Many of the most successful attacks on God’s earthly kingdom have been made in this way.  Open rebellion against God, is found chiefly on those who have no faith in him; who are therefore devoid of his fear.  Others are tempted mostly to other sins, and induced to make indirect opposition to the divine government, from them, the tempter hides the truth, and leads them into error, and thus causes them to pull down the cause which they aim to build up, and fight against God with a view to serve him.

So much of God appears in his works, that comparatively few can be made to doubt his existence, or his providential government.  Hence few are prevailed with to renounce his fear and rise directly against him; but many are deceived, and consequently engaged to act with his enemies.

Here a common source of seduction hath been suggesting improvements on divine institutions—­that this and that, which God hath not ordered, would help his cause and promote his interest.  Sometimes the improvements are attempted under pretence of divine order, and urged with his authority; but this veil is not always spread over endeavors to change his institutes.  They are often urged as means adapted to help his cause, without pretence to divine order requiring the use of them; Much, it is alleged, is left to human discretion.  This taken for granted, the rest is easy.  It is only to say these measures are wise and good, calculated to help on the cause of God, and whoever denies it, is considered as fighting against God.

Thus men are led away from the divine institutions to those of human invention.  Human wisdom is exalted above divine; and all with a view to glorify God!

Thus was the tempter laboring, through the instrumentality of his agents, to seduce the Colossians, when this epistle was written, and it is chiefly intended to counteract their influence, and prevent that church from being moved away from the hope of the gospel, which they had received.

In discussing the subject, We shall first glance at the measures used by those deceivers—­then consider the success which hath attended this mode of fighting against God, and seducing mankind, adding a few observations on the influence of tradition and the rudiments and customs of the world.

The Colossian seducers appear to have been of two kinds—­Jewish and Gentile.  The former seem not to have differed from those at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, and those in Judea.  They were Jewish Christians, who were so attached to the Mosaic ritual, that they wished to continue it, and graft Christianity upon it, rendering the religion of Christ only an appendage to that of Moses.  They insisted that the ceremonial law remained in force—­insisted especially on the observance of circumcision; and probably on the traditions so highly valued by the Pharisees.  But the apostle assured this Gentile Church, that they were complete “in Christ”,