12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;



Ver. 12. As the elect of God, holy and beloved] Therefore holy, because elect, and therefore beloved, because holy; as God’s name is holy, and therefore reverend, Psa_111:9. God chose his for his love, and now loves them for his choice.



Bowels of mercies] Draw out thy soul as well as thy sheaf to the hungry, Isa_58:10. Steep thy thoughts in the mercies of God, saith one, and they will dye thine, as the dye vat doth the cloth.



Humbleness of mind] Even to be content to "be trampled upon," as the word signifieth; {a} or to be laid low as earth, as Paul, Php_4:12; to have a low mind in a high conversation, as Athanasius ( õöçëïõ âéáò ôáðåéíïí öñïíçìá ). Humility is the veil of a Christian, that maketh the bride look most lovely.



{a} ôáðåéíïò , quasi ðáôåéíïò , vel åäáöåéíïò .