1. Divine truth must be clearly apprehended and profoundly realised.
  2. The whole truth must be declared.
  3. The declaration of the truth must be full and courageous.

“Take heed.” The Christian Ministry is surrounded by Peculiar Perils.—A shrewd and ever-wakeful vigilance is needed—

  1. Against the stealthy encroachments of error.
  2. Against the pernicious influences of the world.
  3. Against the subtle temptations to unfaithfulness.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 18.

Words of Farewell.

Last words have in them a nameless touch of pathos. They linger in the memory as a loved familiar presence, they soothe life’s sorrows, and exert upon the soul a strange and irresistible fascination. As the years rush by, how rich in meaning do the words that have fallen from dying lips become, as when Cæsar said sadly, “And thou, Brutus!”; or when John Quincy Adams said, “This is the last of earth”; or Mirabeau’s frantic cry for music, after a life of discord; or George Washington’s calm statement, “It is well”; or Wesley’s triumphant utterance, “The best of all is, God is with us.” And these closing words of the high-souled apostle written from his Roman prison, in prospect of threatened death, carry with them a significance and tenderness which will be felt wherever this epistle is read. In these words we have a personally inscribed salutation, a touching reminder, and a brief benediction.

I. A personally inscribed salutation.—“The salutation by the hand of me Paul.” The rest of the epistle was dictated by the apostle to an amanuensis, who, in this case, was probably Timothy. Paul adds his own personal salutation, not only as an expression of his anxious love, but also as a mark of the authenticity of the document, and of his unqualified approval of its contents. It would surely be a scene worthy of the pencil of genius to portray the noble prisoner, whose right hand was linked to the left of his military gaoler, tracing with tremulous fingers the final words to those for whose sake he was in bonds! How would the hand-writing of such a man be prized and venerated, and with what holy eagerness would his words be read and pondered!

II. A touching reminder.—“Remember my bonds.” The apostle was in prison, not for any offence against the laws of God or man, but for the sake of the Gospel he loved to preach, and which had wrought so marvellous a change in the lives of those to whom he wrote. His bonds bore irrefragable testimony to the truth he was called to proclaim, and to his unalterable determination to insist upon the rights and privileges of the Gentiles, on whose behalf he suffered. He wished to be remembered in prayer, that he might be sustained in his imprisonment, and that he might be speedily delivered from it, so that he might preach the glorious news of spiritual liberty to the benighted and fettered sons of men. “Remember my bonds.” 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 incarceration. The Church of Christ in all ages has had abundant reason to remember with gratitude and praise the bonds of the great apostle, not only for the stimulating example of holy patience and dignified submission displayed under trying circumstances, but for the unspeakably precious literary treasures they enabled him to bequeath to the world. Bishop Wordsworth has well said: “The fact that this epistle was written by Paul in this state of durance and restraint, and yet designed to minister comfort to others, and that it has never ceased to cheer the Church of Christ, is certainly one which is worthy of everlasting remembrance.” In the prayer for “all prisoners and captives” special reference should be made to those who are now suffering for the truth. The offence of the cross has not yet ceased. We must practically remember the imprisoned when we supply their wants and assuage their sufferings.

III. A brief benediction.—“Grace be with you. Amen.” The epistle begins and ends with blessing; and between these two extremes lies a magnificent body of truth which has dispensed blessings to thousands and is destined to bless thousands more. The benediction is short, but it is instinct with fervent life and laden with the unutterable wealth of Divine beneficence. Grace is inclusive of all the good God can bestow or man receive. Grace is what all need, what none can merit, and what God alone can give. To possess the grace of God is to be rich indeed; without it “ ’Tis misery all, and woe.” Grace kindles the lamp of hope amidst the darkest experiences of life, supplies the clue which unravels the most tangled mysteries, presses the nectar of consolation into the bitterest cup, implants in the soul its holiest motives and opens up its noblest career, strengthens the dying saint when he traverses the lonely borderland of the unknown, and tunes and perpetuates the celestial harmonies of the everlasting song.

Lessons.—1. Praise God for a well-authenticated Bible. 2. Praise God for the teachings of a suffering life. 3. Praise God for His boundless grace.