Page images
PDF
EPUB

SERMON XVI.

ONESIMUS.

PHILEMON, VERSE 10.

"I beseech thee for my son Onesimus.”

THERE are great and stirring subjects brought before us continually in the life and writings of St. Paul, and questions of awful and tremendous importance. A whole world sunk in darkness, and lying under the curse of sin, and the wrath of its just and glorious Creator.-The revelation of that holy scheme, arranged in the councils of the Godhead, before the beginning of the world, that the Father should call in Christ, and so save from everlasting woe all who should come to God by the Holy Spirit, to be washed in the blood, and justified by the righteousness of Christ.-Again, the sovereignty of God, who doeth what He will with His own; who electeth whom He will, to be conformed to the image of His blessed Son. " Without controversy, great indeed is the mystery of god

liness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." In the midst of those wonderful scriptures, those great storehouses of christian doctrine, the epistles, we are stopt by one epistle, a private letter it might almost be called, from the great apostle St. Paul, written to Philemon, a Colossian. It is supposed that this letter was sent at the same time, and by the same person, as the epistle to the Colossians, when Paul was a prisoner at Rome, and his imprisonment, the first under which he suffered there, was, he trusted, drawing to its close. It has pleased God that this short, private letter-the whole subject of which is, St. Paul's pleading with Philemon, for a run-a-way slave, who was a thief-should be placed in the canon of Scriptures. And well-placed it is there, for where shall we find a more touching comment on the lessons of that "wisdom which is from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, and full of mercy;" of that love, which "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but hopeth all things, believeth all things?" We have here the lovely spirit of the gospel of the grace of God, shining forth in the lowest, meanest sphere, making a glorious sunshine in a gloomy place: "I, Paul, a prisoner," he

did not put forth the high claims of his apostleship, for he came to plead—he cared not how humbly- for the slave Onesimus-but though a prisoner, he failed not to remind Philemon in whose cause he suffered-" a prisoner of Jesus Christ:"-" and Timothy our brother;" - he joined the name of his beloved son in the faith with his own, to shew that his was not the only heart that felt, the only tongue that pleaded for the repentant slave,-"unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow labourer, unto our beloved Apphia, and Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ, to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake, I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have

begotten in my bonds; which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me, whom I have sent again. Thou, therefore, receive him, that is my own bowels, whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: but without thy mind, would I do nothing, that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. For, perhaps, he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord? If thou count me, therefore, a partner, receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thec ought, put that on mine account. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it. Albeit, I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord. Refresh my bowels in the Lord. Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. But withal prepare me a lodging, for I trust that through your prayers, I shall be given unto you."

I. Let me first speak of him to whom the epistle was addressed. Philemon was a man of

some wealth and station in the world, residing at Colosse. Apphia is supposed to have been his wife, Archippus his son, and a deacon in the church. The church in the house of Philemon, was probably only his own family, and not the whole church at Colosse; although in those times of persecution, when houses of public worship had not been built, the people of God met together to worship the Lord in their own private houses. However, at all times, and in every place, a christian family is a church of God, a true part and portion of the holy catholic church.

II. Secondly, I would speak of him about whom St. Paul wrote, namely, Onesimus.

Onesimus was not merely a servant, born as servants in this country are, in a land of freedom. He had probably been born in slavery; or if not born a slave, his lot was still more hapless, for then he had been sold from a state of freedom to be made a slave, such were the usages in those benighted countries of the world, where the blessed, happy spirit of the gospel was beginning to spread its heavenly influence. The religion of the gospel, however, did not set the slave free from his master. Under it, the lowest menial slave became at once the Lord's freeman, but he continued his master's slave. "The Powers that be, are ordained

N

« PreviousContinue »