pleasures, in honour and dignity; that they might get worldly goods, riches, lands, and possessions, and have all things at their own will and pleasure. See, if there be any such amongst us, and pray God for them, that at length, yea, shortly, they may be changed and turned to God, and to seek earnestly God's glory, the salvation of others, more than their own glory, worldly profit, carnal liberty, or pleasure.

But

Fourthly, he saith, their glory shall be to their shame. He noteth these pseudo-apostles to be ambitious and vain-glorious, desiring laud and praise of the world, and to be honoured of all men. their glory shall be turned into their rebuke, shame, and confusion. For their whole institution of living and their whole doctrine savoureth nothing else, but earth and carnal things, as circumcision, carnal works of the law, choosing of meats, difference of days, man's traditions, ceremonies, and such like things, which they teach and affirm for no other cause, but that they themselves should suffer no afflictions, and no part of the cross of Christ, and that they themselves might live in wealth and pleasure and in worldly honours. They seek not heavenly things, as faith, hope, clarity, patience, meekness, the glory of God, health, life, and the salvation of others. Therefore their glory shall be turned into rebuke, shame, and confusion, who seek rather earthly things, than heavenly things.

And it is greatly to be feared, that the glory of many pastors, bishops, prelates, high rulers, magistrates, lawyers, judges, gentlemen, and of others, that be in authority in great honour and glory, having great riches, lands, and possessions; I say, it is to be feared that their high glory will be turned into rebuke, shame, confusion, yea, into damnation, because they seek earthly things and worldly pleasure, more than the glory of God, and prefer worldly

things before godly things, yea, prefer men and men's commandment before God and his commandment. I pray God, it be not spoken to them at their death, as Christ spake to the scribes and pharisees (Mat. xv.), saying; "Woe be to you scribes and pharisees, for you have made void or broken God's cominandment by your traditions." I pray God, it be not spoken like to others, Woe be to you that have neglected or broken God's commandment, to fulfil your carnal pleasure, to get your worldly riches, honours, dignities, lands, and possessions; and in order to get and maintain them have not cared what sorrow, pain, or trouble, have come to others; have not cared for God and his word any further, than it served for their carnal pleasures, or worldly riches.

But our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, Jesu Christ, the Lord. The Apostle setteth himself as one contrary to these pseudo-apostles, and sheweth his conversation of living to be contrary to them as if he would say, They altogether savour earthly things, their heart and mind is all upon the earth, and fixed upon earthly things, carnal pleasures, and worldly commodities. Whereas my mind, heart, will, study, intent, and affection, are in heaven, and upon heavenly things. And therefore, I look not for worldly riches or pleasures, but for our Lord Jesus Christ, which shall alter and change our vile and corruptible bodies, subjected to corruption and carnal affections; and shall make them immortal bodies, conformable to his glorious body, and make them gracious bodies in the day of judgment, when he shall exalt this corruptible body with the soul to immortal glory, joy, and bliss. The souls of them, that be dead in Christ, now are in glory. The body lieth in the earth, and rotteth unto the day of judgment, and

then shall arise, and with the soul be joined again, and shall then receive glory.

This place reproveth all them, that set their hearts too much upon this world, on worldly honours, riches, and carnal pleasures, and have not their hearts looking up to heaven, desiring heavenly joys and bliss. Yea, this place checketh them, that deny the resurrection of the body, and the immortality of the soul, and the last day of judgment, in the which the mortal body shall be made an immortal and glorious body, conformable and like to Christ's body, as touching the immortality, glory, joy, everlasting felicity, and bliss.

According to the working, whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. Lest any should ascribe the resurrection of the body to any might or power of the body or of the soul, he saith, that God worketh this thing of his omnipotent power, by the which he worketh all things good, and hath all things subjected to him. And as he created and made all things of nothing, so easily he may gather the bodies, lying in the dust of the earth, and join them again to their souls, and make them to arise immortal bodies, and to receive life, joy, and salvation. And this hope have all good men, and they look for that day of the general resurrection, that they be made like to Christ, our Saviour, in immor. tality, and in glory.

CHAP. IV.

Ver. 1-3. Therefore, my brethren, dearly be loved and longed for, my joy and my crown, continue so in the Lord, ye beloved. I pray Euodias, and beseech Syntiche, that they be of one mind in the Lord, Yea, and I beseech that my faithful yokefellow help the women, who have laboured with me in the Gospel, with Clement and with my other helpers, whose names are in the book of life.

Because he had taught them before, that Christ was our only justice, resurrection, and life; which thing they knew by faith in Christ, wherein they were very constant and sure; now he exhorteth them to constancy in true faith, by certain knowledge of Christ's doctrine, and desireth them to stand in the Lord, and be constant in him. And as they had begun in the Lord, so he would have them continue in the Lord, and not to turn from the Lord to the law, or to works of the law, or to needy ceremonies, or to traditions of men, that could not justify them, nor purge them from their sins. And these things now he thought he might desire of them, for as much as they were dearly beloved to him, his joy, comfort, and his delectation; and therefore by right he thought he might desire more of them, than of his enemies.

I pray Euodias, and beseech Syntiche, that they be of one mind in the Lord. He desireth two women, Euodias and Syntiche, to be of one mind, and no longer at discord; for it appeareth that these two women did not agree, but were at debate, and that the one envied the other, and therefore the Apostle studieth to take from them their debate, and to recon

cile them together again, and to join them together in mutual benevolence and love one to another.

Here, we learn that discord or debate may arise amongst good friends and favourers of the Gospel : but that displeasure or discord is to be ceased or quenched by other friends, as shortly as can be pos-. sible, that those, that were at discord, may be at concord and agree in the Lord Jesu.

I beseech thee, my faithful yokefellow, help the women, which have laboured with me in the Gospel. Here, the Apostle desireth, a true, kind, and faithful woman in the Lord, which had laboured with him, and taken pains with him in the Gospel. For, when he preached with great pains and labour, this woman did take pains and labour with him.

Whether she was his wife, as some authors do think, or it was some other good woman, it maketh no great matter; nor of it will I dispute, but leave it to others to judge. I think rather it was a woman, than a man (although some translate this word in the masculine gender and not in the feminine gender), and that the Apostle desireth one woman to help another.

And those that laboured with him, and did minister to him meat, drink, clothes, fire, and other necessaries, he calleth them here, co-operatores evangelii cum illo, that is, fellows or workers with him in the Gospel, because they ministered to him, preaching the Gospel, or in prison, those things which he had need of. Amongst whom he nameth one Clemens, for his gentleness and true heart and mind in all gentle fashion, which he had to the Gospel preached by Paul. He moveth them to favour and help all his helpers in the Gospel, whose names he saith are not forgotten with God, howsoever they are contemned or despised of men; but are in the