HOMILY XV.] HOMILIES ON PHILIPPIANS. 249 For " he who diggeth a pit for his neighbor, falleth into it." (Prov. xxvi. 27.) Let us then not plot against others, lest we injure ourselves. When we supplant the reputation of others, let us consider that we injure ourselves, it is against ourselves we plot. For perchance with men we do him harm, if we have power, but we injure ourselves in the sight of God, by provoking Him against us. Let us not then harm ourselves. For as we injure ourselves when we injure our neighbors, so by benefit ing them we benefit ourselves. If then thy enemy harm thee, he hath benefited thee if thou art wise, and so requite him not with the same things, but even do him good. But the blow, you say, remains severe. Consider then that thou dost not benefit, but punishest him, and benefitest thyself, and quickly you will come to do him good. What then? Shall we act from this motive? We ought not to act on this motive, but if thy heart will not hear other reason, induce it, saith he, 1 even by this, and thou wilt quickly persuade it to dismiss its enmity, and wilt for the future do good to thine enemy as to a friend, and wilt obtain the good things which are to come, to which God grant that we may all attain in Christ Jesus. Amen. HOMILY XV. PHILIPPIANS iv. 10-14. " But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived your thought for me; wherein ye did indeed take thought, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want : for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therein to be con tent. I know how to be abased, and I know also how to abound : in everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. How- beit, ye did well, that ye had fellowship with my affliction." I HAVE ofttimes said, that almsgiving hath been introduced not for the sake of the receivers, but of the givers, for the latter are they which make the greatest gain. And this Paul shows here also. In what way? The Philippians had sent him somewhat, after a long time, and had com mitted the same to Epaphroditus. See then, how when he is about to send Epaphroditus as the bearer of this Epistle, he praises them, and shows that this action was for the need, not of the receiver, but of the givers. This he doth, both that they who benefited him may not be lifted up with arrogance, and that they may become more zealous in well-doing, since they rather benefit themselves ; and that they who receive may not fearlessly rush forward to re ceive, lest they meet with condemnation. For " it is more blessed," He saith, " to give than to receive." (Acts xx. 35.) Why then does he say, " I rejoice in the Lord greatly " ? Not with worldly rejoicing, saith he, nor with the joy of this life, but in the Lord. Not because I had refreshment, but because ye advanced ; for this is my refreshment. Wherefore he also saith " greatly " ; since this joy was not corporeal, nor on account of his own refreshment, but because of their advancement. And see how, when he had gently rebuked them on account of the times that were passed, he quickly throweth a shadow over this, and teacheth them constantly and always to remain in well doing. " Because at length," saith he. The words, " at length," show long time to have elapsed. " Ye have revived," as fruits which have shot forth, dried up, and afterwards shot forth. Here he showeth, that being at first blooming, then having faded, they again budded forth. So that the word " flourished again," has both rebuke and praise. For it is no small thing, that he who hath withered should flourish again. He showeth also, that it was from indolence all this had happened to them. But here he sig nifies, that even in former time they were wont to be zealous in these things. Wherefore he addeth, " your thought for me, wherein ye did indeed take thought." And lest you should think, that in other things too they had been more zealous, and had then withered, but in this thing alone, behold how he has added, " your thought for me." I apply the words, " now at length," only to this ; for in other things it is not so. Here some one may enquire, how when he had said, " It is more blessed to give than to receive " (Acts xx. 25, 34) ; and, "These hands ministered to my necessities, and to them that were with me " ; and again when writing to the Corinthians, " For it were good for me rather to 1 i.e. St. Paul, Rom. xii. 20, on which passage see St. Chrys., who there fully states this view, perhaps the only one that fully ex plains the difficulty.