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 14.

HE doth not say, embrace peace when it comes to you, and offers her selfe to you: but though she runne away, follow her; lay hold on her, and bring her whether she will or no. We must seeke peace instanter, follow it: generaliter, with all: pru∣denter, in holinesse.

Not, with some, but all; not with your friends alone, but with your enemies too: not only with them of the same Religion, but with those that be of another Religion. Bee at peace with their per∣sons, though not with their vices, bee at peace with all, what in thee lieth: especially holinesse, that is of absolute necessity: bee not so greedy of peace, that yee should forget holinesse: holinesse of soule and body, 1 Thes. 4.3. 2 Cor. 7.1.

Hereunto he inviteth us, by the danger of the want of it: with∣out which no man: be he never so wise, learned, honourable: though he be a King, he cannot be saved without holinesse: shall see the Lord, in his blessed and glorious kingdome, in the life to come: as a Citi∣zen of the same kingdome.

Our Saviour was at peace with the Pharisees: hee went to many of their houses to dinner: hee was at peace with Caesar, though he were a persecutor of the Church, and payd tribute to him: and wee may be at peace with all men throughout the wide compasse of the world: with Atheists, drunkards, adulterers, &c. 1 Cor. 5.10.

Yet here two cautions are to be observed.

1. Wee must distinguish betweene peace, and familiarity: wee may bee at a generall peace, even with the enemies of God: but wee must not bee familiar with them. There is danger in that. All our delight must be on the Saints, that be on the earth: they must be our fa∣miliars.

2. Wee may bee at peace with the persons of all: but with the vices of none.

Bee at peace with a drunkard, but not with his drunkennesse: re∣prove that, shew thy dislike of that.

But we are so far from being at peace with all, as that wee are not at peace with our neighbours, with them that dwell in the same towne, and professe the same Religion with us: there is heart bur∣ning, envy and malice, strifes and contentions even among us: nay, some are so farre from being at peace with all men, as that they are at peace with no man: like Ishmael, whose hand was against every man.

Wee are so farre from following of peace, that wee will not ac∣cept of it, when it is offered. They seeke peace, and we refuse it. Such is our folly, wee had rather be following the Lawyers to our cost and smart, then to follow peace home to prevent Law.

Let us all bee followers of peace: let us follow it, let us seeke it by all meanes possible. The hunter followes the deere, though it run away: so let us doe peace, and lay hold on her whether shee will or no.

Peace is a singular thing. God is stiled the God of peace: he is not called the God of faith,* 1.1 &c. 2. Mat. 5.9. he doth not say, blessed are they that can talke gloriously of religion, but blessed are the peace makers: Why? for they shall be called the Children of God. They that be at peace are Gods Children: they that live in strifes and contention, are the Devils Children. The envious man sowed tares: hee it is that soweth the tares of discord and dissention. 3. Wee are members one of another: and shall we be at warre? Ioseph would not have his brethren to fall out by the way: We are brethren, and have one el∣der brother, which is Iesus Christ, shall we fall out one with another, and that upon every trifling occasion? It is a wonder to see what jarres there are betweene the professours of the Gospell, betweene neighbour and neighbour: scant two in a towne that love heartily and sincerely.

There be two especiall things that hinder peace: pride and co∣vetousnesse, Prov. 13.10. Pride is the Nurse of contention. There is I proud, and Thou proud: I stout, and Thou stout: none will bend, none will yeeld, as Abraham did, though he were better than us every kinde of way.

The second is Covetousnesse. We are so much wedded to the world, the valour of an halfe penny will make us to contend. Why rather suffer yee not wrong? If every man were content to put up a little wrong, what peace would there be in the Towne? how should it flourish, to the credit of the Gospell, and comfort of us all?

The second vertue is holinesse. It might be objected: if we fol∣low peace with all men, then we must bid holinesse adieu. For some will not be at peace with us, if we be holy. I, but if peace cannot be joyned with holinesse, away with it: doe not so follow peace, as that ye should let holinesse goe. Above all things, lay hold on holinesse.

Apoc. 1.7. They shall see him when he comes to judgement: but they shall not see him in his kingdome. Or if they see him, it shall be afar off, as the rich man in hell saw Lazarus: they shall not be partakers of his joy and glory.

Without learning, without variety of tongues, without riches, honour, beauty, men may see the Lord: but without holinesse none shall see him. By nature we are all unholy, comming of unholy pa∣rents: borne and conceived in sin: but we must be holy before we can goe to Heaven. 1 Cor. 6.9. Be ye holy as I am holy. The king∣dome of heaven is called the holy Ierusalem. No uncleane or unholy thing can enter into it. The Angels for their unholinesse were cast out of Heaven: and shall we thinke that GOD will take unholy men into heaven?

A great number scoffe at holinesse: O, yonder goes an holy man. Indeed if he be a whited Tombe and a painted Sepulchre; whose holi∣nesse for the most part consisteth in the laying open the unholinesse of others, he is worthy to be despised.

But except we be all holy, we shall never see heaven. Let us be holy first in heart, then in our eyes, tongues, hands, feet, and all the members of our body: being truly holy, we shall see the Lord, to our eternall comfort. Perfectly holy we cannot be in this world: there will alwayes be some drosse cleaving to the best golden Candle∣sticke: but let us be sincerely holy: and we shall triumph with Christ for ever.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 16.20.