Lecture XXVIII · Summary of Duty

THE series of practical counsels, into which the line of thought in the 3rd chapter naturally led the apostle, is here closed by a singularly clear and comprehensive summary of Christian duty, and an affectionate appeal to his readers to cultivate, thoughtfully and diligently, universal holiness. ‘Having named the name of Christ,’ he says, ‘ give all diligence to depart from iniquity, and to add to your faith every strong virtue and every tender grace of Christian character. In such a world as this it is hard, under any circumstances, to live a godly life. For you Philippians, brought up — many of you in heathenism, and all surrounded constantly by the abominations of heathenism,—exposed, too, occasionally, to the misleading teaching of professed disciples of the Lord Jesus, who, while claiming to be peculiarly spiritual, do in fact “glory in their shame, and mind earthly things,”—it is very hard. — Strive, then, dear brethren, with intense earnestness, to adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour, by lives of blamelessness, and — patience, and consecration to the advancement of His kingdom.” Observe the force of ‘ whatsoever things’ here. We feel that the repetition of these words so many times gives them most

marked emphasis. We seem to hear the apostle saying in them, ‘Do not content yourselves with the perception and acceptance of the general principle, that truthfulness and justice and purity are beautiful and needful; but bear in mind constantly, that a life of truthfulness and justice and purity is made up of daily and hourly acts characterized by these virtues. The true economist of his income is the man who not merely holds that economy is desirable, but brings this conviction to bear on “whatsoever things” involve outlay of money. Time is “redeemed” by those who carry a sense of its value into “whatsoever things” claim their attention. Similarly, his life is a godly life, who remembers that life is made up of days and hours, and the acts performed in days and hours,—who is always thoughtful and watchful and prayerful,— and from whose heart, purified by grace, there exhales a fragrance of heaven, to pervade “ whatsoever things” God’s providence brings him into connection with. The wise Christian will bring his Christianity into all the details of his life. Observe also that such a Christian will not “pick and choose” among the aspects and elements of godliness ; but ‘‘ whatsoever things” his conscience and his Bible tell him to be accordant with the divine will, these all and always he will do,—“ esteeming all God’s commandments concerning all things to be right, and hating every false way.” The full beauty of the Christian character, and its full effectiveness as a sweet persuasive influence on the world, are not obtained by the exhibition of one or two virtues with great completeness and constancy, but by the manifest presence and harmonious development of all. Exhibit in your character, therefore, all the elements of a full ripe Christianity. Lead forth in your life all the graces in choral order and festal array,’ that each may take her fitting

’ Something like this image lies in the word ἐσιχορηγήσατε, with which (2 Ep. i. 5) Peter introduces a summary of Christian duty, similar to the present, and which our translators have rendered, of necessity perhaps, but certainly prosaically enough, by ‘add.’

and needful part in the grand anthem which every sanctified nature is continually raising to the glory of Him who “ washed us from our sins in His own blood.”’

The words which the apostle employs in this summary of duty may be taken, and by some expositors are taken, in a sense so wide as to comprehend, each of them, universal holiness. Thus, to cherish and show truthfulness in all things, towards God and ourselves and our fellow-men,—to be pure, to be just or righteous, to be lovely, in all our relations to God and man,—every one of these denotes universal conformity to the divine will. In this case, by the group of terms are set forth various aspects of this universal holiness. The force of the passage, however, seems to me to be somewhat lost by taking this view of the meaning. It appears very much more natural and very much more accordant with Paul’s usual pointedness of practical teaching, to regard the several terms as describing distinct excellences—distinct elements of Christian character. This paragraph, and that which immediately precedes it, are shown by the similarity of their conclusions to have had in the apostle’s mind a close connection. Now in the former he enforces the importance of communion with God—of entering by faith into the ‘secret of His tabernacle,’ and there abiding with Him in blessed fellowship. In the present passage, then, as I apprehend, presupposing the existence and cultivation of such fellowship, he passes on to speak of the kind of life in the world which becomes the Christian profession. By ‘whatsoever things are true,’ he means, I think, simply, ‘truthfulness in all our dealings of every kind with our fellow-men,’—by ‘ whatsoever things are pure,’ ‘ purity in everything,’ in the sense in which we should commonly understand such words,—and similarly of the rest. ‘

Whatsoever things are true’ comes first,—truthfulness in all circumstances. Without truthfulness there can be no basis of order among moral beings, no possibility of happiness in their — relations to each other. If God were not absolutely true, we could have no reasonable peace or hope in Him ; and, accord- _ ing to the measure in which men imitate the truthfulness of _ God, is the comfort of social life. Men living together con- Stitute, for many purposes, one body ; and the welfare of this body politic is as really dependent on the veracity of the various members, as that of the body of each individual is on the truthful communications of its organs with each other. This is the exact image and argument employed by Paul in writing to the Ephesians. ‘Putting away lying,’ he says, ‘speak every man truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another’ (Eph. iv. 25). This is beautifully expanded by an eloquent father of the church: ‘ Let not the eye lie to the foot, nor the foot to the eye. If there be a deep pit, and its mouth, covered with reeds, present to the eye the appearance of solid ground, will not the eye use the foot to ascertain whether it is hollow or firm? Will the foot tell a lie, and not the very truth? And what, again, if the eye were to spy a serpent or wild beast, would it lie to the foot?’! ‘ Whatsoever things are true,’ then—truth-telling at all times, in all ways, at all hazards—this is what God enjoins upon us,—here, as in everything, commanding what accords with perfect wisdom and perfect love. It is not needful, at present, to enter into _ the consideration of questions of casuistty regarding the lawfulness of deceptions in war, of playful deceptions, and the like ; the answer to which is, in some instances, difficult,—in very many, obvious to common sense. The grand general tule is, that wilful deception, by word or act, directly or by equivocation, is forbidden by God.

With hearts like ours, and in a world like this, it is very hard to maintain perfect truthfulness. To falsehood, especially in its most common form, oral untruth, temptations are peculiarly frequent and strong. They present themselves in connection with all the circumstances of social life, alike in business and in recreation. Then the sin is committed so easily and : 1

Chrysostom.

rapidly that, almost before we are conscious that the thought of uttering a falsehood has entered the mind, a lie may have been spoken. We obtain very little help, too, for cleaving to ‘

whatsoever things are true,’ from popular feeling on the subject. The heathen neighbours of the Philippian Christians scarcely felt that truth was at all morally preferable to falsehood ; and even among ourselves, after Christianity has been acting upon public feeling for many centuries,—whilst in respectable society a clear, well-defined lie may be frowned upon, yet how sadly the boundaries between truthfulness and falsehood have been broken down! A broad border territory, or debateable land, seems to be recognised, of exaggerations and misrepresentations such as the world smilingly calls ‘ white lies,’—a territory in which even the Christian may sometimes be in danger of losing his way, and straying into the enemy’s country. The only safe course is to disregard the world’s maps of morality, and study God’s, given in the Bible and the conscience. There all lies are marked d/ack.

‘ Whatsoever things are honest. The word ‘ honest, which now we commonly use only to describe honourable feeling and conduct in relation to property, meant in the older English

‘honourable’ generally, and this is its meaning wherever it occurs in the Bible. The particular original word so translated here is used elsewhere in the New Testament only with reference to the character which becomes office-bearers in the church, and their wives, and members advanced in life ; and in this connection is always rendered by ‘grave.’ In the verse before us its force is given by our translators in the margin, with much precision, by the word ‘venerable.’ It designates dignified conduct, such conduct as shows self-respect, and wins respect from others.

Frivolity—the aversion of men, by nature, to seriousness of thought and feeling—is one of the greatest obstacles to the progress of the gospel. The Christian has been enabled by 1 See 1 Tim. iii, 8, 11 ; Titus ii. 2:

God’s grace to overcome this hindrance. He has learned to take the unseen world into his calculations, and to see how serious a thing it is to spend the life which is the seed-time for the harvest of eternity. He feels, too, the loftiness of his position in Christ, as a child of God, a citizen of heaven. Buffoonery and silly lightness of demeanour are obviously altogether unsuitable to one holding such views, and cherishing such hopes as his ; and he neglects his duty, if he fail to ponder and practise ‘ whatsoever things are grave—honourable—dignified.’ He may be, and should be, the very opposite of morose. He should be felt to bring habitually into society a bright atmosphere, an element of cheerfulness. But the cheerfulness should be always ‘ with grace,’ spiritually healthful. There can be few influences for good stronger than that of the man from whose society his friends always depart with the impression that his companionship has added much to their happiness, whilst, throughout, his speech and conduct have been ‘ seasoned with the salt’ of truth and love. Wit and humour are exceedingly liable to be abused ; but the employment of them in a spirit of purity and kindness, and in moderation, by such as have the gift of using them, and the hearty enjoyment of them by such as have the gift of appreciating them, are in nowise ᾿ inconsistent with the noblest Christian character, and are often seen to give a special charm to such a character. The very fact that these are gifts of God, implies that they should be turned to account; and by them many a heavy heart is lightened. Christians who lack a sense of humour have no more right to think ill of brethren who possess it, and use it, than Christians who have no ear for music have to frown upon others who enjoy and find themselves sweetened and elevated in spirit by a symphony of Beethoven. Whatever wreaths of pleasantry, however, may be thrown around a Christian life, yet, as a whole, the life should show such chastening and sobriety as accord with the conviction that sin and death are awful realities,—such calm, quiet dignity as beseems one

who, in Christ, is a ‘king and priest unto God,’ and who aims to become ‘ meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.’

It is very needful that young Christians, in particular, should keep this duty in mind. We see all around us thoughtless, giddy self-indulgence, which calls itself gaiety. We hear all around us ‘the laughter of the fool, which is as the crackling of thorns under a pot,’ ending very soon in cold, and silence, and darkness. Frivolous literature, too, meets us everywhere. Vast multitudes appear to read little else than what, professing to be comic, is frequently, in fact, the dreariest rubbish, wholly destitute of the true wit which has power to brighten and refresh, and, even where it is really marked by ability, deals often with subjects wholly unsuited for such a mode of treatment—subjects calling really for gravity, and, it may be, for sadness. Familiarity with this mountebank style of literature has a tendency to foster a foolish, flippant style of thinking’ and speaking, and to lead to a giddy, trifling style of life, even in those who have, acting within them, distinct impulses to better things. It is therefore very necessary that, as a counteractive to all such evil agencies, we keep with liveliness before our hearts the great ends for which life was given us, and its transcendently important relations to the life to come. Thus we shall be led growingly to feel how much it befits us to be sober- © minded, and to follow diligently ‘ whatsoever things accord with Christian dignity and gravity.’

Further, ‘ whatsoever things are just.’ By ‘just, in the moral system of Christianity, is meant ‘ equitable,—the giving to others their due, not merely in the sense in which human law may construe obligation, but in the sense, as the apostle has it fully elsewhere, of ‘that which is just and equal’ in the view of an enlightened conscience. Human laws, however carefully and wisely framed, will, if applied with rigour to every case, sometimes act oppressively. ‘The Christianly just man recognises this fact, and tries always to follow the principles of true fairdealing. He does not take advantage of obvious slips of the

pen, of the accidental invalidity of documents or bargains, of manifest oversights of any kind. He endeavours, in all matters of business, to do to others as he thinks it might not be unreasonable for him, if he were in the place of those others, to wish that they should do to him. He holds it unjust—a substantial violation of the eighth commandment of the decalogue—for a tradesman to sell, as genuine, goods which he knows to be adulterated, or to impose on an ignorant purchaser a price higher than would otherwise be asked; for an employer to exact from a servant work not coming within the terms or spirit of the engagement; for a servant to spend time for which his employer pays in doing nothing, or in doing work merely for himself. Justice, in the broad Christian meaning of the word, requires us to act, in all business relations of every kind, ‘not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God,—and, whatsoever we do, to do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.’ That this is the true Christian principle on the subject, no person at all acquainted with Scripture will deny. But ah, dear brethren, have we not reason to fear that, if this be justice, then in our counting-houses, and warehouses, and workshops, and private dwellings, there is to be found a vast amount of injustice, perpetrated by men and women who have named the name of Christ? We sadly lack a vivid practical conviction that religion has to do with everything, and that those eyes which ‘are as a flame of fire’ ‘ are in every place.’

The apostle mentions next ‘ zwhatsoever things are pure. The term in the original would probably, from its ordinary application, suggest to the Philippians precisely what ‘pure’ does to us,—freedom generally from all that is gross and sensual, selfish and mean, and also, more specially, chastity in thought and feeling, word and conduct. The enlightened Christian shrinks from moral defilement of every kind, whether of heart or life. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ ‘Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of

the Lord.’ ‘Ye were sometimes darkness,’ says Paul to the Christians of Ephesus, ‘but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Fornication and all uncleanness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting, which are not convenient ; but rather giving of thanks.’ To professing Christians living among the heathen, by whom many forms of uncleanness were regarded as matters of entire indifference morally, it was obviously needful that the teachers of Christianity should give such warnings with great earnestness. Ah, my friends, is it not deplorable to observe the abundant evidence we have of the needfulness of giving the very same warnings with intense earnestness still, to gospel hearers even among our own dear Scottish people, heirs of the influence of Bible knowledge and Christian institutions for many generations? Dear brethren, let us all lay to heart the affectionate pleadings of the Spirit, that, ‘as strangers and pilgrims, we should abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,’ and should be ‘holy in all manner of conversation, as He which hath called us is holy.’ ‘The wisdom that is from above is first pure.’

Looking back now over the points which have come under our consideration, you see that substantial elements of a strong and noble character have been before us. The Christian as he ought to be, and in the measure of his faith is, thoughtfully and prayerfully practises ¢vwth,—so that in every department of his life you find freedom from pretence and affectation, and his word is as good as his bond. Seriousness and self-respect show themselves always in his speech and deportment. His business dealings with others are marked by a scrupulous regard to equity. And those who take knowledge of his private life cannot fail to recognise a firm se/(-restraint, and superiority of spirit to all sensuality and baseness. Such a character as this, consistently maintained, evinces clearly to thoughtful observers

the working of the Divine Spirit, and is eminently fitted to gain for its possessor general esteem and admiration. Yet, as regards influence for good on the world, such a life may be cold and statue-like, destitute of the element which quickens. This life-giving power is manifested love.

In an address to a body of young medical brethren, the late eminent physician Sir James Simpson, whose own practice abundantly illustrated the teaching I here quote, said,—‘ Let us all cultivate to the utmost the steady manliness of hand and head which our profession so urgently demands; but do not despise that gentle womanliness of heart which the sick in their depression and pain so often look for, and long for, and profit by. Be to every man his beloved, as well as his trusted, physician.’ We all feel that this advice was sound and important for the young men to whom it was given. And it holds, Christian friends, for you and me, whatever our worldly occupation may be ; for our profession, as Christians, is that of spiritual physicians. Our vocation in Christ, through whom alone the disease of sin can be overcome, is, by lip and by life, to commend to men the gospel, which is ‘the power of God unto’ spiritual healing. To the manly strength of veracity and dignity, justice and purity, therefore, we must add the tender and winning graces also. The grand element of curative energy in the gospel is its proof that ‘God is love;’ and in the measure in which God’s children show likeness to their Father will be the persuasive and healthful influence of their character on men around. Hence the apostle’s next injunction in the passage before us is to ponder and practise ‘ whatsoever things are lovely.’

By ‘/ovely’ is meant ‘calculated to gain love ;’ and, practically, ‘ whatsoever things are calculated to gain love’ is an expression equivalent to ‘ whatsoever things show love.’ Dr. Doddridge, speaking of a little daughter who died young, and who was a great favourite with all the friends of the family, mentions that, when he once asked her what made everybody

love her so well, she answered, ‘ Indeed, papa, I cannot think, unless it be because I love everybody,’—‘a sentiment,’ he — truly remarks, ‘obvious to the understanding of a child, yet — not unworthy the reflection of the wisest man.’! Veracity, j dignity, justice, and purity may procure respect ; but love a

is likely to win love.

Loveliness of character is the reflection of His beauty who Γ ‘is love.’ ‘The wisdom from above is peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits.’ The Christianly wise man, then, will be of a forgiving spirit, remembering that ‘God for Christ’s sake has forgiven him.’ He will endeavour — to be courteous and kindly in all his dealings, feeling that, — whatever his lot in life be, God has called him to be a gentleman, in the truest, richest sense of the name. He will enter — with real interest into the feelings of those with whom he is brought into contact, ‘rejoicing with them that do rejoice, and — weeping with them that weep.’ His kindly heart will reveal — itself in kindly speech —or, it may be, kindly silence,—in — tenderness, considerateness, and benevolent activity. Of every means within his reach of promoting the temporal and spiritual welfare of men he will gladly avail himself, labouring personally — in this cause, and cordially helping forward every enterprise ~ which aims at loosing any of the bands of wickedness, undoing — any of the heavy burdens, breaking any of the yokes, under which humanity groans. His charity will flow forth unobtrusively, but constantly, by all the channels within his reach. He will be ‘eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, and a father te the poor. The blessing of him that was ready to perish w come upon him, and he will cause the widow’s heart to 1

In a note, Doddridge quotes an interesting parallel from (Ep. 9),—7%bi monstrabo amatorium sine medicamento, sine herbis, sit ullius venefice carmine: si vis amari, ama,—‘I will tell you of a lovecharm which needs no drugs, nor simples, nor witch’s incantation : #f you wish to be loved, love.’

᾿ ἐ te Li > 4 VER. 8.] Summary of Duty. 385 provoked, thinketh no evil, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’ To follow Him who Himself ‘ took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses,’ and ‘went about doing good ;’ who ‘breaks not the bruised reed, nor quenches the smoking flax ;’ who ‘feeds His flock like a ᾿ shepherd, gathering the lambs with His arm, and carrying them in His bosom,’—this is to pursue ‘ whatsoever things are lovely.’ We see here the full flower of Christianity, the crown of all the graces.

‘Meek and lowly, Pure and holy,

Chief among the blessed three, — Turning sadness Into gladness, Heaven-born art thou, Charity.’

As has been already suggested, an unexpressed thought in the apostle’s mind, in urging attention to ‘whatsoever things are lovely,’ was probably this,—‘ that thus you may fulfil your calling as lights of the world, by commending the gospel of Christ to the society among whom His providence has placed you.” This thought is yet more obviously present in connection with the counsel which follows, to the cultivation of ‘whatsoever things are of good report. ‘See to it that, while paying most diligent attention to those departments of character which the true believer alone, the man who is “taught of God,” at all appreciates, you fail not also to exhibit fully those features which the conscience even of the natural man unhesitatingly approves, and which he may not unreasonably apply, to some extent, as a standard in estimating the value of the religion you profess.’

Such features of character are, in a measure, all that have been mentioned by the apostle, especially ‘loveliness’ of deportment. As here named distinctively, however, we may think, perhaps, chiefly of those classes of virtues which are

universally esteemed the peculiar excellences of the sexes respectively, and which we sum up under the names of ‘ manliness’ and ‘womanliness.’ A Christian woman, in whom all that know her recognise modesty, self-restraint, ‘the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,’ is manifestly by these beautiful characteristics, which, being ‘of good report’—‘ of great price’ in the eyes of men, as well as ‘in the sight of God’—secure the esteem of those around, placed in a position very favourable for winning their hearts to her Saviour. Similar commendation of the gospel is given by a Christian man conspicuously free from moral cowardice, from everything like effeminacy in his tone of thought and feeling, and from narrowness of sentiment and life,—a man who, whilst plainly having strong religious convictions, and maintaining, under all circumstances, earnestly and perseveringly, what appears to him to be important truth, has no bigotry, nor disposition to harp always on one string ; but, with broad liberal sympathies, interests himself, not merely in the progress of his own religious denomination, nor even merely in the progress of religion generally, but also in all that concerns the social improvement of the community, and in the progress of literature, arts, and sciences. It contributes very largely to the influence for good of a servant of God, that he be known as a public-spirited citizen, and a large-hearted and energetic friend of all that is noble, and elevating, and healthful. This, I apprehend, may be what Paul points to particularly by ‘ whatsoever things are of good report.’

The apostle’s purpose in giving this summary of duties, we have seen, was to speak of Christian character so far as it exhibits itself in the relations of the believer to his fellow-men. Having now set this character forth fully, alike in its strength and its gracefulness, he proceeds, in another short clause, to sum up what he has said, that it might be fixed in — the memories of his readers: ‘7f there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,—that is, according to an idiom of the original language, ‘whatever virtue there is, and whatever praise.’ In ‘virtue,’ the four excellences of character first

mentioned are gathered up,—truthfulness, self-respect, equity, and purity ; by ‘/raise,’ the last two are obviously referred to, loveliness of demeanour, and regard to ‘ whatsoever things are of good report.’

The word rendered ‘wirtue’ is one largely employed in the writings of the heathen philosophers. It occurs but seldom in the New Testament, probably because it had been debased in its use by some of the philosophical schools, having had ideas attached to it very discordant with true goodness, and such as strikingly to illustrate how needful it was ‘that He who created man for Himself should tell him what best became him,—what he was made for, and what he should aspire to.’!_ This is the only passage in Paul’s writings where the word is found. Possibly, in using it, some such thought as this may have been intended—launching the whole appeal with special power upon the consciences of persons brought up, as the Philippians had been, with knowledge of and interest in the moral teaching of the heathen sages,—‘Give diligence that you exhibit to observers, fairly and winningly, the character which Christian faith is fitted to produce ; remembering that even your pagan neighbours have some conception of the nature and excellence of virtue, and that though, unhappily, their views are in many respects defective and false, yet they can, in no small measure, recognise what is truly estimable and noble. Let them always see in you, therefore, what their hearts will acknowledge as good and beautiful, that thus your Saviour may be glorified.’ .

It is not without significance that the mention of ‘things lovely, and ‘ things of good report,’ comes last in Paul’s list of graces, and that, in the summary, ‘praise’ follows ‘ virtue.’ He would have us, while deeming it important to attend to what is amiable and to what men praise, to remember always that truth and self-respect, equity and purity, must take precedence. The first question of a good man will be, not ‘ What 1

Dr. Eadie,

will please those around me?’ but, ‘What is right?’ Christian courtesy and amiability must never pander to falsehood, — baseness, or frivolity,— however skilfully these may disguise — themselves in graceful vestures. The world’s standards for ‘good report’ are variable. God’s is immutable, like Himself. To this difference in the standards, the results of adherence to them correspond. In the degree in which a man tends — towards ‘loving the praise of men more than the praise of God,’ he makes approach to linking his destiny with the perishable. ‘The world passeth away, and the lust thereof.’ ‘ But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’

The exact connection of the first clause of the 9th verse is” somewhat doubtful. It seems to me to belong naturally to what precedes, rather than to what follows, thus,—‘ Whatsoever things are true,’ and the rest,—‘if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things,—which also ye learned, and received, and heard and saw in me.’ Then comes a separate sentence,—‘ These things do, and the God of peace shall be with you.’ The meaning is obviously, in substance, the same on either construction.

‘ Observe, too,’ the apostle continues, ‘ that in directing your — thoughts to the needfulness of cultivating these Christian graces, I am by no means introducing to you anything new. The subject is one on which, in my visits to you, I often spoke; and the moral truths which you thus “ learned,” you “ received” with faith and hearty welcome. ‘There was instruction by example, — also, as well as precept. I have a full consciousness of much — spiritual defect,—I have not yet attained, neither am already — perfect,—yet I may safely point to my life among you, as having, on the whole, truthfully exemplified the moral principles I taught you and am now recalling to your minds. What you “heard and saw in me,’ illustrated, as regarded speech and conduct, “the things which are true, and dignified, and just, and pure, and lovely, and of good report.”? I need μ᾿ 4 a 3 - 1

Some remarks on the becomingness of such references by the apostle — 4 δὲ

now, therefore, enter into any detailed exposition of duty. The simple summary which I have given you, will, I know, suffice.’

With respect to the points of character he has mentioned, Paul’s injunction is twofold. He charges the Philippians, first, to ‘think on these things’ This is a matter of very great moment; and to neglect of the duty of considering the elements of a noble Christian life, rather than to positive indifference to them, is, no doubt, due in large measure the moral defectiveness of many professed servants of Christ, and, by consequence, their lack of spiritual joy, and the meagreness of their influence for good. ‘Let not holiness in the general merely, but the various features of a holy character, be much before your minds. Meditate on them. Think of their relations to each other,—of the occasions which peculiarly call for exhibition of the various graces,—of the temptations which have special force with regard to them respectively.’

But secondly, with earnestness and perseverance, ‘ do these things” ‘Let the fruit of thought and prayer be seen in lives of holy stability, and energy, and beauty. Give all diligence thus to adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour. Be it your aim to follow the Lord fud/y ; to live so as to evince on all the sides of your life that you have put on Christ.’

*‘ And (so) the God of peace shall be with you.’ This conclusion seems to show that the paragraph is intended to be parallel to that which preceded. There we had the injunction, ‘ Be careful for nothing ; but in everything by prayer let your requests be made known unto God,’—followed by the promise, ‘and the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds.’ Here _ we have the injunction, ‘Do whatsoever things are true, and dignified, and just, and pure, and lovely, and of good report,’ —followed by the promise, ‘and the God of peace shall be with you.’ Combining the two, we obtain this teaching : ‘ Vital

to his own example will be found in the comment on the 17th verse of the 3rd chapter, —‘ Brethren, be followers together of me.’

religion, in healthy activity, gives, and can alone give, a restfulness of spirit such as the troubles of outward life are impotent to disturb. Now the two grand elements of vital religion are communion with God as our Father, and the thoughtful and diligent cultivation of universal holiness—conformity to the will of God in all things. Pray without ceasing, then,—and bring forth abundantly the fruit of the Spirit, which is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth,—and the God of peace shall be with you, shedding abroad His peace in your souls, to keep them, by its glorious guardianship, from all harm,’