Z65 SERMON CXLI: The Refurreóion of our Saviour coniider'd, as an Argument for feeking Things above. COL. III. I, 2. If ye then be rifen with Chrift, Peek, thofe Things which are above, where Chrifi fitted at the Right Hand of God. Set your Affeífions on Things above ; not on Things on the Earth. THE Apottle in this Epiftle (as his manner is in all the reft) having laid the Oo&rineof the Gofpel for a Foundation, and endeavoured to re- ftifie forceErrors, both inDo&rine and Pra&ice, which the Chriftians at Colofr were feduced into, by the Guile and Arts ofFalle Teachers andApoftles, as par- ticularly the Worfhip of Angels, and out of a Pretence of Huniilitÿ, addreffing themfelves to God by their Mediation, which is the particular Scope and Defign of this Epiftle : The Apottle, I fay, having in the former Part of it endeavoured to let them right in this Matter, and to eftablith their Minds, in the true Faith and Do&rineof Chrift; in the latter Part of it, he exhorts them to Converfa= tions anfwerable to the Do&rine ofChrift, to a Holy and Heavenly Life ; at the Beginning of this Third Chapter : If ye then be rifn with Chrift, feek the Things which are above, where Chrifl fitteth at the Right HandofGod. ,Setyour Afe5ïions ósí Things above; not on Things on the Earth. This Inference is drawn from what he had Paid at a good Diftance before, namely, at the lath rerfe of the former Chapter, Being buried with him inBaptifm, wherein alfo ye are rifen with him, through the Faith oftheOperationof God, who bath railed him from the Dead. Being buried with him in Baptifin. For the full Under- ftanding of this Expreffion, we mutt have recourfe to that parallel Text, Rom. 6. 3, 4, 5. which will explain to us the Meaning of this Phrafe. Knowye not, that fo many ofus as werebaptized into jefis Chrifl, were baptized into hisDeath? Therefore we are buried with him by Baptifm into Death, that like as Chrifi was railed up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, evenfo we alfo fhould walkin Newnefs of Life. For if we have been planted together in the Likenefs of his Death; we fhall be all in the Likenefs of his Refurrelion. Where we fee, that to be baptized into the Death and Refurrellionof Chrifl is to be baptized into the Similitude and Like- nefs of them ; and the Refemblance is this, that as Chrift being dead was buried in the Grave, and after foníe Stay in it, that is, for three Days, he was railed again out of it, by the gloriousPower of God, to anew and heavenly Life, being not long after taken up intoHeaven to live at the Right Hand of God ; fo Chri- (tians, when they were baptized, were immers'd into the Water three Times, their Bodies being covered all over with it; which is therefore cail'd, our being buried with him in Baptifin into Deàth; and after tome fhort fray under Water, were railed or taken up again out of it, as if they had been recovered to a New Life .; by all which was fpiritually figni6ed, our dying to Sin, and being railed to a Divine and Heavenly Life, through the Faith of the Operation of God; that is, by that Divine and Supernatural Power, which railed up Chrift from the Dead. So that Chriftians from thenceforth were to reckon themfelves dead unto Sin, but alive unto God, through lefts Chrili, as the ApofUe fpeaks, Rom. 6. ï.. Now upon this Ground, that weare buried withChrifi in Baptifen, and 'ifenwithh him to a new and heavenly Life, the Apo4le founds the Exhortation in the Text, Ifye then be rifen with Chrifl, fiek the Things which d e at>pue, where Chrifi Ji}teth at M m the
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