of His children "willing" to serve Him "in the day of His power."

Let us be content to take Scripture as we find it, instead of wresting and distorting its plainest declarations to make them agree with our inferences, or logical deductions, and thus forcing every passage to speak our language, or to express one particular truth. One-sided views are almost always alike mischievous and false; on this question they neither warm the heart, nor glorify God.

The result of the apostle's preaching at Philippi was immediate and decisive. In that very night, the jailor himself "took and washed the blood" from the wounded backs of his prisoners, in token of his love, to assuage their pain so heroically endured; and, after discharging this office of mercy, was baptized with all his family, or attendants, in the prison. After this he conducted Paul and Silas into his private apartments, obviously in close contiguity, if not a part of the same building; and set meat before them, rejoicing exceedingly with all his house, having truly believed in God. If the joy was general, so doubtless was the faith of the baptized. But it is very

notable that nothing is here said about the other prisoners, whose attention had been arrested by the midnight devotions of the Christians. Why were they overlooked? Mere curiosity is ever disappointed. But if they were left in their impenitence, what is this but another illustration of the divine sovereignty, a striking earnest of what daily occurs before our eyes?

tion from evil through sharing the Saviour's Spirit was shifted into a notion of purchase through the price of His bodily pangs;" we have nothing to do with shifting human notions, but with the unchanging word of truth. There we read that "the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, (will) purge our conscience from dead works (cf. vi. 1) to serve the living God" (Hebr. ix. 14); and unless there be faith in that bloodshedding there will be no sharing in His Spirit, nor salvation from evil.

a Miserable exegesis has been applied for instance to 2 Pet. ii. I: "denying the Lord who bought them." See 1 Cor. vi. 20, vii. 23. It is true that δεσπότην is usually said of the Father only.

b"Partial truth is the fittest medium to convey subtle poison; to dwell on a part of truth is eminently instrumental in the hands of Satan." Howels.

© Compare 1 Pet. i. 21. If we believe in Christ, as announced in the Gospel, we necessarily believe in God. See 2 Cor. v. 19, &c. This is here presupposed, not explained.

[5] When it was day, the magistrates, who seem to have reflected on the glaring injustice and folly of their proceedings, sent their lictors to the prison to order the discharge of Paul and Silas. The jailor announced this message to the apostle, desiring him to depart in peace; but to this he would not consent. The law had been grossly violated, and an apology was needed; for it was of importance that their innocence should be publicly recognised. The magistrates were alarmed at the possible consequences, which might follow their inconsiderate violation of privileges, so jealously guarded as those which belonged to Roman citizens, and which these Christians claimed. They came therefore themselves, and humbly besought them to pass over their offences, and then led them out of the prison, requesting them (as a favour) to leave the city, to prevent fresh tumult, or possibly only to secure their own dignity. The brethren shewed equal delicacy, and moderation, in complying with their request; but they first entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen their companions, and the other converts lodging there, and comforted them by a report of the glorious events that had transpired in the prison, and exhorted them to perseverance in faith, and earnest labours of love, they departed, and passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, along the ordinary highway to Thessalonica.

Luke and others, probably, remained behind to carry on the work, begun in sunshine, and so unexpectedly promoted by the threatening storm, affording a fresh proof of that over-ruling providence of God, which causes all things to work together for the fulfilment of His own purposes, and for the manifestation of His own glory. We must neither be discouraged by apparently adverse circumstances, nor "despise the day of small things."

It is worthy of note, how constantly the apostle appealed to his rights and privileges as a Roman citizen, with a full appreciation of this worldly honour. His faith and lofty spirituality had not rendered him insensible to the benefits of civil government, and good laws; his heavenly calling, and resurrection life in Christ, had not made him indifferent to the gifts of a gracious Providence. Theorists may stumble at this, and regard his spirited conduct on this occasion as unbecoming a citizen of heaven, as they have dared to say that Erastus, the chamberlain of the city of Corinth, ought not to have been permitted to salute the Christians at Rome, because it is an unlawful thing for the saints to hold office in the world now; but we prefer the guidance of an inspired apostle, who knew that he had not acted either falsely, or inconsistently, and therefore boldly tells the Philippians to imitate his conduct, or to do what they had both heard and seen in him (iv. 9).

His cheerfulness in prison, and the joy of the jailor and his household, are strikingly characteristic. We are thus prepared to expect, what we find in the subsequent epistle, frequent reference to an experience so delightful, which was to be earnestly cherished, and maintained, under all circumstances.

No further particulars are stated respecting the church at Philippi, except such as may be collected from that epistle. “Luke, the beloved physician," seems to have joined Paul a second time in Macedonia", and to have sailed with him (from Neapolis), after the feast of unleavened bread, to Troas. A large party travelled on to Jerusalem, where he accompanied the apostle in his memorable interview with James and his brethren. Once more he joined him with Aristarchus of Thessalonica, on his eventful voyage to Rome, where he seems to have remained with him until the end of his imprisonment. Paul is said to have arrived there in the spring, A.D. 61. He was probably delivered with other prisoners to the Pretorian prefecta, the virtuous Burrus, who had the custody of all who were to be tried before the Emperor. He was still "courteously

a Coloss. iv. 14.

b The first person does not occur between Acts xvi. 17 and xx. 5, nor after ch. xxi. 18 before ch. xxvii.

from Phil. ii. 20 that he was then absent. See 2 Tim. iv. 10.

4 στρατοπεδάρχῃ. Acts xxviii. 16.

Howson.

Wordsworth, however, concludes.

entreated," and instead of being confined in the camp, allowed to dwell apart, and permitted to receive numerous and constant visitors at his lodgings, and to speak freely to them as long, and as often, as he pleased, during the space of two years. With this statement the sacred historian abruptly terminates his narrative.

During this period the death of Burrus gave a new turn to the imperial government. The profligate Tigellinus rose into power, and Nero married the infamous Poppæa, a convert to Judaism; and his public administration gradually became more and more tyrannical. But St Luke gives no account of its bearing upon the case of the apostle, who enters into no details himself. It was, however, during this period, that the letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and the Philippians, appear to have been successively composed; the last probably about the close of the year 62, or the commencement of 63.

Wordsworth remarks, that this "whole epistle breathes an air of love and thankfulness for all the blessings he had enjoyed in the affection and kindness of the Philippians from the beginning of his apostolic ministry [in Europe]. It is like the grateful overflow of a devout heart at the close of a long life, meditating on the loving-kindness of God in Christ, never failing in bounteous supplies of grace and peace." He regards it as a farewell epistle to the Gentiles. Its peculiar character will appear more clearly in the following pages.

The apostle calls himself aged (peσẞúτηs) in his address to Philemon. The word used would strictly signify a person between 49 and 56, not yet an old man (yépwv). He was still as vigorous and energetic as ever.

a See Joseph. Ant. XVIII. 6. § 6, 7, 10. Biscoe.

Β εἰς τὴν ξενίαν. Acts xxviii. 23. ἰδίῳ μισθώματι. 30.

• From morning till evening. Ib. 23.

d "Nula Pauli Epistola perinde pa

thetica est et paternibus affectibus referta,-lætior, alacriorque et blandior cæteris." Poli Synopsis.

* See Philo, De Mund. Opif. § 36. Above, 40. Plato, De Leg. 11. 9, p. 666. In Acts vii. 58 Paul is called indefinite1γ νεανίας.

CHAPTER THE SECOND.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO. THE PHILIPPIANS, WITH CRITICAL NOTES.

AUL and
AUL and Timotheus,

Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which

are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

See Chrysostom, Op. Tom. Ix. p. 1200 (a prefatory Homily), and pp. 1204— 1208 (Hom. 2).