Lessons.—1. Religion teaches the truest courtesy. 2. The unselfish heart wishes well to all. 3. That greeting is the most genuine that recognises the claims of God.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Vers. 1, 2. The Apostolic Greeting.—1. Unity and concord amongst ministers in giving joint testimony to the same truths and weight to what they preach. Preachers are in a special manner the servants of Christ as being wholly and perpetually dedicated to His service. 2. As to make a man internally and spiritually holy it is necessary he be in Christ by faith, so to make him externally holy requires a visible and external union with Christ in professing truths relating to Him. 3. The dignity of a minister or of any Church officer does not exempt him from the necessity of being taught, exhorted, reproved, and comforted. 4. God’s grace is the fountain from which peace with God, with our own conscience, and all sanctified prosperity and peace among ourselves do flow. In seeking things from God we look to Him, not as standing disaffected to us and at a distance, but as our Father.—Fergusson.

Ver. 1. The Commencement of the Gospel at Philippi.

I. To secure the widest diffusion of the Gospel great centres should be the first places chosen for the concentration of its forces.

II. The Gospel of universal adaptation has a world-wide mission.—The first three converts embraced different nationalities, employments, social grades,—Lydia, the oriental trader, the Grecian female slave and soothsayer, the Roman keeper of the prison. Christ has demolished all barriers to the exercise of Divine mercy.

III. The duty and privilege of Christian parents to consecrate their children and home to Christ (Acts xvi. 15, 33, 34, 40).

IV. Civic distinctions subordinated to Christ will further the Gospel and adorn the Christian name.—Paul’s Roman citizenship gained his freedom and silenced his enemies. His chain connects the history of Rome and Philippi. The Christian’s spirit can defy the inner prison to suppress its praise or prayer (Acts xvi. 25).

Ver. 2. God our Father.—Christ aimed at raising men from the bondage of mere servants into the freedom of sons. He taught that God our Father was henceforth to be—

  1. The sole Model of perfection. (Matt. vi. 48).
  2. The sole Rewarder of almsgiving. (Matt. vi. 4).
  3. The sole Hearer of prayer (Matt. vi. 6).
  4. The sole Observer of fastings (Matt. vi. 18).
  5. The sole Provider of daily wants (Matt. vi. 26–33).—Lay Preacher.