mame, and out of love to him, and in a way approven of him: thus he would have them receive her in the Lord, and as becometh faints. 2. To affilt her in whatfoever business he had need of them; to give her all the aid and affistance they could in any matter she had to do at Rome. Then, 3dly, he addeth a motive, For he hath been a fuccourer of many, and of myself also; she hath relieved many in their ftraits, and hath fupplied their wants; and I have found her a fuccourer of me.

From verfe 1. OBSERVE,

I. It is a lawful and commendable practice for ministers and other eminent Chriftians, to be writing teftimonials of commendation touching other honeft Chriftians, and thereby to be recommending them to the chriftian love and care of others, as Paul doth here recommend Phebe: I commend unto you Phebe.

II. In our commendations and letters of testimony, we should labour to be honeft and fincere, and know well what they are whom we fo recommend or testify of, that they be fuch as indeed do deserve the teftimony we give of them: Paul commendeth Phebe, but he knew what the was, a fifter, and one who was a fervant of the church at Cenchrea.

III. Grace is most free in its choice, making no exception of perfons or fexes, fo that in Chrift Jefus there is no fort of perfon excepted, Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, Gal. iii. 28. Col. iii. 11. here is Phebe a woman eminent in grace, a fifter.

IV. As grace is a moft commendable thing where-ever it is; fo it is a good ground of the commendation of any perfon, and will be ground fufficient to endear any who hath grace unto the heart-affection of a true Chriftian; grace will beget new and ftrong relations, and gracious hearts cannot but warm towards other; therefore Paul tells them, that this Phebe was a fiter in grace.

V. When once a foul gets grace to lay hold on Chrift by faith, he is taken within the family of God, and becometh a child of the house, and has a relation of a brother or fifter to all the children of God, of whatsoever nation, kindred or language they be; Paul fays of Phebe she is our fifter.

VI. It is a most commendable thing for those whom God hath blessed with wealth, ́ and other things in a world, to be helpful and steadable unto any of the children of God, and to be carrying themselves as ufeful and profitable fervants and helpers of the church of God: It is fpoken to the commendation of this woman, that she was a fervant of the church at Cenchrea; one who had afforded them accommodation and other neceffaries, and fo had been very fteadable unto them.

VII. The apostles did not only plant and fettle churches in large and populous cities, but they also spread the gospel, and gathered churches in country villages; here is a church at Cenchrea, a little village near to Corinth, and a fea-port.

VIII. As the apostles ordered all things fo as might most tend to edification, so did they conítitute churches, of such and such numbers as might moft conveniently meet together for worship and government; and we read not of any diocefian churches initituted then: Here is a church meeting at Cenchrea, which was no metropolis; fo we read of churches in fuch and fuch cities, as Jerufalem, Acts viii. 1. and xi. 22. Corinth, 1 Cor. i. 2. 2 Cor. i. 1. Antioch, Acts xiii. . and thefe mentioned, Rev. ii. and iii.

From verfe 2. OBSERVE,

I. It is the duty of Chriftians to be warm, tender, kindly, and affectionate one to another; to welcome, embrace and take one another into their bofoms, with strong affection, and real heart-warmnefs and kindnefs: Receive her.

II. Chriftians in their expreffions of kindness and love to one another, should

be as Chriftians walking upon chriftian grounds, driving at chriftian ends, and moved by chriftian motives and confiderations: He bids receive her in the Lord; that is, receive her as a real Chriflian for the Lord's fake, and out of love to Chrift, and fo upon a fpiritual account.

IH. Chriftians fhould be often minding the obligation that Chriflianity layeth upon them, that they may thereby beftirred up to a confcionable difcharge of their duty, the forgetting whereof occafioneth much fhort-coming; therefore he addeth as becometh faints.

IV. Chriftian kindnefs fhould not be verbal and complementing, but real, and fhould kyth in real deeds and proofs of real affection, and each Chriftian ought, to the uttermoft of his power, to be helpful and fteadable to others; That ye affift her in whatsoever bufinefs fhe hath need of you. V. It is much to the commendation of a Chriftian, to be helpful and any way fteadable unto other, Chriftians; and fuch kindness fhown to the faints fhould not be forgotten, but fhould endear fuch bountiful Chriftians unto the affections of all other Chriftians: Paul will not forget the kindness of Phebe, and he would have the Romans tender and loving towards her for that caufe; for fhe bath been a fuccourer of many.

VI. Kindness shown to any faithful and eminent fervant of God, as it ought not to be forgotten thro' base ingratitude; fo God will make it meet fach kind of favourers another day, and that more ways than one. This kindaefs fhown by Phebe unto Paul and others, is here recorded of her, and has fruit redounding to her, even from the Romans; Receive her, &c. for fhe hath been a fuccourer of myself also.

VERSES 3. 4. Greet Prifcilla and Aquila my helpers in Chrift Jefus : (Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.)

NOW

WOW the apoftle fetteth down feveral eminent Chriftians whom he defireth to be faluted in his name, in token of his great love and refpect towards them, that the Romans might have them in high account, and withal fetteth down fome encomiums on fome of their commendable actions, the more to endear them unto the Komans, and to ftir them up to walk anfwerable unto that commendation which Paul had given of them, and to proceed in their chriftian courfe without wearying, And first he faluteth Prifcilla and her hutband Aquila, A&ts xviii. 2. 18. who now were returned unto Rome; and of them he fays, 1. That they were bis helpers in Chrift fefus; doing what was in their power to carry on the work of the gofpel, and fo lending a lift unto Paul, by inftructing, in a private way, others who were ignorant of Chrift, as we fee they did Apollos, Acts xviii. 16. 2. That they laid down their necks for his life; that is, hazarded themselves to fave and guard Paul when the Corinthians did oppofe him, Acts xviii. 6. and conftrained him to change his quarters, and lodge with one Juftus; or, when that stir and emulation was before Gallio, Acts &viii. 12. And then addeth, Unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; fuch kindness ought not to be forgotten.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Christianity taketh not away civility, humanity, and gentle courteoufnefs, but rather helpeth it forward by making it run in a clear chriftian channel it is humanity and civility to be. fending our respects unto cur beloved friends and good-willers, and Chriftianity putteth a noble and heavenly dye upon this; thus Paul, in a moft chriftian manner, has refpects, in falutations, unto a number of eminent Chriftians, and gives open proof of the reality of his love towards, and eftimation of fuch as had given real proof of the grace of God in them; Salute Prifcilla and Aquila.

II. It is a brave thing to fee husband and wife linked together in the bond of the gofpel, and both giving up themfelves unto the fervice of Chrift in the gofpel, that they may be both linked together in the eitimation of the faints, as Aquila and Prifcilla were here; Salute Aquila and Prifcilla. See 2 Tim. iv. 19.

-III. Even private Chriftians, keeping within the compafs of their calling and ftation, may do much for the promoting of the work of God in the place where they are, by private inftruction, admonition and reproof, and helping finners in to Chrift, by commending of Chrift, and the way of godlinefs, unto others, in a chriftian, prudent manner: thus those two were helpers in Christ Jesus.

IV. The painfulness and diligence of Chriftians in promoting the kingdom of Chrift, will not be forgotten of the Lord, and should be much thought of by other Christians, and will undoubtedly endear fuch unto the hearts of the faithful fervants of Christ, who will be glad to fee the work of God thriving in the hands of any, and will look upon all fuch as helpers of. them, and lenders of a lift: therefore he calleth them, my helpers in Chrift Jefus.

V. True chriftian love will prompt a man to hazard himfelf for the faving of at precious and eminent fervant of Christ, and will not let him fpare pains, hazard, and trouble to relieve fuch in their imminent danger; and the greater the difficulty be, love will break forth the more vehemently Prifcilla and Aquila for Paul's life, laid down their own necks. See 1 John iii. 16.

VI. It is not the way to lofe our life to be hazarding it for Chrift and his precious fervants and interefts, but rather a way to keep it fure, and our reward will be no lefs at God's hands than if we had indeed loft what we hazarded for the Lord: Prifcilla and Aquila iaid down their necks for Paul, and yet they loft not their lives, and it is here recorded by the Spirit of

God as if they had indeed loft all, when he fays, they laid down their necks.

VII. Kindness fhown to us in a trait by any, to the great endangering and hazarding of themfelves, fhould never be forgotten, but always remembered with thankful hearts, and our hearty thankfulnefs thereof fhould be expreffed at all occafions; Unto whom I give thanks, fays Pau!.

VIII. As the prefervation of the life of a faithful and eminent fervant of Chrift, is a benefit redounding unto the good and advantage of the church of Chrift, particularly of fuch who belong to the charge of fuch faithful paftors; fo fhould it be accounted by fuch: And these whọ have been any way inftrumental in this delivery, ought to be very fenfible of this great favour; for all the churches of the Gentiles were bound to give thanks unto Aquila and Prifcilla for their laying down their necks for Paul's fake; But also all the churches of the Gentiles: It was thefe who properly belonged to Paul's charge.

VERSES 5. 6. Likewife greet the church that is in their boufe. Salute my wellbeloved Epenetus, who is the firft-fruits of Achaia unto Chrift.

Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on

us.

E

faluteth, 2dly, the church which met

at the house of Aquila and Prifcilla; and 3dly, Epenetus, whom he ftileth his well-beloved, and who is the firft-fruits of Achaia unto Chrift; that is, one who believed amongst the firft in Achaia, welcoming the gofpel and the offer of Chrift, with the family of Stephanus, 1 Cor. xvi. 15. 4thly, Mary, a woman who had ufed much labour, and been at much pains and expences in providing food, rayment, and other neceffaries unto Paul and his companions.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Tho' the rulers and governors of a land, fhould give but fmall encouragement 4 E 2

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