #bh74 ,god who gives courage to the steadfast and helps them in the conflict1 ensures to them the victory4 ,we are not saved because we are brave for ,god and truth1 but the courageous soul will not fail of salvation4 ,,iii4 ,to accept suffering for the truth as a privilege and a discipline4--#a4 ,it is suffering for ,christ4 ,for unto you it is given in the behalf of ,christ1 not only to believe on ,him1 but also to suffer for ,his sake 7ver4 #bi74 ,suffering is no evidence of the ,divine displeasure1 but is often a signal proof of the ,divine regard4 ,there is no virtue in the mere endurance of suffering1 but in the ,christ-like spirit with which it is borne4 ,there lived in a village near ,burnley a girl who was persecuted in her own home because she was a ,christian4 ,she struggled on bravely1 seeking strength from ,god1 and rejoicing that she was a partaker of ,christ's sufferings4 ,the struggle was too much for her2 but ,he willed it so1 and at length her sufferings were ended4 ,when they came to take off the clothes from her poor dead body1 they found a piece of paper sewn inside her dress1 and on it was written1 ,he opened not ,his mouth4 #b4 ,it is suffering which the best of men have endured4--,having the same conflict which ye saw in me1 and now hear to be in me 7ver4 #cj74 ,suffering for the truth links us with ,paul and his contemporaries1 and with the noble army of martyrs in all ages4 ,christ has taught us how to suffer1 and for ,his sake we can bear pain and calumny without complaining and without retaliation4 ,mrs4 ,sherwood relates that1 pained at seeing ,henry ,martyn completely prostrate by his tormentor1 ,sabat1 the apostate1 she exclaimed1 ,why subject yourself to all this8 ,rid yourself of this ,sabat at once4 ,he replied1 ,not if his spirit was ten times more acrimonious and exasperating4 ,then smiling in his gentle1 winning manner1 he pointed upwards and whispered in low and earnest tones1 ,for ,him6 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian spirit inspires loftiest heroism4 #b4 ,to strive to be good excites the opposition of the wicked4 #c4 ,one true ,christian hero is an encouragement to many4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bg4 ,christian ,consistency4 ,i4 ,the apostle pleaded for a consistent ,christian ,church4--#a4 ,the ,christian life must be characterised by truthfulness4 #b4 ,by love4 #c4 ,by purity4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle pleaded for a united ,christian ,church4--#a4 ,this union was necessary to resist their common adversaries4 #b4 ,to develop their ,christian graces4 #c4 ,to establish the true faith4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle pleaded for a zealous ,christian ,church4--#a4 ,this zeal demanded for a noble object4 ,the faith of the gospel4 #b4 ,to be exercised in a commendable manner4 ,striving together4--,j4 ,t4 ,woodhouse4 ,evangelical ,consistency4 ,i4 ,what that conduct is which becomes the ,gospel4--#a4 ,it must be the genuine result of ,gospel dispositions4 #b4 ,it must be maintained under the influence of ,gospel principles and in the use of ,gospel ordinances4 #c4 ,it must resemble ,gospel patterns4 #d4 ,it must be conformable to ,gospel precepts4 ,,ii4 ,what obligations are we under to maintain this conduct4--#a4 ,god requires us to conduct ourselves according to the ,gospel4 #b4 ,consistency requires it4 #c4 ,our personal comfort requires it4 #d4 ,our connection with society requires it4 #e4 ,our final salvation requires it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,how excellent is the ,christian religion4 #b4 ,how illiberal and unreasonable is the conduct of those who censure ,christianity on account of the unworthy actions of its inconsistent professors4--,r4 ,treffry4 ,the ,effects of the ,gospel upon those who receive it4 ,i4 ,illustrate the exhortation of the apostle4--#a4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ is a system which assumes and proceeds upon the invaluable value of the soul4 #b4 ,which assumes and depicts the danger and guilt of the soul1 and provides a plan for its immediate restoration to the ,divine favour4 #c4 ,is a system of peculiar and authoritative truth4 #d4 ,is a system of godliness4 #e4 ,of morals4 #f4 ,of universal charity4 ,,ii4 ,the sources of the apostle's anxiety4--#a4 ,he desired the ,philippians thus to act from a regard of the honour of the ,gospel and its ,author4 #b4 ,out of a regard for the ,philippians themselves4 #c4 ,from a regard to the ,gentiles4 #d4 ,from a regard to himself1 his own peace and his own joy4--,t4 ,binney4 ,vers4 #bh1 #bi4 ,conflict and ,suffering4--#a4 ,faith in ,christ must go before suffering for ,christ1 so that to suffer for ,him is of greater importance1 and in some respects more honourable1 than simply to believe in ,him4 #b4 ,then are sufferings truly ,christian and an evidence of salvation1 when as the sufferer is first a believer1 so his sufferings are for ,christ's sake--for ,his truth4 #c4 ,christian courage under suffering will not be kept up without conflict4 #d4 ,in suffering for truth nothing befalls us but what is common to men4--,fergusson4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,consolation in ,christ4--,exhortation would be better1 inasmuch as consolation anticipates the comfort of the next phrase4 ,comfort of love4--,encouragement which love gives4 ,fellowship of the ,spirit4--,participation in the ,spirit4 ,meyer's remark is1 ,this is to be explained of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,beet intimates a widening of the idea--brotherliness prompted by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,bowels and mercies4--,on the former term see ch4 i4 #h4 ,the word for mercies denotes the yearning of the heart1 though1 it may be1 there is no ability to help4 ,ver4 #b4 ,fulfil ye my joy4--,fill up my cup of joy4 ,see ch4 i4 #d4 ,likeminded4--,general harmony1 4 4 4 identity of sentiment 7,meyer74 ,on this verse1 with its accumulations1 ,chrysostom exclaims1 ,bless me6 how often he says the same thing6 ,ver4 #c4 ,let nothing be done through strife or vainglory4--,the verb is suppressed in the ,greek1 a construction more natural and more forcible than to connect the nothing with the preceding clause4 ,partisanship and pomposity4 ,for the ruin of how many ,churches are this pair responsible6 ,in lowliness of mind4--,a rare flower1 scattering its fragrance unseen4 ,it was one great result of the life of ,christ 7on which ,st4 ,paul dwells here7 to raise humility to its proper level2 and1 if not fresh coined for this purpose1 the word 7for 'lowliness of mind'7 now first became current through the influence of ,christian ethics 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #e4 ,let this mind be in you4--,the apostle's word reminds us that he had already counselled his readers to be likeminded amongst themselves4 ,each to each1 and all to ,christ1 this verse seems to say4 ,what follows--to ver4 #aa--;is the very marrow of the ,gospel4 ,ver4 #f4 ,who1 being in the form of ,god4--,r4,v4 margin1 being originally4 ,form here implies not the external accidents1 but the essential attributes4 ,similar to this1 but not so decisive1 are the expressions used elsewhere of the ,divinity of the ,son 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #d2 ,col4 i4 #ae2 ,heb4 i4 #c74 ,similar is the term ,the ,word4 ,thought it not robbery4--,did not deem ,his being on an equality with ,god a thing to be seized on--and retained as a prize 7,ellicott74 ,yet did not regard it as a prize1 a treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards 7,lightfoot74 ,this interpretation of the two eminent bishops is accepted by the ,r4,v41 the ,speaker's ,commentary1 and is the common and indeed almost universal interpretation of the ,greek ,fathers 7,lightfoot1 flatly contradicted by ,beet74 ,meyer 7followed by ,beet71 ,cremer and ,hofmann contend for the active meaning--robbing4 ,to be equal with ,god4--,the ,jews considered ,christ's peculiar claim of ,sonship as a making ,himself equal with ,god 7,john v4 #ah74 ,ver4 #g4 ,but made ,himself of no reputation4--,r4,v4 emptied ,himself4 ,the emphasis is upon ,himself4 ,in contrast to the idea lying in robbery--that of emptying the treasures of some one else--it was ,himself whom ,he made bare4 ,and took upon ,him the form of a servant4--,by taking the form of a slave4 ,note the antitheses in these verses 7#f1 #g71 being in the form of ,god1 took the form of a servant1 equality with ,god1 emptied ,himself4 ,and was made in the likeness of men4--,lit4 becoming in similitude of men4 ,the word likeness 7,a4,v4 margin1 habit7 differs from form and fashion4 ,there is1 of course1 no support for the ,docetic teaching that ,christ was only seemingly a man4 ,ver4 #h4 ,in fashion4--,the entire outwardly perceptible mode and form4 ,men saw in ,christ a human form1 bearing1 language1 action1 mode of life1 wants and their satisfaction1 in general1 the state and relations of a human being so that ,he was recognised as a man 7,meyer74 ,form in 7vers4 #f1 #g7 is that which is intrinsic and essential4 ,fashion is that which is outward and accidental4 ,became obedient unto death4--,does not mean that ,he humbled ,himself so as to become a cringing slave to the ,king of ,terrors2 but that ,his obedience to ,god went to the uttermost limit--as far as death--even the death of the cross4 ,that is1 the death of the accursed1 the death reserved for malefactors4 ,jewish hatred still speaks of ,christ as1 ,the man who was hung4 ,ver4 #i4 ,highly exalted4--,a word much stronger than those1 e4g41 in the ,acts1 which describe the raising up of the murdered ,lord of life4 ,we trace the descent step by step to the last rung of the ladder2 by one stupendous act 7,rom4 i4 #d7 ,god graced ,his ,son with unique honour and dignity 7,eph4 i4 #ba74 ,ver4 #aj4 ,that at the name of ,jesus4--,not at the mention of the name ,jesus1 but in the name of ,jesus4 ,for illustration of the phrase see ,christ's own words1 in ,my name 7,john xiv4 #ac1 #ad1 etc474 ,every knee should bow4--,the outward symbol of an inward submission or recognition of superiority4 ,by what language could the apostle express the exaltation above creaturely needs if not by this8 ,if used of a creature1 it would be blasphemous4 ,the jealous ,god does not allow bowing down in worship to any but ,himself4 ,as ,pliny said1 ,quasi ,deo4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,should confess4--,proclaim with thanksgiving 7,lightfoot74 ,it is the word which describes the frank admission of wrong1 ,matt4 iii4 #f4 ,that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord4--,the emphasis is on ,lord4 ,the specific ,christian profession of faith is ,jesus is ,lord2 its opposite ,anathema ,jesus 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #c and ,rom4 x4 #i74 ,ver4 #ab4 ,ye have always obeyed4--,obedience describes the attitude of the mind of these ,philippians in presence of the commanding truths of the ,gospel2 ,obedience or obedience of faith is found several times in the epistle to the ,romans2 and in #b ,cor4 vii4 #ae stands in close connection with fear and trembling1 as here4 ,fear and trembling4--,such an apprehensive desire to be right with ,god as is figured by bodily tremor4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,for it is ,god which worketh in you4--,this sentence removes all merit from the most punctilious diligence1 whilst it as effectually takes away the paralysing fear of failure to which workers together with ,god need never give place4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,do all things without murmurings4--,without mutterings1 as men who in cowardice dare not speak plainly what they think4 ,we must consider the warning as against ,god on account of what ,he imposed on them both to do and to suffer4 ,and disputings4--,the word goes much deeper than the restricted meaning of disputings4 ,it seems here to mean without first entering upon scrupulous considerings as to whether you are under any obligation thereto1 whether it is not too difficult1 whether prudent1 and the like 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #ae4 ,that ye may be blameless4--,sons of ,god they are already2 they are now to become worthy sons4 ,in the word blameless we have the idea of a character in which no grace is defective 7,heb4 viii4 #g is a good illustration4 ,if the first covenant had been faultless1 a second would have been superfluous74 ,and harmless4--,christ's own counsel4 ,be harmless as doves4 ,lit4 the word means unmixed1 unadulterated1 and figuratively1 artless4 ,of sophistries and the deep things of ,satan he would rather they were in happy ignorance 7,matt4 x4 #af2 ,rom4 xvi4 #ai74 ,without rebuke4--,vulgate1 immaculatum4 ,the word is originally a sacrificial term4 ,it describes the victim in which the keen inquisitorial eye of the official inspector has found no fault4 ,so 7#a ,pet4 i4 #ai7 of the ,lamb of ,god1 in the whiteness of spotless innocency4 ,ver4 #af4 ,holding forth the word of life4--,if we are to look for any metaphor it would most naturally be that of offering food or wine 7,lightfoot74 ,why it should be at all events wholly unconnected with the preceding image in lights in the world one does not quite see4 ,there is nothing objectionable in the thought of a star holding forth its beam to the mariner1 or the benighted wayfarer1 and it has the advantage of continuity of the metaphor in the verse previous4 ,that ,i may rejoice in the day of ,christ4--,as good news of his convert's fidelity was like a new lease of life to the worn apostle 7#a ,thess4 iii4 #h71 so his sweetest hope was to be able to stand before his ,lord with his children by his side4 ,have not run 4 4 4 laboured4--,athletic terms familiar to ,st4 ,paul's readers4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,if ,i be offered upon the sacrifice4--,r4,v4 margin1 poured out as a drink-offering4 ,whether the reference is the the cup of wine poured over the heathen sacrifice or the drink-offering of the ,jewish is doubted1 and is of little consequence1 since in either case his meaning would be clear enough4 ,and service4--,priestly function 7,luke i4 #bc74 ,ver4 #bj4 ,no man likeminded4--,a4,v4 margin1 so dear unto me1 evidently because the same word is used in ,ps4 lv4 #ac4 ,likeminded with whom8 ,with me1 says ,meyer1 that is1 having the same tender feeling towards you as ,i have4 ,who will naturally care4--,not of necessity1 nor grudgingly4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,all seek their own4--,interpret how we will1 this is a bitter sentence4 ,we are apt to be severe on those who have other engagements when we feel our need of friends4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,ye know the proof4--,the character that shows itself under strain or testing 7,acts xvi4 #a and xvii4 #ad1 xix4 #bb1 xx4 #c1 #d74 ,as a son with the father4--,r4,v4 as a child serveth4 ,the older man and the younger had slaved for the ,gospel2 as for some dear object of desire a father and his son may be seen at work together4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,i trust in the ,lord that ,i also myself shall come shortly4--,the apostle1 in personal matters1 is on the same footing with the most obscure ,christian4 ,when his friends forsake him he must bear it with what fortitude he can4 ,when darkness surrounds him he must wait ,god's time--no prophecy lifts the veil4 ,ver4 #be4 ,epaphroditus4--,brother1 work-mate1 comrade-in-arms1 ,church-messenger1 and serving-man4 ,what a designation6 ,st4 ,paul thinks him worthy of all the honour 7ver4 #bi7 that the ,church can give1 and he himself immortalises him by this unusual estimate of his personal character and worth4 ,ver4 #bf4 ,was full of heaviness4--,the same word is used of our ,lord when in ,gethsemane--,he began to be very heavy4 ,its etymology is an open question1 ,grimm1 following ,buttmann1 says it means the uncomfortable feeling of one who is not at home4 ,if this1 the almost universally accepted derivation be the correct one1 it is a beautiful idyll we have presented to us4 ,a convalescent1 far from home1 as his strength returns feels the pangs of home-sickness strengthen and eagerly returns to dispel the misgivings of those made anxious by tidings of his critical illness4 ,ver4 #bg4 ,nigh unto death4--,or as we say colloquially1 next door to death4 ,god had mercy on him4--,st4 ,paul speaks after the manner of men1 as we could not have dared to say anything else if ,epaphroditus had died4 ,the cry of woe so often heard by ,christ was have mercy4 ,sorrow upon sorrow4--,he does not parade the apathy of the ,stoics1 as though he were iron and far removed from human affections 7,calvin74 ,when sorrows come they come not single spies1 ,but in battalions4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,the more carefully4--,r4,v4 diligently4 ,with increased eagerness 7,lightfoot74 ,how difficult it must have been for ,st4 ,paul to relinquish the company of so worthy a man we do not realise2 but he who gives up is worthy of the friend he gives up1 for neither of them is consulting his own wishes4 ,love seeketh not her own4 ,what a contrast to sordid ,hedonism--old or new6 ,ye may rejoice1 and that ,i may be the less sorrowful4--,a variation on the theme of the letter--the sum of which is1 as ,bengel says1 ,i rejoice2 rejoice ye4 ,what an exquisitely chosen form of expression6 ,a prior sorrow will still remain unremoved1 says ,lightfoot2 but if he cannot go so far as to say he will rejoice1 the alleviation of the loss of such a friend's society is the fact that they have him again4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,hold such in honour4--,learn to know the value of such--grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel4 ,ver4 #cj4 ,for the work of ,christ4--,what noble self-oblivion the apostle manifests6 ,he thinks more of the cause dear to his heart than of his own comfort or even life4 ,not regarding his life4--,r4,v4 hazarding his life4 ,there is the difference of a single letter in the long word of the ,r4,v4 ,the word of the ,r4,v4 means having gambled with his life4 ,just as to-day a visitor to ,rome in the autumn must run the risk of malarial fever1 so ,epaphroditus1 for the work of ,christ1 had faced that1 and other dangers as great1 probably4 ,the ,a4,v4 would mean as far as his life was concerned he followed an ill-advised course of action4 ,to supply your lack of service toward me4--,does not mean that they had been remiss in their attention4 ,they did not lack the will1 but the opportunity4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,christian ,unity an ,occasion of ,joy4 ,i4 ,christian unity is a striving after the ,spirit of ,christ4--,that ye be likeminded 7ver4 #b74 #a4 ,manifested in loving consolation to those in distress4--,if there be therefore any consolation in ,christ1 if any comfort of love 7ver4 #a74 ,if the pagan expressed unity by those who dwelt in one village and drank of one fountain1 how much more real is the union of those who drink of the same ,spirit and practise the lovingkindness of the one ,christ4 ,a striking evidence of the unity of ,christianity is seen in its sympathy everywhere for the poor1 the sick1 and the unfortunate4 ,it is ,christ-like to comfort and help the distressed4 #b4 ,manifested in spiritual fellowship4--,if any fellowship of the ,spirit 7ver4 #a74 ,christians are one by their communion together1 flowing from their joint participation in the same ,spirit4 ,the union of hearts is more real and stable than the external union expressed by creeds and contracts4 ,the ,spirit is the unifying power of ,christendom4 #c4 ,manifested in compassion for the suffering4--,if any bowels and mercies 7ver4 #a74 ,christianity is a mission to the suffering4 ,before the ,christian era there were no hospitals and infirmaries1 no care for the afflicted poor4 ,unselfish benevolence was almost unknown4 ,nothing is more remarkable than the spirit of tender compassion that ,christianity has breathed into social and national life4 ,,ii4 ,christianity is opposed to a spirit of faction and empty boasting4--,let nothing be done through strife or vainglory 7ver4 #c74 ,the message of the ,gospel is one of peace and goodwill to all men4 ,it is foreign to its spirit to exalt the interests of party or of self2 it seeks to promote a universal and all-pervasive charity4 ,the ,germans have a legend connected with the terrific battle of ,chalons between the ,visigoths and the ,romans against ,attila4 ,the bloody work of the sword was done1 the plain was strewn with heaps of the slain2 but for three nights following--so ran the story--the spirits of the slain hovered over the scene and continued the strife in the air4 ,the like has been done again and again in the party strifes and controversies of the ,church4 ,unity is impossible where contention and vanity have sway4 ,,iii4 ,christian unity is strengthened by the maintenance of a humble spirit4--#a4 ,in comparing oneself with others4 ,in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves 7ver4 #c74 ,the man who walks humbly with ,god1 realising his complete dependence on ,him1 will not unduly exalt himself1 and will highly esteem others1 as knowing that they are equally with himself dependent on ,god for their abilities4 ,instead of fixing your eyes on those points in which you may excel1 fix them on those in which your neighbour excels you3 to do this is true humility4 ,the excellencies of others are better known than their defects1 and our own defects are better known to ourselves than to others4 ,a sense of personal short-coming will keep us humble4 ,humility is a special product of ,christianity4 ,the whole ,roman language1 with all the improvements of the ,augustan age1 does not afford so much as a name for humility2 nor was one found in all the copious language of the ,greeks1 till it was made by the great apostle4 #b4 ,in considering other people's interests as well as your own4--,look not every man on his own things1 but every man also on the things of others 7ver4 #d74 ,the truly humble are thoroughly disinterested4 ,the work of the meek and lowly ,jesus is the loftiest example of disinterestedness4 ,he looked to the things of others rather than to ,his own4 ,in unselfishly seeking the good of others we promote our own4 ,when ,augustine was asked1 ,what is the first thing in religion8 he answered1 ,humility4 ,what is the second8 ,humility4 ,and what is the third8 ,humility4 ,speaking of pride1 ,augustine truly said1 ,that which first overcame man is the last thing he overcomes4 ,humility is a strong bond of ,christian unity4 ,,iv4 ,christian unity is an occasion of great joy4--,fulfil ye my joy 7ver4 #b74 ,the weak spot in the disposition of the ,philippians was a tendency to quarrelsomeness2 hence he insists upon unity4 ,they had given him joy in the other ,christian excellencies they possessed2 he asks them to complete his joy in cherishing the grace of unity4 ,behold1 exclaimed the rejoicing ,psalmist1 as he contemplated the union of the ,jewish tribes1 how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity 7,ps4 cxxxiii4 #a74 ,the bundle of arrows cannot be broken while it remains a bundle4 ,tacitus1 an ancient ,latin historian1 says of the ,germans1 what sceptics and others find true of ,christians1 ,whilst fighting separately1 all are conquered together4 ,the strength of the ,christian ,church lies in its consolidation4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christian unity is of supreme importance4 #b4 ,is absolutely necessary to represent the ,spirit of ,christ4 #c4 ,is the cause of much joy to the anxious minister4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,unity and ,concord in the ,church4--#a4 ,as unity and concord is necessary in itself and at all times1 so is it most necessary in suffering times3 the enjoyment of ,christ's presence1 the reaping of any spiritual advantage by the communion and love of the saints1 fellowship with ,god through the operation of the ,spirit1 depend upon it4 #b4 ,the success of the ,gospel will be matter of joy to a public-spirited ,christian1 even in the midst of his own crosses and sufferings4 #c4 ,that unity and concord among the ,churches may be solid and lasting1 there should be unity of will and affections1 of designs and endeavours1 and in opinion and matters of judgment4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #c4 ,humility an ,antidote to ,contention4--#a4 ,the lust of vainglory1 whereby a man pursues more after the applause of men than to be approved of ,god1 is the mother of contention and strife1 and unfriendly to union and peace4 #b4 ,the grace of humility does not consist in an affected strain of words and gestures1 but1 being seated in the heart1 makes a man think meanly of himself and of anything that is his4 #c4 ,so conscious should we be of our own infirmities1 so modest in the esteem of our own graces and virtues1 so prone to charity1 that we ought to esteem any other1 for what we know of him1 to be better than ourselves4--,ibid4 ,ver4 #d4 ,looking on the ,things of ,others4 ,i4 ,one school in which we learn the lesson of unselfishness is the home circle4 ,,ii4 ,another way in which ,god teaches us the same lesson is through the experience we gain in the intercourse of daily work4--,we divide men into the selfish and the unselfish--those who work for self and think of self1 and those whose labours are for other men4 ,,iii4 ,we are taught to consider other men by the perplexities and confusion which arise when we think only of ourselves4--,the modern philosophy is true so far when it says that man is nothing in himself1 but only a bundle of relations1 the meeting-point of many influences4 ,those who fix their attention upon the meeting-point forget what makes the man4 ,probably there is no more confused or miserable man than the self-analyst4--,a4 ,r4 ,mac,ewen4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-h4 ,the ,humiliation of ,christ a ,pattern of ,supreme ,unselfishness4 ,i4 ,the humiliation of ,christ was no violation of ,his ,divine essence4--,who1 being in the form of ,god1 thought it not robbery to be equal with ,god 7ver4 #f74 ,thought it not a prey to be seized upon4 ,as ,he was in ,himself truly and properly ,god1 it could be no object of desire or ambition to claim equality with ,god4 ,being ,god ,he could not undeify ,himself4 ,his ,divinity remained with ,him through the whole course of ,his self-imposed humiliation4 ,it was this that constituted both the mystery and the greatness of the humiliation4 ,,ii4 ,the humiliation of ,christ was a voluntary incarnation in human form4--,but made ,himself of no reputation1 and took upon ,him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of men 7ver4 #g74 ,he emptied ,himself1 not of ,his ,divinity--that was impossible--but of the outward and self-manifesting glories of the ,godhead4 ,he took the form of a servant by being made in the likeness of man4 ,he remained full of ,divinity1 yet ,he bore ,himself as if ,he were empty4 ,a native preacher among the ,oneidas1 addressing his fellow-converts1 said3 ,what are the views you form of the character of ,jesus8 ,you will answer1 perhaps1 that ,he was a man of singular benevolence4 ,you will tell me that ,he proved this to be ,his character by the nature of the miracles ,he wrought4 ,he created bread to feed thousands who were ready to perish4 ,he raised to life the son of a poor woman who was a widow1 and to whom his labours were necessary for her support in old age4 ,are these then your only views of the ,saviour8 ,i will tell you they are lame4 ,when ,jesus came into the world ,he threw ,his blanket around ,him1 but the ,god was within4 ,,iii4 ,the humiliation of ,christ reached its climax in a career of obedience even unto death4--,he humbled ,himself1 and became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross 7ver4 #h74 ,he fulfilled all the demands of law and of ,god4 ,he shrank not from death--death in its most shameful and ignoble form1 the death of the cross4 ,he was numbered with the transgressors--not an honourable death1 but like the degrading execution of criminals4 ,he went to the realm of the dead and revolutionised it4 ,hitherto death had reigned supreme1 an unbroken power4 ,the prison-house of the dead was fast locked4 ,none returned4 ,now ,one comes there who has the keys of ,hades and of death4 ,he opens the door and sets the captives free4 ,meekness in suffering1 prayer for ,his murderers1 a faithful resignation of ,his soul into the hands of ,his heavenly ,father1 the sun eclipsed1 the heavens darkened1 and earth trembling1 the graves open1 the rocks rent1 the veil of the ,temple torn--who could say less than this1 ',truly1 this was the ,son of ,god'8 ,he suffers patiently2 this is through the power of grace2 many good men have done so through ,his enabling4 ,the frame of nature suffers with ,him2 this is proper to the ,god of ,nature1 the ,son of ,god 7,bishop ,hall74 ,,iv4 ,the humiliation of ,christ is an example of unselfishness to all ,his followers4--,let this mind be in you1 which was also in ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #e74 ,the apostle does not put forth himself as an example1 but ,christ4 ,christ gave ,his all for us1 and we should give our all to ,him1 and our best service for the good of others4 ,no one can follow ,christ until he has first found ,christ4 ,some try to imitate ,christ before they have savingly found ,him4 ,to look at ,christ as our ,example only1 and not as our ,redeemer1 is not to see ,him as ,he is4 ,without faith in ,christ as our ,redeemer we cannot really follow ,his example4 ,without the grace of ,christ there can be no imitation of ,christ4 ,a little girl once presented to a celebrated statesman a small bouquet of ordinary flowers1 the only one she could procure at the season4 ,he inquired why she gave him the bouquet4 ,because ,i love you1 the child answered4 ,do you bring any little gifts to ,jesus8 he asked4 ,oh1 said the child1 ,i give myself to ,him4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the unselfish are always humble4 #b4 ,the humble are patient in doing and suffering4 #c4 ,humility is the pathway to exaltation4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #e-h4 ,the ,incarnate ,deity4 ,i4 ,that ,christ did not seek to retain an appearance of ,divine glory and co-equality4 ,,ii4 ,he divested ,himself actually of ,his appropriate and descriptive ensigns of ,divine nature and government4 ,,iii4 ,he entered upon a course of responsible subordination4 ,,iv4 ,he united ,himself to human nature by a perfect incarnation4 ,v4 ,he stooped to the most extreme depression of state4 ,,vi4 ,he reduced ,himself to the necessity of death4 ,,vii4 ,he yielded to death in a peculiar form4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,how admirable is the expedient of the ,redeemer's incarnation6 #b4 ,what a sublime example does the conduct of the ,saviour afford4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the ,christian ,temper the ,same ,mind which was in ,christ4 ,i4 ,some things in which we cannot consider ,christ as an example4--,all those graces in us which suppose our guilt and fallen state could not be exemplified to us by our ,saviour4 ,,ii4 ,some things related of ,christ we must not pretend to imitate4--,what ,he did under the character of ,messiah was peculiar to ,himself1 and not designed to put us on doing likewise4 ,,iii4 ,why ,christians should copy the mind and temper of ,christ4--#a4 ,it was the design of ,god to set ,his ,son before us as the model of the ,christian temper4 #b4 ,he was a pattern admirably fitted to be proposed to our imitation4 7#a7 ,he was an example in our own nature4 7#b7 ,his circumstances and conduct in our nature adapted ,his example to the most general use4 7#c7 ,his example was perfect1 so that it has the force of a rule4 #c4 ,the relations in which we stand to ,christ and the concern we have with ,him lay us under the strongest engagements to endeavour a resemblance4 ,he is our friend1 our ,lord and ,master1 our ,head1 our ,judge1 the model of our final happiness4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christianity in its main design is a practical thing4 #b4 ,we see the advantages we have by the ,gospel beyond any other dispensation for true goodness4 #c4 ,how inexcusable must they be who are not recovered to a ,god-like temper and conversation by this most excellent dispensation6 #d4 ,with what care and attention should we study the life of ,christ6--,j4 ,evans1 ,d4,d4 ,christ our ,pattern4 ,i4 ,the mind of ,christ was a pure mind4 ,,ii4 ,a self-sacrificing mind4 ,,iii4 ,a lowly mind4 ,,iv4 ,a forbearing mind4 ,v4 ,a constant mind4 ,,vi4 ,a prayerful mind4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,christ the ,redeemer4--,this which the ,son of ,god did and underwent is the one fact of heaven and earth1 with which none in creation1 none in history1 none in your own personal being1 can for a moment be compared1 but in the presence and in the light of which all these ought to be contemplated and concluded--that it is the great object of faith and practice4 ,of faith--for upon the personal and hearty reception of it as the foundation of your life before ,god1 that life itself1 and all its prospects1 depend2 of practice--for high above all other examples1 shining over and blessing while it surpasses them1 is this mighty example of the ,son of ,god4 ,oh1 brethren1 how the selfish man and the selfish woman and the selfish family ought to depart from such a theme as this1 downcast for very shame1 and abased at their unlikeness to the pattern which they profess to be imitating6 ,oh that this question might be fixed and rankle like a dart in their bosoms1 even till it will take no answer but the surrender of the life to ,him1 and1 by the daily grace of ,his ,spirit1 living as ,he lived6--,alford4 ,ver4 #h4 ,christ's ,crucifixion4-- ,i4 ,as an historical fact4--,it is quite certain4 ,,ii4 ,as displaying in its circumstances every variety of human character4 ,,iii4 ,as accompanied by striking prodigies4--,the darkened sun1 the quaking earth1 the cleft rocks1 the rent veil1 the opened graves4 ,,iv4 ,as furnishing an illustrious example of the passive virtues4--,taught us how to suffer and to die4 ,v4 ,as being the brightest manifestation of self-denying and self-devoting love4 ,,vi4 ,as constituting the sole meritorious cause of human salvation4--,who is the sufferer8 ,the ,son of ,god4 ,why does ,he suffer8 ,as a prophet1 as a martyr1 as an example8 ,yes2 but chiefly as a sacrifice for sin4 ,,vii4 ,as producing the most wonderful moral transformations4--,on individuals1 on communities1 and on ,christendom4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-aa4 ,the ,exaltation of ,christ-- ,i4 ,was a ,divine act4--,wherefore ,god also hath highly exalted ,him 7ver4 #i74 ,as a recognition of the humiliation and obedience of ,christ1 ,god exalted ,him to the throne of mediatorial sovereignty4 ,as ,bengel puts it1 ,christ emptied ,christ2 ,god exalted ,christ as man to equality with ,god 7,compare ,ps4 viii4 #e1 #f1 cx4 #a1 #g2 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ah2 ,luke xxiv4 #bf2 ,john v4 #bg1 x4 #ag2 ,rom4 xiv4 #i2 ,eph4 i4 #bj-bb2 ,heb4 ii4 #i74 ,,ii4 ,was the acquisition of a name of pre-eminent dignity and significance4--,and given ,him a name which is above every name1 that at the name of ,jesus 7vers4 #i1 #aj74 ,jesus is the same as ,joshua1 or ,jehoshua1 only framed to the ,greek pronunciation and termination4 ,joshua1 who brought the hosts of ,israel into the rest of ,canaan1 was originally called ,hoshea1 but it was changed into ,joshua or ,jehoshua1 by an addition of the first syllable in the ,divine name ,jehovah1 perhaps to intimate that not ,joshua of himself1 but ,jehovah by ,him1 would complete the deliverance and rest of ,israel4 ,the name ,jesus means ,jehovah-,saviour1 or ,jehovah-,salvation1 and ,jesus is so called because ,he saves ,his people from their sins4 ,the name cannot be given to any other being2 it belongs solely and absolutely to the one ,jesus4 ,here we should probably look1 says ,lightfoot1 to a common ,hebrew sense of name1 not meaning a definite appellation1 but denoting office1 rank1 dignity4 ,in this case the use of the name of ,god in the ,old ,testament to denote the ,divine ,presence or the ,divine ,majesty1 more especially as the object of adoration and praise1 will suggest the true meaning2 since the context dwells on the honour and worship henceforth offered to ,him on whom the name has been conferred4 ,to praise the name1 to bless the name1 to fear the name of ,god1 are frequent expressions in the ,old ,testament4 ,the name of ,jesus marks the pre-eminence of ,jesus--it is the name above every name4 ,that name wields the mightiest power in the world to-day4 ,a modern writer of reputation has said3 ,there is a wave--,i believe it is only a wave--passing over the cultivated thought of ,europe at present1 which will make short work of all belief in a ,god that does not grip fast to ,jesus ,christ4 ,as far as ,i can read the signs of the times and the tendency of modern thinking1 it is this--either an absolute silence1 a heaven stretching above us1 blue and clear and cold1 and far away and dumb2 or else a ,christ that speaks--,he or none4 ,the theism that has shaken itself loose from ,him will be crushed1 ,i am sure1 in the encounter with the agnosticism and materialism of this day4 ,the name of the exalted ,jesus is the salvation of the world in more senses than one4 ,,iii4 ,entitles ,him to universal homage4--,every knee shall bow 4 4 4 and that every tongue should confess that ,jesus ,christ is ,lord 7vers4 #aj1 #aa74 ,beings above1 below1 and on the earth shall acknowledge the supremacy and deity of ,jesus1 and unite in a universal and consentaneous act of praise and worship of ,his ,divine majesty4 ,on the door of the old mosque in ,damascus1 once a ,christian church1 but now ranked among the holiest of ,mahometan sanctuaries1 are inscribed these remarkable words3 ,thy kingdom1 ,o ,christ1 is an everlasting kingdom1 and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations4 ,for more than twelve hundred years the inscription has remained unimpaired by time and undisturbed by man4 ,what is it waiting for8 ,already a ,christian ,church has been founded in that ancient city1 and the ,gospel is preached there every ,sabbath4 ,the world's submission to ,jesus is drawing near4 ,lessons4--,the name of ,jesus--#a4 ,is unique in its reputation4 #b4 ,in its moral influence among the nations4 #c4 ,in its saving power4 #d4 ,in the homage paid to it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i-aa4 ,the ,name of ,jesus3 its ,exaltation and ,power4 ,i4 ,the ,saviour's exaltation 7ver4 #i74--;,he was exalted by ,his resurrection from the dead1 ,his ascension into heaven1 and ,his glorious session at the right hand of ,god1 whence ,he now discharges the high functions of ,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king4 ,,ii4 ,the ,saviour's name4--,that at the name of ,jesus 7ver4 #aj74 ,jehovah1 the ,saviour4 #a4 ,the supreme eminence of the name4--,a name which is above every name4 #b4 ,pre-eminent because no other being could receive the title4 #c4 ,pre-eminent because there is no other name that has the mysterious virtue of saving as this4 ,,iii4 ,the power of the ,saviour's name4--#a4 ,in saving the sinner4 #b4 ,in commanding the homage and worship of all1 and in eliciting the universal acknowledgement of ,his deity 7vers4 #aj1 #aa74 ,we learn a lesson of humility4--#a4 ,because ,christ humbled ,himself for us4 #b4 ,we should humble ourselves on account of past sins4 #c4 ,humility leads to exaltation4 ,christ ,worthy of ,universal ,homage4--#a4 ,the ,lord ,christ1 having abased ,himself for our redemption1 was exalted by the ,father to the highest pitch of glory4 #b4 ,the name which is above every name is said to be given to ,christ1 because ,his ,divine majesty1 before hid1 was now manifested and the human nature so highly honoured that that person who is man is true ,god1 and is to be acknowledged as such4 #c4 ,however small a part of the world acknowledge ,christ to be the ,lord1 ,his glory will grow till all reasonable creatures in heaven1 earth1 and hell subject themselves to ,him1 and the giving of ,divine honour to ,him does in no way impair the glory of ,god the ,father4--,fergusson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab1 #ac4 ,salvation--,god's ,work and ,man's ,care4 ,i4 ,salvation is a personal blessing4--,your own salvation 7ver4 #ab74 ,if ,christ died for all1 then he died for me and ,i may be saved4 ,it matters little if others are being saved unless ,i am saved myself4 ,it is impossible to be genuinely interested in the salvation of others unless we are saved ourselves4 ,salvation deals with the individual2 it gathers its trophies one by one4 ,i have read of some seas1 writes ,bunyan1 so pure and clear that a man may see the bottom1 though they be forty feet deep4 ,i know this river is a deep river1 but it is not said that we can see no bottom4 ,the comparison implies that a man with good eyes may see the bottom4 ,so1 then1 we shall look down through these crystal streams and see what be at the bottom of all4 ,the bottom of all is that we might be saved4 ,these things ,i say1 saith ,christ1 that ye might be saved4 ,what a good1 sound bottom is here6 ,this salvation admits man to a wealth of blessings impossible to estimate4 ,salvation should therefore be sought by every man earnestly1 believingly1 promptly4 ,,ii4 ,salvation needs constant personal care4--,work out your own salvation with fear and trembling 7ver4 #ab74 #a4 ,the ,christian worker is surrounded with spiritual perils4--,the apostle has referred to these perils in warning the ,philippians against pride1 selfishness1 faction1 and vain boasting 7vers4 #c1 #d74 ,to secure his salvation the believer must not only work1 but work with circumspection1 with vigilance1 with fear and trembling4 ,god does not give the flower and the fruit of salvation1 but the seed1 the sunshine1 and the rain4 ,he does not give houses1 nor yet beams and squared stones1 but trees1 rocks1 and limestone1 and says1 ',now build thyself a house4' ,regard not ,god's work within thee as an anchor to hold thy bark firmly to the shore1 but as a sail which shall carry it to its port4 ,fear thy depression and faint-heartedness1 but take courage at thy humility before ,god 7,lange74 #b4 ,personal care the more necessary when deprived of the oversight of a loved teacher4--,wherefore1 my beloved1 as ye have always obeyed1 not as in my presence only1 but now much more in my absence 7ver4 #ab74 ,the ,philippians had shown a spirit of ready obedience both to the apostle and to ,god1 and they are urged to increased diligence4 ,the apostle's absence did not make the obligation less imperative1 but it demanded more earnestness and vigilance from them in the discharge of the duty4 ,his voice and person were a guide and stimulant and excited them to assiduous labour1 so that his presence among them wrought like a charm4 ,and now that he was not with them1 and they were left to themselves1 they were so much the more to double their diligence and work out salvation with fear and trembling--with distrust of themselves1 earnest solicitude in every duty1 humble reliance on ,divine aid1 with the abiding consciousness that after all they come far short of meeting obligation 7,eadie74 ,,iii4 ,salvation is a ,divine work4--#a4 ,god is pleased to work in us to create a right disposition4--,it is ,god that worketh in you to will 4 4 4 of ,his good pleasure 7ver4 #ac74 ,the desire for salvation and the disposition and the to seek it come from ,god4 ,as the sun warms the earth and helps the flower to grow and bloom1 so the ,spirit of ,god warms the heart and calls for the growth and blossom of ,christian graces4 ,god does not take out mental and moral apparati and put in a new set1 like the works of a clock2 but ,he encourages us to use the powers already within and breathes upon us the vitalising influence of ,his ,spirit1 so that we produce results in harmony with ,his will4 #b4 ,god is pleased to work in us to confer the moral ability to work4--,god worketh in you 4 4 4 to do of ,his good pleasure 7ver4 #ac74 ,some men have ability to do great things1 but have not the disposition2 others may have the disposition1 but not the ability4 ,in the work of our salvation ,god gives both the disposition and the power4 ,because ,god works in us we may work2 because ,he works in us we must work out our own salvation4 ,the means of salvation are within our reach2 it is our part to use them4 ,how does the miner get out of the pit8 ,there is a string at the bottom2 he pulls it2 a bell at the top rings2 a rope1 worked by a steam-engine1 is let down1 and in this way he ascends to the top4 ,a man gets down into the pit of trouble2 he cannot get up himself2 he must ring the bell of prayer2 ,god will hear it and send down the rope that is to lift him out4 ,man can do nothing without ,god1 and ,god will do nothing without the willing co-operation of man4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,salvation is possible for every man4 #b4 ,salvation may be secured by man yielding to the ,divine influences working within him4 #c4 ,if man is not saved1 it is his own fault4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ab1 #ac4 ,divine and ,human ,co-operation in ,man's ,salvation4 ,i4 ,the salvation to be wrought out4--,salvation simply means deliverance4 ,it may be either temporal or spiritual1 or both4 ,the process of salvation is to be continuous4 ,,ii4 ,in the work of our salvation ,divine and human co-operation is necessary4--,illustrated in the products of nature1 in works of art and skill4 #a4 ,god works in us by the light of ,his truth4 #b4 ,by appealing to us with the influence of powerful motives4 #c4 ,works in us by the influences of ,his ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,seek to ascertain to what extent we are indebted for our personal salvation to ,god working in us4--,our salvation from first to last is from ,god2 that we are saved by grace1 yet not so as to destroy our own effort4 ,he produces in us the will and power4 ,we are to exercise the will and power by repenting1 believing1 and living a life of holiness4 ,,iv4 ,why we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling4--,because of the possibility of our unfaithfulness4 ,may be too sure of salvation1 and too doubtful4--,j4 ,c4 ,symons4 ,the ,active ,exertion of ,man in working out his ,salvation harmonises with the ,free ,grace of ,god as being the ,sole ,author of it4--,there are two facts connected with the deliverance of the ,israelites out of ,egypt--their preservation in the wilderness1 and their settlement in the land of ,canaan--to which ,i would solicit your attention4 ,i4 ,that all was done for them by ,god1 and is to be ascribed solely1 from first to last1 to ,his almighty power and grace4--#a4 ,the means by which the establishment of the ,israelites in the ,promised ,land was effected were evidently beyond the reach of human agency4 #b4 ,even in those particular cases in which the active exertions of the ,israelites were employed as the means of their deliverance or success the whole is ascribed to ,god4 7#a7 ,he gave them courage to fight against their enemies2 7#b7 ,he gave them success by sending terror into the hearts of their enemies4 ,,ii4 ,that although ,god thus did everything for them1 ,he did it in such a way as to bring every power of their minds and bodies into exercise1 and to render their own activity absolutely necessary to their preservation and success4--,illustrated in the passage of the ,red ,sea1 and in the first battle of the ,israelites with the ,amalekites 7,exod4 xvii4 #h74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,as the deliverance of the ,israelites and their establishment in ,canaan was wholly of ,god1 so the salvation of every sinner is to be ascribed solely and entirely to ,his mercy and power4 #b4 ,as ,god required the ,israelites to be active1 watchful1 diligent1 ardent1 and strenuous in their exertions to overcome difficulties and to defeat their enemies1 so ,he requires ,his people to make their calling and election sure1 to work out their salvation with fear and trembling4--,although ,god does all for us in the matter of our salvation1 yet ,he places us in situations where we must exert ourselves or perish4--,anonymous4 ,the ,co-operation of ,human and ,divine ,agency in our ,salvation4 ,i4 ,this co-operation of ,divine and human energies has place in all the most important facts and pursuits that make up the history of man4--#a4 ,it is true of the commencement of our being4 #b4 ,our growth and education are the result of the same joint agency4 #c4 ,this fundamental law reigns over all the works of man4 ,,ii4 ,what does ,god accomplish and what does ,he demand of us in the joint working out of our salvation8--#a ,god works in us by the light of ,his truth4 #b4 ,by the power of motives4 #c4 ,by the energy of ,his ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,what is the intent and object of these ,divine operations8--#a4 ,they are not designed to transform the character as1 when after conversion1 they are media of sanctification4 #b4 ,human co-operation is the indispensable condition of progress4 #c4 ,will and do4 ,these describe the duty of the unconverted man4--,s4 ,olin1 ,d4,d4 ,man's ,work and ,god's ,work4 ,i4 ,this salvation is begun when we believe in ,christ1 but it requires to be worked out4 ,,ii4 ,the fact that ,god works in us renders our working possible4 ,,iii4 ,the fact that ,god works in us should make us fear and tremble4--,r4 ,abercrombie1 ,m4,a4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad-ah4 ,the ,lustre of a ,blameless ,life-- ,i4 ,suppresses all murmuring and doubt as unworthy of the children of ,god4--,do all things without murmurings and disputings3 that ye may be blameless and harmless1 the sons of ,god without rebuke 7vers4 #ad1 #ae74 ,as the sons of ,god1 distinguished by so high and holy a calling1 believers should be blameless and pure4 ,their spiritual integrity should lift them above the cause of blame4 ,to be pure and blameless they must not yield to the spirit of dissatisfaction and doubt4 ,no matter what may tend to excite this spirit1 it must not be indulged1 whether the temptation to it be the ,divine command1 the nature of the duty1 the self-denial it involves1 or the opposition occasionally encountered4 ,there was neither grudge nor reluctance with ,him whose example is described in the preceding verses1 no murmur at the depth of ,his condescension1 or doubt as to the amount or severity of the sufferings which for others ,he so willingly endured 7,eadie74 ,,ii4 ,sheds a guiding light in the midst of a dark world4--,in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation1 among whom ye shine as lights in the world2 holding forth the word of life 7vers4 #ae1 #af74 ,the ,philippians were to be a light and guide to their fellow-citizens1 a people made up of ,jew and pagan1 moved by tortuous and perverse impulses4 ,nothing would please them3 give them one argument1 they cry for another2 tell them of the simplicity of the ,gospel1 they prefer you should dwell on its mysteries2 speak of its power1 they ask you to expound its charity4 ,the children of ,god are to society everywhere what the heavenly luminaries are to the world--they are to diffuse light1 and guide the way to a better life4 ,the star which led the wise men to ,christ1 the pillar of fire which led the children of ,israel into ,canaan1 did not only shine1 but went before them4 ,believers shine by the light of the ,word which they hold forth1 and that light is the guide to others4 ,virtue should shine in cities1 not in solitudes4 ,the ,christian's duty is here among men2 and the nearer he draws to his fellow-men1 so that his religion be real and true1 the more good he is likely to do them4 ,on the north coast of ,cornwall and ,devon is a lighthouse1 which first of all was placed high upon the cliffs1 where the mists and fogs often obscured and hid its brightness from the passing mariner in hours of the sorest need4 ,so they took it down and built it afresh on the rock out at sea1 amid the waves of that dangerous coast1 there to shine where it was most necessary4 ,,iii4 ,supplies a prolific theme of ministerial joy4--#a4 ,a joy complete when his work is finally appraised4 ,that ,i may rejoice in the day of ,christ1 that ,i have not run in vain1 neither laboured in vain 7ver4 #af74 ,the apostle had run with the eagerness of a racer in the ,isthmian games--the prizes he sought1 the souls of men2 he had laboured with strenuous and persevering diligence--the wages he sought1 the souls of men2 and now looking by anticipation at the results of his apostolic toil1 in the light of the great day of ,christ1 his greatest joy will be that his efforts have not been in vain4 ,his joy then will be1 not in the number and wealth of the ,churches he founded1 but in the spiritual progress and advancement of the members4 ,the results of work for ,christ are often in this world obscured and confused2 but in the day of ,christ all will be clear and the work seen in all its beauty and dimensions4 ,the joy of success is often checkered and interrupted in this life2 but yonder the joy will be complete and full4 ,we shall share the joy of the conquering ,christ4 #b4 ,a joy not diminished though life is prematurely sacrificed4--,yea1 and if ,i be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith1 ,i joy1 and rejoice with you all 7ver4 #ag74 ,the apostle's image is that of an altar1 on which the faith of the ,philippians is laid by him as priest1 while his own blood is being poured out as the usual drink-offering or libation4 ,in the near prospect of martyrdom he has no gloomy anticipations4 ,death will not terminate his joy1 but accelerate it1 as it will admit him to realms where all is calm and joy and peace4 ,such is the triumph of the ,christian spirit2 it can rejoice in tribulation and in the very presence of death4 #c4 ,a joy in which his converts may share4--,for the same cause also do ye joy1 and rejoice with me 7ver4 #ah74 ,so far from being dispirited by the prospect of his martyrdom1 the apostle calls upon them to share his joy on account of the success of the ,gospel4 ,how often in the changeful experiences of life are joy and sorrow mingled together4 ,joy lives in the midst of the sorrow2 the sorrow springs from the same root as the gladness4 ,the two do not clash against each other1 or reduce the emotion to a neutral indifference1 but they blend into one another1 just as in the ,arctic regions1 deep down beneath the cold snow with its white desolation and its barren death1 you shall find the budding of the early spring flowers and the fresh green grass2 just as some kinds of fire burn below the water2 just as in the midst of the barren and undrinkable sea there may be welling up some little fountain of fresh water that comes from a deeper depth than the great ocean around it and pours its sweet streams along the surface of the salt waste 7,maclaren74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,a blameless life is the product of the grace of ,god4 #b4 ,is a rebuke to the wavering and inconsistent4 #c4 ,evokes the congratulations of the good in both worlds4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4 ,christians ,example to the ,world4--#a4 ,divisions and strife grieve the ,spirit and darken those evidences of sonship which believers in a calm and peaceful temper of spirit used to see most clearly4 #b4 ,we stop the mouths of enemies when our conversation is such as may discover to others their failings1 and point out that good way wherein they ought to walk4 #c4 ,suitable practice joined with profession puts such a majesty and splendour on truth that every ,christian is to profane men as the sun and moon are in the firmament4 #d4 ,the glory put on gracious souls at the day of judgment will add to the glory and joy of faithful ministers4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,word of ,life3 a ,living ,ministry and a ,living ,church4 ,i4 ,to apprehend the life of the ,church we must apprehend the life of its ,head4 ,,ii4 ,a living ministry4--#a4 ,requires confidence in the office and work itself4 #b4 ,distinctness of purpose4 #c4 ,a quick and profound sense of the nature and dignity of the soul4 #d4 ,one that preaches more than moral decency3 preaches piety1 regeneration1 and faith4 #e4 ,must not be afraid to assert what passes its own reason4 ,,iii4 ,a living ,church4--#a4 ,a safeguard against dogmatism4 #b4 ,formalism4 #c4 ,partisanship4 #d4 ,is a body whose life is the life of ,christ in the soul4--,f4 ,d4 ,huntington1 ,d4,d4 ,vers4 #af-ah4 ,the ,joy of ,ministerial ,success-- ,i4 ,sustained by the assurance of the final approval of his heavenly ,master4--,that ,i may rejoice in the day of ,christ 7ver4 #af74 ,,ii4 ,cheerfully sacrifices life itself in the successful prosecution of his work4--,yea1 and if ,i be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith1 ,i joy1 and rejoice with you all 7ver4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,shared by those who profit by his ministry4--,for the same cause also do ye joy1 and rejoice with me 7ver4 #ah74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-bd4 ,a ,projected ,christian ,mission-- ,i4 ,prompted by anxiety to promote the spiritual welfare of the ,church4--,but ,i trust in the ,lord ,jesus to send ,timotheus shortly unto you1 that ,i also may be of good comfort1 when ,i know your state 7ver4 #ai74 ,we have already gathered1 from our study of the epistle thus far1 that the apostle was solicitous about the spiritual state of the ,philippian ,church2 and this visit of ,timothy was preparatory to his own coming to see them4 ,he turns from the sadder side of his own likely martyrdom to the more hopeful prospect of once more being in their midst4 ,the true minister of ,christ can never forget his people1 whether present among them or absent2 and his principal anxiety is to know that they are growing in grace and ,christian usefulness4 ,he seeks to keep in touch with them by letters or personal messengers1 and the theme of his communications will be based on their mutual interest in the cause of ,christ4 ,his movements and wishes concerning them are all based on the will of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,committed to a trustworthy messenger4--#a4 ,a messenger in genuine sympathy with the anxiety of the sender4 ,for ,i have no man likeminded1 who will naturally care for your state 7ver4 #bj74 ,timothy is of such a nature1 has a soul so like my own1 that when he comes among you he will manifest a true regard for your best interests4 ,this choice evangelist was a native of ,lycaonia1 in the centre of ,asia ,minor4 ,faithfully and lovingly taught by his mother1 a pious ,jewess1 to long and look for the ,messiah promised to the fathers1 he was led1 on ,paul's first visit to these regions1 to recognise in ,jesus of ,nazareth the great ,deliverer and to accept ,him as his ,saviour4 ,on the apostle's second visit1 four or five years afterwards1 finding ,timothy highly commended by the ,christians of the district1 he took him as his companion1 to give such aid in missionary work as a young man could1 and to be trained for full efficiency as a preacher of the cross4 ,from that time onward we find him in constant connection with the apostle1 either as his companion or as carrying on some special ministerial work which ,paul had entrusted to him4 ,his close fellowship with the apostle gave him opportunities of becoming familiar with the great reading themes of the ,gospel1 and with the high aims and motives with which his teacher was constantly animated4 #b4 ,a messenger free from a self-seeking spirit4--,for all seek their own1 not the things which are ,jesus ,christ's 7ver4 #ba74 ,among the other members of the ,church likely to be entrusted with such a mission there was no one like ,timothy--so devoted1 so whole-hearted1 so unselfish4 ,the early ,church was not less free from imperfections than the modern ,church2 the self-seeking spirit is as permanent as human nature4 ,when a certain bishop was asked by an acquaintance what was the best body of ,divinity1 he did not scruple to answer1 ,that which can help a man to keep a coach and six horses4 #c4 ,a messenger whose fidelity has been tested4--,but ye know the proof of him1 that1 as a son with the father1 he hath served with me in the gospel 7ver4 #bb74 ,paul does not say that ,timothy served him--though that was true--but served with him in the ,gospel1 showing filial affection and willing obedience4 ,the simplicity and unselfishness1 the mellow ,christian wisdom1 the patience and gentleness of the apostle1 fitted in with a charming meekness1 unselfishness1 and affectionateness in his young friend4 ,the apostle watched with joy the maturing grace of his beloved companion and fellow-labourer2 and ,timothy was thankful to ,god for giving him such a friend4 ,the courage and fidelity of the young evangelist had been tried in times of difficulty1 and of this the apostle and the ,philippians had had many proofs4 ,the ,church was therefore ready to welcome him with confidence and respect4 ,the minister should be faithful to the ,gospel at all times4 ,oliver ,millard1 an earnest and popular preacher of the reign of ,louis ,,xi41 attacked the vices of the court in his sermons1 and did not spare the king himself1 who1 taking offence1 sent the priest word that if he did not change his tone he would have him thrown into the ,seine4 ,the king1 replied ,oliver1 is the master to do what he pleases2 but tell him that ,i shall reach paradise by water sooner than he will by post-horses4 ,this bold answer at once amused and intimidated the king1 for he let the preacher continue to preach as he pleased and what he pleased4 ,,iii4 ,to be followed by a hoped-for personal visit4--,him therefore ,i hope to send presently1 so soon as ,i shall see how it will go with me4 ,but ,i trust in the ,lord that ,i also myself shall come shortly 7vers4 #bc1 #bd74 ,until his own fate is determined1 the apostle seems desirous to keep ,timothy with him2 but as soon as he learned the issue1 he would despatch his trusty messenger to ,philippi1 and cherished the hope of coming himself4 ,whatever the result may be1 martyrdom or liberty1 the apostle calmly and firmly trusts in the ,lord4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the good are ever devising plans for the benefit of others4 #b4 ,an earnest spirit inspires others to holy toil4 #c4 ,the best virtues are strengthened by ,christian work4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ai-bd4 ,ministerial ,anxiety for the ,welfare of the ,church4--#a4 ,the crosses and comforts of a ,christian1 endued with a truly public spirit1 depend not so much upon those things which concern himself1 as those which are of public concern to ,jesus ,christ and ,his ,church4 #b4 ,a minister imitates the apostles in watching over their flock when the state of souls is the object of his care1 and when the care arises1 not from constraint1 but from love to the party cared for4 #c4 ,our own things and the things of ,christ are often in two contrary balances4 #d4 ,the calling of the ministry is a service1 and ministers are servants of ,christ1 for the ,church1 and not lords over their faith4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,the ,life of ,christ the only ,true ,idea of ,self-devotion4--,a refined selfishness is one of the worst antagonists of the ,church of ,christ4 ,i4 ,it may consist with all the ,church requires as a condition to communion in her fullest privileges4 ,,ii4 ,but it extinguishes all that ever produced any great work in ,christ's service4 ,,iii4 ,the secret of that stupendous self-devotion which saints in all ages have manifested is--they set up the life of ,christ before them4 ,,iv4 ,the customs of life and all the current maxims and unwritten laws of society maintain so tyrannous a hold even over good minds that high and generous tempers are chilled into inaction4--,h4 ,e4 ,manning4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #be-cj4 ,a ,devoted ,christian ,minister-- ,i4 ,a valued associate of good men4--,epaphroditus1 my brother1 and companion in labour1 and fellow-soldier1 but your messenger1 and he that ministered to my wants 7ver4 #be74 ,epaphroditus had been sent by the ,philippian ,church with a gift to ,paul1 and1 pending the proposed visit of himself or ,timothy1 he employs him as his messenger4 ,the commendation of ,epaphroditus indicates the apostle's high estimate of the character of the man--a ,christian brother1 a colleague in toil1 a fellow-soldier in scenes of danger and conflict4 ,the work of the ,christian minister brings him into contact with the noblest spirits of the times4 ,,ii4 ,full of sympathy for the anxieties of his people4--,for he longed after you all1 and was full of heaviness1 because that ye had heard that he had been sick 7ver4 #bf74 ,it may be that ,epaphroditus was the more anxious to return to his people lest the rumour of his sickness should have disastrous consequences on the state of his ,church1 that some parties between whom he had mediated should take advantage of his prostration and fall again into animosity1 or it may be that he might dispel the distress and sorrow of his people on his own account4 ,this longing to see his people reveals a womanly tenderness that some men might call weakness4 ,paul did not so regard it4 ,he knew the manly robustness of spirit1 the decision1 energy1 and devotedness that had made ,epaphroditus his honoured companion in labour and fellow-soldier2 and to him the element of softness and sweetness brought out in the languor of the recovery exhibited a new charm4 ,the best men often show a union of opposite virtues2 for example1 ,epaphroditus4 ,the finest delicacy of soul which1 if alone1 might seem excessive and effeminate1 allies itself to a manly courage1 which sets at naught life itself4 ,the deepest love of the ,church does not exclude a most faithful attachment to its great apostle1 nor anxiety for the present moment forbid sympathy for a distant community4 ,one may reverence and acknowledge superior men1 and yet give all the glory to ,god alone2 may be anxious for his own soul1 and yet give himself to the welfare of the ,church and the common service of its membership 7,lange74 ,,iii4 ,exposed himself to great risk in the eager discharge of duty4--,for indeed he was sick nigh unto death3 but ,god had mercy on him2 4 4 4 ,i sent him therefore 4 4 4 that when ye see him again ye may rejoice1 and that ,i may be the less sorrowful 7vers4 #bg1 #bh74 ,the sickness of ,epaphroditus was probably brought on by the risks and exposures of his journey from ,philippi to ,rome4 ,it was no easy task for a ,christian1 one of a sect everywhere spoken against1 hated and oppressed1 having no protection from either ,jewish or ,roman rule1 to undertake such a mission1 carrying aid to a man in prison1 who was bitterly hated by many1 and over whose approaching execution they were gloating with a fiendish satisfaction4 ,but ,epaphroditus braved all the privations and sufferings of the perilous enterprise1 and would not hesitate to acknowledge publicly before the world that the prisoner he sought to help was his friend4 ,paul fully understood all the perils of the adventure and that it had nearly cost a valuable life2 he thus specially acknowledges the mercy of ,god both to himself and the ,philippians and the mitigation of their mutual sorrow in the recovery of ,epaphroditus4 ,life1 especially the life of a faithful servant of ,christ1 possesses great value4 ,for such a life we ought to pray2 and it is an act of ,god's grace when it is preserved to the ,church 7,heubner74 ,it is a fine thing1 wrote ,sailer1 if you can say a man lived and never lifted a stone against his neighbour2 but it is a finer far if you can say also he took out of the path the stones that would have caught his neighbour's feet4 ,so did ,feneberg1 and this his doing was his life4 ,,iv4 ,highly commended for his character and work's sake4--,receive him therefore in the ,lord with all gladness2 and hold such in reputation3 because for the work of ,christ he was nigh unto death1 not regarding his life1 to supply your lack of service towards me 7vers4 #bi1 #cj74 ,words of highest eulogy1 coming from such a source1 and uttered under such circumstances4 ,how tender1 unreserved and unselfish are the apostle's commendations of ,timothy and ,epaphroditus1 and how large and loving the heart from which they came6 ,even with these friends1 so dear and needful to him1 the aged servant of ,christ1 worn with labour and suffering1 is willing1 for the work of ,christ1 to part1 and to be left alone4 ,and this man was notorious1 a few years before1 as ,saul the persecutor4 ,what wrought the change8 ,the glorious ,gospel of the blessed ,god4 ,the faithful1 conscientious1 self-denying minister of the ,word cannot fail to win the esteem and love of his people4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,a ,christian minister has many opportunities of usefulness4 #b4 ,should cultivate a generous and sympathetic nature4 #c4 ,should be faithful in all things4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #be-bh4 ,anxieties of ,ministerial ,life4--#a4 ,ministerial employment is a painful1 laborious work1 and faithful ministers who are standard-bearers or sentinels1 and march in the front1 before the ,lord's people1 have a peculiar battle of their own for truth and piety4 #b4 ,the ,lord sometimes suffers ,his servants to fall into desperate dangers1 that ,his mercy may be the more seen in their delivery4 #c4 ,courage under sufferings for ,christ1 and rejoicing in ,god1 may consist with moderate sorrow and heaviness4 #d4 ,the weights and griefs of the godly do prove an occasion of rejoicing afterwards1 so the grief which the ,philippians had because of their pastor's sickness and apprehended death ended in joy when they saw him in health again4--,fergusson4 ,vers4 #bi1 #cj4 ,heroic ,devotion to ,christ-- ,i4 ,is wholly absorbed in the work of ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,risks life in serving the cause of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,should be held in highest esteem4 ,,iv4 ,should be joyfully acknowledged in whomsoever manifested4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,finally4--,lit4 as to the rest4 ,the apostle had intended to bring his letter to a close1 but something of which we have no information leads him to warn his readers against ,judaizers and their methods4 ,he resumes his farewell at ch4 iv4 #h1 yet lingers there4 ,to write the same things4--,whatever they may have been1 they concerned the security of his readers4 ,his hand had so often written up in bold letters the ,cave canem to warn his unsuspecting children1 that we may be allowed to think that is what he means to do again4 ,ver4 #b4 ,beware of dogs4--,who would turn again and rend you4 ,if the term is a retort on ,gentile dogs1 and looks like railing for railing1 we may explain it by the directness of the metaphor4 ,dogs and ,judaizers have this in common--that they tear flesh4 ,the savage delight of having inflicted a wound is shown in ,gal4 vi4 #ac4 ,beware of the concision4--,a bitter play on the name by which the ,jews thought themselves distinguished 7,eph4 ii4 #aa74 ,st4 ,paul changes the prefix1 and stigmatises them as the mutilation party4 ,lightfoot gives illustrations of this toying with words1 e4g41 in the complaint of an ambassador that he had been sent1 not to ,spain1 but to ,pain4 ,ver4 #c4 ,for we are the circumcision4--,how completely ,paul had sloughed his ,rabbinic literalism this verse clearly shows 7,rom4 ii4 #bh1 #bi74 ,which worship ,god in the ,spirit4--,see our ,lord's words to the woman of ,samaria1 prophetic of the day when worship shall be set free from its trammels and cerements 7,john iv4 #bc1 #bd74 ,ver4 #d4 ,though ,i might also have confidence in the flesh4--,they will never be able to say he speaks evil of that which he knows not4 ,if there is any profit in that direction1 he might say1 ,i will set my foot as far as who goes farthest4 ,an argumentum ad hominem4 ,ver4 #e4 ,circumcised the eighth day4--,beginning with this he works his way1 though this and the following verses1 to the climax of the straitest sect4 ,the items of this verse have to do with the birth and education of the apostle4 ,ver4 #f4 ,concerning zeal4--,an expression of intense irony1 condemning while he seems to exalt his former self 7,lightfoot74 ,righteousness which is in the law4--,legal righteousness4 ,exact attention to all its manifold commands and prohibitions4 ,ver4 #g4 ,what things were gain4--,the various points in which ,i had considered myself fortunate1 giving me an advantage over others4 ,those ,i counted loss for ,christ4--,the tense of the verb counted denotes an action the result of which continues4 ,it leaves no place for after-regrets1 like those of the woman who stopped to look back on ,sodom4 ,st4 ,paul counts his ,judaism1 with its emoluments1 well lost4 ,having found one pearl of great price1 he went and sold all that he had and bought it 7,matt4 xiii4 #df74 ,ver4 #h4 ,yea1 doubtless1 and ,i count1 etc4--,a more explicit statement of the abiding satisfaction with the chosen lot4 ,i still do count4 ,all things4--,whatever they may be--not simply those named above4 ,for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus4--,the eminent quality of a possession attained is the ground for estimating other possessions according to their relation to that one 7,meyer74 ,for whom ,i have suffered the loss of all things4--,the words gain and loss are the same in these verses as in our ,lord's memorable saying ,what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and forfeit his life8 ,r4,v41 soul ,a4,v4 7,mark viii4 #cf74 ,and do count them but dung4--,so ,r4,v4 text1 refuse1 margin4 ,if we accept the meaning that which is thrown to the dogs1 we have an apt interpretation1 but we need to guard against attributing to the apostle subtleties of expression born in a lexicographer's brain4 ,ver4 #i4 ,through the faith of ,christ4--,better without the article as ,r4,v4 ,faith is the medium by which righteousness comes4 ,the righteousness which is of ,god4--,which originates from ,god as the fount of all righteousness4 ,by faith4--,r4,v4 margin1 upon2 that is1 resting upon faith as its condition2 above it was the medium4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the power of ,his resurrection4--,the wide-reaching and conquering force and efficacy which render death inert 7#b ,tim4 #a4 #aj7 and draw the sting of death 7#a ,cor4 xv474 ,and the fellowship of ,his sufferings4--,the apostle has no desire to go by any other way to his glory than that by which his ,lord went--per crucem ad lucem4 ,being made conformable unto ,his death4--,r4,v4 becoming conformed4 ,the original is one word where we have three1 being made conformable1 taking that lowly guise which will agree with the bearing of ,him who took the form of a servant4 ,the agony of ,gethsemane1 not less than the agony of ,calvary1 will be reproduced1 however faintly1 in the faithful servant of ,christ 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,if by any means ,i might attain4--,how little is there here of the spirit of those who profess themselves as sure of heaven as though they were there4 ,meyer thinks the expression excludes moral security1 but not the certitudo salutis in itself4 ,unto the resurrection of the dead4--,by a very slight change from the dead instead of of the dead the ,r4,v4 indicates rather too feebly the only use of the term in the ,new ,testament4 ,from amongst would have been more likely to arrest attention4 ,whilst ,meyer says the compound word for resurretion in no way differs from the ordinary one1 ,l,ightfoot thinks the form of expression implies and the context requires the meaning the final resurrection of the righteous to a new and glorified life4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,not as though ,i had already attained4--,the word for attained may possibly refer to the turning-point in ,st4 ,paul's history1 and so the phrase would mean1 not as though by my conversion ,i did at once attain4 ,this interpretation1 which is ,bishop ,lightfoot's1 is challenged by ,dr4 ,beet4 ,it seems preferable1 on other than grammatical grounds1 because the following phrase1 if we refer the former to conversion1 is an advance of thought4 ,either were already perfect4--,describing a present state which is the consequence of past processes4 ,he has not reached the condition where nothing else can be added4 ,he is most blessed who1 as he mounts ever higher1 sees perfection1 like ,abraham's mount of sacrifice1 afar off4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,brethren1 ,i count not myself to have apprehended4--,some think a reference to the opinion of others lies in the words2 but ,st4 ,paul seems to be denying of himself what others asserted 7in various ways7 of themselves4 ,but this one thing ,i do4--,lit4 but one thing2 the words ,i do in ,a4,v4 and ,r4,v4 are a supplement4 ,meyer thinks it better to supply think4 ,it does not seem necessary to supply anything4 ,one thing the apostle never loses sight of2 all the threads of life are gathered up into it4 ,forgetting the things that are behind4--,the thought of how much of the course had been covered1 and how it was done1 sinks in the consideration of what has yet to be achieved4 ,and reaching forth4--,like one of those eager charioteers 4 4 4 of the ,circus ,maximus 4 4 4 leaning forward in his flying car1 bending over the shaken rein and the goaded steed 7,farrar74 ,st4 ,paul usually employs the figure of the foot-race2 and the not looking back1 which showed a right temper in a runner1 would be fatal to the charioteer 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #ad4 ,i press toward the mark4--,i hasten towards the goal where the adjudicators stand4 ,for the prize of the high calling4--,if the hollow wraith of dying fame could lead the athletes to put forth almost superhuman effort1 how much more worthy was the amaranthine crown of glory 7#a ,pet4 v4 #d74 ,ver4 #ae4 ,as many as be perfect4--,no longer novices1 but having been initiated fully into the most secret mysteries of the faith--that ,christian maturity in which one is no longer a babe in ,christ4 ,the reproachful irony which some detect hardly comports with the general tone of the letter4 ,ver4 #af4 ,let us walk by the same rule4--,that which had been to them the means of such distinct progress had thus approved itself as the safe and prudent course to follow4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,followers together of me4--,he does not1 as some ungracious pastors do1 show the steep road to perfection whilst himself staying at the wicket-gate4 ,like the ,good ,shepherd1 he leadeth his sheep4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,for many walk 4 4 4 the enemies of the cross of ,christ4--,christians in name only1 whose loose interpretations of the perfect law of liberty make it possible to live an animal life4 ,the cross of ,christ1 symbol of ,his self-renunciation1 should be the place of execution for all fleshly desires of ,his followers2 and1 instead of that1 these men over whom an apostle laments have made it an opportunity of sensual gratification4 ,they say1 ,we cannot help ,him2 ,he does not heed our help2 it is of little consequence how we live4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,whose end is destruction4--,beet argues from this that ,universalism cannot be true4 ,it must be admitted that ,st4 ,paul is speaking of sins of the body1 and perhaps is thinking of the ruinous effects of fleshly indulgence4 ,whose god is their belly4--,against the dominion of appetite all the teachers of mankind are at one4 ,all agree in repudiating the doctrine of the savage3 ,i bow to ne'er a god except myself ,and to my ,belly1 first of deities4--,seeley4 ,the self-indulgence which wounds the tender conscience and turns liberty into licence is here condemned 7,lightfoot74 ,whose glory is in their shame4--,their natures are so utterly perverted that they count that which is their degradation as matter for pride4 ,like the man whom our ,lord describes1 such men not only fear not ,god1 nor regard man1 but can lightly vaunt the fact4 ,who mind earthly things4--,the peculiar form of expression is noteworthy4 ,at these men1 of the earth1 earthy1 the apostle stands looking in amazement4 ,his expression reminds us of ,st4 ,james3 ,let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the ,lord2 a doubleminded man1 unstable in all his ways 7so the ,r4,v474 ,ver4 #bj4 ,for our conversation is in heaven4--,our is emphatic1 contrasting with the earthly things just named4 ,conversation is that to which we most readily turn1 as the needle trembles to the pole4 ,our hearts are with our treasure1 and that is far away from earthly things4 ,they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a city2 it is the soul's ,heimweh1 the yearning for the homeland4 ,we must not understand the words to mean ,our mode of speech is like that in heaven1 nor ,our habit of life is heavenly4 ,the word for conversation means the commonwealth1 the greater assembly and ,church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven 7,heb4 xii4 #bc74 ,from whence also we look for the ,saviour4--,from that heaven1 whither the ,forerunner is for us entered1 ,he shall come in like manner4 ,meanwhile we stand in readiness to receive ,him4 ,the word for look for 7,r4,v4 wait for7 graphically depicts the attitude of waiting4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,who shall change our vile body4--,r4,v4 much better1 ,who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation4 ,we are not to consider the body as the cause of sin1 as something outside the redemption wrought by ,christ1 the ,saviour of the body4 ,the fashioning anew will not lose any essential part of the body4 ,as the colours in a kaleidoscope change form at each movement1 but are yet always the same1 so in the change of the body there will be transition but no absolute solution of continuity4 ,the body of our humiliation is the frail tenement in which the exile spirit sojourns 7#b ,cor4 v4 #a-h72 it is the soon-wearied companion of an eager spirit 7,matt4 xxvi4 #da72 it returns to the dust as it was 7,eccles4 xii4 #g74 ,that it may be fashioned like unto ,his glorious body4--,r4,v4 that it may be conformed to the body of ,his glory1 as contrasted with the body of ,his humiliation 7,phil4 ii4 #h71 the body in which ,he tabernacled amongst us 7,john i4 #ad74 ,the power whereby ,he is able to subdue all things4--,he has power1 not only to raise and glorify the body1 but to subdue and renovate all things4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #a-c4 ,the ,false and the ,true in ,religion4 ,i4 ,the false in religion evident in the character of its advocates4--,beware of dogs1 beware of evil workers1 beware of the concision 7ver #b474 ,dogs was an epithet expressive of great contempt1 and indicative of impurity and profanity4 ,it was a term applied to the ,judaizers1 or1 as ,chrysostom calls them1 base and contemptible ,jews1 greedy of filthy lucre and fond of power1 who1 desiring to draw away numbers of believers1 preached at the same time both ,christianity and ,judaism1 corrupting the ,gospel4 ,they were evil workers causing much spiritual mischief4 ,they were of the concision--mere cutters or slashers of the flesh4 ,the same men are described in each clause as impure and profane1 as working spiritual mischief1 and as taken up with a puerile faith in flesh-cutting4 ,in this first clause you have their character1 in the second their conduct1 and in the third their destructive creed4 ,men who insisted on circumcision as essential to salvation made the rite ridiculous--,judaized ere they ,christianised4 ,to circumcise a ,gentile was not only to subject him to a rite which ,god never intended for him1 but it was to invest him with a false character4 ,circumcision to him was a forgery1 and he carried a lie in his person4 ,not a ,jew1 and yet marked as one1 having the token without the lineage1 a seal of descent and not a drop of ,abraham's blood in his veins4 ,to hinge salvation1 especially in the case of a ,gentile1 on circumcision was such a spurious proselytism1 such a total misappreciation of the ,jewish covenant1 such a miserable subversion of the liberty of the ,gospel1 such a perverse and superstitious reliance on a manual rite1 that its advocates might well be caricatured and branded as the concision 7,eadie74 ,the false in religion stands exposed and condemned by the character and methods of its propagators4 ,,ii4 ,the true in religion has definite characteristics4--#a4 ,in the spirituality of its worship4 ,for we are the circumcision1 which worship ,god in the ,spirit 7ver4 #c74 ,there is a great difference between the derisive use of the term concision and the use of the circumcision in this verse4 ,there is a ,christian circumcision1 which is a putting off the body of the sins of the flesh2 and this is not a manual but a spiritual act4 ,all that the old circumcision typified the ,christian enjoys4 ,the spiritual offspring of ,abraham have nobler gifts by far than his natural seed--blessing not wrapped up in civil franchise1 or dependent upon time1 or restricted to territory4 ,the ,christian has learnt that true religion consists1 not in forms and ceremonies and temporal privileges1 but in a right state of heart towards ,god1 in a loftier worship1 and a more intense spiritual life4 #b4 ,in making ,christ the basis of confident exultation4--,finally1 my brethren1 rejoice in the ,lord 4 4 4 rejoice in ,christ ,jesus 7vers4 #a1 #c74 ,christ1 and ,christ only1 is the ,christian's plea1 and the joyous theme of his unending song3 ,christ1 the ,divine1 all-glorious ,son of ,god4 ,theodosius1 in the fourth century1 at one time so far favoured the ,arians as to let them open their place of worship and labour to undermine the ,divinity of ,christ4 ,soon after this he made his son ,arcadius1 a youth of sixteen1 an equal partner with him in his throne2 and the noblemen and bishops were invited to come on an appointed day to congratulate him4 ,among the number was ,amphilocus1 a famous old bishop who had bitterly suffered in the ,arian persecution4 ,he made a very handsome address to the emperor1 and was about to take his leave1 when ,theodosius exclaimed3 ,what1 do you take no notice of my son8 ,do you not know that ,i have made him partner with me in the empire8 ,upon this the good old bishop went up to young ,arcadius1 and1 putting his hand upon his head1 said1 ,the ,lord bless thee1 my son4 ,the emperor1 roused into rage by this apparent neglect1 exclaimed3 ,what1 is this all the respect you pay to a prince that ,i have made of equal dignity with myself8 ,upon this the bishop1 with the grandeur of an angel and the zeal of an apostle1 looking the emperor full in the face1 indignantly said3 ,sire1 do you so highly resent my apparent neglect of your son because ,i do not give him equal honours with yourself8 ,and what must the eternal ,god think of you who have given leave to have ,his co-equal and co-eternal ,son degraded in ,his proper ,divinity in every part of your empire8 #c4 ,in distrusting the supposed virtue of outward rites4--,and have no confidence in the flesh 7ver4 #c74 ,no confidence in the supposed good conferred by externals4 ,birth and lineage1 family1 tribe1 and nationality on the one hand1 and the moral character determined by them on the other1 ,paul reckons together as excellencies and gifts of the same kind1 and holds them in slight esteem compared with what he has in ,christ4 ,the morality of men belongs to the province of the natural life2 it depends on birth1 family1 position1 culture1 time1 and circumstances1 and gives reason1 as does every favour1 for humble thankfulness1 but not for proud boasting4 ,such1 as contrasted with the concision1 is the circumcision2 the children of believing ,abraham and blessed with him2 serving ,god by ,his ,spirit in a higher and more elastic worship2 glorying in ,him who has won such privileges and blessings for them1 and having no trust in any externals or formalities on which the ,judaizer laid such stress as securing salvation or as bringing it within an available reach 7,lange1 ,eadie74 ,,iii4 ,against the false in religion it is necessary to faithfully warn4--,beware 4 4 4 beware 4 4 4 beware6 7ver4 #b7 ,like three peals of a trumpet giving a certain blast do the three clauses sound1 and the repetition reveals the intense anxiety and earnestness of the alarmed apostle4 ,it is the duty of the minister to warn his people of whatever endangers their spiritual life and eternal welfare4 ,news came to a certain town1 once and again1 that the enemy was approaching2 but he did not then approach4 ,hereupon in anger the inhabitants enacted a law that no man on pain of death should bring again such rumours as the news of an enemy4 ,not long after the enemy came indeed1 and besieged1 assaulted1 and sacked the town1 of the ruins of which nothing remained but this proverbial epitaph--,here once stood a town that was destroyed by silence4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,genuine religion is self-evident4 #b4 ,falseness in the garb of religion works serious mischief4 #c4 ,true religion demands constant watchfulness4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,safeguards against ,error4--#a4 ,to rejoice in ,christ--to be constantly and with delight making recourse to ,him--is a choice guard against any error contrary to the truths relating to ,him4 #b4 ,often repeating and inculcating truths that are most for edification ought neither to be burdensome to a minister nor yet wearied of by the people4 #c4 ,temptations to error are covered over with such pious pretences and lively baits that there is need of many guards and frequent warnings4--,fergusson4 ,ver4 #b4 ,emphatic ,warnings against ,false ,teachers-- ,i4 ,because of their snarling methods and insatiable greed4--,beware of dogs4 ,,ii4 ,because of their wicked and destructive policy4--,beware of evil workers4 ,,iii4 ,because their zeal is wholly misdirected and injurious4--,beware of the concision4 ,ver4 #c4 ,spiritual ,circumcision-- ,i4 ,is an inward and conscious spiritual change4--,for we are the circumcision4 ,,ii4 ,while reverently using outward forms of worship is superior to them4--,which worship ,god in the ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,finds its joy in living union with ,christ4--,and rejoice in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,iv4 ,repudiates all ordinances that divert from ,christ4--,and have no confidence in the flesh4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #d-h4 ,external ,religionism incomparable with the ,true ,knowledge of ,christ4 ,i4 ,the highest example of external religionism affords no ground for confident boasting 7vers4 #d-f74--;,external religionism had its most complete embodiment in ,paul4 ,he was its most zealous devotee1 its ablest champion4 ,these verses describe the best eulogy that can be given of the observer of external rites4 ,by birth1 lineage1 training1 ability1 consistency of character1 and sincerity of aim1 ,paul was an ideal ,jew1 a model all his countrymen might aspire to copy4 ,if there was ground for boasting1 no one had a greater right than he4 ,he needed no ,christ1 no ,saviour2 he was well able to look after himself4 ,but one day the discovery came that all this glorying was vain2 instead of gaining salvation he was farther from it than ever1 and in danger of losing everything4 ,religious progress is often more apparent than real4 ,when ,captain ,parry and his party were in search of the ,north ,pole1 after travelling several days with sledges over a vast field of ice1 on taking a careful observation of the pole-star1 the painful discovery was made that1 while they were apparently advancing towards the pole1 the ice-field on which they were travelling was drifting to the south1 and bringing them nearer to the verge1 not of the pole1 but of destruction4 ,,ii4 ,the supposed gains of external religionism are for ,christ's sake esteemed as loss4--,but what things were gain to me1 those ,i counted loss for ,christ 7ver4 #g74 ,not losses1 compared with the plural of gains2 but all the supposed gains are treated as one great loss1 and this after the most careful scrutiny and calculation4 ,i counted loss4 ,the swelling sum of fancied virtues1 painfully gathered and fondly and proudly contemplated1 vanishes into nothing at one stroke of the discriminating pen4 ,all that was prized as valuable1 and as the all of personal possession1 is regarded as dross1 because of ,christ4 ,they did not help him to win ,christ1 but to lose ,him2 the more he gained in self-righteousness the more he lost of ,christ4 ,it was not only profitless1 but productive of positive loss4 ,,iii4 ,the surpassing excellency of the knowledge of ,christ renders external religionism utterly worthless4--,i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus my ,lord2 4 4 4 and do count them but dung refuse1 that ,i may win ,christ 7ver4 #h74 ,the gains were3 circumcision performed without any deviation from legal time or method2 membership in the house of ,israel1 and connection with one of its most honoured tribes2 descent from a long line of pure-blood ancestry2 adherence to a sect whose prominent distinction was the observance of the old statutes2 earnest and uncompromising hostility to a community accused of undermining the authority of the ,mosaic code1 and a merit based on blameless obedience to the law4 ,these once gloried and confided in were counted as a loss1 for the sake of a superior gain in the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ4 ,he was no loser by the loss he had willingly made1 for the object of knowledge was the ,divine ,saviour4 ,is it not super-eminent knowledge to know ,him as the ,christ2 to know ,him as ,jesus1 not because he wears our nature1 but because we feel ,his human heart throbbing in unison with ours under trial and sorrow2 to know ,him as ,lord1 not simply because ,he wears a crown and wields a sceptre1 but because we bow to ,his loving rule and gather the spoils of the victory which ,he has won and secured8 ,the apostle made a just calculation1 for neither ritualism1 nor ,israelitism1 nor ,pharasaism1 nor zealotism1 nor legalism could bring him those blessing with which the knowledge of ,christ was connected2 nay1 until they were held as loss this gain of gains could not be acquired 7,eadie74 ,as with the two scales of a balance1 writes ,rieger1 when one rises the other falls1 and what ,i add to one diminishes the relative weight of the other2 so as one adds to himself he takes away from the pre-eminence which the knowledge of ,christ should have4 ,what he concedes to ,christ makes him willing to abase himself1 to resign all confidence in ,his own works4 ,therefore the sharp expressions1 to count as loss1 as dung1 become in experience not too severe2 for to reject the grace of ,christ1 to regard the great plan of ,god in sending ,his ,son as fruitless1 were indeed far more terrible4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the highest kind and supreme end of all knowledge is the knowledge of ,christ4 #b4 ,true religion is the spiritual knowledge of ,christ4 #c4 ,religion without ,christ is an empty form4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #d-g4 ,formalism tested and found wanting ,i4 ,the best that formalism can do for man1 in religious lineage1 reputation1 zeal1 and strictest outward observances1 has been experimentally exemplified 7vers4 #e1 #f74 ,,ii4 ,the most distinguished champion of formalism has confessed its utter inadequacy to satisfy the soul 7ver4 #d74 ,,iii4 ,the highest advantages of formalism are worthless compared with ,christ 7ver4 #g74 ,ver4 #h4 ,the ,excellent ,knowledge of ,christ-- ,i4 ,is extensive4--,apprehends ,him in all those notions and respects wherein the ,gospel principally discovers ,him4 ,,ii4 ,appropriating4--,christ ,jesus my ,lord4 ,,iii4 ,effectual4--,has a powerful efficacy both upon heart and life1 both upon judgment1 affection1 and practice4 ,,iv4 ,fiducial4--,it brings the soul to rest upon ,christ and ,his righteousness alone for pardon1 acceptance1 salvation4 ,v4 ,useful4--,he that has it studies to improve ,christ1 to make use of ,him for those blessed and glorious purposes for which he knows ,christ is given4 ,,vi4 ,christ ,himself is most excellent4--#a4 ,there is nothing in ,him but what is excellent4 #b4 ,all excellencies in the creatures are eminently to be found in ,christ4 #c4 ,all these excellencies are in ,him in a more excellent manner2 perfectly1 without any shadow of imperfection2 infinitely1 without any bounds or limits2 eternally and unchangeably1 they ebb not1 they wane not1 they are always there in the full1 they alter not1 they decay not4 #d4 ,not only all that are in the creatures1 but innumerable more excellencies than are in all the creatures together1 are in ,christ alone4 ,,vii4 ,those that have attained the excellent knowledge of ,christ will not think much to lose all things to gain ,christ4--#a4 ,all outward enjoyments and earthly possessions4 #b4 ,personal righteousness as a means of justification4--,david ,clarkson4 ,the ,excellency of the ,knowledge of ,christ4 ,i4 ,to know ,christ in the ,divinity of ,his person is excellent knowledge4 ,,ii4 ,to know ,christ in the glory of ,his redemption is excellent knowledge4 ,,iii4 ,the comparative worthlessness of all else4--#a4 ,wealth4 #b4 ,worldly honour4 #c4 ,human learning4 #d4 ,mere morality4 ,the ,excellency of the ,knowledge of ,christ4 ,i4 ,is pre-eminent excellence is to be found in its certainty4--,proved by--#a4 ,prophecy4 #b4 ,miracles4 #c4 ,experience4 ,,ii4 ,in its majesty and grandeur4 ,,iii4 ,it its suitableness and adaptation4 ,,iv4 ,in its comprehensiveness4 ,v4 ,the knowledge of ,christ is sanctifying4--,r4 ,watson4 ,christ the ,only ,gain4 ,i4 ,to count ,him gain4 ,,ii4 ,to covet and seek ,him as gain4 ,,iii4 ,to appropriate ,him as gain4 ,,iv4 ,to enjoy ,him as gain4--,r4 ,s4 ,candlish4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-aa4 ,features of the ,believer's ,life in ,christ4 ,i4 ,the believer's life has its home and stronghold in ,christ4--,and be found in ,him 7ver4 #i74 ,once lost1 now found3 found by ,christ2 found in ,him by others4 ,once homeless1 now safely sheltered4 ,one day ,charles ,wesley was sitting by an open window looking over the bright and beautiful fields in summertime4 ,presently a little bird1 flitting about in the sunshine1 attracted his attention4 ,just then a hawk came swooping down towards the little bird4 ,the frightened thing was darting here and there1 trying to find some place of refuge4 ,in the bright sunny air1 in the leafy trees or green fields1 there was no hiding-place from the fierce grasp of the hawk4 ,but seeing the open window and a man sitting by it1 the bird1 in its extreme terror1 flew towards it1 and with a beating heart and quivering wing found refuge in ,wesley's bosom4 ,he sheltered it from the threatening danger1 and saved it from a cruel death4 ,wesley was at that time suffering from severe trials1 and was feeling the need of a refuge as much as the trembling bird that nestled safely in his bosom4 ,so he took up his pen and wrote the well-known hymn-- ,jesu1 ,lover of my soul1 ,let me to ,thy bosom fly4 ,to be found in ,christ means more than mere shelter1 more than external fellowship4 ,it means a union as close and vital and abiding as between the members of the body and the head2 a union effected by the ,spirit1 and being the very ,spirit of ,christ dwelling in us4 ,,ii4 ,the believing life consists of righteousness1 not self-acquired1 but ,divinely inspired through faith4--,not having mine own righteousness1 but that which is through the faith of ,christ 7ver4 #i74 ,the apostle now touches upon a theme--justification by faith--which he has argued out with a clearness and fulness unequalled by any other ,new ,testament writer4 ,the righteousness which was his own was out of the law1 or originated by the law1 and was acquired by his own effort2 but the righteousness which he finds in ,christ is not his own1 but ,god's1 and is acquired1 not by his merits or efforts1 but by faith in ,christ4 ,this righteousness1 ,divine in its origin1 awful in its medium1 and fraught with such results1 was the essential element of ,paul's religion1 and the distinctive tenet of his theology4 ,when a friend happening to say to the ,rev4 ,john ,brown1 of ,haddington1 ,i suppose you make not your labours for the good of the ,church the ground of your comfort1 he1 with uncommon earnestness1 replied1 ,no1 no no6 it is the finished righteousness of ,christ which is the only foundation of my hope2 ,i have no more dependence on my labours than on my sins4 ,i rather reckon it a wonder of mercy that ,god took any of my labours of my hand4 ,righteousness belongeth unto ,him1 but unto me shame and confusion of face4 ,,iii4 ,the believer's life is the creation of ,divine power4--#a4 ,it is a life communicated by the exercise of the ,divine power that raised ,christ from the dead4 ,that ,i may know ,him1 and the power of ,his resurrection 7ver4 #aj74 ,the power exerted by ,christ's resurrection is exerted in raising the ,divine life in the believing soul1 and raising it to still higher developments of power and enjoyment4 ,the aspirations of the soul after ,christ are aspirations to know more and more the power of ,his resurrection4 #b4 ,it is a life that will be consummated by the ultimate resurrection of the body4--,if by any means ,i might attain unto the resurrection of the dead 7ver4 #aa74 ,towards this consummation the apostle yearns with intense desire4 ,all his hopes1 all his soul longed for1 seem gathered up in this3 perfect freedom for ever from sin and sorrow2 knowledge of ,christ up to the fullest measure of his capacity of knowledge2 perfect experimental acquaintance with the power of ,his resurrection1 through perfect fellowship of life with ,him2 the ineffable and everlasting blessedness of being with ,him and like ,him2 to rise out of the ashes of the tomb and assume the glorious body of the resurrection4 ,we can never forget a corridor in the ,vatican ,museum1 exhibiting on the one side epitaphs and emblems of departed heathens and their gods1 and on the other side mementoes of departed ,christians4 ,face to face they stand1 engaged1 as it were1 in conflict1 the two armies clinging to their respective standards2 hope against despair--death swallowed up in victory4 ,opposite to lions seizing on horses1 emblems of destruction1 are charming sculptures of the ,good ,shepherd bearing home the lost lamb--a sign of salvation4 ,,iv4 ,the believer's life is in sympathetic fellowship with the suffering ,christ--,and to know the fellowship of ,his sufferings 7ver4 #aj74 ,the sufferings of ,christ are not ended--they are prolonged in the sufferings of ,his people--and of these the apostle desired to know the fellowship4 ,he longed so to suffer1 for such fellowship gave him assimilation to his ,lord1 as he drank of ,his cup and was baptised with ,his baptism4 ,it brought him into communion with ,christ1 purer1 closer1 and tenderer than simple service for ,him would have achieved4 ,it gave him such solace as ,christ ,himself enjoyed4 ,to suffer together creates a dearer fellow-feeling than to labour together4 ,christ indeed cannot be known unless there be this fellowship in ,his sufferings 7,eadie74 ,an intimate friend of ,handel's called upon him just as he was in the middle of setting the words to music1 ,he was despised1 and found the great composer sobbing with tears1 so greatly had this passage and the rest of the morning's work affected the master4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the soul finds its highest life in ,christ4 #b4 ,life in ,christ is secured by the co-operation of man's faith with ,divine power4 #c4 ,to live in ,christ is to share the fruits of ,his mysterious passion4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,knowledge of the ,power of ,christ's ,resurrection4 ,i4 ,to know ,christ includes a clearly defined conception and familiar acquaintance with the special characteristics and unrivalled excellencies of ,his person4 ,,ii4 ,to know the power of ,his resurrection4--#a4 ,as it is a public and universal vindication of the proper dignity of ,his person4 #b4 ,as it seals the doom of human sin4 #c4 ,as it ensures the destruction of pain and death1 and provides for the perpetuation of the believer in a state of immortal felicity4 ,the ,power of ,christ's ,resurrection-- ,i4 ,as a miracle attesting ,his ,divine mission4 ,,ii4 ,as an evidence of ,his ,divinity4--,resurrection does not always prove ,divinity1 but in these circumstances 7,rom4 i4 #c1 #d74 ,,iii4 ,as an indication of the acceptance of ,his sacrifice4 ,,iv4 ,as an incentive to the pursuit of holiness4--,risen with ,christ2 risen in ,him1 sharing ,his life4 ,v4 ,as an instrument of social amelioration4--,the ,gospel has civilised where it has not ,christianised1 has repressed and refined where it has not renewed or regenerated4 ,,vi4 ,as a pledge and preassurance of the glorious resurrection of ,his people4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,fellowship of ,christ's ,sufferings4 ,i4 ,we have fellowship with ,christ in ,his sufferings in the pain caused by coming in contact with sin4 ,,ii4 ,in having our motives misinterpreted and our conduct misjudged4 ,,iii4 ,in the purifying influence of suffering4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,the ,resurrection of the ,dead as an ,object to aim at4 ,i4 ,the object which ,paul contemplated4--#a4 ,the resurrection as the proof of final escape from all evil4 #b4 ,the resurrection as the occasion of public recognition by the ,saviour-,judge4 #c4 ,the resurrection as the pledge of eternal happiness in heaven4 ,,ii4 ,his desire for that object4--,it supplies--#a4 ,a high appreciation of its value4 #b4 ,a deep sense of its difficulty4 #c4 ,a persuasion that it may be attained in various degrees4 #d4 ,a submission to all the ,divine arrangements in reference to it4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,the ,resurrection of the ,just4 ,i4 ,what is that entire satisfaction and climax for which we are to long and labour8 ,,ii4 ,what are the scriptural representations of its accompaniments and consequences8--#a4 ,the power of recognising all those whom they have known in holy fellowship on earth4 #b4 ,the resemblance of our nature to ,christ4 #c4 ,high honour is destined for ,christians4 ,,iii4 ,what are the determinations by which it is to be won8--#a4 ,the relation which the present happy spiritualism of deceased saints bears to the resurrection4 #b4 ,the representation of the intermediate state4 ,it is a relic and disadvantageous condition of death1 though of death as far as possible mitigated4 ,it shall be overthrown1 not only as a state1 but as a separate power1 in the destruction of death4--,r4 ,w4 ,hamilton4 ,the ,attainment of the ,resurrection4 ,i4 ,paul's aim4--,the resurrection of the dead4 #a4 ,the risen ,christ is the pledge of a risen life for man4 #b4 ,the rising of ,christ is a power to elevate life4 #c4 ,hence arises the gradual attainment of the resurrection4 ,,ii4 ,paul's endeavour4--,if by any means4 ,the necessity for this agonising endeavour arises from--#a4 ,the difficulty of accomplishing it4 #b4 ,the glory of its attainment4--,e4 ,l4 ,hull4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-af4 ,the ,highest ,type of ,christian ,experience4 ,i4 ,the highest type of ,christian experience is ,divinely outlined in ,christ4--,that for which also ,i am apprehended of ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #ab74 ,the prize of the high calling of ,god in ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #ad74 ,the prize is not definitely described1 but ,god through the ,gospel calls upon the soul to take hold of some great1 dimly portrayed good1 some rich spiritual blessing1 some fulness and splendour of character to be secured by a fuller knowledge of ,christ4 ,if we say the prize is heaven or the kingdom of ,god1 what is the heavenly kingdom but the fulness of ,christ8 ,though not explained in detail1 the prize is sufficiently outlined in ,christ1 by the master-hand of the ,divine ,artist1 as to make it an object of intense longing and strenuous effort to possess4 ,the soul yearns to attain a moral and spiritual perfection found only in ,christ1 and which the unending development of the beauties of ,his character are constantly disclosing in ever-growing splendour1 and which closer union with ,him alone can seize and appropriate4 ,,ii4 ,the effort to attain the highest type of ,christian experience is stimulated by conscious defect4--,not as though ,i had already attained1 either were already perfect3 but ,i follow after1 if that ,i may apprehend 7ver4 #ab74 ,the more clearly the apostle saw his privilege in ,christ1 the more conscious was he of his shortcomings4 ,there is no progress possible to the man who does not see and mourn over his defects4 ,the soul of all improvement is the improvement of the soul2 and it is only a keen sense of need that stimulates the soul to continuous and repeated efforts4 ,the ideal is ever ahead of the actual1 revealing its defects and exciting to fresh and more earnest endeavours4 ,,iii4 ,the highest type of ,christian experience is attained only by strenuous and continuous effort4--,but this one thing ,i do1 4 4 4 ,i press toward the mark 7vers4 #ac1 #ad74 ,the racer1 fixing his eye upon the goal1 leans forward1 and turning his back upon things behind1 presses with all speed towards the prize he covets4 ,if he turns aside1 he misses the mark and loses the garland4 ,the great prizes of life are gained only by persevering labour4 ,however prodigious may be the gifts of genius they can only be developed and brought to perfection by toil and study4 ,think of ,michelangelo working for a week without taking off his clothes1 of ,handel hollowing every key of his harpsichord like a spoon by incessant practice1 and of the sculptor polishing his statue with unwearied repetitions because he said1 the image in my head is not yet in my hands4 ,the prize of the ,christian race--the crown of eternal life and blessedness--is worthy of the most laborious and self-denying efforts4 ,when at times the heart grows weary in the struggle1 a glimpse of the diadem of beauty obtained by faith revives the flagging energies4 ,,iv4 ,those who do not see the obligation of striving after the highest type of ,christian experience shall be aided with ,divine light4--,if in anything ye be otherwise minded1 ,god shall reveal even this unto you 7ver4 #ae74 ,the difference of view was not some wilful and wicked conception1 or some wretched prejudice adhered to with inveterate or malignant obstinacy4 ,it was rather some truth not fully seen in all its bearings1 some principle not so perceived as to be carried out in all its details and consequences1 some department of duty which they might apprehend rather than appreciate1 or some state of mind which they might admire in the apostle1 but did not really covet for themselves4 ,the apostle throws his own teaching into the shade1 and ascribes the coming enlightenment to ,god 7,eadie74 ,the man who is honestly in pursuit of the highest good1 though led away for a time by erroneous views1 shall not lack the light he sincerely seeks4 ,the light which will help him most must be light from ,god4 ,v4 ,all progress towards the highest ,christian experience must be on the lines of real progress already made4--,whereto we have already attained1 let us walk by the same rule1 let us mind the same thing 7ver4 #af74 ,every victory over self and sin is a stepping-stone to further triumphs4 ,the struggle of to-day will be the victory of to-morrow4 ,our most helpful lessons are gathered from our failures4 ,our present blessings were obtained through faith and labour2 our next must be gained in the same way4 ,god will give more light to the man who rightfully uses what he has4 ,when the morning bursts suddenly on one awakened out of sleep1 it dazzles and pains him2 but to him who1 on his journey1 has blessed the dawn and walked by its glimmer1 the solar radiance brings with it a gradual and cheering influence4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ is the sum and pattern of the highest good4 #b4 ,progress in religious experience is a growing likeness to ,christ4 #c4 ,the soul retains its highest enjoyment and power only in ,christ4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,happy ,day and its ,sequel4 ,i4 ,st4 ,paul did not forget the circumstances of his arrest by ,jesus4 ,,ii4 ,st4 ,paul's remembrance of his arrest led to a practical inquiry as to its purpose4 ,,iii4 ,the purpose of his arrest by ,christ ,jesus is before and not behind him1 even in his old age4 ,,iv4 ,what is the mark to which he presses onward8--#a4 ,a perfect likeness to ,christ4 #b4 ,a perfect service4 #c4 ,the reward in heaven4--,w4 ,hawkins4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,pressing toward the ,mark4 ,i4 ,the apostle's sense of his own shortcomings4--#a4 ,it argued a high estimate of a ,christian's duty4 ,perfection is his aim1 although not his attainment4 #b4 ,it argued a humble estimate of himself4--,though the most eminent ,christian on earth1 he was fully conscious of his own imperfection4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle's method of ,christian progress4--#a4 ,the concentration of his energies4 ,many things he did1 and he did them wholly4 ,but he made them all subservient to his one idea1 which thus unified them all4 ,decision of character4 #b4 ,oblivion of the past4--,a wonderful past was his1 but he forgot it1 except as it might supply a stimulus to his future advances--past times1 past pleasures1 past sins1 past labours1 past attainments4 ,the past must have dwelt in his memory1 but it did not satisfy him4 ,onward was his motto1 and every day he began his race afresh4 #c4 ,untiring activity4--,he had the goal ever in his eye2 he often measured the distance between him and the goal2 he stretched every nerve to reach the goal4 7#a7 ,do we resemble ,paul in his aim8 7#b7 ,do we resemble ,paul in his efforts8--,g4 ,brooks4 ,aim ,high-- ,i4 ,in pursuit of moral excellence4 ,,ii4 ,intellectual character4 ,,iii4 ,active usefulness4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,god ,himself has commanded it4 #b4 ,society expects it of you4 #c4 ,the age in which you live demands it4--,e4 ,d4 ,griffin4 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4 ,the ,temper to be cultivated by ,christians of ,different ,denominations toward each other4 ,i4 ,those who adhere to this rule4--#a4 ,seek and cultivate their society4 #b4 ,use means to promote the mutual improvement of these persons and of ourselves4 #c4 ,do all we can to render our mutual reciprocal union more perfect and our usefulness more extensive4 ,,ii4 ,those who differ from us in matters of great importance4--#a4 ,give consideration to the way in which their religious characters have been formed4 #b4 ,pay regard to the difficulties and misapprehensions which lie in the use of words4 #c4 ,reflect what would probably have been the effects upon our minds had we been placed in their circumstances4 #d4 ,act towards them with justice and kindness4 ,,iii4 ,those who differ from us in matters of smaller moment4--#a4 ,show them sincere and honest respect and kindness4 #b4 ,cultivate friendly intercourse with them as far as they are disposed to reciprocate such intercourse4 #c4 ,show that we esteem the essential principle of the ,gospel more than controversial preciseness and ecclesiastical form4--,j4 ,p4 ,smith4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ag-ai4 ,good and ,bad ,examples4 ,i4 ,a good example should be attentively studied4--,mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample 7ver4 #ag74 ,we cannot imitate what we do not see and know4 ,it will help us to be good if we carefully watch and meditate on the conduct of the truly good4 ,the best example of uprightness and consistency is worthy of the most painstaking study4 ,wherever they found the life of the apostle imitated and displayed the ,philippians were to mark it and make it their pattern4 ,any excellence which they thus discovered they might by ,god's grace attain to4 ,it was not some distant spectacle they were to gaze at and admire1 but an embodiment of earnest faith1 walking on the same platform with them41 and speaking1 acting1 praying1 suffering1 and weeping among them4 ,what had been possible to others was surely not impossible to them 7,eadie74 ,a ,polish prince was accustomed to carry the picture of his father always in his bosom1 and on particular occasions used to take it out and view it1 saying1 ,let me do nothing unbecoming so excellent a father4 ,,ii4 ,a good example should be faithfully imitated4--,brethren1 be followers together of me 7ver4 #ag74 ,paul had studied profoundly the character of ,christ1 and was earnestly striving to follow ,him4 ,he therefore exhorts the ,philippians to imitate him as he sought to imitate ,christ2 or rather1 as ,bengel puts it1 he invites them to be fellow-imitators of ,christ4 ,to imitate ,christ is not copying ,him in every particular4 ,we cannot follow ,him as ,saviour1 ,mediator1 ,redeemer4 ,what is meant is1 that we are to do our work in the ,spirit of ,christ1 as ,he would do it4 ,he who follows ,christ never misses the right way1 and is always led on to victory4 ,when in the ,mexican war the troops were wavering1 a general rose in his stirrups and dashed into the enemies' lines1 shouting1 ,men1 follow me6 ,they1 inspired by his courageous example1 dashed on after him and gained the victory4 ,what men want to rally them for ,god is an example to lead them4 ,,iii4 ,a bad example is in antagonism to the highest truth4--,many walk1 of whom ,i have told you1 4 4 4 they are the enemies of the cross of ,christ 7ver4 #ah74 ,professed friends1 dubious in their attachment and promises1 are enemies of ,christ1 and of the great movement in human redemption represented by ,his cross4 ,while professing to maintain the doctrines of the cross1 by their wicked lives they are depreciating them4 #a4 ,a bad example is set by those who concentrate their chief thought on the material4--,who mind earthly things 7ver4 #ai74 ,the world has many attractions1 but it has also many dangers4 ,to be wholly absorbed in its pursuits weans the soul from ,god and holiness and heaven4 ,gosse tells us1 in his ,romance of ,natural ,history1 of certain animals which inhabit the coral reefs4 ,so long as they keep the passage to the surface clear they are safe2 but1 this neglected1 the animal finds the coral has grown around it and enclosed it in a living tomb4 ,and so it is with the life of the soul on earth4 ,the world is around us everywhere2 the danger is when we allow it to grow between our souls and ,god4 #b4 ,a bad example is set by those who are supremely controlled by their sensual appetites4--,whose ,god is their belly 7ver4 #ai74 ,the desires of the flesh invite to self-indulgence--to gluttony1 revelling1 drunkenness2 to gaudiness1 extravagance1 and immodesty of dress2 to impurity of speech and conduct4 ,a sensual man looks as if lust had drawn her foul fingers over his features and wiped out the man4 ,the philosopher ,antisthenes1 who had a contempt for all sensual enjoyment1 used to say1 ,i would rather be mad than sensual4 #c4 ,a bad example is set by those who gloat in their degradation4--,whose glory is in their shame 7ver4 #ai74 ,man has reached the lowest depth of vice when he boasts in what is really his shame4 ,the last rag of modesty is thrown aside4 ,these enemies of the cross were not hypocrites1 but open and avowed sensualists1 conscious of no inconsistency1 but rather justifying their vices1 and thus perverting the ,gospel formally for such detestable conduct4 #d4 ,the end of a bad example is ruin4--,whose end is destruction 7ver4 #ai74 ,evil is the broad way that leadeth to destruction4 ,sin must be inevitably punished2 it works its own fate--sin when it is finished bringeth forth death4 ,judge ,buller1 speaking to a young gentleman of sixteen1 cautioned him against being led astray by the example or persuasion of others1 and said1 ,if ,i had listened to the advice of some of those who called themselves my friends1 when ,i was young1 instead of being a judge of the ,king's ,bench1 ,i should have died long ago a prisoner in the ,king's prison4 ,,iv4 ,professed members of the ,church who set a bad example are the occasion of constant solicitude and sorrow to the truly good4--,for many walk1 of whom ,i have told you often1 and now tell you even weeping 7ver4 #ah74 ,even when denouncing the worst sins1 the apostle does it1 not with harshness and imperious superiority1 but with the greatest tenderness and grief4 ,the anxious minister may well weep over the folly and delusion of half-hearted adherents1 over their false and distorted conceptions of the ,gospel1 over the reproach brought against the truth by their inconsistent and licentious lives1 and over their lamentable end4 ,the conduct of sinners is more a matter of heart-breaking sorrow than of wrathful indignation4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,example is more potent than precept4 #b4 ,a bad example should be carefully shunned4 #c4 ,a good example should be diligently imitated4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,imitation of the ,good-- ,i4 ,possible only where there is a sympathetic resemblance to and admiration of the character sought to be copied4--,brethren4 ,,ii4 ,is easier when joined with those who have similar aims4--,be followers together of me4 ,,iii4 ,is aided by careful observation and study4--,mark them4 ,,iv4 ,every good man is an example for others to imitate4--,so as ye have us for an ensample4 ,vers4 #ah1 #ai4 ,enemies of the ,cross-- ,i4 ,deny the efficacy and purpose of ,christ's sufferings4 ,,ii4 ,are incompetent to appreciate the spiritual significance of the cross4--,who mind earthly things4 ,,iii4 ,are the victims of sensuality4--,whose god is their belly4 ,,iv4 ,are degraded beyond all bounds of modesty4--,whose glory is in their shame4 ,v4 ,will be inevitably punished4--,whose end is destruction4 ,,vi4 ,are the cause of much grief to those who must constantly expose them4--,of whom ,i have told you often1 and now tell you even weeping4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj1 #ba4 ,christian ,citizenship-- ,i4 ,has its centre of life and privileges in heaven4--,for our conversation citizenship is in heaven 7ver4 #bj74 ,to show the contrast between the earthly things which absorb the thought of the worldly1 and the things of heaven1 the apostle proceeds to indicate that the life of the believer1 even on earth1 is associated with the privileges and blessings of the heavenly commonwealth1 of which he is a member4 ,in this world the ,christian is but a stranger--living in temporary exile4 ,his city1 his home1 is in heaven4 ,longing to enter into possession of all the privileges of the heavenly franchise1 earthly things have no attraction for him1 and he seeks to act in harmony with his high destiny4 ,,ii4 ,is assured of the deliverance of its members from the perils and hardships of earth4--,from whence also we look for the ,saviour1 the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #bj74 ,the apostle characterises ,jesus as ,saviour1 or as expected in the character of ,saviour1 and thus suggests an awful contrast1 in point of destiny1 between himself and those like-minded with him1 and the party reprobated by him in the two preceding verses4 ,their end is destruction1 but ours is salvation2 to the one ,he descends as ,judge1 but to us as ,saviour4 ,if there be such visible difference in present character1 there is a more awful contrast in ultimate destiny--the two poles of humanity--everlasting punishment2 eternal life 7,eadie74 ,the great ,deliverer will emancipate us from the thraldom1 suffering1 and sorrow of the present world1 and complete in its fulness the salvation which is now in process4 ,,iii4 ,has the confident hope of future dignity and blessedness4--#a4 ,the body of humiliation shall be transformed into the likeness of ,christ's glorified body4 ,who shall change our vile body1 that it may fashioned like unto ,his glorious body 7ver4 #ba74 ,the body of our humiliation connects us with the soil1 out of which it was formed1 and by the products of which it is supported1 on which it walks1 and into which it falls at death4 ,it keeps us in constant physical connection with earth1 whatever be the progress of the spirit towards its high destiny--its commonwealth in heaven4 ,it limits intellectual power and development1 impedes spiritual growth and enjoyment1 and is soon fatigued with the soul's activity4 ,in it are the seeds of disease and pain1 from functional disorder and organic malady4 ,it is an animal nature which1 in spite of a careful and vigilant government1 is prone to rebellious outbreaks4 ,but this body is reserved to a high destiny3 it shall be like ,christ's heavenly body4 ,the brightness of heaven does not oppress ,him1 neither shall it dazzle us4 ,our humanity dies indeed1 and is decomposed2 but when ,he appears1 it shall be raised and beautified4 ,these bodies shall cease to be animal without ceasing to be human bodies1 and they shall become spiritual bodies--etherealised vehicles for the pure spirit that shall be lodged within them 7,eadie1 passim74 #b4 ,this transformation shall be effected by the ,divine power that controls the universe4--,according to the working whereby ,he is able even to subdue all things unto ,himself 7ver4 #ba74 ,while omniscience is the actual possession or exercise of all knowledge1 omnipotence is universal ability1 which may or may not yet have put forth all its energies1 for what is possible to it may not have been effected by it4 ,but ,christ shall put forth ,his power1 as we know from other sources1 and death itself shall be swallowed up in victory--that which has swallowed up all humanity shall be surrounded by a wider vortex and be itself engulfed4 ,this body of our humiliation has some surviving element1 or some indissoluble link1 which warrants the notion and shall secure the consciousness of identity1 in whatever that identity may consist 7,eadie74 ,if man's art and device can produce so pure and white a fabric as paper from filthy rags1 what shall hinder ,god by ,his mighty power to raise the vile body from the grave and refine and fashion it like unto the glorious body of ,christ8 ,not a resurrection1 says ,neander1 as a restoration merely of the same earthly body in the same earthly form2 but a glorious transformation1 proceeding from the ,divine1 the all-subduing power of ,christ2 so that believers1 free from all the defects of the earthly existence1 released from all its barriers1 may reflect the full image of the heavenly ,christ in their whole glorified personality1 in the soul pervaded by the ,divine life and its now perfectly assimilated glorified organ4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian citizen is but a sojourner on earth4 #b4 ,his conduct on earth is regulated by a heavenly life4 #c4 ,he looks for his highest honours and enjoyments in the future4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,christian ,citizenship4 ,i4 ,the heavenly citizenship of ,christians4--#a4 ,the city to which they belong--heaven4 #b4 ,when are true ,christians made citizens of this heavenly state8 ,when they are pardoned4 #c4 ,what are the privileges connected with this state of relation to the heavenly city8 7#a7 ,freedom4 7#b7 ,admits to honourable employment and office4 7#c7 ,fellowship and communion with the whole body of ,israel4 #d4 ,a right to the common property--the inheritance of the saints in light4 ,,ii4 ,the conduct manifested by true ,christians1 and corresponding with their privilege4--#a4 ,holiness4 #b4 ,boast of the institutions of the heavenly city4 #c4 ,are bold and courageous4 #d4 ,it will be seen in our spirit4 #e4 ,our affections are in heaven4--,r4 ,watson4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,the ,resurrection of the ,human ,body4 ,i4 ,we must be reminded of our sinful condition4--#a4 ,our body is called a body of humiliation1 because it1 as well as the spirit1 is the seat of sin4 #b4 ,if we consider the immense labour necessary to provide for its wants4 #c4 ,if we consider it as a clog to our devotion4 #d4 ,it must be still further humbled by death4 ,,ii4 ,the transformation of this humbled body4--#a4 ,there can be no deformity4 #b4 ,the excessive care necessary for the support of the body shall exist no more4 #c4 ,it shall be an assistant and no longer a hindrance to the operations of the deathless spirit4 ,,iii4 ,the means by which the transformation will be effected4--,the power of ,god answers all objections1 removes all difficulties4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,it becomes us to aspire to as much of the glory of the future state as can be attained4 #b4 ,this subject affords encouragement to us on the loss of our friends4 #c4 ,ought to fortify our minds against the fear of death4--,ibid4 ,the ,glorious ,destiny of the ,human ,body4--,if we are in ,christ1 ,he will gather up what is left1 ,he will transfigure it with the splendour of a new life1 ,he will change our body of humiliation that it may be fashioned like unto the body of ,his glory4 ,sown in the very extreme of physical weakness1 it will be raised in a strictly superhuman power2 sown a natural body controlled on every side by physical law1 it will be a true body still1 but a body that belongs to the sphere of spirit4 ,most difficult indeed it is even to the imagination to understand how this poor body1 our companion for so many years--part of our very selves--is to be first wrenched from us at death and then restored to us if we will1 transfigured by the majestic glory of the ,son of ,god4 ,little can we understand this inaccessibility to disease1 the radiant beauty1 the superiority to material obstacles in moving through space1 the spirituality1 in short1 which awaits without destroying it4 ,heavy and dull this frame of limbs and heart4 ,whether slow creeping on cold earth1 or borne ,on lofty steed ,or loftier prow1 we dart ,o'er wave or field1 ,yet breezes laugh to scorn ,our puny speed1 ,and birds1 and clouds in heaven1 ,and fish like living shafts that pierce the main1 ,and stars that shoot through freezing air at even4 ,who would not follow1 might he break his chain8 ,and thou shalt break it soon4 ,the grovelling worm ,shall find his wings1 and soar as fast and free ,as his transfigured ,lord1 with lightning form ,and snowy vest4 ,such grace ,he won for thee ,when from the grave ,he sprang at dawn of morn1 ,and led1 through bondless air1 thy conquering road1 ,leaving a glorious track where saints new-born ,might fearless follow to their blest abode4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,brethren beloved and longed for 4 4 4 beloved4--,by these caressing titles1 which1 however1 are not words of flattery but of sincere love1 he works his way into their hearts4 ,the beloved repeated at the close of the verse is like the clinging embrace of affection4 ,my joy4--,the most delectable joy of ,st4 ,john was to hear that his children walked in truth4 ,so ,st4 ,paul says of his ,philippian converts1 as he had said of their neighbours of the ,thessalonian ,church1 that they are his joy4 ,and crown4--,the word must be carefully distinguished from 'diadem4' ,it means a chaplet or wreath1 and the idea it conveys may be either 7#a7 victory1 or 7#b7 merriment1 as the wreath was worn equally by the conqueror and by the holiday-maker 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #c4 ,and ,i entreat thee also1 true yokefellow4--,it is doubtful whom the apostle addresses4 ,on the whole1 however1 it seems most probable that ,epaphroditus1 the bearer of the epistle1 is intended 7so ,lightfoot1 following ,hofmann74 ,meyer says3 ,laying aside arbitrariness and seeing that the address is surrounded by proper names1 we can only find in the word for 'yokefellow' a proper name1 4 4 4 genuine ,syzygus1 i4e4 thou who art in reality and substantially that which thy name expresses3 'fellow-in-yoke1 fellow-labourer4' ,whose names are in the book of life4--,st4 ,paul had before said the polity of the ,christians was a heavenly one4 ,here he says there is a burgess list from which no name of a true citizen is ever by accident omitted--though by any chance he might have omitted to mention his co-workers in his epistle4 ,ver4 #d4 ,rejoice in the ,lord4--,r4,v4 margin1 ,farewell4 ,the word is neither farewell alone1 nor rejoice alone 7,lightfoot74 ,that the ,a4,v4 and ,r4,v4 texts are justified in so translating seems clear from the always which follows4 ,ver4 #e4 ,let your moderation be known4--,this moderation or forbearance is the very opposite of the spirit which will cavil on the ninth part of a hair in the way of asserting personal rights4 ,ver4 #f4 ,be careful for nothing4--,r4,v4 in nothing be anxious4 ,the word suggests the idea of a poor distraught mind on which concerns have fastened themselves1 which drag1 one in one direction1 another in the opposite4 ,well says ,bengel1 ,care and prayer are more opposed than water and fire4 ,in all things1 prayer--in nothing1 care4 ,by prayer4--,the general idea of an expression of dependence4 ,supplication4--,the specific request--the word hinting too at the attitude of the petitioner1 e4g4 clasping the feet of the person from whom the favour is asked4 ,with thanksgiving4--,the preservative against any possible defiance which might otherwise find its way into the tone of the prayer1 or on the other hand against a despair which creeps over those who think ,god bears long and forgets to answer4 ,ver4 #g4 ,and the peace of ,god1 which passeth all understanding4--,if we say the peace of ,god is so profound that the human mind cannot comprehend it1 no doubt that is an admissible interpretation of these words2 but it seems better far to say1 the peace of ,god excels all that the mere reason of man can do4 ,the 1 the highest faculty of man as such1 intended to be the guide of life1 oftener brings anxiety than a calm heart4 ,shall keep your hearts4--,as a watchman keeps a city4 ,lightfoot says we have a verbal paradox1 for to keep is a warrior's duty2 ,god's peace shall stand sentry1 shall keep guard over your hearts4 ,and minds4--,r4,v4 much better1 and thoughts1 for it is not the mind which thinks1 but the products of thinking which the word indicates4 ,the sentry questions all suspicious characters 7cf4 ,prov4 iv4 #bc1 and ,matt4 xv4 #ai74 ,ver4 #h4 ,whatsoever things are true4--,the apostle recognises the ability of the renewed mind to discern truth under any guise4 ,ye have an unction from the ,holy ,one and know all things 7#a ,john ii4 #bj74 ,honest4--,a4,v4 margin1 venerable4 ,r4,v4 text1 honourable4 ,r4,v4 margin1 reverend4 ,this variety shows the difficulty of finding an exact equivalent for the word of ,st4 ,paul1 in which the sense of gravity and dignity1 and of these as inviting reverence1 is combined4 ,just4--,answering to that which is normally right 7,cremer74 ,pure4--,as there is no impurity like fleshly impurity1 defiling body and spirit1 so the word pure expresses freedom from these 7,trench74 ,it denotes chastity in every part of life 7,calvin74 ,lovely4--,christian morality as that which is ethically beautiful is pre-eminently worthy to be loved4 ,nihil est amabilius virtute1 says ,cicero4 ,of good report4--,r4,v4 margin1 gracious4 ,lightfoot says fair-speaking and so winning1 attractive4 ,meyer says1 that which1 when named1 sounds significant of happiness1 e4g4 brave1 honest1 honourable4 ,if there be any virtue4--,the ,new ,testament is frugal of the word which is in such constant use in the heathen moralists4 ,if they sought to make man self-confident1 it seeks to shatter that confidence4 ,the noblest manliness is godliness4 ,think on these things4--,they are things to be reckoned with by every man sooner or later--occupy the thoughts with them now4 ,ver4 #i4 ,those things 4 4 4 do4--,here speaks the same man1 with a mind conscious of its own rectitude1 who could say1 ,i have lived in all good conscience before ,god unto this day4 ,he had not only allured his ,philippian converts to brighter worlds1 but had led the way4 ,the ,god of peace shall be with you4--,note the phrase in connection with the peace of ,god shall mount guard 7ver4 #g74 ,ver4 #aj4 ,hath flourished again4--,r4,v4 ye have revived your thought for me4 ,the active generosity of the ,philippians towards ,st4 ,paul had never died1 any more than a tree does when it sheds its leaves and stands bare all through the winter4 ,the winter of their disability was past1 and the return of the sun of prosperity made the kindly remembrance of the apostle sprout into a generous gift to him4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,not that ,i speak1 etc4--,do not mistake me2 ,i am not moved thus by the good of my own need4 ,the apostle does not leave it possible for one to say with the melancholy ,jaques1 ,when a man thanks me heartily1 methinks ,i have given him a penny and he renders me the beggarly thanks4 ,i have learned 4 4 4 to be content4--,self-sufficiency1 said ,socrates1 is nature's wealth4 ,st4 ,paul is only self-sufficient so far as ,christ dwells in him and assures him1 ,my grace is sufficient for thee 7cf4 ,heb4 xiii4 #e74 ,ver4 #ab4 ,i know how to be abased4--,to be in reduced circumstances4 ,i know how to abound4--,to be in affluence4 ,by this it does not appear that ,st4 ,paul meant1 ,i have chewed the bitter cud of penury1 and tasted the sweets of prosperity4 ,many a man has had to do that--everything lies in how it is done4 ,it is as much beneath the ,christian philosopher to make a wry face at the one1 as to clap the hands in childish glee at the other4 ,i am instructed1 etc4--,lit4 ,i have been initiated4 ,the pass-word is in the apostle's possession--no novice is he4 ,to be full and to be hungry4--,as if we said to pasture and to pine4 ,it is the psalmist's green pastures and still waters4 4 4 4 ,the valley of the shadow of death 7,ps4 xxiii474 ,ver4 #ac4 ,i can do all things through ,christ which strengtheneth me4--,a fresh general statement of the self-sufficiency of ver4 #aa4 ,in the grand brevity how marked is the assurance1 and at the same time humility 7,meyer74 ,ver4 #ae4 ,no ,church communicated with me4--,the lofty independence of the apostle had not unbent to any other ,church as to this4 ,there are men from whom one could never receive a gift without sacrifice of self-respect4 ,st4 ,paul was not the man to be patronised4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,an odour of a sweet smell1 a sacrifice acceptable1 well pleasing to ,god4--,the last word transfers their deed to another sphere entirely4 ,ye did it unto ,me1 says ,christ 7,matt4 xxv4 #dj74 ,ver4 #ai4 ,my ,god shall supply all your need4--,did ,i say1 ,i am filled8 7ver4 #ah74 ,i can make you no return1 but my ,god will4 ,he will fulfil every need of yours4 ,according to ,his riches in glory4--,according to the abundant power and glorious omnipotence whereby as ,lord of heaven and earth ,he can bestow what ,he will4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,the saints 4 4 4 of ,csar's household4--,this expression does not oblige us to think that any relatives of ,csar had embraced ,christianity4 ,it comprises all who in any way were connected with the imperial service4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,be with you all4--,the oldest ,,mss4 read1 ,be with your spirit4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #a4 ,a ,plea for ,steadfastness-- ,i4 ,after the pattern of those worthy of imitation4--,so stand fast in the ,lord4 ,having pointed out the dignity of ,christian citizenship and the exalted conduct befitting those possessing its privileges1 the apostle exhorts them to steadfastness in imitating those who1 through evil and good report and in the midst of opposition and suffering1 had bravely maintained their loyalty to ,christ4 ,so stand fast--be sincere and earnest in devotion to ,god1 as they were2 be faithful and unflinching1 as they were2 triumph over the world1 the flesh1 and the devil1 as they did4 ,behold1 we count them worthy who endure2 and the same distinction of character is attainable by every follower of ,christ1 attainable by patient continuance in well-doing4 ,the ideal of a steadfast character is embodied in the ,lord1 who was ,himself a supreme example of unfaltering obedience and love4 ,follow ,him2 being united to ,him by faith1 deriving continual inspiration and strength from ,his ,spirit1 stand fast in ,him4 ,riding up to a regiment that was hard pressed at ,waterloo1 the ,duke of ,wellington cried to the men1 ,stand fast1 ,ninety-fifth6 ,what will they say in ,england8 ,history records how successfully the appeal was obeyed4 ,stand fast1 ,christians6 ,what will they say in the heavenly city to which you belong1 and for whose interests you are fighting8 ,william of ,orange said he learnt a word while crossing the ,english ,channel which he would never forget4 ,when in a great storm the captain was all night crying out to the man at the helm1 ,steady6 steady6 steady6 ,,ii4 ,addressed to those who have given evidence of willingness to be instructed4--,my joy and crown4 ,the ,philippians who had embraced the ,gospel he preached1 and whose lives had been changed by its power1 were the joy and crown of the devoted apostle4 ,the crown was not the diadem of royalty1 but the garland of victory4 ,he has in his mind the famous athletic games of the ,greeks1 which in the diligent training and the strenuous effort to gain the laurel coronet1 and the intensity of joy felt by the victors1 were a significant illustration of the ,christian life1 whether as regards the spiritual progress of the believer himself1 or his work for the salvation of others4 ,he believed the ,lord would place around his brow an imperishable garland of honour1 of which each soul that had been quickened1 comforted1 and strengthened by him would be a spray or leaf4 ,in ,nero's prison1 aged1 worn with trouble1 manacled1 uncertain of life1 he rejoiced in being a successful minister of ,christ--a conqueror wreathed with amaranth4 ,the emperor in his palace was in heart weary and wretched2 the prisoner was restful and happy1 invested with a glory that should shine on undimmed1 when the glitter of ,nero's power and grandeur should vanish as a dream4 ,the satisfaction enjoyed by those who first led us to ,christ and who have helped us in our spiritual struggles1 is another reason for continued steadfastness and fidelity4 ,,iii4 ,urged with affectionate solicitude4--,my brethren deeply beloved and longed for1 4 4 4 my dearly beloved4 ,the terms employed are the outflow of a jubilant spirit1 and are full of tender endearment and loving appreciation4 ,love delights to exaggerate2 yet there is no exaggeration here4 ,the ,philippians were to the apostle brethren beloved--dearly beloved--children of the same spiritual ,father1 members of the one family of ,god1 united together in a happy ,christian brotherhood4 ,he recalls the first introduction of the ,gospel into ,philippi1 the preaching of the ,word1 the impression made1 the converts won1 the formation of the ,church1 and its growth and prosperity1 amid labours and suffering4 ,attachments were then formed that deepened and strengthened with the years4 ,christian friendships call forth the finest feelings of the soul1 and form a strong bond of union in the love of a common ,saviour4 ,christ will have no forced selection of men1 no soldiers by compulsion1 no timorous slaves1 but children1 brethren1 friends4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,steadfastness is a test of genuine devotedness4 #b4 ,instability is a loss of advantages often won at great cost4 #c4 ,they who endure will finally conquer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #b1 #c4 ,glimpses of ,life in the ,early ,church4 ,i4 ,the early planting of the ,gospel involved arduous and united toil4--,which laboured with me in the gospel 7ver4 #c74 ,prodigious as were the labours of ,paul1 he could never have accomplished the work he did but for the willing co-operation of others4 ,there is great art in evoking the sympathy and help of those who can help forward the work of ,god4 ,christian work finds scope for all kinds of talents and agencies4 ,pioneer work is rough work and tests all our powers and resources4 ,the difficulties of the work unite its propagators in heart and hand4 ,there is little good done without strenuous labour1 though the results of our toil are not always immediately apparent4 ,dr4 ,judson laboured diligently for six years in ,burmah before he baptised a convert4 ,at the end of three years he was asked what evidence he had of ultimate success4 ,he replied1 ,as much as there is a ,god who will fulfil all ,his promises4 ,a hundred churches and thousands of converts already answer his faith4 ,,ii4 ,the names of ,gospel pioneers are not forgotten4--,with ,clement also1 and with other my fellow-labourers1 whose names are in the book of life 7ver4 #c74 ,some of these names are recorded in the pages of history and handed down to our day2 the rest1 though unknown on earth1 are registered in the imperishable pages of the book of life4 ,clement1 though unknown to fame and unidentified with any other of the same name mentioned in history1 is referred to here as recognising the apostle's cordial recollection of his valuable work4 ,but the unknown on earth are not forgotten in heaven4 ,the work we do for ,god will live for ever4 ,when ,columbus was homeward bound after his brilliant discovery of a new world he was overtaken by a terrible storm4 ,in his indescribable agony that not only his life and that of his crew1 but his magnificent discovery must all go down and be lost in the abyss1 and that1 too1 not far from land1 he committed to the deep hurried entries of that discovery sealed up in bottles1 in the hope that some day they might reach land4 ,we need not be unduly anxious about either our work or our fame2 ,god will take care of both4 ,,iii4 ,from the earliest times women have rendered valuable help in the propagation of the ,gospel4--,euodias1 ,syntyche1 4 4 4 women which laboured with me in the gospel 7vers4 #b1 #c74 ,in the ,temple worship the ,jewish women were fenced off in a court by themselves4 ,the woman occupied an inferior religious position in ,rabbinical teaching4 ,it was a shock to public feeling to see a rabbi talking to a female4 ,even the disciples were surprised that their ,master should be found conversing with a woman on the brink of the ,samaritan well4 ,jesus ,christ broke down this middle wall of partition as ,he had broken down the other4 ,here1 again1 ,he made both one4 ,if in ,christ there is no distinction of ,jew and ,gentile1 neither is there of male or female4 ,women were ,his faithful and constant attendants2 women were the favoured witnesses of ,his resurrection2 women were among the most helpful fellow-workers of the apostles4 ,there was an organised ministry of women deaconesses and widows in the ,apostolic ,church4 ,what women those ,christians have1 exclaimed the heathen rhetorician1 on learning about ,anthusa1 the mother of ,chrysostom4 ,anthusa at the early age of twenty lost her husband1 and thenceforward devoted herself wholly to the education of her son1 refusing all offers of further marriage4 ,her intelligence and piety moulded the boy's character and shaped the destiny of the man1 who in his subsequent eminence never forgot what he owed to maternal influence4 ,it is no exaggeration to say that we owe those rich homilies of ,chrysostom1 of which interpreters of ,scripture still make great use1 to the mind and heart of ,anthusa4 ,,iv4 ,we learn the apostolic method of reconciling two eminent women in serious disagreement4--#a4 ,he addresses to each an earnest and pointed exhortation to unity4 ,i beseech ,euodias1 and beseech ,syntyche1 that they be of the same mind in the ,lord 7ver4 #b74 ,he repeats the entreaty to show that he placed the like obligation on each of them4 ,he does not exhort the one to be reconciled to the other1 for they might have doubted who should take the initiative1 and they might wonder1 from the position of their names and construction of the sentence1 to which of them the apostle attached the more blame4 ,but he exhorts them both1 the one and the other1 to think the same thing--not only to come to a mutual understanding1 but to preserve it4 ,the cause of quarrel might be some unworthy question about priority or privilege1 even in the prosecution of the good work--vainglory leading to strife4 ,it does not seem to have been any difference in creed or practice 7,eadie74 #b4 ,he recognises their devoted and impartial labours4--,those women which laboured with me in the gospel 7ver4 #c74 ,their work does not appear to have been done from personal friendship1 as is often the case2 they treated all and helped all alike4 ,they were deeply interested in the spread of the ,gospel and the increase of the ,church1 and toiled with such self-sacrificing devotion as to elicit the special commendation of the apostle4 #c4 ,he entreated that help might be rendered them in the adjustment of their quarrel4--,and ,i intreat thee also1 true yokefellow1 help those women 7ver4 #c74 ,a third party is appealed to1 to interpose his good offices--an evidence that ,paul regarded the harmony of these two women a matter of no small importance4 ,mediation between two persons at variance is delicate and difficult work1 but if judiciously done may help to a reconciliation4 ,women were the first to receive the ,gospel at ,philippi1 and from the first used their influence and opportunities in commending it to their sex4 ,the unseemly misunderstanding between these two women whose labours had been so blessed made it the more necessary that something should be done to heal the breach4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,pioneer work has special hardships and temptations4 #b4 ,the best of women may quarrel4 #c4 ,it is the wise policy of the ,christian statesman to compose and strive to prevent discord and disunion4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #b4 ,feminine ,disagreement-- ,i4 ,may occasion much mischief in a ,church4 ,,ii4 ,all the more dangerous where the parties are eminent in gifts and labours 7ver4 #c74 ,,iii4 ,reconciled when truly possessing one mind in ,christ4--,be of the same mind in the ,lord4 ,,iv4 ,the most earnest entreaty should be employed to rectify4--,i beseech ,euodias1 and beseech ,syntyche4 ,ver4 #c4 ,names in the ,book4 ,i4 ,some observations4--#a4 ,it is a great thing to have a name in the ,new ,testament4--,think of the roll-call in ,rom4 xvi4 and ,heb4 xi4 #b4 ,it is a great thing now to have a name in the family ,bible1 for that generally signifies ,christian training and parental prayers4 #c4 ,it is a great thing to have a name upon the pages of a church register4--,how affecting are these old manuals1 with their lists of pious men and women1 many of whom have passed into the skies4 #d4 ,it is the greatest thing of all to have a name in the ,lamb's ,book of ,life4--,beyond all fame 7,matt4 xi4 #aa74 ,beyond all power 7,luke x4 #bj74 ,,ii4 ,some questions4--#a4 ,in how many books is your name written now8 #b4 ,how can a human name be written securely in the ,lamb's ,book of ,life8 #c4 ,to backsliders3 are you going to return to your name1 or do you want it to come back to you8 #d4 ,to ,christian workers3 how many names have you helped to write in the ,book of ,life8 #e4 ,is there any cheer in thinking how our names will sound when the books are opened in the white light of the throne8--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #d4 ,christian ,joy-- ,i4 ,is in the ,lord4--,rejoice in the ,lord4 ,the joy of the ,christian is not in his own achievements1 still less is it in himself or in his own experiences4 ,a glance at ourselves and the imperfections of our work for ,god fills us with shame and sadness4 ,pure1 lasting joy is found nowhere but in the ,lord4 ,when ,mhler1 the eminent ,roman ,catholic symbolist1 asserted that in the neighbourhood of a man who1 without any restriction1 declared himself sure of his salvation1 he should be in a high degree uneasy1 and that he could not repel the thought that there was something diabolical beneath this1 he only afforded a deep glance into the comfortlessness of a heart which seeks the ultimate ground of its hope in self-righteousness1 and in making assurance of salvation to depend on attainment in holiness instead of in simple faith in ,christ4 ,the friends of ,haller congratulated him on the honour of having received a visit in his last hours from the emperor ,joseph ,,ii42 but the dying man simply answered1 ,rejoice that your names are written in heaven4 ,the more we realise ,christ1 not as a dim abstraction or a mere historic personage1 but as a living and loving personal reality1 the more truly can we rejoice in ,him4 ,,ii4 ,is constant4--,always4 ,christian joy is not a capricious sentiment1 a fitful rapture1 but a steady1 uniform1 and continued emotion4 ,the direction of the apostle to rejoice always sounds like a paradox4 ,how can we continually rejoice when we are continually in the midst of sin1 suffering1 and sorrow8 ,still1 when we think of the change ,divine grace has wrought in us1 when we think of the ample provisions of the ,gospel every moment available to us1 when we contemplate the bright prospects before us which even present distresses cannot dim1 and when we remember the infinite ability of our ,lord to accomplish all ,he had promised us1 our joy may well be perennial4 ,airay1 the earliest ,english expositor of this epistle1 has well said3 ,when ,satan1 that old dragon1 casts out many flouds of persecutions against us2 when wicked men cruelly1 disdainfully1 and despitefully speake against us2 when lying1 slandering1 and deceitful mouthes are opened upon us2 when we are mocked and jested at and had in derision of all them that are about us2 when we are afflicted1 tormented1 and made the world's wonder2 when the sorrowes of death compasse us and the flouds of wickednesse make us afraid1 and the paines of hell come even unto our soule2 what is it that holds up our heads that we sinke not1 how is it that we stand either not shaken1 or1 if shaken1 yet not cast downe8 ,is it not by our rejoycing which we have in ,christ ,jesus8 ,,iii4 ,is recommended by experience4--,and again ,i say rejoice4 ,paul recommended what he himself enjoyed4 ,if he1 in the midst of disappointment1 imprisonment1 and suffering1 would rejoice and did rejoice1 so may others4 ,it might be that1 as he wrote these words1 a temporary depression crept over him1 as he thought of himself as a prisoner in the immediate prospect of a cruel death4 ,it was but a passing feeling4 ,in a moment ,divine grace triumphed1 and with heightened elation and emphasis he repeated1 ,and again ,i will say1 rejoice4 ,we have already remarked that joy is the predominating feature of this epistle1 and to the last the apostle maintains the exalted strain4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,great joy is found in working for ,god4 #b4 ,joy is found not so much in the work as in the ,lord4 #c4 ,it is the ,christian's privilege to rejoice always4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #d4 ,rejoicing in the ,lord4 ,i4 ,the text involves the fact that believers may and should rejoice4--#a4 ,the world holds that believers have no enjoyment4 #b4 ,there are believers who all but teach this2 for--7#a7 they use not the language of joy themselves2 7#b7 they discourage it in others4 #c4 ,but that believers may and should rejoice is evident for--7#a7 joy is commanded as a duty2 7#b7 it is mentioned as a fruit of the ,holy ,ghost2 7#c7 it is a feature of the ,christian1 portrayed in the ,scriptures 7,acts ii4 #df1 #dg74 #d4 ,the spiritually-minded1 if not warped by some defective system of doctrine1 rejoice4 #e4 ,joy is quite consistent with those states of mind which are thought to be inconsistent with it4 ,sorrowful1 yet always rejoicing4 #f4 ,joy is the natural result of peace with ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the text exhibits the nature of the joy peculiar to the believer4--,he rejoices in the ,lord4 #a4 ,the world rejoices in the creature and shuts out ,god4 #b4 ,the believer rejoices only in ,god4 #c4 ,this joy has several elements4 7#a7 ,the believer rejoices that ,god is--,i am4 7#b7 ,he rejoices that ,he is what ,he is4 7#c7 ,he rejoices in the manifestations of ,his glory1 which ,he has made in ,his ,word1 works1 and ways4 7#d7 ,he rejoices in his own relation to ,him in ,christ--boasting himself in ,god4 7#e7 ,he rejoices in the hope of the glory of ,god4 #d4 ,every element of pure and elevated pleasure is found in ,his joy4 #e4 ,it is fellowship with ,god ,himself in ,his joy4 ,,iii4 ,the text renders it binding upon the believer at all times to seek this privilege and to cherish this feeling--always4--,this command is reasonable1 for3 #a4 ,god is always the same4 #b4 ,the believer's relation to ,him is unalterable4 #c4 ,the way to ,god is always open4 #d4 ,the mind may always keep before it the views which cause joy--by the indwelling ,spirit4 ,,iv4 ,the manner in which the commandment of the text is pressed teaches us the importance of the duty it inculcates4--,its importance is manifest1 for3 #a4 ,it is the mainspring of worship and obedience4 #b4 ,it prevents a return to sinful pleasures4 #c4 ,it renders us superior to temporal suffering--fits for enduring for ,jesus ,christ4 #d4 ,it presents to the world 7#a7 ,true religion4 7#b7 ,connected with enjoyment4 ,v4 ,the manner in which the commandment of the text is expressed implies that there are obstacles in the way of obedience4--,what are some of the obstacles8 #a4 ,a habit1 natural and strong1 of drawing our satisfaction from the creature4 #b4 ,not keeping a conscience void of offence towards ,god and man4 #c4 ,not having the heart in a state to have sympathy with ,god's character4 #d4 ,not proportioning aright the amount of attention given to self and ,christ4 #e4 ,not making sure of our interest in ,christ4--,stewart4 ,joy in the ,lord-- ,i4 ,is intellectual4 ,,ii4 ,moral4 ,,iii4 ,spiritual4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,our power of rejoicing in the ,lord is a fair test of our moral and spiritual condition4 #b4 ,is a ,christian's main support under the trials of life4 #c4 ,is one of the great motive forces of the ,christian life4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verse #e4 ,christian ,equity-- ,i4 ,does not exact all the claims of legal justice4--,let your moderation forbearance be known4 ,human laws1 however carefully devised1 may sometimes1 if rigidly enforced1 act unjustly and cruelly4 ,we should guide ourselves at all times by the broad principles of equity in the sight of ,god4 ,we should not urge our own rights to the uttermost1 but be wiling to waive a part1 and thus rectify the injustice of justice4 ,the archetype of this grace is ,god1 who presses not the strictness of ,his law against us as we deserve1 though having exacted the fullest payment for us from our ,divine ,surety 7,fausset74 ,it is not gentleness as an innate feeling1 but as the result of self-restraint4 ,it does not insist on what is its due1 it does not stand on etiquette or right1 but it descends and complies4 ,it is opposed to that rigour which never bends nor deviates1 and which1 as it gives the last farthing1 uniformly exacts it4 ,it is not facile pliability--a reed in a breeze--but that generous and indulgent feeling that knows what is its right1 but recedes from it2 is conscious of what is merited1 but does not contend for strict proportion4 ,it is that grace which was defective in one or other1 or both1 of the women who are charged by the apostle to be of one mind in the ,lord4 ,for1 slow to take offence1 it is swift to forgive it4 ,let a misunderstanding arise1 and no false delicacy will prevent it from taking the first step towards reconciliation or adjustment of opinion 7,eadie74 ,,ii4 ,should be evident in dealing with all classes4--,be known unto all men4 ,we are to practise forbearance1 not only towards our ,christian brethren1 but towards the world1 even towards the enemies of the ,gospel4 ,it is a rebuke to the ,christian spirit to be austere1 unbending1 and scrupulously exacting4 ,if we are always rejoicing in the ,lord1 we cannot cherish hard feelings towards any4 ,the ,christian should be notorious for gentleness and forbearance2 all with whom we come in contact should be made to know it and feel it4 ,we should be prepared for yielding up what may be our own rights1 and to endure wrong rather than dishonour ,christ1 or give a false representation of the heavenly life which ,he exemplified and recommended1 and which is becoming in all ,his professed followers4 ,this gentleness manifests itself at one time as equanimity and patience under all circumstances1 among all men and in manifold experiences2 at another as integrity in business relations2 as justice1 forbearance1 and goodness in exercising power2 as impartiality and mercy in judging2 as noble yielding1 joyful giving1 and patent enduring and forgiving 7,passavant74 ,,iii4 ,should be practised as conscious of the near advent of ,christ4--,the ,lord is at hand4 ,the early ,church had a vivid sense of the immediateness of the second coming of ,christ1 and were taught to do and bear everything as in ,his sight4 ,we lose much in spiritual power1 and in the realisation of eternal things1 when we consign that advent to the remote and indistinct future4 ,after all1 the second coming of ,christ1 and not our own death1 is the goal on which our eye should be fixed1 as the period which will furnish us with the true and final value of our life-work4 ,in the first ages it would have been deemed a kind of apostasy not have sighed after the day of the ,lord4 ,the coming of the ,lord is a motive to show moderation and clemency towards all men1 even towards our enemies1 for the great ,judge is near1 who will rectify all inequalities and redress all wrongs4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,equity is superior to legal enactments4 #b4 ,it is a sorry spectacle when ,christians appeal to the civil courts to settle their differences4 #c4 ,the ,christian spirit is the highest equity4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f1 #g4 ,the ,cure of ,care4 ,i4 ,that all anxious care is needless4--,be careful for nothing 7ver4 #f74 ,it is not forethought that is here condemned1 but anxious1 distracting care4 ,care is a kill-joy and is the great enemy of ,christian peace4 ,the future is not ours2 why be anxious about it8 ,the past is done with1 and regrets about it are unavailing4 ,the future is provided for1 for ,god1 the great ,provider1 is ahead of every step we take towards that future4 ,the ancient custom of distracting a criminal by tying him to the wheels of two chariots which were then driven in opposite directions well illustrates how cares may be allowed to distract the mind4 ,we put ourselves on the rack when we ought to cast our care on ,god1 not in part1 nor occasionally1 but in all things and at all times4 ,care depreciates the value of all our past blessings and dims our vision of the blessings we now actually possess4 ,after the great military victories of ,marlborough in #agjd1 he one day said3 ,i have for these last ten days been so troubled by the many disappointments ,i have had1 that ,i think if it were possible to vex me so for a fortnight longer1 it would make the end of me4 ,in short1 ,i am weary of my life4 ,,ii4 ,that all anxious care should be taken to ,god in thankful prayer4--,but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving1 let your requests be made known unto ,god 7ver4 #f74 ,the best system of heathen philosophy regarded equability of mind1 undisturbed alike by the troubles and allurements of the world1 as the most perfect state of the soul2 but it did not provide any adequate motive for attaining this desirable equipoise4 ,it could only state the theory and insist on its importance2 but refractory human nature had its own way1 in spite of philosophy4 ,the apostle supplies in these words a nobler and more workable philosophy4 ,he not only exhorts us to tranquillity of mind but shows us how it may be attained and kept4 ,in all kinds of anxieties and especially in the struggles of religious doubt1 prayer is the truest philosophy4 ,our difficulties vanish when we take them to ,god4 ,by caring and by fretting1 ,by agony and fear1 ,there is of ,god no getting2 ,but prayer ,he will hear4 ,we should cast our care on ,god because ,he is our ,father4 ,a father's office is to provide for his family4 ,it is out of place for a child to be anxiously making provision for emergencies--asking where to-morrow's food and clothing are to come from1 and how the bills are to be paid4 ,we should rebuke such precocity1 and send the child to school or to play1 and leave all such matters to the ordained caretaker4 ,the birds of the air are taken care of2 so shall we be1 even though our faith is small4 ,our prayers run along one road1 and ,god's answers by another1 and by-and-by they meet4 ,god answers all true prayer1 either in kind or in kindness 7,judson74 ,,iii4 ,that the peace of ,god in the heart will effectually banish all care4--,and the peace of ,god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #g74 ,the enemies of peace are3 melancholy1 to which the apostle opposed joy in the ,lord 7ver4 #d72 want of self-restraint or intemperance of feeling or conduct1 to which he opposes moderation 7ver4 #e72 care and anxiety1 or unthankfulness and unbelief1 to which he opposes grateful and earnest prayer 7ver4 #f72 the final result is peace 7ver4 #g74 ,the peace that ,god gives passeth all understanding2 it is deep1 precious1 immeasurable4 ,god alone fully understands the grandeur of ,his own gift4 ,it is an impenetrable shield to the believing soul2 it guards the fortress in peace though the shafts of care are constantly hurled against it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,our sins breed our cares4 #b4 ,god is ever willing to take up the burden of our cares4 #c4 ,only as we commit our cares to ,god have we peace4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,the ,remedy for ,worldly ,care4 ,i4 ,a caution or warning4--,be careful for nothing4 #a4 ,this does not respect duty4--,we must have a care for our ,lord's interests4 #b4 ,but having performed duty1 we are not to be careful as to consequences4--7#a7 ,because unnecessary4 ,christ cares4 7#b7 ,because useless4 ,it cannot ward off the evil4 ,the evil only in imagination4 ,the evil often a good4 ,itself the greatest evil4 #c4 ,because positively sinful4--7#a7 ,it breaks a commandment4 7#b7 ,it sets aside promises4 7#c7 ,it undervalues experience4 7#d7 ,it distrusts ,god's wisdom and goodness4 7#e7 ,it is rebellion against ,god's arrangements4 7#f7 ,it is an intrusion into ,god's province4 #d4 ,because hurtful and injurious4--7#a7 ,it often deters from duty4 7#b7 ,it destroys the comforts of duty4 ,,ii4 ,counsel or advice as to the manner in which the evil is to be avoided4--,but in everything by prayer and supplication4 #a4 ,the correction is not a needless and reckless indifference4 #b4 ,the emphatic word here is everything4 ,this describes the range of prayer4 ,this precept is generally neglected4 #c4 ,the performance of this duty would correct carefulness4 ,it places everything under ,god's government1 and leaves it there4 ,it leads to a study of the ,divine will in secular affairs4 ,our prospects and plans are thus tested4 ,it gives to every event the character of an answer to prayer--evil as well as good4 ,prayer1 i4e4 direct entreaty or petition4 ,supplication1 i4e4 deprecation4 ,thanksgiving for all past and present4 ,,iii4 ,a promise as to the results of following this counsel or advice4--,and the peace of ,god1 which passeth all understanding1 shall keep your hearts and minds4 #a4 ,the mind and the heart are the seat of care4--,the mind calculates1 imagines4 ,the heart feels fear1 grief1 despair4 #b4 ,the mind and heart are made the seat of peace4--,the peace of ,god1 which passeth all understanding1 shall keep your hearts and minds through ,jesus ,christ4 ,the peace which ,god has flows from unity1 from omnipotence4 ,this is the peace of ,god1 because ,he gives it4 #c4 ,this peace comes through ,jesus ,christ4--,he produces the unity4 ,he encircles with omnipotence4--,stewart4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,anxious ,care4 ,i4 ,the evil to be avoided4--#a4 ,care is excessive when it is inconsistent with peace and quietness4 #b4 ,when it induces loss of temper4 #c4 ,when it makes us distrustful of ,providence4 #d4 ,when it hurries us into any improper course of conduct4 7#a7 ,anxiety is useless4 7#b7 ,is positively injurious4 7#c7 ,exerts a mischievous influence on others4 7#d7 ,is criminal4 ,,ii4 ,the proper course to be pursued4--#a4 ,prayer4 #b4 ,supplication4 #c4 ,thanksgiving4 ,,iii4 ,the happiness to be enjoyed4--,the peace of ,god1 which passeth understanding1 shall keep your hearts and minds through ,jesus ,christ4--,dr4 ,robt4 ,newton4 ,ver4 #f4 ,subjects of ,prayer4 ,i4 ,for temporal blessings4--#a4 ,our health4 ,value of health4 ,dependence on ,god4 #b4 ,our studies4 ,not to supersede diligence4 ,communicates a right impulse4 ,secures a right direction4 #c4 ,our undertakings4 ,agricultural1 commercial4 ,,ii4 ,for spiritual blessings4--#a4 ,for pardon4 ,of our daily sins in thought1 word1 and deed4 ,of all our sins4 #b4 ,for holiness in heart and life4 ,regeneration1 faith1 love1 hope1 meekness1 zeal1 resignation1 obedience4 #c4 ,for usefulness and happiness4 ,,iii4 ,for the outpouring of the ,holy ,spirit4--#a4 ,on ourselves4 #b4 ,on our relatives and friends4 #c4 ,on the ,church4 #d4,on the world4 ,,iv4 ,for the spread of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,for the multiplication of the necessary means4 #b4 ,for the removal of obstacles4 #c4 ,for the success of labourers4 #d4 ,for the conversion of sinners4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,true ,prayer4 ,i4 ,true prayer is specific as well as earnest4--,nothing is too little to be made the subject of prayer4 ,the very act of confidence is pleasing to ,god and tranquillising to the supplicant4 ,god is not only willing to hear the details1 but ,he desires that we should tell ,him4 ,,ii4 ,true prayer consists of confession1 supplication1 and thanksgiving4--,we are to confess our sins1 ask forgiveness1 and do it with gratitude and thankfulness4 ,god will not answer the requests of unthankful beggars4 ,without thanksgiving what we call prayer is presumption4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,ver4 #g4 ,the ,peace of ,god keeping the ,heart4 ,i4 ,the nature of this defending principle4--,it has as its basis forgiving mercy4 ,,ii4 ,its author4--,the peace of ,god4 ,it is called ,his peace1 because that work of mercy on which it rests is ,his work1 and ,he ,himself communicates the peace4 ,,iii4 ,its property4--,passeth all understanding4 #a4 ,the understanding of such as are strangers to it4 #b4 ,they who enjoy it the most cannot fully comprehend it4 ,,iv4 ,its effects4--,shall keep your hearts and minds4 #a4 ,in temptation it secures the heart by satisfying the heart4 #b4 ,it keeps the heart in affliction4 #c4 ,it keeps the mind by settling the judgment1 and keeping doubts and errors out of the mind4 ,v4 ,its source and the instrumentality by which it works4--,through ,christ ,jesus4--,c4 ,bradley4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #h1 #i4 ,the ,science of ,christian ,ethics-- ,i4 ,demands the study of every genuine virtue4--,whatsoever things are true1 honest1 just1 pure1 lovely1 of good report1 4 4 4 think on these things 7ver4 #h74 ,in regard to what is honourable1 just1 pure1 lovely1 and of good report1 there is a true and a false standard1 and for this reason the apostle here places the true at the beginning1 that when the following exhortations are presented1 this fact which our experience so often discloses may at once occur to the ,christian1 and he may be led to examine himself and see whether he also is everywhere seeking for the true 7,schleiermacher74 ,genuine virtue has its root in genuine religion4 ,the modern school of ethics1 which professes to teach morality as something apart from spiritual ,christianity1 is a return to the exploded theories of pagan moralists1 an attempt to dress up pre-,christian philosophy in a nineteenth-century garb4 ,the morality that is lovely and of good report is ,christian morality--the practical1 liveable ethics of the ,new ,testament4 ,the ethical terms used in this verse are closely united4 ,the true1 the becoming1 the right1 and the pure are elements of virtue or moral excellence1 and when exhibited in practical life are lovely and worthy of all praise4 ,the charm of the ,christian character is not the cultivation of one virtue that overshadows all the rest1 but the harmonious blending of all the virtues in the unity of the ,christian life4 ,christian ethics should be earnestly studied1 not as matters of pure speculation1 but because of their supreme importance and utility in the moral conduct of every-day life4 ,,ii4 ,requires the translation of high moral principles into practical life4--,those things which ye have both learned1 and received1 and heard1 and seen in me1 do 7ver4 #i74 ,it is one thing to ponder1 admire1 and applaud morality2 it is another thing to practise it4 ,the apostle not only taught ,christian ethics1 but practised them1 and could point to his own example as worthy of imitation2 it was not1 ,do as ,i say1 but ,do as ,i do4 ,christian morality is of little value as a mere creed of ethics2 its true power is seen in changing1 elevating1 and refining the life4 ,we have all to lament there is such a wide chasm between theory and practice4 ,theory may be learned in a brief period2 practice is the work of a lifetime4 ,the theory of music may be rapidly apprehended1 but the mastery of any one instrument1 such as the violin or organ1 demands patient and incessant practice4 ,it means detail-work1 plod1 perseverance1 genius4 ,so is it with every virtue of ,christian ethics4 ,theory and practice should go together2 the one helps the other2 practice more clearly defines theory1 and theory more fully apprehended stimulates practice4 ,it is the practice of ,christian morality that preaches to the world a ,gospel that it cannot fail to understand and that is doing so much to renovate it4 ,lord ,bolingbroke1 an avowed infidel1 declared3 ,no religion ever appeared in the world whose tendency was so much directed to promote the peace and happiness of mankind as the ,christian religion4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ is one continued lesson of the strictest morality1 of justice1 benevolence1 and universal charity4 ,supposing ,christianity to be a human invention1 it is the most amiable and successful invention that ever was imposed on mankind for their good4 ,,iii4 ,links practical morality with the promise of ,divine blessing4--,and the ,god of peace shall be with you 7ver4 #i74 ,the upright man--the man who is striving to shape and mould his life on the ethics of the ,new ,testament--shall not only enjoy peace1 the peace of ,god1 which passeth all understanding1 but the ,god of peace shall be with him and in him4 ,true religion1 in healthy activity1 gives1 and can alone give1 a restfulness of spirit such as the troubles of life are impotent to disturb4 ,the two vital elements of true religion are communion with ,god and the diligent cultivation of practical holiness--conformity to the will of ,god in all things4 ,pray and bring forth the fruits of the ,spirit1 and the ,god of peace shall be with you1 preserving you from unrest and harm4 ,the peace of ,god is also an active principle1 gentle and noiseless in its activity1 which will help the soul to grow in ethical symmetry and beauty4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel is the foundation of the highest ethics4 #b4 ,no system of morality is trustworthy that does not lead to holy practice4 #c4 ,god helps the man who is honestly striving to live up to his light4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #h4 ,mercantile ,virtues without ,christianity4 ,i4 ,what a man of mercantile honour has4--,he has an attribute of character which is in itself pure1 lovely1 honourable1 and of good report4 ,he has a natural principle of integrity1 and under its impulse he may be carried forward to such fine exhibitions of himself as are worthy of all admiration4 ,it is very noble when the simple utterance of his word carries as much security along with it1 as if he had accompanied that utterance by the signatures1 the securities1 and the legal obligations which are required of other men4 ,all the glories of ,british policy and ,british valour are far eclipsed by the moral splendour which ,british faith has thrown over the name and the character of our nation4 ,there is no denying the extended prevalence of a principle of integrity in the commercial world4 ,,ii4 ,what a man of mercantile honour has not4--,he may not have one duteous feeling of reverence which points upward to ,god4 ,he may not have one wish or one anticipation which points forward to eternity4 ,he may not have any sense of dependence on the ,being who sustains ,him1 and who gave him his very principle of honour as part of that interior furniture which ,he has put into his bosom4 ,he is a man of integrity1 and yet he is a man of ungodliness4 ,this natural virtue1 when disjoined from a sense of ,god1 is of no religious estimation whatever2 nor will it lead to any religious blessing1 either in time or in eternity4--,t4 ,chalmers4 ,ver4 #i4 ,paul as an ,example to ,believers4 ,i4 ,he was distinguished by his decision of character in all that relates to religion4--,constitutionally ardent2 zealous as a ,pharisee4 ,from the day of his conversion he never faltered1 notwithstanding his privations1 his dangers1 his sufferings4 ,be decided4 ,,ii4 ,by his care about the culture of the ,divine life in his own soul4--,the student may desire to know the truth rather than to feel its power4 ,the preacher may be more solicitous about the power of the truth over others than over himself4 ,he never lost sight of the interests of his own soul4 ,,iii4 ,by his devotional habits4--,one would rather be the author of his prayers than of his sermons4 ,the difference between his prayers as a ,pharisee and as a ,christian4 ,the subject1 the spirit1 the style of his prayers as a ,christian4 ,be careful4 ,be not soon shaken in mind or troubled by speculations about the philosophy of prayer4 ,,iv4 ,by his spirituality and heavenly-mindedness4--,he did not show any interest in the class of worldly objects that might have been expected to interest a man of his order of mind4 ,he was absorbed in spiritual things4 ,the second coming of ,christ had a prominent place in his thoughts4 ,that day4 ,cultivates a habitual superiority to the things of time and sense4 ,seek the things that are above4 ,v4 ,by his patient submission to the dispensations of ,divine providence4--,rare amount of suffering4 ,strong feeling1 unmurmuring submission4 ,patient1 meek1 contented4 ,all from ,christian principle4 ,be resigned4 ,,vi4 ,by his laborious usefulness4--,sketch his career4 ,be useful4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ad4 ,the ,joy of a ,good ,man in ,extremity-- ,i4 ,stimulated by the practical evidence of the growth in his converts of ,christian thoughtfulness4--,your care of me hath flourished again2 wherein ye were also careful1 but ye lacked opportunity 7ver4 #aj74 ,the ,philippians were a hospitable people1 as was shown both by ,lydia and the gaoler1 who insisted on the privilege of ministering to the wants of the apostles in the beginning of their ministry at ,philippi4 ,the ,church in that city had already sent a liberal contribution to the apostle to help him in the missionary work2 and he now rejoices over another practical evidence of their generous thoughtfulness in the timely help they had sent him by the hands of ,epaphroditus4 ,paul and his mission were much in their thoughts1 and they were often devising how they might minister to his wants and further the work of the ,gospel4 ,they were eager to help him more frequently but lacked opportunity4 ,they valued the ,gospel so as to be willing to pay for it4 ,it is a gratifying and unmistakable proof of religious growth when we are anxious to contribute of our means1 according to our ability1 for the spread of the ,gospel4 ,liberality in money-giving is a crucial test of genuine godliness4 ,when the commission of excise wrote ,wesley1 ,we cannot doubt you have plate for which you have hitherto neglected to make an entry1 his laconic reply was1 ,i have two silver teaspoons at ,london1 and two at ,bristol2 this is all the plate which ,i have at present1 and ,i shall not buy any more at present while so many around me want bread4 ,it is estimated that he gave away more than #cj1jjj4 ,,ii4 ,maintained by having mastered the secret of ,christian contentment4--#a4 ,a contentment gained by actual experience of the ups and downs of life4 ,not that ,i speak in respect of want3 for ,i have learned1 in whatsoever state ,i am1 therewith to be content4 ,i know both how to be abased1 and ,i know how to abound2 everywhere and in all things ,i am instructed both to be full and to be hungry1 both to abound and to suffer need 7vers4 #aa1 #ab74 ,the checkered and eventful life of the apostle had taught him many lessons1 and not the least useful and important was the art of contentment4 ,a man with his varied experience is not easily inconvenienced by fluctuating fortunes4 ,contentment is gained1 not by the abundance of what we possess1 but by discovering how much we can do without4 ,that which we miscall poverty is indeed nature1 writes ,jeremy ,taylor2 and its proportions are the just measures of a man1 and the best instruments of content4 ,but when we create needs that ,god or nature never made1 we have erected to ourselves an infinite stock of trouble that can have no period4 ,most desires are first aroused by comparison with others4 ,sempronius complained of want of clothes and was much troubled for a new suit1 being ashamed to appear in the theatre with his gown a little threadbare2 but when he got it1 and gave his old clothes to ,codrus1 the poor man was ravished with joy and went and gave ,god thanks for his new purchase2 and ,codrus was made richly fine and cheerfully warm by that which ,sempronius was ashamed to wear2 and yet their natural needs were both alike4 #b4 ,a contentment inspired by ,divine strength4--,i can do all things through ,christ which strengtheneth me 7ver4 #ac74 ,the apostle's contentment was not self-sufficiency1 but self-sufficingness2 and this was acquired1 not only by the experiences of life1 but the help of ,divine grace4 ,he could conceive no circumstances in which that grace was not sufficient4 ,his contented mind he regarded as a gift of ,god4 ,i have learnt from ,thee1 ,o ,god1 writes ,augustine1 to distinguish between the gift and the fruit4 ,the gift is the thing itself1 which is given by one who supplies what is needed1 as money or raiment2 but the fruit is the good and well-ordered will of the giver4 ,it is a gift to receive a prophet and to give a cup of cold water2 but it is fruit to do those acts in the name of a prophet and in the name of a disciple4 ,the raven brought a gift to ,elias when it brought him bread and flesh1 but the widow fruit1 because she fed him as a man of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,gratefully commends the generosity of those who alleviate his extremity4--,notwithstanding ye have well done1 that ye did communicate with my affliction 7ver4 #ad74 ,though the apostle had learned contentment in every situation1 and his mind could accommodate itself to every change of circumstances2 though he had fresh and inexhaustible sources of consolation within himself1 and had been so disciplined as to acquire the mastery over his external condition and to achieve anything in ,christ2 yet he felt thankful for the sympathy of the ,philippian ,church1 and praised them for it4 ,his humanity was not absorbed in his apostleship1 and his heart1 though self-sufficed1 was deeply moved by such tokens of affection4 ,though he was contented1 he yet felt there was affliction--loss of liberty1 jealous surveillance1 inability to fulfil the great end of his apostolic mission4 ,this sympathy on the part of the ,philippians with the suffering representative of ,christ and ,his cause is the very trait of character which the ,judge selects for eulogy at last 7,matt4 xxv4 #ce7 7,eadie74 ,,iv4 ,had a ,divine source4--,but ,i rejoiced in the ,lord greatly 7ver4 #aj74 ,he regarded the gift as coming from the ,lord1 and his joy in its reception was from the same source4 ,he rejoiced the more in this practical evidence of the love and gratitude of his converts4 ,every kindness shown to us by others when it is recognised as coming from ,god1 will augment our joy in ,him4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,god does not forget ,his servants in distress4 #b4 ,a contented spirit is a fruit of ,divine grace4 #c4 ,it is a joy to be remembered by those we love4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,practical ,christian ,benevolence-- ,i4 ,is quick to see the needs of ,god's servants and of the cause in which they faithfully labour4 ,,ii4 ,eagerly watches every opportunity for supplying those needs4 ,,iii4 ,is a matter of exalted joy to those who fully appreciate both the supply and the motive that prompted it4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,tendency of ,christian ,principles to produce ,true ,contentment4 ,i4 ,christianity takes away the natural causes of discontent4--#a4 ,pride4 #b4 ,self-preference4 #c4 ,covetousness4 ,,ii4 ,christianity furnishes powerful motives for the exercise of a contented mind4--#a4 ,the disciples of ,christ are under the strongest obligations to walk in the footsteps of their ,divine ,master4 #b4 ,true ,christians are firmly convinced that their lot is chosen for them by their blessed ,lord and ,master4 #c4 ,it is chosen for them in infinite love and mercy to their souls4--,e4 ,cooper4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,contentment4 ,i4 ,that a man be content with his own estate without coveting that which is another's4 ,,ii4 ,that a man be content with his present estate4--#a4 ,because that only is properly his own4 #b4 ,all looking beyond that disquiets the mind4 #c4 ,the present is ever best4 ,,iii4 ,that a man be content with any estate4 ,,iv4 ,the art of contentment4--#a4 ,is not learned from nature4 #b4 ,or outward things4 #c4 ,but is taught us by ,god's ,spirit4 #d4 ,by ,his promises4 #e4 ,by the rod of discipline4 #f4 ,proficiency in contentment gained--7#a7 ,by despising unjust gain4 7#b7 ,by moderating worldly desires and care4 7#c7 ,by carefully using and charitably dispensing what we have4 7#d7 ,by bearing want and loss with patience4--,r4 ,sanderson4 ,christian ,contentment4 ,i4 ,what it is4--#a4 ,that our desires of worldly good are low and moderate4 #b4 ,that in all our views of bettering our worldly condition we indulge not immoderate cares4 #c4 ,that whatever our present condition be1 we cheerfully submit to the providence of ,god in it4 #d4 ,that we are so easy with our own lot as not to envy others who may be in more prosperous circumstances4 #e4 ,that we will not use any unlawful means to better our present condition4 #f4 ,that we make the best of our condition whatever it be4 ,,ii4 ,how it may be learned4--#a4 ,christianity sets in view the most solid principles of contentment and the strongest motives to it4 #b4 ,furnishes us with the brightest patterns of contentment to enforce its precepts and prevent our despair of attaining it4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the present state should be considered as a state of learning4 #b4 ,more depends on our spirits than upon our outward condition in order to contentment4 #c4 ,labour to have our minds so formed that they may be content and tolerably easy in any state of life4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,source of the ,christian's ,power4 ,i4 ,the extent of a ,christian's ability4--#a4 ,he is able to discharge every duty4 #b4 ,he is able to endure every trial4 #c4 ,he is able to brave every suffering4 #d4 ,he is able to overcome every temptation4 ,,ii4 ,the source of the ,christian's ability4--#a4 ,christ strengthens us by ,his teachings4 #b4 ,christ strengthens us by ,his example4 #c4 ,christ strengthens us by the moral influence of ,his death as a sacrifice for our sin4 #d4 ,christ strengthens us by uniting us to ,himself1 and bestowing on us1 in answer to the prayer of faith1 the influences of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,christ is the fountain of spiritual strength4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ai4 ,a ,generous ,church-- ,i4 ,spontaneously contributing to the earliest efforts in the propagation of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,its generosity conspicuous by its solitary example4 ,no ,church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving1 but ye only 7ver4 #ae74 ,in the account between us1 the giving was on your part1 the receiving on mine4 ,the ,philippians had followed ,paul with their bounty when he left ,macedonia and came to ,corinth4 ,we are not to wait for others in a good work1 saying1 ,i will do when others do it4 ,we must go forward though alone 7,fausset74 ,their liberality followed him on distant missionary tours1 and when no longer in their own province4 ,one single example of generosity is an inspiration and a hint to others4 ,any ,church will wither into narrowing dimensions when it confines its benefactions to itself4 #b4 ,its generosity was repeated4--,for even in ,thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity 7ver4 #af74 ,even in ,thessalonica1 still in their own province and not far from ,philippi1 they more than once contributed to his help1 and thus rendered him less dependent on those among whom he was breaking new ground4 ,help in time of need is a pleasant memory2 and the apostle delights in reminding the ,philippians of their timely and thoughtful generosity4 ,repeated kindnesses should increase our gratitude4 ,,ii4 ,the gifts of a generous ,church are appreciated as indicating growth in practical religion4--,not because ,i desire a gift2 but ,i desire fruit that may abound to your account 7ver4 #ag74 ,it is not the gift he covets1 but that rich spiritual blessing which the gift secures to its donors4 ,the apostle wished them to reap the growing spiritual interest of their generous expenditure4 ,not for his own sake but theirs does he desire the gift4 ,he knew that the state of mind which devised and contributed such a gift was blessed in itself1 that it must attract ,divine blessing1 for it indicated the depth and amount of spiritual good which the apostle had done to them1 and for which they thus expressed their gratitude2 and it showed their sympathy with the cause of ,christ1 when they had sought to enable their spiritual founder in former days to give his whole time1 without distraction or physical exhaustion1 to the work of his apostleship4 ,this was a spiritual condition which could not but meet with the ,divine approbation and secure the ,divine reward 7,eadie74 ,,iii4 ,the gifts of a generous ,church are accepted as a sacrifice well pleasing to ,god4--,having received of ,epaphroditus the things which were sent from you1 an odour of a sweet smell1 a sacrifice acceptable1 well-pleasing to ,god 7ver4 #ah74 ,it was a gift in which ,god delighted1 fragrant as the sweet-smelling incense which burned in the censer4 ,it was felt that ,god is supreme ,benefactor and that all possessions are ,his gracious gift1 that these have an end beyond the mere personal enjoyment of them1 that they may and ought to be employed in ,god's service1 and that the spirit of such employment is the entire dedication of these to ,him4 ,the money1 while contributed to the apostle1 was offered to ,god4 ,they discharged a spiritual function in doing a secular act--the altar sanctified the gift 7,ibid474 ,giving to the cause of ,christ is worship1 acceptable and well-pleasing to ,god4 ,it belongs to the same class of acts as the presentation of sacrifices under the old economy1 which was the central act of worship4 ,for the proper use of no talent is self-denial more needed than for that of money4 ,,iv4 ,the gifts of a generous ,church will be recompensed with abundant spiritual blessing4--,but my ,god shall supply all your need according to ,his riches in glory by ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #ai74 ,the money we give to ,god's cause is well invested and will yield a rich return3 spiritual blessing in return for material gifts2 this is beyond the power of arithmetic to compute4 ,this was no rash and unwarrantable promise on the part of ,paul4 ,he knew something of the riches of the ,divine generosity1 and was justified in assuring his kind benefactors of ,god's perfect supply of every want of body and soul1 bestowed not grudgingly but with royal beneficence4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,gratitude for blessings received should prompt generosity4 #b4 ,money is never more wisely employed than in forwarding the cause of ,god4 #c4 ,our gifts to ,god are handsomely rewarded4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4 ,christian ,generosity-- ,i4 ,indicates a genuine interest in the work of ,god and love for its ministers4 ,,ii4 ,is especially valuable in prosecuting pioneer mission work4 ,,iii4 ,should not be conspicuous by one solitary example1 but be continuous and commensurate with the pressing needs of the work of ,god4 ,vers4 #ag1 #ah4 ,liberality a ,fruit of the ,christian ,life4 ,i4 ,it is not a gift1 but the discharge of a just claim4 ,,ii4 ,paul did not desire a gift only to benefit himself1 because he wanted nothing4 ,,iii4 ,liberality is a fruit of the ,christian life by discharging a debt to which we stood engaged4 ,,iv4 ,liberality is an advantage in the exercise of our patience before the day of trial come upon us4 ,v4 ,as ,god will punish the neglect of this duty1 so if we perform it ,he will count ,himself in debt to us4--,farindon4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,man's ,need supplied from ,god's ,riches4 ,i4 ,look at man's necessity4 ,,ii4 ,god's wealth4--,its abundance2 its excellence4 ,,iii4 ,the supply the apostle anticipates for this necessity out of this wealth4 ,learn4--#a4 ,contentment with our present lot4 #b4 ,confidence for the future4--,c4 ,bradley4 ,our ,need and our ,supply4 ,i4 ,examine the scope of the promise4--,there is danger of fanaticism in the interpretation of truth4 ,god promises to supply our need1 but not to gratify our wishes or whims4 ,some of us ,god sees cannot bear wealth1 and so it is not given us2 but as our day is so is our strength4 ,,ii4 ,the supply4--,the supply is not according to our deserts1 but according to the riches of ,his glory4 ,the resources of the ,trinity are drawn upon4 ,his wealth is unbounded4 ,he is not a cistern1 but a fountain4 ,,iii4 ,the ,medium4--,this supply comes through ,christ4 ,we can claim it in no other name4 ,but ,god ordains means and puts us under conditions4 ,as in agriculture1 so here1 we are to work in harmony with ,god's established methods if we would secure fruits4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj-bc4 ,last ,words4 ,i4 ,a glowing ascription of praise to the ,divine ,giver of every blessing4--,now unto ,god and our ,father be glory for ever and ever4 ,amen 7ver4 #bj74 ,to ,god1 even our ,father1 the kind and liberal ,supplier of every want to every child1 be eternal glory ascribed4 ,the ascription of praise is the language of spiritual instinct which cannot be repressed4 ,let the child realise its relation to the ,father who feeds it1 clothes it1 and keeps it in life1 who enlightens and guides it1 pardons and purifies it1 strengthens and upholds it1 and all this in ,christ ,jesus1 and it cannot but in its glowing consciousness cry out1 ,now to ,god and our ,father be glory for ever4 ,the ,amen is a fitting conclusion4 ,as the lips shut themselves1 the heart surveys again the facts and the grounds of praise1 and adds1 ,so be it 7,eadie74 ,,ii4 ,christian salutations4--,salute every saint in ,christ ,jesus4 ,all the saints salute you1 chiefly those that are of ,csar's household 7vers4 #ba1 #bb74 ,salutations are tokens of personal interest and living fellowship which should not be lightly esteemed4 ,the apostolic salutations teach that the ,christian religion does not make men unfriendly and stubborn1 but courteous and friendly 7,lange74 ,the reference to the saints in ,csar's household may mean either kinsfolk of ,nero or servants in the palace4 ,it is improbable that so many near relatives of the emperor should have yielded themselves to ,christ as to be designated by this phrase1 and it is not likely to suppose that a combination of these two classes would be grouped under the one head4 ,in all likelihood the reference is to servants holding more or less important positions in the imperial household--some1 no doubt1 slaves2 and it is a suggestive testimony to the unwearied diligence and influence of the apostle in using every opportunity to make known the saving grace of the ,gospel4 ,to explain to any the reason for his imprisonment was an occasion for preaching ,christ4 ,o ,rome1 ,rome6 exclaims ,starke1 how greatly hast thou changed6 ,formerly thou hadst true saints even in the household of a pagan and tyrannical emperor2 but now hast thou false saints1 especially in and around the so-called chair of ,peter and at the court of his supposed successor4 ,,iii4 ,final benediction4--,the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ be with you all4 ,amen 7ver4 #bc74 ,the oldest ,,mss4 read1 ,be with your spirit4 ,it is important that the grace of ,god should be not only around us1 but with us and in us4 ,the benediction is a prayer that the ,divine favour may be conferred upon them1 enriching the noblest elements of their nature with choicest blessings1 making them to grow in spiritual wisdom1 beauty1 and felicity1 that grace may ultimately merge into glory4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,praise should be offered to ,god in all things4 #b4 ,the ,christian spirit is full of kindly courtesy4 #c4 ,it is a comprehensive prayer that invokes the blessing of ,divine grace4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,eternal ,praise should be offered unto ,god-- ,i4 ,for mercies enjoyed in the past4 ,,ii4 ,for mercies which as our ,father ,he holds for us and bestows on us in the present4 ,,iii4 ,that the glory of ,his character may become increasingly conspicuous in ,his works of creation1 providence1 and grace4 ,vers4 #ba1 #bb4 ,christian ,courtesy-- ,i4 ,elevates and sanctifies the amenities of social life4 ,,ii4 ,awakens and strengthens mutual sympathy and help in the ,christian life4 ,,iii4 ,should be exercised by ,christians of all ranks and conditions4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,the ,grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ-- ,i4 ,is the sum of all we can need for ourselves or desire for others4 ,,ii4 ,is a revelation of ,his own character and of ,his regard for us4 ,,iii4 ,may be sought with the utmost confidence and enjoyed in ever-increasing measure4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,page #bii1 ,introduction1 second paragraph1 apply ,,rc to ,divine call4 - ,page #cjj1 second new paragraph1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,place and time section1 second paragraph1 change iv4 #cb to ch4 iv4 #cb and i4 #ac to ch4 i4 #ac4 ,fifth paragraph1 add sentence-ending period after later date4 - ,page #cja1 in the synopsis1 change ii4 #ai-cj to ch4 ii4 #ai-cj2 add a row to indicate that no information is presented for chapter ii4 verses #ab through #ah4 - ,page #cjb1 notes on chapter i41 verse #g1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #aj1 add right double quotes after not causing offence4 - ,page #cjc1 notes on verse #ab1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #ac1 remove right double quotes after body-guard2 correct colouel to colonel and change double quotes to single quotes around it4 ,verse #ad1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #ae1 apply ,,rc to a ,gospel4 ,verse #ai1 add right double quote after for me4 - ,page #cje1 lesson ,christian ,greeting1 point ,i1 change question mark after kingdom to period4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine gifts1 the ,divine majesty1 and the ,gospel4 - ,page #cjf1 ,commencement note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine mercy4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,eulogy1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cjg1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #cjh1 ,making ,request note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine communications4 ,grounds of ,confidence note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #caa1 lesson ,prayer1 ,definiteness note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine intelligence4 - ,the break between pages #caa and #cab is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken destination4--,that4 ,the entire unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #cab1 ,fruits note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,being4 ,spiritual ,attainment note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to all ,divine4 ,divine ,culture note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,husbandman4 ,lesson ,gospel ,irrepressible1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7five times74 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cac1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 - ,page #cad1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,development note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cae1 ,ministry of ,bonds note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,germ note1 point ,v1 change afflictions to affliction4 ,real note1 point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #caf1 lesson ,noble ,attitude1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cag1 ,life and ,death note1 point ,i #a 7#c71 apply ,,rc to ,divine knowledge4 - ,page #cai1 lesson ,exhortation1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #cbj1 ,evangelical ,consistency1 each of points ,i1 ,i #a1 ,i #b 7twice71 ,i #c1 ,i #d1 and ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,effects note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and its ,author4 - ,page #cba1 notes on chapter ii41 verse #a1 change i4 #h to ch4 i4 #h4 ,verse #b1 change i4 #d to ch4 i4 #d4 ,verse #e1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #f1 apply ,,rc to the ,divinity4 - ,page #cbb1 verse #ab1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #ae1 tag immaculatum as ,latin and set it in ,italic4 - ,page #cbc1 verse #bb1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,verse #bi1 change alue to value4 - ,page #cbd1 lesson ,christian ,union1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #b1 add sentence ending period after 7ver4 #d74 ,point ,,iv1 add ,ps4 cxxxiii4 #a reference4 - ,page #cbe1 ,unity note1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,looking note1 point ,,iii1 change th to the4 ,lesson ,humiliation1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,divine and ,divinity4 - ,page #cbf1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinity 7twice74 ,incarnate note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine glory4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine nature4 - ,page #cbg1 ,christian ,temper note1 application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,god-like4 - ,page #cbh1 lesson ,exaltation1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine act2 add left parenthesis before ver4 #i4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine 7thrice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,him2 change quote from and every tongue confess to and that every tongue should confess to match ,,kjv2 apply ,,rc to ,his ,divine majesty4 - ,page #cbi1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,worthy note1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,divine majesty4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine honour4 - ,page #ccj1 lesson ,salvation1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine aid4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine work4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine influences4 - ,page #cca1 ,divine and ,human note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,active ,exertion note1 point ,i1 capitalise ,promised ,land4 ,co-operation note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ccb1 same note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine operations4 ,lesson ,lustre1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine command4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and the ,word4 - ,page #ccc1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ccd1 lesson ,projected1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divinity4 - ,page #cce1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #ccg1 lesson ,devoted1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to glorious ,gospel and the ,word4 ,anxieties note1 insert point #b at the beginning of the second sentence4 - ,page #cch1 notes on chapter iii41 verse #a1 change iv4 #h to ch4 iv4 #h4 ,verse #h1 insert ,r4,v41 'soul' ,a4,v44 - ,page #cci1 verse #ad1 change gaol to goal4 ,verse #ag1 apply ,,rc to ,good ,shepherd4 - ,page #cdj1 lesson ,false and ,true1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #cda1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine and the ,divinity2 change period after yourself to a question mark2 apply ,,rc to ,divinity4 - ,page #cdc1 lesson ,external1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 ,excellent note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cdd1 same note1 renumber second point ,,vi to ,,vii4 ,first ,excellency note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,divinity4 ,lesson ,features1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #cde1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power2 insert point #a before first sentence in ,italic2 point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power and ,divine life4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,good ,shepherd4 - ,page #cdf1 ,power note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine mission4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinity 7twice74 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,resurrection note1 point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine4 - ,page #cdg1 lesson ,highest1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely the ,gospel1 and the ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 change ,michael ,angelo to ,michelangelo2 add comma between he said and quotation4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine light4 - ,page #cdh1 ,pressing note1 point ,,ii #c 7#b71 change period to question mark4 - ,page #cdi1 ,temper note1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cej1 lesson ,examples1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cea1 lesson ,citizenship1 point ,i1 add sentence-ending period to last sentence4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine power4 - ,page #ceb1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to the ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #cec1 notes on chapter iv41 verse #c1 change double quotes around fellow-in-yoke1 fellow labourer to single quotes and add closing double quotes4 - ,page #ced1 notes on verse #h1 identify the ,cicero quotation as ,latin and set it in ,italic4 ,verse #aa1 add em-dash after etc4 ,verse #ab1 add em-dash after etc4 and ,ps4 xxiii4 reference4 ,verse #ah1 add ,matt4 xxv4 #dj reference4 - ,page #cee1 lesson ,plea1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 change strengthened by ,him to him1 speaking of ,paul4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and the ,word4 - ,page #cef1 lesson ,glimpses1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ceg1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #ceh1 lesson ,joy1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace and the ,gospel4 - ,page #cei1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,rejoicing note1 point ,i #b1 add em-dash after for4 ,point ,,ii #c 7#c71 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word4 - ,page #cfj1 lesson ,equity1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,surety4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,his professed followers4 - ,page #cfa1 lesson ,cure1 point ,i1 remove commas from kill-joy1 and and blessings1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 remove commas from mind1 but and anxieties1 and4 - ,page #cfb1 ,remedy note1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine will4 - ,page #cfc1 ,subjects note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,science1 point ,i1 change livable to liveable4 - ,page #cfd1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine blessing4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #cfd and #cfe is in the word upward3 upward4 - ,page #cfe1 ,paul note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine life4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,divine providence4 ,lesson ,joy1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from frequently1 but2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #cff1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine strength and ,divine grace4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine source4 - ,page #cfg1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,tendency note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,master4 - ,page #cfh1 lesson ,generous1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine blessing1 ,divine approbation1 and ,divine reward4 - ,page #cfi1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from invested1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine generosity4 ,lesson ,last ,words1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,giver4 - ,page #cgj1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine favour4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine grace4 ,,the ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,colossians4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,introduction4 ,coloss and its people4--,in ,asia ,minor1 a few days' journey to the east of ,ephesus1 is a district which for natural beauty1 as described by many travellers1 is hardly to be surpassed4 ,at the foot of ,mount ,cadmus--now known as ,baba ,dagh1 or the ,father of ,mountains--near the stream of the ,lycus1 a tributary of the ,mander1 stood the town of ,coloss4 ,within a day's journey stood ,hierapolis and ,laodicea1 the latter the home of a ,church in the later years where a poor1 half-hearted religion was a constant offence to ,god4 ,owing to its political significance1 it quite eclipsed ,coloss1 as ,hierapolis also did1 owing to its natural advantages as a health-resort or watering-place4 ,though at one time ,coloss was a flourishing town1 where the vast forces of ,xerxes or those of ,cyrus could halt1 in this country it was only with difficulty and some uncertainty that its exact site was discovered4 ,chronos 7so called from the funnel-shaped holes into which the river drops7 is its modern substitute1 though from two to three miles south of the site of ,coloss4 ,the inhabitants of ,coloss were largely of ,phrygian derivation1 highly religious1 if dread of the supernatural in every form constitutes religion1 but ready to yield themselves up to the wildest orgies and the most degradingly sensual types of worship4 ,but there were also many ,jews in the town1 as we learn not only from the indications in this letter1 but from other sources4 ,it was not the only occasion in history when travelled ,jews had learnt to blend with their ancestral religion the philosophical or theosophical opinions of the neighbourhood where they had settled4 ,the result was an amalgam very hard to catalogue4 ,the ,hellenism of these ,phrygian ,jews did as little for them as in later days it did for ,heine1 the ,german ,jew4 ,so1 because its results were pernicious1 the uncompromising opponent of ,pharisaic dead works and herald of one ,god set himself to make known to the ,colossians the sufficiency of ,christian doctrine without admixture of heathen wisdom 7ch4 ii4 #h1 #i7 or the administration of ,jewish rites 7ch4 ii4 #aa74 ,occasion1 aim1 time1 and place of composition4--,epaphras1 a member of the ,colossian ,church1 and to whom the whole neighbourhood was indebted as the bringer of ,gospel tidings1 had given ,st4 ,paul an account of the state of the ,church to which he ministered1 with intimations of the perils threatening it4 ,this it was which led the apostle to send ,tychicus with this letter4 ,the runaway slave ,onesimus accompanied him1 sent back to ,philemon his master in ,coloss by ,st4 ,paul4 ,the aim of the apostle in writing the letter was chiefly to warn the ,colossians against the specious errors of certain teachers who had tried to unite ,christianity with ,judaism1 and these to theosophical notions4 ,the results of this blend could only be regarded with a pitiful smile4 ,it was pernicious1 and1 with all its semblance of humility1 immoral4 ,its main offence to the apostle was that it dishonoured his ,lord1 who is the image of the invisible ,god1 the firstborn of all creation4 ,lightfoot thinks this letter1 with those to ,ephesus and ,philemon1 was sent by ,tychicus towards the close of the apostle's captivity in ,rome1 about the year #fc4 ,meyer1 who contends that it was sent1 not from ,rome1 but from ,csarea1 thinks #fj or #fa was the date4 ,the ancient tradition was that the letter emanated from a ,roman prison1 and the reasons given against this are too slender to set it aside in favour of ,csarea4 ,style of the epistle4--,the style of the epistle is somewhat laboured4 ,it lacks the spontaneity1 the fire1 the passion1 the tender emotion which mark most of ,st4 ,paul's letters4 ,the reason for this is twofold4 ,it is partly because he is addressing strangers1 the members of ,churches which he had not directly founded1 and to whom his expressions did not flow forth from the same full spring of intimate affection4 ,it is still more because he is refuting errors with which he was not familiar1 and which he had not witnessed in their direct workings4 4 4 4 ,when he was a little more familiar with the theme 7in writing ,ephesians7 he writes with more fervency and ease4 4 4 4 ,in the close similarity between these two1 and yet in the strongly marked individuality of each1 we have one of the most indisputable proofs of the genuineness of both4 4 4 4 ,if ,colossians has less of the attractive personal element and the winning pathos of other letters of ,st4 ,paul1 it is still living1 terse1 solid1 manly1 vigorous2 and brief though it be1 it still1 as ,calvin says1 contains the nucleus of the ,gospel 7,farrar74 ,outline of the epistle4 ,introduction4 i4 #a1 #b1 greeting4 #c-h1 thanksgiving4 #i-ad1 prayer and supplication with thanksgiving4 i4 #ae-bc4 ,main theme of the epistle4 ,christ's personal supremacy and the universal efficacy of ,his mediatorial work4 #bd-bi4 ,the apostle's personal explanation of his motive in addressing them4 ii4 #a-g4 ,his interest in the highest welfare of ,christians unknown to him4 #h-ae4 ,warning against a philosophy born of earth1 able only to deal externally with outbursts of sin as contrasted with the complete putting away of it by ,christ's death and resurrection4 #af-bc4 ,a protest against the attempt to foist precepts and prohibitions on those who in ,christ have passed beyond the stage of legalism4 iii4 #a-ag4 ,the sufficiency1 for conduct1 of living consistently with the life hid with ,christ in ,god1 which is fatal1 as it grows1 to every form and manifestation of the old and corrupt life4 #ah-bb4 ,duties of wives 7#ah71 husbands 7#ai71 children 7#bj71 fathers 7#ba71 servants 7#bb74 #bc-be4 ,motives1 incentives1 and deterrents in service4 iv4 #a4 ,duties of masters1 and motive of conduct4 #b-ah4 ,sundry exhortations1 commendations1 and greetings4 ,the latter concludes with the apostle's autograph signature1 a touching reference to his bonds1 and a benediction4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,paul1 an apostle of ,jesus ,christ by the will of ,god4--,here1 as in the ,ephesian epistle1 ,st4 ,paul traces his apostolate to the will of ,god4 ,it does not seem as if any reason could be given why in these two epistles he uses the phrase and omits it in the ,philippians4 ,timotheus our brother4--,if ,philemon1 who was a ,colossian ,christian1 had met ,st4 ,paul at ,ephesus1 probably he had seen ,timothy1 too1 and would no doubt say to the ,church how the apostle valued him 7,phil4 ii4 #ai74 ,ver4 #b4 ,to the saints and faithful brethren4--,we may observe that such a phrase is characteristic of ,st4 ,paul's later epistles2 in the earlier it was to the ,church4 ,it seems better thus to translate than to give the meaning to the holy and believing brethren 7see on ,eph4 i4 #a74 ,grace 4 4 4 and peace1 from ,god our ,father and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,not grace from the ,father and peace from the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 as the usual benediction shows--,the grace of our ,lord ,jesus4 ,whatsoever the ,father doeth1 these also doeth the ,son 7,john v4 #ai74 ,ver4 #c4 ,we give thanks to ,god4--,the apostle here1 as usual1 gives credit for all that is worthy in his readers1 though the tidings from ,coloss had been disquieting4 ,ver4 #d4 ,having heard of your faith4--,this last word might possibly mean fidelity1 the steadiness of an unwavering loyalty4 ,but it is better to take it as the act of personal trust4 ,love to all the saints4--,this was the distinguishing trait of all ,christians--love one for another 7,john xiii4 #ce74 ,how often have we heard the irony1 ,how these ,christians love one another6 ,we are not warranted in withholding love until men are paragons of spiritual perfection--all in ,christ are saints4 ,ver4 #e4 ,for the hope4--,this word completes the triad1 though the order is changed1 and hope here is the object--the thing hoped for4 ,laid up for you in heaven4--,it is the same word in ,luke xix4 #bj1 laid up in a napkin2 in #b ,tim4 iv4 #h1 henceforth there is laid up2 and in ,heb4 ix4 #bg1 it is appointed unto laid up for men once to die4 ,the word of the truth of the gospel4--,not to be interpreted into the truly evangelic word4 ,there is an imposing sound in the phrase meant to agree with the thing denoted4 ,ver4 #f4 ,in all the world4--,a hyperbolic expression1 by which the apostle at the world's centre1 ,rome1 seems to say the messengers of the ,gospel1 go forth to the utmost bounds of the empire4 ,the faith you have received is no local cult1 nor is it an ephemeral excitement4 ,and bringeth forth fruit4--,the ,r4,v4 adds to bearing fruit1 and increasing4 ,it is not a ,gospel that is decadent1 on which a few fruits may be found1 but with too evident traces that soon fruitfulness will be past4 ,ver4 #g4 ,as ye learned of ,epaphras4--,short for ,epaphroditus1 but not he of ,phil4 ii4 #be4 ,he is one of the ,colossians2 beyond that and his prayerful zeal for them we know nothing of the only one whom ,st4 ,paul calls a fellow-servant4 ,ver4 #i4 ,do not cease to pray for you1 and to desire4--,r4,v4 pray and make request4 ,the general notion comes first1 then1 the particulars2 so in ,mark xi4 #bd4 ,in the ,lord's ,prayer there are several petitions or requests4 ,knowledge4--,here represents the advanced knowledge of the initiated4 ,spiritual understanding is the use in the realm of things spiritual of the faculty which1 as employed in physical research1 makes the difference between the man of scientific method and the empiric4 ,compare the union of wisdom and spiritual understanding with our ,lord's words1 ,thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,walk worthy4--,the end of all knowledge1 the apostle would say1 is conduct 7,lightfoot74 ,the previous verse taken with this gives the theory and practice of religion4 ,unto all pleasing4--,with the end ever before you of being approved by ,god4 ,for the same combination1 see #a ,thess4 iv4 #a4 ,being fruitful 4 4 4 and increasing4--,like the ,gospel itself 7see ver4 #f74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,strengthened with all might according to ,his glorious power4--,lit4 with all power made powerful1 etc4 ,the two words representing might and power have become familiar in dynamite and the termination of auto-crat2 the one indicating stored-up energy2 the other victorious or ruling force4 ,patience and longsuffering4--the first word indicates the attitude of an unfainting mind when things go wrong2 the second the quiet endurance under irritation from others1 the being not soon angry4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,made us meet4--,duly qualified us1 gave us competence4 ,just as a man needs to be a qualified practitioner of medicine or the law1 so these ,colossians are recognised as fit and proper persons for participation in the kingdom of light4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,who hath delivered us from the power of darkness4--,the metaphor commenced in the previous verse is carried on here4 ,the settlement in the land flowing with milk and honey is preceded by deliverance with a high hand from the house of bondage--the land of thick darkness4 ,and hath translated us4--,the same word by which the ,jewish historian describes the carrying over of the ,israelites to ,assyria by ,tiglath-,pileser4 ,the apostle regards the deliverance1 so far as the ,deliverer is concerned1 as a thing accomplished4 ,his dear ,son4--,the ,a4,v4 margin has become the ,r4,v4 text1 ,the ,son of ,his love4 ,we do not again find this expression2 but as there is no darkness at all in ,god1 who is love1 so ,his ,son1 into whose kingdom we come1 reveals the love of the ,father4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,in whom we have redemption4--,a release effected in consideration of a ransom4 ,see on the verse ,eph4 i4 #g4 ,the forgiveness of our sins--lit4 the dismissal of our sins4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,who is the image of the invisible ,god4--,in #b ,cor4 iv4 #d ,st4 ,paul had so named ,christ4 ,beyond the very obvious notion of likeness1 the word for image involves the idea of representation and manifestation 7,lightfoot74 ,man is said to be the image of ,god 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #g71 and to have been created in the image of ,god1 as an image on a coin may represent ,csar1 even though unrecognisable almost4 ,christ is the very image 7,heb4 i4 #c7 of ,god1 able to say1 ,he that hath seen ,me hath seen the ,father4 ,firstborn of every creature4--,not that ,he is included as part of the creation1 but that the relation of the whole creation to ,him is determined by the fact that ,he is the 'firstborn of all creation' 7,r4,v471 so that without ,him creation could not be 7,cremer74 ,the main ideas involved in the word are 7#a7 priority to all creation2 7#b7 sovereignty over all creation 7,lightfoot74 ,ver4 #af4 ,thrones1 or dominions1 or principalities1 or powers4--,that ,paul believed in a heavenly hierarchy can scarcely be doubted2 but this letter shows that in ,coloss it had become an elaborate superstition4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,and ,he is the head of the body1 the ,church4--,as ,he held priority of all creation1 so also ,his is the name above every name in the new creation4 ,the firstborn from the dead4--,the cardinal point of the apostle's faith4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,for it pleased the ,father that in ,him should all fulness dwell4--,the great question on this verse is--seeing that the ,father has been added--what is the nominative to the word rendered it pleased8 ,at least three are possible3 7#a7 the ,father1 as ,a4,v41 ,r4,v41 and many commentators2 7#b7 all the fulness1 etc42 and 7#c7 the ,son was pleased4 ,lightfoot urges that1 as 7#b7 would be an anachronism1 and 7#c7 a hopeless confusion of the theology1 the ,father was well pleased seems to be the best rendering4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,to reconcile all things unto ,himself4--,the word reconcile is meant to indicate the restoration of a lost friendship2 and re-establishment of peaceful relations4 ,it is a good specimen of the care with which ,st4 ,paul's advanced expressions are selected4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,you1 that were sometime alienated4--,does not mean1 of course1 occasionally alienated1 but as the ,r4,v4 gives it1 being in time past alienated--up to the time of the reconciliation always estranged4 ,enemies in your mind by wicked works4--,the most interesting question here is whether ,god is reconciled to the sinner or only the sinner to ,god4 ,is enemies to mean hostile or hateful8 ,lightfoot says1 ,it is the mind of man1 not the mind of ,god1 which must undergo a change that a reunion may be effected4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,in the body of ,his flesh through death4--,when a teacher has to be explicit it may seem to those familiar with the subject as if he were verbose or tautological4 ,so here the body is no phantasm1 but fleshy and mortal4 ,to present you holy4--,they were professedly holy saints 7ver4 #b71 and the final purpose of their reconciliation is reproachless saintship 7on this word1 and unblameable1 see ,eph4 i4 #d74 ,unreproveable in ,his sight4--,it is a lofty eminence to which the holy apostle invites us to look in this word4 ,the light in which we walk--fierce indeed towards sin--reveals no evil1 so that the most captious critic has no objection 7,tit4 ii4 #h74 ,ver4 #bc4 ,grounded and settled1 and not moved away4--,in that land of volcanic agency the readers would perceive only too readily the graphic force of this metaphor4 ,where stone buildings tumbled over like a house of cards1 the figure of a faith1 proof against all shocks1 was effective 7see ,heb4 xii4 #bh74 ,every creature under heaven4--,the same rhetorical form of expression as in ver4 #f1 affirming the universal fitness of the ,gospel as well as its wide dissemination4 ,whereof ,i ,paul am made a minister4--,wonder that increases and unceasing gratitude are in these words--that the persecutor should serve the faith he once destroyed4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,fill up that which is behind in the afflictions of ,christ4--,r4,v41 and fill up on my part that which is lacking4 ,how we seem to hear through these words the cry of the head of the ,church1 ,why persecutest thou ,me8 ,and now the persecutor shares the pain of ,christ and those to whom it is granted as a favour to suffer for ,his sake 7,phil4 i4 #bi74 ,vers4 #be-bg4 ,see notes on ,eph4 iii4 #g ff4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,whom we preach4--,what a glorious comprehensiveness there is in preaching ,him in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead6 ,here is nothing narrow4 ,warning every man4--,r4,v4 admonishing4 ,it is a direction of the reflective faculty--a reproof administered with intent to amend the conduct4 ,it corresponds to ,repent ye6 ,and teaching every man4--,the positive side of which the warning is the negative4 ,it is not enough to tell a man he is wrong--the right must be indicated2 so the heralds of the ,gospel followed up ,repent ye with ,believe the ,gospel4 ,note the repeated every man4 ,exclusiveness which shuts the door in the face of any weak brother for whom ,christ died is utterly strange to the teaching of ,st4 ,paul4 ,that we may present every man perfect in ,christ ,jesus4--,st4 ,paul1 and every true successor1 labours for this end2 and1 as ver4 #bb shows1 in so doing all are workers together with ,god4 ,we have the idea of presentation elsewhere in ,st4 ,paul1 as where he speaks of presenting his converts as a chaste virgin to ,christ4 ,the risk of offering a tainted animal for sacrifice is as nothing in comparison of offering a hypocrite as a trophy of the ,gospel4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,i also labour4--,the word implies strenuous effort4 ,the racer who takes care to slack his speed whenever he is in danger of breaking into a perspiration will not win the prize 7,maclaren74 ,striving4--,lit4 agonising1 as in ,luke xiii4 #bd4 ,like a stripped gymnast1 every encumbrance cast off4 ,the same word in #a ,tim4 vi4 #ab4 ,fight the good fight4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,apostolic ,salutation4 ,in this verse we have a description of the office and character of the persons from whom the salutation emanates4 ,i4 ,an exalted and important office4--,paul1 an apostle of ,jesus ,christ4 ,an apostle is one sent4 ,paul was commissioned to declare the grandest truths--truths destined to illumine and upraise mankind4 ,his sphere was the world1 his audience the generations of every age4 ,the work of the apostle lives to-day--its vigour is perennial4 ,his was no empty1 unmeaning title4 ,it involved incredible thought1 overburdening care1 incessant toil1 unparalleled suffering4 ,it was an office created by the circumstances of the time4 ,that period was the beginning of a gigantic campaign against the consolidated errors and sins of ages4 ,an ordinary officer can keep and govern a garrison2 but it requires a gifted general to marshal and direct the militant host in the daring manuvres of war4 ,in the ,divine government of the world the occasion calls forth the man4 ,,ii4 ,the authority that designates and qualifies4--,by the will of ,god4 ,the will of ,god is the great originating and dynamic moral force of the universe4 ,that will raised ,paul to the apostleship1 and invested him with all essential qualifications4 ,the miraculous incidents of the journey to ,damascus 7,acts ix47 formed a crisis in his career4 ,the startling discovery as to the character of the ,being he had madly opposed evoked the utterance of a changed and willing heart3 ,lord1 what wilt ,thou have me to do8 ,that was the sublime moment of his sending4 ,in undertaking the highest work for ,god1 it is not enough that we possess learning1 gifts1 piety1 unless with all there be a consciously ,divine commission4 ,there are crises when we can gain fresh inspiration for the exigencies of the work only by falling back on the clearest call and appointment of the ,divine will4 ,,iii4 ,a familiar ,christian relationship4--,timotheus1 our brother4 ,paul was the means of ,timothy's conversion2 and in another place he calls him his own son in the faith4 ,here he recognises him on the more equal footing of a brother4 ,christianity is a brotherhood4 ,not a low1 debasing communism that drags down all to its own common level1 but a holy confederacy in which men of all ranks1 ages1 and talents unite4 ,the equality of ,christian brotherhood is based on a moral and spiritual foundation4 ,the minister whose reputation is won1 and position assured loses nothing by honouring his younger brethren4 ,,iv4 ,union of sympathy and desire4--,paul 4 4 4 and ,timothy4 ,the greatest intimacy existed between the two1 notwithstanding the disparity in rank and abilities4 ,there were qualities in ,timothy that elicited the admiration and love of the great apostle4 ,they were constant companions in travel2 and ,timothy was often a source of comfort to ,paul in captivity4 ,they had a common sympathy in the propagation of the ,gospel1 and with the changing fortunes of the newly founded ,churches and joined in prayer for their welfare4 ,the union of ,timothy with himself also strengthened the testimony of the apostle regarding the supernatural character of the truths declared4 ,lessons4--,christian salutation--#a4 ,takes its value from the character of the sender4 #b4 ,should be pervaded with genuine sympathy4 #c4 ,implies a mutual interest in the success of ,christian work4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,apostolic ,estimate of ,christian ,character4 ,i4 ,suggestive phases of ,christian character4--,saints and faithful brethren in ,christ which are at ,coloss4 #a4 ,saints4--,this implies union with ,god and a personal participation in ,his righteousness4 ,this is the root of the saintly life4 ,faith in ,christ is the point and means of junction4 ,canonisation cannot make a saint4 ,must be saintly experience to produce saintly conduct4 ,a holy reputation excites to action consistent with itself4 ,nehemiah refused to hide from threatened assassination as an act beneath his well-known character for high integrity and bravery 7,neh4 vi4 #aa74 #b4 ,faithful brethren which are at ,coloss4--,implies union with each other4 ,they embraced a common faith and held steadfastly together amid the agitations of false teachers and the defections of the wavering4 ,christianity blends the strangest elements4 ,it is a foe to all national enmities and prejudices4 ,paul1 a ,jew1 ,timothy1 a ,grecian1 and the ,colossians1 a mixture of several races1 are here united in a holy and faithful brotherhood4 ,here the ,gentile met the ,jew whom he had been accustomed to regard as an enemy of the human race2 the ,romans met the lying ,greek sophist1 the ,syrian slave1 the gladiator born beside the ,danube4 ,in brotherhood they met1 the natural birth and kindred of each forgotten1 the baptism alone remembered in which they had been born again to ,god and to each other 7,ecce ,homo74 #c4 ,the sublime origin of the ,christian character4--,in ,christ4 ,character is the development and crystallisation of a life4 ,the character of the blossom and fruit is decided by the vital energy in the tree4 ,christ is the unfathomable fount of all spiritual life2 the ideal pattern and formative force of a perfect character4 ,he is the centre and bond of all true brotherhood4 ,,ii4 ,the salutation supplicates the bestowment of highest ,divine blessings4--#a4 ,grace4 ,a term of vast significance1 inclusive of all the blessings that can flow from the superabundant and free favour of ,god4 ,grace is the source of all temporal good--life1 health1 preservation1 success1 felicity2 and of all spiritual benefactions--pardon1 soul-rest1 guidance1 strength1 deliverance1 purity1 final triumph4 ,the generosity of ,god is illimitable4 #b4 ,peace4--,grace expresses the spirit and fulness in which ,divine manifestations come to us2 peace the result they accomplish in us4 ,peace with ,god4 ,sin has thrown human nature into a state of discord and enmity4 ,the reception of grace must ever precede the enjoyment of peace4 ,the universal mistake is1 in first seeking1 through many avenues1 the happiness which peace with ,god alone can bring1 instead of accepting humbly1 penitently1 believingly1 the grace of ,god in ,christ4 ,peace with each other--peace in the ,church4 ,how great a blessing is this6 ,one turbulent spirit can ruffle the tranquillity of thousands4 #c4 ,the source of the blessings desired4--,from ,god our ,father and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,father's love and the ,son's work are the sole source and cause of every blessing to humanity1 while the ,holy ,spirit is the agent of their communication4 ,the ,trinity is ever harmonious in acts of beneficence2 the ,divine fountain is inexhaustible4 ,learn4--#a4 ,the broad1 deep charity of the apostolic spirit4 #b4 ,the scope and temper of the prayers we should offer for the race4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-e4 ,the ,causes of ,ministerial ,thanksgiving4 ,it is customary with the apostle to begin his epistles with the ardent expression of thanksgiving4 ,this showed the devout habit of his mind1 his constant and emphatic recognition of the grand source of good1 and his deep interest in the spiritual condition of those to whom he wrote4 ,i4 ,thanksgiving an essential element in prayer4--,we give thanks1 4 4 4 praying always for you 7ver4 #c74 ,the participle marks the thanksgiving as part of the prayer1 and the adverb makes it prominent1 indicating that when they prayed for them they always gave thanks4 ,there is no true prayer without thanksgiving4 ,gratitude intensifies the soul's sense of dependence on ,god and prompts the cry for the needed help2 and1 on the other hand1 earnest prayer naturally glides into fervent thankfulness4 ,as one sin is interlinked with and produced by another1 so the use of one grace begets another4 ,the more temporal things are used1 the more they wear and waste2 but spiritual things are strengthened and increased with exercise4 ,every spiritual grace has in it the seed of an endless reproductiveness4 ,underlying every thanksgiving for others is a spirit of tender1 disinterested love4 ,moved by this passion1 the apostle1 from the midst of imprisonment and sorrow1 could soar on the wings of gratitude and prayer to heaven4 ,thanksgiving will be the bliss of eternity4 ,,ii4 ,the ,being to whom all thanksgiving is due4--,to ,god1 the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #c74 ,god is the ,father of ,jesus ,christ1 not only as ,god1 by an eternal generation and communication of ,his whole essence unto ,him in a method to us mysterious and ineffable1 but also as man by virtue of the personal union of the two natures in ,christ1 and in a special sense exceeding every other way in which ,he is ,father to man or angels4 ,thus1 ,god and the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus are one2 the particle and being exegetic of the same thing1 not copulative of something different4 ,all our blessings have their source in the bosom of the ,divine ,father4 ,christ is the only revealer of the ,father1 and the active agent in bestowing the paternal benefits on humanity4 ,the paternal aspect of the ,divine character as unfolded by ,jesus ,christ is most fascinating and assuring2 and the loving heart delights to trace its blessings up to the ,parent of all good and to render ,him devout and grateful praise4 ,,iii4 ,this thanksgiving was grounded on the reputation of their faith in the ,author of ,christianity4--,since we heard of your faith in ,christ 7ver4 #d74 #a4 ,christ is the object and foundation of all true faith4--,he is so as the ,divinely consecrated ,deliverer of the race4 ,the grandeur of ,his redeeming work and the dignity and glory of ,his character are suggested by the titles here given to ,him4 ,man must believe in ,christ1 not as an abstract truth1 not as a poetic conception1 not as a dim impersonal force acting in the sphere of ideality1 but as a ,divine-human person--the anointed ,saviour4 #b4 ,true faith is the root principle of the ,christian life4--,without it neither love nor hope could exist4 ,all the graces that strengthen and beautify the ,christian character must grow out of faith4 #c4 ,true faith is ever manifest4--,since we heard4 ,it is seen in the changed disposition and conduct of the individual believer4 ,it is marked by the anxious ,christian worker and becomes known to a wide circle of both friends and foes4 ,epaphras rejoiced to bear tidings of the fact2 and the soul of the apostle1 since he heard1 glowed with grateful praise4 ,happy the people whose highest reputation is their faith in ,jesus6 ,,iv4 ,this thanksgiving was grounded on their possession of an expansive ,christian love4--,and of the love which ye have to all the saints 7ver4 #d74 ,love to ,christ is necessarily involved1 for love to the saints is really a generous1 unselfish affection for ,christ's image in them4 ,love is all-embracing4 ,peculiarities1 defects1 differences of opinion1 distance1 are no barriers to its penetrating ardour4 ,it is the unanswerable evidence of moral transformation 7#a ,john iii4 #ad74 ,it is the grandest triumph over the natural enmity of the human heart4 ,it is the indissoluble bond of choicest fellowship4 ,while we walk with ,god in light1 ,god our hearts doth still unite2 ,dearest fellowship we prove1 ,fellowship in ,jesu's love4 ,v4 ,this thanksgiving was further grounded on their enjoyment of a well-sustained hope4--,the grace of hope naturally springs out of and is properly associated with the preceding two4 ,not one member of the holy triad can be divorced from the other without irreparable damage2 without1 in fact1 the loss of that which is the resultant of the three--viz4 active religious life4 ,faith rests on the past2 love works in the present2 hope looks to the future4 ,they may be regarded as the efficient1 material1 and final causes respectively of the spiritual life 7,lightfoot74 #a4 ,the character of this hope4--,the hope which is laid up for you in heaven 7ver4 #e74 ,it is the prospect of future heavenly felicity4 ,hope is put for the object hoped for--the hope of possessing a spiritual inheritance whose wealth never diminishes1 whose splendours never fade2 the hope of seeing ,christ in all ,his regal glory2 of being like ,him2 of dwelling with ,him for ever4 ,a prospect like this lifts the soul above the meannesses1 disappointments1 and sufferings of the present limited life4 #b4 ,the security of this hope4--,laid up4 ,this priceless inheritance is safely deposited as a precious jewel in ,god's secret coffer4 ,there no pilfering hands can touch it1 no breath can tarnish1 no rust corrode1 no moth corrupt4 ,earthly treasures vanish1 and sometimes1 to ,god's people1 nothing but the treasure of hope remains4 ,the saint's enduring riches are in the future1 locked up in the heavenly casket4 ,where the treasure is there the heart should ever be4 #c4 ,the source and foundation of this hope4--,whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel 7ver4 #e74 ,the ,gospel is based on unchangeable truth and is therefore worthy of universal credence4 ,it alone unfolds the mysteries and glories of the future4 ,the hope of heaven rests1 not on the discoveries of human philosophy1 but on the revelations of the true ,gospel4 ,in vain do men seek it elsewhere4 ,by the preaching of the ,gospel this hope is made known to man4 ,how dismal the outlook where hope is unknown6 ,lessons4--#a4 ,we should thank ,god for others more on account of their spiritual than temporal welfare4 #b4 ,learn what are the essential elements of the ,christian character--faith1 love1 hope4 #c4 ,the proclamation of the ,gospel should be welcomed1 and its message pondered4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #c-e4 ,good ,news and its ,good ,effects4 ,i4 ,the good news1 what it was4--,that certain at ,coloss had not only the ,gospel1 but had known the grace of ,god in truth1 and were now joined to ,christ by faith and to ,his people by love4 ,,ii4 ,what were the results4--#a4 ,abundant thanksgiving to the ,god of redemption4 #b4 ,constant prayer4 #c4 ,this epistle4 ,,iii4 ,application4--#a4 ,it is well that ministers should be informed of the success of the ,gospel1 both for their own encouragement and to secure their sympathy1 prayers1 and counsel for the young converts4 #b4 ,established ,christians and especially ministers should assure young converts of the gratitude1 joy1 and sympathy they feel and the prayers they present on their behalf4 #c4 ,if our hearts are right1 we shall rejoice at the success of the ,gospel4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,ver4 #e4 ,hope a ,stimulus to ,christian ,perseverance-- ,i4 ,in gaining the heavenly reward4 ,,ii4 ,because the heavenly reward is secure4--,laid up for you4 ,,iii4 ,is based on truth already known4--,whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the ,gospel4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-h4 ,the ,true ,gospel universally the ,same4 ,wherever the ,gospel comes it carries with it the ineffaceable impress of its ,divine origin1 and of its universal adaptability to the condition of humanity4 ,there are certain truths that are self-evident to the understanding and are not susceptible of proof4 ,they are axiomatic and must be admitted as such before any satisfactory system can be constructed upon them4 ,of this character are the fundamental truths of the ,gospel4 ,their authority is supreme1 and their evidential force irresistible4 ,but a truth may be universally self-evident1 and not be universally adopted4 ,it is at this point the guilt of the unbeliever is incurred4 ,the ,gospel comes to mankind with ever-accumulating evidences of its ,divine truthfulness2 but men resist it4 ,this is the condemnation4 ,he that believeth on the ,son is not condemned2 but he that believeth not is condemned already 7,john iii4 #ah74 ,the false teachers1 against whom the apostle warns the ,colossians1 sought to spoil the ,gospel by the intermixture of ideas from ,jew and ,gentile4 ,i4 ,the true ,gospel is universally the same in its adaptation and enterprise4--,which is come unto you1 as it is in all the world 7ver4 #f74 ,the ,gospel1 though first proclaimed to the ,jews1 was not confined to them4 ,it reached1 penetrated1 and changed the ,colossians4 ,in them all races were represented4 ,their conversion was typical of the possibilities of the ,gospel for all4 ,the world's greatest blessings are not indigenous1 are not even sought2 they are sent from above4 ,there is not a human being the ,gospel cannot benefit2 it adapts itself to the wants of all4 ,the ,gospel started from ,judea with a world-wide mission and was eager to fulfil it4 ,its enterprise was irresistible4 ,it soon spread throughout ,asia1 ,europe1 and ,africa--the regions embracing the ,roman empire1 which was then virtually the whole world4 ,its marvellous propagation proved its universal adaptability4 ,the celebrated systems of philosophy among the ,grecians lived only in the soil that produced them4 ,heresies are at best ethnic2 truth is essentially catholic4 ,in less than a quarter of a century ,christianity was diffused through the entire world4 ,the success of ,mahometanism was of a different character and effected by different means4 ,it depended more on the scimitar than the ,koran4 ,alexander1 ,sesostris1 and others achieved similar conquests1 and as rapidly1 by the force of arms4 ,the victories of the ,gospel were won by moral weapons4 ,it is the greatest privilege of any nation to possess the ,gospel1 and its most solemn duty to make it known to the world4 ,,ii4 ,the true ,gospel is universally the same in its results4--,bringeth forth fruit1 and increaseth 7as the most valuable ,,mss4 read7 as it doth also in you 7ver4 #f74 ,the effects produced on the ,colossians by their reception of the ,gospel were a sample of the results in other parts of the world4 ,the fruit-bearing denotes its inward and subjective influence on the soul and life2 the increasing refers to its outward and diffusive influence as it makes progress in the world4 ,the metaphor used by the apostle suggests that the ,gospel1 as a tree1 not only bears fruit1 but grows1 sending forth its roots more firmly and widely1 and extending its branches in the air4 ,thus1 it bears fruit and makes advancement 7,spence74 ,there are some plants which exhaust themselves in bearing fruit and then wither4 ,the ,gospel is a plant whose seed is in itself1 and its external growth keeps pace with its reproductive energy4 ,we cannot monopolise the benefits of the ,gospel to ourselves2 it is intended for the world1 and wherever it comes it brings forth fruit4 ,it is intensely practical1 and aims at results1 corresponding with its character1 purpose1 and power4 ,,iii4 ,the true ,gospel is universally the same in the manner of its reception4--,since the day ye heard of it1 and knew the grace of ,god in truth 7ver4 #f74 ,faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the ,word of ,god4 ,the mode of receiving the ,gospel is the same to all4 ,it is apprehended by the understanding1 approved by the judgment1 and embraced by the affections4 ,it is not enough that it falls on the ear like the strain of a seraphic melody1 not enough that it enters the understanding as a clearly conceived1 full-orbed truth1 not enough that it ripples through the sphere of the emotions as an unspeakable ecstasy1 unless1 aided by the ,divine ,spirit1 it be cordially embraced by the heart and conscience as the whole truth--the only truth that saves and regenerates4 ,it is in the ,gospel only that we hear of the grace of ,god--the good news that ,he has provided redemption and restoration for the race4 ,nature1 with all her revelations of beauty1 wisdom1 and power1 is dumb on this subject4 ,providence1 with its vast repertory of mingled mystery and bounty1 unfolds it not4 ,it is only by believing the ,gospel that1 like the ,colossians1 we can know the grace of ,god in truth4 ,,iv4 ,the true ,gospel is universally the same in the method of its propagation4--#a4 ,it is propagated by preaching4 ,as ye also learned 7ver4 #g7--more correctly1 ,even as ye were instructed in the truth mentioned in the preceding verse4 ,it is believed ,epaphras first preached the ,gospel at ,coloss1 and1 under the direction of ,paul1 he was probably also evangelist to the neighbouring cities of ,hierapolis and ,laodicea4 ,preaching is the ,divinely instituted means of disseminating the ,gospel4 ,it cannot be superseded by any other agency4 ,its success has been marvellous4 #b4 ,it is propagated by men thoroughly qualified for the work4--7#a7 ,the apostle recognised ,epaphras as a co-labourer with himself4 ,our dear fellow-servant 7ver4 #g74 ,the preacher must labour as belonging to ,christ1 as entirely dependent on ,him1 and as deeply attached to ,him4 ,he is not a servant of the ,church2 he is a servant for the ,church1 in doctrine1 supplication to ,god1 and varied endeavours among men4 ,with all frankness1 affection1 and modesty1 the great apostle acknowledges ,epaphras as a dear fellow-labourer4 ,envy and jealousy of the gifts and reputation of others are pernicious and unjustifiable4 7#b7 ,the apostle recognised ,epaphras as a faithful minister of ,christ4 ,it was a great honour to be a fellow-servant with ,paul1 but greater still to be a minister of ,christ1 the ,lord of glory1 the ,head of the ,church1 the ,monarch of men and angels2 commissioned by ,him to proclaim the most vital truths and promote the best interests of the people4 ,moreover1 he is called a faithful minister2 the appellation of minister he had in common with many others2 the praise of faithfulness is confined to few4 ,the great secret lies in these three things--,christ1 immortal souls1 self-humiliation 7,bishop ,wilson74 7#c7 ,the apostle recognised ,epaphras as a man of deep spiritual insight4 ,who also declared unto us your love in the ,spirit 7ver4 #h74 ,love is the leading characteristic of the ,gospel4 ,it is announced as a message of ,god's love to man1 and its object is to produce love in every believing heart4 ,epaphras apprehended this prominent feature in the message itself1 discerned its origin in the work of the ,spirit1 and rejoiced in declaring its exercise towards the apostle1 towards ,god1 and towards all men4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the universality of the ,gospel a strong evidence of its ,divine authorship4 #b4 ,though all the world were to reject the ,gospel it would still be true4 #c4 ,to whomsoever the ,gospel comes the imperative duty is to believe it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #f4 ,the ,gospel manifests ,itself4 ,i4 ,it spreads its good news in all possible places4--,which is come unto you1 as it is in all the world4 ,,ii4 ,produces unmistakable spiritual results4--,and bringeth forth fruit1 as it doth also in you4 ,,iii4 ,is a revelation of ,divine grace4--,the grace of ,god in truth4 ,,iv4 ,to be an evident blessing it must be heard and thoroughly believed as the only truth4--,since the day ye heard of and knew4 ,vers4 #g1 #h4 ,a ,successful ,preacher-- ,i4 ,is affectionately recognised as a faithful minister of ,christ 7ver4 #g74 ,,ii4 ,attributes his success to the work of the ,spirit 7ver4 #h74 ,,iii4 ,regards the exercise of love in his hearers as a prominent feature of success 7ver4 #h74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-aa4 ,a ,comprehensive ,apostolic ,prayer4 ,i4 ,it was a prayer expressive of deep spiritual interest4--#a4 ,it was suggested by the report of their active ,christian virtues4 ,for this cause we also1 since the day we heard it1 do not cease to pray 7ver4 #i74 ,they had believed in ,christ1 they had shown a genuine love to the brethren1 they hoped for the glory of the future1 they brought forth the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,all this excites the grateful heart of the apostle to pray that they may enjoy yet higher spiritual blessings1 may increase in knowledge and wisdom1 and rise to the highest standard of moral perfection4 ,we best show our love to others by praying for them4 ,prayer is always needed1 since the most excellent ,christian graces are imperfect1 liable to decay1 and may be abused4 #b4 ,it was constant and fervent4--,do not cease to pray for you and to desire 7ver4 #i74 ,the apostle had unbounded faith in the efficacy of prayer4 ,many in these days limit the advantage of prayer to its reflex influence on the individual who prays--expanding the thoughts1 spiritualising the mind1 and sanctifying the heart2 and maintain that it is powerless to affect ,god1 whose purposes must advance by the irresistible operation of unchanging law1 irrespective of human supplication4 ,above this partial philosophy of the modern scientist we have the authority and practice of an inspired apostle4 ,if ,god did not hear and answer prayer--answer it1 not in violation of1 but in harmony with1 the highest law--then the frequent intercessions of the apostle are reduced to a solemn mockery1 are unjustifiable and inexplicable4 ,the apostle prayed with the utmost assiduity--night and day1 as opportunity permitted--and with the utmost ardency1 desiring that the blessings sought might be liberally and at once bestowed4 ,as ,augustine puts it1 our desires being prayers1 these are continual when our desires are continual4 ,,ii4 ,it was a prayer for amplest knowledge4--#a4 ,the main subject of the knowledge desired4 ,the knowledge of ,his will 7ver4 #i74 ,man thirsts for knowledge4 ,he is eager to become acquainted with himself and the wonders around him4 ,in his unwearied search after knowledge he has conquered colossal difficulties2 has penetrated the starry spaces with the telescope2 revealed the smallest visual atom with the microscope2 and1 with the deep-sea dredge1 has made us familiar with the long-hidden treasures of the ocean4 ,but the highest knowledge is the knowledge of ,god--not simply of ,his nature1 majesty1 perfections1 works1 but the knowledge of ,his will4 ,so far as we are concerned1 that will comprehends all that ,god wishes us to be1 believe1 and do4 ,we must know ,his will in order to salvation1 and as the supreme rule and guide of every action4 ,man may be ignorant of many things2 but he cannot be ignorant of ,god's will and be saved4 ,the knowledge of that will is the first great urgent duty of life4 #b4 ,the measure in which the knowledge may be possessed4--,filled with knowledge4 ,the word knowledge is full and emphatic1 indicating a living1 comprehensive1 complete knowledge of the ,divine will4 ,they already possessed some knowledge of that will2 and the apostle prays that it may be deeper1 clearer1 and increasingly potent within them1 that they may be filled4 ,the soul is not only to possess this knowledge1 but it is to possess the soul--informing1 animating1 and impelling it onwards to higher attainments in the things of ,god4 ,knowledge is a power for good only as it acquaints with the ,divine will1 and as it pervades and actuates the whole spiritual being4 ,we may seek great things from ,god4 ,he gives largely1 according to ,his infinite bounty4 ,there is no limit to our increase in ,divine knowledge but our own capacity1 diligence1 and faith4 #c4 ,the practical form in which the knowledge should be exercised4--,in all wisdom and spiritual understanding 7ver4 #i74 ,the word spiritual applies to both wisdom and understanding4 ,the false teachers offered a wisdom which they highly extolled1 but it had only a show of wisdom2 it was an empty counterfeit1 calling itself philosophy2 the offspring of vanity1 nurtured by the flesh2 it was unspiritual4 ,the true ,gospel is spiritual in its origin1 characteristics1 and effects4 ,the wisdom and understanding it imparts are the work of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,without ,his presence and operation in the soul both the knowledge of the ,divine will and advancement in it would be impossible4 ,the two terms are similar in meaning1 but there is a distinction4 ,wisdom refers to the ,god-given organ by which truth is selected and stored up2 understanding to the faculty by which truth is practically and prudently used2 the one is comprehensive and accumulative1 the other discriminative and practical4 ,true spiritual insight is the work of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,no amount of mental or moral culture1 of human wisdom and sagacity1 can supply it4 ,this was the power lacked by the ,galatians when they were so soon seduced from the ,gospel2 and to prevent a similar result among the ,colossians the apostle prays they may be filled with the knowledge of ,god's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding1 that they may discern between the false and the true1 the carnal and spiritual1 the human and the ,divine4 ,,iii4 ,it was a prayer for the loftiest ,christian career4--#a4 ,the standard of ,christian conduct4 ,that ye might walk worthy of the ,lord 7ver4 #aj74 ,life is a journey2 death is the common goal and resting-place where all meet4 ,our conduct is the pathway on which we travel4 ,the walk therefore describes the general course of life1 the actions1 habits1 and deportment of the man in his relations to ,god and to the race4 ,this walk is to be worthy of the ,lord--worthy of ,his holy and dignified character2 worthy of ,his law1 of ,his kingdom1 of ,his glory1 of the high destiny ,he has designed for us4 ,when a certain prince1 on being captured1 was asked how he should be treated1 his prompt reply was1 ,as a king4 ,we should ever remember the high vocation wherewith we are called1 and the exalted pattern after which our behaviour should be modelled 7,eph4 iv4 #a2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #ab74 ,our life is to be worthy of the ,lord--in its spirit1 motive1 active outgoing1 development1 scope1 and aim4 ,for this purpose1 we are filled with the knowledge of ,his will4 ,the end of knowledge is practice2 its value consists in what it enables us to do4 ,he is not an architect who simply theorises about buildings1 but he who has the art to erect them4 ,to speak eloquently of war does not constitute a general2 he only deserves that distinction who can skilfully manage an army in the field1 whether in attacking or defending4 #b4 ,the rule by which that standard is maintained4--,unto all pleasing 7ver4 #aj74 ,we are to please the ,lord in all things2 to attempt and sanction nothing that will not be acceptable to ,him4 ,we are not to please ourselves--we are not to please others--as the ultimate object of life4 ,if our conduct please others--our parents1 our friends1 our country--it is well2 but though all others are displeased and estranged1 we must strive in all things to please ,god4 ,this is the simplest as well as the highest and grandest rule of life4 ,attention to this will settle many perplexing questions concerning human duty4 ,the will of ,god must be studied as our supreme rule1 and to it all our throughs1 words1 and actions must be conformed4 ,thus1 the life on earth becomes a preparation and discipline for heaven and blends the present with a future of immortal blessedness4 ,it is well with us when we obey the ,lord 7,jer4 xlii4 #f74 #c4 ,the productiveness of ,christian consistency4--,being fruitful in every good work 7ver4 #aj74 ,one result of a worthy walk is fertility in ,christian activity4 ,in order to fruitfulness there must be life4 ,the believer's life is hid with ,christ in ,god1 and the existence of the hidden life is manifest in the fruits4 ,fruitfulness also involves culture4 ,neglect the vine1 and instead of the pendent clusters of glossy1 luscious fruit there will be barrenness and decay--withered branches fit only for the consuming fire4 ,god disciplines ,his people for fruitful and abundant service by painful but loving exercises of ,his providence 7,john xv4 #b74 ,it is not enough to bear one kind of fruit2 there must be fertility in every good work4 ,the ,christian is in sympathy with every good enterprise that aims at the physical1 social1 or moral welfare of man1 and will heartily contribute his influence and effort in its promotion4 #d4 ,progress in ,divine knowledge4--,and increasing in the knowledge of ,god 7ver4 #aj74 ,the knowledge of ,god is the real instrument of enlargement1 in soul and life1 of the believer 7,alford74 ,we can reach no stage in ,christian experience and practice in which additional knowledge is unnecessary4 ,activity in goodness sharpens the knowing faculty and adds to the stores of wisdom4 ,on the other hand1 increased knowledge reacts and stimulates the worker 7,john vii4 #ag2 ,matt4 xxv4 #bi74 ,divine knowledge is the great necessity of the soul1 and the real means of fruitfulness and growth in goodness4 ,it appeals to1 elevates1 and expands the whole man4 ,,iv4 ,it was a prayer for supernatural strength4--#a4 ,the appropriateness and fulness of the blessing desired4 ,strengthened with all might 7ver4 #aa74 ,man is morally weak4 ,sin has enfeebled and debased the soul2 it has tyrannised over humanity for ages4 ,when we were yet without strength ,christ came and introduced another force which counteracts sin and will ultimately effect its overthrow4 ,all who believe in ,christ receive strength to struggle against and conquer sin4 ,this imparted strength is especially necessary in realising the blessings for which the apostle prays--complete knowledge of the ,divine will2 a life worthy of the ,lord2 spiritual fertility and advancement in heavenly wisdom4 ,strengthened with all might4 ,our enemies are numerous1 violent1 and obstinate1 and our infirmities are many4 ,we therefore need strength of every kind4 ,as it is necessary to overcome all our enemies1 so it is necessary to be endued with all might--might to endure the most furious assault1 might to resist the most bewitching solicitation to evil4 #b4 ,the supernatural source of the blessing4--,according to ,his glorious power 7ver4 #aa7--or1 more correctly1 according to the power of ,his glory4 ,moral power is not native to the ,christian2 it has its source in ,god4 ,he imparts it to the believing heart4 ,the motive and measure of our strength is in the might of ,his glory4 ,power is an essential attribute of the ,divine glory2 it is manifested in the splendid works of creation1 in the inscrutable ways of ,providence1 and pre-eminently in the marvels of human redemption4 ,god's revelation of ,himself to us1 in whatever form1 is the one source of our highest strength4 ,the power of ,his glory reveals itself more and more to him who walks worthy of the ,lord4 ,armed with this supernatural energy1 the weakest saint becomes invincible4 #c4 ,the great practical purpose contemplated by the blessing4--,unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness 7ver4 #aa74 ,patience is the temper which does not easily succumb under trial2 longsuffering1 or longmindedness1 is the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong4 ,patience respects the weight of the affliction1 longsuffering its duration4 ,the former is exercised in relation to ,god1 in the endurance of trial1 or in waiting for promised blessing2 the latter in relation to man1 in long-continued forbearance under irritating wrongs4 ,the true strength of the believer consists1 not so much in what he can do1 as in what he can endure 7,isa4 xxx4 #ae74 ,the quiet1 uncomplaining sufferer is greater than the most vigorous athlete4 ,the characteristic of both patience and long-suffering is expressed in the phrase with joyfulness4 ,to suffer with joyfulness is the great distinction and triumph of the ,christian spirit4 ,the endurance of the ,stoic was often the effect of pride or insensibility4 ,but the ,christian1 though keenly sensitive to pain1 is enabled by the ,holy ,spirit to rejoice in the assurance of ,god's presence1 in the certain victory of ,his cause1 and in the prospect of reward both here and hereafter4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,how sublime are the topics of genuine prayer4 #b4 ,deep experimental acquaintance with the things of ,god is essential to a lofty and useful career4 #c4 ,knowledge1 wisdom1 spiritual fertility1 and strength are the gifts of ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i-aa4 ,paul's ,prayer for the ,colossians-- ,i4 ,for knowledge4--,fulness of knowledge both extensively and intensively is the burden of his desire4 ,in all wisdom--as a practical guide1 not as mere theory4 ,and spiritual understanding--the spirit of the believer receiving the ,spirit of ,god to lead him inwardly to understand1 realise1 and delight in the ,divine will4 ,,ii4 ,for fruitfulness4---#a4 ,a life worthy of the ,christian as it is well pleasing unto his ,lord4 #b4 ,good works of every kind4 #c4 ,substantial growth4 ,,iii4 ,for strength4--,in order to this fruitfulness all might is required of body1 mind1 and spirit1 but especially that of the ,spirit within4 ,the measure--according to ,his glorious power2 so as to suffer patiently the constant trials of the ,christian life and exercise all longsuffering towards persecutors and enemies of the truth1 and this with joyfulness4 ,it is not what we can do1 but what ,he can do in us1 and we through ,him4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,divine ,strength-- ,i4 ,is spiritual strength1 the source and sustenance of all might4 ,,ii4 ,may be realised in increasing measure4 ,,iii4 ,arms the soul with invincible power4--,power to endure with patience the trials of life2 power to bear with the opposition and cruelty of others4 ,,iv4 ,enables the soul to rejoice in the midst of suffering4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,meetness for ,saintly ,inheritance4 ,the epistle has been hitherto occupied with prefatory observations4 ,in this verse the writer enters upon his principal theme relating to the person and redemption of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he offers thanks to ,god the ,father as the primal source of that grace which constitutes the meetness for the saintly heritage4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,the opulent inheritance provided for the good4--#a4 ,it is a present and prospective possession4 ,the inheritance of the saints in light4 ,light is symbolic of knowledge1 purity1 and joy4 ,the saints even now are called out of darkness into ,god's kingdom of marvellous light4 ,they walk in the light as ,he is in the light4 ,they have a measure of knowledge1 but it is dimmed by many earthly obscurities2 of purity1 but it is surrounded with imperfections2 of joy1 but it is moderated by life's sorrows4 ,in the prospective heavenly inheritance1 of which the earthly portion is a preparation and pledge1 knowledge shall be unclouded and complete1 purity unsullied1 joy uninterrupted4 ,the life for eternity is already begun3 we are at and from the very hour of our regeneration introduced into the spiritual world--a world which1 though mysterious and invisible1 is as real as the world of sense around us3 the ,christian's life of heavenliness is the first stage of heaven itself6 ,there is a power now within the believer in the germ1 of which his celestial immortality shall be the proper fruit4 ,the dawn of heaven hath already begun in all who are yet to rejoice in its noontide glory 7,archer ,butler74 #b4 ,it is a possession provided for the good4--,the saints4 ,not for the unholy1 the impenitent1 the unbelieving1 the worldly4 ,it is an inheritance where only the pure in heart can dwell4 ,there is a world of significance in that pithy saying of an old ,divine3 ,every one will get to heaven who could live there4 ,only the saints who have made the ,lord their light and their salvation can bear the splendour of ,his presence4 #c4 ,it is a possession freely given4--,the legal heir has no need to work for his inheritance2 he enters in possession by right of succession or testatorial bequest4 ,the saint enters upon his inheritance of righteousness1 not by natural descent or by any self-constituted right1 but on the ground of a free1 ,divine gift4 ,the believer has a title to the inheritance2 but it is not earned by his own efforts3 it is bestowed by ,christ who won the inheritance by suffering and dying4 ,thus1 all idea of merit is excluded2 we can do nothing to deserve such a heritage of blessing4 ,the word inheritance really means the parcel of the lot--an expression borrowed from the ,old ,testament 7,ps4 xvi4 #e74 ,the promised ,canaan suggests an analogy between it and the higher hopes and wealthier possessions of the new dispensation4 ,as each ,israelite1 through the grace of ,god1 obtained his allotment1 so the ,christian obtains his portion in the kingdom of ,god4 ,the present and future possession of the saints infinitely surpasses the earthly inheritance4 ,,ii4 ,the special meetness necessary to a participation in the inheritance4--,hath made us meet to be partakers4 #a4 ,this meetness is absolutely necessary4--,naturally we are unmeet4 ,a monarch may raise the basest slave to a dukedom1 but he cannot give him fitness to discharge the duties of the exalted position2 he may change his state1 but he cannot change his nature4 ,to obtain a moral fitness for the saintly inheritance our nature must be changed4 ,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 #b4 ,this meetness consists in the loving conformity of the human will to the ,divine4--,the future life of heaven is the object and pattern of our present heavenly life3 there is the mighty model on which we are to reconstruct our nature2 there dwells that central form of moral and spiritual beauty of which our life is to be the transcript4 ,the celestial spirits find their highest glory and blessedness in the complete submission of their whole nature to ,god2 in cheerful1 willing1 loving obedience to ,his will4 ,the heavenly life is the test and standard of our life on earth--of every motive1 word1 and deed4 ,the ,church of ,christ is a training school for a more exalted career4 ,an ancient sage once said1 ,boys ought most to learn what most they shall need when they become men4 ,so1 men ought to learn in this life what they shall need most as glorified beings in the future4 ,only as our whole soul is conformed in loving obedience to the will of ,god are we meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light4 ,we are thus brought into sympathy with the good in all realms and fitted to participate in the most exalted fellowships of the future6 #c4 ,this meetness is a ,divine work4--,it is ,god the ,father who hath made us meet4 ,he provides the inheritance2 ,he gives the title to it2 ,he confers the moral fitness by which the soul enters into its possession and enjoyment4 ,none but ,god1 the fountain of holiness1 goodness1 and power1 could accomplish this work4 ,he worketh in us to will and to do4 ,in the meetening process ,he hath dealt with us as a ,,father1 instructing our ignorance1 correcting and chastising our faults1 and comforting and strengthening us in trouble4 ,,iii4 ,the great duty we owe to the generous donor of the inheritance4--,giving thanks4 ,gratitude is the easiest and commonest duty of a dependent creature2 yet is the duty most frequently and grossly neglected4 ,our hearts should ever glow with an unquenchable flame of grateful praise to the bountiful ,author of all our blessings4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,we owe thanks to ,god as the ,provider of the inheritance4 #b4 ,we owe thanks to ,god as the active ,agent in producing the special meetness to participate in the enjoyments of the inheritance4 #c4 ,our thanks to ,god should be expressed in active obedience to ,his will4 #d4 ,our thanks to ,god should be joyful1 fervent1 and constant4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,qualification for ,heaven4 ,i4 ,the state contemplated4--,it is an inheritance2 not a purchased property1 but the common heritage of the children of ,god4 ,of the saints1 holy persons4 ,in light1 knowledge1 holiness1 happiness4 ,,ii4 ,the meetness required4--,adaptations in the natural world4 ,in social arrangement4 ,in regard to the heavenly state4 ,a change of heart is necessary4 ,without it heaven would not be heaven to us4 ,it must be sought and obtained in the present world4 ,it is here ascribed to the ,father4 ,,iii4 ,the thanks to be rendered4--,we thank our fellow-men for their gifts4 ,we thank ,god for ,his other gifts4 ,we should thank ,him for meetness for heaven4 ,this thanksgiving prepares us for heaven4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,meetness for the ,inheritance of the ,saints in ,light4--,life for eternity is already begun4 ,the business and the beatitude of heaven must consist in conformity of the will to the will of ,god3 this is equally the law of earth4 ,i4 ,faith is the realising power of this meetness4 ,,ii4 ,hope is the consoling and fortifying power4 ,,iii4 ,love is the uniting power1 the consummation1 and the perfection of all4--,a4 ,butler4 ,the ,inheritance of the ,saints4 ,i4 ,an interesting view of the future world as it is inherited by believers4--#a4 ,the saints are in light in respect to the place4 #b4 ,as it respects purity4 #c4 ,in respect of the permanency of their felicity4 #d4 ,as it respects knowledge4 ,,ii4 ,the meetness which is wrought by ,god in the hearts of all who are raised to the enjoyment of this inheritance4--#a4 ,the relative meetness is expressed by the word inheritance4 ,it is assigned to heirs4 #b4 ,the personal meetness is indicated by the term saints4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,give thanks to ,god for those who are made meet4 #b4 ,give thanks to ,god if the work be begun in yourselves4--,r4 ,watson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,the ,great ,moral ,translation4 ,these words amplify the truth unfolded in the preceding verse1 and describe the great change that must take place in order to obtain a meetness for the saintly inheritance--the translation of the soul from the powerful dominion of darkness into the glorious kingdom of the ,son of ,god4 ,i4 ,this translation involves our enfranchisement from a state of dark captivity4--,who hath delivered us from the power of darkness 7ver4 #ac74 #a4 ,the unrenewed are in a realm of moral darkness4--,this was the condition of the ,colossians and of the whole ,gentile world before the times of the ,gospel4 ,darkness covered the earth1 and gross darkness the people4 ,darkness denotes ignorance1 moral blindness4 ,man is in darkness about the great mysteries of being1 the mystery of sin and suffering1 the deep significance of life1 the distressing question of human duty1 the destiny of the universe1 the character and operations of ,god1 and ,his relation to the race4 ,it is possible to know much about religion1 to hold religious ideas at second-hand as a group of poetic conceptions--fancy pictures from the book of ,revelation1 like the pictures of the poets from the book of ,nature--and yet be totally in the dark as to the religious experience of those ideas4 ,may be intellectually light1 and spiritually dark4 ,darkness denotes danger and misery4 ,like a traveller in a strange country overtaken by the night1 stumbling along in uncertainty and fear1 until one fatal step--and he lies helpless in the rocky abyss1 into the bottom of which he falls4 #b4 ,in this realm of moral darkness the unrenewed are held in captivity4--,they are slaves in the land of darkness1 tyrannised over by an arbitrary and capricious ruler4 ,slavery distorts and defaces the illustrious image in which man was originally created1 darkens the understanding1 paralyses the intellect1 and stunts the growth of intelligence2 it robs him of his self-respect1 poisons nature1 and brands him with unutterable infamy4 ,the power of darkness is that tyranny which sin exercises over its captives1 filling their minds with deadly errors or brutish ignorance1 their consciences with terror of indifference1 and dragging them onwards under its dismal yoke into all the horrors of eternal darkness4 ,the tyrant of this gloomy realm is ,satan2 and his domination is founded and conducted on imposture1 error1 ignorance1 and cruelty4 ,he is the arch-deceiver4 #c4 ,from this realm of moral darkness ,god graciously liberates4--,who hath delivered us4 ,for the slaves of sin there is no help but in ,god4 ,it is the nature of sin to incapacitate its victim for making efforts after self-enfranchisement4 ,he is unwilling to be free4 ,to snap the fetters from a nation of slaves yearning for liberty is a great and noble act4 ,our deliverance is mightier than that4 ,the word deliver in the text means to snatch or rescue from danger1 even though the person seized may at first be unwilling to escape1 as ,lot from ,sodom4 ,god does not force the human will4 ,the method of deliverance was devised and executed independent of our will2 its personal benefits cannot be enjoyed without our will4 ,,ii4 ,this translation places us in a condition of highest moral freedom and privilege4--#a4 ,we are transferred to a kingdom4 ,hath translated us into the kingdom 7ver4 #ac74 ,power detains captives2 a kingdom fosters willing citizens4 ,tyranny has no law but the capricious will of a despot2 a kingdom implies good government1 based on universally recognised and authoritative law4 ,the image is presented of the wholesale transportation of a conquered people1 of which the history of ,oriental monarchies furnishes many examples 7,josephus1 ,ant41 ,,ix4 xi474 ,they were translated from a bad to a better ruling power4 ,so1 the believer is moved from the realm and power of darkness and bondage to the kingdom of light and freedom4 ,the laws of this kingdom are prescribed by ,christ1 its honours and privileges granted by ,him1 and its future history and triumphs will ever be identified with ,his own transcendent glory4 #b4 ,we are placed under the rule of a beneficent and glorious ,king4--,the kingdom of ,god's dear ,son1 more accurately the ,son of ,his love4 ,as love is the essence of the ,father1 so is it also of the ,son4 ,the manifestation of the ,son to the world is manifestation by ,him of ,divine love 7#a ,john iv4 #i74 ,the kingdom into which believers are translated is founded on love2 its entire government is carried on under the same beneficent principle4 ,the acts of suffering and death1 by which ,christ won ,his kingly dignity and power1 were revelations of love in its most heroic and self-sacrificing forms4 ,when we believe in ,christ1 we are translated from the tyranny and darkness of sin into the kingdom of which the ,son of ,god--the ,son infinitely beloved of the ,father--is ,king4 ,as willing subjects1 we share with ,him the ,father's love1 and are being prepared for more exalted service and sublimer experiences in the endless kingdom of the future4 ,,iii4 ,the ,divine method by which translation is effected4--,it is effected by redemption4 #a4 ,the means of redemption4--,through ,his blood 7ver4 #ad74 ,the image of a captive and enslaved people is still continued4 ,but the metaphor is changed from the victor who rescues the captive by force of arms to the philanthropist who releases him by the payment of a ransom 7,lightfoot74 ,all men are under the condemnation of a violated law and sink in the bondage of sin4 ,there is no release but by paying a ransom2 this is involved in the idea of redemption4 ,the ransom-price paid for the enfranchisement of enslaved humanity was not corruptible things1 as silver and gold1 but the precious blood of ,christ4 ,the mode of redemption is to us a deep mystery2 the reasons influencing the ,divine ,mind in its adoption we cannot fathom4 ,but the fact is plainly revealed 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #ah1 ii4 #bd2 ,gal4 iii4 #ac74 ,this was ,god's method of translating from bondage to liberty4 #b4 ,the effect of redemption4--,even the forgiveness of sins 7ver4 #ad74 ,the ransom-price is paid1 and the slave is free4 ,the first blessing of redemption is pardon4 ,it is this the penitent soul most urgently needs2 it does not exclude all other redemptive blessings but opens and prepares the soul for their reception4 ,sin is the great obstacle between the soul and ,god2 the monster sluice that shuts off the flow of ,divine blessing4 ,redemption lifts the sluice1 and the stream of ,divine goodness pours its tide of benediction into the enraptured soul4 ,an earthly king may forgive the felon1 but he cannot give him a better disposition4 ,god never forgives without at the same time giving a new heart4 ,pardon involves every other blessing--peace1 purity1 glory2 it is the pledge and foundation for the bestowal of all we can need in time or in eternity4 #c4 ,the ,author of redemption4--,in whom we have redemption 7ver4 #ad74 ,christ1 the ,son of ,god's love1 by the sacrifice of ,himself1 accomplished our redemption2 and it is only as we are in ,him by faith that we actually partake of the freedom ,he purchased for us4 ,his blood is not merely the ransom paid for our deliverance1 but ,he is ,himself the personal1 living source of redemption4 ,the deliverance of humanity is not simply in the work of ,christ1 through what ,he did and suffered1 but in ,himself--the strong ,son of ,god1 the crucified1 risen1 and living ,saviour4 ,it is not only a rescue from condemnation and punishment1 but a deliverance from the power and bondage of evil4 ,the words in whom we have redemption teach much and imply more4 ,they describe a continuous gift enjoyed1 a continuous process realised by all who have been translated into the kingdom of the ,saviour4 ,in them the power of redemption is being carried on1 so that they die unto sin1 and live unto ,god1 and experience a growing meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light 7,spence74 ,christ only could be the ,redeemer of men2 ,he combined in one person the ,divine and human natures3 ,he could therefore meet the demands of ,god and the necessities of man4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sin is a dark1 enslaving power4 #b4 ,the kingdom of the ,redeemer is one of light and freedom4 #c4 ,moral translation by redemption is a ,divine work4 #d4 ,the forgiveness of sin can be obtained only by faith in the ,son of ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,from ,darkness to ,light4 ,i4 ,man is naturally in a state of darkness1 held captive by sin and ,satan4 ,,ii4 ,a kingdom of freedom and light is provided by the intervention of the ,son of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the translation from darkness to light is a ,divine act4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,great ,blessing of ,redemption-- ,i4 ,is the forgiveness of sins4 ,,ii4 ,the blessing of forgiveness is through the agency of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,redemption is purchased at a great cost and sacrifice4--,through ,his blood4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses#ae-ag4 ,the ,relation of ,christ to ,god and to all ,created ,things4 ,having spoken of our redemption1 the apostle1 in terms of the highest significance and grandeur1 dwells upon the dignity and absolute supremacy of the ,redeemer4 ,i4 ,the relation of ,christ to ,god4--,who is the image of the invisible ,god 7ver4 #ae74 ,god is an infinite and eternal ,spirit1 incomprehensible and invisible4 ,no man hath seen ,god at any time2 yet humanity yearns for some visible embodiment of ,deity4 ,christ reflects and reveals the ,father4 ,he is the brightness of ,his glory1 and the express image of ,his person4 ,it is believed that the idea of the ,logos underlies the whole of this passage1 though the term is not mentioned4 ,the heretical teachers at ,coloss had introduced a perverted view as to the nature of the mediation between ,god and creation1 and the apostle aims to rectify it4 ,the word 1 denoting both reason and speech1 was a philosophical term adopted by ,alexandrian ,judaism to express the manifestation of the unseen ,god--the absolute ,being--in the creation and government of the world4 ,it included all modes by which ,god makes himself known to man4 ,as ,his reason1 it denoted ,his purpose or design2 as ,his speech1 it implied ,his revelation4 ,when ,christian teachers adopted this term1 they exalted and fixed its meaning by attaching it to two precise and definite ideas--that the ,word is a ,divine person1 and that the ,word became incarnate in ,jesus ,christ 7,lightfoot74 ,christ as the eternal ,word is the perfect image1 the visible representation1 of the unseen ,god4 ,in addition to the idea of similitude1 which is capable of a wide and general use1 the word image involves two others4 #a4 ,representation4--,it implies an archetype of which the image is a copy4 ,man is said to be in the image of ,god2 but there is a difference between the image of ,god in man and the image of ,god in ,christ4 ,in ,christ it is as ,csar's image in his son2 in man it is as ,csar's image on his coin4 ,in the ,god-man ,christ ,jesus we have a visible1 living1 perfect1 and reliable representation of the invisible ,god4 #b4 ,manifestation4--,the general idea of the ,logos is the manifestation of the hidden4 ,no man hath seen ,god at any time2 the only begotten ,son1 which is in the bosom of the ,father1 ,he hath declared ,him 7,john i4 #ah1 compared with xiv4 #i1 #aj1 vi4 #df74 ,the incarnate ,word1 in ,his nature1 attributes1 and actions1 is the true epiphany of the unseen ,deity1 setting forth1 like distinct rays of one and the same glorious light1 ,his infinite wisdom1 mercy1 righteousness1 and power4 ,our obligations to ,christ for ,his wondrous revelations are unspeakably great4 ,,ii4 ,the relation of ,christ to all created things4--#a4 ,christ existed prior to the creation4 ,he is the firstborn of every creature 7ver4 #ae74 ,it is not said ,he was the first formed or first created of every creature1 but the firstborn--the first begotten4 ,it is plainly intimated that ,christ1 the ,son of ,god's love1 was begotten before any created thing existed4 ,there is therefore no ground in this passage for the ,arians and ,socinians to build up their theory of the creatureship of ,christ4 ,in relation to all created things1 intelligent or unintelligent1 terrene or celestial1 ,christ was the firstborn4 ,in an ineffably mysterious sense ,he was begotten2 they were created4 ,the two ideas involved in the phrase are3 7#a7 ,priority to all creation--the absolute pre-existence of the ,son4 ,the term first begotten was frequently used among the ,jews as a term of precedence and dignity4 ,as applied to the ,son of ,god1 it implies priority in rank in relation to all created things4 ,time is an accident of the creature4 ,therefore1 the origin of the ,son of ,god precedes all time4 7#b7 ,sovereignty over all creation4 ,god's firstborn is the natural ,ruler1 the acknowledged ,head of ,god's household4 ,he is ,heir of all things4 ,he is creation's supreme and absolute ,lord4 ,he brought all creatures out of nothing1 and by ,his own will graduated the degree of being each should possess2 and it is fitting ,he should have unlimited empire over all4 ,as if to prevent the possibility of any misconception regarding the relation of ,christ to the universe1 and to show that ,he could not be a part of creation however exalted in degree1 but was essentially distinct from it1 the apostle sets forth the ,son of ,god as the ,first ,cause1 the ,active ,agent1 and the ,grand ,end of all created things4 #b4 ,christ is ,himself the ,creator of all things4--7#a7 ,the conception of creation originated in ,christ4 ,for by ,him or in ,him were all things created 7ver4 #af74 ,he was the great ,first ,cause2 the being1 forms1 limitations1 energies of all things to be were bound up in ,him4 ,it rested with ,himself to create or not to create4 ,it is thought by some the ,platonic idea is here shadowed forth2 that the archetypes1 the original patterns of all things1 were in ,christ before they were created outwardly4 ,this is simply a philosophic speculation and is readily suggested by the universal method of the mind first forming a mental conception within itself of any object it desires to body-forth to the outward eye4 ,it is in ,christ we trace the great work of creation in its beginning1 progress1 and end4 7#b7 ,the powers of creation were distributed by ,christ4 ,all things that are in heaven1 and that are in earth 7ver4 #af74 ,he created the heavens also2 but those things which are in the heavens are rather named because the inhabitants are more noble than their dwellings4 ,visible1 things that are evident to the outward senses2 and invisible1 things that may be conceived by the understanding4 ,with a view to meet some peculiar doctrine of the false teachers at ,coloss1 who seem to have alleged that ,christ was but one of the heavenly powers1 ,st4 ,paul breaks up the things invisible1 and distributes them by the words 'thrones1' 'dominions1' 'principalities1' or 'powers4' ,it may be difficult1 and indeed impossible1 for us now fully to know what the terms severally convey in connection with the several hierarchies of official glory4 ,yet all these invisible beings1 so illustrious as to be seated on thrones1 so great as to be styled dominions1 so elevated as to be considered principalities1 so mighty as to merit the designation of powers1 were created by the ,son of ,god2 and they all acknowledge ,his supremacy and glory4 ,the highest position in creation is infinitely below ,him1 and there is neither majesty nor renown that equals ,his4 ,all created beings occupying the loftiest thrones throughout the vastness of immensity and amidst the mystery of life do homage and service to ,christ ,jesus as the firstborn1 the only begotten ,son of ,god 7,spence74 7#c7 ,christ is ,himself the ,great ,end of creation4 ,all things were created for ,him 7ver4 #af74 ,as all creation emanated from ,him1 so does it all converge again towards ,him4 ,the eternal ,word is the goal of the universe1 as ,he was the starting-point4 ,it must end in unity1 as it proceeded from unity2 and the centre of this unity is ,christ4 ,the most elaborate and majestic machinery of the universe and the most highly gifted intelligence alike exist only to serve the ultimate purpose of creation's ,lord4 ,all created things gather their significance1 dignity1 and glory by their connection with ,him4 ,christ must be more than a creature1 as the loftiest creature could not be the end of all created things4 ,it is a narrow philosophy that teaches that all things were made for man4 ,the grand end of all our endeavours should ever be the glory of ,christ4 #c4 ,the unchanging eternity of ,christ4--,he is before all things 7ver4 #ag74 ,not only is ,he before ,moses and before ,abraham1 as ,he declared to the ,jews 7,john viii471 but ,he is before all things4 ,the words refer not so much to ,his eminence in rank as to duration4 ,the terms ,,he ,,is1 in the ,greek1 are most emphatic1 the one declaring ,his personality1 the other that ,his pre-existence is absolute existence4 ,christ existed before any created thing--even before time itself2 therefore1 from eternity4 ,knowing the tendency of men to entertain inferior notions of the person of ,christ1 and of the redemption ,he has provided1 the apostle multiplies conceptions to represent ,his ,divine worth and excellency4 ,he should be preferred before all4 #d4 ,the continued existence of creation depends on ,christ4--,and by rather in ,him all things consist 7ver4 #ag7--;hold together1 cohere4 ,he is the principle of cohesion in the universe4 ,he impresses upon creation that unity and solidarity which makes it a cosmos instead of a chaos4 ,thus1 to take one instance1 the action of gravitation1 which keeps in their places things fixed and regulates the motion of things moving1 is an expression of ,his mind 7,lightfoot74 ,the universe found its completion in ,him and is sustained and preserved every moment by the continuous exercise of ,his almighty power4 ,all things hang on ,christ2 in ,him they live and move and have their being4 ,if ,he withdrew ,his upholding hand1 everything would run into confusion and ruin4 ,thou hidest ,thy face1 they are troubled3 ,thou takest away their breath1 they die1 and return to their dust4 ,in ,him all things consist4 ,he is the centre of life1 force1 motion1 and rest2 round ,him all things revolve4 ,he imposes their limits1 gives to them their law1 strikes the keynote of their harmonies1 blends and controls their diverse operations4 ,he is the ,all-perfect in the midst of imperfection1 the ,unchanged in the midst of change4 ,he is the ,author of human redemption2 became incarnate1 suffered1 died1 and rose again1 and now reigns with the ,father in glory everlasting4 ,he is worthy of our loftiest adoration1 our humblest submission1 our strongest confidence1 our most ardent love4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the supremacy of the ,creator and ,preserver of all things is absolute and universal #b4 ,human redemption is grounded on the divinity of the ,son of ,god4 #c4 ,personal trust in the ,redeemer brings the soul into direct personal relation to the ,father4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,christ a ,revelation because ,he is the ,equal of the ,father-- ,i4 ,in ,his nature4--,the incarnation4 ,,ii4 ,in ,his attributes4 ,,iii4 ,in ,his will4--,the character of ,christ and ,his moral system4 ,,iv4 ,in ,his works4--,his miracles1 ,his death as a sacrifice for sin1 ,his resurrection4 #a4 ,how ungrateful and unbelieving have we been6 #b4 ,how zealous and devoted should we be6--,g4 ,brooks4 ,ver4 #af4 ,christ the ,author and the ,end of ,creation4 ,i4 ,the ,author4--#a4 ,the extent4 ,all things4 ,the universe1 natural and moral4 #b4 ,the variety4--,visible and invisible4 ,the near and the distant1 the vast and the minute1 the material and the spiritual4 #c4 ,the orders4--,whether they be4 ,scale of being4 ,gradations in all classes4 ,,ii4 ,the end4--#a4 ,heaven was created for ,him4 ,as the place of ,his special residence and as the home of ,his people4 #b4 ,angels were created for ,him4--,messengers of ,his mercy1 executioners of ,his vengeance4 #c4 ,hell was created for ,him4--,the prison of ,his justice4 #d4 ,the earth was created for ,him4--,the scene of ,his incarnation and atoning death4 ,his mediatorial kingdom4 #e4 ,the human race was created for ,him4--,man created1 preserved1 redeemed4 7#a7 ,how exalted should be our ideas of ,christ6 7#b7 ,how carefully should we learn to view everything in connection with ,christ6 #c4 ,what ground for confidence1 gratitude1 and fear4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,the ,relation of ,christ to the ,moral ,creation4 ,after showing that ,christ holds the position of absolute priority and sovereignty over the whole universe1 the apostle now proceeds to point out ,his relation to the principal part of that whole--the ,church1 as the symbol and embodiment of the new1 moral creation4 ,from this verse we learn that ,christ is the supreme ,head1 and primal life-giving ,source of the ,church1 and as such is invested with universal pre-eminence4 ,i4 ,christ is the supreme ,head of the ,church--the new moral creation4--#a4 ,the ,church is the body of ,christ4 ,the body1 the ,church4 ,much controversy has prevailed as to what constitutes the ,church2 and the more worldly the ,church became1 the more confused the definition1 the more bitter the controversy4 ,the ,new ,testament idea of the ,church is easily comprehended4 ,it is the whole body of the faithful in ,christ ,jesus1 who are redeemed and regenerated by ,his grace--the aggregate multitude of those in heaven and on earth who love1 adore1 and serve the ,son of ,god as their ,redeemer and ,lord4 ,the word constitutes two leading ideas3 the ordained unity1 and the calling or separating out from the world4 ,three grand features ever distinguish the true ,church--unbroken unity1 essential purity1 and genuine catholicity4 7,cf4 ,eph4 i4 #bb1 #bc1 iv4 #ae1 #af2 #a ,cor4 xii4 #ab-bg74 #b4 ,christ is the ,head of the ,church4--,and ,he is the ,head of the body1 the ,church4 ,that the world might not be considered this body1 the word ,church is added2 and the materialistic conception of a ,church organism thus refuted4 ,as the ,head of the ,church--7#a7 ,christ inspires it with spiritual life and activity4 7#b7 ,he impresses and moulds its character4 7#c7 ,he prescribes and enforces its laws4 7#d7 ,he governs and controls its destinies4 7#e7 ,he is the centre of its unity4 ,,ii4 ,christ is the originating1 fontal ,source of the organic life of the ,church4--,in respect to the state of grace1 ,he is the beginning2 in respect to the state of glory1 ,he is the firstborn from the dead4 ,he gives to the ,church its entity1 form1 history1 and glory2 except in and through ,him1 the ,church could have no existence4 #a4 ,he is the ,author of the moral creation4--,the beginning4 ,christ has been before described as the ,author of the old material creation4 ,here ,he is announced as the beginning of the new spiritual creation4 ,the moral creation supplies the basis and constituent elements of the ,church4 ,in the production1 progress1 and final triumph of the new creation1 ,he will redress all the wreck and ruin occasioned by the wrong-doing of the old creation4 ,of this new moral creation ,christ is the source1 the principle1 the beginning2 the fountain of life1 purity1 goodness1 and joy to the souls of men4 #b4 ,he is the ,author of the moral creation as the ,conqueror of ,death4--,the firstborn from the dead4 ,sin introduced death into the old creation1 and the insatiable monster still revels and riots amid the corruptions he perpetually generates4 ,the ,son of ,god1 in fulfilment of the ,divine plan of redemption1 became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross4 ,he descended into ,hades and placed ,himself among the dead4 ,on the third day ,he rose again1 the firstfruits of them that slept4 ,he was the firstborn from the dead2 the first who had risen by ,his own power2 the first who had risen to die no more4 ,by dying ,he conquered death for ,himself and all ,his followers4 ,he can therefore give life to all that constitute that ,church of which ,he is fittingly the ,head1 assure them of a resurrection from the dead1 of which ,his own was a pattern and pledge1 and of transcendent and unfading glory with ,himself in the endless future4 ,,iii4 ,the relation of ,christ to the ,church invests ,him with absolute pre-eminence4--,that in all things ,he might have the pre-eminence4 #a4 ,he is pre-eminent in ,his relation to the ,father4--,he is the image of the invisible ,god2 the ,son of ,his love1 joined by a bond to us mysterious and ineffable1 and related in a sense in which no other can be4 ,he is the first and the last2 the only ,divine ,son4 #b4 ,he is pre-eminent in the universe of created things4--,he existed before any being was created1 and was ,himself the omnipotent ,author of all created things4 ,the whole hierarchy of heaven obey and adore ,him4 ,he is alone in ,his complex nature as our ,emmanuel4 ,mystery of mysteries2 in ,him ,deity and humanity unite6 #c4 ,he is pre-eminent in ,his rule over the realm of the dead4--,he entered the gloomy territory of the grave1 wrestled with and vanquished the ,king of ,terrors1 rose triumphantly from the dismal battle-field1 and is now ,lord both of the dead and of the living4 ,i am ,he that liveth and was dead2 and behold1 ,i am alive for evermore2 and have the keys of ,hades and of death 7,rev4 i4 #ah74 #d4 ,he is pre-eminent in ,his relation to the ,church4--,the ,church from beginning to end is purely ,his own creation4 ,he sketched its first rough outline1 projected its design1 constructed its organism1 informed it with life1 dowered it with spiritual riches2 and ,he will continue to watch over and direct its future until ,he shall present it to ,himself a glorious ,church1 not having spot or wrinkle1 or any such thing6 #e4 ,he is pre-eminent in the estimation and homage of a ransomed world4--,he is the central figure of all history2 around ,him all events group themselves1 and by ,him are stamped with their true character1 significance1 and worth4 ,the dream of the ages1 the teaching of figures and symbols1 the shadows and forecastings of coming events1 are all dismissed in the effulgent presence of ,him to whom they all point1 like so many quivering index-fingers4 ,christ has to-day the strongest hold upon the heart of humanity4 ,his perplexed enemies admire while they reject ,him2 the ever-increasing multitude of ,his friends reverence and adore ,him2 and the era is rapidly advancing when to ,him a universe of worshippers shall bow the knee and acknowledge that in all things ,he has the pre-eminence4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the pre-eminence of ,christ entitles ,him to universal obedience4 #b4 ,the highest blessedness is found in union with the ,church of ,christ4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,the ,church the ,body of ,christ4 ,i4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church is one with ,him4--#a4 ,one in covenant dealing with ,god4 #b4 ,one in respect of the principle of life4 #c4 ,one in history4 #d4 ,how ,christ may be served or persecuted4 ,,ii4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church is one in itself4--#a4 ,identity of principle4 #b4 ,substantial agreement in faith4 #c4 ,a visible association through sympathy4 ,,iii4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church has many co-operating and mutually dependent members4--#a4 ,the members are as numerous as are believers or as are offices4 #b4 ,their mutual dependence and co-operation illustrated in the work of spreading the ,gospel4 #c4 ,let each one know his own place and duties4 ,,iv4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church must grow up to completeness and maturity4--#a4 ,each believer is first a babe in ,christ and advances to the measure of the stature of a man in ,christ4 #b4 ,as a whole the ,church is gradually augmented and increased--from ,abel onwards4 #c4 ,to gather in and perfect the elect is the peculiar work of time4 ,v4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church must be restored to perfect soundness and health4--#a4 ,christ receives the ,church--dead4 #b4 ,the first step towards perfect soundness is a resurrection4 #c4 ,hence each believer is quickened with ,christ in order to be healed4 #d4 ,the bodies of the saints shall likewise be perfect4--,the ,physician4 #e4 ,in heaven no one shall say1 ,i am sick4 ,,vi4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church is the object of ,his unremitting care4--#a4 ,to provide for the wants of his body is man's unceasing care4 #b4 ,christ has made ample provision4 #c4 ,he now ministers to ,his ,church's wants--clothing1 food1 defence1 habitation4 ,,vii4 ,as the body of ,christ the ,church is the instrument through which ,he accomplishes ,his purposes4--#a4 ,the body the instrument of the heart or soul4 #b4 ,the ,church the instrument of ,christ4 #c4 ,the ,church but the instrument4--,stewart4 ,christ the ,firstborn from the ,dead-- ,i4 ,in the dignity of ,his person4 ,,ii4 ,because ,he rose by ,his own power4 ,,iii4 ,because ,he is the only one who rose never to die again4 ,,iv ,because ,he has taken precedence of ,his people who all shall rise from their graves to glory4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai1 #bj4 ,the ,reconciling ,work of the ,great ,mediator4 ,after showing the grand pre-eminency of ,christ in both the natural and moral creation1 and thus declaring the inferior and subordinate position of those angelic powers whose nature and office the false teachers in ,coloss unduly extolled1 the apostle here proceeds to point out the special fitness of the great ,mediator for that lofty relationship4 ,it is grounded on the fact that in ,him all fulness dwells4 ,observe-- ,i4 ,the unique qualification of the great ,mediator4--#a4 ,in ,him all fulness dwells4 ,the heretical teachers would reduce ,christ to the level of an angelic mediator1 a simple evolution from the ,divine nature1 and one of the links that bind the finite to the infinite4 ,they admitted there was the manifestation of ,divine power and glory1 but that this was only occasional1 and not inherent4 ,the apostle1 in refuting this1 asserts that the plenitude--the grand totality of ,deity--resided in ,christ1 not as a transient guest1 but as a permanent and abiding presence4 ,all fulness4 ,well might the profound and devout ,bengel exclaim1 ,who can fathom the depth of this subject8 ,in the marvellous person of ,jesus there is combined all the fulness of humanity as well as the fulness of ,divinity--all the beauty1 dignity1 and excellency that replenish heaven and earth1 and adorn the nature of ,god and of men4 ,it is a fulness that stands related to all the interests of the universe and can supply the moral necessities of all4 ,there is a fulness of wisdom to keep us from error1 fulness of grace to preserve from apostasy1 fulness of joy to keep us from despair1 and fulness of power to protect from all evil4 ,it penetrates and fills the vast universe of intelligent beings and girds it with a radiant circle of glory and felicity4 #b4 ,it is the good pleasure of the ,father that this fulness should reside in the ,son4--,for it pleased the ,father 7ver4 #ai74 ,it was the will and purpose of ,god the ,father that ,christ1 as the ,mediator1 should1 in order to accomplish the great work of reconciliation1 be filled with the plenitude of all ,divine and human excellencies2 that ,he should be the grand1 living1 unfailing reservoir of blessing to the whole intelligent universe4 ,the ,father is not only in harmony with the reconciling work of the ,son1 but the whole merciful arrangement was from the first suggested1 planned1 and appointed by ,him4 ,the moving cause and foundation of all saving grace through the ,son is the good pleasure of the ,father4 ,it is not ,his good pleasure that any other than ,christ should be the ,mediator of the universe4 ,we should never seek or acknowledge any other4 ,,ii4 ,the reconciling work of the great ,mediator4--#a4 ,the nature of the reconciliation4 ,to reconcile unto ,himself 7ver4 #bj74 ,the word reconcile imports to restore one to a state of amity and friendship1 to change the relations of two parties separated either by one-sided or mutual enmity4 ,sin places man at enmity with ,god1 and exposes him to the ,divine opposition and anger4 ,the cross of ,christ1 by removing the cause of estrangement1 opens the way of reconciliation2 and the penitent1 believing soul is thus restored to the ,divine favour and friendship4 ,but the word reconcile does not always presuppose the existence of open enmity2 and1 from the general drift of the verse1 the term should be interpreted in the most liberal sense1 yet with the utmost caution and reverence4 #b4 ,the extent of the reconciliation4--,to reconcile all things unto ,himself1 whether they be things in earth or things in heaven 7ver4 #bj74 ,it was on the earth where the enmities first arose2 therefore1 it is put first4 ,the humanity of ,christ bringing all creatures around it unites them to ,god in a bond which never before existed--a bond which has its origin in the mystery of redemption4 ,thus all things in heaven and earth feel the effect of man's renovation4 ,in ,christ1 the great ,reconciler1 meet and merge the discordant elements which sin had introduced 7see ,bengel and ,eadie74 ,the false teachers aimed at effecting a partial reconciliation between ,god and man1 through the interposition of angelic mediators4 ,the apostle speaks of an absolute and complete reconciliation of universal nature to ,god1 effected through the mediation of the incarnate ,word4 ,their mediators were ineffective because they were neither human nor ,divine4 ,the true ,mediator must be both human and ,divine4 ,the whole universe of things material1 as well as spiritual1 shall be restored to harmony with ,god4 ,how far this restoration of universal nature may be subjective1 as involved in the changed perceptions of man thus brought into harmony with ,god1 and how far it may have an objective and independent existence1 it were vain to speculate 7,lightfoot74 ,with regard to this reconciliation1 we may safely say it includes1 with much more that is too high for us to understand1 the following truths3 7#a7 ,sinful creatures on earth are reconciled to ,god in ,christ4 ,for the degenerate and guilty children of men there is a ,reconciler and a way of reconciliation1 so that wrath is turned aside1 and friendship restored4 7#b7 ,sinful and sinless or unfallen creatures are reconciled to each other and brought together again in ,christ4 ,bengel says3 ,it is certain that the angels1 the friends of ,god1 were the enemies of men when they were in a state of hostility against ,god4 ,the discord and disunion introduced into the moral universe by sin are overcome by the ,lord ,jesus4 7#c7 ,sinless and unfallen creatures are brought nearer to ,god in ,christ1 and1 through ,his reconciling work and ,his infinite fulness of grace1 are confirmed for ever in their loyalty and love4 ,in ,christ1 the ,redeemer and ,reconciler1 they have views of the ,divine nature1 character1 and glory they never had before1 and which they can nowhere else obtain 7,spence74 ,it needed such a ,mediator as ,jesus1 gifted with the highest ,divine and human powers1 to restore the tone and harmony of a discordant universe1 and tune every created spirit to the keynote of sweetest celestial music4 ,the true melody of acceptable praise is learned only in the ardent1 loving adoration of the ,son of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the means by which the reconciliation is effected4--,and having made peace through the blood of ,his cross 7ver4 #bj74 ,to make peace is the same thing as to reconcile2 and the death of ,christ--the shedding of ,his blood on the cross--was the method by which1 in the infinite wisdom of ,god1 the peace-producing reconciliation is secured4 ,it was the voluntary self-sacrifice of ,himself on the cross that constituted ,jesus the grand reconciling ,mediator of the universe4 ,all things are of ,god1 who hath reconciled us to ,himself by ,jesus ,christ 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ah74 ,only by suffering could suffering be assuaged2 only by dying could death itself be conquered4 ,the cross is therefore the symbol of peace1 of power1 of triumph4 ,there the law was fulfilled and magnified1 the integrity of the ,divine perfections vindicated1 justice was satisfied1 mercy found its most bounteous outlet1 and love its crowning joy4 ,the cross is the source of every blessing to the fallen2 the centre round which a disordered universe again revolves in beauteous order and rejoicing harmony2 the loadstone that draws the trembling sinner to the needed and unutterable repose4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the great ,mediator has every qualification for ,his stupendous work4 #b4 ,the reconciliation of a disorganised universe is beyond the power of any subordinate agent4 #c4 ,rebellious man can be restored to peace with ,god only as he yields himself up to the great ,mediator4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,the ,fulness of ,christ-- ,i4 ,endowed with all ,divine and human excellencies4 ,,ii4 ,necessary to accomplish ,his reconciling work4 ,,iii4 ,was required and approved by ,god the ,father4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,christ the ,reconciler-- ,i4 ,restored the friendship between ,god and man broken by sin4 ,,ii4 ,accomplished ,his work by the voluntary sacrifice of ,his life4 ,,iii4 ,introduces harmony into a disrupted universe4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba1 #bb4 ,the ,personal ,blessings of ,reconciliation4 ,having shown the relation of ,christ to ,god1 to the whole creation1 and to the ,church1 and ,his connection with all moral beings1 the writer now proceeds to point out the relation of ,christ to individual man in delivering him from the fetters of sin and opening up the way of reconciliation with an outraged but loving ,deity4 ,in this passage we have a description of the attitude of sinful man towards ,god and the method of his restoration4 ,we learn that3-- ,i4 ,sin has placed man in antagonism to ,god4--#a4 ,man is estranged from ,god4 ,and you that were sometime alienated 7ver4 #ba74 ,sin severs the soul from ,god4 ,the principle of cohesion--the consciousness of rectitude which ,god implanted in man in his sinless state--is weakened1 and the sinner1 breaking away from the centre of all goodness1 drifts into an ever-widening and ever-darkening wilderness of alienation and evil4 ,sin places man at an infinite distance from ,god1 leads him to shun the ,divine presence and disregard the ,divine overtures4 ,a state of alienation is a state of danger2 it is a state of spiritual death2 and yet it is painful to observe how few in this state are conscious of their awful peril4 #b4 ,man is hostile to ,god4--,enemies in your mind 7ver4 #ba74 ,the enmity follows from the estrangement1 and both have their seat in the mind--in the original and inmost force of the mind which draws after it the other faculties4 ,the mind of man opposes the mind of ,god1 sets up a rival kingdom1 and organises an active rebellion against the ,divine ,ruler4 ,the carnal mind is enmity against ,god 7,rom4 viii4 #g74 ,if the hostility is not always flagrantly open1 it is in the mind2 the fountain of all sin is there4 ,to be a stranger to ,god is to be an enemy of ,god3 ,he that is not with ,me is against ,me4 ,the sinner is his own greatest enemy4 ,it is a vain thing to fight against ,god2 terrible will be the vengeance ,he will ere long wreak upon ,his enemies4 #c4 ,man's estrangement and hostility are evident in his actions4--,by wicked works 7ver4 #ba74 ,man is stimulated by his sinful mind to perpetrate the most outrageous acts of rebellion against ,god1 and to indulge in the most fiendish cruelty towards his fellow-man4 ,but there are wicked works that may not figure in the criminal columns of the newspapers1 nor be detected by the most vigilant watcher4 ,to cherish envy1 hatred1 malice1 and all uncharitableness is equally heinous in the sight of ,god1 and an unmistakable evidence of hostility towards ,him4 ,sin conceived in the mind will1 sooner or later1 manifest itself in action4 ,,ii4 ,man is reconciled to ,god in ,christ4--#a4 ,the distinguished blessing4 ,yet now hath ,he reconciled 7ver4 #ba74 ,to effect this all that is necessary is to persuade the sinner to cease his rebellion and submit to ,god4 ,in ,christ ,god is reconciled to the sinner2 there is no need to persuade ,him4 ,he is love2 the sinner is enmity4 ,he is light2 the sinner is darkness4 ,he is nigh unto the sinner1 but the sinner is afar off4 ,the great object is to destroy the sinner's enmity1 that he may have ,divine love2 bring him from darkness into ,divine light2 bring him from his evil works nigh unto ,god1 and reconciliation is the result 7,biblical ,museum74 ,the amity existing between the soul and ,god1 and which sin had interrupted1 is now restored4 ,dear as are the friendships of earth1 none can equal friendship with ,god4 ,the calls a worm ,his friend1 ,he calls ,himself my ,god2 ,and ,he shall save me to the end ,through ,jesu's blood4 ,the loftiest communion of the soul with ,god is renewed4 ,in this the soul finds its strength1 consolation1 life1 rapture4 ,how much does that man lose whose heart is not reconciled to ,god8 #b4 ,the gracious medium of the blessing4--,in the body of ,his flesh through death 7ver4 #bb74 ,the apostle here refers in the most explicit terms to the sufferings and death of ,jesus ,christ and shows that the great work of reconciliation was effected in ,his body1 and through death1 for that body was crucified and actually died4 ,the apostle perhaps aimed at correcting certain pseudo-spiritualistic notions regarding the person of ,christ1 busily propagated by the false teachers2 some of whom held that ,christ was an angelic emanation which animated the man ,jesus for a time and withdrew from ,him before ,he suffered4 ,while maintaining the proper deity and glory of ,christ's nature1 the apostle plainly indicates that the ,divine method of reconciliation was by the incarnation and sacrificial death of ,christ4 ,he thus exalts the significance and value of the death of ,christ4 ,reconciliation was not accomplished by the faultless example of ,christ's life or the supernal wisdom of ,his teaching1 but by ,his crucifixion and death4 ,the cross1 with its unfathomable mystery1 is to them that perish foolishness2 but to them that believe it is still the power and wisdom of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the ,divine purpose in reconciliation is to promote man's highest blessedness4--,the magnificence of the believer's future career will be in marked contrast with the obscurity and imperfection of the present2 but even in this life he is lifted by the reconciling grace of ,god to a high standard of moral excellence4 ,the terms here employed1 while referring to the same spiritual state1 delineate its different aspects4 #a4 ,the highest blessedness of man consists in his moral purity4--,to present you holy 7ver4 #bb74 ,this shows the condition of the soul in relation to ,god2 it is freely offered to ,him as a living sacrifice2 the inward consciousness is wholly consecrated to the permanent indwelling of the ,holy ,one2 every thought1 affection1 and aspiration of the soul is hallowed2 the whole man is enriched1 ennobled1 and radiant with a holy character4 #b4 ,the highest blessedness of man consists in his personal blamelessness4--,unblameable 7ver4 #bb74 ,this aspect of character has reference to one's self2 it is the development in the outward life of the purity and consecration of the heart2 it is a sacrificial term and means without blemish4 ,the soul is inspired with a sense of integrity1 and of always acting for the best4 ,when ,socrates was asked1 just before his trial1 why he did not prepare himself for his defence1 he calmly answered1 ,i have been doing nothing else all my life4 ,a noble1 blameless life is its own defence4 #c4 ,the highest blessedness of man consists in his freedom from censure4--,unreproveable in ,his sight 7ver4 #bb74 ,this feature of a holy character has reference to others4 ,if man thus purified and blessed can bear the piercing glance of ,him whose scrutiny no defect can escape1 his character is unchallengeable4 ,to be accepted and approved of ,god places him beyond the accusations of man or demon2 the subtle insinuations of the ,great ,accuser are powerless to hurt4 ,it is ,god that justifieth2 who is he that condemneth8 ,to be holy1 unblameable1 and unreproveable in the sight of ,god is to enjoy the highest honour and completest bliss4 ,this is the ultimate result of reconciliation in ,christ4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sin is the great foe of ,god and man4 #b4 ,the death of ,christ is the means of reconciling sinful man to ,god4 #c4 ,the aim of reconciliation is to produce an irreproachable character4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,reconciliation by ,christ4 ,i4 ,estrangement4--#a4 ,the cause--by wicked works4 #b4 ,the result--not merely that ,god is angry1 but we have become enemies to ,god4 ,,ii4 ,reconciliation4--#a4 ,christ has reconciled man to ,god4 #b4 ,he hath reconciled man to man4 #c4 ,he hath reconciled man to ,himself4 #d4 ,he hath reconciled man to duty4--,robertson4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,holiness the ,supreme ,end of ,reconciliation4 ,i4 ,holiness an inward state and an outward result4--,holy1 unblameable and unreproveable4 ,,ii4 ,holiness alone can satisfy ,god4--,in ,his sight4 ,,iii4 ,holiness is the final completion of the soul4--,to present you4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,the ,condition of ,man's ,final ,blessedness4 ,the ripest fruits can only be produced and gathered by careful and unremitting culture2 so1 the enjoyment of the final blessings of reconciliation is conditioned upon continued allegiance to the ,gospel and the diligent practice of its precepts4 ,we are taught in this verse that the ultimate presentation to ,god of a perfectly holy and blameless character depends upon the believer's firm and persevering attachment to the ,gospel4 ,observe-- ,i4 ,man's final blessedness depends upon his unswerving continuance in the faith4--,the faith is a comprehensive term2 it is inclusive of all the great saving truths of the ,gospel1 and of man's many-sided relation to them4 ,there is implied3 #a4 ,a continuance in the doctrines of the faith4--,what a man believes has a powerful influence in moulding his character4 ,the truths submitted to our faith shed light upon matters of transcendent import and worth4 ,the baffled and inquiring mind1 straining with painful eagerness after light1 finds its satisfaction and rest amid the soothing radiance of revealed truth4 ,in returning and rest shall ye be saved 7,isa4 xxx4 #ae74 ,unbelief lures the soul from its restful confidence1 sets it adrift amidst the cross currents of bewilderment and doubt1 and exposes it to moral shipwreck and irrevocable loss4 ,the soul's eternal safety is ensured1 not by an infatuated devotion to mere opinions about certain dogmas1 but by an intelligent1 firm1 and constant faith in ,divine verities4 #b4 ,a continuance in the profession of the faith4--,the believer is a witness for the truth2 and it is an imperative duty to bear testimony for ,christ before the world 7,rom4 x4 #i1 #aj74 ,this is done when we unite in fellowship and service with the external ,church of ,christ on earth4 ,the ,church1 as the representative of ,christ1 witnesses for ,him in the life and conduct of its individual members4 ,there is nothing binding as to the special form this witness-bearing should take in each particular case2 nor is any man compelled1 for the sake of profession1 to wed himself to any particular branch of the ,church catholic4 ,there may be reasons that render it justifiable1 and even necessary1 for a man to sever himself from any given religious community and join another2 but on no conceivable ground can he be liberated from the duty of an open profession of his faith in ,christ2 his future acceptability to ,god hinges on his fidelity in this duty 7,matt4 x4 #cb74 #c4 ,a continuance in the practice of the faith4--,faith supplies the motive and rule of all right conduct4 ,the test of all preceptive enactment and profession is in the life4 ,the ,christian character is developed and perfected1 not by believing or professing1 but by doing the will of ,god4 ,the rewards of the future will be distributed according to our deeds 7,rom4 ii4 #f-aj74 #d4 ,continuance in the faith must be permanent4--,grounded and settled4 ,the edifice1 to be durable1 must be well founded1 that it may settle into a state of firmness and solidity2 so faith1 in order to survive the storms and temptations of this world1 and participate in the promised good of the future1 must be securely grounded and settled in the truth4 ,in order to permanency in the faith1 the truth must be--7#a7 ,apprehended intelligently4 7#b7 ,embraced cordially4 7#c7 ,maintained courageously4 ,,ii4 ,man's final blessedness depends upon his unchanging adherence to the ,gospel hope4--#a4 ,the ,gospel reveals a bright future4 ,it inspires the hope of the resurrection of the body1 and of the glorification of it and the soul together in the eternal life of the future4 ,faith and hope are inseparably linked together2 they mutually succour and sustain each other2 they rise or fall together4 ,hope is the unquestioning expectation of the fruition of those things which we steadily believe4 ,it is compared to an anchor1 which1 cast within the veil1 fastened and grounded in heaven1 holds our vessel firm and steady amid the agitations and storms of life's tempestuous sea4 ,the ,gospel is the only source of genuine1 deathless hope2 all hopes grounded elsewhere wither and perish4 #b4 ,the ,gospel to be effectual must come in contact with the individual mind4--,which ye have heard4 ,epaphras had declared to them the ,divine message4 ,it had been brought to them2 they had not sought it4 ,having heard and received the ,gospel1 to relinquish its blessings would be inexcusable and ungrateful4 ,in some way1 either by direct preaching or otherwise1 the ,gospel must come to man4 ,there is no power of moral reformation in the human heart itself2 the germinant principle of a better life must come from without2 it is conveyed in the ,gospel word4 #c4 ,the ,gospel is adapted to universal man4--,which was preached to every creature which is under heaven4 ,already it had spread into every part of the then known world1 and its power was felt in every province of the ,roman empire4 ,the fine prophetic instinct of the apostle saw the universal tendency of the ,gospel1 and1 in spirit1 anticipated the fulfilment of its generous mission4 ,his motive is to emphasise the universality of the unchangeable ,gospel which is offered without reserve to all alike1 and to appeal to its publicity and progress as the credential and guarantee of its truth4 ,it is adapted to all men2 it proclaims its message in all lands and is destined to win the world to ,christ4 ,the faith and hope of the believer are based1 not upon the uncertain declarations of false teachers1 but upon that ,gospel1 which is unchangeable in its character and universal in its appeal and adaptability to humanity2 a strong reason is thus furnished for personal steadfastness4 #d4 ,the ,gospel invested the apostle with an office of high authority4--,whereof ,i ,paul am made a minister4 ,paul participated in the blessings of the ,gospel2 he had felt its transforming power1 and from his personal experience of its preciousness could1 with the greater assurance and force1 exhort the ,colossians to continue in the faith4 ,but in addition to this the ,gospel was committed to the apostle as a sacred trust and for faithful ministration2 and while dwelling on the broad charity of the ,gospel as involving the offer of grace to the ,gentiles1 he is impressed with the dignity and responsibility of his office as he interjects1 somewhat abruptly1 but with exquisite modesty1 the words1 ,whereof ,i ,paul am made a minister4 ,it has been said of man that he is the priest and interpreter of nature2 that it is his function to observe and test phenomena and interpret the laws that govern the material world4 ,another writer has said that man is the organ of revelation for the ,godhead4 ,god can find no adequate form of revelation for ,himself in the impersonal forces of nature2 only through a being in ,his own image can ,he unfold to the universe ,his adorable character4 ,but the highest office to which man can be elevated is to be a ministrant of ,gospel light and grace to his fellow-man4 #e4 ,there is an implied possibility of relinquishing our hold of the ,gospel hope4--,be not moved away from the hope of the ,gospel4 ,the words do not necessarily imply doubt1 but suggest the necessity for constant circumspection1 vigilance1 and care4 ,the multiplicity and fulness of our blessing may prove a snare to us2 prosperity tempts us to relax watchfulness1 and we are in danger of becoming a prey to the wiles of the wicked one4 ,our retention of the ,gospel hope is rendered immovable by constant waiting upon ,god in fervent prayer1 by a growing acquaintance with the ,word of promise1 by continually anticipating in thought the bliss of the future4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel provides the surest basis for faith and hope4 #b4 ,man's ultimate blessedness depends on his continued fidelity4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,the ,joy of ,suffering for the ,church4 ,a stolid indifference to suffering and a heroic endurance of the same were not unknown to the ancient pagans2 but it is ,christianity alone that has taught us to rejoice in afflictions2 it supplies an ecstasy of emotion that renders us oblivious for the time being of encompassing trials4 ,the apostle1 as he pondered over the mighty work of reconciliation1 and as he caught a glimpse of the amazing extent of ,divine mercy1 could not but rejoice even in his sufferings4 ,in this verse he expresses his joy that1 in suffering for the ,church1 he supplements that which was lacking in the afflictions of ,christ4 ,observe-- ,i4 ,the representative character of the apostle's sufferings4--#a4 ,the apostle represented the suffering ,saviour4 ,the afflictions of ,christ4 ,we are not to suppose that the sufferings of ,christ were incomplete in themselves or in their value as constituting a sufficient atonement4 ,the passion of ,christ was the one full1 perfect1 and sufficient sacrifice1 oblation1 and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world4 ,in this sense there could be no deficiency in ,christ's sufferings1 for ,christ's sufferings being different in kind from those of ,his servants1 the two are incommensurable4 ,neither the apostle nor any other could represent the expiatory and sacrificial aspect of the ,redeemer's sufferings4 ,but while ,his personal sufferings are over1 ,his afflictions in ,his people still continue4 ,he so thoroughly identifies ,himself with them that their trials1 sorrows1 persecutions1 and afflictions become ,his own4 ,the apostle represented the suffering ,saviour in what he endured for ,christ and the ,church4 ,thus1 he declared to the ,corinthians1 ,the sufferings of ,christ abound in us4 ,the ,church to-day is the representative of the suffering ,saviour1 and so completely is ,he identified with ,his people that ,he endures in them the pangs of hunger and thirst1 shares their sickness and imprisonment1 and reckons every act of kindness done to them as done to ,himself 7,matt4 xxv474 #b4 ,the sufferings of the apostle supplemented what was lacking in the afflictions of ,christ4--,and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of ,christ in my flesh4 ,in harmony with the representative character of the ,church1 we can understand how the afflictions of every saint and martyr do supplement the afflictions of ,christ4 ,every age of the ,church has its measure of suffering4 ,the ,church is built up by repeated acts of self-denial in successive individuals and successive generations4 ,they continue the work which ,christ began4 ,they bear their part1 and supplement what is deficient in the sufferings of ,christ 7#b ,cor4 i4 #g2 ,phil4 iii4 #aj74 ,as an apostle1 ,paul was a representative man1 and his share in filling up what was wanting in these afflictions was considerable4 ,in his own flesh he bore unexampled hardship1 indignities1 and distress4 ,in labours more abundant1 in stripes above measure1 in prison more frequent1 in deaths oft4 ,the great ,head of the ,church was made perfect through suffering2 so must the body be in all its relations and development4 ,through tribulation1 more or less evident and intense1 we must enter the kingdom4 ,suffering in itself has no virtue to elevate moral character2 it is effective to this end only as it tends to fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of ,christ1 only as it is borne for ,christ1 and in the ,spirit of ,christ4 ,the great ,mediator suffered to effect our salvation2 and ,his people1 on their part1 fill up the suffering needed for the perfection of their spiritual life and for the full display of the ,divine glory4 ,,ii4 ,the vicarious character of the apostle's sufferings4--,for ,his body's sake1 which is the ,church4 ,the greater part of the suffering of the believer in this world is vicarious--is endured on behalf of others4 ,it is thus we most nearly approach the spirit and example of ,christ4 ,st4 ,paul1 as the pioneer missionary1 the wise and edifying instructor1 the diligent and anxious overseer1 occupied a prominent and important position among the ,churches1 and his sufferings on their behalf would benefit them in many ways4 #a4 ,the apostle's sufferings for the ,church confirmed the faith of her converts4--,thousands are shy in embracing ,christianity1 because they shrink from the suffering it seems to involve2 thousands more retire from the ,christian profession for the same reason4 ,an example like that of ,paul's--a man profoundly sincere1 intensely earnest1 calm and unmoved by the stoutest opposition1 and triumphant amid acutest sufferings--encourages the timid and strengthens and confirms the tempted and wavering4 #b4 ,the apostle's sufferings were for the consolation of the ,church4--,writing to the ,corinthians1 he says3 ,whether we be afflicted1 it is for your consolation and salvation4 ,suffering makes us more capable of sympathising with others4 ,great hearts can only be made by great troubles4 ,the spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper and makes more room for the water of consolation4 ,the richest anointing of ,divine comfort is bestowed in the moment of severest suffering1 and the consolation of one is the consolation of many4 ,when ,mr4 ,james ,bainham1 who suffered under the reign of ,henry ,,viii41 was in the midst of the flames which had half consumed his arms and legs1 he said aloud3 ,oh1 ye ,papists1 ye look for miracles1 and here now you may see a miracle2 for in this fire ,i feel no more pain than if ,i were in a bed of down1 but it is to me a bed of roses6 #c4 ,the apostle's sufferings for the ,church tended to promote her increase4--,the more the ,egyptians afflicted the ,hebrews the more they multiplied and grew4 ,the devil's way of extinguishing goodness is ,god's way of advancing it4 ,the apostle could testify1 in the midst of his sufferings1 that the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel4 ,suffering seals the word spoken with a sacred and impressive significance4 ,many a convert has been won to the truth by the irresistible example of a suffering life4 ,,iii4 ,the high-toned spirit of the apostle's sufferings4--,who now rejoice in my suffering for you4 ,nature shrinks from suffering4 ,it is altogether above nature to triumph in suffering4 ,it is ,christianity alone that lifts the spirit into the tranquil region of patient endurance and inspires us with joy in tribulation4 ,it is not a love of suffering for its own sake--not a mad1 morbid craving for the ghastly honours of a self-sought martyrdom2 but there is a nameless charm about the truths of ,christianity that exalts the mind1 thrills the soul1 and transmutes sorrow into joy4 ,paul was imprisoned at ,rome1 bound in a chain for the ,gospel1 when he wrote this epistle2 but as the thoughts suggested by his theme grew in full-orbed magnificence before his mental vision--as he contemplated the lavish wealth of ,god's mercy in the call of the ,gentiles who constituted the greater portion of the world's population--and as he saw all the glory of being allowed to share1 and even to supplement1 the sufferings of ,christ1 he rose above the consideration of his own personal trials1 and in a sudden outburst of thanksgiving could exclaim1 ,now ,i rejoice in my sufferings for you4 ,let us not repine at our afflictions4 ,not only is our own soul chastened and purified2 but every pang1 every tear1 every trial in our lot1 is a contribution to the filling up of that which is still behind in the afflictions of ,christ4 ,it baptises suffering with a new meaning1 and arrays it in a new dignity1 when it is viewed as a grand means of promoting the perfection1 the purity1 and unfading glory of the whole ,church4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,it is an unspeakable honour to suffer for the ,church of ,christ4 #b4 ,the personal experience of the grace of ,christ renders suffering for ,him a joy4 #c4 ,the glory of the future will outweigh all we have suffered for the ,church below4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #be-bg4 ,the ,pre-eminent ,honour and ,sublime ,theme of the ,christian ,ministry4 ,the highest dignity and most solemn responsibility are conferred on man when he is entrusted with the ministration of ,god's ,word4 ,it is the infinite condescension of ,god that we have this treasure in earthen vessels4 ,he who1 in the exercise of ,his unchallengeable wisdom1 calls man to this work1 can alone inspire and endow him with the necessary intellectual and moral fitness for the awful charge4 ,in these verses we learn that the apostle was appointed a minister of the ,church--a steward in ,god's household--charged to preach without reserve the whole ,gospel of ,god1 to dispense to the ,gentiles the stores which ,his bountiful grace provided4 ,note3-- ,i4 ,the ,christian ministry is a ,divine institution4--#a4 ,the true minister is ,divinely commissioned4 ,whereof ,i am made a minister1 according to the dispensation of ,god which is given to me for you 7ver4 #be74 ,the word dispensation involves the idea of stewardship4 ,god governs ,his ,church1 not as a tyrant1 who rules what is not his own2 not as a monarch1 who knows not a thousandth part of his subjects2 but as a father1 who knows1 loves1 and provides for his own children4 ,the apostle was entrusted with a stewardship in ,god's household2 he was a steward of the mysteries of ,god4 ,he received the office from ,god4 ,this invested it with the highest dignity2 yet he was the minister of the ,church1 and it was his joy to serve it1 whatever might be the labour1 sacrifice1 or suffering entailed4 ,the ,christian ministry is not a lordship1 but a stewardship2 the minister is solemnly commissioned of ,god to maintain1 defend1 and dispense the truth that saves and edifies4 ,there are moments when the minister can derive stimulus and courage for his work only by falling back upon the irrefutable fact of his ,divine call4 #b4 ,the true minster is charged with the most complete proclamation of the ,divine ,word4--,to fulfil the word of ,god 7ver4 #be7--to preach fully1 to give its most complete development to4 ,the apostle had declared the ,gospel in all its depth and breadth of meaning1 its wealth of blessing1 and amplitude of revelation4 ,he had proclaimed it in every direction1 in harmony with his insight into its universal fitness and sufficiency4 ,fulfil implies the figure of a measure to be filled4 ,the true minister is empowered to preach the ,word of ,god in all the fulness of its internal import1 and in accord with the universality of its outward purpose4 ,whether palatable or unpalatable1 he must not shun to declare everywhere the whole counsel of ,god4 ,the fulness there is in ,christ and the urgent needs of humanity alike demand this4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian ministry deals with a theme of profound significance and ineffable worth4--#a4 ,it is designated a mystery4 ,even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations 7ver4 #bf74 ,mystery in the ,scripture sense does not mean something actually incomprehensible1 but something concealed or unknown until it please ,god to reveal it2 something beyond the human mind to discover for itself1 and which can only be attained by ,divine aid4 ,the mystery comprehended two leading features--the ,divine purpose in saving man through a suffering and crucified ,saviour1 and the free admission of the ,gentiles on equal terms with the ,jews to the privileges of the covenant4 ,unlike the heathen mysteries1 which were confined to a narrow circle1 the ,christian mystery is freely communicated to all4 ,the mystery was concealed from the ages1 which may be referred to the angels2 and from the generations1 which may be referred to men4 ,though faintly shadowed in types and figures1 the truth would never have been discovered by man4 ,in the revelation of the mystery the apostle applauded the lavish wealth of the ,divine goodness4 ,the ,gospel is still a mystery to the unconverted4 #b4 ,it is a mystery unveiled to those who are morally fitted to understand it4--,but now is made manifest to ,his saints 7ver4 #bf74 ,god chose ,his own time for making known the mystery of the ,gospel4 ,like all the ,divine procedures1 the development was gradual1 increasing in clearness and completeness as the fulness of time approached2 that time embraced the advent of the incarnate ,son of ,god1 ,his ascension and enthronement in heaven1 and the descent of the revealing ,spirit4 ,it is an axiom in optics that the eye only sees what it brings with it the power to see2 and it is equally true in spiritual things that the soul comprehends the revelation of ,god only as it is prepared and fitted by the good ,spirit4 ,the holier the organ of ,divine revelation1 the clearer the vision4 ,it was not to the dignitaries of imperial ,rome or the ruling powers of ,judea1 but to humble shepherds that the tidings of the ,saviour's advent were first announced2 not to the aristocracy of ,pharisaic or ,sadducean intellect1 but to the plain1 unlettered1 believing fishermen of ,galilee that the full glory of salvation by ,christ was disclosed4 ,augustine has said1 ,illiterate men rise and seize heaven1 while we1 with all our learning1 are rolling in the filth of sin4 #c4 ,the revelation of the mystery was an act of the ,divine will4--,to whom ,god would make known 7ver4 #bg74 ,there was nothing impelling ,him to unfold this mystery but ,his own good pleasure4 ,it was ,his sovereign will to disclose to the humble and devout1 rather than to the proud and self-sufficient1 the wondrous praise and glory of the ,gospel4 ,the most sincere seeker after holiness could not of himself discover the mystery4 ,but though made known in its richer spiritual developments only to the good1 the good pleasure of ,god has put the knowledge of it within the reach of all4 #d4 ,the revelation of the mystery endowed humanity with a vast inheritance of moral wealth4--,what is the riches of the glory of this mystery 7ver4 #bg74 ,the terms employed seem inadequate to convey the meaning intended4 ,it is impossible fully to explain or illustrate the sublime truths they indicate4 ,the ,gospel is a mystery full of glory--a glory unique1 resplendent1 unsurpassable2 and this glory is dowered with riches1 abundant1 inexhaustible1 and ,divine4 ,the riches of the glory appear in the manifestation of the nature and attributes of ,god which the mystery supplies1 and also in the moral wealth that has descended upon man4 ,here is the most lavish provision for the salvation of sinful and perishing humanity--an inheritance of imperishable bliss4 7#a7 ,this inheritance enriched the most needy4 ,it was exhibited among the ,gentiles 7ver4 #bg74 ,the ,jews were the children of promise and possessed every religious privilege2 the ,gentiles were the children of mercy1 and never dared to dream of enjoying the blessings of the ,gospel4 ,in the revelation of the mystery to them1 the dispensation of grace achieved its greatest triumphs and displayed its transcendent glory4 ,here1 too1 was its wealth1 for it overflowed all barriers of caste or race4 ,judaism was beggarly in comparison1 since its treasures sufficed only for a few4 ,the glory of the ,gospel was never so brilliant as in the moral transformations it effected among the degraded ,gentiles4 7#b7 ,this inheritance includes the hope inspired by the indwelling ,christ4 ,which is ,christ in you1 the hope of glory 7ver4 #bg74 ,the mystery of the ,gospel begins and ends in ,christ1 and ,christ is in every believer the hope of glory4 ,only in ,christ can we hope for the highest glory1 and in ,him we infallibly find all the blessedness we can enjoy in this world or expect in the future4 ,in ,him we have here as seed what we shall have in ,him there as harvest4 ,even now we sit there in ,him and shall sit with ,him in the end4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian ministry involves solemn responsibilities4 #b4 ,the transcendent theme of the ,christian ministry is ,divinely revealed4 #c4 ,personal experience of the grace of ,god endows man with the clearest insight into its mystery1 and the most satisfying possession of its spiritual riches4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #be-bg4 ,the ,glory of the ,gospel-- ,i4 ,a mystery once hidden1 but now revealed 7vers4 #bf1 #bg74 ,,ii4 ,enriches all nations with moral blessings4 ,,iii4 ,is entrusted to ,divinely authorised messengers to make known 7vers4 #be1 #bg74 ,ver4 #bg4 ,christ in you the ,hope of ,glory4 ,i4 ,what it implies of present experience4--#a4 ,generally--,christ among you4 #b4 ,personally--,christ in you4 ,,ii4 ,what is presages4--,the hope of glory4 #a4 ,personal glory--in the perfection of being where the servant is like his ,lord4 #b4 ,relative glory--sharing the throne with ,jesus1 and sharing in ,his triumph and glory4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bh1 #bi4 ,the ,secret of ,effective ,preaching4 ,much has been written concerning the inefficiency of the modern pulpit2 and it has been argued that the press is now the great and successful rival of the preacher and must ere long render his office nugatory4 ,this prediction might possibly be fulfilled if the preaching of the ,gospel was simply a human institution and depended only on man for its permanency4 ,but when we remember that preaching is a ,divine ordinance1 and is adapted to reach and stir the heart as no other agency can1 the preacher's function can never cease while human nature remains what it is1 or while ,god honours ,his own institution with ,his blessing4 ,only as the pulpit is faithful to its grand theme and lofty mission will it be effective4 ,the deepest want of the age is ,christ2 and that preaching will be irresistibly potent that most adequately represents ,him4 ,these verses reveal to us the secret of effective preaching4 ,i4 ,in order to effectiveness in preaching ,christ must be the changeless theme4--,whom we preach 7ver4 #bh74 #a4 ,preach ,christ as to the special characteristic and unrivalled excellencies of ,his person4--,the greatest men who ever lived1 however brilliant and capacious their genius or stupendous their labours1 never made so profound and widespread an impression upon humanity as ,christ has done and is now doing4 ,their influence operated for only a limited period2 ,his pervades all time--past1 present1 and future2 theirs was confined to a narrow locality1 ,his is diffused through the universe4 ,the person of ,christ is unique in this--that it combines two natures1 the ,divine and the human4 ,it was necessary ,he should be both ,god and man in order to fully accomplish the work ,he voluntarily undertook4 ,as ,god1 ,he met and satisfied all the requirements of ,deity2 and as man--putting ,himself in our place--,he realised and reached the extremities of our need1 and thus fairly laying hold of us1 gathering up and grasping the roots of our corrupt nature1 ,he raised from sin to holiness1 from earth to heaven4 ,he is ,emmanuel--,god with us4 #b4 ,preach ,christ in ,his mediatorial character4--,as the ,prophet who testified of the truth of ,god2 as the ,priest1 who1 by ,his one offering of ,himself on the cross1 has atoned for sin and made reconciliation possible2 and as the ,king who has vanquished all our spiritual enemies and demands our absolute allegiance to ,his rule4 #c4 ,preach ,christ as the ,saviour of every man1 and as the only ,saviour4--,the threefold repetition of the phrase every man has a special significance1 and emphasises the universality of the ,gospel4 ,this great truth1 a truth which the apostle sacrificed his life in establishing1 had been endangered by the doctrine of a ceremonial exclusiveness taught by the ,judaizers in several places1 and was now endangered by the doctrine of an intellectual exclusiveness taught by the ,gnosticizers at ,coloss4 ,christ must be proclaimed as the ,saviour of men of every class1 community1 and country4 ,he is the only ,saviour1 for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 7,acts iv4 #ab74 ,the preaching of ,christ is no narrow theme but stands essentially related to all the noblest truths of the universe4 ,,ii4 ,in order to effectiveness variety of method must be adopted4--,the declaration of the truth must be3-- #a4 ,authoritative4--,whom we preach 7ver4 #bh74 ,the ,new ,testament idea of preaching involves three elements--the announcement of joyful tidings2 the proclamation of truth as by a herald1 urgently and authoritatively2 and the conviction and persuasion of men to belief by means of arguments4 ,the preacher is the ambassador of ,god1 and the message must be delivered as coming from ,him1 in ,his name1 and by ,his authority4 #b4 ,admonitory4--,warning every man 7ver4 #bh74 ,sin has placed man in imminent peril1 and its tendency is to deaden his sensibilities and render him oblivious of his danger4 ,hence1 he must be roused to concern and repentance by faithful remonstrance1 by earnest exhortation1 by solemn admonition1 by impassioned appeal4 #c4 ,instructive4--,teaching every man 7ver4 #bh74 ,not only must the emotions be swayed1 but the understanding enlightened4 ,it is not enough to convince the unbeliever of his error1 not enough to bring home to the lover of sin the vileness and enormity of his transgressions1 but by clear and forcible exposition and persuasion the fill of the individual offender must be seized1 and with firm1 yet loving pressure biassed to seek after the light1 truth1 and purity that once were shunned4 #d4 ,with shrewd insight as to its adaptability4--,in all wisdom 7ver4 #bh74 ,the ancients spoke of a blind faith in their mysteries which belonged to the many1 and of a higher knowledge that was confined to the few4 ,the apostle1 while declaring that in the ,gospel the fullest wisdom was offered to all alike1 without restriction1 exercised discretion as to the method in which he presented it to the individual4 ,the style of his address at ,athens would be different from that adopted at ,jerusalem4 ,this involves a study of character1 and of what goes to make it--habits1 customs1 opinions1 sympathies1 and the general circumstances of life-culture4 ,,iii4 ,in order to effectiveness man must be aided in realising the highest ideal of the ,christian character4--,that we may present every man perfect in ,christ ,jesus 7ver4 #bh74 ,the ,gospel is a mirror in which is glassed the portrait of the character after which each believer is to model his own4 ,that character is not simply a development of one's own natural manhood1 so much as it is something added to and thrown around that manhood1 lifting it into dignity and transfiguring it with a glorious beauty4 ,the ,gospel reveals the ideal of the ,christian character after which the soul is continually to aspire4 ,that ideal1 in all its loveliness and witchery1 is projected before the soul's inmost vision in the ,spirit and life of the man ,christ ,jesus4 ,he who approximates nearest to the ,christly character attains the highest moral perfection4 ,it is the sublime mission of the preacher not to gratify the intellect1 charm the imagination1 or expand the mind by propagating the ideas of a transcendental philosophy2 but to strengthen the soul in the great contest with evil1 to supply it with holiest motives1 to promote its spiritual progress1 to present it perfect in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,iv4 ,in order to effectiveness there must be self-denying toil and the vigorous forth-putting of ,divinely inspired energy4--,whereunto ,i also labour1 striving according to ,his working which worketh in me mightily 7ver4 #bi74 ,all great ideas have cost the solitary and individual thinker unspeakable labour1 and not a little suffering in the endeavour to elaborate and make them known and set them in their due relation before the world4 ,the world is ruled by ideas2 but the revolution they occasion is a slow and painful process4 ,the apostle was the custodian of a great idea--that the ,gospel was intended for all and must be fully preached to all4 ,the idea is familiar to us2 but it was new to that age and revolutionised the whole realm of human thought4 ,if the apostle had been content to preach an exclusive ,gospel1 he might have saved himself more than half the troubles of his life4 ,but he saw the magnitude of the issues at stake2 he espoused the ,god-given truth with all the strength of his great nature2 he confronted the colossal prejudices of the ages2 he trained himself in the discipline of self-denying toil2 he suffered as only the true martyr-soul can suffer2 he strove with an agony of earnestness to make known the whole truth2 and1 aided by the mighty working of the ,divine power within him1 he triumphed signally4 ,preaching is always effective when it is the consentaneous outworking of the ,divinely imparted energy within the man4 ,the preacher alone1 however strenuous his efforts1 is powerless2 but inspired and strengthened by the ,divine ,spirit1 and acting in harmony with ,his promptness and help1 he is mighty to prevail4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,every sermon should be full of ,christ4 #b4 ,the preacher should be master of every method that will ensure success4 #c4 ,that sermon will be most effective that is prepared and preached under the most direct influence of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bh4 ,apostolic ,preaching4 ,i4 ,they preached ,christ as the only foundation of a sinner's hope of salvation4 ,,ii4 ,as the object of supreme love4 ,,iii4 ,as the source of our supplies4 ,,iv4 ,as the model of our lives4--,w4 ,antiff1 ,d4,d4 ,ver4 #bi4 ,the ,christian ,ministry-- ,i4 ,involves strenuous labour and patient suffering4 ,,ii4 ,is dependent on ,divine help4 ,,iii4 ,ascribes all its success to ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,what great conflict4--,r4,v4 how greatly ,i strive4 ,it is a repetition of the thought of the previous verse expressed in terms of the arena4 ,for them at ,laodicea4--,about a dozen miles distant from ,coloss4 ,ver4 #b4 ,the mystery of ,god1 and of the ,father1 and of ,christ4--,the ,r4,v4 has greatly simplified this perplexing phrase3 ,the mystery of ,god1 even ,christ4 ,of the eleven various readings extant 7given by ,lightfoot7 that of our ,a4,v4 is to all appearance the latest and worst4 ,ver4 #c4 ,in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4--,when we have laid our reasonings at ,his feet1 ,he does not stultify us4 ,neither pure reason nor practical reason is to fust in us unused1 if they seek their answers in ,him4 ,ver4 #d4 ,should beguile you with enticing words4--,the word for beguile is only again found in the ,new ,testament at ,jas4 i4 #bb4 ,it means to lead into error by sophistical reasoning4 ,enticing words1 or persuasive speech1 plausible but false4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the stedfastness of your faith in ,christ4--,some think stedfastness 7as well as order preceding7 may have a military significance4 ,if so1 it would mean the compact firmness of the phalanx4 ,others say that meaning is not inherent1 but derived from its context1 which here does not suggest it4 ,the word is used in the ,,lxx4 for firmament--a solid vault1 as it was thought4 ,ver4 #g4 ,rooted and built up4--,st4 ,paul passes over rapidly from one conception to another of quite a different kind4 ,we cannot call it mixed metaphor4 ,we commonly speak of a new town planted or a house planted4 ,ver4 #h4 ,beware lest any man spoil you4--,r4,v4 maketh spoil of you4 ,the word for spoil means to lead away as booty1 as the ,sabeans swooped down on the oxen and asses of ,job and carried them away as their own property4 ,through philosophy and vain deceit4--,we are reminded of the saying1 ,it is the privilege of a philosopher to depreciate philosophy4 ,and then men say1 ,how well he's read to reason against reading6 ,st4 ,paul speaks here of philosophy falsely so called4 ,the love of wisdom can never be a dangerous thing to men whose ,master said1 ,be wise as serpents2 only it must be the wisdom which cometh from above4 ,st4 ,paul's alias for what they call philosophy is empty fallacy1 a hollow pretence2 or what ,george ,herbert might name nothing between two dishes4 ,after the tradition of men4--,something passed over from one to another1 as the deep secrets of the esoteric religions were whispered into the ears of the perfect4 ,that a matter has been believed always1 everywhere1 and by all is no guarantee of its truth1 as ,galileo knew4 ,ver4 #i4 ,in ,him dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily4--,there is no minimising the significance of this statement4 ,it is either true or it is the wildest raving of blasphemy4 ,dwelleth--has its settled abode4 ,a change of prefix would give us the word in ,luke xxiv4 #ah4 ,dost thou alone sojourn8 etc4 ,dualism separates ,god from matter as far as possible2 the ,incarnation unites ,him for ever with it4 ,great is the mystery4 ,godhead4 ,though twice before in our ,a4,v4 7,acts xvii4 #bi2 ,rom4 i4 #bc71 the word here differs from both4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,and ye are complete in ,him4--,these minor powers of whom you have heard are all subordinate to ,him in whom directly you have all you need4 ,there is no need to go vi ,philip and ,andrew1 ,mary or ,michael1 when we would see ,jesus4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,in whom also ye are circumcised 4 4 4 by the circumcision of ,christ4--,what to the ,jew was a bodily act1 at best symbolical and of no value otherwise1 was to the ,colossian disciple a spiritual renovation1 so complete as to render the old symbol of it inadequate4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,buried 4 4 4 risen4--,referring to the definite acts when1 as ,christian converts1 they went beneath the baptismal waters and emerged to live the faith thus publicly confessed4 ,through the faith of the operation of ,god4--,an obscure phrase4 ,the ,r4,v4 is clear3 ,through faith in the working of ,god4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,blotting out the handwriting4--,wiping out the old score1 as we might say4 ,all that bond which was valid against them ,christ had for ever rendered nugatory whilst they confided in ,his salvation4 ,against us1 which was contrary to us4--,we have here the author of those hot protests against work-righteousness4 ,the threatening aspect of the law is expressed in this reiteration4 ,the law not only menaces wrong-doers2 it proceeds against them with punishment4 ,nailing it to ,his cross4--,the bond is discharged and may be filed4 ,we are reminded of ,st4 ,peter's equally bold expression3 ,who ,his own self bare our sins in ,his own body to1 and on the tree 7#a ,pet4 ii4 #bd74 ,ver4 #ae4 ,having spoiled principalities4--,r4,v4 having put off from ,himself4 ,the authorities are divided between the ,a4,v4 and the ,r4,v4 ,the ,english reader must not conclude that he has again the word and idea of ver4 #h4 ,the apostle says that ,christ had flung off from ,himself the powers of wickedness4 ,as these ,colossians needed no intercessions of good angels1 so1 on the other hand1 they need fear nothing from the maleficent powers of darkness1 now vanquished4 ,ver4 #af4 ,let no man therefore judge you4--,they could not well prevent an adverse judgment being given on their disregard of what the ritualists thought to be of supreme moment1 but they could refuse to argue about such trifles4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,shadow 4 4 4 body4--,the relationship is indicated here of the old ceremonial worship to the worship of the ,spirit4 ,to confound shadow and substance1 or mistake the shadow for the substance1 has ever been the fatal error of ritualism4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,let no man beguile you of your reward4--,r4,v4 let no man rob you of your prize4 ,there seems to be implied some such thoughts as this3 ,do not allow these heretical teachers to lay down for you the conditions on which the prize shall be yours2 for when they pronounce in your favour1 the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 pronounces against you4 ,in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels4--,in acts of self-imposed abasement in the presence of invisible beings4 ,st4 ,john tells us of the rebuke administered by the angel before whom he prostrated himself3 ,see thou do it not3 4 4 4 worship ,god4 ,but there are men who would say1 ,nay1 my ,lord1 and continue their forbidden worship4 ,intruding into those things which he hath not seen4--,the change in the ,r4,v4 is considerable3 dwelling in the things which he hath seen4 ,the apostle is apparently speaking ironically of the boasted manifestations made to the ,gnostic teachers4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,dead 4 4 4 from the rudiments of the world4--,such as are given in ver4 #ba4 ,subject to ordinances4--,why do you consent to receive these burdens grievous to be borne8 ,ver4 #ba4 ,touch not2 taste not2 handle not4--,these three prohibitions apply probably 7#a7 to marriage1 7#b7 to the use of certain foods1 7#c7 to contact with material objects 7,godet74 ,the rigour of the prohibitions is greatest in the last of the three4 ,note the change in ,r4,v43 handle not1 nor taste1 nor ,,touch4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,neglecting of the body4--,a4,v4 margin1 punishing or not sparing4 ,r4,v4 text1 severity to the body4 ,no doubt the apostle felt that on this subject he would need to tread cautiously1 for he himself had beaten his body into subjection 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #bg74 ,not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh4--,the ,r4,v4 gives light on this obscurity3 not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh4 ,this is the evidence which for ever disqualifies asceticism in its many forms4 ,we can understand how a ,lenten fast or a hair-shirt may make a man irritable4 ,if they are of any value in themselves1 monastic annals need revision and expurgation1 and the ,christian finds himself far outdone by the dervish4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,ministerial ,anxiety4 ,the more clearly we apprehend truth in its many-sided aspects and in its complex and vital relations1 the more grievous and calamitous does error appear4 ,error cannot come into collision with truth without creating confusion of ideas and much mental distraction1 and as a consequence robbing the soul of the peace and solace it enjoyed4 ,the apostle saw the dangerous tendency of the doctrines advocated by the false teachers against whom his epistle was directed1 and he was deeply concerned lest the pure and simple ,gospel embraced by the new converts should be contaminated4 ,as one drop of ink pollutes the whole vessel of water1 as one stroke of the hammer diverts the rod from a straight line and spoils it throughout its whole length1 so one single error obscures and warps the holiest truth4 ,i4 ,this anxiety was intense4--,for ,i would that ye knew what great conflict ,i have 7ver4 #a74 ,in the closing words of the preceding chapter the apostle referred to his stern self-discipline in training himself for his arduous and self-denying labours as an apostle2 and in this verse he expands the same thought and would have the converts know the magnitude of the struggle which his anxiety for their welfare cost him4 ,this conflict refers not only to his external labours on behalf of the ,churches1 in journeys1 perils1 privations1 persecutions1 and imprisonments1 but more especially to his fervent wrestling with ,god in prayer1 like ,jacob of old2 his importunity1 like the widow with the unjust judge2 his inward soul struggles in earnest intercession for their stability in the faith4 ,the danger must have been serious that produced in such a man so great an agony of anxiety3 great souls are not affected by trifles4 ,people little know what their pastors pass through3 when they think them the most at leisure1 then are they the least so--the fervent conflict of prayer is going on in secret4 ,a knowledge of the minister's anxiety is sometimes necessary to create a responsive sympathy1 and to teach the people the care and anxiety they should feel for their own salvation4 ,,ii4 ,this anxiety was disinterested4--,for you1 and for them at ,laodicea1 and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh 7ver4 #a74 ,the solicitude of the apostle was not restricted to the ,colossians1 as though they were more liable than others to defection from the truth but embraced the converts in the neighbouring city of ,laodicea4 ,in this populous and thriving city1 celebrated at that time for its immense commercial wealth and for the high intellectual attainments of its philosophers1 the heretic leaven had begun to work2 and the subsequent history of the ,church there showed that it spread only too surely and disastrously 7,rev4 iii4 #ad-ah74 ,the apostle also extended his anxious regard to as many as had not seen his face in the flesh4 ,the bulk of our troubles in this life we endure on behalf of others4 ,the ,christian spirit1 in its broad1 comprehensive charity1 gives us a deep interest in all who have any connection with ,christ4 ,fervent prayer on behalf of others1 notwithstanding the sneers of some modern scientists1 is efficacious1 irrespective of locality or of actual personal intercourse4 ,prayers offered in private are often answered in a strange1 unlooked-for manner in public4 ,god has a sovereign right to select the mode in which ,he answers the prayers of the faithful4 ,an old ,divine has said3 ,if we would reap openly in the conversion of souls and their steady walk1 we must plough in secret with prayers and tears4 ,our anxiety about the welfare of others is a strong evidence of our possessing the genuine love of the truth4 ,it was a trenchant aphorism of ,coleridge that1 ,he who begins by loving ,christianity better than truth1 will proceed by loving his own sect or ,church better than ,christianity1 and end in loving himself better than all4 ,,iii4 ,this anxiety had special reference to the highest spiritual attainments of believers4--#a4 ,the apostle was solicitous for the confirmation of their faith4 ,that their hearts might be comforted 7ver4 #b74--;i4e4 encouraged1 confirmed4 ,the apostle knew the subtle power of error in disintegrating the heart's confidence1 producing trouble1 dejection1 doubt1 and perplexity4 ,hence1 he was anxious so to present the truth as it is in ,jesus1 as to restore and cheer the bewildered mind and settle it on the firm basis of an intelligent and cordial faith4 ,no man can reach the high attainments of the ,christian life whose heart is not at rest in ,god4 #b4 ,the apostle was solicitous for their union in love4--,being knit together in love 7ver4 #b74 ,the heart can never enjoy solid comfort till it is united in the love1 as well as in the faith1 of the truth4 ,error divides as well as distresses2 it snaps the bond of love1 splits the ,christian ,church into parties1 rends what ought to be the seamless robe of ,christ4 ,where there is discord in the understanding about fundamental truths1 there cannot be concord in the will and affections4 ,the stability of believers depends upon their being knit together in a mutual love1 as the timbers of a building are joined and compacted by a carpenter--such is the original signification of the word--each part being fitted in with the rest1 and all subserving the firmness and safety of the whole4 ,he that dwelleth in love1 dwelleth in ,god1 and ,god in him4 #c4 ,the apostle was solicitous they should be enriched with the unspeakable wealth of the ,divine mystery4--7#a7 ,the ,divine mystery is explained in the unique person and endowments of ,christ4 ,the mystery of ,god1 and of the ,father1 and of ,christ1 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge 7vers4 #b1 #c74 ,christ embraced in ,his own person the ,divine and human natures4 ,as ,god1 ,he is equal with the ,father1 and possesses in ,himself all the essentials of ,deity2 but as man ,he is dowered with moral treasures surpassing the endowments of the highest angel4 ,the mystery is not so much ,christ1 as ,christ containing in ,himself all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,there is in ,christ an all-sufficiency for every possible want of man--copious and inexhaustive riches of eternal and saving wisdom4 ,these riches are hid in ,christ as treasure in a field--concealed from the gaze of mere passers-by1 the careless1 indolent1 and proud2 but revealed to and enjoyed by the humble1 diligent1 and persevering seeker4 ,he who is not content with ,christ1 but goes out of ,him to philosophy or tradition1 forsakes the treasures for the miserable beggary of human counterfeits4 ,it is still a mystery to the world how ,christ can be the grand depositary of all wisdom2 and the mystery is dispelled only as the soul becomes savingly acquainted with ,him4 7#b7 ,the believer is privileged to gain the full knowledge of the ,divine mystery4--,to the acknowledgment of the mystery 7ver4 #b74 ,the word implies that the knowledge of ,god and of ,christ is the perfection of knowledge4 ,the ancient sage declared3 ,if thou criest after knowledge1 then shalt thou understand the fear of the ,lord1 and find the knowledge of ,god4 ,and the apostle prayed for the ,ephesians that the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ might give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of ,him4 ,this knowledge is to be not a simple perception of the truths continued in the ,divine mystery1 but a full1 firm1 and distinct knowledge as the result of careful sifting1 and the actual experience of their soul-transforming power4 ,we know nothing to purpose until it is strongly grasped by the heart as well as by the understanding4 7#c7 ,a clear and profound understanding of the ,divine mystery is the true enrichment of the mind4--,unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding 7ver4 #b74 ,the vast store of moral riches here indicated is opposed to the poverty of the mind1 which has only a few confused1 unconnected truths about the ,gospel laid up in its treasury4 ,by the full assurance of understanding is meant an unclouded perception and firm conviction of the truth revealed in the ,gospel4 ,this is obtained only by diligent study and the inner illumination of the ,spirit2 the understanding is cleared up1 the judgment settled1 and the individual believer enabled to apprehend each part of the ,gospel in its essential relation to the grand whole1 and thus to grasp with a firm hold the salient features of the ,divine mystery4 ,in this assured knowledge of the greatest truths the mind of man finds it true enrichment2 its abiding rest and felicity4 ,wisdom is more precious than rubies1 and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her 7,prov4 viii4 #aa74 ,every other kind of knowledge1 however rare and extensive1 is in itself poor and unsatisfying4 ,,iv4 ,this anxiety prompted the apostle faithfully to warn the ,church4--,and this ,i say1 lest any man should beguile you with enticing words 7ver4 #d74 ,error assumes the most seductive forms3 it charms with its eloquence1 bewilders with its subtle reasoning1 misleads with its bold1 assured statements of half-truths4 ,the soul is fascinated as by the gaze of a basilisk1 and morally poisoned by its breath4 ,men are easily persuaded to believe that which flatters their own vanity1 and dilutes or modifies the ,gospel1 so as to accommodate it to their own degenerate tastes4 ,it is needful to maintain a vigilant outlook and be on our guard against every phase of false teaching4 ,some contend that words have little to do with religion2 that true religion is a sentiment in the soul independent of words4 ,the apostle thought differently when he exhorted to hold fast the form of sound words2 and in this verse he distinctly avers that enticing words may beguile4 ,he solemnly warns the ,ephesians1 who were assailed with a similar class of errors3 ,let no man deceive you with vain words2 for because of these things cometh the wrath of ,god upon the children of disobedience 7,eph4 v4 #f74 ,the most effectual antidote to any heresy is the faithful1 simple proclamation of the doctrine of ,christ1 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,this is the clue that leads us out of all the mazes of error4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the true minister is anxious to promote the highest good of the people4 #b4 ,all truth finds its explanation and all error its refutation in ,christ1 the ,source of eternal wisdom4 #c4 ,false doctrine should be fearlessly and faithfully exposed4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,the ,hidden ,treasures of ,wisdom in ,christ4 ,wisdom does not consist in the possession of varied and extensive knowledge4 ,the student may be deeply read in ancient and long-forgotten lore1 be versed in the entire circle of the arts1 sciences1 and philosophies1 be intelligibly familiar with the best literature of the day1 be a walking encyclopdia1 a literary fountain gushing in a perennial stream of information1 and yet be far from being a wise man4 ,wisdom is the practical application of knowledge1 the attainment of the highest moral results by the use of the best and simplest means4 ,the cry of the human intellect in all ages has been1 ,where shall wisdom be found8 and where is the place of understanding8 ,the greatest souls have toiled painfully in search of the coveted treasure but failed to discover it4 ,their mightiest endeavours have terminated in disappointment and despair4 ,true wisdom is a ,divine revelation4 ,the world by wisdom knew not ,god2 and one of the profoundest philosophers of any age1 and who approached as near the threshold of the grand discovery as the unaided human mind was perhaps ever permitted to do1 had to confess with a sigh1 ,if ever man is destined to know the good and the true1 it must be by a revelation of the ,deity4 ,that wisdom which all need1 and of which all are in quest1 is found only in ,christ4 ,this verse declares that ,christ is the unfathomable depositary of the highest wisdom4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that ,christ is the inexhaustible ,source of the truest wisdom4--,in ,him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge4 ,the false teachers at ,coloss1 like certain pretentious philosophers of modern times1 boasted of the vast range of their wisdom and knowledge4 ,they discussed questions1 some of which1 strange to say1 are reproduced and advocated to-day--questions on the nature of the world1 the eternity or non-eternity of matter1 the chief good of man1 the orders and ranks of the angelic hierarchies and their relation to the mediatorial work of ,christ1 the necessity of observing the ceremonies and austerities of the law1 and of the beauty and grandeur of the theories of ,plato and ,pythagoras1 the ruling philosophers of the time4 ,but all this is simply the wisdom of this world and of the princes of this world1 which come to nought4 ,it is only in ,christ we find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to furnish and enrich the mind and to guide into the way of salvation4 ,he is to us who are saved the power of ,god and the wisdom of ,god4 ,if1 for the sake of illustration1 we classify the principal sources of human knowledge into poetry1 history1 philosophy1 and theology1 we may assert that only in ,christ does each department find its fullest explication1 and from ,him derive its significance and worth4 #a4 ,christ is the loftiest ideal and purest inspiration of the poet4--,poetry occupies an important place in contributing to the sum of human knowledge1 and to the culture1 development1 and happiness of man4 ,it was the language of the world's infancy1 as it is of the infancy of man2 the spontaneous outflow of the soul1 on its first acquaintance with the marvels of the present life1 expresses itself in strains of poetic music4 ,it is true this great gift has been abused1 and often made the instrument of debasing instead of elevating the mind4 ,hence ,plato1 in constructing his ideal republic1 would exclude the poets because of the evil tendency of some of their productions1 though he accords them all honour on account of their learning and genius4 ,the genuine poet pants after the noblest expression of the beautiful and the good4 ,christ is the glorious ideal and embodiment of the pure and beautiful2 the poet drinks in his most ravishing inspiration from ,him and exhausts all the resources of his genius in attempting to portray the exquisite lineaments of ,his matchless character4 #b4 ,christ is the grandest hero of the historian4--,history furnishes us with the knowledge of man and his doings in all ages--in his individual1 social1 and national aspects4 ,it traces the development of the race from the first solitary man to the peopling of the world with the varied nationalities which now swarm upon its surface4 ,but the history of the world and man would be a dark1 unsolvable enigma if the name of ,christ could be struck out4 ,the story of redemption unites ,christ with the destiny of man in all ages--past1 present1 and future2 and no history of the world1 political or moral1 can be either just or accurate that does not find in ,christ foretold to come1 or in ,christ come and crucified1 its centre and its key4 ,the world was created by ,christ2 it exists for ,him2 and1 without interfering with individual freedom1 it may be said that ,he makes its history3 ,his name and influence are traceable everywhere and are everywhere potent4 ,the devout historian finds in ,him the hero in whom all excellencies combine1 and whose exploits he loves to chronicle4 #c4 ,christ is prominent among the sublimest themes of the philosopher4--,a philosophy that does not recognise the ,divine plunges its votaries into labyrinthine darkness2 its legitimate office is to conduct to ,god4 ,coleridge has well said3 ,in wonder all philosophy began2 in wonder it ends2 and admiration fills up the interspace4 ,but the first wonder is the offspring of ignorance2 the last is the parent of adoration4 ,in every sphere where philosophy penetrates it is confronted with ineffaceable evidences of the power and presence of ,christ4 ,among the splendid phenomena of the natural creation--the forces that move1 and the laws that control its vast machinery--,christ is acknowledged as the creating and ruling spirit2 and only as the material world is regarded as the theatre of redemption1 and of moral conflict and discipline1 does the philosopher reach its highest meaning3 in the realm of mind1 the true dignity1 preciousness1 and immortal endowments of the soul are understood only as we apprehend that the life of the great ,redeemer was sacrificed to effect its ransom2 and1 in the sphere of morals1 we decipher the relation of man to man1 and to society at large1 learn the duties and obligations we owe to each other and to ,god1 discover the standard of right actions1 and are aided in explaining and harmonising the inequalities that exist1 when we gain an insight into the moral relation of ,christ to the whole race4 #d4 ,christ is the all-comprehensive subject of the theologian4--,god is inscrutable to the unchristianised reason4 ,canst thou by searching find out ,god8 ,canst thou find out the ,almighty unto perfection8 ,it is as high as heaven1 what canst thou do8 deeper than hell1 what canst thou know8 ,men have sought ,god in all ages with tears1 sacrifices1 and sufferings indescribable2 but in vain4 ,christ is the only way to the ,father2 in ,himself ,he reveals and illustrates the ,godhead4 ,all our saving and renewing knowledge of ,god1 and of our manifold relations to ,him1 we owe entirely to ,christ4 ,no man hath seen ,god at any time2 the only begotten ,son1 which is in the bosom of the ,father1 ,he hath declared ,him4 ,in the domain of theology ,christ is all in all4 ,but for ,him the office of the theologian would be an impossibility4 ,,ii4 ,that the treasures of ,divine wisdom are discoverable by the sincere and earnest seeker4--,they are hid2 but not so hid as to be beyond our reach4 ,they are intended for discovery and appropriation4 ,their brilliancy sparkles even in their hiding-place4 ,they are like a mine1 whose riches1 though faintly indicated on the surface1 are concealed in the depths of the earth4 ,the more diligently the mine is worked1 the more precious and abundant the ore appears4 ,so1 in ,christ there are treasures of wisdom unseen by the superficial and careless observer2 but to the humble and believing student new and deeper veins are perpetually opening up1 until1 still pursuing his search1 he is dazzled by the splendour and inexhaustible fulness of wealth1 surpassing all finite comprehension1 and filling him with admiration and awe4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,man universally covets wisdom4 #b4 ,the highest wisdom is treasured up in ,christ for man4 #c4 ,if man finds it not1 it is his own fault4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a-c4 ,christian ,unity4 ,i4 ,we cannot but lament the divisions and scandals of the professed disciples of ,jesus1 which have more than anything else prevented the universal diffusion of the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,we should make it manifest1 by acknowledging the truth in whomsoever found1 that we are not bigoted sectarians4 ,,iii4 ,as regards those with whom we are united in fellowship1 let us prove by our humble1 modest1 and kind disposition that we are lovers of peace and concord4 ,,iv4 ,christian unity is promoted by mutual efforts to edify one another in faith and love4--,w4 ,france4 ,ver4 #c4 ,christ the ,treasury of ,wisdom and ,knowledge4--,the revelation of ,christ not merely teaches us a series of truths of inexpressible importance1 and without it wholly unattainable1 but it also1 as a great central discovery1 harmonises all our beliefs1 sacred and secular1 binds them together as its own servants1 gives them a new interest1 position1 and colouring1 and dignifies the pursuit of them as a labour in the very cause of ,god ,himself1 begun and prosecuted with a view to ,his glory--for to know the beauty of the temple is to know the glory of the ,architect4--,archer ,butler4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,apostolic ,praise of ,order and ,stability4 ,it is an impressive spectacle to see a well-armed body of troops drawn up in compact military order1 resisting with calm1 unflinching courage the terrible charge of the enemy4 ,every point of attack is strongly guarded1 every vacancy occurring in the exposed front line is instantly supplied1 and the broad1 deep phalanx remains impenetrable and invincible4 ,the enforced companionship of the apostle with the soldiers of the prtorian guard1 in his imprisonment in ,rome1 where he would be a daily witness of their exercises1 might suggest some such metaphor as this to the mind4 ,and as he foresaw the confusion and ruin that would be introduced into the ,colossian ,church if the fatal errors of the false teachers were triumphant1 in this verse he expresses his joyous satisfaction in being assured of the orderly array and firmly set stability which their faith in ,christ presented against the assaults of the foe4 ,note3-- ,i4 ,the apostle commended the external order of the members of the ,church4--,beholding your order4 ,this is mentioned first1 because it first meets the eye1 though all external discipline and order must necessarily spring out of and accompany a genuine faith4 ,there is no form of ecclesiastical government that can claim an exclusively ,divine sanction4 ,the ,new ,testament lays down broad1 general principles2 and the ,christian ,church has been left to shape itself according to circumstances and in harmony with the indications of ,divine ,providence4 ,true order depends1 not upon the form of ,church polity we adopt--whether prelacy1 presbytery1 or congregationalism--as upon the consistency1 fidelity1 and union of the individual members of the ,church4 ,order that is not based on a vigorous ,church-life1 and regulated by it1 is empty and powerless2 it is like the ice of the ,polar regions1 which sometimes assumes forms of exquisite and wondrous beauty1 but is cold1 heartless1 dead4 ,the ,scriptural directions on this subject are brief but pregnant with meaning3 ,let all things be done decently and in order2 ,god is not the ,author of confusion1 but of peace1 as in all the ,churches of the saints2 ,let all things be done with charity2 ,the rest will ,i set in order when ,i come 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #dj1 xiv4 #cc1 xvi4 #ad1 xi4 #cd74 ,while organisation that is not instinct with a moving1 pervasive and aggressive life is cumbersome1 vapid1 and useless2 on the other hand1 ,christian steadfastness is imperilled where order is disregarded4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle commended their stability in the faith4--,and the steadfastness of your faith in ,christ4 ,these words describe the internal condition of the ,church2 and the picture of a firm1 confident reliance on ,christ which he beheld delighted the soul of the anxious apostle4 ,order is the fence and guard1 steadfastness the end in view1 order is the garb and ornament1 steadfastness the substance of the ,christian character4 ,faith girds and strengthens the soul with its unchanging and invincible verities2 the shafts of error and profanity assail it in vain4 ,when the ,roman proconsul1 from his judgment-seat1 urged the holy ,polycarp to save his life by cursing the name of ,jesus ,christ1 the venerable martyr calmly answered3 ,for eighty-six years ,i have served ,him2 ,he has never yet done me harm4 ,how can ,i blaspheme my ,king1 who has saved me8 ,man is great and noble1 not by what he possesses1 not by what he says1 not by what he gives1 not by what he does1 but by what he believes4 ,the most magnanimous outward conduct may be1 after all1 a very imperfect representation of the soul's deepest faith4 ,what a man believes is not therefore a matter of comparative indifference1 but a question of supreme importance2 he must have a clear1 definite creed4 ,true a creed is but the visible1 expressive mould of the inward conception of the truth believed2 but as the tendency of all life is to assume form and can be understood by us only as it does so1 so faith1 as a vital and irresistibly active principle1 must inevitably shape itself into some outward expression4 ,where there is no creed1 there is no faith2 a creedless man believes in nothing1 and he is himself that nothing4 ,he has no more cohesion in him than the separate particles of sand in the hour-glass4 ,all true faith takes its rise in ,christ1 and gathers its stability by continuing in ,him4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle cherished a deep1 personal interest in their welfare4--#a4 ,in spirit he was present with them4 ,for though ,i be absent in the flesh1 yet ,i am with you in the spirit4 ,we have no satisfactory evidence that the apostle had as yet personally visited ,coloss4 ,epaphras1 the faithful and anxious evangelist1 sought him out in ,rome1 perhaps for the purpose of laying before him the state of ,coloss and of the neighbouring ,churches on the banks of the ,lycus4 ,the apostle's interest in ,coloss was further excited at this time by meeting with ,onesimus1 a runaway slave1 belonging to the household of ,philemon1 a ,colossian4 ,the apostle was the means of bringing the runaway to repentance and to the enjoyment of the liberty of the spiritually free4 ,these circumstances deepened ,st4 ,paul's concern in the affairs of the ,colossian ,christians2 he grasped all the points of the situation1 was keenly alive to the gravity of the dangers with which they were threatened1 and1 as though he were personally present in their midst1 expressed his sincere sympathy with them in their trials1 and his profound satisfaction on hearing of their steady adherence to the truth4 ,it is not necessary to be locally near in order to hold spiritual intercourse2 oceans may roll between individuals whose souls participate in the highest communion4 ,the soul is where it loves3 thither it directs its affections1 wishes1 and hopes4 #b4 ,he rejoiced in their fidelity4--,joying and beholding4 ,as though an actual spectator of their order and steadfastness1 his soul is filled with joy4 ,the expression of his hearty interest in their state1 and his praise of their fidelity1 prepared them to give heed to his cautions against the seductions of false teachers1 and to his exhortations to perseverance4 ,no disappointment is so poignant as that arising from the failure of ,christian toil1 and no joy so exquisite as the joy of success4 ,the spectacle of a ,christian ,church poised in beauteous order and strengthened with the might of an unfalteringly aggressive faith1 is a subject of unspeakable joy to ,god1 to ,his angels1 and to all true ministers4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,attention must be paid to the outward as well as the inward state of the ,church4 #b4 ,while the ,church preserves its order and stability it is invulnerable4 #c4 ,it is cause of rejoicing when the ,church faithfully maintains the conquests already won4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f1 #g4 ,suggestive ,features of the ,christian ,life4 ,the ,christian life is essentially progressive4 ,the law that governs its existence involves perpetual1 active increase2 if it did not grow1 it would cease to live4 ,unlike the principle of growth in the natural world1 we cannot conceive a point in the religious life where it necessarily becomes stationary1 and then begins to decline1 on the other hand1 every provision is made for its unceasing expansion in the highest moral excellencies4 ,i4 ,the ,christian life begins in a personal reception of ,christ4--,as ye have therefore received ,christ ,jesus the ,lord 7ver4 #f74 ,religion is not a self-development of innate human goodness1 as many in the present day believe and teach4 ,the soul of man is infected with the virulent poison of sin2 no part has escaped the destructive moral taint4 ,the utmost exercise of the unsanctified powers of the soul can therefore tend only towards the development of its own inborn corruption4 ,as the vinegar plant reproduces itself with great rapidity and impregnates every branch and fibre with its own essential acid1 so the evil reigning in man reproduces itself with marvellous rapidity and permeates the whole soul with its debasing poison4 ,religion is a receiving--the receiving of a gift1 and that a ,divine gift4 ,it is the growth and development of the supernatural in man4 ,christ in you the hope of glory4 #a4 ,christ is received as ,,the ,,christ4--,the ,colossian heresy aimed at subverting the true idea of the ,christ1 the ,anointed ,one1 commissioned by the ,father to effect the reconciliation of the world to ,himself2 it interposed a graduated series of angelic mediators1 and thus thought to discredit the sole and absolute mediatorship of ,christ4 ,to receive the ,son of ,god effectually is to receive ,him in all that ,he claimed to be1 and all that ,he came to do1 as the ,divine1 specially anointed ,son1 who alone and fully manifested the ,father1 and who is the only mediator between sinful man and ,god4 ,it is of unspeakable importance to catch the true idea of the character and office of ,christ at the beginning of the ,christian life4 #b4 ,christ is received as ,jesus the ,lord4--,jesus is the name by which ,he was known among men1 and points out how completely ,he has identified ,himself with humanity as the ,saviour4 ,it behoved ,him to be made like unto ,his brethren1 that ,he might be a merciful and faithful ,high ,priest1 to make reconciliation for the sins of the people4 ,he is also ,lord1 the supreme ,governor in all spheres1 in nature1 providence1 and grace4 ,to receive ,jesus aright1 ,he must be trusted as the ,saviour1 able to save to the uttermost1 acknowledged as the ,sovereign and universal ,ruler1 and homage and obedience rendered to ,his rightful authority4 ,our reception of ,christ does not place us beyond the reach of law but creates in us the capacity for rendering an intelligent and cheerful obedience to its holy requirements4 #c4 ,christ is received by an act of faith4--,to receive ,christ is to believe in ,him2 and faith in ,christ is simply the reception of ,christ3 the only way of receiving ,him into the soul is by faith4 ,the soul accepts1 not only the testimony concerning ,christ1 whether furnished by ,himself or by ,his witnesses1 but accepts ,christ ,himself4 ,the great1 final object of faith that saves is ,christ1 and all testimony is valuable only as it brings us to ,him4 ,the sin-tossed spirit finds rest and peace only as it reposes1 not in an abstract truth1 but in a person--not in love as the law of the moral universe1 but in a person who is ,himself love4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian life is governed by the law of ,christ4--,so walk ye in ,him 7ver4 #f74 ,the word walk expresses the general conduct of man and the process of progression in the formation of individual character4 ,the will of ,christ1 as indicated in ,his character1 words1 spirit1 and example1 is the ruling principle in the life of the believer4 #a4 ,to walk in ,christ implies a recognition of ,him in all things4--,in everything that constitutes our daily life--business1 domestic relations1 social engagements1 friendships1 pleasures1 cares1 and trials--we may trace the presence of ,christ and recognise ,his rule4 ,everywhere1 on road1 or rail1 or sea--in all seasons of distress or joy1 of poverty or wealth1 of disturbance or rest--we may be conscious of the encompassing and regulating presence of ,christ ,jesus the ,lord4 #b4 ,to walk in ,christ implies a complete consecration to ,him4--,he has the supreme claim upon our devotion and service3 ,we are not our own2 we are bought with a price4 ,our life consists in serving ,him3 ,whether we live1 we live unto the ,lord4 ,the best of everything we possess should be cheerfully offered to ,him4 ,carpeaux1 the celebrated ,french sculptor1 was kept in comparative retirement for some time before his death by a long and painful illness4 ,one ,sunday1 as he was being drawn to church1 he was accosted by a certain prince1 who exclaimed1 ,carpeaux1 ,i have good news for you6 ,you have been advanced in the ,legion of ,honour4 ,here is the rosette d'officier4 ,the emaciated sculptor smiled and replied1 ,thank you1 my dear friend4 ,it is the good ,god who shall first have the noble gift4 ,saying which1 he approached the altar1 put the rosette in his button-hole1 and reverentially knelt down to pray4 #c4 ,to walk in ,christ implies a continual approximation to the highest life in ,him4--,the ,christian can rise no higher than to be most like ,christ4 ,the highest ambition of the apostle was to be found in ,him4 ,life in ,him is a perpetual progress in personal purity and ever-deepening felicity4 ,our interest in the vast future is intensified by the ,christ-inspired hope that we shall be for ever virtually united to ,him1 that we shall delight in ever-changing visions of ,his matchless glory1 that we shall be like ,him1 and reflect and illustrate the splendour of ,his all-perfect character4 ,every triumph over sin is a substantial advance towards this glorious future destiny4 ,,iii4 ,the ,christian life is supported and established by faith in fully declared truth4--#a4 ,there is the idea of stability4 ,the believer is rooted in ,christ1 as a tree planted in firm1 immovable soil2 he is built up in ,christ1 as an edifice on a sure foundation2 and in both senses1 as a tree and as a building1 he must be established in the truth which has been demonstrated to him as ,divine and all-authoritative4 ,it is not enough to preserve the appearance of an external walk in ,christ2 but the roots of our faith must be worked into ,him1 and the superstructure of holiness rest on ,him as the only foundation laid in ,zion4 ,the soul thus firmly established will survive the heaviest storms of adversity and the most furious assaults of error4 #b4 ,there is the idea of progress4--,walking implies a continual advance to a given destination2 a tree is planted in order to grow2 the building1 after the foundation is laid1 rises to completion4 ,the word built is in the present tense and describes a work in actual process4 ,so the believer1 having become attached to the only foundation that is laid1 which is ,christ ,jesus1 is ever rising in conformity with the foundation and with the outlines of that grand spiritual edifice of which ,christ is the pattern and glory4 ,faith is the cement that fastens one part of the building to the other2 but faith as a living1 active principle1 also admits of increase4 ,with respect to every individual effort after a higher spiritual life1 according to our faith it is done unto us4 ,,iv4 ,the ,christian life has its most appropriate outflow in thanksgiving4--,abounding therein with thanksgiving 7ver4 #g74 ,the end of all human conduct is thanksgiving4 ,it should be expressed in every word and appear in every action4 ,life should be a ceaseless1 ever-abounding outflow of gratitude4 ,we should never forget the magnitude of the blessings we have received1 the wealth of mercies now offered to us1 and the source whence they all issue4 ,a thankful remembrance of past benefits cheers and strengthens the heart under difficulties and disposes the bounteous ,donor to confer further benefits4 ,there is nothing in which ,christians are more deficient than in a devout and heartily expressed gratitude4 ,gratitude expands our sympathies for the race4 ,what a triumph of disinterested thankfulness was that of the invalid who1 though confined to his room1 thanked ,god for the sunshine for others to enjoy6 ,the spirit of ,christian progress is one of unceasing thanksgiving4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian life is ,divinely bestowed4 #b4 ,the ,christian life is ,divinely sustained4 #c4 ,the reality of the ,christian life is evidenced by effusive and practical gratitude4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,retrospection the ,basis of ,progress4 ,i4 ,the ,christian consciousness in its apprehension of ,christ4--#a4 ,there are two opposing theories prevalent on the person of ,christ--the rationalistic and the revealed4 ,the one rules out ,his ,godhead2 the other is the basis of the ,christian faith4 #b4 ,two systems of theology1 widely distinct from each other1 are dependent on these theories4 ,the one puts man at its centre1 and is wholly human2 the other enthrones ,god1 and is essentially ,divine4 #c4 ,there is only one ,christ1 one faith1 one salvation4 #d4 ,it is within the one or the other of these two systems that we must posit our decisions4 ,,ii4 ,the ,christian consciousness in its reception of ,christ4--#a4 ,faith receives the whole ,christ4 #b4 ,christ asks and gets the whole man4 #c4 ,the life of faith1 as embodied in the moralities of ,christian living1 is thus provided for and follows this consecrating act4 ,,iii4 ,the ,christian consciousness in its subjection to ,christ4--#a4 ,the sphere of the lordship of ,christ is the human mind4 #b4 ,the claim of this lordship is absolute4 #c4 ,the mind is free and unconstrained in its surrender to the authority of ,christ4--,john ,burton4 ,ver4 #f4 ,moral ,imitation4 ,i4 ,the text assumes that man possesses the faculty of imitation4 ,,ii4 ,he requires an example to imitate and that example is ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,a model must be seen to be imitated1 so ,christ has presented ,himself to us for that purpose4--,w4 ,frazer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,the ,marks of a ,false ,philosophy4 ,philosophy plays an important part in the investigation and discovery of truth4 ,the use of the word arose out of the humility of ,pythagoras1 who called himself a lover of wisdom4 ,the noblest intellects of all ages have been devoted to the pursuit of the same coveted prize4 ,philosophy represents the highest effort of the human intellect in its search after knowledge4 ,it explores and tests phenomena in the realm of physics and of morals and discovers the subtle laws by which those phenomena are governed4 ,it elevates man to his true rank in creation1 and teaches that he must be estimated1 not by his physical relation to the outward world1 but by the sublime endowments of his mind1 into which it is the special function of philosophy to inquire4 ,the philosophic mood never reaches its highest development till it is ,christianised4 ,the apostle does not stigmatise all philosophy as in vain2 he knew the value of a true philosophy1 and in his estimation the ,christian religion was the embodiment of the highest philosophy4 ,but he warned the ,colossians against a false philosophy that was deceptive in its pretensions and deadly in its influence4 ,i4 ,a false philosophy is known by its profitless speculations4--,the absence of both preposition and article in the second clause shows that vain deceit describes and qualifies philosophy4 ,a celebrated ,roman sophist summed up his deliberate judgment on the efforts of the learned in the painful search after wisdom in these words3 ,the human mind wanders in a diseased delirium1 and it is therefore not surprising that there is no possible folly which philosophers1 at one time or another1 have propounded as a lesson of wisdom4 ,when the most highly cultured intellects have been gravely occupied with tricks of magic1 the casting of nativities1 the random guesses of soothsaying1 and the pretended marvels of a mystic astrology2 when the best of life has been spent in discussing transcendental questions as to the eternity of matter1 fate1 the mortality of the soul1 the worship of angels1 and their mature endowments and habits1 and in definitional hair-splitting as to what constitutes the chief good of man2 when the truest and best discoveries of human reason are used to disparage ,divine revelation and discredit the absolute authority of saving truth--then philosophy falsifies its name1 frustrates its lofty mission1 and degenerates into vain1 empty1 profitless speculations4 ,the student of the theories and contradictions of certain philosophic schools may begin with extravagant expectations1 only to end in chagrin and despondency4 ,the errors which assailed the ,colossian ,church were a mixture of the ,oriental system of ,zoroaster with ,judaism1 and with the crude1 half-comprehended truths of ,christianity4 ,it was a mongrel system of philosophy1 containing the germs of what afterwards developed into an advanced ,gnosticism and became the prolific source of many forms of heresy4 ,its abettors became vain in their imaginations1 and their foolish heart was darkened2 professing themselves wise1 they became fools 7,rom4 i4 #ba1 #bb74 ,,ii4 ,a false philosophy is known by its purely human origin4--,after the tradition of men4 #a4 ,the human mind is limited4--,the stream can never rise higher than its source2 so the wisdom that comes from man is necessarily bounded by the range of his mental powers4 ,the human mind cannot penetrate far into any subject without discovering there is a point beyond which all is darkness and uncertainty4 ,it is impossible for the circumscribed and unaided mind of man to construct a philosophy that shall be universally true and beneficial4 ,tillotson has said3 ,philosophy has given us several plausible rules for attaining peace and tranquillity of mind1 but they fall very much short in bringing men to it4 #b4 ,all human knowledge is imperfect4--,if any man think that he knoweth anything1 he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know4 ,the traditions of men are the accumulation of mere human theories transmitted from age to age until they have assumed the pretensions of a philosophy1 imposing a number of uninspired and unauthorised observances and austerities4 ,the imperfection of human knowledge is not obliterated but aggravated by its antiquity4 ,a philosophy that builds solely on man is baseless and full of danger4 ,,iii4 ,a false philosophy is known by its undue exaltation of elementary principles4--,after the rudiments of the world4 ,the source of the false teaching against which the apostle warned was found in human tradition1 and its subject-matter was made up of the rudiments of the world--the most elementary instruction conveyed by external and material objects1 suited only to man's infancy in the world4 ,the legal rights and ceremonies instituted by ,moses are evidently referred to here2 they were the first rough elements of an introductory religion fit only for children--shadows at best of great and deeper truths to which they were intended to lead1 and yet1 by the tendency of the soul to cling to the outward1 gendering to bondage4 ,even so we1 when we were children1 were in bondage under the elements rudiments of the world4 ,but now1 after that ye have known ,god1 how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements8 7,gal4 iv4 #c-aj74 ,the apostle shows the ,colossians that1 in ,christ1 they had been exalted into the sphere of the ,spirit1 and that it would be a sad retrogression to plunge again into the midst of the sensuous and ceremonial4 ,a true philosophy1 while starting necessarily with elementary principles1 conducts its votaries into a pathway of increasing knowledge and of spiritual exaltation and liberty4 ,a false philosophy fetters the mind by exaggerating the importance of first principles and insisting on their eternal obligation4 ,,iv4 ,a false philosophy is known by its ,christlessness4--,and not after ,christ4 ,christ is neither the author nor the substance of its teaching2 not the author1 for its advocates rely on human traditions2 not the substance1 for they ignore ,christ by the substitution of external ceremonies and angelic mediators4 ,such a method of philosophising may be after the ,jewish fanatics1 after the ,pythagoreans or ,platonists1 after ,moses and his abrogated legalism2 but is it not after ,christ4 ,there is no affinity between ,christ and their inventions2 the substances cannot amalgamate4 ,as it is impossible1 by any process1 to convert a baser metal into gold1 so it is impossible to elevate a vain philosophy into ,christianity4 ,all true saving knowledge must be after--i4e4 according to--,christ4 ,it is in ,him alone the deepest wants of man's nature can be met and satisfied4 ,any philosophy1 though championed by the most brilliant intellects1 that tends to lure the soul from ,christ1 that puts anything in the place of ,him1 or depreciates in any way our estimate of ,his glorious character1 is false and full of peril4 ,v4 ,a false philosophy is known by its destructive influence4--,lest any man spoil you4 ,the meaning of the word spoil is very full and significant3 it is not simply to despoil--to strip off--but to carry away as spoil1 just as the four kings1 after the battle in the vale of ,siddim1 plundered the cities of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and bore away as spoil the people and all their property and victuals 7,gen4 xiv4 #ab-af74 ,the ,colossians had been rescued from the bondage of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light2 they were settled there as free and happy citizens2 and now there was danger lest they should be tampered with by some crafty marauder1 seized and carried away as booty1 and fall into a worse state than their former slavery4 ,there are worse losses than loss of property1 or even of children3 man is never so grievously spoiled as when his soul is debased and robbed by the errors of wicked seducers4 ,men who have contemptuously given up the ,bible as a book of fables1 lost their peace of mind1 wrecked their moral character1 and blasted their prospects for ever1 began their downward career by embracing the apparently harmless ideas of a false philosophy4 ,the thief cometh not1 saith ,jesus1 but to steal1 to kill1 and to destroy2 ,i--the infallible ,teacher1 the incorruptible ,guardian1 the inexhaustible ,life-giver--am come that they might have life1 and that they might have it more abundantly 7,john x4 #aj74 ,,vi4 ,against a false philosophy the ,church must be faithfully warned4--,beware4 #a4 ,because it is seductive in its pretensions4--,it seeks to refine and elevate the plain ,gospel by a show of lofty intellectualism2 it dignifies some particular religious rite into an unjustifiable importance2 it elaborates a ritual marvellous for spectacular display and musical effect2 it flatters the pride and ministers to the corruption of the human heart2 and1 stealing through the avenue of the charmed senses1 gains an imperious mastery over the whole man4 #b4 ,because it is baneful in its effect4--,it not only misrepresents and distorts the truth1 but injures the faculties of the soul by which truth is obtained and kept4 ,it darkens the understanding1 pollutes the conscience1 and weakens the will4 ,it robs man of his dearest treasure1 and offers in exchange a beggarly system of crude1 unsatisfying speculations4 ,the soul is goaded into a restless search after rest and cursed with its non-attainment4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,human philosophy is essentially defective4 #b4 ,the true philosophy is the highest knowledge of ,christ4 #c4 ,all philosophy that weans the soul from ,christ is false and should be shunned4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i1 #aj4 ,the ,divine ,fulness of ,christ a ,pledge of the ,believer's ,perfection4 ,christianity is the true philosophy4 ,here are its profoundest depths1 its loftiest themes1 its most substantial discoveries4 ,the philosophy that is not after ,christ is vain and misleading4 ,it was a false conception of the ,colossian heresy that the ,divine energy was dispersed among several spiritual agencies4 ,the apostle boldly declares that in ,christ dwells the whole the entire fulness of the ,deity1 and that it is in vain to seek for spiritual life in communion with inferior creatures4 ,i4 ,the ,divine fulness of ,christ4--#a4 ,in ,christ is the fulness of the ,deity4 ,for in ,him dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead 7ver4 #i74 ,a small text1 but a great subject4 ,these words contain the sublimest truth in the narrowest compass4 ,fulness is a term used to signify all that anything contains4 ,hence1 we read of the fulness of the earth1 the fulness of the sea1 and that the ,church is ,christ's body1 the fulness of ,him that filleth all in all4 ,in ,christ inhere all the perfections1 attributes1 and qualities that essentially constitute the ,divine nature--power1 wisdom1 eternity1 self-existence1 omnipresence1 truth1 love1 holiness4 ,the deities of the heathen never pretended to possess more than a few ,divine attributes1 some portion of ,divinity4 ,but ,christ contains in ,himself the totality of ,divine powers and excellencies4 #b4 ,the fulness of the ,deity in ,christ is present and permanent4--,dwelleth4 ,the present tense is used4 ,it is not as a transient gleam or as a brilliant display to serve a temporary purpose1 but as an ever-present and unchanging reality4 ,mystery of mysteries6 the body that hungered and thirsted1 that bled and died1 that rose and ascended on high1 is still the temple of illimitable ,deity6 ,the manifestations of ,god through angels and prophets were brief and partial4 ,the ,shekinah1 or visible glory1 that hovered over the ark of the covenant was a symbol only of a present deity and disappeared as mysteriously as it came4 ,but in ,christ1 the transcendent fulness of the ,godhead finds its permanent home1 never to depart1 never to vanish4 #c4 ,the fulness of the ,deity in ,christ has a visible embodiment4--,bodily4 ,in the person of ,christ every moral perfection of the ,godhead was enshrined and brought within the range of human vision4 ,he presented and proved the fact of the ,divine existence4 ,he embodied and declared the ,divine spirituality4 ,he delineated the ,divine disposition1 and character in the days of ,his flesh4 ,gleams of the ,divine nature occasionally broke forth4 ,we beheld ,his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten ,son of ,god 7,john i4 #ad74 ,and now1 from that subtle1 glorified human form of our exalted ,mediator1 the splendour of the ,deity rays forth1 filling the universe with light and glory and joy4 ,in ,christ the ,godhead is revealed1 not as a changing1 shadowy phantasm1 but as a positive1 substantial reality4 ,,ii4 ,the supreme authority of ,christ4--,which is the ,head of all principality and power 7ver4 #aj74 #a4 ,angels are the principalities and powers of the universe4--,they are called spirits to express their nature1 and angels to designate their office as messengers sent by ,god4 ,they are called sons of ,god1 to indicate their lofty relationship2 cherubim1 because of their composite nature1 and because they are placed under the presence of ,jehovah1 whose moving throne they appear to draw2 seraphim1 because of their burning ardour in executing the commands of ,god2 stars of the morning1 to set forth their brightness2 a flaming fire1 because of the fierceness and celerity with which they carry out the vengeance of ,heaven2 and they are called principalities and powers on account of their exalted rank and superior endowments4 #b4 ,among the principalities and powers of the universe ,christ has supreme authority4--,he is the ,head of all angelic hierarchies4 ,he called them into being4 ,he endows them with vast intelligence4 ,he designates their rank4 ,he controls their beneficent ministries4 ,he fills the circle of their bliss4 ,to worship angels1 or to seek their mediation in the affairs of the soul1 is not only gross idolatry1 but an insufferable insult to the fulness of the ,deity in ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the believer's fulness in ,christ4--,and ye are complete in ,him 7ver4 #aj74 #a4 ,in ,christ is the inspiration of the believer's life4--,the soul finds its true life by believing on the ,son of ,god4 ,he that hath the ,son hath life 7#a ,john v4 #ab74 ,in ourselves we are like empty vessels2 but in ,christ we are filled up to the brim4 ,as there is an original and ,divine fulness of the ,godhead in ,christ1 so there is a derived fulness communicated to us4 ,every advance in ,christian experience1 every aspiration after a more exalted spiritual tone1 every yearning of the soul after clearer light1 every struggle for victory over self and sin1 is prompted and accelerated by the impetuous inflow of the ,divine life4 #b4 ,in ,christ is the perfect ideal of the believer's character4--,christ has exalted human nature4 ,he took not on ,him the nature of angels1 but the seed of ,abraham4 ,he has shown what human nature can become1 and what it can do4 ,in ,him we have the illustrious pattern after which our souls are to be fashioned and rounded off into a full-orbed completeness4 ,christ is the mirror that glasses ,god's image before us1 and the ,spirit is the plastic force within that transfers and photographs that image2 and so1 beholding as in a glass the glory of the ,lord1 we are changed into the same image from glory to glory1 even as by the ,spirit of the ,lord4 #c4 ,in ,christ is the interminable bliss of the believer's future4--,the present life is a training for the future4 ,the more it is in harmony with the will of ,christ the happier will it be4 ,every attempt1 amid the multiform relations of life1 to do our duty in a ,christly spirit1 is bringing us into closer sympathy with ,christ1 and preparing us for a joyous life with ,him hereafter4 ,the apostle expressed the condition of the highest conceivable bliss to the believer in the words1 ,and so shall we ever be with the ,lord 7#a ,thess4 iv4 #ag74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ is essentially ,divine4 #b4 ,there is an ineffable fulness of salvation in ,christ4 #c4 ,all secondary mediators between ,god and man are superfluous4 #d4 ,the soul is complete in ,christ only as it believes in ,him4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,a ,presentation of ,two ,great ,truths4 ,i4 ,that all ,christianity centres in ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,that union to ,christ makes the soul independent of others4--,dykes4 ,ver4 #i4 ,the ,fulness of ,christ4 ,i4 ,christ is full of the power of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the love of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the grace of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the faithfulness of ,god4 ,v4 ,the purpose of ,god to punish sin4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the ,completing of the ,soul4 ,i4 ,we are made complete in ,christ by inspirations4 ,,ii4 ,we have ideas and ideals in ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,we are set in a various scheme of relations that we may have a training in virtues equally various and be perfected in them and by means of them4--,bushnell4 ,the ,believer ,complete in ,christ4 ,i4 ,complete in ,him with respect to the work which ,he hath already performed4--#a4 ,his obedience and atonement were precisely what ,god ,himself had prescribed4 #b4 ,that ,he obeyed and atoned1 we have the perfect evidence of observation and testimony4 ,he ,himself declared1 ,i have finished the work which ,thou gavest ,me to do4 ,it is finished4 ,to this the ,father and the ,spirit have expressly borne testimony3 by signs and wonders2 ,his resurrection2 ,his ascension2 the descent of the ,spirit2 conversions2 the glorification of ,his people4 #c4 ,into ,his righteousness thus perfect the believer is admitted4 ,,ii4 ,complete in ,him with respect to the work which ,he is now performing4--#a4 ,interceding in heaven4 #b4 ,ruling on earth1 and thus giving grace and affording protection4 ,,iii4 ,complete in ,him with respect to the work which ,he is hereafter to perform4--#a4 ,as the ,resurrection4 #b4 ,as the ,judge4 #c4 ,as the ,glorifier4 #d4 ,as the ,consummation and ,communicator of eternal blessedness4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa1 #ab4 ,christian ,circumcision4 ,there were two principal errors lying at the root of the heresy that was doing so much damage at ,coloss4 ,one was the theological error of substituting inferior and created angelic mediators for the ,divine ,head ,himself4 ,the other was a practical error1 in insisting upon ritual and ascetic observances as the foundation of moral teaching4 ,thus1 their theological speculations and ethical code alike were at fault4 ,both errors flowed from a common source--the false conception that evil resides in matter1 a fruitful source of many fatal heresies4 ,some contended the ,colossians could not be complete in ,christ without submitting to the ,jewish rite of circumcision2 but the apostle showed that they were the subjects of a superior circumcision4 ,i4 ,christian circumcision is inward and spiritual4--,ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands 7ver4 #aa74 ,the hand-wrought circumcision of the ,jews was simply an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace4 ,this is abundantly clear in the language of the ,old ,testament3 ,no stranger uncircumcised in heart1 nor uncircumcised in flesh1 shall enter into ,my sanctuary4 ,the ,lord ,thy ,god will circumcise thine heart1 to love the ,lord thy ,god with all thine heart and all thy soul 7,ezek4 xliv4 #i2 ,deut4 xxx4 #f74 ,the argument of the apostle is that the ,colossians had secured all the spiritual results aimed at in the ancient rite1 and that by a better circumcision1 even that made without hands1 by the spiritual and almighty power of ,christ1 so that it was unnecessary for them or any other ,gentiles to submit to the abrogated ,hebraic ordinance4 ,the true circumcision is that of the heart1 in the spirit1 and not in the letter 7,rom4 ii4 #bh1 #bi74 ,,ii4 ,christian circumcision is complete4--,in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh 7ver4 #aa72 or1 as ,bengel translates1 putting off the body of the sins--that is to say1 the flesh4 ,manual circumcision1 according to the law of ,moses1 was the cutting away of only a small part of the flesh4 ,but the true spiritual circumcision consists in putting off1 renouncing1 and casting away with disgust the whole body of our corrupt nature--the entire fleshly principle4 ,the whole bulk of sin is fitly compared to a body1 because of the weight of guilt there is in it 7,rom4 vii4 #bd71 and the soul is completely compassed by it1 as it is with our natural body 7,gen4 vi4 #e74 ,when the heart is circumcised1 the total mass of sin is put off1 as the porter puts off his burden1 the beggar his rages1 the master his false servant1 and the serpent its skin4 ,old things pass away2 all things become new4 ,,iii4 ,christian circumcision is ,divine4--,by the circumcision of ,christ 7ver4 #aa74 ,it is wrought1 without hands1 by the inward1 invisible power of the ,divine ,spirit of ,christ4 ,it supersedes the external form of the circumcision of the law and fulfils all its spiritual designs in a far more perfect manner than even the spiritually-minded ,jew could adequately conceive4 ,what can never be effected by the moral law1 by external1 ascetic ceremonies1 or by philosophic speculations1 is accomplished by the circumcision of ,christ4 ,the whole body of sin is mortified1 the soul is quickened and renewed1 and brought into the possession of the highest moral perfection4 ,,iv4 ,christian circumcision is realised by the thorough identification of the believer with ,christ in ,his death and resurrection4--,buried with ,him1 wherein also ye are risen with ,him 7ver4 #ab74 ,burial implies previous death2 and to secure the true circumcision we must be spiritually identified with ,christ in ,his death1 burial1 and resurrection4 ,it is the familiar teaching of the ,new ,testament that he who believes in ,christ is said to die with ,him1 to be buried with ,him1 and to rise with ,him 7ver4 #ac2 ,rom4 vi4 #aa2 ,eph4 ii4 #e74 ,a circumcised heart1 a new nature1 cannot be obtained by mere human effort1 by stern resolutions1 painful processes of self-mortification1 or by the most advanced and rigorous mental culture4 ,it is secured only by a complete1 vital union and incorporation with ,christ1 and a sympathetic participation with ,him in all ,he has done and suffered4 ,with ,christ the believer enters the grave where the vast body of sin dies and is buried2 and with ,christ he emerges into a new and heavenlier life that transforms the soul into a ,diviner beauty1 and fills it with unutterable rapture and melodious praise4 ,v4 ,christian circumcision is wrought in the soul by a spiritual baptism4--,buried with ,him in baptism1 wherein also ye are risen with ,him 7ver4 #ab74 ,baptism by water1 like legal circumcision1 is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace4 ,but it does not appear that there is any allusion here to the ordinance of baptism4 ,the leading ideas and figures used in these two verses refer to spiritual realities3 the death1 burial1 and resurrection1 the circumcision without hands1 and the putting off of the body of the flesh1 are all spiritual2 and the baptism is evidently of the same character4 ,it is by the baptism of the ,spirit--the quickening and renewing power of the ,holy ,ghost--that the soul is so united to and identified with ,christ that the believer may be said to be buried and to rise with ,him4 ,it is possible to die with ,christ and to rise with ,him without being baptised with water2 but it is impossible to do either without the baptism of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,spiritual baptism is the grave of the old man and the birth of the new4 ,as he sinks beneath the baptismal waters1 the believer buries there all his corrupt affections and past sins2 ans he emerges thence1 he rises regenerate1 quickened to new hopes and a new life4 ,,vi4 ,christian circumcision is received by faith4--,through the faith of the operation of ,god1 who hath raised ,him from the dead 7ver4 #ab74 ,faith is not a natural production of the human heart4 ,it is a ,divine gift and is bestowed on man by a ,divine operation4 ,man can believe because ,god has given him the power to believe4 ,no unbeliever can receive the baptism that effects the spiritual resurrection4 ,the faith specially referred to is to be fixed on the power of ,god as exerted and displayed in the resurrection of ,christ from the tomb4 ,the same power is employed in that mysterious baptismal process by which the soul throws off its mass of moral vileness and rises into newness of life4 ,faith opens every gateway of the soul1 so that it gratefully welcomes and exults in the transforming operations of the ,divine energy4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,all external ordinances are powerless to change the heart4 #b4 ,the true circumcision is accomplished by the baptism of the ,holy ,ghost4 #c4 ,to realise the renewing power of ,god faith is indispensable4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,the ,true ,circumcision4 ,i4 ,is not an outward rite1 but an inward change4 ,,ii4 ,is an excision of the body of sin by our union with ,christ1 who has conquered sin4 ,,iii4 ,is not an external observance1 but a spiritual experience and a holy life4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,true ,baptism-- ,i4 ,is spiritual regeneration4 ,,ii4 ,is being buried and raised again with ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,is secured by an active1 realising faith in the power of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,renders circumcision and all outward rites valueless as means of salvation4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,the ,transition from ,death to ,life4 ,in relation to man1 the physical order is a descent from life to death1 the spiritual order an ascent from death to life4 ,the soul of man is held captive in the dark and dismal prison-house of sin1 and the ,divine law--at once its judge and gaoler--has declared its condemnation to death4 ,the great ,mediator offers ,himself a ransom for human sin4 ,he is accepted4 ,the sentence of condemnation is cancelled1 and spiritual liberty proclaimed4 ,i4 ,that the natural condition of humanity is one of moral and spiritual death4--#a4 ,man is in a condition of spiritual insensibility4 ,you1 being dead in your sins 7ver4 #ac74 ,the dead know not anything4 ,they are as unconscious as the dust in the midst of which they slumber4 ,the sweetest sounds or the brightest scenes appeal in vain to the locked-up senses4 ,this figure strikingly depicts the moral condition of man4 ,the soul may be keenly alive to the relations and interests of the outer world1 and at the same time dead to the grandest spiritual realities4 ,he is insensible to the character and claims of ,god1 to the sublimest truths1 to the most ravishing prospects4 ,with faculties to appreciate all that is lovely in nature and wonderful in art1 he is insensible and unresponsive to the highest moral beauty4 #b4 ,man is in a condition of moral corruption4--,and the uncircumcision of your flesh 7ver4 #ac74 ,death unbinds the forces that brace up the body in life and health and leaves it a prey to the ever-active power of corruption4 ,the flesh is the carnal principle--the old corrupt nature2 and its uncircumcision indicates that it has not been cut off1 mortified1 or conquered4 ,it is the loathsome1 putrid fruit of a nature spiritually dead--the outworkings of a wicked1 unrenewed heart1 through all the channels of unchecked appetites and passions--moral putrescence fattening on itself4 ,no description of sin can surpass the revolting spectacle of its own self-registered results4 #c4 ,man is in a condition of condemnation4--7#a7 ,the ,divine ordinances record an indictment against the transgressor4 ,the handwriting of ordinances that was against us 7ver4 #ad74 ,a handwriting imports what any one writes with his own hand1 and is usually applied to a note of hand1 a bond1 or obligation1 as having the signature of the debtor or contracting party4 ,the primary reference in the terms used is to the ,jews1 who might be said to have signed the contract when they bound themselves1 by a curse1 to observe all the enactments of the law 7,deut4 xxvii4 #ad-bf74 ,ordinances1 though referring primarily to the ,mosaic ordinances1 includes all forms of positive decrees 7ordinances7 in which moral or social principles are embodied or religious duties defined4 ,man everywhere is under law1 written or unwritten2 and he is morally obligated to obey it4 ,that law has been universally violated1 and its ordinances and sanctions are against us4 ,we are involved in legal condemnation2 we owe to ,god what we can never pay4 7#b7 ,the ,divine ordinances are hostile towards the transgressor4 ,which was contrary to us 7ver4 #ad74 ,we are often painfully reminded of our broken bond1 as the debtor is often distressingly reminded of his undischarged obligation4 ,our peace is disturbed1 our conscience troubled1 our prospects darkened4 ,the sense of condemnation pursues us in every part of life and haunts us with visions of terrible vengeance to come4 ,,ii4 ,that the believer is raised into a condition of spiritual life4--#a4 ,spiritual life begins in the consciousness of liberty4 ,having forgiven you all trespasses 7ver4 #ac74 ,sin enthrals the soul in an intolerable bondage and smites it with a deathly blow4 ,there is no return to life until liberty is bestowed4 ,forgiveness confers that liberty4 ,pardon is the point at which spiritual life begins4 ,the sense of liberty is the first glad thrill in the soul of a new and nobler life4 ,the pardon is ample2 it is all-comprehensive--having forgiven you all trespasses4 ,every legal barrier is removed4 ,all guilt is cancelled4 ,every stain is purged away4 ,every vestige of corruption disappears4 ,the ,divine mercy triumphs in the prompt1 generous1 loving1 full forgiveness of sins4 #b4 ,spiritual life implies a freedom from all condemnation4--7#a7 ,the indictment recorded in the ,divine ordinances is cancelled and abolished4 ,blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us1 which was contrary to us1 and took it out of the way1 nailing it to ,his cross 7ver4 #ad74 ,every assurance is given to the trembling believer that his guilt is pardoned1 and his condemnation removed4 ,the handwriting is blotted out--as it were1 cross-strokes are drawn through it2 and that all suspicion it may again become legible1 may be allayed1 it is added1 and took it out of the way2 it is entirely removed4 ,but lest1 haply1 it should again be found and produced1 it is declared--it is destroyed1 torn1 nailed to the cross1 and so made utterly useless ever to witness anything against the believer4 ,now we are delivered from the law1 that being dead wherein we were held 7,rom4 vii4 #f74 ,the handwriting against us is removed and destroyed by the sacrificial death of ,christ on the cross4 ,there we behold the cancelled sentence torn and rent by the very nails that pierced the sacred body of the world's ,redeemer4 7#b7 ,freedom from condemnation is effected by the cross4 ,his cross4 ,much as the doctrine of salvation through the vicarious sufferings of ,christ may be misunderstood and despised1 it is the only method by which pardon can be bestowed1 condemnation removed1 and spiritual life imparted4 ,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us4 ,,iii4 ,that the transition of the soul from death to spiritual life is a ,divine work4--,you hath ,he quickened together with ,him 7ver4 #ac74 ,god only can raise the dead4 ,he who first fashioned us in ,his own image1 who raised from the dead ,jesus1 the great ,shepherd of the sheep1 rescues man from the gloomy domain of spiritual death1 and inspires him with a new and holier life4 ,it is a life of blessed union with the ,divine4 ,its activities are spontaneous and ,godward in their tendencies4 ,it has the power of growth and endless development4 ,its aspirations are the purest and noblest4 ,it is intensely individual4 ,it is the movement of the ,divine in the sphere of the human1 not defacing or destroying the human1 but exalting and perfecting its worthiest traits4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,all men are dead in sin4 #b4 ,law condemns but cannot deliver4 #c4 ,pardon of sin is the gateway of spiritual life4 #d4 ,pardon is obtained only by looking to the cross4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,death and ,spiritual ,life4 ,i4 ,man by sin is spiritually dead and disabled from exercising spiritual acts4 ,,ii4 ,man is quickened into spiritual life by virtue of the resurrection of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,spiritual life is obtainable only by the pardon of sin4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,handwriting of ,ordinances4 ,i4 ,describes our condemnation4 ,,ii4 ,must be cancelled in order to pardon4 ,,iii4 ,cancelled by the sufferings on the cross4 ,,iv4 ,is blotted out against us when we accept the ,crucified4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,the ,triumph of the ,cross4 ,the apostle has shown the worthlessness of the ,jewish ceremonies and the galling tyranny of their yoke4 ,he has exposed the emptiness of the philosophy that was of human fabrication1 with its illusive theories about angel mediators1 its vast accretions of conflicting traditions1 and its intolerable impositions4 ,he has declared that they are all transfixed to the cross--torn1 lacerated1 illegible1 cancelled--and exhibited there as a spectacle for the perpetual consolation and assurance of the believer4 ,and now the apostle1 rising with the grandeur of his theme1 compares the scene of the cross to the splendid triumph of a ,roman general1 in which the captives taken in battle were led in gorgeous procession through the city as substantial trophies of the victor4 ,i4 ,the triumph of the cross was over the powers of evil4--,principalities and ,powers4 #a4 ,the existence of evil is a painful fact4--,we meet with it everywhere and in everything4 ,it mars the beauty of external creation and loads it with a burden of unutterable woe4 ,it flings its shadow over the brightest sky1 transforms the music of life into a doleful monotone1 and translates the softest zephyrs into sighs4 ,it impregnates man's moral nature1 deflects the purest principles1 shatters the noblest powers1 arrests the loftiest aspirations and drags the soul down to the lowest hell4 #b4 ,evil is embodied in invisible and potent personalities4--,they are here called principalities because of their excellency1 their deep penetration1 vast knowledge1 and exalted station4 ,they are called powers because of their ability1 the mighty influence they can wield1 and the terrible havoc they can work4 ,their dominion extends over the whole realm of sin4 ,they exist in vast numbers 7#b ,pet4 iv4 #b2 ,jude #f71 but they are inspired and guided by one great master-spirit--the prince of the power of the air4 ,they are animated and bound together by one spirit--a spirit of bitter hatred and savage hostility towards ,god1 and of contemptuous scorn for ,his authority4 ,they are eager to obey the slightest behest of their malignant leader4 ,he spake3 and to confirm his words outflew ,millions of flaming swords1 drawn from the thighs1 ,of mighty cherubim3 the sudden blaze ,far round illumined hell3 highly they raged ,against the ,highest1 and fierce with grasped arms ,clashed on their sounding shields the din of war1 ,hurling defiance towards the vault of heaven4 ,these hosts of evil spirits are the great foes of man with which he has incessantly to contend 7,eph4 vi4 #ab74 ,the struggle would be hopeless had not ,christ defeated them4 ,,ii4 ,the triumph of the cross was achieved after severe conflict4--,having spoiled4 #a4 ,the conflict was continuous4--,it was fought from the earliest period between ,satan and man1 and the day was lost4 ,the woeful issues of that conquest are with us to-day4 ,the battle has been raging ever since4 ,the enmity existing between the serpent and the seed of the woman is still active4 ,the symbols and foreshadowings of the great strife appeared on many occasions during the ,mosaic period4 ,but when ,christ assumed our humanity and stepped upon the field as the great ,captain of our salvation1 the conflict reached its climax4 #b4 ,the conflict was fierce4--,hosts of demons swarmed around the solitary ,warrior1 and with incredible fury sought to gain a victory over the human nature he had assumed4 ,again and again1 they rushed to the attack2 but each fresh assault ended with a new defeat4 ,in the wilderness ,he was tempted by ,satan2 but the arch-tempter was compelled to retire1 baffled and conquered4 ,through the voice of ,his chief disciple the temptation was renewed1 and ,he was urged to decline ,his appointed sufferings and death 7,matt4 xvi4 #bc74 ,but ,satan was again foiled4 #c4 ,the conflict was deadly4--,then came the final hour--the great crisis when the power of darkness made itself felt1 when the prince of this world threw his last fatal shaft and asserted his tyranny 7,luke xxii4 #ec2 ,john xii4 #cj74 ,the closing act in the conflict began with the agony of ,gethsemane2 it ended with the cross of ,calvary4 ,the ,son of ,god expires on the accursed tree4 ,but1 lo6 strange reversal of all human conflicts--the moment of apparent defeat is the moment of victory6 ,by dying ,christ has conquered death and wrested from the enemy his most potent weapon of terror4 ,the principalities and powers of evil1 that clung around the humanity of ,christ like a fatal ,nessus tunic1 were spoiled--torn off and cast aside for ever4 ,evil assailed the great ,redeemer from without1 but never penetrated ,him as it does humanity4 ,in the act of dying the crucified ,one stripped off and flung to the ground the great potentates of evil never more to be in the ascendant4 ,,iii4 ,the triumph of the cross was signal and complete4--#a4 ,it was signal4 ,he made a show of them openly4 ,the overthrow of the principalities and powers of evil was boldly declared to the universe4 ,they were declared to be liars1 traitors1 deceivers1 usurpers1 and murderers6 ,it was not a private but a public victory1 in which the universe was interested1 and in which all men may well rejoice4 ,the victory of mankind is involved in the victory of ,christ4 ,in ,his cross we too are divested of the poisonous1 clinging garments of temptation1 sin1 and death--we spoil1 strip off1 put away from us the powers of evil1 and are liberated from the dominion of the flesh4 #b4 ,it was complete4--,triumphing over them in it4 ,christ proved ,himself on the cross the ,conqueror of death and hell4 ,here the paradox of the ,crucifixion is placed in the strongest light--triumph in helplessness1 glory in shame1 the vanquished become the conqueror4 ,the gloom of the convict's gibbet is transformed into the splendour of the victor's chariot4 ,in the cross we see the greatest triumph of our ,immanuel--the law fulfilled2 ,god's moral government vindicated2 death robbed of its prey2 ,satan1 the prince of this world cast out2 principalities and powers dragged in procession as captives2 a show of them boldly made2 the imprisoned world set free2 and the final victory over every enemy assured4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ has conquered the powers of evil4 #b4 ,to the believer ultimate victory is certain4 #c4 ,keep up a brave heart in the fiercest conflict4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #af1 #ag4 ,the ,ceremonial and the ,real in ,religion4 ,after dealing with the speculative theories so busily propagated by the false teachers at ,coloss1 the apostle descends from the height of his lofty argument1 and with incomparable force sweeps away the whole group of errors which overrated an excessive ritualism and insisted on a rigorous asceticism4 ,the existence of the ceremonial in religion is a confession of the imperfection of our nature2 and the more rudimentary the ceremonial1 the lower it supposes our condition4 ,the ceremonial foreshadows the real and is intended to help in attaining it4 ,in the nature of things1 therefore1 the ceremonial is but temporary4 ,when it puts man in possession of the real it vanishes4 ,the shadow is absorbed in the substance4 ,to compel man to find salvation in the ceremonial1 when he already possesses the real1 is a retrogression and an injustice4 ,the liberty of the ,gospel places the believer above the slavery of external ordinances and furnishes him with a law--the law of a ,christianised conscience--as to their use or neglect4 ,i4 ,that the ceremonial in religion can form no just basis for individual condemnation4--,let no man1 therefore1 judge you in meat1 etc4 7ver4 #af74 ,the ,mosaic law enforced certain injunctions concerning eating and drinking4 ,it gave minute directions as to the animals that were to be eaten1 making a distinction between the clean and the unclean4 ,as to drinking1 the priests were strictly forbidden the use of wine on the eve of solemn public duty2 and the vow of the ,nazarites required entire abstinence from the fruit of the vine4 ,the tendency of the ,jews was to multiply these distinctions and prohibitions1 and to exalt them into undue importance4 ,the reference to special days embraces the collective periodical feasts and sacred seasons of the ,levitical ritual--the yearly1 monthly1 and weekly celebrations4 ,the term holy day would include the festivals of the ,passover1 ,pentecost1 and ,tabernacles respectively4 ,the new moon alludes to the monthly celebrations mentioned 7,num4 x4 #aj1 xxviii4 #aa74 ,the ,sabbath days refer to the weekly solemnities and services of the seventh day4 ,the ,jews assumed that the obligation of these regulations was permanent1 and their observance essential to the salvation of the ,christian believer4 ,the ,gospel teaches that the observance or non-observance of these ceremonial rites is no just ground for judging each other4 ,we are not justified in condemning any one for neglecting them1 or to think any better of one who reverently observes them4 ,the essence of religion does not consist in the outward form1 but in the inward spirit--not in the ceremonial1 but in the real4 ,which are a shadow of things to come2 but the body is of ,christ 7ver4 #ag74 ,,ii4 ,that the ceremonial in religion is typical of the real4--,which are a shadow of things to come 7ver4 #ag74 ,ceremonies have their place in the culture of mankind1 and in their legitimate sphere they are important4 ,they are adapted to the infant stage in the development of the race4 ,they sketch out the bold1 rough outlines of truths that are in a half-formed embryotic state4 ,they are shadows projected across the disc of our mental vision--of grand realities which are ever advancing into clearer view4 ,they are typical of the existence and certain manifestation of deeper and unchangeable truths4 ,they are predictive of things to come4 ,the great yearly festival of the ,passover typified the forgiveness of sins by the shedding of the precious blood of ,christ4 ,the ,pentecost1 or feast of the firstfruits1 sets forth the sustenance and ample provision ,god has made for the soul4 ,the feast of ,tabernacles was a significant reminder of ,god's providential guidance and fatherly care of human life4 ,the new moon1 or first day of the month1 with its usual service1 impressed on the minds of the people the truth that ,jehovah1 the ,ruler of the seasons1 was the ,god of providence as well as of creation4 ,the weekly ,sabbath1 with its grateful rest1 was expressly instituted to commemorate the rest of ,god after the exercise of ,his creative energy4 ,then the ordinary sacrifices were doubled1 and the shewbread renewed1 to indicate that ,god is the source and sustenance of our life4 ,and so1 the whole ,mosaic law was a type and presage of the ,gospel4 ,the spiritually enlightened look through the outward and visible symbol to the great truth signified4 ,the ceremonial is valuable only as it conducts to the real4 ,,iii4 ,that the ceremonial in religion is abolished and rendered nugatory by the real4--,but the body is of ,christ 7ver4 #ag74 ,when the substance appears1 the shadow is swallowed up4 ,as the shadows are to the body1 so were the types and ceremonies of the law to ,christ4 ,they were figures of evangelical blessings2 but the truth1 the reality1 and abiding substance of them are found in the person1 work1 and salvation of ,christ4 ,all the grand truths prefigured by the ancient ,mosaic ritual are embodied in ,christ4 ,he gives the fullest personal representation of ,jehovah as the ,god of nature1 providence1 and redemption1 at once the ,author and the ,ruler of the spiritual life4 ,in ,christ1 therefore1 as the substance and ,antitype1 all shadow and symbol disappear4 ,it is a dangerous infatuation to snatch at the shadow and cling to it when we may embrace and rest in the sufficiency of the substance4 ,this is to restore the cancelled handwriting and nullify the splendid triumph of the cross4 ,in ,christ the ceremonial is effete1 powerless1 dead4 ,he only is the changeless1 eternal1 all-satisfying real4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,learn to exercise the spirit of ,christian forbearance in external observances4 #b4 ,be careful not to rest in the ceremonial4 #c4 ,christ alone can satisfy the deepest craving of the soul4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #af1 #ag4 ,the ,shadow and the ,substance of the ,sabbath4 ,i4 ,the transient shadow which has passed away4--,the ,sabbath as a sign between ,god and the ,israelites1 marking them off from all other nations by its observance--as a mere ,jewish institution4 ,,ii4 ,the permanent substance which cannot pass4--,the body is of ,christ--the ,spirit of ,christ is the fulfilment of the law4 ,to have the ,spirit of ,christ is to have fulfilled the law4 ,apply this to ,sabbath observance4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ah1 #ai4 ,the ,seductive ,peril of a ,false ,philosophy4 ,the apostle had warned the ,colossians against the dangerous consequences of attaching too much importance to the ceremonial in religion1 inasmuch as it was the substitution of the shadow for the substance4 ,he now reveals the peril of being seduced by the theological error that insisted on interposition of angel mediators1 which was the preference of an inferior member to the ,head4 ,in this verse the writer distinctly warns the ,colossian ,christians against the peril that threatened them and exposes the presumptuous speculations of a false philosophy4 ,i4 ,that the teachings of a false philosophy threaten to rob the believer of his most coveted reward4--,let no man beguile you of your reward 7ver4 #ah74 ,the ,christian's career is a race2 the present world is the stadium1 or racecourse2 ,christ is the umpire--the dispenser of rewards2 eternal life is the victor's prize4 ,the ,colossians were in a fair way for winning the prize2 they had duly entered the lists2 they were contending bravely2 but the false teachers unhappily crossed their path1 sought to impede their progress1 and to rob them of their reward4 ,error is subtle in its influence and pernicious in its effects4 ,many erroneous opinions may possibly be held without invalidating the salvation of the soul2 but any error that in any degree depreciates our estimate of ,christ and interrupts the advance of our ,christian life is a robbery4 ,it may be said that the dangerous speculations of a false philosophy are confined only to a few--the higher circle of thinkers4 ,that is bad enough4 ,but what is damaging the higher order of intellects will by-and-by reach the lower and work its mischief there4 ,there is need for uninterrupted vigilance4 ,,ii4 ,that a false philosophy advocates the most presumptuous and perilous speculations4--#a4 ,it affects a spurious humility4 ,god is unknowable to the limited and uncertain powers of man2 ,he is too high to be accessible1 and too much absorbed in loftier matters to concern ,himself about individual man4 ,he can be approached only through inferior beings1 and their assistance should be humbly sought4 ,so it reasons4 ,but this humility was voluntary1 self-induced1 and was in reality another form of high spiritual pride4 ,humility1 when it becomes self-conscious1 ceases to have any value4 #b4 ,it invents a dangerous system of angelolatry4--,worshipping of angels 7ver4 #ah74 ,the ,jews were fond of philosophising about the dignity1 offices1 and ranks of the angelic powers2 and many held the opinion that they were messengers who presented our prayers to ,god4 ,the false teachers made the most of the authority they could derive from ,jewish sources4 ,they would tell how the law was given by the disposition of angels--that angels conducted the ,israelites through the wilderness1 and on various occasions appeared to patriarchs1 prophets1 and apostles4 ,they would dwell on the weakness of man and his distance from ,god and insist that homage should be paid to these angelic messengers as necessary mediators4 ,alas1 how fatal has been the influence through the centuries of this delusive angelolatry6 ,the apostle here condemns it1 and thus sweeps away all ground for the ,christ-dishonouring practices of invocation of saints and the worship of the ,virgin4 #c4 ,it pretends to a knowledge of the mysterious4--,intruding into those things which he hath not seen 7ver4 #ah74 ,man is everywhere circled with mystery4 ,it is one of the saddest moments of life when he first becomes conscious of the limitation of his own powers1 and of his utter inability to fathom the mysteries which seem to invite his inquiry while they baffle his attempt4 ,locke somewhere says1 a worm in the drawer of a cabinet1 shut up in its tiny enclosure1 might as well pretend to guess at the construction of the vast universe1 as mortal man ventures to speculate about the unseen world1 except so far as revealed for purposes of salvation4 ,but fools will rush in where angels fear to tread4 ,the boast of possessing a profound knowledge of the mysterious is one of the marks of a false philosophy4 #d4 ,it is inflated with an excessive pride4--,vainly puffed up by its fleshly mind 7ver4 #ah74 ,the carnal mind1 which is enmity against ,god1 rises to a pitch of reckless daring in its inventions1 and revelling in its own creative genius1 is vainly puffed up with a conceit of novelty and with a fancied superiority over the humbler disciple4 ,there is no state more dangerous than this or more difficult to change4 ,it is proof against every ordinary method of recovery4 ,the proud man lives half-way down the slope to hell4 ,god only can break the delusive snare1 humble the soul1 and revoke its threatened doom4 ,,iii4 ,that a false philosophy ignores the ,divine source of all spiritual increase4--#a4 ,christ is the great ,head of the ,church4 ,he is the centre of its unity1 the primal source of its life1 authority1 and influence4 ,he founded the ,church1 and gave it shape1 symmetry1 and durableness4 ,he alone is supreme--the ,alpha and ,omega--the living and only ,head4 ,to ignore ,him is to forfeit the substantial for the shadowy--the rock for the precarious footing of the crumbling shale4 #b4 ,the ,church is vitally and essentially united to ,christ4--,from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered and knit together 7ver4 #ai74 ,as the members of the human frame are joined to the head1 and derive life1 motion1 and sensation from it by means of arteries1 veins1 nerves1 and other attachments1 so the spiritual members of ,christ are knit to ,him by invisible joints and bands1 and depend on ,him for sustenance1 character1 and influence4 #c4 ,the vital union of the ,church with ,christ is the condition of spiritual increase4--,increaseth with the increase of ,god 7ver4 #ai74 ,christ is the ,divine source of increase1 and the ,church can grow only as it receives nourishment from ,him4 ,the growth corresponds with its nature--it is ,divine2 it increaseth with the increase of ,god4 ,there may be a morbid increase1 as there may be an unnatural enlargement of some part of the human body2 but it is only the excessive inflation of a worldly splendour and ecclesiastical pretension4 ,like ,jonah's gourd1 such a growth may disappear as rapidly as it came4 ,the true increase is that which comes from ,god1 of which ,he is the source1 and active1 sustaining influence1 and which advances in harmony with ,his will and purpose4 ,such an increase can be secured only by vital union with ,christ4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,a false philosophy distorts the grandest truths4 #b4 ,a false philosophy substitutes for truth the most perilous speculations4 #c4 ,against the teachings of a false philosophy be ever on your guard4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,philosophic ,vagaries-- ,i4 ,making pretence of superior knowledge4 ,,ii4 ,affecting a spurious humility in worship4 ,,iii4 ,inflated with pride4 ,,iv ,dangerous to those sincerely seeking the truth4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,how a ,church lives and grows4 ,i4 ,the source of all the life of the body4--,christ is the ,head1 therefore the source from which all parts of the body partake of a common life4 ,there are three symbols employed to represent the union of ,christ with ,his ,church--the vine1 the body1 and the marriage bond4 ,,ii4 ,the various and harmonious action of all the parts4--#a4 ,from ,jesus comes all nourishment of the ,divine life1 even when we think that we instruct or stimulate each other4 #b4 ,from ,jesus comes the oneness of the body4 ,,iii4 ,the consequent increase of the whole4--#a4 ,the increase of life in the ,church1 both as a community and in its separate elements1 depends on the harmonious activity of all the parts4 #b4 ,is dependent of the activity of all1 and sadly hampered when some are idle4 #c4 ,depends on its vitality within and on the concurrent activity of all its members4 #d4 ,depends not only on the action of all its parts1 but on their health and vitality4 #e4 ,there is an increase which is not the increase of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the personal hold of ,jesus ,christ which is the condition of all life and growth4--,a firm1 almost desperate clutch in which ,love and ,need1 like two hands1 clasp ,him and will not let ,him go4 ,such tenacious grip implies the adhesive energy of the whole nature--the mind laying hold on truth1 the heart clinging to love1 the will submitting to authority4--,a4 ,maclaren4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj-bc4 ,the ,ceremonial in ,religion ,transitory and ,unsatisfying4 ,the apostle returns again to the question of outward observances4 ,he saw the extreme danger with which the ,colossians were threatened from that source1 and before turning to other matters in his epistle he lifts up a warning voice as for the last time4 ,i4 ,that the ceremonial in religion is simply elementary4--,the rudiments of the world 7ver4 #bj74 ,the ceremonial in religion is the alphabetical stage1 suited only to the world's infancy and to the crudest condition in human development4 ,it is the childish period which1 with all its toys and pictures and gewgaws1 is put away when spiritual manhood is attained4 ,it is in its nature transitory and imperfect4 ,it conveys knowledge but in part2 and when that which is perfect is come1 then that which is in part is done away4 ,,ii4 ,the ceremonial in religion is unworthy the submission of the ,christian believer4--#a4 ,the believer is liberated from the slavery of the ceremonial4 ,he is dead with ,christ 7ver4 #bj74 ,as ,christ by ,his death cancelled the handwriting of ordinances that was against us1 and vanquished ,satan and all his hosts1 so the believer1 united with ,christ in ,his death1 shares in the triumph of that death4 ,he is free2 he rises into a new life1 not under the tyranny of the old law1 with its demands and penalties1 but in allegiance to ,christ4 ,he has passed into another sphere of existence4 ,worldly ordinances have ceased to have any value for him1 because his worldly life is ended4 ,they belong to the realm of the transitory and perishable2 he has been translated into the realm of the free and the eternal4 #b4 ,to return to the ceremonial is to forfeit ,christian liberty4--,why1 as though living in the world1 are ye subject to ordinances8 7ver4 #bj74 ,it is to ignore all progress1 to impugn the reality of the change wrought in the soul by spiritual baptism1 to close one's eyes to the altered state of things into which he has been introduced1 and to submit again to the galling yoke of legal observances and human traditions which never had ,divine sanction and from which he had been emancipated4 ,it is a denial of his ,christianity to subject himself again to their tyranny--to return once more to the dominion of the world4 ,it is giving up the substance for the shadow4 ,it is a deliberate self-degradation to the most abject and pitiable slavery4 ,it is supposed that many of the ascetic practices of the false teachers at ,coloss were borrowed from the ,pythagoreans4 ,their philosophy was all on the side of prohibitions1 abstinences1 a forced celibacy1 the unlawfulness of animal food1 the possibility of attaining perfection by neglecting the body1 under the delusion that evil resided in matter4 ,,iii4 ,the ceremonial in religion1 in its main features1 is universally the same4--#a4 ,it is the same in its dictatorial prohibitions4 ,touch not2 taste not2 handle not 7ver4 #ba74 ,such is the arrogant language of a narrow1 bigoted1 and imperious superstition4 ,it is an instruction to observe the gradual and insidious manner in which it obtains the mastery over the human conscience4 ,touch not3 it prohibits even a light partaking of some meat or drink4 ,taste not3 the prohibition is extended1 so that it becomes a crime even to taste1 though refusing to eat4 ,handle not3 to come in contact with the forbidden object1 even in the handling1 is a dreadful sacrilege4 ,so is it ever with the clamorous demands of a proud1 assumptious ritualism4 ,there is no end to the unauthorised prohibitions with which it seeks to bind the conscience4 #b4 ,it is the same in its undue exaltation of the external and transitory4--,which all are to perish with the using 7ver4 #bb74 ,the very eating and drinking of them destroys them4 ,they are consumed in the using2 and in order to nourish us they themselves perish--a plain proof that all the benefit we receive from them respects only our physical and mortal life4 ,what folly is it to insist on a scrupulous avoidance or observance of externals in order to salvation6 ,you claim an affinity with the eternal1 and it is unworthy of your glorious destiny to be absorbed with the worship of the perishable4 #c4 ,it is the same in its human origin4--,after the commandments and doctrines of men 7ver4 #bb74 ,a commandment is a precept2 a doctrine is the principle or truth on which it is based4 ,the one furnishes a direction1 the other the reason on which the direction rests4 ,the ceremonial in religion is an accumulation of the commandments and doctrines of men4 ,depending on human authority1 it has no value in itself2 and when it is made obligatory in order to human salvation1 it is an impious insult to ,christ and an intolerable servitude to man4 ,the commandments of men1 having no solid doctrines to rest upon1 are transitory and illusory4 ,,iv4 ,the ceremonial in religion can never satisfy the many-sided wants of humanity4--#a4 ,it pretends to a wisdom it does not possess4 7#a7 ,in self-imposed methods of worship4 ,which things have1 indeed1 a show of wisdom in will-worship 7ver4 #bc74 ,it insists on certain distinctions of meats and drinks2 on abstinence from this or that kind of food2 on certain ritual observances as necessary in order to render due homage to ,god4 ,the enthusiast for the ceremonial argues that he who only does what ,god positively demands does only what is common2 but he who goes beyond1 and submits to additional observances1 reaches a higher degree of saintliness4 ,this is will-worship1 which has peculiar charms for the corrupt tendencies of our depraved nature4 ,the works of supererogation it invents are pleasanter than the holy1 humble1 adoring worship of ,god through the blood of the cross4 7#b7 ,in the affectation of a spurious humility4 ,in humility 7ver4 #bc74 ,it is a pretence of wisdom to renounce all worldly splendour and profess to live in poverty and seclusion4 ,but at the root of this profession the most pernicious pride may lurk4 ,a self-conscious and dramatically acted humility is the most degrading and detestable4 7#c7 ,in an unjustifiable indifference to bodily wants4 ,and neglecting of the body 7ver4 #bc74 ,the body is the temple of the ,holy ,ghost1 and is to be honoured and cherished1 and all its just wants satisfied1 in order that its best powers may be employed in the service of ,god4 ,but the abuse of the body in starvation1 painful macerations1 and squalid neglect is a folly and a sin4 #b4 ,it is of no value in preventing the indulgence of the flesh4--,not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh 7ver4 #bc74 ,the radical error of the ascetic lies in his belief that evil resides in matter4 ,not the body1 but the soul1 is the source of sin3 the body is depraved because the soul is depraved4 ,sin exists as a thought and conception of the heart before it exists as an act of the flesh4 ,no amount of outward flagellation1 or of abstinence from needful food1 will satisfy the natural wants of the body1 or destroy its sinful tendencies4 ,the attempt to be virtuous by afflicting the body is like battering the outwork while the main citadel remains untouched4 ,the outward man can never satisfy the complicated needs of man's nature4 ,first bring the soul into a right relation to ,god1 and1 with the aid of ,divine grace1 it will control all the outgoings of the flesh4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ceremonial has its place in religion1 and therefore should not be despised4 #b4 ,the believer is raised above the power of the ceremonial in religion1 and therefore should not be subject to it4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,principles above ,rules2 or1 ,wheat is better than ,bread4--,bread may feed us for the moment1 but when once eaten it is gone for ever4 ,wheat on the contrary will bear seed1 increase1 and multiply4 ,every rule is taken from a principle1 as a loaf of bread is made from wheat4 ,it is right to enforce the principle rather than the action1 because a good principle is sure of producing good actions4 ,seeming goodness is not better than religion2 precept is not better than principle4--,a4 ,w4 ,hare4 ,vers4 #ba-bc4 ,asceticism-- ,i4 ,multiplies unnecessary restriction4 ,,ii4 ,is a species of self-worship4 ,,iii4 ,is unjust to the body4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,seek those things that are above4--,our ,lord says that as ,he was from above1 so ,his disbelieving hearers were from beneath1 which ,he interprets as of this world 7,john viii4 #bc1 #bd74 ,the apostle in like manner in the next verse opposes the things above to things on earth4 ,ver4 #c4 ,your life is hid with ,christ in ,god4--,you are much more likely to have it kept pure by having it in ,christ than by setting round it a hedge of ,thou shalt and ,thou shalt not4 ,ver4 #e4 ,mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth4--,quite so6 the heretic teacher might say2 this is just what we ourselves advise4 ,yes1 rejoins the apostle2 but let us know what it is we are to slaughter4 ,it is no hewing and hacking of the body1 but what is as much more difficult as it is noble--the excision or eradication of evil thoughts 7,matt4 xv4 #ai1 #bj74 ,inordinate affection1 evil concupiscence4--,r4,v4 passion1 evil desire4 ,the former of these seems to indicate the corrupt conditions from which the latter springs4 ,covetousness1 which is idolatry4--,covetousness1 or having more4 ,there is many a man1 beside the clown in ,twelfth ,night1 who says1 ,i would not have you to think my desire of having is the sin of covetousness4 ,the full drag can afford to sacrifice 7,hab4 i4 #af74 ,ver4 #h4 ,anger1 wrath4--,the former is the smouldering fire1 the latter the fierce out-leaping flame4 ,malice1 blasphemy4--,the former is the vicious disposition1 the latter the manifestation of it in speech that is meant to inflict injury4 ,filthy communication--,one word in the original2 ,r4,v4 gives it as shameful speaking4 ,the word does not occur again in the ,new ,testament4 ,it means scurrilous or obscene speech4 ,a glimpse of ,eastern life helps us to understand the frequent injunctions as to restraint of the tongue in the ,new ,testament4 ,dr4 ,norman ,macleod says3 ,in vehemence of gesticulation1 in genuine power of lip and lung to fill the air with a roar of incomprehensible exclamations1 nothing on earth1 so long as the body retains its present arrangement of muscles and nervous vitality1 can surpass the ,egyptians and their language4 ,but the same thing is witnessed of other ,eastern tongues4 ,ver4 #i4 ,lie not one to another4--,very elementary teaching1 we should be inclined to say4 ,whether there was any special tendency to this vice in the ,colossian converts we cannot know4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,bowels of mercies4--,r4,v4 a heart of compassion4 ,a case of concrete for abstract4 ,the physical effect of pity lies at the bottom of the phrase4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,forbearing one another1 and forgiving one another4--,literally it would be1 ,bearing with one another1 and dealing graciously with yourselves2 for not only the verbs but the pronouns also change with a delicate shade of meaning4 ,forbearance1 like a peace-making angel1 passes to and fro between the incensed parties4 ,even as ,christ forgave you1 so also do ye4--,the pattern of all graciousness is ,christ4 ,see ,his parable 7,matt4 xviii4 #cc74 ,ver4 #ad4 ,above all these things put on charity4--,reminding us of the exalted place which the queenly virtue holds in ,st4 ,paul's triad4 ,as the outermost dress of an ,oriental was perhaps that which was most serviceable1 so whatever else is put on1 above everything love must be remembered4 ,which is the bond of perfectness4--,that in which all the virtues are so bound together that perfection is the result and not one of them is wanting to that perfection 7,grimm74 ,ver4 #ae4 ,and let the peace of ,god rule in your hearts4--,r4,v4 margin1 arbitrate4 ,we met the verb for rule in ch4 ii4 #ah1 but with a prefix against4 ,let the peace of ,god be umpire1 says the apostle1 in every case of uncertainty and hesitation4 ,he who slept on ,galilee's stormy waters had but to say1 ,peace6 ,be still6 and there was a great calm4 ,he said1 ,my peace ,i leave with you2 and reckless of consequences the men who received it amazed the authorities by the boldness of their question1 ,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye 7,acts iv4 #ai74 ,ver4 #af4 ,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly4--,the word for dwell in is the same which assures the believer of an indwelling power which shall quicken the mortal body1 and which describes the ,divine act of grace4 ,i will dwell in them4 ,in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs4--,see on ,eph4 v4 #ah1 #ai4 ,the same composition may be either psalm1 hymn1 or spiritual song4 ,the first may be a technical word1 as in ,luke xxiv4 #dd4 ,it indicates a song accompanied by a stringed instrument4 ,a hymn is a song in praise of some one1 exalting the character and attributes4 ,the third term is the most comprehensive1 and to it1 with good reason1 ,st4 ,paul prefixes spiritual4 ,bacchanalian songs were common enough about ,coloss with their noisy1 unhallowed mirth4 ,st4 ,paul1 like ,st4 ,james1 would not object to his readers being merry if the spiritual joys-- ,from out their hearts arise ,and speak and sparkle in their eyes ,and vibrate on their tongues4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,as it is fit in the ,lord4--,see ,eph4 v4 #bb4 ,the feeling of propriety ,st4 ,paul emphasises here and limits it in the ,lord4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,be not bitter against them4--,as love in its most degraded form might alternate with paroxysms of anger1 ,st4 ,paul uses the nobler word for ,christian love which casts out hatred as well as fear4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,for this is well-pleasing4--,eph4 vi4 #a3 ,this is right4 ,what in ,ephesians is regarded as an equitable due from child to parent is here looked at in another light4 ,the best commentary is ,luke ii4 #ea1 #eb4 ,the child ,jesus was subject to his parents and increased in favour with ,god4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,fathers1 provoke not your children4--,the word for provoke is not the same as in ,eph4 vi4 #d4 ,there the word is do not exasperate4 ,here it is do not irritate4 ,the difficulty of discriminating between them may perhaps show how near the original words are in meaning4 ,irritation is the first consequence of being too exacting with children1 and irritation leads to moroseness 7,lightfoot74 ,lest they be discouraged4--,broken-spirited4 ,it is a sad sight to see a man for whom the stress of life has been too much1 but to see a child cowed and dejected--the world has no sadder spectacle4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,whatsoever ye do1 do it heartily4--,eph4 vi4 #g1 ,with good will doing service4 ,r4,v4 gives the distinction which is obliterated by do1 do of ,a4,v4 ,whatsoever ye do1 work heartily 7margin1 from the soul74 ,ver4 #be4 ,he that doeth wrong4--,the participle of the original points to the habitual practice of wrong-doing4 ,there is no respect of persons4--,in the ,ephesian letter this consideration is urged upon the masters as it is here upon the slaves4 ,both are amenable to the same authority4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,the ,higher ,aspirations of the ,soul4 ,you have seen the clouds gather in the sky and settle on the hills4 ,the thunder mutters1 the rain falls1 and the scene is one of storm1 confusion1 and darkness4 ,suddenly the whole aspect of the heavens is changed4 ,a blaze of light springs up among the hills2 the storm ceases2 the gloom is swept away2 and the outlook is one of tranquillity1 of triumph1 and of splendour4 ,similar to this is the striking change between the close of the last chapter of this epistle and the beginning of the present one4 ,the grave warnings against the sombre errors of a false philosophy1 and the supposed meritorious torturings of the body1 which occupy a considerable part of the second chapter1 give place in the opening of the third chapter to a luminous and inspiring picture of the glorious privileges and lofty destiny of the believing soul4 ,these verses teach that1 being raised by ,christ into newness of life1 the soul should aspire to the attainment of the highest blessings4 ,i4 ,the distinguished relation in which the believing soul stands to ,christ4--,risen with ,christ 7ver4 #a74 #a4 ,this relation implies the living union of the soul with ,christ4--,the apostle had spoken of the soul as dying with ,christ1 as buried with ,him1 as quickened with ,him2 and now he advances another step1 and declares that it is also raised with ,him4 ,the union between the believer and ,christ was so complete that he participates with ,christ in all ,he has done4 ,therefore we are buried with ,him by baptism into death2 that like as ,christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the ,father1 even so we also should walk in newness of life 7,rom4 vi4 #d74 ,as the dead body of the man cast into the sepulchre of ,elisha revived and stood up the moment it touched the bones of the prophet 7#b ,kings xiii4 #ba71 so the soul1 dead in trespasses and sins1 is quickened by believing contact with ,christ1 and rises into a higher and more glorious life4 #b4 ,this relation indicates the nature and tendencies of the soul4--,risen with ,christ3 4 4 4 set your affections on things above1 not on things on the earth 7vers4 #a1 #b74 ,the change involved in union with ,christ affects man's whole nature4 ,it affects not only his practical conduct1 but also his intellectual conceptions4 ,he is translated from earth to heaven2 and with this translation his point of view is altered1 his standard of judgment wholly changed4 ,his aspirations spurn the earthly and transitory1 and soar towards the heavenly and eternal4 ,the flies that sport upon the summer stream1 while they plunge their bodies in the water1 are careful not to wet their wings1 so that they may fly again into the sunny air4 ,so1 while we are necessarily immersed in things on the earth1 we should take heed that the wings of our soul are not so clogged as to retard our flight to heaven4 ,,ii4 ,the sublime objects of the soul's higher aspirations4--,things above4 7ver4 #b74 #a4 ,christ is above4--,where ,christ sitteth on the right hand of ,god 7ver4 #a74 ,this indicates that ,christ is exalted to the highest dignity4 ,he is above all angelic powers1 whatever their position or rank4 ,the right hand of ,god also indicates the right hand of power4 ,thence ,christ wields all the authority and power of universal government4 ,him hath ,god exalted to be a ,prince and a ,saviour4 ,he reigns on high in order to carry out to a glorious consummation the work ,he accomplished on the cross4 ,to ,him all hearts turn for love and blessedness1 as the flowers turn to the sun4 ,the rudiments of the world have no longer any power to satisfy4 ,the soul ascends to heaven1 for where the treasure is there will be the heart also2 and the flow of time is rapidly hurrying us on to the moment when we shall be-- ,caught up to share ,the triumph of our ,lord4 #b4 ,the source of the greatest spiritual blessings is above4--,when ,christ ascended into the heavens ,he received gifts for men2 and from ,his lofty throne ,he delights to distribute those gifts to the needy sons of men4 ,thence we receive pardon1 the conscious favour of ,god1 holiness of character1 comfort in every time of distress1 and hope to light the pathway of the future4 ,of all the blessings laid up for us above1 the highest and the best is that which in itself includes all others--the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,all1 all we want is there4 #c4 ,the heavenly home is above4--,there is the abode of peace and purity2 there temptation has no power1 and suffering and sorrow can never enter2 there the ,saviour reveals ,his glories and diffuses the joy of ,his radiant presence2 there all the members of the ,father's family assemble from every part of the globe1 never more to separate4 ,the soul1 burdened with the cares of life1 and troubled with multiplied disappointments1 yearns for the rest of the heavenly home4 ,the things on the earth can never satisfy the wants of the soul2 they are unsuited to it2 they are beneath it2 and1 liberated from their trammels by the resurrection power of the ,christ1 it seeks its true happiness above the stars4 ,,iii4 ,the paramount duty of the soul to aspire to the highest good4--,seek1 set your affections on things above 7ver4 #a74 ,a similar expression repeated for the emphasis4 ,you are not only to seek heaven1 but also to think heaven4 ,the understanding must be engaged in duly estimating the value of heavenly things1 the will in preferring them above all things earthly1 the affections in embracing them as the objects to be most evidently desired and loved2 in fact1 all the powers of the soul must be constantly exercised in the search4 ,the soul1 raised from the death of sin1 is ever responding to the attractive influence of its risen ,lord4 ,being thus already risen1 every motion of grace is the struggle of the soul for the final consummation--the bird is caged1 but the wings are free to flutter within their prison4 ,the soul is now willing1 cheerfully and faithfully1 to follow the call of duty1 whatever it may entail4 ,oft where she leads1 thy blood must mark thy footsteps2 ,oft where she leads1 thy head must bear the storm1 ,and thy shrunk form endure heat1 cold1 and hunger2 ,but she will guide thee up to noble heights1 ,which he who gains seems native of the sky2 ,while earthly things lie stretched beneath his feet1 ,diminished1 shrunk1 and valueless4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the soul is endowed with vast powers and capable of the highest destiny4 #b4 ,it is sad to witness thousands whose souls rise no higher than the things on the earth4 #c4 ,the soul can realise its highest aspirations only as it is risen with ,christ4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,seeking the ,things ,above4 ,i4 ,contemplate the sublime object--the state of future blessedness of believers4 #a4 ,the perfection of character they exhibit4 #b4 ,the exercises in which they shall be engaged4 #c4 ,the happiness in which they participate4 #d4 ,the friendships they share4 ,,ii4 ,the conduct enjoined upon us4--,seek those things4 #a4 ,implies belief in their existence4 #b4 ,that attention is directed much towards them4 #c4 ,set our attachment upon them4 #d4 ,use diligent and persevering exertions to obtain them4 ,,iii4 ,motives to this conduct4--#a4 ,a regard to consistency4 #b4 ,the reasonableness of the duty4 #c4 ,present advantages4 #d4 ,because they are the scene in which are displayed ,christ's personal presence and glory4 ,risen with ,christ4 ,i4 ,christianity begins where everything else ends3 it begins with death4 ,,ii4 ,after dying to sin we are to begin to live in good earnest4 ,,iii4 ,the ,christian toils1 labours1 and tasks his mind for the glory of ,god and the good of others4 ,,iv4 ,the true ,christian seeks the things which are above4--#a4 ,holiness4 #b4 ,love4 #c4 ,peace4 #d4 ,truth4--,a4 ,w4 ,hare4 ,the ,new ,life4 ,i4 ,there is a great difference between the new life and the old4--#a4 ,in our feelings4 #b4 ,principles4 #c4 ,aims4 #d4 ,methods4 #e4 ,conduct4 #f4 ,thoughts4 #g4 ,company4 #h4 ,influence4 ,,ii4 ,this difference should lead us to think much of heaven and to seek after heavenly things4--#a4 ,to know all we can about heaven4 #b4 ,to prepare all we can for heaven4 #c4 ,to take all we can with us to heaven4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c1 #d4 ,the ,present ,condition and ,future ,glory of ,life in ,christ4 ,the ,christian life has a twofold aspect4 ,outwardly it is shorn of all splendours1 and to the eye of the world appears a life of weakness1 ignominy1 and suffering2 but inwardly it is radiant with ,divine light and pervaded with a heavenly peace4 ,the believer is often as a monarch in the disguise of a beggar4 ,the world knows nothing of the new life of which he has become possessed1 and the new life must know nothing of the world4 ,its aspirations are directed towards higher things4 ,the relish for earthly things is gone4 ,i4 ,that the present condition of the believer's life in ,christ involves a new relation to outward things4--,for ye are dead 7ver4 #c74 ,there was a time when he not only lived in the world1 but to the world and for the world4 ,he was wholly captivated and absorbed in the pursuits and enjoyments of the carnal mind4 ,but now1 while still in the world1 he is dead to its charms and to its ordinances4 ,all the mainsprings of activity are changed4 ,he is risen with ,christ and shares the power of ,his resurrection life4 ,man lives where ,he loves1 and1 having experienced so complete a change1 his affections are now fixed on things above1 and his life is bound up in the love and service of ,christ1 who sitteth on the right hand of ,god4 ,he is dead because he is crucified with ,christ1 and hath put off the old man--the old fleshly nature--with his deeds4 ,this death involves a renunciation of all the ceremonial observances against which the apostle so faithfully warned in the preceding chapter--the ,mosaic ritual1 the vain philosophy1 the angelolatry1 the pride of the fleshly mind1 the traditions and commandments of men1 and all the pernicious doctrines of the false teachers4 ,he is dead to the past and realising the beating of a new life within him1 he enters upon a brighter and loftier career4 ,,ii4 ,that the present condition of the believer's life in ,christ is one of concealment from the outward world4--#a4 ,it is hid4 ,your life is hid 7ver4 #c74 ,all life is hid4 ,its origin is a profound mystery4 ,the botanist fails to discover it as he picks his plant into microscopic atoms4 ,the scalpel of the anatomist has not pierced its dark domain and laid bare its hiding-place4 ,its presence is known only by its effects4 ,so is it with the new life of the soul4 ,it is hid from the world4 ,it has a glory and a power of its own2 but the world is incapable of appreciating either4 ,it is not a life of vulgar display and noisy demonstration4 ,it is gentle1 quiet1 and retiring1 sometimes obscured by a tempest of persecution and suffering4 ,it is sometimes partially hidden to the believer himself when assailed by temptations and oppressed by the weight of heavy chastisements4 ,yet that hidden life is the power that shall shake and transform the world4 #b4 ,it is hid with ,christ4--,your life is hid with ,christ 7ver4 #c74 ,christ ,himself was hidden when on earth4 ,to the undiscerning1 ,he was a root out of a dry ground1 possessing neither form nor comeliness4 ,even now ,christ is hidden to the worldly mind2 and the believer's life is hidden with ,him1 as a river1 concealed for a time in a hidden channel1 flows on beneath and out of sight4 ,this hiding of the believer's life with ,christ indicates 7#a7 ,dependence4 ,it is not hid with the believer himself4 ,he derives it from ,christ1 as the great fontal source of all life2 and on ,him he depends for its constant supply and nourishment4 ,the springs of this life abide when every other channel of supply is dry and its fount exhausted4 ,we must wait on ,christ for daily supplies of living water4 ,it indicates 7#b7 ,security4 ,our life is safer in ,christ's keeping than it could be in our own4 ,man was once entrusted with the gift of a glorious life1 and he lost it4 ,but in the hands of ,christ our life is out of all danger4 ,it is secure amid the conflicts of time1 the subtle temptations of the world1 and the wild rage of demons4 #c4 ,it is hid in the depths of the ,godhead4--,your life is hid with ,christ in ,god 7ver4 #c74 ,a grand but unfathomable truth6 ,it is not lost in the abyss of ,deity1 as the mystic or pantheist would teach2 but it is so hid as to retain its own conscious individuality1 while sharing in the boundless life of ,god4 ,it is a gift from ,god1 bestowed through ,christ the great ,mediator1 created by the power and energy of the ,holy ,ghost2 so that the nature1 manner1 and destiny of the gift are hidden in ,god through the mediation of ,his ,son4 ,god hath given unto us eternal life1 and this life is in ,his ,son4 ,the exercise of faith brings the soul into living union with the glorious ,trinity4 ,,iii4 ,that the believer's life in ,christ will1 in the future1 be manifested in ineffable glory4--#a4 ,there will be a signal manifestation of ,christ in the future4 ,when ,christ1 who is our life1 shall appear 7ver4 #d74 ,christ is now invisible to ,his people and to the world4 ,he withdrew from the scene of ,his suffering ministry1 entered the serene heights of heaven1 and there1 all-potent1 is carrying on ,his high purposes of grace and salvation4 ,but by-and-by--not at the bidding of the impatient prophets1 who dare to fix the ,lord a time1 and1 in their too realistic interpretation of ,his ,word1 consider ,his second coming as the grand and only specific for the world's evils--in ,his own good time1 to the joy of ,his people and the dismay of ,his foes1 ,he will come in overwhelming glory4 #b4 ,the believer will share in the ineffable glory of that manifestation4--,then shall ye also appear with ,him in glory 7ver4 #d74 7#a7 ,this implies public recognition4 ,the believer1 obscure and despised on earth1 is acknowledged before the universe as related to ,christ by the dearest ties and as deriving his life from ,him4 ,all the ends of secrecy are answered4 ,the hidden is revealed4 ,the baffled1 persecuted1 unappreciated1 afflicted people of ,god are for ever vindicated4 7#b7 ,this also implies a personal participation in the splendour of ,christ's triumph and in the bliss of ,his character4 ,with ,him in glory4 ,glory is a comprehensive term1 and not easily defined4 ,but whether we regard it as expressive of external and visible splendour1 or as describing a condition of unutterable and endless felicity1 in either sense1 or both1 the believer shares it with his exultant ,lord4 ,rapture of raptures6 to see ,jesus1 to be with ,him1 and to live in the sunshine of ,his smile for ever6 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the believer's life in ,christ is a hidden1 but a real life4 #b4 ,bear patiently the trials of the present life4 #c4 ,the glory of the believer's future life will more than recompense him for the troubles of the present4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #c4 ,death and ,life with ,christ4 ,i4 ,ye are dead4--#a4 ,in your original state of unconcern and unbelief ye are dead4 #b4 ,by the ,holy ,ghost you are made to recognise this death as real and to acquiesce in it as just4 #c4 ,you continue to be thus dead with ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,your life is hid with ,christ4--#a4 ,as partakers of ,his right to live4 #b4 ,in respect of the new spirit of your life4 #c4 ,your life being with ,christ must be where ,he is4 ,in ,god as its source1 its centre1 its pattern4 #d4 ,this life with ,christ is hid4 ,for security2 in its intimacy2 as separated from the world2 is not to be always hidden 7ver4 #d74--,r4 ,s4 ,candlish4 ,ver4 #d4 ,christ our ,life4 ,i4 ,the vital principle recognised4--,christ who is our life4 #a4 ,the life is spiritual in its nature4 #b4 ,eternal in its duration4 ,,ii4 ,the splendid spectacle predicted4--,christ shall appear4 #a4 ,the manner4--,in the glory of ,his ,father1 with ,his angels4 #b4 ,the purpose4--,to judge the quick and the dead4 ,,iii4 ,the glorious hope awakened4--,then shall ye appear with ,him in glory4 #a4 ,the great hope of the ,christian life is that one day we shall be with ,christ4 #b4 ,that we shall participate in ,christ's glory4 #c4 ,these words are full of comfort to those drawing near to death4--,j4 ,t4 ,woodhouse4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-i4 ,mortification of the ,sinful ,principle in ,man4 ,practice follows doctrine4 ,the genuineness of a precept is tested by its adaptability to the practical working out of life's problem4 ,the apostle has laid down his doctrine clearly and emphatically1 and now he proceeds to enforce the use of the best methods for securing the highest degree of personal holiness4 ,these methods are in perfect harmony with the exalted experience into which the believer is introduced when he is risen with ,christ and participates in that glorious life which is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,i4 ,that the sinful principle in man has an active outward development4--#a4 ,it is mundane in its tendencies4 ,your members which are upon the earth 7ver4 #e74 ,it is earthly1 sensual1 depraved4 ,it teaches the soul to grovel when it ought to soar4 ,it is in sympathy with the whole mass of earthly things--riches1 honour1 pleasure1 fame--which stand opposed to the higher aspirations of the soul1 whose affection is fixed on things above4 #b4 ,it is manifested in acts of gross sensuality4--,fornication1 uncleanness1 inordinate affection1 evil concupiscence 7ver4 #e74 ,a revolting catalogue1 a loathsome index to the festering mass of corruption within6 ,a rake's progress has been portrayed by the genius of a ,hogarth2 but where is the pencil that can delineate the dark progress of evil8 ,for there is an order observed in its abhorrent development4 ,the mischief begins in evil concupiscence2 yielding to the first unholy impulse1 it goes on to lustful and inordinate affection2 proceeds to uncleanness--pollutions which follow on the two preceding vices2 and ends in fornication1 both in its ordinary meaning and in that of adultery4 ,possibly the apostle had reference to the rites of ,bacchus and ,cybele1 which were wont to be celebrated with many peculiar impurities in ,phrygia1 of which ,coloss1 ,laodicea1 and ,hierapolis were cities1 and which so deeply depraved the morals of the people4 ,the outgoings of evil are not less rampant and shocking in modern times4 ,evil is the same in principle everywhere4 #c4 ,it is recognised by a debasing idolatry4--,and covetousness1 which is idolatry 7ver4 #e74 ,covetousness is a sin that comes the earliest into the human heart and is the last and most difficult to be driven out4 ,it is an insatiable lust after material possessions--the greed of getting more for the sake of more1 till often the brain is turned and the heart withered4 ,the apostle brands it with the significant term idolatry4 ,with the covetous man his idol is his gold1 which1 in his eyes1 answereth all things2 his soul is the shrine where the idol is set up2 and the worship which he owes to ,god is transferred to mammon4 ,avarice is the seed of the most hateful and outrageous vices4 ,the exhortation to mortify the flesh is pressed home by reminding them of the certainty of the ,divine wrath which would overtake the contumacious and disobedient4 ,,ii4 ,that the active outgoings of the sinful principle in man call for the infliction of ,divine vengeance4--,the wrath of ,god is not a malignant1 unreasoning passion1 like that with which we are familiar among men4 ,nor is it a strong figure of speech1 into which the maudlin philosophers of the day would fain resolve it4 ,it is an awful reality4 ,it is not merely a thing of the past1 to the terrible havoc of which history bears faithful and suggestive testimony4 ,it is the wrath to come and will be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men4 ,it is not inconsistent with infinite love1 but is an impressive form in which the ,divine righteousness expresses itself against all disobedient and impenitent workers of iniquity4 ,,iii4 ,that the indulgence of the sinful principle in man is inconsistent with the new life he has in ,christ4--,there was a time when the sins here enumerated formed the atmosphere in which the ,colossians lived1 moved1 and breathed2 they represented the condition of their life and the character of their practice2 they lived and walked in sin4 ,but that time was past4 ,a great change had taken place4 ,they were surrounded by a purer atmosphere2 they lived in another world2 they aspired to a nobler destiny4 ,to return to the vices and idolatries of their former life was utterly inconsistent with their exalted character2 it was unworthy of the high and holy vocation wherewith they were called4 ,it is salutary to be reminded now and then of our former life of sin4 ,it magnifies the grace of ,god in the great change ,he has wrought4 ,it warns against the danger of being drawn into old habits and associations4 ,it stimulates the heavenward tendencies of the new life4 ,,iv4 ,that the sinful principle in man is the source of the most malignant passions4--,the former classification embraced sins which related more especially to self2 this includes sins which have a bearing upon others4 #a4 ,there are sins of the heart and temper4--,anger1 wrath1 malice 7ver4 #h74 ,there is an anger which is a righteous indignation against wrong1 and which is so far justifiable and sinless4 ,it is the anger without cause or beyond cause1 and which degenerates into a bitter feeling of revenge1 that is here condemned4 ,wrath is the fierce ebullition of anger1 expressed with ungovernable passion2 and is at all times unseemly and unlawful4 ,malice is anger long cherished1 until it becomes a settled habit of mind4 ,it involves hatred1 secret envy1 desire of revenge and retaliation1 and universal ill-will towards others4 ,it is altogether a diabolical passion4 ,if anger exceeds its bounds1 it becomes wrath2 if wrath lies brooding in the bosom1 it degenerates into malice4 #b4 ,there are sins of the tongue4--,blasphemy1 filthy communication out of your mouth4 ,lie not one to another 7vers4 #h1 #i74 ,blasphemy in a lower sense includes all calumny1 evil-speaking1 railing1 slandering1 scoffing1 ridiculing--all vile insinuations1 whether against ,god or man4 ,filthy communication refers to all foul-mouthed abuse1 indelicate illusions1 details of vicious scenes1 and whatever hurts the feelings and shocks the sense of propriety rather than injures the character4 ,lying is also here condemned4 ,wherever this vice prevails society is rotten to the core4 ,the almost total want of truthfulness is one of the saddest features of the moral condition of heathendom4 ,lying basely violates the gift of speech1 saps the foundation of human intercourse1 and overturns the first principles of morals4 ,that which is spoken in ignorance1 though untrue1 is not a lie2 but to equivocate1 to speak so as to lead another to a false conclusion1 is to lie as really as if the speaker deliberately stated what he knew was a falsehood4 ,all these sins are directly opposed to that ingenuous sincerity which is the leading characteristic of the new life in ,christ4 ,v4 ,that the sinful principle in man1 and all its outgoings1 must be wholly renounced and resolutely mortified4--,but now ye also put off all these 7ver4 #h74 ,mortify1 therefore1 your members 7ver4 #e74 ,there is much force in the word therefore4 ,since ye are dead with ,christ and are risen with ,him1 since ye possess a glorious life hid with ,christ in ,god1 therefore mortify--put to death the members of your earthly and corrupt nature1 and encourage the expansion of that pure1 beauteous1 and exalted life which ye have received through the faith of the operation of ,god4 ,not that we are to kill or mutilate the members of the body that have been the instruments of sin1 but to crucify the interior vices of the mind and will4 ,it is wholly a moral process2 the incipient inclination to sin must be restrained1 deadened1 crushed4 ,in order to this there must be the total renunciation of all sin4 ,but now ye also put off all these4 ,the verb is imperative and the exhortation emphatic4 ,there must be not only an abstinence from open vice--heathen morality insists on as much as this--but there must be the putting away of every secret evil passion--removing it out of sight as we would remove a dead body to burial4 ,as the prince casts off the coarse garment in which he has been disguised and stands forth in an apparel befitting his rank and dignity1 so the believer is to divest himself of the unsightly and filthy garment of the old man and allow the new man to appear adorned with heavenly magnificence and bright with the inextinguishable lustre of a ,divine spiritual life4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the sinful principle in man is a great power4 #b4 ,the new spiritual life in the believer is in ceaseless antagonism with the old4 #c4 ,the constant duty of the believer is to subdue and destroy the sinful principle4 #d4 ,in fulfilling this duty all the powers of good are on his side4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #e4 ,covetousness1 which is ,idolatry4 ,i4 ,in its essence4--,it is putting the creature in the place of the ,creator1 and giving it the worship due to ,god alone4 ,,ii4 ,in its practice4--,body and soul are consecrated to the service of mammon4 ,,iii4 ,in its punishment4--,idolatry is a sin peculiarly obnoxious to ,god--is not merely the breach of ,his law1 but treason against ,his government4 ,god deprives the covetous of his idol at last1 and sends him treasureless into the unseen world1 wrecked and ruined1 to endure the wrath to come4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,ver4 #f4 ,the ,wrath of ,god4-- ,i4 ,a reality to be dreaded4 ,,ii4 ,is roused by the workings of iniquity4 ,,iii4 ,will overtake the disobedient4 ,vers4 #g-i4 ,the ,new ,life-- ,i4 ,must break thoroughly away from the old life of sin4 ,,ii4 ,is evident in temper and speech4 ,,iii4 ,is the interpretation of all that is pure and true4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-aa4 ,the ,new ,spiritual ,nature4 ,in the primitive ,church it was customary for the new converts1 after putting aside their heathenish vestments1 to array themselves in white garments1 that they might indicate1 in the most public manner1 the great change which had taken place4 ,it was perhaps in allusion to this custom that the apostle bases his exhortation4 ,a courtier would not dare to insult his sovereign by appearing before him in squalid and tattered garments but would be specially studious to attire himself in a dress every way suited to his rank and character4 ,so1 the believer would not dishonour ,god and disgrace the religion he has embraced by exhibiting the vices and passions that characterised his former unrenewed state but is the more solicitous to magnify the grace of ,god in a life of outward consistency and purity4 ,in the former verses the writer has insisted on sanctification in its negative aspect--the mortification of sin1 the putting off the old man4 ,in these words1 he deals with sanctification on its positive side1 and shows that it is the putting on the new spiritual nature1 in which the believer is ever advancing to a higher knowledge4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that the possession of the new spiritual nature implies a complete change of the whole man4--,seeing that ye have put off the old man1 with his deeds1 and have put on the new man 7vers4 #i1 #aj74 ,the believer has a twofold moral personality4 ,there is in him the old man--the sinful principle2 and there is in him also the new--the ,god-like1 spiritual nature4 ,whatever we bring with us from the womb of our mother is the old man2 whatever we receive by the grace of the ,holy ,spirit is the new4 ,in the great spiritual transformation experienced by every believer there is a twofold and coincident operation--the putting off of the old and the putting on of the new2 there is an act of renunciation and unclothing and an act of reception and investment4 ,this change is complete2 it pervades the whole man1 ruling every power1 fashioning the character1 and inspiring the entire life4 ,this change is ,divine in its origin and outworking4 ,man has no power of himself to effect the renewal of his nature4 ,it is not of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god4 ,it is the triumph of ,divine grace1 and to ,god only all praise is due4 ,,ii4 ,that the new spiritual nature is ever advancing to a higher knowledge4--,which is renewed in knowledge 7ver4 #aj71 which is ever being renewed unto perfect knowledge 7,lightfoot74 ,the present tense is used1 and it is indicated that the new spiritual nature does not reach perfection at once but is in a state of growth and development4 ,the realisation of the new life in man is bounded by the amount and character of the knowledge he possesses1 and by the clearness and tenacity with which that knowledge is apprehended and maintained4 ,the experience may be below the actual knowledge possessed but cannot be beyond it4 ,whatever degree of holiness the soul attains1 it is still susceptible of advancement4 ,the process of renewal is continually going on1 as the statue grows1 under the chisel of the sculptor1 into a more perfect form of beauty4 ,the knowledge referred to is the true knowledge of ,christ as opposed to the false knowledge of the heretical teachers4 ,the process of renewal increases the capacity of the believing soul to appreciate the knowledge of ,divine and heavenly realities1 and the increase in the knowledge of the highest things reacts advantageously on the renewed nature4 ,the higher we ascend in the knowledge of ,god1 the more like ,him do we become4 ,,iii4 ,that the new spiritual nature is refashioned after the most perfect model4--,after the image of ,him that created him 7ver4 #aj74 ,man was originally created in the image of ,god1 that image consisting in a moral resemblance--in righteousness and true holiness4 ,christ is ,himself the image of the invisible ,god1 and conformity to ,him is the pattern of our renewal1 the all-perfect standard towards which we are continually to approximate4 ,the moral image which we lost in the fall of the first ,adam is more than regained in the second ,adam4 ,redemption places man on a higher platform than he would have occupied if he had remained the moral condition in which he was originally created4 ,it brings him nearer to ,god1 gives him a broader and more sympathetic insight into the ,divine character and purposes1 and makes him more like ,god4 ,in the spiritual region into which the believer in ,christ is transferred all minor distinctions vanish4 ,not only do they not exist1 they cannot exist4 ,it is a region to which they are utterly unsuited and cannot therefore be recognised4 ,,iv4 ,that the new spiritual nature is superior to all earthly distinctions4--#a4 ,it is superior to all national distinctions4 ,where there is neither ,greek nor ,jew 7ver4 #aa74 ,to the ,jew the whole world was divided into two classes3 ,jews and ,gentiles--the privileged and unprivileged portions of mankind2 religious prerogative being taken as the line of demarcation4 ,but such a narrow distinction is antagonistic to the broad and generous spirit of the ,gospel4 ,let a man be but renewed in ,christ ,jesus1 and it inquires not as to what country he belongs4 #b4 ,it is superior to all ritualistic distinctions4--,circumcision nor uncircumcision 7ver4 #aa74 ,it matters not whether a man is born in a ,christian country and brought up in the midst of the greatest ecclesiastical privileges1 or whether he is cradled in the darkest paganism2 in either case a change of heart is absolutely necessary4 ,no branch of the universal ,church can claim the exclusive right of admitting souls into heaven2 and it is intolerable impertinence to insist upon the necessity of ceremonial observances in order to salvation--as was the case with the false teachers of ,coloss1 and as is the case with the pretentious ritualism of the day4 ,in ,christ ,jesus neither circumcision availeth anything1 nor uncircumcision1 but a new creature4 #c4 ,it is superior to all political distinctions4--,barbarian1 ,scythian 7ver4 #aa74 ,like the ,jews1 the ,greeks divided mankind into two classes--,greeks and barbarians--civilisation and culture being now the criterion of distinction4 ,the ,scythian was the lowest type of barbarian4 ,christianity acknowledges no such distinction4 ,whether gathered from the most refined or most barbarous nation1 all are one in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the ,gospel has broken down the narrow and arbitrary classification of the race1 maintained the right of all nations of the world to be classed as one genus1 and replaced the barbarian by the more humane and unifying title of brother4 ,max ,mller writes3 ,humanity is a word which you look for in vain in ,plato or ,aristotle2 the idea of mankind as one family1 as the children of one ,god1 is an idea of ,christian growth2 and the science of mankind1 and of the languages of mankind1 is a science which1 without ,christianity1 would never have sprung into life4 #d4 ,it is superior to all social distinctions4--,bond nor free 7ver4 #aa74 ,the diversities of condition which divide men in the present world are unknown in the sphere of this spiritual renewal4 ,the grace which changed the heart of ,philemon the master also renewed the soul of ,onesimus1 his slave2 and often the bondman is the first to enter into the liberty of the children of ,god4 ,here the rich and poor1 the nobility and peasantry1 meet together1 and form one common brotherhood4 ,v4 ,that the new spiritual nature recognises ,christ as everything4--,but ,christ is all1 and in all 7ver4 #aa74 ,all belongs to ,him2 ,he originated and sustains all1 and ,he is in all4 ,he is everything to the believer--the ,source and ,centre of his life1 the ,ideal after which he continually aspires1 the ,possession by which he will be enriched for ever4 ,the believer is a living1 speaking1 active expression of the ,christ within him4 ,christ1 without the exclusion of any nation or sect1 unites all2 and so1 through ,his indwelling in all1 is ,himself all4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ is the ,author1 ,pattern1 and ,end of the new spiritual nature4 #b4 ,to put on the new spiritual nature it is essential to believe in ,christ4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i-aa4 ,religion a ,change of ,life4 ,i4 ,evident by putting off the old nature and its sins 7ver4 #i74 ,,ii4 ,by putting on a new nature renewed after the ,divine likeness 7ver4 #aj74 ,,iii4 ,superior to all conventional distinctions 7ver4 #aa74 ,,iv4 ,in which ,christ is everything 7ver4 #aa74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,christ ,all and in ,all4 ,i4 ,christ is all and in all in the realm of creation4--,the vast fabric of created things sprang into being at ,his word4 ,out of nothing ,he created all that is4 ,the distance between being and no-being is so great that nothing short of infinite power can cause that to be which never before existed4 ,the heavens are the firmament of ,his power4 ,he made the stars1 kindled their brilliant fires1 fixed their rank1 regulated their motions1 and appointed their mission4 ,he formed the earth1 robed it in vestments of ever-changing beauty1 and endowed it with unfailing productiveness4 ,he fashioned man after the model of ,his own illustrious image1 freighted him with faculties of wondrous compass1 indicated the possibilities of his career1 and the character of his destiny4 ,christ is the grand centre of the magnificent systems by which ,he is encircled1 and which ,he has grouped around ,himself by the exercise of ,his creative hand4 ,on ,him their continued existence every moment hangs4 ,,ii4 ,christ is all and in all in the sphere of providence4--,he sustains and governs all4 ,close as population follows on the heels of production1 food never fails for man and beast4 ,study the sublime epic on the ,divine preservation furnished by ,psalm civ4 and consider how the history of human experience in all ages confirms the truth4 ,christ controls all the forces of nature4 ,the sweep of the heavenly bodies1 the surge and re-surge of the tide1 the eccentric course and velocity of the wind1 the departure and return of the light1 the roll of the dreaded thunder1 the recurrent phases of the seasons1 all are obedient to ,his nod4 ,he is predominant among the spiritual agencies of the universe4 ,he restricts the power of the great enemy of man4 ,he restrains the power of evil4 ,he governs the complicated passions of human hearts and makes even the wrath of men to praise ,him4 ,he guards1 guides1 and delivers ,his ,church4 ,the greatness of ,his providential power is seen in ,his accomplishing the mightiest results by insignificant instrumentalities4 ,he is conducting all things to a glorious consummation4 ,,iii4 ,christ is all and in all in the work of redemption4--,he suffered to the death on behalf of the sinning race4 ,he was a voluntary victim4 ,he was unique in ,his person--comprising in ,himself the ,divine and human natures4 ,as man1 ,he met all the necessities of sinful and condemned humanity2 as ,god1 ,he answered all the requirements of the ,divine righteousness4 ,while the greatest modern philosophers are puzzling their minds with an endless variety of methods for recovering man from his lapsed condition1 we behold the problem solved in the life1 sufferings1 and death of ,christ4 ,that was a method of redemption that would never have occurred to a finite mind2 and it is now beyond the range of the greatest human intellect to fathom4 ,christ1 and ,christ alone1 could redeem4 ,in that sphere ,he is all in all1 or ,he is nothing4 ,his work of redemption is an entrancing expression of the tenderest1 deepest1 most mysterious love4 ,,iv4 ,christ is all and in all in the kingdom of glory4--,he is the ,head of all principalities and powers in the heavenly places4 ,they depend on ,him for life and purity1 they obey ,his slightest word1 they adore ,his infinite majesty1 they delight in ,his hallowed fellowship4 ,christ is also ,head over all things to the ,church1 which is ,his body2 the fulness of ,him that filleth all in all4 ,he is the central attraction and source of bliss in the realm of glory4 ,the redeemed cast their crowns before ,him and chant ,his praise in ceaseless anthems4 ,if ,christ were absent1 heaven would lose its greatest charm4 ,i love to think of heaven2 its cloudless light1 ,its tearless joys1 its recognitions and its fellowships ,of love and joy unending2 but when my mind anticipates ,the sight of ,god incarnate1 wearing on ,his hands1 ,and feet1 and side1 marks of the wounds ,which ,he1 for me1 on ,calvary endured1 ,all heaven beside is swallowed up in this2 ,and ,he who was my hope of heaven below1 ,becomes the glory of my heaven above4 ,v4 ,christ is all and in all to the believing soul4--,he appears as the great ,emancipator2 ,he delivers from the power of darkness1 and translates the benighted but groping soul into the kingdom of light4 ,he gives rest to the weary and heavy laden4 ,he comforts the mourner4 ,he defends and succours the tempted4 ,he is the refuge in every time of distress4 ,all the wants of the soul are anticipated and abundantly supplied4 ,he will conduct safely through all the changeful scenes of this life2 and finally invest the soul with the imperishable splendours of an endless future4 ,christ is the great necessity and the all-satisfying portion of the soul4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christ is supreme in all spheres4 #b4 ,christ is the great need of the human soul4 #c4 ,faith in ,christ brings the soul into a personal participation in the ,divine fulness4 ,christ is ,all and in ,all4 ,i4 ,the essential glories of ,christ4--,he possesses all things4 ,,ii4 ,christ has purchased all blessings for us4--,all temporal and all spiritual blessings4 ,,iii4 ,all blessings are treasured up in ,christ for the eternal use of ,his ,church4 ,,iv4 ,he will keep ,his family in the possession of all good for ever4--,w4 ,howels4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab1 #ac4 ,essentials of the ,christian ,character4 ,in the cultivation of a rare and valuable plant care must be taken to rid it of everything that would retard its growth1 and to supply it with whatever aids it in reaching the highest possibility of shapeliness and beauty4 ,not only must it be severely pruned and divested of every noxious weed and destructive parasite1 but it must be diligently tended1 and liberally provided with air1 light1 and moisture4 ,so is it in the training of the ,christian character4 ,it is not enough that the old man--the sinful principle--is suppressed1 mortified1 deadened2 all the graces of the new man--the new spiritual nature--must be assumed and sedulously cultivated4 ,religion is not a dry1 sapless1 dead negation1 but a grand positive reality--an active1 ever-growing life1 pushing its way through every channel of man's nature1 and fashioning his character after the loftiest pattern of moral loveliness and purity4 ,the change the ,colossians had experienced furnished the most forcible reason why they should advance in spiritual development4 ,having risen with ,christ1 and having put off the old man1 with his deeds1 there is an unmistakable emphasis in the exhortation--,put on1 therefore1 the characteristics of the new man4 ,i4 ,that the ,christian character is distinguished by a special designation4--,the elect of ,god1 holy and beloved 7ver4 #ab74 #a4 ,distinguished as the object of the ,divine choice4--,the elect of ,god--chosen by ,him1 as an act of undeserved1 unmerited mercy1 to the knowledge of ,himself and ,his glorious salvation2 called out of darkness and translated into the kingdom of ,his dear ,son4 ,this election is a condition of exalted privilege to which all rise who accept the message of ,god's mercy through ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,distinguished by personal purity4--,holy4 ,here is the evidence and practical result of the ,divine election4 ,chosen in ,christ before the foundation of the world1 that they should be holy and without blame before ,him in love 7,eph4 i4 #d74 ,the people of ,god are called to be holy--consecrated to ,his service2 set apart from a common and wholly devoted to a sacred purpose4 ,holiness is the habitual condition1 aim1 delight1 and employment of the ,christian's life4 #c4 ,distinguished by the ,divine affection4--,beloved4 ,the believer is the object of ,god's special love1 of the favour which ,he beareth unto ,his people4 ,behold1 what manner of love the ,father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of ,god4 ,the epithets here used have each the force of a motive4 ,since the believer is elect1 holy1 beloved1 let him act in harmony with his exalted character and calling4 ,lavater has said1 ,the more honesty a man has1 the less he affects the air of a saint4 ,,ii4 ,that the ,christian character is distinguished by a heartfelt sympathy4--#a4 ,this sympathy arises from a spirit of tender mercy4 ,bowels of mercies 7ver4 #ab7--;a phrase which expresses the effect on the body of strong emotions of pity4 ,it was said of ,joseph that his bowels did yearn over his brethren1 and he sought where to weep4 ,the miseries of our fellow-creatures1 especially of those who are in a worse condition than ourselves1 call for our compassion and help2 and a genuine pity is not only visible in the countenance and uttered by the lips1 but felt in the inmost heart1 and prompts to generous actions4 #b4 ,this sympathy arises from a spirit of kindness4--,kindness refers to the temper we should show towards those we meet in the daily intercourse of life who are on an equality with ourselves4 ,the ,christian should be amiable1 courteous1 kind in speech and action1 eager to relieve others according to his means--the farthest remove from a crabbed1 sullen1 churlish disposition4 ,a hard1 cold1 selfish1 unfeeling heart is a characteristic of fallen1 unrenewed man2 bowels of mercies and kindness of the renewed one4 ,,iii4 ,that the ,christian character is distinguished by a genuine humility4--,humbleness of mind 7ver4 #ab74 ,these words describe the estimate that is to be formed of self4 ,the believer is taught not to overrate nor unduly to depreciate himself4 ,he is governed by the apostolic rule1 ,let each esteem other better than themselves4 ,the more exalted his views of ,god1 and the more he remembers his own unworthiness1 weakness1 ignorance1 and sin1 the more softly and lowly does he seek to walk4 ,as in the garden that branch hangs down the lowest which is most heavily laden with fruit1 so in the ,church the ripest saints are those who walk humbly with ,god4 ,the humble man is the most susceptible to compassion and genuine in its practical manifestation4 ,the proud man is too full of himself to feel for others2 he is always dissatisfied1 always embroiling in quarrels the family1 the ,church1 the social circle where he resides4 ,the humblest man is the bravest man4 ,he endures with composure the contempt and arrogance of others4 ,,iv4 ,that the ,christian character is distinguished by a gentle and patient spirit4--,meekness1 longsuffering 7ver4 #ab74 #a4 ,the ,christian spirit is gentle4--,meekness4 ,this grace indicates what should be our conduct towards others in their treatment of us4 ,meekness is evidenced in modesty of countenance1 gentleness of manner1 softness of voice1 and mildness of language2 it is opposed to rudeness or harshness4 ,we see it exemplified in the way in which ,gideon pacified the irascible men of ,ephraim 7,judg4 viii4 #b74 ,it is slow to take1 and scorns to give1 offence4 #b4 ,the ,christian spirit is patient4--,longsuffering1 which is meekness continued1 though subjected to the fiercest provocations4 ,it is opposed to resentment1 revenge1 wrath4 ,meekness exercises itself in matters of chagrin1 impertinence1 folly2 longsuffering in those of violent outrage1 affront1 injury4 ,meekness may be required by the mere manner of others towards us2 longsuffering is often necessary by their conduct4 ,there is a difference between enduring long and longsuffering4 ,the genuine grace is accompanied1 not only with patience1 but with joyous activity and watchfulness4 ,it is not like the senseless rock which endures the full force of the storm unmoved and unresponsive1 but like the nimble vessel that1 while it bends to the tempest1 is at the same time diligently speeding on its mission4 ,v4 ,that the ,christian character is distinguished by a practical manifestation of a spirit of mutual forbearance and forgiveness4--#a4 ,mutual forbearance and forgiveness are to be exercised universally4 ,forbearing one another and forgiving one another1 if any man have a quarrel against any 7ver4 #ac74 ,the word quarrel is better rendered complaint4 ,it takes two to make a quarrel1 and of these the ,christian should never be one4 ,whatever occasion of offence may arise1 whatever cause of complaint1 in any man1 under any circumstances1 and however just the complaint may appear1 forbearance is to be exercised2 and even if the forbearance is abused and injury be added1 we must forgive4 ,it is never on one side only that the fault exists4 ,it is one another1 each in his turn1 that gives and receives forbearance4 ,if this were more frequently observed1 how many unseemly discords and mischievous separations would be prevented6 #b4 ,the exercise of forgiveness is enforced by the highest example4--,even as ,christ forgave you1 so also do ye 7ver4 #ac74 ,these words come as an impressive climax1 enforcing the duty of forgiveness by the strongest motive4 ,the more difficult the duty1 the more powerful should be the arguments urging its performance4 ,the example of ,christ is supreme in its authority4 ,what are the injuries committed by others against us compared with the number and enormity of our sins against ,god8 ,yet ,christ forgave us all1 freely1 fully1 unreservedly1 and for ever4 ,the heart that is not moved to forgiveness by such an example is hopelessly incorrigible4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the unity of ,christian character is made up of many separate essential graces4 #b4 ,the condition of things in this world affords ample scope for the exercise of every ,christian grace4 #c4 ,to forgive is at once the most difficult and most ,christ-like4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,christian ,humility4 ,i4 ,the nature of this holy temper4--#a4 ,a humble apprehension of our own knowledge4 ,the imperfection of our faculties1 our fallibility of judgment1 when we compare our knowledge with the attainments of others1 and a persuasion of the small value of the most exalted knowledge without practical influence4 #b4 ,of our own goodness4 #c4 ,of our independence and wants4 #d4 ,of our own rank and station4 ,,ii4 ,the obligations to cultivate a humble temper4--#a4 ,it is mentioned in ,scripture with peculiar marks of distinction and honour4 ,the most distinguished promises are made to it4 ,it is a necessary introduction to other graces and duties4 #b4 ,it is a grace which adorns every other virtue and recommends religion to every beholder4 #c4 ,is recommended to us by the example of the ,author and ,finisher of our faith4 #d4 ,is a grace that will go with us to heaven4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,those destitute of this grace have the rudiments of ,christianity to learn4 #b4 ,we should look principally to the temper of our spirits to judge of our humility4 #c4 ,by it we judge of the improving or declining state of our souls4--,j4 ,evans1 ,d4,d4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,christian ,forgiveness-- ,i4 ,is exercised where there is mutual forbearance4 ,,ii4 ,is the noblest method of ending quarrels4 ,,iii4 ,is a ,christ-like disposition4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,love the ,perfection of the ,christian ,character4 ,love is the commonest and most potent affection of the human heart4 ,it has been the inexhaustible theme of writers in all ages1 in poetry and prose4 ,it has been invested with the bewitching drapery of romance and exhibited as the instrumental cause of the darkest crimes and of the brightest virtues4 ,the world never tires of learning of its adventures1 trials1 and victories4 ,while it is ever commonplace1 it is ever fresh4 ,it is the perennial force in human life--the first to inspire1 the longest to endure1 the last to perish4 ,but ,christian love--love to ,jesus ,christ1 and to all others for ,his sake--is not a native-born affection4 ,it does not spring spontaneously from the human heart4 ,it is a gift from ,god4 ,it is the richest fruit of the new spiritual nature implanted in the believer4 ,it is first to be acquired and then diligently cultivated4 ,the apostle has just described the distinctive garments with which the believer is to be adorned--with a heart of tender compassion1 with humility1 with a gentle1 patient1 and forgiving spirit4 ,but in addition to all this1 and in order to complete the ,christian character1 he is to be clothed in a robe which is to cover every other garment and bind it to its place--a robe whose purity and brightness shall shed a lustre over all the rest4 ,i4 ,that love is the prime element in every other grace of the ,christian character4--,it is the soul of every virtue and the guarantee of a genuine sincerity4 ,without love all other graces1 according to an old writer1 are but glittering sins4 ,there is a great power of affectionateness in the human heart1 but no man possesses naturally the spiritual love of ,god and love of the race4 ,it is a fruit of the ,holy ,ghost and comes though that faith which works by love4 ,it is possible to assume all the essentials of the ,christian character1 enumerated in ver4 #ab1 and previously commented on2 but without love they would be meaningless1 cold1 and dead4 ,mercy would degenerate into weak sentimentality2 kindness into foolish extravagance2 humility into a mock self-depreciation--which is but another form of the proudest egotism2 and longsuffering into a dull1 dogged stupidity4 ,love is the grand element in which all other graces move and from which they derive their vitality and value4 ,it is the grace which alone redeems all other from the curse of selfishness1 and is1 itself1 the most unselfish4 ,,ii4 ,that love occupies the most exalted place in the ,christian character4--,above all these things4 ,not simply in addition to1 but over and above all these1 put on charity1 as the outer garment that covers and binds together all the rest4 ,other graces are local and limited in their use2 love is all-expansive and universal4 ,a philosopher1 in a vein of pungent satire1 has dilated on the philosophy of clothes2 and experience testifies how mightily the world is influenced and instructed by outward appearances4 ,as the dress frequently indicates the rank and importance of the wearer1 so the garment of love1 worn without ostentation or pride1 is the badge by which the ,christian is known in the world 7,john xiii4 #ce74 ,love is the presiding queen over all ,christian graces1 inspiring and harmonising their exercises1 and developing them into a living and beauteous unity of character4 ,the apostle fixes the exalted rank of love in #a ,cor4 xiii4 #ac4 ,,iii4 ,that love is the pledge of permanency in the ,christian character4--,which is the bond of perfectness4 ,as a girdle1 or cincture1 bound together with firmness and symmetry the loose flowing robes generally worn by the ancients1 so love is the power that unites and holds together all those graces and virtues which together make up perfection4 ,love is the preservative force in the ,christian character4 ,without it knowledge would lose its enterprise1 mercy and kindness become languid1 humility faint1 and longsuffering indifferent4 ,love binds all excellencies together in a bond which time cannot injure1 the enemy unloose1 or death destroy4 ,no church1 or community of individuals1 can exist long without the sustaining power of love4 ,it is not a similarity in taste1 intellectual pursuits1 in knowledge1 or in creed1 that can permanently unite human hearts1 but the all-potent sympathy of ,christian love4 ,charity never faileth4 ,,iv4 ,that the perfection of the ,christian character is seen in the practical manifestation of love4--,put on charity4 #a4 ,love is indispensable4--,it is possible to possess many beautiful traits of character--much that is humane and amiable--without being a complete ,christian3 to be very near perfection1 and yet lack one thing4 ,without love all other graces are inconsistent1 heartless1 wayward1 selfish4 ,they are but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal4 ,charity is indispensable to give life1 force1 meaning1 truth1 permanence to the whole4 ,it supplies the imperfections and defects of other graces and virtues4 #b4 ,love is susceptible of individual cultivation4--,it may be put on4 ,we may have more if we strive after it and faithfully use what is already possessed4 ,it is a pressing1 practical duty which all ,christians are bound to attend to4 ,and yet there is no grace which is more constantly suppressed4 ,what a power the ,church would become1 and how marvellously would the character of the world be changed if love had a freer scope and was universally exercised4 ,the pretentious coverings of sectarianism and bigotry would vanish1 and the whole ,church of the redeemed be girt with the ample robe of a seamless unity4 ,to win the love of others we must put it on ourselves4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the mere profession of ,christianity is empty and valueless4 #b4 ,every grace of the ,christian character must be diligently exercised4 #c4 ,above and through all other graces love must operate4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,the ,rule of ,divine ,peace4 ,war in any form is unfriendly to the growth of piety4 ,the soul is tossed on the waves of disquietude1 and courage--the principal virtue called into exercise--is apt to acquire an unnatural and unhealthy development at the expense of all other graces4 ,the whole structure of the ,christian character is dislocated and thrown off its balance4 ,peace restores the soul to its true equipoise1 fixes every power in its just relation to each other and to the whole1 and encourages the harmonious cultivation of that love which is the bond of perfectness4 ,lord ,bacon has said3 ,it is heaven upon earth to have a man's mind move in charity1 rest in ,providence1 and turn upon the poles of truth4 ,in this verse we are taught that the one supreme umpire in the heart1 by which all differences are to be settled1 is the peace of ,god--the destined end of the ,christian calling1 in which is realised the unity belonging to members of one body2 and that this blessing is to be sought in a spirit of thankfulness4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that peace is a ,divine blessing4--,the peace of ,god4 ,some of the oldest manuscripts have read1 ,the peace of ,christ--a reading adopted by the ablest biblical critics4 ,the verbal difference1 however1 is of no moment4 ,the truth is the same3 it is equally the peace of ,god and the peace of ,christ--a ,divine tranquillity filling the soul with a calm that no mere worldly power can give or take away1 and that the ocean-surges of trouble can never diminish or disturb4 ,christ hath made peace through the blood of ,his cross and left it as a sacred legacy to all ,his disciples through all time4 ,in its essence it is the peace that ,christ ,himself enjoys--a sublime calmness similar to that which pervades the ,divine bosom4 ,it is not like the long1 painful1 oppressive stillness that is the precursor of a storm1 but a profound1 pervasive1 heavenly quiet that soothes while it invigorates the soul4 ,it proceeds from ,god through ,christ and is maintained and nourished in the heart as a positive1 gracious reality and priceless blessing4 ,,ii4 ,that peace is a ruling power4--,let the peace of ,god rule4 ,the word rule is borrowed from the practice of the ,greeks at their great national games and described the duty of the arbiter or umpire presiding1 who held the prize in his hand while the contest proceeded in the stadium and conferred it on the victor at the close4 ,thereby he exercised over the athletes a peculiar kind of rule4 ,impelled by a sight of the prize1 they gave their whole being to the contest4 ,so1 in contending in the race of life1 the peace of ,god1 as containing all desirable blessings1 is to exercise supreme authority and regulate all the concerns of the soul4 #a4 ,as a ruling power peace pervades and stimulates every other grace4--,it lifts the soul to ,god1 and enables it to take hold of ,his strength4 ,it prepares for every holy duty and stimulates to every spiritual enterprise4 ,the more the soul is permeated with ,divine peace1 the more desire and aptitude will there be for higher attainments in piety4 #b4 ,as a ruling power peace is a powerful defence4--,it resists successfully the attacks of evil from whatever source they come4 ,the shafts of infidelity cannot pierce the invulnerable defence of a conscious peace with ,god2 right feeling is superior to the subtlest logic4 ,peace erects a formidable bulwark against temptation and is the surest safeguard against every form of sin4 #c4 ,as a ruling power it concentrates and controls all the energies of the soul4--,it calms the intellect1 soothes the heart1 tranquillises the conscience1 and centralises all the powers of manhood1 that they may go forth and do valiant battle for the truth4 ,as by an unerring instinct it decides upon what is right and shuns the wrong4 ,the questions as to whether it is right to engage in certain amusements1 to visit certain places1 or to join this or that company1 will soon be settled when the peace of ,god rules in the heart4 ,it is a regulating power in moral difficulties1 and a potent help in all moral enterprises4 ,the peace of ,god keeps the heart and mind through ,jesus ,christ 7,phil4 iv4 #g74 ,,iii4 ,that peace is a ruling power in man4--,in your hearts4 ,the heart is the region where the ruling power is exercised and takes effect4 ,it embraces the will and affections as distinguished from the intellect4 ,it is the choosing faculty as distinguished from the knowing faculty4 ,when the heart is drawn in one direction the whole man follows4 ,there the moral disease begins1 and there the remedy must be applied4 ,by sin the heart has become deceitful above all things2 in the regeneration the heart is made new4 ,the rush of an evil heart's affections will not always yield to reason4 ,when ,god1 by ,his ,word and ,spirit1 comes to save1 ,he saves by arresting and renewing the heart4 ,the psalmist recognised this when he cried1 ,create in me a clean heart1 ,o ,god1 and renew a right spirit within me 7,ps4 li4 #aj74 ,no man is conquered until his heart is conquered4 ,it is in this region the peace of ,god has powerful sway1 and where it aids in achieving the most brilliant moral conquests4 ,,iv4 ,that peace is essential to the unity of the ,church4--#a4 ,the ,church is called to the enjoyment of peace4 ,to the which also ye are called4 ,the burden of the ,gospel message is peace4 ,its mission is to extinguish wars and enmities1 and to pacify heaven and earth4 ,the ,church is called to peace by the commands of ,christ1 by the teachings of ,his example when on earth1 by the reiterated precepts of ,god's ,word1 and by the necessities of the grand enterprise in which she is engaged4 #b4 ,the enjoyment of peace is essential in preserving and promoting the unity of the ,church4--,in one body4 ,as ye were called as members of one body so let there be one ,spirit animating that body4 ,among the stellar systems1 in social communities and states1 as well as in the ,christian ,church1 a common agreement is essential to unity4 ,divine peace preserves harmony1 nourishes spiritual strength1 and promotes union by drawing the souls1 in which it is the ruling power1 more closely to ,god and to each other4 ,there is to be the constant endeavour to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace 7,eph4 iv4 #c74 ,v4 ,that peace is to be cultivated in the spirit of thankfulness4--,and be ye thankful4 ,these words are not to be restricted in their application4 ,not only do they imply that the ,colossians were to act towards each other in a thankful and amiable temper1 but they teach in what spirit the peace of ,god should be universally sought and exercised4 ,the duty of thankfulness was the constant theme of the apostle3 there are upwards of thirty references to it in his epistles4 ,here we are exhorted to consider it in special connection with the enjoyment of peace4 ,only he who has been swung in the dark whirl of unrest and doubt1 who has witnessed the horrible riot of disunion and discord1 can appreciate the blessing of peace and the gratitude it inspires4 ,cicero declared that gratitude was the mother of all other virtues4 ,certain it is that no man sins without ingratitude4 ,thanksgiving has always been the principal element in all religion1 whether instituted by ,divine command1 prompted by natural reason1 or propagated by general tradition4 ,the pagan religion consists in the praise of their gods and acknowledgments of their benefits2 the ,jewish1 to a great extent1 in eucharistic oblations and solemn commemorations of providential favours2 and the ancient ,christians were distinguished by singing hymns to ,christ1 and by mutual sacraments obliging themselves to abstain from all villainy4 ,thanksgiving is a joyous exercise--the pleasantest of duties4 ,prayer reminds us of our wants and imperfections2 confession enforces a painful remembrance of our sins2 but gratitude includes nothing but the memory of exceeding goodness4 ,it is a duty most acceptable to ,god and most profitable to man4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,true peace is found only in ,christ4 #b4 ,peace is a mighty engine of spiritual power4 #c4 ,gratitude should combine with every blessing4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,unity and ,peace4 ,i4 ,the unity of the ,church of ,christ4--#a4 ,distinguish the unity of comprehensiveness from the unity of mere singularity4 #b4 ,it subsists between things not similar or alike1 but dissimilar or unlike4 #c4 ,it is made up of dissimilar members1 without which dissimilarity there could be no unity4 #d4 ,it consists in submission to one single influence or spirit4 ,the ,spirit of its ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the individual peace resulting from this unity4--#a4 ,it is ,god's peace4 #b4 ,a living peace4 #c4 ,the peace which comes from an inward power4 #d4 ,the peace of reception4--,robertson4 ,the ,peace of ,god ruling in the ,heart4 ,i4 ,the region4--,in your hearts4 ,when the heart is drawn in one direction1 the whole man follows4 ,when ,god by ,his ,word and ,spirit comes to save1 ,he saves by arresting the heart and making it new4 ,,ii4 ,the reign4--,rule4 ,freedom from rule is not competent to man2 the only choice he has is a choice of masters4 ,,iii4 ,the ,ruler4--,the peace of ,god4 #a4 ,it is ,god and no idol that should rule in a human heart4 #b4 ,it is not the wrath but the peace of ,god that rules in a human heart4 ,it is the act of letting me go free that binds my whole soul for ever4--,w4 ,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,the ,poetry of the ,christian ,life4 ,in the life of the individual and of nations the era of poetry comes first and is followed by the era of criticism4 ,the impulse of a youthful and enthusiastic passion and the boundless play of a prolific imagination produce certain artistic results2 and then comes the cool1 reflective critic1 with microscopic eye and mathematical rules1 to measure and appraise the loved production4 ,how soon the glowing efflorescence withers1 and the expanding magnitude dwindles to the smallest practical limits4 ,genuine poetry is superior to all criticism1 outlives the most violent opposition1 and is imperishable as humanity4 ,poetry is the language of the soul in its highest and holiest mood1 when it is fired with a ,divinely kindled rapture1 when it strives to grasp the invisible and pants to express the grandest truths of the universe4 ,the ,christian life has its poetry4 ,it is of the loftiest order1 its theme the noblest1 and its melody haunts the soul for ever with strains of ravishing harmony4 ,in this verse we learn that the poetry of the ,christian life draws its inspiration from the ,divine ,word and ministers to the culture and enjoyment of the ,church4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that the poetry of the ,christian life draws its deepest inspiration from the ,divine ,word4--,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly4 #a4 ,that the ,divine ,word is fitly called the ,word of ,christ4--,it contains the record of ,his personal teaching--the revelation of new and startling truths1 and the resetting of old truths in such a light as to connect the old and new dispensations1 and blend them in an unbroken homogeneousness4 ,it unfolds the mystery of that redemption ,he died to accomplish1 and which forms so prominent a part of the teaching of this epistle4 ,it is inspired by the ,spirit of ,christ1 and gleams in every part with brilliant manifestations of ,his supernal glory4 ,christ is the all-pervading theme of the ,scriptures--the key of the arch--the cornerstone of the foundation--the sun1 illuminating with light and salvation the whole ,gospel system to its remotest circumference4 #b4 ,the ,divine ,word to create a true poetic fervour must wholly occupy the soul4--,dwell in you richly4 ,the ,word of ,christ is to be embraced as a whole1 and due prominence given to every part of ,his character and work4 ,not to exalt ,his humanity to the denial of ,his ,divinity2 not to be so enamoured with the moral beauty of ,his life as to overlook the significance and power of ,his death4 ,the ,word is to dwell in us so completely as to possess and enrich every faculty and power of our nature4 ,not simply to give it a place in the region of intellectual opinion or in judging of moral questions1 but to let it have a mighty sway over the affections of the heart--let it enter1 saturate1 purify1 and govern the whole mental1 moral1 and spiritual being4 ,it is to occupy the soul as a constant and permanent inspiration2 to dwell--not as a stranger to stand without1 or to be saluted at a distance1 but to enter1 to abide1 and be treated as a loved and intimate guest4 ,let the ,word of ,christ be clearly apprehended1 diligently pondered1 and firmly grasped1 and it will fill the soul with heavenly visions and inflame it with the holiest poetic ardour4 ,,ii4 ,that the poetry of the ,christian life has made valuable literary contributions to the psalmody of the ,church4--,in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs4 ,it is not easy to make arbitrary distinctions between these poetic effusions4 ,the psalm was a sacred poem on whatever subject1 and similar to the productions in the book of ,psalms in the ,old ,testament2 the hymn specially celebrated the praises of the ,almighty2 and the spiritual song1 or ode1 was more mixed in its matter and more artificial in its arrangement and referred to personal effusions of a more general character4 ,the gift of poesy was among the supernatural gifts of the ,holy ,spirit in the early ,church 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bf74 ,the first form of literature in all countries is for the most part in song4 ,a certain writer has said1 that if he were allowed to make the songs of a nation1 he cared not who made the laws4 ,and in the ,christian ,church1 from the earliest period1 sacred psalmody has been a mighty power for edification and comfort4 ,the hymnology of the church is becoming increasingly rich in its poetic treasures4 ,,iii4 ,that the poetry of the ,christian life ministers to the mutual culture and happiness of the ,church4--#a4 ,it is intellectual in its character4 ,in all wisdom teaching one another4 ,a more correct punctuation connects the clause in all wisdom with the words that follow1 not1 as in our version1 with the words that precede4 ,to teach in all wisdom demands the highest intellectual exercise1 especially when poetry is the medium of instruction and the ,word of ,christ the theme4 ,without wisdom1 poetry would sink into a maudlin sensuousness1 a mere verbal jingling1 and intolerable monotony4 ,wisdom is necessary to compare and balance the different parts of ,scripture truth1 to apply the ,word on proper occasions to its proper ends and in harmony with its spirit1 and to adopt the best means for attaining the highest results in mutual instruction4 ,the profoundest feelings of our nature can only be expressed in poetry4 ,the orator1 as he reaches the loftiest strains of eloquence1 becomes poetical4 #b4 ,it is moral in its tendency4--,and admonishing one another4 ,there is implied a deep concern for each other's moral condition and safety4 ,the poetry of the early ,christians was moral in its exercise and tendency4 ,no one can feel an interest in another's morality who is himself immoral4 ,an eminent critic has said3 ,the element in which poetry dwells is truth1 and when imagination divorces itself from that relation1 it declines into the neighbourhood of empty fiction or the dreams of lunacy4 ,the poetry of the ,christian life is based on eternal truth1 and it is to be judiciously used as an instrument of admonition as well as of instruction4 ,there is need for warning and brotherly counsel to restore the wanderer1 to raise him if he has fallen1 to reprove him if he is wrong1 to protect and admonish him if he is in danger 7,ps4 cxli4 #e74 #c4 ,it is joyous in its effects4--,singing with grace in your hearts to the ,lord4 ,music and poetry are sometimes prostituted to the basest purposes1 ministering to the lowest passions1 and inciting to the vilest actions4 ,but the poetry of the ,christian life refines the soul1 raises it towards ,god1 and fills it with the music of unspeakable delight4 ,the proper sphere of music is the heavenly and the spiritual4 ,beyond the visible world she soars to seek1 ,for what delights the sense is false and weak2 ,ideal form1 the universal mould4 ,as the sea-shell conveys to the ear the faint music of the distant waves1 so the poetry of the ,christian life indicates in some degree the rapturous music that awaits on the heavenly shore4 ,coleridge said3 ,poetry has been to me its own exceeding great reward4 ,it has soothed my affliction1 it has endeared solitude1 and it has given me the habit of wishing to discover the good and beautiful in all that surrounds me4 ,and ,keats said3 ,let me have music dying and ,i seek no more delight4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the highest poetry is found in the ,divine ,word4 #b4 ,to administer instruction and admonition through the medium of song is at once modest and significant4 #c4 ,the ,christian life should be one sweet harmonious poem4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,the ,word of ,christ3 its ,characteristics as the ,saviour's ,book and the ,sinner's ,book4 ,i4 ,it is simple4 ,,ii4 ,significant4 ,,iii4 ,saving4 ,,iv4 ,sanctifying4 ,v4 ,supporting4 ,,vi4 ,suited to all4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,let its truths and realities inhabit your convictions4 #b4 ,let its tone be infused into your temper4 #c4 ,let the ,word of ,christ dwell in you richly4--,james ,hamilton1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,indwelling ,word of ,christ4 ,i4 ,let the ,word of ,christ dwell in you4--#a4 ,implies a sense of the preciousness of ,christ ,himself4 #b4 ,the preciousness of ,christ's words1 as well as of ,christ ,himself1 is essential to its dwelling in you4 #c4 ,the felt preciousness of real present and living intercourse between ,christ and you will cause the ,word1 as ,his ,word1 to abide in you4 ,,ii4 ,dwell in you richly4--#a4 ,it may refer to quantity4 #b4 ,it may have respect to quality4 #c4 ,the rich indwelling of the ,word of ,christ in you may be held to correspond to the riches of ,him whose ,word it is4 #d4 ,it is to dwell in you not only as rich receivers but as rich dispensers also4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,make sure of the first condition of ,christ's ,word in you--the preciousness of ,christ ,himself4 #b4 ,make full proof of all suitable helps for the indwelling of the ,word of ,christ in you4--,r4 ,s4 ,candlish4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,suggestive ,summary of the ,law of ,christian ,duty4 ,labour1 which was originally imposed on man as a curse1 may minister very largely to the increase of human happiness4 ,the effort necessary to contend with and subdue the hostile forces of nature1 and wrest from the earth the food essential to existence1 strengthens and elevates the best powers of man4 ,all men are prompted to labour by some distinct principle or ruling passion3 the savage by the cravings of physical hunger1 the patriot by the love of his country1 the philosopher by an inextinguishable thirst for knowledge and delight in intellectual exercises4 ,the ruling principle of action in the believer is that of supreme devotion to the ,lord2 he is to do everything in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,this exhortation embraces everything previously mentioned in the epistle1 and every possible duty of the ,christian life4 ,i4 ,the guiding law of ,christian duty4--,do all in the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,the name of ,christ suggests the predominating principle by which the whole course of life is to be regulated1 the watchword in every enterprise1 the battle-cry in every conflict1 the rallying centre in every disaster4 ,in warfare1 armies have been animated with the enthusiasm of action by simply mentioning the name of a ,wellington1 a ,napoleon1 a ,garibaldi1 a ,von ,moltke4 ,but oh6 how glorious and all potent is the name ,lord ,jesus6 ,it suggests the sublime dignity and redemptive achievements of ,christ1 and that ,he is the great exemplar after which all who believe in ,him are to be morally fashioned4 #a4 ,in ,christ is the purest motive to duty4--,motive originates and governs action1 and makes it good or bad4 ,the believer does everything for ,christ's sake1 out of love for ,him and respect to ,his authority4 ,the tendency in all men is to live in themselves1 to act in their own name and strength1 and to carry out their own selfish purposes4 ,selfishness is one of the mightiest and most general motives to action4 ,it is only in ,christ we find the holiest and purest motive2 in ,him love takes the place of selfishness4 ,the love of ,christ constraineth us 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ad1 #ae74 #b4 ,in ,christ is the noblest pattern of duty4--,not only do we see in ,his character the most perfect representation of moral excellence1 but his whole career is an instructive example of devotion to duty4 ,he fulfilled the will of ,his ,father3 ,he was obedient unto death4 ,he has taught us how to live and how to die4 ,one of the grandest pictures of moral heroism is seen in the maintenance of an intelligent and faithful obedience in the midst of danger and threatened death4 #c4 ,in ,christ is the highest end of duty4--,all things in the material universe exist for ,him1 and in the moral realm ,he is the goal towards which all actions tend4 ,everything should be done with reference to ,christ4 ,we can have no worthier ambition than to seek in all things ,his glory4 ,cf4 ,mark ix4 #da2 ,matt4 xviii4 #e2 ,john xiv4 #ad2 and note how ,christ lays it down as a universal principle that everything is to be done in ,his name4 ,there is no higher name1 for it is above every name2 there is no loftier end1 for ,he is before all things4 #d4 ,in ,christ is the final authority of ,christian duty4--,many things have been done in the name of ,christ that never had ,his sanction and were contrary to ,his authority4 ,the most disastrous persecutions and cruellest tortures have been perpetrated in the name of ,christ4 ,these blasphemous outrages have been committed to strengthen the authority and hide the bloodthirsty rapacity of a corrupt and domineering ,church4 ,no ecclesiastical hierarchy has a right to compel the blind1 unreasoning submission of a free1 intelligent agent4 ,above all ,jesuitical maxims and ,papal decrees is the authority of ,christ4 ,his will is supreme in all spheres1 and that will is the guiding law of duty in the ,christian life4 ,,ii4 ,the universal obligation of ,christian duty4--,whatsoever ye do in word or deed4 #a4 ,there must be a recognition of ,christ in everything4--,in all our employments1 conversation1 public acts of worship1 in social and private prayer1 in secular and domestic concerns1 in all matters relating to the place of our abode1 in changing residences1 in connections we form for ourselves and our children4 ,there is a comprehensiveness in the obligation which is all-embracing4 ,not that we are to parade our piety1 to obtrude our religious notions upon everybody we meet1 or to be ever unctuously repeating the name of ,christ1 irrespective of time or place4 ,the merchant is not to provoke unseemly discussions on sacred subjects when he ought to be attending to the business of the counting-house2 the clerk should not be reading his ,bible when he ought to be posting his ledger2 the servant-maid should not be praying when she ought to be cleaning her kitchen2 nor ought the mother to be gadding about1 or running to endless revival meetings1 while her house is dirty and her husband and children neglected4 ,it is not so much that everything is to be done after one special outward form as that every duty is to be done in a religious spirit4 ,religion is not a series of formal acts1 or a string of set phrases2 but it is a life1 pervading all our activities1 and making every part of our career sublime4 ,recognise ,christ in everything1 and a new meaning will be thrown on passing events2 the commonplaces of life will be exalted into dignity1 and the future assume irresistible attractions4 #b4 ,there must be absolute dependence on ,christ at all times4--,we cannot say and do everything in the name of ,christ unless we fully surrender ourselves to ,him4 ,we are helpless and full of spiritual infirmities1 but the more conscious we are of our complete dependence on ,him the stronger are we in labour and in hope4 ,in our successes1 lest we be puffed up with vanity--in our perplexities1 lest we are discouraged--in our grief1 lest we sink despairing into the abyss--and in our transports of joy1 lest we be exalted above measure--there must ever be a full1 voluntary1 and conscious reliance on ,jesus4 ,thus resting on ,him and realising ,his life-giving power1 we can say with ,paul1 ,i can do all things through ,christ which strengtheneth me4 #c4 ,there must be supreme devotion to ,christ4--,all we have we owe to ,him4 ,he gave ,his all for us1 and it is but a righteous return that we consecrate to ,him all that is highest and best in ourselves4 ,we must love ,christ supremely1 and then every faculty and power of our being will render homage and service to ,him4 ,we shall be obedient to ,his commands1 we shall magnify ,his grace1 we shall strive to walk worthy of ,his great name1 and in all things seek to promote ,his glory4 ,we pledge ourselves to ,him for ever1 and no consideration should tempt us to relax our devotion4 ,george ,,iii4 was a man of firm mind1 with whom one had pleasure in acting4 ,he was very slow in forming his opinion1 very diligent in procuring every information on the subject2 but once convinced1 he would act with unflinching firmness4 ,his beautiful speech about the ,roman ,catholic question shows his character3 ,i can give up my crown and retire from power1 ,i can quit my palace and live in a cottage1 ,i can lay my head on a block and lose my life1 but ,i can not break my oath4 ,,iii4 ,the unvarying spirit in which ,christian duty is to be done4--,giving thanks to ,god and the ,father by ,him4 ,they who do all things in ,christ's name will never want matter of thanksgiving to ,god4 ,the apostle has frequently referred to this duty of gratitude1 and he evidently regarded it as a very important element of the ,christian character4 ,it was ,christianity that first taught the duty of being thankful even in trial and suffering4 ,we are to thank ,god for the privilege of acting so that we may honour ,him4 ,a thankful spirit has a blessedness and a power of blessing which those only realise who cherish it4 ,all thanksgiving is to be offered to ,god the ,father by ,jesus ,christ1 as ,he is our only mediator1 and it is through ,him we obtain whatever good the ,father bestows upon us4 ,the giving of thanks to ,god is one of the highest duties of religious worship2 and if this be done in the name of the ,lord ,jesus1 then all subordinate duties must be done in the same manner4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the name of ,christ is the greatest power in the universe4 #b4 ,all duty gathers its significance and blessedness from its relation to ,christ4 #c4 ,a thankful spirit is happy in enterprise1 brave in difficulties1 and patient in reverses4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #ag 7compared with #a ,cor4 xi4 #bd74 ,the ,lord's ,supper the ,sample of the ,christian ,life4 ,i4 ,all the objects around us are to be regarded by us as being symbols and memorials of our ,lord4 ,,ii4 ,every act of our life is to be done from the same motive as that holy communion4 ,,iii4 ,all life1 like the communion of the ,lord's ,supper1 may be and ought to be a showing forth of ,christ's death4 ,,iv4 ,this communion is in itself one of the mightiest means for making the whole of life like itself4--,a4 ,maclaren4 ,doing all in the ,name of ,christ4 ,i4 ,doing it as ,his agent4 ,,ii4 ,we are not our own1 but ,his4 ,,iii4 ,whatever it is right to do is ,his work4--,t4 ,g4 ,crippen4 ,christ in the ,practical ,life4 ,i4 ,here we find a rule of life4 ,,ii4 ,here we find a motive4 ,,iii4 ,here we find our life redeemed4--,preacher's ,magazine4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ah1 #ai4 ,duties of ,husbands and ,wives4 ,after the apostle has laid down the law of duty for the government of all ,christians in the general conduct of life1 he proceeds to show the application of the same law to the domestic relationships4 ,obedience to the law in the general is an excellent preparation for observing it in the particular3 the best ,christian will make the best husband or wife4 ,the morality of ,christianity is one of its brightest glories and most beneficent influences2 it provides for the purity and happiness of domestic life1 and where it rules all is peace1 love1 and contentment4 ,where polygamy prevails1 as in heathen and ,mahometan countries1 the most lamentable domestic complications occur1 and all is distraction and misery4 ,the family is the source and pattern of society4 ,if the family is corrupt and disorganised1 society suffers4 ,a holy1 well-regulated household is a regenerative force in society4 ,it is in the home that the social principle finds its highest development4 ,there the tenderest feelings are roused1 the deepest and most permanent impressions made1 the foundation and first rough outlines of what we may become laid down and indicated1 the first principle of good or evil imbibed1 and the mightiest moral forces brought into play4 ,much1 therefore1 depends upon the understanding that exists between the husband and wife1 and the way in which they discharge their mutual duties1 as to what shall be the character of the household government4 ,the apostle1 in enforcing these relative duties1 mentions the three classes which divide the domestic circle--husbands and wives1 parents and children1 masters and servants4 ,he begins with the inferior relation in each class--wife1 child1 servant--perhaps because the difficulty of obedience is greater1 because in disputes it is the duty of the humbler party to submit1 and because the discharge of duty by that party is the surest method of securing it in the other4 ,i4 ,the duty of the wife is submission to the husband4--,wives1 submit yourselves to your own husbands 7ver4 #ah74 #a4 ,this implies dependence4--,it is the ,divine order that the husband is the head of the wife4 ,in point of nature1 and of their relation to ,god1 they are both equal2 but when brought into the married relation the husband has the first place1 and the wife1 as the weaker vessel1 and under a sense of dependence1 is called to submit4 ,when the order is reversed1 and the wife takes the lead1 mischief is sure to ensue4 ,not that woman is to be the slave and drudge of her husband2 but the relationship between the two ought to be so adjusted by the power of religion that the wife is never rudely reminded of her state of dependence4 #b4 ,implies respect4--,it is difficult to respect some men1 and still more difficult to love where we cannot respect4 ,but the apostolic injunction is emphatic3 ,let the wife see that she reverence her husband4 ,though the husband be a reckless1 incapable ne'er-do-well1 the wife is to respect the position of her husband and show him deference as the head of the family4 ,alas6 how many a noble woman has had her life embittered by a worthless husband1 but who1 with a heroism1 truly sublime1 and a love truly angelical1 has bravely done her duty and striven to screen the faults of the man who caused her misery4 #c4 ,implies obedience in all things lawful4--,st4 ,peter refers to the holy women in the old time1 being in subjection unto their own husbands1 even as ,sara obeyed ,abraham1 calling him lord 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #e1 #f74 ,a true wife is wholly devoted to her husband4 ,she will care for his person1 property1 health1 character1 and reputation1 as for her own4 ,in all things reasonable and lawful she will rejoice to meet the requests of her husband and follow his counsel4 ,,ii4 ,the submission of the wife to the husband is governed by religious principle4--,as it is fit in the ,lord 7ver4 #ah74 ,the wife is first to submit herself fully to ,christ1 and1 from love to ,him1 to submit herself to her own husband1 and to look upon her subjection as service done to ,christ4 ,this will be a consolation and strength to her in many an unkind word from a cruel1 apathetic1 and unappreciative husband4 ,it would never do for two wills to be ruling a family4 ,there would be endless clashing and confusion4 ,it is the ,divine arrangement that the husband is the head of the house1 and it is fit in the ,lord that the wife should be in subjection4 ,she is not to forget her responsibility to ,god in a slavish1 unreasoning1 and sinful obedience to her husband4 ,governed by a pure and lofty religious principle1 she may so fulfil her duty as to win1 or at least disarm1 her unreasonable partner4 ,a wise submission may sometimes work wonders4 ,she stoops to conquer4 ,an old writer has said3 ,a wife is ordained for man1 like a little ,zoar--a city of refuge to fly to in all his troubles4 ,,iii4 ,the duty of the husband is to show affection towards the wife4--#a4 ,this affection is to be genuinely manifested4 ,husbands1 love your wives 7ver4 #ai74 ,obligation is not all on one side4 ,the husband is not less bound to discharge his duty to his wife than the wife to him4 ,love is the sum of the husband's duty1 and that which will regulate every other4 ,where love rules1 the family circle becomes a tranquil and cherished haven of rest1 peace1 harmony1 and joy4 ,nor is it enough that this affection should be recognised as a matter of course--let it be manifested4 ,that woman is a strange1 heartless shrew who is unaffected by the gentle evidences of a devoted and manly love4 ,the true wife needs1 craves for and knows how to appreciate a genuine and evident affection4 ,let the husband show the same tender and considerate regard to his wife as life advances and cares multiply as when he stood by her side at the altar1 a lovely and confiding bride4 #b4 ,this affection is to be free from harshness4--,and be not bitter against them 7ver4 #ai74 ,it is evidently implied that the love of a ,christian heart may be marred by a sour and morose temper4 ,it is ungenerous and cruel to vent upon his wife and family the anger which the man had not the courage to display before those who roused it when mixing among them in the world4 ,bitterness may be manifested as much by a cold1 repulsive silence as by the most stinging words of sharp and angry reproof1 or by the irritating actions of a wilful and tantalising conduct4 ,it is a species of savage and fiendish brutality for a husband to study how he can inflict the keenest torture on a loving and submissive nature4 ,it sometimes requires the most assiduous art of the tenderest affection to repair the damage done by a single word4 ,amid the perplexities and trials of married life many occasions will arise in which mutual patience and forbearance will need to be exercised4 ,let love reign supreme and banish the first symptoms of a harsh and churlish disposition4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,be careful whom you marry4 #b4 ,beware of the first quarrel4 #c4 ,bear with ,christian resignation the life-consequences of an unfortunate choice4 #d4 ,connubial bliss is attained only by the faithful exercise of mutual duties4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj1 #ba4 ,duties of ,parents and ,children4 ,it is ,god who hath set the solitary in families4 ,the domestic constitution is the formal type of all governments4 ,if discipline is neglected in the home1 it is rarely that the loss is made up when the untaught becomes a citizen of the world4 ,coleridge has well said3 ,if you bring up your children in a which puts them out of sympathy with the religious feelings of the nation in which they life1 the chances are that they will ultimately turn out ruffians or fanatics1 and one as likely as the other4 ,a wise son maketh a glad father2 but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother 7,prov4 x4 #a74 ,lord ,bacon observes that fathers have most comfort of the good proof of their sons1 but the mothers have most discomfort of their ill proof4 ,it is therefore of vital importance that the reciprocal duties of parents and children should be faithfully and diligently observed4 ,these verses indicate the character of filial duty and of parental authority4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that the duty of the child to the parent is to obey4--#a4 ,this obedience is universal4 ,children1 obey your parents in all things 7ver4 #bj74 ,the ,old ,testament law commands1 ,honour thy father and thy mother2 and the most signal way in which a child can honour his parents is to obey them4 ,parents have learnt wisdom by experience2 they know the dangers that threaten their children1 and are in a position to offer wise and judicious counsel4 ,filial obedience should be prompt1 cheerful1 self-denying1 uniform2 not dilatory and reluctant4 ,it is universal in its obligation1 and is binding1 not only in those commands that are pleasant to obey1 but in those that are troublesome1 and that seem unreasonable and perverse1 so long as they do not involve a violation of ,divine law4 ,it is a painful spectacle to see a child defy parental authority1 and even exult in his rebellion and in the distress it causes his father and mother4 ,but filial disobedience rarely reaches such a pitch of cruel retaliation without there having been some defect in the early training4 ,the child who renders due reverence to his parents is sure to meet with the rich rewards of heaven in the enjoyment of temporal and spiritual blessing4 #b4 ,this obedience is qualified and limited by the ,divine approval4--,for this is well-pleasing unto ,god 7ver4 #bj74 ,it is only when the commands of the parent are in harmony with the will of ,god that the child is bound to obey1 and a powerful motive to practise obedience is derived from the fact that it is well-pleasing unto the ,lord4 ,the parent has no authority to enforce obedience beyond what has been given to him of ,god2 and the exercise of that authority must ever be in subjection to the higher authority of the ,divine law4 ,obedience to parents in what is right is obedience to the ,lord4 ,it is the way of safety and of happiness4 ,a little boy1 about seven years old1 was on a visit to a lady who was very fond of him4 ,one day1 at breakfast1 there was some hot bread on the table1 and it was handed to him2 but he would not take it4 ,do you not like hot bread8 asked the lady4 ,yes1 said the boy2 ,i like it very much4 ,then1 my dear1 why do you not take some8 ,because1 he said1 my father does not wish me to eat hot bread4 ,but your father is a great way off1 said the lady1 and will not know whether you eat it or not4 ,you may take it for once2 there will be no harm in that4 ,no1 ma'am2 ,i will not disobey my father and my mother4 ,i must do what they have told me to do1 although they are a great way off4 ,i would not touch it if ,i was sure nobody would see4 ,i myself should know it1 and that would be enough to make me unhappy4 ,a reckless disobedience of parental authority will not go unpunished4 ,the example of ,christ's subjection to his earthly parents exalts filial duty into a sublime and holy exercise4 ,,ii4 ,that the duty of the parent to the child is to rule4--#a4 ,the parent is not to rule in a spirit of exasperating severity4 ,fathers1 provoke not your children to anger 7ver4 #ba74 ,the obedience of the child will be very much influenced by the character of the parental government4 ,counsel1 remonstrance1 and even chastisement will be necessary in the successful training of children4 ,but discipline is to be administered so wisely1 lovingly1 and firmly as not to irritate to rebellion1 but to subdue and bend into obedience4 ,an excessive severity is as baneful as an excessive indulgence4 ,the voices of parents is the voice of ,god1 ,for to their children they are heaven's lieutenants2 ,made fathers1 not for common uses merely1 ,but to steer ,the wanton freight of youth through storms and dangers1 ,which1 with full sails1 they bear upon and straighten ,the mortal line of life they bend so often4 ,for these are we made fathers1 and for these ,may challenge duty on our children's part4 ,obedience is the sacrifice of angels1 ,whose form you carry4--,shakespeare4 #b4 ,to rule in a spirit of exasperating severity tends only to dishearten4--,lest they be discouraged 7ver4 #ba74 ,if the child sees that all his endeavours to please are in vain1 and that he is repulsed with sternness and cruel severity1 he loses heart1 and becomes sullen or morose1 or is stung into a state of desperate revenge4 ,to be perpetually fault-finding1 and to gratify your angry passions in brutal1 savage chastisement1 will crush the spirit of any youth1 and perhaps transform him into a monster more terrible than yourself4 ,children are to be led1 not driven2 to be treated as reasonable beings1 not forced like brute animals2 to be encouraged by commendation where it is merited1 and the defects of their obedience kindly interpreted4 ,a certain writer has significantly said3 ,what if ,god should place in your hand a diamond1 and tell you to inscribe on it a sentence which should be read at the last day1 and shown there as an index of your own thoughts and feelings8 ,what care1 what caution1 would you exercise in the selection6 ,now this is what ,god has done4 ,he has placed before you the immortal minds of your children1 more imperishable than the diamond1 on which you are about to inscribe every day and every hour1 by your instruction1 by your spirit1 or by your example1 something that will remain and be exhibited for or against you at the judgment day4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,to rule wisely we must first learn to obey4 #b4 ,disobedience is the essence of all sin4 #c4 ,that government is the most effective that tempers justice with mercy4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bb-be--;,ch4 iv4 #a4 ,duties of ,masters and ,servants4 ,the jealous conflict between capital and labour threatens the good understanding that was wont to exist between employer and employed with a serious rupture4 ,such a rupture would benefit neither side and would inflict incalculable disaster on both4 ,there are economic laws1 which regulate the employment of capital and labour1 which no number of combinations and unions among masters and servants can ever set aside4 ,though a temporary advantage may1 in extraordinary times1 be snatched by either party1 the law of supply and demand inevitably tends to balance and equalise all interests4 ,it would be well1 therefore1 for masters and servants to ponder the teaching of the ,new ,testament regarding their reciprocal duties4 ,it was ,christianity that rescued the servant from a condition of abject civil slavery and placed him in his just relation to his fellow-subjects in the commonwealth4 ,the farther men drift away from the ,christian spirit in seeking to adjust the questions between capital and labour1 the more difficult and complicated they become4 ,it is only as these questions are settled on a ,christian basis1 in harmony with the laws of a sound political economy1 that party jealousies will subside1 and the best understanding between masters and servants be established4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that the duty of the servant is to obey his master in all things relating to his state of servitude4--,servants1 obey in all things your masters according to the flesh 7ver4 #bb74 ,there is nothing degrading in service4 ,it is the employment of angels4 ,they serve ,him day and night 7,rev4 vii4 #ae74 ,it is ennobled by the example of ,christ1 who came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister 7,mark x4 #de74 ,to obey in all things is not always pleasant or easy2 but the ,christian servant will strive to accomplish the task4 ,he consults the master's will1 not his own2 he does the master's way1 not his own2 he considers the master's time1 not his own4 ,his obedience is universally binding in everything relating to his state of servitude but is restricted to that4 ,his employer is his master only according to the flesh1 has control over his bodily powers1 and over the time in which he has engaged to labour2 but he has not power over the spirit4 ,the master cannot demand obedience in any matter forbidden of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,that the duty of the servant is to be done in a spirit of sincerity4--#a4 ,it is to be free from duplicity4 ,not with eye-service as men-pleasers2 but in singleness of heart 7ver4 #bb74 ,the servants of whom the apostle writes were slaves and treated merely as chattels4 ,there are supposed to have been sixty millions of slaves in the ,roman empire4 ,from the treatment they usually received1 they were greatly tempted to be merely eye-servants--diligent when their master was present1 but indolent and reckless in his absence4 ,christianity has elevated man from slavery and provided him with the highest motives to moral action4 ,it teaches that service is to be rendered1 not with a hypocritical deference and sham industriousness1 but with a single1 undivided heart1 doing the best at all times for the master4 #b4 ,it is to be done in the fear of ,god4--,fearing ,god 7ver4 #bb7--the one ,lord and ,master1 as contrasted with the master according to the flesh4 ,the ,christian servant has a conscience to satisfy and a heavenly ,master to please4 ,the fear of the ,lord is the holiest motive-power in all acceptable service4 ,he who serves his earthly master as he seeks to serve ,god will take care that the ,divine and human interests do not come into collision with each other4 ,,iii4 ,that the duty of the servant is to be discharged from the loftiest religious principle4--#a4 ,in every duty ,god is to be recognised4 ,and whatsoever ye do1 do it heartily1 as to the ,lord1 and not unto men 7ver4 #bc74 ,the ,christian servant must look higher than his earthly master2 that is a service that may be rendered mechanically1 and by men who make no pretence to be ,christian4 ,the true servant will give ,christ the chief place in his service--will so act that his obedience shall honour ,christ and be acceptable to ,him4 ,his best efforts may fail to satisfy the exactions of an unreasonable master1 and the faithful servant will find his consolation and recompense in the fact that he aims to secure the ,divine approval4 ,this will give a moral dignity to the most menial employment1 and exalt the common drudgery of toil into a means of religious refreshment and invigoration4 #b4 ,in every duty the best powers should be exercised4--,do it heartily 7ver4 #bc74 ,if the heart be engaged1 it will put into operation the best powers of the whole man4 ,no work is well done when the heart is not in it4 ,whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well2 and surely no power can move the springs of action so completely as the ever-present thought that1 whatever we do1 we do it as to the ,lord1 and not unto men4 ,our best efforts fall immeasurably below the lofty ideal of ,christian service2 but it is no small commendation when the ,divine ,master can declare respecting the anxious and delighted worker1 ,she hath done what she could 7,mark xiv4 #h74 ,acting on such a principle1 the capacity for the highest kind of work is cultivated1 the sphere of usefulness widened1 and the most coveted honours and enjoyments of the faithful servant secured4 ,,iv4 ,that faithful service will meet with a glorious reward4--,knowing that of the ,lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance1 for ye serve the ,lord ,christ 7ver4 #bd74 ,under the sinister judgment passed by ,satan on the devotion of ,job there lurks an encouraging truth--man does not serve ,god for nought4 ,though there is nothing meritorious in the best actions of the busiest life1 yet it has pleased ,god1 in the exuberance of ,his condescending bounty1 to provide abundant recompense for all work done as unto ,him4 ,the reward of the inheritance is in generous disproportion to the service rendered2 the service is marred and limited by the numberless imperfections of the human2 the reward is amply freighted with the overflowing munificence and glittering splendours of the ,divine4 ,it is the inheritance of imperishable happiness--of incorruptible and unfading glory--of heaven--of ,god 7#a ,pet4 i4 #d74 ,what an encouragement to work6 ,v4 ,that every act of injustice will meet with impartial retribution4--,but he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done1 and there is no respect of persons 7ver4 #be74 ,some regard the wrong-doer referred to in this verse as the servant who defrauds the master of his service2 others1 as the master who defrauds the servant of his just recompense4 ,but the words announce a general principle which is equally applicable to both4 ,the philosophers of ,greece taught1 and the laws of ,rome assumed1 that the slave was a chattel1 and that as a chattel he had no rights4 ,the ,new ,testament places the relation of master and servant in a wholly new light and shows that between both there is a reciprocity of duties and of penalties4 ,the injustice done in the world1 whether by master or by servant1 shall be impartially redressed1 and the injured one vindicated at the day of final retribution4 ,,vi4 ,that the duty of the master is to deal righteously towards his servants4--#a4 ,he is to act towards his servants according to the principles of justice and equity4 ,masters1 give unto your servants that which is just and equal 7ver4 #a74 ,if the masters here addressed were exhorted to deal fairly and justly with those who were their slaves1 not less fully is the modern master bound to act justly and equitably towards those who serve him4 ,the position of master is one of great power and authority2 it is1 at the same time1 one of solemn responsibility4 ,capital has not only its cares and privileges1 it has also its duties1 and these cannot be abused with impunity4 ,the communistic doctrine of equality has no countenance here4 ,if all were socially and financially equal to-day1 the inequality would be restored to-morrow4 ,the duty of the master is to give to his servants that which is righteous and reciprocally fair4 ,treat them as human beings1 with human rights1 and as rational and religious beings1 who1 like yourselves1 have an endless future to prepare for4 ,give them fair remuneration for work done4 ,be generous in prosperous times1 and considerate when adversity comes4 ,while acting commercially according to the laws of political economy1 which no sane business man can disregard1 yield in all justness and fairness to the impulse of the higher law of ,christian charity and kindness4 ,interest yourselves in the physical1 moral1 and religious welfare of your work-people4 ,good masters make good servants4 #b4 ,he is to remember that he is responsible to a higher ,master4 ,knowing that ye also have a ,master in heaven 7ver4 #a74 ,the master is not less bound than the servant to do his duty as unto the ,lord4 ,they are both servants of the one great ,lord and ,master of all4 ,one is your ,master1 even ,christ1 and all ye are brethren 7,matt4 xxiii4 #h74 ,do not impose impossible tasks upon your servants4 ,avoid an overbearing tyranny1 and forbear threatening4 ,exercise your authority with humanity and gentleness4 ,use your wealth1 reputation1 and influence in promoting the best interest of your work-people1 and in serving the ,lord ,christ4 ,remember that whatever you do to the poorest servant of your heavenly ,master is reckoned and recompensed as done to ,himself 7,matt4 xxv4 #dj74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,social distinctions afford opportunities for personal discipline4 #b4 ,every rank in life has its special perils4 #c4 ,the law of duty is binding in all ranks4 #d4 ,the dust of both masters and servants will soon mingle in a common grave4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,do all for ,god4 ,i4 ,the ,christian's practical life comprises working1 acting1 and suffering4 ,,ii4 ,abide with ,god in your calling4--,intention gives a moral character to actions4 ,,iii4 ,motives to duty4--#a4 ,mechanical activity4 #b4 ,supernatural motive4 ,do it heartily as to the ,lord4 #c4 ,our good intention should be renewed at intervals4 #d4 ,our lesser actions should be brought under the control of ,christian principle4--,e4 ,m4 ,goulburn4 ,a ,hearty ,christianity4 ,i4 ,the highest end of all work is work done for ,god and to ,god4--#a4 ,not work done for self4 #b4 ,not work done for society4 ,,ii4 ,the highest kind of work of which we are capable is that which engages all the powers of our spiritual nature4--,do it heartily4 #a4 ,the character of the work we do will be decided by the state of our heart4 #b4 ,by the predominating impulse of the heart4 #c4 ,the character of our work as a whole will be influenced by the heartiness we throw into every single duty4 ,whatsoever ye do4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,a hearty ,christianity is a happy ,christianity4 #b4 ,is not easily daunted by difficulties4 #c4 ,is aggressive4 ,vers4 #bc-be4 ,piety in the ,household4 ,i4 ,we are serving the ,lord4--,this will dignify the most insignificant duty4 ,,ii4 ,we should seek to be actuated by the highest possible motive4--,out of the heart1 or influenced by the affections4 ,the highest motive will cover the lowest4 ,,iii4 ,the ,lord ,himself will give us the highest reward4--,with ,him is no respect of persons4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #b4 ,watch in the same4--,being wakeful4 ,here again the apostle changes his language from that used in enjoining the same precepts in ,ephesians4 ,remaining sleepless 7,eph4 vi4 #ah7 is the same thing as being wakeful4 ,ver4 #c4 ,a door of utterance4--,r4,v4 a door for the word4 ,the ,word of ,god cannot be bound1 though its messenger may2 but ,st4 ,paul can scarcely think its being glorified comes so quickly as it would if he had liberty to preach it4 ,an open door with many adversaries is more to ,st4 ,paul's mind than the custodia libera4 ,see ,eph4 vi4 #ai1 #bj4 ,ver4 #e4 ,walk in wisdom4--,eph4 v4 #ae4 ,walk circumspectly4 ,r4,v4 carefully4 ,it would appear from this as if the adverb in ,eph4 v4 #ae should go with walk rather than with look1 as in ,r4,v4 ,towards them that are without4--,who do not participate in the benefits of the new kingdom4 ,redeeming the time4--,as in ,eph4 v4 #af4 ,seizing for yourselves1 like bargains in the market1 each opportunity 7see ,r4,v4 margin74 ,ver4 #f4 ,let your speech be alway with grace4--,there is no excuse for a ,christian's conversation becoming rude and churlish4 ,it may be necessary to speak plainly and boldly at times--the way of doing even that graciously ought to characterise ,christians4 ,seasoned with salt4--,the pungent flavour of wit and facetiousness was called salt by the ,greeks1 often with a spice of indecency4 ,salt in the ,new ,testament is the opposite of corruption4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,a comfort to me4--,the word for comfort is only found in this place in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is a medical term1 and points to relief given in suffering--then1 by way of ministering to a mind diseased or in trouble1 is used of the speech which soothes and calms4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,always labouring fervently for you4--,r4,v4 always striving4 ,lit4 agonising4 ,like the mighty wrestler who held the ,angel till daybreak1 ,epaphras intercedes for ,his ,colossian brethren4 ,complete in all the will of ,god4--,r4,v4 fully assured4 ,from the tenor of the letter it appears that the ,colossians needed a deeper ,christian insight and more intelligent and well-grounded convictions respecting the truth 'as in ,jesus' 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #ac4 ,zeal 4 4 4 for them that are in ,laodicea4--,here then is one who differs from the ,laodicean spirit of ,st4 ,john's time4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,and say to ,archippus1 ,take heed to the ministry4--,he is again closely connected with ,coloss in the epistle to ,philemon4 ,a monition perhaps needed by ,archippus4 ,in the ,lord4--,the element in which every work of the ,christian1 and especially the ,christian minister1 is to be done4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #b-d4 ,the ,efficacy of ,prayer4 ,prayer is a supreme necessity of the soul4 ,it is the cry of conscious want1 an outlet for the pent-up feelings1 and a mighty engine of power in all spiritual enterprises4 ,it is the holiest exercise of the believer1 his solace in trouble1 his support in weakness1 the solver of his doubts and perplexities1 his safety in peril1 his unfailing resource in adversity1 his balance in prosperity1 his weapon in every conflict4 ,it is the key which opens the door of the heavenly treasury1 and places at his disposal the boundless wealth of the ,divine beneficence4 ,the efficacy of prayer does not terminate in the individual petitioner but extends to others on whose behalf supplication is made4 ,god hears the cry of the believing suppliant1 and in some way1 not always explicable to us1 but in harmony with ,his ,divine perfections and the fitness of things1 answers and blesses4 ,the apostle knew the value and power of prayer when earnestly and humbly exercised1 and1 after giving directions concerning the discharge of certain specific relative duties1 he returns1 in concluding this epistle1 to some general admonitions in which this important duty holds a foremost place4 ,prayer1 says ,thomas ,aquinas1 should have three qualities3 it should be assiduous1 watchful1 and grateful4 ,the perseverance with which prayer uninterruptedly draws itself through all events1 internal and external1 like a thread1 or encircles them like a chain1 is its vital power2 the watchfulness1 the lively circumspection1 the gratitude1 are the quiet tone or firm basis of the same4 ,i4 ,that prayer to be efficacious must be earnest and unceasing4--,continue in prayer 7ver4 #b74 ,the heart must be in the duty and all the best powers of the man put forth4 ,that in which we have no interest will stir no feeling1 will challenge no effort4 ,to repeat a verbal formulary is not prayer4 ,alas6 how many thousand prayers go no farther than the sound they make and are as useless6 ,genuine prayer involves thought1 diligent inquiry1 passionate entreaty1 unwearied perseverance4 ,the highest blessings of the ,christian life1 the brightest visions of ,god1 the deepest insight into truth1 the most enravishing ecstasies of the soul1 are obtained only by fervent and persistent wrestling4 ,prayer must be offered with close-cleaving constancy1 as the word continue implies1 and with daily frequency4 ,let prayer be the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening4 ,,ii4 ,that prayer to be efficacious must be joined with vigilance4--,and watch in the same 7ver4 #b74 ,long1 prosy1 spiritless prayers lull the soul into a dangerous slumber2 and without incessant watchfulness all prayers are apt to become long1 prosy1 and spiritless4 ,it is not necessary we should rob ourselves of needful sleep in order to spend so many hours in formal devotion4 ,the vigilance refers to the spirit and manner in which all prayer is to be offered4 ,there may be times when1 under the pressures of some great solicitude1 the soul is drawn out in prayer so as to preclude sleep2 but at these times the quality of watchfulness is often in most vigorous operation4 ,watch1 as a sentinel suspecting the approach of an enemy2 as a physician attending to all the symptoms of a disease2 as the keeper of a prison watching an insidious and treacherous criminal4 ,we have need to watch against the temptations arising from worldly associations1 from the sinfulness of our own hearts1 and from the vile insinuations of the enemy1 all which mar the efficacy of our prayers4 ,chrysostom says1 ,the devil knoweth how great a good prayer is4 ,no wonder he should seek to distract the mind of the earnest suppliant4 ,prayer1 said ,bernard1 is a virtue that prevaileth against all temptations2 but this is so only when a sleepless vigilance is exercised4 ,,iii4 ,that prayer to be efficacious must be mingled with gratitude4--,with thanksgiving 7ver4 #b74 ,the apostle has1 throughout the epistle1 repeatedly enforced the duty of thankfulness4 ,he once more recurs to it in this place2 and we cannot fail to note the vast importance he attached to the exercise of this grace1 and how it ought to interpenetrate every ,christian duty4 ,we are ever more ready to grumble than to give thanks4 ,such is the deceitfulness of sin1 or the vanity and purblindness of the human heart1 that the very regularity and abundance of the ,divine mercies1 instead of increasing1 are apt to restrict our gratitude4 ,we take1 as a matter of course1 what ought to be received with humblest thankfulness4 ,an old writer has well said1 ,need will make us beggars1 but grace only thanksgivers4 ,gratitude opens the hand of ,god to give1 and the heart of the suppliant to receive aright4 ,thankfulness for past mercies is an important condition of success in pleading for additional blessings4 ,,iv4 ,that prayer is efficacious in promoting an efficient declaration of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,prayer should be offered on behalf of ,christian ministers4 ,withal praying also for us 7ver4 #c74 ,the ,colossians were exhorted to pray1 not only for ,paul1 his fellow-labourer ,timothy1 and their own evangelist ,epaphras1 but for all teachers of the ,gospel4 ,the preacher is engaged in a work of vast magnitude1 environed with colossal difficulties1 and is himself ferociously assailed by great and peculiar perils4 ,the earnest intercessions of a devout and holy people are to him a safeguard and a tower of strength4 ,a once-popular minister gradually lost his influence and congregation4 ,the blame was laid entirely upon him4 ,some of his ,church officials went to talk with him on the subject4 ,he replied3 ,i am quite sensible to all you say1 for ,i feel it to be true2 and the reason of it is1 ,i have lost my prayer-book4 ,he explained3 ,once my preaching was acceptable1 many were edified by it1 and numbers were added to the ,church1 which was then in a prosperous state4 ,but we were then a praying people4 ,prayer was restrained1 and the present condition of things followed4 ,let us return to the same means1 and the same results may be expected4 ,they acted upon this suggestion1 and in a short time the minister was as popular as he had ever been1 and the ,church was again in a flourishing state4 ,the great apostle felt the necessity of co-operative sympathy and prayer 7,rom4 xv4 #cj2 #b ,thess4 iii4 #a74 #b4 ,prayer should be offered that the most prominent features of the ,gospel may be declared4--,to speak the mystery of ,christ1 for which ,i am also in bonds 7ver4 #c74 ,it has before been explained in this epistle that the mystery of ,christ is a grand summary of all the leading truths of the ,gospel3 the mystery of the incarnation of ,christ1 the mystery of ,his sufferings and death as a sacrifice for sin1 the mystery of admitting the ,gentiles on equal terms with the ,jews to all the privileges and blessings of the new covenant4 ,it was the apostle's intrepid advocacy of the rights of the despised ,gentile--maugre the fierce bigotry of his own countrymen1 the deep-seated prejudice of the times1 and even the slavish indifference of the ,gentiles themselves--which led to his imprisonment3 for which ,i am also in bonds4 ,the prayers of the good give the preacher courage to declare all the counsel of ,god1 whether it be palatable or not1 and to give special prominence to those truths which are of priceless importance to humanity4 #c4 ,prayer should be offered1 that opportunity may be afforded for the free declaration of the ,gospel4--,that ,god would open unto us a door of utterance 7ver4 #c74 ,the door had been closed and barred to the apostle for four years by his imprisonment4 ,he felt a holy impatience to be free1 that he might resume the loved labour of former years1 when from ,jerusalem and round about into ,illyricum he had fully preached the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,but he waited till the door was opened by ,divine providence2 and this he knew was often done in answer to believing prayer4 ,so there are times1 in all ages of the ,church1 when the door of opportunity for disseminating the ,gospel is shut by the opposition of the world1 by the plottings of ,satan1 by the prevalence of a rabid infidelity1 or by the removal of eminent champions for the truth2 but1 in response to the earnest intercessions of ,god's people1 a great and effectual door is opened1 and the ,church advances to fresh conquests4 #d4 ,prayer should be offered that the ,gospel may be declared with fearless self-evidencing power4--,that ,i may make it manifest1 as ,i ought to speak 7ver4 #d74 ,there are some who preach the ,gospel in a cold1 lifeless1 perfunctory manner1 or with unmeaning feebleness and unmanly timidity4 ,when the preacher sinks down into a condition so abject as this1 he has lost sight of the true meaning of the ,gospel1 he becomes the most pitiable object under the sun1 and is exposed to the scathing vengeance of heaven4 ,to preach the ,gospel with clearness1 with intrepidity1 and with irresistible persuasiveness1 that he may make it manifest1 as he ought to speak1 demands the best energies of the soul1 and1 above all1 the special endowments of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,a minister is mightily aided in preaching by the wrestling intercessions of a holy and sympathetic people4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,prayer is an excellent training for efficiency in all other duties4 #b4 ,prayer is a gigantic power in the propagation of the ,gospel4 #c4 ,the topics for prayer are vast in range and not far to seek4 #d4 ,when you can do nothing else you can pray4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #b4 ,true ,devotion4 ,i4 ,explain the meaning of the text4--,it is3-- #a4 ,not to be engaged without intermission in outward and formal acts of devotion4--,this is inconsistent with our nature1 with commanded duties1 with the ends of prayer4 #b4 ,to be frequently engaged in formal acts of devotion4--7#a7 ,no exercise more hallowing and soothing to the soul4 7#b7 ,none more profitable as procuring blessings4 7#c7 ,one to which those whose example is recorded gave a prominent place--,job1 ,david1 ,daniel1 ,paul1 ,christ4 7#d7 ,morning1 evening1 intervals1 social4 #c4 ,to be persevering and importunate in asking particular blessings4--,god does not always send sensibly the answer at once4 ,a deeper sense of want may be necessary4 ,a trial of faith1 patience1 and submissiveness may be expedient4 ,the proper season may not have come4 ,god's sovereignty must be owned4 ,we ought to assure ourselves that we pray according to ,god's will4 ,,ii4 ,enforce the exhortation4--#a4 ,because you are commanded to do so4 #b4 ,because ,christ and the ,spirit intercede for you4 ,there is no duty for which there is more ample assistance provided4 #c4 ,because of the number and greatness of your wants4 ,it is by faith that we know our wants4 ,hence the necessity4 #d4 ,because of the exhaustless provision that ,god has made for you4 ,god acts as ,god in the provision and in the bestowal4 #e4 ,because of the number of promises not yet fulfilled4 ,to you individually1 to the ,church1 to ,christ4 #f4 ,because the season for prayer is speedily hastening away4--,stewart4 ,vers4 #c1 #d4 ,praying and ,preaching4 ,i4 ,the sermon is powerful that is well prayed over 7ver4 #d74 ,,ii4 ,a praying preacher uses every available opportunity to proclaim the truth 7ver4 #c74 ,,iii4 ,the theme of the preacher becomes more definite and effective by prayer 7ver4 #c74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e1 #f4 ,the ,wise ,conduct of ,life4 ,the ,christian lives a dual life3 one in spiritual communion with heaven1 under the eye of ,god2 the other in daily contact with the outer world1 exposed to its observation and criticism4 ,the aspects of the life patent to the world's gaze do not always correspond with the best impulses of the life concealed2 the actual falls short of the ideal4 ,the world forms its judgment of the ,christian from what it sees of his outer life and makes no allowance for his unseen struggles after moral perfection and his bitter penitence over conscious failures4 ,nor can we blame the world for this2 the outer life of the believer furnishes the only evidence on which the world can form its estimate1 and it is incapable of apprehending and taking into account hidden spiritual causes4 ,the living example of the believer presents the only ideas of ,christianity that great numbers have any means of possessing2 he is a ,christ to them1 until they are brought to a clearer knowledge of the true and only ,christ4 ,with what wisdom and circumspection should the believer walk toward them that are without6 ,i4 ,that the conduct of life is to be regulated according to the dictates of the highest wisdom4--#a4 ,religion is a life4 ,walk 7ver4 #e74 ,a walk implies motion1 progression1 continual approximation to destination4 ,our life is a walk2 we are perpetually and actively advancing towards our destiny4 ,religion is not a sentiment1 not a round of bewitching ceremonies1 not a succession of pleasurable emotions2 it is a life4 ,it pervades the whole soul1 thrills every nerve1 participates in every joy and sorrow1 and moulds and inspires the individual character4 #b4 ,religion is a life shaped and controlled by the highest wisdom4--,walk in wisdom 7ver4 #e74 ,christian conduct is governed by the ,spirit of that wisdom which is from above1 and under the influence of the knowledge which maketh wise unto salvation 7,jas4 iii4 #ag74 ,it is ruled1 not by an erratic sentiment or by the wild impulse of a senseless fanaticism1 but by a sound understanding and a wise discretion4 ,its experience and hopes rest upon a basis of truth transcending in certainty1 wisdom1 and majesty the most imposing speculations of the human mind4 #c4 ,religion is a life that should be instructive to the irreligious4--,toward them that are without 7ver4 #e7--without the pale of the ,church1 the unbelievers4 ,an upright1 holy1 consistent example is often more eloquent than words1 more practically effective than the most elaborate code of moral maxims4 ,the follies and glaring inconsistencies of professing ,christians have often inflicted serious damage upon the ,church itself and turned religion into ridicule among the thoughtless and irreligious outsiders4 ,the world is to be largely trained into correct views of truth and a just appreciation of the ,christian spirit by the humble1 saintly lives of those who have experienced the transforming power of the ,gospel4 ,be more anxious to live religiously than to talk religiously4 #d4 ,religion is a life that impels the soul to seize every opportunity for good doing4--,redeeming the time 7ver4 #e7--;buying up the opportunity for yourselves4 ,opportunity is the flower of time1 which blooms but for a moment and is gone forever4 ,evil is prevalent2 it effects the great majority1 it advances with ever accelerating momentum2 every opportunity for checking its career and destroying its power should be snatched with eagerness and used with promptitude and discretion4 ,the wisdom that regulates the religious life will be the safest guide as to the way in which the passing moment may be turned to the best advantage4 ,the children of ,issachar were commended as men that had understanding of the times1 to know what ,israel ought to do 7#a ,chron4 xii4 #cb74 ,ill-timed and inconsiderate zeal will do more harm than good4 ,,ii4 ,that the conduct of life is to be regulated by judicious speech4--#a4 ,christian speech should be gracious4 ,let your speech be alway with grace 7ver4 #f74 ,the mouth ought to be a treasury of benediction1 out of which no corrupt communication should issue1 but that which is good to the use of edifying1 that it may minister grace unto the hearers4 ,truth is the soul of grace2 and infinite pains should be taken that every utterance of the tongue should at least be true4 ,idle gossip1 slander1 falsehood1 should never fall from lips circumcised by the grace of ,god4 ,beware of the promiscuous use of the hackneyed phrases of pious cant4 ,it is not so much a set religious phraseology that is wanted1 as that all our speech should be baptised with the chrism of a religious spirit4 #b4 ,christian speech should be piquant4--,seasoned with salt 7ver4 #f74 ,salt is the emblem of what is quickening and preservative2 and the conversation seasoned with it will be pure1 agreeable1 pointed--free from all taint and corrupting influence4 ,the ancient teachers of rhetoric used to speak of ,attic salt1 with which they advised their pupils to flavour their speeches1 that they might sparkle with jests and witticisms4 ,but it is not this kind of condiment that the apostle recommends4 ,wit is a dangerous gift to most men2 but where it is joined with a well-balanced understanding1 and sanctified by the grace of ,god1 it may become a powerful weapon in the advocacy of truth and minister to the good of many4 ,speech1 to be beneficial1 must be thoughtful1 choice1 sharp1 clear1 forceful4 #c4 ,christian speech should be practical4--,that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man 7ver4 #f74 ,it requires much practical wisdom to be able to speak well and wisely about religion to both objectors and inquirers1 and only the man accustomed to carefully weigh his words and guard his utterances can become an adept in this work4 ,every ,christian may cultivate the wisdom which governs the tongue and is bound to do so 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #ae74 ,silence is sometimes the most conclusive answer4 ,it is the triumph of wisdom to know when to speak and when to hold our peace4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the power of a blameless life4 #b4 ,the value of a well-chosen word4 #c4 ,the supreme control claimed by religion over actions and speech4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the ,worth of ,time4 ,i4 ,time ought to be improved because its value is inexpressible4--#a4 ,the worth of time may be argued from a survey of the great and momentous business to which it must be appropriated--to get ready for eternity4 #b4 ,from the astonishing price at which it has been purchased for us4 #c4 ,from the careful manner in which it is allotted to mankind4 ,,ii4 ,because of the brevity of its duration4 ,,iii4 ,because1 short as our time is1 much of it has already elapsed4 ,,iv4 ,because what remains to us is uncertain4 ,v4 ,because nothing can ever compensate the loss of time4 ,,vi4 ,god has made eternity to depend on the issues and results of time4--,dr4 ,robt4 ,newton4 ,ver4 #f4 ,christian ,conversation4--,the apostle recommends a seasoning ,i4 ,of piety4 ,,ii4 ,of chastity4 ,,iii4 ,of charity4 ,,iv4 ,of severity4 ,v4 ,of solidity4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,extravagant raillery poisons conversation4 #b4 ,a spirit of disputing is a vice of conversation4 #c4 ,indiscreet questions are a pest of conversation4--,saurin4 ,christ's ,truth in ,relation to our ,daily ,conversation4 ,i4 ,the large space which words occupy in human life4--#a4 ,on account of their number4 #b4 ,on account of their consequences4 ,,ii4 ,the importance of special self-examination in reference to our words4 ,,iii4 ,earnest listening to the ,divine voices the cure for vain speech and the source of gracious speech4 ,,iv4 ,our words are not to be all about religion but pervaded by the spirit of religion4 ,v4 ,our conversation being thus seasoned1 we shall know how we ought to answer every man4--,r4 ,abercrombie4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-aa4 ,side-lights on ,church-life in the ,early ,times4 ,a straw will indicate the direction of current2 a bit of glass will reveal a star2 a kick of the foot may discover a treasure that will enrich successive generations2 a word1 a look1 an involuntary movement will disclose the leading tendency of an individual character2 so on the crowded stage of life it is not always the gigantic and public scenes that are most suggestive and instructive1 but rather the trivial1 undesigned incidents which are unnoticed by an ordinary observer4 ,a reflective mind will pick up material for thought from the most unexpected and unpromising quarters4 ,the apostle has finished the grand argument of the epistle and shown the importance of certain duties which grow out of the reception of the truths enforced4 ,in approaching the conclusion1 he appears to be chiefly occupied with a mass of personal and miscellaneous matters4 ,the few remaining verses contain little else but a series of names1 with the briefest qualifying phrases attached4 ,but here and there light is thrown on truths which1 though familiar1 are all the more strongly impressed on our minds because of their evident antiquity4 ,in these verses there are side-lights thrown on ,church-life in the early times with reference to ,christian sympathy1 commendations1 courtesy1 and co-operation4 ,we learn3-- ,i4 ,the value of ,christian sympathy4--#a4 ,as fostering mutual interest in tidings concerning the work of ,god4 ,all my state shall ,tychicus declare unto you1 4 4 4 whom ,i have sent unto you for the same purpose2 4 4 4 shall make known unto you all things which are done here 7vers4 #g-i74 ,the apostle1 though in prison and separated by a long distance from the ,colossians1 does not abate anything of his interest in their welfare4 ,he had received tidings of their condition as a ,church2 of their steadfastness1 successes1 and perils2 and he was sure that intelligence from him would be eagerly welcomed by them4 ,he therefore despatched ,tychicus and ,onesimus1 who could furnish more details concerning the apostle1 the exemplary spirit in which he bore his sufferings1 his profound anxiety on behalf of the ,churches and the progress of the ,gospel in ,rome1 than were contained in the epistle they carried4 ,a heart1 touched with a genuine ,christian sympathy1 rejoices in the extension of the work of ,god1 in whatever part of the world1 and by whatever ,christian agency4 ,the mutual interchange of intelligence tends to excite the interest1 promote the union1 and stimulate the enterprise of the ,churches4 #b4 ,as a source of encouragement and strength in the ,christian life4--,that he might know your estate and comfort your heart 7ver4 #h74 ,instead of that he might know your estate1 another reading of the original1 adopted by ,lightfoot and other eminent critics1 has that ye might know our affairs4 ,but1 as ,bishop ,wordsworth remarks1 the very purpose for which ,paul sent ,tychicus to the ,colossians was not1 it would seem1 in order that they might know how ,st4 ,paul was faring1 but that he might know whether they were standing steadfast in the faith against the attempts of the false teachers4 ,whichever reading is adopted1 the practical lesson is the same2 both express the reality1 strength1 and beauty of a mutual sympathy4 ,the presence of ,tychicus and ,onesimus1 the character of the tidings they brought1 and the fervour of their exhortations1 would encourage and reassure the ,colossians amid the perplexities and doubts occasioned by the false teachers4 ,mutual expression of sympathy and inter-community of intelligence will do much to comfort and edify the ,churches4 ,,ii4 ,the appropriateness of ,christian commendation 7ver4 #g74--,the apostle speaks highly of his two messengers--not in terms of extravagant flattery1 but in a way calculated to ensure their favourable reception by the ,colossians and a respectful attention to their message4 ,tychicus was a native of proconsular ,asia1 perhaps of ,ephesus4 ,he was well known as an authorised delegate of ,st4 ,paul and is mentioned in other places as being with the apostle 7,acts xx4 #db2 #b ,tim4 iv4 #ab2 ,tit4 iii4 #ab74 ,he is spoken of in this verse as a beloved brother1 a faithful minister1 a fellow-servant in the ,lord4 ,the great apostle1 far from taking advantage of his exalted calling and inspiration1 humbled himself before the least of his brethren1 spoke in the highest terms of their faithful labours1 and associated them with his own4 ,onesimus1 a ,colossian1 is commended as a faithful and beloved brother4 ,it was the more needful he should be thus commended1 because if he was known to the ,colossians at all it would be as a worthless1 runaway slave4 ,some time before1 ,onesimus had forsaken his master ,philemon1 and fled to ,rome--the common sink of all nations--probably as a convenient hiding-place where he might escape detection among its crowds and make a livelihood as best he could4 ,in the metropolis--perhaps accidentally1 perhaps through the intervention of ,epaphras--he fell in with the apostle1 his master's old friend4 ,st4 ,paul becomes interested in his case1 instructs him in the ,gospel1 and is the instrument of his conversion2 and now he is commended to the ,colossians1 no more as a good-for-nothing slave1 but as a brother2 no more dishonest and faithless1 but trustworthy2 no more an object of contempt1 but love4 ,the apostle sent him back to his master ,philemon1 and it is generally thought1 having been set at liberty by his owner1 he became a faithful and laborious minister of ,christ4 ,such is the transforming power of ,divine grace in changing and renewing the heart1 in obliterating all former distinctions and degradations1 and in elevating a poor slave to the dignity of a faithful and beloved brother of the greatest of apostles4 ,christian commendations are valuable according to the character of the persons from whom they issue1 and as they are borne out in the subsequent conduct of the persons commended4 ,every care should be taken that the testimonial of recommendation is strictly true4 ,it is putting a man in a false position and doing him an injury to exaggerate his qualifications by excessive glory4 ,,iii4 ,suggestive examples of ,christian courtesy4--,aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you1 and ,marcus1 sister's son to ,barnabas1 7touching whom ye received commandments3 if he come unto you1 receive him27 and ,jesus1 which is called ,justus1 who are of the circumcision 7vers4 #aj1 #aa74 ,aristarchus was a ,jew1 though a native of ,thessalonica4 ,he was with ,paul during the riot at ,ephesus and was hurried with ,gaius into the theatre by ,demetrius and his craftsmen4 ,he accompanied the apostle from ,greece to ,jerusalem with the collection for the saints4 ,when ,paul was imprisoned in ,judea1 he abode with him2 and when he went into ,italy1 he also went and remained with him there during his confinement1 till at length he became1 it may be1 obnoxious to the magistrates1 and was cast into prison2 or perhaps he became a voluntary prisoner1 that he might share the apostle's captivity4 ,what a glimpse have we here of heroic devotion1 and of the irresistible charm there must have been in the apostle in attaching men to himself6 ,marcus was the ,john ,mark frequently referred to in the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,he had been the occasion of a contention between ,paul and ,barnabas1 which led to their separating from each other and following different scenes of labour4 ,mark had1 from cowardice or some other motive1 departed from them from ,pamphylia1 and went not with them out to the work2 and when ,barnabas1 probably influenced by his affection as near kinsman1 wished to take him with them1 ,paul resolutely refused thus to distinguish a young and unstable disciple4 ,but from the reference here it appears that ,mark had repented of his timid and selfish behaviour and returned to a better spirit4 ,perhaps the displeasure of the apostle weighed upon his mind1 and1 with ,barnabas' prayers and example1 had brought him to a right view of his misconduct4 ,he was now restored to the apostle's confidence1 and it appears ,paul had already given directions to the ,colossians concerning ,mark to welcome him heartily if he paid them a visit--touching whom ye received commandments3 if he come to you1 receive him4 ,the third ,hebrew convert who united in sending salutations was ,jesus1 which was also called ,justus--a common name or surname of ,jews and proselytes1 denoting obedience and devotion to the law4 ,nothing definite is known of this person2 but the apostle held him in such esteem as to join his salutation with the rest4 ,these three friends and companions of ,paul were ,jews--they were of the circumcision2 and yet they send their salutations to a ,church composed chiefly of ,gentiles4 ,the ,christian spirit triumphed over their deep-rooted prejudices1 and their greeting would be all the more valued as an expression of their personal esteem1 their brotherly affection1 and their oneness in ,christ4 ,that courtesy is the most refined1 graceful1 gentle1 and acceptable that springs from the ,christian spirit4 ,,iv4 ,the solace of ,christian co-operation4--,these only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of ,god1 which have been a comfort unto me 7ver4 #aa74 ,the tendency of the ,jewish convert was to lean to the ,mosaic ritual and insist on its necessity in realising the efficacy of the ,gospel4 ,thus1 they favoured the false philosophy of the ,jewish ,platonists1 and fell into the errors against which the apostle so faithfully warns in this epistle4 ,the action of the ,judaizing teachers and their sympathisers was often a grief and hindrance to him4 ,of all the ,jewish converts in ,rome only three were a comfort to him4 ,they thoroughly embraced and advocated the free and unconditional admission of the ,gentiles into the ,church of ,christ and were devoted and zealous fellow-workers with him in extending the kingdom of ,god4 ,it is an evidence of the unpopularity among the ,jews of the ,gospel as intended equally for the ,gentiles1 and of the formidable prejudices and difficulties with which the apostle had to contend in that early time1 that there were only three ,hebrew converts who were a comfort to him4 ,and yet how consoling is the sympathy and co-operation of the faithful few6 ,sometimes the noblest men are deserted by timid and time-serving professors and left to toil on alone in peril and sadness4 ,history records the triumphs of those who have successfully braved the solitary struggle in some great crisis2 but it is silent about the vanquished who1 with broken hearts and shattered intellects1 have sunk into unchronicled oblivion4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christian experience is the same in all ages4 #b4 ,true courtesy costs little and accomplishes much4 #c4 ,genuine sympathy is best shown by an active and self-denying co-operation4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab1 #ac4 ,the ,model ,pastor4 ,nothing is known of ,epaphras beyond the few but significant notices which connect him with ,coloss1 of which city he was a native4 ,acting under the direction of ,st4 ,paul1 probably when the apostle was residing for three years at ,ephesus1 ,epaphras was the honoured agent in introducing the ,gospel into ,coloss and the neighbouring cities of ,laodicea and ,hierapolis2 and it is evident he regarded himself as responsible for the spiritual well-being of all these places4 ,the dangerous condition of the ,colossian and neighbouring ,churches at this time filled the mind of ,epaphras with a holy jealousy and alarm4 ,a strange form of heresy had appeared among them--a mixture of ,jewish formalism with the speculations of an ,oriental philosophy--and was rapidly spreading4 ,the distress of the faithful evangelist was extreme4 ,he journeyed to ,rome in order to lay this state of things before the apostle1 and to seek his counsel and assistance4 ,the apostle bears testimony to his profound anxiety for the spiritual condition of the newly founded ,churches on the banks of the ,lycus4 ,he had much toil for them and was ever fervently wrestling in prayer on their behalf1 that they might stand fast and not lose the simplicity of their earlier faith but might advance to a more perfect knowledge of the ,divine will4 ,in the verses now under consideration we have ,epaphras brought before us as the model pastor4 ,i4 ,the model pastor is distinguished by a suggestive designation4--,a servant of ,christ 7ver4 #ab74 ,this title1 which the apostle uses several times for himself1 is not elsewhere conferred on any other individual1 except once on ,timothy 7,phil4 i4 #a71 and probably points to exceptional services in the cause of the ,gospel on the part of ,epaphras 7,lightfoot74 ,a true pastor is not the servant of the ,church to echo its decisions and do its bidding2 but he is the servant for the ,church to influence its deliberations and decisions1 to mould its character and direct its enterprises4 ,he is a servant of ,christ1 receiving his commission from ,him1 ever anxious to ascertain ,his will1 and ready to carry out that will at whatever sacrifice4 ,such a service involves no loss of self-respect or manliness1 no degradation1 but is free1 honourable1 and rich in blessing4 ,,ii4 ,the model pastor is incessant in zealous labour4--,for ,i bear him record1 that he hath a great zeal for you1 and them that are in ,laodicea and them in ,hierapolis 7ver4 #ac74 ,the zeal of ,epaphras urged him to extend his ,christian labours beyond the limits of ,coloss3 he visited the adjoining cities1 which were much larger in population and wealthier in commerce4 ,laodicea1 rising from obscurity1 had become1 two or three generations before the apostle wrote1 a populous and thriving city1 and was then the metropolis of the cities on the banks of the ,lycus4 ,hierapolis was an important and growing city1 and1 in addition to its trade in dyed wools1 had a reputation as a fashionable watering-place1 where the seekers of pleasure and of health resorted to partake of its waters which possessed valuable medicinal qualities4 ,the rare virtues of the city have been celebrated in song3 ,hail1 fairest soil in all broad ,asia's realm2 ,hail1 golden city1 nymph divine1 bedeck'd ,with flowing rills1 thy jewels4 ,into the midst of these populations the fervent ,epaphras introduced the ,gospel and spared no pains in his endeavour to establish and confirm the believers4 ,it was on their behalf he undertook the journey to ,rome to confer with ,st4 ,paul as to their state2 and the apostle testifies to the unceasing exercise of his great and holy zeal for his distant but ever-remembered flock4 ,when the heart is interested and moved1 labour is a delight2 and it is the way in which the heart is affected towards any work that gives to it significance and worth4 ,canon ,liddon writes3 ,are we not very imperfectly alive to the moral meaning of work and the moral fruits of work as work8 ,the true pastor1 with a heart overflowing with zeal for the glory of ,god and the good of men1 cheerfully undertakes labour from which the ordinary worker would timidly shrink4 ,,iii4 ,the model pastor is intensely exercised in prayer for the people of ,god4--,always labouring fervently wrestling1 agonising for you in prayers 7ver4 #ab74 ,the faithful minister has not only to teach his flock--a task which involves vigilant observation1 extensive reading1 and anxious study--but he has also to plead earnestly at the throne of grace on their behalf4 ,in times of spiritual dearth1 disappointment1 embarrassment1 and distress1 prayer is the all-efficacious resource4 ,there are circumstances in which the minister can do nothing but pray4 ,difficulties that defied all other means have vanished before the irresistible power of persistent and believing intercession4 ,prayer attains what the most conclusive reasoning1 the most eloquent appeal1 the most diligent personal attention1 sometimes fail to accomplish4 ,it sets in silent but stupendous operation the mightiest spiritual agencies of the universe4 ,it opens the fountain of ,divine grace1 and its streams flow in full-tide velocity through the hitherto arid wilderness of human hearts1 and life1 freshness1 fertility1 and beauty spring up in its reviving course4 ,it is ,god only whose help is omnipotent1 and on this help faithful prayer lays hold and uses it in effecting its wonderous transformations4 ,,iv4 ,the model pastor is constantly solicitous that the people of ,god should be firmly established in the highest good4--,that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of ,god 7ver4 #ab7--perfectly instructed and fully convinced in everything willed by ,god4 ,the great aim of all ministerial anxiety is not only to instruct his people in the full and accurate knowledge of the ,divine will1 but to produce such a persuasion of the supreme majesty and authority of that will to induce steadfast continuance in practical obedience4 ,the will of ,god and the highest good of man are always in harmony4 ,whatever threatens to disturb the stability of the believer1 or to retard his development towards the highest moral excellence1 whether it arises from his personal unwatchfulness and indifference or from the subtle attacks of error1 is always a subject of keen solicitude to the faithful pastor4 ,he knows that if his converts fall away they are lost and the truth itself is disgraced4 ,to be established in an unswerving obedience it is necessary to be filled with the knowledge of ,god's will4 ,this blessedness is the grand scope and crowning glory of the ,christian life4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the office of pastor is fraught with endless anxieties1 great responsibilities1 and rare opportunities4 #b4 ,the true pastor finds his purest inspirations1 his most potent spiritual weapon1 and his grandest successes in prayer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad-ag4 ,christian ,greetings and ,counsels4 ,it is sometimes asked1 with an indiscriminate flippancy1 ,what's in a name8 ,there are some names which have no title to a lasting remembrance1 and with reference to these the flippancy may be justified4 ,but there are names whose reputation is imperishable1 and which are written on the world's history in indelible characters4 ,the name of ,paul1 the great apostle of the ,gentiles1 will be venerated by the coming ages when the titles of the greatest sages and warriors shall have faded away in the darkness of oblivion2 and1 just as there are lesser lights in the firmament that share in the glory of the great luminary to which they are essentially related1 so there are names of lesser note grouped around that of the great apostle that are immortalised by their association with him4 ,besides1 names as they are quoted and used by ,st4 ,paul in this and other epistles often furnish evidence of the authenticity of ,scripture and undesigned coincidences of the truth of the sacred history4 ,in these verses there are some names preserved to us which were lifted into prominence by the connection of the persons they represented with the apostle1 and by their own eminent piety and usefulness4 ,they furnish another illustration of the truth of the sacred saying1 ,the memory of the just is blessed2 but the name of the wicked shall rot 7,prov4 x4 #g74 ,we have here a series of kindly ,christian greetings and important ,christian counsels4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,the value of a ,christian greeting is estimated by the moral character of those from whom it emanates4--,luke1 the beloved physician1 and ,demas1 greet you 7ver4 #ad74 ,two persons are here mentioned whose individual histories present a suggestive contrast2 and it is observable1 by the way in which their names are mentioned1 that the two men stood very differently in the apostle's estimation4 #a4 ,luke is the beloved physician--the very dear and attached friend of ,paul4 ,he was his constant companion in travel and stood faithfully by him in his greatest trials4 ,he joined the apostle at ,troas 7,acts xvi4 #aj71 accompanied him into ,judea1 remained with him during two years of his imprisonment at ,jerusalem and ,csarea1 and was no doubt present at his trial before ,festus and ,felix2 he went with him into ,italy when ,paul was sent there as a prisoner1 and during his second and final imprisonment in ,rome2 while others deserted him1 ,luke continued his staunch and faithful friend4 ,in the last epistle probably the apostle ever wrote is the simple but pathetic reference1 ,only ,luke is with me4 ,we can understand1 therefore1 the affectionate tenderness with which ,luke is designated the beloved physician4 ,as ,st4 ,paul was not a robust man but was troubled with a thorn in the flesh1 the presence of a medical friend must have been of immense service to him in his laborious missionary journeys and during his long imprisonment4 ,the physicians of ancient times had a very questionable reputation for religiousness2 but in these modern days there is an increasing number of medical men who are no less eminent for piety than for their professional skill1 and many and important are the opportunities of such for doing good both to body and soul4 ,the greetings of a man of superlative moral excellence is gratefully welcomed and respectfully treasured4 #b4 ,and ,demas6--,how suggestive is the laconic allusion6 ,there is no explanation1 no qualifying word of any special regard4 ,perhaps the apostle was already beginning to suspect him1 to mark the increasing worldliness of his spirit1 and his growing indifference to ,divine things4 ,about three years after this greeting was despatched to the ,colossians1 we meet with the melancholy record3 ,demas hath forsaken me1 having loved this present world 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #aj74 ,alas6 how seductive and how fatal are the allurements of the world6 ,the highest and holiest are not invulnerable to its charms4 ,the most promising career of usefulness and honour has often been blighted by its influence4 ,bitter indeed would be the disappointment of the apostle's heart to witness one1 whom he had acknowledged and trusted as a fellow-worker in the ,gospel1 fall a victim to worldly avarice1 and1 like ,achan1 covet the golden wedge and ,babylonish garment of secular things4 ,there is a specially solemn significance in the warning of the beloved disciple3 ,love not the world1 neither the things that are in the world 7#a ,john ii4 #ae74 ,,ii4 ,christian greeting recognises the universal brotherhood of the ,church4--#a4 ,we learn the early ,christian churches were composed of brethren4 ,salute the brethren which are in ,laodicea 7ver4 #ae74 ,this recognition of a common brotherhood was a great advance upon the eclecticism and sharp1 prejudiced distinctions of the times4 ,in the circle of the ,christian ,church the ,jew surrendered his ,judaism1 and the ,gentile his paganism1 and became one in ,christ2 the slave and the freeman enjoyed the same spiritual liberty1 and the barbarian was no longer dreaded as a monster1 but hailed as a brother4 ,the test of brotherhood and union is an individual faith in the common ,saviour1 the sharing of one common life in the ,holy ,spirit1 and the assurance of possessing one common ,father in ,god4 ,it is only as we encourage the brotherly spirit that we can ensure union and permanency in the ,churches4 ,about thirty years after this salutation was sent to the ,laodiceans1 the ,church in that city had degenerated into a state of lukewarmness and sterility 7,rev4 iii4 #ae1 #af74 ,there is need for united watchfulness and fidelity in order to continue1 steadfast1 immovable1 always abounding in the work of the ,lord 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #eh74 #b4 ,we learn further that a separate assembly of brethren constituted a ,church4--,and ,nymphas1 and the ,church which is in his house 7ver4 #ae74 ,this was not the principal ,church in ,laodicea1 nor was it simply a meeting together of the family1 but an assembly of worshippers4 ,nymphas was probably a man of position and influence in the city and being also a man of piety1 he afforded every opportunity for the gathering together of the brethren for ,christian worship and communion4 ,there is little said in the ,new ,testament about ,church polity1 and there is no ecclesiastical organisation1 whether ,episcopal1 ,presbyterian1 or ,congregational1 that can claim exclusive ,divine authority and sanction4 ,whether meeting in large numbers in the stately cathedral1 the modern tabernacle1 or a few in the private dwelling-house1 a company of believers assembled for worship and mutual edification constitutes a ,church4 ,thus the true brotherhood of ,christianity is maintained1 irrespective of locality1 of ecclesiastical structure1 or of sacerdotal claims and pretensions4 ,,iii4 ,the reading of the ,holy ,scriptures in the ,church an important subject of apostolic counsel4--,and when this epistle is read among you1 cause that it be read also in the ,church of the ,laodiceans1 and that ye likewise read the epistle from ,laodicea 7ver4 #af74 ,the epistle from ,laodicea refers to a letter that ,st4 ,paul had sent to that city1 and which was to be forwarded to ,coloss for perusal4 ,some think this was a letter specifically addressed to the ,laodiceans1 and which is now lost2 but the best commentators now believe that the epistle to the ,ephesians is meant1 which was1 in fact1 a circular letter addressed to the principal ,churches in proconsular ,asia4 ,tychicus was obliged to pass through ,laodicea on his way to ,coloss and would leave a copy of the ,ephesian epistle there before the ,colossian letter was delivered4 ,here we learn that one important means of edification was the reading of the inspired letters of the apostle in the assemblies of the brethren4 ,the public reading of the ,scriptures has been an invaluable method of instruction to the ,church in all ages and places1 and it is a provision with which the ,church will never be able to dispense4 ,the ,church which dares to prohibit the general perusal of the ,scriptures1 or reads only small portions1 and those mumbled in a language not understood by the people1 has thrown off all regard for apostolic counsel and inflicts an unutterable injury upon humanity4 ,shut up the ,bible1 and the ,churches will instantly be invaded by the most enfeebling superstitions1 the civilisation of the nations will be put centuries behind1 and the widespread ignorance and moral and social degradation of the dark ages will reappear4 ,,iv4 ,an example of apostolic counsel concerning fidelity in the ,christian ministry4--,and say to ,archippus1 ,take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the ,lord1 that thou fulfil it 7ver4 #ag74 ,it is probable that ,archippus was a youthful pastor recently appointed to the ,church at ,laodicea4 ,already signs of a slackened zeal began to appear1 which afterwards culminated in the state of lukewarmness for which this ,church was denounced 7,rev4 iii4 #ai74 ,the condition of preacher and people reacts upon each other2 the ,church takes its colour from and communicates its colour to its spiritual pastor4 ,hence the apostle1 well knowing the perils surrounding the inexperienced ,archippus1 sends to him this timely warning to take heed of his ministry4 ,he is reminded of3-- #a4 ,the direct authority of the ministry4--,the ministry which thou hast received in the ,lord4 ,the commission to preach the ,gospel can come from no other than the ,lord and can be properly received only by one who is himself spiritually in the ,lord2 there must be not only gifts1 but also grace4 ,the minister must be in direct and constant communication with the ,lord1 depend on ,him for help in doing his duty1 remember he is accountable to ,him1 and strive to seek ,his glory in preference to all personal considerations4 ,in times of difficulty and trial it will sustain the courage of the minister to feel that his commission is ,divine in its source and authority4 #b4 ,the implied dangers of the ministry4--,take heed4 ,the special dangers that threatened the ,colossian ,church at that time have been distinctly pointed out in the epistle4 ,the ministry is ever encompassed with perils1 arising from the seductive forms of error1 the flatteries and frowns of the world1 the subtle workings of self-approbation1 and the deceitfulness of sin4 ,there is need for the exercise of a sleepless vigilance1 a tireless zeal1 and a faultless circumspection4 #c4 ,the imperative personal demands of the ministry4--,that thou fulfil it4 ,the whole truth must be made known1 and that with the utmost clearness1 faithfulness1 kindness1 and completeness4 ,every energy must be consecrated to the sacred work1 and the aid of all the powers of heaven earnestly implored4 ,no pains must be spared in prayer1 study1 and self-sacrifice to reach the highest efficiency and make full proof of the ministry4 ,failure here is lamentable and irremediable4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,salutations are valuable when imbued with the ,christian spirit4 #b4 ,the true appreciation of the ,holy ,scriptures is shown in their constant and studious perusal4 #c4 ,the ,christian ministry should be sustained by practical sympathy and intelligent co-operation4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,of ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,luke1 the beloved physician4 ,religion and the ,medical ,profession4 ,i4 ,the deference shown to medical science4 ,,ii4 ,benevolence of the medical profession4 ,,iii4 ,religious drawbacks in assaults from materialism4--,mind is one thing1 matter is another4 ,,iv4 ,religious responsibilities4--,vast power for good4 ,co-operation with the minister4 ,v4 ,the ,great ,physician4--,doctor and patient need ,him alike4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,public ,reading of the ,holy ,scriptures an ,important ,means of ,church ,edification4 ,i4 ,it is in harmony with the usage of the ancient ,church4 ,,ii4 ,it is enforced by precept and example in the ,scriptures themselves4 ,,iii4 ,it familiarises the mind with the grandest truths4 ,,iv4 ,it is a mighty agency in advocating and moulding national character4 ,v4 ,it keeps alive the enthusiasm of the ,church for aggressive enterprise4 ,,vi4 ,it demands the most laborious study and practice to render it effective4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the ,christian ,ministry a ,solemn and ,responsible ,trust4 ,i4 ,it is ,divine in its bestowal4--,received in the ,lord4 ,,ii4 ,it is personal in its responsibility4--,which thou hast received4 ,,iii4 ,it involves the communication of good to others4--,ministry4 ,,iv4 ,it has a special aspect of importance to the individual minister4--,the ministry4 ,that thou fulfil it4 ,the ,christian ,ministry demands ,unswerving ,fidelity in accomplishing its ,lofty ,mission4 ,i4 ,divine truth must be clearly apprehended and profoundly realised4 ,,ii4 ,the whole truth must be declared4 ,,iii4 ,the declaration of the truth must be full and courageous4 ,take heed4 ,the ,christian ,ministry is surrounded by ,peculiar ,perils4--,a shrewd and ever-wakeful vigilance is needed-- ,i4 ,against the stealthy encroachments of error4 ,,ii4 ,against the pernicious influences of the world4 ,,iii4 ,against the subtle temptations to unfaithfulness4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,words of ,farewell4 ,last words have in them a nameless touch of pathos4 ,they linger in the memory as a loved familiar presence1 they soothe life's sorrows1 and exert upon the soul a strange and irresistible fascination4 ,as the years rush by1 how rich in meaning do the words that have fallen from dying lips become1 as when ,csar said sadly1 ,and thou1 ,brutus62 or when ,john ,quincy ,adams said1 ,this is the last of earth2 or ,mirabeau's frantic cry for music1 after a life of discord2 or ,george ,washington's calm statement1 ,it is well2 or ,wesley's triumphant utterance1 ,the best of all is1 ,god is with us4 ,and these closing words of the high-souled apostle written from his ,roman prison1 in prospect of threatened death1 carry with them a significance and tenderness which will be felt wherever this epistle is read4 ,in these words we have a personally inscribed salutation1 a touching reminder1 and a brief benediction4 ,i4 ,a personally inscribed salutation4--,the salutation by the hand of me ,paul4 ,the rest of the epistle was dictated by the apostle to an amanuensis1 who1 in this case1 was probably ,timothy4 ,paul adds his own personal salutation1 not only as an expression of his anxious love1 but also as a mark of the authenticity of the document1 and of his unqualified approval of its contents4 ,it would surely be a scene worthy of the pencil of genius to portray the noble prisoner1 whose right hand was linked to the left of his military gaoler1 tracing with tremulous fingers the final words to those for whose sake he was in bonds6 ,how would the hand-writing of such a man be prized and venerated1 and with what holy eagerness would his words be read and pondered6 ,,ii4 ,a touching reminder4--,remember my bonds4 ,the apostle was in prison1 not for any offence against the laws of ,god or man1 but for the sake of the ,gospel he loved to preach1 and which had wrought so marvellous a change in the lives of those to whom he wrote4 ,his bonds bore irrefragable testimony to the truth he was called to proclaim1 and to his unalterable determination to insist upon the rights and privileges of the ,gentiles1 on whose behalf he suffered4 ,he wished to be remembered in prayer1 that he might be sustained in his imprisonment1 and that he might be speedily delivered from it1 so that he might preach the glorious news of spiritual liberty to the benighted and fettered sons of men4 ,remember my bonds4 ,these words seem to indicate that the illustrious prisoner was more concerned to exhibit a spirit and deportment betting the ,gospel than to be released from his incarceration4 ,the ,church of ,christ in all ages has had abundant reason to remember with gratitude and praise the bonds of the great apostle1 not only for the stimulating example of holy patience and dignified submission displayed under trying circumstances1 but for the unspeakably precious literary treasures they enabled him to bequeath to the world4 ,bishop ,wordsworth has well said3 ,the fact that this epistle was written by ,paul in this state of durance and restraint1 and yet designed to minister comfort to others1 and that it has never ceased to cheer the ,church of ,christ1 is certainly one which is worthy of everlasting remembrance4 ,in the prayer for all prisoners and captives special reference should be made to those who are now suffering for the truth4 ,the offence of the cross has not yet ceased4 ,we must practically remember the imprisoned when we supply their wants and assuage their sufferings4 ,,iii4 ,a brief benediction4--,grace be with you4 ,amen4 ,the epistle begins and ends with blessing2 and between these two extremes lies a magnificent body of truth which has dispensed blessings to thousands and is destined to bless thousands more4 ,the benediction is short1 but it is instinct with fervent life and laden with the unutterable wealth of ,divine beneficence4 ,grace is inclusive of all the good ,god can bestow or man receive4 ,grace is what all need1 what none can merit1 and what ,god alone can give4 ,to possess the grace of ,god is to be rich indeed2 without it ',tis misery all1 and woe4 ,grace kindles the lamp of hope amidst the darkest experiences of life1 supplies the clue which unravels the most tangled mysteries1 presses the nectar of consolation into the bitterest cup1 implants in the soul its holiest motives and opens up its noblest career1 strengthens the dying saint when he traverses the lonely borderland of the unknown1 and tunes and perpetuates the celestial harmonies of the everlasting song4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,praise ,god for a well-authenticated ,bible4 #b4 ,praise ,god for the teachings of a suffering life4 #c4 ,praise ,god for ,his boundless grace4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,page #cga1 ,introduction1 second paragraph1 change ii4 #h1 #i to ch4 ii4 #h1 #i and ii4 #aa to ch4 ii4 #aa4 - ,page #cgb1 ,introduction1 first ,occasion paragraph1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,style paragraph1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cgd1 notes on chapter i41 verse #f1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,verse #i1 add right double quote after prudent4 ,verse #aj1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 add left parenthesis before see ver4 #f4 - ,page #cge1 verse #bb1 change unblamable to unblameable and unreprovable to unreproveable4 ,verse #bc1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #cgf1 verse #bh1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7thrice74 ,lesson ,salutation1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #cgg1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 add comma to won and4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from ,churches1 and4 ,lesson ,estimate1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from faith1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cgh1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,lesson ,causes1 point ,i1 remove comma from ,god1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 add comma to ,thus ,god2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice72 remove comma from good1 and4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely and ,divine-human4 - ,page #cgi1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #c1 remove comma from worker1 and4 ,point ,v #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel2 remove comma from truth1 and2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice74 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 - ,page #chj1 ,good ,news note1 each of points ,i1 ,,iii #a1 and ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,hope note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,lesson ,true ,gospel1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel and ,divine2 remove commas from understanding1 and and axiomatic1 and2 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel 7twice71 ,divine and the ,gospel4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7five times72 remove comma from mission1 and4 - ,page #cha1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7thrice72 add comma to ,thus it2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,word1 ,gospel1 ,divine ,spirit1 and ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,divinely1 and ,gospel4 - ,page #chb1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #b 7#c71 apply ,,rc to the ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,each of points #b and #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,gospel note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #chc1 lesson ,comprehensive1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice74 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,divine1 ,gospel1 and ,divine4 - ,the break between pages #chc and #chd is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken ,lord--worthy4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #chd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #a1 add comma to purpose we4 ,point ,,iii #b1 add comma to ,thus the2 remove comma from heaven1 and4 ,point ,,iii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #che1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,providence4 ,point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to ,his cause4 ,paul's ,prayer note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from life1 and4 - ,page #chf1 lesson ,meetness1 point ,i #b1 capitalise ,divine1 referring to a churchman4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add comma to ,thus all4 - ,page #chg1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add comma to ,so men2 remove comma from realms1 and4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #chh1 ,inheritance note1 point ,,ii #a1 add double quotes around inheritance4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add double quotes around saints4 ,lesson ,translation1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #chi1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #a1 add comma to ,so the4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add comma to subjects we4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #a1 remove comma from law1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from blessings1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #cij1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,darkness note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,great ,blessing note title1 change ,re demption to ,redemption4 ,lesson ,relation title1 change ,greated to ,created4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cia1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #a 7#a71 add comma to ,therefore the4 ,point ,,ii #a 7#b71 apply ,,rc to ,first ,cause1 ,active ,agent1 and ,grand ,end4 ,point ,,ii #b 7#a71 apply ,,rc to ,first ,cause2 remove comma from speculation1 and4 - ,page #cib1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b 7#b71 change double quotes around thrones1 dominions1 principalities1 and powers to single quotes within the ,spence quotation4 ,point ,,ii #b 7#c71 apply ,,rc to ,great ,end4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #d1 remove comma from ,him1 and4 - ,page #cid1 lesson ,relation1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from ,hades1 and4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cie1 ,church the ,body note1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #a1 remove comma from ,christ1 and4 - ,page #cif1 lesson ,reconciling1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice7 and ,divinity2 remove commas from universe1 and and beings1 and4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #b1 add comma to therefore it4 - ,page #cig1 same note1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #b 7#a71 add comma to aside and4 ,point ,,ii #b 7#b71 remove comma from other1 and4 ,point ,,ii #b 7#c71 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cih1 ,fulness note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,lesson ,blessings1 introduction1 remove comma from sin1 and2 change ,his restoration to his1 referring to a sinful man4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cii1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from ,christ1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #b1 change unblamable to unblameable2 remove comma from term1 and4 ,point ,,iii #c1 change unreprovable to unreproveable and unblamable to unblameable4 - ,page #djj1 same lesson1 same point1 change unreprovable to unreproveable4 ,reconciliation note1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,himself4 ,holiness note1 point ,i1 change unblamable to unblameable and unreprovable to unreproveable4 ,lesson ,condition1 introduction1 add comma to so the2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dja1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,divine1 and ,gospel 7thrice74 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7thrice72 remove comma from lands1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7four times74 - ,page #djb1 same lesson1 same point1 remove comma from phenomena1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #e1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7thrice7 and ,word4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,joy1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #a1 add comma to ,thus he4 - ,page #djc1 same lesson1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from deeper1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #djd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,honor1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely2 change the comma after own to a semi-colon1 for consistency in punctuating the series2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 - ,page #dje1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice7 and ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 - ,page #djf1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #d 7#a71 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #d 7#b71 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove comma from ,him1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 ,glory note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 ,christ in you note1 correct point ,i to put the period after the number4 ,lesson ,preaching1 introduction1 remove comma from preacher1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 - ,page #djg1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 add ,acts iv4 #ab reference2 remove comma from theme1 but4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add 7ver4 #bh7 for consistency2 add comma to ,hence he4 ,point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #djh1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely and ,gospel2 remove commas from all1 and and age1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,divine1 ,divinely1 and ,divine4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,ministry note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #daj1 lesson ,anxiety1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,i1 remove comma from thought1 and4 - ,page #daa1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from truth1 but2 capitalise ,divine as referring to a churchman4 ,point ,,iii #a1 add comma to ,hence he4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #c 7#a71 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dab1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #c 7#b71 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,iii #c 7#c71 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,gospel 7thrice71 and ,divine2 add ,prov4 viii4 #aa reference4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove comma from outlook1 and4 - ,page #dac1 same lesson1 same point1 add ,eph4 v4 #f reference4 ,lesson ,hidden ,treasures1 introduction1 remove comma from treasure1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dad1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 remove comma from ,him1 and4 ,point ,i #b1 remove comma from everywhere1 and4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dae1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 change ar to are2 add comma to ,so in4 ,unity note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #daf1 lesson ,apostolic ,praise1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice72 remove comma from brief1 but2 add #a ,cor4 xiv4 #dj1 xiv4 #cc1 xvi4 #ad1 xi4 #cd references4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to served ,him2 change exclamation point to question mark2 remove comma from form1 and4 - ,page #dag1 point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from order1 and4 ,lesson ,suggestive1 point ,i1 remove comma from rapidity1 and 7twice72 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dah1 same lesson1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from law1 but4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dai1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from tense1 and4 ,point ,,iv1 remove commas from word1 and and difficulties1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 each of points #a and #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 ,retrospection note1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,imitation note1 point ,,ii1 remove comma for imitate1 and4 - ,page #dbj1 lesson ,marks1 introduction1 remove comma from morals1 and4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from ,gnosticism1 and2 add ,rom i4 #ba1 #bb reference4 - ,page #dbb1 same lesson1 point ,v1 add ,john x4 #aj reference4 ,point ,,vi #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,vi #b1 remove comma from rest1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 remove comma from false1 and4 ,lesson ,divine ,fulness1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #a1 add comma to ,hence we2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice71 ,divinity1 and ,divine4 ,point ,i #b1 remove comma from deity1 and4 - ,page #dbc1 same lesson1 point ,i #c1 remove comma from enshrined1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7four times72 add ,john i4 #ad reference4 ,point ,,iii #a1 add #a ,john v4 #ab reference2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to the ,spirit4 ,point ,,iii #c1 add #a ,thess4 iv4 #ag reference4 - ,page #dbd1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,lesson ,circumcision1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add comma to ,thus their4 - ,page #dbe1 same lesson1 point ,i1 add ,ezek4 xliv4 #i2 ,duet4 xxx4 #f references4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice71 remove comma from law1 and4 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from dies1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,diviner4 - ,page #dbf1 same lesson1 point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from gift1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,lesson ,transition1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dbg1 same lesson1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from health1 and4 ,each of points ,i #c 7#a7 and ,i #c 7#b71 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #c 7#b71 remove comma from life1 and4 ,point ,,ii #a1 remove comma from bondage1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add comma to pardoned and4 - ,page #dbh1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice74 ,lesson ,triumph1 point ,i #a1 remove comma from creation1 and4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add comma to again they4 ,point ,,ii #c1 remove comma from death1 and4 - ,page #dcj1 lesson ,ceremonial1 introduction1 remove comma from real1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove comma from ordinances1 and2 capitalise ,christianised4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dca1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 add comma to so the2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,antitype2 remove comma from it1 when4 - ,page #dcb1 lesson ,seductive1 introduction1 remove comma from them1 and4 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from ,god1 and4 ,point ,,ii #c1 change mortal man venture to mortal man ventures4 - ,page #dcc1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,how a ,church lives note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dcd1 lesson ,ceremonial1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dcf1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dcg1 notes on chapter iii41 verse #ae1 change ii4 #ah to ch4 ii4 #ah4 ,verse #af1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add an em-dash at the end of the paragraph4 ,verse #ah1 remove comma from here1 and4 ,verse #bc1 add double quotes around ,whatsoever ye do1 work heartily and from the soul4 - ,the page break between pages #dci and #ddj is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken3 conduct4--#a4 ,a4 ,the entire unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #dch1 lesson ,aspirations1 point ,,ii #a1 change ver4 #b to ver4 #a4 - ,page #dci1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 add an em-dash at the end of the paragraph4 - ,page #ddj1 lesson ,present ,condition1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine light4 ,point ,i1 remove comma from past1 and4 - ,page #dda1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 add comma to undiscerning ,he4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word4 - ,page #ddc1 lesson ,mortification1 point ,i #c1 remove comma from heart1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from come1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ddd1 same lesson1 point ,v1 remove commas from disguised1 and and man1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dde1 lesson ,new ,nature1 introduction1 remove comma from garments1 but2 add comma to ,so the2 remove comma from state1 but2 add comma to words he4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii1 remove commas from once1 but and possessed1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ddf1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from unsuited1 and4 ,point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #b1 remove comma from country1 and4 ,point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,source1 ,centre1 ,ideal1 and ,possession2 change ,he to he1 referring to the believer4 - ,page #ddg1 ,religion note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,christ note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 remove commas from civ41 and and hearts1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #ddh1 same note1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from ,him1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ddi1 lesson ,essentials1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,son4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dea1 lesson ,love1 introduction1 remove commas from romance1 and and garment1 and4 ,point ,i1 remove comma from ,ghost1 and4 - ,page #deb1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #b1 remove comma from changed1 if4 ,lesson ,rule1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dec1 same lesson1 same point1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from cross1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from ,christ1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 remove commas from games1 and and stadium1 and4 ,point ,,ii #a1 remove comma from duty1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from temptation1 and4 ,point ,,ii #c1 remove comma from right1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word2 add ,ps4 li4 #aj reference4 - ,page #ded1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,god's ,word4 ,point ,,iv #b1 remove comma from body1 so2 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,point ,v1 change sin to sins and ll to all2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,peace note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,word4 - ,page #dee1 lesson ,poetry1 introduction1 remove comma from first1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divinely and ,divine ,word4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,word4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,word1 ,word1 and ,gospel4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,word1 ,word1 ,divinity1 and ,word 7twice74 - ,page #def1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from arrangement1 and4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice74 ,after the poem1 remove comma from dying1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,word4 - ,page #deg1 first note1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,second note1 add ,i4 before first bold point and apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice74 ,application 7,lessons71 each of point #a and #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #dfj1 lesson ,duties of ,husbands1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dfa1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from supreme1 and4 - ,page #dfb1 lesson ,duties of ,parents1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #dfc1 point ,,ii #b1 replace left single quote before ,lest with a left double quote4 ,lesson ,duties of ,masters1 introduction1 remove comma from slavery1 and4 - ,page #dfd1 same lesson1 point ,i1 add ,rev4 vii4 #ae and ,mark x4 #de references2 remove comma from servitude1 but4 ,point ,,ii #a1 remove commas from slaves1 and and slavery1 and4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add ver4 #bb reference2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #a1 add heartily into the verse #bc quotation2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 change ,he hath done what he could to ,she hath done what she could to match ,,kjv and add ,mark xiv4 #h reference4 - ,page #dfe1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add #a ,pet4 i4 #d reference4 ,point ,v1 remove comma from light1 and4 ,point ,,vi #b1 add ,matt4 xxiii4 #h and ,matt4 xxv4 #dj references4 - ,page #dff1 critical notes for chapter iv41 verse #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #dfg1 lesson ,efficacy1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from petitioner1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 remove comma from make1 and4 - ,page #dfh1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add double quotes around the saying of an old writer 7assumed to finish the paragraph74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change once popular minister to once-popular minister4 ,point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,the break between pages #dfh and #dfi is in the word declaration3 declaration4 - ,page #dfi1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice71 ,divine1 and ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7four times74 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dgj1 lesson ,wise1 introduction1 remove comma from life1 and4 ,point ,i #a1 add ver4 #e reference4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,point ,i #c1 remove comma from itself1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dga1 same lesson1 point ,i #d1 remove comma from eagerness1 and4 ,point ,,ii #c1 remove comma from tongue1 and4 ,first note1 add sentence-ending period to point ,,iv4 - ,page #dgb1 ,truth note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iv1 remove comma from religion1 but4 ,lesson ,side-lights1 introduction1 remove comma from epistle1 and4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dgc1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 remove commas from ,paul1 and and crowds1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from ,ephesus1 and4 - ,page #dgd1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from ritual1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 add comma to thus they2 remove comma from ,christ1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove comma from professors1 and4 - ,page #dge1 lesson ,model ,pastor1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove commas from them1 and and faith1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 after poem1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dgf1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dgg1 lesson ,greetings1 introduction1 add ,prov4 x4 #g reference4 ,point ,i #a1 remove commas from travel1 and and man1 but4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 - ,page #dgh1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #a1 add #a ,cor4 xv4 #eh reference4 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from city1 and2 add comma to piety he2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from ,coloss1 and4 - ,page #dgi1 point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove comma from ,lord1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,luke note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,great ,physician4 ,ministry note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dhj1 lesson ,farewell1 point ,i1 change mo to me4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #dha1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,,the ,,first ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,thessalonians4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,introduction4 ,thessalonica and its ,church4--,most of the ,churches of the ,new ,testament belonged to cities which1 if they have not dropped out of existence altogether1 are scarcely recognisable to-day4 ,thessalonica exists as a place of considerable commercial importance1 with a population of #gj1jjj1 under the shortened form of ,saloniki4 ,it is situated at the head of the ,thermaic ,gulf1 so called from the ancient name of the town which rises like an amphitheatre above its blue waters4 ,therma is the name by which the town comes into history1 the warm mineral springs of the neighbourhood originating the appropriate designation4 ,cassander1 son-in-law of ,philip of ,macedon1 gave to the city the name of his wife1 ,thessalonica4 ,its position brought commerce both by sea and land1 for1 in addition to its natural harbour1 the ,via ,egnatia1 like a great artery1 drove its stream of traffic through the town4 ,trade brought riches1 and riches luxurious living and licentiousness4 ,but if sin abounded1 so did the grace which sent the heralds of deliverance from sin in the persons of ,st4 ,paul and ,silas1 fresh from their terrible beating and the dungeon of ,philippi1 and ,timothy1 the ever-valued friend of ,st4 ,paul4 ,jews were in ,thessalonica in greater force than in ,philippi2 and ,st4 ,paul1 perhaps not with any great hope of success amongst the adherents of the religion in which he had been trained1 but according to his constant rule1 went first to the synagogue1 hoping that1 as elsewhere1 devout souls not content with the materialism and atheism of their day might be amongst those who were drawn towards the faith of ,israel4 ,so at least it proved1 and their acceptance of the message of the ,gospel was the signal for the outbreak of ,jewish hatred which set on the canaille of the city with a cry of revolution and high treason4 ,amidst such birth-throes the second ,church in ,europe came into being4 ,st4 ,paul's continuance in the city might only have provoked murder1 so1 leaving the infant ,church to one who would naturally care for it1 he made his way to ,bera4 ,occasion and design of the epistle4--,with eager impatience the apostle would wait for the messenger with tidings of the ,macedonian ,churches4 ,the writer of the ,proverbs likened good news from a far country to cold waters to a thirsty soul2 so ,st4 ,paul says to these ,thessalonians3 ,now when ,timothy came from you unto us1 and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity1 4 4 4 we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith3 for now we live1 if ye stand fast in the ,lord 7#a ,thess4 iii4 #f-h74 ,timothy had brought word of their fidelity2 but he had also to inform the apostle of the persecutions they had to endure1 and also of the troubled minds of some of the ,christian brotherhood over the condition of their dead1 and their relationship to the ,lord whom they daily expected4 ,so ,st4 ,paul sends them word by this first letter of his earnest longing to see them again1 and of how he had often purposed to do so1 but had been thwarted4 ,perhaps there are references in the epistle to the aspersions on the character of ,paul2 and in other ways the epistle is meant to do what ,paul1 now that his missionary field had become so extended1 could not do in person4 ,contents of the epistle4 i4 #a4 ,salutation4 #b-aj4 ,thanksgiving for reception and diffusion of the ,gospel4 ii4 #a-ab4 ,appeal to their knowledge of what ,paul's ministry had been4 #ac-af4 ,thanksgiving for fidelity under the strain of ,jewish hostility4 #ag--;iii4 #ac4 ,baffled purposes resulting in the despatch of ,timothy1 and the outburst of joy for the good news with which he returned4 iv4 #a-ab4 ,warning against lustful injustice1 and exhortation to a further development of brotherly love4 #ac--v4 #aa4 ,the ,second ,advent in its relation to those who already slept4 #ab-bd4 ,ethics of ,church-life and personal life4 #be-bh4 ,conclusion4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,paul1 and ,sylvanus1 and ,timotheus4--,as to ,paul1 it may be noted that he does not mention his office4 ,it was largely owing to the aspersions of others that he came1 later1 to magnify his office4 ,sylvanus is the fellow-helper and fellow-sufferer of the apostle1 better known to ,new ,testament readers by the shortened form of his name--,silas4 ,that he was a ,jew appears from ,acts xv41 but1 like ,paul1 able to claim the privilege of ,roman citizenship 7,acts xvi474 ,timotheus is the valuable and dear companion of ,st4 ,paul4 ,twelve or fourteen years later he is said to be still young 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ab74 ,he1 too1 is only partly a ,jew 7,acts xvi4 #c74 ,grace be unto you1 and peace4--,the men who are by birth and training divided between ,jew and ,gentile1 salute both4 ,it is not less true of the ,gospel than the law that it speaks the language of the children of men4 ,all that grace could mean to the ,greek1 or peace to the ,hebrew1 met in ,him whose title was written above the cross in ,hebrew and ,greek and ,latin4 ,ver4 #c4 ,work of faith1 and labour of love1 and patience of hope4--,the famous three sister-graces familiar to us from ,st4 ,paul's other letters4 ,as ,bengel says1 they are ,summa ,christianismi4 ,st4 ,james1 one thinks1 would have liked the expression1 work of faith 7,jas4 ii4 #ad-bf74 ,but if faith works1 love cannot be outdone 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #ac71 and toils with strenuous endeavour2 whilst hope--a faculty flighty enough with some--here patiently endures1 pressing on and bearing up4 ,ver4 #d4 ,your election4--,god is said to pick out1 not for any inherent qualities1 certain persons for purposes of ,his own4 ,the same idea is in the word saints1 as those whom ,god has separated from a godless world and made them dear to ,himself4 ,ver4 #e4 ,our gospel4--,the good news which we proclaimed2 so when ,st4 ,paul in ,rom4 ii4 #af calls it my gospel4 ,in word 4 4 4 in power4--,the antithesis is sometimes between the word or declaration and the reality2 here perhaps we have an advance on that4 ,not only was it a word the contents of which were really truth1 but efficacious too4 ,in much assurance4--,r4,v4 margin1 in much fulness4 ,the power is in the ,gospel preached1 the fulfilment in the hearers1 and the ,holy ,spirit above and within them inspires both 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #f4 ,followers of us and of the ,lord4--,r4,v4 imitators4 ,st4 ,paul begs his ,corinthian readers to imitate him1 even as he imitates ,christ4 ,the same thought is implied here3 ,we are walking after ,christ2 walk after us1 and you will follow ,him4 ,with joy of the ,holy ,ghost4--,not only was the word preached in the ,holy ,ghost 7ver4 #e71 but it was eagerly welcomed by hearts made ready by the ,holy ,ghost--as ,st4 ,paul said to the ,corinthians1 ,so we preach1 so ye believed4 ,ver4 #g4 ,so that ye were ensamples4--,r4,v4 follows the singular4 ,the original word is that from which we get our type4 ,the image left on a coin by stamping is a type4 ,children are said to be types of their parents4 ,so these ,thessalonians were clearly stamped as children of ,god4 ,ver4 #h4 ,for from you sounded out the word of the ,lord4--,the ,word did not originate amongst the ,thessalonians4 ,they had but taken up the sound and sent it ringing on to others in the regions farther removed4 ,they had echoed out the ,word1 says ,st4 ,paul4 ,in every place4--,or as we may say1 ,everybody is talking about the matter4 ,ver4 #i4 ,what manner of entering in4--,in ,acts xvii4 we have an account of how the ,jews instigated men ever ready for a brawl to bring a charge of high treason--the most likely way of giving the quietus to the disturbers of ancient traditions1 ,paul and ,silas4 ,to serve the living and true ,god4--,the ,thessalonians had not been delivered from the bondage of fear that they might lead lives irresponsible4 ,get a new master1 then be a new man4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,and to wait for ,his ,son4--,the compound word for wait is only found here in the ,new ,testament4 ,the idea may be compared with our ,lord's figure of the bondservants waiting with lights and ready for service on their lord's return 7,luke xii4 #ce-dj74 ,jesus1 which delivered us from the wrath to come4--,r4,v4 delivereth4 ,the wrath to come revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men 7,rom4 i4 #ah7 is the penalty threatened against sin persisted in4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,phases of ,apostolic ,greeting4 ,there is an interest about this epistle as the first in the magnificent series of inspired writings which bear the name of ,paul4 ,this was the beginning of his strength1 the excellency of dignity and power4 ,the labours of the apostle and his co-helpers in the enterprising and populous city of ,thessalonica1 notwithstanding the angriest opposition1 were crowned with success4 ,the stern prejudice of the ,jew was assailed and conquered1 the subtle philosophising of the ,grecian tracked and exposed4 ,the truth was eagerly embraced2 and as sunbeams streaming through mist render it transparent1 so did the light of the ,gospel bring out in clearness and beauty the character of the ,thessalonian citizens1 which had been hitherto shrouded in the dark shadows of superstition4 ,i4 ,this greeting is harmonious in its outflow4--,paul1 though the only apostle of the three1 did not in this instance assume the title or display any superiority either of office or power4 ,silvanus and ,timotheus had been owned of ,god1 equally with himself1 in planting the ,thessalonian ,church1 and were held in high esteem among the converts4 ,each man had his distinctive individuality1 varied talents1 and special mode of working2 but there was an emphatic unity of purpose in bringing about results4 ,they rejoiced together in witnessing the inception1 confirmation1 and prosperity of the ,church1 and when absent united in sending a fervent1 harmonious greeting4 ,this harmony of feeling is traceable throughout both epistles in the prevalent use of the first-person plural4 ,the association of ,silvanus and ,timotheus with the apostle in this greeting also indicated their perfect accord with him in the ,divine character of the doctrines he declared4 ,as men dowered with the miraculous faculty of spiritual discernment1 they could testify that everything contained in the epistle was dictated by the ,spirit of ,god and worthy of universal evidence4 ,not that the personal peculiarities of any man give additional value to the doctrine4 ,truth is vaster than the individual1 whatever gifts he possesses or lacks4 ,the water of life is as sweet and refreshing whether sipped from the rudest earthen vessel or from the goblet of richly embossed gold4 ,what a suggestive lesson of confidence and unity was taught the ,thessalonians by the harmonious example of their teachers6 ,,ii4 ,this greeting recognises the ,church's sublime origin4--,it is addressed unto the ,church which is in ,god the ,father and in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #a4 ,the ,church is ,divinely founded4--,the preposition in denotes the most intimate union with ,god1 and is of similar significance as in the comprehensive prayer of ,jesus3 ,as ,thou1 ,father1 art in ,me1 and ,i in ,thee1 that they also may be one in ,us 7,john xvii4 #ba74 ,the ,church rests1 not on any sacerdotal authority or human organisation1 though many have laboured thus to narrow its limits and define its character2 it depends for its origin1 life1 and perpetuity on union with the ,deity4 ,it is based on the ,divine love1 fostered by the ,divine ,spirit1 shielded by ,omnipotence1 and illumined and adorned by the ,divine glory4 ,it exists for purely spiritual purposes1 is the depositary of he revealed ,word1 the channel of ,divine communication to man1 the sanctuary of salvation4 #b4 ,the ,church is ,divinely sustained4--,founded in ,god1 it is every moment sustained by ,him4 ,thus the ,church survives the mightiest opposition1 the fret and wear of perpetual change4 ,it is not wedded to any locality under heaven4 ,places once famous for the simplicity and power of their ,church-life have become notoriously vile or sunk into utter obscurity4 ,bethel1 once bearing the hallowed name ,house of ,god1 under the idolatrous rule of ,jeroboam became corrupted into ,bethhaven1 ,house of ,iniquity4 ,jerusalem1 the praise of the whole earth1 was once the chosen habitation of ,jehovah2 now it is a heap of ruins1 its temple and worship destroyed1 and its people scattered1 without king1 prophet1 or leader4 ,the light that shown so full and clear from the seven celebrated ,asiatic ,churches grew dim and went out1 and that region is now wrapped in the darkness of idolatry4 ,and ,thessalonica1 renowned as a pattern of ,christian purity and zeal1 now languishes under its modern name of ,saloniki1 a victim of ,turkish despotism1 and professing a spurious religion the first founders of the ,church there1 could they revisit the spot1 would certainly repudiate4 ,but the true ,church lives1 grows1 and triumphs4 ,,iii4 ,this greeting supplicates the bestowal of the highest blessings4--#a4 ,grace4 ,the source of all temporal good--life1 health1 sustenance1 prosperity1 enjoyment2 and of all spiritual benefits--pardon for the guilty1 rest for the troubled spirit1 guidance for the doubting and perplexed1 strength for the feeble1 deliverance for the tempted1 purity for the polluted1 victory and felicity for the faithful4 ,the generosity of ,god knows no stint4 ,a certain monarch once threw open his parks and gardens to the public during the summer months4 ,the royal gardener finding it troublesome1 complained to his ,majesty that the visitors plucked the flowers4 ,what1 said the king-hearted king1 are my people fond of flowers8 ,then plant some more6 ,so1 our heavenly ,king with lavish hand scatters on our daily path the flowers of blessing1 and as fast as we can gather them1 in spite of the grudging1 churlish world1 more are supplied4 #b4 ,peace4--,a blessing inclusive of all the happiness resulting from a participation in the ,divine favour4 ,peace with ,god1 with whom sin has placed us in antagonism1 and to whom we are reconciled in ,christ ,jesus1 who hath abolished in ,his flesh the enmity1 so making peace 7,eph4 ii4 #ae74 ,peace of conscience1 a personal blessing conferred on him who believes in ,jesus4 ,peace one with another--peace in the ,church4 ,in the concluding counsels of this epistle the writer impressively insists1 ,be at peace among yourselves4 ,the value of this blessing to any ,christian community cannot be exaggerated4 ,a single false semitone converts the most exquisite music into discord4 #c4 ,the source of all the blessings desired4--,from ,god our ,father and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,jew in his most generous greeting could only say1 ,god be gracious unto you1 and remember ,his covenant2 but the ,christian honours the ,son even as he honours the ,father4 ,the ,father's love and the ,son's work are the sole source and cause of every ,christian blessing4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,learn the freeness and fulness of the ,gospel4 ,it contains and offers all the blessings that can enrich and ennoble man4 ,it needs but the willing heart to make them his own4 ,he may gather wisdom from the ,eastern proverb1 and in a higher sense than first intended1 ,hold all the skirts of thy mantle extended when heaven is raining gold4 #b4 ,learn the spirit we should cultivate towards others4--,a spirit of genuine ,christian benevolence and sympathy4 ,we can supplicate for others no higher good than grace and peace4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,apostolic ,introduction to the ,epistle4 ,i4 ,the persons sending are mentioned4--,paul1 ,silvanus1 and ,timotheus4 #a4 ,paul is not here called an apostle1 because his apostleship was granted4 #b4 ,silvanus and ,timotheus had assisted in planting and watering this ,church4 ,,ii4 ,the persons addressed are introduced and described4--#a4 ,the epistle was addressed to believers4 #b4 ,the ,church is presented in an interesting point of view 7,john xvii4 #bj74 ,the ,father and the ,mediator are one in redemption2 into this union the ,church is received4 #a4 ,the blessings desired are grace and peace4 ,sovereign mercy and favour and reconciliation4 #b4 ,these are mentioned in their proper order of time1 of cause and effect4 #c4 ,these are traced to their proper source4 ,the ,father--the ,godhead2 the ,son--all fulness4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #b-d4 ,ministerial ,thanksgiving4 ,gratitude for the healthy1 flourishing state of the ,thessalonian ,church is a marked feature in both epistles and is frequently expressed4 ,the apostle left the young converts in a critical condition1 and when he heard from ,timothy a favourable account of their steadfastness and growth in grace1 like a true minister of ,christ he gave ,god thanks4 ,i4 ,ministerial thanksgiving is expansive in its character4--,we give thanks always for you all 7ver4 #b74 ,it is our duty1 and acceptable to ,god1 to be grateful for personal benefits2 but it displays a broader1 nobler generosity when we express thanksgiving on behalf of others4 ,it is ,christ-like3 ,he thanked ,god the ,father for revealing the things of ,his kingdom unto babes4 ,the apostle thanked ,god3-- #a4 ,because of their work of faith4--,remembering without ceasing your work of faith 7ver4 #c74 ,faith is itself a work4 ,it is the eye and hand of the soul1 by which the sinner sees1 and lays hold on ,christ for salvation4 ,man meets with opposition in its exercise2 he has to fight against the faith-stifling power of sin in himself and in the world4 ,faith is also the cause of work4 ,it is the propelling and sustaining motive in all ,christian toil4 ,faith without works is dead 7,james ii4 #bf74 #b4 ,because of their labour of love4--,the strength of love is tested by its labour2 we show our love to ,christ by what we do for ,him4 ,love intensifies every faculty1 moves to benevolent exertion1 and makes even drudgery an enjoyment4 ,love leads us to attempt work from which we would once have shrunk in dismay4 #c4 ,because of their patient hope4--,their hope of salvation in ,christ was severely tried by affliction1 persecutions1 and numberless temptations1 but was not quenched4 ,it is hard to hope on in the midst of discouragement4 ,it was so with ,joseph is prison1 with ,david in the mountains of ,judah1 with the ,jews in ,chaldea4 ,but the grace of patience gives constancy and perseverance to our hope4 ,the apostle rejoiced in the marked sincerity of their faith1 love1 and hope1 which he acknowledged to be in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 in the sight of ,god and our ,father4 ,these virtues are derived alone from ,christ1 and their exercise ,god witnesses and approves4 ,things are in reality what they are in ,god's sight4 ,his estimate is infallible4 #d4 ,because assured of their election4--,knowing1 brethren beloved of ,god1 your election 7ver4 #d74 ,st4 ,paul here means only to show how he1 from the way in which the ,spirit operated in him at a certain place1 drew a conclusion as to the disposition of the persons there4 ,where it manifested itself powerfully1 argued he1 there must be elect2 where the contrary was the case1 he concluded the contrary 7,olshausen74 ,election is the judgment of ,divine grace1 exempting in ,christ from the common destruction of men those who accept their calling by faith4 ,every one who is called is elected from the first moment of his faith1 and so long as he continues in his calling and faith he continues to be elected2 if at any time he loses calling and faith he ceases to be elected 7,bengel74 ,observe the constancy of this thanksgiving spirit--,we give thanks always for you all4 ,as they remembered without ceasing the genuine evidences of their conversion1 so did they assiduously thank ,god4 ,there is always something to thank ,god for if we will but see it4 ,,ii4 ,ministerial thanksgiving evokes a spirit of practical devotion4--,making mention of you in our prayers 7ver4 #b74 ,the interest in his converts of the successful worker is keenly aroused2 he is anxious the work should be permanent1 and resorts to prayer as the effectual means4 ,prayer for others benefits the suppliant4 ,when the ,church prayed1 not only was ,peter liberated from prison1 but the faith of the members was emboldened4 ,gratitude is ever a powerful incentive to prayer4 ,it penetrates the soul with a conscious dependence on ,god and prompts the cry for necessary help4 ,there is no true prayer without thanksgiving4 ,,iii4 ,ministerial thanksgiving is rendered to the great ,giver of all good4--,we give thanks to ,god 7ver4 #b74 ,god is the ,author of true success4 ,in vain we labour where ,his blessing is withheld4 ,paul was not equally successful in other places as in ,thessalonica4 ,in ,damascus1 where he first bore testimony for ,christ1 the governor under ,king ,aretas planned his capture1 and he but narrowly escaped4 ,at ,lystra the apostle was violently stoned and dragged out of the town as one dead4 ,but at ,thessalonica1 notwithstanding opposition1 the ,gospel laid firm hold of the hearts of men1 and believers were multiplied4 ,the highest kind of success in spiritual work must ever come from above4 ,like ,paul1 we should be careful constantly to acknowledge and thank ,god as the active source of all prosperity4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,there is much in the work of the minister to test his patience and faith4 #b4 ,the true minister gratefully traces all success directly to ,god4 #c4 ,a thankful spirit prompts the minister to increased ,christian enterprise4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #b4 ,thanksgiving and ,prayer4 ,i4 ,the apostle had the burden of all the ,churches and their individual members4 ,,ii4 ,the effect of the remembrance on himself4--#a4 ,he gives thanks4 ,they were the seals of his ministry1 the recipients of the grace of ,god1 the earnest of a more abundant harvest4 #b4 ,he prays4--,they had not fully attained4 ,they were in danger4 ,none trusts less to human means than the most richly qualified4--,stewart4 ,ver4 #c4 ,grace and ,good ,works4 ,i4 ,all inward graces ought to bloom into active goodness4--#a4 ,faith is to work4 #b4 ,love is to labour4 #c4 ,hope is to endure4 ,,ii4 ,all active goodness must be rooted in some inward grace4--#a4 ,the root of work is faith4 #b4 ,the spring of labour is in love4 #c4 ,we need to refresh ourselves by a perpetual onward glance1 a confident anticipation of the coming triumph4--,local ,preacher's ,treasury4 ,ver4 #d4 ,election of ,god4 ,i4 ,there is an eternal election4 ,,ii4 ,which comes out in the election made in time4 ,,iii4 ,let us rejoice in it1 for apart from it none would be saved4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,the ,gospel in ,word and in ,power4 ,you have passed through a bleak1 barren moorland1 where the soil seemed sown with stones and disfigured with stumps of trees1 the only signs of vegetable life were scattered patches of heather and flowerless lichen4 ,after a while1 you have again traversed the same region1 and observed fields of grain ripening for the harvest1 and budding saplings giving promise of the future forest4 ,whence the transformation8 ,the cultivator has been at work4 ,not less apparent was the change effected in ,thessalonica by the diligent toil and faithful preaching of the apostles4 ,we have here two prominent features in the successful declaration of the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,the ,gospel in word4--,our gospel came unto you in word4 ,in the history of the introduction of the ,gospel into ,thessalonica 7,acts xvii47 we learn the leading themes of apostolic preaching4 ,paul 4 4 4 reasoned with them out of the ,scriptures1 opening and alleging1 that ,christ must needs have suffered1 and risen again from the dead2 and that this ,jesus1 whom ,i preach unto you1 is ,christ 7vers4 #b1 #c74 ,it is worthy of note that the inspired apostle grounded his discourse on the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,even he did not feel himself free from their sacred bonds4 ,the apostle's preaching embraced three leading topics3-- #a4 ,he demonstrates that the preached ,messiah was to be a suffering ,messiah4--,the mind of the ,jewish people was so dazed with the splendid prophecies of the regal magnificence and dominion of ,jesus1 that they overlooked the painful steps by which alone ,he was to climb to this imperial greatness3 the steps of suffering that bore melancholy evidence of the load of anguish under which the world's ,redeemer staggered--steps crimsoned with the blood of the sacred ,victim4 ,out of their ,scriptures he proved that the only ,messiah referred to there was to be a ,man of sorrows 7,isa4 liii4 #c74 #b4 ,he demonstrates that the ,messiah who was thus to suffer and die was to rise again4--,this declared the ,divine dignity of ,his person1 and was the pledge of the future success and eternal stability of ,his redeeming work4 #c4 ,he insisted that the ,jesus who thus suffered1 died1 and rose again was none other than the identical ,messiah promised in their ,scriptures4--,the grand topic of apostolic preaching must be the staple theme of the pulpit to-day--,,jesus ,,christ3 ,christ suffering1 ,christ crucified1 ,christ risen1 ,christ regnant and triumphant4 ,when ,john ,huss was in prison at ,constance for the ,gospel's sake1 he dreamt that his chapel at ,prague was broken into and all the pictures of ,christ on the walls destroyed4 ,but immediately he beheld several painters in the chapel1 who drew a greater number of pictures1 and more exquisitely beautiful than those that had perished4 ,while gazing on these with rapture1 the sanctuary suddenly filled with his beloved congregation1 and the painters1 addressing them1 said1 ,now1 let the bishops and priests come and destroy these pictures6 ,the people shouted for joy4 ,huss heartily joined them1 and amid the acclamation awoke4 ,so modern unbelievers may try to expunge the pictures of ,christ familiar to the mind for generations1 and to some extent they may succeed4 ,but the ,divine ,artist1 with graving-tool of ,gospel ,word1 will trace on the tablet of the soul an image more beautiful and enduring than that which has been destroyed2 and by-and-by a universe of worshippers shall rejoice with thundering acclaim1 while recognising in each other the reproduction of the image of ,him whose visage was once marred more than any man's1 but whose face now gleams with celestial beauty and is radiant with the lustre of many crowns4 ,,ii4 ,the ,gospel in power4--,not in word only1 but also in power4 #a4 ,in the exercise of miraculous power4--,the apostles were specially invested with this power1 and used it in substantiating the great facts of the ,gospel4 #b4 ,in the ,holy ,ghost4--,not only in ,his miraculous manifestations necessary in that age1 but in the ordinary exercise of ,his power1 as continued down to the present day--enlightening1 convincing1 renewing4 #c4 ,with much assurance4--,literally1 with full assurance1 and much of it4 --full conviction--is from a word that means to fill up1 and is used to denote the hurrying ship on her career1 with all her sails spread and filled with the wind4 ,so the soul1 filled with the full conviction of truth1 is urged to a course of conduct in harmony with that conviction4 #d4 ,an assurance enforced by high integrity of character4--,as ye know what manner of men we were among you1 for your sake4 ,their earnest labours and upright lives showed they were men moved by profound conviction--a blending of evidence that is not less potent in these days4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,to receive the ,gospel in word only is disastrous4--,in a certain mountainous region under the tropics the stillness of night is sometimes broken by a loud1 sharp report1 like the crack of a rifle4 ,what causes this strange1 alarming sound8 ,it is the splitting of rocks charged with the intense heat of the tropical sun4 ,day by day the sun throws down its red-hot rays of fire1 and bit by bit the rock1 as it cools1 is riven and crumbles into ruin4 ,so is it with the mere hearer of the ,word4 ,the ,gospel pours upon him its light and heat1 and his heart1 hardened with long and repeated resistance1 becomes damaged by that which is intended to better it4 #b4 ,the ,gospel must be received in power4--,what is wanted is strong1 deep faith-compelling conviction--conviction of the awful truth and saving power of the ,gospel4 ,to be a mighty force1 man must have clear1 solid1 all-powerful convictions4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #e4 ,the ,manner in which the ,gospel comes to the ,believing ,soul4 ,i4 ,the first is negative4--,the ,gospel came not in word only4 ,this description embraces various classes of persons4 #a4 ,such as hear the ,gospel habitually without understanding it4 #b4 ,such as partially understand the ,gospel without feeling its sanctifying influence4 #c4 ,such as are affected by it only for a limited time4 ,,ii4 ,in contradistinction to such1 the ,gospel came to the believing ,thessalonians in power4--#a4 ,power over the understanding4 #b4 ,power over the conscience4 #c4 ,power over the heart4 #d4 ,power over the life4 ,,iii4 ,in the ,holy ,ghost4--,explains the former4 #a4 ,the message was that of the ,spirit4 #b4 ,the apostles were filled with the ,spirit4 #c4 ,signs and miraculous proofs were furnished by the ,spirit4 #d4 ,an entrance for the ,word was procured by the ,spirit4 ,,iv4 ,in much assurance4--#a4 ,fulness of apprehension4 #b4 ,fulness of belief--the result4 #c4 ,fulness of consequent hope4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-h4 ,the ,practical ,result of a ,true ,reception of the ,gospel4 ,christianity transforms man1 fills the mind with pure and lofty thoughts1 turns the current of his feelings into the right channel1 makes the soul luminous with ever-brightening hopes1 and transfigures his sin-stricken nature into a semblance of the dignity1 beauty1 and perfection of the ,divine4 ,observe its influence on the mixed population of ,thessalonica4 ,i4 ,the true reception of the ,gospel4--,having received the word in much affliction1 with joy of the ,holy ,ghost 7ver4 #f74 ,the ,word may fall on the ear like a sweet strain of music1 and charm the soul with temporary rapture1 may enter the understanding as a clearly apprehended truth1 may captivate the affections1 and travel through the whole sphere of emotion on a thrill of ecstasy2 but unless it be embraced by the heart and conscience1 with the aid of the ,holy ,spirit1 it is powerless in spiritual reformation4 ,two opposite1 but often strangely blended1 emotions--sorrow and joy--were exercised in the reception of the ,gospel by the ,thessalonians4 #a4 ,they received the ,word in sorrow4--,in much affliction4 ,amid the tumult and persecution of the citizens 7,acts xvii4 #e-i74 ,principally1 sorrow on account of sin1 and because of their prolonged rejection of ,christ and obstinate disobedience4 #b4 ,they received the ,word with joy4--,with joy of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,they realised the joy of conscious forgiveness and acceptance with ,god4 ,the sinless angels1 placed beyond the necessity of pardon1 are incapable of experiencing this joy4 ,it belongs exclusively to the believing penitent4 ,the joy of suffering for the truth4 ,cyprian1 who suffered for the ,gospel1 used to say1 ,it is not the pain but the cause that makes the martyr4 ,that cause is the cause of truth4 ,suffering is limited1 life itself is limited1 but truth is eternal4 ,to suffer for that truth is a privilege and a joy4 ,the joy of triumph1 over error1 sin1 ,satan1 persecution4 ,this joy is the special product of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,these twin feelings--sorrow and joy--are typical of the ever-alternating experience of the believer throughout his earthly career4 ,,ii4 ,the practical result of the true reception of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,they became imitators of the highest patterns of excellence4 ,ye became followers of us and of the ,lord 7ver4 #f74 ,the example of ,christ is the absolute1 all-perfect standard of moral excellence4 ,but this does not supersede the use of inferior models4 ,the planets have their season to guide and instruct us1 as well as the sun1 and we can better bear the moderated light of their borrowed splendour4 ,the bravery of the common soldier1 as well as the capacity and heroism of the most gifted officer1 may stimulate a regiment to deeds of valour4 ,so the apostles1 in their patient endurance of suffering1 their enterprising zeal and blameless integrity of life1 became examples for their converts to imitate1 while they pointed to the great infallible ,pattern after which the noblest life must ever be moulded4 #b4 ,they became examples to others4--,so that ye were ensamples to all that believe 7ver4 #g74 ,in the reality and power of their faith4 ,they eagerly embraced the ,word preached1 believing it to be not the word of men but of ,god4 ,this gave a profound reality to their conceptions of the ,gospel and a strong impulse to their active religious life4 ,in their zealous propagation of the truth4 ,for from you sounded out the word of the ,lord 7ver4 #h74 ,wherever they travelled they proclaimed the ,gospel4 ,they imparted that which had enriched themselves1 and which1 in giving1 left them still the richer4 ,the influence of their example was extensive in its range4 ,not only in ,macedonia and ,achaia1 but also in every place your faith to ,godward is spread abroad2 so that we need not to speak anything 7ver4 #h74 ,macedonia and ,achaia were two ,roman provinces that comprised the territory known as ancient ,greece4 ,thessalonica4 the metropolis of ,macedonia1 was the chief station on the great ,roman road--the ,via ,egnatia--which connected ,rome with the whole region north of the gean ,sea and was an important centre both for commerce and the spread of intelligence4 ,wherever the trade of the merchant city extended1 there the fame of the newly founded ,church penetrated4 ,great was the renown of their own ,alexander1 the ,macedonian monarch1 and brilliant his victories2 but the reputation of the ,thessalonian ,christians was of a higher order1 and their achievements more enduring4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,gospel that brings sorrow to the heart brings also joy4 #b4 ,a genuine reception of the truth changes the man and creates unquenchable aspirations after the highest good4 #c4 ,a living example is more potent than the most elaborate code of precepts4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,the ,evidences and ,effects of ,revival4 ,i4 ,receivers4--,with faith1 with joy1 not without trial4 ,,ii4 ,followers4--,apostolic piety4 ,christ-like spirit4 ,multiplication of ,christ-like men4 ,,iii4 ,ensamples4--,centres of ,christian influence4 ,,iv4 ,dispensers4--,induced to diffuse the ,gospel by their gratitude for the special grace which had brought it to them with saving power1 by their supreme attachment to its vital truths and their experience of the suitableness of these truths to their wants as sinners1 by their commiseration for those who were yet in a state of nature1 by their love to the ,lord ,jesus1 by the express command of ,god1 by the hope of reward4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,ver4 #h4 ,the ,power of ,example-- ,i4 ,in a faithful declaration of the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,in its far-reaching influence on others4 ,,iii4 ,speaks for itself1 rendering explanation unnecessary4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i1 #aj4 ,conversion and its ,evidence4 ,a good work cannot be hid4 ,sooner or later it will manifest itself and become the general topic of a wide region4 ,the successful worker meets with the fruit of his labours at times and places unexpected4 ,wherever the apostles went1 the reputation of the newly founded ,church had preceded them1 and the varied features of the great change that had passed over the ,thessalonians were eagerly discussed4 ,we have here a description of conversion and its evidence4 ,i4 ,the conversion of the ,thessalonians4--,for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you1 and how ye turned to ,god from idols 7ver4 #i74 ,you have watched a vessel lying at anchor in a tidal river with her bowsprit pointing seaward4 ,after a brief interval you have observed the force of the incoming tide swing the vessel completely round1 so that her head points in an exactly opposite direction4 ,not less apparent was the change among the ,thessalonians when the flood-tide of ,gospel blessing entered the city4 ,conversion is a turning about--a change from sin to holiness1 from unbelief to faith1 from darkness to light1 from ,satan to ,god4 #a4 ,they turned from idols4--,for generations the majority of the members of this ,church1 with their forefathers1 had been idolaters1 walking as other ,gentiles walked in the vanity of their mind1 etc4 7,eph4 iv4 #ag1 #ah1 ii4 #ab74 ,any creature1 real or imaginary1 invested with ,divine properties is an idol4 ,an angel1 a saint1 wealth1 an idea1 or any object to which we ascribe the omnipotence that belongs to ,god1 becomes to us an idol--a false deity4 ,an idol is also the true ,god falsely conceived4 ,the ,pantheist1 mistaking the effect for the cause1 regards the vast fabric of created things as ,god1 and ,nature1 with her grand1 silent motions1 is the object of his idolatry4 ,the sensualist1 reluctant to believe in punishment for sin1 exalts the boundlessness of ,divine mercy1 and ignores the other perfections1 without which there could be no true ,god4 ,idolatry is a sin against which the most faithful warnings have been uttered in all ages1 and on account of which the most terrible judgments have been inflicted1 yet it is the worship to which man is most prone4 #b4 ,they turned to ,god4--,the one ,god whom ,paul preached as the ,god that made the world and all things therein2 the living ,god1 having life in ,himself1 and giving to all life and breath and all things2 the true ,god1 having in ,himself the truth and substance of essential ,deity1 in extreme contrast with an idol1 which is nothing in the world4 ,with shame and confusion of face as they thought of the past1 with penitential sorrow1 with confidence and hope1 they turned to ,god from idols4 ,,ii4 ,the evidence of their conversion4--,seen3 #a4 ,in the object of their service4 ,they serve the living and true ,god1 serve ,him in faithful obedience to every command1 serve ,him in the face of opposition and persecution--with every faculty of soul1 body1 and estate--in life1 in suffering1 in death4 ,this is a free1 loving service4 ,the idolater is enslaved by his own passions and the iron bands of custom4 ,his worship is mechanical1 without heart and without intelligence4 ,the service acceptable to ,god is the full1 spontaneous1 pure outflow of a loving and believing heart4 ,it is an ennobling service4 ,man becomes like what he worships2 and as the object of his worship is often the creation of his own depraved mind1 he is debased to the level of his own gross1 polluted ideas4 ,idolatry is the corrupt human heart feeding upon and propagating its own ever-growing corruptions4 ,the service of ,god lifts man to the loftiest moral pinnacle and transfigures him with the resplendent qualities of the ,being he adores and serves4 ,it is a rewardable service4 ,it brings rest to the world-troubled spirit1 fills with abiding happiness in the present life1 and provides endless felicity in the future--results idolatry can never produce4 #b4 ,seen in the subject of their hope4--,and to wait for ,his ,son 7ver4 #aj74 7#a7 ,their hope was fixed on ,christ as a ,saviour4 ,even ,jesus1 who delivereth us from the coming wrath4 ,terrible will be the revelation of that wrath to the impenitent and unbelieving4 ,as soon as one wave of vengeance breaks another will follow1 and behind that another and another interminably1 so that it will ever be the wrath to come6 ,from this ,jesus delivers even now4 7#b7 ,their hope was fixed on ,christ as risen4 ,whom ,he raised from the dead4 ,they waited for and trusted in no dead ,saviour1 but ,one who1 by ,his resurrection from the dead1 was powerfully declared to be indeed the ,son of ,god4 7#c7 ,their hope was fixed on ,christ as coming again4 ,to wait for ,his ,son from heaven4 ,there is a confusing variety of opinions as to the character of ,christ's second advent2 as to the certainty of it nothing is more plainly revealed4 ,the exact period of the second coming is veiled in obscurity and uncertainty2 but it is an evidence of conversion to be ever waiting for and preparing for that coming as if there were a perpetual possibility of an immediate manifestation4 ,the uncertainty of the time has its use in fostering a spirit of earnest and reverential inquiry1 of watchfulness1 of hope1 of fidelity4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,conversion is a radical change4 #b4 ,conversion is a change conscious to the individual and evident to others4 #c4 ,the ,gospel is the ,divinely appointed agency in conversion4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,the ,change effected by the ,gospel-- ,i4 ,in religious belief4 ,,ii4 ,in corresponding conduct4 ,,iii4 ,in the hope cherished4--#a4 ,of the second coming of ,christ4 #b4 ,proved by ,his resurrection from the dead4 #c4 ,the object of ,his second coming to deliver from wrath4 #d4 ,the spirit of earnest but patient waiting induced4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,the ,christian waiting for his ,deliverer-- ,i4 ,implies a firm belief in ,christ's second coming4 ,,ii4 ,habitually endeavouring to be prepared for ,his second coming4 ,,iii4 ,earnestly desiring it4 ,,iv4 ,patiently waiting for it4--,bradley4 ,the ,wrath to come4 ,i4 ,it is ,divine wrath4 ,,ii4 ,unmingled wrath4--,judgment without mercy2 justice without the least mixture of goodness4 ,,iii4 ,provoked wrath4 ,,iv4 ,accumulated wrath4--,a wrath we have inflamed and increased by every act of sin we have committed4 ,v4 ,future wrath4--,the wrath to come2 lasting as the holiness of the ,being who inflicts and the guilt of the sinners who endure it4 ,,vi4 ,deliverance from wrath4--#a4 ,undeserved4 #b4 ,complete4 #c4 ,eternal4--,ibid4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,our entrance in 4 4 4 was not in vain4--,the word for vain here is the same as that in the first half of ceno-taph4 ,the entrance into ,thessalonica1 we might say colloquially1 had something in it4 ,ver4 #b4 ,suffered before4--,previously1 that is1 to our entrance to ,thessalonica4 ,and were shamefully entreated4--,the acute sense of suffering in mind shows how far ,st4 ,paul was from ,stoicism4 ,it is this same exquisite sensibility which makes possible the beautiful courtesy with which1 in his letters1 we are so familiar4 ,with much contention4--,all the watchfulness required by one in the arena and all the danger incident to a false movement characterised ,st4 ,paul's work4 ,ver4 #c4 ,for our exhortation4--,the word reminds us of ,christ's word1 ,i will send you another ,advocate--,paraclete4 ,our advocacy of the ,gospel of ,christ was not born of error4 ,was not of deceit1 nor uncleanness1 nor guile4--,perhaps we might paraphrase thus3 ,we were not ourselves mistaken as to the subject-matter of our preaching1 we used no dirty tricks in the way of its publication1 we baited no hooks for unwilling souls4 ,ver4 #d4 ,as we were allowed of ,god4--,the original word means to approve after testing--or1 as ,god knows without testing1 as it is applied to ,him it simply means--we were approved of ,god4 ,to be put in trust4--,r4,v4 to be intrusted4 ',to be put in trust with the ,gospel' is the highest conceivable responsibility2 the sense of it is enough to exclude every base motive and deceitful practice 7,findlay74 ,not as pleasing men4--,the vice condemned in slaves is equally reprehensible if it should appear in the minister of the ,gospel4 ,but ,god1 which trieth the hearts4--,alloweth and trieth are different forms of the same verb4 ,like an assayer whose methods are perfect1 ,god makes manifest what is in man's heart4 ,ver4 #e4 ,for neither at any time used we flattering words4--,his friends well knew that he was not one to-- ',crook the pregnant hinges of the knee ,where thrift may follow fawning' 7,ibid474 ,nor a cloke of covetousness4--,the same thing perhaps as a mode of flattering speech4 ,fulsome flattering is either the mark of a mind hopelessly abject or the craft of a designing mind4 ,much fair speech and the flattering of the lips still lead fools by the nose 7,prov4 vii4 #ba7 to where covetousness dwells4 ,ver4 #f4 ,nor of men sought we glory1 neither of you1 nor yet of others4--,the motive of ambition--'that last infirmity of noble minds'--rises above the selfishness just disclaimed2 but it is just as warmly repudiated1 for it is equally inconsistent with the single-mindedness of men devoted to the glory of ,god4 ,our ,lord finds in superiority to human praise the mark of a sincere faith 7,john v4 #dd7 7,ibid474 ,when we might have been burdensome4--,a4,v4 margin1 used authority4 ,r4,v4 margin1 claimed honour--literally in weight--an ambiguous phrase whose sense is interpreted by ver4 #i 7,ibid474 ,ver4 #g4 ,but we were gentle4--,r4,v4 margin says1 ,most ancient authorities read babes4 ,origen and ,augustine interpret this to mean1 ,like a nurse amongst her children1 talking in baby language to the babes 7,ibid474 ,as a nurse cherisheth her children4--,the ,a4,v4 has omitted a necessary word of the original which ,r4,v4 supplies--her own children4 ,the word for cherisheth is used in ,deut4 xxii4 #e 7,,lxx47 of the mother-bird brooding over her nestlings 7a figure made memorable by our ,lord's mournful words over ,jerusalem74 ,the word occurs again only in ,eph4 v4 #bi4 ,ver4 #h4 ,being affectionately desirous4--,the one ,greek word corresponding to these three implies the fondness of a mother's love--yearning over you 7,ibid474 ,we were willing4--,r4,v4 well-pleased4 ,like ,him of whom it is said1 ,he gives liberally1 without stint4 ,our own souls4--,our very selves1 for the saving of which1 says our ,master1 a man may well let the world slip4 ,the apostle keeps up the maternal figure4 ,ver4 #i4 ,labour and travail4--,the same words occur together at #b ,cor4 xi4 #bg4 ,the former is used some twenty times1 the latter only three in the ,new ,testament4 ,one marks the fatigue of the work1 the lassitude or weariness which follows on this straining of all his powers to the utmost 7,trench74 ,the other gives prominence to the hardship or difficulty of the task4 ,that we might not burden any of you 7see ver4 #f74--;,any support that could have been given would have been a trifle indeed 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #aa7 as compared with the self-sacrifice of the apostolic toilers4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,ye are witnesses1 and ,god also4--,a solemn reiteration 7see ver4 #e74 ,holily and justly and unblameably4--,the holy man has regard to the sanctities1 the righteous man to the duties of life2 but duty is sacred and piety is duty4 ,they cover the whole field of conduct regarded in turn from the religious and moral standpoint1 while unblameably affixes the seal of approval both by ,god and man 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,exhorted and comforted4--,as the former points to the stimulation in the apostolic addresses1 so the latter to the soothing element4 ,the noun related to the latter verb is found in ,phil4 ii4 #a1 and is translated by ,r4,v4 consolation4 ,as a father with his own children4--,the maternal tenderness is united with the discipline of a true father4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,walk worthy of ,god4--,st4 ,paul's ,noblesse oblige4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the word of ,god which ye heard of us4--,r4,v4 ,the word of the message1 even the word of ,god4 ,the preposition from us is properly used in relation to objects which come from the neighbourhood of a person--out of his sphere 7,winer72 but the ,word originates1 not with ,paul1 but in ,god4 ,which effectually worketh also4--,there is no original word corresponding to effectually here2 but the word worketh of itself1 unemphasised1 is too weak4 ,we might almost say becomes energetic4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,became followers4--,r4,v4 imitators4 ,the usual meaning of imitators hardly seems to obtain in full strength here4 ,we cannot think the ,thessalonians consciously copied the ,judean ,christians1 to do which they would have had the superfluous task of raising up opposition4 ,the words seem to mean no more than1 ,ye came to resemble4 ,of your own countrymen4--,lit1 fellow-tribesmen4 ,one is reminded of ,shylock's words-- ,sufferance is the badge of all our tribe4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,who both killed4--,the ,new ,testament form of the verb is always compound--as we should say1 killed off4 ,a tragic contrast to what might have been expected is set forth in our ,lord's parable4 ,it may be they will reverence ,my ,son4 4 4 4 ,they cast ,him out and killed ,him off 7,luke xx4 #ac-ae74 ,have persecuted us4--,a4,v4 margin1 chased us out4 ,r4,v4 text1 drave4 ,how deeply humbling was the thought to ,st4 ,paul1 that he had at one time taken part in this hounding6 ,the ,a4,v4 margin gives us a most vivid picture4 ,they please not ,god4--,this expression is thought by some to be a meiosis1 a softening down of the hard reality by the negative form of the language4 ,is not the best comment found in ,john xvi4 #b1 ,whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto ,god8 ,the sophistry that makes killing no murder and sanctions an auto da f is something quite other than pleasing to ,god4 ,are contrary to all men4--,the sense of ,god's displeasure often shows itself in sourness and ill temper towards one's fellows4 ,unbelief and cynicism go together4 ,the rancour of the ,jews against other nations at this time was notorious4 4 4 4 ,the quarrel between ,judaism and the world1 alas1 still continues1 as the ,judenhasse of ,germany and ,russia testifies 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #af4 ,forbidding us to speak to the ,gentiles4--,the very spirit of the dog in the manger6 ,they would not even have left the uncovenanted mercies to the ,gentiles4 ,to fill up their sins alway4--,the phrase signifies ripeness for judgment1 and is used in ,gen4 xv4 #af of the ,amorites in ,abraham's time--an ominous parallel 7,ibid474 ,for the wrath4--,r4,v41 but the wrath4 ,as though he said1 ,but the end comes at last2 they have always been sowing this harvest1 now it has to be reaped 7,ibid474 ,ver4 #ag4 ,being taken from you4--,r4,v4 bereaved of you4 ,st4 ,paul1 absent from ,thessalonica1 feels like a parent who has lost a child1 and regards them as children who feel the loss of a parent 7,see ,john xiv4 #ah74 ,ver4 #ah4 ,but ,satan hindered us4--,lit4 beat us in4 ,the figure is a military one and indicates the obstruction of an enemy's progress by breaking up the road 7destroying bridges1 etc474 ,ver4 #ai4 ,crown of rejoicing4--,r4,v4 glorying4 ,the victor's wreath4 ,st4 ,paul regards his steadfast converts as the proof of his successful efforts4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,essential ,elements of ,success in ,preaching4 ,i4 ,boldness4 ,outsiders testified of the success of the ,gospel1 and the apostles could confidently appeal to the converts in confirmation of the report4 ,for yourselves1 brethren1 know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain 7ver4 #a74 ,in the first twelve verses of this chapter ,paul is describing the special features of their ministry1 the manner and spirit of their preaching2 and what he denies is1 not so much that their labours had been vain1 fruitless1 and without result1 as he denies that those labours were in themselves vain1 frivolous1 empty of all human earnestness1 and of ,divine truth and force4 ,we trace in their ministerial endeavours four essential elements that are ever found in all successful preaching--boldness1 sincerity1 gentleness1 moral consistency4 ,consider1 first1 their boldness4 ,i4 ,this boldness manifested in the earnest declaration of the truth4--,we were bold in our ,god to speak unto you the gospel of ,god with much contention 7ver4 #b74 ,bold in their conception of the ,divine origin and vast scope of the ,gospel1 and its wondrous adaptation to the wants of universal man1 they were not less bold in its faithful proclamation4 ,their deep conviction of the supreme spirit in ,paul on other occasions1 when his fearless words roused the ire of ,festus1 shook the conscience of the thoughtless ,felix1 or swayed the heart of ,agrippa towards a wise decision4 ,we see it in ,elijah as he rebuked the sins of the wicked ,ahab with withering invectives or threw the baffled priests of ,baal into maddening hysteria--himself the while unmoved and confident4 ,we see it conspicuously in ,him1 who came in the spirit and power of ,elias1 whose burning words assailed every form of wrong1 and who did not scruple to denounce the deluded leaders of a corrupt ,church in the most scathing terms--,ye serpents6 ye generation of vipers6 ,how can ye escape the damnation of hell8 7,matt4 xxiii4 #cc74 ,with much contention--amid much conflict and danger4 ,this kind of preaching provoked opposition and involved them in great inward struggles4 ,the faithful messenger of ,god fears not the mote violent assault from without2 but the thought of the fatal issues to those who obstinately reject and fight against the ,gospel fills him with agonising concern4 ,,ii4 ,this boldness no suffering could daunt4--,even after that we had suffered before1 and were shamefully entreated1 as ye know1 at ,philippi 7ver4 #b74 ,they had come fresh from a city where they had been cruelly outraged4 ,though ,roman citizens1 they had been publicly scourged and1 to add to their degradation1 were thrust into the inner prison1 and their feet made fast in the stocks--treatment reserved for the vilest felons4 ,but so far from being dismayed1 their sufferings only deepened their love for the ,gospel and inflamed the passion to make it known4 ,a ,german professor has lately made experiments with chalcedony and other quartzose minerals1 and he has demonstrated that when such stones are ground on large and rapidly revolving wheels they exhibit a brilliant phosphorescent glow throughout their entire mass4 ,so is it with the resolute worker4 ,the more he is ground under the strong wheel of suffering and persecution1 the more intensely will his entire character glow with the radiance of an unquenchable bravery4 ,,iii4 ,this boldness was ,divinely inspired4--,we were bold in our ,god 7ver4 #b74 ,it was not the froth of a senseless presumption1 not the wild1 aimless effort of a reckless bravado2 but the calm1 grand heroism of a profound faith in the ,divine4 ,they fell back completely upon ,god and drew their deepest inspiration and mightiest strength from ,him4 ,the prophet ,jeremiah1 in a moment of despondency1 decided to speak no more in the name of the ,lord2 but when he could say1 ,the ,lord is with me as a mighty1 terrible ,one1 his courage returned1 and he obeyed implicitly the ,divine mandate1 ,thou shalt go to all that ,i shall send thee1 and whatsoever ,i command thee thou shalt speak 7,jer4 xx4 #i-aa2 ,jer4 i4 #g74 ,similarly commissioned1 ,paul once exclaimed1 ,i can do all things through ,christ which strengtheneth me 7,phil4 iv4 #ac74 ,endowed with the like spirit1 ,luther uttered his noble protest at the ,diet of ,worms--,here ,i stand3 ,i cannot do otherwise3 ,god help me6 ,lessons4--#a4 ,boldness is absolutely indispensable in attacking1 not simply in the mass1 but in detail1 the crying evils of the age4 #b4 ,boldness is acquired only by studious and prayerful familiarity with ,god's message and with ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a1 #b4 ,the ,preaching of the ,gospel not in ,vain4 ,i4 ,it is not in vain as respects the end and object of the ,gospel itself4--#a4 ,conversion4 #b4 ,sanctification or edification4 #c4 ,condemnation4 ,,ii4 ,it was not in vain as respected the objects of the apostle4--#a4 ,his commission was to preach the ,gospel4 ,he did it4 #b4 ,to gather in souls4 ,he did so4 #c4 ,his reward was the approbation of ,christ and seals to his ministry4 ,he had both4 ,,iii4 ,it was not in vain as respected the ,thessalonians4--,they were turned from idolatry2 their hearts glowed with new feelings2 their characters shone with new graces4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-f4 ,essential ,elements of ,success in ,preaching4 ,,ii4 ,sincerity4 ,the devout ,richard ,baxter once said3 ,the ministerial work must be managed purely for ,god and the salvation of the people1 and not for any private ends of our own4 ,this is our sincerity in it4 ,a wrong end makes all the work bad from us1 however good in itself4 ,in order to success1 it is necessary not only to display a fearless courage1 but also a spirit of unmistakable ingenuousness and sincerity4 ,as the mountain tarn reflects the clear1 chaste light of the stars as they kindle in the heavens1 so the preacher reflects in his outward conduct the pure and lofty motives by which he is animated and sustained4 ,we observe1 in connection with the preaching of the ,gospel at ,thessalonica1 sincerity in motive1 in speech1 in aim4 ,i4 ,sincerity in motive4--,for our exhortation was not of deceit1 nor of uncleanness1 nor in guile 7ver4 #c74 ,the apostle disclaims the harbouring of evil intentions in relation to ,god1 himself1 and others4 #a4 ,in relation to ,god4--,not of deceit--not in error4 ,having received the truth from ,god and about ,god1 he transmits it in all its integrity1 without error or imposture4 #b4 ,in relation to himself4--,nor of uncleanness4 ,pure in his own affection and purpose1 he preached a ,gospel that was pure in itself1 in its tendency1 and in its experienced results4 #c4 ,in relation to others4--,not in guile4 ,he sought not to propagate the ,gospel by any fraudulent wiles or false representations4 ,he descended not to hypocrisy to catch men4 ,hypocrites1 says ,st4 ,bernard1 desire to seem not to be good2 not to seem1 but to be evil3 they care not to follow or practise virtue1 but to colour vice by putting upon it the painted complexion of virtue4 ,the life of the man whose motives are thus sincere will be transparent as the light4 ,a certain king of ,castile1 who had been only too familiar with the duplicity of mankind1 once somewhat arrogantly said1 ,when ,god made man ,he left one capital defect3 ,he ought to have set a window in his breast4 ,the sincere man opens a window in his own breast by the whole tenor of ,his words and actions1 so that his innermost thoughts are apparent4 ,,ii4 ,sincerity in speech4--#a4 ,the preacher speaks under a solemn sense of responsibility4 ,but as we were allowed of ,god to be put in trust with the gospel1 even so we speak 7ver4 #d74 ,to their charge1 as men tested and approved of ,god1 was committed the precious treasure of the ,gospel2 and keenly conscious of the unutterable riches with which they were entrusted1 they were deeply solicitous to distribute the same in all faithfulness and sincerity4 ,every gift we receive from ,heaven has its corresponding responsibility4 #b4 ,the preacher seeks chiefly the ,divine approval4--,not as pleasing men1 but ,god1 which trieth our hearts 7ver4 #d74 ,there is much in the ,gospel distasteful to the natural man--its humiliating exposure of our depravity and helplessness1 its holiness1 its mysteries1 the unbending severity of its law1 and the absolute character of its claims4 ,the temptation is sometimes great to temper and modify the truth to carnal prejudice1 and sacrifice faithfulness to popularity4 ,but the apostles risked everything so that they secured the ,divine approval4 ,as of sincerity1 as of ,god1 in the sight of ,god speak we in ,christ 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #ag74 #c4 ,the preacher must practise neither adulation nor deception4--,for neither at any time used we flattering words1 as ye know1 nor a cloke of covetousness1 ,god is witness 7ver4 #e74 ,flattery1 says ,plutarch1 has been the ruin of many states4 ,but alas6 who can tell the souls it has for ever undone8 ,truth is too sedate and solid to indulge in meaningless flattery4 ,it is only the vain and self-conceited who can be deceived by adulation4 ,,iii4 ,sincerity in aim4--,nor of men sought we glory1 neither of you1 nor yet of others1 when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of ,christ 7ver4 #f74 ,the sincere aim of the apostles was seen3-- #a4 ,in the generous suppression of the authority with which they were invested4--,when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of ,christ4 ,whether we understand this authority as exercised in foregoing for the time being their legitimate claim of maintenance by the ,church1 or as restraining the exhibition of the dignity and power of their apostleship--which latter view is generally admitted to be the true exegesis--it was equally honourable to the pure and disinterested character of their highest aim4 #b4 ,in the absence of all selfish ambition4--,nor of men sought we glory4 ,they could conscientiously aver1 ,we seek not yours1 but you4 ,i love a serious preacher1 says ,fnlon1 who speaks for my sake and not for his own2 who seeks my salvation and not his own glory4 ,it is said of one of the ancient fathers that he wept at the applause frequently given to his discourses4 ,would to ,god1 said he1 they had rather gone away silent and thoughtful6 ,it is a sorry and painfully disappointing end to preach for mere ephemeral human praise4 ,such a man may sink into the grave with the touching lament of ,grotius1 ,alas6 ,i have lost my life in doing nothing with great labour6--though in his case it was an unduly despondent estimate of his life-work4 ,when ,christ is to be exalted1 the preacher must be willing to be unnoticed4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,sincerity in proclaiming the truth can be acquired only by personal experience of its power4 #b4 ,sincerity is deepened by a conscious ,divine commission4 #c4 ,sincerity is unmistakably evidenced in word and deed4 #d4 ,sincerity is satisfied only in aiming at the highest results in preaching4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #c-f4 ,apostolic ,preaching characterised by ,transparent ,truth4 ,i4 ,the doctrine was opposed to every form of impurity 7ver4 #c74--a4 ,it was itself pure4 #b4 ,it received no tinge of impurity from the apostle's mind4 #c4 ,its results were pure4 ,,ii4 ,the preaching was free from insincerity and selfishness 7ver4 #d74--a4 ,they avoided flattery4 ,love of favour 7ver4 #e74 #b4 ,they avoided covetousness4 ,aggrandisement 7ver4 #e74 #c4 ,they avoided vainglory4 ,love of applause 7ver4 #f74 ,three rocks on which thousands have been shipwrecked4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g1 #h4 ,essential ,elements of ,success in ,preaching4 ,,iii4 ,gentleness4 ,there is a power in gentleness to subdue the wildest1 mightiest opposition1 and to triumph over the most gigantic difficulties4 ,the gentle rays of the sun melt the ponderous iceberg more speedily than the rolling billows of an angry ocean2 the silent action of the atmosphere wastes the rock which remains immovable under the strokes of the heaviest weapon2 a look from ,moses vanquished the calf-idolatry of the ,israelites which the fluent eloquence of ,aaron had been powerless to resist2 a calm1 quiet word from ,jesus paralysed with fear the band of soldiers who came to arrest ,him in ,gethsemane4 ,true gentleness is never weak4 ,it is the tough1 indestructible material out of which is formed the hero and the martyr4 ,this quality was conspicuous in the preachers at ,thessalonica4 ,i4 ,it was the gentleness of patient endurance4--#a4 ,it enabled them to bear the insult and outrage of their enemies4 ,their preaching roused violent opposition4 ,they retaliated by praying for their persecutors4 ,against physical force they fought with moral weapons2 and this attitude and policy had a powerful influence on their enraged adversaries4 ,the modern preacher can adopt no better method4 ,the offence of the cross has not yet ceased4 ,it stirs up all the enmity of the carnal mind4 ,and the servant of the ,lord must not strive1 but be gentle unto all men1 apt to teach1 patient1 in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #bd1 #be74 ,the power of a man is seen1 not so much in what he can do1 as in what he can endure4 ,it is only the ,christian spirit that unites the utmost gentleness with the utmost strength4 #b4 ,it enabled them to bear with the weakness and imperfections of their converts4--,as a nurse cherisheth her children 7ver4 #g74--;as a nursing mother cherisheth her own children4 ,they watched over them with the tenderest assiduity1 instructed them with the most disinterested solicitude1 accommodated and assimilated themselves to their infant standpoint with all the devotion of a fond1 painstaking parent4 ,in order to successful teaching1 in spiritual as in secular subjects1 we must study the child-nature--take into account the influence of environment1 early prejudices1 differing capacities and temperaments1 and the direction of characteristic tendencies4 ,see this illustrated in the ,divine treatment of the ,israelites under ,moses and the great ,jewish leaders1 and in the training of the twelve by the great ,teacher4 ,,ii4 ,it was the gentleness of self-sacrificing love4--,so being affectionately desirous of you1 we were willing to have imparted unto you1 not the gospel of ,god only1 but also our own souls1 because ye were dear unto us 7ver4 #h74 #a4 ,this gentleness arose from a genuine love of human souls4--,because ye were dear unto us4 ,love is the great master-power of the preacher4 ,after this he strives and toils with ever-increasing earnestness as the years speed on2 and it is the grace that comes latest and slowest into the soul4 ,no amount of scholastic attainment1 of able and profound exposition1 of brilliant and stirring eloquence1 can atone for the absence of a deep1 impassioned1 sympathetic love of human souls4 ,the fables of the ancients tell us of ,amphion1 who1 with the music of his lyre1 drew after him the huge stones with which to build the walls of ,thebes1 and of ,orpheus1 who1 by his skill on the harp1 could stay the course of rivers and tame the wildest animals4 ,these are but exaggerated examples of the wondrous charm of the soul-compelling music of love4 ,i have always been afraid1 said a devoted young minister1 now no more1 of driving my people away from the ,saviour4 ,i would rather err on the side of drawing them4 ,the seraphic ,john ,fletcher once said1 ,love1 continual1 universal ardent love1 is the soul of all the labour of a minister4 #b4 ,the intensity of their love awoke a spirit of voluntary self-sacrifice4--,so1 being affectionately desirous of you1 we were willing to have imparted unto you1 not the gospel of ,god only1 but also our own souls4 ,to accomplish the salvation of their hearers they were willing to surrender life itself4 ,this was the temper of the ,divine ,preacher who came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 and to give ,his life 7,matt4 xx4 #bh2 ,mark x4 #de74 ,a similar spirit imbued the apostle when he assured the weeping elders of ,ephesus in that pathetic interview on the lonely shore--,neither count ,i my life dear unto myself1 so that ,i might finish my course with joy and the ministry which ,i have received of the ,lord ,jesus 7,acts xx4 #bd74 ,the love of science nerves the adventurous voyager to brave the appalling dangers of the arctic ice1 amid which so many have found a crystal tomb2 but a nobler love inspires the breast of the humble worker1 who cheerfully sacrifices all the world holds dear to rescue men from woe4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,that gentleness is a power not only in patient endurance1 but also in enterprising action4 #b4 ,that gentleness is indispensable to effectiveness1 either in warning or reproof4 ,it succeeds where a rigid austerity fails4 #c4 ,that gentleness is fostered and regulated by a deep1 self-sacrificing love4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #g1 #h4 ,dealing with ,new ,converts4 ,i4 ,divine principles have to unfold themselves in unfavourable circumstances4--#a4 ,moral influence from without4 #b4 ,jewish misrepresentation4 #c4 ,persecution4 ,,ii4 ,must be treated with gentleness4--#a4 ,in the adaptation of teaching to suit their state4 #b4 ,in the manner and spirit of the instruction given4 ,,iii4 ,must be treated with affectionate self-sacrificingness 7ver4 #h74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-ab4 ,essential ,elements of ,success in ,preaching4 ,,iv4 ,moral ,consistency4 ,the writer1 in dwelling on the manner and spirit of preaching1 has shown the necessity of boldness1 sincerity1 and gentleness as powerful instrumentalities in achieving success4 ,in these verses he insists on the moral consistency of the individual life and conduct4 ,as the time indicated on the dial answers to the perfect mechanism of the watch1 so the personal example of the preacher must answer to the words he utters4 ,the most accomplished elocution1 the most impassioned and captivating utterance will be fruitless unless backed with the strength of a complete1 well-rounded1 all-beautiful spiritual character4 ,paul and his co-helpers could fearlessly appeal to their hearers1 and in all humility to ,god1 in attestation of the moral consistency of their private and public action4 ,i4 ,their moral consistency seem in the unselfish principle that governed them in their work4--,for ye remember1 brethren1 our labours and travail3 for labouring night and day1 because we would not be chargeable to any of you1 we preached unto you the gospel of ,god 7ver4 #i74 ,the apostle invariably asserted the obligation of ministerial maintenance by the ,church4 ,in another place he emphatically affirms that1 not merely naked equity and the spirit of the ,mosaic law1 but also a positive ordinance of ,christ requires that just as they which ministered about holy things lived of the things of the temple1 and they which waited at the altar were partakers with the altar1 even so they which preach the gospel shall live of the gospel 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #ac1 #ad74 ,in the special circumstances and early stage of the work at ,thessalonica1 the apostle waived this righteous claim4 ,it might be on account of the poverty of the majority of the converts1 or more probably on account of the charge of covetousness their enemies had diligently circulated4 ,to crush all suspicion of interested motives and self-seeking1 those noble missionaries refused to be chargeable unto any one of them1 depending for their support upon the occasional remittances of the liberal ,philippians1 and on their own manual labour4 ,thus did they evidence their supreme desire to be1 not mercenary gain1 but the proclamation of the ,gospel of ,god--an example which has its counterpart in the brave1 devoted1 self-denying labours of many a modern missionary4 ,,ii4 ,their moral consistency seen in the maintenance of a blameless deportment4--,ye are witnesses1 and ,god also1 how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe 7ver4 #aj74 ,a ,roman prince of the celebrated house of ,colonna1 whose virtues had sustained him alike in prosperous and adverse times1 was once driven into exile1 and when reduced to extremity was asked1 ,where is now your fortress8 ,he laid his hand upon his heart1 and answered1 ,here6 ,a conscious sense of integrity threw a strength and majesty around him in the midst of poverty and suffering4 ,it was an inward consciousness of purity that prompted these ,christian workers to appeal to those who were best acquainted with their walk and conversation4 ,they behaved holily toward ,god1 justly toward men1 and unblameably in all things4 ,among them that believe4 ,believers could best understand the secret of their whole life1 its aims and motives1 its tendencies and issues1 and on them it would have an irresistible impression4 ,it is often the fate of the public teacher1 while blameless1 to be unmercifully blamed by those who are outside the circle of his work4 ,the world retains all its historic enmity to the truth and is as venomous as ever in its expression4 ,no might1 nor greatness in mortality ,can censure 'scape3 back-wounding calumny ,the whitest virtue strikes4 ,,iii4 ,their moral consistency seen in their persistent endeavours to stimulate their converts to the highest attainments4--#a4 ,this is evident in the lofty standard set up4 ,that ye walk worthy of ,god 7ver4 #ab74 ,how sublime and dignified the ,christian character may become--to walk worthily of ,god6--in harmony with ,his nature1 ,his law1 with our profession of attachment to ,him4 ,to the production of this grand result all their efforts were bent4 ,as a father doth his children1 so they exhorted with all earnestness1 comforted with all loving sympathy1 and charged with all fidelity and authority4 ,the preacher must be master of every art necessary to success4 #b4 ,this is evident in the sublime motive that should animate us in reaching the standard4--,the ,divine1 heavenly calling4 ,who hath called you unto ,his kingdom and glory 7ver4 #ab7--;,his own glorious kingdom4 ,we are invited to enter this kingdom on earth and participate in its blessings2 but the full splendours of that kingdom are reserved for the heavenly world4 ,how brief and insignificant will the sufferings and sorrows of the present appear1 contrasted with the ineffable bliss of the future state6 ,do you want anything8 eagerly asked the loved ones who surrounded the dying couch of ,melancthon4 ,nothing but heaven1 was the gentle response1 and he went smiling on his way4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,in order to success in preaching moral consistency of life must accompany and sustain the faithful declaration of the truth4 #b4 ,that the greatest success is achieved when the highest experience of the ,christian life is constantly enforced by both precept and example4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i-ab4 ,the ,high ,moral ,feeling that should influence the ,preacher4--,illustrated by ,paul's work and conduct4 ,i4 ,in preaching the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,in labouring for his own support4 ,,iii4 ,in his behaviour4--#a4 ,towards ,god4 ,holily4 #b4 ,towards others4 ,justly4 #c4 ,unblameable4 ,prudent and inoffensive4 ,he could appeal to man and ,god4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,the ,correct ,estimate of ,gospel ,truth4 ,we have before stated that the population of ,thessalonica consisted of two diverse classes1 ,greek and ,jew--the one representing the philosophy of paganism1 the other being the custodian of the sacred truths of ,revelation4 ,among the ,hebrews ,moses was recognised as the central human figure and head of their legal system1 and his words were profoundly venerated2 and the ,gentiles were not less devout and ardent in their admiration of ,plato and his far-seeing wisdom4 ,the influence of these two systems was all-potent with the ,thessalonians2 it supplied thought1 moulded character and life1 and filled up the widest circle of their hopes4 ,the ,gospel impinged upon these ancient and revered institutions1 and they reeled beneath the shock4 ,the bigoted followers of ,moses and ,plato were compelled to admit the higher authority of the apostolic message4 ,they formed a correct estimate of ,gospel truth when they received it1 not as the word of men1 but as it is in truth1 the word of ,god4 ,i4 ,the ,gospel is superior to all human wisdom4--,it is not the word of men4 #a4 ,human wisdom is limited in its range4 ,the greatest mind is restricted in its knowledge1 and imperfect in using what it knows4 ,a celebrated ,roman scholar once exclaimed with petulance and disgust3 ,the human mind wanders in a diseased delirium1 and it is therefore not surprising that there is no possible folly which philosophers1 at one time or another1 have not propounded as a lesson of wisdom4 #b4 ,human wisdom is changeable4--,aristotle1 the great father of natural philosophy1 summed up his impressions on this subject with his usual hard1 unyielding logic when ye said3 ,there is no difference between what men call knowledge and mere opinion2 therefore1 as all opinion is uncertain1 there can be no certainty in human knowledge4 #c4 ,human wisdom is unsatisfying4--,it is with a sigh of bitter disappointment that one of the most profound thinkers of antiquity concluded his long and deep inquiry into human affairs1 and summed up the result with these sad1 melancholy words3 ,nothing can be known2 nothing therefore can be learned2 nothing can be certain2 the senses are limited and delusive2 intellect is weak2 life is short6 ,,ii4 ,the ,gospel is essentially ,divine4--#a4 ,it is authoritative4 ,there is an old proverb1 ,when the lion roars1 the beasts of the forest tremble4 ,so when the ,gospel speaks1 unbelievers may well be filled with fear4 ,milton thus describes ,adam in his innocency advancing to meet his celestial ,visitor3 ,he-- walks forth without more train ,accompanied than with ,his own complete ,perfections3 in ,himself was all ,his state4 ,in like manner ,god's ,word comes to us clothed with the majesty and authority of its own innate power4 ,it bends the ear to attention1 the mind to faith1 the heart to reverence1 the will and conscience to obedience4 #b4 ,it is immutable4--,it is the word of the ,lord that liveth and abideth for ever 7#a ,peter i4 #bc74 7#a7 ,its promises are sure2 7#b7 its threatenings will certainly be executed4 #c4 ,it is complete4--,there is nothing to add1 nothing to subtract4 ,it contains the fullest revelation of ,god1 of man1 of eternal issues--such as can never be found elsewhere4 #d4 ,it is worthy of universal credence4--,if we receive the witness of men1 the witness of ,god is greater4 ,it is to the everlasting commendation of the ,thessalonians1 and of millions since their day1 that when they heard the ,word of ,god they received it1 not at the word of men1 but as it is in truth1 the word of ,god4 ,this next paragraph includes the word niggardly1 which is a fine word1 meaning stingy1 grasping1 or parsimonious2 but to someone who is not familiar with the word or not paying complete attention1 it can sound like a racial slur4 ,when teaching this material1 please strongly consider substituting a synonym4 ,,iii4 ,the ,gospel is efficacious in transforming character4--,which effectually worketh also in you that believe4 ,as the planet receiving the light of the sun is transformed into an imitation sun1 so the believing soul receiving the light of the ,word is changed into the image of that ,word4 ,whatever the ,divine ,word prescribes1 that it works in us4 ,does it prescribe repentance8--it works repentance2 faith8--it works faith2 obedience8--it works obedience2 knowledge8--it enlightens to know4 ,its transforming power1 is continually demonstrated4 ,it makes the niggardly generous1 the profane holy1 the drunkard sober1 the profligate chaste4 ,faith is the vital force that connects the soul with this converting power4 ,,iv4 ,the correct estimate of ,gospel truth is matter of ceaseless thanksgiving to the preacher4--,for this cause also thank we ,god without ceasing4 ,no disappointment is keener to the anxious preacher than that of unproductive labour4 ,some of the choicest ministers of ,god have to mourn over comparative failure4 ,think of the anguish of the sympathetic ,jeremiah when the ,word of the ,lord which he declared was turned into daily reproach and derision2 and to ,ezekiel1 when he wept over rebellious ,israel6 ,but the joy of success is irrepressible1 and the full heart pours out its thanks to ,god4 ,they joy before ,thee according to the joy in harvest1 and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil 7,isa4 ix4 #c74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the word of man1 while it may charm the understanding1 is powerless to change the heart4 #b4 ,the correct estimate of ,gospel truth is to regard it as the ,word of ,god4 #c4 ,the ,word of ,god is efficacious to the individual only as it is received believingly4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,the ,efficacy of the ,word of ,god and the ,way of receiving it4 ,i4 ,the description given of the ,word4--#a4 ,the ,word not of men1 but of ,god4 #b4 ,known by its effects4 7#a7 ,producing conviction of sin4 7#b7 ,binding up the broken heart4 ,,ii4 ,in what manner it should be received4--#a4 ,with attention and reverence4 #b4 ,with humility and teachableness4 #c4 ,as the instrument for conversion and edification4--,e4 ,cooper4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,suffering3 the ,test of ,conversion4 ,it often happens that suffering reveals new features of individual character and awakens powers that were before dormant4 ,it takes a great deal to thoroughly rouse some people4 ,we are told that ,agrippa had a dormouse that slumbered so profoundly that it would never wake till cast into a cauldron of boiling lead4 ,so1 there are some natures which put forth all their powers only when in suffering and extremity4 ,the piety of ,god's people has been most severely tested in the midst of persecution and affliction4 ,the faith of thousands has failed in the hour of trial1 while those who have borne the strain have gained an accession of moral nerve and bravery4 ,the ,thessalonians imitated the ,churches in ,judea in boldly facing the storm of malignant opposition1 and standing under it with calm1 unconquerable firmness4 ,i4 ,the suffering of the ,thessalonians had a common origin4--,for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen1 even as they have of the ,jews4 ,just as the ,jews who embraced ,christianity met with the maddest violence from their own unbelieving countrymen1 so the ,gentiles found their fiercest foes among their fellow-countrymen1 who blindly clung to the worship of the gods4 ,it is the unkindest cut of all that comes from the sword of our own people--people with whom we have lived in amity and concord1 but from whom conscience compels us to differ4 ,who can fathom the deep anguish of the ,psalmist sounding in that sharp1 bitter cry of startled surprise1 ,for it was not an enemy that reproached me1 then ,i could have borne it2 but it was thou1 a man1 mine equal1 my guide and mine acquaintance6 7,ps4 lv4 #ab1 #ac74 ,it was a horrible discovery of nature engaged in a terrible suicidal war with itself6 ,nature grown monstrously unnatural and savagely retaliating on its own2 natural love turned into unnatural enmity6 ,what a revelation1 too1 is this of the desperate nature of all persecution6 ,its insensate malice rudely sunders all bonds of fatherland1 friendship1 and kindred4 ,the close affinity between ,cain and ,abel does not arrest the murderer's hand2 the tender ties between ,saul and ,david1 woven with much reciprocal kindness and affection1 avail not to curb the mad cruelty of the infuriate king4 ,ah6 how deep and changeless is the truth1 ,all that will live godly in ,christ ,jesus shall suffer persecution 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ab74 ,the suffering that tests is still from the same source1 ,a man's foes are they of his own household 7,matt4 x4 #cf74 ,,ii4 ,the suffering of the ,thessalonians was borne with exemplary ,christian fortitude4--,for ye1 brethren1 became followers of the ,churches of ,god1 which in ,judea are in ,christ ,jesus4 ,the same thought is expressed in the first chapter1 where the apostle says1 ,ye became followers of us and of the ,lord4 ,for at the head of the long line is ,jesus1 the ,captain of salvation2 and all whom ,he leads to glory walk in ,his steps1 imitate ,his example1 and so become followers one of another4 ,it is not1 however1 suffering in itself that purifies and exalts ,christian character1 so much as the spirit in which it is borne4 ,the hardest point of obedience is to obey in suffering4 ,it was enough to cool the fiery ambition of the aspiring disciples when ,jesus said1 ,are ye able to drink of the cup that ,i shall drink of8 7,matt4 xx4 #bb74 ,and yet the following of ,christ in suffering is the true test of discipleship4 ,he that taketh not his cross and followeth me is not worthy of ,me 7,matt4 x4 #ch74 ,it is a grand proof of the supernatural efficacy of ,gospel truth that it inspires so intense a love of it as to make us willing to endure the most exquisite suffering for its sake4 ,the love of truth becomes supreme4 ,john ,huss1 lamenting the rupture of an old and valued friendship1 said3 ,paletz is my friend2 truth is my friend2 and both being my friends1 it is my sacred duty to give the first honour to truth4 ,the soul1 penetrated with this sublime devotion to truth1 will pass unscathed the fiery test of suffering4 ,on the destruction by fire of the ,london ,alexandra ,palace a few years ago1 it was found that1 while many specimens of old ,english porcelain exhibited there were reduced to a black1 shapeless mass1 the true porcelain of ,bristol1 though broken into fragments1 still retained its whiteness1 and even its most delicate shades of colour1 uninjured by the fire4 ,so the truly good1 though wounded and maimed1 shall survive the fiercest trial1 and retain intact all that specially distinguishes and beautifies the ,christian character4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,our love of the ,gospel is tested by what we suffer for it4 #b4 ,the similarity of experience in all times and places is a strong evidence of the truth of the ,christian religion4 #c4 ,suffering does not destroy1 but builds up and perfects4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae1 #af4 ,the ,fury of the ,old ,religion against the ,new4 ,it is the natural order of things that the old must give place to the new4 ,the inexorable operation of the law of progress is seen in a thousand different forms4 ,in the world of vegetation1 the old life is continually yielding supremacy to the new4 ,the leaves1 buds1 and blossoms of the tree1 as they force their way to the light1 fling their shadows on the grave where their predecessors lie decayed and buried--life blooming amid the ghastly emblems of death4 ,and1 in the world of religious thought and opinion1 while ,divine truth remains in its essence unchangeably the same1 old forms and old definitions are ever giving place to the new4 ,the transition from the old to a new order of things in the progress of religion is not always accomplished without opposition4 ,age is naturally and increasingly tenacious2 and the old religion looks on the new with suspicion1 with jealousy1 with fear1 with anger4 ,the ,jews had resisted the attempts of their own ,divinely commissioned prophets to rouse the nation to a purer faith and more vigorous religious life2 but their fury reached its climax in their blind1 unreasonable1 and fiendish opposition to ,christianity4 ,the text describes the fury of the old religion against the new4 ,i4 ,the fury of the ,jews is seen in their inhuman treatment of the great leaders of religious thought4--,who both killed the ,lord ,jesus and their own prophets1 and have persecuted us 7ver4 #ae74 #a4 ,they plotted against the life of the world's ,redeemer2 and in spite of insufficient evidence to convict1 and the endeavours of the ,roman procurator to release1 they clamoured for the immediate crucifixion of their innocent ,victim1 exclaiming in the wild intoxication of malignant passion1 ,his blood be on us and on our children 7,matt4 xxvii4 #be7--;a self-invoked imprecation that fell on them with terrible and desolating vengeance4 #b4 ,the sin of murder already darkly stained their race4--,the best and noblest of their prophets were unoffending victims3 ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 ,amos1 ,zechariah1 met with violent deaths4 ,the charge of the proto-martyr ,stephen was unanswerable 7,acts vii4 #eb74 #c4 ,the apostles were subjected to similar treatment4--,and have persecuted us--have chased and driven us out4 ,they drove them out of ,thessalonica1 afterwards out of ,bera1 and were at that moment engaged in instigating an insurrection to drive the apostle out of ,corinth4 ,the spirit of persecution is unchanged4 ,wherever the attempt is made to raise the ,church from the grave of spiritual death and reanimate her creed and ritual with intenser reality and life1 it is met with a jealous1 angry opposition4 ,what a wretched1 short-sighted policy does persecution reveal6 ,it is the idolised weapon of the tyrant and the coward1 the sport of the brutal1 the sanguinary carnival of demons6 ,,ii4 ,the fury of the ,jews was displeasing to ,god4--,they please not ,god 7ver4 #ae74 ,they fondly imagined they were the favourites of heaven1 and that all others were excluded from the ,divine complacency4 ,they had the words of the law carefully committed to memory and could quote them with the utmost facility to serve their own purpose4 ,they would support their proud assumption of superiority and exclusiveness by quoting ,deut4 xiv4 #b1 wilfully shutting their eyes to the vital difference between the holy intention of ,jehovah and their miserably defective realisation of that intention4 ,in their opposition to ,christianity they thought they were doing ,god service2 yet all the time they were displeasing to ,him4 ,how fatally blinding is sin1 goading the soul to the commission of the most horrible crimes under the sacred guise of virtue6 ,,iii4 ,the fury of the ,jews was hostile to man4--#a4 ,their hostility was directed against the world of mankind4 ,are contrary to all men 7ver4 #ae74 ,the ,jews of that period delighted in hatching all kinds of sedition1 privy conspiracy1 and rebellion4 ,they were adversaries of all1 the despisers of all4 ,tacitus1 the ,roman historian1 brands them as the enemies of all men3 and ,apion1 the ,egyptian1 according to the admission of ,josephus1 calls them atheists and misanthropes--in fact1 the most witless and dullest of barbarians4 #b4 ,their hostility was embittered by a despicable religious jealousy4--,forbidding us to speak to the ,gentiles1 that they might be saved 7ver4 #af74 ,here the fury of the old religion against the new reached its climax4 ,it is the perfection of bigotry and cruelty to deny to our fellow-men the only means of salvation4 ,into what monsters of barbarity will persecution turn men6 ,pharaoh persisted to such a degree of unreasonableness as to chastise the ,hebrews for not accomplishing impossibilities6 ,julian1 the apostate from ,christianity1 carried his vengeful spirit to his deathbed1 and died cursing the ,nazarene6 ,,iv4 ,the fury of the ,jews hurried them into irretrievable ruin4--#a4 ,their wickedness was wilfully persistent4 ,to fill up their sins alway 7ver4 #af7--;at all times1 now as much as ever4 ,so much so1 the time is now come when the cup of their iniquity is filled to the brim1 and nothing can prevent the consequent punishment4 ,the desire to sin grows with its commission4 ,sinners1 says ,st4 ,gregory1 would live for ever that they might sin for ever--a powerful argument for the endlessness of future punishment4 ,the desire to sin is endless4 #b4 ,their punishment was inevitable and complete4--,for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost 7ver4 #af7--;is even now upon them4 ,the process has begun2 their fury to destroy others will accelerate their own destruction4 ,punishment fell upon the wicked1 unbelieving1 and resisting ,jews1 and utter destruction upon their national status and religious supremacy 7vide ,josephus1 ,wars1 ,books v41 vi474 ,lessons4--#a4 ,there is a fearful possibility of sinking into a lifeless formality1 and blind1 infatuate opposition to the good4 #b4 ,the rage of man against the truth defeats its own ends1 and recoils in vengeance on himself4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae1 #af4 ,the ,persecuting ,jews-- ,i4 ,often misled by professed zeal for truth4 ,,ii4 ,tortured and murdered the noblest men of their own race4 ,,iii4 ,opposed the ,gospel with violent and unreasoning severity4 ,,iv4 ,have themselves been persecuted by all the nations among whom they sojourned4 ,v4 ,furnish an unanswerable argument for the truth of ,christianity4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ag-bj4 ,the ,power of ,satan1 ,great but ,restricted4 ,st4 ,paul had a profound1 unhesitating belief in the reality and personal activity of ,satan4 ,an examination of the apostle's own writings and discourses places this beyond doubt4 ,we need refer to but a few passages4 ,satan is the prince of the power of the air1 the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience 7,eph4 ii4 #b72 the god of this world1 blinding the minds of them which believe not 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #d74 ,to convert to the ,christian religion is to bring men from the power of ,satan unto ,god 7,acts xxvi4 #ah74 ,to relapse is to turn aside after ,satan 7#a ,tim4 v4 #ae74 ,to commit sin is to give place to the devil 7,eph4 iv4 #bg74 ,if ,paul suffered from some grievous bodily ailment that checked him in his evangelical labours1 it was the angel of ,satan to buffet him 7#b ,cor4 xii4 #ag72 and when he was prevented from paying a visit to the struggling ,church at ,thessalonica1 it was ,satan that hindered him4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,the power of ,satan forcing an unwilling separation4--,but we1 brethren1 being taken from you for a short time in presence1 not in heart 7ver4 #ag74 #a4 ,the separation was painful1 but temporary4--,being taken from you--literally1 being orphaned of you4 ,this grief was like that of a father bereft of his children1 or children of their parents4 ,their emotions were expressed by ,jacob--,if ,i am bereaved of my children1 ,i am bereaved 7,gen4 xliii4 #ad74 ,they hoped speedily to return2 and1 after the lapse of five years1 their hopes were realised4 ,satan acted by means of wicked men 7,acts xvii4 #e-h1 #ac74 #b4 ,the separation did not lessen their spiritual attachment4--,in presence1 not in heart4 ,satan may deprive of the opportunity of social intercourse1 but not of reciprocal ,christian love4 ,augustine1 referring to different kinds of friendship1 shows the pre-eminence of the spiritual1 where the link is grace and the ,spirit of ,god3 ,natural affection want of presence diminisheth2 mundane friendship1 where profit makes the union1 want of profit unlooseth2 but spiritual amity nothing dissolves1 no1 not that which dissolves all others1 lack of society4 ,,ii4 ,the power of ,satan hindering an earnestly desired visit4--#a4 ,opposition intensified their desire to see their converts4 ,endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire 7ver4 #ag74 ,as lime is influenced by water1 as a stream grows more furious by the obstacles set against it1 so genuine affection is increased in fervour by that which opposes it4 #b4 ,the opposition succeeded in baffling repeated attempts to carry out that desire4--,wherefore1 we would have come unto you1 even ,i ,paul1 once and again2 but ,satan hindered us 7ver4 #ah74 ,the apostle halted at ,bera on his way to ,athens1 and probably attempted then to return to ,thessalonica1 but was thwarted in his design4 ,though no express reference is made in the history to the agency of ,satan1 ,paul had unmistakable evidence of its operation in many ways4 ,satan hindered us--perhaps by imprisonment1 tempests at sea1 or by keeping him so fully occupied with incessant conflicts and ever-new tribulations of his own1 as to leave him no leisure for carrying out his plan4 ,the verb signifies to cut a trench in the way of a pursuing enemy1 so as to hinder his progress4 ,,iii4 ,the power of ,satan unable to rob the ,christian worker of the joy and reward of success4--,great as is the power of ,satan1 it is not omnipotent4 ,the ,christian warrior can successfully withstand it 7,eph4 vi4 #aa-ac72 and he is assured that ,god will bruise ,satan under his feet 7,rom4 xvi4 #bj74 #a4 ,success in soul-saving is productive of unutterable joy4--,for what is our hope1 or joy1 or crown of rejoicing8 ,are not even ye8 7ver4 #ai74 ,the merchant rejoices over his gains1 the warrior over his victories1 the artist over the achievements of genius2 but there is no joy so sweet1 so exquisite1 so abiding1 as the successful winner of souls4 #b4 ,the joy of success in soul-saving will be among the highest rewards of the future4--,in the presence of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ at ,his coming8 ,for ye are our glory and joy 7vers4 #ai1 #bj74 ,the return of ,christ to heaven1 after the judgment1 is here compared to the solemnity of a triumph1 in which the apostle is to appear crowned in token of victory over the false religions of the world1 attended by his converts2 and because they are the cause of his being thus crowned1 they are1 by a beautiful figure of speech1 called his crown of rejoicing4 ,special honour is promised to the successful worker 7,dan4 xii4 #c74 7#a7 ,joy enhanced by the recognitions in the future life4 ,are not even ye in the presence of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ at ,his coming8 ,if ,paul knows his converts in the heavenly world1 shall we not know our loved ones who have gone before8 7#b7 ,by the presence and approbation of the ,lord ,jesus for whom we have laboured4 ,in ,thy presence is fulness of joy2 at ,thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore 7,ps4 xvi4 #aa74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the power of ,satan works through many agencies2 therefore1 we have need of watchfulness4 #b4 ,the power of ,satan is limited2 therefore1 we need not be discouraged4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,satanic ,hindrances-- ,i4 ,are veiled by subtle and specious pretexts4 ,,ii4 ,work mischief in individuals and in ,churches4 ,,iii4 ,may succeed in diverting for a time the best intentions of the good4 ,,iv4 ,should be diligently and prayerfully watched4 ,v4 ,are frustrated by a superior power4 ,vers4 #ai1 #bj4 ,the ,joy of a ,minister in his ,converts-- ,i4 ,as they are living witnesses of the power of the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,as they are the crowning reward of his labours4 ,,iii4 ,as he shares the joy of ,christ in their salvation and final glory4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,when we could no longer forbear4--,this latter word occurs in #a ,cor4 xiii4 #g to describe the endurance of love4 ,ver4 #b4 ,fellow-labourer is omitted from the ,r4,v4 text1 which reads1 our brother and ,god's minister in the gospel of ,christ4 ,to establish you4--,to fix firmly2 as ,christ said to ,peter1 ,stablish thy brethren 7,luke xxii4 #cb74 ,ver4 #c4 ,that no man should be moved4--,the word seems to imply moved to softness1 as ,professor ,jowett intimates4 ,it is used especially of the motion of a dog's tail as it fawns on its master4 ,so the word passes over to the mental sphere 7compare on ,st4 ,james' figure1 ,james i4 #f74 ,that no man should amidst his calamities be allured by the flattering hope of a more pleasant life to abandon his duty 7,tittmann74 ,ver4 #d4 ,we should suffer tribulation4--,in the verse previous the noun from the same root as the one here translated suffer tribulation is given as afflictions4 ,the actual persecution of the ,roman government was slight1 but what may be termed social persecution and the illegal violence employed towards the first disciples unceasing 7,jowett74 ,ver4 #e4 ,when ,i could no longer forbear 4 4 4 sent to know4--,the whole verse shows the tension of the apostle's mind4 ,ver4 #f4 ,and brought us good tidings4--,r4,v4 glad tidings4 ,the one word for 'brought-glad-tidings' everywhere else in the ,new ,testament signifies the glad tidings4 4 4 4 ,hence the peculiar force of the word here4 4 4 4 ,it was a gospel sent to him in return for his gospel brought to them 7,findlay74 ,ye have good remembrance of us4--,kindly remembrance4 ,the tempter had not been able to turn to gall the sweet thoughts of grateful appreciation of the apostle's work4 ,ver4 #h4 ,for now we live1 if ye stand fast in the ,lord4--,the man who later could say1 ,for to me to live is ,christ 7,phil4 i4 #ba71 prepares us for that saying by this4 ,life to him is desirable only as others benefit by it4 ,ver4 #i4 ,for what thanks can we render to ,god again4--,in the ,r4,v4 again is joined with render1 representing the one word of ,st4 ,paul4 ,the same verb is found twice in ,luke xiv4 #ad as recompense4 ,the apostle feels what a poor requital any thanksgiving must be for the mercy of the good news from ,thessalonica 7see #b ,thess4 i4 #f74 ,ver4 #aa4 ,direct our way unto you4--,acts xvi4 #f1 #g should be read4 ,satan might hinder 7ch4 ii4 #ah72 if ,god makes straight the way1 progress will be easy4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,lord make you abound in love4--,the ,lord may here be the ,holy ,spirit1 as the three persons of the ,trinity will be appealed to 7cf4 ver4 #ac1 as in #b ,thess4 iii4 #e74 ,so the ,holy ,ghost is called the ,lord 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #ag74 ,love is the fruit of the ,spirit 7,gal4 v4 #bb71 and ,his office is to establish in holiness 7ver4 #ac2 #a ,pet4 i4 #b7 7,faussett74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,a ,difficult and ,important ,mission4 ,paul had been compelled to leave ,thessalonica in consequence of the malignant opposition of the ,jews4 ,they thirsted for his life1 and it would still be dangerous for him to visit the city4 ,but ,timothy might venture where it would be perilous for the apostle to appear4 ,while the wrath of the ,jews raged against the ,gospel as a whole1 it culminated in its fury around the head of ,paul1 the ringleader and champion of the movement4 ,fearing that his absence might be misconstrued1 and anxious to strengthen the faith of the infant ,church in the midst of trial1 the apostle determines to send a trusted messenger4 ,it is a significant testimony to the sound judgment and prudence of ,timothy1 that he is selected for this difficult and important mission4 ,i4 ,this mission was the suggestion of an uncontrollable anxiety4--,wherefore1 when we could no longer forbear 7ver4 #a74 ,this anxiety sprang from the intensity of the apostle's love4 ,it is a striking feature of genuine1 ,christian love that1 while it bears with uncomplaining patience any amount of external suffering1 it is restless with a holy impatience of delay in doing good to those it embraces4 ,the devoted mother can endure anything but restraint in her desire to promote the best welfare of her child4 ,david was indifferent to the exposure and dangers of his wilderness-life2 but his soul panted after ,god with all the raging thirst of the hart in autumn for the cooling water-brook4 ,,ii4 ,this mission involved great personal inconvenience4--,we thought it good to be left at ,athens alone 7ver4 #a74 ,the unselfishness of true love ever prefers another's good to its own4 ,timothy had travelled so constantly with ,paul and had been so great a comfort to him in his captivities and trials1 that his absence was a keenly felt loss4 ,specially was his sympathy and co-operation needed when the great ,gentile missionary entered the region-- ,where on the gean shore a city stood1 ,built nobly1 pure the air and light the soil1 ,athens1 the eye of ,greece1 mother of arts ,and eloquence4--,milton4 ,at ,athens alone4 ,what a sublime historical picture is portrayed in these words6 ,christianity embodied in a single1 lonely man1 standing in the midst of the populous metropolis of pagan culture and idolatry6 ,yet the power sustained in that solitary man broke up and scattered the huge fabric of heathenism4 ,solitude is one of the highest enjoyments of which our nature is susceptible4 ,solitude is also1 when too long continued1 capable of being made the most severe1 indescribable1 unendurable1 source of anguish 7,deloraine74 ,,iii4 ,this mission was entrusted to a thoroughly qualified messenger4--,the high character of ,timothy and the relations existing between the two preachers are brought out in the epithets applied to him4 ,timothy our brother 7ver4 #b74 ,in other places ,paul calls him his own son in the faith1 his dearly beloved son 7#a ,tim4 i4 #b2 #b ,tim4 i4 #b72 but in speaking of him to the ,churches he recognises him on the equal footing of a brother4 ,he was also a minister of ,god1 solemnly set apart to this service by the voice of prophecy1 and by the consecrating hands of the presbytery1 and of ,paul himself4 ,and finally1 he was ,paul's fellow-labourer in the ,gospel of ,christ1 not only as all ,god's ministers are fellow-labourers1 working the work of the same ,lord1 but also on the ground of that special intimacy of personal intercourse and co-operation1 to which he was from the first admitted by the apostle 7,lillie74 ,thus1 ,timothy was thoroughly qualified--7#a7 to carry out the apostle's wish concerning the ,thessalonians1 and 7#b7 to sympathise with the ,church's peculiar difficulties and trials4 ,he was more than a mere courier4 ,he was faithful to ,paul's instructions1 and valuable to the ,church in himself4 ,,iv4 ,this mission was charged with a work of high importance and necessity4--,to establish you1 and to comfort you1 concerning your faith 7ver4 #b74 #a4 ,to establish--to comfort1 or set fast their faith by a fresh1 authoritative manifestation of the ,gospel truth and its ,divine evidences2 and this would be done by private conversation and public ministration4 #b4 ,to comfort4--,the word means also1 and especially here1 to exhort1 though doubtless comfort would be mingled with the exhortation4 ,the ,thessalonians were exposed to the storm of persecution that was everywhere raging against the ,gospel and its adherents1 and they were exhorted to steadfastness1 that no man should be moved by these afflictions 7ch4 iii4 #c74 ,paul and ,barnabas had a similar mission to the ,churches in ,lesser ,asia 7,acts xiv4 #bb74 ,there are none so strong in faith but need confirmation1 none so courageous but need comfort4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the establishment of believers is ever a subject of anxiety to the true minister4 #b4 ,the desire to promote the highest welfare of the ,church should ever be paramount4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #a4 ,at ,athens alone 7cf4 ,acts xvii4 #af1 #ag74 ,the ,solitude of a ,great ,city-- ,i4 ,affords a painful opportunity to reflect on its moral condition4--,he saw the city wholly given to idolatry4 ,,ii4 ,awakens profound concern in a great soul4--,his spirit was stirred in him4 ,,iii4 ,rouses to immediate action in promoting the welfare of the citizens4--,therefore disputed he in the synagogue and in the market daily4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-e4 ,the ,perils of ,suffering4 ,a storm among the ,highlands of ,scotland often effects great and rapid changes4 ,the huge mountain that slumbers harmlessly in the sunshine1 with such calm and sullen majesty1 is transformed by the tempest into a monster of fury4 ,its sides are suddenly sheeted with waterfalls1 and the ferocious torrents work devastation among the glens and straths that lie in their impetuous course4 ,the trees and shrubs that are but slightly rooted are swept away1 and only the firmly grounded survive4 ,so it is1 when the storm of persecution breaks upon the ,gospel and its adherents4 ,the new converts1 the roots of whose faith have not penetrated so deeply into the soil of truth1 are in danger of being disturbed and carried away4 ,their peril is matter of anxiety to the ,christian worker4 ,hence the apostle sends ,timothy1 and writes this epistle to the ,thessalonians1 to confirm and establish them in the faith4 ,he shows3-- ,i4 ,that suffering is the inevitable lot of ,god's people4--#a4 ,that suffering is a ,divine ordinance4 ,for ye yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto 7ver4 #c74 ,a strange way1 one would think1 of reconciling people to affliction1 by telling them that they have nothing else to expect4 ,it is a grand proof of the triumph of the ,gospel over the rebellious human heart that it prescribes such conditions and reconciles men to the acceptance of them2 and it does so both by the grace which it imparts for the present and by the glorious hope it holds out for the future4 ,it is laid down as a law of ,christian progress that we must1 through much tribulation1 enter into the kingdom of ,god 7,acts xiv4 #bb74 ,the very purity of the ,church1 imperfect as it is1 coming into contact with the sin and misery prevalent in the world1 produces suffering4 ,because ye are not of the world1 but ,i have chosen you out of the world1 therefore the world hateth you 7,john xv4 #ai74 ,it is enough for us to know that our trials do not happen without the knowledge and consent and purpose and control of ,god1 and that their extent and duration are regulated by ,his infinite1 fatherly wisdom and love4 ,the ,divine appointment of suffering is designed for our highest discipline and culture--withdrawing our affections from the temporal and centring them on eternal realities2 exposing our hypocrisies and cleansing the moral corruptions that have entered into our lives1 like filth on standing waters1 and strengthening us to do the right1 undismayed by the bitterest afflictions4 ,the greatest suffering often brings us into the neighbourhood of the greatest blessing4 ,gold is cleaner after it has been put into the fire3 be thou gold1 and the fiery persecution shall not hurt thee4 #b4 ,that suffering was the subject of frequent apostolic warning4--,for verily1 when we were with you1 we told you before that we should suffer tribulation 7ver4 #d74 ,it is intimated here that it was not so much one single statement on some particular occasion as it was the constant and habitual tenor of the apostle's teaching that suffering was to be expected4 ,paul himself was an illustrious example of heroic fortitude in suffering for ,christ's sake4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 said he1 witnesseth in every city1 saying that bonds and afflictions abide me 7,acts xx4 #bc74 ,it is both wise and kind to forewarn ,god's people of coming afflictions1 that they be not overtaken unexpectedly and unprepared4 ,the predictions of the apostle were verified3 ,even as it came to pass1 and ye know4 ,their first acquaintance with the ,gospel was in the midst of persecution and trial4 ,the violent opposition continued1 but the warnings and exhortations of the apostle were not in vain 7#b ,thess4 i4 #d74 #c4 ,that the suffering of ,god's people is a cause of ministerial anxiety4--,for this cause1 when ,i could no longer forbear1 ,i sent to know your faith 7ver4 #e74 ,it has been pithily said1 ,calamity is man's true touchstone4 ,the strongest have then become a prey to the malice and subtlety of ,satan4 ,the faithful minister1 knowing the perils of suffering and the awful consequences of apostasy1 is anxiously concerned about the faith of his converts4 ,there are three modes of bearing the ills of life--by indifference1 which is the most common2 by philosophy1 which is the most ostentatious2 and by religion1 which is the most effectual 7,colton74 ,,ii4 ,that suffering exposes ,god's people to the disturbing forces of ,satanic temptations4--,lest by some means the tempter have tempted you 7ver4 #e74 #a4 ,a suggestive designation of ,satan4--,the tempter4 ,what unspeakable vileness1 ruin1 misery1 and terror are suggested by that name6 ,all human woe may be traced directly up to him4 ,the greatest champions of ,christendom1 such as ,paul and ,luther1 had the most vivid sense of the personality1 nearness1 and unceasing counter-working of this great adversary of ,god and man4 ,there is need of sleepless vigilance and prayer4 #b4 ,the versatility of ,satanic temptations4--,lest by some means4 ,he may descend suddenly1 clothed with terror and burning with wrath1 to surprise and terrify into sin4 ,more frequently he appears in the seductive and more dangerous garb of an angel of light1 the deceptive phantom of what he once was4 ,infinite are his methods2 his aim is one--to suggest doubts and impious references as to ,god's providential dealings of severity1 and to produce apostasy from the faith4 ,,iii4 ,that the temptations of a suffering state imperil the work of ,god's servants4--,and our labour be in vain 7ver4 #e74 ,in vain as regards the great end of their salvation2 they would lapse into their former heathenish state1 and by apostasy lose their heavenly reward2 and in vain as regards the joy which the apostle anticipated from their ultimate salvation4 ,it is true no work done for ,god is absolutely in vain2 the worker shall receive his just reward2 but it may be in vain with regard to the object to which his best efforts have been directed4 ,it is bitterly disappointing to see the work that has cost so much1 utterly frustrated by a momentary temptation of the wicked one4 ,how different might have been the moral history of thousands if they had not yielded to the first fiery trial6 ,of all the sad words of tongue or pen1 ,the saddest are these--it might have been4 ,,iv4 ,that ,god's people may triumph over the greatest suffering4--,that no man should be moved drawn away by flattery or shaken by these afflictions 7ver4 #c74 ,while piety is tried1 it is also strengthened by suffering4 ,the watchful and faithful soul may use his troubles as aids to a richer experience and a firmer consolidation of ,christian character4 ,thus ,god schooleth and nurtureth ,his people1 that so1 through many tribulations1 they may enter into their rest4 ,frankincense1 when it is put into the fire1 giveth the greater perfume2 spice1 if it be pounded1 smelleth the sweeter2 the earth1 when it is torn up by the plough1 becometh more fruitful2 the seed in the ground1 after frost and snow and winter storms1 springeth up the ranker2 the nigher the vine is pruned to the stock1 the greater grape it yieldeth2 the grape1 when it is most pressed and beaten1 maketh the sweetest wine2 fine gold is the better when it is cast into the fire2 rough stones1 with hewing1 are squared and made fit for the building2 cloth is rent and cut that it may make a garment2 linen that is thrown into the tub1 washed1 and beaten1 is the fairer 7,jewell74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,to live a godly life involves suffering4 #b4 ,a period of suffering is ever attended with powerful temptations4 #c4 ,the grace of ,god is sufficient to sustain and deliver ,his people amid the perils of acutest suffering4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #c-e4 ,the ,necessity and the ,perils of ,affliction4 ,i4 ,that afflictions are disturbing and distressing to the children of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,that afflictions are appointed by ,god for ,his people's good4 ,,iii4 ,that ,christians are forewarned to expect affliction4 ,,iv4 ,that ,satan uses affliction as a means of temptation4 ,v4 ,that the faithful minister must labour and watch in order to secure the steadfastness of believers under his care4--,herbert1 the saintly poet of the seventeenth century1 exhorts the preacher to make the consolations of the ,gospel his main theme3 ,oh1 let him speak of comfort1 'tis ,most wanted in this vale of tears4 --,p4 ,mearns4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,news that gladdens4 ,with what anxiety the father entrusts his son with a commission to visit an estate in a distant land1 and to investigate its affairs1 which are threatened for the time being with impending dangers4 ,he is in suspense until he receives intelligence of the safe arrival of his loved messenger1 and that there is no reason for apprehension concerning the estate itself4 ,but when that son returns in person and assures him that everything is prosperous and hopeful1 the father's satisfaction is complete4 ,as cold water to a thirsty soul1 so is good news from a far country 7,prov4 xv4 #be74 ,such1 in a higher sense1 was the experience of ,paul when he despatched ,timothy to inquire into the condition of the suffering ,thessalonian ,church1 and when he brought back the cheering report as to the fidelity and affection of its persecuted members4 ,i4 ,the apostle was gladdened with good tidings of faith maintained4--,timothy came from you to us1 and brought us good tidings of your faith4 #a4 ,their faith in the great truths of the ,gospel was maintained4--,the revelation of ,divine truth is the basis of faith4 ,this truth as it affected their salvation had been clearly1 earnestly1 and successfully declared to them by the apostle and his companions4 ,they comprehended its meaning1 felt its force1 embraced it in their understanding and heart1 and were transformed by its agency4 ,amid the shock of persecution1 and the insidious whisperings of false teachers1 they held fast to the form of sound words they had joyfully received4 #b4 ,their faith as a principle of active spiritual life was maintained4--,true faith is not simply a belief1 but a life2 not merely an assent of the mind to a grand truth or a group of correlated truths1 but the impartation to the soul of a spiritual force which starts it on a new career4 ,it forms a new era in the experience and history of the soul4 ,it unites us to the living ,god1 and expands to our view1 however dimly1 the vast outline of the life of ,god as the pattern of our own4 ,their faith1 as the realisation of a life springing from ,god and leading to ,god1 was in sound and vigorous operation4 ,,ii4 ,the apostle was gladdened with good tidings of love manifested4--,brought us good tidings of your charity4 ,love is the legitimate fruit of a genuine faith1 both in its inward experience and outward manifestation4 ,faith and love are indissolubly combined4 ,and this is ,his commandment1 that we should believe on the name of ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ and love one another1 as ,he gave us commandment 7#a ,john iii4 #bc74 ,the first exercise of love is towards ,god2 and then1 in ever widening and intensified outflow1 towards all whom ,god loves4 ,such love is impartial and universal--manifested towards all in whom we discern the image of ,god1 whatever their country1 colour1 rank1 sect1 or condition4 ,where faith and love reign there is a living1 healthy1 and prosperous ,church4 ,,iii4 ,the apostle was gladdened with good tidings of continued personal regard4--#a4 ,the apostle was fondly remembered4 ,and that ye have good remembrance of us always4 ,there are some scenes of nature1 which1 beheld but for a moment1 never fade from the memory2 there are some faces we can never forget2 and there are some individuals1 the influence of whose character remains with us as a charm and inspiration through life4 ,the ,thessalonians had good reason to remember ,paul4 ,he was the first to proclaim to them the good news of salvation2 and how great was their privilege to hear the ,gospel from the lips of such a preacher6 ,he counselled them in their difficulties and sympathised with them in their sufferings4 ,the minister who first led us to the cross will ever have the pre-eminence in our affection and the choicest spot in our memory4 ,a high appreciation of the ,christian minister is one of the evidences of possessing genuine faith and love4 #b4 ,they were as solicitous as the apostle for a renewal of ,christian fellowship4--,desiring greatly to see us1 as we also to see you4 ,there is no bond at once so tender and so strong as that existing between the preacher and his converts4 ,he must needs love the souls he has been instrumental in saving and who are his glory and his joy4 ,the intercourse between such is of the purest and highest kind4 ,never was there a more loving heart than that of the apostle ,paul4 ,the ,thessalonians warmly reciprocated that love and longed to renew the fellowship by which they had so richly profited4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,that ,church has the best reputation where faith is maintained1 and love manifested4 #b4 ,the ,christian minister is cheered by the affection and stability of his converts4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-aj4 ,steadfastness of ,believers a ,source of ,true ,ministerial ,satisfaction4 ,the scholar finds his happiness in intellectual exercises and accumulating stores of knowledge2 the politician in the excitement of debate and the triumph of great principles2 the scientist in testing and harmonising the laws of nature2 the merchant in his gains2 and the minister of ,god's ,word in the increase of converts to the truth1 and in their consistency1 fidelity1 and perseverance in the practice of godliness4 ,the truly ,christian heart rejoices in the success of the ,gospel in any part of the world1 but more particularly in the locality where personal labour has been expended4 ,the effect upon ,paul of the good tidings from ,timothy1 concerning the steadfastness of the believers in ,thessalonica1 is described in these verses4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,their steadfastness was a source of genuine comfort4--#a4 ,the apostle was comforted in the midst of intense personal suffering4 ,therefore1 brethren1 we were comforted in all our affliction and distress 7ver4 #g74 ,paul was in ,corinth when he received ,timothy's report4 ,in that city the customary opposition of the ,jews rose to an unwonted pitch of malignity1 and even blasphemy1 so much so that the apostle resolved to abandon them to their fate--,he shook his raiment1 and said unto them1 ,your blood be upon your own heads2 ,i am clean2 from henceforth ,i will go unto the ,gentiles 7,acts xviii4 #f74 ,so great was his anguish on behalf of his own countrymen1 and so manifold his cares1 privations1 and perils1 that the ,lord thought it needful to encourage him with a vision1 saying1 ,be not afraid3 ,i am with thee1 and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee 7,ibid41 #i1 #aj74 ,the bitterness of his afflictions at this time was sweetened by hearing of the constancy of his ,thessalonian converts4 ,it revived1 refreshed1 and strengthened him4 ,the faithlessness and disobedience of the people are a grief to the true minister now2 but at last the horror will be theirs4 #b4 ,the apostle was comforted concerning their faith4--,we were comforted over you1 by your faith 7ver4 #g74 ,timothy had been commissioned to inquire into the state of their faith1 and his report was eminently satisfactory4 ,he spoke not only of their faith as the primary root of the ,christian life1 the basis of all stability and fruitfulness1 but of its active outgoings in love to ,god and in affectionate remembrance of the apostle4 ,the ,church is in danger and a cause of deep anxiety when the faith wavers4 ,,ii4 ,their steadfastness intensified the pleasure of living4--,for now we live1 if ye stand fast in the ,lord 7ver4 #h74 ,the apostle was perhaps more than usually despondent when ,timothy arrived4 ,the good news thrilled his soul with new life4 ,for now1 whatever else befall--now1 in the face of ,jewish fury and ,gentile scorn--now1 amid infirmities1 reproaches1 necessities1 persecutions1 distresses1 and deaths oft--now we live1 if ye stand fast in the ,lord4 ,the relation of the minister to his people is so close and vital that they have in their power to make his life happy or supremely miserable4 ,there is a method of destroying life without its becoming utterly extinct4 ,ezekiel speaks of the false prophets whose lies made the hearts of the righteous sad2 and we read of ,elijah1 under the juniper tree1 sighing for death because of the idolatry and wickedness of ,judah4 ,to lessen the cheerful flow of life1 and depress the spirits of the man of ,god1 is a species of murder2 to starve him into submission by studied neglect and privation is diabolical4 ,the ministerial life and energy of even an apostle depended on the sympathy1 faith1 and steadfastness of the brethren 7#c ,john #c1 #d74 ,,iii4 ,their steadfastness was productive of grateful joy4--#a4 ,this joy was copious and sincere4--,for the joy wherewith we joy before our ,god 7ver4 #i74 ,the transitions of the emotions are rapid4 ,from the midst of the apostle's grief a fountain of joy breaks forth4 ,this joy filled his soul even in the secret presence of ,god4 ,it was a pure1 sincere1 undissembled1 overflowing joy1 such as ,god could approve4 #b4 ,this joy arose from a disinterested love4--,for your sakes 7ver4 #i74 ,true love gives us an interest in the safety and happiness of others4 ,he who possesses this never lacks joy2 it flows not on his own behalf1 it does on behalf of others4 ,bernard has said3 ,of all the motions and affections of the soul1 love is the only one we may reciprocate with ,god2 to re-love ,him is our happiness2 woe if we answer ,him not in some measure of re-loving affection4 #c4 ,this joy was expressed in fervent thanksgiving4--,what thanks can we render to ,god again for you8 7ver4 #i74 ,his gratitude was so great that he knew not how to give it adequate expression4 ,the grateful heart prizes blessings that may seem to others of small value4 ,he rendered thanks to ,god1 the ,author and ,preserver of their faith4 ,the heartiest thanksgiving seems cold and utterly insufficient when compared with the mercies of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,their steadfastness excited an earnest longing for the opportunity of imparting additional good4--#a4 ,the apostle assiduously prayed for the opportunity of a personal interview4 ,night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face 7ver4 #aj74 ,the longer the absence1 the more eagerly he desired to see them4 ,the good tidings of their constancy increased the desire4 ,a love like his could be satisfied only with personal spiritual intercourse4 ,it was not enough simply to write4 ,voice and manner have a pre-eminent charm in the interchange of mind with mind4 ,reading1 praying1 and all other endeavours will be unavailing if we despise prophesying--the oral declaration of the truth4 #b4 ,the apostle sought this interview to supply what was deficient in their faith4--,and might perfect that which was lacking in your faith 7ver4 #aj74 ,none so perfect in faith as not to be susceptible of improvement4 ,faith is based on knowledge2 and as knowledge1 especially in the things of ,god1 is capable of indefinite extension1 so faith may be continually increased--broadening and deepening its foundation and consolidating its structure4 ,the less distinctly the great subjects of faith are understood1 the more defective is faith2 the more explicit1 the more perfect4 ,they most vaunt of faith who have least experience in its practice4 ,empty vessels sound the loudest4 ,we have all need to cry1 ,lord1 increase our faith4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the true minister cannot be indifferent to the spiritual state of his people4 #b4 ,the fidelity and perseverance of believers is an inspiration and unspeakable joy to the anxious worker4 #c4 ,faith and practice powerfully react upon each other4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #g-aj4 ,glad ,tidings of ,christian ,steadfastness-- ,i4 ,produce comfort of mind 7ver4 #g74 ,,ii4 ,make life more enjoyable 7ver4 #h74 ,,iii4 ,are the occasion of thankful joy before the ,lord 7ver4 #i74 ,,iv4 ,excite to assiduous and earnest prayer 7ver4 #aj74 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,religious ,joy-- ,i4 ,is occasioned by the religious progress of others4 ,,ii4 ,is mingled with ingenuous gratitude4 ,,iii4 ,is enjoyed as in the presence of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,is accompanied with fervent prayer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa-ac4 ,a ,comprehensive ,apostolic ,prayer4 ,the prayers of the apostle ,paul are among his sublimest utterances4 ,the frequency with which they occur in his writings indicates the habitual devoutness of his mind4 ,in both the epistles to the ,thessalonians nearly every chapter is distinguished and sealed by a fervent outbreathing of his soul to ,god4 ,in these verses he expresses1 in the most comprehensive and suggestive terms1 his dearest wishes for the welfare of the ,church4 ,i4 ,this prayer recognises the essential oneness of the ,father and the ,son4--#a4 ,christ is invoked equally with the ,father4 ,now ,god ,himself and our ,father1 and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #aa74 ,the word ,himself stands foremost in the sentence and refers to both persons1 as if the writer said1 ,may our ,god and ,father1 and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,himself direct our way unto you4 ,it should be also noted that the verb direct1 belonging to both persons1 is in the singular number4 ,this fact was urged as an important point by ,athanasius in the great ,arian controversy in the fourth century4 ,as the ,son partakes equally with the ,father in the honour of invocation1 so also in excellency of nature4 ,divine properties are also ascribed to the ,son in overruling by ,his providence the affairs of men4 ,what things soever the ,father doeth1 these also doeth the ,son likewise 7,john v4 #ai74 #b4 ,it is the privilege of the believer to realise a personal interest in the ,father and in the ,son4--,by an act of appropriating faith we can say1 ,god our ,father and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,similar phrases occur no less than twenty-six times in these two epistles4 ,blessed confidence6 ,what a wealth of tenderness1 of comfort1 of satisfying assurance1 and of joyous triumph is involved in the earnest1 trustful cry of the soul--,my ,god6 my ,saviour6 ,,ii4 ,this is a prayer for providential guidance in securing a much desired interview4--,direct our way unto you 7ver4 #aa74 ,hitherto the way to ,thessalonica had been insuperably blocked up4 ,the brethren there were as eager to welcome ,paul as he was to be present with them2 but ,satan had hindered by interposing many obstacles4 ,nevertheless1 let ,god give the signal and all impediments from men or devils would vanish4 ,the road would at once become straight and plain4 ,god should be recognised in the simplest affairs of life4 ,it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps 7,jer4 x4 #bc72 and only those journeys are prosperous wherein ,god is pilot4 ,there are crises in life when everything depends on being guided in the right way--e4g4 in selecting a school or college1 entering on the religious life1 commencing business1 contemplating marriage1 or in change of residence4 ,in these and all other matters acknowledge ,god1 and ,he shall direct thy paths 7,prov4 iii4 #f74 ,our prayer for guidance must ever be in submission to the ,divine will4 ,the apostle's prayer was not answered immediately2 five years elapsed before he again visited ,macedonia4 ,that path is safest and best in which ,god's finger points4 ,let ,his call be our loadstar2 ,his hand the cloud1 to move or pause as ,he directs4 ,,iii4 ,this is a prayer for the bestowal of an increased measure of the highest ,christian affection4--#a4 ,christian love is progressive and mutual4 ,and the ,lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another 7ver4 #ab74 ,the apostle had before commended their labour of love1 and ,timothy had brought good tidings of their continued love4 ,now he prays they may increase and excel more and more4 ,love is the indispensable badge of the genuine ,christian4 ,he cannot have too much of it--the more the better4 ,it grows with all other graces and causes them to grow4 ,there is no limit to its expansion but our finiteness4 ,but love must be mutual in its exercise--one toward another4 ,for this is the message1 says ,st4 ,john1 that ye heard from the beginning1 that ye should love one another 7#a ,john iii4 #aa72 and1 ,seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the ,spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren1 see that ye love one another2 urges ,st4 ,peter1 with a pure heart fervently 7#a ,pet4 i4 #bb74 #b4 ,christian love is unselfish4--,and toward all men 7ver4 #ab74 ,the old ,levitical law declared1 ,thou shalt not avenge1 nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people2 but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself 7,lev4 xix4 #ah74 ,and the ,new ,testament reiterates the truth1 that charity out of a pure heart1 and of a good conscience1 and of faith unfeigned is the fulfilling of the royal law 7#a ,tim4 i4 #e74 #c4 ,here we have ,christian love practically exemplified4--,even as we do towards you 7ver4 #ab74 ,paul and his co-labourers had given unmistakable evidence of their sincere love for the ,thessalonian converts in their self-denying labours1 uncomplaining sufferings1 and unceasing anxiety on their behalf 7ch4 ii4 #h1 #i1 #ac2 ch4 iii4 #c-e74 ,love is the soul of self-sacrifice1 prompts to labour1 braves all suffering1 and persists in doing good to others1 even to those who least appreciate and most violently oppose the best endeavours4 ,ministers should exemplify in their own lives what they prescribe to others4 ,,iv4 ,this is a prayer for confirmation in a state of unblameable personal purity4--#a4 ,there is no stability in ,christian graces apart from love4 ,to the end he may establish your hearts 7ver4 #ac74 ,if it were possible to possess every other grace but love1 it would be like a varied summer landscape1 very beautiful but transient1 having in it no element of permanency4 ,above all other graces we are exhorted to put on charity which is the bond of perfectness 7,col4 iii4 #ad7--;a girdle which adorns and binds together all the rest4 ,love is the fulfilling of the law1 the infallible test and evidence of stability4 #b4 ,unblameable holiness is the legitimate and necessary outcome of love4--,to the end ,he may stablish your hearts in holiness 7ver4 #ac74 ,the apostle prays for an increase of love in order to the attainment of a higher personal purity4 ,all defects in obedience issue from a defect in love4 ,our love of ,god makes us solicitous to know and obey ,him and fearful to offend ,him4 ,our love of man makes us careful to preserve his honour1 life1 and possessions1 and in no way to impair his happiness4 ,the whole of the law is love4 ,there is no duty to ,god or man but love inclines unto1 and no sin from which it does not restrain4 ,to be unblameable in holiness1 store the soul with love4 ,when love fails1 obedience and all holy duties fail4 #c4 ,holiness screens the soul from ,divine censure at the second advent of ,christ4--,unblameable in holiness before ,god1 even our ,father1 at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ with all ,his saints 7ver4 #ac74 ,christ will come in glorious pomp attended by ,his holy ones--saints and angels4 ,he who remains steadfast in holiness shall be held blameless then4 ,our outer life may be censured by men2 but if ,god1 even our ,father1 who stablishes our hearts in holiness1 absolves and approves1 it will be enough4 ,that holiness alone is genuine which will bear the searching scrutiny of ,omniscience4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,recognise ,god in every event of life4 #b4 ,to attain the highest degree of personal purity pray for an increase of love4 #c4 ,act in all things so as to secure the ,divine approval4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ab1 #ac4 ,a ,prayer for ,growth in ,personal ,piety-- ,i4 ,acknowledges and invokes the ,divine source of all spiritual good4--,the ,lord make you4 ,,ii4 ,growth in piety is growth in ,christian love4--,increase and abound in love4 ,,iii4 ,growth in piety is the establishment of the soul in unblameable holiness4--,to the end ,he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness4 ,,iv4 ,growth in piety is essential to gain the approval of ,god at the second advent of ,christ4--,before ,god1 at the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ with all ,his saints4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,coming of ,christ-- ,i4 ,will be an imposing spectacle4 ,,ii4 ,should be ardently longed for4 ,,iii4 ,demands on our part diligent moral preparedness4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,and to please ,god1 so ye would abound more and more4--,r4,v4 inserts even as ye do walk after ,god4 ,ver4 #b4 ,what commandments4--,r4,v4 charge2 margin1 charges4 ,the ,greek word signifies an announcement1 then a command or advice publicly delivered 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #c4 ,your sanctification1 etc4--,the reception of ,christianity never delivers1 as with the stroke of a magician1 from the wickedness and lusts of the heathen world which have become habitual2 rather a long and constant fight is necessary for vanquishing them 7,huther74 ,the sanctification here is first negative--abstinence4 ,ver4 #d4 ,how to possess his vessel4--,r4,v4 to possess himself of his own vessel4 ,with the long list of names in view of those who interpret vessel as meaning body1 it is almost daring to hint at another meaning4 ,the list1 however1 is strong of those who regard the expression as a figurative designation for a wife1 and #a ,pet4 iii4 #g decides us4 ,ver4 #e4 ,not in the lust of concupiscence4--,r4,v4 not in the passion of lust4 ,the word 'passion' signifies not so much a violent feeling as an overpowering feeling1 one to which a man so yields himself that he is borne along by evil as if he were its passive instrument2 he has lost the dignity of self-rule1 and is the slave of his lower appetites 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #f4 ,that no man go beyond and defraud4--,r4,v4 transgress1 and wrong4 ,more exactly1 that none overreach and take advantage of his brother in the matter4 ',the matter' of the last two verses4 4 4 4 ,the apostle sets the wrong in the strongest light2 it is to cheat one's brother1 and that in what touches most nearly the sanctities of life 7,ibid474 ,the ,lord is the avenger4--,the heathen deities1 so far as they were anything1 were oftener patterns than avengers of such things1 and they who made them were only too like them4 ,ver4 #h4 ,he therefore that despiseth4--,margin and ,r4,v4 rejecteth4 ,he who pushes aside sanctification in his preference for uncleanness will have to reckon with ,god ,himself4 ,ver4 #i4 ,ye have no need that one write to you4--,st4 ,paul admits the brotherly love amongst them4 ,it was adroit on his part1 therefore1 to make uncleanness an offence against brotherly love4 ,taught of ,god4--,is an expression only found here in the ,new ,testament4 ,we are reminded of ,isa4 xxviii4 #bf4 ,the mother-wit of the farmer who had no school of agriculture is traced by the prophet to ,god2 he is ,god-taught to distinguish his methods4 ,so these ,thessalonians took to brotherly love naturally1 as we say4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,we beseech you1 brethren1 that ye increase more and more4--,brotherly love is a good thing1 of which ,st4 ,paul evidently thought too much could not be had4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,study to be quiet4--,r4,v4 margin1 ,go3 be ambitious4 ,an example of ,st4 ,paul's characteristic irony2 the contrast between ambition and quiet1 giving a sharper point to his exhortation1 as though he said1 ',make it your ambition to have no ambition6' 7,ibid474 ,to do your own business4--,to be occupied with your own affairs4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,that ye may walk honestly4--,the adverb here is used to match the verb--to walk with a dignified and gentlemanly bearing4 ,st4 ,paul's ideas of gentlemanliness--working with the hands--would not suit the youth of gentlemanly habits who wants to be adopted where he will have nothing to do4 ,and may have need of nothing4--,what a nobly independent soul6 ,what a splendid text these verses would make for some plain words to ,christians who indulge in sharp practices1 or waste until they have to throw themselves on any one who will support them6 ,ver4 #ac4 ,them which are asleep4--,the ,r4,v4 reading changes the perfect participle 7them who have fallen asleep and continue to sleep7 unto the present1 them that fall asleep1 as they drop off one after another4 ,see on the expression our ,lord's beautiful words1 ,luke viii4 #eb2 ,john xi4 #aa f4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the ,lord4--,we must recognise that ,paul here includes himself1 along with the ,thessalonians1 among those who will be alive at the advent of ,christ4 ,certainly this can only have been a hope1 only a subjective expectation on the part of the apostle 7,huther74 ,shall not prevent4--,the meaning of prevent is to go before4 ,but the connotation came to have more prominence than the meaning1 so it come to signify to stop 7by standing in the way74 ,r4,v4 gives1 shall not precede4 ,it is the same word as in ch4 ii4 #af 7in another tense74 ,the apostle says1 ,we shall not arrive before them4 ,ver4 #af4 ,with a shout4--,like the ring of command heard over the noise of battle4 ,we must not look for literal exactness where things are depicted beyond the means of sense 7,findlay74 ,with the trump of ,god4--,the trumpet here1 like that in #a ,cor4 xv4 #eb1 is the military trumpet4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,shall be caught up4--,the idea conveyed by the word is that of sudden or violent seizure1 as when the fiery messengers carried off the prophet ,elijah1 or as when ,st4 ,paul was caught up to the third heaven4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-c4 ,earnest ,exhortations to a ,higher ,sanctity4 ,purity is the perfection of the ,christian character4 ,it is the brightest jewel in the cluster of saintly excellencies1 and that which gives a lustre to the whole4 ,it is not so much the addition of a separate and distinct grace as it is the beauteous and harmonious development of all the graces in the most perfect form4 ,as ,flavel has said3 ,what the heart is to the body1 that the soul is to the man2 and what health is to the heart1 holiness is to the soul4 ,purity is the sound1 healthy condition of the soul and its vigorous growth towards ,god4 ,in the concluding prayer of the preceding chapter the apostle indicates that ,god will1 through ,his spirit1 fill the ,thessalonians with love--the great distinctive feature of a genuine and higher sanctity4 ,he now urges upon them the necessity of earnest and persistent endeavours after its attainment4 ,human agency is not annihilated but stimulated by the ,divine4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that a higher sanctity consists in living under a sense of the ,divine approval4--#a4 ,religion is a life4 ,how ye ought to walk 7ver4 #a74 ,a walk implies motion1 progression1 continual approach to a definite goal4 ,religion is not an ornament to wear1 a luxury to enjoy1 a ceremony to observe1 but a life4 ,it penetrates every part of our nature1 throbs in every pulse1 shares every joy and sorrow1 and fashions every lineament of character4 ,we make sad mistakes2 but there is goodness hived1 like wild honey1 in strange nooks and corners of the world4 #b4 ,religion is a life modelled after the worthiest examples4--,as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk 7ver4 #a74 ,the ,thessalonians not only received the wisest counsels from their teachers1 but they witnessed their holy and consistent lives2 and their attention was constantly directed to the all-perfect example--,christ ,jesus4 ,it is the tendency of all life to shape itself after the character of its strongest inward force4 ,the love of ,god is the mightiest power in the life of the believer2 and the outer manifestation of that life is moulded according to the sublime pattern of the inner ,divine ideal4 #c4 ,religion is a life which finds its chief joy in the ,divine approval4--,and to please ,god 7ver4 #a74 ,it is possible1 then1 so to live as to please ,god4 ,what a powerful incentive to a holy life is the thought1 the ,lord taketh pleasure in ,his people6 ,we can rise no higher in moral excellence than to be acceptable to ,god4 ,to enjoy the sense of ,his approval fills the cup of happiness to the brim4 ,in vain1 the world frowns or demons rage1 if ,god smiles4 ,the learned and pious ,donne1 when taking solemn farewell of his friends on his deathbed1 said3 ,i count all that part of my life lost which ,i spent not in communion with ,god or in doing good4 #d4 ,religion is a life capable of vast expansion4--,so1 ye would abound more and more 7ver4 #a74 ,life in its healthiest and intensest form is happiness4 ,as we advance in the religious life our happiness increases4 ,all the while1 says ,fuller1 thou livest ill1 thou hast the trouble1 distraction1 and inconveniences of life1 but not the sweets and true use of it4 ,god has made every provision for our increase in holiness2 we are exhorted to it1 and most really promote our highest good and the ,divine glory in attaining it4 ,there is no limit in our elevation to a higher sanctity but our faith4 ,,ii4 ,that the necessity of a higher sanctity is enforced by ,divine authority4--,for this is the will of ,god1 even your sanctification 7ver4 #c74 #a4 ,a higher sanctity involves a conformity to the ,divine nature4--,god is holy1 and the loftiest aim of the believer is to be like ,him4 ,there is to be not only an abstinence from all that is impure1 but a positive experience of its opposite--purity4 ,by faith we participate in the ,divine nature and possess qualities analogous to those which constitute the ,divine perfections--mercy1 truth1 justice1 holiness4 ,the grand purpose of redemption is to bring man into holiest fellowship with ,god4 #b4 ,a higher sanctity is in harmony with the ,divine will4--,for this is the will of ,god1 even your sanctification4 ,not only the attitude and tendency of the soul1 but all its active outgoings must be holy4 ,such is the will of ,god4 ,what ,he proscribes must be carefully avoided2 what ,he prescribes must be cheerfully and faithfully done in the manner ,he prescribes it4 ,his will is here emphatically expressed2 it is supported by abundant promises of help2 and it is declared that without holiness no man shall see the ,lord4 ,the will of ,god is at once the highest reason1 the strongest motive1 and the final authority4 #c4 ,the ,divine will regarding a higher sanctity is enforced by duly authorised messengers and well-understood precepts4--,for ye know what commandments we gave you by the ,lord ,jesus 7ver4 #b74 ,the ,divine will is expressed in definite commandments4 ,the apostle did not assume authority in any dictatorial spirit4 ,he delivered unto others1 and powerfully enforced what he had received by the ,lord ,jesus 7,rom4 xiv4 #ad74 ,he taught them to observe all things whatsoever the ,lord had commanded--all those things1 only those1 and no others4 ,these precepts were well known1 ,for ye know what commandments we gave you4 ,obedience should ever be in proportion to knowledge4 ,knowledge and practice are mutually helpful to each other4 ,knowledge1 the mother of practice2 practice1 the nurse of knowledge4 ,to know and not to do is to incur the heaviest condemnation4 ,a certain ,stoic1 speaking of ,god1 said3 ,what ,god wills1 ,i will2 what ,god wills not1 ,i will not2 if ,he will that ,i live1 ,i will live2 if it be ,his pleasure that ,i die1 ,i will die4 ,ah6 how should the will of ,christians stoop and lie down at the foot of ,god's will6 ,not my will1 but ,thine be done 7,luke xxii4 #db74 ,,iii4 ,that the possession of a higher sanctity is repeatedly urged by earnest exhortations4--,furthermore then1 we beseech you1 brethren1 and exhort you 7ver4 #a74 ,doctrine without exhortation makes men all brain1 no heart2 exhortation without doctrine makes the heart full1 leaves the brain empty4 ,both together make a man4 ,the apostle laboured in both1 and it is difficult to say in which of the two he displayed most earnestness4 ,in addition to all he had urged before1 he beseeches and exhorts the ,thessalonians to press onward to higher attainments2 in which we have a fine example of the combination of a tender1 brotherly entreaty1 with the solemn authority of a ,divinely commissioned ambassador4 ,some people1 says a certain writer1 are as thorns2 handle them roughly and they pierce you2 others as nettles--rough handling is best for your safety4 ,a minister's task is an endless one4 ,has he planted knowledge8--practice must be urged4 ,is the practice satisfactory8--perseverance must be pressed4 ,do they continue in well-doing8--they must be stimulated to further progress4 ,the end of one task is the beginning of another4 ,lessons4--,the believer is called to the attainment of a higher sanctity4--#a4 ,by the voice of ,god4 #b4 ,by the voice of ,his faithful ministers4 #c4 ,and by the aspirations of the life ,divinely planted within him4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #c4 ,uncleanness ,inconsistent with a ,profession of the ,gospel4 ,i4 ,our sanctification is the will of ,god because ,he is the avenger of all such as do things contrary to that purity which ,he enjoins4 ,,ii4 ,because ,god has called us1 not to uncleanness1 but to holiness4 ,,iii4 ,because ,god has given unto us ,his ,holy ,spirit4--,the ,spirit is called the ,holy ,spirit and the ,spirit of ,holiness1 not only because ,he is essentially and perfectly holy in ,himself1 but because ,he is the ,author of holiness in believers4 ,these considerations are motives to stir up and animate our wills to obey and co-operate with the will of ,god4--,r4 ,mant4 ,why was the ,spirit sent8 or1 ,we must needs be ,holy4 ,i4 ,the coming of the ,holy ,ghost is to make us new creatures by giving us the strength to become so4 ,,ii4 ,since sanctification is declared to be the special work of the ,holy ,ghost1 this clearly proves the difficulty of that work4 ,,iii4 ,the work of sanctification is something more than merely driving out the evil one4 ,,iv4 ,love and devotion to ,god are necessary to holiness4 ,v4 ,strength--the strength of the ,holy ,spirit--is necessary to defend holiness4--,a4 ,w4 ,hare4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-g4 ,distinctive ,features of a ,true ,sanctification4 ,it is comparatively easy for some minds to grasp the broad outlines of a grand undertaking1 but they fail in working out the details4 ,it is a fatal defect and involves the ruin of the whole scheme4 ,the peculiar genius of minds like these is to deal with things in the mass2 but they have not the ability or the patience to master a numerous and complicated series of minute particulars4 ,they are more theoretical than practical2 they are strong in the concrete1 but feeble in the abstract faculty4 ,so it is possible to form a bold conception of some great1 leading ,christian virtue1 to expatiate on its exquisite beauty1 to exalt in grandiose terms its supernatural dignity1 and to enforce with magisterial importance its superlative necessity1 but all the while to be lamentably deficient in practical attention to the thousand and one little details which1 in every-day life1 constitute the essence of the virtue4 ,sanctification is an aspect of the ,christian life1 facile and seductive in theory1 but difficult and commonplace in practice4 ,it is the essence and perfection of the ,christian life1 and is attained1 not by some magical feat of the mental powers1 but by patient plodding1 stern conflicts1 and hard-won moral victories4 ,it is the sublime but little understood science of living aright1 in the sight of ,god and man4 ,secretary ,walsingham1 in writing to ,lord ,burleigh1 said3 ,we have lived long enough to our country1 to our fortunes1 and to our sovereign2 it is high time that we began to live for ourselves and for our ,god4 ,in the above verses are portrayed the distinctive feature of a true sanctification4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,a true sanctification consists in the maintenance of a personal chastity4--#a4 ,this involves an abstinence from gross sensual indulgence4 ,that you should abstain from fornication 7ver4 #c74 ,a word that designates1 not only the actual transgression known by that name1 but all the sinful lusts of the flesh4 ,this vice is a prolific source of many other vices4 ,it is like the fabled ,hydra1 or many-headed snake1 of which it is said that when one head was cut off another grew in its place4 ,fornication is the root of extravagance1 drunkenness1 disease1 poverty1 profanity1 murder1 and irreparable infamy4 ,it is a sin the most bewitching1 the most prevalent1 the most fatal in its tendencies1 and against which the most terrible vengeance of ,heaven has been declared4 ,it brought the flood on the world of the ungodly1 fire and brimstone upon ,sodom1 pestilence upon the ,israelites1 and destruction upon the nations of antiquity4 ,prior to ,christianity1 it was hardly regarded as a vice4 ,the apostolic teaching revealed its enormity1 denounced it with righteous indignation1 and supplied the spiritual weapon by which it is to be slain4 #b4 ,involves a rigid maintenance of bodily purity4--,that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour 7ver4 #d74 ,the vessel of the body is the temple of the ,holy ,ghost1 and whatever would defile or disgrace that sacred shrine must be carefully avoided4 ,the apostle seems to imply there is a kind of art in chastity which all should practise4 ,that every one of you should know--should have skill--the power of self-control4 ,christianity is the science of sciences1 the art of living well1 and no small skill is necessary in regulating the exercise of the ,christian virtues4 ,to possess--to rule the body in purity1 keep a diligent guard upon the senses 7,job xxxi4 #a2 ,prov4 xxiii4 #cc2 ,gen4 xxxix4 #f1 #g71 avoid the company of the sensual2 be temperate2 be industrious2 continue instant in prayer4 #c4 ,involves a masterly restraint upon the passionate outgoings of evil desire4--,not in the lust of concupiscence2 not in the passion of lust2 even as the ,gentiles which know not ,god 7ver4 #e74 ,ignorance is the origin of unchastity2 and the apostle shows to what extent of wickedness man may go who knows not ,god4 ,an old writer says1 ,ignorance is a master1 a mother-sin2 pull it1 thou pullest all sin4 ,concupiscence is the rudimentary stage of evil desire2 unchecked1 it spreads through the soul1 inflames the passions1 and rises into an ungovernable tempest of lust4 ,evil must be restrained in its earliest manifestation1 banished from the region of thought4 ,the longer it is harboured1 the more powerful it becomes4 ,we are not worst at once--the course of evil ,begins so slowly and from such slight source1 ,an infant's hand might stem its breach with clay2 ,but let the stream get deeper1 and philosophy shall strive in vain ,to turn the headlong current4 ,,ii4 ,a true sanctification consists in the universal exercise of strict justice4--#a4 ,that no violation of justice is allowable4 ,that no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter 7ver4 #f74 ,the prohibition extends not only to acts of unchastity1 but to all the transactions of life4 ,the value of a commodity is governed by its use1 its relation to the immediate wants of man4 ,in nature that which has life and sense is more excellent than an inanimate creature2 in this view an insect is superior to a diamond4 ,but with regard to use1 a loaf of bread is of more value than a thousand insects4 ,justice requires there should be a fair proportion between a thing and its price4 ,to exact a price which is beyond the worth of the commodity sold1 or to give a sum which is below its due value1 is to overreach on the part of either the seller or the buyer4 ,the commercial world of the present day might ponder with advantage the lessons to be learnt from the practice of an ancient ,christian simplicity4 ,the man who begins a course of dishonesty by defrauding a stranger will soon reach the point of cheating his dearest brother and chuckle at his unjust success4 #b4 ,that every violation of justice will be certainly punished4--,because that the ,lord is the avenger of all such1 as we also have forewarned you and testified 7ver4 #f74 ,the rogue will not always triumph2 and his ill-gotten gains may be the instruments of his curse4 ,an all-seeing ,eye watches all his sinuous trickeries1 and an unseen ,hand rests on all his covetous accumulations1 and by-and-by the blow of vengeance will be swift and terrible4 ,the successful robber is apt to lull himself into a false security2 he has escaped disaster so often and so long that he begins to fancy his villainy may be continued with impunity4 ,but their judgment lingereth not1 and their damnation slumbereth not1 for the ,lord is the avenger of all such 7see ,prov4 xxii4 #bb1 #bc1 xxiii4 #aj2 #b ,pet4 ii4 #c74 ,not that we are to act honestly from the fear of punishment2 but while striving to act rightly from love to ,god and a lofty sense of duty1 it is also salutary to remember that vengeance belongeth unto the ,lord1 and ,he will recompense4 ,where human justice fails1 the ,divine vengeance will supply the deficiency1 that injustice may not escape unpunished4 ,,iii4 ,that a true sanctification recognises the supreme authority of the ,divine call4--,for ,god hath not called us unto uncleanness1 but unto holiness 7ver4 #g74 ,a holy life gives no licence to sin4 ,everything is in favour of holiness--the ,caller is holy 7#a ,pet4 i4 #ae71 the instrument holy 7,john xvii4 #ag71 and the ,spirit1 the immediate worker1 is the fountain of all holiness4 ,religion is a holy calling1 because it leads to holiness2 and though it finds us not holy1 yet it makes us so4 ,they answer not their calling who commit any manner of sin4 ,unmercifulness1 cruelty1 fornication1 and uncleanness are not of ,god4 ,in every temptation to evil remember the ,divine calling4 ,lessons4--,a true sanctification--#a4 ,provides for the chastity of the whole man4 #b4 ,governs all the transactions of daily life4 #c4 ,responds to the highest call of ,god4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #f4 ,reason for ,conscientiousness4--,a man was once asked why he was so very particular to give good measure--over good--and he replied3 ,god has given me but one journey through this world1 and when ,i am gone ,i cannot return to correct mistakes4 ,respect for ,conscientiousness4--,dr4 ,arnold1 of ,rugby1 once remarked respecting one of his pupils who was in the habit of attending to all his duties conscientiously and faithfully1 ,i could stand hat in hand to that boy4 ,ver4 #g4 ,christian ,holiness4 ,i4 ,the nature of holiness4--,conformity to the nature and will of ,god4 ,not to be confounded with virtue4 ,,ii4 ,the origin of holiness4--,it is immediately connected with regeneration4 ,no holiness in man previous to this4 ,,iii4 ,the progress of holiness4--,the seed1 the tree4 ,the dawn1 the day4 ,the child1 the man4 ,,iv4 ,the objects of holiness4--,in reference to ,god1 to the moral law1 to duty1 to sin4 ,v4 ,the influence of holiness4--,there is an energy of moral suasion in a good man's life passing the highest efforts of the orator's genius4 ,the seen but silent beauty of holiness speaks more eloquently of ,god and duty than the tongues of men and angels4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,a ,word to the ,despiser4 ,i4 ,the ,christian minister is spiritually commissioned to exhort men to holiness4--,who hath also given unto us ,his ,holy ,spirit4 ,the apostles were endowed for their special ministry by the extraordinary gifts of the ,holy ,ghost2 they were infallibly guided into all truth2 they wrought miracles2 and their word was with power4 ,though miraculous gifts are no longer bestowed1 ,christian ministers are nevertheless called and qualified by the ,divine ,spirit2 they are empowered to proclaim the will of ,god and to urge men to reconciliation and purity 7#b ,cor4 v4 #bj74 ,the ,rev4 ,f4 ,w4 ,robertson was once hesitating in the pulpit of a brother-clergyman which of two sermons he should preach4 ,something whispered to him1 ,robertson1 you are a craven2 you dare not speak here what you believe4 ,he selected a sermon that seemed almost personal in its faithfulness and power4 ,but it was the message given to him for that hour4 ,,ii4 ,that the most faithful exhortations of the ,christian minister may be despised4--,this is done when men reject the ,word spoken1 refuse to listen to it1 neglect to meditate upon it1 and decline to enter upon the course of holy living which it counsels4 ,this conduct shows3-- #a4 ,the voluntary power of man4--,he can resist the truth or accept it4 ,he is responsible for the exercise of all his moral powers1 and therefore incurs guilt by any abuse of those powers4 #b4 ,the blinding folly of sin4--,it darkens the understanding1 perverts the will1 petrifies the affections1 and banishes the good that elevates and saves4 ,sin is also a force--a stealthy1 remorseless1 destructive force2 wherever it breathes1 it blasts and withers2 wherever it plants its sharpened talons1 it lacerates and destroys2 and the disorder1 the moral anarchy1 the writhing agony of a groaning world bear witness to the terrible ravages of man's great enemy4 ,to wilfully reject the overtures of righteousness is to relinquish the inheritance of eternal life1 and to doom the soul to the endless miseries of spiritual death4 ,,iii4 ,that to despise the faithful exhortations of the ,christian minister is to despise ,god4--,he therefore that despiseth1 despiseth not man1 but ,god4 ,the contempt of the true minister does not terminate in his person alone but reaches the majesty of that ,being by whom he is commissioned4 ,to disregard the message of an ambassador is to despise the monarch he represents4 ,the ,saviour declared1 ,he that despiseth you1 despiseth ,me 7,luke x4 #af74 ,as the edicts proclaimed by the public herald are not his own1 but the edicts of the prince who gives them authority and force1 so the commands published by the ,divinely commissioned minister are not his own but belong to ,him whose will is the law of the universe4 ,it belongs to ,god to reveal the law1 freighted with ,his sanction and authority2 it belongs to man to declare it4 ,the exhortation1 whether uttered by a ,moses1 who was commended for the beauty of his personal appearance1 or by a ,simeon ,niger1 who was remarkable for his physical deformity1 is equally the ,word of ,god1 to which the most reverential obedience is due4 ,to despise the meanest of ,god's ministers is an insult to the majesty of ,heaven and will incur ,his terrible displeasure4 ,in ,retzsch's illustrations of ,goethe's ,faust there is one plate where angels are represented as dropping roses upon the demons who are contending for the soul of ,faust4 ,every rose falls like molten metal1 burning and blistering where it touches4 ,so is it that truth acts upon the soul that has wilfully abandoned its teachings4 ,it bewilders when it ought to guide4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,divine commands concern man's highest good4 #b4 ,take heed how ye hear4 #c4 ,to despise the ,divine message is to be self-consigned to endless woe4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i1 #aj4 ,brotherly ,love the ,proof of a ,true ,sanctification4 ,love is the bond of perfectness1 the golden cincture that binds together and beautifies all the other graces of the ,christian character4 ,christianity has rescued man from barbarism and slavery4 ,it was the first to advocate and insist upon the common brotherhood of humanity1 and1 by inspiring in the heart the love of ,christ1 has made it possible for men to love each other as brethren4 ,this was the most striking feature of the ,christian spirit in the early times1 and to which even the enemies of the ,church bore testimony4 ,in the second century the scoffing ,lucian declared3 ,it is incredible to see the ardour with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants4 ,they spare nothing4 ,their first legislator has put it into their heads that they are all brethren4 ,the mutual exercise of love towards the brethren is an indisputable evidence of spiritual regeneration 7#a ,john iii4 #ad72 and in this chapter the apostle evidently alludes to it as the proof of a true sanctification4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that brotherly love is ,divinely taught4--,for ye yourselves are taught of ,god to love one another 7ver4 #i74 #a4 ,it is commanded by ,christ4--,these things ,i command you1 that ye love one another 7,john xv4 #ag74 ,this is a lesson the world never taught and cannot teach4 ,the natural heart is essentially selfish and cruel1 and delights in fierce aggression on the rights of others1 and in angry retaliation for fancied wrongs4 ,brotherly love is a fruit of ,christianity and is a powerful influence in harmonising the warring interests of humanity4 ,if love prevail1 other graces will not be absent4 #b4 ,it has the example of ,christ4--,he frequently reminds ,his disciples of what should be the scope and character of their love towards each other--,as ,i have loved you1 that ye also love one another4 ,the same glorious example was also the constant burden of the apostle's teaching1 ,walk in love1 as ,christ also hath loved us 7,john xiii4 #cd1 xv4 #ab2 ,eph4 v4 #b74 ,brotherly love should be pure1 humble1 self-denying1 fervent1 unchangeable4 #c4 ,it is its own commendation4--,but as touching brotherly love1 ye need not that ,i write unto you4 ,love is modest and ingenuous in its exercise1 making itself felt without obtrusiveness1 and almost hiding itself underneath the multitude of benefits it creates4 ,we should not hesitate to commend whatever good we see in others4 ,the great ,searcher of hearts does not pass over any good thing in a ,church1 though otherwise clouded with infirmities1 without a laudatory notice 7,rev4 ii4 #b1 #c74 ,a word of prudent commendation will often stimulate the soul in its endeavours after holiness4 #d4 ,it is a grace ,divinely wrought4--,ye yourselves are taught of ,god4 ,the heart is powerfully inclined to the exercise of this grace by the gracious working of the ,holy ,spirit1 not independent of but in conjunction with the outward ministry of the ,word4 ,the invariable method of ,divine teaching is explained in ,jer4 xxxi4 #cc2 ,acts xvi4 #ad4 ,those are easily taught whom ,god doth teach4 ,,ii4 ,that brotherly love must be practically manifested4--,and indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all ,macedonia 7ver4 #aj74 ,love is not limited by locality or distance2 it is displayed1 not only towards those we know and with whom we have ,christian communion1 but towards those whose faces we have not seen4 ,the foreign missionary enterprise is a magnificent monument of modern ,christian charity4 ,love should be practically manifested in supplying1 as far as means and opportunity will allow1 each other's need1 in bearing one another's burdens1 in forgiving one another1 and1 if necessary1 in kindly reproving one another4 ,during the retreat of ,alfred the ,great1 at ,athelney1 in ,somersetshire1 after the defeat of his forces by the ,danes1 a beggar came to his little castle there and requested alms4 ,when his queen informed him they had only one small loaf remaining1 which was insufficient for themselves and the friends who had gone abroad in quest of food with little hope of success1 the king replied3 ,give the poor ,christian one half of the loaf4 ,he who could feed five thousand men with five loaves and two small fishes1 can certainly make that half of the loaf suffice for more than our necessities4 ,accordingly1 the poor man was relieved1 and this noble act of charity was soon recompensed by a providential store of fresh provisions with which the foraging party returned4 ,,iii4 ,that brotherly love is susceptible of continuous enlargement4--,but we beseech you1 brethren1 that ye increase more and more 7ver4 #aj7 ,notwithstanding the commendation of the apostle1 he exhorts the ,thessalonians to seek greater perfection in this grace4 ,what is the sun without light8 ,what is fire without heat8 ,so what is life without love8 ,the rich seek to increase their store1 the wicked add to their iniquities2 the saint should not be less diligent in increasing unto every good word and work4 ,a child that stayeth at one stature and never groweth bigger is a monster4 ,the ground that prospereth not and is not fruitful is cursed4 ,the tree that is barren and improveth not is cut down4 ,so must all increase in the way of godliness and go forward therein4 ,unless we go forward1 we slip back 7,jewell74 ,the growth of charity is extensive1 as it adds to the number of the objects loved1 and intensive as to its inward fervour and tenacity4 ,the more we apprehend the love of ,god to ourselves1 the more our hearts will enlarge in love to ,him and all saints4 ,true brotherly love crushes all self-love and is more anxious to hide than pry into the infirmities of others4 ,seldom is a charitable man curious1 or a curious man charitable4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,that brotherly love is the practical manifestation of the love of ,god in man4 #b4 ,that brotherly love should be constantly cultivated4 #c4 ,that brotherly love is a crowning feature of the higher ,christian life4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,brotherly ,love-- ,i4 ,an evidence of practical holiness4 ,,ii4 ,an affection ,divinely taught4 ,,iii4 ,should be constantly manifested4 ,,iv4 ,grows by diligent cultivation4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa1 #ab4 ,a ,pacific ,spirit another ,proof of a ,true ,sanctification4 ,to pass from the subject of brotherly love to the necessity of maintaining a quiet and peaceable disposition was for the apostle a natural and suggestive transition4 ,love and peace are twin virtues--,two lovely berries moulded on one stem4 ,brotherly love can have no place in the heart from which peace has fled and where war and discord reign4 ,the quiet spirit is not a weak1 meaningless1 cowardly condition of mind1 but contains in it all the elements of patient endurance1 unconquerable bravery1 and inviolable moral power4 ,it is not the quietness of the shallow lagoon1 on whose surface the heaviest storm can raise but a few powerless ripples2 it is rather the profound calm of the ocean1 which1 when roused by the tempest1 is overwhelmed in its impetuous onset4 ,christ is likened to the lamb--gentle1 harmless1 pacific2 but when ,his fury is once let loose upon the ungodly1 the distracted victims will shriek for the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of ,him that sitteth upon the throne1 and from the wrath of the ,lamb4 ,a pacific spirit is another practical evidence of possessing the genuine sanctification so earnestly commended by the apostle4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that a pacific spirit is to be studiously cultivated4--,and that ye study to be quiet 7ver4 #aa74 ,the word study signifies to seek after an object with a holy and active ambition1 as though it were the highest honour to possess it4 ,how different this is from the restless spirit of the world6 ,there is nothing some people dread so much as being quiet4 ,they delight in a row2 and if one does not happen as frequently as they wish1 they make one for themselves4 ,the political agitator1 the avaricious money-getter1 the fiery advocate of war1 all seek to attain their selfish ends in the midst of tumult and confusion4 ,nor is the sacred circle of the ,christian ,church1 which should ever be the abode of peace and harmony1 free from the violence of the irrepressible disturber4 ,there are some people who never will be still2 you cannot hold them still4 ,they are full of endless suggestions for other people to carry out4 ,their tongue is a perpetual clatter4 ,they fly from one department of work to another and create distraction in each4 ,they are always on the go4 ,no sooner have they related to one1 with such evident satisfaction1 the details of the latest uproar they were in1 than they are off to brew another4 ,they try one's temper2 they harry one's nerves2 they break one's peace most cruelly4 ,to such people it would be the severest task to obey the apostolic injunction1 ,that ye study to be quiet1 and yet no one in the world has more need to do so than they4 ,a pacific spirit cannot be secured without much self-denying effort2 but it is a jewel worth all the trouble and all the sacrifice 7,prov4 xx4 #c2 ,col4 iii4 #ab-ae74 ,,ii4 ,that a pacific spirit is attained by a persevering industry in personal duties4--#a4 ,that personal duties have the first claim upon our efforts4 ,do your own business 7ver4 #aa74 ,attend first to your personal concerns--whatever comes within the compass of your general or particular calling4 ,the man who is inattentive to his own special duties cannot with any reason dictate as to the duties of others4 ,to do one's own business is the best safeguard against idleness and meddling curiosity4 ,solomon declared1 ,every fool will be meddling 7,prov4 xx4 #c74 ,an officious interference with the business of others creates discords4 ,all strifes--domestic1 social1 ecclesiastical1 and political--may be traced to meddlesomeness4 ,the meddling man is a fool1 because he gratifies his own idle curiosity at the expense of his own well-being and the happiness of others4 ,see that the business you do is your own business1 and that you let that of your neighbour's alone4 ,be not eavesdroppers1 hearkening what is said or done in your neighbour's house4 ,wide ears and long tongues dwell together4 ,they that love to hear all that may be told them do also love to blab out all they hear 7,jewell74 #b4 ,that personal duties demand genuine hard work4--,and to work with your own hands 7ver4 #aa74 ,the claims and enjoyments of religion do not release us from the necessity of toiling for our daily bread and providing things honest in the sight of all men4 ,true religion rather consists in doing all the work of life with consistency1 diligence1 and perseverance4 ,manual labour is not the only form of genuine industry4 ,the industry of some of our public men is something amazing4 ,there is no greater foe to piety than idleness4 ,it is the beginning of many other evils and has been the origin of many a career that has ended with the prison and the gallows4 ,an idle man is always something worse4 ,his brain is the shop for the devil1 where he forges the most debasing fancies and plots the most pernicious schemes4 ,many take more pains to go to hell than almost the holiest to go to heaven4 ,hirome used to say that a man who labours disheartens even the devil himself4 #c4 ,that industry in personal duties is enforced by apostolic precept4--,as we commanded you 7ver4 #aa74 ,the apostle frequently took occasion to enforce upon his converts the importance of diligence in one's daily business and set them an example in his own conduct 7#b ,thess4 iii4 #g1 #h74 ,honest labour is not beneath the dignity of any1 and he who works the hardest has the greater influence in enforcing industry upon others4 ,,iii4 ,that a pacific spirit1 combined with diligence1 recommends ,christianity to those outside the ,church4--,that ye may walk honestly towards them that are without 7ver4 #ab74 ,industry is no small part of honesty4 ,a lazy man can never be an honest one1 though his chastity and fidelity were as renowned as ,joseph's1 if that were possible to a mere idler4 ,a restless1 trifling busybody does unspeakable damage to religion4 ,many1 who are ,christians by profession1 are often more heathenish in practice1 and the blindest among the aliens are swift to detect and pronounce judgment on their dishonesty4 ,the unbelieving world1 on the other hand1 is impressed and attracted by the peaceful and diligent behaviour of the faithful4 ,human nature is powerfully influenced by appearances4 ,,iv4 ,that a pacific spirit1 combined with diligence1 ensures an honoured independence4--,and that ye may have lack of nothing 7ver4 #ab74 ,it is more blessed to be able to give than to receive4 ,what a mercy it is neither to know the power and misery of those temptations which arise from pinching poverty1 nor yet to be necessitated to depend upon the cold-hearted1 merciless charity of others4 ,the patient1 quiet persevering plodder in the way of ,christian duty may not always be rewarded with affluence2 but he is encouraged to expect1 at least1 a modest competency4 ,and the very spirit he has striven to cultivate has enriched him with an inheritance1 which few possibly attain--contentment with his lot4 ,he whose is the silver and the gold will care for ,his loved and faithful servants 7,ps4 xxxvii4 #be74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,quarrelsomeness and indolence cannot co-exist with a high degree of sanctity4 #b4 ,to secure the blessings of peace is worthy of the most industrious study4 #c4 ,the mightiest aggressions of the ,gospel upon the world are made quietly4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,study to be ,quiet4 ,i4 ,make it our meditation day and night and fill our minds with it4 ,,ii4 ,put our meditation into practice4 ,,iii4 ,we must unlearn many things before we can be taught this4--#a4 ,cast out self-love4 #b4 ,covetousness4 #c4 ,pull back our ambition4 #d4 ,bind our malice4 #e4 ,empty ourselves of all suspicion1 surmising1 and discontent4 ,,iv4 ,mind our own business4--#a4 ,because it is becoming4 #b4 ,brings advantage4 #c4 ,it is necessary4 #d4 ,we are commanded to do so4--,farindon4 ,mind your own ,business4 ,i4 ,the ,bible contains little encouragement for the idler4 ,,ii4 ,the text enjoins diligence not only in business1 but in one's own business4 ,,iii4 ,the counsel of the apostle is supported by the best wisdom of the world4--,it becomes a man1 said ,herodotus1 to give heed to those things only which concern himself4 ,,iv4 ,the apostle takes it for granted that ours is a worthy business4 ,v4 ,only by diligence in the care of your own souls will you be able to do really effective work for ,christ4--,a4 ,f4 ,forrest4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,sorrow for the ,dead4 ,the ,thessalonians who cherished a vivid expectation of the near approach of the second advent of ,christ appear to have fallen into a misconception as to the relation of their deceased friends to that glorious event4 ,while believing that the pious dead would ultimately be raised again1 they feared they would not be permitted to share in the joy of welcoming ,him back to ,his inheritance of the redeemed earth and in the triumphant inauguration of ,his reign4 ,it was just as if1 on the very eve of the day of the expected return of some long absent father1 a cruel fate should single out one fond expectant child and hurry him to a far distant and inhospitable shore4 ,but all their fears and perplexities were dissipated by the sublime disclosures contained in this epistle4 ,i4 ,that sorrow is a merciful relief to a soul bereaved4--,sorrow is nowhere forbidden4 ,it may be an infirmity1 but it is at the same time a solace4 ,the soul oppressed and stricken by the weight of a great calamity finds relief in tears4 ,o ye tears6 ,o ye tears6 till ,i felt you on my cheek1 ,i was selfish in my sorrow4 ,i was stubborn1 ,i was weak2 ,ye have given me strength to conquer1 and ,i stand erect and free1 ,and know that ,i am human1 by the light of sympathy4 ,the religion of the ,bible does not destroy human passions4 ,we do not part with our nature when we receive the grace of ,god4 ,the mind that is capable of a real sorrow is capable of good4 ,a griefless nature can never be a joyous one4 ,,ii4 ,that sorrow for the dead is aggravated by ignorance of their future destiny4--,i would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep1 that ye sorrow not1 even as others which have no hope 7ver4 #ac74 ,the radius of hope is contracted or expanded in proportion to the character and extent of intelligence possessed4 ,ignorant sorrow is a kind of rust to the soul1 which every new idea contributes in its passage to scour away4 ,it is the putrefaction of stagnant life and is remedied by exercise and motion4 ,the heathen1 who have no satisfactory knowledge of the future life1 give way to an excessive and hopeless grief4 ,du ,chaillu describes a scene of wailing for the dead among the ,africans4 ,the mother of poor ,tonda1 he writes1 led me to the house where the body was laid4 ,the narrow space of the room was crowded2 about two hundred women were sitting and standing around1 singing mourning songs to doleful and monotonous airs4 ,as ,i stood looking1 filled with solemn thoughts1 the mother of ,tonda approached4 ,she threw herself at the foot of her dead son and begged him to speak to her once more4 ,and then when the corpse did not answer she uttered a shriek1 so long1 so piercing1 such a wail of love and grief that tears came into my eyes4 ,poor ,african mother6 ,she was literally as one sorrowing without hope1 for these people count on nothing beyond the present life4 ,it was the dictum of an old ,greek poet--a man once dead there is no revival2 and those words indicated the dismal condition of unenlightened nature in all lands and in all ages4 ,what an urgent argument is here for increased missionary efforts among the heathen6 ,,iii4 ,that sorrow for the dead in ,christ is soothed and moderated by the revelation of certain great truths concerning their present and future blessedness4--#a4 ,that death is a sleep4 ,them also which sleep in ,jesus 7ver4 #ad74 ,the only part of man to which the figure of the text applies is the body4 ,as to the soul1 the day of death is the day of our birth into a progressive and eternal life4 ,it is called a departure1 a being with ,christ--absent from the body1 present with the ,lord4 ,sleep is expressive of rest4 ,when the toil of life's long day is ended1 the great and good ,father draws the dark curtain of night and hushes ,his weary children to rest4 ,they enter into rest4 ,sleep is expressive of refreshment4 ,the body is laid in the grave1 feeble1 emaciated1 worn-out4 ,then a wonderful process goes on1 perceptible only to the eye of ,god1 by which the body acquires new strength and beauty1 and becomes a fit instrument and suitable residence for the glorified soul4 ,sleep implies the expectation of awaking4 ,we commit the bodies of the departed to the earth in sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection4 ,they wait for the adoption1 to wit1 the redemption of the body 7,rom4 viii4 #bc74 #b4 ,that the dead in ,christ will be roused from their holy slumber and share in the glory of ,his second advent4--,will ,god bring with ,him 7ver4 #ad74 ,the resurrection of the dead is a ,divine work4 ,i will redeem them from the power of the grave 7,hos4 xiii4 #ad74 ,christ will own ,his people in their persons1 their services1 and their sufferings4 ,they shall receive ,his entire approval1 be welcomed by ,him into ,his everlasting kingdom1 and crowned by ,him with glory and the affluence of incorruptible bliss4 #c4 ,that the resurrection of ,christ from the dead is a pledge of the restoration and future blessedness of all who sleep in ,him4--,for if we believe that ,jesus died and rose again1 even so them also which sleep in ,jesus will ,god bring with ,him 7ver4 #ad74 ,christ ,himself is the resurrection1 not only as revealed in ,his ,word and exemplified in ,his own person1 but as specially appointed by the ,father to effect it by ,his own power 7,john v4 #be1 vi4 #ci74 ,the ,word of ,god sheds a light across the darkness of the grave and opens a vista radiant with hope and immortal happiness4 ,let me penetrate into ,thy heart1 ,o ,god1 said an afflicted saint1 and read the love that is there4 ,let me penetrate into ,thy mind1 and read the wisdom that is there2 then shall ,i be satisfied--the storm shall be turned into calm4 ,a vital knowledge of ,christ silences every murmur and prepares for every emergency4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,an ignorant sorrow is a hopeless one4 #b4 ,to rise with ,jesus we must live and die to ,him4 #c4 ,divine revelations regarding the future life greatly moderate the grief of the present4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,the ,sleep of the ,faithful ,departed4 ,i4 ,the dead are said to be asleep because we know they shall wake up again4 ,,ii4 ,because they whom men call dead do really live unto ,god4 ,,iii4 ,because they are taking their rest4 ,,iv4 ,death is changed to sleep1 so that it becomes a pledge of rest and a prophecy of the resurrection4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,we ought to mourn rather for the living than for the dead4 #b4 ,in very truth it is life rather than death that we ought to fear4--,h4 ,e4 ,manning4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,resurrection of the ,body4 ,i4 ,the heart seeks it4 ,,ii4 ,the ,bible declares it4 ,,iii4 ,the redemption of ,christ secures it4--,a4 ,f4 ,forrest4 ,the author discusses this event as the second coming of ,christ4 ,the ,transcriber finds the second coming described in ,rev4 xix4 #aa-ba4 ,this passage describes the rapture of the church which precedes the seven years of ,tribulation described in ,revelation chapters iv4--xviii4 ,the second coming is a time of judgment2 the rapture gathers the church prior to ,daniel's ,seventieth ,week1 a time of great trial for the people and nation of ,israel4 ,the rapture is as a thief in the night2 at the second coming1 every eye shall see ,him4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ah4 ,the ,second ,advent of ,christ4 ,among the words of consolation in the valedictory discourse of ,christ to ,his disciples was the promise1 after ,his departure1 ,he would come again and receive them unto ,himself4 ,time has sped noiselessly along2 events of vast magnitude have rapidly succeeded each other1 and left their lessons for the ages to ponder2 nations have passed through the throes of suffering and revolution2 generation after generation has gone down to the grave2 for nearly nineteen hundred years the ,church has been strained with profound1 intense1 and anxious expectancy3 but still the promise remains unfulfilled4 ,will ,he come8 ,are the hopes of the ,church doomed to be for ever unsatisfied8 ,must the bodies of the pious dead be for ever shut down in the sepulchres of land and sea8 ,will the wrongs of the universe never be redressed8 ,if questions like these flit for a moment across the mind1 it is not that the ,church has lost confidence in the promise4 ,faith in the second advent of ,christ is more widely spread and more firmly held to-day than ever4 ,long waiting has sharpened the longing1 brightened the hope1 and clarified the vision4 ,in these words1 the apostle assures the ,thessalonians of the second coming of ,christ1 furnishes some important particulars of the event1 and points out the bearing of the glorious doctrine in consoling the sorrow of the bereaved4 ,i4 ,that the second advent of ,christ is the subject of ,divine revelation4--,for this we say unto you by the word of the ,lord 7ver4 #ae74 ,in a subject of such vast moment the apostle was anxious to show that he had the highest and most incontrovertible authority for the statements he uttered4 ,he had a special revelation from heaven and spoke under the direct and immediate inspiration of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,the second advent of ,christ is emphatically taught in the ,holy ,scriptures 7cf4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #c1 xxv4 #ca2 ,mark viii4 #c2 ,john xiv4 #c2 ,acts i4 #b1 iii4 #ai1 #bj2 ,rom4 viii4 #ag2 #a ,cor4 i4 #h2 #b ,tim4 iv4 #a2 ,tit4 ii4 #ac2 #a ,pet4 i4 #e2 #b ,pet4 iii4 #ab2 ,jude #ad74 ,,ii4 ,that the second advent of ,christ will be distinguished by signal tokens of terrible majesty4--#a4 ,there will be the triumphant shout of the ,divine ,redeemer4 ,for the ,lord ,himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 7ver4 #af74 ,just before ,jesus expired on the cross ,he cried with a loud voice1 and though there was the ring of victory in that cry1 it sounded more like a conscious relief from unutterable suffering4 ,but the shout of ,jesus on his second coming will be like the loud1 clear1 joyous battle-shout of a great ,conqueror4 ,that shout will break the silence of the ages1 will startle the universe into attention1 will raise the dead1 and summon all people into the presence of the victorious ,messiah4 ,formerly ,he did not cry1 nor lift up1 nor cause ,his voice to be heard in the street 7,isa4 xlii4 #b74 ,but now is the revelation of ,his power4 ,our ,god shall come1 and shall not keep silence 7,ps4 l4 #c1 #d74 #b4 ,there will be the voice of the archangel 7ver4 #af74--,the angelic hosts are arranged in an hierarchy of various ranks and orders4 ,the archangel is the chief of the heavenly multitude4 ,in response to the majestic shout of the descending ,lord1 the archangel lifts up his voice1 like the loud cry of the herald announcing the glorious advent1 and the sound is caught up and prolonged by the vast hosts of celestial attendants4 #c4 ,there will be the trumpet-blast4--,with the trump of ,god1 with trumpet sounded by the command of ,god--such a trumpet1 perhaps1 as is used in the service of ,god in heaven4 ,besides the shout of ,jesus and the voice of the archangel1 the sound of the trumpet will also be heard in the host4 ,it is called in #a ,cor4 xv4 #eb the last trumpet2 and in ,matt4 xxiv4 #ca we read1 ,he shall send ,his angels with great sound of a trumpet1 and they shall gather together ,his elect4 ,among the ,hebrews1 ,greeks1 and ancient ,latins it was the custom to summon the people with the trumpet4 ,in this way ,god is said to gather ,his people together 7,isa4 xxvii4 #ac2 ,jer4 iv4 #e1 vi4 #a74 ,the whole passage is designed to show that the second advent of ,king ,messiah will be attended by the most imposing evidences of pomp and regal splendour4 ,,iii4 ,that the second advent of ,christ will be followed by important consequences to the people of ,god1 living and dead4--#a4 ,the pious dead shall be raised4 ,when we which are alive1 and remain unto the coming of the ,lord1 shall not prevent them which are asleep4 ,and the dead in ,christ shall rise first 7vers4 #ae1 #af74 ,the living at that day--who1 it would seem1 would be spared the necessity of dying and seeing corruption--shall1 nevertheless1 have no advantage over the dead4 ,before any change takes place in the living to fit them for the new condition of things1 the dead in ,christ shall rise first1 and be clothed with immortality and incorruptible splendour4 ,whatever disadvantages may be the lot of some of ,god's people over others1 they are ever recompensed by some special privilege or prerogative4 ,the best state for us is that in which ,god places us4 ,and yet every man thinks another's condition happier than his own4 ,rare indeed is the man who thinks his own state and condition in every respect best for him4 #b4 ,the living and the raised shall unite in a simultaneous greeting of their descending ,lord4--,then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the ,lord in the air 7ver4 #ag74 ,the living1 after passing through the wondrous change from mortal to immortal1 shall not anticipate for a single moment the newly raised bodies of the pious dead1 but together with them1 in one reunited1 loving1 inseparable company1 shall be caught away in chariots of clouds1 to meet the ,lord in the air1 and greet ,him in the descent4 ,he comes to fulfil ,his promise 7,john xiv4 #c74 #c4 ,all believers in ,christ shall be assured of eternal felicity with ,him4--,and so shall we ever be with the ,lord 7ver4 #ag74 ,for ever with the ,lord in familiar companionship--in rapturous communion1 in impending glory1 in ever-enchanting revelations4 ,with ,him1 not occasionally1 or for an age1 or a millennium1 but uninterruptedly for ever1 without the possibility of separation4 ,how great the contrast with the brightest experiences of this changeful life6 ,there are three things which eminently distinguish the heavenly life of the soul--perfection1 perpetuity1 immutability4 ,,iv4 ,that the contemplation of the second advent of ,christ is calculated to minister consolation to the sorrowing4--,therefore comfort one another with these words 7ver4 #ah74 ,a community in suffering creates a community in sympathy4 ,if a thorn be in the foot1 the back bows1 the eye is busy to pry into the hurt1 the hands do their best to pluck out the cause of anguish2 even so we are members one of another4 ,to him that is afflicted1 pity should be showed from his friend 7,job vi4 #ad74 ,the best consolation is that which is drawn from the revelations of ,god's ,word4 ,there are no comforts like ,scripture comforts4 ,the bereaved were sorrowing for their loved ones who had been smitten down by death and were full of anxiety and uncertainty about the future4 ,shall they meet again1 or are they parted for ever8 ,the teaching of inspiration on the second coming of ,christ assures them that their departed relatives shall be rescued from the power of death1 that they shall meet again1 meet in glory1 meet to part no more1 to be for ever with each other and with the ,lord4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,church is justified in looking for the second advent of ,christ4 #b4 ,the second advent of ,christ will bring an everlasting recompense for the suffering and sorrow of the present life4 #c4 ,the record that reveals the second advent of ,christ should be fondly prized and constantly pondered4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ae-ah4 ,the ,second ,coming of ,christ and ,sorrow for the ,dead4 ,i4 ,the final period of the world the apostles left undetermined4 ,,ii4 ,though ignorant of the final period of the world1 they were confident it should not come till the prophecies respecting the destiny of the ,church were accomplished4 ,,iii4 ,the ,church1 being ignorant of the day in which ,christ should come to judge the world1 should be always ready for that event4 ,,iv4 ,sorrow for the dead is compatible with the hope of a ,christian4--#a4 ,when it proceeds from sympathy4 #b4 ,from the dictates of nature4 #c4 ,from repentance4--,saurin4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,the ,day of comforting ,one ,another4 ,i4 ,we must observe a rule and method in this duty4 ,,ii4 ,this method is taught not in the school of nature1 but of ,christ4--#a4 ,in general1 we must comfort one another with the ,word of ,god4 #b4 ,we must comfort one another with the ,scripture teaching on the coming of the ,lord and the resurrection of the dead4--,farindon4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,times and seasons4--,the one is the even1 continuous flow of the river1 the other is the cataract4 ,seasons we may represent as epochs4 ,our ,lord in the same words refused to gratify the curiosity of ,his followers 7,acts i4 #g74 ,ver4 #b4 ,for yourselves know perfectly4--,the adverb here is the same as in ,eph4 v4 #ae 7,a4,v4 circumspectly1 ,r4,v4 carefully74 ,it is used five times only in the ,new ,testament4 ,the translations are interesting--,matt4 ii4 #h3 ,a4,v4 diligently1 ,r4,v4 carefully4 ,luke i4 #c3 ,r4,v4 accurately4 ,acts xviii4 #be 7like ,matt4 ii4 #h74 ,perhaps the ,thessalonians had asked for precise information4 ,the apostle replies1 with a touch of gentle irony1 ',you already know precisely that nothing precise on the subject can be known'--that the great day will steal upon the world like a thief in the night4 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #c4 ,for when they shall say4--,r4,v4 when they are saying4 ,no matter at what hour they say1 ,peace and security1 like the voice of the watchman crying1 ,all's well4 ,then sudden destruction4--,the word for sudden is only found again at ,luke xxi4 #cd in the ,new ,testament4 ,it is really unforeseen4 ,as travail4--,in the simile there is the suggestion that the day cannot be far off though not exactly known4 ,ver4 #e4 ,children of light4--,quite an ,oriental expression4 ,the kings of ,egypt called themselves children of the sun4 ,so these of a better sun4 ,ver4 #f4 ,let us watch and be sober4--,ever on the alert as men who live in hourly expectation of their ,lord's arrival4 ,it is precisely they who maintain the preparedness of spirit who are calm when the midnight cry rings out1 ,the bridegroom cometh4 ,ver4 #g4 ,they that be drunken are drunken in the night4--,the explanation is given in our ,lord's words--because their deeds are evil3 as though darkness could veil the loss of self-respect4 ,ver4 #i4 ,for ,god hath not appointed us to wrath4--,the inevitable sequence of a life of sensual gratification4 ,the very severest forms of expression for wrath fell from the gentlest lips concerning the servant who falls to gluttony and drunkenness because his lord does not appear at the expected hour 7,luke xii4 #de1 #df74 ,ver4 #ab4 ,them which labour among you and are over you in the ,lord4--,a clear testimony1 from this earlier ,new ,testament writing1 to the existence in the ,church at the beginning of a ministerial order--a clergy as distinguished from the laity--charged with specific duties and authority4 ,but there is nothing in grammar nor in the nature of the duties specified which would warrant us in distributing these functions amongst distinct orders of ,church office 7,ibid474 ,ver4 #ac4 ,and to esteem them very highly in love4--,r4,v4 exceeding highly--the same ,greek adverb as in ch4 iii4 #aj1 the strongest intensive possible to the language4 ,so deep and warm should be the affection uniting pastors and their flocks4 ,their appreciation is not to be a cold esteem 7,ibid474 ,ver4 #ad4 ,warn them that are unruly4--,r4,v4 admonish the disorderly4 ,every ,church knows these characters--men who will break through all restraint4 ,comfort the feeble-minded4--,r4,v4 encourage the faint-hearted4 ,in ch4 ii4 #aa we have met the verb before4 ,the feeble-minded would have been scarcely worth the pity of the philosophers with whom alone the great-souled man was supreme4 ,the comfort in that teaching1 for the hour when the strong shall be as tow1 was very scanty and inadequate4 ,support the weak4--,so be like the ,lord who upholdeth all that fall1 and raiseth up all those that be bowed down 7,ps4 cxlv4 #ad74 ,be patient toward all men4--,r4,v4 longsuffering4 ,it is the very opposite of what we mean by being short-tempered4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,evil for evil4--,a quid pro quo1 similar in kind and in quantity perhaps1 but retaliation delights in interest4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,quench not the ,spirit4--,when there has been excess1 and a good has come into disrepute1 it is natural to seek to stifle down further manifestations of it4 ,the energy of the ,holy ,spirit1 like ,pentecostal flame1 is regarded as being capable of extinction4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,despise not prophesyings4--,do not set down as of no value1 prophesyings4 ,the word for despise is used of those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and set at nought others 7,luke xviii4 #i71 and the contemptuous bearing of him who eats flesh with which an idol's name has been associated1 and laughs at the shuddering scruples of the brother who thinks it a dreadful thing to do1 and sets him at nought 7,rom4 xiv4 #c-aj74 ,the prophesyings at ,corinth were such as might easily be contemned 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bc74 ,ver4 #ba4 ,prove all things4--,make trial of all4 ,a sentence fatal to the suppression of inquiry and to credulous faith4 ,it forbids me to accept what is given out as prophecy even1 unless it has a self-evidencing power4 ,hold fast that which is good4--,the good here is that which is ethically beautiful4 ,in ver4 #ae another word points the contrast to the evil return of injury4 ,ver4 #bb4 ,abstain from all appearance of evil4--,perhaps the best idea of the word rendered abstain would be gained by hold off1 in antithesis to the hold fast of ver4 #ba4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,sanctify you wholly4 ,rather--unto completeness4 ,the apostle prays that they may be sanctified to the fullest extent 7,ibid474 ,your whole spirit 4 4 4 be preserved blameless4--,r4,v4 be preserved entire1 without blame4 ,from the degree of holiness desired we pass to its range1 from its intension 7as the logicians would say7 to its extension 7,ibid474 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-aa4 ,the ,attitude of the ,church towards the ,second ,coming of ,christ4 ,a book written by one who knew of the first advent of the ,redeemer closes1 anticipating1 desiring1 beseeching the second1--,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus 7,rev4 xxii4 #bj74 ,the revelation concerning that second coming is distinct and emphatic2 but the exact period1 when the event will happen1 is wrapped in uncertainty4 ,as when we ascend a winding river some well-known landmark appears to alter its position1 seeming now distant1 now near--so1 at different points on the circuitous stream of life1 the familiar subject of the second ,advent reveals itself as a near or remote event4 ,it is plain1 says ,archer ,butler1 that that period which is distant in one scheme of things may be near in another1 where events are on a vaster scale and move in a mightier orbit4 ,that which is a whole life to the ephemera is but a day to the man2 that which is in the brief succession of authentic human history is counted as remote1 is but a single page in the volume of heavenly records4 ,the coming of ,christ may be distant as measured on the scale of human life1 but it may be 'near1' and 'at hand1' and 'at the door1' when the interval of the two advents is compared1 not merely with the four thousand years which were but its preparation1 but with the line of infinite ages which it is itself preparing4 ,the uncertainty of the time of the second ,advent and its stupendous issues define the attitude of the ,church4 ,i4 ,it is an attitude of expectancy4--#a4 ,the time of the second coming is uncertain4 ,but of the time and the seasons1 brethren1 ye have no need that ,i write unto you 7ver4 #a74 ,a gentle hint that all questions on that subject were unnecessary1 as there was nothing more to be revealed4 ,the untameable curiosity and reckless daring of man tempt him to pry into secrets with which he has nothing to do and to dogmatise on subjects of which he knows the least4 ,many have been fanatical enough to fix the day of the ,lord's coming4 ,for a time1 there has been a local excitement2 the day has come and gone2 the world has moved on as before1 and the prophetic enthusiasts have exposed themselves to scorn and ridicule4 ,of that day and hour knoweth no man 7,mark xiii4 #cb74 ,this uncertainty is a perpetual stimulant to the people of ,god to exercise the ennobling virtues of hope1 of watchfulness1 of fidelity1 of humility1 of earnest inquiry1 and of reverential awe4 #b4 ,the second coming will be sudden4--,for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the ,lord so cometh as a thief in the night4 ,for when they shall say1 ,peace and safety1 then sudden destruction cometh upon them1 as travail upon a woman with child 7vers4 #b1 #c74 ,the thief not only gives no notice of his approach but takes every possible care to conceal his designs4 ,the discovery of the mischief he has wrought takes place when it is too late4 ,the prudent will take every precaution to avoid surprise and to baffle the subtlety and sharpness of the marauder4 ,that which is sinful and unlawful in itself affords a resemblance to express an important truth and to admonish to duty4 ,there is nothing more certain than that the ,lord will come2 nothing more uncertain when ,he will come2 and both the one and the other should keep ,his people in an attitude of prayerful expectation and moral preparedness4 ,faith breeds fear2 the more earnestly we believe1 the more we tremble at the ,divine threatenings4 ,unbelief lulls the soul into false security4 ,what a dreadful awakening will that be1 when the thunder of ,god's wrath shall suddenly burst from the hitherto tranquil heavens6 #c4 ,the second coming will be terrible to the wicked4--,and they shall not escape 7ver4 #c74 ,wicked men are never more secure than when destruction is nearest1 never nearer destruction than when they are most secure4 ,the swearer may be seized while the oath is burning on his tongue1 the drunkard engulfed in judgment while the cup is trembling between his lips4 ,the other day a certain suspension bridge was crowded with pleasure seekers2 the slender erection1 yielding under the unwonted strain1 broke in two1 and in a moment precipitated numbers into the river rolling below and into a watery grave4 ,not less fragile is the confidence on which the unbelieving rest2 and more terrible still will be the catastrophe that will suddenly overtake them4 ,the destruction of the wicked--of all their joy1 of all they most prized in this life--will be sudden1 painful1 inevitable4 ,now there is peace1 for mercy reigns2 but when the great day comes there will be nothing but indignation and wrath1 tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil 7,rom4 ii4 #h1 #i74 ,,ii4 ,it is an attitude of vigilance4--#a4 ,this vigilance is enforced on the ground of a moral transformation4 ,but ye1 brethren1 are not in darkness1 that that day should overtake you as a thief4 ,ye are all the children of light1 and the children of the day3 we are not of the night1 nor of darkness 7vers4 #d1 #e74 ,believers in ,christ are delivered from the power of darkness1 of spiritual ignorance1 of godless profanity1 of dark and dangerous security1 and translated into the kingdom of light1 of truth1 of purity1 and felicity4 ,they are children of the day when the light shines the brightest1 when privileges are more abundant1 when opportunities multiply1 and responsibility is correspondingly increased4 ,the light of past ages was but the dawn of the effulgent day which now shines upon the world from the ,gospel sun4 ,every inquiring and believing soul passes from the dawn to the daylight of experimental truth4 #b4 ,this vigilance must be constant4--,therefore let us not sleep1 as do others1 but let us watch and be sober4 ,for they that sleep sleep in the night2 and they that be drunken are drunken in the night 7vers4 #f1 #g74 ,let us not1 like the drunkards steeped in sottish slumber1 be immersed in the deep sleep of sin and unconcern1 neglecting duty1 and never thinking of a judgment2 but let us watch1 and in order to do so effectually1 be sober4 ,we are day-people1 not night-people2 therefore1 our work ought to be day-work1 not night-work2 our conduct such as will bear the eye of day and has no need to hide itself under the veil of night4 ,a strict sobriety is essential to a sleepless vigilance4 ,,iii4 ,it is an attitude of militant courage4--,but let us who are of the day be sober1 putting on the breastplate of faith and love2 and for an helmet the hope of salvation 7ver4 #h74 ,the ,christian has to fight the enemy1 as well as watch against him4 ,he is a soldier1 and a soldier on sentry4 ,the ,christian life is not one of soft1 luxurious ease2 it is a hard1 fierce conflict4 ,the graces of faith1 love1 and hope constitute the most complete armour of the soul4 ,the breastplate and helmet protect the two most vital parts--the head and the heart4 ,with head and heart right1 the whole man is right4 ,let us keep the head from error and the heart from sinful lust1 and we are safe4 ,the best guards against error in religion and viciousness in life are--faith1 hope1 and charity2 these are the virtues that inspire the most enterprising bravery4 ,drunkards and sluggards never make good soldiers4 ,,iv4 ,it is an attitude of confidence as to the future blessedness of the ,church4--#a4 ,this blessedness is ,divinely provided4 ,for ,god hath not appointed us to wrath1 but to obtain salvation by our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who died for us 7vers4 #i1 #aj74 ,the whole scheme of salvation was ,divinely conceived and ,divinely carried out in all its essential details4 ,and1 without discussing other methods by which the salvation of the race could be effected1 it is sufficient for us to know that the infallible wisdom of ,god provided that the death of ,his ,son was the most effectual method4 ,our sins had exposed us to the wrath of ,god1 who had declared death to be the penalty of sin4 ,this death ,christ underwent on our behalf1 in our stead1 and so saved us from it4 ,in every extremity1 at every new challenge of the enemy1 on each successive field of effort and peril1 this is the password and battle-cry of ,god's people--,christ died for us4 #b4 ,this blessedness consists in a constant fellowship with ,christ4--,that whether we wake or sleep1 we should live together with ,him 7ver4 #aj74 ,the happiest moments on earth are those spent in the company of the good1 reciprocating the noblest ideas and emotions4 ,christ1 by dying for us1 has begotten us into a life of ineffable and endless felicity2 and the hope of salvation enables us to look forward to the period when1 released from the sorrows and uncertainties of this changeful life1 we shall enjoy the bliss of uninterrupted communion with ,jesus4 ,the soul to be where ,jesus is ,must be for ever blest4 #c4 ,the confidence of inheriting this blessedness encourages mutual edification4--,wherefore comfort yourselves together1 and edify one another1 even as also ye do 7ver4 #aa74 ,all ,christians indiscriminately are to use these doctrines for mutual exhortation and mutual edification4 ,and so the spirit of the verse will be this3 ,comfort one another as to this matter1 and then1 free from the distracting and paralysing influence of vain misgivings1 go on edifying one another in all the relations1 and by all the means and appliances of your ,church fellowship2 even as also ye do4 ,ye do it now1 in the midst of your own secret1 personal sorrows and depressing fears4 ,but you will be able to do it more effectively1 with the clearer views ,i have now given you of what awaits us all--those sleeping in ,jesus1 and us who are alive and remain unto the coming of the ,lord 7,lillie74 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the great event of the future will be the second coming of ,christ4 #b4 ,that event should be looked for in a spirit of sobriety and vigilance4 #c4 ,that event will bring unspeakable felicity to the good and dismay and misery to the wicked4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #b4 ,the ,day of the ,lord-- ,i4 ,a day which will be in some unique and pre-eminent sense ,his day4 ,,ii4 ,it is the day of judgment4 ,,iii4 ,the coming of ,his day is suggestive of fear4--,as a thief in the night4 ,,iv4 ,it will come suddenly4 ,v4 ,cannot be prevented by any efforts of our own4 ,,vi4 ,we may prepare for the day of judgment by judging ourselves in self-examination4--,h4 ,p4 ,liddon4 ,ver4 #f4 ,the ,pilgrims on the ,enchanted ,ground4 ,i4 ,hopeful keeps awake by goodly counsel and discourse4 ,,ii4 ,ignorance comes up again4--#a4 ,ignorance explains the ground of his hope4 #b4 ,christian explains what good thoughts are4 #c4 ,ignorance speaks reproachfully about things he knows not4 #d4 ,he again falls behind4 ,,iii4 ,christian and ,hopeful renew their conversation4--#a4 ,reflections over the conduct of ,ignorance4 #b4 ,why ignorant people stifle conviction4 #c4 ,reasons why some backslide4 ,,iv4 ,some lessons from this stage4--#a4 ,in times of danger it is wise to recall former experiences4 #b4 ,human philosophy may seem very wise1 but the ,bible is an unfailing touchstone4--,homiletic ,monthly4 ,moral ,sleep4 ,i4 ,the season devoted to sleep is one of darkness4--,he is in darkness as to ,god1 himself1 and the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,sleep is often sought for and obtained by the use of opiates4--,these are3 #a4 ,the falsehoods of ,satan4 #b4 ,the pleasures of sense4 #c4 ,the fellowship of the world4 ,,iii4 ,during sleep the mind is usually occupied with dreams4--,the life of the ungodly is one continued dream4 ,,iv4 ,he who is asleep is in a great measure insensible to pain4--#a4 ,the sting of sin is in man's nature4 #b4 ,through this sleep he feels it not4--,stewart4 ,vers4 #i1 #aj4 ,salvation is of ,god4 ,i4 ,the choice of ,god4--#a4 ,it was early4 #b4 ,it was free4 #c4 ,efficacious4 #d4 ,appropriating4 ,,ii4 ,the work of ,christ4--,he died as our ,substitute4 #a4 ,this fact explains ,his death4 #b4 ,vindicates the justice of ,god in ,his death4 #c4 ,displays the love of ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the privilege and duty of ,christians4--#a4 ,life in ,christ4 #b4 ,life with ,christ4 #c4 ,in ,him and with ,him here and hereafter4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab1 #ac4 ,the ,treatment due to the ,ministerial ,office4 ,an excessive modesty prevents many ministers from calling attention to the sacred office they hold1 and to the respect in which it should ever be regarded by those over whom they have the oversight4 ,such a modesty is inexcusable4 ,to say nothing of the contempt with which the world looks upon the ministerial office1 there are thousands within the ,church who are utterly ignorant of its duties and awful responsibilities1 and who have but vague1 distorted notions of their duty towards the men who first led them to ,christ1 and who have been instructing them in the truths for years4 ,let not the minister hesitate1 even at the risk of being thought egotistical1 to speak on this subject1 and enforce the ,new ,testament teaching4 ,the apostle was not withheld by any false sense of modesty from pointing out1 with all emphasis and authority1 the obligations of the ,church towards those who minister in the ,word and doctrine4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,the distinctive duties belonging to the ministerial office4--#a4 ,to labour4 ,them which labour among you 7ver4 #ab71 even unto weariness1 as the verb signifies4 ,the work of the faithful minister is no sinecure2 it taxes all the powers of the brain and muscle4 ,it is a work demanding prolonged and earnest study1 intense feeling1 and ceaseless toil4 #b4 ,to rule4--,and are over you in the ,lord 7ver4 #ab74 ,the minister is not simply a sort of popular delegate or hired agent1 bound to receive the instructions1 execute the wishes1 and flatter the humours of his constituents4 ,he is1 indeed1 the servant1 in the proper sense of that word1 but not the slave and tool of the ,church4 ,the right to speak and act in the name of ,christ carries with it an aspect of pre-eminence and authority1 and the same is implied in the very names that designate the ministerial office--as pastors1 or shepherds1 teachers1 bishops1 or overseers4 ,on the other hand1 the impressiveness of sacerdotal assumption is checked and limited by the words1 ,in the ,lord4 ,the minister is to rule only in the ,lord1 recognising the joint union of himself and his ,church with the ,lord1 and the principles and polity by which the ,church of ,christ is to be governed4 #c4 ,to admonish4--,and admonish you 7ver4 #ab74 ,these words also qualify the nature of the rulership4 ,it must not be a despotic lording it over ,god's heritage1 issuing commands with absolute and arbitrary authority1 and enforcing those commands1 if not instantly obeyed1 with terrifying anathemas4 ,no2 he is to rule by the force of moral suasion--by instruction1 admonition1 advice1 warning4 ,the verb means to put in mind4 ,to gain obedience to the right1 precept must be repeatedly enforced in all the varied forms of reproof1 rebuke and exhortation4 ,,ii4 ,the treatment due to the ministerial office4--#a4 ,an intelligent acknowledgment of its character4 ,think of its ,divine appointment1 its solemn responsibilities1 its important work1 its exhausting anxieties1 its special perils4 ,whatever the ministers seem to you1 they are the eyes of the ,church and the mouth of ,god4 ,acknowledge them2 sympathise with and help them2 give credit to their message2 they watch and pray2 they study and take pains for your sake4 #b4 ,a superlative1 loving regard4--,esteem them very highly in love 7ver4 #ac74 ,the adverb is particularly forcible1 signifying super-exceedingly1 more than exceedingly4 ,there is a hint here to thousands in the ,church at the present day1 which it is hoped they will have the grace to act upon4 ,the profound reverence and esteem to be shown to the ministerial office is to be regulated1 not by fear1 but by love4 ,the hard-working1 devoted1 and faithful minister is worthy of all honour and affection4 #c4 ,the true ground of this considerate treatment4--,for their work's sake 7ver4 #ac74 ,love them for your own sake2 you have life and comfort by them4 ,honour them for their office' sake2 they are your fathers2 they have begotten you in ,christ2 they are the stewards of ,god's house1 and the dispensers of ,his mysteries4 ,honour and love them for ,god's sake2 ,he has sent them and put ,his ,word in their mouth4 ,to love a minister is not much1 except his work be that which draws out affection4 ,he who can say1 ,i love a minister because he teacheth me to know ,god1 because he informs me of duty1 and reproves my declensions and backslidings--he is the man who has satisfaction in his love4 ,,iii4 ,an important exhortation4--,and be at peace among yourselves 7ver4 #ac74 ,not simply be at peace with your pastor1 but among yourselves4 ,you are all the children of ,god4 ,god is a ,god of peace4 ,discord1 contention1 and unquietness are fit only for the children of the devil4 ,live in godly unity as becometh the children of peace4 ,this is a duty frequently enjoined 7,heb4 xii4 #ad2 ,jas4 iii42 ,ps4 cxli474 ,let there be peace especially between the minister and his flock--no rivalry between ministers1 no disputings and contentions among the people4 ,there can be no prosperity where peace is absent4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the minister is accountable to ,god for his fidelity4 #b4 ,the people can never profit under the minister they have not learned to respect4 #c4 ,peace is an essential condition of success in ,christian work4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ab1 #ac4 ,a ,public ,ministry-- ,i4 ,is ordained by ,god4--,over you in the ,lord4 ,,ii4 ,has clearly defined duties4--#a4 ,to labour4 #b4 ,to govern4 #c4 ,to admonish4 ,,iii4 ,should be highly esteemed4--,esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,and be at peace among yourselves4 ,church ,concord-- ,i4 ,possible only where there is mutual peace4 ,,ii4 ,it is the duty of every member of the ,church to promote harmony4 ,,iii4 ,peace with ,god is the condition of peace with each other4 ,,iv4 ,discord in a ,church mars the usefulness of the best ministry4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad1 #ae4 ,a ,group of ,christian ,precepts4 ,the supernatural character of ,christianity is not less apparent in the purity and loftiness of the morality it inculcates1 than in the superiority of the truths it reveals4 ,it is intensely practical in its teaching and aim4 ,it is not like a glow of light that irradiates the external character for a time2 it is an inward radiance that cannot help making itself visible in the outer life4 ,it is not a sentiment2 it is a principle4 ,the moral precepts of ,christianity can be appreciated and obeyed only by the soul that has become thoroughly possessed by the ,christian spirit4 ,each precept in these verses may be fittingly used as the homiletical heading of a distinct paragraph4 ,i4 ,warn them that are unruly4--,the unruly are those who1 like disorderly soldiers1 break their ranks1 and become idle1 dissolute1 and worthless in their lives4 ,this disorderliness was a besetting sin of the primitive ,churches1 not excepting the ,thessalonian4 ,many of them1 entertaining false ideas about the nearness of ,christ's second coming1 became indifferent to the ordinary work of life1 and sank into listlessness and apathy1 and even worse4 ,says the proverb1 ,an idle brain is the devil's workshop1 and when a man is not diligently employed in some healthy and vigorous occupation1 he is apt1 notwithstanding his ,christian profession1 to become an instrument of evil and a disturber of the ,church1 the peace of which he is pledged to maintain4 ,it is difficult to pin some people down to a bit of fair and honest work4 ,they are full of schemes and suggestions for other people to carry out2 they lay down the line of conduct with the utmost precision1 but never themselves illustrate the easiness or difficulty of on keeping the line2 they make laws and regulations which they never dream of observing themselves and are for ever finding fault that other people do not observe them4 ,these are the restless gipsies of the ,church1 the pests of every ,christian community into which they intrude1 the mischief-makers and busybodies in other people's matters4 ,warn such4 ,admonish gently at first1 putting them in mind of their duty4 ,it is the fault of many to limit admonitions to gross and grievous sins2 but in these cases1 warning often comes too late4 ,if admonition in the earlier stage is not effectual1 then proceed to sharper and more faithful reproof4 ,if that is unavailing1 hesitate not to take more summary measures--separate yourselves from their society4 ,,ii4 ,comfort the feeble-minded4--,more correctly--encourage the faint-hearted4 ,the reference is not to the intellectually weak1 but to such as faint in the day of adversity1 or are ready to fall away before the prospect of persecution and suffering 7ch4 ii4 #ad71 or who are disheartened and desponding in consequence of the loss of friends 7ch4 iv4 #ac74 ,it may also include those who are perplexed with constant doubt and apprehension as to their spiritual condition1 and who through fear are all their lifetime subject to bondage4 ,there are some people so weighed down with a sense of modesty as to incapacitate them from using the abilities they certainly possess1 though underneath all this modesty there may be the pride of thinking themselves better able to judge of themselves and their abilities than anybody else4 ,others1 again1 are so oppressed with the inveteracy of sin1 that they despair of gaining the victory over it1 and give up all endeavours4 ,these need encouraging with the promises of ,god1 and with the lessons and examples furnished by experience4 ,heart-courage is what the faint-hearted require4 ,,iii4 ,support the weak4--,a man may be weak in judgment or weak in practice4 ,there may be lack of information as to certain great truths necessary to be believed and stoutly maintained1 or lack of capacity in clearly understanding and grasping those truths4 ,such was the condition of many in the apostle's day1 who1 not apprehending the complete abrogation of the ,mosaic law1 and thinking they were still conscientiously bound to observe ordinances1 were weak in faith4 ,some linger for years in the misty borderland between doubt and certainty1 with all its enfeebling and poisonous malaria--ever learning1 but never coming to a knowledge of the truth4 ,defective faith implies defective practice4 ,support such with the moral influence of our sympathy1 our prayers1 our counsel1 our example4 ,while not countenancing their sins1 we may bear or prop them up by judiciously commending in them that which is good1 by not too severely condemning them in the practice of things indifferent 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #bj71 and by striving to rectify their errors with all gentleness and fidelity4 ,,iv4 ,be patient toward all men4--,not only toward the weak1 the faint-hearted1 and the disorderly1 but towards all men--the most wayward and perverse1 the bitterest enemies and persecutors4 ,consider the patience of ,god towards ourselves1 while for years we refused ,his calls and despised ,his admonitions2 and let us strive to imitate ,his longsuffering and kindness4 ,lack of present success is no warrant to any to cease from obvious duties and leave things to drift in hopeless entanglement and ruin4 ,the triumphs of genius in art1 science1 and literature are triumphs of patience4 ,v4 ,see that none renders evil for evil unto any man4--,retaliation betrays a weak1 ignoble1 and cruel disposition4 ,pagan morality went so far as to forbid only the unprovoked injuring of others1 and it is not without noble examples of the exercise of a spirit of forgiveness1 ,exalted ,socrates1 divinely brave1 ,injured he fell1 and dying1 he forgave2 ,too noble for revenge1 which still we find ,the weakest frailty of a feeble mind4 ,the ,jews prostituted to purposes of private revenge the laws which were intended to administer equitable retributions between man and man4 ,it is ,christianity alone that teaches man to bear personal injuries without retaliation4 ,hath any wronged thee8 says ,quarles2 be bravely avenged--slight it1 and the work is begun2 forgive it1 and it is finished4 ,he is below himself that is not above an injury4 ,public wrongs the public law will avenge2 and the final recompense for all wrong1 private and public1 must be left to the infallible ,judge of all 7,rom4 xii4 #ai1 #bj74 ,,vi4 ,but ever follow that which is good1 both among yourselves and to all men4--,the noblest retaliation is that of good for evil4 ,in the worst character there is some element of goodness1 that may call out the desire to do good towards it4 ,our beneficence should be as large as an enemy's malice 7,matt4 v4 #dd1 #de74 ,that which is good is not always that which is pleasing to the objects of our benevolence1 nor is it always pleasing to ourselves4 ,goodness should be sought for its own sake1 and sought with increasing earnestness and perseverance1 as the hunter seeks his prey4 ,it is the great aim and business of life4 ,goodness is essentially diffusive2 it delights in multiplying itself in others4 ,it is undeterred by provocation2 it conquers the most virulent opposition4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the preceptive morality of ,christianity is a signal evidence of its transcendent glory4 #b4 ,practice is more potent than precept4 #c4 ,the ,christian spirit is the root of genuine goodness4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #af-ah4 ,the ,secret of a ,happy ,life4 ,happiness is not found in anything external4 ,it is a certain state of the soul when it is filled with the peace of ,god and lit up with the sunshine of heaven4 ,it is a mockery to talk about cultivating happiness4 ,it is not a potato to be planted in mould and tilled with manure4 ,happiness is a glory shining far down upon us out of heaven4 ,it is a ,divine dew which the soul1 on certain of its summer mornings1 feels dropping upon it from the amaranth bloom and golden fruitage off paradise4 ,an aged ,divine once gave this advice to a newly married pair3 ,don't try to be happy4 ,happiness is a shy nymph1 and if you chase her1 you will never catch her2 but just go quietly on and do your duty1 and she will come to you4 ,in these verses we have revealed to us the secret of a happy life4 ,i4 ,the secret of a happy life is found in constant and faithful discharge of ,christian duties4--#a4 ,it is our duty continually to rejoice4 ,rejoice evermore 7ver4 #af74 ,to rejoice is not only a privilege1 but a duty2 the believer is as much obliged to rejoice as he is to believe4 ,it seems a mockery to direct people to rejoice in the midst of a world of sin1 sorrow1 and death1 and in a ,church which is sorely tried2 and yet such was the condition of things when these words were penned1 and when similar counsel was given to the ,philippians 7,phil4 iv4 #d74 ,religion is never recommended by sour looks1 sepulchral tones1 and suppressing every external manifestation of gladness4 ,no wonder the ,christian is able to rejoice continually1 when we remember the inexhaustible sources of joy he possesses in his relations to ,christ1 to ,god1 and to the ,holy ,ghost1 in the promises of the ,divine ,word1 and in a long1 beneficent1 and holy life4 ,by becoming religious1 a man does not lose his joys1 but exchanges them--transitory1 fading1 earthly joys--for joy unspeakable1 glorious1 and that fadeth not away4 #b ,it is our duty to pray always4--,pray without ceasing 7ver4 #ag74 ,as we are every moment in need1 so should we every moment seek help in prayer4 ,the ,lord requires not only frequency in prayer1 but also unwearied importunity4 ,we must guard against the error of the ,euchites1 who flourished in the fourth century1 and who regarded all other exercises of religion than inward prayer as unnecessary and vain4 ,live in the spirit of prayer4 ,let the whole work of life be as prayer offered to ,god4 ,he who prays the most lives the best4 ,prayer surrounds the soul with a golden atmosphere1 through which is sifted the sunbeams of heavenly joy4 #c4 ,it is our duty to be ever grateful4--,in everything give thanks 7ver4 #ah74 ,prayer should ever be accompanied with thanksgiving4 ,what we may pray for1 for that we must give thanks2 and whatever is unfit matter for prayer is unfit for thanksgiving4 ,the ,christian can meet with nothing in the way of duty that is not a cause for thankfulness1 whatever suffering may be entailed4 ,when we think of the ceaseless stream of ,god's mercies1 we shall have ample reasons for unintermitted thanksgiving4 ,,ii4 ,the secret of a happy life is in harmony with the ,divine will4--,for this is the will of ,god in ,christ ,jesus concerning you 7ver4 #ah74 ,it is the will of ,god that ,his people should be rejoicing1 praying1 and grateful2 and this will is revealed by ,christ1 as declared in ,his ,gospel1 as received in ,his ,church1 and as observed by those in communion with ,him4 ,what a revelation is this1 not of an arbitrary demand of the impossible state of the affections towards ,god1 but a beautiful and consolatory discovery of the largeness of ,his love and of the blessed ends for which ,he has redeemed us in ,christ4 ,the will of ,god supplies constant material for gratitude and praise4 ,lessons4--,learn the three indubitable marks of a genuine ,christian3 #a4 ,to rejoice in the mercy of ,god4 #b4 ,to be fervent in prayer4 #c4 ,to give thanks to ,god in all things4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #af4 ,rejoice ,evermore4 ,i4 ,in the exercise of faith4--#a4 ,in the truths of ,god4 #b4 ,in the promises of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,in the practice of ,christian hope4 ,,iii4 ,in performing the duty of charity4--,barrow4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,on ,self-recollectedness and ,ejaculatory ,prayer4 ,i4 ,mental prayer consists in gathering up the mind from its wanderings and placing it consciously in the presence of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,in breathing out the mind towards ,god4 ,,iii4 ,materials for ejaculatory prayer4--#a4 ,found in daily portions of ,scripture4 #b4 ,stated prayer cannot be dispensed with even where ejaculatory prayer is practised4 #c4 ,ejaculatory prayer helpful in striving after a life of sanctity4--,e4 ,m4 ,goulburn4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,the ,perpetual ,thanksgiving of a ,christian ,life4 ,i4 ,its difficulty4--#a4 ,from our fancied knowledge of life4 #b4 ,from our unbelieving distrust of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,its motive4--,god's will is so revealed in ,christ1 that1 believing in it1 we can give thanks in all things4 #a4 ,life the perpetual providences of a ,father4 #b4 ,that perpetual providence is a discipline of human character4 #c4 ,the discipline of life is explained by eternity alone4 ,,iii4 ,its attainment4--,it is the gradual result of a life of earnest fellowship with ,god4--,e4 ,l4 ,hull4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-bb4 ,varied ,aspects of ,spiritual ,influence4 ,in the natural world the greater law of distribution is manifested in the infinite variety that appears in the midst of an unchanging and inflexible uniformity4 ,and in the ,church of ,god what varied gifts1 graces1 and attainments are found in its members4 ,no two are precisely alike4 ,there are diversities of gifts1 but the same ,spirit2 and the multiplicity and variety of endowments are intended to be exercised for one grand and definite purpose 7,eph4 iv4 #ab1 #ac74 ,by grouping together the precepts contained in these verses1 we have suggested to us the varied aspects of spiritual influence4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,the fervency of spiritual influence4--#a4 ,the influence of the ,spirit is represented under the emblem of fire4 ,quench not the ,spirit 7ver4 #ai74 ,fire purifies the gold of its dross1 enlightens by its splendour the eyes of the beholder1 and raises the temperature of the ,christian life4 ,the person inspired is borne along1 as it were1 with spiritual ardour 7,acts xviii4 #be2 ,rom4 xii4 #aa74 ,timothy is directed to rekindle or keep up the fire 7#b ,tim4 i4 #f74 ,christian baptism is baptism with the ,holy ,ghost and with fire 7,matt4 iv4 #aa74 ,the descent of the ,holy ,ghost at ,pentecost was in tongues of fire 7,acts ii4 #c74 ,the ,spirit1 as fire1 bestows both the light of knowledge and the fervour of love4 #b4 ,the influence of the ,spirit may be quenched by denying the personality and ,godhead of the ,spirit1 by depreciating the necessity of and restraining the fervour of ,his presence in ,christian work2 by ignoring special reference to ,him in prayer2 by stifling the voice of conscience2 by neglect of religious ordinances2 by conformity to the world2 by unsanctified use of past afflictions4 ,the gifts of the ,spirit1 with all ,his holy operations1 must be fervently and diligently cherished within us4 ,,ii4 ,the instructiveness of spiritual influence4--,despise not prophesyings 7ver4 #bj74 ,the word prophesying in the ,new ,testament signifies not only the prediction of future events1 but the instructions of men inspired by the ,holy ,ghost1 teaching ,christian doctrines1 revealing or explaining mysteries1 exhorting to duties1 consoling the sorrowing and afflicted4 ,it is what we understand by preaching4 ,it is not so much the prediction of events that are future1 as it is the proclamation of duty that is instant4 ,however exalted the believer may be in spiritual experience1 however rich in faith and charity1 it is still his duty to attend to preaching4 ,despise not prophesying4 ,like many a negative in the ,bible1 it means a very decided positive in the opposite direction4 ,despise it not by exalting reason over revelation4 ,despise it not by identifying true religion with the weakness1 oddities1 and eccentric notions of good but ignorant men4 ,despise it not by denying its beneficent teachings1 spurning its wise counsels1 and neglecting its faithful warnings4 ,where there is no prophecy the people perish4 ,he that despiseth it shall be despised of the ,lord2 he shall be cast into darkness1 because he would not delight in the light 7,acts xiii4 #da2 ,prov4 i4 #bd-ca74 ,,iii4 ,the possible abuse of spiritual influence4--,prove all things2 hold fast that which is good 7ver4 #ba74 ,error is never so dangerous as when it is the alloy of truth4 ,pure error is seen through at once and rejected2 but error mixed with truth makes use of the truth as a pioneer for it1 and gets introduction where otherwise it would have none4 ,poison is all the more dangerous when mixed up with food--error is never so likely to do mischief as when it comes to us under the pretensions and patronage of that which is true4 ,hence the importance of testing every pretender to spiritual illumination--as the goldsmith tests the gold and discovers the amount of alloy in it4 ,beloved1 says ,st4 ,john1 believe not every spirit1 but try the spirits1 whether they are of ,god2 because many false prophets are gone out into the world 7#a ,john iv4 #a74 ,there are certain fundamental truths that are beyond all necessity of testing1 and which transcend the powers of human reason to fully comprehend4 ,the direction is addressed to the ,church1 to those who possess the ,spirit by whose help the test is applied4 ,the utterances of the ,spirit may be tested in their relation to the glory of ,jesus1 and by the influence of the truths uttered upon the moral and spiritual life of the teacher and his followers4 ,having proved the truth1 hold fast that which is good1 as with both hands and against all who would forcibly wrest it from you4 ,when you have tried and found out the truth1 be constant and settled in it4 ,a wavering-minded man is unstable in all his ways3-- ,seize upon truth wherever 'tis found1 ,among her friends1 among her foes1 ,on ,christian or on heathen ground1 ,the flower's divine where'er it grows-- ,refuse the prickles and assume the rose4 ,,iv4 ,the sensitiveness of spiritual influence4--,abstain from all appearance of evil 7ver4 #bb74 ,nothing will sooner quench the fire of the ,spirit in the believer than sin4 ,therefore is he exhorted to abstain1 to hold aloof from every species of evil not only from that which is really and in itself evil1 but also from that which has the shape or semblance of evil4 ,not what we are1 but what we appear1 determines the world's judgment of us4 ,our usefulness in the world is very much dependent on appearances4 ,our abhorrence of evil1 both in doctrine and practice1 must be so decided as to avoid the very show of it in either4 ,he makes conscience of no sin that makes no conscience of all2 and he is in danger of the greatest who allows himself in the least4 ,by shunning evil things1 says ,bernard1 we provide for conscience2 by avoiding ill1 shows we safeguard our fame4 ,the believer has need of a sound judgment1 a sensitive conscience1 and an ever-wakeful vigilance4 ,to sanction evil in any form is to dim the lustre and stifle the operation of spiritual influence4 ,know nought but truth1 feel nought but love1 will nought but bliss1 do nought but righteousness4 ,all things are known in heaven ere aimed at on earth4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the mightiest influence in the universe is spiritual4 #b4 ,increase of spiritual influence is dependent on uprightness of life4 #c4 ,the best spiritual gifts should be eagerly sought4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ai4 ,quench not the ,spirit4 ,i4 ,the mode of the ,spirit's operation is likened unto that of fire4--#a4 ,fire of unrest4 ,when the ,spirit convinces of sin4 #b4 ,fire of purification4 ,when the ,spirit burns up evil within4 #c4 ,fire of consecration4 ,when the ,spirit dwells within as a mighty impelling force4 ,,ii4 ,it is in our power to quench the ,holy ,fire4 ,,iii4 ,the ways in which men quench the ,spirit4--#a4 ,by continuing in known sin4 #b4 ,by indulging in a light1 frivolous spirit4 #c4 ,by refusing to believe in anything they cannot see or touch4 #d4 ,by allowing worldly affairs to absorb the affections4 #e4 ,by neglecting religions duties4 #f4 ,by not exercising the gifts already bestowed4--,local ,preacher's ,treasury4 ,ver4 #bj4 ,despise not ,prophesyings-- ,i4 ,because they are the sayings of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,they are the grand appointed means of our salvation4 ,,iii4 ,because we greatly need them4 ,,iv4 ,we grieve the ,spirit of ,god thereby4 ,v4 ,it is the sure way of contracting a habit of despising ,divine things in general4 ,,vi4 ,it lays stumbling-blocks in the way of others4 ,,vii4 ,those who despise destroy themselves4--,e4 ,hare4 ,abuse of ,public ,worship4 ,i4 ,the offence4--#a4 ,habitual neglect of public worship4 #b4 ,attendance on public worship in an improper state of mind4 #c4 ,failure to improve public worship for the purposes for which it is intended4 ,,ii4 ,its sin and danger4--#a4 ,it involves contempt of the authority of ,god4 #b4 ,it involves contempt of an institution with which ,god has specially identified ,himself4 #c4 ,it involved contempt of one of the appointed means of grace4 #d4 ,it involves contempt of our own soul4--,g4 ,brooks4 ,ver4 #ba4 ,rationalism4 ,i4 ,prove all things4--#a4 ,our own sentiments4 #b4 ,the sentiments of others4 ,,ii4 ,hold fast that which is good4--#a4 ,against the assaults of proud reason4 #b4 ,against the assaults of mad passions4 #c4 ,against the assaults of a menacing world4--,ibid4 ,prove all things4 ,i4 ,the course of conduct commanded4--,prove4 #a4 ,by an appeal to the ,word of ,god as supreme4 #b4 ,sincerely4 #c4 ,thoroughly4 #d ,prayerfully4 ,,ii4 ,the extent to which the course of conduct is to be carried4--,all things4 #a4 ,things taken for granted to be right4 #b4 ,things wrong4 #c4 ,things doubtful4 ,,iii4 ,some hindrances to the adoption of this course4--#a4 ,dislike to the trouble it may cause #b4 ,fear of the demands which the result may make4 ,,iv4 ,blessings likely to result from this course4--#a4 ,activity of mind in matters of religion4 #b4 ,a specific acquaintance with the ,word of ,god4 #c4 ,legitimate independence of thought4 #d4 ,increasing strength of ,christian character4 #e4 ,increase of ,christian sagacity4 #f4 ,the adorning of the ,christian doctrine in the eyes of men4--,j4 ,holmes4 ,hold ,fast that which is ,good4 ,i4 ,be well assured of the value and goodness of the possession4 ,,ii4 ,cherish a deep sense of responsibility because you have been led to prove and to be convinced of the good4 ,,iii4 ,be assured that powerful influences will be exerted that you may lose your hold4 ,,iv4 ,do not allow your convictions of its goodness to be unsettled4 ,v4 ,do not take hold of anything which you cannot hold at the same time that you firmly grasp this4 ,,vi4 ,do not let a little of it go4 ,,vii4 ,hold it more firmly4 ,,viii4 ,regard how others have been affected by the way they have held4 ,,ix4 ,depend entirely on the grace of ,god to enable you to do this4--,ibid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bc1 #bd4 ,a ,prayer for ,sanctification4 ,sanctification is the supreme end of the ,christian life1 and everything should be made to contribute to the grand result4 ,it is the crown and ornament of all other graces1 the perfecting of every moral virtue4 ,the fact that man is capable of so lofty a degree of personal holiness indicates that it is the supreme end for which he ought to live4 ,he misses the glory that is within his reach if he does not attain to it4 ,sanctification in its radical meaning is simply separation--a separation from what is evil to what is good4 ,it then implies to make holy that which is unholy4 ,it begins in a moral transformation1 the regeneration of the heart1 and advances to perfection4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that sanctification is a complete work4--,sanctify you wholly2 and ,i pray ,god your whole spirit1 and soul1 and body be preserved blameless 7ver4 #bc74 #a4 ,it affects the intellectual nature of man4--,your spirit4 ,it is this that distinguishes truth from falsehood and apprehends the mysteries of religion4 ,if the intellect is sanctified1 there is less danger of falling into error and heresy4 ,enlightened by the ,holy ,ghost1 it enables man to prove all things and to test and judge every aspect of truth4 #b4 ,it affects the spiritual nature of man4--,your soul--the seat of the affections and will1 the passions and appetites4 ,the having the heart in a right or wrong condition makes the difference between the moral and the immoral character4 ,when the heart is sanctified the passions and appetites are kept within due bounds1 and the believer is preserved pure from the sinful lusts of the flesh4 ,the same distinction between spirit and soul is made in ,heb4 iv4 #ab2 and in ,tit4 i4 #ae a distinction is made between the intellectual and moral in the terms mind and conscience4 #c4 ,it affects the physical nature of man4--,your body4 ,the body is the temple of the ,holy ,ghost 7#a ,cor4 iv4 #ai7 and must be kept pure and blameless--must be kept in temperance1 soberness1 and chastity2 to pollute it with fleshly lusts is to pollute and destroy it 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #ag74 ,the body1 immortalised and glorified1 will be the companion of the glorified soul throughout eternity2 and the ,thessalonians had already been assured that the body was to rise from the grave 7ch4 iv4 #af74 ,the whole complex nature of man is to be purified4 ,mere outward decency of conduct is not enough2 the inner man1 the intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual faculties must be kept in a state of purity and holiness4 ,he hath sanctity in no part who is not sanctified in every part4 #d4 ,it is a necessary fitness to meet ,christ at ,his coming4--,be preserved blameless unto the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #bc74 ,it is the power of ,god only that can keep man holy1 though the utmost circumspection and vigilance are to be exercised on his part4 ,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god 7,matt4 v4 #h7--see ,him now as the inner eye of the soul is clarified1 and see ,him at ,his coming in power and great glory4 ,,ii4 ,that sanctification is a ,divine work4--#a4 ,the believer is called to sanctification by the ,god of unswerving fidelity4 ,faithful is ,he that calleth you1 who also will do it 7ver4 #bd74 ,god is faithful to all ,his promises of help4 ,every promise is backed by the whole force of ,his omnipotence--who also will do it4 ,there is nothing greater in the universe than the will of ,god2 it actuates ,his power and ensures ,his faithfulness4 ,entire sanctification is therefore no impossible attainment4 ,god calls1 not to mock and disappoint1 but to bless4 #b4 ,the believer is called to sanctification by the ,god of peace4--,the very ,god of peace sanctify you 7ver4 #bc74 ,peace and sanctification are inseparable2 without holiness there can be no peace4 ,god is the author and giver of peace1 and delights in peace4 ,mr4 ,howels1 of ,long ,acre chapel1 used to say that if he saw two dogs at peace with each other1 he saw there the very ,god of peace2 that one atom of peace left in a world of war with ,god is a truce of the lingering mercy and favouring goodness of ,god4 ,peace is a reflection of the ,divine presence on earth4 ,the ,thessalonians had been enjoined to cultivate mutual peace and harmony 7ver4 #ac71 and personal holiness had been earnestly recommended 7ch4 iv4 #c74 ,they are now taught where peace and holiness are to be found4 ,both are gifts of ,god4 ,we have need of peace--peace of conscience1 peace from the rage and fury of the world1 peace and love among those who are of the household of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,that sanctification is obtained by prayer4--,the loftiest duty is possible with grace2 the least is all but impossible without it4 ,all grace must be sought of ,god in prayer4 ,the virtue and power of all exhortation and teaching depend on the ,divine blessing4 ,what ,god encourages us to seek in prayer is possible of attainment in actual experience4 ,prayer is the expression of wants we feel4 ,it is the power by which we reach he highest spiritual excellence4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,cherish the highest ideal of the ,christian character4 #b4 ,pray for ,divine help in its attainment4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #bc4 ,the ,sanctification of the ,complete ,man4 ,i4 ,its meaning4--#a4 ,there is a great trinity of powers--body1 soul1 and spirit--linking man with three different worlds4 ,the physical1 the intellectual1 the spiritual4 #b4 ,these three ranges of powers become gateways of temptation from three different worlds1 and unless they are all consecrated we are never free from danger4 ,,ii4 ,its attainment4--#a4 ,we cannot consecrate ourselves4 #b4 ,god preserves the entire sanctification by imparting peace4 ,,iii4 ,the motive for endeavouring to attain it4--,until the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #a4 ,a day of manifestation when the shadows and unrealities of time will fade in the full morning of eternity4 #b4 ,a day of everlasting gatherings4--,e4 ,l4 ,hull4 ,the ,trinity4 ,i4 ,the first power or consciousness in which ,god is made known to us is as the ,father1 the ,author of our being4 ,,ii4 ,the second way through which the personality and consciousness of ,god has been revealed to us is as the ,son4 ,,iii4 ,a closer and a more enduring relation in which ,god stands to us is the relation of the ,spirit4--,it is the graces of the ,spirit which harmonise the man and make him one2 and that is the end1 aim1 and object of all the ,gospel4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,ver4 #bd4 ,the ,faith of ,man and the ,faithfulness of ,god4 ,i4 ,the highest object of man's existence is to hold communion with his ,god4 ,,ii4 ,rightly to believe in ,christ is to know and feel this communion4 ,,iii4 ,the unalterable faithfulness of ,god is a fidelity to ,his own gracious engagement4 ,,iv4 ,the prominent character of ,god is unshaken stability4 ,v4 ,god is faithful to his warnings as ,he is to ,his promises4--,a4 ,butler4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #be-bh4 ,closing ,words4 ,i4 ,an important request4--,brethren1 pray for us 7ver4 #be74 ,the most gifted saints have need of the prayers of ,god's people4 ,the great apostle1 much as he prayed for himself1 did not himself feel independent of the intercessions of others4 ,his large experience of the power of prayer made him only the more anxious to strengthen his personal interest at the throne of grace4 ,the least gifted saint in other respects may be mighty in prayer4 ,believers are so bound together as to be dependent on one another1 and all on the great ,head of the ,church4 ,the richest inheritance of the anxious minister are the prayers of his people4 ,a praying ,church will never have to complain of an insipid and fruitless ministry4 ,,ii4 ,a ,christian salutation4--,greet all the brethren with an holy kiss 7ver4 #bf74 ,the kiss of charity in those days was a token of friendship and goodwill1 something equivalent to the shaking of hands in modern times4 ,in the ,syrian ,church1 before communion1 each takes his neighbour's right hand1 and gives the salutation1 ,peace6 ,the greeting was a holy kiss--pure and chaste1 such as one ,christian may give to another1 and not sin4 ,christianity is the soul of courtesy4 ,forms may change2 but the same spirit of brotherly love and cordial recognition of one another1 under whatever diversities of temporal circumstances1 should ever characterise those who know the love of a common ,saviour1 and have entered into the communion of saints 7,lillie74 ,let the love of the heart toward all the brethren be practically manifested in becoming acts of courtesy and goodwill4 ,,iii4 ,a solemn direction4--,i charge you by the ,lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren 7ver4 #bg74 ,the first epistle to the ,thessalonians is1 in point of time1 the earliest of all the canonical books of the ,new ,testament2 and here is a solemn injunction that it be publicly read to all the people4 ,the ,romish ,church1 if she does not deny1 very unwillingly allows the reading of ,scripture by the laity4 ,what ,rome forbids under an anathema1 says ,bengel1 ,st4 ,paul enjoins with an adjuration4 ,none should be debarred from reading or hearing the ,word of ,god4 ,women and children are not to be excluded 7,deut4 xxxi4 #ab2 ,josh4 viii4 #cd1 #ce74 ,lois and ,eunice knew the ,bible and taught it to the child ,timothy4 ,the ,berans had free access to the sacred volume1 and searched it at their pleasure4 ,the public reading of the ,holy ,scriptures is an important means of edifying the ,church2 it is enforced by apostolic authority2 it familiarises the mind with the greatest truths2 it keeps alive the enthusiasm of the ,church for aggressive purposes4 ,,iv4 ,a gracious benediction4--,the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ be with you4 ,amen 7ver4 #bh74 ,the epistle closes1 as it began1 with blessing4 ,the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ is the fountain of all the good that has flowed in upon and enriched the human race4 ,the three great features of that grace--pardon1 peace1 holiness--are clearly elucidated in this epistle4 ,the fountain is inexhaustible4 ,its streams of blessing are ever available for needy1 perishing man4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,prayer is an ever-present duty4 #b4 ,christianity hallows all the true courtesies of life4 #c4 ,the ,word of ,god should be constantly read and studied4 #d4 ,the best blessings issue from the inexhaustible grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #be4 ,pray for ,us4 ,i4 ,we greatly need your prayers4--,our state1 like yours1 is a state of probation4 ,we have uncommon wants4 ,we have a strict account to give4 ,,ii4 ,we request your prayers4--#a4 ,you can pray4 #b4 ,god will hear you4 ,,iii4 ,we may reasonably expect that you will pray for us4--#a4 ,we pray for you4 #b4 ,we are labouring for your advantage4 ,,iv4 ,we are warranted to expect it from your own professions4--#a4 ,you profess a high degree1 not only of respect1 but of love to your preachers4 #b4 ,some of you can scarcely give us any other proof of it4 ,v4 ,it will be to your advantage to pray for us4--#a4 ,it will prepare your minds for hearing us4 #b4 ,this will make us useful to you4 ,,vi4 ,your prayers will make us more useful to others4 ,ver4 #bg4 ,the ,public ,reading of the ,scriptures4 ,i4 ,to debar the ,lord's people from acquainting themselves with ,scripture is a great sin4--,scripture should be translated into the native tongue of every nation where ,christ has a ,church1 that people may read it1 hear it1 and be acquainted with it4 ,they ought diligently to improve all helps to acquaint them with the mind of ,god revealed in ,scripture and look upon their doing so as a duty of greatest importance and weight4 ,,ii4 ,ministers and ,church guides should see that the people of their charge be acquainted with ,scripture4--,should invite them to read it in secret and in their families1 and use their influence that children of both sexes be trained up at schools to read the ,lord's words distinctly in their own native language4 ,,iii4 ,scripture should be publicly read to ,god's people assembled together for ,his worship4--,even though not immediately expounded and applied1 the reading of ,god's ,word allows it to speak for itself and impress its own ,divine authority4--,fergusson4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,page #dhc1 ,introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dhd1 ,contents1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dhe1 notes on chapter i41 verse #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,verse #e1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,verse #h1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice74 ,verse #aj1 change ,lord's return to lord's1 referring to the traveler spoken of in the parable4 - ,page #dhf1 lesson ,phases1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,i1 change first person plural to first-person plural2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely2 add ,john xvii4 #ba reference2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice71 ,word1 and ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #dhg1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #a1 change finding i to finding it2 add comma to ,so our4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add ,eph4 ii4 #ae reference4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dhh1 lesson ,thanksgiving1 introduction1 remove comma from epistles1 and4 ,point ,i #a1 add comma to sees and2 add ,james ii4 #bf reference4 ,point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #dhi1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 remove comma from ,god1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dij1 lesson ,gospel1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,victim and add ,isa4 liii4 #c reference4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel's1 ,divine1 and ,gospel ,word4 ,each of points ,,ii and ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dia1 application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,word1 and ,gospel4 ,point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,germ note1 each of points ,i1 ,i #a1 ,i #b1 and ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,lesson ,practical ,result1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,word1 and ,gospel4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #dib1 same lesson1 point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel 7twice72 remove comma from ,sea1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dic1 ,evidences note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,power note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,conversion1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,deity4 - ,page #did1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divinely4 ,wrath to come note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #die1 notes on chapter ii41 verse #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,verse #d1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,verse #e1 add em-dash before poem2 add left double quotes to poem4 - ,page #dif1 notes on chapter ii41 verse #aj1 change unblamably to unblameably4 ,verse #ac1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,verse #ae1 in the ,luke quotation1 move the right double quote from after ,son to after off4 ,verse #ah1 remove comma from one1 and4 ,lesson ,essential ,elements ,i1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dig1 same lesson1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel2 remove comma from invectives1 or2 add ,matt4 xxiii4 #cc reference2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely and ,divine2 remove comma from ,god1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add ,jer4 xx4 #i-aa2 ,jer4 i4 #g and ,phil4 iv4 #ac references4 - ,page #dih1 germ note1 each of points ,i and ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #c1 change ,his to his1 referring to ,paul4 ,lesson ,essential ,elements ,,ii1 in each of introduction and points ,i #b1 ,i #c1 ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 - ,page #dii1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add #b ,cor4 ii4 #ag reference4 ,point ,,ii #c1 change cloak to cloke to match ,a4,v4 text4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ejj1 lesson ,essential ,elements ,,iii1 point ,i #a1 add #b ,tim4 ii4 #bd1 #be reference4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #eja1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 add ,matt4 xx4 #bh2 ,mark x4 #de and ,acts xx4 #bd references4 ,lesson ,essential ,elements ,,iv1 point ,i1 add #a ,cor4 ix4 #ac1 #ad reference4 - ,page #ejb1 same lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 change unblamably to unblameably2 remove comma from truth1 and2 add left double quote before poem4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from earth1 and4 ,germ note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #c1 change unblamable to unblameable4 - ,page #ejc1 lesson ,correct ,estimate1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,visitor4 ,before poem1 add em-dash4 ,after poem1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add #a ,peter i4 #bc reference4 ,point ,,ii #d1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,add warning about the word niggardly4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,the break between pages #ejc and #ejd is in the word effectually3 effectually4 - ,page #ejd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice7 and ,divine ,word4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,word2 add ,isa4 ix4 #c reference4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,word4 ,point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,germ note1 each of points ,i and ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,lesson ,suffering1 introduction1 remove comma from character1 and2 add comma to ,so there4 - ,page #eje1 same lesson1 point ,i1 add ,ps4 lv4 #ab1 #ac1 #b ,tim4 iii4 #ab1 and ,matt4 x4 #cf references4 ,point ,,ii1 add ,matt4 xx4 #bb and ,matt4 x4 #ch references2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,fury1 introduction1 add comma to vegetation the4 - ,page #ejf1 same lesson1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,divinely4 ,point ,i #a1 add ,matt4 xxvii4 #be reference4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from memory1 and4 - ,page #ejg1 germ note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,power1 point ,i #a1 add ,gen4 xliii4 #ad reference4 - ,page #ejh1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 add ,ps4 xvi4 #aa reference4 ,application 7,lessons71 each of points #a and #b1 add comma to therefore we4 - ,page #eji1 ,joy note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,notes on chapter iii41 verse #b1 add ,luke xxii4 #cb reference4 ,verse #c1 add ,james i4 #f reference4 ,verse #h1 add ,phil4 i4 #ba reference4 ,verse #aa1 change ii4 #ah to ch4 ii4 #ah4 - ,page #eaj1 lesson ,mission1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 remove comma from ,paul1 and2 add em-dash before poem4 ,point ,,iii1 add #a ,tim4 i4 #b2 #b ,tim4 i4 #b references2 add comma to finally he2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 add comma to ,thus ,timothy4 - ,page #eaa1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 add ch4 iii4 #c reference4 ,lesson ,perils1 introduction1 add comma to is when2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel2 add ,acts xiv4 #bb and ,john xv4 #ai references4 - ,page #eab1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #eac1 germ note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,news1 introduction1 add ,prov4 xv4 #be reference4 - ,page #ead1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove comma from difficulties1 and4 ,point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from love1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 add comma to maintained and4 - ,page #eae1 lesson ,steadfastness1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 change #c ,john v4 #d to #c ,john #c1 #d4 - ,page #eaf1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 add ver4 #i reference for consistency4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,author and ,preserver4 - ,page #eag1 lesson ,prayer1 point ,i #a1 add ,john v4 #ai reference4 ,point ,,ii1 add ,jer4 x4 #bc and ,prov4 iii4 #f references2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii #a1 remove comma from graces1 and4 - ,page #eah1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #a1 add #a ,john iii4 #aa and #a ,pet4 i4 #bb references4 ,point ,,iii #b1 add ver4 #ab reference for consistency1 add ,lev4 xix4 #ah and #a ,tim4 i4 #e references4 ,point ,,iii #c1 add ver4 #ab reference for consistency2 change ii4 #h1 #i1 #ac2 iii4 #c-e to ch4 ii4 #h1 #i1 #ac2 ch4 iii4 #c-e4 ,point ,,iv1 change unblamable to unblameable4 ,point ,,iv #a1 add ,col4 iii4 #ad reference4 ,point ,,iv #b1 change unblamable to unblameable 7twice74 ,point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,germ note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 change unblamable to unblameable4 - ,page #eai1 notes for chapter iv41 verse #e1 add single quotes around the word passion4 - ,page #ebj1 notes for chapter iv41 verse #ae1 change ii4 #af to ch4 ii4 #af4 ,lesson ,exhortations1 introduction1 remove comma from annihilated1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,each of points ,i1 ,i #b1 and ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #c1 change ,it is1 possible1 then to ,it is possible1 then2 add comma to vain the4 - ,page #eba1 same lesson1 points ,i #d and ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice71 remove comma from nature1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 change scripture quotation from ,for this the will to ,for this is the will2 apply ,,rc to ,he4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice72 add ,rom4 xiv4 #ad and ,luke xxii4 #db references4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #ebb1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 ,lesson ,features1 introduction1 remove comma from defect1 and4 - ,page #ebc1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 add comma to ,christianity it4 - ,page #ebd1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 change ,prov4 xxii4 #aj to ,prov4 xxiii4 #aj2 add #b ,pet4 ii4 #c reference2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,caller1 and ,divine4 - ,page #ebe1 lesson ,word1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 remove comma from alone1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divinely2 remove comma from own1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,word2 remove comma from ,heaven1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 each points #a and #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ebf1 lesson ,brotherly ,love1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 ,point ,i #a1 remove commas from taught1 and and ,christianity1 and4 ,point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely1 ,word1 and ,divine4 - ,page #ebg1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 add comma to ,accordingly the4 ,point ,,iii1 scripture quote1 remove comma from beseech1 you2 text1 remove comma from self-love1 and4 ,germ note1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #ebh1 lesson ,pacific ,spirit1 point ,i1 remove comma from another1 and4 ,point ,,ii #a1 add ,prov4 xx4 #c reference2 change your neighbours to your neighbour's4 ,point ,,ii #b1 remove comma from evils1 and4 - ,page #ebi1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 remove comma from business1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #ecj1 lesson ,sorrow1 introduction1 remove comma from child1 and4 ,point ,,ii1 remove commas from life1 and and son1 and4 - ,page #eca1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #a1 add ,rom4 viii4 #bc reference4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add ,hos4 xiii4 #ad reference4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice72 remove comma from grave1 and4 ,in-line note about eschatology before ,second ,advent lesson4 - ,page #ecb1 lesson ,second ,advent1 introduction1 add comma to words the4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from heaven1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #ecc1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 remove comma from death1 and4 - ,page #ecd1 germ note1 point ,,ii1 add comma to general we4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,notes on chapter v41 verse #b1 in the ,findlay quote1 change left double quote before ,you already know to a left single quote and add a right single quote after known4 ,verse #ac1 change iii4 #aj to ch4 iii4 #aj4 ,verse #ad1 change ii4 #aa to ch4 ii4 #aa4 - ,page #ece1 lesson ,attitude1 introduction1 change ,the book that records the first advent to ,a book written by one who knew of it because neither ,john's ,gospel nor his ,revelation discuss it2 add ,rev4 xxii4 #bj reference4 ,point ,i #a1 change untamable to untameable2 add comma to time there4 - ,page #ecf1 same lesson1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from approach1 but2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #b1 add comma to therefore our2 remove comma from day1 and4 - ,page #ecg1 same lesson1 point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely 7thrice74 - ,page #ech1 ,moral ,sleep note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,treatment1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #eci1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #edj1 lesson ,precepts1 point ,i1 remove comma from themselves1 and2 add comma to cases warning4 ,point ,,ii1 change ii4 #ad to ch4 ii4 #ad and iv4 #ac to ch4 iv4 #ac4 - ,page #eda1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from duties1 and4 - ,page #edb1 lesson ,happy ,life1 introduction1 remove comma from mould1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 capitalise ,divine referring to a churchman4 ,point ,i1 change iv4 #d to ,phil4 iv4 #d for concreteness2 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,word4 - ,page #edc1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,gospel4 ,self-recollectedness note1 point ,i1 remove comma from wanderings1 and4 ,lesson ,influence1 introduction1 add comma to verses we4 - ,page #edd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 add #a ,john iv4 #a reference4 ,poem1 set the second line flush left with the rest of the poem4 - ,page #ede1 ,despise note1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,prove note1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #edf1 same note1 point ,,iv #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #edg1 lesson ,prayer1 point ,i #c1 change iv4 #af to ch4 iv4 #af4 ,point ,i #d1 add ,matt4 v4 #h reference4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 change iv4 #c to ch4 iv4 #c4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #edh1 ,trinity note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,author4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,closing ,words1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 remove comma from ,bible1 and4 - ,page #edi1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,public ,reading note1 point ,i1 remove comma from ,scripture1 and4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,divine4 ,,the ,,second ,,epistle ,,to ,,the ,,thessalonians4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,introduction4 ,occasion and design4--,probably little more time elapsed between the two epistles than was necessary for the messenger of ,paul to return to him4 ,this appears likely from the fact that ,silvanus and ,timothy were still with ,paul1 at ,corinth1 as when the first letter was sent4 ,the condition of the ,church at ,thessalonica had meanwhile grown more trying1 the flame of persecution burnt more fiercely1 and the conviction that this presaged the immediate appearance of the ,lord from heaven grew stronger4 ,religious effervescence had come to a sort of paroxysm2 an ever-increasing number of ,christians gave up all their worldly concerns and duties for the sake of living a life of contemplation1 inquisitive idleness1 and begging4 ,in order1 therefore1 to abate the intensity of this carnal rather than spiritual flame the apostle is obliged to make use of all the means at his disposal1 and the two principals of these are instruction and discipline 7,godet74 ,the design of the epistle is heard in the phrase1 that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind nor yet be troubled 4 4 4 as that the day of the ,lord is immediately impending 7ch4 ii4 #b74 ,style and character of the epistle4--,in style these two epistles to ,thessalonica are alike4 ,we need not expect the style in which ,st4 ,paul writes to the ,churches which had become faithless--then his language defies style--nor of that to those whose edification in the doctrines of the ,christian faith is his aim4 ,there is much in common between these letters and that to the other ,macedonian ,church4 ,they are neither passionate1 nor argumentative2 but practical1 consolatory1 prompted by affection1 by memory and hope4 ,hence they represent1 as it has been aptly said1 ',st4 ,paul's normal style1' the way in which he would commonly write and talk to his friends 7,findlay74 ,in their character1 they are 7#a7 the letters of a missionary1 7#b7 singularly affectionate letters1 7#c7 especially cheering and consolatory letters1 and 7#d7 eschatological letters1 i4e4 they set forth the last things in ,christian doctrine 7,ibid474 ,outline of the ,epistle4 i4 #a1 #b4 ,greeting4 #c-ab ii4 #ac-ag4 ,the thanksgiving1 with exhortations and prayers4 ii4 #a-ab4 ,the doctrinal section3 the ,man of ,sin4 iii4 #a-af4 ,the practical section1 with messages1 concluded with prayer4 #ag1 #ah4 ,autographic conclusion and benediction4 7,farrar7 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #c4 ,we are bound to thank ,god4--,we owe a debt of gratitude to ,god4 ,it is not so much what is seemly that comes into prominence here1 as what is due4 ,even as it is meet4--,the word for meet directs attention to the value of the increase of the faith of the ,thessalonians4 ,as though the apostle said1 ,it is something worth giving thanks for4 ,your faith groweth exceedingly4--,the word for groweth exceedingly does not occur again in the ,new ,testament4 ,it means to increase beyond measure4 ,the faith of the ,thessalonians was like a fruitful bough by a fountain whose branches run over the wall1 though the archers have solely grieved it1 and shot at it and persecuted it 7,gen4 xlix4 #bb1 #bc74 ,the charity of every one of you toward each other aboundeth4--,this is high praise indeed--a plethora of love4 ,like a brimming fountain kept always full1 so the love of these early ,christians overflowed1 ,cf4 on #a ,thess4 iv4 #i4 ,ver4 #d4 ,we ourselves glory in you4--,st4 ,paul had to rebuke the ,corinthians for the factious spirit which set off the excellencies of one teacher against those of another4 ,here he plays off one ,church against another1 as a schoolmaster might seek to stir up his pupils by mentioning the names of those who have taken scholarships4 ,but ,st4 ,paul well knew that this needed care 7see ,col4 iii4 #ba2 ,r4,v4 or ,greek74 ,ver4 #e4 ,which is a manifest token4--,an indication4 ,the steadfast and resolute continuance in the profession and adornment of the ,christian faith1 in face of opposition1 might suggest to persecutors1 as to ,gamaliel1 the possibility of the ,divine origin of the faith1 to oppose which was to fight against ,god 7,acts v4 #ci74 ,ver4 #f4 ,seeing it is a righteous thing4--,there is no unrighteousness in ,him 7,john vii4 #ah74 ,however stern the retribution1 none who suffers will ever be able to impugn the justice4 ,to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you4--,the ,r4,v4 comes nearer to the original1 affliction to them that afflict you4 ,this lex talionis is a sword that is dangerous to any hand but ,his who said1 ,vengeance is ,mine2 ,i will repay 7,rom4 xii4 #ai74 ,ver #g4 ,and to you who are troubled rest with us4--,the idea suggested by the words is that of poor1 hunted fugitives with nerves tensely strung and with a wild look of fear in the eyes4 ,as the guardians of the infant ,jesus were assured of safety by the death of him who sought the child's life1 so the strain of fear shall be relaxed in the case of the persecuted ,thessalonians4 ,ver4 #h4 ,in flaming fire4--,lit4 in a fire of flame4 ,fire is a symbol of ,divine anger and majesty in ,scripture2 and flame is fire in motion1 leaping and blazing out 7,findlay74 ,taking vengeance on them that know not ,god4--,st4 ,paul does not consider ignorance as a valid excuse where knowledge might be had1 any more than a man would be looked on as innocent who should plead that1 being a foreigner1 he did not know that the law of any country which he visits forbids murder4 ,this is the condemnation1 that light is come into the world1 and men loved darkness rather than light1 because their deeds were evil 7,john iii4 #ai74 ,ver4 #i4 ,who shall be punished with everlasting destruction4--,r4,v4 who shall suffer punishment1 even eternal destruction4 ,it has been repeatedly shown that only arbitrariness can limit the meaning of this terrible phrase4 ,our comfort must be that ,he with whom it is a righteous thing to recompense affliction 7ver4 #f7 will always be self-consistent4 ,from the presence of the ,lord4 ,the fulness of joy is there1 and they who1 like ,cain1 go out from it carry the ache of an irreparable loss with them4 ,the ,hebraism in the phrase is brought out by the ,r4,v4 from the face of the ,lord4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,to be glorified in ,his saints4--,two meanings at least suit this phrase3 7#a7 ,it may be the apostle thought of the great ascription of praise rising from the vast assembly of saints1 or 7#b7 it may be he is thinking of the saints as the trophies of the ,redeemer's love and power--the work that speaks the ,master's praise4 ,and to be admired4--,r4,v4 marvelled at4 ,the same work describes the fawning sycophancy of men of the ,balaam spirit1 or it might describe the open-eyed and speechless wonder of an ,african chief in a ,state function4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,and fulfil all the good pleasure4--,r4,v4 every desire of goodness4 ,as much as to say1 ,may ,god mightily accomplish in you all that goodness would desire and that faith can effect 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #ab4 ,that the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ may be glorified in you4--,a little mirror may not increase the sum-total of sunlight1 but it may cause some otherwise unobservant eye to note its brightness4 ,so1 ,christ's infinite and eternal glory cannot be augmented but only shared by ,christians 7,john xvii4 #bb74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,phases of ,apostolic ,greeting4 ,under this heading we have already treated homiletically the apostle's formula of salutation1 which is the same here as the beginning of the first epistle4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c1 #d4 ,congratulatory ,features of a ,prosperous ,church4 ,we have here a suggestive example of the apostolic method of dealing with a ,church in which the incipient elements of error were beginning to operate4 ,he applauds first what is really good1 and then faithfully1 almost fiercely1 warns of the threatening evil4 ,he who would effectually rebuke must first learn how to tenderly sympathise4 ,these verses indicated what are the congratulatory features of a prosperous ,church4 ,i4 ,there is a vital and progressive faith4--,your faith groweth exceedingly 7ver4 #c74 ,faith feeds on truth2 and all truth leads to and unites with ,god1 its source4 ,a living faith can only be sustained by a living truth2 and where there is life there will be growth4 ,we are ruled by our beliefs2 if they are wrong1 our track is wrong1 our life a mistake1 our energies wasted4 ,the faith of the ,thessalonians was so real1 so vivid1 so vitalising1 so deeply rooted in the quickening soil of ,gospel truth1 that it flourished with tropical luxuriance4 ,the doom of a ,church is sealed when its faith is dead and its creed inert4 ,it is like a fossil in the grasp of a fossil--a museum of dry1 bony1 musty remains4 ,,ii4 ,there is a reciprocal and expansive charity4--,and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth 7ver4 #c74 ,love is the fruit of the ,christian spirit1 and the proof of its genuineness4 ,it should be manifested to every believer in ,christ4 ,the love of a common ,saviour and the sharing in a common suffering tend to intensify mutual esteem and affection4 ,the prayer of the apostle on behalf of the ,thessalonians was fulfilled 7#a ,thess4 iii4 #ab7--;an encouragement to pray on behalf of others4 ,where charity abounds1 there is mutual forbearance with one another's faults and frailties1 the absence of suspicion and jealousy1 no tendency to pass harsh and rapid judgments on the conduct of others1 a disposition to think the best of each other1 to share each other's trials1 and bear each other's burdens4 ,,iii4 ,there is a patient fidelity under suffering4--,your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure 7ver4 #d74 ,these trials began with the first planting of the ,gospel in ,thessalonica and seemed to have continued without cessation4 ,the ,jews were the principal agents and instigators stirring up the populace against the ,christians and rousing the suspicions of the magistrates who were specially jealous of religious innovations 7,acts xvii4 #e-h74 ,their faith made them patient and uncomplaining under the pressure of affliction2 they believed the ,gospel was still the power of ,god unto salvation1 though their profession of it brought on them sorrow and suffering4 ,the former warnings and teachings of the apostle were not in vain2 their faith triumphed over persecution4 ,suffering is the opportunity for patience and the test of faith4 ,troubles come not alone1 but are like chain-shot1 or like the billows of the sea1 linked one to another1 each succeeding blow being more destructive than the other4 ,patience without faith is simply dull1 stupid1 stoical endurance4 ,it is faith that renders the soul invincible and triumphant4 ,,iv4 ,there is ample ground for apostolic gratitude and commendation4--,we are bound to thank ,god always for you1 brethren1 as it is meet2 4 4 4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the ,churches of ,god 7vers4 #c1 #d74 ,even the enemies of the ,church are sometimes constrained to admire and applaud the spirit of harmony1 the affection and enterprise which characterise its members4 ,it is also encouraging to have the approbation and good word of the ministers of ,god1 especially of those who have been instrumental in converting men to the truth2 but no ,church could command the respect of the good if it did not first secure the smile and blessing of ,god4 ,the apostle thanks ,god as the great ,giver of all the grace which he rejoices to see has done so much for the ,thessalonians4 ,god had wrought this work of faith and love and patience in their hearts1 and ,he would make it prosper and increase4 ,he had put this fire in them and would make it burn2 ,he had laid this leaven in the dough or meal of their hearts1 and ,he would make it heave and work till the whole was leavened4 ,the apostle felt it at once his duty and joy to thank ,god on their behalf and to boast of their attainments to others4 ,we are bound to thank ,god always for you1 as it is meet2 4 4 4 we ourselves glory in you in the ,churches of ,god4 ,it is a noble ,christ-like spirit to sympathise with the sufferings and rejoice in the prosperities of the ,church4 ,a cheery word1 a simple1 hearty prayer1 an act of sympathy and kindness1 will do much to animate and encourage the struggling people of ,god4 ,one lively ,church is the means of rousing the zeal and emulation of others4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,vigorous ,church-life is the result of an intelligent and active faith in the truth4 #b4 ,suffering is no sign of the ,divine displeasure1 but often a means of spiritual prosperity4 #c4 ,those who rejoice in the success of the ,church are most likely to share in the blessings of that success4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #c4 ,growth in ,grace4 ,i4 ,evidences of growth4--#a4 ,taking increasing pleasure in ,god's ,word4 #b4 ,a growing attachment to the doctrines of ,christ4 #c4 ,increasing acquaintance with the mind of ,god4 #d4 ,in love one to another for the truth's sake4 ,,ii4 ,importance of growth4--#a4 ,brings glory to ,god4 #b4 ,influences the ministry of the ,word4 #c4 ,not to grow1 our religion declines and becomes doubtful4--,sketches4 ,ver4 #d4 ,christian ,fidelity-- ,i4 ,is severely tested by tribulations4 ,,ii4 ,is a stimulating example to others4 ,,iii4 ,is a theme of grateful boasting4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-g4 ,the ,recompense of ,suffering for the ,truth4 ,it is not an uncommon spectacle to see vice prosperous and triumphant1 while virtue is ignored and oppressed4 ,to a superficial observer it would seem that all the great prizes of the world--wealth1 power1 social status1 gaiety1 display1 pleasure--were thrown indiscriminately and with lavish abundance into the lap of the wicked1 and that the ,god-fearing few are left in obscurity to struggle with hardships1 penury1 and affliction4 ,nor is it always an easy matter to reconcile the sufferings of the good with the goodness and justice of ,god4 ,but all things come round to the patient man4 ,we must look to the future for the faithful redress of present grievances4 ,in this chapter the apostle ministers consolation to the suffering ,thessalonians by assuring them of a coming day in which they would be abundantly recompensed for all they had to endure1 and in which the righteousness of ,god would be publicly vindicated4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,that the maintenance of the truth often entails considerable suffering4--,the kingdom of ,god1 for which ye also suffer 7ver4 #e74 ,they who will live godly in ,christ ,jesus must suffer persecution4 ,the world is violently opposed to the ,church1 and that opposition is full of malignant hatred and cruelty4 ,socrates once said something like this--that if goodness were to become incarnate in one man1 so that man would be perfectly good1 the world would put him to death4 ,what ,socrates said was realised in ,christ4 ,if they have persecuted ,me1 said ,christ to his followers1 they will also persecute you 7,john xv4 #bj74 ,it is not the least among the trials of the good that they are obliged to come in contact with evil in so many forms1 and that they are so savagely assailed and oppressed with it4 ,athanasius regarded the suffering of persecution to be a special note of a ,christian man1 observing3 ,it is the part of ,christians to be persecuted2 but to persecute the ,christians is the very office of ,pilate and ,caiaphas4 ,,ii4 ,that suffering for the truth has a morally educating influence4--,that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of ,god 7ver4 #e74 ,the believer has no worthiness in himself1 nor can he acquire any by the merit of his own works4 ,this worthiness is but another word for meetness--that meetness of state and character1 as sinners justified and sanctified1 without which no man shall enter the kingdom4 ,only to such has the kingdom been promised4 ,and the sufferings they endure on behalf of the kingdom1 so far from impairing their title1 serve rather to confirm and illustrate it4 ,every ,christian grace is tested1 developed1 and trained by suffering4 ,the least reproach augments our glory4 ,every tear is not only noted and kept in the bottle but made as varnish to add to our brightness and glorious splendour4 ,no drop of our blood but wins us a river of glory2 effusion of it the whole ocean of beatitude4 ,when ,ignatius1 ,bishop of ,antioch1 was cast to the lions1 he exclaimed3 ,i am ,god's wheat1 and must be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts that ,i may be found ,his pure bread4 ,,iii4 ,that suffering for the truth will be ,divinely recompensed4--,which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of ,god 7ver4 #e7--;i4e4 their sufferings and the constancy with which they endured them proved ,god's justice4 ,a strange assertion6 ,the people of ,god have often been staggered by the fact that the wicked persecute and prosper1 and the poor saints are plagued and oppressed 7,ps4 lxxiii4 #a-ad2 ,jer4 xii4 #a-d74 ,but from this very fact the apostle derives consolation4 ,it is a proof to him of a future state in which all this apparent inconsistency will be set right1 in which the saint and the persecutor will each receive his own proper recompense4 #a4 ,suffering will be ,divinely recompensed in the deliverance of the sufferer4--,and to you who are troubled rest with us 7ver4 #g74 ,the word rest really means the slackening of strings that had been pulled tight4 ,to the persecuted and afflicted ,thessalonians1 the happiness of heaven is held out under the image of rest and relief after suffering4 ,it is1 as it were1 the relaxing of tension after having been stretched on the rack4 ,the keenest suffering for the truth is limited in its duration2 and the righteousness of ,god is pledged to sustain and deliver ,his afflicted ones4 ,the sweet rest of heaven will be all the more enjoyable because shared with those who have passed through a similar conflict4 #b4 ,suffering will be ,divinely recompensed in the punishment of the persecutor4--,seeing it is a righteous thing with ,god to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you 7ver4 #f74 ,the punishment of the persecutor is as just as the relief of the oppressed2 and ,god has both the intention and the power of accomplishing what ,he thinks just4 ,the law of retaliation will be rigidly enforced4 ,the very measure the persecutors have dealt they are to receive back again2 and the retaliation will be all the more terrible because of its unanswerable justice4 ,truth must triumph over all its enemies4 ,its watchword is no surrender4 ,the apostate ,julian spent his strength in trying to destroy the true ,church2 but when he fell on the battle-field1 as the blood was gushing from his breast and his eyes were closing in death1 he hissed between his setting teeth1 ,galilean1 ,thou hast conquered6 ,and the ,galilean must and will conquer1 and all ,his enemies shall receive their just measure of punishment4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the sufferings of the good afford an opportunity for the display of ,divine justice4 #b4 ,suffering is no evidence of ,divine displeasure4 #c4 ,the glory of the future will infinitely outweigh the sufferings of the present life4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,rest in ,heaven for the ,troubled4 ,i4 ,our ,lord's coming is called a revealing of ,him4--,here ,he is revealed in the outer world and in the ,gospel4 ,there he will be revealed in glory1 without disguise or veil4 ,,ii4 ,look at the troublers and their portion4--,it is a righteous thing with ,god to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you4 ,sorrow of the acutest kind without comfort or alleviation4 ,,iii4 ,look at the portion of the troubled4--,rest4 ,a heaven of quietness and repose1 and yet of ceaseless and tireless activity in praising ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the righteousness of the ,divine conduct4--,it is a righteous thing with ,god4 ,the ,lord's second coming is not on an errand of mercy2 ,his main business is to dispense justice4--,c4 ,bradley4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-aj4 ,the ,day of ,judgment4 ,the apostle sought to comfort the persecuted and suffering ,church at ,thessalonica by assuring them of a coming day of recompense1 in which the ,divine righteousness would be satisfactorily cleared1 ,his enemies punished1 and ,his people rewarded4 ,he now proceeds to depict the startling scenes of that promised day--that day for which all other days were made--and to indicate the twofold aspect of severity and mercy which will characterise the awards of the great ,judge4 ,in dealing with a subject of such overwhelming import1 and which affords such scope for the play of the most powerful imagination1 special care should be taken to keep within the limits of the revealed ,word4 ,these verses suggest3-- ,i4 ,that the day of judgment will be ushered in with awful splendour4--#a4 ,the person of the ,judge will be clothed with dazzling brightness4 ,the ,lord ,jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire 7vers4 #g1 #h74 ,the career of ,christ on earth was one of obscurity1 humiliation1 and suffering1 relieved now and then with outbursts of ,divine glory2 but when ,he comes the second time1 ,he will appear in all the unveiled charms of ,his peerless majesty1 clad with heavenly splendour and brilliant as a fiery flame4 ,the revelation of ,jehovah is often referred to in the ,old ,testament under the emblem of fire 7,exod4 xiii4 #ba2 ,num4 ix4 #ae2 ,deut4 iv4 #bd2 ,isa4 x4 #af1 #ag1 etc474 ,the glimpse caught by the seer of ,patmos of the ineffable beauty and glory of the ,god-man bowed him with astonishment and awe 7,rev4 i4 #ac-ag74 ,and who shall stand before the flashing splendours of the great and holy ,judge6 ,heaven is too narrow for the full display of the ,divine majesty2 it glances on every globe2 it irradiates the universe4 #b4 ,the ,judge will be attended by an angelic retinue4--,with ,his mighty angels 7ver4 #g74 ,the pomp and state of the earthly judge1 the gaily decked chariot1 the sounding trumpets1 the accompanying officers of justice1 are but a feeble representation of the pomp and state of the heavenly ,judge1 who maketh the clouds ,his chariot1 who walketh upon the wings of the wind 7,ps4 civ4 #c71 and whose gorgeous train is composed of hosts of mighty angels1 who attend to execute ,his will1 to punish the wicked1 and to assist at the final consummation 7,matt4 xiii4 #da1 #db74 ,these angels of might are ministers of ,his power1 and by their agency ,he will make ,his power felt4 ,we have an illustration of the colossal mightiness of these angelic messengers in the apparent ease with which one angel in a few hours laid thousands of the ,assyrians low 7#b ,kings xix4 #ce74 ,,ii4 ,that the day of judgment will be a time of punishment to the disobedient4--#a4 ,the objects of punishment4 ,them that know not ,god1 and that obey not the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #h74 ,not that ample opportunity has not been given to all to acquire a knowledge of ,god4 ,to punish for not knowing what we cannot know would be an injustice and a cruelty4 ,god has given to all the double light of ,his works and ,word4 ,he has also given the eyes of sense and reason1 and the help of ,his ,holy ,spirit to guide all to the knowledge of ,himself and of the glorious gospel of the blessed ,god 7#a ,tim4 i4 #aa74 ,it is not the involuntary ignorance of the uninstructed that is meant1 but the wilful ignorance of the determined adversary1 who not only rejected the ,gospel himself1 but barbarously persecuted those who received and obeyed it4 ,knowledge of ,god is of little value if it does not lead to obedience4 ,confused1 indistinct1 inoperative knowledge is no knowledge4 ,to know and not to obey the ,gospel involves a heavier condemnation4 #b4 ,the character of the punishment4--,who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the ,lord and from the glory of ,his power 7ver4 #i74 ,awful words6 ,who can fully explain what they really involve8 ,if destruction means annihilation1 how can it be everlasting8 ,besides1 the notion of the absolute extinction of anything ,god has made--the reduction to nothingness of either a reasonable soul or a material atom--has as little support from the teachings of revelation as of science4 ,again1 it is urged that everlasting does not always in ,scripture mean what lasts for ever1 but sometimes what lasts only for a long period4 ,but the utmost this argument could prove would be that the present possibly may be1 not that it is1 one of these peculiar cases4 ,were it the only fact in the case1 there would still be the terrible uncertainty4 ,but then remember1 says ,dr4 ,lillie1 that if it had really been intended to teach the eternity of future punishment1 no stronger words1 phrases1 and images could have been found for the purpose than those actually employed4 ,whatever the punishment may be in itself1 is it not punishment enough to be for ever excluded from the presence of the ,lord1 driven1 a moral wreck1 from the glory of ,his power8 ,let the words of this ninth verse be seriously weighed in private meditation1 and some sense of their awful signification cannot fail to be realised4 ,,iii4 ,that the day of judgment will be a revelation of the glory and blessedness of the faithful4--#a4 ,the glory of ,christ is bound up and reflected in ,his ,church4 ,when ,he shall come to be glorified in ,his saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day 7ver4 #aj74 ,the ,church is the creation of ,christ2 for her ,he lived1 suffered1 died1 and triumphed1 and into her ,he poured the glory of ,his matchless character4 ,the glory which ,thou gavest ,me ,i have given them 7,john xvii4 #bb74 ,his ,church1 like a mirror1 shall reflect to the gaze of an admiring universe the unutterable glory of the great ,redeemer4 ,the beauty of the ,lord our ,god shall be upon her1 and ,his glory shall be seen upon her 7,ps4 xc4 #ag74 ,how great a change is this from the sins1 the struggles1 the failures1 the disappointments1 and sufferings of earth6 #b4 ,a life of faith leads to a life of glory4--,because our testimony among you was believed 7ver4 #aj74 ,faith rests on testimony and is vitally affected by the character of the testimony4 ,saving faith relies on the infallible testimony of the ,word of ,god concerning ,christ4 ,the faith exercised in the midst of discouragements and persecution is often tenacious and vigorous4 ,the ,gospel is backed by evidence sufficient to convince every sane and reasonable mind4 ,all may believe it who will2 none will be excluded from glory but those who will not believe4 ,in ancient ,athens were two temples--a temple of ,virtue and a temple of ,honour--and none could enter the temple of ,honour but by passing through the temple of ,virtue4 ,so1 none can enter the temple of ,glory who does not first pass through the temple of ,faith4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the day of judgment1 though future1 is inevitable4 #b4 ,the proceedings of that day will be in harmony with the holiest principles of ,divine justice4 #c4 ,that day should be solemnly contemplated in its approach1 in its attendant circumstances1 and in its final decisions4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #g1 #h4 ,the ,divine ,judge-- ,i4 ,has appointed a day of retribution4 ,,ii4 ,will be revealed on that day in terrible majesty4 ,,iii4 ,will take vengeance on the disobedient4 ,vers4 #i4 #aj4 ,divine ,retribution-- ,i4 ,will be in strict harmony with the principles of universal righteousness4 ,,ii4 ,means terrible punishment to the wicked4 ,,iii4 ,will bring unspeakable felicity to the good4 ,,iv4 ,will be recognised as faultlessly just4 ,v4 ,will enhance the ,divine glory4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa1 #ab4 ,a ,prayer for ,completeness of ,moral ,character4 ,to meet ,christ at ,his coming1 and to dwell with ,him in the bliss of the future1 demands a moral preparedness4 ,to promote this should be the constant1 unwearied solicitude of both pastor and people4 ,the possession of any measure of ,divine grace supplies the strongest motives for seeking the highest possible degree of moral excellence4 ,in this passage observe3-- ,i4 ,that completeness of moral character is really the attainment of the ,divine ideal4--,that our ,god would count you worthy of this calling 7ver4 #aa74 ,the tyro in religion pictures to himself a more or less definite outline of what he may become and what he may do4 ,the charm of novelty1 the enthusiasm of first love1 the indefiniteness of the untried and the unknown1 throw a romantic glamour over the ,christian career1 and the mind is elated with the prospect of entering upon grand enterprises and winning signal victories4 ,but mature thought and experience and a more familiar acquaintance with the ,divine mind lead us to modify many of our earlier views1 and to readjust the main features of our own ideal of the ,christian character1 so as to be more in harmony with the ,divine ideal4 ,god calls us to purity of heart and life1 and makes us worthy1 and gives us power to attain it4 ,we have no worthiness in ourselves or in our works4 ,the fitness for heavenly glory is acquired by following out the ,god-given inspiration to live soberly1 righteously1 and godly in the present world 7,tit4 ii4 #ab74 ,,ii4 ,that completeness of moral character consists in the delighting in goodness4--,and fulfil all the good pleasure of ,his goodness 7ver4 #aa7 ,some are influenced to be good because they are afraid of the penalties attached to a life of sin4 ,others because of the substantial rewards and benefits found in a life of probity and uprightness4 ,but the highest type is to love goodness for its own sake1 and to delight in it as goodness2 to be wholly possessed with a life-absorbing passion to find and to diffuse goodness everywhere4 ,this approaches nearest to the ,divine ideal4 ,he hath pleasure in uprightness1 and hath no pleasure in wickedness 7#a ,chron4 xxix4 #ag2 ,ps4 v4 #d74 ,there is no pleasure like that we find in true goodness4 ,severus1 emperor of ,rome1 confessed on his deathbed1 ,i have been everything1 and now find that everything is nothing4 ,then1 directing that the urn should be brought to him1 he said1 ,little urn1 thou shalt contain one for whom the world was too little4 ,,iii4 ,that completeness of moral character is attained by the exercise of a ,divinely inspired faith4--,and the work of faith with power 7ver4 #aa74 ,we have no innate righteousness4 ,it is ,god-given4 ,it is received1 maintained1 and extended in the soul by faith in the merits of the all-righteous ,saviour4 ,while faith itself is the gift of ,god1 it is no less an exercise of the mind and heart of man4 ,and because1 like everything else about man1 it partakes of his great weakness1 it needs ever1 as it walks in the light of the ,divine ,word1 to stay itself on the ,divine hand4 ,faith is the mighty instrument by which the ,divine life is propagated in the soul1 and by which the loftiest blessings are secured4 ,,iv4 ,that completeness of moral character promotes the ,divine glory4--,that the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ may be glorified in you1 and ye in ,him 7ver4 #ab74 ,it will be seen at the last that ,christ has been more abundantly glorified by a humble1 holy life than by wealthy benefactions or by gigantic enterprises4 ,the name now so much despised1 and for which those who now bear it suffer so much1 shall be magnified and exalted above every name 7,phil4 ii4 #i74 ,the followers of ,christ shall share in the glory of their ,lord4 ,their excellencies redound to ,his glory2 and ,his glory is reflected on them in such a way that there is a mutual glorification4 ,what a glory it will be to them before all creatures that ,he who sits upon the throne once shared their sorrows and died for them6 ,what a glory that ,he still wears their nature and is not ashamed to call them brethren6 ,what a glory to be for ever clothed with ,his righteousness6 ,what a glory to reign with ,him and be glorified together6 7,lillie74 ,v4 ,that completeness of moral character is rendered possible by the provisions of ,divine grace4--,according to the grace of our ,god and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ab74 ,the source or all human goodness1 in all its varying degrees1 is in the ,divine favour4 ,it is worthy of note that ,christ is here recognised as on an equality with the ,father1 and as being with ,him the fontal source of grace4 ,the glory which it is possible for sanctified humanity to reach is according to grace4 ,the grace is exceeding abundant 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ad72 so is the glory4 ,there is a fathomless mine of moral wealth provided for every earnest seeker after ,god4 ,,vi4 ,that completeness of moral character should be the subject of constant prayer4--,wherefore also we pray always for you 7ver4 #aa74 ,the ,thessalonians where favoured in having the prayers of the apostles4 ,it is a beautiful example of the unselfishness of the ,christian spirit when we are so concerned for others as to pray for them4 ,we value that about which we pray the most4 ,we have need of prayer to help us to attend faithfully to the little things which make up the daily duties of the ,christian life4 ,attention to trifles is the way to completeness of moral character4 ,the great ,italian sculptor1 ,michelangelo1 was once visited by an acquaintance1 who remarked1 on entering his studio1 ,why1 you have done nothing to that figure since ,i was here last8 ,yes1 was the reply1 ,i have softened this expression1 touched off that projection1 and made other improvements4 ,oh6 said the visitor1 these are mere trifles4 ,true1 answered the sculptor1 but remember that trifles make perfection1 and perfection is no trifle4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,it is important to have a lofty ideal of ,christian perfection constantly in view4 #b4 ,while humbled by failures we are not to be disheartened4 #c4 ,earnest1 persevering prayer wins great moral victories4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,genuine ,religion illustrated4 ,i4 ,religion in its nature4--,it is a worthiness into which we are called and with which we are invested4 ,,ii4 ,religion in its source4--,the goodness of ,god4 #a4 ,all present religious views and feelings are the effect of ,divine grace4 #b4 ,man has no rightful claim to ,divine grace4 #c4 ,religion has its true source in the good pleasure of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,religion in its principle4--,faith4 ,the work of faith with power4 ,the producing and sustaining principle of religion4 ,,iv4 ,religion in its end4--#a4 ,the glory of the ,redeemer4 ,that the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ may be glorified in you4 #b4 ,the glory of the redeemed4 ,and ye in ,him4 ,v4 ,religion in its measure or rule of dispensation4--,according to the grace of our ,god and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,zeta4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,christ glorified in ,his ,people4--,the bust of ,luther was shut out from the ,walhalla1 or ,german ,westminster ,abbey4 ,the people were indignant1 but said1 ,why need we a bust when he lives in our hearts8 ,and thus the ,christian ever feels when he beholds many around him multiplying pictures and statues of ,christ1 and he can say1 ,i need them not1 for ,he is ever with me2 ,he lives perpetually in my heart4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,beseech 4 4 4 by the coming of our ,lord4--,the ,english reader who consults the similar phrase to beseech by in ,rom4 xii4 #a will be wholly astray4 ,st4 ,paul begs his readers not to be thrown into consternation or kept in a flutter of excitement over that matter of the ,parousia1 or coming4 ,ver4 #b4 ,not soon shaken4--,like a house built on sand when the storm breaks to fury1 or like the mobile vulgus in ,thessalonica who were only too willing to follow the lead of ,jewish agitators 7,acts xvii4 #ac74 ,in mind4--,r4,v4 from your mind4 ,out of your wits expresses the apostle's meaning exactly4 ,they are to behave like men in whom reason is supreme--not like men in a panic4 ,or be troubled4--,the same word was used in reporting our ,lord's counsels on the same subject4 ,be not troubled3 4 4 4 the end is not yet 7,matt4 xxiv4 #f74 ,by epistle as from us4--,either by misinterpretation of something ,st4 ,paul had written1 or by a forged letter purporting to have come from him4 ,ver4 #c4 ,let no man deceive4--,r4,v4 beguile or cheat you4 ,a falling away4--,lit4 the apostasy1 a desertion from the army of ,god2 a recantation of faith in ,christ4 ,our ,master foretold that when iniquity shall abound the love of many shall be blown cool 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ab74 ,that man of sin4--,another reading is lawlessness4 ,the man in whom sin gathers itself up into a head--the last product of sin4 ,the son of perdition--par excellence1 sharing the title with him whom ,christ so named 7,john xvii4 #ab74 ,abaddon 7,rev4 ix4 #aa7 may claim him as his own ultimately4 ,ver4 #d4 ,who opposeth and exalteth himself4--,the participle rendered who opposeth is used twice by ,st4 ,luke in the plural as adversaries4 ,so in the singular 7#a ,tim4 v4 #ad74 ,the compound word for exalteth himself occurs 7#b ,cor4 xii4 #g71 and is given as exalted-above-measure4 ,above all that is called ,god4--,the shudder of horror in these words reminds us how a monotheistic ,jew must regard the impious act4 ,we can understand that a ,roman emperor would regard the ,god of ,jew or ,christian as a tutelary deity2 but the acme of profanity is reached in this act of ,antichrist4 ,or that is worshipped4--,r4,v4 margin1 ,gr4 an object of worship4 ,the very name ,sebastos1 the ,greek rendering of the imperial title ,augustus1 to which ,dieus was added at death 7signifying 'the one to be worshipped'71 was an offence to the religious mind4 4 4 4 ,later1 ,csar or ,christ was the martyr's alternative 7,findlay74 ,showing ,himself that ,he is ,god4--,or1 as we would say1 representing ,himself to be ,god4 ,compare ,herod's acceptance of the worship 7,acts xii4 #bb74 ,ver4 #f4 ,what withholdeth4--,r4,v4 that which restraineth4 ,a hint was sufficient1 verbum sapientibus3 more than a hint would have been dangerous 7,ibid474 ,ver4 #g4 ,he who now letteth4--,r4,v4 there is one that restraineth4 ,the old word for obstruct is found in ,isa4 xliii4 #ac3 ,i will work1 and who shall let 7i4e4 hinder7 it8 ,where then are we to look 4 4 4 for the check and bridle of lawlessness8 ,where but to law itself8 ,the fabric of civil law and the authority of the magistrate formed a bulwark and breakwater against the excesses both of autocratic tyranny and of popular violence 7,ibid474 ,ver4 #h4 ,and then shall that ,wicked be revealed4--,r4,v4 and then shall be revealed the lawless one4 ,outward restraint being withdrawn1 there is no inward principle to keep him back3 he is lawless4 ,and shall destroy4--,r4,v4 bring to nought4 ,it is the same word as that which describes the effect of the revelation of the ,gospel on death in #b ,tim4 i4 #aj--to render absolutely powerless4 ,with the brightness of ,his coming4--,r4,v4 by the manifestation of ,his coming4 ,lit4 by the epiphany of ,his presence4 ,ver4 #i4 ,even ,him1 whose coming1 etc4--,these words look back to the beginning of ver4 #h4 ,the two comings--the parousia of the ,lord ,jesus and that of the ,man of ,lawlessness--are set in contrast4 ,the second forms the dark background to the glory of the first 7,ibid474 ,power and signs and lying wonders4--,simulating the supernatural evidences of the ,gospel as the magicians of ,egypt those of ,moses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,deceivableness of unrighteousness4--,r4,v4 deceit4 ,the deceit which is characteristic of unrighteousness1 or marks its methods4 ,they received not the love of the truth4--,the sine qua non for an answer to ,pilate's question 7,john xviii4 #ch7 is this love of the truth4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,god shall send them strong delusion4--,r4,v4 ,god sendeth them a working of error4 ,it is a just1 but mournful result1 that rejecters of ,christ's miracles become believers in ,satan's1 and that atheism should be avenged by superstition4 ,so it has been and will be 7,ibid474 ,one is reminded of the old saying that the gods first drive mad those whom they mean to destroy4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,believed not the truth1 but had pleasure in unrighteousness4--,here again we have the mental rejection of truth consequent on a liking for that which truth condemns4 ,if the heart makes the theologian1 the want of it makes the infidel4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,we are bound to give thanks4--,the same form of expression as in ch4 i4 #c1 save that here we is expressed separately and emphatically4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,stand fast4--,ready for any shock which may come unexpectedly through the insidious methods of ,antichrist4 ,hold the traditions4--,as of the apostle said1 keep a strong hand on them4 ,tradition is that which is handed over from one to another4 ,compare #a ,cor4 xi4 #bc4 ,i received of the ,lord 4 4 4 ,i delivered unto you 4 4 4 ,he was betrayed4 ,here the words delivered and betrayed represent a doing1 of which the word for tradition is the act completed4 ,paul handed over that which his ,lord charged him to transmit2 ,judas handed over ,christ to the ,jews4 ,ver4 #af4 ,everlasting consolation and good hope4--,consolation1 or comfort1 is ministered by the ,paraclete 7,john xiv4 #af2 ,acts ix4 #ca71 who abides for ever with those who are ,christ's4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-ab4 ,antichrist ,portrayed4 ,various interpretations of this remarkable paragraph have been attempted4 ,some modern ,german critics would divest it of any prophetic significance and treat it as a representation of the writer's own personal feelings and forebodings4 ,others would restrict its application to the destruction of ,jerusalem by the ,romans1 and to persons1 principles1 and events that preceded that catastrophe4 ,the commonly received ,protestant interpretation is to identify the ,man of ,sin and his doings with the ,papacy2 and there are certainly many points of that interpretation that accord very remarkably with the prophecy4 ,but there are serious objections to all these views4 ,we believe the revelation of the ,antichrist here depicted is yet future1 though the elements of his power are now in preparation4 ,from the whole passage we gather the following suggestions3-- ,i4 ,that ,antichrist will be embodied in some living personality4--,he is called that man of sin1 the son of perdition3 that ,wicked--the lawless one 7vers4 #c-h74 ,the fathers of the early ,church1 for at least three centuries after the apostolic age1 while differing on some minor details1 seemed unanimous in understanding by the ,man of ,sin1 not a system of deceit and wickedness1 or a succession of individuals at the head of such a system1 but some one man1 the living personal ,antichrist1 the incarnation of ,satanic craft and energy1 who should put forth his power to weaken and destroy the ,church4 #a4 ,he will arrogantly assume ,divine prerogatives4--,who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called ,god1 or that is worshipped2 so that he as ,god sitteth in the temple of ,god1 showing himself that he is ,god 7ver4 #d74 ,in these words we note ,antichrist's intrusion into the special dwelling-place of ,god1 his usurping session there1 and his blasphemous and ostentatious assumption of ,divinity4 ,the wildest excesses of pride and audacity cannot exceed this4 #b4 ,his advent will be accompanied with remarkable displays of ,satanic power4--,whose coming is after the working of ,satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 7ver4 #i74 ,antichrist as the masterpiece of ,satan will be endowed with extraordinary qualities4 ,the devil will tax his prodigious abilities to the utmost in making this great adversary of the ,church as potent for mischief as possible4 ,we know how readily the man of science can impose upon the ignorant with his experiments4 ,and how easy it is for ,satan1 with his vast knowledge and resources1 to delude thousands with his simulations of the miraculous6 ,the advent of ,antichrist is to be a fiendish caricature and audacious mockery of the glorious coming of the ,son of ,god6 ,,ii4 ,that ,antichrist will work deplorable mischief in human souls4--#a4 ,he seeks by secret methods to promote apostasy from the ,church of ,god4 ,a falling away first 7ver4 #c74 ,the mystery of iniquity doth already work 7ver4 #g74 ,here we detect the germs and preparation of the antichristian curse that is to work such havoc4 ,the primitive ,church of apostolic times was not such a model of perfection as we sometimes imagine4 ,the leaven of iniquity1 of lawlessness1 the essence of all sin1 was already working4 ,observe the sorrowing references of the apostles to the many evils of the different ,churches3 ,tit4 i4 #aa2 #a ,tim4 vi4 #e2 #b ,cor4 xi4 #bf2 ,philem4 #i2 #b ,tim4 i4 #ae2 #a ,john ii4 #ah-bj2 #b ,john #g2 #c ,john #i4 ,passim4 ,the most disastrous apostasies have been the result of long1 secret endeavours4 #b4 ,he begets a dislike to saving truth4--,with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish2 because they received not the love of the truth that they might be save 7ver4 #aj74 ,the truth was revealed1 its saving benefits were offered2 they had but to accept the truth and they were safe4 ,but they rejected the truth2 they loved it not4 ,their treatment of the ,gospel rendered them more easy victims to the deceptions of ,antichrist2 fascinated by his unrighteous glamour1 they recede from the truth and cherish a bitter hostility towards it4 #c4 ,his victims are abandoned to self-delusion and condemnation4--,and for this cause ,god shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie2 that they all might be damned--might be judged according to their individual character and works--who believed not the truth1 but had pleasure in unrighteousness 7vers4 #aa1 #ab74 ,see here the fearful consequences of a hatred to and rejection of the truth6 ,the soul takes delight in sinning--has pleasure in unrighteousness4 ,it is1 then1 not only abandoned to its iniquity1 but its delusions are intensified so as to embrace the most palpable falsehoods as truth4 ,it shall then be judged on its own merits1 so that ,god shall be justified in ,his speaking and clear in ,his judging4 ,terrible indeed is the fate of the victims who fall under the spell of ,antichrist4 ,,iii4 ,that the coming of ,antichrist is for a time restrained4--,and now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time4 4 4 4 ,only he who now letteth will let1 until he be taken out of the way 7vers4 #f1 #g74 ,there is an external power with an individual at its head which holds back the power of ,antichrist until the proper season comes4 ,what that power is is not revealed2 but ,god can use any power for this purpose1 until the ,divinely appointed time shall come for the revelation and overthrow of ,antichrist4 ,,iv4 ,that ,antichrist shall be summarily destroyed4--,whom the ,lord shall consume with the spirit of ,his mouth--as insects wither on the mere approach of fire--and shall destroy with the brightness of ,his coming 7ver4 #h7--with the appearing of ,his coming1 as it were the first gleaming dawn of ,his advent4 ,for a time ,antichrist shall reign in pomp and splendour and delude many to their ruin2 but at the coming of the true ,lord of the ,church the great impostor shall be dethroned and utterly abolished4 ,it is enough1 says ,chrysostom1 that ,he be present1 and all these things perish4 ,he will stay the deception simply by appearing4 ,v4 ,that the followers of ,christ need not be afraid of losing any benefits to be conferred by ,his second coming4--,now we beseech you1 brethren1 by the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and by our gathering together unto ,him1 that ye be not soon shaken in mind1 or be troubled1 neither by spirit1 nor by word1 nor by letter as from us1 as that the day of ,christ is at hand 7vers4 #a1 #b7--on hand1 has already come4 ,when ,paul wrote the first epistle1 the ,thessalonians were sorrowing by the graves of their departed friends1 and the grief of nature was enhanced by the apprehension that their beloved ones might suffer loss at the coming of the ,lord4 ,but now1 should they hear that ,he had come and had not called for them1 a yet deeper1 more agitating motion must seize them1 lest they themselves had forfeited their share in the glory of the kingdom4 ,these words would allay their fears4 ,christ has yet to come1 and before that coming ,antichrist is to arise and reign4 ,wait patiently1 labour diligently1 and be not harassed with too great an eagerness to know future events4 ,all the blessings of ,christ's second coming shall be shared by you and by all who are to be gathered together unto ,him4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,there are trying times ahead4 #b4 ,the only safety for the soul is to hold fast the truth4 #c4 ,at the darkest moment of the ,church's trial the glory of ,god will appear4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #a-f4 ,a ,warning against ,imposition4 ,i4 ,the danger4--#a4 ,their faith was imperilled4 #b4 ,daily duties were interfered with4 ,,ii4 ,signs of the coming end4--#a4 ,by a great apostasy4 #b4 ,the appearance of ,antichrist as the man of sin and son of perdition4 #c4 ,the proud pretensions of ,antichrist4 7#a7 ,opposing ,christ4 7#b7 ,substituting error for truth4 7#c7 ,overweening self-exaltation4 ,,iii4 ,hindrances to the spread of truth 7ver4 #f7--a4 ,the civil powers of that day4 #b4 ,the machinations of ,satan at all times4 #c4 ,the unfaithfulness of ,god's people4 ,vers4 #a-c4 ,a ,false ,alarm-- ,i4 ,may arise from a misconception of an important truth4--,concerning the coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and our gathering together unto ,him 7ver4 #a74 ,,ii4 ,is aggravated by unwarrantable deceptions4--,let no man deceive you by any means 7ver4 #c74 ,neither by spirit1 nor by word1 nor by letter as from us1 as that the day of ,christ is come 7ver4 #b74 ,,iii4 ,is the cause of much real suffering4--,shaken in mind--troubled 7ver4 #b7--like a ship escaped from its moorings1 tossed in a rolling sea4 ,,iv4 ,is allayed by the affectionate entreaty of competent teachers4--,we beseech you1 brethren 7ver4 #a74 ,ver4 #e4 ,memory-- ,i4 ,is freighted with treasures of precious truth4--,i told you these things4 ,,ii4 ,associates the presence and character of the teacher with the truth taught4--,when ,i was yet with you4 ,,iii4 ,is often vividly reminded of the value of its possession4--,remember ye not4 ,vers4 #g-aj4 ,the ,mystery of ,iniquity-- ,i4 ,is the deepest and most subtle form of error4 ,,ii4 ,is propagated with great cunning and persistency4 ,,iii4 ,is embodied in a powerful and wicked personality 7vers4 #g1 #h74 ,,iv4 ,is ,satanic in its origin and manifestation 7vers4 #i1 #aj74 ,vers4 #aj-ab4 ,the ,destructive ,subtlety of ,sin4 ,i4 ,it has manifold methods of deception4--,with all deceivableness of unrighteousness 7ver4 #aj74 ,,ii4 ,it incites the soul to a hatred of saving truth4--,that received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 7ver4 #aj74 ,,iii4 ,it abandons its victims to judicial self-deception4--,god shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie 7ver4 #aa74 ,,iv4 ,it leads to inevitable condemnation4--,that they all might be damned 7ver4 #ab74 ,v4 ,it encourages sin for the love of sin4--,who believed not the truth1 but had pleasure in unrighteousness 7ver4 #ab74 ,vers4 #aa1 #ab4 ,strong ,delusions4 ,i4 ,believing a lie as truth4 ,,ii4 ,sent as a judgment for not believing the truth4 ,,iii4 ,are brought on by those who have pleasure in sin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,salvation a ,divine ,act4 ,when the air is thick with antichristian theories1 sincere inquirers after truth are perplexed1 the grasp of the hesitating is loosened1 and the fidelity of the strongest severely tested4 ,only those who fully yield themselves up to the teaching and guidance of the ,divine spirit are safe4 ,a clever inventor has recently constructed a fireproof dress1 which enables him to walk about unharmed in the midst of the fiercest fire4 ,experimental godliness is a fireproof dress1 and the soul clothed with this is safely guarded from the fiery darts of the wicked and will pass unscathed through the fiercest fires of temptation4 ,we never know what it is to be really saved till we personally experience the sanctifying power of the truth4 ,these verses teach that salvation is a ,divine act4 ,i4 ,salvation is an act of the ,divine will4--#a4 ,the ,divine will is actuated by ,divine love4 ,brethren beloved of the ,lord1 ,god hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation 7ver4 #ac74 ,when we examine the sources of salvation1 we find them not in ourselves1 but in some power outside of ourselves4 ,we are saved1 not because we are good1 or better than others1 or more favourably circumstanced1 but because ,god has chosen us4 ,and if we ask still further how it is that ,god should lavish the grace of ,his salvation on sinful man1 we are reduced1 in the final analysis1 to this answer3 ,such is the ,divine will--a will swayed in all its mighty potentialities by infinite love4 ,love1 strong as death2 nay1 stronger-- ,love mightier than the grave2 ,broad as the earth1 and longer ,than ocean's widest wave4 ,this is the love that sought us1 ,this is the love that bought us1 ,this is the love that brought us1 ,to gladdest day from saddest night1 ,from deepest shame to glory bright1 ,from depths of death to life's fair height1 ,from darkness to the joy of light4--,bonar4 #b4 ,the ,divine will provides the means of salvation4--,whereunto ,he called you by our gospel 7ver4 #ad74 ,the ,gospel is ,god's method of salvation1 and it is through this ,gospel ,he will have all men to be saved1 and to come unto the knowledge of the truth 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #d74 ,if the ,gospel were but a human expedient1 it would fail2 but1 as it was originated and devised in the ,divine mind1 so it is backed and made forceful by the operation of the ,divine will4 ,,ii4 ,salvation as a ,divine act is in harmony with individual freedom4--#a4 ,salvation implies personal holiness4 ,through sanctification of the ,spirit 7ver4 #ac74 ,the ,spirit sanctifies the individual soul1 and the soul1 in the exercise of its voluntary power1 co-operated with the ,spirit4 ,the soul feels the need of being sanctified1 is willing to be sanctified1 earnestly desires to be sanctified1 and gives free1 unrestricted scope to the ,spirit in ,his sanctifying work4 #b4 ,salvation implies personal faith4--,and belief of the truth 7ver4 #ac74 ,this clause brings out distinctly that the sanctification of the ,spirit is not wrought on a passive and unresponsive agent4 ,faith is the gift of ,god1 but it is an act of man4 ,it is a self-giving2 the surrender of his own freedom to secure the larger freedom that salvation confers on the soul that trusts4 ,without ,god's gift there would be no faith1 and without man's exercise of that gift there is no salvation4 ,it is not faith that saves1 but the ,christ received by faith4 ,erskine puts it thus3 ,as it is not the laying on the plaster that heals the sore1 but the plaster itself that is laid on1 so it is not the faith1 or receiving of ,christ1 but ,christ received by faith that saves us4 ,it is not our looking to the brazen serpent mystical1 but the mystical brazen serpent looked unto by faith--,christ received by faith--that saves us4 ,,iii4 ,salvation as a ,divine act aims at securing for the soul the highest blessedness4--,to the obtaining of the glory of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7ver4 #ad74 ,the saved soul aspires after glory1 but it is glory of the loftiest type4 ,it is not the changeful glory of worldly magnificence4 ,it is not the glory of ,paul1 or of the greatest human genius4 ,it is the glory of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,when the soul catches a glimpse of the splendour of this ,divine blessedness1 it can be satisfied with no lower aims4 ,paint and canvas1 said ,guthrie1 cannot give the hues of a rainbow or of the beams of the sun4 ,no more can words describe the ,saviour's glory4 ,nay1 what is the most glowing and ecstatic view that the highest faith of a soul1 hovering on the borders of another world1 ever obtained of ,christ1 compared with the reality8 ,it is like the sun changed by a frosty fogbank into a dull1 red copper ball--shorn of the splendour that no mortal eyes can look upon4 ,as it is ,christ's glory that we seek1 so it is ,christ's glory we shall share4 ,,iv4 ,salvation as a ,divine act affords matter for unceasing gratitude4--,but we are bound to give thanks alway to ,god for you 7ver4 #ac74 ,the mercy of ,god in our salvation is ever providing fruitful themes for gratitude on earth3 the glory of ,christ as revealed in heaven will be the song of everlasting thankfulness and praise4 ,every added trophy of saving power augments the gratitude and joy of the faithful4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the rejection of the truth is the rejection of salvation4 #b4 ,salvation brings the highest good to man and the greatest glory to ,god4 #c4 ,salvation will be the exhaustless theme of the heavenly song4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,the ,holy ,ghost the ,sanctifier4 ,i4 ,connect the ,divine purpose and agency that the nature and effect of the latter may be more apparent4--,to collect a people out of the wreck of human life has been ,god's purpose from the first4 ,to sanctify them is to separate them to ,god in fact and in effect4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is given by ,christ to sever the once dead in sins from the dead around them4 ,,ii4 ,the scope of this agency4--,god's work is perfect4 ,it has its stages2 but the ,holy ,ghost conducts it from first to last4 ,sanctification is progressive4 ,the end of sanctification is salvation4 ,,iii4 ,the ordinary means through which the ,holy ,ghost operates4--,through belief of the truth1 the ,gospel4 ,the ,spirit sanctifies through the truth4--,h4 ,t4 ,lumsden4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,the ,glory of ,sainthood-- ,i4 ,is the object of the ,gospel to promote4--,whereunto ,he hath called you by our gospel4 ,,ii4 ,is a conscious personal possession4--,to the obtaining of the glory4 ,,iii4 ,is a sharing of the glory of ,christ4--,of the glory of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,what ,saints should be4--,in the cathedral of ,st4 ,mark1 ,venice1 a marvellous building lustrous with an ,oriental splendour beyond description1 there are pillars said to have been brought from ,solomon's temple2 these are of alabaster1 a substance firm and endurable as granite1 and yet transparent1 so that the light glows through them4 ,behold an emblem of what all true pillars of the ,church should be--firm in their faith and transparent in their character2 men of simple mould1 ignorant of tortuous and deceptive ways1 and yet men of strong will1 not readily to be led aside or bent from their uprightness4--,spurgeon4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,christian ,steadfastness4 ,in all ages the people of ,god have been assailed with the weapons of a subtle and plausible philosophy which has sought to supplant the simple truth of the ,gospel with human opinions4 ,the evil heart of man chafes under the righteous restrictions of the truth1 and in its angry and delirious opposition has sought to rid itself of ,god and of all the laws that bind it to a life of obedience and holiness4 ,and when it fancies it has succeeded in demolishing the truths it hated and against which it rebelled1 it is aghast at the desolation it has wrought and recoils in alarm from the dark1 horrible gulf to the brink of which it has forced itself4 ,stricken with bewilderment and despair1 man strives to construct a religion for himself1 and he seeks to substitute his own wild ravings for the truths of ,divine revelation4 ,it is the attempt of a bold1 impious infidelity to put error in the place of truth1 philosophy in the place of religion1 human opinion in the place of ,god4 ,the exhortation of this verse is always timely4 ,i4 ,christian steadfastness is an important and ever-present duty4--#a4 ,it is necessary to growth and maturity in personal piety4 ,trees must grow or die4 ,so it is with piety2 it must grow or perish4 ,no plant or tree can thrive that is being perpetually plucked up and transplanted2 nor can the soul prosper unless it is steadfastly rooted in the soil of truth4 ,darwin describes a marine plant--the ,macrocystis pyrifera--that rises two hundred feet from the depths of the ,western ,ocean and floats for many fathoms on the surface1 uninjured among the waves and breakers1 which no masses of rock1 however hard1 can long withstand4 ,it maintains its strength by clinging tenaciously to the rocks far down below the surface of the sea4 ,so personal piety grows and flourishes by maintaining a firm hold of the ,rock of ,ages4 #b4 ,it is necessary in bearing witness for ,christ4--,the value of a lighthouse or a landmark to the mariner is1 that he can rely on always finding it in the same place4 ,and the value of a ,christian testimony is that it is not erratic and changeful1 but stable and reliable3 it hesitates not to witness for ,christ in any place4 ,fifty years ago at a dinner-party in the west end of ,london1 the conversation was dishonouring to ,christ4 ,one guest was silent1 and presently asked that the bell might be rung4 ,on the appearance of the servant he ordered his carriage1 and with polished courtesy apologised to his host for his enforced departure1 saying1 for ,i am still a ,christian4 ,this gentleman was the late ,sir ,robert ,peel4 #c4 ,it is a stimulating example to the weak and faltering4--,there are timid1 feeble followers of ,christ who1 until they become well grounded1 lean on others2 and if their exemplars vacillate and change1 so do they4 ,few have the courage to break away from a pernicious example4 ,when travelling on the ,continent1 ,dr4 ,duff made the acquaintance of ,cardinal ,wiseman1 and for some time travelled with him2 but when at ,antwerp he saw the cardinal prostrate himself before the ,virgin1 he courteously but firmly bade him good-bye4 ,,ii4 ,christian steadfastness is shown in an unflinching maintenance of apostolic doctrine4--,hold the traditions which ye have been taught1 whether by word1 or our epistle4 ,these traditions were the doctrines preached by the apostles4 ,for some years after the ascension of ,christ1 there was no written ,gospel or epistle4 ,the truth was taught orally by those who were living witnesses of the facts on which the doctrines--or traditions--were based4 #a4 ,apostolic doctrine must be clearly apprehended4--,it must therefore be diligently studied1 and the truth sifted from the mass of errors with which false teachers surround it4 ,what is not intelligently comprehended cannot be firmly held4 #b4 ,apostolic doctrine must be earnestly embraced4--,not simply discussed1 not simply admired and praised1 but prayerfully and cordially accepted--taken in as spiritual food1 and systematically fed upon to give strength and stamina to the soul4 #c4 ,apostolic doctrine must be firmly held and stoutly defended against all errors4--,hold the traditions4 ,believe them when tempted to disbelieve2 defend them when assailed by the enemy4 ,a brave ,athenian1 who wrought deeds of valour in the battle of ,marathon1 seized with his right hand a stranded galley filled with ,persians4 ,when his right hand was cut off1 he seized the boat with his left1 and when that was smitten1 he held on with his teeth till he died4 ,the grasp of truth by a ,christian believer should not be less tenacious than the dogged heroism of a heathen warrior4 ,,iii4 ,christian steadfastness is emphatically enforced4--,therefore1 brethren1 stand fast4 ,though misunderstood and misrepresented1 though savagely opposed by the enemies of the truth1 stand fast4 ,as the wings of the bird are strengthened by the resistance of the atmosphere in which it floats1 so your graces will be strengthened by the opposition with which you resolutely contend4 ,in order that your own personal piety may be matured1 that your witnessing for ,christ may be unmistakable1 and that your example may be a stimulating encouragement to others1 stand fast1 and hold the traditions which ye have been taught4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the unstable are the prey of every passing temptation4 #b4 ,the ,word of ,god is the unfailing source of moral strength4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #af1 #ag4 ,prayer an ,expression of ,ministerial ,anxiety4 ,the apostle had warned the ,thessalonians of the errors that were becoming rife among them4 ,indeed1 the existence of these errors1 and the grave injury they threatened to the faith of the new converts1 prompted him to write these epistles--the first in a series of magnificent apostolic polemics4 ,the apostle knew that if the simplicity of the ,gospel was vitiated at the beginning of its world-wide mission1 unspeakable disaster would ensue1 as the checkered history of the ,church in the early centuries unhappily proved4 ,hence his anxiety1 not only to clearly state1 but with all his resources of logic and persuasion1 resolutely to defend the cardinal principles of the ,gospel4 ,he not only argues but prays4 ,these verses teach that prayer is the expression of ministerial anxiety4 ,i4 ,it recognises the need of spiritual consolation4--,now our ,lord 4 4 4 comfort your hearts 7vers4 #af1 #ag74 ,you have sorrowed over the loss of friends and harassed yourselves as to their condition in another world4 ,i have pointed out to you that your fears were groundless 7#a ,thess4 iv4 #ac-ah74 ,now1 ,i commend you ,god as the ,source and ,giver of all consolation and pray that ,he may specially comfort you4 ,it is ,god's presence1 says ,burroughs1 that constitutes the saint's morning4 ,as the stars may impart some light1 and yet the brightness of all combined cannot form the light of day1 but when the sun appears there is day forthwith1 so ,god may make some comfort arise to a soul from secondary and inferior means2 but it is ,he ,himself alone who1 by the shining of ,his face and the smiles of ,his countenance1 causes morning4 ,a comfort that is made up of our fancies is like a spider's web that is weaved out of its bowels and is gone and swept away with the turn of a besom4 ,,ii4 ,it recognises the perils that beset the path of obedience4--,and establish you in every good word and work 7ver4 #ag7--or1 according to the ,revised ,version1 every good work and word4 ,work is better than speech1 deeds more eloquent than words1 though both are necessary4 ,the best safeguard against temptation is to be employed4 ,the busy man is tempted by one devil1 the idle man by a thousand4 ,the force of gunpowder is not known till some spark falls on it2 so the most placid natures do not reveal the evil that is in them till they are assailed by some fierce and sudden temptation4 ,excellence in anything can only be reached by hard work2 so stability in grace is attained only by being diligently engaged in ,god's service4 ,steadfastness is not dull quiescence3 it is self-absorbing activity4 ,if you would be strong1 you must work4 ,,iii4 ,it recognises the ,divine source of all spiritual help4--#a4 ,that this help is the outcome of ,divine love4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself and ,god even our ,father1 which hath loved us 7ver4 #af74 ,god helps because ,he loves4 ,his love evokes the best and noblest in us1 as the master-musician brings out melodies from an instrument that inferior players have failed to produce4 ,love is a passion ,which kindles honour into noblest acts4 ,o let ,thy love constrain us ,to give our hearts to ,thee2 ,let nothing henceforth pain us ,but that which paineth ,thee4 ,our joy1 our one endeavour1 ,through suffering1 conflict1 shame1 ,to serve ,thee1 gracious ,saviour1 ,and magnify ,thy name4 #b4 ,that this help meets every possible exigency of the ,christian life4--,and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 7ver4 #af74 ,the consolation refers to everything in the present1 the good hope to everything in the future4 ,the consolation is constant1 everlasting1 as flowing from inexhaustible sources1 and is ever available in all the changes and needs of life2 and the hope turns our fears into confidence and our sorrows into joy4 ,when the frail barques of the ,portuguese went sailing south1 they found the sea so stormy at the southern point of ,africa that they named it the ,cape of ,storms2 but after it had been well rounded by bolder navigators1 they named it the ,cape of ,good ,hope4 ,so1 by the ,divine help afforded us1 many a rough cape of storms has been transformed into a cape of good hope4 ,all spiritual help is given through grace--the free1 unmerited favour of ,god--and is therefore a fitting subject of prayer4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,every minister should be emphatically a man of prayer4 #b4 ,prayer for others has a reflex benefit on the suppliant4 #c4 ,an anxious spirit finds relief and comfort in prayer4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #af1 #ag4 ,st4 ,paul's ,prayer for the ,thessalonians4 ,i4 ,the objects the apostle addressed4--#a4 ,god1 even our ,father4 #b4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,the gifts the apostle acknowledged4--#a4 ,the manifestation of ,divine love4 #b4 ,the communication of saving grace4 #c4 ,the bestowment of ,christian hope4 ,,iii4 ,the blessings the apostle requested4--#a4 ,increasing felicity in the ,lord4 #b4 ,persevering stability in the truth4--,eta4 ,ver4 #af4 ,a ,good ,hope through ,grace4 ,i4 ,the grace of hope4--#a4 ,refers to the resurrection of the body4 #b4 ,to eternal life to be enjoyed by both soul and body4 #c4 ,pre-requisites of this hope4--,conviction of sin4 ,an experimental acquaintance with the ,gospel4 ,,ii4 ,the excellency of this hope4--,a good hope4 #a4 ,in opposition to the hopes of worldly men4 #b4 ,it is a lively hope4 #c4 ,the object of it is an infinite and eternal good4 #d4 ,it has a good foundation4 #e4 ,it produces good effects4 ,,iii4 ,the source of this hope4--,through grace4 #a4 ,man is the subject of infinite demerit4 #b4 ,christ alone possesses infinite merit4 #c4 ,the ,scripture warns against all self-dependence4--,helps for the ,pulpit4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes4 ,ver4 #a4 ,have free course and be glorified4--,probably ,st4 ,paul took this image from the ,old ,testament4 ,in ,ps4 cxlvii4 #ae the word of the ,lord is said to run very swiftly4 ,ver4 #b4 ,unreasonable and wicked men4--,the word for unreasonable only occurs twice besides in the ,new ,testament3 once1 the malefactor on the cross says1 ,this man has done nothing amiss1 or out of place2 and again the barbarians beheld nothing amiss come to ,paul when the viper had fashioned on his hand4 ,the thief is a good commentator here4 ,men who by their vagaries hold even their friends in painful suspense1 and especially such as are indifferent to morality1 seem to be meant4 ,ver4 #c4 ,and keep you from evil4--,keep here is a military word reminding of the psalmist's name for ,god--,shield4 ,the ,revisers add one after evil1 as in the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,ver4 #e4 ,direct your hearts4--,the same word for direct again occurs only in #a ,thess4 iii4 #aa and ,luke i4 #gi4 ,a similar phrase in the ,,lxx4 of #a ,chron4 xxix4 #ah 7,r4,v4 prepare74 ,into the patient waiting for ,christ4--,a4,v4 margin and ,r4,v4 text1 into the patience of ,christ4 ,the ,thessalonians were eagerly awaiting ,his return3 let them wait for it in ,his patient spirit 7,findlay74 ,ver4 #f4 ,walketh disorderly4--,falling out of the ranks and desertion of the post of duty are grave faults1 which if the esprit de corps does not prevent it must be punished by treating the defaulter as one who has discredited his comrades in arms4 ,ver4 #g4 ,we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you4--,we never lived an undisciplined life among you4 ,men will bear the sharp rebukes of a martinet1 even when they observe that he is as much under discipline as he would have the youngest recruit1 as the lives of men like ,havelock and ,gordon testify4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,if any would not work1 neither should he eat4--,a stern1 but necessary and merciful rule1 the neglect of which makes charity demoralising 7,ibid474 ,it is parasitism which is condemned4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,working not at all1 but are busybodies4--,not working1 but working round people1 as we might represent ,st4 ,paul's play on the words4 ,their only business is to be busybodies4 ,ver4 #ac4 ,be not weary in well-doing4--,such bad behaviour under cover of the ,christian name is abhorrent to ,st4 ,paul4 ,the loveliness of perfect deeds must be worthily sustained4 ,well-doing here points to that which is admirable in conduct rather than that which is beneficent4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,have no company with him4--,the difference between this treatment of a delinquent and excommunication may be more in idea than fact4 ,he would feel himself tabooed in either case4 ,but this agrees better with the notion of ,christians as being separated4 ,come out from among them4 ,cf4 ,tit4 ii4 #aj4 ,that he may be ashamed4--,not1 of course1 that he may become a laughing-stock1 but that1 feeling abashed1 he may quickly put himself right with the community4 ,ver4 #ae4 ,yet count him not as an enemy4--,when ,christ says the impenitent brother is to be regarded as a ,gentile1 ,he gives no sanction to the way in which the ,jew too often regarded the ,gentile4 ,admonish him as a brother4--,who1 though in error1 has not sacrificed his claim to gentle treatment and consideration4 ,ver4 #af4 ,now the ,lord of peace ,himself give you peace always4--,the ,church at ,thessalonica had been passing through stormy waters4 ,the apostle prays that ,god may give them to-- ,feel ,his halcyon rest within ,calming the storms of dread and sin4 ,ver4 #ag4 ,the salutation 4 4 4 the token4--,as though he said1 ,this that ,i am about to write is my sign-manual4 ,ver4 #ah4 ,the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ be with you all4--,whatever ,st4 ,paul's handwriting may have been1 it could not well be more characteristic than this word grace1 as certainly he could not have chosen a more beautiful word to engrave on his seal4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a1 #b4 ,prayer for ,ministers4 ,prayer should not be all on one side4 ,it is a mutual obligation and privilege4 ,the ,thessalonians are reminded how often they were the subject of anxious prayer1 and they are now asked to remember their own ministers at the throne of grace4 ,mutual prayer intensifies mutual sympathy and affection and deepens the interest of both parties in promoting the success of the ,gospel4 ,note3-- ,i4 ,that prayer for ministers is apostolically enjoined4--,brethren1 pray for us 7ver4 #a74 ,true prayer is spontaneous4 ,it does not wait to be formally authorised4 ,a loving heart loves to pray4 ,nevertheless1 there are laggards in this duty1 and they may be prompted to the exercise by employing all the weight of apostolic authority and example4 ,if apostles felt the need of prayer1 how much more should we6 ,ministers are but men2 but by the use of the word brethren the writer indicates that ministers and people have common privileges1 common wants1 and common dangers4 ,the ministerial office has also its special responsibilities and perils1 and nothing helps more vitally the efficient discharge of its duties than the constant prayers of an appreciative and devoted people4 ,,ii4 ,that prayer for ministers should have special reference to the success of the ,gospel4--#a4 ,the ,gospel is ,divine4 ,the word of the ,lord 7ver4 #a74 ,the ,gospel is a message to man1 but it is more than a human message4 ,it is the voice of ,god speaking to man through man4 ,if it had been simply of human origin1 it would have been forgotten and superseded by the changing theories ever teeming from the fertile brain of man4 ,every human institution is liable to be supplanted by another4 ,there is nothing permanent in philosophy1 government1 or morals that is not based on eternal truth4 ,the ,gospel is abiding1 because it rests on unchanging truth4 ,it is the word of the ,lord4 #b4 ,the spread of the ,gospel is beset with difficulties4--,that the word of the ,lord may have free course 7ver4 #a74 ,the pioneers of the ,gospel in ,thessalonica had to contend with the malignant hatred of the unbelieving ,jews1 with the seductive theories of the ,grecian philosophy1 and with the jealous opposition of the ,roman power4 ,all hindrances to the ,gospel have a common root in the depravity of the human heart--hence the difficulties occasioned by the inconsistencies of half-hearted professors1 the paralysing influence of scepticism1 and the violence of external persecution4 ,the chief difficulty is spiritual1 and the weapon to contend against it must be spiritual--the weapon of all-prayer4 ,savonarola once said1 ,if there be no enemy1 no fight2 if no fight1 no victory2 if no victory1 no crown4 ,we are to pray that the ,gospel may have free course--may run1 not simply creep1 or loiter haltingly on the way1 but speed along as a swift-footed messenger4 ,take courage from thy cause3 thou fightest for thy ,god1 and against ,his enemy4 ,is thy enemy too potent8 fear not4 ,art thou besieged8 faint not4 ,art thou routed8 fly not4 ,call aid1 and thou shalt be strengthened2 petition1 and thou shalt be relieved2 pray1 and thou shalt be recruited4 #c4 ,the glory of the ,gospel is to change men's hearts and ennoble men's lives4--,and be glorified1 even as it is with you 7ver4 #a74 ,you ,thessalonians1 notwithstanding your imperfect views and defective conduct1 are samples of what the ,gospel can do in changing the heart and giving a lofty purpose to the life4 ,pray that its triumph may be more complete in you1 and that its uplifting influence may be realised by others4 ,that which ,plato was unable to effect1 says ,pascal1 even in the case of a few select and learned persons1 a secret power1 by the help only of a few words1 is now wrought upon thousands of uneducated men4 ,,iii4 ,that prayer for ministers should be offered that their lives may be preserved from the violence of cruel and unbelieving enemies4--,and that ye may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men3 for all men have not faith 7ver4 #b74 ,not all have faith1 even among those who profess to have it1 and it is certainly true of all those who scout and reject the ,gospel4 ,the unbelieving are perverse and wicked1 and it is from this class that the minister is met by the most unreasonable and malicious opposition4 ,perhaps the most dangerous foes with which a minister has to contend are those who make some profession of religion1 but in heart and practice deny it4 ,men will write for religion1 fight for it1 die for it--anything but live for it4 ,the minister1 girded with the prayers of his people1 is screened from the plots and attacks of the wicked4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the success of the ,gospel is a signal demonstration of its ,divine authorship4 #b4 ,ministers of the ,gospel have need of sympathy and help in their work4 #c4 ,the grandest spiritual results are brought about by prayer4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #a4 ,the ,ministerial ,request4 ,i4 ,the request presented4--#a4 ,that the power of religion may be eminently experienced in our own souls4 #b4 ,that we may be preserved from the official dangers to which we are exposed4 #c4 ,that we may be able ministers of the ,new ,testament4 #d4 ,that prudence and fidelity may distinguish our labours4 ,,ii4 ,the grounds on which it rests4--#a4 ,it rests on the mutual connection which subsists between ministers and people4 #b4 ,on the law of love4 #c4 ,on its advantage to yourselves4 #d4 ,on the prevalency of fervent prayer4 #e4 ,on its connection with the salvation of souls4--,sketches4 ,ver4 #b4 ,unbelief-- ,i4 ,abandons the guide of reason4 ,,ii4 ,leads to a vicious life and causes trouble to others4 ,,iii4 ,we should pray to be delivered from its evil results4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c1 #d4 ,the ,faithfulness of ,god4 ,from the want of faith in man1 referred to in the preceding verse1 the writer1 as if to show the contrast1 naturally glides into the subject of the ,divine faithfulness4 ,unbelief may abound1 but ,god can be relied on2 man may be fickle and unreasonable1 but the fidelity of ,god is inviolate4 ,i4 ,the faithfulness of ,god is a fact established by abundant testimonies4--,but the ,lord is faithful 7ver4 #c74 ,he is faithful to ,his own nature4 ,he cannot deny ,himself4 ,he is faithful to ,his purpose1 to ,his ,word1 to every promise1 and every threatening too4 ,the whole history of ,god's dealings with the ,jewish people is a suggestive and impressive commentary on ,his inflexible faithfulness4 ,the fact that the ,church of ,god exists to-day1 notwithstanding defection within and persecution without1 is an unanswerable testimony to ,his fidelity4 ,you may be faint and weary1 but my ,god cannot4 ,i may fluctuate and alter as to my frames and feelings2 but my ,redeemer is unchangeably the same4 ,i might utterly fail and come to nothing1 if left to myself4 ,but ,i cannot be so left to myself4 ,he is rich to relieve and succour me in all my wants4 ,he is faithful to perform and perfect all ,his promises 7,ambrose ,serle74 ,,ii4 ,the faithfulness of ,god is practically manifested in establishing ,his people in all good and in keeping them safe from all evil4--,who shall stablish you and keep you from evil 7ver4 #c74 ,the people of ,god do not perpetuate themselves4 ,he perpetuates4 ,his faithful guardianship gives persistency to ,his people1 so that in every age and in the darkest times there has been a bright succession of living witnesses of ,his unchanging character4 ,he preserves them1 not because of any inherent grace or self-deserving1 but because ,he is faithful4 ,janet1 said a ,scottish minister to a ,christian woman of great faith1 whom he was visiting1 suppose1 after all1 ,god were to let you drop into hell6 ,even as ,he will1 was her reply2 but if ,he does1 ,he will lose mair than ,i'll do4 ,a single flaw in the ,divine fidelity would shatter the faith of the universe4 ,,iii4 ,the faithfulness of ,god inspires confidence in the fidelity of the obedient4--,and we have confidence in the ,lord touching you that ye both do1 and will do the things which we command you 7ver4 #d74 ,because ,god is faithful1 we know that you can be kept faithful1 if you are willing and seeking to be so kept4 ,moreover1 you will assuredly be kept faithful1 while you observe in the future1 as you have done in the past1 the things which we command you1 and in commanding which we have the ,divine authority4 ,consider these things1 let them sink into your hearts2 then act accordingly4 ,let obedience follow conviction1 and we have no fear about the result4 ,von ,moltke1 the great ,german strategist and general1 chose for his motto1 ,erst wagen1 dann wagen1--,first weigh1 then venture2 and it was to this he owed his great victories and successes4 ,slow1 cautious1 careful in planning1 but bold1 daring1 even seemingly reckless in execution1 the moment his resolve was made4 ,vows thus ripen into deeds1 decision must go on to performance4 ,the final perseverance of the saint depends on the ,divine perseverance2 his faithfulness on the ,divine faithfulness4 ,if we had no living ,saviour to pilot our ship1 no promise on which to rely1 we might have cause to fear4 ,the ,divine faithfulness is unquestionable2 our faithfulness is maintained only by obedience4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the faithfulness of ,god is the guarantee of the believer's safety4 #b4 ,the faithfulness of ,god should encourage the exercise of implicit faith in ,him4 #c4 ,the faithfulness of ,god demands undeviating obedience to ,his laws4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #c4 ,the ,divine ,faithfulness-- ,i4 ,an incontrovertible fact4 ,,ii4 ,a guarantee of personal establishment in the truth4 ,,iii4 ,an invulnerable protection from evil and all its works4 ,ver4 #d4 ,christian ,obedience-- ,i4 ,is a voluntary and constant activity4 ,,ii4 ,is based on well-understood and authoritative precepts4 ,,iii4 ,is the pathway of blessing4 ,,iv4 ,inspires confidence in others4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,divine ,love and ,patience4 ,again1 the apostle is on his knees4 ,how beautifully the habitual devoutness of the apostle's spirit comes out in the side-lights thrown from passages in his writings like this verse6 ,he lives and breathes in the electric atmosphere of prayer4 ,all the time he is reasoning1 expounding1 warning1 and persuading he is also praying4 ,prayer is a powerful aid to the preacher4 ,it keeps his soul in sympathy with the realm of spiritual realities1 gives him clearer insight into truth1 and intensifies his experience of the ,divine4 ,we learn from this verse3-- ,i4 ,that ,divine love and patience are conspicuous elements in man's redemption4--,the love of ,god and the patient waiting for ,christ--the patience of ,christ 7,r4,v474 ,the love of ,god devised and the patience of ,christ carried out the great plan of human salvation4 ,the ,gospel is a grand revelation of the ,divine love and patience in ,christ ,jesus2 and the history of the ,gospel in its world-wide progress is a many-sided illustration of these two conspicuous virtues in the ,divine character and operations4 ,after the last ,french war1 the ,roman ,catholic ,archbishop of ,paris was imprisoned4 ,his cell had a window shaped like a cross1 and with a pencil he wrote upon the arms of the cross that they denoted the height1 length1 breadth1 and depth of ,god's love4 ,that man knew something of the love of ,god4 ,the patience of ,christ in suffering for mankind was sustained and sublimated by the love of ,god1 and was an object-lesson to the world1 teaching1 in a way that appealed to the most callous1 the power and universality of that love4 ,,ii4 ,that ,divine love and patience are the distinguished privilege of human experience4--,direct your hearts into the love of ,god and patience of ,christ4 ,the love we are to enjoy is no mere human passion1 fickle and evanescent2 the patience1 no mere grim stoical endurance4 ,we are admitted into the sacred adoption of the ,divine mysteries2 we share in their spiritual ecstasy and unruffled calm1 the very love and patience of ,god6 ,the ,divine in us becomes more growingly evident to ourselves and to others4 ,love gives staying-power to and teaches us how to suffer without murmuring1 to endure without retaliating4 ,sire1 said ,beza in his reply to the king of ,navarre1 it belongs to ,god's ,church rather to suffer blows than to strike them2 but let it be your pleasure to remember that the ,church is an anvil which has worn out many a hammer4 ,with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes satin4 ,,iii4 ,that ,divine love and patience are more fully enjoyed by the soul that prays4--,and the ,lord direct your hearts4 ,the prayerful apostle had realised the blessedness of a personal participation in the love and patience of ,god4 ,but for the love of ,god he would never have ventured upon his evangelistic mission1 and but for the patience of ,christ he would not have continued in it4 ,now he prays that the hearts of the ,thessalonians may enjoy the same grace or be set in the direct way of attaining it4 ,it is of vital consequence that the current of the heart's outgoings should be set in the right direction4 ,this brief petition shows what we ought to ask for ourselves4 ,the best way to secure a larger degree of love and patience is to ardently pray for them4 ,what grace1 ,o ,lord1 and beauty shone ,around ,thy steps below6 ,what patient love was seen in all ,thy life and death of woe6 ,oh6 give us hearts to love like ,thee-- ,like ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 to grieve ,far more for others' sins1 than all ,the wrongs that we receive4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the ,christian life is a sublime participation in the nature of ,god4 #b4 ,love and patience reveal the ,god-like character4 #c4 ,prayer is at its best when engaged with the loftiest themes4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,ver4 #e4 ,waiting for the ,second ,advent4 ,i4 ,the love of ,god a preparation for the ,redeemer's coming4--#a4 ,the love of ,god is the love of goodness4 #b4 ,the love of ,god is the love of man expanded and purified4 ,the love of man expanded into the love of ,him1 of whom all that we have seen of gentle and lovely1 of true and tender1 of honourable and bright in human character1 are but the shadows and the broken1 imperfect lights4 ,,ii4 ,patient waiting another preparation for the ,redeemer's coming4--#a4 ,the ,christian attitude of soul is an attitude of expectation4--,every gift of noble origin is breathed upon by hope's perfect breath4 #b4 ,it is patient waiting4--,every one who has ardently longed for any spiritual blessing knows the temptation to impatience in expecting it4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,on ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f1 #g4 ,christian ,consistency4 ,the apostle commended with a warm-hearted eulogy whatever was good in the ,thessalonians1 but he was not less faithful in administering rebuke when it was needed4 ,a number of the converts1 not sufficiently pondering the words of the writer1 were carried away with the delusion that the second advent of ,christ would take place immediately1 and they abandoned all interest in the practical duties of life--an error that has been often repeated since1 with similar results4 ,fearing the mischief would spread1 and seeing that all pervious warnings were disregarded1 the apostle in these verses treats the mistaken enthusiasts with unsparing condemnation4 ,disorder must be crushed1 and consistency preserved4 ,i4 ,christian consistency is in harmony with the highest teaching4--,after the tradition which he or they received of us 7ver4 #f74 ,the rules of ,christian consistency were clearly laid down in the traditions or doctrines taught by the apostles and were enforced with all the weight and sanction of ,divine authority4 ,to violate these rules is to walk disorderly--to break the ranks1 to fall out of line4 ,the value of the individual soldier is the degree in which he keeps in order and acts in perfect harmony and precision with the rest of the regiment4 ,a breach of military rule creates disaster4 ,let the believer keep the ,divine law1 and the law will keep him4 ,the heavens themselves1 the planets and this centre1 ,observe degree1 priority1 and place1 ,insisture1 course1 proportion1 season1 form1 ,office and custom1 in all line of order4--,shakespeare4 ,,ii4 ,christian consistency is enforced by apostolic example4--,for yourselves know how ye ought to follow us3 for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you 7ver4 #g74 ,the apostles illustrated what they taught1 by a rigid observance of the rules they imposed on others4 ,precept was enforced by practice4 ,while the preachers laboured among the ,thessalonians1 the influence of their upright examples kept the ,church in order4 ,much depends upon the conduct of a leader in ,church or ,state4 ,it is said of a certain military commander on taking charge of an army that had been somewhat lax in discipline3 ,the presence of a master-mind was quickly visible in the changed condition of the camp4 ,perfect order now reigned4 ,he was a rigid disciplinarian1 and yet as gentle and kind as a woman4 ,he was the easiest man in our army to get along with pleasantly1 so long as one did his duty1 but as inexorable as fate in exacting its performance4 ,he was as courteous to the humblest private who sought an interview for any purpose as to the highest officer under his command4 ,,iii4 ,christian consistency is to be maintained by separation from the lawless4--,now we command you1 brethren1 in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly 7ver4 #f74 ,if all efforts to recover the recalcitrant fail1 then the ,church has the highest authority for separating completely from the society and fellowship of such4 ,continued communion with them would not only seem to condone their offence1 but destroy discipline1 and put an end to all moral consistency4 ,such a separation from the unruly would be more marked in the early ,church1 when there was only one ,christian community1 and when the brethren were noted for their affectionate attachment to each other4 ,lessons4--,christian consistency--#a4 ,is defined by the highest law4 #b4 ,avoids association with evil4 #c4 ,is a reproof and pattern to the unbelieving4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #f1 #g4 ,the ,disorderly in ,church ,life-- ,i4 ,violate the rules that give compactness and strength to all ,church organisation4 ,,ii4 ,ignore the highest examples of moral consistency4 ,,iii4 ,should be faithfully warned and counselled4 ,,iv4 ,if incorrigible1 should be excluded from the privileges of ,christian fellowship4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #h1 #i4 ,self-denying ,labour4 ,pioneer work involves hard toil and much patience and self-denial4 ,the character and surroundings of the people whose highest good is sought must be studied4 ,the apostle took his measure of the ,thessalonian converts1 and1 perhaps foreseeing the extravagances to which they would yield1 he and his co-labourers determined to set them an example of unselfish industry1 even to the extent of surrendering their just rights4 ,i4 ,here we see self-denying labour carried on amidst weariness and suffering4--,neither did we eat any man's bread for nought2 but wrought with labour and travail night and day 7ver4 #h74 ,work is a pleasurable exercise to the strong and healthy1 but it becomes a hardship when carried to excess4 ,the devoted missionaries worked when they were weary--worked when they should have been resting4 ,after a hard day's toil in teaching and visiting1 they laboured far on into the night1 so as to maintain themselves independent of help from their converts4 ,much as we hear of the dignity of labour1 the toiler1 whether by hand or brain1 in the weariness and pain that overtake him1 feels that some portion of the original curse still clings to his handiwork4 ,the best work is often accomplished in the midst of acute suffering4 ,the unique histories of ,england were written by ,j4 ,r4 ,green while the shadow of death was consciously hovering over his desk2 and the exquisite ,christian lyrics of ,h4 ,f4 ,lyte were penned while he felt that every moment his heart was throbbing funeral marches to the grave4 ,,ii4 ,here we see self-denying labour declining the maintenance that might be legitimately claimed4--,that we might not be chargeable to any of you3 not because we have not power 7vers4 #h1 #i7--right1 authority4 ,while the apostle forbears to urge their just right to ministerial support by the people1 he gives them clearly to understand it is their right4 ,their self-denial in this instance was for a special purpose1 and was only intended to be temporary1 and not to establish a universal rule4 ,in other places1 ,st4 ,paul insists upon the duty of the ,church to maintain its ministers 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #d-ad2 ,gal4 vi4 #f74 ,all honour to the self-denying zeal and suffering toil of the unaided ,christian worker2 but what shall we say of the parsimony and injustice of the people who allow such a state of things to continue8 ,,iii4 ,here we see self-denying labour set forth as an example and reproof to those who are most benefited by it4--,to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us 7ver4 #i74 ,here the purpose of their disinterested conduct is plainly stated--to set an example of industry to the idlers4 ,st4 ,paul acted in a similar manner towards the ,corinthians1 but with a different design4 ,in the latter case he wished to manifest a better spirit than that of the false teachers who were greedy of filthy lucre 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #h-ac74 ,the earnest evangelist is ever anxious to clear his work from the taint of self-seeking4 ,let the heart of man be changed and sanctified1 and it will inspire and regulate the practical exercise of every ,christian virtue4 ,how little does the world appreciate its greatest benefactors6 ,and yet no unselfish act is without its recompense4 ,the actor is not unblessed4 ,to exchange1 as ,christ did1 the temple for ,nazareth1 the ,father's house for the carpenter's shop1 the joy of preaching for irksome toil1 is a great advance in spiritual obedience and nobility of character4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,the essence of the ,christian spirit is unselfishness4 #b4 ,the earnest ,christian pioneer labours ungrudgingly for the good of others4 #c4 ,the self-denial of the preacher does not exonerate the people from the duty of his legitimate maintenance4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #h4 ,industry the ,secret of ,success4--,when ,sir ,isaac ,newton was asked by what means he had been able to make that successful progress in the sciences which struck mankind with wonder1 he modestly replied1 that it was not so much owing to any superior strength of genius as to a habit of patient thinking1 laborious attention1 and close application4 ,ver4 #i4 ,ministerial ,maintenance4 ,i4 ,it is a claim based on scriptural and apostolic authority4 ,,ii4 ,the temporary waiving of the right is a noble example of self-denial and unselfish devotion4 ,,iii4 ,no personal waiving of the right releases the ,church from its obligation4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ab4 ,christianity and ,work4 ,christianity is the ,gospel of work4 ,its clarion-call thrills along the nerves of human life and summons the world to labour4 ,it gives to work meaning1 purpose1 dignity1 and exalts drudgery into a blessedness4 ,while full of sympathy for the feeble and maimed1 it has no pity for the indolent4 ,its ,founder and first apostles were giants in labour1 and their example animates the world to-day with a spirit of noblest activity4 ,it is not the drone1 but the worker1 who blesses the world4 ,be no longer a chaos1 writes ,carlyle1 but a world1 or even a worldkin4 ,produce6 produce6 were it but the pitifullest1 infinitesimal fraction of a product1 produce it in ,god's name6 ',tis the utmost thou hast in thee2 out with it1 then4 ,up1 up6 whatever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might4 ,i4 ,christianity recognises the duty of every man to work for his own support4--,for even when we were with you1 this we commanded1 that if any would not work1 neither should he eat 7ver4 #aj74 ,the necessity of food involves the necessity of work4 ,as every one must eat1 so every one must work4 ,the wife of a certain chieftain1 who had fallen upon idle habits1 one day lifted the dish-cover at dinner and revealed a pair of spurs1 a sign that he must ride and hunt for his next meal4 ,it is said that in the ,californian bee-pastures1 on the sun-days of summer1 one may readily infer the time of day from the comparative energy of bee-movements alone2 drowsy and moderate in the cool of the morning1 increasing in energy with the ascending sun1 and at high noon thrilling and quivering in wild ecstasy1 then gradually declining again to the stillness of night4 ,is not this a picture of our life8 ,work is necessary for sustenance1 for health1 for moral development2 and rest is all the sweeter after genuine toil4 ,,ii4 ,christianity is intolerant of an ignoble indolence4--,for we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly1 working not at all1 but are busybodies 7ver4 #aa74 ,the disorderly are the idle tattlers1 who make a pretence of work by busying themselves with all kinds of things but their own duty4 ,they are triflers1 wasting their own time and other people's2 and they do serious mischief4 ,in certain foreign parts1 where insects abound in such swarms as to be a pest to the people and destructive enemies to young growing plants1 an electric apparatus has been constructed to destroy the brood wholesale4 ,the appliance consists of a strong electric light attracting the moths and insects1 a suction-fan drawing them into a shaft as they approach the light1 and a small mill in the shaft where the victims are ground up and mixed with flour1 thus converting them into poultry-food4 ,cannot some genius contrive a means of putting an end--short of grinding them into chicken-food3 let us be merciful1 even to our enemies6--to those social pests who go buzzing about our homes and ,churches1 worrying with their idle gossip and stinging with their spiteful venom the innocent and inoffensive8 ,if these busybodies would devote1 in doing their duty1 the energy they waste1 they would be able to produce quite a respectable amount of honest work4 ,but they find it easier to sponge on the generosity and simplicity of others4 ,they are parasites2 and all parasites are the paupers of nature4 ,parasitism is a crime--a breach of the law of evolution4 ,,iii4 ,christianity enforces the necessity of a steady and independent industry4--,we command and exhort by our ,lord ,jesus ,christ that with quietness they work1 and eat their own bread 7ver4 #ab74 ,the apostle1 having the authority of ,christ for what he counsels1 commands2 and as a man addressing his fellow-men1 he exhorts and persuades4 ,the law of ,christianity is both stern and gentle3 unbending in principle1 and flexible only in manifold persuasions to translate the principle into actual living practice4 ,it rouses man from yielding to a sinful listlessness and helps him to develop a robust ,christian manhood4 ,when an ,indian candidate for the ministry was asked the question1 ,what is original sin8 he frankly replied1 ,he did not know what other people's might be1 but he rather thought that his was laziness4 ,idleness is the prolific source of many evils3 work is at once a remedy and a safeguard4 ,a clergyman once said1 ,a ,christian should never plead spirituality for being a sloven2 if he be but a shoe-cleaner1 he should be the best in the parish4 ,we are honouring ,christianity most when we are doing our best to observe the precepts1 ,working with quietness and eating our own bread4 ,an ,american preacher once said1 ,you sit here and sing yourselves away to everlasting bliss2 but ,i tell you that you are wanted a great deal more out in ,illinois than you are in heaven4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,christianity encourages and honours honest toil4 #b4 ,fearlessly denounces unprincipled idlers4 #c4 ,is an inspiration to the highest kind of work4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #aj4 ,industry the ,true ,charity4--,when the palace and church buildings of ,caprarola were completed1 ,borromeo1 the great patron of idle almsgiving1 came to see it1 and complained that so much money had not been given to the poor instead4 ,i have let them have it all little by little1 said ,alexandro ,farnese2 but ,i have made them earn it by the sweat of their brow4 ,ver4 #aa4 ,idleness and ,death4--lian mentions a witticism of ,alcibiades when some one was vaunting to him about the contempt the ,lacedmonians had for death4 ,it is no wonder1 said he1 since it relieves them from the heavy burden of an idle and stupid life4 ,ver4 #ab4 ,the ,way to ,value ,quietness4--,how dull and quiet everything is4 ,there isn't a leaf stirring1 said a young sparrow perched on the bough of a willow tree4 ,how delicious a puff of wind would be6 ,we shall have one before long1 croaked an old raven2 more than you want1 ,i fancy4 ,before many hours a tempest swept over the country1 and in the morning the fields were strewn with its ravages4 ,what a comfort the storm is over1 said the sparrow1 as he trimmed his wet fathers4 ,ah6 croaked the raven1 you've altered your mind since last night4 ,take my word for it1 there's nothing like a storm to teach you to value a calm4--,g4 ,eliot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,a ,call to do the ,best ,work4 ,the apostle has shown the necessity and duty of work--that honest industry is a law of ,christianity4 ,now he inculcates unwearied diligence in accomplishing the best work1 designated by the comprehensive and suggestive phrase well-doing4 ,whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well4 ,no man has done his best till he has done all he can4 ,a man's highest work is the outcome of his best endeavours4 ,observe3-- ,i4 ,doing the best work is well-doing4--,be not weary in well-doing4 ,we may define to ourselves this duty of well-doing by seeking answers to two questions3-- #a4 ,how can ,i get the most good8--,the ancient philosophers discussed the question of the supreme good with amazing subtlety of logic2 but they started their investigations with the erroneous assumption that the supreme good must be a human product4 ,the question is not how to get good1 but the most good--the highest1 the best4 ,we get the most good by bringing the soul into complete submission to the highest law of its being--voluntary and full surrender to the will of ,god4 ,call it getting saved1 getting converted2 call it what you like1 so long as you get the thing itself--the love of ,god in the soul through faith in the ,lord ,jesus4 #b4 ,how can ,i do the most good8--,these two questions are closely linked together1 and are mutually interpretative of each other--the one being the qualification and motive for the other4 ,it may be asserted we get the most good by doing the most good4 ,the rose cannot diffuse the fragrance it does not possess1 however much like a rose it may look4 ,the question here1 again1 is not how ,i can do good1 but the most1 the highest1 and best4 ,we do the most good by beginning with the duty that lies nearest to us and doing it at once4 ,the earnest worker never lacks opportunity3 there is the home1 the ,church1 the perishing multitude1 ever within easy reach4 ,he that winneth souls is wise 7,prov4 xi4 #cj74 ,the highest plaudit of heaven is1 ,well done1 good and faithful servant 7,matt4 xxv4 #ba74 ,,ii4 ,the best work is not done without encountering difficulties4--,be not weary4 ,the exhortation implies there are difficulties4 ,these arise3-- #a4 ,from vague and imperfect views of duty4--,we have no sympathy with the rhapsody of the mystic who said1 ,man is never so holy and exalted as when he does not know where he is going4 ,we must know clearly what we would be at1 what is within the compass of our power and opportunity1 where our efforts must necessarily end1 and room left for the play of other influences4 ,we must be practical and methodical4 ,clearness is power4 ,confusion of ideas creates difficulties4 #b4 ,from unrealised ideals4--,we have formed lofty conceptions of what is to be done1 and what we must do4 ,we have elaborated extensive organisations1 and worked them with unflagging zeal4 ,but the result has been disappointing4 ,because we have not accomplished all we wished1 we are discouraged2 our success has not been commensurate with our ambition1 and we are tempted to slacken our endeavours4 ,be not weary4 ,we are not the best judges of what constitutes success4 ,if it does not come in the form we expected1 we must not hastily conclude our work is vain4 #c4 ,from the loss of spiritual power4--,we have neglected prayer and the cultivation of personal piety4 ,we have been so absorbed in the external details of our work as to overlook the duty of keeping up spiritual communion with the ,highest4 ,we begin to frame excuses--a sure sign of moral decadence4 ,we have no talents4 ,then we should seek them4 ,we have more talents than we suspect1 and resolute working will develop them4 ,our adversaries are numerous and fierce4 ,if we keep at our work1 they will not trouble us long4 ,,iii4 ,the best work demands incessant diligence4--,but ye1 brethren1 be not weary in well-doing4 ,the best state of preparedness for the coming of the ,lord is to be busily employed in the duty of the hour4 ,every moment has its duty4 ,opportunity has hair in front2 behind she is bald4 ,if you seize her by the forelock1 you may hold her2 but if suffered to escape1 not ,jupiter himself can catch her again4 ,arnauld1 the ,port ,royalist1 when hunted from place to place1 wished his friend ,nicolle to assist him in a new work1 when the latter observed1 ,we are old2 is it not time to rest8 ,rest6 returned ,arnauld4 ,have we not all eternity to rest in8 ,a man's work does not ennoble him1 but he ennobles it4 ,lessons4--,the text is a spiritual motto to be adopted--#a4 ,by ministers and ,sabbath-school teachers4 #b4 ,by parents seeking the spiritual good of their children4 #c4 ,by all discouraged ,christian workers4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verse4 ,weary in ,well-doing4 ,i4 ,the text by implication brings before us a state of mind to which believers are liable4--,weary in well-doing4 #a4 ,from a lamentable want of fitness for spiritual duties and employments4 #b4 ,from the opposition of the world4 #c4 ,from the hostile agency of spiritual wickedness4 #d4 ,from the dimness of our conceptions of the things which should especially influence us4 #e4 ,from failing to lay hold on the ,divine strength4 ,,ii4 ,the text an exhortation suited to those in the state referred to4--,be not weary4 #a4 ,because you are engaged in well-doing4 #b4 ,because the time is short4 #c4 ,because your associates are glorious4 #d4 ,because the issue is certain4 #e4 ,because sufficient strength is provided4--,stewart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad1 #ae4 ,treatment of the ,refractory4 ,after all the warnings of the apostle against erroneous views and his exhortations to ,christian diligence1 he foresees there may be some refractory members of the ,church who still persist in their extravagances1 reject all counsel1 and defy all rule and order4 ,in these verses he gives explicit directions how to deal with such4 ,the inveterately lazy are often something worse than lazy and are not easily reclaimed4 ,when disobedience settles into a habit1 stringent measures are necessary to arouse the victim to a sense of duty2 and the efforts of restoration must be both resolute and kind4 ,i4 ,it should be made evident that his conduct is an obstinate defiance of authority4--,and if any man obey not our word by this epistle1 note that man 7ver4 #ad74 ,not only note that his disorderly behaviour is a scandal to ,christianity and an example to be avoided1 but let it be brought home to him1 by direct and faithful dealing1 that it is a grave breach of the highest law4 ,we can make nothing of a ,fool till he is first convinced of his folly4 ,the first step in the process of reformation is conviction of the need of reformation4 ,it is said of ,thoreau1 the author1 that he was by nature of the opposition2 there was a constitutional ',no' in him that could not be tortured into ',yes4' ,there are many like him1 even in the ,christian ,church4 ,it may seem a difficult1 almost an impossible task1 to convince the refractory of his error2 but it is the first thing to be done1 and persevered in4 ,when the hearers of ,austin resented his reproofs1 he used to say1 ,change your conduct1 and ,i will change my conversation4 ,,ii4 ,with the view of bringing him to repentance he is to be excluded from ,christian fellowship4--,and have no company with him1 that he may be ashamed 7ver4 #ad74 ,the refractory practically excludes himself from every circle that loves order1 harmony1 and peace2 for who can bear the rasping chatter of an irresponsible gossip who is constantly raking up and turning over everybody's faults but his own8 ,but the ,church must take action unitedly in dealing with the contumacious4 ,he must be deliberately and pointedly shunned1 and1 when compelled to be in his company1 the members must show1 by the reserve of their bearing towards him1 how deeply he is grieving the hearts of the brethren and sinning against ,god4 ,in the days when there was only one ,church1 and exclusion from it was regarded as the greatest calamity and disgrace1 the fear of utter excommunication could not fail to have some effect upon those thus threatened with it4 ,few people can bear the test of being left severely alone4 ,it gives them the opportunity for reflection1 remorse1 and reform4 ,,iii4 ,efforts should be made in the spirit of ,christian brotherhood to effect his recovery4--,yet count him not as an enemy1 but admonish him as a brother 7ver4 #ae74 ,though shunned and threatened with exclusion from ,church fellowship1 he is not to be passed by with contemptuous silence4 ,he is not a heretic or a blasphemer1 nor is he guilty of any monstrous crime4 ,he is sinning against the good order of society and the peace of the ,church4 ,he is still a brother1 troublesome and unreasonable though he be2 and while there is the least hope of his restoration1 he should be faithfully admonished4 ,he is not to be accused and slandered to outsiders2 this will only aggravate his riotousness and make him more defiant4 ,he must be seen privately and spoken to faithfully1 but with the utmost tenderness4 ,the ,christian spirit teaches us to be discreet in all things1 and especially in administering reproof4 ,virtue ceases to be virtuous when it lacks discretion1 the queen of ethics4 ,to be plain1 writes ,felltham1 argues honesty2 but to be pleasing argues discretion4 ,sores are not to be anguished with rustic pressure1 but gently stroked with a ladied hand4 ,physicians fire not their eyes at patients1 but minister to their diseases4 ,let reproof be so as the offender may see affection1 without arrogancy4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,it is an important part of ,church discipline to control the unruly4 #b4 ,it is in the power of one discontented person to work much mischief4 #c4 ,church discipline must be administered with fidelity and ,christian tenderness4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,vers4 #ad1 #ae4 ,the ,disobedient-- ,i4 ,should be specially noted4 ,,ii4 ,should not be admitted to intimate friendship without repentance4 ,,iii4 ,should be kindly but faithfully admonished4 ,ver4 #ad4 ,obedience should be prompt4--,when a large passenger steamer was sinking1 the question whether scores of her passengers and crew would be saved or drowned was settled within fifteen minutes4 ,and millions have decided the momentous question of their eternal salvation or perdition in even less time than that4 ,it seems to have been short work with ,simon ,peter when ,jesus bade him quit the nets and follow ,him4 ,peter obeyed at once4 ,prompt obedience honours ,god4 ,it puts the soul immediately within the ,almighty's hold2 and when ,jesus has ,his omnipotent grasp of love upon me1 none shall be able to pluck me out of ,his hands 7,john x4 #bh74 ,prompt obedience saves4--,cuyler4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #af-ah4 ,apostolic ,courtesy4 ,the epistle is coming to a close1 and the ,christian courtesy of the apostle comes out in the spirit in which he expresses his farewell4 ,if he has spoken out plainly and even severely1 it has not been in vindictiveness and anger4 ,all that he has said and written is in the interests of peace4 ,his sharpest reproofs and most faithful admonitions have been suffused with an undercurrent of loving-kindness2 and his concluding words drop with the gentleness of refreshing dew4 ,i4 ,apostolic courtesy supplicates the blessing of the ,divine peace and presence4--,now the ,lord of peace ,himself give you peace always by all means4 ,the ,lord be with you all 7ver4 #af74 ,prayer was the life-breath of the apostle1 as we have frequently pointed out in the study of these epistles4 ,considering the dissensions that disturbed the harmony of the ,thessalonian ,church1 this epistle appropriately closes with a prayer for peace4 ,first1 and most important of all1 peace with ,god and the individual conscience2 then mutual peace and concord one with another--peace1 such as keeps the mind in an even and heavenly frame1 as a sentinel that guards a door1 lest foes should get in and make havoc where ,god hath commanded peace4 ,where ,god's presence is manifested1 there is peace2 hence the apostle adds1 ,the ,lord be with you all4 ,peace is a ,divine gift1 and a ,divine experience in man2 it is the peace of the ,lord of peace that we share4 ,,ii4 ,apostolic courtesy is expressed in an emphatic ,christian salutation4--,the salutation of ,paul with mine own hand1 which is the token in every epistle3 so ,i write 7ver4 #ag74 ,this epistle was written by an amanuensis1 probably ,silas or ,timothy1 at the dictation of ,paul2 and the apostle wrote his own signature1 adding the salutation and benediction4 ,this act not only stamped the genuineness of the epistle but indicated in a most unmistakable manner the anxiety of the apostle to thoroughly identify himself with all that was expressed in the epistle1 and to assure the ,thessalonians of his personal interest in and love towards them4 ,christianity is the soul of courtesy4 ,bolingbroke once said1 ,supposing ,christianity to be a mere human invention1 it is the most amiable and successful invention that ever was imposed on mankind4 ,when the courtiers of ,henry ,,iv4 of ,france expressed their surprise that he returned the salutation of a poor man1 who bowed down before him at the entrance of a village1 the king replied1 ,would you have your king exceeded in politeness by one of the lowest of his subjects8 ,as he is the best ,christian who is most humble1 so is he that truest gentleman that is most courteous4 ,,iii4 ,apostolic courtesy is indicated in the solemn invocation of the abiding grace of ,god4--,the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ be with you all4 ,amen 7ver4 #ah74 ,a farewell full of pathos1 full of solemnity1 full of peace1 full of admiration and love for the people--all good wishes condensed into a single phrase4 ,even an apostle can desire for the ,church1 or any of its members1 no richer benediction than that comprehended in the grace of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,lessons4--#a4 ,peace is a prime essential in ,church prosperity4 #b4 ,the ,christian spirit is the essence of true courtesy4 #c4 ,we can invoke no higher blessing on others than to be kept in the enjoyment of ,divine grace4 ,,germ ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,verses4 ,ver4 #af4 ,the ,omnipresent ,god-- ,i4 ,in history4--,shaping the course and destiny of nations4 ,,ii4 ,in providence4--#a4 ,guarding4 #b4 ,guiding ,his people4 ,,iii4 ,in grace4--#a4 ,manifesting ,his goodness in ,christ4 #b4 ,giving inclination and power to do ,his will4 #c4 ,demanding and bestowing personal holiness4 #d4 ,ensuring constant peace4 ,peace in ,danger4--,during the great earthquake in ,london1 when thousands were running about and crying in terror1 when buildings were falling and the ground rocking like the ocean in a storm1 ,wesley gathered a few of his followers in one of their little chapels1 and calmly read to them the forty-sixth ,psalm1 ,god is our refuge and strength4 ,vers4 #ag1 #ah4 ,christian ,courtesy-- ,i4 ,takes pains to make itself evident4--,so ,i write4 ,,ii4 ,is a hearty expression of personal regard4--,the salutation of ,paul with mine own hand4 ,,iii4 ,invokes the blessing of ,divine grace on all 7ver4 #ah74 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,page #eea1 ,occasion1 first paragraph1 change two principal to two principals4 ,second paragraph1 add ch4 ii4 #b reference4 ,style1 second paragraph1 add left double quote before they are4 - ,page #eeb1 ,outline1 in the second row of the table1 change an em-dash to an ampersand because the material described by the second row is interrupted by the material described by the third row4 ,final row1 add period after benediction4 - ,page #eec1 notes on chapter i41 verse #e1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add ,acts v4 #ci reference4 ,verse #f1 add ,john vii4 #ah and ,rom4 xii4 #ai references4 ,verse #h1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,verse #i1 add ver4 #f reference4 - ,page #eed1 notes on chapter i41 verse #ab1 add comma to ,so ,christ4 ,lesson ,features1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 add comma to abounds there4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 remove commas from ,thessalonica1 and and ,christians1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #eee1 same lesson1 point ,,iv1 remove comma from them1 and4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,germ note1 each of points #a #a and ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #eef1 lesson ,recompense1 point ,i1 add ,john xv4 #bj reference4 ,point ,,ii1 remove comma from bottle1 but4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 ,point ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely2 add comma to ,thessalonians the4 ,point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,the break between pages #eef and #eeg is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken3 persecutor4--,seeing4 ,the whole unit was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #eeg1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 each of points #a and #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,germ note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,lesson ,judgment1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,word4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #eeh1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #b1 add ,ps4 civ4 #c reference4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 add #a ,tim4 i4 #aa reference2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,iii #a1 add ,john xvii4 #bb reference4 - ,page #eei1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #a1 add ,ps4 xc4 #ag reference4 ,point ,,iii #b1 remove comma from testimony1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel2 add comma to ,so none4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,divine ,retribution note1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,lesson ,prayer1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice74 - ,page #efj1 same lesson1 point ,i1 add ,tit4 ii4 #ab reference4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely1 ,divine ,word1 and ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 add ,phil4 ii4 #i reference2 remove comma from nature1 and4 ,point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice72 add #a ,tim4 i4 #ad reference4 ,point ,,vi1 change ,michael ,angelo to ,michelangelo4 - ,page #efa1 ,genuine ,religion note1 each of points ,,ii #a and ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,christ ,glorified note1 apply ,,rc to ,he lives4 ,notes on chapter ii41 verse #a1 tag the word ,parousia as ,greek1 such that it sets in ,italic1 rather than ,roman1 type4 - ,page #efb1 notes on chapter ii41 verse #c1 change xcellence to excellence4 ,verse #h1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,verse #i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,verse #aj1 add ,john xviii4 #ch reference4 ,verse #ac1 change i4 #c to ch4 i4 #c4 ,lesson ,antichrist1 introduction1 remove comma from significance1 and4 - ,page #efc1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine and ,divinity4 ,point ,,ii #a1 remove right double quotes after ,church of ,god2 change apostle to apostles2 change the period after ,churches to a colon introducing a list of references4 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #efd1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #efe1 lesson ,salvation1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from wicked1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #eff1 same lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,gospel 7thrice71 and ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #efg1 ,holy ,ghost note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,sainthood note1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,steadfastness1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 - ,page #efh1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #efi1 same lesson1 application 7,lessons71 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,lesson ,prayer1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice72 remove comma from argues1 but4 ,point ,i1 remove the commas from friends1 and1 consolation1 and1 and bowels1 and4 ,each of points ,,iii and ,,iii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #egj1 same lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,prayer note1 point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,good ,hope note1 point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,iii #c1 change self dependence to self-dependence4 - ,page #ega1 notes on chapter iii41 verse #f1 change esprit de corps do not to esprit de corps does not4 ,verse #af1 add em-dash before poem4 - ,page #egb1 lesson ,prayer1 introduction1 remove comma from affection1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel1 ,divine1 and ,gospel 7twice74 ,point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7four times74 ,point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #egc1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,application 7,lessons71 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 ,point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,lesson ,faithfulness1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #egd1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 tag ,von ,moltke's motto as ,german so it sets in ,italic1 rather than ,roman1 type2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice74 ,lesson ,divine ,love1 introduction1 add comma to ,again the2 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine1 ,gospel1 ,divine1 ,gospel1 and ,divine2 add comma to war the4 - ,page #ege1 same lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice74 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove comma from grace1 or4 - ,page #egf1 lesson ,consistency1 introduction1 add comma to crushed and4 ,point ,i1 remove comma from apostles1 and2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #egh1 lesson ,work1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #egi1 ,industry note1 change er4 #aj to ,ver4 #aj and ,caprarolo to ,caprarola4 - ,page #ehj1 lesson ,call1 point ,i #b1 remove comma from us1 and2 add ,prov4 xi4 #cj and ,matt4 xxv4 #ba references4 - ,page #eha1 same lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,highest4 ,germ note1 point ,i #e1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,lesson ,treatment1 introduction1 remove comma from lazy1 and4 - ,page #ehb1 same lesson1 point ,,iii1 change to oe anguished to to be anguished4 - ,page #ehc1 ,obedience note1 add ,john x4 #bh reference4 ,lesson ,courtesy1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7thrice74 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to epistle1 but4 - ,page #ehd1 same lesson1 ,application 7,lessons71 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,peace note1 change forty-sixth psalm to ,psalm4 ,christian ,courtesy note1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,,index4 ,h4 ,homily2 ,n4 ,note2 ,i4 ,illustration ,abraham1 all nations blessed in1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,abraham's faith1 imitators of1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,abrahamic gospel1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,abuse of ,christian ,liberty1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,abuse of public worship1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,access to ,father1 privilege of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,access to ,god1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,access to ,god revealing ,trinity in unity1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,active faith1 righteousness attained by1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,adopting love of ,god1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,adoption1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,adoption and its claims1 ,i4 ,gal4 ,adoption of children by ,jesus ,christ1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,adoption of sons1 ,christ's mission for1 in fullness of time1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,advent1 second1 of ,christ1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,affection and meekness1 power of1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,affections1 religious1 are attended with change of nature1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,affliction1 necessity and perils of1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,aim high1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,alarm1 false1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,all and in all1 ,christ1 ,h4 ,col4 ,all are one in ,christ1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,all concluded under sin1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,all1 knowledge of ,christ intended for1 ,n4 ,eph4 ,all nations blessed in ,abraham1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,alone1 bearing our burdens1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,ambassador1 ,gospel1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,angels1 evil1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,anger and meekness1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,anger sinful1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,antichrist portrayed1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,antidote to contention1 humility an1 ,n4 ,phil4 ,anxiety1 ministerial1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,anxiety1 ministerial1 ,h4 ,col4 ,anxiety1 prayer and expression of1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,anxieties of ministerial life1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,anxious care1 ,h4 ,phil4 #cfb ,apathy one of our trials1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,apostle1 erring1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostle1 religious life of1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostle's view of his ministry1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,apostleship1 ,divine call to1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostleship1 practical proof of1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostolic assurance of supernatural character of ,gospel1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,apostolic benediction1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,apostolic courtesy1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,apostolic credentials1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostolic estimate of ,christian character1 ,h4 ,col4 ,apostolic exposure of false teachers1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostolic greeting1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,apostolic greeting1 phases of1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,apostolic greeting1 phases of1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,apostolic introduction to ,epistle1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,apostolic praise of order and stability1 ,h4 ,col4 ,apostolic prayer1 comprehensive1 ,h4 ,col4 ,apostolic prayer1 comprehensive1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,apostolic preaching1 ,h4 ,col4 ,apostolic preaching characterised by transparent truth1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,apostolic preaching1 perversion of1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,apostolic salutation1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,apostolic salutation1 ,h4 ,col4 ,apostolical care for ,church1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,apprehension of spiritual blessings1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,armour1 ,christian's1 ,n4 ,eph4 ,ascension and its results1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,asceticism1 ,h4 ,col4 ,aspirations of soul1 higher1 ,h4 ,col4 ,association1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,assurance of ,christian inheritance1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,atheism1 practical1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,attainment of resurrection1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,attainment1 spiritual1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,attitude of ,church towards second coming of ,christ1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,attractiveness of worth1 ,i4 ,gal4 ,author and ,end of creation1 ,christ1 ,h4 ,col4 ,authority1 best1 to be obeyed1 ,i4 ,gal4 ,authority1 ministerial1 ,divine blessing highest sanction of1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,authority of messenger of ,god1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,awakening1 slumbering souls and their1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,bad and good examples1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,bad companions1 ,i4 ,gal4 ,bad manners1 reform of1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,baptism1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,baptism1 teaching of1 ,h4 ,gal ,baptism1 true1 ,h4 ,col4 ,bear one another's burdens1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,bear one another's burdens1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,believer complete in ,christ1 ,h4 ,col4 ,believer crucified with ,christ1 and ,christ living in believer1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,believer exalted together with ,jesus ,christ1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,believer's life in ,christ1 features of1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,believer's perfection1 ,divine fulness of ,christ's pledge of1 ,h4 ,col4 ,believer's portion in both worlds1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,believer's salvation1 grounds of confidence in1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,believers1 benefit conferred by ,spirit on1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,believers1 characteristics of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,believers1 children of promise1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,believers1 duty of1 in evil day1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,believers1 enemies of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,believers1 ,paul as example to1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,believers1 steadfastness of1 a source of true ministerial satisfaction1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,believing soul1 manner in which ,gospel comes to1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,benediction1 apostolic1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,benediction1 concluding1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,benediction1 suggestive1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,beneficence1 opportunity of1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,benefit conferred by ,spirit on believers1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,benevolence1 practical ,christian1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,best authority to be obeyed1 ,i4 ,gal4 ,best work1 call to do1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,bible sword of ,spirit1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,biblical account of sin1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,blameless life1 lustre of1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,blessedness1 man's final condition of1 ,h4 ,col4 ,blessing1 ,divine1 highest sanction of ministerial authority1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,blessing of redemption1 great1 ,h4 ,col4 ,blessings of reconciliation1 personal1 ,h4 ,col4 ,blessings1 spiritual1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,boasting1 empty1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,body1 human1 resurrection of1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,body of ,christ1 ,church the1 ,h4 ,col4 ,body of ,christ1 members of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,body1 one1 and one spirit1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,body1 resurrection of1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,boldness a duty in a minister1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,boldness1 ,christian1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,bond of unity1 peace the1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,bonds1 ,paul's1 ministry of1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,bondage and liberty1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,bondage1 freedom from1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,bondage1 spiritual1 ignorance of ,god a1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,bondwoman and her son1 cast out1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,book1 names in1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,bravery1 ,christian1 exhortation to1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,bravery1 moral1 picture of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,bread1 wheat is better than1 ,h4 ,col4 ,brethren1 false1 and their treatment1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,bride1 ,christ and ,his1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,brotherhood1 ,christian1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,brotherhood of man1 ,christian1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,brotherly love in action1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,brotherly love1 a proof of true sanctification1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,brotherly reproof1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,burden1 every man has his own1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,burden or a glory1 cross1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,burdens1 bear one another's1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,burdens1 bear one another's1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,burdens1 our twofold1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,burden-bearing1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,burden-bearing1 mutual sympathy in1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,business1 mind your own1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,call1 ,divine1 to apostleship1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,call1 ,gospel and1 to preach it1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,call of ,gospel to sinners1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,call to ,christian fortitude1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,call to do best work1 ,h4 #b ,thess4 ,calling of ,gentiles1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,care1 anxious1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,care1 cure of1 ,h4 ,phil4 ,causes of ministerial thanksgiving1 ,h4 ,col4 ,censure1 ,church1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,ceremonial and zeal in religion1 ,h4 ,col4 ,ceremonial in religion transitory and unsatisfying1 ,h4 ,col4 ,change effected by ,gospel1 ,h4 #a ,thess4 ,change great1 effected in man by ,gospel1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,change of life1 religion1 ,h4 ,col4 ,change of nature1 religious affections are attended with1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,character and privileges of children of ,god1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,character ,christian1 essentials of1 ,h4 ,col4 ,character1 love perfection of1 ,n4 ,gal4 ,characteristics of believers1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,charge1 a father's1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,charity1 industry the true1 ,i4 #b ,thess4 ,charity1 nature1 properties1 and acts of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,children1 adoption of1 by ,jesus ,christ1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,children and parents1 duties of1 ,h4 ,eph4 ,children and parents1 duties of1 ,h4 ,col4 ,children of darkness 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mistaken1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,zeal1 true and false1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,zealous ritualist1 ,h4 ,gal4 ,,homilies ,,for ,,special ,,occasions4 ,church ,seasons3 ,advent1 ,eph4 v4 #ac1 #ad2 #a ,thess4 iii4 #ac b2 iv4 #ae-ah2 v4 #a-aa2 #b ,thess4 iii4 #e4 ,christmas1 ,gal4 iv4 #d4 ,lent1 ,col4 ii4 #ba-bc2 iii4 #e-i4 ,good ,friday1 ,gal4 i4 #d2 vi4 #ad1 #ae2 ,phil4 ii4 #h2 ,col4 ii4 #ae4 ,st4 ,mark's day1 ,eph4 iv4 #g4 ,ascension ,day1 ,eph4 iv4 #i1 #aj2 ,phil4 iii4 #aj2 ,col4 iii4 #a1 #b4 ,whit ,sunday1 ,gal4 v4 #bb-bf2 #be2 ,eph4 i4 #ac2 iv4 #cj2 #b ,thess4 ii4 #ac4 ,trinity ,sunday1 ,eph4 ii4 #ah2 iv4 #d-f4 ,holy ,communion3 ,eph4 ii4 #ai2 iii4 #ae2 ,col4 iii4 #ag4 ,missions to ,heathen3 ,eph4 ii4 #c2 #aa1 #ab2 iii4 #a-f4 ,bible ,society1 ,eph4 vi4 #ag4 ,evangelistic ,services3 ,eph4 i4 #g1 #h2 ii4 #a-c2 #d-i2 ,col4 i4 #ac1 #ad2 ii4 #ac1 #ad4 ,special3 ,ordination1 ,gal4 i4 #aj2 #ae-ai2 #af2 vi4 #f2 ,eph4 iii4 #g-i2 iv4 #aa1 #ab2 vi4 #bj2 ,col4 i4 #be-bg2 #bh-bi2 iv4 #ab1 #ac2 #a ,thess4 ii4 #a-ab4 ,workers1 ,gal4 i4 #f2 ,eph4 iv4 #aa1 #ab2 ,phil4 iv4 #b1 #c2 #b ,thess4 iii4 #ac4 ,baptism1 ,gal4 iii4 #bf-bi2 ,col4 ii4 #ab4 ,confirmation1 ,eph4 ii4 #bj-bd4 ,harvest1 ,gal4 vi4 #g1 #h2 #i4 ,temperance1 ,eph4 v4 #ah4 ,friendly ,society1 ,gal4 vi4 #b4 ,death1 #a ,thess4 iv4 #ac1 #ad4 ,parents1 ,eph4 vi4 #d2 ,col4 iii4 #bj1 #ba2 #bc-be4 ,young1 ,eph4 vi4 #a-d2 ,phil i4 #aj b4 ,worship1 ,eph4 v4 #ai-ba2 #ai4 ,almsgiving1 ,gal4 ii4 #aj2 vi4 #b2 #aj2 ,phil4 iv4 #ae1 #af4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,page #ehe1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,ambassador1 ,gospel1 and ,apostolic assurance of supernatural character of ,gospel4 - ,page #ehf1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,believing soul1 manner in which ,gospel comes to1 ,call1 ,gospel and1 to preach it1 ,call of ,gospel to sinners1 ,change effected by ,gospel1 and ,change great1 effected in man by ,gospel4 - ,page #ehh1 for ,church1 generous1 change page number from #cf to #cfh4 ,for ,church1 growth of1 change page number from #ba to #bag4 - ,page #ehi1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,commencement of ,gospel at ,philippi4 - ,page #eij1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,difference between ,law and ,gospel4 ,for ,disappointed hopes in ,christian work1 change page number from #a to #aj4 ,change ,disturber f faith to ,disturber of faith4 ,change ,divine call1 apostleship to ,divine call1 to apostleship4 ,change ,divine fullness of ,christ's pledge f believer's perfection to of4 ,change ,earnest of inheritance1 ,holy ,spirit and to an4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,effects of ,gospel upon those who receive it4 - ,page #eia1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,enlarged ,gospel1 ,enmity of heart1 power of ,gospel to dissolve1 and ,estimate of ,gospel truth1 correct4 ,for ,excellency of knowledge of ,christ1 add page number #cdc4 - ,page #eib1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,fellowship in ,gospel and ,glory of ,gospel4 - ,page #eic1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,grace1 ,gospel of1 praise for work of ,trinity in1 ,hagar and ,sarah1 history of1 allegorical of ,law and ,gospel1 and ,heart1 enmity of1 power of ,gospel to dissolve4 - ,page #eid1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,history of ,hagar and ,sarah allegorical of ,law and ,gospel1 ,inviolable unity of ,gospel1 and ,irrepressible1 ,gospel4 ,for ,known and unknown love of ,christ1 add page number #aif4 - ,page #eie1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,law and ,gospel1 differences between1 ,law and ,gospel1 history of ,hagar and ,sarah allegorical of1 and ,man1 great change effected in1 by ,gospel4 - ,page #eif1 apply ,,rc to ,great in ,mediator1 ,great1 reconciling work of4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,men1 state of1 without ,gospel4 ,apply ,,rc to ,divinely in ,messenger1 ,divinely commissioned1 self-evidencing proof of4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,mystery1 ,gospel a and ,mystery of ,gospel4 - ,page #eig1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,one ,gospel1 ,origin of ,gospel1 superhuman1 and ,peace1 ,gospel of4 - ,page #eih1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,power1 ,gospel in word and in1 ,power of ,gospel1 ,power of ,gospel to dissolve enmity of heart1 ,practical result of true reception of ,gospel1 ,praise for work of ,trinity in ,gospel of grace1 ,preaching of ,gospel not in vain1 ,profession of ,gospel1 uncleanness inconsistent with1 and ,promise1 ,gospel call and4 - ,page #eii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,reception of ,gospel1 true1 practical result of1 ,remonstrance with revolters against ,gospel1 ,result1 practical1 of true reception of ,gospel1 and ,revolters against ,gospel1 remonstrance with4 - ,page #fjj1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,salvation1 ,gospel of your1 ,same1 true ,gospel universally the1 ,sarah and ,hager1 history of1 allegorical of ,gospel and ,law4 ,apply ,,rc to ,divinely in ,self-evidencing proof of ,divinely commissioned messenger4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,sinners1 call of ,gospel to and ,soul1 believing1 manner in which ,gospel comes to4 - ,page #fja1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,state of men without ,gospel and ,superhuman origin of ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #fjb1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,trinity1 praise for work of1 in ,gospel of ,grace1 ,true ,gospel to be preached and believed1 and ,true ,gospel universally the same4 ,apply ,,rc to ,divinity in ,truth and ,divinity of ,christian religion4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,uncleanness inconsistent with profession of ,gospel1 and ,unity of ,gospel1 inviolable4 - ,page #fjc1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel in ,word and in power1 ,gospel in4 ,the ,homilies for ,special ,occasions section was reformatted to put each of the topics on a separate line rather than running them together4