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 25.

THe gathering together unto, that is, to Iesus Christ, 2 Thes. 2.1

We must not shut up selves in Cloysters with monkes, nor with Diogenes in a tunne. Wee must love the company of the Saints. All our delight must be in them. Especially we must be∣ware how wee forsake the publike assemblies, where is the word and Sacraments, with the joynt prayers of the Church.

Some did it in the Primitive Church for feare of the enemies, loath to joyne with them for feare of loosing their goods, honours, life, liberty.

And now some forsake them in pride and in an high conceit of themselves depart from us, we are holyer than you.

As it is some mens custome. A bad custome: yet hee names them not.

Call one to another.

And by so much the rather, as yee see that day drawing neere.

We have not a long time to exhort in: therefore let us exhort.

That day, which in Scripture is called the day of the Lord: when wee shall bee rewarded for our well doing, and they punished, that contemne our exhortations, Luk. 21.34.

Yee see with your owne eyes by plaine and evident tokens, it is neere at hand.

The meetings of Christians are private or publike: Politicall, or Ecclesiasticall. Even civill meetings about the affaires of the towne, where God hath set us, are with care and conscience to be kept: as also the meetings at the houses one of another for the encrease of love: have yee not houses to eate and drinke in?* 1.1 Hee likes it well that wee should meete in our houses, he gives us a license for that: nay, he for∣bids us not to goe to the house of an infidell:* 1.2 and yee will goe—Surely they that live wholly to themselves, that will not come at their neighbours house, nor bid any to theirs, that will neither be feastma∣kers, nor feast-takers; they are guilty of the breach of good fellow∣ship. Either they be cynicall Diogenes's: or greedy and miserable Nabals, that love to make feasts for none but for themselves. We must not be Epicures, ever feasting, faring deliciously every day, with the rich Glutton; neither must we be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 haters of all good fellowship and humane society.

If there be any meetings of neighbours about the townes good, wee must not draw in a yoke alone, but associate our selves with them. If the whole towne be on fire, what shall become of thine house? art not thou a part of the towne, a member of it? and doest thou not care what become of the body? God said to the Israelites concerning Babel, in the peace of it shall be thy peace. They were to seeke the good of Babel, and shall not we of Sion? should not every bird have a care of her owne nest? The towne is the nest, wherein

thou sleepest, and doest thou not care, though it goe to ruine? doth not the safety of every passenger consist in the ship? If water come into the Ship, ought not all to prevent it to their power? The towne is the Shippe, wherein thou saylest, and doest not thou care though it be drowned? in those things that concerne the civill good of the towne, let us not forsake the fellowship we have among our selves. God will require it at our hands.

But especially let us beware how we forsake Ecclesiasticall meetings, where wee have the preaching of the Word, the ordinary ladder, that leadeth to heaven, the comfortable use of the Sacraments for confirmation of our faith, and where we have the prayers of so ma∣ny holy ones to joyne with us. These meetings above all others ought highly to be esteemed of us, and the curse of God will light on them that forsake them. We are commanded to go out of Babylon, but we are never commanded to forsake the spouse of the Lord Iesus for some spots that be in her. The corne doth not skip out of the barne, because chaffe is with it. Christ did not pull downe the Temple, but purged it. The V. Mary was an heavenly and a singular woman, yet she would not be apart by her selfe, she would joyn with the Church of God. Woe to them that forsake her, that be the brethren of the separation, as they terme themselves. Fie on such a brother-hood, Gods vengeance doth apparently follow them, wanting the light of the true preaching of the Word, they become Atheists in the end. Let us make much of fellowship we have in the publike assemblies of the Church, let our hearts skip for joy to see them, as Davids did. It doth him good to see the tribes going to the house of God,* 1.3 and he went himselfe with them.* 1.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to visit his Temple. This one thing is more to be esteemed of, then all others things in the world.

There are sundry motives to stir us up to the embracing of the fellowship of the Saints. 1. Let us make much of all kinde of Chri∣stian meetings propter mutuam supportationem. Vae soli. If hee fall, who shall lift him up? but if we be among the faithfull, one brother may helpe another up.

2. Propter participationem suffragiorum. The prayer of one righteous man is available, if it be fervent: how much more of many righte∣ous together? If the heart of a Father will be pierced with the cry of one of his children, how much more with the cry of many? Let this make us desirous of their company, that we may be helped to heaven by their prayers.

3. Propter terrorem daemonum, Cant. 6.9. If an army bee scatte∣red, some here, some there, it is the sooner exposed as a prey to the enemy: so if Satan that roaring Lion that walkes about seeking whom he may devoure, if he find any of CHRIST's Sheep stragling from the rest, hee will sooner catch them in his clawes: hee tooke Eve when she was alone, from her Husband.

But if hee see us in an armie united and coupled together, the

Generall whereof is Christ Iesus, he will be afraid of us.

4. Let us delight in the fellowship of the Saints, propter divinum consortium: where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the middest among them. Therefore let us be in the company of the faithfull, that Christ Iesus may be in our company.

Let none on pride, vaine glory, singularity, or any other sinister respect rent themselves from the fellowship of their brethren; but let us rejoyce in the society one of another. There is a fellowship among drunkards, thieves, adulterers, swearers, swaggerers: and shall there be no fellowship among good Christians?

There should be the greatest good fellowship among them. The Communion of Saints is an Article of our Creede: we say wee be∣lieve it, but we do not practise it. All my delight is on the faithfull, that are upon earth. Let us take pleasure in the fellowship of the faithfull in this world, that we may have the fellowship of Christ, his Saints, and Angels in the world to come.

Love the brother-hood.* 1.5 The forsaking of that is a step to the sin against the Holy Ghost. Christians are brethren.

It might be objected: why, some forsake the fellowship: why may not we doe the like? quia vivitur legibus, non exemplis. Some tra∣vellours goe out of the way, wilt thou doe so too! Some fall into a water and drowne themselves, shall we doe so too? Some are so madde, as to leape into a fire and burne themselves, and shall we doe so? Though others take the way to hell fire, yet let not us doe it. It is the manner of some to sit quaffing at the Ale-house all the day long: let not us doe so. It is the manner of some, for supposed cor∣ruptions that be in the Church to forsake the Church quite: but let them goe alone, let not us follow them: we have no such custome, nor the Church of God. Let us follow them that follow Christ; and for∣sake them that follow the Devill, let them goe alone for all us.

Some imagine they are safe, if they have example to alleadge. Such and such doe so.

That is a crooked rule: yee shall meete with bad examples eve∣ry where, but let us not be seduced by them.

To this he induces us by a forcible reason.

Ye may see it with your owne eyes. Almost all the signes are passed already, they be blind that cannot see this.

Here then it is cleere, that there is a day of judgment, and that day drawes neere. If it were neere in the Apostles time, how neere is it now, a thousand and odde yeeres being passed since? Let not us bee like them that put farre from them the evill day: not like that servant which saith, my Master defers his comming, and falls a beating of his fellow servants: not like those mockers, that say, where is the promise of his comming? but let us make a just reckoning, that this day is drawing neere indeed, that CHRIST is ready to open the heavens, and to descend in the cloudes, and to assemble all nations before him. Behold, I come quickly, said he, in the Revelation: he comes, and he comes quickly; therefore let us so live in a carefull discharge

of all duties to God and man, that our account may bee joyfull at that day, that then wee may meete Christ in the ayre, and be transla∣ted with him into the kingdome of glory.

If the Assizes at Bury draw neere, will not they that have nisiprius to trye, provide their Lawyers, and have all things ready? the ge∣nerall Assizes of the world is neere; therefore let as consider how we shall answer then.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Cor. 11.22
• * 1.2

  1 Cor. 10.27.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 122.1.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 27.4.
• * 1.5

  1 Pet. 2.17.