Colossians, Chapter 3, verses 1-11
1 He showeth where we should seek Christ, 5 He exhorteth to mortification, 10 to put off the old man, and to put on ChristLuke, Chapter 6, verses 20-26
20 preacheth to his disciples before the people of blessings and curses6
6:20 In the following verses our Lord, in the audience of his newly - chosen disciples, and of the multitude, repeats, standing on the plain, many remarkable passages of the sermon he had before delivered, sitting on the mount. He here again pronounces the poor and the hungry, themourners, and the persecuted, happy; and represents as miserable those who are rich, and full, and joyous, and applauded: because generally prosperity is a sweet poison, and affliction a healing, though bitter medicine. Let the thought reconcile us to adversity, and awaken our caution when the world smiles upon us; when a plentiful table is spread before us, and our cup is running over; when our spirits are gay; and we hear (what nature loves) our own praise from men.Happy are ye poor - The word seems here to be taken literally: ye who have left al] for me. Mat 5:3.
6:24 Miserable are ye rich - If ye have received or sought your consolation or happiness therein.
6:25 Full - Of meat and drink, and worldly goods.That laugh - That are of a light trifling spirit.
6:26 Wo to you when all men shall speak well of you - But who will believe this?
3
3:1 If ye are risen, seek the things above - As Christ being risen, immediately went to heaven.
3:3 For ye are dead - To the things on earth. And your real, spiritual life is hid from the world, and laid up in God, with Christ - Who hath merited, promised, prepared it for us, and gives us the earnest and foretaste of it in our hearts.
3:4 When Christ - The abruptness of the sentence surrounds us with sudden light. Our life - The fountain of holiness and glory. Shall appear - In the clouds of heaven.
3:5 Mortify therefore - Put to death, slay with a continued stroke. Your members - Which together make up the body of sin.Which are upon the earth - Where they find their nourishment.Uncleanness - In act, word, or thought. Inordinate affection - Every passion which does not flow from and lead to the love ofGod. Evil desire - The desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life. Covetousness - According to the derivation of the word, means the desire of having more, or of any thing independent on God. Which is idolatry - Properly and directly; for it is giving the heart to a creature.
3:6 For which - Though the heathens lightly regarded them.
3:7 Living denotes the inward principle; walking, the outward acts.
3:8 Wrath - Is lasting anger. Filthy discourse - And was there need to warn even these saints of God against so gross and palpable a sin as this? O what is man, till perfect love casts out both fear and sin.
3:10 In knowledge - The knowledge of God, his will, his word.
3:11 Where - In which case, it matters not what a man is externally, whether Jew or gentile, circumcised, or uncircumcised, barbarian, void of all the advantages of education, yea, Scythian, of all barbarians most barbarous.But Christ is in all that are thus renewed, and is all things in them and to them.