98 Virtue amidst contradiction like stars in the night.

PHIL. has not had men to upbraid and reproach him, which is 16: above all things calculated to wound the feelings, more than

2,12-16.

the calamities we suffer. For if when we have persons to cheer and console us in our misfortunes, and to hold out to us fair prospects, we yet despond, consider what it was to Ps. 69, have men upbraiding him. If the words, I looked for some to have pity, but there was no man, and for comforters, but I found none; describe intolerable misery, how great an Job 16, aggravation to find revilers instead of comforters! Miserable comforters are ye all, he says.

20.

2.

(4)

If we did but revolve these subjects continually in our minds, if we well weighed them, no ills of this present time could ever have force to disturb our peace, when we turned our eyes to that wrestler, that soul of adamant, that spirit impenetrable as brass. For as though he had borne about him a body of brass or stone, he met all events with a noble and constant spirit. Taking these things to heart, let us do every thing without murmuring and disputing. Is it some good work that thou hast before thee, and dost thou murmur? wherefore? art thou then forced? for that there are many about you who force you to murmur, I know well, says he. This he intimated by saying, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; but it is this that deserves admiration, that we admit no such feeling when under galling provocation. For the stars too give light in the night, they shine in the dark, and receive no blemish to their own beauty: yea they even shine the brighter, but when light returns, they no longer shine so. Thus thou too dost appear with the greater lustre, whilst thou holdest straight in the midst of the crooked. This it is which deserves our admiration, the being blameless, for that they might not urge this plea', he himself set it down by anticipation. What means holding fast the word of life? i. e. being destined to live, being of those that are gaingui.ing salvation'. Observe how immediately he subjoins the rewards, which are in reserve. Lights, he says, retain the principle of light; so do ye the principle of life. What means the word of life? Having the seed of life, i. e. having pledges of life, holding life itself, i. e. ' having in yourselves the seed of life,' this is what he calls the word of life. Conf viz. that they were forced. 8 B. om. having' &c.

2

99

VIII.

St. Paul speaks of his death as a drink-offering. sequently the rest are all dead, for by these words he signi- Hoм. fied as much; for otherwise those others likewise would have held the word of life. That I may rejoice', he says; what is 'or boast this? I too participate in your good deeds, he says. So great is your virtue, as not only to save yourselves, but to render me illustrious. Strange kind of boasting,' thou blessed Paul! Thou art scourged, driven about, reviled for our sakes: therefore he adds, in the day of Christ, that I have not run, he says, in vain, no lraboured in vain, but I always rejoice, he means, that I have not run in vain.

6

4, 6.

Yea, and if I be offered; he said not, and if I die even,' nor did he when writing to Timothy, for there too he has made use of the same expression. For I am now ready to 2 Tim. be offered. He is both consoling them about his own death, and instructing them to bear death gladly for Christ's sake. I am become, he says, as it were a libation and a sacrifice. O blessed soul! His bringing them to God he calls a sacrifice, which teaches us that it is much better to present a soul than to present oxen; if now, then, over and above this offering,' he says, 'I add myself likewise, as a drink-offering, I have joy in my death.' For this he implies, when he says, Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all; for the same cause do ye also joy and rejoice with me. Why dost thou rejoice with them? Seest thou how he shews that it is their duty to rejoice? On the one hand then, he says, I rejoice in being made an offering; on the other, I rejoice with you, in having presented a sacrifice; for the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me, that I am offered up; Rejoice with me, he says, who do myself rejoice at my death.' So that the death of the just is no subject for tears, but for joy. If they rejoice, we should rejoice with them. For it is misplaced for us to weep, while they rejoice. But,' it is urged,' we long for our wonted intercourse.' This is a mere pretext and excuse; and that it is so, mark what he bids the Philippians; Rejoice with me, and joy. And dost thou miss thy wonted intercourse? If thou wert thyself destined to remain here, there would be reason in what thou sayest; but if after a brief space thou wilt overtake him, who has departed, what is that intercourse which thou dost seek? for it is only when he is for ever severed from him H 2

2,12-16.

100

Death in general a cause for rejoicing.

PHIL. that a man misses the society of another, but if he will go the same way that thou wilt go, what is the intercourse which thou longest for? Why do we not bewail all that are upon foreign travel? Do we not cease, after shedding a few tears, the first or the second day once over? If thou longest for thy wonted intercourse with him, weep so far as may suffice to evidence natural feeling: but after that, rejoice, like Paul, when he declares, it is no evil that I suffer, but I even rejoice in going to Christ, and do ye rejoice.' Rejoice with me, he says. Therefore let us too rejoice when we see a good man dying, and yet more even when any of the desperately wicked; for the first is going to receive the reward of his labours, but the other has abated somewhat from the score of his sins". But it is said, perhaps he might have altered, had he lived. Yet God would never have taken him away, if there had been really a prospect of an alteration. For why should not He who orders all events for our salvation, allow him the opportunity, who gave promise of altering? If He leaves those, who never alter, much more those that do. Let then the sharpness of our sorrow be every where cut away', let the voice of lamentation2 cease. Let us thank God wir under all events: let us do all things without murmuring; let

us be cheerful, and let us become pleasing to Him in all things, that we attain the good things to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom, &c.

bios. See on Stat. Hom. v. (4.) Tr. p. 103. note s. Here however he rather means sins that might have been committed. He certainly rather strains the principle of trying to view things as they are, seeing that, to us at least,

while there is life there is hope. Still a more thorough feeling of God's mercy, and of our own ignorance, would make us better understand the general use of thanksgiving in our funeral service.

HOMILY IX.

PHIL. ii. 19, 20, 21.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

12. 13.

17.

He had said, that the things which have happened unto Phil. 1, me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace. Again, Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service Phil. 2, of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. By these words he strengthened them. Perchance they might suspect that his former words were spoken just to comfort them. What then does he? how does he free them from this suspicion? By saying, I will send Timothy shortly unto you, for they desired to hear all things that concerned him. And wherefore said he not," that ye may know my state," but, "that I may know yours?" Because Epaphroditus would have reported his state before the arrival of Timothy. Wherefore further on he says, Yet I supposed it necessary to send Phil. 2, to you Epaphroditus, my brother. But he means, I wish to learn of your affairs, for it was likely that he had remained long time with Paul through his bodily weakness. So that it is suitably he says, I wish to know your state.

See how he

refers every thing to Christ, even the mission of Timothy,

25.

102 St. Paul's care to know about the Philippians.

PHIL. saying, I trust in the Lord Jesus, that is, I have good hope 2,19-21. God will grant me this, that I too may be of good courage,

2, 17.

when I know your state. As I refreshed you when ye heard the very things of me which ye had prayed for, that the Gospel had advanced, that its enemies were put to shame, that the means by which they thought to injure, rather made me rejoice; thus too do I wish to learn of your affairs, that I may be of good courage when I know your state. Here be shews that they ought to rejoice for his bonds, and to be conformed to them, for they begat in him great pleasure, for the words, that I too may be of good comfort, imply that ye be

so too.

Oh, what longing had he toward Macedonia! he testifies 1 Thess. the same to the Thessalonians, when he says, But we, brethren, laga. being taken from you for a short time, &c. Here he says, I trust to send Timothy that I may know your state, which is a proof of excessive care: for when he could not himself be with them, he sent his disciples, as he could not endure to remain, even for a little time, in ignorance of their state. For he did not learn all things by revelation of the Spirit, and for this we can see some reason; for if the disciples had believed that it were so, they would have lost all sense of shame', but now from expectation of concealment, they were more easily corrected. In a high degree did he call their attention by saying, that I too may be of good comfort, and rendered them more zealous, so that, when Timothy came he might not find any other state of things, and report it to him. He seems to have acted in like sort in his own person, when he delayed his coming to the Corinthians, that they might repent; where2 Cor. 1, fore he wrote, to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth; for his love was manifested not simply in reporting his own state, but in his desire to learn of theirs, for this is the part of a soul which has a care of others, which takes thought for them, which is always wrestling in spirit for them. At the same time too, he honours them by sending Timothy. What sayest thou? dost thou send Timothy? and wherefore? Because I have no one likeminded; that is,

23.

He means, that if they thought he knew their exact condition by revela tion, they would lose a motive for im

provement, in the hope of standing well in his eyes. Such motives are of course still a part of our moral education.