A commentarie vpon the most diuine Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes Containing for matter, the degeneration of our nature by Adams Fall; and the restauration thereof, by the grace of Christ. Together with the perfection of faith, and the imbecillity of workes, in the cause of iustification of elect sinners before God. For forme and maner of handling, it hath the coherence and method, the summe and scope, the interpretations & doctrines the reasons and vses, of most texts. All which, are set downe very familiarly and compendiously, in forme of a dialogue, betweene Tlmotheus [sic] and Silas, by Thomas Wilson, one of the six preachers in the cathedrall church of Canterbury.

DIAL. VIII.

Verses 13, 14, 15. Distributing or communicating vnto the necessities of the Saints〈◊〉〈◊〉 giuing your selues vnto hospitali∣ty. Blesse them which persecute you, Blesse I say; and curse not:

Reioyce with them that reioyce, and weepe with them that weepe.

Tim.

VVHat is requirtd by the first of these precepts?

Silas.

Liberality or mercy to the poore, that we be ready to giue them almes acording to their need. The word translated [necessities,] signifies [vses] to teach vs, that as wee may not minister to the delicates of the poore, so we may not stay til extreame necessity vrgeth them vnto this duty of mercy in giuing. There be manie exhortations in the Scripture, vppon sundry and great Reasons, as Heb. 13. 16. where it is called a Sacrifice, and God is saide to be well pleased with it. In Phil. 4, 18. it is called an Odour of sweete smell, a Sacrifice acceptable to God. And Actes 20, 35. it is saide, that it is a more blessed thing to giue then to receiue: and Luke 16, 9. we are charged to make friendes of vnrighteous Mammon, by giuing to the poore, that they may receiue vs into c∣uerlasting habitation: and 1 Tim. 6, 18, 19. of distributing to the poore Paul saith, it is the laying of a good foun∣dation against the time to come.

Againe, Christians bee stewardes, and it is required, that stewards be faithfull, to dispose their goods to the minde of their Maister, and his mind is, that such as haue much, should giue to such as haue little; and that the a∣bundance of some, should supply the wants of others. 2. Cor. 8, 13, 14. Further, by being mercifull to the poore, we are like our heauenly Father, which is mercifull and giues liberally, Math. 5, 45. also we expresse loue & kind∣nesse to Christ, by doing good to his members, Mat. 25, 35. 36, 37. We witnesse to our selues and others the truth of our faith, which works by loue, Gal. 5, 6. and comforts the heart of our Brethren, Phile. 7. and brings glorie to God and our profession. Besides al these forenamed rea∣sons, ther be three reasons more in our text, to perswade vnto this duty, as the loue of Saints, because poore chri∣stians are [Saints] purged by the blood, and sanctifyed by the Spirit of Christ.

Secondly, the compassion of their necessities and wants which we are bound to pitty. Thirdly, liberality in com∣municating. By which word of communicating, we are put in mind, in that the Apostle saith rather communica∣ting then giuing; that the poore haue an interest in the goods of the rich, as touching the vse by vertue of Gods commandement: and that the rich ought to communi∣cate with them in affections and simpathy, by releeuing them, as if they felt their wants, and suffered with them, Heb. 13, 3. And lastly, that betweene rich and poore, there is a kinde of spirituall trafficke and merchandize, the rich communicating temporall things in making the poore partakers of their substaunce, and the poore spiri∣tuall, in making the rich partakers of their prayers. The examples of such men as haue perfourmed this duty, is first Dorcas, Acts 9, 39. making coats to giue to the pore: the brethren of Antioch sending relief to the pore Saints at Ierusalem, whom also the Church of Macedonia did re∣leeue euen beyond their power, 2 Cor. 9, 2, 3. Now as for the maner how beneficence is to be performed 2 Cor. 8, & 9. chap. not grudgingly, or of necessity, or sparingly, not of compulsion, but out of a Christian compassion, of a ready mind with cheerefulnes, for the loue and sake of Christ, and as to him; for God loues a chearful giuer. For the quantity, it must be much where much is, 2 Cor. 9, 8, 11. 1 Tim. 6, 18. no certaine stint or rate, but according to thy ability, and thy neighbors necessity.

Tim.

What are the vices contrary to this duty.?

Silas.

They be couetousnes & prodigality; for by ex∣cesse in apparrel, eating & drinking, Christians are made both vnable and vnwilling to doe this dutie, as they might and ought, if they were temperate, and kept a seemelie moderation and measure in the vse of Gods blessings bestowed on vs: and couetousnes doth quite choake the affection of liberality, it hardens the heart of the rich against the poore, and binds vp their hands, so as nothing comes from thē, vnles it be wrung out by great

entreaty, or by authority, as seises. Lastly, in giuing, chri∣stians are to beware both of opinion of merite, which poysoneth Popish liberality, and of vaineglorie, which spoiles the bounty of many Protestants giuing, to bee seene and talked of.

Tim.

What is the next duty heere exhorted to?

Silas.

After beneficence, Paul exhorts vnto hospitali∣ty,* 1.1 by being ready to entertain strangers and exiles, such as were driuen from home for the Gospel; where of great store were in the primitiue Church, when both Apostles and other Christians were forced to trauel from Coun∣try to Country for their safety, through the heat of per∣secutions, See Heb. 13, 2. Note in our Text, that he saith not imbrace, but be giuen: which signifies to pursue and follow it with eagernesse and earnestnesse, as if it were not enough to inuite strangers, and to receiue them, but that we ought also to entreat and vrge them to come to vs; after the example of Lydia, Acts 16, 15. and of Abra∣ham, Gen. 18. and of Lot, Gen. 19. which while they re∣ceiued strangers, vnawares entertained Angels, Heb. 13, 2. See Deut. 10, 18, 19. God loueth strangers, and your selues were strangers, therefore be kinde and beneficiall to them.

Tim.

What is the meaning of the next precept?

Silas.

As before Paul taught what our behauiour should be towards friends, and the houshold of Faith, so* 1.2 he now teacheth duty towards them which are without, which are enemies, whom he willeth vs to [blesse,] that is, both to wish well vnto them, and to speake well of them (as farre as we may with matter of trueth;) both to pray for, and to praise them according to their worthi∣nesse, yea and to do good vnto them also, if they neede it. In that Paul repeateth the word [Blesse] twice, & then sets it foorth by the contrary word [Curse] hee puts vs in minde both how hard a worke this is, being a worke of the Spirit, and not of the flesh, as being contrarie to our corrupt nature. Also, that we should not do it by fittes,

but be constant in blessing. Paul borroweth this pre∣cept from the words of Christ, Math. 5, 24. Wee haue Christ himselfe a patterne of it, Esay 53, 12. and Steuen, Acts 7, 6. and 1 Pet 2, 22. all Christians are called to imi∣tate the example of Christes patience towards their ene∣mies.

The practise of this duty, is the verie touchstone & triall of all Christian charity. For to speake well, and do well vnto such as loue vs, is no singular matter: it is com∣mon to Gods children with Publicans and sinners; but to loue & blesse an enemy, is the peculiar worke of a godly* 1.3 person: see Mat. 5, 43, 46. Luke 6, 27, 35. This forbidding to curse, must be meant of priuate enemies. Againe, from this precept wee may learne, that Gods children must make account, that there will neuer want wicked men to persecute them both with their tongues by raylings, slanderings, and calumnies; and with their swordes or hand, by losse of goods, imprisonment, death, &c. and that for trueth and righteousnesse sake. Heere of Christ forewarned his Disciples, Math. 5, 10. The best remedie we haue in such cases, to breake the malice and crueltie of wicked men, is by patience and wel-doings, 1 Pet. 4, 19.

Tim.

What is required more in the next precept?

Silas.

Mutuall affection betweene Christians in both* 1.4 estates, aduersity and prosperity, to reioyce together in the one, and to mourne together in the other. And it is to be noted, that this precept reacheth more vnto spiri∣tuall, then vnto temporall cases; for we are bound more to lament the spirituall decayes of our brethren, then for their worldly losses: and also more bound to reioyce for their graces, then the riches of our Brethren. The Reason of this Sympathie, is that which is rendred of the Apo∣stle, 1 Cor. 12, 26. because wee are members one of ano∣ther; and if one member suffer, all ought to suffer with them; and if one reioyce, all to reioyce with them: so it must be amongst Christians. Examples heereof we haue

in the kinsfolkes of Elizabeth, Luke 1, 58. and in Paul, Phil. 1, 3. Colossians 1. 1. Thes. 1. 2. Iohn 1, 2. Romanes 16, 19.

Tim.

What vse of this point?

Silas.

It serues to reproue such enuious persons which fret and repine at the good and happy estate of their bre∣thren, as Caine enuied Abell, Saul Dauid, and the Phari∣sies Christ; and the malicious also, who in stead of mour∣ning together for the losses of others, are well pleased and make themselues merry and sportfull with the miseries of their neighbours; this is a wickednesse against which Iob doth protest, Chap. 31, verse 29. and for the which God threatneth the Edomites in Obadiah, verse 12, 13. It is the part of all Christians to be vnlike vnto both these, and by simpathy and fellow-feeling of other mens both ioyes and sorrowes, to expresse our owne loue to our brethren, and to shew that wee are voide of enuy, and to enlarge their loue againe towards vs, when they shall see vs ready to communicate with them, both in their gladnesse and hea∣uinesse: and finally somewhat to ease and lessen the grieses and afflictions of our neighbours, by helping thē to beare the borthen in a common affection. But heere is to be ob∣serued, that if in the sorrow of our neighbour there be ey∣ther an error, mourning when they ought to reioyce, or being glad when they ought to mourne, or an excesse in eyther of these, that then our duty is to correct them by admonition and not to communicate with them in such vnruly affections. Also heere is the effect put for the cause, weeping outwardly for lamenting inwardly; yet teares would bee shed and poured out in any great calamities of our brethren, after the example of Christ weeping ouer Ie∣rusalem, and Paul for carnall and worldly Gospellers, Philppians 3. 18.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hospitality.
• * 1.2

  Blesse, what it is.
• * 1.3

  Where were patience, or experience, or hope without these persecutions of wicked men? saith Chrystostome.
• * 1.4

  Mutuall affe∣ction.