A. D.62. Praises to God the Father, through his Mediation, and for his fake. 18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own Husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your Wives, and be not bitter against them. 18 & 19. Let none of your Christian Privileges, nor any Differences in religious Opinions, make any Perfon think himself exempt from the perfect Performance of Relative and Civil Duties. Let the Wife pay all due Submiffion to the Husband, and the Husband use all loving and tender Carriage to the Wife; whether they be both of the same Christian * Sentiments, or not. 20 Children, obey your Parents in all things, for this is wellpleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your chil 20 & 21. Let Children, and all young People obey their Parents, in every lawful thing, as an effential Duty of Chriftianity. And let all Christian Parents be especially careful that, by no severe Ufage, they discourage their Children, either from paying juft Obedience to themselves, or from embracing the Christian Religion, by the Bad dren to Anger, left they !! See Epb. ness of their Temper 22 Servants, obey vi. 4. in all things your ma- of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto 24 Knowing, that of the Lord ye shall 25 But. or Example ||. 22. Let fuch Christians as are Slaves to Heathen Masters, serve them chearfully and fincerely from a religious Principle; carefully difcharging their Duty, and seeking their Interest, as well out of their Sight, as while they are under their Inspection. 23 & 24. Remembring that a laborious and faithful Service to an Earthly Master is in effect to serve Chrift our Great Lord, whose Providence put you into that Condition, and who will not fail to reward your patient Submiffion to it, with an Inheritance of eternal Life. * See Pref. to the Ephefians, 25. And 4. for St. Paul's full Meaning in this and the following relative Duties, A 25 But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no refpect of 25. And let both Master and Ser- A. D. 62. vant confider, that which-ever of them does Wrong to the other, shall be justly and proportionably punished for it another Day, by him who can have no partial Regards to any Man upon account of his external Circumstance in this World. perfons. CHAP. IV. The CONTENTS. The first Verse concludes the Exhortations of the latter Part of the foregoing Chapter, and ought to have been joined to it. Then he exhorts them to constant Prayer for themfelves, and for Him their Gentile Apostle; to Discretion in their Behaviour toward Infidels, and to Prudence in their Words and Expressions to all Men. Salutations to and from several Christians. Orders this Epistle to be read to the Laodiceans, and theirs to be read by the Coloffians. A Warning to Archippus. His own Salutation, and Conclufion. MAfters, give uns to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that. ye also have a Master in heaven *. 1. AND obli Christian Slaves || Cap. iii. are obliged to be fincerely 22, &c. observant to even their Heathen Masters; so let all Chriftian Masters be just, and kind toward their Servants or Slaves, be they of what religious Principles foever ; remembring, they themselves have a heavenly Lord, that will reward and punish their Behaviour as impartially as he will do that of the meanest Servant. * Note, This first Verse does so evidently belong to, and conclude the foregoing Chapter, that it is amazing it should here be put at the Beginning of a Chapter, which enters upon a quite different Argument. ‡ See Pret. to the Ephesians, $4 A. D. 62. 2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the fame with thanksgiving; 2. AND NOW, to conclude my Exhortation to you all, as you have many Difficulties to encounter, many Adversaries that strive to draw you from the true Faith, be diligent, and constant in earnest Prayer to God, for all needful Blessings, and in Thanksgivings for the Mercies you have received. 3 Withal, praying speak the mystery of am also in bonds : 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to fpeak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 3 & 4. In which Devotions, let me, your Apostle, have a continual Share; beseeching God to assist and * in preaching the encourage me Gospel to the Gentile World: a thing so unexpected by them, and so violently opposed by the Jews, that I am now a Prifoner for doing it. 5. Use the utmost Discretion in your Carriage toward Infidel People; endeavouring as much as lawfully 'you may, by due Circumspection, the Dangers their Obstinacy and Malice may to avoid expose you to. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, • seasoned with falt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every 6. Let all your Discourses in Company be mild and courteous, prudent and cautious, so as to answer every Question, or Objection against your religious Principles, and stand any publick Examination of them before Heathen Magistrates, in such a manner as may conduce to the Credit of Chriftianity, and your own Safety in these evil Times. man, 7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto 7, 8 & 9. As to my Condition here, under my present Confinement, of which I conclude you would gladly hear; I have, with this Letter, sent Tychicus my beloved Christian Brother, and faithful Minister of Christ, and along 8 Whom with * A door of utterance. See i Cor. xvi. 9. the Note there. † See Ephef. v. 15, 16. And the LXX. in Dan. ii. 8. 8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your eftate, and comfort your hearts: 9 With Onesimus a faithful and beloved brother, who is one with him Onefimus *, a faithful A. D. 62. of you. They shall make known unto you all things which 10 Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner, faluteth you, and Marcus sister's son to Barna bas (touching whom ye received command ments; if he come un to you, receive him) II And Jesus which is called Justus, who are of the circumci fion. These only are my fellow-workers un to the kingdom of 10. Aristarchus, my Fellow-Prifoner, sends his hearty Love to your Church. And if Mark, Nephew to Barnabas, comes to you, entertain him, according to the Directions you have formerly had about him. 11. Those two, and Justus, are the only Jewish Converts that have assisted me here, in promoting the Gospel, and comforted me under my Confinement. God, which have been a comfort unto me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a fer 12 & 13. Epaphras, your good Christian Teacher, who has a zea- vant of Christ, salu- lutes you. 13 For I bear him record, that he hath zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. A.D. 62. 16 And when this of the Laodiceans; 18 The falutation Written from Rome 16. And, when this Epistle has been communicated to all your own Church, let it be read to the Church of Laodicea, and let their || Epistle be read to your Church too. Laodicea. 17. Warn Archippus, from me, to mind the main Duties of his Christian Ministry, and not trouble himself, or other People with needless Controverfies and Disputes. 18. I here salute you, with my own Hand - Writing. Remember I am a Prisoner for your fakes, and keep steddy to my Doctrine. The Divine Love and Favour be with you. Amen. to the Coloffians, || The Epistle from Laodicea. It is not known, for certain, what this Epistle was. Dr. Mills and Dr. Whitby think it to have been St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians; (which they suppose in Reality, to have been written to the Laodiceans.) See Dr. Mill. Prolegom. §72, 73, &c. and Mr. Benson's Hift. of the first Propag. Gofp. Vol. II. Chap. 10. Sect. 8. Others take it for one written to the Laodiceans, which is now lost; as no doubt many other Apoftolical Papers may be, without any Derogation to the sacred Canon; there being as many of them left and providentially preserved, as are abundantly sufficient for the End for which they were written. A PARA |