Lectures upon the vvhole Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians, deliuered in St. Peters Church in Oxford: by the reuerend and faithfull seruant of Christ Henry Airay ... and now published for the vse of Gods Church by C.P. ...

LECTƲRE XX.

PHILIP. 1.

Verse 24. Neuerthelesse, to abide in the flesh, is more needfull for you.

25. And this I am sure of, that I shall abide, and with you all continue, for the furtherance and ioy of your faith.

26. That you may more abundantly reioyce in Iesus Christ for me, by my comming to you againe.

ANother thing yet there is which here is to be noted, and that is that the A∣postle saith, that it is more needefull for the Philippians that he liue longer, then that hee bee loosed. Whence I obserue, that the long life of the faith full Pastor is very needefull for the Church, and the blessing of God vp∣on it. A plaine proofe whereof, we haue in the example of Iehoida, touching whom it is said,* 1.1 That Ioash did vprightly in the fight of the Lord, all the dayes of Iehoiada the Priest. But after the death of Iehoiada came the Princes of Iudah, and did

reuerence to the King, and the King hearkened vnto them, and they left the house of the God of their Fathers, and serued groues and idols. What a blessing of the Lord was here vpon Ioash the King of Iudah, and vpon all Iudah by the life of Iehoiada the Priest? So long as hee liued, Ioash did that which was good in the sight of the Lord, and Iudah walked in the waies of the Lord; but when hee was dead, then Ioash the King, and Iudah with him, reuolted from the true seruice of the Lord, and fell vnto idolatry. And therefore the Lord pur∣posing to visite the iniquities of Iudah,* 1.2 and Hierusalem, vp∣on them threateneth to take away from them the Iudge, and the Prophet, that is, the Magistrate and the Minister, as if he should haue said, that he would roote out all ciuill go∣uernment, and all ecclesiasticall discipline from amongst them, and bring an vtter confusion and desolation vpon them. Is it then a plague of GOD vpon a land, to take away their Prophets, and their Teachers? And is it a visitation of the peoples sinnes vpon them? By this then ye see, that the continuance of the Pastors life among the people, is the blessing of the Lord vpon the people; I meane the continuance of the good and faithfull Pastors life. For otherwise, if the Pastor be an idle sheepe-heard, one that de∣spiseth his flocke, one that cannot, or will not feed the ten∣der Lambes of Christ Iesus, & leade them forth vnto greene pastures, and vnto the soft running waters: then surely it is a great blessing of the Lord to deliuer the sheepe from such a sheep-heard, & to cut him off from feeding his peo∣ple. And therfore the Lord promising in mercie to visite his dispersed flocke, speaketh thus vnto them by his Prophet, Behold,* 1.3 I come against the sheepeheards, and will require my sheepe at their hands, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheepe, neither shall the sheepeheards feede themselues any more: for I will deliuer my sheepe from their mouths, and they shall no more deuoure them. As then this is a great mercie of the Lord vnto the flocke of his pasture, when the Pastor is an ill one to deliuer them from him, and to cause him to cease from feeding them, whether by death, or how else so euer; so is

it a great blessing of the Lord vpon them, when they haue a good and faithfull Pastor and Teacher, to continue his life amongst them, for their further growth and encrease in the faith and truth of Christ Iesus.

This then, beloued, should teach you, how when the Lord blesseth you with a faithfull Pastor you should bee af∣fected towards him, and that is thus, you should euen pray vnto the Lord for him to continue his life long amongst you, by whose life yee haue such a blessing. Other duties, many towards them on your behalfe are commanded, as o∣bedience, where it is said, Obey them that haue the ouersight of you, and submit your selues, and loue: As where it is said,* 1.4 Know them that labour among you, and are ouer you in the Lord,* 1.5 and admonish you, and haue them in singular loue for their workes sake, and maintenance. As where it is said,* 1.6 Let him that is taught in the word, make him that hath taught him pertaker of all his goods. Whereunto ye are also to adde this dutie towards them, euen to pray for the continuance of their life long a∣mongst you. And surely, if either ye consider the blessing which ye haue by the enioying of them, or the losse which ye haue when such are taken from you, yee will see that yee haue great cause to pray for their abiding in the flesh a∣mongst you. For what, if after such a faithfull Pastor should succeede an idle sheepe heard, a greedie wolfe, an ignorant hireling, a slow-belly, a peruerter of the truth, a scandalous man for life, one whose God is his belly, and whose glorie is to his shame, as too too often after such light followeth such darkenesse. How great cause then should yee haue to waile and lament, and with Ieremie, to say, How is the golde become so dimme? While then ye haue them, how ought ye to pray for them, that long ye may haue them, and enioye the benenefits of their labours.

But how farre otherwise doe wee a great many of vs in many places, for so it is with many of vs in many places, that if our Pastor be a faithful teacher, one that labours amongst vs in the word and doctrine, one that keepes nothing backe from vs, but faithfully deliuers vnto vs the whole counsaile

of the Lord; we are so farre from praying for the continu∣ance of his life, that by all meanes we labour to make him wearie of his life. If wee haue such a Pastor as neither can, nor will teach vs in the wholesome word of truth, one that will suffer vs to go on in our sinnes, and neuer awake vs out of our dead sleepe of securitie: one that will sowe pillowes vnder our elbowes, and crie peace, peace, when there is no peace, one that will sort himselfe vnto our manners, and apply himselfe vnto our humors, he is a man fit for vs: hee is a milde, a soft man, and a good companion, and wee wish that he might liue for euer with vs. But if our Pastor with the Prophets of the Lord, threaten the iudgements of the Lord against vs for our sinnes; if with Iohn Baptist hee re∣proue vs boldly to our faces, for such crying sinnes as reigne amongst vs; if with the blessed Martyr Steuen, in the appli∣cation of his doctrine, hee shall come vpon vs and say, yee stiffe-necked & of vncircumcised hearts and eares, ye haue alwaies resisted the holy Ghost, as your fathers did so doe yee. If with the Apostle he shall rebuke vs, and say, O foo∣lish people, who hath bewitched you, that yee should not obey the truth: if hee shall launce our sores vnto the bottome, that so we may be throughly healed, if he shall wound the heary scalpe of him that goeth on in his wickednesse, and lay the axe to the roote of our sinnes, him wee can by no meanes endure, he is a contentious man, a seditious man, a schis∣maticall fellow, a troubler of the world; away with such a man, hee is not worthy to liue vpon the earth. Thus the Pastor, from whom it were a mercie of the Lord to deliuer vs, we loue and like: and him, in the continuance of whose liue were a blessing of the Lord vpon vs, wee cannot away with. So greatly are we in loue with our sinnes and igno∣rance, and so little doe we loue knowledg, and the things that belong vnto our peace. But, beloued, I perswade my selfe better things of a great many of you. As already you do, so continue to haue them that labour amongst you in singular loue, for their workes sake. Let the feete of them that bring you the Gospell of Christ Iesus bee beautifull

vnto you. Count the life of your faithfull Teachers a bles∣sing of the Lord vpon you, and pray yee vnto the Lord when yee haue such a blessing for the continuance thereof vnto you This blessing is as needfull for you as the greatest blessing of this life, and therefore reioyce in it, and pray for it as the greatest blessing of your life. And let this suf∣fice to be obserued from the reasons which made the Apo∣stle doubt what to chuse, whether to liue in the bodie, or to remoue out of the bodie. It followeth.

And this am I sure of &c.] In the Apostles narration which began at the 12. verse, first the Apostle told vs what successe his bands had already had, and then what successe he hoped they should haue. Touching the successe which they should haue, we haue heard that the Apostle certainly looked for, and hoped that they should turne to the salua∣tion of his soule through his constancie in his bands, whe∣ther it were in life, or in death. But what should be the suc∣cesse of his bands touching the saluation and deliuerance of his bodie? The Apostle now tells the Philippians that, namely, he knew certainely that he should liue, be deliue∣red out of prison, & be restored to them againe. And with∣all he tels them wherefore God would now deliuer him, & haue him yet to liue longer, which was for these two ends: 1. for their furtherance & ioy of their faith, .i. that by his ministerie they might be confirmed in the faith, & thereby haue their ioy increased: & 2. that they might more abun∣dantly reioyce &c. .i. that they seeing the mighty power of Christ, in deliuering him from the mouth of the lion might more abundantly reioyce in Christ the author of his deli∣uerance, for deliuering him, and for bringing him againe to them. The first thing which here I note is, that the Apostle saith, that he was sure of this, that he should abide in the flesh, and continue with all the Philippians, yet for some time longer. Whence I obserue, that the Apostle in his first imprisonment at Rome was deliuered, and restored vn∣to the Churches which before he had planted; which I do the rather gather hence, for that the two words which the

Apostle vseth,* 1.7 shew that he knew so certainly that he should be deliuered, as hee could not otherwise but by the reuela∣tion of the spirit. And in the Epistle to Timothie in plaine words he professeth,* 1.8 that he was deliuered out of the mouth of the lyon, meaning of Nero. And the ecclesiasticall sto∣ries beare witnesse, that after his first imprisonment, by the space of ten yeares or thereabouts he preached the gospell, and then returning to Rome againe was slaine by Nero, about the 14. yeare of his reigne.

Which may serue to encourage the faithfull thus farre in their troubles, that whatsoeuer be their troubles, if it bee for his glory, the Lord will deliuer them. As he did with Paul, so will he doe with vs: as our farther tryall, or pre¦sent deliuerance shall be for his glory so will he try vs or de∣liuer vs. Let vs therefore in troubles be of good courage, and let vs assure our selues of deliuerance, if it be for his glo∣ry. Onely let vs, as himselfe exhorteth, call vpon him in the day of our trouble,* 1.9 and then his promise is, we neede no reue∣lation for it, that he will deliuer vs; alwaies this condition vn∣derstood, if our deliuerance bee for his glory. And what else is it that we should desire but that he may be glorified in our bodies, whether it be by life, or death?

The second thing which here I note, is the end where∣fore he saith hee should abide and with them all continue, which was, for their furtherance and ioy of their faith, that their faith by his ministerie might be furthered, and so their ioy in the Holy Ghost increased. Whence I obserue where∣fore the Christians life in generall, and the Ministers life in particular is preserued and continued here on earth, and that is, the Christians life in generall is preserued and con∣tinued for the glory of the Lord; and the Ministers life in particular for the good of Gods church, and of that people ouer whom they are set. Be of courage Paul, said the Lord vnto him,* 1.10 for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem, so must thou beare witnesse also at Rome: as if hee should haue said, howsoeuer the Iewes practise against thy life in Ierusalem, yet feare not, I must yet haue farther glory by thy life, as

thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem, and there brought ••lory vnto my name, so shall thy life be preserued and con∣••••nued to the farther glory of my name by thy testimonie of be at Rome. And so is euery Christian when he is deliuered ••••om any perill of sicknes, enemies, or the like to resolue ••ith himselfe that his life is preserued, and continued for ••he farther glory of his God; and euery Minister in parti∣••ular, that his life is preserued and continued for the farther ••ood of Gods church, and for the profit of his people by ••he worke of his ministerie. The point is cleare enough, ••nd needeth not any large confirmation.

This may serue first for the instruction of all Christians ••n generall, and of the Ministers in particular. Of all Chri∣stians in generall, to teach euen all of vs to liue vnto the Lord, and to the glory of his name, to liue to doe good. This is the end wherefore our life is preserued and conti∣nued here on earth, and this being the end in our whole ••ife, we are euer to be looking vnto this end. Of Ministers ••n particular, to teach them to spend willingly their whole strength and their life, in the worke of their ministerie for the edification of the Church, and the furtherance of their faith, ouer whom the Lord hath made them ouerseers. This is the end also wherefore they are preserued from all dan∣gers, and their liues continued vnto their people; and this being the end, in their whole life they are euer to be look∣ing to this end.

What shall we say then vnto such Christians in name as liue vnto themselues, and vnto their pleasures? As would haue euery bodie to serue their turne, and care not for o∣thers? As desire to liue rather to get goods then to do any good? For such there are as so liue, as if they were to liue vnto themselues, and not vnto the glory of God; as if the life of others were to be for their good, and their life not for the good of any others; as if they were to scrape asmuch vnto themselues as they could, & not to do any good vnto any other. Nay I adde further, that such there are as so liue, as if in their life they were to serue sinne in the lusts thereof,

as if they were to liue by the spoile, and hurt, and losse o•• others; as if they were to flie that which is good, and to doe that which is euill. And surely such are here iustly repro∣ued, as men neuer remembring that the continuance of their life should be for Gods glory; or rather as men oppo¦sing themselues vnto euery thing that may make for Gods glory. What shall we say likewise vnto such in the ministe∣rie as feede themselues but not the flocke; as seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs; as do more harme by their bad example of life, then they doe good by their paines in teaching, as either for idlenesse, or daintinesse, or other like reason, will not put their hand vnto the Lord his worke to helpe forward the building of his house, nay as destroy the faith of some which were to bee builded vp in Christ Iesus? Is this the end wherefore they liue in the bo∣die, wherefore their life is prolonged among their people? Nay surely this also serueth for their iust reproofe, as men abusing that vse which God giueth them of life.

But on the other side, it serueth for the great comfort of all them be they Christians in generall, or Ministers in par∣ticular, whose life serues for the good of the Church. For what greater comfort, if wee be Ministers, can we haue of our life, then that by our life the Saints hearts be stablished in the faith, the ioy of the faithfull be fulfilled, the Church of Christ Iesus be builded, the truth of Christ Iesus be main∣tained, the mouth of all gaine sayers be stopped, and our people kept a chaste spouse vnto the Lord? Or what grea∣ter comfort can we haue of our life whatsoeuer we be, then that by our life the Lord be glorified, the good of our bre∣thren procured, and the common-wealth bettered? Surely so may the Minister, and euery Christian make account that he liueth if hee liue vnto God and to his brethrens good, and so may he ioy in the continuance of his life, i•• he looke vnto the end wherefore it is continued. Whatso∣euer therefore we be let vs remember that we are to liue vn∣to him that hath called vs out of darknes into light, and in whatsoeuer perill our life is preserued, let vs remember that

it is continued for the glory of God, and the good of our ••rethren. And as we are by our calling, Ministers, or others, •• let vs labour that our abode in the flesh, and continuance •• life, may be to the furtherance, and ioy, and comfort of ••ur brethren, in euery thing that is good. And let this bee ••oken touching the end wherefore the life of Christians in ••enerall, and of Ministers in particular, is preserued and ••ontinued, viz. for the glory of God, and the good of his Church. Which as it serueth for the instruction of all, to ••each vs euer to looke vnto the end wherefore our life is ••ontinued vpon earth; so for the reproofe of such as whose ••••fe doth no good, and for the comfort of such, whose life ••rues for the good of the Church.

Now followeth the other end wherefore the Apostle ••ith he should abide, and with them all continue, viz. that ••hey seeing the mightie power of Christ Iesus, in deliuering ••im from the mouth of the Lion, from the crueltie of Nero, ••ight more abundantly reioyce in him, in whom already ••hey d••d reioyce, for sauing him from death, and bringing ••im againe vnto them. Whence first I doe obserue, the great ••eioycing which ought to be in the people for their Pastors ••eliuerance out of perill, and for the continuance of his life ••mongst them: their ioy should euen abound in Christ Ie∣••us, as in his great blessing and mercy vpon them. So wee ••eade, that when Peter was deliuered out of prison by an An∣gell, there was great ioy among the Christians which were ••ssembled in the house of Mary, Iohn Marke his mother,* 1.11 ••nsomuch that it is said of the maid that came to the doore, when Peter knocked at the entrie doore,* 1.12 that she opened not the entrie doore for gladnesse, as one so surprised with ioy, that ••he could not rest till she had told it: and when the doore was opened, and the rest saw, it is said of them,* 1.13 that they were astonied, partly through wondering at, and partly ••hrough reioycing for his deliuerance. And so should they that are taught in the word, abundantly reioyce when their Teacher is freed from trouble or danger, and his life or li∣bertie is continued vnto them: for whether it be life, or li∣bertie

that is granted vnto him, it is for their sakes, o•••• whom the Lord hath made him ouerseer; and there•••••••• they are to honour him, and to reioyce for him, as p••••••∣ued for them, and the furtherance of their faith.

Such then as grieue at the life or libertie of their faithfull Pastors, such as practise what possibly they can against the life and libertie of their godly Teachers, such as wash and watch euery aduantage against them, to get their mouths stopt, or depriued of their ministerie; such as reioyce in their trouble, imprisonment, or banishment, let such, I say, and all such like, looke vnto it, whether they belong to the sheepe-fold of Christ Iesus.* 1.14 He that heareth you, beareth a••, saith our Sauiour Christ; and he that despiseth you, des•••••• mee. To refuse then to heare the Ministers of Iesus Christ is much, because it is to refuse to heare Iesus Christ: like∣wise to despise the Ministers of Iesus Christ, is very much, because it is to despise Iesus Christ: but what then is it ••o practise mischiefe against the Ministers of Iesus Christ, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reioyce in the losse of their life or libertie, and to band men selues against them? Surely this is plainly to bewray them∣selues not to belong to Christ Iesus.

As for vs, if wee will know that wee belong vnto Christ Iesus, let vs reioyce in the life and libertie of our faithful•• Teachers. The life and libertie of Gods faithfull Minister, cause ioy in the hearts of them that belong vnto the Lo••••. Let vs therefore by this token discerne what we are, good or bad Gospellers.

The second thing which hence I obserue, is the effect which the examples of the power and goodnesse of Christ Iesus in the deliuerance of his Saints out of their troubles, ought to worke in vs: such examples should confirme vs daily more and more in that reioycing which wee haue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christ Iesus. For when we plainly see as in a spectacle be∣fore our eyes, by the deliuerance of his Saints out of their troubles, that our King and our Sauiour beholdeth vs from his holy heauens, lookes vpon our sufferings & our wrongs, takes our matters into his owne hands, auengeth vs of o••

enemies, and deliuers vs out of the will of them that hate 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this should adde much vnto that reioycing which before ••ee had, and cause vs farre more abundantly to reioyce in ••hrist Iesus, because thus wee see that which before we be∣••••eued, that our King liueth, and raigneth, and hath all ••••wer giuen vnto him both in heauen and in earth.

But how little such examples worke with vs, doth ap∣••eare by our little reioycing in Christ Iesus. All our reioy∣••ng is in the vanities, and pleasures, and fooleries of this ••••e; neither doe wee euer vouchsafe to consider the power ••••d the mercy which the Lord sheweth in his Saints. And ••••erefore wee reioyce not as wee should, but as wee should ••ot. O let vs consider the great things which our Iesus hath ••one, and still doth for vs. Let vs not be so negligent as to ••asse ouer, or to forget the things wherein hee sheweth his ••ower and his mercy towards his Saints, but let vs religi∣••usly regard and remember them, that so we may haue our ••eioycing in Christ Iesus.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2 Cron. 24.2.17.
• * 1.2

  Psay 3 2.
• * 1.3

  Ezec. 34.10
• * 1.4

  Heb. 13.17.
• * 1.5

  1 Thes. 5.12.13.
• * 1.6

  Gal. 6.6.
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.8

  2 Tim. 4.17.
• * 1.9

  Psal. 50.
• * 1.10

  Act. 23.11.
• * 1.11

  Act. 12.12.
• * 1.12

  14.
• * 1.13

  16
• * 1.14

  Luk. 10.16.