Vert. 3,4, 5 . the Epifile to C brill ; yet the word [ judging which immediately goes before, and followes after, fhewes it doth more fitly belong to the beleeving Gentile, by theGofpell brought near, and received to be a people ; for it was the Jewes fault to judge the Gentile, as they defpifed the Jews. The fummeof the Apoflles rea- ion is this : Seeing God hath fo dearly loved the Gentiles, as to make them his people, therefore the weak Jewes were too blame to condemne them, for ufing their Chriflian liberty in mutes and dayes. T I M.Ti hat doctrine are we to gather from the fe words? S r L. That all belceving people (be they Jewes or Gentiles) are deare unto God. The reafon hereof is, be. caufe they are his children by grace, and the members of his Son, having their (innes forgiven them, and his image im- printed in them, being heires of God, and fellow heires with Chrift : alfo be- leevers are the fpoufe of Chrift, and his flocke, the husbandry and Vineyard of God. This mutt caufe us to receive and make much of thofe whom God hath taken into his love. In Kings Courts, they are loved of all,which are loved of the King. When the King would ho- nour Mordecai even Haman muff do him honour : fo it is our part kindly to affe& and intreate all them whom the King of heaven is kinde unto. There are no earthly Parents, but account them - (elves contemned or loved, by the con- tempt or love of their Children: fo God holds himfelfe refpe &ed or defpifed, when we refpeti or defpife his chil- dren ; for they be as deare to him as the Apple of his eye, as the Signet upon his right hand. As God will bleffe them which bleffe his people, fo he will curfe fuch as curie them. This may ftrike a terror in all fuch as hate the righte- ous, and exercife tyranny towards filch as be Gods friends, and mutt ferve to keep all Chriftians from rafh unchari- table cenfurin g,and judging one of an- other, left we be found among thofe who doe injury unto fuch as God bath accepted of for his owne. Laflly, it the Romans. 571 doth inflru& and informe us all, what reckoning we are to make of fuch as be their even brethren, ( namely ) that we are to account of them as perlons re- ceived ofGod into his fpeciall favour. For, howfoever we cannot infallibly be aflirrcd,yet we are to be charitably per - fwaded of other Chriflians,that they are adopted of God, and received into his fpeciall favour,ifwe fee but the leaft ar- gument of their effe&uall calling.Llpon which grounds we mutt (peak and think lovingly of themand of their aEtions, as far as we may do is with truth and rea- fon, tendering all that we have to do withall,as men partakers of one nature, but much more as Chriftians partakers of the fame grace. T r M. Come to verfe fourth [ Who art thou] and tell us tthot it contaisics and means. S s L. It hath in it the fecond reafon drawn ftom common equity thus : Beleevers are fervants of God, but we may not condemne atlothers fer- vant ; therefore we may not judge one another in things indifferent. The af- fumption is fet downe by way of inter- rogation, which hath theforce of an af- firmation. It is the Law of Natons, that they which be equally fervants to one Lord, may not judge one another (but by their Lords appointment) without injury to their Lord, No Prince will take upon him, to puniflithe fervants of another Prince: and that made David to be angry, when he heard how Ha- nun King of Ammon had abufed his Servants,z Sam. so, r, 2, 3, &c. We our felves would take it as a great prejudice unto us,ifany fhould cenfure or chaftife our Servants. Common Law of the land punifheth fuch as ftrike other mess fervants: there lyeth an a &ion of battery in that cafe. The knowledge of this e - quity kept Paul from retaining with him Onefimus, becaufe he was another mans fervant, without whofe know- ledge and leave he would not keep him. From this naturali and National} Law, the Apoftle here perfwades peace, inaf- much as it behooved the fervants of one and the fame Lord, with kindneffe and love to irnbrace one another. Ccc3 Tosr.i
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