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and legal ceremonies. 21 (Touch not, taste not, handle not;

Worshipping of angels, Colossians. was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his

cross;

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

16 Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath-days;

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

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;

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.

20 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,i

See note on last page. In it, that is, by the cross. iWhy subject yourselves to the ordinances of men; especially to such as the following; Touch not, taste not, handle not any thing whatever, that tends to the destruction of life in order to its being used. Paul here probably refers to the precepts of the Pythagorean philosophy, which for

22 Which all are to perish with the using,) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

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

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CHAP. III. He sheweth where to seek Christ: 5 He exhorteth to mortification, 10 to put off the old man, and to put on Christ, 12 and to sundry other duties.

IF ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

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

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5 Mortify, therefore, your

bade the use of animal food, because it was not lawful to take the life of animals.

j Neglecting of the body, mortifying the body by abstinence. But Paul says, these Pythagorean precepts had not the appearance of wisdom from any proper provision they made for satisfying, or for the support of the body.

Divers exhortations

Chap. iii.

members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry;

6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time,a when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man b with his deeds

;

10 And have put on the new man,c which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him ;d

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all.

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

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

a Sometime, formerly.

b The old man, your old, corrupt nature.

per.

The new man, a Christian tem

d After the image of him (of God),

who hath created him.

to several duties.

14 And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.e

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things; for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.

21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service,f as men-pleasers; but in singleness g of heart, fearing God:

23 And whatsoever ye do,

e And over all these graces or ornaments of the new man, put on love.

f Not with eye-service, not only when their eye is on you.

g Singleness, or integrity of heart.

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do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.

CHAP. IV.

1 IIe exhorteth to be fervent in prayer, 5 and to walk wisely toward them that are not yet come to the true knowledge of Christ: 10 he saluteth them, &c. MASTERS, give unto your servants that, which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

5 Walk in Wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt,a that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

a Seasoned with salt, with piety & virtue. We are told, that salt, on account of its use in preserving food, and rendering it palatable, was anciently made an emblem of wisdom

salutations.

All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister, and fellow-servant in the Lord :

8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you; they shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

10 Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, & Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touchingb whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him ;)

11 And Jesus, which is called Justas, who are of the circumcision.c These only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

14 Luke, the beloved phy

and virtue. In allusion to this, probably, Paul here uses the word. b Touching, concerning.

Of the circumcision, of the Jewish

nation.

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"TO THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS.

THESSALONICA was a great sea-port town, and at the time Paul visited it, was the metropolis of all the countries, comprehended in the province of Macedonia. It was remarkable for the number, wealth and learning of its inhabitants; but like the other states of Greece, it was idolatrous, and corrupted with all kinds of wickedness.

In the course of Paul's journeying through Asia Minor, he went to Troas, and thence, being warned by a vision, he passed into Macedonia. He first visited Philippi, preached the Gospel there, and laid the foundation of a church; and then went to Thessalonica, where he preached three sabbath days in a synagogue of the Jews. And although he made many converts, more particularly of the idolatrous inhabitants, the greater part of the Jews were opposed to him, and raised such persecution, that he fied from the city, and went first to Bercea, then to Athens, and soon after to Corinth, where he had not been long, before he learned, that his presence was much needed at Thessalonica to support the church, which he had established there; but being unable at that time conveniently to leave Corinth, he wrote this first Epistle, A. D. 51, and sent it by Timothy, in which he proves the divine origin of the Gospel-answers objections, which the learned Greeks

Paul's thanksgiving I.Thessalonians.

and prayer.

might naturally make-vindicates his own conduct in fleeing from them, when the Jews and idolatrous multitudes assaulted the house of Jason, in which he and his companions lodgedand exhorts and encourages the Thessalonians to constancy and perseverance in the doctrines and duties of the Gospel.

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE THESSALONIANS.

CHAP. I.

1 He sheweth his mindfulness of them in thanksgiving and prayer, 5 and persuasion of their sincere faith and con

version.

PAY

DAUL, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ; Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, & labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father;

4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

5 For our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy' Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much af

fliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord,a not only in Macedonia, & Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God;

10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to ceme.

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