May 11

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. - Philippians 2:4.

“EVERY one for himself, and God for us all.” Now, this is a pernicious maxim; and yet we are continually hearing it, and it contains the experience, it breathes the very soul of the philosophy, the morality, the religion, of thousands in this fallen, selfish world. But we are not to follow a multitude to do evil; we are to follow after righteousness, and things by which we may edify one another; to act from principle, and from Christian principle, too. And therefore our attention is directed to another maxim, and instead of saying, “Every one for himself, and God for us all,” we say, “Every one for another, and God for us all.”

This was the maxim of the inspired apostle; whence his address to the Corinthians:-“Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth;” and also the words before us:- “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” If a female were urged to be virtuous, or a man exhorted not to love money, or not to steal, it would probably be considered a charge, or, at least, an insinuation. But exhortation does not always imply censure or reflection; yea, it is not always an excitement to begin, but frequently an encouragement to persevere and to increase, in well-doing; for when a thing is lovely we always wish it to be more so, and we naturally desire that excellency of every kind may have “free course and be glorified.”

Hear the language of the apostle to the Thessalonians:-“But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren which are in Macedonia; but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.” And to whom was the passage before us addressed? To the Philippians,-a church remarkably dear to the apostle, and whose members were preeminent for the qualifications here named. This is the only one of the apostle’s epistles that contains nothing of blame; and never was there a people more disinterested than these Philippians.

Let us observe this one particular instance in their liberality towards the apostle himself:-“Now, ye Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only.” “But I have all and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” These very people, these unselfish and generous souls, these are the people he admonishes in the words:-“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

How is this to be understood? Why, he explains himself; we are not to look upon them exclusively or only. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also” (this is the interpretation) “on the things of others.” It is much therefore like the second commandment:-“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Our Lord, too, confirms the requisition:-“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

Self-preservation- including the promotion of our welfare, as well as the conservation of our being,-self-preservation has been called the first law of nature, and it is so; and if man were a solitary creature it would be the only law of nature. There would be no other for him to care for than his own dear self; but now, man is variously associated and related, and therefore he is made a social being, and consequently is required to be social. Therefore he is told that “no man liveth to himself,” and only a Cain will ask, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”