+I. The nature of righteousness.+--1. _Sometimes the term refers to
the Divine Being, and signifies the purity of His nature and the
perfection of His works._ 2. _Here it signifies personal holiness._
+II. The fruits of righteousness.+--1. _Christian righteousness is
productive of gracious fruits._ These fruits are internal in the
heart, and external in the life.
2. _The fruits of righteousness are abundant and
progressive._--"Being filled with the fruits."
+III. The Author of righteousness.+--"Which are by Jesus Christ."
1. _Righteousness is purchased by Christ as our Redeemer._ 2. _Is
derived from Him as our Saviour._
+IV. The results of righteousness.+--"Unto the glory and praise of
God." 1. _Righteousness is to the glory and praise of God in the
scheme of redemption._ 2. _In the subjects of redemption._
+Lessons.+--1. _This subject should stimulate our desires._
2. _Promote our devotion._ 3. _Inspire us with praise.--Theological
Sketch Book._
_Spiritual Attainment._
+I. Righteousness of heart precedes righteousness of life.+
+II. Righteousness of heart is self-disseminating.+--1. _Its fruit is
living._ 2. _Of harmonious unity._ 3. _Luxuriant._
+III. Righteousness of heart is the only thing that can fill the
capacities of man.+
+IV. Fulness of righteousness is all Divine.+--1. _In its source._
2. _In its medium of communication._ "By Jesus Christ." 3. _In its
end._ "Unto the glory and praise of God." Glory before men: praise
among men.--_Lay Preacher._
_Divine Culture._
+I. The field.+--The loving heart.
+II. The seed.+--Righteousness.
+III. The fruit.+--Abundant.
+IV. The Husbandman.+--Jesus Christ.
+V. The end.+--The glory and praise of God.--_Ibid._
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.--Verses_ 12-18.
_The Gospel Irrepressible_--
+I. Notwithstanding the circumscribed opportunities of its
agents.+--1. _Their sufferings for the Gospel call attention to its
claims._ "The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather
into the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are
manifest in all the palace, and in all other places" (vers. 12, 13).
It might seem to the Philippians that the imprisonment of Paul would
be unfavourable to the Gospel and prevent its spread. He shows there
was no ground for that fear; but that the Gospel was becoming known
in quarters which, but for his imprisonment, it was not likely to
gain access. The palace referred to was the prætorium, or barrack of
the prætorian guards attached to the palace of Nero on the Palatine
Hill in Rome. The regular changes of guards was constantly furnishing
new auditors for the irrepressible preacher, and he did not fail to
zealously improve his opportunities. Thus the Gospel, which the
malice and bigotry of the Jews sought to suppress, found its way into
Cæsar's household, and ultimately captured the Roman empire for
Christ. The persecutions of the Gospel have been the best helpers of
its success.
2. _Their sufferings for the Gospel stimulate the zeal of its
propagators._--"Many of the brethren, . . . waxing confident by my
bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear" (ver. 14).
The fortitude of the apostle in suffering, and his unwearied efforts
to preach the Gospel, increased the courage of his fellow-helpers in
the same good work. The sufferings of the Gospel pioneers contributed
to the spread and triumph of the truth. The blood of Scotland's
proto-martyr, the noble Patrick Hamilton, and the memory of his dying
prayer, "How long, O Lord, shall darkness cover this realm?" fomented
the young Reformation life over a comparatively silent germinating
period of more than twenty years. Knox, and with him Scotland,
kindled at the pile of George Wishart. Andrew Melville caught the
falling mantle of Knox. When Richard Cameron fell at Aird's Moss--as
if in answer to his own prayers as the action began, "Lord, spare the
green and take the ripe!"--all the more strenuously strove Cargill,
till he too, in the following year, sealed the truth with his blood.
And more followed, and yet more, through that last and worst decade
of the pitiless storm known as, by emphasis, the _killing time._
Through those terrible years Peden dragged out a living death, and as
he thought of Cameron, now at rest, often exclaimed, "Oh to be with
Ritchie!" Young Renwick too caught up the torn flag, nobly saying,
"They are but standard-bearers who have fallen; the Master lives."
Thus one after another on blood-stained scaffold, or on blood-soaked
field, fell the precious seed-grain, to rise in harvests manifold,
till just at the darkest hour before the dawn of Renwick's martyrdom
closed the red roll in 1688--the year of the revolution--and the seed
so long sown in tears was reaped in joy.
+II. It is preached from a variety of motives.+--1. _Some preach the
Gospel from the love of controversy._ "Some indeed preach Christ of
envy and strife . . . of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add
affliction to my bonds" (vers. 15, 16). The Judaising teachers,
taking advantage of the absence of the apostle, sought to propagate
their erroneous theories of the Gospel, and to annoy the apostle by
depreciating his authority and his preaching. They aimed not so much
at winning souls for Christ, as at exalting themselves, and gaining
credence to their corrupt opinions. They argued that Jesus of
Nazareth was the King of Israel, hoping thereby to exasperate the
Roman government against Paul, who preached the same truth, though in
a different sense, and to cause increased pain to the apostle by
insisting upon the obligation of obedience to the law in order to
salvation. Yet in opposing the Gospel they stated some of its leading
truths, if only to refute them. Controversy is often a waste of
strength. They are small, insignificant beings who quarrel oftenest.
There's a magnificent breed of cattle in the Vale of Clwyd, the most
beautiful vale in Wales. They have scarcely any horns but abundance
of meat; yet if you ascend the hills on every side, there on the
heights you find a breed which grows scarcely anything but horns, and
from morning to night all you hear is the constant din of clashing
weapons. So there are many Christians who live on the heights, the
cold and barren heights of controversy. Everything they eat grows
into horns, the strength of which they are constantly testing.
2. _Some preach the Gospel from the highest regard for its lofty
message._--"Some also of goodwill . . . of love, knowing that I am
set [appointed of God] for the defence of the gospel" (vers. 15, 17).
An intense love of the Gospel and of the Christ of the Gospel is the
best preparation for preaching it. Preaching to be effectual must be
various as nature. The sun warms at the same moment that it
enlightens; and unless religious truth be addressed at once to the
reason and to the affections, unless it kindles while it guides, it
is a useless splendour, it leaves the heart barren, it produces no
fruits of godliness. Preaching should help us to a higher life. A man
once heard an affecting sermon, and while highly commending it was
asked what he remembered of it. "Truly," he replied, "I remember
nothing at all; but it made me resolve to live better, and by God's
grace I will."
+III. The propagation of the Gospel by any means is matter of fervent
joy.+--"What then? notwithstanding, . . . Christ is preached; and I
therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (ver. 18). The false
teachers gloated over Paul's misfortune, and thought to trouble him
by their way of presenting the Gospel. But the proclamation of
Christ, however done, roused attention, and could not but be of
service. The apostle rejoiced in the good result of their bad
intentions. The success of the Gospel in any place and by any means,
when that success is real, is always a cause of rejoicing to the good.
+Lessons.+--1. _The Gospel has a message for all classes._ 2. _Its
faithful proclamation involves difficulty and suffering._ 3. _Its
interests are often promoted from mixed motives._
_GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES._