daily, 2 Cor. xi. 28. For it behoves us to testify our desire and love for all, at least by praying for them.

3. Although the Church of God is perpetual, yet the household of the Church in particular places or countries, is not certain, fixed, and perpetual. That is perceived from hence, because these celebrated churches mentioned in this place, have long since passed away.

4. Therefore we should avoid their example, lest through contempt of the Gospel, or our lukewarmness, the same should happen to us which God, having long since threatened to these Asiatic Churches, it is plain has already done. For thus he addressed the Church at Ephesus, Rev. ii. 4, 5, Thou hast left thy first love; except thou repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of its place. He also threatened the Laodicean Church in the same manner, Chap. iii. 16, Because thou art lukewarm, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

But let us come to that which, in the last place, we proposed to explain, namely, why Paul took such diligent care that the Colossians should have a clear view of the love of Epaphras for it is not credible that the most prudent Apostle would confirm a matter of small moment so religiously with his testimony.

This then was done, 1. That he might procure for Epaphras the greatest possible kindness and the highest respect among his people. For it is natural to men, to love and make much of those whom they consider to be desirous of their's before that of others. But it behoves a people to be affected in this manner towards faithful pastors: Let those who rule well, be accounted worthy of double honour, 1 Tim. v. 17.

2. Paul acted so seriously, that he might consult the benefit of the Churches themselves. For the greater favour and veneration the teachers are in, the greater benefit is wont to result to the hearers: for they willingly attend to his instruction, of whose desire and love towards themselves they have no doubt.

3. Whilst he narrates the desire of Epaphras for the welfare of these Churches, he thereby hoped, that he

might render every one among them more solicitous about his own salvation. For shame will not suffer him to sit idle who sees another labour in his concerns so earnestly. For these reasons, therefore, the Apostle made known to these churches the desire of Epaphras; and for the same reasons it behoves all ministers to take care, that their desire also for procuring the salvation of their people should be known.

Vers. 14.

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

As to these two persons; he who is named in the first place (if we believe the antient Fathers) is that celebrated Evangelist, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches; and who was chosen by the brethren, as the companion of Paul's travels, 2 Cor. viii. 18.

That this Luke was by profession a physician, by birth a native of Antioch; that he lived single eighty-four years, and at length was buried at Ephesus and translated under Constantine to Constantinople, is gathered from the Synopsis of Dorotheus, and Jerome's Catalogue.

The Apostle in this place bestows upon him no other eulogium, than that he calls him the beloved physician. Whilst he acknowledges that he was beloved to himself, he affords a testimony to his virtue and piety: for the Apostle was not accustomed to bestow special and familiar love, except on account of faith and integrity clear and illustrious. He is called a physician from the art which he had before exercised; so Matthew the Apostle is also called after his conversion a publican, Matt. x. 3. For from a physician of bodies, he was now made a physician of souls; whose writings as often as they are read in the Churches, so often Divine prescriptions are offered to men; as Jerome well remarks, in Epist. ad Philem. Some have doubted,

whether he who is in this place called the physician, was the same with Luke the Evangelist; and seem rather to incline to the contrary opinion, upon the weight of this one argument, that the Apostle had bestowed upon him no honourable title. But this conjecture is too slender to set aside the common opinion which we derive from the more antient Fathers, Jerome, Ambrose, Theodoret, and almost all the rest. Neither is it necessary, that as often as mention is made of noted men, so often they should be signalized by some honourable title. Add to this, that it appears from the antients, that this Evangelist was at first a physician; nor can another person of his name be found in Ecclesiastical history who was a work-fellow with Paul, and a companion of his travels. Thus much of Luke.

And Demas.] This Demas in the Epistle to Philemon, is reckoned among the companions and fellow-helpers of Paul, vers. 24. There salute thee, Marchus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow-labourers. But the same person, in 2 Tim. iv. 10, is accused, because he had forsaken Paul, having loved this present world, and departed into Thessalonica. Dorotheus, in his Synopsis, shews the cause, that is to say, to become there an idolatrous priest. He had perhaps observed that ministers of the Gospel, like soldiers, were at once oppressed by labour and want; he therefore betook himself to exercise the priesthood among the idolatrous heathen, where a greater hope of tranquillity and profit shone upon him. The Apostle dignified him by no title; therefore it is not necessary that we should say more about him: we shall only elicit these observations;

1. That many greedily embraced the Gospel at the beginning, whom nevertheless afterwards either the fear of persecution or the love of the world hurried away.

2. That the root of true faith and piety never was in the hearts of those persons; according to that saying of John, 1 Epist, ii. 19, They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us, &c. So Cyprian writes, Lib. 1. epist. 3, That the Church which believes in Christ, never departs from him;

and that they are the Church who continue in the house of God.

3. Hence we gather what they are, who, having abandoned their ministry, flee from us to the Papists, to become Baalitish priests: namely, they are such as this Demas was, whom either envy, or the love of the world, that is, the desire of honour or riches, besotted.

Vers. 15.

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Because Paul wished this Epistle to be transmitted to the Laodiceans, and publicly read in their church, he prudently judged that they also should be saluted, lest it should seem that there was either little remembrance of, or little kindness in his mind towards them. For it is wise and useful to declare our love and good will towards those to whom we can communicate it, whom we would endeavour to instruct and direct by our exhortations or our advice; because all are wont more readily to obey those, by whom they believe that they are loved.

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea.] This general and promiscuous salutation, has respect to all who had assumed the Christian name and profession in that city. Hence we may observe,

1. That brotherly love and affection. ought plainly to flourish among all Christians. The philosophers of old said, that a wise man was a friend to a wise man, although unknown: But we may say, that a Christian is a brother to a Christian, although unknown; yea, he is more united than any friend or brother: for there ought to be one heart and one soul of all believers. Acts iv. 32.

2. That this brotherly love is not only declared by words, but by services, as often as brethren, even they

who live in remote churches, need our assistance. For to salute one by word as a brother, and, when occasion offers, not to promote the welfare of a brother, is the work of derision rather than of love.

And Nymphas.] Now he joins a special salutation, on account of the special and distinguished piety of this man, as may be gathered from the following verses. For it is right to assign extraordinary honour to those, whose virtue appeared and shone in the Church surpassing all others.

In the Commentaries which pass under the name of Ambrose, a comical error has found its way: For they have transformed this pious and renowned man into a woman : For thus he is there treated of; He esteems Nymphas more dear than others, whose whole house he even salutes. For she is said to have been so devoted, that her whole house was marked by the sign of the cross. But since the Greek is τny nat' 7 inov auтou, not avτns, I cannot believe that Ambrose, or any other Greek scholar could err so childishly. In my opinion therefore, those latter words have been taken into the text by some ignorant and lazy Monk, who, according to the custom of his age, as soon as he heard the name Church, dreamed about painted crosses. Both the manifest barbarism of the words, as well as the entire want of likelihood of the thing itself, induces belief in this conjecture. For in that first and golden age of the Christian Church, the Cross of Christ depicted not upon walls, but in their breasts, indicated their devotion: neither is it probable that any wise man would, by painting this sign of the cross through his whole house, openly betray himself and others who were accustomed to assemble in his house, to the heathen at that time raging, and the Christians for the most part holding their sacred assemblies in the night. But this perhaps is too much about a thing of no great moment; only I wished to vindicate Ambrose from the impertinences of some obscure fabricator of absurdities. Let us proceed.

And the Church which is in his house.] These words may be explained in a twofold manner: For they denote either the assembly of Christians who were accustomed to meet