CAUTIONS AGAINST THE JUDAIZING TEACHERS.

Julian Pe- every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man Rome. riod, 4775. perfect in Christ Jesus: Vulgar Æra, 62.

29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh :

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ:

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him;

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

$ 4. COLOSS. ii. 8-15.

The Apostle cautions them against the Judaizing Teachers, who inculcate the Worship of Angels, and the Abstinence from Animal Food, which Things are according to the Traditions of Men, and the first Elements of Religion given in the Mosaic Law, for their Salvation is made complete in him; who is the supreme Head and Governor of all created Things, of whatsoever rank—In whom (and not to the Angels) they are also circumcised, and enabled by the Operations of the Holy Spirit, to renounce all the Deeds of the sinful Flesh-which is pointed out to them by that Ordinance, which may be considered as the Circumcision required by Christ in the Gospel-in which they are buried to Sin under the Water, as Christ was buried on account of Sin under the Earth, and have been raised with him out of the Water unto a spiritual Life, through the Faith of the wonderful Power of God, who also raised Christ to eternal Life from the Grave of Death -And the Gentiles also, who were dead in Sins, and in the Uncircumcision of the Flesh, has God made alive together with him through his Spirit, unto eternal Life-blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances, which were against both Jew and Gentile, and contrary to their Salvation, as it subjected them all to the Curse of eternal Death for Sin; and having despoiled the Rulers and delegated Powers of Darkness of their Dominion, he

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made a display of his Conquest
openly, by triumphing Rome.
over their Power in his glorious Resurrection from the
Grave.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy
and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the ru-
diments of the world, and not after Christ:

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power;

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances" that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross:

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

18 The apostle, in this expression, seems evidently to refer to the Jewish law, in allusion, perhaps, to Numb. v. 23. But as the Gentiles seem also to be included by him, the hand-writing of ordinances must either intend the law of conscience, the transgression of whose precepts subjected the Gentiles to death. The law of conscience may be regarded as comprised in or united to the law of Moses, by which these precepts were more generally promulgated, and rigorously enforced, subjecting alike all mankind to the curse of eternal death, which curse was abolished, or blotted out, by the death of Christ. We must otherwise suppose that the apostle, by changing the form of his words, you into us, in this instance, addressed the Jews, confining this expression to their Jewish ritual, which was now by the death of Christ blotted out, and entirely abolished; thereby intimating that neither Jew nor Gentile were bound any longer by its observance; that it was now entirely cancelled, as other bonds were, by being struck through with a nail; that as it no longer existed to separate Jews and Gentiles, they were all admitted to the same equal privileges, the same condition of salvation, through faith in Christ. Macknight, however, is of a different opinion, and supposes that the moral and not the ritual precepts of the law of Moses, to which the curse was annexed, were blotted out; but as Christ expressly declares he came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; its moral precepts, engraven in our consciences, must be binding under every dispensation-we are all called upon to fulfil the spirit of the Mosaic law.

499

Julian Pe riod, 4775.

62.

CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH-CHAP. XIV.

Vulgar Era, From the Consideration that Mankind are delivered from the Power of Sin and eternal Death by Christ alone-The Apostle exhorts them not to allow any one to condemn them as it concerns the Distinctions between Meats and Drinks in the Mosaic Law, or in respect of its Festivals and Sabbaths—which Observances were only the Types or Shadows of good Things to come, their Substance being all fulfilled in the Person of Christ, and in the spiritual Blessings of his Religion-And as Christ alone, by the Sacrifice of the Cross, has been made the Head and Governor of all Things, and the means of Salvation, he warns them against being deceived by their false Teachers or Philosophers, to practise an affected Humility in the Worshipping of Angels, presumptuously intruding into the Things of the invisible World, and puffed up with the empty Knowledge of their own carnal Minds not acknowledging Jesus Christ as the only Saviour and Governor of Mankind, from whom his whole Body, the Church, receiving spiritual Nourishment and Strength, united together, increase in Grace and Holiness, with the Increase of the Gifts of his Holy Spirit.

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath-days;

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind;

19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

§ 6. COLOSS. ii. 20, to the end.

The Apostle, as they have in the Body of Christ suffered
the Punishment of the Law for Sin, and are thereby deli-
vered, or become dead to its Power-inquires of them why
they subjected themselves to Ordinances taught by the Au-
thority and Doctrines of Men; as if they were living
under that Dispensation from which by the Death of
Christ they had been made free-The Abstinences pre-
scribed by the Doctrines of their Philosophers and by their
Judaizing Teachers-touch not, taste not, handle not
relate to indifferent Things, which perish in the Corrup-
tion of the Body, for which they were made-which Doc-

Rome.

Julian Period, 4775. Vulgar Æra, 62.

trines however have an appearance or display of Wisdom, Rome.
being a Worship founded on the Will of Man, voluntarily
performed, and a supposed act of Humility, Mortifica-
tion, and Severity.

20 Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudi-
ments of the world ", why, as though living in the world,
are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using,) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in willworship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

§ 7. COLOSS. iii. 1-11.

The Apostle having shewn them that as they had been buried
with Christ in the Waters of Baptism, in token that in
the Body of Christ they had fulfilled the curse of Death,
pronounced upon Sin by the Law, and were thereby deli-
vered from its Power-now calls upon them, as they had
been with Christ also figuratively raised from the Waters
of Baptism, and become spiritually alive, to set their whole
Affections on heavenly Things-For Christians are dead
with Christ to Sin, and to earthly Things; and their spiri-
tual Life, which emanates from him, who is invisible, is, as
it were, hidden with Christ in God-and when, at the End
of Time, he shall appear, who is the Source of their hea-
venly Life, Christians also shall appear with him in
Glory-in glorious and immortal Bodies-Having this
Hope, St. Paul exhorts them to mortify their earthly Mem-
bers to deprive the animal Man of its Strength and
Ascendancy, not yielding to its inordinate Desires and
Passions, on account of which the Wrath of God
cometh on all; not only on those who profess his
Religion, but on the Children of Disobedience-the
Heathen World—whose Lusts and Vices they also ha-
bitually practised when they lived among them: but
now, as their Life is in Christ, derived from him through
his Spirit, the Apostle exhorts them to put away these
Vices, of their earthly Members, and all others to which
they had been addicted; and as they had buried the old

Commentators

19 This expression is variously translated.
suppose it alludes to the first elements, or principles of sci-
ence; to the first beginnings of piety, or the first principles of
religion and philosophy. Locke refers it to "the law;" and
Dr. Clarke observes, that the observances of Jewish rites and
ceremonies were only rudiments, first elements, or the alphabet
out of which the whole science of Christianity was composed.
We have often seen that the world, and this world, signify the
Jewish dispensation, or the rites, ceremonies, and services
performed under it.

Julian Period, 4775. Vulgar Era, 62.

CHRISTIANS ARE TO BECOME SPIRITUAL IN HEART.

Man in Baptism, with all his corrupt Affections and Rome.
Deeds; to put on the new Man, which is re-made by God
in spiritual Knowledge and Holiness, according to his
Image, in which Man was first created-In this new spi-
ritual Creation there is no Distinction of Nation or of
Circumstance-but Christ is Life to all-He is in all by
his Spirit, and reigns over and governs all Things.

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand
of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth:

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience;

7 In the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived

in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, ma-
lice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have
the old man with his deeds;

put off

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him :

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

§ 8. COLOSS. iii. 12-17.

He exhorts the Colossians, as those who were elected of God
to the high Privileges and Blessings of the Gospel, to
put on the spiritual Character of the new Man-to be
pure and holy in the Service of God, as his beloved
Children, practising all the Christian Graces and
Dispositions, and over all these Graces of the inward
Man, to put on Love, which is the Perfection of the
Christian Character, uniting in itself every Virtue-
Then will that Peace, of which God is the Author, reign
in their Hearts, to the Enjoyment of which they are
called, and united in one Body unto Christ, being
thankful that they are become Partakers of these glo-
rious Privileges-The Word of Christ, the Gospel, which
they have received, is to dwell in them, teaching and ad-
monishing each other in all Wisdom, singing with Grace
in their Hearts unto the Lord in Psalms, Hymns, and
Songs, as the Spirit inspired them-They are exhorted,

501