Have we then discovered defects in the divine plan! And do we feel ourselves capable of making emendations in it!--Of "teaching eternal wisdom how to rule!"--How to effect its purposes of mercy! Beware _lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ_. Vain man would be wise--He naturally thinks himself qualified, even to ameliorate divine institutions. Temptation to this sin coincides with a natural bias in depraved humanity. Many and very mischievous errors have issued from it. Would we escape the snare, we must listen to the apostle speaking in the text. The sum of his advice is to keep to the divine directions, especially in matters of religion. These are contained and plainly taught in the holy Scriptures, which we have in our hands, and of the sense of which we must judge for ourselves; remembering that we are accountable to God the judge of all. As some are _spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit_, others are corrupted by regard to _the tradition of men and rudiments of the world_. This endangered the Colossians, and eventually ruined the church at Rome. The leading errors of paganism were thereby introduced into that Christian church, and rendered it completely antichristian. Errors which seemed to have been destroyed by Christianity, were again revived, and the abominations which they had occasioned, were acted over again with enlargements! The _traditions of men and rudiments of the world_, have still their seducing influence. Most men swim down with the current of the times --adopt the sentiments and conform to the usages of those with whom they live. The popular scheme of religion, they consider as the orthodox scheme, and the religion of the land, the true religion. Therefore is one nation Papists, another Protestants, one Calvinists, another Lutherans. These differences of sentiment do not arise from differences in the mental constitutions of nations, but from the accidental differences of situation. Few have sufficient independence of mind to "judge of themselves what is right." Many who "call Christ Lord, receive for doctrines the commandments of men." Therefore doth religion vary like the fashions of the world. Was the fashion of the world to be the rule of judgment, it might be wise to follow it: But "we must every one give an account of himself to God," and be judged by the rule which be hath given us. It becomes as therefore to "call no man master, because one is our Matter, even Christ." To him we are accountable. At our peril do we neglect obedience to his commands.