Philippians 4

Notes

Ver. 1. In these views, my dearly beloved brethren, whose further proficiency and establishment I much desire and long for, and whom I now account the honourable seals of my ministry, and expect to be my crown of rejoicing in the last judgment, I again earnestly entreat you to abide steadfast and ? recompense, my loving God and Father, who has ?fession of the Lord Jesus, as your Head and Saviour. 2. And I beg that those noted women, Euodias and Syntyche, would lay aside all their differences, and agree with the church and with one another in sentiment, profession, love, and affection in the Lord. 3. And I beseech you, my noted assistant in the work of the gospel, in the most prudent, tender, and affectionate manner, to advise and exhort them heartily to reunite in the common cause—who, by their prayers, their sympathy, and their supplies, were so remarkably useful to me, and to Clement, and my other fellow-preachers, who, I am persuaded, are noted favourites of God, and from eternity chosen to be heirs of salvation. 4. And let all of you true believers, in the view of the blessings which ye have in hand, or which ye hope for, always, and in all circumstances, rejoice and triumph in the Lord Jesus, your Head and Saviour, and in all that he is, has, or does for you, and even in your sufferings for his sake. 5. And—as knowing that he is at hand to observe your behaviour and take your part, and will quickly appear to execute justice on his Jewish, heathen, or antichristian opposers, and ere long to judge the world—labour to maintain and discover a meek, patient, and gentle temper of spirit towards all men, your most furious persecutors not excepted, and a weanedness of affection from the things of this life. 6. Yea, whatever difficulties, wants, or dangers may befall you relating to this present world, never perplex yourselves with anxious, distrustful, and distracting cares about them, how ye shall be able to avoid, bear up under, or get through them; but in every time, circumstance, or matter—in the firm faith of God's promises, and with humble pleadings and earnest importunity and perseverance, and with thanksgiving for mercies received or promised—lay your whole case and requests before God as your reconciled Father in Christ, that, as the hearer of prayer, he may give you whatever help, comfort, deliverances, or blessings are for your real advantage: 7. And in so doing, the most excellent peace with God, with your own consciences, and with one another, and a transcendently sweet calmness of spirit, shall, through the merits of Christ, your union to him, and influences from him, fortify and preserve your souls from sinking or fainting under the heaviest troubles. 8. And, in fine, my brethren, beloved in the Lord, whatever things are agreeable to the gospel of truth, and consist in or promote truth and sincerity, in words or actions, professions or engagements; whatever things are venerable, decent, or becoming in dress, language, or deportment, answerable to your respective stations as men or Christians; whatsoever things are just and due to God or men in your dealings with them; whatsoever things relate to chastity in body or mind, or to holiness in heart, speech, or behaviour; whatsoever things render a person amiable or lovely in the sight of God or men; whatsoever is of good repute among wise, judicious, or pious men; whatsoever is truly virtuous, brave, or laudable,—earnestly study the nature, obligations, and advantages thereof, and carefully and constantly practise the same. 9. These and the like branches of morality and piety which ye, as disciples of Jesus Christ, and in part by my ministrations, have acquired the knowledge of, assented to, and approved as right, and which ye have seen exemplified in my own walk and behaviour, seriously and diligently reduce to practice; and in this way God, who is your reconciled Father in Christ, and who gives and delights in the spiritual peace and orderly deportment and prosperity of his servants, shall take pleasure to dwell among you, manifest himself unto you, and bless and own you as a people near and dear to him. 10. And having given you these important advices, I cannot but, with inexpressible pleasure, again reflect on the love and grace of our Lord Jesus, who inclined your hearts to repeat your affectionate and generous supplies to me in my imprisonment, even after ye seemed to have forgotten me: but I understand that was owing, not to your want of care, but of ability to give it, or opportunity to convey it safely. 11. I do not mention these things as if I were reduced to insupportable wants, or were uneasy under what I suffer, or as lifted up that I am now supplied by your bounty; for, through the frequent changes of my condition, and the sanctified use thereof, I have, by the Spirit of God, been taught to exercise Christian contentment in every condition into which Providence brings me, as being ordered for me by my heavenly Father, who never leaves me nor forsakes me; and as well calculated to promote my spiritual and eternal advantage. 12. In this manner I have been taught how to possess my soul in peace and patience when I am thrown into dejecting and humbling circumstances, and how to behave with proper humility and weanedness from the world when Providence smiles on me. Wherever I am, and in whatever circumstances I am, whether I have plenty or scarcity of the good things of this life, I am thoroughly taught to exercise the graces and perform the duties answerable to my diversified stations: 13. And not indeed of myself, or even by the grace which I have already received, but by the continual influence and assistance of Jesus Christ, with whom I am united, and on whom I depend, and who is ever with me. to animate, excite, and strengthen me. I find myself enabled to perform these, and every other duty to which I am called, as a Christian and apostle. 14. My contentment in pressing straits does not, however, in the least lessen your kindness to me, or the reasonableness of it. No; in your sympathy with me in my tribulation, and your sending me a liberal supply for my relief, ye have acted a truly Christian part, acceptable to me, and even to God himself through Jesus Christ. 15. To your honour I must also with pleasure remark, that, when I departed from your province of Macedonia to preach the gospel in other places, ye returned me temporal benefits as the grateful reward of my spiritual instructions, which no other church did. 16. Nay, when I was in Thessalonica, a far richer place, persecuted by the Jews and neglected by the Christians, ye more than once sent me your generous supplies. 17. I do not thus gratefully acknowledge your kindness as if I desired any more of it, but to encourage you to Christian benevolence in all other cases for promoting the cause of Christ, which, as the fruit of your faith and love to him and to his people, may turn out to his honour and your own rich advantage in the world to come. 18. What ye have sent to me by Epaphroditus has sufficiently supplied my wants, and has filled my soul with abundant gratitude to God and to you for the same; for it is at once a repeated testimony of your love to me, and a spiritual sacrifice of acknowledgment to God, acceptable through Jesus Christ. 19. And though I am unable to make you any temporal ? unshaken in your faithful adherence to and holy pro ? inclined your hearts to show me such kindness for his sake, will richly reward you, not only with all needful temporal good things, but chiefly with all spiritual and eternal blessings, suited to your various wants, and that with an abundant liberality, in proportion to his own infinite treasures of grace and glory, which he has provided and treasured up in Christ, and gives together with him and for his sake, and in virtue of our union with him.—20. Unto that all-sufficient and infinitely liberal Giver of all temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings, and our Father in Christ, let us jointly ascribe all possible and eternal honour, thanksgiving, blessing, and praise, on account of what he is in himself, and what he has been, is, and for ever will be to us. 21, 22. I, and all the faithful preachers and professing believers here, chiefly they who have been lately converted to Christ in the emperor Nero's own family, hereby present to every one of you who are truly renewed and sanctified in your hearts, our most cordial testimony of love and regard. 23. And may the free favour of our common Lord and Saviour, and all the distinguishing fruits thereof, be abundantly manifested to and upon each of you singly, and all of you jointly. This I heartily desire and firmly expect.

Reflections.—Faithful ministers greatly delight in, have a high esteem of, and ardent affection to sincere and lively Christians; and are grateful in acknowledging their kindness. Very desirous are they that all things may turn out to their edification, and much concerned for their establishment in the faith, profession, and holiness of the gospel; for their continual comfort, and their unity in heart, design, and labour, to help forward the work of the Lord. Very patient also toward enemies, weaned from this world, free from anxious care, fervent and hopeful in prayer, peaceful in mind, and universally lively in practice, ought Christians to be—in the faith of Christ's being with them, and of his certain and sudden appearance to judge them. And it is a necessary duty and an honourable attainment to have learned in his strength to be always cordially contented with all the diversified changes of our lot, as wisely and kindly ordered by our gracious God and Father.—Happy is it to have him the Supplier of all our wants, and the Rewarder of all our friends' kindnesses to us. And highly delightful to view ourselves and millions around us eternal sharers of his infinite, his inexhaustible stores of grace, laid up for us in Christ in a manner suited to the glory thereof.

Concluding Remarks on the Epistle to the Philippians.

Happy Europe! whose first planted church gave such early indication of holy fruitfulness! and though the harvest has come short of the hopes of the spring, and though many tares have been sown by the enemy in the midst of the wheat; yet, thanks to the Lord of the harvest, many a fair field has been ripened, and reaped, and gathered into her garner.

The church at Philippi was specially distinguished by missionary liberality, ch. 4. 15, 16, 18; a grace which God, in those days, seems to have restored, in some degree, to the reformed churches in Europe and their descendants in America.

No doubt Christian liberality is still repressed; yet is it making glorious progress; wherefore, 'let us thank God and take courage.' And let not Christians be afraid of giving back what God has given to them, but let them rely upon the word which testifies that what they lend to the Lord, their God will repay; and if the spirit of worldliness should tempt them to withhold from the gospel, lest they should not have enough for their own necessities, let them remember that God, and God alone, has supported them for the past; and that, for the future, he is able to 'supply all their need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' C.