CHA P. II. The CONTENTS. He proceeds to exhort their whole Church to Unity, Meeknefs, and Humility, from the great Example of Chrift fuffering for us: And to Steadiness in Chriftian Principles and Practices, now in his Abfence from them. Hopes to fend Timothy to them. In the mean while recommends their Messenger Epaphroditus, the Bearer of this Letter to them. IF there be there tion in Chrift, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies : I 1 & 2. Exhorted you (Chap. i. 27.) 4.D. 62. to Unity and Peaceablenefs in your Chriftian Profeflion. And if there be any Force in befeeching you in the Name of Chrift; if you have any Senfe of the fweet Comforts of mutual Love; if you have felt any Motions of that good Chriftian Spirit that excites us to Love; finally, by all the Compaffions you bear towards me your fuffering Apoftle, fail not to practise this great Duty, which will compleat all the Joy and Satisfaction I have in you. 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-mind. ed, having the fame love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3. Let nothing be faid and done amongst you out of a contentious or ambitious Principle; but be all ready to do for, and comply with one another, as if they were their Superiors. 4. Let none of you be fet upon 5. In this you will imitate no A. D.62. 6 Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbe. Coloff. i. 15. ry to be equal with Heb. i. 3. God: 7 But made him felf of no reputation, and took upon him † Luke xxii. the form of a + fer27.Jobzxiii. vant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, 4--17. 6, 7 & 8. Who though, before his Incarnation, he was God, the Son of God, the Brightness of his Father's Glory, and the express Image of his Perfon; and appeared to the Patriarchs, and to the Jewish Church, in the form of divine Glory and Majefty; yet, for the Salvation of us finful Men, did not infist * upon appearing in that Glory, and to be honoured as God, did not look upon the Honour God had given him, as upon a Prize to be eagerly held faft, and never, upon any Account whatever, to be parted with; but divested himself for a while of that Majefty; was cloathed with Human Nature, miniftring to us as a Servant; and fo far humbled himself, as not only to live as a mean and ordinary Man, but to die the ignominious Death of the Cross, for the Expiation of our Sins. he humbled himself, and became obedient 9 Wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jefus every knee fhould bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; II And 9. For which great and wondrous Condefcenfion, God has now exalted this very Man Chrift Jefus the Meffiah, to the highest Degree of Divine Glory and Majesty. 10 & 11. Making him the Lord and Governour of all Creatures both in Heaven + and Earth, the Lord of the Living, and Raifer of the Dead; and obliging all to worship and a dore, * Ver. 6. Thought it no robbery to be equal with God; in aταγμὲν ἡγήσατο το εἶναι ἶσα θεῷ. He did not greedily infift upon fhoving himself, and being worshipped as God. Which Sense is fufficiently proved by Bifhop Bull, Dr. Whitby, and still more fully by Dr. Clark. That at the Name of Jefus every knee should bow. The Greek is, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι In the Name of Jesus· every knee fhould bow; ie worship God, agreeable to John xvi. 23, 24. and many like Pallages. dore, to pray to, and praise God, A. D. 62. 12. Wherefore, dear Brethren, 13. Nor be ye at all difcouraged, at my being fo long detain'd from you. Do your beft Endeavours, and God will affift you, under all Temptations, to act agreeably to his holy Will and Religion. G 2 14 & 15. Of things in Heaven, and things on Earth, and under the Earth. See the Note on Ephef. i. 10. And though xalax Jovía being joined to the other two Phrases, may poffibly, by the Jewish Idiom, be meant to exprefs only the whole World: Yet in this Place I take it to fignify the Dead, in Contradiftinction to the Living, agreeably to thofe other Paffages of Scripture, concerning the Government and Exaltation of Chrift. See Rom. xiv. 9. Rev. i. 18. Ver. 9, 10, 11. Note, If the bowing the knee, Ver. 10, refers to Chrift, then we may render the Paffage thus, And hath given him a Name, orowa, a Character, above every [other] Character, that in that Character of Jefus (the Saviour) every knee should bow, and pay him Reverence. *Ver. 12. Note, I have fo paraphrafed this Verfe, that the Verb xays [work out] may be taken either imperatively or indicatively [ye do ftill work out. So as that this may be understood as a Commendation, not an Exhortation to the Philippians. Which indeed is very agreeable to the Congratulatory Stile of this Epiftle. See Werenfel's Defert. Theolog. pag. 459 -469. Ibid. With Fear and Trembling, i. e. with all due Carefulness, Refpect and Regard. So the fame Phrafe is ufed Pfal. i. 11. Ephef. vi. 5. 2 Cor. vii. 15. 19 But I truft in 20 For I have no 14 & 15. Be particularly careful (as I before advised you) to avoid all needlefs Difputes and Animofities; and, by an innocent and inoffenfive Carriage, prove your felves worthy the Character of God's true Church and Children; and become shining Lights, and illuftrious Examples, to convince and reform the wicked Generation of Men you live amongst. 16. And that by your Perfeverance in Christianity, under all Oppofition, I, your Apoftle, may rejoice and triumph in the great Day of Chrift's Appearance, for the happy Effects of my Labours in your Converfion to the Gospel. 17 & 18. As to myself, if I fhould not only be kept ftill from you, but die a Sacrifice for preaching to you Gentiles, I should congratulate my felf and you upon fpending my Life in fo good a Cause. And you ought to rejoice with me too, upon the fame ac 20. I fix upon him as the only Perfon I can find here that, like myfelf, is truly ready and willing to ferve you, or any other Chriftian Church. 21. For Ver. 15. Ye fhine Quíveds, or fhine ye, in the Imperative Mood. 21 For all feek their own, not the things which are Jefus Chrift's. 21. For the generality of Chrifti- A. D. 62. ans in thefe Parts, are more concerned for their own Safety and private Intereft, than to advance the Religion of Christ, by taking much Pains or running any Hazards for it. 22 But ye know the proof of him, that as a fon with the father, he hath ferved with me in the gofpel. 22. But Timothy, you know, has always ftuck clofe to me, and ferved me in the Gospel Concerns with the perfect Refpects of a Son to a Father. 23 Him therefore I hope to fend prefently, fo foon as I fhall fee how it will go with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord, that I also myself shall come shortly. 25 Yet I supposed it neceffary to fend you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labour, and fellowfoldier, but your meffenger, and he that miniftred to my wants. 23 & 24. As foon as ever therefore I fee the Iffue of my Tryal, I fhall fend him. And I have Reason to hope I fhall be cleared, and vifit you foon myself. 26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heavinefs, becaufe that ye had heard that he had been fick. 27 For indeed he was fick nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him; and 25. In the mean time, I thought it proper with this Letter, to fend you back your worthy Meflenger and Minifter Epaphroditus, who ever fince his coming to me, with Supplies from you, hath been my Fellow-labourer in Christianity, and done me great Service. 26 And is very defirous to fee you again, and relieve you from the Concern he concludes you to be under, at his late Sickness here. 27. For indeed he has been fo very ill, as to be at the Point of Death. And his Recovery was not only a great Mercy to himself, but to me in particular, and has prevented one of the greatest Misfortunes that could have befallen me 28 I fent in my Confinement. not on him only, but on me alfo, left I should have forrow forrow. upon |