reconciled, in that true human body of his, by suffering death for you, that he might present you holy, &c.

I. 23. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Which mercy of reconciliation and peace ye shall be sure to receive, if ye continue constantly firm in that true faith and Christian hope, which hath been wrought in you by the Gospel; which Gospel ye have had preached unto you; and not to you only hath it been taught, but to all the nations under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

I. 24. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

Who now rejoice in those persecutions, which I suffer for your sake, yea for Christ's: every Saint of God is a member of Christ's body, and Christ therefore suffers in him: thus it is then with me; my afflictions are Christ's; and I do, in suffering, fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ, in my flesh, for his Church's sake :

I. 25. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Of which Church I am made a minister, according to the dispensation, which is committed to me of God, for your behoof; that I may fully deliver that errand which I have received, of preaching the Gospel to you, and to the rest of the Gentiles every where;

I. 26. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints :

Even this mystery of salvation by Christ revealed to the Gentiles, which hath been hid from former ages and from the fore-passed generations of our forefathers; but now is made clearly manifest to his Saints :

I. 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this nystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

To whom God would make known, what is the glorious riches and treasure of this great mystery of the Gospel, for the salvation of the Gentiles, as well as of the chosen people of the Jews; the sum and substance of which mystery and Gospel, is Jesus Christ, in whom only ye have the hope of eternal glory.

II. 1. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

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For I would that that ye knew what great care, and anxiety, and self-conflicts I have within me, for you and for your neighbours of Laodicea; and for all other converts to Christ; which have not seen my face, nor enjoyed my bodily pre

sence;

II. 2. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ ;

That their hearts may be furnished with the rich and full understanding of the Gospel of Christ, and may be settled in the perfect acknowledgement of the great mystery of religion, wherein God is revealed to men, even God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son;

II. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

In whom alone are laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; so as that without him they cannot be had, and by him they are imparted unto his faithful ones for their salvation.

II. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him :

As ye have, therefore, received the true doctrine concerning Christ Jesus the Lord, so do ye persist and persevere therein:

II. 7. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Ye are living plants; ye must be fast rooted in the soil of Christ: ye are living stones; ye must be laid fast and firmly mortered upon the foundation of Christ: ye must be strongly stablished in the true faith of Christ, as ye have been taught by your faithful teachers, Archippus and Epaphras; abounding, more and more, in the knowledge and profession thereof, with thankfulness to God, for that light which he hath imparted unto you.

II. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Beware, lest any man make a prey of you, through the false pretence of secular wisdom; as mixing divine things with human, and measuring heavenly mysteries by their natural reason; or, through the vain enforcement of Jewish rites and ceremonies: both which kinds of false teachers form their doctrines after the uncertain and mis-devised traditions of men; or after the beggarly rudiments of the world, viz. the ceremonies of the Law, which are now out of date; and not after the truth of Christ.

II. 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

For in him the whole Godhead dwelleth essentially, and the Divine Nature is not only united to the soul of Christ, but to the body also; and in him hath God fully revealed himself to the world.

II. 10. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power :

And ye are, in and by him, filled with all saving grace and divine knowledge; even in him, who is your Head; and not yours only, but the Head of all the heavenly angels, even those mighty and powerful spirits above :

II. 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

In whom also ye are spiritually circumcised in your hearts, by that inward circumcision which is made by his Holy Spirit, and not by the hands of men; in that ye have, by his gracious work in you, put off your sinful corruptions, through the virtue of that circumcision, not which Moses but which Christ hath wrought in you.

II. 12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

The effect of which circumcision ye have received; in that ye have received that baptism, which succeeds that other legal Sacrament: ye are therefore circumcised, in that ye are baptized; and ye are in baptism buried together with Christ, in respect of the mortification of your sins, represented by lying under the water; and, in the same baptism, ye rise up with him in newness of life, represented by your rising up out of the water again; through that faith of yours, which is grounded upon the mighty power of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

II. 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

And you being once altogether dead in your sins, and in the spiritual uncircumcision of your hearts, hath he quickened, and raised up to a life of grace and new obedience, together with himself, by the power of his Resurrection; having forgiven you all those trespasses, wherein ye formerly lay;

II. 14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Blotting out, by his precious blood, that obligatory bond of Mosaical ordinances and ceremonies, which carried in them a secret accusation of our guiltiness; and cancelled it utterly, nailing it to his cross, as void and of none effect;

II. 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

And, having spoiled the principalities and powers of hell, he made a shew openly, leading them, as manacled captives, after him; being exalted upon the triumphant chariot of his Cross.

II. 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Since therefore the Mosaical ceremonies are thus abrogated, let no man judge you, in matter of eating or drinking; or in respect of your solemn annual festivities, of Pasch, Pentecost, Tabernacles; or of your monthly feasts of New Moons; or of your weekly feasts, the Jewish Sabbaths:

II. 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Which observations are only types and shadows of things, which were then to come; but the body and substance, shadowed and figured out by them, is Christ.

II. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly

mind.

Let no man beguile you of your prize, which is laid ready at the goal for you, by drawing you aside, under pretences of voluntary humility, to those opinions and practices which are not warrantable; as to worship the Angels, under colour of an awful modesty, in not going first to God, without a mediation: out of a bold curiosity intruding himself into the profession of knowing that, which he hath not seen; and vainly puffed up with a proud conceit of his own skill;

II. 19. And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

And not holding himself to the true knowledge of Christ, who is the only Head of the Church; from whom, all the body of his universal Church, being knit together by the joints and bands of one common Spirit, receiveth due spiritual nourishment, and groweth up and increaseth in the graces of God, till it come to a full stature.

II. 20, 21, 22. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Wherefore, if ye have part in Christ's death, by which these Mosaical ordinances are abrogated and abolished, why, as though ye were still of the world and had no interest in Christ,

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are ye subject to the rites and ordinances of the Ceremonial Law, (as to stand upon the terms of Touch not this, Taste not that, Handle not that other; All which meats and drinks, whereof they are so scrupulous, perish with the using, and have no further being after they are received) interpreted and urged after the commandments and traditions of men?

II. 23. Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in willworship, and humility, an and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Which opinions and practices of theirs are such, as wherein they make indeed a great shew of wisdom and piety, professing a voluntary humiliation, and afflicting of themselves with hard usages of the body, in fasting and abstinence; and not yielding that due respect and care to the body, which were meet for the moderate and fit sustentation thereof.

III. 3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

It is not for you, to affect the things of the world: for ye are dead to the world, and to all the vain and sinful motions and desires thereof; but ye have already, and shall enjoy hereafter, another manner of life, which the world cannot see or discern; for it is hid and laid up with Christ, in God; as out of the knowledge, so out of the danger of the world.

III. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, &c.

Mortify therefore all the limbs of your earthly and sinful corruptions; fornication, uncleanness, &c.

III. 9. Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Seeing that ye have put off your old depraved nature, with the sinful works thereof;

III. 10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him :

And are professed, that ye are become new men, renewed in knowledge and all holy disposition; after the image of God, who hath created this new heart in you:

III. 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, &c.

In which business of renovation, there is no respect of persons at all, whether a man be a Jew or a Greek, &c. but every man is accepted, according to that measure wherein Christ his Saviour, and his Holy Spirit, dwells and works in him.

III. 12. Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.

Contrary, therefore, to those limbs of your corruptions, take to yourselves, as it becomes the elect children of God, holy