An Exposition Upon Colossians, Biblical commentary 3 · Chapter 3 · Verse 3
Vers. 3.
For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.
In this verse and the next the exhortation is confirmed by two motiues. The one taken from the condition of the faithfull in this world: the other taken from the consideration of their estate in the reuelation of the glory of Christ in the last day. The first is in this verse, the later in the next verse.
There are two things in the condition of the faithfull on earth which should make them little to mind earthly things or desire to continue long in the world.
First that in respect of distresses, they are as dead men while they liue Secondly, that the happinesse they hauehave (which is the life of their liues) doth not appeare, but is hid with God in Christ.
For ye are dead] The faithfull are dead three waies while they liue.The faithfull de…d three waies. For first they are dead to sinne in respect of mortification. Secondly they are dead to the law, by the body of ChristaRom. 7.4. Gal. 2.19., in respect of iustification: so as now the faithfull doe no longer waite vponupon the law for righteousnesse but vponupon a second marriage they hauehave it from him that was raised from the dead for them.
They are dead to the world, and that in three respects. First, in respect of their owne voluntary forsaking of the world, and their mortifying of earthly desires, ioined with a sence of their owne mortality: so was Paul as a man crucified to the worldbGal. 6.14. Secondly, in respect of the worlds account of them. For so soone as men get any true grace and retire themselues from the excesses of the time they are neglected and forgotten as dead men out of mind. Thirdly, in respect of the multitude of afflictions which doe many times ouerwhelme and drowne Christians. It is not vnusuall in scripture to say of men in desperate crosses they are dead men. The Prophet Esay calls the people in captiuity dead men, when he saith, thy dead m…n shall liue cEsay 26.19.. The Apostle Paul saith thus. If we be dead with him we shall liue with him d2. Tim. 2.11.. Which he seems to explane in the next verse thus, If we suffer with him wee shall also raigne with him. Thus Dauid saith, He was as a broken vessell, forgotten as a dead man out of mind ePsal. 31.12.. And in another place he saith, He was brought to the dust of the earth fPsal. 22.15. And in the 88. Psalme he saith, his soule was full of euills, he was counted among them that goe downe to the pit, free among the dead, like the slaine lying in the graue yea he was laid in the lowest pit, in the darknesse, in the graue &c gPsal. 88.4.5.6. I spare to alleadge other scriptures.
The vse may be, to teach vsus as to obserue hence what may befall the best man,Vses. so in the consideration of our owne estate, to say within our selues as Iob did, If I hauehave done wickedlie, woe vntounto me, and if I hauehave done righteouslie, I will not lift vp my head, being full of confusion, because I see mine affliction hIob 10.15.. For though the Lord hath not yet thus ouerwhelmed thee with distresse yet in asmuch as he may doe it to thee, as well as to others his deare seruants, it should cause thee to walke humblie before God, and to learne to die to the world, before the world be dead to thee.
Againe, hath misery broken in vponupon thee, and preuailed ouer thee, so as thou seemest to be laid in darknesse, as they that hauehave been dead long agoe: let not thy spirit be in perplexity in thee:Psal. 143. no strange thing is befallen thee: Gods children are but dead men in this world. Remember the time past, and meditate of gods works of old: stretch foorth thy hand vntounto God, and let thy soule desire after him: if he shew thee his louing kindnesse thou hast enough: hide thee with the Lord by daily and secret praier, and he will teach thee his will, and his spirit shall lead thee, and if he see it meet he will bring thy soule out of aduersitie, and execute his righteous iudgement vponupon all those that hauehave oppressed thee. Tis the Lord that quickneth the dead,Rom. 4. and calleth things that are not as if they were. Lastly, hath the Lord deliuered thee out of desperate and deadly crosses, then let. the vowes of God be vponupon thee and render thou his praise, and confesse his name before the sonnes of men lPsal. 56.12.13.
Your life is hid]
The happinesse and spirituall felicity of Christians is hid. And that vsually from the men of the world,Doct. and many times from the faithfull.
Their life is hid, from the men of this world. First because God (who is their life kDeut. 30. vlt.) is hid from them.First, the life of Christians is hid from the world. Secondly, because the glory of their naturall life is many times buried in the gulphe of outward troublel2. Cor. 6.9.. Thirdly, because the life of grace (which is only brought to light by the Gospellm2. Tim. 1.10.) is hid from the perceiuing of the naturall man, whom the God of this world hath blindedn2. Cor. 4 4.. Fourthly, because the way of holy conuersation is hid from them. For carnall men are all strangers from the life of God oEph. 4.17.. It is a narrow way and few there be that find it. pMat. 7.14.Fiftly, because many of the priuiledges of a gracious life are hid from them. As first, the inrolling of a Christian in the booke of life. qEsay 4 4.3.Secondly, the seale of the spirit of promise r2. Cor. 1.22.. Thirdly, pardon of sinne. Wicked men perhaps know the faults of Gods children, but not the forgiuenesse of those faults. Fourthly, the power of the meanes. The word is a sauour of life s2. Cor. 2.14., and hath spirit and life in it tIoh 6., Yet it is as a treasure hid in the field, or a little leauen hid in three peckes of mealeuMat. 13.. Fiftly, comfort in their affliction. Wicked men know their afflictions but not their consolations x2. Cor. 2.9., they sildome or neuer marke the glorious issue, and how God compasseth them about with ioyfull deliuerance ▪ And generally we may burst out with the Psalmist, and say, How great is the goodnesse thou hast laid vp for them that trust in thee yPsal. 31.19.. It is great goodnesse, but yet note that he saith it is laid vp. Lastly, in respect of the life of glory the world knowes not Christians.z1. Ioh. 3.12. For it doth not yet appeare what they shallbe.
Seeing this is so, that the life of Christians is hid from the world: as it should infer the Apostles former exhortation, so it should further teach vsus, not to respect nor care for the iudgement, counsell, censures, &c. of carnall men, in the whole or any part of Christian life. For it is hid from them, and they know not of what they speake.
Nay in the second place, sometimes the life of a Christian may be hid from christians also themselues.Yea the life of christians is hid many times from themselues. So as they cannot discerne their owne happinesse, especially in some fits of tentation, & sildom or neuer do they fully discerne in this world, so much as the glory of their present estate. Dauid thought he was cast out of Gods sightaPsal. 31.22. Psal. 77.. And he most mournfully makes his mone in the 77 Psalme, as if he were almost resolued that the Lord would not be mercifull to him. Iacob cries out, my way is hid from the LordbEsay. 40.27., and the people somewhat vehemently say, verily thou O God hidest thy selfe; O God the sauiour of IsraellcEsay 46.15.. Which should comfort afflicted christians▪ since they may here see that it hath been an vsuall distresse of Gods deere seruants,Vse. to hauehave their life hid in God. And withall it may warne vsus, let him that now standeth in the refreshings of the comforts of Gods presence, take heed least he fall. But especially it should quicken vsus to a desire to be gone and to be in heauen that we might be past all danger.
But least Christians should be discouraged he addeth two comforts. First, it is with Christ.Christs life was hid, and in what respects. Secondly it is in God.
With Christ.] The life of Christ also was hid, while he liued. For first the glory of his diuinity was couered as it were with a vaile in his flesh. Secondly his outward glory of his life amongst men, was obscured by the many crosses he sustained for our sinsdEsa. 53.7., so as the world did not owne him, and he was without forme and despised among men. Thirdly, his life was hid in the graue. Fourthly, it was hid in respect of the horrors he felt in his soule, the Lord as it were hiding his louing countenance from him for the time. Fiftly, his glory in Heauen is hid from the world, and the Saints on earth hauehave but a glimpse of it. All this may comfort vsus, seeing nothing can befall vsus but what hath befallen our head, and if the world will not acknowledge our glory, and the beauty of the profession of sincerity, it matters not, it could not see the excellency of Christ, when he was on earth.
In God] our life is hid in God either in respect of obiect,Obiectiue. Causaliter. because it principally consists in the vision of God, or causally as God is the first cause to beget it, and still to preserue it: or els with Christ in God, that is, with Christ who incomprehensibly rests in the bosome of the Father. Or lastly, in God that is apud Deum, in the power of God, to dispose of it at his pleasure, which should comfort vsus seeing none hath power ouer our life but God, and teach vsus to commend our spirits into his hands.