Two Treatises, Commentary on verse · Verse 21
VERS. 21. Hauing confidence in thine obedience, I wrote vntounto thee, knowing that thou wilt alſo doe more then I ſay.
HEere is a ſecret preuention of an obiection, that might ariſe in PHILEMONS minde in another kinde, then any of the other were. PAVLS importunity, and often preſſing, and earneſt vrging of PHILEMON, might happily hauehave occaſioned him to nouriſh this hard conceit againſt PAVL, that hee ſeemed to be ſuſpicious of the truth of his religion, as if he were voyd of the power of it. What needs all this adoe, might happily PHILEMON thinke, what needes ſo many arguments, ſuch eager preſſing, ſuch importunity? Doe you thinke that I am ſo hard to be entreated? Doe you thinke that I hauehave ſuch ſmall ſparkes of grace and religion, as that you hope not to preuaile, but as the widdow with the vnrighteous Iudge, by meere importunity, as if nothing could bee had at mine hands, except it were wrung from mee with the multitude and violence of arguments? If you were ſo well perſwaded of mee, as I hoped you were, leſſe vrging would hauehave ſerued. Now PAVL preuents this ſuſpicion, and remooues this obiection in theſe words, the ſumme whereof riſes to this. Doe not conceiue that this my importunity is from any doubt or diſtruſt of thee; I write not thus earneſtly, as fearing thou wilt not regard mee: but on the contrary, becauſe I hauehave a ſpeciall confidence in thine obedience; yea, I profeſſe vntounto thee, that my confidence in thee is ſuch, that I dare preſume, that thou wilt doe not onelyonly this which I deſire, but farre more then I hauehave mooued thee in.
PAVLS confidence abates not his earneſtneſſe. Doct. 1 Euen where there is greateſt hope of ſpeede, it is no The forwardest may, and muſt be quickned.error to put to our beſt ſtrength. Euen the moſt forward may be quickned. Aſſurance of ſpeed ſhould not coole our feruour in our ſuits for GOD. GOD loues not onelyonly obedience, but a cheerefull ſpirit therein. Though we aſſured of mens obedience, yet who knowes what oppoſitions, reluctations and diſcouragements may come from Satan, and a mans owne corrupt heart. How ſeaſonable then in ſuch caſes may ſome motiues be? and how may our warmth heat another? It is no abſurdity in this caſe to put ſpurres to a running horſe. There is a great difference betweene matters of knowledge, and matters of affection. A mans knowledge is not ſo ſubiect to an omiſſion, as good affections to a remiſſion. In good affections there be floods and ebbs, ſometimes glowing coales, & ſometimes but warme embers, and therefore there needes a continuall blowing vp of the flame; but a mans knowledge is not ſubiect to ſuch ſudden eclipſes, and it is farre eaſier for a man to keepe his knowledge at the ſame height and pitch, then to keepe his affections at the ſame bent. And yet for matter of knowledge, ſee the care of PETER, 2 Pet. 1. 12. Wherefore I will not be negligent, to put you alwayes in remembrance of theſe things, though yee know them, and be ſtabliſhed in the preſent truth. The ſame was alſo the care and mind of IOHN, 1 Ioh. 2. 21. I hauehave not written vntounto you, becauſe yee hauehave not knowen the truth, but becauſe yee know it. If this care and diligence be to bee vſed, in putting men in remembrance in matters of knowledge, heere there is more ſetledneſſe, how much more then in matters of affection, ought this care to be had, where ſuch often damps and eclipſes? Becauſe yee know it, therefore I write, ſaith the Apoſtle: ſo becauſe men doe good duties, ought they to be admoniſhed, to be vrged and called vponupon. Mens forwardneſſe to their duties, ſhould not make vsus backeward in calling vponupon them, to doe the ſame duties. It is no abſurdity to ſtirre vp a liberall man to bounty, a deuout man to prayer, an holy man to mortification. Eſpecially the moſt forward, that is, not hauing attained to that height and perfection required. Neither therefore muſt Miniſters thinke it a tedious worke, nor people an idle worke, to be vrged and preſſed, to the doing of that they already doe.
Marke what hath all this while made PAVL. ſo Doct. 2 earneſt with PHILEMON, Hauing confidence of thine Zealous people make zealous Miniſters.obedience. Neuer hath a man a better heart to ſpeak, then where he hath an hope to ſpeede. Surely, peoples zeale kindles Miniſters, the forwarder they are to heare, the forwarder are they to ſpeake. PHILEMONS obedience puts heat and life into PAVL, and makes him earneſt. A man hath but little heart to ſpeake, where hee hath but little hope to ſpeede. When a man feares he ſhall hauehave but a cold ſuit of it, it chills his affections, and makes him a cold ſuitor. PAVL could hardly hauehave beene thus earneſt with a NABAL, as he is with PHILEMON. Nothing encourages a Miniſter to bee more zealous in preaching, then to hauehave his people zealous in hearing and obeying. DAVIDS thirſt and earneſt deſire after the waters of Bethlehem, made the three Worthies to break thorough the hoſt of the Philiſtims, and put life and courage into them. 2 Sam. 23. 15. 16. Heat prouokes and procures heat. For as on the contrary, a dead cold people make ſuch a Miniſter, Iſ. 6. 5. I am a man of polluted lips, and I dwell among a people of polluted lips, and Hoſ. 9. 7. The Prophet is a foole, the ſpirituall man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity: So heere the forwardneſſe & zeale of people is helpfull to the Miniſtry, and the fire of their zeale is able to warme the heart of one but cooly diſpoſed.
It lets vsus ſee what oftentimes is a maine reaſon of defects in the Miniſtry. Many complaine, and iuſtly Vſe. may they, that their Miniſter is cold and dead in his Miniſtry, that it is voyd of quickning, life and power, &c. But in the meane time, neuer looke at the reaſon of it, nor enquire into the cauſe of it; but lay the whole burden of the complaint vponupon the ſhoulders of the Miniſter. Whereas if due enquiry were made, people might draw their breath inward, and finde themſelues faulty and guilty of thoſe things with which the Miniſter is charged. Why doeſt thou complaine of thy Miniſters coldneſſe, while thine owne frozen heart hath chilled him? why complaineſt thou of his polluted lips, when they are infected with thy pollution? why accuſeſt thou his folly, when the multitude of thine iniquities hauehave cauſed it? Examine therefore thine owne heart, and try if thou finde not the cauſe of thy Miniſters defects in thy ſelfe. Many a Miniſter would bee better, if hee had a better people, and a good people makes a good Miniſter, as well as a good Miniſter makes a good people. How can ARCHIPPVS but be watchfull in his Miniſtry, when his people ſhall be ſo watchfull as to ſay, Take heed to thy Miniſtry, &c. So many faithfull Monitours muſt needes make a faithfull Miniſter. People may thanke their owne diſobedience, if their Miniſters are not as they ſhould be, Ier. 3. 14. 15. O yee diſobedient children turne againe, &c. And I will giuegive you Paſtours according to mine owne heart, which ſhall feed you with knowledge and vnderſtanding. Therefore had they not ſuch Paſtours, becauſe they were diſobedient children; and the way to amend their Miniſters, was firſt to amend themſelues, Turne againe, and I will giuegive your Paſtours, &c. It is not enough to pray, but they muſt turne alſo to the Lord of the harueſt, if they would hauehave painefull labourers. For peoples diſobedience it is, that makes windy, frothy, and vaine Preachers. See to this purpoſe, Ier. 22. 21. 22. Thou wouldeſt not obey my voyce, the winde ſhall feede thy Paſtours. And then how ſhall they feede with knowledge and vnderſtanding, when themſelues are fed with winde?
See the credit, yea the honour, that conſcience Doct. 3 and obedience puts vponupon a man. PAVL makes no Conſcience breeds credit.queſtion, but to preuaile with PHILEMON, becauſe hee knew him euer before to make a conſcience of yeelding obedience. PHILEMONS good conſcience workes PAVLS confidence. It is a great honor, when our carriage is ſo good, as that an honeſt man dare be confident in vsus. It is the honour of the vertuous wife, Prou. 31. 11. that the heart of her husband truſteth in her. It is no leſſe the honour of a Chriſtian, that a man may truſt and preſume vponupon him. Many hauehave loſt their credit in the world, and what may be the reaſon? Nothing elſe, but their greater loſſe & ſhipwrack of a good conſcience. Credit & a good conſcience are ſhipped both in one bottome. There cannot be a wracke of conſcience, but with the ioynt loſſe of a mans credit. Bee iealous and ſuſpicious of thy ſelfe, when thou ſeeſt an honeſt man ſhy and ſuſpicious of thee. It is ſuſpicious thy credit is but ſandy, when an honeſt man dares not build vponupon it. A man cannot hauehave a better euidence of his approued honeſty, then when good men dare bee confident in him, eſpecially in caſes of obedience.
Knowing that thou wilt doe more then I ſay.] Charity beleeues, and charity preſumes the beſt, and the moſt. The former experience of PHILEMONS obedience, made PAVL thus confident, that PHILEMON would be ſo farre from comming ſhort of that hee requeſted, that he would doe more.
The property of a gracious and an enlarged Doct. heart. It is not ſo illiberally & niggardly diſpoſed, as A good heart deales not illiberally and michingly with God.to giuegive GOD no more then his iuſt dues in extremity, but enlarges it ſelfe ſo, as to goe further, then it is tyed by expreſſe commandement. There are ſome particulars, for which wee hauehave not a direct Text, but onelyonly rules in the generall; as how often a man ſhould pray priuately in a day, how much hee is to giuegive in almes, and ſome other ſuch things of this kinde. Now in this caſe, where there is not ſo expreſſe a rule, a good heart will bee ſure to goe rather with the furtheſt, then to come ſhort; and will rather doe more, then leſſe; Thou wilt doe more then I ſay. So Luk. 2. 41. not onelyonly IOSEPH, but MARY alſo went vp to Ieruſalem eueryevery yeere, at the feaſt of the Paſſouer. Now there was no expreſſe commandement for MARY to come, for the commandement enioyned the males only to appear, & yet MARY comes to. Her louelove and deuotion to the Lords worſhip, was a ſufficient Law. As ſhee in the ceremoniall, ſo CHRIST in the morall, did more then the Law required. The Law requires to louelove GOD aboue all, and our neighbors as our ſelues. CHRIST did more, hee loued his enemies not onelyonly as himſelfe, but aboue himſelfe, giuing himſelfe to death for them, which the Law requires not. Such ſhould our free-hearted diſpoſition be in our obedience to GOD. Indeed the Law requires more then wee can doe, wee abhorre workes of ſupererrogation, and we can doe nothing, but GOD hath required it of vsus. But yet ſo ſhould we bee affected towards the Lord, as that rather then we would doe leſſe, we would if it were poſſible, euen do more. And for ſuch things which are not directly commanded, to bee ſo farre from hutching and ſhrinking, as rather to goe with the fartheſt, then to doe with the ſhorteſt. So that I may ſay in this caſe, as our Sauiour in another, Mat. 6. 40. If any man will take away thy coat, let him hauehave thy cloake alſo, and if any man would compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him twaine. So heere, If GOD require of thee to giuegive to the poore a penny, giuegive him twain; if hee require a ſhilling, to the maintenance of the Miniſtry, giuegive him fiue; if he require of thee to pray twice a day, rather then faile pray thrice a day; if GOD require thee to preach once a Saboth, rather the faile preach twice. So bountifull is a gracious heart, it doth not ſtand articulating with GOD: It will giuegive him with the moſt, rather then the leaſt meaſuring the ſame meaſure to the Lord, which it hath from the Lord. The Lord giues vntounto vsus, not onelyonly beyond our deſarts, but beyond our deſires, euen more, and aboue that which wee are able to aske or thinke, Epheſ. 3. 20. A good heart therefore hates ſo baſe and illiberall a requitall, as to returne, though a ſhort, yet not a ſhortned meaſure of obedience. In this caſe it were good for vsus to doe as the Iewes in the keeping of their Saboth, who becauſe they doe not know the preciſe moment in which the Saboth beginnes and ends, therefore beginne it an houre the ſooner, and end it an houre the later, and this time they call additionem de prafano ad ſacrum. Not to diſpute the lawfulneſſe of their fact in that particular, without queſtion in all doubtfull and vndetermined caſes, it is beſt to doe with the moſt.
It ſerues then to checke the baſe niggardize of Vſe. many, in their obedience to GOD. How farre are they from a good and a deuout heart, who are ſo farre from doing more, that they cannot be brought to doe ſo much as GOD requires, who are ſo farre from exceeding in matters doubtfull, that they come groſſely ſhort in matters of euident and apparant conſequence So farre from doing thoſe things which are onelyonly incluſiuely and implicitely commanded, that they cannot bee brought to doe things expreſſely and plainely commanded. Ill will they goe two miles for GOD, that will not goe one; hardly will they pray oftner then is precizely commanded, that will not pray ſo often. Hardly with ZACCHEVS will they giuegive halfe their goods to the poore, that ſo hardly part with a cruſt or a fragment. Scarſe, with the widdow, will they throw two mites into the Lords treaſury that wil not throw in one. It is a note alſo worth the remēbring, for ſuch perſons that care not how much they hauehave from, how little they giuegive to the maintenance of the Miniſtry. A good heart wee ſee would faine (if it were poſſible) doe more then GOD requires. How much more wil it doe more then man requires. Becauſe the law of GOD and man requires maintenance of the Miniſtry from tithes: therefore many, though neuer ſo well able, thinke themſelues freed from maintaining the Miniſtry, becauſe they hauehave no tithable goods, it may bee themſelues liuing vponupon the vſurious tithes of ten in the hundred. Heerin giuegive they euidence of their hearts vnſoundneſſe, for if a good heart would (if it could) doe more then GOD requires, ſurely it would not keepe it ſelfe within the narrow and ſtraight compaſſe of mans preſcription.