HOMILY III.] HOMILIES ON PHILEMON. 555 he hath wronged thee." At the same time he both confessed the offense, and not as if it were the offense of a servant, but of a friend against a friend, making use of the expression of " wrong " rather than of theft. " Put that to mine account," he says, that is, reckon the debt to me, " I will repay it." Then also with that spiritual pleasantry, "I Paul write 1 it with mine own hand." At once movingly and pleasantly ; if when Paul did not refuse to execute a bond for him, he should refuse to receive him ! This would both shame Philemon into compliance, and bring Onesimus out of trouble. " I write it," he says, " with mine own hand." Nothing is more affectionate than these " bowels," nothing more earnest, nothing more zealous. See what 2 great concern he bestows in behalf of one man. " Albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides." Then that it might not appear insulting to him, whom he requests, if he had not the confidence to ask and obtain in behalf of a theft, he in some measure relieves this, saying, " That I say not unto thee how thou owest to me even thine own self besides." Not only thine own things, but thyself also. And this proceeded from love, and was according to the rule of friendship, and was a proof of his great confidence. See how he everywhere provides for both, that he may ask with great security, and that this may not seem aign of too little 3 confidence in him. Ver. 20. " Yea, brother." What is, " Yea, brother " ? Receive him, he says. For this we must understand though un expressed. For dismissing all pleasantry, he again pursues his former considerations, that is, serious ones. And yet even these are serious. For the things that proceed from Saints are of themselves serious, even when they are pleas antry. " Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord, refresh my heart in Christ." * That is, thou grantest the favor to the Lord, not to me. " My heart," that is, toward thy self. Ver. 21. " Having confidence in thy obedi ence, I write unto thee." What stone would not these things have soft ened ? What wild beast would not these things have rendered mild, and prepared to receive him heartily? After having borne witness to him by so many great testimonies of his goodness, 1 [eypa.\ba, the epistolary aorist. P. S.]1 Colb. " what entreaty 1ity he makes." The Editor has ventured to insert ny from Raphelius conjec ture. Old Lat. omits the former negative. If the common text (" too much confidence ") is right, " security " means confidence in Philemon, but that is indifferent Greek. 4 So the best MSS. and most Fathers for evKvplio. Hemster- husius quoted in New Par. defends the Vulgate Ego tefrnar in Domino for the former clause, giving it a general sense; Beza has liunc frnctum. [A. V. " my bowels in the Lord"; R. V. "my heart in Christ." P. S.] he is not ashamed again to excuse himself. He says, Not barely requesting it, nor as command ing it, nor arbitrarily, but " having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee." What he had said at the beginning, " having confidence," that he also says here in the sealing up of his letter. " Knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say." At the same time in saying this he excited him. For he would have been ashamed, though for nothing else, if having such credit with him as this, that he would do more than he said, he should not do so much. Ver. 22. " But withal prepare me also a lodg ing : for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you." This also was the part of one who was exceed ingly confident or rather this too was in be half of Onesimus, that not being indifferent, but knowing that he upon his return would know the things relating to him, they might lay aside all remembrance of the wrong, and might the rather grant the favor. For great was the influence and the honor of Paul residing among them, of Paul in his age, of Paul after imprisonment. Again, it is a proof of their love that he says that they pray ; and to attribute to them so much as that they pray for " him." For al though I be now in danger, yet nevertheless you will see me if ye pray for it. Ver. 23. " Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee." He was sent by the Colossians, so that from this it appears that Philemon was also at Co- lossae. And he calls him his " fellow-prisoner," showing that he also was in much tribulation, so that if not on his own account, yet on account of the other, it was right that he should be heard. For he that is in tribulation, and over looks himself, and is concerned for others, de serves to be heard. And he puts him to shame from another con sideration, if his countryman is a fellow-prisoner with Paul and surfers affliction.with him, and he himself does not grant him a favor in behalf of his own servant. And he has added, "my fellow- prisoner in Christ Jesus," instead of on account of Christ. Ver. 24. " Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers." Why then does he put Luke last ? And yet he elsewhere says, " Only Luke is with me " (2 Tim. iv. n), and "Demas," he says, was one of those who " forsook him, having loved the present world." (2 Tim. iv. 10.) All these things, although they are mentioned elsewhere, yet nevertheless ought not to be passed over here without enquiry, nor ought we merely to hear them as things of course. But how comes he to say that he who forsook him salutes them ? For