PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Horae Homileticae — Volume 18 of 21
Simeon, Charles, 1759-1836 · 232,894 words · 530 reading sections
188 Colossians, Ii. 3. [2174.
men in general, and even learned divines, endeavour to soften down the Scripture declarations of man's guilt and misery : some deny that we are fallen at all ; and assert that we come into the world as pure as Adam did from his Creator's hands. Others allow that we are fallen, but deny that we are involved in the…
396 wordsSECTION 1822174.] The Fulness That Is In Christ. 189
one suppose that he understands the Gospel well enough : this it is that leads men to deride all idea of mystery, and to reduce the Gospel to a system of heathen ethics. This view of our state by nature super- sedes all occasion for the Gospel; every part of which supposes man to be a guilty, polluted, helpless cr…
405 wordsSECTION 183190 Colossians, Ii. 3. [2174.
as the true source of our redemption : " We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory f :" and he declares that the manifestation of them to the world under the Christian dispensation was eminently committed to him, and was to be a source of …
379 wordsSECTION 1842174.] The Fulness That Is In Christ. 191
From these counsels results all the work of Christ. He in due time left the bosom of his Father, took our nature, was born of a pure virgin, fulfilled the law, offered himself a sacrifice for sin, rose from the dead, and ascended up to heaven to carry on and perfect the work which he began on earth. Think of all t…
388 wordsSECTION 185192 Colossians, Ii. 3. [2174.
sin ? How could the truth of God be preserved, if his threatenings were not executed, either against the sinner himself, or against one who should be substituted in his place ? Men speak of God's mercy as if that was the only attribute to be displayed, and as if it was of no consequence whether his other attri- b…
348 wordsSECTION 1862174.] The Fulness That Is In Christ. 193
not a much higher pitch among the unenlightened heathen, than amongst ourselves. But who amongst the heathen could ever find out God ? Who could ever dive into his counsels ? Who could account for the actual state of things as they existed in the world ? Who could tell how a sinful man might he accepted of his Go…
355 wordsSECTION 187194 Colossians, Ii. 3. [2174.
prophecies, or in the types and shadows of the law, or in the fuller revelation of the Gospel, is ever the same ; nor can all the subtilty of men or devils invalidate so much as one single point. Indeed, though received on the credit of the inspired writers, it so commends itself to the believer, as to approve to…
404 wordsSECTION 18821 74. J The Fulness That Is In Christ. 135
shall " a way-faring man, though a fool, be left to err therein." Lastly, What can be compared with it in point of utility ? We deny not but that knowledge of various kinds is replete with benefit to man : but that benefit is bounded by this world, and the present state of things. Not so the knowledge of which we…
380 wordsSECTION 189196 Colossians, Ii. S. [2174.
they be an acceptable offering to him, when they were cleansed and purified from their corruption1. Thus also must your learning be sanctified : it must not be set in competition with the word of God, but be made subservient to it. Beware then lest it blind your eyes, and fill you with a conceit that you do not n…
388 wordsSECTION 190The Character Of Christians.
a hill." Or, if our sphere be circumscribed within narrower limits, we shall at least have this benefit, that we are " made wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus." Col. ii. 6, 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him ; rooted and built up in him, and stablished…
334 wordsSECTION 191198 Colossians, Ii. 6, 7. [2175.
upon him Let him only be able to say, " My Beloved is mine, and I am his," and he desires no more. In possessing Christ, he possesses all things'1."] In connexion however with this gift we must notice, II. His duty — Privilege and duty are inseparable. Though we receive all from God as a free gift, we yet have d…
352 wordsSECTION 1922176. J Proper Deity Of Christ. 199
[The idea of walking necessarily imports progress, as does that of building also. Now, no man is content with laying a foundation : he will go on to build upon it a superstructure, till at last he has completed the edifice. Thus must we also do when we receive Christ into our souls : we must build upon him all our…
313 wordsSECTION 193200 Colossians, Ii. 9. [2176.
Col. ii. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. THE Church of Christ in the first ages was com- posed of Jews and Gentiles. Now, the Jews were at all times fond of their own superstitions, as the Gen- tiles were of the dogmas of philosophy : and the two, meeting together upon one common ground, …
440 wordsSECTION 1942176.] Proper Deity Of Christ. 201
the Godhead, as give it to him ; since we, no less than he, are said to be " filled with all the fulness of God." But, on a closer inspection, there will be found a wide difference between all the foregoing passages and our text. The fulness spoken of in the text is the fulness of " the Godhead ;" residing in Chris…
501 wordsSECTION 195202 Colossi Ans, Ii. 9. [2176.
mystery of godliness ; God was manifest in the flesh1." What shall I say more ? It is clear, that it was " God, who pur- chased the Church with his own blood k :" and that He who wrought out for us a righteousness wherein we are to be accepted before God, is Jehovah himself1. Know ye then, assuredly, that the glor…
443 wordsSECTION 1962176.] Proper Deity Of Christ. 203
emboldens us to deliver our message to sinful men. We be- lieve " that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them :" and there- fore, " as ambassadors from God, we beseech men, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God11."] 2. From that arises his ability to sup…
455 wordsSECTION 197204 Colossians, Ii. 9. [2176.
incarnate God, " the first and the last, who lived, and was dead, and is alive for evermore q."j Conclusion — 1. Let this doctrine, then, be deeply fixed in your minds — [Hold it not slightly and superficially ; but acquaint yourselves with it, and with the irrefragable proofs whereby it is established. Those wh…
403 wordsSECTION 198The Christian'S Completeness In Christ.
Col. ii. 10 — 12. Ye are complete in him, which is the Head of all principality and power : 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 : buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him throu…
334 wordsSECTION 199206 Colossians, Ii. 10—12. [2177.
had, or pretended to have, a great veneration for Moses, could not part with the traditions which they had received from their fathers, and which they sup- posed to be highly conducive to their spiritual benefit. But St. Paul tells both the one and the other, that they needed no help from the creature, since " in …
396 wordsSECTION 2002177.] The Christian'S Completeness In Christ. 207
operations of the Holy Spirit for the transformation of our souls into the Divine image? Can it further, in any one respect, the everlasting redemption of our souls, so that we shall say, this is the work of philosophy, and not of Christ ? If the maxims of philosophy cannot effect any thing, can its deities ? Can …
404 wordsSECTION 201208 Colossians, Ii. 10—12. [2177.
Consider distinctly wherein this conformity con- sists— [Was he circumcised ? We have the true circumcision of the heart ; that " which is made without hands, and which consists in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh:" and this we have by virtue of our own union with Christ, in whom we have experienced …
692 wordsSECTION 202210 Colossians, Ii. 13—15. [2178.
2. Beware of that false humility which would lead you to intrench upon the sufficiency of Christ — [It was a false humility that led those in the apostolic age to seek other mediators or protectors besides Christ, and other means of obtaining his blessings than by faith alone. But whilst they assumed this " volunt…
434 wordsSECTION 2032178.] Triumphs Of The Cross. 211
Col. ii. 13 — 15. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses ; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the tuay, nailing it to his cross; and havi…
588 wordsSECTION 204212 Colossians, Ii. 13—15. [2178.
In addition to this benefit, II. He has cancelled our obligation to punishment — This he has done in reference to, 1. Past sins — [The trespasses which we commit in our unregenerate state are as numerous as the sands upon the sea shore : yet, on our believing in Christ, they are all forgiven. Whether they have b…
387 wordsSECTION 2052178. J Triumphs Of The Cross. 213
[They have usurped a power over us, and governed us with most despotic swayf ] But Christ has completely triumphed over them upon his cross — [As a conqueror, he invaded the empire of Satan, and rescued millions of the human race from his dominion. He " spoiled the principalities and powers " of hell, and seized …
466 wordsSECTION 206214 Colossians, Ii. 13—15. [2178.
bondage0." Prostrate before him lay the principalities and powers of hell. Yes, Satan, it was thy power that was then broken, thy shame that was then exposed, thy doom that was then irrevocably sealed. Thou art now an object of our con- tempt ; and the weakest amongst us will set his feet upon thy neck, and trembl…
396 wordsSECTION 207The Nature And Use Of The Types.
MMCLXXtX. Col. ii. 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. MAN is naturally addicted to superstition ; partly from a consciousness of his needing mercy from God, and partly from a desire of reconciling himself to God by some meritorious services of his own. The Jewish economy had rat…
343 wordsSECTION 208216 Colossians, Ii. 17. [2179.
These are shadowy representations of Christ and his benefits — [All of them relate to Christ in some view or other ; either to his person and offices, or to his Church and the benefits he confers upon it. They are the shadow, whereof he is the substance : and as a shadow represents, though but faintly, the image …
410 wordsSECTION 2092179.] The Nature And Use Of The Types. 217
\_The types served to shew them what sort of a person their Messiah should be : he was to be a Prophet, like unto Moses, a Priest, like Aaron, a King, like David. He was to be a suffering no less than a reigning Messiah. They further kept up the expectation of him in the world. The first promise had been nearly fo…
503 wordsSECTION 210Holding The Head.
Infer — 1. How great are the privileges of the Christian Church ! [The Jews were oppressed with a yoke of ceremonies, which they were not able to bear — the import of which they could very faintly discern — and the observance of which yielded no permanent satisfaction to their consciences11: but we are freed fro…
317 wordsSECTION 2112180.1 Holding The Head. 219
of the world, and not after Christ a." Again, " Let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the Sab- bath-days ; which are a shadow of things to come : but the body is of Christ V And then, in reference to both the characters, he says, " Let no man beguile yo…
371 wordsSECTION 212220 Colossians, Ii. 19. [2180.
recommended as an indication of humility, it proceeded, in fact, from nothing but pride : for, by " intruding into things which they had not seen," and presuming to go beyond what God had revealed, they shewed that they were " vainly puffed up by their fleshly mind." And, in recommending the adop- tion of these se…
460 wordsSECTION 2132180.] Holding The Head. 221
It is by union with the Lord Jesus Christ that the whole Church subsists — [There is the same union betwixt Christ and his Church as there is betwixt the head and members of the natural body. From the head the vital spirits may be said to flow throughout the whole body : nourishing every part, diffusing strength …
460 wordsSECTION 214222 Colossians, Ii. 19. [2180.
with all care and diligence to "hold fast the Head?" Whether we consider the interests of the Church collectively, or the welfare of every individual believer, there does appear a neces- sity to watch against any interruption of our union with Christ, and to seek from him incessant supplies of grace and strength: …
462 wordsSECTION 2152181.1 A Motive To Heavenly-Mindedness. 223
follow. And so it is when persons are looking for some good- ness of their own whereon to found their hope, or to ivarrant their application to Christ ; they have as little idea of the evil which they commit, or of the consequences that must ensue. But remember, that self must be altogether renounced ; must be ren…
287 wordsSECTION 216224 Colossi Ans, Iii. 1. [2181.
OUR RESURRECTION WITH CHRIST A MOTIVE TO HEAVENLY- MINDEDNESS. Col. iii. 1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ONE of the most distinguished peculiarities of our holy religion is, that it suggests entirely new motives to action. The …
524 wordsSECTION 2172181.] A Motive To Heavenly-Mindedness. 225
II. The considerations with which it is enforced — The Apostle urges upon us our duty on the ground of consistency. Mark, 1. Your professions — [The word " If" does not express any doubt in the Apostle's mind, but imports an acknowledged fact, viz. that the Christian is risen with Christ. It is the same as if he …
497 wordsSECTION 218226 Colossians, Til 1. [2181.
" What shall we say then ; Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin (as we all profess to be) live any longer therein ? Know ye not, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death ? Therefore we are buried with him by baptis…
467 wordsSECTION 219Heavenly-Mindedness.
[If they were Christians who were conformed to Christ in his entombed state, and who sought only the things below, there would be no lack of them in every place : but if those only be Christians who in heart and life are risen with Christ, and who seek only the things above, then are they few indeed. Brethren, try…
357 wordsSECTION 220228 Colossians, Iii. 2. [2182.
goes only to the conduct of men so far as it is visible to those around us : but the Christian code extends to the inmost feelings of the soul ; and requires a conformity to the Saviour himself, not only in the dispositions of his mind whilst he sojourned upon earth, but in the change wrought upon him in his exal…
376 wordsSECTION 2212182.] Heavenly-Mindedness. 229
The term here translated " Set your affections on things above," is more literally rendered, in the margin, " Mind the things that are above." The term imports, not an exercise of the intellectual powers only, but also of the will and the affections ; and such an exercise of them as demonstrates the supreme attach…
415 wordsSECTION 222230 Colossi Ans, Iii. 2. [2182.
[What is there truly valuable in the things of this world ? They have no intrinsic worth : they are only good as being high in the estimation of men : an angel would disregard them all, as much as we should the dirt under our feet. Crowns, kingdoms, empires, what are they all, but the baubles of children, which a …
480 wordsSECTION 2232182.] Heavenly-Mindedness. 231
4. They are more easily to be attained — [Multitudes, however much they were to labour, could never gain earthly distinction : and multitudes who do labour for it with a reasonable hope of success, are left a prey to the most painful disappointments. But who that has the heart of a man is incapable of acquiring he…
462 wordsSECTION 224232 Colossi Ans, Iii. 3, 4. [2183.
is in the enjoyment of life and peace V It may be thought, indeed, that the adoption of evangelical sentiments, and the making an open profession of piety, will supersede this test : but nothing can ever set it aside. The Philippian converts judged that they were in a state of acceptance with God, because they pro…
340 wordsSECTION 2252183.] Exalted State Of A Christian. 233
Col. iii. 3, 4. Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. INNUMERABLE are the advantages which reve- lation gives us over the heathen philosophers : for, whilst it discovers to us a much sublimer rule of con- duct…
497 wordsSECTION 226234 Colossi Ans, Iii. 3, 4. [2183.
But the believer must be yet further viewed by us in, II. His glorious expectations — The Saviour, though once as unknown by the world as they, and still more despised, shall one day appear again in glory— [The time is fast approaching, when he shall descend from heaven in his own glory, and in the glory of his …
424 wordsSECTION 22721 83. J Exalted State Of A Christian. 235
" dead to sin :" in both cases, the soul is hid with Christ in God. Again, when our life was committed to the keeping of the first Adam, he, though perfect, and in Paradise, suffered it to be wrested from him by the subtilty of Satan. To pre- vent a recurrence of such a calamity, our renewed life is not committed …
433 wordsSECTION 228Christ Is All.
Col. iii. 11. Christ is all, and in all. MEN are ever ready to value themselves upon their natural endowments, their civil distinctions, or their religious privileges ; and to imagine that a pre- eminence in these things gives them some kind of claim to honour and respect, even from God himself. But nothing which…
318 wordsSECTION 2292184.3 Christ Is All. 237
which he has accomplished ? Who can bring forth any works of supererogation or perfection that shall eke out his right- eousness, or give weight and efficacy to his sacrifice ? Surely Christ alone must be acknowledged as " the author of eternal salvation0."] 2. In imparting it — [The state of mankind may be fitly…
493 wordsSECTION 230238 Colossians, Iii. 11. [2184.
life11" should for one instant withhold his quickening influ- ence0. From hence it is that we are necessitated to " live entirely by faith in the Son of God," and to " receive con- tinually out of his fulnessp."] 4. In completing it — [While we continue in the body, we shall be as dependent upon Christ for every …
425 wordsSECTION 2312184.] Christ Is All. 239
him their all, they make him almost nothing. Do such persons honour Christ? or can they expect to be honoured by him before the assembled universe? Even true believers will see much cause to be ashamed, when they reflect how low their thoughts of Christ have been, and how cold their de- voutest affections towards …
467 wordsSECTION 232The Importance Of Sanctification.
3. For comfort — [Doubtless, to those who determine to abide in sin, no consolation whatever can be administered, for " the wrath of God does, and ever will, abide upon them :" but to those who would forsake sin, though they be now the very chief of sinners, our text affords unspeakable comfort. They are not to he…
381 wordsSECTION 2332185.1 Importance Of Sanctification. 241
It is undeniable that the verses which precede and follow our text refer to sanctificationb; nor is there any thing which properly relates to our justification : and therefore we have a strong presumptive ground for interpreting the words of our text in reference to the new nature, which is spoken of in the verse …
417 wordsSECTION 234242 Colossians, Iii. 11. [2185.
What did he design in the redemption of the world at large ? [When first he determined to rescue man from perdition, he decreed that he would " create us anew in Christ Jesus unto good works, in which he ordained that we should walkd." The means which he used for the accomplishment of our sal- vation had especial…
452 wordsSECTION 2352 185. J Importance Of Sanctification. 243
Nothing but that is regarded by him in this world — [The external ordinances of religion are not only worth- less, but even hateful, in his sight, if destitute of solid piety11. On the other hand, the smallest particle of genuine goodness is not overlooked by himx. Even the semblance of it has some- times been rew…
480 wordsSECTION 236244 Colossi Ans, Iii. 11. [2185.
1 . Ye children of this world — [How far are ye from according with God. With him, Christ is all ; with you, the world. If ye may but enjoy the pleasures, the honours, the riches of the world, ye care not about the image of Christ : to be rich in faith and good works is not the object of your ambition: that you le…
458 wordsSECTION 237Christian Constancy Displayed.
putting off the old man with its lusts r, and putting on the new man with all its characteristic graces s. Be "growing up thus into Christ in all things as your living Head1," till you have arrived at the full measure of the stature of Christ u :" and when you have attained a perfect meetness for the enjoyment of …
374 wordsSECTION 238246 Colossians, Iii. 12—14. [2186.
inasmuch as this transformation of the soul into the Divine image, or " the forming of Christ within us," is that which, beyond all other marks of distinction, will operate to our final acceptance with Godd, the Apostle urges us to meet God, as it were, upon his own terms : " Put on, therefore" the new man : and …
379 wordsSECTION 2392186.] Christian Constancy Displayed. 247
alleviate in any other way. And towards every person with whom we come in contact, whether he be a superior, an equal, or an inferior, yea, and whether he be a friend or foe, we should " put on kindness," and exercise nothing but bene- volence. As least of all, we should be ever ready to take the lowest place, " p…
454 wordsSECTION 240248 Colossians, Iii. 12—14. [2186.
perform its proper office ; and love, presiding, will keep every Christian grace in full activity. This, therefore, we must " put on, over all, and above all" the other graces that have been mentioned ; that so nothing may be wanting to the proper discharge of all our duties.] That I may the better commend to you …
435 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical edition (1832-33); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.