Two Treatises, Commentary on verse · Verse 15-17
VERS. 15, 16, 17.
It may be he was therefore parted from thee for a ſeaſon, that thou mighteſt receiue him for euer.
Not now as a ſeruant, but more then a ſeruant, a brother beloued, ſpecially to mee: how much more to thee both in the fleſh, and the Lord?
If therefore thou account mee one, with whom thou hast communion, receiue him as my ſelfe.
HErein is another Obiection anſwered. Yea, but he ranne away from mee: Obiect. what reaſon then hauehave I to take him againe?
The Apoſtles anſwere is, a retorting Anſw. of the Obiection vponupon him, and making out of it an Argument againſt him, which may thus bee framed:
If his departing from thee, in Gods ſecret counſell was ſo carryed, that it might be an occaſion of thy receiuing of him for euer, then for all his departing, thou oughteſt to receiue him.
But his departing, &c. therefore. The Propoſition is wanting, the Aſſumption is in the fifteenth Verſe, in plaine words, and it is confirmed in the ſixteenth Verſe, becauſe now by meanes of his departure, he is become a Brother, that is, one truely conuerted, ioyned with him in the body of Chriſt.
The Argument is this: If his departure hauehave beene an occaſion to make him a Brother, a fellowmember with thee in Chriſt, then it was ſo carryed in Gods prouidence, that thou mighteſt receiue him for euer. But now, by his departure, he is made thy Brother, &c. The which is illuſtrated by compariſon of the leſſer, Not as a ſeruant, but aboue a ſeruant, and then confirmed by an Argument, from the leſſer to the greater, Specially to mee, how much more to thee?
Then in the ſeuenteenth Verſe followes the Concluſion of the principall Syllogiſme, Therefore receiue him, ſet forth by the manner, as my ſelfe, and inlarged with the addition of a new Argument, If thou count me one, with whom thou haſt fellowſhip. This is the Reſolution of the words. Let vsus now take them as they lye in order.
It may be he was, &c.
THis is the Aſſumption, as we ſhewed, of the Apoſtles Argument for ONESIMVS, againſt PHILEMONS obiection; wherein the Apoſtle affirmeth that ONESIMVS was ſeuered from PHILEMON for a time, That he might be receiued of him for euer.
Where conſider, firſt, the manner, wherein the Apoſtle vttereth this. Secondly, the matter it ſelfe vttered.
The manner in this word foreign, it may be, which is not to bee taken, as though the Apoſtle ſpake doubtingly, for the euent did manifeſtly declare the truth of that which he affirmed.
And that this word is not alwayes a particle of doubting, appeareth, Exod. 32. 30.
Why then doth the Apoſtle vſe it? to what purpoſe? firſt, that hee might ſeeme to mitigate onelyonly, and ſomething to extenuate the ſinne of ONESIMVS, and not to commend it as a thing in it ſelfe good.
Secondly, becauſe it was thus carryed in Gods ſecret prouidence, and was no ordinarie courſe of conuerſation: otherwiſe, if he had ſpoken abſolutely and confidently, wicked ſeruants would hauehave taken occaſion hence to hauehave runne from their Maſters, that they might be conuerted.
Now then by the example of PAVL, Miniſters Doct. muſt learne wiſedome to ſpeake warily and circumſpectly, in matters that may be peruerted and wreſted. In ſuch caſes ſo ſhould they temper their ſpeeches, that all inconuenience may be preuented. This was the reaſon why God would hauehave the conditionall threatning of death to EZEKIAS, and deſtruction to the Niniuites, pronounced abſolutely by ISAIAH and IONAH, leſt if the condition had beene vttered, it might hauehave bred too much ſecuritie in them, and hauehave hindred their repentance.
For the matter it ſelfe, there are two ſpeciall things here auouched cōcerning ONESIMVS his departure. Firſt, the Author of it God, he was parted from thee; for ſo the word properly is to bee tranſlated, rather then departed. If hee were parted and ſeparated from ONESIMVS, then there was a Separator, and that is God. Secondly, the end wherto God did diſpoſe this his ſeparation, that thou mighteſt receiue him for euer, which is amplified by the contrary oppoſition of his temporary abſence, he was parted only for a ſeaſon.
For the firſt, God is the Author of this ſeparation; not in that he did incite and ſtirre vp ONESIMVS to ſteale, or runne away; for then he ſhould be the Author of ſinne; but becauſe that in his eternall Councell he hauing decreed his euents, doth now willingly ſuffer it, withdrawing his grace from ONESIMVS, and leauing him to Satan and his owne corruption, that his owne righteous Decree might come to paſſe.
Here then wee hauehave iuſt occaſion to conſider of Doct. the infinite and vaſt gulfe of Gods prouidence, that The infinite extent of Gods prouidence.extendeth it ſelfe to all things, euen the meaneſt, not onelyonly to Kingdomes, but Families, and eueryevery particular member therein, euen to poore bondſlaues: Inſomuch, that a bondſlaue cannot runne from his Maſter, without Gods ſpeciall prouidence. This muſt teach vsus to admire the infinite depth of Gods Wiſedome and Knowledge. Wee thinke amongſt our ſelues, that in a great Family, he that taketh charge of it, and all therein, and through whoſe hands all things in the Family muſt paſſe, muſt needs be a man of ſpeciall parts. O then, the bottomeleſſe profunditie of Gods Wiſedome and Knowledge! that before all Worlds, did in one Act diſpoſe of all the ſeuerall actions of eueryevery particular man, yea, and all other creatures in the world beſides. How ſhould this make vsus reſt and rely vponupon God in our troubles, looking for that euent which hee in his prouidence hath appointed. If Gods prouidence reach to bondſlaues, how much more to others? If nothing come to paſſe in one poore Family without it, much leſſe in a whole Church: If in a Family, a ſeruant be not parted from his Maſter without Gods appointment, much leſſe in the Church are Miniſters taken away from their Flockes: And if ſuch thinges fall out by Gods prouidence, wee muſt quiet our ſelues in Gods will.
Secondly, The end is to be conſidered, why God parted ONESIMVS from his Maſter, That thou mightest receiue him for euer. This word, for euer, ſometimes ſignifies ſome ſett time; as oft in the Law, This is a ſtatute for euer, that is, during the old Couenant, till Chriſt. So we vſe to ſay, for euer, that is, during life. And ſo ſome take it here, That thou mighteſt receiue him for euer, as long as you both ſhall liue. But I rather take the wordes properly, for euer, that is, for all Eternities, as the wordes following, a proofe of theſe, doe cleare it, Not as a ſeruant, &c. but as a brother. Now this ſpirituall brotherhood betwixt ONESIMVS and PHILEMON, was to laſt indeed for euer and euer, and not onelyonly the ſhort ſpace of this preſent life.
Here obſerue, firſt, how God hath a hand euen Doct. in thoſe actions of men which are ſinfull, namely, How God hath an hand in ſinfull actions.in regard of ordination and diſpoſing of them to good. ONESIMVS had no ſuch intent, in running away, to knit himſelfe in a more neere bond to his Maſter then before; no, he went with a deſperate mind, meaning to free himſelfe wholly from his Maſters ſeruice; little thought hee of conuerting; but yet contrarie to his owne intent, turned it to be a meanes of his conuerſion. So IOSEPHS brethren little thought of any good, when they ſold him; nay, they thought euill, as IOSEPH told them, againſt him; but yet God turned it to good, to be the meanes of the preſeruation of the Church, in time of Famine. This muſt not make vsus doe euill, that good may come of it, which we are forbidden, Rom. 3. for God onelyonly hath this skill, by reaſon of his infinite Wiſedome and Power, to worke Good out of Euill, to draw Light out of Darkeneſſe. He onelyonly hath the Philoſophers Stone, to turne Droſſe into Gold. In vaine therefore is it for vsus to aſſay any ſuch thing. The right vſe of this Doctrine, is for vsus to comfort our ſelues, when wee ſee wicked men plotting and practiſing miſchiefe againſt Gods poore Church. Their heads and hands worke not ſo faſt, but God workes as faſt. When they goe and ſtriue one way, he ſets them a worke another way; as the Sunne going in his owne proper motion one way, is eueryevery day, by the violent circumvolution of the Heauens, turned another way: nay, he makes their ſtriuing againſt his Glorie, and his Churches good, to be the meanes of furthering both: As in a Boat, when the Rowers goe with their faces ſtriuing towards the Eaſt, they ſet the Boat going apace towards the Weſt. ONESIMVS, in running away from his Maſters houſe, the Church of God, did as much as in him lay, ſtriue againſt his owne conuerſion, and yet it is made a meanes of conuerſion. IOSEPHS brethren, in ſelling him, thought to hauehave fruſtrated his Dreames, and to hauehave made him ſure for euer hauing dominion ouer them; and yet their ſelling of him, was the ſpeciall meanes of accompliſhing his Dreames. Satan, in Chriſts death, thought to hauehave wounded the Church to the death; and yet thereby we were healed of his deadly wounds. Euen as the man that was thruſt at with the Sword of his enemie, to be killed, was thereby cured of his Impoſtume. Thus HAMANS Plots to ouerthrow MORDECAI and the Iewes, were meanes to aduance them. This is the worke of the Lord, who knoweth how to catch the wiſe in their owne wyles, and it muſt be maruellous in our eyes. Let not then the Power and Policie of all the ACHITOPHELS and MACHIAVELS in the World, combining themſelues againſt the Goſpell, diſmay vsus; for God hath his Oare in their Boat, hee hath a ſpeciall ſtroke in all actions whatſoeuer, 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 vponupon 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 hauehave 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 vsus, and makes vsus yeeld, and drawes vsus 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 giuegive 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 hauehave 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 vntounto him in heartie and ſincere louelove; for to whom much is forgiuen, they louelove 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 vsus for a time, they might afterwards returne vntounto vsus 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 hauehave no great good of him, being an vngodly and vnfaithfull ſeruant: but now, in his abſence, God ſo workes vponupon him, that hee makes him, of ONESIMVS before in name, onelyonly 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 vntounto 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 hauehave got ſuch a profitable Seruant as this new ONESIMVS was, no, though hee would hauehave 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 hauehave done his ſoule good, PHILEMON would hauehave thought it much more vile in compariſon. See then the increaſe of the abſence of ONESIMVS, and loſſe of his money.
This muſt teach vsus patience, when God takes away any mercy from vsus: for in his good time either it or as good, or a better thing ſhall returne vntounto vsus. 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 louelove, and confirmation of his faith then before. At death our poore ſoules ſhall hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vsus, 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 vsus the more ſeeke after him, and ſo returne vntounto vsus afterward with greater comfort, making the falling out of louers to be only the renuing of louelove. Specially muſt this point be thought vponupon, 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 vntounto vsus 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, onelyonly 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 long, and if they bee not knit together likewiſe in the bond of the Spirit. O then there will bee a wofull parting, euen betwixt thoſe that are knit faſteſt and neereſt together in theſe fleſhly bonds, the Huſband and the Wife! Two ſhall bee in one bed, one ſhall bee refuſed, the other ſhall bee receiued. It ſerueth alſo for comfort to Chriſtians, when by death, carnall Coniunctions are diſſolued, for ſtill the ſpirituall Coniunction continueth.
Fiftly, from the ſcope of the Apoſtle in theſe Doct. 5 wordes, obſerue that the conſideration of that The good end of croſſes muſt quiet vsus.good end whereto God turneth thoſe things which are grieuous vntounto vsus, whether iniuries offred vsus by men, or afflictions immediately by his owne hand, muſt quiet our minds, and miniſter contentment vntounto vsus. It could not chooſe but bee a great griefe to PHILEMON for ONESIMVS to runne away: for beſides his owne loſſe of the money, he grieued, no doubt, much more for ONESIMVS owne ſake, who was poſting on in the high and readie way to Hell, and for the Goſpels ſake, which was ſubiect to the ſlanders of the wicked, vponupon occaſion of this accident falling out in the houſe of ſuch a Profeſſor and Preacher as PHILEMON was: yet here PAVL ſtops his mouth with this, that this was turned now both to his owne and ONESIMVS his good.
Afflictions for the preſent are grieuous, but when they ſhall bring with them happy fruits, whether that of righteouſneſſe, Heb. 12. or any other, whether to our ſelues or others, wee are then to reioyce more in that, then we were grieued before in our owne hurt. Thus IOSEPH quieted himſelfe in thoſe iniuries which his Brethren had done him, and would not nouriſh any deſire of reuenge in his minde, becauſe God had turned them all to ſo great a good.
Now, howſoeuer, whileſt wee are in the bitterneſſe of our afflictions, wee ſee not what is that good whereunto God will diſpoſe it in the end, yet ſure we hauehave the promiſe of God, that all things ſhall worke together for our good, Rom. 8. and wee hauehave heretofore in our owne and others experiences ſeene the like practice of God. This muſt make vsus comfortable in the midſt of our diſtreſſe, knowing aſſuredly that God will make a good and happie end of it. And then wee ſhall condemne our ſelues of folly, in wiſhing our owne hurt and hinderance; then wee ſhall thanke GOD for our croſſes, being made meanes of that good which wee would not for any good hauehave miſſed. Bee not then impatient, fret not, murmure not at any iniuries whatſoeuer, or any afflictions whatſoeuer that befall thee: wait a while, and thou ſhalt ſee GODS ſpeciall prouidence ouer thee in thoſe croſſes, inſomuch that thou wouldeſt not for any thing but thoſe croſſes had befalne thee. Martha, though ſhee was grieued much at her Brother LAZARVS death, and beganne euen to murmure, ſaying, Lord, if thou haddeſt beene here, my Brother had not dyed, yet afterward when ſhee ſaw her Brother rayſed againe, and by this, many to beleeue in CHRIST, then ſhee could not but wonder at her owne folly, that would hauehave hindered that ſo glorious a worke of God, and the ſaluation of ſo many ſoules.