HOMILY II.] HOMILIES ON PHILIPPIANS. 189 for see, being so loved he wished to be loved still more, for he who loves the object of his love, is willing to stay at no point of love, for it. is impossible there should be a measure of so noble a thing. Paul desires that the debt of love should always be owing ; " Owe no man any thing, save to love one another." (Rom. xiii. 8.) The measure of love is, to stop no where ; " that your love," says he, " may abound yet more and more." Consider the character of the expression, " that it may abound yet more and more," he says, " in knowledge and all discernment." He does not extol friendship merely, nor love merely, but such as comes of knowledge ; that is, Ye should not apply the same love to all : for this comes not of love, but from want of feeling. What means he by "in knowledge"? He means, with judgment, with reason, with discrimination. There are who love without reason, simply and any how, whence it comes that such friendships are weak. He says, " in knowledge and all discernment, that ye may approve the things that are excel lent," that is, the things that are profitable. This I say not for my own sake, says he, but for yours, for there is danger lest any one be spoiled by the love of the heretics ; for all this he hints at, and see how he brings it in. Not for my own sake, says he, do I say this, but that ye may be sincere, that is, that ye receive no spurious doctrine under the pretence of love. How then, says he, " If it be possible, live peace ably with all men " ? " Live peaceably " (Rom. xii. 18) , he says, not, Love so as to be harmed by that friendship ; for he says, " if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; that ye may be sincere" (Matt, v. 29), that is, before God, "and without of fence," that is, before men, for many men s friendships are often a hurt to them. Even though it hurts thee not, says he, still another may stumble thereat. " Unto the day ofChrist " ; i.e. that ye may then be found pure, having caused no one to stumble. Ver. ii." Being filled with the fruits of right eousness which are through Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God; " i.e. holding, to gether with true doctrine, an upright life. And not merely upright, but " filled with the fruits of righteousness." For there is indeed a righteousness not according to Christ, as, for example, a moral life. "Which are through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." Seest thou 1 that I speak not of mine own glory, but the righteousness of God ; and often times he calls mercy itself too righteousness ; let not your love, he says, indirectly injure you, by hindering your perception of things profitable, and take heed lest you fall through your love to any one. For I would indeed that your love should be increased, but not so that ye should be injured by it. And I would not that it should be simply of prejudice, but upon proof whether I speak well or no. He says not, that ye may take up my opinion, but that ye may " prove " it. He does not say outright, join not yourself to this or that man, but, I would that your love should have respect to what is profitable, not that ye should be void of under standing. For it is a foolish thing if ye work not righteousness for Christ s sake and through Him. Mark the words, " through Him." Does he then use God as a mere assistant? Away with the thought. Not that I may receive praise, says he, but that God may be glorified. Ver. 12, 13. "Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the Gospel, so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest." It was likely they would grieve when they heard he was in bonds, and imagine that the preaching was at a stand. What then? He straightway destroys this suspicion. And this also shows his affection, that he declares the things which had happened to him, because they were anxious. What say you ? you are in bonds ! you are hindered ! how then does the Gospel advance ? He answers, " so that my bonds in Christ became manifest in all the praetorium." This thing not only did not silence the rest, nor affright them, but contrariwise rather encouraged them. If then they who were near the dangers were not only nothing hurt, but even received greater confidence, much more should you. Had he when in bonds taken it hardly, and held his peace, it were probable that they would be affected in like sort. But as he spoke more boldly when in bonds, he gave them more con fidence than if he had not been bound. And how have his bonds " turned to the progress of the Gospel " ? So God in His dispensation ordered, he means, that my bonds were not hid, my bonds which were " in " Christ, which were " for " Christ. " In the whole praetorium." For up to that time they so called the palace.- And in the whole city,3 says he. Ver. 14. "And that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, 1 This is still in the person of St. Paul. Of this use of the word Righteousness, see on Rom. iii. 22. = /3a<ri Aia. This is the eastern and despotic name; the other was a remnant of the republic. [The Rev. Ver. understands the word prsEtorium here to mean the praetorian guard. See Lightfoot on Pli Others, the praetorian barracks, or the great praetorian camp ; bi without distinct warrant of usage. J. A. B.] s [This seems to be Chrys. s interpretation, or recollection, ol the Apostle s phrase, " and to all the rest." J. A. B.]