T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S it commanded and impelled th e slaves, especially those who had believing masters, not to despise them because they are b reth ren b u t to render unto them a t all times faith fu l service. So we see th a t th e relations between mas ters and slaves were not annulled by Christianity bu t modified and sweet ened by ,love and pu t upon a lofty plane in Christ and under Christ as Master of both employers and employees. Christianity makes a m aster a b etter m aster and a slave a b etter slave.— Ross. A b ro th er beloved. Onesimus would now be something far more valu able to Philemon th an a slave— a b ro th er beloved. W hat a wonderful way of looking a t one’s servants after they and you are converted, bu t th a t is th e only Christian way of looking at them .— Torrey. v. 17. Receive him as myself. This is th e key to it all. It illu strates the scheme of redemption.— F arr. v. 18. P u t th a t on m ine account. This perfectly illu strate s th e doctrine of im putation. Reckon to him my m erit; reckon to me his dem erit. On account of Christ’s obedience we have what Christ earnediS-heaven.— Scofield. The Roman law gave a slave no rig h t of asylum b u t,it granted him the privilege of making an appeal. The Roman slave had th e privilege of fleeing to his mas te r’s friends, not for concealment bu t for intercession. The owner of a slave was absolute in his possession, yet he m ight be besought by a friend whom he counted as a p artner. It was also agreed th a t a Roman slave could be adopted by his m aster as a son and thus alone could be freed. We were God’s p rop erty and we ran away. Our sin was against God; for th is reason it needs atonement. Resolutions can never touch th is side of sin. Reforma tion can never wipe it out, b u t Christ’s atonem ent meets th e case perfectly. The law gives the sinner no rig h t of ap peal. The stand ard of th e law has never for a moment been lowered, but grace steps in and changes th e whole m a tte r and every sinner under grace has th e privilege of appealing for d i vine help. The sinner flees for refuge to Jesus whom God counts as a p artner. Through faith in Christ we are begot ten as sons. In th is new relation we re tu rn to God and we are not received as slaves b u t beloved as Christ Him self.— Chapman.
1224 child whom he had “ begotten in his bonds.” Now Paul is sending him back to his m aster for him to decide for himself w hat to do w ith him. The Ro man law was very severe regarding run away slaves bu t P aul knew Philemon would act as a Christian.— Torrey. v. 13. I would have retained . “X could have wished I m ight keep him ." But P aul was not a man to tak e a lib erty w ith a friend.— Barlow. v. 14. Not of necessity. Benefits may be. given in one of two ways, of necessity and willingly. One -ds me chanical, the other is spontaneous. I once saw a little table fountain play ing in a draw ing room, b u t I heard the click of its machinery and th e charm was gone. I t had to be wound up be fore it would play and a t frequ en t in tervals dt ran down. A little later T saw another fountain playing on a green lawn and it was fed from the deep secret "resources of th e hills.— Jowett. v. 15. P erhap s he departed. “There’s a divinity th a t shapes our ends.” Paul sees God’s design in the event, which he reckons upon securely.— Tuck. Providence h ere works out its plans in th e m idst of sin and suffering, accom plishes its purposes in th e most unex pected manner and by the most un likely methods. I t is always beneficent in its aims and results, exalts th e in dividual into th e highest sp iritual re lationship and brings loving h earts into closer communion w ith each other.— Horn. Com. v. 16. Not now a servant. Human slavery so universal in apostolic days, so full of misery, is indirectly dealt w ith in th is le tte r to Philemon. I t may be righ tly called the first anti-slavery document and petition ever w ritten and presented.;—Anno. Bible. P aul here lays, broad and deep the foundation of a new relation between m aster and ser vant, a relation in which, while th ere is subordination of th e one to the other, th ere is also a common b ro th er hood to he acknowledged, and an equal ity before God to be maintained. Chris tian ity would m elt the fetters from the enslaved by th e fervor of its love. Man’s method commonly is to strik e them off by armed rebellion.—Morehead. Though Christianity did no t destroy slavery it did greatly modify th e relations. It commanded and impelled th e m asters to pay th e ir slaves a proper wage and to render them a t all tim es th a t which was ju st and equal (Col. 4 :1 ). Then
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