the exhortation itself, and from its preceding the dehortation which
follows. He does not scold, he scarcely even rebukes, but he begins by
trying to melt away any light frost that had crept over the warmth of
the Philippians' love; and having made that preparation, he sets before
them with a fulness which would be tautological but for the earnestness
that throbs in it, the ideal of unity, and presses it upon them still
more meltingly, by telling them that their realisation of it will be the
completion of his joy. The main injunction is 'that ye be of the same
mind,' and that is followed by three clauses which are all but exactly
synonymous with it, 'having the same love, being of one accord, of one
mind.' The resemblance of the latter clause to the main exhortation is
still more complete, if we read with Revised Version (margin) 'of the
same mind,' but in any case the exhortations are all practically the
same. The unity which Paul would fain see, is far deeper and more vital
than mere unanimity of opinion, or identity of polity, or co-operation
in practice. The clauses which expand it guard us against the mistake of
thinking that intellectual or practical oneness is all that is meant by
Christian unity. They are 'of the same mind,' who have the same wishes,
aims, outlooks, the same hopes and fears, and who are one in the depths
of their being. They have 'the same love,' all similarly loving and
being loved, the same emotion filling each heart. They are united in
soul, or 'with accordant souls' having, and knowing that they have them,
akin, allied to one another, moving to a common end, and aware of their
oneness. The unity which Christian people have hitherto reached is at
its best but a small are of the great circle which the Apostle drew,
and none of us can read these fervid words without shame. His joy is not
yet fulfilled.

That exhortation to be 'of the same mind,' not only points to a deep and
vital unity, but suggests that the ground of the unity is to be found
without us, in the common direction of our 'minds,' which means far more
than popular phraseology means by it, to an external object. It is
having our hearts directed to Christ that makes us one. He is the bond
and centre of unity. We have just said that the object is external, but
that has to be taken with a modification, for the true basis of unity is
the common possession of 'Christ in us.' It is when we have this mind in
us 'which was also in Christ Je