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 26.

HItherto the Priest-hood of our Saviour hath beene advan∣ced above the Leviticall Priest-hood by foure strong and infallible arguments.

Now there remaineth an high and magnificent description of the Priest himselfe.

Wherein, 1. The substance of the description, ver. 26, 27.

2. A reason for the confirmation of it. In the substance of the description, 1. The person of our High-Priest. 2. His Ministery.

Became. Not as if wee were worthy of him: as wee say, the best Preacher in England becomes the King. It is better transla∣ted, as Stephen doth, conveniebat nobis, was requisite and con∣venient for us: it behooved us to have such an High-Priest. Our redemption could not have been accomplished without such a one.

What manner of one?

1. Holy, in himselfe and in his own nature: not only in respect of his deity, but of his humanity also, Luk. 1.35. Act. 2.27. The Devills acknowledge this; we know who thou art, that holy one of God. Dan. 9.24. Chodesh, Chodashim. Some Priests, Prophets and others have beene holy men, but none so holy as Christ: not a spot or ble∣mish of unholinesse in him: therefore fit to discharge the office of an high-Priest, and to reconcile us to his Father.

2. In respect of others: doing no harme, but all good to all: not circumventing any by fraud or deceit, nor offering open wrong and injurie to any.

In regard whereof hee is compared to a sheepe, which of all creatures is most harmelesse, nay profitable for his flesh and wooll too: So was Christ: so farre from doing any harme, that hee did good to his very enemies: a simple man, no craft in him.

3. As he was harmelesse himselfe, so he tooke no harme from nothing: 1. Actively. 2. Passively.

1. Vndefiled of all things. The Priests in the time of the Law above others were to be circumspect, that they were defiled with nothing, especially in the time of the exequution of their office: all that while they might not keepe company with their Wives, they were to abstaine from wine, not to touch a dead body, or any un∣cleane thing. Christ was more undefiled than any of them all: they might keepe their bodies from being outwardly defiled, yet they were stained with sin in soule and body too; Christ had no defile∣ment any kinde of way.

2. He was undefiled of any person.

Hee conversed with sinners for the reclaiming of them, as the Physition keeps company with sicke persons for the curing of them: but he neither gave allowance to their sinnes, nor received any con∣tagion from them.

Then his ministery is set forth to us. Where, 1. The place, where he doth Minister, in the Sanctuary of heaven.

Some expound it thus: that is, a most high and excellent man.

But it is rather to be referred to the place, where he ministers: he is exalted above all those adspectable heavens, Ep. 4.10. he is made higher than them, and exequutes the office of an high-Priest for us in the highest heavens, where he makes continuall intercession for us.

Is our high Priest holy, and shall we be unholy, that belong to him? Is the head holy, and shall the members bee unholy? Is the husband pure, and shall the wife be an impure strumpet? Nay wee must labour in some acceptable measure to expresse the holi∣nesse, that is in him: whereupon he saith, be yee holy as I am holy. Indeed wee cannot bee so holy as he is, and as certaine Heretickes dreamed, that were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, pure and holy men: yet let us strive in some sort to attaine to that holines which is in him. Thou canst not bee so rich as such a man is: wilt thou therefore labour for no riches at all? A Scholler cannot write so well as his sample, shall hee not therefore endevour to come as neere his

sample as hee can? So wee cannot attaine that holinesse that is in CHRIST, shall wee therefore not imitate it? Yes, wee must bee an holy nation, a royall Priest-hood, a people zealous of good workes. Learne of mee, said CHRIST, for I am humble and meeke: So learne to bee holy as he is holy. As the oyle powred on Aarons head stayed not there, but ranne downe to his beard, yea to the very skirts of his clothing: So the heavenly oyle of holinesse powred on Christ our high-Priest must be conveyed to all, yea to the lowest, that be in the Church.

Thou art none of Christs if thou beest not holy, as he is. But alas, for the most part, we are unholy, yea even we that professe ourselves to be the members of Christ. A great number, that would seeme to belong to Christ, that have Christ and his Gospell in their mouthes, but are impure, unholy & prophane in their lives: beastly drunkards that stincke of drink wheresoever they become: filthy adulterers, like fed horses, neighing after their neighbours wives: covetous misers. meere mucke wormes, that scarce believe there is any heaven but in this world. We should be Saints in some measure, as Christ the Saint of Saints is: but, a lamentable case! we are Devills in our conver∣sations: we should be Eagles mounting up into heaven, where Christ our high-Priest and Saviour is; but we are Swine wallowing in the puddle of all iniquity. As Christ is holy;* 1.1 so let us endeavour to be in some poore measure, else wee shall never set foote into the king∣dome of heaven. It is called the holy Ierusalem: no dogs, enchanters, Whoremongers, uncleane persons, that bee not sanctified by the Holy Ghost shall come into it: therefore let us be holy, as Christ our high-Priest is, that being partakers of his holinesse, we may be partakers of his glory in the life to come.

Christ was a simple man: all the treasures of wisedome were hid in him: he was wiser than Salomon, then any politicke Achitophel, then any Matchiavel whatsoever: yet a simple man. He would not imploy his wits and wisdome about such things as might be hurtfull to any. So Iacob was a plaine man, and Nathaneel a true Israelite, in whom there was no guile. Such must all Christians bee: though GOD have gi∣ven them never so sharp a wit, so reaching a head, never so great wisedome, experience and learning; yet they must not use it to the hurt of any, but to the good of all, so neere as they can. We must bee harmelesse as Christ: wise as Serpents; yet as innocent as Doves. Yet a number there be that have the Serpentine wisdome, and want the Dove-like simplicity: they thinke they cannot be wise men un∣lesse they be crafty and hurtfull men: they are more like the Devill then Christ: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Devill hath a plaguie wit, a sub∣tile pate of his owne: but hee never doth any good with it, but all the mischiefe he can: so doe those that are the Devills brood; they have wit and wisedome enough: the children of this world are wiser, &c. but what good doe they with it? Nay, what hurt? how dan∣gerous be they in a towne or a Country? we must so live, that wee be harmelesse as Christ was.

Yet a pittifull thing it is! we are altogether set upon hurt: we are harmefull and not harmelesse persons, as CHRIST was. There be two kindes of harmefull men in the Church, covered with the Cloake of Christianity: the one open, the other close and se∣cret; and yet not so close, but that God can disclose them, and make their treacheries knowne to all the world: the one are Foxes, the o∣ther are Wolves: the one Serpents, the other Beares and Lions. Some there bee that blush not to offer open harme and violence to their neighbours. Such a one as Iesabel was, that slew Naboth, and tooke away his Vineyard: all the world might see the injurie.

Such are they that grinde the faces of the poore, that wring house and land from them, and as Zidkiah, smite their brother on the face, that all may see the blow: these be impudent wretches; yet few of these Owles dare appeare in the glorious Sun shine of the Gospell. Now, men are waxen not more religious, but more cunning: they will be no hurtfull persons, they doe no harme to any: not openly perhaps, yet secretly: not above hand, but under hand. As he said, I will kill Ismael,* 1.2 and no man shall see it. We will undermine the Preacher, supplant our neighbours, doe hurt and mischiefe in a towne, and no man shall see it. These are worse than the other: those dogs are worst that will bite before they barke: and the Serpent that lyeth in the greene grasse destroyes more than those that bee in high wayes: a man may espie the one sooner than the other. These are like Iudas, that would kisse Christ at the same instant when hee be∣trayed him: these will speake faire to a mans face, and yet by secret perswasions, by politicke devices, by alienating the affections of o∣thers, cut his throat behinde his backe. A vile generation of Vi∣pers! yet all their plotting, consulting; their devising of mischiefe is knowne to him that knowes all secrets, who will one day reveale them to their open shame before God and his Angels, unlesse they repent, fie upon this dealing: let us labour to bee harmelesse as our Saviour Christ is. It is an easie matter to bee harmefull, if we will sell our selves to the Devill. Let us strive to doe good to all, but harme none, neither openly, nor secretly, by word nor deed, by our selves not by others. We that bee Christians must bee good men, as Barnabas was; full of good workes, as Dorcus was: but not bad men, hurtfull men, full of evill workes. Let us all so carry our selves in the Towne and Country, where we dwell, that it may bee affirmed of us, we are harmelesse, as Christ was. Yet as we reade of one that was famous for nothing, but for burning Diana's Tem∣ple: so some are famous for nothing but for the hurt they have done and doe dayly: they doe not only no good themselves, but disswade others from doing of good.

As Christ is undefiled; so must we be. These are they that have not defiled their garments,* 1.3 that have not defiled themselves with women. Though we live in a filthy and defiled world: yet we must not bee defiled with it. Like the Sun that shineth on a dunghill, yet is not polluted with the dunghill: so though we live in the dunghill of the

world, yet wee must not be defiled with it: wee must bee undefiled from covetousnesse, drunkennesse, pride, malice, envy, and other sins that reigne amongst us. But alas, we have no care of it: we de∣file our selves innumerable kinde of wayes. A dainty Lady, or Gentlewoman would bee loath to file her fingers with a little dirt: we all loath outward defilements, but we give entertainement to sin, which is the greatest pollution of all.

Nay we are like hogs, that had rather be in fowle water, then in cleane, wallowing in the puddle of sin, then bathing our selves in the bath of vertue.

As Christ separated Himselfe from sinners: So must wee doe: how? wee must not shut up our selves in Cloysters, in Nunneries, and Monasteries, as some did in a blind zeale in the time of Popery, thinking that they were then separated from sinners, when they were many of the most beastly sinners themselves.

Neither must wee be brethren of separation, as the Brownists most unbrotherly name themselves; we must not, Hebr. 10.25. for∣sake the assembling of our selves together. Wee must not separate our selves from the spouse of Christ, because of some pretended wrin∣kles in her face: neither must we altogether abandon the society of men, 1 Cor. 5.10. but we must separate our selves from the pollu∣tion of sinners. Though we be in Sodome, as Lot was, yet wee must not be Sodomites: though we come into the company of drunkards, yet we must not be drunken as they are: though among adulterers, bawdy talkers and livers, yet wee must not draw with them in the same yoke of sin: we must be like to the fishes that dwell in the salt water, and yet themselves are fresh: so though our dwelling be in a prophane towne; yet wee must separate our selves from the pro∣phanenesse that is in the Towne.

This is hard for us to doe, though Christ could doe it. It is a difficult matter to touch pitch, and not to be defiled with it: to bee in a fire, and not to be burnt. Barnabas keeping company with dis∣semblers, was brought to dissemble with them:* 1.4 and S^t. Peter that stout champion of Christ, being in the high Priests hall was brought to the denyall of Christ. Therefore the best course we can take is to refraine their company, as Ioseph: if not, but that wee fall into it, then to pray to God to separate us from the wickednesse that is in that company.

The high-Priest in time of the Law was in a Sanctuary on the earth: but our high-Priest is in the Temple and Sanctuary of hea∣ven, where he appeareth alwayes in the sight of God for us: and let not our affections be here on the earth, but let our conversation bee in heaven; let us seeke the things that bee above, where Christ our high-Priest and Saviour is.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hebr. 12.14. Apoc. 21.2.
• * 1.2

  Ier. 40.15.
• * 1.3

  Apo. 3.4, 14.4
• * 1.4

  Gal. 2.13.