bosom friend. With it they live. In it they find their support and joy. By it they are led onward and upward, filled often with delightful visions that absorb their interest, and sometimes cause them to forget the solemn duties of the present, the diligent discharge of which is a necessary preparation for the labours and joys of the future. Anticipation is a chief element of their life. It makes it bright where it would otherwise be dull, vigorous and active where it would otherwise be weak.

Sometimes, however, we meet with a man who, though old in years, is young in heart and spirit-in whom the experience and discretion of old age are united with the freshness and vigour, the courage and hope of youth-who lives more in the future than in the past, who unites lessons from the past and hopes for the future in a living, active present. He gathers the riches of admonition, encouragement, and direction the past contains, and spends them in realising the grand hopes he cherishes for the future.

Paul was such a man. He was old, and yet the youthful affections and impulses of his noble heart were fresh and vigorous. In the last year of his life he uttered the words before us, which are animated and lit up by a great hope, and a strong, fixed determination to realise it. In his past there was much food for pleasant thought. But he would only take it that he might use it to make the future richer, nobler than the past had been. He saw something better than he now enjoyed before him, and he could not rest until he reached it. Consider, then, the object of the Apostle's aim, and the means by which he proposed to attain it.

I. THE OBJECT OF PAUL'S AIM.

This is stated in two expressive figures, a mark and a prize, in evident allusion to the goal and reward of the Grecian racer.

(1) The mark. A reference to the preceding verse will help us to understand what the Apostle meant by this: "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." There are two possible interpretations of these words. They may mean that Paul regarded the Saviour as his model, and felt that he was not a perfect copy of it; or that he thought Christ had in His own mind his ideal portrait, and he felt that he was not a perfect transcript of it-that he had not attained in character that which was in his Master's mind of what he might and should be. Whichever of these explanations is correct, it is evident that the mark at which the Apostle aimed was a deeper spiritual life, a higher state of holiness, a nearer likeness to Christ-perfection. By perfection we do not mean faultlessness. That is only the negative side of perfection. It has a positive side-the possession of all virtues, of every grace and excellence. You might be faultless; you might, that is, commit no direct wrong, and yet be far

from perfect-your moral and spiritual nature might not be developed, and enriched with Christian graces and virtues, to the extent possible. My friends, there are possibilities of goodness in us as well as possibilities of badness. And until the former are fully unfolded and matured, as well as the latter conquered, we are not perfect. It is not enough to do no evil. We must, through Divine grace, be good, acquire every virtue, develop every germ of goodness into ripe and fragrant fruit.

Paul considered himself imperfect. "I count not myself to have apprehended," I have not, that is, reached the limit of my growth. I see gleaming before me, and beckoning me to it, a higher holiness than I have yet attained, and it is possible to me. He was unsatisfied with his attainment. Mark, not dissatisfied. These are radically different things. They have different causes and different effects. One comes from a diseased mind and hinders all improving activity. It is like the chain that paralyses and cripples the slave. The other comes from a healthy, hopeful, cheerful mind, and stimulates action and growth. It is like the wings of the bird that carry it higher and higher into the beautiful heaven of God. What Paul enjoyed was satisfying in kind. It was for that very reason unsatisfying in degree. This is the experience of all healthy Christian people, however good and strong they may be. No matter how high they may have risen, they see something higher still to which they may rise. Every fresh attainment reveals another above it, creates a restless desire for it, and is a platform on which they can stand to reach it. So long as there is anything better than they now enjoy they cannot rest-for they long for the best-and there is always something better.

The cause of this constant unsatisfaction is to be found in two great facts-one in our human nature, the other in God's provision for it. Human nature seems to be an infinite receptacle, ever receiving, and, under the influence of what it receives, ever expanding and enlarging, but never filling. Every fresh supply of food it has only enlarges the capacity and quickens the appetite. God's provision is adapted to this peculiar nature. It is so made that there is always something we have not, which yet we may have. No man, for instance, has so much knowledge that he wants no more, nor so much that he can get no more. So of goodness. He who has any wants more and can get more.

The same will be true of him in heaven as on earth. He will have the same nature, though freed from sin, and there will be the same provision for it. With the same conditions there must be the same results. The difference will be this. The growth there will be constant and more rapid, because he will be free from all those influences that now hinder it, and will have everything necessary to accelerate it. The tree will be transplanted into a more congenial soil and atmosphere.

Now, this perpetual unsatisfaction does an important work. To do it

is its purpose. It saves us from degradation. It is the first condition of all progress. If men could be satisfied with their works, they would cease to improve. If men could have been satisfied with what was, none of those great social, political, industrial, scientific, and artistic improvements that have distinguished our age would have been made. So, if men could be satisfied with their character, they would cease to grow. The motive to further activity would be gone. No motive means no effort. The degrading influence of such a state can well be imagined.

Unsatisfaction creates an unrest that is conducive to progress. There are two kinds of unrest. One is born of despondency, and hinders. It is that which a man feels who, after many failures, is giving up in despair. The other is born of unsatisfaction, and helps. It is that which a man feels who sees something desirable far, far above him, which, notwithstanding many difficulties, he can reach by strenuous effort, and who, therefore, cannot be still unless he is putting forth the necessary effort, and is continually rising toward that on which his desire is set. He can rest only in toil that brings him nearer his goal.

(2) The prize. This is eternal blessedness in heaven, the fruition of all spiritual desires, the result of which is perfect peace and joy. To this God has called us in Christ Jesus. It is a high calling. Every one may attain it. In this it is different from the prize of the Grecian race, for he only received this who first reached the goal.

But we should not aim at the mark simply because reaching it will ensure the prize. This is a low motive, and will result in a low attainment. He who is good only because goodness is the way to heaven, will never acquire more goodness than will just get him into heaven. He who aims at the mark for its own sake, because he has a sincere love of holiness, is actuated by a nobler motive, and will attain higher results. He who seeks knowledge because it is in itself good, is under the influence of a far grander motive than he who seeks it simply for the honour and power it may give, or the wealth it may win. The latter does not seek knowledge really. He only seeks a prize through it. It is but the way to something else. To the former, knowledge would be invaluable were there no reward but itself. He is a truthful man who speaks the truth from principle and not from policy, because he loves it, and not because it will win him reward. He who is truthful from policy, would be a liar to-morrow if he could gain anything by it. Though holiness is crowned with great and lasting rewards, he is the truest seeker of it who seeks it, not simply for their sake, but also because it is good and beautiful in itself.

Let us not be misunderstood. We do not say we should have no "respect unto the recompence of the reward." That is another extreme equally wrong. We say we are not to have respect only to the reward. We are legitimately stimulated by the hope of the honour, joy, and rest

that lie before us. When difficulties cross our path and foes array themselves against us; when our spirits sink, and our energies flag; when dark clouds hang over us, and heavy storms threaten us, it is quite right to get consolation and strength from thought of the fulness of blessedness and peace awaiting us. It would be well if Christian people thought more of the glory of their future, that it might become. a greater influence in and on their present. Only gaining the prize should not be our sole motive. It is possible to balance the two things, and let each have its due influence.

II. THE MEANS BY WHICH PAUL PROPOSED TO ATTAIN HIS OBJECT.
They are three. He resolved-

"This one thing I

(1) To concentrate his whole mind on his goal. do." The Grecian racer fixed his mind on his goal, would allow nothing to divert him, made everything subordinate and subservient to reaching it. His very eating and drinking, sleeping and walking were all regulated with a view to this end. He had one all-governing purpose, and everything was made to minister to its fulfilment. In the same way Paul fixed his mind on his onject. He was governed by one supreme purpose. That purpose ran through his life, bound its several departments into one, and pressed into its service all his experiences. It was the main stream that attracted and absorbed all the side currents, and then flowed on to the grand sea of his hope.

Concentration of mind, singleness and fixedness of purpose, is one of the greatest needs of Christians in this busy age. The ground of the need is the large number and brilliancy of counter-attractions. On every side there is something-business, knowledge, pleasure, health, or family-that would gain the supremacy in our heart, and monopolise our whole thought and effort. It is not from positively wrong things that the greatest danger comes. It is from right and good things, such as I have just named, put into wrong places, and so converted into evils. This danger is escaped only when the Christian purpose in us is so far above everything else as to be the one thing in our life that rules it, and to the fulfilment of which all other labours and pleasures contribute.

We do not mean, then, that nothing else shall engage our thought and effort. This would lead to fanaticism, or sickly sentimentality. We mean that this should be our chief object, and that all other things should be so managed as to serve it. As Robertson says, our aim is not to do something, but to become something; not to perform an act, but to acquire a character. All things that rightly engage us may be wrought in such a spirit as to minister to this end. Our business may be so conducted, our pleasures so sought, our family so regulated, as to be means of grace, schools of moral and spiritual discipline, and helps to Christian growth. If the Christian purpose to reach perfec

tion of character be the master purpose in our hearts, so that everything must bend to it, then everything will serve it, and our life, instead of being broken into so many bits, each governed by a different spirit, will be a beautiful unity.

(2) Paul resolved to forget the past, and live in the future. "Forgetting those things which are behind," etc. The past, however, was not forgotten absolutely, only as a retarding influence. Its experiences, its failures as well as its successes, were rich in instruction. This gathered and used would help to make the future bright with victory, would make progress more real and solid. He would learn the lessons the past could teach, and then leave it for the better future. And there is a "better" for every man if he will open his eyes to see it. Paul would allow neither failures nor successes to hinder him. Both these are a hindrance to some people.

Forget past failures. It is the habit of some persons to brood over their failures until, measuring their future by their past, it is practically believed to be impossible to do anything but make failures, and hence no attempt is made. Let a man believe that he cannot conquer and succeed, and he never will. Despair is a cruel tyrant that holds us in meanest slavery, and sinks us to deepest degradation. What we need to do is to learn from the failures where we are weak, what is the exact situation of the sand-banks, sunken rocks, and whirlpools we have to avoid; and, having sought forgiveness, to forget the failures as retarding influences, to cast the eyes into the future, to allow the glorious possibilities of that future to inspire the breast with a cheering and invigorating hope, which, moving to earnest and continued labour, will realise itself in success.

Forget past successes. There are men who seem to find great joy in thought of what they have become-the difficulties they have surmounted, and the achievements they have made. It is possible sometimes to find encouragement and direction for the present and future from consideration of the conquests and attainments of the past. But, as a rule, time spent in meditating on our successes is wasted. It is withdrawn from the actual working of life, and we lose something we might have gained. The exercise often tempts us to self-complacency, and sometimes to that self-satisfaction which results in an indolence that degrades. Looking back in this sense often ends in going back. Besides, the future is full of richer, nobler, higher attainments and enjoyments than any we yet have, however great they may be, and they are possible to us. It is always wise to leave even the good for the better. What we have attained does not exempt us from the duty of effort to attain more. What is possible is always the measure of duty. If we can rise higher we must. The only means of keeping what we have is earnest endeavour to get more.