A.D. 63 fer adverfity, as being ligion. Confider your felves as liable to the fame Afflictions. See 1 Tim. iv. 3. and your felves alfo in the body *. 4* Marriage is honourable in all, and Chap. iii. 15. the bed undefiled : but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 4. And whereas the Jewish Zealots would perfwade you, under Pretence of greater Purity, that Marriage is an Unclean State, and inconfiftent with the Perfection of Religion; be affured there is no such Matter. God condemns none but irregular and unlawful Pleasures; and the Marriage-Bed is + as honourable and pure to a Chriftian as to any other Man. 5 Let your conver vetousness : and be For 5. Discover no immoderate Defation be without co- fire of Worldly Gain in your Dealings and Converfation: But reft your felves contented with what Providence and your own honest Industry provides for you. Chriftians, while they do their Duty, may, with ftill greater Reafon, depend upon that Promife of God to his Church and People, Deut. xxxi. 6. Jof. xv. He will not fail thee nor forfake thee. will never leave thee, nor forfake thee. 6 So that we may boldly fay, The Lord will not fear what 6. And may with the Pfalmist confidently fay, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what Man fhall do unto me. 7. Pay or, * Ver. 3. In the Eody: UTOL ÖVTEG Év TÔ σWHAT! Confidering your felves as (Members) of the fame Body, as fome think it fhould be render'd. But this is not the Ufe of the Phrase in other Paffages, 2 Cor. xii. 3. and elsewhere. + Marriage is Honourable, &c. The Paraphrafe feems to me to be the most natural Senfe of the Apoitle: But, if the Reader like it not, he may understand the Verfe as imperative, like the preceeding and following ones, sw being understood, Let Marriage be kept Hanourable, and the Bed undefiled. For Whoremongers, &c. d. The like Expreffion is found in the following Verfe Let your Conversation be, &c. pyop & opini where is is plainly understood. 7 Remember them which have the rule over you *, who have fpoken unto you the word of God: whofe faith follow, confidering the end of their converfation. now Crowned and 8 † Jesus Christ the fame yesterday, and to day, and for ever. made, 7. Pay a due Respect to the Me- A.D.63. mory, and follow the Example of fuch as have been your Spiritual Guides and Governors. with what Conftancy they profefRemember fed and taught you the Chriftian Faith, with what Patience and Courage they died, and how they are Rewarded for it. 8. And confider, that as Jefus Chrift is for ever fteddy and unchangeable in the Promises he has so you ought to be immutably conftant in preserving the Doctrines of his Religion pure and untainted: Remembring that his Gospel is the fame Gospel to your Teachers at first, and to you now, and to all Generations that are to come hereafter. 9 Be not carried about with divers and ftrange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with || grace, not which have 9. Be not, therefore, deceived, and led away by the falfe Notions of the Jewish Doctors, about the abfolute Neceffity of their Ceremonial Law. For it is of much † greater Advantage to be firm and fteddy in the Practice of the Moral Rules of the Gospel, than to be never fo || therein. ftrictly obfervant of the Jewish Ceremonies and Sacrifices, that render a Man not a Whit inwardly better than he was without them. not profited them that have been occupied 10. Certainly * Ver. 7. Who have had the Rule over you, &c. It is very probable that the Perfons here meant, and recommended as Examples of Faith and Conftancy were, in general, the Elders of the Church at Jerufalem, and in particular St. James their Bishop, lately martyred there. See Mill. Prolegom. § 83, 84. + Jefus Chrift the fame yesterday, &c. That this is not meant of the Perfon but the Promifes and Doctrine of Christ, is not only agreeable to the Context, but to many other Passa ages of like naSee Als v. 42. 2 Cor. iv. 5. 1 Cor. i. 23, &c. It is good, nano, much better. See Matt. xviii. 8, 9. With Grace. See 1 Tim. vi. 3. Where Sound Words and ture. the Doctrines of Christ, are opposed to Strange Dotrines, as Grace is in this Place. A. D. 63. IT λατρεύον 10 We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat, which ferve the tabernacle. 10. Certainly the Benefits we Chriftians receive, by the Great Sacrifice of Chrift's Death, are infinitely preferable to the External Services of the Jewish Law, or the Privileges of its || Prieft:. But fuch as ftill adhere to that Law, muft lofe all the Bleffings and Advantages of this Religion of Christ. 11 For the bodies of those beafts, whofe blood is brought into the fanctuary by the high Priest for fin, are burnt without the camp. 11 & 12. For, as the Flesh of thofe Beafts, whofe Blood was offered up on the great Day of Expiation, was ordered to be wholly burnt without the Camp (whilft the Tabernacle ftood) and afterwards without the Gates of the City; and none of the Priefts or People permitted to eat of it: So in like manner, Christ our great Sacrifice was, for our Redemption, Crucified without the Gates of Jerufalem ; and accordingly none can partake of the Bleffings of his Sacrifice and Religion, till they come entirely off from the Jewish Ceremonies, and become true Chriftians. 12 Wherefore Jefus alfo, that he might fanctify the people with his own blood, fuffered without the gate. forth 13 Let us go therefore unto him *without the camp, bearing his reproach. 13. Let us, therefore, leave the Jewish Camp, i. e. * the Jewish Ceremonial Religion, and entirely embrace his more excellent Difpen fation. Let us carry his Cross, and after his Example, patiently fuffer the Reproaches and Perfecutions of our Adverfaries. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we feek one to 14. Nor be difcouraged, though, at prefent, you live in an unsettled Condition, and are Perfecuted from Place to Place. This World, at beft, is not defigned as a conftant Refidence; 'tis Heaven we are to look on as our Eternal City, and lasting Home. come, 15 By * Without the Camp : ἔξω τῆς κατὰ νόμον γενώμεθα πολιτείας, i. e. we ought to think ourselves under the Jewish Difpenfation no longer. Theodoret. 4 15 By him therefore let us offer the facrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name. 16 But to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with fuch facrifices God is well pleased. 15. By him therefore, as your A. D. 63. perfect High Priest and Interceffor, offer up your conftant Prayers and Thanksgivings to God; which the Prophet calls, The Calves, or Fruits of our Lips, Hof. xiv. 2. 16. And, to your Chriftian Prayers and Praises, be sure to add that great Duty of Charity and Beneficence toward each other, without Partiality and Distinction; a Sacrifice far better and more acceptable to God than all the Burnt-Offerings upon the Jewish Altar. 17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and fubmit your felves: for they watch for your fouls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. * 17. Pay all juft Regard to the Rules and Admonitions of your prefent || Bishops and Spiritual Guides. || See Ver. 7. Remember how great their Charge over you is. Be therefore fo tractable under their Difcipline and Admonitions, that they may have the Comfort of giving a good Account of you, at the Great Day of Judgment; and not fee all their Pains loft upon you; which would be a your felves, as well as a Mortification 18 & 19. Let Me have a fpecial Share in your Prayers. Befeech God for Succefs in my Ministry, and Deliverance from my Adverfaries. And though I make no question, but to go through my Apostleship, with a U good * For that would be unprofitable for you; virides, very Hatly tranfated, it bears the fame Senfe with τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα, Rom. ii. 28 As that is to be render'd abominable things, fo this fignifies a most dangerous and fatal thing. See Ephef. v. 11. the Note there. And compare Rom. iii. 12. Ver. 18. We trust we have a good Confcience- It is a very Ellyptical Expreffion. His Meaning is thus to be fupplied; viz. "In preaching both to Jews and Gentiles, I affure myself, I act agreeably to my Apoftolick Commiffion; whatever hard Cen66 fures fome Zealots may pass upon me. A.D. 63. this that I may be reftored to you the fooner. good Confcience, and an undaunted Courage; yet I defire the Concurrence of your Prayers, which may tend to procure my Deliverance from feveral approaching Dangers, and bring me the more speedily to you. 20 Now the God 20 & 21. And, in the mean time, may God, the Author of all Peace and Happiness, who raifed up our Lord Jefus Chrift from the Dead, and thereby declared Him the Saviour and Governour of His Church, accepting of his Blood as the Ratification of the New and Gracious Covenant of the Gospel, for our perfect Pardon and Redemption: May He confirm and ftrengthen you in all true Obedience, giving you all the Means and Advantages of Saving Religion, by Jefus Chrift; to whom be afcribed all Honour and Glory for Ever. Amen. 22. I request, dear Brethren, you would not think the Arguments I have here used, for your constant Perfeverance in Christianity, too long and tedious. I have couched them in as fhort a Compafs as the Importance my great Affection to you, would 23. Také Notice, that our Chriftian Brother Timothy is released from his Confinement: And I am in hopes, we may shortly come together, and pay a Vifit to your Church. 24. My hearty Christian Love to all your Spiritual Governours. All the Chriftians of Rome, and other Parts of Italy, falute you all. 25. The Divine Love and Favour be with your whole Church. Amen. A PARA |