620 An Expofition upon CHAP. XVI. Chap. i 6 DIALOGUE I. Verte i. unto verfe 27. I commend unto you Phebe our Sifter who is a fervant of the Church which is at Cencbrea.2.7hat ye receive her in the Lord as it becometh the Saints, and that ye ails her in whatfoever bufineffe fbe bath need of you, for foe bath been a fuccourer of many, and of my felfalfo, 3.Greet or falote Pri- (cilla and Aquila my fellow- helpers in Chrill'clue. 4. Who have for my life laid down their own neckes, &c. TImOTHEUS. Ftcr our long falling and travel/ in the deep and profound My- lleries of Chriffian Religion and Faith, me thinke I ken the Land, and fee us to draw neer the (bore, and finde our barke coming into the 'hallow waters, as ifwe were at the haven and end of a trouble fotne voyage, full of labour and wearinef. S I t. It is fo : Now at length, after fix or (even years fpent and paff upon the Ocean in the main Seas, we are brought through by the good con - du& of that grand and moll skilfull Pi- lot Chrift Jefus unto the arriving place. For after fòme friendly and familiar fa- lutations of certain fpeciall members of the Church at Rome, whom Paul would honour with mentioning them, and giving them their due praile to ver. IS. then he ihutteth up the Epif le with a grave admonition, to beware of Schifmaticall feducers, and with ade- vout exaltation or celebration of Gods power, goodueffe, wifedome, and glo- ry, from verfe 4. to the end of the Chapter. In the brit verfe, he commends a cer- tain Woman, whom he defcribeth by her name [Phebe.] Secondly, her pro- felon, [4 Sifter.] Thirdly, by her con- dition or office [ a Servant, be. In the fecond verfe , he expreffetla what he would have them to do for her, a to re- ceive her, 2 to ufe her as a Saint, 3 to affift her: and then he noteth the rea- fon wherefore, becaufe of her benefi- cence and liberality to others, not to a few, and even to Paul himfelfe. She is called a Sifter,for the common faith and religion fake, and a Servant to the Church, either for that flu was one of the Widowes, whole ele &ion and du- ty is at large let forth, a Tim. 5. or for her charity towards the Church,which the entertained in her houle, and fuc- coured with reliefe ; and this is moll likely, s. becaufe of her long journey from Greece to Rome, which for an old widow had been too much : and 2. for her large bounty exercifed toward Paul and many more, which was un- poffible for a poore widow (fuch as Deaconeffes were) which in the Primi- tive Church attended fick perfons.. To commend her, lignifies to praile her as one beloved of him for religion fake, and to put her over to their truft and care, to be counfclled and ayded by them of Rome, in things whereof the might have need of them. Cenchrea was a haven neer Corinth. He would have her received, and lovingly enter- tained, [ln the Lord] that is, either for the Lords fake, in his name, and for his love, or as the Lord himfelf. As C1>.rift faith, 7e did it to me,whenye did it to one of thefe: and as Paul writeth that the Galatians received him as Chrift Jefus, who in his Minifters and members holds himfelf either honoured or con- temned. W hofoever receiveth you, recei- veth me &c. Thou perfecutefl me. Now we have not himfelf in earth, he will be refpe&ed in thefe his vicegerents and deputies : [ as becomes the Saints] that is, worthily as may befeeme her, being one
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