HOMILY III.

(1)

li. e.

PHIL. i. 18-20.

And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

NONE of the grievous things which are in this present life can fix their fangs upon that lofty soul, which is truly philosophic, neither enmity, nor accusations, nor slanders, nor dangers, nor plots. It flies for refuge as it were to a mighty fortress, securely defended there against all that attack it from this lower earth. Such was the soul of Paul; it had taken possession of a place higher than any fortress, the seat of spiritual wisdom, that is, true philosophy. For that of those without' is mere words, and childish toys. But it is the hea- not of these we now speak, but at present concerning the things of Paul. That blessed one had both the emperor for his enemy, and in addition, many other foes many ways afflicting him, even with bitter slander. And what says he? Not only do I not grieve nor sink beneath these things, but I even rejoice, yea, and will rejoice, not for a season, but always, will I rejoice for these things. For I know that this shall turn out to the salvation that awaits me. For how can it but so turn out, when even their enmity and jealousy towards me further the Gospel? Through your prayer, he

then.

III.

St. Paul sought others' prayers. His trust in God. 31 adds, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according Hoм. to my earnest expectation and my hope. Behold the humblemindedness of this blessed One; he was stirring in the contest, he had done ten thousand exploits, he was now close to his crown, he was Paul, and what can one add to this? still he writes to the Philippians, I may be saved through your prayer, I who have gained salvation through countless achievements. And the supply, saith he, of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. What means he by this supply? it is as though he said, if I am thought worthy of grace through your prayers. For the meaning of supply is this, may the Spirit be supplied to me, be given to me more abundantly, unto salvation, that is, to deliverance, that I may escape the present as I did the former danger. Of this same matter he says, At my first 2 Tim. answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me; I pray God it may not be laid to their charge: notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me. Now therefore he predicts the same results, saying, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation, and my hope, for thus have I hope, says he. For that he may persuade us not to leave the whole matter to the prayers made for us, and contribute nothing ourselves, behold how he lays down his own part, which is Hope, the source of all good, as the Prophet says. Let thy Ps. 33, mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in Thee. And as it is written in another place, Look to the generations Ecclus. of old and see, did any one hope in the Lord, and was confounded. And again, this same blessed one says, Hope maketh Rom. 5, not ashamed.

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed. Do you see how great a thing it is to hope in God? Whatever happens, he says, I shall not be ashamed, i. e. they will not obtain the mastery over me, but in all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body. They forsooth expected to catch Paul in this snare, and to quench the preaching of the Gospel, as though their craftiness were of any power. This then, he says, shall not be so, I shall not now die, but as

a So B. Sav. to their prayers.' This parted Saints. See Hom. vi. on Stat. may possibly refer especially to de- fin.

.4, 16.

22.

2, 10.

5.

1, 9.

32 Christ, how glorified, in St. Paul's life or death.

PHIL. always, so now, Christ shall be magnified in my body. How 1, 19. so? Ofttimes have I fallen into dangers, when all men gave us 2 Cor. up, and what is more, when I myself did. For we had the sentence of death in ourselves, but from all the Lord delivered me, so now too He shall be magnified in my body. And lest any one should suppose and say, If you die will He not then be magnified? Yes, he answers, I know He will, for this cause I said, not my life alone shall magnify Him, but my death too. At present he means by life, They will not destroy me, but even did they so, Christ will even thus be magnified. How so? Through life, because He delivered me, but through my death, because even death itself could not persuade me to deny Him, since He gave me such readiness, and made me stronger than death. On the one hand because He freed me from peril; on the other, because He suffered me not to fear the tyranny of death: thus shall He be magnified through life and death. And this he says, not as though he were about to die, but lest on his death they should be affected as men are apt to be.

But that you may know these his words did not point to immediate death, the thought that pained them most, see how (2) he relieves it by almost saying, These things I say, not as one about to die; wherefore he soon after adds, And having this confidence I know that I shall continue with you all. The words, in nothing I shall be ashamed, mean, that death brings no shame to me, but rather great gain. How so? Because I am not immortal, but I shall shine more brightly than if I were so, for it is not the same thing for one immortal, and for him who must die, to despise death; so that not even instant death is shame to me, yet shall I not die; in nothing shall I be ashamed, neither in life nor death. I will bear either nobly, whether life or death. Well says he! This is the part of a Christian soul! but he adds, in all boldness. Seest thou how entirely I am freed from shame? For if the fear of death I had cut short his boldness, death would have been worthy of shame, but if death at its approach casts no terror on me, no shame is here; but whether I live, through life I will not be ashamed, for I still preach the Gospel, or whether I die, through death I will not be ashamed, for fear hath not disgraced me, since I still exhibit the same boldness. Do not, when I mention

XOTTS,

lopped.

2 4ò xй

ρυγμα.

St. Paul could glory in deliverance, yet die without shame. 33

III.

my bonds, think shame of the matter, so manifold good hath Hoм. it caused to me, that it hath given confidence to others. For that we should be bound for Christ, is no shame, but for fear of bonds to betray aught that is Christ's, this is shame. When there is no such thing, bonds are even a cause of boldness. But since I have ofttimes escaped dangers, and have this to boast of to the unbelievers, do not straightway think I am put to shame, if now it should turn out otherwise. The one event no less than the other gives you boldness. Note how he brings this forward in his own person, which he does in many other places, as in the Epistle to the Romans; For Rom. 1, I am not ashamed of the Gospel. And again in that to the Corinthians; And these things I have in a figure transferred1 Cor. to myself and Apollos.-Whether by life or by death: this he says not in ignorance, (for he knew that he was not then to die, but some time after.) Yet even now does he prepare

their soul.

Ver. 21. For to me, he says, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

16.

4, 6.

this pre

sent life

my true

life.'

20.

In dying, he means, I shall not have perished, for I have my life in myself: then would they truly slay me, had they power through this fear to cast faith out of my soul. But as long as Christ is with me, even though death overtake me, still I live, and in this present life, not this, but Christ is my life. Since, then, not even in the present life is it so', but the life1i. e. 'is which I now live in the flesh I live by faith; so I say in that state also, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Such ought a Christian to be! I live not, he says, the common Gal. 2, life. How livest thou then, O blessed Paul? Dost thou not see the sun, dost thou not breathe the common air? art thou not nourished with the same food as others? dost thou not tread the earth as we? needest thou not sleep, nor clothing, nor shoes? what meanest thou by, I live not? how dost thou not live? Why boastest thou thyself? No boasting is here. For if indeed the fact did not witness to him, a man might with some show call it boasting; but if facts do witness, how is boasting here? Let us then learn how he lives not, for he himself says in another place, I am Gal. 6, crucified to the world, and the world to me. Hear then how 14. b of this use of or see Hom. xviii. on Stat. Tr. p. 304. note n.

D

34

How Saints live not this present life.

PHIL. he says, I no longer live. And here again, to me to live is 1,21. Christ. The word life is much significant, beloved, i. e. it

20.

28.

25.

sheweth many things, as also the word death. There is this life of the body, and there is the life of sin, as he himself elsewhere says, But if we are dead to sin, how shall we any longer live therein. It is then possible to live the life of sin. Attend diligently, I entreat you, lest my labour be vain. There Phil. 3, is a life eternal, immortal, heavenly, after this. For our conversation is in heaven. There is the life of the body whereof Acts 17, he speaks, through him we live and move and have our being. He does not then deny that he lives the natural life, but that of sin, which all men live; and rightly so, for how does he live this life, who desires not the present life? He who is hastening to another, how does he live this life? He who despises death, how does he live this life? He who desires nought of the things here, how does he live it? For as one made of adamant, though he were struck a thousand blows, would never attend to it, no more would Paul. And I live, says he, but no longer I, that is, the old man; as again elseRom. 7, where, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death! How too does he live who does nought for the sake of food, nought for the sake of clothing, nought for any of these present things? Such an one does not even live the natural life: he who takes thought for none of the things which sustain life, lives not. We live this life, whose every action regards it. But he lived not; for he busied himself about nought of the things here. How then lived he? Just as we are accustomed to say, in common matters, such an one is not with me, when he does nothing with reference to me. Again, in like sort such a man lives not for me. Elsewhere he shews that he rejects not the Gal. 2, natural life; The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me; i. e. A certain new life I live, an altered one. And truly all these things he said to comfort the Philippians. Think not, says he, that I shall be deprived of this life, for neither whilst alive did I live this life, but that which Christ willed. For tell me? He who despises money, luxury, hunger, thirst, dangers, health, safety, does he live this life? He who has nothing here, and is ofttimes willing to cast it

20.