Commentary on the Epistles and Revelation of John, Commentary 13 – Commentary 14
A COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION VponUpon the Epiſtle of S. Paul to PHILEMON.
Verſe 1. Paul a priſoner, &c.]
THis is a notable Epiſtle, and full of worth;Plena roboris & lacertoruoa eſt tota epiſto…a; each word having its weight, each ſyllable its ſubſtance. From an abject ſubject, the receiving of a runaway ſervant, St Paul ſoars like an heavenly Eagle, and flies an high pitch of heavenly diſcourſe. Elocutine totâ gravis & brevis, denſus ſentent…s, ſanus judiciis, &c. as Lipſius ſaith of Thucydides, Lipſ not ad Po… lit, l. 1. c. 9.may we ſay of our Apoſtle.
Our dearly beloved] Or, Our lovely one, as Hierome renders it.foreign Dil…g…bi…i.
And fellow-labourer] This ſhews, ſay ſome, that Philemon was a Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Verſe 2. And to our beloved Apphia] For Appia: but this was the manner of pronunciation at Tarſus, S. Pauls countrey. This Apphia was (ſaith Theodoret) Philemons wife; whoſe good-will might make much to the furtherance of S. Pauls ſuit.
And Archippus our fellow-ſouldier] Who ſeems to have ſojourned with Philemon. See the Note on Col. 4.17.
And to the Church in thy houſe] Every Chriſtian family is a Church. But Phil mons houſe was (belike) a publike meeting. houſe, and ſo continued for many years after, as Theodoret witneſſeth.
Verſe 3. Grace to you. &c.] See the Note on 1 Co…. 1.3. and on 2 Cor. 1.2.
Verſe 4. I thank my God] Thus the Apoſtle begins moſt of his Epiſtles.foreign. As any man is more or leſſe gracious, ſo is he thankfull. The ſame Greek word for grace ſignifieth thankfulneſſe. Neither is theſe any think that ſeals up more comfort to the ſoul, then for a man to be able from the bottome of his heart to praiſe God. Self-love may make an hypocrite pray from the bottome of his heart, &c.
Verſe 5. Hearing of thy love and faith] Love is firſt mentioned as more notice: But faith is the mother grace, the womb wherein love, and all the reſt of that heavenly of-ſpring are conceived.
Verſe 6. That the communication, &c.] This is that which S. Paul praid for Philemon, ver. 4. For the fifth verſe comes in by a parentheſis.
Verſe 7.foreign. The bowels of the Saints are refreſhed.] Gr. Reſted, as it were, after much toil and travelſ, which made their hearts ake.
Verſe 8.foreign. That which is convenient] Or, That which is thy duty. Oſſicium autem eſt jus actionis ad quemcun que ſtatum pertinens, ſaith Jul. Scaliger.
Verſe 9. Yot for loves ſake, &c.] Here's brave oratory, ſuch as might well molliſie the hardeſt heart. Petendo movet, & movindo petis.
Paul the aged] And therefore venerable.Coguata ſum foreign Old age and honour are in the Greek tongue very near akin? It is a crown (ſaith Solomon) and that of glory, when found in the way of righteouſneſſe, Prov. 16.31. Theſe bear a reſemblance of the Ancient of dates, Dan. 7.
Verſe 10. My ſonne Oneſimus] Ignatius in his Epiſtle to the Epheſians, maketh mention of Oneſimus, as Paſtour of Epheſus, next after Timothy. The Roman Martyrologue ſaith, that he was ſtoned to death at Rome, under Trajan the Emperour.
Verſe 11. But now profitable] So is every true convert: there is little cauſe that men ſhould boaſt they are no changelings, ſith whoſoever is in Chriſt is a new creature. St Anthony Kingſton came to Mr Hooper the Martyr a little before his death, and ſaid, I thank God that ever I knew you: for God did appoint you to call me, being a loſt childe.Act. and Mon. fol. 1368. For by your good inſtructions, whereas I was before both an adulterer and fornicatour, God hath brought me to forſake, and deteſt the ſame, &c. Savoy, for the ſtrait paſſages infeſted with thieves, was one called Malvoy, or ill-way; till a worthy adventurer cleared the coaſts, and then it was called Savoy or Salvoy, the ſafe-way. Such a change there is in every good ſoul.
Verſe 12. That is, mine own bowels.] Pray for me, mine own heart root in the Lord (ſaid Mr Bradford in a letter to Mr Saunders) Quem in intimis viſceribus habeo ad convivendom & commoriendum.
Verſe 13. In the bonds of the Goſpel] Which is bound after a ſort, when the preachers thereof are impriſoned.
Verſe 14. Would I do nothing] Poſſe & nolle nobile est. He that goes to the utmoſt of his chain, may poſſibly break a linke. Concedamus de jure ut careamus lite. Auguſt.Part with ſomewhat for peace-ſake.
Verſe 15. For perhaps be therefore] God hath a hand in ordering our diſorders to his own glory and cur good. He teacheth us by our temptations. This made Mr Fox ſay, That his graces did him moſt hurt, and his ſins moſt good.
He departed for a ſeaſon] Here the Apoſtle makes the beſt of an ill matter. Converts are to be gently handled, and their former evil practices not to be aggravated.
Verſe 16. Both in the fleſh] Perhaps Oneſimus was Philemons kinſman.
And in the Lord] Sanctior eſt copula cordis quam corporis. He that is joyned to the Lord, is one ſpirit, 1 Cor. 6.17.
Verſe 17. A partner] One in commons with thee.foreign. Amicorum omnia communia.
Receive him] Take him to thee, put him in thy boſome,foreign. make much of him. How effectually doth this great Apoſtle plead the cauſe of this poor fugitive, now happily brought home to Chriſt? He deals as one that had himſelf received mercy, 1 Cor. 7.25. Steep thy thoughts (ſaith one) in the mercies of God, and they will die thine, as the die fat doth the cloth, Col 3.12.
Verſe 18. If he hath wronged thee] His ſhamefull eſcape the Apoſtle ſweetly mitigateth by the name of wrong; his theft, of debt. See ver. 15. and compare herewith, Gen. 45.5.
Put that on mine account] To the like effect ſpeaks the Lord Chriſt on our behalf to his heavenly father, in his daily interceſſion.
Verſe 19. Thou oweſt unto me &c.] If Cleanthes gave himſelf to his Maſter Socrates: If Alexander could ſay that he owed more to Ariſtotle that taught him, then to Philip that begat him: If another could ſay, that he could never diſcharge his debt to God, to his parents, and to his ſchoolmaſter: how deeply then do men ſtand obliged to their ſpirituall fathers, and teachers in Chriſt?
Verſe 20.foreign. Yea, brother, let me have joy] Or benefit by thee. An elegant alluſion it is in the originall to the name of Oneſimus: and it is as if the Apoſtle imbracing Phil…mon, and hanging about his neck ſhould ſay, I prethee now let me be ſo farre beholden to thee, &c.
Verſe 21. Knowing that thou Wilt, &c.] Who could ever have the heart to reſiſt ſuch rhetorike?Suade medulla. Is not here the very marrow of moſt powerfull perſwaſion? a golden ſloud of eloquence, as Tully ſaith of Aristotles Politiques?
Verſe 22. But withall, prepare, &c.] Thus he diſpatcheth his own private buſines in one word, as it were: his main care was, that Owſimus might do well: a fait mirrour for Miniſters.
Verſe 23. Epaphras my fellow-priſoner] Clapt up, belike, for viſiting and countenancing S. Paul, to whom he was ſent by the Coloſſions with relief, whiles he was priſoner at Rome. The eccleſiaſticall hiſtory telleth us of one Philcas a Martyr, who going to execution, ſeemed as one deaf at the perſwaſions, and blinde at the tears of his friends,Quo no iò poteſt terrenu lachrymia ſlecti cupas oculi coeleſſem gloriam contu e…tur' moving him to ſpare himſelf. And when one Phil ramus defending him ſaid. How can he be moved with earthly tears, who hath his eyes full fed with heavenly glory? He alſo was taken in, and both preſently beheaded.
Verſe 24. Marcus, Ariſt, rchus, Demas] Here Demas was in good credit with the Apoſtle, but ſoon after fell away: like as glaſſe, and ſome baſer metals ſhine brighteſt in the fire, when neareſt of all to melting; or as the candle giveth a great blaze, when going out with a ſtench. Hypocrites have their non-ultra, when the godly mans Motto is (as was Charls the fifths) Vlterius, Further yet, on, on.
Verſe 25. The grace of our Lord] Say the world what it will, a grain of grace is worth a world of wealth. the bleſſings that come out of Sion, are better then any that come out of heaven and earth, Pſal 134 3. For they our-laſt the daies of heaven, and run parallel with the life of God, and line of eternity; Pray for them therefore in the behalf of our ſelves and others, as Paul conſtantly doth for grace, not with graceleſſe Nero, but with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; one good caſt of whoſe pleaſed countenance was better to David then his crown ſcepter, Pſal. 4▪7, 8.