Chap. III.
it
Chap. I. PHIL
15 All that are with me ſalute thee. Greet them
that love us In the faith a. Grace be with you al).
Amen.
E MON. _ Chap1
4 That love vs, as we are Chriftians in,and for tie Gor free love of God be thy Portion, and the Portion of al wy Lang
ſtians in Crete,
+ Fph.4.1. 21i1,1,8,
*Phil.2.25
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FHI1IL EM 9 N.
The ARGUMEN T.
mn Epiſtle is different from the other Epiſtles, becauſe it is written upon a pon Subje& of more ſpecial Cog.
cernment, that it was wrote by Paul t #5 not doubted, it hath what he ca
leth his token inevery Epiſtle, Thefſ
2. 17. Who this Philemon was, 1s 10t ſo eaſily determined : Some have judged him a Phrygian, and of Coloſs ; fee Col 4 9. he appeareth to have been a Miniſter by Paul's calling him his Fellow-labourer, ver. 1. his Brother, ver. 9. his Partner, ver. 17. It is conjettured that he was one in the converſion of whom God made uſe of Paul as an 1;- ſtrument, from ver. 19. where Paul tells him, That he would not fay that he owed unto him his own ſelf. He ſeems ro have been a man of ſome Eſtate, for he kept a Servant, and refreſhed the bowels of the Saints. 7. He had a com- pany of Chriſtians in his Houſe, ver. 2. The time when Paul wrote this Epiſtle is not certain, it was when he was a- ged, and a Priſoner, ver. 9. from whence it is evident that it was wrote ſom Rome ; ſome think it was written he- fore the Second Epiſtle to Timothy, becauſe ver. 22. he ſpeaks of hopes that he had of being reſtored to bis liberty, ver, 22 and in his Epiſtle to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4. 7. he ſeems to have no ſuch hopes. © He alſo here, ver. 24. ſends bim the Salutation of Demas, who he ſaith, 2 Tim 4. 10. had forſaken him. Others think it was wrote after that, when Demas was again returned to him, ( but it 1s not ſo clear that he ever returned.) It is very probable that it was wrote much about the ſame time with the Epiſtle to the Coloſlians, for Col. chap. 4. 9. mention is made of Oneſimus as a faithfu Brother ; there is alſo mention made of Marcus, Ariſtarchus,Epaphras, Lucas,avd Demas,and Archippus,who are all named in this Epiſtle, and no more are here named, but Apphia. The ſcope of the Epiſtle is evident to recon- cile Onelimus to Philemon. Onelimus had been a Servant to Philemon, and it ſhould ſeem had wronged him by pur- loming ſome of his Goods. He came to Rome, and was there converted by Paul, being a Priſoner, ver. 10. The 4- poſtle would not detain him, being another Man's Servant, but ſends him back with this Recommendatory Letter to bis Maſter. This Recommendation was the occaſion, and is the matter of this Epiſtle. In the Penning of which the Apoſtle ſhewerth himſelf as much an Orator,as he had in his Epiſtle to the Romans,and ſome other of his Epiſtles ſhewed his Skill at an :rguthent ; for the Epiſt ke is Penn'd with great Art, and many Topicks are uſed to perſuade Philemon apain to receive him into his Service, ſome ſuch, as would mcline one to think,That Paul knew this Philemon was ſome-
thing covetous, and would be a little difficult to grant his requeſt.
Aul, * a priſoner of Jeſus Chritt a, and Timothy our brother b, unto Philemon our dearly be-
oved, and fellow labourer c.
. « That is, for the ſake of Chriſt, for the Goſpel, and for preach- ing of Jcſus Chrift ; b from whence it is evident that Timothy was come to Paul at Rome, according to his ceſire, 2 Tim. 4. 9, 21+ before this Epiſtle was wrote, which manifeſteth that Second Epr- tle not to have heen the laſt he wrote 3 the Apoſtle uſeth to join ſome others with himſelf in his Salutation, Softkenes, 1 Cor. 1. I. Timorky 2 Cor. 1. 1. Phil. 1, 1. Col, 1.1. 1 Thefſ, 1. 1. (where Syl- vanus alſo is added) from whence it appeareth, that Timorky was
Paul's ordinary Companion, and the Apoftle ſheweth his Humility
in joining the Name of ſo young a Man with his own 3 c whence we gather, That Philemon was not a Chriſtian only, but a Miniſter, probably one of the Miniſters in Coloſs in Phrygia, for it appeareth Col. 4. 9. that Oneſsmus his Servant was a Colofſian.
2 And toour beloved Apphia d, and Archippus e * our fellow-ſouldier f, and to the church in thy
houſe z. :
4 Apphia was the Roman Name of a Woman, the Naming of her before 4rchippus, (a Miniſter) makes it probable ſhe was Philemon's Wife, e It appears this Archippus was a Miniſter, from Colof}, 4. i7. f Hecalleth him his Fellow-Souldier, becauſe he was in-
zaged in ſome of thoſe many dangers Pau} incountred, but we are
nor told in Scripture which, g All thoſe Chriſtians that live in thy Family, we have the like Expreſhon, Rom. 16. 4. 1 Cor. 16, ig. Col. 4. 15- The Apoſtle doth not always by the Term Church ſignifie a Body under Eccleſiaſtical Diſcipline, but ſome-
| repoſing thy confidence in him for Salration, and that love which worketh in thee towards Chriſt, » And is ſeen in thy readineſ to do good to all Chriſtians, ſuch eſpecially as are Saints indeed : Becauſe thy goodneſs exrenderhnor 10 God, thou ſheweſt it 10 the _ that are in the Earth, and to the excellent; like David, Pu, 16. 2,
6 That the communication of thy faith o may he-
come effeQual p, by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Chriſt Jeſus 4. 0 The Word ſometimes ſignifieth Communion, in all which there iS a mutual Communication betwixt thoſe with whom the Commu- nion is. That thoy mayeſt declare that thou haſt the ſame common Faith with us, thou communicateſt the Fruits of it. p And ſheweſt that it is-not a dead inoperative Faith, but the true Faith of Go#'s Eled, Titus 1, 1. working by Love, Gal. «, 6, and ſhewing it elf by good Works,-Fam. 2, 18, q That every good thing, every good habit of Grace, which Jeſus Chrift hath wrought in thy Soul might be acknowledged by others (the Servants of Chriſt) to whom thou declareft thy Love and Goodneſs.
7 For we have great joy, and conſolation in thy love r, becauſe the bowels of the ſaints are refreſhed by thee, brother /.
7 Thy Love doth not extend only to the poor diſtreſſed Saints helped, and relieved by thee, but it hach its effe&t upon others, to- gether with thy ſelf; it is a wonderful joy and comfort to us to hear, That God hath ſo opened and enlarged thy Heart. The fruits of Grace in one,are a true cauſe of Joy and Thanſgiving to all Chri-
ſtians, becauſe God by them is glorified. The Saints, or the Bow-