Colossians 3

Notes

Ver. 1. If, according to your profession, ye be indeed risen from under the law, and the guilt and power of sin, to a life of righteousness and holiness—together with, in conformity to, and by the quickening virtue of, our risen Redeemer, applied by faith—let your hearts, in their temper and exercises, and in all your meditations, views, inquiries, and pursuits, by prayer, and every other ordinance of God, aspire after realizing clear and enlarged experiences and assurances of the durable, substantial, and satisfying things of the heavenly state, where he, your ascended Head, is exalted in all his majesty and authority, dignity and glory, rest and safety, to make intercession, and prepare a place for you. 2. Let all your affections of desire and hope, love and delight, be supremely fixed upon the excellent things which belong to and are transacted in that heavenly state, and not upon the empty, uncertain, perishing, and defiling pleasures and enjoyments, or even the carnal ordinances of this world. 3. And this is highly proper, since, by profession and obligation, and many of you by actual communion with Christ in his death, are really dead in your hearts and affections to the Mosaic law, and are crucified with him to sin, Satan, and the world, and all the pleasures and enjoyments of your spiritual life are maintained and promoted in secret and mysterious transactions and fellowship between God and your souls, by virtue of Christ, who is one with him, till it be perfected in that eternal life which lies so much out of sight in this life, but is nevertheless secured and treasured up with Christ in the tender love and immediate presence of God for you. 4. And when Christ, who is the source, author, sustainer, finisher, scope, and end of our spiritual life, and lives in us, shall appear in all his glory to judge the world, ye who accept him by faith shall be glorified together with and in conformity to him in soul and body. 5. In the prospect therefore of that blessed day, and in reflection on the spiritual purity and sublime happiness which ye shall then enjoy, as men dead to sin and risen with Christ, labour to have all your carnal and sinful dispositions, which are like members to the body of inward corruption, and are influenced and exerted by your bodily members, more and more weakened and slain, particularly all inclinations to unchastity in thought, word, and deed, and all excessive or irregular desires after the enjoyments of this world, whereby ye put creatures into an idolatrous competition with or reference to God. 6. Abhor and abstain from them, as polluting abominations which draw down the fearful judgments of God in this life, and especially in the next, upon unbelieving obstinate sinners. 7. And the more earnest care is necessary in this matter, as, in the days of your heathenism and unregeneracy, of free choice and with great eagerness, ye lived in the love and practice of these abominations. 8. But now, as Christians, ye ought to have no further fellowship with these or any other works of darkness; such as causeless and intemperate anger, furious passion, malicious revengefulness, reproachful speeches, particularly of God and sacred things, and all immodest expressions, which tend to defile your own or others' minds. 9. And never, either rashly, in jest, in excuse, in ill-will, or for gain, speak anything contrary to strict truth, since, in profession, and I hope in reality, ye have absolutely cast off and renounced the whole system of inward and original, of subtle, but just now decaying and dying corruption, with all its pernicious and defiling practices; 10. And, by a work of heart-changing grace, ye have, as it were, clothed yourselves with the holy qualities and beautiful ornaments of a new nature, formed after the image of God, the Creator and Renewer of men; 11. In which new creation there is no partial respect shown to persons on account of any external distinctions or privileges, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, savage or polite, slaves or freemen; but Christ is all in all in the whole of their salvation, in all their experiences and privileges. 12. Therefore, in an entire dependence on Christ, and imitation of him, and as persons living in him, and accordingly helped into holiness, and regarded as the objects of God's distinguishing love, instead of indulging or practising works of wickedness, earnestly practise, and, as it were, clothe and adorn yourselves with the most tender compassion towards the distressed, and with a generous and benevolent temper and behaviour towards all men, with modest thoughts of yourselves, and condescension to persons of low degree, with gentleness, mildness, and candour towards all, and persevering patience under repeated and long-continued provocations; 13. Bearing with and forbearing one another's various infirmities; mutually forgiving one another their offences and injuries, in imitation and for the sake of Christ, who, at the expense of his own blood, has fully and freely pardoned all your infinite crimes. 14. And especially let the exercise of brotherly love, as an upper garment, add a beautiful lustre to and regulate all the other graces—which is at once the fulfilment of God's law, and knits together the members of Christ in the most perfect harmony, till his whole mystical body arrive at its perfect stature in him. 15. And for the more effectual cultivation of this brotherly love and every other grace, let the sense of God's friendship with you, through Christ, engage you always to practise and live under the influence of that excellent peace and concord among yourselves of which God is the author, approver, and commander, and to which ye are called by the grace of the gospel, and your union as members in Christ's church; and let the sense of mercies received or expected animate you to constant thankfulness and praise. 16. And for the same purpose let the Holy Scriptures, of which Christ is the author, matter, and end, be applied to and fixedly reside in your hearts, as the constant mean of renewed influences from him, and of directing your whole conversation; and be mutually helpful in instructing and exciting one another to bless and praise God in every proper form—not only with grateful and harmonious voices, but with spiritual and gracious affections towards Jesus Christ, and God in him. 17. And whatever ye do in thought, word, or deed, in public or private, in things religious or civil, let it be done with a conscientious regard to the authority and command of the Lord Jesus Christ, with an humble dependence on him for all direction and assistance, and with an eye to his Father's glory—always giving God thanks for his unnumbered mercies through him, through whom the blessings themselves are granted, and your thanksgivings for them accepted.—18. And as the Christian religion does not dissolve but strengthen all moral obligations to relative duties required by the law of nature, let each of you carefully attend to them, notwithstanding your differences in other things: particularly see that ye Christian wives behave in a meek and submissive manner to your lawful husbands, as far as consists with your superior relation and obedience to Christ. 19. And ye, Christian husbands, treat your wives with all possible tenderness, kindness, and affection, doing all that you can for their temporal and spiritual ease, comfort, and happiness; and never exercise a severe and arbitrary lordship over them, or abuse them by passionate words, blows, or other severe conduct. 20. Ye Christian children, love and honour your parents, of whatever character or condition they be, and conscientiously obey them in every just and reasonable command; for this is agreeable to the will of Christ, and acceptable to God through him. 21. On the other hand, see that ye parents carefully study the tempers of your children, and by prudent, kind, and gentle methods establish your authority over them; but never, by furious or opprobrious language, unreasonable impositions, or unmerciful corrections, sour their minds, break their spirits, and fill them with prejudices against you and the religion which ye profess. 22. And ye servants, whether bought or hired, be diligent and faithful in executing the trusts and doing the business which your masters commit to you, fulfilling all their commands as far as ye can in consistency with your duty to Christ, your Master in heaven, and as in his sight. 23. And whatever ye are called to do in their service, let it not be done with grudging and reluctance, but with a willing and ready mind, from a sense of duty towards the Lord Jesus Christ, in obedience to his command, with a view to his glory, and not from a selfish mercenary spirit, which aims only at pleasing of men. 24. And to animate you to cheerfulness and fidelity in your service, know that, whatever ill treatment or unrighteous returns ye meet with, instead of a suitable reward, from your masters on earth, ye shall now, and especially hereafter, be graciously rewarded with the heavenly inheritance; for in doing your duty to earthly masters ye really pay honour and do service to the Lord Jesus himself, who hath placed you in your subordinate station for that purpose. 25. But he, whether master or servant, who indulges himself in wronging the other by any injustice, shall receive a just and impartial recompense and reward for all his iniquitous conduct, none being respected by Christ more than another upon account of any external circumstances.

Ver. 2. The chief of the things above are—the Father and his eternal love; Christ and his righteousness and intercession; the Holy Spirit and his graces: the company of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect; rest from labours: happiness and glory. C.

Ver. 4. The glory mainly consists in victory over sin and Satan; in acknowledgment as faithful servants, dear children, and heirs of God; in copartnership in the throne of God and the Lamb; in companionship with the blessed; in perfected holiness of heart implanted by the Spirit; and in the glory of renovated bodies, together with the inconceivable splendours of the paradise of God. C.

Ver. 11. Christ is all things to the believer. He is his light, his life, his wisdom, his righteousness, his sanctification, his redemption, his hope here, his glory hereafter.—Christ is in all; that is, in all believers, of whatever nation, kindred, or tongue; and in all places where two or three are assembled in his name; and in all times and circumstances, even to the end of the world. C.

Ver. 14. Above all—not as if other graces could exist without charity, or as if charity were better than them all; but charity is to be put on as a covering, ornament, or cincture, to all the other garniture which believers were required to put on. C.

Ver. 17. In the name of the Lord Jesus—asking of God, speaking to men, and acting in public and private, as instructed of him by his Word and Spirit, and in all conducting yourselves as his disciples, representatives, and servants. C.

Reflections.—How dignified and happy are they who are risen with Christ, and whose life is laid up with him in God! Certain is their glorious appearance with Christ in the last judgment, and their eternal reign with him in heaven. And it is necessary that they set their affections on things above, and abhor and mortify every lust, shun every sinful practice, and study to be like Jesus their Head, their Saviour, their Portion, their Master, in both heart and life. A worldly and wicked mind and a heavenly hope are quite inconsistent. It is absurd to conceive ourselves members of Jesus Christ, redeemed to God by his blood, while we live in unchastity, covetousness, sinful passion, malice, falsehood, or blasphemy. If we belong to him, we must prove it by our conformity to him in our tempers and practice. Actuated by the faith of his forgiving kindness, what merciful compassion, what meekness, what humility, what forbearance, what readiness to forgive injuries, what brotherly love, what calmness of mind, what experimental and abundant knowledge of the Scriptures, what labours to edify one another, what thankfulness to God, what constant improvement of Christ, what punctuality in relative duties, ought to mark every Christian! And in every relative duty great regard must be had to Christ as the commander, the source, the motive, the pattern, the end of them all.