whom the King in speciall fauour would honour could answere readily presuming himselfe to be the man by reason of his ingraftment in the Kings heart Let them bring for him Royall Apparell the Kings Horse and Crowne and proclaime Thus shall it be done c. How much more then vpon this ground should wee seeke for the fauour and face of God For what may we not promise to our selues vpon his fauour What not shall be done to the man whom this great King fauoreth Ps 149. This honor shall be done to his fauorites For Kings are not able to doe all things as they would to gratifie those they loue but God is able to doe for his euen more then he will doe his Power exceedeth his Will But the will euen of the mightiest Monarchs oftentimes goeth beyond their power They want occasions and oportunities to pleasure those whom they fauour yea further many times they are preuented before those occasions fall out by sudden death therefore most excellently the Psalmist Psal 146. Trust not in mortall Princes that is in their fauour and grace for their breath is in their nostrils and their thoughts perish They haue many thoughts and purposes to aduance such and such but euen whiles they are in these thoughts commeth the voyce Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule from thee and then what shall become of thy thoughts or what good shalt thou poore man haue that trustedst in those thoughts But hee that relyes vpon Gods fauour shall neuer be deceiued nor disappointed Therefore in the fore-named place the Prophet addeth Blessed is the man that trusteth in God Why so who made Heauen and Earth the Sea and all that therein is which keepeth fidelitie for euer Where besides the infinite power of God able to doe all things a further reason is added to make vs bold to build vpon Gods fauor viz. the faithfulnesse and constancie of this his loue Whom hee loues hee loues to the end whereas a mans loue is often a lying loue like a deceitfull Bow Iob. 9. It giues the slip to those that are most of all interessed in it Let vs therefore giue ouer our too too greedie desire of the fauour of men specially great Ones Let vs labour for Gods grace and this will bring with it mans As it is said of our Sauior Luk. 2. That he grew in fauour first with God secondly with man Therefore DAVID in the fourth Psalme though in disgrace with SAVL yet prayeth not for the light of SAVLS countenance but onely of Gods And so PAVL in all his Epistles though the Churches he writes vnto were in the disgrace of the Heathen Emperors yet still he wisheth vnto them Grace not from gracelesse NERO but from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ this being the meanes to attaine as all other benefits so likewise this of grace with men Prou. 17. When a mans wayes please the Lord and so the Lord will be well pleased with him his very enemies shall become his friends Secondly Gods grace is in stead of all other blessings in case they be wanting As ELKANAH said to his wife complaining for want of children Am not I in stead of tenne Sonnes to thee Doth not my loue and husband-like affection wherewithall I embrace thee make amends for children So speaketh Gods fauour to all those that haue their part in it Am not I vnto thee in stead of Riches Friends Grace and Glorie and Greatnesse in the World Though indeed Gods fauour shall not be so perfectly and fully all in all till the life to come 1. Cor. 15. yet euen in this life in some measure it is all in all vnto them so that they crie out with DAVID Psal 73. Whom haue wee in Heauen c As Manna was to the Israelites that Meat which they desired whether Flesh or Fish in this regard are we further to hunger and thirst after this Grace and in a holy kind of ambition striue for this fauor It will bring exceeding comfort and contentment in all our wants yea it will make a through supply of all our wants As God answered PAVL complaining of the pricke of the flesh My Grace is sufficient for thee Which though we expound of the gifts of Grace and Sanctification yet wee are to know that these were no otherwise sufficient for him then as they were fruits and so testimonies of Gods fauour Thirdly Since whatsoeuer wee desire wee are Doct. 3 likewise to seeke it in the vse of the meanes PAVL in his example commending vnto vs the desire of Gods fauour withall further sheweth vs that wee must vse meanes for the attainment of it True it is that the first fauour of God to whomsoeuer it is it was before all Worlds and therefore we can doo nothing for the attainment of it But that second degree of Gods fauour though in regard of Gods Decree it was giuen vs before all Worlds too as Paul witnesseth 2. Tim. 1. 9. yet wee are not actually possessed of it till we be called and iustified And though they procure not themselues for we maintaine against the Papists that the grace which makes vs gracefull is not any inherent grace in our selues but it is the free gift of God in Christ yet at that very time hee bestoweth this Iewell vpon them hee stirreth vp in them an earnest desire and a proportionable endeuour after it It is Iesus Christ indeed that bringeth vs into fauour with God yet withall when the Father giueth vs this gift hee makes vs also vse meanes not so much indeed for the attainment of it as for our owne assurance of the attainment thereof What then are those things which we must doe Quest for this purpose First taking thorow-notice of that disgrace and Answ displeasure thou art in with God and that most deseruedly for thy sinnes thou must first of all come Three meanes whereby we may attaine to the fauour of God as BENHADADS Seruants came to AHAB euen with a Halter about thy necke creeping and crouching before the Throne of Grace abasing and abiecting thy selfe at his Footstoole in the humble and penitent confession of thy sinnes We see man being iustly offended with vs for some iniurie offered him will not vouchsafe vs his fauour till wee haue humbled our selues before him and confessed our fault witnessing our vnfained griefe for the same And thinke wee to haue God fauourable vnto vs who neuer yet were touched with any sorrow for displeasing him nor in this sorrow haue prostrated our selues at his feete with bleeding hearts lamenting and bewayling our offences Thou then that desirest the fauour of GOD come vnto him with this sacrifice of a bruised and broken spirit and thou shalt be accepted Psal 51. Thou shalt finde the saying of the Apostle most true God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble This must terrifie the impenitent whose hearts will not relent who sinne freely and merrily Drinking in iniquitie
for Faith it hath a speciall stroke in euery Euery good must be done in Faith and good action For first it clenseth the conscience and purifieth the heart so fitteth it for the bringing forth of a good worke for out of a defiled Fountayne no pure Riuers can come A good man brings forth good things but whence out of the good treasure of his heart Now this good treasure is a worke of Faith 1. Tim. 1. 6. Acts 15. 9. Secondly it setteth before our eyes the Commandement of God enioyning vs that which is to be done and withall perswadeth vs that the Commandement belongs to vs and bindes vs Rom. 14. Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne Thirdly it sharpneth the Commandement of God set downe in that word and driueth it in more deeply into our minds by adding thereto a Commandement of her owne For as wee shewed before Faith to the regenerate is in stead of a Law Hence our obedience Rom. 1 6. is called the obedience of Faith because it harkneth not onely to the Word of God but also to Faith vrging and pressing that Word of God In euery good worke which wee doe vnto the Commandement of the Word must come the Cōmandement of our Faith The which by the apprehension of the loue of God the Commander sweetly inuiteth and gently allureth vs to performe obedience Wicked men are moued sometimes by Gods Commandement to doe some good things but yet not by the Commandement of Faith they haue none at all Vnlesse therefore when thou goest commest doest this or that thou heare thy Faith like the Centurion in the Gospel saying Goe Come Doe this or that assuredly thy comming thy going thy doing this or that though groūded vpon the Word are yet sins in thee Fourthly fiftly it presenteth to our memories the Promises First the promises more specially to that particular good work which is to be don This is a notable spur to our obedience Vnto this Commandement Apoc. 2. 10. Be thou faithfull to the death is added this Promise I will giue thee the Crowne of life Now that wee may more cheerfully obey this Commandement our Faith as MOSES his did Heb. 11. must behold the Promise annexed Secondly the Promises that are made generally to all good works concerning the couering of their defects and blemishes For the best works we do are tainted and stayned with our naturall corruption Here then is the last action of Faith the vpshot and conclusion of all namely the apprehension of the merits of Christ whereby both that euill which we haue mixt with our good works may be remoued and that good which is wanting may be supplyed In the second place when Faith shall thus haue In loue both to God and done her part comes Loue succeeding and seconding Faith in the bringing forth of euery good worke First Loue towards God For this is the difference betwixt the obedience of the godly and that shew of obedience that is to be found in the Ethnicks Papists Ciuill men and all such Iustitiaries The loue of God thrusteth forward the godly but these the loue of themselues for they thinke to demerit God to themselues by that they doe And therefore they say with that young man in the Gospell What good thing shall I doe that I may get eternall life Loe the base mind of a seruile Mercenarie they doe all like hyrelings for their wages But a child like ingenuitie drawes forth the obedience of the godly The child when hee does any thing for his Father lookes for no recompence but his intent is onely to shew his loue towards his Father The obedience of the godly is wholy Filiall and a testimonie of their thankfulnesse for benefits alreadie receiued Therefore their voice is not What good thing shall I doe for the getting of Life but for Life already gotten What shall I render to the Lord Psal 116. Secondly Loue also to our Brethren must be Our Brethren the ground of our obedience This as it is plaine in the works of the second Table wherein that of the Apostle hath place Doe seruice one to another by loue so it is true also in the works of the first Table Euen those works of obedience which concerne God immediately must be done in loue to our Brethren namely that by our example wee may doe good vnto them prouoking them to doe the like Thus PAVL in his sufferings for the Gospell had a speciall regard of the Elect 2. Tim. 2. vers 10. Thus much of these Vertues of Faith and Loue. Their obiects follow First the obiect of Faith is onely one viz. Christ. How is Christ the obiect of Faith Quest Faith is taken two wayes First properly for an Answ action of the Vnderstanding in assenting to some Christ the obiect of Faith truth Secondly improperly and Metonymically for an act of the Will in resting and relying vpon some thing which is called Confidence which way soeuer wee take it Iustifying faith hath Christ her obiect First if it be taken for assent which we call beliefe or credence Christ may worthily be accounted the obiect thereof for this is the truth whereto shee assenteth namely that Christ is hers If it be taken the second way for confidence so also is Christ the obiect of Faith for in the merits of Christ onely and nought else can wee safely repose any trust of him may wee depend onely for our saluation Here then first of all is ouerthrowne the Doctrine of the Scholemen that make God simply the obiect of our Faith without making any mention of Christ who yet is the Way by the which we goe to the Father otherwise dwelling in the light inaccessible so our Sauiour Ioh. 14. 1. You beleeue in God beleeue also in mee As if hee should say Yee cannot truely beleeue in the Father vnlesse also yee beleeue in mee so most excellently are both these coupled together Ioh. 17. 3. The knowledge of the Father and of whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. So 1. Pet. 1. vers 21. By whom namely Christ you beleeue in God By this see then what to iudge of the faith of the Turks Iewes and all those that know not Christ yea of the Papists destroying that Christ indeed whom they grant in word The way of God is hedged vp considered in himselfe simply without Christ He only is the foundation of Faith Secondly here againe the Papists are met with that dare ioyne with CHRISTS merits of Saints for Faith to leane vpon But it is Christ onely that Faith can leane vpon In him onely can shee find that which is to be opposed to the Lawes rigour to Gods anger and iustice Therefore it is oftentimes called the Faith of Iesus Christ as Rom. 3. It is only the bloud of Christ that will stay and strengthen our hearts in the houre of death and it is only that which will choke Satan with his temptations Tell him of the merits of Saints and hee
Loue. For when wee keepe this our Loue of the Creature within her lawfull bounds then shall wee not onely be well content that God should make a Diuorce betwixt it and vs but we our selues will be readie in case hee commaunds vs to giue a Bill of Diuorcement into it hands willingly to depriue our selues of the same This is that which our Sauiour calls the hating of Father Mother Wife Children and Life it selfe when as wee seeing God calls for them at our hands because wee cannot both keepe them and a good conscience too wee doe willingly resigne them vp Thus did ABRAHAM chearefully sacrifice ISAAC PAVL his life Acts 20. MOSES his honours Heb. 11. thereby plainely shewing that in truth they loued the Lord in these Creatures simply in themselues because they were so willing to forgoe them when God called for them And therefore God himselfe said to ABRAHAM Now I know that thou louest mee Now I see that there is no Creature no not ISAAC himselfe that is able to alienate and estrange thy affections from mee Now I see that howsoeuer thou LOUEDsT ISAAC well yet thou louedst me better and ISAAC onely for my sake when at my commaund thou canst euen hate him Secondly The Apostle conioyning the Loue of Doct. 2 the Saints with the Loue of Christ thereby would teach vs That Christ is to be loued in his Saints Christ to be loued in his Saints and that in truth none loueth Christ who also loueth not his Members for wee may truely say with DAVID Psal 16. 2. Lord my well-doing reacheth not to thee All my delight is in the Saints on Earth The Lord Iesus is in the Heauens We cannot so manifestly declare our Loue to his owne Person but he hath left in his owne stead a most fit Matter for our Loue the poore Saints to be with vs alwayes Whereas if those duties of kindnesse and humanitie which IOSEPH of Arimathea performed to the dead Corps of our Sauiour were arguments of his Loue how much more shall wee declare our Loue vnto him in helping the Church his liuing Bodie his Fulnesse called by the Name of Christ himselfe 1. Cor. 12. specially then when it shall be in ieopardie If the glorified Bodie of Christ in the Heauens were here vpon Earth with vs no doubt wee would be very officious and respectiue of it But alas it is not that Masse of flesh though glorified and vnited to his Godhead which hee so much respects No hee makes greater account of his faithfull Ones amongst vs setting that vpon his owne Skore which is done vnto them Euerie one of these hath hee honoured with his Name as well as the whole Companie of them Psal 105. 15. Touch not my Prophets neither hurt my Christs Vainely therefore doe they prattle that speake of their Loue to Christ who yet are wanting to his Members in their Troubles suffering PAVL to answer for himselfe before NERO and with the Parents of the blind man Ioh. 9. saying Hee is old ynough let him speake for himselfe To such I say If any man loue not the Lord Iesus let him be accursed 1. Cor. 16. Thirdly Obserue who next vnto Christ are to Doct. 3 be loued namely the Saints All men being of The Saints to be loued next vnto Christ the same mould the same humane nature with our selues are to be loued for wee may not hide our selues from our owne flesh But the chiefetie of our Loue is due vnto the Saints that are of the same Spirituall flesh and consanguinitie with vs. Others may not haue the tythe of that Loue they haue Let vs doe good to all sayth the Apostle but specially to the Household of Faith Galat 6. 1. Tim. 5. Hee that prouideth not for his owne is Obiect worse then an Infidell But a mans owne haply may be none of the Saints S. PAVL here seemes to preferre a mans owne though neuer so wicked in our Loue before the Saints If the Question be Whether I must rather helpe my wicked Wife in her necessitie then any godly friend this place to TIMOTHIE sayes My wicked Wife But here the Apostle giues the first place of our Loue next to CHRIST vnto the Saints This Doctrine That our Loue must chiefely Answ respect the Saints is to be vnderstood in an euen Comparison All Saints are not to be preferred before all that are none but those onely that may equally be compared with them as Those of mine owne which are godly must bee loued more then those of mine owne which are not I must loue all my Children Seruants Kinsfolkes but specially those that are Saints But in an vnequall Comparison it holdeth not An vngodly Sonne Wife Brother c. is to be respected before a godly friend that is further off from me and not so neere in bloud Againe though naturall affection may be greater in vs towards our Kinsfolkes wicked then towards strangers godly yet true Christian Loue belongeth to the Faithfull without any carnall respect Neyther must wee measure it so much by outward effects as by the inward affection of the mind It is a Spirituall Loue and is specially seene in Spirituall Things as in the holy cleauing of hearts together in mutuall Prayers Consolations and heauenly Conferences And thus I may loue my Christian friends more then my vngodly Wife or Children though in nourishing of them I suffer them to perish with famine as not hauing sufficient to relieue both Fourthly Marke The Obiect of PHILEMONS Doct. 4 Loue is All the Saints Hee that loueth All the Saints must be loued one Saint truely and because hee is a Saint must needs loue all Though there be diuers degrees of our Loue to the Saints as there be also of their Sanctimonie so CHRIST loued IOHN aboue the other Disciples But if wee loue but one Saint because of his Grace wee must needes carrie the same mind to all Otherwise if louing one wee hate another it is an argument wee loue him not because he is a Saint for then wee should loue the other also but for other respects Here then is condemned that partialitie which IAMES taxeth Iames 2. Fifthly Obserue That the Christians with Doct. 5 whom PHILEMON conuersed are called Saints so the Apostle vsually calleth all that hee writes vnto Wee are not then to restraine this name to the glorified Soules of iust and perfect men in Heauen Certainely vnlesse thou art a liuing Saint thou shalt neuer be a Saint when thou art dead for that Holinesse which is perfected then is begun here Let now those prophane Knaues goe and scorne the Name of a Saint together with all Sanctimonie in the meane time they themselues being scorned by Him that sitteth in the Heauens VERS 6. That the communication of thy Faith may be effectuall in the knowledge of all that good that is in you by IESVS CHRIST IN the former Verse both those effects of PAVLS loue to PHILEMON set downe in the fourth Verse
most honorable the Apostle of Iesus Christ but reioyceth rather in this stile of the prisoner of Iesus Christ preferring it before the title of his Apostleship not onely by this mention of his imprisonment to raise vp pitie in the mind of PHILEMON and so to make a way for his sute that followeth but also hereby to shew that he iudgeth it a far greater matter and more praise-worthy to suffer for the Truth then to preach the Truth for the gift of suffering is preferred before the gift of beleeuing Philip. 1. 23. much more is it then aboue the gift of preaching which being a gift incident to cast-awayes as to IVDAS must needs giue place to the gift of beleeuing proper and peculiar to the Elect. Good cause haue we therefore with the Apostle to reioyce in our sufferings as being not only the cognizance and liueries of true Christians but also of strong and tall Christians Infants and Babes in Christ haue no strength in their backs to beare the burden of Christs Crosse When therefore wee are called forth into the field it is a signe of some strength and Christian manhood wherewith the Lord hath endued vs. Those Christians therefore which haue rest giuen them when many of their Brethren are exercised vnder the Crosse must be so farre from censuring and condemning them in regard of their afflictions that rather they are to conceiue a more honorable opinion of them as being such to whom the Lord hath giuen more strength of grace then to themselues Againe in our sufferings for Christ here is further matter of ioy That the Lord doth vs a special credit in them in that he maketh vs witnesses of his glorious Truth to the whole world In this regard Acts 5. the Apostles being scourged reioyced in that they were counted worthy to suffer any thing for Christ In these and many other respects hauing so great cause of cheerfulnesse in the Crosse let vs according to PAVLS example in this place in a holy kind and manner bragge and boast of them thinking the markes of our Lord Iesus which wee beare about in our bodies Gal. 6. 17. to be no greater deformities to vs then wounds and a disfigured face with the losse of eye or nose are to the valiant Souldier who hauing gotten them fighting in defence of his Countrie accounteth them speciall ornaments witnesses of his valour and manhood Lastly we are to obserue in PAVLS example the Doct. 5 dutie of all the Ministers namely to make good Ministers must be ready to make good their preaching by the prison their preaching by the prison if need be their sayings by their sufferings O base is that libertie yea baser then the basest bondage which is got by flinching from that Truth which wee haue preached and professed True it is that all Christians by vertue of their calling are called to suffering Matth. 16. 24 and 1. Pet. 2. 21. Vnto this are yee called for Christ hath suffered for you he was our prisoner and captiue for our sakes why then should any thinke much to be his prisoner who suffered for vs the losse of libertie and life too But the Ministers in more speciall sort euen by vertue of their ministerie are called to these sufferings Coloss 1. 24. PAVL hauing said that he suffered afflictions for the Churches sake in the 25. Verse addeth as giuing a reason thereof Whereof I am the Minister So 2. Tim. 2. 3. Thou therefore as a good Souldier a good Minister suffer affliction The reason hereof is plaine Euery Minister is the Churches seruant and the end of his ministerie is to build vp the Church in the truth of the Gospel which he cannot doe vnlesse being called thereto he be ready to seale the Truth euen with his bloud If hee will not thus abet and iustifie his owne Doctrine he giueth cause to the Church to doubt whether that be the Truth which he hath taught yea in truth he destroyes that which hee hath built and vndoes all that hee had done formerly But of this point more afterwards Thus much of the first person writing the principall writer PAVL The second and inferior writer is TIMOTHEVS described by the title of PAVLS brother We are not to thinke that TIMOTHY had any hand at all in the writing of this same Epistle but onely because a force vnited is the stronger PAVL takes him into the society of this Petition to PHILEMON together with himselfe So that TIMOTHY did only consent to this Petition of PAVL hee did not helpe him in the penning of it nor no man else onely the holy Ghost This example of TIMOTHY willingly ioyning with PAVL in this so Christian a businesse must teach vs without any sticking freely and frankly to lend our helpe to any that shall demand it for the furtherance of any good and honest cause TIMOTHYES stile here is PAVLS brother Elsewhere he calleth him his sonne as hauing conuerted him here his brother in regard of the communion of the same office with himselfe in preaching the Word Thereby teaching vs how louingly affected each to others the Ministers of the Word should bee whereof more afterward These be the persons writing The persons written to follow First the principall whom this letter more specially concernes the Gouernours of ONESIMVS First his Master PHILEMON Secondly his Mistris APPHIA PHILEMON is described first by the adiunct of PAVLS loue our beloued secondly by his calling our fellow-worker First hee is called beloued an argument that hee was one that loued God Otherwise that of IEHV spoken to IEHOSAPHAT might haue beene applyed to PAVL Wouldest thou loue them that hate the Lord Let vs learne by PAVLS example to haue our hearts inlarged in all true Christian loue towards the children of God Secondly hee is called PAVLS fellow-worker Whence it may probably be gathered that this PHILEMON was a Minister of the Word Though it cannot be denyed but that this title may be giuen not only to men but euen to women themselues as to PRISCILLA Rom. 16. 3. for all Christians are fellow-labourers in seeking GODS glorie and the common good of the Church Though yet in that place PAVL seemeth to respect in that title some speciall seruice which AQVILA and PRISCILLA had done for him Therefore BEZA well translates it My helpers for so the word ioyned with a Genitiue case is oftentimes taken But yet most properly this title belongeth to those that are of the same speciall calling with our selues I will not stand here to shew that the office of a Minister is a worke and that the Minister must be a labourer not a loyterer though I feare there be a number of idle bellies now adayes who may well call one another fellow-loyterers but rather I obserue First the humilitie of PAVL who though an Apostle in the highest degree of the ministerie Ephes Doct. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 12 28. yet disdayneth not to mate and yoke Humility of Ministers himselfe not only
4 and Loue of PHILEMON plainly sheweth that there were some that related reported them to him By whose example we must learne to haue a speciall respect of the good name of our brother being alwaies ready as occasion shal serue to speake of those good things that are in others that so their names as it were being sented perfumed with this oyntment may haue a most sweet fragrant odor in all places But where is the man that will thus labor to vphold the credit of his brother that will acknowledge Gods graces in him in all places and at all times and will not rather with some one infirmitie ouerwhelme whatsoeuer is prayse-worthie in him Fifthly Obserue Gods prouidence recompencing Doct. 5 Faith with fame and good name when Faith shall A good report the recompence of Religion open our hearts and mouthes to extoll Gods name God will open our brethrens yea sometimes our enemies mouthes to extoll ours Heb. 11. 3. By this namely Faith our Elders obtained a good report This was the meanes whereby they became so famous What maruell then if thou hast an ill name when thou hast an ill conscience Naughty faith and fame crackt credit and conscience commonly goe together The vse of oyntments among the Ancients was especially in their Feasts Then may wee looke for God to come drench vs with the precious Oyntment of a good Name when wee are keeping the Feast of a good Conscience If we would serue God with a good Conscience by faith purged from dead Workes then should wee find that God who seeth our Faith and good Conscience in secret would reward vs with credit and estimation openly Thus much generally concerning the cause and matter of PAVLS praying vnto and praysing God viz. the hearing of Gods graces in PHILEMON Now more particularly let vs consider what these Graces are There are two set downe here by name first the Loue secondly the Faith of PHILEMON Both these Graces are set forth by their Obiects whereabout they are conuersant Which thou hast towards our Lord Iesus and all Saints Both these Obiects belong in common to Loue the former onely to Faith By Faith onely we apprehend Christ and vnite our selues to him but by Loue we apprehend and vnite our selues both to Christ and our fellow-members Thus then is the meaning of the words and thus they are to be construed Hearing of thy Faith and Loue thy Faith which thou hast in our Lord Iesus and thy Loue which thou hast both to our Lord Iesus and all Saints The Rhemists therefore erre by this place confirming that confidence which they teach vs to repose in the merites of the Saints whereas it is manifest by the seuenth Verse that the Apostle speaketh not of the dead but of liuing Saints Here then two points specially are to be considered First these two vertues Loue and Faith Secondly their obiects towards the Lord Iesus and all Saints First for the Vertues the first place is here giuen to Loue though both in nature and excellency it comes behind Faith as the Effect the Cause the Daughter the Mother Gal. 5. 1. Tim. 1. 6. Therefore else-where Faith is set before as Coloss 1. 6. 1. Thessal 1. 3. But nothing is more vsuall in the Scriptures then to giue the former place vnto the effect as being more obuious to our senses then the cause By Faith vnderstand iustifying Faith which only is able to bring forth true Loue either to God or man and by Loue as the Apostle sheweth not only loue to God but also to man Here obserue First the distinction of these graces of Faith and Doct. 1 Loue. They are named distinctly as two Vertues 1. Cor. 13. in the end There remayne these three Faith Hope and Charitie This obseruation will not seeme idle if we consider the Doctrine of the Papists concerning faith viz. that there is a two fold Faith one informed and a second formed and that by Charitie They make Charitie the forme the life and soule of Faith which if it were so then Faith and Loue are not to be distinguished but confounded Neither could the Apostle say These three but These two remain Neither could Charitie be preferred before Faith in respect of long durance for the forme of a thing is the thing it selfe and therefore as long as the forme lasts so long the thing it selfe continueth Secondly the coniunction of these two Graces Doct. 2 for howsoeuer they are to be distinguished yet not Faith and Loue are distinguished not diuided to be diuided Wheresoeuer true Faith is there necessarily Loue both to God and our Brethren will follow for though Faith be alone in iustification yet not in the iustified As the eye though alone in seeing yet not in him that seeth but ioyned with the eares nose and many other members of the body Faith therefore is a fruitfull Mother of many daughters and Loue is the first-borne of them Faith though it be in regard of God a Begger alwayes holding out the hand to receiue and crying Giue giue yet in regard of those in whom it dwelleth it is like a Soueraigne Lord and King and hath as a King his Officers vnder him and among the rest Loue his Almner to distribute and disperse those treasures which it selfe hath receiued from the Lord. And first of all our loue towards God proceedeth Our loue to God proceeds from Faith from Faith which apprehending Gods loue to vs enflameth our affections againe with the loue of God The bearnes of Gods loue lightning vpon our hearts reflect backe vpon God himselfe by the Vertue of our Faith The loue of Christ saith the Apostle namely being apprehended by our Faith constrayneth vs. An example whereof we haue in MARY MAGDALEN whose Faith beleeuing that much was forgiuen her caused and constrayned her to loue much Luk. 7. 1. This plainly conuinceth the Faith of many to be Vse nothing but vaine presumption because their loue to God is so luke-warme Thou mockest thy owne soule O thou vaine man whose disobedience though it testifie to thy face that thou hatest GOD wilt yet be bragging of the strength and assurance of thy Faith wee see when men haue without our desert beene extraordinarily kind vnto vs how wee are affected therewith neuer satisfying our affections toward them Is it likely then that thou art perswaded of that infinite loue of God in Christ and hast the eye of Faith to see the height the depth the bredth and length thereof how thou being a slaue of Satan fettered with the chaines of darknesse in Hell wast rescued and loosed by the death of his owne Son when yet thou ceasest not most shamefully to dishonour this God by a wicked and vngodly conuersation So if thou haddest once felt the loue of God shed abroad into thy heart and diddest beleeue that God had done so much for thee as thou sayest Oh then how zealously wouldest thou loue the Lord declaring the
will answere thee as once those Exorcists Acts 19. Iesus I know but these merits I know not Thirdly this Doctrine of the obiect of Faith is the rather to be marked that we may more cleerly vnderstand the doctrine of our iustification by faith For the Papists alwayes haue it in their mouthes that Faith is a worke and so if wee be iustified by Faith then by Works But with Faith wee must ioyne the obiect of Faith viz. Christ for Faith iustifies not in regard of the subiect in which it inhereth but of the obiect to which it adhereth not as a qualitie created in the mind nor as an action of this qualitie for both are imperfect but as it applyeth Christ and so in him couereth as all other defects so also her owne whereby shee is disabled from iustifying in her selfe This Doctrine is full of comfort to those that are discouraged in regard of the small measure of their Faith But it is not the measure of thy Faith or the strength of thy Faith that iustifies but Christ apprehended by thy Faith whether strong or weake And a Palsie-trembling hand will receiue an almes as well as a stronger So the squint-eyed or purblind Israelite was healed by the looking on the brazen Serpent as well as they whose eyes were better Lastly from this manner of phrase wherein Christ is made the obiect of Faith namely Faith in Christ. Some doe gather that Faith properly is an act of the will resting it selfe on Christ and not of the vnderstanding beleeuing the Truth of the promise in particular for then they say the Scripture should rather speake thus Faith to Christ and to beleeue Christ and not in Christ This particle In they thinke argueth that confidence which we haue in Christ whereby we cast our selues vpon him and as it were goe into him But these men seeme to me to be deceiued for First it is most certayne that this particle In is 1. Three Reasons prouing Faith to be an act of the Vnderstanding as well as of the Will often giuen to the Faith of persons vnregenerate who haue not that confidence in Christ as Ioh. 2. 23. Many beleeued in his Name seeing his miracles where by beleeuing in his Name is meant onely that credence which they gaue to Christ as a true Prophet and no Deceiuer which was wrung from them by force of his miracles for heare Christs iudgement of them in the next Verse Iesus would not commit himselfe vnto them for he knew what was in the heart of man where they that before are said to beleeue in his Name are closely touched for their hollownesse and perfidiousnesse If they had put their trust in Christ Christ questionlesse would haue put more trust in them then he did So Exod. 14. ver 31. They beleeued in MOSES as it is in the Hebrew that is they beleeued MOSES as the learned haue well expounded it Certainly to beleeue in Christ and to beleeue Christ sounded all one in the eares of those Iewes that conferred with Christ Iohn 6. for whereas Verse 29. Christ had said This is the worke of God that yee beleeue in him whom he hath sent they presently answere What signe doest thou shew that wee may see and beleeue thee Secondly the Scripture distinguisheth Faith and Confidence very plainly By whom we haue accesse with confidence by faith Ephes 3. 12. Now it would be absurd for the Apostle to say Wee haue accesse with confidence by confidence Thirdly Reason it selfe is against this opinion for how can we rely vpon him of whose good will towards vs wee are not perswaded First wee must beleeue that Christ is ours and loueth vs before we can be able to commit our selues vnto him for the will and affections follow the vnderstanding Yet I denie not but that oftentimes yea very vsually in the Scripture this Confidence is put for Faith because it is an immediate and most excellent fruit of Faith For when once the vnderstanding shall iudge of the truth and goodnesse of the Promise the wil forthwith must needs claspe about them And withall wee feele diuers times this action of our wills in cleauing to the Promises when yet wee feele not so cleerly the action of our vnderstanding in assenting vnto them But our feeling must not be the rule to determine matters by wee feele Repentance before Faith which is yet a fruit of Faith and commonly we feele the effects before the causes themselues As wee see and discerne the light of the Candle before the Candle it selfe and yet the candle in order of nature is first Thus much for the obiect of Faith Now of Loues obiects They are two The Obiects of Loue two former shee hath in common with Faith viz. Christ. The latter proper to her selfe and all Saints The first obiect of our loue is Christ who is to First Christ be loued in many respects First As he is God for himselfe For the matter of loue is good Christ being God the chiefe good in whom lye hid all the Treasures of goodnesse he is to be loued chiefly and aboue all Secondly As he is our Lord which respect the Apostle may seeme to insinuate here saying towards our Lord Iesus Good is to be loued in and for it selfe but much more when that which is good in it selfe shall be good also to vs from whence ariseth this title of Lord here giuen him for first Hee created vs of nothing good and perfect in our kind Secondly Falling away from this perfection hee hath restored vs to an estate better then the former being restored he preserues vs in it and reserues vs for eternall glorie in the meane time lading vs daily with his blessings Here then is place for that Song of DAVID Psal 18. 1 2. I loue the Lord he is my Rocke and Psal 116. I loue the Lord he hath heard my prayer Thirdly As he is our Brother not only because we are all as ADAM Luk. 3 in the end the sonnes of God by creation and hee hath the same humane nature with vs created by God but also by adoption and that through his meanes But wherein consists our Loue of Christ Quest In Loue there are especially these two things Answ first the violent running and rushing as it were of Wherein the loue of Christ consists the desire to the thing we loue that we may enioy it secondly the resting of the mind and the reioycing of the heart in it after once we haue obtained it Would we then know how to loue Christ First before all other things thou must with great earnestnesse and contention of desire long after Christ and that in two respects first that thou mayest come to him and be vnited by Faith as PAVL Philip 3. being desirous to redeeme Christs righteousnesse with the losse of all other things whatsoeuer secondly that he may come to thee by sight and take thee into his owne Companie in the Heauen as PAVL
is the ioy arising out of the works of Gods Wisedome and Mercy whether done to vs or by vs to others or by others They are wickedly vngratefull who when God shall haue cheered and reuiued their spirits by his mercies doe not make their ioy and cheerfulnesse a whetstone for thanksgiuing but rather for wantonnesse and vncleannesse and vanitie of speech As wee see many when God at the Table hath filled their hearts with food and gladnesse in the strength of their ioyfull spirits quicken their wits to sweare blaspheme reuile and reproch the Saints and not once to blesse Gods name for his creatures that haue refreshed and reuiued their spirits This is a prophane and carnall ioy though otherwise lawfull in it selfe which resteth only in the creature and aduanceth not vp the mind to the Creatour whereas wee should reioyce more in the good will of the Giuer then in the gift Let vs then haue a speciall eye to this affection of ioy that as soone as wee feele the first motion and tickling of it if it be euill we may restrayne it if lawfull we may vse it lawfully as a goad to prick vs to thanksgiuing and first pay the toll and tribute of our ioy to the Lord in thanksgiuing before wee proceed further in it our selues as Marchants before they can haue the benefit of their commodities themselues must pay their Impost to the King But alas how oftentimes haue wee felt the Lord euen replenishing our soules with much ioy specially of outward comforts and yet wee in the meane while haue not one thought of paying God his toll Whereby it comes to passe oftentimes that God being angrie with vs for keeping backe from him his right his Mercies are turned into Iudgements and our ioy into heauinesse yea hence it comes to passe that that ioy which otherwise is lawfull is now because the fruits thereof were not hallowed to God become to vs vnlawfull and vnholy to be checked with SALOMONS reprehension Eccles 2. Thou mad Foole what doest thou whither runnest thou head-long forgetting that GOD in whom thou shouldest reioyce from whose Mercy this thing wherein thou art so delighted did come vnto thee Secondly that ioy is a singular and wonderfull Doct. 2 blessing of God for the which speciall thanks are due vnto him For the rule of the Logicians is here true That which maketh another thing so is much more so it selfe If ioy make others things iust matters of thanksgiuing then much more is it a matter of thanksgiuing it selfe 1. Thessal 3. 9. What thanks can we recompense againe to God for you for all the ioy wherewith we reioyce for your sakes And truly ioy is the very soule of the soule the very life of our life without which our life is a dead and liuelesse life and we our selues but liuing carkasses Therefore if God shall grant vnto vs a ioyfull and merrie heart in the vse of any of his mercies let vs acknowledge it with SALOMON Eccles 2. as a speciall yea a double blessing and so not content our selues with single thanks but First thanke God for that benefit which is the occasion of our ioy and Secondly for the ioy it selfe which we haue out of that mercy for no benefit of it selfe can worke ioy without the speciall blessing of God so Act. 14 The filling of the heart with food and gladnesse are made two distinct works of God For how many are there that enioy not those things they possesse who though they should eate Manna the bread of Angels might yet bee said to eate the bread of teares Thirdly obserue what that is which must stirre Doct. 3 vs vp to thanksgiuing and cause vs to performe it Thâ—â—nâ—entiue of Thanksgiuing in due manner namely the feeling of ioy in the benefit bestowed vpon vs for this is the reason that howsoeuer wee want not sufficient matter of thanksgiuing as being compassed continually with GODS mercies yet oftentimes wee finde our selues very vnfit and indisposed for this dutie wee want the sweet sense of Gods Mercy Goodnesse Power c. in those benefits we haue which should enlarge and dilate our hearts with ioy when thy heart shall once be possessed with this ioy it growes so full presently that it cannot any longer containe it selfe within but must needs powre out it selfe into thanksgiuing Psal 92. 2. It is good to praise the Lord to sing to the most High but what droue DAVID hither hee himselfe shewes the reason in the words following Because thou causest me to reioyce in thy works and Psal 16. in the midst of his Thanksgiuing see how the heate of ioy breakes forth in him My heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth Euery part of Gods worship hath his proper and speciall affections Now as in Prayer the feruency of an hungrie and thirstie desire is the special grace thereof so in Thanksgiuing the triumphing Spirit of ioy If this bee wanting alas how poorely and coldly doe wee giue thanks Therefore here that of Saint IAMES must bee remembred Is any man afflicted Let him pray Is any man merry Let him sing Psalmes namely of Thanksgiuing as appeareth by the opposition Fourthly marke that PAVL did not only take ioy Doct. 4 but comfort in PHILEMONS loue comfort presupposeth grief as a medicine a disease Therfore PAVL giues vs to vnderstand that PHILEMONS loue was a kind of counter-poyson to the griefe which his imprisonment and other afflictions wrought him Whereby wee may learne what is that which will bring ease and comfort to the minds of Gods children in their troubles namely the vertue and good carriage of those whom they loue and respect As this will be the comfort of good Ministers in their afflictions if their flocks stand fast in that Truth which they haue preached As PAVL tells the Thessal 1. 3 6 7 8. Now are wee aliue if yee stand fast in the Lord. Those then that haue such as are neerly bound vnto them vnder the crosse as People their Ministers Children their Parents c. must learne here to minister sound comfort vnto them in their afflictions namely by continuing the same good course they walked before If they shrinke and goe backe they adde to their afflictions and euen kill their hearts And those parents which in their afflictions haue such children those Ministers that in their troubles haue such people according to PAVLS example must comfort themselues here withall Fiftly obserue what that is wherefore we are to Doct. 5 take ioy in another viz. his grace We haue great ioy Grace argument of ioy in others in thy loue This is that which may iustly cause parents to reioyce in their children one friend and kinsman in another 2. Iohn We haue no greater ioy then this that we heare thy children walke in the Truth Phil. 2. 2. Fulfill my ioy that yee be like-minded c. If wee reioyce in them for other respects as for Wit Wisedome Knowledge Learning Beautie
greatest measure of affection that this relation can yeeld yet are they but still master and seruant it brings them no neerer But see the exact and strict knot of religion it brings master and seruant an Apostle and a slaue to the deere and speciall affection of a brother-hood Nothing riuets hearts so close as religion The speciall bands of nature are but generall ones the seuerall ones of grace are speciall There is a friend that stickes closer then a brother Pro. 18. 24. The gracious friend stickes closer then the meere naturall brother All the bands of nature of policy of ciuill society they are highly beholding to religion They are but loose at the straightest in comparison of the neerer and stricter knot which grace makes Religion is the surest cement of all societies the looser ioynts of all natural ciuill relations are compacted and confirmed by the sinew of grace and religion which endeeres men one to another in a speciall manner specially to mee Would wee then haue all those that are any way Vse 1 deere vnto vs to be yet more endeered to vs would we haue them specially deere to vs or bee specially deere to them labour wee both to plant religion in them and to bee religious our selues What is the cause of so many iarrs and wranglements betweene such as liue together in the same society but the want of that singular and speciall affection which ought to be among them and what causes the want of that speciall affection but the want of religion This shewes what little hold there is in their Vse 2 friendship that want religion Such a loose ioynted friendship cannot hold long which wants the nerues of religion Obserue who are especially to bee loued of vs. Doct. 3 Such as now ONESIMVS was true Christian conuerts Grace the attractiue of loue Grace is not only the surest band but also the greatest attractiue of loue There is a debt of loue due to all men due to our enemies but our speciall loue and kindnesse is due to the Saints Our loue is ready to be drawen away with glorious outsides and with those Iam. 2. wee are ready to preferre in our respects a good suit before a good heart The more shame for vs. Poore ONESIMVS in the condition of a meane seruant is specially beloued of Paul and esteemed of him as a brother Why should a ring on the finger winn such respect Is not a swine a swine though he haue a ring of gold in his snowt and is not a pearle a pearle though it be trodden vnder foot The rule of our loue should be the Lords loue to loue those most who are most beloued of him They should haue yee cheefly of our respect and affection whom the Lord hath honored with the most liberall largesse of his grace Specially to me Why specially to him Because he Doct. 4 had a special hand in the work of his conuersion See None deerer to Ministers then their conuerts the speciall attractiue of Ministers loue Their loue cannot better be bestowed then where their loue labor hath best prospered Those trees delights the Husbandman most in which were of his own planting and griffing The good successe of our former loue is the greatest motiue that may bee to present and future loue Most mens loues are for good receiued they loue such persons who haue beene instruments and meanes of good to them but heere it is otherwise Ministers loue those most not from whom they receiue some temporall but to whom they doe some spirituall God And thus to loue one not for good receiued but for good done is truely Christian and royall Great is the affection of a Conuert to the Minister and Ministry which hath beene the meanes of his conuersion Hee accounts his very eyes but a vile recompence for so great good Gal. 4. 15. Yet notwithstanding in this case loue rather descendeth then ascendeth 2 Cor. 12. 15. and the abundant loue of the Conuert is superabundantly surmounted by the loue of the Conuerter So much seeme those passionate and affectionate speeches of Paul to witnesse 1 Thess 2. 19. 20. and 3. 8. 9. And though the Galatians could out of their deere affection to PAVL impart their eyes to him yet PAVL goes further and could bee content to impart his owne soule to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 2 8. because they were deare vnto him This may serue to satisfie the vniust exception of some against their Ministers whom they accuse of partiality because hee loues some more specially then others and why should not they bee as much regarded inasmuch as happily they are as friendly and as beneficiall to them as others Well it may bee true thou doest so but what good hath his Ministry wrought vpon thee Hath it brought thee to knowledge obedience repentance and reformation as it hath done other some who are highly regarded of thy Minister No such matter why then complainest thou Desire the like affection and then complaine if thou haue it not Boast not of what good thou doest to him shew what good his Ministry hath done to thee The fault is thine owne It is not partiality vpon difference of desart to shew difference of respect But how much more to thee both in the flesh and the Lord The assumption of the second syllogisme which was but thou art bound by a double band the band of the flesh as hee is thy seruant and by the bond of religion in the Lord Therefore c. According to the number and nature of the Doct. bands whereby any are obliged to vs or mee to them euery circumstance that may make for loue The more bonds the more duty should haue force in our affection Vpon doubled grounds and bonds should bee doubled loue and duty We are to loue euery Christian though no other bond tye vs thereunto but that of Christianity But if vnto this there come others our affection should encrease together with them 1 Tim. 5 17. Let the Elders who rule well bee accounted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and doctrine Why a double honour because a double desart which binds thereunto A Christian is worthy our loue of what kinred or family soeuer but when a Christian shall bee both of Gods family and of our owne family both Gods childe and our owne Gods seruant and our owne this encrease of bonds should not be without encrease of affection They are fowly to blame then that on the contrary the more their bonds the lesse their affection How many could better affect some neere vnto them in naturall bonds if they were farther off The quarrell is the greater from the neernesse of their bonds So many a woman is so much the more hatefull because a wife and a zealous one many a childe lesse beloued because a religious childe many a seruant lesse respected because a godly seruant So many a childe despises the counsell of a gracious
man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity So heere the forwardnesse zeale of people is helpfull to the Ministry and the fire of their zeale is able to warme the heart of one but cooly disposed It lets vs see what oftentimes is a maine reason of defects in the Ministry Many complaine and iustly Vse may they that their Minister is cold and dead in his Ministry that it is voyd of quickning life and power c. But in the meane time neuer looke at the reason of it nor enquire into the cause of it but lay the whole burden of the complaint vpon the shoulders of the Minister Whereas if due enquiry were made people might draw their breath inward and finde themselues faulty and guilty of those things with which the Minister is charged Why doest thou complaine of thy Ministers coldnesse while thine owne frozen heart hath chilled him why complainest thou of his polluted lips when they are infected with thy pollution why accusest thou his folly when the multitude of thine iniquities haue caused it Examine therefore thine owne heart and try if thou finde not the cause of thy Ministers defects in thy selfe Many a Minister would bee better if hee had a better people and a good people makes a good Minister as well as a good Minister makes a good people How can ARCHIPPVS but be watchfull in his Ministry when his people shall be so watchfull as to say Take heed to thy Ministry c. So many faithfull Monitours must needes make a faithfull Minister People may thanke their owne disobedience if their Ministers are not as they should be Ier. 3. 14. 15. O yee disobedient children turne againe c. And I will giue you Pastours according to mine owne heart which shall feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding Therefore had they not such Pastours because they were disobedient children and the way to amend their Ministers was first to amend themselues Turne againe and I will giue your Pastours c. It is not enough to pray but they must turne also to the Lord of the haruest if they would haue painefull labourers For peoples disobedience it is that makes windy frothy and vaine Preachers See to this purpose Ier. 22. 21. 22. Thou wouldest not obey my voyce the winde shall feede thy Pastours And then how shall they feede with knowledge and vnderstanding when themselues are fed with winde See the credit yea the honour that conscience Doct. 3 and obedience puts vpon a man PAVL makes no Conscience breeds credit question but to preuaile with PHILEMON because hee knew him euer before to make a conscience of yeelding obedience PHILEMONS good conscience workes PAVLS confidence It is a great honor when our carriage is so good as that an honest man dare be confident in vs. It is the honour of the vertuous wife Prou. 31. 11. that the heart of her husband trusteth in her It is no lesse the honour of a Christian that a man may trust and presume vpon him Many haue lost their credit in the world and what may be the reason Nothing else but their greater losse shipwrack of a good conscience Credit a good conscience are shipped both in one bottome There cannot be a wracke of conscience but with the ioynt losse of a mans credit Bee iealous and suspicious of thy selfe when thou seest an honest man shy and suspicious of thee It is suspicious thy credit is but sandy when an honest man dares not build vpon it A man cannot haue a better euidence of his approued honesty then when good men dare bee confident in him especially in cases of obedience Knowing that thou wilt doe more then I say Charity beleeues and charity presumes the best and the most The former experience of PHILEMONS obedience made PAVL thus confident that PHILEMON would be so farre from comming short of that hee requested that he would doe more The property of a gracious and an enlarged Doct. heart It is not so illiberally niggardly disposed as A good heart deales not illiberally and michingly with God to giue GOD no more then his iust dues in extremity but enlarges it selfe so as to goe further then it is tyed by expresse commandement There are some particulars for which wee haue not a direct Text but onely rules in the generall as how often a man should pray priuately in a day how much hee is to giue in almes and some other such things of this kinde Now in this case where there is not so expresse a rule a good heart will bee sure to goe rather with the furthest then to come short and will rather doe more then lesse Thou wilt doe more then I say So Luk. 2. 41. not onely IOSEPH but MARY also went vp to Ierusalem euery yeere at the feast of the Passouer Now there was no expresse commandement for MARY to come for the commandement enioyned the males only to appear yet MARY comes to Her loue and deuotion to the Lords worship was a sufficient Law As shee in the ceremoniall so CHRIST in the morall did more then the Law required The Law requires to loue GOD aboue all and our neighbors as our selues CHRIST did more hee loued his enemies not onely as himselfe but aboue himselfe giuing himselfe to death for them which the Law requires not Such should our free-hearted disposition be in our obedience to GOD. Indeed the Law requires more then wee can doe wee abhorre workes of supererrogation and we can doe nothing but GOD hath required it of vs. But yet so should we bee affected towards the Lord as that rather then we would doe lesse we would if it were possible euen do more And for such things which are not directly commanded to bee so farre from hutching and shrinking as rather to goe with the farthest then to doe with the shortest So that I may say in this case as our Sauiour in another Mat. 6. 40. If any man will take away thy coat let him haue thy cloake also and if any man would compell thee to goe a mile goe with him twaine So heere If GOD require of thee to giue to the poore a penny giue him twain if hee require a shilling to the maintenance of the Ministry giue him fiue if he require of thee to pray twice a day rather then faile pray thrice a day if GOD require thee to preach once a Saboth rather the faile preach twice So bountifull is a gracious heart it doth not stand articulating with GOD It will giue him with the most rather then the least measuring the same measure to the Lord which it hath from the Lord. The Lord giues vnto vs not onely beyond our desarts but beyond our desires euen more and aboue that which wee are able to aske or thinke Ephes 3. 20. A good heart therefore hates so base and illiberall a requitall as to returne though a short yet not a shortned measure of obedience In this case it were
ours must be euen holy salutations as being hearty prayers Salutations must be holy and wherein we craue the greatest blessings that are at the Lords hands for the persons saluted here then are many kinds of salutations censured First the prophane salutation of swearing Swaggerers Not prophane and rude Ruffians which is not any holy forme or prayer vnto God but a most fearfull tearing and rending of the name of God in pieces by most horrible Oathes Secondly the perfidious saluation such a one Not perfidious as IVDAS his was who betrayed his Master with a kisse and IOABS who cloking his inward malice with sweet and sugred salutations most villanously murthered valiant ABNER euen in the act of saluting Thirdly the formall and customarie and with Not formall all nice curious and affected kind of saluting when men are so full of their ceremonies and complements that they make themselues foolish and ridiculous And herein consists all their grace of their greetings in courting and congeying and ducking and such other gestures but that which is the very pith and marrow of a Christian salutation the lifting vp of the heart to God in desiring the welfare of those they salute is wholly wanting Gestures in saluting are good and commendable so they may stand with comelinesse and the simplicity of Christianitie But this is a fault euen in many who yet are not so fond and so full of affectation in their salutations as others that in saluting their Brethren with those good and holy formes in common vse as God be with you God saue you c. they take the holy Name of God in vaine not hauing their hearts lifted vp to God whose name they call vpon but only speaking of custome and so not minding what they say A fault in most and it ought to be a matter of humiliation vnto vs as being an argument both of the want of feare to God and loue to our Neighbour Salutations are Prayers to the Lord and therefore the name of the Lord must with all reuerence be thought vpon when they are vsed Some hence take occasion to neglect this dutie because they are Prayers and they thinke it not lawfull to wish well in Prayer to euery one wee meete who sometimes may haply be going about some wicked enterprise But besides that Charitie biddeth vs to thinke and hope the best in matters of vncertaintie they should haue remembred that of our Sauiour Luke 10. Into whatsoeuer house yee goe say Peace be vnto this house and if the Sonne of peace be in the house your peace shall come vpon it if not your peace shall returne vpon you So then there is no hurt done whomsoeuer we salute so it be not a notorious Heretike or some such offender not much vnlike 2. Ioh. but if wee salute the children of God wee doe good to them our salutations are effectuall meanes through the blessing of God to bring vpon them the good desired If others we doe good to our selues that good wee desire to them shall bee granted to our selues The summe then of this whole point of salutation in a word is thus much first that we conscionably performe this dutie both by word and writing Superiours to their Inferiours as well as on the contrary euen Kings to their Subiects to strangers as well as to those of our acquaintance Luk. 10. 2. that we doe it in a holy manner feeling our hearts with reuerence both affected to God and inlarged in loue to our Brethren Thus much in generall In this salutation more particularly wee are to consider these two points 1. The things that PAVL wisheth 1. Grace 2. Peace 2. From whom hee wisheth them 1. From God the Father 2. From Iesus Christ our Lord. First for the things desired The former of them is Grace This word Grace often is taken for the gifts of the Spirit by a Metonymie of the efficient because they come vnto vs by the grace and free fauour of God as Iohn 1. 16. And of his fulnesse haue we all receiued Grace how taken grace vpon grace and Verse 17. Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ and 2. Cor. 12. My grace is sufficient for thee But this grace is not here principally meant by the Apostle in this place Therefore there is a second and that more proper signification of this word Grace for the fauour and good will of God as Ephes 2. 8. For by grace are yee saued through faith And this is that which here the Apostle wisheth to PHILEMON Now this Grace and Fauour of GOD is twofold First that fauour of God whereby he purposeth Two degrees of Gods loue to make vs capable of his fauour and fit to be fauoured of him when as in our selues there was no matter of fauour but only of displeasure The giuing of Christ vnto vs and all the benefits which wee receiue in Christ are made fruits and effects of this fauour Rom 5. 15. Much more the grace of God and the gift by grace hath abounded to many The gift by grace is iustification and reconciliation with God A man would thinke wee could not be in the loue and fauour of God till Christ had reconciled vs. I but that Christ is giuen vnto vs to be our Reconciler Whence comes this but of the fauour of God namely this first kind of fauour whereby God goeth about to fit and prepare vs for his fauour So the Apostle directly affirmeth Rom. 5. God setteth out his loue vnto vs that when we were sinners Christ dyed for vs and Christ himselfe Ioh. 3. 16. God so loued the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne which is to be vnderstood of such a kind of loue and fauour whereby hee is willing as it were and desirous to fauour vs and not otherwise For how then could wee be said to be reconciled to God by Christ if before wee were actually in the loue and fauour of God And of this grace our election is made a fruit Ephes 1. 5 6. Who hath predestinated vs to the glorie of his grace whereby hee hath freely made vs accepted in his Beloued that is whereby he hath predestinated vs. Secondly there is another degree of Gods fauour when hauing a desire to fauour vs and a free disposition to doe vs good and because it would not stand with his Iustice to fauour the vile and abominable hauing further of his owne good pleasure in Christ fitted vs for his fauour he doth now take a singular pleasure and delight in vs. So then there is a fauour whereby God makes vs as I may say fauourable such as may be fauoured and it is the description of the Apostle himselfe Ephes 1. 6. By the which grace he hath made vs accepted And there is a further fauour whereby hauing made vs accepted that is such as may be accepted he doth indeed accept vs and is exceedingly well pleased with vs. This may be called the fauour of complacency
as the fish drinketh in water neuer saying so much as What haue I done Assuredly they are out of the fauour of God An humbled heart for sinne is the first step to the fauour of God Secondly thou must shrowd thy selfe vnder Christs wings Clothe thy selfe with his righteousnesse and the precious Robes thereof that so thou mayest appeare amiable and louely in the eyes of the Lord for in Christ only is the Father well pleased and so if thou wouldest haue him well pleased with thee thou must become a member of him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh This thou doest when by Faith thou layest hold vpon Christs righteousnesse and gripest the promises of the Gospell And this act of Faith sheweth it selfe most of all in earnest Prayer and Deprecation when thou cryest with strong cryes Forgiue me my trespasses According to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my offences These be the wrestlings of IACOB who would not let the Lord goe till he had blessed him If thou wouldest find grace thou must come and in this manner knocke at the gate of Grace and it shall be opened vnto thee How can wee looke to haue grace with God when he offring vs his Sonne as a meanes thereof wee will not reach forth the hand of our Faith to take him Thirdly by Faith hauing clad thy selfe with the Robes of Christs imputed righteousnesse thou must be clothed vpon with the garment of thy own righteousnesse and obedience which howsoeuer being in it selfe a menstruous cloth as it comes from vs yet being of the Spirits owne weauing in that regard is acceptable to God and causeth him to take a further delight in vs. Pro. 3. 3. Let not Mercy and Truth depart from thee so shalt thou haue fauour with God and man Pro. 11. 20. They that are vpright in their way are his delight If then we would be Gods Fauoured and Beloued we must put on that party-coloured Coate of the Apostle Col. 3. 12. consisting of many parts Of Humblenesse Mercy Kindnesse and long Suffering c. then shall that be verified Psal 45. 11. The King shall delight in thy beautie and that Cant. 4. 9. My faire One thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes and with a chaine about thy neck Looke how the Spouse that being beautifull of her selfe is withall set forth and decked with precious ornaments is gracious in the eyes of her Louer so shalt thou be in Gods when thou appearest before him in the beautifull face and pleasant rayment of a new creature in Christ Iesus for then thou art made partaker of the diuine Nature And God in thee seeing himselfe an Image of his owne Holinesse and Righteousnesse thou being with DAVID a man after his owne heart how can hee but take great pleasure in thee if so bee hee take pleasure in himselfe Thou then who hast not this pleasant rayment of the new man but the torne rags of the old man thou that lyest wallowing in the mire of sinne a forlorne nasty creature thou that still retaynest the old Ethiopian hide and Black-mores skin these foule Leopard spots how thinkest thou that the pure and cleere eyes of the Lord can abide the sight of so filthy and deformed an obiect Hee that can performe these three duties may assure himselfe of Gods fauour Thus much for the first thing desired namely Grace The second followeth and Peace I doe willingly assent to those who by Peace doe vnderstand all prosperitie and felicitie both earthly and heauenly in this life and that to come In the ordinary salutation among the Iewes wherein they wished peace to the saluted Luk. 10. I thinke only outward prosperitie was meant by peace But as the Apostles augmented the ordinary forme of salutation by adding Grace to Peace because they preached in the Gospell the free Grace of God for our saluation so by the same reason may it well be thought that they inlarged the signification of this word Peace euen to inward peace as well as to outward specially their Gospell being the Gospell and glad tydings of that Peace Extending therefore the signification Foure things comprehended vnder Peace of this word in this Apostolicall salutation further then it was taken in the common greetings of the Iewes it may comprehend all these things within his circuit First the inward peace of Conscience with God which springeth out of the grace and fauour of God Rom 51. A mans conscience will neuer be at quiet within him till it feele this grace There will bee nothing there but the vncomfortable darknesse of terrors and astonishments till the light of Gods countenance arise and shine vpon it Secondly The peace of Charitie among our selues of which the Apostle Be at peace among your selues Let the peace of God rule in your hearts This also is an effect of Gods grace which as it maketh a man at peace with himselfe and God so with his Brethren The loue of God shed into our hearts will make vs loue our Brethren also There can be no true loue then among those that are not in fauour with God but they liue together like Wolues Beares But when our God hath vouchsafed vs his grace he changes our Woluish and Tygrish natures accomplishing that which is prophesied Esai 11. Thirdly The peace of Amitie and a holy kind of League with all Gods creatures Iob 5. The stones of the field shall be at peace with thee This also is an effect of grace for when we haue his fauour who is the Lord wee haue the good will also of his seruants the creatures Rom. 8. If hee bee with vs who can be against vs for all things are at his command who is the Lord of Hosts Nay who shall not be for vs On the contrarie Oh the miseries of the man in disgrace with God! all the creatures are at enmitie and at variance with vs being out of Gods fauour The senselesse creatures themselues in their kind rise vp against vs to fight the Lords battails against vs as the heauens did fight against SISERA Iudg. 5. Fourthly Outward Prosperitie and good successe in our wayes so it is commonly taken in all their salutations as 1. Chron. 12. 18. Peace be vnto thee O sonne of ISHAI And 2. King 9. Is it peace the salutation of IEHORAM to IEHV Hence it is euen from this manner of saluting all kind and good dealing is set out in the Scripture by this phrase of speaking peace as Psal 85. God sayes I will speake peace to my people Now the reason why outward prosperitie is signified by this name of peace is first because to the godly they are Pawnes and Pledges of that sweet Peace they haue with God Secondly they are notable Maintayners of the peace and quietnesse of our affections for in the want of outward things how are we disquieted and vnsettled But Peace in this fourth signification is so taken for outward prosperitie that which all this
stirre vs to thanksgiuing so the feeling of our wants and weaknesses mixed alwayes with those things wherein Gods goodnesse sheweth it selfe must driue vs to prayer Thirdly wee may obserue that PHILEMON Doct. 3 was such an one as ministred to PAVL iust occasion as of Prayer so likewise of Thanksgiuing Wee must labour herein to be like him that others specially Gods Ministers who eyther see vs or heare of vs may haue cause not onely to pray for vs but also to prayse God for vs. Many there are that we haue cause to pray for and that with great griefe that they are so bad But there is small matter for thanksgiuing in them But we should be such that our friends may pray for vs not with griefe but ioy and giuing of thankes vnto God for vs. VERS 5. Hearing of thy loue and faith which thou hast towards the Lord Iesus and towards all Saints BOth the effects of PAVLS loue to PHILEMON Thankesgiuing and Prayer are here both set forth by the cause moouing him both to giue thankes and pray for them for so I vnderstand that in them the Apostle setteth downe as well the cause of his Prayer as of his Thankesgiuing the which is more euident by comparing this place with Coloss 1. 3 4. where the same wordes almost are vsed that are here that Epistle as some not vnprobably thinke written at the same time as it was sent by the same Messengers that this was First then obserue That the greater graces wee Doct. 1 heare any of our Brethren to haue the more feruent Pray for those most whose graces are greatest Prayers ought wee to powre out for them vnto the Lord as appeareth in that place Coloss 1. 3 4. Wee giue thankes to God praying alwayes for you since or after that we once heard of your faith The more grace there is in any the greater must our loue be And the greater our loue is the greater will our desire be for his good Againe the greater grace there is the greater will be Satans spight and malice labouring euen out of that grace to worke disgrace to GOD and his Gospell And therefore the greater cause haue we to double the feruencie of our Prayers for the resisting of Satan Secondly Marke what it is either in others or Doct. 2 in our selues that especially should cause vs to reioyce The cause of Ioy and Thanksgiuing and giue thankes namely sauing and sanctifying Grace Faith Loue c. Many reioyce to see their Children prooue wise wittie wealthie when yet they bee poore enough in Faith and loue But yet there is no matter of ioy in common gifts seuered from sanctification nay there is matter of great griefe for they are not matters of ornament but of deformity rather Wit Wisdome Eloquence c. doe nothing become a wicked man nay they disgrace him rather for that which SALOMON speaketh of beautie in a wicked woman may truely be said of all other common gifts in all both men and women that are vngodly They are in them as the golden Ring in the snowt of a Swine If then wee would haue true matter of reioycing and thankesgiuing let vs not rest contented with common gifts of Nature but let vs put vpon the Earings of Nature the Iewell of Grace then may we haue ioy of our selues and cause to blesse the Name of the Lord. Not but that wee should giue thankes for other common graces but yet first as fruit of these and secondly specially and principally for these accounting one dramme of Faith one graine of Grace farre aboue many pounds of naturall parts thinking our selues more beholding to GOD for that small measure of sanctification which we haue then for all the ornaments of Nature whatsoeuer Therefore spirituall blessings in Christ should so affect vs and so possesse and take vp our minds and meditations that wee may seeme in a holy kind of forgetfulnesse to passe by the pettie inferiour blessings of this life as hauing no leysure almost to thinke of them Thirdly In that PAVL maketh PHILEMONS faith Doct. 3 and loue the matter of his Thanksgiuing and reioycing with him wee learne that much more is faith and loue a iust cause of reioycing to the owner of them Why then should the child of God at any time so hang downe the head and be deiected in mind but that in the middest of his griefe he should reioyce finding in himselfe any measure of true faith Therefore the Apostle willeth vs alwayes to reioyce in the Lord as being neuer destitute of that faith which layeth hold vpon that our Lord Iesus Christ Must the faith of our brethren minister matter of ioy and thanksgiuing and shall not our owne faith much more doe the like Fourthly Marke the occasion of PAVLS thanksgiuing for these graces of God in PHILEMON we cannot reioyce and giue thankes for those blessings we know not PAVL therefore must needes haue knowledge of PHILEMONS faith and loue but how came he to that By the report and relation of faithfull witnesses Hearing of thy faith and loue Here many things are to be noted First See in PAVLS example what is the effect that Doct. 1 the good report which the godly heare of their brethren vseth to worke in their minds Commonly men sucke in their owne prayses with very greedie and thirstie eares but they cannot with patience endure the prayses of others thinking that the prayses of others is a close kind of dispraysing themselues and that so much is taken from them as is giuen vnto another Hence it is that the speech of those that are much in the commendations of others is so tedious troublesome to vs in that thereby we feele our selues stirred vp to wrath fretting enuy and such like distemper of corrupt affections But it is farre The godly heare the good report of their brethren with ioy otherwise with the children of God who haue the circumcised eares of PAVL that not only with patience but with great ioy can heare the commendations of their brethren and vpon the hearing of them breake forth not into fretting and fuming but into a holy lauding of the Name of the Lord. As those Iewes did Gal. 1. 22 23. Away then with that vncircumcised Eare of Enuy that is offended with another mans prayse as an vnpleasing and distastfull obiect Christ called Enuy by the name of an euill Eye Surely we may as well giue it the name of an euill Eare which is no lesse vnwilling to heare then the Eye to see the good of our brother Secondly Obserue that thankes are due to God Doct. 2 not onely for those benefits which he bestoweth on Thanks must be giuen for others vs our selues but on our brethren also And therfore if we pay him not this debt he may iustly charge vs with ingratitude for shall we confesse it our duty to pray for our brethren that they may be enriched with these graces and shall we not thinke
truth of that excellent saying of PAVL Faith works by Loue Yea but I loue God or else it were pitie I should liue Thou lyest heare Christ If you loue mee keepe my Commandements And yet thou delightest thy soule in the daily breach of them for all this so affectionate entreatie of him whom thou professest thy Sauiour Behold MARY MAGDALEN and in her see vndoubted arguments of loue Her eyes which had beene entisements to vncleannesse she maketh a Bason of water to wash CHRISTS feete her haire abused to the same purpose a towell to wipe them Thou then that preferrest thy vnlawfull pleasures before Christ whatsoeuer thou confessest with thy mouth certainly thou beleeuest not with thy heart vnto saluation Secondly but as this Doctrine is terrible to the Hypocrite whom it vnmasketh of his vaine vizzard of faith so it is no lesse comfortable to the true Christian For what doest thou feele thy soule panting and breathing in the earnestnesse of desire after God doest thou find thy selfe grieued when thou missest of thy desire doest thou finde thy heart to arise when thou seest Gods Name dishonoured c Surely these things as they are arguments of sincere loue so likewise of Faith not fayned If thou feelest these things in any manner in thy selfe thou mayest truly say with him in the Gospell Lord I beleeue For it is impossible for vs to loue God vnlesse by Faith wee haue tasted how sweet Gods loue is to vs. But if thou findest these things in a smaller measure then is fit goe on with the same man and say Helpe my vnbeliefe For as true Loue argueth true Faith so a luke warme loue a faint and feeble faith For the Fountayne of Loue being as a good Conscience so likewise and that primarily and originally Faith not fayned 1. Tim. 1. vers 6. Looke what measure of Loue there is in any the like measure of Faith also If then we find great want of zeale in our selues we haue cause to bewaile the smalnesse of our Faith out yet so that feeling any measure of zeale at all we may raise vp our selues in a comfortable assurance of hauing Faith Therefore 1. Pet. 1. after that hee had said They loued the Lord he inferreth presently that they also beleeued in him In temptations oftentimes many excellent men are greatly troubled with doubting whether they haue Faith or no in as much as they cannot confidently and boldly nay scarse faintly and fearefully say that Christ is theirs but rather they are readie to say the contrary They feele the hand of Faith not onely trembling and quiuering but euen strucken with a dead Palsie But if at the same time thou canst perceiue that thou hast the giuing hand of Loue giuing vnto God and man those duties which thou owest them thou mayest assure thy selfe that thou hast also the receiuing hand of Faith taking those mercies which hee owes thee not howsoeuer for the present thou hast no feeling of it Satan and Sinne haue so benummed it If thou canst with DAVID Psal 18. 1. say I loue the Lord thou mayest as truely vse the words following and say The Lord is my Rocke Thirdly this Doctrine of Loues issuing and flowing from Faith confuteth those that teach our Election dependeth vpon our foreseene obedience By that which hath beene deliuered it appeareth that our loue of God is caused and stirred vp in vs by his loue to vs apprehended by our Faith And therefore we say with IOHN We loue him because he loued vs first But according to their Doctrine contrariwise God loues vs because we loued him first Fourthly this Doctrine teacheth vs what to iudge of that loue of God of that deuotion that is in Ethnicks Iewes Papists or any superstitious persons PAVL granteth to the Iewes a zealous loue of God but saith that it is not according to knowledge which is the very beginning of Faith But we haue shewed that the true loue of God is the handmaid of Faith And therefore if it shall wait vpon any other Mistris as vpon blind deuices of mans owne braine vpon good intentions falsly so called it is to be censured as a base a blind and preposterous zeale whatsoeuer shewes and colours it may haue For PAVL reioyceth in PHILEMON not for his loue alone but for his loue and faith that is for his loue conioyned with and proceeding from his Faith There is no matter of ioy then in Loue seuered from Faith Thus wee see how our loue of God comes from Faith Secondly our loue of our Brethren springeth Loue to our Brethren proceeds from Faith likewise from faith for the Apostle speaketh here of both loues This will appeare if either we consider those duties of loue which wee owe generally to all or in speciall to some For the first this is a dutie which wee owe to all indifferently to be readie to forgiue one another being offended Now what is that which will make a reuengefull nature yeeld to this but Faith which when once it hath apprehended Gods loue forthwith reasoneth as the Master in the Parable with his seruant Matth. 19. The Lord hath freely forgiuen mee my whole debt ought not I then to shew the like compassion to my fellow-seruant Therefore the Lord enioyning the dutie of forgiuenesse the Apostles pray Lord increase our Faith Luk. 17. 4 5. Ephes 5. Forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen you and 1. Ioh. 2. 12. I write vnto you namely the Commandement of loue because your sinnes are forgiuen you Other duties there are which we owe specially to some As first to those that are yet vnconuerted the desiring of and by all meanes possible labouring after their conuersion Now it is Faith only which will make a man doe this For when by Faith wee haue felt the sweetnesse of Gods loue our selues we cannot but call vpon others and with the Prophet DAVID inuite them to the eating of the same dainties with our selues Ps 34. Come and see and taste how good c. As at the table if wee meet with any dish that pleaseth vs aboue another wee offer it presently to others desiring that it may haue their commendation as well as ours Thus EVE reached forth the Apple to ADAM Albeit here there be many to whom yet EVE though falne was vnlike so giuen to their appetites and louing their bellies that if they light vpon any meate which they loue more specially they like rauenous Harpies snatch it all to themselues grudging another the least morsell thinking all is lost that goes besides their owne lips But here no such thing can fall out for these exquisite delicates do so fully satiate vs that there still remaineth ynough for many thousand thousands Therefore we cannot endure to eat our Morsels alone but we desire the companie of others as PAVL did AGRIPPAES and the whole Assembly there present besides Acts 26. Would to God that both thou and all that heare me this day
were not onely almost but altogether euen such as I am Christians except these bonds But yet a more speciall loue which therefore hath a speciall name of brotherly loue is due vnto those which are alreadie effectually called and so made members of Christ This loue also commeth from faith which causing vs to loue God must needes also force vs to loue all those in whom wee shall see the very face and liuely Image of God himselfe so clearely shining First By this then once againe wee may trie our Vse faith A working faith hath laborious loue euen to our brethren annexed 1. Thess 1. 3. If then thou art of a hard and implacable nature of a memorie fastly retayning iniuries of affections vindicatiue which the Scripture cals Feet swift to shead bloud this bloudie nature of thine shewes thou hast no part in the bloud of Christ by faith The like is to be thought of those which are moued with no compassion towards the soule of their brethren sitting in darknesse and the shadow of death but can suffer them to pine and perish away in their sinnes and neuer reach forth the hand to pull them out of the ditch Certainly if thou hadst euer felt the gaine of godlinesse thy selfe thou wouldest perswade others to deale with this so gainfull a commoditie They that are conuerted of God confirme their Brethren being passed ouer the bridge they will wish others to follow them so farre will they be from plucking vp the bridge The same sentence also is to be passed vpon them that doe not feele their hearts enlarged towards Christians more then to others that are none If the Image of God by Faith were repaired in our selues wee could not but be delighted with those that are like our selues But on the contrarie if thou feelest these effects of loue in thy selfe vndoubtedly thou hast Faith For it is the loue of Christ only felt by Faith which is able to soften and melt our hard and frozen hearts When wee shall see how great a debt hee hath forgiuen vs this will make vs willingly to forgiue small ones to our Brethren yea and to bury all iniuries in the graue of forgetfulnesse neuer to reuiue againe euen as Christ hath done all ours to him though neuer so indigne and contumelious hee lodged them in his owne graue not to rise againe with himselfe the third day though many of vs raise vp our owne iniuries farre sooner out of their graues but to be left behind him in that Den of darknesse to sleepe an eternall sleepe So when Faith shall cause vs to consider how that the Lord Iesus being rich became poore that wee might be made rich this will make vs to earne in the bowells of compassion towards our poore and distressed Brethren and to reach forth our releeuing hand towards them But the most euident demonstration of our Faith is that brotherly loue wherewithall we loue a Christian as a Christian and because a Christian 1. Ioh. 3. Wee know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the Brethren for none can loue any good thing vnknowne Loue presupposes knowledge of the thing loued hee then that loues the Image of God in his Brother sees it But none can see it but by the eye of Faith He that loueth his Brother for his Faith must needs know Faith but no man can know it but hee that hath it Faith is onely knowne by our owne experience Secondly this Doctrine serueth not only for the tryall of our Faith but also of our loue to our Brethren for as that Faith which is without this Loue is an idle and emptie and imaginarie faith so that loue of our Neighbour which commeth not from Faith is blind and foolish and in the end will proue a deceitfull and vnfaithfull loue Naturall men that seeme to loue very dearly to day to morrow are at deadly feud The reason hereof is because their loue comes not from Faith Therefore amongst the true children of God yee shall neuer see such bitter fallings out as amongst worldly men In naturall men and the vnregenerate besides naturall affections which they haue as Fathers Husbands Wiues Children yee shall find further many times a kind and courteous nature to strangers a liberall and free heart to the poore But that which the Apostle speaketh of Faith void of Charitie 1. Cor. 13. is true also of Charitie void of Faith It is worth nothing before God Let vs not then deceiue our selues either trusting in the loue of others or glorying in that loue which is in our selues not proceeding from Faith for the former if wee rely too much vpon it it will giue vs a shrewd fall in the end and the latter will make vs but ashamed when it shal come to be scanned before Gods Tribunall who will esteeme most vilely and basely of all thy kind-heartednesse of all thy almes and liberalitie vnlesse Faith did wring them from thee Thus wee see how Faith when once it raigneth in the heart begetteth both these loues both to God and our Neighbour in vs and so how true that of the Apostle is Rom. 3. in the end By Faith we establish the Law For whereas the summe of the Law is loue of the first Table to God of the second to man Faith as we haue shewed very effectually worketh both Hence PAVL giueth the name of a Law to Faith calling it the Law of Faith because it succeedeth into the roome of the Law commanding the same things that the Law does and so is in stead of Law to the regenerate that are freed from the Law So farre is it as the Papists slander vs for giuing any licence to breake the Law Thirdly here it may be asked How could others Quest declare to PAVL the Loue and Faith of PHILEMON which are secret and hidden Vertues that be in the innermost corners of the heart farre from the sight of the eye They saw not PHILEMONS faith but his outward Answ works and by them they iudged and so did PAVL too of his faith discerning the Tree by the fruit Hence obserue First when we see in any the fruits of Faith and Doct. 1 Loue wee in Charitie are to iudge that there is true Faith and Loue indeed for howsoeuer Hypocrisie may Apishly counterfait the fruits of true Faith yet we are to suspend our iudgement till God shall haue vncased the Hypocrite And it is farre safer for vs to erre of Charitie then of malice and sinister suspition Secondly in that PAVL by a Metonymie of the Doct. 2 efficient giueth the name of Faith and Loue to the outward works of PHILEMON which were reported vnto him Wee learne the manner wherein euery good worke must be done namely in Faith and Loue. The very Spirits and quintessence of our Faith and Loue must be in euery good work else they are but dead works vnlesse they be built vpon the foundation of Faith and Loue easily will they be shaken First
also did Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Againe thou must feele thy heart reioycing in Christ euen in that apprehension of him which thou hast in this life feeling the want of all other things made vp in him and so fully contenting thy selfe with his loue else thou doest no more loue Christ then that woman her husband which receiuing small contentment from him desireth the companie of other men This was in PAVL 1. Cor. 15. 31. calling Christ his reioycing And when we feele these things then may we truly call Christ our Loue as IGNATIVS did saying His Loue was crucified But if these things be wanting no hungring no thirsting after Christ and his Righteousnesse no reioycing nor resting of the heart in Christ but we linger in our desire after worldly things and find more comfort in them then in Christ nor yet no desiring for the comming of Christ to Iudgement it is an argument that in truth there is no loue of Christ in vs. Againe obserue as before concerning Faith the same thing was obserued That not God simply and absolutely in himselfe but God in Christ is the obiect of our Loue. I graunt indeed that wee owe Loue to God as in himselfe he is good and as our Creator though he should neuer haue further manifested his Loue vnto vs in Christ But wee can in no wise pay this debt of Loue but vnto God considered in Christ The reason is because our Loue of him ariseth of his loue to vs as S. IOHN witnesseth And he loues vs onely in Christ Matth. 3. in the end The Iewes that denyed Christ pretended a zealous Loue of God but the Apostle worthily condemnes it for no man can truely loue God out of Christ Vainely therefore doe all Papists and all prophane Protestants brag of their Loue to God The second Obiect of our Loue followes And towards all the Saints HOw may any thing besides Christ be loued Quest. for God in his Law requires That wee loue him with all our heart c. If God challenge all to himselfe what then will be left for any other thing 2. The Saints Againe Good only is the matter of Loue And God onely is good Matth. 19. therefore he onely to be loued It followes not if God onely be to be loued Answ that therefore our brethren are shut out from hauing any part in our loue for the loue of the Creature is subordinate to the loue of God Wee may loue God in the Creature God indeed is onely good originally and of himselfe yet he imparteth his goodnesse to his Creatures And this deriued goodnesse of the Creature is Gods owne goodnesse And therefore it followeth on the contrary that because we must loue God therefore also the Creature the basest Creature that is hauing some obscure Lineaments of the Image of God First Marke the Order of our Loue First it Doct. 1 must be directly carried to God then to the Creature The Order of our Loue. to Christ the Head then to the Saints the members All Creatures therefore are to be loued in God and for God onely so that the Loue of the Creature must be so farre from taking any thing from our Loue of God that rather it must confirme and encrease the same And then is the loue of the Creature lawfull when it is referred to the Creator So that wee loue not so much the Creature as the Creator in the Creature Now this is done Two wayes how the Creator is loued in the Creature these two wayes First in regard of the Beginning from whom the Loue of the Creature ariseth namely the Loue of God for whose cause wee loue the Creature his Workmanship as the Sonne for the Fathers cause Secondly in regard of the End to which it tendeth Now that Loue of the Creature which is lawfull tendeth to the Loue of the Creator For the glorie of God is that end which we must propound to all our actions and so consequently to our Loue of any Creature And this must be the end of all those duties of Loue which we are to performe to our brethren that by that meanes we may prouoke them to the Loue of God If wee loue the Creature otherwise then thus we sinne grieuously in as much we cleaue to the Creature and contrarie to that of the Psalmist Psal 62. We set our heart vpon it which God claymeth as his owne peculiaritie The Riuers that come out of the Sea as they passe doe lightly touch the Earth but they stay not there but goe on forward till at last they returne againe into that Sea from whence they first came So it is here our Loue must first come from God to the Creature but being so come it must not rest and settle there howsoeuer like a Riuer it may in passage touch it no it must returne backe into that infinite Sea euen God himselfe whence first it came But how many shall we see so blinded and bewitched with the Loue of the Creature that God is wholly forgotten of them Thus is God robbed of his Honor with the Loue of whom only the heart is to be possessed and wholly taken vp and the Creature abused and transformed into an Idoll For for this cause is Couetousnesse called Idolatrie because it glueth and fasteneth the heart to Riches Now the adhering of the heart is proper onely to God Therefore also is the excessiue Loue of the Creature called Adulterie because thereby we withdraw our affections from Christ our Spirituall Husband Iames 4. 4. O yee Adulterers and Adulteresses know yee not that the Loue of the World is Enmitie with God Let vs take heed of being enamoured with any Creature though neuer so glorious and pleasing vnto vs forgetting in the meane time the Creator Blessed for euer If it shall please God to take from vs any Creature we loue as our Children Wiues Husbands Goods Health Credit c. which hee doth oftentimes because he seeth we loue them too well let vs willingly suffer our selues to be seuered from them Let no man in the losse of Children crie out with DAVID as bereft of reason ABSALOM ABSALOM O my sonne ABSALOM would God I had died for thee or with RAHEL feed their sorrow wilfully refusing comfort for then wee shew plainely wee loued the Creature for it selfe If wee loued it for Gods cause and rather loued God in it then it selfe alone wee should then with AARON without any more adoe hold our peace Leuit 10. For though thy Sonne thy Spouse thy Wife whom thou louedst as thine owne soule dearely and tenderly be taken away from thee yet God whom thou louest in them still remayneth with thee Therefore if the presence of God cannot comfort thee in the absence of the Creature which thou louedst nor thou canst not yeeld quietly to God parting thee and the Creature which thou louest it is a plaine argument thou art too farre gone in thy
strength howsoeuer he thought with himselfe to haue done as in former times So it fares with vs many a time wee thinke to giue proofe of this or that Grace as wee haue done formerly but when it comes to the tryall wee doe nothing lesse Being through our owne securitie hampered in Satans snares wee are not able to stirre and so now not our grace but our wants and weaknesses are made known Therefore let vs take heede of these three impediments Feare Bashfulnesse and Carelesnesse Let vs indeuour not so much in word which is Pharisaicall but specially indeed and in the whole course of our carriage to expresse the inward grace of our heart that that may speake when we hold our peace that the prints and marks of that Humilitie Loue Meeknesse Sobrietie Wisedome c. which are within vs may euidently appeare in our seuerall actions that so they which conuerse with vs may haue experience of them and so may giue vs that good testimonie which the Philippians were able to giue TIMOTHY Philip. 2. 22. This is that which the Apostle commanded the Philippians Phil. 4. Let your patient mind be made knowne to all and to TIMOTHY 1. 4 15. That thy profiting may be made manifest to all and our Sauiour to vs all Let your light shine Let vs not violently smother and suppresse the Spirit in our selues Let vs not detayne in vniust captiuitie the graces of God desirous to breake forth Let vs not desire to keepe the light of the Candle within the Lanthorne onely Let vs not set the Candle which GOD hath lighted in vs vnder a Bushell or vnder the Table but in the Candlestick of all our outward actions but yet not for ostentation that wee might haue a name but first that Foure ends of the manifestation of Grace God may be glorified Mat. 5. Secondly our Brethren strengthned confirmed yea and those that as yet are without may be gayned by our good example Thirdly the mouth of the malicious watching for occasion of slander may be stopped 1. Pet. 2. 15. Fourthly we may acquite our selues as true Israelites approuing to be that in truth which wee professe for otherwise wee giue iust occasion to bee suspected of Hypocrisie But here marke that not euery good thing that All good in vs is not to be made knowne comes from vs must be made knowne as our priuate Prayers good Thoughts Meditations Desires c. These things we must keepe secret to our selues as doing them to our Father that sees in secret who also will reward vs openly and not reueale them to others vnlesse vpon some speciall occasion as PETER and CORNELIVS Acts 10. and IOHN Apocalyp 1. 10. did But those good Graces which are in vs as Loue Zeale Patience c. must be made knowne and that not so much by prating as practising and yet not alwayes but as occasion shall serue and in discretion Pro. 25. vers 11. A word spoken in due season is like Apples of gold with pictures of siluer Psal 1. 3. That bring forth fruit in due season VERS 7. For wee haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue because by thee Brother the Saints bowels are refreshed NOw he comes to the speciall and seuerall setting forth of his thanksgiuing as before he had in the former Verse specially set forth his Prayer both which he describeth ioyntly together in the fift Verse being ioyntly propounded in the fourth Verse Now he sets his thanksgiuing by the cause that moued him to giue thanks for PHILEMONS loue viz. The ioy and comfort he receiued by it The reason may thus be disposed Thanks is to be giuen for that loue which brings ioy Thy loue brings me much ioy and comfort ERGO The Proposition is wanting The Assumption is in this seuenth Verse in the beginning where first his ioy is described by the quantitie Great and then the Assumption is confirmed in the end of the seuenth Verse by the effect of PHILEMONS loue The refreshing of the Saints bowels The Argument may thus be framed That loue which refreshes the Saints bowels must needes reioyce me Thy loue is such ERGO The Proposition is here also wanting The Assumption in the Text By thee Brother the Saints bowels c. Bowels The word signifies not only the Guts but all the Inwards as Heart Liuer Reynes and such noble parts But yet these are not here meant but by a Metonymie of the subiect those affections of the soule that haue their seate in these parts Refreshed A Metaphor drawne from the rest of the body wearyed with trauell or tyred and ouerpressed with some burden and sweetly applyed to the rest of the affections toyled and turmoyled with griefe and readie to sinke vnder the burthen of some grieuous affliction That this is the proper signification of the word appeareth Matt. 11. 28. Come to me all yee that are weary and heauy loden and I will ease you The word there translated to ease is that which here is translated refreshed By this Metaphor PHILEMONS loue is notably amplified for hereby the Apostle declareth that his loue was no lesse comfortable and sweet to the distressed Saints soules then rest and sleepe is to the tyred body of the trauailing man or the taking away of the burden to him that is readie to sinke vnder it In the Verse it selfe consider these two points First the reason or cause that moued PAVL to giue thanks for PHILEMONS loue in the first part of the Verse Secondly the confirmation of this reason in the end of the Verse For by thee Brother c. For the first he makes a double cause First his ioy which PHILEMONS loue ministred to him and that no small or slender ioy but great ioy Secondly his comfort which hee receiued by the same loue and this latter is an amplification of the former for PAVL hereby signifieth that the ioy hee tooke in PHILEMONS loue was not a simple ioy but a comfortable ioy such a ioy as did counteruaile and swallow vp all the griefe of his present afflictions Here obserue First that whatsoeuer breedes ioy is a iust matter Doct. 1 of thanksgiuing for this is the reason of PAVLS Argument of ioy must be argument of thanksgiuing thanksgiuing for PHILEMON For wee haue great ioy in thy loue And the ground of this reason must needs be this That which stirreth vs vp to ioy must likewise stirre vs vp to thanksgiuing but you will say The wicked take great delight in mischiefe It is a pastime to a Foole to doe wickedly Must they then giue thanks for their wickednesse God forbid Vnderstand this of a lawfull and iust ioy comming from God and not of an euill ioy comming from Satan for the end of that ioy is heauinesse Pro. 14. and not thanksgiuing it being a sinne must driue vs to a sorrowfull confession of sinne and not to any cheerfull praising of Gods Name But in a lawfull and holy ioy it holds such as
c. our reioycing is not good the end of our mirth wil be mourning wee reioyce not so fast now but wee shall weepe and waile as fast afterward Withall let vs here learne how to minister occasion of ioy to those that desire to haue ioy of vs as our Parents Ministers Acquaintance c. Let vs grow in grace and in the true knowledge and feare of God Otherwise a prophane people giuen to Swearing polluting the Sabbath are thornes and pricks in the sides of godly Ministers and a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his religious parents The second part of this Verse followeth namely the confirmation of the former part which was that hee had great ioy in PHILEMONS loue This he proues because PHILEMON refreshed the Saints bowels Here obserue First that PAVL doth not say he Doct. 1 hath ioy in his loue because his owne bowels were Loue to be more reioyced in then in the profit of it refreshed by him but because the Saints bowels were refreshed Many will reioyce in that loue which is profitable to themselues But where is he that will as well reioyce in that loue which is profitable only to others It is plaine then that wee reioyce not so much in loue because it is loue because it is a vertue but because it is beneficiall to our selues and that only wee reioyce indeed in our profit that wee reape by that loue and not in the loue it selfe For if wee reioyced in the loue it selfe for it selfe then it would be all one vnto vs whether wee or others were benefited by it For that loue which performeth the duties of kindnesse to others is as well loue as that which sheweth the like kindnesse to vs. Then therefore shall we shew our selues to be of S. PAVLS spirit when wee can heartily reioyce at the graces of Gods children and loue them for those graces whether wee haue any profit by them or not we stand not vpon that yea and when wee haue profit by them wee reioyce yet more in their profit because of the fruit that shall further their reckoning then in our gaine Phil. 4. Secondly marke that then is a most seasonable Doct. 2 time of reioycing when we see the bowels of Gods The fittest time of ioy when it is well with the Church Saints refreshed the Church and People of God releeued in their distresses So on the contrarie if we see the bowels of the Saints wrung with griefe and the Church pinched with the persecution of her Aduersaries and that shee is giuen as a prey into the hands of Wolues and Beares hunted by many mightie NIMRODS and furrowes are made vpon her backe by the Ploughes then wee are to know that it is a time of mourning and of hanging vp our Harps with the captiued Iewes vpon the Willowes But for the most part if it goe well with vs in regard of our owne particular wee care not greatly which way things go with the Church sinke shee swimme shee all is one so we liue at ease and sleepe in whole skinnes If our owne priuate estate be shaken we take on and are much cast downe but teares doe soone waxe drie in the euils of others though they be common to the whole body of the Saints whereas euery mans particular depends vpon the common good of the Church And therefore as when the Church of God flourisheth and holds vp her head we must lift vp ours though otherwise it goe not so well with vs in our owne priuate so when the Church mourneth and hangeth down the head wee must cast downe ours though our owne condition be neuer so good for as the peace of Ierusalem sweetneth our owne priuate grieuances so her afflictions and dangers do sowre and make distastefull vnto vs all priuate comforts whatsoeuer Thus NEHEMIAH distasted his fauour and honor in the Court the Iewes in Babylon their Houses their Orchards and all other their delights whatsoeuer Psal 102. VRIAH his owne house and wife Thirdly in PHILEMONS example we are all according Doct. 3 to our power taught to refresh the bowels The bowels of Gods Saints must be refreshed of Gods poore distressed Saints if we will shew our selues to haue that loue which we professe For this is the effect of PHILEMONS loue the refreshing of the bowels of the Saints for there is a cold charitie and lip-loue which is common euerywhere That which IAMES taxeth Chap. 2. of such as will say to the naked Clothe thee to the hungrie Feede thee to the cold Warme thee But this last they had need to say to their owne frozen charitie for they onely say so they doe nothing for the releeuing of those necessities But true loue as it is seated in and commeth from the heart bowels of him that loueth so it goeth downe into the very heart and bowels of him who it loueth and refresheth them The heart is both the place from whence loue commeth and whither it goeth And then shall our loue iustifie it selfe to be sincere and heartie when as a comfortable Cordiall it doth our Brother good at the very heart But wherein standeth the refreshing of the Saints Bowels I answer in one word In the performing of those parts and offices of kindnesse vnto them which may carrie an expresse signification of our tender commiseration and compassion towards them in their miseries If thus thou giuest but a cup of cold water thou shalt be a refresher of the Bowels of the Saints for nothing grieueth one in miserie more then to see himselfe neglected of others This was that which went very neere DAVIDS heart in his affliction and therefore he complaines bitterly of it Psal 69. 20. But when others shall pitie them moane and tender their case and in a Christian fellow-feeling put vnder their shoulder to helpe them in their weakenesse therein imitating the Spirit Rom. 8. 24. This is a great ease and refreshing to their heauie and oppressed mindes Now more specially wee are to expresse this our compassionate affection towards them in these duties First in speeches of Comfort Psal 41. 1. Blessed Three things in which we must refresh the Saints is he that hath respect of the Poore saying namely vnto the poore Saints The Lord will deliuer him in the time of trouble Thus IOSEPH confirmed and raysed vp the hearts of his poore-brethren cast downe with feare by speaking kindly vnto them Genesis 50. Now these Consolatorie speeches wherewithall wee are to reuiue and refresh the spirits of our disconsolate brother are especially to be taken from the sweet promises of GODS Word which in the best and wisest sort wee can wee are to apply vnto them Secondly in commending and remembring their afflicted Estate to GOD in our prayer And this also is another thing which the Psalmist in the former place maketh another part of our respect towards the afflicted In the third Verse after his words of Comfort he setteth downe his prayer to GOD
account Is the Steward of a Kings Family no body because he is ouer the Family not as a Lord but as a Steward Is the Minister no body because he commaunds not in his owne name but in Christs But is it not counted a matter of greater honour to be sent in Embassage by an earthly Prince The authoritie of Ministers as I haue shewed is only the authoritie of Messengers and Embassadours and lasts only during the time of their message and embassage What then when they haue done their message are they so lightly to be regarded God forbid Nay according to the Apostle for their works sake they are to be had in singular account alwayes and euerywhere and not onely whilest they are in their worke being a preaching in the Pulpit But when they are in their embassage declaring the Will of Christ then speciall reuerence and regard is to be giuen them then according to CORNELIVS example are wee to set our selues before them as before God himselfe for they command in Christs Name and therefore their contempt is contumelious to Christ himselfe in whose Name they speake Matth. 10. Ministers therefore must be heard with submissiue and obedient minds for if they haue authoritie to command vs in Christ how can any whosoeuer denie obedience Nay Kings themselues are to be obedient to them that are ouer them in the Lord as the Apostle willeth for it is Christs authoritie and not the Ministers and therefore it equally bindeth the King and the Begger But alas Ministers may command euen meane persons but who obeyes their commands They may command and doe themselues Their words are accounted only as a blast of wind This authoritie of commanding as it is set forth by the manner in Christ so by the measure hauing great authoritie c. For being in Christ it must needs be great This must teach Ministers to speake with great boldnesse when they know they are armed and backed with Christs authoritie Indeed if those things wee speake were in our owne names wee had iust cause to be afraid because oftentimes our message is very vnwelcome to carnall eares but speaking in Christs Name we may as the Apostle here saith be very bold lifting vp our voices as Trumpets Esai 58. 1. knowing that God hath giuen vs the Spirit not of feare but of power and loue and of a sound mind 2. Tim. 1. 7. The meanest Sergeant that is in the Kings name dares arrest the greatest Duke that is In this house the basest Skullion in that kitchin being set on by your Honours would not be afraid to controule the Steward But take heed thou that art a Minister lest at any time thou presume to command to rebuke or threaten in thy owne name Christ will not beare thee out in such commands neither will he make good such threatnings If men in such a case offer violence looke not that hee should rescue thee but in his owne cause he will be a wall of brasse vnto thee Ier. 4. Wherefore as a faithfull Embassadour reueale the whole Counsell of God let neither feare nor the golden squincey nor any thing else stop thy mouth Thou hast Christ to be thy Authour in that thou art to say Assuredly he will neuer goe backe from that which hee hath willed thee to speake ABSALOM encouraged his seruants to slay his brother AMNON by this argument Haue not I commanded you 2. Sam. 13. How much more should the Commandement of Christ put heart and spirit into the Ministers to open their mouthes and to speake freely and fully and frankly whatsoeuer they haue in Commission Thirdly S. PAVL sets forth his authoritie of commanding by the matter of it What is it that he may command any thing what hee please No. Though hee were an Apostle yet hee hath no such infinite authoritie What then That which is conuenient See then the bounds of this spirituall power It can command nothing but that which is conuenient And this necessarily followeth out of the former for it is in Christ And Christ can command nothing which is not conuenient wherefore if Ministers at any time shall command things inconuenient they doe now exceed their bounds they goe beyond their Commission neither doe they now command in Christs Name but in their owne And therefore in such cases wee are so farre from being bound to obedience that wee are in conscience to disobey This ouerthroweth the tyrannicall and vsurped Dictatorship of the Pope who maketh his owne will a Law and thinketh hee may doe in the Church what him listeth The proprietie of the word Conuenient is also to be obserued It signifieth that which in equitie we are bound vnto though not in the rigour of the Law If PHILEMON should stand vpon it hee was not to receiue ONESIMVS againe but in Christian equitie he was Note then that wee are bound not onely to doe Doct. those things which the very extremitie of Law will draw from vs but also such whereunto reason and equitie doe perswade Thus much of the first illustration of the act of praying from the diuerse his power of commanding Though I haue great c. The second followeth from the mouing cause Yet for loues sake I rather beseech thee The cause that made PAVL deale by intreatie when hee might haue commanded was loue not PHILEMONS loue towards the Saints that hee spoke of in the seuenth Verse as some would haue it but his owne loue towards PHILEMON Obserue first in the example of the Apostle that Doct. Ministers must deale in the mildest and gentlest Ministers must deale mildly manner that may be with their Hearers intreating perswading exhorting beseeching euen then when they may lawfully command 1. Cor. 15. in the end We beseech you to be reconciled Rom. 1. 12. I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God For so it is that wee see euen in the things of this life that men must be faine to sue for that which is their owne and may be glad if by faire entreaties they can get vp their debts So the Ministers may thinke they haue done some great matter if by any meanes euen by earnest and affectionall perswasion and exhortation they can get at our hands this debt of obedience wee owe to God And no maruell if Ministers thus deale when God himselfe herein goes before vs in his owne example Oh that Israel would haue harkned Psal 81. 13. and Matth. 23. Christ shewes that hee inuited the Israelites in the same manner vnto himselfe that the Hen doth her Chickens Wherein we haue great cause to admire the vnspeakable goodnesse of God towards vs. Men commonly are earnest and importunate Intreaters for those things which may be profitable to themselues but who is earnest in desiring another to doe that which is only for the profit of him with whom he dealeth and not any whit profitable to himselfe If a man of himselfe cannot see what is for his owne good and of his owne accord
doe it not without further adoe we count him worthy to smart for his folly But here God dealing with vs by his Ministers so pathetically to turne and reconcile our selues vnto him the profit is solely our owne wee only shall haue the commoditie of this reconciliation and not God who could as sufficiently glorifie himselfe in our euerlasting confusion Our hearts therefore must relent and be ouercome by this kindnesse of God so sweetly and gently calling and alluring vs vnto himselfe Obserue further in PAVLS example that sometimes Doct. we are to yeeld of our right neither alwayes Sometimes we must yeeld of our right may we doe those things which of themselues are lawfull and indifferent It is a weake argument This is lawfull in it selfe therefore it is lawfull for me In it selfe it was lawfull to eate of things sacrificed to Idols and yet in the case of scandall the Apostle forbids the Corinthians to eate of them 1. Cor. 8. It is lawfull in it selfe for a Minister to receiue maintenance from his flocke but it was not lawfull for PAVL preaching at Corinth 1. Cor. 9. For then he had abused his libertie Vers 18. And hindred the Gospell Vers 12. and so consequently sinned The case is alike in the vse of our Christian libertie in things indifferent as meate drinke apparell sport recreation It is a point of Christian wisedome to consider not only what is lawfull but also what is expedient and profitable not only what is lawfull in generall but also in speciall what is lawfull for mee and thee for if the vse of our libertie be a stumbling blocke at which our Brethren may fall and hurt themselues we must then bridle and restrayne it Here then is condemned the tenacitie and temeritie of some in the vse of that libertie which the Word hath graunted them in things indifferent Their tenacitie that they hold their owne stifly and will not let goe the least part of their right though the glorie of God and good of their Brethren doe earnestly craue and begge it at their hands Their temeritie not onely that they themselues rush venturously vpon all things that in themselues are lawfull not considering with themselues whether in regard of some circumstances it may not be vnlawfull for them what inconuenience may ensue what hurt may also arise to the Gospell but also censure and condemne others who kept backe by Christian wisedome and charitie dare not runne with them to the same excessiue vse of their libertie Let them remember that PAVL in this place hauing much libertie of commanding yet chose rather to intreat Obserue thirdly what it is that will make a Christian Doct. abridge himselfe sometimes of the vse of his Loue makes a man abridge himselfe of his libertie libertie namely the loue of God and our Bretheren For loues sake I rather beseech thee For this is reckoned among the properties of loue by the Apostle That it seeketh not her owne 1. Cor. 13. but his whom it loueth If Gods glorie and the Churches good be deare vnto vs wee will not vse our libertie to the full in those things which may hinder and hurt both If therefore thou wouldest obtayne so much of thy selfe as to remit and giue in somthing of thy right to God and thy Brethren first it is necessary that thy heart be inflamed with a zealous affection both towards Gods glorie and the Churches good This conuinceth many of small loue to their Brethren that will not moderate their libertie no not in those things which they see necessarily will bring in the ruine of the Church The Papists also are here confuted who would make this departing from our right for Gods glorie and the Churches good to be a worke of supererogation For this is their iudgement of PAVLS preaching gratis and diuers such like examples in the Scriptures If the works of Charitie be aboue the Law then also are these works to the which the Law of Charitie bindeth vs aboue the Law for it is loue which makes vs yeeld And I hope the Law commands vs to loue God with all our heart and our Neighbour as our selfe Thus much for the first speciall illustration of the Proposition of this Petition namely of his act of praying The second followeth namely of the person praying PAVL himselfe I pray thee described first by his age being as I am PAVL aged secondly from his imprisonment which he maketh a greater matter then his age and now also a prisoner of Iesus Christ both these are here brought in to adde further weight to his petition and to stirre vp the affections of PHILEMON First That he vrgeth his yeeres as a matter that Doct. 1 should make PHILEMON more respect this his Reuerence due to age suit we learne that speciall reuerence is due to this age God vnder the Law prouided for this that there should be more then ordinarie regard had of the aged but specially in the Ministerie for after they began to be in yeeres he would haue them eased of the burthen of their Ministerie and yet double honour to be giuen to them both of reuerence and of maintenance Now if the white head and siluer haires of a Minister suing for another should procure authoritie vnto him in his suit and mooues the affections of those he sues vnto how much more then suing for himselfe And questionlesse there cannot be a spectacle of greater compassion then an aged Minister gray-headed in the Seruice of God and the Church being in distresse Age sayes SALOMON is a Crowne of Glory being found in the way of righteousnesse If in any way of righteousnesse much more in the way of the Ministerie righteously and faithfully discharged Such then that are like PAVL in the Ministerie or in any other Calling that haue spent their time painfully and profitably may with honestie vrge their age pleading for themselues and others But the old man that hath liued vainly and vnprofitably all his youth and hath alwayes beene a burden of the Earth is an vncomely sight For old age is an honour in it selfe yea a part of Gods Image who is the Ancient of Dayes And honour sayes SALOMON becomes not a foole To such old men their honour is turned into shame Their gray haires are rather ashes of shame and humiliation then a Crowne of glory Secondly Vrging his imprisonment as another Doct. 2 matter and that of greater weight then the former Ministers to be regarded the more for their afflictions wherefore he should be respected in this fuit he teacheth vs that the afflictions of Gods Ministers are so farre from being any iust cause to make vs lesse to reuerence them that for them they are more respectiuely to be vsed and honourably to be conceiued of Many Ministers enioying peace and libertie and flourishing in the Pulpit haue beene much flocked after and greatly regarded as IOHN BAPTIST but when once they haue beene clapt vp in Prison then they
wonderfully am I made namely a new creature in Iesus Christ This must teach vs not to despise the weake ones as no Christians for they are Christians in making though not as yet throughly made The Infant is no lesse a man then he of growne yeeres and withall let vs remember that wee had our time of Conception before we were borne and brought forth Tenthly In PAVLS example setting forth him Doct. 10 whom hee commendeth with the title of a Sonne one conuerted by his Ministerie learne that wee are not indifferently to commend all and euery one but onely Sonnes not Bastards Eleuenthly And when wee doe commend such Doct. 11 as are worthie our commendations learne then in PAVLS example how wee are to commend them not coldly not ceremonially and formally he that asketh faintly and fearefully teacheth to denie but passionately and with affection as here PAVL repeating the same words of entreatie againe I beseech thee I beseech thee for my sonne ONESIMVS So then onely commend the worthie and commend them worthily or not at all Twelfthly If PAVL with such contention and Doct. 12 earnestnesse doth here plead the cause of one poore seruant with what heat of affections and enlargement of Spirit is to be thought he would haue dealt for a whole Church standing in like need of his helpe Wherefore if at any time we shall haue occasion to deale with any in the behalfe of a whole Church let this importunitie of PAVL in ONESIMVS his cause shake out of vs that our maidenly modestie and arowse and quicken our spirits For if we shal deale more remissely in the publike cause of the Church then PAVL dealt in the priuate cause of a poore slaue surely wee may seeme rather dissemblers and preuaricators then petitioners In the end of the Verse the circumstance of the place where he begat ONESIMVS is noted in my bonds And this circumstance addeth weight to the reason for by calling him Sonne hee sufficiently shewed that hee was deare vnto him but adding that he begat him in his bonds he doth not obscurely intimate that he was the best beloued of his sonnes dearer vnto him then the rest For neither doe naturall Parents loue all their children equally their affection vseth to be greater to those whom they haue in their old age as IAACOBS was towards IOSEPH because a good thing the lesse hope wee haue of it the more gratefull it is when we haue it And in old age Parents haue lesse hope of children then before So also had PAVL lesse hope of Spirituall children in the Prison then when he had liberty of preaching the Gospell freely where he listed ONESIMVS then was PAVLS Darling as being then begot of him when by the Aduersaries hee was cast into Prison that he might beget no more First then obserue That Ministers may loue their Doct. 1 sonnes with an vnequall loue they may loue some more then others as Christ did IOHN aboue the rest of the Disciples namely those in whom they behold a more liuely image of Christ and in the begetting of whom they had greater experience of Gods power and mercie then in others Secondly Note That the Spirit of God and the Doct. 2 Word of God is not bound together with the bodies The Spirit and Word are not bound of the Ministers for both these namely the Spirit and Word of God were now effectuall in the Prison for ONESIMVS his conuersion The Aduersaries then must not thinke that the restraining of the Ministers and of the Gospell will proue one worke The Earle of Derbies Accusation in the Parliament House against M. BRADFORD was That he did more hurt so he spake calling good euill by Letters and Conferences in Prison then euer hee did when he was abroad by Preaching Thirdly Note PAVL saying that he begot him in Doct. 3 his Bonds hence it is easie to gather that after by speech had to and fro with him in the Prison he vnderstood in what case he was he presently wrought vpon him to bring him to a sight of his sinne and so to a godly sorrow for it By which example Ministers must learne that it is their dutie not onely in their publike meetings to seeke mens conuersion by their generall preaching to all but if at any time by Gods prouidence they shall light vpon any whom they see miserably to stray out of the wayes of God though it be in priuat places and companies as here PAVL vpon ONESIMVS in the Prison and PHILIP vpon the Eunuch in iourneying they are by all meanes possible no iust cause detaining them to endeuour the conuersion euen of such and to doe the part of a good Samaritane towards them whom they find so dangerously wounded by Sathan For what must we helpe the Asse euen of our enemie couching vnder his burthen and shall we not much more relieue his soule for we are not to thinke that God is so tyed to publike meetings that he cannot elsewhere specially in times of Persecution vse the Ministerie of his Seruant for the effectuall calling of his Elect although I doubt not but ONESIMVS heard PAVL more solemnly preaching in the prison See Acts 28. in the end Fourthly But as all Ministers are greedily to catch Doct. 4 those occasions which God offers for furthering the saluation of their brethren so especially those who being imprisoned are restrained from their publike Preaching that so by this meanes the want of their publike Sermons may in some measure be supplied Now how goodly a thing it is for Ministers euen then when they are poorest to make others rich 2. Cor. 6. 10. and when they are bound and captiue to make others free as here PAVL bestoweth a farre more excellent freedome vpon ONESIMVS then that whereof NEROES Prison had depriued himselfe Fifthly See how God mitigateth the bitternesse Doct. 5 of our afflictions by mixing the sweetnesse of some God sweetens the afflictions of his children comfort therewithall euen as the Physicion sugreth his bitter pilles This is the respect God hath of our weakenesse PAVLS imprisonment could not chuse out be grieuous to the flesh but this griefe was lessened when he saw himselfe bound to be the instrument of vnbinding ONESIMVS chayned with a farre stronger chayne then that which hee was bound withall for the hope of Israels sake This also was a great comfort to IOSEPH being sold that he found such extraordinarie fauor with his Master and when he was in the Prison hee was so specially respected by the Master of the Prison Thus God in Anger remembers Mercy and wee must remember this his Remembrance to our selues thereby to quiet and still our lamenting mindes Euen as otherwhiles also he remembreth Anger in his Mercy for God wil both sawce his Blessings with some Crosse that wee should not be too much lifted vp and hee will sweeten our Crosses with some Comforts that wee should not be too much cast downe VERS 11. In times
and can easily ouer-reach and make starke fooles of the wisest by making their owne counsels and endeuours like CHVSHAIS to ouerthrow those intentions which they seeme to support Secondly Gods power in conuersion is to be noted Doct. 2 who as here wee see in ONESIMVS lets men Gods honour in our Conuersion goe on a long time in their wicked courses till they come to the very height of wickednesse and then contrarie to all expectation suddenly turnes them ONESIMVS all the while he liued in PHILEMONS house a godly Master vsing the best meanes for his good still grew worse and worse Hauing now wofully banished himselfe out of this house and so Gods presence was hee not now in mans reason desperate and past all recouerie But yet see here how God pursues him being runne away makes huy and cry after him seizes vpon him by his Spirit and causeth him to returne to his heauenly Master and then his earthly After the same manner was PAVL conuerted Acts 9. This God doth first That the worke of our Conuersion might euidently appeare to bee his owne and so hee might haue the sole glorie of it What disposition of ONESIMVS his will could there be now to conuert that Runne-away from the meanes of Conuersion In PAVL when hee went with a mind to persecute the Faith Here then doth Gods power appeare in that euen then when wee are most rebellious and stiffe-necked most vntoward and auerse yet euen then he catches vs and makes vs yeeld and drawes vs to Christ making our wills of stiffely nilling desirously willing And when we shall be conuerted on this manner then shall wee forthwith be forced to admire our Conuersion as a strange miracle and wholly abasing our selues to giue all the glorie to God reasoning thus with our selues Running downe so steepe a Hill like a furious Horse in so mad a mood I could neuer haue possibly stayed or saued my selfe nor any man els It was then surely the Diuine Power of God that hath done this Secondly God taketh this course in our conuersion that wee might cleaue the faster vnto him in heartie and sincere loue for to whom much is forgiuen they loue much This made PAVL exceed his fellowes in zeale and painfulnesse in his Apostleship Thirdly that hereby wee might learne to despayre of none though neuer so outragious and violent in sinne notwithstanding many good meanes which God hath vsed to reclaime them God is able to call those into his Vineyard at the twelfth houre and to make them faithfull Labourers therein that one would thinke by standing idle so long were so habituated and radicated in idlenesse that it were impossible for them to set themselues to labour Thirdly Gods manner in taking away some of his blessings oftentimes is here to bee obserued Doct. 3 God restores our losses with aduantage Surely his taking of them is but a kind of borrowing of them that he as it were occupying of them for vs for a time they might afterwards returne vnto vs in a holy kind of Vsurie with vantage and great encrease PHILEMON loses ONESIMVS and with him and his seruice some of his goods which he tooke away with him and yet see in the end how he loses nothing by all this but rather is made a great gainer Whilest ONESIMVS was with him before hee could haue no great good of him being an vngodly and vnfaithfull seruant but now in his absence God so workes vpon him that hee makes him of ONESIMVS before in name onely ONESIMVS indeed that is truly profitable as was shewed in the eleuenth Verse and hauing thus fitted and prepared him for PHILEMON he returnes him vnto him againe not as he was before but with vantage such vantage as might sufficiently counteruaile not only the want of his seruice all the while of his absence but the losse also of PHILEMONS money for a good seruant such a one as ONESIMVS was made now is worth much Gold and haply PHILEMON could not haue got such a profitable Seruant as this new ONESIMVS was no though hee would haue giuen tenne times as much as that which ONESIMVS tooke away But the saluation of his precious soule farre exceeded the worth of the whole World and no doubt if money might haue done his soule good PHILEMON would haue thought it much more vile in comparison See then the increase of the absence of ONESIMVS and losse of his money This must teach vs patience when God takes away any mercy from vs for in his good time either it or as good or a better thing shall returne vnto vs. ABRAHAM must part with ISAAK and in a manner was taken from him but presently hee receiues him againe as a surer pledge of Gods loue and confirmation of his faith then before At death our poore soules shall haue their bodies taken from them yet wee must not bee discouraged for they are seuered only for a season that they may returne againe for euer at the Resurrection and that in another manner then wee left them not mortall and coruptible but glorious and spirituall bodies 1. Cor. 15. Sometimes God taketh away his Word and Gospell and Ministery from his people as he did in Queene MARIES dayes But how Only for a season that they might haue it againe afterward more confirmed and better established then before as it was in worthy Queene ELIZABETHS dayes Sometimes which is worst of all God himselfe departs from vs and hides his face as Exod. 33. from the Church of the Israelites but it is but for a season for a little while for a moment Esai 44. 7 8. that hee might make vs the more seeke after him and so returne vnto vs afterward with greater comfort making the falling out of louers to be only the renuing of loue Specially must this point be thought vpon when wee are called to suffer for the Truths sake the losse of outward comforts of life as Libertie Lands Liuing yea Life it selfe He that loses his life for my Names sake shall find it sayes our Sauiour We lose these things no otherwise then the Husbandman loseth his Seed for the losse of these things is but as Seed cast into the ground which shall euen in this life according to our Sauiours promise returne vnto vs the increase of a hundreth fold and in the World to come life eternall Mat. 19. Fourthly Note the priuiledge of the spirituall Coniunction in Christ aboue any other ciuill Coniunction whatsoeuer that it lasts for euer That thou mightest receiue him for euer Ciuill Societies and Coniunctions whatsoeuer shall end onely this spirituall Coniunction shall continue eternall This must teach those that are conioyned each Doct. 4 to other in ciuill and carnall Coniunctions of kindred The spirituall Coniunction is eternall and callings in the World as Husband and Wife Master and Seruant Parents and Children to labour likewise to bee conioyned together in Christ for the other Coniunction will not hold
they are nothing but seruants If thou lookest to haue more then other ordinarie seruants thou thy selfe must become more then a seruant Though yet a worldly Master will make thee lesse then a seruant and thy condition with him will be worse then of other seruants not fearing God But this is their sinne If thy seruant be more then a seruant why then hath he lesse at thy hands then hee that is a seruant and a seruant onely Specially vnto me THat which PAVL presses PHILEMON vnto hee vrges from his owne example by an Argument drawne from the lesse to the greater on this wise I desire nothing of thee but what first I doe my selfe I plead but for that affection from thee toward ONESIMVS which I my selfe beare to him If he be deare to me then much more ought hee to bee so to thee for I am tyed to him but in one bond as he is a Christian but thou art bound to him with a twofold cord which cannot be easily broken Onely spirituall and gracious respects challenge affection from mee but together with these doe outward and naturall bonds plead for regard from thee who art bound to him both in the flesh and in the Lord both as he is a seruant and as a Christian seruant Hee is deare to mee onely as a member of the houshold of Faith thou art also bound to him as a member of thine owne houshold If then I vpon this single bond hold him so deare how deare then should he be to thee thus doubly obliged to him The reason may be drawne into this forme If I PAVL thus dearely loue ONESIMVS then oughtest thou PHILEMON to doe the like But I dearely loue him Therefore c. The Consequence of his Argument hee proueth thus Hee that is bound to a man by a double bond ought to regard him more then he that is bound to him by a single bond But thou art bound to ONESIMVS by a double bond I but by a single one Therefore c. First PAVL vrges PHILEMON from his Doct. 1 owne example I loue him Therefore oughtest Ministers should be exemplarie in what they teach thou and what I require at thine hands I doe my selfe I that plead for affection doe shew affection I that call for loue doe shew loue Then a man pleades strongly indeed when hee makes himselfe a precedent Ministers should bee exemplarie in all they vrge and teach Then is there life in their Doctrine when there is Doctrine in their life Men in this case are readier to liue by sense and sight then by Faith Religion hath a Truth and a Power People will neuer beleeue the Truth of a doctrine in our mouthes where they see not the Power of it in our liues The want of sight causes the want of Faith Except with THOMAS in another case they see they will not beleeue Their eyes must be taught as well as their eares Philip. 4. 9. Those things which yee haue both learned and receiued and heard and seene in me doe As GIDEON to his Souldiers so should Ministers to their people be able to say Looke on me and doe likewise as I doe so shall yee doe Iudg. 7. vers 17. Therefore PAVL wishing TIMOTHY so to carry himselfe in his Ministrie as hee might bee free from contempt and scorne counsels him to be exemplarie 1. Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example to them that beleeue How many bring contempt both vpon their persons and their doctrine whilest their doctrine condemnes their owne liues or their liues confute their owne doctrine while they stand like way-markes and point out the way to others and yet stirre not themselues It is poore comfort for a Minister to be no further then a Pharise Of the Pharises was our Sauiours caution Matth. 23. 3. Doe yee not after their works for they say and doe not Such as say and doe not doe after their works While wee doe after their works which is to doe no works how shall wee make our peace with that Text Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of heauen Wee exceed them not vnlesse wee be practicall they were verball Doctors If dangerous not to goe beyond a Pharise how much more to come short To vsurpe MOSES his Chaire and not to open MOSES his Law is to be worse then a Pharise But yet onely to open the mouth and no more what singular thing is this Did not the Pharises the same And what art thou the better that thou art not worse then a Pharise so long as thou art not better As good neuer a whit as neuer the better Physicians and Ministers that in diuers things doe agree yet herein must disagree Physicians will often prescribe that to others which they will not venture to practise vpon themselues Ministers practice with EZRA should goe before their prescriptions Ezra 7. vers 10. For EZRA had prepared his heart to seeke the Law of the Lord and to doe it and to teach in Israel Statutes and Iudgements Where they faile in this let them make account to bee choked with that prouerbiall speech Physician heale thy selfe And they will bee as ridiculous as LVCIANS Apothecarie who sold Medicine to cure the cough and yet was shrewdly troubled with it himselfe It censures therefore such as haue their tongues of a larger size then their hands hauing indeed in regard of any practice withered hands A Kingdome diuided against it selfe cannot stand No more can a Ministrie diuided against it selfe Such a Ministrie is that whose practice giues the doctrine the lye It is not enough for Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 2. vers 15. to diuide aright but they must also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galat. 2. vers 14. Walke aright See how sharpely PAVL takes vp such Rom. 2. vers 21. Specially to mee And yet the bond whereby hee was tied to him was the generall bond of Religion Doct. 2 No bond stricter then that of religion and Christianity Euen this generall calling is a speciall ligament of affection Religion hath it's name from binding As it bindes to God and obedience to him so it bindes the religious in speciall and hearty loue each to other Though Religion and Christianity be our generall calling yet workes it speciall affection Gal. 6. 10. Doe good to all but especially to the Houshold of faith That affection betweene persons that haue the speciall bands of naturall and ciuill relations is not so speciall as that which this generall band causes Nature makes Husband and Wife but one flesh Grace makes them euen one Spirit How often is there no affection where a speciall band Not to instance in the neerer band of naturall brother-hood in the which how generall and superficiall oftentimes are affections how slight and slender is the affection betweene masters and seruants But be it that there is the
fellowship of the Saints If we bee fellow-partners and haue communion Vse 4 fellowship in all these things abrenounce we all partnership and fellowship with the vnfruitfull works of darknesse and reprooue them rather Ephes 5. for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion or partnership hath light with darknesse 2 Cor. 6. 14. wee cannot bee fellow-partners with Saints and swine with the members of CHRIST and the members of BELIAL Wee must breake off and giue vp partnership with all other companions and companies now we are once admitted into this holy society The conclusion of the argument is amplified in those words as my selfe that is in regard of truth and sincerity of loue though not for measure and degree for Christian loue though it must be in truth to all the houshold of faith yet requires not an equality of affection to all All our Sauiours Disciples were loued of him heartily and truely yet IOHN was the speciall beloued Disciple aboue the rest So that PHILEMON is not required with the same respect and measure of of affection to receiue a seruant though religious as an Apostle but hee entreats him with as true though not with so great loue to receiue him as hee would receiue PAVL And surely the former partnership requires so much The same thing which had made PAVL PHILEMON partners had also now made PAVL and ONESIMVS partners And therefore the same partnership that bound PHILEMON to receiue PAVL bindes him also to receiue ONESIMVS as PAVL because hee is now admitted into the same society of partnership with them both Loue me and loue my partner one partner receiues another euen for a partners sake Euen the meanest Christian should as well bee Doct. surely heartily regarded as the greatest ONESIMVS The meanest Christians to be heartily regâ—eded must be receiued as well as PAVL nay as PAVL and loued as well though not so much as hee The commandement is Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe If ONESIMVS must bee regarded of PHILEMON as himselfe then surely must hee bee receiued as PAVL And indeede this is a singular good euidence that we loue men rather for their religion then religion for the men when we loue the meanest that are religious Otherwise if wee loue great ones with the neglect of meaner Christians wee giue the world iust cause to suspect that we haue the glorious faith of CHRIST IESVS in respect of persons Hee that loues grace and religion for it selfe loues it where euer hee findes it loues it as truely clad in russet as in veluet in a poore seruant as well as in a rich master Hee that giues a cup of cold water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple c. The ground then of a mans loue to another should be his Disciple-ship where the same ground is why should there not bee the same affection Hee that loues one disciple in the name of a Disciple loues all Disciples seruants as well as masters Christ should be loued in euery Christian Inasmuch as ye haue done it to one of these little ones yee haue done it to mee Mat. 25. All we doe to Christians should bee done as to CHRIST in them If PHILEMON loue CHRIST in PAVL why not in ONESIMVS The same CHRIST the attractiue of our loue being in both why not the same affection and loue to both Hee that loues CHRIST truely loues him in any condition aswell in his humiliation as in his glory in the forme of a seruant Phil. 2. 7. as well as in the forme of God Phil. 2. 6. for in both hee is the same CHRIST Hee therefore that loues not CHRIST in a seruant loues him not in an Apostle It is not meerely CHRIST that makes thee loue PAVL but some other carnall respect gaines thy affection to him that canst not or doest not loue ONESIMVS If CHRIST had come to the Iewes in the goodly beauty and brauery in the pomp and port of an earthly Potentate who would not haue receiued him beleeued in him loued him but now that hee comes in the forme of a seruant and not of a King heere was the triall as of their faith so of their loue It is easie to loue CHRIST in the throne hee loues him truly that loues him in the manger the stable he loues him in the stable that loues him in the meanest and simplest seruant How much therefore are they to blame that admire and magnifie small pittances in great ones and in the meane time ouerlooke great graces in meaner persons as if men rather gaue grace to religion then religion grace to them This is to haue mens persons in admiration which IVDE condemnes and not their graces VERS 18. If hee hath wronged thee or owes thee ought put that on mine account 19. I Paul I haue written it with mine owne hand I will repay it albeit I doe not say to thee how thou owest vnto mee euen thine owne selfe besides THese words are a preuention of an obiection that PHILEMON might make against the former reason on this manner How shall I receiue againe such an one as hee that hath so deepely wronged me and mine estate by pilfering and purloyning away my goods It were too much fauour now that I know and heare where hee is to forbeare him and not to bring him to shame and punishment If for thy sake I ouercome my selfe so farre as to remit reuenge may not that suffice must I also receiue him and that with loue who hath thus weakned mine estate and wasted my substance Ans Let not that dammage thou hast sustained be one whit preiudiciall to my suit I confesse hee hath wronged thee and hurt thine estate but rather then that shall stand in the way I will engage my selfe to thee to see that discharged make it my debt and put it vpon mine account I passe my word to thee to see it payd An honest mans word is as good as his bond how much more an Apostles word If thou wilt not take my word as I make no question but thou wilt then for thy better assurance and security loe heere a bill of mine hand to see the debt answered I Paul haue written it with mine owne hand I will repay it Yet I must needes adde one thing further that I thinke thou wilt not bee so strict to vrge mee with the payment thereof neither hast thou any great reason so to doe for if thou but seriously considerest and castest vp thine accounts thou shalt finde that I am before hand with thee and that thou art indebted to mee a farre greater matter then this comes to So that in these words thus vnfolded here are three things 1. An acknowledgement of the wrong done to PHILEMON by ONESIMVS and of a debt due to him 2. An vndertaking of the debt and a couenant of satisfaction by and from PAVL 3. But yet with a Reuocation and bringing of the businesse
and execution of their functions when the vniust tyrranny of man hath hindred and difabled them Not onely the gifts of Ministers but their liberties are the gift of GOD. Oh if men knew but this gift of GOD and were answerably thankfull for so great a gift Sathan enuies the Church this gift and it grudges him that any of GODS Saints but much more that any of his Ministers should haue their liberties This hope of PAVLS is set forth by the ground of it through your prayers Euen the greatest and most gracious stand in need of the prayers of their inferiors The greatnesse of Doct. The most gracious need their inferiors praiers mens graces places doth not free them from needing the prayers of meaner ones Nay the greater either places or graces the greater is their neede of others helpfull prayers Sathan followes that policy of the Syrians 1 King 22. Fight neither against small nor great saue against the King of Israel The sharpest brunt of Sathans enmity is bent against those especially whose graces and places are highest in the Church The more Sathans malice is against them the more our charity should bee towards them the greater our charity the more our prayers for them Therefore PAVL often desires the prayers of others Ephes 6. 18. 19. Pray for all Saints and for me 1 Thess 5. 25 Brethren pray for vs. The prayers of inferiours are beneficiall to their superiours whether in outward things as 2 Cor. 1. 10. 11. or inward and spirituall things as Rom. 15. 30. GOD is no respecter of persons hee regards the hearts not the conditions of those which pray vnto him It is not in the court of heauen as in Kings courts where onely the Nobles and great personages may speake for a man poore plaine men can doe a man no good with their petitions But heere it is otherwise the poorest and meanest Christian may do a man a pleasure by speaking for him in prayer to the King of heauen Great comfort to inferiours that GOD hath so ordered Vse 1 the matter among the members of the mysticall body as that the inferiours doe not more neede the gifts of their superiours then superiours neede the helpe and prayers of inferiours The meanest member is of vse in this body Despise wee not then our inferiours but esteeme Vse 2 well of him that hath the least measure of grace Who would despise a fauourite in court whose good word may pleasure him Euen the meanest officer in the Kings house shall be regarded of a petitioner though a better man if hee may pleasure him in his suit Note the duty of the Church towards Ministers Doct. 2 they are to remember their Ministers in their prayers Ministers to be prayed for Therefore PAVL in the closure of diuers Epistles doth not onely pray for them but prayes them to pray for him Neither desires hee this onely for complement in his valediction but desires it to bee done heartily and earnestly in his behalfe Rom. 15. 30 Also brethren I beseech you for our Lords Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that yee would striue with me by prayers to God for me 2 Cor. 1. 11. So that you labour in prayer for vs. See Heb. 13. 18. 19. If PAVL an Apostle who had the immediate assistance of Gods spirit stood in such neede of their prayers how much then doe our Ministers now And great reason is there to challenge this duty at our hands 1. In regard of the loue which is due from people And why to Minister People are bound to loue their Pastours Now loue seekes not her owne things Hee that prayes not for his Minister loues him not 2. In regard of their great charge wherewithall they are betrusted A charge of greater worth then all the world the soule of their people The greater the charge the greater the gifts required to discharge it The more graces they neede the more earnest should our prayers be to procure the same 3. In regard of their danger as in the former point They are in danger of Sathans malice hee knowes if he can but with his taile cause these starrs to fall from heauen that hee shall cause the greater darknesse and the greater scandall their corruption in life or doctrine will be exemplary and infectious They are also in danger of vnreasonable men 2 Thess 3. 2. The greater reason that they should bee holpen with our prayers 4. Pray for your Ministers because in praying for them you pray for your selues and procuring their good you procure your owne The better Ministers are the better is it for people many people complaine of the insufficiency of their Teachers and as many Ministers may complaine of the negligence of their people For if they were more diligent in prayer their Ministers would bee more able to preach if they would pray more for them then should they be able to preach better vnto them Quest What be the things wee should begge for them Answ PAVL specifies some particulars wherein he would be remembred As 1. Free and bold vtterance of the Gospell Ephes 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. 4. 2. Free passage of his Ministry 2 Thess 3. 1. 3. Deliuerance from wicked men Rom. 15. 30 2 Thess 2. 3. 4. Other particulars are mentioned Rom. 15. 31. Pray then for all these pray for the guidance and blessing of Gods spirit with and vpon them pray for all such gracious endowments enablements as may fit them for the worke of the Ministry This taxes peoples grosse negligence Some there are that neuer pray for themselues it is no Vse 1 wonder if they pray not for their Pastours for well ordred charity begins at home Others yet pray in and with their families and commend onely family necessities to God without particular mention of their Ministers in their prayers But a worse sort there is that is so farr from praying Vse 2 for that they heartily pray against their Ministers onely out of an euill will at their fidelity They pray they were well rid of them or in steed of praying for them doe curse and ban them with vile imprecations To condemne yet another sort who in steed of praying for vs doe prey vpon vs and are so farre Vse 3 from helping by their prayers that they rather hinder by their vniust molestations More particularly yet obserue The power and efficacy of prayer I trust that Doct. 1 thorough your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you It is a The efficacy of prayer key that wil vnlock as heauen so likewise the prison doore It is not so much petitioning to NERO that PAVL trusts vpon as to the Lord Praier opened heauen Luk. 3. 21. what wonder if it open a prison Prayer prooues the same to Gods children oftentimes that the Angell did to PETER Acts 12. It opens the prison gates and brings them forth Nay the truth is it was prayer rather then the Angell which brought PETER out
contrary to this corruption as alwaies one contrary is prouoked by another it will be also exasperated by the contrarietie of corruption to oppose and encounter it There is no time for the Martialist to shew his valour but in the time of vvarre The time of affliction therefore being the time of the spirituall war and conflict betwixt the flesh and spirit then questionlesse howsoeuer before the spirit lay asleep in vs yet then he will awaken and stirre vp himselfe and declare his mighty power and puissance in vs. Hence it is that afflictions by Peter are called the triall of our faith 1. Pet. 1. 7. And as they are the triall of our faith so of our patience hope obedience courage constancie c. Therefore Rom. 5. 3. Afflictions are said to bring forth patience because by them this grace of Gods Spirit is stirred vp in his children and in their afflictions they haue experience of their patience Afflictions in themselues bring forth impatience and by this impatience of the flesh the patience of the spirit is excited Our Sauiour is said Heb. 5. to haue learned obedience by the things which he suffered How was that Being before disobedient did hee then learne to become obedient Not so but hee learned it experimentally that is he had triall of his obedience which was alwaies in him before but had not so fit an occasion to shew it selfe till then So in the same sense may it be said that Abraham learned loue by that greeuous affliction of beeing put in feare of losing Isaac For so God tells him Gene. 22. Now I knowe that thou louest mee God knew it before but the meaning is that now by manifest experience it was made known indeed that Abraham did in truth loue God Therefore it is said that God tempted Abraham in giuing him that commaundement of sacrificing his sonne By affliction therefore wee come to haue knowledge of that grace to be in vs which before wee either knew not to be in vs at all because there is no occasion for it to shew it selfe vnlesse in affliction as how can a man shew his strength vnlesse some burthen bee layd vpon his backe or else wee knew not to be in our selues in that measure and sinceritie that it was because there can be no occasion of so sound a triall of affliction Reue. 13. 9. Iohn hauing foretold some grieuous persecution he addeth Heere is the faith and patience of the Saints That is to say Here is matter now for the faith of the Saints to work vpon Hope is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6. whose vse is specially in a storme For though in prosperity we may haue experience of our faith and hope and loue to God yet nothing so soundly and throughly as in affliction In prosperity there is place for the Diuels obiection Doth Iob serue God for nought but in affliction it is taken away and it appeares plainly that wee loue God serue and obey him not as mercenaries for our owne profit but euen for himselfe Againe though in our prosperitie wee might haue some experience of the sinceritie of our graces yet not of that great measure of them which we haue in affliction Many of the Martyrs that before they were in question quaked and trembled after GOD brought them into the field were emboldened and strengthened to suffer the most exquisite torments their aduersaries could deuise While the corne stands in the field wee may giue some gesse what it will amount to but when it is cut downe threshed out the yeeld proues more oftentimes then we could before possibly expect So is it with Christs haruest till wee bee threshed with the flayle of aduersity we cannot tell what increase of corne we shall yeeld to our heauenly Master So much for the vse of affliction respecting Knowledge 2. For Practice The vse of affliction in matter 2. Practice 2. of practice is either in renuing graces decayed or else in increasing these decaied graces after we haue afresh renued them 1. And first of all our afflictions teach vs to renue 1. Renuing graces decayed and take vp afresh the practice of all Christian duties which prosperity had caused vs to intermit For oftentimes the children of God beeing drunken and besotted with ease and prosperity fall into dangerous Lethargies and such dead sleepes of carnall carelesnes that they euen forget God and themselues Now by affliction God comming giuing them a priuy nip in their flesh awakeneth them and causeth them to return again vnto themselues So that in this respect affliction is to the children of God as the pricke to the brest of the Nightingale whereby she being awakened out of her sleepe singeth most melodiously See how the Apostaticall Church of the Israelites pricked with the thornes of affliction Hosea 2. 7. playes the Nightingale sweetly singing the song of her returning againe to the Lord her first husband So the Prodigall sonne feeling the prick of famine Luke 15. hauing been once a member of the Church a sonne liuing in the house of his Father and afterwards running away what is it that sends him home againe and makes him renue his conuersion The present misery wherewithall hee was pinched To this purpose excellently speakes Elihu Iob 33. 15 16. that God in trouble rounds men in the eare that lye securely snorting in their sinnes and so arouses them by the noyse of his voice speaking in affliction Haue we therefore beeing wise Virgins begun to slumber with the foolish haue we left our first loue and decayed in the graces of the Spirit then surely if affliction come vnto vs the lesson we are to learne is to remember from whom we are fallen to repent and doe our first works and to quicken those things that are ready to dye Now these decaying and languishing graces Which are 2. which affliction calls vpon vs to reuiue and stirre vp afresh in our selues are either generall and the maine foundation of all the rest or else speciall depending vpon the former 1. The generall and fundamentall graces the renouation 1. Generall 2. whereof affliction teacheth are Faith Repentance And first affliction teacheth vs to renue our 1. Faith 2. Faith both in regard of Gods prouidence for this temporall life as also of his mercy for the life to come in the saluation of our soules 1. For the first wheras in prosperitie we hauing 1. In Gods prouidence all things according to our hearts desire as health strength credit countenance maintenance wee did too too much rest and rely our selues vpon these for the preseruation of this transitory life now when in affliction God takes from vnder vs these proppes these stilts and staues of our confidence then we are constrained by faith to fly vnto him and depend on his good prouidence Deut. 8. 2. Therefore he humbled thee and made thee hungry that thou mightest learne that man liueth not by bread but by euery word that
namely care to preuent them For afflictions as they serue to reforme sinnes past so likewise to preuent sinnes to come Therefore are they compared to an hedge Hos 2. 6. stopping vs in our way that wee can go no further And this Paul sheweth in his owne example 2. Cor. 12. 7. This was the end why God sent him the Thorne in the flesh to preuent pride in him lest he should be exalted aboue measure in the multitude of reuelations And hence it is that so many times in the children of God before honour hath gone humility before some great blessing some grieuous crosse that by this meanes those sinnes which through our corruption prosperity would haue brought with it might bee preuented If Dauid had beene presently taken from the Sheep-fold to the Throne hee might haply haue growne insolent too forgetfull of God and his duety in gouernement Therefore a long time before did the Lord exercise him with many sore afflictions that so those mischiefes might be escaped To the same purpose was Ioseph abased in the dungeon before hee was aduanced to that place of authority So were the Israelites forty yeares wandring in the Desart and after that many yeares taken vp with tedious warres before they obtained the peaceable possession of the Land of Canaan and Moses forty yeares an exile and a keeper of sheep before he was the Conductor of the Israelites to the promised Land So much for the renewing of these two maine and Generall graces of Faith and Repentance 2. Besides the stirring vp of these affliction 2. Speciall 4. further awakens in vs many speciall and particular graces and among them specially foure 1. Our Thankefulnesse for his mercies which 1. Thankfulnes we forgat in our prosperity though daily before our eyes But by affliction in the want of them perceiuing the worth of them we are stirred vp to a more regardfull estimation of them and so are wee taught to bee truely thankefull for them when againe we do re-obtaine them After long sicknesse in the want of health feeling the sweetnesse of health how shal we then rellish our health and how thankefully shall wee receiue it at Gods hand So after long imprisonment how highly then shall we apprise our liberty more carefully vsing it for Gods glory then euer before 2. Compassion towards those that are in the 2. Compassion same or like affliction Wee are very cruell and hard-hearted by nature to our brethren in distresse and misery That therefore our hearts may be enlarged towards them God sendeth afflictions to vs that we may haue experience of the same misery our selues This vse Christ himselfe made of his afflictions Heb. 4. 15. We haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as wee are This Paul makes plaine 2. Cor. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. 3. Preparation for death whereof euery affliction 3. Preparation for death is a messenger or harbinger and therefore when afflictions come we haue warning giuen vs of deaths approach and so are iustly occasioned to renew our preparation for the entertainement of him This vse the Apostle Paul made of his affliction 1. Cor. 15. when by them he learned to die daily For besides that they put vs in minde of our mortaltty they themselues being little kindes of death make death seeme lesse grieuous vnto vs. If a man would be able to beare a great burthen hee shall be the more able to do it by inuring himselfe to beare a lesse as Bilney prepared himselfe to the fire of his martyrdome by the fire of his Candle 4. A longing and hungring after the life to 4. Desire of life to come come When we haue the world at wil we begin to be besotted with the loue thereof and to say as once Peter in the Mount It is good being here let me build my Tabernacle heere God is therefore faine to weane vs from the world euen as mothers do their children by laying on some sowre thing which may cause vs to distaste it and so being out of loue with it to cry Come Lord Iesus This vse Moses and the rest of the Israelites made of those contagious sicknesses which raigned amongst them in the Desert Psal 90. 12. Teach vs to number our daies and to apply our hearts to wisedome All is little enough to make vs thinke of our home Neuer would the Israelites haue beene brought to haue stirred one foote out of Egypt had they not beene tyred with that sore bricke bondage and Pharaohs tyrannie they that in the Desart wished for the flesh-pots and onyons of Egypt notwithstanding their sore bondage surely but for that bondage would neuer haue left those fleshpots So much of the first maine vse of our afflictions in regard of practice the renewing of graces decayed 2. The second followes namely an encreasing 2. Encreasing Grace renewed in those graces renewed This vse of afflictions our Sauiour notes Ioh. 15. 2. Euery branch that brings forth fruite my Father purges with the pruning knife of afflictions That it may bring forth more fruite Looke then how Vines pruned and Trees lopped grow the faster so the Christian afflicted thriues and prospers the better in Christianity So 2. Cor. 4. 16. the decayes of the outward man by afflictions are the renewings of the inward The happy Antiperistasis of the outward cold of afflictions doth increase the inward heate and feruour of the grace of God in vs. And these be the lessons which God teacheth by correcting of vs. So that now wee may fully see the meaning of these words And teachest in thy Law Hitherto of the first part of this Text concerning those things which are required by the Prophet in him whom he blesseth namely that hee bee as corrected of God so also taught of God Come we now to the second part concerning that blessednesse which in these respects belongeth to the childe of God Blessed is the man The doctrine of the Psalmist in this place is a paradoxe to flesh and bloud which iudgeth no men more vnhappy then those that are laden with miseries specially such as here the Prophet speakes of which come by meanes of cruell enemies What blessednesse would one thinke there were in being trod vnder foote and trampled vpon like durt by others our bitter aduersaries Well though the blinde buzzards of this world cannot see this yet the faithfull can by the quicke and piercing eye of their faith behold the light of the Sunne through the thickest and darkest cloudes Let vs therfore consider a little of this blessednesse of those whom God schooles by correction and see wherein it consisteth This blessednesse therefore is twofold Priuatiue and Positiue 1. The first kinde of blessednesse I call Priuatiue because it consisteth in taking away of that curse which naturally cleaues to all afflictions For as death so also all other afflictions haue their sting which yet is
taken away by the death of Christ So that now to them that are in Christ all afflictions are but droanes they are vnstinged by Christ they may buzze but hurt they cannot Christ hath fully satisfied Gods iustice and therefore no further punishment can bee demanded of vs. Therefore our afflictions are now no longer punishment their nature is altered but onely fatherly corrections and trials of our faith And herein consists the first part of our blessednesse in affliction that we are freed from the curse and anger of God which is necessarily annexed to all the afflictions of the vngodly Whereupon we may now insult ouer affliction and sing triumphantly Oh affliction where is thy sting And being out of the danger of hurt by it we may securely laugh at it as the wilde Asse at the Horse and the Rider Iob. 5. 2. There is also a Positiue blessednesse in the afflictions of the godly There is not onely the absence of euill from affliction but good also is present in regard whereof the afflicted worthily are called and counted blessed This presence of good in our affliction is specially in these respects 1. The good from whence they haue their Originall namely the loue of God disposing these afflictions to vs Heb. 12. Whom hee loueth hee chasteneth This loue of God manifests it selfe specially in these two points The Measure and the Manner of their afflictions 1. For the Measure In this regard haue the godly an happy turne in their afflictions that wheras the vngodly drinke vp the whole cup of his wrath dregges and all the godly do but sip of it whereas they are scourged with Scorpions these onely are corrected with the rods of men In this sense Hab. 3. 2. God is said to remember mercy in anger because in punishing his children hee respects their weakenesse not suffering them to bee tempted aboue their strength 1. Cor. 10. 13. It is the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed Lam. 3. 22. Mercy is a curbe to Gods Iustice in afflicting his children and causes him to moderate and mitigate the punishment and as Ieremy speakes Ier. 10. to correct them in iudgement that is in an holy wisedome proportioning their affliction according to their strength and not in his anger left he bring them to nothing This is that which the Prophet Esay teacheth chap. 27. 7 8. shewing the difference betwixt the afflictions of Gods own people and strangers Hath hee smitten him as he smote those that smote him or is hee slaine according to the slaughter of them that are slaine by him In measure wilt thou contend with him This mercifull measuring out the portion of our cup is grounded vpon Gods owne promise Psal 89. 30 31. If his children breake my Law c. then will I visite their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with strokes But my louing kindnesse will I not take from him neither will I falsifie my truth Here then is another point of our happinesse in our affliction that God laies not loade vpon vs as on the wicked but sweetely tempering mercy and iustice together giues vs occasion to say with Dauid The Lord hath chastened me sore but hath not deliuered me to death Psal 118. 18. 2. For the Manner God shewes his loue to vs in our afflictions in the manner of inflicting them vpon vs in that hee doth it as fathers correct their children vnwillingly Lam. 3. 33. For hee doth not afflict willingly nor grieue the children of men Hee doth not take any delight in our paine and misery but being necessarily thereunto enforced out of a fatherly respect which hee hath of vs to doe vs good and to keepe vs from mischiefe 1. Cor. 11. VVhen wee are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Gods bowels doe euen earne ouer our soules when hee comes to correct Hos 11. 8. How shall I giue thee vp Ephraim How shall I deliuer thee Israel c. Mine heart is turned within mee my bowels are rowled together See how liuely God sets forth in himselfe the affections of a father that can finde in his heart to beate his childe hauing done a fault 2. Respect of our blessednes in regard of the Good thereof is in regard of the good annexed vnto them necessarily concomitant with them This Good is three-fold 1. Our conformity with Christ our elder brother who first suffered and then entred into glory who first wore a crowne of thornes then of glory who first felt the weight of his burdensome crosse and then that eternall weight of happinesse Rom. 8. 29. Those whom he knew before he predestinate to be made like to the image of his Sonne that is in being consecrated through afflictions as he was Heb. 2. 10. Hitherto belongs that of Paul Phil. 3. 10. That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable vnto his death This is one point of our blessednes for the liker Christ the happier surely we be 2. Our communion with Christ who is a fellow-sufferer with vs in all our afflictions vnlesse such wherein we suffer as euill doers 1. Pet. 4. 13. Therfore Act. 9. Christ speakes to Paul persecuting the Church as persecuting himselfe Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee Now is not this a happy turne to haue such a companion in our sufferings to haue Christ as it were bearing our crosse as Simon of Cyrene bare his 3. The powerfull presence of Gods Spirit cheering and comforting vs in our affliction Blessednes is nothing else but enioying sweet cōmunion with God Now sith this communion is most of all enioyed in affliction worthily are the afflicted counted blessed Psal 112. Vnto the righteous ariseth light in darknes That is the lightning and quickning presence of God in affliction And this was the Churches comfort Mic. 7. 8. When I sit in darknes the Lord shall bee a light vnto mee 2. Cor. 12. My power is made perfect in weaknes When we are weakest in regard of our affliction and temptations then doth the power of Gods presence most shew it selfe And hence it is that Rom. 5. 3. Afflictions bring forth patience because the loue of GOD is then most abundantly shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit as the words following shew This is that which makes vs to reioyce in affliction the sweetnes of Gods loue allaying the sowrenes of affliction Psal 91. 15. I will be with him in trouble Oh then how happy things are afflictions which bring with them so precious a pearle as the sweet company of God himselfe and the comforts of his Spirit reioycing our soules in the multitude of the thoughts of our hearts as Dauid shewes in the 17 18 19. verses of this Psalme in his own experience Therfore as the Psalmist speaketh Psa 107. of them that goe downe into the naturall Sea that they see the wonderful works of the Lord that much more may be said of those that goe