fweetnefs of difpofition, and the entire government of the paffions. See Tit. iii. 2. James iii. 17.

2. To all men. The apoftle defired the Philippians to make their moderation evident to all men, because thereby they would effectually recommend their religion to their perfecutors. In this fentiment Peter agreed with Paul, 1 Pet. ii. 12.

or time.

3. The Lord is nigh. Εγγυς, fignifies nigh, either in refpe&t of place Here I understand it of place. The Lord is befide you, obferving your behaviour. If it is underflood of time, the meaning is, the Lord will foon come and deftroy the Jewish commonwealth; fo that the power of one class at least of your enemies, will fhortly be at an end.

Ver. 6. With thanksgiving. On this Beza remarks, that David after beginning his prayers with complaints and tears, generally ended them with thankfgivings.-The exhortation in this verfe implies, not only that the afflicted have many mercies for which they ought to give God thanks, but that they ought to be thankful for their very afflictions, because they are the means by which the Father of their fpirits maketh them partakers of his holiness, in order to fit them for living with himfelf in heaven for ever.

Ver. 7. - 1. The peace of God. This I take to be the happinefs which God has prepared for the righteous in the life to come; called allo,

6

6 Refigning yourselves to the difpofal of God, Be anxiously folicitous about nothing: but in every difficulty, by prayer for what is good, and deprecation of what is evil, with thanksgiving for mercies received, make known your defires to God, who if he fees it fit, will grant your requefts. Or if not, thefe devout exercifes will enable you to bear with patience, whatever afliction God allots to you.

7 And in this courfe of humble refignation, the hope of the peace of God, which is the portion of his children, and which is a bleffing fo great that it furpaffeth all human comprehenfion, will guard your affections and your understanding, through Chrift Jefus, against the fear of fuffering, and of death.

8 Finally, brethren, that I may recommend virtue to you in all the different forms in which it hath been fet forth, Whatever things are conformable to truth, whatever things are honourable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are benevolent, whatever things are of good fame, if there be virtue in thefe things, and if any praife be due to the perfons who do them, attentively confider thefe things:

any

alfo, the rest of God. And to that interpretation the characters here given of the peace of God agree: it is fo great that it furpaffeth human understanding to comprehend it; and the hope of enjoying it, is the moit effectual prefervative of the affections and thoughts from fin. Others by the peace of God, understand the peace arifing from reconeiliation with God through Jefus Chrift; others the peace which God himfelf poffeffes in the enjoyment of his infinite perfections. In this latter fenfe of the phrafe, the apoftle's meaning is, that the pleasures which good difpofitions afford, have a great efficacy in making men edfaft in the profeflion of religion. The phrafe peace of God, is used

only

only here and Col. iii. 15. where it fignifies the peace which God enjoys.

2. Will guard your hearts and your minds Φρερήσει. This is a military term, expreffive of the watching of foldiers in a fortified town, which is befieged by enemies without, and which has mutinous inhabitants within. It is elegantly used on this occafion, to denote the efficacy which the firm expectation of the happiness of heaven, hath to fubdue the paffions of the human heart, and to fortify the thoughts against the fuggeftions of the Devil, and the fophiftry of wicked men. -Beza obferves that the apottle divides the foul into two parts, Καρδία, and νόημα, heart and mind. The former, is the feat of the will and affections; the latter the feat of reafon and memory. Wherefore the guarding of the mind. is the fecuring it, not only against the falle reafonings of infidels, fceptics, and wicked men, but against the fiery darts of the Devil; thofe evil thoughts which the Devil fuggefts, to feduce men to fin.

Ver. 8. 1. Finally brethren, &c. The Greek philofophers were as keen as the moderns, in their difputes concerning the foundation of virtue. Thefe difputes the apoftle did not think fit to fettle. But being anxious to make the Philippians virtuous, he mentioned in this exhortation, all the different foundations on which virtue had been placed, to fhew that it does not reft on any one of these fingly, but on them all jointly; and that its amiablenefs and obligation refult from the union of the whole.

2. If there be any virtue, and if any praife. The Clermont MS. hath here, ει τις επαινος επίσημης, If there be any praife of knowledge. Some copies of the Vulgate read, laus difciplina, any praife of difcipline, επαινος της παιδείας. But the common reading is belt fupported, and agrees well with the context.

Ver. 10.

9 Which things alfo ye have learned from me, and received as the will of God, and have heard that I practise, and feen me do. These things be ye careful to praclife; and the God who hath made peace between himself and us, by the mediation of his Son, and who is the giver of all peace, will be with you to affift and bless

you.

10 But before I conclude, I must tell you, that on the arrival of Epaphroditus, I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, who directs all events, that now at length, by your prefent which I received from Epaphroditus, ye have made your care of me to flourish anew; (EQ' w, fup. #payuari,) in which concern for my happiness, ye were indeed careful before, but ye had not an opportunity of fhewing it.

11 I do not speak thus feelingly of the renewal of your care, because I was unhappy in poverty. For I have learned in whatever fate I am to be contented; knowing that what God appoints is beft. But I rejoiced in your prefent, as a fresh expreffion of your love.

Ver. 10.-1. I rejoiced greatly in the Lord. Here, as in many other paffages of his writings, the apostle fhews the deep fense which he had of Chrift's governing the affairs of the world for the good of his ferFor, this new inftance of the Philippians' care of his welfare, he afcribed exprefsly to the providence of Christ.

vants.

2. Ye have made your care of me to flourish again. AvedaλETE TO UTTER Opove. The fame fenfe aaaw hath Ezek. xvii. 24. LXX. In. this figurative expreffion, the apoftle likened the Philippians' care of him to a plant, which withers and dies in winter, but groweth again in the following year; or, to trees which, after their leaves drop in autumn, put them forth again next fpring. Le, however, the Philippians might think this expreffion infinuated a complaint that they had been negligent latterly, the apoftle immediately added, that they had always been careful to fupply his wants, but had not had an opportunity till now.

3. Te had not an opportunity. Hague de. Chryfoftom faith this phrafe was commonly ufed to exprefs one's want of ability to do a thing. And it must be acknowledged that this meaning fuits the character of

the

12 I know both how to

be abafed, and I know how to abound: every where, and in all things I am inftruded, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound, and to fuffer need.

13 I can do all things through Christ which ftrengtheneth me.

14 Notwithstanding, ye have well done that ye did communicate with my affliction.

15 Now ye Philippians know alfo, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, church communicated with me, as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

no

12 Οίδα δε ταπεινεσθαι, οιδα και περισσευειν εν παν τι και εν πασι μεμνημαι και χορταζεσθαι και πειναν, και

περισσεύειν και ὑπερείσθαι.

13 Παντα ισχύω εν τω ενδυναμέντι με Χρισώ

14 Πλην καλως εποίησα τε, συγκοινωνησαντες με τη θλίψει.

15 Οίδατε δε και ὑμεῖς, Φιλιππησιοι, ότι εν αρχή το ευαγέλια, ότε εξηλθον απο Μακεδονίας, εδεμιά μοι εκα κλησια εκοινώνησεν εις λογον δοσεως και ληψεως, ει μη ὑμεις μονοι.

the Philippians well. Yet as the phrafe may have either meaning, and we are ignorat of the circumstances of the Philippians, I have retained the common translation.

Ver. 11. - 1. I do not fpeak this becaufe I was unhappy in want. The apoftle meant to tell the Philippians, that the joy occafioned by their liberal prefent, was not because he was unhappy in his poverty, and was relieved by them, but because their gift was a new proof of their re fpect for, and care of their spiritual father.-The apostle delighted in the elliptical manner of writing. But the ftructure of his difcourfe commonly, as in the prefent inftance, directs us to the words which are neceffary to complete his meaning.

2. For I have learned in whatever fate I am, to be contented: Αυτάρκης ειναι literally, to be felf fificient, that is, to be perfe&tly contented with

what I have.

Ver. 12.-1. I am inftructed both to be filled and to be hungry. This is an explication of the general expreffion in the precedent clause; I both know to be humbled and I know to abound. The word μεμνημαι properly fignifies, I am initiated in the myfleries. But as the initiated were believed to be inftructed in the most excellent and useful knowledge, the word fignifies to be completely inftructed in any fcience or art. Perhaps the apoftle used it on this occafion, to infinuate that his bearing both adverfity and profperity properly, was a facred mystery, in which he had been initiated by Jefus Chrift, ver. 13. and which was unknown to the men of this world.

2. Both