DIRECTIONS

ΤΟ

THE CONVERTED,

FOR THEIR

ESTABLISHMENT, GROWTH, AND PERSEVERANCE.

As

ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Col. ii. 6, 7.

THE Apostle Paul spoke with a father's affection of those, amongst whom he went preaching the kingdom of God.' He anxiously watched over them as his children, desiring to build them up in the faith of Christ. Sometimes he rejoiced with them in their steadfastness; sometimes he mourned over their divisions. He abounded towards them in reproof, exhortation, and encouragement, as towards his dear children.' He warned them to take heed, lest he should have laboured for them

B

in vain,' and they should have 'run in vain;' lest they should be fallen from grace, and Christ should profit them nothing.' We find him, as one that is yet between hope and fear of them, directing and exhorting them to spiritual steadfastness, and growth, and perseverance to the end; and this is the work which we here find him upon with the Colossians in this text, which containeth, 1. A supposition of a work (the great work) already done, viz. that they have received Christ Jesus the Lord.' 2. An inference of further duty, and exhortation thereto, which, in sum, is their confirmation and progress. The parts of this duty are expressed in several metaphors. The first is taken from a tree or other plant, and is called our rooting in Christ.' After the receiving of Christ, there is a further rootedness in him to be sought. The second is taken from a building, and is called a 'being built up in him,' as a house is upon the foundation. All the work is not done when the chief corner-stone and foundation is laid. The third part is taken from those pillars and stronger parts of the building which are firm upon the foundation, and is called a being 'stablished or confirmed in the faith.' And having made mention of faith, lest they should hearken to innovations and the conceits of men under the pretence of faith, he addeth, 'as ye have been taught,' to shew them what faith or religion it is that they must be established in, even that which by the apostles they had been taught. And lastly, he expresseth the measure that they should aim at, and one special

way in which their faith should be exercised, ' abounding therein in thanksgiving.' It is of little importance whether we take the relative to refer to Christ, and read it with the Vulgate, abounding in him with thanksgiving;' or, as the Ethiopic, abound with thanksgiving to him;' or whether we take it as relating to thanksgiving itself, as the Arabic translator, and some Greek copies have it, abounding in thanksgiving,' or abounding in such thanksgiving;' or, as the ordinary Greek copies and the Syriac translator, referring it to faith, abounding in it, (that is, in that faith,) with thanksgiving.' For in the upshot it comes to the same, 'to abound in Christ,' and 'to abound in faith in Christ,' and 'to abound in a believing thanksgiving to Christ.' And all this is comprehended in one foregoing general of 'walking in Christ,' the whole life of a Christian being divided into these two parts,-receiving Christ, and walking in him.

6

Here are these several terms, therefore, briefly to be opened. 1. What is meant by receiving Christ Jesus the Lord.' 2. What is meant by walking in him. 3. What by being rooted in him. 、 4. What by being built up in him. 5. What by being confirmed or stablished in the faith. 6. What by this directive limitation, 'as ye have been taught.' 7. What by abounding therein with thanksgiving. And, for the first, you must observe the act and the object: the act is, 'receiving;' the object is, 'Christ Jesus the Lord.' To receive Christ, is not only (as some annotators mistake it) to receive his

doctrine, though it is certain that his doctrine must be received, and that the rest is implied in this,but when the understanding receiveth the gospel by assent, the will also accepteth or receiveth Christ as he is offered, by consent: and both these together are the receiving of Christ; that is, the true justifying faith of God's elect. It is not, therefore, a physical passive reception, as wood receiveth the fire, and as our souls receive the graces of the Spirit; but it is a moral reception, or reputative, which is active or metaphorical. This will be better understood when the object is considered, which is, 'Christ Jesus the Lord.' To receive Christ as Christ, or the anointed Messias, and as the Saviour and our Lord, is to believe that he is such, and to consent that he be such to us, and to trust in him, and resign ourselves to him as such. The relation we do indeed receive by a proper passive reception; I mean, our relation of being the redeemed members, subjects, disciples of this Christ. But the person of Christ we only receive by such an active, moral, reputative reception, as a servant by consent receives a master, a patient by consent receives a physician. So that it is the same thing that is called receiving Jesus the Lord,' and 'believing in him,' as it is expounded, John i. 12.

6

There are three great observable acts of faith essential to it: the first is, assent to the truth of the gospel; the second is, consent or acceptance of Christ and life as the offered good; the third is, affiance in Christ for the accomplishing of the ends