Lecture VIII · A Strait betwixt Two

THE apostle’s statement of his conviction that death will be ‘gain’ to him, suggests that it is his desire, perhaps his prayer, to die. The case has another aspect, however, and to it his thoughts now turn. Death, whilst it would bring an unspeakable accession of holiness and blessedness, would remove him from the sphere of ‘ labour in the gospel.’ He would no longer be able to teach, and counsel, and comfort his Christian brethren, or to carry the knowledge of Christ to the darkened. Now his heart was enthusiastically in this work ; his mental vigour was as yet undiminished ; and of his physical energy a considerable measure yet remained to him, notwithstanding all his toils and sufferings. He might therefore — reasonably think that, if his life were prolonged, he would still ; be of service in the world. Thus he was brought into perplexity. When he looked at his own interests by themselves, he could not but desire ‘to depart, and be with Christ ; when he looked at the church and the world, it seemed that he was still needed here, As he mused on the matter, this impression of his being needed here yet a while deepened into a conviction. He felt confident, therefore, that he would be left on earth, and meekly and lovingly acquiesced in the divine will. Such is the substance of the paragraph which comes before us “now.

The use by the apostle, in the 22d verse, of the expression, ‘dive in the fresh, whilst in the first clause of the preceding verse he had employed the simple ‘live’ in precisely the same sense of ordinary physical life, shows that the intermediate clause had taken some such form in his mind as this: ‘ For me to die is gain ; because when I die, I shall for the first time fully live, having the energies of my soul fully exercised, and my capacities of happiness fully satisfied, in the service and fellowship of my God and Saviour in heaven.’ With this thought before his mind, of spiritual life in its heavenly completeness, he naturally, when coming back to speak of the ordinary life of earth, describes it by its distinguishing peculiarity as life ‘in the flesh.’

‘Supposing, then, that I live in the flesh, ¢this is the fruit of my labour” Our venerable translators—admirable, as a rule, alike for the accuracy and the force and beauty of their render- _ ings—have here, I think, introduced some obscurity into the _ passage, by giving their language a definiteness not found in the original. I question whether, to any of us, the words, ‘this is the fruit of my labour,’ in their connection, convey any distinct meaning; whilst a literal translation is intelligible enough,—‘ This is for me’—that is, ‘means, or implies for me,’ a terse mode of expression, similar to that used in the preceding verse, ‘To me to live is Christ’—‘ fruit of labour.’ _

Paul intimates here, in the first place, that continued life means for him continued ‘/labour.” To this his constitutional energy impelled him; but he felt, also, that without sin he could not cease from labour, so long as God gave him strength for it. Nothing which God makes is without a work to do. His inanimate and irrational creatures never fail to do their work. The sun unceasingly invigorates and gladdens the world. The air, heated by his beams, drinks up water from Ὶ j J ,

the sea. The clouds journey far inland, bearing their precious — burden of rain. The mountain ridges receive the treasure, and streams and rivers diffuse it far and wide, making the earth fruitful and fair. ‘All things are full of labour.’ To God’s moral creatures is given the sublime privilege that not blindly, through the action of material laws, but consciously, by resolutions of their own, they may fulfil the end of their existence ; and in this privilege, enjoyed by them alone, is involved the possibility that they alone may fail to fulfil that end. —

To work, then, according to the faculties which God has given us, and the openings and calls of His providence,—this is your duty and mine. The ringing music of the blacksmith’s hammer ; the watchful eye and steady hand of the man at the wheel; the busy fingers tending the powerloom; the merchant’s careful supervision of every department of his business, —all this accords with the will of God, who has made a world for work, not for idlers. ‘Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.’ ‘If any man will not work, neither shall he eat.’ The man who lives as if life were meant for indolence and frivolity, is not merely treasuring up for himself far more true weariness of spirit than ever comes from a life of labour, but is grievously offending God.

Work is the law of the new life in Christ Jesus, too. ‘Son, go work to-day in My vineyard.’ In that vineyard our heavenly Father, who gives the command, is Himself the Great Husbandman. The manifestation of God’s life is holy beneficent activity : ‘ My Father worketh hitherto.’ Here is our example. — The highest conceivable honour for God’s creatures is to be ‘labourers together with Him.’ The Christian feels that his work as a Christian is, by holy devotedness and holy patience, — to ‘ show forth the praises of Him who hath called him out of © darkness into His marvellous light,—to grow personally ἴῃς likeness of character to Him, and to be earnest and persistent ἢ in effort for the advancement of the Saviour’s kingdom, And as this is duty, so is it the direction in which ‘the love of _ Christ constraineth us’ to turn our energies. Day after day, then, according to his opportunities and his measure of faith,— and be it observed that the perception of faculties and opportunities, as well as the- diligent use of them, is largely proportioned to the measure of faith,—day after day the believer who has spiritual health is busy in his Father’s vineyard, planting, pruning, watering,—diligently and prayerfully endeavouring to promote beauty and strength of character in himself and in others. The light of his Father’s countenance makes his labour gladsome. ‘ Thou meefest him that worketh righteousness.’

But what if a Christian cannot work, in the ordinary sense of the word? What if disease have laid hold upon him, lifelong pain and weakness and weariness perhaps, secluding him, and forbidding exertion? Then thus, in providence, God has shown him what is his great appointed work,—to ‘humble himself under the mighty hand of God,’ to bear meekly, and _by faith and patience prove the power of divine grace to give restfulness of heart even in a furnace. How exquisite are Milton’s musings, when in great measure laid aside, through blindness, from his former modes of Christian activity :—

‘Doth God exact day labour, light denied ? I fondly ask ; but Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies,—‘‘ God doth not need Either man’s work, or His own gifts ; who best Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best ; His state Is kingly ; thousands at His bidding speed, And post o’er land and ocean without rest: They also serve, who only stand and wait.””’

Ay, and as regards influence on others, too, my brethren, - multitudes could tell that the sight of holy endurance in a sickroom has often stirred them for good more powerfully, perhaps, than anything else ever did.

This last remark leads naturally to our consideration of the apostle’s further statement on the subject. Not merely does _he say that, ‘if he live in the flesh, this means labour,’ but that

it means ‘fruit of labour’—success in the work to which God calls him.

As a tule, honest, hearty labour of every kind succeeds more or less. A sensible, industrious, frugal, persevering worker in any department of the labour of common life usually secures at least ‘a competent portion of the good things of this life.’ ‘The hand of the diligent maketh rich.’ Yet there are often failures. Shipwreck overwhelms the vessel, or fire consumes the factory, on which prosperity depended ; or disease suddenly and lastingly enfeebles ‘the hand of the diligent,’ which was ‘making rich.’ A Christian, when calamities of this kind come upon him, recognises in them a reminder given by God that there is higher wealth, and nobler work, than that which has to do merely with this world; and is thus, by the outward loss, helped towards a more full and hearty devotion of his energies to the prosecution of that nobler work, and the acquisition of that higher wealth.

In the spiritual sphere there is a/ways ‘fruit of labour,’ though very often neither as, nor where, nor when we look for it. All earnest prayerful effort after personal spiritual advancement succeeds, for ‘this is the will of God, even our sanctification.’ Fruit of ἡ kind is yielded, too, by every Christian effort to benefit others. Through all conscientious labour to quicken other souls, the soul of the labourer himself is quickened. With regard to the direct effect of Christian labour for the good of others, we cannot say that in every case even the most wise, persistent, prayerful dealing will — succeed. Yet even where there is little or no visible fruit, still the conscientious worker has abundant ground of encouragement. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, — ‘So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into — the ground ; and should sleep, and rise, night and day, and the — seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear: but when the fruit is

brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Ministers and other Christian labourers casually learn, long after, of spiritual good done through their work on occasions when, for anything that appeared at the time, or immediately afterwards, it might have seemed that they had been ‘ spending their strength for nought.’ Thus the cheering belief grows in their minds, that many may ‘ arise up’ in that day, and ‘call them blessed.’ The seed may lie long in the ground inactive, exposed to summer heats and winter frosts, and then quickening may come, in connection, perhaps, with some altogether new agency. The old agency, by which the seed was deposited in the ground, may be wholly unthought of by all concerned here below; but God has marked all the steps, and by and by ‘he that sowed and he that reaped shall rejoice together.’

Let us be of good courage then, brethren, in our Christian _ work, Especially let me plead with believing parents, labouring ina field peculiarly interesting and important, ever to despond, —bearing in mind how clear and definite are alike the command and the promise, ‘ Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.’ Remember the mother of John Newton. In his infancy, she made it her great business to ‘bring him up in the nurture and admonition _of the Lord.’ She died when he was only seven years old. A few years afterwards he went to sea, and ultimately became connected with the African slave trade. Vice of every kind gained dominion over him. But he could not shake off the remembrance of his mother’s teachings and prayers. Though dead, she still spoke to him. At last, as you know, he gave himself to the Lord ; and for many years exercised a very great influence for good by his ministry, an influence which is in considerable measure maintained by his excellent writings on practical religion. ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days.’ ‘He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again

with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.’ ‘ Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters ;’ for ‘the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.’

This, then, is what Paul sees, by faith, to counterbalance the influence of the reflection, ‘To me to die is gain.’ ‘If I live in the flesh, this means for me fruit of labour.’ Hence arises difficulty of decision, as he goes on to tell the Philippians. In reading the statement of his dilemma, we seem to hear him musing aloud ; and to a thoughtful Christian there is something very touching, and at the same time in various ways very helpful, in standing near this illustrious servant of God, and listening to the abrupt sentences which show the course of his reflections. ‘To me to die is gain.’ ‘But if I live in the flesh, that means for me fruit of labour.’ ‘ And, therefore,! what I shall choose,—whether I shall choose life or death, so as de- ᾿ finitely to long and pray for it,—J ot not. ‘ For (or, according to another reading, “ but,” in opposition to “ knowing” which to choose) 7 am in a strait betwixt the two, having, on the one hand (as shown before by the word “ gain”), my desire towards departing and being with Christ, which is far better ; but, on the other hand, 70 abide in the flesh is more needful on your account,’ . :

The word translated ‘zo depart’ is properly ‘to unloose,’ the figure being that of a ship unfastened from her moorings to set sail, or of a tent taken down, that the occupant may move onward on his journey. Having travelled through the wilderness of this world so long, the apostle was very willing to give up his tent life, and go over the river to the promised Canaan and its ‘city which hath foundations.’ He ‘knew that, if his earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, he had a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’ He knew, too, that ‘to depart’ was “20 be with Christ,’ and thus was ‘ far better,’—or, still more strongly, for 1 “Vet,” of the Authorized Version, is an unhappy rendering.

the language swells out, under the impulse of the apostle’s feeling, into a peculiar fulness, ‘better by very far’—than to remain here. _

The one grand thought in his mind, you observe, connected with departure, is that thus he shall be introduced into the immediate presence of his Saviour. As he says elsewhere, he is ‘ willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. In looking forward to heaven, he seems to see Christ alone. ‘He does not say, “It is better to depart and to be _ with holy angels, and spirits of the just, than to have to contend here with the ignorance and wickedness of men, to bear _ with the infirmities of the weak, or at best to take counsel with those who know only in part, and are sanctified but in part. It is better to go and drink of the river of life, and eat the fruits of Paradise, and wear the crown of glory, and strike the notes of praise and gladness on the harps of heaven, than to abide here to be the scorn of the ungodly, the sport of persecution, to wander having no certain dwelling-place, and to be publishing the offers of salvation to incredulous and ungrateful men.” He might have said all this, and more than this ; but it is all summed up or exceeded by what he does say, “Τὸ depart and _to be with Christ is far better.”’} _

Some Christians have held the doctrine, that between death ‘and the resurrection the soul continues in a state of unconsciousness, in a sleep or torpor. To this they are led by the admitted inability of man to conceive how our spirits can act, except through a body. But have we really any greater ability to understand how our spirits do act through the body ; how, while the nerves convey tidings from the eye and the ear to the brain, the immaterial soul sees and hears thereby? The relation of soul and body to each other is, in fact, so utter a mystery to us, that no views regarding it could with safety be applied to affect the exposition even of very uncertain Scripture Statements. But it is difficult to see how a candid mind 1 Dr. Henderson, of Galashiels.

can discern any approach to uncertainty in some references to the state of the soul after death. For instance, our Lord’s declaration to the dying thief, ‘ Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise,’ was surely something more than a promise that that day he should sink into unconsciousness, and after, it might be, many ages, awake to a sense of being with his Lord in blessedness and glory. The teaching of the passage before us seems to me equally clear. Paul says that he felt himself ‘in a strait,’ hemmed in by conflicting motives and feelings, so that he found it difficult to decide whether he should definitely long for life or death. Had there been any thought in his mind of a time of unconsciousness — following death, I can hardly suppose that for a man of his principles and temperament there would have been any ‘strait.’ His decision would have been clear and unhesitating,—‘ Better, immeasurably better, to remain here, enjoying communion with my Lord, and labouring in His service, than to pass into a torpor, in which I can neither hold fellowship with Him, nor in any way consciously magnify Him.’ There is broad and firm scriptural ground, my brethren, for the precious doctrine set forth in the familiar words of the Westminster Divines, that ‘the souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory.’ Indeed it is mainly, I apprehend, with reference to the period between death and the resurrection that the apostle, writing to Timothy, makes the statement that ‘our Saviour Jesus Christ hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ The teaching of the Old Testament regarding the future life generally was dim ; yet, through the study of its statements, the Jewish church, with the exception of the small sect of rationalists called Sadducees, had come, before the birth of our Lord, to accept fully the doctrines of the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. But the intermediate state lay for them in entire darkness. On it sweetly and satisfyingly has fallen ‘light through the gospel.’ > ) a. 2 oon depart and be with Christ’ was ‘better by very far’ than remaining in this world of ignorance, and sin, and trouble. Looking at the matter, then, merely as it affected himself personally, the apostle could have no hesitation as to which should be the definite object of his wishes. It was most natural and reasonable that he should ‘ have his desire towards departing.’ But when his thoughts turned to regard the cause of his Master in the world, doubt entered, very grave doubt. The balance of personal advantage was clearly on the side of death; but the balance of real needfulness seemed on the side of life, in the interest of the churches. ‘ On your account’—the Philippians representing here, of course, the churches generally to which he stood in the tender relation of spiritual father—‘ my abiding in the flesh is more needful.’

Of struggle between liking and a sense of duty—between ‘desire’ and a conviction of what is ‘more needful’—between the attractions of what is obviously good for oneself and call to do what is, in the first instance, specially good for others—every soul of any strength and nobleness has experience every day. But how peculiarly sublime the sphere of the apostle’s present struggle! How strong and clear the faith which led him into, and sustained him in, this ‘good fight’! ‘Led him into’ it, I have said, for you will see that an intelligent desire of death cannot have root except in a bright and lively faith, any more than a desire or sense of the needfulness of living to preach the gospel. On both sides of the ‘straitening’ you find the basis to be a vivid and profoundly influential conviction of the Z/ of Christ; and that, ‘ because He liveth, His people live also,’ guided and sustained in holy activity here, and blessed with the full glory and joy of eternal life with Him hereafter. _

Believing that for the sake of the churches it was ‘more * for him to stay than to go,—that is to say, that work ᾿ ad yet to be done for the consolidation and extension of the church, which seemed to devolve more fitly on him than on

any other,—the apostle had a strong impression that God would leave him still here for a while: ‘ And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith” Τί is plain, from the connection in which this ‘ 7 now’ occurs, that the apostle does not here speak of knowledge by revelation, and consequently of absolute certainty. It was simply through his ‘having the confidence,’ or strong conviction, that his continued life was needful for his brethren below, that he ‘knew’ continued life would be appointed him. That he regarded this issue of his present circumstances, in fact, as only highly probable, is shown further on in the Epistle by his expressing some doubt ‘ how it will go with him,—whether he may not be ‘offered’ (by martyrdom) ‘upon the sacrifice and service of the faith of his Christian brethren’ (ii. 17, 23). As regards what actually did happen, the opinion of biblical scholars is somewhat divided. The view entertained by most, however—on good grounds, as it seems to me—is that the apostle’s expectation was fulfilled ; that he was released from that imprisonment during which he wrote the Epistle, and spent some years in visiting the churches ~ and in missionary labour,—his martyrdom occurring at the close of a second imprisonment.

The principle on which Paul’s ‘having this confidence, I know’ is based, is evidently this—that, God having a plan of life for each of His people, no one of them will pass away so long as any work remains for him to do. The best let many opportunities slip, no doubt. Much work might have been done for Christ which was not done. But the time for it has passed. When death comes, God intimates thereby, that of work which was peculiarly allotted to this servant,—work which could be best done by him,—there is no more. When a young minister is removed by death, after a period of labour seemingly only long enough to stir the hearts of Christian observers with high hopes of his being greatly useful,—when a pious young mother is withdrawn from helpless children, Ἵ

vhose Christian training her heart was set,—not sadness only, but wonderment and dismay, often take possession of bereaved hearts. Is not the assurance which we hear from Paul, in the passage before us, a very comforting and helpful one in cases _ like these,—that, in any deep sense of the word ‘ premature,’ *no Christian dies prematurely ?

*

The apostle has said, ‘I know that I shall continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith,’—that is, ‘for the increase of your faith in intelligence, liveliness, and constancy, and consequently your advancement in joy through its means.’ His warm heart delights to dwell on this object; and thus in the 26th verse he pictures to himself and his readers, for his refreshment and theirs, the happy spiritual condition into which _ they would be brought by the ‘furtherance’ he hoped to be permitted to give them; ‘that your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me, by my coming to you again.’ The meaning of the first part of this clause seems rather to be this— ‘that your matter (or subject) of g/orying may abound in Jesus Christ ¢hrough me.’

The key-note of this Epistle is ‘joy in the Lord.’ To this, as its tone of rest, the melody always returns ; and the trained spiritual ear can hear it throughout as the foundation of the harmony. In the present place, as I have indicated, the particular form of the thought is ‘ glorying,’ or ‘ boasting,’ as the word is rendered in many places. This is an expression with which all readers of Paul’s Epistles are familiar, but which seldom presents itself in any other of the New Testament writings. Saul, the Pharisee, had ‘ made his boast of the law,’ which he imagined himself to keep perfectly,—and therefore to merit eternal life as his wages. It was natural that in Paul, the believer in Jesus Christ, the man who recognised in him- _ self ‘the chief of sinners,’ there should be a specially intense revulsion from this baseless glorying. Over against the old ‘boast,’ the offspring of sin and self-ignorance, he delighted now to set ‘ glorying in the cross of Christ.’ The summary of

his preaching was, ‘He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’ Gladness which springs from knowledge of the Redeemer’s power and grace, and which, from a lively sense of the dignity and the security connected with its grounds, proclaims itself in language and conduct evincing exultant confidence in Him,—a holy trust, triumphing over the power of

all that the world, and the flesh, and the devil, can bring against it,—this is what the apostle means by Christian ‘ glorying.’ ‘In Christ,’ he found on every side ‘matter of glorying’ —in his infirmities and tribulations, no less than in the number and spiritual progress of his converts. Whatever brought out evidence of the power and goodness of his Saviour,—in that he exulted.

You see, then, what he means here in his hope that to the Philippians ‘ matter of glorying might abound through him by his coming to them again.’ Strength and beauty of Christian character, energy to do and patience to bear their Lord’s will, eminence in faith and hope and love,—this was what their spiritual father desired to see abounding in his children ;— proof of all kinds that their Lord was ‘ working in them to will and to do,’ and thus giving them ever ampler grounds, in their own experience, for triumphant delight in Him. The apostle trusted that this would be given to them ‘¢hrough him’ (Paul) as an instrument; but, as he reminds them by his favourite expression, matter of true glorying can exist, or increase, only ‘in Christ Jesus,—only for those who, through union to Him, enjoy His guiding and sustaining influences, and have indeed © His life acting in them.