The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 188

l'hilippians to him he traced to tlie lnrd. He 11aw the hand and felt the love of God in their gifts. There is not a man ~>n. earth who ta not in some measure the object of l,um,rn bcnefic~nce.. We are 1111 ~1vmg f~o!11 othel'8,e'Very da.y in our life, some kind nf ~0od-phys1CRI, mte\lect._ual, somal, or spintual. All this ~ we should dovoutlv :i:cnbe to the Father of lights, from whom cometh "every good and perfect gift,l• " bether those of our fellow-men, who confer on us good, do it with their will or agai,1st t.heir will, selfishly or disinterestedly, it matters not so far as our obligation t0 He.aven i1, concPrned. From him all the good of all kinds and through all cho.unele proceeds. 2. He recei,ed their beneficence with f1earty appreciation, "Notwith- ~t:inding (ho'!"bcit] J'e have well done, that ye did communicate (had fe\lowshi.p] with rn~· afil1ct1on. ' "). e ha ,·e well done." Your beneficence was dictated from a generous sympath~· with my affliction, and it was timely withal. True beneficenoe is a blessed virtue. "It is more blessed to give than to receive." His appreciation seems to havs h<>en deepened by the fact that their beneficence preceded that of bther Churches: '' ~ow ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed· from Macedonia,_n? Church coi:n~unicated (had fellowship]_ with me as concerning [in the matter of] g1vmg and rece1vmg, but ye only." The time referred to is the period' of his leaving M1tcc<lonia and Athens for Corinth (Acts xvii. 14). 'l'hey rendered him help, not only after he had left Macedonia., but before that time, when he had just passed from Philip1,i to Thessalonica. "At Thessalonica, as at Corinth-both very rich and luxurious communities-he refused maintenance and lived merely by tho labour of his own hands (1 'l'bess. ii. 9; 2 Thess. iii. 8). But it appears from this passage that even theu he received, once and &,,,"lliu (that is, occasionally, once or twice), some aid from Philippi to supply his need, that is (as in all right exercise of liberality), to sopplcruent, and not to supersede his own resources." In this also he acts in a model way. There are those ingrates in society who receive help from others as· a matter of conrsc, attach little or no value to the good which- they are constantly' receiving. Ay, and moreovCf', there are those, too, who, instead -0f becoming bound -to ,he benefactor as friends through gratitude for the favours, not unfrequently become enemies. .Ah r:ie ! this worst of human vices is, perhaps, the most common. "As titere are no laws against in.,"tatitude," says Seneca, "so it is utterly_ impossible to contrive any that in all circumstances shall reach it. If it were aotionable, there would not be courts enoogh in the whole world to try the causes in. There can be no setting a day for the requiting of benefits, as for the payment of money; nor any estimate upon the benefits themselves; but the whole matter rests in the conscience of both parties; and then there are so many degrees of it, that the same rule will never, serve all." 3. He receil"ed their beneficence with entire unsel,fahness. ".Not because I: desire a gift : but I desire fruit that may abound [increasetb] to your _account."·•.· He· means to say, I do not "desire a gift" for my own sake -as much as for ·yours; -I value the f!i,ft as an expression and evidence of your faith in Christ. •An old writer says, "It is not with any design to draw more from you, but to encourage you to such an exercise of beneficence as will meet with a glorious - reward hereafter." : True ·men always value a gift, not simply because of its intrinsic value, or ~ven because it will serve their temporal interest, but because of the priceless sentiments ?f the heart, Jove, disinterestedness, and friendsliip, which it represents. We are all obJects of ben~ ficence. Let us act as Paul did in this character, accept all human favours with religious gratitude, with hearty appreciation, and with entire unselfishness, Il. Here is a roan represented as a SUBJECT OF PROVIDENTIAL VIOISSITUDEB. -~ I !12.ve learned, in wba~ver state I am, therewith [therein] to be content." II Whatever state." How constantly changing are our states! Life is in truth a cheoketed scene; Every hour we pass from one condition or mood ~ anot~er. We change'in _mind, body, aud circumstances. We alternate between fr1endsb1p and bereavement, pro\1- r,erity and ad,crsity, sunshine and storms. Now, the aspect in which Paul is seen in· passiD!!' tLroucrh these changes is that of wntentment, and in this respect he is a· model tu u~ ~11. Ri~ contentment docs not mean insensibility, a kind of Stoicism; does not mear. ir,.d,ifferer.ce to the conilition of others, or a satisfied complacency ejther with his uWD moral condition or that of the world. It is a C()Tdial acquiescence in the d!rrange- ?ne>tts uf Heaven. "Not my will, but thine, be done." This state of mind 'is, Iiot i:o;,aie, it is attaind. l'u,.11 "learnt" it. This is mornl scholar~hip of the highest kind. CH, IV, 1-23,] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 191