PREFACE

TO THE

PHILIPPIAN S.

SECT. I. Of the Founding of the Church at Philippi.

PAUL, with his affiftants Silas and Timothy, after having

preached in moft of the countries of the Leffer Afia, were directed by the Holy Ghoft to pass over into Europe, in the fpring of the year 51, for the purpose of offering falvation to the Greeks, at that time the most celebrated people in the world for their genius and learning. These messengers of God, therefore, loofing from Troas, landed at Neapolis, a city of Macedonia; but making no ftay there, they went directly to Philippi, at that time a Roman colony. At Philippi, as the writer of the Acts of the Apostles informs us, chap. xvi. 18. they abade a confiderable time and converted many; among whom was Lydia, a native of the city of Thyatira, who now refided in Philippi for the fake of commerce; and the jailor of the prifon into which Paul and Silas were caft. Thefe, with the reft of the converted, afterwards rendered themfelves remarkable, by their love to the apoftle, and their zeal to advance the progrefs of the gospel. Feeling themfelves unfpeakably happy in being brought out of the darknefs of heathenifm, they conceived, it feems, a ftrong defire that their countrymen should share in the fame felicity. For while the apoftle preached in Theffalonica, the metropolis of Macedonia, the brethren at Philippi fent him money twice, that the fuccefs of the gospel might not be hindered by its preachers becoming burdenfome to the Theffalonians. fame attention they fhewed to the apoftle, and for the fame reafon, while he preached the gofpel in Corinth, 2 Cor. xi. 9.Thefe, however, were not the only proofs which the Philippians

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gave of their good difpofition. Their behaviour in other te spects was every way worthy of their profeffion. They main tained the doctrine of the gofpel in purity, and walked in the holy manner required by its precepts. The Chriftians at Philippi, therefore, were deservedly much beloved of the apoftle. He vifited them often as he paffed to and from Greece, and in these visits confirmed them in the faith, and gave them much fpiritual confolation,

SECT. II. Of the Occafion of writing the Epifle to the Philippians.

The brethren at Philippi, having heard of their spiritual father's imprisonment at Rome, fent Epaphroditus, one of their most esteemed paftors, to that city, to comfort him by making known to him their love, and by fupplying him with money, that he might want nothing neceffary to render his confinement eafy, chap. iv. 18. In making this prefent to the apostle, all the brethren of that church, no doubt, contributed according to their ability; but none more liberally, we may believe, than Lydia, who was the apoftle's first convert there, and who fhewed fuch attachment to Chrift, and fuch regard to his fervants, that the conftrained them to lodge in her house all the time of their first abode at Philippi.—The bishops, likewise, and deacons, (of whom it feems there were feveral now in that church,) fhewed equal forwardness with the other brethren in expreffing their respect for the apostle by fo feasonable a gift; as may be gathered from his mentioning them particularly in the addrefs of his letter.

This new inftance of the Philippians love to their spiritual father, and of their zeal for the gospel, making a deep impreffion on his mind, he wrote to them the letter in the canon bearing their name, in which he first of all praised them for their faith, and for their earnest defire to contribute to the spreading of the gofpel. Next, as news which he knew would be moft acceptable to the Philippians, he informed them, that he had preached with great fuccess in Rome, and that his imprisonment, instead of hindering, had furthered the gofpel, by making it known

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known even in the palace itself. Then expreffed his hopes of being foon released; in which case he promised to vifit them; but in the mean time he would fend Timothy to comfort them. Alfo he thanked them in the most handfome manner for their kind remembrance of him, and for their care in fupplying his And to make them easy, he told them, that through their liberal gift, he had every thing which his present situation rendered neceffary.

wants.

From the manner in which the apoftle expreffed himself on this occafion, it appears that before he received the Philippians prefent, he was in great want even of neceffaries; which may feem strange, confidering how numerous and rich the brethren in Rome must have been. But we should remember, that as Paul had not converted the Romans, he did not think himself entitled to maintenance from them: That being a prifoner, he could not work, as in other places, for his own fupport: That from the churches where enemies and oppofers had raised a faction against him, he never would take any thing: And that the Philippians were the only church with which he communicated, as concerning giving and receiving, This honour he did them, because they loved him exceedingly, had preferved his doctrine in purity, and always had behaved as fincere Chriftians.

The excellent character of the Philippians, may be underftood from the manner in which this epiftle is written. For while most of his other letters contain reprehenfions of fome for their errors, and of others for their bad conduct, throughout the whole of the Epiftle to the Philippians, no fault is found with any of them; unlefs the caution, chap. ii. 3, 4. to avoid ftrife and vain glory in the exercife of their fpiritual gifts, can be called a reprehenfion. But his letter is employed entirely in commending them, or in giving them exhortations and encou ragements, which as Chryfoftom long ago obferved, “ is a "ftrong proof of the virtue of the Philippians, who gave "teacher no fubject of complaint whatever." However, though the apoftle entertained a good opinion of the Philippians he by no means wifhed them to reft fatisfied with their prefent attainments. For he told them that he himfelf conftantly endeavoured to make farther progrefs in virtue, and ordered them all to walk by the fame rule,

their

The

The affectionate and encouraging ftrain in which the letter to the Philippians is written, was owing in part to the good account which Epaphroditus their pastor had given of their beha'viour. But, having brought word alfo, that the Judaizing teachers were endeavouring to introduce themselves among the Philippians, the apostle judged it neceffary to put them on their guard against perfons, whose whole business was to destroy the purity and peace of the churches. And therefore, in chap. iii. it is obfervable that the apoftle's zeal for the truth, and his great love to the Philippians, led him to speak of these corrupters of the gospel with more bitterness, than in any of his other letters. Pehaps alfo, he was directed to do fo by a particular impulse of the Spirit, who judged it proper that this sharpness should be ufed for opening the eyes of the faithful, and making them senfible of the malignancy of the false teachers, and of the pernicious tendency of their doctrine.

SECT, III. Of the Perfon by whom the Epifle to the Philippians was fent, and of the Time when it was written.

After Epaphroditus came to Rome, he employed himself with fuch affiduity in preaching the gospel, and in ministring to the apostle, that through mere fatigue he fell into a dangerous disease, which had well nigh cost him his life. He recovered indeed; But his fickness was of fuch continuance, and his recovery was fo flow, that before his health was established, the distress his friends at Philippi were in on his account, was reported to him in Rome, and had made him extremely defirous of returning to them. As foon therefore as it was safe for him to undertake the journey, the apoftle difmiffed him with this letter, in which he informed the Philippians of Epaphroditus's fickness, and of his longing to return to them. At the fame time, bearing testimony to the worthiness of his character, and to his faithful fervices in the gofpel, he not only made apology to the Philippians for their paftor's long abfence, but recommended him more than ever to their efteem, and fecured him an affectionate reception when he should return. See chap. ii. 25. 30. Thefe circumftances would have proved Epaphroditus

the bearer of this letter, although the apostle had not faid exprefsly, ver. 25. that he judged it necessary to send unto them Epaphroditus.

As to the time when the epistle to the Philippians was written, it is generally believed to have been towards the end of the apostle's confinement. For when he wrote it, he had good hope of being released, chap. i. 25. ii. 24. but did not expect to be fet at liberty immediately. For faid he, chap. ii. 19. I hope in the Lord Jefus to fend Timothy to you foon, that I also may bave good courage when I know your affairs. Wherefore, fince Timothy was to bring him an account of the affairs of the Philip pians, the apostle certainly expected his return before he himself was released; or at leaft before he left Italy. From Heb. xiii. 23. we learn that Timothy was actually fent to Philippi, confe quently we may fuppofe that the apoftle, who was releafed ac cording to his expectation, waited for Timothy's return at fome place in Italy, that they might fet out together for Judea. And the apoftle's release happening as is generally believed in the spring of A. D. 62. the epiftle to the Philippians may have. been written in the summer or autumn of A. D. 61.

PHILIP