Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc06/v06300

Text File | 1994-03-01 | 11KB | 186 lines

06300
 #2-9 Let believers be of one mind, and ready to help each other.
 As the apostle had found the benefit of their assistance, he
 knew how comfortable it would be to his fellow-labourers to have
 the help of others. Let us seek to give assurance that our names
 are written in the book of life. Joy in God is of great
 consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be
 again and again called to it. It more than outweighs all causes
 for sorrow. Let their enemies perceive how moderate they were as
 to outward things, and how composedly they suffered loss and
 hardships. The day of judgment will soon arrive, with full
 redemption to believers, and destruction to ungodly men. There
 is a care of diligence which is our duty, and agrees with a wise
 forecast and due concern; but there is a care of fear and
 distrust, which is sin and folly, and only perplexes and
 distracts the mind. As a remedy against perplexing care,
 constant prayer is recommended. Not only stated times for
 prayer, but in every thing by prayer. We must join thanksgivings
 with prayers and supplications; not only seek supplies of good,
 but own the mercies we have received. God needs not to be told
 our wants or desires; he knows them better than we do; but he
 will have us show that we value the mercy, and feel our
 dependence on him. The peace of God, the comfortable sense of
 being reconciled to God, and having a part in his favour, and
 the hope of the heavenly blessedness, are a greater good than
 can be fully expressed. This peace will keep our hearts and
 minds through Christ Jesus; it will keep us from sinning under
 troubles, and from sinking under them; keep us calm and with
 inward satisfaction. Believers are to get and to keep a good
 name; a name for good things with God and good men. We should
 walk in all the ways of virtue, and abide therein; then, whether
 our praise is of men or not, it will be of God. The apostle is
 for an example. His doctrine and life agreed together. The way
 to have the God of peace with us, is to keep close to our duty.
 All our privileges and salvation arise in the free mercy of God;
 yet the enjoyment of them depends on our sincere and holy
 conduct. These are works of God, pertaining to God, and to him
 only are they to be ascribed, and to no other, neither men,
 words, nor deeds.

06308
 #10-19 It is a good work to succour and help a good minister in
 trouble. The nature of true Christian sympathy, is not only to
 feel concern for our friends in their troubles, but to do what
 we can to help them. The apostle was often in bonds,
 imprisonments, and necessities; but in all, he learned to be
 content, to bring his mind to his condition, and make the best
 of it. Pride, unbelief, vain hankering after something we have
 not got, and fickle disrelish of present things, make men
 discontented even under favourable circumstances. Let us pray
 for patient submission and hope when we are abased; for humility
 and a heavenly mind when exalted. It is a special grace to have
 an equal temper of mind always. And in a low state not to lose
 our comfort in God, nor distrust his providence, nor take any
 wrong course for our own supply. In a prosperous condition not
 to be proud, or secure, or worldly. This is a harder lesson than
 the other; for the temptations of fulness and prosperity are
 more than those of affliction and want. The apostle had no
 design to urge them to give more, but to encourage such kindness
 as will meet a glorious reward hereafter. Through Christ we have
 grace to do what is good, and through him we must expect the
 reward; and as we have all things by him, let us do all things
 for him, and to his glory.

06318
 #20-23 The apostle ends with praises to God. We should look upon
 God, under all our weakness and fears, not as an enemy, but as a
 Father, disposed to pity us and help us. We must give glory to
 God as a Father. God's grace and favour, which reconciled souls
 enjoy, with the whole of the graces in us, which flow from it,
 are all purchased for us by Christ's merit, and applied by his
 pleading for us; and therefore are justly called the grace of
 our Lord Jesus Christ.
06322
 ** This epistle was sent because of some difficulties which
 arose among the Colossians, probably from false teachers, in
 consequence of which they sent to the apostle. The scope of the
 epistle is to show, that all hope of man's redemption is founded
 on Christ, in whom alone are all complete fulness, perfections,
 and sufficiency. The Colossians are cautioned against the
 devices of judaizing teachers, and also against the notions of
 carnal wisdom, and human inventions and traditions, as not
 consistent with full reliance on Christ. In the first two
 chapters the apostle tells them what they must believe, and in
 the two last what they must do; the doctrine of faith, and the
 precepts of life for salvation.

 * The apostle Paul salutes the Colossians, and blesses God for
 their faith, love, and hope. (1-8) Prays for their fruitfulness
 in spiritual knowledge. (9-14) Gives a glorious view of Christ.
 (15-23) And sets out his own character, as the apostle of the
 Gentiles. (24-29)

 #1-8 All true Christians are brethren one to another.
 Faithfulness runs through every character and relation of the
 Christian life. Faith, hope, and love, are the three principal
 graces in the Christian life, and proper matter for prayer and
 thanksgiving. The more we fix our hopes on the reward in the
 other world, the more free shall we be in doing good with our
 earthly treasure. It was treasured up for them, no enemy could
 deprive them of it. The gospel is the word of truth, and we may
 safely venture our souls upon it. And all who hear the word of
 the gospel, ought to bring forth the fruit of the gospel, obey
 it, and have their principles and lives formed according to it.
 Worldly love arises, either from views of interest or from
 likeness in manners; carnal love, from the appetite for
 pleasure. To these, something corrupt, selfish, and base always
 cleaves. But Christian love arises from the Holy Spirit, and is
 full of holiness.

06330
 #9-14 The apostle was constant in prayer, that the believers
 might be filled with the knowledge of God's will, in all wisdom.
 Good words will not do without good works. He who undertakes to
 give strength to his people, is a God of power, and of glorious
 power. The blessed Spirit is the author of this. In praying for
 spiritual strength, we are not straitened, or confined in the
 promises, and should not be so in our hopes and desires. The
 grace of God in the hearts of believers is the power of God; and
 there is glory in this power. The special use of this strength
 was for sufferings. There is work to be done, even when we are
 suffering. Amidst all their trials they gave thanks to the
 Father of our Lord Jesus, whose special grace fitted them to
 partake of the inheritance provided for the saints. To bring
 about this change, those were made willing subjects of Christ,
 who were slaves of Satan. All who are designed for heaven
 hereafter, are prepared for heaven now. Those who have the
 inheritance of sons, have the education of sons, and the
 disposition of sons. By faith in Christ they enjoyed this
 redemption, as the purchase of his atoning blood, whereby
 forgiveness of sins, and all other spiritual blessings were
 bestowed. Surely then we shall deem it a favour to be delivered
 from Satan's kingdom and brought into that of Christ, knowing
 that all trials will soon end, and that every believer will be
 found among those who come out of great tribulation.

06336
 #15-23 Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of
 the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the
 Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold
 the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten
 before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is
 the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the
 eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created
 by Him, were created for him; being made by his power, they were
 made according to his pleasure, and for his praise and glory. He
 not only created them all at first, but it is by the word of his
 power that they are upheld. Christ as Mediator is the Head of
 the body, the church; all grace and strength are from him; and
 the church is his body. All fulness dwells in him; a fulness of
 merit and righteousness, of strength and grace for us. God
 showed his justice in requiring full satisfaction. This mode of
 redeeming mankind by the death of Christ was most suitable. Here
 is presented to our view the method of being reconciled. And
 that, notwithstanding the hatred of sin on God's part, it
 pleased God to reconcile fallen man to himself. If convinced
 that we were enemies in our minds by wicked works, and that we
 are now reconciled to God by the sacrifice and death of Christ
 in our nature, we shall not attempt to explain away, nor yet
 think fully to comprehend these mysteries; but we shall see the
 glory of this plan of redemption, and rejoice in the hope set
 before us. If this be so, that God's love is so great to us,
 what shall we do now for God? Be frequent in prayer, and abound
 in holy duties; and live no more to yourselves, but to Christ.
 Christ died for us. But wherefore? That we should still live in
 sin? No; but that we should die to sin, and live henceforth not
 to ourselves, but to Him.

06345
 #24-29 Both the sufferings of the Head and of the members are
 called the sufferings of Christ, and make up, as it were, one
 body of sufferings. But He suffered for the redemption of the
 church; we suffer on other accounts; for we do but slightly
 taste that cup of afflictions of which Christ first drank
 deeply. A Christian may be said to fill up that which remains of
 the sufferings of Christ, when he takes up his cross, and after
 the pattern of Christ, bears patiently the afflictions God
 allots to him. Let us be thankful that God has made known to us
 mysteries hidden from ages and generations, and has showed the
 riches of his glory among us. As Christ is preached among us,
 let us seriously inquire, whether he dwells and reigns in us;
 for this alone can warrant our assured hope of his glory. We
 must be faithful to death, through all trials, that we may
 receive the crown of life, and obtain the end of our faith, the
 salvation of our souls.