Phill 1. 8, ii, τ. tiv. 20; James ii. 15, 16.
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Mark ii. 25; Eph. iv. 28. Matt. XXili. 14, Χχν. I0; Luke iv. 25; John XX. 19, 26. Luke i. 78; 2 Cor. vi. 12;
v Mark vi. 23 (0, τι ἐάν).
τεκνία µου, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν | 19. Καὶ” ἐν
u James i, 22, 23, 25.
1μου om. ΝΑΒΟΡ, Syrph, Arm., Aug., edd.
2 unde Tn ABCKL, edd.
WH, Nest.
ὕγνωσομεθα SSABCP, Cop., Sah., Arm., Stas καρδιας SA2CKLP, Syrph, Vg.,
Syrvg, Sah., Aeth., Aug., WH, Nest. 7 Punct. ημων ο τι.
δοτι om. A, several minusc., Vg., Cop., Sah., Aeth., Arm., Aug.
it wide open and lavishing its treasures. σπλάγχνα, OTT , viscera, “the in- ward parts,” viewed by the ancients as the seat of the affections. Cf. Coll. iii. 12: σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ. ἢ ay. T. Θ., “love for God” (objective genitive), in- spired by ard answering to the love which
God feels (subjective genitive). Cf. note On li. 5. Ver. 18. Observe the transition from
instrumental dative to preposition ἐν: ‘not with word and the tongue but in the midst of deed and truth’—not in empty air but amid tangible realities. Cf. Bunyan, Good News: ‘ Practical love is best. Many love Christ with nothing but the lick of the tongue.” Sheridan, Sch. for Scand. ν. Ἱ.: Πε appears to have as much speculative benevolence as any private gentleman in the kingdom, though he is seldom so sensual as to indulge himself in the exer- cise of it”.
Vv. 19-20. Acrux interpretum. Read τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν ὅ, τι ἐάν (i.e. ἄν), and take the subsequent ὅτι as ‘‘ because”. The foregoing exhortation may have awakened a misgiving in our minds: “Am I lovingaslought?” Our failures ‘in duty and service rise up befcre us, and ‘‘our heart condemns us”. So the Apostle furnishes a grand reassurance: * Herein shall we get to know that we are of the Truth, and in His presence shall assure our heart, whereinsoever our heart may condemn us, because, etc.”. The reassurance is two-fold: (1) The worst that is in us is known to God (cf. Aug. : Cor tuum abscondis ab homine ; a Deo absconde si potes), and still He
ὅεν εργω SABCLP, Arm., edd. 4 kat ΝΟΚΙ.Ρ, Syrvg, Sah., Aeth., Arm.,
Tisch. ; om. AB, Syrph, Vg., Cop., Aug.,
edd. Cop., Arm., Tisch.; την καρδιαν A*B,
® kuptos C.
cares for us and desires us. Our dis- covery has been an open secret to Him all along. (2) He ‘‘readeth everything” —sees the deepest things, and these are the real things. This is the true test of a man: Is the deepest that is in him the best? Is he betterthanheseems? His failures lie on the surface: is there a desire for goodness deep down in his soul? Is he glad to escape from super- ficial judgments and be judged by God who ‘‘readeth everything,” who sees ‘““with larger other eyes than ours, to make allowance for us all”? Cf. F. W. Robertson, Lett. lvi. : ‘‘I remember an anecdote of Thomas Scott having said to his curate, who was rather agitated on having to preach before him, ‘ Well, sir, why should you be afraid before me, when you are not afraid before God?’ But how very easy it was to answer! He had only to say, God is not jea ous, nor envious, nor censorious ; besides, God can make allowances”. So Brown- ing :—
‘* Thoughts hardly to be packed Into a narrow act, Fancies that broke through language and escaped ; Ail I could never be, All, men ignored in me, This, I was worth to God, whose wheel the pitcher shaped.”
΄
ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, and what matter how We appear ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων (Matt. vi. i.)? πείσοµεν, ‘ persuade,’ i.e. pacify, win the confidence, soothe the alarm, of our heart. Cf. Matt. xxviii. 14. Otherwise: ‘ we shali persuade our heart . . . that greater is God”. But
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