spirituall life begun here The perfect life of glorie is with Christ therefore they should set their eye on heauen and heauenly things Now to go forward they might haue demaunded when shall wee haue that life and when shall it be manifested To this the Apostle in the first verse which I haue now read answereth and saith it shall be reuealed to you yea rather ye shall appeare as soone as Iesus Christ the Lord of life shall be reuealed After this followeth another exhortation grounded vpon this answere and promise of life to be reuealed as we shall heare To come then to the first part of their demaund and question they moue I marke this first when once any hath begun to taste of that life to come and of heauenly things as the Colossians did there is a continuall longing and desire to haue the fulnes and accomplishment thereof If thou hadst tasted it thou wilt long for it and aske when it shall be fully reuealed Such as haue tasted Christ effectually long to see him And therefore Paul to the Romanes chap. 8. vers 23. saith We that haue receiued the first fruites of the spirit there is the beginning of the life spirituall and of heauen we sigh within our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies What thing can be more cleere then this And in the 2. Cor. chap. 5. vers 2. We saith he being burdened with this mortalitie we sigh not that we would cast away these bodies but that we would be cloathed vpon Then he expoundeth himselfe that mortalitie might be swallowed of life So the taste of a spirituall life here hath euer a continuall longing and a desire to haue it fully manifested that it might appeare as it is It is euer enquiring The first obseruation when it shall be fulfilled but thou that hast not tasted it thou canst not seeke after it and thou that hast not tasted it in this life thou shalt neuer finde it hereafter But I debarre thee from heauen and this life of Iesus play thy part as thou wilt and reele here and there at thy pleasure if thou haue not a taste of heauen and of the life of Iesus here thou shalt neuer see it hereafter I giue thee this doome The next thing I obserue about this demaund is They aske not so soone but as soone they are answered yea they are preuented The second obseruatiō and they get no leasure as it were to aske So thou that seekest for comfort shalt get comfort they that seeke for that life euerlasting shall get a meeting and finde a comfortable answere It cannot faile at the least while they be put in possession of it they shall be fed with the promise of that life and shall no sooner aske for it but the answere shall be made to them When Christ shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glorie And least brethren ye should thinke these promises to be but bare words Peter in his first Epistle and first chapter resolueth you when he saith beleeuing in the promise ye reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious The faith in the promise of things that are not yet come filleth the heart with ioy and bringeth some sense of that we long for for the faith in the promise sucketh that life out of heauen Therefore beleeue while thou seest let faith hold vp thy heart vntill thou be put in the full possession of the things beleeued in To come to the words of the text The promise is this Ye shall appeare in glorie and ye shall see your life There is the promise The time is defined here when Christ shall appeare vpon this defining of the time ye shall note Our life dependeth vpon Christ the time of it dependeth vpon his time all the time from the beginning to his first comming in our nature as hee was hid and was not yet manifested So that heauenly life lay hid and shined not in the world and more I tell you few gat it and few saw it Then againe when hee begun to come out and manifest himselfe in our nature then our life came out and begun to appeare Lastly when hee shall come againe in this full manifestation of his glorie that that thou now hast is but little in respect of that which thou shalt see It was but a small sight the Iewes gat in respect of that thou shalt get then for then shall thy life appeare in the fulnes of it there shall nothing be hidden but all shall be made manifest And seeing then our life dependeth on him alwaies hang thou on him by faith and waite for his comming Alas cannot thy eye once in the day be lifted vp to heauen to waite for him Paul maketh the promise to none but to those who waite for his last comming and so it shall not pertaine to thee if thou waite not for his comming Againe another thing followeth cleerely of these words and The third obseruatiō this manifestation The glorie of Christ must be in the first place it must be formost Then secondly followeth thy life and thy glorie as one pendicle of his glorie for thy life is manifested with him when hee shall appeare who is thy life then shalt thou appeare So his life and glorie goeth first and then thine followeth after And when Christ shal come in that day the chiefest respect he shal haue shall be to his own glory And therefore 2. Thess chap. 1. vers 10. it is said when he shall come he shall come that he may be glorified among his Saints So the end of his comming is his glorie that hee may be admirable that all The manifestation of Christ in his compleate glorie vnto men and Angels with admiration the Angels and all the Saints may stand about to giue glorie to Iesus Nay there shall not be such a wondring at the elects glorie as at his glorie he shall be a perpetuall admiration to man and Angell Then the lesson is seeing it is his glorie that first shall appeare giue it the first place and let it be deerer to thee then thy life and thy glorie both Thou shalt not diminish one iot of that yea chuse rather to goe to hell then that he should not haue his glorie yea if thou account more of thy life then his of glorie thou shalt neither get life nor glorie In some measure thou must do as Moses and Paul did rather then hee should want his glorie desire rather to be rased out of the booke of life and to be Anathema accursed for therein thou shalt lose nothing but thou preferring his glorie to thy very life and saluation shalt find life glorie and saluation for euer for he loueth them decrely that loue him In the beginning of this verse there is a short description of Christ when Christ that is our life This short description containeth the cause wherefore when he shall be glorified and appeare
all is but dung before God So you see what should be the first thing we should begin at to wit at a standing and perseuering in the faith of the Mediatour Abide in this and all shall follow of their owne will holines weldoing and the rest In the words following he shewes vs the way how to perseuere in faith If so be that you abide in the faith grounded founded The word is borrowed from building on a ground stone How to perseuere in faith the second word is and established euen as you see a man set down in a chaire resting without mouing or wagging sitteth still immoueable If thou wilt abide in faith thou must bee grounded and set downe and must not goe wagging fleeting and flowing as you see some doe Then what is this foundation whereupon thou must be grounded It is euen this same faith Thou must be grounded on it or else thou shalt not abide in it and if thou bee not built vpon it as vpon a building thou shalt not abide in it Faith then must bee the ground It must not be built as it were vpon thy heart it is the falsest ground The heart must be built and rest on faith that euer was but thy heart must be built on faith For faith in Iesus is a fast and established ground Now what is the seate euen this same faith Faith must not sit vpon thy heart which is but a ioggling seate a loose seate but thy heart must be turned ouer vpon the faith of Iesus Christ that is a fast seate so that all the powers in the world will not moue it In a word if Rest not night nor day till thou seele thy faith lying vnder thy heart and thy heart resting firme and stable on it thou abide and perseuere in the faith of Iesus Christ bee built on it rest neuer while thou rise vp vpon it as a building Rest not night nor day till thou feele it lying vnder thy heart rest not till thou finde thy heart setled without staggering sitting downe as it were on a fast stoole and seatc If thou be once setled and builded all the waues of temptations shall not once moue thee thou shalt stand fast like a house built on a strong rocke but if thou be not built and setled on it the least blast of winde of false doctrine and of affliction wil blow thee from Matth. 7. 24. 25. thy faith thy faith from thee like chaffe Alas see we not this inconstancie in fleeting and flowing A vaine lowne he is here to day and away to morrow a Protestant to day a Papist to morrow a Christian to day a Turk or Pagan to morrow and what ye will haue him What is the cause of this O that heart of thine was neuer established by grace A vaine and emptie heart was neuer grounded vpon faith in Iesus Christ And therefore it is that these miserable creatures are caried away as they are and be assured let thy heart abide in that miserable estate of inconstancie till the Lord come thou and it shall be turned into hell headlong as the lightest and rottennest thing in the world Thus much for this first perseuerance in faith He ads to another perseuerance and he saith If you be not 2 Perseuerance in hope of the Gospell moued from the hope of the Gospell that is if you perseuer in the hope of all these faire graces and mercies especially of that life euerlasting promised in the Gospell Now brethren would you know what this Gospell is The Gospell of Iesus Christ is like a mirror or looking glasse so the Apostle cals it 2. Cor. 3. 18. In the which we may see many faire things First we see Iesus Christ the Lord of glorie and then all the faire graces that followes on him thy remission of sinnes thy iustification 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. thy sanctification the heauen and life and all things what wouldst thou haue more Now the eye that lookes in it is not the eye of the bodie but the eye of faith quicker and cleerer than all the bodily eyes in the world The hand that holds vp that mirror is faith faith is an eye and a hand it sees and holds Now as faith is looking in the mirrour to Iesus Christ and to all the graces that followes him and to that life and glorie that neuer shall haue end in comes this hope and she awaiteth constantly for the accomplishment of all those graces Hope what and of that life euerlasting that faith sees in the mirror and she awaites till Christ come with that life in his hand with the glorie in his hand that he shall bring with him for them who awaits for him As soone as he comes the mirror fals downe The word goes away there shall be no more preaching when he comes And as thou sawst him before in the mirror so then thou shalt see his glorious face as he is so the mirror shall goe away that faith of thine shall goe away What shall be then in steed of all this Thou shalt get that that Paul saies 2. Cor. 5. 7. Now we walke by faith but then we shall walke by sight Our reioycing shall be in the sight of him for euer Now brethren you shal marke here briefly it is not enough to abide in the faith of the promise wherein thou hast promised to thee life euerlasting but with the faith thou must haue a hope awaiting constantly for the thing promised as thou beleeuest the promise that is the word so thou must hope for himselfe and his comming and that life he brings with him Ioyne these two together faith in the promise and hope in the performance of necessitie thou shalt get life That hope shall Faith and hope companions Rom. 5. 5. 6. neuer make thee a shamed It is a thing impossible that a man that waits for Christs comming can be disappointed for heauen and earth shal perish ere that man be disappointed of that he hoped for so then saith he if you be not moued from the hope of the Gospell I say then so long as we liue we must not want Take away the Gospel yee take away faith and hope this mirror of the Gospell Take away the mirror thou shalt see nought Take away the Gospell thou shalt not haue faith Take it away wherein shines all these heauenly graces thou hast nought to hope for and if thou hearest not of a life after this life thou canst not hope for it So these men in the world not onely among Pagans but amongst Christians Lords Barons that haue no pleasure in hearing of the Gospell to looke into Iesus that is in it trowe yee if thus they continue that they shall goe to heauen thinke ye that they can haue faith and hope no no more then a dog hath and their death shall be worse then a dogs death As euer then you would haue life faith and hope keepe the
vnspeakable and glorious It is euen so with the Church howbeit wee see not the members of Christ in the bodie yet if we haue the spirituall eye we shall see them and they vs and shall haue this spirituall ioy spoken of in this place And this same ioy that is in this life with the Saints is a sure argument of a passing ioy that wee shall haue with the Church when we are gathered to our head Iesus Christ when with the eye of the bodie we shall see those glorified bodies O vaine bodie thou neuer wist what ioy glorie and beautie meaneth if thou attaine not to this to be a member of Iesus Christ and to haue a spirituall presence with others Now followes what matter of ioy he heard in them Beholding saith he your order then the stedfastnes of your faith Hee saw this in spirit and not with the eye of the bodie Brethren certainly the thing that man walkes in if it be in the ioy of the heart it must be pleasant it must be a pleasant sight that will make a man to reioyce Ye see when a man sees a thing that is not pleasant he wil not reioyce So that except the man of God see that that is pleasant he will not neither can he reioyce in heart Now what is more beautifull then the spouse of Iesus sauing the Lord himselfe who is the bridegroome There is nothing more beautifull to the spirituall eye then the Church of Christ howsoeuer she seemes to be vile in this world The first part of this beautie is Order that is a well ordered The beautie of the Church life holines of manners according to the rule of the Gospell so holines of life is the order he saw among them and thou shalt neuer see a face so pleasant as holines is when it is vttered by a well ordred life That is the fairest beautie that a man or woman can haue if thou want this wash and decke thy selfe as well as thou canst thou art no better then dirt and dung that is troden vnder feete If a man looke vpon thee with a spirituall eye if thou wert a Queene pamper thy selfe vp as thou wilt want thou holines thou art but dirt and filthie dung for all thy outward brauerie of attire The second thing that made him to reioyce with them in Faith spirit it was deeper then the first Holines is outward therefore he goes further downe and in through their life he looks and sees the faith that lay in the heart that is to say of the outward behauiour he gathers more of their inward faith from the which holines proceedeth For certaine it is that thou canst not be holy if thou haue not a good action in thy hand nor an holy word in thy mouth if faith be not in thy heart So when a man hath a spirituall eye hee will presse into the heart and not stand vpon outward appearances O then how great is the beautie of faith Thy outward actions are nothing without this faith in thy heart and it is a thing most pleasant to God when hee seeth faith in thy heart and that thou beleeuest in Iesus He calles it not simply faith but hee calles it that solidnes that stedfastnes of faith in Iesus Christ Well thou that wouldest haue faith thou must haue a solide faith if thou be wagging and wauering nodding here and there so that when thou art in Scotland thou art of the religion there professed when thou art in France Germany of Trauellers into Spaine and Italy the religions professed there and when thou art in Spaine Italy and Rome thou art of their religion Is that thy faith That faith of thine shall doe thee no good thou art but a vaine bodie there is no stedfastnesse in thee and except there bee stedfastnesse of faith in thy heart thou shalt neuer be a holy liuer Many will professe at this day I haue faith in Christ Iesus I beleeue but to come to their life there is no such thing and this is because there is no sound faith in their heart but their faith is onely in the tip of their tongue For thou that leadest a life contrary to faith thou hast no faith at al. For the Apostle seeing a godly life in these Colossians hee gathers that there was a solide faith in them Then in a word there is the matter of ioy that the godly haue when they see first that outward How wee may truly ioy in our brethren when vve see them stand fast in faith liue godly and righteously beautie of holines and godlines of conuersation in thee or in any man and then that stedfast faith from whence it springs there is matter of ioy When wee see a Church liue godly and then haue faith stedfast in Christ here the ioy of the heart will arise and by the contrary there cannot be a greater displeasure then to see a Church out of order liuing a life directly contrary to their profesion there is the displeasure and grief of the faithfull And so to come to our selues if we would be pleasant to others that neuer saw vs let vs liue after this order and seeke to haue faith in Iesus otherwise be sure they that neuer sawe thee will be witnesses against thee to thy iust damnation that thou professest one way and hast liued cleane contrary to thy profession In the next verses hee returnes to his exhortation and gathers his conclusion Therefore saith the Apostle as ye haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord and begun exceeding well both in life and faith so walke in him perseuere in him there is the exhortation Note heere first the thing that should moue a Church or any person to perseuerance What should moue thee to hold on to the end Hast thou begun in holines of life and faith in the heart The beginning should moue thee to goe forward to the end A good beginning would haue a good end otherwise it had been better thou hadst neuer begun I shall giue thee a faithfull counsell either minde neuer to be a Christian man or woman or else beginning once and taking that name vpon thee hold on perseuere for euer For if thou Perseuerance perseuere not thy damnation shall be double and thou shalt curse the day that euer thou heardst of Iesus so Iesus shall be either saluation to thee or damnation Peter saith in his second Epistle chap. 2. 21. It had been better for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnes thē after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them It had been better for thee neuer to haue receiued this word and doctrine of the Gospell then to haue fallen backe from this holy doctrine Then I note the manner of perseuering Euen as thou hast receiued him walke in him As if he would say ye haue receiued him in simplicitie of heart ye haue receiued the Gospell without the traditions of
that cannot speake as the Apostles and Saints of God did wee should learne how to speake of God Paul the more he insists in speaking of Christ and his fulnes the more his heart aboundeth and the more How to speake of Christ with grace his mouth is filled with words to his praise degree by degree So the mans heart being filled with Iesus his mouth is filled a full mouth speaking of Christ wil fill the harts of the hearers Then brethren learne the more y t one speakes of the fulnes of Christ and of his glorie the more more shall he finde his hart abound his mouth filled And it is impossible if thy heart be full of him but thy mouth must be full and thou wilt speake of him with a full mouth and not lightly a word and away And then who wots but the Lord will make that fulnes to fill some of the hearts of the hearers Blessed is that heart that can get any part of that fulnes of Iesus for thy heart was neuer stablished with grace that neuer got no part of the fulnes of Iesus All this speaking tels thee Christ is no winde nor vanitie If thou hadst no other thing to know stedfastnes by this same speaking of Paul tels thee that all soliditie and fulnes is in Iesus Christ Therefore when thou readest this marke it and say I see here a fulnes Alas that there should be such fulnes in Christ and I hauing so small part of it Lord let me finde this fulnes in some measure Cease not while thou finde it for it stands thee vpon life and life and the heart that is not filled with Christ here in some measure shall neuer be filled with his presence and ioyes in heauen hereafter And therefore thou that wouldest haue that onely fulnes which shall be in heauen by the sweete presence of Iesus there where thou shalt see him as hee is in our nature full of glorie and maiestie which sight shall make thee reioyce exceedingly looke as thou wouldst haue ioy for euermore that thou be filled with Iesus here on earth in some measure otherwaies away with thee thou art a cast away and thy end shall be in euerlasting woe woe vpon woe and euer in woe So then you may see all the glorie in heauen is in Iesus Christ there is not a iot of glorie out of him but all is in him that is in thy Sauiour Wouldest thou haue a Sauiour where wouldest thou get one if thou misse this Sauiour See the honour of thy nature in him All the glorie of heauen shines through the vaile of thy nature in him thy nature is the very vaile that hangs about that glorious Christ God manifested in our flesh maiestie that light that hath no accesse and it shines to thee through the vaile I speake this for this cause that thou presse not to seeke heauen nor no ioy nor glorie therein but in this Lord Iesus Christ No looke not here nor there but directly set thine eye vpon him that sits at the right hand of the Father For in him is all the glorie of the Father and looke that thou imagine not to see any glorie but that that is in thy head Where is thine heauen Iesus is thine heauen All thy heauen here and hence is as it were included in him Seeke it where thou wilt thou shalt finde no heauen without Christ Now to come to the next verse the Colossians might haue said What is that to vs that thou hast told vs of the great fulnes that is in him he is full but we are emptie what vantage haue wee by it Euen as if one would tell of a glorious King another will answere what is that to me The Apostle meetes with this obiection and saith In whom ye are complete who is the head of all principalitie and power As if he would say O Colossians in him ye are filled his fulnes is yours it serues for your profit So you see that not onely all fulnes of glorie is in Iesus Christ in his owne person but with the beames of it as it were all creatures are filled yea heauen it selfe is filled with his glorie and the earth is filled with his glorie and this is the felicitie of all the creatures in the world Wherein trowest thou stands the blessednes of the earth of the heauen and of all the elements Note Looke the eight chapter to the Romanes vers 21. 22. and there you shall finde that the blessednes of the creature stands in the gloriousnes of Rom. 8. 21 22 Christ one day to be reuealed And therefore Paul saith that the world groanes sighing for the reuelation of his glorie for the glorie of the earth and heauen is not yet reuealed Peter saith in his second Epistle chap. 3. 12. 13. When that the Lord shall come in his glorie that the heauens shall burne and be dissolued and the elements shall melt then there shall be new heauens A new heauen and a new earth made and a new earth So that thou shalt see another glorie in heauen and earth then euer was before or is now seene But to speake of man especially they that would beleeue and would be in him they shall be ingrafted as it were into him and set as it were in his fulnes aboue all other creatures for they shall be filled with his own fulnes If thou be set in him as the Sunne is in the firmament the fulnes of the glorie that is in him shall shine in thee aboue the earth aboue the Moone aboue the Sun it selfe So that this is felicitie to haue a share and portion of the grace and glorie of Christ to receiue of his fulnes for he is full of grace and veritie saith Iohn 1. 14. It is true indeed and so long as wee liue here this appeares not There is neuer a one that beleeues but he is a Kings sonne and a Kings daughter But saith John 1. Ioh. 3. 2. it appeares not as yet but when hee comes then it shall appeare wee shall all shine in glorie And the reprobate that thought thee but a lost creature shall wonder that euer there should be such a glorie prepared for thee Albeit thou shine not now yet if thou beleeue thou hast this vantage all that glorie that is in Christ is thine I say to thee a man is not so surely clad with his shirt as thou that beleeuest in Christ art clad with him He is a garment to thee haue what clothing thou wilt if thou hadst but a ragged coate yet if thou beleeuest in him thou art clad with him Goe where thou wilt if thou cast off thy coate Iesus will sticke by thee There is neuer a faithfull Saint wants Iesus And therefore thou maist say The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Onely beleeue in him be ingrafted in him by faith Onely possesse him in thy heart Thou hast all his glorie and maiestie
thinke to be safe account of the Ministerie as thou pleasest if thou lay not thine eare to the Gospell and beleeue Let saith he the word of God dwell in you In you that is in your hearts not in your mouthes and eares onely but let it goe downe to the heart and to the rootes and depth of the heart and let it haue it residence there It is not enough to haue it tinckling in thy eare albeit some think it enough but it must goe from the eare to the heart and there the residence and lodging of it must be So hee recommends not onely the hearing and reading but hee recommends the meditation in Meditation in the hart the heart thinking musing turning it ouer and ouer againe and againe in the heart for except the word be in the heart it can haue no operation It is not enough to sit and heare a while and no more if there bee not a musing in this word thinke not that it can haue an operation in your heart but the more thou hearest the more gracelesse art thou experience proues it Then the word must be in the heart but how long must it abide there Must it abide the night and away the morrow as a pilgrime lodging here this night and in another place the morrow must it lodge with thee so must thou muse of it for this time and then farewell till thou haue to doe with it againe and goe to thy drinking and pastime No saith he Let the word dwell that is haue a continual residence night and day within thee and be a domesticke or household seruant of Psal 1. 2. thine and not a stranger to abide with thee for euer and let there be a continuall meditation on it so long as thy strength can beare it Trowest thou that the thinking of Iesus will hinder thy occupation No it hath no grace but when thou art thinking of Iesus and it hinders thee nought except the meditation of the word be ardent in thee night and day as it was in Dauid who had as weightie occupations as any man O would to God Kings had a peece of meditation in this word as Dauid had in all those other affaires thinke not that grace will abide with thee For looke how soone this word leaues thee as soone grace goes from thee so that of a mercifull man thou be commest a tyrant What makes so many of our Noblemen so debased but the contempt of this word All our great men are very contemners of Gods word See ye not the vengeance of God vpon them their wiues and children they would haue this word driuen out not onely out of this countrie but out of the hearts of men Well well for all that let the word haue residence and continuall residence within you O but in what measure and what quantitie Some will say if you know this what behooues me to be ouer carefull to vnderstand this word let the Ministers who liue by it haue that care If I haue the Lords Prayer the Beleef and the tenne Commandements I need no more I am a Lord I am a Ladie I am a Gentleman what neede I to trouble my selfe with the Byble I haue another occupation But what saith the Apostle Let the word dwell in you How In scarsitie in a bit of it leauing the rest to others No but let the word dwell in you plenteously let the word make you rich The Apostle then requires a treasure and a store to be laid vp in the heart he would that the riches of the word be in you and not a pouertie of it And I say to thee thou who wilt content thee with one part and wilt not seeke the riches of the word and as the Apostle to the Hebrues chap. 6. 1. that striuest not to be led forward to a perfection but dwellest in the Elements and Cathechisme I say thou hast nothing of it He that will content himselfe with the Pater noster and the Creede I say he hath nothing And if he haue any illumination by it and cares not for a perfection that light he hath gotten shall die out if it grow not it will vanish away You see that if fire be not fed with new matter it will goe out It is as sure We must grow in knowledge or els vve haue no knowledge of that knowledge and light that thou hast of God and that light that is kindled in thee if it be not intertained so that it grow on it shall goe out And O then what danger art thou in If thou spue out that light it is impossible that thou shouldest be renewed by repentance for it is called the sinne against the 2. Pet. 3. 18 Heb. 6. 4. 6. holy Ghost Therefore all ye that would see the light and the riches of heauen striue to be rich in this word and be greedie in reading and meditating of this word as the Lord will giue you grace To goe forward Let the word dwell in you and in euery one of you for that that is spoken to one is spoken to all and that aboundantly It is the treasure that thou shalt take vp with thee and it shall not leaue thee in the graue it shall serue thee in heauen But what more In all wisdome now in this text that Effects of the vvord followes we haue certaine faire effects of this word of Iesus dwelling richly in vs. They are partly in the man himselfe in whom the word dwels and partly in others that heare him speake He who is rich in Christ is not rich himselfe onely but he shall inrich others also with him euery word that comes out of his mouth is a lumpe of riches to thee Then to come to the first effect In all wisdome and knowledge The word of God dwelling richly in any must not want the effect it Wisedome is a faire light must haue an effect and the first effect is a faire light O that light it is as it were a goodly torch light in a darke house that enlightens the whole house So thou by nature art a darke dungeon there is not a sparke of heauenly light in thee by nature Thou hast some light of nature but what is that It is to make thee inexcusable When this light of heauen comes it lightens all thy darknes What is the first effect of the light of the Sunne or of a candle but illumination So this word is the illumination of thy mind It opens the hart and enlightens it Illumination and it illuminates all the affections and puts them in order So the first effect is light It hath this of the owne nature 2. Tim. 3 15. Paul saith The Scriptures are able to make thee wise reade al the bookes that are written if thou couldest compasse heauen The Scriptures bring true wisedome and earth if thou want the Scripture in thy heart thou shalt neuer be wise And seeing this is the true effect
and armed with the weapons of the holy Ghost that is with faith and hope and other good graces expressed and plainly put downe Ephes 6. Neither may we at any hand suffer our enemies to be more powerfull in hindring our praiers then the might of the spirit to further them in vs. For the first of these is to giue place vnto Satan and the latter were to quench and coole the spirit and both be euill and therefore wee should auoidthem But he addeth in the doing of this dutie alwaies in sinuating thereby that as he did it often and earnestly so we should not doe it for a time onely as many doe but that this combate and conflict of ours in and about prayer must bee perpetuall and continuall euen as our prayers themselues ought so to be Whereunto the better to bee prouoked wee must remember these two things first that whether we pray for our selues or Two things furthering perseuevance in prayer for others wee haue daily need of some new benefit and increase of Gods grace in vs. Secondly that wee should euery moment and minute forgoe the grace that we haue receiued from God except God who hath giuen it vs did preserue the same both in our selues and in others To which we may adde the third that we can neuer come to praier but that Satan our common aduersarie will set himselfe against vs and do what hee can to hinder our prayers and that therefore he being alwaies opposite we should alwaies pray The next thing he telleth vs of in this seruice of prayer is the parties for whom we must pray for you True it is that we must powre foorth prayers and striue in our supplication for all men according to which the Apostle saith 1. Timoth. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that aboue all things supplications prayers intercessions and thankesgiuings be made for all men yet we are more specially bound to pray for them that are linked vnto vs in Whom we should chiefly pray for the same fellowship of the bodie of the Church then for others not so straitly ioyned with vs. Again amongst the faithfull we are more obliged to pray for them that are of kin vnto vs in the flesh and touch vs in our bloud then those that are further remoued For euen this naturall coniunction worketh in them that otherwise are ioyned together in Christ some more great and excellent degree of loue The reason is because the more bands we haue to tye vs together so much the more great ought to be our loue and care for our and others saluation And this doth Paul professe Rom. 9. 2. 3. saying that he was especially carefull for the Israelites his kinsmen according to the flesh And Philip. 2. 26. he commendeth Epaphroditus that he was much troubled and grieued by reason of the sorrow of the Philippians from whom he was sent as it should seeme to the Apostle Now wee come to the matter for which he prayeth as on the behalfe of the Colossians in these words that ye may stand perfect and complet c. He doth not pray for this onely that they might be perfect but that they might stand perfect that What it is to stand perfect is that they might constantly perseuere and goe forward in that perfection which God had vouchsafed vnto them For the word of standing signifieth constancie and perseuerance yea such a constancie and perseuerance as hath courage of heart ioyned therewithall Our perfection standeth in the knowledge of God in righteousnesse holines c. And this is two-fold One imputed vnto vs that is that perfect righteousnesse Two sorts of perfection and satisfaction of Christ which God imputeth vnto vs that through faith beleeue in Christ and in which hee doth euen think vs as perfect as if we were altogether iust and holie in our selues The other is inherent in vs when the holie Ghost worketh in our mindes the knowledge of God and of his will and in our hearts holines and righteousnes and wholy purgeth vs in the inward man from sinne and natural corruption The first of these is wholy and altogether perfect and that euen in this life and indeed is the true cause of that perfection that is inherent in vs which wholy floweth from or consisteth in our coniunction and fellowship with Christ without which indeede there could be no perfection at all in vs. But as for that other namely that inherent perfection which is wrought in vs by the holie Ghost regenerating vs it cannot be absolute and in euery respect perfect in vs in this life by reason of some darknesses that we carrie about with vs in our minds for we know in part and prophecie in part as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 13. 9. and by reason of the remainders of sinne and filthines of corruption which shall neuer be vtterly and altogether abolished in vs vntill that by the spirit of Christ dwelling fully in vs we be perfectly freed from impuritie and all manner of pollution which shall be brought to passe in that other life that is to come when wee shall be altogether present with the Lord. Notwithstanding wee must endeuour and striue continually that we may be comefully perfect and daily attaine to greater perfection Christ so commanding vs Matth. 5. 48. Be ye perfect for vnlesse wee daily proceed in perfection in this life wee shall neuer haue it altogether perfect and absolute in that which is to come And this indeed is it which the Apostle saith Epaphras prayed for as on the behalfe of the Colossians that they might in an vnwearied course perseuere and hold on till they came to be perfect He addeth In all the will of God In which words he doth after a sort as it were limit this perfection And it is the same with that which he wisheth to the Ephesians that they might be filled with all that fulnes of God Ephes 3. 19. for all that fulnes of God which he mentioneth there is nothing else but al that fulfilling in all the will of God which he speaketh of here And in both places the Apostle adding an vniuersall terme he thereby declareth that it is not enough for perfection and filling that in some one or sundrie things wee studie to please God but that it is necessarie that in all things we should be conformed In all things we must siudie to please God to his will which then is brought to passe when the eyes of our minds are inlightened that we may both know and acknowledge him and his will and that our hearts and all the affections thereof are sanctified vnto his obedience and all our actions both outward and inward are framed according to his law which is the most exact rule of righteousnes religion and whatsoeuer else In the next verse to wit the 13. the Apostle declareth that these earnest prayers which the Apostle sheweth Epaphras made for the Colossians did proceede not onely from a great care
Cor. 15. 28. thou shalt rise vp glorious and this vile body shall be made like to his glorious body Matth 13. and then it shall shine more brighter then the sunne at noone day O the glorie of the Saints when he shall fill them so that they shall not neede a temple nor meate or drinke as it is said in the Reuelation 21. but he shall be al to thee because he shall be in thee and thou shalt be are him in thee thou shalt be a tabernacle to him then shall this fulnesse be and vntill then it shall be but in a growing to that perfection Blessed be that soule that growes and feeles that heauenly liquor dropping day lie into the soule be assured thou shalt get this fulnesse of the light and God shall dwell in thee for euer You see then he hath prayed for wisedome and knowledge to what end is all this will God giue a man knowledge or wisedome or will a man pray for it except hee wot wherefore wherefore is it then That you may walke saith he Wherefore is light giuen but that a man should walke wherefore shines the sunne but that thou mightest walke The sunne is not giuen thee to Similitude sleepe he is but a swinger but a lubber that will lye idle in the day light and the sunne shall witnes against him in that day much more that heauenly light that sunne of righteousnesse shines he for nothing If thou hast gotten this shining light walke goe and trauell be exercised in thy calling and be Vocation not idle will this sunne in the firmament testifie against thee if thou bee idle what will the light of the sonne of man doe trowest thou if thou be idle in thy profession O woe worth thee that euer thou sawst it I see there must be a walking but thou must not walke as thou wilt In deede there be many that are ouer busie and that were better sleeping in their beds then walking as they doe in wantonnesse and wickednesse And there is ouer many reeling here and there as wantons about I wot not what The very day light craues that thou walke according to the light Rom. 13. 12. thou must haue a very comely behauiour in the shining of the sunne and thou must not play the foole the drunken man the harlot the murtherer and the theefe I tell thee and thou doe it the sunne shall witnesse against thy euill deede to thy condemnation And if the sunne in the world and firmament craues this comely behauiour of thee and that thou walke orderly then much more must thou walke by a rule in thy light Iesus What is the rule Walke worthie of the Lord as if he would say is it the Lord that shines staine not that Lord of light by your euill behauiour This importeth as this light shines in thee so thou shouldest see him See him as thou wilt he shines on thee and if thou get a sight of this light blessed art thou Alas these filthie persons if they saw theeye of God trowe ye that they would puddle on this sort all stands on this that howbeit God see them they see him not Happie art thou if thou canst say when thou risest Lord thou seest me now Lord giue me an eye to see thee and Heb. 12. 14 Gen. 17. 1 by the seeing of thee to walke as it becommeth me in thy presence neuer to staine that glorious light by my prophane life Now in the next words he telles more plainely what it is to walke worthie of the Lord it standeth in this to please him in the whole actions of our life Well is that heart that can in any measure be set to please God and well is the mouth that can say I would please thee O Lord Lord giue me grace to please thee No no let not a thought that thou thinkest will displease him break out hold it in and say Lord slay it by thy Thoughts spirit but fye on thee when thy filthie thought falleth out into a filthie deede Therefore set thee to please the Lord in thought word and deede O the ioy in thy heart when thy conscience beareth witnesse to thee that thou wouldest please the Lord thou shalt neuer haue ioy in thy heart while then When we haue set our heart to please him it is but a meeting of the 2. Cor. 1. 12. Lord. The Lord hath set himselfe before thee to pleasure thee fye fye then that thou wilt not set thy selfe to pleasure him Do what thou canst thou shalt neuer be able to pleasure God in respect of his pleasuring of thee Thou art but an vnprofitable seruant yet happie art thou if thou endeuor to pleasure him as he will and wrestling and striuing as it were through a thornie hedge to get this cankered heart subiect to pleasure thy God and say as thou hast pleasured me Lord giue me grace to pleasure thee Note Now the Lord giue euery one grace to please him in some measure To whom be praise and honor Amen THE THIRD LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians beginning at the middest of the tenth verse COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 10 11 12. 10 Being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God 11 Strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse 12 Giuing thankes vnto the Father which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light WE heard brethren the preface of this epistle it standeth first in thankesgiuing and secondly in prayer We haue heard this other day of thanksgiuing and of the causes of it We entred into the prayer The Apostle sheweth that the first day that euer hee heard of the grace of God which the Colossians had receiued he not onely thanketh God for it but immediatly prayeth for them The effect of his prayer was that they should be filled they were not full yet wherewith with knowledge and not simply that but with all knowledge of what thing not of euery thing but with all knowledge of his wil of the will of God reucaled most cleerely to the world by the sonne himselfe who is in the bosome of the father and who manifested himselfe in the fulnes of time in the nature of man and with his owne mouth reuealed the will of his father Then he layeth out this knowledge in the parts of it In all wisedome saith he which consisteth in contemplation of heauenly things and in all vnderstanding which consisteth in practizing that contemplation All wisedome not earthly but spirituall all vnderstanding not earthly but heauenly touching the loue of God and the saluation of man in the bloud of Iesus Now to what end should they be filled with all this wisedome that they should sit idlie in the world no no but that they should walke and trauell and how according to the rule A misruly life dowes not it auailes
his fellowes neuer man gat or will get such graces as the man the Lord Iesus hath gotten neuer a one hath gotten such wisedome such knowledge and such holines nay all the Angels haue not gotten such graces as he hath But it is not onely these graces wherein this fulnes stands but he is filled with the fountaine of all grace The fulnes of the Godhead it selfe is in him that is his fulnes such as neuer creature got or shall get in heauen or earth It is a vanitie to speake of the graces of Angels in comparison of him all the graces of men or Angels they are as it were but riuers and streames that flow from that glorious head that is full of God So there is no comparison of his fulnes Wee haue receiued saith Ioh. 1. 6. all of his fulnes So all our fulnes stands in his fulnes that is deriued into vs. As this is the reason prouing his dominion so it is a part of his glorie Looke to the glorie of that personage thy Redeemer he is not only a man but a man full of God and so must not this bloud y t comes from him be precious Therefore it is called the blood of God Acts 20. 28. Yet only beleeue and I assure thee in his name of thy redemption if thy sinnes were neuer so great Fasten thy heart once on him and thou shalt finde mercie Take his bloud in thy hand and sprinkle thy heart with it and thou shalt finde grace Heb. 9. 14 and mercie to flow to thee through the same otherwise it had bin better for thee that this bloud had neuer been shed As for the rest I leaue it till the next day concerning the Mediatour onely thus farre As the glorie of the image of the inuisible God and the rest ye haue heard me speake of is infinitly excellent so this that he is a man full of God this is the glorious personage of thy Redeemer It tels thee that that bloud that came out of that bodie was more precious then al the things in the world That bloud y t was powred out of his foot out of his hand and side al tels thee that it is excellently precious and beside that of great necessitie And further it tels thee that sinne against God is great and greater then thou canst consider Fie on thee vile creature if thou wist what it were to sinne against God thou wouldest shake and tremble nay neuer a ioynt of thee would bide fast for feare of that fierce wrath to come on thee And againe if thou knew the vertue of this bloud that takes away thy sinne thou wouldest cleaue fast to it and make much of it but thou considerest not this and therefore thou knowest not the preciousnes of this bloud for if thou knowest not thy sinne thou shalt not know the preciousnes of that bloud of Christ that takes away sinne And againe it tels vs of that passing iustice and of that infinitnes of the wrath of God O that infinitnes of the wrath of God! O wretch thou wottest not The wrath of God for sinne what it is but if it lighted on thee it would rush thee to hell So the precious bloud that was shed for sinne without the effusion of the which thou couldest not be redeemed It tels thee I say that the wrath of God for sinne is infinite and if it were but an euill thought It strikes vpward and strikes the Lord in the nose and kindles his wrath against thee therfore feare and studie to mortification And more I tell thee that notwithstanding thou art once redeemed and by this bloud of Christ freed from sinne and death by such a ransome yet if thou take delight in sinne the murtherer in his murther the oppressor in his oppression being once redeemed thy sinne if it were but an euill thought it is a thousand times the greater by reason of thy redemption For why it brings with it the contempt of the bloud of Christ And thou sinner who takes pleasure in weltring in the foule puddle of sinne what doest thou thou goest on with thy foote and treads the pretious bloud of the Lord Iesus vnder thy foule feete And therefore thou shalt be chalenged in that day not onely because thou wast a murtherer an oppressor and a harlot no no there shal be thy chalenge villaine thou treadest vnder thy foote the bloud of the couenant the precious bloud of thy Sauiour that should haue redeemed thee from thy murther and sinne and therefore wel were it for thee if thou hadst been a Gentile that neuer had heard of this couenant and therefore if thou mindest not to leaue off thy sinne in paine of thy life thou come not to heare a word of Christ For why the more thou hearest the greater shall be thy damnation And there is not one word spoken this day but if it be not effectuall to chaunge thy euill life so that thou begin to leaue off thy sinne but it shall increase thy damnation in that day Therefore take my counsell either amend your liues or els come not to heare one word of this Gospell For this word as the Apostle saith shall be either a sauour of life vnto life or els a sauour of death vnto death and it shall slay thee with a greater dead stroke then if a thousand rapiers were thrust through thee I beseech the Lord Iesus to touch thee with his word that it may be effectuall in the hearts of the hearers so that they may amend their liues to their owne weale and his glorie To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 1. vers 20. 20 And through peace made by the bloud of that his crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him through him I say all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen YE remember beloued brethren the Apostle when he had set downe that great benefite of the redemption of mankinde by the bloud of Iesus Christ hee fals out into a high descriptiō of the sonne of God tending to this end to let vs see the preciousnes of that bloud He set him to be first the image of the inuisible God a high stile Secondly he stiles him to be the first borne of all creatures Thirdly hee stiles him to be the Creator himselfe by whom all things in heauen and earth were created Fourthly he calles him to be the end of the said creation of all creatures for whose honour and glorie all creatures were made Fiftly he stiles him to be the preseruer and keeper of all the creatures made by him Sixtly he comes forward and considereth him not onely as he is the sonne of God God from all eternitie but as he is man also and he makes him to be the head of the Church as he is God and man Then he cals him the first borne of the dead as hee is
men perseuere in the same manner and put not to it so much as one tradition of any man The Lord Traditions Iesus cannot abide that the inuention of mans braine should be foysted into his Gospell So either keepe the Gospell in the owne simplicitie and spit out the dreames and traditions of men which they labour to put to it as though it were not sufficient or else neuer know it let it goe by thee and then woe to thee euermore Keepe it in it owne simplicitie for if thou mingle of thy inuentions with it thou shalt lose the efficacie and force of the Gospell Imbrace once Papistrie I assure thee thou hast fallen from Christ thou hast but fancied to thy selfe the name of a Christian Therefore either lay the Gospell from thee and take thee to traditions or else keepe it in it owne simplicitie Then thirdly I see what faith is Faith is nothing els but the VVhat faith is and perseuerance receiuing of Christ not with the hand but with the hart He is giuen thee thou receiuest nothing but that that is offered And what is preseuerance A walking and going forward in Christ Wouldest thou perseuere Thou must not sit downe thou must not stand still but thou must goe forward in him and make progresse at the least thou must striue to goe on vnto the time thou meete with him A bodie that sits downe shall neuer meere with him thou must therefore goe on thy way and be on thy iourney or else thou shalt lose him If thou make not progresse thou shalt goe backward Therefore run hauing thy eye vpon the goale and count not that thou hast done till thou get the goale which shall be in the day of the resurrection In the next verse when hee hath exhorted them to perseuerance hee lets them see how they shall come by this perscuerance Marke the way if thou perseuere in him Thou must be well knit vp and fast ioyned with him or else thou canst neuer goe on foote for foote with him This coniunction is set downe in two borrowed words The first is rooted in him no neuer tree tooke such roote in the earth as thou must take in Christ if thou goe with him And therefore he borrowed this word from a tree and if thou be rooted in Iesus that sappe of life must runne from that roote and make thee to grow The second word is as wee would goe forward with him wee must be grounded vpon him as a building builded vpon a foundation Nay there was neuer building so builded and setled as thou must be in Christ if euer thou wilt perseuere or else the least blast of winde shall blow thee away As the Lord in the Gospell in the similitude of the house builded vpon the sea sand doth declare Matth. 7. 26. 27. Then marke wee must haue a streight coniunction with Christ if we wil goe forward with him Therefore our care should be euer to see that wee take roote further and further in Christ and to see that stedfast foundation laide vp vnder our hearts and that wee grow euery day more and more on him Well is the man that can enter into this count with himselfe Then learne thy lesson at the tree when thou seest it rooted in the earth say O Lord let my heart be builded on thee and as the building riseth so raise thou A prayer vp my heart on thee And the Lord shall make thee a fairer building then all the buildings in the world Then that which he hath spoken in borrowed speeches he speakes it plainly and he saith established in faith As if hee would say it is nothing that I meane but your stablishing in faith O the vnstabilitie of man without faith O vaine man that hath not faith If thou finde any stabilitie in faith thou shalt say O my heart where hast thou been stragling there is no anchor that can fasten or stablish thine heart but faith and hope in Iesus Christ When by this anchor thou art anchored on him then thou shalt stand so fast that no winde nor waue of the sea shall be able to remoue thee And therefore except thou wouldest goe lose thy selfe seeke to get thy heart anchored on Iesus who is only able to make it fast A Papists heart hath no stedfastnes nor stabilitie because it is grounded on the wrong place it is founded vpon Antichrist Now to the establishing of thy heart he requires two properties To stablish thine heart in the faith note two things The first is in the faith that ye haue been instructed into that is by the Gospell of Christ Then brethren there is nothing will stablish thy heart but that faith that is taught out of the Gospell If thou get not thy faith out of this Gospell the Scripture of God and that onely without paring or adding of mens dreames thou shalt neuer get it The Lord shall iustifie this one day seeke it where thou wilt thou shalt not find it without the Gospel Seeke it in the Councels of the Fathers seeke it among the Popes Clergie thou shalt not finde it amongst them thou shalt euer be the further from it For the Apostle streightens them sore he sees lownes creeping in vnder the cloake of Christ and stealing in traditions of mens wisedome Therefore he warnes them and saith I charge you that ye seeke saith only out of this Gospell And this day also I charge all flesh from Kings to beggers to seeke faith onely out of this Gospell and spit at the vile inuentions of men or else thou shalt neuer see the face of God nor the ioyes of that life in him Therefore sticke by this Gospell and suffer not thy selfe to be seuered from it yea rather suffer thy skinne be pulled off thee as the Martyrs did before thou shouldest be parted from the Gospell The second propertie that is required to the establishing of thy heart in faith is Thy faith must abound abounding saith he with thankesgiuing It must abound it must grow aboundantly it must not begin onely but it must grow degree by degree For brethren O how voide is the heart of man of grace and ful of vanitie It wil not be a degree of grace y t will fill thy heart nor two nor three c. but there must be aboundance Faith must abound and grow so long as thou abidest in this world thy heart must euer be filling But alas thou art euer filling thy bodie and forgets thy heart O but thou must be more carefull to fill thy heart then thy bodie Crie therefore euer to haue thy heart filled with faith in Iesus and say Lord as thou fillest my bodie so fill my heart also For thy body being Pray that thy heart may be filled with faith filled shall perish but if thy soule be filled with the faith of Iesus thou shalt liue for euer and euer And therefore seeke this aboundance and be not content with one degree
cloathing it is that thou hast first he calleth it a bodie it is a bodie then a massie lumpe this is a borrowed word from the bodie of man So the garment wherewith thou art clad by nature and which must be shaken off of thee if thou wouldest be saued it is no superficiall thing O vaine man Our naturall corruptiō no light or superficiall thing thou thinkest it a superficiall light thing No it is a bodie and a lumpe with all the dimensions thereof length heighth breadth and deepnes yea thou art not able to finde out the deepnes thereof Thou maist indeede feele the deepnes of thy bodie of flesh and bones but thou canst not finde the deepnes of thy heart For as thy soule is compassed with thy bodie euen so thy heart is compassed and clogged with an heauie lumpe heauier then the whole earth One sinne is heauier then the whole earth no marueile then if thou be drawne to hell if thou be not relieued Now let vs see whereof this bodie is He calleth it a bodie of sinne O stinking nature Then brethren ye see the arraignement of nature a bodie not of flesh bloud and bone but of sinne and of all sorts of sinne Wilt thou looke into thy heart thou shalt see it full of foule stinking cogitations and affections And if thou haddest any smell of it thou wouldest stink Naturall corruption how vncleane a thing in thy owne nose I forbeare to speake of the outward effects as foule speeches and the wicked deedes of the hands which returne to the heart againe and makes vp the stinking bodie The heart of man is drowned in the sinke of sinne and if thou relieue not thy selfe thou shalt be drowned in sin The world will not beleeue this nor yet learne this lesson In the next word he calleth it the bodie of flesh Wouldest thou haue the originall of sinne it is called flesh not this outward bodie that thou bearest but an inward hid thing and stinking corruption that is runne through thy whole soule and bodie and infecteth them so that there is not an inch of thee free So you see the welspring of this sinfull masse it is not outward it is within thee that ayleth thee the seate of it is in the heart and occupieth the depth of it and no part therof is free and it spouteth out vehemently this foule stinking venome of sinne as euer thou sawest any spout spout out water So that if thou grow not in regeneration thou shalt grow in sinne which poysons thee day by day till at the last thou drop downe like a poysoned bodie Therefore roote it out and digge it vp let this be thy occupation night and day as Kill sinne or else it will kill thee thou wouldest be saued or else it will destroy thee So thou seest this garment this bodie wherewith thou art so clogged must be cast off otherwise of necessitie thou must be a firebrand of hell In the end of the verse he taketh vp that which he hath spoken in one word I meane would he say by this of casting off the bodie nothing else but that circumcision of Christ that is to say not onely that that he suffered in his owne flesh passiue but that this is made by him actiue as we speake Then note shortly that all this of putting off this foule garment is not by the hand of man all the men in the world cannot get their hand into thy heart to plucke off this foule stinking garment hee may open thy breast and pull out thy fleshie heart but there is no hand that can pull off and draw out that foule heart but onely the hand of Christ Iesus Therefore if thou wilt be freed of that mortalitie craue his hand to pluck Christ alone doth circumcise the heart off this garment and crie O Lord put in thy hand and plucke this foule heart away fie on it it stinkes in mine owne nose When he hath thus spoken he leaueth vs not so but maketh it plaine shewing the manner how this is brought about Thou must not dreame of a grosse fashion for the manner is spirituall In old time a man would haue put to his hand bodily but Iesus Christ puts to his hand spiritually Now the circumcision of Iesus Christ standeth in a conformitie VVhat the circumcisiō of Christ is and likenes betweene Christ and vs. This likenes stands in two poynts first in the likenes with him in death and buriall thou must dye I tell thee thou that wouldest be made like to Christ thy head Secondly it standeth in a conformitie in life and in rising againe to life and truly thy life shall be more sweete and ioyfull then euer thy death was sower and heauie But he beginneth at his death his words are being buried Buriall presupposeth death no man is buried but he that is dead Then vnderstand how thou canst neuer liue with To be buried vvith Christ in griefe for sinne Christ vnlesse thou dye with him thinke not that euer thou shalt rise except thou bee first buried with him in griefe for sinne Well well wanton companions burie your hearts in teares and holy repentance Repentance if it be holy is thy buriall for who euer rose except he lay downe Can a man rise from death to life except he were first dead Canst thou rise to that spirituall and eternall life except thou be first spiritually dead It must be the death of this bodie of sinne of this body of flesh that is within thee that must bring thee to this buriall of Christ Couldest thou neuer sigh for thy sinne then wast thou neuer at deaths dore nor dead with Christ And except thou sigh continuallie day and night for thy sinnes and dye to them and euery one of them how canst thou say thou shalt rise with Christ Art thou a murtherer and greeuest not for it so that thou abstainest from it then thou diest not and shalt not therefore rise with Christ Art thou an oppressour and repentest not then thou diest not neither shalt thou rise with Christ Art thou an euill speaker of thy neighbour behinde his backe as this land is full of such people who thinke it no sinne and sorrowest not thou neuer wast dead with Christ neither canst rise with him O the villaine that will please himself in this sin the rest and yet will imagine to rise as well as the best men to life in Iesus But O foole thou art altogether vaine and thy cogitations are meere deceits for Christ will not be a Sauiour to any but to such as die with him mortifying their sinnes If thy buriall be not with him thou shalt neuer rise to spirituall life with him Thou maist indeed rise but not to thy comfort if thou be not buried to sinne in some measure in this life there shall be no resurrection for thee to that life which is in the heauens purchased in the bloud of Christ Iesus Men thinke not
hath his faith in him for he shall ouercome the diuel find strength in the day of temptation Cast Gorgons head or Medusas so many as did looke on it were turned into stones as Poets faine vp Iesus Christ as it were Gorgonis caput the diuell dare not look vpon thee but if thou appeare in thy own nature without Christ lying in thy stink he will boldly and fiercely set on thee He will cast vp his face assaile thee mightily he shall not leaue thee till he destroy thee for there is no mercie or pitie with him he is more cruell theÌ„ a Tiger Well seek to Christ as ye would be saued and stand fast in the day of temptation He led them through saith he openly That is in the sight of God his Angels and all the world and these that stood about the crosse What auailes a triumph that is done in secret The glorie of this triumph stood in that that it was done so openly I tell thee his crosse was no more open then his triumph was his glorie was as open as his shame But thou wilt say who was this all the Iewes and the nations about saw him crucified ignominiously who saw this triumph alas if they had had eyes they might haue seene it Whereto tended his death but to the vanqâ—â—â—â—â—ng of the diuell so the fault was not in the crosse buâ— in them that they saw not If there were no more but that title Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which Pilate would not alter if they had taken heede to that title they might perceiue hee was triumphing But howbeit they all saw it not yet I doubt not but there were some secret ones that saw it both God and his Angels saw it and Paul looking back againe to the crosse he seeth that triumph There is none of vs but when we looke backe to the crosse of Christ Iesus wee see in the crosse a triumphing King sitting in a triumphing chariot this is Pauls sight and it is the sight of euery faithfull soule They see it and they feele it daily and out of my sight it shall neuer goe nor out of thy sight that beleeuest in the Lord Iesus In the last words he taketh vp in one word the triumphing He coÌ„pares Christs triumph with the Romanes triumphes ouer them ye know the greatest glorie of victorie when men triumph ouer their enemies is to be set aboue them and al the Romane Emperours neuer got so great glorie as when they got a triumph But all is nothing to this glorie of the triumph of our Iesus for he getteth the greatest honour he getteth the triumph which is worthily called a triumph What is his triumph The Romanes got their triumph when they had oppressed men most vniustly and so it was but a tyrannie but the Lord Iesus triumpheth not because hee oppresseth this or that man but he triumphs because hee oppressed principalities and powers that is the diuels Neuer a Caesar ouercame the diuell but the diuell ouercame them when they were in their greatest royaltie so that the diuell was leading them to hell fastest when they triumphed most vniustly but Iesus Christ triumpheth after a iust victorie The spoyling of them was most iust and so it passeth all the triumphes of all the Romane Emperours and Caesars Their Chariots are not to bee compared with that crosse of Iesus So wouldest thou triumph with Iesus Christ and after a iust conquest Alas alas seeke not to triumph ouer men ouer this or that King this bodie or that ouer poore tenants to shed their bloud to wring thy hands in their heart bloud as thou wilt O villaine villaine stay let not that King of Spaine that slaue subiected to that beast of Rome reioyce in that by his crueltie he triumphs ouer many nations O thou wilt call thy selfe a Christian King learnedst thou of Christ to oppresse thy neighbour countries No if thou werst a Christian King thou wouldest learne to oppresse the diuell that raigneth ouer thee But to leaue them and to speake of this victorie of Christ thou that wouldest haue a true triumph seeke to haue the victorie ouer the diuel that seeketh to triumph ouer thee and that in Iesus Christ for without him there is no true victorie To end in a word ye would marueile if you looke to this writing of this Apostle and I doubt not that meÌ„ in this world that know not what Iesus and his crosse meane would scorne all this language for the wisedome of God is foolishnes to this world What is this he is telling He is speaking of an ignominious crosse of Christ and againe he is setting him vp as it were a Caesar There was neuer an Oratour that spake more highly of an Emperour then hee doth speaking of the crosse of Iesus Christ He is making a glorie of an ignominie and a Chariot of a gallowes a triumph of a man that is hanged Brethren this same speech of the Apostle would to God we could see as he saw it is a triumphing speech of a triumph testifieth plainly that hee felt in his heart the power of the crosse and A triumphing speech in the Apostle of Christs triumph death of Iesus Christ as he saith Galath 6. 14. God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ It testifieth that his heart was full of the power of God and of the death of Christ and that the obligation was cancelled and the diuell vndone and by this effectuall feeling the mouth and the heart are opened Alas alas he would not haue compared the crosse of Christ with the triumph of Emperours if his heart had not felt the vertue of the crosse of Christ O then seeke a sense of the death of Christ and the power of it otherwise reade not these words for thou wilt scorne the Gospell Againe I say thou wilt scorne the Gospell if thou finde not the vertue and power of the death of Christ in some measure sensibly in thy heart yea and the wiser thou art thou wilt euer account it the greater follie Therefore as euer thou wilt account of it and speake of the crosse of Christ to thy ioy seeke to feele sensibly the power of that death of Christ for it is not like a common death In the death of the man Iesus Christ what was there There was the life of the Sonne of God that quickened the death of the man So that it is more powerfull then all the liues of Angels or men that are or that euer will be So all tendeth to this seeke to finde the power of that death that thou maist reade it with ioy and heare tell of it with ioy And certainly if thou shalt feele the power at the hearing and speaking of it if thine hart shal leape for ioy it is argument for thee that Iesus Christ hath triumphed ouer death to thy saluation To this Iesus with the Father and the holy Spirit be
vnto thy soule when thou art ioyned to him by faith He must haue vertue and power to giue thee whereby thou maist be able to die or to liue Now brethren if there were no more but these effects to flow from Iesus into vs it telleth vs plainly that there was neuer giuen such a power to any in heauen or earth as there was giuen to Iesus Christ man our Regeneration head It telleth that as hee is man so is he God Looke if thou haue regeneration in thee and thou shalt feele this to be true if wee haue it it will tell vs that Iesus Christ is the neerest to me and thee of all others There is none that will make thee to die with them but Christ only no thy father and mother will not be able to doe that none will draw thee after him in death and life saue onely Christ So if thou be ioyned with Christ it is impossible to separate thee from him as thou maist be from thy wise and children and the deerest things thou hast no no if thou be once ioyned to him as thy head there is no separation for thee he shall be all things to thee Now this much for the first argument the exhortation followeth If ye be risen with Christ saith he seeke those things which are aboue There is an action required and life and euery kind of life must haue an action otherwise it cannot be a life The naturall life must haue an action the earthly life must haue an action Then this heauenly life that we are risen to with Iesus it must haue an action otherwise it cannot be a life Note Thou that art quickened with him must be a doer otherwise thou hast not his life for as his life is the quickest thing that is or euer was for it is the life of God so it must haue the quickest action that is This action is first a seeking with the whole hart and all the affections and members of the bodie There is the first action seeking Euery life ye know seeketh for the things VVhat the spirituall life of Christ workes in his members that serue for the sustaining of it This naturall life that perisheth so long as it abideth it is occupied in seeking for the maintenance of it by night and by day by al meanes possible Should not then this heauenly life haue a seeking Shouldest thou sit when thou seest this man catching here and there seeking for the maintenance of this naturall life Wilt thou not take an example of these earthly things and earthly creatures to seeke for heauenly things to the confirmation and preseruation of thy spirituall life O if thou hadst a sparke of heauenly life thou wouldest seeke more earnestly for the entertainment of it then euer any creature did for the maintenance of this naturall life Well then by the example of these earthly things that are occupied in seeking for the meanes of this present life learne thou to seeke spirituall graces and say to the Lord O Lord grant that I may seeke heauen and heauenly things for the preseruation of this my spiritual life as al these earthly bodies seeke for these perishing things Now come to the things that they should seeke Seeke saith he what nothing beneath meate drink and the rest of these things No what should they seeke Things aboue in heauen that are in Iesus Christ O the fulnes that is in him Brethren all grace first is in heauen yea aboue these visible heauens where that glorious bodie is then it commeth downe to the earth Therefore he sendeth thee vpward to heauen for to seeke Ye know euery kind of life seeketh things proper and meete for such a life The life of a beast will seeke for that that is proper for the life of a beast the life of a tree for that that is meete for such a life and the life of a man for such things as are meete for the life of a man Euery life will seeke for things which serue for the preseruation of it euen so if thou hadst this life of God thou wilt seeke things proper for this life Thou wilt seek things from heauen because heauenly things are proper for such a life For heauenly things are proper for an heauenly life Iesus Christ after his death and buriall or euer his bodie was in heauen the heart of him was in heauen So if thou haue the life of Iesus of necessitie thy heart must goe to heauen for looke whither his heart went if thou bee risen with him of necessitie thy heart must goe thither and by thine action measure thy life in Iesus for if thou haue not a heart to heauen and heauenly things alas thou hast not the life of Iesus but if thou haue it thou wilt euer be seeking for heauenly things and then in some measure thou art in heauen Then to conclude this first exhortation and first argument thereof in a word and so to come to the second argument If there were nothing more to moue thee to seeke after heauen and heauenly things but this spirit of regeneration the life of the spirit in Iesus Christ it should lift thee vp to heauen as heauie as thou art For it is true thou art a lumpe but if thou haue the spirit if thou werst neuer so heauie he will raise thee and giue thee strength to flie vpward though the body be neuer so clogged If thou haue a sparke of that life it will cause thee to mount aloft Indeede this bodie will draw thee downe and must doe so yet bee assured if thou haue one sparke of that spirituall life it will raise thee vp when the other is pulling thee downe and in the end when mortalitie is so shaken off of thee then in a wonderfull manner the bodie shall be lifted vp and that soule and bodie of thine shall be glorified Therefore marke euer this life by the effect if thou findest thy heart in heauen and heauenly things say thou hast the life of Iesus but on the contrarie if thou finde not thy heart set A true note of the life of God in vs. on heauen and seeking for heauenly things thou hast not to doe with the life of Iesus and woe be to thee for euermore When thou risest in the morning if thou findest thy heart vpward O thou risest with ioy therfore neuer rest till thou hast Eph. 4. 18. gotten the life of God Lord make vs carefull to haue a sense of this life without the which there is no glorie nor ioy for the soule of any person liuing Now to come to the next argument which is taken from Christ himselfe and the place where hee is Seeke saith he those things that are aboue where Christ is As if he would say Christ is aboue that glorified bodie with all the spirituall graces and that fulnes is aboue yea aboue these visible heauens Therefore let thy heart goe where he is let it be lifted vp
and then commeth that spirituall life which also forceth thee vpward will not this moue thee Then commeth the presence of Iesus that is in heauen he is drawing thee vpward with his hand the other two thrusteth thee vpward but he draweth thee by his spirit Father saith he in Iohn chap. 17. verse 24. I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me where I am Will not this moue thee yet there is more his glorie wherewith he promiseth to adorne thee with himselfe Would not that yet moue thee to seeke heauen and heauenly things O thy life is not here In deed thou hast begun a peece of the life of heauen when thy desire is set vpon it but thy glorie is in the heauen thou art alreadie the sonne of God but yet it appeareth not what thou art 1. Iohn 3. 2. Thy life is in heauen Then seeing there are so many arguments to moue thee to set thy heart and affection on heauen and heauenly things to drawe thee vpward to heauen O miserable soule that yet wilt goe downe to hell There is no want of power to conuince and arguments to moue vs to seeke for heauen and heauenly things but alas all the want is in thy miserable heart to let thee see how great an induration is in thy heart that will vndoe thee so in the light of the Gospell The greatest sinne that thou canst commit it is not thy murther thy adultery thy oppression it is none of these that holdeth thee backe from God No no it is the hardening of thy heart against Hardnes of heart how perilous so many graces whereby the Lord would heaue thee vp to heauen And so the speciall poynt of thine enditement shall be that thou hardenest thy heart and wouldest haue none of his grace I would haue forgiuen thee freely will the Lord say if thou wouldest haue taken me by the hand when I put it out to thee O blessed is that soule that can put out the hand and take grace of God when he offereth it Yet I must not passe by the words Your life saith he is hid aboue with Christ and in whom In God By life is meant that perfection of glorie that once we shall see when the glorie of Iesus shall ouershadow vs and make this vile bodie of ours glorious as it is said in the Epistle to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. There our life he saith is hid aboue it is not open to be seene The eye of man hath not seene it the eare hath not heard of it and all the tongues of the Angels cannot tell you of the greatnes of that glorie neither can it enter into your heart Hebr. 2. 7. So it is hid aboue from the world the wicked seeth it not and so it commeth to passe that the child of God is least accounted of and why because the life of him is not seene and the reprobate shall wonder at it at that day when it shall be cleerely reuealed to him but alas to his euerlasting confusion yea the very sonnes of God shall wonder at it themselues for thou seest not the glorie of thy estate Alas heauen is but as a dreame to thee and is as it were a glimmering thou seest not the thousand part of it neither feelest the thousand part of the ioy that thou shalt haue there but we see it a farre off and therefore it seemeth like a mote But when we draw neere it it shall be like a great mountaine So it is hid With whom with Christ where he is there is thy life Then it must follow as it is hid Iesus is yet hid from thee thou liuest not by sight of him but by faith in him 2. Cor. 5. 7. He is hid from thee and thou shalt wonder when thou shalt see him When thou shalt see him euen as he is man he shall make thee astonished And where is Iesus hid He answereth in God It is not these heauens it is not this visible circle these cloudes that hide him No take them away thou canst see him with that corruptible eye of thine In whom then is he hid In God That is in a light that hath no accesse 1. Timoth. chap. 6. vers 16. where God is himselfe Iesus is hid vp So all the sight of things inuisible is in Iesus So that no eye can see God but in Iesus and if Iesus be hid vp God is inuisible to thee all is hid vp within that vaile and all is dwelling in that vaile of man So all is hid thy life is hid and Iesus is hid vp Therefore wonder not although thou canst not get such a sight of that life of Christ and such a sight of God as thou wouldest haue for the appointed time is not as yet come The Lord hath appointed a time when Christ shall be reuealed and then seeing Iesus thou shalt see thy life that was hid vp in him yea then thou shalt see God himselfe Now what shall we do in the meane time I will tell thee hold thee by the faith of Iesus vntil thou get this sight that is stick A sweete conclusion 2. Cor. 3. 17. 18. to the mirrour of the Gospell hold thy eye to it and euer bee looking on it and then in a moment Iesus shall stand vp before thee ere thou be aware and when the mirrour shall goe away Iesus shal stand vp in steed of it and he shal not so soone stand vp before thee but hee shall as soone transforme thee and shall make this vile bodie to be glorious And so soone as this mortalitie shall be swallowed vp then thou shalt possesse that infinite ioy euerlastingly and shalt looke into the deepenes of that Lord for euer Now Lord giue vs grace to looke stedfastly in this Gospell of Iesus till wee be glorified in him and get his presence to look on for euer and euer Amen Now to this Lord Iesus with the Father and holy Ghost be euerlasting praise honour and thankes for euer THE XXIIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossains COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 4. 5. 4 When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory 5 Mortifie therefore your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannes the inordinate affection euill concupiscence THe last day brethren we entred into the exhortation to true godlines and holines of life In the first three verses of this chapter we had two exhortations and both were to things that are aboue to heauenly things The first exhortation was to seeke them the second was to be wise in these heauenly things There were sundry arguments which the Apostle vsed for this purpose ye heard euery one of them as they occurred in their own place The last argument whereby he would moue them to be wise in these heauenly things was that life that was hid vp with Christ in God euen that life which is the perfecting of this
12. vers 9. What Idolater Luk. 12. had greater confidence in any thing then this man had in his riches The auaritious man then can haue his confidence in nothing but in his riches Therefore in the first to Timothie chap. 6. vers 17. the Apostle saith Charge the rich men in this world that they be not proud nor put their confidence in vncertaine riches And Dauid in the 62. Psalme vers 10. saith If riches abound set not thy heart vpon them Dauid knew well that man would make a God of his riches Well if he put his trust in his riches and doth worship and honour them he is an idolater For wherein standeth the worship of God but in putting of confidence which is the inward worship of God in him Doest not thou then honour riches when thou puttest thy confidence in them yea certainly yea I say none will goe beyond him in that Looke to him that will put his confidence in an Idoll most an auaritious man shall goe beyond him and ouermatch him Ye will moue another question Is there no other vitious man an idolater Is not the ambitious man an idolater puts hee not his confidence in his honour and the belly-god in his bellie and some in the arme of men put not all these sorts of persons and many more then these their confidence in their seuerall vices like Gods are not these idolaters also I answere it is true indeede thou that art ambitious art an idolater thou that art a belly-god art an idolater and thou that puttest thy trust in the arme of man art an idolater but I say certainly not without cause hee termeth the auaritious to be an idolater before all other euen because it is most common and least counted of by reason that men most naturally are inclined thereto What is he that cannot cloake his auarice It is thriftines will the auaritious man say and why should I giue out my goods to this that why should not I keepe them well when I haue them And so they are most readie to cloake it with a colour And therefore the Apostle to let them see it is but vaine so to doe termeth this vice the greatest and more like to idolatrie then any other So that idolatrie is first and then auarice that is likest to idolatrie succeedeth and then ambition and the rest And to speake the truth it is an harder thing to draw the heart of an auaritious man from this world then it is to draw the heart of any man yea it is easier to winne the idolater from his idolatrie then it is to winne the couetous man from his couetousnes for couetousnes is bred in the marrow of thy bones Then I say againe this vice hath most neede to be insisted vpon and aggrauated For all the world will not satiate the heart of man it is onely the spirit of Iesus that will fill it Now one thing note here and so I will goe forward Certainly this aggrauating of auarice calling of it idolatrie lets vs see that the chiefe sinne in the world is idolatrie When he would make one sinne greater then another he will take the greatest sinne and set with it as here to shew that auarice is a great sinne Auarice and idolatrie compared and greater then many others he setteth it downe with idolatrie that is greater And therefore it must follow that idolatrie is the greatest sinne for that sin that is next to the greatest sinne must needs make that that sinne which is before it to bee the greatest sinne But so it is that couetousnes is next to the greater sinne which is idolatrie therefore idolatrie is the greatest sinne And therefore fie on them that leaue the true God and set vp an Idoll to worship it O that true God Idolatrie shall not leaue of to pursue them while they come home again and all the Kings of the earth shall not make them to prosper except they come home againe O then come home come home or els I pronounce it shall not be the Pope that shall be able to saue thee from damnation It was easie to win the idolatrous Gentiles but to winne false Christians from their Hard to cōuert Papists from idolatrie idolatrie of al things of the world it is one of the hardest Wilt thou not be wonne by the light and truth of the word that iron rod shall bruse thee together Now to speake something of these members will ye see the obiect of these-foule affections The obiects are two in number The first is pleasure the very pleasuring of the flesh The second is profit and gaine There are the two The lust is occupied about pleasure and this desire is occupied about profit and so the two obiects are pleasure and profit Now it is true the Lord that hath created all things hath created thee with these affectations of pleasure and desire of these things in this world so that it is natural to desire the things of this world and to take pleasure in them And the Lord that hath created thee so hee hath giuen thee pleasure and profit and such is his liberalitie towards thee that hee alloweth that thy affections be satisfied so be it that thou vse all to his honour and worship whether thou eate or drinke or whatsoeuer thou doe and that in vsing thy libertie with an vncleane heart thou defile not the good gift of God otherwise of necessitie these foule affections must be double sinnes Thou sinnest doubly not onely in thy lust but in the liberalitie of God thou sinnest in harlotrie and in ingratitude against God The Lord hath permitted thee to haue riches And the Lord shall say to the harlot permitted not I thee to haue pleasure but thou wouldest not take it as I commaunded thee but thou wouldest perseuere in whoredome from one to another and Inordinate affection so pleasure thy selfe in vncleannes which I haue forbidden thee And likewise he shall say to the auaricious permitted not I thee to haue riches but what hast thou done Thou hast made a god of thy riches and serued them whereas thou shouldest haue knowne me for thy God and me onely shouldest thou haue worshipped and therefore thou and thy lust and thou and thy profit shall both to hell in my hot indignation and as one affection that is foule bringeth many sinnes with it so it bringeth double iudgement with it Beware then and marke well these affections that they bee not in excesse and passe measure This inordinate affection to the foule lusts of the flesh and the gaine of the things in this world telleth vs that the corruption of nature and of these affections is more bent to an excesse passing measure then to a defect in nature There are some things that are in excesse and some in a defect but this corruption that is in man tendeth more to an excesse then any other thing Man is readier to offend in ouer great
this vice of filthie speaking would ye know it There is no house but it is full of this villanie The villaine cannot speake two words but the one is filthie speaking and so it is no wonder that this ayre is defiled Thou bringest on Gods iudgements on thee and thy corne both thou art a foule speaker Paul in the Ephesians calleth it rotten speech stinking speech and that because it is of foule things For where the thing is filthie the talke must be filthie also And as the filthie thing defileth and corrupteth the flesh and vitiateth all that it toucheth euen so out of question the filthie speech will rot thee Put a fresh apple amongst the rotten the very rotten apples will rot the fresh euen so thou Simile shalt rot thy selfe by thy foule speech Ye will say to me Is there such a force in a word what doe I reckon of it it is but winde But Paul 1. Cor. chap. 15. vers 23. saith be not beguiled thou thinkest words be nothing what addeth he wicked speeches corrupt good manners wicked speeches therfore will rot thee be not beguiled with them By this learne thou then how subiect the heart of man is to vanitie and how readie hee will be to sucke it in Hee will sucke it in faster then euer a drie mouth will drinke in drinke and he will speake of his vanitie and filthines no there is not an obiect cast vp but it will defile the soule of the filthie speaker To what end should I speak of these things the foule heart will commit filthines with the shadow of it and ere euer thou be a harlot in thy bodie thou wilt be a harlot in thy heart and tongue first and then it will not rest vntill thou pollute that bodie of thine Looke to it and proue thy experience if thy heart hath not committed adulterie or euer thy bodie committeth it The bodie was neuer so subiect to draw a pestilence as the hart is to attract the vice of adulterie and all other filthie vices and thy senses in thy head are as many doores to the soule that letteth in either good or euill things when they are open especially take heed The senses windowes to thy eyes and eares for they are principall but the eares chiefest For as the greatest grace is let in by the care for from whence commeth faith but by the hearing From whence cōmeth edificatiō but by the care and so it is a special sense in a man and therfore take heed to it As it receiueth the greatest grace so it will take in the foulest greatest vice that is Take heed thē to it let it not be giuen to euery bodies talk keep her chast lend her not to filthie speaking when thou hearest any speake filthie talke turne thy eare from him I giue this exhortation to yong ones that are brought vp in filthie houses with gentlemen with swaggerers I say this therefore for them that they may receiue knowledge for it will take a deepe impression And therefore it should be enformed in good things for there is none of you but the filthie things ye gate in your youth hindreth you in good operation Therefore thou that art young keepe a chast eare abhorre filthie companie And you know if the pestilence were in a house you would not abide there O if thou knewest the pestilence of filthie talke thou wouldest not abide in the house with him that speaketh filthie talke For as filthie thoughts are put from the heart so filthie speaking is from the mouth and as there is mortification required in the heart so there is mortification required in the mouth and tongue That spirit crieth to all runne vp thorough the bodie and all the members of it and mortifie them beginning at the heart Therefore thou that wouldest speake speake cleane things minister grace in thy talke purge the heart for yee know out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Therefore I say to you if thou heare a Lord speake foule talke say my Lord your heart is foule stinking like a priuie I will say this to thee Lord clense thy heart and tongue or els both will be burnt in hell Againe brethren as the contagion ariseth out of the heart to the tongue euen so the filthy word goeth not so soone from the mouth or tongue but it sendeth a stinke back againe to the heart and it maketh it fouler then before and so thou defilest not thy tongue only by thy filthie speech but thou defilest thy heart and laiest on it a double filthines Is it not as good then to be silent and euer purging your hearts Thou that thinkest both filthie things and speakest filthy things O vile villaine thou sinnest doubly But alas who can hinder this filthines in man or woman alas so long as we liue we shall finde it in them yet I giue thee my counsell lend not thy tongue to it but aske grace of God in Iesus Christ to keepe thy heart and tongue from this vncleannes and be slaine in thy heart and surely thou shalt get grace in thy heart to slay it by the spirit of the Lord Iesus to whom be all honour and praise for euer THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 9. 10. 9 Lie not one to another seeing that ye haue put off the old man with his workes 10 And haue put on the new which is renued in knowledge after the image of him that created him WE insist yet brethren in this exhortation which the Apostle hath to the Colossians to this end that they should mortifie their earthly members that is their lusts and foule affections He vseth sundrie arguments to this purpose as we heard and at last hee concludeth that purpose in other words Before he said mortifie and now put away seeing it is to day it is a shame that they should bee seene now in Coherence the day light of righteousnes to walke in vncleannes and filthie lust Then he rehearseth vp a number of vices besides them that were before namely wrath anger which is firie malice cursed speaking filthie speaking And here we left the last day Now we shall goe forward with the last vice which is lying we be to speake of it first here and so to passe forward to the argument taken from that regeneration begun and therefore it should perseuere in vs to the end But to come to the vice of lying There be here three vices Three vices of the tongue reckoned that follow the tongue for if it bee euill it is the worst member in the bodie The first is cursed speaking when we hurt the fame of our brother The second is filthy speaking rotten speaking as hee saith in another place when wee defile the eare and consequently the heart of our brother with the breath of our mouth for we defile all and our owne heart also whereunto our foule speech returneth as ye
because man is created to the image of God and God is truth So euery lie is a sin before God Alas when Christ in the 12. of Mat. vers 36. saith that we shall giue an account of all this vaine talke and idle words that defile the care and fill it with clattering and glauering from morning to euening how much more shall a liar giue an account of his lies So to conclude all lying is sinne of what sort soeuer it be Therefore vse it not neither in iest nor earnest I am not ignorant brethren but this matter hath bin reasoned of old euen by the learned to excuse some kinde of lie especially this officious lie that is for the good of their brother they want not arguments and especially the examples of the Scripture The Midwiues lied to Pharaoh Exod. 2. Rahab the harlot lied to her owne townesmen to saue the spies 1. Iosu chap. 2. Dauid to saue his owne life being in the Court of the Philistines hee lied 1. Sam. 21. he fained himselfe mad Now say they we cannot say that these godly persons sinned in all this seeing the Midwiues were highly rewarded Rahab was saued when all the towne was spoyled This is an apparant argument Now brethren grant this that they lied as it is doubted whether they lied or not yet it followeth not that they sinned not I say to you they sinned in lying The midwiues sinned in lying Rahab sinned in lying and Dauid in that counterfeiting and it was not the lie it was not the infirmitie of the which the lie proceeded that the Lord rewarded no the Lord forgaue the lie but it was that pitie and feare of God that was in the women that the Lord rewarded Therefore their lie is not set downe to thee for imitation but that thou shouldest flie it Doe the good they did but by another meane Doe not euill that good may come of it No doe the good but vse the lawfull meane I doubt not but these women asked mercie for their lie if thou be so straited that thou liest aske mercie if it were that thy lie were to saue the whole countrie aske mercie for it for it is an offence to God Now a question and so to go forward We see here if we haue concluded with the Apostle that it is sinne to lie in any sort ye will aske is it a sinne to conceale the truth to hide the truth Sinneth the man that telleth not all the truth I answere there are two sorts of truth one of religion and another of policie Of concealing a truth concerning this present life If thou aske about religion I giue thee a distinction If thou be vrged to giue a confession of thy faith thou art bound to conceale nothing otherwise thou deniest the Lord Iesus and as thou deniest him thou forswearest the truth so sinnest grieuously Beware then of this though the fire should be set before thee for the telling of the truth when thou art vrged thereunto rather be content to goe to the fire then thou shouldest conceale one iot of the truth of Iesus but tell all the truth then But againe if thou be not straited with a confession it is lawfull to conceale yea to cast out the truth in euery place and to euery person it is to cast pearles before swine As for the matter of policie I answere with a distinction also If before a Iudge thou be charged to Confession of the truth in religion and policie publike priuate depose the truth thou art bound not to conceale a whit of it and thou that concealest and wilt not tell the truth thou resistest the ordinance of God for it is God that chargeth thee in the Magistrate But if one priuate man haue to doe with an other and standeth not before a Iudge it is lawfull to hide a part of the truth for I tell you all the truth would not be told at all times to euery man yea it is a sinne to tell the truth at all times Saith not the Apostle Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes Now I end it with this word let no manner of lie proceed out of thy heart let no man be deceiued by thinking that to lie is a matter indifferent no no alas we are ouer readie to thinke so But I admonish thee if thou vse to lie in light things thou wilt bee brought on to lie in the greatest things yea if it were in matters of saluation Beware then of it Now to goe forward he returneth to his argument tending to mortification and it is taken from the regeneration begun There are two parts of it the first part is in putting off the second is in putting on The meaning is ye haue begun to put off the old man the euill affections of your nature therefore continue in putting it off otherwise it had bin better for you that ye had neuer begun the work of your regeneration Then brethren the lesson is regeneration once begun would be insisted in vntill thou end it begin once to be holy thou must end it begin once to put off this old man thou must hold him off and put him away that thou see him no more And beginning once to put on the new man thou must hold him on Perseuerance still otherwise to begin and not to goe forward is double iniquitie to thee It is better neuer to begin except thou make a progresse vntill thou bee glorified For hee or she that beginneth and then commeth backe againe are in hazard if euer they come forward againe It is easier to bring one forward Relapse that neuer came forward then it is to bring one that hath once begun and then hath reuolted and made defection Reade the Epistle to the Hebrues chap. 10. vers 26. of this apostasie But to marke the words Seeing saith he ye haue put off the old man with his workes The word is borrowed from cloathing for properly the cloathing is put off Therefore the word importeth that this old man is a kinde of cloathing and being a cloathing Simile ye see the thing neerest man is his cloathing This old man it may sit neere thee and sticke close to thee yea thy coate and shirt sit not on thee so neere as this old man The coate couereth thy outward skinne but the old man cloatheth thy heart and thy marrow so that there is not one bit vncloathed of thee Thou wast borne without coate or shirt Note of our corruption but thou art bred with this old man cloathed with this old man from top to toe Then seeing this old man is a cloathing he is not of thy substance either of bodie or soule Thy cloathing is not of thy substance no more is this corruption that is thy old man of thy substance and so it is a follie to say that originall sinne is in a substance But what is hee then he is a corrupt qualitie and sitteth so fast to thee
and vncleannes and mortalitie out of thy former parents Adam and Eue euen so beleeuing in Iesus thou shalt draw out of him the sappe of life and sanctification But the words following make the words plaine What is meant by this new man There are three things in the words following Three things in the new man There is first the making him new againe Secondly there is the nature what it is wherein he standeth And thirdly there is the paterne according to the which hee is made the Lord had made him according to a paterne First it is said He is renued That is he is created a new againe Then it must follow that he was once made before and that in the creation and if he be made againe hee was once lost and so it was Now after this losing the Lord renueth him againe and therefore ye see a wonderfull mercie of God and it is the will of the spirit that thou shouldest conceiue this in thy heart and say O that exceeding mercie of God! that the Lord of mercie hath shewed on thee this mercie Looke to Paul Ephes chap. 2. vers 4. But God who is rich in mercie according to his great loue wherewith he hath loued vs euen when we were dead in sinnes hath quickened vs together in Christ. There he looketh in through the grate of renouation and therein hee seeth a wonderfull mercie in God Ye shall finde the life of this in the Epistle to Titus Alas wee want this eye there is such a dulnes in vs that we cannot passe vp to see this mercy of God Thou shouldest not so soone heare of mercie but thou shouldest euer looke vnto God and his mercie and thanke him for it What Angell could euer haue thought that God would haue created that new man againe They all wondred when they saw it Alas it is long ere wee can wonder Now what is his nature Which is renued to knowledge What is he I answere he is knowledge the light of the minde thou hast a new minde would ye know what is knowledge Paul Ephes chap. 2. telleth you that the eyes of your minde are opened O if the eye of thy minde bee closed thou art yet in nature Whereto That ye may know that hope Yet he goeth higher and that riches of his grace And yet he groweth higher and that excellent greatnes In a word it is the sight of faith full of that glorie that shall be reuealed I remember the Apostle to the Eph. chap. 4. vers 24. addeth to these two things righteousnes and holines so that in all his members he is light to see God Iesus Christ and all the glorie of heauen there There is the renuing that is spoken of here he is then sincere in heart in his body and in hand he is righteous in dealing with his neighbour If thou haue this new man he will cloathe thee within and without if thou were cloathed with gold and thou haue not this cloathing on thee thou art but a lumpe of stinking dirt The last thing is the paterne hee is created to one paterne Now what looketh God to in making of him looketh he to an Angell and saith I will make this new man like an Angell or looketh hee to the Sunne and Moone to the beasts and elements or to any creature in heauen or earth No no but hee looketh to his owne glorie and maketh thee according to that forme he looketh to that light that is in himselfe and maketh thy light like to his owne light and thy holines like to himselfe Looke the first of Genesis when hee had created all things the heauen the earth and the rest ye shall not finde such a word that he created any to his owne image But when he commeth to man with a consultation saith elohim Let vs make man like to our selues Gen. chap. 1. vers 26. So then O man there is thy first glorie the Lord honored thee in thy creatiō but thou hast lost it And the renuing of this image it is passing excellent it is double more glorious then it was at the beginning O that mercie that renued it Thou deseruedst to be turned into a stone or into the vilest brute beast or vermin that is Therefore it must be a passing great mercie that in renuing thee hee renueth thee in an higher measure then hee created thee in No in the renuing of thee in Christ he doubleth his image in thee And if hee made thee like himselfe at the first now he doubleth it a thousand times more The glorie of Adam was great but now that is farre greater which wee haue in Christ If Adam had kept his glorie yet it would haue bin nothing but an earthly paradize y t he would haue bin in but al the earth is not capable of one glorified bodie in Christ So then striue to beleeue in him and certainly the fall of Adam shall be so farre from thy heart that thou shalt blesse the time that he fell if thou gettest this renued creature in thee through the Lord Iesus otherwise thou shalt curse the time that he fell So beleeue in Iesus Christ and all things shall worke to thy good felicitie and blessednes in Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be honour and praise for euer and euer Amen THE XXVIII LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 11. 11 Where is neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond free but Christ is all and in all things THis whole place is an exhortation to the mortifying of these earthly members these sinfull lusts and affections and to the putting off of them for we haue been ouer long cloathed with them so that they be not put on again Ye haue heard these daies past sundrie sorts of them and likewise sundrie arguments to moue vs to this mortification To come briefly to the purpose The last argument was from our regeneration begun in this life standing in two Coherence parts that is first in putting off the old man that is corruption of nature that we haue drawne not onely out of our mothers wombe but haue suckt out of the loynes of old Adam so that looke how hee is it is as old It sitteth on and pearceth through the skinne to the heart and there is none that is free from it The second part was the putting on of the new man For certainly as I shewed you no man is able to stand naked before God cloathed must thou be or els there is no appearance for thee being naked before that tribunall seate all must be cloathed with that righteousnes and sprinkled with the bloud of Christ and then next with this new man that is with that inherent holines that floweth out of the bloud of Christ For he that is iustified by his bloud must be sanctified by his spirit Ye heard a description of this new man he is new made againe In the
the Apostle 2. Tim. chap. 2. vers 25. c. speakes but he must be allured by peece and peece out of the bands of the diuell Now followeth the fift part of this garment which is Long suffering The word following in the next verse expounds it when one beares iniuries done of another that is long suffering This long suffering is so requisite that the world cannot stand without it What part is there in this land wherin wrong exceedeth not and wrong would not be met with wrong nor iniurie with iniurie but wrong with long suffering and I say if men were not disposed to suffer the world long since had eaten vp one another It is the patient bodie that beares the iniuries otherwise euery one had deuoured another So this is a faire garment of the beloued and holy ones of God but the vertue that followes is greater Forgiuing one another Long suffering may be without forgiuing as a poore may y t sustaines wrong he must lie vnder the wrong because he is not able to reuenge it Others againe albeit they haue abilitie will not reuenge but will hold it in their heart till they get oportunitie Then remission is a greater vertue it will not onely suffer the wrong but it will put it away it will forgiue thee that hast done the wrong or else if it will not altogether forgiue the man it will call him before the Iudge Remission therefore when it thinkes not expedient to forgiue it will not put to the hand as our men will doe but it will call thee before a Iudge The King should reuenge all these wrongs The Lord should not slay the Esquire should not slay the Gentleman should not slay but in the meane time while he is pleading his cause before the Iudge his anger should be abolished and so God shall be glorified But if the iniurie be done to thee by any man and in the meane time thou haue anger in thy heart albeit he be before the Iudge yet thou art the slayer of him So then there is the sixt part of this garment free forgiuenes This vertue is so needfull that if men forgaue not wrongs the world had perished long agoe And let men thinke as they please that runnes in reuenging it is not they that hold vp the world but the blessed ones of God Now to moue them to this vertue he vseth an argument taken from the example of Christ As Christ hath forgiuen you so forgiue you one another There was not a reason put to the rest what meanes this He lets vs see it is a hard thing to flesh and bloud to forgiue if thou take counsell at flesh and bloud thou wilt neuer forgiue admit thou wert dying But flesh and bloud will euer crye a vengeance and so it is a hard thing to forgiue And it is so necessarie that except thou forgiue and striue against thy nature thou shalt neuer haue part with God in heauen and it shall debarre thee from that societie of Iesus Christ For he that inclines not in no measure to forgiue a wrong but is alwaies set to recompence the like for the like he is not a member of Christ and if thou bee not a member thou hast no life And Christ himselfe in Matth. 6. 14. 15. saith If thou forgiue not thy brother in earth thy heauenly father shall not forgiue thee Then brethren ye shall not finde any one more resembling Christ in any vertue then in mercie and compassion and by the contrarie there is none that more resembles the diuell then the merciles bodie and iudge ye how many in this land bee like the diuell and so few like Christ Hee cannot bee satisfied who hath put hand in man not once or twice but he wil triple and quadriple it and so this vice abounds in this land Now to adde this to that that is spoken I dare say a merciles heart neuer wist what the pitie of God was if thou finde crueltie in thy heart it is an argument thou art not his Thou that hast felt the mercy of God his pitie and compassion powred out vpon thee thou wilt powre it out vpon others I see next in this example of Christ Iesus Christ is to be imitated follow him in thy life Would you haue leaders in the way follow Iesus and put thy footsteps where his was but it is to be taken heede to in what things thou followest him Iesus wrought wonders in the world follow him not in these for if thou followest him so thou puttest thy selfe in Gods roume Iesus Christ wrought the worke of redemption follow him not in that because it is the worke proper to the Creator Will you reade the Scripture you shall not finde the example of Christ propounded to follow him in wonders or to follow him in forgiuing of sinnes But when euer we follow him we should follow him in meeknes in lenitie in gentlenes To what end should I speake of the vaine dreames of the Papists they will say imitate Christ Christ fasted fortie daies therefore you must fast al the Lent but I leaue them to their vanitie and they that are vncleane let them be vncleane still and the Lord keepe vs with his truth Now ye see in expresse termes Iesus Christ hath forgiuen vs our sinnes Ephes 4. 6. it is said that God in Christ hath forgiuen vs eur sins In the one place it is said God hath forgiuen vs in the other place that Iesus Christ hath forgiuen vs. Then Iesus Christ is God the redeemer of the world So it followes of this place Iesus Christ is God blessed for euer Amen For why it is proper to God to forgiue sinnes it is onely proper to the Creator the creature hath no power to forgiue Now in the other place Iesus Christ is the price of our redemption through the which remission of sinnes is purchased he is both the forgiuer of the sinne and the price if Iesus had not been the price there had been no redemption in the world Now followeth the third This benefit of our redemption was deerely bought by our Redeemer It was not a word to say forgiue but it behooued him to die and this benefit which he giues he bought it by his owne bloud Then marke a great difference betweene him and man Iesus he dies but where thou forgiuest thou giuest but a word Looke what a doe the Lord hath with the world and what trauell hee takes to get the offence done by thee taken away he dies for it And therefore the thing we haue to presse to is to feele his loue all ioy and welfare is in the sense of this loue And therefore to this Lord be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen THE XXX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL to the Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 14. 15. 14 And aboue all these things put on loue which is the bond of perfection 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to
the which ye are called in one bodie and be ye thankefull THe Apostle brethren after he had exhorted the Colossians to put off the cloathing of the olde man which was made vp of foule affections as peeces of his garment he begins to exhort to put on the cloathing of the new man which is made vp of sundrie graces of Christ vertues and holy affections The last day we reckoned vp certaine pieces of this cloathing Parts of the garment of the new man namely sixe to wit the bowels of pitie and compassion kindnes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering and lastly the forgiuing of offences Now to come to the text wee haue in hand yet hee continues in this raiment and cloathing and reckons vp other parts of it The seuenth part of this garment he calles it Loue charitie that one beares to another neighbour to neighbour Among all the rest of the peeces he desires them to put on loue And whereon should they put this peece of the garment And aboue all these saith he put on loue as the vppermost garment they being vnder it it being aboue thē all as a cloake aboue all the rest of the cloathing Now brethren Loue must be the vppermost garment you know commonly the vppermost cloath is the fairest and the honestest the preciousest cloath because it is in the eyes of the world therefore seeing hee craues that they should put on charitie as vppermost it must follow that it is the fairest comliest and preciousest peece of cloathing that is I say more when thou hast put on all the rest as mercie Obserue kindnes humblenes meekenes long suffering forgiuenes if thou put not on loue aboue all all is nought worth It is but a garment of hypocrisie and there is no sinceritie in thy mercie thou shewest no sinceritie in thy humblenes nor in none other of thy vertues Looke what the Apostle speakes of thy vertues that can be giuen to a man 1. Cor. 13. without charitie the gift of tongues is nothing the gift of prophesie of wisedome of faith of doing miracles of almes deedes all is nothing and lastly of long suffering it is nothing without this charitie It may well be thou profit others but as for thy selfe without charitie thou shalt get no profit Therfore the Apostle saith speaking of these gifts and many more they be not profitable if I want charitie and what auailes it if it be not profitable to me So without charitie all is nothing of no value and if these vertues want charitie I say to thee they are but dead images of vertues Thy mercie is but a dead image of vertue if thou want loue and so foorth in the rest for the life of all vertues is loue if the heart be not with the hand that is the heart with the action it shall neuer doe thee good Then marke in euery good action there are two things to be considered The first is the good action it selfe The second is the manner of the doing of the action O there is no small respect to be had of the manner of doing which is the very habite and cloathing of it Now the action comes from the hand O but the forme the manner the habit which is the ornament of it comes from the heart now the heart of him doth the good deede if it be euill affected the action if it were neuer so good it hath an euill habit on it it is euill fauoured to the Lord how pleasant so euer it seeme in the eyes of man yet it is not acceptable to the Lord all is lost yea all good workes if they want this loue stinke in the sight of the Lord and thou shalt neuer get good of them But if the heart be disposed with loue that comes of faith in Iesus Christ then thy action appeares before the Lord in a faire beautie and hee makes that deede thou doest to returne backe to thee to thy A good worke returnes back with much comfort to him which doth it good as it is good to him to whom thou doest it Therefore let euery one seeke to be clad with al vertues and good offices but looke to this that euery one of them appeare before the Lord with loue and charitie that thy heart and hand may goe together Put not out thy hand alone put out heart and hand together otherwise thy action shall neuer be good to thee for thou art commaunded aboue all things to put on charitie Now to goe forward to the words following he desines this loue and by it he lets vs see that it is no small grace And first he calles it a Band. Loue is a band that binds things together All the rest of the graces are likewise bands mercie kindnes humblenes and the rest binde vp the members of Iesus Christ but without charitie all be but superficiall bands outward bands binding the bodies of men and not their hearts together But loue is an inward band and it comes from the heart and meetes with another heart and bindes vp heart with Loue is a band heart and so the knot of loue is knit all the rest giue outward things but loue giues inward things euen the heart of him which loueth I say he that loues thee giues thee his heart The word in the originall language imports not onely a band but a mutuall band as my loue to thee and thine to me so that thy loue meetes my loue for if loue be not met with loue againe it will not auaile for friendship cannot stand on one side Therefore looke that charitie be mutuall otherwise be not content with thy selfe This for the first word The next is the band of perfection This is the effect of this band It perfecteth the man in whom it is for it bindeth thee vp with the bodie it perfects thee so that thou shalt want nothing but al shall be supplied till thou beest perfected Now there is no member of the bodie that hath all perfection The Lord hath not disposed so neither was it meete it should so be but that euery member ioyned with another should bee supplied The eye cannot goe therefore the foote comes in and carries the eye the foote cannot see but in comes the eye and lets the foote see and directs it So in the bodie of man there is not a member euen the vilest and the foulest but all the rest be readie to couer that member and to supplie the want of it It is euen so with the spirituall bodie of Iesus howbeit man cannot see it yet it is as true for euery member hath not all grace no not the King nor the Apostles nor no man in any estate hath all graces yet being vnited in that bodie of Christ O thou lackest nothing for all is communicated to thee So that Paul had not a grace but it is mine All is yours saith the Apostle and you are Christs 1. Cor. 3. 21. 23. You may challenge
the kingdome of God It is peace and ioy in the holie Ghost Rom. 14. 17. So if thou be one of that kingdome thou wilt be a peaceable bodie Then the man that cannot liue in peace but is full of variance euer troubling and renting the members of the Common-weale who will not say that that man is not to bee suffered in the towne hee is not worthie to dwell in it much more a restles spirit in the kingdome of Iesus Christ Disturbers of the peace of Church and Common wealth should bee driuen out of the towne Looke if our text speakes not this These restles spirits that trouble not only the Common-weale this whole kingdom and haue studied to the subuersion of the whole land but haue by their meanes gone about to trouble the whole kingdome of Christ they should haue no place neither in Church nor Common-weale they are vnworthie of any calling either in Church or policie they haue pulled themselues asunder from both The second argument is from the body wherein we are vnited Were it not a monstrous thing to see the hand strike the face if thou hadst spiritual eyes it would seeme as monstrous a thing to thee to see a member of that body of Christ to strike another Then briefly as the ioyning of men in a citie requires a peaceable life and that they should liue in peace much more this vnion of the members not in a citie and Common-weale onely but in a body so that some of them are the hand some the eye some the foot and so foorth This vnion requires peace and quietnes they should not be restles spirits nor full of variance and therefore thou that art a restles spirit in the Church of God and yet saist thou art of the Church and wilt say thou beleeuest I say to thee thou shewest plainly thou hast nought to doe with the bodie And as I said before these troublesome men full of debate I will affirme it againe they neuer wist what that vnion with Christ is for if they had that vnion with Christ that grace of Christ would come downe from the head and bind them with the bodie So thou shewest Such as loue not peace haue nothing to doe with Christ nor his Church plainly that thou hast not to doe neither with the bodie nor with the head O murtherers your hearts are full of dissension ye shall perish in that great day I giue you this doome ye shall not escape Thus much for the eight peece of this garment of regeneration and sanctification In the end of this verse wee haue the ninth grace and peece of this garment and it is this Be thankefull that is the force of The ninth part of the garment of the nevv man the word so it is thankfulnes that he requires All the rest before are offices and graces that preuent a good deede done As when a man begins to bee mercifull to any or mercie bee shewen to him of that person that is a good deede done and so the former graces stand in doing But this grace of thankfulnes VVhat thankefulnes is it is such as stands in recompencing a good deede done In rendring good for good If thou wilt compare this grace with them that went before it is lesse then any of them for it is a greater matter to be the beginner of any good deede then to recompence a good deede done to thee And thou art a wretched bodie that neither canst doe good nor when good is done to thee canst not render thankes for it There be three Three sorts of good mē sorts of good men First he is a good man that can begin to do any good to another not prouoked by any thing that is done to him which for Gods cause can bee beneficiall to his neighbour Secondly he is a good man that can render good for good and recompence the good done to him but there can no true recompencing come without the spirit of grace Lastly he is the best man that can render good for euill that can finde in his heart to meete an euill deede with any good There be as many sorts of euill men he is an euill man that cannot shew mercie to another nor begin to doe any good but hath Three sorts of euill mē his heart locked vp Againe hee is farre worse that when hee hath gotten good cannot recompence it with good againe especially to them to whom he hath been most indebted as to his parents This countrie is full of such this man is a wretch he is worse then an Infidell An Ethnick can render good for good thou shamest thy parents What if this ingratitude were to common men but it is to them to whom they are most bound to and it is an argument that thou art vngratefull to the Lord. But the worst of all is he that for good repaies euill and this land is full of such also yea they who haue done them most good they will meete them with an euill turne All these are vngratefull men and when thou hast called a man an vngratefull man thou hast called him all the euill in the world for such a one is vnworthie to liue Therefore studie to be thankfull and thou that gettest any good done to thee by any man at the least meete him with thankfulnes It is meruaile how a man can lie downe without this consideration for if thou suffer thy selfe to be opprest with ingratitude thou shalt perish If the time would serue I would goe forward I will marke onely this All these graces are grounded vpon the word of Iesus Christ vpon this Gospell Wouldest thou be mercifull let the word dwell in thee Wouldest thou be kind wouldest thou be humblie minded and so foorth of the rest of the graces let the word of Iesus Christ raigne in thee This is the meane that ingenders these graces and keepes them in thy heart to wit the word of Iesus So thou who wouldest be gracious The Gospell is Gods hand to fill vs vvith graces and full of grace be full of the Gospell For it is that word that purifieth the heart neuer rest til thou get thy heart full of the Gospell Thou thinkest that nothing can fill thee but a bodily foode no no the word of Iesus is as effectuall to fill the heart as sensible as euer thou foundest thy stomacke fed with foode But consider this this fulnes of the heart is not gotten so long as we liue here Therefore let our pleasure bee euer in filling of our hearts with the Gospel as thou hast pleasure to fill thy stomacke with meate and drinke so fill thy Simile heart thine emptie heart that is full of nothing but winde fill it with the Gospell Alas if we could get an hunger of the word for the soule that hungers for the foode of the word it shall be filled and it shall feele the sweetnes of the word But the heart is so filled
with the filthines of nature that it cannot hunger for the word nor feele the sweetnes of it therefore emptie thy heart of this filth which is in it that being emptied thou maist haue some greedines of spirituall things Know you not the necessitie of this If in some measure thou emptie it not and fill it not with this word of grace I giue thee this doome looke not for a life to come For there is no fulnes of glorie except the fulnes of the word goe before in thee So if thou be not filled with the word in this life looke not to haue a life with Iesus in that day Seeing then it stands vpon such a paine take pleasure in this word albeit he be but a base sillie man that vtters it to thee for it is the meane that the Lord hath vsed to fill thy soule with and it hath pleased the Lord to put this iewell in earthen vessels therefore take heede to them 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 20. and fill thy selfe for els at that day thou shalt repent the time that thou wouldest not take grace when grace was offered being offended at the basenes of men in the Ministerie O let not the basenes of Christs seruants be a let to thee but be thou euer greedie to fill thy self with the word And woe be to them that would put this word away from thee and stuffe in vanities in steede of it woe to thee with thine Earldome except the Lord conuert thee in time The Lord in his mercie giue vs grace to keepe this word of Iesus and to feede thereupon To this Lord with the Sonne and holy Spirit be all praise for euermore Amen THE XXXI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 16. 17. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs sing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe inword or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the father by him WE haue heard brethren heretofore of this spirituall araiment of the new man or new creature made by Iesus Christ and wee haue heard of so many parts and peeces of it as haue been thus farre reckoned vp Of mercie kindnes humilitie mildnes lenitie forgiuing charitie peace and lastly thankfulnes for benefits receiued Now in the beginning of this text the Apostle recommends that meane whereby these graces and all other such like are gotten and wrought in the heart of man The meane briefly hee Coherence calles the word of Christ the speech of Christ Let saith hee the speech of Christ dwel in you plenteously For without this word which is the instrument of the spirit of Iesus wherby he works in the heart and without the which he workes not ordinarily there can be no grace wrought in the heart For to speake The Gentiles had no spiritual grace the truth neuer Gentile had any of these graces and for any that they had they were but dead images of vertues without life for where the word is not there can be no grace life nor vertue in man But to come to the words in particular Let saith he the word of God dwell in you plenteously Then the meane of all these graces is the speech or language to take it generally that comes out of the mouth Well brethren there is no little moment in speaking and it hath no small force in the hearer either to good or euill The language thou hearest will either do thee good or euill for it enters not so soone into the eare but Speech euer doth good or hurt as soone it goes to the heart and either will corrupt or sanctifie the heart Corrupt language will rot thy heart Ephes 4. 29. if thou takest pleasure to heare it it will cause thy heart to stinke Againe so soone as we haue spoken a word of grace by speaking it it will cleanse the heart and put out vncleannes for there is not a graine of it but it is full of stinke And therfore 1. Cor. 15. 33. When he hath recited the words of the Epicures Eate say they drinke let vs take our pastime then the Apostle subioynes be not deceiued for saith he wicked speaking corrupts good manners foule speeches euil talke will make thee an euill man For first it defiles thy heart and then thy actions Againe Ephes 4. 29. he giues expresse commandement Looke saith he that no rotten speech proceede out of thy mouth vpon paine of thy life Albeit thy heart thinke it as thy heart is euil inclined to thinke it yet keepe thy mouth close and vetter it Pro. 3. 24. Keepe the mouth close albeit the heart haue vncleane thoughts not Then he saith recommending the talke that should bee spoken Speake that that is to the edification of the hearer Speake no speech but that that is gracious I will not insist in this only keepe thy owne tongue first that thou corrupt not thy selfe or thy neighbour then take heede to thy neighbours tongue least in case thou lend thine eare to his talke that thou get not a filthie heart by it But to our purpose Speech that strikes in the eare it is of great force in the heart But whose speech must this be that workes these graces which are reckoned vp Will euery speech worke it No whose must it be then Let saith he the speech of Christ be in your hearts dwelling in all plentie Then it is Christs speech O it must be the speech of a great personage that must make this operation It is his speech that will pearce downe The speech of Christ only is the instrument of grace to the spirit because he is a spirit a diuine spirit and is the maker of all spirits and therefore it is he who pearceth downe to the heart and all his words are spirit and life This Peter saith Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. 68. And therefore seeing he hath the spirit if the Auditor were neuer so dead he will make him heare The time is come now saith he in Ioh. 5. 25. when the dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God O then heare the word of Christ and it will giue thee life Then the speech of Christ is nought els but the Gospell which the Apostle to the Romanes chap. 1. 16. calles the power of God vnto saluation to euery one who beleeues Beleeue it and thou shalt find this power in thee For as concerning the Gospell it was Iesus Christ who was the first speaker of it first in The Gospel preached by Christ since the beginning Paradice and then to the Fathers in order and lastly in his owne person in a full reuelation hee spake this word of life Looke not then for life let none from the King to the beggar
affirme there was neuer more neede to speake to the affections of men to admonish and rebuke then in these times Now hee insists in the second thing in raising vp the heart of the hearer that is ouer farre cast downe and heauie so that it cannot speake to God To cheere it vp I say the meanes are Psalmes that is the first The second is Hymnes The third is Songs Canticles All stands in singing melodie of the voyce The sad heart that is ouer farre cast downe that it cannot rise to glorifie God requires to be raised vp with the melody of the voyce I will not insist Psalmes are songs in generall of what 1. Psalmes argument or purpose soeuer they bee Hymnes are songs of 2. Hymnes praises a speciall kinde of Psalme Canticles or Odes are a 3. Canticles certaine kinde of Hymnes composed and made after a more artificiall manner as the song of Salomon The Lord recommends these as meanes to raise vp the heart of man to God that is ouer sad Then the lesson is this Among all the rest of the meanes whereby the heart is wakened and raised vp to God singing is one This melodie this sweete harmonie whether it be naturall or artificiall Musicke serues to raise vp the heart to glorifie God And therefore the melodie of the voyce it should be applied to the edifying of others Looke how ye vse your voyce ye that haue it the Lord giues it to thee for the edifying of thy brother If any haue a Canticle vse it to the edifying of thy brother the greatest part vse it to the destroying of the hearer and feeding of their foule affections to vanitie Well take heede you who haue voyces to sing for thou shalt giue an account if it be not to the edifying of the hearer In the words following hee insists in a large description of these three First for the matter as concerning it it should be spirituall and heauenly All the matter of Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should be spirituall For why they come from the riches of the word in the heart If thou haue this substance within thee all thy songs will be of Scripture of heauenly things and all to glorifie thy God and to edifie thy brother Well this that Paul speaks condemnes all these songs of vaine and filthie purposes Fie vpon thee who doest abuse thy voyce in foule bawdrie matters to corrupt and infect the affection of the hearer It had bin better thou hadst not gotten a voyce Then he comes to the forme of singing which is it should be gracious that is it should haue such gratiousnes and grauitie as might conuey grace to the heart of the hearer This condemnes all these light and wanton tunes that mistune the affection of the hearer Besides this it condemnes this chirming and chaunting in the Papistical Church This word grace condemnes all because by their broken notes of Musicke they breake the words of the Scripture and so they darken the sentence that the words cannot be vnderstood and feede not the heart with the words and sentences of the Scripture but feed the eare with a vaine tune and so it condemnes all their singing for al is gracelesse because this singing which the Apostle requires should be such as should not breake the words of the Scripture but should make them more plaine and distinct In the third place he comes on to the chiefe Organ that is the instrument wherewith they should sing It is not with the Organs of the Papists no not with thy tongue but it is with the heart and with the affection of a well ruled heart Therefore as a fidler or any that playes on an Instrument tempers his Simile Instrument that a sweete harmonie may be heard of it Euen so before thou sing temper thou thy heart and let thy song rise not from thy throte but from the depth of thine heart that is from thine affections set vpon God Lastly he sets downe to whom we be to make this musicke and whose eare we be to please in singing He saith it is to the Lord then it is the Lord Iesus Christ to whom thou shouldst direct thy song and whose eare thou shouldest please So that he or she that sings either Psalmes Hymnes and Canticles should set themselues to please the eare of Iesus Christ You see these vaine singers set themselues to please the eares of men but thou that wouldest sing with grace to edification set thy selfe to please Christ Iesus that hath pleased thee O woe to thee that will not endeuour thy selfe to pleasure Whom not flesh but him who hath pleasured thee Fie on thee that shouldest please thy selfe with the displeasure of thy Lord For what hast thou won whē thou hast pleased al the world with displeasing of God When thou singest to the pleasure of God thou giuest grace to the heart of thy neighbour and edifiest the hearer Thus much brethren of the meane whereby these graces are gotten As for the verse that followes taking occasion of the former he sets downe a generall rule of all thine actions to wit that in al Iesus Christ should euer be before thy eye Al should be done to his honour First he saith Whatsoeuer you doe doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus That is by calling vpon his holy name begin with him and looke that thine eye be first on him and say Lord mine eye is vpon thee and all is for thy glorie And in the end of the verse he will not giue thee leaue to thanke the Father without the Sonne for he saith Giuing thankes to God the Father euen by him The lesson is then In all actions and speeches euer respect Iesus Christ his honour and glorie he is a maiestie of maiesties When thou art honoring God the Father misse not Christ by the way otherwise thou shalt haue no accesse to that tribunall of grace and say O my God I thanke thee through my Mediatour Iesus Christ Lord haue mercie on me for my Mediatour the Lord Iesus sake for there is no mercie without Christ The ground of this doing is let be that he is God he hath also a Lordship ouer thee Read Rom. 14. 8. 9. For this end hath hee died and risen againe that hee might be Lord both of the dead and of the quicke So honour him as thy Lord. As Paul 2. Cor. 5. 15. Christ hath died and risen to that end that he who liues liue no more to himselfe but to him who died for him and rose againe Looke that that life of thine bee to him Let all thy life thy words and thy actions be to his glorie Whereto should I insist to recommend this matter to you experience teacheth it What ioy hath a man in any action be it neuer so faire what sweetnes hath any man except in the meane time his eye be vpon the Mediatour the Lord Iesus except his conscience tels him hee speakes to the honour of the
labour to put the feare of God in their hearts Nay it is no marueile though ye haue theeues and whores in your houses and families when as ye put not in this ground of sincere seruice in their hearts the feare of God Now followes the fountaine of all seruice What euer you do doe it heartily As if hee would say begin not at the hand or foote to doe thy seruice but begin thou at thy heart let it be The fountaine of good seruice the ground of all thy seruice All good actions should begin at the heart Therefore if thou wert but casting out the ashes looke thou doe that turne with thy heart so that thy heart be as well occupied as thy hand otherwise it is but a counterfeit action and I will not put a difference betwixt thy action and the action of an oxe drawing in the plough Indeede thy master may be profited by thine action yet if thy heart be not with it thou hast lost thy trauell The Lord that sits vpon thy conscience shall turne thy action to thy damnation In the next place the Apostle sets downe how they shall come to this way of seruice It is no small matter to get thy heart to serue thy master for thou that gettest a freedome to serue thou hast gotten thine hire in thy hand It is a rare grace then to get thy heart to concurre with thy action The way is How to serue heartily Doe it heartily as to the Lord. As if hee would say when ye are doing and labouring think not with your selues I am seruing man or woman a creature though he were a King in my seruice but say I am seruing my Lord Iesus Christ Then ye seruants whatsoeuer thing ye doe though it were but sweeping the house say all this that I am doing how vile soeuer it be I am doing it to my Lord Iesus Christ Haue thy eye lifted vp when thy hand is downe I shall tell thee how thou shalt get it If thou haue a respect to his will howbeit immediatly it be not done to him yet if thou haue the knowledge that it is his will that thou shouldest doe so the Lord takes that seruice rather done to himselfe then to thy master Therefore the Apostle saies Seruing Christ and not men Well is that seruant that can say I doe this to obey thy blessed will and then the Lord will say I giue thee thy reward Then the lesson is who is he that doth heartie seruice None but the seruant of Iesus Christ If thou be not his seruant thou shalt neuer be a heartie seruant to man nor a true subiect to the King Looke then if your seruants can serue Christ and if they cannot it is an euill token they cannot serue thee for there is not a faithfull seruant but he that is the seruant of Christ and in his seruice hath euer his eye to the will of Christ And if thou haue such a seruant then thou shalt haue a blessing of that seruant though it were but a kitchin lasse O blessed is that house that hath a seruant that feares the Lord and loues the Lord Yea a greater blessing followes that seruant then followes the master oftentimes Now followe the arguments to moue them to this holie Argumēts to moue seruants seruice The first is from the reward that the faithfull seruant shall receiue Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the reward of the inheritance The argument is taken not from an hire they get presently but from a promise of an hire Now certainly thou art a wicked seruant that wilt not doe a turne till thou get thy hire in thy hand thou art a wicked seruant that wilt doe nothing till thou get heauen in thy hand I tell thee thou shalt neuer get heauen if thou cannot depend vpon a promise of heauen There is here then a promise of an hire and a reward From whom The Apostle saies not your earthly masters will pay you no but he saies your Lord of heauen shall reward you Why speakes he so because hee durst not promise of earthly men for all men are lyars they will oft times hold backe the hire of the seruant but he promiseth in the name of the Lord for he is faithfull And therefore seruants you should reioyce in this for howbeit thou want thy earthly hire yet be faithfull in thy seruice and thou shalt not want thy hire What a reward is this what should hee haue his hire in his hand and so fare yee well Indeede this is the fashion of the world but this reward the Apostle speakes of is a reward of an inheritance O thou that wilt haue an eye to the Lord of heauen hee will not reward thee like a seruant thou shalt be a sonne and therefore an inheritour Rom. 8. 17. And Go ye saies Christ inherit that kingdom prepared for you frō the foundation of the world Matth. 25. 34. Yea shall the kitchin lasse be made a Queene and a sillie simple boy a King Yes the Lord will doe that and will giue them a kingdome in heauen So first reioyce for the certaintie of your reward next for the greatnes of it It is not an hire and a bountie that is smal in value Alas it may be thou thinkest little of it because thou hast it not in thy hand but blessed art thou if thou caust waite vpon the promise and beleeue it Now to proue that they shall get this reward first he takes an argument from their owne knowledge Knowing Know ye not I appeale to your owne conscience if there be not a reward laid vp for thee if thou serue faithfully tels not thy conscience thee this I will serue for I looke for a kingdome It is not this small hire No that Lord whom I haue serued from morning to night hee will giue me a kingdome Brethren it is a thing impossible that faith can beguile a man hope then I promise thee thy hope shall not beguile thee yea hope for things thou hast not seene and thou shalt get them It is impossible Note well that thy faith and hope can be disappointed And lay this ground thou hast to doe with a faithfull Lord that can not beguile thee So close thy eyes vpon all other things and rest in hope on Christ and thou shalt see a ioyfull end Blessed is that soule that resteth in hope for it shall receiue glorie The second argument is from the seruice done to Christ Ye serue the Lord. Fie on thee that wilt begin to serue another master and neglect thy dutie to him So the argument is because thou seruest the Lord Iesus Christ therefore thou must haue a reward of him hee will giue thee an heritage because his hand is the hand of an infinit God What are the heritages on the earth he thinkes it ouer little to giue them to thee therefore hee will giue thee the kingdome of heauen Then marke neuer man serued Christ
for nought It is impossible that he who serues Christ can want a reward thou who caust serue Christ with many crosses it is the very way to bring thee to a kingdome So blessed is that feruant that serues Christ Iesus if thou get not this benefit to be a seruant in his house though it were to be but a porter for the vilest seruant that serues Christ shall get a hire euen a kingdome woe shall be to thee Therefore seeing now is the time to serue him shew your selues faithfull seruants to Iesus for when all vantage failes thee the Lord Iesus will be thine aduantage and therefore serue the Lord and thou shalt not want a reward And thou must not thinke that this rewarde comes vnto thee through merit it comes of grace for when thou hast done all that is commaunded thee say I am an vnprofitable seruant Luk. 17. 10. And so fie on the Papists that thinke their seruice shall merit such an hire as is the inheritance of heauen This reward comes of grace onely and of his faithfulnes that hath promised otherwise hell would be thy reward Therfore thou who lookes for a reward of thy seruice thinke thou art seruing Christ thinke againe thou shalt get a reward but beware of presumption to thinke this turne shall merit heauen No but the thing I doe shall not be the cause of my saluation no I am but an vnprofitable seruant and in the meane time looke for a reward of mercie and grace because he is a faithful Lord that hath promised thee a reward and in the end thou shalt get a kingdome purchased by the bloud of the Lord Iesus Now I come to the second argument to moue seruants to The second argument doe their dutie contained in the last verses of this chapter These seruants in old time were in hard condition for they were slaues liuing to the appetites of men bought sold beaten and slame at their pleasure for looke what power men had ouer beasts the like had they ouer their seruants Therefore these seruants might haue said there is a faire reward abiding vs but yet our present estate is intolerable wee are intreated as beasts and we sustaine great iniurie he meetes with this and in a word promiseth a iust amends and reuenge of the wrong done to them Let no man abuse his power ouer poore ones what euer wrong is done to them it shall be repayed So the lesson pertaining to the inferiour and opprest by the mightie ones in this world Masters and Lords especially is this Art thou a seruant doest thou well seruest thou the Lord Iesus Christ in thy seruice is thine eye set to please him thou shalt receiue the reward of thy weldoing that of an inheritance in heauen In well doing sufferest thou gettest thou wrong art thou opprest roughly handled with crueltie and seueritie The Apostle answers thou shalt haue an assisement beside the reward What wouldest thou haue The Lord shall oppresse them that oppresse thee This generally appertaines to all estates Doest thou well Thy reward shall be an eternal heritage In well doing sufferest thou wrong The Lord promiseth thee an assisement and an acquittance of them that doe thee wrong Brethren it is marueilous to see the care and regard the Lord hath to his owne if they were neuer so poore wormes that the great folke will not vouchsafe themselues once to looke to it would seeme enough that a poore seruant should get such an heritage howbeit his iniuries hee suffered were neuer reuenged Who would thinke otherwise O but the Apostle answers not after this manner It may suffice that you shall get a faire reward for the seruice ye doe as for the rest what matters it No but hee saith in effect as for the wrong done to you it shal be auenged So the Lord is not content to giue them a reward but for the wrong they suffer the Lord will be auenged on them that wrongs them if they were the greatest Monarchs in the world Howbeit thou wouldest forgiue them as Steuen did Act. 7. and say Lord lay not this to their charge yet the Lords iustice will not suffer thee vnreuenged the Lord shal take them that oppresse thee and throw them into hell if they continue impenitent yea it comes to passe oft times that oppressors of the poore and Church before they goe out of the world that the Lord in the sight of the poore and oppressed takes them and rents and riues them in such sort as they are compelled to pitie them O then how terrible is the iudgement that abides oppressors and abusers of their seruants whatsoeuer Well then there are two things well doing and suffering of wrong well doing shall receiue an inheritance suffering shall receiue a reuenge vengeance shall come vpon the oppressour So let none be wearie in well doing in this world nor be impatient in suffering for it is all but for a moment we doe and suffer in respect of that eternitie The second thing to bee marked is this Who is this that shall reuenge the cause of the poore seruants Hee saies not your masters haue masters aboue them as no doubt they had for all superiours haue Magistrates aboue them to take order with them if they doe wrong alas if hee had answered so it had been little comfort to them as they found by experience for they accepted of the persons of men they accounted of the master not of the seruant they permitted thē by their lawes to abuse their seruants The Apostle knew how slacke the Iustices are to reuenge the cause of seruants and therefore he promiseth no amends at their hands but at the hands of the Lord. So now speaking of reuenge he promiseth it not to come of the Magistrate but from the Lord for hee knew the Lord would not beguile him Ye may then see he hath trusted much to God and depending on him he promiseth much in his name What wouldest thou haue a reward a reuenge the Apostle promiseth both to thee but at the Lords hand The lesson then is the man that knowes God well and is well acquainted with his mercie with his iustice with his power and his wisedom it is wonderful what he will promise in his name flesh and bloud scarsely will beleeue it Note Againe a poore bodie and one opprest one that knowes not this when he heares of this it is wonderfull how he will swallow vp these promises nay thou neuer didst eate meate with such pleasure as this poore one will swallow them vp And I say a Pastor should not promise ought of God except he knew him thou that art an hearer if thou know him in his power iustice and the rest in despite of all the world thy heart will rest on him Therefore know him in Iesus Christ and pray night and day O Lord I lie in darknes let me see thee in Iesus Christ and the glorie that is in thee
they remember their children whilest they are present with them onely Teachers are negligent or at leastwise short of their dutie if they remember their schollers onely whilest they are in the schoole with them The doctrine of the word is not easily receiued neither doth it quickly bring forth fruite Prayer is a worthie meane to helpe forward the one and the other specially the prayers of the pastor and teacher And if in other cases the prayers of a righteous man are much auaileable specially if they be feruent so saith S. Iames then the supplications of a godly and faithfull minister are likewise piercing Lastly obserue that the Apostle highly yea and as it were before others commendeth Epaphras to the Colossians and particularly for this that he was their minister and preached the Gospell vnto them yea and he giueth him this testimony that he had a certaine feruent affection and earnest desire towards them He doth the like vnto Timothie whom he purposed to send to the Philippians He doth in like manner commend Epaphroditus vnto them Phil. 1. 19. Obserue therefore I say and gather from hence that it is very necessarie that in any yea in euery particular congregation there shuld amongst all be a reuerend regard of the pastor that liueth and teacheth The Pastor of the Church should be reuerently esteemed in the same yea all should be well perswaded not onely generally of his honestie pietie faith charitie learning conscience and other graces necessarie and fit for the Ministerie but also of his singular affection and loue towards them yea specially of his desire and care to doe them good so that hee may as it were possesse the hearts of his people and haue them most strictly conioyned to him For so hee shall more easily bring them vnto Christ whilest they are willing and commit themselues to the faith and trust of their Pastor But where this perswasion is not of their Pastor his labour to amongst the flock though it be neuer so great good should do small good And therfore we may see that we are not only to pray as our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs Matth. 9. to pray the Lord of the haruest to thrust foorth workmen into the haruest but also to intreate him so to linke the hearts of the Pastor and the people together that the work of his glorie in them and their saluation may bee euery day more then other aduanced But where shall a man finde such people where shall he find such Pastors A man may goe from the East to the West from the North to the South and finde very few which should bee so farre off from discouraging vs from this dutie that it should prouoke vs more carefully to performe it And that I say to you I speake to mine owne heart Let vs therefore trauaile againe and againe with God to work such a mutual coniunction betwixt the Pastor and the flocke as his glorie may be daily aduanced thereby and the worke of eternall life furthered through Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all power and praise with thanks and glorie now and for euermore Amen THE XLI LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 4. vers 15 16 17 18. 15 Salute the brethren which are at Laodicea and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house 16 And when this Epistle shall be read among you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans as that ye likewise reade the Epistle which was written from Laodicea 17 And say to Archippus Looke to this that thou fulfill the ministerie which thou hast receiued from the Lord. 18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul Remember my bands Grace be with you Amen THe first of these foure verses belongeth to the last treatie touching salutations And therefore we will deale with it by it selfe before we come to the other Hauing shewed before what worthie persons saluted them Now he intreateth the Church to salute and greete from him and them some others Those that are to be greeted are of two sorts First the brethren which are at Laodicea and the rather he intreateth this because hee would haue this Epistle read amongst them Secondly a certaine man named Nymphas together The members of the church specially to be regarded in our salutations with the Church that was in his house From whence wee may perceiue that amongst them of Laodicea he would only haue thē to be greeted that were brethren By which name he meaneth them that were sonnes of one father to wit God and adopted into that grace being ingraffed into Christ through faith The reason whereof is plaine because with them alone and with no other we are conioyned and as it were made one in Christ And as for salutations and greetings they are certaine meanes that God hath appointed to preserue and maintaine that vnitie and coniunction that the members of Christ haue among themselues Which howsoeuer as in respect of the bodie they are distinguished and separated one from another in this present life yet feele they here the communion of Saints and haue hope in their hearts of inseparable coniunction with their head Christ and with that whole holy bodie of the Saints in the life to come Another thing that we may learne hence is in the person of Nymphas who being the father of a familie or master of a household teacheth vs what is the dutie of such as be in that calling namely so to gouerne their families and households Parents and householders dutie and so to instruct them in the knowledge of Christ and saluation that they may be well inured with integritie of life and sanctimonie and so haue them particular congregations as it were famous and worthie commendation amongst all the godly for faith and holines But what man is he I will not say that striueth to this but that thinketh of it at the least carefully From whence it floweth that not onely people proceede to prophanenes but the Churches are not increased which cannot be till speciall families which make particular congregations be well and throughly reformed But wee will leaue this and proceed to that which followeth The two next verses containe in them the fift part of this fourth chapter And they doe containe in them certaine speciall points which he giueth in charge to the Colossians concerning partly their owne benefit and partly the good of the Laodiceans The first thing he chargeth them withall is that after this Epistle had been read among the Colossians themselues they would cause it to be read also in the Church of Laodicea From whence it should seeme we may well inferre that this Epistle was chiefly sent to the Gouernours and Elders of the Church and therfore the Apostle would first haue it read publikely in the Church of Colosse that it might be knowne and vnderstood of all the Saints there Next that he would haue the whole