Two Treatises, Commentary on verse · Verse 11
VERS. 11. In times past vnprofitable to thee, but now profitable both to thee and me.
WE hauehave heard of the propounding of the Petition. Now we are to come to the proſecuting thereof, which conſiſteth partly, in anſwering Obiections that might be made againſt it, and partly, in fortifying it with ſtrong and perſwaſiue arguments. Now here firſt of all he preuents an Obiection; yet ſo, that withall he doth bring a very effectuall reaſon for the ſtrengthening of his Petition.
The Obiection may more fully thus be framed, What is this that I heare? Doeſt thou entreat me for that vile Varlet ONESIMVS? that vile Varlet and fugitiue Theefe? Wilt thou open thy mouth for ſuch a one? PAVL anſwers by a diſtinction of times, Once, now, graunting, that once he was ſo, but now the caſe is altered with him, hee is become a new man.
In his anſwer note two things: firſt, his graunt of the Obiection, in regard of time paſt, wherewithall he mollifies the Obiection with a leſſening kind of ſpeech, when he ſayth only, that he was vnprofitable; although he was not onelyonly vnprofitable, but alſo hurtfull: ſecondly, the denyall of it in regard of the time preſent, which is ſet forth by the contrarie Affirmation, Now (he ſaith not he is not vnprofitable, but) he is profitable. And this his profitableneſſe is amplified by compariſon of vnequals, that it is farre greater then his former vnprofitableneſſe; which is ſhewed by the ſubiects of both: Before he was vnprofitable to thee only, but now his profitableneſſe extends it ſelfe, not only to thee, whom only he hurt with his theft, but to me alſo, and ſo in me, to many others.
Hence note, how hard a thing it is euen for good Doct. men to forget and forgiue iniuries done vntounto them: Hard for good men to forgiue iniuries.for what needed PAVL to hauehave preuented this Obiection, if he had not thought PHILEMON would hauehave beene readie to hauehave obiected it? And in that PAVL, as ſoone as euer he had named ONESIMVS, forthwith preuented this Obiection, thereby hee giues vsus ſufficiently to vnderſtand, That ſuch is our corruption, that we can ſcarce patiently endure the very names of thoſe that hauehave wronged vsus. And truly, wee ſhall ſee oftentimes, at the very naming of thoſe whom they count their enemies, their bloud will preſently riſe. But as PAVL went about to preuent this in PHILEMON, ſo muſt wee in our ſelues; and for this purpoſe, wee muſt call backe our minds from thoſe iniuries which our brethren hauehave done vsus, and ſet them to conſider of thoſe which we very indignely hauehave offered the Lord. And when we ſhal once ſee his patience, in bearing with great and grieuous contumelies at our hands, this will make vsus more eaſily to paſſe the ſmall and pettie iniuries of our brethren. Thus much from the Obiection.
Conſider now PAVLS anſwer, and firſt his conceſſion, Doct. Once he was vnprofitable.Wicked ſeruants may be in good Families.
Whence wee may learne, that ſometimes there may be wicked ſeruants euen in the families of moſt religious Gouernours. ONESIMVS, when hee was yet a Naughty-pack, was yet in godly PHILEMONS houſe. Thus was ELISHA troubled with GEHAZI, and ABRAHAM with HAGAR. Neither alwaies may the wickedneſſe of the ſeruants be imputed to their Maſters, ſo that they doe that which belongeth to them, as, no doubt, PHILEMON did aboundantly, for his houſe was the Church of God. But if any ſuch naughtie ſeruants grow deſperate, and ſeeme to vsus paſt recouerie, then they muſt be caſt forth, as once HAGAR was with ISMAEL. And it is to be thought, that ONESIMVS continuing ſo as he did, if he had not runne away himſelfe, would quickly hauehave been put away by his Maſter.
The ſecond part of PAVLS anſwer, is his denying of that which is obiected, in regard of the time preſent, but now profitable.
Here firſt marke the vnlikeneſſe of ONESIMVS Doct. to himſelfe, in regard of diuers times. Once, that is, True conuerſion workes a manifeſt change.before his conuerſion, he was vnprofitable, but now, after his conuerſion, he is become profitable. Wherefore, true conuerſion hath manifeſtly ioyned with it a change and alteration; inſomuch, as when I compare a mans life preſent with his life paſt, I may breake forth into an admiration, and ſay, O how much he is changed from that he was wont to be! See 1. Cor. 6. 11. Rom. 6. and Eph. 5. Ye were once Darkneſſe, now ye are Light. This then is no ſmall or obſcure change, which is like that change which is made in the aire by the riſing of the Sunne; nay, it is ſuch a change, that not onelyonly the inward affections of the mind doe put on a new nature, but alſo the outward carriage of life, a new face and habite, and that euen in the iudgement of thoſe which before were our companions in wickedneſſe, Who thinke it ſtrange we hold not on our former courſe, 1. Pet. 4. 4. Here then is a notable note, to try our conuerſion by; Looke, if there be difference of our affections and actions paſt and preſent, felt of our ſelues, and diſcerned of others. How many are there, that are the ſame that they were alwayes, euen from the beginning? and this they thinke a ſpeciall commendation. Others indeed are changed, but with a change cleane contrarie to this of ONESIMVS, from good to euill, and from euill to worſe: of whom it may be ſaid, Once profitable, but now vnprofitable; once Preachers, now perſecuters of the Faith. But if any will be in Chriſt, let him become a new creature, let all old things paſſe away, and let all things become new.
Secondly, In that PAVL ſtoppeth PHILEMONS mouth, readie to take vantage againſt ONESIMVS for his former wicked life, with his preſent courſe of life now conuerted, we learne, that the ſinnes which went before our conuerſion, muſt nothing preiudice vsus, hauing repented. For true repentance wipes and waſhes away all the ſtaine of them, euen out of the ſight of God; much more ſhould it do ſo out of the ſight of men. Shall man be more ſeuere then God, who is Iuſtice it ſelfe? Shall we condemne thoſe that God hath iuſtified? Shal we lay open that nakednes which God hath couered? Shall we rake vp thoſe dead carkaſſes which God hath buried; and that in the graue of his owne Sonne? Farre be it then from vsus, to vpbraid any of the Saints, either with their ſinnes before their conuerſion, or with thoſe their faults and falls after conuerſion, the blot whereof they hauehave taken away by their renued repentance. Nay, farre be it from vsus, to ſhew our ſelues any thing more ſeuere to a true Penitentiarie for his former ſinnes. We are not to hit men in the teeth with that baſe eſtate wherein once they were, after it pleaſeth God to aduance them to higher callings, Galat. 2. 6. much leſſe then are we to vpbraid thoſe whom God hath lifted vp to the high calling of Chriſtianitie, ſarre exceeding all the Callings of this life whatſoeuer, with that ſeruile condition they were vnderunder before, to Sinne and Sathan. And yet this is the common practice of many, inſomuch, that the prouerb is true, Once I did ill, &c. But herewithall PAVL imparts thus much, that vnleſſe ONESIMVS had repented, there had beene place for this exception. If then, hauing ſinned and defiled thy Conſcience, thou goeſt on impudently, and carrying a whooriſh wainſcot forhead, that cannot bluſh, and art not any thing troubled or touched in Conſcience for it, then know, the ſtaine of thy ſinne ſtill remaines, & makes thee ignominious; God & thine owne Conſcience, yea Sathan and the world may caſt the dung of it in thy face, and fill thee with reproch: till thou haſt baptized thine owne Conſcience with the teares of repentance, the filth of thy ſinne ſtill ſticks in it, euen as dirt doth in the face, till it be waſhed. Though the very act of doing the ſinne paſſe away haply in a moment, yet impenitencie is a kind of continuation thereof. Hence Chriſt ſaith, Ioh. 19. 41. to the obſtinate Phariſes, that their ſinne remained, continued, & ſtood firme and ſetled: & 10. 8. All that were before me, are theeues, though they were dead: yet he ſaith not, They were, but in the preſent tenſe, They are theeues and robbers, becauſe in the impenitent, ſinne cleaueth to them no leſſe after the committing of the ſinne, then if ſtill they were in the very act of doing of it.
But to repentant ſinners this miniſtreth ſingular comfort, ſpecially then, when by the clamors of Sathan, their own conſcience, and the inſulting world, they ſhall be conſtrained, with IOB, to poſſeſſe euen the ſinnes of their youth. To all theſe, ſetting vponupon vsus at once, we muſt anſwer as here PAVL did for ONESIMVS, oppoſing the ſweet diuine Sentence of ſweet and holy BRADFORD, Tell me not, Sathan, what I hauehave beene, but what I am and will be.
This profitableneſſe of ONESIMVS, as I touched before, is made greater then his former vnprofitableneſſe, in regard of the perſons whom it reſpecteth, which are two, firſt, his Maſter, to thee, ſecondly, PAVL, to me.
For the firſt, it may be asked, how could ONESIMVS Queſt. as yet be profitable to his maſter, before he was returned; as yet, he had done him no ſeruice?
It is likely, that whileſt ONESIMVS was with Anſ. PAVL, he did him the beſt ſeruice he could; wherein he was but his Maſters deputy, as appeareth by that which PAVL ſayth, Verſe 13. But I take the ſimple meaning of PAVL to be, That hee was now, by his conuerſion, made ſuch a one that might be profitable to him, though as yet actually he were not.
Hence then we learne, who be the profitable ſeruants, Doct. namely, the religious. For PAVL here grants Religious ſeruants profitable.that ONESIMVS, whileſt he was prophane, was alſo vnprofitable to his Maſter; but being now conuerted, he ſaies, that he is profitable. This I would hauehave Maſters conſider, in the choice of their ſeruants. Commonly, all that is ſtood vponupon here, is skill and abilitie for thoſe ſeruices wee purpoſe to employ them in; as it is ſaid of SALOMON, that he ſaw IEROBOAM was a man fit for the worke. But as for Religion, no great matter is made of that, which yet is all in all: for I auouch it, that the vngodly ſeruant, though otherwiſe he may ſeeme neuer ſo fit for our turnes, to be vnprofitable; and that a ſeruant fearing God, though comming farre ſhort of the other, in wit, knowledge, and dexteritie, for managing of buſineſſes, ought yet to be preferred before him, as farre more profitable. For firſt, the euill ſeruant draweth the Curſe of God vponupon all his endeuours; whereby it commeth to paſſe, that euen the wiſedome of ſuch as are not inferior to ACHITOPHEL, often vaniſhes into fooliſhneſſe. And whereas the contrarie, by vertue of Gods bleſſing proſpering whatſoeuer the righteous man takes in hand, Pſ. 1. 3. euen his fooliſhneſſe & ſimplicitie, in reſpect of the deepe policies of the wicked man, is turned into wiſedome, and ſorteth to very good & happy effect, Pſ. 37. The little of the iuſt man is more then great riches of the wicked. That which is ſpoken there of wealth, is true likewiſe of wit, and of the inward gifts of the mind, as well of the outward goods of this life. A little wit, skill, & knowledge in a godly ſeruant, ſhall goe further, and be more ſeruiceable to his Maſter, then twice as much in an euill ſeruant. When IOSEPH managed POTIPHARS buſineſſes, and IAACOB, LABANS, all things were well. If then godly ſeruants, by vertue of Gods bleſſing vponupon their labours, be profitable to vngodly men, how much more then to godly? If the impietie of the Maſters whom they ſerue, cannot with-hold Gods bleſſing from their labors, how much more ſhall the pietie of their Maſters, concurring with their owne, draw downe the bleſſing of God? But as the Maſters wickedneſſe hurteth not the godly ſeruant, faithfully walking in his calling, ſo neither doth his godlineſſe any thing profit the labours of the wicked ſeruant, whom hee wittingly and willingly hath choſen, though wicked. Therefore here PAVL confeſſeth, that ONESIMVS, whileſt he was a wicked ſeruant, was vnprofitable to PHILEMON, though a godly Maſter. Againe, the wicked ſeruant doth not onelyonly bring the Curſe of God vponupon himſelfe and his endeuours, but vponupon others that liue and conuerſe with him, as by the example of ACHAN endangering the whole Army, and IONAS the whole Ship, may ſufficiently appeare. Contrariwiſe, for the ſakes of godly ſeruants, others in the Family hauehave fared the better: neither are vngodly ſeruants vnprofitable onelyonly to the body, but to the ſoule alſo, infecting the whole Family with the contagion of their euill example, euen as one ſcabbed ſheepe will doe a whole flocke. On the contrarie, by their good example, adorning the Goſpel of Chriſt, and cauſing it to appeare beautifull in the eyes euen of their irreligious Maſters, they doe oftentimes gaine them to the louelove and liking thereof, Tit. 2. 10. 1. Pet. 2. 10, 11, &c. to the 15. Verſe, euen as the beleeuing wife doth the vnbeleeuing husband, 1. Cor. 7. Laſtly, the religious ſeruant wil ſurely be faithfull and truſtie to his Maſter, as being tyed vntounto him by a ſure bond; that Conſcience which he maketh of obeying Gods Cōmandement, that inioineth him obedience to his maſter, not with eye-ſeruice, but in ſimplicitie of heart. Now for irreligious ſeruants, howſoeuer ſome ſometimes proue faithfull, yet we cannot ſafely truſt them, as not hauing the like ſure hold of them: for how ſhouldeſt thou looke he ſhould be faithfull to thee, that is vnfaithfull to God? whom Conſcience reſtrayneth not from vnfaithfulneſſe, but either want of occaſion, as we ſay in the prouerb, makes a thiefe, or feare of puniſhment, or hope of gaine, or ſome ſuch like reaſon. But that fidelity which is built only on ſuch foundations, will eaſily be ſhaken & ouercome: whereas the fidelity of the godly ſeruant hauing a farre ſurer and ſafer foundation, namely, his faithfulneſſe to God, is not ſubiect to the like ficklenes. Such a ſeruant therfore, that ſerues his heauenly Maſter, in ſeruing his earthly, mayſt thou betruſt with any thing: as we ſee ABRAHAM did commit that weightie buſineſſe of prouiding a wife for his ſonne, to his godly ſeruant▪ whom withall he betruſted with a great part of his ſubſtance, which he had in his hands, going that iourney about ISAAKS marriage. I truſt now, that it is ſufficiently manifeſted, That onelyonly the religious ſeruant is the profitable ſeruant, howſoeuer the world, blinded in iudgement, iudge him, of all others, the moſt vnprofitable. Wherfore, as this muſt teach Maſters, as we hauehave ſhewed, to hauehave a ſpeciall reſpect of Religion in the election of their ſeruants, ſo likewiſe ſeruants, if ſo be that they deſire to do any profitable ſeruice to their Maſters; firſt of all, truly to conuert to the Lord, their heauenly Maſter, to ſubiect themſelues to him, and for his ſake to ſerue their earthly, and then they ſhal be right ONESIMVSSES indeed, and of vnprofitable ſeruants become profitable.
But here Maſters alſo muſt learne another Leſſon, That ſince their godly ſeruants are profitable to them, they likewiſe be in ſome good meaſure profitable alſo to their ſeruants, and doe not deale with them in any caſe ſo as LABAN would hauehave done with IACOB, ſend them away emptie, when they hauehave for many yeeres had the benefit of their ſeruice, and thereby hauehave been made partakers of many of Gods bleſſings. Maſters muſt not be vnprofitable to their profitable ſeruants.
Further, we may obſerue out of this, that S. PAVL Conuerſion worke conſcience in particular Callings.maketh ONESIMVS, now conuerted, a profitable ſeruant; that the fruits of true conuerſion doe not only appeare in the generall duties of Chriſtianitie, but alſo, and that ſpecially, in the ſpeciall duties of our perſonall Callings. Many profeſſe, heare, receiue, pray, and doe ſuch like generall duties, who yet in the works of their ſpeciall Callings are found halting ſo groſſely, that they may ſeeme wholly to denie the power of Godlineſſe. For they make no conſcience, if they be Children, or Seruants, to ſhake off the yoke of their Parents and Maſters; if Tradeſ-men, to deale deceitfully and vnfaithfully. But if thou be truly conuerted, whatſoeuer thy Calling ſhall be, in it ſpecially thou wilt ſhew the power of Religion. If a Seruant, thou wilt be a Religious and dutifull Seruant; if a Maſter, a iuſt and equall Maſter, one that will hauehave a care of thy houſholds ſoules, as well as their bodies, &c. Therefore, Luk. 3. when IOHNS hearers came to know what were thoſe fruits of Repentance hee would hauehave them to bring forth, eueryevery one had the works of their ſpeciall callings enioyned them: The Publicanes giuen to oppreſſion and extortion, To aske no more then their due; the Souldiers giuen to Rapine and Violence, To doe no man wrong, to be content with their wages, &c.
The ſecond perſon to whom ONESIMVS is profitable, is PAVL himſelfe: and to me.
Here then we ſee, that the profitableneſſe of ONESIMVS being now conuerted, doth exceed his former vnprofitableneſſe: That hee may ſeeme to deſerue more louelove now, then hee did hatred before. And thus it is with all thoſe that are truely conuerted, the good they doe then, exceedeth the euill they did before. If they hauehave hurt any, they doe very abundantly make vp that harme, not only being profitable to thoſe whom they hauehave hurt, but alſo to others whom they neuer harmed. As here ONESIMVS by his theft ſpecially hurt PHILEMON, but being now conuerted, hee was not onelyonly profitable to his Maſter, whom he had hurt, but to PAVL and many others, whom hee neuer hurt. So PAVL himſelfe in his perſecution hurt onelyonly the Churches in Iudea, and neere adioyning: but by his Preaching and Writing hee did good to the whole Church throughout the whole world, not onelyonly whileſt he liued, but euen by his Writings, being dead. Art thou then conuerted? Recount & recognize thy life paſt; remember what hurt thou haſt done by thy euill example, and labour to doe not only as much, but farre more good, by giuing of good example. If thou haſt exceeded others in ſinne, thou muſt likewiſe exceed them in obedience. The worſe we were before our calling, the better muſt we be afterward. This was that which made PAVL goe beyond the reſt of the Apoſtles in pains and zeale in preaching, becauſe he was beyond them all in malice before. This made MARY MAGDALENE ſo exceſſiue in her louelove to Chriſt aboue others, becauſe ſhe had beene as exceſſiue and immoderate before in the louelove of her vnlawfull pleaſures.
But here it may be asked, How was ONESIMVS Queſt. profitable to PAVL?
Many wayes. Firſt, in that he reioyced him by Anſ. his Conuerſion. The heauenly Quire of Angels ſang ioyfully at his Conuerſion, Luk. 15. Much more then might PAVL, who was the author of his Conuerſion, and ſo the founder of the Angels ioy. Secondly, he miniſtred to him, queſtionleſſe, whileſt he ſtayed with him, and he was now made fit to miniſter vntounto him, Verſe 13. Thirdly, ONESIMVS hauing receiued the gift of ſpirituall ſpeech, was able thereby to edifie and comfort PAVL, euen as the poore Romans were, Rom. 1. 12.
Here then we ſee, that a Chriſtian man is not onelyonly profitable to them that hee is bound to by his ſpeciall calling, but alſo to others further off from him; and that which may ſeeme ſtrange, though he be the leaſt of the faithfull, he may be profitable to the greateſt. Wherefore the ſtrong and tall Chriſtians muſt not contemptuouſly caſt off the weake and little ones. The head to the foot cannot ſay, I hauehave no need of thee, thou canſt doe me no good. PAVL, the chiefe of the Apoſtles, here affirmeth ONESIMVS, of the baſeſt ſort of ſeruants, to be profitable vntounto him.
Wherein we hauehave further in PAVL an example of Doct. true humilitie, ſo ingenuouſly acknowledging that profit which he reaped by ſo meane a perſon. But now we may find many ONESIMVSSES, that will ſcarce acknowledge that profit which they hauehave receiued from PAVLS. But it is the part of a good nature, to acknowledge thoſe whom God hath vſed as meanes and inſtruments of any good vntounto vsus, though they be neuer ſo meane in this world. Otherwiſe, wee are vngratefull and iniurious, not onelyonly to the inſtrument, but to God himſelfe.
Laſtly obſerue, That vntounto true Conuerſion, it is Doct. not ynough that we abſtaine from euill; but alſo, that we doe the contrarie, good. For PAVL here ſhewing the fruits of ONESIMVS his Conuerſion, doth not onelyonly denie, that he is vnprofitable now, as before, but affirmeth the contrarie, and ſayth, that he is become profitable. See then in ONESIMVS the practice of the Apoſtles Precept, Epheſ. 4. Let him that ſtole, ſteale no more, but let him rather worke with his hands that which is good. ONESIMVS had hurt his Maſter before by his theft; but now being conuerted, hee doth not onelyonly giuegive ouer his ſtealing, but begins faithfully to attend his Vocation, and therein to be profitable to his Maſter. It is not ſufficient for vsus to ſay, we lead harmeleſſe liues; nay, EueryEvery Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, ſhall be hewne downe; and not thoſe only, that bring forth euill fruit. Neyther ſhall Chriſt accuſe the wicked at the laſt day, for taking the Meat out of his Mouth, or plucking his Apparrell off his Backe, but for not putting Meat into his Mouth, and Clothes vponupon his Backe.