Philemon 1:12 Whom I have sent again: you therefore receive him, that is, my own bowels:… We learn from hence that the love which Christians ought to bear to all the saints, especially to those whom they have been the means to convert, ought to be entire, hearty, earnest, most faithful, and most fervent. It is our duty to love all men, more especially the saints, but most especially such as have been gained to the faith by us. The reasons that may be rendered to uphold this doctrine are many and infallible. 1. For, first, there is great labour employed, long time spent, many means used, and continual care bestowed to convert a soul to God. It is no idle work; it is not brought to pass without much ado. 2. Secondly, by testifying of our love and showing forth the fruits thereof we gather great assurance that we are of the company of the faithful, of the communion of saints, and of the society of them that belong to the truth, when we love unfeignedly those that are of the truth. 3. Lastly, it is the sum of the whole law, and a token and testimony that we make conscience to walk in the ways and commandments of God.Uses: 1. This, then, being a virtue so necessary that everyone which belongeth to the Lord Jesus Christ must yield their obedience, even to love the brethren, and show himself a true Christian by showing charity to his neighbour, let us consider the nature and properties of this love, that we may have right and true use of this doctrine. (1) First, therefore, let us know what brotherly love is. It is a work of God's Spirit, whereby a man is moved to affect his brother for God's sake, and to show forth the fruits of this affection. (2) Secondly, we are to consider the property of this love, how it is to be performed; for, as we have seen the parties who are to be loved, even all, so we must mark the manner how they are to be loved — that is, fervently and earnestly. (3) Thirdly, we must know the form and manner how we are to love our brethren; to wit, even as ourselves. 2. Seeing this is the love that must be found in us towards the saints, it serveth to meet with many enormities, and to reprove many sins that reign in the world, and are as the forerunners of the full and final ruin thereof. (1) Our love to others is a cold love; frozen, without heat; dead, without life; barren, without fruit; such as our Saviour speaketh of in the gospel: "Because iniquity shall be increased, the love of many shall be cold." But our love is hot toward ourselves; we have abundance of self-love, which overfloweth in us, and overcometh true love. This is almost, or for the most part the only love that remaineth in the world in these days, which is the corruption, nay, the bane and poison of true love. (2) As we see self-love checked and controlled, so they are condemned that place brotherly love in fair words and gentle speeches (and yet many fail in these, and cannot afford them, as if every word of the mouth were worth gold), whereas in such is no sound religion, but a vizor only of holiness. True love must be shown in the fruits, in sustaining, helping, pitying, and relieving those that crave our release and are in necessity. (3) It reproveth such as give themselves to fraud and deceit, to cruelty and oppression, to subtlety and circumventing their brethren, to lying and using false weights and measures; for if this should be the rule of our love, that it ought to be fervent, we should examine our own hearts whether we would have another man to deceive and oppress us by forgery and falsehood. 3. Seeing all are to be loved, but especially such as have been converted by us, it teacheth us to further their salvation that have been brought into the way by us, and never to forsake them until we have brought them to their journey's end; for what a vain thing were it to find a man wandering out of his way and going astray from the right path, and when we have brought him back to leave him without further direction? or what an unnatural part were it for a mother to bring forth her child into the world and then to take no more care of it, neither to wash it in water nor to wrap it in swaddling clothes, nor to have any compassion upon it, but to cast it out into the open field. (W. Attersoll.) Parallel Verses KJV: Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:WEB: I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, |
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