land of Canaan but are there wholly intercepted and stopped from all entrance into the land promised Jericho therefore must needs first be taken and because it cannot be conquered by force of armes therefore it shall be taken by force of faith after compassing about the walles of it seven dayes God who is so powerfull that hee could create the world in six dayes could have destroyed Jericho in lesse then seven yet God who is so mercifull that hee gave the great City of Ninivie fourtie dayes would give little Jericho seven dayes for God who sent Jonas to them of Ninivie had provided Rahab for them of Jericho as a Prophet and a Preacher of repentance unto them For she who for her selfe had such faith to beleeve in God would gladly have preached the like faith to the Citie that God who is the God in heaven above and in earth beneath had given that land to his owne people as shee her selfe had before acknowledged to the spies of Israel Josh 2.9 11. But because they of Jericho were so wicked that shee durst not preach this faith among them and so obstinate that if shee had preached it yet they would not beleeve it therefore by the faith of Gods people after seven dayes compassing the walles of Jericho shall fall downe Now the cause of this faith in the people of God was their evidence or sight of things unseen and the subsistence they had of a thing hoped for for God had promised them by the mouth of Joshua that upon this fact of compassing the Citie seven dayes once a day and the seventh day seven times the wall of it should fall downe flat Josh 6.4,5 The truth of this promise being yet unseen they saw and hoped for and thereby grew their faith to beleeve it 31. By faith the harlot Rahab There are that thinke that Rahab was not an harlot but an Inkeeper or Taverner which because they are wont sometimes to be harlots or to receive harlots that frequent their houses therefore among the Hebrews the name of harlot is applied to hostesses But this signification of the Hebrew word Hazzonah they prove not by examples Neither is it for nothing that the Scripture whensoever she mentions the example of Rahab to whom God shewed so much favour and mercy forgets not to give her this attribute of harlot For it seemes to doe this thereby to shew the great force of a true and lively faith because by vertue thereof many attaine to justification and impunity who otherwise by their life little deserve it Now if the Hebrew word Hazzonah signified onely a publike hostesse when it is uttered of Rahab and not an harlot properly so called this singular commendation of Rahabs faith were utterly lost-which notwithstanding James and this Author endeavour to expresse Perished not with them that beleeved not The inhabitants of Jericho are called unbeleevers because they would not beleeve that the God of heaven had granted to the Israelites the possession both of their city and of the whole land of Canaan or because beleeving this grant of God yet they would not obey it by giving way to it for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well unobedient as unbeleeving And they were disobedient because they would not admit but opposed the people of God whom they knew were approaching and had heard what strange works God had done for them and consequently would not submit to Gods way For if herein they had joyned with Rahab to have beleeved as she did they might with her have escaped the destruction of their City and their owne ruine For that Law of God which had appointed so many Nations to the slaughter was by collating it with another Law to be understood to take place with the exception of those that should freely submit to things commanded them and should renounce the worship of their Idols and false gods All which appeares by the example of Rahab and of Solomon who tooke the remnant of the Canaanites to his dominion under tribute 1 King 9.20,21 When she had received the spies with peace She abstained from all injury towards those spies her selfe and from all treachery in discovering them to others and defended them from the violence of those that made inquisition after them For these were the expressions of that peace wherewith she received them And this her faith was not idle and empty but testified with a notable action of triall For she did not onely receive those spies with the danger of her life but she hid them and afterward dismissed them with many difficulties Which fact of hers how availeable it was to her justification both the thing it selfe declares and S. James openly testifies Jam. 2.25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by workes when shee had received the messengers and had sent them out another way 32. And what shall I more say As if he had said Why should I stay longer in relating of single examples of those whose faith is testified in Scripture For the time would faile me to tell of Gedeon Barac Samson and of Jephte of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets Hee placeth David though latter in time before Samuel though elder not onely for the greater dignity of David but also because Samuel came neerer in quality to the Prophets with whom he closeth And David came neerer to those Heroes forenamed as Gedeon Barac and Samson for he was a middle person betweene the Heroes and the Prophets and was indeed both 33. Who through faith subdued kingdomes This is principally referred to David who subdued some kingdomes But this was done by faith because when God promised him victory over his enemies he beleeved it and upon his beliefe thereof did make warre upon them whereof we may reade severall Psalmes of David composed by him to that purpose and among others Psal 2.18.20 and 21. Wrought righteousnesse Such were also the same David Samuel and the Prophets Here in like manner it appeares that faith taken strictly and properly differs from the working of righteousnesse as the cause from the effect because righteousnesse is the effect of an effectuall faith Obtained promises These seeme rather to signifie that by faith they obtained new and extraordinary promises such as that promise made to David that the Kingdome should be setled upon his posterity for ever and that Christ should be borne from his line then that they obtained the effect of Gods solemne promises For if that effect be taken for immortall life it is false as it is taught afterward ver 39. But if we take it of the blessings of this life they scarce seem any other then victories and triumphs over their enemies But these are particularly related in the verse following unlesse we say that those promises which they obtained are specified and reckoned up in the verses following and so after he had said that by faith they wrought righteousnesse he rightly addes they also obtained the promises
up in the Psalme But in the mysticall sence the particle all must be left wholly to his absolute universality and full amplitude for all things both in heaven and earth namely all creatures whatsoever are put in subjection under Christ because from the universality of Christs dominion God onely is excepted who did put all things besides in subjection under Christ 1 Cor. 15.27 For in that he put all be left nothing not put under him In these and the words immediately following the Author discovers and teacheth us that this place of the Psalme must be understood of some other man then an earthly man For the words being absolutely uttered are a cleere argument that the holy Ghost would have them taken in some other sence altogether universally in which latitude S. Paul also takes them 1 Cor. 15.27 In so much that in them the world to come is also comprehended And taking the words universally who sees not that during this mortall life they cannot be verified and fulfilled of a mortall man And therefore the Author immediatly addes But now we see not yet all things put under him Now while man lives this present and mortall life not yet not from the beginning of the world to this present time we see not all things universally made subject to any mortall man when notwithstanding man was made lesse or lower then the Angels but for a little time as wee shewed before And therefore the fulfilling of these words that all things universally even the world to come should be subject to man cannot be meant of any mortall man but of some man translated to immortality Yet who that immortall man should be the Author hath not hitherto declared But in the following verse he shews that it is Jesus Christ translated to immortality Whence it appeares that if we respect the mysticall sence of the words in this Psalme they must be taken principally and properly of Christ but of Christians onely respectively and as it were proportionably For no one of the faithfull shall solely and singly possesse all things but all joyntly as coheires shall possesse all things yet not all the faithfull joyntly shall possesse all things universally though ye sever them from Christ their head for they shall not have dominion over the Angels but Christ onely shall possesse all things universally for he only shall rule over the Angels that hath dominion over the faithfull And yet againe there is one person excepted from the dominion of Christ and that is God the Father who hath given to Christ his universall dominion 9. But we see Iesus who was made a little lower then the Angels Here he declares who that man was in whom the words of the Psalme were to be fulfilled namely that Jesus Christ was the man to whom all things universally and therefore the world to come was to be subject and therewithall makes way to handle the Priesthood of Christ And hence now it appeares that in this there is no absurdity or repugnancy to truth that he who in respect of his mortall nature was a little lower for a little time then the Angels should be exalted to become much higher then they for ever after Yea seeing the Scripture testifies that the man who was lesse then the Angels must become Lord of all who sees not that the exaltation of the man Christ far above all the orders of Angels doth excellently agree with Scripture And hereby the Author removes the absurdity that seemes in this That Christ a man should become far greater then the Angels and be said to be their Lord. For the suffering of death The Reason or cause why Christ for a little time was made a little lower then the Angels was this that he might suffer death And this was not the formall cause of his lownesse for he was not made lower then Angels in this respect by his suffering death an evill which they suffer not though it be true that he was also lower therein But the formall cause of his lownesse was his mortall nature in respect whereof he was made for a little while a little lower then the Angels And the finall cause of his lownesse in that mortall nature was actuall death for he was made in a mortall nature to this end that he might suffer death under it for unlesse his nature had beene dyable he could not have dyed Christ was made a mortall man whereby for a little while he was a little lower then the Angels but why to what end was he not at first made immortall but mortall It was to this end that he might be passive to suffer death for had he beene at first made immortall he could not have dyed We see him crowned with glory and honour Christ hath now an universall dominion over all not onely over this visible and present world and all the creatures here but also over the invisible and future world and all the creatures there which is a crowne or highest degree of glory and honour to him whereto he was exalted after his suffering of death And though it be most true that his suffering of death was the cause or occasion of his exaltation to glory for Paul expresly so affirmes it Phil. 2.8,9 Yet in this place the Author here intends not to speake of Christs death as the cause of his glory as appeares by the words here following For in what sence can it be said that Christ because he suffered death he was crowned with glory and honour that he should taste death for every man as if after his crowning with glory he suffered or were to suffer death But here his intent is to shew Christs death for the order of it that for time it was antecedent to his glory and his glory for time was consequent after his death We see him crowned We see him so by faith with the eyes of our soule and not by sence or the eyes of our body for we beleeve it from the pregnant testimonies of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man To taste death is to dye for a little time as for a day or two as Christ did for when we take but a little of a thing then we are said to taste of it The final cause why Christ in nature was for a little while a little lower then the Angels was this That he might suffer death And the super-finall cause why he suffered death was this That his death might be propitious and salutiferous to men For the glory of God and the salvation of men required it that the Prince of salvation should taste of death to bring men to salvation yea God had so decreed Now that he might bring men to salvation by this meanes i. By suffering of death he must by nature be a mortall man and not an Angel because by nature Angels are immortall and naturally cannot dye And the efficient cause of both these subordinate finals
But we have already shewed that the Israelites in Massa tempted God not with excesse of trust but with defect of it The like words in the like sence are used by Peter Acts 15 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoake upon the neck of the Disciples c. q.d. Hath not God already given us experiments and arguments enough and sufficient that we should not impose upon the Disciples the yoke of legall Ceremonies seeing he hath given the holy Ghost to them as well as to us seeing he hath made no difference betweene us and them purifying their hearts by faith why therefore as if the thing were not already apparent enough do ye require more arguments and tokens of it and so tempt God 9. When your fathers tempted me Me here is referred to God whom the Israelites tempted for here according to an usuall forme in Scripture the person is changed and God himselfe is brought in speaking of himselfe whereas in the words before David spake of God in the third person but now brings in God speaking in the first person of himselfe In the Originall it is not when but where for here the circumstantiall particle is not temporall for the time when they tempted but locall for the place where they tempted and that place hath reference to the wildernesse immediately before mentioned For in the wildernesse they tempted God not onely at that time but afterwards also at divers other times and in other particular places of that wildernesse For at Cadeshbarnea whence the twelve spies were sent to search the land of Canaan and upon their returne the people bad stone Caleb and Joshuah because they discented from the other ten who had brought up an evill report upon the Land then the Lord complaines that they had provoked him long and often that they had long distrusted him notwithstanding all the signes he had shewed amongst them Numb 14.11 And againe at ver 22. he complaines that they had tempted him now ten times i. very many times Proved me He expresseth the same thing in another word For as to tempt a man argues distrust and doubt of him so also to prove him And saw my workes The particle and is by an Hebraisme put for although q.d. If they had not seene my wondrous works it had beene lesse wonder that they tempted me but now although they see them yet they doubt of my power and goodnesse toward them what a strange diffidence and distrust is this What works God wrought both in Egypt and in the Wildernesse to certifie the people of his promise and to gaine faith for their passage into Canaan are largely described in the books of Exodus and Numbers Forty yeares This space of forty yeares as the history it selfe and the Hebrew text and this Author also signifies at ver 17. must be referred forwards to Gods indignation whereby he was grieved with them for the space of forty yeares Yet it is true also that this space may be referred backward as the Septuagint have pointed it to the peoples tempting of God and seeing his works for the space of forty yeares for so long the people tempted him and so long saw his works For even at the expiration of those yeares when Miriam was dead in Cadesh they againe murmured against Moses and Aaron for want of water as their fathers had done before at Meriba and Massa and that place also was branded by the name of Meriba or waters of strife where the diffidence or distrust in God was greater then any formerly for it was extended even to Moses and Aaron who were also infected with the sin of it Numb 20. And this seemes to be cause of the Greek pointing and reading which this Author followed having fallen upon it that he might not seeme to make any alteration in it though afterward at the 17. verse he plainly shews that he was not ignorant of the true reading as it was pointed in the Hebrew But here is meant that other tentation mentioned Numb 14. upon which God sware the people should not enter into his rest as appeares by the verses here following Hence appeares their errour who from hence conclude that the holy Ghost is that God who was tempted of the Jews therefore because here God himselfe speakes and saith he was tempted of their fathers and the Author affirmes that the holy Ghost spake these things These men marke not that from the first words of this place and so from the former of the whole Psalme wherein David himselfe speakes in very deed in his owne person and professeth himselfe one of Gods people to worship and serve God it will by the same reason follow that the holy Ghost is also David For the former words wherein David is brought in speaking are no lesse attributed to the holy Ghost When the sayings of holy Writers are attributed to the holy Ghost we are not thereby to understand that the holy Ghost is that person who indeed speaks or to whom those things really agree which he attributes to himselfe that speakes or is brought in speaking but onely that those sayings were uttered by the vertue and motion of the holy Ghost and not onely by the will and pleasure of men whosoever the person be that speaketh as Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 1.21 For otherwise there must be one onely person alwaies brought in speaking namely the holy Ghost to whom alone all sayings must be attributed which he attributes to himselfe that speaketh then which nothing can be further from the truth For the Prophets for the most part use to speake in their owne persons sometime they bring in God speaking whose Spirit the Holy Ghost is sometime they bring in other persons Besides from this that the words of God are attributed to the Holy Ghost we cannot rightly conclude that therefore the Holy Ghost is God himselfe Are they not rightly attributed to him therefore because God speaks by him as we read that the words of Christ are attributed to the Spirit Rev. 2.7 although the Spirit be not Christ So Paul Rom. 11.4 attributes the words of God to the oracle and this Author cap. 12.5 attributes the words of God to the Exhortation not that either the oracle or the exhortation is God but because God is supposed to speake by the oracle and the exhortation 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation That is a Generation according to Scripture which comprehends the men that live within the period of one and the same age And that generation wherewith God was grieved were those persons of Israel whom hee brought out of Egypt who saw his mighty workes and received the Law at Mount Sinai This generation provoked and tempted God and therefore God was grieved with it God is not passively grieved as man but then he is said to be grieved when he doth such actions as persons grieved use to doe especially being thereto provoked by the sinnes of men And said they doe
necessarily follow that Beliefe was the condition of their entring But as this oath proceeded from the wrath of God touching the non-entry of this generation so it was tempered and mingled with mercy for the next generation who were the children of this For concerning those children this generation had provoked God in saying they should be a prey and dye in the wildernesse But God makes it a part of his oath to the contrary that their children should not bee a prey in the wildernesse but they shall enter the land and possesse it Numb 14.30,31 Into my rest The land of Canaan is called a Rest because the Israelites were to reside and rest after their hard servitude for many yeares in Egypt after their tedious pilgrimage and travell through the vast wildernesse where they wandred for the space of forty yeares and after their severall battells with their enemies which they were to conquer and extirpate from that land Although there be another mysticall use of the word in the Chapter following And God calls it his Rest because the people got it neither by their power not by their desert but by Gods meere benefit and donation to them in performance of the promise he had sworn to their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. For God by his mighty arme and power brought them out of Egypt carried them through the wildernesse and cast out their enemies before them that they might possesse the land not for any righteousnesse in them but for the wickednesse of the Cananites thereby to performe his word sworne to their fathers Deut. 9 4.5.6 12. Take heed brethren Here he begins another Exhortation to diss wade them from Apostacy from the Christian Religion from the which they were declining and departing For the desertion of God must needs be a greater sinne then the tentation of him Take heed i. Bethinke your selves well and have a great care because the matter is very dangerous for when dangers are at hand we use to be heedfull and carefull Lest there be Lest there be now at this time or if it be not yet lest it creep upon you in time to come for Apostacie is as a serpent that will insinuate into your mindes at any time for it is easily introduced by diffidence and obstinacie In any of you Hee meanes not this distributively for any one single person among them but collectively of them all that all might have a care of all and each one of another An evill heart of unbeliefe An evill heart is an intractable or hard heart that is contumacious and refractory against God and his word And then the heart is especially evill and hard when it is incredulous and unbeleeving q.d. a heart so evill that it will not believe In departing from the living God Here he limits the unbeliefe whereof he spake before designing particularly what unbelief he meant For there is a double unbeliefe one of them who never yet did believe in God another of them who cease to believe and turne Apostates to their former beliefe in departing from it and consequently from God Now he departs from God who departs from Christ and his Religion as in the former Covenant he that departed from the Law departed from God himselfe For as he that believes in Christ doth not finally believe in Christ but in God by Christ as Christ himselfe declareth it John 12.44 So on the contrary he that departeth from Christ departs not only finally from Christ but from God who sent him and ordained him to bee our Lord and Saviour And God is called the living God in opposition to the Idols and false gods of the Gentiles who were as destitute of all life and sense as were their images and statues wherein they were worshipped This Epithet is added here to God thereby to strike so much the greater terrour into them that they might never think of departing from so great a God Therefore he saith afterward chapter 10. ver 31. It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God For hee must needs have an infinite power who is the true and living God Yet positively God is called the living God because he not onely lives truely and perpetually but also lives from himselfe and is the fountain of life to others from whom all living things have their life 13. But exhort one another daily Here he shewes the ordinary way and meanes whereby they may remedy this evill heart of unbeliefe namely if they mutually admonish and exhort one another yet that must not be done seldome at distant times but daily that their mutuall exhortations may be fervent and frequent While it is called to day As long as that day lasteth whereof mention is made in the Psalme before cited To day if ye will hear his voyce Whereupon we noted above that in the literall sence it signified that festivall and solemne day wherein the people resorted to the Temple to performe the worship and service of God where also the Law of God used to be read unto them To this festivall day in the mysticall sence doth answer our Christian festivall or time of Grace wherein we are invited to lay hold of eternall salvation whereto by the Gospel the passage is opened unto us While this day or time of the Gospel doth last we must exhort one another from unbeliefe in departing from God Lest any of you be hardned A man is then hardned when hee hath a will not to beleeve the promises of God or not to obey his precepts Through the deceitfulnesse of sinne He shewes the cause of this hardnesse to be sinne and the manner how sinne hardneth by deceaving us For therefore we are refractory to the voyce or word of God because we are deceived bysinne for we are entrapped by the baits and snares of sin by preferring the whispers of sin before the voyce of God for so the Serpent beguiled Eve and so doth sin deceive us still Yea even from the word of God and from his Commandment whence wee should take occasion to obey him thence will sinne take occasion to deceive us Rom. 7.11 14. For we are made partakers of Christ Hee seemes here to answere a tacite objection For these Hebrewes might thinke that these admonitions concerned not them that they need to take heed of unbeliefe and consequently of Gods wrath seeing they did already beleeve in Christ and so were estated in Christian happinesse To this hee answeres by granting that they were already made partakers of Christ that is of that happinesse which Christ bestowes upon the faith full yet upon that condition that they persevere in the faith of Christ to their lives end For this partaking of Christ or Christian happinesse as it referres to this life consisteth in a full right or title to happinesse but this right or title is presently lost when we recede or depart from the faith of Christ If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end
happinesse then we persevere in the faith 2. Because thereby we provoke and grieve God 3. Because thereby we are barred from entring into eternall rest v. 19 CHAPTER IV. 1. LEt us therefore feare Because we have already seene that our Ancestors by reason of their unbeliefe were not admitted into the rest of God and that their example is proposed unto us as a caution to make us the more wary therefore let us feare that we runne not upon the same rock Lest a promise being left us So our last Translation reads it as if God had also left a promise unto us hereto induced as it seemes by the following words of the Author where he inferres and concludes That there remaineth a rest to the people of God ver 9. But we cannot approve of this reading neither doth the Author use altogether the same word in both places wherefore we conceive this the true reading Lest the promise being relinquished i. lest we neglect relinquish leave or forsake the promise For a promise is then relinquished and left when it is no longer credited and beleeved as our forefathers did whose example as we have seene was formerly proposed unto us They for a time did embrace and accept of Gods promise for upon that ground and hope they went out of Egypt but afterward in the wildernesse they did relinquish and leave the promise by their unbelieving it Of entring into his rest He expresseth the matter of the promise which we must not leave God hath promised us an entrance into his eternall rest we must not desert and leave it by unbelieving it Any of you should seeme to come short of it This is the effect and fruit of our deserting or leaving the promise that thereby we shall come short of the rest promised To come short signifies either to remaine behinde or to returne back for in this latter sence the word is used afterward chap. 12.25 Both these sences have an elegant agreement with the point For as the Israelites after they no longer beleeved Gods promise for the giving of them possession in the land of Canaan would goe no further forward in following of Moses but would rather chuse themselves new Captaines for their returne back into Egypt So they who will no longer give faith to the promises of Christ will follow his standerd no further but endeavour a returne into the Egypt of the world from whence by faith they had once departed Yet he saith not simply lest any of you come short but lest any should seeme to come short This latter of seeming is farre lesse then the other For we must be so farre from this sinne of stopping or returning from the Gospel that we must give no man any just occasion to thinke it of us For such an opinion of another carries somewhat of truth with it and if a man do not yet plainly revolt yet at least some inclination or likelihoods of it are wont to be in him And this opinion a man may raise in others of himselfe if by little and little he remit and abate of his practise and fervency in godlinesse not serving Christ with such alacrity as is fit 2. For unto us it was preached as well as to them It was preached i. the promise of entring into Gods rest the message of which promise was sent unto us also Herein the Author meets with an objection For some man might say The promise of entring into Gods rest was it not made to our forefathers of old and long since performed unto them in giving them possession in the land of Canaan What doth this promise pertaine to us The Author answers That this promise doth pertaine to us and the joyfull message of entring into Gods rest was no lesse sent to us then of old to our forefathers But what kinde of rest is promised to us he expresseth afterward But the word preached did not profit them In the originall it is the word of hearing by an Hebraisme for the word heard And by the words is figuratively ment the promise of entring into Gods rest for every promise of God is his word Here he tacitly shews the cause why he admonished them to believe the promise of God by Christ because otherwise it would profit us no more then anciently it did the Israelites whom it so farre profited as to bring them out of Egypt but it profited them not to bring them into Canaan which was the land promised Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it The reason why the hearing of the word of promise did not profit them was because it was not mixed with faith in them it was not throughly engrafted into their mâ—…es nor turned into a sap or blood to doe them good For this worke is done by faith by a firme assent yeelded to the word and promise of God to assure the promise that the thing promised might take effect 3. For we which have believed doe enter interrest Hee addes a sub-reason of his former assertion Because they only among us who believe enter into rest and therefore they who beleeve not do not enter into rest neither can enter For the particle only or some other such exclusive must be here understood because faith is the condition of entring Gods rest which restraines the entrance only to the faithfull As he said As I have sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my â—est By this oath of God Psal 95. ult as we noted in the former Chapter it plainly appeares that they which beleeve not shall not enter into Gods rest for want of saith is the cause why men are strucken with the thunder of Gods wrath and debarred from the promised entrance into his rest As the promise of entrance proceeds from Gods mercy and is confirmed by his oath to the beleever so on the contrary the menance of non-entrance proceeds from Gods wrath and is consi med by his oath to the unbeleever Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world Here the Author teacheth what kinde of rest it is that from those words of the Psalme must bee understood in a mysticall sence And this hee doth therefore that thereby wee may understand the truth of those things which he had asserted in the first and second verses of this Chapter concerning a rest of God promised to us and a passage thereto made open to us Which the Hebrews could neither understand nor would admit to be true while their minds ran upon an earthly rest in Canaan first promised and afterward performed to their forefathers unlesse it bee explicated what the rest is that is promised to us and so their mindes be drawne from an earthly to an heavenly rest First therefore the Author expresseth somewhat of that rest and saith it is a Rest from workes from workes that were finished and finished long since even from the foundation of the world Which Rest is proper to God himselfe as it is intimated in the
may sway him so to grant something that if he grant it not wee may well say he deals unequally and hardly In this latter way God may seem to be said unrighteous if he should be so unmindfull of vertues both past and present if he should presently reject men though otherwise worthy of reprobation if God should deale with them according to his Law and no way expect their repentance but wholly exclude them from all addresse to his clemency mercy especially if it appear not that there are some prevalent causes which restraine God from shewing mercy as in case he be to shew herein some example of his judgment For God must not presently be said unrighteous if he deal somewhat severely with one or two but then when he usually doth it or doth it with whole Churches Wherefore the Author brings not here any demonstrative or convictive reason or such as that God might not lawfully do otherwise without the aspersion of unrighteousnes or iniquity properly so term'd but only a reason very probable drawn for the most part from the clemencie and mercy of God which is voluntary in him To forget your work and labor of love To speak properly forgetfulnes is not incident unto God but figuratively he is then said to forget when he hath no regard of a thing or doth that which men forgetfull doe Their work as it seems was the conflict they had in suffering afflictions from their first entrance into the faith of Christ as the Author speaks of them afterward chap. 10 32. Unto which work or conflict he subjoyns the labour of love for in the place last cited after that conflict which they endured the Author mentions their offices of charity which they exercised toward the Saints And it is not likely that in this place where especially their good works were to be mentioned the Author would passe over their noblest act which consisted in suffering for Christs cause For Paul hath joyned these two together the work of faith and labor of love 1 Th. 1 3. where by the work of faith he seems to understand their many sufferings for the truths sake For such a work grows immediatly from faith as labour and bounty toward the Saints springs only from love and is therefore called the labor of love And that patience which proceeds from hope is called the patience of hope because it argues constancie in suffering afflictions under hope of reward and is there added to the work of faith and labour of love Their labour of love was another act of theirs no lesse acceptable to God and no lesse remarkable in it selfe Labour of love is that labour which proceeds from love or that labour whereto love puts us and love makes any labour light and easie for nothing is more powerfull nothing more imperious then love And this labour is seen in helping him whom we love with all our strength power endeavor Which ye have shewed toward his name Their love toward God made them so deare to God that it would not suffer him to reject them and wholly exclude them from salvation And this love was shewed toward the name of God because they shewed it to no other end but with respect to Gods name How this was thus effected hee presently declares In that ye have ministred to the Saints and doe minister We shew love when we minister and we shew love toward the name of God when we minister to the Saints meerly therefore because they are Saints and consecrate unto God For he that ministreth to the Saints and shews love to the Saints therefore because they are Saints and beare the name of God he shews love toward the name of God as he that ministreth to a Disciple of Christ because he is his Disciple he ministreth to Christ himselfe As much as ye have done it saith Christ unto one of the least of these my brethren yee have done it unto me Mat. 25.40 This Ministery consisted herein that in the afflictions of the Saints the Hebrews were wanting to them in no good office but helped them in all things to their power as he expresseth it afterward chap. 10.33 that they became their companions in their afflictions And this is done when we esteem the affliction of an other to be in a manner our owne when we have a singular care of him and performe those offices unto him that wee would have performed to our selves if we were in his case And doe minister This vertue of ministering to the Saints was not yet quite ceased in them albeit it may be somewhat abated 11. And we desire Here he passeth to the other part of the chapter wherein he exhorts them to a diligent and constant course of godlinesse and admonisheth them never to faint in their faith and hope And he seemes here to take away a tacit objection that might settle in their mindes From his last former words they might be too much advanced in hope to believe that now all must needs goe well with them seeing God without being unrighteous could not forget the things they had done and suffered and did yet doe and suffer for Gods cause Lest they should fall to imagine this the Author shews them what he would have them yet doe and what he yet findes wanting in them if they meant to retaine and assured hope of salvation Hee proceeds very prudently with them when a little before hee seemed to have terrified them too much and to debarre them from all hope of salvation he againe erected them and shewed that he did not so conceive this but that he was perswaded better things of them And now againe lest they should be too confident of themselves and bee pussed up in minde and flatter themselves with an infallible hope of salvation he shews them their wants that being thus reduced to a temper that they might neither despair of salvation nor presume of it That every one of you do shew the same diligence He calls not only upon the whole Church in generall but upon each person singly to continue the same diligence and endeavor that they had done from their first reception of the Gospel To the full assurance of hope To be assured of a thing is to have a knowledge of it that it is thus or thus And a full assurance is a full and certain knowledge or as we vulgarly speak it is a certainty And a full assurance of hope is a certainty of those things that are the object or matter of our hope And the hope here ment is the Christian hope whose object is eternal salvation wherof our Christian hope is an expectation And this hope is advanced augmented by our constancy in faith and good works wherby it is daily more and more assured and the assurance of it daily made more full They had a hope of salvation grounded upon the promises of God and quickned by the worke they had done and yet did for Gods cause but a
the right hand of the throne of Majesty and that in heaven The throne of the Majesty is the Majesticke and stately Throne whereon he sits who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who only is Almighty who only hath immortality and dwells in a light unapproachable 2. A minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle The Epethite or Attribute true must be added both to Sanctuary and Tabernacle that Christ is a Minister of the true Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which is Gods heavenly habitation This is called the true Sanctuary and Tabernacle not in reference to false and fained Sanctuaries but in respect of umbratilous and terrene Sanctuaries which did but represent and signifie the true perfect solid and heavenly Sanctuary wherein God himselfe doth really and truely dwell and whereto the name of the true and right Sanctuary doth perfectly agree Of this true and heavenly Sanctuary Christ is the Minister as anciently the legall high Priest was the minster of the terrene Sanctuary For these words serve somewhat to declare the residence of Christ at the right hand of Gods throne Now to bee a Minister of the Sanctuary is nothing else but to Minister unto God in the Sanctuary to officiate and be busied about the Sanctuary to procure and order the things that pertaine to the worship of God in the Sanctuary And Christ recideing in heaven doth Minister there by executing Gods decrees by ordering heavenly things and whatsoever pertaines to Gods heavenly worship and service prescribed and commanded in the new Covenant The word Leiturgist or Minister doth not always signifie a simple officer waiter or hand-servant but many times such a one who with speciall authority and power doth execute some charge as the legall high Priests in the Tabernacle had the chief authority and presidency over all things pertaining to divine worship Which the Lord pitched and not man Either these words containe the cause why that heavenly Sanctuarie is called the true Tabernacle because it was erected not of man as that was under the Law but God himselfe who is our Soveraigne Lord. For that Sanctuary must needs bee the true and right one which the hand of man did not frame for God but which God raised for himself by his owne hand Or else these words are added to amplifie and illustrate the point to make it the more evidently appeare how much this heavenly Sanctuary differs from the earthly and exceeds it So also Paul to the earthen and fraile tabernacle of our mortall body opposeth that heavenly building of our glorious body made of God and not by the hand of men Ye have the same opposition afterward in this Author between the earthly Sanctuary and the heavenly chap. 9. verse 11.24 in like manner betweene cities made by the hand of men and that heavenly city prepared for the godly whose Architect and Builder is God himselfe Chapter 11.10 3. For every high Priests is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices He proves that Christ our high Priest is a Minister of the Sanctuary because he is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices for this function is naturall to the office of a Priest and he that offers gifts and sacrifices must needs be the Minister of a Sanctuary Wherefore it is of necessitie this man have somwhat also to offer The sence of these words is not so to be taken as to leave a scruple in us as if Christ had only somwhat that he might offer and yet wee might doubt whether hee would offer or must offer or doth indeed offer but that according to the nature of his office hee doth actually offer For in this sence wee often say I have somthing to give or to say unto you i. I will or must give or say somthing unto you From these words of the Author it is most manifest that Christ doth now offer in heaven for as the Author will shew afterward he offers himselfe to God For hee proves as we have said that Christ doth minister in the heavenly Sanctuary as appeares by the precedent and subsequent passages And this hee proves from hence because every Priest and therefore Christ is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices and therefore if he will performe his office hee must indeed offer which if hee doe then it followes that hee is a minister of the Sanctuary 4. For if be were on earth hee should not be a Priest Here hee confirmes the other part of the second verse that Christ is a Minister not of the umbratilous and terrene Sanctuary but of the true and heavenly because if he were on earth he should not be a Priest at all Hence it appears that Christ is a Minister of the heavenly Sanctuary and doth offer unto God there Whence it necessarily follows that Christ while he was upon earth did not finish his perfect expiatory offering whereof the Author treats in this Epistle For could hee performe and finish it being out of his proper Sanctuary which is heaven Seeing that there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Hee gives here a reason why Christ should not be a Priest if he ministed on earth because there are already other Priests ordained of God to Minister on earth and to offer gifts of whose number Christ is none nor can be as was shewed in the former Chapter These terrene Priests are said to offer according to the Law because the Law hath granted them only this right and priviledge that no other person beside themselves without breach of the Law should usurpe the office of offering upon earth or ministring in the earthly Sanctuary 5. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things In these words either the Author gives a reason why Christ if hee were on earth could not be a Priest namely because those Priests who offer here on earth serve but for a shadow of heavenly things but Christ our high Priest must not serve for such a shadow Or els he illustrates from the contrary that Christ is a Minister of the true Tabernacle but the legall Priests did only serve as paternes and shadows of the heavenly Sanctuary By heavenly things he means the Sanctuary and holy functions wherein Christ doth minister in heaven As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tabernacle For see saith he that thou make all things according to the paterne shewed to thee in the mount He proves from a testimony of Scripture that the ancient legall high Priests served but as a paterne and shadow of the true and heavenly Sanctuary And he cites the words wherein Moses is commanded to make that ancient Tabernacle and all things pertaining to it according to the model or paterne shewed him in the Mount Exod. 25.40 Therefore the Tabernacle shewed him in the Mount was the type or modell and the Tabernacle made by Moses was but a sample or copy of that model Now that modell shewed by God in the Mount
even of the most heynous in them who having tasted the force of that sacrifice do afterward live holily I say all kind of penalties not only of temporall death but of eternall which by force of the law all incurred that had truly and morally sinned For temporall life opposed to temporal death proceeded from the observation of the Law otherwise then eternall life did opposed to eternall death For to attain or preserve temporall life it sufficed to keep the Law taken in an open and literall sease as they call it and to expiate certain offences by certain rites and sacrifices But the latter could no man attaine by force of the Law unlesse a man had kept the precepts of it taken in a mysticall sense i. most fully and perfectly as the Gospell proposeth them For seeing eternall life was not contained in the promises of the Law but in a mysticall sense it was great equity that he who would attaine it by the benefit of the Law should likewise keep the precepts of the Law in a mysticall sense Neither only so but it must be kept exactly and without any sinne so that there should need no sacrifices or expiations For no sacrifices were of such force as to take away the guilt of eternall death and so estate a man in a right to eternall life neither did the Law open any other way to arrive at a plenary justification joyned with the reward of eternall life then by the merit of workes To serve the living God Here is the effect of this Expiation wrought in us by the bloud and offering of Christ For when our conscience doth clearly acknowledge that in respect of God it is freed from all guilt of all sinne even the most grievous and nothing can hinder us but our selves from enjoying the reall effect of our being acquitted from all sinne it comes to passe here by that we must needs have strong motives to carry us on to the worship and service of God and to receive the faith of Christ to the end wee may effectually enjoy so great a blessing and having once enjoyed it never lose it but afterward abstaine from all sinne with all our possible endeavour knowing well that so great a blessing is attained and preserved with true piety Hence it appeares that this purging of our conscience gotten by the bloud of Christ must be so understood in this place that for the reall effect of it it depends upon our duty on our part i. then it begins to have it effect in us when our faith and obedience begins toward God and Christ and is continued by the continuance of our faith and obedience and by constancie and perseverance in faith and godlinesse to the end is at length consummated and doth rest in a full and immutable right to eternall life the effect whereof will most certainly follow in due time For unlesse this effect and complement of our expiation depend reciprocally upon our duty and our duty and will to serve God flowed immediatly from it what one man among a thousand would serve God upon the expiation of his finnes if he knew that without this he could be expiated effectually and released from the guilt of all his sinnes and enjoy a full right to eternall life because therefore this offering of Christ doth withdraw us from sinne and makes us afterward serve the living God hence it comes to passe that Christ doth expiate us by one only offering or that our expiation flowing from the offering and sacrifice of Christ is eternall and lasteth forever For what need the offering be iterated if men once expiated sinne no more For although sometime by error or infirmity the true worshippers of God may offend yet because the offering of Christ doth not so properly intend to expiate such light offences as sinnes that are more heynous as appears by the proper nature of the new Covenant as it stands distinguished from the old therefore the oblation of Christ must not be iterated for our light infirmities and lapses Therefore for the removing of the guilt of such light offences the perpetuall residence of Christ our high Priest in his heavenly Sanctuary and his intercession to his Father for us is abundantly sufficient so that for them he need not shed his bloud againe and after the shedding of it enter into his Sanctuary The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie all kind of obedience and service done unto God but chiefly that divine service done to God publikly most properly as hath before been shewed those holy reverences which we perform in the worship of God Yet the Author useth it here by a Metonymie for all divine service that is joyned with the worship of God for worship and service are mutuall adjuncts connexed each to other For so great a benefit of God as the expiation of all our sins should easily move us to perform divine services unto God by praises and thanksgivings and wholly to devote out selves to worship to good a God for then we take courage to approach unto God to worship and serve him and to hope that the honour we do him will not be unacceptable unto him when we feel our conscience clean quiet as purged from all sin Or else the word here is taken by way of Metaphor whereby all good works pleasing unto God and done for his sake are accounted for sacrifices and offerings acceptable to God and that wholy endeavours them may fitly be said to serve God God is here called the living God according to the ordinary phrase of Scripture which notwithstanding in this place wants not an emphasis Not only because hereby the true God is distinguished from all the feigned gods of the Gentiles which because they were nothing but woodden or stony Idols and therefore woodden and stony gods were called vaine and livelesse gods and are opposed to the living God But also to shew the cause why we should worship and serve God and withall the happinesse of those that devote themselves unto him For seeing hee is the living God hee is also the true God who can reward his worshippers and servitors with great benefits and recompence them with fearfull judgments who neglect him To this end Paul writing to the Thessalonians saith Yee are turned from Idols to God to serve the living and true God 1 Thess 1.9 And the word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies to serve And God is eminently called the living God not only because he truly lives but also because he is the fountaine of life to all other things which do live In which sense sometimes hee alone is said to live or to have life and immortality in himself 15. And for this cause Here the Author confirmes his former assertion by a new argument in that Christ is the Mediatour of the new Testament or that Christ made the New Testament and sealed it with his bloud For this is the nature of
the Rulers of the Church watch for our soules that no mans soule should perish or that no man should faile of that true and eternall salvation of soules Whence it appeares what great reason wee have to obey our Rulers whose charge and care belongs wholly to our soules and whose commands and admonitions we can despise with no lesse danger then the losse of our soules As they that must give account Now on the other side he shewes a reason of the duty of our Rulers whom God hath appointed over us why they must use all diligent care to watch for our soules namely because they must give an account of their office and actions to God and Christ who hath committed his poore sheep to their care and charge so that if any perish through their default or negligence they must answer for it under a grievous penaltie For to this purpose tend those words of God in Ezekiel So thou O sonne of man I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt heare the word at my mouth and warne them from me When I say unto the wicked O wicked man thou shalt surely die If thou dost not speake to warne the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquitie but his bloud will I require at thine hand Neverthelesse if thou warne the wicked of his way to turne from it if he doe not turne from his way he shall die in his iniquitie but thou hast delivered thy soule Ezek. 33.7,8,9 Therefore this so weightie and so dangerous an Office which our Rulers bear doth altogether require on their part that they bee carefull to watch for our soules and it well deserves on our part that we should obey and subject our selves unto them and not take it in ill part if to provide not onely for our salvation but their owne they refuse to humour and flatter our fancies That they may doe it with joy and not with griefe Hee yet presseth our obedience with a further reason namely that our Rulers may reape some spirituall fruit of their Office and performe it with joy and not with griefe For certainely this their Office so dangerous to themselves and so commodious to us doth deserve this respect at our hands that in the function of their Office wee should so carry our selves as to be a comfort and joy unto them and not a griefe And we are a joy unto them when we shew our selves obsequious and pliant to their doctrines precepts and warnings but we are a griefe to them when we are refractory and obstinate And not with griefe In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly and adequatly signifies sighing which is the outward effect and signe of inward griefe and sorrow For to this effect are the words of Saint Paul 2. Cor. 2.3 And I wrote this same unto you lest when I came I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoyce And again in the same Epistle chap. 12.21 I feare lest when I come again my God will humble me among you that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented For that is unprofitable for you This is spoken by way of mollifying or diminishing the matter For to grieve our rulers by our disobedience is not only unprofitable to us but very hurtfull Seeing God wil take sore vengeance upon us for this double offence that we should deserve so ill at Rulers hands who watch so piously carefully for the salvation of our souls as to repay their diligence care with grief sorrow 18. Pray for us A particular precept or request unto the Hebrews But he speaks onely of himselfe in the plurall number as it appeares in the verse following wherein expressing what they should pray for he mentions a thing concerning himselfe onely For wee trust wee have a good conscience Hee subjoynes the ground or cause of his request namely because hee was not a person altogether unworthy to obtain this good Office from them But hee speakes very modestly and prudently of himselfe that he might decline all envie For first hee saith not simply we have a good conscience but we trust wee have a good conscience so wee beleeve and so wee perswade our selves which could not but bee improperly spoken seeing to speake properly a good conscience consisteth in the perswasion of it selfe Therefore a good conscience is in this place taken for the cause of a good conscience that is for a life unblameable or voide of all offence as if he had said I trust and am perswaded that I so live and so carry my selfe that my conscience may well be at rest with my actions Secondly hee speakes in the plurall number and by way of communication doth mingle himselfe in a manner with the multitude seeming also to testifie no more of himselfe then of them In all things willing to live honestly Hee shewes the reason of his confidence why he trusteth that he hath a good conscience namely because hee is willing to live honestly in all things Hee saith not that actually hee doth live honestly in all things but affectively hee is willing to live so which is much more modest But his willingnesse herein must not be taken for the sole purpose and intention of his minde but of his study endeavour and labour or of a will continually actuall and effectuall For so Saint Paul testifies of himselfe Acts 24.16 And herein doe I exercise my self to have alwayes a good conscience void of offence toward God and toward men And this is to live well and honestly in all things namely in all our actions and dealings when thou carriest thy selfe so uprightly that thou deservest no just reproofe or blame neither in the sight of God nor of men Before God in being cleare from all spot from which a Christian life ought to be free and before men in appearing such a one that thou givest no just occasion to any either to thinke or suspect evill of thee and dost shun all such things as though they be not determined by any Law of God yet are dishonest in mens opinion 19. But I beseech you the rather to doe this Namely to pray for me And the adverbe the rather may be referred to the next verbe before it I beseech you as if he had said I beseech you so much the rather to pray for me that I may be restored unto you the sooner or it may bee referred to the verbe after it to doe this as if he had said I beseech you that you would the rather pray for me But for what That I may bee restored unto you the sooner He shews the end and fruit of their prayers to what effect they should the rather and the more earnestly pray for him namely thereby to obtaine from God that he might be restored unto them the sooner that is that his returne unto them might be speedier then it was like to
doxologie openly directed unto Christ And John Revel 1.5,6 speaking of Jesus Christ and magnifying him doth so place the mention of God the Father that the pronoune to him with which he begins his doxology may be in like manner referred to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ whom he intended to blesse Hence it manifestly appeares that divine worship and service is due to our Lord Jesus Christ together with God the Father Amen An Hebrew word as is well knowne which signifies truly or certainely and alwayes carries the force of approbation and that either in assertions or in devotions of wishes prayers and praises to the honour of God or lastly in promises uttered of things very acceptable and desireable In assertions it commonly precedeth and is set before but in the other two it followeth and closeth the sentence For the former we meet with many examples in the sayings of our Saviour recited by Matthew Marke and John but Luke relating the same or the like sayings of our Saviour for the word Amen either single or double useth the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which exactly answers the Hebrew or Syriacke For the second there are almost so many examples in the holy Scriptures as there are devotions and praises of Gods name in the end of Epistles For the last there is an example in the end of the Revelation vers 20. where withall the word Amen is interpreted or explicated by addition of the affirmative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although some Copies for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a thing that might be easily altered 22. And I beseech you brethren He yet further addes some speciall points as it were out of the body of the Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though in the Greeke it properly signifie I exhort yet in this place it is better translated I beseech as most translations render it in severall languages because the thing which he entreateth of them is as it immediatly followes to Suffer the word of Exhortation The word of Exhortation is a speech whereby a man exhorts or is exhorted by a genetive case arguing the difference And in Exhortation especially this which the Authour here understands is also included reprehension or reproofe For he seemes here to designe such speech as is somwhat unwelcome and unpleasing to them to whom it is directed as commonly reproofes use to be although exhortations also are many times unpleasing though they seem free from any reproofe For Exhortations to those who do not yet their dutie are secret reprehensions and reproofes Therefore the Authour beseecheth and entreateth them to suffer this word or speech that is to take it in good part not to disdaine or be grieved at it that they are exhorted or admonished by him For I have written a letter unto you in few words Here hee addes the reason why hee desires them to suffer the word of Exhortation from him The particle for doth not in this place signifie simply for but rather for also implying a copulative causality so that here is not brought the sole cause but the sociall and this omitting other causes whereof they of themselves might easily take notice As for example that this word of Exhortation was wholesome for them that it proceded from a true and hearty affection toward them that it was spoken modestly on his part without any bitternesse or reproach unto them and such like as if hee had said Ye ought therefore the rather to suffer my Exhortation because I was not onely diligent to apply all things that might serve to lenifie my Exhortation and reproofe as becommeth him that admonisheth but also that I might not give you the least offence I have written unto you as briefly as I could and would not dwell long upon an argument so unpleasing to you But if wee suppose that by this word of Exhortation is not meant that part only of this Epistle which consisteth in Exhortation and reproose but even the whole Epistle wherein are not only Exhortations and reprehensions but also excellent consolations or comforts which in like manner are signified by the word Exhortation and by the vulgar Latine is here translated the word of Comfort Then to suffer this word will be nothing else but to accept it with a ready minde so that in reading and hearing of it they would not thinke it so prolix and tedious as to bee weary of it To which purpose the reason here is very fit that the Author saith he hath written in few words For to comprise things of speciall moment and worth in few words as it is a point of great Art so is it a great grace to the writing But the Authour calls this Epistle briefe and written in few words because considering the Majestie of the argument and the varietie of the matter it is very briefe and delivered but in few words For we may easily perceive that the Author therein is not indulgent to any repetitions or prolixe amplification after a Rhetoricall straine but with a singular brevitie runnes over onely the chiefe points leaving many more things to be collected by them then he expresseth and in many things writes very concisely 23. Know yee that our brother Timotheus is set at libertie Another speciall point added by the Author is an advertisement concerning Timothy because he was in good repute among the Hebrews and went for an Hebrew for though his father were a Greeke yet his mother was an Hebrew and Paul circumcised him in favour of the Hebrewes to ingratiate his person among them as we read Acts 16.1,2,3 And therefore the Author supposeth that any good newes concerning Timothie would be acceptable to them to whom his person was so acceptable And the Authour gives Timothy the attribute of brother thereby to signifie not only their common religion that they both professed Christ but also their common affection that each of them was dearly beloved of other Is set at libertie The particular thing that he advertiseth concerning Timothie and whereof hee desires them to take notice or knowledge is That Timothy is set at libertie which advertisement he conceived would be very welcom to them Whence we may easily collect that Timothy was once in bonds and in prison for the profession of the Gospel And it is very probable that hee was so for Paul was then in bonds when hee wrote his Epistle to the Colossians as appeares Colos 4.3 where requesting the prayers of the Colossians for himself and his fellow-prisoners he saith withall praying also for us that God would open unto us a doore of utterance to speake the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds And Paul in his Preface of subscription to that Epistle adjoynes Timothie with him as an approver of his Epistle Coloss 1.1 So that it is probable Timothie was his fellow-prisoner And if any man say that Paul names not Timothie among his fellow-prisoners when hee