It will be improving, to those, who listen with humble and teachable hearts, who spiritually receive the word of God as the teaching of the Spirit of God, if we repeat a considerable portion of the important passage connected with the text; let us begin then with the 7th verse. “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ, yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, (all earthly things) and do count them but dung, (as mere refuse and worthlessness) that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death, (by dying to sin that I may live to God;) if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead,” (to that perfect felicity, to which the saints are admitted at the resurrection.) From these words, it might have appeared to some, as if the apostle had expected his great object to be already accomplished; as if he had arrived at a state of faith and holiness, by which he had actually secured this felicity, independently of any further vigilance or labour: and therefore he immediately adds, by way of caution and correction: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, (keep following after the object before me,) if that I may apprehend _that_, (may lay hold of _that_ prize,) for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus;” (for which He, as it were, has graciously laid hold of me, arresting me in my course of blindness and obstinacy, as a malignant persecutor of Him and His gospel.) Then follows the text; “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended;” I reckon not upon the prize as actually won; however high and fervent my hope, however undoubted my assurance of ultimate success, I cannot be careless, I must not diminish my anxiety or activity; my hope can only be sustained in proportion to my vigour in the contest; success must depend upon my unbending resolution and unabating constancy: the victory is not gained in the middle of the course, and cannot be gained till it is finished.