1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.



Ver. 1. Rejoice] Or farewell in the Lord. Salutem in sospitatore.



To write the same things to you] So 1Co_5:9; Joh_15:1-5. Some gather out of Mat_5:1; cf. Luk_6:20, that our Saviour preached the same sermon twice over. Men are dull to conceive, hard to believe, apt to forget, and slow to practise heavenly truths, and had therefore great need to have them much pressed, and often inculcated. Neither let any cry out, Occidit miseros crambe repetita magistros. Surfeit not of God’s manna, say not it is a light meat, because lightly come by, or the same again. Austin persuades the preacher so long to pursue and stand upon the beating and repeating of one and the same point, till by the gesture and countenance of the hearers he perceives that they understand and relish it. It was Melancthon’s wish, that men did not only teach the same things, but in iisdem verbis, in iisdem syllabis, in the same words, in the same syllables. He himself went over the Epistle to the Romans ten different times in his ordinary lectures. (Scultet. Annal.) Hippias liked not to have áåé ðáõôá , ever the same things; but Socrates desired to have ïõ ìïíïí áåé ôáõôá, áëëá êáé ðåñé ôùí áõôù , not only always the same words, but about the very same matters; since a good thing cannot be heard too often.