sntreaty deriv,'8 added weight from the age and Bufferings of him who offera it. "Being such a one ae Paul the aged, and now a prisoner also of Jesus Christ." (1) Reverence is due to age. It is "a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousness." The apostle was not now old, as the years of a life are reckoned, but he bore the signs of age in exhauation and weariness and cares. (2) Ministers are to he regarded with peculiar respect and sympathy on account of their aff!ictinns. The apostle wa.e now a prisoner at Rome for the sake of Christ-" an ambassador in bonds." III. THE 0BJEOT OF THE APOSTLE'S ENTREATY. "I beseech thee for my child whom I have begotten in my bonds, Oneaimue." 1. Onesimus was the T?J,naway slave oj Philemon of Ooloss11J, who had made hie way to Rome, and come into contact with the apostle during hie imprisonment. 2. He was a wnvert of the apostle. (1) The apostle w11.1 the instrument of his conversion at Rome. (2) Mi11isters ought to uee private and casual opportunities of doing good to others. (3) Though the a,,ostle was a prisoner, the Word of God was not bound. (4) God often sweetens the afflictions of his ministen; by special favours. 3. His wnversion became manifest by his better life. "Who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me." (I) Good men may have bad servants. This Onesimue had been unprofitable, not only e.s a pilferer, but as an idler. The example of his godly master and mistress had no influence upon his conduct. (2) Conversion always results in a change of social character. It makes people conscientious in the discharge of all duties incident to their calling. Onesimus was henceforth "profitable" both to Philemon and the apostle. (a) He was profitable to the apostle. Religious servants are the most profitable. Onesimus gave new joy to the apostle by his conversion, while he waited on him, no doubt, in the ministry of private service and kindness. It is not enough that a sinner cease to do evil; he must learn to do well. We see in Onesimus the practical side of the apostle's counsel, "Let him that stole steal no more, but let him rather work with his hands that which is good" (Eph. iv. 28). (b) He we.s profitable to Philemon, in so far as be, in Phi lemon's stead, did that service to the apostle which hie master would have readily done if it had been in his power. He would be yet more profitable to his master in the spirit and conditions of bis new service, on his return back to Colossai.-T. C.
Vere. 12-16.-The motives that prompted the apostle to send back Onesimus to his master. I. HE DID BEND HIM BACK. " Whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart." 1. Onesimus did not return uf his oum accord. He might, perhaps, have had some not unnatural misgivings as to the character of the reception he would meet with as a returned slave who had acted a dishonest part. and might have been ashamed besides to appear again in a co=unity where his misdeeds had been made known. 2. The apostle recognized Philemon's right to the restored services of hisf'U!}itive slave. The gospel does not abolish civil rights. The conversion of Onesimus did not secure bis manumission. Yet the gospel planted principles in society which in due time abolished slavery everywhere. "Wast thou called being a bond-servant? care not for it: but if thou canst become free, nse it rather" ( l Cor. vii. 21). 3. He did not even wait till he had received an answer from Philemon aa to the terma in which Onesimus would be received back into the Oolossian household. He sent Onesimus at once in charge of his two letters, namely, that to the Culossian saints and that to Philemon himself. 4. Yet the apostle acted in the whole matter with the deepest affection for the poor bond-servant. He speaks of him as "his owu heart." What account Christianity makes of the meanest classes of society! II. THE APOSTLE'S EXPLANATION 011' BIS CONDUCT AND M0TIVBS IN THE WBOLB TRANBAC'I"I0N. l. His first feeling was to ret,,in Onesimus about his person to do him the service that Philemon himself would have gladly done. He had now become profitable, according to the happy significance of his name. But it was not for the apostle to interfere with another man's servant. 2. The trm cause qf his sending Onesimus was that he would do nothing with()?/,t the consent of his master. "But without thy mind would I do nothing." But the motive that prompted this determina- tion was that "thy goodneRs should not he as of necessity, but of free will" lf the apostle had kept Oneeimus for the sake of the benefit to be derived from his persnual ministratio11 the whole transaction would have woru a semblance of .:onstraint. We have DO right te extort bene1its from our friends against their will. 3. The providential 16 THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. [1-25.
,rspect of the matter. "For perhaps he was therefore parted from thee for a sc11eon that thou shouldest have him for ever." (1) Nvthing i11 this statement e1tenuate~ 1he misdeeds of Onesimus, which God overruled for ~ood. (2) The acts of the meanest 111dividual in society are included in the sphere of Divine providence. (3) God makes ,,p for the losses of his saints in his own time and way. l'hilemon has his once u11faithful servant restored to hiru on an entirely new footing of advantao-e, (4) The r<"storntion of the fugitive slave is to an eternal relationship. The e~rthly tie is ,undered by death, but grace gives an eternity to the holy relationships of earth. 4. Th€ new rel,at,".on established hetu-een master and servant. "Not now as a servant hut above a servant, a brother beloved, most of all by me, but more than most of ali by thee, in the flesh and in the Lord." The apostle does not say, "not a servant" hut "not as a servant;" for grace did not abrogate the old tie of master and servan't. (1) The brotherhood of saints is common to all the relationships of life. Philemon and , •nesirnns are now brethren beloved. (2) Pious servants are to be more regarded as they are more faithful, than .servants without religion. (3) There are none deare: to rninisters than their converts. (4) There was a double obligation to <l uty on Philemon's part corresponding to the double tie-that of the fl&1h and that of the Spirit-by which he was now connected with Onesimus.-T. C.