Colossians 3

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver (or redeem) us from this present evil world. Such as are redeemed by Christ, are risen with Christ (Colossians 3:1). As the birds though they light upon the ground to pick up a little seed, yet immediately they take their wing…

4. Did God create our souls after his image, but we lost it, let us never leave till we are restored to God's image again. We have now got the devil's image in pride, malice, envy; let us get God's image restored, which consists in knowledge and righteousness (Colossians 3:10).…

It were well if we had such magistrates as would by their authority cover the unclean lips of those lepers in this city. 8. The evil tongue is the lying tongue (Colossians 3:9): "Lie not one to another." The Cretians were noted for liars (Titus 1:12): [illegible] "The Cretians a…

The Word is our Magna Charta for heaven; shall we be ignorant of our charter? Colossians 3:16: Let the word of God dwell in you richly. The memory must be a table-book where the Word is written.

Each one resembled the children of a king: Every child of God resembles the King of Heaven; herein God's adopting children and man's differ. A man adopts one for his son and heir that does not at all resemble him, but whoever God adopts for his child is like him; he not only bea…

He is not a consecrated person who is good only in some part, but who is all over sanctified. Therefore in Scripture grace is called a new man (Colossians 3:10), not a new eye, or a new tongue, but a new man. A good Christian, though he be sanctified but in part, yet in every pa…

Redemption was the work of his arm (Luke 1:5). In the creation God gave us ourselves, in the redemption he gave us himself: by creation we have a life in Adam, by redemption we have a life in Christ (Colossians 3:3). By creation we had a right to an earthly paradise, by redempti…

They are the Apostle's words, not answering again. And to those servants who do thus honor their masters, or family-fathers, by submission, diligence, faithfulness, love, and humble silence, for their encouragement let them take that (Colossians 3:24): Servants obey in all thing…

2. The second way of showing honor to parents is in careful obedience. Colossians 3:20: Children obey your parents in all things. Our Lord Christ herein set a pattern to children.

6. Carry it prudently towards your children. A great point of prudence is, when a parent does not provoke his children to wrath (Colossians 3:21). Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The covetous man has more gods than one; Mammon is his God. He has a god of gold, therefore he is called an idolater (Colossians 3:5). 2. Covetousness breaks the Second Commandment: You shalt not make any graven image, you shalt not bow down thyself to them.

A soul belimed with earth cannot ascend to heavenly cogitations. (Colossians 3:5) Covetousness which is idolatry. Will Christ come into that heart where there is an idol?

While a Christian fixes his thoughts on God and glory, he does as it were tread upon the borders of the heavenly kingdom, and he peeps within the veil; as Moses who had a sight of Canaan, though he did not enter into it; so the heavenly Christian has a sight of heaven, though he…

Demas afterwards became a priest in an idol temple, says Dorotheus. 6. Covetousness will make men idolaters (Colossians 3:5): Covetousness which is idolatry. Though the covetous man will not worship graven images in the church, yet he will worship the graven image in his coin.

Quest. 17. Which are the principal institutions of the Gospel to be observed in the worship of God? Answ. (1.) The calling, gathering and setling of Churches with their Officers, as the seat and subject of all other solemn instituted worship. (2.) Prayer with thanksgiving. (3.)…

Q: Besides the Resurrection and ascension of Christ, what further degree is there of his exaltation? A. His sitting at the right hand of God (Psalm 110:1; Mark 16:19; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; and 8:1; and 10:12, 13). Q. What are we to understand by Christ…

Q. If these things be vouchsafed to believers in this life, what shall they have in the life to come? A. Unspeakable glory and happiness in the immediate fruition of communion with God and Christ to all eternity (Colossians 3:4; 1 John 3:2; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Corinthians 15:28). Q…

Q. What is the sum of the ninth commandment? A. Truth in speeches, promises, and our dealings among men; and the contrary forbidden is all lying and false speaking (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9, 10; Psalms 15:2; Micah 6:12; Psalms 12:2). Q. What is the sum of the tenth command…

Q. What was that image of God? A. Principally it stood in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness (Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24; Ecclesiastes 7:29). Q. What was the knowledge that man was endued withal in that estate?

Second, their fiery hot and burning lusts, which prey upon and live upon this fuel. Both together make the fire spoken of here, and the comparison holds in many ways. First, because the fuel of these fires of their lusts and comforts is base — things only here below. What is the…

Secondly, in that the Author of this Epistle notes their particular sentence, and by consequence gathers this meditation out of it; that they sought a Country; Hereby all men are taught to exercise themselves in hearing and reading all the places of the Bible: even the Histories…

1. The first is prayer, which the Spirit of Christ forms in the heart of a believer, whereby he lays open all his spiritual and temporal wants to God his Father, in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ, through whom he has received a promise to be heard, and to have his reques…

But the first real effect of the internal promised grace of the Covenant is on the mind, the most spiritual and inward part of the soul. This in the New Testament is expressed by the renovation of the mind (Romans 12:1; Colossians 3:5), and the opening of the eyes of our underst…

The partition wall is broken down, and the gates of the new Jerusalem are set open to all comers upon the Gospel invitation. This is frequently taken notice of in the Scripture; see Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; John 11:51, 52; John 12:32; Acts 11:18; Acts 17:30; Galatians 5:6; Eph…

Patience, say we, that is, [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩]; but these Graces are expressly distinguished, 2 Timothy 3:10. [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩]; Faith, Long-suffering, Patience; so plainly Colossians 1:11. [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩]; to all patience and long-suffering. And in very…

And the body is said to be washed from them, (1.) Because they are outward, in opposition to those that are only inherent in the mind. (2.) Because the body is the instrument of the perpetration of them; hence are they called deeds of the body; the members of the body; our earth…

And we may observe, farther to clear the design of the Apostle in this commination, 1. That all the gifts of God under the Gospel are peculiarly heavenly (John 3:12; Ephesians 1:3), and that in opposition, (1) to earthly things (Colossians 3:11, 12), (2) to carnal ordinances (He…

And happy are they, whose faith on trial, is found to praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Christ. Christ knew all men, and he knew that such as now cried, Hosanna to the Son of David, would some of them ere long, cry, Crucify him, Crucify him, away with him: and tr…

Whereas the Synod said, That the parents in question are keepers of the covenant, because they are not forsakers, and rejecters of the God, and covenant of their fathers; and alleged for this (Deuteronomy 29:25, 26; 2 Kings 17:15–20; 2 Chronicles 7:22; Deuteronomy 7:10). The Rev…

Meekness the Ornament, 1 Peter 3.4. Love the Bond of perfectness, Colossians 3.14. The Saints' Graces are Weapons to defend them, Wings to elevate them, Jewels to enrich them, Spices to perfume them, Stars to adorn them, Cordials to refresh them: And does not all this work for g…

This image of God has two principal parts: 1. wisdom: 2. holiness. Concerning wisdom Paul says, "Put on the new man which is created in knowledge, after the image of him which created him" (Colossians 3:10). This wisdom consists in three points: 1. in that he knew God his creato…

Question 4: What is the time appointed for prayer? Answer: Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), that is, upon all occasions: or when a man begins any business, whether it be in word or deed (Colossians 3:17): or as Daniel, who prayed three times every day (Daniel 6:11): or a…

They are hidden, first, for their invisibility; their excellency is not known to many; the world can see their infirmity, not their eminency; a saint has that internal glory as cannot be beheld by a carnal eye; the fair face is hid under a veil. 2. The righteous are hidden for t…

So for peace with the saints; Jesus Christ breaketh down the partition wall (Ephesians 2:16, 17, 18), removeth prejudices and jealousies, changeth interests, cleareth up truths, and by his Spirit meekens their hearts that they be at one: Surely his blood is the best cement and b…

For when men shall be taught that for sundry points of religion they may believe as the Church believes, that the study of the Scriptures is not to be required of them, that to their good they may be barred the reading of them, so long as they know some principal things containe…

A quiet conscience never produced an unquiet conversation. The peace of God rules in the heart as an umpire in appeasing strifes — for so much that word in Colossians 3:15 imports. Wrath and strife are hugely opposed to the frame and temper of a spiritual heart, because they are…

They were therefore fit resemblances to shadow out that heavenly music, and inward melody of the joys and graces of God's Spirit in the hearts of his people. The Apostle therefore exhorts us to sing, but instead of musical instruments, he requires the melody of the heart (Ephesi…

Now the first proper object of this mortification is this sin that dwells in us. It is the flesh which is to be mortified, the old man which is to be crucified, the lusts of the flesh with all their corrupt inclinations, actings, and motions that are to be destroyed (Romans 6:6;…

This therefore is the principal way and means which we have to secure our peace and comfort against the pretences of sin, to the disquietment of our consciences. Let us endeavour to preserve an experience of the rule of grace in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Under a conduct and…

There is no riddance of them, no conquest to be obtained over them, but by subduing the temptation; and no subduing the temptation, but by the mortification of the lust, whose satisfaction it is design'd to. This course the Apostle directs to (Colossians 3:3, 5). That which he e…

God hides these spirituall things, as he hid Christ under a Carpenters sonne: so he hides the glorious mysteries of the Sacrament, under the base elements of Bread and Wine; he hides the wisedome of God, under the foolishnesse of preaching, he hides those whom the world is not w…

Quest. 4. What is the time appointed for prayer? Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), that is, upon all occasions, or when a man begins any business, whether it be in word, or deed (Colossians 3:17), or as Daniel, who prayed three times every day (Daniel 6:11), or as David,…

And so those terms, as far as the sacred Scripture is concerned, are unwritten (agrapha). Indeed, evangelical doctrine is called "the word of life" (Philippians 2:16), "the word of the cross" (1 Corinthians 1:18), "the word of faith" (1 Timothy 4:6), "the word of Christ" (Coloss…

And this is what the apostle intends in that solemn prayer he offers for the saints at Colossae: (Colossians 1:9) "We do not cease to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding." And again, (Colossians 3:1…

Also pride not to hear any excuse or defense delivered in duty, submission and obedience of child or servant. Finally bitterness, which may provoke wrath rather than cause amendment (Colossians 3:21. Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, lest they be discouraged. Job 31:1…

But the first we do, therefore, etc. The proposition is wanting, the assumption is contained in an axiom copulative, which numbers up the parts; where again as above, the couple is left out, to note our joyful and fervent feeling and melody of the heart, in heaping up praise to…

(Romans 3:24-25) Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, etc. (Colossians 3:22) God has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might b…

He is dead, and his life is hid with Christ in God. And, he mortifies his members on earth (Colossians 3:1-4). He is redeemed from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4).

To whom coming as to a living stone, disallowed indeed of men; but that's no matter; chosen of God, and precious: [reconstructed: who could we come to], but here, on a stone with life, and so noble a life as an intellectual life, and then the life of God? O death, come to your l…

This is to make John (who only prepared the way for Christ) to be the Messiah indeed (as many of the Jews thought) — that is, to think the eminent work of John's ministry (which was to humble and so prepare men for Christ) to be their attaining Christ himself. But if you be wear…