» Here he ſuggeſts the ground of his inſiſting upon the ex- cellent treaſures of the ſaving knowledge of Chrift, and the ample deſcription of him. o To this end that he might forti- tie them againſt deluſion by paralogiſms, or ſophiſtical and falſe reaſonings, fallacious arguing (as the word notes Fm. 1. 22.) under a colourable pretence and ſhew of wiſdom, v. 8, 18, 23. p Set off with Rhetorical ſuaſions and imbelliſhments, intimating the prevalence of ſuch blandiſhments with fair words, and zood ſpeeches to ſeduce the ſimple (if the heart were not eftabli':,:4 with grace, Rom. 16. 18. and Y. 14. Eph. 5. 6. Heb. 12. 8, 9.) and therefore eſteeming the excellent knowledge of Chrift and being found in him, Phil. 3. $,9. they ſhould beware of what- ever under a ſhew of Religion is introduced to ſeduce them from the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt, 2 Cor. 11. 3.
5 For though I be abſeat in the fleſh, yet am I with you in the ſpirit q, joying and beholding, your order 7, and the ſtedfaſtneſs of your faith in Chriſt /.
q To prevent any ſurmiſe that his diſtance at Rome might take him off from minding of them at Colofſe, he ſhews that the great affection he bare to them did oblige him to intereſs him- ſelf in all their concerns, (the care of all the Churches being in- cumbent on him, 2 Cor. 11. 28.) and therefore that his bodily confinement at Rome, did not hinder his preſence with them in ſpi- rit. Not that we can'zonclude by ſome extraordinary operati- on of the Holy Ghoſt, God gave him now and then a clear pro- ſpect of what they did, as he did to Eliſha of Gzhaz7's behaviour, 2 Kings 5. 26. and of Ezekiel in Babylon, of the ſecret a&ions of the Fews in Feruſalemz but that he was with them as with the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 5.3. when diſtant in body, his thoughts and affeAions were exerciſed about them. » As it follows there, as moving of fears leſt they ſhould be enſnared, ſo of joy, un- derſtanding their order, 7. e. their good Eftate, conftitution and conſent in orderly walking and diſcipline, xz Cor. 14. 40. L Theſ. 4. 1. and 5. 14. { And the firmament of their faich in Chriſt, it being (if genuine) as firm as the firmament it ſelf ; ſtable as the Heavens and heavenly bodies, keeping their con- ſtant ſtations and regular courſes, and admitting nothing hetero- geneous into them 3; All heavenly truths are as fixt Stars in this Orb; ſeeing all grace, becauſe divine, hath an eſtabliſhing pro- perty, ſo faith coming from the eternal mountains, All graces being connected in faith, which is a kind of firmament to them all, it comes to pals that faith in a&uating any one grace, gives a ſtrength, and turther growth to every other grace.
Lord ?, fo. walk ye in him #.
t Having caution'd them againft ſophiſtical ſeducers, and commended them for that order and ſound faith he underſtood to be amonglt them, he here infers an exhortation to continu- ance in both, eſpecially in the latter with reſpe& to the perſon of Chriſt according as he had before deſcribed him; tor he doth not ſay as ye have received the do#rin of Chriſt or- con- cerning Chriſt, but as ye have received Chriſt himſelf, as Fohy I. 11, 12. and 1 Fohn 5+ 11, 12. in whom is all treaſur'd up for Salvation, he adds not only Feſ#s (who came to fave his People from their {ins) but zhe Lord, intimating they ſhould not there- fore ſuffer any rules of faith or life to be impoſed upon them by any other whatſoever. « But ſhould b- perſwaded to abide in him whom they had embraced and order their converſation accor- ding to his mind, 1 Thefſ. 4. 1. knowing that he is the way, the truth, and the life, Foby 14. 6. being led by his ſpirit, and deriving virtue to go on in this orderly walk and perſevere in the faith.
w Shewing how they ſhould abide and perſevere in the faith, by continuing in him as branches do in the root, Foby 15. 4. and reſting upon him as a building upon the foundation, //:z. 28. 16. 1 Cor. 3» 11. Eph. 2. 22. x And being firm and ſettled in the faith, as 1 7et. 5. 10. he adds this, not only to clear the metas phorical expreſſions before, but to ſhew that they ſhould be growing ſtronger as to the internal habit, 7/al. 92. 13, 14» y He repeats as it were in a parentheſis (as ye have been taught) upon the matter, the ſame with as ye have received Chriſt in the former verſe, for greater caution to them, who might be apt to have itching ears, that they ſhould not be liſtening to any novel Dodrins, but abide in the faith of Chriſt. x Sitting down with themſelves according to the ſuperabounding grace they had, Roms 5» 20» With 1 Cor. 4. $. to abound and increaſe therein, 1 Cor» 15+ 5$. 2 Pet. 1. $. having herein all the ſaving knowledge defirable, without need of the addition of ought any other way z being thankful to God that he had revealed ſuch a Chriſt, his Chriſt to them 3 for they could not have a better, or another.
3 * Beware
Chap. II,
6 * As ye have therefore received Chriſt Jeſus the « Jude 3;
7 * Rooted and built up in him w, and ſtabliſh- * Eph. 2. ed in the faith x, as ye have been taught y abound- 21, 22. & ing therein with thankſgiving z. 2. 17.
Chap. I.
KROM. 1 6» 7. Heb. 12.
Gs *Mat. 1 Jo
2, + Or, ete- #11
2 * Beware 4 leſt any man ſpoil you b through philoſophy c and vain deceit 4, after the * tradi- tion of men e, after the - rudiments of the world f,
and not after Chr g.