d request to be sent, but so soon as he should
see how it would go with himself as a prisoner at Rome. "As a son with
the father," so Timothy, after his conversion, served with the great
apostle, and, not against his own will, but most cheerfully, obeyed his
directions. And in precisely the same ineffably endearing relation did
Onesimus stand to the apostle. As a recent convert,--as a sincere and
humble Christian,--he naturally looked to his great inspired teacher for
advice, and was, no doubt, with more than filial affection, ready to
obey.

Hence, we insist that Paul was responsible for the return of Onesimus to
his master. He might have prevented his return, had he so desired; for
he tells us so himself, (ver. 13.) But he chose to send him back. And
why? Because Onesimus requested? The apostle says not so. "I would have
retained him with me," says he to Philemon, "that in thy stead he might
have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. BUT WITHOUT THY MIND
WOULD I DO NOTHING." Nay, whatever may have been his own desires, or
those of Onesimus, he would do nothing without the mind of Philemon.
Such is the reason which the apostle assigns for his own conduct, for
his own determination not to retain the fugitive slave.

"What the apostle wrote to Philemon on this occasion is," says Dr.
Macknight, "highly worthy of notice; namely, that although he had great
need of an affectionate, honest servant to minister to him in his bonds,
such as Onesimus was, who had expressed a great inclination to stay with
him; and although, if Onesimus had remained with him, he would only have
discharged the duty which Philemon himself owed to his spiritual father,
yet the apostle would by no means detain Onesimus without Philemon's
leave, because it belonged to him to dispose of his own slave in the way
he thought proper. Such was the apostle's regard to justice, and to the
rights of mankind!"

According to Mr. Barnes, however, the apostle was governed in this
transaction, not by a regard to principle or the rights of mankind, but
by a regard for the feelings of the master! Just listen, for one moment,
to his marvellous discourse: "It is probable," says he, "that _if_
Onesimus had proposed to return, it would have been easy for Paul to
have retained him with him. He might have represented his own want of a
friend. He might have appealed to his gratitude on account of his
efforts for his conversion. He might have shown him that he was