A commentary vpon the Epistles of Saint Paul to Philemon, and to the Hebrewes together with a compendious explication of the second and third Epistles of Saint Iohn. By VVilliam Iones of East Bergholt in Suffolke, Dr. in Divinity, and sometimes one of the fellowes of the foundation of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge.

VERSE 20.

HAving used his Christian Rhetoricke for the receiving of Onesimus, he shuts up that his suite and petition, first with a vehement obsecration in this Verse, then with a confident presumption in the next.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Yea, the Greek particle (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) answereth to the Hebrew Nah, or Annah, sayes Hieronymus. Est quoddam adverbium blandientis,* 1.1 a flattering or fawning adverb, if we may so terme it: est vox obtestan∣tis, per eam adjurat Philemonem, thereby he doth insinuate himselfe into Philemon.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: alluding to the name of Onesimus, that signifies profitable, or pleasant: let me have joy of thee in receiving of him: if thou grant my request, thou joyest mee at the very heart; if thou deny it, thou makest me a sorrowfull man and without heart.

The people ought so to carry themselves, that the Ministers may have joy of them; that they may watch over you with joy,* 1.2 not with griefe: for that is unprofitable even for you. Let us not grieve them by our notorious sinnes, by our malevolent tongues, smiting Ieremie with the tongue: by an injurious detaining of their right from them. Let us adde to their joy what we can, not to their

griefe. Yet some perverse and froward people deale with their Mi∣nisters,* 1.3 as Esau did with Isaac and Rebeccah, make them weary of their lives.

Why? what joy? refresh my bowels in the Lord. Some thinke he calls Onesimus his bowels: he rather speakes of his owne bowels. If thou receive him, thou shalt make my very bowels to leape in me for joy. So acceptable a thing will it be to me. We re∣fresh the bowels of the Saints diverse wayes.

• 1. By meat and drinke. So did Cornelius.
• 2. By clothing them. So did Dorcas.
• 3. By comfortable words. So did Elkanah Hannah.
• 4. By loving deeds. So PHILEMON refreshed Saint Paul, by a kind receiving of Onesimus at his request: Let us all re∣fresh one another here, that we may all meete in the place of eter∣nall refreshing hereafter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Erasmus.
• * 1.2

  Hebr. 13.17.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 26.35.