An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

The Second Part.

Vers. 6. As yee have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord, so walk yee in him.

The second part of the Chapter follows, in which from his endeavour for their salvation, and from the causes of this disputation undertaken against the false Apostles, hee inferrs an exhortation to persevere in the Faith of Christ, and to beware of corruptions. The parts of his Exhortation are five.

(1) That they hold fast Christ Jesus already re∣ceived by Faith, who is the onely and true Saviour, and admit no other, invented by the false Apostles.

(2) That they being ingrafted into Christ by Faith, so abide and lead their lives according to his prescription, following the guidance of the Spirit of Christ.

Vers. 7. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the Faith, as yee have been taught, abounding there∣in with thanksgiving.

(3) That they endeavour for a most near, and firm conjunction with Christ, through the strengthening of their Faith, according to the Doctrine of Epaphras: Hee illustrates this soundness of Faith by a similitude taken partly from the firmness of trees spreading their roots deep in the earth; partly from the stability of buildings, solidly founded.

Abounding] (4) That they bee not onely confirmed in the Faith, but also make progress in it, and abound to a fuller knowledge of the mysteries of Christ; and that with a daily thanksgiving to God, the Author of this so great a benefit.

Vers. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through Phi∣losophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

(5) That they take heed to themselves touching sedu∣cers, who take the people of God by their Impostures, as

beasts are taken in nets, and make a prey of them. Hee reckons three kindes of impostures, whereof the first is Philosophy, or a vain deceit, so called, not simply, but as it exceeds its bounds, and aspires to heavenly and spiri∣tual things, and doth from the model of corrupt and car∣nal reason, determine concerning the doctrine in the word of God. In which respect although it shews open∣ly the form of wisdome, yet it is found to bee vain de∣ceit; The other kinde is, The tradition of men, con∣cerning the vain and superstitious rites invented by hu∣mane wit. The third sort is, the injunction of Legal or Levitical rites, which are called here the Rudiments of the world, because they are the earthly and carnal Rudi∣ments of the ancient people, by whom as by a School∣master they were lead before the coming of Christ, which after his coming vanished away like shadows.

Vers. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily.

Hee adds ten Arguments of his Exhortation, all which prove, that they must not go so much as a nails breadth from Christ:

Argum. 1. It is in vain to seek any thing necessary to salvation out of Christ, seeing that in him, or in his person, the fulness of the God-head hypostatically united to the humane nature, is founded, so that, hee necessarily seeks something to salvation out of God, who seeks things that may bring salvation out of Christ: There∣fore wee must not depart from Christ.

Vers. 10. And yee are compleat in him, which is the head of all Principality and power:

Argum. 2. Christ is not onely a most full fountain in himself, but also hee fills all the faithful beleeving in him, insomuch that hee communicates to them righte∣ousness and life eternal (which hee hath in himself) first by way of imputation, further by the infusion of grace for grace, till at length they are perfected. There∣fore wee must not seek for any thing out of him.

The head] Argum. 3. Hee is the head of all Princi∣pality and Power, even of the most excellent creatures in heaven and earth, partly because hee created and go∣verns all things, even the Angels themselves; partly be∣cause by the influence of his power, hee upholds even the Angels, and also men, communicating to them whatso∣ever they injoy: Therefore from him alone, and in no wise from the most excellent Angels, do wee expect any good.

Vers. 11. In whom also yee are circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the Circumcision of Christ.

Argum. 4. The truth of all Legal ceremonies is in Christ; for in him the faithful have that which is prefi∣gured by them; as for example, they have spiritual Cir∣cumcision wrought by the Spirit of Christ in the heart, which consists in the subduing of the old man, or the flesh, or the body of sin, which Circumcision was prefi∣gured in the carnal Circumcision, made by hands: Therefore it is not fit that you should in the carnal Cir∣cumcision of those that Judaize, seek anything out of Christ.

Vers. 12. Buried with him in Baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the ope∣ration of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Argum. 5. Yee that beleeve in Christ are baptized, which is the lawful sign of internal Circumcision, set up in the place of Circumcision by Christ; so that neither the internal thing, yea, nor the external sign of an in∣ternal thing is to bee sought after without Christ: Therefore you must not depart from Christ.

Buried] Argum. 6. Yee beleevers have right to Christ dead and buried, and communion with him in his death and burying, and so right to all the benefits, and effects of his death and burying, in baptism, and by baptism sealed to you; so that there is no need to seek any thing out of Christ, that belongs to the full paying the price of Redemption: Therefore wee must not depart from him.

Yee are risen] Argum. 7. Yee beleevers by baptism are brought into the communion of Christs Resurrection, or his victory that hee gained over death and sin, by which yee are not onely risen to newness of life, in ho∣liness, but also yee shall rise in respect of your bodies to a glorious and immortal life, so that nothing as to holi∣ness and eternal life is to bee desired out of Christ: Therefore yee must not at all depart from him.

Through the faith] But yet lest too much be attributed to external baptisme from the work (as they say) done, hee requires the faith of God efficaciously working in those that are baptized, i. e. That wee beleeve that God who powerfully raised Christ from the dead, according to his promises, will also effectually raise us according to his promise, to all manner of newness of life. For by how much the nearer wee imbrace the power of God, that raised Christ our head from the dead, by so much the more wee shall make progress in newness of life.

Vers. 13. And you being dead in your sins, and the un∣circumcision of your flesh, hath hee quickned together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.

Argum. 8. God hath made you Colossians (in times past dead in sins, and lying in the uncircumcision of irre∣generate nature) partakers of the holy and immortal life of Christ, as to right, and an inchoate possession, all your sins by grace being forgiven, therefore as to a plenary remission of sins, and to an holy and immortal life, no∣thing is to bee sought out of Christ. This benefit is cal∣led a quickning together with Christ (although Christ had risen some years before they were converted) because in what moment soever any one is by faith united to Christ, in the same moment is hee united to him, now reigning in heaven, yea in his dying, burial, and rising again after a judicial or forinsical manner, so that in all things, in which hee hath, or doth sustain our person, it is no less than if wee had in a Physical manner, been present, and consented to every act of his, in our behalf.

Vers. 14. Blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nayling it to his Cross.

Argum. 9. In which also hee explains how Christ ob∣tained remission of sins for us, viz. by taking away the hand-writing, in this sense. The Covenant of works is an hand-writing, established partly in threatnings, partly in appointed positive Ceremonials (excluding the Gentiles from the Church) was against us, and contrary to us. But Christ hath blotted out this hand-writing, taking it out of the way, and nailing it to his Cross: Therefore you must not look back to the legal Covenant or ceremonial appointments in them, to seek for any thing, neither must yee depart in the least from the death of Christ (by which yee are delivered from that hand-writing.) Hee compares this Covenant of works, with its appurtenances, to an hand-writing, by which any one bindes himself for the paying of a debt; for whosoever are convicted of sin by the light of nature, are also by the force of the Covenant of Works, ob∣noxious to wrath, and as often as wee are convinced of sin, so often also by nature wee confirm the punishment of sin, or the condition of the legal Covenant, by the judgement of our consciences against our selves, as by an hand-writing: The conscience of every one performs this much more, which hath received the written Law, and daily bears the punishment of the Law, for the breaking of it. But chiefly all justiciaries are compel∣led to subscribe to this hand-writing, who acknowledge no righteousness besides inherent, or that which is by works: Of which number were those that Judaized,

and observeers of Ceremonies, who adhered to this Co∣venant, seeking Righteousness by works, and the appoin∣ted Ceremonies: For by how much they did indeavour by this means more manifestly to establish their own Righteousness, by so much the more openly they did de∣rive the punishment of the Law broken, by the force of the Covenant, upon themselves: For no man enters a Covenant, but hee also admits all the conditions of the Covenant.

The hand-writing is said to bee in Ordinances, or ra∣ther subscribed to Ordinances, so far as they took upon them those commands, or Legal Ordinances, that they might bee perfected in themselves, they did withall ob∣lige themselves to bear the punishment of the breach of those commands.

Hee calls it the hand-writing against us, or contrary to us, partly because it separated the Jews from the Gen∣tiles, and the Gentiles from the Jews; Partly because it was a yoak, which neither they nor their Fathers could bear; Partly because as often as they did any work of the Law, either moral or ceremonial to bee justified thereby, so often by the imperfection of their work, and the pro∣fession of their imperfection in the use of the Levitical Ceremonies, they did argue themselves guilty, or ra∣ther did acknowledge themselves guilty of death. As for example, when they offered Sacrifices, and did repeat them, they not onely acknowledged themselves sinners a∣gainst the Moral Law, but did also really confess that their frequent Sacrifices could not purge their conscien∣ces from sin, and so the hand-writing of the Covenant of works was alwaies contrary to them: But Christ hath blotted out this hand-writing, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his Cross, insomuch as hee for the sake of them that were his, hath paid for the redeemed the penalty due upon the hand-writing by the death of his Cross, and hath compleated and abolished the po∣sitive Ordinances concerning those vanishing Ceremo∣nies, by the real Sacrifice of his own body once offe∣red.

Vers. 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, hee made a shew of them openly, triumph∣ing over them in it.

Argum. 10. Christ hath brought all the Devils, who exercise their power and tyranny upon the Elect, overthrown by the price of Redemption paid upon the Cross, and gloriously triumpheth over them openly in the sight of God, Angels and men (whose eyes are open) unto their own disgrace, and our deliverance: Therefore it remains that nothing is to bee sought out of Christ.

The Devils are called Principalities and Powers, (1) Because in the world they potently exercise autho∣rity over all the reprobate children of disobedience, and all the unregenerate, which do nothing else, but exe∣cute the will of the Devil. (2) Because they are Ser∣geants executing the judgement of God, holding those captive that are not reconciled to God in Christ. (3) Be∣cause they fight against Christ the Redeemer, neither do they dismiss the redeemed and reconciled from the pri∣son of darkness, unless compelled by the stronger power of Christ.

They are said to bee spoiled by Christ on the Cross, (1) Inasmuch as Christ, paying the price of our Re∣demption, hath obtained by Covenant of the Father, that all the redeemed should bee delivered from the pri∣son of darkness, ignorance, sin and death. (2) Inas∣much as Christ, infinite in power, when hee had once satisfied justice on the Cross, broke the bars and chains of sin, judgement, and the Law, wherewith the Devil, held the redeemed bound, that henceforth they cannot have any power. (3) Inasmuch as hee hath made his redeemed his possession, and peculiar people, that they might not any longer bee the flock of Satan.

Christ is said to have made a shew of the Devils, and to have openly triumphed on the Cross, (1) Inasmuch as hee hath valiantly received, overcome, and extinguish∣ed all their temptations and poisoned darts, whether im∣mediately cast by them against him hanging on the Cross, or hurled by the poisonous tongues of furious ad∣versaries, or brandished by the provocation of the in∣gratitude of his Disciples flying from him. (2) Inasmuch as Christ hath turned the malice of the Devils, all their subtilties and machinations (by which they sought his life, incessantly stirring up their slaves to crucifie him till hee hanged upon the Cross) to their own destru∣ction, and to the most open ruine of their dominion. (3) Inasmuch as hee hath shewn himself Lord of Hea∣ven and Earth, by signs and wonders in the very time of his crucifying. (4) Inasmuch as hee hath shewn open∣ly his power by converting the thief hanging at his right hand, and the Centurion standing at his feet. (5) Inas∣much as the price of Redemption being already paid, the Conqueror, not onely in the sight of God, and Angels, but also in the sight of these Devils, and also in the bea∣ring of all beholders, cryed out, that his work was finish∣ed, and that to his own eternal glory, and the perpetual ignominy of ••his enemies. From which it follows▪ that wee must not depart from Christ for the obtaining of any good, or that wee might bee delivered from any e∣vil.