The Tupelo journal., 1903-01-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lesson In the international Series
for January IL, 19O3-Chris-
tiun Living.
THE LESSON TEXT.
Phil 4.1-12

3. And l entreat thee. also. true yokefel-
low, help those women which labored with
me In the Gospel, with Clement, also, and
with other my fellow-laborers, whose
names are in the book of life.
4. Rejoice In the Lord Away: and again
l say, rejoice.
5. Let you moderation be known into
all men. The Lord is at hand.
.. Be careful for nothing; but in every
thlng by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God.
Z. And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.
.. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
thangs are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good re-
port; If there be any virtue, and if there
be any praise. think on these things.
3. Those things, which We have both
learned, and received, and heard, and seen
IN me, do; and the God of peace shall
be with you.
10. But l rejoiced in the Lord greatly,
that now at the last your care of me hath
hourished again; wherein We were also
careful, but we lacked opportunity.
II. Not that I speak in respect of want:
" 1 nave learned, IN whatsoever STATE i
am, herewith to be content.
II. I know both how to be abashed, and l
know how to abound: everywhere and,in all
Things L am instructed both to be full and to
be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need.
Is. l can DO all things through Christ,
which strengthened me.
TEXT.-Rejoice in the Lord
aIyvay.-PhiL. 4:4.
ANALYSIS OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
individual eXhortations ........Phil. AIT.
general eXhortations ...........Phil AS 8.
Personal references .............Ph 4:l0-O.
TIME.-63 A. D.
PLACE.-Rome.
An Uplifting Message.-Bear in mind
that the epistle to the Philippians was
written during Paul's Imprisonment
at Rome, and yet note how CHEEKY and
inspiring it is! There is nothing in it
to show that the apostle is downcast.
Indeed, he declares that the things that
have happened unto him have turned
out to be for the progress of the Cos
pei Q;12). He hopes that he will be
delivered, but is ready to die; and for
his w sake alone, that he would be
glad to do, for then he would be with
Christ Q:21-23). Paul had a special
affection for the Philippian church,
and his love is plainly evidenced in this
letter. 1t should be read, all of it, at
one sitting.
Last Sunday the lesson was the story
of the end of Paul's work in Philippi.
This simple personal letter from the
apostle, now perhaps nearing the end
of his life, to his old friends at Philippi,
was written from a Roman prison, and
apparently after Paul's affairs had
taken a decided turn for the worse. He
is still cheerful and hopes for release
and to see his friends again, but his
cause for hope and joy is not in his
circumstances, but in the fact that he
is superior to them. The crisis which
should mean life or death to him was
near G:20-24). He was ready for
either. He promises to send Timothy
to them forthwith, so soon as 1 shall
see how it will go with me-" Read the
whole letter and more than once if
possible, and let the courage and con-
tentment and humility and affection
ateness of the man whose life is re-
vealed in it teach their own lessons.
"Wherefore:" Referring to what he
has just said. Paul is counseling his
friends from his own experience to let
their faith in future glory be an in
spiration to everyday living. "Euodia
. Syntyche:" Two women, both
of them Christians ("whose names are
in the Book of Life"), and yet who
were hurting the cause by their I'M
pleasant disagreement. True yoke
fellow" There has been much discus
sion as to who was meant, but prob
ably the word translated yokefellow
was the name of one of the P%hilippian
disciples, and we should read, 81 be-
seech thee also, Synzygus (yokefel-
low, rightly so named (true)."
"Reioice in the Lord" This letter
comes from Paul's own life expert
ences. His advice has been tested and
tried. If we are to rejoice always we
must look from the small facts of life
to the great ones,-and the greatest is
| God and His love. "The Lord is at
hand:' The reference is to an early
temperance of Christ On earth, which
seems to have been generally looked
for by the Christians. "In nothing be
anxious:" The distressing anxiety of
those who are depending entirely upon
themselves. The Christian may take
all his troubles and cares to God, and
so find the "peace of Cod" "Whatso-
| ever things are true, think or
these things:" Take account of them,
let the mind dwell on them, learn to
appreciate them wherever they are
found, and then, Paul goes ON to say,
"these things do"
Revived your thought" They had
wanted to send Paul aid before but
had lacked opportunity. In the next
verses Paul speaks of the secret of
Christian contentment. He had
learned how to abound and how to be
in want, and both with a thankful
heart; but the strength which enabled
him to do the hard things was his only
as a result of his vital union with
Christ Jesus his Lord.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Only one who has a clear trust in
the Lord can be anxious for nothing.
AS one thinketh SO is he; therefore
think of whatsoever things are true,
honorable, just, pure, etc.
Learn the great secret of being con
tent. Do not let your happiness de-
pend upon outward circumstances.
The Truth Terxely Told.