fights to subiection vnto his owne King and so to make them fellow-subiects as himselfe So likewise here that Minister is a good Souldier of IESVS CHRIST who aymes onely at this that CHRIST IESVS may get the victory and reigne in the hearts and consciences of his enemies His victorie and not our owne must be the end of our Ministerie euen if it may be that quiet and peaceable victorie which is obtained without bloud-shed the enemies submitting and resigning themselues into the hands of the Conqueror for the end of other Warre specially this Spirituall Warre is Peace euen the peaceable and flourishing Kingdome of CHRIST established in the Conscience But if this peaceable Victorie cannot be obtained then the bloudie Victorie must be the end of our Warre According to that LVKE 19. Those mine enemies which would not haue me reigne ouer them bring them and slay them before me Ministers therefore must not be afraid to execute the Vengeance PAVL speakes of vpon the obstinate and to stab them at the very heart with the threatnings of the Law knowing that the end of their Ministerie is as well this violent Victorie ouer the Reprobate in crushing them to pieces as a Potters Vessell as the peaceable Victorie ouer the Elect in captiuating them vnto CHRIST In both these victories doth the Lord equally account them his faithfull Souldiers vnto him they are alwayes a sweet sauour as well when they are a sauour of death vnto death vnto the wicked as when they are a sauour of life vnto life vnto the godly 2. Cor. 2. 15. 4. The part of a good Souldier being as well to defend and keepe that which they haue won from their enemies as to win it the Ministers must here take notice of another dutie carefully to fence and fortifie those Holds and Castles which they haue won from Satan for though he be dispossessed yet as it is in the Gospell hee will labour to reenter And oftentimes it falls out by the negligence of many Ministers that they quickly lose that which they were long in getting Haue we then gayned any vnto the Lord O how carefull an eye should we haue ouer such that Satan steale them not from vs how wee should ply them with continuall instructions and exhortations As the Apostles did writing to those Churches that they had planted How earnestly should they striue in their prayers for them that so they may be able to say the words of our Sauiour Iohn 17. Father I haue kept those that thou hast giuen me not one of them is lost Thus much for the Ministers The vse of this Doctrine to the people is First to let them see what estate they are in naturally namely in a most miserable and wretched condition professing open enmity to Iesus Christ and fighting vnder Satans banner against him So farre are they from hauing any disposition of themselues to come and subiect themselues to Christ that they resist and rebell against him and his Ministers Therefore are the Ministers called Souldiers because they wage warre with vs labouring to subdue vs to Christ of thy selfe therefore thou commest not to Christ but the Father by the hands of his Ministers his Souldiers as it were by force of armes must draw thee This striuing and struggling of the Ministers with vs must cause vs to see and lament our owne naturall opposition against God If we were willing of our selues what needed they so Souldierlike to fight with vs Secondly since the Ministers are Gods Souldiers that doe besiege the Castle of our hearts wee must all learne not to stand out against them but to yeeld our selues willingly into their hands for being Gods Souldiers they haue his power assisting them in fighting this battaile and if we yeeld not in time but like those stiffe-necked and vncircumcised Iewes Acts 7. continue resisting the holy Ghost we shall find that the Spirit of the Lord will not alwayes striue with vs but in the furie of his anger will euen grinde vs to powder If we will not suffer them to obtayne a peaceable victorie they will get a bloudie victorie for these Souldiers alwayes returne with the victorie if not peaceable then bloudie if not in conuerting in confounding vs if not taking vs aliue and making vs the subiects of Christ in slaying vs and making vs the foot-stoole of Christ If the sword of the Spirit pricke not thy heart as those men Acts 2. and cause thee in compunction to come and fall downe at the feete of these spirituall Souldiers it shall bee sheathed in thy bowels and made drunken with the bloud of thy soule and the venemous darts of the Almightie shall sticke in thy ribs for euer This is the second death this is the vengeance which Gods Ministers haue ready against disobedience If thou be wise therefore hold out no longer open the doore of thy heart besieged by these spirituall Souldiers and entertayne into the same the King of glorie for hee is mighty in battaile and if thou yeeld not willingly while peace is offered and his Embassadours beseech thee to bee reconciled hee will hew and hacke thee in pieces and make thee fuell fit to feed the flames of that eternall fire He will quash thee with his yron rod as it is in the second Psalme And therefore as it is in the words following Be wise now O yee Kings c. Kisse the Sonne subiect your selues to him lest he teare you in pieces If Ierusalem will not be gathered vnder Christs wing her habitation shall be left desolate O thou gracelesse man who hast held out in opposition against the Ministerie besieging the Castle of thy heart a long time and hast not yet resigned and giuen it vp behold thy fearefull danger heare the Lord saying as once in the old world Genes 6. My spirit shall not alwayes striue with this Rebell Yea see him proportioning his wedge to the timber and because thou wilt not yeeld ready prepared to blow thee vp with the Gun-powder of his fearefull indignation Thirdly see how much wee are bound and beholding to the Ministers who are content to depriue themselues of many comforts and commodities of this life to attend this laborious warfare and all for our sakes shall this seeme a small thing in our eyes no if there be any goodnesse it will cause vs with al reuerence and respect to acknowledge them that be ouer vs in the Lord for this their workes sake withall it will cause vs earnestly to desire at the Lords hands the continuance of them knowing that the want of them is a farre more grieuous iudgement then the want of other Warriors which yet is threatned as a grieuous iudgement Esa 3. If they goe farewell all Who then shall fight the battailes of the Lord who then shall goe in and out before the Lords people who shall stand vp in the gap in the euil day Then may we crie after them as once ELISHA after ELIAS Our Fathers Our
of prison Acts 12. 5. So Peter was kept in prison but earnest prayer was made of the Church vnto God for him The Church first sent vp their praiers before GOD sent downe his Angell And Acts 16. 25. 26. At midnight Paul and Sylas prayed vnto God and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundation of the prison was shaken and by and by all the doores were opened and euery mans bands were loosed Oh sweet comfort to all the imprisoned Saints of GOD. The enemies of the Gospell haue not them in so sure hold as they make account of they haue a key about them which if GOD see it good shall open the prison doores and vnloose their bands and set them at liberty There is more power in the Saints prayers then in their enemies threatnings and so more comfort in the one then matter of feare in the other There is no prison so strong but prayer if God see it good is able to open It is no lesse powerfull to fetch downe the prison walls then the trumpets of Ramms-hornes were to fetch downe the high walls of Iericho Obserue the speciall meanes of restoring GODS Doct. 2 Ministers if euer restrained I trust thorough your prayers I shall bee giuen vnto you The prayer of the righteous auaileth much Iam. 5. It auaileth to the restoring of PAVL to his liberty if GOD see it fit for him If the prayer of one righteous man is of such force what are the ioynt and vnited prayers of the whole Church Heb. 13. 18. 19. Pray for vs and I desire you somewhat the more earnestly that yee doe so that I may bee restored to you the more quickly I trust thorough your prayers I shall be giuen that Doct. 3 is freely giuen vnto you Euen those blessings Prayer merits not which we haue from God by prayer are free and franke blessings Though wee obtaine blessings by prayer yet not for our prayers that is not by the merit of our prayer Prayer is a begging of blessings from the Lord what can the begger deserue by his begging Though we giue when one beggs yet not for any worth in his begging but wee doe it out of meere compassion without any desart on his part The prayer of the righteous auaileth much not simply because prayer but because the prayer of the righteous whose person is iustified and reconciled in CHRIST and accepted in his merits If our praiers were meritorious then could it not stand with GODS Iustice so much as to deferre much lesse to deny them sometimes What Iustice is it to keepe backe that from a man which is his due by desart He that obtaines no more then his prayers deserue will finde little heart to pray and may spare the labour of thankesgiuing VERS 23. There salute thee Epaphras my fellow-prisoner in Christ Iesus 24. Marcus Aristarchus Demas and Luke my fellow-labourers 25. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ bee with your spirit Amen THE conclusion of the Epistle which is spent in saluation and in prayer First hee salutes PHILEMON from EPAPHRAS MARCVS c. EPAPHRAS is mentioned Coloss 1. 7. and 4. 12. MARCVS is mentioned Acts 12. 12. ARISTARCHVS is also named Acts 19. 29. 30. and Coloss 4. 10. DEMAS is well knowen by that place 2 Tim. 4. 10. And LVKE no lesse knowen by his Gospell Concerning salutations and their manner wee heard before verse 3. Heere then onely obserue the descriptions of these men EPAPHRAS is called his fellow-prisoner in CHRIST IESVS PAVL in prison hath a fellow GOD leaues not Doct. his comfortlesse and alone but sweetens the affliction Gods prouides for the comfort of his children in the prison of the prison with the communion of Saints PAVL ioyed not that EPAPHRAS was imprisoned hee had rather hee might haue beene preaching at Colossus but yet heerein see the good prouidence of God and therin might PAVL ioy so disposing that EPAPHRAS being imprisoned should be imprisoned in the same prison with PAVL If PAVL had beene alone in one prison and EPAPHRAS in another they had beene depriued of that sweet communion which now they had together in prayer in conference and holy discourse Heerein therefore did God graciously prouide for them both to bee fellow-prisoners not onely in the same cause but happily in the same house because he sends salutations from EPAPHRAS Yea God doth not onely prouide EPAPHRAS to be a fellow-prisoner to PAVL but rather then they shall want fellowes God himselfe will beare them company in their prisons Gen. 39. 20. 21. And Iosephs master tooke him and put him in prison in the place where the Kings prisoners lay bound and there hee was in prison but the Lord was with Ioseph Who would not be in IOSEPHS prison to haue IOSEPHS companion I am not alone saith our Sauiour Ioh. 16. for the father is with me GOD will prouide fellowes for his prisoners if not hee will recompence the solitarinesse of the prison with the sweet fellowship of his Spirit The cause of EPAPHRAS imprisonment is layd downe In Christ Iesus And indeed it was their fellow-ship in the cause rather then in the house that makes PAVL giue him the title of fellow-prisoner Happily there might bee others in the same prison for other causes which iustly deserued the prison but they were none of PAVLS fellow-prisoners because though put into the same prison yet not for the same cause What else might be here obserued was handled before verse 1. The other foure are described by another title of fellow-ship fellow-labourers to wit in the worke of the Ministry The ministry then is a painfull a laborious calling It is not a calling of ease or pleasure Mat. 9. Pray Doct. The Ministry a laborious and a painfull calling to the Lord of the haruest that hee would thrust forth labourers into his haruest Ministers are labourers yea haruest labourers which of all others are the sorest no labour more toylesome then the labour of the haruest man of all others it is the most sore sweating labour Surely the sweat of the Ministry exceedes the sweat of other callings and with the sorest labourer the Minister eats his bread in the sweat of his browes 1 Thess 5. 12. Now wee beseech you brethren know them which labour among you Men ordinarily will not know them nor know their labor yet GOD himselfe takes notice of it for a labour Reu. 2. 2. I know thy workes and thy labour GOD acknowledges the Ephesian Angells labour The Elders that rule well of double honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. we shall finde 1 Thess 2. 9. two sore words ioyned together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee remember our labour and our trauell Heereupon in Scriptures so often compared to souldiers shepheards husbandmen nurses all callings of no ease The pastorall toyle in the cure of soule is no lesse then was IAAKOBS in the keeping of LABANS sheep Gen. 31. 40.
dead and deiected spirits which Paul right well knowing hauing commanded vs to reioyce and that euermore euen in our afflictions 1 Thess 5. 16. 17. addeth immediately a commaundement of praying continually as the onely speciall and soueraigne meanes whereby sound ioy and comfort is carried and conueied into the soule of man Would wee then reioyce and refresh our spirits cast downe and lift them vp againe with consolatory meditations See then that thou remember the Apostles rule to pray continually and in prayer to acquaint God with those thy meditations prayer being that which wringeth and presseth out that sweet iuyce and precious liquor of that heauenly comfort which is contained in them They be the sighes of the Spirit in prayer that fetch out the comforts of the Spirit in the word And to them onely and to no other are the doctrines of the word comfortable in affliction who in prayer can vtter them to the Lord with the same spirit wherewithall the Holy Ghosts Secretaries wrote them And this is the reason that many learned men which know the comforts of the word yet reape no benefit by them because they want the Spirit of Prayer to vtter them This one meditation of the blessednesse of the man chastised and taught by God yeeldes comfort onely to him who with this holy Prophet can in the apprehension of this meditation aduance his heart to God and say Blessed is the man whom thou chastizest O Lord c. And surely good reason is there if wee rightly consider of it that matter of comfort conceiued in our harts should be vttered in prayer vnto the Lord. For whence was it that any matter of comfort came into thy minde Was it not of God who hath this as part of his style to be the God of comfort was it not he that poured those comforts into thy soule good reason then thou shouldest againe poure them forth into his bosome and returne them backe to him that is the Father and fountaine of them And in truth such is the nature of spirituall comfort that being shed into our hearts it so enlarges and dilates them that it makes them to poure forth themselues in prayer vnto the Lord. The sweete comfortable rayes of this sunne when once they haue lighted vpon our hearts by our reading and meditating in the word doe forthwith againe rebound and reflect backe vpon God from whom they came by our earnest and feruent prayers sent vp to him And therefore no sooner could the Lord minister an answere to the obiection which rose in the Prophets minde out of his former argument of consolation but the Prophet forthwith as ye see returnes this answere to the Author thereof therein giuing him the glory of that comfort which hee reaped by it saying Blessed is the man c. So much of the scope and coherence of the text The words themselues containe an attribution of blessednes to the man chastised of God and taught by him in his Law In the man therefore here pronounced blessed two things are propounded 1. He is one of Gods chastised 2. He is one of Gods taught And here for the right vnderstanding of the words wee must remember that blessednesse is giuen in both these respects ioyntly together and not seuerally in regard of each The Prophets meaning is not that he who is chastised of God is blessed and so also he that is taught of God but that he in whom both these meete together to bee both chastised and taught of God that such an one is blessed In the handling of the words I will speak of these two points 1. Of the qualities of the man here blessed by the Prophet 2. Of that blessednesse which here is ascribed vnto him in regard of those qualities For the first the qualities are two 1. He is chastised of God Here it may seeme strange that the Prophet speaking of afflictions which came by wicked men vnto the Church as appeares by the former part of the Psalme should yet ascribe them vnto God But wee must know that it is not the Prophets meaning hereby any thing at all to excuse the wicked Persecutors who besides the euill of punishment in correcting the Church which is Gods iust and holy worke are to bee charged with the euill of sinne in that they do this work of God blindly and ignorantly propounding to themselues the satisfying of their owne malicious and spightfull affections as the onely end of that they doe and no such thing as God intendeth What then Surely hereby he would teach vs that Gods holy Doct. hand hath a speciall stroke in those afflictions which come to his Church and children euen by meanes of euill and vnreasonable men Is there any euill in the Citie and I haue not done it Amos 3. 6. And yet we know that many if not most euills are done by some bad men or other But for all that God wil haue all acknowledged as his own doing Hereupon Ioseph though of his enuious brethren sold into Aegypt saith that God sent him thither And Iob robbed of the Sabaans saith The Lord hath taken away Iob 1. The Lords hand in the punishment inflicted on his by euill ones shewes it selfe in these three actions 1. From all eternities he did appoint them Act. 4. 28. to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and counsell hath appointed to be done 2. He being able to hinder and restraine them doth not but willingly suffers them yea he withdrawes that which might hinder as his retaining grace which before kept them in and other outward impediments yea he sends those things which hee knowes through their corruptions will further and forward them as outward obiects and occasions 3. Hee ordereth and disposeth these punishments turning them to his owne glory and the good of his Church Thus Ioseph said of his selling into Aegypt God disposed it to good though his brethren thought euill against him Gen. 50. 20. This must teach vs patience when we are wronged Vse iniuried and oppressed in any sort by euill men because then being vnder them we are vnder Gods rod as Ashur is called Is 10. This vse Dauid made Ps 39. 10. Absalon rising vp against him I was dumbe and said nothing because it was thy doing And this made him so patiently endure Shimies rayling not suffering his seruants to take reuenge because the Lord had commaunded him to curse 2. Sam. 16. 10. As in that persecution of the tongue so likewise in the persecution of the hand it may bee said The Lord hath commaunded Tyrants to imprison to impouerish to beate to banish and to behead his children And therefore as noble men condemned to die do patiently suffer the stroake of death at the hands of the base Executioner therein shewing their subiection and obedience to their Prince so must we patiently and meekly endure all the indignities and iniuries of wicked worldly men therein giuing testimonie of our obedience to God who vseth them as instruments of his
Temple to Bacchus in his Celler In too many families Venus hath her Altars in the Chambers Bacchus his Sacrifices in the Butteries which two hauing made their diuident in the family shared their Deuotoes alas what poore thirds wil be left for God Whatsoeuer disorders are in publike they will neuer be redressed so long as families especially great Ones are vnreformed The Family the Common-wealth the Church are Sunt igitur tres coelestes Hierarchiae de quibus Asini Sophistae tam multa nugātur aliud nihil quam vita Oeconomica politica Ecclesiastica Luther in Gene. the three heauenly Hierarchies as Luther termes them But surely the first is not heauenly vnlesse the last be in it If the church be not in it it wil proue but an hellish Hierarchy yea and will poyson both the other If families were Churches and religiously gouerned what great ease would Gouernours of the Church and Common-wealth finde The way to heale the naughty waters is with Elisha 2. King 2. 21. to goe to the spring to cast in the salt there It is but a folly to complaine of misorders else-where while our own families are misordred Now R. H. as you graced and gaue countenance to the first of this Authors works printed since his death so may you be pleased to accept this last as a testimony of all thankefull acknowledgement of your great and vndeserued fauours As it was the Authors desire in the handling of this holy Scripture the first fruits of his constant ministeriall labours to perfect that noble and honourable family of your Fathers where it was opened as in many other points of Christianity so in the knowledge of family-duties that it might be brought to greater perfection so is it my desire by publishing the same to further the common good of all good Christians in awakening stirring them vp to the conscionable discharge of teaching and right ordering their families to the honour of God their owne and the endlesse good of many soules And that by your diligent reading hereof you would be pleased to obserue practise all such rules directions as may any way tend to the bettering of your iudgement and family For it is with Families as with Churches on earth none completely perfect during our pilgrimage here The which while you shall doe you shall bring vpon your selfe Abrahams blessing promised for his wel-ordered house and Philemons honour of a Church in your family and in the end peace and happinesse to your own soule The which vnfainedly wishing you from the God of peace I humbly take my leaue and rest Epping in Essex August 15. 1618. Your Honors to be commanded in all seruice in the Lord IER DYKE A COMMENTARY VPON THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON VERS 1. 2. PAVL a prisoner of IESVS CHRIST and our brother TIMOTHY vnto our beloued PHILEMON and fellow-worker And to our beloued APPHIA and to ARCHIPPVS our fellow-Souldier and to the Church that is in thy house BEfore wee come to The Argument of the Epistle the words wee will a little consider of the argument of this Epistle and of some generall instructions there arising ONESIMVS a naughty seruant running away from his master PHILEMON lights vpon PAVL by whose meanes and ministery hee being conuerted is returned back to his Master with this letter of PAVL in his behalfe written to his Master for pardoning him his former misdemeanour and receiuing him into fauour againe This Epistle is of another nature then any other written either by PAVL or any of the other Apostles for though sometimes they write to some one particular person as this our Apostle to TIMOTHY and TITVS and IOHN to GAIVS and the elect LADY yet euen then they write of matters concerning the whole Church and the common saluation as IVDE speaketh Iude 3. But here as the person is but a particular man so the matter is a personall matter proper to PHILEMON and his family concerning the entertaynement of a fugitiue seruant into his family and fauour againe One would thinke this were too low and meane an argument for the Spirit of GOD to handle But yet questionlesse PAVL was as well moued by the instinct and assisted with the powerfull presence of the Holy Ghost in the writing of this as any other of his Epistles as besides the common consent of the Church by the holy heauenly and gracious Character of speech agreeable to his other Epistles may easily appeare Obserue therefore How hereby the Lord would confirme our faith 1. The Scriptures written by diuine inspiration in the truth and certainty of other parts of Scripture for if euen this Epistle written to one man of a priuate matter respecting his owne family were yet writen by the inspiration of the Spirit of Truth how much more may we ascertaine our selues that other bookes treating of higher matters were not penned by the will of man but indited by the Spirit of God himselfe If when PAVL writes to PHILEMON of the receiuing of a poore slaue the Spirit of God leadeth his hand in writing how much more when he writeth to whole Churches of Christ and our Redemption by him of Faith Repentance Iustification and such like mysteries Secondly As hereby our assurance of the infallible 2. Gods prouidence in the preseruation of the Bookes of Scripture Truth of the Scriptures is confirmed so likewise of Gods Prouidence and watchfull care in the preseruation of them whole without any losse to this present day Some are of opinion that whole Bookes of Scripture are lost and among the rest some of S. PAVLS Epistles written to whole Churches as to Corinth Laodicea c. But this little Epistle riseth vp as a great witnesse against them for if the prouidence of God hath extended it selfe to the lesser how much more to the greater It is the argument of our Sauiour Matth. 6. God by his prouidence clotheth the grasse of the field how much more will he doe the like to men to his owne Elect Are not they of much greater value then Lillies So here by like proportion was not the Epistle to the Corinthians if there euer were such a one lost of greater worth then this to PHILEMON Whereof yet not the least jot or tittle hath miscarryed though in regard of the obiect and comparatiuely in respect of others it may seeme a meane Epistle for otherwise indeed nothing of the Spirits inditing is to bee counted meane How much more then would the Lord by the eye of his prouidence haue watched ouer other Epistles and Bookes handling matters of greater moment and consequence If any part of the Canon should be lost one would thinke in regard of that speciall care which God hath of his Churches good it should be that which might best be spared as not being of so necessary vse as the rest Now howsoeuer euery parcell of the Canon and so this Epistle be of singular vse yet we cannot imagine how an
were ioyntly described by the cause common to them both In this Verse and the seuenth they are described seuerally And first his Prayer in this sixt Verse from the matter of it This was that which he prayed for in PHILEMONS behalfe That the communication of his Faith might be effectuall in the knowledge c. The words are something obscure First then By the Communication of thy Faith vnderstand Thy Faith communicating it selfe Then the words following in the knowledge c. are to bee vnderstood Passiuely not Actiuely Therefore the sence is well expressed in our English Translation That whatsoeuer good thing is in you may be knowne for he speaketh of that knowledge which others should haue of PHILEMONS vertues and not that which PHILEMON himselfe should haue Now here are two Things to bee considered First What that is which PAVL prayes for in PHILEMONS behalfe The Efficacie of his Faith Secondly Wherein this Efficacie of Faith consists first in Communication That the communication of thy Faith may be made effectuall that is that thy Faith by communicating may be made effectuall secondly in the Knowledge of whatsoeuer good was in him by Christ For the first That Efficacie of Faith which here PAVL desireth for PHILEMON was two First in regard of PHILEMON himselfe that it might worke effectually in him secondly in regard of others that it might be examplarie to them and so might be effectuall in prouoking them to the like And that the Apostle had some reference euen to this latter kind of Efficacie the words following seeme to import That whatsoeuer good thing is in you may be knowne For when the light of our Faith shineth to others it very effectually stirreth them vp to the glorifying of GODS Name Matth. 5. Hence obserue First That true Faith may Doct. 1 sometimes faint and be as it were raked vp True faith may faint vnder the ashes A slouthfull kind of Sleepinesse may sometimes seize vpon it and vnfit and disable it for Spirituall Exercises As wee see in the Disciples who being oppressed with carnall griefe for the departure of CHRIST now at hand were not able to attend the Exercise of Prayer no not one houre with our Sauiour So likewise in the Philippians Phil. 4. 10. Of whom when the Apostle sayes That they were reuiued or as the word signifies waxen greene or fresh againe in their Loue and Liberalitie towards him thereby he declareth That for a time they were like Trees that in the Winter are in their Widow-hood hauing lost their Leaues and appearing outwardly as dead all their Sappe being in the Root within And truely as Trees so Faith also hath her Winter namely the Stormes and Tempests of Temptations which by their violence shake off all her greene and glorious Leaues and so make her appeare naked and desolate shee being driuen into the secret corners of the heart and there for a time to lye gasping and panting readie to giue vp the ghost Therefore Reuel 3. 2. they of Sardi are willed to strengthen the things that are readie to die Faith of it owne nature is very laborious and whiles it is strong and healthie tyes her selfe duely to her Taske and is alwayes at worke Yet sometimes the Feuer-Lurden hauing caught her shee begins to be lazie and to haue no list to worke Nay then it is Holy-day and Vacation-time with her till shee recouer her selfe againe Therefore PAVL here prayeth that PHILEMONS Faith might bee preserued from this Lethargie and Sleepinesse to the which in it selfe it was subiect and so might shew it selfe to be a liuely and effectuall Faith Secondly obserue How Faith being by Satans Doct. 2 Craft cast into this dead Sleepe may be awakened Prayer recouers fainting Faith and how it may shake off this Spirituall Lazinesse namely by this Spirituall Exercise of Prayer Therefore here PAVL prayeth for PHILEMON That his Faith might bee effectuall And if other mens Prayers may doe this much more our owne But it may seeme that Faith must rather giue Obiect efficacie to our Prayers then receiue it from them For Faith is that which setteth vs on worke to pray It both giueth and receiueth yea in giuing it Ans receiueth It is the strength of the bodie whereby it moueth and stirreth and yet by this motion it is confirmed and encreased If thy legge be benummed goe vpon it a little and it will come to it selfe so if thy Faith be as it were benummed cause it to moue and stirre in this holy Exercise of Prayer and thou shalt find presently her spirits returning againe to her and the Coales before couered vnder the ashes by these bellowes to be blowne vp and conceiue a flame For Prayer is a notable preseruatiue against Spirituall slumber prescribed by the most skilfull Physician saying Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation Now those things which are able to preuent Diseases are able also for the most part to cure them Yet thinke not there is any vertue in our Prayer to doe this but in GOD who hauing bound himselfe thereto by promise sendeth his Spirit into our hearts when we are in this exercise whereof see an example Acts 2. 1. Thirdly PAVL here plainely teacheth vs that Doct. 3 true Faith in his owne nature is effectuall liuely Faith is a liuely Grace full of vigour and spirits 1. Thessal 1. vers 3. The worke of your faith that is your working Faith Faith is of a working and stirring disposition and is alwayes quicke-spirited and nimble vnlesse when it bee wounded by some grieuous temptation Thy faith then which like the Sluggard holdeth her hands in her bosome loth to stirre out of doores which alwayes lyes dreaming within leading an idle sedentarie life this Faith I say which is of so heauy a mold of such leaden heeles is a false faith what shewes soeuer it haue For actiuenesse is the property of true Faith I discerne the picture of a man though neuer so liuely to bee no true man because it stands still and stirres not Therefore though it haue shew of eyes mouth feet c. yet when I see it neither goes sees nor speakes I know it is no man So when I looke vpon thy faith and find for all the colours of outward profession that it is idle I conclude forthwith that it is an Idoll a shaddow void of truth and substance Shew mee thy faith by thy works saith IAMES Indeed if Pride Swearing prophaning of the Sabbaths Vncleannesse were fruits of faith then these Braggers would iustifie their faith as very effectuall But since the fruits of Faith are Mortification Meekenesse Loue c. and not the least drop or dram of these Graces are to be seene in them it appeareth that their Faith is a very emptie and imaginatie Faith The second followes namely wherein this Efficacie of Faith here prayed for consists first in Communication secondly in the knowledge of euery good thing For the first Obserue That
by the rite and ceremony of annoynting and that typically to shadow out that CHRIST was ordained of his father our spirituall King Prophet and Priest Priests were annoynted Leuit. 21. 10. Kings were annoynted 1 Sam. 10. 1. Prophets were annoynted 1 King 19. 16. This name CHRIST therefore teaches that hee is the true annoynted King Priest and Prophet of his Church Acts 4. 27. Thine holy sonne Iesus whom thou hast annoynted Acts 10. 38. God annoynted Iesus of Nazareth with the holy Ghost and with power Psal 45. 7. God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all thy fellowes There is his annoynting as King which is also found Psal 89. 20. And CHRIST applying that Isa 61. 1. to himselfe Luk. 4. 18. shewes thereby his annoynting as a Prophet yea and this is to bee marked that the three offices of King Priest and Prophet though they were in some doubled yet neuer had any one all of them ioyntly but CHRIST who was annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes MELCHISEDEC was King and Priest SAMVEL was Priest and Prophet DAVID was King and Prophet but onely CHRIST King Priest and Prophet Hee alone was indeede that annoynted One at whom all legall vnctions poynted For the better vnderstanding of this poynt consider breefly foure things 1. The parts of his annoynting They are two First his consecration whereby hee was set a part to doe the office of a Mediatour betweene God and Man For as the Priest vnder the Law Exod. 30. 30. when he was annoynted was thereby separate and set apart for the office of the Preist-hood and consecrated vnto that function So Christs annoynting consists first in this in being from all eternity set apart to be a Mediatour between God and man and the King Priest and Prophet of his Church Secondly the effusion or powring forth the fulnesse of Gods spirit and grace into his man-hood And therefore Isa 61. 1. and Acts 10. hee is sayd to bee annoynted with the Holy Ghost Wherein Christs annoynting excells the annoyntings of all Kings Priests Prophets inasmuch as the oyle wherwith he was annoynted was the spirit of God it selfe 2. The obiect of this annoynting The obiect or subiect is the whole person of Christ God and man He was annoynted in both natures for hee was annoynted as Mediatour now he is Mediatour not as man onely but in both natures and therefore in both natures annoynted But this must rightly bee vnderstood Hee was annoynted in the Godhead onely in regard of the first part which was Consecration by which hee was designed to be Mediatour 3. The manner or measure of his annoynting That we finde Ioh. 3. 34. Hee hath not receiued the spirit by measure that is hee hath receiued the spirit of GOD in a wonderfull extraordinary measure Indeede we all receiue the Spirit in measure Ephes 4. 7. But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ But his measure was a measure well heaped and thrust euen so great a measure as a finite nature was capable of Therefore Psal 45. 7. Thy GOD hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes More grace hath he then all others yea all that others haue they haue from him for of his fulnesse wee all receiue Yet was not this measure infinite for the man-hood is finite 4. The benefits wee haue by his being CHRIST that is Annoynted They are these three 1. Wee are heereby made Kings and Preists Reuel 1. 6. 2. Wee by his annoynting are also annoynted with the gifts of GODS spirit 1 Ioh. 2. 27. and hence GODS Saints are called GODS annoynted Psal 105. 15. and wee called Christians from CHRIST And if CHRIST had not beene annoynted neither should we For the oyle that was powred on AARONS head Psal 133. 2. ranne downe vpon his beard and the border of his garments but yet first vpon his head and then to the garments So wee are annoynted but our head first and so this oyle of grace runnes downe from the head vnto all the parts of this mysticall body 3. Hereby GOD smells a sweet sauor of rest in all our sacrifices duties and seruices CHRIST being annoynted with that sweet oyle and wee being in him are a sweet sauor vnto the Lord yea hence haue our prayers their sweetnesse Whatsoeuer touched any thing that was annoynted with the holy oyle was holy Exod. 30. 29. yea the altar of incense was annoynted with holy oyle CHRIST is that annoynted altar our incense our prayers layd and offered thereon thereby come to be sweet and holy By this mayest thou try whether CHRIST be in Vse 1 thee or no. Hee is Annoynted and the sweet oyle powred out vpon him if hee bee in thee thou shalt know it by the sweetnesse of the oyntment When the box of oyntment was broken vpon CHRISTS feet the sauour thereof filled the whole house How can I then beleeue that CHRIST is in that heart where are nothing but the dunghilly sauours of the world the nasty sauours of rottennesse and corruption and the vile stench of carnall thoughts This sweet oyntment should draw our affections to him Cant. 1. 2. They are wise and blessed virgins Vse 2 that labour to smell the sweetnesse of GODS annoynted and in the sense of the sweetnesse of his graces enflame their affections towards him But the sauour of the earth and the noysome smells of the lusts of the flesh doe so stuffe our heads that we cannot smell any such sweetnesse as should make our affections to long after him That CHRIST our head is annoynted it is great Vse 3 comfort to vs. Thou feelest thy selfe dry and empty of grace but yet remember our head is annoynted with the oyle of grace euen whole riuers of this oyle are powred forth vpon him and that not for himselfe but for vs. Whence we are called Christians because euery one of vs in our measure shall bee made partakers of this vnction If wee be members of CHRISTS body though the meanest the lowest the foot the very skirts of the garments thou canst not misse of thy share in this oyle It will runne downe all the body from the head Thus wee see what a sweet name this name of Christ is his name is indeede as an oyntment powred out Cant. 1. 2. 2. The thing prayed for The grace of c. of this before verse 3. Thus as PAVL begun with prayer so ends he with prayer So should all our actions be both begunne and closed with prayer So Col. 3. 17. And whatsoeuer yee shall doe in word or in deed doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus Therefore the Israelites when they remooued and pitched their tents they did neither without prayer Numb 10. 35. 36. Prayer should beginne and prayer should end the day Then if our actions prooue successefull wee may reioyce in the successe as of GOD of whom wee begged it if not wee
thing better because Gods Spirit hath not gone with the affliction to put life and spirit into it as Moses obserued in the Israelites Deut. 29. 2 3 4. Yee haue seene saith he all that the Lord hath done before your eyes in the Land of Egypt the great tentations which thine eyes haue seene c. Yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day And Dauid complaines also of them Psal 106. 7. Our Fathers vnderstood not thy wonders in Egypt They saw them but vnderstood them not because God gaue them not an vnderstanding heart The second point is The lessons taught this blessed man by the two former Schoolemasters Whom thou teachest What In thy Law Here obserue generally what it is which afflictions Doct. or God by afflictions teacheth his children euen the selfe same thing which he teacheth in his Word as the Schoolemaster teacheth his scholler the same thing by the rod which hee teacheth by words The Word then is the storehouse of all instruction Looke not for any new diuers doctrine to be taught thee by affliction which is not in the word For in truth herein stands our teaching by affliction that it fits prepares vs for the Word by breaking subduing the stubbornnesse of our hearts and making them plyable and capable of the impression of the Word Wherefore as the Apostle saith that the Lawe is our Schoolmaster to Christ Gala. 3. because the Law by shewing vnto vs our disease forceth vs to the Physician So likewise it may be said that afflictions are Schoolmasters to the Law For whilst we are at ease and in prosperity though the sonnes of thunder terrifie vs neuer so much with the fearefull cracks of legall menaces yet are we as deafe men nothing moued therewith But when we are humbled and meekened by affliction then is there way made for the terrors of the Law then doe wee begin with some reuerence of attention to listen and giue eare vnto them When therefore God sends vs any affliction we must know that then he sends vs to the Law and to the Testimony For he teacheth vs indeed in our affliction but it is in his Law And therfore if in our affliction we wil learne any thing we must take Gods booke into our hands and carefully seriously peruse it And hereby shall it appeare that our afflictions haue been our Teachers if by them wee haue felt our selues stirred vp to greater diligence zeale and reuerence in reading and hearing the Word Wee see then the generall lesson which affliction teacheth namely that which is in the Law But this generall comprehends within his large circuite many specialls worth the knowing In speciall therefore to consider of the particular lessons which affliction teacheth those whom it maketh blessed wee must knowe that they are very many They may be reduced to two heads according to the sorts of the schollers that learne which being Afflictions lessons 2. of two kinds either such as are to be conuerted or such as are already conuerted answerably are the lessons taught some for the one sort some for the other 1. For the first sort Those who are yet to bee conuerted They by their afflictions are taught this 1 To the vnconuerted one worthy lesson worth all the lessons in the world namely to conuert turne to the Lord to repent and belieue the Gospell This affliction teacheth vs not of it selfe for of it selfe it teacheth vs rather aversion from God then conuersion vnto God of it selfe it rather driues vs further frō then drawes vs neerer vnto Christ But onely by accident and occasionally euen as the Law shewes vs Christ which of it self shewes vs nothing but damnation For in this very point as in many others affliction is the Deputy and Vicar of the Law working with vs in the selfe same manner For it is that hammer that breakes our rocky hearts and makes them to see and feele euen by our own experience how vile and miserable we are and so when we are thus brought to the sight of our own misery by sin God who can draw forth water euen out of the rock takes occasion thereby to stir vp in our hearts a serious consideration of and an earnest desire after that remedy of our misery which is propounded in the Word This lesson did Manasses learne in the schoole of affliction being before a very monster of men The prison was a meanes of his spirituall enlargement The bolts of iron wherwithall he was fast fettered and deteyned vnder the power of his aduersaries vnlosed the bonds and fetters of sinne wherewithall he was held captiue vnder the dominion of Satan Thus was it also with the Iaylor Act. 16. vnto whom the danger of his outward man was a happy meanes of the safety and saluation both of his outward and inward man The sword wherewithall he would haue thrust himselfe thorough vvas that which whetted and sharpned the sword of the Spirit to enter piercingly and deeply into his heart and conscience A scholler of the same forme was Paul Act 9. who when he was vnhorsed by Christ and striken downe to the ground and smitten with blindnesse then euen by meanes hereof was spiritually lift vp to the high dignity of a sonne and seruant of God His bodily blindnesse opened the eyes of his mind and made him in meeknesse of spirit to humble himselfe vnder his hands whom he was persecuting and to say Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe It were to be wished that afflictions might finde such happy schollers now a dayes amongst vs that by them our eares as Iob speakes being opened to discipline being before vncircumcised and shut vp we might iustly say with Paul 1 Cor. 11. that we are iudged heere that we should not be iudged heereafter Then might wee safely assume to our selues the blessednesse heere spoken of when being chastized wee haue also beene taught of the Lord to abhorre our former sinfull wicked courses and in truth of heart to turne vnto the Lord. But it is farre otherwise mens hearts are like the Smiths stith the more God strikes them with his iudgements the harder they are like to those Iewes Amos complains of in his fourth chapter I haue sent these and these iudgements as pestilence famine sword yet haue not turned vnto mee And why should yee bee smitten any more since yee fall away more and more Isay 1. 5. Such Non-Proficients are our vnconuerted ones in this schoole of affliction For he that profiteth in this inferiour schoole stayes not long here but is presently sent to an higher schoole euen the schoole of Christ himselfe And then oh thou wicked wretch shalt thou shew thy selfe a good scholler of thine affliction when by it thou art made a Disciple of Christ For this is all this Vsher teaches thee to enter into the schoole of the Arch-Teacher IESVS CHRIST Then therefore hast thou learned thy
Behold I am vile and abhor my selfe in dust and ashes Iob. 42. Then with the Prodigall child though before thinking our selues to be too good to be sonnes wee iudge our selues scarce worthy the roome of a seruant Then with Dauid though before blessing our selues vvith the pompe and pride of our glorious estate we said we should neuer be moued yet then by experience seeing our former vanitie we despise all the glory and greatnes of this world saying with Dauid Psal 39. 11. When thou with rebukes doost chastise man for iniquity thou as a moath makest his beauty to consume surely euery man is vanity Secondly this inward Humiliation is also in the afflictions whē in the sight of our sins we haue broken 2. In affliction brused and bleeding hearts This humiliation also hath affliction alwaies wrought in the hearts of Gods children Iere. 31. 18. I heard Ephraim lamenting Lam. 3. 20. My soule hath them namely the gall and wormewood of affliction in remembrance and is humbled in mee 2. Outward Which is declared in our outward 2. Outward cariage both towards God and man This also affliction will wring frō vs for it will bring vs downe vpon our knees before God and make vs confesse our owne vnworthinesse as in Iob the Prodigall in Ephraim Iere. 31. 18. confessing his owne vntamednes with teares And Lam. 3. It makes a man to put his mouth in the dust It makes vs also to be of an humble and lowly carriage towards men doing nothing that may sauour of pride contempt or disdaine but rather abasing our selues to our inferiours and Lam. 3. giuing our cheeks to the smiters and patiently meekly without desire of reuenge enduring many opprobrious indignities Hereof we haue a notable example in Dauid who though the King yet beeing throughly humbled by that grieuous affliction of Absaloms treason most quietly and contentedly suffered the base pesant Shimei to be myre him with the durt of his filthy tongue restraining his seruants from reuenge 3. The third act of Repentance which affliction 3. In vocation teacheth vs to renue is after that we haue seen our sinnes and in some good measure haue been humbled for them to pray earnestly as for life death for the pardon of them and for power ouer them In prosperity we pray heauily drowsily as thogh we had no life but in our affliction this lazinesse is shaken off The sense of our present misery sets an edge vpon our prayers puts life and spirit into them yea it giues wings vnto them and causeth them to ascend aloft wheras before they lay groueling on the ground Oh! how sauourly do we pray in affliction how feelingly feruently forcibly Esay 26. 16. Lord in trouble how they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them So fit and seasonable a time is affliction for prayer then it flowes from vs and we can poure it forth but alas how droppingly it comes from vs in prosperity Iam. 5. Is any man afflicted let him aboue any other pray For he most of all feeles his wants and he most of all hath the presence of the Spirit the onely Schoolemaster of prayer to help his infirmities and to stirre vp strong sighes and cryes and groanes vnvtterable Rom. 8. 26. 4. The last and principall act of our Repentance 4. Reformation which afflictions call vpon vs for is reformation of those our sinnes for the which after we had found them out by examination we humbled our selues and prayed earnestly for the pardon of them Iob 36. 10. Elihu hauing set downe the first act of repentance for sinnes past namely the discerning of thē as a fruit of affliction addeth also this last of reformation as another Hee openeth their eares to discipline and commaundeth them to depart from iniquitie So likewise Esay 27. 9. By this namely the afflictions formerly spoken of shall the iniquity of Iaacob be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of his sinne So then afflictions when by Gods Spirit they are made powerfull Teachers they wil not let vs rest in seeing our sinnes in humbling our selues for them in praying against them but they will commaund vs as Elihu speakes to depart from iniquity to leaue and forsake our sinnes to learn the contrary graces and vertues This Dauid felt in his owne experience Psal 119. who before he was afflicted went astray but hauing been nurtured in this Schoole acknowledges that it was good for him that he had bin afflicted because thereby he had learned to keep the cōmandements The blewnes of the wound saith Salomon serues to purge out euil Pr. 20. 30. when we haue felt the smart of sinne by our affliction then like burnt children will we dread the fire In this respect affliction is compared in Scripture to a Furnace into which gold being cast loses his drosse and comes forth pure and purged 1. Pet. 1. 9. In prosperity we contract and gather together much soyle and drosse which the Lord is fayne to driue out of vs by the heate of this scorching fire that so we might be pure and refined metall for himselfe being made partakers of his holinesse Heb. 12. 10. Therefore Lam. 3. are afflictions compared to a yoake It is good for a man to beare the yoake in his youth because it tameth and mortifies our wilde and vnruly corrupt natures and makes vs in all things plyable to the will of God This Purgatory therefore we willingly acknowledge the Purgatory of afflictions whereby God scowres and cleanses vs from the draffe of many noysome and vnsauory corruptions and as it were by a strong Purge empties and euacuates those superfluities of malice enuie pride security wherewith we were before surcharged Let vs all therefore examine our selues in this one point whether our afflictions haue brought the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto our soules whether the Niter and Fullers sope thereof hath washed out our Leopards spots whether the rawnesse of our corrupt and fulsome humours haue beene taken away after that we were sodden and soaked in afflictions For this is the maine vse of our afflictions And that which our Sauiour said to the man healed Ioh. 5. do all our afflictions say to vs both at their comming as also and that more especially at their departure and farewell Go your wayes and sinne no more lest worse things come vnto you The want of this fruite is lamentable in many who howsoeeuer in the extremity of their affliction purpose and promise yea and solemnely vow this reformation yet no sooner is the hand of God off them but with the dog comming out of the water they shake their eares and do againe with the Sow returne to the wallowing in the mire And these be the acts of our Repentance in regard of Sinnes past 2. There is another Act respecting sinnes to 2. Wise preuention of sinnes to come come which affliction also stirreth vp in vs