Two Treatises, Commentary on verse · Verse 23-25
VERS. 23.
There ſalute thee Epaphras my fellowpriſoner 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 onelyonly 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 hauehave 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 duplicate page duplicate page 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 onelyonly in the ſame cauſe, but happily in the ſame houſe, becauſe he ſends ſalutations from EPAPHRAS. Yea, God doth not onelyonly 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 hauehave 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 giuegive 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, foreign, 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.
To ſtop the fowle mouths of ſuch perſons, that Vſe. 1 cry downe the Miniſtry for an idle calling, and account Miniſters of all other men to liue the moſt eaſie liues. It is to bee confeſſed, that of many Miniſters it may bee ſayd, as our Sauiour ſpeakes of the lillies, Matth. 6. 28. They labour not. But the poynt is not, what is the labour of ſome perſons, but of the calling and office. And yet indeede many may bee ſayd to labour hard enough, and yet are guilty of idleneſſe: wee laboured day and night, viz. euen with our hands. So farre goe many with PAVL, that well may take vp that ſpeech of themſelues, Zach. 13. 5. I am no Prophet, I am an husbandman: but yet they leaue him in that which followes, And preached vntounto you the Goſpell of God, 1 Theſſ. 2. 9. They labour indeede, but in their owne fields, more then in the Lords.
We hauehave therfore a right to meanes and maintenance, for the labourer is worthy of his hire. It is vile Vſe. 2 iniuſtice to deny the labourer his wages. It is a crying ſinne, Iam. 5. It is a ſinne that brings a curſe, Ierem. 22. 13. Woe vntounto him that vſes his neighbour without wages, and giueth him not for his worke. VponUpon the heads of how many muſt this woe needes light, who are guilty not onelyonly of iniuſtice, but of ſacriledge alſo, in detaining and withholding the wages of Gods work-men and labourers. Why ſhould Gods Miniſters be worſe dealt with then our oxen? why ſhould they worke muzzell'd? a plaine ſigne that men are as horſe and mule, in that they preferre the labour of their oxen before the labour of the Miniſtry, 1 Tim. 5. 17. They that labour in the word and doctrine, are worthy double honour, the honour of countenance, the honour of maintenance. Some will giuegive their countenance to the Miniſtry, ſo they may be ſpared in matter of maintenance. Some the Law forces to giuegive maintenance, therefore with CAIN, Gen. 4. 6. they caſt down their countenance. Some will giuegive neither countenance nor maintenance. How ſingle a number is there of thoſe that will giuegive the double honour of countenance and maintenance.
Let not ſuch as vndertake that calling dreame of eaſe, pleaſure, and of an idle life. 1 Theſſ. 3. 2. Theſe Vſe 3 two are ioyned together, a Miniſter and a Labourer in the Goſpell. Prepare for, and buckle to thy labour that intendeſt, and entreſt into the Miniſtry. How many are Miniſters, that yet no labourers, and ſo occaſion the world to iudge Miniſters, as PAVL the Cretians, to be flow bellies. If they were ſo taken vp, that were idle in the market place, why ſtand yee heere all the day idle, what ſharpneſſe muſt they look for, that ſtand idle not in market-place, but in the vine-yard. It is ill being idle in the market-place, it is worſe in the vine-yard. Alas for vsus, that wee ſhould bee ſo dainty to ſhed a few drops of ſweat, for thoſe for whom Chriſt ſweat drops of bloud; yea, ſhed his heart-bloud. Arrant ſhame for vsus, that LABANS ſheepe ſhould bee more painefully attended then CHRISTS.
The ſecond part of the concluſion is in prayer. The grace of our Lord Ieſus. &c. In which prayer we may conſider
1. The perſon prayed to.
2. The thing prayed for.
The perſon praied to: our Sauiour, deſcribed by three titles. 1. Our Lord. 2. Ieſus. 3. Chriſt. The three titles which were in the glad tidings of the Angell. Luk. 2. 11. A Sauiour, which is Chriſt the Lord.
1. Of the title Lord before, verſe 3.
2. Title, IESVS, that is, a Sauiour. The reaſon of which name we finde Matth. 1. 21. Thou ſhalt call his name IESVS, for he ſhall ſaue his people from their ſinnes.
Queſt. How is he our IESVS, and how ſaues hee vsus?
Anſw. 1. By ſatisfying GODS wrath and iuſtice Chriſt is our Ieſus and Sauiour in fiue reſpects.for vsus, and vndergoing that curſe which was our due, Acts 20. 28. CHRIST hath purchaſed his Church with owne bloud. By his death and bloud-ſhed, hee hath ſaued & redeemed vsus from the curſe, Gal. 3. 13. Chriſt hath redeemed vsus from the curſe of the Law, when he was made a curſe for vsus.
2. By his obedience to the Law, and fulfilling of it. And thus CHRIST may be ſayd to bee the end of the Law, Rom. 10. in regard of that perfect obedience he yeelded thereunto. And ſo hee tells IOHN, that it became him to fulfill all righteouſneſſe, Matth. 3. for ſaluation ſtands in two things. 1. In a freedome and deliuerance from hell. 2. In the poſſeſſion of heauen and eternall life. CHRIST by his death merits the firſt, and by his obedience in fulfilling the Law merits the ſecond. For though CHRISTS death had deliuered vsus from death, yet if obedience had not been yeelded to the Law, ſtill the curſe would hauehave beene vponupon vsus, excluding vsus out of heauen, in regard of the Lawes tranſgreſſion. Wheras now the Law being tranſlated from our perſons, to the perſon of our Mediatour, he hath perfectly fulfilled it, and ſo is our IESVS by his obedience, both in his ſufferings, and in our doings.
3. By the remiſſion of our ſinnes, He ſaues vsus, by pardoning vsus, 2 Cor. 5. 19. and Col. 1. 14. In whom we hauehave redemption by his bloud, that is the forgiueneſſe of ſinne.
4. He ſaues vsus by deſtroying the Kingdome of ſin in vsus, and by diſ-throning our corruptions, ſo that wee are no longer ſeruants to ſin, but to him. Hee ſaues vsus from the commanding power, as well as from the condemning power of ſinne. Hee ſaues vsus from the dominion and ſeruice of it. See Rom. 6. 11. 12. and 8. 2.
5. Hee ſaues vsus not only from the dominion of ſinne in this life, but from the very preſence and inhabitation of it in the life to come. Heere hee ſaues vsus, that it raignes not; there hee will fully ſaue vsus, that it ſhall not ſo much as hauehave a dwelling in vsus.
All theſe may be reduced to two heads, namely, that CHRIST ſaues vsus.
1. By his merit, he meriting by his death freedom from the curſe and remiſſion of ſinne, and by his obedience eternall life for vsus.
2. By his efficacy, whereby in this life hee daily mortifies the body of ſinne, and wholly in the life to come aboliſhes the ſame.
Acknowledge we then CHRIST for our IESVS. The Papiſts are like the Iewes, they truſt in Moſes. Ioh. 5. 45. They would come into Canaan by MOSES, as well as by IOSHVA, and ſo make themſelues their owne Ieſuſſes, while they will be ſaued, partly by CHRIST, partly by themſelues. CHRIST will bee IESVS alone, or not IESVS at all.
The third title is CHRIST, a Greeke word, the ſame with the Hebrew MESSIAH, ſignifying Annoynted. So that IESVS CHRIST is as much as a Of the name Chriſt, and what it ſignifies.Sauiour annoynted. And ſo this name comprehends all his three offices of King, Prieſt and Prophet, inaſmuch as all theſe three vnderunder the Law were inueſted into their offices, 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 onelyonly 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 vnderunder the Law, Exod. 30. 30. when he was annoynted, was thereby ſeparate and ſet apart for the office of the Preiſt-hood, and conſecrated vntounto 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 onelyonly, but in both natures, and therefore in both natures annoynted. But this muſt rightly bee vnderſtood. Hee was annoynted in the Godhead, onelyonly 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 vntounto eueryevery one of vsus 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 hauehave, they hauehave 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 hauehave 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 vponupon his beard, and the border of his garments, but yet firſt vponupon 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 vntounto 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 vntounto the Lord, yea hence hauehave 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 vponupon him, if hee bee in thee, thou ſhalt know it by the ſweetneſſe of the oyntment. When the box of oyntment was broken vponupon 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 vsus. 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 vponupon him, and that not for himſelfe, but for vsus. Whence we are called Chriſtians, becauſe eueryevery one of vsus 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 may comfort our ſelues in GOD, to whom we commended both our ſelues and our actions.
Gratias Domine Ieſu.
THE SCHOOLE OF AFFLICTION.
OR A SERMON OF THE benefits and bleſsings of AFFLICTION.
By the ſame Author.
Schola crucis ſchola lucis.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Millburne.
1618.
A Table of the leſſons taught in the Schoole of Affliction.
Affliction teaches
1. The vnconuerted, Conuerſion.
2. The Conuerted.
1. The right bearing of afflictions in
Faith,
Obedience, manifeſted in
Patience.
Cheerefulneſſe.
2. The right vſe of afflictions, which is in regard of
Knowledge of our
Corruptions.
Graces.
Practiſe in
Renewing graces decayed, which are
Generall
Faith in Gods
Prouidence.
Promiſe.
Repentance in the acts concerning
Sinne paſt, which are foure
Sight of ſinne vponupon examination.
Humiliation
Inward in the
Iudgement.
Affections.
Outward in our carriage to
God.
Man.
Inuocation.
Reformation.
Sinne to come. Wiſdome in preuention.
Speciall, which are
Thankefulneſſe.
Compaſſion.
Preparation for death.
Deſire of the life to come.
Encreaſing graces renewed.