HOMILY X.] HOMILIES ON PHILIPPIANS. 231 "neither is it circumcision," he maintains; for the type while the reality is yet to come, is called this, but when the reality has come, it no longer retains the title. As in delineation, a man has drawn a king in outline ; so long as the colors are not put on we say, Lo, there is the king, but when they are added, the type is lost in the reality, and ceases to show. And he said not, "for the circumcision is in us," but "we are the circumcision," and justly ; for this is the Man, the circumcision in virtue, this is really the Man. And he did not say, " For among them is the concision " ; for they themselves are hence forth in a condition of ruin and of wickedness. But no longer, says he, is circumcision performed in the body, but in the heart. " And have no confidence," says he, " in the flesh ; though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh." (v. 4.) What does he call "confidence" here, and " in the flesh " ? Boasting, boldness, a high tone. And he did well to add this ; for if he had been of the Gentiles, and had condemned circumcision, and not only circumcision, but all those that adopted it out of place, it would have seemed that he was running it down, because he lacked the high ancestry of Judaism, as being a stranger to its solemn rites, and having no part therein. But as it is, he, who, though a sharer, yet blames them, will not therefore blame them as having no share in them, but as disowning them ; not from ignorance, but most especially from acquaintance with them. Accordingly observe what he says in his Epistle to the Gala- tians also ; having been brought into a necessity of saying great things about himself, how even in these circumstances does he manifest nought but humility. " For ye have heard of my man ner of life in time past," he says, "in the Jews religion" (Gal. i. 13) ; and again here; "if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I more." (v. 4.) And he immediately added, " a Hebrew of Hebrews." But " if any other man," says he, showing the necessity, showing that it was on their account that he spoke. " If ye have confidence," he says, I also say so, since I am silent. 1 And observe the absence of all ungraciousness in the reproofs ; by forbearing to do it by name, he gave even them the opportunity of retracing their steps. " If any one thinketh to have confidence " ; and it was well to say " thinketh," either inasmuch as they really had no such confidence, or as that confidence was no real confidence, for all was by necessity, and not of choice. " Circumcised on the eighth day " ; and he sets down the first that wherein they chiefly boasted, viz. the ordinance of circumcision. " Of the stock of Israel." He pointed out both these circumstances, that he was neither a proselyte, nor born of proselytes ; 1 [This is very obscure. The altered text does not help. J. A. B. ] for from his being circumcised on the eighth day, it follows that he was not a proselyte, andfrom his being of the stock of Israel, that he was not of proselyte parents. But that you may not imagine that he was of the stock of Israel as coming of the ten tribes, he says, " of the tribe of Benjamin." So that he was of the more ap proved portion, for the place of the priests was in the lot of this tribe. "An Hebrew of Hebrews." Because he was not a proselyte, but from of old, of distinguished Jews ; for he might have been of Israel, and yet not "an Hebrew of Hebrews," for many were already corrupting the matter,- and were strangers to the language, being encircled by other nations ; it is either this then, or the great superiority of his birth, that he shows. " According to the law a Pharisee." He is coming now to the circumstances dependent on his own will ; for all those things were apart from the will, for his being circumcised was not of himself, nor that he was of the stock of Israel, nor that he was of the tribe of Benjamin. So that, even among these he has a larger share, even though there were really many who partook with him. Where then are we to place the "rather"? Particularly herein that he was not a proselyte ; for to be of the most distinguished tribe and sect, and this from his ancestors of old, was a thing which belonged not to many. But he comes to the things which are matters of choice, wherein we have the " rather." " As touching the law, a Pharisee ; as touching zeal, persecut ing the Church." But this is not sufficient ; for it is possible to be a Pharisee even, and yet not very zealous. But this also he adds ; behold the "rather." "According to righteousness." It is possible, however, to be adventurous, or to act thus :; from ambition, and not out of zeal for the law, as the chief priests did. Yet neither was this the case, but, " according to the right eousness which is in the law, found blameless." If then both for purity of descent, and earnest ness, and habits, and mode of life, I surpassed all, why have I renounced all those dignities, he asks, but because I found that the things of Christ are better, and better far? Wherefore he added ; " howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ." (v. 7.) Such a course of life, so strictly regulated, and entered upon from earliest childhood, such un blemished extraction, such dangers, plots, labors, forwardness, did Paul renounce, " counting them but loss," which before were "gain," that he might " win Christ." But we do not even con temn money, that we may " win Christ," but prefer to fail of the life to come rather than of the good things of the present life. And yet 2 i.e. the purity of their descent. 3 i.e. to show zeal, as he had done in persecuting.