* ye did communicate with mine aflliction p.
. PSTLE Cris
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a Left any ſhould ſuſpedt from what he had fuzzcR<d gf 1; contentment, that he was not much affetted with their liboraticy but might have done as well without, as with it, and th-v mi; \. have ſpared their hounty and labour. 0 He doth prudeniy on. mend their Chriſtian commileration (as the phrale is 1:15 17, +21 and give them to underſtand how acceptable their feaſonabl- (1/4, ply was to him. p Who did lo joyfully reſent their kindne(s to 11141 in that it was well-pleating to God, Rom. 12.15. I hey did {v of ctually Sympathize, and take a ſhare in the oppreſſion he ſulty;1 for the caule of Chriſt, 2 Cor. 1. 7. and remember him in 11;; bonds as if it were their own caſe, cb. 13. 1. Kev. 1.9.
15 Now ye Philippians know alſo g, that in the he. 211n1ng of the goſpel 7, when I departed from Mace. donia /, no * church communicated with me, as con- to (or cerning giving and receiving but ye only r. 15.3
Y
q He amplifies the preſent favour the Chriſtians at P17; had vouchſafed to him, by a thankful recollection of their former i;hc. rality. 7 Soon after he had preached and planted the good thins; of Salvation amongſt them, chap. 2, 22. As 16. 12, 12, +. / So that comparing their firft benevolence with other Chitrchs, when leaving of Macedonia, Atts 18. 5. 2 COr. il. 9. tin thi none of the reft of the Churches had for the ſpiritual thinz; received of him in his miniſtration, diftributed of their carnal vr temporal (though that was their duty beyond diſpute, 1 C5. g. 7, 11, 13, 14. Gal. 6. 6, 1 Time 5. 17, 18.) but they alone: Which might at once commend their Chriſtian libcrality, and evince that he in preaching of the Goſpel was not mercenary, no: having exatted a free reward from others, but preached the Go- {pel treely, 2 Cor. LL. 7,
16 For even in Theſlalonica ye ſent once and av in unto my neceſlity x.
u They for their parts were moſt commendable in this matte: that when he was in Theſſalonica the Mother City (not abore twenty five Miles diſtant) their care for his comfortable livclitood was more than once manifeſted, he paſſing again and again throus! Macedunia, 1 Cor. 16. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 16. Which argues his thanktul relentment of the conftant purpoſe of their mind to ſuccour him upon all occa(io1s.
17 Not bzcauſe 1 delire a gift w, but I defire x
* truit that may abound to your acconat y. * Rem.
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m Neither would he have any of them to think, as if his com- 5 mendation of them were any oblique inlinuation, with delign to draw ſomething more from them ; he woulf have them to under- ſtand he did not ſeek himſelf, or theirs for his uſe (as elſ>xherc, L Cor. 10..33. 2 Cor. 12. 14.) x Bur his great intent was, that they themſelves might be of God's Grace have the fruit of thuir c12- rity they had ſhewed to him, ch, 1.11. & 4. 1G, » Which in the ha- lancing of the accounts (being accepted of God for Chrift's 1:-, Prove 19. 17. Mat. 10. 42. & 25+ 34, 25, 49 Will turn to thcir bett
advantage. |
18 But TI haveall, andahonnd : Iam full =, having?
received of Epaphroditus the things which were [141
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acceptable, well-plealing to God b. 312 2 He further teſtifies his Thankfulneſs from the eftctt their gratuity had upon him, by three words here which declare t!:
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he could wiſh, even enough and more, io that he did nor expect any thing more, 4 than what he had already received by their faithful Meſſenger Fpaphrodirus.. b Which he, further commends from its great acceptableneſs to God in alluſion to the ſweet odours in the Sacrifices that God himſelf took pleaſure in, Lev. 2. 1, 2» & 3. 16. Heb. 13. 16. So that at preſent God himfelf would ac- cept through Chriſt, as if it had been ottered to himlelt, 1 72. 2.5. *Tis true, the Socinians, to leſſen the meritorioutne!s 0t Chriſt's Sacrifice of himſelf, which the Apoſtle mentions, Eph 5. 2. With reſpett to Ge. 8.21. would by this Text corrupe 771; But the truth is, it hath nothing like with that, for the benero- lence and gratuiry of the Philippians is ſaid by Paul to De 47 Ke r of a ſweet ſmell, 4 ſacriſice acceptable, &c. but ir is not faid, that the Philippians themſelves did give themſelves an odour of a 1We-r ſme! as it 15 ſaid, Chriſt gave himſelf for us an offering 4nd ſecriſice 8
God, for a ſweet ſmelling ſavour z which being onc? oftc red for all, was ſuthcient to take away Sin, /zeb. 10. 10, 12+ Ard thereto!
their reajoning is fallacious from that parity theV [ugZolt.
ſame thing, viz. that he was abundantly fatisfhed, having all chat
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4} of 1iers unaer tie Law did But fragt, 3 from his : Chriſt did it by hunſetf, Bolieyers and 02: ir ſervices are anly acceptable in him.
19 But my God c fial} fiippiy all your need d, according to Is riches in &iory e, by Chrilt
Jeſus f-
e Sec verſ. 3. he ſaith my God, becaiiſs he imputeth and own- et! that to be done to himſelf which is done according, to his mind unto any of his Embaſſadours, he having received the gift from their hand by Paul, d Will in a gracious return to PauPs Prayer abundantly anſwer, (yea, above all he could ask or think) all their expectations, 7/al. 41. 1, 2, 3- with 2 Cor.
. 8, 10. e Agreeable to his own fulneſs and rich mercy, Fſal. 24+ 1. 1 Cor. 10, 26. Eph. 2. 4. gloriouily, or riches of his glory, Eph. 3. 16. and goodneſs, Row. 2. 4+ & 9. 23. fu- taining and defending them liberally and powerfully here, to his own glory, and taking them hereafter, into everlaſting glory. " Through the Mediation , and by virtue of their Communion with Chriſt Jeſus.
20 Now unto God g and our Father bh be glory 2, for ever and ever k. Amen /.
g From thanking of the Philippians, the holy Man paſleth to a giving of thanks unto God the firft cauſe, that they might not be elated. h He had My God, now Our Father, not only adoring him as Maker of all, but as Father of all the faithful as well as of Paul being born of him in Chriſt, Foh. 1. 12, 13. through whom he takes a Fatherly care of them, Mar. 6. 32. Foh. 20. 17. Chriſt ſaith, My Father, as being his only Son by eternal Genera-
P HILITPPT 4: Chap, 15