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 11.

ANother reason, why it became Christ to be man: it is taken from the impurity of our nature. Men had sinned, and were destitute of the grace of God: they were by nature impure and unholy, conceived, borne, brought up in sin: now it was neces∣sary they should be sanctified, made cleane, and holy. This could not be done by the bloud of Goates and other sacrifices in the Law: neither could they sanctifie themselves by their owne good workes and merits: therefore it was requisite that God should take this san∣ctification on him. Now mans nature being corrupt, was to be san∣ctified by a man, that knew no sin or corruption: for he that san∣ctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are of one: therefore Christ be∣came man.

The High Priest that sanctified the people in the time of the Law, and the people sanctified by him were both of one Father, namely Abraham, the Father of the Israelites; so Christ that san∣ctifieth us, and we that be sanctified by him, are of one, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in the neuter gender, of one thing, of one nature.

Of one,] that is, of one Parent of whom came all mankinde, Acts 17.26. Christ and we, came of one Adam: whereupon S. Luke deduceth his Genealogie from Adam, Luke 3.38. We are all of one; high and low, rich and poore, and Christ is man like to us, sin one∣ly excepted?

All the persons in the Trinity sanctifie us. God the Father by the Son, God the Son by the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost immediate∣ly by himselfe: but Christ, as the Mediator of the Church, sancti∣fieth it. As the ointment came from Aarons head downe to the skirts of his garment: so the spirituall oile of holinesse, comes from Christ the Head, to us, that be his members. Christ is our onely sancti∣fier, 1 Cor. 1.30. No Saint, as the Virgin Mary; no Angell can sanctifie us. How he sanctifies us, is apparent, Ephes. 5.26, 27. 1 Cor. 6.11. by purging us from our sins, clothing us with his righteous∣nesse, renewing us by his Spirit, making us New Creatures, and fit for the holy Ierusalem.

This doth give us to understand, that by nature we are unholy and un-sanctified, conceived, borne, and brought forth in sinne, the children of Gods wrath. In us, that is, in our flesh dwels no good thing. Being considered in our selves, we are Idolaters, Whoremongers, Wantons, Raylers, Drunkards, ready to be carried into all impiety. Such were some of you, sayes S. Paul: but ye are washed. As the

Leper in the time of the law cryed out, I am uncleane, I am uncleane: So must every mothers Sonne of us say, we are as uncleane swine by nature, except the Lord Iesus sanctifie us. When Christ washing his Disciples feet came to Saint Peter, he repelled him, saying, thou shalt not wash my feete. No, sayes Christ? then thou hast no por∣tion in me. Saint Peter hearing that answered: Lord, not my feete alone, but my head and hands. Wee are corrupt in soule and body: therefore let us entreat Christ to wash and sanctifie us in them both. No uncleane thing shall enter into the heavenly Hierusalem: Dogs, Enchanters, Whoremongers are without. Therefore let us beseech CHRIST to make us cleane by his Word and Spirit in this life, that wee may have entrance into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come.

If CHRIST and we are all of one, much more are we among our selves.

A King and a beggar are of one: a rich man and a poore man are of one: a faire and beautifull man or woman, and they that want beauty are of one: we descended all of Adam, and were taken out of the dust of the ground: therefore let us not insult one over another. GOD for a season hath advanced one above another, the Magi∣strate above the Subject, the Father above the Son, the Rich man above the poore man, and every one is to be honoured according to that place, whereunto God hath exalted him: yet if we look back to our originall, to the stocke from whence we are taken, we are all of one. The Wax that hath the print of the Kings seale on it, is the same in substance with the waxe that hath the print of the seale of a meane man: yet it is honoured, in that the Kings seale is set on it: So we are all of one weake and waxie nature: save that it pleaseth God to set a more honourable print upon one, then on another. Therefore let us not thinke highly of ourselves, and contemne our brethren, but submitte to them of low degree, using the greatnesse that GOD hath given us, to the glory of the Giver. Seest thou a poore Lazarus full of sores, desirous to bee refreshed with the crumbes that fall from rich mens bordes? Contemne him not in thy heart: he and thou, though thou farest deliciously every day, and rufflest out in silkes and velvet, are both of one.

This he proveth by the relatives. They that be brethren, come of one Father and Mother: CHRIST and wee are brethren: therefore we are of one: of one Adam, which is our Father, and of one Mother, which is Eve.

Whereas some interpret it of one God, of one heavenly Father; it is impertinent to the Text.

He doth not simply say, they are his brethren: but, hee is not a∣shamed to call them brethren, Prov. 19.7. All the brethren of the poore doe hate him: how much more doe his friends goe far from him? He pursueth them with words, but they are wanting to him. But Christ thought it no disparagement to his glorious Deity, to call men his brethren. Though there be wonderfull ods betweene

Christ and us; hee the Creator, we the creatures; hee the LORD and Master, we his servants; he without sinne, we defiled with sinne in Soule and body; he mervailous rich, heaven and earth being his; we poore men, of our selves not worth a groat: yet Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren. If a man come once to be Lord Major of London, hee will scant acknowledge his poore brethren and Si∣sters, when they come to him. Christ is not a Lord for a yeere and a day, but an everlasting King, yea the King of Kings, yet he vouch∣safes to call us, brethren. One Iudge will call another, brother; and if he be a Sergeant, he shall have that name; but every pettifogger and paltrie Lawyer shall not be the Iudges brother: yet Christ the Iudge of the whole world calls us all brethren. O the humility of Christ, and the dignity whereunto he hath advanced us!