« (> FIJers of the Church, ro conclude the inrent of the injun- « ©i94 was to ſent for all the Dioceſans of the Metropolis ? Fam. *« <c. 14 If lo, he would lizely & cd the Elders of the Churches, not of the Church, of which © 1 the Sinoviar at Zierfalem Paul and Brriavas were received, *© 4nd of the Apoſtles and Flders, As 15. 4. who were all preient * at ivruſtlem, Affs 21. 15. Which under the Roman power Was © pot the Metropolis of Paleſtine, but C:ſarea was chief. The « 144:: contradictory to the former Dottor, and to th? 0ice of rhe &« Church of Frgland for ordaining of Deacons, would have the term &« N-:c325 tonote the order of Presbyrers, looking upon Deacons on- « ly as temporary and occaſional Truſtees, who:?2 O:NCe Paul in 1s «cr piſtle did not ſo much as hint, thinking it unreaſonable by Dea- « con in thoſe Epiſtles to underſtand any other Office than that of * Pjochvrers asnow uſed. Whereas the word Deacorrs being Ana- < 102005 and put abſolutely here, in contradiftinaion to Biſhops, « ſhould according, to right reaſon be expounded in the moſt famous & 1nd diftinftive-Siznification, wherein, no doubt Luke a good & Grecian, and Paris Companion at Philipp, uſed it in the ACS, « 5, 9, 4, Ec. Written after this Epiftle, unto which ſpecial im- & port we ſhould rather underſtand Paul uſing it here, for thoſe & who were not mere occaſional and prudential temporary Othcers, & hut ſach as were to abide in the Church. Wherein upon the « multiplying of Diſciples, the bodily neceſſities of the Saints al- © ways with us, Foh. 12. $. did require f| ach who ſhould have the « peculiar care of theſe committed to them, As 20. 34,35. We &« find the Apoſtle in his Epittles evidently enough appointing and &« dcſttibing ſuch a ſpecial Miniſtry, yea and giving direttions about
& i+ 25 a difrintt branch from propiiecy and teaching, if we com- |
& pare places, Rom. 12- 6, 7, S. With 15. 26, 27. & 16. 1. & & 2 Cor. 8. 19 & 9. 1, 2, 12. and what is ſaid in this Epiſtle, &« -, 2. 25, 20. and 4 18. anſwerable to Luke's Hiſtory of rhe « 47s, and to what is written by Peter, 1 Pet. 4. 11. taking in « what Paul wrote to Timothy about this Officer in diſtinction from &« his who was to he apt to teach, that he ſhould be Grave, Tem- « perate, giving proof of Freedom from Covetouſneſs, of Con- « yerfation blameleſs, having a faithful Wife, and governing his &« Family (that he may be Hoſpitable) orderly, 1 Tim. 3. S. to 13. « qualified to diftribute , as in te Texts foremenitioned, &c. « The Church of Frgland in her 0rdination hath reference -to this &« ſpecial Office, when yet it calls Deacons, Miniſters, declaring &« there, It appertains to the Deacons Office 10 afſiſt the Presbyter in di- * fribution of the Elements, gladly and willingly to ſearch for the Poor, * Sick and Impotznt, that they may be relied. Praying that 1225 may * be modeſt; Lumble and conſtant in their miniftration. |
2 Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Fa- ther, and from the Lord Jeſus Chrilt c.
e i.e. The Frangelical Salutation, as Rom. I. 7. Eph. 1. 1. 2 Pet. 1.2, praying for the free and undeſerved favour of God the Father to them, as the fountain, Fam. 1. 17. together with all inward and outward bleſſings, flowing thence through Chriſt the procurer of them.
3 * I thank f my God g upon every | remembrance of you h.
f i.e. As in moſt of his Epiſtles, viz. Rom. 1. $. 1 Cor. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Eph. 1. 3. Col.1. 3. 1 Theſſ. 1. 2. 2 Theſſ. 1. 3. 2 Tim. 1-3. he begins with thanks to God, and, here g My God, 7. e. whoſeT am, and whom I ſerve in the Goſpel of his Son, A. 27. 23» with Rom. 1. 9. whom the Fews and Gentiles do not ſo acknowledge. h Intimating that he ever bore them upon his heart to God with delight.
4 (Always in every prayer of mine for you all mak- ing requeſt with joy z.)
i As in praiſing of God, the Author of all that Grace they had received in every ſolemn Prayer , ſo in continuing his fervent and afſiduous requeſts unto God, 1 Thefſ. 5. 17. tor them all, The term al/ being uſed three times emphatically, Compare Luk.
2. 37. ROM. 1. 9s
5 For your fellowſhip in the goſpel, from the firſt Cay until now k.
þ Your being joiried with us and other Chriſtians in the Com- munion of Chrift, and glad Tidings of-Salvation by him, 1 Cor. 10. 16,17. = Foh. 1.3, 7. 1Pet. 4.13. evidenc'd by the Commu- nication of your bounty, Gal. 6. 6. Heb. 13. 16, Stedfaſtneſs and Perſeverance in all Chriſtian Duties from the firſt time of your recciving tlie Goſpel.
5 Being confident of this very thing /, that he which hath begun * a good work in you mn, | will per- form zt z until the day of Jeſus Chriſt o.
I 7. e. Having thank'd God for what he had done and did for them, he expreſſeth his firm perſuaſion and charitable hope of their perſeverance for the future. m Not from any thing in themſelves more than others, but becauſe God the Father (who is not weary of well doing) having begun the work of Faith in them, Ch, 2. 13. with Foh. 6. 29. whoelſe were dead in Sins, as the Epheſtans, C. 2. 1. he would preſerve and carry on that internal and ſpiritual work in the fruits of real Chriſtians, and not leave it imperfect, P/al. 138. 8. Iſa. 64. 8. but would make it perfe&, or perfed, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen and /zrtl: them in it, thoſe words being of the ſame import in ſcri- pture with perform it, connoting the difficulty of it. 0 7. e. Either until the day of their Death, when the ſpirits of juſt Men are made perfe&, and Chriſt appears to their particular Judgment, Heb. 12. 23. not as being pertef whiles here in this State, ch. 3. 12. or rather until the day of Chriſt or latter day, at Judgment, 1 Cor. i. 5. 1 Th?fſ. 4. 15. when they ſhall be acknowledged to be blamele's, to the glory of Chriſt who hath carried them through all, and tulflled the work of Faith in them, and glorified them, 2 Theſſ. ts It. and Whoare his Glory, 2 Cvr- $. 23.
have enjoyn'd them to have |
EE %
7 Even as Itis meet for me to think this &f You all » becauſe Þ I have you in my heart 9, in as mnch 4? | . 4 ay & K as +
both * in my bonds, and in the defence and Wa: "I . | Y ile firmation of the goſpel, ye all are + partikers os my- >
= - *<1 4 4 I Cor. 12s To Col. 4- Io witn 2 Pet. Is L3. Tt behoyoe 195 3