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 having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
THERE is one great mystery spoken of through- out the Scriptures, connected indeed with innumer- able other truths, but itself the centre and substance of them all : this mystery is Christ crucified. St. Paul in particular insists upon it in all his epistles ; he declares that it was the one only thing which he deemed necessary for him to preach, or for his people to be acquainted with. He takes every occasion of magnifying its importance, and of urging his con- verts to maintain the strictest regard to it. This ap- pears remarkably in the preceding context a; wherein
a See Col. i. 27, 28. and ii. 1—4, 6, 7.
not only the mystery itself is stated, but the rich benefits arising from it are largely recited. Having in general terms said, " We are complete in Christ," he enters more minutely into the subject, and de- clares that we have communion with him in the whole of his humiliation and exaltation, being " cir- cumcised in him, and buried with him, and risen with him," and, in short, partakers of all his victories and triumphs.
In the text, three benefits are enumerated as con- ferred by him upon his believing people, and which we propose for our present consideration. If we were to adhere strictly to the order of time in which these benefits were procured for us and imparted to us, we must take the latter clauses of the text first : but, as this is not necessary, we shall rather notice them as they stand ; and observe, I. He has " quickened us when dead" —
The state of the Gentile world fitly represents the state of every unregenerate man —
[We are dead before God, and doomed to everlasting
death, on account of our sins b We are also under
the habitual influence of the most corrupt desires, the mortify- ing of which was signified by the rite of circumcision, and the indulgence of which characterizes those who are uncir- cumcised in heart c We have no spiritual life what- ever; nor are we even conscious of our own guilt and corruption ; so justly may we be said to be altogether " dead in our sins."]
But God has quickened us with, and by, his Son —
[There is a federal relation subsisting between Christ and his people ; so that when he was circumcised, they were circumcised ; when he died, they died ; when he rose, they rose. In all that he did and suffered, he was their repre- sentative, and they had communion with him as members with their head.
But besides this, they have a vital union with him, so as actually to receive life and vigour from him, whereby they
rise to newness of life d In this restoration to life
they are conformed to his likeness; they come forth from the grave of sin and corruption, and soar in their affections to the highest heavens, where from thenceforth their conversation is, and where they shall have their everlasting abode.]
b Gal. iii. 10. c Tit. ill. 3. Eph. ii. 3. d Gal. ii. 20.
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