In that he is exaKed, iv tw vxfrei avrov, in his sublimity. This may be understood two ways: — (1.) More generally, in that he is a brother or a member of Christ, as the worth and honour of the spirit- ual estate is often put to counterpoise the misery and obscurity of afflictions ; thus Rev. ii. 9, ' I know thy poverty, but thou art rich,' — poor outwardly, but rich spiritually. (2.) More particularly, it may note the honour of afflictions, that we are thought worthy to be suf- ferers for anything in which Christ is concerned, which is certainly a great preferment and exaltation.
The notes are these : —
Obs. 1. That the people of God are brethren. I observed it before, but here it is direct, ' Let the brother of low degree,' &c. They are begotten by the same Spirit, by the same immortal seed of the word. They have many engagements upon them to all social and brotherly affection. Jui-e matris naiurce'^ (as TertuUian saith) — by the common right of nature, all men are brethren. But, Vos mali fratres, quia panim homines (saith he to the persecutors) — the church can ill call you brethren, because ye are scarce men. Well, then, consider your relation to one another. You are brethren, a relation of the greatest endearment, partly as it is natural — not founded in choice, as friend- Bhip, but nature ; partly as it is between equals. The respect between parents and children is natural ; but in that part of it which ascendeth from inferiors to superiors, there is more of reverence than sweetness. In equals there is (if I may so speak) a greater symmetry and propor- tion of spirit, therefore more love. Ah ! then, live and love as brethren. Averseness of heart and carriage will not stand with this sweet rela- tion. The apostle speaketh with admiration: 1 Cor. vi. 6, ' Brother goeth to law with brotlier, and that before unbelievers 1 ' There are two aggravations — one from the persons striving, brother with brother; the other, before whom — they made infidels conscious of their conten- tion. So Gen. xiii. 7, 8, ' And there was a strife between the herd- men of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanite and Perizzite was yet in the land.' The Canaanite was yet unsubdued, ready to take advantage of their divisions, yet they strove. But see how Abrara taketh up the matter, ' We be brethren, let there be no more strife.' Oh ! consider, no discords are like those of Ijrethren. The nearer the union, the greater tlie sei)aration upon a breach ; for natural ties being stronger than artificial, when they are once broken they are hardly made up again ; as seams when they are ripped may be sewed again, but rents in the whole cloth are not so easily remedied. And so Solomon saith, Prov. xviii. 19, 'A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city : their contentions are like the bars of a castle ; ' that is, they are as irreconcilable as a strong castle is impregnable. But this is not all that is required, a.s to avoid what misbecometh the relation, but we must also practise ' Tertul. in Apol. cap. Z'J.
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the duty that it enforceth. There should be mutual endeavours for each others' good : Ps. cxxii. 8, ' For my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, Peace be within thee ; ' that is, because of the re- lation, he would be earnest with God in prayer for their welfare.
Obs. 2. The brother of low degree. — He saith ofloic degree, and yet brother. Meanness doth not take away church relations. Christian respects are not to be measured by these outward things ; a man is not to be measured by them, therefore certainly not a Christian, I had almost said, not a beast. We choose a horse sine phaleris et ejihippio, by his strength and swiftness, not the gaudiness of his trap- pings : that which Christians should look at is not these outward additaments, but the eminency of grace : James ii. 1, ' Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons ; ' that is, do not esteem their grace according to the splendour or meanness of the out- ward state and condition. Despising the poor is called a despising the church of Grod : 1 Cor, xi. 22, ' Have ye not houses to eat and drink in ? Or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not ? ' At their love feasts they were wont to slight the poor, and discourage those that were not able to defray part of the charge, which, the apostle saith, is a despising the church that is, those that are members of Christ and the church, as well as themselves ; ^ for he doth not oppose eKKXTjcrlav to oIkov, as a public place to a private, but a public action to a private action ; as if he had said thus : In your houses you have a liberty to invite whom you please, but when you meet in a public assembly, you must not exclude sucli a considerable part of the church as the poor are.