John Trapp on Colossians 3

CHAP. III. Verſe 1. If ye then be riſen with Chriſt]

ASyeprefe le to be, Chip. 2.12.

Se[illegible: 2 letters] thoſe things, &c.] As Chriſt riſen ſpake, and did only the things p[illegible: 2 letters]aining to the Kingdom of God, Act. 1.3. and waited alway for his exaltation into heaven. There ſhould be continuall aſcenſions in our hearts:Trem[illegible: 1 letter]l. the Church is compared to pillars of ſmoke, Elationibus ſumi, Cant. 3.6. as having her affections, thoughts, deſires upward, heavenward.

Verſe 2. Set your affection on things] Things above out-laſt the daies of heaven, and run parallel with the life of God, and line of eternity. Things on earth are mutable and momentary, ſubject to vanity and violence: when we graſp them moſt greedily, we embrace nothing but ſmoke, which wrings tears from our eyes, and vaniſh[illegible: 1 letter]th into nothing.

And not on things on earth] Set not thine heart upon the aſſes, ſaid Samuel to Saul, [illegible: 1 letter]ith the deſire of all Iſrael is thee: So, ſet not your affections on out ward things, [illegible: 1 letter]ith better things abide you. It is not for you to be fiſhing for gudgeons, but for towns, forts and caſtles, ſaid Cl[illegible: 2 letters]pa[illegible: 1 letter]ra to M. Antony. So neither is it for ſuch as hope for heaven to be taken up about trifles: as Domitian ſpent his time in catching ſhes, and Artaxerxes in making hafts for knives. There is a generation of Torrigen[illegible: 1 letter] fratres, whoſe names are written in the [illegible: 1 letter]arth, Ier. 17 13. called the inhabitants of the earth, Rev[illegible: 1 letter]l. 12.12. in oppoſition to the Saints and heirs of heav[illegible: 1 letter]n. Theſe may with the Ath[illegible: 1 letter]ians give for their badge the Graſhopper, which is bred, liveth and dieth in the ſame ground: and though the hath wings, yet ſlieth not: ſometimes ſhe hoppeth upwards a little, but ſalleth to the ground again. So here.

Verſe 3. For ye are d[illegible: 1 letter]ad] Crucified to the world as Paul, Gal. 6.14. weaned as a childe from the bre[illegible: 2 letters]s, or rather botches of the world, as David, Pt. 131.1. Dead alſo in regard of dady miſeries, Iſa. 26.19. 1 Cor. 15.31.

And your liſt is hid] As the pearl is hid, till the ſhell be broken.

Verſe 4. Then ſhall we appear.] What then do we loading our ſelves with thick clay? or moiling our ſelves here, as much worms?

Verſe 5. Mortifie therefore] Sin hath a ſtrong heart, and will not be done to death, but with much ado. Peccata ſapè raduntur, ſed non eradicantur. Something is done about ſins, little againſt them: as artificiall juglers ſeem to wound themſelves, but do not; or as plaiers ſeem to thruſt themſelves thorow their bodies, but the ſword paſſeth only thorow their clothes.

Covetouſneſſe Which is idolatry] For it robs God of (his ſlower) his truſt, and draws a man away from all the Commandments. Pſ. 119.36 See the Note on Eph. 5 5.

Verſe 6. On the children of diſobedience] Unperſwadable, uncounſellable perſons, that regard not good courſes or diſcourſes.

Verſe 7. When ye lived in them] Mans life is a walk, and each action a ſtep either to heaven or hell.

Verſe 8. Filthy communication] The devils drivell. See the Note on Eph. 5.4.

Verſe 9. Lie not one to another] No not in jeſt, leſt ye go to hell in earneſt. See the Note on Eph. 4.25.

Verſe 10. After the image] If morall vertue could be beheld with mortall eyes, faith the Philoſopher, it would ſtir up wonderfull loves of it ſelf. How much more would the image of God in the hearts of his people? See the Note on Eph, 4.24.

Verſe 11. Christ is all, and in all] Not only in the hearts of men, but in all things elſe [non-Latin text not transcribed] in the neuter gender. This ſecond Adam hath filled all things again: neither is there any thing elſe required to juſtification and ſalvation.

Verſe 12. As the elect of God, holy and beloved] Therefore holy, becauſe elect, and therefore beloved, becauſe holy; as Gods name is holy, and therefore reverend, Pſ. 111.9. God choſe his for his love, and now loves them for his choice.

Bowels of mercies] Draw out thy ſoul as well as thy ſheaf to the hungry, Iſa. 58.10. Steep thy thoughts in the mercies of God (ſaith one) and they will die thine, as the die-fat doth the cloth.

Verſe 13. If a man have a quarrell] Occaſions will be given,Prov. 19.11 and offences will fall out. Now it is the glory of a man to paſſe over a tranſgreſſion. See 1 Sam. 10.27. And to forgive where there is juſt cauſe of complaint: If no quarrell, no quarrell, no thank.

Verſe 14. The bond of perfectneſſe] Or the couple, the juncture, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the tie: as the curtains of the Tabernacle were joyned by loops: ſo are all true Chriſtians by love.

Verſe 15. And let the peace of God rule] Sit certaminis Moderator, let it rule after the manner of a Moderatour, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. or an umpire: Let it over-ſee and over-rule in all your perſonall diſcords. Or (as others ſenſe it) let it carry away the prize, or diſtribute the garlands.

And be ye thankefull]Arhor [illegible: 1 letter]onoreiur cujvs nos umbra ruetur. ſc. To thoſe that are courteous and beneficiall to you. Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris. Lycurgus would make no law againſt unthankfulneſſe, becauſe he could not think there could be any ſuch evil committed. If there be any ſin in the world againſt the holy Ghoſt (ſaid Queen Elizabeth in a letter to Henry 4 of France)Camder[illegible: 1 letter] it is ingratitude. This (ſaith one) is a monſter in nature, a ſoleciſme in good manners, a paradox in divinity,Ventus u[illegible: 2 letters]rs & exi[illegible: 1 letter]ans. a parching winde to damme up the fountain of divine and humane favours.

Verſe 16. Dwell in you richly] Indwell in you, as an ingraffed word, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. incorporated into your ſouls: ſo concocted and digeſted by you, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. as that you turn it in ſuccum & ſanguinem, into a part of your ſelves. This is your riches: and thus David reckons of his wealth, Pſ. 119.31.

Teaching and admoniſhing one another] It is rightly obſerved by a late reverend Writer,D. Sibbs on Cant. 5. That although we know that which we ask of others, as well as they do: yet good ſpeeches will draw us to know it better, by giving occaſion to ſpeak more of it; wherewith the Spirit works more effectually, and imprints it deeper, ſo that it ſhall be a more rooted knowledge then before. For that doth good, that is graciouſly known; and that is graciouſly known, that the Spirit ſeals upon our fouls.

In Pſalms and hymns]Dinnius. Papiſts forbid people to ſing Pſalms, and permit only Quiriſters to ſing, leſt the muſick ſhould be marred. But the Apoſtle biddeth every Saint to ſing. And Nicephori[illegible: 1 letter]s writeth,Hiſt Eccleſ.l. 3. sap. 37. that the Chriſtians of his time, even as they travelled and journeyed, were wont to ſing Pſalms. Tatianus alſo faith, That every age and order among the Chriſtians were Chriſtan Philoſophers: yea that the very virgins and maids, as they ſat at their work in wool, were wont to ſpeak of Gods Word.

With grace in your heart] This is the beſt tune to any Pſalm.

Verſe 17. Do all in the Name] By the warrant of his word, and with an aim to his glory.

Verſe 18. Wives ſubmit your ſelves] Inferiours are ordered before ſuperiours, to teach them to do duty before they expect it. Love deſcendeth, duty aſcendeth.

In the Lord] Though the husbands will be crooked (ſo it be not wicked) the wives will is not ſtraight in Gods ſight, if not pliable to his. Sed liberum arbitrium, pro quo tantopcrè contenditur, viri amiſerunt, uxores arripuerunt, faith an Authour.

Verſe 19. Husbands love your wives] He faith not, Rule ever them, Subdue them if they will not ſubmit, but love them, and ſo win them to your will: make their yoke as eaſie as may be, for they ſtand on even ground with you, as yoke-fellows, though they draw on the left ſide. Yet is ſhe thy companion, and the Wiſe of thy covenant, Mal. 2.14. He therefore that is free may frame his choice to his minde: but he that hath choſen, muſt frame his heart to his choice.

Ʋxorem vir amato, marito pareat uxor: Conjugis illa ſui cor, caput ille ſuae.

And be not bitter against them] Nothing akin to Nabal, to thoſe Caldeans, a bitter and furious Nation, or to that ſtar, Rev. 8.11. called worm wood, that imbittered the third part of the waters. The Heathen when they ſacrificed at their marriage-feaſts, Plut. praec. cojug. uſed to caſt the gall of the beaſt ſacrificed out of doors.

Verſe 20. In all things] Vultu ſaepè laeditur pietas. See the Note on Eph. 6.1.

Verſe 21. Provoke not your children] See the Note on Epheſ. 6.4.

Lest they be diſcouraged] Diſpirited, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and thorow deſpondency grow deſperate in their reſolutions.

Verſe 22. Not with eye-ſervice] See the Note on Epheſ. 6.5, 6.

Fearing God] That hath power to caſt body and ſoul to hell: Fear him more then you do your maſters, that have power over the fleſh only.

Verſe 23. Do it heartily, as to the Lord] This is to make a vertue of neceſſity, whiles in ſerving men, we ſerve the Lord Chriſt, going about our earthly buſineſſes with heavenly mindes, with not only an habituall, but an actuall intention, as much as may be, of glorifying God in all.

Verſe 24. Thereward of inheritance] And ſo be made of ſervants ſons, whoſe it is to inherit.

For ye ſerve the Lord Chriſt] Whiles godlines runneth thorow your whole lives, as the woof doth thorow the web, and you ſeek to approve your ſelves to Chriſt in all your actions and emploiments.

Verſe 25. But he that doth Wrong] Be it but by not doing right to poor ſervants, which in thoſe daies were bond ſl[illegible: 1 letter]ves. Note here (ſaith an Interpreter) the Apoſtles candour: he was not of the [illegible: 1 letter]umour of Lawyers that ſeldome ſpeak much, but for great men, or when they may have great gifts, &c.