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.

IN the former part of the Chapter he commended to them many excellent duties, of brotherly love, hospitality, constancy in the truth, obedience to spirituall Governours: now because Saint Paul may plant, Apollos water, but it must bee GOD that gives the encrease; hee prayeth to GOD for them, to worke all these graces in them.

In this prayer. 1. The person to whom he prayeth. 2 The mat∣ter of it. verse 21. The person is described by a Title, and an effect: his Title is this, dator & amator pacis. 2 Cor. 13.11. 1 Cor. 14.33.

Peace is an union of the hearts of men: men will never bee at peace, if they be not of one heart and one minde, as they were in the Primitive Church.* 1.1 Now God alone rules in the hearts of men: therefore he onely can make peace.

There is a double peace; the one betweene GOD and us, Romans 5.1. Luke 2.14.29. GOD is the giver of that: the other is a peace betweene our selves. 1 Thes. 5.13. wherewith God is greatly delighted: They be both herbes that growe in his Garden, He is the God of them both.

We must be at peace one with an other.

1 We have a peaceable Prince, Isai. 9.6. therefore let us that be his Subjects and Souldiers, bee peaceable.

2 There is no one string in all the Scripture harped so much on, as this.

3 Without this wee cannot see GOD. Hebrewes 12.14. Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall bee called the Children of GOD.

4 Rom. 12.18. It is to be embraced with all, much more with them that professe the same Gospell with us. Owe nothing to any man, save love. Let us looke to discharge this debt unto all.

5 The Divell according to his name is a maker of debate. Satan signifies an enemy: The enemy came and sowed tares. He is that ene∣my that sowes the tares of dissention in the world. The Divell dwels in contention, as the Salamander in the fire. Contentious persons are like the Divell, who sowes the seed of contention betweene man and man: they that be of a wrangling disposition, that are never well but when they have their hand in contention, are like Ishmael, whose hand was against every man, and every mans against him.

They are not of God, but of the Divell: we have a peaceable GOD, let us bee like Him. My peace I leave with you,* 1.2 sayes CHRIST. If we be right Christians, we will be at peace one with an other.

6 Peace is a credit to the Gospell, as contention is a discredite. Gen. 34.21. So must we be peaceable. Pursue peace, and follow af∣ter it. Yet some run away from peace: Let them bee sent for to make peace, they will not come: they will professe so much: a fearefull thing! We have one Father, one Mother, one Elder Bro∣ther, believe in one Saviour, hope for one Kingdome: therefore let us be at peace, let no jarres be among us. In the building of the Temple, the noise of an hammer or toole was not heard: and let there be no knocking with the hammer of contention among Chri∣stians, which are Gods house and Temple. Remember that our God is a God of peace: let us be peaceable.

Wee have had the Title, now to the effect: the raising up of Christ from the dead: elementia in collatione pacis; potentia in susci∣tatione filij.

The party raised is set forth, 1. By his Sovereignty. 2. By his Name. 3. By his Office.

For his Sovereignty, He is our Lord. Ye call me Master and Lord. Not every one that sayeth to me, Lord, &c. He created us, He redeemed us, He hath marryed us to Himselfe: therefore we are to call Him Lord, as Sarah did Abraham.

For His Name, it is IESUS: the onely SAVIOUR of the world. There is no other name whereby wee can be saved,* 1.3 but by the Name of IESUS. Moses was the giver of the Law: yet not he, but Iosuah brought the people into Canaan: So they be not the workes of the Law, but Christ alone, that carryes us into heaven, the celestiall Canaan.

For His Office, Hee is the Shepheard of the sheepe. Cyrus my Shepheard. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Where observe, 1. What man∣ner

of Shepheard he is. 2. How hee comes to bee our Shepheard.

If ye will know what manner of Shepheard he is, he is a great one. There be little Shepheards, as the Rectours, Curates of every Congregation: but Hee is the great Shepheard. 1. Great in the ex∣tent of the flocke, the universall Shepheard of the whole Church throughout the world, the Shepheard of Iewes and Gentiles: so is none but he.

2 Great in authority. The sheepe are His, Hee ownes them. Simon, feede my sheepe, feede my lambes. Peter, as other Pastors feede them: but the sheepe are Christs. Iob had 7000. sheepe: he had many Shepheards that kept them; yet the sheepe were Iobs. So Christ hath many thousands of sheepe in Christendome, in the world. Sundry Shepheards he places over them: yet the sheepe are Christs, not ours.

3 Great in the charge which hee hath taken on him: hee is the Shepheard of soule and body too: the great Shepheard of our soules. 1 Pet. 2. ult. He hath care of body and soule too.

4 Great in humility: the King of Kings; yet hee abased him∣selfe to be a Shepheard.

5 Great in knowledge. Iohn 10.3.

6 Great in love and kindenesse: Hee gave Himselfe for the sheepe.

7 Great in power: none can take them out of his hands. All the Divells in hell, all the wicked men on the earth cannot cozen him of one sheepe.

Be thankefull to God for this great Shepheard.

Of whom? of the sheepe, that is, the righteous.

They are most fitly resembled to sheepe.

1 Sheepe are humble. Learne of Me, I am humble and meeke.

2 Sheepe are harmelesse: be as innocent as Doves, as harme∣lesse as sheepe.

3 Sheepe are profitable, for backe and belly.

4 They are ruled by their Shepheard: So whatsoever thou commandest us, we will doe.

5 Sheepe are lead into pastures and folds.

6 They are obnoxious to many dangers: to Wolves, Briers, Theives,* 1.4 Dogges. So many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of all. Happy are the sheepe that have such a Shepheard.

But how came He to be Shepheard? Sayd the chiefe Captaine, with a great summe of money obteined I this burgeship.* 1.5 But it cost Christ a greater summe, even His bloud, whereby the everlasting covenant is confirmed. Acts 20.28. The wine in the Lords Sup∣per is a lively representation of this bloud. The wine is red; So was the bloud of CHRIST: the wine is powred out into the cup; So the bloud of CHRIST was powred forth for our sinnes. The grapes are pressed before there is any wine: So was CHRIST. Wine comforts a man: hee hath given him wine to make him a

glad heart. So the consideration of the bloud of Christ, that was shed for the remission of our sins, is a singular comfort to the soules of Christians.

By this bloud He came to be the Shepheard of the Church: and this is that bloud that ratifies GODS everlasting Covenant. The Covenant, I am thy GOD, and the GOD of thy seede, is an ever∣lasting Covenant. Such as the man is, such is his bond and word. It is good dealing with honest men. A man may be bold to build on their word. And such as GOD is, such is His Covenant: an everlasting GOD, and an everlasting Covenant: of His Kingdome there shall bee no end: and of His Covenant there shall be no end. As He is our GOD now; So he will be for ever. Let this stay us up when we are ready to faint, in all distresses.

This is that great Shepheard of the sheepe, which GOD hath brought againe from the dead. But was hee not able to bring him∣selfe from the dead? Yes verily: He raised up this Temple Himselfe, He presented Himselfe alive, Acts 1.3. Yet in respect of His hu∣manity, GOD is sayd to have brought Him from the dead: which He did after a glorious manner; the Angels waiting on the Sepulcher, the earth trembling, the graves opening, sundry of the Saints rising with Him and appearing to many. Our Saviour truely dyed on the Crosse, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. All the breath went out of His body: it was wrapt up in linnen cloathes, layed in the Sepulcher, there it continued three dayes and nights; yet God brought Him againe from the dead: Hee was seene of His Apostles and others; fourty dayes together; they beheld the print of the nailes in His hands and feet, they eat and dranke with Him, and looked on Him, when Hee went into Heaven. Even so the same God shall bring us againe from the dead. The Head is risen; therefore the members shall rise: the first fruits are in the barne of Heaven, therefore we that are the second fruits shall be gathered thither. The husband is in Heaven; there∣fore the wife shall be in Heaven. Where I am, they also that believe in mee shall bee there: Hee brought CHRIST from the dead the third day; there was an extraordinary reason in that; because His Sacred body might see no corruption. Our bodies corrupted with sinne must lye putrifying in the earth, till the day of Iudge∣ment.

Adventus Domini clavis resurrectionis: then wee shall meete CHRIST in the ayre, and bee translated with Him into His Kingdome of glory. Christs resurrection is a pledge of ours.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Acts 4.32.
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 14.27.
• * 1.3

  Acts 4.12.
• * 1.4

  Psal. 34.9.
• * 1.5

  Acts 22.28.