Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, (2) And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: (3) Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We never can sufficiently admire the uniformity in Paul's writings, in his entrance on all, how grace was always uppermost in his heart. It is a blessed testimony our Lord himself hath laid down, of what is the ruling principle within : when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Luke 4:44. And the Apostle appears to be speaking forth his very soul, whenever the Name of his Lord is in his discourse. And it is worth noticing, though of very inferior consideration to what hath been just said, that as Paul was attempting by this letter to conciliate the affections of Philemon towards Onesimus, he joins in his address his beloved Timothy, as probably well known to Philemon; and includes the beloved Apphia, and Archippus, among the addressed: the former it should seem to have been the wife, or sister of Philemon, and the latter the minister of the Church to which Philemon belonged. See Colossians 4:17. and the two lines after Colossians 4:18. I have just glanced at these things, before we enter upon the subject of Paul's letter, as proper not to be over looked.
And would now beg the Reader's attention to the Epistle itself, than which, in whatever way or manner it be considered; nothing can be found, among all the records of antiquity, of a more beautiful, and highly finished composition. If it were not where it is, folded up in the sacred pages of divine truths, it would be classed among the first productions of mankind, be carefully deposited in every museum of literature, and recommended by all the admirers of the fine arts, as the most correct standard of letter writing. But while this view of the Epistle, upon these grounds becomes matter of reproach to those who despise, or overlook its beauties, merely because it is scripture; this is not the cause for which the child of God chiefly prizeth it. The best recommendation in it is, that it is the word of God. And the beautiful feature which endears it to the affection is the grace it holds forth to the Church, as exemplified in the Lord's mercy to Onesimus. We shall form discoveries of this, as we prosecute the Epistle.