from arguments taken, 1ft, From the nature of these fchifmatics, verfe 18. 2dly, From themselves, verfe 19. 3dly, From God, verse 20. The arguments taken from the fcandalous fchifmatics, are fo many characters of thefe corrupt perfons; as, 1. They ferve not the Lord Jefus; they are not driving on his intereft, as Head and King of his church; nor contributing their best endeavours for the promoting of his caufe. 2. But their own bellies; they are feeking nothing, but to have their ambitious, voluptuous and fenfual defires fulfilled, as thefe, Tit. i. 11. Phil. iii. 18. fuppofing that gain is godlinefs, 1 Tim. vi. 5. 3. They meddle only with the fimple, who are ready to believe every thing, Prov. xvii. 15. fuch as are weak in judgment, not wife as ferpents, to guard against fuch wiles; as thefe mentioned, 1 Tim. iii. 6. fuch as fufpect no evil, it is fuch they prey upon. 4. They deceive fuch; ufing uncouth wiles to infnare filly people in their ways; they offer fair, but underhand deceive, as a thief offereth to guide a man, and then cutteth his throat; thus it is ufed of feducers, 2 Theff. i. 3. and of a man's hoodwinking of himfelf, I Cor. in. 8. of fin, Rom. vii. 11. and of Satan, 2 Cor. xi. 3. 5. They follow forth this deceiving trade of theirs, by good words and fair fpeeches; they speak as if they were intending nothing but the good of thefe fimple ones; yea, and more intending that than their own advantage, when there is no fuch matter; and they ufe fair Speeches, flattering difcourfes, foothing up folk in their wickedness, and their good wishes and prayers, and thereby deceive the fimple, applying themselves unto their humours.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Tho' fchifmatics and feducing perfons have many fair pretexts of advancing the kingdom and intereft of Chrift, yet really they are doing what they can, to destroy the interest of Chrift, and to hinder the thriving and welfare of his kingdom, and

are very unsteadable unto our Lord Jesus! They ferve not the Lord Jefus.

11. So tender ought all Chrift's fervants to be of the precious interefts of noble Chrift, that none who are driving on any defign derogatory to the fame, fhould be countenanced, but ftigmatized and expofed to open fhame: this is his argument whereby he preffeth them to withdraw from caufers of fedition, &c. They ferve not the Lord Jefus..

III. Bale, carnal and beaftly are the ends of falfe teachers and renters of a church, whatever they pretend; the love of this world prompteth them up, and the love to their back and their belly fetteth them on work, and is the oil that maketh their wheels to run; this is their God, fay what they will, Phil. iii. 19. They ferve their own belly.

IV. This bafe felf-feeking, and selfpleafing, in the enemies of truth, fhould make their courfes to be abhorred of all the godly, and ftir up the church of Chrift to fet fome mark of fhame and difgrace on fuch: his next motive is, They ferve their own bellies.

V. Tho' falfe teachers pretend great love and affection to fuch as they would draw their way, yet their upfhot is cruel, for they drive at nothing less than the feduction of poor fouls; and this fhould make the church of Chrift more careful, to mark and avoid fuch, that the poor church of Chrift may be preferved fafe: his next argument is this, They deceive the fimple

VI. Falfe teachers and feducers use not to come forth unmasked, and without a vail of fair, plaufible, fweet-like, enticing, feemingly holy, and infinuating fpeeches; they appear not ufually in their own colours, but in theep-fkins, that they may the more eafily carry on their defigns, and therefore they ought the more carefully to be noticed and obferved. They ufe good words and fair Speeches, and can fpeak lies in hypocrify, 1 Tim. iv. 2. See Eph. iv. 14. VII. As fuch who are of weak understanding,

z.

ftanding, ill rooted in the knowlege of Christ, are a prey to all falfe teachers, and ready to be carried about with every wind of doctrine, Eph. iv. 14. fo falfe teachers and heretics, knowing their own market, fish most there, where the waters are leaft clear; and this fhould make the church | guides watch more carefully over fuch: They deceive the minds of the fimple.

VERSES 19. 20. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wife unto that which is good, and fimple concerning evil.

And the God of peace fhall bruife Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift be with you. Amen.

TH

HE fecond fort of arguments are drawn from themfelves, Your obedience is come abroad, &c. you are known to be very willing to welcome any exhortations, and this is matter of rejoicing unto me; you are known to be followers of the truth, and therefore you would do well to continue, and to learn to fpy out thefe falfe teachers, and to discover their tricks: Wife concerning that which is good, and fimple concerning evil; not fo ready to run wrong and to be entized with feducers. The laft argument is from God, who, he fays, fhall fhortly bruife Satan under their feet; this is a promise of victory at length; the author of peace fhall tread under the defigns of that enemy of peace, and crush them all. Then he addeth his ufual doxo logy, wishing the grace and favour of the Lord Jefus Chrift unto them.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. As it is a commendable thing to fee a people prompt and ready to drink in the truths of God, and to lay down their necks unto the yoke of Chrift; fo their engaging once in this way, and fetting fairly out, fhould move them to continue in that course of obedience; and particularly, to

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fhun fuch as are falfe teachers, ready to lead them wrong: This argument he useth with them, Your obedience is come abroad unto all men.

II. The forwardness and zeal of people to welcome the truths, and walk in obedience to God's commands, fo as their report becometh favoury, should be matter of joy and gladness unto the fervants of Chritt: I am glad therefore on your behalf.

III. Even eminent Chriftians for piety and obedience, have need to be put in mind of, and ftirred up to, their duty, efpecially to be upon their guard, and to watch against feducers; for even such are in hazard to be blown off their feet by the fubtilty of cunning deceivers: Even these

whofe obedience was come abroad unto all men, have need to be warned to be wife concerning what is good.

IV. Much fpiritual wisdom and heavenly understanding is requifite in Chriftians, who would keep themselves fafe in a day of temptations, and ftreight in a day when falfe teachers and feducers are let loofe; and in church officers who fhould difcover fuch crafty feducers, and bring their tricks and fubtilties to light: I would have you wife concerning that which is good, &c.

See Matth. x. 16.

V. Tho' true chriftian understanding will make a man wife and fharp-fighted to guard against the wiles and fnares of Satan; yet it will make a man fimple as to the learning and practiling of any crooked courfe and finiftrous way for the driving on of any corrupt end and finful defign: grace will make a man honeft, fimplehearted, and fincere, without guile and hypocrify And fimple concerning evil.

VI. As hope of victory may encourage all the faithful fervants and followers of Chrift to undertake refolutely and courageoufly for him and his caufe; fo all fuch as are contending against the adverfaries of Chrift and his truth, may certainly expect to come off the field with credit; the cause they act for fhall be victorious : 4 F 2

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at Rone; as, 1. Timothy, of whom we hear often, and whom he ftileth his workfellow, tho' but a young man, Acts xvi. 1. 2. 1 Tim. iv, 12. 2. Lucius, who is either Luke his conftant companion, Col. iv. 14. 2 Tim. iv. t. Phil. ii. 4. or that Lucius of Cyrene 1 mentioned, Acts xiii. 1. 3. Jafn, of whom we read, Acts xvii. 5. 4. Sopater, of whom we..ead, Acts xx. 4. and thefe laft three he ftileth his kinfmen; they were with him at this time, Acts xx. 4. Jafon in Hebrew being Secundus in Latin. 5. Tertius, who was Paul's fecretary here, and thro' his allowance fetteth to his own name, and faluteth them in the Lord, in a chriftian manner. 6. Gaius, either he of Derbe, Acts xx. 4. or he of Macedonia, Acts xix. 29. or rather he of Corinth whom Paul baptized, Cor. i. 14. This Gaius is called Paul's hoft, and not only fo, but of the whole church; a man he was who was courteous and beneficial unto Paul and all the rest of the faithful there. 7. Eraftus the chamberlain of the city; the treasurer, or some fuch officer, of whom we read, 2 Tim. iv. 20. Acts xix. 22. 8. Quartus a brother in grace. Then he addeth again his ordinary farewell-wish; as if he were loth to end with them, he takes his goodnight often.

OBSERVATIONS.

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I. Grace is a warming thing where ever it is, warming the hearts of believers to wards others, tho' they never faw other in the face: Here is a number of good Chriftians whofe hearts are warmed with love toward the church of Rome, and they take hold of this opportunity to make their acquaintance, by fending their falutations to them.

II. Grace will make the eminenteft fervant of Chrift stoop low, and look kindly upon any that are helping forward the work of Chrift, tho' in a far inferior degree to them, and think and speak honourably of them, and defire that others may

III. Chriftianity is a notable difcerning thing, and a good ornament, putting a luftre upon the most ordinary of our actions; and it is a lively thing, fending out fparks on all occafions: Thus Tertius, who was Paul's amanuenfis or fcribe, faluteth them in the Lord.

IV. Grace will not fuffer Chriftians to turn inhumane, brutith, and unfenfible of kindness, and any good done them by any, but will prompt them fo much the more to teftify their thankfulness upon all occafions; therefore when he speaks of: Gaius, he addeth, mine host.

V. Kindness shown unto the children of ' God in a day of ftraits, is that which will renown a man, and make him famous to generations, and procure a high room in the estimation and affections of all the truly godly: Gaius is renowned for this, that he was an hoft unto a whole church, when they could get fmall outward encourage-

ment.

VI. Tho' it be not many noble whom God choofeth, 1 Cor. i. 26. yet God hath not utterly caft off that kind of men, but can fend his grace into the heart even of a great one; and the great and perplexing: affairs of the earth, will not hold out grace: when God fends it: Here Eraftus, the treasurer of a great city, is taken by the heart by grace, and made an honest Chri-. ftian, fending his falutations to the church; Eraftus the chamberlain of the city faluteth you.

VII. Grace is no enemy to civil places of truft or honour, but rather a notable mean to help fuch in those places to a faithful and confcientious difcharge of their duty: Eraftus is a good Chriftian, and ftill a chamberlain of the city.

VIII. Grace in a inan, though he had no more to commend him, will be a fufficient paffport, and enough to endear him unto the affections of the godly, and win