oes he get
back to his theme in the reiterated exhortation (iv. 4), 'Rejoice in the
Lord alway; again I will say, rejoice.' This outburst is very
remarkable, for its vehemence is so unlike the tone of the rest of the
letter. That is calm, joyous, bright, but this is stormy and
impassioned, full of flashing and scathing words, the sudden
thunder-storm breaks in on a mellow, autumn day, but it hurtles past and
the sun shines out again, and the air is clearer.

Another question suggested is the reference of the second half of verse
1. What are 'the same things' to write which is 'safe' for the
Philippians? Are they the injunctions preceding to 'rejoice in the
Lord,' or that following, the warning against the Judaisers? The former
explanation may be recommended by the fact that 'Rejoice' is in a sense
the key-note of the Epistle, but on the other hand, the things where
repetition would be 'safe' would most probably be warnings against some
evil that threatened the Philippians' Christian standing.

There is no attempt at unity in the words before us, and I shall not try
to force them into apparent oneness, but follow the Apostle's thoughts
as they lie. We note--

I. The crowning injunction as to the duty of Christian gladness.

A very slight glance over the Epistle will show how continually the note
of gladness is struck in it. Whatever in Paul's circumstances was 'at
enmity with joy' could not darken his sunny outlook. This bird could
sing in a darkened cage. If we brought together the expressions of his
joy in this letter, they would yield us some precious lessons as to what
were the sources of his, and what may be the sources of ours. There runs
through all the instances in the Epistle the implication which comes out
most emphatically in his earnest exhortation, 'Rejoice in the Lord
always, and again I say rejoice.' The true source of true joy lies in
our union with Jesus. To be in Him is the condition of every good, and,
just as in the former verses 'trust _in the Lord_' is set forth, so the
joy which comes from trust is traced to the same source. The joy that is
worthy, real, permanent, and the ally of lofty endeavour and noble
thoughts has its root in union with Jesus, is realised in communion with
Him, has Him for its reason or motive, and Him for its safeguard or
measure. As the passages in question in this Epistle show, such joy does
not shut out but hallows other sources of satisfaction. In our weakness
creatur