John Trapp on Colossians 4

CHAP. IV. Verſe 1. That which is juſt and equall]

SEe they muſt, both to the well chuſing, and the well uſing of their ſervants.

Ye alſo have a master] Eccl. 5 8. There be higher then they: and wherein they deal proudly, God is above them, Exod. 18.11.

Verſe 2. Continue in praier] Conſtant and inſtant in it, wait upon it, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. lay all aſide for it (as the word ſignifieth, Act. 6.2.) while praier ſtands ſtill, the trade of godlineſſe ſtands ſtill.

And watch in the ſame] Againſt dulneſſe of ſpirit, drowſineſſe of body, ſatanicall ſuggeſtions, ſecular diſtractions, &c.

With thanksgiving] Have your thanks ready, for you are ſure to ſpeed.

Verſe 3. Withall, praying alſo for us] See the Note on Eph. 6.19 By the word a door is opened into heaven.

Verſe 4. As I ought to speak] As every ſound is not muſick: ſo neither is every pulpit-diſcourſe a Sermon.

Verſe 5. Walk in wiſdom] Neither giving offence careleſly, nor taking offence cauſ[illegible: 1 letter]eſly.

Redeeming the time] Opportunities are headlong, and muſt be timouſly laid hold on, or all's loſt. See the Note on Eph. 5.16. It is ſaid of Hooper the Martyr, that he was ſpare of diet, ſparer of words, and ſpareſt of time.Act. and Mon. fol. 1366. Ibid 1[illegible: 1 letter]74. Ibid 1457. Latime[illegible: 1 letter] roſe uſually at two of the clock in a morning to his ſtudy. Bradford ſlept not commonly above four hours in the night: and in his bed, till ſleep came, his book went not out of his hand. He counted that hour not well ſpent, wherein he did not ſome good, either with his pen, tongue or ſtudy. Theſe Worthies well weighed what a modern Writer hath well obſerved, That they that loſe time are the greateſt loſers and waſtfulleſt Prodigals. For of all other poſſeſſions two may be had together, but two moments of time (much leſſe two opportunities of time) cannot be poſſeſt together.

Verſe 6. Seaſoned with ſale] Of mortification and diſcretion, even our common communication muſt be ſo ſeaſoned: as we pouder moſt thoſe meats that be moſt apt to putrifie, and as upon our uncomely parts, we put the more comelineſſe.

Verſe 7. All my ſtate ſhall Tychicus] See the Note on Eph. 6.21.

Verſe 8. And comfort your hearts] See the Note on Eph. 6.22.

Verſe 9. With Oneſimus, a faith full] Once unprofitable, but now profitable, faithfull and beloved.Philoſophia non [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 letter]ed abſcond[illegible: 1 letter]t. DE Elta & jejun cap. 12. Plato went thrice to Sicily to convert Dionyſius, and loſt his labour. Polemo of a drunkard, by hearing Xenocrates, became a Philoſopher. But Ambroſe faith well of him, Sireſipuit à vino, f[illegible: 1 letter]it ſemper tamen temulentus ſacrilegio, If he repented of his drunkenneſſe, yet he continued drunk with ſuperſtition. Pauls convert proved better, a faithfull preacher, and a beloved brother.

Verſe 10 Marcus, ſisters ſon to Barnabas] Hence Barnabas ſtood ſo ſtiff for him againſt Paul his faithfull fellow traveller, Act. 15.37. See the Note there. Naturall affection ſwaies over much with ſome good men, as it did with Eli, and perhaps with Samuel, 1 Sam. 8.1, 3.

Verſe 11. Theſe only are my fellow-workers] S. Paul complains of fickle and falſe friends, that forſook him in his diſtreſſe, as Demas, 2 Tim. 4 16.2 Tim. 4.0 that like Jobs friends proved miſerable comforters, and as the brooks of Tema, which in a moiſture ſwell, in a drought fail: Or as the river Novanus in Lombardy, that at every Mid-ſummer Solstice ſw[illegible: 1 letter]lle[illegible: 1 letter]h and runneth over the banks, but in mid-winter is clean dry. Howbeit Marcus, Aristarchus, Oneſimus, Oneſiphorus, and ſome few others ſtuck to him. A great mercy: Optimum ſolatium, ſodalitium.

Verſe 12. Epaphras, who is one of you] See Chap. 1.7. and the Note there.

That ye may ſtand perfect] In his abſence eſpecially: for then the devil is moſt buſie, as he was with the people, when Moſes was but a while in the Mount, Exod. 32.

Verſe 13. And them that are in Laodicea] A Miniſter muſt be like the Sun, that ſhineth not only within it's own o[illegible: 1 letter]b, but i[illegible: 1 letter]lightneth all round about it, and within the reach of it.

Verſe 14. And Demas] he will needs be one, and is, but without any title of honour, as the reſt. He began to be ſuſpected: and he afterwards proved an utter apoſtate, and (as Dorotheus ſaith) an Idol-Prieſt at Theſſalonica.

Verſe 15. Salute the brethren] Chriſtianity is no enemy to courteſie. It removes not, but rectifies it.

The brethren which are in Laodicea] There God had his remnant, there Chriſt was Amen, the faithfull and true witneſſe, and there there were ſuch, as by a new creation of God, were begotten again, even among to car[illegible: 2 letters]ſſ[illegible: 1 letter] a multitude, Revol. 3.14. There remain in Conſtantinople at this day above 20. Churches of Chriſtians: and in Theſſalonica above 30. beſides very many Churches abroad in the province, &c. Breerw. Enquir Chytrae de ſtatu Eccleſiar. The whole countrey of Aſia the leſſe, wherein ſtood Coloſſe, Laodicea and H[illegible: 1 letter]erapolis, is now under the power and ſuperſtition of the Turk: yet no doubt God hath his remnant there.

Verſe 16. Reade the Epiſtle from Laodicea] Other good books then muſt be read, as well as the Scriptures; yet not idle pamphlets and love-toies. Theſe ſhould be burnt, as thoſe curious books were, Act. 19.

Verſe 17. And ſay to Archippus] Archippus was a Paſtour of the Laodicean Church; So that before S. Johns time in Pathmos they began to cool.

That thou fulfill it] By preaching the Word in ſeaſon, out of ſeaſon, &c. and ſo doing the work of an Evangeliſt, fulfilling his Miniſtery, 2 Tim. 4.2, 5. This to do, the people were to excite their Paſtour: yet with all due reſpect and reverence to his office, 1 Tim. 5.1. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. An Elder muſt not be laſhed or jerked with the ſcourge of the tongue, as a puny, but intreated as a father.

Verſe 18. Remember my bonds] To pray for me, and miniſter to me, &c. This he here inſerteth as his laſt charge, that they may the better remember and practiſe it. Something we ſhould leave with thoſe we love that may ſtick by them, and ſtand them in ſtead when we are gone, or have done with them.